Chapter 18

Madam Xie returned to the main topic, “Mother is asking you how to get your brother to resign. You also know that he treats his official title like his life.”

Xiao Baoxin couldn’t help but laugh. Her face instantly became as beautiful as peach blossoms.

As expected, she heard Madam Xie’s heart bursting with joy. She was not stingy in praising her daughter’s stunning beauty.

However, Xiao Baoxin didn’t think that her mother was just praising herself. Although her mother was silly and sweet, her beauty standards were actually quite high. She believed that it was all from the bottom of her heart and couldn’t be more real!

You have to be so confident as a woman!

“Mother, have you overlooked something important?”

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To avoid being disturbed by Madam Xie’s inner thoughts, Xiao Baoxin obediently helped Madam Xie back to her seat and sat on a chair far away.

Was her daughter being filial?

Or was she despising her?

Since she was sitting so far away, if her eyes weren’t sharp enough, she wouldn’t even be able to make eye contact.

“What did I overlook?” Madam Xie pondered. “I’ve always been prone to neglect important issues. You know that too.”

Pfft!

Her mother had a deep understanding of herself.

“Mother, the problem now is not how we are going to get Brother to resign, but you need to realize Xie Xian’s identity,” Xiao Baoxin said slowly, a faint smile appearing on her pretty face.

“He’s the emperor’s subordinate, a yellow gatekeeper. Why would he come to our residence to propose a plan for no reason? Presumably, it’s the emperor’s idea.”

It’s probably unrelated to kinship.

Whoever was serious would lose out!

Madam Xie, who had lost because of her seriousness, said, “If it really was the emperor’s idea, why didn’t he just remove your Brother from his position? Why did he have to make Xie Xian come here? His body is so weak.”

Why would one care if they were weak if they were carrying out the Emperor’s orders?

It would be sufficient as long as he had brains.

Xiao Baoxin, “It should be because of Father. Didn’t Xie Xian say that Father is fighting for the country on the battlefield and that Brother will recover his status sooner or later? His words are already very obvious.”

In fact, Madam Xie didn’t really care whether Xiao Baoshan could make a comeback or not. But it was better for him to make a comeback than to be dismissed from office and end up staying in the mansion and exchanging glances with her.

She did not understand what was going on in court, nor did she have the exquisite thoughts of those noble ladies.

However, she knew that the prosperity of the family was tied to the same rope. If the Xiao family was really ruined by Xiao Baoshan and his wife, it would be even worse for the Xiao family and her children.

No matter how Xiao Baoshan went down, he still had his father to protect him. He still had a wife and a child.

But Baoxin and Baoshu were still staying at the residence. If anything happened and their future prospects were delayed, the three of them would suffer the greatest loss!

Therefore, she couldn’t just watch Xiao Baoshan drag them down.

After thinking this through, Madam Xie said joyfully, “Luckily, there’s still room to salvage the situation. At least, we managed to save your engagement. You’re already fifteen, we can’t afford to delay any longer.”

… What should she do? It seemed like she was going around in circles. Xiao Baoxin was silent.

Was it better for her to wait for the Yuan family to decline the engagement before she urged her mother to convince Xiao Baoshan to resign?

Having made up her mind, Madam Xie wasn’t in the mood to let the rumors continue. She chased Xiao Baoxin away and immediately sent someone to invite Xiao Baoshan over.

These few days, Madam Xie had been worn out by Xiao Baoshan. If it wasn’t for the fact that there was some progress in the matter, she wouldn’t even be nice to him.

Using the new information that Xie Xian provided her, she threw it at Xiao Baoshan and asked him when he was going to resign.

Xiao Baoshan was stunned.

Although he disliked Madam Xie and could not get close to her no matter what, he had never gone beyond the rules to pry into the affairs of the main courtyard. Therefore, he did not know that Xie Xian had actually left his place and returned to the main courtyard.

He had even forgotten to send off Xie Xian and had locked himself in his room for the entire afternoon, sinking into deep fear.

Right now, he was like a street rat that everyone wanted to beat up. He couldn’t even step out of the door. As long as he stepped out of the Xiao Residence, even the beggars on the streets would spit on him. His daughter also sided with her mother and didn’t even recognize her father. His stepmother had been setting new discipline rules day and night and had beaten up quite a number of servants. He believed that this was all for him to see.

He was in such a pitiful state, yet his stepmother was rubbing salt on his wound and forcing him to resign?

Did he extend his hand too far?

“How does Madam know about matters in my courtyard?” Xiao Baoshan asked in a low voice. If she did not arrange for someone to be by his side, how would she know the purpose of Xie Xian’s visit?

Huh?

Madam Xie frowned. “Eldest Young Master, can you have a brighter outlook of things? Which of those maids, servants, and stewards in your courtyard weren’t picked by your wife herself?”

“I asked you to resign because I heard from my good nephew, Xie Xian.”

“Xie Xian?”

Before Xiao Baoshan could react to how Xie Xian had become his stepmother’s good nephew, he heard Madam Xie say.

“What he says is on behalf of the emperor’s will.” You know what he means.

Xiao Baoshan: I know, but I don’t want to.

“In my opinion, you should take the initiative to resign now. It’s better than the emperor personally issuing a decree to dismiss you from your position. At that time, your face won’t look good either. If you don’t give the emperor an out, I’m afraid the emperor won’t look good either.”

For the sake of her children’s future, Madam Xie racked her brains and persuaded them.

“The emperor already said that with your father here, he will naturally use you after we avoid this crisis. Why don’t you understand the emperor’s intentions and quickly take an out?”

“Your father is not in Jiankang now, and the Cai family is still clinging onto our Xiao residence. Other than taking a step back, do you have any better solution?”

These words stung. If he could think of it, he would not have asked Xie Xian.

However, the answer that Xie Xian gave hurt even more.

He was unwilling to believe that this was the emperor’s intention, but other than this reason, he could not think of any other reason that Xie Xian had been so effortful in persuading him to leave.

Firstly, they really didn’t hold any grudges against each other and wouldn’t resort to taking revenge for personal gain. Secondly, he wasn’t undervaluing himself. Just because his family background wasn’t as good as the other party, he wasn’t as well-loved as the other party, and even his looks couldn’t be compared to the other party, there was no reason for Xie Xian to get involved in this mess no matter how much he racked his brains.

What nephew? What aunt? Only this stepmother of his could believe in her dream of being a member of an aristocratic family…

She really had not felt ridiculed fully as a fake aristocratic family.

“Eldest Young Master, it’s alright if you don’t trust me. With your father around, would you be at a disadvantage? You’re the eldest son of the Xiao Residence. In the future, the entire Xiao Residence will belong to you. Would he be able to watch helplessly as you don’t even have an official position? Or would the emperor be able to see your father lose face?” Madam Xie said these heartfelt words.

“Madam, you have spoken too seriously. I’m just worried about you…”

His stepmother had really spared no effort in forcing him to resign by saying these honest words.

Xiao Baoshan covered his face. To be honest, he was even more worried about his father.

Because of him, the entire Xiao Residence was dragged down into the water. They were chased and beaten, and in the end, he even lost his official position…

He was afraid that his father would come back and beat him to death. He would not be able to see the sun the next day.

He regretted it now. He should not have been involved with Second Young Master Cai back then. If he had ignored Second Young Master Cai, he would not have known Lü Liu. If he did not know her, he would not have fallen out with the Cai family. If he had not fallen out with the Cai family, he would not have been beaten up by Second Young Master Cai. Naturally, he would not have become the target of everyone today…