The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 426

Xu Wan's lips twitched in disbelief at his words.

Because she could see the stack of papers spread out on the table—clearly poems and essays written earlier… It suddenly dawned on her that Su Xi, on his very first day, had taught the children creative ways to insult Luo Jingfeng.

Seemed like they’d been caught red-handed.

But oddly enough, Luo Jingfeng seemed to be in a rather good mood, leisurely waiting for the boys to hand in their assignments.

One by one, poems praising him were presented, their phrasing and composition far superior to the insults from before. It was obvious how much they’d improved in just over a month, and Luo Jingfeng was so pleased that he called out to the servants, "Someone! Deliver these poems to that old man in Lucheng. Let him see how these boys are praising me."

"Yes, Lord Protector! I’ll go at once."

"!!" The five young boys stared in shock.

Was the Lord Protector declaring war on Su Xi from afar?

One had them writing insults; the other had them composing flattering poems to send to the old man… The adults’ rivalry had begun, using the children’s poems as ammunition.

Luo Jingfeng, still unsatisfied, added in a tone that could infuriate the dead, "Send it by express courier—eight hundred li urgent."

The already distant attendant shouted back even louder, "Understood!"

Xu Wan couldn’t bear to watch. Luo Jingfeng was truly wicked. If Old Master Su received that letter and saw the students he’d painstakingly taught praising his sworn enemy, wouldn’t he be too furious to sleep all night?

Zong Jincheng also found this inappropriate and muttered, "You’re so petty. Holding grudges like this… I’ll write a letter to Old Master Su myself, so your malice doesn’t ruin his appetite."

Luo Jingfeng snorted. "I’m not holding a grudge against you. That old man spends his days writing poems to insult people. I’m being reasonable by not beating him up." Zong Jincheng rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

Luo Jingfeng grabbed him and hauled him upstairs. "Come with me. I have something to say."

Zong Jincheng pouted but didn’t resist.

Once Luo Jingfeng was gone, the other four boys collectively exhaled in relief.

He Zheng was the first to whisper, "Finally, he’s gone. Even though the Lord Protector treats Big Brother well, I’m still terrified of him."

Wei Xinglu clapped a hand over his mouth. "Quiet! Martial artists have sharp ears. He’s just upstairs, not really gone. If he hears us, we’re done for." He drew a finger across his neck, and He Zheng immediately fell silent.

Xu Wan and Zong Zhao began gathering the poems on the table, while the boys scrambled to help. In the end, Zong Zhao tucked them into a bookshelf in the corner—lest Luo Jingfeng see them again.

The second floor was a familiar place for Zong Jincheng.

First, the Crown Prince had tutored him here. Then, his parents had interrogated him here. Now, Luo Jingfeng had dragged him up for a talk. He knew the place like the back of his hand, effortlessly fetching two small cushions to sit on.

Luo Jingfeng watched him dart around, his gaze following his nephew’s movements, his eyes brimming with affection. He sighed again. "Jincheng, seeing you raised so well, I can forgive Zong Zhao and the Crown Prince for hiding this from me."

Zong Jincheng made a face at him.

Bad uncle. Talking like I’m your child.

I’m Father’s! The Crown Prince’s!

Not your little troublemaker.

Luo Jingfeng didn’t mind the insolent expression. Smiling, he pulled a jade pendant from his robes and handed it over. "You refused your mother’s, so I had a new one made to match hers. It’s for you."

The pendant was exquisite. Sunlight streaming through the window illuminated its flawless clarity and even hue. The material was superior to Luo Shu’s—even better than the one his grandmother had given him.

But Zong Jincheng didn’t want to take it.

He didn’t like Luo Shu, let alone a pendant tied to her.

The little troublemaker scrambled for an excuse. "I already have too many pendants. More would just get lost—such a waste."

Luo Jingfeng’s hand froze mid-air. "You still won’t forgive me?"

Zong Jincheng answered bluntly, "No, I told you—once you let the Crown Prince go, I’d make peace with you. A gentleman’s word is unbreakable."

Sometimes, Luo Jingfeng had the strange illusion that this ten-year-old was already grown. His mind was as sharp as a mirror, impossible to control or predict.

After a pause, Luo Jingfeng suddenly asked, "Do you dislike your mother?"

In his memory, the boy had never once asked about his third sister. He showed no curiosity about his own mother, even referring to her by name as if she were a stranger.

Zong Jincheng didn’t answer.

Because the truth wasn’t what this sister-obsessed man wanted to hear. He had no wish to provoke Luo Jingfeng.

Luo Jingfeng spoke softly. "Months ago, when I returned to the capital, I sought out the midwife who delivered you. She was an old servant from our estate, one who accompanied your mother into the palace."

Zong ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍Jincheng looked up, curiosity flickering in his eyes. This was about his infancy—even before his birth—a story neither his father nor mother had ever shared.

Luo Jingfeng continued, "The midwife said your mother feigned illness in the palace to hide her pregnancy. She deceived everyone—even me. She’d always been clever, but never so bold. Later, I realized you might be right. She wanted you to live peacefully, so she kept even me in the dark."

Zong Jincheng tilted his head, listening without interruption. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

But he felt no connection to the tale, as if it were about someone else.

Luo Jingfeng went on, voice heavy. "When we were young, our father favored his concubines over his wife. Our mother died early, killed by those women. Though we were the legitimate heirs, our lives were worse than the bastards’. Your mother, beautiful beyond compare, became the target of every noble family’s marriage proposals. Only then did our father finally notice her. We thought it a good sign—until he used her as a bargaining chip, handing her over to a man twice her age. She struggled to survive in that den of palace intrigue. Among all the imperial children, she alone never conceived. Night after night, she sat in solitude till dawn."

His voice grew thick with grief, as if he could see Luo Shu in those endless lonely nights, listening to laughter from other palaces.

Eyes reddened, he smiled at the boy before him. "So your arrival brought her joy. She eagerly awaited your birth. For months, she sewed tiny clothes and embroidered tiger-head shoes, so even if you were sent away, you’d have them to wear. But… the Crown Prince came at the worst time. Everything was burned, leaving no trace behind."

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