After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

The moonlight, like water, sprinkled down silvery rays, like a bright white cloak draped over the three carriages outside the Ning family courtyard, adding to the tranquility and luxury of the carriages.

The three carriages were lined up in a row. The two on the left seemed to be the same model, with similar decorations and styles. They were all made of red lacquered nanmu wood, with carvings on all four sides, and each of the four corners of the roof was carved with an exquisite beast in a different form.

The horses at the front of the carriage were clearly top-quality horses, expensive and powerful. They had strong limbs, bright eyes, and smooth, shiny black coats that seemed to blend into the night. The two horses were pawing the ground and snorting.

The carriage on the far right is a valuable sandalwood carriage, but the carvings are relatively simple and the carriage is not large. The horses in front are large, yellow-brown horses. Compared to the two carriages on the left, this one appears more restrained and profound.

Ning Nan frowned and slowly walked up the long slope.

At that moment, two familiar faces dressed as coachmen came up to greet them.

Ning Nan's eyes widened in surprise, then he paused, stunned: "Uncle Jiang? Uncle Qiao?"

Jiang Xing and Qiao Dongsheng were escorted home by these two grooms when they returned from the Zhenguo Marquis's residence last time.

Ning Nan smiled and quickly walked up.

Qiao Dongsheng cupped his hands and smiled, saying that they were sent by the Seventh Young Master. Tomorrow was the day the Marquis would elevate the Seventh Young Master's birth mother, Madam Jia, to the position of Marquis's principal wife, that is, the mistress of the Marquis's mansion. The Seventh Young Master ordered the two of them to drive the carriage over and pick up Young Master Ning early tomorrow morning to attend the ceremony at the Marquis's mansion.

Ning Nan smiled, clasped his hands in thanks, and repeatedly said "thank you."

Of course, she hadn't forgotten about this; Qin Yuanyao had even prepared his travel permit. She had originally planned to ride a horse there tomorrow, but with a carriage, her backside would suffer less, and she could also take her mother and Cuicui with her.

Moreover, even the gifts for the past had been prepared long ago... a piece of calligraphy written by himself.

Although the characters were written by myself, the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were all of the highest quality, so I can say that I put my heart into it.

At that time, Master Zhu's group of accountants were still there. He used his position for personal gain, bought the finest Huzhou brushes and Huizhou ink, and also bought a large bundle of Xuancheng paper. He found an excuse to ask the accountants for money. He was actually very nervous, but to his surprise, they approved it very readily!

So, filled with unparalleled gratitude towards Master Zhu... he waved his hand and bought several more inkstones from Duanxi, Zhaoqing!

As a result, the Ning family's writing implements became famous treasures throughout the world!

Add to that a poem, "I searched for her a thousand times in the crowd, then suddenly I turned around, and there she was, in the dim light"... and this calligraphy, written as a congratulatory gift, would barely be considered appropriate for the occasion of the other person's middle-aged love affair, and would be considered decent enough.

Anyway, the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion lacks nothing, and these are all the things he can offer.

After Ning Nan understood the other party's purpose, he smiled and invited Qi Dongsheng and Jiang Xing inside for a cup of tea, but the two immediately waved their hands and declined, saying that they had already found a place to stay in the village and were about to head there, so they dared not disturb them... They would come to pick up the young master early the next morning.

Seeing that the two men were determined, Ning Nan did not try to stop them and smiled as he saw the two drivers off down the long slope.

When they returned to the Ning family's courtyard, they finally understood why the two coachmen had stopped drinking tea... It turned out that other guests had arrived at the Ning family's residence.

Another familiar face stood outside the main hall... Ning Fu, the lean coachman from Ning Beizhi's household.

Ning Nan immediately understood. It seemed that the large, yellow-brown horse-drawn carriage was driven by Uncle Fu.

"Uncle Fu!" he said with a smile and a wave.

Ning Fu, who had been bowing, wiped his eyes, took a few quick steps, and stepped out from under the eaves. He bowed and greeted him, "Greetings, Young Master Ning!"

"Uncle Fu, you're being too polite." Ning Nan smiled and helped the other man up, then asked him why he had suddenly come to visit him.

Ning Fu opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

At that moment, a low sobbing sound came from inside the half-closed main room.

In an instant, a sharp light suddenly flashed in Ning Nan's eyes!

Even though Ning Fu was a seasoned veteran of the battlefield, at this moment, he could clearly sense a murderous aura emanating from this smiling scholar that was no less intense than that of a battlefield warrior!

Ning Nan's face was ashen. He took a step, bypassed Ning Fu, and looked around. In the main room, a silver-haired old man dressed in black was standing there, while his mother... was kneeling in front of him!

"Damn it!" he cursed.

With eyes blazing with fury, he strode forward.

"Bang!"

Ning Nan kicked open the half-closed wooden door of the main room.

"Damn it! You've got guts, huh?!" Ning Nan roared through gritted teeth, his eyes turning red as he clenched his fingers into claws, ready to grab the old man.

At that moment, the old man suddenly turned around, and the other person's face came into view. Ning Nan's eyes widened in surprise, and his movements froze for a second.

"Stop!" His mother's exclamation reached his ears, and Ning Nan subconsciously stopped what he was doing.

"You damned bastard!" the woman cursed.

She was fifty years old, and just moments ago she was kneeling on the ground, crying pitifully like a little girl. But as soon as her son came in, the little girl wiped her eyes, stood up abruptly, and transformed into a tigress.

The tigress with a lot of silver hair nimbly stepped forward, pulled Ning Nan away, and slapped his shoulder hard. "Stop! Stop!" The woman angrily slapped Ning Nan's hand away.

Ning Nan didn't look at his mother at this moment, but stared at the old man in front of him dressed in black silk.

The old man had his silver hair neatly combed back, his eyes were deep-set, and his face was covered with deep wrinkles. At this moment, the old man was also looking at him with a surprised expression.

Ning Nan frowned... He actually knew this old man... The last time he went to Nanjing, he went to Shangchuntang to find Doctor Jiang, but Doctor Jiang was not there at the time, so he waited in the backyard. When he was getting bored, the old man's chess friend just left, so he asked him to play chess. The two played chess for an afternoon, but when Doctor Jiang did not return, he could only regretfully say goodbye and leave.

I only met him once back then, and I never imagined that I would see this old man in my own home several days later. Oh, right, his name seems to be... Ning Changling? His surname is Ning, and he is from the same clan.

Before he could figure it out, his mother pulled him down and made him kneel down and kowtow to the old man.

Ning Nan's eyes widened: "Why?"

The old woman pointed at the other person, her finger trembling slightly.

Even though they were all over fifty years old, they pouted and looked as aggrieved as a little girl, saying that this was Ning Nan's father's uncle, which was also your great-uncle!

"Quickly—kneel down and kowtow to the old man!" The woman's eyes stung with tears, which streamed down her face.

Twenty years ago, her husband passed away, leaving her a widow. Not long after, her parents-in-law also met with misfortune and died together. When she was tidying up her parents-in-law's appearance, she almost cried herself blind.