547 Exactly
Liang Youxiao didn’t care about what a public administrative house could provide him, so he had to fight for it himself and then slap his uncles and brothers in the face.
He wanted his family to know that even if he didn’t become an official and took another path, he would still be better off than them in the future.
It was true that he had some benefits now by relying on the public administrative house, but he also forked out a lot of money every year to support his family’s development.
He had never thought of relying on the public administrative house in the future.
When his grandfather was no longer around, his biological father would retire, and his eldest brother would inherit the public administrative house. It would definitely be a different situation.
His sister-in-law was narrow-minded.
When she swayed his eldest brother through pillow talk every day, would his brother not have a grudge?
Therefore, it was better for him to rely on himself instead of others.
He wanted to fight for his career himself and for the sake of his future children and grandchildren.
Actually, he could become an official, but his development would be quite limited.
There were only so many seats in the imperial court, and the emperor would not allow the public administrative houses to occupy much of it.
Not only did he have to compete with his brothers, but he also had to prevent them from stabbing him in the back.
Moreover, the possibility of him being valued by the emperor was not high if he relied on his family’s resources to advance.
Then why did he have to fight with his brothers for an official position that did not have much real power?
His goal was not the small piece of land his brothers and cousins in the public administrative house were fighting for.
Going for a sea expedition was a great opportunity he had access to, so he had to seize it.
Xi Rui patted him on the shoulder. “Sure, I’ll support you!
“It just so happens that I’m going to the palace tomorrow to see the empress dowager, so I’ll help you pass on the message.”
It was only now that he realized that his good brother’s ambition was not only to be the number one merchant in Daliang, but also to gain power.
He just wanted to be a dandy who ate, drank, and played.
Everyone had their own ambitions.
Liang Youxiao put his arm around Xi Rui’s shoulder. “Good brother!”
The two of them then changed the topic.
“By the way, do you have any thoughts about Baili?” Xi Rui asked.
Liang Youxiao thought for a moment. “To be honest, I have a good impression of Baili. She’s a soft and gentle girl with a personality.
“If I had to choose between the women of the aristocratic families and Baili, I would choose Baili as my wife.
“But I still have to conquer the ocean and see the stars, so old Xiao and Qingluo may not let Baili choose me,” he said with a smile.
To him, his career was the most important thing now.
“I probably won’t get married before I succeed.”
He didn’t even know if he could come back alive from the sea.
If he married a wife but died at sea, wouldn’t he be harming a girl for the rest of her life?
He looked at Xi Rui, who seemed to be lost in thought, and changed the topic with a smile. “But if I succeed, I can go and ask Baili to marry me.”
Xi Rui rolled his eyes at him. “By the time you return successfully, it’ll be too late.”
Liang Youxiao put his arm around Xi Rui’s shoulder and blinked. “Do you have feelings for Baili?”
Xi Rui looked a little awkward. “My family also wants me to marry Baili.
“I’ve never thought of this before.
“Now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem too bad.
“Compared to a girl from an aristocratic family that my family wants me to marry, I’m naturally more inclined to marry a girl that I’m familiar with and find interesting.”
They often hung out with Shi Qingluo, so they became more and more familiar with Xiao Baili.
In particular, he had followed Shi Qingluo to the village later on, and Xiao Baili would often follow her sister-in-law, Shi Qingluo.
Thus, they spent more time together.
Liang Youxiao laughed. “Isn’t that what you’re saying? You’ve fallen for her.”
He patted Xi Rui’s shoulder and said earnestly, “Baili is really a good girl. If you are interested in her, you should catch her when you return to the northern border.”
Xi Rui raised an eyebrow. “You’re giving up? ”
Liang Youxiao sighed, “I personally think Baili is very good, but I’m not suitable for her.
“My family is much more complicated than yours. My two sisters-in-law are not easy to get along with.
“They often don’t get along with me. In the future, they will definitely join forces to suppress my wife.
“My mother’s concept of family status is still very deep. Even if she agrees to let me marry Baili in the end, she will not be interested in her identity as a farmer’s daughter.
“My aunties and sisters-in-law are also very tricky and difficult to deal with.
“Even if Baili can handle it, do you think old Xiao and Qingluo will let Baili choose a family like mine? ”
In fact, when Xi Rui mentioned it, he couldn’t help but have some thoughts.
However, when he thought about the group of people at home who were holding him back, he immediately dispelled this thought.
With Xiao Hanzheng and Shi Qingluo’s love for Xiao Baili, they would never let her marry to be mistreated just because his family was the public administrative house.
In the future, he might have to go for a sea expedition often or run businesses all over the world, so there would be many occasions when he couldn’t take care of his family.
He also didn’t want to see this lively little girl, a fresh flower, being destroyed and turned into a withered flower when she married into his family.
Therefore, he decided that he would rely on his own abilities to support his family in the future and live elsewhere.
Otherwise, he would not marry and have children for the time being. He did not want to make them suffer.
“Definitely not,” Xi Rui replied matter-of-factly.
“If I were old Xiao, I’d also be unwilling to let my sister marry into your family and be bullied.
“Your two sisters-in-law are really hard to deal with. My sisters-in-law are the best.”
His two sisters-in-law treated him quite well.
Even if they envied that he was too pampered, they would at most joke with him in person and would not do anything else.
His grandmother and mother were known to favor him, and his two brothers also doted on him.
So as long as his two sisters-in-law were not stupid, they would not make things difficult for his future wife.
Besides, if anyone dared to bully his wife, he would deal with them regardless of who they were.
So what if he was domineering and willful because he loved her?
Liang Youxiao shrugged. “Exactly!”
“Come, come, let’s drink!”
The two of them were drunk and the servants helped them back to the manor.
The next day, Xi Rui entered the palace.
He first went to the empress dowager’s side to coax her, then went to visit the emperor.
He told him about Liang Youxiao’s desire to go for a sea expedition.
Originally, the emperor had thought that Liang Youxiao was just making a small fuss and didn’t take it to heart.
But from what Xi Rui had said, Liang Youxiao’s decision to take action was entirely because of Shi Qingluo’s suggestion.
The emperor’s interest was instantly piqued, and he had someone summon Liang Youxiao into the palace.
When an eunuch arrived at the Liang family, it even stunned the Liang family.
When they learned that it was for Liang Youxiao, they were even more confused.
As a result, the people from the other households all ran to the main courtyard to find Liang Youxiao to ask for information, but he ignored them and followed the eunuch into the palace after answering with a few sentences half-heartedly.
He then had a detailed discussion with the emperor.
He also took out a plan that Shi Qingluo had made for him, as well as a sketch of the sea map.
He even told the emperor what Shi Qingluo had told them.
The emperor didn’t expect venturing abroad to be like this.
He did find out some of it, but Shi Qingluo’s description was much more interesting.
For some reason, the emperor felt that what Shi Qingluo had said was true.
Perhaps her master had really been to these places overseas.
