Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 259 Returning to the Marquis's Residence, A New Look for the Marquis's Residence

After years of traveling abroad, they decided to return, longing for the Marquis's mansion.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu embarked on their journey home, their emotions a mix of feelings. They reminisced about their time at the Marquis's residence and looked forward to seeing familiar people and places again.

As they approached the Marquis's residence, the news had already spread far and wide. The entire mansion erupted in jubilation, with everyone coming out to greet them. The younger generation stood respectfully on either side, their eyes filled with admiration and anticipation.

However, many changes have occurred in the Marquis's mansion during the years they were away. Some new forces have risen, and the internal power structure has undergone subtle adjustments.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu keenly noticed these changes, but they did not rush to express their opinions. Instead, they first exchanged pleasantries with everyone and learned about the situation.

In the days that followed, they began to familiarize themselves with the affairs of the Marquis's residence again. Xiao Ling discovered that some of the residence's businesses had management loopholes, leading to a decline in profits. Su Jinxiu noticed that interpersonal relationships within the residence had become more complex, with frequent factional struggles.

They decided to address these problems at their root. Xiao Ling revised the management system, severely punishing those managers who neglected their duties. Su Jinxiu organized a series of gatherings and activities in an attempt to ease tensions between the various factions.

However, their actions aroused dissatisfaction among some people. Some vested interests believed that the return of Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu had disrupted their original balance and began to secretly unite in an attempt to oppose them.

Meanwhile, the imperial court was also paying close attention to the return of Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu. Some officials believed that their return might pose a challenge to the authority of the court, and thus slandered them before the emperor.

Although the emperor acknowledged Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu's past achievements, he was also concerned about their influence. Therefore, the emperor issued an edict requiring the Marquis's residence to increase taxes and dispatched officials to supervise the process.

This move suddenly increased the financial pressure on the Marquis's mansion, putting Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu in a dilemma. If they refused the emperor's decree, it could bring utter destruction to the Marquis's mansion; if they accepted it, the people of the Marquis's mansion would face hardship.

At this critical moment, Xiao Ling decided to personally travel to the capital to meet the emperor. He brought carefully prepared gifts and a sincere memorial, hoping to persuade the emperor to change his mind.

In the capital, Xiao Ling encountered numerous difficulties. Some officials deliberately made things difficult for him, preventing him from seeing the emperor. However, relying on his wisdom and courage, Xiao Ling finally overcame all obstacles and met the emperor.

They were gratified to see the Marquis's mansion taking on a new look under the management of the younger generation.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu strolled through the Marquis's mansion, seeing that the pavilions and towers had been renovated, the gardens were full of flowers, and the servants were all doing their jobs in an orderly manner.

The maturity and decisiveness displayed by the younger generation in handling affairs gave them a strong sense of hope for the future of the Marquis's mansion. Xiao Yi's expansion in the business world was remarkably successful, establishing excellent cooperative relationships with merchants from various regions, and the wealth of the Marquis's mansion grew steadily. Xiao Yu managed the affairs of the mansion meticulously, carefully calculating all expenses while maintaining the dignity of the Marquis's mansion.

However, beneath this new facade lay some potential problems. As the Marquis's mansion prospered, some surrounding powers began to feel jealous and covetous. Some smaller families attempted to curry favor with the Marquis's mansion for personal gain, while some larger families viewed the Marquis's mansion as a rival and secretly plotted conspiracies.

Meanwhile, some disagreements arose within the Marquis's household. Regarding the direction of business development, Xiao Yi advocated bold risks and exploring new markets; while Xiao Yu believed in steady operations and consolidating existing achievements. Their debate intensified, even affecting the Marquis's household's decision-making.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu were deeply concerned. They knew that internal unity was crucial for the development of the Marquis's mansion. Therefore, they decided to convene a family meeting to resolve this disagreement.

At the meeting, Xiao Ling first affirmed that Xiao Yi and Xiao Yu's starting point was the prosperity of the Marquis's mansion, but also pointed out the potential harm of excessive debate. Su Jinxiu then proposed a compromise solution, maintaining a certain degree of adventurous spirit while focusing on risk control to achieve steady development.

After some discussion, Xiao Yi and Xiao Yu finally reached a consensus and decided to work together.

But just as the Marquis's estate was preparing to move forward, a sudden disaster struck. Nearby rivers overflowed, flooding many farmlands and affecting some of the estate's businesses. The people were displaced and flocked to the Marquis's estate for help.

Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu immediately mobilized the manpower and resources of the Marquis's residence to engage in flood relief and disaster recovery. They sent out food and clothing to aid the victims and organized personnel to repair the dikes.

However, the disaster relief work required a large amount of funds and materials, and the Hou Mansion's inventory was soon running out.

At this critical moment, some families who had previously clashed with the Marquis's family not only failed to offer assistance but also spread rumors that the Marquis's family was ineffective in disaster relief, intending to incite public discontent.