Guo Shou spoke politely and humbly, but Mei Qingxue felt that this boy was extremely introverted. "Are you... from the Second Aunt's family?" Mei Qingxue asked intuitively because he had a similar aura to the Second Aunt.
"Sister - in - law has a really good memory." Guo Shou rolled up the book in his hand and was about to take his leave. But for some reason, Mei Qingxue started to question him: "Grandfather is a military general. Don't you, cousin, have any intention of following in his footsteps?"
Intuitively, she thought this person was at least trainable. She needed her own forces.
"Elder brother in the family has followed Grandfather. We can't all pursue military careers. Besides, Guo Shou believes that while military power can stabilize a country, culture can govern it. The two must complement each other." Suddenly, Guo Shou smiled. Why was he talking about this with a woman? "Sister - in - law, I'll take my leave now!" After bowing, he walked away without looking back. Mei Qingxue watched his back and secretly planned something in her heart.
As soon as she returned to the prince's mansion, she immediately ordered Du Guqing to tell the new government office to take Guo Shou as a clerk.
Only by starting from the grass - roots level could one know how to be an official.
"Grandfather, why don't you let me be a clerk in the government office?" Guo Shou's stubbornness was comparable to that of the old duke.
"In our military family, when did a bookworm appear? Can't you be a military general like your elder brother? That's the family style of our Guo family."
"Grandfather, elder brother is elder brother, and I am me. Each member of our family should have their own specialty. Otherwise, if the whole family is just a bunch of brave but brainless people, won't we be laughed at?"
"Rascal! How dare you say your grandfather is brave but not resourceful?" The old duke was so angry that his beard twitched.
Guo Shou was about to stiffen his neck and argue with his grandfather when the old lady winked at him. "Go and invite your Sister - in - law Mei. Your grandfather can't argue with her sharp tongue."
"I just don't want to argue with a junior over a momentary matter."
"Who was arguing with their own grandson just now until their face was red and their neck was thick?" The old lady joked with him. The old duke said embarrassedly, "I just can't stand that pen - pusher in our family. He has no spirit at all."
Guo Shou had already slipped away. His sister - in - law was really an amazing person. With just a few words that day, she could understand his intentions. So he went to the prince's mansion to ask his sister - in - law to persuade his grandfather.
"Your Highness, Young Master Eight is here." Guo Jun was the eldest son but ranked seventh. There were several elder sisters and some brothers who died young before him. So, the seventh young master was actually the eldest brother.
That's why the family's way of addressing was so strange. Mei Qingxue only understood this later.
"Young Master Eight? Is it that Guo Shou?" Mei Qingxue thought of that book - reading nerd. Didn't she already order him to be a clerk? What else did he want?
"Yes, it's him," eunuch Tang said.
"Du Guqing isn't here. Could he be here to see me? Invite him in!"
"Little brother pays respects to sister - in - law."
"Are you not satisfied with the clerk position?"
"No,"
"Then..." Mei Qingxue was confused.
"It's my grandfather. He won't allow me to take a civilian position. I'm here to ask sister - in - law for help." Guo Shou said embarrassedly, "I shouldn't have troubled sister - in - law, but Grandma said only sister - in - law can persuade grandfather."
"So it's this matter. I thought you were not satisfied with the clerk position."
Mei Qingxue laughed. Usually, people came to complain about their official positions. She originally thought Guo Shou was not satisfied with his job.
Now she was relieved: "I'll ask your cousin to talk to grandfather. We'll visit grandfather in a few days anyway. Just wait for grandfather's approval."
The old duke's refusal was clearly just a way to make Guo Shou invite them to the duke's mansion. Mei Qingxue could understand the old man's feelings very well. Unable to see his daughter, he wanted to see his grandson and granddaughter - in - law as a form of longing.
"Sister - in - law, I'm actually satisfied with this clerk position. Please don't misunderstand, sister - in - law. I don't have greedy thoughts. I'll take every step steadily."
"That's good. I want to tell you that no matter how small the official position is, never form cliques. This is a big taboo. No matter who becomes the emperor, forming cliques for selfish ends is a big taboo."
"Thank you, sister - in - law. I'll keep this in mind. When will sister - in - law come to the mansion? Grandfather..." Guo Shou looked anxious but was too embarrassed to urge Mei Qingxue.
"Don't worry about this. Keep grandfather happy."
"Thank you, sister - in - law, for the advice."
Guo Shou was very happy to get Mei Qingxue's promise and returned to the duke's mansion.
"With your little thoughts, you're definitely willing to let Shou'er do this, but you still make things difficult for the child!" The old lady glared at her husband discontentedly.
"How can an old man like me ask a junior to come to the mansion? It's just right that Guo Shou has something to ask of me."
"You! I know you miss your daughter. When shall we go to the capital? I miss our daughter too."
"I'll arrange this. You don't need to worry about it." It wasn't a good time to go to the capital now. After the crown prince was determined, that would be the time. The old duke knew very well that going to the capital now would surely attract criticism. He had been honest all his life. How could he leave a handle for others?
The old lady understood her husband very well. She just sighed and didn't continue the topic.
"Our granddaughter - in - law has really sharp eyes. After only meeting her cousin two or three times, she can clearly see what kind of person he is suitable to be. It's a pity she's a woman. Otherwise, she would surely be as talented as Prime Minister Mei and could be a prime minister."
"It's really rare for you to evaluate a woman so highly. It's so strange."
"What's strange? I just like that child." The old duke stroked his beard with a smile, but a trace of longing flashed in his eyes.
"Are you Guo Jun?" Mei Haoxuan was holding the letter from his sister and looking at the handsome and extraordinary young man in front of him. He was immediately attracted by his aura and knew he was the direct grandson of the old duke.
Mei Haoxuan couldn't help looking at him a few more times.
"Yes. This humble one pays respects to Lord Mei." Guo Jun was still a commoner, so he had to pay respects with a big salute.
"For now, you can only be a low - level guard under my command. Are you willing?"
"I'll follow Lord Mei's orders."
"Generally speaking, our two families have a close relationship. You don't need to be so polite." Mei Haoxuan really liked this young man at first sight. He knew his sister had found him a great general.
"Let's be friends privately." Guo Jun clasped his fists. "Lord Mei, this humble one is willing to be a guard."
He wanted to be a military general, but since he was still a commoner, he had to start from a low - level guard. "Good. Come and stay in the mansion today. You don't need to rent a house separately."
"Thank you!"
Guo Jun was neither overbearing nor humble. Both families were relatives of the royal family. In the future, Guo Jun would also serve under Mei Haoxuan, so it would be convenient to live together.
"By the way, Lord Mei," Guo Jun took out a letter from his bosom. "This letter is from the Princess of Rui to the Prime Minister's wife."
"Is there none for me?"
Mei Haoxuan asked in surprise. Guo Jun looked at the letter in his hand. Hadn't he already given it? Why did he still want one?
"Didn't I just give it to you, my lord?"
Mei Haoxuan looked at the letter of introduction with only a few words in his hand. "There are only about twenty words in total. When did she become so lazy when writing to her own brother?" Mei Haoxuan pinched the thick letter from his sister to his mother. He felt a bit jealous. "This girl has become lazier recently."
"Come back to the mansion with me." When his parents knew there was someone from the south of the Yangtze River, they would surely have a lot of questions to ask. His mother would cry when she thought of his sister. She had asked him several times to send her to the south of the Yangtze River so that she could live with his sister. Unfortunately, he was too busy with official duties, so it never happened. Now that his sister had written such a thick letter, he didn't know how many interesting things were in it. His sister's small regular script was so good that even Prime Minister Mei sighed in admiration. He didn't know that Mei Qingxue had practiced this small regular script for at least hundreds of years, so of course, her skills were excellent.
"Okay!"
The two of them returned to the prime minister's mansion together and met the prime minister and his wife. Mei Haoxuan was eagerly watching Xia Ruolan reading the letter from his sister. "Mom, can I have a look?"
Mei Haoxuan finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Not this time. Your sister is telling me some private things." Xia Ruolan stuffed the letter into her sleeve. Prime Minister Mei also craned his neck. It was so annoying that Mei Qingxue's small regular script was so good.
It made his neck ache, and he could only see a few words.
"Let me have a look..."
"This is my daughter's private letter to me. You can't either."
Rejected firmly by his beloved wife, Prime Minister Mei wasn't angry. He looked at Guo Jun with a smile. "Does the Princess of Rui have any more letters?"
"Reporting to the old prime minister, there aren't any more," Guo Jun watched the family members scrambling to read the letter from the princess sister - in - law. He thought of his never - seen - before aunt. When his aunt wrote letters, his grandfather and grandmother would also scramble like this, and his uncles would crane their necks.
"Come on. I'll show you your accommodation." Guo Jun's train of thought was interrupted by Mei Haoxuan. "Thank you, Brother Mei."
Mei Haoxuan led Guo Jun into his own courtyard. "I live in the east room. You can choose any room you like. There's a small training ground in the courtyard. You can use it as you like."
"Yes,"
"Don't be so restrained. Tell me about that Geng Junhu. I heard that guy dared to harass my little sister. Although he's been beheaded, it still makes me angry."
Guo Jun then told the whole story of meeting the princess that morning.
"Morning? So she did it on purpose. That girl has become more and more daring. Her husband doesn't even care. Oh, right. Her husband can't control her. I'd better write a letter." He needed to talk to his sister well. What if something happened?
Mei Haoxuan left Guo Jun alone in the courtyard and went inside to write a letter. Guo Jun chose a smaller room and since he had nothing to do, he started to clean it up by himself.
"Lan'er, let me have a look," Prime Minister Mei pleaded softly. Today, Xia Ruolan was holding the letter from her daughter tightly and wouldn't let him see it. It made him feel like there were cats scratching in his heart.
"Today's letter is about my daughter's private matters. You, as a father, really can't read it."
His sister was asking about whether Luo Jiao would have a child soon. Was this something a man should read? Xia Ruolan put away the letter. Prime Minister Mei said helplessly, "Next time when my daughter writes to me, I won't let you read it either."
"I don't care," Xia Ruolan rolled her eyes. What could a daughter talk to her father about? The last time it was about the way to govern the country, and it made her sleepy.
Let's see what Prime Minister Mei and his precious daughter talked about.