Reborn as a Noble's Son

Urumqi Airport

The flight from Jingcheng gently descended into the airport terminal, with Nie Zhenbang appearing amidst the crowd. The day after Nie Jialei’s wedding ceremony, Nie Zhenbang had booked his flight. In regards to his own marital concerns, Nie Zhenbang was left in a dilemma. Between Dong Wan and Yang Anna, who both came from similar backgrounds, choosing was a headache-inducing problem.

If he were to reveal his choice, regardless of his decision, it would hurt the other party. Yet, Nie Zhenbang understood that the time had come for him to make a choice. If he made no decision, it could significantly impact his political future. However, Nie Zhenbang ultimately chose to escape. He decided to leave the decision to Yang Anna and Dong Wan, to see who would remain the puppeteer behind the scenes. As such, Nie Zhenbang chose to run away.

Unbeknownst to him, there was a commotion brewing in Jingcheng. At the Dong family’s residence in the West Mountain villa cluster, Old Dong wore a grave expression on his face.

In Jingcheng, news spread rapidly. Old Nie had chosen the Yang family as his in-laws, something Old Dong was aware of. At the moment, Old Dong reclined on his sofa, his face rigid with displeasure. Sitting by his side were a few Dong family siblings, with Dong Liuliu (Old Dong’s sixth son) also wearing a troubled look. Amidst the room of older relatives, Dong Wan stood silently by the side, the atmosphere in the room oppressive.

“Sixth Brother, she is your daughter. So, voice your opinion. We can’t allow Wan to blindly follow Nie Zhenbang for the rest of her life after all.” The mouthpiece from the Dong family finally spoke.

As soon as he stopped speaking, a representative from the dozens of Dong family men standing behind the sofa interjected. “Uncle Six, why bother with all this? Can women from our Dong family not find good men to marry? Nie Zhenbang, who thinks he can just fly back to the northwest, is quite mistaken. Wan, this time, all us brothers plan to travel to the northwest and face this Nie Zhenbang. I want to understand what’s so appealing about him that captures our Wan’s heart so completely.”

Nie Zhenbang’s departure was clear to Dong Wan. He was considering her dignity, her feelings, which touched her. For her sake, Nie Zhenbang’s sacrifice was massive. His evasion would firstly ruin his reputation, painting him as a man incapable of managing a romance or shouldering responsibility. People would naturally think little of him. Secondly, his flight could further infuriate the Yang family and Grandfather Nie. The aftermath of this could greatly jeopardize Nie Zhenbang’s political future.

Among the children of Jingcheng’s old families, prodigal sons and daughters are plentiful. People, once favored by their elders, often find themselves discarded by their family because of romantic problems. Worried, Dong Wan glanced at her restless brothers before she crisply rebuffed them, “Big Brother, my affairs are none of your business.”

Dong Wan turned towards Old Dong as she spoke. “Grandfather, you said I would handle my own marriage. I—I think I should be able to handle it well.”

Startled, Old Dong remembered his past promise primarily to keep Dong Wan happy. He never thought it would force Dong Wan to become someone’s mistress. Gazing at her retreating figure, Old Dong sighed and waved his hand dismissively. “Enough, enough. Let’s disperse.”

At the Yang family’s residence, Elder Yang’s expression closely mirrored Old Dong’s. Nie Zhenbang’s elopement not only lost face for the Dong family but also disgraced the Yang family even more. After all, Old Nie had declared his intention to marry into the Yang family. With Nie Zhenbang gone now, it was a slap in the face for the Yang family.

“The audacity of Nie Zhenbang! He really thought our Anna would definitely marry him.” Yang Shengli grumbled, visibly frustrated.

Yang Anna, who was just as beloved as Dong Wan in her family, listened to her father’s words and retorted in a huff, “Dad! I want to marry Brother Zhenbang. I don’t mind even if I am a second wife!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Elder Yang’s expression darkened. He stood up and shouted angrily, “Nonsense! It’s utter chaos! Yang Shengli, teach your own daughter some manners. I’m old and my words have no impact. I can’t control her anymore.” Having said his piece, the old man stormed out of the room.

Meanwhile, several men of the Nie family sat huddled together in the Nie family’s courtyard, a displeased look painted on Nie Guowei’s face.

At his side, Nie Guodong solemnly interjected, “The downside of being raised by commoners inevitably surfaces. This time, Zhenbang’s ploy has humiliated both the Dong and Yang families, even if they’ve not openly commented on it.”

Grandfather Nie suddenly felt furious. Despite personally arranging this, his most exceptional grandson surprised him like this. As for Old Dong and Old Yang, though they might not say anything publicly, they undoubtedly held grudges against the Nie family.

After a moment of silence, the old man rose from his seat. “Enough! This matter ends here,” he declared.

In Jialei’s house in West City, his wife Chen Nan greeted him as soon as he stepped through the door.

Chen Nan was around 24 or 25 years old. She was dressed in a cotton nightgown, her hair pinned up in a bun. In the warmth of the heated house, she looked rather lazy.

In terms of temperament and appearance, Chen Nan was top-notch, despite being in a political marriage. She seemed to have the makings of a good wife and mother.

Taking the coat from Jialei’s hand and hanging it on the rack, she asked him worriedly, “Jialei, what did elder Nie say? Did he throw a fit?”

“What good will blowing a fuse do? The main culprit has already run off to Xibei. Is the old man supposed to chase him down? At this time, it’s best to step away. If we brought him back now, that would put us in the spotlight. I doubt the Dong and Yang families would show my third brother any kindness then.” Jialei responded to Chen Nan’s query.

Upon hearing Jialei’s words, a glimmer of joyful anticipation showed on Chen Nan’s face. She was fully aware that their family’s focus had shifted to nurturing Zhenbang. This hiccup in Zhenbang’s trajectory could present an opportunity for elder Nie to shift his attention back to her own husband. If that happened, she would be in luck.

Looking at Jialei, Chen Nan said with a smile, “I suppose you’re right. After this incident, the Dong and Yang families must feel humiliated. Zhenbang isn’t going to have an easy time. Jialei, do you think elder Nie might have a change of heart…”

Before she could finish, Jialei’s face darkened and he interrupted, “Nan, refrain from saying such things in the future. I know my capabilities. Even with the blessings of the family, I’ll never reach the ultimate position in this life. As for Zhenbang, I dare say even without familial backing, his contributions to the state and the recognition from President Yuan and Premier Yun mean he has a fair shot at reaching the power nucleus. That’s the difference. Let’s not bring this up again. We should simply focus on doing our own business well.”

Different from the past few days of brooding rage, upon hearing the news, Zhou Chen rushed over to the Ivy Club.

Upon entering the club, he saw Guohua casually seated in a room featuring an antique style, leisurely fiddling with tea utensils on a wooden, artistically crafted tea table.

Looking at the visibly perturbed Zhou Chen, Guohua’s face slightly changed, and he calmly said, “You’re here because of Zhenbang’s matter, aren’t you?”

This statement made Zhou Chen pause momentarily before replying joyfully, “Brother Hua, this time, Zhenbang is thoroughly done for. Without the support of his family, he’s nothing in my eyes.”

His words caused Guohua to furrow his brow further. At this moment, he was somewhat regretting taking on a waste like Zhou Chen. Why hadn’t he thought it through when he returned to the country?

Support from the family was not a necessity for people like himself and Zhenbang. Of course, having such a background undoubtedly made matters more convenient. However, a dragon was always a dragon – having a familial background was like turning a lake into an ocean, creating a more expansive world. Even without such a background, a true dragon would still find its path to the vast ocean. It was merely a matter of time.

What’s more, after scrutinizing and observing the entire matter, Guohua concluded that Zhenbang’s current choice was the best one. On the surface, he offended the Dong and Yang families, infuriating elder Nie. But in the grand scheme of things, it was a minor issue. If the engagement had taken place, the other family he’d offend would be much more serious. They might even ally with his own family, essentially putting Zhenbang under greater distress. This was the true mark of a despot – decisive and indifferent to minor gains or losses.

With these thoughts, Guohua began to worry about Zhou Chen becoming the mayor of New Li City. He once again advised, “Chen, I have made arrangements for you to take up the mayor’s post in New Li City. Don’t rush into things when you get there. Stabilize your position and establish some influence before you take any action. Do you understand?”

Still basking in a sense of elation, Zhou Chen paid little heed to Guohua’s words. He simply nodded noncommittally before stating, “Brother Hua, I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll surely do you proud this time. If there’s nothing else, I’m heading back to get my things together and head to New Li City.”