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In the last few days, the system had also prompted Su Li about her secondary task which was to find appropriate guardians for Zhou Sheng.

The constraints were that she couldn't find someone from The Imperial Clan to adopt him because then he would become a contender for the thrown and Su Li had been racking her brains about it.

Though she hadn't disclosed the truth about having a system to Li Rong (Zhou Sheng), she had talked to him about entering him into the genealogy books of a family in the capital.

She had couched her actions as wanting to give him a bog clan to support and shade him in times of need and after much back and forth, he had finally agreed.

When she had collected all these records back then before the trip for the rain ritual, she had also asked her Shadow Guards to look into a few noble families and report to her their family environment and if they had troubles financially or regarding the next Head of the family.

Her friend must be their sole concern; she didn't want his guardians distracted with their own mewling brats or about the troubles of assigning the next Head of House - infighting between brothers and concubines.

After extensive snooping around, Su Li found only two viable options - wither herself or Unit Commander Ning Fu's family - he was the only child of his father and as of now, he didn't have any concubines.

Moreover, Ning Fu didn't have any children, so the risk of his parents being distracted by looking after grandkids was at a minimal as of now and since Zhou Sheng had already signed under The Devil Snare Army, Ning Fu would be a great help in this regard as well.

More importantly, most other noble families in the capital city had some problems underneath their glowing exterior.

She had also determined that since she was friendly with Zhou Sheng if she allowed any other family to take him in, they might just use him as a trophy to curry favour with her. This wouldn't be conducive to either Li Rong or her own secondary task.

She couldn't push him into a situation which might turn unfavourable for him.

Thinking about it for a few days, she came to the decision that she would first need to talk to Ning's about placing Zhou Sheng in their career before she further discussed anything about it with the said person.

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When Ning Fu's father - the old Unit Commander of the Devil Snare Army heard his servants report that His Majesty along with his retinue was at the doorsteps of The Ning Manor, he had a fright.

Why would such exalted existence visit his residence?

His eyebrows rose in surprise and then with a smack at his armchair, he turned his furrowed bows towards his son - Ning Fu and questioned him, ”What did you do this time for the monarch to come at our place, boy? Ning Fu, what he'll did you raise outside?”

A person might question why did the old man question his son about His Majesty's visit?

The answer was that before Ning Fu got a high enough position on the army, he was a veritable portable trouble magnet and many Lord's had come to their doors to complain about him to his father and the old Unit Commander would always have to lower his head in apology because his son had beat up someone's son or nephew.

Thinking that Ning Fu must have once again done something to anger someone, the old commander's first line of thought was that his son must be the culprit.

The Old Commander called for his wife and everybody else in the manor and went to greet the monarch.

The old patriarch and matriarch along with everybody else knelt to greet the Son of Heavens, ”Your subjects greet Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be blessed for tens of thousands of years.”

Su Li reached a hand to pull the two old people up.

She had realised that if every time she stopped someone from kneeling, her subjects would start gossiping about it.

Therefore, now she just helped the older ones to stand whenever this happened and kept quiet about greetings.

Afterwards, she was brought into an audience hall in the major and was given the highest seat to sit upon while everybody else waited for her to speak.

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Su Li was sitting in a hardback chaired that wasn't easy on her behind and since she had to uphold her image as the stern Emperor, she couldn't even move around to find a more comfortable position.

Meanwhile, when the Ning clan members saw the solemn eyes of the monarch, they wondered if they had committed some wrong to displease His Majesty.

Then a plate of sweets and hot tea was served to the monarch.

When Su Li insisted that she didn't want to ear or drink anything as her manners dictated, she saw the matriarch redden her eyes and ask, ” Your Majesty, are the sweets not up to your taste? This humble woman will go and make something herself. I could whip some...”

Su Li cut-off the matriarch's words, ”No. Zhen isn't hungry.”

She wanted to say a few more words but looking at how everyone was almost shaking at her words, Su Li decided to forgo saying anything further.

At those words, the matriarch looked at her with a hurt look and asked feebly, ”Does Your Majesty disdain us?”

Now, one could question why was The Ning Matriarch acting so weirdly just because the monarch didn't want to partake in snacks at her place? It wasn't as if it was the end of the world. So, why was she forcing the monarch?

The answer is that the old buddy had spent her life in the power struggles between sisters before her marriage and the concubines after that. The old comma der had a slew of concubines and children but in the end, only Ning Fu was well and alive to take up the position of The Head Commander of The Devil Snare Army.

This showed that the old matriarch had enough means and ends at her disposal.

The reason she was acting as dotting, the muddle-headed lady was to find out one thing.

If the monarch still talked and replied to her in a placating manner, that meant that The Ning Clan wasn't on the verge of extinction this evening and her husband and son could take it easy.

Each of the three of them had a tactile understanding of it and were masters in acting and thus this situation where she repeatedly asked the monarch to eat something.

On the other hand, Su Li could feel her blood pressure rising from declining an old lady again and again and felt that she must look like an egotistical idiot as of now.

Therefore, she took a white, round sweet from the platter in front of her and bit into it. ”Mmm, delicious,” she replied in a facsimile of polite words even though she could feel her hands shaking.

After all, in ancient times adopting a child who didn't have any ties with a clan was something huge and she had come to ask help in this matter from these people.

Su Li didn't even know if all of them would agree or not.