After the Marquis recounted what had happened that morning, Wu Muyue pondered for a long time before asking, "My lord, what do you mean?"

Lord Yongping held a teacup in his hand, turned it around twice, and said, "Shao'er's identity cannot be made public. She will still be the eldest daughter-in-law of our household in the future. But now she is running around all day trying to arrange a marriage for our son. I have an idea to discuss with you. See if it is feasible."

Upon hearing this, Wu Muyue looked at the Marquis seriously. The Marquis said, "I want to arrange a marriage between Xing-ge'er and me."

Upon hearing this, Wu Muyue frowned and said, "My lord, this matter is not easy to handle."

The Marquis said, "It's not easy, but we have to do it. Since Shao'er can't do it, let's find someone who can. A-Yue, find a girl among the generals who used to be stationed at the border with their families. Find a girl who is cheerful and shrewd. After all, the Yongping Marquis's mansion will be handed over to Xing-ge'er in the future."

Upon hearing this, Wu Muyue smiled slightly, as if he had thought of something. He tapped the table lightly with his right index finger and said after a long while, "In that case, I do have someone in mind, but their family background is rather humble."

Upon hearing this, the Marquis asked with great interest, "Oh? Tell me, which family is it?"

Wu Muyue said, "Have you ever heard of Zhou Qing, the Left General of Liaodong Guard?"

After thinking it over carefully, the Marquis said, "Zhou Qing? I vaguely remember him."

Wu Muyue said, "He is now the boss of our eldest son-in-law. During my stay in Liaodong Prefecture, he came to visit me several times with his youngest son. That's when I met him."

When the Marquis heard that Zhou Qing had taken his children to visit Wu Muyue, he was somewhat surprised and suspicious.

Wu Muyue smiled and continued, "Zhou Qing lost his wife early in life and has a daughter and a son. Zhou Qing's eldest daughter is already eighteen years old. Because Zhou Qing has never remarried, his eldest daughter manages all the household affairs. Zhou Qing's son is twelve years old this year and has just passed the imperial examination. Zhou Qing wants me to give his son some pointers. I have examined him and found that although Zhou Qing's son is young, he knows how to behave and is quick-witted. He will surely achieve great things in the future."

Hearing this, the Marquis nodded. Wu Muyue said, "I only learned about the Zhou family's affairs from my eldest son-in-law. Zhou Qing's wife had a difficult childbirth. Zhou Qing was busy with military affairs all day long. For the sake of his two children, he married another wife. However, Zhou Qing's second wife treated his two children badly. Zhou Qing's eldest daughter learned martial arts from him since she was a child. She single-handedly beat several wicked servants around her stepmother and drove them out of the house. Later, Zhou Qing and his second wife got along well, and the eldest daughter usually managed the household affairs."

After listening, the Marquis held the empty teacup in his hand, twirling it several times, and asked, "Is General Zhou and his children still in Liaodong?"

Wu Muyue nodded and said, "Naturally it's in Liaodong. Zhou Qing's eldest daughter had a reputation for being fierce a few years ago, so no one had asked for her hand in marriage. Later, she simply stayed at home to take care of the family affairs and raise her younger brother."

The Marquis nodded and said, "She's a good girl who can handle things. By the way, what does she look like?"

Wu Muyue said with a smile, "I have indeed seen her once. This girl is very spirited. Although she cannot be compared with the noble ladies in the capital, she is still a rare beauty in Liaodong Prefecture. General Zhou has served in the army for decades, rising from a soldier to where he is now. He is a very sensible person. My lord, the more I think about it, the better I feel that this marriage is very good. However, I am afraid that Shao'er will not agree."

The Marquis naturally understood that Xu Shao would not agree to this marriage. Xu Shao was arrogant and always thought that her own children were perfect. Even her eldest daughter-in-law, Zhao Sixing, had once thought of asking the princess's daughter for a marriage proposal.

The Marquis waved his hand and said, "As long as this girl can take on the responsibility, I will handle the rest. I'm just worried that General Zhou might not be willing to let her marry far away, and the girl herself might not agree either."

Wu Muyue said, "This matter involves General Zhou's youngest son. General Zhou's young master has been weak since childhood, so he is not suited for martial arts or military service. General Zhou wanted the child to study, hoping that he could take the imperial examination in the future. That's why he asked our eldest son-in-law to come to me for help. I will give the child some guidance and recommend him to Ru'er or Jiangnan Academy. If General Zhou's son has a promising future, how can he not agree to his eldest daughter's marriage?"

The Marquis asked hesitantly, "Wouldn't this be considered coercion?"

Wu Muyue said with a smile, "My lord, we'll act as matchmakers for this marriage. As for Xing'er, it's up to you. If you want him to get married, then he can. We'll do what the girl needs to do. If she's willing, then she is; if not, we can just find someone more suitable, right?"

The Marquis chuckled and said, "That's right. In that case, I'll trouble you to help me mention this marriage to General Zhou. Let's be frank and tell the young lady the true situation of the Yongping Marquis's family. If she's willing, I'll go and talk to the Yongping Marquis."

Wu Muyue immediately wrote a letter, and the Marquis thought about it and wrote a letter to Cheng Kai, sending a guard from his mansion to deliver it to Liaodong by fast horse.

It was already afternoon when the Marquis said, "You can have dinner here tonight and keep your sister company."

Wu Muyue agreed, then sighed as he thought of his sister, who was somewhat unable to distinguish right from wrong, and said to the Marquis, "My sister has been spoiled by the family since she was a child."

The Marquis waved his hand and said, "We have been husband and wife for over forty years. Through thick and thin, she has suffered a lot of grievances with me. She has had a tough time too."

Wu Muyue nodded, thinking of Xu Di who had just entered the examination hall, and said, "I wonder how Di-ge'er is doing in the examination hall. I have read his articles. They are substantial, and what is rare is that they use precise words. They are elegant and beautiful, but not overly ornate."

Thinking of his promising eldest grandson, the Marquis smiled and nodded, saying, "I trust him to do things. He should have participated in the previous imperial examination, but his family was afraid he was too young and would be looked down upon, so they postponed it for another year. This time, he should be able to pass the examination and return as a Jinshi." The Marquis finished speaking and laughed heartily, his laughter filled with satisfaction.