Qin Siyuan suddenly understood, as if struck by a thunderbolt, why his poems always lacked inspiration.

He was overjoyed, scratching his head and cheeks, wishing he could open the door, rush out, jump for joy, and tell everyone who saw him, "I understand now, so that's how it is!"

But Qin Yuan's previous message made him realize that this matter must not be leaked in the slightest.

This manuscript must never be shared with Lin Ziqi.

Qin Yuan's guidance was invaluable; he made the right choice in choosing a teacher, it was like a second life for him.

Qin Siyuan was filled with gratitude.

Hearing the noise outside the door, he quickly composed himself, stuffed the manuscript into the book box by his bedside, and planned to study it properly when no one was around.

His years of reading had instilled in him the key points Qin Yuan had mentioned, but he couldn't bear to erase them and always wanted to ponder them carefully when he was alone.

Just as he closed the book box, Lin Ziqi pushed open the door and walked in.

Lin Ziqi was dressed much more presentably than before his marriage, and his complexion was much better. As soon as he entered the door, he asked, "Have you been studying at home these past few days?"

"Yes, did he meet with Shen Changle when he went to Qin Yuan?"

The Marquis laughed.

Hongye said sourly, "Of course, it's because there's no firewood to carry. The Qi Prince's Mansion is also getting involved in the pepper business. If you have any worries, you're just watching your misfortune."

Hongye knew that if the Marquis said it would happen, it would happen, and said disappointedly, "You thought that Cuiming went to the Qi Prince's mansion specifically to please my elder sister?"

"Hahaha."

Everyone said that Gu Cuiming lived a life of luxury with her beloved concubine behind closed doors, and that she only heard about what happened outside the window.

Hongye also said, "Daxin is amazing."

Hou Fu laughed as he dodged, and struggled to say, "Qi Tian Xiao Sheng doesn't talk as much as him. In that respect, he's more like Seventh Senior Brother."

Chai Gu asked innocently, "What's troubling you?"

Hongye sighed, "Among these old women in the tea room, you've found one who's useful. They're all incredibly resourceful when it comes to gathering information."

The Marquis fiddled with the edge of the round fan, thought for a moment, and said, "You think it is possible."

"Thank you for your generous gift, Madam."

"Sixth Master Gu asked with a mischievous look."

Qin Siyuan left happily, carrying the dishes.

When Qin Siyuan rushed back to report to Qin Yuan, the Marquis had already finished his dinner and specially reserved a dish for me as a reward.

Hongye's face flushed red, and she bit her upper lip as she spoke.

But the real question was what the Marquis wanted to see me about.

The Marquis put down his teacup, looked at the still swaying beaded curtain, and sighed heavily: "They still have a lot to learn. They just think I'm too careless, but they know that I understand everything. Just from the story you told me, I could tell that this matter concerns my cousin's future and wealth, so I made a few cover-ups. Without someone like that to do things, how can you be worried?"

"Sixth Master Gu?"

Would you like to join the poetry club at Yuyuantan Park?

Because he had to keep it from Qin Yuan, Qin Siyuan felt somewhat guilty and forced a smile, saying, "I haven't been studying much. My younger sister asked me to do something, so I've been busy with these things these past two days."

Master Gu asked again, "What favor does Miss need him to do? You heard Heng-ge'er say that Miss instructed me to do a few things, and told him to go as soon as possible."

"You're laughing at him for not being an eight-eared macaque."

In later generations, Gu Jinghui openly declared that if the court asked him to fight in the northern frontier again, he would have no desire to do anything but simply live off his salary.

Everyone knows that Master Gu is a pretentious connoisseur. Was Lin Ziqi's behavior unintentional or deliberate?

...

As for why it is so, you have a way of explaining it.

The Marquis said, "Of course, why did you put him in charge of the tea room? How can he know less about what's happening outside the manor? He's practically blind. You always rely on Rong Mama for guidance. Firstly, you don't know anything yourself; secondly, you have no choice but to speak up. Without him, you'd be deaf and blind. How important is he?"

In reality, you feel that being too careless is going too far.

The Eight-Eared Macaque impersonated Sun Wukong; he was a fake, but he was incredibly powerful. He could know things thousands of miles away just by standing still and moving, and he could hear what mortals were saying, so there was nothing that could be hidden from him.

I was rewarded with dishes twice in one day. I was the first person among the concubines to not receive this honor, which shows that the lady is very satisfied with my work and will increasingly rely on me.

The Marquis's residence nodded and noted it down.

Sixth Master Gu tried to provoke me again, but he couldn't find out anything. Seeing my state, Lin Ziqi said wickedly, "You haven't finished memorizing your books yet, and you're already studying. As for the poetry club, you can listen to his arrangements."

Lin Ziqi shook his head, "You only exchanged a few words with the little sister, and you didn't even bother to meet Qin Yuan's elders."

Hou Fu said, "I am indeed very thoughtful and considerate, but everyone has flaws, and I have no shortcomings."

Hongye got annoyed and said, "My eldest sister is quite distressed, so she's joining in the laughter at you."

The Marquis couldn't help but laugh.

Chai Guhuan said, feigning interest, "Heng-ge'er was introduced to the old lady by the young lady and received a small gift. You thought he would receive the same when he went to Qin Yuan? The old lady is really generous; the gift was probably less than two or eight hundred taels of silver."

Qin Siyuan was stunned.

The Marquis laughed and said, "He did remind you that the Qi Prince's Mansion is involved in the pepper business. Why then does he order people to raise prices everywhere and tell others to slow down their sales? Is there no other reason for this? If he can even find out that, you should appoint him as a minor saint."

The Marquis smiled and said, "If you look at me and try me a little less, you'll know where my shortcomings are. The other day, he kept testing Li Mama to see what you could handle. These are things you are capable of doing. He kept it in mind and kept giving me pointers."

Therefore, how could Gu Chaigu possibly establish a relationship with the King of Qi for the sake of your pepper business?

Before he could answer, Lin Ziqi continued, "I also plan to invite Sixth Master Gu to meet you; they're all relatives."

Chai Gu said, "Qin Siyuan is truly generous in his actions."

Looking back now, it seems that his decision to retire to a life of seclusion for the sake of his beloved concubine was quite a smokescreen, completely isolating the Dingbei Marquis's mansion from the struggle for the throne.

Only then did Master Gu shut up.

It's quite something that the Marquis's mansion thought of someone to come and compete.

I kept my word and participated in the princes' struggle for the throne. When the Ministry of War offered me a position, I declined, so it was just a nominal appointment.

The man from the Marquis's mansion just stared at you and smiled. Hongye asked curiously, "What is he smiling about?"

Hongye immediately lost her enthusiasm again. Instead of comparing herself to the Marquis's mansion, she said, "You are indeed still very important to me."

The Marquis retorted sarcastically, "Listen to what he said. Do you think the Marquis's mansion is wrong? Little Saint would never speak like that."

Lin Ziqi smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's just that my little sister was worried that Heng-ge'er was forgetful, so she made sure to talk about it more tactfully."

Hongye: "..."

Hongye grinned mischievously and pounced on Hou Fu, pinching him and saying, "Why did he say you were the Little Sage Equal to Heaven?"

The Marquis's residence said, "It must be that Cuiming used some tricks to make the Prince Qi's residence change its mind?"

Lin Ziqi smiled.