The night was deep, a gentle breeze was blowing, and the thick wine had been simmering for a while, filling the pavilion with its sweet and rich aroma.

Lord Gu's lowered eyebrows and eyelashes were thick and feathery. Although it was a fine night, Qin Yuan felt a sense of unease. With a sudden thought, she smiled and said, "Cao Cao and Liu Bei discussed heroes over wine. Lord Gu used wine to tell me his thoughts. However, they drank plum wine, while we drank osmanthus wine."

A slight smile appeared on Lord Gu's lips as he reached out and moved the pot aside, saying with a soft laugh, "Yuan'er, try the fruit wine I made."

Other people's fruit wine is brewed, but his is boiled.

Qin Yuan smiled as she watched Lord Gu personally strain the wine. She waited for it to cool down before picking it up and drinking it down. Lord Gu stared intently at her face, as if this was the only important thing at that moment.

Only when she showed a satisfied expression did Gu Jinghui happily say, "General Jin said that his wife loves to drink this. It has osmanthus and yellow peach added, and it is fragrant, sweet and sour, which suits a woman's taste very well."

Qin Yuan nodded, "It is indeed delicious. Does Madam Jin also like that tea?"

Lord Gu was taken aback for a moment, then said, "General Jin did not mention it."

The two fell silent again, and Gu Jinghui poured another cup for Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan felt a little warm from drinking, so she walked to the pavilion railing and looked down at the water. At this time, there were more and more fireflies flying around. She was happy to see them when she heard Gu Jinghui say softly behind her, "Cao Cao and Liu Bei were vying for the world. Yuan'er and I are husband and wife, so naturally you should tell me everything without reservation."

Qin Yuan paused for a moment, then turned to face Lord Gu. Meeting his sharp gaze, she nodded and said, "Indeed, if Lord Gu has made up his mind, I will lend you a hand. Even the Chief Justice of the Imperial Academy will not be able to find fault with it."

Gu Jinghui was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, walked over, and gently supported Qin Yuan's slender waist, saying, "Very good, having such a wife is very good."

Qin Yuan laughed and said, "Now that we've talked, drunk tea, and eaten wine, shouldn't we go for a swim? Don't forget what you said to coax me here."

“Of course,” Gu Jinghui smiled and whistled towards the shore. Soon after, a small boat emerged from under the cluster of lotus leaves and quickly docked under the pavilion.

Qin Yuan smiled and said, "You've prepared everything so thoroughly and carefully."

Lord Gu nodded and said, "This is not a difficult thing. I can fight a war, so how could I not even prepare this properly?"

Having said that, he grabbed Qin Yuan's slender waist and gracefully leaped into the boat. Qin Yuan couldn't help but exclaim, "My husband has such skill!"

Lord Gu's smile widened, but he didn't look at her. He pretended to be seriously admiring the fluorescent lights and said in a low voice, "A trivial skill."

One by one, the colorful lights went out, leaving only a lone lamp on the boat. Fireflies twinkled in the dome, vying with the starlight. The small boat swayed gently on the water, and with it, two hearts drew ever closer.

After that night, Qin Yuan received several more poems about fireflies with different artistic conceptions. After seeing them, Mr. Songshan urged Master Gu Liuye, "Look at how wonderful these poems by Young Master Nantang are. If you don't work harder, how will you have the face to set up a competition? You should memorize the 'Complete Tang Poems' that I told you to me in the next few days."

The listless Master Gu sighed, "Young Master Nantang's talent is beyond my reach. Not to mention Young Master Nantang, even the works of elementary school students at the Imperial Academy are better than mine. Although I love writing poetry, I am also self-aware. Besides, these days, the Xu family's affairs are chaotic enough that I can't concentrate on doing things or memorizing poems."

Mr. Songshan sneered: "There is such a thing as natural talent in this world. Some people study hard for decades and are still only a child student, while others have passed the imperial examinations in their teens. But I have never heard of anyone needing natural talent to memorize the entire Tang Poems."

Sixth Master Gu opened his mouth to argue.

Mr. Songshan then said, "After you have weighed the pros and cons of the Xu family's affairs, you should decide what to do. Do you think you can change anything by sitting in your mansion and worrying?"

Sixth Master Gu quickly shook his head: "Of course not."

Mr. Matsuyama pressed on: "So are you really worried about the Xu family's affairs? Or are you worried about the consequences of mishandling the Xu family's affairs?"

Master Gu was stunned.

Mr. Matsuyama said, "Ask your heart, and your heart will tell you."

Master Gu said in a panic, "I have never thought of that before. I don't know what's going on. I'm at a loss and can't answer. Please don't look down on my stupidity, sir. Please teach me."

Mr. Songshan said, “If you are worried about the Xu family’s affairs, you should naturally try to find a way to resolve them. Whether you ask someone for help or try to do it yourself, there will always be a way. How can you be so worried that you can’t do anything? If you are worried about the various consequences of the Xu family’s affairs and are calculating the gains and losses, then you will be so anxious that you can’t do anything.”

Master Gu was stunned at first, then exclaimed as if he had just realized something, muttering, "So that's how it is, so that's how it is."

Mr. Matsuyama looked disgusted and said, "That's why it's said that there's nothing wrong in the world, but fools make trouble for themselves."

Upon hearing this, Master Gu was not annoyed. He shamelessly leaned closer and said with a smile, "I am just an ordinary person, and I have that much self-awareness. No wonder I am so anxious and restless all day long. If it weren't for your teaching, I wouldn't know what I was worried about. It turns out that I am not worried about my inability to handle the Xu family's affairs, but rather about the consequences of this matter."

Mr. Songshan glanced at him and said indifferently, "Do you think you can still recite the Complete Tang Poems now?"

Sixth Master Gu said, "I will find my third brother and sister-in-law immediately to arrange things properly, and then I can carry it in."

Mr. Songshan glanced at him again, hesitated, and finally said, "After you finish memorizing them, go and seek Qin Siyuan's advice. Isn't Qin Jijiu taking his youngest son to compile poems about fireflies from ancient times to the present? Memorize them all, then select the good poems and lines, write them into a book, and then come and find me."

Master Gu immediately bowed and said, "Thank you for teaching me, sir."

Mr. Songshan sighed and said, "How could I be teaching you? I'm just discussing some knowledge about poetry with you. But it's always good to have some knowledge before we start discussing it, don't you think?"

Master Gu's face turned purple, and he forced a dry laugh, "Of course, Mr. Songshan is absolutely right. I'll come to see you as soon as I get back and everything is ready."

Mr. Songshan said, "Sixth Master, go ahead with your work. I will be staying at the manor for a long time in the future, and there will be plenty of opportunities to discuss poetry. However, without dozens of poetry collections in your mind as a foundation, there is no way to discuss it."

Sixth Master Gu hesitated and said, "Actually, I have read a lot of poetry over the years. Even during the period when the mansion was under lockdown, I read a lot of poetry, but it was of little use."

Mr. Matsuyama said, "What's the use of just skimming the surface? That's why I'm making you memorize it all."

Master Gu's brows relaxed, and he quickly bowed to Mr. Songshan before turning to look for his third brother. Before he even reached the study door, the gatekeeper said from afar, "Master Gu, please go somewhere else. The Marquis is in the study discussing important matters with Gu Sixteen and Eighteen."