After expressing his gratitude, Dai Sheng instructed the eunuchs to present the gifts.

After receiving the gifts, everyone expressed their gratitude and asked the hoopoe to convey their thanks to the Empress.

Dai Sheng said, "Lord Gu, Madam Gu, Commander Gu, I have conveyed Her Majesty the Empress's decree and am about to return to the palace."

Lord Gu quickly said, "I'll see you off."

Dai Sheng said, "How could I dare trouble you, Lord Marquis, to see me off?"

Lord Gu said, "What are you saying? Back then, you always brought us plenty of food every time we were punished..."

Dai Sheng's eyes were slightly red, and his voice was a little hoarse as he smiled and said, "It's rare that Your Excellency still remembers."

Lord Gu glanced at him, said nothing, and simply gestured for him to proceed.

Sixth Master Gu and Qin Yuan followed behind them, seeing them off to the outer courtyard gate before stopping.

Qin Yuan asked, "Sixth Brother, are the Marquis and Grand Eunuch Dai quite familiar with each other?"

Sixth Master Gu laughed and said, "Grand Eunuch Dai used to serve by the side of the late Crown Prince. Back then, I was young and timid, and followed behind my brothers without saying much. I haven't seen him much over the years, so I'm afraid he doesn't remember me much anymore."

The two returned to the front hall and examined the gifts together.

Master Gu laughed and said, "If Baozhu knew that we had received another reward but not hers, she would probably be furious."

Qin Yuan said, "I saw her acting cute, and Mother was happy too. I thought I could get away with it, but I didn't expect Mother to be serious."

Sixth Master Gu did not answer, but focused on looking at the calligraphy bestowed by the Emperor.

The four-foot-long banner bore the Emperor's message to him in seal script: "A fine horse can't leap ten steps in one bound; a slow horse can travel ten times the distance if it perseveres."

After considering for a while, Master Gu said, "Baozhu is straightforward and a bit impulsive. She's not settled yet, and most of her so-called liking things is just a passing fancy. Mother knows all this, and in the future, her sister-in-law will have to help her with her marriage arrangements."

Hearing Master Gu's hint about Qin Siyuan, Qin Yuan couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She forced a smile and said, "When I go out with my mother in the future, I will help her find a match, but my mother has a better eye."

Just then, Gu Jinghui returned, looking somewhat forlorn. It was unclear what he said to Dai Sheng.

Qin Yuan asked, "Should we take it to Mother to take a look, and while we're at it, see how Baozhu is doing?"

Gu Jinghui shook his head: "Don't worry about her."

Sixth Master Gu also said, "Mother knows what she's doing. Besides, Baozhu has been naughty since she was little. A beating and a few days of rest will make her fine."

The implication was that the person would be able to get up on the day of the funeral and would not bring shame to the Marquis's mansion.

Gu Jinghui said, "It's so late, let's go back to Wutong Garden."

Sixth Master Gu immediately said, "Third Brother, I want to go too."

"Why is that?" Lord Gu asked, somewhat displeased.

Sixth Master Gu blinked and said, "I'm hungry. I was planning to stay in the main room to eat something, but now I can only ask Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law for some food."

It would be too troublesome to go to the main kitchen to order food now. If we send a servant to ask the small kitchen in the main room, it might disturb Old Madam Gu.

Lord Gu had no choice but to agree.

Throughout the journey, Master Gu remained silent, as if he were mute.

He only answered when Lord Gu asked him.

When the group returned to Wutong Garden, Hongye came to greet them from afar with a lantern. As soon as they met, she complained, "Why are you back so late? The food is still warm in the kitchen."

Sixth Master Gu laughed and said, "Is there anything left for me to eat?"

Hongye said, "No matter what, there will be no food left for Sixth Master. I'm just worried that it won't suit Sixth Master's taste."

When the food was served, it was clear that it was all in the style of southerners, even the noodles were made with pickled mustard greens, bamboo shoots, and shredded pork.

Gu Jinghui was never picky, and Sixth Master Gu, accustomed to a life of luxury, remarked upon seeing this, "Why is it so plain?"

Qin Yuan said, "Eat something light in the evening to nourish your spleen and stomach. Sixth Brother, don't just eat whatever you like. I have someone send the monthly meal plan to Renhetang for Doctor Li to review. The kitchen also prepares the ingredients according to the season."

Master Gu took this to heart and said, "From now on, I will no longer be picky about the vegetables delivered from the main kitchen."

Gu Jinghui was quite dissatisfied: "Why don't you listen to what I say, but you listen to what your third sister-in-law says? I've told you long ago not to raise your child so pampered, not to be picky about food, and to cherish what you have, but you just won't listen. You insist on saying things like 'one should not be too particular about the finest food.'"

Sixth Master Gu said, "How can these be the same?"

"How are they different?"

Sixth Master Gu thought for a moment and said, "I told you long ago that it was inappropriate for Zhao and her son to be in the mansion, but you wouldn't listen. Why did you listen to others later?"

"Pfft," Qin Yuan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Gu Jinghui's face darkened, and he was speechless.

Knowing he had the best, Master Gu finished his meal and got up to say goodbye.

"Tomorrow, Third Brother will be in charge of the Six Ministries' inspection in the capital, so I won't be sitting here for long. Third Sister-in-law, you don't need to accompany the women tomorrow, so you can rest for a while. I'll have to trouble you with the matters that follow."

After he left, Gu Jinghui said, "Really..."

Qin Yuan leaned in and kissed him, then wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "Husband, Her Majesty the Empress has bestowed upon you a dragon-patterned three-shoulder robe. Why don't you change into it along with the python robe and jade belt, and let me see?"

Gu Jinghui immediately stopped the complaint that was about to come out, his face lit up with joy, and he put his arm around her, chuckling softly, "You really want to see?"

“Of course,” Qin Yuan immediately replied, “Just looking at my husband wearing the python robe makes him look handsome. Now that Her Majesty the Empress has bestowed three-shouldered robes upon him, he will surely look noble and majestic when he wears them all.”

Lord Gu was easily swayed by Qin Yuan's coaxing and immediately said softly, "Alright, I'll wear it for you to see."

Qin Yuan immediately got up and called someone in to clear away the cups and plates, and then asked a maid to go to the small kitchen to get hot water so that Lord Gu could take a bath.

"After playing a game, I need to take a shower."

Seeing that Lord Gu was staring at her, Qin Yuan spoke up to explain.

Lord Gu followed her into the inner room, sighing as he undressed, "With a wife like this, every day is like living in paradise. If only I had known..."

Qin Yuan put her hands on her hips and asked, "If you had known earlier, would you have gotten married sooner and married someone else? If you had known this life would be so comfortable, would you have done so?"

Lord Gu: "..."

I never expected that such a casual sigh would cause such a commotion with my wife.

Amidst the chaos of war, Lord Gu sought to clear his name.

"...No, you...what were you thinking? I mean, how could you...how could you think that?...I mean, I didn't think that, but how did you...how did you think of that?"

Qin Yuan just stood there with her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

Lord Gu said again, "Alright, alright, I really didn't think that way. I swear to God, I never even considered it."

Hongmian came in and said, "Madam, the little maidservant from the Seventh Miss's side has come to ask for medicine."

Qin Yuan asked, "What medicine? Let her come in and talk."

Hongmian said, "It's medicine for treating sores caused by sticks."

Seeing Qin Yuan glance at her, she immediately realized what was going on, turned around and went out to call the maid in.

Lord Gu secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Qin Yuan no longer bothered to question him.

At this point, he finally understood what General Jin meant by the deep-seated fear he felt for his wife.