Gu Baozhu immediately said, "Third Sister-in-law, I won't be silly forever."

Hongye couldn't help but smile softly.

Gu Baozhu retorted angrily, "I'm serious."

Qin Yuan quickly reassured her, "I haven't even said anything yet, why are you getting so agitated?"

Gu Baozhu said, "How can I not be anxious! Mother, Third Brother, Sixth Brother, and Third Sister-in-law all treat me like a fool. The other day, Mother and Rong Mama were whispering to me that they didn't know who I would marry to live a peaceful life, since I'm so easily manipulated. I thought to myself, if my Sixth Brother can change, why can't I?"

“It can be changed. Look at you, you can even embroider handkerchiefs now.”

Gu Baozhu felt a little better after that.

"Yes, I just have a short temper, I'm easily provoked and taken advantage of, and I can't control my mouth. I know all that."

Granny Rong exclaimed in surprise, "So the Seventh Miss heard what I was saying to the Old Madam that day! Madam, I can testify that the Seventh Miss has improved a lot these days and will definitely get better and better in the future."

Qin Yuan smiled and said, "Even sages say that knowing shame is close to courage. Sister Baozhu knows her own shortcomings and has the courage to correct her mistakes. She will only get better and better in the future."

Kang Ge'er blinked and laughed, "Auntie is really good at polo. She's also very dedicated to playing with my brother and me. She has a lot of ideas and never blames us for anything. We all like Auntie."

Fu Ge'er nodded emphatically.

Lan Jie'er said sweetly, "I like my little aunt."

Gu Baozhu gave a smug "hmm".

Rong Momo smiled and said, "This old servant will take them outside to rest. They can't make a fuss at night, otherwise they'll miss their sleep and won't be able to sleep well. I didn't sleep well last night either, so you should all get some rest early."

Qin Yuan nodded and said, "That's right. Everyone didn't get much rest last night, and they've been running around all day. The adults are a little better off, but the children can't be tired."

After Rong Momo left with the children, Qin Yuan said, "Why do you feel that You Da came to act as an intermediary for the Ninth Princess?"

Gu Baozhu said, "I figured it out. Third sister-in-law, think about it. Why did You Da go to the Marquis's mansion to get reinforcements instead of the Ninth Princess's mansion? And then the Ninth Princess persuaded the Emperor."

Qin Yuan laughed and said, "How come you're testing me now? I rarely interacted with noble ladies when I was young, how would I know about your lawsuit? However, if someone hadn't come to the manor to report that day, and your third brother hadn't been able to get there in time, this matter... is really hard to say."

"right!"

Gu Baozhu said, "I am the only girl in the family. My mother dotes on me a lot and rarely mentions my third brother in front of me. It is my sixth brother who often talks about him. I learned martial arts from Master Wu since I was a child. Later, my third brother firmly guarded the northern frontier, so my mother stopped asking me to learn martial arts and wanted me to act like a noble lady."

It seems that Gu Baozhu learned her martial arts and horsemanship in this way.

Qin Yuan nodded.

Madam Gu was probably prepared for Lord Gu to die on the battlefield.

Gu Baozhu frowned and said, "So, Third Sister-in-law, I've always wanted to be a chivalrous person, as capable as my father and brothers. I don't associate much with young ladies. Who knows, I might go to the battlefield to fight the Yelü clan someday. The young ladies in the capital are all delicate and pampered, and I can't be like them. The women in the north all go to the battlefield to fight. So I haven't really held onto those complicated matters in my heart. As for Sixth Sister-in-law... Third Sister-in-law, I made mistakes in the past. Please forgive me and don't take it to heart."

Qin Yuan laughed and said, "There's no need to mention the past. Look at Hongye beside me, she's quick-tongued and has a fiery temper. If I didn't keep a close eye on her, who knows how much trouble she would have caused. She's just a maid, so her misdeeds only happen within her own household, and I can keep her in check. You're different, though. You need to be more careful with your words and actions. Nobody's perfect, so it's always good to correct your mistakes sooner rather than later."

Cuiming smiled and looked at Hongye.

Hongye lowered her head, her face flushed, and slowly straightened her clothes.

Gu Baozhu opened her eyes wide and pondered for a moment, then nodded cautiously and said, "I've remembered everything Third Sister-in-law said."

Gu Baozhu continued, "You Da went to find the Ninth Princess and persuaded the Emperor to come. I owe her this favor, but since she acted as the Ninth Princess's advocate and came to ask for a life-or-death agreement, I am not very happy about it."

Qin Yuan asked with a smile, "Why?"

Gu Baozhu said, "I can't explain it, I just feel that this is inappropriate."

Qin Yuan asked, "Then why sign a life-or-death agreement with the Yelü clan?"

Gu Baozhu said shyly, "We made plans to see the poetry wall. Unexpectedly, we ran into a few Yelü people who were barking wildly, saying that everything written on the wall was nonsense. They were boasting to each other as if they were all poetic geniuses descended to earth. Especially..."

Gu Baozhu glanced at Qin Yuan, who was listening attentively, and continued, "Especially when they said that Qin Juren's poems were the worst, I got really angry. My family is very protective of their own, how could we stand this... When everyone started arguing, the Yelü clan said that what else could the literati of Daxing do besides spout a few nonsensical, pretentious poems... In the end, everyone got angry and said that they would decide the winner by playing polo, regardless of life or death."

Qin Yuan listened carefully, and after a while said, "Let me tell you, things here are not as simple as you think. The Yelü clan is probably deliberately provoking you to set a trap for you, and they want to use you to coerce your third brother."

Gu Baozhu was stunned for a moment, then said, "Is it because of the Zhao family?"

Now it was Qin Yuan's turn to be stunned.

How did you know?

Gu Baozhu proudly tossed her head, touched her cheek, and said, "So don't think I'm just a child. I'm very clever. I often eavesdrop on Mother and Granny Rong's conversations..."

Qin Yuan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Gu Baozhu also remembered being punished by kneeling, and said with a blush, "I know Third Brother didn't want to tell me, afraid that I would go around talking nonsense, and worried that I would ruin his plans. Actually, I inquired about things in the manor everywhere, and I can roughly guess what's going on."

Qin Yuan smiled and nodded: "So you've been hiding your true abilities all along."

"Right?"

Gu Baozhu couldn't tell the difference between good and bad words, and nodded smugly.

Qin Yuan laughed and said, "Tell me honestly, is it you who spread the rumors that the Xu family and the Gu family are fighting fiercely over money?"

Gu Baozhu blinked and said, "If people ask, of course I'll tell them. Besides, my sixth brother has already filed a lawsuit, so why would I need to hide it? Of course I'll tell them the truth."

Qin Yuan smiled, shook her head and nodded, and finally said, "Alright, in the end, everyone just wanted to prove a point by playing polo against the Yelü clan. So, do you feel bad about giving it to the Ninth Princess?"

"Yes, that makes sense!"

Gu Baozhu slapped the embroidered quilt beneath her and laughed, "Indeed, Third Sister-in-law and I are the best of friends in the world. Whatever I don't understand, Third Sister-in-law always gets it right. Although You Da went to ask for reinforcements, to be honest, these reinforcements might not be of much help. I still feel indebted to her, but I'm not willing to hand over the life-or-death contract that everyone worked so hard to win to the Ninth Princess just for this small favor. So, Third Sister-in-law, what do you suggest we do?"