Madam You smiled and said nothing more.

Empress Lin was unwilling to give up and pressed on, "Now that we have overcome our hardships and are safe in the north, the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion only has Baozhu as its pampered daughter. Do you expect her to go to the north to eat sand? Besides, the Marquis of Dingbei's marriage alliance with the Grand Master of Ceremonies was also intended to change his family's status and abandon the military for the civil service. Why should Baozhu have to sit on the ground and find a husband?"

What kind of good husband can you attract by sitting on the ground and looking for one?

The Gu family went to great lengths to avoid being associated with them.

Madam Gu frowned and sighed deeply.

"Since Her Majesty the Empress has asked, I have no choice but to air my dirty laundry. Baozhu has never seen her father since she was a child, and the third son has been away in the northern frontier for many years. I'm just grateful that the sixth son is alive and well. So I've inevitably spoiled her a bit."

As the saying goes, "You can tell a person's future from age three, and their character from age seven." Now her personality is firmly established, and there's no changing it. She's the type who can't stand being mistreated. If she marries into a family, I'm afraid her mother-in-law will have a hard time to tolerate her.

The ladies looked at each other, their eyes filled with smiles.

Those familiar with the Gu family all know what Gu Baozhu is like.

Even if Madam Gu didn't say it aloud, they had said these things behind her back.

Madam Gu seemed to have given up entirely: "If it were another family's daughter-in-law, and the mother-in-law couldn't tolerate her, she would at most cry a few times, or if she was more assertive, she would argue with the mother-in-law, or at worst, she would come to her family home to make a scene. But Baozhu knows martial arts and has never been mistreated since she was a child. Her two older brothers dote on her because she has never met her father. If the mother-in-law can't tolerate her, I'm afraid she won't let it go. If she keeps making a scene, wouldn't the marriage be the same as making enemies? I have no choice but to think that it's better for her to stay at home. If it's the third son's child... his sister's child is also of the Gu family bloodline."

Some of the ladies gloated, while others felt pity.

The rumors that the Marquis of Dingbei is failing are probably true; the Marquis of Dingbei's family will truly rely on Gu Baozhu to continue the bloodline in the future.

This hereditary title and unparalleled merit are not easy to obtain.

This infuriated Empress Lin.

The Gu family, what a Gu family! They're really reckless, just saying it without any regard for consequences, leaving no room for anyone to get involved or manipulate them.

Everyone fell silent, until Old Madam You smiled and said, "Alright, alright, everyone knows you dote on your youngest daughter. Baozhu is still young, we'll talk about it when she grows up. Who knows, she might change her mind when she meets a suitable husband. It's getting late, the banquet is ready, please Your Majesty the Empress, His Highness the Crown Prince, and Your Highness the Ninth Princess move in for the banquet."

The birthday celebrant spoke, and everyone took their seats in turn. Gu Baozhu and Qin Yuan were relieved that the Empress Lin had not ordered them to stay by her side.

Gu Baozhu muttered to herself, "I should be alright now, right?"

Qin Yuan blinked: "What do you think?"

What do I think?

"If you take a fancy to a scholar, and he says he doesn't want to marry the daughter of a military man, would you never mention it again?"

"That won't do!"

"Oh?" Qin Yuan raised her eyebrows, smiling amiably. "Then what are you going to do?"

Gu Baozhu felt a little awkward: "Well, well, that's naturally true. Sincerity can move even the most obdurate heart. I need to move the other party with sincerity. Yes, that's right, that's it."

"Oh..." Qin Yuan gave her a meaningful look and whispered, "Not everyone is as virtuous as our Baozhu. Some people would stop at nothing for power. Do you think she will put down her butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot?"

Gu Baozhu puffed out her chest, feeling both guilty and proud: "I knew it, the two of us are the best in the world. Only you truly understand my noble character. I understand."

Hongye couldn't help but ask, "Seventh Miss, what do you know?"

Gu Baozhu said mysteriously, "A leopard can't change its spots."

Cui Ming: "..."

They were just about to take their seats when they started talking about dog shit.

The Ninth Princess sent someone to invite Gu Baozhu over for a chat. From a distance, Gu Baozhu could see that the people sitting at the table were all acquaintances such as Miss You and Song Wenyu, which made Gu Baozhu hesitate.

Qin Yuan said, "It's alright, just go ahead. Don't give them a chance to bother you."

Gu Baozhu nodded.

After taking their seats, Miss You asked, "What were you and your third sister-in-law talking about?"

The Ninth Princess looked over, her eyes full of smiles: "Your mother and your third brother really love you and are reluctant to let you get married. I just don't know what your third sister-in-law thinks."

Gu Baozhu didn't reply to the Ninth Princess, but said to Miss You, "I was talking to my third sister-in-law about whether a dog can change its nature of eating shit."

The Ninth Princess felt nauseous.

Miss You was speechless.

Song Wenyu chuckled and said helplessly, "Your third sister-in-law is the daughter of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. How could she say such a thing? She must be saying something like, 'It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature.'"

“Yes, yes, yes, that’s exactly what I mean,” Gu Baozhu said with a smile.

The Ninth Princess rolled her eyes.

vulgar.

Too vulgar.

The Gu family really has self-awareness; they should indeed stay at home and find a husband, a vulgar one, so that no one will look down on the other.

Qin Yuan chatted and laughed with the ladies around her, keeping up with the conversation without saying much, maintaining a perfect balance, and quickly became close to them.

Halfway through the banquet, Yang'er received news from outside and whispered to Qin Yuan, "The Marquis has arrived."

Qin Yuan nodded.

Lord Gu finally finished his business and returned as promised.

Counting the days, it's been three to seven days since we last met, and I wonder how things are going.

Suppressing her inner excitement, Qin Yuan was about to toast the lady sitting next to her when the maid serving the dishes swept her sleeve, knocking over a pile of bowls and chopsticks on the table. Just as the soup was about to splash on her, Yang'er pulled Qin Yuan's chair back sharply, leaned slightly forward, and caught the bowls and chopsticks with her hand. A little soup splashed, staining the table curtain, but Qin Yuan was not soaked at all.

This is the second time.

Yang'er and Hehua exchanged a glance.

The lady beside Qin Yuan was taken aback and took a while to recover: "It's a good thing you're quick and efficient, otherwise this outfit would have been ruined and we would have had to change."

Qin Yuan's expression remained unchanged as she whispered, "That's right, this is the fabric that Mother chose for me. It would be such a waste if it were ruined."

The lady said, "Old Madam Gu is so kind to you."

Qin Yuan exclaimed, "That's right. All these jewelry and ornaments were given to me by my mother. My husband is a man, and the jewelry he gives me is a bit old-fashioned. My mother has such a discerning eye."

The lady couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

What exactly is the meaning of their dedication to family?

The mother-in-law praises her daughter-in-law in public, the husband praises his daughter-in-law in public, and the daughter-in-law praises her mother-in-law and husband in public.

They really know how to praise each other.

On second thought, he realized that such a delicate young wife could only live alone in an empty room, and that the Marquis of Dingbei could only look at her but not use her. Suddenly, he felt less bitter.

As the saying goes, good fortune is predetermined.

No one is perfect.

The clumsy maidservant hurriedly came over to apologize, but Qin Yuan didn't need to step in at all. Lotus and Yang'er blocked her way, and Hongye said a few words to get rid of her.