Lord Gu immediately flattered her, saying, "My wife is incredibly resourceful and strategic. I am truly blessed to have a wife like you."

People's hearts have changed; even Lord Gu, who only knew how to fight, has learned to flatter and fawn.

Qin Yuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "So, I'm good enough to be your strategist."

"Of course. If I had known you earlier, I certainly wouldn't have needed General Jin."

Lord Gu, not content with just praising Qin Yuan, also used Jin Shen as a comparison.

Just after finishing dividing the spoils, General Jin sneezed so hard his head almost popped out.

Others asked, "Old Jin, are you feeling weak? You only spent two days pretending to be a thief in the wild, and you've already caught a cold."

General Jin angrily retorted, "What do you know? It must be your sister-in-law missing me."

Looking at the full silver chests in the tent, everyone felt exceptionally happy.

This time, he made a fortune, not only filling his own pockets, but also enough to cover military pay even if the Ministry of War caused any more trouble—moreover, this money came from the Wild Donkey Man.

General Jin said, "Since the Marquis is not here, I will not say anything more. Everyone has worked hard these past few days. Take your money and relax. Do not mention it again. Keep it all to yourselves."

"Of course, do you think we don't value our lives?"

They all got their share of the silver; if word got out, they'd all be dead.

According to the laws of Daxing, it is a capital offense for soldiers to impersonate bandits and rob others, and it will also implicate their families. They have only enjoyed a few good days since coming down from the battlefield, and they haven't had enough of it yet.

"Remember this well, don't let a few drinks make you undress the woman in your arms," ​​General Jin instructed again.

Everyone said, "We understand. We all work for the Marquis. Brotherhood and loyalty come first. How could we sell everything for a woman?"

"That would be for the best. The capital is not like the northern frontier. There are beautiful women everywhere who are more cunning than lotus roots. I'm just afraid you'll be blinded by their charms and start saying whatever comes to mind when they flatter you." General Jin's face darkened, and a murderous glint appeared in his eyes: "If you can't control your mouths, don't complain when your tongues are cut out by the brothers."

No one dared to laugh or joke; they all composed themselves and said, "Yes, we wouldn't dare utter a single word even in our sleep."

After giving him a good talking-to, General Jin finally released him.

After everyone had dispersed, General Jin inspected the barracks before riding out of the camp.

Having been away from home for so long, his wife and concubines were all thinking of him.

Riding his horse at full speed, when he was still two blocks away from home, he ran into a procession of honor. General Jin quickly dismounted and stood by the roadside to wait for them to pass by with music and fanfare.

It looks like the ceremonial retinue of the Prince of Jin.

The Prince of Jin and the Crown Prince were in cahoots, but now Marquis Gu has joined forces with the Prince of Qi. A battle between the two sides is inevitable in the future. General Jin grabbed the reins and pulled his body back.

But then the Prince of Jin lifted the carriage curtain, peeked out, and looked in his direction with a half-smile.

General Jin's heart skipped a beat.

Sure enough, just as the Prince of Jin's procession passed by, an old eunuch came over and asked in a shrill voice, "Is that General Jin, who is in charge of the camp, ahead?"

Commander of the main camp?

That's really overestimating yourself.

General Jin bowed and said, "I am General Jin, and I currently serve under the Marquis of Dingbei. May I ask what brings you here, sir?"

“What could possibly trouble General Jin? It is His Highness Prince Jin who has something to ask of us. Please come this way with me, General Jin.”

General Jin nodded helplessly and followed.

...

Even while Lord Gu was taking a medicinal bath, he refused to let Qin Yuan leave, insisting on speaking through the curtain and asking her about everything that had happened in the manor over the past few days.

Finally, Qin Yuan asked, "Didn't you say before that you would hand over the management of your private treasury to me? Does that still stand?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of water stopped on the other side of the curtain.

After a long pause, Lord Gu cautiously asked, "Of course it counts, but are you willing to take charge?"

Qin Yuan sat on the embroidered stool and nodded through the curtain. Then, remembering that the other person couldn't see her, she hummed in agreement.

Lord Gu laughed and said, "So you've finally decided to help me manage things. What made you change your mind today?"

Qin Yuan sighed softly: "From today onwards, we will break ties with the Crown Prince and Prince Jin. We cannot even fully trust Prince Qi. I think... today I almost became someone else's meat on the chopping block, and I will also implicate my parents and brothers. If it doesn't work out, Prince Qi is at least a prince, and even if he dies, he will have a complete corpse. But we are risking the lives of two families and clans."

Lord Gu paused for a moment, then said, "Yuan'er, it is the Gu family that has implicated you. I will write you a letter of divorce later. If things don't go well, you can return home."

As he spoke, his voice became nasal.

Qin Yuan was both annoyed and amused.

"Even if I return home, what difference will it make? The Crown Prince is ill and weak, and Prince Jin is using this opportunity to strengthen his power. Once the Crown Prince passes away, it will be Prince Jin's time to show his true colors. Although Prince Qi is the legitimate son, he is hated by Empress Lin and others because the former Crown Prince and his maternal clan have not won the Emperor's favor. The struggle for the throne has always been bloody and fierce. Even if I return home, given their magnanimity, they will certainly not let the Qin family off the hook. You and I are husband and wife, it's not just talk!"

Lord Gu was greatly shocked and sighed, "I should have stayed in the northern frontier and never returned."

Qin Yuan said, "That's right, but how can you face your oath, your father and brothers, and your ancestors by doing this? Is there anyone who can live without dying? Even Qin Shi Huang, who unified the world and established an empire, could not escape death in the end. Why should we be so short-sighted?"

Lord Gu stood up, took a handkerchief from the shelf to wipe himself, and said in a low voice, "Mr. Songshan once told me a poem, which I have kept in mind."

"What poem?"

Qin Yuan was somewhat curious.

Lord Gu said, "A pale moon and sparse stars mark the long night; a cool breeze and cold dew mark the ninth month of autumn. Peace was established by the general, yet the general is not allowed to see peace."

What a wonderful peace that was established by the general! The general is not allowed to see peace!

Mr. Matsuyama truly hits the nail on the head.

Qin Yuan played with the jade pendant on her body, her phoenix eyes slightly narrowed.

When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked.

When Xiao He chased Han Xin under the moon, he not only gave Han Xin the opportunity to be ennobled, but also unveiled the curtain on his tragic death after achieving great success.

After a long pause, Qin Yuan smiled and said, "It's all up to us. We can't lose our ambition first. Do you know why I asked you for the private treasury? I was thinking of creating a way out for the Gu and Qin families. As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. We must try our best to manage it. Even if we fail, we will have no regrets."

Lord Gu drew back the curtain, his wet hair cascading over his shoulders, covered only by a long scarf. His eyes, as black as ink, stared intently at her, as if trying to see into her heart: "Is it because you don't trust Prince Qi that you're acting this way..."

Qin Yuan lowered her head, took the prepared dry cloth, pointed to the small stool at her feet and told Lord Gu to sit down, before slowly wiping her thick black hair.

"If His Highness Prince Qi can be trusted, then he must have that destiny. Even if he does have that destiny, the mind of an emperor is never easy to fathom. Master Songshan's poem is naturally full of profound meaning. Why don't you think about it carefully?"

The complete chapters of "My Eldest Sister Insists on a Marquis-Switch Marriage, Making Me a Lady of the Marquis" will continue to be updated on the Shuhaige Novel Network. There are no ads on the site, so please bookmark and recommend Shuhaige Novel Network!