Chapter 74 Would You Be Willing to Be the Lady of the Loyal and Brave Earl? "He's an honest man and doesn't talk much..."

In the morning, after dressing up, Lin Daiyu had a simple breakfast at Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

A maidservant came in to report: "Miss, Granny Zhang in the front yard said the carriage is ready."

Lin Daiyu hummed in agreement and then went to check the newly written calligraphy.

She had already taught her third brother one round of lessons, following the order of basic strokes, radicals, character structure, and single-component characters. Of course, the first round was with the simplest characters.

The second round will be a bit more difficult.

Everything that needed to be brought was prepared, and then a maid came in and said, "Miss, the carriage from the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence has arrived."

Lin Daiyu chuckled. In the past, when Jia Baoyu went along, her third brother never sent a carriage. He really didn't try to hide it at all.

She glanced around at the maids in the room: "I said yesterday that Qingwen would go with them."

As Lin Daiyu left Xiaoxiang Pavilion, the sedan chair was already waiting outside. The old woman leading the way smiled obsequiously: "The weather is nice today, the sun is shining and the wind is not strong. We were afraid that you would feel stuffy, so we specially changed the sedan chair cover for you to be light and breathable."

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Thank you, Mother."

Seeing that Qingwen didn't move, she turned around and glanced at her: "Give this mother some reward money."

Qingwen busied herself trying to explain, but Lin Daiyu had already gotten into the sedan chair.

...Back in the Yihong Courtyard, Xiren managed the finances. She hadn't dealt with this for years, so her reaction was a bit slow.

Xueyan had taught her where the copper coins and silver ingots used for rewards were kept, and how much should be given to whom. She just hadn't realized it at first, but she'd be better next time.

Thinking about it this way, Qingwen didn't feel so bad anymore.

When Lin Daiyu arrived at the front courtyard, there were two rows of carriages, one on the left and one on the right. The Rongguo Mansion had prepared a two-horse carriage for her, and a one-horse carriage for her maids and servants. Her third brother's carriage, which came to pick her up, had four horses, and the following carriage had two horses. Moreover, her third brother's carriage was larger.

Before she could speak, a servant from the Rongguo Mansion placed a stool in front of the Zhongyong Earl's carriage with a knowing look on her face: "Miss, please be careful on your journey."

Lin Daiyu boarded the carriage and left, and the old woman in the front yard and the coachman sighed.

The coachman said, "Wouldn't that be too obvious? Miss Lin would never ride in our carriage."

The old woman laughed and said, "It should be this obvious. We need to let Miss Lin see that we're doing this. Otherwise, if we take the carriage back as soon as the Marquis of Zhongyong's carriage arrives, what will that look like? What if Miss Lin thinks we're being negligent?"

"That's right." The coachman laughed along. "We're just servants, so we don't need to be clever. As long as Miss Lin can tell that we're trying to please her, that's enough."

The carriage headed towards the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence. Xiren didn't say she was acting suspiciously, but she was clearly a little guilty. When they arrived at Xiaoxiang Pavilion,

"I've come to see Qingwen," Xiren said to Xueyan with a smile. "Although she's now Miss Lin's woman, we were together for over ten years. We specially prepared her favorite pastries—"

Xi Ren lifted the box of pastries in her hand: "It's not in vain that we sisters have become sisters."

Xueyan said, "You've come at a bad time. Qingwen went out with the young lady today and just left. If you had come earlier, you would have definitely run into her within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

Xiren paused slightly, then quickly smiled and said, "That's really bad timing. But she's only been here a short time, and it's a blessing that you trust her so much and are willing to take her out. She used to be a bit arrogant, but I'm sure she's changed now?"

Xueyan couldn't possibly respond to that, so she simply said, "Are you busy? If you're not, come in and sit down, have a cup of tea and some snacks before you leave."

Sure enough, Xiren smiled and said, "No need, the Yihong Courtyard can't do without me." She then pointed to the pastries in her hand, "Give them to Qingwen when she comes back."

Xueyan didn't take it: "You should give it to her yourself. After all, it's your good intention. It's not quite right to have someone else deliver it."

Xiren thought about it and realized that made sense. Besides, she was there to test Qingwen. If she gave the snacks to someone else, would she have to give her something next time?

After exchanging a few polite words, Xiren returned to Yihong Courtyard and saw Bao Erye sitting next to Zijuan on the railing of the covered walkway. Zijuan was holding a broom in one hand and Bao Erye's handkerchief in the other, wiping away her tears.

"Zijuan!" Xiren rushed over, suppressing her temper, and used her usual earnest tone to advise, "I don't know how long you can stay in Yihong Courtyard, but you should know that Master Bao is weak inside. How could you drag him into this situation?"

“It’s not cold today,” Jia Baoyu said.

Xiren sighed, "I know Second Master feels sorry for Zijuan. Who wouldn't feel sorry for Zijuan? She was kicked out for no reason... Zijuan, Miss Lin kicked you out, she's definitely going to punish you. If you slack off like this and it gets back to Miss Lin, do you even want to go back?"

This one sentence put Zijuan in her place. She immediately stood up, wiped away her tears, and was about to return the handkerchief to Jia Baoyu when she added, "I'll wash it and give it to you, Second Master."

Xiren hurriedly pulled over a handkerchief: "Is it so easy for you to wash this?" She then pulled Jia Baoyu back into the room, "Second Master, please restrain yourself. Yuanyang brought it here personally. She came here to work, so you should let her work for a couple of days as well."

As she spoke, she took out Jia Baoyu's usual homework: "If you have time, Second Master, please write a few more pieces of calligraphy. Even if you don't want to practice calligraphy, the first day of the third month is Madam's birthday, so it would be good to copy some scriptures for Madam."

When it came to his studies, Jia Baoyu reluctantly sat down at his desk.

His feelings were mixed.

At first, I was terrified, feeling that I could never finish the job, worried about being scolded, and even more afraid of being beaten.

But later, the master was summoned to the yamen every day and had no time to check his studies. Later, he fell ill, and Jia Baoyu took the opportunity to catch up on his studies, and there were also some from Sister Bao and Sister Yun.

Barely... I shouldn't be beaten up.

Besides, who can hold out for that long? Jia Baoyu was never a diligent student to begin with, and when he felt weary, he also had a sense of wishful thinking.

The master may not remember.

Xiren sat there, needle and thread in her hand, watching Jia Baoyu write reluctantly, and felt a tightness in her chest.

It wasn't because Bao Erye wasn't hardworking; she just felt that one vixen had just left, and now another one was coming.

When asked, Yuanyang always gave evasive answers.

Xiren sighed. Perhaps things would be easier for her once Baochai entered the household.

"Ouch!" Xi Ren exclaimed in surprise, as she pricked her hand with a needle.

"Does it hurt? Why weren't you more careful?" Jia Baoyu rushed over and licked the blood off her. Xiren blushed, completely unaware that her young master Bao was just trying to use this opportunity to avoid doing his homework.

Lin Daiyu has arrived at the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, and her mood is different today.

Sure enough, her third brother was already waiting in the front yard with a smile on his face.

besides……

Lin Daiyu glanced around, called out "Third Brother," and then asked with concern, "Shouldn't this courtyard be completely renovated? Every time I've come here, there are so many people doing the same repairs."

Well, although her third brother's face has become much fairer and younger, he still doesn't look embarrassed at all.

"Well, give them something to do, so they don't cause trouble when they're idle," Mu Chuan replied seriously, then asked, "What did you have for breakfast? They sent some new kinds of pastries, why don't you try them?"

Lin Daiyu followed him inside and asked, "Why did you send a carriage to pick me up today?"

Mu Chuan answered with utmost frankness: "I don't want Jia Baoyu to take advantage of me."

One sentence left Lin Daiyu speechless: "I thought you—" She had to come up with at least two lies.

“To tell you the truth,” Mu Chuan replied, “how can you lie about something like this?”

"You've lied to me before," Lin Daiyu muttered softly.

When the two arrived at the study, Qingwen put down what she was holding and went out with the maid from the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.

Lin Daiyu said, "Let's start with the basic strokes today. Last time I taught you strokes that are all done in one continuous stroke. This time we'll learn strokes with hooks and turns."

As she was speaking, her gaze fell on the pen holder on the large desk, which held the "wild duck" pen she had bought last time.

This desk is so big that it can comfortably accommodate not only two people, but also six people sitting in a circle.

Originally, there were many things on this desk, including two sets of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, as well as some paperweights, table screens, and other decorations. Now, all of them have been removed, and the "wild duck" has been placed in the very center.

"Why is there only this one?"

"You need to practice your calligraphy properly," Mu Chuan said sternly. "Having too many things around will distract you."

"But this thing of yours will distract me," Lin Daiyu chuckled twice and nudged him. "Go and get another pen holder; this one alone isn't enough. We also need a few paperweights, otherwise the paper won't be flat, how will you practice?"

Mu Chuan went to the antique shelf next to him to get something. Lin Daiyu watched his back and laughed again: "With Third Brother's height, he doesn't even need to move a stool to get things."

Mu Chuan turned around and glanced at her helplessly.

Lin Daiyu laughed even more happily: "I changed my maid today, did Third Brother notice?"

"Of course." Mu Chuan returned with four paperweights in one hand. Lin Daiyu tried to pull his hand away again, but she could only hold one paperweight in one hand.

"I used to be a scout in my early years. The requirement was to be able to see the other person's features at a glance. I was specially trained."

Lin Daiyu hummed in agreement and then went to try to hold many paperweights with one hand.

"You're making this too much of a fuss," Mu Chuan instructed. "Spread your fingers apart, bend them slightly, pinch one between your index and middle fingers, and then pinch another between your middle and ring fingers."

Lin Daiyu's hands were small, so even though it was the most basic long paperweight, it was more like it was stuck rather than being clipped up.

Mu Chuan chuckled twice: "Alright, you'll get red from the pressure. Miss Qianjin doesn't need to do this."

"Did Third Brother also work as a scout?" Lin Daiyu returned to the previous topic. "But I read in the book that scouts should not have obvious features. Third Brother is so tall, wouldn't he be recognized at a glance?"

"You've read quite a lot of books."

Mu Chuan was quite satisfied with the compliment that brought out Lin Daiyu's proud little expression.

“When I was a scout in Beili, I lay in the grass and hid behind trees, and I was rarely discovered. Moreover, I can tell directions by looking at the stars, the sun, trees, and rocks, so even if I get lost, I can find my way back. Besides—” Mu Chuan shrugged, “as long as we deal with the person who discovers me, it will be a perfect intelligence gathering operation.”

Is that alright? Lin Daiyu asked, puzzled.

"I want to test Third Brother," she said excitedly. "What do you think that maid I brought today does?"

"Serving you?"

Lin Daiyu chuckled: "Third Brother, you're not allowed to fool me. Show me your scout skills; dealing with people doesn't count."

Mu Chuan sighed: "Actually, you can guess even without looking at her. She's the maidservant by the young lady's side, in charge of her food, clothing, and lodging, so her specialty should be one of those. Let's rule out cooking first. Cooking is something that involves a lot of smoke and fire, which is usually done by maidservants. That maidservant looks clean and tidy, so I guess she wouldn't know how to drive a carriage."

Lin Daiyu laughed again: "Although it's just a wild guess, it makes some sense."

"Folding blankets and tidying up the house aren't exactly special skills," Mu Chuan added. "That's why she's exceptionally good at needlework."

"You guessed it already?" Lin Daiyu was a little incredulous, feeling it was all a joke.

"Sigh." Mu Chuan sighed, "Actually, she put something on the table. I saw her fingernails; they were the embroiderer's fingernails."

Lin Daiyu breathed a sigh of relief: "So you were just trying to coax me."

Mu Chuan said, "I think you've been talking a lot today. It can't be that you don't want to teach me anymore, can it? Master Lin, you've already accepted the tuition fee."

"Yes, not only did they collect it, they ate it too." Lin Daiyu sighed helplessly. "Hurry up and grind the ink, don't be lazy."

But as Mu Chuan began grinding the ink, she wanted to speak again.

“I have a maidservant who was originally given to me by my maternal grandmother, but I gave her away. She said some unpleasant things and listed my third brother’s three major crimes.”

"Oh?" Mu Chuan laughed. "That chieftain in the capital, Hua Azan, also listed my crimes, but he listed a total of twelve."

Lin Daiyu glanced at him, and Mu Chuan became serious and fell silent.

"First, she said that Third Brother instigated Shen Mama to impersonate Liu Mama and cause trouble in Rongguo Mansion, bringing shame to Rongguo Mansion."

Mu Chuan glanced at Lin Daiyu before speaking: "The word 'suo' is used incorrectly; it means to instigate or encourage. Although Shen Mama signed a long-term labor contract, she is still a servant in my household, so it should be an order. Besides, I can really transfer her indenture to your name; she can really become a servant of the Lin family."

Lin Daiyu didn't say anything, and continued, "Secondly, she said that Third Brother didn't keep his promise. He clearly agreed to... my marriage with Jia Baoyu, but he doesn't count it."

“You know me,” Mu Chuan said. “How could I possibly agree to something like this? I never liked him from the very beginning. When I first met him, I thought he was a woman disguised as a man. My tactful words back then were just to avoid making you feel rebellious.”

Lin Daiyu didn't say anything, and continued, "The third point is that she said you took me out because... you didn't consider my reputation."

Mu Chuan frowned, and Lin Daiyu suddenly became a little nervous.

The original words were definitely not like that. Referring to the first two points and the last "in order to", the original words must have been much more intense.

Mu Chuan quickly thought it over: the maid had been kicked out, and Daiyu had come today.

Although I don't know why the progress went wrong, if things continue like this, I'll really be laughing at myself for the rest of my life.

Mu Chuan stepped forward, and the extreme pressure made it difficult for Lin Daiyu to breathe. She stepped back and then saw her third brother kneel down on one knee in front of her.

"Daiyu, would you be willing to become the wife of the Marquis of Zhongyong?"

What did you say? Lin Daiyu was so startled she almost jumped up, but if she stood up, she would bump into her third brother.

"I--"

Lin Daiyu felt a little dizzy, her chest felt tight, and colorful spots of light appeared before her eyes.

Well... she and Jia Baoyu had a period of mutual affection before, at most it was just "feelings", "affection" or "you should understand my heart".

She never imagined—

"Would you be willing to become the wife of the Marquis of Zhongyong?" Mu Chuan asked again when she remained silent for a long time.

Perhaps she had been holding it in for too long, Lin Daiyu took a deep breath and said something that was hard to understand: "How can you ask me such a thing? It's an arranged marriage, and... how can you ask me? Stand up first—sit down."

"As per my parents' wishes, I will send someone to fetch them back immediately, and have them tell you, 'Lord Lin and Madam Lin, shall we go to the Great Buddha Hall to offer incense?' As for the arranged marriage, I have already spoken to His Majesty, and His Majesty has agreed."

"How can you do this?" Lin Daiyu's face gradually turned a beautiful pink. No wonder the Empress looked at her strangely and ambiguously when she entered the palace last time.

"There's no need to think about those things," Mu Chuan advised her. "I'll make the decisions for the Mu family, and you can make the decisions for the Lin family. We don't need to worry about outsiders. Just tell me if you're willing or not. Or tell me why you're not willing, and I'll take care of it."

Lin Daiyu remained silent, her eyes darting around, her face flushed, but she sat upright and showed no sign of leaving.

He looked both nervous and eager, so Mu Chuan changed the subject, saying, "Actually, I've also prepared some talented young men, some from the military, and some of Grand Secretary Li's sons and nephews. My godfather has also introduced some. The palace examination is coming up soon. Would you like to meet the newly appointed scholars?"

"Pah!" Lin Daiyu finally showed an emotion other than nervousness. "How can you do this? What if I see other people—" She paused, then boldly added, "What will you do?"

Mu Chuan thought for a moment: "I've spoken to His Majesty, and he's agreed. He can send people out of the capital, and we can bring them back later."

"I don't believe you. You're making things up about His Majesty." Lin Daiyu laughed twice, finally calming down a bit.

To tease him any further would be to make fun of His Majesty.

"So, are you willing or not?" Mu Chuan asked again.

Lin Daiyu used to believe in unspoken understanding, so her third brother's persistent questioning was really hard to handle.

"How can you ask such a question?" She covered her face in embarrassment and nodded gently.

"Is this your willingness?" Mu Chuan's voice was filled with an uncontrollable chuckle.

"I'm willing." These two words were squeezed out from between Lin Daiyu's teeth and then floated out from between her fingers.

Mu Chuan was extremely pleased with himself. He said, "From now on, you don't need to worry about anything. I'll handle everything. Sigh... this isn't what I originally planned. What do you want to eat? Wu Yue Guild Hall? Or should we pick a new one? How was that Shandong cuisine last time? Zhi Shan Lou, is that the name? Since the relationship has changed, how about we go see a play tonight? Didn't you say the main actors only go on stage tonight?"

He launched into a long, rambling account of eating, drinking, and having fun, only to be met with a fierce glare from the future Lady Zhongyong: "Practice your calligraphy!"

Mu Chuan gasped: "You didn't even say anything important when you came in, did you?"

"Go grind the ink again? It's all dry now," Lin Daiyu ordered, then suddenly asked, "You said from the beginning... you didn't have good intentions." She still couldn't say it directly, "Then why did you wait until now?"

Mu Chuan sighed: "I was thinking that once you officially started teaching the princess to write, I would put in a little more effort and, once you published your calligraphy book, I could at least get His Majesty to bestow upon you the title of County Lady. I hope that when people mention Lin Daiyu, they will say that the Earl of Zhongyong was really lucky, and not just that she was the wife of the Earl of Zhongyong."

Lin Daiyu's face flushed again, and she dared not look at her third brother's face.

"Even if you say that, you still have to practice calligraphy." She was fierce, but her tone was soft. "You are my first formal apprentice. If you don't practice well, how can I, as your master, command respect?"

"Master, please rest assured." Mu Chuan bowed deeply. "I will definitely practice calligraphy diligently and live up to your expectations."

Just as Lin Daiyu was about to get up, Mu Chuan suddenly asked, "Can we hold hands?"

"..." Lin Daiyu was stunned for a moment, then blushed again, "It's not like I haven't had diarrhea before."

She slowly reached out her hand, but before she could touch her third brother's hand, she suddenly pulled it back.

That was then, but I wouldn't dare now. It's all Third Brother's fault!

"You also said you'd show me a cat that can do somersaults, where's the cat?" Lin Daiyu asked matter-of-factly.

Mu Chuan sighed helplessly, "Shall we go outside to look? The study is small, and it wouldn't be good if the cat scratched the paper and knocked over the inkstone."

This made perfect sense. Lin Daiyu had no doubts and followed him to the outer courtyard, but her third brother didn't move or call for help.

"Where's the cat?" Lin Daiyu asked again.

Mu Chuan gave her a strange look, then gathered his strength and lightly flipped three backflips in a row. After landing, he meowed, "Meow~ Meow meow meow~"

Lin Daiyu was stunned for a moment, then laughed until tears streamed down her face.

"Third Brother—" She leaned against a pillar, unable to straighten her back, and looked at Mu Chuan with teary eyes, "My stomach hurts."

Mu Chuan sighed: "You won't even let me hold your hand, do you expect me to rub your stomach?"

But Third Brother's expression was too funny. Lin Daiyu couldn't stop laughing, and Mu Chuan was still making sarcastic remarks: "Such a beautiful, charming, and well-educated girl, yet she laughs so madly."

Lin Daiyu had never laughed like that before. When she stopped laughing, not only was half of her handkerchief wet, but her whole body felt sore and weak.

"Third Brother, I want to drink water."

Mu Chuan sighed, "I'll pour it for you."

"Third Brother, I'd like to have some more snacks."

"We need to have someone get this. You specifically said last time that we can't keep snacks in the study."

"Third Brother, what will you do if I don't agree?"

Mu Chuan glanced at her: "I am a powerful and influential first-class earl, and I will inevitably have to seize things by force."

Lin Daiyu's smile now carries a lot of affection, and she asks again, "What if I want to establish a female household?"

“Sure. I’m very familiar with Magistrate Ke of Wanping County. Let’s get this done before he leaves office.”

"What if I wanted Jia Baoyu to marry into the family?"

Mu Chuan's aura suddenly surged, but unfortunately Lin Daiyu was no longer afraid of him and just looked at him with a smile.

Mu Chuan said slowly, "Using him as a shield is fine, but don't even think about consummating the marriage. The child will naturally take your surname."

If the marriage doesn't end in consummation, how can there be children?

"Pah!" A blush spread across Lin Daiyu's cheeks. "You're here to practice calligraphy? What time is it?"

The two sat down at the desk.

Lin Daiyu thought for a moment: "We're in the second round now, so you should experience something difficult first. Let me think..."

Lin Daiyu chuckled: "To read and write, punctuation is also a very important skill. I'll write a sentence, and you can try to punctuate it for me."

"What's so difficult about that?"

Lin Daiyu picked up her pen and wrote on the paper: "An honest man doesn't talk much."

Mu Chuan was taken aback. Then he looked at his future wife, who was laughing without any regard for manners, yet she was still a beautiful fairy.

"He's honest and doesn't talk much." Mu Chuan punctuated the sentence carefully.

The fairy's smile grew even brighter.

"So is it right or wrong?" Mu Chuan asked with a smile.

"you guess?"