Hearing what Madam Sun said, Jiang Jiuniang followed Madam Sun's gaze and glanced at the princess who was to be married off, then said nonchalantly, "She doesn't look that pitiful, her complexion is much better than ours!"

Jiang Jiuniang didn't have a good impression of the people of Dongting. Although it was indeed unlucky for this girl to be chosen from so many people, Jiang Jiuniang felt that she was not innocent.

Firstly, she is a member of the Wu family, which is the maternal family of the Third Prince. The Third Prince and his people in Bei Yan have harmed countless innocent people, and Wu Jiaming has also harmed the children of Bei Yan.

Secondly, she may not have directly done anything wrong, but she certainly enjoyed the benefits her family members gained from their actions. So, she was indeed unlucky, but not innocent.

Even if Jiang Jiuniang wouldn't actively harm or target her for the sake of the overall interests, they wouldn't have much contact either.

If this person were more well-behaved, he could just live out his life quietly in Bei Yan, and everyone could just leave each other alone.

If they don't behave, she'll definitely have to deal with them personally to avoid implicating the Lu family.

Sun Shi had initially felt some sympathy for Wu Jiao, but after hearing what Jiang Jiu Niang said, she couldn't help but glance at her again and found that Wu Jiao's complexion was indeed very rosy. At this moment, she was turning her head to talk to the Third Prince about something and was laughing very happily. She didn't look forced at all.

“That’s true. Our Bei Yan treats her so well. It’s an honor for her to come. She really doesn’t look pitiful at all.”

Sun nodded seriously, then turned to talk to Jiang Jiuniang about other things.

"Mr. Kang, I reckon you'll have some good news to share soon!"

They were gone for more than half a year, and many interesting things happened in the capital. Sun wanted to tell her everything.

As expected, Jiang Jiuniang loved gossip. Upon hearing this, her eyes lit up like a hungry dog ​​smelling a bone.

"How should I put it, which family's daughter is she?"

Jiang Jiuniang patted her body and realized it was really inconvenient to take out a handful of melon seeds to crack, so she held back.

"She's the young lady of a security escort agency. Mr. Kang and she are like a pair of bickering lovers, their relationship blossoming from conflict. Lately, Mr. Kang has been going to her agency every day to try and win her heart. I'm really moved by his perseverance!"

Jiang Jiuniang, with a look of utter amused curiosity, casually retorted, "What's the use of being moved?"

As expected, she received a slap. Mrs. Sun glared at her angrily and said, "Are you going to listen to me or not?"

"Listen, listen, Mother, tell me quickly! Did the girl agree?"

Jiang Jiuniang rubbed the spot where she had just been hit with a cheeky grin, then went to tease Sun Shi again.

Madam Sun didn't like to leave things unsaid, so she didn't keep him in suspense and continued, "Not yet. That girl is very dashing and says she looks down on Mr. Kang because he's just a weak and bookish scholar. No matter how many times Mr. Kang goes there, he gets kicked out."

At this point, Madam Sun also felt a bit of a headache. The young lady from the escort agency was quite beautiful and had a very forthright personality. She just didn't expect Mr. Kang to like this type of woman. No wonder he didn't like any of the several women that matchmakers had introduced to him before.

"Then what do you mean by 'becoming friends after a fight'? That's what I really want to hear!"

This is where things get interesting. That day, Mr. Kang was walking down the street when the girl on horseback knocked him down. Mr. Kang got up and berated her, saying it was wrong to ride a horse recklessly and injure someone in the street. The girl had a fiery temper and initially wanted to apologize, but after being scolded, she not only refused to apologize but also whipped Mr. Kang, sending him flying. She then revealed her identity and told Mr. Kang that if he was dissatisfied, he could go to the security escort agency to find her.

“When I first heard about it, I also thought the girl was wrong, but later I learned that the girl was rushing to save her own mother that day. Her mother was visiting her parents' home and encountered an avalanche on her way back and almost lost her life, so it is understandable that she was in a hurry.”

"After Mr. Kang found out, he regretted scolding the person without asking any questions, so he went to apologize. But when he arrived at the entrance of the escort agency, he saw the girl scolding the person. The whip was cracking loudly, and the person on the ground was covered in dust from being whipped. Mr. Kang was so angry that he was furious. He had come to apologize, but instead of apologizing, he ended up scolding the person again."

"The girl saw that he was just a scholar and didn't bother to argue with him, so she simply closed the door. Only then did Mr. Kang hear from the onlookers that the man who was beaten on the ground was from a security escort agency. He was beaten because he had harassed a young girl on the street. The head of the agency found out and made an example of him, so she punished him and kicked him out of the agency."

"Mr. Kang then realized that he had misunderstood the person again, and when he went to knock on the door again, he was turned away."

After Sun finished speaking in one breath, both Jiang Jiuniang and Sun herself felt very comfortable. It was so satisfying to get a complete gossip in one go.

However, Jiang Jiuniang still had a question: "If that's the case, Mr. Kang should just be regretting misunderstanding the girl. How can you say that he likes her?"

Is this the allure of rumors?

Sun glanced at her and said, "Isn't this what you don't understand? At first, Mr. Kang really just wanted to apologize for his rash behavior, but after gradually getting to know the girl's character, Mr. Kang fell in love with her. After gaining her forgiveness, he asked a matchmaker to propose marriage, but was rejected. Now the girl doesn't even want to see Mr. Kang."

As she spoke, Mrs. Sun sighed again.

They had known Mr. Kang for a long time and knew him very well. Not to mention that he had educated the Lu family's children before, even now that he was an official in the court, he had taken good care of Lu Baichuan. Whenever those civil officials said something, it was Mr. Kang who stood up to speak on their behalf. Therefore, Madam Sun really hoped that he could get what he wanted.

It seems that Mr. Kang was destined to have a bumpy road in love. At his age, he finally found a woman he liked, but it was still so difficult. It's really pitiful.

"Does the girl genuinely dislike Mr. Kang's type, or is she wary of his status? We need to find out the specific reasons for her rejection so we can address the problem effectively. The way he is now, visiting every day but being turned away, might seem touching to outsiders, but the girl will likely find it annoying. Worse still, Mr. Kang's behavior is actually damaging her reputation. If things don't work out, how will she ever get married?"

After finishing the whole story, Jiang Jiuniang calmed down and didn't find Mr. Kang's behavior particularly touching. She just felt that after being in the court for so long, he was still as impetuous as a young boy. He didn't know how to formulate a suitable plan for the girl and work towards that goal. Instead, he simply went back to harass her. What was going on?

After she said that, Madam Sun belatedly realized that it seemed to be true!

When they first heard about these things, they spontaneously sided with Mr. Kang and didn't consider the girl at all. They even thought that the girl was marrying up to Mr. Kang, so they never understood why the girl wouldn't budge.

Now, if you think about it from the girl's perspective, you'll realize that Mr. Kang's behavior is really annoying.

“Aren’t you on good terms with Mr. Kang? Find an opportunity to meet him, teach him some methods to help him out. He’s getting on in years and still hasn’t settled down, which worries Mrs. Kang. She keeps nagging me whenever she sees me, and it gives me a headache.”

Sun was kind-hearted and always wanted to help those she had a good relationship with, since they had all supported each other along the way and she didn't want anyone to be left behind.

Jiang Jiuniang also knew that Mr. Kang had helped her family a lot, and even Gou'er was able to take his first step as a junior teacher at the border this time because he had followed Mr. Kang's teachings before. She should help those who needed to be helped.

"Let's find a suitable day to ask."

Just then, Lu Baichuan came over. He could hear them chatting from a distance, and when he got closer, he heard that they seemed to be talking about Mr. Kang. He casually asked, "What happened to Mr. Kang?"

"Oh, Mother is telling me that Mr. Kang has recently fallen for a girl and wants to marry her, but the girl doesn't like him and is now harassing him relentlessly. Mother and I both think this is not a good idea and are thinking of helping him."

Figure out the main reasons why someone rejects you, and then try your best. If you succeed, that's great, but if you don't, there's nothing you can do. After all, you've tried your best, so you don't have any regrets.

"Does Mr. Kang have someone he likes?"

As Lu Baichuan spoke, he gave his wife a strange look.

If he remembered correctly, Mr. Kang seemed to prefer his own wife.

His wife was careless about relationships and didn't notice these things, but as a man, he still felt a strong competitive pressure.

However, Mr. Kang was still very happy that he could let go of his wife and find another target, after all, no one wants their wife to always be coveted by others.

Although Mr. Kang didn't intend to compete with him, it was really annoying that his wife was always being coveted by others, even his best friends.

"Yes, we're working on it now. In a few days, you can invite him out for a meal and ask how it goes. It would be good if we could help out."

"good."

Lu Baichuan nodded in agreement. Having just returned, he naturally wanted to find an opportunity to get together.

Not long after, the Emperor and Empress appeared, along with the Retired Emperor and a large group of others. They were mainly there to celebrate the victory, to make a statement, to show their support for Lu Baichuan and the others, and to reward them for their contributions.

Lu Baichuan's contribution was naturally the highest. He also mentioned Jiang Jiuniang, since the battle could not have been ended in such a short time if it weren't for the things Jiang Jiuniang had researched.

Among them, the Third Prince of Dongting and Princess Sheng'an were in the most awkward position. The Northern Yan people showed no intention of avoiding them when rewarding their merits, which was clearly humiliating. But since they were the defeated country, they dared not speak out even if they were angry.

However, both of them were in a relatively good mood, especially the Third Prince. He knew that Bei Yan had already shown some restraint. If it were Dong Ting, who knew how they would humiliate the people of the defeated country.

If you put yourself in their shoes, there's nothing to be angry about.

This was a simple reward ceremony. The emperor gave Jiang Jiuniang a reward separately. Everyone thought it would be Qin Jian and Prince Jing's turn next, but unexpectedly, someone suddenly stood up and caused trouble.

"Madam Lu is truly a woman of great talent and ability, not inferior to any man. However, since His Majesty has bestowed so many rewards upon her, shouldn't she also show some sincerity? She still refuses to reveal the craftsmanship of the items; is that worthy of His Majesty's high regard?"

With just a few simple words, he drew everyone's attention.

The Third Prince also looked at Jiang Jiuniang with great interest, wanting to know how she would handle this matter.

These words were too sharp, and Qin Jian wanted to refute them on the spot, but Lu Baichuan stopped him.

Jiang Jiuniang did not reply immediately, but pondered for a moment whether this was the emperor's intention or just the intention of this court official.

If it was the emperor's intention, then in his view, the Lu family was now acting like mercenaries, and besides, she possessed the formula for such a powerful weapon. If she were to harbor disloyalty in the future, it would be very convenient for her to do so. That's why he sent someone to speak out at this time.

Jiang Jiuniang glanced at the emperor, but she didn't really want to think of him in that way. After all, they had been through the same thing, and they knew each other's character. It was unlikely that the emperor would change so much after they had been gone for half a year.

She thought about it carefully for a moment, and then suddenly burst out laughing.

"This gentleman's words are quite interesting. We're in the imperial court now, with so many people watching, and you think you can just freeload? If you said you coveted my skills, I would respect you as a man, but what's with bringing up the Emperor to pressure me?"

"When I developed these things, I made it clear to the Emperor that the technology should remain in the hands of the Lu family, to leave a way out for us. After all, we Lu family members are from humble backgrounds and cannot compare with you aristocratic families. We are often looked down upon by you, so we must have some way to survive."

"The Emperor initially agreed with it and even told me to be careful not to let others steal the technology. After all, the Emperor is not like some people who would so blatantly covet other people's things."

When the Emperor bestowed gifts upon her, she would simply sit and offer her thanks. But now, after being publicly challenged by this person, she became so angry that she stood up abruptly.

"Our Lu family owes its current status entirely to the Emperor and Empress's promotion. We are deeply grateful for their great kindness and virtue. What we should do is a matter between us, and we don't need outsiders to worry about it. Instead of wasting your time, you should care about the people on the border and the people in other places who are still living in hardship. Don't be envious of others' promotions and embarrass the people of Beiyan in front of the Third Prince of Dongting and Princess Sheng'an."

Her tone was calm, yet firm, showing no concern for the many people present. She directly pressed the speaker's face to the ground and rubbed it against the ground.

"You, you, you..."

The official was trembling with anger, never expecting that he would say such hurtful things in front of so many people.

"Enough. Today is a joyous occasion. Minister Zhong, please don't make things so ugly."

The emperor was very displeased. He frowned and glanced at the official, knowing it was not a good time to lash out.