In the shop, Liu Yanbo took a sip of water from his teacup before speaking, "She despised me for not being a Jinshi, while Princess Rongning's fiancé passed the imperial examination and became a Tanhua (Tanhua)."

"That's nothing." Su Qiuya said, "Princess Rongning's fiancé was originally going to be the crown prince, and he was carefully trained by the Duke of Chengguo's Mansion."

When He Xiyuan's brother was crippled, the entire capital turned to the Duke Cheng's mansion to nurture He Xiyuan. While the Duke Cheng's mansion didn't give up on treating He Xichen, they still prioritized He Xiyuan.

He Xiyuan had access to all sorts of good resources from the Duke's Mansion, so it would have been unacceptable if he hadn't passed the imperial examination. However, it was also normal for He Xiyuan to pass the imperial examination and become a third place winner.

"You don't have to compete with him." Su Qiuya said, "I think you're good the way you are now."

"Really?" Liu Yanbo was still worried that Su Qiuya would think he was not good enough.

"Yes." Su Qiuya nodded. "There's no need for us to compete with them. I can't even compare to Princess Rongning. If we were to constantly compete with them, we'd be pissed off to death."

Su Qiuya sincerely believed that she and her husband were no match for others. If they insisted on doing something, it would only hurt them. She was not someone who didn't understand things; she understood these things.

"Don't listen to Second Sister." Su Qiuya said, "She's about to get married, and she's still thinking about these things."

"She has a lot of things to do." Liu Yanbo sneered. Liu Yuqin is a troublesome person.

Liu Yuqin doesn't care about her own affairs, but she still has time to care about other people's affairs.

Liu Yanbo felt more and more that his second sister was not considering others at all. She only wanted others to have higher status so that she could have face. Liu Yuqin wanted a Jinshi brother, not a Xiucai brother.

"By the way, she didn't say anything about asking you to raise another child, did she?" Su Qiuya still didn't want to raise Liu Yuqinsheng's child.

"No." Liu Yanbo shook his head. "But mother did say a few things, but I didn't agree. Mother wants to look after the house for my second sister, so she can raise her grandson. There's no need for us to take care of the child. You have to do business, and I have to go to the school to teach those students. Where do we have so much time?"

If they were to take care of their own children, that would be fine. Liu Yanbo thought that there was no need for them to take care of Liu Yuqin's child, as Xiao Dayu had already known that Liu Yuqin had a child.

At this time, Liu Yuqin was telling Aunt Qing that Liu Yanbo had no ambition.

"Your sister-in-law doesn't even bother to persuade him," Liu Yuqin said. "My second brother is just a scholar, which is nothing to be proud of in the capital. If you become a teacher, others will definitely prefer those who have passed the imperial examinations or those who have passed the imperial examinations. Do you really want to be a scholar your whole life?"

"That's how they are," Aunt Qing said. "When your brother took the exam for the scholar degree, he failed the first time and ranked last the second time, so he never thought about taking the exam again."

"So what if he's last? He passed the exam after two attempts." Liu Yuqin said, "Let him continue to take the Juren exam. If he really can't succeed, he can take it a few more times. He will eventually pass."

"Let's not talk about this for now." Aunt Qing said, "Let's think about your marriage."

"My marriage has already been decided." Liu Yuqin didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

"This Xiao Dayu came from the northwest with Liu Yulian and others." Aunt Qing didn't think Xiao Dayu was that good. Xiao Dayu was a sixth-rank official, which was good, but Xiao Dayu didn't have that much property.

At present, Xiao Dayu still lives in the institute's compound.

This made Aunt Qing very dissatisfied. Even though Liu Yuqin didn't mind, Aunt Qing still felt that Xiao Dayu was not that good.

"It's okay." Liu Yuqin said, "She, Liu Yulian, can research so many things, so can my husband."

Liu Yuqin was still thinking about letting her husband replace Liu Yulian at that time. She absolutely could not give up so easily and must persevere.

"When the time comes, we'll live in the research institute compound." Liu Yuqin gritted her teeth, "It's not that I can't endure hardships. I can endure hardships."

"Okay." Aunt Qing did not stop Liu Yuqin. She also thought that her son-in-law could be better than Liu Yulian.

At the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion, Liu Yulian had no idea that Liu Yuqin had such big ideas.

"I plan to go to the Hanlin Academy when the time comes." He Xiyuan didn't think about being transferred out of Beijing so soon. He thought that when he really had to leave Beijing, it would depend on whether Liu Yulian wanted to do research elsewhere.

If Liu Yulian wants to go to another place to do research, then he will accompany Liu Yulian.

He Xiyuan doesn't have any particularly big dreams, nor does he think he has to do anything big.

According to his grandmother, having a fiancée like Liu Yulian is the greatest blessing in his life.

"Okay." Liu Yulian nodded. "I don't understand these things either. I'll leave it to you."

"Even if I stay in the capital, I can see you often." He Xiyuan said with a smile, "You can also edit books in the Hanlin Academy. If you have any questions, you can come to me. What do you think of the comic strip I drew before?"

"Very good, a lot of people bought it." Liu Yulian joked, "I still have your writing fee."

"Just keep it with you, don't give it to me." He Xiyuan said, "I'll give it to you later, so it's better to keep it with you from the beginning."

“…” Liu Yulian felt that He Xiyuan was teasing her.

In the palace, the emperor was playing chess with the prince, and the emperor coughed lightly a few times.

"By next year, Rongning will be reaching the age of marriage." The emperor didn't know if he could wait until then.

"Yes." The prince responded.

"By then, it will be time for you to ascend the throne," said the emperor.

"Father." The prince did not expect the emperor to say this.

"Be a good emperor," the emperor said. "He Xiyuan is a capable man, and Rongning is even more capable. But there's no need to prevent one from doing things just because of the other. They should just envy the other."

The emperor could see that the relationship between He Xiyuan and Liu Yulian was very pure. Unless others did something too extreme, such people just liked to live a stable life and did not like to worry about so many things.

Many royal sons find it difficult to obtain pure love and live such a married life. Even though they have many women, having many women does not mean that they can live a good life.

"Your son understands." The prince knew that the emperor was worried about him. The emperor hoped that he could stabilize the court and make the Daliang Dynasty develop better.

"It's a pity that the steam engine isn't ready yet," the emperor sighed. "There are still so many things to come."

The emperor heard Liu Yulian talk about many things, and he wanted to see them all, but Liu Yulian was born too late and he aged too early, so he was afraid he would not be able to see those things.

But it didn't matter. The emperor thought that at least while he was alive, the grain yield would be high. Then, he would be seen differently in the eyes of future generations. He had not concealed Rong Ning's achievements and had allowed those people to build a Rong Ning Temple for him.

"You need to take a closer look," the emperor said. "Take a look for me."

Liu Yuqin was about to get married, and she was wondering whether the Jingning Marquisate could give her some dowry.

The Marquis of Jingning's Mansion had no intention of giving her a dowry, and the people from the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion did not take any action.

Liu Yuqin was wondering if she had to remind them?

At the Qin family, Liu Yuqin came to see the wife of the eldest young master Qin.

"You are about to get married, why do you still have time to come here?" said Mrs. Qin.

"Something's going on." Liu Yuqin said, "I'm getting married soon, and I need my dowry."

"You already have a dowry, don't you?" said Mrs. Qin.

"But I'm getting married again, aren't I?" Liu Yuqin said, "How can it be the same?"

"How much is the betrothal gift your brother-in-law gave you? You only need these things as your dowry." Madam Qin Dashao understood what Liu Yuqin meant. Liu Yuqin wanted her to go to the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion and ask those people for her dowry.

"Sister," Liu Yuqin said, "Isn't this a bit too much? Divorced girls from other families all go back to their parents' home to live. When they remarry, their parents' families also give them some dowry. I..."

"Don't forget, our family was raided before." Madam Qin said, "Don't think about these things. When the time comes, they will always give you something extra."

"Additional makeup?" Liu Yuqin asked, "How much can you give for ordinary additional makeup? Just a set of headgear, or something else?"

Young Master Qin's wife Liu Yuqin thought that the things given by the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion were not enough, so Liu Yuqin wanted more.

"Do you want me to go back and tell you?" asked Mrs. Qin.

"I'm only marrying once, not many times," Liu Yuqin said. "If it were many times, I wouldn't say anything. But if you're only marrying once, can't you please take care of me a little?"

"Don't be angry." Madam Qin said, "As long as there are some extra dowries, don't be so petty. Our family was ransacked before, and we don't have much left. There are so many people in the family, few masters, and many servants, so it costs a lot of money."

"The emperor has rewarded them before." Liu Yuqin still remembered this.

"It's mainly for my younger sister." Madam Qin said, "You don't want my younger sister to buy you a dowry, do you?"

“…” Liu Yuqin was silent.

"My younger sister hasn't married yet, but those things aren't from the Duke's family," Madam Qin said. "They belong to her. She'll get married in the future and need a dowry. Or do you think that since Duke Cheng's Mansion will give her a generous betrothal gift, she won't need those things?"

"No, there are obviously still many things at home." Liu Yuqin said, "After they returned to Beijing, someone gave them gifts."

"Don't say such things." Madam Qin said, "People who don't know would think that the Marquis of Jingning's mansion is corrupt and accepting bribes."

The previous incident at the Jingning Marquisate was related to corruption and bribery, so Madam Qin would never let Liu Yuqin say more. She was kind to Liu Yuqin, but that didn't mean she was thinking about causing trouble for her family.

"Because of you, Mother hasn't been as kind to me as before." Madam Qin said, "I can't say those words anymore. At most, when it's almost time to add to the dowry, I'll ask them what they're giving me and see if I should compare them."

This is also a good reason. It is impossible for Madam Qin to go directly to Liu's mother and ask her to give Liu Yuqin those things on duty.

Two days before Liu Yuqin's wedding, Madam Qin did arrive at the Marquis of Jingning's mansion.

Madam Qin Dashao then said that she was planning to add some dowry to Liu Yuqin. As a girl who married out, it would not be good to add too many things to her so as not to compare with her parents' family.

"You two have a special relationship, so it's only natural that you should add more." Princess Zhaoyang understood immediately after hearing what Madam Qin said. "It's fine for us to add less. Everyone in the capital knows that our Jingning Marquisate was ransacked. How can we compare to my eldest sister?"

Princess Zhaoyang would never prepare those extra things for Liu Yuqin just for the sake of so-called face. She looked down on Liu Yuqin and that was it. Princess Zhaoyang said that Madam Qin was still a little confused. Did Madam Qin really think that others didn't know what she meant?

"You don't have to go look for my younger sister," Princess Zhaoyang said. "My younger sister hasn't married yet, so the kind and amount of gifts she gives will depend on her family. She's different from you; you have a better relationship with her family."

"This..." Madam Qin Dashao looked at the smile on Princess Zhaoyang's face, but she felt that Zhaoyang's smile did not reach her eyes.

"You don't want to force my little sister to give you so much, do you?" Princess Zhaoyang said, "She earned all those things herself, not gave them to her by you."

Princess Zhaoyang originally had a good attitude towards Madam Qin, but Madam Qin has been so sympathetic to Liu Yuqin recently.

Princess Zhaoyang believed that in addition to the bond they had growing up together, they also faced difficulties after the Jingning Marquis's mansion was confiscated. Even if the Qin family treated Madam Qin well, Madam Qin must have also encountered some difficulties, and Madam Qin also considered this.

"No one else can compare to your kindness," Princess Zhaoyang said, "and neither do we."

"Yes, yes." Madam Qin Dashao understood. Princess Zhaoyang had said so much, how could she not understand?

Madam Qin Da Shao thought that she had not directly asked for more gifts from the Jingning Marquisate, but Princess Zhaoyang had said it so bluntly. Madam Qin Da Shao felt a little uncomfortable, as if she was being targeted.

Even though these people were just saying ordinary things, Madam Qin couldn't stand it. She didn't dare to tell Liu's mother about these things. She had already made Liu's mother unhappy before, so she went to Princess Zhaoyang, after all, Princess Zhaoyang was in charge of the household.

When Liu Yulian came back, Madam Qin was about to leave. The two met in the yard, and Madam Qin looked at Liu Yulian.

"Little sister, I'm telling you not to be arrogant even if you become an official. Sisters are still sisters." Madam Qin said, "Don't fight for prestige now, or you'll regret it later."

"..." Liu Yulian felt that Madam Qin's words were a bit harsh, "It's okay if I don't have sisters."

Liu Yulian said this subconsciously. She didn't have to ask these sisters to treat her in any way, and she couldn't always think about these sisters.

Madam Qin Dashao didn't expect Liu Yulian to say such a thing. Her face turned pale. "You...you are really getting carried away."

After Madam Qin said this, she left.

"Did something happen to the young lady?" asked the maid beside Liu Yulian.

"Who knows?" Liu Yulian said.

There were other servants in the yard, and that person was the maidservant beside Liu Mu. When the maidservant saw this, she went back to find Liu Mu.

When Liu's mother learned what Madam Qin had said to Liu Yulian, she was helpless. Her youngest daughter had just returned, and her eldest daughter was already like that. She was treating her own sister like that for a troubled younger sister. Liu's mother was furious.

Mother Liu asked someone to bring some snacks and she went to Liu Yulian's side.

"Have you seen your elder sister?" asked Liu's mother.

"Yes, I saw it." Liu Yulian nodded. "She was inexplicable."

"Don't pay attention to her." Liu's mother said, "Your eldest sister is like this. She's just used to a comfortable life, so she wants to stir up some trouble."

Mrs. Liu sometimes wished her eldest daughter could be closer to someone like Liu Yuqin, which showed that Madam Qin had some problems herself. She still hadn't raised her daughter well. Her eldest daughter hadn't experienced big things or suffered, so this was the reason.

"If she dares to be mean to you again, you should be mean to her too," said Liu's mother. "If you don't, she'll just think that you respect her as her elder sister, and she'll keep an eye on you."

Liu's mother understood her daughters. The younger one didn't like to argue with others about things. The older one sometimes liked to act like the eldest sister. "Won't I give in to her a little?" Liu Yulian asked.

"Why should you give in to her?" Mother Liu patted her daughter's hand. "She's older than you and has been by my side for many years. I've loved her longer than I have you. But there's no reason for you to give in to her. Everything our family has now is the result of your hard work. Just follow your heart. There's no need to please anyone."

How could Liu's mother be willing to let her youngest daughter suffer injustice? If she asked her youngest daughter to endure it for the sake of her eldest daughter, how would she feel? Liu's mother was not so foolish as to say that. Her eldest daughter had enjoyed the good life with them, while her youngest daughter had suffered with them. She had also done so many things.

"I've talked to your elder sister before, but she's still like this." Mother Liu said, "There's no need for you to say more to her. It's useless."

Liu's mother knew that the eldest daughter thought the younger daughter was powerful now. The eldest daughter thought the younger daughter had obtained a lot of things, but those things of the younger daughter were not blown by the wind.

"It doesn't matter." Liu Yulian said. Her relationship with Madam Qin Dashao was not very deep to begin with.

If Madam Qin did that again, Liu Yulian would at most stop contacting Madam Qin.

The day before Liu Yuqin's wedding, Liu Yulian went to help her with her makeup. She didn't bring much, just a set of skincare products and four-season rouge. Those were from her shop, and others would have to pay a lot of money to buy them, especially the more premium ones, which could sell for dozens of taels of silver.

Liu Yuqin was not very satisfied when she saw these things. The things in Liu Yulian's shop were not that valuable to Liu Yulian.

"I thought you were giving me jewelry." Liu Yuqin thought jewelry was more valuable.

"I don't have many jewelry myself." Liu Yulian seldom buys jewelry herself. Her mother would buy some for her, so she wouldn't pack up the jewelry her mother bought for her and give it away. She also wouldn't buy jewelry for Liu Yuqin.

"Little sister..."

"Go out and get some fresh air." Liu Yulian stood up.

When Liu Yulian saw Madam Qin, she didn’t think of going to find Madam Qin, nor did she want to say much.

Su Qiuya was standing nearby, and she could clearly sense that something was not right between these people.

But that's nothing. Madam Qin is so close to Liu Yuqin, and Liu Yuqin is such a troublemaker. So Madam Qin's temper might be closer to Liu Yuqin's. Even if Madam Qin has a good temper, there must be a gap between her and Liu Yulian.