After Zhu Jiayu finished speaking, she handed the pastries she had brought up from the foot of the mountain to Qiu Zhuqing and said softly, "Cousin, are you going back to the manor today? If Uncle knows that you got the highest honor in your essay, he will be very happy."
Qiu Zhu thought for a moment and said okay.
He didn't go home for the Dragon Boat Festival, and asked his husband for leave today. His husband shouldn't stop him.
Qiu Songdao walked over from the other side: "What? You want to go home? Perfect, perfect, I haven't been back in ages!"
Zhu Jiayu smiled and said, "Then Fourth Cousin can come with us later."
Having received her confirmation, Qiu Songdao turned to his elder brother and said, "I haven't congratulated you yet, Second Brother. Now let's see who dares to gossip behind your back and say that you're not as good as that other person!"
Qiu Zhu glanced at him indifferently: "Have you finished all the assignments given by the teacher? If you haven't finished them in time, I will inform the teacher today that you are not allowed to take leave."
After being frightened like that, Qiu Songdao dared not say anything more and hurriedly went back to copy the text.
"I still have to listen to the teacher's lecture later. Ayu, you should go down the mountain first. My fourth brother and I will go down the mountain around 5 a.m. You can wait for us at the foot of the mountain then," he said gently to Zhu Jiayu.
From beginning to end, he stood tall among the crowd, his expression unchanged, unaffected by the words of outsiders.
Zhu Jiayu smiled and agreed, then told him to hurry back and listen to the teacher's evaluation of the article. After listening to Song Yushan's rating, he took Fuyao and Lüzheng down the mountain.
Yes, today's article review involves her bet with Song Jiangmei, which is precisely the purpose of her going up the mountain. Bringing Fuyao up the mountain is also because of the bet, since Song Jiangmei is too weak to go up the mountain.
Tall green trees lined both sides of the mountain path, and it was the season when the branches and leaves were lush and verdant. Zhu Jiayu, accompanied by two maids, walked under the shade of the trees and finally descended the mountain before noon.
Sitting in the carriage, Song Jiangmei heard their conversation and quickly lifted the curtain, anxiously asking, "How is it?"
Fu Yao said, "Young Master Qiu got the top rank, and Young Master Song got the bottom rank."
Song Jiangmei raised her eyes and looked at Zhu Jiayu in surprise, not knowing how to speak for a moment.
Zhu Jiayu smiled and said, "So? Can I say I won this bet?"
"A bet's a bet." After a long while, Song Jiangmei finally pursed her lips and slowly spoke.
She thought that since Zhu Jiayu could help Qiu Zhuqing defeat her cousin, he could probably also help her get her wish and take revenge on the merchants.
Zhu Jiayu smiled, got into the carriage, and then instructed the driver to head to Yanxi Tower. Song Jiangmei's carriage followed closely behind.
...
At the same time, the letter sent from Heling was also delivered by fast horse to the Kaiping Marquis's residence in Yujing.
After carefully reading the letter from her deceased friend word by word, Madam Fan used the tip of a knife to remove the sealing wax, and then handed the letter to her daughter-in-law beside her.
Lady Hou glanced at the contents of the letter and frowned slightly: "Mother, isn't the status of a merchant's daughter too low? To let Yongsi marry her... is truly an injustice to my son..."
Her face looked somewhat pale from excessive worry, but even so, it could not conceal the air and elegance she possessed, befitting her noble birth.
After pondering for a while, Madam Fan said, "We are both mothers, how could I not know what you are thinking? If Yongsi is still the same energetic and talented Yongsi, she is not worthy to even carry his shoes, as just a merchant's daughter."
"But now Yongsi is bedridden and there is no cure. It seems that even the imperial physicians are helpless. The only way out is to marry him to bring him good luck. But don't you think about it? Those girls you have your eye on are fine to marry into the Marquis's family through proper channels, but can they be used to bring good luck to Yongsi? Don't be delusional."
"Now that my elder sister in Heling has found a suitable candidate for us, you can start preparing for Yongsi's marriage," Madam Fan's gaze gradually turned from gentle to fierce. "If the marriage is effective and Yongsi recovers, and you really don't like that woman, you can send her out of the house and arrange for Yongsi to marry a second wife. That's not impossible."
She had already made her point so clearly that even if Lady Hou was unwilling, she knew it was a done deal and she couldn't say another word. So she could only obediently nod: "It's all up to Mother's arrangement."
Madam Fan rubbed her temples and said wearily, "You should go back first. Also, go and find someone to invite Xiu Yuan over."
Upon hearing this, Lady Hou curtsied and agreed.
The Xiu Yuan mentioned by the old lady was her maternal grand-nephew. Due to a family tragedy, he was raised in the Marquis's mansion from a young age and called the old lady his great-aunt. He was handsome and spirited, a sharp and charismatic young man, but not ostentatious, and was very popular in the Marquis's mansion.
A short while later, a servant announced from outside the door: "Madam, the young master has arrived."
The young master is Qi Xiuyuan.
"Come in," the old lady said. Seeing the young man push open the door and about to bow, she smiled and said, "There's no need for such formalities. I called you here today because I have something to ask you to do."
"Xiuyuan, you must know that your brother Yongsi was seriously injured while hunting a few days ago. We have invited many famous doctors to help him, but they have no solution. Your aunt and I have decided to arrange a marriage for him to bring him good luck."
"The choice has been made. It is the daughter of a merchant in Suiping City, named Zhu Jiayu. Go to Suiping and Heling and find out about this woman's character and reputation. Send back a message as soon as you know anything."
After she finished speaking, Qi Xiuyuan paused for a moment, then nodded and said okay.
The old lady softened her tone: "This matter is of great importance after all. I wouldn't feel at ease if I didn't entrust it to you."
Qi Xiuyuan then lowered his eyes and clasped his hands, saying, "I will certainly not disappoint my great-aunt."
"Good boy, go ahead." The old lady smiled and told him to leave. Only after he turned and left and closed the door did her smile slowly fade.
The flowers on the desk have aged due to neglect, just like her days in this world.
Thinking about it, she felt a little ironic. When they were young, she and Lin Shuqing were the worst at getting along. Even when Lin Shuqing married far away to Heling, she secretly looked down on her. But now, decades have passed, and neither of them is much better off than the other.
Lin Shuqing and her husband were deeply in love for decades, but now they are separated by death. Despite her frail and ailing body, she still has to work hard to plan for the future of her children and grandchildren.
She gained the honor and prestige of the Marquis's mansion, but in just a few decades, her husband and son died, she lost both her parents and her children, and now she only has one grandson lying unconscious on his sickbed.
Decades ago, they fought fiercely over a silk flower and a set of jewelry; decades later, they are entangled again because of their respective families. Such is the way of life; one cannot escape or avoid it.
...
5:00 AM (卯时).
After bidding farewell to Song Jiangmei, Zhu Jiayu waited for Qiu Zhuqing and Qiu Songdao to come down the mountain at the foot of Bailu Mountain. After about 15 minutes, she finally saw the two of them coming down the mountain.
However, Qiu Songdao looked somewhat different from the one she had seen at the academy that morning…
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