"So, does that mean Scholar Qin was not wrong?"
The women present were all speechless. It seemed there was something wrong, but what was wrong? Qin Yuxiu was the top scholar appointed by the emperor, a model for scholars and an example for others to learn from.
What wrong could a top scholar possibly have done?
As for Gu Yaoniang, she was simply unlucky. She just had to try and get involved with someone she wasn't good enough for.
Hasn't this been how women have always lived? Most women have had unfortunate fates.
Seeing that Madam Gu seemed to want to argue with everyone, Aunt Qin, unusually clever for once, knew that by speaking up, she would be agreeing with what everyone said about the "Qin family and the Gu family being engaged."
Aunt Qin hurriedly grabbed Madam Gu, but Madam Gu shook her off. In addition, she had already drunk quite a bit of peach blossom wine, and her brain, which had finally been working properly, became muddled again.
She was annoyed that Madam Gu was disrespectful, and she remembered her son's instructions—"You must keep the fact that you were engaged to Gu Yaoniang a secret." But now the sisters present all seemed to believe that the two families had been engaged, so she came up with what she thought was a brilliant excuse.
“My son Yuxiu and the young lady of the Gu family have never been engaged.” She thought carefully about her next words. “My son passed the imperial examination and was granted a marriage by the Emperor. Naturally, some people are envious of this immense wealth and try every means to get in touch with my son. There are also some ignorant people who deliberately want to get involved in some kind of marriage.”
She thought she had spoken perfectly, using very elegant language. She not only denied that her family had ever been engaged to the Qin family, but also satirized the ulterior motives of others. She was extremely satisfied.
Fang wanted to pull Madam Gu along to clarify things, but Madam Gu was already trembling with anger—wasn't Qin Da Niang's words an implication that her family wanted to climb up to Qin Yuxiu and spread rumors of an engagement?
Madam Gu was so angry that she disregarded the decorum of an official's wife and pointed at Aunt Qin, repeatedly saying "good" to her.
"Very well, Niu Manxiang! You're quite something! Your Qin family doesn't want to acknowledge the marriage, fine, our Gu family won't say anything! The Emperor's decree of marriage is naturally a great joy, and we cannot disobey it! But you shouldn't have taken advantage of us and then slandered our Yaoniang! It was you who begged and pleaded with us to finally get our Yaoniang to marry you!"
As Mrs. Gu spoke, her voice choked with emotion.
She was furious. She had forgotten the agreement not to acknowledge the engagement between the two families, and started yelling at Aunt Qin's name.
Gu Yaoniang then heard the sound of a teacup hitting the floor and shattering inside the room.
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