Qiu Ling'er thought to herself that today, she had not come in vain, but she had made the young ladies of the Sun family suffer.
He kept the seven-stringed zither for himself, gave the white jade chessboard to Master Susu, gave the calligraphy masterpiece to his brother, and gave the painting to Zhou Zifang.
She planned to follow her sister in carefully developing beauty and skin-nourishing medicines to give to the ladies, concubines, and young women of the Sun family.
After all, she took so many things from them.
Although it was won through hard work, we still need to make the women and children of the Sun family feel more at ease.
Qiu Ling'er's gift pleased everyone.
Ever since Qin Susu obtained the white jade chessboard, she would often drag Gao Chong along to play chess whenever she had free time.
Since Gao Chong joined the Forget-Worry Hall, Qin Susu felt a little more at ease and was quite satisfied with this sudden addition of a partner.
Gao Chong's chess skills were originally not good, but he had been trained by Qiu Xu, so he was quite confident in dealing with Qin Susu, which made Qin Susu keep pulling him along, trying to win back a game.
Qiu Xu was full of praise for the calligraphy masterpiece.
When he asked Qiu Ling'er where this thing came from.
When he learned that it was a treasure of Minister Sun, which he had won back from the Sun family, he felt as if his innocent and naive sister had become a little fox.
The painting opened up a new realm for Zhou Zifang. He praised the artist, saying that the artist was better than himself, and thought he wanted to meet the artist in person. However, when he saw the famous artist, he almost caused an embarrassing situation.
This is clearly a masterpiece that has stood the test of time. The artist himself has been buried for hundreds of years, so there must be a reason why it has survived to this day.
After Qiu Ling'er learned that the prize was valuable, she looked at Sun Wan again and instantly her previous hostility dissipated.
It must be said that although the Sun family was not very wealthy, and Minister Sun lived a frugal life, they still had some assets.
There's a saying: even a starved camel is bigger than a horse...
What Qiu Ling'er didn't know was that the Sun family had been at home since the night she left.
He flew into a rage!
He exclaimed that his wife was a spendthrift, and that her daughters were all spendthrifts, one after another.
His salary was limited, and he still had to support four wives and concubines, eight daughters, and five sons. It was truly not easy for him.
He had finally saved up some money and collected some fine calligraphy works, only to have them given away cheaply by his spendthrift wife who had no idea of their value. How could he not be angry?
...A few days later, the results of the autumn imperial examination were announced.
Zhou Zifang didn't have the courage; he didn't dare to look.
Qiu Ling'er and the two elders of the Zhou family got up very early and eagerly watched.
Below the list, they started looking at the number one spot...
Finally, in the back row, I saw Zhou Zifang's name.
Although his ranking was somewhat low, he still passed the imperial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examination).
"My son passed! My son passed!" Zhou Shao was so excited that he lost his composure in front of everyone.
This caused Zhou's mother, who was equally excited, to quietly move away from him.
They shouldn't let others see their marital relationship; it would be too shameful.
Zhou's mother muttered to herself.
"You're already this happy that your son just passed the provincial examination. What would you do if he passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi? Would you go crazy?"
Qiu Ling'er smiled secretly, thinking to herself, "I wish I were a boy."
She also longed to compete with these students.
Unfortunately, being a woman, she had no right to participate.
After learning of his results, Zhou Zifang began to work hard and determined to pass the imperial examination.
Every day, whenever he had free time, he would ask Qiu Xu to tutor him.
Sun Wan was dissatisfied and complained about the matter directly to Qiu Ling'er.
Qiu Ling'er smiled without saying a word.
But from then on, the task of tutoring Zhou Zifang fell to Qiu Ling'er.
As a result, Zhou Zifang has become a regular at the pharmacy recently, and has learned a lot of medical knowledge from Qiu Ling'er.
Zhou Zifang was all smiles, thinking that Ling'er wanted to spend more time with him.
...He Lin, on the other hand, has been traveling tirelessly, and today he has only just arrived at Baiyangling South.
Along the way, Li Zheng was eager to get home.
He Jinyu appeared calm on the outside, but was actually filled with anxiety on the inside.
He Lin seemed carefree, reverting to his handsome appearance from twenty years ago.
But only he knew that the closer he got to Lingnan Village, the emptier his heart felt, as if it had been hollowed out.
Lingnan Village, as usual.
When the villagers saw Li Zheng return, they didn't forget to greet him.
Li Zheng's previously serious expression softened, and he became increasingly close to the villagers.
He has truly come to regard Lingnan Village as his own home.
Near the courtyard gate,
Ye Qiuyun led twelve-year-old Li Wenqing and Li Wenhan, eagerly anticipating their arrival every day.
However, after not seeing Li Zheng for more than half a year, her temples were covered with frost.
Upon seeing the carriage, her worries of the past few days vanished, and her eyes filled with tears.
"Brother Li, is Brother Li back?"
Li Zheng dismounted as he approached.
The two children hugged their father, overjoyed.
"Very good!"
"Father is finally back!"
Only Ye Qiuyun turned away, wiping away her tears.
Ever since learning of Shu'er's passing, she has become extremely pessimistic.
She has already lost Shu'er, she can't lose Brother Li too.
Now that Brother Li has been gone for more than half a year, she misses him day and night.
The sight of the family of four reunited after a long separation made He Lin and his daughter He Jinyu, who were watching from a distance, stop and linger.
"Qiuyun." Li Zheng paused, then turned to look in He Jinyu's direction.
Ye Qiuyun looked over and was instantly petrified.
For a moment, she was stunned, then ran towards He Jinyu, unsure whether she was in a dream or in reality.
"Brother Li, you've brought Shu'er back. Shu'er, Shu'er is back."
She and He Jinyu embraced tightly, their eyes red and tears streaming down their faces.
It was the first time He Jinyu had been tightly embraced by a woman, and he felt extremely awkward.
She slowly pushed Ye away.
"Grandma, I am your granddaughter."
Ye's hands stiffened slightly, and the enthusiasm that had just been aroused dissipated.
She smiled faintly, her cheeks streaked with tears.
"You are Yu'er, Yu'er. I was confused and mistook you for Shu'er."
He Jinyu: "..." Her maternal grandmother actually knew her real name?
To be honest, she had never heard of the name He Jinyu before.
As for He Lin, the journey back and forth would take two or three months.
Although he only stayed in Baiyang for a few days, the journey was too long.
On the way back, he also brought He Jinyu back with him.
Originally, Li Zheng had planned to keep He Jinyu at home for the New Year.
However, He Jinyu grew up in Shangjin and was not used to rural life, so he refused to stay.
Before leaving, Li Zheng was reluctant to part with his father.
Ye Qiuyun's face showed more longing for her daughter.
She knew that if it were her daughter, she would never leave with He Lin.
She's not her daughter after all.
With that thought, she waved goodbye to He Jinyu and quietly went to the cemetery alone...
He Lin and his daughter accompanied him, only returning to Shangjin at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month.
On the way, their relationship improved considerably, but He Lin still felt that he, as the emperor, could never truly win his daughter's heart.
In the past, whenever He Lin left, political affairs could not be put aside. The three Grand Tutors, namely the Grand Preceptor, the Grand Commandant, and the Grand Protector, would check and balance each other and manage trivial matters.
These three teachers were also his meritorious officials who helped him rise to power.
After returning home, He Lin was pleased to see that He Jinran had handled the trivial matters of state affairs so well, and he couldn't help but offer some praise.
He Jinran, however, dared not accept the praise; all the credit belonged to his father.
He simply followed the established procedures, and even when reviewing memorials, his father assisted him.
Having never done these things before, he naturally needed an adjustment period.
Fortunately, it's much easier to do now.
He Jinran originally thought that once his father returned to the palace, he could finally be free.
However, to his surprise, now that his father has returned to the palace, he still entrusts him with half of the trivial matters of the court. He is so idle that he is like an emperor emeritus.
He Jinran's protests were ineffective, and he had no choice but to continue in his post.
With He Lin turning back, Gu Qian was relieved.
Of course, without his assistance, He Jinran's workload was several times greater than before, and he truly suffered terribly.
He Jinran concluded from his own experience that his father did not teach him as diligently as his father did.
...
The construction of the house built by Qiu Dafu has begun to be completed.
On the day the work was finished, the entire Qiu family, including the children, came to visit.
Three identical courtyard houses, neatly arranged.
Everyone eagerly looked around, and the children were especially impatient to move in.
However, it still needs to be left to air out first.
Ling Chuyi had taken the children with her when Ling Qi set off.
Therefore, from the age of ten, Ling Chu began to follow her father in stirring up trouble and suppressing rebellions.
Qiu Jingyuan was sent to Shangjin Famous Hospital by Qiu Dafu and was not present at the moment.
As for Qiu Luoning and Qiu Luoying, they were currently chasing each other with Zhao Ruolan and Ding Tian.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that there was another person chasing after them.
He Jinran, without a doubt.
He, a young boy, was having a great time playing among several little girls.
This left Qiu Yan both amused and exasperated.
Back at Lingxin Academy, Xiao Ran spent all her time hanging out with girls.
Back then, he was the least popular person because he often played pranks.
But now, he's the center of attention, surrounded by admirers.
It wasn't until Qiu Yan saw He Jinyu's disgusted face that she realized it wasn't just the stars...
One star less, He Jinyu!
Xiao Ran, is it because your younger sister dislikes you?
He Jinyu disdained playing around and simply sat quietly to the side, looking down at the ants on the ground.
Seeing her like this, He Jinran took the initiative to step forward.
"Little sister, come here, let's play together."
"Who wants to play with you kids?" That's right, even when He Jinyu is bored, he prefers to be alone.
“I’m the older brother!” He Jinran corrected.
He couldn't accept the fact that his sister called him a child.
"Is that so?" He Jinyu shook his head, repeating his previous statement:
"Who can prove you're older than me?"
He Jinran... he cannot prove it.
He looked behind him, at his parents who were silently watching them, and asked Gu Qian,
"Dad, can you prove it's true?"
Gu Qian recalled the scene from that day and thought about it for a long time.
He silently shook his head at He Jinran's affirmative gaze.
“If Father can’t prove it, then the Emperor can.” He Jinran placed his hopes on He Lin.
However, Gu Qian still shook his head.
He thought to himself that only his junior sister could vouch for him.
In the end, Gu Qian called He Jinran away, saying that he was now the crown prince of the country and that he should be more mature.
He Jinran verbally agreed, but whenever he saw these young girls, he thought of the funny things that happened in Baiyang. Since they were old acquaintances, he was naturally much closer to them than to others.
With the courtyard neat and tidy, Qiu Yan decided that all the furniture and furnishings should be in place before the spring of next year.
Of course, it's for Ah Xu's wedding.
She has already begun preparations for her younger brother's marriage.
Leaving the new hospital,
Qiu Yan went to her pharmacy immediately.
She wanted to know whether Gao Chong was reliable or not.
After she went there, she found that it was too unreliable.
At this moment, Gao Chong and Qin Susu were sitting opposite each other, playing chess.
As soon as she arrived, the two were caught red-handed, the chessboard was immediately closed, and everyone went about their respective roles...
During the twelfth lunar month, Qiu Yan was not as busy as usual. With Gu Qian around, she was just a hands-off manager.
Because of the child, my attention has been diverted quite a bit.
In her heart, her baby comes first, and business comes second.
That very evening, he took his sister to their father's bedchamber and asked him the same question.
"Father, between me and my sister, who is older?"
At first, He Lin looked completely bewildered by the question.
Looking at his two children, he smiled faintly.
"If Jin'er wants to be a brother, he must protect his sister."
"Of course." He Jinran smiled smugly, not forgetting to gesture with his chin towards He Jinyu.
He Jinyu had a stern face.
"Father's original words were, if you want to be the older brother, the premise is, you want to, not that you are. Now I want to say that if Sisi wants to be the older sister, she will definitely do her best to protect her younger brother."
"What? That's not right." He Jinran raised an eyebrow, completely disagreeing with He Jinyu's words.
However, He Jinyu did not want to continue the topic. He had already said goodbye to his father and turned to leave, heading towards the Wing Prince's residence.
As He Lin watched his daughter's retreating figure, the heartwarming scene from just moments ago turned desolate.
He lowered his eyes, put his arm around He Jinran's shoulder, and his expression turned forlorn.
"Jin'er, it's your father's fault. He didn't even know which of you was born first."
He will never be able to let go of this regret in his lifetime.
“Since you don’t know, then I’ll accept it. I am the older brother.” He Jinran smiled warmly at his father, then ran back to the newly rebuilt East Palace.
Before we knew it, the year was coming to an end again.
At the end of the twelfth lunar month, on New Year's Eve, the palace held its usual banquet.
In the General's Mansion, Qiu Xu and Qiu Ling'er set off fireworks in the courtyard, enjoying the joyous atmosphere of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.
Tonight, Qiu Yan did not attend the palace banquet.
She was looking out the window at the fireworks, and beside her, Gu Qian was holding Xiao Chengyin and looking tenderly at Qiu Yan's profile.
Gu Qian did attend the palace banquet, but he only stayed for a little over half an hour before taking his leave to go home and be with his wife and children.
As the midnight bells rang, everyone grew a year older, and Xiao Chengyin, amidst a burst of fireworks and firecrackers, grew into a two-year-old baby.
On New Year's Eve, everyone wore a faint smile.
Only Zhang Yuyan and Ding Tian,
At this moment, they were embracing each other, secretly grieving.
"Sister, I miss Mom." Ding Tian said, her eyes welling up with tears.
“I miss my aunt too.” Actually, Zhang Yuyan ran away from home this time.
As for why? At her age, not being married has inevitably drawn a lot of cold stares.
She felt that even her parents, who had always loved her, were now mocking and ridiculing her.
Little did they know that their parents were too anxious and spoke rather harshly.
Unable to understand, she grabbed Ding Tian and ran away from home.
Fortunately, Zhang Yuyan had enough money, and she was lucky that she didn't encounter any bandits or brigands.
Although we were far from home along the way, we were fortunate to have enough to eat and drink.
In fact, after Huyan Xun's death, He Lin revitalized the political and legal system and cracked down hard on evil forces, creating a peaceful dynasty.
Poor little Ding Tian, because she missed her mother so much, cried more and more sadly. Finally, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, after saying goodbye to He Jinran of the General's Mansion, she insisted on taking Zhang Yuyan back to Baiyang.
Zhang Yuyan didn't want to go back.
Unexpectedly, without even saying goodbye to Qiu Dazhi, Ding Tian disappeared without a trace.
She had no choice but to catch up, fearing that she would lose the person and incur her aunt's wrath.
You see, her little sister Ding Tian is the apple of her aunt's eye.
It's truly a case of treating someone so delicately that they're afraid they'll melt if they hold them in their mouth, or lose them if they hold them in their hands...
Uh... this time it's really lost.
So much so that Qiu Dazhi still thinks that Zhang Yuyan left without saying goodbye because she felt that he hadn't given her a promise of when they would get married.
...After the fifteenth day, spring arrives.
The marriage of Qiu Xu and Sun Wan
It will be held as scheduled.
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