Hearing the system say so, Yan Shu immediately glanced at her daughter-in-law Yue, who was sitting obediently next to the wife of Duke Qin An.

[You mean, it was this Yue who fooled around with the servants in the mansion?]

System, [The wife of Duke Qin An gave birth to a son and a daughter. The son is the prince of Duke Qin An, Qiao Yongkang. Qiao Yongkang married Yue, who else could it be but her?]

Yan Shu asked again, [Well, well, well, her husband is the prince after all, and there is nothing wrong with his body. Why would she fool around with the servants?]

- Tsk, think about the Yang who had an affair with her father-in-law, the Minister of Rites, because her husband was in poor health, and she got together with her father-in-law in order to seek benefits for herself.

But this person has already started so high, why would he bother fooling around with the servants?

But the system said, "The prince of Qin Angong was too strict with his mother since he was young, and as a result, he had no ambition, no military skills, but was obsessed with carpentry work, hammering wood all day long, and was as dull as wood, with no interest, and was fat and round. Yue Shi hated him so much, and there happened to be a coachman in the mansion who was tall and good at flirting, so Yue Shi couldn't stand the loneliness and had an affair."

It turned out to be the coachman.

Yan Shu suddenly realized.

After thinking about it, she asked, "But how did she have an affair? There are many people in Qin Angong's mansion, and there is a powerful mother-in-law like Qin Angong's wife. How could she have an affair?" 】

The system beeped,【As the saying goes, nothing is difficult for one who sets his mind to it. This Yue is very good at pleasing her mother-in-law, and her husband is her mother-in-law's only legitimate son, so he is naturally valued. Lady Qin An has entrusted many matters in the mansion to her. When Yue goes out to visit the farm, inspect the shop, or attend some social events, doesn't she have to take a carriage?】

Carriage?

Yan Shu couldn't help but click her tongue, what a carriage!

These two even have a ready-made place, it's really convenient.

After clicking her tongue, she asked again,【Then how did her husband know that she was fooling around with the coachman? 】

System, 【Didn't the prince of Qin Angong, Qiao Yongkang, like to work with wood? In recent years, he has made all the beds, wardrobes, tables and chairs at home, and started to repair and patch up. One time, he heard that his wife's carriage was broken, so he personally took the tools to check it out. You don't know until you see it, and you find that the axle is broken. 】

【You know, the axles in Qin Angong's mansion are all made of the best elm, which is extremely hard. How can they break easily? It must be because they have been subjected to heavy impacts for many years. 】

What?

Heavy impacts for many years!

Yan Shu's eyes lit up again.

【Tsk tsk tsk, it seems that this driver is in good physical condition. No wonder this Yue wants to cheat... Then what? 】

System, 【Qiao Yongkang is just obsessed with carpentry, but he is not stupid, and he is also an expert. So he will naturally find out that something is wrong. Next time when my daughter-in-law goes out, just ask someone to follow her quietly, and then she will find out, right? 】

Yan Shu silently hissed, and then asked, 【Then what? 】

System, 【No then. If there was a then, how could the wife of Duke Qin An still show off to the empress dowager with her daughter-in-law today? 】

Tsk, that's true. Looking at the situation today, we know that the wife of Duke Qin An is still unaware of it.

At this moment, the empress dowager, whose heart was touched by her cousin, smiled faintly and said, 【The palace is still the same as before. I am not as lucky as you. 】

The wife of Duke Qin An said, "I dare not, it's because the Empress Dowager's fate has not come yet. Besides, how can I be so blessed? It's just that Yongkang is lucky and married a good wife."

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Yue and introduced to the Empress Dowager, "Last year, Yongkang's wife was in poor health, and I didn't dare to let her bump on the road, so I stayed at home and couldn't come to celebrate the birthday of the Empress Dowager in person. Now that the child is born, I brought her with me."

Then she ordered Yue, "Why don't you come and pay your respects to the Empress Dowager?"

——Hearing

this, Yan Shu pondered in her heart again——

【…So Yue didn't come last year? There is no one to take care of the good guy in that family, isn't she crazy? 】

System, 【Not really, she was pregnant at that time. 】

Yan Shu, 【That's true...】

Wait!

She suddenly realized a problem -

when did Yue get together with the driver?

The seven-year-old boy Qiao Wanheng, the five-year-old girl Qiao Nianrou, and the youngest baby were her grandsons, introduced by Lady Qin An. In

other words, these three were all born by Yue.

Then...how many are the sons of Qin An?

The system said, [Although Yue was messing around, she was not stupid. She used sheep intestines every time, so these three children are still the sons of Qiao Yongkang.]

What?

Yan Shu once again accurately grasped the key point, [Sheep intestines? There is such a thing?]

Tsk tsk tsk, this is really eye-opening!

System, [Sheep intestines are OK, many people use them these days, but they are not very hygienic and may cause infection or something.]

Yan Shu, "..."

Forget it then...

At this moment, after hearing what her mother-in-law said, Yue stood up and walked to the Queen Mother, paying her respects.

"I didn't have time to personally congratulate the queen on her birthday last year. I hope you will forgive me. I wish you good fortune as vast as the East Sea and a long life as long as the Southern Mountains."

The queen mother smiled and nodded, "Good child, you are really dignified and virtuous, just like your mother-in-law."

Hearing this, Yue hurriedly bowed her head to thank her, and then said, "Over the years, I have been loved by my mother-in-law and have treated me as her own child. I have remembered your teachings and admonitions."

Yan Shu, "..."

Tsk tsk tsk tsk, the queen mother's words were actually mostly mocking her cousin, but this prince's wife is really good at taking advantage of others!

No wonder she can make her mother-in-law think highly of her.

But then again...

she always felt that the wife of Duke Qin'an praised her daughter-in-law so much today, not just to show off to the queen mother.

Is there something else?

Just as I was thinking this, I saw the youngest baby in the Qiao family suddenly started crying, rubbing his eyes and kicking his legs, looking very irritable.

The Queen Mother said, "Is the child tired? It is not easy for him to come to the capital from thousands of miles with the adults. Let's stop here today and tell the little one to go back and rest."

Everyone agreed, stood up and bowed to say goodbye, and finally dispersed.

~~

It was almost noon when they returned to Ganlu Palace.

Yan Shu changed her clothes and had lunch. She didn't even have time to take a nap. She hurriedly sat down at the table and started writing the storybook -

it was rare to get such an interesting material today. If she didn't write it down, wouldn't it be a waste?

She was fully committed and very serious. She even had dinner in a hurry.

When night fell, when Yuwen Lan stepped into the palace, he saw that she was still writing.

Yuwen Lan asked curiously, "What story did you write today? Why are you so engrossed?"

Did something happen that he didn't know about?

Yan Shu was just about to share with him, and immediately said, "What I wrote today is called "The Romantic Wife Lost Her Husband."

Hmm?

Yuwen Lan raised his eyebrows and said, "'Romantic Wife' refers to a woman with a flirtatious nature?"

Yan Shu nodded, "Yes."

But he nodded, "This theme seems very novel, what is it about?"

Yan Shu cleared her throat and said, "This is a story about a male protagonist's counterattack."

Just at this point, Yuwen Lan had another question.

He could roughly guess that the word "male protagonist" refers to the most important man in the story.

But, what is "counterattack"?

So she asked her, "What does counterattack mean?"

Yan Shu explained, "Counterattack means that people who were originally in adversity or disadvantages work hard all the way to get rid of their constraints, and finally surpass others and become the winner."

Yuwen Lan nodded, "This is a very novel way of saying it."

He stopped asking and waited for her to continue.

Yan Shu then continued, "It is said that there was a young man who was born into a wealthy family, but he was indifferent and leisurely by nature. Unfortunately, his family had high hopes for him and forced him to do things he didn't like. The young man was depressed from childhood to adulthood, but he didn't dare to disobey his parents, so he had to do some crafts to express his depression."

"When he was about to reach the marriageable age, his parents carefully selected a woman who looked dignified and virtuous for him. This young man was simple-minded, and after marriage, he treated his wife with respect and kindness. However, his wife actually married him for his family's power and did not really like him."

Yuwen Lan hummed, "It is common for men to covet women's beauty and women to covet men's power."

But Yan Shu continued, "Not long after the marriage, his wife gave birth to a son and a daughter. The young man was very happy to hear that they were a father, and he made many small toys for the children to play with. It was just a father's love, but his wife thought he had no ambition, and gradually, she even hooked up with the servants in the family."

Yuwen Lan, "???"

Is this the direction?

He thought that this woman would be like the wife of the Marquis of Lin Wu, making friends with all kinds of rich and powerful men, how could she be a servant?

He couldn't help asking, "What is so attractive about this servant that makes her betray her husband?"

Yan Shu said, "This servant is eloquent and very good at grasping women's minds. The most important thing is that he has a good body and can meet women's needs."

Yuwen Lan didn't understand at first, and frowned and said, "Good body... is also a reason? Then does the husband have a bad body?"

But Yan Shu nodded very affirmatively, "Good body is of course very important, that servant has broad shoulders and a thin waist, and has eight abdominal muscles; in contrast, that young man has been chubby since he was a child, and he pant after doing some physical work..."

Yuwen Lan, "..."

What a "physical work".

Only then did he understand why women care so much about this...

At the same time, he became curious - who exactly is this about?

Just as he was thinking this, he heard her sighing in her heart, [I wonder what the coachman of Qin Angong's mansion looks like? He drives a carriage all day long, so he doesn't think he has fair skin, but should be a dark and strong handsome man. ]

Yuwen Lan, "???"

Qin Angong's mansion?

...Okay, he probably knows who it is.

- This morning, Qin Angong Qiao Beiwang brought his son and son-in-law to visit him. Isn't his son Qiao Yongkang chubby?

It turned out to be them.

Tsk, is this family so messy?

However, Qin Angong's family has just arrived in the capital, and she knows such a secret?

He then asked, "Then what? Does the husband know that his wife has cheated on him?"

But she nodded and said, "I knew it, but because she is cowardly, she dared not to expose it. She just covered her head and pretended that she didn't know and continued to live her life."

Yuwen Lan, "???"

She is also a talented person, how could she tolerate this?

"What happened next?"

Yan Shu continued, "At first, the young master allowed the two to hang out in the mansion, and fantasized that one day his wife would come back to the right path. However, the two were no longer satisfied with the status quo and wanted to stay together forever, so they planned to poison and murder the whole family."

"It was not until then that the young master realized that tolerance was not enough, and finally fought back, killing the adulterer, divorcing his wife, and dealing with all the servants who helped the two to hide the truth. Afterwards, he also turned over a new leaf, put his mind on the right path, learned skills from others, and took time to exercise, losing weight and regaining his handsome appearance."

"The ex-wife saw that her husband had transformed into a handsome man, and she regretted it immediately. She even wanted to reunite with him. However, the master no longer wanted her, so she had to live on the streets, homeless, very miserable."

The story ended here.

Yuwen Lan nodded, "The ending is pleasing to the people. It's your style."

But just as he finished speaking, he realized another problem -

he remembered that the prince of Qin An had two sons and one daughter?

So he tried to ask, "Whose children are they?"

Yan Shu coughed, "Just consider them his. Besides, he has raised them for so many years, and there is still affection. It's better not to affect the children."

Tsk tsk, this point still needs to be realistic.

After all, the storybook will be sent out in the future, and if the truth comes out one day, it will be bad if the Qiao family gets angry with the innocent child.

Yuwen Lan listened silently, thinking that it seems that the child is indeed Qiao Yongkang's.

Tsk, it's still too confusing!

After thinking about it, he was a little scared.

- Fortunately, I am not fat and round. I must always remember to keep my strength in the future, cough.

After thinking about it, I saw Yan Shu yawning in front of him, and a bag of mist filled her almond eyes.

Yuwen Lan said, "Let's write it tomorrow."

He coughed again and said with a dark look, "It's getting late, it's time to go to bed."

Yan Shu was stunned.

...Just go to bed, why are you talking so ambiguously?

Tsk, could he be...thinking about it again?

Yuwen Lan, who was listening quietly, coughed and whispered, "I'll go take a bath first."

Yuwen held back his red ears and turned to go into the bathroom.

Yan Shu, "..."

could only look at a pair of tender hands silently and sighed helplessly.

Tsk, I should have known not to let him know this method. There are only

a dozen days left, so long!

~~

After all, the Qin An Mansion is a royal relative who came from afar, and it is also the first guest to come to the capital to celebrate the empress dowager's birthday. Therefore, on the second day, the palace held a welcoming banquet for this family.

This family is considered an in-law, and there are both men and women, so they cannot sit in the same hall.

However, before the banquet, they entered the palace and had to pay their respects to the empress dowager and the imperial concubines.

Everyone saw that in addition to the old couple of Duke An of Qin and their legitimate sons and daughters, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law and grandchildren who came to pay respects yesterday, there was a new face today.

It was a young woman, about seventeen or eighteen years old, and her face was somewhat similar to the wife of Duke An of Qin's eldest son, Yue.

After everyone paid respects, the wife of Duke An of Qin led the girl out and said to the emperor and the empress dowager, "This is the younger sister of the daughter-in-law of Yongkang. She knew that it would be difficult for her to take care of three children in Beijing this time, so she took the initiative to come and help. When she first entered the palace yesterday, I was afraid that she would be unfamiliar, so I didn't dare to bring her along. Today, I have the courage to bring her here to meet the empress dowager, your majesty and all the ladies."

Then she instructed the girl, "Why don't you meet the nobles quickly?"

The girl from the Yue family immediately stepped forward and paid respects. "I pay my respects to your Majesty, the Queen Mother, and all the ladies."

The voice was delicate, like a thrush in a book.

And looking at her appearance, she was indeed quite pretty.

Seeing this, everyone was wondering in their hearts. The daughter-in-law's natal sister? This relationship is not close. And can't the Qin An Mansion even afford a wet nurse, so they asked such a young girl to help take care of the child? Yan Shu was licking her tongue - no wonder the Qin An Palace Lady praised her daughter-in-law yesterday, it turned out that she wanted to put someone in the palace. - If the elder sister is praised, they are all from the same family, then the younger sister will not attract attention? But if that's the case, she also offended the Queen Mother, which is also a strange flower. Presumably, the Queen Mother would not like this Yue family girl because of her. Sure enough, the Queen Mother nodded, but smiled and said, "It's really hard for you, a girl who has not yet married, to help others take care of children." The Yue family girl paused slightly, and had to say, "It's my duty to share my sister's worries." But in her heart, she said, [Huh, if I don't come, how can I see His Majesty? Oh, His Majesty is even more beautiful than what is said outside! ] [But the three concubines behind... It doesn't matter. I heard that Concubine Zhou has long been unpopular, and Wang Zhaoyi has become a joke in the palace because she beats the night watch every night. The remaining one should be Concubine Yi. 】 Thinking of this, she glanced at Yan Shu with her peripheral vision and thought, [She looks just so-so. I heard that her family background is not as good as our Yue family. She will definitely not be my opponent in the future. 】 Yuwen Lan, who was listening silently, said, "???" In the future? Where does this confidence come from? Then, she heard the wife of Duke Qin An thinking, [There is no one else around Zhou Ruolan. If she is smart, she should take this girl into the palace and train her well. After all, she is related to the Zhou family, which is better than that Concubine Yi. 】 Yuwen Lan just wanted to laugh. No wonder the Queen Mother said she was annoying. He tried to inquire about the Queen Mother again, but heard that the Queen Mother was sneering secretly. [What kind of dream is Zhou Shulan having? Putting people under my nose, do you think I'm stupid? Haha. 】 Yuwen Lan was slightly relieved. Fortunately, the Queen Mother did not think that way. ~~After the formalities, the men and women went to their respective banquets. As the Duke of Northwest, Duke Qin An had a very special status. In addition to the emperor’s personal reception, there were also several ministers in the court accompanying him at the banquet. Perhaps because of the relationship, the ministers soon discovered that the king was particularly enthusiastic about Duke Qin An’s family tonight. They could not help but take the initiative to invite Duke Qin An to drink, and in their words, they expressed their condolences for their hard work in guarding the northwest, and they also showed special care for Duke Qin An’s son Qiao Yongkang. For example, at this time, after two rounds of drinking, the king took the initiative to ask the other party, "What has cousin Yongkang been busy with in recent years?" When this was said, everyone was stunned. ——Your Majesty actually called the other party cousin? Of course, Qiao Yongkang himself was flattered and stood up quickly, saying, "I am not talented and have achieved nothing in these years. I am really ashamed of your majesty's care." After he finished speaking, Duke Qin An also hurriedly said, "He has never had any ambitions. Your majesty laughed at him." This was the truth. Hearing this, several ministers shook their heads in their hearts - the first Duke Qin An was a famous military general. He was awarded the title of Marquis for his numerous military exploits and defended the northwest for the court. Later, his son was lucky enough to marry the Queen Mother's cousin, and he was promoted to Duke. By the time of Qiao Yongkang's generation, he had already learned nothing. It was said that he was oblivious to the world outside and only liked to do carpentry work. He was really a rare flower among the sons of aristocratic families.

However, at this moment, the king said, "Don't underestimate yourself. I heard that you have great skills. This is also a delicate job that requires effort. If you don't have enough patience, it won't work."

After the voice fell, Qiao Yongkang was stunned at first, and then he almost shed tears.

——Everyone in the world looks down on him. His mother scolded him since he was a child, his father favored his half-brother, and even his wife did things that were not worthy of him...

But your majesty understands him so well!!! Your

majesty's words are so reasonable. Carpentry is a delicate job. Who can do it if he is careless?

Your majesty understands him, everything is worth it!

He excitedly picked up the wine glass and drank one glass after another. It was the first time in his life that he felt so happy!

……

~~

While the emperor and his ministers were enjoying themselves in the Xiangyun Hall, the atmosphere in the female guest room where Yan Shu was was rather subtle.

——Perhaps in order to leave a good impression of being virtuous and capable to the Queen Mother, no matter which dish the Queen Mother praised, the girl from the Yue family would take the initiative to talk about the cooking method of the dish, from the selection of ingredients to the knife skills to the heat, and she spoke in detail. After talking about five or six dishes in a row, the Queen Mother

couldn't help but say, "You are so young, but you are so proficient in cooking. It's amazing." After the voice fell, the wife of Qin Angong's son, Yue, immediately thanked her sister and took the initiative to explain, "My sister has been very sensible since she was a child. She often helps mother with housework and has learned cooking early to serve her parents at home." The Queen Mother nodded again, "What a filial and good child." The daughter of the Yue family immediately thanked her and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Queen Mother." Seeing this, the wife of Qin Angong showed a satisfied smile, but Concubine Zhou was about to get angry. It was only because of the Queen Mother that she didn't dare to make trouble. Only Yan Shu was concentrating on eating without caring about anything, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart- well, these dishes tonight are really good! The crystal chicken is delicious and crispy, the cherry meat is fragrant and flavorful, and the marbling chicken is soft and tender, with a slight chewy texture. It seems to be even better than before. Of course, the best is the roasted duck. It is the most famous dish in the capital, and it is delicious every time! Take a piece of golden duck meat, sprinkle some sweet noodle sauce, roll it with fresh green onions and cucumber strips in a thin cake, and take a bite. What more can you ask for? However, just as she was immersed in the delicious food, she saw a little eunuch hurriedly running into the palace and said to the wife of Qin Angong and her daughter-in-law, "The prince drank too much at the banquet in Xiangyun Palace. Your Majesty, please move over and take a look." When these words came out, everyone was stunned. What, the prince of Qin Angong drank too much? And at the palace banquet where the king was still there? The wife of Duke An of Qin was also stunned. After a moment, she hurriedly found a step to go down, laughing, "This child usually doesn't like to drink. Why did he drink too much tonight?" The Queen Mother also said to the eunuch who reported the news, "It's just a little bit of wine. Can't you ask someone to help him to rest?" But the eunuch shook his head in embarrassment, "Your Majesty, you don't know that the prince is crying loudly in front of the guard, and no one can stop him. He is still shouting that he wants to divorce his wife..." What? Divorce? Everyone's eyes widened immediately. What's going on?