Qin Wan was stunned by the fierce look in his eyes and couldn't say a word.
"Don't mention it again," Lin Ziqi said calmly, but it sent a chill down Qin Wan's spine. "You know what I mean."
Qin Wanmu nodded.
What Lin Ziqi forbade her to mention wasn't the poetry collection, but the poem she had brought up in her dream.
Having grown up in the family of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, she was still quite naive and had heard many stories, including those about people killing each other out of jealousy over someone's poetic talent.
When I was a child in my hometown, there was a story about a young man who happened to come up with a few good lines of poetry. His maternal uncle, who was extremely envious of him, killed him and took the poems for himself.
Qin Wan now understood that Lin Ziqi was incapable of composing that poem.
So... the poems passed down from the previous life of Prime Minister Lin...
Qin Wan dared not think further.
Seeing her so obedient, Lin Ziqi said frankly, "I originally thought that Sixth Master Gu wanted to associate with us and pretend to be cultured, and just find some scholars to copy a few books and give them away randomly. Who knew that the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion was so wealthy and powerful that it created such a big spectacle for him, which benefited your cousin."
Having a shared secret, the two were able to open up and talk about it.
Qin Wan put her worries aside and started a conversation.
"I've heard that even Master Gu can't write a proper poem, so why is this time different?"
Lin Ziqi scoffed, "I have to thank your good cousin for this. He always pretends to be upright and honest in front of me, but he's actually a traitor who deceives me."
“I painstakingly planned to meet the two lords, seeking him and Master Gu to act as my foils, but I never expected to be used by him and have him step on me to stand up for me. He secretly went to the Marquis’s mansion several times, became friends with Master Gu, and even went to great lengths to teach him how to write poetry.”
Qin Wan asked in surprise, "Cousin Siyuan is teaching Sixth Master Gu how to write poetry?"
Lin Ziqi chuckled coldly a few times and said, "Indeed, he really put a lot of effort into teaching people how to compose couplets, from words to phrases."
How could a pretentious playboy become friends with the usually upright Qin Siyuan? If Qin Siyuan hadn't lowered himself to flatter him, how could that have happened?
Qin Wan then asked, "But who came up with the idea that made him add more paintings?"
To be honest, even if Master Gu had mastered the poetry, it wouldn't have been very impressive. But when paired with these paintings, it made him seem like a decent but talentless fool.
Lin Ziqi pondered, "Qin Siyuan probably couldn't have imagined this. He has been studying diligently every day since entering the Imperial Academy, so he shouldn't have thought of these things."
Qin Wan said, "The entire Dingbei Marquis's family are rough men; they would never have thought of such a method."
Having dealt with the Gu family for so many years in her past life, she was certain they wouldn't understand literary techniques; someone must have been giving them pointers behind the scenes.
"Why do you say that?" Lin Ziqi asked.
"I... I went to the Marquis's mansion a few times with my mother, and I learned about it after spending more time there."
Qin Wan brushed it off.
Lin Ziqi's face turned pale. He hissed in alarm, "Could it be my father-in-law?"
If Qin Jijiu makes a move, it's aimed at raising Qin Siyuan's status, while Sixth Master Gu becomes just a side effect.
Qin Wan shook her head and said, "No, this is the first time I've seen my parents' appearance either, and I'm very happy."
Lin Ziqi fell silent, a sudden, subtle sense of regret welling up inside him.
That means it can only be Qin Yuan.
Qin Yuan is exceptionally talented and resourceful, though she doesn't usually show it, her fiancé knows it.
Does this mean that the Marquis of Dingbei listens to her every word?
Did the Marquis of Dingbei not see the letter he wrote?
Lin Ziqi was pondering this when Qin Wan said, "My father said my cousin has finally seen the light. I really don't understand how he did it."
"Who knows if he's figured it out yet? Maybe he's already written a few poems, racking his brains, just waiting to show them off in public."
Lin Ziqi replied impatiently.
Scholars usually accumulate good lines and couplets in their daily lives for future use. If they were to suddenly think of writing a poem, what good poem could they possibly produce?
Qin Siyuan knew they were going to visit Yuyuantan Park, so he probably made preparations long ago.
We were careless and didn't take him seriously.
Before going to Yuyuantan Park, Qin Siyuan visited the Marquis's residence several times. Now it seems that Qin Yuan had given him a lot of advice. Perhaps Qin Siyuan's poems were also related to Qin Yuan.
Lin Ziqi thought about it more and more and felt that this was true, and he found it hard to stay in bed.
Qin Wan remained silent. Everything that had happened today had left her feeling unsettled, and she no longer had the confidence she used to have.
Things seemed to be starting to turn out differently than she had imagined.
The couple sat for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Ziqi stood up and said, "I have to rush back to the Imperial Academy to study. Mother is used to hardship and doesn't like extravagance. She might cause some trouble. Just bear with it for now. When my cousin comes in a few days, Mother will have someone to talk to, and you won't be so sad anymore."
Qin Wan nodded in agreement.
Lin Ziqi rushed back to the Imperial Academy overnight. Qin Wan didn't remember what she wanted to say until evening, but she didn't say it.
...
After Qin Yuan finished taking care of the trivial matters and prepared the gifts, she planned to visit Brother Qi and his mother in the courtyard with Gu Jinghui. She sent Gu Shiliu over first to let them make preparations.
Perhaps it was because he was in high spirits, but Brother Qi was able to walk slowly in the yard. However, he was weak and had to sit down and rest after walking only a short distance.
As soon as Gu Shiliu came in, he asked with a smile, "Is Brother Qi feeling much better?"
Brother Qi smiled shyly and said, "Thanks to Brother Sixteen, I'm feeling much better. May I ask what brings you here, Brother Sixteen?"
Gu Shiliu said, "What orders could I possibly have? I'm just running errands for the Marquis and his wife. Let me tell you, there's some great news, some very happy occasion. Where's your mother?"
Brother Qi scratched his head and laughed, "My mother is sitting right next to you, sunbathing."
Gu Shiliu was startled and turned to look. Sure enough, Qi Xiaoge's blind mother was sitting not far away, smiling in his direction.
He was Lord Gu's most trusted attendant, having practiced martial arts since childhood and possessing excellent hearing and eyesight.
How could we overlook Qi Xiaoge's mother, a living, breathing person?
Gu Shiliu coughed to hide his surprise and said with a smile, "Aunt Qi, the Marquis and his wife will be coming to see you and Brother Qi soon. They have good news to tell you. You are a lucky aunt, and you may be able to see them soon."
Qi Xiaoge's mother smiled and said, "Thank you for telling me, Sixteen. I appreciate your kind words. I really hope that I can see my son's face again in this lifetime."
Brother Qi beamed and asked, "Shouldn't the Marquis and his wife have sent our son and me to express our gratitude? Why did you have to come and visit us?"
Gu Shiliu said solemnly, "Your mother has made a great contribution, and the Marquis and his wife remember it well, so naturally they have to come and visit. Besides, the Dingbei Marquis's mansion is the most considerate to people like us, unlike those mean-spirited, ungrateful, and rule-obsessed masters."
The two stood there and talked for a while. Gu Shiliu forgot about Qi Xiaoge's mother again and left without saying goodbye. It wasn't until he left the courtyard and looked back at the Marquis that he remembered.
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