The matriarch of the household manages all the affairs of the family, which is truly a trivial and demanding task.
It is already quite remarkable that Qin Yuan has been able to do this.
Madam Gu became increasingly annoyed that she had spoken too harshly earlier, and said repeatedly, "Good child, I know you've been tired these past few days."
Gu Jinghui quickly changed the subject, saying, "Mother, the Xu family is fickle and driven by profit. With such a family tradition, I'm afraid there will be many more troubles in the future. I'm afraid that after my sixth brother's wife passes away, we will no longer be able to have any contact with this marriage."
Sixth Master Gu had long been disgusted by the Xu family's ways, and upon hearing this, he said, "That's for sure. It's best not to associate with them. I'm worried they'll corrupt some of the children."
Madam Gu remained silent.
Qin Yuan said quietly, "The knot between the Xu family and our Marquis's mansion can only be untied by finding Xu Zhen."
Everyone sighed.
Xu Zhen disappeared without a trace, whether she went to heaven or to the earth.
If we can't find it in our lifetime, won't we be stuck with this problem forever?
Lord Gu said angrily, "Back in the north, even the Eighteenth Prince wasn't this useless. It takes so much effort to find someone."
Qin Yuan gently comforted him, "The Gu family has guarded the northern frontier for generations, and the Marquis has been managing it for more than ten years. Naturally, they are not as adept in the capital as they are in the northern frontier."
The capital city is teeming with princes, nobles, and high-ranking officials.
Moreover, this place, where fortunes converge, is fraught with uncertainty. A petty thug making a living on the streets could suddenly rise to power and become a close advisor to the emperor. Conversely, many of the emperor's favorites, once convicted, had their entire families exterminated.
Lord Gu returned to the capital in triumph, but he still had to rebuild his life. Even a tiger had to lie low, and a dragon had to coil up.
Sixth Master Gu sighed deeply and said, "That's why I said we should just sue the Xu family instead, otherwise they can use Xu Zhen to annoy the Marquis's mansion for the rest of their lives. We can't let them tarnish the reputation of our Dingbei Marquis's mansion. I shouldn't have just said it yesterday; I should have dragged that Xu fellow to the Jingzhao Yin's mansion on the spot."
The more he thought about it, the more he regretted it and felt extremely remorseful.
Madam Gu asked, "What about the child?"
Sixth Master Gu immediately said, "They are not children of the Xu family, but children of the Gu family. My son will explain it to them himself."
This was what Old Madam Gu cared about most, so when she heard Sixth Master Gu say that, she had no objections.
Gu Jinghui asked, "Madam, what is your opinion?"
Sixth Master Gu also looked over.
Qin Yuan said, "Sixth Master can make the decision, but the pros and cons must be explained to my nephews and nieces. The children are still young, and if someone with ulterior motives spreads rumors and causes them to become estranged, it would not be a good thing."
Sixth Master Gu nodded.
"I will explain it to the children."
Qin Yuan added, "Granny Zhao, I hope Sixth Master will explain the situation to us. If the judge asks about it later, and Sixth Sister-in-law is unwell, we'll have to rely on her."
Master Gu said angrily, "This Granny Zhao is Xu's wet nurse. She only has eyes for Xu. Sometimes she is too shrewd and sometimes she is too stupid. I can only give her a try."
The group then exchanged a few more words.
Old Madam Gu is getting on in years, and after making a scene all day yesterday, she's starting to feel the strain.
Seeing this, Qin Yuan said, "This matter cannot be settled in a few words. We will discuss the details privately."
Madam Gu forced herself to stay alert and said, "Yes, we must not act rashly in this matter. Also, let's get the matter of Cheng-ge'er and Yu-jie'er recognizing each other as relatives done as soon as possible."
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "I think so too. The sooner the better. We've been talking about it for so long, it's bound to be awkward for the two of them to stay in the main room."
Madam Gu said, "It's all because of Zhao. Nothing good has happened in the Marquis's mansion lately. Their recognition of their relatives is a happy event, and it's good to cheer them up."
Gu Jinghui quickly agreed, saying, "Gu Jingcheng moved out in the next couple of days, so I don't think we need to have a big family reunion banquet."
Madam Gu nodded.
After everyone took their leave, they saw Gu Baozhu still kneeling under the eaves and remembered her.
Qin Yuan said, "Seventh Sister, Mother has been a bit tired these past two days and is also unhappy about Sixth Sister-in-law's matter. I'm afraid she's forgotten. You should quickly find a maid to ask Granny Rong to think of a way to mention it to Mother. Otherwise, kneeling for too long will hurt her knees and she won't be able to ride a horse."
Gu Baozhu said happily, "Third sister-in-law still loves me the most. Third sister-in-law is really my good sister-in-law. From now on, we are the best of friends in the world."
Gu Jinghui took Qin Yuan's hand and walked away for two steps before turning back and saying with disdain, "It's clear she hasn't learned her lesson yet. She should kneel for a while longer."
Gu Baozhu snorted and turned her head away from him.
Sixth Master Gu was in a hurry to speak with Granny Zhao. He glanced at Gu Baozhu, gave no comment, and left in a hurry.
Watching everyone's retreating figures, Gu Baozhu snorted and muttered, "Isn't it all because of Xu Zhen's matter? Do you think I don't know?"
After leaving the main room, Master Gu bid farewell to Lord Gu and his wife and went straight to Madam Gu's courtyard to talk to Granny Zhao.
Gu Jinghui and Qin Yuan headed towards Wutong Garden, and Qin Yuan asked, "What are your plans, Lord Marquis?"
Gu Jinghui said, "I think Sixth Brother's idea is good. We can't let the Marquis's Mansion be controlled everywhere because of Sixth Brother's wife."
Qin Yuan asked, "Does Your Excellency believe that the Xu family's actions are motivated by wealth or something else?"
Gu Jinghui pondered for a while, then asked, "What if it's for money? What if it's for something else?"
Qin Yuan said, "If it's for money, they'll stop once they get it. But if it's for something else, I'm afraid it will be detrimental to the Marquis's mansion."
Gu Jinghui said, "Yesterday I was thinking that if Sixth Brother couldn't bear it, he could just give up the money. If he wanted to reassure Sixth Sister-in-law, I could also take out my private treasury to help her make up for it. Besides, the Marquis's mansion doesn't lack this much money. Even if... in the future, it will be Sixth Brother's children who will share Sixth Sister-in-law's dowry. The money will still be in the same pot."
"And now?"
"Now I can't tolerate it anymore. Even if my sixth brother wants to pay for this himself, I won't agree. Xu Zhen's matter has nothing to do with the Marquis's mansion. If the Marquis's mansion backs down, it will seem like it has something to do with the Marquis's mansion."
Qin Yuan nodded.
Since that's the case, there's no need to say anything more.
Gu Jinghui asked again, "You said it was for something else? Are you referring to the Xu family's attempt to curry favor with the Prince of Jin?"
Qin Yuan nodded.
“The Xu family and the Marquis’s family are related by marriage. Whatever they do will involve the Marquis’s family. It is very easy for them to be used to set a trap. Once the government accepts a case, no matter what the outcome is, it keeps a record, which means there is always the possibility of overturning the case and retrial.”
There are quite a few old cases being reopened in the court, and it would be very easy for someone with ulterior motives to make a fuss about them.
Gu Jinghui pondered for a while, then suddenly said, "Yuan'er, I am so fortunate to have married you. You can handle this matter from now on."
Qin Yuan looked up in surprise and asked, "Isn't Your Excellency trusting me too much? I've only been in the household for less than half a year and I've already taken charge of everything. Now you've entrusted this matter to me. What if something goes wrong..."
Gu Jinghui chuckled softly, looked down at his young wife, and said, "If you can't make a decision, then come and discuss it with us. Three heads are better than one. If you can't handle this, then no one in the manor can. There's no need to worry or blame yourself for it."
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