The Ninth Princess got into the carriage angrily and cursed, "What's so great about her? She still has to marry a poor, penniless boy."
The Crown Prince couldn't help but chuckle, "Mother, that was a brilliant move."
She's been pampered for over a decade, yet her marriage prospects remain bleak.
The King of Qi and his sister must have been so angry that they were probably beating their chests and stamping their feet in private.
The Ninth Princess looked up and asked, "Is Mother paving the way for my brother's marriage?"
The crown prince nodded. "Indeed, you are very clever."
The three dukes and nine ministers were unwilling to marry their eldest daughters into the Eastern Palace, so Empress Lin arranged for Princess Fuyun to marry a poor man as a stepping stone for him.
No matter what the final outcome, he won't lose face.
The alliance between King Qi and Fu Yun's husband's family was utterly weak.
The Ninth Princess sneered, "We are Father's beloved children. What right do they have to compete with us? Fu Yun only has a title, yet she thinks she is the most noble and favored princess. She is utterly ignorant. If I want, I can ask Father to grant me as many titles as I want."
Mother is dead, and her clan has been defeated. She still thinks she can turn things around? Ha!
...
Qin Yuan had just returned to Wutong Garden after a busy day, and before she could even sit down, Rong Momo came looking for her.
"Please sit down, Granny Rong," Qin Yuan hurriedly ordered a maid to make tea and then had someone bring over an embroidered stool for Granny Rong to sit on.
After sitting down as instructed, Rong Mama chuckled dryly and said, "Madam has had a long day, and this old servant shouldn't have come to find you at this time, but..."
Qin Yuan had already guessed the purpose of their visit and asked, "Is it because of the quarrel between Madam Chang and Sister Baozhu?"
Rong Momo nodded.
"Yes, the old lady was very upset when she found out."
Qin Yuan said, "Seventh Sister is a bit irritable, but Madam Chang did have some issues. I couldn't keep an eye on her, which was my fault. In the end, I had to have Seventh Sister's wet nurse coax her back. Did she go to Mother to complain? She's such a child, making Mother unhappy too."
Rong Momo said, "Madam doesn't know, although the Chang family and the manor have a history, that was in the past. More than ten years have passed, and they haven't been in contact with each other. The old lady originally didn't want to have anything to do with the Chang family, and besides, we don't know why Madam Chang stayed in the capital far away from the Chang family. We just didn't want to make things too awkward, so we only paid attention to her a few times. If Madam Chang doesn't come, we won't have any contact."
Since Madam Gu didn't blame the two younger generation for making a scene in the mourning hall, she must be concerned about something else entirely.
However, Rong Momo couldn't say it directly.
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "That's good. In my opinion, that Madam Chang was really inappropriate. Baozhu offended her, but our Marquis did not, yet she said such things. She really trampled on the face of the Marquis's mansion. I absolutely cannot forgive someone who talks nonsense based on rumors. Since Mother doesn't like her either, there's no need to pay attention to her in the future."
Rong Momo's gloomy face immediately brightened, and she asked loudly, "Is what Madam said true? Is that Madam Chang really talking nonsense?"
After saying that, Rong Momo realized that she had been impolite, smiled and gently patted her face, saying, "This old servant forgot herself for a moment and used vulgar language. Please don't take it to heart, Madam."
Qin Yuan smiled and pushed the teacup toward Rong Mama, saying, "Mama, have some tea. This is newly brewed maple dew tea. It needs to be steeped several times to get its best flavor. They brewed it this afternoon. It's rare for you to come here and sit for a while, so let's have some tea and then talk slowly."
Rong Momo took a sip as instructed, nodded, and said, "Not bad, good tea, and well brewed."
Qin Yuan then said softly, "The Marquis's body is indeed itchy."
She couldn't drink Rong Momo's tea anymore.
Qin Yuan added, "Doctor Li examined him and said that the Marquis suffered from cold in the northern frontier, causing blockages in his meridians. He needs to recuperate for a period of time to recover."
Rong Momo stared intently at Qin Yuan, holding her breath until she heard the last word before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
"It would be good if it could be cured."
Qin Yuan comforted him, "When the Marquis felt unwell, he happened to run into the head physician who came to see him and asked him a few questions. I don't know how it got spread like this. It's really puzzling. Don't worry, Granny. Physician Li's medical skills are superb. Old Madam Qi's eyesight is almost back to normal. Besides, this little ailment will get better on its own."
How slow exactly depends on her mood.
Seeing Qin Yuan remain calm and composed, Rong Momo was completely relieved and smiled, "Amitabha, as long as you two are alright, that's all that matters. Seventh Miss went back to her room and started ranting and raving. The Old Madam was very worried and wanted to send someone to find you, but she was afraid that others would see and gossip, thus confirming the rumor. I don't know what kind of bastard is spreading such rumors outside. It's truly wicked and deserves to be thrown into the eighteenth level of hell and have their tongue pulled out. This old servant will go back and have a good talk with the Old Madam."
He hurriedly got up, not even bothering to drink his tea.
Qin Yuan hurriedly tried to get up to see her off, but Gu Jinghui had already lifted the curtain and strode in.
Seeing that Lord Gu was calm and agile, not at all like someone who couldn't do it, Rong Momo felt even more at ease.
Lord Gu asked, "Why has Granny Rong come? Does Mother have any instructions?"
Rong Mama quickly waved her hand: "No, that's not true. This old servant came to chat with Madam. Madam has stayed in the mansion for many years and hasn't gone out much, so she's missed some news. We only found out that the Chang family had come to the capital after the funeral. Madam was thinking that after the funeral, she would take Madam out for a walk. This old servant just came to sit and have a chat."
Lord Gu gave an "oh," but it was unclear whether he believed it or not.
At this moment, Rong Momo couldn't care less about him; she couldn't wait to rush back and tell the old lady the good news.
After Rong Mama left, Gu Jinghui asked, "Yuan'er, what would you like to have for dinner?"
It's as if nothing happened.
Qin Yuan frowned and asked calmly, "Does Your Excellency wish to dine here? My sixth brother is deeply grieving. I suggest Your Excellency go to the outer courtyard to dine with him. What if he is too heartbroken to eat and lacks the strength for the funeral procession?"
Gu Jinghui chuckled dryly a few times, "How could it be that bad?"
Qin Yuan remained calm: "If you're going to help someone, help them to the end. You should spend more time with your sixth brother, Lord Marquis."
These past few days, Gu Jinghui has been avoiding her, not sending her any messages, which has made her very anxious. If she weren't busy with Xu's funeral, she would have already confronted him.
Now that he's delivered himself to our doorstep, it's truly a case of "Heaven has a path you choose, but you refuse to take it; Hell has no gates you choose, but you come here of your own accord."
That's not her fault.
Gu Jinghui frowned, his usually cold and stern face filled with helplessness. He asked, feeling wronged and uneasy, "Can't I just have a meal with Madam? Why is Madam so stingy? I... I'll pay for the meal."
Qin Yuan sneered, "Of course it's possible, but the small kitchen doesn't have enough for the Marquis, and now that we suddenly need to get some, we don't have anything. The Marquis just told Sixteen to take the clothes away to keep Sixth Brother company, how come he went back on his word? What will people say if they find out? The Marquis is a man of his word, isn't he? A man of his word is a man of his word, isn't he? The saying 'a man of his word is a man of his word' perfectly describes the Marquis."
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