Mo Zhu didn't say anything, but she seemed quite eager to try.
Qin Yuan couldn't help but laugh.
Hongmian whispered to Hongye to agree.
Hongye thought for a moment and said, "I have done everything that Miss has asked me to do. But aren't you worried that there might be something wrong with having everything entrusted to me?"
It was rare to see Hongye so hesitant, so Qin Yuan smiled and said, "If there's anything you can't handle, just come find me. Besides, Gu Shiliu is a clever man, so you can ask him for advice more often."
The list she gave to Hongye included information about both the inner and outer courtyards. If Hongye had any questions, she could simply ask someone for clarification.
"You must pay close attention to Mr. Songshan's daily life," Qin Yuan specifically instructed.
Mr. Matsuyama is crucial to her future affairs, so she can't be too careful.
Hongye said, "Don't worry, Miss, I've remembered everything."
She immediately had Hongmian copy all of Qin Yuan's notes, created a document template, and posted it outside. This way, the managers and their wives who came to handle matters would know what to do and could directly come to Hongye for processing.
Seeing that Hongye had handled things efficiently, Qin Yuan got up and headed towards the mourning hall.
When Lady Dai saw her arrive, she hurriedly came to greet her and said, "What a coincidence! Princess Fuyun just left. She only stayed for a short while and asked a few questions. She didn't even have time to send someone to call you."
Qin Yuan found it strange and asked, "Logically, the princess should have a large entourage, so why didn't I hear a sound when I walked over?"
Madam Dai whispered, "My husband heard a lot of rumors at the Five Cities Garrison that Princess Fuyun was betrothed by Empress Lin to Wu Hanlin, who has no real connections. Although Wu Hanlin was the top scholar in the imperial examination, he is not very useful in the Hanlin Academy."
Then she lowered her voice: "Princess Fuyun's entourage has shrunk considerably when she goes out these days. She no longer uses her usual entourage, which looks rather pitiful."
Everyone knows that Empress Lin was the second empress. The former crown prince, Prince Qi, and Princess Fuyun were born to the first empress. Not long after the death of the former crown prince, the first empress also passed away, leaving only Prince Qi and Princess Fuyun. Empress Lin was once a palace maid by the side of the first empress, taking care of the young Princess Fuyun at that time. As a result, she gained the emperor's favor and was gradually promoted to empress.
Princess Fuyun was also the emperor's most favored princess, and she had her own title at a young age, which even Empress Lin's ninth princess did not have.
Everyone assumed that Princess Fuyun would marry into the Duke's mansion, or into a prominent family, or at the very least, find a son of a distinguished family to be her consort.
Unexpectedly, he was assigned to a poor scholar.
It's truly heartbreaking.
All that pampering over the past decade or so seems like a joke.
Qin Yuan sighed.
“This Wu Hanlin seems to be poor, living in a rented house,” Madam Dai continued. “It looks like he’s going to marry a princess. Such a poor and hot-tempered scholar will probably not get along with the pampered princess, and there will be plenty of trouble in the future.”
Qin Yuan thought for a moment. In her previous life, after the death of the Prince of Qi, the Crown Prince also died not long after. When she and Lin Ziqi entered the capital, Princess Fuyun stayed at home all day and rarely heard anyone mention her husband.
I wonder if this is the same Wu Hanlin.
"To be the top scholar in the imperial examination, one must be very talented. May I ask where one is from?"
Dai said, "They say he's from Jiangxi."
Qin Yuan nodded.
What a coincidence!
In his previous life, after passing the imperial examination, Lin Ziqi was assigned to a poor county in Jiangxi.
Qin Yuan said, “There are many Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) from Jiangxi in our dynasty. The current Prime Minister is from Jiangxi. His family has eleven Jinshi, which shows his profound cultural heritage. Wu Hanlin is also from Jiangxi. Why don’t you get to know the Prime Minister? You are all from the same hometown. If the Prime Minister gives you a little preferential treatment, your official career will be smooth.”
Madam Dai shook her head. "If he could walk, would he be squeezing into the Hanlin Academy like this? I've heard he's very upright and arrogant, even my husband knows that. It's clear how unpopular he is at the Hanlin Academy."
Qin Yuan said, "The imperial son-in-law of our dynasty can only hold a sinecure, which is not a big deal for him. After all, if someone with such a personality doesn't meet a patron, he can only spend his life in the Hanlin Academy, making a living by selling calligraphy and paintings. If he is lucky, he can become a loyal minister if he is favored by the emperor."
Lady Dai smiled and said, "So, it turns out that Princess Shang is actually a good thing for him?"
Qin Yuan said seriously, "It all depends on how he thinks. If he can't see things clearly and only sees what doesn't suit his taste, then it will be difficult to get along with him. If he can see things clearly and understand them, then it may not be a bad thing. The emperor's daughter marrying him is a stroke of good luck for his ancestors."
“He can think it through, but the princess has to think it through too. Life is for two people, and besides…” Lady Dai paused, then said, “It is also difficult for His Highness the Crown Prince to choose a Crown Princess. None of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers are willing to let their eldest daughters enter the Eastern Palace. These days, the official matchmakers of the Prefectural Governor’s Office are not enough.”
Qin Yuan smiled.
This young master's marriage is going to be quite a mess.
"Empress Lin wants to find a wife for her son from the legitimate daughter of a high-ranking official, so what about choosing a husband for Princess Fuyun...?"
Dai smiled and omitted the rest of his words.
Qin Yuan said, "That's all royal business, it has nothing to do with our Marquis's mansion. Baozhu is several years younger than the Crown Prince, and she's still a few years away from coming of age, so it's not our turn."
“That’s true,” Lady Dai said with a smile. “Even if the Seventh Miss had a temper like that, Empress Lin wouldn’t dare to choose her. If she got angry, the Crown Prince wouldn’t be enough for her to beat up.”
The Crown Prince is sickly, and it's unthinkable that he and Gu Baozhu would actually become a couple.
Qin Yuan couldn't help but laugh, but she managed to hold it in. As a sister-in-law, it was okay to tease her sister-in-law behind her back, but it would be really inappropriate if it got out to others.
After a long pause, Qin Yuan said, "Empress Lin and the Emperor are probably eager to hold the Crown Prince."
Having lived through a lifetime, Qin Yuan clearly understood why the Emperor was in such a hurry to select the legitimate daughters of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers: he wanted to leave behind a bloodline while the Crown Prince was still healthy, so that the throne could be passed on to the eldest grandson of the Emperor in the future.
But the high-ranking officials weren't stupid. The crown prince had several healthy younger brothers, and the emperor's lifespan was uncertain. There were too many unforeseen events in the future, so none of them wanted to gamble.
Dai realized what was going on and smiled.
Everyone in the Gu family knows that Lord Gu was the former Crown Prince's study companion, and the two had a deep relationship.
The Crown Prince has passed away, and in principle, Prince Qi should be the new Crown Prince. However, the Emperor favors Empress Lin, who came from a humble background, and has chosen a sickly Crown Prince. The powerful families all feel uneasy about this.
At this point, the attitude and situation of the Marquis of Dingbei became somewhat delicate.
The two said no more and went inside to talk to the women of the clan.
Lord Gu was already at the Ministry of Revenue, requesting some capable officials from the Minister of Revenue to assist in the capital inspection.
The Minister of Revenue was old, cunning, and plump. He always had a smiling face like Maitreya Buddha and was extremely well-mannered. Even when someone spat on his face, he would not get angry, hence the nickname "Glassy Ball".
Liuliqiu greeted Lord Gu with a beaming smile, "Lord Dingbei, have you come here on His Majesty's orders?"
Lord Gu said, “Indeed, I cannot handle the important matter of the capital inspection by myself. I specially submitted a memorial to ask His Majesty for permission to transfer personnel from various departments. Fortunately, His Majesty granted my request. I would like to ask the Minister to recommend some capable officials to help me.”
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