Qin Yuan retorted, "I'm not going to set up a fortune-telling stall under the overpass."
The group quieted down and entered the hall, where they saw the brothers Gu Jinghui and Gu Jingjun sitting as host and guest, respectively, but the atmosphere was not very lively.
Gu Jingjun, dressed in a blue Taoist robe and holding a folding fan, was a refined and gentle man. His fair face and peach blossom eyes glanced over, and he smiled before speaking, appearing very tender and affectionate.
No wonder the servants in the mansion all say that Sixth Master Gu is very popular with women, and there are always women throwing themselves at him. If it weren't for Old Madam Gu's strict control, Sixth Master would probably have already taken dozens of concubines.
Although handsome, Gu Jinghui, dressed in black casual clothes and tall, was also cold and aloof, making people hesitant to get too close to him.
Qin Yuan thought to herself that the two brothers were completely different and their relationship didn't seem close at all.
Seeing her come in, Gu Jinghui said, "Madam has arrived. Sixth Brother has something to discuss, but only you can make the decision."
Gu Jingjun quickly stood up and said with a smile, "Greetings, Third Sister-in-law."
They both gave a half-bow, which was considered a greeting, and then sat down separately.
A maidservant quickly brought over some tea.
Gu Jingjun didn't dare to look directly at his stunningly beautiful third sister-in-law; he only glanced at her briefly before looking away.
Qin Yuan asked, "Husband, what's the matter with Sixth Brother?"
The voice was soft and gentle, lingering in the ear with a touch of the charm of the Jiangnan water towns.
It seems that Third Sister-in-law's ancestral home is in Jiangnan. If she were to sing a Jiangnan folk song accompanied by a pipa, it would surely be melodious.
Gu Jingjun's thoughts drifted away.
Gu Jinghui said, "My sixth brother learned that you wanted to stockpile pepper, so he came to ask how much you wanted to buy and what price you were willing to pay. He has a friend who happens to have a batch of pepper that he wants to sell so he can free up some money to do other business."
Qin Yuan was somewhat surprised.
Gu Jingjun quickly chimed in, "Third Sister-in-law, this man is my friend. He's from Wujiang. He studied at the Imperial Academy for six years but didn't advance to the next level. He was forced to drop out and sent back to his hometown, so he can only take the exam in Wujiang. He wants to clear out his stock and buy some things that southerners like to sell back home. That way, he'll have the money. I happened to hear about this when I went out for drinks a few days ago. Isn't this perfect timing?"
Gu Jinghui felt slightly uncomfortable when he saw him bypass him to talk to Qin Yuan, but he couldn't explain why. He just looked at Qin Yuan with a somewhat gloomy expression.
Qin Yuan remained silent, lost in thought.
To say that one is unmoved would be a lie.
However, this person's identity is special; her father is the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. If she were to be involved in anything inappropriate, it would be asking for trouble for no reason.
"Thank you for your help, Sixth Brother. It is indeed a coincidence," Qin Yuan said quickly, noticing the slight unease on Gu Jingjun's fair face.
Regardless, Sixth Master Gu was trying to curry favor, and she couldn't afford to be ungrateful.
Gu Jingjun opened his folding fan and gently shook it twice. He walked with a refined air and said with a smile, "I'm afraid this person is also known to Third Sister-in-law's brother-in-law, Young Master Lin. We've had drinks together before."
He brought up Lin Ziqi to reassure Qin Yuan.
Gu Jinghui, sitting to the side, had a gloomy expression and asked, "Sixth Brother also has dealings with Scholar Lin?"
Gu Jingjun smiled and said, "Yes, because of my third sister-in-law, I have become closer to Scholar Lin than before. I met him in the poetry club before, and I only knew of his talent, but we didn't talk much. Now that we are related by marriage, and Scholar Lin is very talented and has the potential to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), how can I not make his acquaintance?"
Making friends with scholars who have passed the imperial examinations is like building a network of connections.
The son-in-law chosen by the Chief Minister of Qin must be exceptional.
It was perfectly normal for Gu Jingjun to befriend Lin Ziqi through Qin Yuan's connection.
He said this to show that he respects his third brother and sister-in-law, and values his sister-in-law's family.
Gu Jinghui, however, was not happy. He raised his teacup and pretended to drink tea, but his gaze toward Qin Yuan was inscrutable.
Qin Yuan was pondering how to tactfully decline Gu Jingjun's offer and didn't notice the change in the Marquis's expression. After a moment of deliberation, she said, "The person introduced by my sixth brother must be reliable, but..."
"Just what?"
Gu Jingjun asked hurriedly.
Qin Yuan looked down at her small hands resting on her knees and said softly, "But this person is a student of the Imperial Academy, and my father is the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. I'm wondering if I should avoid suspicion."
Gu Jingjun was taken aback.
Gu Jinghui gave Qin Yuan an appreciative look.
After a long pause, Gu Jingjun murmured, "Could it be that Third Sister-in-law is afraid of causing controversy for the Grand Master of Ceremonies?"
Qin Yuan sighed, "That's right. He can't be promoted from the inner quarters to the upper quarters now and has been sent back to his hometown. I wonder what he's thinking. If I buy his pepper, it might cause trouble later when we start arguing."
It was common for the censors of the Censorate to report such incidents.
I'm afraid someone might deliberately cause trouble.
Although the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy was a fifth-rank official, he was the foremost among scholars and a pillar of the literati.
No matter how shrewd Qin Jijiu was, he still had rivals.
Gu Jingjun closed his folding fan, tapped his palm heavily, and said with annoyance, "Third Sister-in-law has considered everything thoroughly; I was mistaken."
I thought my third sister-in-law was a woman with little knowledge, but I was surprised that she could think of this.
The daughter raised by Qin Jijiu is indeed extraordinary.
Gu Jingjun thought enviously, "Why does Third Brother always get the best in the world?"
Seeing that his distress seemed genuine, Qin Yuan quickly comforted him: "If it weren't for our family, why would Sixth Brother brave the heat to come and talk about this? It's clear that Sixth Brother respects the Marquis and has taken my matter to heart. I'm so grateful, but I... I've let Sixth Brother down."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingjun was deeply moved, his mind racing. Finally, he sighed and said, "This is such a small matter, nothing to mention. Third Sister-in-law is being too polite. I will inquire about it for you in the future."
Qin Yuan stood up, bowed gracefully to Gu Jingjun, and said, "Then thank you very much, Sixth Brother."
Gu Jingjun quickly stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "Third Sister-in-law, you're too kind."
After the two sat down, Gu Jingjun said again, "I heard that Third Sister-in-law is going to stock up on a lot of pepper, but we should still be careful."
He couldn't help but sincerely want to advise Qin Yuan.
Qin Yuan said, "I appreciate my sixth brother's good intentions, and my mother and husband have also advised me in this way. Indeed, I must be cautious."
Gu Jingjun glanced at Gu Jinghui, who had been silent for a long time with a somber expression, and quickly said, "I'm fine now, so I won't bother you any longer. Third Brother has suffered from heatstroke and is probably still feeling unwell. He should rest well."
Gu Jinghui nodded slowly and said, "Alright, Sixth Brother, you can come to find me again in the future."
Qin Yuan also said, "Sixth Brother, please take care."
Gu Jingjun left Wutong Garden in a daze, wandering aimlessly around the courtyard, unwilling to return to his own main courtyard.
He strolled along the path to Aunt Zheng's courtyard.
In the courtyard, Aunt Zheng was singing a song.
"My heart is divided in two, oh my darling, both halves hold you..."
The long, flowing sleeves were swung in alluring arcs.
Normally, Gu Jingjun would have been in high spirits.
But at this moment, his heart was filled with inexplicable sorrow.
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