Hongye immediately said, "I'll go out and take a look."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than she lifted the curtain and rushed out.
Gu Jinghui also listened carefully. He had been so focused on talking to Qin Yuan that he hadn't noticed the commotion outside and didn't know what was going on.
He quickly figured out the reason.
His handsome brows furrowed, and anger was already evident on his face.
When Qin Yuan saw his expression, her long, slender eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if she were lost in thought.
Hongye rushed in and said urgently, "My lord, my lady, Baique's parents have barged in carrying thorny branches and are kneeling in the corridor now."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yuan relaxed her brows and looked at Gu Jinghui, saying, "It's clear that when they went to beg Mother yesterday, she didn't agree. They're trying to take advantage of their age and ask the Marquis for some face."
Gu Jinghui suppressed his anger and asked her, "What does Yuan'er think we should do?"
Qin Yuan said, "They came to Wutong Garden because they think the Marquis wouldn't refuse them this respect, and besides..."
She drew out her words and looked at Hongye, saying, "I'm afraid it's also my girl's fault."
Hongye had received her advice last night and immediately understood the key point. She said angrily, "It was clearly Baique who did something wrong and the Marquis punished her. Why are they blaming me? They're just picking on the weak."
Gu Jinghui glanced at her, a hint of amusement flashing in his narrow eyes, and said unhappily, "You mean to make them blame me? You're such a servant..."
Qin Yuan quickly interrupted him, saying, "I would be grateful if Your Highness would help this girl."
She tilted her head back, and on her fair face, the fine downy hairs were clearly visible in the morning light. A small mole on the tip of her delicate nose made Gu Jinghui want to reach out and touch it.
He hid his hands behind his back, twirling them between his fingers, before saying, "Alright, this is all for your sake. You're such a nuisance, always driving me crazy. Only you spoil her. If it were up to me, I'd give her ten lashes to teach her a lesson and stop her from talking nonsense."
Hongye: "..."
Lord Gu is really not a good person.
She even spoke well of him in front of the young lady.
Qin Yuan chuckled and said, "Hongye, you should thank the Marquis, otherwise Bai Que's parents will hate you, and that will be troublesome."
Hongye then understood and immediately bowed to Lord Gu, saying, "Thank you, Lord Gu. I will serve you diligently from now on and will not dare to be presumptuous."
Gu Jinghui chuckled and snorted, saying, "You'd better remember that."
Qin Yuan reminded him, "My lord, Bai Que's parents are still outside."
Gu Jinghui peeked through the crack in the window and saw Bai Que's parents dressed in coarse cloth, carrying thorny branches on their backs, kneeling on the porch, begging the Marquis to give them some dignity and not to drive Bai Que away.
Gu Jinghui turned to Qin Yuan and said, "I can't just go out like this when I'm going to meet people."
He glanced at the clothes and accessories on the tray, his meaning quite clear: he wanted Qin Yuan to help him change.
Qin Yuan hurriedly said, "Hongye, hurry up and bring the Marquis's clothes over."
Gu Jinghui's lips curled slightly as he opened his arms, letting Qin Yuan do as she pleased. He remained silent, only occasionally squeezing Qin Yuan's hands, his expression still extremely serious, as if he were just casually playing with them.
Qin Yuan was speechless and could only let him be.
Before long, Lord Gu was dressed impeccably, with Qin Yuan even combing his hair again. He then walked out the door with his hands behind his back, coughed lightly, and said, "Mr. Qian, Mrs. Qian, you all watched me grow up. At your age, kneeling here makes things difficult for me. Just say what you want to say. I'm not the kind of person who is unreasonable."
Then he said to the maids beside him, "What are you all standing there for? Quickly help your Grandpa Qian and Grandma Qian up and help them into the house."
Lord Gu didn't wait for the two of them to speak before walking straight into the hall.
Qian Da and Qian Dajia originally wanted to stay put, but seeing that the Marquis had already gone to the hall, they had no choice but to get up and follow behind.
Qin Yuan and her two maids followed behind Lord Gu, thinking to themselves, "So Bai Que's parents' surname is Qian. It's just right that someone with the surname Qian is in charge of the treasury."
The treasury was managed by the most trusted person in the mansion, which shows that when the old lady betrothed Bai Que to Zhao Niangzi, she was genuinely treating the widow of the Marquis's benefactor. Who knew it would turn out like this?
Upon entering the hall, Mr. and Mrs. Qian were still standing there, carrying bundles of thorns on their backs, their faces grim, as if they had a bellyful of anger with nowhere to vent it.
Qin Yuan hurriedly asked Hongye and Cuiming to pour tea, and then said, "Please sit down and talk first."
The Qian couple remained silent and motionless.
Gu Jinghui said, "Madam invites you to sit down. What are you still standing for?"
Qian Da coldly replied, "This old servant wouldn't dare. What if I anger the Marquis and his wife and they kick us out?"
Gu Jinghui's face darkened.
Upon seeing this, Qian Dajia immediately said, "My wife and I have raised a daughter who has somehow offended the Marquis and his wife and is about to be kicked out. All the face that generations of our family have built up will be gone. I was hoping that the Marquis would not kick Bai Que out because of what others said. How dare you be so arrogant and sit here drinking tea and talking?"
Hongye couldn't help but speak up.
Cui Ming, being some distance away, coughed lightly.
Hongye glanced at Qin Yuan, then pouted and held back.
Gu Jinghui said unhappily, "If you want to stand, then stand. The reason I sent Bai Que out of the manor is not for any other reason. Bai Que did something wrong and made things difficult for me and my wife. She is not young anymore. The old lady has also mentioned to me that she would find a good family for her to marry into. I told her to go back and wait to get married. What's wrong with that?"
The old man, Mr. Qian, said with a forced smile, "Bai Que has the Marquis in her heart. How could she do anything to make things difficult for him? She only came to Wutong Courtyard to invite the Marquis on Zhao Niangzi's orders, but she didn't even get to see him. She was so hot under the sun that she felt dizzy. When she woke up, she heard that the Marquis was going to kick her out. Bai Que cried her heart out and wanted to die. We, the old man and I, had no other choice but to swallow our pride and come to beg for forgiveness, pleading with the Marquis to let Bai Que stay. If she is kicked out, how can she live?"
Qian Dadao said, "If the Marquis wants to kick her out, there's nothing a servant can say. Who told me to be so blind as to displease my master? But Bai Que has always valued the Marquis more than her own life. She's been devoted to him since she was little, and she insisted on working in the old lady's courtyard just to fulfill her obsession. The Marquis's actions are really too much for this stubborn girl. She won't eat or drink, and it breaks the hearts of her parents."
Having said that, Gu Jinghui glanced at Qin Yuan, who understood that Lord Gu was at a loss for words.
Bai Que's parents were indeed clever; their words subtly revealed Bai Que's deep affection while also putting their own faces in embarrassment.
Unless they had committed some serious mistake, any master would have given the elderly couple some dignity and kept them here.
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