Qin Wan said, "It was originally arranged, but the man broke off the engagement. My mother-in-law said that once Lin Ziqi passed the imperial examination, she could help my cousin find a good match among her classmates at the Imperial Academy."
Madam Cui smiled and said, "You're quite the shrewd mother-in-law."
Qin Wan said, "That's good. She's married well, and Ziqi will have one more helper in the future."
Cui said, "What cousins? You'd better be careful, or you'll cause some trouble."
Qin Wan curled her lip: "Ziqi only has me in his heart and eyes, how could that be? He's not that kind of person. My cousin is a country girl, how much worldly experience could she have? Can she compare to me?"
That kind of person?
Someone like Lord Gu?
Cui sighed inwardly.
Knowing that she couldn't reason with her daughter and that continuing would only upset her, she smiled and said, "They're eating out today, so we'll eat inside. You can eat first and then go back with your son-in-law. You've already lost weight in just a few days."
Qin Wan complained, "Ziqi's mother is really difficult to deal with. She has to be strict about eating. Even when I buy something to eat with my own money, she stops me. There are only a few edible dishes on the table. She also says that Ziqi is studying hard and that he should eat first. Ziqi said this a few times and she started crying."
Madam Cui frowned and said, "Didn't you say that your mother-in-law is the most amiable and easy to get along with?"
Qin Wan said, "She doesn't speak loudly, she just keeps crying. Ziqi will beg me to be a little more tolerant, saying that he will be good to me and repay me properly in the future."
Cui: "..."
I can't eat a single bite. What's wrong?
Outside, after several rounds of drinks, Qin Jijiu became more talkative, bringing up the matter of Qing Feng's killing of Cui Zhu. He said, "After the death of his wife, Cui Zhu, a powerful minister in Qi, married a second wife named Tang Jiang. After they had a son, he wanted to leave the family business to his younger son and wanted to depose the two legitimate sons born to his first wife. Tang Jiang's son from her first marriage was also brought to the Cui family, and he and Tang Jiang's younger brother were highly valued by Cui Zhu. Together, they drove the two legitimate sons to the brink of despair, and then joined forces with Qing Feng to take back the family business."
Gu Jinghui asked in surprise, "And then what happened?"
Qin Heng quickly replied, "Brother-in-law, I know this. I studied it when I was studying in the outer dormitory."
Qin Jijiu smiled and tested his son, saying, "Then tell your brother-in-law."
"Qing Feng, who resented Cui Zhu for gaining power, wanted to get rid of him. Seeing the internal strife in Cui Zhu's family, he was naturally pleased and lent troops to Cui Zhu's two sons. While Cui Zhu was meeting with Tang Jiang's eldest son and younger brother, he killed them both. Cui Zhu fled to Qing Feng for help, but Qing Feng sent men with troops to storm into the Cui family and kill the two sons. Tang Jiang committed suicide. Tang Jiang's youngest son happened to be away and was spared. Cui Zhu returned to the Cui family with profuse thanks, only to find that all his retainers had fled and Tang Jiang was dead. He then realized that he had fallen for Qing Feng's poisonous plot, but with no hope of revenge, he committed suicide. In the end, it was his youngest son who secretly returned, buried his parents, and fled to another country."
Qin Heng spoke eloquently, leaving Gu Jinghui feeling as if struck by lightning.
Qin Jijiu said, "You are right. Tang Jiang was too beautiful. Duke Zhuang of Qi was infatuated with Tang Jiang and the two had a secret rendezvous. He was also killed by Cui Zhu. Later generations said that Cui Zhu was destined to perish after marrying Tang Jiang."
Lin Ziqi frowned, not understanding why this story had come up, so he interjected, "Cui Zhu originally went to mourn, but when he saw the widow Tang Jiang, he was tempted. It's true that even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. It's one thing for him to remarry Tang Jiang, but he shouldn't have brought Tang Jiang's son from her previous marriage to the Cui family. With Tang Jiang giving birth to a younger son, the son born to his ex-wife would naturally be in danger."
This is a fairly standard way of saying things; that's what people generally say.
Gu Jinghui asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Lin Ziqi looked at Lord Gu strangely and said, "Tang Jiang's son from her first marriage is older and has been highly valued by Cui Zhu. Naturally, he hopes that the Cui family's wealth will fall into the hands of his half-brother so that they can enjoy lasting prosperity. He and his uncle already have power, and they can also join forces with Tang Jiang to speak ill of the two legitimate sons in front of Cui Zhu. Cui Zhu was even willing to kill Duke Zhuang of Qi for Tang Jiang's sake. How could he not be so foolish as to depose the legitimate son and establish a son of a concubine?"
Gu Jinghui suddenly slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "How could such a thing happen in the world? How could there be such a muddle-headed person?"
Qin Jijiu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood something. He smiled and poured wine for Gu Jinghui again, saying, "Come, come, come, my dear son-in-law, drink this cup of wine. If you drink it, I still have a story to tell you."
Gu Jinghui drank it all in one gulp.
Qin Jijiu then had his son pour wine for his elder sister's husband.
Gu Jinghui then downed the rest of his drink in one gulp.
Qin Jijiu glanced at Lin Ziqi.
Lin Ziqi understood and smiled, saying he wanted to toast his brother-in-law.
Gu Jinghui did not refuse and drank three cups in a row, only his face turned slightly red.
Lin Ziqi watched as Lord Gu drank as if it were water, and he couldn't understand how Qin Yuan could get along with such a vulgar man.
This is something even elementary school children know, yet Lord Gu is completely unaware of it.
Judging from the poems Qin Yuan wrote in response to his and the policy documents he copied and annotated, Qin Yuan was quite talented.
Lord Gu's skills probably lie in clubs, swords, and spears.
This is truly a case of a clever wife sleeping with a clumsy husband.
Lin Ziqi felt a pang of regret, and a few inexplicable thoughts began to linger in his mind. He suddenly spoke up, "Eldest sister is well-versed in history books. Brother-in-law can consult her more often in the future, and it will certainly not be wrong."
Qin Jijiu glanced at him and said with a smile, "Ziqi doesn't know this. Yuan'er and the Marquis and his wife were just joking around and gave him this question to make things difficult."
Lin Ziqi took a sip of wine and sighed, "Big Sister is really unexpected."
Qin Heng said, "Eldest sister is the most studious among us. My cousin Siyuan said that if eldest sister were a man, she would probably pass the imperial examination."
Seeing that Lin Ziqi's eyes were a little red and his ears were also red, Qin Jijiu quickly laughed and said, "What do you know, you're just a kid. Your cousin Siyuan is just joking with her. Is it so easy to become a Juren? There aren't many in the whole country. Yuan'er just had the advantage of being close to the source and read a few more books. She has a good memory. You guys really can't compare to her in that respect."
Lin Ziqi took another sip of wine and then fell silent.
Gu Jinghui nodded proudly, "Yuan'er is exceptionally intelligent and sensible. It's all thanks to my father-in-law's excellent upbringing. My mother praises her every day, saying that marrying her is truly my blessing."
These words shocked Lin Ziqi so much that he dropped his wine glass and shattered it on the ground.
"Silly boy, quickly help your second brother-in-law out for a walk to sober up. He has a low alcohol tolerance and can't drink too much," Qin Jijiu hurriedly instructed.
Qin Heng wanted to hear his brother-in-law and father talk, but he could only pout and help Lin Ziqi out.
Gu Jinghui looked at Lin Ziqi's figure with a meaningful look in his eyes.
The main room of the Marquis's residence.
Madam Gu was also quite shocked by the story. After Qin Yuan left, she said to Rong Mama, "The ancients have made such mistakes before. We can't follow suit and be foolish. The daughters of scholars are different. They can think deeply about even the smallest things. Wealth can move people's hearts, let alone the wealth of a marquis's mansion. Quickly persuade Zihe to come back and drive Baique out. There is no room for sentimentality in this matter."
We need to quickly find a way to get rid of Zhao Niangzi and the twins.
She won't be able to sleep if she waits any longer.
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