Xu Zhen felt very wronged.
Madam Gu chuckled, “My goodness, you were also raised by my sister-in-law… I’m not saying anything discouraging, nor am I, as her aunt, not protecting my own family. She is the Lady of the Marquis, and there are plenty of people willing to flatter and fawn over her. If you weren’t my niece, you probably wouldn’t even have the chance to stand before her. If she could be coaxed by a few sweet words, she wouldn’t have been able to take away half of the household management from your aunt after only a few days in the mansion.”
Xu Zhenxing's eyes were red, clearly showing her extreme dissatisfaction.
When she went to Wutong Garden to talk to Qin Yuan, she always had a smile on her face and racked her brains to find something to say. Qin Yuan's words clearly meant that she looked down on her.
Madam Gu glanced at her and sneered, "If you have any ambition, then find a way to marry into the Qin family. She has no choice but to accept it."
Xu Zhen gave a heavy, nasal "hmm".
Madam Gu said again, "She doesn't want to give it to you, but you still managed to get it. That's skill. In the future, she'll have to treat you well because of me and her cousin. With status, everything you do will be based on legitimacy and righteousness. Why are you worrying about these things now? The more she can't do anything to you, the more capable you seem."
Xu Zhen perked up again and said, "I think the few potted flowers that my uncle grows are quite nice. Why don't I take one to the Third Madam and tell her that she will teach me how to write poetry?"
This is an attempt to get Madam Gu to help obtain a potted plant, using it as a pretext for offering something in return.
Madam Gu Liu smiled and said, "When you move the flowers, tell your uncle that you think the flowers he planted are beautiful, and maybe the Third Madam will like them too. You want to use the flowers to curry favor with the Third Madam."
Xu Zhen paused for a moment, then asked, "It's not that my uncle doesn't like me..."
Sixth Master Gu openly and subtly warned Xu Zhen not to mess with the Qin family, but she knew he would never agree.
Madam Gu sneered, "He's now focused on befriending the Qin family. You say these flowers are worthy of the Qin family, and he'll be overjoyed. It'll be perfect for him to use you to deliver the flowers to Third Sister-in-law."
Xu Zhen: "..."
She felt ashamed of herself compared to her aunt; there was still so much she needed to learn.
Qin Yuan had planned to go out to find Dr. Li from Renhetang, but after finishing dealing with the chores of the stewardesses, she heard that Xu Zhen had arrived.
Hongye sighed, "Why are you sticking to me again?"
Cui Ming said, "Having seen the young master's talent and appearance, I can't bear to part with him."
If before she was only after the status of a scholar's wife, now she's after much more. Qin Siyuan's appearance and demeanor are truly rare.
Qin Yuan waved the fan in her hand haphazardly and said, "It's not hot yet. I was planning to go out, but now that she's here, I don't know how long we'll chatter."
It's truly a situation where you can neither get too close nor too far away.
Ignoring her would be heartless, but paying attention to her would be endless. What if we run into my cousin in the Wutong Garden one day?
Qin Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Have someone call me later and say that Shen Chang Le sent someone to invite me to the West Market to look at the dowry shops."
Hongye said, "What if she wants to go too?"
Qin Yuan could only say, "Then let's act according to the circumstances."
Qin Yuan was a little annoyed by her and it took her quite a while to go to the hall. As soon as she entered, Xu Zhen greeted her warmly and said with a smile, "Madam, I came early today, but I had to come early because of something."
"how?"
Qin Yuan and she sat down as host and guest, and a maid served tea and snacks.
Xu Zhen smiled and became even more affectionate than before, saying, "Today I saw that the flowers my uncle planted were beautiful, so I praised them and said that I wanted to ask Madam to teach me how to write poetry. So I asked my uncle to give me a pot of flowers as a donation."
As she spoke, she bent down and moved a pot of peonies from behind the chair, as if presenting a treasure.
The bright red double-petaled peonies are in full bloom, and the flowerpot is also very carefully matched. It is a white porcelain flowerpot from Ding kiln, and its whole body is as white as jade.
Qin Yuan's pupils contracted involuntarily, and she asked in surprise, "Did Sixth Brother plant this?"
Xu Zhen was very satisfied with her reaction and boasted, "My uncle is very dedicated to growing flowers. This peony was brought back from Gongchang, Gansu, along with some roses. But the peony is the best growing. My uncle said that peonies like coolness in the summer, so he specially ordered someone to build a shade structure for them. Madam, I went to great lengths to get this pot of peonies so that I could become your student."
Actually... when her uncle heard that it was for the Third Madam, he immediately presented her with the best peonies, and even said that she had good taste.
Xu Zhen glanced at Qin Yuan discreetly.
Today, Qin Yuan wore a light blue robe for receiving guests. The robe was embroidered with wisteria flowers on the lapel, with the tendrils winding and intertwining in a dense knot. The varying shades of embroidery made her skin appear fair and translucent. Colorful feathers dangled from the hairpins at her temples, swaying slightly and adding to her elegance.
Indeed, she is more beautiful than the flowers.
Qin Yuan sighed, "Sixth Brother, you've grown these flowers exceptionally well. You must have put a lot of effort into them. A gentleman doesn't take what others cherish, so I can't accept these flowers. Besides, you said you wanted to become my apprentice and learn to write poetry? My talent is too shallow for me to accept that."
Xu Zhen's smile froze slightly as she struggled to say, "Madam, my uncle promised to send these flowers. If you don't accept them, he will lose face."
Hongye lowered her head and secretly rolled her eyes, then interjected, "Sixth Master isn't such a stingy person. Madam is just worried that she won't be able to take good care of these flowers and will instead disappoint Sixth Master's good intentions."
“Yes, yes,” Qin Yuan said with a smile, “This girl of mine grew up with me and understands my thoughts very well. I’m not good at flower arranging. If I were to ruin them, not only would I be wasting Sixth Master’s hard work, but I would also be ashamed to face Sixth Master in the future. These flowers are blooming in Sixth Master’s flower garden. If I want to see them one day, I can just go and see them. Wouldn’t that be better?”
Xu Zhen was speechless with embarrassment.
Qin Yuan asked curiously, "How did you know I could write poetry? I rarely write poetry in front of others."
Xu Zhen: "...Well, I overheard my uncle and aunt chatting and they said that the lady is exceptionally talented and that some people praised her for her quick wit in poetry."
Qin Yuan sighed, "I'm afraid Sixth Brother has also misheard other people's rumors. Because my father is the Imperial Academy Chancellor, I had the advantage of being close to the source and learned to read a few words early on. But I didn't need to take the imperial examinations, so I didn't pay much attention to it. There are many talented young ladies in the capital, and some even compile poetry collections to sell. If I had that talent, I would have been known as a talented woman long ago."
Hongye also laughed and said, "That's right. Our lady is the daughter of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. If she were a talented woman, wouldn't she have been famous in the capital long ago?"
Xu Zhen laughed awkwardly.
Qin Yuan wanted to have someone send the flowers back, but Xu Zhen's face was extremely unpleasant. Hongye then said, "Why don't you leave the flowers here to enjoy for a few days before returning them to Sixth Master? They won't spoil if you leave them here for a few days, and even if they do, Sixth Master can save them."
Qin Yuan clapped her hands and laughed, "That's a great idea! It's rare for Sixth Master to grow these flowers. They're really beautiful. Peonies are the king of flowers, and peonies are the prime minister of flowers. I'm reluctant to return them to Sixth Master, but the thought of such beautiful flowers being ruined in my hands makes me uneasy. I'll admire them for a few days before returning them to Sixth Master, then I won't have to worry about that."
Xu Zhen smiled and said, "What you say is very true, Madam. This way, I can also give an explanation to my uncle."
He never mentioned learning poetry again.
Qin Yuan also breathed a sigh of relief.
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