Chief Zheng looked slightly embarrassed, but gently comforted her, "Nephew's wife, there's no need to worry too much. This matter can be discussed slowly..."
However, Gu Qinlan interrupted him without hesitation: "This matter is of utmost urgency! Uncle, Fenghui is the hope of our Zheng clan. If he cannot attend school, I will be restless day and night. However, my abilities are limited, and I am truly unable to shoulder this heavy responsibility."
She turned to the clan chief Zheng, her expression sincere: "Uncle, although we, the direct and collateral branches, rarely interact in daily life, blood is thicker than water, we share the same roots, and there is only one Zheng. Therefore, I entrust the matter of Feng Hui finding a school to you all. When the young master returns, I will definitely tell him everything about this matter, so that he knows the unity of my Zheng family. When he goes to the battlefield again in the future, he can fight the enemy with peace of mind."
These words left Chief Zheng speechless, unable to refute them.
After the group left the Prince Duan's residence, they suddenly realized that they had come to hold someone accountable, but instead had been given such a difficult task.
Zheng Fenghui was extremely unruly.
In this golden capital, which school would be willing to take him in?
They looked at each other, feeling helpless. What should they do?
Regardless of their inner turmoil, Gu Qinlan had already skillfully passed the buck.
She will not gain a good reputation for trying to find a school for Zheng Fenghui, no matter what the outcome.
If she finds a good place to go, that's her duty, nothing to be surprised about. But if she makes even the slightest mistake, people will say that she, as a stepmother, is not doing her job properly and is intentionally delaying the future of the eldest grandson of the Zheng family.
Considering the indiscriminate questioning attitude of these old folks, she decided to stop interfering.
As for whether they would find a suitable school for Zheng Fenghui, she didn't intend to worry about it too much. Could a good school easily change Zheng Fenghui's personality?
At that moment, she didn't try to correct Zheng Fenghui's idea; all she could think was, "Mind your own business and live a long life."
Gu Qinlan easily put the matter out of her mind and instead began to enjoy Gu Qinlian's performance.
Gu Qinlian's wedding date was approaching, and the wedding was imminent. However, at this crucial moment, Ji Yinli suddenly proposed to call off the engagement.
All of this was due to Gu Qinlan's intervention, which led Ji Yinli and his maid to learn the truth about the miscarriage.
When Madam Ji learned that the Gu family had bribed the nanny to secretly give the maid a miscarriage drug, causing the maid to lose her child and making it difficult for her to conceive again, she cursed and swore at home for several days.
“That heartless, vicious woman! She wouldn’t even spare an unborn child! How could a mere illegitimate daughter be so feared by her! She’s just a merchant’s daughter, yet she dares to be so arrogant! My poor grandson, why is his fate so tragic…”
As for the nanny who betrayed her master, she was kicked out of the house by Madam Ji.
Ji Yinli's courtyard was also not peaceful.
That maid had been with him since childhood and was his first woman, holding an irreplaceable place in Ji Yinli's heart. Having lost his child and finding it increasingly difficult to conceive again, his resentment towards Gu Qinlian was boundless.
The maid knew she couldn't compare to Gu Qinlian, so she stopped arguing and just silently held the little clothes she had made for the child, quietly shedding tears.
Ji Yinli looked at her with heartache and gently comforted her, "Lanyi, don't be so sad. Your health is the most important thing. Once you recover, we will have children again."
Lan Yi's eyes were blurry with tears, and her voice was weak: "Young Master, I dare not hope for anything more. Since the Gu family women cannot tolerate me, I do not wish to make things difficult for you any longer. As soon as I recover slightly, I will take the initiative to request to live on the estate. Thereafter, I will pray for you every day, wishing that Heaven will bless you to pass the imperial examination with flying colors soon. Once you have achieved success, you will no longer have to endure these grievances."
The name Ji Yinli seems to carry an indescribable sense of pride and vulnerability.
Ji Yinli was a man who was both extremely arrogant and extremely self-deprecating.
In his past life, Gu Qinlan spared no effort in paving the way for him, yet once he gained power, his first target was Gu Qinlan. He couldn't bear others questioning whether he had risen to his position through a woman's influence.
In this life, isn't the reason why the Gu family is so unscrupulous towards him because he needs their help, which makes them dare to be so arrogant?
The thought of being controlled by such a person in the future filled Ji Yinli with a suffocating sense of oppression.
So he went to Madam Ji and said something shocking that left her stunned: "I want to break off the engagement. I will never allow myself to marry such a narrow-minded and vicious woman!"
Madam Ji felt a wave of dizziness and anxiously questioned, "What's wrong with you! The wedding date is just around the corner, and you suddenly want to call off the engagement! Your marriage is already a done deal. If you don't honor the marriage contract, people will break your back!"
The scandal of Gu Qinlian seducing Ji Yinli had already been witnessed by everyone, and both of their reputations were ruined. If Ji Yinli were to break off the engagement now, the entire Ji family would face relentless condemnation. Furthermore, Ji Yinli would be barred from the imperial examinations due to his moral failings.
Ji Yinli knew that his mother's warning was not unfounded, and he felt even more bitter inside.
How could he be so foolish as to lose his mind so easily after being tricked by Gu Qinlian?
The thought that his reputation had been tarnished because of Gu Qinlian made Ji Yinli's anger even more uncontrollable.
Previously, he had been so infatuated with Gu Qinlian that he hadn't thought things through. Now that he'd calmed down, he began to re-examine his past with Gu Qinlian.
With each additional thought, Ji Yinli's expression grew even more somber.
Gu Qinlian, this woman, behaves in a wild and unrestrained manner, daring to be so frivolous, so in private...
Good heavens, what kind of true face does the woman who is about to become his wife hide?
Ji Yinli could not accept this and became increasingly agitated, feeling that his entire life had been tainted.
Gu Qinlian, however, was immersed in her own smug joy.
After resolving the thorny issue of the concubine's pregnancy, she openly proclaimed her secret of being reborn. Now, Madam Song dotes on her, and even her dowry has increased considerably. Although it's not as shabby as in her previous life, it's no longer meager.
She firmly believes that her future will be filled with happiness.
Once she steps through the gates of the Ji family, all the glory will belong to her.
After learning about their reactions, Gu Qinlan was filled with curiosity and anticipation for their married life.
Before long, the day of Gu Qinlian's wedding arrived.
As Gu Qinlian's elder sister, Gu Qinlian naturally had to return home to prepare her dowry and send her off on her wedding day.
While organizing her dowry, Fuyu complained, "Adding more dowry for her is less worthwhile than exchanging these things for steamed buns and bread to feed the stray dogs! At least feeding the dogs would get them to wag their tails and show their affection!"
Hongye chimed in, "Who says otherwise?"
The cost of the additional makeup would be at least several hundred taels of silver, which was truly painful.
Gu Qinlan also felt heartbroken.
In her previous life, her dowry was only worth a thousand taels of silver. When Gu Qinlian got married, she gritted her teeth and took out one hundred taels to add to her dowry, which resulted in her being ridiculed by Madam Song and Gu Qinlian for a long time. Madam Ji also blamed her in conversation, believing that she used her dowry to subsidize her family, causing her to suffer all kinds of grievances.
In this life, everything will be different.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
