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Xie Yun wasn't at all stage-frightened. Grand Secretary Gu stroked his beard and smiled, "Your granddaughter is indeed as good as her reputation says. She's generous and open-minded. I find her very appealing."
After saying that, he called the servant over and gave Xie Yun a pair of rosewood paperweights.
Thinking that this person was her grandfather, Yi Ning couldn't help but look at Mr. Gu.
He was the late emperor's bestower of the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and wore the robes of a first-rank official. He had slightly high cheekbones and arched eyebrows. The women in the room also whispered about Xie Yun, many with admiration and envy. After all, few girls were raised this way. Who could be like Xie Yun, who, at such a young age, already knew half of the court officials, and even had to pay Scholar Gu gifts.
Gu Xueshi then smiled again: "Seeing your granddaughter reminds me of my good-for-nothing grandson, who is now accompanying the emperor. I wonder if Miss Xie has met him?"
Xu Wei interrupted him, "Don't even think about it. She's already married. It's Cheng Lang, the Imperial Censor of the Censorate. You're trying to pull strings. Be careful, Master Cheng will punish you next time."
Only then did Gu Xueshi notice that Xie Yun had her hair styled like a woman's bun. He smiled and said nothing. He was anxious about his grandson's marriage, and whenever he saw a good match, he wanted to consider it for Gu Jingming's sake.
Xie Yun looked at Luo Shenyuan who was drinking tea beside him.
He spoke to Yang Ling, his slender hands holding the teacup as he spoke, the joints distinct. Yang Ling didn't know what he was talking about, but he smiled and leaned back in the armchair.
This man didn't like her, and her pride wouldn't let her do anything to please him. She could only blame herself for making a mess of the arrangements, which had led to him marrying someone else while she was already married to Cheng Lang.
Since she was going to marry Cheng Lang, it was time for her to settle down. She even couldn't tell whether she liked Cheng Lang or Luo Shenyuan.
Xu Wei smiled and said to Luo Shenyuan, "Shenyuan, I remember you and Miss Xie were quite close, right?"
After hearing Xu Wei's words, Luo Shenyuan stood up and said slowly, "Fourth Madam Cheng."
Back when he was at the Sun family, he had indeed interacted with Xie Yun. He knew Xie Yun liked him. Although he wasn't talkative, he knew exactly what everyone was thinking of him. He wasn't above using her when necessary. So Luo Shenyuan never deliberately got close to her, nor did he deliberately distance himself from her. It was only later that he deliberately kept his distance from Xie Yun.
Xie Yun's heart was filled with complex emotions. He looked directly into his eyes and said, "Lord Luo, long time no see."
Luo Shenyuan curled the corners of his mouth slightly, nodded and sat down.
Gu Xueshi found this a bit strange. This Miss Xie seemed to have some interest in Lord Luo...
Xu Wei sighed inwardly. Luo Shenyuan would surely gain more support by marrying Xie Yun than by marrying Yi Ning. Wei Ling, though Duke of Ying, was, after all, a military officer. Meanwhile, Xie Gelao was the backbone of the civil service. He couldn't understand Luo Shenyuan's thoughts, but now that they were both married, it was naturally impossible.
Mrs. Yang paid no attention to what was happening outside. She placed a piece of braised pig's trotter with bamboo shoots in Yining's bowl and said with a smile, "Sister Yining, eat quickly. The chef at the Xu residence makes the best pig's trotters."
Yi Ning thought Mrs. Yang was really straightforward and put a piece of pig's trotter in her bowl. "Don't be so polite, sister."
After dinner, Mrs. Yang took Luo Yining to talk by the pool next to the banquet hall.
The lotus pods have withered this season, but the ginkgo trees have turned yellow, creating a unique elegance. Madam Yang asked Yining, "Your husband is a minister, so he must be very busy, right? Yang Ling often comes home late."
Yining ate sunflower seeds with Mrs. Yang. "He's fine. He usually comes home on time. But sometimes he's busy until late at night."
Mrs. Yang's face turned unhappy. She lowered her voice and said, "I told you there's something wrong with that kid because he comes home late every day. I beat him but he refuses to admit it..."
Yi Ning almost swallowed the melon seed shells: "Sister Xuan Rong, did you hit Lord Yang?"
"What's the big deal?" Mrs. Yang said disapprovingly. "If you don't beat him, he won't learn his lesson. Beat him a few times and he'll remember. Your brother-in-law, Yang Ling, is so slick and smooth-talking. If you don't discipline him, he'll definitely lie to you all day. Sister, I just noticed that Mrs. Cheng is a little interested in Lord Luo. Lord Luo is a young and talented man, so there must be many people who like him. If he makes a mistake one day, you can whip him. You have the support of the Duke of Yingguo, so you don't have to worry."
Mrs. Yang was the daughter of a chieftain, the local ruler, a position passed down from generation to generation. In areas with chieftains, the people were often tough and sturdy. Mrs. Yang was very different from the noble ladies of the capital.
Yi Ning laughed until she cried. She could just listen, but she really didn't dare hit Luo Shenyuan; it would be like rebellion. But she nodded in agreement, "Don't worry, Sister Xuanrong. I will definitely live up to your teachings."
Who would have thought that someone behind him would chuckle, "Brother Shenyuan, listen, I'm so sorry!"
Yi Ning turned around and saw Luo Shenyuan and Yang Ling standing behind her. Yang Ling couldn't help laughing, while Luo Shenyuan had a stern face. Mrs. Yang then realized someone was eavesdropping. Yi Ning immediately stood up and looked at Luo Shenyuan's face. He didn't look very good.
Luo Shenyuan couldn't hold it in any longer and smiled. He walked over to her and pinched her chin: "With your physique, you still want to hit me? Huh?"
Yining felt his hand touching her chin.
She uttered an "ah" and said seriously, "I never said I was going to spank you. You probably heard it wrong."
Mrs. Yang glared at Yang Ling, not wanting to pay him any attention. Yang Ling rubbed his nose. Back then, his father had offended someone and was exiled to Sichuan to serve as an official. Upon his return, he excitedly told him he'd found a bride for him, a beauty as beautiful as a flower. He'd been waiting so long for this; who could have imagined marrying her would lead to such suffering? But he wouldn't argue with a woman; he'd just let Mrs. Yang have the upper hand.
Luo Shenyuan came here to ask Yining whether she should go and pay her respects to Gu Daxueshi, who was drinking tea with Lord Xu in the banquet hall, since he was her grandfather after all.
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