"Old Madam, what you said about the Ninth Prince is that he is slapping our Marquisate in the face."
"My eldest brother doesn't want to intervene because the girl who is getting married is from the second wife."
"It's all my fault. If our Jiaojiao could have been born into my sister-in-law's womb, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis's Mansion, I don't think the Ninth Prince would have been so negligent!"
Mrs. Du Er sat beside Mrs. Du, sighing and she squeezed out two tears when she talked about the crucial point.
Old Madam Du was originally upset about this matter. She planned to ask the eldest son to go and ask about it without the second son's wife having to put on an act in front of her.
After all, the Yong'an Marquisate has not yet been divided. Now that the eldest grandson of the eldest house has died in the war, and the old family has no more additions, the title of the Yong'an Marquisate must not be lost before she closes her eyes.
When she goes to the underworld in the future, it will be difficult for her to explain to the ancestors of the Yong'an Marquis Mansion.
Right now, the eldest son is unwilling to adopt the second wife's son. Because of this, the mother and son have not eaten together for a long time.
"Grandma, it's all my fault for not living up to my expectations. I've made you, at your age, a laughingstock in Chang'an because of me."
Seeing that Old Madam Du was slow to speak, Mrs. Du tugged at her daughter Du Jiaojiao's sleeve.
Du Jiaojiao understood and quickly knelt down. She looked up at her grandmother, her face full of tears and her voice choked several times.
"Grandma, it's all my fault. It's all my fault. I'm not doing my best."
Du Jiaojiao took everything upon herself, and Old Madam Du felt a little distressed.
He stood up tremblingly and helped his granddaughter who was kneeling in front of him.
She said earnestly, "You are a girl, don't say these things. If you want to blame someone, blame me, an old woman."
"Okay, take your mother back home to rest first, and let me think about it."
After receiving the confirmation, Mrs. Du pretended to comfort her mother-in-law before leaving with her daughter Du Jiaojiao.
Madam Du ordered someone to go and find Marquis Yong'an.
But even after the lights were blown out and the doors of the mansion were locked, Marquis Yong'an still hadn't returned.
Du Jiaojiao's marriage can no longer be delayed.
Old Madam Du ordered people to prepare a generous gift. The next morning, seeing that Marquis Yong'an had not returned yet, she asked people to invite the second son over and they went to the Ninth Prince's residence with her in a carriage.
Qin Zongzhi was having breakfast with Zhao Yunzhu. They both got up a little late this morning.
So I have breakfast now.
The steward came forward, looking anxious.
Qin Zongzhi put down his bowl and chopsticks, took the handkerchief handed to him by Zhao Yunzhu, and wiped the corner of his mouth. "Tell me, what happened so early in the morning that made you, an old fox, so embarrassed?"
The steward chuckled dryly twice, exchanged greetings, and then stepped forward and replied, "Your Highness, Madam Du and the Second Master Du from the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion have arrived. They are waiting at the door. Your Highness, do you think we should welcome them into the mansion first?"
The steward replied cautiously, occasionally glancing at the Ninth Prince's expression out of the corner of his eyes.
I was afraid that if I said a wrong word, His Highness would get angry, which would not be worth it.
“No, no!”
When Qin Zongzhi heard that the person coming was from Yong'an Marquis Mansion, he frowned and looked impatient.
The steward looked at Zhao Yunzhu in embarrassment and seeking help. After all, the person who came was Old Madam Du. If he stayed indoors, His Highness would probably be talked about.
Zhao Yunzhu patted Qin Zongzhi's arm and gently advised, "Old Madam Du is old. If she caught a cold from the cold wind, she would be criticized by others."
"How about inviting the person in first?"
Although Qin Zongzhi showed some signs of softening, his attitude was still clearly firm.
Zhao Yunzhu smiled helplessly, then suddenly an idea struck her, changing the subject. "It just so happens that I also want to go and see what's going on. After all, I've never seen Madam Du come to my house with such disgrace."
Qin Zongzhi's eyes lit up, and he tapped her forehead lightly, praising her with great satisfaction, "When did you become so naughty, little thing?"
Although the words were reproachful, the fondness in his eyes almost overflowed.
Qin Zongzhi instructed the steward to take the person to the front hall first.
He slowly accompanied Zhao Yunzhu to eat, and only waited until her bowl was empty before adding another chopstick. Qin Zongzhi also considerately brought her a cup of tea for rinsing her mouth.
Everything was ready, and Qin Zongzhi took Zhao Yunzhu's hand and walked leisurely towards the front hall.
"I'm here today, so you don't have to be afraid. I'll definitely be there to support you."
He was afraid that Zhao Yunzhu would be wronged, so he specifically told her in advance, "Don't be afraid of causing trouble for me."
"I see."
In the front hall, Mrs. Du and Mr. Du were sitting there anxiously waiting.
Hearing footsteps outside, the mother and son stood up to greet them.
Mrs. Du's smile froze on her face. Seeing Zhao Yunzhu walking into the front hall hand in hand with the Ninth Prince, Mrs. Du felt embarrassed.
When Mr. Du Er saw that the Ninth Prince was meeting them today, he specially brought Zhao Yunzhu with him. Isn't this a deliberate attempt to disgust the Yong'an Marquis Mansion?
Master Du Er bowed and was about to ask a question when he was secretly kicked by Madam Du. Madam Du gave the second master a look and shook her head secretly, signaling him not to say anything.
"Ninth Prince."
Although Madam Du is the elder, Qin Zongzhi is a prince after all.
He only raised his eyes slightly and glanced at the mother and son of the Du family, which was considered as turning back.
Qin Zongzhi acted as if no one was around and sat down with Zhao Yunzhu by his hand.
Old Madam Du and Mr. Du were still standing there awkwardly.
"Could it be that the chairs in this prince's mansion are too worn out and you two look down on them?"
Qin Zongzhi suddenly spoke coldly, and the words he said almost made the Du family mother and son choke.
Madam Du looked embarrassed and coughed twice. She replied as she sat down. "The Ninth Prince is really good at joking."
Qin Zongzhi didn't respond. The maid brought in some tea. He personally took a cup from the tray and carefully handed it to Zhao Yunzhu. "Take a sip to warm yourself up. The front hall doesn't need to be as warm as the room."
Seeing how caringly the Ninth Prince treated Zhao Yunzhu, Old Lady Du's expression grew even gloomier.
Mr. Du could only lower his eyes and pretend to drink tea to divert attention.
The Ninth Prince was so blatant, which showed that Zhao Yunzhu was very different in his eyes.
Seeing that the Ninth Prince showed no sign of slowing down, Madam Du coughed twice and finally looked away.
Just now he said, "Ninth Prince, the day after tomorrow, my granddaughter will come to visit..."
Qin Zongzhi had no intention of responding. He looked at Madam Du suspiciously, motioning her to continue.
Old Madam Du's face froze. She had never expected that the Ninth Prince could be like this.
She took a few deep breaths, her tone becoming more serious. "Ninth Prince, after all, this marriage was granted by His Majesty. Isn't it inappropriate for the Ninth Prince to neglect our Yong'an Marquisate like this?"
This is a euphemism and lacks confidence.
"Yes, the marriage was granted by the Emperor. He didn't say how to marry the concubine from the Yong'an Marquis's mansion, and I didn't say I wouldn't marry her. So, what crime did Old Madam Du come to question you about today? Tell me, what did I do wrong to provoke Old Madam Du to come and question me?"
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