Chapter 183 Tearing Off the Face
It was almost time for dinner, and the old lady was happy for Qiuheng, so she specially instructed the kitchen to prepare several more delicious dishes and called over all the grandchildren who were at home.
Outside, it was freezing cold, but inside, it was warm and cozy. On one side sat Qiu Feng and Qiu Song, two grandsons, and on the other side sat Qiu Xuan, Qiu Yun, Qiu Fu, Qiu Ying, and Qiu Heng, five granddaughters.
The old lady hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time. She glanced at Qiu Heng, who showed no sign of pride, and smiled, "Heng'er will have an official title and a noblewoman in the future, so she'll have more confidence in everything she does. You should all take Heng'er as your role model and strive to be self-reliant."
Qiu Xuan and the others readily agreed.
Qiu Song asked curiously, "Sixth Sister, is 'County Princess' also a title?"
"Too."
"So they give you money every year?"
Qiu Heng nodded: "There will be a yearly blessing."
"So, whose annual salary was higher, yours or your grandfather's?"
"This—" Qiu Heng had never really thought about this question, after all, she never thought she could become a county princess before meeting Emperor Jingping.
The old lady frowned: "Song'er, why are you so curious about this at such a young age?"
Qiu Song looked on with envy: "I just want to know how rich Sixth Sister is."
"Study hard, pursue an official career, and you'll be very wealthy," the old lady encouraged her grandson. "Take that treacherous minister, for example; his annual salary can reach ten thousand strings of cash, something even dukes and marquises can't match..."
"Wow!" Qiu Song exclaimed in shock, his mouth agape. He turned and grabbed Qiu Feng's hand. "Second Brother, you must study hard! I just read in a book, 'If I become rich and powerful, I will not forget you!'"
He can't be relied on himself. Qiu Feng is good at studying, so it seems we can't bully Second Brother anymore.
Thinking this, Qiu Song secretly glanced at Qiu Heng.
Actually, ever since he witnessed Sixth Sister's abilities, he hasn't bullied Second Brother for a long time; he doesn't dare to anymore.
The old lady's face darkened upon hearing this.
This brat, as the eldest grandson of the main branch, all he knows how to do is play!
Qiu Feng murmured in shock, "The treacherous minister's salary is so high, yet he still accepted bribes from Northern Qi. His crimes are truly unforgivable..."
Growing up in such an environment, Qiu Feng was both timid and precocious. This boy, almost twelve years old, deeply understood the significance of bringing a treacherous minister to justice in this warm, spring-like room.
Sixth Sister is truly amazing.
The young boy looked at Qiu Heng with genuine thoughts.
It was in this harmonious atmosphere that Yongqingbo barged in.
His eyes were bloodshot, like a wild beast about to go berserk. Everyone knew he was the head of the family, yet they all felt an urge to "ram through."
Tension, discomfort... all sorts of emotions quickly enveloped Qiu Xuan and the others.
The old lady frowned: "Didn't the young master go out for drinks?"
Did he drink too much and come here to cause trouble?
Yongqing Earl ignored the old lady's words, staring straight at Qiuheng, and when he spoke, his breath reeked of alcohol: "Qiuheng!"
"grandfather."
The Earl of Yongqing was not fooled by the girl's obedient appearance and said coldly, "Come outside with me to talk."
The old lady placed her teacup on the table and said, "Say what you have to say here."
The old man was clearly drunk. What was he trying to do under the influence of alcohol?
The Marquis of Yongqing didn't even glance at the old lady, his eyes blazing with fury as he stared at Qiu Heng: "Come out with me!"
"Grandfather, please say what you have to say here," Qiu Heng said calmly.
Seeing the devastated look on Yongqing Bo's face, Qiu Heng roughly guessed the reason: it seemed he had heard about Emperor Jingping's original plan.
The news seems to have spread a little too fast...
Qiu Heng's mind raced, but her expression remained calm and composed.
"Alright." The Earl of Yongqing glanced at his grandchildren, then looked steadily at Qiuheng. "Sixth girl, did His Majesty originally intend to reward the Earl of Yongqing's family with the title of nobility for another generation?"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed, and all eyes fell on Qiu Heng's face.
"His Majesty did indeed ask whether the title of Earl of Yongqing's family ended with my grandfather."
The Earl of Yongqing was taken aback.
Although he asked the question, he never expected Qiu Heng to admit it so readily.
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, the Earl of Yongqing's gaze turned fierce, as if he wanted to devour someone. He gritted his teeth and asked, word by word, "Then why was it that in the end you were conferred the title of County Princess?"
The girl, who was being stared at like that, smiled gracefully and said calmly, "It was I who mentioned it to the Emperor."
"What gives you the right to bring this up?" The Earl of Yongqing pointed at Qiuheng, wishing he could tear her apart. "Do you know how important the title is to the Earl's mansion? Do you know that if one suffers, we all suffer; if one prospers, we all prosper?"
Qiu Heng calmly met Yongqing Bo's reddened eyes and slightly raised her chin: "I do know those things. However—"
She paused, then spoke with remarkable self-righteousness: "This is a reward from His Majesty. He asked me what I wanted, and is it wrong for me to want to reward myself? Why is Grandfather so angry?"
"Selfish! Unfilial! Scoundrel!" The Earl of Yongqing's voice rose higher and higher, and whether it was due to a crack in his voice or something else, he sounded somewhat choked up. "Don't you think about the Earl's mansion at all? Huh? Don't you think about the Earl's mansion at all?"
“Grandfather, please calm down. It would be bad if word got out that you were unhappy with the Emperor’s reward.”
Qiu Heng slowly poured a cup of tea and handed it over, saying, "Even if you're angry, you should think about the Earl's mansion."
She used to feign innocence and cleverness to secure a foothold in the Earl's mansion. Now that she has the title of County Princess, there are some people she no longer needs to indulge, such as the Earl of Yongqing.
“You—” Yongqingbo paused, then snatched the teacup, letting the tea splash out.
He really wanted to smash the teacup and all in Qiu Heng's face, but he wasn't drunk, and his rationality was still barely intact.
That wretched girl is right; no matter how dissatisfied he is, he can't let it reach the Emperor's ears.
But I just can't swallow this insult!
Uncle Yongqing looked around at his grandchildren and sighed, "Sixth girl, even if you don't care about my feelings as your grandfather, don't you think about your brothers and sisters?"
"Siblings?" Qiu Heng glanced at Qiu Song. "Does grandfather refer to the third brother?"
With no hope of passing on the title, the biggest loser is the eldest son's family.
Upon meeting the girl's cool gaze, Qiu Song jumped up immediately, shouting loudly, "Sixth Sister did the right thing!"
Oh no, why is Sixth Sister looking at him like that?
Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. It's the dead of winter now, there are no snakes—but even without snakes, Sixth Sister is still scary!
The chubby boy was about to cry, secretly complaining to Uncle Yongqing: Why did Grandfather have to bring up brothers and sisters all of a sudden?
The Marquis of Yongqing was furious, glaring fiercely at the old lady: "You're protecting this girl and that girl, but when something good happens, who remembers to think about the family? Isn't Song'er your most beloved grandson—"
Why am I here too?
Qiu Song was startled and quickly interrupted Yongqing Bo: "Grandfather, Grandmother said that those who study hard can become high-ranking officials with much higher salaries than you. I can study hard!"
Yongqingbo clutched his chest and swayed, almost fainting. For a moment, the faces he saw became blurry.
The old lady then spoke up: "Lord, you've had too much to drink, so go back and rest."
(End of this chapter)
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