November.
The Qin family.
"What does Da Yu mean by bringing Zheng'er to the capital? They have no intention of releasing him."
The Qin family patriarch, still furious on his sickbed, asked, "Any movement from the Sun family or the Gong family?"
"Go home, Lord, but there is no sound."
"A bunch of cowards."
The head of the Qin family coughed violently. "Send a message to Da Yu: if Zheng'er is not released in three days, my Qin family will fight Da Yu with all our might."
"No, you mustn't..." a voice rang out, and the Qin family patriarch's brows furrowed immediately. "Brother, I know you want to save Zheng'er, but you can't gamble with the future of our entire Qin family..."
"Nonsense! This isn't a bet; Da Yu is trampling on the Qin family's reputation again. If we don't fight back, who will respect the Qin family in the future?"
The Qin family patriarch looked at his younger brother and hardened his heart. "Someone, take the Second Master back to the courtyard and immediately send someone to send a message to Da Yu."
"Big brother!"
“I am the head of the Qin family, cough cough cough... You have overstepped your bounds.”
On the way back to the courtyard, the Second Master Qin's every step was filled with anger.
"Second Master, please don't take what the Patriarch said to heart... The Patriarch was just worried about the Young Master and Miss."
"What's the use of worrying? As your second uncle, don't I worry too?" Second Master Qin angrily flicked his sleeves. "But the other families haven't suffered any real harm, only our Qin family."
"In my opinion, the eldest brother is being held back by his child."
"Second Master, you can't say that..."
"Alright, alright, get out of here."
Master Qin turned and headed towards a courtyard.
"Second Master, you finally remembered me..." A soft, boneless woman immediately pressed herself against Second Master Qin upon seeing him, her subtle fragrance instantly arousing him.
"Mei'er, it's more comfortable staying here with you."
"Second Master, have you had another disagreement with the Patriarch?" Mei'er gently tapped Second Master Qin's chest with her fingertips. "After all, he is the Patriarch and your elder brother, Second Master. He should be treated with respect."
"However... I think Second Master's talent is no less than that of the Master."
"Mei'er, don't talk nonsense." Master Qin's face seemed angry, but he didn't withdraw his hand from stroking Mei'er's shoulder. "Over the years, my elder brother has indeed devoted himself to this family."
"It's just that recent events involve Zheng'er and Ke'er, and my brother has become a bit confused."
Upon hearing this, Mei'er's eyes flickered, and she leaned close to Qin Erye's ear and whispered, "In that case, Erye can also make decisions during this period. Once the young master and young lady return safely, the Qin family will still be ruled by the head of the family."
"What's the meaning?"
"I have some medicine here that can weaken someone for a while, and coincidentally, the head of the household is currently bedridden..."
"You want me to drug my elder brother?" Master Qin's eyes immediately sharpened. He pushed Mei'er out, and Mei'er immediately clutched her stomach.
"Yes, I know that Second Master must think I'm an extremely wicked woman right now," Mei'er said, tears streaming down her face. "But who am I doing this for? It's only for Second Master, and for the child in my womb..."
"child?"
"The doctor has come to see me; it's been two months already."
Mei'er stared intently at Second Master Qin, "Now that the head of the family can do so much for the young master and young lady, if our child encounters a similar situation in the future, can Second Master protect him?"
"Mei'er, did you bump your stomach just now...?"
Master Qin quickly stood up and embraced Mei'er, "I was a little excited just now, I hope I didn't disturb the baby..."
The next day.
“Brother, what happened yesterday was my fault. After I went back and thought about it again, I realized that you are absolutely right.” Second Master Qin held a bowl of medicine. “Zheng’er’s safety represents the face of the Qin family.”
"It would be best if you could think it through."
The Qin family patriarch, caught off guard, accepted the medicine, frowned, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Brother needs to recover quickly so he can better handle the Qin family's affairs."
"I know what I'm doing."
......
"Release Qin Zheng within three days?"
Gu Lin scoffed at Ling Hai's words, "You want me to release his son? Are you ordering me to do that?"
"They said that otherwise, the Qin family would go to war with Dayu."
"If you want war, then let's fight. It's time for the swords of my Dayu soldiers to taste the blood of the aristocratic families. I'm not afraid of the Qin family." As soon as Gu Lin returned, the pressure on Gu Qingyan suddenly lessened, and he spent all his time running to Zhaoning Palace.
Sometimes he would even read to the baby in Jiang Yu's belly, ostensibly to give the child an early education.
Hearing Gu Lin's words, Gu Qingyan frowned. "Father, don't talk about fighting and killing in front of your younger siblings, lest you frighten them."
"Gu Qingyan."
The displeasure in her voice reached Gu Qingyan's ears, but he ignored it and instead continued to talk about the principles in the book, which made Jiang Yu both amused and exasperated.
"Alright, we can't keep Qin Zheng locked up forever. We need a reason."
Jiang Yu had already started to put on a cloak, making her look all fluffy. "How about this, let my brother take Qin Zheng to explore the tunnels in each region, and tell everyone that we asked Young Master Qin to help identify who made these tunnels."
"Pfft—"
Gu Qingyan couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Ayu's plan is excellent. If word gets out, the Qin family won't be able to find fault with it, and it can also drag the other families down with it."
Gu Lin also curled the corners of his mouth and looked at Jiang Yu, feeling that Jiang Yu was like a little fox.
“Ayan, you should also meet with Qin Zheng and exchange some combat experiences.”
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Laughter and cheerful voices echoed through the courtyard, and the palace servants serving nearby all wore happy smiles. Nowadays, everyone knows that working in the palace is an extremely desirable job, one in a million.
The Pei family.
"Master, Mei'er sent word that the matter has been accomplished."
Pei Jian was sipping his tea when he heard this, and the tea in his mouth tasted even sweeter.
“She is indeed a capable person and has not let me down,” Pei Jian said slowly. “Tell her that she will be well rewarded in the future.”
"Yes, Master."
"The patriarch is truly a master strategist, knowing that Second Master Qin would soften upon hearing about the child, and might even drug the patriarch of the Qin family."
"He's been frustrated and unsuccessful for so many years, only able to be a spoiled brat at home. He only has one daughter, so his child is his weakness." Pei Jian looked out the window. Everyone has a weakness. As long as you find the right spot to attack, you won't fail.
"Also, keep a close eye on Gu Qingfeng's side."
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