Yuan Qiu's words were overheard by the emperor who happened to be passing by.
"Are people outside spreading rumors about Lord De'an?" the Emperor asked in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, recently there have been many rumors circulating in the capital, saying that the Lady of De'an Township looks down on the daughter of the Marquis of Yongchang, and also saying..."
Chen Shaoyun truthfully told the Emperor the rumors he had heard outside.
"Such a thing actually happened!"
Chen Shaoyun could hear the displeasure in the Emperor's tone.
So Chen Shaoyun continued, “The Lord of De’an Township established the Hope Academy and set up a disaster relief fund, and took the lead in donating grain. How could such a righteous person harbor evil intentions as rumored?”
General Cen isn't a fool. If Lady De'an weren't a good person, why would he willingly marry into her family? Young Master Yuan is precocious; he can distinguish between good and bad. For him to defend her so fiercely, I suspect there's some misunderstanding."
Hopefully, the academy has greatly enhanced the emperor's reputation, and the disaster relief fund has filled the national treasury. Yang Cui's current position in the emperor's eyes is naturally extraordinary, not to mention Cen Xiao...
After saying that, Chen Shaoyun sighed slightly: "It's just that Lord De'an's background is a bit poor, otherwise how could he have encountered these things again and again?"
"Lady De'an is indeed a good person, but..." The emperor looked at Chen Shaoyun suspiciously, "Aren't you being a little too concerned about her?"
Chen Shaoyun smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it's not surprising that I was attracted to such an outstanding woman as Lady De'an."
emperor:"……"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor stared at him for a long time. Chen Shaoyun explained, "However, Your Majesty, please rest assured that I merely admire Lady De'an and have no desire to steal another man's wife. I would never do anything to affect the reputation or relationship of Lady De'an and General Cen."
If Yang Cui and Cen Xiao hadn't gotten married, he might have been able to compete for their affections, but since they were a loving couple, he could only offer his blessings.
"It's good that you know what you're doing," the Emperor said. "Go and find out who is spreading the rumors."
"Your humble servant obeys the decree."
"And that Lin Shikang, I remember he went to Gansu and Ningxia, right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Emperor seemed lost in thought and did not continue the topic. However, Chen Shaoyun knew that the Emperor was even more disgusted with Lin Shikang. Even if Cen Xiao did not take action, Lin Shikang would never be promoted in his lifetime.
The more outstanding Yang Cui is, the more it highlights his incompetence, and the more people will remember his despicable act of abandoning his wife and daughter.
Xia Zhen and Xie Feng, being very loyal, said they would help Yuan Qiu investigate the truth and clear Yang Cui's name.
The boys huddled together and began to discuss things in a rather serious manner.
Yang Cui was unaware that this matter had already alarmed the Emperor.
She prepared a table full of Yuan Qiu's favorite dishes, thinking she would have a good heart-to-heart talk with the child. When children hear things like "Your mom doesn't love you" or "Your mom doesn't want you anymore," even the smartest child, especially one who lacks a sense of security, will more or less wonder: "Does my mom really not want me anymore?"
In the evening, when Yuan Qiu came home from school, he saw a table full of his favorite dishes, and then he saw Yang Cui, Er Ya, and San Ya staring at him.
The clever boy asked directly, "Godmother, is there something you want to tell me?"
"Yes, let's eat first, and then we'll talk."
Yuan Qiu didn't touch her chopsticks. After thinking for a moment, she said, "It's about the rumors outside, isn't it, Godmother? I won't believe those rumors. You've been so good to me. I'm the person involved, and I know better than anyone else. I will definitely find out who's spreading these lies and clear your name!"
"This is an adult matter. You are a child, and children should do children's things. Godmother thanks you for trusting me so much, but Godmother still wants to tell you why you should get married after you turn twenty."
When the topic of marriage came up, Yuan Qiu's face turned bright red: "Well... I'm still young, but there must be a reason why my godmother is doing this, and I'll listen to you."
"Although most people get married at fifteen or sixteen, their bodies are not fully developed at that age, making it unsuitable for consummating the marriage and having children. Moreover, children born from consanguineous marriages have a high chance of having defects."
Therefore, I hope that none of you will marry cousins within three generations in the future, and I also hope that you will get married later in life.
"Qiuqiu, you're a boy, so getting married at twenty won't have too much of an impact on you. But it won't work for Daya and Erya. They're girls, and they're older, so it'll be harder for them to find partners. They can get married at fifteen or sixteen, but they shouldn't have children until they're at least eighteen."
Yang Cui's words made the children blush and lower their heads.
"My views are rather novel and differ from the majority of people's, so it's inevitable that some people will question them and others will make a fuss about it."
“Godmother, I understand. I will listen to you. Marriage is a major event that is decided by parents and matchmakers. Even if you want me to get married at thirty or forty, I will do as you say.”
Yang Cui laughed: "That won't do. Getting married too late is not good either. Around twenty years old is fine. If you take a fancy to a girl and want to get married early, that's fine too, so that your beloved girl won't be taken by someone else."
Yuan Qiu's face turned even redder.
She had a long, heart-to-heart talk with the children, and thankfully they were all sensible and mentally healthy, which saved Yang Cui a lot of trouble.
After dinner, Yuan Qiu and An Xiaohu returned to their rooms.
Not long after, Er Ya and San Ya also quietly arrived.
Er Ya said, "These days, only Madam Guo has come to our General's Mansion, but whether she was the matchmaker or not, only Mother and the people around her know."
“It must be her!” Sanya said. “Sister, you forgot? Madam Guo and Lady Yongchang know each other. Last time, she even acted as a mediator to help the Wang family reconcile with our mother.”
An Xiaohu said angrily, "That ungrateful wretch! She makes money off my sister and ruins her reputation! We can't let her get away with this!"
Er Ya: "She was the matchmaker, but she might not have actually done the work..."
“The Yongchang Marquis’s mansion would never reveal this matter to outsiders, as it would not benefit them. Therefore, the problem must lie with the Lady of the State.”
Sanya seemed very excited: "Brother, Uncle, how are you going to deal with her? Count me in."
"Mother won't let us go out, you forgot?"
After Er Ya reminded her, San Ya instantly wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.
“We men will handle this. You all stay home and relax.”
This is Kyoto, not the countryside, so it's not really convenient to take revenge on anyone. Yuan Qiu plans to discuss it with Xia Zhen tomorrow, as he has a lot of experience in this area.
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