Chapter 395: What Is She

The Lin Family suddenly plunged into chaos.

"Why has it happened again so suddenly? Wasn’t it you causing trouble? A wise wife brings less misfortune. Oh, my poor son, you really are foolish to have married such a troublesome woman."

Mrs. Lin cried out pitifully.

Qin Wan retorted, "I sought out the doctor through my family, how am I not virtuous? Why has my husband become like this? Ask him when he wakes up, wasn’t it because he didn’t follow the doctor’s instructions?"

She wasn’t afraid of what Lin Ziqi would say upon waking, assuming he wouldn’t have the nerve to expose the truth.

Seeing her defy so confidently, Mrs. Lin leapt up and spat fiercely, the spittle landing on her face.

Lady Yu, beside them, gasped theatrically, clutching her handkerchief tightly, her eyes wide with excitement.

Mrs. Lin pointed at Qin Wan viciously and said, "Do you think I don’t know how you little trollop seduce men in private? Whenever the man comes home, you cling to him like a leech. Otherwise, how could he be like this? He’s always been frail, the doctor said to nurture him carefully, not to overexert him with lovemaking. You only care about your own pleasure, not if your husband’s body can handle it. And what did you say behind his back this time to make him angry and fall ill?"

If it were the previous Qin Wan, she would have been so ashamed and mortified, wishing she could sink into the ground, letting Mrs. Lin deal with her as she wished.

But Qin Wan had changed, running out of the room with her face covered, making a scene in the courtyard.

"How can there be such a mother-in-law in this world who spends her daughter-in-law’s dowry yet forces her to die? Oh, my poor husband, are you even your mother’s son? Which mother would behave like this, giving only one tael of silver a day? There’s hardly any meat on the table. How can my husband, who is preparing to take the Advanced Scholar exam, not have headaches eating only this?"

Qin Wan’s voice wasn’t as loud as Mrs. Lin’s, but it was sharp.

The uproar immediately drew a crowd around the courtyard.

Heads poked out from the walls shared with the neighboring houses.

Mrs. Lin was quite frightened, hastening to pull Qin Wan back inside.

Qin Wan refused to move.

Mrs. Lin called Lady Yu to help, and Lady Yu took the chance to vent her anger, using hidden force, causing Qin Wan pain, who then dragged Yanhong into the fray.

As a result, the four women were wrestling with each other in the courtyard.

Leaving Lin Ziqi alone in the room.

...

Perhaps it was the presence of Sixth Master Gu that made Marquis Gu feel the meal was much tastier than usual.

After dinner, they lingered briefly before Marquis Gu considered returning to Wutong Garden but felt it might be inappropriate.

"Isn’t this too hasty, too easy to be appeased?"

Marquis Gu pondered silently, then decided to summon Mr. Songshan for a conversation.

Mr. Songshan arrived quickly and said upon entry, "I thought the Marquis would summon me sooner or later."

Because he was mindful that the Gu Family was in the midst of affairs, Mr. Songshan dressed plainly and behaved in a more restrained manner than usual.

Marquis Gu greeted him with a smile, "I assume you have heard the news, sir."

Mr. Songshan nodded, "Yes, Madam arranged for Brother Qi to stay by my side. That child doesn’t speak much but is very likable, so I am aware of all the big and small matters in the mansion."

"Brother Qi," the Marquis chuckled, "truly like mother, like son."

Mr. Songshan was puzzled by this, and upon learning of Old Lady Qi’s capabilities, he marveled, "It seems the Marquis has no shortage of such talents around him, which is a good thing."

Marquis Gu replied, "Just a stroke of luck and the blessings passed down by the ancestors."

Mr. Songshan brought the topic back on track.

"The Holy Emperor has shown signs of protection towards the Marquis. Hence, there’s no need for you to feign illness anymore."

Marquis Gu chuckled lightly but remained somewhat baffled and asked, "The Holy Emperor has been suppressing my memorials before, and many officials in the court have pondered over this. Why was there a sudden change today, approving my proposal?"

Mr. Songshan sighed, "Hence the saying, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. The Emperor, in his high position, has too much to balance. He must discern the intentions, sincerity, and intelligence of those around him, scrutinize their nature, and verify the truthfulness of their words and the reasons behind them. Even a minor incident can influence the Emperor’s judgment. Thus, not only is it challenging to be an Emperor, but also to be a close minister. Previously, the Holy Emperor’s intent to use you as a blade was obvious. This sudden change indicates either some development in the Crown Prince’s matter or someone has spoken on your behalf, fostering a sense of protection in the Holy Emperor. Which do you think it is, Marquis?"

"Thank you for enlightening me, sir. I guess someone has probably spoken for me in front of the Holy Emperor," Marquis Gu realized.

Mr. Songshan nodded and then shook his head, "Curious, curious, but as I’m distanced from the court, I’m unsure about these matters. The Marquis could send someone to inquire in the streets. News spreads quickly in the theater, though it mixes truth with falsehood."

Marquis Gu agreed to do so.

Mr. Songshan then stroked his beard and asked, "What does Madam think?"

Marquis Gu replied sheepishly, "I haven’t had the chance to discuss it with her yet, I’ll ask when I return."

Mr. Songshan said, "That’s good. Since the imperial edict has been issued, the Ministry of Revenue’s proposal will soon follow. The Marquis should quickly assign people to start working. Although Madam is young, she possesses considerable insight. As the saying goes, three humble men make a Zhuge Liang; if there’s anything the Marquis wishes to discuss, you can invite Madam and me to deliberate. Perhaps there is something useful."

Marquis Gu laughed, "Agreed, let’s settle on that."

Happily sending Mr. Songshan off, Marquis Gu had one more reason to hurry back to Wutong Garden.

Yet, when he excitedly stepped into Wutong Garden, he found Qin Yuan nowhere in sight.

Inside, the lamps were brightly lit, and outside, autumn insects chirped merrily, but he felt far from happy.

Breathing in was loneliness.

Breathing out was still loneliness.

"Where has Madam gone?"

"To the main house,"

the young maid on duty quickly replied.

Marquis Gu paused for a moment, then quickly left.

For some reason, he couldn’t wait for his young wife to return; after all, he was fast on foot and would catch up quickly.

Marquis Gu took only a few steps before he sped towards the main house.

"The Marquis is really..."

Mo Zhu marveled.

Hong Mian sighed, "The Marquis is eager to see Madam."

Upon reaching the main house, before even entering the yard, Marquis Gu heard Gu Baoshu shouting inside, "If I weren’t afraid of disturbing my sixth sister-in-law, I would have beaten that surnamed Chang until her guts spilled out today. How dare she slander my third brother, she really has some nerve!"

"I think it’s you who are bold!"

Old Madam Gu’s voice was full of exasperation.

Marquis Gu stopped his footsteps and listened quietly.

"Mother! Her spreading rumors about Third Brother is a direct slap to our Marquis Mansion’s face. God knows what gave her the courage. Where she is, I won’t be. Where I am, she won’t be. I just don’t believe others won’t give me this face. Let’s see how long she can stay in the Capital City!"

"You don’t even know who gave her the courage, and you dare to speak like this," Old Madam Gu said more sternly. "In another year or two, you’ll be looking at prospective families. She’s not worth fighting over. She’s already been married once!"