Hong Ye smiled and said, "Miss Dong is well-known for her talent in both Gusu and Jinling. If her poetry collection were to be published, I’m sure it would sell well."

"I don’t know if it will or not, but it’s worth a try. There’s a ready opportunity now, and it’d be a shame not to use it. Last time she wrote to me, she mentioned her family was choosing a husband for her, and now her father listens to her stepmother, who wants to marry her off to her nephew."

Hong Ye exclaimed, "Miss Dong is indeed so pitiful."

Qin Yuan said, "This is the only way I can help her. If Sixth Master’s poetry collection hadn’t sold so well this time, I wouldn’t have thought of this idea. There aren’t many women in the boudoir who excel at poetry, so if someone does, it will certainly earn them fame among the scholars. If Miss Dong’s talent becomes widely known, her stepmother might change her mind. Besides, after marriage, the other party might be more wary."

In short, it’s better than silently accepting others’ arrangements.

Hong Ye sighed, "I never thought that a person as talented as Miss Dong would live more difficultly than a maid like me."

Qin Yuan smiled and said, "With me here, I definitely won’t let you and Cui Ming live difficult lives."

Hong Ye giggled, "I know, miss is going to let us make a fortune from pepper and become little wealth owners, but now we don’t even know where the pepper is."

Cui Ming happened to walk in at this moment and heard half of it, saying, "I guess it will be soon."

"How do you know?"

Hong Ye was puzzled.

Cui Ming rolled her eyes and said, "Miss knows, just you don’t know. Shouldn’t you think about why you don’t know?"

Hong Ye looked at Qin Yuan confusedly and murmured, "Yes, why don’t I know."

Qin Yuan smiled without saying a word. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Gu Jinghui had washed his face and came out. Qin Yuan hurriedly ordered someone to fetch food from the small kitchen and sent a bowl of yam, lily, and lotus seed porridge to the main room.

Gu Jinghui asked, "Why don’t you send some to the nieces and nephews?"

Qin Yuan replied calmly, "It’s not appropriate to send it now. Sending meat conflicts with filial piety, and sending vegetarian food is just seasonal vegetables, which the main room already has. The Old Madam and Nanny Rong are the ones responsible for their needs, so I won’t add to the chaos."

"True, mother wouldn’t treat them poorly."

Gu Jinghui sat down in front of the table and said to Qin Yuan, "I’ve asked you several times, and you always say you’ll tell me later. But once I get busy, I forget. Tell me now, so I don’t forget again."

Qin Yuan said reproachfully, "Why do you remember it now? Didn’t you say you were going to inquire in the market? What happened? Haven’t the people you sent to inquire returned to you?"

Gu Jinghui paused his hand that was about to pick up dishes with chopsticks and said, "Oh, I actually forgot about that too. What did they find out that they didn’t report back to me?"

He immediately stopped eating and got up to call Gu Shiliu outside.

Qin Yuan then let Hong Ye and Cui Ming distribute the vegetables and go eat.

Not long after, Marquis Gu walked in with a strange expression on his face. He sat down silently.

Qin Yuan sighed, "Why aren’t you talking? You found out the answer now, haven’t you?"

Gu Jinghui, both angry and ashamed, said quietly, "You knew it was about this all along, and you didn’t say it, did you?"

Qin Yuan nodded.

Gu Jinghui gritted his teeth and said, "I never expected it, everyone treating me like this... it turns out it was because of this."

The complex eyes of the imperial eunuch and the Minister of the Ministry of Works.

The reminders from the officials.

...

It turns out they were sympathetic because they believed he was impotent.

Qin Yuan quickly consoled, "The rumors are beneficial to the Marquis, why should you be so concerned?"

Marquis Gu’s hand shook, putting down the spoon and facing her, "This concerns my dignity as a man in the world. Why do you say this?"

Qin Yuan seriously said, "Husband and I are one entity, when you prosper, I prosper; when you suffer, I suffer. If it were detrimental to the Marquis, unless I was unaware, I would certainly inform the Marquis even if it was difficult to speak."

Marquis Gu’s expression naturally softened.

Qin Yuan added, "The Holy Emperor changed his decree, likely because he heard this rumor and developed a protective mindset towards you. This alone avoids so much trouble, doesn’t it?"

Marquis Gu nodded.

The dread from the king is most deadly, this is indeed a good thing.

Qin Yuan continued, "With the six ministers feeling sympathetic towards you, there’s less jealousy. You’ll face much less hostility in your future official career, isn’t that a good thing? Now the Emperor is wrestling with the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers over the Crown Princess Consort, and in the future, he might do something regarding the Crown Prince and Prince Qi’s rivalry. Dingbei Marquis Mansion’s allegiance is closely tied to the political situation, and with so many aiming at us, why not show some weakness?"

Marquis Gu was stunned.

After a while, he said, "Mr. Songshan is indeed brilliant, you truly are my good fortune, without you, I couldn’t have thought of this layer, just like Sima Yi pretending to be ill, right?"

Qin Yuan nodded with a smile, "Doesn’t husband already have the answer in his heart? Sima Yi feigned illness and withdrew from the court struggles to dismantle Cao Shuang, and since we can’t retreat now, people’s sympathy due to rumors does no harm, since it’s not true anyway."

Reflecting on Qin Yuan’s words, Marquis Gu’s mind was in a daze, sometimes thinking of the left, sometimes to the east, with many thoughts tumbling in his mind.

Suddenly, many things became clear, and his heart was at ease.

Yet, nothing seemed to have changed, he was still the same person.

The meal left him in a state, unsure of its flavor.

When it ended, he said, "We must remind Doctor Li not to spread it."

Qin Yuan said, "Don’t worry, Doctor Li understands the stakes and won’t say anything. But especially remind Sixth Brother and Treasure Bead, primarily Treasure Bead, in case they let it slip during a chat, I’ll speak to Mother."

Marquis Gu nodded firmly.

"I’m off to the Great Camp, you should take a rest."

Qin Yuan said, "Don’t rush off, I have something to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

Qin Yuan took out a drawing sent by Marquis Gu, looking at it with disdain, "Why did you draw such a fat horse? How much embroidery thread will it take? Even if I embroider one, how much effort would it require, can you wait?"

Marquis Gu’s stern face quickly blushed, "... This, this was drawn by Sixth Elder, I’ll speak to him."

Saying this, he snatched the drawing, hastily bundled it and stuffed it into his clothes, "I’ll go find him, have him draw something simpler."

Qin Yuan laughed lightly, softly saying, "Such a private mark is better drawn by me. If it’s not good, the Marquis can have me change it."

Marquis Gu was delighted hearing this, nodded immediately, "Alright, I’ll leave it all to Yuan’er, my dear Yuan’er, you are too good to me."

"You shouldn’t just give sweet talk, remember today’s words," Qin Yuan smirked slightly, extending her slender jade-like finger to lightly tap Marquis Gu’s nose, "Don’t just sulk and avoid people, and speaking of this, have you thought about what to do if it happens again, how should I punish you then?"