"...This..."

Marquis Gu responded absentmindedly and haphazardly.

General Jin straightforwardly put it all on the line and said, "I’ll be honest with you, Marquis, as the saying goes, every family has its difficult scripture. My wife was a real tigress when she was young, always sitting on my neck and making quite a stink at home. If I wanted a peaceful life, well, I’ve had to learn to give in."

Gu Jinghui was at a loss for words: "..."

He really didn’t expect General Jin to have such a position at home.

His little wife would never treat him like that.

Thinking of this, Gu Jinghui wanted to speak, but General Jin had just started, and couldn’t resist giving Marquis Gu some heartfelt advice.

"For years, I haven’t dared talk about it, but my wife’s a real force to be reckoned with. If I don’t use some tricks, there’s no way to placate her. Disagreements between husband and wife can’t be allowed to escalate too much. One side has to give in, right? A fire in the household is the worst thing."

"Marquis, think about it. We could employ military strategy against her, but she’s the madam, someone who shares my bed, who cared deeply for me when she was young and entrusted her entire life to me. No matter how heartless I could be, I couldn’t betray her. Admitting fault and pacifying her is no big deal, as it’s only between the two of us behind closed doors. I just want the best for you, Marquis, which is why I’m showing my vulnerabilities here."

This heartfelt, earnest speech left Marquis Gu even more bewildered.

Marquis Gu asked, "But what about the book you showed me earlier..."

"That’s the culmination of my years of placating women," General Jin quickly said, "Every word from the heart, all authentically wise."

Marquis Gu was skeptical, frowning: "If it really works, why..."

General Jin sheepishly replied, "The techniques in that book are what I used on my wife when she was young. Now that she’s older, I use them to placate others. When my wife gets upset, all I can do is break out the big guns. Otherwise, how can I ensure harmony between my wife and concubines?"

"...So that’s how it is..."

Marquis Gu fell into deep thought.

Having revealed everything, General Jin had no more qualms and shared openly with Marquis Gu: "My wife doesn’t like me taking concubines, but I’m still a dignified husband, striving forward with my head held high. I can’t simply settle for one woman. Besides, some young ladies are enamored with me. I refuse them whenever I can, but some are irresistible—they’re especially charming, beautiful, and can’t live without me."

"Isn’t it said that the hardest kindness to resist is that of a beauty? Bringing a beauty into my home naturally makes the wife unhappy. I drop to my knees and soften up, as a signal that the household is still ruled by the tigress, and no one can surpass her. That way, my wife and concubines can get along."

This heap of reasons left Marquis Gu thoroughly impressed.

"General Jin, truly flexible!"

It seems that, in the pursuit of taking concubines and ensuring harmony, General Jin has had to kneel down and slap his own face quite a bit.

As he imagined himself kneeling before Qin Yuan, slapping his own cheeks, Marquis Gu couldn’t help but shiver.

To placate a wife, one must be both flexible and strong.

But...

He’s not quite there yet, right?

If he took a concubine...

Would Yuan’er be hurt and upset?

Or would she find ways to trouble him?

She’s quite the vengeful type; she wouldn’t let him off with just a kneel.

In conclusion, General Jin’s methods don’t apply.

Seeing that there was no solution from General Jin, Marquis Gu felt a bit downhearted. However, seeing General Jin’s sincere heart-to-heart, Marquis Gu could only say, "You make a good point, I’ll have to mull it over more carefully."

General Jin got anxious: "What’s there to hesitate about, Marquis? You have to placate early on; women are inherently petty, and a few reassuring words can cheer them up. Drag it out, and the resentment deepens day by day. Once it builds into major resentment, who knows how much care and silver it’ll take to placate it. If you ask me, Marquis, if the gentle approach doesn’t work, go for the hard one. For a wife as beautiful and capable as yours, showering her with affection is the right way."

Marquis Gu immediately responded: "Alright, got it. Got it."

Only after another lengthy lecture did General Jin leave.

Exiting the main tent, General Jin donned a stern face, and every whisker on his cheeks emanated an aura of solemnity.

Those who saw him might have thought Marquis Gu had assigned him a serious duty.

The counselor waiting outside to see Marquis Gu quickly asked, "How’s the Marquis feeling now? Is it a good time to go in and talk?"

General Jin shook his furry head: "He should be feeling alright now."

The counselor looked up to General Jin in admiration and gave him a thumbs up: "No one else can handle it like you."

"Alas..." General Jin sighed, "It’s all for Marquis Gu..."

The counselor flattered him with a grin: "No wonder the Marquis trusts you so much."

General Jin whistled with pride, waved him off, and swaggered away.

The counselor entered the main tent and saluted, saying, "Greetings, Marquis."

Marquis Gu looked up from the documents in his hand, glanced at him, and said, "From today, you’ll lead by example, select five counselors to accompany me for the Capital Inspection. Keep a close eye on things normally; this time, all six departments have officials collaborating, so report to me immediately if there’s any issue."

The counselor agreed and added, "Why not summon more people and keep them under watch like in the Great Camp."

Marquis Gu pondered for a moment and said, "We don’t know their ways yet; first, politeness then firmness, so just keep watch over things."

The counselor straightened his chest, solemnly saying, "Understood, I’ll finalize the candidates right away, ready for action tomorrow."

Marquis Gu stood up and walked out.

"Very well, check the hour, it’s time for me to return to the residence for a medicinal bath, the madam is still awaiting me."

The counselor turned and followed Marquis Gu out: "...Executing your orders..."

Marquis Gu walked a few steps, then turned and asked, "Are you afraid of your wife at home?"

The counselor was caught in indecision over whether to admit fear or not, hesitatingly said: "Uh... not bad."

Marquis Gu advised thoughtfully: "You should be afraid, only by fearing your wife can you advance. You don’t believe me, ask General Jin."

The counselor responded with an "Oh," thoroughly puzzled, then suddenly blurted, "Marquis, are you afraid of your wife?"

"Afraid," Marquis Gu immediately replied with pride.

It seemed fearing his wife was quite an impressive feat.

The counselor scratched his head and quickly said, "Actually, I’m afraid too. I’ve spent most of my time in the military, rarely going home, everything at home is managed by my wife. She’s the foster daughter raised by my parents, three years older than me, often watched over me when we were young, even hit me with a stick and made me cry."

"You’re lucky indeed; fearing and respecting her is right."

Marquis Gu threw out this remark and hurried off, seeming unable to stay a moment longer.

The counselor followed him out of the main tent, murmuring, "They all say the Marquis isn’t up to much, could it be true? Could it be that household pride is outshone, and the hen can’t crow? But why does the Marquis take pride, not shame? Is this how General Jin ingratiates himself? Truly a ruthless man!"