When Old Marquis Qi went to tell the old Madam Qi about the marriage matter, she instantly flew into a rage. “What?! Propose marriage? With who?!”
She thought the old marquis and Qi Zhen had lost their minds, trying to make peace with the Feng family and cozy up to Empress Feng. She immediately grabbed the jade hammer at her side and smacked it down hard on Qi Zhen.
Qi Zhen was utterly aggrieved. “Mom! I didn’t agree to anything! I didn’t even say a word, why are you hitting me?”
Why was the old lady being so unreasonable?
What did he do wrong?
Shouldn’t she be hitting his dad instead?
Why always pick the softest persimmon to squeeze?
The old Marquis completely ignored his son being beaten and simply held down the old Madam’s hand, chuckling, “Calm down first. Let me finish talking.”
Then he explained what Qi Yuan had agreed to.
The old Madam was still skeptical. “With a family like the Fengs? Feng Jun and Feng Caiwei were both rotten to the core. Are they really capable of producing a good egg?”
Her words were harsh, but she wasn’t wrong.
Two out of two from the Feng family had already proven disappointing.
The old Marquis lowered his voice. “This time is different. Yuanyuan said herself, if Changting could marry Feng Caiyin, that would be his blessing.”
Huh?
Yuanyuan said that?
The old Madam immediately set the jade hammer down and called out, “Little Su! Go call the second madam and second master. Tell them I have something important to discuss.”
Little Su quickly responded and ran off.
Qi Zhen rolled his eyes internally. He really had no status in this household. Took a beating for nothing, and the old Madam didn’t even look at him afterward.
The second master and second madam soon arrived, thinking something urgent had happened.
When they heard it was about a marriage proposal for Qi Changting, the second master said, “Ah?” a bit awkwardly. “Weren’t we planning to wait until he passed the county-level exam before deciding?”
The second madam shot her husband a glare. Had this man gone dumb from editing texts at the Hanlin Academy?
That had been ages ago.
They’d already started looking at matches for Changting recently, and here he was still dreaming!
She ignored her husband and turned to the old Madam. “Mother, what sort of family is it? Is it the one from your side you mentioned before?”
Qi Changting had always been an obedient and thoughtful child, very filial these past years.
Especially compared to that good-for-nothing Qi Yunting, his virtue only made Changting shine even more.
The old Madam loved him dearly and had once suggested marrying a grandniece from her own family.
But now, she shook her head. “No, it’s the Feng family.”
The Feng family?!
The second madam was stunned. “You mean Feng Caiwei’s family?”
You couldn’t blame her for being shocked. She clearly remembered how, just a few days ago, Qi Yuan had arranged for Feng Caiwei to be torn apart by dogs.
And now they wanted to arrange a marriage with the Fengs?
Wouldn’t bringing one of their daughters into the household throw everything into chaos?
Seeing the second madam so tense, the old Marquis coughed lightly. “Now, second daughter-in-law, don’t get worked up.”
He explained how Feng Yuzhang had come to apologize, then added, “What happened with Feng Jun and Feng Caiwei is in the past. The Feng family’s current attitude makes it very clear, they want to make peace with us.”
The second madam began to understand.
Still, she hesitated.
Marriage was a lifelong matter. As parents, of course they wanted their child to find happiness.
She opened her mouth, bit her lip, and said, “But…”
The old Madam soothed her, “No need to worry, we’re not settling it just yet. Yuanyuan said this girl, Feng Caiyin, is an excellent young lady: obedient, sensible, gentle in temperament. Very well-matched with Changting.”
That calmed the second madam a bit. For some reason, she always trusted Qi Yuan’s judgment.
Seeing this, the old Madam smiled. “Besides, we’ll let the young ones meet first, see if they suit each other. Yuanyuan’s not the sort to force things. She also hopes this marriage will be smooth and pleasant.”
With that, the second madam was fully at ease.
She exhaled. “Then I’ll go ask Yuanyuan.”
Qi Zhen finally spoke. “Maybe wait a bit. She’s quite busy right now.”
Indeed, Qi Yuan was sitting beneath a tree in the courtyard with Lai Chenglong. Summer was nearly over, and the leaves had begun to yellow, occasionally fluttering down onto the stone table.
Lai Chenglong looked at the snacks spread on the table and beamed. “Not gonna lie, these past days in Japan were absolute torture! I haven’t had a proper meal in ages!”
Baizhi, who often accompanied Qi Yuan on outings these days, had grown more worldly. She wasn’t even afraid of the Embroidered Uniform Guard anymore. She smiled brightly and said, “Well then, Lord Lai, you’re in luck. These spicy cold tripe slices and braised duck feet with mushrooms were all made personally by our lady!”
From the wall, Liu Jin spat dramatically. Totally indignant.
Why did Lai Chenglong get to eat tripe and duck feet personally cooked by Miss Qi?
What about him? Was he not worthy?
Lai Chenglong’s eyes sparkled. He immediately grabbed his chopsticks and finished the dishes in just a few bites like a gust of autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves.
Baizhi and Lianqiao stared, eyes wide.
Had Lord Lai not eaten in days?
Lai Chenglong gave Qi Yuan an embarrassed smile. “Please forgive me, Miss Qi. The food in Japan was like swallowing phlegm, I nearly got sick from it. Many thanks for your hospitality.”
Qi Yuan shook her head bluntly. “No need to thank me. This wasn’t actually made for you. I made it for my grandmother.”
…
Lai Chenglong paused, then coughed. “Miss Qi, honesty is a virtue, but one doesn’t always have to be too honest.”
Baizhi burst out laughing.
Qi Yuan also smiled and told her, “Bring a plate of crispy apple pastries, and pour a bowl of rose dew tea for Lord Lai.”
Liu Jin grabbed Old Zhao’s sleeve, furiously pounding on his shoulder. “Why?! Why don’t I get apple pastries?! Why don’t I get rose dew tea?!”
Old Zhao glared at him. “Will you shut up already?! Have some dignity!”
Ugh. He used to think Babao was childish, but now that Babao was gone, Liu Jin was just as bad.
Liu Jin huffed, “I’m writing a letter to His Highness!”
Hmph! Apple pastries? Duck feet?
He was telling everything to the prince!
Qi Yuan, meanwhile, got to the main point. “So, this trip to Japan, did it yield anything?”
Lai Chenglong instantly turned serious, replying with a nod, “Yamana brought back Huailiang Qin Wang’s head. That led to a full-scale battle between the two factions, Huailiang Qin Wang’s side lost over 2,000 men, and Yamana’s side lost more than 3,000.”
Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to get early access to at least 20+ chapters in advance? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)
