Chapter 82: Do You Take Me for a Fool?

Qin Yuan glanced at Gu Jinghui and asked, "Husband, did you go to the training ground to practice martial arts?"

"Yes."

Qin Yuan didn’t say anything further, slowly picking out the jewelry in her makeup box, ignoring the Marquis Gu steaming in the room.

Cui Ming dared not make a sound, silently combing her hair.

Hong Ye was summoned inside, then hurriedly went out to order the little maid to carry hot water to the cleansing room, while she herself fetched Gu Jinghui’s change of clothes and accessories from the side room.

Gu Jinghui sat boldly on the spring stool, watching Qin Yuan comb her hair, and said, "I won’t be home for the next few days. Have someone tidy up my chest and luggage so that I won’t always have to rely on the maids to help me choose clothes."

This meant he wanted Qin Yuan to personally help him select his clothing.

Cui Ming lowered her head, silently combing her hair.

Qin Yuan asked, "Husband, do you find Hong Ye’s choices unsuitable? My clothes and accessories are all managed by her as well."

Gu Jinghui replied sharply, "General Jin’s clothing is all managed by his wife."

Qin Yuan: "..."

This General Jin was truly bothersome.

Qin Yuan said softly, "If you don’t mind, husband, I’ll manage it for you. This time you’re going to the Great Camp, do you need to take a change of clothes? Have the servants in the camp prepared adequately for you?"

Gu Jinghui’s voice softened, "The servants don’t do things attentively, which is not as considerate as you, so please arrange it for me."

Qin Yuan had no choice but to agree, "Husband, perhaps it’s better to leave early. Once I have everything sorted out, I’ll have the household staff send it to the Great Camp, so it won’t delay your roll call."

Gu Jinghui shook his head, "It’s alright. Didn’t you mention last night there was something to discuss? I wanted to return early, but Sixth Brother complained to my mother, which took a long time. By the time I returned, you had already rested. Go ahead, what is it that you want to discuss? Once I’ve settled things at home, I’ll feel at ease to go to the Great Camp for work."

The Great Camp was his domain, wasn’t it all under his control, eventually...

Although Marquis Gu has never missed a roll call since leading the troops, now... it’s different... he has a family of his own now...

Gu Jinghui thought, what mother said was true, no matter how indifferent a woman might seem, she still cares deeply inside.

He merely returned late, and couldn’t even enter the main room.

Even the two maids said the lady wife endured a great grievance, which shows she still cares.

Qin Yuan glanced at Cui Ming in the mirror, who immediately gestured wildly.

"When did you return last night, husband? I was a bit tired from accounting yesterday, so I went to rest early."

The little maids had already carried the water into the cleansing room, and Hong Ye had brought the change of clothes on a tray.

Gu Jinghui didn’t respond to Qin Yuan’s words and went straight into the cleansing room to bathe.

Cui Ming quickly whispered, "Miss, yesterday Hong Ye told the Marquis that this matter isn’t urgent, and can be discussed when he returns. Why did the Marquis..."

Qin Yuan roughly guessed Marquis Gu’s thoughts, then shifted the topic, "Did you two get into trouble with the Marquis behind the scenes again?"

Cui Ming fell silent, holding back for a while before recounting the events of last night.

Qin Yuan glanced at the two sleepless maids, pondering whether to soothe them, but felt it premature, thinking it might be better to let them learn a lesson and said, "Since the Marquis wants to hear it, I’ll tell him once more."

When Gu Jinghui emerged from the cleansing room, he saw that Qin Yuan had already finished combing her hair, wearing a light green blouse and a jade-white eight-panel skirt. With each move, her embroidered shoes adorned with shiny pearls peeked out occasionally, adding a charming elegance.

"Husband, Hong Ye and I have arranged all the clothes you’ll wear for the next ten days. Have the servant hand them to you in order of the stack, so you won’t mix them up."

"Mm."

Gu Jinghui’s demeanor softened considerably.

"Husband, come over and change clothes."

Qin Yuan intuitively stood on the wide low stool by the bed, calling him to dress.

Gu Jinghui’s eyes flickered, "What’s this?"

Qin Yuan laughed, "Mrs. Cai arranged this for me. It’s much more convenient to dress you while standing on it."

"Not bad."

Qin Yuan turned him around, gently smoothing the fabric at his collar with her small hand, "Finished."

Gu Jinghui caught a whiff of alluring fragrance emanating from her sleeves, her hair, her breath, making his heart restless. Unable to resist, he grasped her small hand, gently caressing it, murmuring, "I merely returned a bit late, and you let me go to the side room to study."

Qin Yuan lowered her gaze.

She knew Marquis Gu was acting out because of this, yet feigned ignorance, "Aren’t you aspiring to be a Confucian General like Lu Xun? Lü Meng fought during the day, reading by candlelight at night until midnight, only then earning admiration. Doesn’t husband wish for my father to look at you differently?"

Gu Jinghui’s other hand lightly brushed her pretty nose, playfully grumbling, "Do you take me for a fool?"

Saying so, he lifted Qin Yuan down from the stool, "Let’s have a meal."

He couldn’t linger any longer, or else, he wouldn’t want to leave.

Qin Yuan smiled and asked, "Not going to Mother?"

"No need," Gu Jinghui shook his head, "I have matters to discuss with you alone."

Qin Yuan sat beside him at the table, where the centerpiece was an old duck soup stewing from the small kitchen, accompanied by noodles, along with buns and shrimp dumplings brought from the large kitchen, filling the table.

Qin Yuan couldn’t help but smile lightly.

"What’s amusing?" Gu Jinghui asked.

"Yesterday, Hong Ye kept talking about how the Marquis went out without tasting the duck stew from the small kitchen, and now here it is this morning, isn’t it?"

Gu Jinghui’s expression brightened considerably.

Qin Yuan continued, "Yesterday I heard from Nanny Rong, Mrs. Lu’s husband followed the Old Marquis to the battlefield, got his leg crippled, and now her son works under the Marquis’s tent. She wants advice from the Marquis, how should this be handled?"

Gu Jinghui asked, "How do you plan to handle it?"

"I was too tired last night, couldn’t wait for the Marquis to return. I figured it’s not urgent, so let’s set it aside until the Marquis returns from the Great Camp. It also serves as a lesson for Mrs. Lu, ensuring no future blunders. It’s a safeguard against others thinking they can act recklessly with family credits, setting a poor example."

Gu Jinghui couldn’t help but laugh, indeed his little wife is quite adept at handling matters, he said, "Mrs. Lu’s son is diligent, quite different from her. I plan to let him handle some confidential tasks in the future."

The implication being Mrs. Lu’s son would act as a personal attendant.

Qin Yuan suggested, "Then scare her a bit, choose an assistant to balance things out with her, and clarify matters with her son."

Gu Jinghui concurred.

Qin Yuan then asked, "What matters do you wish to discuss, husband?"

Gu Jinghui responded, "Yesterday I stayed in the main hall for quite a while, it wasn’t that the two kids were causing trouble, but Sixth Brother was complaining about his wife and saying I shouldn’t have restricted his access to silver from the household accounts."

Qin Yuan delicately chewed a pickled cucumber, this was Marquis Gu providing her an explanation.

She listened intently, only to hear Gu Jinghui continue, "Mother said Brother Cheng should enroll. But despite Brother Pang’s sacrifice for the nation, his rank was too low. I’m afraid Brother Cheng doesn’t qualify for admission to the Imperial College under bereavement grounds. Do you, dear wife, have any ideas?"