Chapter 590: A Fortunate Mistake

The Third Young Master You’s half face was swollen from the beating, feeling humiliated, upon hearing these words, he immediately said, "If it wasn’t for worrying about accidentally hurting others, how could I be so restrained? Don’t tell me you really think your martial arts skills surpass mine?"

Miss You also became unhappy, supporting her own brother: "Gu Qi, why do you say that? If it weren’t for you saying there’s enough room to spar in the house, how did it turn out like this? My brother had too many concerns and didn’t want to actually hurt you and spoil the harmony, disturbing our ancestors’ good days."

Gu Baoshu was about to speak, but then saw Qin Yuan looking over, and changed her words immediately: "Alright then, if your brother is not convinced, we can find another place to spar, and if he doesn’t want to compare fists, we can try something else."

"What’s there to be convinced or unconvinced about? We originally just wanted to see if you have the skills to compete for marriage. If it weren’t for Song Wenyu’s words, the Ninth Princess wouldn’t have been so curious. Now the Piano Room is in this state because of you, and after you leave, my third brother and I will definitely get scolded by our mother. So, for my sake, let’s call it even and say it’s a tie, alright?"

Miss You blinked her eyes.

Gu Baoshu said, "Fine, for your sake, we call it a tie."

Only then did Miss You breathe a sigh of relief.

Ning Hong, who was standing outside, also breathed a sigh of relief.

It was really a stroke of luck; fortunately, Miss Gu Qi really caused a scene in the Piano Room, otherwise, it would be hard for her to explain. But...

Looking far away at Qin Yuan, who stood out like a crane among chickens, her heart felt bitter: This Dingbei Marquis’s wife is really difficult to deal with, I’m afraid I’ll end up like Zhuye.

Inside, Madam You said, "It’s a mess here, not a suitable place to talk. How about we go to the main hall to chat?"

The Crown Prince and others naturally had no objection.

Everyone then flocked around the Crown Prince, Ninth Princess, and others to the main hall to chat. As they passed by Ning Hong, Qin Yuan instructed Cui Ming to give her a golden peanut.

Ning Hong clutched the golden peanut, bewildered, "How could this servant take the Marchioness’s reward?"

"You came to deliver a message, helping our Seventh Miss relieve troubles, this is a reward from the Marchioness for you. Keep it well, it could be useful for buying a house or for emergencies in the future."

Ning Hong clenched the golden peanut tightly in her palm, trembling, "Please trouble elder sister to thank the Dingbei Marquis’s wife for me."

Cui Ming nodded and said, "Our lady is the most generous and kind-hearted, and she’s very loose with rewards. Just accept it without worry. I know you have been in the Duke Mansion for a long time and are used to seeing good things, maybe you don’t think much of this. It’s just a small token, keep it. Our lady frequently rewards those who do their tasks well."

Ning Hong looked envious, "Elder sister is joking, I’m not the lady’s personal maid, the good and rare things would never reach me. I never expected the Marchioness to be as generous as a fairy."

"You even said she is like a fairy," Cui Ming smiled, "the servants in our mansion all praise the Marchioness, I won’t speak more, I have to catch up to attend."

Once she left, Ning Hong quickly squatted down, pretending to adjust her shoes, and hid the golden peanut in her shoe lining.

As soon as Hong Ye saw Cui Ming returning, she said, "Do you think she really came to deliver a message?"

Cui Ming whispered, "Hard to say, fifty-fifty, didn’t she say someone sent a message to the Old Madam? We haven’t seen it."

Hong Ye thought for a moment, nodded, "Indeed, it’s our first time at someone else’s mansion, and we have to follow their arrangements wherever we go. If something happens and we get separated, we’ll be at their mercy. No matter what, we must stick together, leaving them no opportunity."

Cui Ming said, "Remember what you said."

Study Pavilion.

King Jin leaned against the railing, overlooking the garden, from afar he saw Madam You and others crowding around the Crown Prince and Ninth Princess heading towards Rongxi Hall, clicking his tongue twice, he turned to the Brocade Clothes Young Master who was pacing back and forth: "This woman is really difficult, didn’t succeed again."

The Brocade Clothes Young Master was full of anxiety, "What’s going on, on our own turf we can’t do anything about her. Useless, really a bunch of useless people."

A middle-aged man, standing by with his hands hanging down, hesitated for a moment, cautiously said, "Master, this time... this time they shouldn’t suspect anything, Ning Hong has mixed a familiar face, next time when we invite her again, won’t she fall for it?"

The Brocade Clothes Young Master stopped, thought for a moment, restrained his anger: "Yes, persistence pays off, she will make a careless mistake eventually, you old guy are really composed, let’s do it this way."

King Jin said nothing, fanning himself while staring at Qin Yuan’s figure until it disappeared from sight, then turned around slowly saying: "Looks like we underestimated her, if she didn’t have some skills, how could she manage to subdue the whole Dingbei Marquis family. Not to mention Gu the Third and his old mother, Gu Baoshu the prickly girl is also submissive to her."

After walking a couple of steps, he added: "This is also good, if she were a useless woman, it wouldn’t be worth all this effort."

The Brocade Clothes Young Master saw he wasn’t angry, also laughed: "That’s right, Gu the Third is good at fighting but not managing the family, if it weren’t for her, the backyard of Dingbei Marquis Mansion would have been conquered already."

King Jin recalled the deceased Doctor Liu, sneered twice, said: "Beautiful women are rare, intelligent and capable beautiful women even rarer. There are many beauties in King Jin Mansion, but such a woman is rare still, what’s unfortunate, Heaven is unfair, a coarse man paired with a beautiful lady."

And then he turned to lewd talk: "Gu the Third can only watch, it’s really a waste, if this king had her, it would be really making full use of her. If today’s good deed had been achieved, this king would certainly reward you, my great matchmaker heavily."

The Brocade Clothes Young Master laughed: "As long as His Highness can achieve his wish, what’s there my brother wouldn’t do."

"You’re truly a good brother," King Jin patted his shoulder, "as long as I can make this woman devoted to me, our big plan is half accomplished. You must know, the whispers on the pillow are the most powerful in the world, these whispers toppled our Former Crown Prince and brought up the Sick Crown Prince."

The Brocade Clothes Young Master laughed heartily, laughing with great ambition, seemingly reaching for infinite glory.

King Jin sat for a while, stood up saying: "My sickly brother has already shown up, it’s time for this king to make an appearance too, soon the Empress Dowager and Empress will be here, without this king it wouldn’t do."

...

In Rongxi Hall, the crowd was enthusiastically chatting with the Crown Prince and Ninth Princess, Qin Yuan and Gu Baoshu stood behind Old Madam Gu, whispering about the affair in the Piano Room.

Gu Baoshu asked: "They smashed the Piano Room so badly, almost destroyed it, will the You Family make things difficult for my mother?"

"What are you saying, wasn’t this all started by the Third Young Master You? If he didn’t want to he could have led you out of the Piano Room to spar again. As the host, he should consider thoroughly, not calming you and instead fueling the fire, that’s where he’s wrong. Besides, the Crown Prince and Ninth Princess watched the whole thing, how could the You Family dare trouble us?"

"That’s good," Gu Baoshu’s heart settled.

But Qin Yuan’s face sank.