"What? A myna bird worth a hundred gold pieces? You must be mistaken,"
Qin Yueshi was clearly skeptical.
"Don’t believe it? If you don’t, go and ask around yourself. I’ve been to every bird market in Shengjing, running so much my legs have swollen."
Thinking of how those myna birds were ultimately to please the First Princess, Qin Yu couldn’t quite pinpoint the feeling in her heart.
"It seems those people have all received the ssage..."
Qin Yueshi muttered to herself, then suddenly thought of sothing and abruptly stood up, "If that’s the case, the First Princess must be having a tough ti. No, this won’t do! I’m going to Guanyin Temple to call back Shuang’er and Hui’er. I’ll have her visit the palace imdiately and spend more ti with the First Princess; that’s what’s needed."
"Yes, I was thinking the sa thing. Third Brother has been kind to our whole family; we can’t repay his kindness with ingratitude. Especially Shuang’er, speak to her carefully, tell her to accompany the First Princess well. She’s also in talks for a marriage arrangent, and if she continues to accompany her, she might not be able to do so for much longer."
Thinking of how his daughter Shuang’er and his three sons were all in marriage talks, Qin Yu felt especially pensive.
In earlier years, due to the family’s circumstances, his children’s marriages had been delayed. At the ti, it had seed painfully regrettable, but now he was extrely relieved that no arrangents had been finalized.
He had already decided that once his children were each married, he would make the arrangents for them to leave the mansion and live independently.
In the countryside, he always thought that the city was better, and the Capital City was even more splendid. But once he truly arrived in Shengjing and moved into the Qin Family’s Mansion, he realized there was no place freer than the countryside!
"Don’t worry, I understand completely,"
Qin Yueshi gave him a sideways glance, then hurriedly called for so newly purchased servants to make a trip to Guanyin Temple.
She then picked up her needlework again and resud giving relentless orders to the household servants.
Watching Qin Yueshi busy herself, Qin Yu was sowhat puzzled: "Can’t you sit down quietly for a while? What on earth are you bustling about all day?"
"Bustling about what, you ask? What am I bustling about?"
Qin Yueshi glared at him sideways as she continued threading the needle, "Just look at this mansion, is there a single person who seems capable of supporting a family? Your mother is making trouble, but that’s only because she relies on being the foster mother! But your Fourth Brother? What’s he relying on? The man is diocre but bold! Hmm, not only did he ride a horse and cause a death, but he also dared to steal exam questions and sell them? Is this sothing a person should do? And your Second Brother... Forget it, I can’t be bothered with your family’s ss,"
Thinking of the Qin Family’s eccentric characters and outlandish matters, Qin Yueshi was so frustrated she couldn’t keep calm.
But no matter how angry she got, she only dared to grumble a bit in front of Qin Yu. Since Qin Yu was the eldest son, she didn’t even dare to speak of splitting the family.
All Qin Yu could do was to chuckle sheepishly.
Moving closer to Qin Yueshi, he said, "Wife, I know this matter has wronged you. But right now... there’s no solution, is there? They are still my brothers, after all. The elder brother is like a father, and the elder sister-in-law is like a mother. I am the eldest brother, you are the eldest sister-in-law; we have to bear more responsibilities."
"Bear responsibilities, responsibilities, always responsibilities! Every ti we get to this point, you say the sa thing!"
Qin Yueshi, frustrated, tossed her embroidery in his face, "You keep telling to bear it. What about them? I won’t say too much about Second Brother, but about Fourth Brother’s issue! Now that he has stirred up such trouble, what do you intend to do? Don’t tell we should stake our lives for this?"
"Certainly not!"
Qin Yu rarely stood his ground, "Even if we were willing, the authorities would not accept it! Our lives... they simply don’t value them." His mood sunk, "Besides, leaking exam questions is no small matter. Oh yes, I asked you to plead with Third Brother’s wife on Fourth Brother’s behalf. Did you?"
He indeed wanted to help his Fourth Brother, even if it ant going bankrupt to do it.
But this involved a life, and the victim’s family was not short of money, plus they had official status. It seed there was no easy way to resolve this.
As for the matter of leaking exam questions... he pondered it over and over, and the only one who could still help his Fourth Brother was none other than Third Brother’s Wife.
Having made up his mind, he hurriedly urged Qin Yueshi to enter the palace, using Shuang’er’s marriage as a reason to seek an audience, hoping to save his Fourth Brother’s life.
"You... you’re driving to my death!"
Qin Yueshi was truly angry! This blockhead, she was utterly speechless!
"Seek help from Third Brother’s Wife? I can’t believe you have the nerve to say that! If you’re so capable, why don’t you go and beg personally instead of pushing to do it? Ah!"
"I, I just can’t bring myself to speak..."
"I can just because you can’t? Do you think if they wanted your life, you’d be willing to give it? Qin Yu, oh Qin Yu, I used to think you were just simple-minded but trustworthy, but now... you..."
She stopped mid-sentence, stood up, and went into the inner room, slamming the door shut with a bang.
The trouble-causing Qin Yu hurriedly followed and kept knocking on the door, repeatedly apologizing.
"Shuang’er’s mother, Shuang’er’s mother! Please open the door and listen to ! Shuang’er’s mother..."
Suddenly, the door was pulled open from the inside, causing Qin Yu to lunge forward and nearly fall.
"Qin Yu, you heartless man!"
Qin Yueshi glared at him and roared with fury, "Get away, get out of my sight! Think things through clearly before you co and talk to again. Otherwise, don’t bother saying anything at all!"
Qin Yueshi slamd the door closed again, nearly hitting Qin Yu in the head. Her clear-cut words ca through from inside, leaving Qin Yu with a bitter taste in his mouth.
They had been husband and wife for so many years, and back when they were in the countryside, even when they were so poor they had only the last bite of food left in their bowl, they had never had a serious quarrel.
But after they arrived in Shengjing, they lived in a big house, dressed in silk satin, and ate lavish als, yet the joy they once had was gone, and he felt more idle than ever. The two of them argued every couple of days. If it weren’t for their several children that they cared about, he wouldn’t know how to continue with his life.
Unable to help it, he looked up and sighed deeply!
When will such days co to an end?
While Qin Yu lanted on one side, Qin Yi sitting on the Hall of Golden Chariots couldn’t even muster a sigh!
He held a morial to the Emperor in his hand, gripping it so tightly he nearly tore it apart. He stared at the contents without uttering a word.
The two officials kneeling below were none other than Lord Cao and Lord Li, from the Ministry of Personnel, responsible for the recent case of the leaked examination questions. A low atmospheric pressure hovered over the Hall of Golden Chariots, and Lord Cao sneakily glanced to the side, eting Lord Li’s gaze.
The two exchanged glances, then hurriedly knelt straight again, pretending to listen earnestly to His Majesty’s teachings.
"Is the matter reported in the morial the consensus of everyone?" Qin Yi suddenly spoke.
When a wall falls, everybody pushes!
But there were just too many people pushing this ti!
"Replying to His Majesty, it represents the collective opinion of all officials in the Ministry of Personnel,"
Lord Cao kowtowed, "The Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination is paramount for selecting the pillars of the nation, and not the slightest negligence can be tolerated. We certainly cannot condone the leak of examination questions..."
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