Chapter 64:  Money Talks

Mo Yan and Guan Qi were already angry; Xu Qingyi’s words stunned them.

This… could she say that directly?

Princess Zhenyang was also taken aback.

This woman was too blunt, catching her completely off guard.  She was speechless for a moment.

Then, she said angrily, “What are you talking about, sister-in-law? I merely admire General Xie, just like everyone else!”

She did like Xie Yunzhi, but she couldn’t openly admit it.

That would be like handing Xu Qingyi a weapon, leaving her both humiliated and vulnerable.

Xu Qingyi thought so too.

No matter how much one liked someone, a shred of decency was still necessary.

She looked at Princess Zhenyang with a smirk, “Then I misunderstood.  The way you gaze at Young Master so intently… you look like a girl experiencing her first love.”

“You!” Princess Zhenyang’ face flushed red.  “Since you know it’s a misunderstanding, why do you keep harping on it?”

She said coldly, “Sister-in-law, are you intentionally slandering me?”

“Princess, please don’t be angry. That’s not what I meant,” Xu Qingyi quickly said. “I’m a straightforward person; I say what I see.  But I really should change this habit, lest I misunderstand you again next time.”

Princess Zhenyang gritted her teeth in anger.

Xu Qingyi’s mouth was too sharp; every other sentence was a veiled jab at her.

Had her father ascended the throne, Princess Zhenyang would have already ordered her nursemaids to subdue Xu Qingyi.

A good beating would teach her a lesson.

“Sister-in-law really needs to change this habit,” Princess Zhenyang’ eyes were like poisoned darts as she looked at Xu Qingyi.  “Slandering a woman so recklessly, if this gets out, it will damage General Xie’s reputation.”

Before Xu Qingyi could respond, she continued, “You’re only acting so complacent because General Xie is currently unconscious.  If he wakes up one day, do you think you’ll still have the qualifications to be his wife?”

Xu Qingyi blinked, “Princess, does that mean that when the Young Master wakes up, he will divorce me, the wife who diligently cared for him during his illness?”

Xie Yunzhi, being a gentleman, wouldn’t do that, unless she herself requested a divorce.

Princess Zhenyang realized this as well, her face instantly darkening.

But she didn’t want Xu Qingyi to be too smug, “You’re only relying on this. Otherwise, what makes you worthy of General Xie?”

Xu Qingyi: “…”  ‘Some people get worked up so easily,’ she thought, saying quietly, “Princess, your words suggest that only you are worthy of the Young Master.”

That’s exactly what Princess Zhenyang thought, but she couldn’t admit it.  “Sister-in-law, you’re overthinking.”

“That’s good,” Xu Qingyi said with a smile. “Since the Princess has no interest in my husband, I dare to kiss my husband in front of you.”

With that, she bent down and kissed the Eldest Young Master right in front of Princess Zhenyang.

A familiar scent washed over him, and Xie Yunzhi felt a warmth on his face.

Xu Qingyi’s soft lips touched his skin briefly.

He was both amused and speechless.

At the same time, he felt an indescribable happiness.

As his children said, Xu Qingyi had always diligently cared for his food and daily life, but he always felt something was missing.

Now, Xie Yunzhi finally understood what it was.

It was possessiveness.

Princess Zhenyang was beside herself with rage.

She looked like she wanted to pounce and tear Xu Qingyi’s face apart!

“In broad daylight, you!”

Her gaze seemed to accuse Xu Qingyi of shamelessness.

Xu Qingyi looked around, smiling, “There are no outsiders here.  Is it inappropriate for me to kiss my husband at home?”

“Not at all!” Mo Yan and Guan Qi happily chimed in from the side. They loved watching Young Madam kiss the Young Master.

It was a display of affection!

This Princess Zhenyang was too bad, slandering them by saying the Young Master would divorce his wife when he woke up.  Impossible!

The Young Master wasn’t that kind of person.

The Young Master was a gentleman of noble character.

Moreover, they were quite certain that if the Young Master spent some time with Young Madam, he would eventually like Young Madam, just like the three young masters.

Unsurprisingly.

“Let’s go, take the Young Master for a walk elsewhere,” Xu Qingyi instructed the servants, then said to Princess Zhenyang, “Princess, excuse me.”

Princess Zhenyang was still seething with anger. Hearing this, she squeezed her hand tightly, barely suppressing the urge to slap Xu Qingyi.

“…” She couldn’t. She had to restrain herself!

She watched Xu Qingyi and Xie Yunzhi walk away together, looking like a loving couple.

Fortunately, it was fake.

The only comfort Princess Zhenyang could find was that if Xie Yunzhi were awake, he would certainly not fall for a common woman like Xu Qingyi.

Once they were far away, Xu Qingyi suddenly dramatically patted her chest.

My goodness, it was the first time she had been so forceful with a member of the imperial family, and she had gotten a little too close for comfort.

Xu Qingyi regretted it.

She shouldn’t have kissed Xie Yunzhi just now.  It felt good, but it wasn’t good to provoke him.

“Young Madam, are you feeling unwell?” Mo Yan asked with concern, seeing her like that.

“What’s wrong, Young Madam?” Guan Qi also looked over, his expression tense.

One after the other, they made Xie Yunzhi anxious as well.  What was wrong?

Had she been angered by Princess Zhenyang?

“Nothing,” Xu Qingyi smiled, touching her buttons. “Maybe the summer heat hasn’t subsided yet. I feel a little stuffy.”

She thought, ‘Your Madam is reviewing the battle just now. I went overboard.’

‘Next time, I’ll hold back.’

Stuffy? The evening breeze was quite cool; no one else felt stuffy.

But if Young Madam said she felt stuffy, then she must have been stuffy.

The servants immediately urged, “Then you should go back and rest. You don’t need to bother accompanying the Young Master; we can handle it.”

Mo Yan glanced in Princess Zhenyang’s direction and, as always, spoke quickly, “Young Madam, please rest assured. We will protect the Young Master’s purity with our lives.”

Xie Yunzhi: “…”

“That’s not necessary. I’ll still accompany the Young Master,” Xu Qingyi wasn’t actually stuffy. The evening breeze was gentle, and she had been cooped up in the house all day. She hadn’t had enough fresh air.

They stopped urging her. With Young Madam present, things were indeed easier for them.

However, Xie Yunzhi was worried that Xu Qingyi was too tired.

It would be better for her to go back and rest.

These were troublesome times. If Xu Qingyi collapsed from exhaustion, Danhuai Courtyard would lose its backbone.

*

The next day, early in the morning, Lin was preparing to board his carriage for the academy.

He left at this time every day; few people in the mansion woke up earlier than him.

At that moment, a familiar nursemaid approached, smiling obsequiously, “Good morning, Young Master Lin. I’m a nursemaid from the Princess’s side. I’ve been sent by the Princess to deliver a gift.”

Lin frowned slightly, his expression cold. He was about to refuse.

“It’s a set of ‘Four Seasons Flowers and Birds’ paintings by Master Liu Caifeng, worth a fortune,” the nursemaid said with a smile. “The Princess heard that you not only love reading but also appreciate painting, so she specially chose this for you to enjoy.”

“Worth a fortune?” Lin hadn’t looked at the nursemaid directly before, but he turned his gaze upon hearing this.

“Yes, it’s exceptionally rare,” The nursemaid felt hopeful, her smile radiant.

Lin seemed to think of something and suddenly changed his mind. He reached out to accept the gift, saying, “Mm, thank the Princess for me.”

“Certainly, certainly,” the nursemaid was overjoyed.

The General’s eldest son accepting the Princess’s gift and being so polite meant he would likely be easy to win over.

“Then I’ll go back and report to the Princess. I won’t delay Master Lin any longer.”

“Mm,” Lin nodded.

From early summer to early autumn, he had grown taller.

Now, wearing a sky-blue long gown, he stood by the carriage, elegant and graceful like a bamboo shoot.

After the nursemaid left, Lin didn’t immediately board the carriage.  Holding the expensive painting, he returned to Danhuai Courtyard.

“Lin, why haven’t you left yet?” Xu Qingyi had just woken up and was preparing breakfast. Seeing her eldest son, she was surprised and asked with a smile.

“I was about to leave, but I was delayed by the Princess’s people,” Lin paused, placing the gift on the table. “It’s supposedly a famous painting, worth a fortune. I figured I might as well accept it…”

Xu Qingyi was a Marquis’ daughter; she shouldn’t be short of money. Lin wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing.

Princess Zhenyang was so shameless. If he accepted her gift, Xu Qingyi might be displeased…

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Before he could worry further, Xu Qingyi smiled brightly, “Another fortune earned! It’s so nice to wake up to money!”

“…” Lin twitched his mouth.

Okay, he had thought Xu Qingyi was too principled.

“You’re happy, that’s what matters. It’s getting late. I’ll go now,” Seeing this, Lin turned to leave.

“Alright, take care,” Xu Qingyi stood up to see him off, only returning to appreciate the expensive painting after he had left.

This son was good; he knew to turn his earnings over. He would be a filial son in the future.