My Sister Insisted on Swapping Marriages, and I Became a Marchioness Instead

Chapter 98: Chapter 98: She Can’t Handle Even One of My Fingers

Marquis Gu downed the wine in his hand.

Damn it.

He’s still just a boy.

This time, when he returns home for a break, he must consummate the marriage.

Not even the king of heaven could stop him from doing so.

The slightly yellowish cloudy wine dripped down the corner of his lips, and Marquis Gu carelessly wiped it away with the back of his hand. Even such a gesture was pleasing to the eye when he did it.

”Why fight? She can’t even withstand a flick from me.”

Everyone understood and burst into laughter.

After all, the General was newly married and it’s only natural he wouldn’t understand such bawdy talk.

General Jin leaned in, with a mysterious look, and said, ”The Marquis still doesn’t know what these scoundrels are talking about. When the Marquis wants to fight, I have many goodies to show you.”

Marquis Gu knew they weren’t speaking of anything good but refused to back down.

After all, he’d been suppressing his ambitions for years, waiting for a chance to boast. How could he miss it? He then turned the topic to his wife,

Describing Qin Yuan as unparalleled in the world.

Making everyone around him quite envious.

Only then did Marquis Gu leave, satisfied.

Back in his tent, Gu Jinghui sighed, feeling cold and extremely bored. As he lay down to take a nap, he heard the voice of a servant outside, ”Master, a letter has arrived from the mansion.”

Gu Jinghui immediately sat up and said, ”Bring it in quickly.”

The servant came in, handed over the letter, and Gu Jinghui tore it open swiftly. It was from his adopted son Brother Cheng, who heard Lady Zhao discussing the passing of the Advanced Scholar exam by his brother in the living room. Only then did he realize the exam’s prestige. He expressed his wish to attend the Imperial College and later attempt the exam himself. He also wanted his sister, Sister Yu, to marry an Advanced Scholar, so they could bring honor to their family and make both his adoptive and biological father proud.

The end of the letter mentioned it was written by Xiao Hong.

Gu Jinghui felt both amused and relieved.

Initially, he was worried that Brother Cheng was being spoiled by Lady Zhao.

Gu Jinghui set the letter aside and asked the servant, ”Is there anything else from the mansion?”

The servant replied, ”No.”

Gu Jinghui felt a bit disappointed.

The servant added, ”Shi Ba, who came to deliver the letter, hasn’t left yet.”

”Let him in.”

Gu Shiba came in, performed a bow, and asked, ”Master, do you have any instructions?”

Gu Jinghui asked, ”Has there been any news from the mansion these two days?”

Gu Shiba said, ”Nothing much. It’s just that the lady’s brother came, saying that the Imperial College is on a break and came to find the master for horseback riding. He couldn’t find the master and was quite disappointed. The Old Madam asked Sixth Master to accompany him, but Sixth Master’s face wasn’t well so he didn’t come out. So, the lady and he had a meal with the Old Madam.”

Gu Jinghui smiled.

”The lady’s cousin also came. The Old Madam had prepared gifts for the meeting but hasn’t given them out. The lady said they would come again...”

Gu Shiba recounted everything he had seen and heard.

Gu Jinghui asked, ”Did the lady say something that suddenly made Brother Cheng want to take the Advanced Scholar exam?”

Gu Shiba said, ”The lady said her cousin has the talent to become an Advanced Scholar and mentioned waiting to secure a good marriage until he passes the exam. She said that even passing at thirty-five would still make him a young scholar. Many are still attempting it at seventy or eighty. She advised Sixth Madam not to push Young Masters too hard. The Old Madam said even Sixth Master should join the Young Masters in taking the exam...”

Gu Shiba himself got a bit confused and couldn’t quite figure out why Brother Cheng suddenly wanted to take the Advanced Scholar exam.

Gu Jinghui laughed, ”When you go back, tell the lady there’s no need to rush with the pepper business; the dealings of the Prince Qi Mansion likely won’t succeed.”

He couldn’t explain what Prince Qi was doing to Qin Yuan, so that’s all he could offer.

Gu Shiba acknowledged.

Gu Jinghui seemed to want to say something but stopped. He gulped down dryly.

Gu Shiba remembered what Gu Shiliu mentioned before leaving and promptly said, ”Master, the lady has been thinking of you in these past days.”

Gu Jinghui’s expression immediately improved. He smiled, ”I know, you’ve done well.”

Gu Shiba asked, ”Should I send a reply to Young Master Pang?”

Gu Jinghui said, ”Tell him I’m making arrangements to find a renowned teacher for him. I’m very pleased with his intent to study, and there’s no need to say more.”

He felt a bit uneasy about what Qin Yuan had mentioned before.

If he ended up making a blunder, it wouldn’t be good.

For now, he would wait and see.

After Gu Shiba left, Gu Jinghui quietly said, ”I knew Yuan’er thinks of me all the time and can’t bear to be apart. Sigh, being so clingy isn’t ideal.”

...

After lunch, Qin Yuan took a short nap. Soon, Manager Leng sent someone to deliver the spices she needed.

The spices were packed separately in wooden boxes according to their categories, to prevent their scents from mixing.

Qin Yuan checked them and found they were all top-grade.

Manager Leng also sent a message, saying that the Chief Historian of the Prince Qi Mansion was asking around for prices but not to rush selling the pepper. If Qin Yuan was eager to buy, he would send people to inquire at various locations.

”Tell Manager Leng that I appreciate the effort. There’s no hurry to buy, but it’s good to ask around since there’s no stock to hoard in the Capital City.”

Qin Yuan had her maid give the messenger a reward and offer him tea.

The messenger accepted it gratefully and left.

Qin Yuan changed her clothes, wrapped her hair in a kerchief, tightened the cuffs, and began making incense.

Making incense is a meticulous and intricate process, requiring many tools.

Some materials need to be ground into fine powder, some burnt to ashes, others soaked and boiled in water, and then milled...

Fortunately, Ranxiang Inn had been in this business for years, with people specializing in handling spices, quite expertly.

When Qin Yuan requested spices, she specified which ones needed processing.

Manager Leng managed the tasks well, sending them cleaned, sifted, and crushed.

Only a few needed her personal handling.

Qin Yuan had already prepared a clean parlor where, after cleaning, she lit a warming incense burner on a small table, put some spices into it for heating, and, once dry, ground them into powder, which she then steamed and boiled over water.

With an ice basin placed in the room, it was cool enough for Qin Yuan to work comfortably without feeling hot while making incense.

Hong Ye and Cui Ming knew not to disturb her during incense-making, so they whispered outside. Meanwhile, Qin Yuan steamed, boiled, added water to grind, and finally dried and powdered the mixture, blending it with rock honey to shape into pills, unknowingly taking over two hours in the process.

The finished incense pills had to cool and dry slowly before they could be used.

When Qin Yuan stepped out, she discovered that Qin Siyuan had already sent someone to deliver the arranged topics and poems.

”Miss, the Marquis sent a message a moment ago.”

Qin Yuan’s mouth was a bit dry, and without listening further, she drank two cups of tea before asking, ”What message did the Marquis leave?”

Hong Ye said, ”The Marquis had Gu Shiba bring a message saying there’s no need to rush the pepper matter, fearing that the business with the Prince Qi Mansion may not succeed after all.”

”Oh?”

Qin Yuan, a bit puzzled, asked again, ”Is that the entire message?”

Unable to contain her amusement, Hong Ye added, ”The Marquis said you don’t need to worry about him. He eats, sleeps, and changes clothes regularly in the camp, enjoying leisurely reading in his spare time, being well.”

Qin Yuan also couldn’t help but chuckle, nodding, ”That’s good.”

After putting down her tea cup, Qin Yuan took the thick stack from Qin Siyuan. She found a letter mixed in there, opened it, glanced over it, then tossed it on the table with a light hum, ”Lin Ziqi.”