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

Chapter 670: Chapter 670: Absurd and Overbearing

Those few shouts immediately drew everyone’s eyes over.

The owner of Book Sea Pavilion felt something was very wrong and hurriedly tried to leave, only to find himself blocked in by a wall of people with no way to escape.

What’s more, Gu Baoshu was standing squarely in front of him, dead in the way.

Gu Baoshu folded her arms, legs braced as if she were about to start a full-on brawl. Qin Heng quickly reminded her in a low voice, ”Sister Baozhu, you absolutely mustn’t give yourself away.”

Brother Ximen and the others were nearby; if they recognized who she really was, the whole plan would fall through.

Gu Baoshu gave a light cough, turned her face away and ordered the guard at her side to block the man and not let him leave. She herself put one hand on her hip, stretched out a forefinger and shrilled at the owner of Book Sea Pavilion, ”Out with it, what exactly are you doing here? Are you here to wreck Ranxiang Inn’s event, or to threaten Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang? Think carefully before you speak.”

The onlookers in the outer circle were all noble ladies. They had arrived late and were all waiting to see Young Master Nantang appear.

When they heard someone wanted to harm the Young Master Nantang they’d been yearning for, they all crowded over, chirping noisily.

The owner of Book Sea Pavilion hurriedly refuted her.

”You mustn’t talk such nonsense. This is the Emperor’s own Capital City, not some place where reason counts for nothing. Is it that just because I came out to watch the fun, in your eyes that means I’m here to make trouble for Ranxiang Inn and to plot against Mr. Songshan and the others? How absurd! How overbearing!”

He flicked his sleeve, intending to leave.

But he couldn’t move an inch.

On the outer ring Qin Heng and Xiao Dong were shouting at the top of their lungs, ”Terrible, terrible! The people from Book Sea Pavilion can’t afford to lose, they’ve come here to stir up trouble, and they even want to kidnap Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang to make them publish poetry collections for them. When the gentlemen refused, they started having wicked thoughts. No wonder people say ’no merchant without guile’; Book Sea Pavilion is really far too improper.”

The owner of Book Sea Pavilion was so furious his face turned greenish-white, and he gnashed his teeth. ”Ignorant brats, spewing nonsense and besmirching my name.”

The Shopkeeper of Book Sea Pavilion had somehow rounded up a bunch of people to protect the master. Hearing his master shouting inside the crowd, he immediately let out a tragic wail: ”Under this bright and upright heaven, at the very foot of the Emperor, long life to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, do you people still have any respect for the law or not? Where are the officials of the Five Cities Military Department? Hurry and come uphold justice for us powerless, influence-less merchants!”

Gu Baoshu raised her voice even louder.

”I should be asking whether you lot still have any respect for the law. Today is Her Majesty the Empress Dowager’s birthday. If you’re going to bring people here to wreck my Ranxiang Inn’s garden party, at least look at the date. Don’t think that just because only you Book Sea Pavilion people can do business with scholars, you can run wild. Mr. Songshan is merely here to lecture on statecraft; what exactly are you jumping up and down here for?”

Qin Heng also put on a pained look. ”I too know that since ancient times scholars belittle one another, and two tigers cannot share one mountain. Originally, Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang only agreed to help Sixth Master Gu publish a poetry collection out of regard for the Dingbei Marquis Mansion. Besides, it was Book Sea Pavilion that first turned up its nose at them. Sixth Master Gu had no choice but to print it himself, and he never pursued your rude mocking of the Marquis Mansion.

Who would have thought Book Sea Pavilion would then come snatching for this business again? The gentlemen could not stomach your bullying and your insult to learning, so they decided to lecture on statecraft in front of Ranxiang Inn’s doors.

If you won’t stay home and look after your own Nine-Turn Lotus Lamp, what are you doing here?”

Xiao Dong said angrily, ”It’s only because the Dingbei Marquis Mansion is easy to talk to. If it were some other marquis’s house, would they let him run wild like this?”

As the saying goes, commoners do not fight officials.

The owner of Book Sea Pavilion had indeed passed the Advanced Scholar exam, but had not entered officialdom. By rights he ought to show particular respect to the Dingbei Marquis Mansion.

But he had close dealings with the Advanced Scholars of his year who had entered office, and he had gone into the business of writing statecraft essays, so he was very well-connected in official circles. Taking pride in his identity as a scholar, he especially looked down on military generals, which was why he refused to print a poetry collection for Sixth Master Gu, setting off all this trouble.

As for these grudges and rights and wrongs, the Dingbei Marquis Mansion had already been generous by not pursuing the matter. Yet he still went around telling the story everywhere as a joke.

He had never imagined that Shen Changle would be so capable. With just a bit of guidance from Qin Yuan, she managed to build up such a huge business, which already made him very uncomfortable, and now they were going to continue lecturing on statecraft. This was digging at his very roots.

The owner of Book Sea Pavilion couldn’t outshout these three. The more excessive their words became, the more flustered he grew.

The Dingbei Marquis Mansion’s in-law was the National Academy Sacrificial Officer.

This time, with Firefly Collection selling like crazy, the Imperial College Doctors had also put out an anthology of ancient poems, collecting verses on fireflies from ancient times to the present to respond to Firefly Collection. Sold together, the two volumes greatly boosted many people’s reputations, and even more so made Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang famous throughout the land.

If they were allowed to succeed in their lectures on statecraft as well, and with the National Academy Sacrificial Officer backing them, part of the business of printing statecraft essays would inevitably be swallowed up.

What infuriated him even more was that people like Qin Siyuan had used the poetry collection to make a name for themselves. When they entered officialdom in the future, things would naturally go more smoothly for them than for others. They would, of course, in turn sing the praises of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion’s bookshop.

Although the Dingbei Marquis Mansion had not yet opened a bookshop, it was obvious they would.

If today he was saddled with a reputation for being jealous of the worthy, and this affected Book Sea Pavilion’s poetry contest, he would have even less room to fight back.

As they say, a man of insight submits to the times.

The ”man of insight” smoothed away his anger and put on a cautious, deferential air. ”I too rushed over to listen to Mr. Songshan’s lofty discourse. I harbor absolutely no other intentions. You must know, apart from running the Book Sea Pavilion business, I am also a scholar who reads the books of the sages. Since ancient times there has been no end to learning. Confucius himself said, ’If in the morning I hear the Way, I may die in the evening without regret.’ What fault is there in my coming here to learn?”

He had run his business in the Capital City for many years, so naturally there were people to speak on his behalf. Someone immediately stepped out to mediate. ”The owner of Book Sea Pavilion also passed the palace examination back in the day. To be so modest and eager to learn—he truly is a rare gentleman. Although the Dingbei Marquis Mansion has had some minor friction with him, it’s all trifles. As the saying goes, enemies should be reconciled rather than kept apart. Why not turn swords into jade and silk?”

Gu Baoshu’s brows knitted tightly as she was about to speak.

Brother Ximen had already pushed his way over with Black-skinned Brother Xiao Hong and the others, and he asked Qin Heng, ”Brother Qin, what’s going on here? Is someone giving you trouble?”

Qin Heng said in surprise, ”Brother Ximen, have you already finished guessing the lantern riddles? Where’s Yuan Da?”

Brother Ximen glanced at Xiao Dong, then at Gu Baoshu, and laughed. ”Yes, after I came out I couldn’t find you anywhere. What that Mr. Songshan was talking about inside didn’t really interest me. Yuan Da drank too much, caught a chill from the wind, and it’s gone to his head a bit. He’s napping under the stone lion in front of Ranxiang Inn. How come I don’t see Brother Qi?”

Qin Heng said, ”I reckon he’s keeping his sisters company at the lantern fair. Once they walk this way, we’ll naturally run into them. Let’s just enjoy ourselves first.”

Little Brother Hong asked with a face full of concern, ”Can we brothers help you out?”

Qin Heng glanced at the owner and Shopkeeper of Book Sea Pavilion standing in the middle of the crowd, then sighed. ”Our Qin Family has formed a marriage alliance with the Dingbei Marquis Mansion. We can’t just sit by and watch the people of Book Sea Pavilion make trouble here, can we?”

Little Brother Hong exclaimed, ”I’ve long heard Ranxiang Inn and Book Sea Pavilion were going to cross swords tonight. But one sells incense and the other sells books—how they ended up fighting is really strange.”

”It’s not really over Ranxiang Inn. It’s a long story. Sixth Master of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion went to Yu Yuantang with my cousin to enjoy the scenery...”

Qin Heng immediately recounted the whole story in detail, striving to make sure everyone present understood the origin of the feud between the two sides.

Only at the end did he sigh, looking thoroughly aggrieved. ”Look at him, abandoning his own business to squat here, saying he too is a scholar and wants to seek instruction from Mr. Songshan. How are we supposed to respond to that? All the elders in the family are in the palace.”