Chapter 79: Conversation in the Study

  Madam Wang followed Qing Jin and Qing Yao to Qing Jin's courtyard, where Qing Jin had someone bring the clothes sent by Liu Yun Ge for Qing Jin and Qing Yao to wear on their spring outing tomorrow. After Madam Wang inspected the clothes and found nothing improper, Qing Jin asked her some questions about things she should pay attention to and etiquette issues. Madam Wang carefully answered each of Qing Jin's questions.

  Qing Yao listened carefully to Wang's words, and when Qing Jin and Wang finished speaking, Qing Yao took the clothes made by Liu Yun Ge and tried them on. After that, she bid farewell to Qing Jin and took Wang with her, wanting to ask for her opinion on whether the things she had prepared were reasonable or not. Wang agreed happily.

  Qing Jin sent Wang Nian and Gu Qing Yao out of her own courtyard, just as she was about to let Yuanyang put these things away.

  A voice came from outside the door, saying that the old master had asked the young lady to go to his study for a while, as he wanted to instruct Qingjin on some matters.

  Qing Jin heard the words passed on by Gu Huai Li, rubbed her head, and didn't know what her father Gu Huai Li wanted to do with her at this time. She still brought Yuanyang along with the person who delivered the message to the door of Gu Huai Li's study.

  After leaving Yuanyang outside the door, Qingjin pushed the door and walked into Gu Huaili's study alone. Gu Huaili was sitting in a chair in the study, seriously writing something, and didn't even lift his head when he saw someone coming in.

  Qing Jin saw her father Gu Huai Li busy and didn't say anything. She quietly sat on a chair beside him, waiting for Gu Huai Li to finish his work.

  Gu Huai Li finished writing the last stroke, put down his pen and saw Qing Jin sitting quietly, showing a kind fatherly smile, saying: "Jin Er is here!"

  Seeing Gu Huai Li finish his work, Qing Jin stood up from her chair and curtsied to him: "Daughter has seen Father. Is there something you want to instruct me on, since you called me over?"

  Upon hearing Qing Jin's words, Gu Huai Li did not respond immediately. Instead, he spoke to Qing Jin, "Jin'er doesn't need to be so polite. I called you over for no big deal..."

  Seeing Gu Huai's appearance, Qing Jin spoke up: "Father, what's wrong? Just say it!"

  Upon hearing Qingjin's words, Gu Huaili felt a bit embarrassed. However, he thought of something and immediately smiled: "I heard that Jian'er is going to the princess's spring outing tomorrow?"

  Upon hearing Gu Huai Li's question, Qing Jin lifted her head and looked deeply at Gu Huai Li before responding: "Yes, Father."

  "Qing'er, can you bring your sister Qingxia with you when you go tomorrow?" Gu Huai asked Qingjin.

  Upon hearing Gu Huai's words, Qing Jin's gaze stared straight at Gu Huai, could it be that Gu Huai wanted...

  Gu Huai Li was embarrassed by Qing Jin's gaze. However, thinking that the person in front of him was his own daughter, Gu Huai Li put away his embarrassment and spoke to Qing Jin: "Jin'er, Father knows this is putting you in a difficult position, but your engagement with your cousin has already been arranged, and the Emperor also intends to arrange a marriage for your fourth sister. If only you hadn't settled on a marriage contract... But now, as the Marquis of Anji Houfu, I am considering Ning Xuan's future, and your younger sister Qing Xia is not bad either. Father hopes that Ning Xuan can also have an older sister as a concubine. Jin'er, do you understand Father's thoughts?"

  Gu Huai Li finished speaking and gazed intensely at Qing Jin.

  Qing Jin looked straight at Gu Huai Li's gaze. Frowning, he said: "Father wants Qing Xia to also marry into the royal family?"

  Qing Jin's words revealed her intentions, and Gu Huai Li's eyes were filled with admiration. "Jin'er, your father is also thinking of you and your brother. If you hadn't settled on a marriage, why would your father go to such trouble? But now that you're engaged, and your sister Qing Xia isn't bad either... You wouldn't want to see your brother Ning Xuan, as the next heir to the An Ji Hou Fu title, being suppressed by your third uncle's side, would you?"

  Gu Huai Li finished speaking, his eyes gazed at Qing Jin with eagerness. Qing Jin instinctively wanted to refuse, but thinking of Gu Huai Li's words and her brother Ning Xuan, she lowered her head in contemplation.

  After a brief silence, Qing Jin raised her head and asked Gu Huai Li: "Father is planning to let Qing Xia enter which prince's harem?"

  Gu Huai Li heard Qing Jin's question and knew that Qing Jin meant no refusal. After careful consideration, he said to Qing Jin: "What does Qing Jin think of the Crown Prince?"

  Upon hearing Gu Huai's words, Qing Jin's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected that Gu Huai's target was actually the Crown Prince. Thinking back to her previous life, although she didn't know who ultimately ascended to the throne, it was absolutely impossible for it to be the Crown Prince. Moreover, the Empress Dowager was still alive in her previous life, and when Qing Jin had burned herself to death, the Emperor's body was still very healthy. Ming Emperor was a long-lived emperor, and the power of the Empress Dowager's clan could not be underestimated. Such a Crown Prince would only become increasingly suspect in the eyes of the Emperor in the future, especially with people like Long Han Yuan who were skilled at hiding their intentions and Sixth Prince who had designs on that position.

  Although in her previous life, she was in the distant backyard of Long Han, paying little attention to external matters, but the unstable position of the crown prince made her aware of it. When she heard that Gu Huai Li's favored person was actually the crown prince, Qing Jin had a sudden urge to faint, and immediately asked: "Father is actually acquainted with the Crown Prince?" Her tone carried a chill and an endless sense of oppression.

  "No... nothing, how could I possibly have dealings with His Highness the Crown Prince."

  Qing Jin heard her father Gu Huai Li's words and let out a sigh of relief, putting away the imposing aura on her body. She said to Gu Huai Li: "Father, you want Qing Xia to enter the imperial prince's rear courtyard, but I am your legitimate daughter. Have you ever seen a legitimate daughter marry an ordinary family while a concubine-born daughter marries into a high-ranking family? Are you letting people...?" The last four words were left unspoken by Qing Jin.

  Gu Huai Li was just suppressed by Qing Jin's aura, and he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat on his forehead. After reacting to the fact that the person in front of him was his own daughter, he furrowed his brow slightly. Just as he wanted to take out his paternal authority to scold Qing Jin a few words, he heard her say something below. He wiped away the cold sweat from his forehead and explained to Qing Jin: "Jin'er, don't talk nonsense, how could your father be biased towards his wife and abandon his concubine?"

  "Oh, Father's words are indeed true. Even if Qingxia becomes a concubine of the prince in the future and her status rises to be noble, would Father still not fulfill his promise to Mother and make Bai Niang the official wife?"

  "Absurd! How could Father possibly promote a concubine to be his wife?"

  "That's good, Father should remember what was said today." Qing Jin said casually.

  When Gu Qingyu heard the words, Gu Huaiyi was stunned. This didn't seem right. Clearly, he had called Gu Qingyu over to discuss something, but now it seemed... However, thinking about how this daughter dared to stare straight at the Third Prince, who made him afraid, he immediately felt relieved.

  Thinking of his final purpose in finding Qingjin, he immediately spoke up: "Qinger, have you agreed to what Father just said?"

  Qing Jin was absent-mindedly playing with her fingers, having just heard her father Gu Huai Li's words. Qing Jin had originally intended to refuse, but thinking about what Gu Huai Li said, indeed, people's hearts are the hardest to measure. She chose to pull herself out of this chess game, but found that some things aren't something you can make nonexistent or avoid just by thinking or refusing.

  Her father and Third Uncle, she didn't know what Third Uncle thought about Father's succession to the title, but Third Aunt's attitude was one of discontent, which she did know.

  If grandma were still around, it would be easier to say, but if grandma weren't around, it's hard to guarantee that father and third uncle wouldn't separate households and live apart. Father is mediocre in talent, she knows, but third uncle is a man with plans and schemes, it's hard to guarantee that one day he won't be dissatisfied with father's title, at that time, Gu Qingyao will be the imperial son's legitimate wife, the people of the Gu family clan will definitely all side with third uncle. So after hearing Gu Huaili's words, she began to ponder the matter of Gu Huaili marrying off Gu Qingxiao into the imperial son's household.

  However, Qing Jin did all this for her mother Jun Shi and younger brother Ning Xuan. So she didn't directly answer her father Gu Huai Li, but instead asked him a few questions. Gu Huai Li's answers basically satisfied her, so upon hearing his words, Qing Jin raised her head to glance at Gu Huai Li and said: "Father's idea isn't bad, but the person should be changed."

  Gu Huai Li heard Qing Jin's words and was somewhat perplexed, asking in doubt: "Exchange what person?"

  "The Crown Prince's father should not think about it, although it looks good now. The Emperor is wise and powerful, strong in body and mind. Although the Empress is not favored, she is still the Empress after all. The power of the Empress's family may not be dominant in the court, but it is not weak either. The Crown Prince currently has an advantage, but he cannot withstand the test of time. As time goes on, these advantages will become the Crown Prince's fatal weakness. Third Uncle just saved the Emperor, and our Anji Houfu has risen again. Father wants to form an alliance with the Crown Prince through marriage. What do you think the Emperor will think of you?"

  Gu Huai heard Qing Jin's words and instantly understood the meaning behind them. He couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat on his back. How could he not have thought of this? If he were to offer his daughter as a concubine to the Crown Prince at this time, what would the Emperor think of him? Thinking about his interactions with the Crown Prince over the past few days, he felt a sense of panic in his heart and hastily asked Qing Jin, "What should we do?"

  After speaking, he only realized that he was asking his own daughter. He couldn't help but scold himself for being muddle-headed. His daughter had been staying in the boudoir all day, how could she understand those court affairs? But thinking of what just happened, Qingjin reminded him again, and he couldn't help but look at Qingjin with a glance.

  "What can be done about it? It would be better if someone else were in your place. And, Father, you didn't get involved in the princes' affairs, did you?" Qing Jin asked, her eyes fixed on Gu Huai Li.

  "No... nothing... how could Father be involved..." He couldn't help but feel a little guilty when he said this.

  Qing Jin looked at Gu Huai Li's guilty appearance, and thought that with a father like hers, others would probably look down on him too. So she spoke to Gu Huai Li: "There is no best option, if there was one, it would be better for Father to leave earlier."

  "Oh, Father knows, Jiner, you just said change people, who is good to change?" Gu Huaili shifted the topic.