It was not a business that could be undertaken in a day to figure out whether Chu Yitong was suitable for being Jiang Yadan’s step-wife. After Madame Zhuang asked someone to handle it, her attention shifted to the pair of Ling Zui and Zhuang Man.

So, it was only natural that Qiu Yelan received instructions from her mother-in-law. “I’ll send someone to invite your aunt to bring Man’er over for a visit. When I talk to your aunt, you should call Man’er to your house and sound her out about her thoughts!”

“Rest assured, mother. I’ll find out what Man’er is thinking!” Qiu Yelan took the order with a smile.

Qiu Yelan told the whole story, and after that, Zhuang Man burst out laughing, bending down on a pillow, “My aunt has been away for so many years that she actually thinks that marrying me to Ling Zui is something good for me. If the thing goes out, everyone in the court will say I’ve offended her! If we were not blood relations or I didn’t know that my aunt loved me like her own daughter, I’d suspect that my aunt has actually hated me for a long time!”

Qiu Yelan took the cherry in her fingers and ate calmly, “You don’t agree, do you?”

This was expected.

However, instead of answering immediately, Zhuang Man pondered for a moment before she mused, “Didn’t you just ask me about my feeling? Who knows what Ling Zui thinks? Many people in Jing City ridicule him, though, when it comes to status, he does have choices among the daughter of noble families. I don’t want to refuse at the moment and hear that he actually does not like me! Anyway, he is the one who has saved my eighteenth sister. There is no need to make him lose face, right?”

Qiu Yelan had been down this road before. How could she not know the meaning of Zhuang Man’s words? Although she didn’t think Ling Zui was as good as Madame Zhuang thought, she didn’t resent it either and even approved of him somewhat. Qiu Yelan was surprised to realize it, “I’m surprised that you think he is not bad, do you?”

“What are you talking about?” Zhuang Man glanced at her, “It is okay for others to say that. But how can you say that? He treats you all right!”

“You brute!” said Qiu Yelan, torn between annoyance and a desire to laugh, “Of course I think he is good. I am thinking about that for the sake of you, aren’t I? You know what goes on in his backyard! Not to mention the fact that he’s got as many mistresses out there as my brother!”

Zhuang Man calmly arranged the cherries into a pattern, “Do you think those mistresses can put me through?”

“Of course not.” With that, it could be said that Zhuang Man almost agreed to this marriage. So, Qiu Yelan could not help but be curious, “I don’t think you would be bothered by those mistresses. Yet, why would you like Ling Zui? It’s not like you have never seen him before, but I didn’t hear you say that!”

“Calamity is the touchstone of man!” Zhuang Man had always been close to Qiu Yelan. And since the two were alone in the inner room, there was nothing she couldn’t say. Zhuang Man set her mouth in a line, “After this thing that my eighteenth sister and Xing travelled north… I think he is good. Moreover, he is not bad-tempered.”

Qiu Yelan thought for a moment and said severely, “This is a lifelong matter. You’d better think it through!” It was not that she didn’t appreciate Ling Zui’s care and support over the years. But marriage, which was a matter of two parties living their lives, couldn’t last long with a temporal emotion.

As the Zhuang Family took the advantage of being in-laws of the fourth branch of the Jiang Family, it seemed hard for Princess Royal Maode to ignore them. But they couldn’t have Ling Zui eating out of his hand and doing whatever they want. After all, Ling Zui had supported Jiang Qizheng amid her difficulties. And his great friend Qiu Jinglan was someone that Marquess Qin was trying to pull on to his side!

This kind of marriage, which was an even match, could only be lived up to by genuine love.

As Zhuang Man saw how solemnly Qiu Yelan spoke, she hesitated for a moment and then nodded and explained, “At first, I thought he was the same as my eighth cousin. Moreover, two years ago, after hearing Xing talk about beating him up, I felt that he was more gutless than my eighth cousin! But then I learned that despite so many mistresses in his backyard and outside, he never had any baseborn children!”

“That is because Princess Royal Maode has been watching out for him!” said Qiu Yelan warningly, “If my mother-in-law had been in Jing City all the time, I don’t think my eighth brother would have had so many baseborn children who were born before An!” In that case, An wouldn’t have been so young and he might have been a few years older and had several younger siblings. After all, Madame Zhuang was so supportive of her daughters-in-law.

Zhuang Man said, “Do you think I don’t know that this is due to Princess Royal Maode’s strict discipline? But what about his mistresses outside? Princess Royal Maode has been keeping an eye on those. But as you have said, there are so many mistresses. Can Princess Royal Maode handle all of them? Moreover, it’s not like those people don’t know who he is. Would they not be interested in having a child for the sake of the position or something else?”

“So?”

“So, while he has been fooling around, he knows what he is doing.” Zhuang Man lowered her voice, “In this respect, my eighth cousin is far beneath him. Besides, think, so many mistresses outside are trying to use a child as a bargaining chip while none of them have succeeded. So, you can see that he is not completely incompetent!”

Qiu Yelan put her hand to her forehead and thought to herself, “Well, it is indeed an ability to deal with the lovers at home and outside.”

“But he does not do well in both the pen and the sword. I’m not looking down on him while it is the truth. You have been one tough cookie. When a woman gets married, her decency first depends on her husband. I’m sure there will be many people who will say that to you in the future. Do you think you can stand it?”

Zhuang Man was dismissive, “Is it difficult for him to be an official?”

Of course, it was not difficult. Princess Royal Maode and her husband were afraid that Ling Zui would be dragged down by the battle between the two Empress Dowager before. And they sent him to the south to gain experience. Didn’t they easily give him an official position? And After hearing that the battle between the two Empress Dowager came to an end, didn’t Ling Zui just pick up and come back?

“Among those who take official positions, some work hard and busily while some pick and choose with ease… I don’t know why the former is qualified to mock the latter, okay?” Zhuang Man threw up her hands and said innocently.

Qiu Yelan, defeated by her logic, sighed, “Well, I see what you mean. Later I’ll tell my mother-in-law all about it!”

After sending off Zhuang Man and her mother, Madame Zhuang and Qiu Yelan hurriedly came together for a meeting that day.

The two were busy with the same thing today. Qiu Yelan had asked about Zhuang Man’s thoughts. And Madame Zhuang recommended Ling Zui to her sister-in-law Madame Wen as a son-in-law. The results, however, were very different.

Zhuang Man surprisingly agreed and Madame Wen naturally declined.

That was why Madam Zhuang exclaimed when she saw Qiu Yelan. “Ling Zui is such a good boy. When it comes to women, just like Yadan, why would he not be able to control himself? Otherwise, he and Man’er should have been good together, shouldn’t they?”

Qiu Yelan once again lamented the mystical bond between Ling Zui and Madame Zhuang. Given Madame Zhuang’s enthusiasm for this marriage, Madame Wen must have told her the real about Ling Zui lest she thought her sister-in-law of her maiden family was blind and ignorant of good people!

As such, Madame Zhuang thought Ling Zui was nice except for this flaw. Ling Zui seemed to be her biological son rather than her surrogate son!

After the emotion, the problem came. If Zhuang Man had also refused, Qiu Yelan would have given a perfunctory word. “There are many other wonderful men in Jing City. Cousin Man is such a great girl that we can take our time to choose for her!”

However, now, she couldn’t say that. Qiu Yelan thought for a moment before saying, “Man’er doesn’t think so.”

“Oh?” Madame Zhuang said in amazement.

“She thinks that…” Qiu Yelan repeated what Zhuang Man said as it was and then said, “Anyway, Man’er is the one who is going to marry. I don’t know what to do either. Mother, please make a decision!”

This was a life-long decision for the two of them. One was her great friend and the other was her surrogate brother that was almost the same as her biological brother. So, Qiu Yelan could not make a decision.

“Tell you what…” Madame Zhuang pondered for a moment, “We have agreed before to have Mrs. Chang pay respects to Princess Royal Maode. Let’s wait for the news from there and discuss it when it comes!”

As both the marriage of her eldest son and the marriage of her surrogate son did not go well, Madame Zhuang was rather bored. She decided to think about the follow-up when the thought of Princess Royal Maode was brought to her. So, Madame Zhuang changed the subject, “Today, the servants came to report that my fourteenth daughter-in-law came back from outside with red eyes. It seemed that she had cried hard. Even though she had put on powder, she couldn’t hide it. What do you think the reason is?”

Qiu Yelan asked in surprise, “What is the reason for this?” She thought to herself, “He Shuijin has been tough and composed. What kind of news can make her forget herself?”

“I’m also wondering about that! So, I sent someone to figure it out. It turns out that she had quietly summoned a doctor under the pretext of checking her accounts,” said Madame Zhuang. “Is there something physically wrong with her? If that’s the case, it’s a pity for her at such a young age! And if something were to happen to her, there wouldn’t be another capable housekeeper in the family!”

Madame Zhuang had not gotten along with Madame He earlier before she went to Beijiang. Naturally, she did not have a good impression of the third branch either. However, He Shuijin was an exception. It was because Madame Tao, Qiu Yelan, and Jiang Yashuang all did not have a low opinion of her.

Madame Zhuang had met her a few times since she returned. He Shuijin, who was neither humble nor arrogant and showed appropriate respect to her, had made Madame Zhuang feel that this junior was very extraordinary and she was very impressed with her. At the moment Madame Zhuang was afraid that she was suffering from some bad illness and thus she took pity on her.

With these words, Qiu Yelan’s face slightly changed, “She asked for a doctor… And she cried hard… Could it be that she had suffered miscarriage plotted by He and was affected by it?”

That was quite possible!

It had been two years since He Shuijin had miscarriage. As usual, she had kept Jiang Yaheng under tight control over the past two years. Apart from Jiang Yaheng’s occasional cheating, there was no mistress in the backyard. If the couple were healthy, He Shuijin would have gotten pregnant! But there had been no news so far. Could it be that she was no longer able to have a baby, or was it hard for her to have one?

“What a great feud! I really don’t know how He Shuijin plans to get back at Madame He?” Qiu Yelan sighed in her heart, “In this generation, an infertile woman, no matter how capable or powerful she is, is nothing. It is just because Madame He’s son is He Shuijin’s husband. Or, given He Shuijin is the type of person who will not stop revenging her enemies until she dies, it is hard to say what will happen to the whole third branch!”

Madame Zhuang noticed her abnormality and was about to ask about it when Mrs. Chang knocked on the door outside. She reported in a soft voice, “Madame, the nineteenth young madame! the fourteenth young madame has sent something over. And she says she has something to discuss with you!”

Madame Zhuang and Qiu Yelan looked at each other in confusion. And Madame Zhuang said thoughtfully, “Perhaps it has something to do with her going to see the doctor… However, if there is really something wrong with her health, why does she come to us?”