Sixth Lady Gu stepped forward to negotiate with Lady Zhao, and the two began to quarrell.
Lady Zhao repeatedly said, "The new bride is ignorant, but shouldn't Sixth Madam know better? I am the mother of the Marquis's children. If I'm driven out of this door, it will bring shame to the Marquis."
The more they argued, the harsher their words became.
Qin Yuan lowered her eyelids, her long and curled lashes tightly concealing the cold mockery in her eyes without revealing a trace.
Currently, the Dingbei Marquis Mansion's household affairs are managed by Sixth Lady Gu. Both her marriage with Gu Jinghui and that of her husband's were orchestrated by this benevolent sister-in-law. Lady Zhao dressing like this was to bring bad luck, and Sixth Lady Gu had initially failed to notice, leaving her without a solution now.
Hehe!
They must think she is an easy target, deliberately humiliating her.
After all, a sixteen-year-old girl marrying into the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion instead of her sister is a step up. Those maids and servants she brought were unfamiliar with Gu Jinghui's likes and dislikes, and she was extremely insecure, easily bullied and manipulated.
The plan was beautifully crafted.
Qin Yuan no longer looked at the two women, but instead observed the expressions of the ladies around her, silently noting their reactions in her mind.
If nothing unexpected happens, she will have some interactions with these people in the future.
By observing their expressions and attitudes, she can discern their standings, which would aid her future judgments.
As the mistress of the house, the greatest fear is being deaf and blind.
Hong Ye, frustrated and angry, wanted to cause a scene, but was silenced by a glare from Cui Ming. Instead, she carefully guarded her lady to prevent any accidents.
Qin Yuan did not engage, letting the two continue their quarrel, as the atmosphere slowly grew more bizarre.
The gathered ladies were somewhat uneasy.
Lady Zhao was secretly anxious.
Qin Yuan neither cried nor made a fuss. If she had started crying, it would have been excessive, clearly intending to disrupt the Marquis's wedding.
Throwing a tantrum was even less acceptable.
After all, she was accused of offending someone.
Initially, it could be attributed to ignorance, but now the issue was at hand, and even if clueless before, she should understand by now.
She did not want to upset Marquis Gu, nor displease Old Madam Gu over this.
Sixth Lady Gu, who was confronting her, was also anxious.
The new sister-in-law did not swallow her pride, nor did she quarrel with Lady Zhao, and she didn't cry either, seemingly leaving Lady Zhao to her care and no longer paying attention.
Sixth Lady Gu turned to look at Qin Yuan, only to see her casually chatting with the lady beside her.
She simply ignored them.
Sixth Lady Gu sighed with regret, "Miscalculated."
She couldn't help but feel more apprehensive towards this new bride.
In the end, she had Lady Zhao escorted out. Only then did Qin Yuan slightly raise her chin, softly saying, "Thank you for your help, sister-in-law."
Meeting her gaze, which seemed clear and penetrating, Sixth Lady Gu felt slightly embarrassed and quickly apologized, "Sister-in-law, you speak too seriously, it was my negligence, allowing someone to disrupt sister-in-law's good day."
Someone nearby defended her, "It's all because Lady Zhao is inconsiderate. Since her husband saved Marquis Gu, it is bound to…"
Sixth Lady Gu quickly interrupted, "The Marquis is someone who remembers favor. He did say that everyone in this mansion should treat her and her children well."
"Oh?" Qin Yuan asked casually, "How old are Lady Zhao's children?"
"A boy and a girl, twins, five years old," Sixth Lady Gu opened up, "Old Madam said twins are auspicious and often summons them to accompany her. The Marquis acknowledged them as adopted children and treats them with great tenderness, saying they would be treated as his biological children."
After speaking, she glanced at Qin Yuan's expression and added ambiguously, "This is also because the Marquis has no children of his own."
Qin Yuan praised, "The Marquis is a man of deep feelings and righteousness. He has led troops for many years, those who followed him to battle must have life-and-death friendships."
Qin Yuan then steered the conversation away from Lady Zhao and the twins.
Trying to watch her lose composure, Sixth Lady Gu once again miscalculated.
She could only watch helplessly as several commanders' wives became more friendly with Qin Yuan.
Soon, Qin Yuan subtly gathered considerable information.
It turns out Lady Zhao's husband intercepted a knife for Gu Jinghui on the battlefield, that the twins were not yet two years old at the time. Gu Jinghui cared greatly for the orphan and widow, adopting the twins as adopted children and bringing them home once the army returned.
Her fingers lightly rolled in her sleeve.
It seemed that presently, Gu Jinghui hadn't reached the point of wanting to marry Lady Zhao.
Yet what Lady Zhao did today clearly had its calculations.
She seemed eager to create rifts between her and Gu Jinghui.
And Sixth Lady Gu was happy to see it happen.
Qin Yuan had witnessed and heard many tales of the inner chambers in her past life.
If the battlefield for adults is the court, the battleground for women is the inner chambers.
The ferocity and cruelty of the inner chambers are no less than that of the court.
Her mind flashed with countless thoughts, none of which intended to reconcile with Lady Zhao.
After sitting for about an hour, the ladies observed the banquet outside was about finished, and they began to leave one after another.
Once everyone had departed, Hong Ye spoke hesitantly, "Miss, there's something off about Lady Zhao…"
Qin Yuan nodded, "If I'm not mistaken, she will cause trouble tonight."
"What?"
Hong Ye angrily exclaimed, "This is Miss's wedding night. How dare she?"
Cui Ming pondered a moment, "Could it be because of the twins?"
Qin Yuan nodded, "Which concubine wouldn't use such means? The Marquis watched these children grow up, and without children of his own, it's natural they hold a place in his heart."
"Concubine?" Cui Ming's voice changed, "Miss, you mean Lady Zhao intends to enter the mansion as a concubine?"
Qin Yuan affirmed.
Hong Ye was even angrier, "I should have torn her mouth apart today."
Cui Ming added, "It was most proper for Miss not to stir things up today, a new bride arguing and fighting is just what she wished for, causing Miss to lose face in the Marquis Mansion."
Hong Ye understood the intricacies and stomped her foot, swearing, "That vile woman, what is she compared to our Miss, the daughter of Jiujie's family, how dare she have such thoughts, next time if she comes, I'll tear her apart."
Qin Yuan frowned and held her head, "I told you to be careful not to fall for others' tricks. Instead, you're like a bursting coal."
Hong Ye, accustomed to not suffering losses in her two lives, hadn't been intimidated for long upon entering the Marquis Mansion, quickly reverting to her old ways.
Qin Yuan gave brief instructions, and said no more.
One incense later, footsteps and laughter sounded outside the window.
Qin Yuan straightened herself, while Cui Ming and Hong Ye guarded her with extreme caution.
Outside, men's cheerful farewell rang out, the Marquis's voice tinged with intoxication, then the door was pushed wide open, and a towering figure strode in.
Qin Yuan looked up to meet a pair of burning eyes, seemingly smoldering with flames.
She shyly lowered her head.
The Marquis approached, sitting closely beside her, his robe sleeve pressed against hers, layers of red ceremonial attire tangled in a sort of entwined embrace.
Perhaps due to the alcohol, his deep voice dragged slightly, like it had hooks, making one's heart itch.
"Letting the lady wait long."
Qin Yuan couldn't help but blush.
Such good looks, indeed should be masked with a beard.
Otherwise, it might not just be one Lady Zhao brought back to the mansion.