p.This morning, a light rain had passed through, leaving the ground moist. The plants outside were washed by the rain, looking fresh and vibrant green. The air was filled with a refreshing, damp fragr...With the departure of that Qin girl, the play had come to an end, and the other spectators also dispersed.

Even though Du Si Ze knew Meng Jin Yu was his cousin's sister, he didn't care. He had always known that his cousin's younger sister wasn't a good person.

Meng Jinyu's maidservants saw their mistress fainted on the ground, they hurriedly stepped forward to help her up, and helped her onto the carriage and headed back home.

At this time, on a carriage not far away, Gu Jingxi lowered the window curtain and said softly to the coachman, "Return home."

The coachman responded and drove the carriage back home.

Du Sizhe heard the sound of the carriage and subconsciously looked in its direction. He saw Gu Jingxi's carriage, and he was taken aback. He didn't expect Gu Jingxi to still be here and just leave now.

He watched the carriage slowly disappear, then remembered the conversation he had at the teahouse earlier. He was still suspicious about Gu Jingxi suddenly inquiring about his father.

Changxing Houfu.

After Gu Jingxi returned home, he told Meng Jinyao about the argument he witnessed between Meng Jin Yu and the Qin family's daughter on the street.

Meng Jinyo listened, her brows furrowed. As far as she knew, Dong had not treated Meng Jin Yu and Meng Cheng Xing poorly after entering the family. The Meng family was now in a difficult financial situation. Dong managed the household with frugality and thrift, focusing on saving and reducing expenses. Meng Jin Yu and Meng Cheng Xing were used to enjoying themselves, so they definitely felt resentful towards this change, and therefore also resented Dong. It was estimated that there were undercurrents of discontent simmering between them.

Meng Jinyu is fifteen years old this year, and she will be able to marry in a few months after her mother's filial piety period ends. Meng Jinyu is beautiful, but with her father's selfish nature, even if Meng Jinyu is favored, she can't escape the fate of being traded for profit by her father. So Meng Jinyu is probably anxious and wants to find a way out for herself.

But even if you're in a hurry, you can't just eat anything, right It's not okay to pursue a married man and cause such a scandal. Even if you eventually stage a dramatic "death to prove innocence" and clear your name of seducing another woman's fiancé, your reputation as a young lady will still be damaged.

For a moment, Meng Jin Yao asked curiously, "By the way, which Qin family are you talking about"

Gu Jingxi replied, "The Qin family of Zhennan Marquis' Mansion is the one who had a dispute with her. The young lady in question is the legitimate daughter of Zhennan Marquis."

The daughter of the Marquis of Zhennan

Meng Jin Yao was slightly surprised. She had seen this Qin girl before. Probably because she came from a military family, she inherited the fiery temper of General Zhennan Hou and had a bold personality, quite different from ordinary ladies. She was also someone who wouldn't suffer losses. If she knew that her fiancé was being flirted with and beaten up on the street, she could very well do something about it.

The fiancé of the eldest daughter of Marquis Zhennan is the nephew of Concubine Xiao, the younger son of Concubine Xiao's elder brother. The marriage between the Xiao family and the Qin family is likely due to the power of the Marquis Zhennan's mansion, aiming to bring them under the control of the Second Prince.

When the two families arranged the marriage, many people whispered privately that the match was a good one. The youngest son of the Xiao family wasn't very talented, he only had his looks and family background going for him, but he wasn't cunning and had a soft personality that was easy to manipulate. As for Miss Qin, she was also someone without much guile, and with her kind nature, pairing her with such a man would make things easier to manage. If she were too clever, she wouldn't be able to control him, and might even be controlled by others.

With the Xiao family's background, it's no wonder Meng Jin Yu would disregard the fact that the other had a fiancée and take such a risk to try and woo them. Other intelligent sons of prominent families certainly wouldn't be swayed by Meng Jin Yu's advances, only someone like the young master of the Xiao family, who lacked brains, would entertain them. Since the young master of the Xiao family was willing to listen, Meng Jin Yu couldn't possibly give up this opportunity. If he missed out on the young master of the Xiao family, finding another with such a good background would be difficult.

Meng Jin yao said: "Sun Shi is considered a smart person, but Meng Jin Yu is far behind. Even if the young master of the Xiao family dislikes Miss Qin, as long as the marriage contract exists, she can't marry him even if she wins his heart. At most, she can only be a concubine. Even though the Meng family has fallen, she is still a legitimate daughter. Why would she rush to become a concubine"

Gu Jingxi said nonchalantly, "Ayao, if a man really wants to coax someone, it's not difficult to make a naive girl in her teens believe him. Wasn't Xiu Ming just engaged when he seduced Li's mother into eloping with him When Li's mother eloped with him, she was thinking about the position of the concubine wife, otherwise, why would she take such a gamble"

Meng Jin Yao was taken aback. "Could it be that Young Master Xiao lied to her, saying he would break the engagement and marry her"

Gu Jingxi said: "It is also possible that this will happen."

“She’s daydreaming,” Meng Jin Yao scoffed, shaking her head. “What kind of status does the Xiao family have Even without the Sun family dragging down her reputation, and without Qin girl, the Xiao family wouldn't allow her to marry in.”

Gu Jingxi mused, "Even when facing a desperate situation, one's mind might become muddled. Tomorrow, I will have someone investigate the recent activities of the Meng family."

-

The next day.

Gu Jingxi got it investigated and found out that Meng Dongyuan was truly planning to find a husband for Meng Jin'yu.

Although Meng Jin Yu possessed good looks, being born into the impoverished Meng family and having her reputation tarnished by her mother made it difficult for her to marry well. She could only marry someone of a lower status than her own family.

However, families even less respectable than the Mengs wouldn't agree to this. Neither Old Madam Meng nor Meng Dongyuan would be willing. They have pampered their daughter for over ten years; it wouldn't make sense for them not to benefit from her. It would be a loss!

Meng Dongyuan and Old Madam Meng deliberated carefully before deciding to find a suitable wife for Meng Jinyu. They aimed for a man with a good family background who was widowed. Young men from respectable families looked down upon the Meng family, but those of an older generation were different.

So, Meng Dongyuan found a government official over forty years old for Meng Jinyu. The official was also interested, so Meng Dongyuan planned to wait until Meng Jinyu's filial piety period was over and then marry her off to the official as a concubine.

Yesterday, an incident occurred. Meng Jinyu didn't tell her family when she went back, but today the news spread, and the Meng family found out about it. She was slapped twice by Meng Dongyuan and severely reprimanded by Madam Meng. Then, she was confined to the Buddhist hall for reflection.

Upon hearing this, Meng Jin Yao was briefly shocked before saying, "It seems she's reached the end of her rope. She probably doesn't want to become a stepmother or even a grandmother by marrying that official directly. That's why she's desperate for any kind of cure."

Gu Jingxi slowly said, "Although she failed to climb onto the Xiao family's ladder, after yesterday's incident, even if she was wronged, her reputation was still damaged, and there would still be people who wondered if she really had a past with the Xiao family's young master. This marriage is likely also suspended. Getting rid of this marriage can also be considered a success."

Meng Jinyao lightly nodded and said faintly, "That's also true. But if this marriage falls through, my father won't give up on using her to gain benefits. I just wonder what kind of husband he will arrange for her next time after the news dies down."sed the box, and changed the subject. They chatted about various things, somewhat aimlessly.The next morning.After Meng Jiny Yao finished her breakfast, she entered her inner chamber and took out the...