aughter of the Meng family is betrothed to the Gu family. This marriage was arranged by our grandfather's generation, but it didn't specify which son she was to marry. Did Madam say which one"Zhang no...Grandma Feng was confused: "So what do you mean"

Lady Gu let out a sigh and said, "Xiuwen and Xuanyi were twins. Xuanyi has already gone astray. Xiuwen is different from Zhang Shi, but because he was pampered by her, he became lazy in his studies. If he continues to stay by Zhang Shi's side, he will be spoiled."

"Could it be that you intend to raise him yourself" she said, glancing at her mistress with a hint of disapproval. "Madam, the Fourth Master is already fifteen years old, it seems rather inappropriate..."

Old Mrs. Gu shook her head and smiled wryly: "I enjoy peace and quiet, you know that, how could I possibly find more trouble for myself"

Upon hearing this, Grandma Feng's mind raced with countless possibilities in the blink of an eye.

The young master disappointed both the old matriarch and the marquis. As the son of a marquis, he was supposed to be honorable, but he disgraced the family by eloping on his wedding day with another woman. He even declared that for the rest of his life, he only wanted Miss Li, and if he couldn't marry her, he would take her as a concubine.

In this way, even though Miss Li was a concubine, the Prince did not have a legitimate wife.

Yet the young master forgot, he was the heir of the Marquis's mansion, and after inheriting his title, he would need to serve in the court. During festivals and banquets, the mistress of the house would be needed to attend social events. The Marquis's mansion also needed a mistress to manage affairs. It wouldn't do for a concubine to take on the duties of a legitimate wife, otherwise, it would be embarrassing.

The Marquis has a hidden ailment and cannot have children of his own. If he doesn't want the current Crown Prince to inherit the title, to replace him with another Crown Prince, he would have to adopt another child.

Could it be that the old madam wants to discuss with Madam Great Wife about adopting the fourth young master of the elder branch into the Marquis' family

Actually, it's not impossible. The Fourth Master is simple-minded and doesn't see eye to eye with the First Madame. With proper cultivation, he might even become a capable person. As for the First House, they would certainly be happy about this, after all, the First Madame has long coveted the position of heir apparent. She dreams of her son being adopted as the heir.

Thinking of this, Grandma Feng felt it was also a good thing. She nodded hastily: "Grand Matriarch can understand this way, after all, the Young Master... ah, I'll have someone go and invite Madam over to speak her piece." She bowed slightly to Old Matriarch Gu and immediately went outside to find a maid to go to Zhang Shi's side.

Lady Gu was somewhat bewildered, not understanding why her trusted maidservant had suddenly brought up what Xiu Ming was doing.

On the other side, when Zhang Shi learned that her mother-in-law had sent someone to invite her over, her heart skipped a beat. She was flustered. Today's actions by her daughter were likely already known to her mother-in-law. This time, she would definitely be questioned. She only let the maid go back first, and she would be there later.

Gu Jing Sheng saw her panicked face and frowned, asking, "Mother asked you to come here, why are you so flustered"

Zhang Shi recalled that she hadn't told her husband about their daughter's mischief. She briefly explained the situation, flustered and at a loss, asking, "What should we do Mother will definitely not let me off this time."

Gu Jing Sheng's head throbbed violently. He scolded in a deep voice, "A loving mother spoils her child. Look at you, you've spoiled Xuanyi so much that she acts recklessly and says anything without thinking. When her mother finds out, who knows how she'll think of me"

Zhang said dismissively, "What can be done about it She doesn't consider you her real son, so how could she possibly understand Even if you were the most filial son in the world, she would still think your actions weren't sincere. Let's not dwell on that now. What should we do about this situation"

Gu Jing Sheng thought for a moment, then replied: "Your mother won't eat you. Just go see her directly. These years, your mother hasn't punished you for anything. This time, she probably won't punish you either, after all, you've already punished Xu Yi."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shi frowned and let out a cold snort of displeasure. What a fool! At a crucial moment, he's useless. He's in his thirties and still thinks of his stepmother so fondly. If the stepmother got hold of this, she wouldn't use it to punish them, would she

Gu Jing Sheng looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Madam, what's wrong Since your mother sent someone to invite you, don't delay any longer, go quickly. If your mother makes things difficult for you, I can plead on your behalf."

Zhang glared at him, opened her mouth as if to speak, but in the end, didn't say a word. She left in a huff.

Gu Jing Sheng watched his wife's furious back disappear, feeling quite perplexed. He thought this wasn't a big deal, so why was she so angry In recent years, her temper had grown increasingly volatile, now even daring to give him the cold shoulder.

-

Shou Antang.

Zhang entered Shou'an Hall with a nervous heart. After letting her maidservant report, she then went into the room.

The moment she stepped into the house, her heart raced. She was so nervous that she couldn't even breathe. While it was one thing to argue with her husband, it was entirely different to argue with her mother-in-law. After all, the saying goes that a daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law are like blood rivals. How dare a daughter-in-law defy her mother-in-law

Seeing Old Madam Gu, Zhang Shi slightly raised her eyes and carefully observed her mother-in-law's expression. Seeing that her mother-in-law's face was calm and she showed no signs of joy or anger, she became even more nervous. This was not a good sign; this probably wasn't the eve before a storm.

"When the daughter-in-law saw her mother-in-law, she bowed respectfully to the elderly lady and asked anxiously, 'Mother, what is it that you want from me' "

"Grandmother Gu didn't make things difficult for her. She spoke softly, "First, have a seat and talk. There's something about the child I want to discuss with you."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Zhang shi's heart pounded like a drum. She replied, "Yes," and then sat down in the position next to her mother-in-law. Although she had already anticipated that her mother-in-law would criticize her about the child, when the situation actually arrived, she still felt fear. Now that Meng Jin yao had married into the family, would her mother-in-law take this opportunity to strip her of her authority

Mrs. Gu glanced at her, seeing her nervous expression, and shook her head helplessly. She had no intention of punishing her; the girl seemed to be afraid instead. She went straight to the point and asked, "Have you heard that Ling Shan Academy has begun accepting students"

Zhang was stunned, somewhat confused. Wasn't her mother-in-law supposed to find her and reprimand her How could she possibly tell her about the Lingshan Academy

She shook her head slightly: “The daughter-in-law has never paid attention

Although she didn't pay attention to whether Ling Shan Academy was accepting new students recently, she did know its reputation. The academy had many renowned teachers. If her child could get into Ling Shan Academy, she would be able to brag for a long time.

Grandmother Gu said calmly, “This time, we are recruiting children aged ten to fifteen. Xiuwen is just fifteen years old. I was thinking of sending Xiuwen to Ling Shan Academy, but as his mother, your opinion matters.”

She made this decision after careful consideration. Xiu Wen, that child, is kind and intelligent but lazy. We can't let Zhang continue to spoil him, turning him into someone like Xu Yi. I suggest sending Xiu Wen to Ling Shan Academy to study. There, Zhang will have no way to coddle him any longer. Surrounded by such an environment, the child will naturally become more studious.

The eldest son is mediocre, the second son is much better. He's clever but lacks great talent. The youngest son, though talented and capable, has a hidden ailment that prevents him from having children. As for Xiu Ming, it remains to be seen if he can hold up the family in the future.

Changsun Xiuyu seems to be doing well now, but we'll have to wait until the exam to see how he truly fares. She knows that her younger grandson Xiwen is more intelligent and quick-witted than Xiuyu. The second son, Xihong, has good scholarly abilities and is a well-rounded child, but he is overage.

The family must continue to prosper, and the younger generation cannot be mediocre. Those who can be saved should be saved as soon as possible. Who knows, maybe Xiuwen will really become a top scholar and bring honor to the family.ad already been somewhat in awe of their Third Uncle, but now their fear had reached its peak. Gu Xiuyuan and Gu Xiuhong, the two older ones, were alright, but fifteen-year-old Gu Xiuwen, even as a bo...