My younger sister insisted on marrying me and made me the Marquis' wife.

Chapter 349: Not a decent person

Qin Yuan's lips curled slightly, but she asked doubtfully, "Have you made up your mind, my husband?"

Gu Jinghui coughed a few times and said, "I do have this idea, but I still want to hear your thoughts."

Qin Yuan asked: "I wonder what your Lordship's considerations are?"

Lord Gu reached out his hand to help her straighten her hairpins and said, "I heard from Mr. Songshan today that Sima Yi pretended to be sick twice. The first time he refused Cao Cao's appointment because he couldn't see the situation clearly. I think this is somewhat similar to my current situation."

"How to say?"

Qin Yuan sat up straight in Lord Gu's arms, looking at his sharp and handsome profile with burning eyes.

Lord Gu coughed again and said, "Isn't this pretending to be ignorant when you know the truth? Didn't you just say that the Crown Prince is now sick and weak, the other princes and the ministers in the court have their own thoughts, and the Emperor is wrestling with the three dukes and nine ministers, and has been reluctant to agree to my request. Isn't this an unclear situation?"

Qin Yuan smiled and said, "No, how can the situation be unclear? It's obvious that the emperor wants to use my husband to offend the three dukes and nine ministers, and tie my husband to the prince. Not only will he work for the prince, but he will also offend the three dukes and nine ministers. In the future, he can use the three dukes and nine ministers to suppress my husband. I think the civil officials in the court will inevitably have to guard against stepping on the military generals in the future."

Lord Gu choked up and said in a daze: "...Is that so...?"

Qin Yuan looked at him steadily and nodded, "In my opinion, that's the case, but I don't know if it's right or not."

Lord Gu thought for a moment and said, "Then I will pretend to be sick even more."

"Why?"

Lord Gu frowned and said, "My Gu family has sacrificed so many lives to defend the Northern Frontier. For my contribution to the Northern Frontier, it would not be too much to make me a Duke. The Emperor is not only stingy with rewards, but also has the intention of taking away the military power of the Gu family. How can I rashly offend the three dukes and nine ministers for the sake of that short-lived prince and make my Gu family have no place to stand? I haven't fought back against the prince and the King of Jin for taking advantage of their misfortune, so how can I protect this short-lived ghost?"

There was no one around and the conversation had come to this point, so Marquis Gu naturally no longer concealed his disgust for the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

Qin Yuan's body trembled slightly.

Lord Gu reached out his hand, gently touched her cheek, and asked, "Are you cold?"

Qin Yuan shook her head, held Lord Gu's hand, and said, "I'm not cold. I'm happy. I'm happy that my husband can tell me whatever he wants."

Lord Gu sighed, "Of course I am happy to tell you this, but I thought you might not like to hear this."

Qin Yuan smiled and said, "I had some concerns before, worried that my husband would dislike me for meddling in other people's affairs and not fulfilling my duties as a woman."

"How can you say that?" Gu Jinghui was puzzled and said, "The daughters of our military families don't have these requirements. The Gu family has guarded the northern frontier for generations, and many of our clansmen have gone to the northern frontier to work. Many of them have been on the battlefield. The customs in the northern frontier are open, and there is no big difference between men and women. If men die, it is common for widows to remarry. Moreover, women are capable of more than just raising a family. Sometimes they will go to the battlefield to kill the enemy when they encounter an enemy attack. If you are capable and wise, it is my blessing. How can I be such an intolerant villain?"

Qin Yuan pushed him and whispered, "That's all my fault. I was judging the Marquis by my own standards. Besides, I saw you and mother both said that you would teach Sister Baozhu the rules. I thought that people in the capital usually pay attention to the word "rules", so I couldn't help but want to avoid it."

Gu Jinghui smiled and said, "It's all my fault. I forgot that you are much younger than me and a new bride, so you can't help but be careful about everything. Mother and I disciplined Baozhu because she had to choose a husband in the capital, and she couldn't be so unruly. Letting her learn the rules would also help to calm her temper. Besides, mother said that the Gu family will change its status in the future, and we will have to engage in literature and deal with civil officials more. Those superficial rules are inevitable, otherwise we will suffer in the future. I can't control others, but there is no need to be like this between you and me." He put his arm around Qin Yuan and said seriously, "I like you to control my affairs, plan and manage for me. I feel that I am no longer alone, but you will inevitably be more tired."

Qin Yuan suppressed the turbulent waves in her heart and said with a smile: "The mistress of the house doesn't need to plan and manage. I have the trust of my husband and mother, so I will naturally do my best. However, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and there are always things they cannot do. My ability is limited, and I can't take care of everything."

Gu Jinghui couldn't help but sigh, "You have surpassed others by so much. At first, I only expected to be a wife who could give birth to children. I have seen, heard, and remembered everything you have done. Even if I have nothing to do and listen to other people's discussions, I know that it is very good for a couple to respect each other. You and I are so connected, and you are so smart and lovely. I will not be ungrateful for what I have been blessed with."

Qin Yuan's face was burning with heat, and she said, "My husband's words have made me feel a little flattered."

Gu Jinghui laughed and said, “Really? You’re already feeling high before you even drink any wine. I even asked someone to get this wine for you to try.”

As he said this, he lifted the bottle of wine and showed it to her.

Qin Yuan saw that it was a sealed silver bottle and asked curiously, "What kind of wine is this?"

Gu Jinghui said, “This is a thick wine brewed from rhubarb rice, with sweet osmanthus and some medicinal herbs added. The wine tastes sweet and sour. The old and young women and children in the north often drink this. It is very good. It tastes even better when boiled with yellow peaches or something like that.”

Qin Yuan blinked curiously.

“I don’t know if I can get used to it.”

Lord Gu said, "Why not give it a try?"

"Okay," Qin Yuan nodded. Tonight, Lord Gu wanted her to learn more about the customs and culture of the northern frontier, so she naturally would not spoil his fun.

Lord Gu opened the bottle and poured the wine into the pot, then started to boil the wine.

Qin Yuan just laughed.

Lord Gu asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Qin Yuan said, "We were originally talking about reporting illness, but how come we ended up cooking wine?"

Lord Gu asked, "Do you think there is something wrong?"

Qin Yuan shook her head and nodded, and finally said: "Although Dingbei Hou is not a duke, it is a hereditary title, which is much better than others. The duke has to be downgraded after several generations, and this is all because of Saibei. Now my husband has made great contributions, but the emperor is unwilling to reward him. It is nothing more than because my husband is too capable, and the emperor predicts that there will be no place to mobilize troops in the future. The emperor can't blame me for being ill at this time, but the emperor can't help but hold a grudge."

Lord Gu said as he peeled yellow peaches and put them into the pot, "When Sima Yi first reported illness, Cao Cao knew it was fake, but Cao Cao's foundation was unstable and it was difficult to touch him. I just returned to the court not long ago, and the emperor was already in the wrong for not giving me a big reward. He also just praised me, so naturally he couldn't blame me for reporting illness."

Qin Yuan smiled and said, "My husband is indeed able to draw inferences from one example."

The thick wine in the pot was foaming. Lord Gu moved it slightly to let it simmer slowly. Then he said, "I am also angry. This hereditary title was won by the men of my Gu family on the battlefield. I have not disgraced my ancestors, but the royal father and son do not treat me like a decent person."