The Ninth Lady is a rebellious person.

Chapter 326 That time will be the day of the Marquis of Zhenbei's death.

When Lang Jiuchuan first saw Xie Zejin, he thought he was no different from a young master from an ordinary noble family. He had an air of nobility and knew how to respect his host family. The Lang family was in mourning, so when he came to visit, he did not wear brightly colored clothes, but rather a simple and elegant robe. His black hair was tied up with a white jade crown.

Perhaps due to his frequent martial arts practice, he had a well-proportioned and sturdy physique, handsome features, and clear eyes, but that was all, because he was born with a pair of fish-shaped eyebrows.

The ancient Chinese text *Xiangli Hengzhen* states: "Eyebrows like the tail of a swimming fish, heart like willow catkins in flight." This means that eyebrows shaped like the tail of a swimming fish, with the inner corners of the eyebrows gathered and the outer corners scattered, indicate an unpredictable temperament. Furthermore, scattered outer corners of the eyebrows are also said to indicate difficulty in saving money.

Xie Zejin came from a noble family, but once he got his hands on money, it was hard for him to save any; he was a big spender.

In addition, he has small and thin ears with soft cartilage at the base, and lacks assertiveness. It is said that he wants to uphold his family precepts and develop in the military camp. He has already joined the West Camp and become a centurion. Therefore, he can be described as both a scholar and a warrior. However, Lang Jiuchuan believes that with his temperament and lack of assertiveness, it would be better for him not to go to the battlefield as a general or leader, so as not to burden himself and others.

Lang Jiuchuan recalled that she had met He Fu once before, that gentle, resolute and magnanimous girl, and then she looked at Xie Zejin's marital palace.

His marital palace was rosy and purplish, with the Red Phoenix Star in motion, indicating that good things were about to happen, however...

Lang Jiuchuan lowered his eyes.

A mole hidden in the temple, with many irregular lines and a bluish tinge extending into the temples, indicates that his kidney energy is leaking out. This suggests that he has found a lover, and the marriage may be in jeopardy.

What a pity for Miss He.

Xie Zejin felt uneasy under Lang Jiuchuan's dark eyes. He had initially felt pity for her frail body, but now his heart was filled with vigilance and an indescribable fear.

Are you afraid?
Xie Zejin frowned. This was his uncle's posthumous daughter, practically his younger sister. Why would he find her frightening and be afraid of her?

It must be because of myself these past few days... cough cough.

Xie Zejin touched his nose, bowed to Lang Jiuchuan in a generous manner, and greeted him.

Lang Jiuchuan nodded coldly and indifferently, which was his way of returning the greeting. His attitude was very aloof and distant.

That's just her nature, and the Lang family is used to it. After all, she treats her own family this way, so how could she be so close to a stranger like you, who is supposed to be her brother? We've never met before, so how close can we be?
Xie Zejin assumed the girl was just shy and didn't take it to heart, even though it seemed a little odd. They sat down to chat again.

"...Our Marquis's residence has already reserved the venue for Huguo Temple, and the date is set for the first day of the third month. However, since Huguo Temple will be holding a Water and Land Dharma Assembly on the fourth day of the third month this year, the main hall has already begun cleaning and preparation, so the venue can only be reserved for the Dizang Hall. If Aunt Shi doesn't like it, we can move to Ci'en Temple or Qinghua Temple. But there are only a few days left until the first day of the third month, so I'm afraid it won't be in time." Xie Zejin explained, "It's also because I'm getting married this year, and the household is in a lot of turmoil, so things haven't been handled properly. Please forgive me, Aunt Shi and Uncle Lang."

As he spoke, he stood up again and bowed with his hands clasped in a very sincere gesture.

Madam Cui said gently, "It's not really appropriate for you to hold this ceremony for your Uncle Lang this year, so as not to clash with his wedding. Now that the venue has been decided, we can finalize the ceremony with the monks ourselves. You've already done enough, thank you."

"My father instructed me to do everything perfectly, and I dare not disobey his orders," Xie Zejin said with a smile.

Cui's face showed a warm expression.

Lang Zhengping glanced at her, then quickly looked away, feeling a mixture of joy and sorrow at the fact that Cui knew nothing about him.

The good thing is that she knows nothing, so she won't show too much emotion. The bad thing is, once she knows the truth, will she be able to accept it? Lang Zhengping looked at Xie Zejin again and was stung by the faint smile on his face.

In previous years, Lang Zhengping would have thought Xie Zejin's humble attitude of admitting his mistake was very sincere and that he was a noble young man who remained untainted by the mud. Not only would he not blame him, but he would also feel guilty, since he did this every year and his heart was too sincere.

Now that Lang Zhengping knows the vicious things his father did, he finds this boy very annoying, always putting on airs.

He knew he was prejudiced, but he just couldn't bring himself to treat him with the same amiable dislike they used to have for him, like when they treated him as a nephew.

Lang Zhengping gripped his teacup tightly, his restrained demeanor suggesting he was about to lose control.

Seeing the restrained expression on his uncle Lang's face, Lang Jiuchuan looked at Xie Zejin and said, "From now on, there's no need for the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion to hold my father's water and land rituals. We will take care of it ourselves."

Her icy voice suddenly rang out, startling everyone present.

Lang Zhengping realized what was happening and said, "That's right, we can handle it ourselves from now on, there's no need to trouble your Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion."

Cui looked at him with suspicion. Why was his tone so stiff? Had something happened that she didn't know about? And Lang Jiuchuan, why would she take on this matter on her own initiative?

Xie Zejin also frowned. Did Uncle Lang look down on their Marquis's Mansion, or did he have some misunderstanding about their Marquis's Mansion?
Lang Zhengping seemed to realize that his tone was a bit harsh, and quickly added, "I mean, you have helped with the arrangements for more than ten years. Now that Jiu Niang has returned to the mansion, he is her biological father. As the only daughter of my second brother, she should be the one to handle the arrangements as a filial daughter. If the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion always handles it, outsiders will say something very bad."

He looked at Lang Jiuchuan and said, "Although she is a girl, she is my second brother's only bloodline, so it's not like there's no one to carry on the family line."

In other words, Lang Jiuchuan herself said that she would not inherit an heir and would not marry into another family. Otherwise, if she were willing, there would be no need for such a troublesome adoption process. She could have easily become the head of the clan of her second brother's branch.

But there's no need to explain to the man surnamed Xie now.

Xie Zejin looked at Lang Jiuchuan and said, "I see. That makes sense. My sister's filial piety moved Heaven. If Uncle is alive, he will be pleased with her."

Lang Jiuchuan remained expressionless and said nothing, which made Xie Zejin feel somewhat awkward, and he looked at Cui Shi.

Cui looked at Lang Jiuchuan with a complicated expression, but she never refuted her words. Perhaps she agreed with her brother-in-law's words. Fan had a daughter, and his funeral arrangements should indeed be handled by his descendants.

Lang Jiuchuan then said to Xie Zejin, "I will go and negotiate with the monks at Huguo Temple. Young Master Xie, you should focus on preparing for the wedding. By the way, when will the Marquis of Zhenbei return?"

Lang Zhengping's brow twitched. They've arrived.

Xie Zejin also felt a sudden pang of anxiety and said, "My father sent a letter saying that we will set off in two days."

Lang Jiuchuan curled his lips and said, "Then I will personally pay a visit to the Marquis when the time comes!"

Lang Zhengping looked down at the tea in his teacup and unconsciously interpreted these words as: "Yes, that will be the day of the Marquis of Zhenbei's death!"

　A new month, a new journey, new unknowns—I'm with you all!
　　(End of this chapter)