The young lady is delicate and soft, yet she criticizes the powerful minister for bowing and scrapin

"So you didn't know," Wei Ruowei said to herself, trying to reassure herself. "Perhaps it's just nonsense. I don't know about the other members of the Wei family, but the sons of our Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion are all very upright. With our elder brother as a role model, the younger brothers certainly wouldn't dare to act recklessly."

The Wei family has many branches, and any descendant of the Wei family with some ancestral relationship can attend the clan school.

As they chatted, they walked to the outside of Qi Yunli's courtyard.

"Where did all those roses on your wall go? I really liked them. It's not even winter yet, how could they wither so quickly?" Wei Ruowei asked.

"These roses were so lush that they were blocking my view, so I had them cut down a long time ago."

Moreover, the maids in the manor said that my cousin doesn't like roses, so it's best not to let them know that I've planted roses.

Wei Ruowei said with great dissatisfaction, "Big brother is good in every way, but he's too picky. Next time we go shopping, I'll buy you some flower seeds so your little yard can be full of life again, okay?"

"Okay," Qi Yunli said with a smile.

Wei Ruowei talked for a while longer before leaving.

Qi Yunli didn't know how long Qin Xue stayed at the mansion. She only knew that when Qin Xue was sunbathing on a recliner in the courtyard in the afternoon, Ru Feng came in to inform her to go to Jingchen Courtyard.

The morning's events did not have any negative impact on Qi Yunli. It was normal for Qin Xue to try to intimidate her in front of everyone; she played along, preserving Qin Xue's trust and shifting Qin Xue's suspicions to others.

But how did the painting in Wei Jun's courtyard get out and be heard by Qin Xue?

No one dared to escape Wei Jun's watchful eye. Unless, of course, the person delivering the message was Wei Jun himself.

"Cousin," Qi Yunli reminded Wei Jun when he was distracted again.

Wei Jun's gaze wasn't even on the strings of the zither; instead, it was fixed on Qi Yunli, who was sitting next to him teaching him to play.

She played a piece of music in front of everyone, and Qin Xueming clearly wanted to bully her, yet she remained calm and composed.

"If you hadn't wanted to, I could have stopped Qin Xue," Wei Jun said.

Qi Yunli did not answer, but raised her hand and played the zither again, saying, "Come on, it's your turn to play now. Have you memorized the strings from before? I played them three times."

Wei Jun pressed his five fingers under the strings, which were stuck to the wooden saddle and could not move: "Why don't you answer my question?"

Qi Yunli asked doubtfully, "My cousin said that he would earn one tael of silver for every hour of playing the zither. But if he gets distracted while teaching you to play and talks about other things, wouldn't that be a waste of time?"

Wei Jun looked at her coldly.

Wow, after offering her a price of one tael of silver per hour, she actually went further and started charging him for chatting with her.

"Alright, I'll give you the amount of silver you'll give me for how long you stay here. Now, can you answer my question?"

Qi Yunli calmly replied, "I genuinely like Sister Xue, and I hope to make a good impression on her after she enters the family. Besides, I don't want to put my cousin in a difficult position. I enjoy playing the piano; it pleases myself and others. It's not something to be ashamed of for me."

Her eyes were clear and gentle, and a faint smile played on her lips. When she talked about playing the piano, her face became very lively.

Wei Jun's eyes darkened, and he casually looked away, saying, "So you've always been thinking of me."

"Of course, Ah Li promised to stay by Cousin's side. This isn't the first or second time I've played the zither and other musical instruments; I even showcased my talents at a major banquet at the manor before. Cousin, you don't need to worry about that."

Wei Jun frowned. "There are dancers and other musicians in the manor. Why would they want you to come over?"

"Are they not as skilled as me?" Qi Yunli said, feigning ignorance.

Wei Jun was displeased: "If someone bullies you, you should have your own temper. If you don't want it, I will stand up for you."

A surge of anger welled up inside him for no apparent reason, and he couldn't quite explain it.

Just thinking about how other people's eyes were greedily fixed on Ah Li made him want to drag all the men in his imagination into hell.

Ah Li belongs only to him.

When Qi Yunli returned from Jingchen Courtyard, Tingyue put down her work and saw the smile on her master's face, which put her mind at ease.

"Young lady, this is the first time you've smiled so happily since returning from the young master's place!"

Qi Yunli took out two pieces of silver and winked at Tingyue.

"My goodness, the young master is so generous! People outside say a county magistrate only earns a dozen or so taels of silver a month!" Tingyue exclaimed, her eyes wide with greed.

Qi Yunli drank some water, calming her happy mood: "The Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion is very wealthy. Don't be fooled by the fact that the ladies live a life of luxury; countless people outside are trying to win them over to do business together. Wei Jun is in a good mood now that he's engaged, and he's been treating me better too."

"People outside say that the case of embezzlement of military funds involves quite a few people, and the Emperor is ordering the Ministry of Personnel to begin an investigation. The eldest son, who was escorting the military funds, has gained the Emperor's trust and has been specially permitted to assist the Ministry of Personnel in the investigation. It will be quite a busy time," Tingyue said.

Qi Yunli had heard about it before.

Embezzlement of military pay is a heinous crime. Border soldiers fight valiantly for the court and the people, yet some people are actually cutting back on their rations and food allowances.

Rumors of embezzlement of military funds had circulated for a long time, but the emperor, in poor health and preoccupied with consolidating his power, delayed in investigating the case. Now, however, having reached a certain age, he is determined to cleanse the court.

"Who is leading the investigation?" she asked.

Tingyue: "It is Fu Chong, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

After a moment's thought, Qi Yunli revealed her plan: "Since Wei Jun is so busy, I want to get married as soon as possible so that everything can be settled."

The painting in his courtyard was leaked out, most likely because Wei Jun used it to keep her in check before he got to his next big task, preventing her from making any rash moves.

If Wei Jun later discovers that she is secretly looking for a husband, he might announce their relationship to the old lady and the people in the mansion in advance.

The old lady will definitely prioritize the reputation of the Marquis's mansion and prevent their relationship from spreading, but this will also draw more attention to Qi Yunli, leaving her no chance to escape.

Tingyue agreed: "I am very happy that you are thinking of yourself. The young master is currently kept in the dark and does not know the hardships you have endured. If he knew, he would definitely do everything he could to help you escape from the manor."

At this moment, the old lady's maid, Wenshu, came to deliver a message.

"Next month is the birthday of Guanyin, and the old lady and several other masters will go to Cibei Temple to pray for blessings. Miss, you should also pack your things and go with us."

After Manjushri left, Qi Yunli realized this was a good opportunity and instructed Tingyue:

"Find a way to get the news to Shen Junshan's ears. The old lady is also here, and she already knows that I have someone I like. If I can see Shen Junshan and get the old lady's approval, our relationship will be established in everyone's eyes."

The young lady stayed at the mansion for over a year, where she was treated well, and eventually married. As for Shen Junshan, a ninth-rank registrar, he was still quite young. With his upright character, he could certainly serve a noble person in the court if someone offered him some guidance.

The old lady is good at judging people and situations; she will definitely agree.