The most dissolute couple in the capital

"puff--"

Cui Qingyi almost spat out the tea she had just brought to her lips.

Seeing her reaction, Cui Lingyi became even more uneasy and quickly explained, "Qingyi, don't misunderstand! I know you had some contact with the Zheng family before..."

"But when it comes to marriage proposals, if it doesn't work out, so be it; it's only natural that the other party can look to other families. Mother thinks that Young Master Zheng is renowned for his talent, is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and his family background and appearance are... all acceptable..."

Cui Qingyi showed no embarrassment whatsoever: "Of course. Young Master Zheng Wenyuan passed the imperial examination last year, and he is handsome and talented. There are so many noble ladies in the capital who want to marry him that they could stretch from the east to the west of the city. It's just that my fate is too strong to enjoy such great fortune."

She said she was unlucky, but there was a smile in her eyes.

Cui Lingyi knew her too well. Seeing her like this, she finally felt relieved and gave her a reproachful glare.

Since her best friend truly didn't care, Cui Lingyi stopped hiding her feelings: "Actually, my mother doesn't think much of this family either. She says the Zheng family has strict rules, and the clan members are all scheming for power. The second and third branches are deeply entrenched, and there are many people in the family. If I were to marry into that family, I'm afraid I would be exhausted just from the daily rituals of greeting each other and managing the household affairs. I certainly wouldn't have a peaceful life."

As expected of the legitimate daughter of the Taiyuan Wang clan, Wang Shi's insight into people and matters is sharp and incisive.

She nodded solemnly, echoing with a deep expression, "Auntie's words are insightful and to the point. Otherwise, given the Zheng family's 'ambitious' social standing, why would they extend an olive branch to me, a 'fallen' daughter from a collateral branch of a noble family whose father holds a low-ranking official position?"

Cui Lingyi was amused by her feigned maturity and couldn't help but tap her forehead with her finger: "You! How come I never noticed before that you could be so sharp-tongued? You even make fun of yourself!"

They all knew perfectly well that the Zheng family was willing to approach Cui Qingyi because her father's official position was not high and her family's foundation was relatively weak, so that they could manipulate and control her after she was married into the family.

If it were a top-tier noblewoman like Cui Lingyi, with the Wang family of Taiyuan as her maternal family and the Minister of Personnel as her father, the Zheng family would never even dare to dream of it.

Cui Qingyi asked, "Since Auntie has ruled out the Zheng family, this 'hell on earth,' there must be other alternatives, right?"

"Yes, there is..." Cui Lingyi's tone became somewhat subtle. "The second family is my mother's side. By all accounts, they are my cousins, named Wang Yu."

She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully: "My cousin... passed the imperial examination at the age of sixteen. His talent is top-notch, and everyone praises him. However... in terms of appearance, he is indeed somewhat inferior to Zheng Wenyuan."

"Wang Yu?"

A blurry figure flashed through Cui Qingyi's mind.

Wang Yu was a household name in the capital. He composed a poem at the age of five, passed the county-level imperial examination at ten, and the provincial-level imperial examination at sixteen, earning him the reputation of a child prodigy. Because he was too young, his family made him wait two years before taking the metropolitan-level imperial examination, but everyone believed that he had a bright future and that he might even become a high-ranking official in the future.

In her previous life, Cui Lingyi eventually married Wang Yu, a man of great talent but ordinary appearance.

Everyone said it was a beautiful story that everyone envied. They said Wang Yu had achieved fame at a young age and had a bright future; they said Cui Lingyi came from a noble family and was skilled at managing the household. The couple lived in perfect harmony, managing the Wang family to prosperity, and were simply a model of a noble family marriage.

After getting married, she and her cousin tacitly agreed never to talk about her husband's good or bad points again.

Because they all understood that, as the mistress of a prestigious family, the most important thing was not her husband's sincerity, but whether she could support such a large mansion.

Managing the household affairs, serving one's parents-in-law, raising children, and ensuring the continuation of the family line... all these are duties that are expected of one.

If you do well, it's only natural; if you don't, it's a sign of incompetence and moral failings. As for your own joys and sorrows, they are the most insignificant piece in this grand game.

What kind of person was Wang Yu? He was very talented and truly respected his wife, Cui Lingyi. He never interfered in the household affairs and social interactions, entrusting them entirely to her, giving his wife ample dignity and power.

But that's about it.

He was, after all, an ordinary man, a scholar-official steeped in aristocratic values. Respecting his principal wife did not conflict with taking several beautiful concubines and employing a few pretty maids. He had all kinds of women: charming, delicate, lively, and even those who "added fragrance to his sleeves."

What he bestowed upon his principal wife was the honor and status of a mistress.

What he gave his concubines was a man's affection and romance.

Cui Qingyi herself had already reached the end of this path in her previous life, and she was thoroughly fed up with it.

But this is just a personal preference, and she can't easily make decisions for her cousin.

Cui Qingyi merely curled the corners of her lips and said, "How can one rely on beauty to please others for long? The Analects says, 'When substance prevails over refinement, one becomes rustic; when refinement prevails over substance, one becomes pedantic. Only when substance and refinement are in perfect balance can one be a gentleman.' Appearance is merely a shell; talent and character are the foundation."

His words sounded grand and dignified, but Cui Lingyi seemed to be deep in thought as she listened.

"What you said makes sense." She nodded and added, "There's a third family, the youngest son of General Xiao, the Great General of the North, named Xiao Jue."

Cui Qingyi, however, had never known that these two had ever crossed paths, and couldn't help but become interested: "Xiao Jue?"