Gu Baoshu tilted her neck, grimaced for a while, and couldn’t hold back, retorting: "Mother is making a fuss over nothing. What’s the big deal? Playing with the Ninth Princess, playing polo with those ladies, we all know these things. I’m just talking about it at home. Can’t I mention it in front of my third sister-in-law? She’ll eventually go out to meet guests, and who among the families dealing with our Dingbei Marquis Mansion won’t know some palace secrets."

Old Madam Gu complained angrily: "I said one thing, and you said a whole bunch. Which family nowadays still talks about the late Empress Dowager or Empress Yuan? The ones living in the deep palace now are Empress Dowager and Empress Lin. Besides, others may speak of such things, but our family cannot."

Gu Baoshu’s lips pouted enough to hang a bottle.

Seeing her still rebellious, Old Madam Gu slapped her leg and said: "You worry too much, not listening to advice. Brother Kang and Fuguo’er are still so young, yet you’re saying foolish things in front of them, stirring trouble when there’s none. Your sister-in-law will go out to meet guests; won’t I teach her what to do? I should just marry you off to the Gu Family’s enemy so you can wreak havoc elsewhere, and I won’t have to worry about you every day."

Gu Baoshu was a bit annoyed by the words but felt ashamed and angry hearing the latter part.

Mother said these things in front of her third sister-in-law; what would her sister-in-law think of her?

Gu Baoshu stamped her feet and tugged Qin Yuan’s hand, shaking it back and forth, saying: "Sister-in-law, I’m really not like that. I only meant to talk about the incense for you. How could Mother say such things about me? Tell me, am I wronged or not?"

Qin Yuan, quietly drinking tea and eating candied fruits, thought: "..."

This... what does this have to do with her...

Luckily, Sixth Master Gu arrived and said as he entered: "Sister, what are you fussing about? I could hear you from afar. Didn’t you say these days you wanted to learn from the scholars’ ladies? You should learn more from your third sister-in-law. Do you ever see her being so noisy?"

Gu Baoshu: "..."

If this discussion keeps up, how can she make her third sister-in-law like her?

If her sister-in-law looks down on her, can she speak well of her in front of Qin Siyuan?

Why does her family always hold her back like this!

Gu Baoshu lowered her voice and said: "Sixth Brother, can you guess whom I saw yesterday and what news I heard?"

"Who?"

Sixth Master Gu asked energetically.

Gu Baoshu said: "I met my third sister-in-law’s cousin, your good brother—Mr. Qin."

Everyone looked at her curiously.

Gu Baoshu’s voice was a bit hoarse.

Sixth Master Gu suspiciously asked the doubt on everyone’s mind: "How did you meet him?"

Gu Baoshu laughed dryly: "Why couldn’t I meet him? I thought he was coming to Brother Cheng’s recognition banquet yesterday, but sister-in-law didn’t invite him. I even told him, see you at the banquet."

Qin Yuan glanced at Gu Baoshu with a half-smile.

Sixth Master Gu was a bit anxious.

"It’s perfectly normal for your third sister-in-law not to invite Siyuan Brother. Brother Cheng and Sister Yu never had any interaction with the Xu family or the Qin family, and there’s only superficial connection with your third sister-in-law; why would she invite him to the recognition banquet? In my opinion, passing his Advanced Scholar exam is much more important than anything else."

Almost said attending the recognition banquet was a waste of time.

Gu Baoshu said: "Sixth Brother is right too."

Old Madam Gu glanced at these two, Wolong Fengchu, and didn’t know what to say anymore. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

One is saying Qin Yuan didn’t invite the Qins to the recognition banquet for the twins, the other simply says Qin Yuan only has superficial connection with the twins.

Truly like brother and sister: equally unable to speak appropriately, equally leaving people speechless.

Sixth Master Gu continued his inquiry to his sister.

"Did you go out again yesterday? I knew you couldn’t stay still at home. Where did you meet Siyuan Brother? What has he been busy with lately?"

One question followed another.

Gu Baoshu said: "Brother Kang and Fuguo’er need to tend to illness at Sixth Sister-in-law’s side. I can’t always call them to play. Besides, I’ve been indoors for more than three months and haven’t seen many friends, so of course, I have to go out more often."

Old Madam Gu said: "What did you do while you were out?"

Gu Baoshu said: "I went to the theater, watched some acrobatics, then went to the teahouse, met with Mei Feng and the others, told them about my Sixth Brother’s poetry collection, then took them to the Imperial College to watch the literary competition."

Listening to this schedule, it’s quite packed.

Qin Yuan pondered that if Gu Baoshu roamed freely for a few more days, any gossip between the Xu family and Gu family would likely be completely exposed.

Then she heard Sixth Master Gu ask: "Did you disturb Siyuan Brother?"

Gu Baoshu said openly: "We’re relatives, why can’t I disturb him? Since we couldn’t enter the Imperial College, naturally we had to find someone to take us in. So I thought of Mr. Qin."

Sixth Master Gu breathed a sigh of relief, quietly glanced at Qin Yuan, and then asked: "Didn’t you take up too much of Siyuan Brother’s time? How was the literary contest?"

This whole matter was managed by Shen Changle, with Sixth Master Gu merely listed as the financier, even though the money was provided by Marquis Gu. After memorizing "Complete Tang Poems" as required by Mr. Songshan, he rewrote a few pieces and sent them over.

If it weren’t for the Xu family’s matters, Sixth Master Gu also wanted to visit the Imperial College.

He wondered if his poetry had been knocked down, and how others were doing.

Gu Baoshu nodded and shook her head.

"Mr. Qin said it was a literary stage, not a martial stage. A large screen was placed in the courtyard, with a tent built over it, covered with paper, turned into a paper wall, where those with good poems could write on it and leave their names."

Sixth Master Gu said: "Naturally, you thought it was a martial stage, with knives and guns in rotation?"

Gu Baoshu was annoyed: "Sixth Brother, do you want to hear it or not?"

Sixth Master Gu stopped talking.

Gu Baoshu continued: "Many students from the Imperial College gathered there to watch, with people under the tent helping grind ink and transcribe, that paper wall is several layers thick, covered in poems."

Sixth Master Gu hurriedly asked: "Did Siyuan Brother tell you whose poems are holding the stage now?"

Gu Baoshu said: "Now you’re not complaining about me disturbing your Siyuan Brother?"

Old Madam Gu said: "Stop beating around the bush; you’ve disturbed him, just say it quickly, or I’ll clobber you."

Gu Baoshu snorted and said: "Currently, poems by Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang are holding the stage, posted separately on wooden boards. Many go to see, with plenty of comments below filled with praise according to Mr. Qin. As for Sixth Brother..."

Sixth Master Gu opened his mouth to ask: "... how is it?"

Gu Baoshu said: "Already knocked down."

Sixth Master Gu was a bit disappointed, though not overly. He then asked: "Not last, right?"

"Of course not," Gu Baoshu shook her head.

Sixth Master Gu was delighted.

Gu Baoshu continued: "After all, there are many students at the Imperial College not skilled in poetry who joined the competition. If Brother Kang was brought back, perhaps they’d also join the fun. I saw many small children only as tall as tables, chattering ’Zhi Hu Zhe Ye’."