Mrs. Ke nodded, "It’s still Mrs. Lian who has a plan at heart. Usually, we really depend on you to help with ideas!"

Mrs. Lian was steady in handling affairs, and now Mrs. Ke found herself increasingly unable to do without her, needing her suggestions for everything.

"Isn’t this my duty? Besides, since madam is pregnant, how can she be overworked? It’s only right for me to ease your worries!"

Mrs. Lian dared not take credit, as she understood madam’s temperament best. Though genuinely heartfelt now, if she truly accepted the praise, madam would feel uncomfortable.

"Hmm! With Mrs. Lian by my side, I feel much more at ease." A slight smile appeared on Mrs. Ke’s face, and seeing this, Mrs. Lian couldn’t help but feel relieved.

"This is a marriage granted by the Emperor. How can anyone else interfere? Let him see what kind of match his good daughter has made, hmph!"

One must say, apart from the earlier embarrassment in the Capital, this matter truly made Mrs. Ke feel relieved.

"Father, what do you think is the Emperor’s intention behind this marriage grant?" Mr. Yao and the Old Duke gathered in the study, discussing today’s marital decree from the Emperor.

The Old Duke leaned back behind the desk, "How have I taught you normally? Why are you all so impatient?"

Seeing that their old father was not at all anxious, still maintaining a serene demeanor, Yao Qinglan was instantly exasperated.

"Master! News has come in, it’s not just us and the Gu Mansion receiving this decree today. The offices of Minister Li of the Ministry of Rites and Anhe Marquis Mansion also received it."

The Old Duke’s follower quickly entered the study, and as soon as he was inside, he couldn’t wait to speak.

"Oh? Are those two families also involved in the marital decree?"

The Old Duke’s eyes glimmered, with two other families involved, surely the Princess Jing was among them.

Which house would it be? The Old Duke thought it couldn’t be the Anhe Marquis Mansion, as their eldest branch had no eligible legitimate daughters.

"Indeed! The legitimate daughter of the Anhe Marquis Mansion’s second branch is promised as a concubine to Prince Jing, while Mr. Li’s legitimate daughter is the main wife."

The Old Duke paused in stroking his beard, then remarked, "Interesting!"

"Father, isn’t Li Wei from the Xia Qing lineage? It’s strange for the Emperor to grant his legitimate daughter to Prince Jing." Yao Qingcheng couldn’t hold back and asked first.

"Why not? Does Li Wei’s legitimate daughter not match in status with Prince Jing?" After the Old Duke replied, he sat down, lost in thought.

Yao Qingcheng was rendered speechless, indeed, isn’t the match suitable? The status indeed fits!

"But..." Yao Qingcheng suddenly thought of something else to ask, but his father spoke again.

"The Emperor’s move has significant meaning! Establishing the heir is definitely beneficial to the court and the people! Haha!" The Old Duke laughed heartily, full of joy.

Xia Qing! For so many years you have wielded power in the court; it’s time for you to taste what it’s like to be constrained by others.

The several of them looked at each other, not understanding what the Old Duke found so amusing.

Yao Qingcheng and the others were puzzled by their old father’s laughter but suddenly felt elated about their daughter’s marital grant.

"Father! What about Er Ya and Sanya’s grant? Let’s not talk about Er Ya, but Sanya is really a pity. Gu Chengyu is only a Secondary Fifth Rank, wasting a good opportunity to marry an aristocratic family!"

Hearing his second brother say this, Yao Qinglan’s face turned ashen. One as a Standard Second Rank concubine, the other a Secondary Fifth Rank Yiren, yet the Yiren was his own daughter, leaving him in disgrace.

"Do you think it’s a grievance for Sanya to be married to Gu Chengyu?" The Old Duke lifted his gaze toward the three sons, his expression unreadable.

The eldest lacks ability but has a heavy heart. Also rather stubborn at times, refusing advice easily.

The second likes to compete with his elder brother, thinking his elder only benefited from being born a few years earlier, hence inheriting the title.

The second believes his own abilities surpass his elder, thus feeling consistently disgruntled.

Daily, the second son’s wife, often over trivial matters, competes against the elder son’s wife, partly due to the second’s indulgence.

As for the third, the Old Duke sighed. Looking at this silent illegitimate son, he couldn’t help but feel some guilt.

If it weren’t for his old wife back then, this third son wouldn’t still be handling house affairs at this age.

Thinking it over, although the third was an illegitimate son, even back then his talents surpassed the elder ones, and he was also more stable.

It’s all because of his selfishness that the third son has been held back for so many years.

In recent years, the elder and the second have risen, so the third no longer needs to be humble; it’s time for him to also enter officialdom.

If the third can rise, only then will the Duke Mansion flourish.

Relying solely on the eldest isn’t feasible; the eldest only focuses on the title.

But if the eldest hadn’t been unable to rise, why would he at this age still not pass on the title? Isn’t it because he’s afraid the Duke Mansion will decline at the hands of these sons?

He knew the eldest had been quite dissatisfied over his continued hold on the title in recent years, this was evident from his daily actions and words, the Old Duke sighed deeply.

Yao Qingqi sensed the old master’s gaze but did not lift his head. He wasn’t surprised that the Old Master called him to the study today; it was because of receiving the decree, and he had to be present to receive it.

Calling him over was probably just in passing.

"Father, Gu Chengyu has no foundation. Who knows how far he will go in the future?" Yao Qinglan frowned and replied.

Yao Qingcheng said nothing, but from his expression, it seems he thought the same as his elder brother.

"Old Third, what do you think?" The Old Duke didn’t respond to his eldest son but instead turned his gaze to Yao Qingqi.

Yao Qingqi was stunned, lifting his gaze to the Old Duke, surprised that his father would suddenly ask for his opinion today.

The expressions of Yao Qinglan and the others immediately became very subtle, the two exchanged a look, and their hearts suddenly tensed.

"Since the decree has been issued, whether we like it or not, we have to accept it, is there a need to think so much?"

Yao Qingqi replied nonchalantly, and then fell silent.

"Old Third, I know these years you have focused on your studies, back in the day you at least qualified as an Advanced Scholar, it’s I who have delayed you."

The Old Duke suddenly sighed, his eyes filled with guilt.

At these words, the expressions of the three varied.

Yao Qingqi didn’t expect his father to be so unusual today, yet at this point, his face naturally showed a hint of resentment.

If it hadn’t been for his father being intimidated by the old madame’s family power back then, how could he have been sacrificed, resenting that for so many years he still achieved nothing.

Back then in the Imperial Examination, although he wasn’t in the First Class, he was at least an Advanced Scholar. With the Duke Mansion’s connections, where wouldn’t he find a position?

But the old madame was jealous and couldn’t tolerate him. Moreover, because his father once rather favored a concubine, he and his mother became the old madame’s targets.