GTEMP[QT] - Chapter 5 (Patreon)

After receiving the news of Yuan Susu's hunger strike, Lady Yuan was indeed both angry and distressed. She was angry at Yuan Susu for not understanding her good intentions and disregarding the reputation of the Yuan family, yet she also felt distressed for her niece.

Lady Yuan personally went to persuade Yuan Susu, but unfortunately, Yuan Susu, who was determined to indulge in the glory and wealth of the Marquis's residence, refused to listen. She only pleaded to marry Gu Wenjing.

"Aunt, this is my only wish. I really like my cousin, and I won't marry anyone else! Please grant my request, Aunt!"

What else could Lady Yuan do? Elderly people could never win against the heartfelt pain of their beloved juniors.

However, the marriage between Gu Wenjing and the eldest daughter of the Cheng family was already settled and could not be called off. Lady Yuan was well aware of this fact.

Therefore, Lady Yuan could only agree to reluctantly let Yuan Susu become a concubine.

Lady Yuan sighed and said helplessly, "Take good care of yourself. I will talk to the Marquis."

Yuan Susu's face immediately lit up with joy. "Thank you, Aunt! From now on, I will be a filial niece to you."

Lady Yuan sighed in her heart. What else could she do? Well, compared to marrying off her niece, it was better to keep her by her side for now. She wouldn't mistreat her.

As for how to explain to her future daughter-in-law that she had already reserved a prestigious concubine for her son before she even entered the household, Lady Yuan didn't even consider it.

Traditionally, mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law were natural enemies, especially for Lady Yuan, who only had Gu Wenjing as her only son. She was naturally vigilant and wary of any daughter-in-law who might take her son away. So what about the face of the daughter-in-law?

At night, the Marquis Ningyuan returned to the residence and rested in the main chamber.

Lady Yuan privately brought up the matter with the Marquis, saying, "Master, I have raised Susu by my side for many years. She is also the only bloodline of my late brother. I can't bear to let her marry far away."

The Marquis Ningyuan didn't have much affection for Yuan Susu. After all, she was a niece kept in the inner courtyard whom he rarely saw. He was a busy man and didn't have the leisure to care about her. However, Yuan Susu was the niece of his legal wife, which made him pay a little more attention.

"If you can't bear to see her marry far away, then let her marry within the capital. With the Marquis's residence taking care of her, her life should be smooth."

Lady Yuan hesitated for a moment and said, "I want to arrange a marriage between Susu and Wenjing. They grew up together and have an innocent friendship. If they can be together, it will be a close relationship."

The Marquis Ningyuan frowned, "Nonsense! Gu Wenjing is already engaged to the eldest daughter of the Cheng family. Are you suggesting he breaks off the engagement?"

Lady Yuan tried to pacify him, "It's not breaking the engagement. It's just that after Cheng's daughter enters the household, Susu will be a noble concubine."

The Marquis Ningyuan looked at Lady Yuan in astonishment, "A concubine?" He couldn't believe that Lady Yuan would be willing to let her niece from her natal family become a concubine for her son! Even if it were a noble concubine, it would still tarnish the reputation of the Yuan family.

However, after a moment's thought, the Marquis Ningyuan realized that Lady Yuan's family was no longer around. His father-in-law had passed away long ago, and her younger brother died early. There was no one left in the Yuan family except Yuan Susu, an orphan. Given her status, she couldn't marry into a good family. If Yuan Susu became a concubine for his son, it wouldn't be considered incompatible, considering Lady Yuan's situation.

So the Marquis Ningyuan casually said, "You are her aunt, so you can decide her marriage. If you want her to marry Wenjing, it's up to you!" However, when he thought of the Cheng family, he reminded Lady Yuan, "After the daughter-in-law enters the household, don't bring up this matter immediately. Otherwise, it would be disrespectful to the Cheng family. It's not appropriate to take a concubine immediately after the legal wife just got married."

Lady Yuan nodded quickly, "Don't worry, Master. I understand." But in her heart, she didn't really care.

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Gu Wenjing was still unaware that the "white lotus" he wanted to get rid of had already won over his parents.

The results of the imperial examination were out, and all the hard work over the past year had paid off for Gu Wenjing. He achieved the top score in the provincial examination.

His performance was much better than the original host, who only ranked ninth in the examination.

At the moment they received the good news, the entire Marquis Ningyuan's residence was filled with joy, and Lady Yuan generously rewarded everyone in the household with two months' salary.

Even the usually serious and stern Marquis Ningyuan had a smile on his face as he said to Gu Wenjing, "You achieved the top score in the provincial examination, and I believe you will also be among the top candidates in the palace examination. After the results of the palace examination are out, we will celebrate with a banquet at the residence."

The Marquis Ningyuan was a trusted minister of the current emperor and held a prominent position. As his legitimate son, Gu Wenjing would certainly not be suppressed and would rank highly in the palace examination.

The palace examination arrived quickly, and as the Marquis Ningyuan had predicted, it was just a formality. Gu Wenjing, being the top scorer in the provincial examination, naturally became the champion.

The Marquis Ningyuan's residence held a grand celebration for his achievement, inviting guests to a feast.

Gu Wenjing accompanied the Marquis Ningyuan in entertaining the guests and started to take over his father's network of contacts.

It was at this banquet that Gu Wenjing met the Cheng family.

Cheng Shangshu (Minister Cheng) and his eldest and second sons, Cheng He and Cheng Heng, were in attendance.

When Gu Wenjing saw his future father-in-law and his two elder brothers-in-law, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, thinking about the fate they had suffered at the hands of the original host. It was an inexplicable feeling, perhaps because he shared the same name as the original host, leading to a strong sense of identification that caused this uneasiness.

However, this slight uneasiness did not affect his good performance in front of his father-in-law and elder brothers-in-law.

In the absence of any talk of breaking off the marriage, Cheng Shangshu valued Gu Wenjing, a future son-in-law with a good family background and promising prospects. Although normally serious and reserved, he praised Gu Wenjing several times.

After the banquet, Cheng Shangshu and the Marquis Ningyuan had a detailed discussion about the marriage between their children. After all, one side was the legitimate eldest son and heir of a noble title, and the other side was the carefully nurtured eldest daughter. The marriage alliance between the two families would be a strong and mutually supportive partnership.

After the Cheng family left, the Marquis Ningyuan instructed Lady Yuan to prepare the betrothal gifts and send them to the Cheng family.

Ancient weddings were complicated affairs, and even with preparations starting from now, it would take at least half a year before Gu Wenjing could bring his wife home.

As the groom-to-be, Gu Wenjing didn't need to worry about the wedding preparations. Lady Yuan, as the mistress of the household, took care of all those matters. As the top scorer, Gu Wenjing had already entered the Imperial Hanlin Academy as a sixth-rank official and had been working there recently.

With the support of the Marquis Ningyuan's residence in the background, Gu Wenjing had a relatively comfortable time at the Hanlin Academy. No one dared to deliberately make things difficult for him; at most, he experienced some cold treatment. However, he had a strong and patient personality, and he didn't care about workplace bullying. Besides, he could seek revenge once he was promoted.

One day after work, Gu Wenjing returned home, and Lady Yuan suddenly sent someone to call him over.

This situation was not uncommon, as Lady Yuan was very concerned about him and would summon him whenever she acquired something rare or valuable.

So Gu Wenjing followed the senior maid beside Lady Yuan and went to the backyard.

When he arrived, he realized that something was amiss. There were very few people around Lady Yuan, only a few trusted maidservants and nannies.

After greeting Lady Yuan, Gu Wenjing asked, "Mother, you summoned me. Is there something you need to tell me?"