"You've taken a liking to it?" Yanran asked lazily.
"No way!" Jiang Ruo denied categorically. "My loyalty to Wen Heng is unwavering! I belong to Wen Heng Wen Heng in life and in death."
"That's good."
"What's the meaning?"
"Cui Run won't do," Yanran said.
"Hmm?" Jiang Ruo asked curiously, "What's wrong with him? He seems fine to me."
However, Wen Heng is better.
He has a mother.
It's better not to have it at all.
Jiang Ruo was even more bewildered. Who doesn't have a mother?
"His mother is difficult to please," Yanran said.
If it weren't for this reason, Cui Run would be her uncle-in-law now.
"Oh. That's one good thing about Wen Heng," Jiang Ruo said. "Wen Heng's only bad point is that he doesn't like me."
Yanran leaned against the side of the carriage and, bored, grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the small table and started cracking them open.
"You've been at it for so long and still haven't managed to take him down. You're such a useless piece of trash."
"Useless," the man threatened, "If you say that again, I'll cry."
If they don't help find solutions and only offer discouragement, how can we maintain a relationship?
Qu Hua is now completely under Mu Ziyu's thumb and rarely comes out, so Jiang Ruo really has no one to complain to.
"What's the use of crying to me? Go cry to the person in question."
Wen Heng didn't give me a chance either.
"Can't you create opportunities yourself?"
Jiang Ruo's eyes lit up instantly, and she leaned over to hug Yanran: "Good Yanran, my dear sister, tell me quickly. You must have an idea, right?"
Yanran rolled her eyes.
"My mother only has one daughter, so don't try to claim kinship with her."
What did our mother say?
How can this person be so shameless!
It just so happens that it's good at dealing with itself.
If you're so great, why don't you go and conquer Wen Heng? What's the point of competing with me?
Yanran: "... He doesn't give you a chance to speak, so you create your own."
"He was as hard-hearted as iron towards me..."
What heinous thing did you do to him?
Jiang Ruo: "... I didn't. I just... I forced myself to marry him, that's all."
"Then what are you so timid about?" Yanran at her listless appearance. "How does Wen Heng treat his servants?"
"To the servants?" Jiang Ruo thought for a moment and then said, "They're all very good. None of the servants in the manor have a bad word to say about him, because he's truly gentle and never puts on airs."
"Isn't that simple?" Yanran said, "Let someone else beg him!"
"Huh?" Jiang Ruo looked at her, confused.
"Don't you know that alcohol emboldens cowards? Don't you know that people speak the truth when they're drunk?" Yanran said irritably, "You said you wanted Wen Heng when you were drunk."
"I want it, but he ignores me!"
"What about your servants? Why don't you make things difficult for them and send them to beg Wen Heng for help?"
"Will that work? Won't Wen Heng think I'm spoiled?"
"If you're drunk, you can deny everything tomorrow."
Seeing that Jiang Ruo was still hesitating, Yanran leaned her head against the side wall and said lazily, "I've given you the idea, don't bother me anymore."
Jiang Ruo gritted her teeth, "I'll thank you after I succeed!"
"No need to thank me. Just don't come after me if you fail."
She's been very busy lately. Cui Xiaoqiu is about to take the exam, and she's been asking around, planning to compile a "Treasury of Imperial Examinations" to give to him.
Of course, this isn't about the exam itself, but rather some important points to note when taking the exam.
--What should I bring, what should I eat, and how should I schedule my time?
Because of this provincial examination, one had to stay inside for three days and three nights before being released, and eating, drinking, and relieving oneself all took place in separate cubicles within the examination hall.
If you're unlucky and it rains, it might leak... Being next to a latrine makes it stink... When the weather is hot and humid, people might even suffer heatstroke and faint. In short, anything can happen.
The main issue is that Cui Xiaoqiu is so small; she can get sick for days from the slightest breeze. Can she handle it?
Whether I can pass the imperial examination and become a scholar is another matter, but I must hope I don't get sick.
One may resign from office, but one cannot lose one's life.
Yanran had tried to persuade Cui Xiaoqiu, suggesting that he should at least wait until he was better and then retire in a few years.
But Cui Xiaoqiu wouldn't listen and insisted on trying it.
Yanran knew he was strong-willed, so she could only let him be.
Jiang Ruo excitedly returned to plan her grand scheme, Yanran also returned to the Prince's Mansion.
"Here you go, Doudou."
Seeing Yuan Yi talking with Doudou in Tang Zhuyun's room, Yanran smiled and took out a small clay figurine from her pocket and handed it to her.
Doudou smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Sister Yanran."
She still had her ears covered by a wig, so it wasn't noticeable.
This is a Lovely child, but his health is just too frail.
Tang Zhuyun has put in a tremendous amount of effort these past few days to stabilize Dou Dou's condition. Now, Doudou no longer has to stay in bed and can even go out for walks.
Yuan Yi also liked Yanran very much and subtly inquired about her with Tang Zhuyun several times, intending to act as matchmaker for Yanran and Yuan Fang's eldest son, but Tang Zhuyun refused.
Yuan Yi had no choice but to give up, but he still liked Yanran.
She smiled and asked Yanran, "Yuan Han hasn't bothered you again, has he? If he dares to bother you, tell me, and I'll go back and beat him up."
Yuan Han is really getting worse as he grows up; he even bullies little girls.
It's one thing to bully a little girl, but he even has the nerve to go home and falsely accuse her of hitting him.
She'd be a fool to believe such nonsense.
So she used her elder sister's authority and gave Yuan Han a good beating.
Yanran waved her hand and said with a smile, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
Yuan Yi was even more satisfied with her.
Look at this young girl, how broad-minded she is.
It's a real shame that I can't have her as my niece-in-law.
She genuinely admired Yanran's bright and positive personality—she was practically a Consort of the Prince of Jin.
The Prince of Jin ignored her completely, even deliberately avoiding her, which Yuan Yi found quite amusing.
She was clearly after the Consort of the Prince of Jin.
She was also very grateful for Tang Zhuyun's generosity.
Another woman might only have the memory of her past crush on Prince of Jin in her heart.
Yanran had someone bring Little Tangyuan over, and then she and Doudou played in the yard.
Inside the room, Yuan Yi and Tang Zhuyun discussed the matter of fixing Doudou's ears.
"What did the Crown Prince's wife say?"
"When she came yesterday, I discussed it with her. We felt that although Doudou's condition was temporarily stable, the weather was still hot, so it wasn't a good time," Tang Zhuyun said. "Let's wait a few more days. But you need to be careful, mainly because Doudou is more sensible now, and this matter might have a significant psychological impact on her."
Yuan Yi stood up and bowed deeply.
Tang Zhuyun quickly helped her up. "No need for that. I would have saved anyone else too. Have you found anything out about the Prince?"
More than a month has passed; there should have been some progress by now.
Yuan Yi shook his head.
Tang Zhuyun could only comfort her, "Since it's done, it certainly won't be without a trace; just wait and see."
"Your Majesty, to be blunt, I never saw that child's face, so I'm... alright. I'm thinking, perhaps she was born stillborn, and they switched her with Doudou to comfort me?"