eople take it back!What if the third princess was up to no good and tampered with the cake Would she and the Li family still be on good termsSo, she spoke first, saying apologetically, "Grandma, I'm a...In two or three years, they would have earned enough to live and as dowries, and could then change careers. This wouldn't affect their reputation at all, nor would it delay their marriage.

After more than a month of preparation, the little girl had recruited over ten girls and they had been practicing constantly. The only thing missing was a capable female manager to look after them.

Jia Yin intended to have the head steward of the Hou Mansion help find a female nurse, after all, when going in and out of various backyards, a female manager would have to understand some etiquette...

Caiyun spoke for a long while, then picked up two boxes of snacks and happily went back with the good news...

When night fell, the Earl's Mansion in Xindu was unusually lively.

Over these past few days, the young mistress and the children have been staying at Suijin Beach, leaving the mansion rather deserted.

But today, not only did the grandfather and third master return, but also the young masters were entertaining guests.

Lanterns under the eaves swayed in the evening breeze, illuminating the maids scurrying back and forth, as well as the sizzling and frying in the kitchen.

After eating, Li Lao Er got busy writing official documents. Li Lao San had nothing to do, so he wandered around the mansion.

He went into town to buy things today and got delayed for a while, so he stayed overnight and will return to the academy tomorrow morning.

At this moment, seeing that his nephew's study was brightly lit, he was curious and asked the tea server.

"What kind of guests is the young master hosting today It sounds quite lively."

The little servant quickly replied, "Replying to the Third Master, the young master and Young Master Jia, and Lord Lu are together drinking wedding wine. The Emperor has decreed a marriage between the Third Princess and Lord Lu, so Lord Lu will become a son-in-law."

Perhaps Young Master Lu was too excited, so he came to find the young master for a drink with Young Master Jia.

Li Lao San listened, frowning. He recalled a scene he had seen before, and his heart felt uneasy.

So, he made an excuse and had the servant call Jia Ren out.

Jia Ren was accompanying Jia Xu and Lu Cong in conversation. Seeing Lu Cong finish a whole pot of wine and grab a second, he was about to stop him.

Before the result could even be uttered, a servant came knocking. "Young Master," he said, "Grandfather Third wants to borrow a few books from you. It seems there's a talented farm boy in town who can't afford to attend school. Grandfather Third intends to help him."

Jia Ren didn't suspect anything, so he quickly got up and said to Jia Xu and Lu Cong, "You guys keep drinking. I'll go take a look. My third uncle rarely causes trouble at home. This is the first time he has spoken up, there must be something difficult about it."

He left the house after that.

Li Laosan was pacing outside the door. When he saw his nephew, he pulled him to a secluded spot and asked, "Jiaren, Lord Lu's betrothal ceremony took place today, and he is now going to be the prince. This is a good thing! But why isn't he celebrating at his own home Why did he come to our place to drink"

Jiārén was taken aback. Usually, he got along very well with Jiāxù and Lú Zōng, almost like brothers.

Just now, Lu Zong and Jia Xu came over and mentioned the imperial marriage. He directly ordered them to prepare wine and food without much thought at all.

"Uncle Three, do you think... anything is inappropriate" Jia Ren tentatively asked.

Li Laosan hesitated for a moment, then motioned him forward and whispered several words in his ear.

Jia Ren's brows furrowed tighter and tighter as he listened, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Uncle Three, this...this can't be possible! Not to mention the age difference!"

Li Lao San was a down-to-earth and honest person. He felt uneasy gossiping behind someone's back like this, so he rubbed his hands together and said in a low voice, "I'm also afraid I might be wrong, so I told you just to let you pay more attention. After all, no matter how good friends are, they can't compare to your sister."

"Don't worry, Third Uncle, I know what to do." Jiarren soothed his uncle with a forced calmness. "You should go back and rest. I'll take care of it."

Li Laosan nodded, patted his nephew's shoulder and turned back.

Jia Ren stood in the night for a long while before returning to his study.

Jia Xu was already half-drunk, his face flushed. Seeing Jia Ren come back, he stuck out his tongue and said, "I'm defeated, this guy is a real drinker! Find me a room so I can take a nap for a while, you go drink with him."

This satisfied everyone. They immediately helped Zheng Yi carry Jia Xu to the guest room to sleep.

For a moment, only Lu Cong and Jia Ren remained in the room.

Jiarren raised his chopsticks and gave Lu Cong a serving of braised pork, saying casually, "Don't just drink, come on, eat some vegetables. This braised pork recipe was concocted by my sister after much effort. I dare say, it's the most unique delicacy in all of Tianwu."

Lu Zong immediately put down his wine cup, ate a piece of the braised meat, and praised in a low voice, "County Princess is intelligent and skillful. This braised meat is truly delicious."

Jia Ren's heart sank deeper and deeper, but his face remained smiling, showing no change whatsoever.

"Of course, my sister's intelligence is something even the Emperor acknowledges. Otherwise, he wouldn't have insisted on bringing her into the palace to be a companion tutor for the Third Princess. The Emperor thinks the Third Princess is too willful and wants my sister to help keep her in check!"

He poured a glass of wine for Lu Cong while speaking, jokingly saying, “The Third Princess is much more mature than the former Lady Xian. Now that she's been betrothed to you, you should thank my sister instead.”

Lu Cong's heart skipped a beat, clutching at the last sliver of hope as he slowly raised his head to look at Jia Ren. However, he found that Jia Ren had already withdrawn his smile, his eyes filled with cold and sharp ruthlessness.

Waves of grievances and unwillingness washed over Lu Zong. He wanted to speak, but not a word came out.

Jiarren, as if he hadn't seen his pain, lowered his head and poured himself a cup of wine, saying, "Brother Lu, you know, my sister is the treasure of our whole family. She hasn't suffered any grievance."

"You and I are the same age, though you're a few years older than her. Though not blood siblings, for all these years, whenever there was something good, my sister has never missed out on sharing it with you."

Now, your romantic relationship has my sister's contribution. You must definitely prepare a generous gift to thank her!

Lu Zhong clenched the wine glass in his hand, his mouth bitter and unable to speak.

He naturally knew that what he yearned for in his heart was impossible to achieve from the very beginning.

But humans are so strange, they know everything in their minds, but their hearts insist on going down a dead end, no matter how hard you pull them back.

That girl, as ethereal as a sprite, every smile and frown seemed to be imprinted on his soul.

She is like a little sun, wherever she goes, there is warmth and laughter.

Every night he spent guarding the cold and vast mansion, he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if he could walk beside her. Life would certainly be much more interesting.

She will cook delicious meals, chat and laugh with him, and accompany him to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the world.

And he would also be smitten with her, shielding her and creating a haven from the storms for her...

Once the dust settled, even if he was unwilling, he could only accept his fate.

He spoke in a hoarse voice, replying word by word, "Rest assured, Princess... from now on, I will be your own sister. I will definitely treat her well."

Jiarren raised his glass to meet his, but a hint of reluctance lingered in his eyes. He lowered his voice and gently advised, "Life is not about simply doing as one pleases. A true man should have the world in his heart, why get entangled in petty romantic feelings"

Lu Cong didn't respond. He raised his head and drank the wine in one gulp, choking so badly that tears streamed down his face...

After seven or eight days of preparation, the Count's flower viewing banquet finally began. At noon, ladies from various families arrived at the mansion with invitations.

Two updates today ~~e large box out, she stepped on a stool and sat beside it to pick through its contents."Alright then, let the brothers worry about finding wives for themselves. I'll take care of making Grandma and Mo...