Was it possible that their young master had been hiding his true capabilities all along? That he'd been holding back because the time wasn't right, but now that the opportune moment had arrived, he was finally revealing his true brilliance?
Was this a move to strike back?
Facing Xiao Ju's confused gaze, Qin Yun coughed lightly. "That... you may withdraw, wet nurse. Xiao Ju alone is sufficient to attend me!"
"Yes, this old servant will certainly remember the young master's words!"
After Madam Tian withdrew, Qin Yun spoke softly to Xiao Ju. "Do you have any women's clothing? And could you also prepare some rouge and powder for me? Anything you usually use will do!"
Xiao Ju's eyes widened. "Young master, you must remember your identity and not let your true gender be discovered!"
"I know, aren't I asking you to prepare them discreetly?"
Xiao Ju lowered her head, appearing troubled.
Qin Yun immediately thought of something.
He opened the wardrobe and took out a dark-colored belt. "Take this to pawn; it might be worth a few taels of silver!"
"Young master, this was a gift from your father on your birthday last year! It absolutely cannot be!"
"What time is it now? Why do you still care about such things? This belt's only value is the red stone on it; hurry and go! When I earn a lot of money in the future, I won't even care about a mere belt!"
Thinking of how much Qin Yun had changed, Xiao Ju nodded, put away the belt, and left.
Not long after Xiao Ju left, a young attendant from Qin Yuanzhang's side came with a message.
"Second young master, my lord wishes to see you in the main hall!"
What was bound to come, would come. Let her go and meet the original owner's father!
Following the attendant to the main hall, Qin Yuanzhang and the second concubine, Madam Min, were seated at the head.
Ever since the original owner's mother, Madam Liu, passed away, the second concubine, Madam Min, had seen her status in the manor rise steadily.
It was rumored that Qin Yuanzhang was recently planning to elevate Madam Min to the status of an equal wife.
With her present, Madam Min needn't even think about it!
Qin Yun cupped his hands in a greeting to Qin Yuanzhang. This stunned everyone present!
This Qin Yun was usually arrogant and overbearing, not even showing respect to his own father.
Could it be that he had something to ask of him?
"Father, may I ask why you summoned me?" Qin Yun asked deferentially.
Whether she could get the money now depended on her esteemed Minister father. She couldn't act recklessly like the original owner!
Qin Yuanzhang glanced at Qin Yun and let out a cold snort. "Hmph, so you still know you have a father!"
"Why didn't you pay respects to your mother?"
Madam Min revealed a benevolent smile and said, "Alright, don't scare Yun'er. Can't you speak a little softer? If someone made a mistake, just say it calmly, why put on such a sour face?"
Qin Yun twitched the corner of his mouth, wanting to laugh. Madam Min was truly not simple. Was she indirectly reminding Qin Yuanzhang that she had made a mistake and deserved punishment?
As expected!
Qin Yuanzhang's face immediately darkened.
"I heard you attended the Grand Princess's flower viewing banquet today, pestered Prince Li, and were disrespectful to the Grand Princess?" Qin Yuanzhang slammed the table, splashing tea everywhere.
Everyone in the hall flinched at the shock, but Qin Yun remained remarkably calm.
"Who told Father? This is fabricated nonsense, slandering me!"
Before Qin Yuanzhang could speak, Madam Min began her performance again.
"I also believe Yun'er is being framed. There were so many people at the Hundred Flower Banquet; perhaps amidst the coming and going, words were misinterpreted. Although Yun'er did indeed pester Prince Li before..."
Madam Min intended to continue, but Qin Yun interrupted her.
"Father, I am a man, how could I pester Prince Li? No matter how handsome Prince Li is, I only hold respect for him, with no other intentions!"
Being interrupted by Qin Yun, Madam Min gritted her teeth in secret and could only suppress her anger.
"Hmph, where there's smoke, there's fire. With your arrogance, if the Emperor were to hold me accountable, where would I hide my old face?"
It seemed that Qin Yuanzhang would not relent without a resolution to this matter.
If punishment were to be meted out, there was one matter that caused Qin Yuanzhang a great deal of trouble.
To conceal her female identity, the original owner had always refused to attend the academy. Every time Qin Yuanzhang wanted to send her to the academy, she would either run away or offend the tutors. This had always been a headache for Qin Yuanzhang.
To be precise, Madam Min had spent a great deal of effort on this matter. Things like running away or offending tutors were all intentionally spread by Madam Min in private, leaking these foolish behaviors to the original owner.
Who would have thought the original owner would actually follow through?
Truly a sin!
Madam Min did not want the original owner to enter any academy. If the original owner truly achieved some academic success or established connections with the imperial family at the academy, it would not be good news for Madam Min.
"Father, from now on, I will stay far away from Prince Li, so as not to cause gossip. What do you think?"
"You agreed so quickly. Do you have some new mischief planned?" Qin Yuanzhang looked at Qin Yun with suspicion.
See!
What a terrible impression the original owner had left on her father, filled with doubt.
To dispel Qin Yuanzhang's doubts, Qin Yun knew she had to show sincerity.
She shed her outer robe, knelt on both knees, and said sternly, "I know Father is often dissatisfied with me, but I have decided to sincerely reform. Father has always wanted me to go to Blue Mountain Academy, hasn't he? I've thought about it. Instead of living a life of aimless wandering like this, it's better to go to Blue Mountain Academy to reflect and correct my mistakes seriously!"
This statement not only shocked Madam Min but also Qin Yuanzhang. This news was indeed good for him, as he had put considerable effort into this matter. If Qin Yun truly agreed to stay at Blue Mountain Academy, it would undoubtedly be beneficial and harmless!
Qin Yuanzhang immediately forgot about punishing Qin Yun, even casting aside how she had been rude to the Grand Princess and pestered Prince Li.
Qin Yuanzhang straightened his body and said earnestly, "Are you sure you've thought this through? You've always resisted going to the academy before."
Seeing this, Madam Min quickly interjected, "What academy? You'll only be back in a few days, complaining. It's too troublesome for you to go back and forth like this. Yun'er, let's not make things difficult for ourselves!"
"Second Concubine, this is not making things difficult; it is something I ought to do! As Father's only son, shouldn't I correct my bad habits and improve, to bring honor to the Qin family?"
Qin Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction, feeling better than ever.
"Good. If you truly go to Blue Mountain Academy, after you've completed your studies, I'll have Steward Fu assist you in managing the Qin manor. This Qin family will be yours sooner or later, and you should learn to manage it, but this is only after you return from your studies."
Thinking of something, he felt it was unrealistic, and Qin Yuanzhang could only smile and shake his head. "Although there's a imperial examination in two months, I don't expect any official position from you. I only hope you can stay at Blue Mountain Academy for three full years!"
Qin Yun had already considered the imperial examination in two months, which was why she had the idea of going to the academy. If she were to achieve an official position just like this, it would undoubtedly cause gossip. However, if she went to Blue Mountain Academy and then took the examination in two months, it would resolve many troublesome matters. As for staying for three full years at Blue Mountain, she hadn't planned on staying that long.