The Marquis of Qi Ying's estate.
It was Situ Jue's maternal family.
Lu Nianfu's face paled slightly. There wasn't a single decent person in the Marquis of Qi Ying's entire household. "Why did you pick a fight with the Marquis of Qi Ying's estate as soon as you arrived? Blocking their official path—that's a significant feud you've started."
Gu Yanchen was also somewhat vexed. "More than that. Ouyang and I also killed Jian Deqiu. Even if that hadn't happened, the Jian family would have been irreconcilably opposed to me."
These powerful families were truly detestable. Clearly, they were the ones who committed the offense first, yet they never reflected on their actions. Unable to contend with the imperial law, they would only hold those like them, the weak and insignificant, accountable.
Strike at the young, and the old would come. It was endlessly troublesome.
Lu Nianfu had long forgotten about Jian Deqiu. When he was suddenly brought up, she was stunned for a good while before she even remembered who Jian Deqiu was.
Then, she cursed internally.
The heavens were clearly planning to destroy her.
When Gu Yanchen's status was demoted from the seventh prince to a mere illegitimate son of a marquis, she had long given up hope for revenge. Yet, what was destined to come, would come. In this life, she hadn't aligned herself with Situ Jue, but the man she married had become the thorn in the side of his maternal family, the Marquis of Qi Ying's estate.
There was indeed a predetermined fate; these words were not false.
Since the feud was already established and reconciliation was impossible, Gu Yanchen couldn't be bothered to dwell on it. Seeing Lu Nianfu's grim expression, he comforted her, "When the soldiers come, we'll block them; when the water rises, we'll build dams. No matter how powerful the Marquis of Qi Ying's estate is, they can't kill me for no reason. As for Jian Shijie, once bitten, twice shy. I hope he becomes obedient quickly, or don't blame me for making an example of him."
Lu Nianfu was accustomed to his straightforward personality. She wanted to advise him to be more circuitous, but thinking of the Jian family's encroaching behavior, the words on her lips retracted. "Yes, that's right. The barefoot are not afraid of those wearing shoes. At worst, we can resign and return to our hometown."
Gu Yanchen looked her up and down strangely.
Lu Nianfu felt embarrassed by his stare. "What are you looking at?"
"I just feel this direct approach isn't quite like your personality. Shouldn't you be advising me to quell the situation first and then seek an opportunity to strike?"
Lu Nianfu spread her hands. "With a feud that spans a life, you can't possibly expect us to resolve it, can you?"
Gu Yanchen said, "You don't understand this. These officials in the capital have no integrity. As long as the benefits are sufficient, they can shake hands and make peace with us, let alone one life in between, even three or five."
"I fear that once the benefits dissipate, they'll immediately turn on us."
"That's true too."
Lu Nianfu clapped her hands. "Alright, stop worrying about it. Anyway, we can't offer them the benefits they demand."
Gu Yanchen: ...
Those words stung.
Qingmiao knocked on the door. "Miss, Master, dinner is ready. Shall I serve it now?"
"Serve it."
In this cold weather, the food would cool quickly and have to be reheated, which was troublesome and affected the taste. Lu Nianfu pulled Gu Yanchen to eat. With four dishes and one soup, they both had good appetites and ate until they were slightly full, prompting them to take a walk in the garden to aid digestion.
The rear garden of the Marquis of Guangling's estate had many famous flowers transplanted into it, but as it was not flowering season, the garden presented a desolate scene.
The two of them walked, avoiding the wind, and inevitably exchanged a few words.
"Today, I went to ask Mother for the exit token. She asked me for your reward, saying we spend money lavishly and couldn't possibly squander over ten thousand taels of silver."
Gu Yanchen had expected this. "Didn't I tell you long ago what her character is like? How did you handle it? Did you say you used it to buy shops?"
"No, what if she asks me for the shops? So I told her it was the betrothal gift you were giving me, and I even used her absence and lack of ceremony during our wedding to criticize her a bit."
"Then she probably compromised. Although Mother is shameless in private, she is quite concerned about her image in public." Gu Yanchen gave a thumbs-up. "Madam's mind is indeed sharp; the excuse you found is much better than mine."
Lu Nianfu clicked her tongue twice. "You really know her well. Not only did she compromise, but she also gave me a gold hairpin as hush money."
Gu Yanchen raised an eyebrow. "She's quite generous to you."
"Perhaps she was afraid I'd make a scene."
Gu Yanchen turned his head in surprise. In the lamplight, the woman's features were exquisite, her smile carried a hint of playfulness, yet she remained gentle and lovely. Could his mother be blind? Someone like this would make a scene?