Husband, please lend me your virtues

Gui Yue's words made Lu Ruyun's face turn red. She was the Marquis's person, not the wife of this lowly man. She came from a noble family, and even when the Lu family was in trouble, they had never been ridiculed by a lowly maid.

She just wanted to say something to rebuke this slave girl, but Guiyue left the main room right after saying it, and she didn't even have time to say a word.

After Guiyue left the main courtyard, she saw the nanny beside the second wife standing in the main room like a door god. She exchanged glances with the nanny and returned to He Zijin, following He Zijin back to Qiwu Courtyard.

On the next morning, when it was time for the bride to pay her respects to her mother-in-law, He Zijin asked the maid who was doing her makeup to make her look more haggard, and then walked slowly to Rong'an Hall.

The old lady of Changle Marquis got up early and sat in front of the hall. There was an empty seat at the lower left. After her sat the old lady's daughters-in-law, the second and third ladies, and the three daughters left by the old Marquis of the Yan family.

There was also an empty seat at the lower right, and below that sat the second and third sons born to the old lady of Marquis Changle.

"Mother, my eldest sister-in-law is really rude. She comes later than us unmarried girls on tea-serving days."

The second daughter of the Yan family, born to the old lady of Marquis Changle, had been sitting down for less than half a quarter of an hour when she began to complain impatiently when she saw that He Zijin had not yet arrived at Rong'an Hall.

The second and third wives watched Yan'e's heart with their eyes. They were there last night and knew that Yan'e would rather find an excuse to go out than consummate his marriage with He on his wedding night. He must have been too sad and didn't sleep the whole night. Now it's too late.

Now, it's not just the old lady, I'm afraid it's not just the Marquis' Mansion that knows about it. People who are well-informed outside know that Marquis Changle went out on his wedding night and did not consummate the marriage with his wife. It was even so absurd that he gave up the main courtyard to two servants for the marriage.

As for the three unmarried sisters-in-law, they had few spies in the mansion, so it was not surprising that they didn't know what happened last night.

The old lady of Changle Marquis at the top glanced at the second daughter of the Yan family and said softly, "Zhi'er, don't be rude. Just wait quietly. The newlywed bride was delayed in resting last night, so it's not surprising that she got up late."

The Second Madam couldn't help but burst out laughing. Her mother-in-law was so funny. She was in charge of the inner quarters of the Marquis Changle's Mansion. There was no reason for her not to know about what happened last night, but she had to find such an excuse for He.

Did He have her wedding night last night?

"I'm so sorry I'm late."

He Zijin came to Rong'an Hall with a haggard face. After dealing with everyone, the third wife exclaimed:

"Why is sister-in-law so haggard?"

Seeing He Zijin's pale face and bloodless lips, the Third Lady sympathized with him and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry about your brother's behavior last night. He was just deceived by those servants."

He Zijin sat down and covered her face with a handkerchief. "It's my fault. If I hadn't said anything to dissuade the Marquis from leaving the main courtyard to the two servants last night, the Marquis wouldn't have gotten angry and left the house."

He Zijin had no intention of covering up for Yan E, and even put the blame on Yan E.

"What? Big Brother is so confused?"

When the second daughter of the Yan family heard this, she was so shocked that her eyes almost fell out. Her eldest brother, who always followed the ancestral rules, actually did such an unruly thing.

The second daughter of the Yan family rolled her eyes and said, "Mother, you have to teach my eldest brother a lesson for doing something so against etiquette and law."

The second daughter of the Yan family was born to the current old lady of the Marquis of Changle. She has always been at odds with Yan E, the son of the original wife. She hopes that Yan E will do more shocking things so that the title of the Marquisate can go to her biological brother.

The old lady of Changle Marquis glared at the second daughter of the Yan family and said, "Although your eldest brother's behavior was excessive, the elders will make the final decision. How can you, as a younger sister, have the right to comment?"

"Erlang, go and call your elder brother back home."

"Yes, mother, I will go right away."

The second son of the Yan family obediently left Rong'an Hall and looked for Yan E's trace. Now, Yan E handed over his own handle. Even if he didn't want to use this to deprive him of his title, it would be good to see him suffer a loss and be punished for it.

"He, when Dalang returns, I will seek justice for you."

"Thank you, madam."

He Zijin sat down again. Before Yan E came back, the old lady of Changlehou at the top looked at He Zijin lovingly and continued:

"Erlang and Sanlang have already been married, but Dalang has had a hard time getting married. He was engaged to you since he was a child, but he was delayed four years ago because he was in mourning for his father. He was sent out of the capital last year, and he returned to the capital this year to marry you."

"I have made you wait for four years, and it is really unfair for you to get married at your age. Now that you are the wife of Marquis Changle, all the affairs of the mansion should be left to you to take care of."

He Zijin lowered her eyelids. Originally, the marriage between her and Yan E was arranged by the deceased old marquis. However, Yan E fell in love with Lu Ruyun as soon as he saw her, and he dragged his younger brothers and sisters to get married one after another, but they still didn't get married.

Even in the year when the original body came of age, the old marquis, despite his illness, wanted to take him to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion with the old lady of Changle Marquis to discuss the marriage. They wanted to arrange the marriage of the eldest and the second son so that they would not have to delay it due to mourning.

Unexpectedly, Yan E fled out of the capital without resistance. The next year, the old marquis passed away. Yan E had to observe mourning for three years and could not get married. After the mourning period, when the marriage was brought up, Yan E used the same trick again and found a job to leave the capital.

The original body is already twenty years old this year, which is considered an old maid in this era. If it weren't for the fact that the Duke of Zhenguo had a strong relationship with the late old marquis, and had watched Yan E grow up and thought that this man was worthy of entrusting his daughter's life to, he would have broken off the engagement long ago.

It was not until something happened in Lu Ruyun's family that Yan E returned to Beijing to rescue Lu Ruyun. Thinking of Lu Ruyun's future and coveting the legendary treasure map, he reluctantly married the original body, who he thought was easy to control and had no temper.

He Zijin came back to his senses and said, "I am weak and I have been spoiled by my family. I have not been exposed to these things. I am not as experienced as the old lady, so I really cannot take over the housekeeper's job."

After saying that, He Zijin coughed a few times. Her mother had taught her how to be a housekeeper before she got married, but He Zijin really didn't want to bother with the Changle Marquis' Mansion.

Although it looks prosperous from the outside, the inside has long been in deficit, a mess that has no way of being sorted out. Whoever is in charge of the household will be unlucky. The original owner almost spent all her dowry to fill the hole.

"Mother, my sister-in-law is so weak that she can't handle the tedious work of being a housekeeper. It's better to hand it over to my wife. She will definitely be able to manage the whole family well."

When the second wife heard that the old lady of Changle Hou was pushing the housekeeper power away, she could no longer sit still and volunteered.

The old lady of Marquis Changle secretly sighed and called him a fool. The Marquis Changle Mansion was no longer as wealthy as before.

If the housekeeper had something good to offer, she would have given it to Dalang long before his wife got married.