Madam Lu honestly answered, "Previously, it was his father who was considering this matter; I have not yet taken a fancy to anyone."
She thought to herself, The Empress is too impatient, I just mentioned that I haven’t been involved in this.
"Oh, what a coincidence!" The Empress casually lifted her eyes and glanced toward a lady seated on the right, softly saying, "The Ducal Residence has a daughter from the fourth lady’s family who possesses virtue and talent, and she is close in age to your family’s Tianning. Why not consider her!"
Upon her words, everyone followed the Empress’s gaze toward Madam Jin, who sat amidst the crisis.
Madam Jin’s face showed a somewhat awkward expression, but with everyone looking at her, she could only nod and smile faintly to Madam Lu.
Madam Lu’s eyes sparkled with delight, clearly very satisfied with the Empress’s suggestion.
For a young lady from the Ducal Residence to marry into their family would be social climbing on their part; her son being able to marry the Ducal Residence’s young lady naturally made her happy.
Madam Lu said excitedly, "This... this is good indeed, but my husband’s temper... he definitely won’t allow me to make the decision. Empress, I must go back and discuss this thoroughly with my husband!"
"That’s good, Madam Lu is truly virtuous!" said the Empress with a light smile.
Next was some singing and dancing.
The atmosphere was the most relaxed and informal at this stage. Amidst the rhythms of the music, the ladies and the young misses started to whisper to their neighbors, chatting and laughing, and before long their voices grew louder, threatening to drown out the singing and dancing.
The Empress did not mind; instead, she called Madam Lin over to talk. They were cousins who grew up together in the same courtyard. The noise was too loud to completely make out what they were talking about, but both seemed to be enjoying the conversation immensely.
At her side, Lin Qianqing and Xie Qinyun also began to chat and laugh.
"Hey, Qinyun, after we returned from your place last time, we were confined and I have no idea about the situation at your home now. Has the matter with your second brother’s woman been resolved?"
Gu Youyou also pricked up her ears; although these matters were no longer of any concern to her, she still couldn’t help but want to know the outcome.
Xie Qinyun spoke with a face full of indignation, "Not yet, that wretched woman is being detained; my father and my second brother haven’t decided how to deal with her."
Gu Youyou was shocked, "So your second brother believes that it was her doing?"
Xie Qinyun looked puzzled and said, "It’s strange to say, my second brother has always had absolute trust in that wretched woman, but this time he didn’t speak up for her."
Lin Qianqing said, "Since your second brother hasn’t spoken up for her, won’t your father flay her alive? For committing such an atrocity, she should at least be sent to the Governor’s Office, right? Why is she detained at home?"
"How could that be!" Xie Qinyun exclaimed, "My father says that, but after all, family scandals should not be publicized. How can we really send her to the Governor’s Office? Besides, although she hasn’t been involved with a man, she is after all the daughter of Duke Mu. When Duke Mu passed away, he entrusted Miss Du and that wretched woman to my father’s care. Ending up , my father has always felt very guilty. He believes it’s his fault for not raising them right, and it’s because of my second brother that the sisters ended up in such a mess, alas!"
Gu Youyou and Lin Qianqing sighed with pity, commenting that Xie’s second son was truly a disaster.
But it wasn’t all Xie’s second son’s fault; Concubine Du was ill-intentioned, and even without Xie’s second son, she was not an easy person to get along with. The fact that she could live in harmony with Miss Du was simply because there were no conflicts of interest between them at that time.