ooked a little better."You silly girl, the academy is full of boys. What are you doing here Stay home and play with grandma. When your second brother learns a new dish, he'll come back and cook it for..."My Lord!"

The steward had sharp eyes and saw the Marquis as if he had seen a savior. But then he remembered Miss Wu's status, and he didn't want the Marquis to get involved in trouble.

Then, he strained his neck and shouted, "Master Hou, please hurry back to the estate. There's a minor matter here that this old servant can handle."

Before the Lord could speak, Miss Wu also noticed him.

She quickly released the steward and hurriedly smoothed her dress and hair, trying to restore her former beauty.

The Lord glanced at her, his brows furrowing even deeper, but he didn't say anything. He took Li Laoer with him and walked inside.

Miss Wu didn't expect that the Marquis would really ignore her, so she got anxious and shouted loudly, "Marquis, I'm here to find you!"

The Marquis stopped his steps and asked with a faint expression, "What do you want from me"

The housekeeper was still trying to stop her, but Miss Wu, fearing she might miss her chance, blurted out: “I want to ask you, why are you unwilling to marry me!”

"If you are willing to marry me, there will be no dowry, and I won't have to marry someone else!"

The Lord raised an eyebrow, carefully scrutinizing the young woman before him. Though dishevelled, her dress was exquisite, and the ruby earring catching the setting sun's rays glittered dazzlingly.

He couldn't help but recall that this was someone's daughter. Needless to say, she had been pampered since childhood and had no idea about the hardships of life.

Think again of those soldiers with missing limbs in the camp for the wounded, and those cold, lifeless corpses of those who had taken their own lives out of despair.

They, just like the young woman before them, were human beings, born to parents.

But one side sheds blood for the country, sacrifices their lives and even mourns in tears, while the other is obsessed with vanity and love, decked in gold and silver, enjoying the splendor of life!

How vexing!

How ridiculous!

He was inexplicably agitated and violent, unable to quell the feeling no matter how hard he tried!

"Where are you good Why should I marry you!" The marquis sneered in response.

Miss Wu was taken aback by the question and replied anxiously, "I am the legitimate daughter of Jiangning Houfu. The Empress is my cousin. I... I am beautiful and gentle..."

"Hmph!" The Marquis snorted coldly and asked in a stern voice, "How is the Jiangning Hou Mansion With Tianwu losing half its territory and barely surviving in the Jiangnan region, not a single person from the Jiangning Hou Mansion has contributed to Tianwu's cause. They just live their lives of drunken revelry day after day."

"Your Majesty is your aunt So what! She's the Empress, not you!"

The Marquis spoke, the disdain and irony in his eyes growing stronger. “Beauty and gentleness That’s even less useful! Do you think that when the barbarians from Jiangbei charge in, if you stand at the front of the battle, they will just stop attacking because you are beautiful and gentle What a joke!”

Ms. Wu seemed to have her glamorous facade stripped away, being criticized to the point of utter helplessness.

Her throat was so constricted, her heart felt like it was burning with a lump of charcoal, both fiery and aching. Tears finally streamed down her face in torrents.

The Lord, seeing her like this, finally regained some of his sanity. He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and finally threw out a sentence, "Don't say I don't want to get married, even if one day I do, it will be an eagle that can soar through the sky and fight storms with me, not a goldfinch like you who just chirps and shows off its beautiful feathers!"

Having said that, he turned his head and went into the Hou Mansion.

Ms. Wu's tears blurred her face, she cried out with all her might, "But, I really like you! I've liked you since I was ten years old. I'm not after your wealth or status, I just like you!"

Unfortunately, the Lord's steps didn't stop at all. Whether he didn't hear or heard but didn't care, it was unknown.

Li Lao Er followed behind the Marquis, but he did glance back, sighing softly in his heart.

This girl is so unlucky. Being born into the Wu family was already a challenge, and choosing this very moment to confess her feelings Isn't that like asking for trouble

The Jiangning Houfu wanted to marry their daughter into the Houfu, aiming for the Houye's military power and his status as someone favored by the Emperor!

The Jiangning Houfu wanted to find a powerful ally for themselves and also provide some support for the Empress.

It's a pity the idea is good, but this is like lice on a bald head—everyone can see it.

Whether it's the Emperor or a Marquis, none of them will let them have their way!

The Lord is worried about the wounded soldiers today, and now Miss Wu has come to block the door again. It's a wonder if anything good will come of this.

If this young lady were truly vain, her scheming would have failed at most resulting in disappointment and anger. But now it seems, she actually has some true feelings.

This is terrible....

The butler stretched out his arm to stop Miss Wu, who was about to rush in, feeling a terrible headache.

In Kyoto, there are many women who like the Marquis. If all of them came to his door, he wouldn't have to do anything else; he could just spend his days guarding the gate.

Fortunately, the people from Jiangning Houfu finally arrived.

Perhaps it was a mistress from the Hou's residence leading the way, or maybe seeing too many onlookers, they didn't even get out of the carriage. Instead, they instructed their maids and female attendants to rush forward, help up the crying young lady, and leave.

Miss Wu didn't know if she had given up or was just too heartbroken. She no longer struggled and allowed them to help her onto the carriage. Soon, she disappeared from sight.

The onlookers were satisfied and quickly turned to leave.

The Butler was left with his clothes askew, sighing and muttering, "What kind of world is this Women don't even care about propriety anymore!"

In the back garden study, the Marquis took off his long robe and threw it aside. Then he sat by the window with Li Laoer and drank tea together.

The tea was weak, and his brow furrowed even deeper.

Luckily, the steward soon came in and served two glasses of iced passion fruit drinks.

After sipping on a refreshing cup of icy fruit drink, the two of them let out long sighs, both feeling much more relaxed.

Li Laoer thought for a moment and said, "My Lord, that girl just said she knew you since childhood. Perhaps there is some truth to it..."

The Marquis waved his hand and said: "I've probably met her a few times when I went in and out of the palace before. She was just a child then, so I didn't pay much attention. Whether she is sincere or not doesn't matter. What matters is what the Jiangning Marquis Mansion is planning. The Emperor definitely won't allow it. The wishes of one young woman can't change anything."

Besides, although I wouldn't want to be entangled by the schemes of the Jiangning Houfu, I wouldn't go so far as to ruin a girl's entire life. Although the heir of the Zhen Guogongfu is mediocre, marrying there would allow for a peaceful life, which is a good place for a woman to settle down.

As for the Jiangning Hou Mansion, they still haven't learned their lesson, and they will definitely not have a good ending in the future. This girl marrying out is considered saving herself.

After saying that, he changed the subject, “I plan to open several workshops, accommodate the wounded soldiers, and let them support themselves. However, I haven't decided yet what exactly they should produce.”

Li La Er's eyes lit up, "I was also thinking about this just now. Fu Niu er is a clever child and knows a lot of new and interesting things. Like this fruit drink, it looks simple, but no one else could have thought of it."

Don't underestimate this, just the Luan Academy alone brings in dozens of taels a month, and over at Xianke Lai, they sell hundreds of cups a day!

“If Funiu really had a good idea, and opened a workshop, she wouldn't expect to be rich and powerful, just hoping to have enough to eat, it shouldn't be difficult.”

The Lord's heart was warm, he got up and put on his clothes again, saying: "Let's go home for dinner!"

Li Lao'er also laughed and got up, "I was originally going to try the chef at Hou Mansion's skills, but it seems like that's off the table now!"

The steward had just gone to the kitchen to arrange dinner, and when he returned, he saw his master walking out. His face was as bitter as a gourd.

But he couldn't stop him, so he could only send his master away, and then whispered angrily: "It's all that dead girl from the Wu family. If she hadn't come to make a fuss, the Marquis would have stayed at the mansion."

And at this moment, the Wu family was also scolding the Hou residence!wn the numbers and categories.These snacks were all made by her own hands, they are both shelf-stable and delicious.Half of it was given to my older brother to satisfy his cravings, and the other half...