The An Yuan Marquis' residence was established by military men and had never been favored by schors. The old Marquis died in battle shortly after receiving his title and rewards, and the current An Yuan Marquis was wholly devoted to indulging in the brothels. With a shallow foundation and a tarnished reputation, the Marquis' household was avoided by any schor with a bit of renown.

  Thus, in order to hire a good teacher, one had to humble themselves.

  However, the old dy didn’t understand this and only knew how to use money to force matters. She spent several hundred or even thousand taels of silver, and sure enough, many schors came knocking on the door. The old dy noticed one of them was a Schor (successful candidate in the imperial examination), and without hesitation, she hired him.

  But Jiang Fuyue believed that a teacher’s character was just as important as their knowledge. The schor the old dy had hired was purely motivated by money, and it was rumored that he had been boasting outside about his connections to the Marquis' household, using this to gather wealth. How could such a person be trusted as a teacher?

  She remembered a close friend from her youth who had married into a schorly family, and thus, she took a gift and went to her friend’s family to ask for help. After a few rounds of persuasion, she managed to bring a teacher from her friend’s family school.

  This teacher, in both knowledge and character, far surpassed the Schor, but the old dy didn’t care about these matters. She only saw it as disobedience, and although she agreed to keep the new teacher, she harshly punished Jiang Fuyue.

  In the past, Jiang Fuyue felt that even if it meant offending the old dy, it was worth it for the sake of the children's future. But now, she realized she had been mistaken.

  In her previous life, the children she had put her heart into had considered her too strict, harboring deep resentment. On the other hand, they greatly admired the Marquis’ careless and free-spirited behavior.

  Since that was the case, there was no need for her to exert herself anymore.

  "Yes," Jiang Fuyue answered calmly, "I will go tomorrow."

  Seeing her obedient, the old dy’s tone softened a bit. "I’ve already prepared the gift list for you. You don’t need to worry about it. You must be tired, so rest well today. Tomorrow, you can send it over."

  Upon hearing the sudden concern from the old dy, Jiang Fuyue was slightly moved but kept her expression neutral. "Yes, I will leave now."

  "Go on."

  Watching Jiang Fuyue’s departing figure, the old dy sneered, "If it weren’t for her father begging me, would I have let Yi'er forsake so many noble girls and marry her, a mere sixth-grade official’s daughter, as the Marquis’ official wife? But look at her now, after just three years of marriage, she dares to defy me!"

  Mother Liu hurried to comfort her. "It’s not hard to deal with a junior. But right now, the most important thing is the young masters’ education! That Schor Li has a strange temper and an infted ego. He insists on having the Marquis personally bring gifts to greet him. You can’t go for such trivial matters."

  The old dy thought for a moment and then coldly snorted, "You’re right. Let her enjoy her little victories for now!"

  "Exactly!" Mother Liu replied with a smile, "Please drink your tea, Old Madam. It’s going to get cold!"

  The old dy never understood tea tasting, and after pondering for a while, she couldn't discern any special fvor. So, she simply drank it down like water.

  Mother Liu’s eyes fshed with a hint of pity.

  The next day, at the beginning of the day, Jiang Fuyue left the Marquis' residence on time with her gifts.

  Six rge carts, twelve men carrying them, with gongs ringing in front and drums sounding behind, creating a grand spectacle that attracted many onlookers.

  Inside the carriage, Guyu covered her face and muttered, "Madam, do we really need to make such a big fuss…"

  This was supposed to be inviting a teacher, not a wedding procession!

  Jiang Fuyue lifted the curtain to look outside and said slowly, "Schor Li likes excitement, so we naturally have to cater to his preferences. Otherwise, what if we fail?"

  Jingzhe had been looking at the gift list since boarding the carriage, and her brows were now furrowed tightly.

  "What's wrong?"

  Jingzhe closed the gift list and sighed deeply. "Madam, you should have checked the register yesterday. A lot of the items are from your dowry, and they’re all valuable! As..."

  She then slumped back in disappointment.

  If she had noticed yesterday, no matter what, whether crying or making a fuss, there would have been ways to preserve these items. But now, everything had already been brought out...

  It was all over...

  "What?!" Guyu suddenly sat up straight, snatched the register from Jingzhe’s hands, and began flipping through it, her anger growing. "I wondered why the old dy was suddenly so concerned about Madam yesterday, asking you to go rest and all. So, she was pnning this! How outrageous!"

  Guyu’s voice was sharp and cut through her mind like a knife. Jiang Fuyue rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "Save your voice. You can shout ter."

  "...What do you mean?" Guyu blinked in confusion, then suddenly her eyes gleamed with understanding, and her anger disappeared immediately. "Oh! Madam, don’t worry! I understand!"

  Jiang Fuyue gave a faint smile.

  Jingzhe was composed and always kept everything well-organized, never making mistakes in dealing with others. Guyu, though a bit impulsive, always understood what she meant right away.

  Jingzhe gnced at one, then the other, a confused expression on her face. "Understood what?"

  Guyu raised an eyebrow at her, pretending to be mysterious, but Jingzhe was used to her antics and knew she wouldn’t speak, so she returned to worrying about the gift list.

  After about a stick of incense had passed, the carriage slowly stopped.

  Jingzhe was the first to get out, handed a silver coin to the innkeeper, and instructed him to clear the space. She then directed the servants to carry in the boxes and arrange them in the inn’s hall.

  The rge boxes almost filled up half of the hall, an impressive sight.

  Jiang Fuyue had specifically instructed that the doors should be left open, with the attendants standing guard at the entrance. Outside, a crowd had gathered to watch, many of them following along from the journey, craning their necks to peer inside.

  Once everything was arranged, Jingzhe led the innkeeper upstairs to where Schor Li was staying.

  Standing at the door, Jingzhe cleared her throat and knocked. "Schor Li, my madam is asking for you."

  Almost as soon as Jingzhe spoke, the door was swung open by someone inside with a strong gust of wind.

  Jingzhe instinctively took a step back.

  Schor Li walked out slowly.

  He was elegantly dressed in fine brocade, with a jade crown on his head. At first gnce, he seemed like a refined schor. But his eyes, filled with arrogance and superiority, betrayed his true nature: "A servant? Lead the way."

  As he spoke, he rudely threw the bundle in his hand into Jingzhe’s arms.

  He was about to become a noble guest at the Marquis' residence, so he didn’t feel the need to show any courtesy to a servant.

  Jingzhe replied with an "Understood" and turned to lead the way, holding the bundle.

  Downstairs, the moment Schor Li appeared, Jiang Fuyue took a few steps forward, adopting a sincere and respectful stance. "I have long heard that Schor Li is a man of great manners, and now that I see you in person, it truly is as expected."

  "Schor Li has traveled from afar, enduring the fatigue of the journey. I trust you’ve had time to rest, but are you adjusting well to the capital?"

  When she saw Jiang Fuyue, Schor Li was momentarily struck by her beauty.

  Her eyes resembled autumn waters, and her face was like a lotus, with eyebrows like willow leaves. She was a rare and exquisite beauty.