Professional Ethics of a Concubine

In a small tavern in the old Chu Feng City.

Xie Niankang put down his wine glass, looked at the proprietress who was busy calculating, and asked directly, "Will you marry me?"

Xue Yiliu looked up at him after hearing what he said, then continued to use her abacus with her head down, and replied with a smile,

"My Lord, go out and find out about my reputation. If you still dare to say this after you know everything, I will not let you go and will definitely marry you."

"Are you talking about the reputation of being unlucky for your parents and killing your three fiancés?" Xie Niankang asked.

"Yes, aren't you afraid of being killed by me?" Xue Yiliu asked without raising his head.

"Don't be afraid. You can also ask about my reputation. I am born lucky and have a smooth life. I can also bring good luck to the people around me." Xie Niankang said.

Xue Yiliu simply stopped calculating the bills, closed the account book, came out from behind the counter, sat opposite him, and asked directly,

"Then tell me, why do you want to marry me?"

"I have been here for more than half a month. I come to your place every day to drink a pot of wine. We chat for a while, and I have a certain understanding of you.

You have a generous, even aggressive personality. What you say has substance, and you handle things in a way that I admire.

I also asked about your basic situation. Your parents died early, leaving you and a younger brother to live with your second uncle's family.

Your second uncle and second aunt wanted to marry you off and get a betrothal gift, but things got bad for the man time and time again, and you got a bad reputation as a jinx, so no one dared to marry you.

In the past few years, you have opened this pub. Because of the delicious wine and beautiful people, it attracts many people. There are countless stinky men who take advantage of you, but you found ways to deal with them all.

All these are enough to show that you are smart, have a strong character, strong abilities, and you will not admit defeat or suffer losses.

I like the way you are not defeated by life and fate. Even if life is hard, you still go through every day with laughter and anger.

I don't want to save you just because of what you're like. I just think you're a good marriage partner.

You are capable and smart. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know some of the rules of the wealthy families. You can learn them.

With your ability, you are fully qualified to be the mistress of a wealthy family and help me take care of some of the affairs at home and social matters outside.

I don't have any bad habits. I'm not lustful or gambling, and I only drink a little. The biggest drawback is that I'm busy with work and have less time to spend with you.

However, after we get married, I will reduce my work appropriately and be with you when you need me.

Your younger brother will naturally follow you, and I will treat him as my own brother and send him to study at the Imperial College or anything like that.

I am the Duke of Guo, and my family still has some rights. If he wants to go to the palace to study, that’s fine…”

"Who is talking to you? I haven't even nodded yet. The Duke is so talkative and can fool people."

Xue Yiliu wiped the tears from her eyes, and said with a smile on her face,

"Hearing all you said, it doesn't sound like you're looking for a woman to marry, but more like you're looking for a housekeeper. There's no romance at all. You just said I'm capable and can help you take care of the household chores..."

"Ah, what love or affection? You're talking about this after just a few meetings. You're either attracted by her beauty or you're plotting something bad.

If I really say that I am attracted by your beauty, I feel sorry for your situation and cannot bear to see you working so hard to make a living as a boss lady. So please follow me back to the Duke's Mansion.

If I let you have food and clothing without worries, have a group of servants, and no longer suffer from hardships, I'm sure you will be unwilling and think I'm a liar."

Xie Niankang poured a glass of wine, handed it to her, and said to her with a smile,

"If you are willing to marry me, drink this cup of wine, and we will get married first and then stay together.

As long as we care about each other and know our responsibilities, we can develop feelings and have children. We will have a companion for the rest of our lives and won't be lonely. What do you think?"

Xue Yiliu looked at him with a smile, and tears welled up in her eyes again because of his words.

She felt that these were the most beautiful and touching words she had ever heard in her life.

Xue Yiliu took the tea from him, drank it all, then filled it up again and said to him,

"Just because of what the Duke said, I also want to give it a try to marry him.

I just want to say one thing. Although you are a powerful Duke and I am just an orphan, this marriage was proposed by the Duke, not by me, Xue Yilu, who sacrificed my face and body to ask for it.

Therefore, I don't owe you anything, and I don't want to be inferior to you in everything in the future. I can only listen to your orders. Even if you want a housekeeper, I also hope to have a certain say. "

"Based on what you said, I think we will get along happily after marriage." Xie Niankang brought the wine glass over and drank it with a smile.

Seeing that he drank it readily, Xue Yiliu didn't know what to say for a moment, and hesitated for a moment.

"Is this all? I'm just going to marry myself off like this?"

The energy I had just now has worn off, and I feel a little dazed and it doesn’t feel real.

"This is just a verbal agreement between us. Naturally, we still have to go through the three matchmakers and six engagements. Well, I'll send a telegram to report this to my aunt and ask her to send someone to propose marriage to your family."

"Just propose to me in person. I have already severed ties with my second uncle and his wife." Xue Yiliu said immediately.

"At most, the neighbors can just be witnesses and envy me. I'm a woman who brings bad luck to her husband, but someone wants me, and he's a Duke. Hahahaha... I feel good just thinking about it..."

As she spoke, Xue Yiliu laughed heartily. As she laughed, she met Xie Niankang's smiling eyes and restrained herself again. She said a little embarrassedly,

"Do you think I am being too mean? Well, forget it. It is not good to smile so cockily.

When I marry you in the future, I will still have to be careful in what I say and do, so that you won’t be ridiculed by others and be accused of marrying a country bumpkin who has no manners at all.”

"Rules can be learned, and they are also practiced for others to see. If you feel pressured in this regard, I will find a nanny to teach you this. When you feel that you have learned it well and can surprise everyone, how about you make a public appearance?"

Xie Niankang said with a smile.

"Thank you for considering me so carefully." Xue Yiliu smiled when she heard his arrangement. "I will study hard and become a qualified Duke's wife first."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Xie Niankang said with a smile, "I believe in my own judgment."

Xue Yiliu smiled again after hearing this, "You are really good at praising people. You praise two people at a time, without leaving anyone out."

"Well, being able to talk and coax people is also one of my biggest advantages." Xie Niankang thought for a moment and said seriously.

Xue Yiliu reached out her hand, touched his face, and said to him with a smile,

"I really miss you more and more, Duke."

Xie Niankang,

Xie Niankang held her hand. Although there were many calluses on her hand, it was still very soft.

Lord Xie was also very satisfied with Boss Lady Xue.

-

Beijing.

After Ye Qingzhi received Xie Niankang's telegram, she was extremely surprised. After thinking for a while, she immediately said, "Ruyi, pack my luggage for me. I'm going on a long journey."

"...What?" Ruyi was stunned when she heard this. She couldn't believe that her master was going on a long journey.

"Then, my master, if you are going to travel far away, you should inform the emperor and the queen and ask for their consent."

"Well, I didn't say I was going to run away secretly. I must inform you. I don't really understand what I need to prepare for the marriage proposal. I will go ask the queen now."

Ye Qingzhi said this and ran excitedly to Kunning Palace.

"Qingzhi is here." The queen greeted her happily when she saw her, "I was just about to go talk to you. Look, I have some good rouge and powder here..."

Ye Qingzhi saw some bottles and jars on the Queen's desk and couldn't help but smile.

"They all look good. However, I came to see the queen for something important, so I won't try out these rouge and powder today."

"What's the matter?" the queen asked immediately with concern.

"Xiaokang said he found a girl he likes and asked me to help him propose marriage. What does it take to propose marriage? I plan to go to the girl's house in person, but I don't really understand the etiquette."

Ye Qingzhi said excitedly.

Although she could accept Xiaokang not getting married, she was happier when he decided to get married. She thought to herself that she must do her best to help him get married.

"Oh, that's great, Xiaokang is getting married! Where is the girl? It doesn't matter if you don't understand, we must find a matchmaker."

When the queen heard this, she was also very surprised and was truly happy for Xie Niankang.

"It's a small place in the old Chu. It's a little far away, but now there's a railway. If we take a few trains, it will only take four or five days to get there."

Ye Qingzhi smiled and said, "Xiaokang is not young anymore. If the girl agrees, we will arrange the wedding by the end of the year and bring her home."

It's the beginning of May now, and we're getting married at the end of the year, so we still have half a year to prepare, so it's not too stressful.

Ye Qingzhi only received a simple telegram and didn't know the specific situation, so she said this.

The Queen also nodded repeatedly, but then said,

"You don't have to go there in person. Just send a respected elder, along with a matchmaker, with the gift list and engagement letter, and yes, the wild geese.

If you go, with your status, you might scare the girl again."

"There's nothing to be scared of. I went there to show my respect for the girl." Ye Qingzhi said.

"No, no, that's the old Chu. I heard there are still some rebellious remnants. What if they find out you went there and think this is an opportunity to take advantage of..."

The queen became more and more afraid as she spoke. She frightened herself after imagining it, and grabbed Ye Qingzhi's hand to prevent her from going to Jiu Chu.

If you really want to go out, the security measures must be top-notch, and the more people you bring, the better.

Ye Qingzhi,...

Going out is so troublesome that she doesn't even want to go!

If there really were some idiots in the old Chu party who wanted to capture her to threaten the emperor, she would really cry.

She was a person who listened to advice, so Ye Qingzhi gave up going out and decided to ask someone else to propose marriage.