The Cloud Feather of the Red Chamber: A Marriage Arranged with Gong Yuanzheng at the Start

Young Master Xue didn't see much of the subtle wit between the young girls, but he keenly noticed the strictness these wealthy families showed towards women.

Children over seven years old are not allowed to meet with even relatives freely.

He was puzzled. Seven years old? That's just the age of a child.

Gong Zishang looked at the girl named Jia Tanchun, and even through the painting, she could feel the girl's envy towards her.

But her gaze only lingered on Jia Tanchun for a moment before shifting to Xue Baochai.

Qingyue's dislike for her was so obvious that it was almost palpable; otherwise, she wouldn't have placed such a heavy burden on a young girl.

After observing her, she realized that this Miss Xue was a clever young woman, but unfortunately, she had too many ulterior motives, wasn't honest enough, and liked to instigate others behind their backs.

Jia Xichun only said a few words, but Gong Zishang had already guessed what had happened.

It seems that Sister Yun was being used as a pawn without even realizing it.

Gong Zishang curled the corners of her lips. Interesting. These powerful families are indeed extraordinary.

Several girls, all under the age of ten, each had their own thoughts.

It was just a poetry club, yet they managed to create so much trouble; it really opened her eyes.

It's brilliant, much more brilliant than any storybook.

Are they going to find Feng Lazi? Hmm, that's good. She still likes Feng Lazi; she's generous and magnanimous!

Once she leaves the palace, she really wants to find an opportunity to get to know Feng Lazi.

Unfortunately, the painting disappointed Gong Zishang; Feng Lazi did not appear, but Gong Yuanzheng did.

After a year of training, Gong Yuanzheng has made progress, but not by much.

His eyes were full of disdain, and although he had a faint smile on his face, he didn't give off an approachable vibe; rather, he seemed unapproachable.

Various gazes fell upon him, some inquiring, some fearful, but when he looked back, they immediately looked away.

Gong Yuanzheng curled the corners of his lips and raised his glass to the two middle-aged men a few steps away from him.

The two men were stunned, not expecting Gong Yuanzheng to greet them first, and for a moment they forgot to react.

By the time they wanted to return the gift, Gong Yuanzheng had already disappeared from sight.

The reason Gong Yuanzheng greeted them was simple: they were the only two people, besides Jia She, whom he found agreeable among everyone present.

The two nephews of Grandmother Jia are two marquises from the Shi family who are about to leave the capital to take up their posts.

Compared to the Jia family's extravagance, the Shi family truly lived frugally and were very cautious in their official duties, making them a breath of fresh air in the capital.

Children don't need much sleep, and Qingyu was already dozing off in Gong Yuanzheng's arms.

Gong Yuanzheng had just changed his position to make Qingyu more comfortable when Jia She moved closer to him.

“Nephew-in-law, I have already sent someone to invite my Min’er. You should go back in a little while. I have to give my mother a big gift later, and I’m afraid I might accidentally offend you.”

Gong Yuanzheng raised an eyebrow, looking at Jia She, who still had a smile on his lips. Considering the current financial situation of the court, he could roughly guess what Jia She was planning to do.

"Uncle, I'll head out now."

As soon as he made a move, Jia Baoyu, who had been watching him closely, immediately stood up and walked quickly toward Gong Yuanzheng.

"Brother-in-law, are you going for a walk in the yard? I'll go with you!"

Her voice was clear and cheerful, drowning out all the conversations in the hall.

Gong Yuanzheng's lips twitched, and he reflexively moved several steps away from Jia Baoyu.

Although they had only met twice, Gong Yuanzheng inexplicably felt that Jia Baoyu was a bit dangerous.

Jia Baoyu was somewhat puzzled and bewildered.

Why does my cousin's husband avoid him like the plague?

He originally wanted to sit with his cousin-in-law during the meal, but under Jia Zheng's stern reprimand, he reluctantly sat down at another table.

He dislikes economics and officialdom the most, yet he patiently listens to these corrupt officials' flattery here, simply because his cousin-in-law is here.

But why is my cousin's husband so wary of him? He hasn't done anything wrong.

Jia Zheng felt ashamed. Why did he still try to get close to them when they already looked down on him?

"You fool! Sit down right now!"

Forced by his father's authority, Jia Baoyu could only sit down reluctantly.

Gong Yuanzheng gave his second uncle, whom he was meeting for the first time, a kind smile.

Upon seeing his smile, Jia Zheng turned pale with fright and immediately turned his head away.

Gong Yuanzheng: "..."

This reaction amused Jia She greatly.

Jia She moved a few steps closer to Gong Yuanzheng and spoke in a low voice, yet loud enough for everyone to hear:

“Nephew-in-law, you don’t know this, but the last person who could make this hypocrite so afraid was our late father.”

Gong Yuanzheng: "..."

Two bursts of laughter rang out, one coming from Qingyu in Gong Yuanzheng's arms, who had apparently woken up sometime earlier.

The other one, naturally, came from the eldest son, Jia Baoyu.

This was the first time Jia Baoyu had heard such a secret, so naturally he couldn't keep it to himself.

The moment he let out a laugh, he knew it was all over.

Sure enough, when he looked up, he met Jia Zheng's murderous gaze.

He immediately made a decision in his mind: he must run back to the old lady's yard as soon as possible.

Gong Yuanzheng secretly rolled his eyes, nodded slightly to Jia She, and then turned and left the room.

Since Jia She had already sent someone to invite Jia Min and the others, Gong Yuanzheng carried Qingyu and left the Jia mansion directly.

The carriages from the Lin family and the palace gate were already waiting at the entrance.

Gong Yuanzheng gently tossed the jade in his arms. "Are you going to the Lin family, or are you coming back to the palace gate with me?"

"The palace gate! I want to go to the palace gate!" Qingyu answered without hesitation. He had to share what happened today with his brother Xiaoxue.

Looking at Gong Yuanzheng's smiling face so close to hers, Qingyu cupped his face in her hands.

She kept looking back and forth, her round eyes full of smiles.

That's so strange. My brother-in-law is so handsome, why would anyone be so afraid of him?

Thinking about Jia Zheng's expression just now, Qingyu couldn't help but want to laugh again.

Gong Yuanzheng looked at him helplessly, "You've been laughing all the way here, haven't you laughed enough yet?"

Of course not, Qingyu smiled and his eyes narrowed. He would definitely tell his older sister and second sister later that his brother-in-law could scare his second uncle with just a smile.

Seeing through Qingyu's thoughts, Gong Yuanzheng playfully bumped Qingyu's head with his forehead.

Qing Yu laughed out loud and reached out to push Gong Yuanzheng away.

Gong Zishang looked at it and a slight smile unconsciously appeared on her face.

She had witnessed Gong Yuanzheng's ruthlessness and cruelty, as well as his tenderness and affection for Lin Qingyue.

But just watching this heartwarming scene made her feel warm and comforted.

The only drawback is that the person he's holding now isn't his own son, but his brother-in-law.

“Brother Yuanzheng, I really can’t wait to see what you’ll be like taking care of children in the future.”

Gong Zishang couldn't help but sigh.

Xue Gongzi's eyes lit up. "Isn't Zheng Gongzi and Lin's child just as adorable as Qingyu?"

I'm so excited! He loves kids the most, and he wouldn't mind helping Zheng Gongzi take care of the children!

He was filled with a mixture of anticipation and excitement.

"Young Master Zheng, your child with Miss Lin will definitely be exceptionally beautiful!"

Gong Yuanzheng did not respond to their words, but thought to himself, "Then you'll be waiting for a while."

The earlier a woman gives birth, the worse it is for her health. Yue'er is not yet of marriageable age, so if she wants to see his child, she will have to wait at least four more years.

The two were having a great time when they heard the sound of a carriage stopping and the soft sounds of people nearby.

Judging from the sound, it seems to be coming this way.

Qingyu obediently stopped what she was doing, and even straightened Gong Yuanzheng's crooked forehead ribbon.

In front of outsiders, we must not let my brother-in-law lose his composure.

The footsteps stopped not far away, and a weak voice rang out.

"Are you perhaps the young master Zheng from the palace? I am Xue Qing from the Xue family."

Gong Yuanzheng lazily looked up at the person who had come.

An old man and a young man; the older man looked sickly and appeared to be nearing the end of his life.

The younger ones were good-looking, but their eyes were too blatant, which displeased Gong Yuanzheng.

Qingyu looked at Xue Pan, frowned, and whispered in Gong Yuanzheng's ear:

"Brother-in-law, this man is not a good person."

Gong Yuanzheng raised an eyebrow; this was the first time he had heard Qingyu evaluate someone in this way.

Qingyu was always kind to people, so the use of such words shows just how much she disliked Xue Fan.

Why do you say that? What did he do?

Qingyu said indignantly, "I encountered him when I was traveling in Jinling with Brother Daxue and Brother Xiaoxue."

"He's abusing his power! He's willing to kill a brother just to take a sister!"

Gong Yuanzheng raised an eyebrow, a hint of displeasure creeping into his eyes as he looked at the Xue family father and son.

Qingyu continued, "Later, Brother Xiaoxue stopped him and saved that young lady and young man. Do you know what he did to Brother Xiaoxue?"

Gong Yuanzheng casually asked, "What did you do?"

Qingyu's face turned red with anger. She grabbed Gong Yuanzheng's collar, finding it difficult to speak.

Gong Yuanzheng was full of doubt, not understanding what the young man had done to make Qingyu so angry.

He couldn't help but look Xue Pan up and down a few times.

He's not very old, but he's weak and his eyes are cloudy. I'm afraid he's spent a lot of time in the inner chambers.

His casual glances, however, stirred a surge of excitement in Xue Pan.