Regent, please maintain your aloof image.

Anping Marquis's Mansion

After returning from the palace, Su Qianrou went to Siyi Courtyard. Unexpectedly, she saw Su Jing'an there as well. What surprised her most was that, if she wasn't mistaken, her father was coaxing her mother, while her mother seemed indifferent. This struck Su Qianrou as very strange. She then walked over and called out, "Father, Mother."

When Lin Rong saw her return, she quickly stood up and asked anxiously, "How are you? Are you alright?"

Su Qianrou smiled and teased, "Mom, I feel like you're more nervous than I am."

"How can I not be nervous? This is your first time entering the palace, I'm afraid..."

"I'm back now, and I've even received a reward."

"A reward? What reward?"

"A set of ruby ​​headdresses."

"A gift from the Empress Dowager."

"Ok".

"Was it given to you by the Empress Dowager alone, or was it given to everyone?" Su Jing'an asked.

"I'm the only one who has it."

"But what happened?"

"Yes, something did happen, but it wasn't anything bad," Su Qianrou then gave a brief account of what had happened.

When Lin Rong heard that it was Su Wanshan causing trouble again, she couldn't help but glare at Su Jing'an.

Su Jing'an touched his nose guiltily.

After hearing this, Lin Rong was both surprised and delighted. "You actually beat Miss Qin! I've heard that she is the most talented woman in the capital."

Su Jing'an said with great pride, "She truly is my daughter."

Then, Lin Rong couldn't help but worry, "Miss Qin is a young lady from the Duke of Ming's mansion. Won't you offend the Duke of Ming's mansion by doing this?"

Before Su Qianrou could answer, Su Jing'an said, "No, the Duke of Ming's mansion wouldn't be so stingy."

"What do you know? The Duke of Ming's mansion may not do it, but Miss Qin and Madam Qin may not."

"No matter what, Rou'er is still a young lady of the Marquis's mansion. Even if she were the Duchess of the State, she wouldn't dare to act recklessly."

"It's not possible to do it openly, but how do you know they won't do it secretly?"

Su Jing'an had no answer, so he remained silent.

Lin Rong was somewhat smug when she saw that he had nothing to say.

Su Qianrou looked at them and finally realized that something was wrong. Her mother didn't seem to be afraid of her father anymore. No, it shouldn't be said that she was afraid, but rather that she respected him. She was not as respectful as before, but more casual, and looked more like an ordinary couple.

Just then, Qinghui walked in and said, "Master, Madam, the Marquis wants Miss to go to the ancestral hall."

"Do you know why?" Su Jing'an asked.

"This servant does not know."

"Why would Father suddenly send Rou'er to the ancestral hall?" Lin Rong asked, puzzled.

"Go and see for yourself."

"Ok".

Then, the three of them went to the ancestral hall together.

At this time, not only the old Marquis was in the ancestral hall, but also Su Shenglin and Su Songwen.

"I've met my father."

"I have met my grandfather."

"Kneel down," the old marquis said sternly, and he was speaking to Su Qianrou.

"Father, what are you doing?"

"You should ask her what she's been doing in the palace," the old marquis said irritably.

"Grandfather, I really don't understand what you're saying. I hope you can explain it to me."

"Yes, Father, Rou'er didn't do anything in the palace, you..."

"Second brother, you don't know what your good daughter has been doing in the palace, do you?"

"Rou'er told me some things, but I don't know what you mean, brother..."

"She competed in poetry with Miss Qin, and she won. Did you know that?"

"Know".

"And yet you remain unmoved."

"What my older brother means is, what should I do?"

"Father, take a look for yourself. This is what you call cleverness. I think it's nothing special," Su Shenglin said disdainfully.

"Second brother, are you really not clear-headed or just pretending?"

"My son really doesn't understand. Rou'er won against Miss Qin. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Good news, second brother, you've probably gone mad from staying at home all the time."

"That's right, Second Brother, you don't know that Miss Qin is from the Duke of Ming's mansion, do you? Offending her is the same as offending the Duke of Ming's mansion."

"Not only that, but also the Empress Dowager and Prince Min."

"That's right."

"Kneel down now!" the old marquis shouted sternly.

Su Qianrou couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"What are you laughing at? Even now, you still don't know how to repent."

"May I ask, grandfather, when did our Marquis's mansion become so humble?"

"What do you mean by that?"

“No matter what, we are a third-class marquis’s mansion, and I am the legitimate daughter of the marquis’s mansion. Am I supposed to grovel and fawn over others? If I do that, what will become of the dignity of the marquis’s mansion?”

"What do you mean 'other people'? She's a young lady from the Duke's mansion."

"So, I have to humble myself, even abandon my backbone and dignity, to please her," Su Qianrou said, looking at Su Shenglin with a questioning gaze.

Su Shenglin was stunned by her gaze and was momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered and retorted, "That's called being a wise man when you know when to yield."

"What you're doing is called being a sycophant."

"How dare you! Is this how you speak to your elders?"

"My niece just meant well and wanted to remind her uncle that if you bend over too much, you'll have trouble standing up straight."

The old marquis fell into deep thought.

Su Qianrou looked at him and sighed inwardly. It was true that her grandfather was talented, but it was also true that he was easily swayed and lacked his own opinions. Otherwise, the Marquis's Mansion would not have ended up in this state. "Our Marquis's Mansion is a family with a history of hundreds of years. You should know how glorious it was in the past. But now, we need to please a young lady from a Duke's Mansion. Don't you think that's ridiculous?"

"I'm not asking you to fawn over anyone, but you absolutely cannot offend them."

“If I win against her, I will offend her. Then may I ask, Third Uncle, what is the right thing to do? Should I pretend that I can’t write poetry? But Third Uncle, have you considered that if I do that, not only will I be ridiculed, but my grandfather and my father will also be ridiculed. Don’t forget, my grandfather is a Grand Scholar, and my father is the top scholar in the imperial examination.”

Su Songwen wanted to say something more, but he was powerless to refute it.

Then, Su Qianrou added firmly, "Blindly trying to please others will not only fail to earn their respect, but will also only make them look down on you more."

The old marquis couldn't help but look at her, seemingly lost in thought.

At this moment, a servant rushed over and said, "My lord, the Regent's bodyguard requests an audience."

"Please come quickly."

"Yes".

"Father, why are the Regent's guards here at our residence?" Su Shenglin asked curiously.

Su Songwen said, "Could it be that the Duke of Ming's mansion said something to the Regent, so the Regent sent someone to question them?" After saying that, he looked at Su Qianrou as if she had done something heinous.

Su Qianrou was too lazy to pay him any attention.

A moment later, Yingfeng came over and said, "Greetings, Lord Marquis." Then, he looked at Su Qianrou and called out, "Miss Su."

Su Qianrou nodded in response.

Everyone was taken aback, wondering why he was being so polite to Su Qianrou, but no one asked further.

"Shadow Guard, may I ask what brings you here?"

"Your Excellency, the Regent has instructed Lord Su to attend the morning court session tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, and Su Shenglin couldn't help but ask, "I wonder what position the Regent has arranged?"

"I really don't know that."

Everyone knew he wouldn't tell, so they didn't ask any further.

"Now that the message has been delivered, I shall take my leave."

"Shadow Guard, take care... Boss, see the Shadow Guard out."

"Yes".

Then, Yingfeng left the Marquis's residence, arriving and departing in a hurry.