The cousin's family is extremely wealthy; she deserves to be a concubine.

Jiang Huaiji listened to Madam Ge's ramblings with a smile on his face. But when his mother mentioned Hua Sirong, he suddenly remembered the time he had embraced her by the rockery in the Marquis's mansion...

With a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips, Madam Ge muttered to herself for a long time, but her own son wouldn't utter a single sound. So she turned her anger towards Jiang Huaiji.

"Laugh, laugh, laugh. I remember you used to talk back a lot when you were little. I wonder what you learned when you went to the main branch. Now you don't even like to talk when you come home."

Jiang Huaiji shook his head helplessly, "Mother, what do you want me to say?"

Jiang Yilian ran in from outside, carrying a string of fatty meat. "Hehe, brother, Mother must want to see you regret not marrying the butcher's daughter."

After saying that, he practically held the piece of fat right up to Jiang Huaiji's nose.

Seeing her brother take two steps back, Jiang Yilian giggled, then twirled around, her skirt billowing as she spoke to him.

"And look at you, regretting not marrying Miss Feng from the tailor's family."

Jiang Huaiji's eyes and brows were full of smiles. "Then I can only disappoint my mother by marrying a daughter-in-law she doesn't like to serve her."

Ge snatched the fatty meat from Jiang Yilian's hand and walked towards the kitchen, not forgetting to spit on Jiang Huaiji as she went, "Who said I don't like my future daughter-in-law? Don't talk nonsense!"

She only has one son in her life. If she can't get along with her daughter-in-law, won't she suffer when she gets old?

This daughter-in-law hasn't even entered the family yet, and she's already got a reputation as a wicked mother-in-law. That's unacceptable!

Jiang Yilian made a face at Ge's retreating figure, saying, "You're just saying one thing and meaning another."

Jiang Huaiji grabbed Jiang Yilian by the back of her collar, "How did you, with your mischievous appearance, manage to get the character 'Lian' in your name?"

Jiang Yilian retorted, biting Jiang Huaiji's mischievous hand, "None of your business!"

After saying that, he rushed into the kitchen to help Ge Shi, the sound of copper coins clinking came from the purse at his waist.

Jiang Huaiji looked around the small courtyard that had raised him. It was truly small, so small that you could see right to the bottom. The well in the courtyard was the finishing touch to this small courtyard.

There are only three habitable houses, plus a kitchen, so the whole yard looks like there's not much space left.

Jiang Huaiji frowned. He wondered if his fiancée would call off the engagement if she saw how bare the house was.

He shook off these jumbled thoughts and went back to his room.

Because of poverty, his bedroom was divided in two, with one half used as a bedroom and the other half as a study.

He took down the rare copy he had silently copied from a hidden compartment on the bookshelf, and gently opened it with a smile on his lips.

He then took out a few thin sheets of paper that he had deciphered, spread them out in front of him, picked up a brush from the brush holder, dipped it in ink, and examined each line.

As ink streaks crossed the original writing on the paper, Jiang Huaiji's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

When little of the content recorded on those few thin pages was still useful to him, he stopped writing.

He couldn't help but flip through the manuscript again. "Could it be that someone has already deciphered these secrets and gotten there first?"

Otherwise, why would all those deciphered secrets be useless?

"No, if that were the case, why would the Meng family need to form a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Muqing's family?"

Then he muttered to himself, "But the marriage between the Meng and He families has already been called off."

"Or perhaps it's because what I have is just a copy, not a genuine original, and therefore the information I obtain is all outdated incriminating evidence?"

"But the rare book the Second Prince showed me today is exactly the same as the one I have. Could there be some hidden secret that can only be discovered by obtaining the real rare book?"

At the same time, the Second Prince's staff were also reporting the information they had compiled to Pei Enhan.

"What is hidden in this book should be the private information of court officials and major families that the Leng family secretly collected during the reign of the late emperor."

Whoever holds these leverages and uses them to threaten others will surely achieve great things!

A glint of light flashed in Pei Enhan's eyes, but he ignored the small print next to the documents and asked, "What does this mean?"

The aide shook his head regretfully, "Unfortunately, we were a step too late. This information is of little significance to us at the moment, and its usefulness is negligible."

Pei Enhan focused his attention on the words "a step too late." "Was someone beat us to it? But this rare copy has always been kept by the Muqing Marquis's residence. Could it be Marquis He?"

After thinking for a moment, Pei Enhan dismissed the idea, "If Marquis He had so many secrets, how could his household have declined step by step over the years?"

The advisors speculated, "Could all of this be a cover-up by the Marquis of Muqing's family?"

Pei Enhan pinched the bridge of his nose. "That possibility cannot be ruled out."

"The Muqing Marquis's residence seems to have become more active in the past year or two?"

The aide nodded. "News from the palace indicates that Consort Zhao from the He family is getting closer to Consort Bing."

Originally, I thought the Marquis He's mansion was going to support the Fourth Prince, but recently, because of Master Jiang, the He heir has been getting closer to the Jiang family's sons.

This young master clearly has ulterior motives; his true aim is to curry favor with you, Master.

Pei Enhan asked in surprise, "Is the Muqing Marquis's family planning to hedge their bets, or is there a disagreement between father and son?"

The advisor stroked his beard. "No matter what the situation is, the Muqing Marquis's mansion has ended up on Your Highness's side."

Today is the auspicious day for that lad Jiang Huaiji to get engaged to the cousin of the Marquis of Muqing's family.

Pei Enhan nodded, "Yes, no matter what's going on inside, from an outsider's perspective, the He family's relationship with us is definitely not innocent."

The advisor's eyes lit up. "Let's have our palace spies do some work and try to sow discord between Consort Zhao and Consort Bing."

Although these concubines may not necessarily be favored in the palace, they are cunning old foxes who have managed every aspect of the palace for many years, and they might just lend you a hand at a crucial moment.

Pulling it upwards is a boost. But pushing it downwards could be fatal.

Pei Enhan looked at the rare book again and asked, "Is it really useless?" After all, it was stolen from the Muqing Marquis's mansion with great fanfare.

The aide held the few thin sheets of paper in his hand. "Many officials have disappeared in the changing dynasties. As for those aristocratic families, they have either declined or been replaced by new leaders over the years."

What we currently possess is insufficient to coerce them into siding with His Highness.

Pei Enhan was still unwilling to give up, "Could it be that the Meng family realized the book was no longer of any use, which is why they broke ties with the Muqing Marquis's mansion?"

The staff did not answer, and Pei Enhan continued, "Send someone to investigate. I need to know who benefits first from holding these secrets."

Furthermore, did the Marquis's and Meng's families actually know these secrets, and what benefits did they gain from them?

The staff had no choice but to obey.