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

He Si shook the strange thoughts in his mind and smiled as he looked at He Zhizhu.

"Your future fourth brother-in-law will definitely not be as good as your future husband."

But if I can please my sisters, then all my mother's worries and efforts for me won't have been in vain.

A smug glint flashed in He Zhizhu's eyes; her future husband's family was naturally unmatched by anyone else.

However, memories of the married life of my sisters in my previous life began to surface in my mind.

Perhaps it was because the charcoal fire in the room was too strong, or perhaps it was because the atmosphere was just right today, but He Zhizhu unconsciously let slip a few words in her speech.

"Second Aunt wants Fourth Sister to marry into the family; could it be that she's after the title of Marquis of Chengyi?"

This was too pragmatic a statement, and He Si didn't know how to respond.

He San couldn't stand others saying bad things about He Si, so she immediately defended him, saying, "Young Master Li is a good student. Even without a title, he will surely pass the imperial examination with flying colors in the future."

The family of the Marquis of Chengyi is surnamed Li. The eldest son of the family is named Zhen.

He Zhizhu, seemingly lost in thought, burst into laughter, saying, "The most righteous are often the lowly butchers, while the most ungrateful are often the scholars."

He Si frowned. "Zhuzhu doesn't like scholars?"

I vaguely remember that at the last Mid-Autumn Festival garden party, you praised the underprivileged students who were solving riddles.

He Zhizhu pouted, "Times have changed."

Besides, I only gave you a few words of praise; I'm nothing like you guys who are already clamoring to marry him.

He San took the opportunity to pinch the soft flesh on He Zhizhu's waist, "Who's making a fuss about getting married? You're so quick to speak."

Besides, the young master Li, whom Xiao Si is going to marry, is not some poor scholar; his family has a noble title to inherit.

Even if they don't get a noble title, at least they have family connections, which will give them a much better future in the imperial court than those from humble backgrounds.

He Zhizhu enjoyed the rare playful banter between the sisters, and in a moment of carelessness, she blurted out her secret: "Who doesn't know that families with noble titles fight each other like a chicken coop?"

Even if you explicitly state that you won't participate and will pursue your own future, others may not believe you. They might even stab you in the back, and you wouldn't even know how you died.

While He San and He Si hadn't done anything yet, Hua Sirong's expression couldn't help but become serious.

She firmly believed that He Zhizhu's words were not unfounded.

She pretended not to notice, but deliberately agreed, "You know, I grew up in the streets and alleys."

I often heard stories of brothers in my family fighting each other over two shops and a few acres of meager land.

There are only so many things they can fight for.

Even for such a small amount, they would fight tooth and nail for it, disregarding any feelings of kinship with their parents or siblings.

"And what about you nobles right here in the capital? Whether it's your titles or your wealth, those are things that make others envious."

They'll only fight even harder!

He Si also realized what was happening, and after a while, he managed a smile. "There haven't been any reports of discord among the brothers in the Marquis of Chengyi's mansion, have there?"

He San seemed to be deep in thought, "Although the title is something passed down from our ancestors, the Lady of Chengyi has no legitimate sons. Wouldn't all her illegitimate sons think they have a chance?"

He Zhizhu rolled her eyes. "That's right."

It's possible that the eldest son of the Li family married his fourth sister with the intention of leveraging the influence of the He and Zhan families to obtain a noble title.

But were his other brothers any worse than him? It's just that Young Master Li was the one who was taller.

But don't forget, there's also the Lady of Chengyi. If she suddenly decides to register one of her illegitimate sons under her name, things will get even more interesting.

He Si's expression gradually darkened, and Hua Sirong asked softly, "Can't Young Master Li be registered under Madam's name?"

At least he has the title of eldest son and is an ambitious person. Entrusting the Earl's mansion to him is certainly not a bad thing for the entire Chengyi Earl's family.”

He Zhizhu's smile, however, held a deeper meaning.

She looked at He Si and said, "Fourth Sister, I don't believe that someone as shrewd as Second Aunt would let go of the opportunity to make Young Master Li's illegitimate son a nominal legitimate son."

He Si's face flushed red, and under the intense gazes of several people, he slowly revealed the truth, "Of course my mother hopes that the eldest son can be registered under the name of the madam, rather than waiting for things to get complicated later."

“But the eldest son’s birth mother and the aunt had a falling out when they were young. The aunt promised my mother that she would not register any of the illegitimate sons under her name.”

Upon hearing this, He San said, "If that's the case, wouldn't everyone have the same chance of inheriting the title? And since Young Master Li has the title of elder, his chances seem even greater?"

Hua Sirong also spoke up, "The Second Madam's plan is thorough, but can the Madam's words be trusted?"

He Si didn't answer this time.

He Zhizhu sneered: "In a family like ours, we can't even trust our own people, let alone such an empty promise."

"Even if that Countess keeps her word and doesn't break her promise, how can you be sure that she doesn't harbor resentment?"

Perhaps because she herself cannot give birth, she cannot bear to see others give birth.

Due to societal constraints, she allowed the women in her harem to give birth to illegitimate sons one after another.

But how can you be so sure that she would just stand by and watch the title that should belong to her son fall into the hands of her husband's concubine's son?

He San said urgently, "Isn't it because Madam Bo herself can't give birth?"

If she had her own sons, what would her other illegitimate sons have to do with?

He Zhizhu didn't answer this time.

Since it concerned He Si, she naturally kept this matter in mind, thinking that when she returned today, she would definitely discuss it with her mother, Madam Zhan.

Hua Sirong's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at the three of them, finally fixing her gaze on He San.

She thought for a moment and then brought up the topic of scholars again, saying, "Don't think that we are a few years older than Zhuzhu. When we think about it carefully, we don't see things as clearly as Zhuzhu."

My third cousin was so determined to marry a scholar, but after what Jing Zhuzhu said, I wonder if you'd even want to marry anyone now.

He Zhizhu tilted her head and looked at Hua Sirong, unsure whether she was just saying it casually or if there was a hidden meaning in her words.

But since she had other intentions besides drinking today, she was happy to take over the conversation.

"Third sister has a fondness for scholars. Are we really lacking in the whole capital?"

However, my third sister is, after all, the daughter of a marquis; she certainly wouldn't marry into a family that's penniless.

When the topic turned to He San, even though He San was usually very easygoing, he couldn't help but feel shy at this moment.

“Who wants to marry a scholar? Weren’t we just talking about my fourth sister’s husband? How did this get dragged into me?”

He Zhizhu spat, "You say you're not desperate to get married? Judging from your appearance, you're the kind of person I can't keep."

"Hmph, once I get back to Yimei Garden, I'll definitely make my mother find a good husband for my third sister."

He San, thick-skinned as ever, quickly abandoned his coyness. "Go ahead and tell them. Do you think I'll stop you? If Mother doesn't help me pick a good one, I'll definitely protest."

He Zhizhu couldn't stand He San's arrogant attitude. "I'm just waiting for you to marry a minor official, and then send your whole family to work abroad for ten or eight years. I'll see if you're willing to leave this wealthy nest in the capital."