My Sister Insisted on Swapping Marriages, and I Became a Marchioness Instead

Qin Yuan glanced at Marquis Gu and ate quietly.

She continued to eat slowly, as if she had just made casual remarks.

Whether Marquis Gu agreed or not, she didn’t care.

Gu Jinghui saw her like this and felt even less appetite.

"Yuan’er, are you suspecting Brother Cheng and Sister Yu of misconduct?"

Qin Yuan put down her chopsticks, slowly swallowed the food in her mouth, and then said, "Yes."

"We are husband and wife, why can’t we be open and honest?"

Gu Jinghui adjusted his sitting position.

Qin Yuan lowered her eyes and replied, "...but I just said, half of my doubts stem from Mrs. Zhao..."

Gu Jinghui interrupted, "But you previously advised me to go to the main room to ease the children’s minds. I promised to arrange their future well, but I repeatedly failed."

Previously, it was said to send Brother Cheng to the Imperial College.

Then it was said to hire a tutor for Brother Cheng.

If the children are simply sent out of the mansion now, what would my actions mean?

Qin Yuan sighed, realizing this was Marquis Gu’s concern.

"But all this wasn’t caused by us, but by Mrs. Zhao, the children’s biological mother. Her abandonment of her children made me uneasy from the start. If there were no hidden motives, why would she abandon them and flee?"

"Flee?"

Gu Jinghui pondered this word, his sharp brows and eyes showing a hint of trouble.

Qin Yuan raised her cold phoenix eyes, looked directly at Gu Jinghui, and said, "Husband must understand, otherwise why did you initially refuse to report the case to the Capital Governor Mansion?"

Gu Jinghui slightly turned his face, avoiding Qin Yuan’s gaze.

Qin Yuan said, "If I hadn’t persuaded Mother, Husband would only want to cover up the issue first to conceal it for the children."

Gu Jinghui sighed, "I just think Mrs. Zhao and Brother Pang must have unspeakable secrets; otherwise, they wouldn’t have left the children with me. The children are only five years old, with their paternal family unknown, and they should not lose their mother either."

Qin Yuan said, "Pang Hai using a false name to join the army might be excusable, but why would Mrs. Zhao poison, completely disregarding her children’s safety? Has your Lordship ever considered?"

Marquis Gu appeared puzzled, saying, "I’ve thought about this a lot but can’t understand it. Yuan’er, you haven’t spent much time with Mrs. Zhao, while I met Pang Hai at the Northern Border and have some acquaintance with him, though not deep. He once saved my life; before he died, he entrusted Mrs. Zhao and the children to me. I’ve watched these two children grow up. Perhaps it’s true that those involved are confused."

Qin Yuan drank some tea and said, "I am not Mrs. Zhao and don’t know what she thinks. But as a matron of the Gu Family, I naturally put the family’s safety before anything else—be it Mrs. Zhao, Pang Hai, or those two children, they are not above the Gu Family in my eyes."

Marquis Gu looked at her, his eyes swirling with turbulent emotions, chest heaving as if deeply touched.

Qin Yuan looked down at the yellow-green tea, slowly said word by word, "When Mrs. Zhao learned that Gu Shiliu went to Jizhou to visit the Pang Family’s relatives, she gave up the idea of feigning illness to stay in the mansion and swiftly left the house, indicating she knew clearly that Pang Hai was not from the Pang Family."

Marquis Gu nodded.

Qin Yuan pinched her fingers and continued, "Mrs. Zhao repeatedly invited your Lordship to Fengxuan Pavilion, later blocking paths to Wutong Garden; your Lordship must be aware of Mrs. Zhao’s intentions. I was supposedly a thorn in Mrs. Zhao’s side, so why did she poison elsewhere rather than in Wutong Garden before leaving?"

Marquis Gu frowned.

Qin Yuan chuckled lightly and said, "Mrs. Zhao knew your temperament. If you couldn’t find her when searching, and the mansion had an outbreak of smallpox, you’d get too busy to think of her. She miscalculated my personality, not expecting me to report to officials so quickly and discover the smallpox outbreak that day."

Qin Yuan raised her eyes to Gu Jinghui and said, "Think, if things happened as Mrs. Zhao imagined, what would you do if many in the mansion caught smallpox?"

Marquis Gu’s lips moved slightly, finally saying, "Of course, being unable to cope, in utter chaos; if any family members were lost, I wouldn’t bear it."

Qin Yuan leaned back a bit, lazily saying, "You all keep saying Mrs. Zhao disregarded the children’s safety, but I see she’s already thoughtfully planned. She knew you wouldn’t report, so just hiding somewhere would suffice. With the mansion having a smallpox outbreak, you wouldn’t doubt her, and those two children might not fear smallpox. At that time, with household members mostly dead or injured, wouldn’t Mrs. Zhao return perfectly accompanied by adopted children?"

Marquis Gu was shocked, losing composure, grabbing Qin Yuan’s hand, "It can’t be, absolutely not."

Qin Yuan withdrew her hand, calmly saying, "Whether it would be so or not, your Lordship can think it over well. My words are merely guesses, truly only Mrs. Zhao knows what she’s planning. Saying this is only to make your Lordship understand, my heart truly holds grievances against Mrs. Zhao and her children. That’s why I tasked someone at the second gate with guarding, and you’ve seen the results."

Marquis Gu said after a moment, "Yuan’er, I understand."

Qin Yuan softly said, "Mrs. Zhao doesn’t know of my close ties to Renhe Hall, nor that I’m skilled with incense recipes, or that my master has formulas to prevent smallpox. Absent any of these, Doctor Liu wouldn’t need to intervene; the Marquis Mansion might already be in danger today. I asked your Lordship to comfort the children at Mother’s place just because I noticed their recent obedience after her teachings, not wanting them to cause trouble for Mother due to mental distress."

This statement made Marquis Gu’s body grow cold.

"Yuan’er..."

Qin Yuan coldly said, "Regardless of Mrs. Zhao’s actions, or the children’s violent, unchangeable nature, I suggest your Lordship arrange them elsewhere after opening the manor, perhaps catching Mrs. Zhao to understand her actions."

Marquis Gu looked at Qin Yuan, his gaze complex.

Qin Yuan finished speaking and gently said, "Your Lordship, the soup has cooled; quickly, have your meal."

Marquis Gu numbly nodded, unsure of his thoughts.

Qin Yuan ignored him too, leisurely picking a piece of fish skin, savoring it.

Marquis Gu occasionally glanced at her and rapidly withdrew his gaze.

The meal truly was tasteless.

After the meal, Marquis Gu sat for a while and then left, not staying with Qin Yuan for a nap as usual.

Qin Yuan didn’t mind; when Hong Ye and Cui Ming entered to help her change, she said, "Later, help prepare a clothing case for the Marquis. Arrange his daily change and outer garments, don’t forget the incense pills and accessories."

Cui Ming said nothing.

Hong Ye asked in surprise, "Why?"

Qin Yuan replied, "In recent days, be more cautious. Let your Lordship stay in the front yard temporarily; discuss further after the mansion opens."

The drawing of a dagger from a map, Marquis Gu glimpsed part of her nature, probably fearing or being angry with her.

Better to live separately for a few days.

Just as she temporarily didn’t want to consummate with Marquis Gu.

Once the mansion opens, and Marquis Gu goes to the Great Camp, being less bonded day and night becomes more convenient.

Hong Ye was about to say something but was quietly pulled by Cui Ming to stop.

The two helped Qin Yuan retrieve hairpins and accessories, combed her hair, and then retreated.