Chapter 197: Mother Has Decided to Arrange Luo'er's Marriage!

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, they worship the God of Wealth.

Li Qingluo got up early and hurried to the altar of the God of Wealth to burn incense and worship sincerely.

After she practiced swordplay and then returned to her room to write a piece of calligraphy, she was pressed by Cui Er and Que'er in front of the dressing table.

"Miss, today you are to go into the palace with the Lord's wife and the Old Lady, so we must get dressed quickly!"

Li Qingluo picked up a silk flower and toyed with it: "What's the hurry? The hour is still early anyway."

Que'er instantly wore a nervous expression: "The hour is not early. My grandmother just told me we must go early to line up at the palace gate; if we go late we'll be scolded by the palace officials."

"Also, this silk flower was made by the Old Lady's craftsmen just in time for you; your hand is strong, so don't break it again."

Cui Er: "Exactly, miss, you only just bent the petals of a silk flower yesterday, and we barely managed to repair it. If you break another, the Old Lady will ask why you aren't wearing any silk flower today, and we will be held responsible."

Li Qingluo awkwardly set the silk flower down.

"Is it really unacceptable not to wear this?"

Que'er: "Of course not. The Old Lady has repeatedly instructed us to make your appearance today sparkling, more beautiful than a lotus emerging from water, and it must be dignified and grand!"

"Naturally, we can't do without this most fashionable item in our Jinling City right now."

"Miss, don't be nervous; you are the legitimate eldest daughter of Jiangjun Fu, and today is your first time going to the palace. We can't lose face."

Li Qingluo sighed inwardly.

She knew her grandmother's thoughts; she was probably worrying about her marriage again, hoping to use today to show herself to the young lords also entering the palace.

It truly was a good opportunity.

Never mind, as long as grandmother is happy, letting her be busy is fine.

Anyway, grandmother will not ignore her opinion, and will casually arrange a marriage for her.

Watching Que'er arrange the dangling bead hairpins on her head, Li Qingluo felt calm instead.

At her side, a small mountain of jewelry boxes and fabrics piled up, all gifts from Qu Shi in recent days.

Li Qingluo took them all in, yet they were still of no use.

She was simply puzzled why Qu Shi had become increasingly proactive toward her lately.

Especially on the second day of the month, after she returned from the Qu family, they sent a cartload of items to Li Qingluo.

A dazzling array, countless in number, all apparently brought back from the Qu family.

Why did the Qu family suddenly show such favor to her?

Li Qingluo sensed something fishy and grew more cautious.

Soon, Li Qingluo realized what Qu Shi was scheming.

"Luo'er, aren't you going to quickly pay respects to your paternal great-aunt?"

The Qu family has a second branch.

The current Minister of Revenue, Qu Lao Daren, is Qu Shi's paternal uncle and head of the Qu family's main branch.

Qu Shi comes from the second branch; her father is still only a fourth‑rank minor civil official, so most of the Qu family's honor that Qu Shi enjoys actually stems from the main branch.

The second branch's matriarch, Lady You, is Li Qingluo's paternal great‑aunt; she lacks the status to appear at today's palace banquet, so the great‑aunt Li Qingluo is to meet now is the Minister of Revenue Qu Lao Daren's wife, He Lao Furen.

At the palace gate, the men and women on both sides had just separated when the two families happened to run into each other.

Since it wasn't yet their turn to enter the palace, the women of the two families got off the carriage to meet.

After the elders exchanged formalities, Qu Shi, a bit excited, pushed Li Qingluo forward.

At Pei Lao Furen's signal, Li Qingluo still properly paid her respects to He Lao Furen.

"Luo'er, I have met my great‑aunt."

He Lao Furen, with a kindly expression, examined Li Qingluo closely, when suddenly a clear voice of a young lord called from ahead: "Grandmother—"

He Lao Furen's face instantly brightened: "It's Xun Ge'er!"

Li Qingluo quickly stepped back; by the time the young lord disembarked from the carriage, she had returned to Pei Lao Furen's side, lowering her head slightly.

The young lord seemed to have just arrived in a hurry.

When he stepped down from the carriage, Pei Lao Furen also glanced at him unintentionally.

Xun Ge'er politely greeted the elders, then his gaze naturally fell on Li Qingluo: "Could it be that you are the cousin I have never met, Luo'er?"

The women from the Qu family's main branch present today were only He Lao Furen and two legitimate granddaughters.

On the Li side it was simple: Pei Lao Furen, Qu Shi, and Li Qingluo.

Thus Xun Ge'er recognized Li Qingluo at a glance; it was not difficult.

Moreover, she was truly outstanding!

Among the women who had come down to rest nearby, she was the most dazzling, radiant, and stunning.

Even with only half her face shown, her beauty was enough to captivate a nation and win hearts.

And her striking figure pleased Xun Ge'er deeply.

Xun Ge'er stared at Li Qingluo but dared not look too long, his cheeks flushing as he glanced at his grandmother.

He Lao Furen smiled warmly: "This is our main branch's second son, also the family's fourth son, Xun Ge'er. Xun Ge'er, that indeed is Luo'er; why not step forward to greet?"

Qu Dao Xun stepped half a pace forward, cupped his hands toward Li Qingluo: "I am Qu Dao Xun, pleased to meet my cousin Luo'er. On the second day of the month, why didn't I see Luo'er return home?"

"That day, the brothers and sisters at home were all looking forward to seeing cousin Luo'er."

Pei Lao Furen was already displeased: "That day Luo'er was with me, leaving little free time."

"Qu family Xun Ge'er, if you don't hurry to the palace gate to meet your grandfather, I'm afraid you won't be able to enter today."

Qu Dao Xun then hurriedly said goodbye, glanced at Li Qingluo once more, and got back on the carriage to rush toward the palace gate.

Pei Lao Furen seemed to have realized something, gave He Lao Furen a cool nod, then turned and led Li Qingluo onto the carriage.

Li Qingluo said not a single word from start to finish, so after Qu Shi came up, her expression turned very sour.

"Luo'er, your cousin spoke to you kindly, why do you ignore him? That's far too impolite!"

Pei Lao Furen: "Then how must she behave to be considered proper and courteous?"

"Those who rush to flatter your Qu family, shamelessly joking with outside men at the palace gate—does that count as proper and courteous!?"

"Qu Shi, don't think I don't know what kind of devilish scheme you have in mind!"

"You today, so enthusiastically push Luo'er toward your elder aunt, and coincidentally Xun Ge'er was late, so you got a chance to see Luo'er. His eyes have gone back and forth over Luo'er many times; what exactly do you intend!?"

"Then speak clearly right now!"

Qu Shi's face flushed red and white; her mother‑in‑law's eyes were overly venomous and fierce!

Xun Ge'er only glanced at Luo'er a few times, yet she already sensed it.

Qu Shi still dared not say it outright; she originally intended to let the Qu family see Luo'er and be satisfied, and after confirming interest, have Li Chao Jing personally petition the old lady.

Xun Ge'er is, after all, the direct grandson of the Minister of Revenue, the great‑uncle!

Moreover, being from her own natal family, now that the Li family can even discuss this marriage, it's already an excellent match; she thought her mother‑in‑law would certainly agree.

Yet at present, it seems the mother, mother‑in‑law, do not favor Xun Ge'er?

Qu Shi, feeling guilty, answered: "Mother, you misunderstand; the daughter‑in‑law only wishes Luo'er to be close to my natal family… after she returns to Jinling, hasn't she not yet returned to the Qu family with the daughter‑in‑law…?"

Pei Lao Furen, seeing she wouldn't speak, snorted coldly: "I don't care what you're thinking, just stop scheming against my Luo'er!"

"Say it again, I will handle Luo'er's marriage and future myself; don't interfere here!"

Pei Lao Furen had already made it so clear.

Qu Shi's face turned white again.

"So you don't want her to manage it?"

"The Qu family's kin, should we truly give it up?"

"Mother, after all I'm also Luo'er's mother; could my plans for her possibly harm her?"

Pei Lao Furen reached out and struck the knot of Qu Shi's hair bun.

"Fool! A poisonous and stupid thing, that Xun Ge'er is still not as tall as Que'er, his stature only reaches Luo'er's ear! Such a worthless thing, you even have your daughter thinking of him?"

"I don't explain to give you face, yet you still refuse to give up! You want Luo'er to marry these cripples casually, unless I die!!"

Li Qingluo, not wanting her grandmother to be angry, quickly placed her hand on her chest and said: "Grandmother, calm down. Luo'er has you as the decision‑maker; she will not be married off to any random scum."

Qu Shi, hit by Pei Lao Furen's earlier palm, had her hair bun askew.

She felt deeply humiliated, and upon hearing Li Qingluo's words, immediately glared fiercely at Li Qingluo.

"You still look down on Xun Ge'er? Can't you look at yourself!"

"Xun Ge'er is, after all, my great‑uncle's direct grandson; his elder brother has now entered the Ministry of Revenue, soon to take the imperial examination; if he passes, his future will be immeasurable!"

"When you later try to climb higher, you won't have that chance!"

"Besides, he's just a short guy—what's the problem? Many fine girls in Jinling want to marry him! Now the main house is willing to value you, that's your luck!"

Li Qingluo: "Then why didn't you originally marry your Zhu'er to him!?"

Qu Shi, without thinking, replied: "Zhu'er has her own destiny!"

Facing Li Qingluo's mocking gaze, Qu Shi was startled all over.

She immediately regretted: "I… Luo'er, you still, still mention her—she is now Prince Yun's favored concubine, no longer connected to our Jiangjun Fu; Mother worries about your future…"

Li Qingluo: "You meddle in my affairs so leisurely; better tend to yourself! What misdeeds did Mother commit with Liu Qingzhu's biological grandmother? That's why Zhao Shi stole your biological child; you knew the truth after sixteen years yet dared not pursue it?"

"That day at Jiangjun Fu's gate confrontation, Mother was fooled by her words, not even daring to act as the head matriarch for her daughter!"

Li Qingluo's few words made Qu Shi break into a cold sweat.

"You—! What do you know?"