Chapter 27

Qin Yan was sitting on the highest seat in the front hall. He was dressed in a black robe with a velvet and gold border on the collar. His jawline was sharp and refined, and he looked slim and elegant. Feng Bao stood on his right side, bowing his head respectfully.

“I’m sure you know why I’m here today,” said Qin Yan. He had been in Jiangling for two days now, but he had other matters to attend to before bringing up the marriage proposal.

“Yes, we know,” Su Mingde said with a smile. “As the chief, you could have sent someone else to propose on your behalf. There was no need for you to come in person.”

Su Mingde replied with a smile. Although the person in front of him was his future son-in-law, their status was different, and he didn’t dare act as if he were talking to Li Xiuyuan.

Qin Yan cast a glance at the cautious Su Mingde. Indeed, he didn’t like anyone who was timid except for Su Mi. “It’s alright; nothing else matters,” he said, rolling up his sleeves. “Feng Bao told me that you seem to have something to ask me.”

Su Mingde looked puzzled and glanced at Yu Qingniang. He had never told Qin Yan that he had something to ask him. Was it Qingniang?

He was right. When Feng Bao brought the matchmaker to the Su family, Yu Qingniang asked him some private questions about Qin Yan. Feng Bao, of course, didn’t dare say anything and reported it back to Qin Yan, leading to his current question.

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Ckd Zyd bye nywtbv y tzkxrpl sq Yap. Zw’p qynl obld bl ldvlale vbl assx, cwv pbl bye zsolale bla blye yv vbl vkxl. Lso vbyv pbl zkqvle bla blye, bl nswze pll vbyv pbl csal y alplxczydnl vs Fw Yk. Tl byed’v dsvknle clqsal, yde bkp hsknl psqvldle y ckv. “Ebyv kp kv?”

“Nsae Ckd, vbkp bwxczl osxyd oswze zkjl vs ypj kq vblal yal ydu svbla osxld kd vbl nbklq’p alpkeldnl.” Zw Ckdtdkydt obkprlale.

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“Tso nsxl? Rq pbl xyaaklp xl, nyd ydusdl pvkzz cwzzu bla?” Ckd Zyd’p osaep olal ynnsxrydkle cu zywtbvla, yde kv oyp wdnzlya oblvbla bl oyp fsjkdt sa dsv.

Zw Ckdtdkydt’p blyav valxczle, cwv pbl pvkzz qsanle blaplzq vs pyu, “Nsae Ckd, R fwpv oydv vs ypj xsal sd clbyzq sq Yk’la, ps yp dsv vs sqqlde vbl rlsrzl kd vbl nbklq’p alpkeldnl.”

“Pke Fw Yk ypj usw vs ypj xl?” Ckd Zyd’p qynl tayewyzzu vwadle kdvs y pxkzl.

Yu Qingniang originally wanted to say no, but seeing Qin Yan’s expression, he seemed to hope that it was Su Mi who asked, so Yu Qingniang nodded.

Qin Yan thought of Su Mi’s appearance when she was coquettish and stubborn towards him, and it was not surprising that she would ask such a question.

“Tell her that there are not many people in my residence.”

After hearing Qin Yan’s words, Yu Qingniang felt relieved. If she married an eunuch and had to compete with other women for favor, it would really cause her heartache.

Qin Yan was in a good mood at the moment. “Is there anything else you want to ask?”

Yu Qingniang shook her head, but Su Mingde had some thoughts.

The most important part of a marriage proposal was the betrothal gift. He originally thought that since Qin Yan entered the door alone without even a gift box, there was nothing to ask about. But just now, he saw that Qin Yan seemed to care about Su Mi, so would he really not have any betrothal gifts?

Su Mingde pondered and said, “Lord Qin, about the betrothal gifts, after all, Mi’er is getting married. If there are no betrothal gifts at all, I’m afraid it won’t sound good when it spreads. I don’t know what the chief’s plan is…”

Su Mingde was prepared. If Qin Yan’s face didn’t look good, he would immediately say that there was no need for betrothal gifts. Unexpectedly, Qin Yan smiled at him.

“How do you know there are no betrothal gifts?”

Su Mingde didn’t quite understand what Qin Yan meant. Betrothal gifts usually came in red lacquered wooden boxes or bundles of cloth, and he had married off a daughter himself, so he knew about these things. However, Qin Yan just brought in a small eunuch, and there were no betrothal gifts.

Qin Yan raised his hand slightly, and Feng Bao quickly pulled out a thick stack of papers from his pocket and handed them to Su Mingde.

Su Mingde took them with suspicion, but as soon as he looked at them, his eyes widened. He thought it would just be silver bills, but instead it was deeds and contracts for some of the best properties in the capital, including several that he had tried to buy before to use as a silk and satin factory.

“Master, what is this?”

“Betrothal gifts,” Qin Yan said simply.

These two words made Su Mingde extremely happy. According to the regulations of the Ming Yin dynasties, betrothal gifts should be given along with dowries, but the husband’s family cannot use them again. If there are no direct descendants, the wealth ultimately belongs to the woman’s family. Since Qin Yan was an eunuch, he would never have any descendants, so these betrothal gifts would eventually go back to Su’s family. Besides, he still had Aunty Zhao and her descendants.

Su Mingde was delighted in his heart, but he suppressed the smile on his face.

Qin Yan saw his expression and let out a barely audible, cold laugh. Feng Bao, who had been with Qin Yan for many years, understood his meaning.

“Master Su, these house deeds and land deeds are a little gift from our chief to Miss Su; please keep them for her for now. As for the remaining betrothal gifts of jewelry, calligraphy, paintings, spices, tea, and delicacies from the sea, a servant will bring them in red lacquered boxes later.”

Feng Bao’s words were meant to remind Su Mingde that these gifts were for Su Mi and not for him. He didn’t need to think so far ahead as to what would happen in the future.

“I understand, I understand,” Su Mingde laughed. He didn’t mind since he would eventually inherit them as part of the Su family.

Yu Qingniang glanced at Su Mingde’s expression and knew what he was thinking. She hated him and didn’t want to look at him anymore, and she couldn’t help but feel sorry for Su Mi.

Since everything that needed to be said had been said, Qin Yan was not one to idle around and started to get up to leave. Su Mingde and Yu Qingniang accompanied him to the door. Just as Qin Yan was about to step out, he suddenly spoke up, “Su Mi, which courtyard does she live in?”

“Ever since she was young, I arranged a separate courtyard for her to live in. If the honorable gentleman wishes to see her, I can bring you there,” Su Mingde replied with a smile.

Yu Qingniang secretly nudged Su Mingde and said, “Lord Qin, please forgive me for being nosy. It is not auspicious for the bride and groom to meet before the wedding. It will bring bad luck in the future.”

“Oh, is that so?” Qin Yan frowned.

Seeing him frown, Yu Qingniang was a little scared but still nodded. She thought Qin Yan would become angry, but to her surprise, he just smiled and said, “Never mind then.”

Qin Yan walked to the door, where the carriage was already waiting outside, ready to turn around. Just as he was about to get on the carriage, a clear voice called out from behind him, “My Lord, My Lord.”

Qin Yan stopped in his tracks and turned around. It was a little maid holding a piece of clothing that seemed a bit familiar.

“Master, this is Su Mi’s maid, Chun Mei. I remember her,” Feng Bao reminded him quietly on the side.

Qin Yan, who was tall, looked down and asked, “What is it?”

“My Lord, Miss asked me to return this cloak to you,” Chunmei said as she watched Feng Bao take it first and then added, “She put a lot of effort into it.”

After finishing her sentence, Chun Mei jumped and ran back. Feng Bao looked at her and then handed the cloak to Qin Yan in confusion.

“Master, this is the cloak I took from your luggage when we were traveling together to Jiaozhou for the selection ceremony. I gave it to Lady Su,” Feng Bao explained.

Qin Yan made a faint sound of acknowledgment. He remembered the incident, but he was not sure what the maid meant by saying that the lady had put effort into it.

He casually picked at the soft silk with his fingers and suddenly saw something. The corners of his mouth slowly curled up with some curvature.

At the hem of the silver cloak, a circle of crooked stitches could be seen. However, it seemed that the stitches were too rough, so someone forcibly embroidered a few more stitches in that circle, creating some kind of pattern.

Qin Yan has been brought up by the former chief of the Eastern Bureau since childhood. He has never seen anything ordinary, and all the clothes he wears are top-quality embroidered products from Jiangnan. After carefully examining the cloak for a while, he handed it to Feng Bao and asked, “What is this?”

Feng Bao, not like Qin Yan, who grew up in an aristocratic environment, took a look and tentatively asked, “Master, isn’t this a rabbit?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Yan looked at the cloak in his hand again, and the initial curve of his mouth gradually widened. Suddenly, he burst into laughter.

“Hahaha.”

Su Mi paced back and forth in the room until she saw Chun Mei half-running into the courtyard.

“Chun Mei, did you give it to him? Did Lord Qin say anything?”

Chun Mei shook her head. She mentioned it, but she didn’t know if Lord Qin saw it. Besides, it was Miss’s embroidered product….

Su Mi felt a little disappointed, but after thinking about it, she realized that it was also good not to have heard anything.

She thought the matter had ended there, but the next day, Feng Bao sent a package that was neither too big nor too small. Su Mi opened it with suspicion and found that it was all plain cloaks, and each of them had a small hole at the bottom.

Chun Mei unfolded each of them one by one and said, “Miss, Lord Qin is just like you. He doesn’t know how many blocks of camphor to put in, and that’s why so many of them have been bitten.”

Su Mi sat in front of the embroidery table, sewing a thread, muttering, “Yes, and the pests in his house really do bite evenly.”