When Zheng Xiao saw Qiao Lu came back in women’s clothes, she was half worried and half annoyed. “Lu’er, why are you wearing women’s clothes? Why did you pretend to be your own maid?”


  Qiao Lu said, “I am afraid that I will be taken away by the princesses.”


  Everyone: “…”


  Duke Anyuan coughed and said, “Don’t worry. The princesses won’t do it again. They no longer dare to blatantly snatch good-looking men in the street after being impeached several times by the imperial censors.”


  Qiao Lu went to his courtyard, washed up and changed before he went to the hall for dinner.

  Qiao Lu walked up to Zheng Xiao and said, “Mother, why did you and Father divorce? Did Father do something wrong to you again?

  “You left with my sisters, and Grandmother left with Ah Li. Then what about me?”


  Zheng Xiaodao: “Lu’er, you’re your father’s heir, so you have to stay in the Duke Mansion.”


  Qiao Lu looked dispirited.

  Duke Anyuan said helplessly, “Why the look? Is it a torture to be my heir?”


  Qiao Lu glared angrily at Duke Anyuan and said, “You must have broken Mother’s heart. That’s why she insisted on divorcing you!

  “As her son, if I can’t protect her, what’s the use of being your heir?”


  Duke Anyuan: “…”


  Zheng Xiao didn’t want her son to quarrel with Duke Anyuan, so she said, “Lu’er, since we have divorced, from now on, I don’t have anything to do with him. Don’t blame your father.”


  Duke Anyuan said, “Don’t have anything to do with me?

  “Then who massaged your legs all night? How can you say I have nothing to do with you…”


  Zheng Xiao blushed. “What are you talking about?! The children are listening!” Qiao Jinniang was embarrassed, so she said to Qiao Lu, “Princess Fulu was just kidding. You don’t have to take her words to heart.”


  Zheng Xiao asked, “Kidding about what?”


  “Princess Fulu said that she wanted to marry Brother, but it was just a joke.” Qiao Jinniang said.

  Zheng Xiao pondered. “Your grandmother is right. It’s time for Lu’er to have a fiance. If he passed the Imperial Examination next spring…”


  Duke Anyuan was still angry with his son who didn’t even try to persuade Zheng Xiao to return to the Duke Mansion. “He won’t even reach seventeen next spring. He may be able to pass the Imperial Examination on martial arts, but not the Imperial Examination on civil service.”


  Qiao Lu: “Just because you couldn’t pass it doesn’t mean I can’t either!” Qiao Jinniang knew there are many capable people in this world, and it would be extremely difficult for Qiao Lu to pass the Imperial Examination on civil service.

  However, with Qiao Lu’s background, even if he failed in the exam, he could still work in the Department of Defence when he came of age.

  Qiao Lu said, “If I pass the Imperial Examination next spring, you, Mother and Sister have to promise me that I can choose my wife myself.

  “I don’t want my wife to live a miserable life like Mother, who was bullied and cold-shouldered by you all her life.” At first, Zheng Xiao didn’t want to agree, but after hearing what he said, she nodded. “Okay, I promise you.”


  Duke Anyuan said to Zheng Xiao, “Why did you promise him that? What I am most grateful for my mother is that she forced me to marry you…”


  Zheng Xiao glanced coldly at Duke Anyuan, speechless.

  Qiao Jinniang asked Qiao Lu, “Do you already have a woman you love?”


  Qiao Lu said, “Yes, there is a girl I want to marry.”


  Although she said that she didn’t want to marry him and become a widow.

  Today they held hands for so long. So as a man, he should take his responsibility.

  And she was the first girl who said in public that she wanted to marry him…


  Qiao Jinniang didn’t ask who that girl was. Perhaps it was a woman Qiao Lu knew in school.

  Early the next morning.

  Yuyan ran in and said to Hongling. “Today

  e dawn, Young Master went to draw water from the well and washed his bedding in such cold weather.

  “The mammies tried to stop him but it turned out that he had wet his bed last night.”


  Hongling hurriedly stopped her. “What are you talking about? How can you gossip about Young Master? If this matter spreads out, you’ll be severely punished.”


  Hongling was older than Yuyan. She used to be Qiao Lu’s maid. When she served Qiao Lu, mammies often told her to pay attention to the bedding of Young Master.

  At that time, she understood what that meant.

  Qiao Jinniang heard Yuyan’s words and said, “Yuyan, you’re still a little girl. You don’t understand these things. Don’t talk about it anymore. Is Lu’er gone?” “He returned to school early in the morning.”


  Qiao Jinniang ordered Hongling to warn the servants not to spread this matter.

  When she went to Zheng Xiao, Zheng Xiao was very happy after Mammy An told her about this matter.

  “It seems that after the Imperial Examination next spring, I should find a concubine maid for Lu’er. He is already a grown-up man. If Hongling weren’t your maid, she would have bern a suitable choice…”


  Qiao Ruoyi was silent on the side, and after hearing the word “concubine maid”, her face was a little gloomy.

  Qiao Jinniang said to Zheng Xiao, “Mother, didn’t Brother say that he already has a girl he likes? Why don’t you just let them get married as soon as possible? Why ruin an innocent maid’s life?”


  Zheng Xiao said, “It’s a blessing to be the next Duke Anyuan’s concubine maid. Why do you say it will ruin her life?”


  Qiao Jinniang said softly to Zheng Xiao, “As the saying goes, don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you. You can understand me for not wanting my husband to have any concubines. Then why do you arrange a concubine for Brother?

  “If Brother and his wife love each other, a concubine maid between them will ruin their relationship.” Zheng Xiao said, “But if he doesn’t have any experience about sex, his wife may not be satisifed with him…”


  But seeing that Qiao Ruoyi was here, Zheng Xiao didn’t continue.

  But Qiao Jinniang didn’t have this scruple. “Mother, the common men don’t have any concubine maids, and most of them don’t have this kind of problem. Besides, Brother can learn from porn paintings.

  “I never hear a woman needing a ‘concubine servant’ to teach her about sex.”


  Zheng Xiao said awkwardly, “Don’t talk nonsense, but what you said makes sense. Lu’er can learn about this kind of matter from porn paintings.”


  Qiao Ruoyi didn’t understand what they were talking about, and she didn’t want to understand it either.

  Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao Ruoyi, “There are a few new shops next to Myriad Taste. Sister, you can go shopping there and report my name.”


  Qiao Ruoyi said, “Sister, I don’t like clothes and jewelry, but I heard that there is a new book market in the East Market. Can I go shopping there?”


  Qiao Jinniang said, “Then I’ll go with you. I want to buy some books.”


  She wanted to buy some books for the school she founded. Although many people in Chang’an had donated books, it was not enough.

  The book market was next to the Imperial College, and there literati and scholars came and went. So, as soon as Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi got off their carriage, they saw Li Yun.

  Li Yun had already put on the official robe of Hanlin Academy. He came to see if there were some books he liked in this book market.

  Qiao Jinniang and Li Yun nodded at each other as a greeting

  At this time, Tong Yingying’s voice suddenly rang. “How can a person who doesn’t care about etiquette and morality and doesn’t respect her clan come to this clean place?! It will only pollute this place!

  “Qiao Ruoyi, I had thought that you were a talented girl, but now it seems that you are nothing but an apple polisher.”