After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 714 Questioning
Jin Jiashu returned home, but Ma Shangyi had not come back yet, and Guard Lin had gone to Yunyang Prefecture and was nowhere to be seen.

He was not in a hurry and went back to his room to write a letter. Thinking of the previous letter he sent a few days ago, in which he had told his aunt how to write a coded letter and also sent her a code book, he simply took out the same code book and began to turn the newly written letter into a secret letter.

The chatty part at the beginning and end of the letter can remain the same, but the most important and confidential half page must be presented in the form of a coded letter to be foolproof. In this way, even if the letter falls into the hands of a hostile person, there will be no risk of leakage.

As for whether "Aunt" Concubine Xu Xianfei should report the contents of the real secret letter to the emperor and ask him to make the decision after translating it, it depends on the decision of "Aunt". Jin Jiashu couldn't control her thoughts, nor did he think he was that important. Anyway, he spent all his efforts for the future of "Aunt". If the person concerned didn't care, he didn't need to worry too much.

After the letter was coded, it was already dark and Ma Shangyi just returned from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.

She was in a hurry and didn't even have time to go back to the house to change clothes. She sent Chunyu to the kitchen and went straight to see Jin Jiashu.

"Brother Shu, although Wu Ke's marriage has not been finalized, he has already decided on the Xin family girl and does not intend to consider other candidates." Ma Shangyi said sternly, "Governor Xin is obviously wavering in his attitude, and the date of the meeting is far after the beginning of next spring. He may even change his mind in the future, but Wu Ke doesn't care at all. He also rejected the proposal of the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo to meet another daughter. He has never seen the Xin family girl, so there is no reason for him to be so obsessed with her. What did you say to him?"

Jin Jiashu put down the pen in his hand and looked back at her: "Mammy, what do you mean by that? What can I say to him? This is his lifelong event, he will make his own decision. How can he change his mind just because of a few words from me?"

"Brother, you don't have to hide it from me." Ma Shangyi sat down on the kang with a tired look on her face. "Wu Ke hasn't seen outsiders these days. Apart from his sister, he has only seen Mr. Xie, Mr. Cao, Mr. Lu and you, and at most Geng Tianyou. But the Wu family's sister just wants her cousin to get married as soon as possible so that he can move out of the Zhenguo Mansion and live independently. Geng Tianyou knows nothing and won't say anything about such things. As for Mr. Xie and others, they only hope that the descendants of Wu Wen'an can have a good marriage and a good future. They won't bother to promote Wu Ke's marriage with the daughter of the emperor's trusted minister. Only you may give him advice. If not you, who else can it be?!"

"Madam, you underestimate Wu Ke by saying that." Jin Jiashu turned around calmly and arranged the books and stationery on the desk. "He is determined to revive the Wu family. He is smart. He has already ranked third in the provincial examination at a young age. Even if he didn't understand the ways of the world before, he has dealt with outsiders a lot in recent years and has made great progress. Do you think he is still the weak boy who relies on relatives and grandfather's disciples for everything? He said he wanted to revive the family business, but he didn't just expect others to help him. He naturally had his own plans. Although he had told the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo before that he had no requirements for his future wife's family background and believed that the Duke of Zhenguo and his wife would make proper arrangements for him, that was just his polite words. Once a candidate with a good family background appears, there is no reason for him not to fight for it. Compared with the other daughters proposed by the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, the eldest daughter of Prefect Xin is indeed the most favorable candidate for him, isn't it?"

Jin Jiashu paused, stood up and turned to Ma Shangyi: "It is the attitude of the nanny that puzzles me. What's wrong with the daughter of Prefect Xin? Why does the nanny seem to dislike her as a candidate for Wu Ke's wife? But what's wrong with her? Or did the Xin family displease the Empress Dowager?" Ma Shangyi took a deep breath: "No! There is nothing wrong with Miss Xin. Although her mother died early, she was raised by her stepmother. She is impeccable in character and talent. Although she can't be called outstanding, she is also an upper-middle choice. Given the current situation of the Wu family, it is not a bad thing for Wu Ke to marry such a lady."

"Then why did Mammy ruin Wu Ke's marriage?" Jin Jiashu looked at Ma Shangyi deeply. "I remember that Governor Xin was very positive about this marriage, but he suddenly became hesitant these two days. Could it be that Mammy said something to their family? I know that Mammy had an appointment with Governor Xin's wife yesterday, at the Xinghua Tea House on East Street, right? Chunyu accompanied you out of the house, and you chatted in the tea house for half an hour before you separated, didn't you?"

Ma Shangyi chuckled, "Brother, you are now more skilled in getting information. You can also use the errand boys that appear on the street very easily, right? It would be better if you didn't use these methods on me, an old woman."

Jin Jiashu pretended not to hear the resentment in her words: "There is nothing wrong with Miss Xin. The nanny is not optimistic about this marriage. Could it be that she is afraid of the position of Xin Zhifu and the Xin family? But Xin Zhifu can take Wu Ke as his son-in-law, so he will naturally consider the consequences and report to the emperor in time and ask for his instructions. This matter is not difficult. Although Xin Zhifu is a minister favored by the emperor, he is not a powerful cabinet minister. Wu Ke is an orphan of the Wu family. Even if he marries the fourth-rank governor's Yue family, he will not be able to make a difference. Besides, he will get married sooner or later when he reaches his age. Instead of letting him become the son-in-law of a military family with military power, such as the Zhou family or the Tang family, it is better to let him marry a daughter-in-law with a decent family background but not much real power, and his future will also be restricted by Yue family. If his Yue family is the emperor's confidant, it will be safer. The emperor can manipulate him however he wants, isn't it better than handing him over to the Zhou family and making the emperor helpless?"

Ma Shangyi looked at him in surprise: "I thought you suggested Wu Ke to marry the Xin family girl for his future?!"

Jin Jiashu smiled and said, "I am thinking about him, but the emperor may not think so. When the emperor is in power, he can naturally manipulate the son-in-law of his trusted minister. When the emperor is no longer in power one day... he will naturally have no say in the future. By then, Prefect Xin will not interfere, and Wu Ke will be able to enjoy the benefits of this marriage, right? It won't take many years. He has waited for seventeen or eighteen years, so he shouldn't be too impatient to wait for two or three more years."

Ma Shangyi closed her eyes, "So, my brother did suggest Wu Ke to insist on marrying the Xin family's daughter? But have you ever thought about it? If he becomes the son-in-law of the Xin family, his actions will be restricted by the Yue family. Once the emperor has the intention to kill him, a secret decree will come down, and even if the Xin prefect is unwilling, he will still do it. My brother, don't think that the emperor can't do it. It's related to the death of the Sixth Prince. His suspicion of the Wu family is beyond the imagination of outsiders! By then, Wu Ke will be completely unprepared, won't he be doomed?! The Queen Mother sent the orphans of the Wu family to Chang'an and handed them over to the Zhenguo Mansion to take care of them, just to ensure the safety of his brother and sister. She would never want him to risk his life for his future! If my brother really cares about Wu Ke, he shouldn't say too much about this matter! The Zhenguo Duke's wife and I will choose a safe bride for Wu Ke, why are you interfering?!"

"Why should I meddle in other's business? Ma'am, don't you really understand?!" Jin Jiashu put away the smile on his face, and frowned with a grim expression.

(End of this chapter)