d twenty years old, dressed in red and green, leaped down from the wall. He took a swift step to Meng Jin Yao's side, his long sword held horizontally across her neck.The incident happened suddenly, a...It's the day, the palace exam results are out.

Gu Xiuhong was very impressive, ranking 25th in the second group and passing the imperial examination as a jinshi. This was a joyous occasion that brought great honor to his ancestors. This good news also dispelled the gloom that had hung over the Hou Mansion these past few days.

The entire family was overjoyed by this news. Being ranked 25th in the second tier is already very impressive for a young man of only eighteen years old. He scored 48th in the preliminary exam, and now he has achieved 25th place in the final examination, which shows significant progress. If he continues to work hard and strives for a good future, as long as he avoids making mistakes and develops his abilities, his future prospects will be bright.

Under the guidance of Madam Gu, they went to the ancestral hall to pay respects to their ancestors, expressing gratitude for their blessings and informing them of the joyous occasion.

In the evening of that day, the Hou residence still held a family banquet to celebrate.

Old Madam Gu was in high spirits today, having enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine. The smile on her face never faded. With promising descendants in the family, the glory of the Marquisate could continue, and the ancestors who had passed away could finally rest in peace.

Not only was Mrs. Gu delighted, but even Zhang shi had a genuine sense of happiness. Her son and Xiu Hong from the second room got along well. In the future, when her son also passed the imperial examinations and became an official like Xiu Hong, they could support each other. After all, it is always easier to face challenges with excellent brothers supporting each other than to fight alone.

The Chen family was over the moon. Her son insisted on passing the imperial examinations before considering marriage, otherwise, he would only focus on studying the classics of saints and sages. Now that her son had passed the exams with a respectable ranking, she could immediately start finding a suitable girl for him, hoping to have grandchildren as soon as possible so that she wouldn't have to envy Zhang family having grandsons anymore.

After the family feast, everyone returned to their own courtyards.

Meng Jinyao was also drunk tonight, seven points intoxicated, she couldn't walk steadily and almost fell.

Gu Jingxi, seeing this, didn't even bother that his siblings and elders were present. He picked her up first, preparing to carry her back. Hearing her still clamoring for "Second sister-in-law, another cup," he couldn't help but chuckle and turned to his mother and sisters-in-law, saying: "Ayao is drunk, making you all laugh. I'll take her back."

Madam Gu nodded, looking at her daughter-in-law nestled in her son's arms, her appearance so cute and charming. A smile spread across her face as she said, "Aiyao seems to be quite drunk. Quickly take her back to rest."

Gu Jingxi nodded to his mother and sisters-in-law, then turned and walked away with the person in his arms. He gently soothed the person in his arms, telling them to be good and obedient, his voice soft and unlike that of Lord Gu himself.

Gu Jing Sheng and Gu Jing Song, the two older brothers, looked at their younger brother like this, and they also had some doubts about life. Before, he was not close to women, but now that he had a wife, he seemed like a different person, becoming someone they no longer recognized.

Zhang and Chen couldn't help but feel envious. Although their younger brother-in-law had a health issue, he was extremely loving towards his sister-in-law and even humbled himself to appease her. Compared to him, their own husbands seemed so disappointing. They were both women, yet there was such a vast difference!

Seeing how her sons and daughters-in-law were reacting, Madam Gu said softly, "Eldest son, second son, your wives have had quite a bit of alcohol tonight. Take them back to rest first."

Gu Jing Sheng just wanted to say that his daughter-in-law wasn't drunk, she was still full of energy. But before he could get the words out, he saw his second younger brother respond with a nod, then reach out with a gentle and considerate hand to support his second younger sister-in-law, who wasn't actually very drunk, and said: “Mother, we’ll go back first. You should get some rest.”

Gu Jing Sheng: “”

What's going on, aren't you drunk yet

Zhang saw that he was still standing there like a log, so angry she reached out and pinched him in the waist.

Gu Jingheng looked at his wife, who glared at him. He instinctively reached out to steady her, and at the same time, he belatedly understood the meaning behind his stepmother's words. After bidding farewell to the elders, he helped his wife, who was not drunk, leave.

Madam Gu watched the elder couple's retreating figures, shaking her head subtly. When the eldest was young, he treated Zhang very well and even begged her permission for Zhang to enter the family. Time flies, and the eldest is no longer the lovestruck youth he once was. His feelings have gradually faded with the passage of time. On the other hand, the younger couple, who lacked a foundation of affection, have been surprisingly harmonious since their marriage. This is largely due to the fact that the second son has consistently given Mrs. Chen face over the years, resulting in no distance between them.

She turned to her two grandsons and said earnestly, "Xiuyu, Xiuhong, no matter a man's success or failure, he must treat his wife well. A harmonious relationship between husband and wife allows them to work together, and only then can the family be happy. Family happiness is more important than anything else."

Gu Xiuyuan and Gu Xiuhong said in unison, "Grandson will heed Grandmother's teachings."s time things were going to be serious!The daughter-in-law was nowhere to be found, and not even one of her maidservants could be seen. This mistress and servant pair figured they must have snuck away...