Chapter 233 Teaching the Elder Brother a Lesson
Although Gu Xiuwen scolded his sister for being foolish and willful, he still felt sorry for her. Even though she didn't say it, he could tell that she must have suffered some grievances in her husband's family.
He sighed softly and said to Gu Xiuyuan, "Brother, Xuanyi is probably not doing well in her husband's family."
Gu Xiuyuan frowned and shook his head helplessly: "Even if things don't go well, we, as the bride's family, can't interfere in other people's family affairs unless they do something outrageous, in which case we can go and seek justice. The Wu'an Marquis's family has a complicated family environment. It's expected that a girl without some skills will suffer grievances after marrying into the family. Let her learn from her mistakes."
At this moment, Gu Xiuming's voice broke in: "Eldest brother, fourth brother, why do you say that?" He glanced at the two brothers with a smile and said dismissively, "I think my brother-in-law treats my eldest sister very well. He speaks to her in a soft and gentle voice, afraid that raising his voice might frighten her. How could he be unhappy with her?"
Upon hearing this, both brothers turned their heads to look at him.
Gu Xiuwen saw the smile on his face and wondered if he was being cynical. He felt that the man was gloating. Anyone with eyes could see that Xuan Yi looked a little haggard. A truly happy new bride would have a rosy complexion and a happy face. His sister-in-law was like that back then. Did his third brother really not see it or was he pretending not to?
Gu Xiuyuan replied, "Just because my brother-in-law treats her well doesn't mean she hasn't suffered any injustices. The Marquis of Wu'an's mansion has a large population, and there are bound to be many disagreements."
Gu Xiuming shook his head helplessly and said with a smile, "You guys are just worrying unnecessarily. My younger sister comes from the Changxing Marquis's family. My father is currently enjoying great favor with the emperor. Xuanyi is my father's own niece. How could the Wu'an Marquis's family mistreat her?"
Gu Xiuwen frowned and asked in a low voice, "Third Brother seems to trust the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion quite a bit?"
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the Marquis of Wu’an’s residence.” Gu Xiuming glanced at them and continued, “Is my younger sister the type to suffer a loss? If she had been wronged, she would have complained to us when she returned to her parents’ home. She said everything was fine today and that she and her husband were very affectionate, which proves that she really wasn’t wronged.”
Gu Xiuwen opened his mouth slightly, but for a moment he didn't know what to say, so he simply didn't argue with him about the issue.
Gu Xiuming's Qingyuxuan was not on the same road as the courtyards of the two brothers. After parting ways with Gu Xiuming, Gu Xiuwen said to his elder brother, "Brother, after I went to Lingshan Academy to study, I didn't know much about things at home. You often see Third Brother at home. What do you think of his recent behavior?"
Why would you ask such a question?
Gu Xiuyuan gave him a puzzled look, then said, "After my third brother got into a fight with you and my second uncle and was grounded, he seriously reflected on his actions and has since reformed. He is now filial to his elders and very loving towards his brothers and sisters, just like always."
Gu Xiuwen then asked, "And how does he treat Third Aunt?"
Gu Xiuyuan replied, "My third brother is also very filial to his third aunt. He goes to pay his respects to her every few days. Now they are a loving mother and a filial son."
Based on his past experiences, Gu Xiuwen harbored doubts: "His fiancée has become his mother, and people outside are laughing at him, saying that his bride has become his new mother. He used to hate his third aunt so much, can he really treat his third aunt as his mother?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuyuan shook his head slightly: "That's a matter for the third branch of the family, it's none of our business. But why are you thinking about this?"
Gu Xiuwen said, "Brother, you can't say that. Third Aunt is very good to me. When she sends things to Second Uncle, she sends me a gift too. If it weren't for Third Uncle, I wouldn't be able to go to Lingshan Academy. If there's anything wrong with Third Brother, I will definitely remind Third Uncle and Third Aunt to keep an eye on things."
Gu Xiuyuan was silent for a moment before replying, "As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, my third uncle has long since developed a keen eye for detail when dealing with so many prisoners. If there's anything wrong with my third brother, wouldn't he be able to tell? Why would you need to worry about this? Just focus on your studies and don't think about these things."
Gu Xiuwen disagreed, saying, "Family ties can blind people. The way we treat prisoners is different from how we treat our relatives."
As he spoke, he paused, looked around, and seeing that no one else was around, lowered his voice and said, "Brother, don't think you can just mind your own business. If anything bad happens to the third branch, our eldest branch will suffer too. We're just benefiting from the third branch's influence right now."
Gu Xiuyuan was taken aback. For the first time, he looked at his younger brother with a serious and surprised gaze. He felt that his younger brother had changed after going to Lingshan Academy. He had become much more mature and sensible and had made a lot of progress. His younger brother would never have said such things before. His younger brother used to only know how to eat, drink and play. He would do things like cockfighting, cricket fighting and taking his parrot out for walks. He was very patient when playing, but he couldn't sit still when it came to studying.
Gu Xiuwen glanced at him and then reminded him, "Brother, if you want to pursue a career in government, can Father pave the way for you? In the end, it will still depend on Uncle San. If Uncle San is not good, we shouldn't expect anything good either. There are some officials in the collateral branches of the Gu family who can help each other, but none of them are as close as Uncle San."
Gu Xiuyuan stared at his younger brother for a long time before saying, "Fourth brother has grown up."
“I’m already fifteen years old, I’m all grown up. Many people my age are already fathers.” Gu Xiuwen snorted lightly, his expression still carrying a hint of arrogance. Seeing his brother smile, he continued, “Grandmother always said that a family must work together. If people are not united, the glory of the Gu family today will sooner or later disappear.”
Gu Xiuyuan glared at him: "Now you know how to discipline your older brother?"
Gu Xiuwen chuckled and said, "How could I dare? Big brother, I suddenly remembered that I have something to discuss with Third Uncle, so I'll have to talk to you later."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuyuan looked astonished: "Fourth brother, haven't you always been afraid of Third Uncle? Why did you go to see Third Uncle out of the blue?"
Gu Xiuwen sighed softly and said, "Although the academy gave me a holiday to come back for the wedding of Xuanyi, I still have homework to do. Although my third uncle is frighteningly strict, the teachers are even more terrifying if I don't do my homework well. The teachers at Lingshan Academy are much stricter than other teachers. I was fortunate enough to be punished twice, so I dare not be perfunctory anymore. Brother, I have to go and ask my third uncle for advice."
After listening, Gu Xiuyuan looked at him with sympathy and said, "Is there anything you don't understand? I'll explain it to you later."
Gu Xiuwen rolled his eyes at his elder brother: "How can what you say be as good as what Uncle says? Maybe you only have a superficial understanding yourself. If I do my homework according to what you say, but I don't do it well in the end, I will be criticized by the teacher when I get back, and I will be marked as failing again. What should I do then?"
As he spoke, his tone grew increasingly melancholy: "The academy will be holding an assessment at the end of the year. My performance this time is considered part of my usual conduct. If the assessment result isn't good, but my usual conduct is good, the teacher might consider giving me a passing grade. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to pack my bags and leave. It doesn't matter if I embarrass myself, but it will make my third uncle embarrass himself too, since it was my third uncle who helped me get in through connections."
"..."
Gu Xiuyuan was speechless with emotion. This feeling of being looked down upon by his own younger brother made him question his life. Had he not worked hard enough? Was he really not good enough at his studies? Did he still have a chance in this year's autumn imperial examination?
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