After getting dressed properly, Minglan slowly stepped out of the door holding Caihuan's hand under Xiaotao's resentful gaze. Caihuan lowered her head and caught a glimpse of the pearl bracelet on Minglan's wrist. Each pearl was as big as a thumb, round and bright, and dazzling.
She was shocked and thought to herself that the Gu family was indeed wealthy. Beads of this size and beautiful shape were so beautiful that even Wang Shi only had a few to inlay on hairpins, bracelets, and earrings. She didn't expect Minglan to take a whole string and just casually hang it on her wrist.
Before Caihuan could finish her thoughts, the master and servant had already arrived at the side hall of Jiaxiju. Beside the big red pillars were two lush emerald green crabapple trees. Even in March or April, there was a refreshing coolness. Glass, which was rarely seen in ordinary homes, was embedded in the window sashes here, and it was as transparent as glass, making the whole hall very bright and clear.
Stepping into the hall, she saw the Fifth Elderly Lady and her two daughters-in-law already seated inside. A maid was serving tea on a tray. Minglan walked in with a smile, then stood up and bowed. "Fifth Aunt is here. I'm late, Minglan. Please don't blame me."
The fifth old lady sat upright at the head of the table, wearing a purple-red brocade jacket with a double-breasted pattern of the Three Treasures of Seawater. She looked even more affluent and peaceful than when they last met. Upon hearing this, she said calmly, "You've been very busy today. Don't blame me, an old woman, for bothering you."
Minglan smiled slightly and simply said, "How dare I." Then she turned around and bowed to the other two women, saying hello politely. Madam Yang and Madam Di both bowed respectfully in return.
After the greetings, the four of them sat down. Mrs. Di Er was quite young, only about twenty-six or twenty-seven, fair and pretty, dignified and wealthy, with a smile on her face. Noticing the somewhat cold atmosphere in the hall, she said, "Come to think of it, this is my first time here! What a magnificent house! I originally thought that this house had been uninhabited for so long, and I wondered how it would be renovated! It seems that I haven't seen much of the world!"
Minglan smiled humbly and said, "Not only did my second sister-in-law think so, I felt the same way. I later learned that this place was once guarded by the imperial guards. Although it has been uninhabited for many years, it has been repaired quite neatly, which saved us a lot of trouble."
The Fifth Old Lady's eyes flickered, and a hint of disdain appeared at the corner of her mouth. She said politely, "Since the Emperor's grace is so great, why are the furnishings in this room so simple? It's not good to see it empty."
Minglan countered the move, lowering her head slightly embarrassedly. "That's what your nephew meant. He said it wouldn't be too late to open the warehouse slowly after we've finalized the staffing for the various offices in the mansion, so as to avoid any haste and mistakes. I, I can't argue with him..."
Mrs. Di covered her mouth and chuckled: "Brother Ye is still the same temper! He really hasn't changed at all. This is not your fault."
Minglan joined in the fun and laughed a few times, which made the atmosphere in the hall a little more harmonious. Minglan glanced at Madam Yang next to her and saw that she was still very reserved. She just huddled aside to drink tea and didn't dare to say much.
Minglan found it quite strange. Gu Tingyang was obviously the eldest son of the fifth house, so how could...
After a few pleasantries, the Fifth Old Lady remained expressionless. When she heard Minglan talk about the affairs of the mansion, she put down her teacup and gently pressed her handkerchief to the corner of her mouth. "Since this mansion still needs so much decoration, why didn't you send people to do it earlier? You only do useless things."
Minglan pretended to be confused and continued to smile modestly: "My niece-in-law is very stupid and afraid of making mistakes. There is no rush anyway, so I might as well take my time and figure out the person first before talking about other things." She was very curious about how this self-proclaimed gentle old lady started the topic of quarrel.
The Fifth Old Lady's face darkened, and she clenched one hand into a fist on the table: "Do you know why I came here today?"
"Of course I came to see my niece-in-law. What else could it be?" Minglan smiled very cutely.
The fifth old lady choked for a moment and said sarcastically, "I don't deserve it! Brother Ye has become so successful now, how could he still take an old woman like me seriously? It's good enough if he doesn't step on him!"
Minglan smiled and used the tea lid to skim off the tea dust: "Aunt, you are joking again. What do you mean by eyes and feet? Your niece-in-law doesn't understand." She glanced at the other two, but saw that the two sisters-in-law lowered their heads to drink tea in unison.
The fifth old lady held her breath, her expression changed several times, and she slammed her hands on the table: "Okay! Let me ask you, it would be fine if Ye'er insisted on living in another house, we didn't dare to stop him, but we were worried that you two young people didn't have anyone you liked to take charge of the huge house, so we were kind enough to send a few families here! But you guys, not only did you leave it alone for several months, but as soon as you came in, within a few days, you started interrogating those old family members as if they were criminals!" As she spoke, she snorted coldly.
Minglan watched the Fifth Old Lady's actions coldly, but she was not angry. To be honest, ever since the last argument about whether to stay or leave, she found that the personalities of the two old aunts of the Gu family were very interesting.
The fourth old lady seemed to be lively and fond of laughing, but she was actually very cautious and would not say a word when she shouldn't. The fifth old lady looked gentle and elegant, but she was actually impulsive. Once she was dissatisfied or someone provoked her, she would immediately speak out.
As expected, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
"I was wondering why? So it's this." Minglan stopped fiddling with the teacup and just looked at the Fifth Elderly Lady quietly. Suddenly, she called out, "Have they all been called?"
"Everyone is here, ma'am." A respectful female voice sounded outside.
"Everyone, please come in."
The curtain made of thin apricot-yellow brocade with carved bamboo pieces was gently opened, and Xia He came in, lowered her head and held the curtain with her backhand. A group of middle-aged women came in one after another from outside. They were the four old women of Lai Hua, Tian Diao. When they saw the fifth old lady was also there, their expressions changed. The four of them had different expressions and looked at each other for a few times. Xia He lowered the curtain, took out a stack of papers from her sleeve, and handed it to Minglan respectfully.
Minglan took it, glanced at it briefly, was slightly startled, and then smiled inwardly. Then she put the paper away and looked up at the four people with a half-smile: "The Fifth Elder Madam is so quick to report. You just asked this morning, and your aunt is here now."
The four mothers' faces turned even more angry, and the other three looked straight at Mother Diao with eyes that seemed to be full of reproach. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Mother Diao's face turned purple and her head almost hung down to her chest. Seeing this, the fifth old lady was very displeased. She didn't expect Minglan to be so quick and call people over while she was talking, and she was even ready for a confrontation in the court.
"What? Can't I ask?" the fifth old lady asked loudly.
Minglan seemed to find this quite amusing, her voice still sweet. "I only asked a few questions, why is it so troubling to me, Aunt? You just said that these families were given to me, and now I can't even ask a few questions?"
The fifth old lady was furious and stood up. "If you had only asked a few questions, I wouldn't have said anything. But you're asking so many questions, you're trying to dig up their entire family history. Tell me, do you not trust us? If so, just tell me, and I'll take them away immediately and not let you get away!"
Minglan continued to play dumb: "What's the big deal? What does it matter if I believe it or not?"
"What is there to question about someone your elders gave you?!" The fifth old lady simply became a rogue.
Minglan slowly put down her teacup, straightened her posture, and said respectfully to the Fifth Elderly Lady, "Aunt, do you know what the current Emperor did first after ascending the throne? Well... he asked the Ministry of Personnel to submit a report on the performance of all officials over the past ten years."
The Fifth Old Lady was stunned and looked at Minglan, not knowing what she meant. Minglan continued, "According to Aunt, if the Emperor is like this, doesn't that mean he doesn't trust the late Emperor?"
"Nonsense! When did I ever say that?!" The Fifth Old Lady was startled. How could the topic have drifted to that place? She was momentarily anxious and shouted, "Don't make such accusations!" Minglan laughed happily, "But the officials were also left behind by the late emperor. The emperor still wants to investigate. Isn't that what Auntie meant?"
The Fifth Old Lady bit her lip, her chest heaving with pent-up anxiety. Minglan's smile widened. "Oh, by the way, I heard Mr. Zhuang say that the year the late Emperor ascended the throne, he also asked the Ministry of Personnel to submit a performance evaluation of all officials. Oh, could it be that... Auntie thinks the late Emperor doesn't trust Emperor Wu either? Oh, maybe Auntie doesn't mean that. Could it be that Fifth Uncle is the one who means that?"
The Fifth Old Lady's scalp tingled when she heard this. She was frightened and terrified, so she didn't dare to get angry anymore. She quickly waved her hand and said, "Don't talk nonsense. I have absolutely no such intention! ... Just ask, it's nothing serious. I, I didn't say anything! Just ask!"
Minglan knew better than to overdo it, so she decided to withdraw while she was ahead. She straightened her posture and said sternly, "Although I'm a woman, I deeply feel that the late emperor and the current emperor are extremely wise. Supervision is meant to maintain political clarity and protect the well-being of the people. That's why the Ministry of Personnel conducts performance appraisals every three years and every five years, all for the prosperity of Heavenly Dao! Aunt, don't you agree?"
——You have even brought up the question of whether the emperor is wise or not. What else can the Fifth Old Lady say? Naturally, she kept nodding in agreement, sweating profusely while speaking. Mrs. Di Er, who was standing by, also spoke for her mother-in-law, and Minglan, of course, accepted it with a smile.
The four old women standing nearby looked at each other with alertness in their eyes and lowered their heads.
Although she laughed, Minglan felt that if she didn't stab this old lady again, she might disturb her nap again next time. So she took out the stack of papers and said with a smile, "Since my aunt is here today, I have a question that I don't understand. I hope you can help me solve it."
The Fifth Old Lady was relieved to see Minglan change the subject: "Niece-in-law, please speak."
Minglan's tone remained gentle. She pointed to the side and said with a smile, "Since this Madam Diao followed Aunt into the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, she's had a total of five errands: three months of kitchen purchasing, two months of purchasing cosmetics and hair oils, six months of looking after the back garden, four months of night duty in the inner courtyard, and finally five months of disciplining a new maid. Your niece-in-law finds it strange that Madam Diao never held any of her errands for a full year."
If we rank them according to the degree of oil and water, Diao's mother has been sliding all the way from a heavy oil base to a clean water office.
After hearing these words, Diao's mother almost knelt down! The fifth old lady's face was also purple and black, and she looked embarrassed. She coughed lightly a few times, but didn't know what to say. She turned around and looked at her two daughters-in-law.
Mrs. Di Er quickly saw that something was amiss and said, "Sister-in-law, you don't know. Mother Diao served mother-in-law in her early years and suffered a lot. Her health...is not so good, so mother-in-law is sympathetic to her..." She couldn't finish the sentence. She recommended a helper to Gu Tingye and his wife, but recommended a sick one?! Was she going to help or to cause trouble?
Unexpectedly, Minglan nodded, looking convinced. "So that's how it is! Thank goodness my niece-in-law asked. Otherwise, asking Mama Diao to do such a hard job would only make her illness worse."
Madam Diao was immediately anxious and said hurriedly, "Second Madam, please allow me to interrupt you! I was indeed not in good health in the early years, but I have recovered in the past few years!"
Minglan waved her hand magnanimously, pointing to the words on the paper, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Mom. I know you're loyal and well-intentioned, but judging by the years you've been working, you've been in poor health for over a decade. You only started to feel better two years ago. You'd better take care of yourself. Don't let outsiders say our Gu family doesn't care about our servants!"
Mother Diao felt as if she had coptis in her mouth and sweat on her forehead. The other three maids all stole glances at Minglan. They felt that although she was young, she was quite capable. They couldn't help but feel panic in their hearts. They didn't expect that this new wife was so tough.
Minglan still had that gentle and humble look on her face, and spoke in a very kind tone, "Aunt, look, you should ask more questions, right?"
The fifth old lady was furious, but she couldn't say a word and nodded with difficulty.
Minglan smiled and turned her head, her eyes fixed on Lai Mama. Lai Mama made her look uneasy, and she said in a trembling voice, "Second Madam, what do you want?"
Minglan picked up the tea bowl and slowly moved the lid: "It was a good day, but I made my aunt angry for no reason. It's really unfair. I didn't hit or scold you guys. I just asked a few questions, and then my aunt came to my house and said something like I don't believe in the Marquis' Mansion. Hey... You are all noble and respectable, I really can't afford you. In the future, if there is any trouble and someone comes to stand up for you, I won't have to manage the household anymore." Her eyes were always on Lai Mama, and her eyes were like needles.
Mother Lai felt her heart pounding. Unexpectedly, Minglan continued, "It's true. After all, I've served you for many years, so I do feel sorry for you. Mother Lai..." Mother Lai shuddered and immediately stood up respectfully. Minglan continued, "Today, I've scolded you twice. Are you dissatisfied?"
Mother Lai quickly said, "Second Madam is scolding me, how dare this old servant disobey?"
"You've been doing this for a long time, how could you be wrong?" Minglan's eyes were bright and her meaning was very clear.
Mother Lai gritted her teeth and said, "This old servant is foolish. Relying on her age, she dares to refute Madam. This is truly insubordination!"
Minglan nodded with satisfaction: "Then tell me, am I wrong?"
Lai Mama quickly asserted, "Madam is certainly right. This old slave shouldn't have done that!"
"That's not right." Minglan shook her head. "Even if the master is wrong, you shouldn't refute him in public." Everyone was stunned.
Minglan continued, "Especially in the second chapter. You knew I had just arrived and lacked prestige, so it was time to establish my reputation. Don't say that what I said were just some harmless little things. Even if I was truly wrong, you shouldn't have refuted me in front of so many people. You should have slowly persuaded me afterwards! Sister-in-law, don't you agree?"
Mrs. Di Er looked at Minglan with a meaningful look and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you couldn't be more right."
Minglan clapped her hands and smiled, "I feel relieved with my sister-in-law's words. It seems that the lady-in-law will not come to scold me."
The Fifth Old Lady's face darkened, she knew that those words were actually said to her. Firstly, she shouldn't have embarrassed her on the day before her meeting, and secondly, she was not her mother-in-law, so why was she lecturing her?
Suddenly, a female voice clamored outside. Minglan frowned. Caihuan, who was very perceptive, saw the situation just now and knew that Minglan was not someone to be trifled with. She immediately left on her own accord. When she returned, she reported, "Madam, it's... Miss Fengxian's maid outside. She wants to see you."
Everyone in the room had different expressions. Madam Yang looked at Minglan with concern, Madam Di looked calm, and the fifth old lady showed obvious expectation, as if she wanted to get back one point.
Minglan looked at her with amusement. She felt that if she didn't ask the girl to come in, this old lady would definitely have something to say. So she simply said, "Let her come in."
A maid of seventeen or eighteen came in. She had a pretty face and a bright red bodice that set off her slender waist. She knelt before Minglan and said, "Greetings to the Madam."
"Get up, tell me what you want, we have guests here."
The girl hesitated to speak, but seeing that Minglan showed no sign of compromise, she said, "Our young lady knew that Madam was busy, so she didn't dare to disturb her. She thought that since Madam had already met with everyone in the mansion, it would be our young lady's turn. That's why she asked me to come and ask for an audience with Madam, and at least offer her a cup of tea."
Minglan smiled but didn't answer. Instead, she turned to the four maids and said, "Madams, what do you think we should do about this?"
Lai Mama's forehead jumped. She didn't quite understand what Minglan meant. Before she could figure it out, Hua Mama, who was standing next to her, stepped forward and shouted, "You little girl, you are so rude! Can you just offer tea to the Madam casually? You need the approval of the elders, the nod of the master, and the satisfaction of the Madam. Do you think you're done with just a few words?"
Minglan had a happy look on her face and looked at Hua Mama with a smile. When Hua Mama saw her like that, she straightened her chest and looked quite proud.
Seeing that the maid was about to say something, Madam Tian, who was standing by, also understood. She immediately went over, grabbed her arm, and shouted, "What is your daughter's status now? She's not a concubine, and she's not a concubine. How can you ask Madam to see you? What etiquette should you use? Stop talking nonsense and get out of here immediately. Wait until the master gives the order!"
As he spoke, he pushed the maid out and asked Xia He to drag her out.
After reading this, Minglan was very satisfied and smiled: "This Miss Fengxian was sent from outside, so I can't say anything. Fortunately, you have been mothers for many years. You really know the etiquette and know how powerful you are!" Although she did not specify who they were, her eyes were only on the two mothers in Huatian. They immediately showed gratitude and were humble.
According to the rules in ancient times, one had to show a sign of surrender before joining Liangshan. These four families were transferred to another unit, so they had to show something before gaining the trust of the new master, such as ability, determination, loyalty, etc. They couldn't just let the new boss use them for no reason; people like Diao Mama, who were in Cao's camp but their hearts were with Han, were the least likely to be used.
The four mothers left. Minglan still smiled and asked the maid to refill the tea and serve snacks, but the fifth old lady's face was very ugly. She could be said to have failed miserably today. She got nothing and was ridiculed. But she couldn't get angry, otherwise she would think that the emperor was not wise. How could the emperor not be wise? So she was the only one who kept silent.
Minglan looked at her changeable face and understood in her heart: among the three sisters-in-law, only the Fifth Old Lady was the original wife, with sons and daughters, a large house full of children and grandchildren, and her husband was also a man of honor. The Lady Dowager was a second concubine, and the Fourth Old Lady was not only a concubine, but also had only one daughter. To be honest, she was more upright than both of them.
Therefore, she often lacks calculation when doing things.
Her purpose of coming to provoke trouble today was very simple. She was just dissatisfied with Gu Tingye's rising momentum and wanted to suppress Minglan and find Minglan's mistakes to confirm the advantage of Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion over Gu Tingye and have the right to make demands.
She didn't understand this point, but the two mothers in Huatian saw it clearly just now.
Minglan and Madam Di chatted and laughed for a while, and then the Fifth Madam and her group were about to leave. Before leaving, Minglan whispered, "Aunt, I've offended you today, but please don't take it personally. Just think about why you're the only one here from the entire Ningyuan Marquis's residence."
Even if the old lady doesn’t understand this sentence, she hopes her two daughters-in-law can understand it.
On the way back, the Fifth Old Lady, who was in the same car as usual with her beloved second daughter-in-law, angrily said, "Humph! She's still trying to stir things up. Your Fourth Aunt is useless. She has no sons and has to depend on others for her own good. She wouldn't dare to come! Your First Aunt, on the other hand, couldn't be better. Ye'er obviously doesn't like her, so how could she have the nerve to say anything about his wife! Of course, I'm the only one who came!"
Mrs. Di Er did not agree. The fact that who instigated whom was not important. What was important was that Gu Tingye was more powerful now and could be more helpful to her children... It was better not to offend him.
Madam Yang was alone in the small carriage at the back. Her personal maid beside her whispered, "This new wife is really amazing. Every word she says leaves the old lady speechless. This is the first time I've seen that. It's...it really makes me feel better."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Madam Yang, completely changing her cowardice, rebuked with a stern face, adding, "You have no idea how dangerous this new wife is today!" Seeing the confusion on her maid's face, she whispered, "Actually, there's no reason for my mother-in-law to seek trouble. Honestly, there's not much that makes sense. The real issue is that there are no perfect parents in the world. Even if the elders are wrong, it's not easy for the younger generation to confront them directly. She's a young daughter-in-law who's only been married for a few days, and she's jumping up and down and arguing with my aunt right away. No matter who's right or wrong, once word gets out, it'll all be her fault!"
The maid exclaimed softly, "Oh, I see. If Second Madam Ye tolerates this matter, then the old lady will have confirmed her fault and used it as leverage to argue with her. If Second Madam Ye refuses to swallow her anger and argues with the old lady, then it would be disrespectful and unfilial! Unfortunately, the new wife is also very smart. She has been smiling the whole time and has not been angry at all."
Madam Yang let out a long sigh, raised her eyes to look up at the roof of the car, and murmured to herself, "That man is really powerful, calculating everything..." Then she chuckled twice, "But, he is not easy to control! When she heard that I was going to marry a concubine, she was so happy... hehe..."
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