The next morning, Minglan asked someone to bring out a rosewood incense table from the warehouse. After carefully scrubbing and drying it, she placed it in the hallway to dry. The texture was delicate and smooth, the wood color was shiny, and it had a faint dark purple luster. It was indeed a good thing that had been around for a long time.
"It's sincere enough to accept the imperial edict with such stuff." Minglan stroked the wood and admired it secretly.
Gu Tingye, dressed in a scarlet robe embroidered with a qilin, sat at the head of the main room, his eyes full of affection and a smile on his lips, as he spoke with profound meaning: "My wife is sincere, and as a husband, how could I not know that?"
Minglan's face flushed. Last night, this guy took credit for this matter and asked Minglan to express her gratitude to him with practical actions. As a legal worker who clearly distinguishes rewards and punishments, Minglan used all her strength to reward him... Rubbing her sore lower back, Minglan felt depressed. Finally, this guy remembered that he had to go to the palace the next day and showed some discretion.
At about the beginning of the morning, eunuchs and palace guards came with umbrellas and gongs to announce the imperial edict. Gu Tingye took Minglan out calmly, opened the Chaohui Hall, set up an incense table and knelt down to receive the imperial edict. The eunuch who announced the imperial edict was named Xia. He was about twenty years old, with a square face and straight eyebrows, and a kind smile. He seemed to know Gu Tingye, and he didn't say much and started to announce the imperial edict directly.
The imperial edict was similar to the news broadcast, with the format remaining unchanged. It first expressed the emperor's grace, then praised Minglan for her "calm and gentle appearance, virtuous and prudent, obedient and respectful character", and finally announced her title as a second-rank lady. Over.
Minglan took the imperial edict on the rhinoceros horn scroll with brocade phoenix and lion patterns, and the tray with a pearl crown and bridal robe with both hands. She kowtowed respectfully to thank God for the grace. After standing up, Gu Tingye told Minglan to change her clothes quickly. He invited Eunuch Xia into the hall for tea. The eunuch humbly declined twice and went into the house.
"So it's you." As soon as he entered the room, Gu Tingye's solemn expression changed. He sat down with Eunuch Xia and said with a smile, "I heard that you were going to the Imperial Kitchen to buy radishes and cabbages before the New Year. Why are you running errands now?"
Eunuch Xia actually smiled and sighed, "Alas... such a lucrative position is not ours. I'd better just run errands first. Second Master is having a prosperous life these days."
Gu Tingye glared at him and said with a joking smile, "It's not good for an outsider to make friends with an inner eunuch. I won't keep you here. The palace is under heavy security right now, so you'd better be careful." As he spoke, he pulled something out of his sleeve and stuffed it into Eunuch Xia's hand. "I know you like this, so I prepared it for you a long time ago. I wanted to give it to you when you entered the palace today."
Eunuch Xia dropped his playful smile and said seriously, "Second Master is a real man. I know what's going on."
After a few words, Gu Tingye personally escorted the guests out. When he returned to the house, he found Minglan already dressed. Over her formal gown was a dark blue brocade shawl with a phoenix pattern embroidered in gold and woven into a cloud pattern, with a gold phoenix pendant dangling from the bottom. A jade leather belt was tied around her waist, her hair tied in a sturdy bun, and she topped her hair with a pearl and jade hairpin and a double phoenix crown, her hair swaying in a dazzling array.
That day, Gu Tingye did not ride a horse. He and Minglan sat in a spacious carriage pulled by three horses. There was a bed inside with a small coffee table on it. The couple sat upright with their legs separated by the coffee table - so as not to mess up their appearance.
Gu Tingye steadily took off the black gauze fu hat from his head and said: "After entering the palace, you must first go to the Cining Palace to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager."
"...Who are you meeting?" Minglan held the heavy pearl crown on her head, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
Gu Tingye's mouth curled slightly: "Both of you come to greet me together."
Minglan held the pearl crown in her hand and stared at the top of the carriage in a daze. Outside the carriage came the bustling sounds of the market, and many shops seemed to be shouting to open. "...Why do we have two empress dowagers?" she asked unconsciously.
"I thought you wouldn't ask." Gu Tingye stretched out his arm to pull Minglan's head back and help her adjust the pearl crown. He saw that she was wearing light makeup, and her makeup was dignified and elegant, which concealed half of her beautiful face. Although she was still beautiful, she looked very gentle and humble. This was the second time he saw her putting on makeup. The first time was when she took off the veil - he understood what Minglan meant.
Seeing him staring at her in a daze, Minglan patted his hand gently and said, "Speak now."
Gu Tingye smiled. "Speaking of which, Empress Dowager Shengde was also unlucky. It is said that the night before the Fourth Prince's rebellion, the late Emperor had already drafted a decree to appoint the Third Prince as Crown Prince and Consort De as Empress. But just one day later, everything was ruined. The late Emperor felt sorry for her, so he appointed her as Imperial Noble Consort. On his deathbed, he instructed the Emperor to take good care of Consort De's family. After the late Emperor passed away, someone in the court submitted a memorial requesting that Consort De be appointed Empress Dowager as well, with both concubines serving concurrently. The Emperor approved it."
Minglan was stunned for a moment before she said, "Your Majesty is truly filial."
Gu Tingye stared at Minglan, smiling: "Your expression doesn't mean that."
Minglan narrowed her eyes, assumed a sophisticated air, and slowly shook her head, saying, "It's better if the hat matches the head."
Gu Tingye pinched Minglan's little hand, his eyes suddenly lit up, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth - since ancient times, the so-called empress dowager was either the emperor's legal mother or his biological mother, and this Empress Defei was neither.
"However," Gu Tingye continued, "Empress Dowager Shengde has held the Phoenix Seal for many years. Her foundation is so deep that no one else can compare."
Minglan felt nervous after hearing this. Gu Tingye patted her hand and comforted her, "Don't worry. You're not the only one who has received the imperial edict. The wife of the Marquis of Weibei and the wife of Zheng Xiao, the Left Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, should also be here to express their gratitude."
Minglan held her cheek in her hands and asked in surprise, "Could it be that the Emperor has waited until now to issue the imperial edict just for you?" - Second Uncle is so respected in front of the Emperor?!
Gu Tingye patted her fat paw lightly and rolled his eyes at her unhappily: "One of them is the wife of the emperor's brother-in-law, and the other is the queen's sister. They were supposed to be given titles anyway, but you were added as an extra one!"
Minglan was slightly shocked. She rubbed her paws and muttered, "Isn't it said that a wife is honored by her husband and a mother is honored by her son? Then, then the Queen's sister..." The deputy commander of the Imperial Guard is not of high enough rank.
Gu Tingye smiled and pulled her small hand over to rub it: "The emperor is a capable ruler, he knows his limits, and only conferred the title of Third Rank Lady on Shen."
Minglan praised the emperor's wisdom repeatedly, and suddenly had an idea: "Why don't you marry Queen Shen's sister? Wouldn't we all be a family then?" As soon as she finished speaking, Minglan quickly dodged like a little rabbit.
Gu Tingye wasn't angry at all, but secretly amused: "The Emperor only returned to the capital two years ago, so he doesn't have a deep foundation in the capital. Zheng Jun has been in charge of the Imperial Guards for many years, and he also has many connections with the three major camps. The Duke of Ying is even more important to the country. These two families have never been involved in the struggle for the throne, so they must be won over."
Minglan nodded, she understood completely.
Empress Dowager Sheng'an had only one son, and both mother and son had been neglected by the emperor for many years. Aside from his wife's family, the emperor lacked many trustworthy people around him. Gu Tingye was already considered one of his own, and a marriage between Gu and Shen would not only be a waste of resources but also negative for the emperor in the long run. More fundamentally, it might be more in the emperor's best interest for Gu Tingye to marry the daughter of an ordinary civil servant.
The wheels of the carriage rumbled, and Minglan heard the sound outside, knowing that they had entered the outer imperial city. After driving for a while, they arrived at the gate of the inner city. The couple got off the carriage and changed into the sedan chair with green curtains and horses that had been waiting there. The couple each got on the horse and got off the sedan chair. After driving for a while, they had to walk when they arrived at Donghua Gate, led by a line of eunuchs.
Along the way, Minglan didn't dare to look up, but just followed Gu Tingye with her head down and walked slowly. She vaguely felt that the layout inside the palace was vast and magnificent, with white marble steps and gold-painted and colorful columns. It was tall, wide and grand everywhere.
After entering a side hall, a middle-aged female official dressed in dark blue brocade with dark patterns came out and said with a smile, "Master Gu and Madam Gu, please come in quickly. The Queen Mother is waiting."
Gu Tingye glanced at Minglan, only to find that she was unusually calm at the moment, without any sign of nervousness or panic. He felt a little relieved, and the two of them followed the female official and walked slowly, around two palace corridors, stepped over the high threshold, and entered the main hall.
Precious ambergris burned in the purple copper incense burner, spreading out like wisps of green smoke, filling the room with a unique fragrance. The smooth marble floor was so bright that it almost reflected people's shadows. Two empress dowagers sat at the top, and on the left sat a noble lady in bright yellow palace dress, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, probably the queen. There were screens on both sides, and the faint scent of cosmetics and the rustling of pearl hairpins could be smelled from behind. Below, brocade skirts could be seen, probably a group of female relatives or palace concubines.
Gu Tingye and Minglan knelt down and kowtowed, saying "yes" to express their gratitude. Then they heard a soft voice from above: "Get up, you are late. The Queen's sister-in-law and sister have already arrived."
The Queen turned around and chuckled, "Don't blame them, Mother. It's because their family lives so far away. Once an order is issued, it will definitely come true sooner or later."
Minglan stood up and looked around quickly. She saw that the voice just now came from the right. The empress dowager on the right had a beautiful and fair face, elegant manners, and a gentle and amiable smile. The empress dowager on the left, although well maintained, looked a little old and her movements were a little awkward.
At this moment, Minglan basically understood who was which.
Empress Dowager Shengde looked at Gu Tingye twice and said with a smile: "Married people are different after all. They look much more amiable."
The Empress's face wasn't particularly stunning, but there was a bright and cheerful look between her eyebrows, and a deep dimple on one cheek. She smiled before she spoke, "Your Majesty, you have good eyesight. I also think Erlang is much more amiable. Back when the Emperor was in Shu, Erlang wore a huge beard all year round. From a distance, he looked truly menacing. Every time he came, Hui'er was so frightened she wouldn't dare come out. Zai Fu and Zai Shun, however, both liked him. Now that you have a wife, you must live a good life from now on, mother, don't you agree?"
The Empress Dowager Sheng'an on the side just smiled and mumbled twice, without saying much. The Empress Dowager Shengde ignored Minglan and gave a long speech to Gu Tingye about the lesson of "governing the family and the country, being loyal to the emperor and patriotic", sometimes talking about Confucius, sometimes Mencius, and sometimes Xunzi. Minglan glanced sideways and saw that Gu Tingye was very cooperative, without showing any impatience, and was very grateful for the emperor's new gift of 70,000 taels of silver and seven hectares of land, plus countless brocades.
The Empress Dowager Shengde was a talkative woman, with the Empress occasionally chiming in, while the Empress Dowager Sheng'an and Minglan sat in the audience. As they talked, they turned to the issue of border trade. The Empress Dowager Shengde mentioned her father and brother, the Funing Marquis's family, who served as garrison commanders at the border. "When the Jie Nu invaded, the Emperor, acting in an emergency, ordered my father and brothers to withdraw from the border. Now that the border is peaceful, I wonder if trade can resume?"
Gu Tingye said: "Although the Jie Nu have been repelled, the border troops suffered heavy losses. If there is no military force to protect the border trade, it will be difficult to gain any benefits..."
At this time, a eunuch came in and announced, "The Emperor is in the Imperial Study, speaking with the other ministers. He wants to know if Lord Gu has arrived. The Emperor has something to ask you. Lord Gu, please thank him and come over immediately."
Empress Dowager Shengde seemed a little disappointed, but she still smiled and said, "Since the emperor has important matters to attend to, you should go first; leave your wife here to talk to me."
Gu Tingye bowed in response, and before going in, he turned his head to glance at Minglan with a look of worry in his eyes. Minglan nodded slightly, indicating that she was relieved, and then he followed the eunuch to leave the Cining Palace.
As soon as Gu Tingye left, the Queen immediately had the screens removed. Three young ladies emerged from the left, and four beauties in palace attire from the right. They approached with smiles on their faces, slowly gathering around the seat at the head, gazing down at Minglan. Inwardly, Minglan cried out, "Oh! The target has shifted!"
"Come, come closer, let me see you." Empress Dowager Shengde waved to Minglan with a smile.
Hearing this, Minglan slowly moved over. It was the first time in her life that she walked so seriously. Following Madam Kong's instructions, she kept her skirt still while walking. She must not appear rigid or artificial, but must express her full respect and closeness through actions and expressions.
Empress Dowager Shengde took Minglan's hand, looked her over carefully, and sighed, "Everyone says that Gu Erlang's new wife is a beauty. Seeing her today, she is indeed quite beautiful."
Minglan didn't know how to answer, so she just lowered her long eyelashes shyly, thinking to herself, "You are not bad looking. I'll introduce you to Ms. Gong Xuehua when I get the chance."
The Empress also looked at Minglan again and again. Seeing that her movements were quite smooth and flawless, she couldn't help but say, "Erlang is so lucky. His appearance is secondary. I like her good manners. Has your family hired a nanny?"
Minglan replied respectfully, "I hired one several years ago."
"Who is it? Did you go out of the palace?" the queen asked.
"She left the palace. She was Madam Kong from the former Shang Gong Bureau."
"Madame Kong?" Empress Dowager Saint Ann spoke for the first time. Her voice was a little hoarse, as if she hadn't recovered from a cold and cough. "But the one with the square face and tall stature?"
"Yes." Minglan smiled, "She also has a mole on her left forehead."
A smile graced the slightly aged face of the Empress Dowager Saint Ann. "Madame Kong is an elder in the palace. She was kind and upright... a very good person. How is she now?"
"She often writes to me, saying that she has bought land in her hometown and lives a leisurely life all day long. Her nephew is also filial and she lives a good life." Minglan glanced at the Empress Dowager Shengde, only to see her drinking tea with her head down as if she didn't care.
Empress Dowager Sheng An seemed to miss Nanny Kong very much and asked Minglan many questions, but in fact, Nanny Kong's health had already declined, and she was just enduring the last few years. Minglan couldn't say it directly, so she could only express it in a tactful tone.
The Queen Mother Saint Ann had a lonely look in her eyes and spoke in a low voice: "She has endured her whole life in the palace. It would be nice if she could live a comfortable old age. A few years is a few years."
Minglan looked at her quietly. Empress Dowager Sheng An did not have the usual smoothness that was seen in the palace. Instead, she had an instinctive innocence and straightforwardness. She seemed to know that she could not speak well, so she simply did not say much.
After a few more words, the Queen showed everyone a seat. Minglan finally had the chance to rest her sore legs and feet. While listening to them talk, she secretly identified: the four beauties in palace dresses were all palace concubines. One of them, the particularly cold and charming woman, was the most favored Concubine Rong. The other one, petite and charming with snow-white skin, was the newly appointed Concubine Yu. The other two were concubines that the Emperor had had since he was in the palace, one was Jieyushi and the other was Cairen. To sum up, because the Emperor had to observe mourning and had not yet widely selected concubines, there was still a lot of room for development in the harem. I wonder if there are any time-traveling women who are interested in developing here.
Of the other three young ladies leaning against the Empress and chatting, the one with the most gorgeous attire and the most lively laughter was naturally the Empress's younger sister, Little Shen, who bore a striking resemblance to the Empress. The young woman behind her, with her delicate features, was Uncle Shen's new wife, also a daughter of the Duke of Ying. Finally, Minglan couldn't guess who the delicate and graceful woman was, and it took her a while before she finally recognized her identity—she was Uncle Shen's concubine, Zou, the younger sister of the original wife.
She was actually given the title of Fifth Rank Concubine?! And she's so affectionate with the Queen. Is the Duke of Ying so easy to talk to?!
Last night, Gu Tingye gave Minglan a crash course on the Queen's family background.
The Eighth Prince was an unpopular prince, and his fiefdom was extremely remote, poor, and mountainous, so no powerful family was willing to marry him. Queen Shen's father was Shen Wang, a famous scholar in Jinzhong, and his family was also a famous and prominent family in the local area. Unfortunately, his parents died early, and the Shen brothers and sisters could only rely on their relatives to live. Later, their uncle arranged for her to be betrothed to the Eighth Prince.
At that time, Minglan asserted: "The Shen family must be bad to them!"
Gu Tingye was very surprised: "How do you know?"
Minglan said, "The Emperor is in need of new officials, yet no one from the Shen family has entered the government. This clearly shows their hidden resentment!"
Gu Tingye rewarded and affirmed her with a bear hug.
According to the principle of diminishing returns, the Eighth Prince's wife's family is not very good, and it is estimated that Shen Congxing's wife's family is even worse.
The Zou family is just an ordinary scholarly family. The grandfather was a county magistrate and passed away a few years ago. The father was a juren. The eldest daughter married into the Shen family and had children. Until now, there has been no particularly outstanding talent in the family.
But the most unfortunate thing for their family was not that there were no talented children among them, but that the eldest son-in-law's brother-in-law finally ascended the throne and became the emperor, and the eldest son-in-law became the emperor's uncle. When wealth and glory were just around the corner, their daughter died. The whole Zou family almost vomited three liters of blood. How tragic it was!
If Shen Congxing was just an ordinary widower, there would be no problem in marrying his sister-in-law as his second wife. However, the Shen family is now the most prosperous family of foreign relatives (Empress Dowager Sheng An was of humble origin and could not find her natal family long ago), and the Zou family is obviously far inferior in status.
Minglan glanced at the wife of the emperor's brother-in-law, then looked at little Zou who was chatting and laughing with the queen. She was very smart and understood immediately that this was the final result of the compromise. Somehow, she suddenly thought of Gu Tingye's biological mother, Mrs. Bai, and she suddenly felt some pity for Mrs. Shen.
The Duke of Ying's Mansion needed the Shen family to consolidate its relationship with the new emperor, while Uncle Shen needed the Duke of Ying's Mansion, which had deep roots, to enhance his own power. The Zou family needed to continue to maintain a marriage relationship with the Shen family and protect the interests of Madam Zou's children. Everyone got what they needed, so this deformed harmonious situation was created.
Minglan suddenly felt depressed and uncomfortable. She asked herself, if she were in such a situation, would she be able to resist the oppression of her family and resolutely oppose the marriage? Minglan gritted her teeth. The ancient times were really not a place for women!
After chatting for about a cup of tea, the Queen felt that it was almost time, so she took Minglan and the other four newly-awarded ladies to bid farewell to the two Empress Dowagers. After leaving the Cining Palace, the Queen asked Minglan and Xiao Shen to go back first, and she wanted to go to Kunning Palace to talk with Madam Shen and Xiao Zou.
Little Shen tugged at the Queen's sleeve and said coquettishly, "Sister, you're so partial. Do you have any delicious food that you want to give to my two sisters-in-law first?!"
The Queen pointed at her and scolded her with a smile, "How old are you? You still think about eating and drinking all day? I'll tell your mother-in-law to discipline you!... Now, don't make fun of everyone. I have something to say to your sisters-in-law. Madam Gu is entering the palace for the first time today. You should take her out and let her get close to you along the way."
Little Shen responded with a smile. Minglan respectfully bowed twice, her posture graceful and elegant. She didn't seem to turn sideways, but she had a charming and graceful demeanor. Little Shen seemed stunned. She said goodbye to the Queen neatly and walked away with Minglan's arm around her.
Along the way, all they could hear was Little Shen's non-stop chatter, constantly introducing the scenery along the way to Minglan. Minglan just listened with a smile, occasionally joining in the fun. Gradually, they walked out of the Cining Palace and headed towards the Donghua Gate. Little Shen asked inexplicably, "... Tell me, what does the Empress want to talk to my two sisters-in-law about? Is there anything I shouldn't hear?"
Minglan paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's probably just a heart-to-heart talk between sisters-in-law. With fewer people around, they can speak their minds."
Isn't that hard to guess? Just now in the Cining Palace, Madam Shen was elegant and gentle, and Madam Zou was respectful and courteous. The two seemed harmonious, but they never made eye contact or even spoke a word from beginning to end. Since women from other clans weren't allowed into the palace every day, the Empress probably took this opportunity to educate the uncle's wives, teaching them how to get along with each other.
But... Minglan found it funny. Weren't the Shen family the first to break the rules between wives and concubines?
It was rare for a concubine to be granted an imperial decree. Unless her son was truly outstanding and made contributions to the country, then the mother could be granted an imperial decree based on her son's status. Throughout the dynasties, how many concubines who had not given birth to children could receive an imperial decree?!
Perhaps the Shen family felt guilty for the Zou family's help in times of difficulty, so they did this to make up for it. However, they were concerned about the power of the Duke of Ying's Mansion. Otherwise, little Zou should have been able to get a concubine. However, looking at the situation today, the style of little Zou, a concubine, is not much different from that of a concubine.
Little Shen had been gazing blankly at the distant Imperial Gardens when she suddenly stopped and looked intently at Minglan. "Don't you think the Shen family is shameless? My brother married Zhang and then Zou. He disregarded our friendship and now covets wealth and power."
Minglan was pulled back a few steps by her. After listening, she smiled faintly and said, "Most of these rumors are spread by jealous people. There is no need to take them seriously." - Nonsense, if you want to get twice the benefits, you will naturally be subject to double the talk.
"So what do you think?" Xiao Shen still held Mingla tightly, forcing her to express her opinion.
Minglan looked ahead at the tightly closed palace gates, where the guards stood solemnly and the maids and eunuchs bustled about. She sighed softly and said leisurely, "I feel that when things like this get difficult, the ones who benefit are generally men, and the ones who suffer are generally women."
Little Shen's expression changed, and she put away her mischievousness. She put on a serious face and stared at Minglan for a long time. After a long while, she suddenly smiled and said, "You are an interesting person. I like you. I will come to play with you often in the future!"
Minglan was amused by this and laughed, "It's my honor."
——The fact that she asked such a question showed that Xiao Shen was not completely unintentional. A woman with such a bold and cheerful character is worth making friends with.
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