Minglan didn't return home until noon. Danju carefully removed her hairpins, rings, and bridal veil for her, putting them away one by one in the cupboard. Minglan said with a serious face, half jokingly, "You can't lose the imperial edict and the pearl crown and bridal veil, otherwise your wife's imperial edict will be invalid."
Unexpectedly, Danju took it seriously. She flipped through the items carefully and said seriously, "This pearl crown and bridal veil don't seem unusual to me. As long as there's the material, anything can be made. But the document scroll is the most important. I'll go find a powerful big lock." Then she went out with a serious face.
After lunch, Minglan quickly slipped into bed for a nap. Danju gently rubbed her sore calves. Minglan fell asleep in a daze. She didn't know how long she slept. Something heavy was pressing on her body. When Minglan opened her eyes, she saw that it was Gu Tingye.
He was only wearing moon-white underwear and fell asleep with Minglan in his arms; the man's arms were like iron rings, and Minglan couldn't crawl out from under him, so she simply closed her eyes and continued to sleep.
They slept until the sun set in the west, then they sat up numbly in bed, looking at each other, both of them drowsy and sleepy. Gu Tingye's thick long hair was loose, and his handsome face had a lazy and endearing look. Minglan's jade-like face was still covered with red marks, and she looked dazed, rubbing her eyes with her chubby little fists.
Gu Tingye liked her and couldn't help but pull her over and kissed her hard on the cheek and neck twice. Minglan meowed like a kitten a few times before she gradually woke up.
"It's already indecent to take a nap for the whole afternoon, let alone a couple taking a nap together, eh..." Minglan held the quilt, tilted her head, sighed and dropped her book bag - what she meant was that it's better to take a nap separately to avoid gossip.
"A true gentleman is naturally romantic, and doesn't care what outsiders say." Gu Tingye continued to caress Minglan's soft body and kiss her snow-white neck. Minglan glanced at him and asked, "What does a gentleman's romantic life have to do with taking a nap?"
"It's okay, so we need to tighten the door control." Gu Tingye held her in his arms, dragged a pillow against the headboard, and said seriously, "If no one knows, no one will say anything about us."
Minglan glared at him, and he looked at Minglan. After a while, Minglan turned her head away - her tough face needed no explanation.
Feeling a little thirsty after a nap, Minglan rolled over and tried to pass by Gu Tingye to drink water from the bedside table. Gu Tingye pushed her back and brought the whole teapot back to Minglan. Minglan held the teapot with her two little hands and began to drink from the spout. Gu Tingye looked at Minglan with a smile, like a little fat squirrel stealing oil.
After dinner, Gu Tingye had to go to the outer study to talk to Mr. Gongsun about something. Since they had already slept for most of the afternoon, the couple decided to go all out. After ordering the maid to prepare dinner, they lay back on the couch. The man put his arm around Minglan's slender waist, half resting his head in her arms, letting Minglan's soft and flexible fingers press on his temples and head.
This trick of Minglan was taught by Mama Fang herself, and it had been fully practiced on Old Madam Sheng. Gu Tingye squinted his eyes and dozed off, feeling very comfortable and relaxed.
Minglan spoke intermittently about what she had seen and heard in the Cining Palace that morning. Gu Tingye, with his eyes slightly closed, joined in a few words: "...I have met Brother Shen's original wife, Madam Zou. She is truly a remarkable woman of courage, perseverance, and kindness. The Shu border is remote and desolate, but because Brother Shen was concerned about the Empress, she, a weak woman, fully supported her husband to leave his homeland and settle in Shu. Brother Shen found a job in the border army, and Madam Zou often went to comfort and accompany the Empress, occasionally helping the neighbors and sympathizing with the poor. She is quite famous for her virtue in the local area. I heard that the eldest prince was born prematurely that year, and for a time, the palace couldn't even find a good wet nurse. Madam Zou also gave birth at the time, and she stubbornly left her own son to breastfeed the eldest prince first, caring for him with all her heart. She didn't rest well during the confinement period, and then she developed a chronic illness."
Minglan was also deeply moved after hearing this. So, sacrifice should be made in moderation. Never sacrifice your life.
"Then how did you get to know the Eighth Prince?"
Gu Tingye slipped his hand into Minglan's inner jacket, caressing her delicate skin. He smiled as he opened his eyes slightly, "That year, I took a business trip to Shu. Passing through the fiefdom of the Eighth Prince, I happened to meet the steward of the Eighth Prince's Palace seeking the imperial physician from the Shu Prince's Palace. Unexpectedly, the imperial physician was so abominable that he refused to go. I hate those snobbish people who flatter others and then trample on them the most. In a rage, that night I covered my face with a scarf, led a group of brothers, smashed down the imperial physician's door, snatched him and his medicine box, and sent him to the Eighth Prince's Palace!"
"You...?! The King of Shu is so powerful, will this implicate the Eighth Prince?" Minglan was speechless. "What happened next?"
Gu Tingye said with a fearless smile, "Officials have their own ways, and bandits have their own ways. I have my own way. This kind of person has always been a bully and afraid of the strong. I put a knife to the doctor's neck and threatened him that if he dared to complain to the King of Shu, I would burn down his mansion and farm, and kill his concubines and children to vent my anger. He can hide for a while, but not forever. He can hide from himself, but not from his entire family! I am a hero who stands up for justice. I come and go without a trace, and you can't catch me!"
Minglan smiled widely, covering her mouth with her hands and falling on the man with laughter: "You black-hearted and mischievous ghost!"
Thinking of the past, Gu Tingye also felt happy and amused: "After the matter was over, I wanted to leave and forget it. Who knew that the emperor had seen me several times in the capital in his early years before he was enfeoffed. I was caught off guard and he actually recognized me!... After that, I became a frequent visitor to the Eighth Prince's Mansion, sometimes bringing some delicacies from the mountains and seas, sometimes bringing some scenery, calligraphy and paintings, and sometimes doing things for the emperor. If I was sick, injured, or tired, I would honestly stay at the palace for three or five days without hesitation - among those who often came to serve me was that eunuch Xiao Xia. Back then, the emperor was often lonely, so I went there to talk nonsense about all sorts of things; if Brother Chen was free, the three of us would have a drink and curse a few words after drinking, which was also very refreshing."
"The Emperor has excellent eyesight. He can recognize you even through the veil!" Minglan clapped her hands and smiled. "That's a good thing. You do people a little favor and then go get some food and drinks. It's a give-and-take thing, and it makes people really close to you."
Gu Tingye took Minglan's hand and kissed it on his lips, looking at her with admiration. "After spending time in the martial arts world, you've finally learned some of the ways of the world. Too much kindness can turn into hatred. And the Eighth Prince is a member of the royal family, so I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. Besides, it wasn't all intentional. I've come down with a few illnesses, and without the care of the Prince's Mansion, I'm afraid it wouldn't have been easy to recover."
Minglan thought of how he had been raised surrounded by servants, yet now he was wandering the world all alone. He must have been extremely unaccustomed to rest, rest, and even meals. She wondered how much hardship he had endured to finally make it, and how he had managed to pull through. Thinking of this, Minglan's eyes unconsciously shone with pity and admiration. Seeing this, Gu Tingye's heart moved, and he whispered, "I never could have imagined this day. I only wanted to make more money, make a name for myself, and not let people look down on me..."
He wasn't the only one who hadn't expected this. Countless officials had lost their careers and lives in these battles. Minglan sighed softly, "What a pity for Madam Zou."
"It's a pity, but what Brother Shen did was inappropriate." Gu Tingye said neatly.
Minglan was stunned when she heard this. After a moment, she said, "...I'm afraid Lord Shen is helpless. There's nothing he can do."
Unexpectedly, Gu Tingye shook his head in disbelief, his mouth slightly tilted, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction, and suddenly asked, "You also saw that little Zou today, right? What do you think?"
Minglan hesitated, unwilling to make any final judgments about someone she had just met, so she said, "It seems that he and the Queen have a good relationship."
"This is the trouble!" Gu Tingye's eyes were stern. "I've seen that little Zou a few times. She seems weak, but she's actually very strong-willed. The Queen, remembering the kindness of the late Madam Zou, treats her well and can't bear to criticize her. Now she's been granted an imperial decree. Madam Shen is, after all, the legitimate daughter of the Zhang family, marrying into a wealthy family. Brother Shen, how can you put the reputation of the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion aside by acting like this?!"
"You... think that Lord Shen shouldn't marry little Zou?" Minglan looked suspicious. She felt that there was some anger in Gu Tingye's attitude. Could it be that he also thought of Bai?
"No." Unexpectedly, Gu Tingye rejected it outright, "No matter who Brother Chen marries, it is reasonable. The important thing is that Brother Chen is not handling things properly."
Gu Tingye sat up, leaning his broad shoulders against the headboard, and sighed softly, "Brother Shen's emphasis on friendship is a good thing, but there are some things in the world that cannot be achieved at the same time; if you hesitate when you should make a decision, you will suffer the consequences. Either he can marry the daughter of the Zhang family, or he can marry the girl of the Zou family. Given Madam Zou's kindness and benevolence, the emperor may not force Brother Shen to marry the daughter of the Zhang family out of consideration for their relationship. He can simply let the younger sister of the Shen family marry into the Duke of Yingguo's mansion, and then let Brother Duan's daughter marry into the Zheng family. What's not to like? Brother Shen is just too procrastinating. He wants to balance affection and a smooth future. How can such a good deal be possible in the world?!"
Minglan was overwhelmed with emotion when she heard this inside story for the first time. Gu Tingye continued, "Well, if Brother Shen really wants to marry into the Duke of Yingguo's family—which is human nature—then do it beautifully! If you're worried about having a stepmother and a stepfather, and want to take your aunt's younger sister as a concubine, that's fine, but you have to be prudent. They already have a legitimate son and daughter, and the Duke of Yingguo sent their legitimate daughter as a concubine. That's already a gesture of sincerity, but the Shen family keeps praising little Zou. Sigh... just wait and see, something's bound to happen sooner or later. If you really upset the Duke of Yingguo's family, what can the Emperor say then? I'm afraid it will even affect the Empress."
To others, the affairs of the prince's uncle's family may just be a topic of conversation after dinner, but to Gu Tingye, it is a serious political issue. The Duke of Ying's Mansion does not have only one choice. If it really falls out with the Shen family, it is likely to turn to invest in other concubines. As a good friend, Gu Tingye does not want to see Shen Congxing damaged because of the affairs of the inner house.
Minglan tilted her head and looked at Gu Tingye. In fact, she didn't care much about the Shen family. Instead, she was interested in Gu Tingye's way of thinking and doing things. She approached cautiously, put her two little paws on the man's shoulders, and whispered sweetly: "Hey... Let me ask you, if you were Uncle Shen, who would you marry?" On one side is a promising future, on the other side is the loving wife and the pitiful child. What should she do?
Gu Tingye laughed and said, "How do I know this?" Ever since he rescued Minglan on the river, he has been thinking hard about how to take advantage of her.
"Think carefully, what if I die? Will you marry someone from a wealthy family, or my sister so she can take care of the children?" Minglan's eyes sparkled as she asked relentlessly. Gu Tingye slowly narrowed his eyes, his gaze slightly dangerous. Minglan swallowed and stepped back. Gu Tingye stared at her for a long time before slowly saying, "Of course I'll marry someone from a wealthy family. It doesn't matter if she's a little strong and powerful. After all, she can give me another child."
Minglan was so shocked that she almost couldn't breathe. After she finally caught her breath, she raised her bare white little foot and kicked Gu Tingye on the shoulder, cursing hatefully, "You, you, you..., you bastard!"
Gu Tingye grabbed her feet and hugged her smooth and tender calves. He bared his white teeth and bit her calf lightly. Minglan cried out in pain and punched him, but he laughed out loud: "So, my lady, you better not die. Take care of yourself! At least live longer than your husband."
【Author has something to say】
A relative asked me, "Why didn't the Duke of Ying just send his daughter to the palace to be a concubine for the Emperor? Didn't the Jia family send Yuanchun to the palace? Isn't that better than sending their daughter to the Shen family?"
In fact, Dream of the Red Chamber was written according to the royal customs of the Qing Dynasty. Looking at the men in the Jia family, most of them still follow the Manchu customs, which are slightly different from the Ming Dynasty.
My belief is based on history. During the Ming Dynasty, those very noble families of nobles rarely sent their daughters to the palace. Take the Zhang family of Duke Yingguo as an example. It seems that they only sent a niece from a side branch to Zhu Di as a concubine in his early years. After that, there was no news of any daughter of the Zhang family entering the palace as a concubine.
This was the national policy set by Zhu Yuanzhang, and it also had specific political considerations.
In fact, after so many dynasties, many prominent families have also realized what the best outcome of sending their daughters into the palace is. Isn't it that the grandson becomes the emperor, the daughter becomes the empress dowager, the brother becomes the uncle of the emperor, and the father becomes the father-in-law of the emperor?
But even so, can a prominent family become even more prominent? If it becomes more prominent, it will usurp the throne, okay?
If she fails in the palace struggle, the result will be very tragic (marrying Uncle Shen would provide a way out), which is not worth the loss. But if her daughter is favored and the palace struggle is successful, the Duke of Ying's Mansion will have various concerns. Can they continue to hold important positions in the army and the court?
It would be strange if he was not drowned by the saliva of civil servants - this is how the author understands it.
Anyway, the Ming Dynasty was basically like this. You can check the backgrounds of the concubines of the Ming Dynasty. Basically, one-third were daughters of middle-level officials or ordinary families who were selected through selection, one-third were commoner women who were selected through selection (from well-off families who could basically have enough food and clothing), and another one-third were palace maids and servants, oh, and a very small number were tribute women from Korea (grit their teeth).
…
The Manchu Qing Dynasty’s system of imperial concubines was different. We’ll talk about it later. Anyway, this article basically simulates the Ming and Qing systems, with more Ming and less Qing.
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