I don't know what he was thinking about. A strange smile appeared on his face and he was muttering to himself.
"Dad, Mom, I'm almost there, don't worry. Grandpa must be happy, right? Xiao Er is very successful now, and he got a very pretty wife. Mom, look, I'm embarrassing you. I'm not even as good as Xiao Er..."
…
On June 19th of the third year of Chongde, Ningyuan Marquis Gu Tingyu passed away.
In July of the same year, the imperial edict conferred the title of Ningyuan Marquis on Gu Tingye, the title of the second-class noble, and conferred on his wife Sheng the title of the first-class noble lady.
【Author has something to say】
Note 1: String-pulling curtain: an ancient fan with relatively low wind force.
There is another powerful one.
Volume 1 of Xijing Miscellaneous Records records that during the Han Dynasty, "Ding Huan, a skilled craftsman in Chang'an, made a seven-wheeled fan. Each wheel, each a meter in diameter, was connected in series. One person could operate it, and the whole room would shiver." This suggests that as early as the Han Dynasty, people had already created a large fan that used wheels to move air, and its cooling effect was very impressive.
Because this description is brief, we cannot precisely ascertain the exact appearance of this ancient large fan. However, it seems reasonable to assume that it employed a rotating wheel-shaped fan mechanism, employing blades mounted on a large wheel. These seven wheels were attached to a single shaft, and a crank handle at one end was provided. Turning the handle would cause the seven wheels to rapidly rotate, stirring up the indoor air and providing a cooling effect. At the time, this large fan was a high-tech, patented product, a "luxury appliance" exclusively reserved for the royal family. It was rarely seen by the public, and naturally, no "copycat" imitations were produced. Over time, this ancient ingenuity was confined to ancient texts.
…
Note 2: Duke Huan of Qi, the first of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period, had three treacherous ministers in his later years, namely Yi Ya, Shu Diao, and Prince Kaifang.
Yi Ya was a famous chef. For Duke Huan of Qi, he cooked his young son into a meat soup and gave it to Duke Huan of Qi. Duke Huan of Qi was very moved, but Guan Zhong said: Loving one's son is human nature. If he can sacrifice even his own son for fame and fortune, then who else can't be harmed?
Shu Diao was originally a man. In order to stay with Duke Huan of Qi, he castrated himself and entered the palace to serve. Duke Huan of Qi was very moved, but Guan Zhong said: How can a person who doesn't care about his own body for the sake of fame and fortune care about others?
Prince Kaifang, the crown prince of a small kingdom, gave up his throne to stay with Duke Huan of Qi. He even refused to return for his parents' funerals, which deeply moved the Duke. Guan Zhong then retorted, "How can someone who doesn't even care about his parents care about others?" He gave up the throne because he had greater desires.
I think Guan Zhong must not have read any BL novels about sadomasochism, in which all the above behaviors are possible.
Unfortunately, Guan Zhong's bad words came true. These three treacherous ministers destroyed the good situation of Qi State. Finally, Duke Huan of Qi died in the deep palace. His body was infested with maggots but no one collected it.
In the final volume, the man said, the Begonia remains
Volume 149 Gu Tingye's Career
After Gu Tingyu's death, Mrs. Shao was devastated both physically and mentally. All the accumulated fatigue and sadness burst out at once, and she became half-dead and lay down on the bed. The old lady also said that she was "too sad" and could only groan in bed.
Minglan knew that the situation was not good. After thinking for a while, she secretly made up her mind that she must not take over the funeral of Gu Tingyu. Not to mention that she was not familiar with the rules of the Gu family, in this situation, no matter what she did, people would gossip about her. However, as a newly appointed marquis's wife, it was difficult for her to refuse. After thinking about it, she solemnly asked Mrs. Xuan to help.
"It's not that I'm lazy and don't want to contribute, but I'm so young, I've never experienced anything serious. Big brother's funeral is so important. If something goes wrong, who knows what people will say." Minglan was frank and just talked about it all. "Of all the people in this mansion, you're the only one who makes me feel at ease. If you don't help me, I don't know who else to turn to."
Mrs. Xuan was a busybody who always loved to take on responsibilities. Seeing Minglan's sincerity and her words of reliance on her, she felt relieved and agreed immediately. She went back to discuss it with her husband.
"Such a big deal, and you agreed to it?" Gu Tingbing was going to the northwest in the next two days. Gu Tingxuan was busy making arrangements. When he heard the news upon his return, he immediately thought it was not good and said to his wife anxiously, "Let's stay out of the eldest house's affairs. Don't let it cause trouble again. Less trouble is worse than more!"
"What do you know!" Mrs. Xuan rolled her eyes at her husband, then leaned in closer to elaborate, "I've thought about this matter over and over again. Although it's a bit annoying, it also has its benefits. First, my sister-in-law is indeed in trouble. If this funeral is too big, the two Ye brothers will be unhappy. If it's too small, people will inevitably gossip. If I take it over for her, she will definitely remember my kindness. Second..."
She brought a cup of warm tea to her husband and lowered her voice. "Looking at the situation in our mansion, it's only a matter of time before we split up and live separately. Then we'll have to rely on ourselves for everything. But these years, my father-in-law has asked my second brother to handle everything, big or small. We have no connections, no connections, and not much money. We should take advantage of this funeral to make some useful friends."
Gu Tingxuan didn't take it seriously and shook his head, saying, "We only have a few relatives and friends. Didn't you know them a long time ago?"
"You!" Mrs. Xuan tapped her husband's forehead vigorously. "How can those who came to pay their respects to the Ye brothers this time be the same as those who came before? Most of them hold real power. Seeing that my sister-in-law is willing to entrust such an important matter to me, how can they not look at us differently?!"
Gu Tingxuan has always been timid, but when he thought about his children who were growing up, some needed to get married, some needed to go to school, and they would inevitably need to find jobs in the future. It would not be good for them to rely on Gu Tingye for everything, so he finally nodded with a sigh.
To show her sincerity, Minglan went to Shao the next day to ask for the matching plaque and the key to the storeroom. She spent a long time explaining her difficulties and the necessity of seeking external help, but Shao was so exhausted that she said, "...It's all with mother..."
Why didn’t you tell me earlier! Minglan immediately rushed to the lady’s place.
The lady had a beige and green silk cotton handkerchief wrapped around her forehead and was lying there taking medicine, looking sick. After Minglan finished her second narration with great emotion, she seemed to be stunned and stared at Minglan for a long time. Her eyes were slightly red and it made Minglan feel uneasy. Then she asked her mother to get something.
Minglan secretly wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and handed the cards and keys to Madam Xuan with satisfaction. She insisted that "she is young and cannot handle things on her own", and she was also sure that the Madam would not dare to ask Zhu to take over the matter.
There are rumors flying around outside now, pointing out that the stepmother, the Lady Dowager, has had "ulterior motives" over the past few decades. If Zhu is asked to take over this matter at this moment, it will be even more convincing - she has been holding power for decades, using the excuse that the eldest son is sick and frail to ask the eldest daughter-in-law to take good care of him, and now she is still unwilling to let go!
Mrs. Xuan was a straightforward person. With no one to hinder her, she managed the funeral very smoothly. She was low-key but respectful, and the etiquette was comprehensive but not cumbersome. When it was time to mourn, the whole mansion was filled with thunderous wails that could be heard clearly half a mile away. When it was time to entertain guests, servants were busy running around inside and outside, and everything was in order.
Minglan only needed to carry half a bottle of osmanthus oil and cry in front of Gu Tingyu's spirit several times a day. She would still have the energy to familiarize herself with the personnel relationships in Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion and take a look at the treasury that she had been curious about for a long time.
She felt that she had invited the right person, and she would express her gratitude to Mrs. Xuan every other day, with a different expression every day. This praise made Mrs. Xuan extremely happy, and she completely forgot the fatigue and hardship of only sleeping two hours a day.
Apart from that, Minglan spent most of the rest of her time in Shao's house.
According to the director of the Imperial Hospital, the lady's illness was a matter of "mood", but Shao's illness came on suddenly, and she was in a rage and looked as if she was on the verge of death. Minglan was shocked and thought that instead of pretending to be sad outside, it would be more fulfilling to take care of a living person, and it would be easier to get along with her in the future.
Shao Shi refused to pay any attention to Minglan. No matter what Minglan said or did, she simply closed her eyes and responded coldly. Minglan didn't get angry either. She only looked after her with gentle words and consideration, reading prescriptions, testing herbal medicines, and sharing important news about the guests at the funeral hall. She also brought Rong Jie'er to keep Xian Jie'er company, and brought delicious food and fun things from Chengyuan every day to help the children forget their sorrow and at least eat and sleep. Shao Shi was not a hard-hearted person. Seeing Minglan's careful care, she couldn't help but soften her heart. She thought that these old grudges should not be taken out on a new daughter-in-law who had only been married for a few months. Gradually, her attitude changed and she became more polite and gentle with Minglan.
Seeing that she was disheartened and had no intention of recovering, but was only sad and her condition was getting worse, Minglan started to talk about her childhood, exaggerating her "fear", "hesitation", "loneliness" and helplessness after Wei's death.
"...It is said that a child without a mother is like a weed, which is absolutely true..." Minglan's eyes were red (she had just cried in front of the coffin again), and she choked softly, "My wife is very good, but she has to take care of the whole family and several brothers and sisters...If it were not for grandmother's mercy, I, I really don't know..." There was a long ellipsis at the end, letting Shao imagine it for himself.
Shao was truly horrified by what she heard. Even though she thought the Taifu was a "good person," she still felt uneasy about entrusting her daughter to her care. She thought her daughter already had no father, and if she also lost her mother, she didn't know what her future would be like. With her resolve, she recovered a great deal. On the day of the funeral, she was able to get up and walk out to thank her relatives and friends.
Of course, Minglan also received great praise. The lady smiled and praised her. Minglan expressed her modesty and said to herself: I will take you as an example and learn from you.
Speaking of which, this was the first time in Minglan's life that she had performed mourning so seriously and thoroughly. Not only were the maids in the courtyard not allowed to wear brightly colored clothes, but even Rong Jie'er had two new plain-colored clothes made for her, and she herself was impeccable from head to toe.
A jacket with four light-colored solid-color willow-branch patterns and a complete set of snow-white rice-beaded silver jewelry, without a single color change, even the coral tassels on the toes of the shoes were removed. Minglan turned this outfit around in front of Gu Tingye and asked what he thought of it.
Gu Tingye raised the corner of his lips and said, "If I die, it will be like this."
The lanterns at the entrance to the Marquis's residence were all covered in a blanket of white. Minglan thought it was time to hang two small white lanterns at the entrance to Chengyuan as a token of respect: "They've been hanging for about three months, haven't they?" Unexpectedly, Gu Tingye added, "When the old man passed away, they only hung for a hundred days. If they had been hanging for so long, people who didn't know would have thought I was dead."
Minglan sighed.
Well, this guy has been in a bad mood recently, speaking in a sarcastic tone and making sarcastic remarks all the time.
It's like you gather all your strength and are waiting to cause trouble for your enemy, but before you can really make a move, the enemy dies and is even given a grand funeral. Most of those who are trying to save your face are unaware of the inside story (they haven't had time to build up momentum), and they can't wait to show more grief than each other in front of the coffin. They can't say, "My brother and I were enemies in the previous life and are rivals in this life, so you don't have to try too hard."
In fact, Minglan was not very happy either. Holding the funeral was one thing, but the gifts sent to the Marquis' Mansion at a constant price... She felt a pang of pain in her heart. The eldest branch of the family had not yet split up, so all these gold and silver treasures had to be put into the treasury. However, she would probably have to pay back many of these favors in the future, and she didn't know how much would be left after the family split up.
But she still advised magnanimously: "After all, the dead are the greatest. He is dead, what is there for you to hold against him?"
"Ever since I was old enough to understand, I knew he wouldn't live long." Gu Tingye said expressionlessly, "I've never seen him get into trouble."
The deepest impression he had of his eldest brother in his childhood was that Gu Tingyu was half-dead and had to be supported by someone to drink medicine, while he was slandering his father with a malicious look. He had suffered a lot from this patient since he was a child. In his opinion, being sick cannot offset doing evil, and sympathy does not affect hatred. People who have done bad things should be dragged out of their hospital bed to be punished.
This concept has a certain modern meaning, and Minglan immediately expressed her admiration: "My husband is indeed clear about gratitude and resentment. He is a true man."
Gu Tingye glanced at her, his mood brightening considerably. He scolded her with a smile, "You're so sharp-tongued! It's a shame you don't go to the palace and engage in verbal sparring with those scholars!"
He has been very dissatisfied with scholars recently. Well, this is the second reason why he came in depressed.
Since June, he officially assumed the concurrent duties of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Five Military Commandery, Commander-in-Chief of the Left Army, and was granted the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. This elevated status resulted in his direct involvement in military and political discussions. As the situation stabilized, the undercurrents gradually subsided into heated debates. The main hall became a battleground for the various factions, where a group of people engaged in heated arguments daily.
They argued over the posthumous title of the late emperor, the different ceremonial treatment afforded to the two Empress Dowagers, personnel changes and promotions, and even over administrative deployments and national policy decisions. Unfortunately, the ancestral system of this dynasty was for civil officials to control military commanders, with military commanders primarily responsible for reporting, while debate and discussion were the province of the civil officials.
In the past, when Gu Tingye was only concerned with his own affairs, he could listen in on the palace without much fuss, as important matters would usually be copied several times and sent to important officials for their own discussion. But now, he was half civil and half military, so he had to listen carefully. Because when the emperor was speechless after being stopped by a civil official, he loved to ask, "X, my dear, what do you think of this matter?"
——The role of Minister X is usually played by Shen Congxing, Yao Ge Lao, and Gu Moumou in turn, with others having special roles.
What a fool! If he had the ability to show off his writing skills, why would he do this job and make a living by living on the edge of a knife?
What difference does it make whether or not the late emperor's posthumous title should have an extra "wen" (literary)? Just this one thing is enough to rally the two factions, who have always had a grudge against each other, and argue from dawn to dusk, spouting all sorts of nonsense and quoting classics, from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors all the way to the late emperor's improper favoritism towards the young Rong concubine in his later years.
This kind of quarrel was relatively mild. At least the emperor didn't have any big objections. It was also quite interesting to watch his subordinates fighting.
The new emperor was obviously too young and unaware of the dangers of the court. When the two factions could not reach an agreement, they asked the emperor for arbitration.
If the emperor doesn't agree, it would be unfilial. Before his death, the old emperor personally pulled you up from the barren land, cultivated you, supported you, and appointed you as the heir to the throne. And you still think the old emperor is bad?! You have a very bad conscience!
Then, without further ado, he recited a series of quotations from classics.
If the emperor agreed, it would be unclear. The old emperor had delayed the succession for over a decade, causing turmoil and bloodshed throughout the empire, with the capital city completely ravaged. Countless loyal ministers and generals perished in the two subsequent upheavals, and yet he still offered no explanation? Your Majesty, you must be willing to sacrifice your own humble reputation for filial piety for the sake of justice and the people of the world!
Then, without further ado, he recited a series of quotations from classics.
The new emperor is so depressed. Oh my god, he was shot even when he was lying down.
Fortunately, he had helpers. After arguing for half a year, it took a lot of effort to settle the matter.
A while ago, there was a dispute in the court over the treatment of the two Empress Dowagers.
The emperor naturally hoped to ask for better treatment for his biological mother, but a group of civil officials disagreed, saying that before the late emperor died, he had given an oral instruction to the full house of his ministers, "After his death, the Imperial Noble Consort must be treated well, and all the rituals must be the same as those for the Empress."
In fact, the old emperor was already sick and confused at the time, and was about to die. In his coma, he only recognized Concubine De who had been with him for many years. According to modern legal views, an oral will in this situation is actually not valid.
The quarrel lasted for half a month, and the emperor was so angry that he gnashed his teeth. Not only did the group of people not give in, they also insisted that they would settle the score based on seniority and demanded that Empress Dowager Shengde live in the larger and more prestigious east rear hall.
Geng, who was absent from duty at the time, was accidentally called upon by the emperor to speak. He accidentally said, "A mother's own is naturally more honorable than one who is not related to her." This remark stirred up a hornet's nest.
Comrade Lao Geng was immediately met with a barrage of condemnation and abuse like volcanic ash, being called "unlearned and incompetent", "uncultured", and "absurd and ignorant"... These were considered mild criticisms. More serious criticisms directly accused him of having "ulterior motives" and "evil intentions".
Poor old comrade Geng was so dizzy and distracted by the scolding that it was said that he was helped home by Zhong Dayou.
According to Gu Tingye's speculation, the emperor actually sympathized with Lao Geng.
In the simple-minded Shu borderlands, the common mode of resolution is to settle scores. Whenever there's a problem, everyone pulls out their knives, stabbing six holes in the process, and the end is done. Comrade Geng likely hasn't encountered the highly aggressive nature of civil servants. Most appear refined and elegant, but they're fierce and fierce on the inside. They never resort to violence, but always resort to words. With a single stroke of a pen, they can curse you from your ancestors to your sister-in-law's second uncle's nephew who recently visited a brothel without paying. They're absolutely bloodless.
The next day, memorials impeaching him flew into the cabinet like snowflakes.
According to the ancient patriarchal system and etiquette, a mother by blood was less important than a mother by law. If a concubine's son achieved great success, it was the legitimate mother who received the honors and imperial decrees, not the concubine's (who might have had a much better life). If the concubine's mother had to be honored, the honor would go to the legitimate mother first, and then the concubine's mother.
Lao Geng felt very wronged. He had no intention of going against the powerful etiquette and laws.
In fact, a careful analysis shows that the situation in the emperor's family is not like this.
Empress Sheng An was not promoted directly from the position of concubine to the position of Empress Dowager. She was canonized as Empress in a ceremony. On the contrary, Imperial Noble Consort (De Fei) jumped from the position of concubine to become Empress Dowager. She didn't have a son to become emperor, so how could she be so?!
It was obvious that the civil servants were trying to confuse the public. They caught a handle on Lao Geng and started to make a fuss about it, making endless noise and extending the matter to a whole new matter.
When the new emperor first ascended the throne, he was unable to withstand their human wave tactics and was blinded by the spit all over the place. He appointed two empress dowagers. Now he is constrained in every way by the harem, and he must be regretting it.
Perhaps someone gave the emperor some advice from behind, and after he understood the situation, he became more resolute in his stance. For the sake of his mother and for his own better life in the future, he refused to give in even when Empress Dowager Shengde went to the Taimiao to mourn the late emperor.
Five or six officials who were particularly aggressive were dismissed in one go, and more than ten officials were demoted. This was how the arrogance of that group of people was suppressed. In the meantime, the blame for Empress Dowager Shengde's illness was also put on that group of people, with the charge of "stirring up discord among the royal family and having evil intentions."
This battle was a great victory. Unfortunately, Comrade Geng is still at home, claiming to be ill, and is too shy to go out and see people.
However, Lord Yao said that this kind of hard-core kung fu should not be used too often. The emperor was more or less in the right this time, and it did not involve much in the real interests of the country. If the emperor used his power to oppress others every time, his reputation would be bad.
Minglan nodded. It's true that experience is always the best. Lord Yao had hit the nail on the head.
It's better to listen to advice and adopt the opinions of your ministers, and work together. After all, the emperor and Gu Tingye are inexperienced and are still learning many aspects of state affairs. The customs of the people in the east and west are very different, and the officialdom is full of factions. If you insist on your own way, if something goes wrong, you won't even have an excuse to shirk responsibility. It will all be your fault, emperor.
So classmate Gu had no choice but to give up.
To avoid disappointing the emperor, and even more so to avoid repeating the mistakes of Comrade Geng, he would spend his evenings reading and analyzing the files of his accusations. At work, he would listen to the quarrels of scholars with unwavering concentration, not daring to slack off for a moment. After work, he would go home to mourn his nemesis, his elder brother. Even if he couldn't muster any tears, he would at least wail a few times to show his respect. It would be strange if he wasn't depressed.
Fortunately, he was a very smart man. Around the time his deceased elder brother turned 49, he was able to interrupt during court discussions, and - according to Lord Yao - his interruptions were very sophisticated.
A few days ago, the topic of salt administration came up for discussion in the court.
In recent years, the salt business has been in chaos, private salt is rampant, and official salt cannot collect taxes. The accounts are kept flawlessly and everyone is united. The late emperor sent several groups of people to investigate, but they either returned empty-handed or got themselves stuck and finally returned to the capital in a prison cart to report.
The current emperor wants to put things in order, but the officials are arguing as usual. The general meaning is that they can't make any more trouble. If they start to make trouble, it will lead to chaos and the world will be unstable again.
Gu Tingye listened for a whole morning, caught the one who was shouting the loudest, and asked humbly, "Let's not talk about anything else for now, let's just ask whether the salt business should be rectified or not."
The official was embarrassed for a long time and went on a long rambling about the consequences, impacts and difficulties.
Gu Tingye asked again, "So you mean don't fix it? Just let it rot?"
No matter how those people talked around the issue, Gu Tingye only asked one question: Should the salt affairs be rectified for the sake of the country and the people?
Salt tax accounted for one-fifth of the national treasury revenue, but now it is less than one-fiftieth. The salt business has become so corrupt that no official dares to say that it will not be rectified. The court was silent for a while. Seeing this, the emperor was greatly encouraged.
Very good, very good. Since everyone believes that the salt administration should be rectified, the next questions are 'how to rectify it', 'who to send to rectify it', and 'whether to proceed gradually or with a quick resolution'.
Minglan was very impressed. Gu Tingye was indeed on top of things. He hadn't even studied policy essays for two days before he knew how to use the separation debate method. However, when the court discussed the selection of the person to oversee the salt administration, Minglan couldn't help but feel uneasy: "Do you... want to go?"
Gu Tingye waved his sleeves and sat upright on the armchair, smiling and saying, "I told the emperor this morning that I can't do this kind of delicate work."
Minglan patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
Life was really difficult for women in ancient times. They didn't want their husbands to be like Hai Rui, but they were also afraid that they would become Yan Song. They would rather be like Tan Lun, who was both loyal and righteous, had friends all over the world, and had a high official position and a good end, and finally had blessings for his descendants.
Seeing her like this, Gu Tingye smiled and pinched her earlobe, saying gently, "Don't worry. The emperor has made a clear prediction this time. The Lianghuai Rebellion a few years ago had just ended, and many of the garrisons in various places had been replaced. Most of the commanders and generals were loyal to the emperor's orders, so the emperor decided to take action."
Minglan hugged the man's arm, smiling like a morning glory, rested her head on his strong shoulder, and whispered, "As long as you are safe and sound, I don't care about wealth and glory." Her tone was soft and her body was warm.
Gu Tingye just felt itchy in his heart, and hugged Minglan with his backhand, his eyes darkened, a smile on his lips, and one hand slowly moved down to her waist.
Minglan held down his hand, her face flushing, "I'm wearing mourning clothes."
No contraceptive method is 100% safe, especially since she is in her dangerous period.
Gu Tingye had a gloomy face. He hugged Minglan and rubbed her for a long time. Finally, he stood up and walked out with big strides. Minglan saw that he looked unhappy, so she followed him and asked in a low voice.
"Go pull the lantern."
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