According to the etiquette of the Zhou Dynasty, after the death of a biological elder brother, the younger brothers had to wear mourning clothes for a year without using a cane, which was actually nine months. However, Gu Tingyu was not an ordinary elder brother, but the eldest son of the Gu family, who inherited the title of marquis and was once a head of the family. Therefore, the first three months were a period of heavy mourning, with sexual intercourse, banquets, and entertainment prohibited.
With his beautiful wife in front of him, he couldn't eat her or touch her. Seeing Zhu's belly growing bigger day by day, the man's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he felt that he was not compatible with the Qin family.
One day, the Dongchang Marquis Mansion invited the couple to taste tea and new plum blossoms, but they flatly refused.
With red eyes, the lady went to find Minglan and had a talk with her.
"My Lord is truly devastated," Minglan explained. "The pain is so deep in my heart, I can't let it go. I can't even bear to look at the white lanterns. The sight of them reminds me of you... I'm afraid that thinking of my brother will make me sad."
The lady felt a tightness in her chest, and thinking of recent events, she became even more angry and almost fainted again.
After comforting her "weak" mother-in-law, Minglan leisurely returned to Chengyuan, but received a message from the Sheng family: Changbai was going to be sent out, and would leave at the end of the month, and invited the sixth uncle and aunt to come back home for a chat.
Minglan was full of doubts and turned around and said, "I remember that it was Daddy who was going to be sent out. How come he became Big Brother?"
Gu Tingye leaned against the window, holding a book, and said with a smile: "Old Taishan is very clear-headed and sharp-eyed, and it's not just Shen Shiqi, the old fox, who is clever."
This political tumbler is a real figure. He never offends anyone no matter where he is. He can read the emperor's face and grasp the undercurrents of the officials. The new emperor feels that he has a good grasp of the situation.
But recently, the officialdom has become increasingly difficult to navigate. He's constantly offending one official, another, the court officials, or the emperor. He's desperate to lose his integrity and finally fall into a ditch. Since the beginning of the year, Shen Shiqi has been submitting petitions requesting his retirement. The emperor naturally disagrees, so Shen Shiqi simply feigns illness for six months (during which time he avoided two unprecedentedly fierce court debates) and openly absent from work.
The emperor couldn't beat him in tug-of-war, so he had to agree.
According to the emperor's expectation, instead of having an unpopular prime minister, it is better to let this old fox continue to work, and when the time is right, he can replace him with his own confidant. Lord Yao, whom the emperor trusts, has just joined the cabinet and has little experience. If Shen Shiqi quits at this time, the emperor's candidate is not up to the task, and the emperor is not confident in the one who can take over.
The old fox was very shrewd. As soon as he got the approval, he immediately recommended a candidate to the emperor. In the turbulent court, the emperor caught sight of Mr. Lu who was in a half-asleep state - come on, it's you.
"This old guy..." Gu Tingye couldn't help gritting his teeth when he mentioned him.
In fact, Mr. Lu is even older than Shen Shiqi, but he is much more indifferent. He says what he should say and does what he should do. As long as the emperor does not hate him, he will contribute to the country until his death.
Before leaving, Shen Shiqi sent his most favored nephew and grandson-in-law to a safe place. With his nephew and disciples looking after them in the court, he finished these tasks in high spirits. Only then did he get on the carriage back home with a look of devotion and dedication.
Perhaps Sheng Hong heard something from Mr. Lu, or saw something himself, and felt that instead of letting his son, who had just entered politics, be dragged into muddy water, it would be better to take a break first and see which way the wind blows, so as not to ruin his bright future.
Gu Tingye was very much in favor. Even with his high official position, the emperor's great favor, and the fact that military generals rarely participated in court discussions (he was still primarily a military official), there were still people who tried to trip him up, let alone Sheng Changbai.
When the couple arrived at Sheng's house, they found out that Sheng Hong had something to ask Gu Tingye.
"Ze County is located in a remote area with high mountains and long roads. I'm not worried about your brother having to endure hardships. It's good for young people to endure some hardships. I'm just worried that the road is overgrown with weeds and the official road is not safe..."
Gu Tingye understood immediately, "Father-in-law's concerns are justified. I will find a few capable guards for my uncle right away, and they will definitely ensure his safety." He paused, thinking about it, and then said, "Chenzhou Prefecture is close to Ze County, and I happen to have a few old acquaintances. I will write a few letters to ask them to take care of him and not let any villains disturb my uncle."
Sheng Hong breathed a sigh of relief and said with relief, "I've never trusted the abilities of the servants in the mansion. If you ask for help, as long as they are capable and honest, the Sheng family will never treat them unfairly. If we can have a long-lasting relationship, we will have a solution for birth, old age, sickness and death."
Gu Tingye nodded and said, "That's very good."
"Thank you, brother-in-law." Changbai bowed.
In the inner room, Wang was crying like a tearful person, tugging at Minglan's sleeve and sobbing non-stop: "Tell me what your father is thinking. Our family is not without ability now. Even if we have to be sent away, we should find a good place. They say that poor mountains and bad waters produce unruly people. That place... I'm just afraid, I'm just afraid..."
Old Madam Sheng, who was sitting at the head of the table, had a gloomy expression on her face and looked very unhappy, as if she didn't want to say a word.
Minglan stroked her pinched wrist and continued to comfort her, "Madam, please be at ease. Father has always been sensible. He only did this for my brother's own good."
"What do you mean by 'for his own good'? I think he's getting old and confused!" Wang cried bitterly. "Your elder brother has been raised in luxury and has never suffered any hardship. What can we do about this?"
Minglan was extremely troubled. After trying to persuade her for a long time, Wang Shi continued to cry, and her tears became louder and louder.
Old Madam Sheng finally lost her patience and slammed the table, scolding, "Are you done yet?! Your son-in-law is sitting outside, are you shameless?! I think your old habit has come back. What's going on outside is a man's business, so stay out of it, or else there will be trouble!"
Wang covered her handkerchief with her hands, lowered her voice slightly, and sobbed, "I dare not ask about what's going on outside, but this is Brother Bai's business! He, he... I heard that the people there are very wild and uncivilized. Brother Bai has never seen anything like this in his life..."
"Shut up! What do you know?!" The old lady was so frustrated that she clenched her teacup tightly in her fingers, wishing she could throw it at her to wake her up. "Although Naze County is poor and remote, and not a strategic location, the more inconspicuous a place is, the fewer conflicts of interest there are. As long as Bai'er is safe and sound, we can manage the place well, provide a rest for the people, build bridges and roads, and encourage agriculture. We can actually achieve great things. Why go to such a comfortable place? To make money?"
Wang was stunned: "Really, really...?"
Seeing this, the old lady could only sigh, "How easy is it for you to be a county magistrate in one of those wealthy places? It's a land of fish and rice, a land of salt and iron, and a coastal area. There are all kinds of relationships entangled, and layers of power behind it. Our family's foundation is still shallow, and Brother Bo can't touch or touch it. That's the hard part."
Wang's sobs gradually subsided, but she still looked worried, as if she hadn't fully believed the news. The old lady became impatient and said directly, "Anyway, the matter has been decided. You should stop saying such sensational things. Tell Bo Ge'er and his wife to feel at ease when they go out, and don't scare them."
"A couple? Grandma's going too?" Wang's attention span was amazing. While wiping her eyes, she caught the important point and said dissatisfiedly, "Other daughters-in-law stay to serve their parents-in-law!"
"Of course we'll go together!" the old lady glared and scolded. "Do you think that poor, remote place is a good place? Can you rest assured without the eldest lady to look after it? Are you going to let Bo'er go to the post alone? Don't open your mouth, I'll tell you. Don't rush to carry the concubine, it won't make the journey awkward. Find a few considerate maids to take care of them."
Wang's face flushed red as she lowered her head in embarrassment. The old lady added sarcastically, "Don't worry. If the man has that in mind, how can a wife stop him? Don't get into any trouble right now! If you have time, go check on Ru'er. She's about to give birth."
Minglan kept her head down, standing respectfully to the side. It was difficult for a younger generation to say anything when their grandparents scolded their parents, especially since she felt the old lady was right. Ms. Wang was like a dull clock, unwound at the crucial moment.
After a few more words, Old Lady Sheng sent Wang out to greet Gu Tingye. It would not be good if the son-in-law could not even see his mother-in-law when he came to his wife's house so rarely. Upon hearing this, Wang hurried back to her room to wash her face and put on her makeup again.
The old lady left Minglan alone in Shou'an Hall. After asking a few questions about family matters, she got straight to the point: "I heard that your mansion is going to split up? Didn't the emperor allocate the reward money for building a mansion? It's been almost two months, why haven't you merged the mansions yet?"
Minglan smiled bitterly. She knew the old lady would ask this, so she simply said, "We've already thought about dividing the family. Tingye definitely doesn't want to live with those people. But how to ask for it, how to get rid of them, I haven't figured it out yet. I'm still trying to figure it out... Sigh."
No one really thought of this.
At that time, Gu Tingyu's condition looked bad, and relatives from Jinling and Qingcheng also arrived one after another. Unexpectedly, right in front of the bed, in front of everyone, he suddenly struggled to get up and took out two pieces of paper from under the pillow.
On a piece of paper was written the detailed property list of the Marquis's mansion after he inherited the title, including farmland, treasury silver, shops, valuable items handed down from ancestors, and collections of calligraphy and paintings accumulated over generations.
At that time, the lady's face turned slightly blue.
The other piece of paper was a document from an old year. It was a deed written by Gu Tingye's grandparents about thirty years ago when they divided the family property among their children. It clearly recorded how much each of the three legitimate branches (the first, fourth, and fifth branches) got, and how much each of the illegitimate branches (the illegitimate sons who had been separated earlier) got. The real estate, silver, and land were all written in great detail.
The expressions of the people in the fourth and fifth rooms changed immediately.
While he still had the strength, Gu Tingyu asked several uncles and cousins to review the document one by one and verify the seal on it.
Although he was sick and dying, his mind was in good shape and he spoke very eloquently: "My second brother has been away from home all year round and doesn't know much about family affairs. Now I can at least explain everything to him. This will help to keep things going smoothly in the future and I will be able to fulfill my father's last wish."
In the silence, everyone understood clearly.
"...The master of the Gu family is truly a character." Old Madam Sheng said slowly, her eyes slightly closed.
Minglan sighed, "Tingye...I'm very unhappy."
Although he knew it was very difficult and would inevitably be criticized, Gu Tingye was confident that he could deal with that group of bastards. But now Gu Tingyu did it for him, risking offending the lady.
He has to remember this favor whether he wants to or not.
"Are they willing to leave?" the old lady asked in a low voice, leaning back in her chair.
"You have to agree even if you don't want to." The clear voice was extremely cold.
The old lady suddenly opened her eyes and stared at Minglan, her eyes gleaming with brilliance. She said in a deep voice, "What do you want to do?"
Minglan stood proudly, her rosy lips curled slightly. "Now, the imperial seal and the imperial edict are all with me. If they don't leave, I won't tear down the wall of Chengyuan. Thinking of merging the mansions is just a dream."
"So..." The old lady relaxed her expression and looked interested.
"I can afford to delay, Tingye can delay, everyone can delay, except..." Minglan suddenly smiled faintly, "Sister Tingcan can't wait any longer."
If Gu Tingcan wants to get married, he has to hurry up, otherwise he will really become an old maid.
Xiao Qinshi is a person who has always been good at hiding behind others and pretending to be insignificant, but she always uses others as targets to rush forward.
This time, Minglan wants her to do it herself. Once the truth is revealed, their true faces will be revealed. If they want to fight again, she will have to go bare-chested. She will accompany them all!
After a long while, the old lady smiled slightly and said, "Is this what you thought?"
Minglan's eyes were firm: "He has given me honor and trust. I can't just enjoy wealth and glory."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
