In fact, Minglan was not exaggerating. If she could really get rid of those bad relatives, she would definitely give up the Gu family's ancestral property. Money can be earned slowly, but these relatives are a trouble that cannot be gotten rid of.
On this day, Minglan went to Xuanzhi Garden to pay her respects to the lady-in-waiting as usual, and during the conversation she brought up the matter of the Bing Mansion. The lady-in-waiting originally thought that Minglan was going to refuse, but she was surprisingly straightforward and talked about the progress in a few words.
"This Zhang Tianshi was recommended by Madam Geng. He handles many feng shui divinations in the capital. He's said to be honest and tight-lipped, not some scammer who scams people out of their money."
Zhu, holding her large belly, said, "I've heard of this Taoist priest Zhang, too. My family expanded their gardens that year and asked him to take a look. He said his predictions are extremely effective. He guarantees prosperity for our family and smooth marriages and childbearing."
The lady was delighted to hear this and asked, "Have you found a bricklayer?"
Minglan replied with a smile, "This time, it's thanks to the recommendation from the Zheng family's eldest lady. When they married the Empress's younger sister a few years ago, they renovated half of the house. The walls and beams are strong and solid, and the floor heating and kang beds are well-ventilated and warm. The second lady is living there now and she says it's perfect. The team is not only skilled, but also down-to-earth. They didn't overestimate the prices for the materials. I sent someone with the Zheng family's invitation, and the team owner has agreed. They'll be coming over in the next few days to measure the land and prepare a blueprint for us to review."
The lady paused fiddling with the bowl lid. "...We just announced we were going to break ground the other day, and today you've already finalized everything. You're quite quick. But, I'm afraid it's not a good idea to have a bunch of strangers like this in the inner chambers of the Gu Mansion."
Shao peeked at her mother-in-law's expression and whispered, "Mother, do you think anything is wrong?"
"What could be wrong with being recommended by the Zheng family? However..." The Madam put down her tea bowl and gently stroked the Buddhist beads on her wrist, "Minglan, you've just married into the family. You might not know that our Gu family usually employs a team of bricklayers, who have been using them since your father-in-law's time. I was thinking of asking Butler Mo to talk to you about this."
Minglan was shocked and ashamed. She covered her mouth and said, "Oh, I really didn't know that. What should I do? I've already told Madam Zheng. It would be a bad idea to change people now."
The lady stared at her for a long time before she slowly said, "Everyone says you're young and inexperienced, but I don't think so. Brother Ye is busy with his work and has no time to take care of it. I originally thought it would be difficult for a young wife like you to handle such a big matter, but you didn't ask any of the elders or sisters-in-law in the family, and you handled everything by yourself. It turns out that the younger generation is really formidable..."
Minglan pretended not to understand what she meant, and imitated Wang Shi's behavior in front of Old Madam Sheng (who really didn't understand), with an ignorant smile on her face: "It's all thanks to you."
She now finally understood why Old Lady Sheng was becoming more and more direct in her scolding of Wang. A daughter-in-law who was stupid and difficult to dismiss could indeed turn a reserved and reserved young lady into a shrewish mother-in-law.
Shao seemed uncomfortably attuned to this atmosphere, tilting her head slightly. Zhu lowered her head and rubbed her belly. A young, strong, and powerful stepson, and a stepmother with whom she already had a grudge, how much more submissive could one expect from their stepdaughter-in-law?
The lady knew that it was not appropriate to turn hostile at this moment, so she simply pretended to be deaf and dumb, thinking of marrying her daughter off first.
Minglan wouldn't initiate a fight; she was incredibly busy. Besides managing household affairs, she also had to oversee the demolition and groundbreaking. Between the Marquis's residence and Chengyuan lay a vacant small courtyard and a stretch of forest. The initial work involved demolishing most of the high fence separating the two residences, connecting the walls and encompassing the empty houses and forest in between.
That's relatively easy to do; the real expense is the labor involved. Remote forests need planning: fence what needs to be fenced in, level the land where it needs to be leveled, plant fruit trees and flowers, and leave enough space for paving roads. Pavilions, terraces, and towers are also a common sight.
Let's take it slow. Minglan is not in a hurry. She plans to improve it bit by bit, do everything within her ability, and do as much as she can with the money she has.
Because women are not allowed to show their faces in public, the general manager Hao Dacheng had to run back and forth more than ten times a day. Minglan often complained of being thirsty. Only the male owner, Gu, had only visited the construction site twice (on his way), flipped through the drawings three times, and only said something like "open the door a little smaller" before he rolled up his sleeves and continued to devote himself to serving the country and the people.
Life must go on, and the project continues at a leisurely pace.
The autumn wind was strong and the crabs were fat. The palace issued rewards, and all the princes and nobles received reunion cakes, taro, chestnuts, chrysanthemum hairpins and other things to show the emperor's grace. At the same time, several families who were favored by the emperor received other rewards.
Minglan received six-colored large-cup tribute chrysanthemums with giant claws, in the colors of dark black, golden yellow, bright purple, light pink, scarlet, and pure white, as well as ten baskets of fresh tribute crabs. As a reward beyond the usual norm, she had to go to the palace to express her gratitude as usual.
Whether the nobles in the palace would meet her was another matter, but as a minister she had to follow etiquette, otherwise it would be disrespectful. After submitting her name card to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and being approved (what a pity), Minglan had to get up early the next day, get dressed, and drive into the palace.
After passing through the inner gate of the imperial city, you have to get off the car, carry heavy luggage, and have an empty stomach, hiking in the vast palace city, and you have to keep your facial expression in a distorted state of fear, gratitude and joy at all times - it is really painful.
Minglan would rather be rewarded less often.
Led by the palace servants, they finally entered a palace room where two noble ladies, both dressed in first-rank imperial attire, were already sitting. One was about forty years old, with a pale and quiet complexion, whom Minglan did not recognize; the other was Zhang, the emperor's wife, whom Minglan had not seen for a long time.
The two behaved closely and looked somewhat similar.
Minglan forced an elegant smile at them, then moved to a seat as quickly as court etiquette would allow. Then, she raised her head gracefully and smiled at the noblewoman before her. She had just exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhang, and before she could say anything else, a female official walked in and announced, "Please move to Yining Palace."
Minglan's heart sank. Yining Palace was the residence of Empress Dowager Shengde. The three of them immediately stood up. Before leaving, Zhang smiled at Minglan and said, "This is my mother." Minglan had already guessed what was going on and hurriedly bowed, "Greetings, Madam Duke of Yingguo."
"Don't be so polite." Lady Zhang, Duke of England, was very graceful. She took Minglan's hand affectionately, and as they walked, she looked at Minglan and chuckled softly, "She's really beautiful. People say Erlang is getting married, but now I know it's true."
Minglan blushed and said a few humble words.
It was not allowed to talk privately in the palace, so the three of them followed the palace servants quietly and soon arrived at Yining Palace. After the palace servants announced, the three of them entered one after another, knelt down and saluted, and then stood respectfully aside.
Nanny Kong had taught the girls of the Sheng family several ways to look around inconspicuously with their heads bowed. Minglan chose one, which was to slightly tilt her cheek, keep her eyelids still, and only move her gaze, so that she could clearly see the surrounding situation.
The room was packed with women in court attire. Minglan took a quick glance and saw the Empress Dowager Shengde sitting at the head of the table, the Empress at the second, and her sister, Xiao Shen, standing beside them. Both sisters looked unhappy. Judging from the Empress Dowager's demeanor and speech, she seemed quite cheerful and relaxed, and she must have been a bright and lively beauty in her youth. She smiled at the three newcomers and said, "I just got a new tea, so I invited the Empress and her sisters to have some tea. I'm sorry to have made you three ladies make an extra trip."
Minglan and the other three declined the offer quickly and thanked him several times.
Little Shen forced a smile and walked down to the Zhang family mother and daughter. She bowed to her sister-in-law and aunt-in-law. The Queen smiled from above and said, "I was thinking of you. I have some freshly made eight-treasure black rice steamed cakes from the imperial kitchen. It's a recipe from southern Sichuan. I'm afraid it's not available in the capital. You can take some back to try."
Madam Zhang led the way in thanking the Empress, followed by Minglan and Zhang. Madam Zhang smiled and said, "They say southern snacks have a variety of flavors. For those of us who have lived in the capital our entire lives, we are truly blessed by the Empress today."
The Empress also smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries. She glanced at the pregnant Yu Zhaoyi beside her and frowned slightly, saying, "You're not feeling well. You should go back and rest." Yu Zhaoyi's pregnancy had made her look even more beautiful than before. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty is considerate of me, but I've been a greedy person since I was a child. It's a rare opportunity to get some good tea. How can I leave?"
Empress Dowager Shengde beamed, "You naughty boy! Your mouth is so charming. No wonder the Emperor and Empress love you so much lately!"
"Look at what you said, Your Majesty. Don't you love me anymore?" Concubine Yu said coquettishly.
Sitting next to Empress Dowager Shengde was a thin woman, her own daughter-in-law, Princess Yu. She took every opportunity to join in the fun, and the whole palace was filled with laughter. Only the Empress's face became increasingly unsightly, and she tried hard to maintain her dignity.
Minglan quickly looked away and lowered her head.
Because the emperor was afraid that his own mother would be wronged, he deliberately separated the two Empress Dowagers so that Empress Dowager Sheng An could live more comfortably. However, it made the Empress tired. She had to run to two places every morning to pay her respects to her two mothers-in-law, and then return to the palace to receive respects from the concubines.
The Duke of England has always been the leader of all the dukes, with an extraordinary status in the court and respected by everyone. Empress Dowager Shengde awarded a seat to Madam Zhang. Minglan, Xiao Shen and Zhang also benefited from it and got a stool next to it to sit on. Minglan was very lucky.
As soon as she sat down, she heard Empress Dowager Shengde say to Madam Zhang with a half-smile, "I won't hide anything in front of you. Come and look at these two..." She pointed at the two women in palace attire beside her. Minglan followed her gaze and couldn't help but be slightly surprised. What a pair of stunning beauties! These two women were both under twenty years old. Although they were past the age of 18, they were still stunningly beautiful and radiant.
"They have both served me for many years. They are gentle, well-behaved, and sensible. I like them very much. Seeing that they are getting older, I want to find a home for them. ... Alas, because I can't bear to let them go, I thought of letting them serve the emperor, but I didn't expect the empress to be very unhappy." Empress Dowager Shengde sighed, but her eyes were fixed on Madam Zhang.
This is accusing the Queen of being jealous.
Minglan silently counted the beads on her dress and repeated to herself a hundred times, 'I'm not the protagonist, I'm just a supporting role with no lines'.
Madam Zhang was no pushover either. She smiled graciously, "The Emperor's thriving offspring are due, I believe, to the Empress's benevolence and virtue. The Empress Dowager naturally has sincere and kind intentions, but the Empress must also have other considerations. Since these two girls are so outstanding, wouldn't it be better for the Empress Dowager to choose other talented young men of comparable age and appearance for them?"
After hearing this, the queen smiled and looked at Madam Zhang with smiling eyes as a token of praise.
The Queen Mother met with a soft rebuff and smiled indifferently, "Talented or not, I don't care anymore. Since they can't stay in the palace, I might as well find someone closer to them, like the Emperor's uncle, General Zheng..." Her eyes slid across the palace like ice, catching sight of Minglan, "And Commander Gu, take him in as a concubine. I can see him more often."
Minglan wailed in her heart - she was shot even when she was lying down. The Queen Mother's target was obviously the Shen family, and Gu Tingye was probably just a by-product.
Little Shen was the first to jump up, but then she suppressed her shock and spoke calmly, "How can this be possible? The people around the Empress Dowager are all valuable. They must find a good marriage, how can they be a concubine?"
Empress Dowager Shengde chuckled, looking at the frightened little Shen with amusement. "They're not that precious. They're just country girls from the wilderness, brought into the palace at a young age, and have no family to rely on. Rather than looking for a husband, it's better to find a kind and benevolent mistress who will, for my sake, allow them to live a good life. What do you think, ladies, are you willing to give me this favor?"
The last sentence was spoken with a slightly rising voice, which already had a hint of intimidation.
The Queen's face was pale and blue, and Little Shen's face was red enough to bleed. Only Zhang looked calm. She stood out quietly and saluted: "Your concubine will obey the Queen Mother's orders."
Mrs. Zhang looked at her daughter with loving concern, her eyes a mixture of pity, heartache, and a hint of blame.
After hearing what Zhang said, Minglan almost blurted out, "In that case, why not take both of them in? This will save your sister and me a headache. The Queen Mother will be relieved to have such a virtuous mistress."
Finally she remembered the occasion and bravely controlled her tongue.
Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother had another trick up her sleeve. She sighed, "Because of the mourning for the late Emperor, several girls around me have been delayed. I have always wanted to find good marriages for them."
Minglan couldn't help but look at the two women again. They lowered their heads, their faces flushed, and they looked charming and shy. Their beauty was so stunning that Minglan felt a little dumbfounded.
Suddenly, she understood: these women should have been prepared by Empress Dowager Shotoku for her son, but unfortunately, a disaster struck, her son's throne was robbed, she herself was imprisoned, and these two women were also delayed.
Behind the screen beside the two women, there were shadowy figures, as if there were several more beauties standing there. Minglan's thoughts were nonsensical and wild. Could they be the reserve team?
The Queen Mother asked Xiao Shen again, but Xiao Shen remained silent and looked from the Queen for help.
Empress Dowager Shengde was not in a hurry. She just smiled as she watched her embarrassed struggle. Then she slowly turned to Minglan and was about to ask a question when Princess Yu suddenly said, "Madam Gu, what are you laughing at?"
Everyone in the hall focused their attention on one spot. They saw Madam Gu Tingye standing respectfully and gracefully by the side. No one knew what she was thinking, but the corners of her mouth were slightly raised in a faint smile.
"Madam Gu, what are you laughing at? Do you think the Queen Mother is funny?" Princess Yu was originally a kind and gentle person, and had a good reputation in the capital. But after watching her husband die from poisoned wine with her own eyes, the world changed drastically, and her temperament also changed drastically, becoming a little sharp.
Minglan was startled awake by the words, secretly regretting her carelessness and momentary carelessness. It was true that she had been living too comfortably after marriage and had forgotten the strict rules of following orders in the Sheng family. She would have to retrain herself when she returned. Her past experience told her that at this moment, instead of pretending to be calm and composed, it would be better to be natural.
"How dare I, your humble concubine, laugh at the Queen Mother..." Minglan looked terrified and stuttered.
Sure enough, this look worked, and the Queen Mother and Princess Yu both looked at her cheerfully, seeming to be very happy and relaxed.
The topic was changed, and Xiao Shen breathed a sigh of relief. The Queen saw the opportunity and quickly said, "Princess Yu, you are wrong. Madam Gu is well-educated and well-mannered, how could she be rude? Don't be so fierce. She is not as tough as my sister. Be nice and don't scare her!"
The Queen scolded half jokingly. Apart from the two Empress Dowagers, there was no woman in the world that she could not scold.
Princess Yu's face froze, and she stopped talking. As soon as Empress Dowager Shengde opened her lips, Madam Zhang turned around with a smile and said to Minglan, "What were you laughing at just now?"
There were steps, and Minglan hurried down.
"The Queen Mother is talking about a happy event, so how could I possibly laugh? It's just..." Minglan covered her mouth with her sleeve and chuckled shyly, "I've been thinking that Eunuch Yue has been quite busy lately, arranging marriages everywhere. I'm planning several weddings soon."
"What do you mean?" Empress Dowager Shengde was quite interested.
Minglan replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Marquis said a while ago that since we're stationing troops in the Northern Frontier, to stabilize the army, it would be best if the soldiers could bring their families with them, and those who are still unmarried should get married as soon as possible. Therefore, the Marquis asked me to find some unmarried maids at home to pair up with the soldiers going to the Northern Frontier. Unfortunately..."
She spoke hesitantly and weakly, and her tone was very well controlled.
Little Shen, who was like an ant on the hot pot, suddenly had her eyes light up and said loudly, "I've heard about this too. The army that's going out this time is mostly recruited from the locals of Northern Xinjiang. Years of war there have left nine out of ten houses empty, so where can they find wives? Simply being away from home and family is hard enough, and knowing they're going to Northern Xinjiang, not many families are willing to marry their daughters there."
This is true, not a lie, but it's not that serious.
"Yes," Minglan said, looking worried. "She's a commoner girl, and we can't force her to marry. We can only try our hand at our own maids. But even if we calculate it all, it's still a drop in the bucket. Now it's giving us a headache."
The queen couldn't help but ask, "Are those girls willing to marry there?" After all, she had lived in poor and remote areas with a lot of old people, young people and children, and knew that few people would be willing to give up the prosperity of the capital.
Minglan stammered, as if she was extremely embarrassed to say it out loud: "In reply to the Queen, I would give some silver as dowry to the maids who are willing to marry into the family, and some of them would be willing." However, most of them were bought maids who did menial work.
Madam Zhang looked at her and smiled, "That's really putting this child in a difficult position." She turned to look at her daughter, "No wonder you asked me last time if I had any maids to let go. It turns out you had this in mind."
The queen nodded repeatedly after hearing this. Zhang smiled but didn't say much.
Empress Dowager Shengde frowned slightly after hearing this rambling. Just as she was trying to figure out how to change the subject, Xiao Shen excitedly stepped forward. Perhaps excessive pressure could actually unleash human potential, Xiao Shen finally had an idea. Turning to the Empress and the Empress Dowager, she said, "Your Majesty, please be kind. How about assigning the overage women in the palace to these soldiers?"
"nonsense!"
"presumptuous!"
The Empress Dowager and her daughter-in-law scolded her harshly at the same time. Little Shen was about to speak in dissatisfaction, but the Empress was afraid she would cause trouble, so she quickly said, "Xiu, you are talking nonsense! You are not the one who can butt in on the people who are needed by the Empress Dowager!"
Little Shen's eyes were filled with tears. She was about to speak again when an old voice suddenly rang out from behind her: "What nonsense! I think this is a great idea!"
Everyone turned around to look, and saw two elderly ladies coming in arm in arm. One of them was the Empress Dowager Saint Ann, and behind them were two long lines of palace maids.
"Aunt and mother are here!" The queen's voice could not hide her joy.
All the female members of the family, except Empress Dowager Shengde, stood behind the Queen and saluted the Grand Princess and Empress Dowager Shengan.
"You have good tea, but you just drink it by yourself without calling us. Tell me, what's the logic behind this?!" After the eldest princess sat down, she just squinted her eyes and laughed.
When Empress Dowager Shengde saw her, she seemed helpless and even said she dared not: "If I knew you were here, I would never dare to leave you behind even if I killed you."
This kind of style and momentum must belong to the Grand Princess Qingning, Minglan thought silently.
After a few pleasantries, Princess Qingning suddenly turned stern and said to Princess Yu, "I just overheard what you said outside. Why are you scolding the Queen's sister? What did she say wrong?"
Princess Yu stood there trembling with fear, gritting her teeth and saying, "There's no way the Empress Dowager's personal maid could be humbled by a mere soldier. If anyone tells anyone, it would be a disgrace to the Empress Dowager."
"Oh? For that matter, don't worry." Grand Princess Qingning waved her hand. "I think there are still many young officers and soldiers in the army. It wouldn't be a disgrace to marry her to them. If she is lucky, her husband will gain fame and honor, and she will have a good life in the future. Isn't it better than being a concubine?!"
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were speechless after hearing these sharp words.
Since the later years of Emperor Wu, Princess Qingning has been the most powerful princess in the court. It can be said that God has been very kind to her.
She was originally the daughter of a palace maid, but her mother died that year. A few days later, the Empress's own daughter died. To ease Empress Jing'an's grief, Emperor Wu took the three-year-old Qingning to the Empress's care. Of course, she was also an extremely intelligent child, with a tactful and bright demeanor, which caught the Empress Jing'an's eye and quickly earned her true affection.
Because of his love for her, Emperor Wu treated her as his legitimate daughter and loved her with pity, while the late emperor treated her as his elder sister and respected her with respect. The princesses born to the noble concubines and concubines who were originally more noble than her ended up falling behind her.
After she grew up, she married a handsome and leisurely young man from a wealthy family. The couple lived in harmony, had many children, and lived a smooth life for decades.
The only thing that probably gave her a headache was her late-born son, born when she was forty, who was somewhat of a dandy. He was arrested and sent to a labor camp for visiting a red-light district during the mourning period when the new emperor ascended the throne. But Princess Qingning was a remarkable figure. Her decades of prosperity were not only due to her sisterly bond with the late emperor, but also due to her own abilities.
After the emperor invited her into the palace for a sincere conversation, she quickly adjusted her attitude, and the aunt and niece reconciled at the speed of Pegasus Meteor Fist.
The Queen had just been quite upset, and seeing someone backing her up, she quickly said, "Aunt is right. Mother also said just now that these girls are also country girls from the marshes, and they are already without a father or a mother."
"That's perfect," Grand Princess Qingning slapped the table and praised. "We'll go tell the Emperor later that after the late Emperor's death, the palace should have released some people. This is a perfect opportunity. Rather than leaving them stranded, why not do this? It's the best of both worlds. What do you think?"
Queen Mother Saint Ann smiled innocently: "You are still so impatient, no matter how old you are."
They were talking back and forth, and were about to make a decision. The people around them were stunned.
Empress Dowager Shengde was furious, her face darkening. "These children in the palace are as beautiful as flowers, all raised in pampering. Asking them to go to the Northern Frontier is like sending sheep into the tiger's mouth. It's absolutely ridiculous!"
Princess Qingning stood up with her head held high, her eyes gleaming. "If we don't help when the country is in trouble, who will? There are women in the palace who are over the age of marriage and have no relatives or friends, and there are good men in the army who are loyal to their country and their king who are looking to marry them. This is truly a match made in heaven, what's not to like?!"
The tense atmosphere in the air crackled. Minglan stood silently against the wall, lowered her head, and continued to silently recite, "I am just a supporting role, I am not the protagonist"...
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