A bitter taste mixed with acrid sweetness seeped into Minglan's teeth and cheeks. She slowly woke up and saw the worried face of Cui Madam before her. She was holding a small copper enameled pot with a narrow mouth, pouring ginseng soup for her. She said, "Madam, it's okay."
Minglan waved her hands. Her mind had been swamped with thoughts, making her dizzy and dazed. She had also been exerting herself for nearly seven or eight hours, like an ox pulling a cart. It was as if she had been preparing for the Mathematical Olympiad finals non-stop, followed by a full marathon. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and had fallen into a deep sleep. She tried to sit up, but she felt weak and her voice was hoarse. "Let me see the child."
The midwife beside her quickly brought over the tightly wrapped swaddling clothes, her face full of smiles as she repeatedly said, "It's a fair, handsome, chubby boy! Congratulations, madam! Congratulations, madam!"
Minglan's arms were weak, so she could only lean on Mama Cui's arm to look. She suddenly gave a wry smile. How could such a red, wrinkled lump of flesh be white and handsome? He was indeed plump, with a round head and chubby cheeks, a well-defined nose, and a long, curved line of eyeliner beneath his swollen eyelids. It was hard to make out his facial features, but he kept making noises like a small animal.
"He was crying so hard just now, his voice was so loud that it almost shook the roof off. He's a strong boy!" Mother Cui smiled so hard that tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "I'm afraid he's tired of crying now."
Minglan nodded weakly and said calmly, "Reward! Thank you for your hard work, everyone will be rewarded handsomely!"
The maids and servants in the room bowed and expressed their gratitude.
Panting, Minglan leaned back against a cushion as she tucked the little creature into her arms with difficulty. Then, loosening her skirt, she let him try sucking. The maids on either side were stunned. How could a lady of a wealthy family breastfeed on her own? Yet, Madam Cui was helping to hold the child. After countless debates, she had been persuaded. She still wanted a wet nurse, but Minglan was asked to try feeding first. It was said that colostrum was incredibly beneficial, strengthening the body and boosting immunity. In this era of high infant mortality rates and the lack of a vaccine for typhoid fever, Minglan couldn't let it go. Besides, she had no parents-in-law to control her, and no sisters-in-law to hinder her. If she didn't exercise her power now, when would she?!
The little guy was incredibly soft. The moment his squirming little mouth touched his mother's skin, he actually reacted automatically, rubbing against her and sucking. Although the suction was not strong, it was obvious that he was trying very hard. Both sides took turns trying for a long time, and the little thing remained persistent. Except for two pauses and a few cries of protest, he continued to suck hard, his bald and tender gums biting hard at the source of food, and his round little head pressed against her chest unyieldingly. Minglan felt both amused and touched, and kissed his bald little forehead. This was a strong and tenacious little life.
After Mother Cui and the two maids took turns saying "forget it" eleven times, the little bastard's efforts finally paid off, and he sucked out precious colostrum. Watching the little guy swallowing diligently with his eyes closed, Minglan suddenly felt that all the hardship was worth it for this little piece of flesh. Mother Cui also turned her back and secretly wiped away tears.
Minglan was so tired that she almost collapsed. She looked at the child again and again, from his transparent pink little fingers and toes to his wrinkled little ears. A newborn baby couldn't eat much. After handing the child to Mother Cui, Minglan went back to sleep. From beginning to end, she didn't notice that the flames outside had disappeared, replaced by a quiet and bright light; but even if she noticed, she would probably just say, "Well done, Mr. Tu, you will get a big reward later."
Minglan, perhaps naturally less alert, slept exceptionally long. When she awoke, it was already daylight. The bloody, foul smell that had filled the room was gone, and she felt fresher and cleaner. Perhaps Mother Cui had cleaned her body while she slept. A tall, bearded man sat by the bed, staring intently at a large bundle beside his pillow. He stretched out one hand, as if wanting to touch it but unsure how.
Minglan gathered herself together, closed her eyes, and suddenly became furious. All the hardships of the past few days surfaced in her mind, and she blamed them all on this useless man. Despite her dry throat, she became inexplicably excited: "You unfaithful man, you are willing to come back! What did you say when you left? The world is peaceful now, and you come back! You... "
There were still a few maids and servants standing in the room. Mother Cui felt awkward and quickly told Danju to take everyone out. Gu Tingye was quite thick-skinned and didn't take it as an offense at all. He even smiled and pushed Minglan back onto the couch: "You are very tired. Don't get up. You can scold me even if you lie down."
Minglan wished she could pounce on him and bite him, but she saw him looking at the big bundle with a loving expression. Minglan glanced to the side and saw a baby lying beside her pillow. The baby's wet mouth moved, and two small bubbles came out. The baby closed his eyes and slept soundly.
"He's really good-looking, with strong arms and legs, and he's smart too."
Gu Tingye's eyes were so gentle that they seemed to ooze water. He couldn't help but imagine this chubby little meat ball as a genius with both literary and martial arts skills, and he even smiled and said to Minglan considerately, "Let's speak softly and don't disturb him." Minglan almost laughed out loud.
Gu Tingye was still fascinated by the child and said to Minglan, "You don't know how energetic this kid is. I can even hear his crying outside the courtyard gate. When he grows up, he will definitely be a person who can stand on his own."
Minglan instinctively wanted to refute the idea that "crying loudly can only make you a singing artist, but it has little to do with being independent." Suddenly, she was surprised and asked, "When did you come back?"
Gu Tingye finally raised his head, and the smile on his face disappeared in an instant: "When the fire broke out in the mansion."
Minglan's expression faltered as she looked Gu Tingye up and down. She found that he was wearing a half-worn black robe, his face was weather-beaten, and his riding boots were torn everywhere. She then remembered her current situation and struggled to get up again: "Oh, there's a fire outside... and the lady... and the Yu family..." Minglan started talking several times in a tangled mess and didn't know where to begin.
Gu Tingye felt pity for Minglan and helped her sit up. He stuffed a thick cushion behind her and whispered, "Don't worry, I'm back. I'll take care of everything. If you've been wronged, it's all my fault." Minglan's nose felt sore and her eyes moistened. She lowered her head and turned her face to the side, letting the thick pillow absorb the tears from her face. Seeing this, Gu Tingye felt a lot of pain. He was not good at saying soft words to women, so he could only lean over, hug Minglan tightly, and pat her back gently.
To say she didn't feel wronged would be a lie. Yao Yiyi vividly remembers the pregnancies of her two best friends. Best friend No. 1's husband, a criminal police officer, went so far as to put on his police uniform and bang on the door of the neighborhood store downstairs, scaring the elderly couple who owned it, just to death. Best friend No. 2 was even more outrageous. In the middle of the day, she was scratching her head and craving fried dough sticks. Her husband, who worked at the tax bureau, had to, in uniform and with cash in hand, use both persuasion and force to get the lunch vendor to re-set the fryer. But what about her?
Minglan nestled into Gu Tingye's neck and sobbed softly. Her husband had disappeared, and his fate was uncertain. At home, there was this old witch with a treacherous heart and a false heart. She was battling wits and courage every day, exhausted, afraid and worried. If she hadn't been able to hold her own, she would have been a fool to let others do the same.
Mother Cui saw something was wrong and quickly stepped forward to persuade her: "Madam, it's not good to cry during the confinement period. Stop crying, stop crying. If you get sick later, it will be very serious!" Gu Tingye was anxious and quickly turned Minglan's face to wipe it, and then tried to coax her to stop crying. He was never good at saying soft words to women. After thinking for a long time, he could only think of a roundabout way to save the situation: "What's the point of crying? It's better to fight back. When you are well again, I will give you a few good beatings to vent your anger. I will definitely not fight back!"
Minglan's face was sore from having him wipe it, but she also found it funny and said angrily, "You're kneading the dough, why don't you let go!" She knew very well that it was not easy for him outside, and that fame and fortune were hard to earn.
"Have you finished your mission in the south?" Minglan wiped away her tears and took the warm towel handed to her by Mother Cui to wipe her face. Don't say that he had left his work and ran back. She didn't want her to be severely punished by the emperor as soon as her son was born.
Gu Tingye leaned over and kissed his son's sleeping face. The little guy murmured twice, his eyes still tightly closed. He twisted his round body uncomfortably and blew out two bubbles to express his dissatisfaction. His father touched his stubble and smiled unkindly. Then he gestured to Mother Cui to take the child away. Turning to Minglan, he said, "Of course I have finished my business, but if it weren't for the person from Xuanzhiyuan, I wouldn't be back so early."
Minglan breathed a sigh of relief. She had a lot of questions in her mind, but she couldn't figure them out at the moment. She could only ask the person next to her, "What do you mean? Oh, right, General Duan's case is now settled. Has he returned?"
Gu Tingye smiled and said, "Brother Cheng Yong's case is just a small matter."
"You won't confess under torture, will you?" Minglan joked. After all, someone was killed, and the woman was a decent woman. She expected Gu Tingye to at least give her a cold look, but he actually sighed. "Given the strange circumstances and the urgency of the situation, I had actually planned to do this. Fortunately, I dragged Mr. Gongsun along."
Although Gu Tingye came from a well-off family, the setbacks he suffered in his youth had given him a certain self-awareness not often found in the sons of the rich and powerful. He excelled at military operations, but not at solving cases, so he had to take Gongsun along. Gongsun Baishi, known for his expertise in criminal law for over twenty years, saw two suspicious points in this case.
First, was the woman who died unjustly forced to do so? Second, was the restaurant always demanding fish from this family?
Minglan chewed on the story carefully and felt that these two points hit the mark, so she couldn't help but applaud. Gu Tingye deliberately told the story in a dramatic way, which made Minglan laugh and have no time to feel sad.
Upon arrival, they first met with Duan Chengyong, who was like a trapped beast, to inquire about his situation and then ordered an interrogation. The troops then split into two groups: Mr. Gongsun, escorted by guards, went on a clandestine investigation, while Gu Tingye went to meet with the local soldiers, both large and small. Since drinking was inevitable, they simply held a banquet on their own territory. For some unknown reason, from the general to the garrison commander to the guerrilla general, these military leaders were surprisingly good drinkers, all politely refusing to drink much. Even when a pretty girl wandered through the banquet, they wouldn't even glance at her.
"Maybe they are afraid that the Marquis will give them the same punishment as in General Duan's case." Minglan found it interesting and smiled slightly with her hands covering her mouth. Gu Tingye also found it funny, "What a mean-spirited person." He just wanted to tie them down so that the investigation of the case would not be hindered.
After a few days of incognito visits and court testimony, Gongsun Baishi was able to see the clues and quickly solve the case.
First, while the woman was a genuine, decent woman, the restaurant had been ordering goods from a certain fishmongering shop in the city, and had just requested extra goods from this fisherman during those few days. Secondly, the woman's father-in-law, husband, uncle, and all the other male members of her family were perfectly healthy, so why would they ask a woman to show up in public to collect payment for goods, especially in a place like a restaurant?
Starting from these two doubtful points, and then finding the gap in the confession, the next step is to follow the clues and conduct a detailed investigation. When a feudal lord handles a case, it is inevitable to use coercion, inducement, and even some threats with sticks, but the truth will eventually come to light.
Someone had captured the woman's two children and threatened her with a large sum of money in exchange for their lives. Once the deception was accomplished, the children were released and the money was given. The fisherman knew that accusing an official was punishable by death, so she dared not tell the truth and could only deny it.
"In the end, only one garrison commander took the blame," Gu Tingye said with a hint of sarcasm. "He said he was angry at Brother Cheng Yong's disrespect for the local garrison officers and just wanted to play a trick on him, but he didn't expect the commoner woman to be so impulsive and want to commit suicide, which led to such a disaster. Humph, it's a pity that they couldn't get any evidence that they were determined to force the commoner woman to death, so in the end they had no choice but to dismiss the man and punish him." Minglan felt sad. "I just pity that fisherman family. Such a sudden disaster has destroyed their family and everyone in it."
Gu Tingye also shook his head and sighed, "Mr. Gongsun told them to take the money and go out to make a living." He looked at Minglan's expression, reached out and took her in his arms, sitting down at the head of the bed, and whispered, "Are you not angry with me anymore?"
Minglan lay in his arms, her nose filled with the smell of dust and sweat. She whispered, "I know it's not easy for you either. You... you're not hurt, are you?" She straightened up and touched his arm and chest. "I just wished you could come back sooner." Gu Tingye was silent for a moment before saying, "Only after I went there did I realize how corrupt the officialdom in Lianghuai has become."
After nearly two decades of peace under Emperor Renzong, collusion between officials and businessmen has become widespread, as has collusion between civil and military officials. From small-scale street gangs to the imperial nobility, everything is interconnected! No matter which case is investigated, the tangled web of connections inevitably leads to a vast network, and even the Imperial Envoy, a hand-picked expert by the Emperor, finds it tiresome. Originally, after rescuing Duan Chengyong, Gu Tingye had intended to return to Beijing to be with his wife, but the Imperial Envoy repeatedly pleaded with him to stay a while longer to help resolve the situation.
"Your Majesty, you serve your country and your people. You're truly admirable. So why are you back?" Minglan asked bitterly. Gu Tingye replied matter-of-factly, "I had to come see my son." Minglan flew into a rage, bracing herself against the man and forcefully pushing him away. "Your son's in the cubicle! Go! What are you hanging around here for?" Gu Tingye laughed heartily, holding Minglan tightly and kissing her cheek repeatedly.
Mother Cui was gently patting the baby to sleep when she heard the laughter coming from next door. She smiled with relief and shook her head. Except for the newly found wet nurse who was quite surprised, the maids and old women in the room were used to it.
"Lianghuai is in such a mess. We must drastically rectify it. I originally wanted to stay a while longer and send someone back to Beijing to report the situation, but who knew..." Gu Tingye held Minglan in his arms and narrated slowly, "The one from Xuanzhiyuan gave me a heads-up."
Many people don't know that Gu Tingye has been in the habit of identifying spies since the day he took command. Back then, the new emperor had just ascended the throne, and his position was unstable. There were countless people with ulterior motives, both inside and outside. It's easy to avoid an open attack, but difficult to guard against a hidden one. The perpetrators of evil are often those close to you. This time, during his trip to Lianghuai, he uncovered three or four groups of informants within the army. The people behind the scenes were all those overt and covert forces, which wasn't surprising. But recently, he apprehended one person, and after interrogation, he confessed to being the one behind the Ningyuan Marquisate.
When he asked the spy again, he couldn't tell him who the person who ordered him to do so was. In fact, Gu Tingye knew who it was without asking. If that person had plotted against him, then Minglan... He was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. Thinking of this, he decided to return to the capital. After all, he had already completed the task required by the emperor. He had submitted several secret reports on the investigation of the salt administration, and the emperor had praised him repeatedly.
The Imperial Envoy was quite understanding, thinking the situation was under control, and so he didn't force Gu Tingye to stay. He only kept Duan Chengyong, saying, "Rather than sending someone who doesn't understand the situation, it's better to keep General Duan, who has already suffered a loss." Duan Chengyong was naturally willing to do so, thinking that he had finally been sent on a mission, but hadn't achieved anything and had suffered a loss. He was thinking about how to redeem himself.
Gu Tingye had no choice but to give Duan Chengyong some serious instructions, and then left Gongsun Baishi behind and walked slowly, while he led a team of guards and set off at full speed.
It was a thrilling experience. After days of traveling, they arrived at the Ningyuan Street intersection when they saw black smoke billowing over their own mansion. The streets were crowded with people, running and shouting, "The mansion is on fire!" Gu Tingye was extremely anxious. Without thinking twice, he drove his horse straight into Chengyuan, only to find that Minglan was giving birth there. Fortunately, the guards like Tu Er and other servants were capable and firmly protected the area around Jiaxi Residence, so the fire did not spread. He finally breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at Xuanzhiyuan, it was calm, while Chengyuan was in chaos. He was immediately furious. In a rage, he set another fire.
"You, you... you actually set a fire?!" Minglan was horrified. His wife was giving birth, and yet his husband set a fire. This kind of genius idea was not something that ordinary people could come up with. Gu Tingye smiled and pushed Minglan back, wrapped her in a brocade quilt, stood up, poured a cup of warm water from the small purple clay stove on the table, and handed it to Minglan. "Are you thirsty?"
Minglan drank half the cup in one gulp and returned the teacup blankly. Gu Tingye took it and drank it in one gulp.
"Manager Hao has already told me a little about what's been going on these days." Gu Tingye put down his teacup, sat down beside her, and gently stroked her back. "One wave after another, that bitch is determined to torment you. Who knows if she'll calm down after this fire? What if she has other tricks up her sleeve? So, I'm going to make her busy and confused."
"She's smart. Why would I ask you to burn her?" Minglan was still frightened. Now her opinion of the Madam had reached a new level. Gu Tingye laughed: "Who said I would burn her? I went to my third brother's yard and set it on fire."
It was not yet late at night, and when the fire broke out, everyone in the yard escaped safely, but unfortunately a lot of property was damaged. Seeing that her own flesh and blood were in trouble, the lady was very upset and could no longer care about anything else. She was busy putting out the fire, checking if her son was okay, and holding her grandchildren to comfort them.
Minglan sighed softly. She knew the best defense was offense, but she was always tied up. Arson was a criminal offense! If there were casualties, the maximum sentence could be life imprisonment or even the death penalty!
"I'm glad you're okay." Minglan said softly.
Gu Tingye sneered: "Are you worried about them too?!"
The fire at Chengyuan was raging, and Minglan was struggling with childbirth, while Tingwei and his wife, the Zhu family, were leisurely playing with their child! Thinking of this, Gu Tingye felt a surge of rage in his heart, wishing he could get some blood on his blade. Minglan lowered her head, unable to utter a word except sighing.
"It's girl Xian who still has some conscience." Gu Tingye finally smiled slightly, "You're so young, yet you dare to argue with your sister-in-law. You blame your mother for not coming to see you, and when you saw the fire, you contradicted your sister-in-law and sent most of the people in the house to put out the fire. Rongjie is with her now." He was surprised that his dark and sinister brother, who was full of rotten schemes, could produce such a bright and upright good bamboo shoot.
Minglan finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the world wasn't so hopeless after all! She said happily, "I didn't expect my sister-in-law to be so devoted. She's a widow, and she has so many concerns. I've already said it, I just love that child."
Gu Tingye smiled and stroked her long hair. Isn't this birds of a feather flock together?
After talking for a long time, Minglan felt tired again, and her eyelids became heavier as she was completely relaxed. Gu Tingye patted her gently, and only got up and left after she fell into a deep sleep.
Someone was already waiting outside the door. Steward Hao said with a smile, "My Lord, the person has been settled. I wonder if I should go and see him..." Gu Tingye glanced at him indifferently. Hao Dacheng immediately broke out in a sweat. He quickly put away his smile and lowered his head, saying, "Yes, My Lord, please come this way."
There was a row of neat and sturdy houses on the hillside behind Chengyuan. Because the Gu family was small, they were all empty, with only some miscellaneous items piled up here and there. Hao Dacheng led the way, and Gu Tingye followed slowly. After walking for about a cup of tea, they arrived at a room in the east corner of the row of houses. Four or five stout women were guarding the door. When they saw Gu Tingye coming, they quickly bowed and bowed.
Hao Dacheng whispered, "Is everything alright in there?" The first maid replied, "My Lord, we've had the doctor check it out. It's nothing serious. Miss Man has some minor injuries, and the boy is a bit frightened."
Hao Dacheng looked at Gu Tingye again, waved his hand to let the maids go, went forward to open the door, invited Gu Tingye in, and then stood outside, five steps away.
The room was simply furnished, with a table and four stools, a bed, a mirror, a basin, and all the necessary toiletries. Tea and snacks were on the table, and there was an ice basin in the corner. Man Niang was sitting on the couch, holding her son. When she heard the door open, she looked up and saw Gu Tingye. Overjoyed, she stood up while smoothing her hair and choked out a sob, "Erlang!"
Gu Tingye stood there, looked at her quietly for a while, then pulled over a stool and sat down.
Man Niang quickly pushed her son over and said repeatedly, "Chang'er, call daddy, hurry up and call." The little boy timidly took small steps, constantly looking at the man in front of him, but hesitated to move forward. Man Niang smiled at Gu Tingye and said, "This child is shy. He always misses his daddy when he is at home, but he won't call him now."
Gu Tingye looked at the boy intently for a moment, then softened his voice and asked, "Are you still coughing lately?"
Chang Ge'er raised his head nervously, looked at his father, then at his mother, and stammered, "...sometimes I cough, sometimes I don't... Mom told me to take medicine...it's very bitter..."
Hearing his fragmented answers, Gu Tingye couldn't help but frown. He was already seven or eight years old, and he couldn't even speak clearly. He turned to Man Niang and said, "Didn't you hire a teacher? What kind of books are you studying now?"
Man Niang was panicked, but she reacted quickly, shedding tears as she said, "It's my incompetence. I can't even read or write, so how could I have raised a child well? That's why I had the audacity to come and ask Madam to take the child in."
"Nonsense!" Gu Tingye immediately scolded, "How many illiterate mothers have raised educated sons? Don't all those successful candidates have mothers who can read and write?"
He had long held a high position, commanding the army, and had long amassed prestige both inside and outside the country. His deep voice frightened Chang Ge'er so much that he immediately hid behind Man Niang, cowering in fear. Gu Tingye frowned even more as he saw this. "I specially chose a pleasant and warm farm for you. Didn't I tell you to run around and play outside more often? Why are you still so afraid of people?"
Man Niang wiped her tears with a handkerchief and sobbed uncontrollably, "A fatherless child will be bullied if he goes out. He's been a good kid since he was young, so why should he go out and bring shame upon himself?"
Gu Tingye remained silent, staring intently at Man Niang. She cried until her eyes were red and her breath was panting. Even the sharpest eyes couldn't tell truth from falsehood. But he knew it wasn't the truth. He had carefully chosen the manor. Not to mention the many orphans and widows whose fathers had died in the army, the fact that it was under Chang Ge'er's name made it clear who would dare bully them.
But Man Niang has this ability. If you are not careful, you will be confused by her tears and excuses.
"Someone come here." He suddenly raised his voice. Hao Dacheng opened the door and came in, lowering his head to wait for instructions.
Gu Tingye said, "Take the child out first and ask the maid to take good care of him." Hao Dacheng knew that his master wanted to talk to Man Niang alone, so he quickly asked the maid to take Chang Ge'er out. Chang Ge'er was reluctant at first, and after Man Niang coaxed him for a few words, he reluctantly went out.
The door closed again, and there were only two people left in the room.
Man Niang stood in the middle with a look of panic on her face. Gu Tingye pointed to a stool and said, "Sit down."
She slowly sat down.
"Back then..." Gu Tingye showed a tired expression, "Did I ever force you to commit yourself to me?"
Man Niang was startled and almost stood up again. After a moment, her eyes reddened as she spoke, "Erlang, how could you say that! If Erlang hadn't taken pity on me back then, I wouldn't know where I'd be dead. It was me...I was the one who wanted to follow Erlang..."
"The result was a joke. Brother never abandoned you. It was you who gave him money and asked him to start a career outside." Gu Tingye smiled bitterly. He was young and energetic at that time, and thought he was a hero for saving the weak girl from the sea of fire.
"No, no..." Man Niang argued hastily, "Who is slandering me? It was clearly my brother who stole the money Erlang gave me, abandoned me and ran away, only returning several years later. Erlang, you..."
Gu Tingye interrupted her with his hand and said indifferently, "Three people said it. Your brother, Shan Mama, and the girl who used to be with you. During those two years when you said there was no news from your brother, you were still sending things to each other frequently."
Man Niang's face turned pale. She hadn't expected him to find out this as well. Gu Tingye looked at her, his heart surprisingly at peace. "When Yanhong died, I told you that you wouldn't judge someone based on empty words. Especially since it was you."
How could he possibly have believed that he'd misjudged her, that he'd been living a lie for years, that he'd been a fool, a fool, played around with by others. When his father scolded Manniang, when everyone accused her of ulterior motives, he repeatedly defended her, vouching for her character and integrity. Only to find that, in the end, he'd been completely wrong. What a humiliation!
"Did I promise you anything?" Gu Tingye pressed on, his gaze like a needle, pinning Man Niang to her seat, pinning the lie to the truth. "Did I say I would marry you? Did I lie to you?"
Sweat streamed down Mannia's forehead, ruining her beautiful makeup.
"From the beginning, I told you I couldn't give you a name. You said you'd be content with no name or status as long as you could stay by my side." Recalling that time, every word was absurd. It was ridiculous that I believed it all, and really thought I had met a true confidante. "Later, when Rong'er and Chang'er were born, you said you wanted to be my concubine, not just for yourself but for the sake of the children. I didn't want you to be bullied, so I heard that the eldest daughter of the Yu family was a virtuous woman, so I asked my father to propose to her. Who knew..."
Gu Tingye laughed at himself and said to Man Niang, "You still look down on me."
"Erlang!" Man Niang cried out in pain, rushed to Gu Tingye, hugged his legs tightly, raised her head and said with tears in her eyes, "I went to the Yu family. That was a moment of confusion. I was afraid that Miss Yu would not accept me, so I lost my mind!"
"You've never been confused."
Gu Tingye didn't even lift a finger, just looked down coldly, "Every step, every move, you calculated it clearly. I finally did as you wished and left home with my father. If I hadn't been suspicious of you, if it weren't for the Yanhong incident, I would have taken you far away as you planned. And then I would have taken you as my wife, right?" Every word was like a sword, leaving Man Niang speechless.
"...Then, what's wrong with that?"
A strange light filled Man Niang's eyes. She gently rubbed her face against Gu Tingye's knees, her voice soft and gentle, like a chant: "Back then, everyone in the Marquis' Mansion bullied you. Only I treated Erlang sincerely. I don't care about the wealth and splendor of the Marquis' Mansion. I only want Erlang. Let's move away from here and build our own family. Erlang is capable. When the time comes, our family of four will live in harmony and be a happy couple like gods. What's wrong with that?"
"Well said." Gu Tingye looked at Man Niang resting her head on his legs, and reached out to slowly lift her head up. "Your plan is brilliant. But have you ever asked me a question? Do I want to live like this?"
Man Niang's breathing suddenly became rapid, and her eyes became evasive. Gu Tingye turned her face and looked at her seriously, saying word by word, "I'm going to make it clear to you today. I have never, for a single day, thought of marrying you."
Even when the two of them were at their happiest, his greatest wish was to treat this poor woman well, so that she could live a life of wealth and prosperity in the future and no longer be bullied.
Man Niang's pupils dilated rapidly, her mouth opened and closed several times, her nostrils flared and contracted, and suddenly she screamed, "You don't want to marry me? Then who do you want to marry? Those mediocre women who only know how to gossip about family matters, who pretend to be noble, and who are trivial and ignorant?!"
Gu Tingye actually smiled after hearing this. "You're right. I just want to marry a mediocre woman like this. A woman who can take care of her husband and children, manage the household properly, take care of her family, handle socializing, and is kind and ordinary. Not a remarkable woman like you!"
Hearing the sarcasm in the words, Man Niang choked, nearly suffocating. She felt so angry she almost wanted to rip her blood out. She swallowed hard, took a breath, and sat down on the ground, saying sadly, "You just saw that I'm old and ugly, and my new wife is young and beautiful. So you changed your mind if you want. Why say all this? There are so many unfaithful men in the world. I feel sorry for myself. I gave my heart to you, and only ended up like this."
Gu Tingye couldn't help laughing again. He often thought that if Man Niang were a man, he would definitely be a difficult person. Whenever he was determined to say something decisive, she would always change the subject and prevent the conversation from continuing.
"A heart? Haha, because of this heart of yours, I always feel guilty towards you, thinking about you in everything." Gu Tingye stood up, hands behind his back, facing the window, "But in the past few years, I have thought carefully, if I hadn't taken action back then, what would your situation be like?"
Man Niang covered her face with a handkerchief, but her heart was filled with anxiety. If it weren't for Gu Tingye's help, how terrible would the situation of her brother and sister be?
"For you, I made countless plans to give you and your son a good life. I also disobeyed my elders several times and didn't even see my father for the last time." Gu Tingye walked slowly around the room, then stopped in front of Man Niang. "I have done you justice. I always have."
In the early days of his career, no matter how tight his financial situation was, he would rather live in rough and simple clothes than not save money and send it to the capital to support Man Niang and her son. Until today, he can finally say this with a clear conscience.
Man Niang heard Gu Tingye's voice getting colder and colder. She knew that today was not a good day. She had to find a way to return home safely. She pleaded in a sad voice: "I was wrong about what happened back then. I only ask Erlang to have mercy on him for the sake of the child... Oh, Rong Jie'er... She hasn't seen Chang Ge'er for a long time. They have been close siblings since they were young. How can she separate them!"
"Since they've been separated for so many years, it doesn't seem like they can't survive," Gu Tingye said calmly, "Besides, Sister Rong has a younger brother now." Man Niang suddenly looked up: "The new wife gave birth to... a son."
Gu Tingye's eyes were filled with anger: "It's not what you want. Both mother and child are safe."
Man Niang seemed to have been drained of all her strength. She suddenly stood up, hugged Gu Tingye's legs tightly, and screamed, "Erlang has a legitimate son, so he doesn't want poor Chang'er anymore?! Have you forgotten that when he was a child, you also held him and kissed him!"
Gu Tingye's face was expressionless, his voice cold and hard: "I wanted him, have you forgotten? Before marrying Sheng, I discussed with you in a friendly manner that I would bring Chang'er here. Minglan would treat him well, and I would teach him well. It was you who refused to give in, have you forgotten that?"
"Erlang is so cruel! Even if the new one is better than the old one, he can't separate us mother and son!" Man Niang cried out loudly, "Since Madam Sheng is so kind-hearted, why can't she tolerate me?"
"I just don't trust you." Gu Tingye said coldly, "You've already made me a widower once, and you want me to be a widower a second time? What are you doing here? You even dared to bump into Madam with your child in your arms, as if you didn't know your intentions!"
Man Niang was speechless and could only cry, "It's Madam Sheng who wants to burn me to death!"
"It was Madam Qin who wanted to burn you to death!" Gu Tingye shouted. If he hadn't set the fire in Tingwei's courtyard, and Madam Qin had been too busy to take care of herself, they would have probably burned to death. "You clearly saw Mother Xiang leading people to put firewood, and now, you still want to frame others. You are really vicious!"
"Erlang! Erlang!" Man Niang tugged at the hem of Gu Tingye's robe, begging bitterly, "I'm not being nice, but Chang'er is your own flesh and blood after all. How can you bear to let him wander around outside? It's okay if I don't move into the mansion. Let Chang'er return to his roots. I just want to see him once a month, no, once a year. No, no, not seeing him at all is fine!"
"No," Gu Tingye turned his back, refusing flatly. "Now that you've caused such a scene, how can Minglan raise Chang'er?" He also didn't trust Chang'er. It was easy for a boy of seven or eight to get into trouble. He'd already been throwing cockleburs at Tingwei's crib by the time he was seven. Besides, Chang'er's temperament was already well-established, and if he harbored any resentment, it was probably already buried. As he grew older, it would be like a disaster looming over his head. Honestly, he wouldn't risk his legitimate son.
Man Niang stopped crying, wiped away her tears, and sneered, "Stop talking about Minglan! She's your sweetheart now, how can you be sure you're not mistaken this time? Maybe she's just a show-off!"
Gu Tingye turned around with a smile, "Do you think I'm still the same fool I was back then? The way I investigated you is the same way I investigated Minglan. I trust her, not because of her words, but because of her actions. In terms of intelligence, she is not inferior to you; judging by the recent times, she actually has plenty of ways to deal with those bitches."
Thinking of Minglan, he couldn't help but feel warm in his heart. He took a deep breath and said, "It's not that she can't, but she doesn't want to. She is different from you. She has a thread in her heart that blocks her and knows what she can and can't do! How can you be so evil as you? Humph."
Long before their marriage, he had thoroughly explored the inner chambers of the Sheng family. For Minglan, the most imaginative plots would probably be feigning tears in front of her father, or throwing a piece of lard on her sister's seat when no one was paying attention. Such a character might be a bit pedantic, but it was honest and respectable, and it inspired trust.
Hearing the affection between the lines of the man's words, Man Niang was jealous and resentful, her heart burning with anger. Just as she was about to lash out, Gu Tingye suddenly squatted down and said to her, "It was you who made the decision for Chang'er back then. You know me well. Once I say something, I won't take it back. In this life, Chang'er will never be included in the Gu family tree. Let him establish his own family."
"What are you going to do with us?" Man Niang asked woodenly.
Gu Tingye stood up, thought for a moment, and said, "You can't stay in the capital any longer. I will send someone to send you back to your hometown in Mianzhou. There, you can buy land and start a new life. I will greet the local officials, and no one will make things difficult for you and your son. Chang'er, just pretend that I am not your father."
"Then...what about me?" Man Niang was about to cry, "Is my life over like this?"
Gu Tingye said with a look of sarcasm: "At the beginning, I asked you to give Chang'er to me and then go and get married. But you said that you were already at this age and couldn't marry anyone good. If you even lost your son, you would have no one to rely on. Because of this, I kept Chang'er by your side. What, you changed your mind again?"
Man Niang raised her head and stared at the man in shock: "Are you so disgusted with me? You don't even want to see me."
"Tell the truth." Gu Tingye looked at her for a moment and said quietly, "I'm afraid of you."
Cunning, patient, and persevering, Mannia was like the spider spirit in Nanny Chang's story, spinning a dense, sticky web that trapped her prey, preventing them from escaping. If she continued to pester him, he felt he would have no choice but to kill her. Leaving her was like escaping death.
"I have something to say today." Gu Tingye walked to the door and suddenly turned back to look at Man Niang who was still sitting on the ground. "If you have any urgent matters, you can send someone to tell me. Chang'er is my flesh and blood after all, I will not sit idly by, but if..."
His face was as cold as ice, his eyes filled with hostility. He said slowly, "If you dare to set foot in the capital again, or come to me under any pretext, no matter what, once, just once, I will make sure you never see Chang Ge'er again in your life!"
He didn't say the last sentence, but Man Niang knew him very well. She knew that if it really came to that, after taking Chang Ge'er away, it would be time for him to deal with himself.
After saying this, Gu Tingye opened the door forcefully and stepped out. The sun was glaring overhead, and the breeze from the woods behind the mountain was refreshing. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "There will be an early court tomorrow. Have the carriages and horses prepared."
Hao Dacheng responded respectfully: "
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