In just a few days, Minglan had heard four or five different versions of the story about the emperor's uncle's wife's distress during childbirth. Some said Concubine Zou murdered the principal wife to establish her position as the legitimate wife, others that the emperor's uncle neglected the principal wife, causing Zhang's depression to become ill, and still others that a loyal servant left by Concubine Zou, fearing that Zhang's son would threaten the young master's position, secretly took action... Minglan listened to all the stories until her face turned green.
But overall, public opinion tends to favor the Zhang family.
The role of family background and reputation can be seen at this time. Half of the capital city is made up of Zhang family’s relatives and old friends.
On one side is a family of founding heroes, renowned for their military achievements and long-standing reputation (they regularly distribute porridge annually); on the other side is a nouveau riche, having made their fortune through the harem, who have done little good since arriving in the capital (Zhang's autism, young Zou's lack of qualifications) but have committed a great deal of harm (the Zou family's contributions). Minglan asks herself, what would the average person think upon hearing of a domestic dispute between these two families?
Gu Tingye told Minglan that the emperor had been quite indifferent to the queen recently, and had scolded the eldest and second princes for playing around and neglecting their studies.
Minglan was surprised and said, "Hasn't Duke Yingguo recovered and returned to court? The Emperor still refuses to give up. Could it be that the Zhang family..."
Although the emperor had several concubines, he would visit the empress's chambers from time to time, thinking of their shared hardships, and their relationship remained good. Now those who should be punished have been punished, those who should be demoted have been demoted, and little Zou is still imprisoned. Zhang's relationship with Uncle Shen has eased, so why is it still...
Gu Tingye said, "That's not the case. The old master had no intention of pursuing the matter, and instead advised the emperor not to worry about it."
When the Duke of Yingguo returned to court after recovering from his illness, the Emperor, struck by the old man's hunched figure and apparent age difference of more than ten years, felt a pity for him and attempted to offer some words of comfort. Unexpectedly, the Duke of Yingguo replied, "Your Majesty is the ruler of the land. Even if the Zhang family were to fight to the death on the battlefield, who among us would frown? Whenever Your Majesty wishes, I, an old minister, will point my sword in the direction it points. This is the duty of a minister. Furthermore, Your Majesty should not be disturbed by the cries of women regarding the marriage of our children."
These words were so powerful that the emperor was deeply moved and said repeatedly: "My dear minister, you are the rock of the country and I am so lucky."
After being moved, the emperor returned to the palace and slowly came to his senses.
The Zhang family wasn't happy about the same marriage, but they still fulfilled their obligations. The legitimate daughter of the Duke of Ying was being bullied by a concubine, yet the Zhang family didn't complain and endured it. Why? They were being loyal!
The Shen family is just the opposite.
The marriage with the Zhang family was the Emperor's intention, and repaying the Zou family was the Shen family's intention. Now, you siblings are favoring the Zou family and treating the Zhang family with indifference. What's your real intention? Could it be that you're dissatisfied with the Emperor's will, unable to openly disobey, so you're taking revenge in private?
"...Old Duke, you are so capable..." After a while, Minglan said hesitantly.
Gu Tingye said, "Ginger is always more experienced." The Duke of Ying looked like a kind and generous elder, yet he could actually say such sharp words; he directly elevated the family affairs of his children into a question of loyalty. This was not good.
Ignoring the empress and scolding the prince was like a signal. All the censors took action upon hearing the news and accused Shen Congxing of "lacking personal morals, misconduct in the imperial court, violating the rules between legitimate and illegitimate children, and undermining human ethics and rites". Some clever censors even skipped Shen Congxing and went straight to find fault with the relatives of the emperor's uncle, accusing the Zou family of more than a dozen crimes such as "seizing people's property and harming the people".
The sky above Weibei Marquis Mansion was once again covered with dark clouds.
Gu Tingye frowned. He, Shen Duan, Zhong Geng, and Liu were all old ministers of the emperor, and their honors and disgraces were closely linked. This time, the officials' complaints were so aggressive, and there might be something fishy going on...
Just when the topic of the Shen and Zhang families was hotly discussed in the capital, Uncle Wang and Hai returned to the capital one after another. Hai was holding a chubby baby boy in her arms, who was Chun Ge'er who was born while he was in office.
"Why hasn't big brother come yet?" Minglan looked around but couldn't see Changbai.
Hai smiled and said, "The canal in the county will be finished soon. Your eldest brother is worried and wants to see the burial with his own eyes. So he asked your nephew and I to come back a few days early."
"When you build a mountain, you are afraid of failure at the last moment. Good, Bai'er is doing great." Sheng Hong was very proud in his heart, but he refused to show any of it.
"My uncle has made outstanding achievements in his administration this time. Not only has the people under his rule lived in peace and security, but he also built a canal dozens of miles long. I heard that the Ministry of Personnel has approved his performance as 'excellent'." Gu Tingye said.
Minglan said happily, "Big brother is really amazing. Then...will there be an umbrella for all people?"
"Ah, that's all just empty fame, nothing to worry about." Sheng Hong shook his head and smiled, "As an official, the most important thing is to benefit the people of the area, to relieve the worries of the emperor and to help the people out of their difficulties. That's why I've read the sages' books."
Minglan looked at her father and remained silent; it had been a long time since she heard such high-sounding and righteous words.
Then her mind automatically translated it into the truth: The umbrellas of the people are all empty, there is no need to worry about them - this sentence is sincere, and the following should be - When serving as an official, the most important thing is to get good performance, to be promoted and to make money and increase production, so that all the hard work of ten years will not be in vain.
Wang was the happiest during this period. She cried with joy when she saw her brother whom she hadn't seen for a long time, and then she was overjoyed while hugging her little grandson. Unfortunately, within a few days, her limelight was stolen by someone else.
On the fourth day of June, Liu gave birth to a girl. She was quite unhappy because it was not her first son. However, Changfeng loved her very much. He held his newborn daughter in his arms and praised her non-stop. He boasted about her to everyone he met, which moved his mother-in-law, Madam Liu, very much.
Lord Liu patted Chang Feng on the shoulder and said lovingly, "My dear son-in-law, study hard and win honors for your wife and children in the imperial examination next spring."
When the girl's eyebrows and eyes gradually grew bigger, everyone was surprised to find that she looked very much like Hualan, with the same thick eyebrows and big eyes, heroic and generous. Even her temper was like Hualan's when she was young. She never cried or made a fuss, and loved to smile at people. She was actually more like Hualan than her own daughter Zhuang Jie'er.
At the third-day bath ceremony, Hualan was so delighted holding the child that even Aunt Lin's old grudge faded a little. She gave Liu two generous gifts in a row. This made Wang unhappy and she said a few cold words, "What's so great about a little girl showing off?"
Seeing that she was being petty again, Old Lady Sheng said to her privately, "Just think about when Hualan was first born. Wasn't her father like this too? Honestly, he probably spoiled her even more than he should have."
Wang Shi was silent. Back then, Sheng Hong loved Hualan so much that he even took her to the government office because he couldn't bear to leave his babbling daughter. Thinking of the beautiful time when they first got married, she couldn't help but feel melancholy - if there was no Concubine Lin, how wonderful it would be.
Seeing that Changfeng and Hualan were gradually reconciling, and her aunt Molan was being neglected, she only hated Liu for being so scheming and instigating flattery, which caused the discord between the siblings. She then had another quarrel with Changfeng, and left angrily, refusing to come to see him again.
State and family affairs seem to always ebb and flow like this. When Minglan felt the fifth glutinous rice tooth emerging from the fat boy's gums, the court's "sinking" had come to an end.
The Zou family was in bad luck this time. Two murders were found and a lot of land of the people was occupied. The censors kept saying that they should pay for their crimes with their lives. Uncle Shen wanted to plead for them, but when he heard that the clan office had withheld the petition he had submitted to the crown prince on behalf of his eldest son, he hesitated.
Queen Shen had originally gone to Empress Dowager Sheng'an to cry, but when word got out that the emperor intended to stop the Empress Dowager's memorials of remonstration, she suddenly realized that her husband was now the emperor, not the prince he was in the vassal state.
However, Queen Shen was still quite capable. Once she realized the seriousness of the situation, she immediately lowered her status, took off her phoenix crown and robe, knelt in plain clothes at the gate of the Palace of Heavenly Purity to apologize, and said only that "I am unable to discipline my mother's family, and it is all my fault."
The emperor was actually quite nostalgic for their past relationship; after all, they had been through it together. Seeing his wife weeping so bitterly, and recalling the difficult times they had faced, the emperor's heart softened, and he stayed overnight at Kunning Palace. Immediately, the Duke of Yingguo submitted a memorial recommending two renowned scholars of the time as tutors for the eldest and second princes. The emperor gladly approved the proposal, conferring the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince and the rank of Light Cavalry Commandant, second rank, on the son born to Zhang.
The weather vane turned again.
The final result of the compromise was that the eldest uncle of the Zou family was exiled 3,000 miles to the southwest, the second uncle was beaten with 30 sticks, and most of his property was confiscated as compensation. Uncle Shen was reprimanded by the imperial edict, fined one year's salary, and confined to reflect on his mistakes for three months.
During this period, Minglan went to see Xiao Shen twice, only to find that she was as frightened as a frightened bird, with a huge belly and a very thin body. Madam Zheng was very worried, fearing that she would have a difficult delivery in the future.
So, when Zhang's son was two months old, both the Zhang and Chen families planned to hold a grand full-month banquet to ward off bad luck, boost morale, and at the same time show the outside world that the two families had reconciled as before.
A few days before the full moon banquet, Zhang invited Minglan to her house to inquire about the trivial matters of the full moon banquet; the visitor paused, and said, "It's been a long time since we last met. The king's uncle misses Marquis Gu very much." He also gave her two jars of aged Huadiao.
Gu Tingye smiled bitterly and turned to Minglan, saying, "Brother Chen must be very bored at home. He has been ordered to reflect on his mistakes, and it's not appropriate for the old brothers to come over too often. Well, I'll go with you today."
As the mistress of the Weibei Marquis's Mansion, Zhang, who had lived in seclusion for a long time, decided to organize the banquet on her own this time to make a comeback in public. Her biological mother, Madam Zhang, would guide her on matters such as drinks, food, and how to entertain the guests. Zhang had already understood most of them, but she was not familiar with any of the families of Shen Congxing's brothers, so she asked Minglan to talk about them in advance.
Minglan explained: the Duan family's background, Madam Duan's ancestry from a prominent family in Shu, General Duan's marriage proposal, Madam Zhong and Madam Geng's slightly different views on virtuousness, and why did Lord Liu Zhengjie's wife look so old? It wasn't Old Madam Liu, it was Madam Liu. Make no mistake, she was a child bride, an eighteen-year-old bride and a three-year-old groom...
Zhang was writing earnestly, occasionally adding a few words to recount old memories from the capital, a sort of back-and-forth. Zhang, from a prominent family, was accustomed to expressing private matters obscurely, leaving no trace; Minglan, a disciple of Master Zhuang, was adept at interpreting unpleasant matters through the medium of sutras and allusions. The two were a perfect match, each smiling at the other as they discussed amusing moments.
As they were talking, a maid came in and said respectfully, "My Madam, the Marquis wants to have a drink with Master Gu and asked for two jars of Bamboo Leaf Green that were sent from Japan."
Zhang said, "The Marquis said the wine gets better with age, so he's buried it in the warehouse. Please ask Madam Fan to have someone dig it up. Be careful with the hoe so it doesn't break."
The old woman bowed and said, "The Marquis also said that he wanted to show Master Gu the newly acquired Longquan sword."
Zhang said, "The Marquis must dance with a sword every morning. He must have hung it in my brother's room again. I'll have someone take it there myself."
The old woman responded and went out.
Zhang turned and gave a few instructions. Two maids brought a sword from the adjacent nursery and quickly left. Zhang looked back and saw Minglan looking at her quietly. She blushed and said, "That wine is quite good. It's emerald green, has a rich aroma, and doesn't make you drunk at all. I'll take two jars back with you later."
Minglan said "oh" honestly and continued to look at her. She looked healthy and rosy. Although her brows were still slightly frowned, the paleness and frailty of the past had been replaced by a dignified and capable person.
Zhang feigned anger and said, "If you want to say something, just say it. Why are you staring at me like that?"
Minglan said, "It's nothing, but I think this habit of yours is really good. My child has been familiar with swords since he was young, and he will definitely become a little general in the future. It's really good, really good."
Zhang glared at Minglan, who responded with a very kind look. Zhang quickly lost her temper and said with a wry smile, "Even if you are the Goddess of the Nine Heavens, I'm afraid you can't become a fairy in this mortal world."
On the fourth day after giving birth, her husband stepped into the house for the first time. Both husband and wife felt as if they had died once, exhausted both physically and mentally. They sat facing each other in silence for a long time. Ignoring her mother's warnings, she threw herself into her husband's arms and cried bitterly - I don't know if she was crying for her helpless compromise or for the fate of women in the world.
Minglan was silent for a while, "Yes, there are no real fairies in this world."
…
Coming out of Zhang's house, Minglan walked out in a gloomy mood.
The brief exchange between Zhang and the mother-in-law revealed a wealth of information—Chen Congxing now stayed at Zhang's place every night, rising in the morning to practice sword dancing in the courtyard, then bringing his precious sword to visit his son, coaxing and teasing him as he casually hung it on the wall of his son's room. Husband and wife were in harmony, and the father and son had a deep affection. This was a joy for all.
It is better to survive in smooth compromise than to wither away in arrogant persistence.
Minglan felt bitter in her mouth and didn't know what she was depressed about.
As they reached a doorway with hanging flowers, they suddenly heard a quarrel and curse coming from the front, and the voices seemed familiar. The old woman leading the way beside Minglan was a little embarrassed and said with a smile, "It's a bit dirty up ahead. Let's go this way."
Minglan nodded, she didn't want to get involved.
As soon as he turned his heels, a group of people rushed towards him. A young woman with disheveled clothes in the front seemed to want to rush forward, while a group of old women and maids behind her tried their best to stop her.
"...If anyone dares to stop me, I will die here...!" The young woman held a hairpin to her throat and screamed miserably, "I want to see the Marquis, and no one is allowed to stop me!... Let me go... Let me go..."
Minglan looked closely and found that it was Xiao Zou.
It wasn't her fault for poor eyesight. Little Zou had always been heavily made up, making it difficult to discern her true appearance. Now, not only was her hair disheveled and her appearance disheveled, but the corners of her mouth were also broken. Two large purple scars, a bit like the hard, popped acne scars, appeared on her once delicate cheeks. But Minglan knew they were probably the result of a severe beating and bruise.
It looks very ugly, half of her face is ruined.
"Madam...Gu..." Little Zou finally recognized the person coming and immediately rushed over, screaming loudly, "Madam Gu, please save my brother! They are going to kill him!"
Minglan's arms were clenched so tightly that they hurt. "It's just exile and beatings. How can they take their lives?!"
"The southwest is rife with miasma, and there's no need to worry about human lives..." Little Zou was about to continue, but Minglan quickly interrupted, "Madam Zou, please be careful with your words. The Gu family and the Zou family are not related in any way. Even if something should be done, it's not the Gu family's turn. If word gets out, won't people ridicule the Gu family for interfering in other people's affairs and being ignorant of etiquette?"
Little Zou also realized that she had been talking nonsense, and she tugged at Minglan's arm and said, "...My Lord treats Lord Gu like a brother... Madam Gu, please help me put in a few words!"
Cuiwei, who was following Minglan, tried desperately to push Xiao Zou away. The maids also pulled and tugged at her, but Xiao Zou held Minglan's arm tightly like cast iron, which hurt Minglan.
Little Zou was still clutching the hairpin in one hand, waving it dangerously. Seeing she was about to be caught in the crossfire, Minglan quickly called for everyone to stop and said to Little Zou, "Auntie Zou, do you remember the story I told you the other day about the princess consort and her concubine?"
Little Zou was a little bewildered. Minglan said, "I told you long ago that if anything were to happen, you would be the one to suffer. Why didn't you listen?!"
"But that day..."
Minglan said simply, "Don't bother with that. If you had been willing to give in, things wouldn't have come to this."
Little Zou came to her senses and clung to Minglan's arm like a lifeline: "Sister, you were so kind and took the trouble to remind me before. It's obvious that you care about me. Now, please..."
"You're mistaken," Minglan interrupted again. "I'm not doing this for you, but for the Shen family. My uncle is a senior official, dedicated to state affairs. But now, because of you, he's constantly bothered by trivial matters at home, and because of the Zou family, he's constantly being impeached."
Little Zou was speechless.
Minglan's face was stern and she said mercilessly, "Also, don't call me sister. You're from the Shen family, not the Gu family. If something goes wrong, there will be so much gossip and rumors. It makes me shudder!"
Little Zou was furious, "You...!"
At this moment, Minglan seized the opportunity and pulled her arm out. Xiao Zou was so angry that her hand holding the hairpin loosened. The maids around rushed forward, some snatched the hairpin, some twisted her arms, some held her legs, and finally caught her.
At the moment, a maid dressed as a housekeeper said, "Auntie Zou, you've made the Marquis so tired that he has been confined indoors to reflect on his mistakes for three months. I suggest you just calm down. Your constant trouble is causing us trouble!" A few maids took advantage of the chaos and pinched Auntie Zou a few times.
"I won't go back! I won't go... You want to lock me up again..." Little Zou struggled frantically, raising her neck and crying shrilly, "... Marquis, Marquis... are you worthy of my sister? My sister has suffered so much for you... Even for her, you shouldn't... I want to see my eldest brother, my eldest sister, please come quickly, your aunt is being humiliated to death!"
On the other side, Cuiwei rubbed Minglan's arm with concern, and several maids apologized repeatedly.
Minglan waved her hand gently, then turned around with amusement, saying, "Madam Zou, do you know that the imperial uncle's approval for the enthronement of a crown prince was almost here, but because of this commotion, the clan affairs office has withheld the matter. Do you really want to summon my eldest brother? Do you have the nerve to see him?"
Little Zou was suddenly speechless.
Minglan sighed, "If your sister were still alive and knew that her brothers and sisters were harming her own children, would she blame you or the emperor's uncle?"
Xiao Zou's struggle slowed down, her eyes filled with despair, her body limp, allowing the maids to pull her inside. Seeing that the roadblock had finally gone, Minglan walked out again. After taking a few steps, she heard Xiao Zou's miserable and shrill cries from behind.
"...Sister, if only you were alive! Everyone in the world is heartless. When someone leaves, the tea gets cold. Who would remember your loyalty? If you hadn't been caring for the Queen and her child, how could you have lost your almost full-term child, and how could you have lost your life?! Now that the Marquis has a new wife and a young son, how could he remember your desolate grave? He's forgotten you long ago...Sister, why did you pour out your heart to that guy named Chen...If you had stayed alive, wouldn't you be enjoying all the glory and wealth you have now..."
The sound gradually became softer, and it seemed that the person had been dragged away.
Minglan paused, feeling as if she couldn't breathe due to the pressure in her heart.
Cuiwei saw that her expression was not right and asked softly, "Madam, are you feeling unwell?"
The maid beside her was also very clever and said, "It must be too hot, Madam, and you've been overwhelmed by the heat. Why don't you go to the pavilion in front and rest for a while? I'll bring you a bowl of ice."
Minglan felt a tightness in her chest and wanted to vomit. She waved her hand and said, "No need. I'd better go home and rest."
When they were almost at the gatehouse, Gu Shun took a few steps forward and said, "Madam, the Marquis is still inside drinking with the uncle of the emperor..."
Minglan said impatiently, "I'll go back first. You guys wait for the Marquis."
Seeing Minglan's unhappy expression, Gu Shun didn't dare to ask any more questions. He just ran all the way to the front courtyard and saw Gu Tingye still toasting with Shen Congxing. He leaned forward and whispered, "My Lord, the Madam seems to be very stuffy. She's going back first."
Gu Tingye nodded and Gu Shun stepped back.
After hearing a few words, Shen Congxing pointed at him and laughed, "Look at you now. You don't have the courage and spirit of Gu Erlang in the past! Nowadays, people say that Marquis Gu and his wife go out together. No matter whether they are drinking or visiting friends, you must send the lady back home. Okay, okay, I know that the land of gentleness is the tomb of heroes..."
Gu Tingye was quite thick-skinned and said lightly: “If Sister-in-law Zou was still alive, I’m afraid Brother Shen would be the same.”
Shen Congxing was silent for a long time, and suddenly said in a miserable voice: "I am so sorry for her. When she was alive, she never thought about my happiness at all. She was worried about me and suffered a lot. Now... I can't even protect her family!"
Gu Tingye picked up the large jade pot with the inscription "Double Dragons Entering the Sea" on the table and slowly poured himself a glass of wine. "Love can only lead to harm. If Brother Chen really wants to do good for the Zou family, he shouldn't indulge them any further. You may have saved your life now, but there will always be a time when you can't protect them."
Shen Congxing was stunned: "Of course I haven't tried to persuade them, but as soon as they mention your sister-in-law, I have no way to deal with it."
"Brother Chen has become more and more polite." Gu Tingye picked up the wine glass with a mocking smile on his face. "If you don't listen to the advice, you will be punished. If you don't listen to the punishment, you will be beaten... Now that the Zou family has stopped producing, is there anyone else we can rely on except Brother Chen?"
The wine was clear, like a mountain spring. He drank the wine slowly, and only felt the fragrance of the wine, refreshing his heart. After putting down the wine glass, he stared at Shen Congxing: "Brother Shen just said that I no longer have the spirit of Gu Erlang. But I have to say that since Brother Shen was made a marquis, he has become more and more timid. Where is the prestige of the former leader of the Five Tigers of Shu!"
As he said this, he threw the wine glass heavily to the ground, making a short, clear sound on the cold and hard blue brick floor.
Shen Congxing was silent for a long time, then slowly raised his head and said, "Since I came to the capital, I have made mistakes everywhere. Fortunately, I have you brothers and the emperor's sympathy. Otherwise, I would have died many times."
He picked up the wine glass in front of him, drank it in one gulp, and said in a deep voice, "After Ah Qin passed away, I failed to marry her sister as my principal wife. This was my first mistake. Since I couldn't marry her as my principal wife, I should have treated her as my own sister and found her a good husband. But I took my wife's sister as a concubine. This was my second mistake. Since then, every time I see the Zou family, I feel ashamed and embarrassed, unable to restrain myself!"
After saying that, he also threw the wine glass heavily to the ground, and the broken porcelain flew everywhere, leaving a white mark on the blue bricks.
Gu Tingye looked at him for a while, emptied the two soup bowls in front of him, and poured wine into each. "Brother Chen, don't blame yourself too much. In my opinion, the Zou family had this plan from the beginning. They took advantage of this and intensified their efforts. Now that Brother Chen has figured it out, everything is easy to talk about."
Shen Congxing raised his wine bowl and took a sip, frowning and saying, “I’m afraid the emperor is also angry with me now.”
"Not necessarily." Gu Tingye picked up a chopstick and tapped the bowl lightly. "If it were just a matter of a minister's private residence, the emperor might not have the leisure to ask about it. This time, the old Duke Zhang brought the word of loyalty to the table, and Brother Shen, you knew that this was the time to use the Zhang family, but you still indulged the inner chambers and did not take the emperor's will to heart. How can the emperor not be angry?"
Shen Congxing apologized: "It was my negligence that failed His Majesty..."
Gu Tingye shook his wine bowl, "We are all floating duckweed in the capital, without any family background or foundation..."
Before he finished speaking, Shen Congxing laughed: "What do you mean you have no family background and no foundation, a son of a marquisate..."
Gu Tingye shook his head and said, "It is better to have no home than to have one, and it is better to have no relatives than to have relatives."
Shen Congxing knew the inside story of the Gu family and secretly felt sad for him, so he said no more.
Gu Tingye went on, "Six years ago, Brother Duan came to the capital to submit a letter to his distant relative, the Duke of Anguo's Mansion, but he couldn't even get into the gatehouse. But now, who in the Duke of Anguo's Mansion is not vying to curry favor with Brother Duan? What have we relied on to rise to prominence and display our talents? It's nothing more than the emperor's trust." Perhaps in ten or eight years, they will be able to establish their own foundation, but now their foundation is too weak.
Shen Congxing nodded solemnly: "Brother, that's a good point. Isn't this the reason why Old Taishan is willing to marry into my family?"
"Not only that. And... later."
Chen and Gu glanced at each other and understood each other's intentions - from the current perspective, the emperor was still satisfied with the eldest prince and the second prince.
"Then...what should I do in the future?" Shen Congxing poured a bowl of wine for Gu Tingye.
"You don't have to do anything."
Shen Congxing was stunned: "What did you say?"
Gu Tingye picked up two chopsticks and said, "Brother Shen seems to be in danger this time, but he is actually safe. First, the emperor still wants to use Brother Shen, but he just wants to warn him; second, the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion will not really watch Brother Shen get into trouble, otherwise, let alone my daughter, what if the eldest prince..." The two of them knew the rest of the words well, so there was no need to say more.
"So, Brother Shen really doesn't need to do anything now. He just needs to cultivate his body and mind at home." Gu Tingye put down one of his chopsticks first. "The emperor is a man who values love. After all, Brother Shen has been with the emperor in the Qiandi Palace through thick and thin for more than ten years. As time goes by, the emperor will surely remember the past and pity Brother Shen for being soft-hearted and being dragged down by the Zou family."
What's more, the emperor still wants you.
Shen Congxing nodded and whispered, "The Queen is also at my expense this time."
Gu Tingye calmly put down another chopstick and said, "The Duke of Ying's Mansion has been prosperous for sixty years. It has prestige, foundation, and connections. The only thing it lacks is the trust of the new emperor. How could they be willing to break Brother Shen's arm? As long as Brother Shen cleans up the inner chambers, the Zhang family will take care of other matters."
Two chopsticks were placed parallel to each other on the table, and Gu Tingye placed a bowl upside down on the chopsticks, “This way, Brother Shen will be safe.”
In reality, the Emperor wouldn't necessarily be pleased if the Shen and Zhang families were as close as one another, but if they truly fell out, the Emperor would be furious at their disrespect. Shen Congxing's marriage to the Zhang family might have seemed like a good thing, but it was actually a double-edged sword. When he married Minglan, the Emperor was both disappointed and relieved to learn she was merely the daughter of a middle-class civil servant.
Shen Congxing looked at the bowl that was sitting still and was silent for a long time. "Clear the inner house?"
Gu Tingye said quietly: "The reason why the Zhang family is so powerful is because they are justified. Brother Shen is in the wrong first. How to make a decision, Brother Shen knows it in his heart."
One was the principal wife, married by imperial decree, while the other was merely a concubine, yet they were able to control much of the Emperor's uncle's household. If Madam Zhang had wanted to speak up for her daughter, she had plenty of excuses, but she simply endured it. She waited until everyone in the capital, including the palace, knew of Concubine Zou's domineering behavior and that Emperor Shen was partial to her, and only then did she make a public announcement. This wasn't a ruse, but an overt conspiracy. The Zhang family wanted to clearly communicate to everyone that they were fully committed to the Emperor, with no intention of shirking their duties.
Shen Congxing picked up the wine cup, his fingers trembling slightly, and said in a trembling voice: "When Aqin passed away, she just looked at me without saying anything. I know that she was only worried about the children..."
Gu Tingye said: "My eldest nephew is fine, he is a boy after all; but my nieces will have to get married in the future."
As long as Concubine Zou was around, Zhang would never be able to fulfill her motherly duties. In the future, when marriage proposals came, the only thing she had to show was that the Shen family's daughter was raised by a concubine, and those well-matched families would shy away. And judging by Concubine Zou's recent behavior, she was indeed a bad person, and how could she raise a good child?
It would be better to let Zhang raise the girl from now on, so that she can come forward to arrange a marriage for the girl in the future - a woman who can be angry with her husband for so long should essentially disdain those sneaky tricks.
Shen Congxing stood up, pacing the room with his hands behind his back. Suddenly he stopped and said in a deep voice, "I want to sign a letter of engagement with Zou and find her a good husband to marry."
You do the first day, I do the fifteenth. No one will say he favors his concubine over his wife anymore. Instead, many people will privately speculate that Zhang is jealous and that the Zhang family is too powerful to tolerate others. As for the Zou family, they are in his hands anyway, so he just needs to keep them under control.
“Brother Shen’s family affairs should be decided by himself.”
Gu Tingye took a sip of wine. The couple suspected each other and schemed against each other. The Shen and Zhang families were a perfect match. "If there are any ambitious children in the Zou family, Brother Shen can teach them to study and practice martial arts. It will also comfort my sister-in-law's spirit in heaven."
After making this decision, Shen Congxing seemed to have lost all his strength and sat down in defeat.
Gu Tingye walked over slowly and whispered, "Listen to me, brother, the Eighth Prince is already the emperor."
Shen Congxing looked gloomy - the emperor is now in his prime, and little princes are coming out one after another. No one can predict what will happen in the future, so he really needs to be careful.
"And we are no longer the same as before." Gu Tingye stood up straight and sighed softly, "Old Geng is afraid of the censors. Now he has to think three times before saying anything."
The Eighth Princess became the Empress, and from then on her husband was no longer a husband, but a king; Shen Congxing also became the uncle of the emperor, and from then on her brother-in-law was no longer a brother-in-law, but a master. From the frontier to the capital, from the prince's mansion to the imperial palace, the brothers who were once humble brothers now hold great power, and everyone has to change their roles.
Shen Congxing recalled with regret, "Do you still remember that year when we went to the top of Qingya Mountain to have a drink..."
"It's still a ten-cent pot of low-quality wine."
"Haha, what kind of good wine can Zhengjie get!" Shen Congxing laughed.
"We were drunk all night long. When we woke up on the mountaintop the next day, we all had splitting headaches, but no one wanted to go home." Gu Tingye laughed, "Even Brother Cheng Qian, who prides himself on being a real man, didn't dare go back to see his wife. In the end, we just played finger-guessing games to settle the matter."
"I'm unlucky, so I have no choice but to take you back to my house. When Ah Qin saw us in this state, she made a big pot of hangover soup."
Thinking of what happened that day, Gu Tingye still couldn't help but gasp: "My sister-in-law is so cruel. She asked the maid to pinch our noses and pour the liquid into us one by one. To be honest, we were all woken up by the heat."
"Yes... yes..." Shen Congxing murmured, and when he thought of the deep love between husband and wife in the past, he suddenly choked up, "Aqin, why did you leave so early..." As he said this, he fell over the desk and cried bitterly.
Gu Tingye put his hand on his shoulder and comforted him: "Brother Chen, think about it more open-mindedly. Live a good life with Madam Zhang in the future. In the long run, you will have a happy family..."
"No, never again." Shen Congxing shook his head sadly, "Whether a husband and wife are sincere or not, they can't be deceived; most of the good couples in the world are just deceiving themselves."
Gu Tingye stood there for a long time before he moved - was he kidding himself?
Wine is most intoxicating when one is sad. Before long, Shen Congxing was completely drunk.
Gu Tingye slowly rode back to his house. It was already dark, the wind was cold, and the stars were sparse. The chill on his face dissipated most of the alcohol. He returned to his house silently, only to find it completely dark. He didn't call anyone, but lit a candle himself.
"Why aren't the lights on?"
Minglan sat by the window, looking sideways at the sky, then slowly turned her head and said, "My Lord, do you need some food?"
Gu Tingye shook his head, supported himself with his arms and sat at the table, watching the flickering candlelight. A moth, with its trembling wings, looked weak yet determined as it slowly approached the flame.
"Come here, let's... talk for a while."
Minglan nodded and moved to sit at the table. "Okay, Lord Marquis, please speak first."
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