This news scared everyone and they immediately lost their appetite for drinking.
Sheng Hong sighed in shock, Chang Feng sighed, 'Fourth sister has such a miserable life', Minglan complained inwardly, 'It was the father-in-law who died, not the husband'; Rulan leaned close to her eldest sister's ear and whispered, 'It turns out that fourth sister didn't lie this time.' Hualan glanced at her sister and felt that it was Molan who was being unlucky. It was just an excuse and she didn't expect it to come true.
Seeing this, everyone hurriedly dispersed the banquet and went back home. After returning home, Minglan went to find Manager Hao and asked, "How did the Marquis tell us about the death of the Marquis of Yongchang?"
Hao Dacheng wiped his sweat off his forehead and replied from outside the pavilion, "Madam, it was Gu Lu who came back and told me to send someone to my in-laws' house to report it to you. Afterwards, Gu Luzi said that the Marquis had other errands and hurried away. As for the details of the matter, I really don't know."
Minglan placed her left hand on the armrest of the chair, patting it gently, and pondered in silence.
Hao Dacheng probed carefully, "Madam, do you want to prepare the funeral rites for the Liang Mansion?"
Minglan gave a wry smile. "They haven't even knocked on the cloud board, and they haven't announced the funeral, so why should we rush over to offer our condolences (we're not asking for a beating)... But the Marquis wouldn't make such a mistake, so it must be the truth. You might as well make some preparations. Well, just add 20% to Master Yang's. By the way, I wonder if the Liang Mansion wants to offer a roadside memorial. If so, we'll have to put together some paper figurines, so you should take care of that."
Hao Dacheng responded without hesitation and then went down respectfully.
Considering Madam Liang's age, the Marquis of Yongchang should have been under fifty. How could he have died so suddenly? The most bizarre thing was that her husband was the first to report the news. Could it be that... Marquis Liang did not die a natural death?
Minglan was full of doubts and could not come to a conclusion after several guesses. It was not until Gu Tingye returned to the room at night that she understood the whole story.
"You didn't see it, the training ground is in chaos today."
The man seemed to have skipped his last meal, and he ate two large bowls of rice with the hot stir-fried lamb with green onions and dried shrimp, mushroom and cabbage soup. He wiped his hands with a towel, asked Mrs. Sheng if the group was ready to set off, and then slowly told Minglan about what happened today.
Ever since the present emperor ascended the throne, Lord Liang has always wanted to show his loyalty, but military generals are different from civil officials. In normal times, there are no soldiers or disasters, so how could there be such a chance? This time, seeing that the emperor is eager to reorganize the army, Lord Liang has been working hard day and night, conducting drills and preparations, without a single day of leisure.
It was a rare occasion for the Emperor to personally visit the Western Suburbs Camp, and Marquis Liang was unwilling to miss this opportunity to show himself. Despite feeling unwell, he mounted his horse, helmet on, and personally took to the battlefield to practice military formations. Just as he was feeling energetic, the generals saw Marquis Liang shaking his head, clutching his chest, as if dizzy or suffering from heartache. He then fell from his horse, and the scene was in chaos. Before the imperial physician could arrive, Marquis Liang had already expired.
Later, I heard from the imperial physician that the sudden death of Marquis Liang was probably due to fatigue and heart disease.
Could it be a combination of cerebral thrombosis and heart disease? Minglan was silent for a moment. "With such loyalty to the country, the Emperor will surely honor him."
Gu Tingye nodded, then shook his head: "When it comes to war, omens are the most important. The emperor was in high spirits today, but he was suddenly hit with a bucket of cold water... As for honors and comforts, there will always be some, but the emperor may not be happy about it."
Minglan changed her mind and realized that this was the truth.
It's like the boss has worked hard for half a year and is excited to open a branch. He has chosen an auspicious day and invited celebrities. But on the day of the opening ribbon-cutting, before the boss even puts the scissors down, an old employee collapses on the spot from overwork.
——What bad luck! The boss must be very depressed: Lao Liang, it’s good that you work hard, but if you are not in good health, you should not come out. I didn’t force you to attend the opening ceremony, so you make it seem like I am being mean and exploitative.
Very sad, but also very realistic.
She nodded and asked, "What about the title of the Liang Mansion? I heard that the master of the Liang Mansion... well, he is very outstanding."
"No. It must be the old marquis's eldest son who inherits the title."
Minglan laughed and said, "Why are you so sure, Lord?"
Gu Tingye sighed, "Firstly, there's a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, and secondly... hehe, why do you think Old Marquis Liang is fighting so hard?"
Minglan was puzzled: "Is it for the sake of the legitimate son?" Then why did he delay in appointing the crown prince and quarrel with his wife?
Gu Tingye smiled and picked up the tea bowl: "The eldest son of the Liang family has grown up and has a wider circle of friends outside than his father. If the old Marquis Liang is not for the legitimate son, then who is he for? How could the emperor not know. Alas, I have met the second son of the Liang family. He is gentle and kind, but it's a pity..."
He shook his head and said nothing more.
Minglan couldn't bear it and sighed, "Fame, fortune, and wealth are like a sword hanging over the heads of the world."
Gu Tingye curled up the corners of his mouth and said deliberately: "For the safety of my wife and children, I will do this even if it means risking my life on the edge of a knife." Then he looked at her with bright eyes, waiting for his wife's reaction with anticipation.
Minglan shook her head and said, "That's wrong. Without the old Marquis Liang's initial efforts to cultivate him, how could the Liang family master be where he is today? The legitimate heir is weak, while the concubine is strong. He didn't ask for the establishment of a crown prince earlier, and only desperately risked his life when he arrived too late. Isn't the old marquis wrong?"
Then she looked back with even more piercing eyes, as if smiling: "Come to think of it, our Tuan Ge'er also has a half-brother?"
Gu Tingye shook his head and smiled bitterly. He originally wanted to make Minglan happy and moved, but who knew that this little girl was as cunning as a fox, and had also learned the unique skills of his second senior brother, and was good at turning the tables.
"You know that Tuan Ge'er has no brothers."
According to the people who were in charge, Changger was still weak, and Manniang still had no intention of urging her son to study and practice martial arts. She just nervously held Changger by her side, never leaving his side all day long, and would not even let the neighborhood children get close to him. She was almost raising her son into a little girl.
He shook his head and felt relieved.
He had this concern in mind at the beginning, so he made a plan early on and asked Chang Ge'er to just be a farmer.
Therefore, not only did he not include Chang'er in the family tree, he also asked General Zheng and Duan Chengqian to accompany him as guarantors (these two men were relatively stable and reliable). They went to the clan affairs office to issue a document stating that he did have a son from another family, but that he was young and reckless, and his mother was of low status. Gu Tingye could not bear the humiliation of the clan, so he said that he had made appropriate arrangements for the mother and son to ensure that they had no worries about food and clothing. However, Chang'er would not be allowed to consider himself a descendant of the Gu family in the future, nor would he receive any share of the marquisate or his father's property—a kind of early expulsion from the family.
All escape routes were completely cut off to avoid various situations, such as saying that Marquis Gu was unaware that his son was wandering around the world, or that Marquis Gu was actually thinking about him but just couldn't find him; or that Ming Lan was jealous and prevented the father and son from recognizing each other, and so on... nonsense.
Minglan knew about this arrangement. She stood up, hugged her husband's head and kissed him, saying softly, "I know the Marquis has done so much for us, mother and son."
You can't kill Chang'er, right? A child his age is old enough to remember things (Man Niang's indoctrination). Even if he were raised in another family, there would inevitably be people who would instigate Chang'er to cause trouble for profit. If his parents were already dead by then, wouldn't Tuan'er be in trouble?
She kissed him on the bridge of his nose again. "Although the old Marquis Liang's intentions are pitiful, in my opinion, you are much better than him." After thinking for a moment, she added, "Also, don't fall off your horse. Eat more vegetables and less alcohol and meat."
Gu Tingye touched his nose, pulled Minglan's head down, bit her nose, and smiled: "You are talking nonsense again. What does being a vegetarian have to do with riding a horse?"
Minglan said seriously, "If you eat too much wine and meat, the horse will get angry."
Gu Tingye touched her slightly protruding belly, then slowly moved his palm upwards. Due to her pregnancy, Minglan's body became increasingly plump and soft, and everything she touched was soft and tender. He bit her earlobe and exhaled hot air: "If you want to give up alcohol and meat, how about giving up sex?"
Minglan's face was burning hot, and her ears were burning. She also noticed that his body was stiffening, and said shyly, "That...it's best to quit."
When the welfare was endangered, the man immediately turned hostile and looked like he was asking for a debt. "Stop pretending. Aren't the first three months over? You have already given up. You might as well become a monk!" It's not like Huai Tuan Ge had never done that before when he was a child.
Minglan twisted her waist and jumped out of his arms lightly. She clasped her hands together and bowed eleven times, giggling, "Master, please stop being angry."
The man picked her up by the waist and strode into the inner room, laughing: "Young lady, you serve me well, so I won't be angry."
Minglan was lifted high up, twisted the flesh on his waist, bit his ear, and blushed, "Be quiet! If someone hears, they'll think you're some lecherous monk picking flowers!"
…
Two days later, the Liang Mansion sent someone to announce the death.
At this time, Qia Rulan had set off with her husband half a day earlier, and Minglan was pregnant, which conflicted with the funeral, so she didn't need to go openly. Among the sisters, only Hualan could go to show her respect, and the rest were mostly arranged by Molan's legitimate sister-in-law Liu.
During this period, Liu was not only courteous and considerate, but also gentle and caring. She tactfully helped her in-laws with some trivial matters. Even when the prince's uncle went to pay his respects, Zhang praised Liu when she came back.
"...My mother said that my cousin aunt rarely praises others, but this time she also praised your third sister-in-law." Zhang brought her son to visit and brought a lot of warm and nourishing medicine and food. She looked at Minglan's belly with a smile and was sure that it was a boy.
Minglan laughed and said, "I only found out today that the Second Madam of the Liang Mansion is your cousin. She is my fourth sister's sister-in-law. Isn't that confusing the generations?"
Zhang waved her hand and said, "I have many relatives, and most girls are called uncles after they get married. My cousin is very familiar with my mother, but I haven't seen her very often."
"That's good. I was just worried about what to call them in the future." The marriages between the powerful people in the capital are really complicated, and Madam Zheng has countless cousins.
Minglan turned her head to look at the kang. Tuan'er was lying obediently beside a red satin swaddling cloth with a brocade pattern of two carps. He looked at the fair and tender baby with curiosity, and from time to time stretched out his chubby fingers to scratch or touch the baby. The baby had a very good temper and did not cry or make a fuss. He even made a little cat-like laugh.
"Back then, he was just a kitten. He's grown so big in just a few days." Minglan saw the child's rosy complexion and thought Zhang and her daughter had raised him well. "Is he famous now?"
"Give him a nickname, Wang Ge'er, which means hope." Zhang looked at her son with eyes full of love and satisfaction. She was almost a different person from the desperate and pale woman a few months ago.
"I'm talking about your little brother Tuan. He's already one year old, but he still hasn't got a name."
Minglan smiled bitterly and said, "I'm still dithering. I just hope I can get a good name before I start school." Old man Gongsun was very hesitant in choosing a name, and Gu Tingye didn't think any of the characters were good, so he put it off day by day.
"Lord Gu is being too demanding," Zhang said with a smile. "By the way, I have something to ask of you."
Minglan laughed and said, "I thought you came just to see me because you remembered my kindness, but it turns out you wanted my help! When you were missing your brother, I came to see you without any other thoughts."
Zhang said with a smile, "I'm not as clever as you, nor do I speak as well as you do. People like us are dumb in words but honest in heart. We can only speak directly without beating around the bush. So we have to let others talk about us!"
Minglan tutted her tongue, "I've only just said one sentence, and there's already so much going on, and you still think you're dumb but honest. If you were dumb, there would be no one in the world who is eloquent!"
"My dear sister, I won't ask you to do this for nothing. I owe you one." Zhang said with a smile, "Don't worry, I won't ask you to do anything that would embarrass you."
With these words, Minglan felt relieved and asked Zhang what was going on.
"Marquis Gu is one of us, so I won't hide it from you. Our Marquis has always disregarded the Shen family. He only has a cousin, a fifth-degree relative, who was loyal to my father-in-law in his early years. When my parents-in-law passed away, they stayed with us and cared for our brother and sister, even following them to Shu. While they are only distant relatives in name, our Marquis treats them as uncles, and now he has even inherited the hereditary title of Deputy Commander of the Jianghuai Guard."
After talking for a long time, they still hadn't gotten to the point. Minglan wanted to urge him to continue, but she held back.
Zhang took a sip of tea and said slowly, "My uncle and aunt have a daughter, she's only thirteen years old. I've seen her with my own eyes. She's just like her parents, very honest and kind..."
Minglan was even more confused. She looked at the meat ball on the kang and said, "My brother is still young."
Zhang smiled angrily and hit her lightly: "You are such a chatterbox."
Minglan rubbed Zhang's shoulders and asked her to continue with her words.
"A few months ago, my aunt went to pay homage to her ancestors. Unexpectedly, it rained and the mountain was slippery, making it impossible to use a sedan chair. She was accompanied only by her maids and servants, and she had fallen and was unable to move. Then, she met two young scholars who were helping an elderly woman down the mountain. After they got down, one of the young men returned home with his grandmother, while the other returned halfway up the mountain, specifically to find my aunt and carried her down on his back. As they chatted on the way, they learned that the young man was the son of an official in the capital. He was a rare and honest man, and a scholar with a strong academic spirit. My aunt was immediately drawn to him."
Minglan thought for a long time and said blankly, "No way...it's my younger brother...Changdong."
"That's right." Zhang said with a smile.
Minglan opened her mouth wide, like a toad, and for a long time she was stunned. She said awkwardly, "Changdong... is still young."
"Isn't it the right time to talk about marriage?"
Minglan calmed down and realized that the old lady should be Nanny Chang, and the other young man was Changnian. It was estimated that Changdong was accompanying the Chang family's grandparents and grandchildren to worship, and did a good deed by the way, so God rewarded him and his red star moved.
"Thanks to Aunt Shen's favor, but Changdong... he is a concubine's son..." Minglan was reluctant to say it, but this kind of thing had to be pointed out.
Zhang smiled and blocked the conversation with her hand. "My aunt has already found out everything she needs to know. They have two sons, but only one daughter. Her parents and siblings love her dearly. They only hope for a son-in-law with good character, and everything else will be easy."
Moreover, the couple also found out that Changdong was about to pass the examination to become a student. At such an old age, his future must not be too bad. Although the young man surnamed Chang was better at studying, his family background was not so good after all. With a family like the Sheng family that passed down poetry and literature, with elders, rules and family background, the children and grandchildren would probably not be too outrageous. What's more, they had many distinguished relatives. Even if they couldn't be relied upon, it would be good to talk about them.
Minglan breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't say anything else, but when it comes to character and morals, my younger brother is beyond reproach. However..." She hesitated. "With both parents alive, it's not for me to make the decision on this matter. I have to see what Dad thinks."
According to Sheng Hong's thinking, he would probably wait until his son had achieved fame before he could raise the price and look for relatives. Changdong's future father-in-law would probably also be a civil servant, but his status might not be as high as that of the Hai or Liu families.
Zhang saw that she was in a dilemma and had her own concerns. She said, "I know your father's reason for choosing a marriage. He's worried that his son will have less help in the future, so he doesn't want a military officer as his in-law."
Minglan chuckled and thought to herself, why are you speaking so directly?
Zhang said sincerely, "Let me put it this way. Although my uncle is a soldier, he has great respect for scholars. His second son has been studying with a teacher since he was young, and he passed the examination a few years ago."
"Oh, that's good!" Minglan's eyes lit up. It would be easy to have a brother-in-law who was well-educated. The Jianghuai Daowei Post was a lucrative position, and the dowry would surely be generous. As a hereditary fourth-rank military officer, Changdong would have the support of his father-in-law and uncle in the future. Sheng Hong would probably be tempted as well.
She quickly went to hold Zhang's hand and said softly, "Speaking of which, it's my younger brother who is marrying above his station."
Zhang also breathed a sigh of relief. The old couple of the Shen family were Shen Congxing's confidants. They were the few who had disapproved of the way the Shen family treated their wives and concubines from the beginning. They were upright and worthy of respect.
She chuckled and said, "Sister, what are you talking about? You are Marquis Gu's brother-in-law, and your father and brother all have achievements. My uncle is afraid that you scholars are from noble families and look down on warriors like them."
This marriage is mutually beneficial. Since the second son of the Shen family wants to pursue a career in literature, he naturally needs connections and helpers in the civil service.
As for Changdong, he is not as good-looking or talented as Changbai and Changfeng, and he may not be lucky enough to meet another Liu. It is better for him to make plans early.
The two talked for a long time, and the more they talked, the more they got along and the more enthusiastic they became. It was almost possible to see that the wedding was about to happen.
As they talked, they inevitably talked about their own family affairs. Minglan's family was simple, so the conversation ended in a few words, but the Shen family was really lively.
First, although Concubine Zou was beaten half to death and locked up for a long time, she refused to go out. If Shen Congxing said a few more words, she would hang herself. In addition, several children begged her, and Zhang also expressed her unwillingness, saying that it would go against the harmony of nature. As a result, the prince returned empty-handed.
Now things were peaceful between the wives and concubines, but there were other worries. The eldest son of the Shen family was about to get married, and everyone knew that the bride would have two mothers-in-law: one was the noble stepmother from an aristocratic family, holding the title, and the other was the aunt who had married her brother-in-law as a concubine, holding the actual title. This was such an awkward situation, and how would the bride cope with being caught in the middle?
Shen Congxing looked down upon families of lower status, since he was, after all, his eldest son and would inherit the title in the future.
But most of the high-ranking families are very careful about their reputation. They know that it is not a good marriage. If they still get married, won’t they be known as "selling their daughter to curry favor with the emperor's uncle"? Besides, the Shen family is unwilling to compromise with a concubine's daughter.
Besides, what’s the use of marrying into a wealthy family, as we’ve learned from past experiences? The daughter of Duke Yingguo Zhang didn’t have a good life in the Shen family.
Therefore, the king's uncle encountered obstacles everywhere.
Minglan had heard a little about this matter.
Shen Congxing was interested in the daughter of Zheng, the Marquis of Zhongjing, who was the niece of the Zheng brothers. So he asked his sister Xiao Shen to convey his intentions. After several days of discussion, the Zheng brothers and their wives finally decided to return.
Little Shen was a little sad, feeling that everyone looked down on her family. Madam Zheng, in order to comfort her, openly said that she did not quite agree with this matter.
Just imagine that after getting married, if the bride is filial to Zhang, Aunt Zou will certainly be dissatisfied, and her husband will also be unhappy. But asking her own precious legitimate daughter to please a concubine and serve her like a real mother-in-law, wouldn't it be ridiculed? Families like Zheng's have to deal with prominent people, and a good legitimate daughter would lower her status for no reason, and it would be difficult for her parents to go out and see people.
Little Shen knew this was the truth. Moreover, after giving birth to a daughter, her mood had long since changed. When her eldest sister-in-law, who looked up to her like a mother, asked her, "If it were your daughter, would you be willing to marry her to your nephew?"
Xiao Shen quickly held her daughter in her arms. This might be the only flesh and blood in her life. She was so weak and delicate that she felt so distressed that she wished she could dig out her heart and give it to the child. She kept shaking her head. She didn't want her daughter to suffer that way.
So she concealed the truth from her brother and just said what everyone else said, saying that the Zheng family had already arranged a marriage in their hometown of Xunyang.
The uncle's marriage proposal wasn't going well, so he inevitably turned to his wife, asking her to help him find a partner among her acquaintances. Zhang almost burst out laughing, wanting to yell back, "Do you think marrying into the Shen family is such a great thing?! You screwed me over, and now you want me to screw over the good girls from my relatives' families? Dream on!"
After having a son, she was no longer the patient Zhang. She sneered in front of her husband, "The eldest young master has never even called me mother. He only thinks about his aunt. When he gets married in the future, he won't serve me. The Marquis is really good at teasing people. He takes advantage of my good temper and bullies our Zhang family. Isn't it too much!"
Shen Congxing was very embarrassed, but he couldn't refute it, so he had to grit his teeth and say that he would take his son to pay his respects to his wife and apologize.
Zhang stopped him again, sighing, "You gave birth to his flesh and blood, but you couldn't give birth to his heart. Forcing him to recognize me, if he's unwilling to accept it, is pointless. He misses his birth mother, that's only natural. I only resent that perverse and evil person who unreasonably instigated this, causing discord between the young master and me. It's as if I forced his mother to death."
She burst into tears and said, "When Miss Zou passed away, I was still thousands of miles away. The Zhang and Chen families had nothing to do with each other. I was inexplicably blamed for this. I feel so wronged!"
Shen Congxing naturally knew who this person with ulterior motives was, but he still couldn't speak out. He only blamed the Zou family for the mistake and his son for being confused. He said, "When he grows up, he will understand." In fact, he felt sorry for Zhang, so his tone softened.
Zhang, seizing the opportunity, feigned sorrow and said, "Never mind. Fortunately, I'm not counting on the young master for my retirement. Let's just keep our distance. But the young master has a grudge against me now. If he knew I was the one who found his wife, wouldn't he be happy? I'm afraid the girl would be implicated and suffer for no reason, leading to future discord between husband and wife, and unnecessary offense against my in-laws."
When Shen Congxing heard this, he thought it made perfect sense, and he stopped asking Zhang to run around for his son's marriage. After several months of hesitation, he was at his wit's end, so he had no choice but to ask the Queen for help. Finally...
Minglan nearly spit out her tea. "What?! The uncle wants to call the eldest son the princess?"
Zhang idly fiddled with the tassels on her skirt. "This is perfect. The eldest princess and the eldest young master are of similar age and appearance. They are cousins and know each other well, so it's convenient for both of them. ... I think Her Highness will appreciate the good intentions of the Shen family in treating the Zou family well."
Anyway, when Shen Congxing dies in the future, she will immediately move out with her son and live there more comfortably and leisurely.
Minglan was speechless for a long time; this... is really too creative.
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