After having dinner with Gu Tingye that day, Minglan sent the maids away and quickly relayed Zhang's words from the day before. Gu Tingye was surprised at first, "Brother Chen is also strange. Every time he talks to me, he is always on guard against Madam Zhang. This involves matters related to the royal family, and there is no final conclusion yet, but he still said it."
Minglan wasn't surprised to hear this. In fact, she had already sensed from their conversation today that Zhang didn't have much respect for her husband. She only murmured in confusion, "Why would the Emperor's uncle think of this? Isn't it customary in our dynasty for a consort to not participate in government affairs?"
The implication is that he is not optimistic about this marriage.
It was rare for a couple to have different opinions. Gu Tingye patiently explained, "That being said, however... Alas, Brother Chen wanted to marry the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Fuguo, but the old master only wanted a niece; he had his eyes on the fourth daughter of the Marquis of Ruyang, but after much persuasion, he was only willing to give her a concubine's daughter; some people also said that the daughter of Lord Yao was better, but his wife was not happy about it and even fell ill; the Duke of Han was generous and asked for the eldest legitimate daughter of the Crown Prince, but..."
Minglan continued, "But the Han family, with no capable male heirs at court and internal unrest, is so disdainful to the emperor's uncle." She chuckled softly behind her sleeve as she spoke. It hadn't occurred to her that the emperor's uncle had already encountered so many obstacles. He wouldn't accept a wife unless she was legitimate, outstanding in appearance, of noble descent, or of a clean family background. It was indeed a difficult choice.
Seeing his wife's sly smile, Gu Tingye also felt that he was forcing his brother to do something. He sighed and laughed, "There are only so many people to choose from. Brother Chen is also very proud and unwilling to use the marriage to pressure others. The Queen Mother loves you, so she suggested Shangzhu. Brother Chen thinks about it carefully and thinks it's a good idea. First, the princess is the master, and everyone must respect her, so there is nothing to make a fuss about. Secondly, although the prince consort has no chance of government, who can guarantee that the father will be a hero and the son will be a hero? How can we know that the son will be successful? It's not a bad idea to ensure his honor."
With a princess daughter-in-law at home, no matter what the government will be like in the future or how capable the son is, no one will bully the family, and there will always be peace and wealth - the above is Shen Congxing's consideration. At the end, Gu Tingye added: "Anyway, I can't see her talent now. Maybe the eldest brother of the Shen family is just blessed to enjoy a peaceful and leisurely life."
Shen Congxing once took his eldest son to the military training ground. After several trials, whether it was martial arts on horseback or in arranging troops, the eldest brother was considered to be above average - note that the emperor's uncle was present, and a group of old brothers were there to show their support.
Minglan could hear her husband hinting at his approval and understood. For example, a son's ability alone meant he could only get into a top ten university in the country, but now the fourth-ranked school offered him a recommendation, and the parents decided to play it safe and accept.
"...What you said is true, but..." She still felt that it was inappropriate. Putting herself in his shoes, even if Tuan Ge'er's talents were mediocre in the future, she hoped that her son would marry a virtuous and pleasing wife, rather than marrying a princess for the sake of wealth.
Gu Tingye touched the soft hair on his wife's temples and said softly, "I know what you mean. If I were in her place, I wouldn't want Tuan'er to be the wife." His wife was thinking from the conventional perspective of living at home, but could the situation in the Shen family still be considered normal?
Minglan's face suddenly brightened. "That's good. I was just afraid that the Marquis would say this is fine or that, and then ask for a princess for Tuan Ge'er." After thinking for a moment, she smiled again, "I always feel that the King's uncle is worrying too much. In fact, the Shen family is royal family. When the eldest prince succeeds to the throne in the future, he can help his cousins. Even if he doesn't marry the princess, who would dare to disrespect the Shen family?"
Gu Tingye was silent. There was something he had never said. He didn't expect Minglan to be so perceptive and noticed it herself.
He pondered for a moment and then said, "The Empress is kind and compassionate. She often instructs her children to remember Madam Zou's kindness and treat the Shen cousins well. That's fine, but in the first few years after the Emperor ascended the throne, the Shen children often came to the palace to study and play with the prince. Who knows who was the gossiper? The little kid actually had the audacity to argue with the prince, saying things like, 'My mother died for Aunt Empress'..."
Minglan gasped and said in disbelief, "How can you say that?!" Does the Zou family remind her often?
Gu Tingye sighed, "The children were only a little old at that time, and Brother Shen kept apologizing. I don't think the emperor took it to heart (Madam Zou didn't die for him), but I don't know what the two princes think."
They were clearly first cousins, yet they didn't seem to be getting along. A while ago, during the incident involving Zhang's difficult childbirth, the Emperor took his anger out on the Empress and criticized the Prince's studies. The Empress might not have been offended, but what about the two Princes? Shen Congxing probably shared this concern, which was why he insisted on finding a reliable in-law for his son. Even if the Emperor didn't care about him in the future, there would still be someone in the officialdom to look after him.
"Maybe Brother Shen is overthinking it. But the eldest princess and the two princes are born of the same mother, and they have always had a deep brotherly and sisterly bond..."
He didn't say anything else. Minglan already understood everything. The couple was silent for a moment. Gu Tingye cheered up and said with a smile, "It's a matter of no consequence. The Emperor hasn't spoken yet. Don't mention it at all. Just pretend you don't know about it."
Minglan naturally nodded in agreement. Gu Tingye continued, "I think the matter with Fourth Brother Changdong is a good one. Uncle Shen's family is very stable and has never made any mistakes. You are not feeling well now, so why don't I go talk to my father-in-law?"
Minglan quickly said, "Your Majesty, forget it. You go and talk to him. Even if Daddy doesn't want to, it's hard for him to say no. A marriage can only be successful if both families are willing. If I save you the trouble, Your Majesty won't have to worry about it."
He caressed his wife's slightly protruding belly and rubbed Tuanzi's head. The little guy took up his parents' pillow, his belly rising and falling, and he was snoring. Gu Tingye looked at him with pity for a while and sighed, "Everyone has their own destiny. I wonder what kind of wife we will get in the future?"
"Find someone a little dumber." Minglan said calmly.
Gu Tingye was shocked: "Why is this?"
Minglan said seriously, "The key to a relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is to balance tension and relaxation. I'm so clever, if I find someone more clever and skillful, won't we be scheming against each other every day?"
After a while, Gu Tingye touched his wife's head and asked cautiously: "Do you think you are... smart?"
Minglan glared: "Do you think I'm stupid?"
"How could that be? Madam is a wise woman who appears foolish." Gu Tingye smiled openly.
Minglan frowned and looked at the man suspiciously, feeling that there was something else behind his words and that he had bad intentions.
Gu Tingye glanced at Tuanzi again and said, "If this boy is honest and his wife is stupid, wouldn't it be terrible?"
Minglan gently squeezed her son's hand and sighed, "Don't worry, my Lord. This boy is very smart."
As he grew older, Tuan Ge'er's personality gradually became apparent. She felt that this little fat boy was a sinister person - when she peeled an egg for him, he would nibble off the egg white, which he liked, and then smile innocently and stuff the egg yolk into the mouth of the cheerful Mother Cui. When Minglan came back, she saw only egg shells on the table and noticed nothing.
Fortunately, Cui's mother was straightforward, and after a few encounters, she told Minglan everything. Without a word, Minglan slapped Tuan'er's chubby little butt and ordered him to stop being picky about food. The fat boy burst into tears on the spot, curled up in the corner of the bed, sulking and ignoring Minglan. That night, he even complained to his father, crying and gesturing (to no avail). He was honest?! Humph.
…
The next day, Minglan wrote a letter in which she carefully conveyed everything Zhang had said without adding or subtracting a single word. Sheng Hong was smart enough to figure out the pros and cons, so there was no need to say more.
Three or four days later, Liu came to see Minglan with a smile on her face. She brought a lot of fresh mountain and sea products, saying that they were brought by her brothers from outside. After a few warm greetings, the aunt and sister-in-law got down to business.
Liu said, "Master said that this marriage is very good, as long as the family background is concerned. It is also a blessing for Fourth Brother that the Shen family is interested in Dong'er. I am only afraid that the girl grew up in a border area and has a strong personality."
The implication is that Changdong is the youngest and his mother is the humblest. When the family distributes resources and wealth in the future, it is inevitable that they will receive less. He is originally from a military family, and if he has the temperament of a tigress, he will cause chaos in the future and repeat the mistakes of Hedong Prefecture.
Minglan thought for a moment and said, "Why don't I invite the women of the Shen family over for tea? My sister-in-law and my eldest sister can come too. We can forget about marriage and just chat and laugh, treating it as a visit to the family."
Liu was thinking the same thing, so she smiled and said, "I'm relieved if my sister agrees. Master also means the same thing. No one has seen Fourth Brother, but we don't even know if he's round or flat. Besides, with my elder sister here to discuss things, it's even safer."
After Liu left, Minglan smiled to herself. She wondered what methods Sheng Hong had used to investigate these past few days, but she thought he was satisfied. With this in mind, she sent a letter to Zhang. The next day, Zhang sent someone to say that everything was up to Minglan, but that the weather had changed recently and Aunt Shen had caught a cold. The doctor said she needed to recuperate for a while.
Originally, the two children were still young and neither family was in a hurry, so Minglan wrote a letter to comfort them, telling them not to worry and to take good care of themselves. In fact, the Shen family was also worried that if the cold did not heal completely and Minglan became pregnant again, something bad might happen, and a good thing would turn into a bad thing.
As autumn deepened, the nights became especially cold. Mother Cui picked a sunny day and turned on the floor heating in all the rooms of Jiaxi Residence. Minglan then teased her son by rolling around on the warm kang.
Tuan Ge'er became more sensible and asked Cui Mama and others to teach him again and again. He often looked at his mother's bulging belly with curiosity, but no longer rushed over to hug her. He just touched it gently with his chubby little hands.
Minglan had just finished her afternoon snack and was about to take a walk along the corridor when Gu Tingye came back laughing and called out to welcome the guests. Minglan was surprised and got ready to get into the sedan chair. She followed him to the front hall and saw that it was the Shi brothers and Che Sanniang whom she had not seen for a long time.
In fact, they had only exchanged a few words on the river at night when they had met several years ago. The reason Minglan remembered it so clearly was that Shi Lao Da's fierce beard was so striking. Che Sanniang had become much more prosperous. Although her skin was still a little rough, her eyebrows were happy and relaxed, and she looked like a wealthy lady.
Seeing Gu Tingye coming out, Shi Keng quickly punched his brother. The two brothers knelt down to salute, and Che Sanniang bowed deeply beside them. Gu Tingye stepped forward, grabbed the two brothers, and laughed, "We're brothers, why are you nagging about such stinky rules!"
Minglan also held her belly and said with a smile, "Sister Che, please sit down quickly. I'm just being lazy and won't invite you." She then asked Xiaotao and Luzhi to serve tea and snacks.
Che Sanniang's temper remained unchanged. She thanked him readily and gave her husband a push with a smile. The three of them sat down. The couple was very graceful. Only Shi Qiang was young and shy. He had just arrived in this rich and comfortable place. His face was red, his head was lowered, and he said nothing. When Luzhi served him tea, he didn't know where his eyes were looking and almost dropped the tea.
Although they had not seen each other for a long time, Minglan was not unfamiliar with the Shi brothers and Che Sanniang. Every year, Gu Tingye's former subordinates sent New Year gifts from the south, and the Shi family's share was always included, and the share was especially generous than that of others.
Seeing that Gu Tingye was genuinely happy, Minglan was doubly polite and after chatting about some family matters, she pulled Sanniang into the sedan chair and went all the way to the inner courtyard flower hall to chat and have tea, leaving the men outside to talk on their own.
After talking about the past few years, Minglan realized that ever since Gu Tingye got together with the right boss, the Shi brothers' fortunes had risen rapidly, and they had gradually taken over the grain transport business from the Yangtze River and Huai River to the Longxi Pass.
"Thanks to Master Gu, we now have a stable meal and no longer have to work in the wind and rain to make a living." Che Sanniang said this smoothly and called out the old name again. When she heard Minglan thank her for the gift, she hurriedly said, "This is what you deserve! If it weren't for the Marquis's protection, we wouldn't have the good life we have today!"
"The smooth flow of canal transportation is a good thing that benefits both the country and the people. The Marquis doesn't do this entirely for you." Minglan smiled. "No matter how capable the Marquis is, he can't take care of everything. You have achieved this today through so much effort and risking your lives. It's all hard-earned money."
Gu Tingye couldn't give them an imperial edict and let them show off their power everywhere. Anyone who was engaged in the salt trade had no one to back them up, and in many cases, they still had to rely on the abilities of the Shi brothers.
Che Sanniang was moved and wiped her tears, saying, "With Madam's words, we will follow Master Gu for the rest of our lives."
She was a cheerful person and could not be sad for more than a few seconds. She then wiped her eyes dry and said with a smile while looking at Minglan, "Madam and the Marquis are truly a match made in heaven. At the beginning..." She laughed first.
I recalled that night several years ago, when the river was icy and the wind was cold, and a raging fire was burning on the wide river. The flames shot up into the dark night sky. I was half frozen to death in the water and thought I had a chance to get back, but I was rescued by Che Sanniang and brought onto the boat.
"...I never thought...this day would come." Back then, he'd called me Second Uncle, but now he was my husband. They'd all heard it with their own ears. Minglan suddenly felt embarrassed. "I haven't even thanked Sister Che for saving my life yet."
Che Sanniang couldn't help laughing and said with a wink, "Why thank me? The Marquis is acting like a fool, searching the entire river for someone. He's making my idiot man anxious, insisting that your 'niece' must be Master Gu's biological daughter. Let's work harder and make sure the child doesn't freeze to death in the water. Haha... Who knew when we pulled her out, she turned out to be such a beautiful girl... Haha... I told you, no uncle would look after his niece that way!"
Minglan's face flushed, and she stammered, "I just followed the random relatives and called them that. Actually, it's not..." There were few people in the world who had heard her call Gu Tingye 'Second Uncle', and she actually ran into that person. It really shows that the law has a net that can catch up with us!
Che Sanniang was good at reading people's expressions. Seeing that the teasing was almost over, she was afraid that Minglan would be embarrassed and angry, so she quickly changed the subject and turned to talking about her children. Minglan hurriedly asked someone to bring Tuan Ge'er out. Che Sanniang liked him very much and stuffed a bulging purse into him. She praised him again and again, and finally sighed, "...I am just a little girl, but Madam is so lucky."
Minglan said, "Sister is still young, she will definitely give birth to a big fat boy."
Che Sanniang waved her hand generously and said with a smile, "My early life was difficult and damaged my body. I almost died giving birth to a daughter. The doctor said I can't have any more children."
Seeing Minglan's expression of reluctance, she smiled and said, "I am lucky. His father doesn't despise me. He just said that after my brothers find wives, they should have seventeen or eighteen children so that we can have a good family."
Minglan smiled and said, "That's right. We are all family. The eldest brother of the Shi family is a sincere person. This is the best." She had heard from Gu Tingye that Shi's parents died early and Shi Qiang was raised by his eldest brother. Although the two are brothers, their relationship is more like that of father and son.
Thinking of Che Sanniang's lonely and miserable childhood, her wanderings, and her final happy ending, Minglan sighed softly, saying, "...Sister, take good care of yourself. You will have great fortune in the future. I remember that year on the boat, the eldest brother of the Shi family said he would make you a beautiful silk dress."
Che Sanniang touched her sleeves, feeling the smooth, dense texture, and the lifelike embroidery of a magpie climbing a branch. She couldn't help but laugh and sigh, "That foolish man, now he wants me to wear silk clothes every day. I'm not afraid of laughing at you..." She lowered her voice, "This silk material is beautiful, but I think it's not as comfortable as cotton clothes."
Thinking of how people in later generations admired natural pure cotton fabrics, Minglan specially bought coarse linen. She held her sleeves and laughed with joy.
In the evening, Minglan invited Shao and Che Sanniang to have dinner together; she also asked someone to set up a simple banquet outside, and the Shi brothers, Gu Tingye, and old man Gongsun all drank together.
The four of them drank and chatted until late at night when Gu Tingye returned to his room. He unexpectedly found Minglan leaning against the bedside reading a book. Gu Tingye quickly took off his cold coat and rubbed his hands to warm them before leaning over. "Why aren't you sleeping yet? Be careful not to hurt yourself."
Minglan sat up lazily and said with a smile, "I just slept for a while."
The man stroked his wife's soft hair and said softly, "It's all my fault. I made you sleep so restlessly."
Minglan didn't answer. She opened her big, bright eyes and said quietly, "...When are you leaving?"
Gu Tingye froze for a moment before he smiled bitterly and said, "I was afraid you'd worry, so I wanted to tell you later. I didn't expect you to guess it yourself."
This is not difficult to guess - her husband comes home late every day, eats midnight snacks for dinner, and is very busy. The emperor reviews the troops more and more frequently, and Uncle Shen almost lives and eats in the military camp. Although she has not gone out because of her pregnancy, she can still feel the changes in the atmosphere from the streets of Beijing to the families of the generals.
"Why does the emperor choose this time to send troops? It's freezing cold and the New Year is almost here." Minglan pouted, feeling dissatisfied.
Gu Tingye let her lean against his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head, and whispered, "Now let's gather our troops in Longxi and make some preparations. After the winter, when food is scarce on the grasslands, it will be the time for the Jie slaves to plunder. We should take precautions early and send out troops in several directions. When the Jie slaves can no longer hold out, we can capture them all in one fell swoop."
Minglan said nothing.
The imperial army was like a regular army, and the Jie slaves were like guerrillas. These scattered bandits always took advantage of the army's retreat to plunder the people outside the Great Wall. The imperial army could not be stationed at the border forever. If a decisive battle was to be fought, the most difficult thing was to capture the main force of the guerrillas.
"Brother Shi, are you on a mission to the capital this time?" she asked. It was impossible for them to come to the north when winter was almost here.
Gu Tingye nodded and said, "While the inland river is still frozen, hurry up and send the food and fodder over first. The official ships are not enough."
Minglan touched her belly—the due date was next May. She felt extremely sad, but she couldn't ask her husband to ask his boss for leave. She could only whisper, "...When will you be back?"
This time, the response was a deep sigh, and the man said bitterly: "If it's fast, it will be March or April next year. If it's slow, I don't know... If I don't come back, you can only give birth by yourself."
Minglan burst out laughing: "Nonsense. If I don't give birth myself, how can you help me give birth?"
After saying this, her courage suddenly increased. It was just that her husband was not around to give birth to a child. What was the big deal? She could just think of herself as a military wife (Mother Yao said she would never agree) and her husband was guarding the border!
She straightened her back, placed one hand on his chest, and said word by word, "Just three things. First, don't be greedy for credit, the family doesn't need you to be promoted; second, return safely, don't leave any handicaps; third..."
She said bitterly, "Don't mess around with other women. Bring me a foreign princess, a fallen general's sister, or something like that, and I'll let you go!"
Gu Tingye hugged Minglan in his arms and laughed loudly. His laughter was so loud that it shook the window frames. It was very creepy in the middle of the night. The maids on duty outside woke up in shock and looked at each other in confusion.
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