"This...where do I start?" Minglan was stunned for three seconds before she came to her senses.
Rulan threw the handkerchief fiercely onto the kang and bit her lip as she said, "It was said that Gu... proposed marriage to my eldest brother-in-law."
Minglan was amused by Rulan's grammar: "He proposed to my eldest brother-in-law, and Zhuang Jie'er is still young, so why not ask my eldest brother-in-law to marry him himself? Haha, haha...ah!" The laughter stopped abruptly. Minglan blew on the back of her hand that was hurt by the slap, and shook it repeatedly: "Okay, I won't joke anymore, Fifth Sister, you can speak."
Unexpectedly, Rulan didn't say anything else. Her eyes were red and she was about to cry, "You know, Brother Jing and I... What should I do now?! When big sister mentioned this, I said I didn't want to. Mother scolded me severely, and I ran away crying!"
Minglan was filled with regret. How could she act on impulse when it came to her lifelong event? She should at least understand the whole story before crying. But seeing Rulan's aggrieved expression, she advised, "Fifth sister, don't be too sad. Are the eldest sister and the madam going to harm you? Respectfully... ahem, Master Wen is no match for Gu Tingye. Perhaps this could be a fantastic match."
Rulan was even more furious, stamping her feet and banging the kang in a fit of rage. Little Xi Que came in with a steaming copper basin, but upon seeing the scene, wisely remained silent. Minglan rolled up her sleeves, wrung a handkerchief for Rulan herself, and handed it to her: "Fifth sister, now that things have come to this, what's the point of calling me here? I can't do anything."
"Who told you to think of a solution?" Rulan took the hot handkerchief, pressed it on her eyes, looked up at Minglan and said, "...You should go to Shou'an Hall quickly and listen to what they said. About Gu..." Rulan blushed slightly and refused to continue.
Minglan's eyes widened and she waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, no, no, what's the point of me going to listen to your sister's wedding? If you want to know something, just go and ask!"
Rulan bit her lips until they turned pale, staring blankly at Minglan. Little Xique couldn't bear to watch this anymore, so she walked over to Minglan and gently advised, "Miss, please go. Our young lady got angry just now and had a few words with the eldest aunt, which really pissed off the mistress and the eldest aunt. How can you have the nerve to go again now? Originally, it would be the same if you asked the mistress, but how could the mistress know what was on your mind? She might not be able to answer you to the point. Besides, our young lady is in a hurry now and can't wait! Sixth Miss, over the years, our young lady has treated you as her most intimate friend!"
Minglan wanted to yell, "How could that be!", but Rulan was already pouncing on her with a ferocious look on her face, her white-knuckled fingers almost digging into her arm. Minglan was helpless, and besides, she was a little curious, so she agreed.
Fortunately, the girls' courtyard was not far from Shou'an Hall. Minglan took two steps at a time, with Xiaotao pulling her from time to time. When they arrived at Shou'an Hall, they saw Cuiping and Cuimei standing at the door. Minglan took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and then slowly stepped in. Seeing that the main hall was empty, Minglan walked around the screen and went straight into the side room. There she saw the old lady, Wang and Hualan, three old and medium-sized women, sitting around the kang and talking. When they saw Minglan coming, they immediately stopped and looked at her.
After Minglan bowed to everyone, she bravely faced their gazes, giggling a few times: "I don't know. It was Fifth Sister who asked me to come and listen. I know I shouldn't have come. Otherwise... I'd better go back."
Seeing her fidgeting with her clothes, speaking incoherently, and looking embarrassed, Hualan chuckled and turned to ask the old lady for her advice. The old lady gave Minglan a sidelong glance, but it was Wang who spoke up, "Well, Sixth Girl, listen to me too. Ru'er has always been good to you and is willing to listen to your advice. ... What do you say, old lady?"
Of course the old lady didn't care, but she still pretended to think for a while before nodding; Minglan carefully took a small stool, sat down beside her, closed her mouth, pricked up her ears, and acted like a qualified listener.
Hua Lan turned around and smiled, "Where was your granddaughter talking just now? Oh! That's right... They talked for a full hour. Speaking of which, Gu Erlang and Shi Ge'er's father can be considered childhood friends. Gu Erlang said that it's easier to add icing on the cake than to help someone in need. When he left home in poverty, your grandson-in-law didn't look at him differently. He looked down on those who came to cling to him, but he trusted Wen Shao's character, so he asked him to find a marriage. I already have a sister-in-law like this engaged, so Wen Shao thought of our family. Last night, I mentioned my sister to Gu Erlang, and he was willing."
Wang's expression was very strange. She seemed ecstatic, yet worried, as if a piece of pig's head had fallen from the sky and hit her on the head. She wanted to eat the fat meat, but was afraid that there was a mousetrap with a tightened spring underneath the pig's head.
The old lady noticed Wang's hesitation and, after carefully considering her words, asked, "We might be marrying above our station, but General Gu's reputation... apart from anything else, I heard years ago that he had a mistress and children, so he must be favored. Wouldn't your sister suffer if she married him? Besides, since ancient times, marriages have always been decided by parents. Why did he bring it up himself? We should at least ask the Dowager of the Ningyuan Marquisate to intervene."
The old lady has been worried about Minglan's marriage recently, and now she has a very clear idea when thinking about marriage. Wang nodded repeatedly after hearing this, and this is what she meant. The old lady looked at Wang with a complicated expression, who could not hide her excitement. In fact, there were still many unbearable rumors, but she was embarrassed to say them.
Hua Lan glanced at the old lady, hesitated, and then pressed her fingers tightly against the hand warmer. She leaned forward with her back hunched, and whispered, "This matter needs to be told from the beginning. It's a long story. I only found out about it last night from what your grandson-in-law told me... It turns out that the wife of the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion is not Gu Erlang's biological mother!"
Everyone was shocked, and the old lady hurriedly asked, "Is General Gu a concubine's son?" This question was very crucial and directly determined Gu Erlang's value. Although the content was the same, the versions were different in hardcover or simple edition.
"That's not the case. He is indeed a legitimate child," Hua Lan added hastily. "To be honest, I don't believe it either. The Ningyuan Marquisate is keeping it a secret too tightly. It turns out that the old marquis had three wives. The first was a girl from the Qin family of the Dongchang Marquis. After the marriage, the old marquis took his family to guard the Sichuan and Yunnan garrisons. A few years later, Madam Qin passed away after giving birth to a child, so the old marquis remarried to a girl from the Bai family, who gave birth to Gu Erlang. This lady also died not long after. Then, the old marquis remarried again, this time with the first Madam Qin's younger sister, who is now Madam Gu. Many years later, the old marquis was ordered to return to the capital. For a long time, no one mentioned the matter. After all, they all had the surname Qin, so outsiders thought the old marquis had only one Madam Qin. The Dongchang Marquisate itself kept silent, and only a few close relatives knew the details. It was only recently, because many people were considering marrying into the Gu family, after a lot of careful inquiries, that the matter was slowly revealed."
Minglan opened her mouth slightly, she was a little confused about what Gu Tingye meant by that.
Hualan's words were mostly in vain. Wang Shi wanted to know whether Gu Tingye was a reliable person, but Hualan rambled on about a lot of old stories. The old lady understood what she was saying. She stood up from the kang and asked with interest, "So, the news of the discord between General Gu and the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion is true? But it's not because of the rift between father and son, but because of the discord between General Gu and his stepmother?!"
Hua Lan's eyes lit up, feeling that her grandmother was the one who understood. She leaned over and smiled at the old lady, "That's pretty close. Grandmother, think about it. If the mother is kind and the son is filial, why would Gu Erlang leave home for several years and not return? Why did he only return to Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion once after opening the General's Mansion? Which father doesn't beat his son without the mother's persuasion? Look at the fifth son of the Duke of Han's Mansion. He's a real five-evil person, keeping prostitutes and gambling, and his behavior is much more outrageous than Gu Erlang's back then. But he has the Duke's wife protecting him and hiding it from him, and he's still fine, isn't he?! Now I understand, she's not my biological mother after all! One mistake is worth ten thousand shouts, and if you keep whispering in the old marquis's ear, he'll definitely give him a death sentence!"
Wang's brain circuits were linear, and her biggest concern was still the extramarital affair. She opened her mouth and said, "So... are those rumors false? What about that woman outside? And what about the children?"
Hua Lan's expression froze for a moment, and she said awkwardly, "He does have a woman outside, and they have children. He and Wen Shao have both told everyone. But..." Hua Lan saw that Wang's face seemed angry, and she quickly said "but", "Gu Erlang said that the woman has bad intentions, and he sent her to the manor to be looked after. He will never see her again. As for the illegitimate child, it's still unclear whether he will be included in the family tree."
Wang's face turned gloomy again.
The old lady still frowned and said slowly, "That's right. There's a problem after all. He's the eldest son of a concubine." She turned to Wang and said, "You have to think carefully about this marriage. The Ningyuan Marquis's family is already high-ranking, not to mention General Gu's current prestige, he is undoubtedly rich and powerful. However, this girl is your child. When living, you can't just focus on the outside; the inside is what matters. If things go wrong, our family will be known as 'not caring about our daughters, but greedy for wealth and fame.' When choosing a son-in-law, character is still the most important thing."
Minglan lowered her head and said nothing. She had heard a saying in her previous life, something like 'There is no such thing as loyalty, it's just that you haven't been tempted enough'. The old lady seemed to be a staunch supporter of this saying. She didn't think that He Hongwen was any better than anyone else, but a doctor who buried himself in medicinal herbs and medical classics was always more reliable than a high-ranking official who had to drink and socialize all the time.
Wang had a conflicted look on her face, grabbing a handkerchief and twisting it hard, apparently hesitating again.
Seeing that the old lady seemed unwilling and Wang Shi showed signs of wavering, Hua Lan felt a little anxious and said with a smile: "Oh, you don't trust others, don't you trust your own son-in-law? When my mother-in-law heard the news, she beat her chest and stamped her feet in regret, but my sister-in-law couldn't change her mind, so she asked Wen Shao to propose cousin Xiumei to Gu Erlang. When my father-in-law found out, he scolded her severely. Haha, she thought of it! Not to mention that Uncle Zhang has passed away, even if he were still alive, he would only be a fifth-rank official. Wen Shao pondered for a long time and said that although Gu Erlang had been a playboy for a while, he had finally turned over a new leaf and was a worthy match. If you don't believe me, just go see for yourself. He's truly sincere and his words are so resolute. Besides, if he were perfectly fine, why would our family be in the right place? Those powerful and prestigious people who care about their reputations are unwilling to take risks, and those who rush to marry are all clinging to power. Gu Erlang didn't want the marriage that the Gu family's wife had suggested, so we sent him to your son-in-law.
Hualan was an excellent speaker, her voice was cadenced and every word she said made sense. Just as she was talking, she suddenly caught sight of Minglan who looked puzzled, so she casually asked what was wrong.
Minglan glanced at the old lady's face and whispered, "Isn't it said that a widower has to make do when he remarries? How come... the general is so popular? It's not easy to be a stepmother. Besides, doesn't the second wife perform the etiquette of a concubine in front of the tablet of the original wife?" Look at Jia Zhen's second wife, Madam You, and Jia She's second wife, Madam Xing. They didn't live very well. Even the senior and respectable servants seemed to look down on them.
Hualan finally persuaded Wang, but when she saw Minglan making trouble again, she rolled her eyes at her and said, "What do you know, little girl?! Widowers are also divided into different levels. Those old widowers who already have legitimate sons naturally can't marry anyone good. But someone like Gu Erlang is young and handsome, and has no legitimate son. If your sister marries him and gives birth to a son, she will be the same as the original wife. Who can say anything?!" As she spoke, Hualan stretched out her finger to poke Minglan's forehead. Minglan shrank her neck and didn't say anything. After all, she had fought for Ruolan.
Hualan persuaded her for a long time, and the more time passed, the more inclined Wang was to get married. She just said she would discuss it with Sheng Hong. After saying something else, Hualan was about to say goodbye. Wang got up to see her daughter out. The mother and daughter walked side by side, talking all the way. Minglan was left at the door of Shou'an Hall. She didn't turn back to the old lady until Wang and Hualan disappeared.
After talking for a long time, the old lady was already tired. She leaned against the head of the kang and rested with her eyes slightly closed. Minglan tiptoed over and took a soft quilt to cover the old lady. Unexpectedly, the old lady suddenly opened her eyes, and Minglan was startled.
"You...you should try to persuade the girl more." The old lady said slowly.
Minglan was slightly startled and tilted her head as she sat down next to the old lady. "Is the marriage already settled? Didn't they say we should wait until the spring exam results are announced and then choose a son-in-law for Sister Ru from among the talented young men there?"
The old lady pressed the heater into Minglan's hands and covered her small hand with her own, a hint of sarcasm on her lips: "Marrying her daughter into a wealthy family has been her lifelong dream. If it weren't for the incident with Mo girl, it would be fine. But now that a son-in-law from a higher family and with a brighter future has come down, how can your wife let him go!"
Minglan thought about it carefully and realized that it was true. Wang and Aunt Lin had been fighting for a lifetime, but in the end, she had to marry a concubine's daughter into a family with a higher title than her legitimate daughter's. How could she swallow this? If there was no chance, it would be fine, but now that Gu Tingye came to propose marriage himself, Wang would probably become more and more proud of herself. Poor brother Jing, you are so unlucky. I'm afraid you will be disappointed again.
"...I wonder what Daddy would say?" Minglan stared at the rooftop, lost in thought.
The old lady sneered, with a helpless look on her face: "That's even more unnecessary. Men look at things differently from women, and your father..." Thinking it would be inappropriate to speak ill of her father in front of the younger generation, the old lady remained silent.
In fact, even if the old lady didn't say the following, Ming Lan could have made up for it. To Sheng Hong, Gu Tingye didn't make any big mistakes. He was just young and frivolous for a while. Although he didn't do very well in self-cultivation and family management, he started from a high point and skipped the first two steps directly to rule the country and bring peace to the world!
In the face of the interests of the entire family, Rulan's opposition is probably powerless, not to mention that she can't come up with any strong reasons to refute it. In the eyes of most men, Gu Tingye's past is over after all, and it is normal for a widower to have a concubine's eldest son. As for the issue of concubines, which wife of a nobleman has not gone through this? The old lady and Minglan who want to "live together until old age" are the few outliers.
The old lady's eyes were hazy with fatigue. She turned to the side, as if she wanted to sleep. Minglan flattened the pillow for her and tucked in the quilt to make her more comfortable. Before she fell asleep, she mumbled, "...they are their own daughters, and other people can't worry about them... They have never seen the world... Such a playboy, who has only become rich for a few days and treats everything as a treasure... I just look down on him..."
Minglan stood by the kang for a long time. She felt that she should say a few fair words for her savior. In fact, Gu Tingye was not that bad. At least he was brave and willing to help. He was an accurate archer and a powerful puncher. He was also very stylish with a big beard.
Well, if it were her, she wouldn't necessarily be happy about it either. This kind of high-ranking official was too challenging. Even if there weren't a dozen beauties in the house, there would probably be fresh flowers all year round. Speaking of which, Qi Heng's grandfather, the Marquis of Xiangyang, had wrinkles at the corners of that old man's eyes that could kill a fly, and he also kept a houseful of concubines and maids, and there were rumors of him replacing them from time to time.
Alas, when parents are too ambitious, their children will be under a lot of pressure. This has been the same in ancient and modern times.
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