"Why didn't you come and report such an important matter to me?!" Minglan turned back and questioned in a low voice.
"Yes," Qin Sang whispered in a panic. "When the master left, he entrusted the affairs of the outer courtyard to Mr. Gongsun. Mr. Gongsun said it was urgent, so he sent Gu Quan to the camp to report to the master first, and then to you. But Gu Quan came back that night and said that the master had instructed him not to bother you with these matters, saying that you were busy. He then reported to the people at the Marquis' Mansion that the emperor's review was a serious matter, and the master was busy with military affairs and couldn't leave. Although you were very anxious, there was nothing you could do."
Minglan felt relieved. This man was very conscientious and had cleared her out. It was worth it for her to work so hard in and out of bed these days.
After getting dressed, Minglan had no time to ask Qin Sang any more questions, so she had to quickly follow Gu Tingye out. As soon as she walked out of the double-layered flower-covered gate, on a white stone path lined with rich green and bright red, she saw Rong Jie'er standing at the other end of the path, with her head down, not knowing what she was thinking about, her little feet scratching on the ground. Beside her stood a little maid who kept urging her to go back.
As soon as she saw Gu Tingye and Minglan approaching, she immediately dodged and leaned against the shade of the tree. Gu Tingye paused slightly, and seeing that she was still thin and timid, he couldn't help but frown. He looked up and said in a deep voice, "Why are you here? You can learn a few more words instead of running around outside."
Seeing Rong Jie'er shudder, her face gloomy and dejected, Minglan quickly said softly, "The sun is at its hottest at this hour, and your father is worried you'll get sunburned. Your father and I have something to discuss now, so go back to your room first and come to my room to talk tonight."
Sister Rong lowered her little face deeply and said nothing.
There was a frown between Gu Tingye's eyebrows. He didn't know what to say, so he just nodded and walked forward. Minglan turned around and winked at Danju, then quickly followed Gu Tingye.
Danju Minglan immediately stepped forward, took Rong Jie'er's hand, and said with a smile, "This time when we went back to the mountains, the master and the mistress were thinking about Rong Jie'er, so they brought her a lot of things, including two palm-sized little white rabbits, a singing lark, and a lot of delicious fruits..."
When Minglan and Gu Tingye were about to disappear at the intersection, Rong Jie'er suddenly looked up quickly and stared straight at that place.
Seeing this, Danju sighed softly, squatted in front of Rong Jie'er, and said in a more gentle tone: "Jie'er, the master and the mistress have been away on important matters for the past half month, otherwise they would not have left you alone. I will show the master the calligraphy I have practiced these days. I'm sure the master will be very happy to see your progress..."
Before she could finish, Rong Jie'er pushed Danju away and ran away like the wind. Danju slowly stood up and sighed, "After all, he is my father, and he still cares about me. I just wonder if he remembers how good Madam has been these days."
Lvzhi, who was at the back, walked up to Danju and said with a pout, "She provides you with good food and clothes, and asks about your daily life from time to time. If the maids and servants show any neglect to you, they will send them away in a blink of an eye. Madam has done her best, but you have been reluctant to call me 'Madam' for so many days. It's just that..." Suddenly remembering Minglan's temper and manners, she bit her lip quickly.
As they were talking, the couple had already taken a sedan chair to the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion, one in front and the other behind. As soon as they arrived at the door, before they got out of the sedan, Minglan felt that the mansion was deserted. Gu Tingye got out of the sedan first and whispered through the door, "Don't say anything later, just follow me." Minglan was feeling anxious, and hearing this was exactly what she wanted, so she quickly responded.
When they reached the Neiyi Gate, only two maids in ordinary clothes came out to wait. Xiang Mama was standing there, craning her necks and waiting. When she saw Gu Tingye and his wife coming, she hurried to welcome them in.
"Second Master, Second Madam, everyone is waiting in Xuanning Hall. Please follow me."
Minglan was embarrassed for a moment, her steps paused, and she continued to walk inside following the Second Master in front of her.
Walking further in, the place was completely silent and deserted. The path was covered with fallen leaves and branches, and the pond was covered with floating green and yellow algae. Minglan became increasingly aware of a deep sense of desolation. Over the generations of the Gu family, those servants with connections or who had accumulated extra wealth had either run away or begged their masters to redeem them. The remaining servants were terrified, fearing that they would be implicated by their masters and even sold or exiled. How could they care for the house?
Minglan was worried and stole a glance at Gu Tingye's handsome profile, but she saw that he looked calm and continued to walk slowly.
Arriving at Xuanning Hall, they saw that quite a few people were already sitting inside. Except for the frail Gu Tingyu who could not stand up, almost everyone in the mansion with the surname Ting was there. Sitting at the top was the Dowager Dowager, followed by the fourth and fifth old masters and their couples. The males from each family sat in order of age, and a few female relatives sat behind the large carved mahogany lattice screen on the inner side of the hall.
As soon as they saw Gu Tingye coming, they hurriedly stood up and greeted him.
"Second brother is here! This is great."
"Second Brother Ye is finally here, everyone, don't worry, everything will be fine now!"
"Second brother, you must help me this time. It all depends on you!"
…
Gu Tingye showed no sign of impatience, but politely bowed and returned the greetings of his brothers one by one. Minglan walked inside and saw five of her sisters-in-law already seated there, making a total of six, including herself, two from each room. They looked unhappy, but dared not speak, only using their eyes to indicate. Zhu seemed to want to say something to Minglan, her lips moved, but she didn't say anything.
Mrs. Xuan was the calmest. She smiled and pulled Minglan over to sit beside her. "I heard you went to the outskirts of Beijing to sort out your farm recently. How is it going? Is everything okay?"
"Yes, everyone says that brother Ye's farms are incredibly huge, and it must be difficult to manage them. If there's anything that your sister-in-law can't manage, I have a few capable people here who I've known for many years." Mrs. Di said with a smile.
"Thank you both sisters-in-law for your concern. I have taken note of what Second Sister-in-law said. You never know when she might come to ask for the person." Minglan smiled and bowed. Mrs. Di smiled with satisfaction.
When Old Master Gu divided the family, each branch should have had its own property. However, the Fifth Elder was a self-proclaimed vassal, and the Fifth Elder Lady was also self-proclaimed elegant. Neither of them was good at managing household affairs. Furthermore, their eldest son, Gu Tingyang, was a showboat, and the First Lady, Yang, was even more of a shrew. With these three heavyweights in the way, Second Lady Di, who actually managed the affairs, had a hard time managing the family.
Therefore, neither the farm nor the shop was as well managed as the first and fourth branches. As time went on, the housekeepers inevitably had fewer tasks to do. There were too many people and too little work, and the staff was redundant and the benefits were too little. Even if the housekeepers themselves did not say anything, the wives and children at home would inevitably be dissatisfied, and gradually some complaints would come out.
Minglan is currently in need of people and has long been paying attention to the situation of the Gu family's servants. She often asks people to find out a little bit. If there are really any available, Minglan doesn't mind recruiting a few. There is no such thing as unchanging loyalty in the world. Finding a few people with clean backgrounds, willing to work and capable is better than buying them from outside. After all, she knows their ancestors for three generations.
But Minglan didn't answer directly. She simply changed the subject and said self-deprecatingly, "In the past, the old lady and the mistress from my mother's family always forced me to look at the land registers, and every year they asked me to listen to the reports from the village head. At that time, I just felt very annoyed. I would have learned some needlework and poetry, which are both quiet and elegant. Now that it's my turn, I understand the painstaking efforts of my elders."
Mrs. Xuan patted her thigh lightly and responded, "Who said it wasn't? When I was a girl, I didn't know there were so many things to be a daughter-in-law. I thought a book of women's commandments and an embroidery needle were all I needed."
Mrs. Bing Er listened to them talking for a while, unable to conceal her anxiety, and interrupted, "Sister-in-law is really a busy person. We sent so many people to look for you, and it's okay that we couldn't find you. But I want to ask you, have you told Brother Ye Er? We are in a critical situation here, and you act like you don't know. It's none of your business!"
Minglan wanted to say, "She really doesn't know anything," but Madam Xuan immediately followed up, "You're just a woman, how could you know what's going on outside? These past few days, one of them is busy in the camp, the other busy in the farm. I'm afraid they haven't even spoken to each other much, so how could you have the time to ask? Let's hear what the gentleman has to say."
The women thought so too and quickly pricked up their ears to listen.
"Brother Ye, what do you think we should do about this?" The lady's voice was still gentle, with only a hint of anxiety.
Gu Tingye turned sideways and said lightly, "I think it's just a few questions. Once you make your point clear, everything will be fine."
The Fourth Old Master was the most anxious. After hearing these indifferent words, he angrily said, "What are you talking about! That day, Liu Zhengjie led a team of guards in like wolves and tigers. Without any reason, they first searched my eldest brother's study and then detained a few of us in the small courtyard for interrogation. The whole house was in chaos and they showed no mercy. Do they think our Gu family is a shabby house?"
Minglan thought for a moment: If he really doesn't show any mercy, he should be taken to the Dali Temple for questioning like Molan's father-in-law and several of her brothers-in-law, instead of being questioned at home.
"That's right!" The Fifth Old Master slammed the table and said angrily, "But relying on the emperor's favor, he is so arrogant. That Liu guy is just a lowly official from a humble family, and now he has been promoted to a family of meritorious officials and nobles, and he can come and go as he pleases. It's really infuriating!"
Then everyone started talking one after another, cursing the officials in the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice who were in charge of the case for their stupidity and incompetence, their arbitrary trials and judgments, and the three upper guards of the imperial guards who were responsible for arresting and imprisoning people for their arrogance and disregard for the dignity of the powerful and aristocratic families. Then they lamented the misfortune of the Gu family. The main point was to arouse Gu Tingye's sense of solidarity against the enemy.
Unfortunately, Gu Tingye remained calm and composed. After everyone had finished speaking, he said, "Liu Zhengjie is the emperor's closest confidant. He came to question him on his behalf. As for the officials who are handling this case, they are either appointed by the emperor or well-known officials. It is disrespectful for us to slander the emperor's right-hand men."
After these words were spoken, everyone fell silent. Gu Tingye slowly moved his wrist that was resting on the armrest and said nonchalantly, "The Duke of Ling's Mansion and more than a dozen other families have all presented clear evidence that they were indeed involved in the 'Four Princes of the Late Emperor's Treason Case' and have long been convicted. The case is still under trial. If anyone is found to be slightly implicated, they will be brought in for questioning. As for the Marquis of Yongchang's Mansion, the Earl of Yongping's Mansion, and several other families, if they are found to be innocent, they can be released and everything will be fine. If they can question others, why can't ours?"
This made sense, and the two old masters were speechless for a moment. However, Gu Tingbing, who was sitting next to them, stood up angrily and shouted, "What do you mean by slightly involved?! They are just incompetent to judge the case, so they are looking for trouble with others to show off their own ability! Our Gu family has been loyal to the master for generations, and we are honest as hell! Second brother, you are now respected in front of the emperor, and our old Gu family has been bullied right here, and you don't even try to stop it. Are you going to make a fool of us like this?"
"Since I learned about this, I've also sought an opportunity to inquire about it." Gu Tingye smiled faintly, "It is said that the Ministry of Justice has obtained witnesses and evidence, and repeatedly examined them. They found doubts, so the emperor ordered people to come and question them. Cousin, do you think this is a joke?"
Gu Tingbing was speechless.
Minglan, who was standing on the side, couldn't help but sigh inwardly after hearing this: These uncles and big brothers won't cry until they see the coffin. They are still talking big at this time. Do they know where the crux of the problem lies?
Ever since Gu Tingye left home in anger, the Gu family and Gu Tingye have been two separate entities, especially after the death of the old Marquis Gu, which severed Gu Tingye's last remaining ties. And in those years when the struggle for the succession to the throne in the capital was raging, Gu Tingye was eating three cents a bowl of plain noodles, surviving on the dust and rain and the knife-edge of life in the martial arts world. What did their misfortune, caused by their involvement in the succession struggle, have to do with Gu Tingye?
At this moment, there was a noise beside her. Mrs. Bing Er suddenly stood up and walked straight to the hall. She walked in front of Gu Tingye and pleaded sadly, "Brother Ye Er, I am a woman and I don't understand big things, but I can't write the word 'Gu' twice with one stroke. Now that your uncles and brothers are in trouble, you can't just stand by and watch!" As she spoke, she burst into tears.
Minglan praised it highly. She said that a woman's sixth sense is more reliable. There is no need to say any big truths. Just begging and moving people with emotion is the hard truth. Sure enough, Gu Tingye frowned, stood up and avoided Mrs. Bing's greeting, turned to the fourth old master and said, "Why don't you ask all the sisters-in-law and brothers and sisters to go back first? This is not in accordance with etiquette."
The Fourth Old Master, however, didn't care: "We are all blood relatives, there is no need to be so particular about the rules. It's only natural for your sister-in-law to be anxious."
Mrs. Bing Er wiped her tears and stood aside respectfully.
In fact, except for major events such as dividing the family property, women in the inner house in ancient times were not allowed to show up in public casually. Even their uncles and brothers from their husband's family were not allowed to meet easily, for the sake of etiquette and taboos.
Minglan narrowed her eyes. What did this mean? A combination of hard and soft tactics?
Gu Tingye raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Okay. In that case, I'll speak frankly." He then sat down with great dignity and spoke in a clear voice, "The four princes of the late emperor were long ago convicted of treason, and the main culprits who aided the rebellion have all been convicted and sentenced. We are currently investigating those who aided the rebellion, those who had close ties with the rebellious princes, and those who were implicated in the treason."
Emperor Renzong had been soft-hearted all his life, but he finally understood before his death. In order to give an explanation to the unfortunate Third Prince and Concubine De, and to make life easier for the Eighth Prince who ascended the throne, he convicted the Fourth Prince of high treason.
Everyone in the hall was shocked when these words were spoken. The Fifth Old Master, who had finally made his way through officialdom, said in a deep voice, "Back then, the Fourth... Rebellious Prince had power over half of the capital, and so many people interacted with the Prince's Palace. Even if they were close, would that count as being a rebel?"
"Of course not." Gu Tingye picked up the tea on the small table and took a sip. "The Emperor is a virtuous and wise ruler. He specially ordered the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate to jointly investigate the case. How could he make a hasty decision? When the rebellious prince rebelled, he had 50% of the troops outside to support him, and several imperial guards and internal guards to assist him. There were also people in the palace who helped write a false edict, first forcing the death of the third prince and then forcing the late emperor to abdicate. Several forces attacked at the same time, colluding inside and outside, and that led to the chaos."
"Dad spent twenty years in the military, guarding the border for over a decade. Although he retired from the fold, many of those he promoted and cared for have since become accomplished men. Over the years, they've been scattered across the armies and battalions, most holding positions of varying importance. The crucial question now is, are any of these individuals involved in the rebellion? Has our family ever helped the rebel king recruit these individuals? If so, they will be charged with complicity in the rebellion."
Gu Tingye's eyes were unusually clear as he slowly swept over everyone present. Everyone's heart felt as if ice water had passed through it - helping or winning over a rebel could be a big or small matter. On a small scale, it would mean just introducing someone to the Fourth Prince. On a big scale, perhaps some people would be involved in the fight for the throne just because of the Gu family's favor.
"This, this..." The old lady finally understood the seriousness of the matter and said in a trembling voice, "You know your father very well. He would never do that!"
Gu Tingye didn't answer, but continued to scan the others with his gaze. His words grew increasingly slow, as if each word was being tortured. "It's inconvenient for me to leave the camp outside the capital, but I wrote to Liu Zhengjie to ask. He couldn't reveal much else, so he only told me one piece of information: someone once helped the Rebel King purchase several batches of Jiangnan women."
"Is this... also a sin?" Gu Tingyang, who had been absent-minded, asked in surprise.
Gu Tingye put down his teacup and said calmly, "Later, most of these women were sent to the homes of court officials and generals to be won over."
The fifth old master glanced at the fourth old master, lowered his head and thought silently. Gu Tingwei looked unstable. He turned to look at Gu Tingbing beside him, only to see that his face was pale and beads of sweat were dripping down his forehead.
Minglan was listening intently when she felt her hand pinched. Turning around, she saw a mocking look on Mrs. Xuan's face. She lowered her voice to a very low level and sneered, "We're not in a business that makes money, and we certainly can't get involved in a business that causes trouble."
Minglan smiled dumbly, unable to say anything. It was clear now: Old Marquis Gu was cautious and wouldn't try to provoke any connection. Gu Tingyu was frail and ill, so he probably didn't have the energy to do so. Gu Tingwei had his mother watching over him, so he probably wouldn't do anything outrageous. As for the others, it was hard to say.
She had also studied ancient criminal law for several years, and had learned a little bit from her father and brother. According to what Gu Tingye had just said, even if the charges were proven, the Gu family was a founding noble family, and with Gu Tingye's reputation, they probably wouldn't be executed or exiled. So, what was the worst-case scenario?
Minglan looked outside. Except for Gu Tingye who was drinking tea with a calm expression, the rest of the people looked panicked, terrified, or anxious, with different expressions.
The eldest branch of the family is naturally worried about being reprimanded for lax management, having their property (the imperially bestowed estate) confiscated, or even having their title stripped. The fourth and fifth branches are most worried about being personally convicted of a crime and facing potential punishment, whether it's forced labor, imprisonment, or exile. So what does Gu Tingye want?
Minglan couldn't help but look up at the man sitting upright. Was he just looking to see the person who had bullied him in the past suffer the consequences?
"My second nephew has said so much, and it's a long story. Could it be that he is deliberately shirking responsibility?" The fifth old master gritted his teeth and stared at Gu Tingye. "Just watch your uncles and brothers suffer in peace! Just tell me, in the end, will you help or not?"
"Fifth uncle, please say something too. Could what I just said really be related to that matter?" Gu Tingye said leisurely.
The Fifth Old Master was choked. He couldn't deny it, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it, for fear of incurring Gu Tingye's scolding for being "loyal to the emperor and patriotic". He was a scholar and had to save face.
The Fourth Old Lady didn't want to interrupt, but if anything happened to the Fourth Old Master, her daughter wouldn't be able to marry into a wealthy family, so she said softly, "Brother Ye, no one is perfect. Even if your uncles and brothers do make mistakes, you should help them. After all, we are family, right?"
Gu Tingye glanced at her and said, "I can't just sit back and do nothing."
Minglan pondered this ambiguous statement in her heart. Well, the topic was back to the original point.
The fourth old master took out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked up at Gu Tingye and said: "Brother Ye, you are the most capable person in our family now. Your eldest brother is in poor health and can't do anything. This title and the burden of the family still need you to be the pillar to carry it..."
The lady suddenly looked up and stared at the fourth old master, with resentment hidden in her eyes.
"Uncle, be careful with your words!" Gu Tingye immediately relaxed his expression and said solemnly, "There is an order of seniority, how can you speak recklessly? You have disrupted the family rules of our ancestors and ruined the relationship between brothers. Fourth uncle shouldn't have done that!"
The fourth old master sat back awkwardly.
Minglan frowned. The Fourth Old Master was being too blatant, truly shameless. Furthermore, they still hadn't grasped Gu Tingye's true intentions. He didn't want the title for its own sake; he wanted it because he couldn't swallow the humiliation he felt for his mother's early death and the injustices he'd endured over the years. From this perspective, the Fourth and Fifth Houses were actually more despicable than the others.
"Brother Ye, please say something." The old lady saw something was wrong and asked directly, "How should this matter be resolved?"
Seeing her anxious look, Gu Tingye said slowly: "If it turns out that there is nothing wrong, that would be the best; if not..." He smiled helplessly and stopped talking.
The Fifth Old Master stared at Gu Tingye coldly and said grimly, "I just want the Gu family to be safe and sound, and for every member of the Gu family to escape unscathed!"
—Tsk! This is ‘only’? You are asking for very little. Minglan complained inwardly.
Gu Tingye also looked at him quietly, his voice as cold as a spring: "If you want peace, why did you do it in the first place? Fifth uncle, don't be angry. If Tingye has not returned yet, what will you do?"
Everyone in the hall was shocked. When Gu Tingye left home, and the sick old marquis' bed was surrounded by people, the fourth and fifth old masters had comforted him like this: Just pretend that the Gu family does not have such a descendant!
Everyone was speechless for a moment, and the lady shed tears: "Brother Ye, it's all my fault. I made you suffer injustice. I know you are angry! If you are angry, just come to me. It's my fault that I didn't take good care of you, and you left with anger..."
After all, she is her stepmother, and it would not look good to see her crying like this. Minglan wondered whether she should go out and persuade her.
Gu Tingye turned around and walked forward, supporting the lady, saying gently, "Even if there is something, I will go and take care of it myself."
"Can everything be alright?" The lady did not give up hope.
Gu Tingye said briefly: "Everything is unclear now, so it's hard to say."
That was the end of the story. They had already promised to help, what else could you say? Everyone in the hall looked at each other, helpless. Today, Gu Tingye was unyielding and resorted to Tai Chi.
"However," Gu Tingye smiled slightly and looked around at everyone present, "I can't say anything else, but at least I will ensure your life is safe."
The words had a profound meaning, and many people were shocked.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com