The division of the family can be said to be the second most important issue in ancient family life, second only to marriage.
According to official statements, since Shang Yang issued the "Division Order", which clearly stated that "if a family has two or more sons and does not divide them, their taxes will be doubled", over time, it has not only promoted the small peasant economy but also eased family conflicts. Division of the family has become a deeply rooted concept in people's minds.
According to the clan elders, a big tree has deep roots and luxuriant branches and leaves, and branches are used to strengthen the roots and sprouts. People of the same clan are of one mind and make progress together.
If the elderly parents of their children and grandchildren cannot control themselves, they will sigh and say that the people's hearts are scattered and it is difficult to lead the team.
It was Gu Tingye's turn. His reason was even simpler. His stepmother wanted to burn his wife to death. In order to avoid further deterioration of the situation, prevent the internal division from continuing to expand, and maintain the remaining blood ties, it was better to exchange distance for beauty.
On the first day when he entered the palace to meet the emperor, although Gu Tingye was dressed in clean court robes, there were traces of ashes and smoke on his cheeks, temples and the back of his hands. After reporting on the work in Lianghuai, the emperor, as the top leader, would of course ask a few questions. Gu Tingye described the fire scene very skillfully, and then said with a slightly gloomy and angry tone that his family was probably going to be divided.
The Emperor had heard about the Ningyuan Marquis's affairs since he was enfeoffed. He had assumed that Gu Tingye would expel his stepmother upon receiving the title, but he had shown a kind heart and persevered for more than six months, even securing a good position for his brother. Unexpectedly, the stepmother remained ruthless, and a fire broke out in the Gu Mansion, witnessed by half the capital. The Emperor, with his spies on all sides, was well aware of the situation.
A loyal minister had traveled a long distance for him, successfully completing his mission, only to nearly lose his wife and children. The righteous emperor, however, had to intervene. He offered a soothing reassurance, "I've often heard of anecdotes in the common people where stepmothers often follow their own children. Your idea is not a bad one." After thanking him, Gu Tingye offered his loyalty for the umpteenth time. The emperor actually favored this type of minister: capable and loyal, yet occasionally needing a minor favor from him. Alas, while common people could still divide their families, when would he finally get his stepmother, who was weighing on him, out of the palace?
Now that the higher-ups had been notified, the rest was easy. After two days of preparation, he went to kiss his wife and son as usual after court. However, his son, who had just finished eating, spit milk on his clothes. Gu Tingye had originally planned to wear court clothes to the negotiations, but the little guy messed up. The fat boy, who had just learned to read people, was unaware of the situation and just looked at him with his big, innocent eyes and tilted head.
Gu Tingye laughed and scolded him, calling him a bad boy. He carefully held his son's head and handed it to Minglan's arms. He whispered, "I'm going over there and will be back soon." Minglan knew what was going on. She took the swaddling clothes, bent down and kissed her son, looked up and said softly, "There's no need to be angry with those people. My Lord, just focus on doing it." Gu Tingye touched Minglan's face, hummed softly, changed his clothes and went out.
As the golden sun set in the west, Xuanzhi Garden was hushed, the grass and trees silent, the heat scorching. Ever since the fire at Cheng Garden that day, even the most obtuse servants had sensed something was amiss. Yet, for days, Gu Tingye remained completely silent, and Cheng Garden's daily routine remained as normal, creating a sense of impending storm. Finally, on this day, seeing Marquis Gu leading a troop of guards, all dressed in black scabbards and gray robes, their faces solemn and grave, the servants retreated to their rooms.
The culprit was not at all alarmed. After hearing the news, she sat down in the main hall, calmly flipping through the Buddhist scriptures. Seeing Gu Tingye come in, she raised the corner of her mouth slightly and said, "My Lord, you are a very busy man nowadays. I wonder what brings you here?"
Gu Tingye walked in alone and looked around. He saw that the room was empty and cold. Only Xiang's mother was standing by. He smiled faintly and said, "I have something important to discuss with you."
The lady seemed to have been prepared for this and said calmly, "What's the matter?"
"A few days ago, there was a fire in our house. Some people said that they saw Mother Xiang leading people carrying firewood." At this point, there was no need to hide it anymore. Gu Tingye glanced over coldly, but saw that Mother Xiang was still lowering her head, her expression unchanged.
The Madam laughed sarcastically. "A servant setting fire is a serious matter. If it is proven, it will be a serious matter. I wonder which sharp-eyed servant said he saw it?"
Gu Tingye twitched the corner of his mouth: "It's Man Niang."
The lady immediately let out two sharp sneers and turned to my mother and said, "Do you plead guilty?"
Xiang Mama said expressionlessly, "Absolutely not. If the Marquis doesn't believe me, I will confront Miss Man face to face, whether it's with the officials or the elders of the clan."
"Hehe..." Gu Tingye seemed to have encountered something funny. He leaned on the armrest with one hand and covered his mouth with the other hand, laughing non-stop. His body arched back with laughter, and the whole room was shocked.
The old woman before him was a meticulous and careful person, planning the arson with great care. As the sky darkened, the servants, eagerly awaiting their mistress's birth, inevitably relaxed their supervision somewhat, especially since Chengyuan was vast and sparsely populated, leaving many courtyards vacant. The fire had first broken out in a remote area, and some servants rushed to put it out. Soon, sporadic fires were spreading everywhere. Although the servants were usually well-behaved under Minglan's command, they were still relatively new, and seeing the suddenness of the situation, the situation inevitably became chaotic.
At this time, the crisis spread to Jiaxi Residence; in the panic of people coming and going, many people dressed in the clothes of Gu Mansion's servants rushed to Jiaxi Residence. Fortunately, Tu Er was alert and led a group of guards to guard the main house firmly. No matter how chaotic the surroundings were, they stayed there and did not alarm Minglan who was giving birth inside.
Whether it was the two suspicious individuals caught at the time or those identified afterward, everyone insisted they were on their way to Chengyuan to put out the fire. In fact, they were actually carrying buckets of water. It was dark and chaotic, and everyone was rushing around. In the rush, no one noticed them. Gu Tingye took a cold look and realized they were all the concubines brought by the Madam, their deeds and their families in her possession.
They all knew very well that if they kept silent about the arson, no one would have any evidence and they would have a chance to escape. If they let the secret out, not only would their families suffer, but they themselves might not be able to escape punishment.
Even if Gu Tingye really tortured something out of them, the lady-in-waiting would point at the wounded servants and say that they had been tortured into confessing. As long as one of the servants turned against him, Gu Tingye would be branded as "persecuting his stepmother and framing her". It would be even more interesting if the lady-in-waiting tried to commit suicide by tying herself up with a rope.
But Man Niang happened to see Xiang Mama with her own eyes. Why?
Gu Tingye slowly stopped laughing and stared at the pampered middle-aged woman in front of him. How many of the hardships he had experienced in his life were caused by her? What kind of dirty thoughts did this woman have?
Xiang Mama was old, and besides, there was no need for her to personally lead people to do the arson - she deliberately let Man Niang see it.
"Look at what you said." Gu Tingye stood in the middle, full of cold gentleness. "The weather in Beijing has been dry lately, so it's normal for things to go wrong occasionally. Why should we be suspicious of each other among family members? That bitch failed to harm others and came to stir up trouble again. I have already sent her away."
This vixen had deliberately provoked Manniang to confront him. If he became enraged and killed her, she would probably immediately seek out an outside opponent. But what if neither of them fell for her trick?
The Madam was not surprised. Her smile was like the thin ice on the lake. The winter sun was shining above, but the water below was still freezing cold. "I knew you were soft-hearted. You're still like this even today. You protect Man Niang, and you're not afraid that your wife will be heartbroken."
"Don't bother." Gu Tingye's smile was even gentler than hers, but a faint bitterness inexplicably rose in his heart. "I've already told Minglan, and she saved it." He collected his thoughts slightly, turned around and said, "I came here today for another matter."
He suddenly said, "Come here, bring him up."
Before the Madam and Xiang Mama could come to their senses, two strong guards came in with a man. They threw the man heavily to the ground, and he groaned in pain. Xiang Mama cried out incoherently, "Biao'er, why is it you?!"
The man raised his head, his face covered in bruises, and cried out to his mother, "Mom, save me!"
Xiang's mother was suddenly at a loss and turned to look at the lady in bewilderment.
The lady said coldly, "What do you mean?"
Gu Tingye pulled two pieces of paper from his sleeve and slowly placed them on the small table beside the Madam. "In the past few years, he has relied on the power of the Marquis' Mansion to commit crimes outside, seizing people's land, and now he has forced someone to die. He has been sued in the government, and there is both witness and evidence."
The lady picked up the papers and looked at them. There were confessions, colorful bills and signatures. The more she read, the more she breathed heavily.
Gu Tingye stared at the two old women's faces and said slowly, "Xiang Biao is a servant of the family. The Shuntian prefect gave me face and asked me to clean up the mess myself. What do you think?"
The lady seemed to be choking, and she took a breath with difficulty, and forced a smile: "This matter should not be made public. If it really gets out of hand, it will be embarrassing for you." The censor's favorite charge was to accuse the powerful of "allowing slaves to commit crimes". There were many examples and the evidence was easy to find.
Gu Tingye laughed out loud and stopped after a while: "You are really worrying too much. Xiang Biao's illegal activities were all done two or three years ago." At that time, he was still walking on the edge of a knife, and at most he had ruined the reputation of his father and brother.
The old lady's face turned pale. In fact, she knew that things were not going well after Gu Tingye inherited the title. She immediately restrained her servants and did not allow them to cause trouble again. Therefore, Xiang Biao's behavior had nothing to do with Gu Tingye.
"What do you want?!" The lady knew without turning her head that Xiang's mother must be at a loss. She had served her loyally for many years and had no time to take care of herself. She only had this one son.
Gu Tingye stared at them quietly, like a cat teasing a mouse: "Xiang Mom, what do you think?"
Xiang's mother's hands and feet trembled as she listened to her son's cries for help. Her heart ached. She turned to look at the Madam Dowager, gritted her teeth, hardened her heart, looked at Gu Tingye with resentment, and said in a hoarse voice, "This kid has tarnished the reputation of the Marquis' Mansion. The Marquis will deal with him as he deserves."
"Okay!" Gu Tingye said with a smile, "Two lives, at least a hundred lashes. Come, start the torture."
The two guards, already prepared, responded to the call. Then, two burly servants came in from outside, holding clubs as thick as bowls. The two guards pinned Xiang Biao to the ground, and the two servants began to beat him with all their might. The clubs struck hard, each one bearing down with force, leaving a muffled, heavy sound. Xiang Biao immediately cried out in despair.
Seeing her son being tortured, Xiang's mother was instantly distraught. The old lady's face was ashen, and she remained silent. This kind of caning wouldn't be bearable for an average person after thirty strokes, sixty would leave them crippled, and a hundred strokes would clearly be a death sentence. She knew Gu Tingye's temper well; pleading and threats would be useless, fearing she would only receive a lecture.
Xiang Biao could still shout at first, but as the sticks fell, his cries became weaker and weaker. Xiang Mama staggered and collapsed to the ground, crying miserably, "My Lord! The fire was all my fault, and it has nothing to do with the Madam! Please, my Lord, take my life!"
Gu Tingye sat on the armchair with a solemn and indifferent expression: "Xiang Mama, you are confused. I have already told you that the weather is dry and it is normal to have a fire." Summer in the capital is the hottest and humidest in the year, so how can it be dry? But he still said that.
Unable to bear it any longer, Xiang's mother threw herself on her son, crying, "Just beat me to death! I'll pay for his life!"
The two servants were well-trained. One of them stopped beating with the stick, clamped Xiang Mama and held her aside, while the other continued to beat her with the stick. Xiang Mama couldn't break free and could only cry until she was choked.
Seeing Xiang Biao breathing out more than breathing in, and Xiang Mama already half-fainted, Gu Tingye suddenly smiled, turned around and said leisurely, "I've traveled a lot over the years and met a lot of people. I've discovered something interesting. People's hearts are really strange. No matter how vicious a person is, they can be cruel and ruthless to others, but once they meet their own flesh and blood, they become no different from ordinary people."
The lady was as still as a wooden sculpture, not uttering a word, her face so pale that it looked almost inhuman.
"But this is not surprising. Even livestock love their cubs, let alone humans." Gu Tingye continued to mock.
The lady squeezed out a sentence from between her teeth: "What do you want?"
Gu Tingye put away his smile and only moved his lips: "Separate the family."
The lady turned her head suddenly, staring at him with a venomous gaze. Gu Tingye remained motionless like a mountain, staring back coldly. Without waiting for her to retort, he added, "Although the fire was fierce, fortunately no one was hurt. Not only did Minglan give birth safely, but even my third brother and nephew are fine. It's truly a blessing from heaven!"
The last four words were deliberately drawn out, falling over the sound of metal and iron, and a bloody aura came with fangs and claws.
The lady was panting rapidly, staring intently at the tall, strong man in front of her. Gu Tingye looked at the unconscious Xiang Mama, smiled and sighed softly, "What a loyal servant. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably not care about anything else for their child."
The sound of the wooden stick hitting flesh could still be heard, heavy and hopeless. There was blood flowing under Xiang Biao's body, and there was no sound. The lady's heart turned cold. For the first time in her life, she felt helpless.
…
Due to numerous family matters, Minglan simply skipped the third day bath. However, during the period of delivery, relatives from both sides came to visit her one after another. Everyone had heard that there was a fire in the Gu Mansion on the day Minglan gave birth, and there was inevitably some suspicion in their expressions and words.
The sisters-in-law, all well-informed, were particularly suspicious, yet dared not ask further questions, evading the question by offering auspicious phrases. Hualan, on the other hand, bluntly retorted, "Your mother-in-law is even crueler than my own!" Minglan quickly corrected her, stating that, strictly speaking, her mother-in-law only had that tablet. Old Madam Sheng also came to see her in person, caressing her hair with a tender heart, but saying only briefly, "From adversity to good, this boy will surely have a blessed future."
A few days later, news arrived from the mansion that Xiang Mama's son had passed away. From that day forward, Xiang Mama remained bedridden, and even the Taifu fell seriously ill. Before Tuan'er's full month had even arrived, the matter of dividing the family was raised, and the Taifu surprisingly acquiesced. The elders of the clan, along with the elders from four or five other families, were invited to divide the family.
Minglan was not present, but she only knew the final result: the meritorious fields, the ancestral property, and the marquis's mansion remained untouched, and the remaining property was divided into two and a half parts, with half given to Xianjie'er, and the rest divided equally between the two brothers, based on the assumption that daughters were half as many as sons.
The Grand Madam initially disagreed with this proposal. According to Gu Clan rules, regardless of whether a father had died, a daughter only needed to bring a dowry. However, Gu Tingyu was, after all, the heir to a marquisate, and his only daughter was undoubtedly exceptional. Gu Tingye happily returned the Grand Madam's words that had inflated the value of Gu Tingyu's funeral, even comparing it to Tingcan's marriage.
The old lady had no choice but to accept it. Shao was so happy that she burst into tears. Her family was ordinary, and she only had some dowry from Daqin, but after all these years, there was not much left. This was great, Xianjie would not have to worry about the future.
Afterwards, the lady raised objections to the family fortune, believing that Gu Tingye had concealed a lot of property. However, no matter how she checked, apart from the estate granted by the emperor, Gu Tingye had no other property, including shops, dividends, and land.
When brothers divided the property, it would not be good to divide the emperor's reward as well. However, no one except Minglan knew how much property Gu Tingye had, so the lady had to give up in disappointment.
After learning this, Minglan couldn't help but jump out of bed and move to the inner room to touch the Pisces lock wrapped with a fine steel chain. There was also a secret chamber built into the wall inside the compartment. Then she clasped her hands together and thanked God for giving her a slow temper.
Gu Tingye had, of course, amassed a fortune, a combination of newly acquired properties in the south, lucrative military exploits (warfare was lucrative), the unspoken rules of the confiscation of property, and direct gifts from the emperor. Gold bars of identical dimensions, which she had playfully constructed into a miniature South American pyramid, were bundled thickly with silver bills, and scattered around were deeds and account books, not to mention the numerous rare and precious imperial treasures stored in the Chengyuan storehouse. Minglan had been tempted to make some plans, but with the whirlwind of new marriages, her mind preoccupied with precautions, and the constant turmoil within, she hadn't had time to establish any assets. Ami tofu! Hallelujah!
During this division, Madam Xuan's performance is noteworthy. Due to her good conduct over the past decade and her excellent reputation, her words were often trusted. Through her diligent publicity and exaggerated publicity, the Chengyuan fire had become a well-known secret, to the point where everyone looked at her with either evasiveness or disgust and criticism. Even the kindest among them couldn't help but give her a look that said, "You're being too obvious!" This saved Gu Tingye the trouble of going outside to spread the word.
Of course, the stepmother's propaganda skills were not to be underestimated. She forcefully argued that her son's compound had also been burned, thus proving her innocence. Unfortunately, humans are conditioned by fixed ideas, and after two years of Gu Tingye's efforts, the public gradually came to believe that this stepmother was not so innocent. Based on this line of thinking, the fire in Tingwei's compound was a smokescreen created by the stepmother to cover up her crime while setting the fire.
Moreover, even if one were to think from the perspective of his toes, Marquis Gu was nearly thirty years old and still had no children. No matter how much he hated his stepmother, he would not risk losing his legitimate son and set fire to her on the day his wife gave birth.
On the day of the family division, the Fifth Elder refused to speak, maintaining a pretentious air. The Fourth Elder, still remembering how the Dowager had treated him when he was separated from his wife, took great pains to discredit him. Thus, by the time Tuan'er's full-moon banquet was held, the family division was complete. After the banquet, the Dowager took her son and daughter-in-law to live in another residence.
At the full moon banquet, Minglan deliberately stayed up for two nights, making her already fair and tender face look even more haggard, and adding a touch of daze, she looked frightened and fragile. The relatives and friends who came to the banquet felt even more pity for her. Everyone comforted Minglan with kind words and offered her good advice. Minglan forced a smile and said in a weak tone that she was fine and asked everyone not to worry.
Everything works well.
The only slight flaw was the little, plump, rounded creature that ate and slept, and cried resonantly. He looked endearing, but after being petted a few times, he actually became angry, glaring at people with his big eyes. He was full of energy and vitality, not at all like a frightened child in the womb. Seeing this, the old lady was furious, forcing a smile, but her heart was filled with resentment.
Seeing everyone congratulating and fawning over Minglan, basking in the splendor of her wealth and splendor, Molan suppressed her anger, muttering only a few sour words before shutting up. Rulan, looking at the child, couldn't hide her envy. Wang only glanced at her a few times before going to comfort Rulan. With her mother-in-law being less than supportive, Hualan, as the eldest sister, simply helped greet the guests, her graceful manner and entertaining them with jokes, earning her quite a bit of praise.
Gu Tingye was really happy. He excitedly took his son out to show off his treasure. He shamelessly praised his son from his fingers to his nostrils in front of his good colleagues and friends. Even the little guy's yawn was so stylish and unique.
Finally, Uncle Shen couldn't stand it anymore and decided to make trouble. He asked General Zheng Xiao to take the lead in making trouble. Everyone picked up the wine cups and poured wine. Only then did the old woman have time to bring Tuan Ge'er back.
Old Lady Sheng was particularly happy. She hugged Routuanzi and kissed him again and again. Tuan'er also liked her and could fall asleep snoring in her arms. Looking at the sleeping little face, the old lady's eyes became moist, as if the gaps in her life were filled.
Minglan nestled in the old lady's arms. In fact, she was already very satisfied. She just wanted everyone to be happy.
On the day the Dowager moved, Zhu came to Minglan's place and quietly drank two cups of tea without saying anything. She sat for a while before leaving. Before leaving, she suddenly turned her head and whispered with a look of melancholy, "As a woman, there are many things you can't choose."
Minglan understood what Zhu meant. She was not unaware of what the lady had done, but a wife should obey her husband. Even if she disapproved, how could she expose her own mother-in-law? She could only cowardly and selfishly pretend to be deaf and dumb.
Gu Tingwei has a job, and he has a second brother who is unwilling to help or promote him but will not harm him. He has the Ningyuan Marquis's family background to rely on. He himself has a generous dowry, and the lady-in-waiting also has a lot of private money. If he moves out and lives a good life, and doesn't think about things that don't belong to him, he may not be able to live in peace and happiness. It all depends on what people think.
Minglan smiled and stood up to see him off.
Zhu stood in the courtyard, bowed respectfully and gracefully, and the two sisters-in-law said goodbye.
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