"Mother, is the betrothal gift included in my dowry?"
Gu Yue asked cautiously.
Xie nodded in agreement, "These betrothal gifts should naturally be taken to the Haixi Marquis's Mansion along with the dowry."
Gu Yue was so happy that she found Gu Shan and Gu Jiu much more pleasing to the eye.
She said to Gu Zhen, "Big sister, don't envy me."
Gu Zhen: Haha!
"Third sister, you're overthinking it. I don't envy you."
Gu Yue smiled complacently and said that she was not envious, but in fact she was extremely envious in her heart.
She looked at Gu Zhen with an expression that said, "I know everything, you can't hide anything from me."
Gu Zhen was so disgusted that she rolled her eyes at her.
Gu Lin suddenly said, "I wonder how much the palace will give as a betrothal gift? Is it 20,000 taels?"
Gu Yue's face fell.
Gu Jiu laughed. Gu Lin was indeed an honest man.
Gu Jiu said, "It doesn't matter how much the palace offers as a betrothal gift. I will accept any amount."
Gu Yue scoffed. She didn't believe it. Gu Jiu was clearly trying to whitewash the situation.
"Second sister, you are marrying the grandson of the emperor. If the palace doesn't have 20,000 taels of silver as a betrothal gift, it means that the palace doesn't value this marriage at all. Second sister, you must be more careful. If the palace doesn't value this marriage, it means they don't value you. What will you do when you marry into the palace?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Third sister, you just love to worry about things that haven't happened yet. Why are you worrying about it? I heard that people who worry too much age quickly. Third sister, please be careful."
Gu Zhen was originally laughing secretly, but accidentally laughed out loud.
Gu Yue's face turned grim. "Thank you for your concern, second sister. Don't worry, I will definitely not age as fast as you."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled, "We'll wait and see."
Xie looked around and thought, forget it, since the truce has been reached, she was too lazy to show up.
"Madam, Shaoyao wants to see you."
"Let her in."
The maid Shaoyao walked into the main room of Furong Courtyard.
"This servant pays respects to the Second Madam. My Madam sent me to ask about the upcoming wedding of Miss Zhen and Miss Yue. I wonder who the Second Madam plans to invite and how many tables will be set? This will allow my Madam to make preparations in advance."
Mrs. Xie's eyebrows moved slightly. "There's still about a month before Zhen's wedding. Why is your wife so anxious?"
Shaoyao smiled and bowed, saying, "Second Madam has never arranged a wedding before, so she doesn't know how complicated it is. To be honest, it's a bit late to start preparing now. I hope Second Madam will hurry up and not delay the two girls' lifelong events."
When Gu Yue and Gu Zhen heard this, they both became anxious.
Aunt Hu gave Gu Zhen a look, telling her not to step forward.
Gu Yue looked at Mrs. Xie and said, "Mother, shouldn't we draw up a guest list for our daughter's wedding first?"
Xie said to Shaoyao with a stern face, "Go back and tell your wife that Zhen's wedding will have ten tables. Yue'er's wedding will have forty tables."
Shaoyao asked, "Is the Second Madam sure?"
Xie hummed, "Once you're sure, just answer truthfully."
"I understand. Second Madam, you are busy, so I will take my leave now."
Peony leaves.
Gu Zhen twisted her handkerchief, lowered her head, and felt aggrieved.
Aunt Hu smiled awkwardly, "Madam, isn't ten tables a little too few for Zhen's wedding?"
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Xie sneered, "It's not that I don't want to invite more relatives and friends over, but I can't. Zhen is a concubine's daughter. How many people do you think would be happy to come to a concubine's wedding?"
Aunt Hu was speechless and could only comfort Gu Zhen with her eyes.
Gu Zhen felt very aggrieved, but she didn't know what to say.
Xie smiled contemptuously, "Don't be unconvinced, little girl Zhen. You are a concubine's daughter, so you must accept your fate.
Even if I set up forty tables for your banquet, do you think so many people will come?
It's just a waste of manpower, material resources and money, and it will also make friends and relatives laugh at you.
Yue'er's wedding, with forty tables, was different. She was a legitimate daughter, and she was marrying the second son of the Haixi Marquis's mansion.
Friends and relatives, as well as the master's colleagues and classmates in the officialdom, would all come to show their support.
As for you, being born out of wedlock, it's not easy to find a good marriage. Don't be too anxious, just wait and get married."
Gu Zhen sobbed and said, "I'll listen to my wife."
Aunt Hu secretly wiped away her tears, feeling sorry for Gu Zhen.
When Mrs. Xie saw that both Aunt Hu and her daughter looked sad, she felt happy instead and felt very happy.
A concubine's daughter is a concubine's daughter, and she must understand her identity and position. She really needs to learn a lesson by daydreaming about getting things that don't belong to her.
"Second girl, has your elder sister's dowry been prepared?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "Mrs. Lao is concerned, and I have already arranged it."
Xie looked at Gu Jiu with a half-smile, "Second girl is very efficient in her work."
Gu Jiu lowered his head and smiled, "Father personally told me to prepare a dowry for my elder sister as soon as possible. How dare I neglect it?"
When talking about this matter, Xie was filled with dissatisfaction.
As the mistress of the house, Lord Gu actually bypassed her and asked Gu Jiu to prepare the dowry. This was a slap in the face.
From then on, if any maid dared to mention this matter in front of Mrs. Xie, Mrs. Xie would slap her in the face.
However, Xie didn't dare to slap Gu Jiu in the face.
She really wanted to slap Gu Jiu in the face, but unfortunately she didn't have the courage.
Not only was Gu Jiu the legitimate son of the original wife, he also had the support of Lord Gu and was betrothed to the emperor's grandson.
The layers of identities were like weights, and Xie became increasingly wary of Gu Jiu. She hoped to get rid of him as soon as possible, out of sight, out of mind.
Xie said, "Let's leave it at that for today. I'm tired. You all should leave."
Xie was unwilling to bring shame upon herself, so she took the initiative to end the conversation today.
Gu Jiu stood up first and said goodbye.
The others followed closely.
Gu Zhen was still sad, and Aunt Hu kept trying to comfort her.
Gu Yue was halfway there when he suddenly stopped.
"The betrothal gift includes a pair of jade bracelets, which I really like. I'll ask my mother for them and wear them for a few days."
Gu Yue returned to Furongyuan excitedly.
The maids did not stop Gu Yue when they saw her, probably because Xie had been treating Gu Yue well recently.
The maids in Furongyuan are all smart. Xie treats Gu Yue well, so they will naturally do things for Gu Yue.
Gu Yue walked to the door of the main house and heard her mother Xie talking about the dowry. She hesitated for a moment and hid behind the door without going in.
Chun He handed the dowry list to Mrs. Xie, "Madam, this is the dowry list I have prepared. Please review it."
Xie took the dowry list and looked through it carefully.
Chun He said, "Including the betrothal gifts from the Haixi Marquis's Mansion, the dowry totals 25,000 taels, and there's also a 5,000 tael dowry. Considering that the Third Young Lady will need to reward the servants when she arrives at the Haixi Marquis's Mansion, I've specially prepared 300 taels of loose silver and about 10 taels of copper coins."
Mrs. Xie nodded with satisfaction. "This dowry is more than enough for Yue'er. Her marriage is just like this. It was obtained through extraordinary means and is not glorious after all. In the future, we can only rely on Shan'er's marriage. No matter what, Shan'er's marriage must be a formal one and there must be no gossip."
"Madam is right. Shouldn't we also prepare the fourth young lady's dowry in advance?"
Mrs. Xie laughed. "Of course I have to prepare in advance. Just for the furniture, beds, cabinets, and so on, I have to send people to the south to collect the best wood, and then hire craftsmen to make the furniture."
Chun He casually asked, "I wonder how much dowry Madam plans to prepare for the fourth young lady?"
Xie smiled and said, "Shan'er is sensible and well-mannered. She will definitely marry into a good family. Her dowry should be at least 40,000 taels."
Bang!
There was a noise outside the door.
"Who's outside?" Xie was very dissatisfied.
Someone actually dared to eavesdrop in Furong Courtyard. Is he looking for death?
"This servant will go out and take a look."
Chunhe walked out of the door in two steps and didn't see anyone.
But an incense burner rolled to the ground.
Chunhe frowned and picked up the incense burner and put it on the table.
She came outside and called Dongmei, who had just come out of the tea room, "Who was here just now?"
Dongmei said, "The third young lady! She said she's looking for a wife and wants to wear the pair of jade bracelets included in the betrothal gift for a few days."
"Are you sure it's the third girl?"
Dongmei nodded repeatedly, "What's the matter?"
Chun He smiled awkwardly, "Nothing, just asking casually."
Chunhe felt a little nervous. She thought the third girl must have heard the conversation between her and the lady, got upset and ran away.
Chunhe returned to the main house.
Xie asked, "Who was outside just now?"
Chunhe thought about it and didn't want to cause any trouble, so he didn't tell the truth.
"Madam, there's no one here. I think the wind blew up just now, and the little girl didn't put the incense burner away properly. The wind blew the incense burner to the ground, making a noise."
Xie's face was stern. "Give them the order and tell them to be more careful in the future."
"As you command."
Gu Yue rushed out of Furong Courtyard in one breath.
Seeing her wrist was empty and her face was grim, the maid asked, "Miss, does Madam disapprove? I suppose so. After all, it's a betrothal gift, so naturally you can't just take it out and wear it casually. If it gets bumped and damaged, it will be troublesome."
Gu Yue roared at the maid, "Shut up, and stop talking."
Several maids lowered their heads in silence, secretly sticking out their tongues and making faces, guessing that the third girl must have been offended by the mistress.
Gu Yue walked in the garden in a daze.
As both were legitimate daughters, she accepted the huge difference in dowry between her and Gu Jiu. After all, the man she married wasn't the grandson of the emperor.
But why should Gu Shan’s dowry go beyond hers?
Could it be possible that Gu Shan could also marry the emperor's grandson?
hehe!
Before he knew it, Gu Yue arrived at Fangcaotang.
Gu Shan lives in Fangcao Hall.
Gu Yue looked up at the plaque on the gate, hatred surging in her heart.
She pushed the door open and rushed in without waiting for the maid to report.
"Third Miss, please wait a moment. I will inform you first."
"No need. There's no need to be so polite between me and my fourth sister."
Gu Yue rushed into the bedroom and saw Gu Shan doing needlework.
Gu Yue chuckled, "Fourth sister, you must be surprised that I would come here."
Gu Shan was indeed surprised. She put down her needlework and invited Gu Yue to the side room for tea.
"Why is Third Sister here at this time?"
Gu Yue smiled and said, "I wanted to see you, so I came. I didn't expect Fourth Sister to learn needlework. Why don't you let the servants do it?"
Gu Shan said, "I'm just learning to make purses and handkerchiefs. I can't make anything else well. Third sister, have some tea."
The maid placed the teacup next to Gu Yue.
Gu Yue picked up the teacup, and a thought popped up in her mind: what would happen if she poured this cup of boiling hot tea on Gu Shan's face?
The more I think about it, the more impulsive I become.
Gu Yue's hands were shaking.
Gu Shan reached out her hand, held the teacup steady for Gu Yue, and asked with concern, "Third sister, are you feeling unwell?"
Gu Yue came back to her senses, shook her head and smiled, "It's okay. This tea is too hot, I'll drink it later."
After saying that, he put the teacup back on the table.
Gu Shan laughed, "I almost forgot, Third Sister doesn't like to drink tea that is too hot."
Gu Yue looked out the window, seeing the rolling heat waves. "It's so hot, wouldn't it be even hotter if I were drinking hot tea? Fourth sister, I'm going to get married soon. Do you have anything to say to me?"
Gu Shan was stunned for a moment, then said, "I wish Third Sister all her wishes come true, and that she and Brother-in-law Zhao will grow old together in love."
Gu Yue held her handkerchief and smiled, "Fourth sister's words are really not original at all. But it's much better than her previous preaching."
Gu Shan smiled embarrassedly, "Third sister doesn't like me to reason, so I won't talk about it in the future."
Gu Yue stared at Gu Shan with a half-smile, "Is Fourth Sister really so obedient?"
Gu Shan said very seriously: "I don't want to quarrel with my third sister. After all, we are sisters."
The three words "sisters" were like a knife cutting into Gu Yue's heart.
hehe!
Sisters!
The dowry was twice as much.
Her marriage was indeed obtained through some trickery, but it was also to the Haixi Earl's Mansion.
Why should she be inferior to others, or even inferior to Gu Shan?
He only prepared 20,000 taels of dowry for her and refused to give her a penny more. But he prepared 40,000 taels of dowry for Gu Shan and acted proud of her.
hehe!
These are real sisters!
There is such a biased mother in the world.
Gu Yue stared at Gu Shan's face and thought, if she scratched Gu Shan's face, how could her mother still be proud of her?
"Fourth sister, why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?"
Gu Yue came back to her senses and smiled, "Your face is very clean, there is nothing on it."
Gu Shan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled embarrassedly.
Gu Yue looked around the room and said, "Fourth sister loves reading as always."
Gu Shan said, "Not as good as my second sister. She has more books in her room and can be considered well-read."
Gu Yue despised, "Why are you learning from your second sister? It's not good to learn from her. You will become more and more mean."
Gu Shan was speechless. "Second sister is not mean, she is very generous."
"I said she was mean, and she is mean. What, you don't even listen to me?"
Gu Shan frowned, "Third sister, what's wrong with you today? Weren't you very happy before?"
Gu Yue sneered, "Why are you asking me this? I also want to ask Fourth Sister, what kind of magic potion did you give to Mother to make her think about you everywhere? All the good things are left to you. Even your dowry is larger than mine. Why?"
Gu Shan asked back, "What dowry? I don't know what you are talking about, Third Sister."
Bang!
Gu Yue slammed her hand on the table. "Stop playing dumb. Tell me, what did you do to make your mother look at you differently? Go ahead!"
Gu Yue pushed Gu Shan.
Gu Shan bumped into the back of the chair, feeling the pain. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Seeing Gu Shan crying, Gu Yue felt extremely happy.
"You don't dare admit it, do you? You appear to be sensible and polite on the surface, but you must have resorted to many tricks behind the scenes. You won, and Mother has completely abandoned me now. You are very proud, right?"
Gu Yue grabbed Gu Shan by the collar and pulled her up. "Speak? Are you mute?"
Gu Shan struggled and tried to push Gu Yue away.
"Third sister, what are you crazy about? Let me go."
"Okay, I'll let you go now."
Gu Yue exerted force with his hands and pushed Gu Shan out forcefully.
Gu Shan fell to the ground, her arm was in so much pain that more tears fell.
"Third sister, please get out. You are not welcome here."
"It's not your turn to welcome me."
Gu Yue picked up the teacup on the table and threw it at Gu Shan.
"Third Miss, stop it."
Gu Shan's maid heard the noise, rushed in from outside and grabbed Gu Yue's hand.
Gu Yue didn't notice and the teacup fell directly to the ground, splashing tea all over her.
Gu Yue was furious and slapped the maid in the face and kicked her in the stomach.
The maid bumped into the desk and was in so much pain that she couldn't straighten her back.
Gui Yue was furious and picked up the inkstone on the table and threw it at the maid.
"don't want!"
Gu Shan shouted, stood up and rushed towards Gu Yue.
The two sisters fell to the ground together.
Gu Yue made up his mind and smashed the inkstone directly onto Gu Shan's back.
Not knowing where the bullet hit, Gu Shan fainted.
Gu Yue was stunned, then pushed Gu Shan away.
She stood up.
In a mess.
He walked forward and smashed the inkstone directly onto the maid. The maid screamed in pain twice and then fell silent.
Gu Yue laughed when he saw Gu Shan and her servant fainting on the ground.
So cool!
very nice!
She threw away the inkstone, looked around, and finally took out a tinderbox and lit a few books.
The flames suddenly shot up, and even Gu Yue was startled.
She stared at the two people on the ground, gritted her teeth, hardened her heart, and ran out quickly.
Let the flames spread in the room.
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