Chapter 155 Sisters' Dispute
There was a dead silence in the Wen Anbo Mansion; even the air seemed to be stagnant.
Guo Qian didn't expect that Du Qingtang would humiliate him in public. His smile was stiff, and a sinister look flashed in his eyes.
Meng Fang stood behind Du Qingtang, a submissive and gentle smile on his gaunt face. He raised his hand and gestured, "Fifth Master, and this...wet nurse, please follow me this way."
He Ruxuan subconsciously hugged Guo Wangfei tightly in her arms, tears welling up in her eyes. "Master Du, it doesn't matter what you do to me, but Fei'er is my cousin and his wife's child. He's not an outsider."
Before coming to Xiajing, the Guo family had discussed and decided not to stay at the Bo Mansion, so as to avoid being discovered by Du Qingtang and causing harm to Guo Qian.
But He Ruxuan was unwilling to give up and wanted to take this opportunity to make Guo Wangfei and Du Qingtang closer.
When Guo Wangfei grows up, Du Qingtang, the top scorer in the imperial examination, can teach him to read and promote him after he becomes an official in the court.
Du Qingzhu couldn't help but roll his eyes.
How can a child born out of wedlock not be an outsider?
This adulterous couple really thought Xianyu was a fool who couldn't see the affair between them.
In fact, He Ruxuan really thought that the Du family didn’t know that Guo Wangfei’s biological father was Guo Qian.
Firstly, she was too confident, thinking that her affair with Guo Qian was very secretive and had been successfully concealed from everyone.
Secondly, Du Qingmei acted too naturally and treated her very easily on weekdays.
After all, under normal circumstances, when a woman finds out that her husband is having an affair, no matter how magnanimous she is, she will not be as indifferent as Du Qingmei.
He Ruxuan lowered his eyebrows and said timidly, "Besides, Fei Ge'er has always been attached to me. Now that he's away from me, he's attending a family dinner with his cousin and his wife. We're all unfamiliar with the place. If he starts to make a scene and keeps crying, I'm afraid it'll ruin everyone's fun."
Du Qingmei's sisters are not easy to get along with, and He Ruxuan is worried that they will take the opportunity to bully Guo Wangfei.
Even if they don't do it openly, there is no guarantee that they won't do something behind the scenes.
She has to protect her son.
Du Qingqin frowned and turned to look at Du Qingmei.
But she had a smile on her face, said nothing, and a flash of disappointment in her eyes.
Xiaowu is becoming more and more confused and doesn't know the seriousness of the matter.
This should have been a happy day for the sisters to reunite, but Guo Qian allowed He Ruxuan to bring He Ruxuan to Wen'an Earl's Mansion, and He Ruxuan was allowed to make trouble, which made Xianyu upset.
Doesn't she know that this will disappoint her sisters and push Xianyu further away?
Oh, I really don't know what she is trying to achieve by doing this.
Du Qingtang glanced at the plump and fair Guo Wangfei, and said with his hands behind his back, "Since he can't leave you, he will go with you."
He Ruxuan didn't expect Du Qingtang to be so stubborn. Just as she was about to argue, she saw Du Qingtang suddenly step forward and stand only a few feet away from her.
A fierce aura came over him, as if a big hand was strangling his throat, his face turned pale and he had difficulty breathing.
Du Qingtang lowered his eyes and stared at Guo Wangfei's childish face, which was about 60% similar to Guo Qian's. "Which one do you choose?"
He Ruxuan moved her lips and responded subconsciously: "I..."
"I didn't ask you." Du Qingtang said calmly.
He Ruxuan suddenly came back to her senses and found that Du Qingtang was asking Guo Wangfei, and her face turned red in an instant.
Perhaps sensing Du Qingtang's displeasure, Guo Wangfei was suddenly met with an expressionless and indifferent face. He was stunned for a moment, the soft flesh on his cheeks trembled, and he began to sob. He twisted his body and buried himself in He Ruxuan's arms, his dependence on her evident.
Du Qingtang was very satisfied with his tact, and did not feel guilty about scaring the child. He took two steps back and said, "This child is really attached to you. He really deserves to be raised by your breast milk."
He·Nanny·Ruxuan: "......"
Others: “…”
The cousin who was staying at the Guo family became a wet nurse, and Du Qingzhu could only think of laughing.
The girls in the Du family are all straightforward, simple-minded, and don't have so many twists and turns in their minds.
Along the way, He Ruxuan often pretended to be pure and pitiful. Although they always fought back without any hesitation, and Du Qinghua even slapped her several times in anger, it must be said that they were all disgusted to the point that even cakes and spicy dishes no longer tasted good in their mouths.
But Du Qingmei ignored him the whole time and let He Ruxuan jump around, which was really frustrating.
Compared to them, the youngest one is more tough and is used to talking nonsense in a serious manner, calling a horse a zebra.
If this falls into the hands of the youngest, how can He Ruxuan have a good ending?
Du Qingzhu looked at He Ruxuan's face, which was like drinking a big bowl of ice water on a hot day. He felt refreshed from the inside out!
If you can curse, curse more!
Du Qingzhu took advantage of being the last one to walk and covered his mouth with his hands to laugh. His shoulders kept shaking and he felt extremely upset.
The people who watched the whole process of music, chess, calligraphy and painting felt relieved and their tense faces relaxed a lot.
Du Qingtang couldn't help but notice the changes in her sisters' expressions. She thought He Ruxuan must have caused them a lot of trouble along the way. She adjusted her sleeves slightly and said calmly, "Meng Fang, take them down."
He Ruxuan was unwilling to accept this and looked at Guo Qian sadly.
If I leave now, I'm afraid my identity as a wet nurse will be confirmed, and I will be inferior to Du Qingmei from now on.
Du Qingmei is just a hen that can't lay eggs. Why should she be above her?
Guo Qian's heart softened when she looked at him, and he couldn't help but say: "Present the jade..."
Du Qingtang laughed with an ambiguous tone, "What qualifications does the Guo family's wet nurse have to attend our Du family's family banquet? Guo Qian, you've spoken up for her time and again. Could it be that you two have some shameful relationship?"
They were staring at each other in front of so many people. Did they really think she was dead?
It seems that just losing one hand is too light a punishment, and he hasn't learned enough of the lesson.
Du Qingtang was secretly considering whether to abolish Guo Qian's evil seed and send him to the palace to be a eunuch.
Guo Qian's heart tightened when he saw Du Qingtang's thoughtful look. He subconsciously squeezed his legs together, but shook his head repeatedly: "Xianyu, you misunderstood. She is my cousin. There is nothing innocent between us."
As he spoke, he looked at Du Qingmei affectionately: "Besides, my wife and I are deeply in love, and there will be no other thoughts in this life."
Du Qingtang: “…”
Others: “…”
Du Qingmei met Du Qingtang's indifferent scrutiny and pinched her fingertips. A variety of emotions flashed through her heart. She said calmly, "Brother Fei is young. He must be exhausted from the long journey. Cousin, please take him downstairs to rest."
Guo Qian secretly resented Du Qingtang for not giving him face, and blamed Du Qingmei for not standing by him.
Didn't they agree before that they would treat their cousin well and like a real sister because she adopted her "posthumous child"? Why did they go back on their word when they arrived in Xiajing and put their cousin in an embarrassing situation?
However, Guo Qian was still afraid of Du Qingtang and did not want to make a big deal out of it and let the Du family find out that he was Guo Wangfei's biological father.
Guo Qian did not forget the purpose of coming to Xiajing, which was to ask Du Qingtang to get him an official position.
Although his right hand was disabled and he had difficulty moving, he could still hold a pen.
Given the sisterly relationship between Du Qingmei and Du Qingtang, as long as she proposed it, Du Qingtang would most likely agree.
It was not appropriate to go against Du Qingmei at this time, so Guo Qian bowed and said, "Then I'll have to thank you for presenting the jade."
Du Qingzhu couldn't help herself any longer and squeezed to the front. Whether intentionally or not, she bumped into Guo Qian, causing him to stumble. He put his hands on his hips and angrily chased him away: "What are you still standing here for? Get out of here!"
He Ruxuan didn't expect that even Guo Qian would stand against her. She bit her lower lip tightly, tears streaming down her face. She looked very aggrieved, as if everyone present was a bad person.
Du Qingzhu curled her lips and said sarcastically, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, why do you cry so many times every day? Even a three-year-old wouldn't cry like you. It's more like you have some strange disease. If you are sick, go get treatment and stop annoying me here."
Du Qingtang suppressed the murderous intent in his heart. It was unlucky not to see blood on the day of the house-warming banquet. So he said coldly, "A wet nurse crying all day long is unbecoming. Meng Fang, find someone to teach her some etiquette, so she doesn't go out and bring shame to the Du family."
Du Qingzhu was almost laughing like crazy, nodding her head rapidly, "Yes, yes. If outsiders saw this, they would think the Du family didn't know the rules, and the wet nurses they hired were all petty and unworthy of a noble family."
The Du sisters kept calling He Ruxuan "wet nurse", which made He Ruxuan so angry that she trembled all over and almost fainted.
She is a cousin living in the Guo family, Guo Wangfei's biological mother, not a wet nurse!
She came to Xiajing to enjoy herself, not to be a slave and let the Du family set rules for her!
As the old saying goes, a dragon gives birth to a dragon, a phoenix gives birth to a phoenix, and a mouse’s son digs holes in the ground.
The women of the Du family are truly poor and humble creatures from the countryside; none of them are good.
Even if he becomes successful and is awarded an official title, it cannot hide the vulgarity and mean-spiritedness in his bones!
Be patient, be patient.
In ancient times, Goujian slept on firewood and tasted gall. For the sake of what Guo Qian and Du Qingmei have, and for the sake of future wealth and honor, she would endure even if it meant mountains of swords and seas of fire.
When Fei Ge'er grows up, her good days will come.
By that time, Guo Qian and her uncle and aunt were all on her side. Du Qingmei had no children, so she could do whatever she wanted.
He Ruxuan took a deep breath, bowed, and followed the maid to the guest room.
As soon as the door to the guest room closed, He Ruxuan hugged Guo Wangfei tightly, tears streaming down her face as she choked and murmured, "Men are unreliable. Brother Fei, you're all I have left."
Guo Wangfei mumbled something incoherently, and after careful listening, it turned out to be "mother".
Just as I was complaining, I heard a bang and someone pushed the door open.
He Ruxuan was startled and looked up to see two maids with serious faces and old-fashioned clothes.
Being shoved in front of Du Qingtang, He Ruxuan was in a bad mood, and her tone was naturally not much better: "Who are you? Don't you know to knock before entering? Get out!"
Nanny Huang on the left twitched her lips in a smile, but there was no trace of a smile in her eyes: "I am here on the orders of the master to teach the nurse some etiquette."
He Ruxuan: “…”
What mother are you milking?
She is not a wet nurse!
They were a bunch of snobbish people. Du Qingtang deliberately bullied her, and even the two servants didn't take her, a guest, seriously.
He Ruxuan was almost mad, her face darkened as she shouted, "Get out!"
Nanny Huang and Nanny Fang turned a deaf ear and walked in steadily. The former held He Ruxuan down, and the latter took Guo Wangfei away.
Guo Wangfei was originally dozing off in He Ruxuan's arms. He didn't even notice that someone had changed his embrace and fell into a deep sleep with a smacking of his lips.
He Ruxuan was visibly panicked and screamed, "Fei Ge'er! Give my Fei Ge'er back to me!"
Nanny Fang covered Guo Wangfei's ears, picked him up and left without looking back.
Nanny Huang swung her arms left and right, slapping He Ruxuan seven or eight times.
The last push was too strong and she was pushed off the embroidery stool, and she sat down on the ground.
He Ruxuan has almost never been beaten since she was a child.
At this moment, her face was burning with pain, her cheeks were numb, and her saliva was flowing down and dripping onto the lotus-colored skirt.
Madam Huang flicked her wrist and said slowly, "How dare a servant call the young master by his first name? You deserve a beating!"
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
He Ruxuan was almost going crazy. She threw all her manners and grace out of the window. She screamed hysterically for a while, then got up and rushed out: "Cousin! I want to see my cousin! I want to ask him, is this how the Du family treats guests?"
Nanny Huang was ordered to come and "train the wet nurse". After hinting to Butler Meng, she learned that the master had a deep prejudice against this girl. Now her mind was full of pleasing the master, so how could she let her go easily?
Seeing He Ruxuan was about to run, he immediately stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and slapped her twice in the face with his backhand.
He Ruxuan bumped her head against the door and saw stars.
As soon as the cry of pain escaped her throat, Nanny Huang covered her mouth and dragged her up from the ground: "I advise Nanny to shut up honestly, or you will disturb the masters' rest."
He Ruxuan struggled desperately, but her strength was like a drop in the ocean compared to Nanny Huang, who was used to doing rough work in the palace. She was no match for her at all.
Nanny Huang closed the door and forced a chilling smile: "Nanny, it's time for us to learn some manners."
When He Ruxuan saw this scene, Madam Huang looked like a man-eating evil ghost, who was about to open her bloody mouth and swallow her whole in the next moment.
He Ruxuan shivered, and finally felt scared. She knelt on the ground with weak hands and feet, accepting the "training" of Nanny Huang.
-
As soon as He Ruxuan left, the air seemed to become fresher.
Du Qingzhu smiled so hard that her teeth showed and her eyes were invisible. She opened her arms and rushed over, hugging Du Qingtang tightly. She said in a soft voice, "Oh my, it's been a long time since I last saw you. I missed you so much!"
The girl's grip was neither gentle nor heavy, and Du Qingtang was nearly strangled to death by her. He pulled her arm slightly away, but did not push her away. He coughed twice and looked at Du Qingqin and her group: "Did everything go smoothly on this journey?"
Du Qingqin was the eldest sister, and she smiled and responded on behalf of everyone, "With the guards you arranged, Xianyu, and the escorts we hired, the journey was smooth and peaceful, without even encountering a single robber."
Du Qingtang nodded slightly: "I have arranged accommodation for you. Go wash up and rest first. We will have the banquet at noon."
Du Qingshu wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled brightly, "I really need to go wash up first. The carriage is like a steamer. I've only been sitting there for more than two hours and I'm already drenched in sweat. I can even wring water out of my clothes."
Du Qingqi looked around, eyes full of joy and amazement. "Xianyu, are we going to live in this big house from now on? It's so beautiful here, I love it! Especially those doors and windows, they're actually transparent, and there are even patterns printed on them!"
Du Qingzhu corrected him with a serious expression, "Second sister, this is not an ordinary mansion, but a mansion granted by His Majesty himself."
Du Qingqi wrinkled his nose, feeling a little aggrieved. "Xiao Qi, you're so mean. Of course I know this house was given by His Majesty. You've mentioned it many times along the way."
Du Qingtang always knew that her second sister was naive, or to put it bluntly, stupid, the kind who would be sold and still count the money. She responded in a casual tone, "Yes, you will live here from now on."
Du Qingqi's eyes sparkled, and she tilted her head to whisper to her husband.
Du Qingtang didn't pay attention to what they said and continued, "I've arranged for you to live in courtyards next to each other, so it's convenient for you to visit each other. If you need anything, just tell the servants in the courtyard. Then let Sixth Sister and Eighth Sister take you around. Buy whatever you like. If you don't have enough money, go to the accountant to withdraw it..."
Du Qingtang gave many instructions, but everyone did not think he was being long-winded. They just felt very comfortable. They couldn't stop smiling and nodded in agreement.
"They say the land beneath the emperor's feet is splendid and prosperous. I must go for a stroll tomorrow." Du Qingzhu, not in the heat, took Du Qingtang's arm affectionately. "By the way, let's see if there are any restaurants for sale. Preferably a three-story restaurant with the third floor dedicated to hotpot. What do you think, Xianyu?"
"That's your Shixiang Pavilion. You can arrange it however you want." Du Qingtang looked at Meng Fang, "Lead them there."
Meng Fang responded respectfully, raising his hand to signal, "Everyone, please follow me this way."
Du Qinghua saw Du Qingtang standing there and asked in confusion, "Xianyu, aren't you going with us?"
Du Qingtang shook his head: "I'm going to the south of the city to pack my luggage."
Everyone stopped asking questions and followed Meng Fang to his residence.
After walking a distance, Du Qingmei looked back.
The thin figure walked further and further away, and one could vaguely see his back straight as a pine tree and his steps as fast as the wind.
Du Qingmei recalled those indifferent eyes, her breathing became disordered for a moment, and she turned back and walked forward.
The four people who were good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, as well as Du Qingzhu, were chatting and laughing, and the brother-in-law, nephews and nieces were also talking to each other lively.
Du Qingmei walked to the edge and listened quietly.
She was an arm's length away from Du Qingzhu, and even further away from the others.
The clear distinction shows the distance between them.
......
Du Qingtang took a carriage back to the Du residence. After tidying up, he asked the servant to put clothes, books and other things into the carriage, and went to find Madam Liang by himself.
After entering the house, Du Qingtang stated his purpose directly: "From now on, my eighth sister and I will move into the Bo Mansion. This house is empty anyway, so you and Chuxia can continue to live here."
Mrs. Liang had no relatives or friends with the Du family. Even though Liang Chuxia and Du Qingju had a master-disciple relationship, living in the uncle's house inevitably felt a bit like being dependent on others, and she seemed to be restricted.
It would be better for us to live separately, it would be more comfortable.
Madam Liang shook her head repeatedly and said righteously, "You must have spent a lot of money to buy this house. Now that you and the village head have moved to the Bo Mansion to live permanently, how can I and Chu Xia continue to live here?"
The village chief of Deyang accepted Chuxia as his apprentice and taught her carefully. He also let them stay here for a while without asking for any reward.
One should not be too greedy, otherwise it is easy to ruin the relationship.
Mrs. Liang still hopes that Lord Deyang will continue to teach Chuxia.
Seeing her insistence, Du Qingtang took a step back and said, "How about this, you just rent this house from me and pay the rent every month."
Madam Liang pondered for a moment, then finally agreed: "Then the rent will be based on the rent of the second courtyard in the south of the city. What do you think, Lord Du?"
The west side of the city is a mixed crowd and is far from the Women's Medical Bureau. For them, orphans and widows, it is safer to live in the south side of the city.
Instead of renting a yard from someone else, it is better to accept Mr. Du’s suggestion and save the trouble of carrying luggage back and forth.
Besides, Lord Du is a man of good character and they know each other well, so she feels more at ease.
Chuxia receives a good salary every month, and she can find some work to do when the time comes. After paying for daily expenses and rent, she can still have some left over.
As the years grow older in early summer, it’s time to prepare for a look.
I don't want to be rich, but I can't be too poor either.
Her Chuxia is so outstanding, there is no reason for her to marry him and suffer.
Correspondingly, the dowry cannot be small, which is Chuxia’s confidence in her husband’s family.
Du Qingtang didn't know what Mrs. Liang was thinking, but he readily agreed and took out pen and ink to write the lease agreement.
The deed was made in two copies. Mrs. Liang was illiterate, so Du Qingtang read it to her. After confirming that it was correct, she asked the maid to bring the ink and they each signed the deed.
"Please take this." Du Qingtang handed Madam Liang a deed and bowed slightly. "There is something important going on at the Bo Mansion, so I will go ahead."
Madam Liang escorted Du Qingtang to the door and bowed before she boarded the carriage: "Thank you, my lord."
Du Qingtang looked back and chuckled: "Chuxia is a good girl, you raised her very well."
Mrs. Liang was stunned for a moment, and when she came to her senses, she found that the carriage had already left.
Lord Du's words echoed in her ears, and Mrs. Liang's eyes were quietly wet.
To be fair, she was not a qualified mother. She could not protect Chuxia and caused Chuxia to suffer a lot of grievances in the Liang family.
Chuxia has grown into the outstanding girl she is today thanks to her own efforts.
Mrs. Liang only hopes that her early summer will be like a young eagle spreading its wings and flying as high as possible.
-
Du Qingtang returned to the Wen'an Marquis's Mansion, and a servant carried the boxes to the main courtyard.
There was still more than an hour before noon. Du Qingtang drank a cup of cold tea and was about to pack up the things in the box.
Du Qingtang never liked her maids touching her personal belongings, so it would take at least an hour to pack up all those boxes.
It will be time to take a shower and change clothes, and then start the banquet.
Unfortunately, Du Qingtang had just arranged the clothes according to the four seasons when Meng Fang came to ask for a meeting.
"Master, this is the menu for the family banquet. Please give it your final confirmation."
Du Qingtang took it, scanned it quickly, and added a few more dishes.
I looked at them coldly at first, and perhaps because of the fatigue from riding, the children from the four families of music, chess, calligraphy and painting looked unhappy and listless.
These dishes are generally loved by children. They can’t be left hungry after a family dinner.
Meng Fang took note of it and bowed before leaving.
Du Qingtang leaned against the table, looking at the flowers blooming in the yard, thinking of Guo Qian and then Du Qingmei.
It should have been a great day for family reunion, but she was not in a good mood at the moment.
"It's... terrible."
Du Qingtang muttered something, raised his hand to rub his eyebrows, and continued to pack his luggage.
After arranging the things in the bedroom as usual, I was about to go to the study when the maid came to announce: "Master, the fifth lady is here."
The fifth lady, Du Qingmei.
Du Qingtang frowned, and when he raised his eyes, the person was already in front of him.
Du Qingmei had taken a shower and changed her clothes into a light blue dress, her hair slightly wet.
Du Qingtang's eyes moved and fell on Du Qingmei's face.
After not seeing each other for four years, Du Qingmei is still the same, gentle and quiet, with a beautiful smile.
She looked at herself and called out softly, "Xianyu."
Du Qingtang responded calmly, sat down at the table, and motioned for Du Qingmei to sit down as well: "Fifth sister, why are you here to see me now? Is there something important?"
Du Qingmei lifted her skirt, sat down gracefully, pursed her lips, and hesitated for a long time before speaking: "It's been many years since we last met, Xianyu seems to be much more unfamiliar with me."
Du Qingtang was silent for a moment, then poured two cups of tea, pushing one to Du Qingmei and rubbing the sides of the cups slowly. "Did you allow Guo Qian's cousin to come with you to the Earl's Mansion?"
Du Qingmei said without hesitation: "I didn't..."
Du Qingtang interrupted Du Qingmei before she could deny it: "Fifth sister, don't lie to me."
Du Qingmei was stunned for a moment, knowing that she couldn't hide it from Du Qingtang, so she smiled bitterly and said, "Xianyu, you don't know, after Fei Ge'er's first birthday party, He Ruxuan moved to the Guo family under the pretext of honoring her aunt."
"She flirted with Guo Qian all the time, and even persuaded Guo Qian's mother to dismiss the previous wet nurse so that she could take care of Qi Ge'er herself, under the pretext of sharing the burdens between Guo Qian and me."
"Only the day before my trip to Beijing did I learn that Guo Qian's mother had asked He Ruxuan to accompany her."
"I didn't want to, but Guo Qian's mother said that He Ruxuan had given up her child to Guo Qian and me, and asked me to be more generous and let He Ruxuan come to Beijing to accompany her."
"Later, Guo Qian suggested that He Ruxuan come along. I thought if you could come out and frighten her, He Ruxuan would behave herself better in the future..."
Du Qingtang couldn't bear to listen any longer and interrupted her: "Fifth sister, I am not a tool for you to use to suppress your concubines."
Du Qingmei opened her mouth and was speechless for a moment.
Du Qingtang clenched the teacup, his fingertips turning white. "If you had listened to my advice earlier and divorced Guo Qian and drawn a clear line between us, none of this mess would have happened."
Du Qingmei's eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked down at the tea leaves tumbling in the cup. Her voice was so low it was barely audible, laced with a hint of barely perceptible complaint: "Xianyu, you clearly understood and respected me before."
If it weren't for the wrong occasion, Du Qingtang would have wanted to laugh out loud. "Back then, you analyzed it with me very rationally. You said you wanted both the status of a female teacher and the status of a Jinshi's wife, and that Guo Qian could only coax you and worship you like an ancestor."
"But the truth is, Guo Qian had an affair with someone else without your knowledge, and even gave birth to a child. He brought that child home under the guise of adoption, and he became your eldest son."
"He deceived you and betrayed you."
"That's fine. After all, you once said that most couples in the world end up in a mess. Very few of them remain as loving as they did at the beginning."
“But you shouldn’t have let yourself get stuck in this mess.
"My elder sister and I have advised you to divorce Guo Qian as soon as possible, but what did you do?"
Du Qingtang's eyes were so sharp that Du Qingmei couldn't bear to look him in the eye.
She turned her eyes away almost in panic, secretly frightened.
I haven't seen him for a few years. Has the youngest grown up to be so impressive?
"Back then, I wrote to you in Shaoqing Prefecture, asking you to divorce Guo Qian. The Du family can support you. If you don't want to stay in Qingyuan County anymore, you can come to Shaoqing Prefecture."
"But you didn't."
"You continue to be entangled with that rotten man Guo Qian. You register that illegitimate child in your and his names, making him your eldest legitimate son."
Du Qingtang tapped the table with his fingers, his tone sharp: "Have you ever considered that if one day you become pregnant and give birth to your own child, would you want him to be inferior to a son born out of wedlock, becoming the legitimate second son, and calling a son born out of wedlock your legitimate brother?"
Du Qingmei lowered her head in embarrassment at the constant questioning. She stared at the texture of the table curtain and spoke in a difficult tone, "Guo Qian and I have been married for many years, but we still haven't gotten pregnant. Xiao Ba has checked my pulse many times, and there's nothing wrong with it... Xianyu, I'm afraid I'll never have my own children in this lifetime."
Du Qingtang sneered, his tone mocking: "Why? Will I die without a child? Will I live a thousand or ten thousand years if I have a child?"
"Unless something unexpected happens, my seventh and eighth sisters and I will never marry or have children in this lifetime. Are we going to die tomorrow?"
"Du Qingmei, a woman's life doesn't have to be inseparable from a man. Even without a man and children, I have come this far, still holding a second-rank official position and being conferred the title of Earl."
Du Qingmei had never seen Du Qingtang speak so harshly before, and her lips trembled slightly: "But I'm already married..."
Du Qingtang sneered, "I suddenly remembered that when I was teaching you to read and write, you and Sixth Sister were so inattentive that you even lied to me after I came back from the provincial capital for the exam, saying you were too busy setting up your stall and had no time to practice calligraphy."
"I asked you, what is the meaning of studying? Fifth sister, do you still remember your answer at that time?"
——To have something to talk about with my future husband.
These words appeared in both of their minds at the same time.
Du Qingtang let out a long breath, his tone rather melancholy: "Now that I think about it, I'm not a competent teacher."
After the Lantern Festival that night, she was relieved for a while, as she made Du Qingmei and Du Qinglan understand the meaning of reading.
Now that she thinks about it, she led Du Qinglan onto the right path, but she failed to completely change the deeply rooted ideas in Du Qingmei's heart.
She is a failed teacher.
"Let's take a step back and say, even if you consider your husband your most important thing and are passionate about taking care of him and raising children, that's your own choice. I won't interfere."
"I will still prepare a dowry for you, just like Sixth Sister, so that you can marry off with honor."
"But you absolutely shouldn't have continued to pester Guo Qian after seeing his true nature as a scoundrel, and even tried to use me to intimidate them."
"You've fallen into depravity and never reflected on your actions," Du Qingtang pointed out sarcastically. "To be honest, I'm quite disappointed."
She thought that the girls of the Du family would get better and better.
But the reality is often contrary to our wishes.
The word "disappointment" was like a sharp blade, piercing deep into Du Qingmei's heart and making her face turn pale in an instant.
Du Qingtang ignored her and continued, "Fifth sister, you are no longer a child. In a few years, you will be thirty years old. You must bear the consequences of what you have done."
"I gave you a chance before, but you didn't cherish it. You even wrote to question me after Guo Qian's hand was broken."
"It seems that in your mind, the so-called Jinshi's wife is more important than me."
Du Qingmei raised her head abruptly: "So Guo Qian's tendons were severed by you."
"So what?" Du Qingtang said coldly, "I warned him not to let you down. This is the price he pays for breaking his promise."
Du Qingmei's eyes instantly turned red: "But you know very well that the reason I stayed in the Guo family was because..."
"That's not important." Du Qingtang interrupted her, his eyes sneer, "Even though his hand was broken, you still didn't divorce him?"
Du Qingmei seemed to be burned by Du Qingtang's gaze. She looked away in panic and clenched her fingers. "At that time, the news that Guo Qian's hand was disabled was spreading like wildfire in Qingyuan County and even alarmed the government. If I divorced him at that critical moment, I would definitely be..."
Du Qingtang didn't care: "Don't tell me it will damage your reputation and affect your continued career as a female teacher. You can go to Shaoqing Prefecture after the divorce. Who will recognize you, Du Qingmei, after leaving Qingyuan County?"
Du Qingmei's jaw trembled, and her throat felt like it was blocked by a ball of cotton, and she couldn't utter a word.
Du Qingtang took a sip of tea, and the bitterness in his throat eased a lot, and he became calm.
"Actually, before you came to me, I was planning to kill Guo Qian directly."
"Not only did he betray you, he also played a trick on me and didn't take me seriously at all."
"Now... forget it. I don't want to know why you suddenly became like this, and why you chose to stay in that rotten pit of the Guo family."
"Everyone has their own destiny. I've done my best." Du Qingtang lowered his eyes, not looking at Du Qingmei. "I will send someone to teach Guo Qian's cousin a lesson this time, but only this once. From now on, we can just treat each other as ordinary relatives."
After saying that, he served tea to see the guest off.
......
Near noon, Du Qinglan and Du Qingju arrived at Wen'an Earl's Mansion one after another.
Meng Fang had three large round tables set up in the dining room.
As the master of Wen'an Marquis's Mansion, Du Qingtang was forced by Du Qingqin to sit in the main seat.
The rest of the people sat around the table in order of age.
On both sides, the brothers-in-law sat at one table, and the nephews and nieces sat at another table.
Du Qingqin poured more wine for Du Qingtang and said in a half-joking tone: "In the future, our whole family will rely on you for our livelihood. I have to serve you comfortably today."
Everyone laughed, and Du Qingtang couldn't help laughing: "Don't worry, as long as I have a bite to eat, you won't starve."
As soon as the words fell, there was another burst of laughter.
At noon, Du Qingtang picked up the first dish with chopsticks, and the family dinner officially began.
Everyone ate, drank, chatted and laughed until the evening when they dispersed. They returned to their respective courtyards drunkenly, drank the hangover soup sent by Du Qingtang in a daze, and fell asleep.
Only Du Qingmei leaned against the head of the bed, showing no sign of sleep.
The maid Cuizhen whispered, "Madam, that person hasn't come back yet."
The Wen'an Marquis's Mansion is very big, and the courtyard allocated to the girls of the Du family is also very large, enough for the whole family to live comfortably.
In the morning, as soon as Guo's father and mother arrived in Xiajing, they went straight to the pawnshop to look for a house, so they did not have the audacity to come to the uncle's house for a free meal.
Although there were some unpleasantness between him and Du Qingmei, Du Qingtang still treated her equally and arranged a comfortable and luxurious accommodation for her.
At this time, Guo Qian was lying on the bed with his arms and legs spread out, snoring loudly.
When Du Qingmei heard what Cuizhen said, her eyes moved, and she turned around and lay down with her back to her: "Who cares about her? I'm going to sleep."
Cuizhen was stunned for a moment, remembering that her wife had been absent-minded since she came back from the main courtyard. She wanted to ask a few more questions, but was afraid of being embarrassed, so she had to retreat reluctantly.
On the other side, in a remote courtyard.
"kneel."
"Kneel again."
"When performing a ceremony, one must bow their heads and not look directly at the master."
“Bang!”
When the ruler came down on him, He Ruxuan trembled three times.
"The movement is not standard, try again."
When the moon reached its zenith, everything was silent and the entire city of Xiajing fell into a deep sleep.
Only He Ruxuan repeated the boring actions over and over again.
Nanny Huang held a ruler and hit her from time to time, leaving red marks on her fair skin.
He Ruxuan's tears streamed down her face, but she bit her lips tightly, not daring to let out a single cry, for fear of attracting even more severe punishment from Nanny Huang.
“Bang!”
"Your posture for serving tea is wrong. Try again."
Xia Jing is so scary, she wants to go back to Qingyuan County...
-
The next day, Du Qingtang attended court as usual, and after that went to the Ministry of Works to handle official business.
There has been no news from Emperor Qingyuan regarding the official registration system, and it is probably still under discussion.
Du Qingtang was not in a hurry. After all, once this policy was implemented, it would inevitably trigger a huge tsunami in the officialdom, so he had to be extremely cautious.
After spending the whole morning handling official business, Du Qingtang went to the imperial farm to work again.
In the evening, Du Qingtang returned to the city in the rosy clouds. He did not go to the Ministry of Works, but went straight to the Wen'an Earl's Mansion.
Meng Fang came forward and whispered softly, "Master, many families sent housewarming gifts today. I took the initiative to accept them all and have registered them in the warehouse."
Du Qingtang had complete confidence in Meng Fang, and he kept saying, "You can handle it yourself, and then choose a time to return the gift."
I guess Meng Fang knows better than her which gifts can be accepted and which cannot.
Unless she had a falling out with Emperor Qingyuan one day, Meng Fang would never do anything to harm her.
Meng Fang's brows relaxed. "Thank you for your trust, Master. I will live up to your expectations and do my best to complete the task."
Du Qingtang returned to the main courtyard and was about to change into casual clothes when Du Qingmei came to say goodbye.
"This afternoon, Guo Qian's father came to the Bo's Mansion and told us that the house has been prepared. He said he would like to thank Xianyu for his hospitality yesterday. We should go back and settle down as soon as possible."
Du Qingmei's face was a little pale, and the dark circles under her eyes looked even darker. She smiled and said, "I plan to go to the Qiong English Society tomorrow. I might teach the members to read and write, or be hired as a female teacher. I have to find something to do."
Du Qingtang spoke calmly, as if yesterday's harsh words were all an illusion: "I'm fine. Take care of yourself while you're busy."
Du Qingmei felt a lump in her throat and almost burst into tears.
Early this morning, He Ruxuan returned to the yard with a pale face.
When she saw Du Qingmei, she did not act sarcastic or pretend to be pitiful, but knelt down obediently and saluted.
Du Qingmei should have been happy, but she couldn't smile.
Because of the dispute yesterday, she felt embarrassed to ask Du Qingtang to get Guo Qian an official position.
After finally waiting until Du Qingtang was off duty, he couldn't wait to say goodbye.
Guo Qian looked at Du Qingtang's purple official robe and could not hide his envy.
If his tendons had not been cut, he would have been an official in the court by now.
Although he was not wearing the purple official robe that symbolized status and power, he firmly believed that with Du Qingtang as his sister-in-law, it was only a matter of time before he would hold a high position.
When his limbs were broken and his tendons were cut, Guo Qian also suspected Du Qingtang.
He asked Du Qingmei indirectly to make sure that she was not aware of Guo Wangfei's background, thus dispelling her suspicion that she wrote a letter to Du Qingtang to complain.
At that time, Du Qingmei had tears in her eyes and said with regret: "What a pity! If you could become an official in the court, you and Xianyu could help each other."
Yes, his service as an official in the court would bring only benefits to Du Qingtang, so how could he possibly cripple his hand?
At this point, Guo Qian completely dispelled his suspicion that Du Qingtang was the murderer.
I don’t know what happened, but Du Qingmei didn’t mention the matter of being an official to Du Qingtang yesterday, and she avoided answering when asked.
Guo Qian was thinking about it, so he smiled and said, "When Xianyu rests, we will come and bother you with Fei Ge'er."
Du Qingmei's heart tightened, and she secretly glanced at Du Qingtang's expression. Seeing that her eyes didn't even change, she guessed that she didn't take her words to heart at all.
She didn't want Guo Qian to continue, lest Du Qingtang get angry: "It's getting late, we'll take our leave now."
Du Qingtang nodded slightly: "Meng Fang, send the fifth young lady and the fifth uncle out of the house."
After Du Qingmei and her family left, Du Qingtang stood in the yard for a while.
After a while, he sighed and rubbed his eyebrows lightly: "Forget it, let it be."
No one will always be with anyone.
She had already understood this truth, so there was no need to regret.
That night, after the whole family had a lively dinner, Du Qingtang called Ruan Ran and several nephews and nieces who were already in school and tested them one by one.
The result is quite satisfactory, and I have learned quite well.
Du Qingtang closed the book and said, "I am usually very busy with official duties and have no time to teach you. You have to work hard on your own."
"You girls should go to the Qiong English Society tomorrow to study. You boys, don't worry for now. I'll have someone find out which private school is the best in Xiajing City and send you there when the time comes."
Ruan Ran sat next to Du Qingtang, responded softly, and smiled with curved eyebrows.
Several nephews and nieces grew up listening to the glorious deeds of their aunt Du Qingtang. They respect her in their hearts and their eyes are full of conviction.
"All at your discretion!"
"I will study hard and become a good official like you, aunt!"
Du Qingtang smiled and nodded in agreement.
-
At the end of July, several nephews entered private school.
The four artists, Qin, Qi, Shu and Hua, are looking for a suitable shop, planning to resume their old business.
They have saved a lot of money over the years, enough to rent or even buy a shop in Xiajing.
But it’s hard to find a shop, so you have to rely on luck.
On the contrary, on the fifth day after Du Qingzhu arrived in Beijing, a restaurant was put up for sale due to poor management and insufficient income.
Du Qingzhu went in and took a look around before buying it without hesitation.
Just like before, she paid half and Du Qingju paid half, and now they have asked the craftsmen to renovate the restaurant.
At the same time, Emperor Qingyuan mentioned the official registration system at the morning court.
Emperor Qingyuan had Fu Rui read out the detailed regulations aloud. Looking at the dumbfounded courtiers below, he said in a firm tone that brooked no argument: "The official registration system will be implemented in September. Officials of the Ministry of Personnel can begin to prepare."
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a drop of cold water falling into a pan of hot oil, and the Golden Throne Hall instantly exploded.
"What the hell is this citizenship system? The regulations are way too harsh!"
"Everyone makes mistakes. Why should we correct them once we realize them? Why should we keep them with us for the rest of our lives?"
"What if I have a conflict with another assigned officer and he teams up with his colleagues to deliberately give me a low score? If I fail five times, I'll be fined or demoted. Wouldn't that be a huge injustice?"
"Didn't I say to remove the lowest and highest scores and then take the average?"
"Who the hell came up with this system? Are we digging up her family's ancestral graves? They're trying to exterminate all of us!"
"That's not necessary. A man of integrity fears no slander. As long as you all work diligently, the official registration system will only be the icing on the cake."
"Your Majesty, this system has many drawbacks. Please reconsider!"
"Your Majesty, please think twice!"
The Golden Palace was in chaos. Du Qingtang held a tablet in his hand, lowered his eyes and acted respectful, hiding his achievements and fame.
"quiet--"
Fury shouted, and the noise stopped abruptly.
Behind the twelve-tasseled crown, Emperor Qingyuan's face was solemn, and he said in a deep voice: "My mind is made up, my dear ministers, there is no need to say more."
All the officials dared to be angry but not to speak out. After all, this was not the emperor who depended on others and was controlled by others in the past, but the emperor who truly held power.
Cao Yuan just wanted to laugh out loud.
Xia Ming, this idiot, actually did such a stupid thing that destroyed his own life.
At that time, all officials will feel resentful, which will inevitably lead to turmoil in the court.
He just stood by and watched, waiting for the right time to strike back, turn defeat into victory, and take power again.
As the morning court session drew to a close, Du Qingtang stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Emperor Qingyuan raised his hand: "Approved."
Du Qingtang bowed slightly and said, "I have created something that will satisfy you. Your Majesty and the others, please come to the Imperial Manor and review it together."
Emperor Qingyuan raised his eyebrows with interest.
He knew that Du Aiqing had been busy at the Imperial Manor this month, and he had specifically told his subordinates not to pay attention to the progress at the Imperial Manor, just to reveal at the last moment what surprise Du Aiqing had prepared for him.
"In that case, let's go to the imperial manor!"
So, Emperor Qingyuan rode on a dragon sedan chair, and under the protection of the imperial guards, he and all the officials marched out of the city and headed straight for the imperial estate.
"Tell me, what has Wen Anbo created? Why is she so sure that she can satisfy His Majesty?"
"Since it's at the Imperial Farm, it must have nothing to do with firearms. Besides, I personally don't think Wen Anbo has the ability to create another powerful military weapon as powerful as gunpowder and muskets."
"Most likely something like glass. High-yield crops are not impossible."
"Rather than what Wen Anbo created, I want to know who proposed to His Majesty to implement that damn official system!"
As they were talking, the group arrived at the imperial farm.
"The official system is clearly detrimental to both the government and the people. Zhu believes that, looking at the entire court, only that person could have come up with such a rotten idea and even let His Majesty follow suit."
"who?"
"Mr. Wen Anbo."
Officials: “???”
Officials: "!!!!"
Everyone searched the crowd and soon found Wen Anbo standing in the front row.
She was talking to a tall and strong man, and from time to time she raised her hand to gesture towards the distance.
Everyone looked at each other, their eyes darting around.
"Master Zhu has the longest seniority, go ask him."
"Lord Sun is the best speaker, go ask him."
"Lord Fang is the most handsome, go ask him."
“…”
After some evasion, a fourth-rank official was pushed out.
"Lord Meng has never made a mistake, so he's not afraid of being impeached by Earl Wen An. Go ask him."
Lord Meng: “…”
"Go!"
“Depending on you!”
As he spoke, he did not forget to push Lord Meng hard and pushed him in front of Du Qingtang.
Master Meng: "...Du, Master Du."
Du Qingtang had just given the order and was waiting for the trial when she suddenly heard someone calling her. She turned around and saw that it was a stranger.
After recollecting the situation and confirming that there was no such person, he simply bowed and looked at him inquiringly.
Lord Meng swallowed his saliva and said, "May I ask Lord Du, it was you who proposed the official registration system?"
As they were speaking, two soldiers in black and red armor pushed out a cart.
Lord Meng took a glance and saw that the whole car was shaped like a spindle, with a long metal tube mounted on it.
"It was indeed Du who proposed this. Why is Lord Meng asking this?"
Lord Meng suddenly opened his eyes wide, and the officials around him who were eavesdropping glared at him.
Shocked, the soldier put something into the long tube.
"As expected, you are a vicious woman!"
"What hatred or grudge do I have against you? Why did you allow Your Majesty to implement the official system, causing such great harm to the entire court, both civil and military officials?"
"It's true that women are the most vicious. Du Qingtang, you're such a mad woman, you'd better not make any mistakes in your life, otherwise Fang will never let you go..."
"boom--"
There was a loud bang, and the earth shook in an instant.
All the officials looked in the direction of the sound and saw thick smoke rising from the mountains and forests ahead, blocking out the sun.
When the smoke cleared, everything within sight was razed to the ground.
Look at its power, it is a hundred times more powerful than gunpowder.
"What did Lord Fang just say? He will never let anyone go?"
With white smoke curling up and a deep pit dozens of feet deep as the background, Du Qingtang stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his lips.
Lord Fang's legs softened, and he sat down on the ground, stammering, "No, no one."
Du Qingtang looked at the others again: "Who did you all say was a vicious woman?"
Everyone: Trembling.jpg
Everyone: Quiet as a chicken.jpg
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