She thought this fool had suddenly become smart, but she had overestimated her. A few words from her completely dispelled her doubts.
Gu Qinlan turned to Hongye and instructed, "Tell that old woman to keep a close eye on things; Gu Qinlian is probably going to cause trouble again."
After nine busy days, Gu Dingli's funeral finally came to an end.
During the long five days of vigil and mourning, Gu Qinlan was physically and mentally exhausted, her grief and fatigue intertwined. As the deceased's coffin was slowly moved out, the mournful music played, and the farewell ceremony was solemn and heavy. On the sixth day, with the last wisp of incense burning, she finally began the next four days of busy workâbuilding the grave, thanking the guests, and many other tedious matters.
After all this settled down, Gu Qinlan's face had become thinner, and her already delicate face now looked even smaller, as if it could disappear with a single stroke.
Only after the funeral did she have time to return to the Prince Duan's residence. The moment she stepped through the gates, Gu Qinlan felt an unprecedented sense of peace and tranquility.
This shift in emotion left her stunned and rooted to the spot.
When did she develop such deep feelings for the Prince Duan's residence?
She had never experienced anything like this in the Gu family, or even in the years she spent in the Ji family in her previous life. In the Gu family, she had to live under the shadow of the Song family every day. Although it wasn't exactly a life of hardship, she was always careful, afraid that she might fall into the Song family's trap if she wasn't careful.
Her more than ten years with the Ji family were even more unbearable to recall. She had almost no free time, and even when she was still ill, she had to force herself to manage all affairs. The slightest mistake would bring blame from the Ji family.
In her previous life, she lived a busy but humble life.
Therefore, in this life, she resolved to live according to her own will. In her original plan, the Prince Duan's mansion was merely a temporary haven, and she was ready to set sail and leave at any time.
Surprisingly, she developed such deep feelings for the Prince Duan's residence in such a short period of time.
Stepping through the gates of Prince Duan's residence, she suddenly felt completely relaxed, and a voice whispered in her heart: I'm finally home, I can relax now, it's so comfortable.
She actually regarded the Prince Duan's mansion as her own home!
Home is a haven where you can completely relax and let your guard down.
Gu Qinlan felt a surge of excitement within her, accompanied by a touch of pleasure.
She liked this feeling, having a place where she could find peace and respite after being exhausted!
When she returned to her courtyard, the servants and young men in the courtyard all stepped forward to bow and greet her: "Greetings, Princess Consort! We welcome you back to your residence."
Xiaoman said with a smile, "Upon learning that the Crown Princess was returning today, the eldest young lady and Miss Huaiyu instructed the servants to prepare delicious food and hot water early this morning. Would the Crown Princess like to have her meal first or take a bath first?"
In the Western Wei Dynasty, filial piety was paramount. When an elder in the family passed away, the descendants were not allowed to wash or eat meat during the mourning period.
The more illustrious a family is, the stricter it is in enforcing these rules, for fear of being caught doing something wrong and being accused of being unfilial or losing decorum.
Although the Gu family were merchants, their etiquette was relatively lenient and not overly strict. However, even with such a family background, Gu Qinlan still had to adhere to basic etiquette. She could only simply rinse her mouth with water, wipe her face, and comb her hair to avoid being impolite in front of her elders.
Besides that, there was nothing more she could do. After all, Gu Qinlan was now the wife of the heir apparent, and not only would outsiders scrutinize her closely, but even the Song family mother and daughter would keep a close eye on her every move, hoping to find fault with her.
So, over the next ten days, Gu Qinlan felt as if she were confined to a small space, subjected to the scrutiny of those around her.
Fortunately, the cold wind is starting to blow and the weather is getting colder, which makes her feel a little better.
"Go take a shower first."
Xiaoman immediately directed the maids to prepare hot water.
Before long, Gu Qinlan was immersed in the large bathtub, and Xiaoman and Mangzhong carefully washed her hair and cleaned her body.
Fuyu and Hongye, who had accompanied her busy work at the Gu residence for ten days, finally returned to their respective residences to tidy themselves up.
After everything was arranged, the delicious dishes on the table were served one after another.
To respect Gu Qinlan's custom of observing mourning, the dishes prepared were all light and delicate, and every bite could be tasted with the unique flavor of her aunt Liang's cooking.
While serving food to Gu Qinlan, Mangzhong said with a smile, "My aunt said that Madam must not have been able to rest well these days, so she and the eldest young lady will not come to disturb her, lest they start talking incessantly as soon as they see Madam. Let Madam eat her fill first and get some rest. Any important matters can wait until Madam wakes up before we talk about them."
A warm feeling welled up in Gu Qinlan's heart, and she felt extremely comfortable. She even ate half a bowl more than usual.
After a hearty meal, the maids helped her dry her hair, and after letting it air dry for a while, they urged her to go and rest.
As soon as her head hit the pillow, Gu Qinlan fell into a deep sleep, completely unaware of what was happening.
Meanwhile, in stark contrast to Gu Qinlan's tranquility and leisure, the situation at Gu Qinlian's place was extremely noisy and chaotic.
Gu Qinlian, who was also observing ten days of mourning at the Gu family home, saw Ji Yinli leave hastily after Gu Dingli's funeral, citing the excuse of returning home to study.
As a son-in-law, he didn't follow many formalities regarding mourning, and his concern for his family was understandable.
Gu Qinlian was worried about him going home alone, fearing that he might get involved with Fuling, but she dared not say it outright.
Finally, when the funeral was over, she rushed back to the Ji family home, only to find Ji Yinli and Fuling exchanging flirtatious glances in the study, like dry tinder ready to ignite.
In a fit of rage, Gu Qinlian, her face flushed red, stormed into the study, swung her arm, and delivered a resounding slap to Fuling's cheek: "You despicable thing! Do you have to have a fever to be able to live a peaceful day? My husband is about to enter the examination hall, and you dare to so boldly delay his studies! I must teach you a lesson!"
Fu Ling was already cunning, and after being slapped, she immediately knelt down and cried, "Madam, I did not disturb my husband's studies. I just came to bring him some food, which was specially instructed by the old lady."
"Still trying to deny it! Do you think I'm blind?"
Gu Qinlian's face burned with rage, and her eyes revealed a fierce glint.
Fuling anxiously turned her gaze to Ji Yinli, hoping he could say a word for her and help her out of this predicament.
However, Ji Yinli turned his head to the side, appearing indifferent, as if it were none of his business.
Fu Ling's heart suddenly felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave, and she felt a chill.
Seeing that Fuling dared to so boldly "have something" about Ji Yinli in front of her, Gu Qinlian was even more furious and swung her hand to slap Fuling's cheek again.
The slap was so powerful that it knocked Fuling to the ground.
However, Gu Qinlian was still not satisfied and even planned to ride on Fuling and continue beating her.
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