Chapter 47: Bringing Up the Past
The controversy surrounding Qin Gao's visit seemed to have passed peacefully, but Su Wanrou knew that this was merely the calm before the storm. Having made their stance clear, the Qin family would not give up easily.
Sure enough, within three to five days, the Chengen Earl's Mansion sent another invitation. This time, it was in the name of the Qin family matriarch, the late Madam Qin's grandmother, inviting the Duke and his wife to the mansion for a chat. She said that the old lady missed her great-grandson Mingxuan and wanted to see him.
When the post was delivered to Su Wanrou, she was with Mingxuan in the courtyard learning to read. The warm spring sun shone on the child's focused face, and his long eyelashes cast soft shadows.
"Mother, who sent the invitation?" Mingxuan looked up and asked curiously.
Su Wanrou closed the gold-flecked invitation card that exuded a faint sandalwood scent and smiled slightly: "It was sent by Xuan'er's maternal grandparents. The old lady misses you."
Mingxuan's face immediately fell, and he muttered, "I don't want to go... There are so many rules at my great-grandmother's place. She'll even test my knowledge, and she'll get upset if I can't answer them."
Children are incredibly perceptive; they can clearly see who is genuinely kind to them and who approaches them with ulterior motives. Su Wanrou sighed inwardly, pulled Mingxuan into her arms, and said softly, "If Xuan'er doesn't want to go, then we won't go. However, it's only natural for elders to miss their juniors, and it would be impolite for us to refuse them outright. How about this, Mother will accompany you. If the Old Madam tests your studies, Mother will help you, okay?"
Mingxuan looked up at Su Wanrou's gentle yet firm gaze, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded: "Then... alright. With Mother here, I'm not afraid."
After calming Mingxuan down, Su Wanrou took the invitation to the study in the front courtyard. Gu Yangui had just finished dealing with military affairs and was standing by the window with his hands behind his back, seemingly lost in thought.
"My lord, the Marquis of Cheng'en's residence has sent an invitation." Su Wanrou handed over the invitation and briefly explained the reason.
Gu Yangui glanced at the invitation, his brows furrowing, his tone clearly impatient: "The Qin family has been quite attentive lately." He looked at Su Wanrou, "If you don't want to go, just decline; there's no need to force yourself."
Su Wanrou shook her head: "I think it's acceptable to refuse once, but if we refuse every time, it will only make us seem guilty or arrogant. Since they want to see us, then let's go see them. Some things should be said face to face. It's better than them constantly coming to our door under various pretexts and disturbing the peace of the manor."
Her eyes were clear and bright, carrying a wisdom and decisiveness beyond her years. Gu Yangui gazed at her for a moment, then finally nodded: "Very well. Then I'll go with you the day after tomorrow." He emphasized the words "go with you" slightly, as if to reassure her.
Two days later, at the Marquis of Chengen's residence.
Compared to the solemn and imposing Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, Chengen Earl's Mansion is more exquisite and magnificent, with pavilions, towers, carved beams and painted rafters, exuding the luxury accumulated by a century of noble birth. However, beneath this luxury, there is a hint of decadence.
The matriarch of the Qin family sat regally on a rosewood daybed in the center of the flower hall, surrounded by a group of people. She wore an ochre-colored jacket with a five-blessing and longevity pattern, her hair was neatly combed, and she wore a jade headband. Her face was serious, and her eyes were sharp. Beside her sat Madam Qin Gao, and several other Qin family women whom Su Wanrou did not recognize sat below her.
Gu Yangui and Su Wanrou brought Mingxuan in and greeted him politely. Mingxuan was clearly a little reserved, and after bowing respectfully, he stood close to Su Wanrou.
"Get up quickly, we're family, no need for formalities." Old Madam Qin forced a smile, her gaze lingering on Gu Yangui for a moment before landing on Mingxuan. She beckoned, "Xuan-ge'er, come to your great-grandmother, let your great-grandmother take a good look at you. It's been a while since I've seen you, you seem to have grown taller."
Mingxuan looked up at Su Wanrou, and seeing her nod slightly, he reluctantly walked over.
Old Madam Qin held Mingxuan's hand and asked about his daily life, reading, and calligraphy. Mingxuan answered all her questions, not enthusiastically, but without making any mistakes. After asking Mingxuan, the old lady's gaze seemingly casually fell back on Su Wanrou, looking her up and down. Her tone was unreadable: "This must be the new madam? She is indeed well-groomed and seems quite clever. It's a blessing for Xuan'er to have a madam to take care of him."
"You flatter me, Madam. Taking care of Mingxuan is Wanrou's duty." Su Wanrou bowed slightly, her attitude respectful.
Grandma Qin hummed in agreement, picked up her teacup, and gently skimmed the foam off the surface with the lid. She said, seemingly unintentionally, "Speaking of which, seeing Xuan-ge'er reminds me of my poor granddaughter. She passed away so young, never seeing Xuan-ge'er grow up. It's truly...sigh." She sighed, dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, and the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat heavy.
Qin Gaoshi quickly comforted her, "Grandmother, please don't be sad. Be careful not to hurt yourself. If your sister is watching over you from heaven, she would surely be pleased to see that Xuan-ge'er is growing up healthy and that everything in the Duke's mansion is well."
“Yes,” another lady chimed in, “Now that the Duke has remarried and there is a new mistress in the mansion, the old servants that my sister left behind will surely be well taken care of by the new mistress, so that they can live in peace. My sister can rest in peace in the afterlife.”
The conversation had finally reached this point. Su Wanrou sneered inwardly, but her face remained calm and expressionless. Gu Yangui sat to the side, sipping his tea expressionlessly, seemingly oblivious to the women's conversation, but his aura had grown colder.
Old Madam Qin put down her teacup and looked at Su Wanrou, her tone carrying a hint of elder's "concern": "Speaking of old friends, I happen to remember someone. It's Jinse, who used to serve my granddaughter. That girl is loyal and asked to stay in the mansion. It seems she's living in the west courtyard now? She's gentle and easy to take care of. I hope that Madam will look after her for the sake of the previous generation and take good care of her, so that she won't suffer any grievances. It would also fulfill a wish of the previous generation."
Jinse is none other than Concubine Liu, left behind by the late Madam Qin. After all this charade, the Qin family has finally revealed their true intentions. Unable to directly interfere in the internal affairs of the Duke's mansion, they intend to use the guise of "remembering the past" and "caring for the memory" to get Su Wanrou, the new mistress, to give special treatment, or even some degree of tolerance, to the late Madam's former associates, especially Jinse, who holds the title of concubine. This would allow the Qin family to continue exerting influence over the Duke's mansion, particularly over Mingxuan, through her.
All eyes in the flower hall were focused on Su Wanrou, awaiting her response. There was scrutiny, expectation, and even a subtle pressure.
Su Wanrou slowly raised her eyes, her gaze clear, meeting the seemingly kind but actually sharp eyes of Old Madam Qin. She did not answer immediately, but instead picked up the teacup beside her, took a small sip, her movements elegant and composed, as if she needed this momentary pause to carefully consider the most appropriate words.
Setting down her teacup, a faint and graceful smile spread across her lips. Her voice, though soft, reached everyone's ears clearly: "The old lady's kindness and concern for the past are truly admirable."
She first acknowledged the other party's "good intentions," then slightly changed the subject, her tone still gentle but carrying an undeniable firmness: "However, the Duke has always been strict in managing his household, with clear rules and equal treatment for everyone. Whether they are the old servants left behind by the late Madam or those who came into the household later, as long as they are law-abiding and dutiful, my husband and I will naturally not mistreat anyone, nor will we allow anyone to suffer any injustice."
She cleverly placed Gu Yangui first, indicating that the rules of the Duke's mansion were set by Gu Yangui, and she was merely following them. At the same time, she emphasized the prerequisite of "being law-abiding and dutiful." The subtext was: as long as Aunt Liu followed the rules, Su Wanrou would naturally not make things difficult for her; but if she had any ulterior motives, she shouldn't expect to receive special treatment just because she was a former servant of the late Madam.
"As for his wishes..." Su Wanrou looked tenderly at Mingxuan, who was quietly moving back to her side, and gently stroked his head. Her tone was even softer. "The late Madam's greatest wish must have been for Mingxuan to grow up peacefully, happily, and healthily. My husband and I will do everything in our power to protect him and raise him to be an outstanding person. Only in this way can we truly comfort the late Madam's spirit in heaven. Do you agree, Madam?"
Her words were a clever diversion, subtly shifting the responsibility the Qin family was trying to impose—the "care for the old concubines"—to the more central and legitimate responsibility of "raising the legitimate son." This saved face for the Qin family while clearly defining the boundaries—her responsibility, Su Wanrou's responsibility, lay with Gu Yangui and Mingxuan, not with giving special treatment to a concubine.
Old Madam Qin's facial muscles twitched almost imperceptibly, and her fingers gripping the teacup tightened slightly. She hadn't expected this seemingly delicate young lady to be so sharp-tongued and her attitude so subtly barbed! Her words of "nostalgia" were effortlessly deflected by the other woman, who even invoked the banner of "comforting the spirits of the deceased," leaving her momentarily speechless.
Qin Gaoshi and the others also looked rather grim. The atmosphere in the flower hall suddenly became somewhat tense.
Gu Yangui, who had been silent all along, finally put down his teacup with a crisp sound, breaking the silence. His gaze calmly swept over the Qin family members, finally landing on the face of Old Madam Qin, his voice low and full of authority: "What Wanrou said is my opinion. The Duke's mansion has its own rules. There is no need for outsiders to worry about it."
He emphasized the word "outsider" heavily, like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of everyone in the Qin family, clearly stating their position—to the Duke's mansion, the Qin family was now merely relatives by marriage, "outsiders," and their internal affairs were not to be questioned.
Old Madam Qin's face darkened completely, but due to Gu Yangui's power and pressure, she dared not lash out. She could only force a smile and say, "What the Duke says is true. I was just being nosy. It was because I was worried about Xuan-ge'er that I lost my composure."
This meeting, fraught with hidden tensions, ended hastily in a less-than-harmonious atmosphere.
On the carriage back to the manor, Mingxuan, nervous and reserved, had already fallen asleep in Su Wanrou's arms. Su Wanrou gently patted the child's back, gazing thoughtfully at the passing street scene outside the window.
“You did very well today,” Gu Yangui’s deep voice sounded beside him.
Su Wanrou turned around and met his approving gaze. Her heart warmed slightly, and she gently shook her head: "I was just arguing my case, not wanting the Qin family to think we were weak and easy to bully. But... after this incident, I'm afraid the Qin family will not let it go."
Gu Yangui snorted coldly, his eyes sharp as knives: "Clowns, nothing to fear. If they know what's good for them, fine; if they don't, I'll find a way to make them behave."
His tone carried a powerful confidence and an undeniable authority. Su Wanrou knew he meant what he said. With him protecting her, she truly felt no need to fear any storms.
She gently rested her head on his strong shoulder and whispered, "With my husband here, I have nothing to fear."
Gu Yangui's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, then relaxed, and he reached out to pull her into his arms. The carriage was quiet, with only the rumble of the wheels on the road and the sound of their breaths mingling.
Bringing up the past didn't sow discord; instead, it brought their hearts closer together as they faced the storms of life together. Su Wanrou knew that the road to true family harmony might still be bumpy, but as long as they were of one mind, they had nothing to fear.
End of Chapter 47
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