Minglan's demure expression lasted only until the moment she returned to their chambers. As she stepped inside with lowered head, a large hand reached out to take hers. Looking up, she saw Gu Tingye gazing at her with concern and a hint of apology in his eyes. "My apologies, I forgot about you."
Minglan wasn't truly angry, though the intense battles of her first day as a newlywed had left her rather weary. She sighed softly, "Being your wife is truly no easy task."
Gu Tingye remained silent for a long moment, simply leading Minglan gently further inside. Suddenly catching the aroma of food, Minglan looked up to see the double-happiness rosewood side table already laden with various dishes: golden corn fritters dusted with snowy sugar crystals, red bean coconut rolls exuding milky fragrance, several plates of seasonal pastries, and Minglan's favorite three-delicacy cat's ear soup in rich, aromatic broth. Her face immediately lit up with delight as she happily settled before the spread, turning to beam at him. "Are these for me?"
Gu Tingye, who had been somewhat disgruntled, felt his heart lighten at Minglan's childlike joy. "Freshly prepared. The matrons serving you are quite efficient," he said, pressing chopsticks into her hand. "Eat quickly now. The afternoon will keep us busy."
Minglan hesitated. "But lunch will be served soon..."
"With them present, could you truly eat comfortably?" Gu Tingye arched his sword-like brows in retort.
Minglan immediately took her first bite. Watching her enjoy the food, Gu Tingye found himself eating more with a smile.
"Take your time, no one's competing with you," he said with a curved lip, observing Minglan's cheeks puffing out like little buns as she struggled to maintain elegant manners. Her snow-white complexion still carried the morning's radiance, her pink lips fresh as June lotus roots. The sight inexplicably warmed and brightened his heart.
"Earlier... were you afraid?" Gu Tingye asked hesitantly. Knowing his relatives well, he suspected they wouldn't have spared Minglan, likely bullying his young wife with harsh words.
Minglan shook her head with full cheeks, swallowing hard. "Not at all! I even defended you quite eloquently!" Good deeds deserved proper credit—this wasn't an era that valued anonymous virtue.
Intrigued, Gu Tingye raised his brows. "You talked back?"
At the mention of her triumph, Minglan's expression animated instantly. Setting down her spoon and chopsticks, she concisely recounted her earlier speech, perfectly imitating Old Master Lu's tone while vividly describing the expressions and reactions of everyone present.
Gu Tingye listened with gleaming eyes, his mouth curving like a crescent moon.
After finishing her account, Minglan added with lingering satisfaction, "...Good thing it was me. If it were my elder brother, tsk tsk... with all his lectures on loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness, Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle would probably be kneeling in the ancestral hall by now!" This was no jest—Brother Changbai spoke rarely, but when he did, each word cut like a blade, drawing blood. His own mother, Lady Wang, could attest to that deeply.
A smile finally broke through Gu Tingye's long-gloomy countenance. He reached to tap Minglan's adorably upturned nose, his eyes brimming with profound affection, his voice deep like aged fine wine. "I thought I'd thrown you to the wolves—I nearly broke out in a cold sweat earlier."
Minglan nibbled her chopsticks, blooming with a charming smile, her cheeks faintly pink as she murmured, "I'm not afraid of wolves. I only fear having no one to stand up for me."Gu Tingye's heart softened almost to the point of melting. "I'll back you up! Whatever you want to do, I'll back you up!"
When Minglan was happy, she would become particularly adorable. Drawing upon her skills in pleasing Old Madam, she leaned on Gu Tingye's shoulder, beaming like a little smiling melon. She bustled about like a small squirrel, serving him porridge and dishes. Even though Gu Tingye was well-traveled and experienced, half his bones turned to jelly. He only regretted that it was broad daylight and the location was inconvenient.
Gu Tingye coughed unnaturally a couple of times, then placed a cherry meatball with steamed rice flour into Minglan's bowl, changing the subject. "Don't... don't you want to ask about Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle?" Usually, when newlywed brides encountered such a scene for the first time, wouldn't they be eager to ask their husbands about it?
Minglan only belatedly remembered. "Oh, right. Why? Didn't you say Grand Old Madam had already agreed to let us move out? Why are they still treating you so poorly?"
This question was well-posed—it immediately condemned the others. Gu Tingye's furrowed brows relaxed, and he swept away his gloom, replying with a smile, "I was mischievous since childhood. Grand Old Madam, being a stepmother, couldn't say much. It was always my uncles or aunts who reported me to Father. Many things happened this way, time and again."
Minglan slowly chewed over the meaning of his words, letting out a soft mental scoff. A faint, ambiguous smile played on her lips as she blinked her large eyes, biting her pink, tender lips and slightly drawing out her tone. "The Gu family is truly wonderful—harmony between uncles and sisters-in-law, affection among sisters-in-law, and joy throughout the household. It's truly my fortune to marry into such a family."
Gu Tingye laughed. He particularly loved this tone of Minglan's, like a mischievous child pretending to be dull and earnest but failing to pull it off. After chatting and laughing for a while longer, someone came to announce that the meal was ready. Gu Tingye held Minglan's small hand as they walked out, softly instructing her on various matters along the way.
In truth, Minglan felt Gu Tingye needn't worry at this point. After the earlier commotion, they were likely to create an atmosphere of harmony during the banquet. Yao the Immortal truly lived up to his reputation—at the banquet, no one brought up the earlier unpleasantness.
At the men's table, Gu Tingye no longer wore a cold expression, appropriately showing the respect of a junior. The two uncles were sensible enough to know that force wouldn't work and took the opportunity to drink a few cups of apology wine. At the women's table, Minglan continued to respond to most questions with shy, bashful "ABAB" patterns. When she couldn't evade, she had no choice but to answer honestly.
Fifth Old Madam, impressed by Minglan's refined speech, couldn't help but ask, "Did you attend a girls' school? Who was your teacher?" Gu Tingcan, who had been quietly eating with her head lowered across the table, suddenly looked up upon hearing this, staring at Minglan's response.
Minglan set down her chopsticks, straightened the golden phoenix pendant on her sleeve, and smiled. "I never attended a girls' school, but when I was six or seven, my grandmother hired a retired palace maid to teach my sisters and me for a few days."
Upon hearing it was an etiquette maid, Gu Tingcan curled her lips and lowered her head again. Fifth Old Madam shook her head. "That can't be. Etiquette maids mostly teach manners and rules. Did you have any other teachers?"
Pressed for an answer, Minglan had no choice but to reply, "That year, my father was promoted to Prefect of Dengzhou. To ensure my elder brothers could pursue their studies, Father hired Zhuang Xiansheng from the capital as a tutor. At that time, my sisters and I were still young, so we also studied with him for a few days."This time, Gu Tingcan became quite animated, her eyes sparkling, her lips moving though no words came out. The Grand Old Madam smiled gently, the large pearl on the exquisite white jade and silver wire hairpin at her temple swaying slightly: "Could it be that Zhuang Xiansheng who once opened a private school at Shen Shoufu's estate?"
Minglan paused for a second before breathing, then replied with a calm expression: "Indeed."
The Grand Old Madam clapped her hands and laughed: "He truly is an excellent teacher! How fortunate you sisters were to receive his instruction! No wonder your speech is so well-structured—it turns out you studied under a renowned master. From now on, your younger sisters should learn from you, so they don’t speak carelessly with muddled thoughts. Please don’t blame your sister Tingcan today; she’s been spoiled by me since childhood."
Tingcan finally couldn’t hold back anymore. The lapis lazuli earrings dangling by her ears swayed as she pouted coquettishly at the Grand Old Madam: "Mother, it’s all your fault! You never hired a good teacher for me when I was young, and now you criticize us sisters!"
The Grand Old Madam’s expression shifted, but she couldn’t scold her in front of everyone. Meanwhile, the First Wife of Gu Tingxuan chuckled: "Oh, you! That Zhuang Xiansheng wasn’t meant to teach young ladies in the inner chambers—he taught scholars and officials! If you want to blame anyone, blame your older brothers for not knowing their classics! Ah... there’s no hope in counting on them. Fortunately, Xian Ge and the nephews from the fifth branch are promising. We’ll likely have to rely on them in the future!"
These words brought a glow to the faces of Fifth Old Madam and Madam Zhu, and everyone seemed satisfied. Minglan discreetly observed the First Wife of Gu Tingxuan a few more times. Though her speech was somewhat blunt and unrefined, her demeanor was straightforward and considerate, and she took good care of her sister-in-law, Tingying, the only daughter of the remarried Fourth Old Madam. In contrast, the eldest daughter-in-law of the fifth branch was less impressive, appearing rather timid. On the other hand, Tingling, the fifth branch’s illegitimate daughter, was exceptionally poised and engaging in conversation.
Speaking of which, Tingcan, Tingying, and Tingling—these three cousins were all exceptionally beautiful. Tingcan resembled a rare orchid on a solitary cliff, ethereal and aloof; Tingying was more dignified and gentle; while Tingling was like a flower that understands speech, graceful and charming.
Finally, the meal concluded, and the maids and servants had nearly finished clearing everything away. Just as they were about to leave, the Grand Old Madam invited Minglan to the inner hall. Minglan’s heart sank, thinking to herself: Here we go again. What is it this time?
Gu Tingye’s expression darkened slightly. He lowered his head in thought for a moment, then looked directly at Minglan and said, "I’ll go with you later. Say as little as possible—I’ll handle it."
Minglan nodded.
In the west chamber of the main courtyard, the Grand Old Madam sat at the head, with only Madam Shao and Madam Zhu seated on either side. The three were chatting when a maid announced their arrival at the door. They smiled in welcome but were quite surprised to see Gu Tingye had come as well.
The Grand Old Madam’s expression remained unchanged. Madam Zhu quickly stood up and called for tea, then moved to sit beside Madam Shao. Gu Tingye cupped his hands in salute to the Grand Old Madam and Madam Shao, while Minglan gathered her sleeves and bowed. Gu Tingye then took the seat at the upper right, and Minglan hesitated again—should she sit on the daughter-in-law’s side or beside Gu Tingye?
Gu Tingye coughed heavily twice and shot her a meaningful glance. Minglan immediately scurried over to sit beside him. Seeing their interaction, Madam Shao and Madam Zhu exchanged glances, each with unspoken thoughts."Why have you come as well?" Grand Old Madam set down her teacup and said kindly, "It would have been enough for your wife to know about this matter." Before Gu Tingye could respond, she sighed softly, "Well, it's just as well that you came together. Your wife has been married for less than a day, and there are already so many matters. It's understandable if she can't handle them. I suppose you know why I called you here?"
Gu Tingye sat with his back straight and said calmly, "It's about Rong Jie'er, isn't it?"
Minglan's heart stirred—so it was about this matter. She did know about it.
Grand Old Madam smiled and nodded toward Mama Xiang, who turned and went out. She then turned back and said, "Since you've already thought of it, I won't beat around the bush. Sigh... I originally intended to wait a few days until Minglan had settled in before discussing it with her in detail. But since you're leaving immediately, I have to say it now."
Gu Tingye stood up and bowed deeply to Grand Old Madam and Madam Shao, saying in a solemn voice, "In my youth, I behaved recklessly and committed foolish acts. Over the past two years, I have been deeply grateful for my sister-in-law's assistance in taking care of Rong Jie'er. Tingye will always remember your kindness."
Madam Shao quickly stood up and returned the courtesy, saying, "We're all family, there's no need to be so formal. Rong Jie'er is a good child and very close to Xianjie. To be honest, I haven't done much—Rong Jie'er has mostly been cared for by Hongxiao."
Gu Tingye's expression darkened again. After he sat down, before he could speak, the curtain lifted and Mama Xiang led in two women dressed as married ladies, with a little girl between them.
The two women bowed gracefully to everyone, then stood quietly with their heads lowered and hands clasped.
Minglan looked carefully: the woman on the left wore a long apricot-colored jacket with ruyi-patterned trim, was about eighteen or nineteen years old, and had a delicate oval face with almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks. The woman on the right wore a casual ivory-yellow jacket with rose-colored ruyi-patterned trim, was older—about twenty-seven or twenty-eight—and had an oval face with considerable beauty. The little girl in the middle was about seven or eight years old, wearing a light red feather-satin jacket with dark red wide trim. She was thin and frail, with a timid expression, and her features bore some resemblance to that Man Niang from years ago.
Grand Old Madam said gently to Minglan, "Rong Jie'er, come and pay your respects to your father and mother."
The little girl kept glancing at Madam Shao, and only when she saw her nod slightly did she step forward tremblingly, kneel respectfully, kowtow, and call out, "...Father."
Gu Tingye looked at her with a complicated expression and nodded.
"And your mother?" Grand Old Madam reminded her with a smile.
Rong Jie'er looked timidly at Minglan, biting her lip and refusing to make a sound. Minglan very much wanted to say something, so she looked at Gu Tingye, who simply waved his hand lightly and said to Rong Jie'er, "You may call her Madam instead."
Everyone present looked shocked. Madam Shao couldn't help saying, "She should call her Mother. Rong Jie'er, hurry up and call her!"
But Rong Jie'er simply couldn't bring herself to say it. The woman on the right opened her mouth several times, glanced at the woman on the left, but ultimately said nothing. Ignoring everyone else, Gu Tingye looked directly at Rong Jie'er and said, "If you don't want to call her Mother, then call her Madam."
With a stubborn expression, Rong Jie'er blurted out, "Madam!"
Madam Shao looked regretful but said nothing more. Madam Zhu lowered her head to drink tea. Grand Old Madam gave Minglan a deep look. Minglan felt wronged—from beginning to end, she hadn't said a single word.A matron came over and led Rong Jie'er to a small stool to sit, handing her some tea and snacks. Then, Grand Old Madam pointed at the two women and said to Minglan, "These two are Ye-ge'er's women. This is Concubine Gong, who has taken good care of Rong Jie'er these past two years. This is Qiu Niang, Ye-ge'er's childhood maid who later became his bedroom servant."
The two women hurried forward to bow to Minglan. Feeling frustrated—this time she hadn't brought any pouches—Minglan fumbled in her sleeves for a while before taking off two gold bracelets and giving one to each as a reward.
When they looked up to express their gratitude, both couldn't help glancing at Gu Tingye. Concubine Gong's eyes were filled with melancholy, as if weeping silently, while Qiu Niang looked excited and joyful, nearly moved to tears. Unexpectedly, Gu Tingye was frowning as he watched Rong Jie'er in the distance.
After the introductions, Grand Old Madam said to Minglan, "Since you will be living separately in another residence, they must go with you."
Minglan nodded, but before she could speak, Gu Tingye cut in, "Of course they will come along. But things might still be a bit chaotic over there these days. Let's wait a few days until everything is settled, and then I'll send someone to fetch them."
Grand Old Madam's eyes flickered, and she fell silent for a moment. Concubine Gong, however, knelt before Minglan and said, "This servant is willing to go now! Though I may be foolish, I can help with running errands or delivering messages while you manage household affairs!"
Gu Tingye said calmly, "Aren't you supposed to be taking care of Rong Jie'er?"
Concubine Gong's face turned pale. Qiu Niang, standing beside her, seemed about to speak, but Gu Tingye glanced at her and said in a much softer tone, "You two stay here for now. I'll send for you later." Qiu Niang immediately fell silent, though her eyes still brimmed with excitement.
Minglan felt the bracelets on her wrist in her sleeve and thought to herself: Only two? Shouldn't she have given away all the bracelets on both wrists to match Second Master Gu's notorious reputation outside?
As she pondered, Minglan understood: back when Second Master Gu ran away from home—almost like being expelled—those bedroom servants and concubines, seeing no future, might have sought other paths. Of course, they could also have been dismissed by their masters. Why keep so many mouths to feed for a disowned prodigal who was unlikely to return? So, what about these two who stayed? Hmm, the waters run deep indeed.
Grand Old Madam had intended to chat more with Minglan, but with Gu Tingye present, the women seemed intimidated and quickly dispersed. Qiu Niang and Hongxiao appeared to want to follow, but Gu Tingye walked so swiftly that Minglan had to jog to keep up.
Only after exiting the eastern courtyard and entering a side path did Gu Tingye slow his pace, supporting Minglan as she caught her breath. Once she had recovered, the two strolled slowly along the shaded path.
"Do you... have anything to say?" Gu Tingye asked after a while.
Minglan, who had been holding back for a long time, immediately voiced her doubt: "Qiu Niang seems much more steady and older than Concubine Gong. Why hasn't she been promoted to concubine? Is it because her status isn't high enough, so she couldn't take care of Rong Jie'er?"
Gu Tingye seemed relieved that this was Minglan's first question and replied quietly, "Hongxiao was a dowry maid from the Yu family, promoted to concubine by Yanhong herself. As for Qiu Niang... it was no small feat for her to stay."
Two sentences, two people, two different attitudes—Minglan noted this silently.
They walked a bit longer, and after waiting for some time, Gu Tingye couldn't help but ask, "Don't you have anything else to say?"Minglan was lost in thought when she woodenly raised her head, puzzled: "Say... what?"
Gu Tingye halted his steps, staring intently at Minglan as he stated flatly: "You're unhappy."
"Why would I be unhappy?" Minglan wore an expression of genuine confusion.
Gu Tingye studied her carefully, his gaze deep and unfathomable, before slowly saying: "You're unhappy because of Qiu Niang and Hongxiao."
Minglan laughed lightly: "Nothing of the sort! You're mistaken..." Her words were cut off mid-sentence.
"You dislike them, don't you?" Gu Tingye pressed on relentlessly.
Minglan waved her hand with a cheerful laugh: "I'm not so narrow-minded. I think..." Again, she was interrupted.
"Are you jealous?" Gu Tingye's brows furrowed deeply.
"Not at all! Listen to me, the 'Admonitions for Women' says..." Minglan tried to explain but was interrupted once more.
"Enough!" Gu Tingye suddenly roared, startling Minglan.
Taking a deep breath, his expression turned stormy, his eyes dark and bottomless. An intimidating aura radiated from him, his tall frame looming like a mountain. Too frightened to speak, Minglan watched as he slowly declared: "I've told you before - I've heard enough lies in this lifetime. I want your true feelings, your honest words!"
Minglan thought to herself that she couldn't speak complete truth, or she'd be burned as a witch!
As Minglan remained silent with bowed head, Gu Tingye waited quietly, using the weight of his silence to pressure her into speaking. Finally yielding, Minglan sighed softly and took a different approach, saying obliquely: "Our dynasty's founding emperor particularly enjoyed bestowing beauties upon his ministers. Yet whenever he gifted such women, he always avoided those generals and ministers who had married princesses. Why is that? They all helped conquer the empire, were all enfeoffed as marquises and ministers, all made outstanding contributions - so why gift to some but not others?!"
Gu Tingye's pupils contracted slightly, his eyes flickering. Smiling calmly at him, Minglan continued quietly: "Even an unconventional hero like the founding emperor understood this clearly. Actually, you men know this perfectly well in your hearts - why bother asking redundantly?"
Every parent cherishes their own daughter. If wives were truly overjoyed to see their husbands take concubines, why wouldn't the emperor start with the princesses first?
The history of emperors bestowing beauties dated back centuries. Originally, Fang Xuanling's wife had to drink what was suspected to be poisoned vinegar to resolve the matter, setting a precedent for fierce wives resisting imperial-gifted beauties.
The founding emperor was an unattractive libertine who judged others by himself, hence his particular fondness for gifting beauties. It was said that the British Duke's wife once stood at her gate holding two kitchen knives, declaring that if those women dared enter, she'd make them bleed on the spot before paying with her own life. The terrified British Duke prostrated himself on the palace steps, pleading bitterly for three days before the emperor finally rescinded his decree.
Emperor Wu of the succeeding dynasty occasionally bestowed beauties too. The Korean Duke's wife was even more formidable - she gathered her young children around her amidst kindling and oil, declaring that if those women entered, she and her children wouldn't live. The Korean Duke was scared out of his wits, clinging to Emperor Wu's leg while weeping and begging for half a day before the matter was dropped.
Of course, many more men happily accepted the beauties and took pride in it. Really, the problem always lay with the men.
This perspective was quite novel. Gu Tingye nodded quietly, staring straight at Minglan: "But I already have concubines.""Yes." Minglan's eyes curved into crescents as she said cheerfully: "So I will take good care of Rong Jie'er, get along harmoniously with Qiu Niang and Hongxiao, and I will be very virtuous! Truly!"
Men and women throughout history haven't evolved much. While the wives of Forbes billionaires might endure humiliation silently, the wife of a street vendor would at least grab a kitchen knife and make a scene even if she doesn't divorce - for no other reason than the disparity in power and wealth. Now she was the illegitimate daughter of a fourth-rank official, while he was an illustrious noble of the second rank. His fist was bigger than hers, so she could only be 'virtuous'.
The matter was just that simple.
Minglan's words were sincere, and Gu Tingye could believe they were reliable, yet his expression grew even darker. His brows were deeply furrowed, his gaze inexplicably fierce as he glared at Minglan, as if he wanted to devour her in one bite.
Minglan was alert. Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, she quickly reassured him again, almost patting her chest to swear: "I would never harbor ill intentions! You must believe me, I will treat them well! Just wait and see!" Truly, fate was unkind—if she had been this sincere back when she applied to join the Party, she would have succeeded long ago!
Gu Tingye's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, his eyes clouded with gloom, his expression somber. His heavy breath sprayed onto Minglan's face. The two stood facing each other in stifling silence for a while. Minglan grew anxious, wondering if she should make a solemn vow to express her utmost sincerity.
After a long while, Gu Tingye let out a heavy sigh, took her hand, and lowered his head to continue walking in silence. Minglan, bewildered, cautiously glanced at his profile. She felt she had been subtle enough and had expressed her firm resolve—why was he so angry?
Men and women truly come from different planets.
※※※
※※※
[Author's Note]
Regarding forms of address:
First, in Dream of the Red Chamber, although Jia Zheng and Jia She were brothers who had not divided the family estate, their sons were ranked separately: Jia Lian was called Second Master Lian, and Bao Yu was called Second Master Bao. However, the daughters were ranked together: Yingchun was Second Sister, Tanchun was Third Sister, and Xichun was Fourth Sister. I’m not entirely clear on the reasoning behind this.
Second, a grandfather is called laotaigong, and his younger brother is called shugong; a father is called laotaiye, and his younger brother is called shuye. Considering that Pan Jinlian addressed Wu Song as shushu, the correct form of address for a younger generation to an uncle should be Fourth Uncle or Fourth Uncle Father.
Third, in ancient times, child mortality rates were high, so both boys and girls were initially called "X ge'er" or "X jie'er." Boys would receive their formal names only when they reached school age, while girls might receive theirs early or as late as their coming-of-age ceremony (jiji).
Fourth, some kinship terms may not be strictly accurate. To make it easier for readers to understand, I have tried to use clearer and more accessible forms of address.
OpenNovel