The Governor's Mansion was originally the residence of the Loyal and Reverent Marquis, bestowed by Emperor Taizu. It stood adjacent to the Marquis of Ningyuan's estate, which gave the street in front its name—Zhongning Street. However, during the reign of Emperor Taizong Wu, the Loyal and Reverent Marquis's household became embroiled in a treasonous conspiracy. After the plot failed and the marquis was executed, his title was revoked, his iron certificate destroyed, and his family was exterminated with their property confiscated. Subsequently, the estate was granted to Xiong Linshan, a renowned official of the Wu dynasty, and renamed "Clear Garden." After Xiong retired, he petitioned to return the garden. Emperor Renzong accepted it and bestowed numerous lands and residences in Xiong's hometown in compensation.
Excluding the surrounding hills and forests, Clear Garden covered approximately ninety mu of land and could be divided into front and rear sections.
The front courtyard, also known as the outer garden, was where men handled official affairs. The main gate featured three vermilion doors, each adorned with forty-nine copper nails, flanked by eastern and western side gates. Inside, smooth, massive square stone slabs paved a straight path, symmetrically lined with four outer studies on either side. Further out were stables, carriage houses, and rows of narrow, backward-facing courtyards for servants' quarters. Beyond the outer ceremonial gate stood a spacious, five-bay assembly hall at the center, accompanied by warm rooms, side rooms, and a tea preparation room.
Passing through three inner ceremonial gates led to the inner courtyard.
Out of caution and propriety, Minglan rode in a sedan chair draped with light gauze curtains, swiftly touring the front courtyard. Gu Tingye pointed out a few key spots briefly. Once they entered the inner courtyard, he immediately insisted she walk. Minglan tactfully expressed that her delicate constitution couldn't endure prolonged walking and suggested remaining in the sedan chair. The man gave her a peculiar look, leaning in to whisper even more tactfully: "Are you trying to conserve your energy...?"
Minglan pondered for a moment. "I'll walk."
The man's features were sharp—defined brows, a straight nose, thin lips, and deep eyes that seemed to mock her silently.
At the very front of the inner courtyard stood a grand five-bay hall with deer-antler eaves, its plaque inscribed with three flamboyant characters: "Chaohui Hall." Minglan inwardly praised it, turning to remark, "Minister Xiong, after all, was a veteran of two reigns, a respected elder among scholars, and from a literary family. He didn't use overly festive words—just 'Morning Radiance' says it all!"
Gu Tingye nodded in agreement at the inscription.
To the left of Chaohui Hall was a small courtyard enclosed as Gu Tingye's inner study, while the right side held a side hall and a plant-adorned passageway. Behind these, separated by a white stone path and a floral-pendant gate, lay the main compound: seven bays with seven beams, flanked by three layers of side rooms and three layers of ear rooms, fronted and backed by three tiers of verandas. A large annex contained over twenty rooms, grand in scale and lavishly decorated, bearing the three characters "Jiaxi Residence."
Minglan found it familiar, staring a moment longer before realizing she had departed from there that morning.
Behind Jiaxi Residence's rear gate, three backward-facing verandas led to two side gates: one connecting to the rear corridor, where a small assembly hall likely served for inner household meetings and receiving guests, and the other linking to a covered walkway that led to a large flower hall.
Minglan felt dizzy and weak-legged. Gu Tingye found her dazed expression amusing and pulled her aside for lunch. After their midday rest, the couple continued their tour.
Centered around Jiaxi Residence, five courtyards and rows of houses spread north, east, and west. These areas were probably intended for the elderly, such as the Grand Old Madam, and the young masters and ladies. Unfortunately, they all stood empty now.The nearby courtyards were connected to the main courtyard by covered corridors, while the more distant ones were separated by north-south passageways. Further back lay a garden blooming with fragrant flowers and plants, bordering a wooded hill. Minglan walked around in a circle and particularly favored a lotus pond with shimmering ripples and tranquil waters. The surface was scented with lotus blossoms, while beneath the water, segments of lotus roots were faintly visible. The pond connected on one end to the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion Garden and on the other directly to the large flower hall.
Tired from walking, Minglan decided to rest in the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion.
"Such a large estate, and only the two of us?" Minglan leaned weakly against the carved balustrade by the lotus pond, glancing at the eight-sided doors and windows around her.
"This isn’t considered large," Gu Tingye stood on the veranda, facing the direction of the Ningyuan Marquis Household, where a small wooded hill now stood. He spoke calmly, "You’ve visited the Xiangyang Marquis Household—that one is more than twice the size of this."
Minglan followed his gaze and thought to herself: This fellow wants to merge them! I just hope it’s not an illegal expansion.
...
Back in Yao Yiyi’s time, whenever winter or summer vacations ended and school was about to start, students who had been lively and energetic throughout the break would obediently stay home, busy catching up on assignments. After so many years, Yao Yiyi found it strangely amusing to witness this scene again.
That evening, after dinner, Gu Tingye brought a large stack of documents from his outer study into the room. He spread them across the desk in the western annex connected to the master bedroom, prepared ink, and began reading carefully while jotting down notes.
Minglan stared in astonishment—was he cramming last-minute because he had to report to the emperor at court tomorrow?
Seeing Gu Tingye engrossed in deep thought over the documents, Minglan initially intended to say, "Take your time with your work, I’ll head to bed first." But before she could, Gu Tingye pulled out a thick stack of account books and servant rosters, placing them in front of her, hoping they could "work hard and improve together."
Suppressing a yawn, Minglan had no choice but to sit at a small curved table nearby and open the account books. Under the soft glow of the night lamp, Gu Tingye felt quite pleased to have her company. Noticing Danju standing idly by, he said, "Orange, go brew a strong pot of tea." He vaguely recalled that the names of Minglan’s maids were all related to fruits.
This was convenient—easy to remember.
Danju, who had been concerned about Minglan, had already prepared an inner garment and hot water, hoping her mistress could rest early. Seeing the situation, she had no choice but to turn and prepare tea and snacks. In the veranda, Qinsang, who was tending the stove, noticed her sullen expression and asked, "What’s wrong?"
Though displeased, Danju showed no sign of it. "Bring out the fresh grapes delivered this morning and slice the honey peaches into segments," she said, then went to the cabinet to fetch tea leaves and a teapot.
Qinsang stood up to comply, while Lüzhi, standing nearby, found it odd. "Didn’t the young lady say she wanted to sleep early?"
"Address her as ‘Madam’!" Danju said sternly, taking out a brand-new set of delicate official kiln pink porcelain teacups decorated with "maggies on a branch." "The master and madam have matters to discuss, and there’s still much left unsettled in the household."
Bisi covered her mouth and giggled. "Speaking of the master, it’s quite amusing. Yesterday, he actually called Qinsang ‘Jujube,’ Xiaotao ‘Peach,’ and me ‘Plum.’ Sister Danju, what did he call you?"Danju came over with a large kettle from the stove by the door to brew tea, saying in a low voice, "It's only been two days since we left supervision, and you're already speaking so improperly? How dare you gossip about the master! If anyone in this mansion hears you, they'll think all those from the Sheng family have no manners!"
Qinsang entered carrying freshly cut fruit, while Lüzhi brought out a six-inch square crystal bowl with a lotus pattern. After washing their hands, they began arranging the fruit. As she worked, Lüzhi remarked, "This little wretch is getting too arrogant. We should have Cui Mama punish her severely later!"
Caihuan watched their smooth and coordinated movements, finding no opportunity to help, so she smiled and said, "Sister Bisi is young and inexperienced—it's natural for her to be careless sometimes. We're all sisters here, so let's not tell Cui Mama."
Lüzhi fell silent, Danju looked hesitant and reluctant, but Qinsang looked up and said with a faint smile, "Bisi, let me remind you. We've all grown up serving Madam—you know her temper well. Now that we've just arrived here, it's the time to uphold Madam's dignity. Don't be foolish." Her words carried a deeper meaning.
Bisi stiffened and immediately closed her mouth. Caihuan found this strange but couldn't press further, so she deliberately said, "Back in the Sheng residence, everyone said that among the three young ladies, Liu Guniang had the best temper and was the most lenient. Even if we made mistakes, she probably wouldn't punish us harshly, right?"
Danju had deep affection for the other maids and usually avoided being too harsh with them, but she was somewhat wary of Caihuan. Looking at Caihuan, she said slowly, "Madam said that to err is human. Dropping bowls or cups is understandable, and even messing up one or two tasks can be forgiven after understanding the circumstances and imposing a penalty. But there is one thing that is absolutely unacceptable."
"What is it?" Caihuan asked nervously, then quickly changed her expression and laughed, "If you tell me, sister, I'll remember it well."
"Intentions," Danju stared into Caihuan's eyes, enunciating each word, "No matter what it is, if you harbor any wicked thoughts that betray others, even if you're perfect in every other way, you cannot be kept."
Caihuan's heart trembled, but she put on a look of reverence and said with a laugh, "Madam is absolutely right! For us maids, loyalty is the most important thing—everything else is secondary!" Then, as if remembering something, she asked softly, "...By the way, wasn't there another sister named Yancao before? Why didn't she come with us?"
Danju glanced at her and replied bluntly, "She reached the age, and her parents pleaded with Old Madam, so she left to get married."
Caihuan wanted to ask further, "Wasn't there also a Nanny You?" but Lüzhi already called out loudly, "Those two wretches, Xiaotao and Cuixiu! They're just packing a few trunks—why aren't they back yet?!"
...
Danju carried the tray to the main room. Before leaving, she thought for a moment and added a large, bright red pomegranate to it. Smiling, she arranged the tea and fruit snacks neatly in the room. Noticing that Minglan was thinly dressed, she fetched a casual robe with a moon-white base and red plum blossoms in snow from inside and gently draped it over Minglan. Finally, she adjusted the three sheepskin palace lamps in the room to shine brighter before slowly leaving.Over the years, Minglan had maintained a diligent study habit. While flipping through account books and ledgers, she would jot down key points (in scribbles only she could decipher) and murmur softly to herself. Gu Tingye glanced up at her and found her exceptionally lovely in the flickering candlelight—her jade-like face flushed with a rosy glow, peach-blossom cheeks and cherry lips, eyes sparkling brilliantly.
He cleared his throat lightly with a fist to his mouth. Minglan looked up to see Gu Tingye’s calm expression as he said indifferently, "Tomorrow, start by tidying up my inner study. I’ve already entrusted the items to be moved to Gongsun Xiansheng. The rest isn’t urgent, but find me two reliable maids to keep watch... preferably illiterate."
Minglan was about to agree when she heard the last part. After a moment’s thought, she replied, "I’m not familiar with the servants here. All my maids are literate—only Xiaotao is a bit slow and doesn’t know many characters, but she’s utterly dependable. Let her watch over things for now, and I’ll gradually look for others. Trustworthy people aren’t found overnight... If you don’t mind, I’ll tidy your study myself these days."
The real issue wasn’t literacy but reliability. Uncertainty about trustworthiness was why illiterate maids were preferred—a literate maid could memorize a few glances’ worth of text, while an illiterate one would need to physically smuggle documents out, making detection easier.
Gu Tingye nodded in satisfaction, then frowned slightly. "Why are they all literate? Did you teach them? Was it necessary?"
Minglan nodded earnestly. "Having literate maids makes me appear more refined and clever." (In truth, she’d originally taught them to read the Twilight Cang Study regulations.)
Gu Tingye’s eyebrows arched, the dark gold threads on his deep blue silk robe shimmering as his moon-white inner garment accentuated his handsome clarity. Covering a laugh with his fist, he chuckled, "Well done, well done, my talented lady. Now grind some ink for your husband."
Minglan approached with a smile, deliberately shaking her head in exaggerated lament. "Using a prized blade to chop greens..."
Gu Tingye laughed heartily, watching her snow-white wrists move with graceful slowness as she ground the ink. He grew momentarily entranced, only snapping back to reality when Minglan finished preparing the thick ink and turned to leave. Catching her hand, he asked quietly, "Don’t you have... anything to ask?"
Minglan blinked blankly. "Ask... what?"
"About the manor," Gu Tingye said. "Aren’t you curious?" The strange tensions in the Gu household were obvious to anyone, yet she hadn’t inquired all this time.
Understanding his meaning, Minglan met his gaze with clear eyes. "I did have questions, but Old Madam advised me to ponder things myself before rushing to ask—it would make me seem cleverer."
The sternness in Gu Tingye’s brow softened into a smile. "Very well, my brilliant one. Let’s hear your thoughts."
Minglan freed her hand from his grasp, pulled over a small stool, and sat down softly. "...When I first met your family, what struck me as oddest was the age gaps. First: your late father was the eldest son. As the Heir Apparent to the Marquis, he’d have married early if anything. Yet Brother Xuan and Brother Yang are significantly older than Brother Yu. Why is that?"Gu Tingyu was only twenty-eight years old and had no elder brothers above him, yet the eldest sons of the fourth and fifth branches, Gu Tingxuan and Gu Tingyang, were already in their early thirties. So far, the only legitimate grandson of the main branch was Gu Tingwei's son, a two- or three-year-old toddler named Xian'ge.
As for the fourth and fifth branches, forget about running errands to buy soy sauce—Gu Tingxuan's eldest son was more than capable of managing a soy sauce shop, while Gu Tingyang's eldest daughter was old enough to be the shopkeeper's wife.
Gu Tingye's eyes gradually brightened, a faint smile playing on his lips. Minglan looked at him and sighed softly, "I suppose Father-in-law must have been deeply devoted to his first wife, sharing an exceptionally profound bond."
Gu Tingye's expression slowly darkened. These words were not spoken lightly. If the Old Marquis had indeed cherished his first wife, Lady Qin, deeply, then he would not have readily accepted Lady Bai, who married him shortly after, and would have extended his affection to the current Grand Old Madam Qin out of love for her predecessor.
Gu Tingye gently drew Minglan into his embrace, holding her close, and whispered, "When I was young, I once heard Fifth Aunt speak of the first Grand Old Madam. She said she and Father grew up together, deeply devoted to one another. Because she was frail and often ill, Father requested an imperial posting to the frontier to escape the meddling and nagging of the elders in the capital. The current Grand Old Madam often speaks of her too, describing her as beautiful and noble, dignified and gentle, kind-hearted and delicate—a rare and exceptional woman. Father remembered her for the rest of his life."
Minglan pouted slightly. Nestled in the man's arms, she said calmly, "The second thing I don't understand is the Grand Old Madam's age." She clearly felt the man's muscles tense. She continued, "Based on her zodiac sign, she is forty-four this year. When you were born, she was already nineteen, and she married into the Marquis household a year later at twenty. That means when the first Lady Qin passed away, she was around sixteen. How... does that work?"
If the Old Marquis had truly been so deeply attached to the first Lady Qin and wanted to marry another Qin daughter to care for Gu Tingyu, he could have married the current Grand Old Madam Qin at that time. Why was there a Lady Bai in between?
Minglan felt Gu Tingye's body stiffen. She slowly sat up, looked into his eyes, and said firmly but softly, "At that time, did Father-in-law have any particular reason to marry Mother?" The question was somewhat awkward, but it lay at the root of all their current problems.
Gu Tingye stared at Minglan for a long time, unsure how to respond. Over the years, he had carried a heavy burden in his heart, yet family matters were difficult to speak of. Now that the moment had come, he did not know where to begin. Minglan did not press him with further questions, but from subtle clues, she had already discerned some truths clearly.
Minglan had never seen Gu Tingye with such an expression before—his stern eyebrows raised high, his eye sockets sunken into shadow, his gaze gloomy and dangerous, yet tinged with a faint understanding, as if resigned to the inevitable. After a long silence, he slowly began, "My maternal grandfather's family is the Bai family of Haining. Have you heard of them?"
Minglan very much wanted to express some admiration, but she had truly never heard of the Bai family. The most famous families in Haining were the Chen family with seven jinshi in one generation, the Zhao family with three Hanlin academicians among father and sons, and the Xu family of the former Grand Secretary, along with several other well-established noble clans. In any case, the Bai family was not among them. So, Minglan could only shake her head honestly.
Gu Tingye smiled self-deprecatingly. "Naturally, you haven't heard of them. The Bai family is neither an old aristocratic clan nor a scholarly one. They are... salt merchants."Minglan was stunned. Among the four social classes—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—his mother came from the lowest-ranking merchant class. That in itself might have been acceptable, as there were still respectable merchants like Confucian merchants and righteous merchants. But she was from the salt merchant family, a group often looked down upon even within the merchant class. This... made it quite difficult to express respect toward the Bai family.
Gu Tingye continued, "Do you know what salt merchant families have the most of?"
"Salt," Minglan blurted out without thinking, only to be rewarded with a knuckle rapping sharply on her forehead. She immediately covered her forehead and cried out, "Silver! They have the most silver!"
Gu Tingye curled his long index and middle fingers, glaring at her with a half-smile. Couldn’t she be a little more serious and somber?
Minglan eyed those still-bent fingers warily and timidly said, "Don’t tell me your father married your mother for her silver!" Merchants were of low status—how could they possibly coerce the nobility?
"Exactly for the silver, though no one would believe it if word got out. Later, I investigated carefully and learned the whole story." Gu Tingye’s expression darkened as he lowered his fingers to rest on his knees, his eyes turning cold. "That year, after Jing An Huanghou passed away, Emperor Wu, overwhelmed by grief and rage, became increasingly violent and paranoid. He not only had many palace consorts and maids beaten to death but also ordered the then-imperial consort to commit suicide and intended to execute her entire clan. At the time, the imperial consort’s uncle was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. An audit revealed a deficit of over three million taels of silver, accumulated over the years by nobles and meritorious officials. Originally, this wasn’t a matter that would shake the foundations of the state—they could have repaid the silver gradually. But Emperor Wu, in his fury, imposed severe penalties, decreeing that any family failing to repay their debt in full within six months would be stripped of their titles!"
Minglan was completely dumbfounded. After a long pause, she managed to ask, "How much did the Ningyuan Marquis Household owe?"
"Not much," Gu Tingye replied with a sarcastic smile. "Exactly 880,000 taels of silver."
Minglan nearly choked. 880,000 taels of silver?! These spendthrifts! How could they possibly squander so much money?!
Gu Tingye let out a long sigh and gazed up at the ornately carved beams of the roof, his face shadowed. "The Gu family worked through the night, tallying all their assets and ancestral properties, but no matter how they calculated, it wasn’t enough. As the deadline approached, the Rongguo Duke’s family had already been stripped of their titles and properties, their members reduced to commoners—a pitiful sight. The entire Gu family was driven to desperation. It was then that someone... brought up the Bai family."
Minglan was too stunned to speak, listening blankly as Gu Tingye went on, "My maternal grandfather was quite a figure. He started out sailing the seas, saved up some capital, and then came ashore. Somehow, he managed to forge connections in the official circles and became a salt merchant! Over twenty years, he amassed an immense fortune. He had never been close to his cousins and, to make matters worse, had only one daughter—my mother."
Minglan didn’t know what to say and could only sigh deeply—no brothers to rely on, a humble background, yet possessing vast wealth. This Lady Bai might as well have had the word "prey" written on her forehead.
"So, your father married your mother for this?" Even Minglan didn’t realize the sarcasm in her own voice as she spoke.Gu Tingye gave a bitter smile, yet it couldn't conceal the chill in his tone: "There are ten different versions of what happened next. I've heard so many that even I don't know the truth anymore. But... the most common version is that back then, my father proposed to the Bai family to take my mother as a concubine. Hmph, for a merchant's daughter to enter a marquis' household as a concubine was already a blessing from heaven. Yet the Bai family stubbornly refused and insisted she become the legal wife. Under their coercion, they drove the first wife, Lady Qin, to her death."
Minglan drew a sharp breath and immediately stood up, straightening her back as she declared resolutely: "Nonsense! Sheer nonsense! What lunatic would distort the truth like this?!"
Gu Tingye looked up at Minglan, his gaze cool, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "How would you know? Perhaps it's true."
Minglan took a deep breath and declared clearly, "Indeed, there are wealthy merchant families who send their daughters to become concubines in noble households. But for what purpose? Merely to exchange marriage ties for money and influence! By offering a daughter, the merchant family gains convenience in their dealings, while the noble family receives a share of the profits—both parties benefit. However, the Bai family was different. Old Master Bai had only one daughter, and with no one else to continue the salt trade, he had no need to rely on noble connections. Moreover, lacking brothers to support her, he sought a reliable son-in-law instead! How could he have 'forced' the Gu family to marry his daughter? And 'driven the legitimate wife to her death'? That would only create enmity. Nonsense! Even dreams are more believable than this!"
Still fuming inwardly, Minglan thought: With such a substantial dowry, couldn't Lady Bai have married anyone she wanted? Were all the men in the world dead? Was your father the only option? To be honest, it wasn't the Bai family clinging to the Gu family—rather, it was the Gu family, then in dire straits, begging the Bai family for help.
Coming with silver to save them, yet expected to become a concubine?! Give me a break! A fairy tale would be more realistic.
Gu Tingye leaned back in his chair, let out a short, cold laugh, and watched Minglan quietly, his gaze gradually clearing. "Because of these rumors, my eldest brother has always despised me since childhood. I don't blame him—after all, I've always been troublesome and the most unfilial in the family. It wasn't until many years later, when Mama Chang, my mother's former wet nurse, came to the capital to see me and explained the whole story. It turned out that Lady Qin was already frail, and with the rumors in the mansion that marrying a daughter of the Bai family would resolve the crisis, she grew distressed and died in childbirth. The Bai family knew nothing of this; my maternal grandfather only arranged my mother's marriage afterward. From then on, I often clashed with my father, and my temper grew worse…"
Minglan stared at Gu Tingye, feeling pity for him for the first time in her life. Marrying a merchant's daughter as the marquis's wife was a great humiliation for the Gu family; Lady Bai's existence was a mark of the Gu family's past desperation. For this reason, the Old Marquis allowed slanderous rumors about Lady Bai to spread without defending her. He watched as Gu Tingye grew resentful and despairing, sinking step by step, yet never spoke the truth.
Of course, that Da Qin Shi was also pitiable, but she had enjoyed blessings and lived well. Moreover, when disaster struck, as the marquis's wife, she should have shared the burden. Yet she caused the Old Marquis to later resent Lady Bai and Gu Tingye so much—she had her fair share.
"...My father was already mourning his previous wife, and my mother had a quick temper. She found nothing satisfactory in the mansion, and the two grew increasingly estranged. During her second pregnancy, she quarreled with my father, went into premature labor, and died from hemorrhaging." Gu Tingye narrated calmly, as if it were someone else's story, his expression unusually detached. "Looking back now, my father wasn't bad to me; it was truly my own lack of effort. Now that I treat his wife, children, and brothers with such neglect, I'm afraid he cannot rest in peace, right?" He laughed coldly repeatedly, his eyes filled with icy mockery.
"Well?" Gu Tingye looked at the dazed Minglan and raised a corner of his lips. "Haven't I been most improper?"
"Why should you be improper?" Minglan finally snapped out of her stupor. The Gu family's past was too legendary—betrayal, deception, schemes, rumors, and a Count of Monte Cristo-style counterattack—it was all a bit hard to digest at once.Minglan looked at him incredulously and began listing reasons earnestly: "In this matter, everyone benefits except you and your mother. The Gu family gained prestige and preserved their reputation, the Qin family maintained their marital ties as before, but what did the Bai family gain? A mother had filthy water thrown over her for no reason, unable to rest in peace even after death. A son was driven from his home, left with nothing, forced to wander the world alone. Have you ever considered what would have happened if the Fourth Prince hadn't rebelled? What if he had peacefully accepted the Third Prince as the crown prince?"
Gu Tingye's eyes suddenly blazed like fire, instantly burning away all traces of self-mockery and sarcasm. He stared fixedly at Minglan, a cold laugh bursting from the depths of his heart: "If the Fourth Prince hadn't rebelled, the Third Prince would have smoothly ascended the throne, and the Eighth Prince would have had no chance. Then, the Ningyuan Marquis Household would have continued as before. Those who survived by feeding on the Bai family's flesh and blood would still live in luxury, those who trampled on my mother and me would continue to enjoy their honors and privileges. With my father gone and me absent, it wouldn't be long before my mother's memorial tablet would be removed from the ancestral hall. And I would still be wandering among the lowest ranks of society."
Minglan nodded vigorously, meeting his gaze directly: "So if you feel resentment, you're absolutely justified." Her tone was even more sincere and earnest than when she had applied to join the Party back in the day.
Gu Tingye laughed unexpectedly. Mama Chang often cursed the Ningyuan Marquis Household with righteous indignation, but he never felt any resonance with her words—instead, he found them somewhat tiresome. In his view, the Bai family wasn't entirely blameless either. They knew the Gu family was too high for them, yet they greedily pursued the marriage alliance, hoping for a miracle. Madame Bai knew the road ahead was treacherous, yet she didn't plan or strategize, simply dying early.
Whenever he thought of these things, what he felt more was cold laughter and indifference.
The anger and grievances of his youth weren't as intense now. After experiencing so many hardships in the martial world, having witnessed enough glory and disgrace, life and death, he wasn't so easily agitated anymore. It was as if even the fiercest flames, after burning out, left only ashes behind. Now, the only thing he felt was unwillingness—was his very existence in this world merely because of a sum of silver?
Hearing Minglan's words today, Gu Tingye's long-frozen memories suddenly burned hot again. Yes, he had actually been secretly hating all along, but unable to give voice to that hatred, he could only cover it with cold mockery.
Gu Tingye sighed. So admitting he hated his own relatives wasn't that difficult after all. The bitterness he had been unable to confess to anyone for years had all been spoken so straightforwardly today, leaving him feeling relieved and unburdened.
It seemed having a wife who could help him find reasons to hate his relatives was actually quite good.
"By the way," Minglan twisted her fingers, asking hesitantly, "that... how much dowry did your mother bring exactly?"
"About a million taels of silver, plus some farmlands and shops," Gu Tingye answered casually.
Minglan was stunned, almost wanting to beat her chest and cry out—Heavens! A million taels of silver! If she had that much money, plus a father who doted on her, what couldn't she do? Hire a team of bodyguards, find a loyal and reliable master, travel overseas, explore the Western Regions—how wonderful the world would be! She'd rather die than marry some widower with baggage who was still deeply in love with his former wife!
Oh Madame Bai, oh Old Master Bai, what can anyone say about you?
Finally—
"Truly, the fault lies not with the common man, but with the jade he carries," Minglan said softly, her expression sorrowful as she stood with her hands hanging limply.Gu Tingye gently drew Minglan into his embrace, deeply moved in his heart. He held and comforted her for a long while before saying, "Don't be sad anymore. It's been a long time."
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