It was nearly noon by the time Minglan returned to the manor. Danju carefully helped her remove the hairpins and ceremonial robes, storing each piece properly in the cabinet. With a stern face but playful tone, Minglan remarked, "Don't misplace the Imperial Mandate certificate or the pearl crown and ceremonial robes, or else this title of mine won't be valid anymore."
To her surprise, Danju took it seriously. Examining the items meticulously, she said earnestly, "The pearl crown and robes don't seem particularly rare to me—they could be remade with the right materials. But the official scroll is what truly matters. I'll go find a sturdy lock for it." With that, she left with a grave expression.
After lunch, Minglan hurriedly slipped into bed for a nap. As Danju gently massaged her sore calves, Minglan drifted into a hazy sleep. She couldn't tell how long she had slept when she felt something heavy pressing on her. Opening her eyes, she found Gu Tingye lying atop her.
Dressed only in moon-white inner garments, he held Minglan tightly while sound asleep. His arms were like iron bands, making it impossible for her to slip out from under him. Resigned, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
They slept until the sun dipped westward, then sat up groggily in bed, staring blankly at each other—both husband and wife still dazed from their deep slumber. Gu Tingye's thick hair cascaded loosely around his handsome face, lending him a touch of lazy charm. Minglan's jade-like cheeks bore red sleep marks, her expression vacant as she rubbed her eyes with plump little fists.
Gu Tingye found her utterly endearing. He pulled her close and planted firm kisses on her cheeks and neck. Minglan whimpered like a kitten before gradually waking up properly.
"Napping all afternoon is improper enough, but for a married couple to do so together... tsk," Minglan sighed dramatically, hugging the quilt and tilting her head as she quoted classical wisdom—implying that afternoon naps were best taken separately to avoid gossip.
"True scholars follow their own refined pursuits—why care what outsiders say?" Gu Tingye continued stroking Minglan's soft body and kissing her snowy neck. Minglan glanced sideways at him: "What does scholarly refinement have to do with taking naps?"
"Nothing at all. That's why we must keep our gates tightly shut." Gu Tingye drew her into his arms, propped a pillow against the headboard, and said with feigned seriousness, "If no one knows, no one can gossip about us."
Minglan stared at him. He stared back. After a moment, she turned away—some things were beyond explanation.
Feeling thirsty after the nap, Minglan tried to roll past Gu Tingye to reach the bedside table for water. He pressed her back down and brought the entire teapot to her. Cupping it with both hands, she drank directly from the spout with gulping sounds. Gu Tingye watched her fondly, as if observing a plump little squirrel stealing oil.
After dinner, Gu Tingye needed to meet Gongsun Xiansheng in the outer study. Having already wasted most of the afternoon sleeping, the couple decided they might as well indulge further. After instructing maids to prepare supper, they lay back on the couch together. The man wrapped his arm around Minglan's slender waist, half-resting his head against her bosom as her soft, nimble fingers massaged his temples and scalp.
This technique had been personally taught to Minglan by Mama Fang and perfected through practice on Old Mrs. Sheng. Gu Tingye closed his eyes in pretended sleep, thoroughly content.Minglan recounted her morning experiences at Cining Palace in fragments, and Gu Tingye, with his eyes slightly closed, chimed in: "...I've met Brother Shen's first wife, Madam Zou. She was truly a remarkable woman of courage and kindness. The Shu border was remote and desolate, yet for Brother Shen's concern for the Empress, this delicate woman fully supported her husband in leaving their homeland to settle there. Brother Shen secured a position in the border army, and Madam Zou often went to comfort and accompany the Empress, while also aiding neighbors and showing compassion for the poor, earning a reputation for virtue locally. I heard that when the Eldest Prince was born prematurely, the princely residence couldn't even find a proper wet nurse. At the time, Madam Zou had also just given birth, yet she insisted on neglecting her own child to nurse the Eldest Prince first, caring for him meticulously. As a woman who didn't rest properly during her confinement, she fell ill from it."
Minglan sighed upon hearing this, reflecting that even devotion requires moderation—one must not sacrifice their life for it.
"So how did you come to know the Eighth Prince?"
Gu Tingye slipped his hand into Minglan's inner jacket, stroking her delicate skin, and opened his eyes slightly with a smile: "That year, I took on a job in Shu and passed through the Eighth Prince's fiefdom. Coincidentally, I encountered the Eighth Prince's steward going to fetch the Shu Prince's physician, but that physician was utterly despicable, making excuses and refusing to go. I've always loathed such sycophantic, opportunistic types. In a fit of anger, that very night, I masked up, led a group of brothers to break down the physician's door, and seized him along with his medicine chest, delivering him to the Eighth Prince's residence!"
"You...?! The Shu Prince holds great power—wouldn't this implicate the Eighth Prince?" Minglan gasped, stunned. "What happened after?"
Gu Tingye laughed fearlessly: "Officials have their ways, outlaws have theirs—I had my methods. Such people are naturally bullies who fear the strong. I held a knife to the physician's throat and threatened that if he dared report to the Shu Prince, I'd burn down his estate and farmland, and slaughter a few of his concubines and descendants for good measure. He might evade temporarily, but not forever; he might protect himself, but not his entire family! I was a chivalrous rogue righting wrongs, here one moment and gone the next—untraceable!"
Minglan beamed, covering her mouth as she laughed and leaned against the man: "You wicked rascal!"
Recalling the past, Gu Tingye also found it amusing and satisfying: "After it was done, I thought of leaving it at that. But who knew that before the Emperor took his fief, he'd seen me a few times in the capital? Caught off guard, he actually recognized me!... After that, back and forth, I became a regular at the Eighth Prince's residence. Sometimes I'd bring rare delicacies, other times local curios or calligraphy and paintings, and occasionally run errands for the Emperor. If I fell ill, got injured, or was exhausted, I'd unceremoniously stay at the residence for a few days—among those who often attended to me was that young Eunuch Xia. When the Emperor felt lonely, I'd go and ramble on about all sorts of nonsense; if Brother Shen was free, the three of us would share a drink, venting our frustrations after a few cups—it was quite cathartic."
"The Emperor has sharp eyes, recognizing you even through a mask!" Minglan clapped her hands, laughing. "That's just like you—helping others a little and then mooching some food and drink. Giving and taking like that makes people genuinely fond of you."Gu Tingye took Minglan's small hand and kissed it by his lips, looking at her with appreciation. "Having roamed the jianghu, you've finally learned some worldly wisdom. Bestowing too much favor turns great kindness into enmity. Besides, the Eighth Prince is after all of imperial lineage—I thought it best not to make him feel uncomfortable. Moreover, it wasn't entirely intentional. There were times when I fell ill with seasonal diseases; without the care from the prince's residence, I might not have recovered so easily."
Minglan thought of how he had grown up surrounded by servants, yet at that time he was drifting alone in the jianghu. He must have been extremely unaccustomed to everything from resting and conducting affairs to even a simple meal, and she wondered how much hardship he had endured to finally succeed. Surprisingly, he had persevered. As these thoughts crossed her mind, Minglan's gaze unconsciously held a touch of pity and admiration. Seeing this, Gu Tingye felt a stir in his heart and said softly, "Back then, I never imagined I'd have today. I only thought about earning more silver, at least making something of myself so as not to be looked down upon..."
He wasn't the only one who hadn't foreseen it. Countless officials had lost their futures or even their lives in several conflicts. Minglan sighed softly, "That Madam Zou was truly a pity."
"A pity it may be, but Brother Shen handled this matter improperly," Gu Tingye said decisively.
Minglan was taken aback for a moment before replying, "...I'm afraid Lord Shen had no choice. There was no other way."
Unexpectedly, Gu Tingye shook his head noncommittally, his lips quirking slightly and his eyes seeming dissatisfied. He suddenly changed the subject and asked, "You met that little Zou today, didn't you? What do you think of her?"
Minglan hesitated, unwilling to pass judgment on someone she had just met, so she only said, "She seems quite close with the Empress."
"That's the trouble!" Gu Tingye's gaze turned stern. "I've seen that little Zou a few times. She appears delicate but is actually quite strong-willed. The Empress, remembering the affection of the late Madam Zou, treats her generously everywhere and can't bear to be harsh with her. Now she's even been granted an Imperial Mandate. After all, Lady Shen is the legitimate daughter of the Zhang family, married from a high-status family. How does Brother Shen's actions reflect on the Duke of Ying's residence?!"
"You... think Lord Shen shouldn't have taken little Zou as a concubine?" Minglan looked at him suspiciously, sensing a trace of displaced anger in his attitude. Could he be thinking of Baishi?
"No," Gu Tingye flatly denied. "No matter whom Brother Shen marries, it's reasonable. The important thing is that Brother Shen handled it improperly."
Gu Tingye sat up, his broad shoulders leaning against the headboard, and sighed softly. "It's good that Brother Shen values loyalty and righteousness, but some things in this world cannot be fully achieved. Indecision invites trouble. Either he should have properly married the Zhang daughter, or he should have married the Zou girl. Given Madam Zou's past virtue and benevolence, the Emperor, remembering that affection, might not have forced Brother Shen to marry the Zhang daughter. He could have had his younger sister marry into the Duke of Ying's residence, and then had Brother Duan's daughter marry into the Zheng family. Wouldn't that have worked? Brother Shen was too indecisive, wanting to balance emotions and have a smooth future. How can such a convenient thing exist in this world?!"Minglan was hearing this inside story for the first time, her heart surging with emotion. Gu Tingye continued, "Alright, if Brother Shen truly wishes to form a marital alliance with the Duke of Ying's household—which is understandable—then he should handle it elegantly! If he fears that a stepmother would lead to a stepfather's neglect and wants to take his sister-in-law as a concubine instead, that could work, but he must maintain proper boundaries. The Duke of Ying's household already sent their legitimate daughter as a remarried wife despite the existence of prior legitimate children, showing great sincerity. Yet the Shen family keeps elevating Little Madam Zou like this... tsk. Just wait and see, sooner or later there will be trouble. If they truly anger the Duke of Ying's household, what could even the Emperor say then? I'm afraid it might implicate the Empress as well."
To others, the affairs of the imperial uncle's household might merely be after-dinner gossip, but to Gu Tingye, it represented a serious political issue. The Duke of Ying's household had alternatives—if they truly fell out with the Shen family, they might very well shift their support to other imperial consorts. As a friend, Gu Tingye also didn't wish to see Shen Congxing suffer damage due to domestic matters.
Minglan tilted her head looking at Gu Tingye. Truthfully, she wasn't particularly concerned about the Shen family—what interested her more was Gu Tingye's thought patterns and way of handling affairs. She cautiously leaned closer, resting her small paws on the man's shoulders, and whispered sweetly, "Hey... let me ask you something. If you were Uncle Shen, whom would you marry?" On one side lay promising prospects, on the other deep affection for his deceased wife and pity for his young children—what should one do?
Gu Tingye chuckled dismissively, "How would I know?" Ever since rescuing Minglan on the river, he had been constantly scheming about how to pursue her.
"Think about it properly. What if I died? Would you remarry into a powerful family, or would you marry my sister to take care of our children?" Minglan's eyes sparkled as she pressed relentlessly. Gu Tingye slowly narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning slightly dangerous. Minglan swallowed and retreated slightly. After staring at her for a long while, he finally said slowly, "I would naturally remarry into a powerful family. It wouldn't matter if she were arrogant and formidable—she could bear me more children anyway."
Minglan was so shocked she nearly choked. After finally catching her breath, she lifted her bare, pale little foot and kicked him squarely on the shoulder with her soft flesh, angrily scolding, "You... you... you scoundrel!Gu Tingye swiftly caught her foot, holding her smooth, delicate calf, baring his white teeth to give her leg a semi-light, semi-firm bite. Minglan cried out in pain and pummeled him with her fists, but he just laughed heartily: "Therefore, Madam better not die—take excellent care of yourself! At the very least, outlive your husband."
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[Author's Note]
A reader asked me why the Duke of Ying doesn't simply send his daughter to the palace to become the Emperor's consort. Didn't the Jia family send Yuanchun to the palace? Wouldn't that be better than sending their daughter to the Shen family?
Actually, Dream of the Red Chamber was written according to Qing dynasty imperial customs. Looking at the men of the Jia household, most still follow Manchu traditions, while the Ming dynasty and this story have slight differences.This account has historical basis. Throughout the Ming dynasty, prominent noble families rarely sent their daughters to the imperial palace. Taking the Duke of Yingguo's Zhang family as an example, they only sent a collateral niece to Zhu Di as a consort in the early years, and after that, there were no further records of Zhang daughters entering the palace as empresses or consorts.
This was a national policy established by Zhu Yuanzhang, with specific political considerations.
In fact, after so many dynasties, many prominent families came to understand: what is the best outcome of sending a daughter to the palace? Nothing more than having a grandson become emperor, the daughter become empress dowager, the brother become a royal uncle, and the father become a noble consort's father.
But even so, could an already illustrious family become more illustrious? Any further prominence might lead to accusations of usurpation!
Moreover, if they failed in the palace power struggles, the consequences would be devastating (marrying Uncle Shen at least offered a way out). The gains would not outweigh the losses. Even if the daughter gained favor and succeeded in palace intrigues, the Duke of Yingguo's estate would face various constraints—could they continue holding crucial military and court positions?
They'd likely be drowned in the literati's criticism—this is the author's interpretation.
Anyway, this was generally the case in the Ming dynasty. One may examine the backgrounds of Ming empresses and consorts: about one-third came from medium-ranking officials or ordinary noble families through selection processes, one-third were commoner women (from modest but stable households), and another third were palace maids or servants. Oh, and a very small portion were tribute women from Korea (gritting teeth).
...
The Qing dynasty's imperial consort system was different, which we'll discuss later. This text primarily simulates Ming and Qing institutions, with more emphasis on the Ming and less on the Qing.
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