After inexplicably losing his temper, Gu Tingye rode his horse to the century-old shop Deshunzhai and brought back a plump crystal sugar-braised pork knuckle wrapped in fresh green lotus leaves. The aroma of the braised meat made Minglan’s eyes glaze over with longing.
Unable to resist, she glanced around and, seeing no one nearby, pounced on the knuckle and took a fierce bite. Then, she rolled up her sleeve and compared her arm to the knuckle, smiling smugly at the corner of her lips. She waved for Xiaotao and instructed her to take the knuckle to the kitchen to be sliced—half for Granny Ge and the others to study, as usual, and half to be served as an extra dish for dinner.
Unexpectedly, Gu Tingye happened to return from his outer study at that moment. Spotting Xiaotao running along the corridor with the lotus leaf-wrapped knuckle, he stopped her and lifted the cover. His face instantly turned as green as the lotus leaf: on the glossy, richly braised knuckle were two rows of small, round tooth marks—deep and vicious.
The implication was unmistakable.
Gu Tingye looked up at the sky, both exasperated and amused.
At dinner that evening, Minglan focused entirely on the plate of sliced knuckle, eating with increasing delight. She even earnestly urged her husband to try some. Gu Tingye gave her a noncommittal glance, the corners of his lips curling slightly. Minglan, oblivious, buried herself in eating. The century-old braised flavor lived up to its reputation—so authentic that she ended up finishing the entire plate.
As a result, she suffered from indigestion that night. Her stomach bloated uncomfortably, and she lay tearfully by the bedside, softly whimpering. Gu Tingye, his thick black hair loose and his snow-white robe open to reveal his sturdy chest, dismissed the servants. Holding a cup of Shenqu tea to aid digestion, he tried to coax Minglan to drink it, but she couldn’t manage a sip.
Seeing her in such discomfort, Gu Tingye grew frantic and nearly rushed out in the middle of the night to fetch a physician. Minglan tugged at his sleeve, sobbing, "If people outside find out I overate, I… I’ll have no face left to show anyone!"
Pacing the room in a fluster, Gu Tingye scowled and scolded, "Serves you right! You ate half a knuckle in one go! Go ask around the entire capital—which lady or young mistress behaves like you?"
Minglan rubbed her rounded belly, sniffling and hiccupping softly, much like a little squirrel that had eaten too much. Covering her face, she whimpered softly, both aggrieved and ashamed, "...Who told you to bite me?"
This only infuriated Gu Tingye further. Glaring, he retorted, "You only bully the weak! Instead of biting me, you dared to bite the knuckle!"
Minglan hung her head low, silently berating herself.
Since lying flat made Minglan uncomfortable, Gu Tingye had to hold her semi-reclined on the couch that night. As he massaged her belly, he muttered curses under his breath. Drowsy and half-asleep, Minglan vaguely saw the intricately carved Dongding stone incense burner on the table, emitting wisps of blue smoke. In her ears, she could hear the steady, deep rhythm of the man’s heartbeat.
In her haze, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of security and reliability.
The next day, before dawn, Gu Tingye prepared to rise for the morning court. As he moved to get out of bed, he felt a tug at his collar. Looking down, he saw a jade-like small hand clutching his lapel tightly. The translucent nails, strained slightly from the effort, took on a faint pink hue, resembling tender petals of a begonia within a bud—delicate and soft.After a night of discomfort, Minglan was now sleeping soundly, her fair and rosy cheeks radiating tranquility. Gu Tingye felt an inexplicable joy as he leaned down to kiss her plump little fist, carefully loosened her clothing ties, and quietly slipped away after removing her outer garments.
When dawn fully broke, Minglan finally crawled out of bed with a yawn, suddenly discovering she was clutching a man's robe that carried his distinct scent. She froze momentarily. Danju glanced over and, observing Minglan's expression, couldn't help but laugh: "Miss, one must say the young master treats you... truly exceptionally well."
Minglan paused briefly before replying with a wistful smile: "Yes, indeed."
Day by day, as the courtyard and garden gradually took shape, Minglan began preparing for the mansion-opening banquet. The Ningyuan Marquis Household specifically sent someone to inquire if she needed assistance.
Overwhelmed with work, Minglan immediately made straightforward requests when she saw Mama Xiang sent by the Grand Old Madam - she asked for additional staff, historical records of banquet menus from the Ningyuan Marquis Household, along with tables, chairs, wine vessels, dishes, and cups.
Mama Xiang smilingly agreed to everything, shuttling back and forth between the Ningyuan Marquis Household and the Gu residence. Through these interactions, she gradually struck up conversations with Minglan.
"...So the Eldest Miss hasn't been in the capital these past few years?" Minglan smiled while holding a cup of cool goji berry and plantain tea - this tea recipe had been given by He Laofuren. Come to think of it, she had never met Gu Tingyan, the eldest daughter from the concubine branch of the main family.
"Exactly so." Mama Xiang took a small sip of tea and looked up: "The Feng family are also scholars. The Eldest Son-in-law is currently serving in Fujian, so the Eldest Miss accompanied him there."
Minglan lowered her head to drink tea, then suddenly looked up with a smile: "Don't laugh at me, Mama, but after all this talking, I still don't know whether I should address the Eldest Miss as 'elder sister' or 'younger sister'."
Mama Xiang's eyes flickered as she replied: "The Eldest Miss is about four months older than the Second Master."
"Then I should call her 'Eldest Sister'." Minglan's heart stirred, though her face maintained its warm smile - Gu Tingyan's birth mother was a deceased concubine. Da Qin Shi had indeed left behind some contingencies.
"Might the Second Madam have prepared the guest list?" Mama Xiang probed gently, "If there's anything unclear, you may always consult the Grand Old Madam to avoid neglecting any relatives."
Minglan set down her teacup, gracefully placing her hands on her knees as she smiled: "You're quite right, Mama. I'm also concerned about oversights. I've already asked Eldest Sister-in-law to have her steward send over a list of our regular social contacts... However, the Commander said that with so many court affairs nowadays, we should keep things simple and avoid being too ostentatious. Just invite a few relatives and friends."
Mama Xiang's eyes flashed as she smiled: "The Second Master's words naturally make sense." She paused before adding with another smile, "I wonder if the servants we sent are working well for the Second Madam? Whether from the Grand Old Madam or the Fourth and Fifth Old Madams, they all sent their most trusted people."
Minglan chuckled lightly: "Quite well, quite well." She gestured to Danju, who immediately brought over a ledger. Minglan flipped to certain pages and showed them to Mama Xiang, whose face immediately changed dramatically.
Minglan said calmly: "It's nothing really. 'Orange trees grown south of Huai River produce oranges, while those grown north produce bitter trifoliate oranges.' Perhaps I lack sufficient virtue as a mistress to command their respect.""Did she truly say that?" In the serene inner chamber, Grand Old Madam Qin sat upright before the Buddhist shrine, fingering a string of prayer beads.
Mama Xiang whispered, "Those useless ones—in just a few days, she has already gathered so much evidence against them. Gambling, withholding maids' monthly allowances, smuggling items out of the estate... each offense is clearly documented with their own signed confessions and fingerprints, alongside witness testimonies. My heart raced just reading them."
The room adjoined a flower garden, and a faint fragrance drifted through the window. Grand Old Madam frowned slightly. "You've been visiting that estate frequently these days. What are your impressions?"
"She seems quite shrewd," Mama Xiang murmured, using a jade tweezer to adjust the ashes in the incense burner. "I inquired discreetly. Though the Second Madam appears gentle and easygoing, her rules are strict. In her main courtyard alone, maids are assigned specific shifts—every hour and location is scheduled in writing, and no idle chatter or mischief is permitted during duty. Especially her main rooms and inner chambers—outsiders rarely enter, as they're constantly guarded. Even maids from the same courtyard aren't allowed to wander idly within ten paces."
"Lady Diao also told me," Mama Xiang recalled, "her Chunyue—originally named Mingyue—was punished twice recently: once for entering the main room without permission, and again for loitering outside. Chunyue has since been expelled from the main courtyard."
Grand Old Madam suddenly opened her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips. "She is clever, after all—raised as a marquis's daughter."
Mama Xiang shook her head. "She understands rewards and punishments well—firm and unwavering. Rewards are generous, punishments severe. Each penalty is clearly justified; those who deny guilt face harsher consequences, and those who shift blame receive even stricter discipline. Yet she shows leniency where circumstances warrant. Lately, everyone from stewards to servants respects her, turning the estate into an iron fortress—easy to enter, hard to leave. Even gathering information has become difficult... Ah, we may struggle to learn more in the future. Who would have thought? So young, and a concubine-born at that, yet such authority and capability!"
Grand Old Madam's expression grew stern, a cold laugh escaping her. "We thought we were bringing in a lamb, but... hmph. How are she and her husband getting along?"
"It's hard to say," Mama Xiang hesitated. "They're inseparable at times, but often quarrel. The Second Master's shouts sometimes carry beyond the room—yesterday, he even vented his anger on one of the Second Madam's maids. I couldn't learn the details... However, he shares everything with her, and she has free access to his inner and outer studies."
Grand Old Madam clenched her prayer beads, knuckles whitening. "Is she with child?"
"Likely not," Mama Xiang said wryly. "Just before Chunyue was dismissed, she had her monthly courses... Yet even during those days, the Second Master stayed in her room."
At this, Grand Old Madam fell silent, closing her eyes to rest. Mama Xiang stood quietly by. After a long while, Grand Old Madam suddenly opened her eyes and chuckled softly, "Now, I find myself admiring someone."
"Who do you mean?""Father-in-law, Master Sheng Hong." Grand Old Madam patted her knee, smiling faintly. "I couldn't understand it back then - why such an important matter, insisting on marrying the legitimate daughter to the Wen family while using a concubine-born daughter as substitute. Now I see, father-in-law is an extremely wise man."
"What should we do now?" Mama Xiang asked with slight urgency. "Ever since Second Master learned about what happened back then, he's been holding a grudge in his heart!"
"What do you mean, what should we do?" Grand Old Madam smiled calmly. "We don't need to do anything. I wasn't the one who caused Baishi's death, so he has no reason to direct his anger at me! Right now, it's probably the Fourth and Fifth Masters who are more anxious. After all, I hold the proper status - as long as I don't make any mistakes, no one can do anything to me. Let's not rush, just watch how the Fourth and Fifth Masters stir up trouble."
"Then why do you keep making things difficult for her?" Mama Xiang asked, puzzled. "Wouldn't it be better to treat her well, make her trust, respect, and value you?"
Grand Old Madam slowly picked up her prayer beads: "She's a concubine-born daughter, where would she find the courage to defy her husband? And Tingye already guards against me. The more friendly I appear, the more suspicious he becomes. It's better to follow their expectations, give them some minor troubles, which will actually put them at ease."
"Then... what about later?" Mama Xiang hesitated.
Grand Old Madam carefully placed the prayer beads on the table before her, smiling slowly at the Guanyin statue in the Buddhist shrine: "Does a mother-in-law need to pick a specific time to make things difficult for her daughter-in-law? There's no need to rush now. She's merely relying on her youth and beauty to enjoy some favor. After this period passes, we can make our plans slowly."
OpenNovel