On the way to the Ningyuan Marquis Household, Minglan felt uneasy. It was like refusing to lend someone money in an emergency yet going to watch the show. With three people already arrested, for her and her husband to swagger in so boldly might well invite a beating. Minglan glanced at her own slender frame, then slightly lifted the carriage curtain to look at Gu Tingye riding ahead on horseback—tall and imposing, with the commanding presence of a crane and the lean strength of a mantis.
Minglan lowered the curtain, reassured. This guy looked incredibly secure.
Xuanning Hall was shrouded in gloom, with the Gu family gathered together. The pale-faced Gu Tingyu sat at the head, while the worried Madam Shao stood beside him holding a bowl of something. Next sat the sorrowful Grand Old Madam. Men and women sat on opposite sides, all solemn and waiting, somewhat resembling a gang convening a meeting.
The Fourth Old Madam quietly held a cup of tea, lost in thought. The Second Wife of Gu Tingbing looked terrifying—her eyes swollen and red, jaw clenched in fury, her expression full of venom as she glared fiercely at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law trio from the fifth branch. The First Wife of Gu Tingxuan, accustomed to humility, felt nothing amiss and simply kept her head down, enduring whatever came her way. But the Fifth Old Madam and Madam Di grew increasingly uncomfortable under those knife-sharp, needle-piercing glares. The First Wife of Gu Tingxuan sat with Madam Zhu, gently comforting her. Madam Zhu, looking grief-stricken, leaned against her, softly sobbing.
Across the room sat the men of the Gu family. The fourth branch had only Gu Tingxuan present, while the fifth branch had both father and sons, all with grim, solemn expressions.
Despite the large hall and many people, it was eerily quiet, filled only with the faint scent of medicine. Paired with the desolate courtyard outside, the once bustling and glamorous Ningyuan Marquis Household felt particularly cold and lonely. An indescribable melancholy seeped into the bones. Even after Gu Tingye and Minglan had taken their seats, the hall remained largely silent.
Everyone watched Gu Tingyu at the head, waiting for him to speak. But at that moment, Gu Tingyu was breathless, coughing softly without cease. Madam Shao, heart aching, carefully fed him his medicine. Since no one else spoke, Gu Tingye naturally didn’t break the silence either, calmly observing a pastel porcelain teacup in his hand, its lid lightly clinking against the rim.
After sitting down, Minglan noticed Madam Zhu beside her—haggard, sallow-skinned, with slightly prominent cheekbones yet puffy cheeks. Remembering her former beauty, Minglan was startled. Lacking the composure to pretend she hadn’t noticed, she couldn’t help saying, "You... you mustn’t worry too much. If you neglect your health like this, what will happen when the Third Master returns?"
Tears welled up in Madam Zhu’s eyes as she choked out, "Who knows if he’ll even return!"
With that, she buried her face in the First Wife of Gu Tingxuan’s shoulder and wept quietly. Patting her back, the First Wife whispered to Minglan, "You don’t know—just the day before yesterday, the physician confirmed she’s two months pregnant."
Minglan felt awkward. In such a situation, she didn’t know whether to say "Congratulations" or not. She mumbled vaguely about sending some nourishing herbs later.Before she could finish, Madam Zhu abruptly straightened up from First Wife of Gu Tingxuan's embrace, struggling to rise with tear-filled eyes as she attempted to kneel: "I beg Second Brother! No matter what happened before, he... he is still your own flesh-and-blood brother! How can you stand by and do nothing? Who knows what torment he has endured these past two days in that hellish place..." Her weeping grew increasingly violent.
Gu Tingye seemed to have anticipated this question long ago. He leaned forward slightly and said, "Sister-in-law need not worry. The moment I learned of this matter the day before yesterday, I immediately went to the Dali Temple to inquire."
"What did they say?" Grand Old Madam asked anxiously, having lifted her head at some point.
Gu Tingye nodded respectfully. "It's nothing too serious. They merely found several letters from elsewhere bearing the official seal of the Marquis of Ningyuan with imperial authorization."
This statement startled even Madam Shao, who had been fully focused on administering medicine to her husband. Trembling, she said, "The seal? No, no... These past few years, your elder brother has been constantly confined to his sickbed, barely able to walk in the garden. How could he possibly...?" She trailed off, her gaze shifting toward Grand Old Madam, her lips trembling uncontrollably.
Gu Tingyu struggled against his labored breathing and looked up, just in time to meet Gu Tingye's gaze—steady, powerful, and brimming with vitality. A surge of anger rose in his heart, worsening his cough.
Gu Tingye withdrew his gaze and continued, "After thorough questioning by several officials at the Dali Temple, they learned that Elder Brother has been recuperating from illness these past years, with all routine affairs managed by Third Brother. That is why they summoned Third Brother for questioning."
Madam Zhu listened in stunned silence before urgently asking, "Then... your third brother, he..."
"A few prisoners gave conflicting testimonies, and some are trying to shift blame onto others to lighten their own sentences. However, I have already intervened. The officials are seasoned veterans with sharp judgment. Once everything is clarified, there should be no issue."
Gu Tingye spoke slowly, "Sister-in-law, rest assured. As long as Third Brother was not deeply involved—merely 'careless' or 'associated'—it does not amount to forming cliques for personal gain. Such charges would not carry severe consequences."
Madam Zhu stopped crying, her expression blank. But Grand Old Madam detected the underlying meaning in his words and pressed anxiously, "What about punishment? Could he be exiled? Sent to military service?"
Gu Tingye frowned slightly. "That... depends on how the investigation unfolds."
Grand Old Madam stared intently at Gu Tingye, but he remained as immovable as a mountain. She slumped back into her seat, her aged demeanor fully revealed, her mind in turmoil.
Second Wife of Gu Tingbing had been enduring with gritted teeth. Hearing this, she suddenly stood up, stepped forward, and pointed at the father and sons of the fifth branch, shrilling, "You! You! Only our own family knew that Brother Wei was handling affairs for his elder brother! How would the Dali Temple know? It must be you—fearing for your own lives—who exposed Brother Wei!"
In her extreme fury, her hair disheveled and her gaze ferocious, she seemed ready to pounce and bite the fifth branch's father and sons.
Minglan disagreed with her view. Since Gu Tingwei had been acting on his elder brother's behalf, it was inevitable that he would interact with outsiders. Social exchanges were unavoidable, and likely many outside the family knew about it. It wasn't necessarily the fifth branch's father and sons who revealed it.Fifth Old Master was no longer his usual spirited self and had been listless and unhappy. Hearing this, he merely blew on his sparse beard and remained silent for a long while. It was Fifth Old Madam who sternly rebuked, "Niece-in-law, stop your nonsense! Is that any way to speak to your elders?!"
"What elders?! Hmph! When it comes to critical moments, all they care about is saving their own skins!" Second Wife of Gu Tingbing, her eyes red with desperation, grew even more unrestrained in her words, crying and cursing at the same time. "My husband only handled a couple of insignificant tasks for the Rebellious Prince in secret—things that happened ages ago. How would outsiders know which member of the Gu family it was? It's all because you're afraid of trouble, each of you turtling your heads in and spilling everything with your mouths! Though it was my husband who carried out the tasks, did any of you hold back when it came to feasting and drinking at the prince's residence back then?!"
"You shrew! Twisting the truth!" Gu Tingyang slammed the table and finally raised his voice to retort.
From the moment he entered, he had maintained a perfect 45-degree profile, but as he turned his head, Minglan saw three distinct bloodstained scratches on his cheek.
"Back then, the Fourth Prince—the Rebellious Prince—didn't even take a liking to him. It was he who eagerly fawned over the prince and fought to take on those tasks! Now that evidence has been uncovered, what does it have to do with us?"
Second Wife of Gu Tingbing's face turned purple with rage as she shouted furiously, "Didn't you have a hand in those tasks too? Aren't the two little enchantresses in your room the ones you brought back together back then? Hmph! If anything happens to my husband, I'll personally go to the Dali Temple and expose all your dirty secrets. Let's fight to the death—none of you will come out clean!"
Minglan lowered her head and fiddled with the hem of her skirt. She understood: although the Gu brothers were all products of the same brand, there were differences in their status. Gu Tingyang and Gu Tingdi, being legitimate sons, could attend banquets and socialize at the prince's residence. Gu Tingbing, as a son of a concubine, was somewhat looked down upon by the Fourth Prince's residence, but that didn't stop his fervent efforts to curry favor and take on secret tasks to prove his worth.
With one operating openly and the other in secret, it was the father and son of the fifth branch who were arrested first, but later, it was the father and son of the fourth branch who were detained.
Second Wife of Gu Tingbing thought of her own family, which was merely an ordinary wealthy household. If her husband were gone, she and her children would have no one to rely on, and their lives would likely become difficult. At this thought, she cried even more bitterly, stomping her feet, pounding her chest, and wailing, "Oh heavens, I don't want to live anymore…"
As she threw a fit on the spot, the hall descended into chaos. Some tried to console her, others scolded, and a few helped her up, creating quite a commotion for a while.
"Enough!"
Grand Old Madam finally asserted her authority, raising her voice to reprimand them. "Did I call you here today to cause trouble? We are all family. There must be a way to resolve this. Everyone, sit down!"
Gu Tingxuan's father and younger brother had both been taken away, leaving him as the only one left in the fourth branch. He was the most anxious. "Aunt is right. We should speak calmly! Sister-in-law, please sit down for now."
After a long while, the hall finally quieted down. Fifth Old Master, his face flushed with anger, said in a deep voice, "Eldest nephew, you called us here today. What is this all about? Speak quickly so we can leave! What's the point of standing here and taking insults?!"
His tone was quite rude. Madam Shao, seeing her frail and thin husband, felt indignant and turned to glare angrily at Fifth Old Master. Gu Tingyu struggled to catch his breath and finally managed to speak: "That's right. I have something to say."A pair of bloodshot eyes stared directly at Gu Tingye.
"Please speak, Elder Brother," Gu Tingye turned slightly, his posture respectful and courteous.
Gu Tingyu, his lips trembling and purple, supported his emaciated frame as he fixed his gaze fiercely on Gu Tingye: "I ask you just one thing—with your current abilities and position, if you were determined to pull the Gu family out of this predicament, could you do it?"
Minglan sighed inwardly: Sharp! This question truly hits the mark! After all, they share the same father; the difference between them isn't that great.
Gu Tingye gazed at his elder brother without replying. The two brothers stared at each other for a moment before Gu Tingyu let out a laugh, tinged with bitterness, and continued to look straight at him: "You can do it. It might be extremely difficult, requiring you to seek favors everywhere, call in debts, perhaps even plead before the emperor... but you could manage it, couldn't you?"
Gu Tingye's brows lifted slightly, but he remained silent.
Seeing this, the Grand Old Madam and Fifth Old Master immediately wanted to speak, but Gu Tingyu raised a hand to stop them. Staring at Gu Tingye, he continued: "But why should you beg the emperor or appeal to colleagues? For the sake of us uncles and brothers who mistreated you, bullied you, and even drove you out of the family?"
At these words, Fifth Old Master gave an awkward laugh: "Nephew, what are you saying? We're all family..."
Gu Tingyu impatiently cut him off, his laughter full of sarcasm: "Fifth Uncle, you should think clearly! Do you believe that just because no one mentions the past, it never happened? Why did Second Brother's wife from the Yu family quarrel with him just three days after entering the household? Because someone was diligently spreading rumors. And why did their conflicts escalate? Because someone was backing her up, lending her authority."
Several women in the hall immediately averted their eyes and lowered their heads.
Gu Tingyu smiled at his uncles and brothers: "Later, why did Second Brother become unable to stay in the capital, eventually leaving home and wandering abroad for years without returning? And when Father passed away, who was it that blocked Second Brother from entering the mourning hall to pay his respects?"
Gu Tingye's expression remained unchanged, but his hand resting on the armrest gradually clenched into a fist.
Fifth Old Master looked away sheepishly without another word. Gu Tingxuan appeared ashamed, while Gu Tingdi glanced uneasily at Gu Tingye. Gu Tingyang gritted his teeth and said loudly: "Don't act as if you had no part in this! Weren't you involved too? You..."
"Correct!" Gu Tingyu sneered, his gaunt face and prominent cheekbones making him look somewhat fearsome. "I was involved! Deeply involved! And I've no intention of denying it!"
Seeing the tension rising, the Grand Old Madam hurriedly interjected: "Ah... Yu-ge, why bring this up? Even the tongue and teeth sometimes clash—we're still family after all..."
"Sister-in-law is right," Fourth Old Madam chimed in as peacemaker. "What's past is past. From now on, when we close our doors, we're still one family!"
"Does Fourth Aunt believe that all these matters can be dismissed with a few laughs and vague words?" Gu Tingyu said this while looking at Fifth Old Master, his eyes full of mockery.
Fourth Old Madam, who lacked confidence from the start, immediately fell silent.Fifth Old Master was about to speak but closed his mouth helplessly. Gu Tingyu took a deep breath: "Fifth Uncle, two aunts, do you think the current Erlang is still the same Erlang from before? Do you really believe that by intimidating him with a few words or coaxing him with sweet talk, he will obediently comply?" His gaze swept across everyone in the hall, finally settling on Gu Tingye.
Gu Tingye smiled faintly, relaxed his palm, and elegantly picked up the teacup from the table. He took a slow sip, still remaining silent, and rested his hands on his knees, sitting calmly as if waiting.
Gu Tingyu inwardly sighed—such composure, truly no longer the inexperienced youth he once was.
He turned his gaze back to the people in the hall and spoke word by word: "If you want someone you’ve wronged to turn around and help you, be straightforward! Don’t think you can gloss things over. Lay out what needs to be said, and everyone will understand clearly!"
Minglan looked at Gu Tingyu with confusion. Based on the principle that "the final boss always appears last," Gu Tingyu shouldn’t just be here to confess or lament. He must have a trump card. But what could it be?
Gu Tingyu’s fingers were as thin as twigs, as if he wanted to retrieve something from his sleeve, but his wrist trembled violently. Madam Shao, holding back tears, helped her husband pull out a few charred-edged envelopes from his sleeve. There were three in total, their seals already broken, with white letter paper faintly visible inside.
Having likely exhausted too much energy from speaking earlier, Gu Tingyu gasped for breath and slumped back into his seat, signaling his wife to hand the letters to Gu Tingye. Madam Shao stepped forward and placed the letters in Gu Tingye’s hands.
Several of the elders in the hall were instantly horrified. Fifth Old Madam exclaimed in shock, "These letters? How come you haven’t…" She immediately realized her slip and quickly fell silent.
Gu Tingye glanced at her slowly, then bowed slightly to Madam Shao before decisively pulling out the letter paper. He unfolded it and read quickly. From Minglan’s angle, she couldn’t see the contents of the letter, but she suddenly noticed Gu Tingye’s expression change drastically, his fingers trembling slightly. After finishing one letter, he hurriedly picked up the other two to read, growing more and more alarmed with each one.
Minglan was greatly puzzled and turned to look at the First Wife of Gu Tingxuan, who also wore a confused expression.
Seeing this, Gu Tingyu spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, slowly explaining: "These letters were written by Father before his passing. There are three in total, all identical, sent to three uncles in Jinling and our hometown. He told no one about this, keeping it completely hidden from everyone."
He paused to catch his breath before continuing in one go: "They state that Second Brother’s birth mother, the late Madam Bai, brought a dowry when she married into the Gu family: 930 mu of prime paddy fields in the south, five shops and plots in Yuhang, and 53,000 taels of silver deposited in Tonghui Bank. After Father’s passing, regardless of whether the family had divided or not, these assets were to be given first to the second son, Gu Tingye. Father also wrote in the letters that he wanted the three uncles to read them aloud in the mourning hall in front of the clan and close friends."
Madam Zhu and the First Wife of Gu Tingxuan, along with the other women, had never heard of this and were momentarily stunned. The Second Wife of Gu Tingbing, however, seemed to know about it and quietly retreated to the side. Minglan was also too shocked to speak. She quickly turned to look at Gu Tingye, only to find him sitting as still as if petrified, silently holding the letter paper, his fingers trembling faintly.
The hall fell into complete silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.The Fourth Old Madam and Grand Old Madam were flushed with shame, while the Fifth Old Master and his wife avoided everyone's gaze, turning their heads away.
"And then?" Gu Tingye finally asked after a long silence, his voice as deep as an echo from a mountain stream.
Gu Tingyu sneered coldly: "Before Father passed away, the eldest uncle from the ninth branch happened to break his leg while out and couldn't recover in time to attend the funeral, so he sent his two sons instead. Being young, they let slip some information while drinking, and we managed to extract the truth from them. That was when we learned about these three letters. That very night, through a mix of coercion and persuasion, we obtained them, and the matter was never brought up again."
His voice remained perfectly even, leaving it unclear whether he was mocking others or himself.
Grand Old Madam began to sob softly: "I said back then that this shouldn't be done. After all, it was the Old Marquis's final wish—how could we go against it? But you insisted... Ah..."
The Fifth Old Madam shot her an angry glare, while the Fourth Old Madam sighed quietly.
Gu Tingye lowered his head, lost in thought, his gaze fixed intently on the carved railings of the curio shelf. Layer upon layer of intricate, verdant carvings piled up, with a row of imposing milky-white marble beasts serving as base supports. The day was nearing dusk, and thin rays of light filtered through the bamboo blinds, casting a golden glow over every chair, table, and shelf in the room.
There were many such stone beasts throughout the Marquis's estate, in every room and hall. He remembered how, at four or five years old, he had longed to go outside every day. His father, exasperated, had scolded him several times to no avail, and eventually resorted to coaxing him: "When you've counted all the stone beasts in the house, you can go out and play." And so, he had crouched down and begun counting them, one by one.
Day after day, he counted, yet he could never finish. But he refused to give up, stubbornly determined to complete the task. His uncles, aunts, and cousins had laughed at him, calling him "foolish and simple-minded," but his father had only looked at him with a sigh, saying nothing, and gently stroked his head. The calloused skin of his father's thumb had rubbed against his own, and he had squirmed away.
The memory was hazy, but he vaguely recalled the look in his father's eyes—seemingly pleased, yet also deeply sorrowful.
"This..." Madam Shao had never known about this matter. Concerned only for her husband's health, and seeing Gu Tingyu's expression more pained than amused as he coughed and wheezed, she stepped in to mediate. "Second Brother, please don't misunderstand. I think... perhaps the elders were merely looking after your inheritance for you, afraid you might squander it recklessly..."
Gu Tingye snapped out of his reverie, his gaze as clear and cold as a spring. Madam Shao trailed off, unable to continue.
"In that case, I must thank my uncles, aunts, and all of you."
He laughed haughtily, his tone unable to conceal his arrogance and biting sarcasm—even Madam Shao could hear the anger and mockery in Gu Tingye's voice.
The people in the hall grew uneasy and fearful. The women exchanged uneasy glances, the Fifth Old Master remained sternly silent, and Gu Tingyang glared furiously at Gu Tingyu, silently cursing this consumptive for revealing everything and adding fuel to the fire.
At this point, forget about helping—it would be a miracle if they weren't trampled further.
Minglan felt waves of anger rising in her chest, no longer willing to maintain a friendly smile. She sat stiffly to the side—these bastards! Oh, wait, if they were bastards, then her husband would be one too."Has Eldest Brother finished saying what he needed to say?" Gu Tingye's inner arrogance flared up, no longer willing to look at these people's faces. Ignoring both Second Wife of Gu Tingbing and Grand Old Madam, he rose proudly with an expressionless face, "If so, I shall take my leave now."
"Wait."
Gu Tingyu gasped loudly, his pale face turning ashen. Struggling to stand up, Madam Shao hurriedly went to support him.
"I haven't finished yet. Now, come with me to a place. After we've been there, you may do as you wish."
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