Thanks to Old Master Sheng's blessings, Minglan had the privilege of witnessing first-class "white lotus" performances for nearly a decade. Consort Lin could effortlessly provoke Madam Wang's anger for various reasons. On several occasions, Minglan was almost certain she deliberately sought punishment—whether standing or kneeling, even better if she could sustain some injuries. Then Old Master Sheng would have fierce arguments with Madam Wang.
Later, Mama Fang privately remarked that the current Consort Lin was far less skilled than before. Back in the days (before Yao Yiyi transmigrated), Consort Lin didn't need to do anything. She merely had to secretly wipe tears in public or private (to show various grievances), lament the passing of spring (mourning her unfortunate fate), or even just appear despondent. At that time, Sheng Hong would burn with righteous indignation, championing her cause with great fervor—either reprimanding Madam Wang or showering the Lin family with generous benefits.
Minglan concluded: All white lotuses need one or several self-righteous champions of justice. These individuals are easily "moved" by the white lotus's acts of endurance or noble sacrifices, then proceed to vanquish the "evil forces."
Actually, Minglan felt Consort Lin wasn't truly skilled. At most, she could coax Sheng Hong into fighting her battles. A truly top-tier white lotus could even "move" the legitimate wife's own children to stand against their birth mother and defend the mistress who destroyed their family. Now that was real skill.
In summary, the combat style of white lotuses dictates they must remain hidden behind the scenes, relying on certain "righteous individuals." If they personally took action, baring fangs and brandishing claws, they wouldn't be called white lotuses anymore—they'd be man-eating plants.
Therefore, Minglan found herself in a peculiar state of excitement. Though fully aware that numerous troubles and entanglements awaited her these days, she still looked forward to them eagerly. She was deeply curious how the "virtuous and wise" Grand Old Madam would behave when she no longer had anyone to manipulate.
Several days after the funeral, Gu Tingye held the old property division agreement and casually declared before the gathered family: "I wonder when Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle plan to relocate? If you need assistance, just say the word. I'll naturally comply."
Having suffered recent humiliations, Fifth Old Master flared up immediately: "Are you driving us out already, you brat?!"
Gu Tingye couldn't be bothered to respond. He simply rose, flicked his sleeves, took Minglan—who was pretending to be obedient beside him—and left together.
As the saying goes, adversity reveals true character. During such critical moments, everyone's real nature emerges.
Facing Gu Tingye's arrogance, Fifth Old Master—who still retained some scholarly pride—showed the most backbone. Without another word, he insisted on moving out, even declaring, "I wouldn't stay even if you begged me!" Fifth Aunt grew increasingly anxious but failed to persuade him. She could only delay with excuses like "that residence has been vacant for years and needs repairs."
After his frightening experience in the imperial prison, Gu Tingyang hid in his rooms upon returning home, drinking and amusing himself with beautiful concubines and maids, refusing to come out again. His wife, as usual, kept her head down and remained silent. Due to disagreements, Gu Tingdi and his wife could only halfheartedly prepare for their move.
Hearing this, Minglan smiled slightly and turned: "You see? Just as I predicted. Fifth Uncle is genuinely noble, but Fifth Aunt is a counterfeit." Gu Tingye responded: "When we arranged Tingyang's marriage, they said even if Fifth Uncle lacked worldly wisdom, he at least valued honesty and kept promises—a true gentleman's demeanor. But Fifth Aunt somewhat spoiled her son through excessive doting."Minglan wholeheartedly agreed and couldn't help asking, "Who spoke such wise words?"
Gu Tingye's face darkened. After a long pause, he said quietly, "It was the old master."
Compared to the chaos in the Fifth Branch, the Fourth Branch remained unusually calm. Fourth Old Master lay groaning in bed 'recuperating from illness,' as if he hadn't heard Gu Tingye's words that day. The entire household remained silent from top to bottom.
Minglan pursed her lips, feeling contemptuous but offering no comment.
After half a month of this stalemate, Grand Old Madam gradually 'recovered from her illness.' She went from house to house, persuading and comforting everyone, sincerely urging both branches to stay. She even claimed on her own that Gu Tingye's words that day were merely spoken in the heat of the moment and shouldn't be taken seriously.
She brought this up when Minglan came to pay her respects.
"Now that Tingyu's hundred-day mourning period has passed, it shouldn't be taboo to start construction anymore. The Emperor has granted the land between Clear Garden and the Marquis Residence. When do you and Tingye plan to tear down the wall and merge the residences?"
Understanding her meaning, Minglan smiled slightly, "The land and wall are both right there and won't disappear. There's no hurry about this matter."
Grand Old Madam's eyes flickered as she slowly rotated the prayer beads on her wrist. "There's no hurry, but we should still have a definite plan. We can't keep postponing day after day. After all, we're one family - what does it mean to have a wall separating us?"
Minglan covered her sleeve with a light laugh. "Look what you're saying. Between Jinling, Qingcheng, and the capital, there's more than just one wall separating us. Does that mean we're not one family? Blood ties are natural. When it matters, we still provide people and resources. Whether we're one family or not doesn't depend on a wall. You're overthinking this."
Grand Old Madam was taken aback for a moment, then forced a smile. "That's true." After pausing, she continued with a worried expression, "There's another matter. Your Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle made mistakes back then, but that's all in the past now. We should hang the Marquis residence plaque back up. These past few days, I keep dreaming of Tingye's father at night, feeling quite unsettled. Now we should rely on Tingye's abilities to restore our family's prestige. Otherwise... otherwise... I won't have the face to see their father when I pass away!" As she spoke, tears glistened in her eyes.
Such emotion from an elder should be moving, but Minglan looked out the window and said leisurely, "Old Marquis's wish? I don't think that's entirely true. His final wish wasn't taken seriously by anyone either."
At these words, Grand Old Madam's face changed dramatically.
Gu Tingye had never been one to swallow his anger. This time, having pleaded for the Marquis residence while also having to handle Gu Tingyu's funeral, he was filled with pent-up frustration with no outlet. After the guests left, he simply laid everything out before the clansmen from Jinling and Qingcheng, venting his anger.
The several clan uncles who had been entrusted back then were ashamed and angry, especially the main branch uncle from Qingcheng, who immediately challenged them: "Back then you made us hand over the letters, making all sorts of excuses, clearly saying you were managing the assets for Nephew Tingye to prevent him from squandering them. Even if Tingye was reckless and immature before, after he took up his military post he became quite accomplished. Why did you still refuse to hand them over?"
The Fourth and Fifth Branches were too embarrassed to respond, only Gu Tingyang foolishly shouted, "Uncle was already critically ill at that time! Who knows if his mind was clear? What if he was senile?"Before he could finish speaking, he was met with scornful gazes, followed by a sharp slap across the face from Fifth Old Master.
Under the collective condemnation, even the Grand Old Madam’s stainless-steel-like reputation suffered a dent, though she had already returned one-third of the properties early on. A sharp-tongued cousin-in-law from Jinling, often compared unfavorably to the "virtuous and kind" Grand Old Madam as a fellow sister-in-law, seized the opportunity and sneered, "Did she really think she was a once-in-a-century good stepmother?"
Hearing this, Gu Tingye was immensely pleased, barely noticing when Fifth Old Master later returned the remaining one-third of the properties.
Only Fourth Old Master remained thick-skinned and unyielding, continuing to play the fool.
The Grand Old Madam’s expression shifted abruptly, and she spoke stiffly, "Regardless, a date must be set!"
Minglan unhurriedly stirred her tea leaves and replied gently, "You’re right, but the Marquis said that breaking ground for construction is no small matter. He intends to personally oversee and inspect the work once he has time. He’s extremely busy now, so we can discuss it again in a few years when he’s free."
The Grand Old Madam gasped sharply, "A few years? You must be joking!" Then, growing furious, she exclaimed, "Where does that leave the dignity of our Gu family?"
Minglan maintained her calm tone, "Don’t worry. The Marquis said this renovation might require extensive work, not just tearing down the wall. The estate has passed through several generations, and some buildings have grown old and worn. He plans to take this opportunity to thoroughly renovate the façade, walls, and certain other areas."
The Grand Old Madam’s eyes flickered, "So the residences of the two uncles will also be renovated?"
"I’m not sure about that. We’ll have to follow the craftsmen’s advice," Minglan feigned ignorance.
The Grand Old Madam stared intently at Minglan for a long moment, her gaze piercing.
Minglan smiled warmly and kindly, "Even the imperial edict states, ‘All matters regarding the merging of estates shall be handled as appropriate.’ There’s no need to rush. Besides, we’re just next door, only a short walk away. If anything comes up here, feel free to send word."
The Grand Old Madam’s expression shifted uncertainly, while Minglan met her gaze steadily, showing no sign of unease.
"...You’re right. There’s indeed no hurry."
Without further ado, she relaxed her expression and leaned back on the luohan bed, making casual conversation. Minglan did not bring up the topic again, listening attentively as she chatted.
The matter was thus set aside for the time being, but Minglan remained vigilant: This bone is tough—better watch my teeth.
Afterward, Minglan carried on with her daily life, occasionally checking on Madam Shao’s health, bringing small treats and toys to amuse Xianjie, managing the household, reviewing Rong Jie’er’s studies, politely declining banquet invitations from other families, and dutifully observing the Mourning Garment period at home.
In early August, she tearfully saw off Changbai and his wife. Fearing the lack of medical resources in the remote and harsh region, they left their son and daughter behind. Quange stayed at the Longevity and Peace Hall under the Old Madam’s care, while the little girl was looked after by Madam Wang.
The official reason given was that the Old Madam was too elderly to bear the burden alone, so Madam Wang would share some of the responsibilities.
Qing Jie’er was as lovely as jade and snow, a chubby, cheerful baby who crawled around all day, winning everyone’s affection. Her presence seemed to soothe Madam Wang’s resentful heart. Perhaps having something to focus on, Minglan noticed during a visit to her maternal home that Madam Wang’s face had filled out, her demeanor had softened, and she clung to her little granddaughter, unwilling to let go for even a moment.
This was a good thing—conducive to unity and harmony.These days were uneventful and dull, with all forms of entertainment suspended. The greatest gain was that Rong Jie’er’s abysmal studies, once as immovable as an iceberg in the northern sea, finally showed signs of thawing.
One morning, Minglan tested Rong Jie’er on the third chapter of Admonitions for Women, "Reverence and Prudence." Not only did Rong Jie’er recite the entire passage fluently in one go, but she also hesitantly volunteered to write it from memory.
The entire text was error-free. Though her brushstrokes were still stiff and awkward, each character was neat and properly formed—clearly, she had put in considerable effort. Just a few days earlier, this little girl had mistakenly written "the sage rulers Yu and Tang" as "squid fishing in soup." Minglan was both astonished and delighted. Amitabha, she had nearly given up hope. At least let this young girl finish studying the Four Books for Women before her marriage.
Minglan praised her lavishly on the spot, causing Rong Jie’er’s cheeks to flush crimson as she shyly lowered her head. When Minglan rummaged through a box and took out a pair of delicate crystal earrings with rose-gold clasps as a reward, Rong Jie’er suppressed her delight and declined, murmuring a request: Could Xianjie come to Clear Garden for a couple of days to play?
This was the first time Minglan viewed the child in a new light.
Rong Jie’er was stubborn and active by nature, with little interest in studying. Yet, for the sake of her little friend, she had mustered the courage to make such a request—no small feat. Moreover, Minglan also liked Xianjie, a sensible and well-behaved girl. Since her father’s passing, despite her tender age, Xianjie had suppressed her helplessness and grief to comfort her widowed mother and sternly disciplined the household servants, behaving like a miniature adult.
It would be good to invite her over for a change of scenery. Minglan agreed immediately, already contemplating how to persuade Madam Shao.
Overjoyed, Rong Jie’er’s studies improved dramatically in the following days. Once her little guest arrived, she acted like an attentive hostess, daily coaxing the thin and sorrowful Xianjie to relax and play. One moment they played board games, the next they pieced together fabric patches. In ten days, they dismantled four sets of Nine Interlocking Rings and added three new tangram puzzles. The garden, brimming with intoxicating summer blooms, became their playground.
Fearing the summer sun would harm them if they spent too much time outdoors, Minglan redirected their enthusiasm toward food.
The two girls went to the pond to pick lotus seed pods, then carefully extracted the seeds to cook with snow fungus into a soup, chilled with ice pearls—refreshing and delicious. They also gathered lotus roots to make candied lotus root slices stuffed with glutinous rice, drizzled with smooth, fragrant honey syrup—a delightful treat. They prepared various summer chilled desserts, some of which were even sent to the neighboring marquis’s residence as gifts.
Minglan also set up a double swing on a soft patch of grass in Kouxiang Garden, with one strict rule: no swinging when the sun was out. If they broke this rule, the swing would be dismantled immediately. The girls solemnly agreed. Minglan even had a carpenter build them an enormous wooden tub, nearly two and a half feet tall and five feet in diameter, so they could splash around indoors. Young girls in ancient times had never seen anything like it—they went wild with excitement, wearing only their undergarments and refusing to get out once they were in the water.
Day by day, Xianjie, being a child after all, found her sorrows fleeting. She gradually cheered up, her face brightening with smiles. With no strict elders enforcing rules, the two girls chattered like little sparrows on summer vacation, and suddenly, Clear Garden felt much livelier.
Children truly need playmates.
Minglan rested her chin in her hand, lost in thought. Watching their plump, slightly sun-tanned cheeks and their bright, lively eyes brimming with health, she felt genuinely happy. These girls were not yet ten years old—surely, there was no need to rush them into learning strict propriety just yet.Moreover, with Xianjie around, Rong Jie'er's studies had actually improved. hetushu.com.com
The summer days were long. By the time Minglan and Gu Tingye were once again getting hands-on, throwing themselves into the fervent task of baby-making, the Grand Old Madam had also regained her former liveliness. She actively responded to various invitations with her daughter and frequently brought Minglan along.
Minglan was quite familiar with these kinds of visits—she had attended them even before she was married.
Since it concerned her sister-in-law's lifelong matter, she couldn't very well refuse. She treated it as an opportunity to expand her social circle. Besides, in the sweltering summer heat, facing Miss Gu Tingcan's cool, elegant, and aloofly refined countenance had quite a cooling effect. The Grand Old Madam probably thought that bringing Minglan along would demonstrate how harmonious the Gu family truly was.
Unfortunately, even if Minglan was willing to cooperate, Miss Tingcan was still too inexperienced to feign intimacy with her. Among the various households' ladies, there were no shortage of shrewd individuals who could easily detect the unfamiliarity and distance between the Gu family's sisters-in-law. Even those who weren't particularly sharp, as long as they weren't completely out of the loop, knew that the Gu family had not yet merged their residences and were still living separately.
This was quite intriguing.
In truth, Minglan didn't have many opportunities to speak either. In these gatherings of noblewomen, there was a strong emphasis on seniority. Unmarried young ladies generally spoke very little, expected to be "gentle, kind, respectful, virtuous, and quietly intelligent." As for young married women like Minglan, who had not yet borne children and had only recently entered the household, they couldn't appear too lively or unrestrained either.
Minglan had no choice but to maintain a seated posture, keeping a gentle and shy smile on her face throughout, acting as a beautiful potted plant, occasionally chiming in with a few appropriate words when the situation called for it.
The most annoying part was that some tactless individuals would always ask questions like, "...Why are you still living separately?" or "Why haven't you merged the residences yet?"
Whenever this happened, the Grand Old Madam would sit by affectionately, leisurely waiting to see how Minglan would respond in public. It must be said that she had good connections—there were quite a few who asked similar questions. Some might have been purely curious, while others...
"Breaking ground and constructing residences is no small matter. I thought it best to consult with a feng shui master, a geomancy expert, check the almanac, and then decide when to start," Minglan once replied during a tea party at the Zhongjing Marquis Estate.
The Old Marquis of Zhongjing Marquis Estate was the elder brother of General Zheng. Although they had split the family early on, the two households remained on good terms. The Zheng family had always been cautious and upright, staying clear of court affairs. Moreover, with the Zheng Jun and Zheng Xiao brothers having chosen the right leadership path, they were quite favored by the emperor.
Regardless of what they might have been thinking, upon hearing Minglan's explanation, most people wouldn't press further—after all, it was a family matter. However, a few quick-tongued ones laughed and said, "No need to go through all that trouble! It's just a matter of opening up a wall."
Minglan wore a worried expression and said, "Ah... I know it's terribly troublesome. But the Marquis is a military man who earned his merits through bloodshed on the battlefield. I'm always worried about him. Matters like breaking ground and tearing down walls are related to one's fortune—it's always better to be cautious."
Many of those present were family members of military officers. Upon hearing this, they immediately felt a sense of shared concern. Theoretically speaking, the families of military officers who had to risk their lives in battle tended to visit temples more frequently than those of civil officials.Even the usually solemn and dignified Zheng da furen nodded slightly in agreement. Lao Geng's wife even clasped her hands over her chest, repeatedly chanting Buddha's name: "Sister Gu is right. I've also invited a celestial master these past few days to examine the feng shui of our residence."
Since Lao Geng's arrival in the capital, his family had encountered constant misfortunes, making Madam Geng's concerns understandable.
This topic sparked great interest among the ladies, who eagerly discussed which celestial masters were most effective, which temples had the most flourishing incense, and which masters possessed profound Buddhist wisdom. Minglan lowered her head, silently repenting: she hadn't meant to promote superstitious beliefs about feng shui.
As the conversation grew lively, Grand Old Madam's expression darkened, though she tried not to show it.
Truly dignified noblewomen wouldn't persistently pry into others' family affairs. Occasionally, when encountering particularly tactless individuals, Minglan would either smile and lower her head in silence—not even bothering to respond—or others, noticing her reluctance to discuss the topic, would tactfully change the subject. On the rare occasions when someone became particularly unreasonable and persistent, Minglan would simply look toward the host.
It was best if the host could resolve the situation. If not, she would simply reduce her interactions with that family in the future. Generally, there were no unresolved issues.
After all, no matter how well-liked Grand Old Madam might be, people were unwilling to seriously offend Gu Tingye's wife.
The most awkward incident occurred when she visited the Eastern Prosperity Marquis residence, Grand Old Madam's maiden family.
A distant branch relative's wife persistently pressed her, even sneering that Minglan was "making excuses and blowing things out of proportion."
Minglan showed no tolerance toward this family. She immediately retorted with a cold smile: "This eldest sister-in-law is quite enthusiastic. Why are you so anxious about the trivial matter of our family's home repairs when even the Marquis and I aren't concerned? Which family's rules encourage such nosiness?"
The woman, possessing some market-place shrewishness, wanted to continue arguing. But speaking even one more word with such a person would only demean herself. Without another word, Minglan stood up to leave—after all, she had no intention of forming connections with the Qin family anyway.
Seeing the situation deteriorating, the Eastern Prosperity Marchioness—Grand Old Madam's eldest sister-in-law—quickly stepped in to smooth things over, thus resolving the matter. Grand Old Madam didn't dare go too far either. Her purpose in pushing for the merged households was to secure a respectable marriage for Tingcan. If they truly had a falling out, it would be counterproductive.
After a period of observation, Minglan basically understood Grand Old Madam's intentions.
Currently, there were three prospective sons-in-law she favored: one was the grandson and heir of the Loyal Respect Marquis household—the eldest nephew of the Zheng brothers—who was one year older than Gu Tingcan, healthy and handsome with a bold and enthusiastic personality; another was the second son of the Longxing Count household, whose mother was the legitimate daughter of the Liang family that had produced two governors and three academicians; and the third was the third son of Minister Ge's family, who despite his youth already held an official rank.
When prominent families sought daughters-in-law, especially those who would become clan matriarchs, they naturally needed to thoroughly investigate their character and qualities.
The Zheng family inquired with Little Shen—since she had some acquaintance with Minglan. She immediately said: "How would she know? She and her sister-in-law have barely exchanged more than a few words."
"How could that be?" the Zheng family's Heir Apparent's wife exclaimed in surprise. "I heard that Lady Gu is quite proper, paying respects every three to five days. You also said she looks after her widowed sister-in-law's health and shows compassion toward her nieces. How could...""Sister-in-law, what are you thinking?" Little Shen chided with a laugh. "Commander Gu has been quite generous already. The Emperor only had three snow ginseng roots in total, granting one each to my elder brother and him. Yet he still sent his over to his widowed sister-in-law and the Grand Old Madam for nourishment. What more could he do? After all, she's merely his stepmother. It's that Seventh Miss Gu - when Minglan goes to pay respects, she mostly doesn't come out. Even when she does appear, she barely exchanges a few words."
The Heir Apparent's wife fell silent.
The Fu family was concerned about their son's future prospects, so they summoned their nephew Fu Qinran to inquire.
After a long silence, Fu Qinran only managed one sentence: "Erlang and Seventh Miss... aren't very familiar with each other."
Lady Fu still refused to give up and pressed further: "What is the young lady's temperament like?"
Fu Qinran replied: "Well-versed in poetry and literature, skilled in song and verse, accomplished in painting and calligraphy."
They were asking about character, but he answered with expertise. Those two sentences were enough. Marquis Fu and Lady Fu were quite disappointed.
Meanwhile, the Ge family seemed to prefer the daughter of the Jinghai Marquis Household and was currently hovering ambiguously halfway through negotiations.
In Minglan's opinion, given Gu Tingcan's temperament, it would be better to find a slightly less prominent family. That way, if there were any disputes or quarrels, her maternal family could still intervene, or she could find a husband with a gentler disposition who could tolerate Tingcan's arrogant nature.
After several interactions, Grand Old Madam could sense the other party's evasiveness and had no choice but to settle for the next best option.
Besides these three families, there were actually other good candidates, such as a regional commander's family, a governor's family, and some prominent local gentry clans. However, these would require marrying far away, which was less than ideal.
Unfortunately, those unfamiliar families or those without prior connections, being unable to ascertain the girl's true character, often relied solely on external reputation. Knowing about the current divided situation in the Ningyuan Marquis Household, they also hesitated.
Minglan remained leisurely as ever, but Grand Old Madam gradually grew restless. During Minglan's several visits to pay respects, she could sense the anxiety hidden beneath Grand Old Madam's calm exterior. No matter how explicitly or implicitly Grand Old Madam hinted, Minglan feigned ignorance every time.
On several occasions, Grand Old Madam almost humbled herself to plead with Minglan, her tone sorrowful and full of maternal devotion, which was truly heart-wrenching.
For the first time, Minglan discovered how firm her heart could be. She felt not the slightest inclination to soften, instead continuing to amiably evade the topic.
Everyone must take responsibility for their own choices.
Since Grand Old Madam had chosen to treat Gu Tingye that way, she should not regret it today; since Gu Tingcan had chosen to coldly disregard Minglan, she should not blame Minglan for not speaking well of her, because Minglan genuinely did not "understand" this sister-in-law.
Ultimately, they were not wronged.
Counting on her fingers and estimating that the time was about right, Minglan reported to Gu Tingye that Grand Old Madam's attitude had now softened. Gu Tingye then signaled the clan elders to propose dividing the household.
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