Both the Marquis of Qi Manor and the Ningyuan Marquis Household were granted titles as founding meritorious officials, and the two families had long-standing ties. However, the Qi family awakened earlier than the Gu family, realizing long ago that it was easier for their descendants to make a living by wielding brushes rather than continuing to risk their lives on the battlefield. Thus, within the first sixty years of the dynasty’s founding, the Qi family produced one tongjinshi, two juren, and three xiucai. Though the quality of these scholars left room for improvement, their dedication was commendable.
The Qi family’s commitment to literary pursuits was as steadfast as the sun and moon, yet they often married women from military families. This led to the Qi men growing increasingly scholarly and delicate with each generation, while their wives became fiercer and more formidable. As a result, henpecked husbands became inevitable.
However, the reputation of the "Henpecking Wife" truly emerged due to the current elderly lord of the Qi Manor. The exact reasons for his fear of his wife were lost to time, but it was known that during the era when Emperor Wu’s consorts flaunted their favor and Jing An Huanghou secluded herself behind closed palace doors, the Qi matriarch not only kept her husband under strict watch as if he were in prison but also frequently expressed indignation on behalf of Jing An Huanghou. She forbade her husband from associating with the families of those "vixens," and the elderly lord, fearing his wife like a tiger, complied without question.
People of the time jested, "Suddenly, a roar is heard from Hedong, and passersby tremble thrice at the gate."
Because of this, the Qi family faced no small amount of hardship and cold treatment. Yet, when Jing An Huanghou passed away, even the honest and kind-hearted grandparents of Gu Tingye were caught in the aftermath and nearly lost their title, while the Qi Manor remained unscathed.
Not long after, the Late Emperor Renzong ascended the throne and praised the Qi family for their steadfast and virtuous conduct. Riding on this momentum, the elderly couple arranged marriages for their two sons to daughters of the most prominent noble families of the time—thus, three "tigresses" gathered under the roof of the Qi Manor.
The mother-in-law was already hard to handle, but the two daughters-in-law proved even more formidable. One was a fierce daughter of a military family, said to be capable of drawing a two-hundred-dan strong bow with both hands; the other was the sole daughter of a powerful noble, highly favored within the palace. The elderly couple dared not offend either and kept a low profile. Overall, however, Princess Pingning’s reputation was slightly better than that of the Qi eldest madam.
That day, after Gu Tingye returned from court, he came to take Minglan with him. Alighting from the carriage, he tossed the reins aside and headed straight for the front courtyard, while a matron guided a soft sedan chair to carry Minglan into the inner quarters.
In the reception hall, there were still few female guests. As soon as Princess Pingning saw Minglan enter, she excused herself from the women she had been chatting with and approached with a smile, saying, "Oh my, who do we have here? It’s only been a few days, but your complexion has improved so much I hardly recognize you!"
In truth, she had always felt awkward around Minglan, as the latter had addressed her as "Aunt" for years. In the blink of an eye, a family niece had become a sister-in-law of the same clan, leaving her puzzled for a long time over how to address her.
"Princess, please don’t tease me… If you keep joking like this, I… I won’t come again," Minglan said, blushing as she curtseyed, inwardly grateful countless times to the Late Emperor for bestowing the title of Princess upon Pingning.
Seeing Minglan still so earnest and shy, Princess Pingning grew even more relaxed and playful. She then led Minglan further inside, where an elderly woman with silver hair sat on the central luohan bed, surrounded by several women of varying ages chatting and laughing, with Shen Shi among them.
"Old Ancestor, come and see—this is the sister-in-law from the Ningyuan Marquis Household I often mention," Princess Pingning announced loudly.
The elderly woman said, "Come closer, let me have a look."
Minglan knew this must be the Qi matriarch and hurried over to pay her respects, adding, "Greetings to the Old Ancestor."Old Lady Qi’s eyes were bright and clear, clearly still hale and hearty, yet her speech was somewhat indistinct, as if easily fatigued like many elderly people. She looked Minglan up and down and nodded repeatedly: “Mm, mm, a neat and proper child.”
Princess Pingning then pointed to a middle-aged woman beside the old lady and said, “This is my eldest sister-in-law. You may address her as I do.”
The woman appeared to be in her late forties or early fifties, tall in stature with a full-moon face and eyes sharp as the gleam of a blade. Minglan quickly curtsied and said respectfully, “Greetings, Eldest Sister-in-law.”
Madam Qi smiled faintly, her expression relatively amiable: “We’re already beyond the fifth degree of kinship, so any form of address will do. Closeness and distance aren’t determined solely by how one addresses another.”
Princess Pingning’s expression stiffened, knowing this was a veiled jab at her for currying favor with the powerful. With the change of emperor came a change of courtiers; since the Late Emperor’s passing, her father and husband had fared far worse than before. As for the two Empresses Dowager, she had some rapport with Shengde Taihou but was merely on polite terms with the emperor’s birth mother, Sheng’an Taihou. She was still uncertain how to navigate the current situation.
Just then, Old Lady Qi suddenly addressed the Shen family and another young wife beside her: “This is the new bride of Lao Er’s clan brother. By seniority, it’s proper for you sisters-in-law to greet her."Shen stepped forward and said gently, 'Greetings, Aunt.'"”
Madam Qi seemed somewhat hesitant, pausing a beat before saying, “My respects to the Marquess of Gu’s wife.”
Before Minglan could respond, Princess Pingning chuckled again: “Oh, Old Ancestor, my clan brother’s son is nearly a year old already, and you still call her a new bride?”
Madam Qi’s face turned icy as she shot her daughter-in-law a displeased glare. The young Madam Qi shrank back several steps. Minglan stole a glance at her figure and demeanor—not only did she not appear to have given birth, she seemed untouched altogether. Could it be that Young Master Qi’s health was truly so frail?
Princess Pingning, unwilling to let the matter drop, smiled at Minglan and said, “Speaking of which, my Yu girl and Han boy are only a few months apart from your son. They could play together in the future.A few months earlier, the Shen family had given birth to twins—a boy and a girl. Of the two Qi branches, one struggled to produce an heir while the other had two at once, creating a stark contrast that explained the underlying tension.
At this point, Old Lady Qi yawned, waving her hand wearily: “Old age has made me useless. Don’t all crowd around here—don’t neglect the other guests. Aside from my few old sisters, you may attend to the rest.”
The two pairs of Qi sisters-in-law hurriedly apologized and offered several respectful words before the women withdrew. Once they reached the outer hall, they saw many female guests had already arrived. Madam Qi cast a cold glance at Princess Pingning before leading her daughter-in-law away to attend to the guests.
Princess Pingning watched Madam Qi and her daughter-in-law depart before turning to Minglan with an apologetic expression: “Please have a seat. I’ll return shortly.” Minglan smiled slightly: “We are relatives, Princess. There’s no need for such courtesy—attending to the other guests is what truly matters.”
On such occasions, the attendees were either relatives of the imperial family or wives of high-ranking officials—an ideal time to build connections and foster relationships. Pleased by Minglan’s understanding, Princess Pingning happily led her daughter-in-law Shen away as well.Minglan felt no restraint, finding herself a seat by a well-ventilated yet warm window. Soon, two young maids served tea and fruits. As she sipped her tea, she surveyed the hall’s arrangement. The main hall was spacious and bright, elegantly and delicately furnished. Clean and simple, dark wooden tenons framed the window lattices and partitions. The walls were painted white, sparsely adorned with a few calligraphy pieces and paintings. In the corners, large celadon pots held lush green Clivia plants, emitting no fragrance yet exuding an air of refined elegance. Maids and serving women moved through the crowd in an orderly manner.
Truly, a wealthy household, Minglan nodded to herself.
"Marquess of Gu’s Lady."
A calm and quiet address snapped Minglan out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Madam Liang of Yongchang Marquisate standing before her. Minglan quickly rose to greet her. "It’s been a long time since I last saw you, Aunt. How have you been?"
Madam Liang appeared much as before, her expression cool and detached, though with a hint of weariness between her brows. The two had little to say to each other.
After a long pause, Madam Liang finally asked, "Is your son walking yet?"
Minglan promptly replied, "He can only manage a few steps, but he crawls quite adeptly. Even if you set him on the floor, he can climb onto the kang by scrambling up the Marquis’s leg—like a little monkey."
Minglan hadn’t intended to boast; it was merely an offhand remark about daily life. Madam Liang smiled faintly and said softly, "You are blessed." Then she sighed lightly and added, "It is our family that lacks such fortune."
Madam Liang was not faring well these days. Although Yongchang Marquisate was gradually emerging from its previous troubles, and the Emperor had summoned the Marquis twice, it was the marquis’s illegitimate eldest son who had contributed significantly to these efforts. Now, everyone outside praised the capability of Yongchang Marquis’s eldest son, while few mentioned the legitimate eldest son. Madam Liang’s feelings were understandable—her eldest son faced a formidable rival, her second son had yet to earn any scholarly honors, and her youngest son’s household remained a scene of rivalry among his wives and concubines, with no heir in sight yet.
P.S., the ‘wife’ among these ‘wives and concubines’ was Minglan’s sister, Lady Molan.
"If you have time, visit your sister often… talk to her," Madam Liang said, carefully choosing her words.
Minglan remained silent for a moment before replying quietly, "My words… Fourth Sister would not listen to them."
Madam Liang sighed softly, her worry deepening. Minglan hung her head, stubbornly refusing to speak further. Just then, someone approached, laughing, "What are you two discussing? On such a joyous occasion, with both of you looking so glum, be careful the host chases you out with a broom!"
Minglan looked up to see Madam Zhang, the Lady of British Duke, approaching with a cheerful smile. Delighted, she exclaimed, "Aunt, you’ve arrived! I was just wondering when you’d come. Please, have a seat!" A savior had arrived!
Madam Zhang sat down beside Minglan and asked with a smile, "You came quite early?" Minglan replied modestly, "Today is the Old Duke’s birthday. As juniors, we ought to arrive early." Madam Zhang then turned to Madam Liang and said, "Sister, please sit as well. It’s been too long since we last spoke." However, Madam Liang shook her head, her expression somber. "You two chat. I’ll go pay my respects to the Old Madam." With that, she slowly walked away.
Noticing something amiss, Minglan tentatively asked, "Aunt, are you and Madam Liang old acquaintances?"Lady Zhang stared blankly at Madam Liang's retreating figure: "Our maternal families have been close friends for generations, living nearby, so we grew up as close as real sisters. Later, she... well, never mind, it's all ancient history now." She then turned with a bitter smile, "I haven't thanked you yet. What exactly did you say to Concubine Zou? She's been gloomy for days since your visit! But my foolish, naive daughter has regained her appetite and even started smiling again... ah..." She trailed off with a series of wry chuckles.
Minglan was slightly taken aback, finding this unexpected: "It was nothing much, just told her a story." She then briefly recounted the tale of the imperial son-in-law and his concubine, omitting the final remarks.
After a long silence, Lady Zhang sighed: "Your well-intentioned efforts, if Concubine Zou could appreciate your goodwill and live harmoniously with my daughter, might actually turn out to be a good thing."
Minglan nodded, though she feared it wouldn't be that simple.
Suddenly, cheerful laughter erupted from the head of the hall as two matrons carried in swaddled infants. A noblewoman seated beside Princess Pingning exclaimed: "Good heavens! After all these years as sisters, we could never catch a glimpse of your grandchildren! Finally you bring them out?!"
Princess Pingning repeatedly apologized: "My dear sister, it's my fault. They're just unremarkable babies who haven't grown into their features yet."
Another noblewoman chimed in: "Such precious twins - if you don't show them off, why didn't you even invite us to their full-month celebration? How stingy of you!"
Princess Pingning explained: "It was my father-in-law's decision. He said children shouldn't be too ostentatious, so we just had a simple family banquet."
The woman pressed: "What modest banquet? The palace bestowed two golden lockets! With such imperial favor, how could you enjoy it all by yourselves?"
Princess Pingning moved in wide social circles. These close female acquaintances, while unlikely to offer help in need, never hesitated to add flowers to the brocade. They took turns praising the infants as if they were celestial beings descended to earth. Though Princess Pingning modestly declined every compliment without a hint of arrogance, the Eldest Sister-in-law of the Qi household standing nearby looked livid, while the wife of the eldest son appeared flustered and on the verge of tears. Minglan felt a pang of sympathy.
Lady Zhang remained perfectly still, her smile meaningful: "Initially, we thought the Qi family would host a full-month banquet. I even prepared gifts. Who knew they'd only have a simple feast at the Marquis of Xiangyang's manor without outside guests. Thought it would pass quietly like that, heh... The Shen family certainly has influence." When the imperial rewards were announced, the decree specifically mentioned the "outstanding contributions" of Old Fox Shen.
Minglan was aware of this too but merely smiled without comment.
Upon reflection, Princess Pingning could truly be considered a heroine among women. Though born into nobility, she never let current wealth and status cloud her judgment with arrogance. She clearly recognized future crises - the emperor aging, her own father aging, having no biological brothers, her husband being only the second son, and dealing with a powerful eldest sister-in-law. Neither the Marquis of Qi Manor nor the Marquis of Xiangyang's manor could be relied upon forever.
Thus, she began planning early. Whether it was County Princess Jiacheng back then or the current Shen family, she never made the wrong choice.
Had she been born male, she would likely have been a remarkable figure."With all the joyous occasions happening in the capital lately, Sister Zhang must be due soon," Minglan remarked casually while making small talk.
Lady Zhang furrowed her brows with a hint of worry. "Indeed, it won't be long now. I just don't know whether it'll be a boy or a girl." Minglan immediately responded, "It's sure to be a son!" Lady Zhang looked surprised. "How would you know? Can you tell such things?"
Minglan smiled faintly. "I'm just offering auspicious words first! To make you happy, Auntie, and besides..." she deliberately drew out her words, "even if it's a daughter, who wouldn't love her just the same?"
Lady Zhang couldn't help but laugh and pinched Minglan's cheek. "You little rascal! So good at sweet-talking!"
She thought to herself that as long as her daughter was healthy, the gender hardly mattered. Most women, once they became mothers, would likely come to understand this perspective and not be as stubborn as they were now.
When most guests had arrived, Lady Qi invited everyone to take their seats. The women toasted each other repeatedly, urging one another to drink. Even with Lady Zhang's help, Minglan couldn't refuse and reluctantly drank several cups of wine, her pretty face flushing pink.
The banquet lasted until mid-afternoon. Seeing it was about time to leave, Minglan drank some tea when Cuixiu whispered in her ear that Gu Tingye had already risen to leave. Minglan prepared to take her leave as well. Unexpectedly, Lady Shen insisted on seeing her out. Suppressing her dizziness, Minglan made idle conversation with her, hoping to reach the second gate quickly.
"...Only after having these two children did I understand what true living means. As long as they're well, nothing else matters to me," Lady Shen said unhurriedly. Minglan could only respond half-heartedly.
"Auntie, do you know what names we gave our two children?" Lady Shen suddenly stopped walking.
Minglan rubbed her forehead, trying to recall. "I believe they're called... Sister Yu and Brother Han?"
"Those are their childhood names," Lady Shen said with slight melancholy. "Their formal names were chosen by my husband. One is Yuming, the other Hanming... using the character 'Ming' from understanding." Then she slowly fixed her gaze on Minglan.
It took Minglan a moment to understand what Lady Shen meant. Suddenly sobered by half, she quickly composed herself and calmly said, "Indeed, excellent names. 'Understanding leads to wisdom, tranquility leads to far-reaching.' May these two children have smooth sailing throughout their lives."
Lady Shen looked at her, and Minglan glared back fiercely—if you and your husband want to be crazy, please keep your distance from me!
The two women stared at each other for a long moment before Lady Shen finally softened, withdrew her gaze, and sighed quietly. "They are good names."
In her heart, she understood: her husband was young and handsome, talented and diligent, born into an aristocratic family with limitless future prospects. He wasn't given to womanizing—even during her pregnancy, Qi Heng hadn't taken any bedroom servants. Except for his heart being somewhere else, he was truly beyond reproach. Compared to her sisters, she was already quite fortunate. Why should she be insatiably greedy?
Yet if she didn't let Minglan know, she felt unbearably stifled.
After that, neither spoke as they silently walked to the second gate.
After bidding farewell to Lady Shen, Minglan decided to walk all the way to the main gate. "No sedan chair. I need to walk a bit to sober up." Seeing her pale complexion, Cuixiu didn't dare ask questions and followed behind with several older servants.
The layout of noble families' residences was generally similar. Along the narrow inner path straight to the main gate—she had remembered it when she arrived earlier. Now, Minglan felt rising fury, wishing she could immediately drag Qi Heng over and give him a sound beating.——That fool must have lost his mind! Living perfectly fine yet deliberately seeking trouble, even dragging himself down! Had too many comfortable days and now wants a beating?! The more Minglan thought about it, the angrier she became. Her pace quickened, steps urgent and heavy as if trampling her frustrations. The servants behind didn’t dare follow too closely, maintaining a distance as they trailed her.
At the corner, Minglan stepped out abruptly and nearly collided with someone. The person halted hastily, and the two suddenly came face to face, both greatly startled.
Qi Heng seemed to have just seen off guests, his body reeking of alcohol, cheeks flushed crimson. His fair complexion glowed like rouge, enhancing his jade-like handsomeness and elegant grace.
"...Sixth Sister..." he called out habitually, his eyes still dazed.
A father now and still causing trouble! At this moment, Minglan felt no trace of tenderness, only an urge to punch someone. She immediately snapped harshly with six words—"Shut up! You idiot!"
Then she brushed past him, but turned back moments later, eyes glaring fiercely as she added in a low growl, "Change your son and daughter’s names now!"
The interval was barely ten seconds. Qi Heng stood dumbfounded, completely caught off guard, as Minglan swiftly strode away. The maids and matrons catching up hurriedly bowed to Qi Heng before chasing after Minglan, unaware of what had just transpired.
Within a few dozen steps and another turn, they reached the gatehouse where Gu Tingye was already waiting. His deep blue lake-silk robe faintly carried the scent of wine, yet the man showed no change in complexion, his expression calm.
Minglan lowered the hand she’d been pressing to her forehead and smiled as she approached, "Apologies for keeping you waiting, Marquis."
Gu Tingye frowned slightly, eyeing her gesture. "You’ve been drinking? Headache? The carriage ride might jostle you uncomfortably. Perhaps rest awhile before we leave."
Minglan paused, then chuckled. "I’m alright, it’s nothing. Let’s not delay—we should go now."
Gu Tingye studied her for a moment before stating briefly, "Wait here. I’ll fetch a sedan chair."
Without giving Minglan a chance to refuse, he turned and left.
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