Perhaps it was because she had been too comfortable for too long, her vigilance had dulled. It took two days for Minglan to realize something was wrong.
Gu Tingye seemed increasingly moody—one moment joking with her, the next falling silent and staring at her for no apparent reason, making her heart race. When he had free time, he no longer played with her as before but often held their son in a daze.
When she asked what was wrong, the man would brush her off lightly: "Nothing."
Gongsun Xiansheng had been particularly carefree and idle lately, imitating the ancients by drumming, singing, and enjoying himself. From the looks of it, there was no trouble at court. Minglan grew increasingly uneasy. After careful reflection, she realized the change had started after attending the birthday banquet at the Marquis of Qi Manor. The realization made her heart pound with dread.
That day, after Gu Tingye left for court, Minglan summoned Gu Lu. Without much concealment, she asked directly, "I noticed His Lordship seemed displeased at the Qi residence that day. What exactly happened?" Gu Lu had always had a good memory, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn’t recall anything amiss. Minglan then asked him to recount everything that had happened after Gu Tingye entered the Qi residence that day.
"His Lordship first paid his respects to the old marquis and chatted for a while. Later, the Duke of Ying and the Assistant State Duke arrived, and everyone began reminiscing about old times. Several of the lords praised His Lordship as a 'thousand-mile divine steed'... During the banquet, the Duke of Han kept approaching His Lordship to talk, so His Lordship kept urging him to drink until the Duke of Han eventually passed out. Then someone mentioned how blessed the old marquis was to have four generations under one roof. Overjoyed, the old marquis had his two great-grandsons brought out to show everyone..."
Minglan forced herself to calm her racing heart. "Did the old marquis mention the children’s names?"
Gu Lu thought for a moment and replied, "He only mentioned the boy’s name—Hanming. The old marquis dotes on his only great-grandson and even wrote the name on several pieces of paper, posting them outside for people to call out."
Minglan fell silent and asked no more. She praised Gu Lu gently and had Xiaotao see him out. As usual, Xiaotao stuffed his arms full of fruits and pastries before escorting him out.
A spring breeze brushed her face, yet she broke into a cold sweat. Spreading her damp palms, Minglan stood by the window, filled with regret. It was true—the more you feared something, the more likely it was to happen. At that moment, she felt like beating Qi Heng ten thousand times!
Gu Tingye had always known about her past with Qi Heng. After all, the first time they met, he had been the sole audience for the "live drama" she and Qi Heng performed. Later, as time passed, Qi Heng married, was cuckolded, took the imperial exams; Gu Tingye married, was cuckolded, wandered the martial world—even if you beat her to death, Minglan never imagined she would marry the infamous "Second Uncle Gu" of the capital's pleasure-seeking circles!
Back then, the one she had truly cared about was He Hongwen—after all, they were the ones who had seriously considered marriage. Who could have guessed that Qi Heng, that worthless scion of eighteen generations of ill fortune, would lose his mind like this?!
What should she do now? It wasn’t as if he had just learned about her history with Qi Heng—why was he holding a grudge now?!
Minglan clutched her head and groaned, rolling back and forth on the couch without finding a solution. She grabbed the freshly awakened Tuan Ge'er, holding his chubby face in both hands. "Can’t you think of a solution for your mother?!"
Unfortunately, the little chubby boy didn’t understand and kept nuzzling into her chest, his plump cheeks rubbing against her bosom as his little mouth searched blindly. Minglan, both embarrassed and annoyed, pushed his big forehead away with her index finger. "You little glutton!"
—And a foolish little glutton at that! She had run out of milk long ago!The issue was identified, but solving it proved to be the real challenge. Even the usually decisive Minglan found herself momentarily at a loss. Reflecting carefully, she realized that in her previous life she had been a novice, and in this life she hadn’t truly handled such matters well either. With Qi Heng, He Hongwen, and even Gu Tingye, it was less about matters of the heart and more about survival.
Minglan looked at her husband reclining against the headboard, mustered her courage, and smiled as she made conversation: "You’re back so late today. Would you like some late-night snacks?" Gu Tingye, however, shook his head. "It’s already quite late. Eating right before bed can cause indigestion," he replied curtly, then handed the drowsy Tuan Ge’er to the wet nurse and picked up a book to read.
Minglan couldn’t help but curse inwardly: No time for a snack, but plenty of time to read? Fine, go ahead and starve! Hope you choke on your pretentiousness and turn into a fool!
But then she thought better of it—this was no time for petty anger. Minglan tried to chat about the day’s trivial happenings, but the man merely responded with a few absent-minded murmurs, his indifference palpable.
At her wit’s end, Minglan went to the washroom. When she returned after freshening up, she found Gu Tingye still in the same position—leaning against the headboard in his inner garment, hair loose, reading. Squinting, she checked: thankfully, the book wasn’t upside down.
After climbing into bed, she moved to her usual spot on the inner side, but the man showed no intention of putting the book down. After a long while, Minglan finally couldn’t hold back: "My lord, are you ready to rest?" Gu Tingye remained silent for a moment before murmuring a low "Mm," then extinguished the lamp and drew the bed curtains.
Helpless, someone fumbled in the darkness toward her husband. Slender fingers slipped past the brocade quilt into the opening of his robe, exploring slowly. As the skin on his chest grew warm, she quickly pressed her body against him, rubbing and nudging—if this move failed, she would truly be out of ideas. Fortunately, the man showed no inclination to play the chaste hero. With a heavy breath, he turned and pinned her down, indulging without restraint.
The next day, the sore-backed someone secretly rejoiced that her tactic had worked. But when the man returned to the room later, he reverted to his aloof self—expression cool, words sparse, as if determined to accept the sugar-coated bullet but reject the shell.
Faced with this half-dead attitude, Minglan suddenly recalled a saying—a dog biting a turtle, nowhere to sink its teeth.
After several days of fruitless pondering, Minglan felt weary. As the weather grew warmer, she had some water chestnuts picked from the pond and a few plump fish caught, then went to visit General Zheng’s residence for a change of scenery.
Little Shen’s belly was gradually swelling. This pregnancy had been hard-won, and her mother-in-law, elder sister-in-law, and husband all insisted she avoid going out. Bored out of her mind, she was overjoyed to see Minglan visit.
"...These past few days, I feel like I’m growing mold from staying indoors. Even a longer stroll in the garden, and my sister-in-law forbids it..." Little Shen poured out her grievances. Minglan studied her carefully: her face was round and glowing, but she clearly looked bored.
Little Shen lowered her voice: "I think my sister-in-law is being overly cautious. Back when the Emperor was still a feudal lord, I saw women there with huge bellies running all over the place. Didn’t they still give birth to lively babies? And there were even ladies with second or third-rank Imperial Mandates who attended garden parties just half a month before their due dates! It’s only here in the capital where there are so many rules!"Minglan spoke with a serious tone of admonishment: "When other ladies go out or attend garden parties, they sit properly and drink tea with perfect decorum. But you, born from a monkey's spirit—can you truly behave once you step outside? Your sister-in-law has simply figured out your true nature!"
There was about seventy to eighty percent truth to these words, and Little Shen let out a small sigh. Finding her dejected expression amusing, Minglan reached out to tap her forehead and teased, "You'd better stay put obediently. Besides, this child in your belly isn't yours alone—how can you afford to be willful?"
Little Shen's fair cheeks flushed pink as she murmured, "I know... for this child, my husband also..."
Minglan feigned surprise: "I was referring to your mother-in-law and sister-in-law! Think of all the bodhisattvas they've prayed to, the sutras they've chanted, and the oil lamp offerings they've made just so you could conceive... Where did your mind wander off to? Well, though General Zheng certainly contributed his share too."
Blushing furiously, Little Shen threw a soft cushion at Minglan and made to pounce and pinch her mouth. Minglan quickly cried out, "Don't move! You're precious now! If so much as a hair falls from your head, even shaving myself bald wouldn't be enough to repay the loss!"
Unable to retaliate and not daring to act recklessly, Little Shen could only shake her finger, stammering, "You... you..."
Zheng da furen, hearing the laughter and commotion from outside, shook her head with a smile and entered. "How old are you two? I was only gone for half a moment, and you're already carrying on like this. What mischief are you discussing that requires dismissing all the attendants?"
Little Shen immediately sat up properly, not daring to fidget. Noticing a middle-aged woman following Zheng da furen, Minglan asked gently, "Sister-in-law, who is this...?"
Zheng da furen indicated the woman. "This is my maternal cousin. She lived out of town in earlier years, but now that her children have settled in the capital, they brought their parents here to enjoy their later years."
Little Shen seemed to recognize her, greeting her with a smile and calling her "cousin" but without rising. Minglan nodded politely and repeatedly urged her to sit, while maids came forward to serve tea.
The cousin was dressed modestly, her appearance even somewhat rustic, but she carried herself with natural poise without any timidity, and her voice was quite loud: "Look at what you're saying—you're noble ladies, we're country folk. The trivial matters of our humble family aren't even worth a laugh in the eyes of such distinguished persons."
Zheng da furen didn't seem to dislike this cousin and spoke quite amiably: "Whether from great families or small, filial devotion to parents is what matters most. Cousin's children are all filial—nothing could be more fortunate."
The cousin grinned: "That's true enough. My sons all have conscience and haven't forgotten their parents' hardships. Even my sons-in-law are filial. That's why I'm here running this errand for them."
Minglan noticed a small bamboo basket on the floor beside her, its cover set aside to reveal several dozen red eggs inside.
Zheng da furen turned with a smile: "Lately, the Qi family has accumulated abundant blessings. The old marquis just welcomed a pair of dragon-phoenix twin great-grandsons months ago, celebrated his seventieth birthday a few days back, and now the clan has new additions." Seeing Minglan's confused expression, she added, "My cousin's daughter married into a collateral branch of the marquis' manor."
Hearing "Marquis of Qi Manor," Minglan's eyebrow twitched slightly, though she maintained a smiling face: "My sincere congratulations."
Internally, she thought: A collateral branch of a great family marrying distant relatives—truly a well-matched union.
Little Shen immediately pressed: "Has the baby been born already? Is it a boy or a girl?"The cousin, with her broad face beaming, said cheerfully, "It's a boy, weighing a full seven pounds and six ounces—quite heavy! Our humble family has nothing fancy to offer, just some red eggs. When you eat them, Madam, you'll surely give birth to a healthy, chubby boy too!"
Little Shen loved hearing such words but, feeling too shy to respond, remained silent. Zheng da furen thanked the cousin on her behalf: "How thoughtful of you to remember us! With your family blessed with many children and grandchildren, sharing this joy of abundance is truly wonderful." She then turned to Minglan and added, "Don't just stand there smiling—today, I'm borrowing these gifts to share with you. Take a few home later."
Minglan was momentarily taken aback, and Little Shen seized the opportunity to tease, "Thinking one child is enough to call it quits? Hurry back and have a few more!"
Everyone burst into laughter, and Zheng da furen expressed her gratitude to the cousin once more.
The cousin replied warmly, "Madam, please don't mention it. What are a few red eggs worth? If anything, it's all thanks to you—without your help, Guanming and his wife wouldn't be where they are today. Once she's recovered from childbirth, they'll come personally to kowtow to you."
Zheng da furen smiled faintly. "Your son-in-law earned his success through his own efforts; I didn't contribute much. Even his younger brother, Siming, I've heard, is highly praised by his tutor."
Minglan's heart stirred, and she blurted out, "Guanming? Siming?" Noticing their surprised looks, she quickly covered with a laugh, "A few days ago, I attended the Qi family's birthday banquet, and the old duke's great-grandson seemed to have a name ending with 'ming' too."
Little Shen pointed at her, chuckling. "You! Just because your own name has 'ming' in it, you won't allow others to share it?"
Minglan felt a wave of embarrassment.
Zheng da furen smiled gently, unperturbed, and explained softly, "You didn't grow up in the capital, so you might not know this. The Qi family traditionally alternates single-character and double-character names generation by generation. In the current generation, it's the turn for double-character names with 'ming'." She then turned and lightly scolded Little Shen, "You didn't grow up here either, yet you love showing off half-baked knowledge."
Little Shen grinned playfully at her elder sister-in-law.
As the room buzzed with laughter and chatter, Minglan tried her best to join in, but her mind was in turmoil—
The "ming" in Qi Heng's children's names had nothing to do with her!
She hadn't known this, but Shen Shi did—and she had done it on purpose!
She had been tricked!
Shen Shi's life wasn't bad; her only dissatisfaction was that her husband's heart didn't belong to her. Unhappy herself, she didn't want others to be happy either. Her words had been fabricated and hard to pin down. If Minglan had known the truth, she could have defended herself, but ignorant of the Qi family's naming customs and already feeling guilty, she had walked right into the trap.
In the end, Shen Shi just wanted Minglan to know she was miserable and to make Minglan miserable in return—what a refined, elegant Qi Shen Shi she was! Now Minglan understood her true nature.
But then another question surfaced, one larger and more troublesome.
Even during dinner, Minglan stared absently at Gu Tingye, her head aching over this puzzle—Gu Tingye had grown up in the capital and even knew old anecdotes about Hedong Prefecture; how could he not know the Qi family's naming traditions?
If the "ming" in Qi Heng's children's names wasn't because of her, then why had he been angry?
Could it be that the characters "yu" and "han" combined sounded like the word "regret"? No, that didn't seem right.For instance, the cousin she met today had two sons-in-law named Guanming and Siming. Did that mean they were meant to watch over her and yearn for her? And when their father gave them these names, did it imply he had also grown up with her?
Since the Qi family's generational naming included the character "ming," it was unavoidable for names to carry similar connotations. Gu Tingye was a broad-minded man, unlikely to be so narrow-minded as to hold a grudge over something like this—Minglan sensed intuitively that he wasn't upset with her because of the names.
As her thoughts wandered, Minglan suddenly realized she had wronged Qi Heng. Should Qi Heng have to avoid suspicion by naming his children something like "Congming" (smart) or "Faming" (inventive) just to clear his name? Amitabha, she hoped he would keep his wits about him and definitely not change the children's names!
Gu Tingye noticed that Minglan was unusually quiet during the meal, seeming distracted. Her face shifted from deep contemplation to furrowed hesitation, her expression thoroughly conflicted. She was only eating plain rice, and he had no idea what she was thinking about. Finding it quite amusing, he reached out to brush a grain of rice from the corner of her lips and smiled, "What's on your mind? You're not even eating properly."
Minglan snapped out of her reverie and noticed rice grains scattered all over the floor in front of her, feeling rather embarrassed. "No, it's just..." How could she broach this topic? There didn't seem to be much to say about it anyway. She shook her head and said, "It's nothing... Marquis, the turtle soup today is excellent. Have another bowl."
Gu Tingye's smile faded bit by bit, gradually disappearing: She was always like this.
For the remainder of the meal, the two ate in silence. Just after they finished, someone rushed in to report—a panting maid from the second gate, standing outside, announced that Fourth Old Master was unwell and urged them to go see him immediately.
Husband and wife exchanged glances. What had happened now?
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