Episode 118
The next morning, Minglan ordered someone to move out a purple sandalwood incense table from the warehouse. After carefully wiping and drying it, she placed it in the corridor to air dry. The texture was fine and smooth, the wood color was bright, and it emitted a faint dark purple glow, which was indeed an old good thing.
"With such goods coming to receive orders, it's sincere enough." Minglan stroked the wood texture, secretly admiring.
Gu Tingyan wore a crimson embroidered dragon robe, sitting upright in the main hall, his eyebrows and eyes filled with emotion, a smile on his lips, his words full of meaning: "Madam is indeed sincere, how could I not know?"
Minglan's face turned red, and the guy took credit for this matter last night, asking Minglan to show her gratitude with actual actions. As a law enforcement officer who rewards and punishes clearly, Minglan used all her might to heavily reward him... Rubbing her sore lower back, Minglan felt depressed, but fortunately, the guy remembered that he had to enter the palace on the second day, so he left some room for maneuver.
At about the beginning of Chen, eunuchs and palace guards came to announce the imperial edict with umbrellas and bells. Gu Tingyan calmly took Minglan out, opened the Chaohui Hall, set up an incense table, and knelt down to receive the edict. The eunuch who announced the edict was surnamed Xia, about twenty years old, with a square face and straight eyebrows, smiling kindly, seemingly familiar with Gu Tingyan, and began announcing the edict without much ado.
The imperial edict and news broadcast are almost the same, with a format that has remained unchanged for ages. First, it expresses the emperor's benevolence, then praises Minglan's virtues as "quiet, gentle, and refined, prudent and dignified, obedient and respectful", and finally announces her promotion to Second-Rank Lady.
Minglan received the imperial edict and the tray with the pearl crown and auspicious phoenix hairpin, and respectfully kowtowed to thank the emperor's grace. After getting up, Gu Tingye told Minglan to hurry and change her clothes, while he invited Xia Taichang to enter the hall for tea. The eunuch humbly declined twice before entering the house.
"It was you." As soon as he entered the house, Gu Tingyan changed his solemn expression and sat down with Xia Taijian, laughing: "I heard last year that you were going to Shangshan Supervision to purchase radishes and cabbage, how did you end up running away now?"
Xia Taijian surprisingly also smiled and said: "Ah... that fat chance, which wheel did we get? Let's run first; it's the second master who has been living a good life these days."
Gu Tingyan glared at him and said with a smile: "It's not good for an outer minister to get along with an inner eunuch, I won't keep you here. Now the palace is heavily guarded, you have to be more careful yourself." While speaking, he took out something from his sleeve and stuffed it into Xia Taijian's hand, "I know you like this kind of thing, I prepared it for you early on, originally wanted to give it to you when we entered the palace today."
Xia Taijian wiped off his smiling face and said seriously: "Second Master is a down-to-earth person, with a mind that has its own calculations."
After the two of them had exchanged a few words, Gu Tingye personally escorted the guest out the door. When he turned around to go back inside, he saw that Minglan was already fully dressed. She wore an outer garment with a deep blue woven gold cloud and phoenix patterned cloak, with a golden pendant hanging down from the hem, a jade leather belt wrapped around her waist, a sturdy and secure bun on her head, and a pearl and jade hairpin with two phoenixes and a pair of mandarin ducks on her forehead. For a moment, everything on her head sparkled and shone.
On this day, Gu Ting Ye did not ride a horse and instead sat with Ming Lan in a spacious sedan chair pulled by three horses. Inside was set up a couch with a small tea table on top. The couple sat properly across from each other at the tea table - so as not to mess up their attire.
Gu Tingyan slowly unfolded the black gauze and put it on his head: "After entering the palace, we need to go to Cining Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager first."
"Which one should I pay respects to?" Minglan supported her heavy pearl crown with her hand, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
Gu Tingyan's mouth curved into a barely perceptible smile: "Both of you come and pay your respects together."
Minglan held the pearl crown, tilting her head to gaze blankly at the top of the carriage. The sounds of vendors calling out their wares and the hustle and bustle from outside the carriage walls drifted in, and it seemed that some shops had already begun to open for business. "Why do we need two empress dowagers?" she asked, unaware of her own words.
"You didn't ask, did you?" Gu Ting Ye stretched out his arm and gently turned Ming Lan's head back, helping her adjust her hairpiece. He saw that she had applied light makeup, looking elegant and refined, covering up half of her natural beauty. Although still beautiful, she looked very gentle and modest. This was the second time he had seen her wear makeup, the first being when they lifted the wedding veil - he understood Ming Lan's intentions.
Minglan saw him staring at her in a daze and gently patted his hand: "You're the one who's supposed to talk."
Gu Tingyan smiled: "It turns out that Empress Sheng De also had bad luck. It is said that on the eve of the rebellion by the Fourth Prince, the previous emperor had already drafted an edict to make the Third Prince the crown prince and Consort De the empress, but everything was ruined in just one day. The previous emperor felt sorry for her, so he made her a imperial noble consort and instructed the emperor to take good care of Consort De's family before his deathbed. After the previous emperor passed away, someone in the court submitted a memorial requesting that Consort De also be made an empress, with two palaces standing together, and the emperor agreed."
Ming Lan was stunned for a moment before she responded with an "oh": "Your Majesty is indeed filial."
Gu Tingyan stared at Minglan with a hint of a smile: "The expression on your face doesn't match what you're saying."
Ming Lan narrowed her eyes, put on a profound air, and slowly shook her head: "It's better if the hat and head match."
Gu Tingyan grasped Minglan's small hand, his eyes suddenly shining brightly, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth - since ancient times, so-called empress dowagers were either the emperor's birth mother or stepmother, but this De Fei Niangniang was neither.
"However," Gu Tingyan continued, "Empress Shengde has been in charge of the imperial seal for many years, and her foundation is much deeper than anyone else's."
Ming Lan felt a wave of tension, and Gu Ting Ye patted her hand reassuringly: "Don't worry, the imperial edict is not just for you alone. Today, there should also be Madame Wei Bei Hou and Zheng Xiao's wife, the left deputy commander of the Imperial Guard."
Ming Lan held her face, excitedly saying: "Could it be that Your Majesty has been waiting for you to arrive before issuing the imperial edict?" --- Does Second Uncle have such a high status in front of the Emperor?!
Gu Tingyan patted her chubby hand lightly and gave her a displeased glance: "One is the wife of the national uncle, one is the younger sister of the empress, originally to be sealed, but adding an extra you!"
Ming Lan was taken aback, rubbing her paws and muttering: "Isn't it said that a wife is noble because of her husband and a mother is noble because of her son? That...that imperial concubine's younger sister...is not worthy of the rank of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard."
Gu Tingyan smiled and pulled over her small hand to rub: "The emperor is a ruler with achievements, he has his own measure, just seal Shen as the third-grade virtuous woman."
Minglan repeatedly praised the emperor's wisdom, suddenly having a strange idea: "Why don't you marry that sister of Empress Shen? Wouldn't that make everyone one big happy family?" As soon as she finished speaking, Minglan quickly hid away like a little rabbit.
Gu Tingyan didn't get angry, but instead secretly found it amusing: "The Emperor returned to the capital only two years ago and doesn't have a deep foundation in the capital. Zheng Jun has been in charge of the Imperial Guard for many years, not to mention his connections with the three major camps. The Duke of England is also an important pillar of the country. These two families have never interfered with the succession to the throne, so it's natural that they would want to win them over."
Minglan nodded, she completely understood.
Empress Dowager Sheng had only one son, and the mother and son had been estranged from the imperial court for many years. Except for his wife's family, the emperor did not have many trusted people around him. Gu Tingye was originally considered a close relative, so if Gu Shen married into the imperial family, it would not only be a waste of resources but also not beneficial to the emperor in the long run. Furthermore, if Gu Tingye were to marry an ordinary official's daughter, it might actually be more in line with the emperor's interests.
The carriage wheels rumbled, Minglan heard the sound outside and knew they had entered the outer imperial city. After driving for a while, they arrived at the entrance of the inner city gate. The couple got off the carriage and changed into the green canopy sedan chair and horses that were waiting there. They each mounted their horse or sedan chair and continued on their way. Once they reached the East Imperial Gate, they all had to dismount and walk, led by a row of palace eunuchs.
All the way, Minglan didn't dare to look around, just followed Gu Tingye with her head down and walked slowly. She vaguely felt that the layout of the palace was vast and magnificent, with white marble as the steps, gold-painted corridors, and everywhere was high, wide and spacious, with a majestic atmosphere.
A middle-aged female official wearing a dark blue satin with subtle patterns came out with a smile and said, "Please come in quickly, Lord Gu and Lady Gu. The Empress Dowager is waiting."
Gu Tingyan glanced sideways at Minglan, only to see her unusually calm and composed at this moment, without a hint of tension or panic. He felt slightly reassured, and the two followed the female official's slow pace, passing by two palace corridors, crossing over the high threshold, and entering the main hall.
In the purple copper incense burner, precious dragon's saliva incense was burning, spreading a faint fragrance throughout the house. The clean and shiny marble floor reflected the shadows of people. At the top sat two empress dowagers, on the left side sat a noblewoman in a bright yellow palace dress, about 27 or 28 years old, probably the empress. On both sides were screens, behind which could be seen the vague outlines of women's hair and makeup, with the sound of pearls and jade pendants moving, and below that, the hem of embroidered skirts could be glimpsed, probably a group of palace ladies or imperial concubines.
Gu Tingyan and Minglan knelt down and kowtowed, saying "Yes" in unison to thank her. A gentle voice came from above: "Get up, you've come late, the imperial concubine's sister and younger sister have already arrived."
The empress smiled slightly and said: "Don't blame them, Mother. It's because their family lives far away. A decree that is issued together must have its own timing."
Ming Lan quickly got up and looked around, only to see that the voice had come from the right side. The empress on this side was beautiful and white, with a noble bearing, a warm and gentle smile, while the empress on the left, although well-maintained, showed a slightly older demeanor, with a hint of stiffness in her movements.
At this time, Minglan basically understood who was who among them.
Sheng De Tai Hou looked at Gu Ting Ye twice and smiled: "After becoming relatives, it's really different. Looking at him now, he seems more harmonious."
The queen's complexion was not particularly beautiful, but there was a bright and clear meaning between her eyebrows, and on one side of her cheek, there was a deep dimple. She smiled before speaking: "Empress Dowager has good eyesight, I also feel that Erlang is more gentle now. In the past when the Emperor was in Shu, Erlang had a big beard all year round, and from afar, he looked truly fierce and scary. Every time he came, Hui'er was so scared that she didn't dare to come out. But Zai Fu and Zai Shun both liked him. Now that he has a wife, he should live a good life from now on, Mother, you say it's true, right?"
Empress Sheng sat beside her, smiling and nodding twice, but didn't say much. Empress De didn't pay much attention to Minglan, instead lecturing Gu Tingye at length on the teachings of "ruling the family and governing the country, loyalty to the monarch and love for the country". She quoted Confucius, Mencius, and even Xunzi; Minglan glanced sideways and saw that Gu Tingye was very cooperative, not showing any impatience, and was extremely grateful for the seven million taels of silver and seven mu of land newly bestowed by the Emperor, plus countless silk fabrics.
Sheng De Empress was very talkative, and the empress occasionally helped with a sentence or two. Sheng An Empress and Ming Lan were in the position of listeners; as they spoke, they touched on the issue of border trade. Sheng De Empress mentioned her father's and brothers' defensive duties at the border when the Xianbei slaves invaded: "At that time, the Xianbei slaves came to invade, and the emperor was in a hurry to take action, so he called my father and brothers to retreat from the border. Now that the border is peaceful, I don't know if the border trade can be restored?"
Gu Tingyan said: "Although the Jie slaves have been repelled, the border army has suffered heavy losses. If there is no military force to protect the border trade, it will be difficult to carry out profitable activities..."
At this time, an imperial eunuch came out and announced: "His Majesty is in the Imperial Study with all the officials, asking if Lord Gu has arrived? His Majesty has summoned him for an audience, please ask Lord Gu to pay his respects and go over immediately."
Empress Sheng was slightly disappointed, but still smiled and said: "Since the Emperor has important business, you can go first; leave your wife here to chat with me."
Gu Tingyan bowed and responded, then turned his head to glance at Minglan, his eyes seeming to hold a hint of worry. Minglan slightly nodded her head, indicating for him to be at ease, before he followed the eunuch out of Cining Palace.
As soon as Gu Ting Ye left, the Empress immediately ordered the removal of the screens on both sides. Three young noblewomen emerged from the left and four palace beauties from the right. They walked over with smiles, slowly gathering around the upper seat, looking down at Minglan. Minglan's heart cried out in despair - got it! The target has shifted.
"Come, come closer, let me take a look." Sheng De Empress Dowager smiled and beckoned to Ming Lan.
Minglan heard this and slowly walked over, for the first time in her life walking so solemnly. Following Kong Yiniang's teachings, she moved with her skirt corners still, not looking stiff or artificial, but conveying her respect and affection through her movements and expressions.
Empress Sheng De took Minglan's hand and examined her carefully, sighing: "It is said that the new wife of Gu Second Master is a beauty, today I see that she indeed has a good appearance."
Minglan didn't answer, only lowering her long eyelashes in a shy manner, thinking to herself: You're not bad-looking either, I'll introduce you to Palace Snowflake when I have the chance.
The queen also looked at Minglan with her eyes, seeing that her movements were quite smooth and flawless, and couldn't help but say: "Second son is very lucky, appearance is secondary, looking at her being so proper and elegant, I really like it; has your family ever invited a governess to teach her?"
"Several years ago I invited one."
"Who is it? Is it someone from the palace?" The empress asked.
"It was someone from the palace who came out, it was Granny Gong from the Yuanchang Palace."
"Kong Yiniang?" Empress Sheng An suddenly spoke up, her voice a bit hoarse, as if she had not yet recovered from a cold and cough. "The one with the square face and tall stature?"
"Yes." Minglan smiled and said, "There is also a mole on her left forehead."
Sheng An Empress's slightly aged face broke into a smile: "Gong Yu is an old person in the palace, kind and honest... she's a very good person; how is she doing now?"
"She occasionally sends letters saying she has bought land in her hometown, spending her days leisurely, and her nephew is also filial, living a good life." Minglan glanced sideways at Empress Shengde, only to see her pretending to be nonchalant, lowering her head to drink tea.
Sheng An Empress Dowager seemed to be thinking of Kong Yiniang, asking Minglan many questions. In fact, Kong Yiniang's body had long been declining and was just barely holding on for the last few years. Minglan didn't dare speak directly, so she could only express herself in a tactful tone.
Empress Dowager Sheng looked down, her voice low and melancholic: "She has struggled in the palace for a lifetime, it's good if she can spend her later years comfortably, no matter how many years she has left."
Minglan quietly watched her, and on the body of Sheng An Empress Dowager, she couldn't see the kind of smoothness that was common in the palace, but instead had a kind of innate simplicity and straightforwardness. She seemed to know that she couldn't speak eloquently, so she simply didn't say much.
She said a few more words, and the empress gave each of them a seat. Minglan finally had the opportunity to rest her sore legs, listening to their conversation while secretly identifying: The four palace-dressed beauties were all imperial consorts, one of whom was particularly cold and charming, and was now the most favored Consort Rong. Another petite and delicate beauty with skin as white as snow was the newly appointed Imperial Noble Consort Yu. The other two were the emperor's concubines since his days in the palace, one being Concubine Wei and the other being Lady Cai. In summary, because the emperor had to observe mourning and hadn't yet widely selected beauties, there was still much room for struggle in the harem. Who knows if any transmigrated women would intentionally come here to develop their careers?
Among the three young noblewomen standing beside the queen and chatting, the one with the most gorgeous attire and the most radiant smile was naturally the queen's younger sister, Shen Shi. She looked quite similar to the queen. The second woman, with a clear and elegant face, was the new wife of Shen Guo Shu and also a lady from the British royal family. As for the last delicate and charming woman, Ming Lan couldn't guess who she was for a long time until she finally heard - it turned out to be Zou Shi, Shen Guo Shu's concubine and the younger sister of his first wife!
She actually sealed a five-product beauty?! And with an attitude so familiar to the Queen, is the British Gongfu really that easy to talk to?!
Last night, Gu Ting Ye told Ming Lan about the imperial family's history of empresses.
The Eighth Prince was an unfavored prince, and his fiefdom was in a remote and impoverished mountainous area. As a result, few noble families were willing to form alliances with him through marriage. The father of Empress Shen was originally a renowned scholar from Shanxi named Shen Wang, and their family was also a prominent local clan. Unfortunately, her parents died early, and the Shen siblings could only rely on their relatives for support. Later, their uncle arranged for her to be married to the Eighth Prince.
At that time, Minglan asserted: "The Shen family must be treating them badly!"
Gu Tingyan was astonished: "How did you know?"
Ming Lan said: "The emperor is in a critical moment of using people, but the Shen family has no one else entering officialdom, it's clear what kind of resentment this is!"
Gu Tingye gave her a bear hug as a reward and affirmation.
According to the principle of diminishing returns, the wife's family of the Eighth King is already not very good, and it can be inferred that Shen Congxing's wife's family is even worse.
The Zou family is just an ordinary scholarly family, the grandfather was a county magistrate and passed away a few years ago, the father is a scholar, the eldest daughter married into the Shen family and had children, until now, there are no particularly outstanding talents in the family.
But the most unfortunate thing for their family was not that there were no talented children, but rather that the brother-in-law of the eldest daughter's husband suddenly ascended to the throne and became emperor, making the eldest daughter's husband a noble uncle, and just as wealth and glory were within sight, the daughter died.
The Zou family is so angry they're almost vomiting three liters of blood! What kind of tragic fate is this?!
If Shen Congxing were just an ordinary widower, there would be no problem with marrying a younger aunt as his second wife. However, the Shen family is now the most prominent and respected family in the imperial court (Empress Dowager Sheng was from a humble background and her natal family can't be found anymore), and the Zou family's status is obviously much lower.
Minglan glanced at Guo Shu's wife, then looked at Xie Shi who was chatting with the Empress. Her mind was clear and she immediately understood. The final compromise result was actually like this - for some reason, she suddenly thought of her husband's mother, Madame Bai, and suddenly felt a little sympathy for Shen Furen.
The British royal family needs the Shen family to solidify and strengthen their relationship with the new emperor, while the Shen family's uncle needs a strong British royal family to boost his own power. The Zou family needs to maintain its marital ties with the Shen family and protect the interests of Madame Zou's children. Everyone gets what they need, resulting in this distorted harmonious situation.
Minglan felt a surge of depression and discomfort, she asked herself if she were in such a situation, could she resist the pressure from her family and resolutely oppose the marriage? Minglan gritted her teeth, ancient times are really not a place for women!
After chatting for about a pot of tea, the Empress thought it was almost time and took Minglan and four newly appointed imperial edicts to bid farewell to the two palace empress dowagers. As they walked out of Cining Palace, the Empress asked Minglan and Xiaoshen Shi to return first, saying she wanted to go with Shen Furen and Xiaozhou Shi to Kunning Palace to talk.
Xiao Shen pulled the queen's sleeve, pouting: "Sister is so biased, don't you have delicious food there? Shouldn't you prioritize the two aunts first?"
The queen pointed at her and scolded with a smile: "How old are you, still thinking about eating and drinking every day? I'll tell your mother-in-law later, let her discipline you well! ... Alright, don't make everyone laugh, I have something to say to your sisters-in-law. As it's Madame Gu's first time entering the palace, take her out and get familiar with her along the way."
Xiao Shen smiled and responded, Minglan made a respectful curtsy, her movements elegant and refined. Although she didn't seem to be making any deliberate attempts to show off, she still had an effortless and natural charm about her. Xiao Shen seemed to be staring blankly, and then quickly bid farewell to the Empress Dowager, taking Minglan's arm and walking away with her.
All the way, only heard Xiao Shen's non-stop chatter, introducing the scenery along the way to Minglan, who listened with a smile and occasionally chimed in with a few words. They gradually walked out of the Cining Palace and headed towards the Donghua Gate. Xiao Shen suddenly asked, "Do you think the Empress Dowager has something important to discuss with my two sisters-in-law? Is there something I shouldn't hear?"
Minglan's heart skipped a beat, and she smiled: "It's probably just the sisters-in-law having a heart-to-heart talk, with fewer people around they can speak their minds."
Isn't this easy to guess? Just now in Cining Palace, Madame Shen was elegant and gentle, while Madame Zou was respectful and courteous. The two of them seemed harmonious, but from start to finish, they didn't exchange a single glance or say a word to each other. As the Empress can't enter the palace every day, she probably took this opportunity to give some ideological education to the wives of Guo Xianggong, teaching them how to get along as wife and concubine.
But... Minglan found it amusing, wasn't it the Shen family who first broke the rules of wives and concubines?
The imperial edict is rarely conferred on concubines, unless their sons are truly outstanding and make great contributions to the country and the people, then the mother can be enfeoffed by her son's merits. Throughout history, how many childless concubines have received an imperial edict?
The Shen family felt guilty for not helping the Zou family in their time of need, so they made up for it by doing this. However, they were still mindful of the power of the British Consulate, otherwise Xiao Zou would have been able to become a legitimate wife. But looking at the situation today, being a concubine is not much different from being a legitimate wife.
Xiao Shen originally stared blankly at the distant Yu Hua Garden, suddenly stopped in her tracks, and fixedly looked at Ming Lan: "Don't you think that the Shen family is shameless? My brother married Zhang Shi and then took Zou Shi as a concubine, disregarding the relationship with his first wife and coveting wealth and power?"
Minglan was pulled back a few steps by her, and after listening, she smiled faintly: "These rumors are mostly spread by those who are jealous and envious, there's no need to take them seriously." —— Nonsense, if you want to have the benefits of both sides, you will naturally suffer from double the gossip.
"So what's your take on it?" Little Shen still firmly pulled at Ming La, forcing her to make a statement.
Minglan gazed at the tightly closed palace gate ahead, where the guards stood solemnly and the eunuchs bustled about. She let out a soft sigh and said languidly, "I think that in such matters, those who benefit are mostly men, while those who suffer losses are mostly women."
Xiao Shen's expression changed, and she put away her playful and coquettish demeanor. She became serious and solemn, staring at Minglan for a long time. After a while, she suddenly smiled: "You're an interesting person, I like you. From now on, I'll come to find you often!"
Minglan was amused by this and laughed, saying "I'm honored."
Being able to ask such a question shows that Little Shen is not entirely heartless, and a woman with such a straightforward and refreshing demeanor is still worth getting to know.
