Do you know? Do you know? Should be green fat and red thin

  It wasn't until noon that Minglan returned to the mansion, and Danju helped her carefully remove her hairpins, earrings, and other adornments, putting each item away neatly in preparation for storing them in the cabinet. With a straight face and a hint of playfulness, Minglan said, "Those imperial edicts and jade crowns can't be lost, or else your lady's title won't count."

  Who would have thought that Danju would take it seriously, she carefully flipped through the items and said solemnly: "This pearl crown and cloud-colored belt I think are not unusual, as long as there is material, they can be made; what's most important is the scroll of documents, I'll go find a big lock." She then left with a serious face.

  After lunch, Minglan hurriedly slipped onto the bed to take a nap. Danju gently massaged her sore and swollen legs for her. In a daze, Minglan fell asleep, unaware of how long she had slept. When she woke up, she felt something heavy pressing down on her body. Opening her eyes, she saw that it was Gu Tingye.

  He was wearing only a white undergarment, hugging Minglan and sleeping soundly; the man's arm was like an iron hoop, and Minglan couldn't crawl out from under his body, so she simply closed her eyes and continued to sleep.

  They slept until the golden rooster fell in the west, and the two of them slowly sat up from bed, looking at each other with a dazed expression. Gu Ting Ye's thick long hair was disheveled, his handsome face had an added lazy charm, and on his pale white jade-like small face there were still red marks, his eyes were dull, and his small fists kept rubbing his eyes.

  Gu Tingyan looked at her with affection, couldn't help but pull her over, and kissed her fiercely on the cheek and neck. Minglan let out a few soft meows like a kitten before gradually coming to.

  "It's not decent to take a nap in the daytime, let alone a couple taking a nap together... " Minglan held up her quilt, tilted her head and sighed as she took out her book bag - meaning that it's better for them to sleep separately at noon to avoid gossip.

  "A true scholar is naturally elegant, what can others say?" Gu Ting Ye continued to caress Ming Lan's soft body, constantly kissing her snowy neck; Ming Lan looked at him sideways: "What does being an elegant scholar have to do with taking a nap?"

  "It doesn't matter, so the door should be closed tightly." Gu Tingyan hugged her in his arms, pulled a pillow to lean against the headboard, with a serious face, "No one knows, no one will talk about us."

  Minglan stared at him, he also looked at Minglan, after a while, Minglan turned her head away - the fierce face didn't need any explanation.

  After a nap, Minglan felt slightly thirsty. She rolled over and wanted to get out of bed to drink water from the small table beside the bed. Gu Tingye pressed her back down and brought the entire teapot over to Minglan. With both hands, she held the teapot and drank directly from its spout, making gurgling sounds as she swallowed. Gu Tingye smiled as he watched her, looking like a little squirrel stealing oil.

  After dinner, Gu Ting Ye still had to go to the outer study to find Mr. Gong Sun to discuss something. Anyway, they had already slept for half of the afternoon, so the couple simply broke the jar and let it be. They ordered the maid to prepare dinner, and then the two lay back on the couch; The man wrapped his arms around Minglan's slender waist, half-lying in her arms, letting Minglan's soft and agile fingers press on his temples and head.

  Minglan's move was personally taught by Fang Mama and fully practiced on Sheng Lao Tai Tai, Gu Tingye narrowed his eyes in a feigned sleep, feeling very comfortable.

  Minglan was saying something about what she had seen and heard in the Cining Palace that morning, and Gu Tingye added a few words with his eyes slightly closed: "...I have met Shen's original wife, Mrs. Zou, and she is indeed a brave, kind-hearted and extraordinary woman. In the remote and desolate Sichuan border, for the sake of Shen's nostalgia for the Empress Dowager, this weak woman fully supported her husband to leave his hometown and settle in Sichuan. Shen had managed to get a job in the border army, and Mrs. Zou would often go to comfort and accompany the Empress Dowager, occasionally helping neighbors and showing compassion to the poor, earning a good reputation locally. I once heard that when the Crown Prince was born prematurely, at one time, the Wang Mansion couldn't even find a decent wet nurse, and it happened that Mrs. Zou had just given birth, she insisted on putting down her own child first to breastfeed the Crown Prince, taking care of him with all her heart. As a result, she didn't recover well from childbirth and fell ill."

  Minglan also sighed after hearing this and said that dedication should also be measured, never dedicating one's life.

  "How did you get to know the Eighth Prince then?"

  Gu Tingyan slipped his hand into Minglan's jacket and stroked her delicate skin, slightly opening his eyes with a smile: "That year I took on a business trip to Shu, passing through the territory of the Eighth King. Coincidentally, I met the manager of the Eighth King's mansion who was going to invite the royal physician of the Shu kingdom. Who knew that the physician was so detestable, pushing and refusing to go? In my life, I have always hated this kind of sycophantic and selfish person. In a fit of rage, that night I put on a mask, led a group of brothers, broke open the door of the physician's house, and took him and his medicine box away to the Eighth King's mansion!"

  "You...?! The King of Shu's power is great, will this implicate the Eight Kings?" Minglan stuttered, "What happened afterwards?"

  Gu Tingyan's face was fearless, and he smiled: "Officials have their own way, bandits have their own path, I have my own method. This kind of person is naturally a bully who fears the strong and preys on the weak. I'll put a knife to the imperial physician's throat and threaten him that if he dares to report me to the King of Shu, I'll burn down his mansion and estate, and slaughter a few of his concubines and grandchildren to vent my anger. He may be able to hide for a while, but he can't hide forever; he may be able to hide from himself, but he can't hide from his whole family! I am a heroic outlaw who rights wrongs on the road, appearing and disappearing without a trace, you can't catch me!"

  Minglan couldn't help but burst out laughing, covering her mouth and leaning against the man: "You're a wicked and shameless devil!"

  As he recalled the past, Gu Tingyan couldn't help but feel delighted and amused: "After it was all over, I thought I'd just leave and be done with it. Who would have known that the Emperor had seen me a few times in the capital before he ascended to the throne? He suddenly recognized me! ... Afterwards, one thing led to another, and I became a frequent visitor to the Eighth Prince's residence. Sometimes I brought some rare delicacies, sometimes I brought some artwork or books, and sometimes I helped the Emperor with some tasks. If I was ill or injured or exhausted, I would shamelessly go stay at the prince's residence for three to five days - among the people who regularly attended to me was that little eunuch Xia. At that time, the Emperor was often lonely, so I'd go chat nonsense with him from dawn till dusk; if Shen brother had some free time, the three of us would have a small drink together, and after getting drunk, we'd curse each other out - it was quite refreshing!"

  "Your Majesty's eyes are really good, and you can recognize me even with a mask on!" Minglan clapped her hands and laughed, "You're doing great like this, helping others out with small favors and then going to get some food and drink, coming and going, it's actually making people want to be friends with you sincerely."

  Gu Tingyan held Minglan's small hand, kissed her lightly on the lips, and looked at her with appreciation: "After rolling around in Jianghu, I finally understand some human emotions. Excessive kindness can lead to enmity. Moreover, the Eighth Prince is a noble after all, so I thought it would be better not to make him feel uneasy. Besides, it wasn't entirely intentional; there were several times when I contracted a seasonal illness, and if it weren't for the care of the Wang Manor, I'm afraid I wouldn't have recovered easily."

  Minglan thought that he had been surrounded by servants since childhood, but at that time, he was alone and wandering in the rivers and lakes. He was probably not used to resting and doing things, even having a cup of tea or a meal, and didn't know how much suffering he had endured before he could make a living; unexpectedly, he also managed to hold on. As she thought about this, Minglan's eyes unconsciously showed some sympathy and admiration. Gu Tingyan looked at her, his heart moved, and said in a low voice: "At that time, I never expected that there would be today. I just wanted to earn more money, so that I could make a name for myself and not be looked down upon..."

  Unexpectedly, there were several officials who lost their lives and future in the struggle. Minglan sighed softly: "That Mrs. Zou is really a pity."

  "What a pity, what a pity! But Brother Shen, this matter was not handled properly." Gu Tingyan said succinctly.

  Minglan was taken aback for a moment before saying: "...Magistrate Shen probably had no choice either, there's nothing he could do."

  Who would have thought that Gu Tingyan shook his head indifferently, with a slight slant of the corner of his mouth, and a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes. He suddenly asked: "You also saw that little Zou today, what do you think?"

  Ming Lan got up and said: "It seems that you have a good relationship with the Empress."

  "This is trouble!" Gu Tingyan's eyes were cold and stern, "I've seen that little Zou a few times, seemingly weak but actually very strong-willed. The Empress Dowager still remembers the kindness of the late Madame Zou, so she treats her with great favor and can't bear to scold her. Now she's even been granted an imperial edict. Shen Furen is after all the eldest daughter of the Zhang family, a high-ranking family marrying down, and Shen brother is handling things like this, where will the face of the English Duke's estate be put?!"

  "You... think that Lord Shen shouldn't take in Miss Zou?" Minglan's eyes narrowed suspiciously, she felt that Gu Tingye's attitude seemed to have some anger mixed in, could it be that he was also thinking of Lady Bai?

  "No." But Gu Tingyan vetoed it with one word, "No matter which sister Shen marries, it's all reasonable. The key is that Brother Shen handles things improperly."

  Gu Tingyan sat up, his broad shoulders leaning against the headboard, and sighed: "Shen brother's emphasis on loyalty is a good thing, but there are some things in this world that cannot be reconciled; when you should cut off, you must not hesitate, or you will suffer the consequences. Either he should marry Zhang's daughter properly, or he should go and marry Zou's daughter. Given Zou Furen's kindness and benevolence back then, the Emperor would also take into account their emotional ties and wouldn't necessarily force Shen brother to marry Zhang's daughter. It's perfectly fine for Shen family's younger sister to be married into the British royal family, and then have Duan brother's daughter form an alliance with the Zheng family, why not?! Shen brother is just too indecisive, wanting to take care of both emotions and future prospects at the same time, but where in the world can you find such a good deal?!"

  Ming Lan heard this for the first time and her heart was racing, Gu Ting Ye continued: "Alright, if Shen brother really wants to form an alliance with the British royal family - it's a common human desire - then let's do things properly! If you're worried about having a stepmother and a stepfather, taking in a concubine is also acceptable, but you must grasp the measure. In the past, there were already legitimate sons and daughters, and the British royal family still sent their legitimate daughter to be a fill-in wife, it's already very sincere. The Shen family still repeatedly elevates Xiao Zou Shi, alas... just wait and see, sooner or later an accident will happen. If they really offend the British royal family, what can the Emperor say then? I'm afraid it will also implicate the Empress."

  To outsiders, the affairs of the imperial family might be just a topic for casual conversation after tea and dinner, but to Gu Tingye, it was a serious political issue. The British royal family did not have only one choice, if they really fell out with the Shen family, they might turn to invest in other consorts. As a good friend, Gu Tingye also did not want to see Shen Congxin suffer losses due to internal palace affairs.

  Minglan tilted her head to look at Gu Tingye, but in fact, she didn't care much about the Shen family. What interested her was Gu Tingye's way of thinking and his style of doing things. She carefully leaned over, her two small paws on the man's shoulder, sweetly whispering: "Hmmm... I'll ask you, if you were Shen Guo, which one would you marry?" On one hand, there was a promising future, on the other hand, there was a deep affection for his wife, and then there was the pitiful child, what to do?

  Gu Tingyan smiled and said: "How did you know?" Since he saved Minglan on the river, he had been thinking about her day and night.

  "Think carefully, what if I died? Would you remarry a woman of high status or marry my sister to take care of the children?" Minglan's eyes sparkled as she asked relentlessly; Gu Tingye slowly narrowed his eyes, his gaze slightly menacing. Minglan swallowed hard and took a step back, Gu Tingye stared at her for a long time before saying slowly: "I would naturally remarry a woman of high status, it doesn't matter if she's arrogant and fierce, as long as she can give me more children."

  Minglan was shocked, almost unable to catch her breath. After finally calming down, she lifted her foot and kicked the plump white sole of her foot onto Gu Tingye's shoulder, cursing loudly: "You... you... you scoundrel!"

  Gu Tingyan grasped her ankle, and with a smooth motion, he wrapped his arms around her slender legs. He bared his teeth and playfully nipped at her calf, causing Minglan to cry out in pain. She raised her fist to hit him, but he burst into loud laughter: "So, madam, you'd better not die, take good care of yourself! At least live longer than your husband."

  The author has something to say:

  Daily updates are over, and tomorrow will be a wonderful bi-daily update instead. The next update will be on Thursday.

  A relative asked me, why didn't the British royal family directly send their daughter to the palace as a concubine for the emperor? Didn't the Jia family send Yuan Chun into the palace? Isn't it better than sending your daughter to the Shen family?

  Actually, "Dream of the Red Chamber" was written according to the imperial customs of the Qing Dynasty. Looking at the men in the Jia Mansion, most of them still follow the Manchu customs, which are slightly different from those of the Ming Dynasty.

  It is historically based, during the Ming Dynasty, those extremely noble earl families basically rarely sent their daughters to the imperial palace. For example, the British Gong Zhang family only sent a collateral niece to Zhu Di as a concubine in the early years, and after that, there was no more news of Zhang's daughter entering the palace as a queen.

  This was the national policy set by Zhu Yuanzhang and also had specific political considerations.

  After so many dynasties, many noble families have also figured it out that the best outcome of sending their daughters into the palace is to have their grandson become the emperor, daughter become the empress dowager, brother become the imperial uncle and father become the imperial father-in-law.

  But even so, can a prominent family be even more prominent? If it becomes any more prominent, wouldn't that be usurping the throne?

  But if they failed in the palace struggle, the result would be disastrous (marrying Shen Guo's uncle still had a way out), and it could be said that the gain was not worth the loss. If the daughter was favored and the palace struggle succeeded, the British Gongfu would have all sorts of worries, and could they continue to hold important positions in the military and government?

  It's strange if he wasn't drowned by the saliva of the literary officials — this is how the author understood it.

  Anyway, basically tomorrow morning will be like this. Everyone can go check the background of Ming Dynasty's imperial consorts. Basically, one-third are daughters of mid-ranking officials or ordinary families who came from the selection of maids, one-third are commoner women (basically well-off families) who also came from the selection of maids, and another third are palace maid-servants, oh, and a very small portion are Korean tribute women (gnashing teeth).

  The imperial concubine system of the Qing dynasty was different again, let's talk about it later, anyway this article basically simulates the Ming and Qing systems, with more from the Ming and less from the Qing.