Episode 129
Because they had to wait for Rong Xiu and Qiuniang to pack their bags, Minglan could only continue talking with Madame Wang. Shaoyi thought of her husband who had left earlier and brought out Yanni as a substitute to meet Minglan. Zhu also called Naiya to bring out Xiang'er.
Minglan carefully examined the sister and brother, and couldn't help but sigh: To say that the young master of a wealthy family is indeed well-bred.
The young master was still speaking in a childish tone, cooing and making cute sounds in the arms of his wet nurse. He looked very plump and adorable. Although he was only five or six years old, he was almost as tall as Rong Jie Er. Despite his young age, he already had a refined and elegant demeanor, speaking and acting with great propriety. In contrast to Rong Jie Er's timid nature earlier, Ming Lan couldn't help but ask: "Is that child taking medicine?"
Madam Zhu also knew that Rong Jie looked very unwell and sighed, "She hasn't eaten yet. I've already had the doctor take a look, saying that there's nothing wrong with her body, she just needs to open up her heart and take good care of herself."
Minglan lowered her head and fell silent, while Xiang'er beside her saw her expression and said in a soft voice: "Second Auntie don't worry, Rong's sister just loves to pick at food and is often distracted, but she's actually fine; last month when the seasons changed, it was cold one moment and hot the next, and both I and Xian'ge caught a chill, but she was unaffected."
Minglan watched her speak properly, with a cute attitude, and liked it very much. She smiled and said: "Our sister-in-law is really sensible! When your father's body recovers, Auntie will take you to play with He Rong's sister in the garden, where there is a newly made small swing."
Little sister's small face burst out with a budding smile, nodded vigorously and responded loudly: "Uh-huh!"
The old lady looked at Erniang with a kind expression and sighed softly, "It's hard for this child to have such filial piety. Since her father fell ill, she hasn't gone out much, not even to their own garden."
Minglan's heart suddenly felt a pang of sympathy. Judging from the long list of famous doctors that Mrs. Shao had just mentioned, it seemed that Gu Tingyu's chances were slim. Even in modern times, there are incurable diseases, let alone this era.
Xian Ge'er couldn't stay still by his grandmother's side, and he squirmed on the kang to rush towards Minglan. Minglan smiled as she took over the child, but Zhu Shi was startled at first, only to see Minglan expertly supporting Xian Ge'er's armpits and letting him sit on her lap. She cooed at his belly button and rubbed his chubby little tummy, causing Xian Ge'er to burst into loud laughter and roll around on the kang.
The old lady smiled and said: "You're quite good at holding a child."
"My nephew from my mother's side and Brother Xian are about the same age, and my older sister's son is also around this age." Minglan handed Brother Xian back to the wet nurse with some effort, using a handkerchief to wipe away the fine sweat on her forehead. Zhu Shi hugged her son tightly, smiling and cooing at him: "Later, let's get those few young masters together, it'll be fun."
At this time, a maid outside the curtain came in and saw that Mrs. Ta was somewhat embarrassed, and said in a low voice: "The young lady said that she suddenly got poetic inspiration this morning and wanted to compose several poems well, so she wouldn't come to see the two ladies, and I'm here to apologize."
The old lady's face immediately sank, and she scolded: "She is the second aunt who rarely comes, how can she be so unreasonable?!"
The maids in the house didn't dare to respond, after a while, she turned her head and smiled apologetically at Minglan, saying: "Don't mind it, your sister Tingcui has been taught by Old Master since childhood, she likes poetry, words, painting, and is also spoiled by your father, having a bit of the pedantic air of a scholar, once she gets going, no one's face is spared."
Minglan smiled and waved her hand lightly, saying: "I've long heard that my sister is talented and knowledgeable, well-versed in books and reason, a beautiful topic of conversation among the ladies of the capital. As for being relatives, when can't we meet? It's not a big deal."
This topic is too embarrassing for Madam to discuss, after all, at this age she has not yet married out, no matter how beautiful the talk, it's impossible to produce any results; in order to compose two poems and not see her elder sister-in-law, it's unacceptable wherever you go, however, from this matter, it can be seen that Miss Cui Qī should be highly favored by Old Master Gu.
After letting Yan's sister return to the house, Zhu Shi started talking about Xian Ge's various interesting stories, which made everyone laugh loudly. The old lady occasionally mentioned Gu Tingyan and Gu Tingwei's mischief when they were young, with a loving expression on her face. Minglan listened with great interest. These two women seemed to want to get Minglan to talk more about Gu Tingyan, but unfortunately, Yao Yiyi was an excellent judicial talent who had been tested by the secrecy clause for a long time and was well-versed in the art of evasiveness, diverting the topic thousands of miles away to Huaguo Mountain.
"...I eat it every day and don't think much of it, I didn't expect there to be so many varieties." Madam Zhu herself didn't know what was going on, but somehow she ended up discussing the seven species of river shrimp and sixteen ways of cooking them with Minglan. She stroked her face lightly and sighed, "Stir-frying it with loofah can actually help maintain a youthful complexion?"
"Remember, the line on the shrimp's back must be removed, and it must be coated with egg before deep-frying." Minglan had always felt guilty about not treating her body well in her past life, letting it get buried under a mudslide, and possibly not even being able to recover the corpse. Since coming to ancient times, she was most enthusiastic about health preservation. Being good to men might lead to being replaced by a younger woman; being good to maids might lead to them getting into bed with her husband; being good to sisters might lead to betrayal. Thinking it through, the only thing that was safe and without loss was being good to one's own body.
Madam Zhu gazed at Minglan's delicate and charming face, with a fine porcelain complexion that showed a faint pinkish hue, her plump and tender skin seemed to be carved out of water, her eyebrows and eyes shone brightly; not considering her looks alone, but just talking about the quality of her skin, compared to her own younger sister-in-law of the same age, she was far superior, at this moment, Madam Zhu felt that Minglan had persuasive power, and couldn't help but ask her questions in detail.
"My grandmother used to say that women's lives are too tiring, giving birth to children, taking care of the household, worrying about everything. Every time you give birth, it's like hurting your body once, and after the child is born, you still have to worry about them growing up safely, studying and making progress... Alas, they say women age faster than men, how can they not?"
"Who says it's not?" Zhu immediately felt a sense of worry. Men fear poverty, women fear old age. In fact, she was only twenty years old at this time, but in front of Minglan, she already felt like an old mother. Ancient women were very tragic, giving birth to children before the age of 20, and after passing 30, they basically retired. After passing 40, they even had grandchildren, and basically relied on Buddhist rituals to pass the days.
The old lady on the side saw that they were getting more and more biased, and Zhu Shi was almost forgetting what to say. She couldn't help but frown slightly, thinking that it was just the first day, so she suppressed her thoughts and smiled as she listened to them talk, occasionally scolding them with a gentle smile. When Hong Yu and Qiu Nian finished packing their trunks, it was already around three o'clock. The old lady smiled and said: "It's this late already, if I don't invite you to eat before leaving, wouldn't people think that I'm a stingy mother-in-law?"
Minglan thought about it and agreed readily, but while eating, she couldn't help feeling a little anxious in her heart - wasn't there poison in the dishes?
After finishing a cup of tea, Minglan thought it was about time to leave and got up to bid farewell. The carriage had already been prepared outside, and with the help of Liao Yongjia's servants, they loaded the luggage and set off towards Qingyuan. It didn't take long before they arrived. After getting off the carriage, Minglan asked Liao Yongjia's servants to unload the luggage, and then led Rong'er and two others into the inner courtyard in three sedan chairs with green tops, only getting out when they reached the inner gate.
As they walked in, Hong Yu felt that the scenery inside the garden was very good, with flowers, birds, pavilions, and bridges everywhere. Although it was not as luxurious as her own home, it had a refined and elegant atmosphere that she couldn't help but admire. Meanwhile, Qiu Niang noticed that all the maids and servants they passed on the way were whispering to each other in hushed tones, and when their master and mistress walked by, they would step aside and stand respectfully, waiting until they entered the side hall of Jia Xi Ju before taking a seat and serving tea. At this time, Qiu Niang saw that several maids came and went with purpose, moving with dignified steps, but not one of them dared to steal a glance at them.
She couldn't help but feel secretly shocked: everyone said the new wife was young, but she didn't expect her to be so capable in managing the household; she felt a bit happy for Gu Tingyan, after all, the new wife was better than the previous one in every way. Thinking of this, she suddenly felt a bit resentful, fearing that Gu Tingyan might not need her anymore.
After sitting down at the head of the table, Minglan took a sip of tea and felt that today's workload was too heavy. She thought it would be detrimental to her harmonious life if she continued to work so hard, so she made up her mind to finish things quickly and go back to take a nap.
She put down her teacup and turned around, saying: "Cui Wei, have you finished cleaning up the house?"
"Madam, you've instructed us many times already." Cui Wei, who was standing by, hastily stepped forward with a smile and said, "The rooms and the servants are all ready, even the hot water has been prepared. We're just waiting for Miss, Gu Niang, and Qiu Jie to arrive, and then you can rest and refresh yourselves immediately."
Qiu Niang hastily got up and thanked her. Hong Xiu followed a beat later, also getting up and smiling: "Thanks to this sister."
Qiu Niang looked at Ming Lan with a frightened expression and said: "I'm just a slave, I can barely serve Master and Mistress, how can I do this! Mistress, you are too kind, it's really killing me! Being able to serve Master and Mistress is already enough for me."
Minglan gently waved her hand: "You are an old man in front of the master, but calling a few young maids to serve you is nothing to be killed about, besides, this is also the dignity of the house." Her tone was gentle but did not allow refutation, and Autumn Mother sat down with a thousand thanks.
Minglan smiled at Rong's sister, who was sitting at the lower end of the table: "You must be tired today, so I'll keep it brief. There are few people in this household, and with you here, it will be more lively. Rong's sister, I originally intended to give you the Xiangxiang Garden, but let me ask you first, do you think it would be better for you to have your own courtyard or live near me?" After all, she was still young, and Minglan herself had only moved into her own courtyard when she turned ten.
Rong's daughter still kept her head down, her thin body motionless, and didn't say a word. Half a day passed without her uttering a sound, which made Autumn anxious. She went over to gently pull her: "Quickly respond, the mistress is asking you." Rong's daughter suddenly lifted her head, quickly glanced at Minglan with eyes full of wariness and hostility, then lowered her head again, still not speaking.
Hong Yu saw the awkward situation and hastily mediated, saying: "Don't be offended, madam. Rong has been like this since she entered the manor. She doesn't usually talk much to us either, but she understands in her heart."
"What do you mean?" Minglan looked at Hongyu, slightly raising an eyebrow.
"I wouldn't dare to make decisions for the mistress, but... " Hongniang had already made up her mind and smiled, saying, "Sister is still young and doesn't understand things yet. Living alone in a courtyard can be quite lonely, and it's been many years since she saw Master. As father and daughter are connected by heart and nature, I think it would be better for Rong'er to stay with the mistress."
Minglan thought for a moment, her face didn't show any unusual color, she just slightly nodded her head. Hongyu saw this and immediately showed a happy expression, before Minglan could speak, she hurriedly said: "There's another thing, please forgive me for my impertinence, madam. Rong'er is after all entrusted to me by the old mistress, I don't dare to neglect the entrustment, so it's not good for me to be separated from Rong'er..."
While speaking, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Minglan's expression; on the other side, Cuiwei had stopped smiling and her gaze towards Hongcai had turned somewhat chilly.
Upon hearing this, Minglan couldn't help but laugh lightly: "So you also want to live in front of me? But you're already a madam, and the Qingyuan is spacious, it's not like there's no place. I originally planned to give you a separate courtyard."
Hong Dou's face turned slightly pale: "How could Hong Dou not know the mistress' good intentions? However, it wouldn't be right to prioritize one's own comfort and enjoyment while neglecting important matters."
Listening to her speak with such clear logic, it's unknown how many times she had thought about it beforehand. Minglan felt quite admiring of her, but she wasn't afraid either. In this world, all reasoning is spoken by people, especially when it comes to family matters, where everyone has their own version of the truth. Although Hongcai had a basket full of reasons for moving in, Minglan also had plenty to say, and as the mistress of the house, her authority took precedence over everything.
She didn't believe it and gave her concubine a separate courtyard to live in. Who would dare to provoke her?
"That's not right."
Just as Minglan was about to speak, a low male voice suddenly sounded from one side - the women in the side hall all turned their heads, and saw Gu Tingye walking in slowly from the side door, still wearing his crimson court attire.
"Master is back." Minglan gently stood up, her movements elegant and standard, which made Gu Tingye glance at her with a slight curve of his mouth. After he sat down beside himself, Minglan personally poured him a cup of tea and smiled, "Rong Jie has returned, I was just discussing the living arrangements with Gong Niang."
Hong Hongxiu, Autumn Niang and Rong Jie'er also stood up from their seats, all bowing to Gu Tingyan; after the ceremony, Rong Jie'er raised her head, staring blankly at her father, Autumn Niang's eyes were red-rimmed, with tears shining in her eyes, gazing at Gu Tingyan with excitement, full of concern, refusing to move her gaze away. Hongxiu was first startled, then looked gently at Gu Tingyan, her delicate face smiling slightly.
Gu Tingyan seemed to be accustomed to this kind of gaze and thought it was intentional, quietly looking at Rong Jie'er. Rong Jie'er shrank her neck and lowered her head again; Gu Tingyan's face became even more gloomy, but he didn't say a word.
Ming Lan whispered: "You'd better say something!"
"Second Master... Second Young Master." Qiu Niang choked back tears, finally unable to hold it in, her voice trembling. "Is your body at ease? With no one by your side to serve you these years, have you been living well outside?"
Gu Tingyan was lost in thought, almost absent-mindedly wanting to respond with a couple of sentences. Suddenly he remembered that Minglan was sitting beside him and looked up at her. He saw that there wasn't much displeasure on her face, only a slight frown as she held the tea cup; he immediately felt that Autumn Mother was somewhat impolite. Then he inadvertently gave Autumn Mother a cold look, and Autumn Mother's heart chilled when she saw Gu Tingyan not only didn't respond but also had a chilly gaze.
Minglan didn't react, but Cuiwei beside her saw clearly, took a step forward and respectfully said in a loud voice: "Autumn girl, forgive me for speaking out of turn, the old master and mistress are here, how can you speak so freely?" Her face was polite, but she was very angry inside - this is also a cheap person! Just now she said she was a slave, does a slave dare to speak casually in front of her masters?
Qiu Niang trembled with fear, helplessly looking at Gu Tingyan, but saw him staring steadily at the new wife; her heart ached, and she repeatedly said: "It's all my fault, I haven't seen Master for many years, I'm a bit out of place."
"Just now, Master said it's not proper, what exactly did he mean?" Minglan forced herself to stay awake and smiled elegantly.
Gu Tingyan's gaze swept over the few people who were standing with their heads down, and after Autumn Girl spoke up, he became even more determined in his decision. He said calmly: "I've thought it through carefully, and it's better for all three of them to go live in Qu Xiangyuan."
The sentence was like a stone thrown into the lake, immediately startling the three women of different sizes below, their faces turned pale, and the first one couldn't help but open her mouth. Gu Tingyan raised his long arm slightly, his eyes cold and stern, and a silent aura rose, and no one dared to speak.
He said in a low voice, "You don't need to say anything more, my mind is made up. If anyone doesn't want to, they can go ask Madame Tai's opinion." His words were directed at everyone, but his gaze was fixed on Gong Hong'e, with a hint of mockery.
The red scarf suddenly tightened, remembering past events, immediately lowered his head and stood up straight, no longer arguing.
Qiu Niang's figure was like a leaf in the wind, her tears glistening even more, as she trembled with her voice and murmured: "How can this be... how can I live somewhere else? How will I serve Master and Mistress, fetch water, do needlework, keep watch at night..."
Upon hearing the last two words, Minglan's forehead suddenly sprouted several black lines - Autumn madam, you're also too direct!
Looking at Autumn Girl, Gu Tingyan's eyes became more gentle: "You have always been thorough in your actions and know how to take care of people..." He glanced at Rong Jie'er again and said, "You follow her as you did before, I can rest assured."
As soon as the words were spoken, Hong Yu's shoulders stiffened and her head hung even lower. Autumn's pale face flushed with a wave of crimson, and she looked at Gu Tingyan with a mixture of shyness and deep affection before quietly accepting the arrangement.
Ming Lan couldn't help but glance at Gu Ting Ye: she didn't expect this guy to be so eloquent, and now even if Qiu Niang doesn't accept, it's not like she can say "she only knows how to serve men, not children".
It was settled like this, Cui Wei lowered her head, suppressing the joy in her heart, and went to help them with the moving arrangements. After seeing them off, Gu Ting Ye didn't wait for Ming Lan to speak up before turning his head and saying "He's gone to the outer study room to look for Mr. Gong Sun", then hastily left.
Minglan decided to put her doubts aside for the time being, went back to her room to wash up, and then fell onto her bed to pay a visit to Lord Zhou. From dawn till noon, she had been busy with various tasks, exhausting both body and mind. She was extremely tired, so Minglan soon fell asleep. When she woke up, it was almost the end of the hour of Wei (around 4-5 pm). She was shocked to find that she had slept for three hours.
Danju was serving Minglan in dressing and combing her hair, saying: "Just now, Sister Cuimiao has already come to report that the three of them in Kexiangyuan have all been arranged properly, and the boxes and gifts are all ready; Sister Cuimiao has arranged for someone to serve them and let them rest first; tell Madam not to worry, everything is fine."
Minglan patted Danju's forehead: "Silly girl, it's time to call on the He Youchang family, and Lao will never teach you!"
Tangerine's mood is very good, and she doesn't retort back. She continues to be foolishly happy. Minglan secretly sighed, knowing that she had also been worried about this matter for the past few days. She was afraid that the new concubine would not be sensible, and also feared that Minglan would suffer injustice. Now at least she didn't have to worry about being in front of her anymore.
After putting everything in order, Minglan drank a cup of light tea, her lips and teeth fragrant, feeling happy. At this moment, she felt that today was not easy to get through, so she pushed aside the account book for now and didn't look at it. She called Danju over to bring paper and pen, planning to draw out a new flower pattern.
"Madam, why don't you finish those few pieces of work first? They've been put off for so many days now."
Minglan lightly dotted Danju's nose with a writing brush, smiling and saying "Silly girl doesn't understand." She had just suddenly gained inspiration.
"Madam is getting more and more troublesome!" Dan Ju scolded, stomping her foot in annoyance, covering her nose and turning to wash her face.
When Gu Tingyan came in, he saw Minglan concentrating on the table, so he deliberately walked quietly to the front and saw that on the white paper, two clay dogs were depicted with fine brushstrokes fighting for a meat bone, which was especially drawn plump and fleshy.
"What does this mean?"
Ming Lan was startled and almost jumped up, turning her head to see the man slightly raising his sword-like eyebrows to ask, she nervously covered the painting paper with her hand and smiled awkwardly: "Just drawing something naughty, doesn't mean anything."
Gu Tingyan looked at Minglan's expression, a doubt arose in his heart, he lifted his hand to flip open the painting paper, examined it carefully, and his face showed deep thought. His gaze staring at Minglan gradually became annoyed.
Minglan's scalp felt numb under his gaze, and she smiled foolishly for a moment before approaching him with a flattering smile. Gu Tingye refused to sit down, so Minglan had to tiptoe to help him change into his robes and loosen his hair bun. Gu Tingye glared at her, then leaned back against the bed frame, looking at Minglan sideways: "You continue drawing."
Minglan didn't have the nerve, and she quietly sat down at the table to take out the account book, checking yesterday's banquet expenses. Gu Tingye looked at her quietly and suddenly said, "Today at the Hou Mansion... was it good?"
Minglan understood his meaning and smiled: "It was the first time I went, how could anything have happened? However...I had a meal there." She looked worried, "There shouldn't be any trouble, should there?"
Gu Tingyan snorted and scolded with a smile: "It's too late to worry now, even if there is something wrong, it can't be helped!"
Minglan saw that he was in a better mood, holding the account book in her arms, smiling foolishly and walking over carefully, asking: "Have Rong'er and the others moved in already? Will Cuiwei be able to take care of things properly? I think from now on we can have Hua Mama look after that side, what do you think?" After observing for these days, Hua Mama was still quite reliable, especially since she had been sent by the main house.
"You decide then." Gu Tingyan's expression was cold and indifferent.
Minglan knew it was best not to ask, but she couldn't bear the cat-like discomfort in her heart and finally couldn't help but speak up: "You..." She only said one word before pausing, unsure of how to continue.
She was at a loss, who knew that Gu Tingyan suddenly spoke up. He gazed at the carved wooden bed with pomegranates and said to himself, "Rong Jie's temper is stubborn, she once used a stone to smash a big water tank, was it when she was four or five years old?"
Minglan was shocked: Sima Yi's plan has been exposed?!
"If in the future she has to watch our child grow up before her eyes, it will be even more unbearable." Gu Tingyan's gaze was deep and profound. "I will inevitably love our future child more than hers, this is a given, why bother pretending?"
Minglan looked at Gu Tingye in surprise: "Brother, you're too honest."
"In the future... find her a good marriage." Gu Tingyan sighed lightly, "Reading books and understanding reason, managing the household and handling affairs, you can teach what you can, if not then it's fine; she only needs to learn from Autumn Mother's skills, learn some needlework and accounting, in the future when she's married she'll be able to cope."
Ming Lan sat at the head of the bed, her eyes wide open, staring at the man's handsome profile for a long time.
Gu Tingyan is indeed a clever person. Rong Jie's birth was unclear, neither legitimate nor favored, this kind of daughter posed no threat to the legitimate mother, as long as the legitimate mother had a clear mind and wasn't too cruel, she wouldn't make things difficult for her; after growing up, adding a dowry and marrying her off would be a done deal. It's a good reputation and doesn't require much effort.
If Gu Tingyan insisted on protecting Rong'er, he would have offended his wife instead. And if his wife deliberately tried to make things difficult for one of the children, men often couldn't protect them completely - this was something Gu Tingyan knew well.
Qiu Niang, as the head housekeeper of the Hou Mansion's main room, has a personal quality that is absolutely passable and may even be stronger than the young ladies of ordinary families; if Rong Jie can learn these things and get some exposure to the high-class atmosphere, she will be able to hold her own in front of people.
And if Zhen's vision is too high, it may harm her instead.
But all this must be based on a premise, Minglan squinted at the man - how could he be sure that she was clear-headed and not wicked? What if she was a bad person?
Minglan gritted her teeth secretly and suddenly had a wicked thought. She really wanted to be a vicious stepmother just once to see his reaction.
"...so Autumn Girl can be considered as having a backer now." Gu Tingyan added another half sentence, from start to finish he didn't mention Gong Hongxiang at all.
Was he going to put Rong'er under Qiu Niang's name? Then why didn't he just make Qiu Niang a nun earlier? And what about Hong Yu? Minglan thought for half a day before realizing that there was another side to this matter. When she slowly pondered over Gu Tingye's words again, she suddenly understood and felt a thrill of excitement, then continued to look at the accounts with a happy smile.
Gu Tingyan vaguely sensed Minglan's joy, her fierce gaze passed, and she lightly pinched her cheek, trying to keep a straight face as she scolded: "What are you so pleased about?! Tell me, aren't you unhappy that Autumn is coming over?"
Minglan hastily covered her small face and straightforwardly said, "That's right, I don't like to be seen naked by people I haven't met many times." The use of the inner chamber was too broad.
"Is that so?" Gu Tingyan raised an eyebrow in displeasure.
"It's only natural." Minglan said matter-of-factly, pointing at Gu Tingye's nose and teasingly smiling: "Husband has been spoiled by her since he was little, I haven't."
Gu Tingyan's face floated up with a suspicious thin red, and it was unknown whether he was angry or furious, being seen through by his wife or his wife being even more hateful. He simply turned around and faced away from Minglan; Minglan saw that he was really annoyed and didn't dare to tease him anymore, twisting back and forth behind his back like a small fish trying to please him. After coaxing him for a while, Gu Tingyan finally flipped over with a cold face and lay down.
Ming Lan hastily led him into conversation: "Have all matters on the imperial court been discussed and settled with Mr. Gong Sun?"
"Mm." The man's half-dead murmur.
"Isn't it troublesome?"
Gu Tingyan paused for a moment before speaking slowly: "Today in the imperial court, someone impeached Old Ge. They said he was reckless in befriending the powerful and corrupting the rules to seek personal gain. The Emperor rebuked him on the spot." He paused again, "Last year in the northern border, Old Ge led by example and got injured. His wounds haven't fully healed yet." Speaking of this, he seemed to have a hint of sympathy, and then said, "How could I not know that the Emperor is also well-intentioned, just giving him a slight warning... Old Ge too!"
"Oh." Minglan slowed down by several beats.
She also had wind of this matter.
It's nothing special, Comrade Geng's mistake was very common in our party during the founding period. He was diligent and loyal all his life, but when he entered the world of flowers, he couldn't withstand the test of sugar-coated bullets. Gu Tingye was born into a noble family with many relatives and friends, it was inevitable, yet he still tried to keep a low profile by dodging around. You, on the other hand, are a military general from a humble background in Shu, but you've managed to make yourself look like a celebrity, with your door always crowded like a market, intentionally providing rich material for the imperial historians and officials to write about.
It's not all Old Geng's fault. Gu Tingyan couldn't help but want to speak up for the unlucky comrade, "He didn't deliberately try to curry favor with the nobles, most of them were relatives of his brothers in the army who came to visit, how could he resist that kind of pressure?" Unfortunately, almost all the nobles in the capital had sons or nephews serving in the military.
"What do you think?" After defending for two sentences, Gu Tingyan habitually asked Minglan a sentence.
Actually, Minglan didn't have a good impression of Old Man Ge, but she knew it wasn't suitable to say so directly.
She glanced at Gu Tingyan's face, shook the account book in her hand, and carefully said: "There are Hao Guanshi and Pan Guanshi outside, Liao Yongniang and Wang Guiniang inside, and several subordinates and a group of wives and maids below."
Gu Tingyan furrowed her brow, looking puzzled. Minglan smiled and continued, "I think that if they all had deep feelings for each other, like gold and jade, or the sea...if their relationships were truly priceless..." She paused for a moment, "...then I, as the mistress of the house, wouldn't have to intervene."
All the leaders in the world like linear loyalty and dislike their subordinates being too close to each other. Gu Tingyan naturally understands this principle, but psychologically, he has not completely transformed 'Eight King' into 'King'.
Gu Tingyan couldn't keep a straight face and burst out laughing. Seeing that the deed was already done, he dragged Minglan onto the bed like a piglet, pressed her into his arms, and laughed loudly as he rubbed against her for a good while.
Bursts of laughter echoed, faintly reaching the gate, and Autumn's face suddenly turned pale. Dan Ju's smile was very polite, but also very hypocritical. She smiled and said: "Autumn girl, if you have an urgent matter, I'll go and inform them for you right away."
"No, no, nothing's wrong, I'll just go back now." Qiu Niang waved her hands repeatedly and stumbled out of Jia Xi Ju.
The author has something to say:
I finished writing several things in one breath, now let's talk about my recent bad luck.
It was last weekend, due to the Dragon Boat Festival, so they had a three-day holiday. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu decided to find a place to have some fun, finally choosing Cao Cao's hometown for their second destination. Everything was packed up, but unexpectedly, after months of severe drought with little rain, on Saturday, June 3rd, from dawn till the next day, it suddenly poured heavily for three days straight.
Just finished using up all my annual leave!!!!!
I desperately continued to go to work, determined to have fun over the previous weekend! Another disaster occurred, just two hours before Guan Gong was about to buy train tickets, a certain official was caught by the leader and went on a business trip again!
Please note that business trips and tourism are completely different concepts!
The beautiful scenery suddenly turned into a remote and desolate place, and on the way, I encountered traffic jams and other events. During the trip, I also got conjunctivitis due to invisible glasses, and my weekend holiday was ruined again. When I returned, I had to go see an eye doctor!!
Good heavens! What on earth do you mean!
PS: He is called Paodang Ge because his first generation was known as 'Big Cannon' when he roamed the rivers and lakes.