News in the governor’s fu always spreads quickly.
That very night, Gu Jiu learned of the latest developments from Xiao Cui.
Gu daren had already spoken—Xie shi would continue to manage the fu and oversee its affairs.
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow and smiled.
Back when Xie shi was pregnant, everyone in the residence remained cautious, not daring to offend her.
Now that Xie shi had suffered a miscarriage and Bai yiniang was pregnant, the fu‘s staff was even more restrained, hardly daring to breathe loudly.
At this moment, whoever dared to provoke Xie shi would surely face retribution later.
Leaning back on a soft couch, Gu Jiu chuckled. “I knew taitai would regain her footing sooner or later. I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. Laoye still has a soft heart and cannot bear to see taitai continue suffering.”
Qing Mei asked, “Guniang, are you still going out the morning after tomorrow?”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Of course. This is a rare opportunity that must not be missed. While taitai is still recovering and has no energy to monitor Zhilan Yuan, this is the perfect time to complete everything that needs to be done.”
Xiao Cui sighed, “Taitai truly turns the tides with a flip of her hand. It feels like everything is under her control.”
Gu Jiu laughed and pointed at Qing Mei and Qing Zhu. “You two haven’t seen as clearly as Xiao Cui.”
“Nubi is slow-witted,” Qing Mei admitted.
Xiao Cui, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, “I just happened to think of this phrase, and it seemed most fitting for taitai.”
Gu Jiu smiled. “Xiao Cui, your intuition is correct. This entire sequence of events was likely part of taitai’s plan all along.”
The only unexpected element was Bai yiniang’s pregnancy.
Bai yiniang was truly formidable. She had been pregnant for nearly two months—there was no way she didn’t know.
Yet, she stubbornly kept it a secret while enduring Xie shi’s torment daily.
She waited until today—just as Xie shi had everything planned—before suddenly revealing her pregnancy, throwing Xie shi’s entire scheme into disarray.
Xie shi’s miscarriage had a purpose: to deal with Bai yiniang.
But in the end, Bai yiniang struck back, catching Xie shi completely off guard.
This drama was truly spectacular.
One could only wonder if Xie shi was so enraged that she spat blood.
Qing Zhu asked curiously, “Could it be that taitai’s pregnancy was also part of her plan?”
After all, those basins of blood couldn’t have been faked.
Gu Jiu thought for a moment and said, “If a doctor cooperates, pretending to be pregnant isn’t difficult as long as the pregnancy is still in its early stages.”
“Huh? I never thought pregnancy could be faked.”
The maidservants were amazed, as if a new world had just opened before them.
Gu Jiu chuckled. “It seems you all still doubt that taitai was faking her pregnancy. Then let me ask you this—if taitai hadn’t been pregnant, could she have smoothly navigated this series of crises?”
After a brief silence, Qing Mei was the first to shake her head.
Then Qing Zhu.
Finally, Xiao Cui.
Gu Jiu smiled. “Now do you understand?”
The three maidservants nodded in unison. “We understand.”
But Qing Zhu still had doubts. “But those basins of blood were real. That can’t be faked.”
Gu Jiu replied, “Those basins of blood were indeed real. If we think carefully, it’s also possible that taitai was truly pregnant.”
The three maids were now completely confused. Guniang had just said taitai faked her pregnancy, but now she was saying taitai was truly pregnant.
So, was it real or fake? They could no longer tell.
Gu Jiu considered carefully before explaining, “Given taitai’s age and the fact that she has already given birth to four children, it wouldn’t be easy for her to conceive again. Even if she did conceive, the likelihood of the child developing improperly was high—it was probably a stillbirth that could never have been born.
“Just as this happened, a series of events unfolded. Given taitai’s intelligence, she naturally chose to use this doomed child to her advantage and navigate through the difficulties.”
“Huh?”
Once again, the maidservants felt as if their worldview had been overturned.
Xiao Cui curiously asked, “Guniang, how do you know so much?”
Qing Mei glared at Xiao Cui. “Of course, guniang knows a lot.”
Xiao Cui realised she had spoken inappropriately and became flustered.
Gu Jiu laughed—Xiao Cui was quite straightforward.
She said to Xiao Cui, “Books contain all kinds of knowledge. If you combine what you read with real-life experience, you too will be able to see through things at a glance.”
The three maidservants shook their heads in unison.
“Nubi gets a headache whenever I read.”
“Nubi is foolish and not meant for studying.”
“Nubi prefers listening to storytellers.”
“Among us all, only Yanzi has a talent for studying.”
At the mention of Jiang Yan, the room fell silent.
Jiang Yan would soon be leaving for the capital. From then on, they would be worlds apart, unsure when they would meet again.
Gu Jiu smiled. “Alright, stop making excuses. I won’t force you to read.”
“Thank you, guniang!”
The three maidservants beamed with joy. Not having to read was a blessing.
Gu Jiu sighed helplessly.
Forcing someone who doesn’t enjoy reading to study is exhausting for both the teacher and the student. It was better to just give up.
Qing Mei remarked, “Taitai suffered a miscarriage, yet laoye still ordered her to continue managing the fu. Looking at it this way, after everything that happened, taitai came out completely unscathed—she merely endured a few days of suffering.”
Gu Jiu shook her head. “That’s not the right way to calculate things. Once the seed of suspicion is planted, it will eventually take root and grow. Laoye and taitai can never return to the deep trust they once had.
“For us, that is the greatest gain. Additionally, laoye has developed conflicts with the Xie family, which is also beneficial to us. You can’t just look at the present—you must consider the long term.”
Qing Mei bowed and said, “Nubi has learned a valuable lesson.”
The next morning, Gu Lin happily arrived at Zhilan Yuan to chat with Gu Jiu.
Gu Lin and Gu Zhen had a disagreement—when words don’t click, even half a sentence feels too much, so they couldn’t have a proper conversation.
As for Gu Yue and Gu Shan, they were both legitimate daughters. Because of Xie shi, Gu Lin was somewhat afraid of them, so naturally, she wouldn’t take the initiative to talk to them either.
After counting her options, only Gu Jiu was left.
Gu Lin sat close to Gu Jiu on the soft couch and said, “Er jiejie, your study is so cosy.”
Gu Jiu chuckled. “It’s just a broken chair with a few soft cushions.”
Gu Lin said, “My room doesn’t even have a broken chair like this.”
Gu Jiu smiled and said, “If you want something, just tell Bai yiniang. She’ll surely prepare everything for you in a few days.”
Gu Lin pursed her lips into a smile, as if she had thought of something particularly delightful.
She stretched out her wrist. “Er jiejie, this is my new bracelet. Do you think it looks nice?”
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Lin’s wrist.
Her slender wrist was adorned with a jade bracelet. The jade had excellent translucency, with a pure and vibrant green hue.
It was an expensive piece.
Gu Jiu nodded. “It looks nice!”
Gu Lin beamed. “Yesterday, Father sent many gifts to yiniang—supplements, medicinal herbs, fine fabrics, and various pieces of jewelry. This bracelet was a gift from Father to yiniang, and then she gave it to me.”
Gu Jiu responded appropriately, “Your yiniang truly treats you well.”
Gu Lin grinned. “Of course! On my way here, I even ran into Hu yiniang. I showed her the bracelet, and she also said it looked beautiful.”
Hu yiniang was the da guniang Gu Zhen’s birth mother.
Gu Jiu asked, “Did Hu yiniang go out?”
In recent years, Hu yiniang had been particularly low-key. Unless necessary, she rarely left her room. She spent her days either doing embroidery or copying scriptures.
Gu Lin nodded and said, “Hu yiniang went to pay respects to taitai.”
Hearing this, Gu Jiu smiled. “Hu yiniang has always been so respectful to taitai.”
By custom, Hu yiniang was only required to pay respects to taitai on the first and fifth days of each month.
Today was neither the first nor the fifth.
Of course, it was also possible that because Xie shi had suffered a miscarriage yesterday, Hu yiniang wanted to show her respect by visiting today.
SHANGFANG
Hu yiniang respectfully presented a pair of embroidered shoes she had carefully made.
“Taitai, would you like to try them on to see if they fit?”
Xie shi lay on the bed, shook her head, and smiled. “You are very thoughtful. I know your embroidery skills well—no need to try them on, they will surely fit.”
Hu yiniang followed with a smile. “It’s all thanks to your excellent teaching, taitai.”
Xie shi gestured for her to sit. “Come, sit down and talk.”
Hu yiniang stepped forward cautiously and sat on the stool, only perching on the edge.
Xie shi asked with concern, “Is Zhen yatou feeling better now?”
Hu yiniang nodded. “Thank you, taitai, for your concern. Zhen’er is much better.”
Xie shi sighed. “It’s my fault for not taking good care of Zhen yatou. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had that unfortunate incident at the banquet and become the laughingstock of others.”
Hu yiniang lowered her head, looking sorrowful.
Because of her embarrassment at the prefect’s furen’s banquet, Gu Zhen had locked herself in her room for over ten days before she was willing to come out and face people again.
Hu yiniang said, “It was also Zhen’er’s own carelessness. She wasn’t composed enough when faced with the situation.”
Xie shi said, “That’s not entirely fair. Everyone has their fears. We all know that the da yatou is terrified of caterpillars, yet one happened to crawl onto her that day. Isn’t that quite the coincidence? And even more coincidentally, that maid… what was her name?”
Chun He, standing by, replied, “Her name is Cui Liu, originally a maid serving Bai yiniang. On the day of the banquet, Bai yiniang arranged for Cui Liu to serve the wu guniang.”
Xie shi nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, Cui Liu. Chun He, explain what exactly happened that day.”
Chun He immediately recounted, “Cui Liu has always been careful and rarely makes mistakes. Yet, on that day, she happened to spill tea on Lu Yi’s clothes. Da guniang, disliking dirty clothes, told Lu Yi to go wash up. Not long after Lu Yi left, a caterpillar crawled onto da guniang.
“Cui Liu, who is not afraid of caterpillars, caught it for her. However, she made the mistake of waving it in front of the da guniang. Because of this, da guniang panicked and fell to the ground, dirtying her clothes and becoming the subject of ridicule.”
Hu yiniang’s expression changed slightly as she looked at Chun He. “Is that really what happened?”
Chun He nodded firmly. “If yiniang does not believe me, you can ask the da guniang herself.”
Xie shi turned to Hu yiniang and asked, “Didn’t you question Zhen yatou about this matter?”
Hu yiniang said, “That child was upset with me and refused to talk when I asked. As for Lu Yi, she wasn’t present when it happened, so she had no idea either. Nubi had thought it was merely an accident and did not pursue the matter further.”
Xie shi coughed lightly, adjusted herself into a more comfortable sitting position, and then said, “This must have been an accident. Fortunately, there was Cui Liu to help. Otherwise, if the caterpillar had crawled into Zhen yatou’s collar, just thinking about it is terrifying.”
Hu yiniang said in a low voice, “Zhen’er really had bad luck. Of all the people there, the caterpillar chose to crawl onto her. Quite the coincidence indeed.”
“Yes, such a coincidence. The more you think about it, the more incredible it seems,” Xie shi said, watching Hu yiniang closely. “You won’t overthink this, will you?”
Hu yiniang quickly shook her head. “Nubi won’t overthink it.”
Xie shi smiled. “You are a sincere person. I knew you wouldn’t overthink it, let alone connect this to Bai yiniang. After all, there’s no enmity between Zhen’er and Bai yiniang—she would have no reason to harm Zhen’er. This was all just a coincidence, right?”
Hu yiniang nodded heavily. “Taitai is right, it’s all just a coincidence.”
After a little more small talk, Hu yiniang got up and took her leave.
Chun He sat on a footstool, massaging Xie shi’s legs.
“Taitai, do you think Hu yiniang understood the message?”
Xie shi leaned against the bed’s headrest, smiling with satisfaction. “Don’t worry, Hu yiniang is not stupid.”
Chun He carefully asked, “Do you think she will act?”
Xie shi nodded with certainty. “It’s only a matter of time.”
Chun He chuckled. “If something happens to Bai yiniang, no one can blame taitai.”
Xie shi snorted. “Of course benfuren can’t be blamed. Laoye has ordered me to ensure Bai yiniang’s safe delivery. As the head wife, I naturally must share in my husband’s worries and do my best to protect her. I would never dare to slack off.
“But if someone secretly takes action against Bai yiniang behind my back, I wouldn’t be able to detect it in time. If something really happens, then it’s simply fate—Bai yiniang was never destined to give birth to a son.”
Chun He laughed. “Taitai is absolutely right. Bai yiniang surely doesn’t have the fate to bear a son.”
Xie shi smiled faintly.
Laoye had warned her to ensure Bai yiniang’s safe delivery, so she would not act directly.
But just because she wouldn’t act, didn’t mean others wouldn’t.
As long as she wasn’t the one to make a move, if anything truly happened, laoye could not blame her.
Hu yiniang left the main house with a face as dark as water.
The sun was already high.
Although it was autumn, the weather was still scorching hot, even more unbearable than summer.
Walking along the garden path, she plucked a leaf, crushed it in her hand, and then threw it onto the ground.
Seeing this, her maid Hongmei asked, “Yiniang, aren’t you going back to your room?”
Hu yiniang smiled, “Bai yiniang is pregnant, and I haven’t congratulated her yet. Let’s go, we’re paying a visit to Xiangsi Courtyard.”
Hongmei looked worried. “Yiniang, taitai is clearly using you as a knife to deal with Bai yiniang. Laoye has made it clear that anyone who dares to harm Bai yiniang will face severe consequences. Please think twice.”
Hu yiniang turned to look at Hongmei and said, “Laoye‘s words must be obeyed, but taitai‘s words must be obeyed even more.”
“Nubi doesn’t understand,” Hongmei said, looking puzzled.
Hu yiniang sighed. “Zhen’er has reached the age to discuss marriage. And Heng’er, he needs to study, enter officialdom, and eventually marry and start a family. For all these matters, we need taitai‘s support.
“If I don’t listen to taitai, what if she randomly arranges a marriage for Zhen’er here in the northwest? What then? The northwest is harsh and bitter. While laoye is serving as an official here, the groom’s family might still show Zhen’er some respect.
“But laoye won’t stay in the northwest forever. When he leaves, we’ll leave with him, but Zhen’er will be left behind, far away in this desolate land. If she’s mistreated, who will stand up for her? My greatest fear is that one day, my daughter will die in the northwest, and I won’t even know about it, let alone be there to see her one last time.”
Speaking of her sorrow, Hu yiniang couldn’t hold back her tears.
“No, that won’t happen. It definitely won’t,” Hongmei quickly comforted her.
Hu yiniang wiped her tears. “Now do you understand why I must listen to taitai?”
Hongmei nodded repeatedly. “Nubi understands. Everything yiniang does is for the sake of the da guniang and si shaoye.”
Hu yiniang’s heart ached, and she sighed deeply. “For Zhen’er and Heng’er, even if I have to become the most wicked person, I’m willing. Besides, that wretched Bai shi dared to scheme against Zhen’er at the banquet, making her lose face in front of so many people. How can I let this go? She wants to give birth to a son? I won’t let her have her way.”
With a ruthless statement, Hu yiniang strode resolutely toward Xiangsi Courtyard.
Xiangsi Courtyard was lively, filled with the laughter of maids and servants.
Bai yiniang had finally turned her luck around. If she gave birth to a son, everyone in Xiangsi Courtyard would rise in status. Even when speaking, they could be more confident than servants from other courtyards—because they had the backing.
“Isn’t this Hu yiniang?”
The gatekeeper of Xiangsi Courtyard smirked, showing no respect at all.
Hu yiniang didn’t take offence. “I’ve come to visit Bai meimei. Please announce my arrival.”
With that, she placed a string of coins into the gatekeeper’s hand.
The gatekeeper weighed the money and said, “Wait here. Nubi will inform my yiniang that Hu yiniang is here.”
After the gatekeeper left, Hongmei muttered angrily, “A dog looking down on people. She’ll have her downfall sooner or later.”
Hu yiniang reminded her, “Don’t waste energy arguing with such petty people.”
After a while, the gatekeeper returned. “Hu yiniang, please come in. My yiniang was delighted to hear that you’ve come.”
Hu yiniang smiled faintly. “Oh? Bai meimei is really happy?”
The gatekeeper grinned. “Of course! Nubi wouldn’t dare lie about such things.”
Hu yiniang chuckled. “I appreciate it.”
She stepped into Xiangsi Courtyard.
Laoye favored Bai yiniang, so her courtyard was much larger than Hu yiniang’s, with better lighting too.
Even though she was dissatisfied, Hu yiniang hid her true feelings well, without showing the slightest trace of them.
A maid led her into the bedroom.
Bai yiniang was lying in bed, resting and nurturing her pregnancy.
“Hu jiejie is here! Please sit.”
“Meimei is now with child. Don’t get up, just rest properly,”
Hu yiniang stepped forward and gently pressed down on Bai yiniang’s shoulder to keep her lying down.
“Meimei doesn’t look well. You must have hurt yourself yesterday. You must take care of yourself—after all, laoye is counting on you to give birth to a son.”
Bai yiniang lightly caressed her belly. “Does jiejie also think this child will be a boy?”
Hu yiniang nodded. “It certainly will be a boy.”
Bai yiniang smiled. “Then I’ll take your good wishes to heart.”
Hu yiniang held Bai yiniang’s hand and began sharing her knowledge about childcare.
Bai yiniang listened intently.
Hu yiniang’s eyes narrowed slightly. That wretched Bai shi—she wants to have a son? Dream on.
Even if she is lucky enough to give birth to him, her child will never grow up.
In this fu, anyone who offended taitai would never have a good ending.
Bai yiniang would be no exception.
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