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Xie shi froze for a moment, then immediately stood up and went out to greet him personally.
“Laoye is here!”
She met Gu daren at the door.
His expression was dark, like a storm was brewing.
Xie shi’s heart skipped a beat, unease rising within her.
Gu daren walked straight into the room and sat in the main seat, his expression stern and imposing without needing to show anger.
His eyes landed on Xie shi’s face, increasing her pressure immensely.
She lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze.
What should she do? How could she explain the matter with Gu Zhen so that laoye would believe her?
Xie shi felt aggrieved—she truly was innocent in this matter. But would he believe her?
Gathering her courage, she looked up at Gu daren.
“Laoye…”
Her voice was weak, filled with worry, anxiety, conflict, struggle, and a hint of innocence.
Gu daren didn’t even blink. “Isn’t furen planning to explain what happened with Zhen yatou?”
“This matter is my fault,” she replied simply. “I never imagined dasao from my maiden family would be so bold as to scheme against Zhen yatou right under our noses. Had I known her intentions, I definitely wouldn’t have invited her. Even if I had, I would’ve had someone watch her closely—never would I have let her find an opportunity.”
Gu daren stared at her. “Is that all furen has to say?”
His tone was calm, but Xie shi heard the anger beneath it.
She didn’t hesitate anymore and quickly said, “Laoye, qieshen was negligent in my management and gave others a chance to exploit. That is qieshen’s fault, and I accept any punishment you see fit.
“But I truly didn’t know beforehand what my dasao and Xie erlang were planning. It was a maid who noticed something was wrong and informed me in time—that’s when I realised something had happened to Zhen yatou.
“At that moment, I scolded dasao and Xie erlang harshly. They dared to dream of marrying Zhen yatou—impossible! I told them to get lost. I would never allow such a thing. Laoye, every word qieshen said is true—please believe me.”
Gu daren’s face remained cold. “That’s your explanation?”
Xie shi panicked. “Laoye, I truly didn’t deceive you. I had no knowledge of it beforehand.”
Gu daren sneered. “It’s possible you didn’t know in advance. But don’t you know what kind of people your dasao and that dage are? In the past, had I not told you to stay away from them? But ever since we returned to the capital, you’ve kept associating with them over and over again. What happened to Zhen yatou today is no accident—it was a calculated scheme.
“Your brother, Xie Mao, has gone too far. Time and again, he’s tried to provoke benguan. Does he really think benguan can’t do anything to him? Since he dared to pull this trick in benguan’s fu, plotting against benguan’s daughter, then he’d better not blame benguan for being ruthless and making him pay.”
Gu daren was furious. If not for a shred of reason left, he’d have stormed the Xie fu already.
Xie shi was terrified. “Laoye, maybe there’s been a misunderstanding. My da ge isn’t such a short-sighted person. Even if there was a scheme, it wouldn’t be aimed at a shu-born daughter like Zhen yatou. This seems more like something my dasao and Xie erlang would’ve done. Please investigate this clearly.”
Gu daren snorted coldly and sneered, “Even if your da ge didn’t do it himself, so what? Who told him to marry Ma shi and father Xie Ding? One is his legitimate wife, and one is his own son. Whatever those two do, he bears responsibility for it.”
“Laoye, if we fall out completely with my da ge, what will happen to Zhen yatou? How will she live the rest of her life? Can she still live well?” Xie shi broke down in tears.
As she cried, she continued, “It’s not that qieshen is intentionally trying to stop laoye, but the circumstances left me no choice. When Zhen yatou’s incident occurred, Zhao liu guniang of Haixi bo fu was nearby and witnessed everything clearly. By now, I fear Haixi bo fu already knows what happened. Zhen yatou’s engagement is almost certainly doomed.”
Gu daren stared intently at Xie shi. “What are you trying to say?”
Xie shi cautiously said, “Now Zhen yatou has only three paths left. First, we delay things for two more years, wait until this scandal is forgotten, and then arrange a marriage. But by then, her youth will be gone, and we may not find a good match.
“Second, we send her to marry far away. But qieshen can’t bear it. A young woman marrying far from home, with no family nearby—if anything happens, who will help her? If her husband’s family is kind, she might be okay. But what if she meets someone who’s cruel under a kind face? Wouldn’t she be like a lamb thrown to wolves?
“The last option is for her to marry Xie Ding. The Xie family is at fault, and with you backing her, neither Xie Ding nor anyone else in the Xie family would dare mistreat her. The only concern is whether Zhen yatou herself would be willing.”
Gu daren snorted coldly. “You want Zhen yatou to marry Xie Ding?”
“It’s not what I want. But it’s the best option available right now. Isn’t that what you’re thinking too, laoye?”
Gu daren suddenly laughed, but his eyes were icy cold. “Xie shi, understand this clearly—after all the times Xie Mao has schemed against benguan, there is no way benguan will ever make a family alliance with him. You remember that well.
“And tell Xie Mao this—if he dares set his sights on benguan’s children again, I won’t mind helping arrange marriages for the girls of the Xie family either.”
His words were ruthless, and Xie shi trembled all over.
“Then what about Zhen yatou?”
“We’ll talk about Zhen yatou’s marriage when there’s news from Haixi bo fu.”
“If the bo fu isn’t interested in Zhen yatou, then according to laoye’s wishes, wouldn’t that be delaying her entire future?”
Gu daren’s face darkened. “Benguan’s daughter — I’d rather she remain unmarried than let her marry into the Xie family.”
Xie shi was on the verge of tears. “Does laoye hate my da ge that much?”
“He dared to let his wife and son cause trouble in benguan’s fu. The fact that benguan didn’t cut down that mother and son on the spot is already merciful. From now on, no one from the Xie family is allowed to set foot here. And none of my children is to visit Xie fu either. As for you — figure it out yourself.”
Xie shi broke down, sobbing loudly.
She knew it would come to this.
The situation she feared the most had still come to pass.
At that moment, Xie shi was filled with hatred toward Ma shi and Xie erlang. Those wretched things had caused her such a disaster.
Crying, she said, “Laoye, qieshen truly had nothing to do with this…”
Gu daren nodded. “I know it’s not your fault. But who made Xie Mao your da ge?”
Xie shi’s tear-filled eyes looked at him. “Can’t laoye and my da ge reconcile? He’s loyal to His Highness the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince ascends to the throne in the future, laoye could benefit greatly too.”
Gu daren sneered, “When His Highness truly becomes emperor, you can come say that again.”
Xie shi was stunned.
Gu daren frowned. “Didn’t furen understand today’s banquet at all? The guests were all from meritorious and noble families.”
Xie shi was confused — understand what?
“Wasn’t the banquet to celebrate laoye’s promotion?”
Gu daren laughed at himself. “Promotion? Does furen really think going from governor of Jinzhou to prefect of the capital is a promotion?”
Xie shi was speechless. She didn’t understand the ways of officialdom.
She had read little, skilled in inner-court schemes, but lacking the broader view.
When it came to government affairs — simply put, she was just a woman, how could she understand such matters? These were things for men to worry about.
As a wife, she believed supporting her husband and managing the fu was enough.
That had been sufficient when Gu daren was a provincial officer.
But now, in the capital, with an entirely different political environment, Xie shi’s knowledge and ability were far from enough.
Looking at her, Gu daren’s gaze gradually filled with disappointment.
Indeed, he should not have expected too much from her.
In the past, he had thought Xie shi was gentle, flattering, and good at serving people — he was very pleased.
Compared to his deceased first wife, Su shi, Gu daren had always thought Xie shi was better.
But now, just a little over a month back in the capital, reality had slapped him hard.
As a wife, Xie shi was completely unqualified.
Gu daren sighed. In his youth, reckless and lustful, he didn’t understand the importance of marrying a virtuous woman.
He had thought daughters of noble families were overly proper and dull — far from his ideal of a beautiful wife.
After marrying Xie shi officially, she had fulfilled all his fantasies of an ideal wife.
For a few years, their relationship had been sweet and full of affection.
But one could not remain youthful forever, and thoughts change with age.
Now middle-aged, Gu daren had lost his youthful passion and ideals — he had become more practical.
Living in the capital’s vast web of politics, he often felt powerless.
In the yamen, every task met with endless obstructions.
In name, he was the capital’s prefect.
In truth, there were at least thirty to fifty superiors above him, all nitpicking and criticising his every move.
In just a short time as prefect of the capital, he had already suffered much.
At this point, he desperately needed to build connections.
Though the banquet was officially to celebrate his “promotion,” it was really a chance to network.
And the hou fu had helped him greatly with that.
They created opportunities for him to build his network — and as his wife, Xie shi was supposed to play her part as a supportive partner.
Yet looking at her still-blank expression, Gu daren couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
She was the wife he had insisted on marrying, against all advice.
The more satisfied he had been with her in the past, the more disappointed he was now.
Gu daren smiled bitterly. He regretted his youthful impulsiveness, casting aside the wisdom passed down by his ancestors. Now, he was paying the price for ignoring their words.
Had he followed advice and married a well-matched noblewoman, she might not have been anything special otherwise — but at least in terms of building connections in the capital, she would have been far better than Xie shi.
He waved his hand. “That’s enough.”
He was tired and was too lazy to argue anymore.
Xie shi grabbed his sleeve. “Laoye, qieshen…”
She looked at him with pleading eyes, clearly hoping he would stay the night in her quarters.
Gu daren removed her hand and said coldly, “Benguan is tired today. You should rest early too. Benguan’s words… I hope you truly took them to heart.”
Xie shi could only watch as he walked away, silently sobbing.
Chun He came in from outside. “Taitai, laoye has left. Please stop crying, or you’ll ruin your eyes.”
Listening to Chun He’s advice, Xie shi slowly stopped crying.
She gritted her teeth. “Xie Ding and that wretched Ma woman caused me so much suffering. I won’t let this go.”
“What does taitai plan to do?”
Xie shi snorted coldly. “First, let’s wait for news from Haixi bo fu. Tomorrow, go to the hou fu and tell da furen that laoye has agreed to the marriage between Zhen yatou and Zhao silang. As long as Haixi bo fu agrees, we’ll pick an auspicious date and settle the engagement before the New Year.”
Chun He looked surprised and asked in a low voice, “Taitai, after what happened to da guniang, can she still marry into Haixi bo fu?”
Xie shi said, “Whether she can marry into Haixi bo fu isn’t the point. What matters is that we must make our stance clear. In any case, just do as I say.”
Chun He nodded. “Nubi understands. Also, the accounts room sent over the ledger for all the banquet expenses. Does taitai want to look over it?”
Xie shi waved her hand. “I’m tired. Just tell me how much silver was spent.”
Chun He opened the ledger and said, “All expenses included, along with tips for the maidservants and old nannies, the total came to 1,800 taels. Of that, 300 taels were covered by the main household. The remaining 1,500 taels were borne by our second branch.”
“What?” Xie shi was so shocked she nearly jumped up. “How did the accounts room come up with such a figure? How could it cost that much? Did you check the numbers? Are they even accurate?”
Chun He lowered her head, a little embarrassed. “Nubi couldn’t make sense of the ledger the accounts room gave me, so they couldn’t be verified. Also, the supporting receipts are still with the accounts room.”
Xie shi gritted her teeth. “The main branch must be scheming against our branch. That greedy old woman Zhang shi is already clinging to the right to manage the fu, and now she even wants to pocket money from the banquet? What a dreamer.
“It’s too late today. Tomorrow morning, take the ledger and come with me to the council hall. I want to question Zhang shi to her face—does she even have a shred of shame left?”
“Taitai, would you like to review the ledger first and look for any discrepancies? That way, you’ll be more confident when confronting da taitai tomorrow.” Chun He suggested softly.
Xie shi nodded—Chun He had a point. She took the ledger from Chun He and opened it, immediately frowning.
“What is going on with these accounts?” The accounts were a mess—she couldn’t understand a thing.
Chun He said softly, “Nubi asked the people in the accounts room. They said this bookkeeping method is learned from the hou fu. This is how big households in the capital keep their books. Taitai, should we get a professional bookkeeper to examine the accounts?”
“Where am I supposed to find a professional bookkeeper at this hour? And we can’t let an outsider look at internal household accounts.”
“Taitai is right. Then, how about calling Steward Gao tomorrow morning? Nubi recalls he used to handle accounts as well.”
Xie shi frowned. “Gao Sanfu alone probably won’t be enough. We need help from laoye’s advisor, Ma shiye.
Ma shiye was the advisor in charge of finances—calculations were his specialty. He and his entire family came to the capital this time. They were living in a small two-courtyard house behind Gu fu. Liu shiye didn’t come to the capital with them. Right now, official affairs around Gu daren were mainly being handled by Ma shiye and Gu Yu.
Chun He said, “Tomorrow morning, I’ll send someone to invite Ma shiye to the fu.”
Xie shi snorted coldly. “Let’s see what excuses Zhang shi can make then.”
That night was long, and many people couldn’t sleep.
Gu Yue tossed and turned, her mind in turmoil.
She called out, and her maid Putao entered from the outer room. “Guniang, what’s wrong?”
Gu Yue sat up in bed. “Is da jiejie still crying?”
Putao shook her head. “Da guniang cried all day—her voice is hoarse now. Nubi didn’t hear any more crying, so she must have fallen asleep.”
Gu Yue quietly let out a breath of relief. “She cried all day—I could hear her from my side. She almost drove me crazy.”
Putao wanted to say, Isn’t she crying because of you, guniang? But she didn’t dare—those thoughts had to stay in her heart.
Gu Yue frowned, looking thoroughly irritated.
At that moment, nothing pleased her.
Putao tried to console her. “Guniang should get some rest. You still have to greet taitai first thing tomorrow.”
“I know. I just can’t sleep from all the anxiety.”
She looked toward Furong Yuan. “Putao, do you think Mother and Father have already settled da jiejie’s marriage?”
Putao hesitated before replying, “Nubi heard that laoye only stayed at Furong Yuan for less than half an hour before leaving.”
Gu Yue was stunned. “Really?”
Putao nodded.
“And you didn’t tell me something this important?” Gu Yue snapped.
Putao replied, aggrieved, “Guniang had already gone to bed by then. Nubi didn’t dare disturb you.”
Gu Yue snorted. “Do you know what expression Father had when he left Furong Yuan? What was going on there?”
“Nubi doesn’t know.”
“‘Don’t know’ this, ‘don’t know’ that—what use are you?”
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