Gu daren’s face turned livid with anger, and he flung his sleeve as he prepared to leave.
Xie shi was instantly frightened. She reached out and grabbed the hem of his sleeve.
“Laoye, qieshen was muddle-headed. Qieshen was wrong, Qieshen truly knows my mistake…”
Gu daren was so furious he couldn’t even speak. He had to take several deep breaths before he managed to suppress the fire in his chest.
“In the northwest, you always conducted yourself well. Why is it that since coming to the capital, you’ve disappointed benguan again and again? Is it that benguan’s expectations are too high, or that you are simply too foolish?”
Xie shi burst into tears.
The maidservants had long since withdrawn and carefully closed the doors.
Shaking her head repeatedly, Xie shi cried, “Laoye, qieshen truly knows I was wrong. Ever since returning to the capital, my health has been poor, and mishaps kept following. Qieshen lost my senses for a moment and let wild thoughts take over. Qieshen will never do so again.”
Gu daren gave a cold snort, his gaze chilling as it bore into her. “If you think benguan’s expectations are excessive, and you cannot meet them, then say so. Benguan will not force you. From now on, you need not meddle in the children’s marriages. Benguan will personally see to suitable matches.
“If this was only a moment of muddle-headedness, then benguan expects you to quickly regain clarity. Stop saying foolish things and doing foolish deeds.
“Remember, this is the capital, not the northwest. And this capital is not the same capital you married into years ago. This capital is filled with blades and hidden arrows, a battlefield without smoke.
“If you dare bring ruin, then no matter how many children you have borne for me, no matter how much toil and merit you claim, benguan will not spare you.”
Weeping, Xie shi said, “Qieshen will listen to laoye, qieshen dare not bring harm. Qieshen only wanted the children to marry into good families. Qieshen was just a little too anxious.”
Gu daren bent down, gripping her jawbone between his fingers. Coldly, he said, “Ensuring the children marry into good families is not your concern. All you need to do is obediently follow the hou fu’s arrangements, and their marriages will naturally proceed smoothly.
“If you insist on showing off, trying to prove your cleverness, I advise you to abandon that thought at once.
“Or do you imagine yourself wiser, more experienced, more farsighted than the hou fu’s lao furen? Furen, do not make a fool of yourself again. Benguan’s patience is limited.
“What ‘choosing a wife for the imperial grandson’? Even the hou fu dares not provoke such matters – where did you find the confidence to dream of marrying Shan’er into a wang fu? Truly, your mind is unsound.”
Pitifully, Xie shi said, “Laoye is right, qieshen was indeed not clear-headed. Qieshen was far too arrogant to imagine marrying Shan’er into a wang fu. Qieshen will never make such a mistake again. I will follow only your will. Please, laoye, grant me another chance.”
Gu daren gave a cold snort and flung her away. “Benguan has already given you many chances. Did you seize them?”
“This time qieshen will grasp it! I will never disappoint you again.” Xie shi sobbed miserably, gasping for breath, her appearance a complete ruin.
Gu daren closed his eyes, sighed once, and finally said, “Enough. Benguan will not pursue this matter further. But do not let benguan hear such foolishness again. Benguan’s patience is limited – you know the consequences.
“Also, this New Year, none of the Xie family are to be received. Benguan overlooked last year’s gift, but this year, any gifts from the Xie household – throw them out.”
Xie shi froze. “Laoye, the Xie family is, after all, qieshen’s natal family. Even if my da ge has erred, qieshen’s parents, my er ge and his family…”
“Did you not hear benguan’s words?” Gu daren cut her off without hesitation.
Xie shi’s lips trembled, her face drained of colour, looking as though she might faint.
Gu daren sneered coldly. “Furen, you had best remember benguan’s words – do not feign obedience while secretly defying benguan. You must understand: everything you have today comes from benguan, not from your natal family.
“Xie Mao insulted benguan, humiliated benguan, and yet you still dream benguan might get along with him? Are you too naïve, or do you take benguan for a fool? Even now, you do not see it clearly? Xie Mao and benguan are irreconcilable. You must choose between us. Benguan has nothing more to say. Reflect well.”
This time, Xie shi did not try to stop him. She just sat there in a daze, watching him leave.
Then suddenly, she burst into laughter – laughter filled with tears, sharp with mockery.
Chun He entered from outside and panicked at the sight of Xie shi sitting on the floor. She hurried forward to help her up, but could not lift her.
“Taitai, are you alright?”
Xie shi gave a bitter laugh. “Everyone wants to push me, to drive me mad? They say I am foolish? Yet he once said I was a virtuous wife – that only with me could he devote himself to officialdom without distraction.
“All these years, who has been keeping this household? Who has raised his children? He curses my da ge for arrogance, but why does he never think – how much has my brother done for this family over the years?”
Chun He’s heart thumped with fear. Was taitai truly complaining against laoye?
Anxious, she urged, “Taitai, please stop. If someone carries these words to laoye’s ears, it will be dangerous. Let nubi help you up, alright?”
Xie shi lifted her head, staring at Chun He. “You also think I was foolish, that I was wrong?”
Chun He shook her head repeatedly. “No, never, taitai. But this is not the time to say such things. And besides, some of what laoye said is not without reason. Even the hou fu, with all its wealth and honour, does not dare marry its daughters into the imperial clan. For people like us, we ought to keep our distance from royalty.”
Xie shi rose to her feet, giving a cold snort. “They are far too cautious – that is why each generation is weaker than the last. Wealth and honour do not fall from the heavens.
“If you want wealth and honour, you must fight for them, strive for them, seize them. They only see the risks of marrying a daughter into a wang fu – why do they not see the rewards?
“Look at my da ge – if he had been like the hou fu or the Gu family, always cowering in fear, would the Xie family have risen to such heights? Would he have become an official in the Eastern Palace, soaring into the ranks of the powerful? How did all this come about? By daring greatly and calculating shrewdly!”
By the end, Xie shi’s teeth were clenched, her face twisted with resentment.
Chun He listened in terror to her words.
Carefully, she tried to soothe her, “Taitai, the hou fu already enjoys wealth and honour at its peak. To go any higher is to adorn flowers with brocade, to pour oil on flames – glory at its height, yet only to decline. Nubi thinks, by avoiding ties with the royal clan, even if nothing more can be said, at least the hou fu can preserve its fortune for three generations.”
Xie shi gave a cold laugh, her gaze fixed on Chun He. “I didn’t expect you to understand the principle of oil boiling over a raging fire – that when prosperity reaches its peak, decline soon follows.”
Chun He lowered her head. “It’s all because of taitai’s good teaching. Nubi was once just a foolish little maid who knew nothing. Ever since nubi came to serve at taitai’s side, I’ve gained insight and learned skills from you. That is why I am who I am today.”
Xie shi nodded. “You’re right. The hou fu fears prosperity tipping into decline – but our Gu household has no need to fear. The hou fu has already reached the pinnacle of wealth and power. Our Gu family, however, has yet to truly attain it. Do you understand?
“True prosperity is still tens of thousands of miles away for the Gu family. Without marriage alliances, relying only on the men’s struggles in officialdom – how many years would it take to enjoy real wealth and honour?
“Ten years? Twenty? Fifty? Could I even live to see that day? What’s worse, even if the men toil their entire lives, at most they can only preserve the current standing. Generation by generation, the descendants will grow weaker.
“I fear that once I’m gone, the children and grandchildren will slip further into poverty and decline. But if we start preparing now, forging a marriage alliance with the imperial family – not to say a hundred years of glory, but fifty years of stability at least should be guaranteed.
“Heh… but unfortunately, laoye has been frightened into submission. He doesn’t dare. He dares to do nothing! He only ever listens to the hou fu. If they say east, he won’t dare go west. Why must everything be according to houye’s will?”
Crash!
Xie shi swept all the teacups from the table onto the floor.
Chun He’s face turned deathly pale. “Taitai, please, nubi begs you, stop talking like this. Laoye has only just returned to the capital and doesn’t yet understand the situation. Listening to the hou fu cannot be wrong. Taitai, please don’t let your mind run wild.”
“You also think I’m raving nonsense?” Xie shi’s eyes gleamed fiercely, fixing on Chun He like a predator.
Chun He’s heart pounded frantically. “Taitai misunderstands. Nubi only worries for taitai’s health. Didn’t you say that once the New Year passes, you will confront the eldest madam and contend for the authority of household management? If taitai doesn’t take care of herself, how will you contend with her?”
Xie shi gave a cold snort. “My health may be frail, but not so weak that I cannot manage the household.”
“Taitai will not only have to oversee all household affairs, but also prepare dowries for san guniang. And once da guniang’s marriage is settled, you’ll have to prepare her dowry too. One thing after another – nubi fears taitai may exhaust yourself.”
Xie shi chuckled softly. “You do have a glib tongue. Very well. Forget what I just said. Pretend you never heard it.”
Chun He hastily replied, “Nubi heard nothing at all. I’ll go brew some tea for taitai.”
“Go, then.”
Chun He hurried out the door. Standing beneath the eaves, the cold wind on her face finally steadied her racing heart.
Inside the room, she had truly been scared half to death.
She couldn’t explain why, but taitai’s words felt dangerous – improper, even perilous.
Isn’t life good enough as it is now? Why stir up trouble?
“Chun He jiejie, are you all right?”
The maid Dong Mei, noticing her pale face, asked with concern.
Chun He shook her head. “I’m fine. I’m going to make tea for taitai.”
She rushed off.
Dong Mei, puzzled, glanced toward the room. She figured taitai must have been up to some mischief again.
In the neighbouring hou fu, the old houye arrived at Songhe Hall.
All his sons and daughters-in-law were present.
The old houye spoke, “Qi’er and Ying’er are both on the Palace Registry. From the Gu fu next door, Gu Jiu and Gu Shan are also listed.”
At these words, everyone frowned.
Wei lao furen asked, “How is it that Xiao Jiu and Shan’er are also on the list?”
The old houye answered gravely, “Every di daughter of a fourth-rank official in the capital has been registered.”
Wei lao furen sighed. “If the palace is doing things this way, I fear it will cause trouble.”
Wei shi tried to reassure her, “Lao furen, please rest easy. Even if Xiao Jiu and Shan’er are listed, no prince would likely choose their names.”
Wang shi and Duan shi both nodded.
The imperial grandsons were no fools. Even with restrictions preventing them from choosing freely, they still would not pick Gu Jiu or Gu Shan.
The only reason those two appeared on the list was the blanket rule that every di daughter of an official above the fourth rank had to be registered.
In truth, when imperial grandsons married, they sought wives whose natal families were powerful enough to provide real backing.
Frankly speaking, the Gu fu next door could not meet the expectations of an imperial grandson’s marriage alliance.
Wei lao furen turned to the old houye. “What about Qi’er and Ying’er, then?”
The old houye said sternly, “There is no way to remove their names from the registry. The only option now is to settle engagements for both of them as quickly as possible.”
“So little time – where can we find suitable matches?”
Wang shi grew anxious. She didn’t want her beloved daughter Gu Qi to marry into the imperial clan, but she also couldn’t bear the thought of marrying her off carelessly.
The old houye’s face hardened. “All this time, have you not found even one good family?”
“This…” Wang shi said reluctantly, “There are some we’ve looked at, but I thought to take more time considering. Now, with this sudden matter of the imperial grandsons choosing wives, it is truly vexing.”
Wei lao furen asked, “Old man, has the palace decreed that the princes of age must choose wives in this round?”
The old houye’s eyes lit up. “That indeed is not the case.”
“In other words, the imperial grandsons can take this chance to choose a wife – or not?”
The old houye nodded repeatedly. “Exactly. If you think about it carefully, His Majesty doesn’t actually want all the grandsons gathering to choose brides. But he couldn’t very well refuse the Empress niangniang outright, so he agreed. I trust all the princes and royal sons understand this as well. So this so-called ‘selection of wives’ for the imperial grandsons will involve no more than ten at most.”
“Likely not even ten.”
Gu Zhiwen said, “It’s plain as day that this is niangniang’s pretext to stir up trouble. The princes and royal sons certainly won’t walk straight into the trap. At worst, they’ll send along some unimportant son just to make a show of it. And the sons they don’t value are almost always shu-born. But shu-born grandsons aren’t qualified to marry our hou fu’s daughters. Er di, san di, you both may rest easy.”
The old houye shook his head. “Don’t forget there are still two young gentlemen in the Eastern Palace who haven’t wed. And moreover, the Empress herself has named Gongzi Zhao. These three all have the standing to wed our daughters. Whether marrying into the Eastern Palace or to Gongzi Zhao – it would be an ill match.”
Wei lao furen spoke, “The Eastern Palace must have its eye on the daughters of Lu hou fu.”
“If the two gongzi of the Eastern Palace wish to wed Lu hou’s daughters, they’ll first have to pass His Majesty’s scrutiny. And His Majesty will never permit the Eastern Palace to take Lu hou’s daughter as a wife.”
“In that case, Lu hou’s girls can only be married into the nobility, not the imperial clan?”
The old houye nodded. “More or less.”
Wei lao furen frowned. “Er xifu, san xifu – you must hurry. As soon as a suitable family appears, arrange engagements for Qi’er and Ying’er without delay. One thing is certain: our girls must not marry into the royal clan, least of all the Eastern Palace.”
[T/N: Xifu – daughter-in-law.]
“But in so short a time, where can we find the right families?”
“Find them you must, whether or not it’s easy.”
Wei shi said, “I do have a few suitable matches in mind – it just depends whether er dimei and san dimei approve.”
“Dasao, do tell us quickly.”
Wei shi had many connections and resources when it came to unwed sons and daughters. She rattled off four or five households in one breath.
Wang shi and Duan shi both said they would need time to consider.
It concerned their precious daughters’ futures – they dared not decide rashly.
Wei lao furen reminded them, “If there’s a good match, secure it quickly. Should another family swoop in first, regret will come too late.”
Both second and third madams answered in unison, promising to give their reply by tomorrow.
While the hou fu fretted over Qi’er and Ying’er’s marriages, they hadn’t realised that their own young sons had already caught other people’s eyes.
Just as they were speaking, a matchmaker arrived at the door with a proposal.
Not only the hou fu’s sons, but even the unmarried sons of the Gu family had become targets of civil and military officials alike.
At the same time, two matchmakers turned up at Gu fu with marriage proposals.
Today, the matchmakers of the capital were truly busy – and of course, making plenty of money.
These two matchmakers weren’t just representing two families, but four.
Those four families had their sights set on er shaoye Gu Jue, san shaoye Gu Ting, wu shaoye Gu Wang and liu shaoye Gu Cheng.
Gu Jue and Gu Wang, both born of the main wife of the eldest branch, still had not been betrothed. Gu Ting and Gu Cheng were di sons of the second branch.
The two matchmakers faced Gu Zhiming and Gu Zhili, their tongues wagging nonstop, determined to secure a match and earn their fee.
The two Gu brothers felt their heads pounding.
Intrigue at court, they could handle. But handling matchmakers? That was another matter entirely.
Gu Zhiming slapped the table. “Go, summon da taitai and er taitai here. Tell them matchmakers have come to the door. And call in erlang, sanlang, wulang and liulang. These are their life-long matters – they must hear for themselves.”
The servants obeyed at once.
The matchmakers fawned, “Da laoye is truly thoughtful.”
Gu Zhiming snorted coldly, thoroughly disdainful of them.
The dead, in their mouths, could be painted as alive. A worthless man, they could praise as if he were a blossom. Even an ugly monster, they would liken to Xi Shi or Diao Chan.
[T/N: Xi Shi (西施) and Diao Chan (貂蝉) – Two of the legendary Four Beauties of ancient China, celebrated for their peerless beauty. Their names are often used as metaphors for extraordinary attractiveness.]
In short, one could never hear a word of truth from a matchmaker.
“Guniang, bad news – matchmakers have come with a proposal for san shaoye!”
Xiao Cui rushed breathlessly back to Zhilan Yuan.
Gu Jiu shot to her feet. “Truly? Matchmakers at our door?”
“As true as can be. And not just for san shaoye – for er shaoye, wu shaoye and liu shaoye as well!”
Gu Jiu gritted her teeth. “Come – let’s go see for ourselves in the front hall.”
When it came to a proposal for Gu Ting, she wouldn’t be at ease unless she kept a close watch herself.
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