Gu daren let out a hearty laugh. “Coming to visit Bai yiniang, you’ve punished her long enough. In benguan’s opinion, starting today, stop punishing her.
“Also, this maid Chun He, she’s perceptive and capable. Benguan likes her. Pick a lucky day tomorrow and elevate her to the position of yiniang. What do you think?”
Xie shi gave a faint, ironic smile. “Laoye has already made the decision. Does my opinion even matter?”
Gu daren feigned consideration for her. “Chun He is your maid after all, so naturally I should ask you first.”
Xie shi glanced at Chun He. “Fine, elevate Chun He to yiniang. Consider the marriage that was arranged for her before as never having happened. This maid has always been devoted to laoye. Even while serving in the Furong Yuan, she was already thinking of sewing and mending for him. Laoye, is her sewing skill good?”
Xie shi’s eyes flickered with mockery.
Gu daren laughed heartily. “Very good, very good. Arrange for Chun He to become a yiniang without delay. Benguan has other pressing matters, I’ll leave first.”
Gu daren, acting like a hands-off manager, left.
The gate of the Xiangsi Yuan immediately felt cold and empty.
Chun He acted decisively and knelt straight down.
She raised her hand and slapped herself hard.
“Taitai is magnanimous; please forgive nubi this once. From now on, nubi will continue to serve taitai faithfully, wholeheartedly attending to her affairs.”
Xie shi stepped forward and, without a word, struck Chun He across the face several times.
She swung left and right, and after a few blows, Chun He’s face swelled.
Chun He endured the pain, letting Xie shi hit her.
Once Xie shi was finished, Chun He said, “Nubi have never thought of betraying taitai. Nubi’s loyalty to you is as clear as the sun and moon.”
Xie shi gave a cold, contemptuous laugh. “Shut up! How dare you talk about loyalty. You really think that because you climbed into laoye’s bed, I couldn’t deal with you?”
“Please, taitai, spare me. Please, taitai, spare me,” Chun He kowtowed repeatedly.
Xie shi kicked her over. “Wretched maid, how dare you betray your master?”
“Nubi has not betrayed my master. Nubi wouldn’t dare betray my master.”
“You still dare to argue!”
Xie shi raised her hand to strike again.
Suddenly, the gate of the courtyard next door opened, and Tan yiniang stepped out.
“Qie pays respects to taitai. Early this morning, I heard a commotion outside. The maid said you were out there, and at first, I didn’t believe it. But when I came out, I saw that you truly were here.”
Xie shi withdrew her hand. She suddenly realized that the one she needed to deal with was not Chun He, but Tan yiniang.
Tan yiniang was the real threat.
As for Chun He, since she was so eager to climb into Master’s bed, letting her succeed was acceptable.
Using Chun He against Tan shi was also a clever idea.
Xie shi looked at Tan. “If you have nothing to do, go back inside and lie down. This doesn’t concern you. Chun He, come with me back to the Furong Yuan.”
“Yes, taitai,” Chun He obediently said.
Chun He stood and followed Xie shi.
Tan yiniang sneered quietly and glanced at Bai yiniang next door before returning to her courtyard.
Bai yiniang’s expression relaxed, a gleam of satisfaction and calculation in her eyes. Her suffering had not been in vain.
Back at the Furong Yuan, Xie shi immediately ordered Chun He, “Kneel!”
Chun He obediently knelt.
Xie shi slammed a hand on the table. “Who gave you the audacity to collude with Bai yiniang and climb into laoye’s bed?”
“I only wish to serve laoye wholeheartedly, taitai. Please grant me this wish,” Chun He replied.
“Presumptuous! Of course, now that you’ve grown, your heart has grown wild. What, dissatisfied with the marriage I arranged for you?”
Chun He lowered her head and replied humbly, “Nubi dares not.”
“I see you dare a lot,” Xie shi said coldly.
At this point, Chun He could say nothing. She lowered her head, waiting for punishment.
Unexpectedly, after a while, she heard Xie shi say, “Since you are determined to become laoye’s yiniang, I’ll grant you that.”
Chun He was overjoyed but also full of confusion.
“What are your instructions, taitai?”
Xie shi smiled. “Smart, as expected. You should know what to do without my instructions.”
Chun He nodded repeatedly. “Nubi understands. Nubi will help taitai, ensure Tan yiniang falls out of favor, and leave her with no standing in the household.”
Xie shi lifted her teacup and took a sip. “Your training has not been wasted. Now, what exactly happened with Bai yiniang?”
Chun He looked guilty. “Nubi promised her that once things succeeded, nubi would speak for her before laoye, sparing her labor.”
Xie shi looked at Chun He with disdain. “Your mind is surprisingly shrewd.”
“Nubi was wrong, taitai. Please punish me.”
“Punish you? Go on. Tomorrow, pick a good day and elevate you to yiniang.”
Chun He rejoiced. “Thank you, taitai, for granting me this. Nubi will serve you faithfully for my entire life.”
Xie shi smiled ambiguously and dismissed her.
A lifetime?
Beautiful words.
Someone who betrays her once will betray her twice. After Tan yiniang is dealt with, Chun He cannot remain.
Three days later, on an auspicious day, Xie shi officially elevated Chun He to yiniang, delightfully drinking the tea Chun He offered.
From then on, the second household gained a new Chun yiniang.
Zhang shi teased Xie shi, “Dimei is truly open-minded, Tan yiniang, Chun yiniang, one after another.”
Xie shi raised her eyebrow and smiled. “The more, the merrier. If dasao is envious, why not add a couple more for da laoye?”
Zhang shi laughed heartily. “I’m not envious. Our household is already large enough. No need to add more, it’s unlucky.”
Who could disagree!
Adding concubines one after another was indeed unlucky.
Xie shi lifted her teacup, hiding the cruelty at the corner of her mouth, but what could she do?
Ever since she had torn ties with Gu daren, he no longer heeded her words.
Whatever she said or did, Gu daren suspected her intentions were ill.
In this situation, even if she possessed all 108 martial arts skills, they were of no use.
Raising Chun He’s status was purely an act of helplessness.
Xie shi’s heart bled, yet she forced a smile.
The next day, unsurprisingly, Xie shi fell ill again.
The doctor came to examine her; as expected, it was still a heart disease, mental anguish accumulated over time.
“Taitai should try to relax. If this continues, laofu worry it may affect your lifespan,” the doctor sincerely advised.
Xie shi sighed. “I wish I could relax, but one thing after another keeps happening in this household; there isn’t a single day I don’t worry.”
The doctor stroked his beard. “Taitai, take the medicine as prescribed. Calm your mind, avoid extreme joy or anger; it will help your recovery.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
The days grew cooler, and the end of the lunar year approached.
Gu Jiu’s dowry was fully prepared, and the next step was drafting the guest list and making arrangements for the wedding.
On an auspicious day, the wang fu sent a betrothal gift through a matchmaker, 25,000 taels of silver.
The gift was laid out in the flower hall, filling it completely.
Qing Mei and the other maids were overjoyed.
Originally, they thought even 20,000 taels would be generous; they never expected 25,000.
This indicated the Wang household highly valued this marriage.
But when Gu Jiu saw Lin Shuping, the attendant following the matchmaker, she immediately knew things were not as they seemed.
If the gift truly came from the wangfei, the person accompanying would have been one of her trusted women, not Lin Shuping.
Lin Shuping’s presence proved the gift came from Liu Zhao himself.
Liu Zhao had bypassed both wangye and wangfei to send it personally.
Gu Jiu sighed quietly, her path ahead was bleak.
Even before the marriage, she already had no favor from the wangfei. It was easy to imagine how much trouble awaited her once she entered the wang fu.
Everyone offered their blessings, praising Gu Jiu’s luck.
“Er jiejie, congratulations. With this betrothal gift, you can have a grand and splendid wedding,” Gu Shan said, smiling.
Xiao Zhang shi also said, “Now I can rest easy. When er meimei marries into the wang fu, she’ll live well.”
Gu Jiu lowered her head and smiled faintly. What “living well”? It was clearly going to be a life of misery.
Finding a private moment, Gu Jiu spoke with Lin Shuping.
Lin Shuping told her, “Originally, gongzi wanted to come himself, but it would break protocol. gongzi asked me to tell Gu guniang to prepare for the wedding calmly and not to overthink.”
Gu Jiu asked, “Has your gongzi returned to the military camp?”
Lin Shuping nodded. “He’s back at the camp.”
Because Liu Zhao had fought the eldest imperial grandson at the military camp, the capital had been thrown into chaos.
First, like children, they sent people to smash each other’s shops.
Then the matter escalated to the emperor.
This time, the emperor unusually compromised, each punished equally, sent both to reflect behind closed doors. Once their injuries healed, they were to return to the camp.
An order was issued forbidding private duels among imperial grandsons in the camp.
The farce seemed over.
But afterward, the emperor issued three imperial edicts reprimanding the Crown Prince, dismissing three officials of the Eastern Palace.
At the same time, the emperor scolded Ning wang, who was idling at the imperial tombs, for improper conduct. He even sent the Jinwuwei to supervise Ning wang daily.
Ning wang was furious, cursing Liu Zhao three hundred times for being an unfilial son.
Had Liu Zhao been in front of him, Ning wang would have surely drawn his sword.
Liu Zhao had narrowly escaped disaster.
Apart from the Eastern Palace and Ning wang, other princes also had rough times.
An emperor who rules long grows increasingly cruel.
Historically, any emperor who ruled over thirty years became more suspicious and more ruthless with age.
Kaiyao Emperor was no exception.
He frequently harshly scolded princes in front of court officials, calling them unworthy of being human.
Such severe rebuke left the princes bitter and stressed, their faces filled with grievances.
The anticipation they once felt for attending court had turned into dread.
Privately, everyone said, “The old emperor has gone mad, cursing and striking daily, treating us like animals.”
Truly, the life of a prince was worse than that of pigs or dogs.
It was a bitter reality.
At this point, someone recalled Ning wang: “At least he was clever and hid early.”
This reminder made everyone realize Ning wang was indeed cunning.
When sent to guard the imperial tombs, people laughed at him.
Unexpectedly, Ning wang had planned ahead, anticipating the emperor’s increasing madness. He deliberately provoked him and seized the chance to escape.
“Ning wang is shameless; we must find a way to bring him back.”
“It was so hard to get him out of the capital, and now we have to bring him back. All the effort we put in back then would be wasted.”
“The old man is losing his mind every day. If this continues, how could the few of us possibly handle it? Look at what happened to the Crown Prince, he’s nearly gone mad from the old man’s torment. Do you think we might end up the same? If that happens, it would only benefit Ning wang.”
“That’s true. We’re brothers; in times like this, we should share both the blessings and the hardships.”
“We can’t let Ning wang continue hiding outside.”
So the princes and dukes began plotting to bring Ning wang back to the capital, to share in the suffering with everyone.
Lin Shuping reminded Gu Jiu, “There’s a strange current blowing through the capital lately. Gu guniang, you should stay alert.”
“A strange current?”
Gu Jiu asked, “How long will it last?”
Lin Shuping whispered, “It probably won’t end this year. It will continue into the next. That person in the Eastern Palace is still firmly in that position and won’t be quiet anytime soon.”
Gu Jiu asked with concern, “Will it affect my father?”
“Have Gu daren listen more to old houye’s advice, and there shouldn’t be any trouble.”
Gu Jiu relaxed.
The neighboring hou fu always read the situation best. As long as Gu daren didn’t act rashly on his own, he should remain safe.
“Thank you, Attendant Lin.”
“You’re welcome, Gu guniang. I should be going now.”
“I’ll see you off, Attendant Lin.”
After sending him off, Gu Jiu returned to the flower hall.
Xie shi tried to find fault with the betrothal gifts but couldn’t. She could only sulk alone, feeling bitter.
How did Gu Jiu deserve to be chosen by the royal grandson, receiving a marriage decree from the emperor himself? Truly, it was her luck.
The more Xie shi thought about it, the more convinced she was that Gu Jiu had enjoyed a wave of good fortune over the past two years, while she had suffered misfortune.
The little girl who nearly died had not only survived unexpectedly, but thrived. She grew taller, more beautiful, and increasingly eye-catching.
Originally, it was thought that Gu Jiu, having lost her birth mother and with her maternal family fallen, would have no chance at a good match.
Yet, this wave of fortune had even benefited her marriage.
An imperial grandson’s wife!
A dowry of forty thousand taels plus a betrothal gift of twenty-five thousand taels, a total of sixty-five thousand taels. One hundred sixty trunks could be filled to the brim.
A grand wedding, absolutely a grand wedding.
Infuriating.
That little brat Gu Jiu, having such luck, heaven must be blind.
Xie shi seethed but could do nothing. She didn’t dare interfere with a marriage decree issued by the emperor himself. Unless she wanted to risk her life.
Gu daren waved, summoning Gu Jiu to speak with him.
“All these betrothal gifts will count toward your dowry. Here’s the list of gifts; keep it safe. Has your wedding dress been embroidered?”
Gu Jiu bowed. “Thank you for your concern, Father. The dress has already been embroidered.”
Gu daren was relieved. “Have all the accompanying servants been chosen?”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Here’s the list for your review, Father.”
Gu daren looked over the list: four maids, one nanny, and three household assistants from outside.
After reviewing, he frowned slightly. “Isn’t this a bit few?”
Gu Jiu said, “I think these are enough.”
Er Zhuang had already selected many talented individuals for her.
Gu Jiu didn’t need so many accompanying maids. Only a few trusted people mattered to her; the rest she didn’t want to bring to the wang fu.
She preferred to personally select and train those closest to her.
In these times, loyalty came first; capability second.
Gu daren asked, “Are you sure this is enough? Will so few people suffice?”
Gu Jiu replied, “Father, don’t worry. At the wang fu, servants will be assigned to attend me. Also, Fang mama mentioned that by protocol, the shaofu will send a few attendants as well.”
Gu daren thought it over and found her reasoning sound.
The wang fu had no shortage of servants, and the shaofu would provide more. Gu Jiu indeed didn’t need too many accompanying maids.
Gu daren then asked, “Are these people reliable?”
“They are all old attendants of mine, absolutely reliable.”
“Good.”
Xie shi suddenly interjected, “Laoye, should we add two more attractive maids for er yatou’s dowry? You know, er yatou is marrying an imperial grandson. If she doesn’t have one or two beautiful maids to help maintain favor, how will it do?”
Gu daren thought this reasonable.
From a man’s perspective, he naturally assumed all men were like him: fond of beauty, fickle, and quick to tire of old favorites.
Since Gu Jiu was marrying a royal grandson, it made sense to consider using maids to help maintain favor.
Gu Jiu glanced at Xie shi and said, “Father, I have my own plan regarding maintaining favor. There’s no need to prepare attractive maids.”
Xie shi smiled, pursing her lips. “Er yatou, are you worried the maids will split his attention? Don’t worry; maids are maids, they’ll never surpass you.”
Gu Jiu lowered her head, smiling. “I’m sorry for troubling taitai. As the saying goes, ‘Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.’ You’re still saddened, and now you have to worry about helping me maintain favor, you must find it difficult.”
Xie shi’s expression changed. Gu Jiu was clearly referring to Chun He, pushing the limits.
Gu Jiu added, “Actually, taitai, if you simply remain silent, you won’t have to worry at all.”
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