At noon, Xie shi ordered the kitchen to prepare a banquet to entertain the Xie family.
Zhang shi made an appearance, exchanged a few pleasantries with Ma shi, drank two cups of wine, and then took her leave.
Ma shi whispered to Xie shi, “Your dasao has quite the reputation. She’s not someone to be trifled with.”
Xie shi snorted coldly. “If she’s difficult to deal with, does that mean I’m easy to bully?”
Ma shi chuckled. “That’s the spirit, gu taitai! You mustn’t let Zhang shi walk all over you. Your families haven’t split yet, so you can’t let her monopolise control over household affairs.”
“Have some wine, dasao.”
Xie shi lifted her cup and poured the wine straight into Ma shi’s mouth, efficiently silencing her.
She was already feeling irritated, and Ma shi’s tactlessness—chattering on about this and that—only made her more frustrated.
Xie shi continued pouring cup after cup for Ma shi until she was thoroughly drunk and stopped bringing up those bothersome topics. Instead, Ma shi started talking about her children.
Meanwhile, Gu Yue and Gu Shan were entertaining the three young ladies of the Xie family.
Gu Yue, who already looked down on her Xie cousins, felt even more awkward after her earlier slip of the tongue in the side room. She forced a stiff smile.
“Jiejie, please have some food.”
Xie Yuan kept her head lowered, her expression unreadable. She was clearly upset.
Anyone would be after hearing Gu Yue say something as humiliating as, “Wouldn’t it be a loss for liu ge to marry Yuan jiejie?”
Xie Yuan had a good temper and didn’t lash out at Gu Yue on the spot, but she no longer acknowledged her.
Gu Shan tried to lighten the mood, but the three Xie sisters weren’t interested.
The meal was painfully awkward.
Gu Shan sighed repeatedly, her head aching.
Gu Yue’s habit of speaking without thinking seemed impossible to cure.
Only Gu Jiu, Gu Zhen, and Gu Lin remained unaffected, eating and drinking as usual.
Gu Lin even encouraged the Xie sisters to drink.
They reluctantly drank two cups before firmly refusing any more.
The men’s table, in contrast, had no such awkwardness. They politely exchanged toasts.
After the meal, they rested for an hour before Ma shi took her children and returned home.
As soon as they got into the carriage, Xie Yuan threw herself into her mother’s arms and started crying.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
She sobbed but didn’t speak, clearly feeling wronged.
Ma shi frowned and asked her second daughter, Xie Ping, “What’s going on? Did Yuan’er suffer some grievance?”
Xie Ping quickly answered, “Taitai, earlier in the side room, while we were talking with the Gu sisters, Gu Yue biaojie said something extremely offensive. We were all furious.”
“What did she say?”
“She said, ‘Wouldn’t it be a loss for liu ge to marry Yuan jiejie?’ The atmosphere became incredibly awkward. Yuan jiejie was deeply humiliated but had to endure it to save face. And Gu Yue biaojie never even apologised—Gu Shan biaomei apologised on her behalf instead.”
Hearing this, Ma shi was livid.
She gritted her teeth and spat, “That little wretch Gu Yue! She can’t keep her mouth shut! In what way is my Yuan’er unworthy of Gu Cheng? This is outrageous!”
Xie Ping nodded fervently. “Exactly! The Gu family is really going too far. Taitai, should we still visit them in the future?”
Ma shi’s anger burned brighter. “Of course we will! The Gu family looks down on our Xie family? Then I’ll make sure we become in-laws! I’ll have Yuan’er marry Gu Cheng, and let’s see who dares to talk then!”
Xie Yuan shook her head repeatedly. “Mother, I don’t want to marry Gu Cheng biaoge. I won’t marry someone who looks down on me. I refuse to suffer such humiliation!”
“Fine, fine! I won’t force you to marry Gu Cheng or anyone from the Gu family. Your father and I will find you someone even better—someone who will put Gu Cheng to shame!”
Ma shi consoled her daughter until she finally stopped crying.
Xie Ping then suggested, “If Yuan jiejie won’t marry into the Gu family, why not have da ge marry one of the Gu girls instead?”
Ma shi secretly approved. “That little wretch Gu Yue looks down on our Xie family? Then I’ll have her marry into it! Once she enters my household, her fate will be in my hands!”
Xie Yuan hesitated. “Mother, wouldn’t that be a bad idea?”
Gu Yue was so sharp-tongued—who knew if she would bring trouble to the family? What if she ended up ruining their household?
Ma shi laughed. “Don’t worry, Yuan’er. I know exactly what kind of person Gu Yue is. No matter how much she kicks and screams, she won’t escape the palm of my hand.”
Xie Yuan still looked uncertain but didn’t argue further.
Xie Ping, however, was delighted.
Last time Gu Yue visited the Xie residence, Xie Ping couldn’t stand her arrogance.
So what if she was backed by a hou fu?
Xie Ping smirked. If Gu Yue really married into the Xie family, she would make sure to teach her a lesson—let her taste the consequences of looking down on others.
Meanwhile, Xie shi was exhausted and resting in her room.
Her maid, Chun He, entered and reported, “Taitai, Xie da taitai and her family have been sent off.”
Xie shi nodded and rubbed her temples.
Chun He continued, “The kitchen collected twenty taels of silver for the banquet, saying it’s the household rule. No matter who hosts a feast, they must pay the kitchen separately.”
Xie shi immediately jumped up. “Twenty taels for three tables? They might as well be robbing me!”
Chun He remained calm, waiting for her mistress’s anger to subside before adding, “Nubi inquired about it—this is indeed the standard rule, and the pricing is correct. Even da laoye has to pay when he hosts banquets.”
Xie shi was momentarily stunned. “Is that true?”
Chun He nodded. “Nubi heard that this rule was set by da taitai to prevent unnecessary feasts from draining the household funds.”
Xie shi snorted coldly. “I knew it! Zhang shi is such a miser, fussing over even a banquet fee. And yet, the household brings in revenue—who knows how much she’s been embezzling from the estate’s income over the years?”
Xie shi huffed, venting her frustration, then asked, “Where is da taitai now?”
Chun He answered, “Da taitai should be in the Hall of Affairs.”
“Let’s go! I’m going to see her!”
Chun He hesitated. “Taitai, it’s just twenty taels—do we really need to confront da taitai over it?”
“Who said I’m going for the twenty taels? Do I look like I need such a paltry sum?”
Chun He shook her head vigorously. Xie shi certainly wasn’t short on money—she had earned a fortune over the years by managing businesses with Xie er laoye.
With her entourage of maids and attendants, Xie shi strode grandly towards the Hall of Affairs.
“Oh my, dasao, you seem quite busy!”
Inside, a group of servants were reporting matters to Zhang shi.
Upon seeing Xie shi, Zhang shi immediately smiled.
“Dimei, what a rare guest! Everyone, leave us. Shaoyao, bring tea for er taitai. Dimei, please, have a seat.”
The steward pozi withdrew one after another, and Shaoyao arranged for a young maid to brew tea.
Xie shi sat down on the chair, turned her head, and looked at Zhang shi. “Dasao has worked hard all these years.”
Zhang shi raised her eyebrows slightly. “Thank you for your concern, dimei. It’s fine, I’ve gotten used to it and don’t find it difficult anymore.”
Xie shi glanced around the room. “Was dasao handling household affairs just now?”
Zhang shi nodded. “Indeed. Dimei has come at this time—is there a matter?”
“There is something I’d like to ask for your advice on.”
Zhang shi raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised. She looked at Xie shi with a half-smile. “How rare, for dimei to actually ask me for advice.”
At that moment, a young maid entered with tea.
Shaoyao took the tray and placed a teacup in front of Xie Shi. “Er taitai, please have some tea.”
Xie shi examined Shaoyao and smiled. “What a fine-looking girl. I wonder who will be lucky enough to marry her.”
Shaoyao remained composed, smiled politely, and withdrew without responding.
Zhang shi chuckled and asked, “Have dimei’s natal family members all left?”
Xie shi nodded. “I just saw them off.”
“Oh?”
Zhang shi smiled meaningfully.
Xie shi took a sip of tea, reconsidered her words, and then finally spoke. “Dasao, do you know much about Haixi bo fu?”
Zhang shi immediately understood.
“Dimei is thoughtful. You’ve truly worried yourself sick over Zhen’s marriage.”
Xie shi smiled. “Although Zhen yatou is not my birth daughter, she still calls me mother. Since it concerns her lifelong happiness, I naturally cannot be careless.”
“Dimei is right. Speaking of Haixi bo fu, we must start with the previous generation.”
“Please enlighten me, dasao.”
Zhang shi smiled. “The previous Haixi bo rendered great service in following the emperor. He was originally just a bodyguard but later joined the Western Army, where he repeatedly achieved military merits and was promoted several times. Eventually, he sacrificed his life to save the emperor.
“The emperor, deeply moved by his loyalty and achievements, posthumously conferred upon him the title of Haixi bo. The title was inherited by his eldest di son—the current Haixi bo. This Haixi bo, having received his grandfather’s favour, enjoys the emperor’s trust and is one of the rare close ministers who can speak freely before His Majesty.”
Hearing this, Xie shi’s eyes lit up.
This Haixi bo fu was far from an ordinary bo fu. It was even superior to some gong fu and hou fu that lacked imperial favour.
It was undoubtedly a first-class noble family.
Ma shi hadn’t deceived her.
Such an exceptional family—was it really fitting for Gu Zhen?
Gu Zhen was merely a shu-born daughter. She truly did not deserve such a prestigious match.
Xie shi asked, “How many children does Haixi bo have? Are they married yet?”
Zhang shi smiled slightly. “Haixi bo has three sons and four daughters. Dalang and erlang are di-born, while silang is shu-born. Apart from dalang, who is already married, the other two sons have yet to be betrothed. As for the four daughters, only the youngest remains unmarried.”
Xie shi was overjoyed—so the second di son was still unmarried. Excellent.
Zhang shi took a sip of tea and continued, “Haixi bo also has two younger brothers. The three of them are full-blooded siblings, and since the lao taitai is still alive, they haven’t split the family.
“The second and third branches of the Zhao family don’t get along well with Haixi bo, their elder brother. It’s said that when the title was inherited, the three brothers caused quite a stir. The lao taitai dotes on her youngest son, but the third master is an utterly useless man.
“Among the three brothers, the most capable is the second master. Does dimei know? The current Vice-Minister of Justice is actually the Haixi bo’s second brother.”
Xie shi was startled.
Zhang shi added, “There are rumours that this Zhao daren, who serves in the Ministry of Justice, has always wanted to seize the nobility title.”
“What?”
Xie shi was so shocked she could hardly believe it.
Zhang shi smiled. “Dimei must think that since the title has already been conferred, the second and third branches of the Zhao family have no chance of taking it?”
Xie shi nodded. “Isn’t that how it should be?”
Titles aren’t something just anyone can fight over—what a joke.
Zhang shi, however, said, “The situation in Haixi bo fu is a bit different. It is rumoured that before the previous boye died, he received the imperial edict granting the title and left a final wish to pass the title to his second son.”
“That’s impossible.” Xie shi found it hard to believe.
“That’s why it’s only a rumour. But it gives the Vice-Minister of Justice, Zhao daren, enough reason to contest the title.”
Xie shi frowned. “So Haixi bo fu must be quite chaotic?”
Zhang shi smiled. “You don’t need to worry. As I said earlier, the current Haixi bo is deeply trusted by the emperor. No one can take his title from him. And since the fourth young master, whom Zhen yatou is set to marry, belongs to the first branch, there’s even less to be concerned about. Once the negotiations with the hou fu are finalised, you can take Zhen yatou to see him. If she likes him, the marriage will be set in stone.”
Xie shi nodded. “Dasao is right. However, Zhen has a rather timid nature. I fear she won’t be able to handle the complexities of the bo fu.”
Zhang shi set down her teacup and smiled. “Dimei, let me put it bluntly—Zhen yatou is marrying a shu-born son. She won’t be managing the household. Even if there’s trouble, it won’t be her concern. So don’t worry.”
Xie shi laughed along. “Thank you for your advice, dasao. I understand now.”
Having obtained the information she wanted, Xie shi took her leave.
Zhang shi escorted her to the door. “Dimei, go slowly.”
After Xie shi left, Shaoyao whispered to Zhang shi, “Is er taitai really so kind-hearted, going out of her way to ask about the bo fu for Gu Zhen guniang’s marriage?”
Zhang shi smirked. “Of course not. But this has nothing to do with our branch. Let her do as she pleases. She’ll only realise how deep the waters of the capital are after she’s hit a few roadblocks.”
Xie shi returned to Furong Yuan and leaned back on the soft couch.
She recalled Ma shi’s words—urging her to marry Gu Zhen into the Xie family while securing the Haixi bo fu’s second son for Gu Yue.
The more she thought about it, the more Xie shi felt Ma shi had a point.
The Haixi bo fu was an elite family. How could they let Gu Zhen, a shu-born girl, benefit from it?
Just then, Chun He entered. “Taitai, liu shaoye, san guniang and si guniang are here.”
Xie shi sat up. “Let them in.”
The three siblings entered the main hall and greeted her.
Gu Yue was the most considerate. “Mother, are you tired? Did jiumu exhaust you with her chatter?”
Xie shi waved her hand. “Don’t speak of your jiumu that way—she’s your elder.”
Gu Yue nodded, then added, “But our da jiumu is so thoughtless. She even mentioned wanting to arrange a marriage between our families. Mother, you wouldn’t actually agree, would you?”
Xie shi looked at the three of them. “Is that why you’re all here?”
The three nodded in unison.
Gu Cheng said, “Mother, erzi doesn’t think we should form a marriage alliance with jiujiu’s family.”
Xie shi frowned. “Why? Do you look down on them for being upstarts?”
Xie shi’s tone was clearly displeased.
Gu Cheng maintained a serious expression and said, “Erzi does not look down on jiujiu’s family.”
After a brief pause, he continued, “Jiujiu holds a position in the East Palace, but based on what I have gathered, the situation there is not very stable. If we were to form a marriage alliance with jiujiu’s family at this time, it could affect Father’s career and might even impact the hou fu.
“For the sake of caution, erzi believe we should maintain normal family ties with jiujiu’s family, but marriage should not be considered.”
Xie shi furrowed her brows. “It’s not as serious as you’re making it out to be. His Highness the Crown Prince ascending the throne is a matter of course.”
“Mother!”
Gu Cheng’s expression remained stern. “Our marriage affairs must have Father’s approval.”
“Of course,” Xie shi huffed coldly. “Do you think I would bypass your father and arrange your marriages in secret? Do you all take me for such a fool?”
Gu Cheng immediately let out a breath of relief. “Then erzi has nothing to worry about.”
Xie shi snorted again. “Cheng’er, you are prejudiced against your jiujiu’s family.”
Gu Cheng frowned and argued, “I have no prejudice against jiujiu’s family. We simply hold different views.”
Xie shi grew irritated. “Are you deliberately contradicting me?”
Gu Cheng pressed his lips together and remained silent.
Xie shi felt her temper flare up instantly.
Just then, Gu Yue suddenly said, “Mother, I don’t want to marry into the Xie family.”
Xie shi’s face darkened. “I never said you were going to marry into the Xie family. Why are you panicking?”
Gu Yue immediately relaxed, visibly relieved.
Xie shi massaged her temples and, after observing Gu Yue’s demeanour, decided to hold off on mentioning the matter regarding the Haixi bo fu. It was best not to tell Gu Yue for now.
Otherwise, with her loose tongue, she might accidentally blurt something out and stir up trouble.
With a look of disdain, Xie shi waved her hand. “If there’s nothing else, all of you leave.”
“Mother, take care of your health.”
The three siblings exited in an orderly manner.
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