Gu Yu whispered, “A few days ago, General Dou, who was guarding Xiaguang Pass in the north, died in battle. When the news reached the capital, it caused an uproar among the noble military officers.
“This year, the northern regions have suffered a drought. It’s said that in Beirong, cattle and horses have perished in great numbers. Unable to survive, they sought to invade and plunder.
“General Dou held the fort at Xiaguang for three full months. His death was not due to a failure in battle but because the supply of provisions was delayed.
“The documents authorising the distribution of supplies were deliberately withheld at the Council of State. Several officials intentionally delayed the process, leading to a shortage of supplies at Xiaguang and ultimately causing General Dou’s death.
“This matter was exposed, and the noble military officers clashed with the civil officials right in front of His Majesty during court. A full-blown argument erupted, which eventually escalated into a physical altercation.
“Vice Minister Li of the Chancellery was ambushed and had his nose broken. Er meimei, do you know whose man this Vice Minister Li is?”
Gu Jiu frowned, a thought forming in her mind. “Could he be the Crown Prince’s man?”
“No. Strictly speaking, Vice Minister Li belongs to the Empress. Recently, Father heard some news—his promotion to Prefect of the Capital was the result of Vice Minister Li speaking on his behalf before His Majesty. Vice Minister Li usually works at the Council of State.”
Gu Jiu suddenly understood.
“The noble military officers now despise the Crown Prince.”
“Exactly. From what I’ve gathered, General Dou was personally promoted by Lu hou. He had steadily risen to the rank of a second-rank military officer through accumulated merits, only to die at the hands of his own people. Rumour has it that Lu hou flew into a rage at the military camp and vowed to make the officials of the Council of State pay.”
Gu Jiu said, “And the first target would be Vice Minister Li?”
Gu Yu nodded. “Most likely. The waters here run deep—it’s not just the Crown Prince’s faction making moves. Others are taking advantage of the chaos as well.
“Our Gu family rose through military service. Even though laoye is now a civil official, he is fundamentally different from those who climbed the ranks through the imperial examination. At the root of it, laoye still belongs to the noble military faction.”
Gu Jiu understood. “Thank you, Gu si ge, for telling me this.”
Gu Yu smiled. “As long as you understand, just don’t speak of it to anyone. Your marriages in the future will likely be into noble military families. Tomorrow, you must present yourself well to secure a good future.”
“Thank you for your advice, Gu si ge.”
Gu Jiu returned to Zhilan Yuan with a heavy heart.
Qing Mei asked in a hushed voice, “Guniang, are you worried about the laoye?”
Gu Jiu shook her head slightly.
She was more worried about those people who never ceased their reckless actions.
The Empress was still bedridden, yet they couldn’t wait to jump out. Were they volunteering to be cannon fodder, or were they just doomed to be?
Gu Jiu chuckled to herself.
If the Empress died, the Crown Prince would be in grave danger.
Either the Crown Prince would eliminate all the noble military officers, ensuring no one could wage war in the future while he ascended to the throne unchallenged…
Or he would be overthrown by the opposing faction, meeting his demise, and everything would return to dust. His life would be reduced to a few brief mentions in the history books.
As for the Gu family’s stance…
Gu Jiu shook her head.
Right now, she had no influence over Gu daren, let alone the neighbouring hou fu.
If she had to give her opinion, the hou fu’s previous stance was the best: support whoever sits on the throne.
As long as the Emperor remained in power, they should follow his orders and be loyal subjects.
Engaging in the struggle for the throne rarely ended well. Even if one emerged victorious, history showed that few had good endings.
After all, benevolent monarchs were rare creatures.
Most rulers either guarded against their meritorious ministers, executed them, or imprisoned them. One way or another, they were all doomed to be pawns sacrificed in the end.
Gu Jiu rubbed her temples.
Forget it. She had no power to influence Gu daren or the hou fu. She could only go along with the tides and take things step by step.
Danger hadn’t arrived yet—there was no need to scare herself.
And danger might not come at all.
Gu Jiu turned to Qing Mei. “Don’t worry about me. Tomorrow morning, make sure to wake me up early.”
“Nubi obeys.”
The next morning, Gu Jiu woke up from her sleep.
Shaking off her drowsiness, she suddenly remembered that today the household was hosting a banquet—their first gathering since returning to the capital.
She hurried to freshen up, changed into appropriate attire, had a light meal, and rushed to the Flower Pavillion.
Zhang shi and Xie shi were there, overseeing the preparations with the servant women and maids.
Twenty tables were set for the banquet.
About twelve tables were designated for male guests, while eight were for female guests.
Everything had to be meticulously checked—from the menu, to the tableware, to the tea, to the seating arrangements, to the way guests were received. Even the smallest mistake could invite gossip.
Zhang shi frowned as she reviewed the guest list.
“Dimei, your family cannot sit with the noble ladies. You should know the reason.”
Xie shi was taken aback. “My family should sit with me. But I have to entertain the guests, so it’s difficult to arrange their seats.”
Zhang shi was decisive. “Regardless, your family cannot sit with the noble ladies. Perhaps they can sit with the young ladies instead.”
Xie shi frowned. Having her family sit with the young ladies would be too disrespectful.
“The girls also have to entertain guests from other households. Sitting with them wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Zhang shi, the first wife, stared at Xie shi. “So, what do you suggest? We can’t afford to offend all these noble ladies, can we?”
Xie shi frowned. “Just let my family members and the sisters-in-law from the hou fu sit at one table.”
Zhang shi let out a cold snort. “Dimei, what are you thinking? The sisters-in-law from the hou fu all have to help entertain the guests. How can they be assigned to solely accompany your family members?”
Xie shi was displeased. “So, according to you, my family members must sit with the young ladies instead?”
Zhang shi remained expressionless. “Dimei, you haven’t forgotten the purpose of this banquet, have you? It’s for your husband’s official career, to help him build connections in the capital. Your elder brother is an official in the East Palace, naturally at odds with the nobility. If you arrange for your family’s women to sit with the noble ladies, you will offend them.
“I’d love to see how you plan to help your husband establish connections after that. Pillow talk isn’t just idle chatter. Because of your family’s political stance, your husband’s position is already difficult enough. Instead of easing his burdens, you’re making things worse. So tell me, dimei, are you siding with your family or your husband’s family?”
Xie shi’s face immediately fell. “Dasao, you don’t have to be so harsh.”
Zhang shi snorted again. “This banquet is hosted by your household, not ours. I could have washed my hands of it entirely. But dimei, your arrangements are too careless. Following your plan will undoubtedly offend people. By then, not only will you fail to build connections, but you’ll also invite resentment.
“If only your household suffered, I wouldn’t care. But we haven’t split families yet, and as they say, ‘if one prospers, all prosper; if one falls, all suffer’. If your household offends people, ours will suffer as well. Given this, how can I stand by and do nothing? I advise you to think about the bigger picture. Don’t ruin everything just for the sake of appearances.”
Xie shi gritted her teeth, seething with anger. “Fine, then let my family members sit with your family’s women. Is that acceptable?”
Zhang shi shook her head. “Dimei, that’s a terrible idea. Did you forget that my family is also from a military background? My dasao and ersao have a good relationship with the women of the Dai hou fu. Also, my elder and second brothers were both promoted by the Zhu guogong.
“At today’s banquet, my dasao and ersao will naturally be associating with those families. They won’t have time to entertain your family members.”
Xie shi was stifled with frustration. She wanted to argue but found no reason to refute.
Zhang shi’s words were unpleasant, but they were true.
This left Xie shi in an extremely awkward position.
Gu Jiu, seeing that the two taitai had argued for so long without a resolution, spoke up. “Then why not arrange a separate table for the women from the Xie family? That way, no one will be offended.”
Both taitai froze and turned to look at Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu smiled and continued, “The Xie family is composed of civil officials, while the noble ladies are from military families. They aren’t exactly on the same page. Sitting together would be awkward for everyone. A separate table would resolve all concerns without offending anyone.”
Zhang shi burst into laughter. “Er yatou, you’re quick-witted! Why didn’t I think of that? Dimei, what do you think?”
Xie shi narrowed her eyes and glanced at Gu Jiu. Gu Jiu remained composed, allowing Xie shi to scrutinise her.
Xie shi then stiffly said, “Fine, a separate table it is.”
Zhang shi nodded repeatedly. “That means we need nine tables for the female guests. Shaoyao, pass word to the kitchen to prepare two additional tables.”
Xie shi turned to look at Zhang shi. “Why prepare two extra tables?”
Food doesn’t come for free.
Given Zhang shi’s notoriously frugal nature, two extra tables could cost at least ten to twenty taels of silver.
Zhang shi explained, “We also need to arrange a separate table for the male guests—your brothers and the officials from the Prefect’s Office.”
“You want my elder brother to sit with the officials from the Prefect’s Office?”
“What else?” Zhang shi countered. “Do you expect your brother to sit with the Zhu guogong, the Dai hou, and the others? Dimei, your brother may hold a prestigious position in the East Palace, but he is still only a fourth-rank official. Zhu guogong and Dai hou are of superior rank, while even the Haixi bo is a first-rank official.
“Do you know who has the privilege of sitting with them? Only the old houye and da laoye from the neighbouring fu. My husband and yours can only sit on the periphery. They need an introduction from the old houye just to share a drink with those esteemed figures.
“Dimei, do you understand now? Let me remind you again—this is the capital, not the northwest. Don’t compare the customs of the northwest with those of the capital. Especially for banquets like this, seating arrangements must be handled with absolute precision. A single misstep could turn an opportunity for networking into an occasion for making enemies.
“Also, the Lu hou furen and the Zhu guogong furen have personal grievances. It’s best to seat them separately.”
Xie shi’s chest rose and fell sharply, clearly enraged yet unable to argue back.
All the pride she once held crumbled under Zhang shi’s sharp words.
Returning to the capital, hosting her first banquet, she had already made so many mistakes—and that too, in front of all the stewarding servants.
She had utterly humiliated herself today.
Gu Yue and Gu Shan also felt mortified.
They had always believed their mother was highly capable, especially when it came to hosting and entertaining guests.
But unexpectedly, upon returning to the capital, she had been put to shame in her very first banquet.
Gu Yue and Gu Shan both lowered their heads. Even Gu Zhen and Gu Lin felt uncomfortable and uneasy. If Xie shi lost face, so did they.
A matron of the household making such basic etiquette blunders reflected poorly on the entire family.
As daughters, they naturally appeared even more incompetent. Thus, all four of them were deeply embarrassed.
Zhang shi’s words felt like slaps to their faces, each one stinging painfully.
At this moment, in the eyes of the stewarding servants, Xie shi was nothing more than an ignorant, self-important countrywoman.
They only see the wealth and glory of the capital but fail to realise how deep the waters run.
Did they really think the capital was like the northwest, where things could be handled carelessly?
How naïve.
Among everyone in the second household, only Gu Jiu felt not the slightest bit of embarrassment.
Standing to the side, Gu Jiu watched Zhang shi and carefully memorised every word she said.
This was knowledge—precious knowledge that couldn’t be bought.
Everything Zhang shi said was immensely beneficial to Gu Jiu.
In her past life, Gu Jiu never had the chance to personally manage a banquet. Her family doted on her, never letting her tire herself out.
All she had to do was dress up beautifully and show up on time.
As for the preparations behind the scenes, she knew nothing.
In this lifetime, Gu Jiu had yet to learn how to manage household affairs, let alone organise a banquet for hundreds of guests.
She could only seize every opportunity to learn whatever she could.
Zhang shi glanced at Xie shi and snorted. As expected, she couldn’t expect too much from her.
Without hesitation, Zhang shi picked up a brush and rewrote the seating arrangement before handing it to the stewardess.
“Follow this seating plan for the banquet. Make sure there is enough wine and food. Have the storeroom prepare a few more varieties—don’t be stingy with the money.”
The stewardess took the order.
One thing led to another.
Zhang shi continued revising every aspect of Xie shi’s preparations.
Xie shi fumed in silence but couldn’t stop her.
She couldn’t afford the risk of the banquet failing, so all she could do was sit and watch as Zhang shi busied herself.
Gu Jiu thought for a moment, then stepped forward voluntarily.
“Aunt, I write quickly and neatly. Perhaps I could help share some of your workload?”
Oh?
Zhang shi turned to look at Gu Jiu.
Then, she smiled. What a clever girl—far better than the other young ladies.
She handed Gu Jiu the brush. “You can write.”
Gu Jiu accepted it with a smile. Without needing to sit down, she simply stood and began writing.
Zhang shi spoke while seated, and Gu Jiu recorded while standing.
Zhang shi glanced at her handwriting—just as Gu Jiu had said, it was both fast and neat.
She smiled. “Your calligraphy is quite good.”
Gu Jiu responded humbly, “Aunt overpraises me. My handwriting is still not good enough, just merely neat.”
“It’s already very impressive. You’re a young lady—you don’t need to take the imperial exams, so there’s no need for perfection.”
Gu Jiu smiled but didn’t reply.
Zhang shi continued dictating, and Gu Jiu continued writing.
This scene left Gu Yue and the other girls astonished.
How did Gu Jiu become so bold? How did she even think of offering to help?
And when did she learn to write so well while standing? Why didn’t they know about this?
Gu Yue craned her neck to take a look.
She had assumed that Gu Jiu’s writing while standing would be a mess.
But what she saw was a beautifully delicate script.
Gu Shan also noticed and whispered in amazement, “I didn’t expect er jiejie’s handwriting to improve so much in just half a year.”
She still remembered that Gu Jiu’s handwriting used to be much worse.
Gu Zhen saw it too and nodded in approval. It was truly well-written.
Gu Lin, on the other hand, recalled her own past resolutions. Thinking about how she had been inconsistent in her efforts, she suddenly felt ashamed. Once again, she silently urged herself to work harder.
Xie shi stared at Gu Jiu.
That wretched girl really knew how to seize the moment.
Even in this situation, she had managed to find an opportunity to shine.
Zhang shi didn’t just revise the seating arrangements—she also modified the menu and even changed the dishware.
Xie shi had originally planned to use plain white porcelain.
Zhang shi said, “White porcelain isn’t good enough. Let’s use the ‘Year after Year of Abundance’ set instead—it looks more festive and carries an auspicious meaning.”
Xie shi opened her mouth but said nothing.
Seeing that she had no objections, Gu Jiu recorded it down.
Zhang shi nitpicked every detail of Xie shi’s arrangements.
Even the chair cushions didn’t escape her scrutiny.
“The cushions you prepared look too old-fashioned and dull. Let’s use the newly acquired set from this summer instead—they have a more fashionable pattern and a better symbolic meaning. You don’t mind, do you?”
Xie- shi let out a breath through her nose. “What opinion could I possibly have? Dasao is making all the decisions, and I’m just here to learn.”
Zhang shi raised an eyebrow and smirked, her sharp gaze making her look both shrewd and efficient.
She said to Xie shi, “Don’t be upset, dimei. The capital is one of the most prestigious places in the world, full of people who flatter the strong and trample the weak. As hosts, we don’t need to please everyone, but we must ensure that everything is well-arranged and done to the best of our ability.
“Stay by my side and learn. In time, you’ll understand that hosting a banquet in the capital is an art. If you encounter someone down on their luck, even something as small as how a dish is placed on the table can be seen as an intentional slight, causing them to bear a lifelong grudge against the host.”
Xie shi smiled faintly. “Then I must thank dasao for worrying so much on my behalf today.”
Zhang shi smiled. “We’re family—this is my duty.”
Xie shi clenched her teeth, cursing Zhang shi in her heart over and over again.
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