Volume 3: The Lotus Does Not Spare Its Rouge Colour, Nor Does It Wait for a Golden House to Recommend a Grand Hall Chapter 92

  "This... where do I even start?" Minglan was stunned for a full three seconds before she came back to her senses.

  Ruolan slammed the handkerchief onto the kang, biting her lip and saying: "It's about Gu...the proposal was made to Dage's husband." Minglan was amused by Ruolan's words: "He proposed to Dage's husband, Zhuang Jie is still young, then why not let Dage's husband marry him instead? Haha, haha..." The laughter stopped abruptly, and Minglan blew on her sore hand, waving it repeatedly: "Okay, I won't joke anymore. Fifth sister, you know who... Ruolan didn't continue, she was red-eyed and tearful, saying: "You know, I and Jing Gege...now what can I do?!" When Dage mentioned this matter, I refused to listen, Mother scolded me severely, and I ran out crying! Minglan regretted that when it came to her own lifelong event, how could she be so impulsive? She should have listened carefully before crying. But seeing Ruolan's pitiful face, she consoled: "Fifth sister, don't be too upset. Dage and Mother won't harm you, will they? Jing...cough, Wen Gongzi may not be as good as Gu Tingyan, but maybe it's a very good match."

  Yu Lan was even more furious, stamping her feet and slapping the kang several times as she lost her temper. Xiao Xi Que entered with a steaming copper basin, saw the scene before her, and wisely kept silent. Ming Lan rolled up her sleeves, personally handed Yu Lan a handkerchief: "Fifth sister, things have come to this point, what's the use of calling me over? I'm also helpless."

  "Who told you to think of a way?" Rulan took over the hot towel, pressed it against her eyes and rubbed gently, then looked up at Minglan with a gaze. "...You hurry to Shou'antang, go listen to what they said? About Gu..." Rulan's face turned slightly red, refusing to say more.

  Minglan widened her eyes and waved her hands repeatedly: "No, no, no! How can I go to listen to sister's marriage? If sister wants to know something, just go ask directly on the original text of this article first released on 55ab community!"

  Like orchids, her lips were pale and bloodless, staring blankly at Minglan. Xiao Xiujue couldn't bear to watch anymore, so she walked over to Minglan's side and gently persuaded her: "Miss, why don't you go for a walk? Just now, our miss got into an argument with the eldest lady and exchanged some harsh words, which made both the madam and the eldest lady extremely angry. How can she show her face again now? Originally, it would be better to ask the madam, but how could the madam possibly know what's on Miss's mind? It's not like she could hit the nail on the head. Besides, our miss is in such a state of anxiety right now, there's no time to waste! Sixth sister, over the years, our miss has always considered you her closest confidante!"

  Minglan really wanted to exclaim "What's going on?!", but Rulan was already making a fierce face and pouncing over, her pale fingers almost pinching her arm. Minglan was tied up and couldn't get away, and she was also somewhat curious, so she agreed to go along with it.

  Fortunately, the girls' courtyard was not far from Shou'an Hall. Minglan hastened her pace, and Xiaotao occasionally pulled her along. When they arrived at Shou'an Hall, only Cui Ping and Cui Mei were standing at the entrance. Minglan took a few deep breaths, adjusted her clothes, and slowly stepped inside. Seeing that the main hall was empty, she walked around the screen and turned into the adjacent room. There, she saw three women of different ages - Old Lady Wang, Wang Shi, and Hua Lan - sitting by the stove, chatting. As soon as they saw Minglan arrive, they stopped talking and stared at her. After greeting everyone, Minglan forced a smile and faced their gaze: "I didn't know... it was Fifth Sister who called me to listen... I knew I shouldn't have come... or else... I'd better go back."

  She watched her fidget with the hem of her dress, speaking incoherently, looking embarrassed. Hualan couldn't help but giggle and turned to ask Grandma for her opinion. Grandma gave Minglan a sideways glance, but it was Wang who spoke up: "It's alright, Sixth Sister is also listening; as long as you've always been good to her, she'll listen to your advice... What do you think, Grandma?"

  The old lady didn't care, but still pretended to think for a moment before nodding; Minglan carefully carried the small stool and sat down beside her, closed her mouth, perked up her ears, and acted as a qualified listener.

  Here is the translation:

  Hua Lan turned around and smiled: "What did my granddaughter say earlier? Oh, right... they talked for about an hour; it turns out that Gu Er Lang and Shi Ge's father are half-childhood friends. Gu Er Lang said that adding flowers to brocade is easy, but sending charcoal in the snow is difficult. When he was down on his luck and left home, your son-in-law didn't look down on him. He doesn't trust those who come to curry favor with him, but he trusts Wen Shao's character, so he asked him to find a door for a marriage arrangement. I only have one younger sister who is already engaged, so Wen Shao thought of our family. Last night, he mentioned my sister to Gu Er Lang, and he was also willing."

  Wang Shi's expression was very strange, as if she was both overjoyed and worried, like being hit on the head by a piece of pork that had fallen from the sky. She really wanted to eat this delicious meat, but was afraid that under the pork there might be a mouse trap with a tightened spring. The old lady saw Wang Shi's hesitation and carefully chose her words before asking: "If we say that this marriage is a high branch for us, then what about Gu Jiang Jun's reputation... not to mention other things, I heard early on that he has a concubine outside with children; wouldn't your sister suffer if she married into his family? Besides, since ancient times, marriages have been arranged by parents. Why did he bring it up himself? Shouldn't the lady of Ning Yuan Hou Fu come out and make an appearance?"

  The old lady had been suffering from headaches every day because of Ming Lan's marriage, but now that she was considering marriage arrangements, her thinking was very clear. Wang Shi nodded repeatedly after hearing this, as if to say "that's exactly what I meant". The old lady looked at Wang Shi with a complex expression, and in fact, there were many unpleasant rumors that she didn't dare to mention.

  Hua Lan glanced at the old lady, hesitated for a moment, and then leaned over, her hands tightly grasping the hand warmer. She whispered: "This matter needs to be explained from the beginning... this is a long story, and I only knew about it last night when your son-in-law told me... originally, the lady of Ning Yuan Hou Fu was not Gu Er Lang's biological mother!" Everyone gasped in surprise, and the old lady quickly asked: "Is Gu Jiang Jun an illegitimate child?" This question was crucial, directly determining Gu Er Lang's value. Although the content is the same, there are differences between the deluxe and simple versions.

  "This is not the case, he is indeed a legitimate child." Hualan hastily added, "To be honest, I didn't believe it either. The Ningyuan Hou Mansion had been hiding this for too long. It turned out that the old marquis had married three wives in total. The first one was a daughter of the Qin family from Dongchang Hou, and after marrying her, the old marquis took his family to guard the Sichuan-Yunnan region. Not many years later, Madame Qin gave birth to a son and passed away, so the old marquis married again, this time a Miss Bai, who gave birth to Gu Er Lang. This wife also died soon after; afterwards, the old marquis married again, this time the younger sister of his first wife, Madame Qin, who is now Madame Gu. Many years later, the old marquis was ordered to return to the capital, and as time passed, no one mentioned this matter anymore. Anyway, they all had the surname Qin, so outsiders thought that the old marquis only had one Madame Qin. The Dongchang Hou Mansion itself didn't say anything about it either; only a few close families knew the details. It wasn't until recently, when many people were trying to get close to the Gu family through marriage, and after some careful inquiries, that this matter slowly came to light."

  Ming Lan slightly opened her mouth, she was somewhat perplexed, what did Gu Ting Ye mean by saying that.

  Hua Lan's words were wasted on Wang Shi, who only wanted to know if Gu Ting Ye was a reliable person. However, Hua Lan went on and on about past events, but the old lady managed to grasp the underlying meaning. She sat up straight from her bed and asked with interest: "So it seems that General Gu and Ning Hou's discord is true? But it's not because of the father-son grudge from back then, but rather because General Gu doesn't get along with his stepmother?"

  Hua Lan's eyes lit up, thinking that her own grandmother understood. She leaned to the side and smiled at the old lady: "It's not just ten, Grandmother thinks about it, if it's a filial child, why would Gu Er Lang make a fuss and leave home for several years without returning? Why did he only return to Ningyuan Houfu once after opening the General's Mansion? Which family's father beats his son without the mother intervening and persuading him? Look at the fifth son of the Korean public house, he's really got all five poisons, whoring and gambling, making a bigger fuss than Gu Er Lang back then! With the protection and cover-up of the Korean public's wife, isn't everything fine?! Now I understand, it's not just because of my mother! One mistake is enough to make a big fuss, blowing wind into the pillow, Old Hou Ye would have been taught a lesson to death!"

  The Wang family's brain circuit is linear, and what they care about most is still the external chamber problem. Zhang Kou just said: "Are... those rumors false? What about the woman outside? And the children?"

  Hualan's expression stiffened for a moment, and she said hesitantly: "He indeed has a woman outside, as well as children. He and Wen Shao have both told us about it; however..." Hualan saw that Wang Shi's face seemed to be filled with anger, so she hastily added, "But... Gu Er Lang said that the woman is not good-hearted, and he has already sent her to a remote place to be taken care of. As for the illegitimate child, whether or not it will be included in the family register is still up for discussion."

  The old lady, however, was still frowning, and she said slowly: "Even if that's the case, there's still a problem with the fact that he has an illegitimate son. After all, that child is his eldest son." She turned to Wang Shi and said, "You need to think carefully about this marriage. The Ningyuan Houfu family is already of high social status, not to mention Gu Jiangjun's current prestige and wealth. However, Minglan is your daughter, and you can't just look at external appearances when it comes to marrying her off. What's important is the inner qualities; if things go wrong, our family will be known for 'not caring about our daughters and being greedy for wealth'. When choosing a son-in-law, what matters most is his character."

  Minglan lowered her head and remained silent. She had heard a saying in her past life that went: "It's not about loyalty or faithfulness, but rather about the temptations one has received." The old lady seemed to be a true believer in this saying, and Minglan didn't think that He Hongwen was exceptionally good - it's just that a doctor who buried his head in medical books was more reliable than an official who frequently attended banquets.

  The Wang family's expression was tangled, and she twisted a handkerchief with force, apparently hesitating again. Hua Lan saw that the old lady seemed unwilling, and the Wang family showed signs of wavering, so she anxiously scolded with a smile: "Hey, you don't believe others, do you still not believe your own son-in-law? When my mother-in-law heard this news, she regretted it again, pounding her chest and stomping her feet. However, my younger sister can't change her mind, so she asked Wen Shao to introduce Xiu Mei's cousin to Gu Er Lang, and told my father about it. He scolded fiercely, haha, lucky for her to think of that! Not to mention that Zhang's father has passed away, even if he is still alive, he is only a fifth-grade official. Wen Shao thought for a long time and said that although Gu Er Lang was reckless for a while, he eventually returned to the right path, and his character is still worthy of marriage. Don't believe it until you see it yourself, they are sincere, and what they say is also very determined. Besides, if he were good, would he have come to our house? Those who value their reputation and are unwilling to take risks are all small people who cling to power, and Gu Er Lang doesn't want to marry the woman his mother wants him to, so he entrusted it to your son-in-law."

  Hua Lan's eloquence was exceptional, her tone rising and falling in a rhythmic cadence, each sentence spoken with emotion and reason. Just as she was getting carried away, she suddenly caught sight of Minglan beside her, looking perplexed, and casually asked what was wrong.

  She glanced at the old lady's face and said in a low voice, "Isn't it said that a widower should compromise when remarrying? Why is General Guo so sought after? Being a stepmother isn't easy, besides, shouldn't a second wife offer concubine gifts in front of the first wife's memorial tablet?" Looking at Jia Zheng's second wife, Yu Fu Ren, and Jia Xuan's second wife, Xing Fu Ren, neither of them was doing well, even the experienced and dignified servants seemed to look down on them.

  Hua Lan finally managed to persuade Mrs. Wang, but when she saw Ming Lan causing trouble again, she glared at her and said, "What does this little girl know?! Widowers are also divided into three six nine grades, those who are old and have sons from a previous marriage can't marry well; but someone like Gu Erlang, young and heroic, with no sons, if my sister marries him and gives birth to a son, it will be just like the original wife, what can anyone say?!". As she spoke, Hua Lan stretched out her hand to poke Ming Lan's forehead, Ming Lan shrank back and didn't speak, she had at least stood up for Rulan.

  Hua Lan continued to persuade Mrs. Wang with many words, and as time went on, Mrs. Wang became more and more inclined to agree to the marriage, only saying that she needed to discuss it with Sheng Hong, and after speaking a few more words, Hua Lan was about to take her leave. Mrs. Wang got up to send her daughter out, and the mother-daughter pair walked shoulder to shoulder, chatting along the way. Ming Lan was left standing at the entrance of Shou'An Hall, watching as Mrs. Wang and Hua Lan's figures disappeared from view before turning back to go to Old Madame's place.

  After speaking for so long, Old Madame had grown tired, leaning against the headboard with her eyes slightly closed, resting. Ming Lan quietly went over, took a soft woolen blanket and covered Old Madame with it, but unexpectedly, Old Madame suddenly opened her eyes, giving Ming Lan a fright.

  "You... are like a young girl, you'd better be more careful." The old lady said slowly.

  Minglan was slightly startled and sat down beside the old lady, tilting her head: "Has this marriage been decided? Wasn't it said that we should wait until the Spring Examination results are announced to choose a son-in-law from among the young and talented men for Rulan?"

  The old lady stuffed the hand warmer into Minglan's hands, covering Minglan's small hands with her own, and a hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of her mouth: "Marrying off a daughter from a high-ranking family is what she has been thinking about all her life. If it weren't for that incident with Mo'wa, it would be easier to say. Now that you have a son-in-law who is even higher in status and has a brighter future, how could your wife let him go?"

  Minglan thought carefully and indeed, Wangshi and Lin Niang had been at odds for a lifetime, but in the end, they were surpassed by a concubine's daughter marrying into a higher-ranking family than their own legitimate daughter; how could she swallow this? If there was no chance, it would be fine, but now that Gu Tingye himself came to propose, Wangshi would likely become more and more pleased with herself. Poor Brother Jing, you're really unlucky, probably going to be disappointed again.

  "I don't know what Father will say." Minglan gazed at the roof, lost in thought.

  The old lady let out a cold laugh from her nose, with a helpless expression on her face: "Then there's even less to say, men and women have always seen things differently, especially your father..." She stopped herself from speaking ill of her son in front of the younger generation. In fact, the old lady didn't need to explain further, Lan could fill in the gaps himself. As for Sheng Hong, Gu Tingyan's mistakes weren't that serious, he was just young and reckless for a while, although his personal conduct and family management were not great, but he had a high starting point after all! He skipped the first two steps and went straight to governing the country and bringing peace to the world!

  In the face of the family's interests, Lan's opposition was probably powerless, and she couldn't come up with any strong counterarguments. In the eyes of most men, Gu Tingyan's past was already in the past, and it was normal for a widower to have an eldest son born out of wedlock. As for the concubine issue, which noblewoman or madam wasn't from such a background? Only the old lady who wanted to "unite as one" and Minglan were probably the minority exceptions.

  The old lady's eyes were dim with fatigue, and she lay down, seemingly ready to sleep. Minglan helped her smooth out the pillow and tucked in the quilt, trying to make her comfortable. Just as the old lady was about to fall asleep, she muttered a few words: "They're their own daughters, no one else can control them... never seen the world... such a reckless child, just because they've risen to prominence for a few days, they think they're precious... I don't think much of them..." Minglan stood by the bed for a moment, feeling that she should say something fair on behalf of her benefactor. In fact, Gu Tingye wasn't that bad, at least he was brave and chivalrous, his archery skills were accurate, and he had a strong sense of justice. Even with his rugged beard, he looked quite stylish. "Fine, if it were me, I wouldn't be happy either." This kind of high-ranking official was too challenging, even without the dozen beautiful women in the house, there would still be fresh flowers every season. Take Qi Heng's maternal grandfather, the Marquis of Xiangyang, for example - that old man had wrinkles so deep they could swallow flies whole, and he still kept a harem of concubines and maids, with rumors of new additions and replacements all the time. Sigh, parents were always ambitious, and their children's futures were uncertain, just like in ancient times.