“This… where does one begin?” It was a full second before Minglan recovered herself.
Rulan flung the handkerchief down on the kang with force and bit her lip: “They say that Gu… that he proposed the match to Elder Sister’s husband.”
Minglan was amused by Rulan’s phrasing: “He proposed a match to Elder Sister’s husband — well, Zhuang Jie’er is still too small, so Elder Sister’s husband had better just marry him himself, haha, haha… Ah!” The laughter stopped abruptly. Minglan blew on her smacked hand and kept flapping it: “All right, all right, I’ll stop joking. Fifth Elder Sister, you tell me.”
But Rulan showed no sign of calming down. Her red-rimmed eyes were brimming again with tears about to fall: “You know how things are between me and Brother Jing… What am I to do now?! The moment Big Sister brought this up, I said I was unwilling, and Mother gave me a terrible scolding — so I cried and ran out!”
Minglan was deeply regretful. When it concerned one’s own lifelong fate, how could one act so impulsively? The least she could do was hear out the full circumstances from beginning to end before crying — but seeing Rulan’s face full of grievance, she soothed her: “Fifth Elder Sister, don’t be upset. Would Big Sister and Mother actually harm you? No matter how fine that gentleman may be, he cannot compare to Gu Tingye — who knows, this might turn out to be a good match.”
Rulan became even more agitated and began stamping her foot and slapping the kang table in a fit of temper. Xiao Xijuan came in carrying a steaming copper basin and, taking in the scene, wisely kept silent. Minglan rolled up her sleeves and personally wrung a cloth for Rulan, handing it to her: “Fifth Elder Sister, things are as they are — what do you expect me to do by calling me here? I have no power over this.”
“Who said I want you to come up with ideas?” Rulan took the warm cloth and pressed it over her eyes for a moment, then lifted her face and fixed her gaze on Minglan: “…Go to the Shou’an Hall and listen to what they are all saying. About Gu…” Rulan flushed slightly and would not continue.
Minglan’s eyes went wide. She shook her hands repeatedly: “No, no, no. Listening in on your elder sister’s marriage negotiations — what business would that be of mine? If there’s something you want to know, you can go and ask directly!”
Rulan’s lips went white with biting. She glared hard at Minglan. Xiao Xijuan could not bear to watch any longer and stepped close to Minglan, gently reasoning: “Young Miss, you could at least make the trip. Our young mistress lost her temper just now and got into a few words with the First Young Mistress, which gave the First Young Mistress quite a shock — how could she face going back now? Even if she went to ask herself, how would she know to ask what our young mistress needs to know? Our young mistress is desperate right now and cannot wait. Sixth Young Miss, all these years our young mistress has considered you her most trusted confidante!”
Minglan very much wanted to cry out: “Since when?!” But Rulan was already baring her teeth, about to lunge at her. Her fingers, white at the knuckles, were all but digging into Minglan’s arm. Minglan could not extricate herself, and besides she was herself somewhat curious, so she agreed to go.
Fortunately the young women’s courtyard was not far from the Shou’an Hall. Minglan walked quickly, with Xiaotao pulling her along from time to time. When she reached the Shou’an Hall, she saw Cuiping and Cuimei both standing at the entrance. Minglan steadied her breathing, straightened her clothing, and then stepped slowly inside. The main hall was empty. She went around the screen and turned into the inner sitting room, where she found the Old Madam, Wang Shi, and Hualan — old, middle, and young — sitting together and talking beside the kang. They all looked up the moment Minglan entered.
After paying her respects to everyone, Minglan braced herself against everyone’s gaze, let out a few awkward laughs: “I didn’t know anything — it was Fifth Elder Sister who asked me to come and listen. I know I shouldn’t be here… perhaps I’d better just go back.”
Seeing her standing there fidgeting with the hem of her jacket, words tumbling out in disorder, her expression full of embarrassment, Hualan burst out laughing and turned to consult the Old Madam with a glance. The Old Madam gave Minglan a sideways look. It was actually Wang Shi who spoke: “Very well, let the Sixth girl stay and listen too. Ru’er has always been close to you and is willing to heed your counsel… Old Madam, what do you think?”
The Old Madam could not have cared less, but she made a show of thinking it over before nodding. Minglan carefully retrieved a small stool and sat herself to the side, closed her mouth, pricked up her ears, and prepared to be an unobtrusive listener.
Hualan turned back around and smiled: “Where was I just now? Ah, yes… They talked for a full hour. It seems that Gu Er-lang and my husband are practically childhood friends of a sort — Gu Er-lang said that it is easy to offer aid when times are good, but rare to give help in times of hardship, and that when he was down and out and had left home, my husband had never looked down on him. He has no interest in those who come fawning over him now, but he trusts Shao’s character, and so he entrusted Shao to find him a suitable match. I had only the one unmarried younger sister, who is already betrothed. So Shao thought of our family, and last night he mentioned it to Gu Er-lang, who also expressed willingness.”
Wang Shi’s expression was peculiar — something between wild joy and nagging worry, rather like someone who has just been struck on the head by a pig’s head falling from the sky: very much wanting to eat the fatty meat, but afraid there might be a tightly-coiled mousetrap beneath it.
The Old Madam could see Wang Shi’s hesitation. She carefully considered her words and then asked: “In terms of the match itself, this would be us marrying up. But as for this General Gu’s reputation… setting aside other matters, I heard years ago that he kept a woman outside his household, with children and everything — she must be one he favors. Wouldn’t your younger sister suffer greatly if she married into that situation? And besides, from ancient times betrothals have always been arranged by the parents — how did he come to propose this himself? The Marquess of Ningyuan’s Madam should at least make an appearance.”
The Old Madam had lately been giving herself headaches over Minglan’s marriage prospects, and her thinking on weddings and matches was exceptionally clear-headed these days. Wang Shi nodded vigorously — that was precisely her concern. The Old Madam gave Wang Shi — whose poorly-concealed excitement was obvious — a complex look. There were also a good many sordid rumors she could not bring herself to mention aloud.
Hualan glanced at the Old Madam, then hesitated a moment and pressed her fingertips together against the hand warmer, curving forward to lower her voice: “This matter has to be explained from the beginning — it is a long story. I only found out myself last night when my husband told me… It turns out that the Madam of the Marquess of Ningyuan’s household is not Gu Er-lang’s birth mother!”
Everyone gave a collective start. The Old Madam asked urgently: “Is General Gu born of a concubine?” This was a crucial question — it directly determined Gu Er-lang’s standing. Even though the content might be the same, there was a difference between the deluxe and standard editions.
“Not at all — he is indeed born of the first wife.” Hualan hastily added: “Strange as it sounds, the Marquess of Ningyuan’s household kept it very quiet. It turns out the old Marquess married three wives in all. The first was a young lady from the Qin family of the Dongchang Marquess’s household. After their marriage, the old Marquess took his family to garrison Sichuan-Yunnan, and within a few years Lady Qin died in childbed. The old Marquess then took a second wife, a young lady of the Bai family, who gave birth to Gu Er-lang — this Madam also passed away not long after. Then the old Marquess married again, this time to the younger sister of the first Lady Qin, which is the current Gu Madam. Years passed, the old Marquess was recalled to the capital by imperial command, and with time no one brought it up anymore. After all, both women bore the Qin name, and outsiders assumed there had only ever been the one Lady Qin. The Dongchang Marquess’s household said nothing themselves. Only a few close families knew the truth — until recently, when many people began looking into the Gu family hoping to arrange a match, and after careful inquiry the matter gradually came to light.”
Minglan opened her mouth slightly. She was somewhat puzzled by what Gu Tingye meant to convey.
Hualan had wasted half of her speech — Wang Shi wanted to know whether Gu Tingye was a reliable person, and Hualan had rambled on about all this ancient family history instead. But the Old Madam had grasped the significance. She sat up straight on the kang and asked with lively interest: “So the rumors that General Gu was at odds with the Marquess of Ningyuan’s household are true? Only it was not a conflict with his father rooted in old resentment — rather, General Gu’s quarrel was with this stepmother?”
Hualan’s eyes lit up, feeling that it was after all her own grandmother who understood. She turned toward the Old Madam and smiled: “You are nine parts right, Grandmother. Just think — if it were truly a case of tender motherly love and filial devotion, why would Gu Er-lang have made such a scene that he left home and did not return for years? Why, after establishing his own general’s mansion, has he gone back to the Marquess of Ningyuan’s household only once? When a real mother is always there beside the old father urging him to reconcile with his son — look at the fifth young master of the Han Guo Duke’s household, who is guilty of truly every vice — keeping company with brothels and gambling dens, causing far more of a scandal than Gu Er-lang ever did in those days — yet with the Duke’s Madam shielding and concealing everything, isn’t he still doing perfectly well? Now I understand — it simply is not a real mother! A slight offense gets scolded to the sky, and with pillow talk working on the old Marquess, of course the father will lay into the son with all he has!”
Wang Shi’s thinking worked in straight lines, and she was still most concerned about the concubine problem. Without preamble she asked: “But… are those rumors false then? What about the woman outside? And the children?”
Hualan’s expression stiffened slightly and she said awkwardly: “He does indeed have a woman outside, with children as well — both he and Shao were frank about it. But…” Seeing Wang Shi’s expression darkening with anger, Hualan quickly continued: “Gu Er-lang says that the woman has ill intentions and was long ago sent to an estate outside the city to be kept under watch — he will never see her again. As for that illegitimate child, it has not even been entered into the clan registry yet.”
Wang Shi’s expression shifted from cloudy to somewhat brighter.
But the Old Madam still had a furrowed brow and said slowly: “Even so, there is still a knot in the matter. After all, there is still the eldest illegitimate son.” She turned to Wang Shi: “You must think this match over carefully. The Marquess of Ningyuan’s household has high standing to begin with, and now General Gu has such force and reputation, there is no question of the wealth and prominence. Yet Ru’er is flesh of your flesh. Getting through life is not a matter of looking only at the outward display — the inner workings are what truly matter. If things go badly, our family will gain the name of ‘those who sacrificed their daughter for the sake of wealth and position.’ When choosing a son-in-law, the character of the person is what counts above all.”
Minglan sat with her head lowered, saying nothing. In a past life she had heard a saying that went something like: “There is no such thing as faithfulness — it simply means the temptation has not been sufficient.” The Old Madam seemed to be a faithful adherent of that saying. She did not believe He Hong was perfect beyond measure — it was simply that a physician who kept his head down amid medical texts and registers of herbal remedies was more reliable than a high official who was always exchanging toasts at banquets.
Wang Shi’s expression was conflicted. She was twisting a handkerchief hard, clearly wavering again.
Hualan saw the Old Madam apparently unwilling and Wang Shi showing signs of faltering, and felt anxious inside. She laughed and gently chided: “Come now — if you don’t trust anyone else, surely you trust your own son-in-law? When my mother-in-law heard this news, she beat her chest and lamented it as a lost opportunity all over again. But my little sister-in-law’s match is already fixed, and so she had Shao put forward Cousin Meixiu from her family to Gu Er-lang instead — my father-in-law heard about it and gave her one long furious scolding, ha! What a thought! Never mind that Cousin Zhang’s father has already passed — even if he were still alive, he was only a minor fifth-rank civil post holder. Shao has thought long and hard about it and says that, although Gu Er-lang had his wild period, he has after all come back and settled down, and the man is worthy of a match — Shao invites Mother to see for herself when the time comes, and he assures you the man speaks with sincere resolve. Not to mention — if he were in fine standing, would it even have been our family’s turn? The well-bred noble houses who guard their family name are unwilling to take the risk. The ones who come eagerly pressing to form a connection are all sycophants and opportunists. Gu Er-lang refuses to accept a match arranged by the Gu Madam, which is why he brought the request to your son-in-law.”
Hualan had an eloquent way of speaking, her voice rising and falling with feeling, every sentence reasonable and touching. Just as she was speaking with great enthusiasm, she happened to glance over at Minglan sitting nearby with a look of confusion on her face, and casually asked what was the matter.
Minglan glanced at the Old Madam’s expression and said in a small voice: “Isn’t it said that widowers who remarry must take whoever they can get? How is it that General Gu… is so sought-after? Being a stepmother is not easy — and is it not true that a second wife stands before the first wife’s memorial tablet as a concubine does?”
She thought of Jia Zhen’s second wife, Lady You, and Jia She’s second wife, Lady Xing — both of whom appeared to live rather uncomfortably, even the long-serving, respectable household staff seeming not to hold them in much regard.
Hualan had gone to all the effort of finally moving Wang Shi, and now here was Minglan causing trouble again. She shot her an impatient look and said: “What does a young girl know?! Widowers also come in all shapes and qualities — that sort of widower who is ancient, whose first wife’s son is already grown, of course will not find anyone good. But someone like Gu Er-lang, who is young and martial, and has no son born of a first wife — if younger sister were to marry him and produce a son, she would be no different from an original first wife. Who would have anything to say about it?” As she spoke, Hualan reached out and flicked at Minglan’s forehead. Minglan pulled her neck in and said nothing. She had at least tried to speak up for Rulan.
Hualan offered much more persuasion, and as the conversation went on, Wang Shi leaned increasingly toward agreeing to this match. She said she would need to discuss it with Sheng Hong, and after they had talked a while longer, Hualan prepared to take her leave. Wang Shi rose to see her daughter out. Mother and daughter walked side by side, talking as they went, and Minglan was left at the Shou’an Hall entrance, watching until the figures of Wang Shi and Hualan disappeared entirely before turning and going back to the Old Madam.
After all the talking, the Old Madam was tired long ago and was resting with her eyes half closed against the kang bolster. Minglan tiptoed over and draped a soft, light fleece blanket over her. To her surprise, the Old Madam suddenly opened her eyes, and Minglan gave a start.
“You… do your best to talk Ru’er around a little.” The Old Madam said slowly.
Minglan was slightly taken aback and tilted her head sitting down beside the Old Madam: “Is this marriage already decided? Was it not said that we would wait until after the spring imperial examination results were posted, and choose a husband for Elder Sister Ru from among the gifted young men then?”
The Old Madam tucked the hand warmer into Minglan’s hands and wrapped her own hands around Minglan’s small ones. A faint trace of irony played at the corner of her mouth: “To marry a daughter into a high-ranking family has been her greatest ambition in life. Had it not been for that business with Molan, that might still be said. But now, with a son-in-law of even higher standing and even better prospects falling from the sky, how could she let that pass!”
Minglan thought it over and saw that it was indeed so. Wang Shi and Lin Yiniang had fought with each other all their lives, and at the very end a concubine’s daughter had married into a household with a higher title than that of Wang Shi’s own first wife’s daughter — how could Wang Shi swallow that? If there were no opportunity, so be it, but here was Gu Tingye himself coming to propose the match — Wang Shi would probably grow more and more pleased with herself the more she thought about it. Poor Brother Jing — you really are unlucky. I expect you’re about to be disappointed again.
“…I wonder what Father will say.” Minglan stared at the ceiling, drifting into thought.
The Old Madam let out a cold laugh through her nose, wearing an expression of resignation: “That needs even less discussion. A man looks at things differently from a woman to begin with, and moreover your father…” Thinking it was wrong to criticize her father in front of a junior, the Old Madam fell silent.
In truth, the next words needed no voicing for Minglan to fill them in. From Sheng Hong’s perspective, Gu Tingye had no great fault to speak of — he had merely been reckless in his younger years. His self-cultivation and household management left much to be desired, but that could not diminish the fact that the man’s starting position was high. He had leapt clear over the first two steps and gone straight to governing the realm!
When set against the interests of the entire family, Rulan’s objections would likely carry little weight. Besides, she could not offer any powerful counter-argument. In the eyes of most men, Gu Tingye’s past was simply the past. It was normal for a widower to have an illegitimate eldest son. As for the concubine problem — every wife of a high official or nobleman had always lived with that, had they not? The Old Madam and Minglan, with their longing for a partner of one heart and mind through old age, were probably the rare, eccentric few.
The Old Madam’s eyes were growing drowsy with fatigue. She turned on her side as if ready to sleep. Minglan helped her smooth out the pillow and tuck the fleece blanket in more securely so she would lie comfortably. She heard the Old Madam murmur half a sentence before drifting off: “…Those are their own daughters. Others cannot be troubled to care… haven’t seen the world… that sort of dissolute creature, barely had a few days of success, and they’re all treating him like a treasure… I just can’t think well of…”
Minglan stood beside the kang for quite a while, feeling that she really ought to say a few fair words on behalf of the man who had once saved her life. Gu Tingye was not so terrible, really — at the very least, he acted with heroic righteousness and came to others’ aid, his archery was accurate, he was effective in a fight, and with that full beard he had a rather dashing, imposing look about him.
Well. Even if it were her, she might not be willing either. Such high officials and nobles meant high stakes — even if his rooms didn’t hold a full set of twelve gorgeous beauties, there would surely be fresh flowers for every season. It had been said that Qi Heng’s maternal grandfather, the Marquess of Xiangyang, was an old man whose wrinkles were deep enough to trap flies, and he still kept a full house of young concubines and pretty maidservants — with new replacements coming in periodically, so the rumors went.
Sigh. When parents have ambitions, daughters bear a heavy burden. The same in every era.
…