dmims Chapter 170 Gu Tingye proposes to Mo Lan
Chapter 170 Gu Tingye proposes to Mo Lan
Chapter 170 Gu Tingye proposes to Mo Lan
"Although Father's death was related to Erlang, it cannot be entirely blamed on him. Father also left a will before his death, asking Erlang to inherit the title," Gu Tingyu said calmly.
"You're talking nonsense!"
Madam Qin shouted, "When did Master leave such a dying wish?"
"When Father left his last words, many clan elders were present and signed to confirm them. Do you need me to bring them to you for review?"
57
Gu Tingyu said.
"you--"
Madam Qin's expression changed drastically; Gu Yankai had indeed left behind some last words before his death.
Because it was forbidden to write by hand, the writing was done in the presence of some elders of the Gu family, and finally signed by those elders present.
However, through various means, Madam Qin had long since bribed those clan elders.
Gu Tingyu kept the suicide note, saying he would find an opportunity to destroy it.
Now she understood perfectly well that Gu Tingyu had left behind a will.
"You think having a will will allow him to return to the Gu family and inherit the title?"
Madam Qin sneered, "Let me tell you, don't even think about it. Many people outside know about his death of the master; even if you take it to the authorities, no one will support you!"
Whether intentional or unintentional, Gu Tingye bears a great deal of responsibility for Gu Fubing's death.
According to current standards of filial piety, this would be a grave offense of unfilial conduct.
Gu Tingyu stepped forward and whispered, "The people of the fourth and fifth branches are involved with the rebels, and Erlang has an old friendship with Wang You. Only by letting him inherit the title can the Gu family be protected."
"If you want to ruin the Gu family, then go ahead and make a scene. Anyway, I'm a dying man. Erlang has already promised me that he will help take care of my wife and Xian'er."
"You're talking nonsense. Even if the fourth and fifth wives are brainless, they wouldn't be involved with the rebel king!" Madam Qin simply didn't believe it.
"I didn't tell Erlang about this; I found out about it myself."
Gu Tingyu said, "I was the one who contacted Erlang. Anyway, I've already talked to him, so you can choose the rest yourself."
The Gu family's property was raided, and you can't escape either. The third son's child is still young, you—"
"Stop talking!"
Madam Qin shouted loudly, gave Gu Tingye a deep look, and turned to leave.
"Big brother is really amazing, he made her give in so easily." Gu Tingye clapped his hands.
"Stop making fun of me."
Gu Tingyu said calmly, "I have done what I promised you. I will give you my father's will and the documents concerning the division of the family property between the fourth and fifth branches. You can handle the rest yourself."
Gu Tingye watched Gu Tingyu leave, staring at his hunched back, speechless for a long time.
After a long while, Gu Tingye came back to his senses. Looking at the familiar main hall, the scene of his father punishing him here when he was a child came to mind.
With a sigh, Gu Tingye arrived at the ancestral hall. Looking at the memorial tablet placed next to that of Madam Qin, he lit an incense stick and inserted it into the incense burner in front of Gu Yankai's memorial tablet before turning around and leaving the ancestral hall.
"Mother, I've come to see you."
In the Taoist temple in the south of the city, Gu Tingye kowtowed to his mother's memorial tablet, then sat on a prayer mat and burned paper money.
Although his mother was the legal wife, according to custom, the first wife is the only true wife.
His second wife was only nominally the same as the first wife, but in reality, she received far worse treatment.
For example, the ancestral hall can only enshrine the memorial tablet of the principal wife. The mother's tablet cannot be enshrined in the ancestral hall and can only be enshrined here.
-
"What should I do?"
Gu Tingye added paper money to the brazier, his eyes fixed on the memorial tablet.
"I really want to let the Gu family fend for themselves, and then find a chance to take revenge after she is exiled."
But I am also a member of the Gu family. If things really come to that, I might not be much better off than her, and I might not have the chance to avenge you.
Just then, a gust of wind blew in, rattling the doors and windows.
"Mother, you don't approve of me doing this either?" Gu Tingye murmured.
As soon as he finished speaking, the wind suddenly stopped, as if in response.
"I see."
Gu Tingye's eyes hardened, and he said, "Gu Tingyu is right. This is too easy on her. She wants the Gu family's title, but waiting for me to inherit it would be worse than killing her."
Having made up his mind, Gu Tingye stopped thinking about it, put the remaining paper aside, kowtowed three more times, and got up to leave.
After leaving the main hall where the memorial tablets were enshrined, Gu Tingye donated some incense money before departing.
As he was walking, Gu Tingye saw a woman in the distance who looked somewhat familiar. After a moment's thought, he followed her.
"Now that the autumn air is crisp and clear, it's the perfect time for an outing."
Liang Han, accompanied by his entourage, walked through the Taoist temple, complaining, "I can only come to the Taoist temple to offer incense with my mother."
"Young master, the lady has also come to pray for a good marriage for you," the attendant said.
"What's the point of praying for a good marriage? The women I like don't approve of my mother, and the women she likes are just so-so to me. What's the use of praying to gods and Buddhas? It's easier to just listen to me," Liang Han said, pouting.
The attendant didn't respond; such a topic was not one for a servant like him to meddle in.
Liang Han looked up and saw the master and servant walking towards her from afar. Her eyes lit up and she went to greet them.
"It's truly fate that brought us together from afar. I never expected to run into Miss Sheng here."
With a smile, Liang Han politely bowed and said, "Greetings, Fourth Miss Sheng!"
"Greetings, Young Master Liang."
Mo Lan returned the curtsy and smiled, "Young Master Liang, are you also here to offer incense?"
"My mother came to offer incense, and I came with her."
Liang Han looked Mo Lan up and down, then asked with a smile, "Does Fourth Miss also believe in Taoism?"
"It's not a matter of belief or disbelief. I'm just feeling down and have nowhere to vent, so I can only come to the Taoist temple to burn incense and seek peace of mind," Mo Lan said with a melancholy expression.
"If it's convenient, you can tell me about it," Liang Han said with a look of pity.
Mo Lan had at least learned etiquette from the palace maids. Although she was just a concubine's daughter, her every move and word exuded the air of a noble lady.
At this moment, a hint of melancholy appeared on his face, which was very attractive to Liang Han.
This is similar to the women in brothels. Ordinary women greet everyone with a smile, but the top courtesans have a melancholy expression that keeps people at arm's length.
But the more they act this way, the more men like them, while they despise women who smile brightly and act as if they can have everything they want.
Because in their eyes, those women belonged to the kind who had fallen and lost themselves.
Although those top courtesans seemed aloof and unapproachable, in their eyes they were like lotuses rising from the mud, pure and untainted, still possessing their own integrity.
Mo Lan remained silent upon hearing this, and Liang Han suggested that they take a walk together.
This time, Mo Lan did not refuse, but simply nodded slightly.
Seeing that Mo Lan was taciturn, Liang Han tried his best to make her laugh during the outing.
Mo Lan also expressed her worries, saying that she had reached marriageable age and her family was arranging a marriage for her.
However, because she was an illegitimate daughter, her family did not care about her, and the few men who were interested in her were all spoiled brats, which made her feel frustrated.
Although Liang Han was a spoiled brat, he was still much better off than other spoiled brats because of the strict discipline of Madam Wu.
Therefore, he naturally looked down on those notorious playboys and, upon hearing this, he rebuked them severely, his words filled with contempt.
Perhaps it was this attitude that won Mo Lan's approval, and he became more talkative.
He even discussed poetry with Liang Han, who, despite not being a great student, had some knowledge of poetry.
After all, he is the son of a nobleman. If he doesn't even understand poetry, how can he show off in front of others?
The two chatted more and more congenially until Madam Wu sent someone to look for them, at which point Liang Han reluctantly said goodbye to Mo Lan.
After watching Liang Han leave, Mo Lan left with her maid.
Gu Tingye watched this scene from afar, and only after seeing Mo Lan leave did he follow.
He followed her all the way to the parking area outside the Taoist temple, and only after seeing Mo Lan get into the carriage and leave did he turn around and return to the Taoist temple.
He chatted with the young Taoist priest at the entrance of the temple for a while and learned that apart from the old lady who would come to offer incense at the end of each month, he had no recollection of the rest of the Sheng family.
This Taoist temple is the largest Taoist temple near Bianjing City. Many high-ranking officials and nobles come to burn incense and donate money for incense oil.
Therefore, the Taoist priests at the gate knew a great deal about the wealthy families in Bianjing, if not everything.
Especially those who offer incense to Taoist temples.
Gu Tingye then asked if he had seen Mo Lan before, but the young Taoist said she looked unfamiliar and probably didn't come often.
Having learned this, Gu Tingye felt more confident.
He had studied at the Sheng family's school for a period of time and was quite familiar with the three Gu family girls.
Gu Tingyu asked him to seek a marriage alliance with the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, but he did not want to marry Rulan.
He knew Rulan's personality; she was straightforward and had no scheming or cunning whatsoever.
Such a woman could be a good wife; at least she's simple-minded and doesn't have many hidden agendas.
But he had to go back to his family home, and then he would have to face Madam Qin.
He didn't think that Lady Qin would be willing to accept her fate once she realized she couldn't stop him from inheriting the title.
There must be other schemes waiting for him.
Gu Tingye couldn't stay at home every day, nor could he take his wife with him when he went out. He needed a wife who could deal with Xiao Qinshi when he was away.
Such people are hard to find. The suppression that parents exert over their children is entirely based on status, and there is no reasoning behind it.
Take Hua Lan for example. If word got out about Yuan Shiqian's affairs, people would definitely criticize Yuan Shiqian and sympathize with Hua Lan.
But if Hua Lan dares to defy the Yuan family, that would be a different story.
Although Lady Qin was not his biological mother, she was his legal mother according to etiquette. His wife, bound by etiquette, could not directly contradict him and could only use various methods to deal with the situation.
A normal mother-in-law can handle most things. Many mothers-in-law make things difficult for their daughters-in-law simply because they want to set rules and because they themselves went through the same thing.
Ultimately, he never intended to harm his daughter-in-law and son.
But Madam Qin is different; it's very difficult to find someone who can handle her.
If he could choose, Gu Tingye's ideal choice would be Minglan.
She has no father who cares for her, a clueless stepmother, a scheming concubine, and two older sisters to deal with.
Minglan grew up in this environment, so Gu Tingye believed that she would be able to handle it well if he told her the true nature of Xiao Qinshi.
Unfortunately, Minglan and Wang You are already engaged. Although there are rumors that Wang You is going to become a horse, there is no news of Wang You and Minglan breaking off their engagement.
Moreover, if he wanted to protect the Gu family, he would need Wang You's help, so he dared not compete with Wang You for a woman.
But Rulan definitely couldn't handle it; even a normal mother-in-law's difficult behavior wouldn't be enough for her.
Not to mention someone like Madam Qin.
Gu Tingye knew that if he married Rulan, he would likely be killed by Qin Shi's schemes before long.
But he needed to establish a relationship with Wang You, so he had to marry a girl from the Sheng family.
Although he felt that Mo Lan wasn't very smart, she was still better than Lan Qiang.
Therefore, he set his sights on Mo Lan.
He had originally been thinking about how to get the Sheng family to agree, after all, his reputation was already bad, and he had experienced a series of events, including having an affair and causing his father's death.
Sheng, a man who values his reputation above all else, might not agree to marry a concubine's daughter even if she were his wife.
Now, Mo Lan has given him leverage over him.
-
"Zhonghuai, you're finally back!"
When Sheng Changbai saw Gu Tingye open the door, he excitedly reached out and hugged him.
"As soon as I heard the news of the amnesty, I sent someone to deliver a letter to you. Did you receive it?"
"No, I returned to the capital as soon as the news of the amnesty arrived."
Gu Tingye patted Sheng Changbai on the back, released him, and said, "Come in, sit down and let's talk!"
Gu Tingye instructed the waiter to bring wine and dishes, and he and Sheng Changbai entered the private room and took their seats.
Sheng Changbai calmed down and looked at Gu Tingye, whose skin had become much rougher, and asked him about his experiences after being exiled.
Gu Tingye casually recounted the story, and after the waiter brought the wine and dishes, he and Sheng Changbai drank and chatted.
After a few drinks, Sheng Changbai asked, "What are your plans this time you're back?"
"I've already returned to the Gu family," Gu Tingye said.
"The Gu family will let you in?" Sheng Changbai asked in surprise.
He knew a little about some of the things that happened in Gu Tingye's family.
Of course, he didn't know the true nature of Xiao Qinshi.
But when Gu Tingye was exiled, not a single member of the Gu family came to see him off.
"It's a long story, we'll talk about it later."
Gu Tingye shook his head and smiled, "I heard your wedding is approaching, so it seems I'll still be able to drink this toast."
"It'll be soon, in a little over half a month," Sheng Changbai said with a smile.
His original wedding date was during the period of national mourning. If the late emperor had not suddenly passed away, he would have already been married by now.
After the national mourning period, a new date was chosen.
"You're already in your mid-twenties, and you're still in mourning. We'll have to wait more than a year to attend your wedding," Sheng Changbai sighed.
According to the established rites, children are required to observe a three-year mourning period after their parents pass away.
Marriage was strictly prohibited during this period.
Even if a bride's parents pass away on her wedding day, she must immediately return to her parents' home, remove her wedding dress, and observe mourning if the wedding ceremony has not yet taken place.
"Need not."
Gu Tingye shook his head and said, "Before my father passed away, I suffered imprisonment, which was considered unlucky. But getting married to bring good fortune is still a good idea."
.
Although that is stipulated in etiquette and law, there are some exceptions.
For example, before the parents passed away, they wanted to see their son and daughter get married. Although the event was held hastily, they still couldn't make it to the wedding.
In such cases, marriage is usually permitted because it is the parents' dying wish.
Gu Tingye's case is also a special one. He suffered imprisonment before his father's death, which is considered unlucky.
Making him observe mourning for his father would actually be detrimental to his father.
In such cases, people usually find someone to perform rituals to exorcise evil spirits, or they might get married to bring good luck.
However, if it is a wedding to bring good luck, everything must be kept simple.
Especially someone like Gu Tingye, whose death was somewhat related to his father's.
Ancient people believed that marriage would allow a son to have children and procreate, and that even if a father harbored resentment, he would not harm his son.
"You've already made a decision?" Sheng Changbai asked in surprise.
Gu Tingye smiled wryly and said, "Who would be willing to marry their daughter to me these days? I came here this time to ask for your help. I want to ask for your fourth sister's hand in marriage."