Chapter 247
The couple didn’t say anything on the way from Marquis Ningyuan’s mansion to the Cheng Manor . After they went back home, Gu Tingye discussed official business with others in the outer study until midnight . First, he discussed government affairs with Gongsun Baishi . Then he ordered a few scribes to write down the regulations which he dictated . Only until the Chou Hour(1 a . m . in the morning) did he come back to his room with morning dew all over his body .
After entering the room, he reached out his hand to lift the curtain . Then he saw a clump of cloud-like hair outside the satin quilt, however, he couldn’t find where her body was . Only one of her tender and pink feet was exposed by the corner of the quilt with her chubby toes turning up .
Gu Tingye chuckled and couldn’t help but poke her bare toes . Then he turned around to take a shower in the bathroom . After that, he changed into a satin sleepwear and went back to the bed . However, Minglan who had already woken up was leaning on a pillow with her head tilted while staring at him with a dazed look .
“You are awake?” The man lifted the quilt and got on the bed with a smile .
Minglan nodded . Then she stretched her little arms like a kitten which had just woken up and said, “I have already woken up when you tickled my toes . ”’
The look on Gu Tingye’s face turned a bit awkward . Then he held Minglan in his arms as if nothing had happened . As they both lay down on the bed and embraced each other, Minglan leaned her face on his sturdy chest while murmuring something . Gu Tingye didn’t hear her clearly, so he asked her what she had been saying with his eyes closed .
Minglan, with her chin against his chest, stared at him and said, “Did you already know what would happen to Marquis Ningyuan’s mansion long ago?” What a coincidence that he had taken her to inspect those estates at that certain point!
Gu Tingye opened his eyes, seeing her clear and innocent eyes fixed on him . Then he smiled and said, “Liu Zhengjie did have sent me a message, but it’s true that the military review has happened to take place at that time . So I decided to take you out to stay away from the trouble . ”
MInglan sat up from her quilt with her arms around her knees, sighing, “Although I couldn’t escape from that forever, it is still good to stay in peace for a period of time . However . . . ” She paused and then turned around to look at him while saying in a low voice, “Are you really planning to stay out of this the whole time?”
After a while, Gu Tingye, with a meaningful look in his black eyes, replied to her, “There are so many families being accused of colluding with the guilty prince . Those dukes, earls and marquises lost all of their family properties and their noble titles . Duke Cheng’s merits offset his faults, but he was still fined three years of government rewards and five years of official food supplement . Why should Marquis Ningyuan’s family be an exception?”
With a scornful smile on his tender lips, he said, “I’ve done my best not to help worsen their penalties . What were they thinking by asking me to help them get away with it?”
Minglan sighed slowly . Gu Tingye then said again, “However, I did have interfered in this . ”
Minglan opened her eyes wide, not understanding his words .
“I told them to investigate other cases first and postpone everything involving Marquis Ningyuan’s family . ”
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“Huh?”
Gu Tingye said bluntly, “After all, they should wait until I got married . Otherwise our wedding would have been so boring without many people there . ”
Minglan smacked her lips and lay on the bed again feebly . Gu Tingye found her quite adorable and interesting when she curled up like a ball with her head lowered while wobbling inside the quilt . So he dabbed her little nose and said smilingly,
“What are you worrying about now? You have never done anything wrong . Neither will you be the one that sit by and do nothing . Why are you being like this?”
Minglan was enlightened right away .
That was right! She had never invloved herself in this thing, nor did she know anything about it . Why did she feel so guilty?!
“Honey, you are so right!” She suddenly got full of courage .
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Gu Tingye couldn’t help but smile . He remembered something all of a sudden and said, “Today’s affair is not over yet . There will be lots of problems in the future . I’ll be fine since I work outside . However, you might be troubled by them for a long time . I’m afraid you’ll be annoyed . ”
Minglan said bravely, “What’s to be annoyed about? They would only ask me to persuade you to help them . I’ll agree to all of their requests . It’s a different thing if you want to help or how much you can help . ”
The man raised his nice eyebrows and expressed that he admired her optimistic bravery .
In no time, Minglan realized that her brave words were of no use . The second day, the women from Marquis Ningyuan’s mansion came .
Sometimes it was mothers-in-law coming with their daughters-in-law; sometimes it was mothers bringing their little children; sometimes they gathered together to for a joint fight; sometimes they arrived in one and another groups . They came when Minglan was about to eat, or she prepared to check the account with the stewards, or wanted to take a nap . If they happened to arrive at the meal time, Minglan had to ask them to have meals together . However, it was very impossible for Minglan to eat anything when those women wailed and whined while staring at Minglan with a bitter look .
Their outrageous behaviors completely disturbed Minglan’s healthy lifestyle .
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Those women cried, begged and dragged Minglan’s sleeves while using the carrot-and-stick approach . They talked about how pathetic their children would be and what a miserable future they and their children would have if their husbands were gone . Minglan was impressed by their perfect performance .
Fifth Old Madam thumped on the table and shouted with one of her fingers pointed at Minglan’s nose . She didn’t listen to Minglan’s explanation at all and nearly forced Minglan to swear that Gu Tingye would take care of everything . In the meantime, Second Madam Di and Second Madam Bing winked at their children together as if it was their secret code . Then those kids cried in an extremely loud voice . Other women also helped persuade Minglan with blunt or implicit words .
Minglan’s ears were numb, her head was dizzy and her eyes were blurring . It had only been three days, and she was already terribly fatigued . Right now, she was just like an eggplant which had been hurt by the frost, spiritless and weak . When she was pushed too hard by those women and couldn’t even breathe, she could just faint right away without pretending . However, those women always fainted ahead of her with vivid movements . Sometimes they even bumped their heads on the corner of the table .
Minglan really couldn’t take this anymore .
Seeing her being like this, Gu Tingye suggested, “Why don’t you stay in your parents’ house for a couple of days? Come to think about it, you never lived in Sheng’s mansion ever since we got married even in Double Month(T/N:Double Month is a Chinese custom that requires the newly married couple to live in the wife’s parents’ home for a period of time) . ”
“Can we?” Minglan was quite intrigued, but still a bit hesitant . When she had just got married, Cheng Manor needed a madam to handle all the affairs . Since she couldn’t get away, she then failed to observe the Double Month custom . However, if she went back this time . . .
At last, Minglan decided to visit Sheng’s mansion to see the situation there first .
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