Chapter 185: The World Says, "Cleverness Can Be Misled by Cleverness

Chapter 185: The World Says, "Cleverness Can Be Misled by Cleverness"

Perhaps having enjoyed a period of ease, Minglan's vigilance had diminished, and it took her two days to sense that something was wrong.

Gu Tingye seemed increasingly moody. One moment he was chatting and joking with her, and the next, he would fall silent and stare at her with an unclear purpose, which made her uneasy. When he had free time, he no longer played with her as he used to, often just lost in thought while holding their son.

When she asked him what was wrong, he simply and indifferently replied, "Nothing."

Recently, Mr. Gongsun had been unusually carefree, indulging in the pleasures of ancient music and drumming, which didn't suggest any court troubles. Minglan grew more anxious, realizing with a shock that the trouble must have started that day they went to the Duke of Qi's birthday banquet.

That day, after Gu Tingye went to court, Minglan called Gu Lu over and, without much pretense, directly asked him, "Look into what might have happened to upset the Marquis at the Qi residence that day." Gu Lu, who had a good memory, couldn't recall anything unusual after thinking about it for a long time. So Minglan asked him to recount everything that had happened after Gu Tingye entered the Qi residence that day.

"First, the Marquis paid his respects to the old Duke and spoke with him for a while. Later, the Ying Guogong and the Fu Guogong arrived, and everyone began reminiscing about past events. The distinguished guests praised the Marquis as a fine steed of a thousand miles... At the banquet, the Duke of Han kept approaching the Marquis and talking to him. The Marquis persistently tried to persuade him to drink, and eventually, the Duke of Han got drunk. Then someone mentioned the old Duke's fortune, with four generations living together, and the old Duke, delighted, had his two great-grandsons brought out to show to everyone..."

Minglan struggled to keep her heart from racing. "Did the old Duke mention the names of those two children?"

Gu Lu thought for a moment and replied, "He only mentioned that the boy is named Hanming. The old Duke, fond of his only great-grandson, even had the name written on several slips of paper and posted outside for everyone to see."

Minglan fell silent and asked no more questions. She complimented Gu Lu a few times in a warm tone and then had Xiao Tao see him out. As usual, Xiao Tao sent him off with a full basket of fruits and pastries and then led him away.

The spring breeze touched her face, but it made her break out in a cold sweat. Minglan stood by the window, her damp palms spread out, feeling extremely frustrated. It seemed that the more she feared something, the more it came to pass. At this moment, she felt she could have beaten Qi Heng a thousand times over!

Gu Tingye already knew about her and Qi Heng. In fact, their first meeting was when she and Qi Heng were the only audience to the play they performed. As time passed, Qi Heng married, faced a scandal, took the imperial examinations, while Gu Tingye himself married, faced a scandal, and mixed with the underworld. Minglan never expected she would end up marrying the notorious Gu Ershu (Second Master Gu) from the capital's decadent circles!

Therefore, she was more concerned about He Hongwen at the time, as he was someone she had genuinely considered as a marriage partner. Who would have thought that Qi Yuanbao, with his family's bad reputation, would have such a lapse in judgment?

What should she do now? It's not like Gu Tingye just learned about her past with Qi Heng; why is he still concerned about it now?

Minglan, overwhelmed and unable to come up with a solution, held her head in despair, rolling around on the bed. She then grabbed her freshly awakened son, Tuan Ge'er, and held his little face with both hands. "Help me think of a solution, too!"

Unfortunately, the little chubby boy didn't understand and kept snuggling into her arms, his round face rubbing against her chest, his little mouth searching everywhere. Minglan, both annoyed and embarrassed, pushed his forehead with her index finger, saying, "You little glutton!"

— Still a clumsy little glutton, and she had already run out of supplies!

Having identified the problem, the next challenge was how to resolve it. Even Minglan, usually decisive and quick-witted, was momentarily at a loss. Thinking carefully, she realized that although she was inexperienced in her past life, she hadn't handled such matters well in this life either. Issues involving Qi Heng, He Hongwen, and even Gu Tingye were less about feelings and more about survival.

Minglan looked at her husband, who was leaning against the headboard, and gathered her courage to smile and start a conversation, "Since we're home so late, should we have some late-night snacks?" Gu Tingye, however, shook his head. "It's already late. Eating now will make it hard to digest before sleeping." He responded briefly, then handed the now-drowsy Tuan Ge'er to the nurse and went to the desk to read a book.

Minglan couldn't help but curse inwardly: "No time for a late-night snack, but plenty of time for reading? Fine, don't eat then. Better starve to death! Be careful, or you'll end up being a bigger fool!"

Thinking again, she realized it wasn't the time to be petty. Minglan tried her best to chat about the trivial matters of the day, but the man responded with only a few indifferent "ohs," his lack of interest apparent.

Feeling helpless, Minglan went to the washroom. After she finished washing up and returned, she found Gu Tingye still in the same position, draped in a robe with his long hair loose, leaning against the headboard reading. Minglan squinted to check, and fortunately, the book wasn't upside down.

After getting into bed, she naturally snuggled up to the inner side, but noticed that the man showed no intention of putting down his book. After a while, Minglan could no longer hold back and asked, "My lord, are you going to rest?"

Gu Tingye was silent for a moment before he softly murmured, "Yes," then extinguished the lamp and drew the curtains.

Feeling helpless, Minglan groped for the man in the dark, her slender fingers sliding beneath the quilt and slowly exploring his chest. As her skin began to warm, she hurriedly pressed herself against him, moving and rubbing in an attempt to get his attention. If this didn't work, she really wouldn't know what else to try. Fortunately, the man wasn't acting like an ascetic; heavy breathing soon followed as he rolled over and took her without any hesitation.

The next day, feeling sore in her back and waist, Minglan privately rejoiced that her strategy had worked. However, when the man returned to his room, he was back to his indifferent self, speaking little, and seeming to convey a message of "sugar-coated on the outside, but bombs returned" with his attitude.

Facing such a half-dead attitude, Minglan suddenly recalled a saying: "A dog biting a turtle, with nowhere to bite."

After pondering for several days without any understanding, Minglan felt quite exhausted. Noticing that the weather was getting hotter by the day, she had some water chestnuts picked from the pond and caught a few fat fish to bring to General Zheng's residence, hoping to unwind a bit.

Young Madam Shen's belly was gradually growing round. This pregnancy had not come easily, and her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and husband all forbade her from going outside, leaving her bored and restless. Seeing Minglan's visit, she was overjoyed.

"...These days, I feel like I'm growing worms from being so bored. My sister-in-law won't even let me walk in the garden for long..." Young Madam Shen poured out her grievances. Minglan examined her closely and saw that she had a round face and looked healthy, just quite bored.

Young Madam Shen lowered her voice, "I think my sister-in-law is being too cautious. Back when the Emperor was still a prince, I saw women there with big bellies still running around. Didn't they still give birth to lively babies? There were even second and third-rank titled ladies who were still strolling in the gardens half a month before giving birth! But the rules are much stricter in the capital!"

Minglan sternly admonished her, "When other ladies go out or stroll in the garden, they sit properly and drink tea. Were you born as a monkey? Once you're out of this door, can you stay calm? Your sister-in-law knows your nature well!"

There was indeed some truth to this, and Young Madam Shen sighed softly. Minglan found her dejected look amusing and tapped her on the forehead, teasing, "You should behave yourself. Besides, the child in your belly isn't just yours. How can you be so willful?"

Young Madam Shen blushed slightly and whispered, "I know. For the sake of this child, my husband also..."

Minglan feigned astonishment, "I was talking about your mother-in-law and sister-in-law. For you to get pregnant, they prayed to so many Buddhas, recited countless scriptures, and made numerous offerings... What were you thinking about? Well, it's true that Young General Zheng has also contributed quite a bit."

Young Madam Shen was too embarrassed, threw a soft cushion at Minglan, and then tried to pounce on her to pinch her mouth. Minglan hurriedly pleaded, "Don't move, don't move, you are precious now. If you even lose a hair, shaving my head wouldn't be enough to repay it!"

Young Madam Shen, having no other option, couldn't move recklessly and could only shake her finger at Minglan, "You, you..."

Hearing the laughter and noise inside, Madam Zheng smiled and shook her head as she stepped in, saying, "How old are you two? I was gone for just a moment, and you've already gotten into mischief. What are you gossiping about, even dismissing the attendants?"

Young Madam Shen quickly sat properly, not daring to move. Minglan noticed a middle-aged woman following Madam Zheng and gently asked, "Sister-in-law, who is this?"

Madam Zheng pointed to the woman and said, "This is my cousin from my maternal family. She used to live out of town, but now that her children have settled in the capital, they brought their parents here to enjoy life."

Young Madam Shen seemed to recognize her and smiled as she called out, "Cousin," but didn't get up. Minglan nodded and politely invited her to sit down, while a maid came to serve tea.

The cousin's attire was unremarkable, and her appearance was somewhat plain, but her demeanor was composed and confident. She had a strong voice as she said, "Look at the way you talk, you all are wealthy people, while we are country folks. The little things we fuss about in our small household are nothing but jokes to you noble people."

Madam Zheng seemed to like her cousin and responded warmly, "Regardless of whether it's a big or small household, the key is filial piety. Your children are all very dutiful; there's no greater blessing than that."

The cousin grinned and said, "That's true. The boys are all good-hearted and haven't forgotten the hardships we went through. Even the sons-in-law are respectful. That's why I'm here to run this errand for them."

Minglan noticed a small bamboo basket placed on the ground beside the cousin, with its cover askew, revealing dozens of red eggs inside.

Madam Zheng turned and smiled, "These days, the Qi family is truly blessed. A few months ago, the old Duke received a pair of dragon and phoenix twin great-grandchildren. Recently, he celebrated his seventieth birthday, and now their extended family has welcomed another child." Seeing Minglan's confused look, she added, "My cousin's daughter married into a collateral branch of the Duke's family."

Upon hearing about the Qi Duke's family, Minglan's eyebrows twitched slightly. She smiled and said, "That's wonderful news."

But inwardly she thought, a collateral branch of a large family marrying into another large family is indeed a well-matched union.

Young Madam Shen quickly asked, "Has the baby been born? Is it a boy or a girl?"

The cousin's broad face beamed with joy. "It's a boy, weighing seven pounds and six ounces. He's very heavy! We don't have anything valuable in our small household, so we brought some red eggs. Eat them, and I guarantee you'll also have a big, healthy boy!"

Young Madam Shen loved hearing this kind of talk, but because of her shyness, she didn't dare respond. Madam Zheng thanked on her behalf, "It's kind of you to remember us like this. With so many children and grandchildren in your family, we can surely share in some of your good fortune!" She then turned to Minglan and said, "Don't just stand there smiling, I'm passing these on to you as well; take some home later."

Minglan was momentarily taken aback. Young Madam Shen quickly seized the opportunity and said, "Having just one child and thinking you've done your duty? Hurry back and have a few more!"

Everyone laughed heartily, and Madam Zheng thanked the cousin again.

The cousin laughed, "Please, Madam, stop saying that. What do a few red eggs amount to? Honestly, it's thanks to you that Guan Ming and his wife are where they are today! After the confinement period, they will come personally to thank you."

Madam Zheng smiled slightly, "It's your son-in-law who has worked hard. I don't deserve such praise. I hear his younger brother, Siming, is also highly praised by his teacher."

Minglan was startled and blurted out, "Guan Ming? Siming?" Seeing their surprised expressions, she quickly covered it up with a laugh, "Just the other day, I went to the Qi family's birthday banquet, and it seems the old duke's great-grandsons also have 'Ming' in their names."

Young Madam Shen pointed at her and laughed, "You! Just because your name has 'Ming' in it, doesn't mean others can't use it too?"

Minglan felt a wave of embarrassment.

Madam Zheng smiled, not minding, and gently explained, "You're not from a major family in the capital, so you wouldn't know this. In their Qi family, they alternate between single-character names and double-character names each generation. This generation is the 'Ming' generation with double-character names." She then turned and scolded Young Madam Shen playfully, "You're also from outside the capital. What do you know? Always showing off with your half-baked knowledge."

Young Madam Shen playfully stuck her tongue out at her elder sister-in-law.

The people in the room continued to chat and laugh, and Minglan tried to join in the conversation, but her mind was in turmoil—

The "Ming" in the names of Qi Heng's children had nothing to do with her!

She hadn't known this, but Madam Shen did, and she had done it on purpose!

She had been played!

Madam Shen's life wasn't bad; the only thing lacking was that her husband's heart wasn't with her. She was unhappy and didn't want others to be happy either. By saying such things, Madam Shen not only created false accusations but did so in a way that was hard to refute. If Minglan had known the inner workings of the Qi family, she might have been able to fend it off, but she had no knowledge of their naming traditions and felt guilty, so she fell right into the trap.

In the end, Madam Shen just wanted Minglan to know that she was very frustrated and wanted Minglan to feel frustrated too—such a refined and dignified Madam Qi Shen, now Minglan truly understood her!

But then another question emerged, an even bigger and more troublesome one.

Even by the time dinner was served, Minglan was still staring blankly at Gu Tingye, pondering this question and lost in thought—Gu Tingye had grown up in the capital, and he even knew old anecdotes from Hedong Prefecture, so how could he not know about the Qi family's naming traditions?

Since the "Ming" in the names of Qi Heng's children had nothing to do with her, why was he angry? Could it be because the characters "Yu" (玉) and "Han" (翰) combined sound like the word "regret"? That didn't seem right either.

For example, the cousin they met today had two sons named Guanming and Siming. Did that mean they were named to watch over and miss her? And did their father name them that way because he was childhood friends with her?

Since the Qi family's naming convention included the character "Ming," it was unavoidable to have such implications. Gu Tingye was a broad-minded person and wouldn't be so petty—Minglan instinctively felt that he wasn't upset with her over the names.

Amidst the chaos of her thoughts, Minglan suddenly realized she had wronged Qi Heng. Did he need to name his children "Clever" and "Inventive" to avoid any misunderstanding and clear his name? Minglan hoped he would keep his head clear and definitely not change the children's names!

Gu Tingye noticed that Minglan was particularly quiet during dinner today, seemingly lost in thought. Her face alternated between deep contemplation and frowning hesitation, with an expression full of turmoil. She was eating only plain rice, and he was curious about what was on her mind. He reached out and brushed a grain of rice off her lip, smiling as he said, "What are you thinking about? You're not eating properly."

Minglan came to her senses and noticed rice scattered all over her plate, feeling quite embarrassed. "It's not that, it's just…" She wasn't sure how to discuss the topic, and it seemed there wasn't much to say. She shook her head and said, "Nothing important. …Lord, the turtle soup today is really good, you should have another bowl."

Gu Tingye's smile gradually faded, his amusement disappearing: she was always like this.

As they finished their meal in silence, someone came to report—an out-of-breath maid from the second gate announced that the Fourth Old Master was in trouble and asked them to come quickly.

The couple exchanged glances, wondering what had happened now.