Chapter 207: Time: Trivial Matters After Parting

In early November, the emperor ordered the Ministry of Rites to select an auspicious date, and he personally went to Yan Yun Terrace in the western suburbs. There, he gathered generals and commanders, performed a blood oath, and offered sacrifices to heaven before dispatching the army in three divisions, all advancing toward Longxi.

Among them, the emperor deliberately separated the Duke of Ying and the Marquis of Wei Yuan, perhaps out of concern that the close bond between father-in-law and son-in-law might lead to overly lenient command, or perhaps fearing that if they did not get along, it could hinder the operation. Ultimately, Gu Tingye accompanied the Duke of Ying on the northern route, while Shen Congxing led the Duan brothers westward, with Bo Tianzhou and the veteran General Gan stationed in the central forces.

According to the Tu family brothers, who had been sent to see off the old Gongsun, the western suburban camp gathered an army of more than one hundred thousand. The scene was truly imposing, with banners blocking the sky, armor shining like forests of steel, and a murderous aura piercing the clouds.

Minglan could only regret not being able to witness this grand ancient scene, and with him gone, she felt a hollow emptiness inside. She sat with a stern expression on the couch, scaring the maids and servants standing below into silence.

"I say, Fengxian, why don't you speak up?" Lü Zhi pointed at the pair of master and servant standing to the side and said loudly, "Why go sneaking around like a thief when you could have done things properly!"

Fengxian stood there with her head lowered, silent, her delicate face still stained with tear tracks. Her maid beside her couldn't help but mutter in defiance, "Our lady just met someone from her family—what's the big deal, that we should get scolded like this…"

Minglan shot a calm look in their direction, and the young maid immediately went quiet.

"I set the rules clearly before: if you want to meet someone from outside, you must inform me first." Minglan slowly fiddled with her fingers. "But here you are, quietly slipping silver to the maid to open the inner door, sneaking through the side gate to meet someone—what do you think you're doing?"

Fengxian still said nothing, but her maid put on a clever look, plastering a smile on her face. "Madam is kind-hearted; we all know that. Our young lady didn't want to trouble you, knowing you're already burdened with managing everything here. That's why…"

"Otherwise, you could have mentioned it to Liao Yong's wife, right? Did you?" Minglan replied calmly.

The maid was momentarily at a loss for words, then awkwardly replied, "Well… wasn't Sister Liao busy too…"

Minglan, tired of the back-and-forth, turned to Liao Yong's wife and said, "Take care of that maid. She's not to stay here any longer; breaking a rule for a mere ten taels—completely useless."

Liao Yong's wife bowed and replied, "She's an old hand from the previous residence, originally assigned to guard the inner gate. I never imagined she'd be so short-sighted."

Minglan nodded slightly. "The marquis is away, so the guards at the gate need to be stricter. Later, recommend a few reliable people to me. The gate shouldn't be lax even during the day."

Liao Yong's wife responded to each of her instructions.

Minglan then glanced at the maid. "Since you've broken the household rules, you must be punished. Don't think that just because I'm young, there's no discipline here. But I also don't have the heart to punish Miss Fengxian harshly. Given the loyalty between you two, you can take the punishment on behalf of your mistress."

The maid was immediately stunned, her face filled with fear as she begged for mercy. Liao Yong's wife called for two older maids, who seized her, saying sternly, "Don't think you can get away with showing a bit of cleverness in front of Madam. The rules of this household aren't for you to change as you please!"

The maid continued to cry out, "But… but we… we were sent here by General Gan!"

Liao Yong's wife sneered, "Remember the maid who came with you to serve Miss Fengxian, the one called Pianxian? Where is she now? I warned you before—not to think too highly of yourself, or you won't even know how you ended up in trouble!"

As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully at Fengxian, her eyes full of mocking warning.

After the maid was dragged out, Fengxian couldn't hold it together any longer. She looked up at Minglan, trying to stay calm. "Madam, what do you intend to do with me?"

"The marquis once told me," Minglan replied with an indifferent tone, shifting her position and letting Xiaotao rub her sore calf, "that when General Gan sent you here, he said, 'This is the daughter of a criminal. She has some beauty and a gentle temperament; she can be used for sweeping and entertainment.'" She paused. "You've read books, Miss. So, tell me, what do you think he meant by 'sweeping and entertainment'?"

The maids in the room stifled laughs, their eyes full of mockery. Liao Yong's wife spoke first, "We haven't read any books, but we know this much. Sweeping is real work. Entertainment… well, that just means being a plaything! But isn't it funny—Madam hasn't once made you hold a broom, nor used you for entertainment. Instead, you've had fine food and drink, new silks every season."

The sharp, piercing stares from all around felt like needles to Fengxian, making her face flush red, then turn deathly pale.

Minglan watched her for a moment before waving the servants away, leaving only Xiaotao and Luzhi in the room. Then she said, "You ask what I intend to do with you. I'd actually like to ask you first—what are your plans?"

Fengxian looked up suddenly, her eyes brimming with tears as she pleaded sorrowfully, "Though the Gan family redeemed me from the Jiaofang (official brothel), I'm still registered as a government slave. How could I live an ordinary life outside? I only hope, Madam, that you will have mercy and let me stay to serve loyally…"

Before she could finish, Minglan raised a hand to stop her. "Don't say such empty words anymore."

Seeing the despair in Fengxian's eyes as tears streamed down her face, Minglan spoke frankly, "You've been in this household four or five years now, right? I married into this house even later than you. If the marquis had ever wanted to take you in, why would he wait until now? You are both the daughter of a criminal and were sent here by the Gan family. The marquis won't take you in. If he wanted a concubine, he could easily find someone suitable. Why would he choose you?"

Fengxian dropped to her knees. She understood that, typically, daughters of criminals were sent to the Jiaofang to suffer humiliation; the fortunate ones were redeemed by merchant families to become concubines, while the unlucky were sold into brothels.

Reputable households rarely accepted women from the Jiaofang as concubines. When the Gan family sent her here, she was merely a pawn. Besides, the Gu and Gan families were wary of each other. At first, she had thought that if she could win Gu Tingye's favor, she might become his favored maid. If she bore him a son or two, with Gu Hou's status and achievements, perhaps she could eventually rise. But who would have thought…

Tears streamed down her face. She was already in her twenties, and ever since her father had been convicted and her family was exiled, she had been like a piece of drifting duckweed, with no stable place to call home. "Madam… does this mean my life is truly over?"

Minglan sighed and replied, "Mama Chang has told me that you still have a sense of shame. I've watched you with a discerning eye all these years, and you've behaved yourself. Now, you have three paths before you."

Fengxian quickly looked up, eyes full of hope.

Minglan said, "First, if you still have trustworthy relatives, I can let you go to them. In the future, you could move far away, marry a farmer, and it would be as if I married off a maid. Second, Madam Che is here in our residence now; I could ask her for help. She could either find a simple, low-ranking family for you to marry into, or a wealthy family where you could be a concubine—somewhere as far south as possible, where no one would care about your background."

Fengxian listened with mixed emotions, her expression constantly shifting.

Minglan continued, "Lastly, if you're unwilling to leave, I can look for an honest servant from the estate for you to marry—that's the third option. Make a decision quickly; once you're older, it won't be easy to secure any of these choices."

After speaking so much, Minglan felt a bit tired. She instructed Luzhi to lead Fengxian out, then leaned softly against the cushion, lightly tapping her fingers on her stomach. Gazing up at the beams carved with bright pomegranate vines, she drifted into deep thought.

Before Gu Tingye left, he told her she could start dealing with Fengxian—did this imply that General Gan would soon…?

The emperor's personnel arrangements this time were quite intriguing. Given General Gan's seniority, even the Duke of Ying would have to respectfully call him "elder brother." For Shen, Gu, and Duan, it goes without saying, except when facing the senior General Bo, in which case he would have to take the deputy role. To borrow a line from Comrade Li Yunlong, "When I was squad leader, you were still carrying a cooking pot as a field cook!"

Moreover, this time the task was to hunt down guerrilla forces. The Central Army, waving its prestigious main force banner so conspicuously, was clearly a decoy. Inevitably, they would come back with "no achievements, wasting resources" as the assigned blame.

If the emperor was pleased, he would smile and say, "My loyal ministers are blameless; you contributed greatly to the efforts of the other two armies, and everyone will be rewarded together." But if he wasn't happy, he would change his tune, showing no leniency: "You are seasoned generals; I didn't expect you to disappoint me so profoundly."

Ming Lan estimated that, well, the Emperor would probably be very unhappy in public but quite happy behind the scenes.

It seemed that this time, General Bo was really putting in the effort, willing to risk his reputation for half a lifetime in order to secure a good standing for his descendants in front of the Emperor. Impressive, impressive… But such a level of strategy, she could already see through it, so how could the Gan family not have noticed?

Ming Lan shook her head and decided not to think about it. As for Gu Tingye this time, he was quite good. The Duke of Ying was always reliable, the kind of person who was both steady and didn't restrain his generals' hands too much. The advantage was that he wouldn't suffer great losses, but the downside was that he wouldn't achieve great successes either.

But it didn't matter; as long as he returned safely, the spotlight could be left for the Prince Consort to enjoy.

The more she thought about it, the happier she became. She hugged her belly and rolled around on the heated kang, smiling brightly, like a little mouse that had successfully stolen some oil, as if her husband would be coming home safe and sound tomorrow, all in one piece.

...

In the days that followed, Ming Lan originally thought that a fragile beauty like Feng Xian, who could be easily blown over by the wind, would struggle with this difficult decision for at least a couple of months. However, once she faced a major life choice, she became surprisingly decisive.

After just two days, she subtly asked Cui Wei to convey to Ming Lan that she was willing to be taken as a concubine by a wealthy family. However, she requested that the family be a good one—financially stable, with a kind mistress and a younger man—since she wouldn't be able to have children with someone too old.

…What specific requirements.

Ming Lan paused for a moment, then smiled wryly as she went to consult with Sister Che.

Sister Che, who already knew the background of the matter, slapped her leg and laughed, "This is no problem at all."

She was accustomed to handling things outside and was very efficient and straightforward. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Originally, my husband knows a lot of salt merchants, who would be the best to deal with. But these kinds of businessmen are often involved with government officials. To avoid future trouble with the Hou family, it would be better to find a stable local landowner. Go inland along the inner river, where the mountains are high and the roads are long—there, the ear is quiet."

Ming Lan smiled and said, "Then I must thank you, sister. Without you, I really wouldn't know what to do."

Che San Niang laughed with a hint of reproach, "You're too kind-hearted. For someone like her, you're still thinking about her future."

"Sister, you've seen it too. She neither wants to live in poverty, nor does she have a clean background. I can't feel at ease with her staying here," Ming Lan sighed. "But I can't just casually send her to any place either; I don't have the heart for that. Sigh, it's a small matter, but I'm sorry to trouble you to ask around."

Che San Niang laughed, "What trouble! She's not bad-looking, and she's presentable, still a young girl. Finding someone willing to take her as a concubine isn't hard at all. Besides, someone who eats from our bowl but isn't familiar with the people or has connections won't do."

Ming Lan felt moved and sincerely said, "Big Brother Shi has gone with the army to deliver grain. I apologize for troubling you to stay at the mansion during this time. If there's anything lacking, please don't hesitate to let me know."

Che San Niang threw her head back and laughed, showing her molars, "What are you talking about, Madam? I'm from a big fishing village. Back then, we slept on straw mats. Even though I've enjoyed a few days of luxury now, I've never stayed in such a good house before."

Ming Lan smiled with reassurance. Earlier, she had been worried that Che San Niang might find the strict rules of the Hou mansion cumbersome and feel constrained, but to her surprise, Che San Niang was eloquent and full of amusing stories. She had a knack for making connections. In just a few days, Shao Shi had become quite familiar with her, even the proud and aloof Ruo Mei was happy to speak with her. It eased some of the gloom Ming Lan had felt since Old Gongsun's departure.

After chatting for a while, Che San Niang hesitated before finally speaking, "Madam, there's something I've noticed, but I'm not sure whether I should tell you. I can't say for certain…"

Ming Lan was curious, "Sister, please go ahead."

Che San Niang frowned, then said, "I've noticed that Ruo Mei's belly seems unusually large. Perhaps she's carrying twins." She then smiled wryly, "When I was pregnant, I was carrying twins too, but I only managed to keep one."

Ming Lan was greatly shocked. She immediately sent an invitation for the physician recommended by Lin Taiyi to come and take a look. She peeked behind the screen and saw that Ruo Mei was five months pregnant, but her belly seemed as large as someone six or seven months along. This made her feel a little anxious.

After taking her pulse for a long while, the physician Cheng Taiyi came out shaking his head and said, "Indeed, there is only one." He wiped his sweat. He often visited the Ningyuan Marquis' residence to check on her health, and if he couldn't even notice this, it would have been disastrous.

After a thorough check-up and further inquiries, he concluded, "In my opinion, it is definitely not twins." To be cautious, he added, "Perhaps it would be better to ask another doctor to examine her, just to be sure."

Ming Lan, still uneasy, went on to invite several renowned obstetricians, but all of them confirmed that Ruo Mei was not carrying twins. Instead, her excessive nourishment had caused the fetus to grow faster than usual.

After several days of effort, they finally came to this conclusion. Ming Lan was furious. She opened the account books and inventory records of Gongsun's courtyard, only to discover that the rare ingredients Ruo Mei had been consuming for nourishment over the past few months were enough to support the growth of two babies!

In a fit of anger, she ordered Mama Cui to speak with Ruo Mei, explaining that many pregnant women died during labor or had stillbirths due to overly large babies.

Ruo Mei, who knew that Mama Cui was honest and would never speak falsely, turned pale with fright. Cui Wei, seeing how scared she was, immediately tried to console her, calming her down after a long while.

Ming Lan, still furious, called over the maidservants who served Ruo Mei and scolded them harshly, "You girls are so clueless, and you've been serving older women for so long. Don't tell me you don't know this basic principle?! Stop playing dumb and pretending you didn't understand. You were just trying to fool me into letting her take more supplements, so you could line your own pockets. Listen carefully now, if anything happens to Ruo Mei or the child, none of you will escape. I'll sell you all off!"

The maids were so frightened they kept kowtowing and begging for mercy. Ming Lan, frustrated, thought to herself that she couldn't believe such a thing had happened right under her nose. If it weren't for fearing to alarm Ruo Mei, she would've already dealt with these idiots! But Ruo Mei was also a fool in this matter.

Ming Lan then thought of how she hoped the Gongsun matriarch would arrive in the capital soon so she could pass this hot potato off to her. She could then have these incompetent maids' indentures sent away and leave the handling of them entirely up to the Gongsun matriarch.

Che San Niang tried to comfort her, saying, "It was just my wild guess, causing a big mess."

Ming Lan quickly responded, "Sister, please don't say that." She then angrily added, "If it weren't for your timely reminder, I don't know how long Ruo Mei would have kept taking these supplements!"

In the following days, Ming Lan ordered Ruo Mei to strictly follow the instructions of the imperial doctor, adjusting her diet, walking more, and trying to stay relaxed. However, Cui Mama was only concerned about Ming Lan's health. Fortunately, the doctor reassured her repeatedly that "your ladyship, the Duchess, is in perfect health." Moreover, he added that occasionally getting angry and having a good shouting match to release pent-up frustration wasn't bad for a pregnant woman—it was better than suppressing feelings of longing and sorrow.

Cui Mama kept silent and didn't pass on the latter part of the doctor's advice to Ming Lan.

After such ups and downs, the concerns on one side and the surprises on the other helped to somewhat ease the sadness Ming Lan felt from her husband's departure.

By late November, Zhang Shi sent someone to inform Ming Lan that the old lady from the Shen family had recovered from her cold, and was now perfectly fine—better than ever, with no risks whatsoever. She asked Ming Lan to arrange a matchmaking tea party.