Chapter 219: The Final Chapter · Seven

Chapter 219: The Final Chapter · Seven

Fortunately, at that time, General Xiao had already sent the others away, and only Xie Ang and a few trusted men were left in the courtyard. After returning to the camp, the brothers chatted casually.

One said, "Sworn to follow through life and death?! That's like a play! Really disgusting!" Brothers, you guessed it right.

Another said, "What death?! The few of us have our lives on the line, and we're just about to go back and live in riches and glory. Why is this disaster-bringer talking such nonsense?! If it weren't for… I'd just crush her! A woman—when the man is off fighting, she should stay at home, take care of the elderly, and look after the children. What is she coming here for, causing trouble?!"

One who knew a bit more said, "I heard that our Vice Commander mixed around in the jianghu in his younger days. He was a bit of a playboy, and probably got entangled with a woman he couldn't get rid of!"

Another chimed in, "Look at that woman—no looks, no figure, old and looks like my mother. Our Vice Commander is so handsome, what does he see in her?!"

"Maybe she's good in bed!? Old woman, old woman, just go away!"

—Lecherous jokes followed, and the room burst into laughter.

In the army, the only women are laundresses and camp prostitutes, who can't be frequently visited. So, a bunch of men would gossip about the officers to pass time. Moreover, decent women don't behave like Man Niang, so frivolously and disrespectfully. The brothers didn't mean any harm, but their tone inevitably carried disdain and contempt. Xie Ang felt uncomfortable and sympathized with Gu Tingye's embarrassment.

He shook his head and quickly continued, "…Who knew, that Chang Ge'er had fallen seriously ill. Neither the doctors accompanying the army nor the famous doctors in the city could save him. Master Gong Sun said that if they were in a big, prosperous city, it would be one thing, but in a remote place like Xiliao, where there have been waves of migrating refugees and a lack of medical supplies, even food is scarce… sigh…"

On the other side of the screen, a soft "ah" was heard, followed by the crisp sound of a porcelain bowl being knocked, and then came the voice, "Could it be… Chang Ge'er… has died…?"

Xie Ang spoke in a low voice, "Yes. His ashes have already been collected. Master Gong Sun from the back will take them back, and later he will be buried."

"And Man Niang?" Ming Lan asked urgently.

Chang Ge'er was the only tie between Gu Man and the others. Now that he was dead, could Man Niang really just let it go?

Xie Ang was silent for a moment, his tone rough as he said, "Since Man Niang was brought back, the Marquis has kept them separated… Until the end, he wouldn't allow her to see Chang Ge'er even once more…"

Though Xie Ang had been mischievous in his youth, overall, he had led a clear and upright life. Those days had been a nightmare for him, and he only hoped he would never have to remember them again. But now, he had to recount everything in detail to the Madam.

At first, Man Niang clung tightly to the man, but the Marquis completely ignored her and had someone lock her in a room, providing her with food, drink, and clothing. A few days later, a letter from Liu Zhengjie was delivered to the capital. After the Marquis read it, he ordered the door to be unlocked. As soon as Man Niang came out, she couldn't wait to pour out her feelings and hardships. The Marquis listened without a word while she spoke on and on, until her throat was dry and tears flowed down her face. Finally, she stopped.

At this point, the Marquis spoke calmly, "Are you done? Then let me speak. I told you before that if you ever dared to come to the capital again and trouble Ming Lan, I would make sure you never see Chang Ge'er again in your life. Do you remember my words?"

Man Niang, still unwilling to give up, cried and said, "You still mention her?! She is living the good life in the capital, not caring at all about Er Lang's well-being! Only I, only I have thought of him, enduring so much suffering and hardship just to see you…"

The Marquis ignored her and coldly said, "I meant what I said. From this moment on, you will never see Chang Ge'er again." Then, he turned and left.

Man Niang was locked back in the room again and began to cry out to see her son. The doctor was ordered to come and tell her that Chang Ge'er's life was being sustained with ginseng, but that he only had a few days left. Man Niang didn't believe it and accused the Marquis of lying to her to take away her son. She cursed and screamed for several days without stopping; when she grew tired of cursing, she began to cry in despair. She cried endlessly, so much that it seemed as if her throat was bleeding. Her cries drove everyone in the courtyard almost mad…

Finally, the Marquis found time to return and ordered that Man Niang be allowed to see her.

What Man Niang had said earlier, Xie Ang could no longer remember. He only remembered the last part, where she stared with bloodshot eyes, her hair in disarray, looking insane: "Er Lang, do you really have no feelings for me at all?"

In fact, she had already cried her voice hoarse, but still squeezed out a sharp, thin voice, as if she were performing on stage, modulating her tone with a kind of melodious cadence. Combined with her rough, gravel-like voice, it sounded eerie and ghostly. At that time, the heat in the Western Liaoning city was unbearable, but hearing those words, Xie Ang couldn't help but shudder.

For the first time, the Marquis showed an expression towards Man Niang. It was one of utter disgust, exhaustion, and even a bit of incredulity: "How many times must I say it? I've hated you for a long, long time."

He sighed, "I truly have no feelings for you anymore. Why is it that no matter how many times I say this, you still won't believe it?"

Xie Ang, who had been rough and unrefined for most of his life, heard for the first time the deep helplessness hidden in those two sentences.

Man Niang stood there like an empty shell, as if her life force had been drained away, no longer crying or causing a fuss. A few days later, Chang Ge'er passed away. Before the cremation, the Marquis allowed Man Niang to see him one last time.

Mr. Gongsun, who had known Man Niang for a long time, was different from others. He immediately despised her the first time he saw her, and he mocked her on the spot: "This child was already frail to begin with, yet you insisted on dragging him across a thousand miles, enduring hunger and hardship. He didn't get timely medical treatment, and you let him die in vain. It's all thanks to your 'good' motherhood!"

In front of her son's corpse, Man Niang smiled foolishly, suddenly babbling nonsense, half-singing and half-crying, neither coherent nor understandable. The others could only hear her holding her son's body, repeatedly saying she wanted to go home.

Ming Lan's fingertips trembled. The warm afternoon sunlight seemed to suddenly turn cold, like the eerie stories from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio she had heard as a child, where ghostly creatures and spirits would emerge from the damp earth, bringing with them a chilling coldness.

She trembled as she asked, "Man Niang… she… has she gone mad?"

Xie Ang nodded but then remembered that the mistress couldn't see him through the screen, so he quickly said aloud, "Yes. Mr. Gongsun and several other doctors all said the same."

At this point, he couldn't help but sigh.

He came from a decent family, with modest property. After his father's early death, his widowed mother doted on him excessively, letting him run wild in the streets, behaving recklessly and causing trouble. At fifteen, he caused a serious incident that almost cost him his life. It was Gu Tingye who saved him, after which he began to live a disciplined life—practicing horseback stances, carrying bricks, training with swords, spears, and staves, and studying literacy. Gu Tingye was never lenient with him; during that time, Xie Ang endured many beatings. Eventually, he grew into the man his widowed mother could be proud of.

To Xie Ang, Gu Tingye was both a teacher and a master, someone he both feared and respected.

At first, he had secretly envied Gu Tingye, thinking that this elder brother was truly fortunate—even when roaming the world, he had a beautiful woman by his side. But as time went on, Xie Ang grew increasingly horrified. This wasn't a romantic companion—it was more like a debt-collector sent to claim his life!

There was one thing he had never told anyone.

At that time, there was a shy girl from a neighboring household, with a bright red ribbon in her hair and a delicate appearance, who secretly admired Gu Tingye. She would often bring him clothing and shoes as gifts. Che Sanniang, thinking highly of the girl's character and knowing Gu Tingye's absolute disdain for Man Niang, planned to match the girl to him as a concubine once their current business trip was over, so she could look after him in daily life.

Man Niang learned of this but showed not the slightest displeasure. Instead, she went out of her way to be kind to the girl, blaming herself for failing to win Gu Tingye's affection. Her efforts moved the girl so much that she came to see Man Niang as an older sister. One night, however, for reasons unknown, the girl wandered into a secluded alley and was assaulted by three or five thugs.

The next day, the girl drowned herself in the lake. Her red ribbon floated on the water's surface for a long time before sinking.

When Gu Tingye returned, no one brought up the incident.

It was much later that Xie Ang accidentally learned the truth—it was Manniang who had tricked the girl into going out late at night.

Though Gu Tingye lived a life among the brothers, eating and sleeping alongside them without airs or arrogance, his aloofness and pride, his sarcastic self-mockery, and even certain unintentional refined habits always betrayed his noble origins.

The brothers never dared to joke with him casually or overstep their bounds.

Xie Ang dared even less.

He thought, since Gu Tingye had firmly decided to part ways with Manniang, it was better not to say anything himself and risk upsetting the marquis. He didn't know if others were aware of the truth, but after that incident, Che Sanniang never spoke to Manniang again.

Sighing, Xie Ang was about to continue speaking when he suddenly heard a familiar, steady set of footsteps behind him. He quickly stood up and cupped his hands in salute. "The marquis has returned!"

Gu Tingye walked in with a smile, brushing aside the screen with a wave of his hand. "Why keep this useless thing here?" He then sat down beside Minglan, resting his chin on her shoulder affectionately. "Did you take a nap this afternoon? Or have you been talking non-stop since I left?"

Minglan pulled out a smile. "Brother Xie tells stories so well, I was completely drawn in."

"Oh, really?" Gu Tingye responded, seemingly indifferent.

Xie Ang felt cold sweat dripping down his forehead. It was as if he had returned to his teenage years, bracing for a beating.

But unexpectedly, Gu Tingye smiled at him. "Alright, you can go rest now. We'll be busy again tomorrow."

Xie Ang felt like he had been granted amnesty and bolted out of the room as fast as he could.

The weather was getting warmer. After running around outside, Gu Tingye was drenched in sweat. He quickly went to the bathhouse, poured a couple of buckets of warm water over himself, and changed into a clean white silk robe before coming out.

He pulled Minglan into his arms and sat back down. "Old Geng's fear of his wife has gotten even worse. After we left the Zheng household, I invited him over for a cup of tea, but he flat-out refused, as if ghosts were chasing him. He galloped home like his life depended on it."

Minglan rubbed his still-damp hair. "How are the two Zheng sisters? They must be exhausted, I imagine."

Gu Tingye pinched her and glared. "How would I know about women's affairs?!" Then he sighed. "But Brother Zheng… sigh… he's lost so much weight, and I heard he even coughed up blood."

At this point, the couple sighed together over the Zheng family's strange misfortunes.

Gu Tingye glanced around the room. "Where are the two little boys?"

"Tuan Ge'er wouldn't sleep and insisted on playing with his sister, so Madam Cui carried him away. Ah Yuan was hungry, so the wet nurse took him," Minglan said.

Gu Tingye frowned and asked, "If he was hungry, why didn't you feed him?" He still remembered how, with their firstborn, Minglan had personally nursed him for the first two months.

Twisting the corner of her handkerchief, Minglan replied with frustration, "This time, I don't have any milk to give Ah Yuan."

Gu Tingye gently stroked her slightly yellowed hair and said guiltily, "It's all my fault. I didn't let you recover properly."

Minglan sighed. "Exactly! Every family has difficult relatives, but no one compares to our Third Brother. He's worse than Rong Jie'er's mother." Her husband was good, but unfortunately, marrying him came with two sworn enemies as part of the deal.

Gu Tingye's expression turned cold for a moment, but he softened his tone. "What were you two talking about earlier?"

Minglan hesitated for a moment before saying, "We were talking about how Chang Ge'er passed away and how Man Niang went mad." Then, she glanced at his face.

Gu Tingye showed no sign of gloom or embarrassment. He calmly sat down across from Minglan, picked up the teapot, poured himself some tea, and drank a cup before saying, "By that point, there wasn't much left to say. But…"

He pressed his lips together and said, "I'll talk about it anyway."

Minglan straightened up slightly, showing she was ready to listen attentively.

"Being away for so long this time gave me the chance to think about many things. Old Duke Zhang used to laugh at me, saying I thought too little before, and now I think too much. But I can't afford not to think. In the past, no matter what I did, it was wrong; no matter what I said, no one believed me. The only person willing to believe me and listen was Man Niang… yet it turns out, it was all an act." He chuckled self-deprecatingly and placed the teacup he had been fiddling with flat on the table.

"Man Niang was an exceptional actress. It's a pity she never had the chance to take to the stage; she would've become a star," he said, as though speaking about a stranger rather than a woman he had been entangled with for nearly ten years.

"When I first met her, I thought she was like a clear spring, simple and pure, with a gentle disposition. But later, when I learned how deep her schemes ran—her tragic backstory, her fugitive brother, even the Yu family—I realized she was a muddy pond, full of cobwebs and filth. And then, after Yan Hong's death, I finally understood that she wasn't just muddy water—she was poison, lethal enough to kill!"

Minglan thought privately: If it weren't for my grandmother exposing her, whether it was clear water, muddy water, or poisonous water, wouldn't you have happily drunk it all the same?

"Honestly, when I first discovered her true nature, I wasn't even that angry. Whether it was deceiving me for years, ruining the Yu family marriage proposal, or provoking Yan Hong into causing trouble… I thought it was all because of her deep affection for me. To be honest, at the time, even though I was angry at her lies, a part of me felt secretly pleased. After all, she wasn't after the Marquis' household—she liked me as a person and wanted to marry me properly."

Minglan resisted the urge to roll her eyes—what she liked wasn't necessarily you; it was merely the idea of a man who could fulfill her ambitions. It could have been any capable and responsible young lord from a prestigious family.

"But later, I found out. The deep feelings she had weren't for me, but for her own persistence, her delusions."

Minglan was silent.

"At the time, even though I didn't blame her much, there was one thing I was clear about in my heart. Man Niang had been able to deceive me for so many years without revealing any flaws, which shows how skilled she was. I understood back then that she could never be content being under someone else. Unless I married her, if she were to be a concubine, she would never let the main wife off… but I never thought of marrying her."

When he was young, his late father had often praised him, and one of the expectations was that he would marry a good wife. But what made a good wife? His father never explained clearly, giving only vague lessons with four-character phrases like "a clean family background," "proper conduct," "gentle and virtuous," and "gracious and proper"—and it was even better if her family had some influence.

As a little boy, he didn't understand the deeper meaning of this, but he kept it in the back of his mind.

"You once said to me, 'You seem carefree and unruly, but deep down, you are the most rule-abiding.' At the time, I was so angry that I wanted to throw you back into the river. But after going back and thinking about it, I realized you were actually right."

Minglan instinctively shrank her neck and gave a silly laugh.

"Though a timid and weak appearance is lovable, no proper wife in a high family would look like that; being of humble origin isn't a fault, but lacking proper education and not knowing how to interact with others gracefully is. Man Niang was good at needlework, could sing and dance, and knew some practical knowledge, but her views were shallow, and once she finished complaining, there was nothing more to talk about."

Even when he had regarded Man Niang as a clear spring, he never considered her to be the one who could be his wife.

"Words like 'I was not discreet, and lost my honor'—Man Niang not only couldn't say these words, but even if she tried to memorize them, she probably wouldn't understand their true meaning. On the other hand, when I tell you about the affairs of the court and the dealings with people, you not only understand, but you can criticize it sharply."

… He only sympathized with her background, respected her backbone, liked her gentle comfort, and wanted to take care of her and give her a worry-free life. That was all. But it turned out, her background, backbone, and gentleness—were all pretenses.

"You're different." Gu Tingye looked at Minglan, his gaze gentle and warm. "We always have endless things to talk about."

Minglan met his gaze and quietly smiled, "Yes, we always have endless things to talk about." Baojie is good, everything about her is good, but the fundamental reason why Baoyu likes Lin Daiyu is that they are alike, they have endless things to talk about.

"But, no matter how much I say, in the end, I'm just the young master of the Marquis' family, Gu Er, looking down on the actress-born Man Niang." Gu Tingye lightly mocked himself.

"In the early days after leaving home, I was troubled and disheartened. When I was at my lowest point, I even thought, since I've become a lowly man in the jianghu (rivers and lakes), what's there left to look down on? I might as well just live with Man Niang, after all, there were two children. But… who would have known…" He gently rubbed his forehead, and the veins on the back of his hand stood out, dark and tense.

"Who would have known, Yan Hong died." Minglan calmly finished the sentence for him.

Gu Tingye put down his hand, his gaze resolute. "…Yes. Yan Hong died. And that completely severed any lingering feelings I had for Man Niang."

"I wasn't the man Yan Hong wanted to marry, and she wasn't the woman I wanted to marry. In those few short months, her actions clearly didn't make her a good wife, and I wasn't a good husband either. But after leaving home and traveling, I still felt guilty towards her."

He reached over and adjusted the thin blanket for Minglan. "I once thought, if she didn't want to stay with me anymore, I would be willing to divorce her and let her remarry. I would take the blame for everything, let the accusations fall on me, since my reputation was already bad enough. But later, I didn't even have the desire to avenge her."

"Even if I had been away for three or five years, and she made a mistake out of loneliness, I could have understood. But who would have known, in just over three months, she would betray me so utterly, and even get pregnant with someone else's child. She deceived me far too much…"

He raised his brows, a cold smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. "And the man who put the cuckold on me was someone like Gu Tingbing. If it weren't for Qin Shi deliberately making the matter public, Yan Hong would have tried to bribe the doctor to pin the child on me."

The old madam, of course, did not want Yan Hong to have the child, even if it was a bastard. With the eldest son nearly without heirs and the second son leaving the family on his own, if the second son had left behind a legitimate child, it would add more uncertainty.

Gu Tingye seemed to feel the shame hadn't dissipated, and couldn't help but continue. "To be blunt, if men of the jianghu knew their own brothers had been wronged in such a way, they would have gladly slit the adulterer's throat."

Minglan's lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to comment on the issue of how infidelity was handled in ancient times. However, thinking of customs like the "drowning in the pond" punishment and other long-established practices, she decided to keep silent.

"After all, we are a married couple who have gone through the rites of heaven and earth. There may be no love left, but there should still be some sense of duty. At this point, I have no feelings or duty toward Yu Yan Hong. Whether she is dead or alive, I don't care." Gu Tingye sighed, "But it shouldn't be… it shouldn't be Man Niang…"

In this matter, the malice, evil, meticulousness, and ruthlessness that Man Niang had shown went far beyond what he could have imagined for an ordinary woman. It was just that, after getting drunk, he had shown a bit of leniency towards his servant, and Man Niang insisted on taking Yan Hong's life.