Chapter 247: The Solution (1)

Translator: Iris

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.”

“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?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

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.

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.

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.