Lady Lan was stunned for a moment. Although Gu Sinian’s attitude was polite, his meaning was firm.
“Nian’er, are you questioning your grandmother’s judgment?” Lady Lan tried to suppress her displeasure and asked kindly.
Gu Sinian stood up and looked at Lady Lan, his voice clear and cool, “It’s not that I doubt Grandmother’s judgment, but marriage is not a trifling matter. I don’t want to wrong myself, nor do I want to wrong the young lady.”
Lady Lan was speechless. Did she have to say, “It doesn’t matter, as long as you marry Miaoniang as your principal wife”?
“Alright, Grandmother, please don’t worry. I promise to find you a good granddaughter-in-law, one who will surely satisfy you.”
“Satisfy me, satisfy me! Can I be satisfied if you marry a country girl? Nian’er, are you trying to make the entire capital laugh at our Duke’s Mansion? For families like ours, which one would marry a country girl as their principal wife? Even as a concubine, it would be a stretch,” Lady Lan was losing her composure, her voice becoming somewhat sharp.
Gu Sinian’s expression remained unchanged. “If I cannot marry the person I love, then I would rather remain unmarried for life.”
Lady Lan’s face darkened. “Don’t all children get married according to their parents’ wishes? I can indulge you in other matters, but on this, I absolutely will not. I cannot risk the reputation of the Duke’s Mansion carelessly!”
“Grandmother, you haven’t even met the person I fancy. Who knows, you might like her very much!”
“Look at you, a country girl has charmed you to this extent. She must be some kind of seductive vixen. Nian’er, don’t forget how your mother suffered from the wiles of such women!” Lady Lan’s eyes were a little red, and she was very agitated. “I’m telling you, besides Miaoniang, no one else will enter this house.”
Lady Lan had always been meticulous about her image, whether in front of outsiders or family. She had never lost her temper before. Now, for the sake of Xu Miaoniang, she was so distraught. Gu Sinian’s dislike for Xu Miaoniang grew even stronger. He wondered what kind of bewitching potion she had given his grandmother.
He gave a look to the maids in the room. The maids quickly patted Lady Lan’s back to calm her, poured her tea, and helped her suppress her anger.
“Grandmother, we can discuss this matter another day. In short, your grandson will absolutely not have anything to do with Xu Miaoniang. If Grandmother remembers her kindness, she can find several suitable families in the capital for her. Then, she can marry out from our Duke’s Mansion. As long as the Duke’s Mansion stands, she can live a good life by its grace,” Gu Sinian said lightly. “This is my final word. If Grandmother insists on forcing me, then your grandson will simply confirm those rumors outside!”
With that, Gu Sinian left the room without looking back, leaving Lady Lan alone, gasping with anger.
Not long after Gu Sinian left, Xu Miaoniang hurried in and personally helped Lady Lan to sit down. “Old Madam, you are getting old. How can you lose your temper like this? Doctors say that illness comes from anger. Old Madam must take better care of her health.”
Strangely, after just a few words, Lady Lan’s anger seemed to be doused by a basin of cold water and extinguished.
“It’s only you, Miaoniang, who is sensible and understanding. They all want to anger this old woman to death!” Lady Lan said, still somewhat huffily.
“Old Madam, why can’t you discuss things calmly?” Xu Miaoniang stood behind Lady Lan, gently massaging her shoulders. “The Heir Apparent is not an unreasonable person. If you speak to him properly, he will naturally understand your intentions. Arguing and shouting will only make him resistant.”
“That brat, he must be relying on my usual pampering to be so disobedient. The Duke’s Mansion is not his to command now. This old woman cannot let him act recklessly. How can a country girl be qualified to enter the Duke’s Mansion? Miaoniang, don’t worry, this old woman only recognizes you as my granddaughter-in-law. I don’t fancy anyone else, not even a princess or a county princess.” Lady Lan raised her hand and held Xu Miaoniang’s, inviting her to sit beside her. “Don’t worry, with your grandmother to support you, no one can wrong you.”
The maids in the room lowered their heads, not daring to look at Lady Lan and Xu Miaoniang. In their hearts, they were puzzled. What was so good about this Miss Xu? How did she gain the Old Madam’s favor so much? When they followed the Old Madam to Jiangnan before, Miss Xu was also present, but they didn’t remember her receiving such favor from the Old Madam. It was truly baffling.
Gu Sinian was equally puzzled. The Xu family claimed to be physicians for generations; perhaps they practiced some unorthodox methods?
Gu Qing was still in Xinghua Village overseeing the finishing touches. Gu Sinian called out to someone hidden in the shadows and ordered him to go to Jiangnan to investigate Xu Miaoniang’s background.
Meanwhile, Xinghua Village was also bustling with activity.
The entire village was gathered to watch the commotion.
Yu Shi’s elder sister arrived, wailing all the way to the Song family’s house, attracting a crowd of villagers.
“Sister Mingyue’s mother and I came from the same womb. When we were young, our family’s conditions were poor. To ensure Sister Mingyue’s mother had enough to eat, I always saved my own share of food, leaving myself dizzy and weak. When I was cutting pig fodder, my leg was cut deeply by the sickle. Look at the wounds, everyone. Judge for yourselves, how have I treated Sister Mingyue’s mother?” The elder Yu Shi cried heartbreakingly, looking utterly devastated.
“Sister Mingyue’s aunt, you are a considerate and good person. Mingyue’s mother should remember your kindness!”
“Exactly, exactly! I was also raised by my elder sister when I was young. I treat her like a mother now. If it weren’t for my elder sister, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Sister Mingyue’s aunt, don’t just cry. You should tell us what happened! So we can help you judge. If Mingyue’s mother is wrong, we can ask the village head to intervene. Our village head is the most fair and will not shield his own daughter-in-law.”
As they spoke and walked, they soon arrived at the Song family’s house.
Those who had good relations with the Song family had already come to report. When the elder Yu Shi arrived at the Song family’s entrance, Yu Shi also came out.
Yu Shi did not expect so many people to be present. She immediately wanted to pull the elder Yu Shi inside to talk. She did not want this matter to become public knowledge, as it would affect Mingyue’s reputation. Moreover, her father-in-law was a man who valued face. After the incident with Mingze some time ago, they had become a laughingstock. If this happened again, wouldn’t her father-in-law be angered to death?
What was the elder Yu Shi’s intention in gathering so many people? It was to make the matter widely known, so that the Song family would have to acknowledge it, whether they wanted to or not.
“Little sister, let’s discuss this privately. Everyone here is pitying me, a widow, and has followed me,” the elder Yu Shi said, sobbing. “I am grateful for everyone’s kind intentions.”
Yu Shi’s expression darkened. “Elder sister, are you deliberately trying to sever our sisterly ties?”
“Mingyue’s mother, the way you speak truly chills my heart. How did your elder sister treat you when you were young? You cannot forget her kindness!” Before the elder Yu Shi could speak, someone chimed in.