Ping Momo, as a servant, also couldn't understand why Gu Xueshi, her own uncle, treated Gu Xiao in such a manner. The only certainty was that Gu Xiao's reputation was tarnished, making it impossible for her to find a good marriage in the capital.
In fact, for the various noble families in the capital, after the incident involving the fifth daughter of the Gu family and the third son of the Qiu family, these families also abandoned the idea of intermarriage with the Gu clan of Nanling. After all, if Gu Xueshi disliked the Gu family so much, rushing into marriage would be forging enmity rather than a kinship.
The most enraged by this were several princes in the palace. Although the elder princes were already married, they still had maternal relatives. Choosing a suitable cousin from their maternal uncles' families for intermarriage with the Gu clan of Nanling would be an excellent choice.
As for the younger princes who were not yet married, the fifth daughter of the Gu family was indeed the best candidate for a prince's consort. Once married, Gu Xueshi would become their own maternal uncle. With this familial connection, why worry about officials not supporting them in the future?
"Your Highness, please calm your anger. Who could have imagined that Gu Xueshi would be so heartless as to watch his own niece's reputation be ruined without intervening?" a strategist hastily tried to appease the enraged prince. After all, this prince had planned to request an imperial marriage, but unexpected changes occurred.
"Gu Qingzhou is not heartless; he is helping Yin Wuyan." The sound of a cup shattering echoed. Although the matter had reached this point, the prince was still filled with resentment.
The strategist nodded in agreement. "This is understandable. Gu Xueshi is the most cunning. Commander Yin is not only the Emperor's nephew but also a trusted minister. The Emperor would absolutely not agree to Commander Yin marrying a daughter of the Gu clan of Nanling."
The officials in the court were led by Gu Xueshi, and Yin Wuyan controlled the Imperial Dragon Guard. If these two joined forces, the strategist thought a highly disrespectful thought: if he were the Emperor, he would worry about the dragon throne beneath him becoming unstable.
"Therefore, Yin Wuyan not only went to Qianzhong Dao to avoid suspicion but also pushed the fifth daughter of the Gu family towards the Qiu family's dandy. He truly has no regard for women." The failure of his plans was indeed infuriating, but after calming down, it was also acceptable. Without the fifth daughter of the Gu family, he, as a prince, could still marry other noble daughters.
At the same time, in a grand mansion in the capital.
An old official, stroking his beard, let out a long sigh. "I had intended for Qiheng to marry the fifth daughter of the Gu family, but now that plan is abandoned."
The daughters of the Gu clan of Nanling were indeed highly sought after, so all the major families planned to have their eldest sons or grandsons intermarry. Unfortunately, before they could make their moves, the fifth daughter of the Gu family's reputation was already ruined, and the speed of it was caught off guard.
A middle-aged man sitting below pondered for a moment, then looked at his son, who was handsome and extraordinary, and said, "Qiheng is no longer suitable. Father, what do you think of Qi'an and the others?"
The eldest son's wife would be the matriarch of the family in the future, so she naturally could not be neglected. However, the wives of the second and third sons did not need to be so strict. The fifth daughter of the Gu family's reputation was damaged, making her suitable now.
The old man sitting in the main seat glanced at his eldest son but did not speak. It was the second son, sitting to his right, who spoke.
"Eldest Brother, since Qiheng is not suitable, my Qi Ze could also be considered." The man smiled as he looked at the middle-aged man, concealing the shrewdness in his eyes. Eldest Brother was becoming increasingly overbearing, thinking of his younger sons when Qiheng was unsuitable, without even considering that his own nephews were also of marriageable age.
The middle-aged man looked helplessly at his brother, who was always competing with him. The brotherly affection of the past had now become mere pretense. The middle-aged man understood that as long as their father was alive, they were still brothers. However, once their father passed away, this brotherhood would likely be truly severed.
Ignoring his contentious brother, the middle-aged man looked at his father in the main seat and earnestly said, "Lord Zhao fell ill last month and his health is not as good as before. Once Lord Zhao retires, Zhou Siyuan will be my greatest opponent."
If the marriage with the Gu clan was successful, even if Gu Xueshi had a cold relationship with the Gu clan of Nanling, the two characters "Gu" could not be written without one Gu. Who could guarantee that Gu Xueshi would not promote the Gu clan in the future?
Therefore, the middle-aged man thought of having one of his second or third sons marry into the Gu clan. This would secure his promotion. His second brother was not ignorant of such a simple principle; he simply wanted to scheme for himself more than for his elder brother to benefit.
The man held his teacup and did not speak. His elder brother was in the Ministry of Revenue, while he was merely an Assistant Secretary in the Court of Diplomatic Relations, a minor official of the sixth rank. If they were to intermarry, it would indeed be more suitable for his elder brother to be promoted. The man was not unintelligent; ultimately, he had to plan more for his own branch of the family. Once the family was divided in the future, they would be two separate households.
The old man looked at his two sons, who were outwardly harmonious but inwardly at odds. He suppressed the disappointment and sadness that welled up in his heart and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, without any discernible emotional change, "Whether it's Qi'an or Qi Ze, have you not considered that this is not forging a marriage but forging an enmity?"
The fifth daughter of the Gu family's reputation was damaged. If Gu Xueshi had intervened, these rumors would not have spread so quickly. This also indicated that Gu Xueshi truly disliked the Gu clan of Nanling and was therefore indifferent to the reputation of his own niece.
If their Xu family rushed to marry the fifth daughter of the Gu family, they might offend Gu Xueshi, which would be a loss outweighing the gain. It was too late to regret.
The two brothers were taken aback. Although their relationship was strained now, they were still family and would absolutely not become enemies.
Gu Xueshi hailed from the Gu clan of Nanling, and the current head of the Gu family was Gu Xueshi's own elder brother. In recent years, they had not heard of any conflicts between Gu Xueshi and the Gu clan. Even if there were some minor disputes, they should not have been so severe. If they were to intermarry with the Gu clan, Gu Xueshi would treat them as enemies and suppress them, which seemed excessive.
The old man snorted. His two sons were useless, but his grandsons were quite outstanding. "Do not forget that the Emperor has not yet established a crown prince. At such a critical juncture, who would dare to form factions? The Gu clan wanted to marry their daughter to Commander Yin. They were audacious, but Gu Xueshi was very clear-headed."
The outside world did not know, but the noble families in the capital were very well-informed. The fifth daughter of the Gu family had set her eyes on Commander Yin, who had come to the Xueshi Mansion to convey the Emperor's decree, but alas, her affections were misplaced.
Even to avoid suspicion, Gu Xueshi would not associate with the commander of the Imperial Dragon Guard. Moreover, Gu Xueshi was a solitary official. Despite holding high positions and great power over the years, he was alone, without a wife or children, which was why the Emperor dared to trust and heavily rely on Gu Xueshi.
The old man knew very well that those in power were suspicious. No matter how much Gu Xueshi valued his young disciple Zhan Feiyu, the Emperor would not care. However, if Gu Xueshi resumed contact with the Gu clan of Nanling, the Emperor, no matter how much he trusted Gu Xueshi, would not feel at ease.
The middle-aged man paused and then understood, breaking out in a cold sweat. "Thank you for your guidance, Father. I was blinded by a single leaf."
He was solely focused on attaching himself to Gu Xueshi to seek an official position, but he forgot that Gu Xueshi could abandon his own niece to reassure the Emperor. If their family rushed into marriage, it would truly be forging enmity.
"My old bones can still hold on for a few more years, and I can still guide you brothers," the old man waved his hand dismissively. Seeing his two sons rise to apologize, he couldn't help but smile. "Remember this, even if you divide the family in the future, you are all still Xu family members. You may think Gu Xueshi's actions this time are cold-blooded and heartless, but you haven't considered that as long as Gu Xueshi stands, no one will dare to bully the Gu clan of Nanling."
Therefore, Gu Xueshi did not care if his own niece's reputation was ruined. For the entire family, what was one girl? The Emperor's trust in Gu Xueshi was the most important thing.