Gu Nanyin drew out her tone: “Sister, bringing so many maids with you—could it be you intend to overstep your bounds and lay hands on me?” Gu Nanyin cast a cold glance toward the group behind Gu Qinglian.
Under Gu Nanyin’s icy stare, the maids hardly dared to breathe. The eldest young miss was someone who could beat her own younger sister, the second young miss, half to death—what chance did mere servants like them have? They immediately shook their heads repeatedly: “N-no… we wouldn’t dare.”
Gu Qinglian grew even more furious and flustered. She kicked the maid standing at the front, putting all her strength into the blow. The maid was in so much pain she collapsed to the ground, yet out of fear of Gu Qinglian, she didn’t dare make a sound.
“Sister, if you’re incompetent yourself, why take it out on the maids?” Gu Nanyin lowered her head, idly stroking her fingernails as she spoke carelessly: “Starting today, there’s no need for you to step into my courtyard again. No matter how many times you come, you’ll only be humiliating yourself. Since you can’t do anything to me, sister, it’s better for you to keep your tail tucked between your legs. If I catch you making a mistake, you could die, you know.” Her words were light and airy, but Gu Qinglian sensed a trace of murderous intent within them.
Gu Qinglian was both angry and afraid. Her intuition told her that Gu Nanyin truly wanted her life.
She shot Gu Nanyin an unwilling glance: “We’ll see about that. It’s not yet certain who will emerge victorious.” Leaving these words behind, she slunk back to her own courtyard with her entourage. The maids followed behind, trembling and not daring to utter a word.
As soon as Gu Qinglian stepped into her courtyard, she saw Concubine Yun sitting in her room, seemingly waiting for her.
She walked forward, about to pour out her grievances, but Concubine Yun frowned and spoke first: “Qinglian, Mother is so disappointed in you. How did I teach you? Why are you so impatient?” Since they couldn’t do anything to Gu Nanyin now, wasn’t going to her just asking for humiliation?
Gu Qinglian, already filled with anger from her encounter with Gu Nanyin, now returned only to be scolded by her own mother. Tears began to fall, pattering down: “Mother, you don’t know how people outside are talking about me. How will your daughter ever show her face in public again?” The rumors were now spreading like wildfire; in everyone’s eyes, she had become a wicked, unforgivable woman. She had only pushed Gu Nanyin once—how could that be considered malicious? Besides, wasn’t Gu Nanyin still alive and kicking? Why should she have to endure such insults?
Concubine Yun was well aware of this. Seeing her daughter’s tears, she softened her tone: “How could Mother not resent it? I never expected that wretch Gu Nanyin to show no regard for kinship at all. But what’s done is done; resentment is useless now. We can only think of a way to break this deadlock.”
Hearing this, a light rekindled in Gu Qinglian’s eyes. She quickly wiped away her tears: “Mother, with my reputation in such a state, is there any way to salvage it?”
“Hmph, those lowly commoners love nothing more than hearing about conflicts among noble families. Since they’re so interested in such stories, why don’t we make the capital even livelier?” With that, she instructed the servants: “All of you, leave now. No one is to enter without my orders. Nanny Wang, stay.”Before Gu Qinglian could fully grasp her mother’s meaning, she saw Concubine Yun dismiss the servants and retrieve a box from a locked chest. Opening it revealed stacks upon stacks of banknotes. Turning to Nanny Wang, Concubine Yun instructed, “Matron, take these banknotes and visit the major teahouses and taverns in the capital. Find some storytellers and have them weave more tales about the noble young ladies of the city. It’s tiresome to hear about the same person all the time—let a hundred flowers bloom. We can’t have only our Minister’s household become the laughingstock of others. Be sure to avoid drawing attention, go discreetly, and don’t let anyone recognize you.” Nanny Wang had served her for many years, and only by entrusting this task to her could Concubine Yun rest assured.
Gu Qinglian felt both anticipation and worry. “Mother, will this plan really work?”
Concubine Yun patted her hand, her tone steady. “Don’t worry, Lian’er. Money can make even ghosts turn millstones. It won’t be long before your name is gradually forgotten. Once people have new amusements, they won’t dwell on past affairs.”
With money, things became easier. To salvage Gu Qinglian’s reputation, Concubine Yun had nearly exhausted all her savings over the years. True to expectations, Nanny Wang did not disappoint. Within a few days, rumors began swirling among the noble young ladies of the capital.
Gu Qinglian’s scandal had been rehashed for so many days that it was no longer fresh. Just then, new stories emerged from the storytellers—this time involving not just one household but many noble young ladies across the capital. Tales of inner-household strife, conflicts between legitimate and illegitimate children, and favored concubines overshadowing wives proliferated endlessly. The public’s enthusiasm soared, and for a time, every teahouse and tavern was packed to capacity. Sensing a lucrative opportunity, the storytellers spun their tales with even greater fervor. As for Gu Qinglian, she was long forgotten.
“Miss, I never imagined Second Young Lady could be so cunning,” Qiuzhi said indignantly, amazed that the unfavorable situation could be reversed in just a few short days.
“It wasn’t her,” Gu Nanyin replied, her expression unreadable. “Gu Qinglian doesn’t have the brains for this. She couldn’t do anything to me, yet she still came forward to be humiliated. Someone so reckless and thoughtless would never come up with such an idea.”
Who would have thought? Concubine Yun does have some cleverness, after all—no wonder she’s managed to hold Gu Yuanyao’s heart for so many years despite having no family background to speak of. A faint, mocking smile appeared on Gu Nanyin’s face. “It’s a pity Concubine Yun’s vision is still too narrow. So many noble families in the capital have stood firm for years—they must have their own wisdom. Concubine Yun’s little tricks might fool ordinary people, but they won’t deceive these old foxes.” Scarcely after Gu Qinglian’s scandal broke, stories about numerous noble young ladies suddenly flooded the capital. Who would believe it was a coincidence? Could these old foxes fail to realize that the Gu household had orchestrated this to cleanse Gu Qinglian’s name?
She stood up and stretched. “Father is likely in for some trouble. It’s a shame I won’t be there to witness it—truly regrettable.”
Qiuzhi and the others didn’t fully grasp the subtleties in Gu Nanyin’s words, but seeing their young lady seemed quite pleased, they chattered excitedly about other interesting events that had occurred in the capital over the past few days.
Just as Gu Nanyin had predicted, Gu Yuanyao faced deliberate targeting from many officials when he attended court the following day. Gu Yuanyao was puzzled—why had several ministers, who had previously been on decent terms with him, suddenly turned cold?”I have a memorial to present. Minister Gu, as an appointed official of the court, has allowed his illegitimate daughter to plot against his legitimate daughter. His failure to properly educate his daughter has led to unrest in the household, disregarding propriety and breaking the rules. I believe he should be punished.” A resolute voice suddenly echoed through the silent court.
“I second the motion.”
“I second the motion.”