Neither Fourth Brother nor Sixth Brother knew that Gu Jiangzhi’s own younger sister, Gu Liuer, had also been present at the scene. She stood outside the side gate on the southeastern side of Marquis Jinliang’s residence.
Fifth Brother hadn’t mentioned it earlier for fear of alarming their sister. “According to the plan, I struck one of the patrol guards and lured them toward Lihua Alley. Then I slipped into a side alley and hid in the shadows.”
Lowering his voice, he still looked a little shaken by the memory. “The moment I settled into my hiding place and looked up, I found a pair of eyes staring right at me, wide as saucers. She was pressed against the side gate, less than ten paces away.”
“Ah!” Even though Fourth Brother and Sixth Brother could see him sitting safely before them now, they still felt a chill run down their backs.
Fifth Brother continued, “I recognized her immediately. It was Gu Jiangzhi’s own sister.”
“At that moment, if Gu Liuer had shouted even once, I would’ve been finished.”
“Instead, that girl was something else. The minute she saw the side gate standing open, she turned around, slipped inside, and slammed the door shut behind her.”
Sixth Brother stared in disbelief. “She… didn’t save her brother?”
“Save him?” Fifth Brother laughed coldly. “Her brother was outside being kicked around like a sandbag. She was probably only thinking about keeping trouble off herself and not getting dragged into prison. So she hid and washed her hands of the whole thing.”
“Tsk…” Sixth Brother shook his head. “Now that’s some impressive sibling loyalty.”
Then pride spread openly across his face. “Our Jiaojiao, on the other hand, would warn her brothers first even if a blade were pressed to her throat!”
“Of course she would.” Fourth Brother glanced at him and spoke with complete certainty. He said nothing more, merely drained the wine from his cup in one swallow.
Outside the window, the night deepened further, dark as ink.
Meanwhile, at Marquis Jinliang’s residence, Gu Liuer stubbornly refused to leave, much to Madam Zhu’s frustration.
Yet Madam Zhu dared not make a scene. The reason was simple. From beginning to end, the marriage arrangement between the Gu family and the Lu family had been pushed through entirely by her.
General Lu’s first wife had died many years ago. Since then, he had neither remarried nor taken any concubines or bedchamber attendants. His inner household remained quiet and spotless, and he had only one child: His daughter, Lu Zhaohua.
Madam Zhu, whose given name was Zhu Shumei, was the younger sister of General Lu’s deceased wife.
In other words, she was Lu Zhaohua’s maternal aunt. Widowed and accompanied by a half-grown son, Zhu Shumei had only come to the capital a few months earlier to seek refuge with her brother-in-law, now Marquis Jinliang. When she saw the vast marquis residence with its deep courtyards occupied by only two true masters, her brother-in-law and her niece, her heart burned with desire. She thought that if she married her brother-in-law and became the legitimate mistress of the Marquis’s household, wealth, status, power, and prestige would be hers to enjoy for the rest of her life.
As things stood, her niece Lu Zhaohua’s marriage had become the touchstone by which she could prove her worth in her brother-in-law’s eyes. She needed to arrange the match perfectly. Only then could she demonstrate her competence, her dedication, and the benefits of having her manage the household and family alliances. If she succeeded, her becoming the Marquis’s new wife would naturally follow.
To be fair, Zhu Shumei genuinely wanted to find her niece an excellent husband and a good marriage. After all, they were blood relatives. She sincerely hoped Lu Zhaohua would enjoy a prosperous and fortunate future. It would also bring her honor and give her greater standing before her brother-in-law.
Unfortunately, by most standards, Lu Zhaohua was rather ordinary. She had inherited her late mother’s appearance and could only be described as neat and pleasant-looking. Her temperament was overly quiet and reserved, even somewhat dull, and she was not skilled in conversation. As for the accomplishments commonly expected of noble young ladies, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and refined arts, she possessed none of them. Nor did she excel in practical household skills such as needlework and estate management. When she was young, no one had taught her properly. Later, years of warfare forced her to follow her father from one military post to another, drifting from place to place. Those skills had been completely neglected. She truly had nothing particularly distinguished to offer.
No matter how capable Zhu Shumei might be, one cannot cook a meal without rice. She had it hard. What high-born, talented young nobleman would willingly fall for a girl whose looks were merely plain and whose accomplishments were so lacking?
Yet if Lu Zhaohua married beneath her station, it would damage the prestige of Marquis Jinliang’s household.
And Zhu Shumei, the aunt handling the marriage arrangements, would inevitably be criticized for failing in her duties.
So when Madam Jin of Marquis Zhongyong’s household extended an olive branch and proposed a marriage alliance, Zhu Shumei’s eyes immediately lit up.
The young Master Gu was handsome and refined, a truly striking young gentleman. Even among the noble sons of the capital’s great families, his looks and bearing would still rank near the top.
Zhu Shumei was delighted, but she remained cautious. She even arranged for Lu Zhaohua to secretly observe Young Master Gu from behind a curtain.
Outside the curtain, the young man spoke and carried himself with effortless grace.
Inside, Lu Zhaohua took only a single look before blushing furiously and saying that she would leave everything to her aunt’s judgment. Which meant she liked him. And liked him very much.
Zhu Shumei’s heart nearly burst with excitement. She could already envision herself successfully marrying her niece into the Marquis Zhongyong’s household, winning her brother-in-law’s praise and trust. After that, she would naturally raise the issue that a great household could not be without a proper mistress. Then, step by step, she could be elevated to principal wife and become the legitimate Marchioness of Marquis Jinliang’s household. By then, her own son would gain status as well. Would it not be easy for him to marry the daughter of a prestigious family afterward?
The thought alone left Zhu Shumei exhilarated for quite some time. To push the marriage forward as quickly as possible, she even hinted to the Gu family that after the wedding, there might be a way to help Gu Jiangzhi secure a position in the East City Military Command.
Nor was she making idle boasts. A few days earlier, she had accidentally overheard her brother-in-law discussing official matters. During the conversation, he mentioned that the East City Military Command was about to undergo major personnel changes and suitable candidates were being sought.
Zhu Shumei thought to herself: A command that large surely has room for one Gu Jiangzhi. She threw herself wholeheartedly into arranging the match. She even hosted a formal banquet at a famous restaurant in the capital so the Gu and Lu families could properly meet one another. In truth, she simply wanted her brother-in-law to see with his own eyes the “excellent son-in-law” she had carefully selected for her niece. As long as her brother-in-law approved, the marriage would be considered officially sanctioned. Then, even if problems arose later, no one could blame her.
After meeting Gu Jiangzhi, General Lu was indeed quite pleased with him.
Zhu Shumei had already begun looking forward to seeing her niece married in glory.
Then, the very next day, Madam Jin of the Gu family came to visit in person.
During their conversation, Madam Jin revealed that Gu Jiangzhi had once been betrothed to another girl. The two families had lost contact during the years of war, and everyone had assumed the girl had perished. Unexpectedly, she had now resurfaced in the capital.
Zhu Shumei nearly blacked out upon hearing this. The fury she felt was indescribable. This was tantamount to roasting her over an open fire.
Madam Jin chose this moment precisely because she knew Zhu Shumei was trapped, with no easy way out.
But now that things had reached this point, Zhu Shumei could hardly stand by and watch this marriage, which seemed beneficial to everyone involved, fall apart. So she simply laid down one condition: “Settle the matter cleanly before the wedding. Just don’t let it become public knowledge.”
As for what happened afterward, whether the girl was taken in as a concubine or driven away, that was of little importance.
What noble family’s son didn’t keep concubines? Who the concubine happened to be hardly mattered.
Zhu Shumei had already decided that while this marriage was under her management, it must proceed smoothly and with dignity.
Moreover, on the day of Lu Zhaohua’s wedding, while her brother-in-law was in high spirits, she intended to take a gamble and first make herself irreversibly involved with him. Only afterward would she worry about the rest.
What Zhu Shumei never imagined, however, was that Gu Liuer would first ask her to stop the Nian family’s young lady from spreading “nonsense,” then insist on staying overnight at the Marquis’s residence, and finally deliver news that struck like a bolt from the blue.
“Aunt Zhu, quickly! Find General Lu and save my brother! The patrol guards mistook him for a curfew violator and arrested him!”