Chapter 142: Wind Rises

The Gu family's huge incident ruined both its reputation and its face, and even the banquet angered the great aristocratic clans.

All the people of Shang Jing saw that it was the An Guo Gong Residence who acted ruthlessly, eliminating Gu Nanxiang as a trouble, yet the Gu family was forced to swallow that humiliation.

After all, in this matter most aristocratic families sided with the An Guo Gong Residence, and the Gu family's honor was almost swept away.

Gu Shijie vented all his anger on Lady Lin, for the first time applying family punishment to her, beating her with several paddles and throwing her into the backyard.

If Lady Lin had not borne Gu Cheng and Gu Huai, two sons, she would have been cast out to the manor to fend for herself merely for slighting aristocratic youths at the banquet.

Even with Gu Cheng's face, Gu Shijie still brought in another concubine household; her background wasn't too poor—her father was a village scholar, and sending his daughter into the Prime Minister's residence was meant to secure a subordinate official position.

Lady Lin watched helplessly as the young girl named Xiu Yu, in the prime of her youth, entered the Shangshu's residence, only then realizing that her position in the Prime Minister's mansion was now precarious.

She had driven the former Madam Du to death, killed the two concubines in the mansion, and even the palace maids could not escape her methods; now that she had finally settled in the Shangshu's residence, she never imagined things would turn out like this.

Which step went wrong exactly?

She vaguely felt that ever since Gu Jiu Ling's wedding eve, when her temperament became strange and difficult, misfortune began to cling to her.

It was because the accounts she managed had problems that Gu Shijie actually applied family punishment to her; if it weren't for her eldest son acting as guarantor, she would have been beaten to death by that heartless man.

Lady Lin stared fixedly at the mirror, seeing a pale, bloodless cheek, hair at the temples turning slightly gray, an old woman, her gaze gradually tinged with frost.

From outside came the lively laughter of newcomers being carried into the mansion; it is said that this Concubine Xin, Xin Xiuyu, knows a few characters and is very good at pleasing people, and now she is accompanying the Shangshu in the Flower Hall, drinking and reciting poetry.

Lady Lin's eyes seeped with a trace of resentment, and she slowly took a jade bottle from the drawer.

Zhang Mama!

Master! Zhang Mama hurried in from outside.

Lin Qingshu tapped the doors and windows; Zhang Mama turned and shut them all, sending the serving maids out of the house.

Although Lin Qingshu has now lost influence, she is still Gu Cheng's birth mother, so the servants in the mansion dare not give Lady Lin the cold shoulder.

Master! Are you feeling better? Zhang Mama asked anxiously, looking at Lin Qingshu.

Lin Qingshu let out a cold laugh, the curve at her lips tinged with bitterness: "Better or not, so what?"

"My Xiang'er still hasn't been found; some people act as if they've forgotten they even have a daughter, perhaps they're carefree! How could they possibly care about my daughter's fate?"

Zhang Mama was startled and whispered, "Master, I dare not say that again; if the Shangshu hears it, he'll hold even more resentment."

"Hmph!" Lady Lin's gaze turned cold as she handed the bottle to Zhang Mama, "How could I dare resent the Shangshu? He is swamped with countless affairs on the court; his health is paramount."

"These days I've heard the Shangshu is weak; now that he has taken a new beauty, he's getting older, so we should fetch some kidney‑tonic herbs to replenish him, and also give a good beating to that Xin, and if the Shangshu gets into any trouble, I'll skin her alive!"

"Go, the herbs for restoring the body must be top—heart—quality!"

Zhang Mama clutched the jade bottle, cold sweat immediately beading on her forehead, and her eyes instantly filled with panic.

Lady Lin took the rouge, slowly applying it to her pale, dry lips before the mirror, and softly said, "Your son works under my command, bringing in tens of thousands of taels of silver each year."

"Everyone can have silver to spend, all thanks to my position in the Shangshu's residence; if another lowly woman rises, we share the honor, and if she falls, we share the loss…"

Zhang Mama quickly bowed and said, "Old servant will take care of it right away!"

"Very well," Lady Lin said faintly, "This matter must not be disclosed a single word in front of the Eldest Young Master, otherwise… death!"

Zhang Mama shivered, responded, and slowly withdrew.

The lavishly decorated Warm Pavilion, with the wind outside fluttering the palace lanterns, cast flickering shadows of uncertain light and dark.

The vermilion rouge brushed Lady Lin's lips, and the paper‑pale, aged face bore this splash of color, like a seductive ghost lurking in the dark night.

At this moment, Gu Huai, the third son of the Gu family, also wore a worried brow; now that the Double Ninth Festival has passed, in a few months it will be the Spring Examination.

His studies are by no means inferior to his elder brother's; in the academy he is recognized as exceptionally talented, a rare prodigy.

He is confident about passing the Spring Examination and becoming a Jinshi; perhaps he could even enter the palace exam, the future unknown.

His elder brother is already a Tanhualang, so he can achieve that too, and perhaps even become a Zhuangyuan.

His elder brother, the Tanhualang, was so dazzling that Princess Changping admired him, and he became a staff officer for the Crown Prince.

Gu Huai was originally full of confidence, but the Gu family's scandal now offended every aristocratic family in Shang Jing, and especially the An Guo Gong Residence.

Lady Li's natal family of the An Guo Gong Residence is the renowned literary Li family, also the former Empress's maternal clan.

Now the Gu family has managed to offend every powerful family in Shang Jing, all because of his clueless second elder sister.

Now, his second sister didn't marry into the An Guo Gong Residence, so the Gu family lost face, paid the lady's dowry and lost troops.

The impact on him is huge; even his future civil‑service career will have a narrower circle.

Sometimes he truly envies Lin Jingyuan; this time Lin Jingyuan will also sit the imperial exam, and his mother can assess the situation wisely, handle affairs prudently, with a lofty perspective.

His mother, however, is confined to a mere acre and three fen of the inner residence, terribly foolish, wondering why she would, to save money, neglect the invited guests?

Her stupidity leaves Gu Huai speechless!

Even though Concubine Lin was punished by her father these days, he and his elder brother didn't even glance at Lady Lin, feeling terribly anxious.

Gu Huai left the Gu Shang residence alone, intending to go to the Imperial Riverbank to find a tavern for a solitary drink, to ease his lingering melancholy.

He didn't expect that just as he rode his horse to the riverbank, he ran into several schoolmates, all of whom were children of officials in Jing Cheng and got along fairly well.

The youngsters weren't full of scheming; they didn't mock the Gu family's ways, and openly invited Gu Huai to join them.

Gu Huai actually didn't want to mingle with so many people; he has always kept himself pure, studied diligently, and avoids such worldly affairs.

Yao Qing, the legitimate son of the Minister of Revenue's family, grabbed Gu Huai's hand and laughed, "Where have you been hiding these days? Why haven't we seen you at the poetry gatherings?"

Gu Huai hurriedly replied, "My family has been busy these days, no time to go out."

Yao Qing was startled, recalling the incident of the Gu family's second miss being kidnapped by bandits; his expression stiffened briefly before he changed the subject, laughing, "Never mind, don't dwell on the distressing matters; they'll eventually pass."

"Let's go! Tonight we won't stop until we're drunk!"

A few young gentlemen entered the Emerald Red Pavilion and set a table of wine; although the Emerald Red Pavilion isn't like the Yi Hong Courtyard, it still has some courtesans dancing and singing to accompany the drinks, refreshing to the senses.

After a few cups, Gu Huai felt a bit dizzy, but his heart lightened considerably, because after the Gu family's farcical drama, he dared not cause an ugly scene with these people.

Yao Qing and the others offered drinks; he didn't refuse, gulping down several cups, becoming more dizzy, and hurriedly left the private room to sober up.

By now Gu Huai was completely drunk; faintly, a diligent waiter helped him to an empty room on the other side to sober up.

Gu Huai felt terribly uncomfortable, lying on the soft couch, when he suddenly touched a sticky patch; a heavy scent of blood rushed in.

He furrowed his brow, turned to look, and instantly became half sober; the blood on his face drained away in an instant.

He actually sat on a female corpse; the corpse was dressed in Bei Di attire, a dagger plunged into its neck, it had just breathed its last, the body still retained some warmth, and blood had already spread across the ground.

Gu Huai was terrified to the extreme, couldn't speak, kept stepping back, his sweat-soaked back pressed against the wall, panting heavily.

Outside, however, came a sound of footsteps; it was Yao Qing looking for him.

"Gu Huai! Gu Huai! Where did this person run off to?"