Bai Suihe enjoyed two days of peace and quiet. It wasn't that the main courtyard had been completely silent during this time, but she had managed to gloss over their disturbances by feigning illness.
Dongmei and the other maids hadn't been idle, either. They had managed to gather quite a bit of gossip around the Gu Mansion. Rumor had it that Gu Antong attended the princess's flower-viewing banquet yesterday. Her pure white dress had stolen the spotlight, but it also attracted its fair share of idle gossip. Word was spreading among the noble young ladies in private. They whispered that Gu Antong was so desperate to stand out that she threw all taboos to the wind. While everyone else was dressed to the nines in vibrant colors, she showed up looking like she was in mourning.
Bai Suihe nearly burst out laughing when she heard this. Even as a modern transmigrator, she knew that plain, unadorned colors weren't particularly well-received in ancient times; in fact, they were often considered bad luck. However, she also heard that a few devout, vegetarian elderly madams had taken a liking to Gu Antong.
Bai Suihe didn't doubt this at all. With Gu Antong's striking looks, it was no wonder she held the title of the capital's number one beauty. Furthermore, both mother and daughter were highly skilled at managing their public image. Their reputation outside had always been stellar, something Bai Suihe had heard about even before marrying into the mansion. Had it not been for the events that transpired later, she too would have believed Gu Antong to be a pure, reserved noble lady.
"I heard that several Princes attended the flower-viewing banquet this time. I wonder if our eldest young miss caught the eye of any of them." Everyone loved a bit of gossip, and even Dongmei couldn't help but sigh in speculation.
"Who can say for sure? I heard this banquet was hosted specifically for them. If our eldest young miss really skyrockets in status, it won't be a good thing for us," Chunxiang said, looking at Bai Suihe with concern. Her lady was already having a hard enough time in the mansion. If the first branch gained even more power, they would undoubtedly face endless difficulties in the future.
"Relax. Even if she did catch someone's eye, there's still a long road ahead of them," Bai Suihe murmured. In the original book, the male and female leads had to go through numerous setbacks. Their eventual happily-ever-after was built upon a mountain of cannon fodder. "We won't worry about their affairs," she continued. "Did any news come in from outside today?"
"Yes, it did. Nanny Wu has already started making arrangements. Mrs. Bai will be visiting the mansion tomorrow. My lady, should we prepare in advance?" Chunxiang reminded her.
Mrs. Bai had actually submitted her visiting card the day before yesterday and was supposed to arrive yesterday. However, the eldest young madam, Ms. Liu, had delayed it by two days, claiming the mansion was busy with other matters. They claimed they were busy, but in reality, it was just because her daughter was attending the flower-viewing banquet. What did that have to do with their third branch?
"Tomorrow, both of you head to the front courtyard early to wait. While you're at it, instruct the kitchen to prepare some extra pastries." Bai Suihe didn't know the exact protocol for hosting guests here, so she could only make these basic arrangements for now. "I remember Chef Huang in the main kitchen makes some excellent signature pastries. Take some silver over later to tip her, and ask her to make a few extra batches tomorrow to send to the other branches as well."
Bai Suihe knew that the mansion had strict rules. If she wanted to request special meals or snacks, she had to pay out of her own pocket. By all rights, the Gu Mansion should have been responsible for hosting their in-laws, but according to Bai Suihe's memories, that was clearly not how things worked around here. Whenever the Xu Family visited, they received the highest standard of reception. As for the first branch, Ms. Liu was a concubine-born daughter of a Marquis Mansion and rarely interacted with her maiden family. Ultimately, Bai Suihe's side was the only one truly being targeted and marginalized. Because of all these underlying issues, Bai Suihe genuinely couldn't understand where the Gu Mansion's glowing reputation came from.
Dongmei and Chunxiang worked quickly, relaying the instructions to the kitchen. Just as they were about to close the courtyard gates, Nanny Zhou, whom they hadn't seen for a few days, appeared outside. She announced that Vice Minister Gu had returned and had summoned everyone from the various courtyards to join him for dinner.
Bai Suihe felt deeply resistant to the idea. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to be a disastrous meal. Supported by her two maids, she carried her pregnant belly all the way to the main courtyard. This time, everything went smoothly. Without even needing to be announced, a maid immediately guided her inside.
Upon entering, she realized that everyone else had already arrived.
"Greetings, Father. Greetings, Mother. Your daughter-in-law is late; please punish me." Regardless of whether she was actually at fault, Bai Suihe decided to apologize first to avoid any unnecessary reprimands.
"Ms. Bai is here." Gu Baijiang evaluated his third daughter-in-law. They rarely saw each other, so he was quite surprised to see her heavily pregnant. He glanced at his elderly wife; he hadn't heard her mention this before. "Since you are with child, take a seat."
"Thank you, Father!" Bai Suihe exchanged pleasantries with the members of the first and second branches before finding her designated seat and sitting down.
This was also her first time meeting the two young masters of the Gu Mansion.
The eldest young master, Gu Kaiping, had passed the imperial examinations to become a Jinshi the year before last. Because he ranked relatively low, Gu Baijiang had pulled some strings to get him into the Hanlin Academy as a scholar. This year, he was promoted to the position of Examining Editor, a minor seventh-rank official responsible for compiling national history. Logically speaking, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War held significant influence in the imperial court. As the eldest son of an Assistant Minister, the fact that Gu Kaiping hadn't even managed to secure a Compiler position after two years was a clear testament to his mediocre aptitude. But even so, he was still the elderly madam's absolute favorite. Everything in the mansion always prioritized him.
The second young master, Gu Kaichen, had been studying for years but only held the lowest rank of a Tongsheng scholar. He didn't initially stand out in the mansion, but because he married his cousin, Xu Yulan, the second branch naturally received special care from the elderly madam as well.
As for her own husband, Gu Kaiyuan, whom she had yet to even meet, he was undoubtedly the most neglected person in the entire family. She had heard that he was quite mischievous as a child and once got into a conflict with a teacher at the academy. Because of that, the elderly madam firmly declared that he wasn't cut out for studying. A few years ago, she had already relegated him to managing the household's mundane chores. Marrying a merchant's daughter like herself only pushed him further to the fringes of the family. However, Gu Kaiyuan seemed perfectly content with this arrangement. He spent most of the year running around outside, handling the Gu Mansion's various affairs.
"I have been away from the mansion for several days. Ms. Liu has done a good job managing the household; everything is in perfect order." Seeing that everyone was present—except, of course, for his third son who was out on business—Gu Baijiang paused for a moment before continuing. "The imperial court has been rather turbulent lately. Each branch needs to keep their people in check and minimize unnecessary outings. Decline any banquets that aren't absolutely necessary."
As Gu Baijiang spoke, he deliberately cast a meaningful glance at his eldest granddaughter. His underlying message couldn't have been more obvious.
"What do the grand affairs of the imperial court have to do with us women in the inner courtyard?" The elderly madam was rather dismissive. "Besides, you are the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War. Even if there is turmoil, who would dare cross our mansion?"
Aside from Xu Yulan, who nodded in agreement, everyone else lowered their heads in silence at such arrogant words.
Gu Baijiang merely glanced at his elderly wife, a trace of disgust flickering across his face. Mrs. Xu was truly becoming more short-sighted by the day. If she hadn't given birth to three capable sons, he would never have allowed her to remain the matriarch of the Gu Mansion. This was precisely why he had kept Xu Huizhen confined to the inner courtyard for all these years, constantly using her poor health as an excuse to prevent her from attending outside banquets. With a temperament like hers, letting her go out wouldn't just fail to benefit the Gu Mansion—it could very well bring about disaster. He absolutely could not allow the stellar reputation he had spent years building to be ruined by this foolish woman.
"Since you don't understand court politics, you should just stay peacefully in the mansion. If anything comes up, discuss it thoroughly with your three daughters-in-law. If you are ever unsure about something, you can ask Kai Ping."
Hearing his name, Gu Kaiping finally looked up. A son should not speak of his mother's faults, but he was truly at a loss when it came to his own mother's personality.