Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 233 Qi Heng of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion Takes the Initiative
"Second brother!"

"Second brother..."

Seeing Gu Tingye walk out without looking back, Gu Tingwei immediately became anxious!

"Second brother, wait for me!"

He shouted loudly as he squeezed into the dense crowd, preparing to catch up with his second brother.

To be honest, aside from the changes in the last year or two, Gu Tingwei and Gu Tingye had a very good relationship before!
At that time, they were truly like brothers, respectful and harmonious.

Unfortunately, due to the scheming of Gu Tingwei's biological mother, Madam Qin, Gu Tingye has run away from home and refuses to return.

"Second brother..."

Gu Tingwei deliberately came over because he knew his second brother was coming to see the list today. His purpose was to see Gu Tingye and explain to him that he had no intention of plotting against him.

All of this was done by his mother, Madam Qin.

Gu Tingwei ran quickly toward Gu Tingye, shouting repeatedly, hoping that Gu Tingye would stop and wait for him.

Unfortunately, that's not possible!
Leaving aside whether Gu Tingye is willing or not, and whether he will wait for him, just considering that today is the time when the results of the imperial examination are being released, it is easy for you to leave, but it is extremely difficult to squeeze in from the outside!
Therefore, Gu Tingwei's actions of not only squeezing in from the outside but also trying to find someone will ultimately be in vain.

"Second brother..."

"Second brother..."

Gu Tingwei shouted many times and chased after them for a long time, but in the end, he could only dejectedly lower his arms.

"Second brother, are you angry with me?"

Seeing his plan fail, Gu Tingwei stood there sighing and muttering, "It seems that my second brother hates more than just my mother!"

"Even I'm annoyed with him!"

In fact, the main reason why Gu Tingye fell out with the Ningyuan Marquis's family was because of his stepmother, who was also Gu Tingwei's biological mother, Madam Qin.

Gu Tingwei was not entirely unaware of his mother's scheming against him; in fact, he knew from the very beginning how Madam Qin had plotted against him.

However, although Gu Tingwei and Gu Tingye had a good relationship, and he really liked following Gu Tingye around, he tacitly approved of his mother's actions for the sake of his own future.

Just like when Madam Qin asked him to cooperate in scheming against Gu Tingye, Gu Tingwei always outwardly opposed it, clamoring to tell his second brother that he was unwilling to accept his mother's arrangements.

However, in the end, things turned out differently—Gu Tingwei was always "forced" to scheme against his second brother, Gu Tingye, according to his mother's demands.

There's a saying that perfectly describes it: "The mouth says no, but the body says yes!"
At this moment, Gu Tingwei often fully and perfectly explained the meaning of this sentence.

On another note, leaving aside the love and hate entanglements of the previous generation, let's talk about the cause of the conflict between Gu Tingye and Xiao Qinshi.

It's very simple. Currently, there are three heirs in the eldest branch of the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion, that is, the current Marquis's son: the eldest son Gu Tingyu, the second son Gu Tingye, and the third son Gu Tingwei.

Although these three are all direct descendants of the Gu family, they are also the children of three different women.

Gu Tingyu's birth mother was Lady Da Qin, Gu Tingye's birth mother was Lady Bai, and Gu Tingwei's birth mother was Lady Xiao Qin.

Of these three women, only Bai married into the Gu family for other reasons. The elder Qin and the younger Qin were both brought into the family by someone personally arranged by the old Marquis Gu.

In other words, the two of them were the old Marquis's true loves.

Moreover, the three women, Da Qin, Bai, and Xiao Qin, had all been the principal wives of the Marquis of Ningyuan, so their children were all eligible to inherit the mansion as direct descendants of the Gu family.

Of course, there is also the principle of seniority. In other words, if the current Marquis of Ningyuan were to pass away, Gu Tingyu would be the rightful and undisputed first heir.

However, things are not that simple. The Gu family has a big problem regarding the successor.

That is, Gu Tingyu's health is not good, and there is a hidden danger that he may die young.

Gu Tingyu was born through a difficult birth and was born with congenital deficiencies. Although he survived thanks to postnatal diagnosis and care, it remains to be seen whether he will live any longer and for how long.

Not to mention, given Gu Tingyu's current condition, is he still capable of carrying forward the legacy of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion?

Moreover, Gu Tingyu only has a daughter and no sons, and there are restrictions on the inheritance of titles according to the rules set by the imperial court.

In other words, if Gu Tingyu has no male heir to carry on the family line, then the title of Marquis of Ningyuan will be taken back by the imperial court after him.

Unless, of course, Gu Tingyu adopted a child from his clan into his own name to inherit the title.

However, Gu Tingyu was unwilling to do so.

After all, they're not your own children, so there's a big difference!

Therefore, if something were to happen to Gu Tingyu, the most likely successors to the title would be the second son, Gu Tingye, and the third son, Gu Tingwei.

Although there is a principle of respecting seniority, because Xiao Qinshi is Da Qinshi's younger sister, Gu Tingyu has always listened to his aunt and been close to Xiao Qinshi and her son while rejecting the second son, Gu Tingye.

Therefore, if Gu Tingyu had a direct recommendation, Gu Tingwei could have bypassed Gu Tingye and directly inherited the title.

And that was precisely Qin's purpose.

In fact, the reason why Gu Tingyu rejected or even hated Gu Tingye was because he heard news about his mother from Xiao Qinshi!

A story about the cause of death of one's own mother.

According to Madam Qin, Madam Qin was forced to commit suicide because of Gu Tingye's mother. No one knows the truth of the grudges, but Gu Tingyu has harbored extreme hatred for his younger brother Gu Tingye ever since!
Gu Tingyu believes that it was because of Gu Tingye and his mother that his birth mother died young and that his health deteriorated!

After all, Lady Qin died in childbirth, and Gu Tingyu was the child who survived the difficult birth.

However, although Gu Tingyu survived, his health was damaged. That's why he was so weak, coughed frequently, and even coughed up blood.
All of this means that Gu Tingyu's life is about to enter its final countdown.

After all, not every child is as "tough" as Sheng Changquan.

Therefore, Madam Qin's main purpose in targeting Gu Tingye was for her own son's future, so that Gu Tingwei could inherit the title!
Therefore, she deliberately indulged Gu Tingye, letting him go astray and turn him into the most famous playboy in Bianjing City, who also became the biggest joke in everyone's eyes!

Because the old Marquis had dismissed all the people around Gu Tingye's birth mother, he was unaware of the ins and outs of the situation. At the same time, he was also unaware of Xiao Qinshi's sinister intentions and always thought that she was a kind mother who treated him the best!

Not her biological child, yet she is better than her own mother.

But he never expected that the other party had such a vicious heart beneath his hypocritical exterior!

It was precisely because Madam Qin stirred up trouble everywhere and secretly used underhanded tactics that Gu Tingye and the old Marquis of Ningyuan turned against each other, severing their ties. Now, Gu Tingye has even moved out of the Marquis's mansion and stayed away from that group of people.

However, upon reflection, the old Marquis might not be unaware of what Lady Qin had done; perhaps he too had other plans in mind. "Sigh..."

In the crowd, Gu Tingwei suddenly sighed again, seemingly looking somewhat sad.

However, to be honest, Gu Tingwei felt a little strange at this moment.

While he was saddened, he was also somewhat pleased, because with Gu Tingye gone, he would be the only one left to inherit the title of Marquis of Ningyuan.

You must know that the Marquis of Ningyuan is a first-rank nobleman, whose status is tied to the fate of the nation. To inherit this title is no less than a poor scholar becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination!

Becoming the Marquis of Ningyuan essentially guarantees a lifetime of wealth and honor, and even ensures the wealth and honor of one's descendants.

After all, they were a family that shared the fate of the nation and had received an imperial edict from the founding emperor.

This is evident!
However, while Gu Tingwei was happy, he was also somewhat saddened.
After all, he genuinely liked his older brother Gu Tingye, and there was a real brotherly bond between them.

Just like "Layman Jiaqian", they are true brothers and sisters, and dearest relatives and friends!
Of course, this doesn't diminish Gu Tingwei's desire to pursue his future. Just like the phrase "I need more money," there's a limit to how much there is.

"Young Master, let's go back!"

"Madam is still waiting for you to come back for dinner!"

Just as Gu Tingwei was feeling "uncomfortable", his attendant spoke up to comfort him.

"Ok?"

Gu Tingwei suddenly woke up, looked up at the crowded people around him with disdain, and a hint of displeasure appeared on his face!
"Huh~"

Gu Tingwei frowned and said unhappily, "There are too many peasants here, and the surrounding area smells terrible!"

"Let's hurry back!"

Gu Tingwei, who exuded the air of a scion of a noble family, could not tolerate this commoner environment.

……

Time flies, and more than half a month has passed since the results of the imperial examination were announced.

Today is the day when the candidates will have their audience with the emperor for the palace examination.

However, because Qi Heng failed the provincial examination, he no longer needed to prepare so rigorously for the palace examination. But after enduring for so long, he finally made a move on this day and wanted to explode!
Qi Heng, who had always been thinking about Minglan, finally couldn't hold back any longer!
He can't stand it anymore!
He wants to confront his mother!
He demanded that she fulfill her promise and take him to the Sheng family to propose marriage to Minglan!
Without Minglan, Qi Heng felt as if he had lost the most important core in his heart. His life was like a salted fish that had lost its water, or like a flower that had lost its light. In short, he had no mind to think about anything else.

Not to mention reading books.

Because the Qi State Duke's mansion had a simple population, without too many or too diverse people, Qi Heng was also very clear about the habits of his family members.

Without giving it much thought, he walked directly into the courtyard on the east side of the mansion, where Princess Pingning and her husband lived, and pushed open the door to the study of the Duke of Qi and his wife.

Qi Heng knew that Princess Pingning would usually go into her study to read for a while at this time.

Princess Pingning was not like Wang Ruofu, a woman who was illiterate and believed that "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent." When she was in the palace, she had attended classes taught by great Confucian scholars along with the princes and listened to their lectures. She was a true talented woman.

"Mother!"

As soon as he entered, Qi Heng, without even looking up, spoke directly in the direction of Princess Pingning, his eyes lowered, and loudly asked, "When are you going to fulfill your promise to me?"

"Son, I can't wait any longer!"

Qi Heng didn't look up when he spoke; he just kept his head down and said all that in one breath.

"Ok?"

Inside the room, Princess Pingning's expression shifted, her eyebrows lifted, and she immediately showed some displeasure!
"Heng'er, are you talking to your mother like that?"

Princess Pingning's tone was enigmatic, as if she were suppressing her anger.

Filial piety is highly valued in this world, and Qi Heng is a filial son. He genuinely respects and loves Duke Qi and Princess Pingning. However, the reason he spoke like this was to force himself to bravely face Princess Pingning.

Just as Xiang Yu burned his boats and broke the cauldrons, Qi Heng also had to face the future in the same way.

Confronting his future with Minglan.

Princess Pingning is the first hurdle Qi Heng must overcome!
"Mother, your son wouldn't dare!"

"However, I also want to know when you will take me to the Sheng family to propose marriage!"

At this point, Qi Heng was going all out!
"Mother, you weren't trying to fool your son before, were you? Trying to break your promise to him?"

Qi Heng knew his mother's temperament and understood just how proud she was, which is why he said that, intending to provoke her.

"Heng'er!"

Upon hearing this, Princess Pingning raised her voice, her tone conveying anger rather than authority, and said, "Do you know who you're talking to?"

"For the sake of a woman, would you dare to disregard filial piety and question your mother?"

A hint of sadness flashed in Princess Pingning's eyes, as if she were seeing her son grow up and become disobedient.

However, it was precisely Qi Heng's behavior that made her resolve on a certain note even stronger!

"My son doesn't dare!"

Qi Heng felt a pang of pity, but he forced himself to remain calm and knelt down, kowtowing as he said, "Mother, I only want to know when you plan to take me to the Sheng family!"

Qi Heng said nothing, only admitted his mistake and kept repeating his own words.

"you!"

Princess Pingning was so angry at Qi Heng's behavior that she was speechless!
……

a long time.

"it is good!"

"I'll take you to the Sheng family today!"

Inside the room, Princess Pingning's deep, resonant voice slowly drifted out.

I'm working overtime tonight and there's not enough time, I'll revise it tomorrow! (I'm trying to speed things up, everyone says the plot is dragging...)
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(End of this chapter)