Do You Know?: Rule the World.

Chapter 127 Old Mrs. Wang's Favoritism, Zhu Manniang Causes Trouble

The year has passed in the blink of an eye; it is now the sixth year of the Jiayou era.

Zhao Han's record of military training has been widely circulated, and the Three Military Commands, the Divine Machine Battalion, the Valiant Cavalry Battalion, and the Imperial City Guard have all eagerly read it.

Even the generals on the border sent messengers on horseback to the capital to request it.

The back courtyard of the British Duke's Mansion.

The silver charcoal in the stove was burning brightly, occasionally popping out a few soft crackling sounds, and the room was as warm as spring.

Zhang Fu, holding the military training manual, leaned against the couch, sometimes deep in thought, sometimes slapping the table in admiration.

"To kill the enemy, the entire army must be of one mind. The strong must not advance, and the weak must not retreat. If even one person dares to advance against orders, even if he or she kills the enemy leader and takes his horse back, he or she will be punished according to military law for disobeying orders..."

"Whenever there is a battle in a valley, an ambush must be set up. A feigned attack is used to lure the enemy in, then the ambush is launched to attack..."

"The quality of an army is more important than its quantity..."

"Warfare must begin with training troops, and training troops is fundamentally about training their minds..."

……

"Wonderful! I've fought for half my life and never had such insights. This can be called a rare military classic in this world!"

Zhang Fu stroked his gray beard and sighed repeatedly.

“Father, I want to see too!” Zhang Guifen sat beside the Duchess of England, holding the needle and thread she disliked the most.

The British Duchess patted the back of her hand. "Why are you looking at these things? You still think of yourself as a child."

"The important thing right now is to learn needlework well, otherwise people will laugh at us in the future."

Ever since she learned that the eldest daughter of the Yu family was about to enter the Eastern Palace, the Duchess of Yingguo had been somewhat anxious.

Miss Yu was known for her gentle and virtuous nature, and her needlework was exceptional, while her own daughter was skilled in wielding swords and spears.

There wasn't much rouge or face powder in her boudoir, but there were stacks of military books, along with all sorts of red-tasseled spears and longswords.

"It's alright, Fen'er, take it and look at it!"

As soon as Zhang Fu finished speaking, Zhang Guifen's eyes lit up. She hurriedly put down her needlework and stepped forward to take the training manual.

"You're just going to keep spoiling her. What will happen when she enters the palace?" The Duchess of England couldn't help but scold.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Guifen turned to look at her, "Enter the palace? What do you mean by entering the palace? Mother, please tell me quickly."

This matter should not be publicized before an official edict is issued.

Therefore, she and Zhang Fu both kept quiet about it from Zhang Guifen, and even their sons at home were unaware.

The Duchess of England looked at her with such curiosity, and a hint of regret flashed across her eyes.

I never expected that my careless words would be overheard by this girl.

Knowing that girl's personality, she absolutely won't give up until she gets to the bottom of it.

“Mother!” Zhang Guifen grabbed her arm and shook it. The Duchess of England took a deep breath and had no choice but to say, “Please sit down first.”

Zhang Guifen immediately sat down properly beside her.

"Fen'er, your marriage has already been arranged by the Emperor. You should have entered the Eastern Palace immediately, but your father couldn't bear to part with you, so he begged for a favor and asked that you be allowed to enter the palace after the Crown Prince ascends the throne."

In the eyes of the Duchess of England, with her daughter's family background and appearance, she was even fit to be queen.

The Sheng family was incredibly lucky; the marriage was arranged before the Crown Prince even arrived in the capital.

However, it wouldn't be bad if Fen'er became a concubine in the future. In any case, as long as her father is alive, she won't suffer any grievances.

Even if her brother and sister-in-law take charge in the future, they will definitely protect her.

“Fen’er, I see that you care quite a bit about the Crown Prince,” Zhang Fu stroked his beard and looked at her.

Zhang Guifen blushed and turned her head away immediately, "I...I didn't, Father, don't talk nonsense!"

"Is our Fen'er shy?" Zhang Fu's eyes flashed with a mischievous smile as he picked up his teacup and looked at her with a quiet gaze.

"Hmph, I'm ignoring you all."

After leaving those words, Zhang Guifen copied down the training manual and returned to her small courtyard with a blush on her face.

Meanwhile, in Runzhou, at the Wang family's residence.

Grandma Wang's complexion was not very good.

She had just received a reply from Wang Ruofu, who declined the marriage proposal on the grounds that Rulan was still young and her temperament was not yet stable.

“Mother, your daughter-in-law has said long ago that the Sheng family is not what it used to be, and their standards have naturally risen. How could they possibly marry Rulan into our family?” Aunt Wang said softly from the side. She had never expected this marriage to happen.

Old Mrs. Wang snorted coldly and slammed the letter down on the table.

“What do you know? My daughter has always been soft-hearted. I wrote it so carefully in the letter. Given her personality, she should have agreed.”

"It seems she no longer respects me as her mother."

Aunt Wang lowered her eyes and remained silent, thinking to herself: Although you are an elder, none of this can compare to the future of Rulan and the Sheng family.

Grandma Wang had indeed figured out Wang Ruofu's temperament, but she hadn't expected Rulan to be so adamant in her disagreement.

Although Rulan may seem silly and lacking in common sense, she would never let others dictate her marriage.

As early as when Wang Ruofu asked for her opinion, she had already decided that if her mother insisted on making the marriage happen, she would ask her grandmother and Hua Lan for help.

In short, never marry your cousin Wang You.

"That's enough," Old Mrs. Wang sighed softly, her voice tinged with sorrow.

"Since the Sheng family looks down on our Wang family, we don't need to try to please them."

"If you write to me yesterday, you will know that her daughter Kang Yuan'er is already of marriageable age."

Aunt Wang frowned, instantly understanding what the old lady meant.

She stared directly at the old woman, a long-suppressed resentment flashing in her eyes.

“Mother! If You’er were to marry a daughter from the Kang family, your daughter-in-law would absolutely not agree.”

Back when she first married into the Wang family, Wang Ruo and her sister-in-law tried every means to torment her, constantly spreading rumors and gossip.

She was less than three months pregnant, yet she was already constantly urging Wang Shiping and the old lady to take a concubine into the house.
Not to mention how much money and connections the Wang family has spent cleaning up her messes over the years.

Grandma Wang glanced at her sideways, picked up her teacup, and slowly took a sip.

"Although the Kang family is not what it used to be, I have met Yuan'er before. She is a sensible child and a relative I know well. What do you have to disagree with?"

Grandma Wang knew perfectly well that if she let her only grandson marry a daughter from the Kang family, he could forget about getting any help from his in-laws in his future career.

However, in her letter, Wang Ruoyu lamented the difficult life of the Kang family. As the legitimate daughter, Yuan'er was ignored in Bianjing and could only turn to her maternal grandmother for help.

How could she abandon her own daughter and granddaughter?

“Mother! Think about You’er’s future, what about the Kang family now…” Aunt Wang’s eyes reddened with anxiety.

"Enough." The old lady's face darkened, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "I have my own plans for this matter, and even Shih-ping will not stop this marriage. You should mind your own business."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang bit her lower lip tightly.

It's clear now that the old lady is determined to help that good-for-nothing sister-in-law, even if it means sacrificing her grandson's future!

Unfortunately, Wang Shiping was also blindly filial, and he had no say in this matter. However, a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years, so if Kang Yuan'er is truly an honest and law-abiding person, then so be it.

If she is like Wang Ruoyu, ignorant of her place, disrespectful to elders, and mean-spirited, then don't blame her for being mean-spirited as a mother-in-law!
-

Inside the main hall of the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.

Through Hai Chaoyun's inquiries over the past few days, the character of the third daughter of the Yuan family has been roughly understood.

She is gentle and kind, knowledgeable and reasonable, which is quite rare.

Gu Tingye was quite confident. He had privately learned that the Yuan family's accounts were in deficit and they were short of money.

What he had in abundance was money.

If we offer more betrothal gifts, we won't have to worry about the Yuan family refusing the marriage.

Therefore, after court today, Gu Tingye and Zhao Han briefly met before Gu Tingye and Shi Tou headed straight for the Marquis's residence.

Gu Yankai was delighted to learn that he had thoughts of getting married.

In his view, his second son had a bad reputation, so it would be a good thing if he could marry a girl from the Earl of Loyalty and Diligence's mansion.

He immediately instructed his servants to select a gift from the storeroom, preparing to go to the Earl's mansion with Madam Qin and Gu Tingye to sound out their intentions.

With a gentle smile on her face, Madam Qin said softly, "The Marquis previously said that he did not want to interfere in Erlang's marriage."

"Now he's more anxious than anyone else, which shows he can't let it go after all."

Gu Yankai snorted coldly and pointed at Gu Tingye, "If the Yuan family agrees to this marriage, you will move back to the Marquis's residence immediately!"

"Living outside with that old woman all day long, what kind of behavior is that!"

Gu Tingye ignored his words.

As long as Gu Yankai doesn't answer his questions clearly, he won't be able to truly settle down even if he returns to the Marquis's residence.

"My lord, please calm down. Once Erlang has a family, he will naturally become more composed."

As Madam Qin spoke softly, she gently patted Gu Yankai's back.

Just as the carriages and horses were ready and everyone was about to set off for the Yuan family.

The steward, Li Zhong, rushed over, looking flustered and panting, "My lord, madam, something has happened outside!"

“A woman named Zhu Manniang was kneeling outside the mansion gate, claiming that she was the second son’s mistress.”

"She tearfully recounted how her second brother had seduced and abandoned her, threatening her never to set foot in the capital again, leaving her with no way out and no way to survive..."

Madam Qin feigned surprise, widening her eyes slightly and whispering, "What? A mistress?!"

"Could it be that she's maliciously trying to frame me, deliberately defaming Erlang's reputation and the Gu family's honor?"

Gu Yan's heart pounded, her eyes fixed on him. "You...you better tell me honestly, have you been causing trouble outside again?!"

Gu Tingye frowned. He really hadn't expected Zhu Manniang to suddenly return to the capital and even cause trouble at his door.

Seeing that Gu Tingye did not answer him, Gu Yankai said coldly, "Go, bring her in! I want to ask her myself what exactly happened!"

"My lord, please calm down. This old servant was about to invite her in, but the woman cried and said that she was afraid that once she entered the manor, she would never be able to leave again."

"A large crowd of onlookers has gathered outside the mansion, pointing and whispering amongst themselves..."

Li Zhong bowed and replied, feeling that this matter was not unfounded.

After all, who would dare to accuse the descendants of a marquis?

Gu Yankai suppressed his anger, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice, "Tell her that if what she said is true, the Marquis's Mansion will not harm her in the slightest, and justice will prevail."

"Yes, this old servant will go right away." Li Zhong replied and ran towards the gate of the mansion.

Gu Tingye pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Madam Qin.

He now understood that this whole affair was a deliberate attempt by someone to ruin his reputation.

Besides the seemingly kind stepmother in front of me, there's also the older brother who's been bedridden for years and whose thoughts are hard to fathom!
Before long, Zhu Manniang was brought to the main hall. She was dressed in simple clothes and had her head bowed. She knelt on the ground, looking pitiful and timid.

Gu Yankai raised his eyes and scrutinized her, asking each word clearly, "Are you the woman Gu Tingye kept outside?"

Zhu Manniang wiped away her tears, "Yes, this servant dares not hide it."

“Gu Lang, it was a moment of weakness on my part that caused you to despise me, but I have always been innocent and pure when I followed you.”

“During those days at Bailudong Academy, I did your laundry and cooked for you every day, and I never uttered a single complaint.”

Then, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing several scars, and said with tears in her eyes, "Gu Lang, look, these are the scars I got from washing and mending clothes for people over the years. Consider them my retribution."

"If I hadn't been driven to the brink by you, I would never have resorted to such a desperate measure."

"Gu Lang, please give me a way out."

Gu Yankai grew angrier the more he listened. In his opinion, keeping a woman outside the home was no big deal.

If you really like her, you can openly and honorably take her into your household as a concubine.

But now that it's become common knowledge, things are completely different.

He kept a mistress, started the affair, and then abandoned her. The entire Gu family will suffer a loss of face because of him.

If he were impeached again by officials of the Censorate, even if the Crown Prince protected him from losing his position, his future career would be hindered.

“Zhu Manniang, you keep saying that I forced you to this point. Let’s go to Kaifeng Prefecture and take you to court to see who is lying first.”

"You conspired with your dead brother to swindle me out of my money and betray my trust, and now you dare to come to my door and bite me back!"

"Do you really think I, Gu Tingye, am a pushover that you can easily manipulate?"

Gu Tingye leaned back in his armchair, coldly looking at Zhu Manniang. "I advise you to honestly confess who sent you to cause trouble today, otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Zhu Manniang crawled forward a few steps and grabbed his leg, "Gu Lang, I'm just desperate!"

"Please, for the sake of the time I served you, let me return to Bianjing and have a place to stay..."

Seeing that Gu Yankai's complexion was getting worse, Madam Qin's eyes flickered, and she gestured to Mama Xiang beside her to help Zhu Manniang up.

"If Madam Zhu has any difficulties, just come and tell me. Why make such a fuss? How will Erlang face himself in the future?"

Then, she turned to Gu Yankai and said softly, "My lord, let me take her down to settle her in first."

"The rumors circulating outside must be suppressed as soon as possible, and must not be allowed to reach the ears of the Yuan family."

Madam Qin knew very well that as soon as she left with Zhu Manniang, Gu Yankai, in his rage, would not easily forgive Gu Tingye.

Sure enough, as soon as they left, Gu Yankai stood up and looked coldly at Gu Tingye.

"You wretched child, kneel down now!"

Gu Tingye knelt heavily on the ground. In his mind, no matter how he tried to explain, Gu Yankai would not believe him.

It would be better if he finished fighting sooner, so he could investigate and find out who ordered Zhu Manniang to return to the capital.

"I thought you were going to study diligently at Bailudong Academy, but I never expected you to be keeping a mistress there!"

“Now that they’ve come knocking on our door, you’ve completely disgraced the Gu family, cough cough cough…” Gu Yankai grabbed the red-tasseled spear that was lying aside and slammed it hard into Gu Tingye’s back.

Gu Tingye gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound.

(End of this chapter)