Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Confined for One Month!
“When Tai Zu first founded the dynasty, he lived frugally and left instructions for those who came after: do not hold lavish burials that drain the people’s strength. Now the Old Marquis Yong Chang has passed, and my heart is heavy with grief. But the trend of extravagant burials must not continue! Let the Marquis Manor take heed!”
The eunuch finished reading the imperial edict and hurried to help Gu Nan Xi up. “Marchioness, His Majesty knows the whole story. Those words weren’t meant for you. Please don’t take them to heart.”
Gu Nan Xi flicked a glance at Lu Mei.
Lu Mei produced a small sachet and slipped it neatly into the eunuch’s hand.
The eunuch’s smile deepened. “Capital City is prosperous. If the nobles are particular about appearances in daily life, that’s one thing. But funerals… what began as simple cremations has gradually turned into grand burials that bleed households dry.”
Gu Nan Xi invited him to sit and drink tea, urging him to rest his feet before leaving.
He sipped and lowered his voice. “His Majesty is thrifty—he’ll mend socks until they’re more patches than cloth. A few days ago, Noble Consort Tong’s uncle died, and the funeral nearly swallowed half a duke’s estate. His Majesty wanted to issue an edict to scold them, but the Noble Consort stopped him. The two of them argued fiercely.”
Gu Nan Xi understood at once. His Majesty had wanted to curb the fashion for lavish burials, but Noble Consort Tong had blocked him.
And now Marquis Yong Chang Manor had walked straight into the line of fire—becoming the chicken meant to warn the monkeys.
Lu Mei quietly offered a second sachet.
The eunuch grinned like a man watching blossoms open. “The Marchioness’s situation has been the talk of Capital City. His Majesty has heard it too. His Majesty knows perfectly well the trouble in Marquis Yong Chang Manor was stirred up by that merchant girl. Before I left, His Majesty instructed me to explain everything to you properly—so you wouldn’t swallow your anger in silence.”
Before imperial power, Gu Nan Xi had no choice but to perform.
She turned toward the Imperial Palace and spoke as though choked with gratitude. “Thank you for His Majesty’s concern. This is all my fault for failing to teach my son well. I dare not fail the imperial grace. I beg for three months of confinement.”
Three months without work. Bliss.
The eunuch sighed inwardly. As expected of the Marchioness—she knew how to read the room.
“Marchioness, three months is far too long,” he said aloud. “Your offense isn’t that severe. Half a month is enough.”
“No,” Gu Nan Xi said firmly. “If the punishment is too light, how will it warn others?”
The eunuch’s eyes turned watery. “This servant will report the Marchioness’s virtue to His Majesty. But three months will make His Majesty seem overly harsh.”
Gu Nan Xi frowned as if weighing the empire on her shoulders. “Then two months.”
“Marchioness, don’t be so strict with yourself.” He looked pained. “In this servant’s view, one month at most. Any longer, and when I return, His Majesty will scold me.”
Gu Nan Xi had no choice but to accept one month.
After she saw the eunuch off with proper ceremony, she turned—only to find Su Xuan Ming kneeling on the path. The servants stood nearby, heads bowed, not daring to breathe too loudly.
“Mother,” Su Xuan Ming said hoarsely, “this son was unfilial and dragged you into His Majesty’s reprimand. I’m willing to be confined for one month as well.”
Gu Nan Xi’s heart lurched.
If Su Xuan Ming was confined, who would handle the front-courtyard mess?
Wouldn’t it all tumble right back into her lap?
Absolutely not.
She reached down and pulled him up, but he was too tall. Looking up to speak made her neck ache, so she motioned sharply.
“Kneel again.”
Su Xuan Ming blinked, confused, but obediently dropped back down.
Gu Nan Xi took out her handkerchief and dabbed his sweat as if comforting a child. “Silly child. If I’m being punished, why drag you into it too? Besides, after tomorrow you still have to go to the Academy.”
“But watching Mother be punished…” Su Xuan Ming’s eyes reddened. “How can I bear it?”
Like a gust of wind, Su Yun Yan ran up and planted herself in front of Gu Nan Xi. “If you knew it would end like this, why did you do it in the first place? Again and again you chose Jing Niang and made Mother lose face. What were you thinking?”
Her little mouth fired like a crossbow. “I’ll stay with Mother. We don’t need your fake concern!”
She grabbed Gu Nan Xi’s sleeve and dragged her off toward the main courtyard. Only when Su Xuan Ming was out of sight did Su Yun Yan finally stop, breathing hard.
“Mother!” she whispered fiercely. “How was my cooperation just now? I know what you’re doing—you’re using the bitter-flesh trick to make Brother feel guilty and turn back!”
Gu Nan Xi paused.
Su Yun Yan’s logic was tight. It was also spectacularly wrong.
“Yun Yan,” Gu Nan Xi said, “what books have you been reading lately? How did you improve this fast?”
Su Yun Yan beamed and tugged a book from inside her collar: Thirty-Six Stratagems.
“Mother gave me this secret manual a few days ago!”
Gu Nan Xi searched her memory and finally recalled it. That day she’d been half-asleep when Su Yun Yan pestered her to learn household tactics. She’d reached into the “newbie gift pack” the Kind Mother System had given her and pulled out a book at random just to placate her.
The Kind Mother System sneered in her mind. “This world doesn’t even have Thirty-Six Stratagems. It was meant for your Old Two. In this whole manor, Old Two is the sharpest.”
Gu Nan Xi didn’t care. A book was a book—whoever used it, used it.
Seeing Su Yun Yan’s proud smile, she couldn’t bring herself to crush her enthusiasm. “You’re learning well. Keep going.”
“Yes, Mother!” Su Yun Yan carefully tucked the book away again, as if hiding treasure.
Once Gu Nan Xi’s confinement was confirmed, she felt like a mouse that had fallen into a rice jar—giddy with delight.
Twenty-four hours in a day. She could sleep twenty of them. The remaining four were for eating and bathing.
Su Yun Yan, ever the dutiful daughter, ran to the main courtyard three times a day.
“Mother, the merchants we bought from for the funeral have come to settle accounts.”
“I’m confined,” Gu Nan Xi mumbled, rolling over. “Tell them to find Jing Niang.”
“Mother, the servants are packing up the funeral items and don’t know how to handle them.”
“Confined. Find Jing Niang.”
“Mother, the guests’ condolence gifts need to be recorded.”
Gu Nan Xi forced one eye open.
Su Yun Yan tucked her blanket snugly around her. “Mother, keep sleeping. I already handed everything to Jing Niang.”
Gu Nan Xi sank deeper under the covers, satisfied.
With one hand, Su Yun Yan studied Thirty-Six Stratagems with fierce concentration. With the other, she patted Gu Nan Xi gently, coaxing her to sleep.
“As expected of Mother,” she murmured, awed. “Without even showing her face, she’s already got Jing Niang running herself ragged. No time left for her to cling to Brother.”
Su Yun Yan pictured Jing Niang’s miserable face and felt she’d learned something priceless.
And Jing Niang wasn’t merely miserable—she was exhausted to the bone.
The manor’s chores were endless. Worse, gossip rained down on her from every direction.
“Did you hear? His Majesty personally issued an edict scolding Marquis Yong Chang Manor for lavish funeral spending!”
“The Marchioness is confined for a month!”
“If you ask me, the Marchioness is truly wronged. I saw it with my own eyes—there wasn’t even an awning set up.”
“Huh? That day sounded grand. Drums, gongs—the whole thing.”
“That was all Jing Niang acting on her own! The Marchioness has rotten luck, getting dragged down by her!”