Chapter 135: Origins of the Great Clans

Unfortunately, the good times did not last. Less than two years later, the House of the Earl of Yong’an brought in a cousin as a concubine, citing Lady Xue’s failure to produce an heir. Lady Xue, young and hot-headed, would not stand for this. Relying on the status of the Duke of England’s mansion, she made such a scene with her in-laws that she forced the daughter of a fourth-rank official into the status of a mere bond-servant concubine.

As fate would have it, Lady Xue became pregnant, and the concubine fell pregnant at the same time. When the physician checked the dates, the concubine’s pregnancy was actually a month and a half further along than Lady Xue’s. The overbearing Lady Xue could never allow a child of concubine birth to become the elder brother of her own precious treasure. That very night, she ordered a bowl of medicinal soup to be administered, determined to force a miscarriage.

Who could have known that the concubine was of such frail constitution? She could not withstand the ordeal and passed away. When the fetus was expelled, it was already fully formed—a boy.

Following this, Lady Xue was infuriated by the fallout of the concubine’s death, and the House of the Earl of Yong’an grew to despise her overbearing, unforgiving nature. Life became increasingly difficult. Later, when she went into labor, she gave birth to a daughter—the eldest young lady of the Wang family.

Seeing that it was not a son, Lady Xue nearly killed every maid in the room that night, subjecting them to cruel interrogation to find out who had swapped her eldest son. Poor Miss Wang was despised by her own mother from the moment of her birth; she was barely glanced at before being sent away to a wet nurse.

The Wang family was also at odds with Lady Xue. Because the Master of the Wang family had lost his beloved concubine and then his son, he remained without a male heir even past the age of twenty-five. Furthermore, he was often teased by his close friends for having a shrewish wife, which caused the couple to drift further apart.

Lady Xue blamed everything on her newborn daughter. More than once, in front of the entire household, she cursed the infant Miss Wang as a jinx and a debt-collector.

The old grandmother of the Wang family, seeing that her granddaughter received no affection and that the servants and the wet nurse were following Lady Xue’s lead in neglecting the child, wanted to take the girl under her own care while she still had a decade or so left to live. Unexpectedly, her daughter-in-law accused her of trying to sow discord between mother and daughter.

The old lady was so incensed that she fell ill and could not leave her bed for three months.

Later, Lady Xue became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, which finally calmed her down. However, by that time, the three-year-old Miss Wang had yet to speak a single word. The old grandmother, seeing this, was heartbroken, but her daughter-in-law held too much power, and she felt utterly helpless.

Having no other choice, she humbled herself to meet with the in-law, the old Duchess of England.

Thereafter, the three-year-old Miss Wang was brought to the Duke of England’s mansion, raised at the knees of the Duchess, Lady Gu, and became a beloved cousin to the family.

Lady Gu was gentle and virtuous, the eldest daughter of Chancellor Gu. Her biological mother was a daughter of the main branch of the Taiyuan Wang clan, who passed away when Lady Gu was only two. Not only was her mother born into a prestigious family, but her stepmother was even more noble.

She was the elder sister of the late Emperor, born of the same mother. When the late Emperor was still the Prince of Qin and in dire straits, the famously beautiful Princess Zhaoyang had no choice but to submit to the then-Crown Prince’s uncle to save her brother, marrying the Crown Prince’s cousin—a hedonistic fop who knew nothing but brawling and causing trouble.

Later, when the court was in turmoil, the Crown Prince was deposed, and his remnants staged a counterattack. The Prince of Qin, under the instruction of the former Crown Prince’s tutor, led troops from the border to clear the court and guard the imperial capital. Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince’s uncle used the Princess’s life as a hostage to demand the Prince of Qin withdraw his troops.

The Prince of Qin, concerned for his sister, intended to retreat and surrender. It was Chancellor Gu, then merely an official in the Hanlin Academy, who stepped forward and used a clever scheme to rescue the Princess.

The Princess, grateful for his favor, requested that after the Prince of Qin ascended the throne, she be allowed to marry the then-widowed Chancellor Gu, refusing to keep her own Princess mansion. The late Emperor initially refused, but seeing the Princess’s deep devotion, he eventually gave his blessing.

The Princess had no children of her own, so she treated the daughter left behind by the Chancellor’s first wife as her own, raising her personally. The Chancellor had no concubines and lived in constant companionship with the Princess; their deep affection became a celebrated romance in Jiankang.

However, because the Princess had damaged her health during the period of chaos, she remained childless for a long time, seeking help everywhere. Finally, when the eldest Miss Gu was twelve, she was blessed with a son. But due to years of medicinal treatments and the toll on her body, she passed away less than two years after the birth.

The Chancellor was devastated and resigned from his post to observe three years of mourning for his beloved wife. While this was met with mixed opinions, his devotion to his wife was undeniable.

Later, when the Chancellor returned to office, the late Emperor trusted him even more deeply. He never remarried, and his young son was left to the care of his eldest daughter, Lady Gu.

After Lady Gu married into the Duke of England’s mansion as the Crown Princess of the estate, the eldest son of the Gu family also grew up moving between the Chancellor’s mansion and the Duke’s mansion.

This was the relationship between the Duke of England’s mansion, the Chancellor’s mansion, and the House of the Earl of Yong’an.

Mama Fang walked along the covered veranda, passing through three floral-shaped gates until she reached the Old Duchess’s Shou’an Hall. While still some distance away, she could already hear the sound of soft sobbing.

Mama Fang stepped into the main hall and offered a silent bow to the Old Duchess, her own mistress sitting in a chair nearby, and the aunt who was leaning against the Old Duchess’s chest sobbing. She did not disturb anyone in the room, then walked around to the back of the chair and moved quietly to her mistress’s side.

Lady Gu looked up and, seeing the strange expression on Mama Fang’s face, knew something had happened. Yet, her sister-in-law was still crying incessantly. If she were to leave now, her mother-in-law would surely be driven to a migraine, and at her advanced age, the old woman could hardly endure such torment.

It seemed that the sister-in-law would not be satisfied until she saw the Master of the house today.

Lady Gu nodded, and Mama Fang bowed her head to whisper into her ear.

At this moment, Lady Xue, who had been weeping in the Old Duchess’s arms, ceased her sobbing. She looked at Lady Gu with red, swollen eyes, her mouth curled downward.

"What is my sister-in-law whispering to Mama Fang about? So cautious, as if you’re afraid someone might hear?"

Lady Gu smiled, her eyes and brows filled with gentleness.

"My dear sister, you tease. It is just that the hour is getting late. It is nearly noon, and I was thinking that you and Mother must be hungry. I was simply instructing Mama Fang to prepare some dishes you enjoy, so you might feel a bit better."

Lady Gu’s words and actions were always impeccable. Lady Xue felt slighted and even more stifled.

"Sister-in-law is very thoughtful. I wonder when I might see my brother? Heng’er has been in trouble for so long, and yet Big Brother has only sent Ruofu, a child who hasn't even reached his capping ceremony. Isn’t that a bit heartless? Perhaps he has forgotten all about his sister? Mother!" With that, she buried her head back into the Old Duchess’s arms and sobbed.

Lady Gu sighed inwardly and said gently, "As a Guanglu Grand Master, my husband is deeply trusted by His Majesty and the Empress Dowager. He often works late into the night handling official business, and recently, he has been sleeping at the government offices. Mother and I have barely seen him for many days."

Lady Xue looked at her mother, Madam Wang. Madam Wang nodded. "Your brother is truly busy lately. Even when he comes to pay his respects, it is always a hurried affair before he leaves for the office. He says the court situation is tense. I am just an old woman and don’t understand such things, but he does seem genuinely occupied."

"What about Qingran? Why hasn't the eldest son come?" Lady Xue remained relentless.

Lady Gu smiled and explained, "The eldest son carries the responsibility of a Commandant in the Imperial Guard. He is always busy, and when he is on night duty, he sleeps in the palace. Compared to my husband, my eldest son is even harder to see."