Before Minglan became Gu Tingye's wife, most of the ladies who had come to congratulate on her wedding had kept on singing praises about the eminent background of Gu's family. At that time, the only thing that had impressed her a lot had been the luxurious betrothal gifts from Gu Tingye instead of those women's words. After three days of her wedding, the moment Minglan's coach stopped in front of the Sheng's gate, they saw Changbai and Changdong already wait there. In the meantime, Molan and Rulan also arrived with their husbands.

As Minglan got off the coach with the help of Danju, she saw the flat small sedan that Rulan had taken and the flat small coach that Molan had taken. Then Minglan turned around to look at the splendid three-in-hand coach painted in black, on which hung a blue curtain decorated with dragon patterned lace in silver threads, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

The smile on Rulan's face froze right away while the look on her face turned indifferent. Molan's body also turned a bit rigid but she managed to put on a calm look right away. Minglan couldn't help glancing at Gu Tingye, thinking, 'This coach... Have you violated any rules?"

After all the people there had given obeisance to each other, Gu Tingye smiled gently to Liang Han without saying anything. However, Minglan had a slight feeling that Gu Tingye actually had a dislike for Liang Han. After that, they entered into the mansion in succession. The new couple should pay respects to Old Madam Sheng in the Hall of Peaceful Ages first.

Old Madam Sheng was sitting upright there while Minglan and Gu Tingye knelt on the cattail hassocks to kowtow. Although it had just been a few days that Minglan had left, Old Madam Sheng acted as if she hadn't seen Minglan for almost half of her life. However, Old Madam Sheng's face turned darker and darker when she held Minglan's hand to have a fully observation of her granddaughter.

It had just been two days, Minglan seemed to have already been worn out. The dark circles under her eyes were so obvious that they seemed to be shaded on her face by a dark cyan eyebrow pencil and were not able to be covered by the thin powder. Although she looked dispirited, there was still a charming expression showing in her eyes. Then Old Madam Sheng turned to Gu Tingye. This man looked like a refreshed person with pleasant look on his face. However, the expression in his eyes showed that his needs had been well satisfied these days.

With blood rushing into Old Madam Sheng's brain, she couldn't help being worried for Minglan while also feeling displeased. Nonetheless, Old Madam Sheng still couldn't say anything. So she only glared at Gu Tingye with knife-like expression in her eyes. Meanwhile, the man she was looking at still remained calm as if he knew nothing about what was happening. After Old Madam Sheng had flew in to a rage for a few rounds inwardly, she said, "Go kowtow to your parents, they are expecting you right now."

Minglan, being reluctant to leave right away, smuggled up to Old Madam Sheng while saying gently, "I'll come back as soon as I finish kowtowing to my parents. Then we'll chat together."

Old Madam Sheng nodded with a smile while watching the couple leaving. However, the look on her face changed the moment they had got out. Then, she winked at Mama Fang. The latter, upon receiving the signal, instantly turned around to find Mama Cui to made an inquiry.

Mama Cui was always a quiet woman who held herself aloof from the world. She never picked a quarrel with anyone for decades. This might be the first time she ever had a strong intention to tell someone off. Before Mama Fang reached to her, she had already waited on the porch in the side room of Hall of Peaceful Ages for a long time.

"It's normal for the new couples to be intimate with each other, but I've never seen anyone like him!... He didn't care if there's anyone else around. Every time he saw our lady, he became like a wolf in the mountain with green light shooting from his eyes. As long as no one was looking at him, he would put his hands on our lady no matter it was daylight or night!" Mama Cui complained that while patting the table with her teeth gritted, "Our lady has just grown up! How could he... do that?!"

Mama Fang was stunned by those words with an awkward expression on her face. If she hadn't known that Mama Cui was a short-spoken and honest woman, she wouldn't believe anything she had just heard. Then Mama Fang said, "Master Gu isn't a young boy anymore, why did he behave like that? Hasn't he... had any other concubines right now?"

Speaking of that, Mama Cui finally got her temper under control, saying, "Our poor lady didn't have time to deal with the family affairs these days. But I have already inquired about the matter in the house and learned that the previous concubine and Tongfang (T/N: A maid in name but a concubine in reality) of Master Gu is staying in Marquis Ningyuan's mansion now. It is said that Master Gu would fetch them after a while. He really is a busy man. Most of the time in the day he would deal with his business and seldom come back to the mansion. So it is actually very tranquil in the mansion. There is a woman called 'Lady Fengxian' living in the side yard. I heard she was sent by a general. I never saw that girl but the words came that Master Gu... never paid any attention to her."

Hearing that, Mama Fang didn't even know whether she should be happy or worried. After a while, she said, "It's a good thing that Master Gu adores our lady, but..." After that, she didn't know how to organize her words. So at last, she only said, "Let's report to Old Madam then."

...

Old Madam Sheng always preferred quietness, so she never liked to gather all the women relatives in Hall of Peaceful Ages in case of raising clamor. Therefore, the relatives of the Sheng family all sat in the main yard where Wang shi lived to wait for the dishes. As Gu Tingye and Minglan went straightly into the main hall, they saw Aunt Kang and her husband, Yun'er, Molan, Rulan, Hai shi who was already heavily pregnant, Changwu, Changbai, Changfeng, Changdong, Liang Han, Wen Yanjing, Yuan Wenshao all being there.

After they greeted each other, Minglan and Gu Tingye entered into the side room on the east. Sheng Hong and Wang shi were sitting on the brick bed by the window while watching the new couple kneeling down and kowtowing to them smilingly.

Wang shi looked at Gu Tingye with a beaming smile and asked, "General Gu, has our Minglan brought any troubles to you?"

Hearing that, Sheng Hong who was sitting beside her went stiff. His wife really had impressed him by saying the exact same words as an opening when all of their daughters except for Hualan had come back after their weddings.

The only differences were the way she had uttered those words. When she had talked to Liang Han, she had raised her eyebrows while snorted with a disdainful tone as if she had been collecting the debt, "Has our Molan brought any troubles to you?" When she had talked to Wen Yanjing, she had asked with concerned expressions in her eyes and an expectant look on her face, being rather gentle and serious, "Has our Rulan brought any troubles to you?" At last, when facing Gu Tingye, Wang shi used a soft tone which sounded half ingratiating and half reverent.

Sheng Hong was speechless about that. Luckily, Minglan was his youngest daughter. So this was the last time he had to tolerate those words. Thank god.

Gu Tingye's response sounded quite decent, "Minglan has behaved properly. She is a tender girl with mild characters. All the members of my family like her a lot."

Minglan, head lowered, was rolling her eyes now. In her own view, her best behaviors had only displayed on the bed.

"... I feel so relieved that you all started your own families." Sheng Hong smiled at Gu Tingye while stroking his beard, "If Minglan's mother and I are not in the capital anymore, please take care of this girl."

"Father... you are going to work in another city?" Hearing Sheng Hong's words, Minglan was reminded of something and asked that softly.

Sheng Hong looked at Minglan with satisfaction. He had to admit that this daughter of him was quite intelligent and could always perceive the whole from one sample. Then he smiled, "Your Eldest Brother has already served for enough years as an official historian in Imperial Academy. Words came to us a few days ago that he would be granted as a tutor in the Imperial Academy or a supervisor in one of the Six Departments. Father and son should always avoid working in the central authorities together. So I'll just make way for your eldest brother..."

Although he said those words to Minglan, he was actually looking at Gu Tingye. As a sensitive person, Gu Tingye pondered for a while and said, "Father-in-law, your consideration is quite reasonable. The works in the Imperial Academy are dignified, including teaching the history and drafting the confidential papers. And the supervisors in the Six Departments deal with the concrete matters such as transcribing and sending the memorials to the throne and inspecting the delinquencies. Those two humble positions both provide huge power. My brother-in-law Zecheng (The courtesy name of Changbai) is a prudent and intelligent man. I believe he will be competent at either position."

That was exactly what Sheng Hong wanted to hear. After Gu Tingye had finished his speech, the look on Sheng Hong's face seemed even more amiable. And they enjoyed quite a lovely conversation. Minglan understood her father's intention. If there was a man of the Sheng family working in the Cabinet (T/N: The central administration of the country), that would be a huge glory for the family. As far as she knew, there were two ways to enter into the Cabinet. First, the candidate of the Imperial Exams could start working in the Imperial Academy as the assistant of the emperor. Then as time went by, the assistant could be promoted to the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Academy who was qualified to enter the Cabinet. As for the second way, after the official of the Imperial Academy had served enough years, he could work in the Six Ministries or Six Departments. Then, after several promotions, he could accumulate experiences by taking office out of the capital for one or two terms. And then, that official would be granted as the assistant or the minister of the Six Ministries. At last, it would be very likely for that official to enter the Cabinet.