Chapter 457: Aftermath
Chapter 457: Chapter 457: Aftermath
The three ladies fell into deep thought. Surely life in such a prominent household was better than their own?
"It’s because there are so many rules in those prominent households," Bai Suihe said, shaking her head with a bitter smile. "Even the Gu Family back then, despite having no real wealth to speak of, still had to put on grand airs.
"As a branch family, and one born of a concubine at that, they had many heavy burdens pressing down on them. I’m afraid their life in the inner courtyard could only be described as walking on thin ice. With their status and position, they either had to curry favor with their superiors or play the fool to appear harmless.
"But under such oppressive conditions, once they finally gained power, the backlash would be even greater. I feel that Madam Gu is in exactly this kind of situation. Perhaps because they played their parts so successfully, they were able to land this lucrative position. Now that they’re here and completely unchecked, it’s no wonder she’s gotten carried away."
The three ladies all nodded in agreement. "No wonder. Earlier, she was putting on airs and showing off. Her tone was so condescending, as if she didn’t take us seriously at all.
"When we first started listening, everyone was still a bit curious. But as she went on, it just became unbearable. We know the Gu Family is wealthy, but that’s their life. We don’t get to share in their glory, so what’s the point of boasting to us?"
"As for what she said later, I’m afraid many people weren’t even paying attention. We were standing far away, so we couldn’t hear clearly anyway," Mrs. Jiang said, sounding a bit regretful. "Later on, I’ll have to find the ladies who sat in the front and ask them exactly what she talked about."
Bai Suihe and the other two looked at Mrs. Jiang in disbelief. She was going to make people recall such an unpleasant experience? However, they were also quite curious and wanted to hear about it!
Mrs. Jiang puffed out her chest. Seeing through her friends’ thoughts, she made a firm promise, "Don’t worry. I’ll get you the latest gossip in two hours at most."
Bai Suihe and the others nodded repeatedly, casting expectant glances her way. They provided full emotional support, making Mrs. Jiang even more eager to complete this mission.
The group looked through the window toward the inn across the street, watching the final carriage depart.
"Wait here, I’m going to look for Mrs. Liu," Madam Li said, her eyes darting as she thought of the inn’s proprietress. It seemed that Mrs. Liu had been staying at her maiden home recently, which wasn’t far from Madam Li’s own house.
"Will it take a long time?" Bai Suihe asked, as she still wanted to go home and keep her precious daughter company.
"Not at all. The Shopkeeper and the staff are still over at the inn. Their information will surely be more up-to-date than ours."
Bai Suihe and the others settled down to wait patiently. Since they had come out for a banquet today, they hadn’t planned on returning home this early anyway. They ordered a pot of good tea and some pastries from the teahouse waiter; when out and about, one shouldn’t treat oneself poorly.
While they were enjoying a rather cozy time here, the situation at the inn across the street was entirely different.
Madam Gu hadn’t snapped out of her daze until all the guests had dispersed.
"These people..." At this moment, she wasn’t so much exasperated as she was engulfed by sheer panic. The banquet was completely ruined.
"What on earth was wrong with that person?" Madam Gu seethed with anger toward the lady who had just caused the scene.
The old matron sighed inwardly. Madam Gu truly was an unpresentable concubine’s daughter. Had the matron not kept her composure and stepped forward to control the situation, there was no telling what a disaster it would have become.
"Reporting to Madam, we have already carried that lady into the inner room and sent for a doctor," the old matron said. "The scene was far too chaotic at the time, and we had no way to stop the other ladies from leaving. Today’s banquet can only end like this."
They had thoroughly botched this task. She dreaded how the master would reprimand them upon his return.
"No, just because someone was sick, this banquet I worked so hard to organize is going to end up in smoke?" This was the first banquet she had ever hosted in her life, and it was ruined just like that?
Her heart flared with rage toward the culprit. "Why did you even get her a doctor? Throw her out right now, and find out which family she belongs to. How dare she be so unappreciative!"
The servants standing by all lowered their heads. Although they were just hired hands, they weren’t stupid. Throwing someone out at a time like this would only worsen the situation and make the aftermath completely unmanageable.
"Madam, you might not understand. The incident happened on our property. If we don’t settle her properly, it will damage our family’s reputation," the matron explained. "If we just toss her out like that, even with the Empress backing us, I’m afraid we won’t be able to establish a foothold here."
"They’re nothing but a bunch of country bumpkins. Don’t tell me we’re actually afraid of them?"
The old matron was on the verge of tears. She had thought she’d landed a cushy job, only to end up serving a master as stupid as a pig. She could already foresee her bleak future. Wouldn’t it have been better to retire comfortably at the country estate? Now look at her—stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Madam, please don’t forget, this is Lingnan."
Even with such a pointed reminder, Madam Gu still failed to grasp the point. "Of course I know! It’s just a remote backwater. I have no idea what the main branch was thinking. Isn’t any place in Jiangnan better than here?"
Since they were sent out to manage important affairs and expand their properties, why not assign them to a better location?
"In recent years, His Majesty has favored exiling people to Lingnan," the matron said patiently. "With the general amnesty granted earlier this year, some of these exiled families aren’t entirely without powerful backgrounds."
Although the Gu Family was the maiden home of the Empress, who didn’t know her actual situation? Her Majesty did not have the Emperor’s favor, nor did she have a Prince. Such wealth and status were merely a flash in the pan. Meanwhile, any random in-law of these exiled individuals might hold more influence than their Duke Mansion.
"You old hag, stop constantly reminding me of this! Even if that’s true, so what? They’re nothing but commoners now."
The old matron wanted to roll her eyes. She kept calling others commoners, looking down on this person and despising that person, but what were they themselves? They were just riding on the coattails of the Duke Mansion.
"Right, was the one who fainted that Ms. Bai?" At the mention of this, Madam Gu felt both hatred and anger. That damn culprit! Why on earth should they call a doctor for her?
If it really was Ms. Bai, then she was vastly different from the rumors.
"This old servant just asked. It wasn’t Mrs. Bai and her group." The old matron felt helpless. She had warned Madam Gu long ago not to invite so many people at once. Not only was it impossible to look after everyone, but now their carefully laid plans were completely ruined.
"How could it not be Ms. Bai? Wasn’t that seat specifically reserved for her? Did those damn servants fail to guide her there?"
"This old servant hasn’t had the time to ask about that yet."
The scene had been so chaotic earlier, and Madam Gu had just stood there, scared out of her wits. The fact that the matron had the presence of mind to send the lady to the inner room and call for a doctor meant she had no time to worry about anything else.
"Then what’s the use of me keeping you all around? You don’t know this, and you don’t know that!"
Madam Gu was about to throw another fit when a loud commotion erupted from the front. She was just about to scold whoever had the audacity to make such a racket when she heard an all-too-familiar voice.
"You damn fools! I told you to host a simple banquet, and you can’t even get that right..."