Who Cares

Chapter 12 Know Your Shame

There was a long silence during the banquet, when the Guan family put down their wine cups together, it made two soft pops that break the silence. Zhao Luli hadn’t thought of how to answer his new wife’s words, but a lot of sweat broke out of his forehead, and his heart was even more embarrassed.

Guan Qiguang turned his head to look at his granddaughter, with occasional light flashing in his eyes. Although he was not good at words, he knew everything in his heart. This kind of rumors, if replaced with any other poor girl, might be easy to believe, but could they fool Guan Suyi? However, not only did she appear to be convinced, but she also expressed her gratitude at the her maiden family banquet, which was clearly intended to embarrass Marquis Zhenbei. In just three days, what had happened to her? How could her calm, gentle and elegant temperament become the kind of needle hidden in the cotton, with a hint of hostility?

Needless to say, the Marquis Mansion must have treated her harshly. Thinking of this, Guan Qiguang’s impression of the so-called Jade Son had fallen drastically, but instead of reprimanding him, he waved his hand at Father Guan.

Father loves her daughter like fate, couldn’t bear seeing her wronged at all. The older man signaled that he would personally pour two cups of wine and invited Zhao Luli to drink together. The courtesy was thoughtful, but the tone was full of sarcasm, “It turns out that the Guan family have today because the support of lord marquis. This official often serves by His Majesty’s side, and has never heard of it before. Now it is time to lord marquis.”

Zhao Luli waved his hand to speak, but was interrupted by him, “Although Chief Ministry of Ceremonies is the head of Nine Ministers, but do not have real power, if this official wants to go further, I implore lord marquis to help. What do you think of the prime minister position?” He said while pointing to the prime minister’s mansion across the streets.

It was the mid-winter season, but Zhao Luli was sweating like a waterfall. Don’t look at the ambition in his father-in-law’s mouth, but the expression on his face was 120,000 points of carelessness. Where did he want to be the prime minister, he was clearly try to bury him with sarcasm. How did this official position come about, who knows better than the Guan family’s father and son, and the one in the throne hall?

Zhao Luli’s eloquence was not bad, but at this moment he couldn’t speak because of his shame. Guan Yunqi drank a full cup and continued, “Super-grade emperor’s teacher, genuine third grade Minister of Ceremonies, as long as the marquis speak, His Majesty will easily agree, indeed the friendship between the two of you is really deep. This official does not understand His Majesty’s preferences, always trembling and fearful in front of him. In the future, I will talk to him more about lord marquis, then maybe the monarch and minister will be even closer. Lord marquis, if you have time, go to Weiyang Palace to walk around. Don’t let this friendship fade.”

If the words before were just probing, the next few sentences were stabbing Zhao Luli’s lethal point. Suddenly his face was deathly pale, his thin lips were tightly pursed, and the shame and embarrassment between his eyebrows could not be concealed. Guan Yunqi was satisfied now, and asked the servant to replenish her cup and took a sip. As one of the founders of the country, and the former right-hand man of Emperor Sheng Yuan, why was it that other people were in power, rich and noble, but he alone stayed behind closed door and kept away from the court? One tiny clue revealed general trends, if it said that there was no gap between the two ruler and minister, Guan Yunqi would never believe it.

After entering Minister of Ceremonies office, he gradually stood on his heels, and also inquired thoroughly about the mystery behind the marriage decree. It turned out that the emperor intended to admit his daughter into the palace, but Zhao Luli took advantage of his former friendship to intercept his daughter halfway. Guan Yunqi did not feel dissatisfied with him when he learned about this incident, and was even a little grateful. The palace hides dirt and grime, it was an extremely dangerous place. How could he let his daughter jump into the fire pit? No amount of honor could compare to the happiness of his daughter’s life. Since Zhao Luli was so sincere, he would definitely treat her kindly in the future.

However, it was a conjecture after all. When he saw his daughter whose temperament had become sharp and cold, he realized that perhaps the Marquis Mansion was also a fire pit, but at this time there was no way out, and the marriage given by the emperor could not be easily reconciled.

At this moment, Zhao Luli wished that he could turn into a green smoke and disappear directly in front of the Guan’s family, so he didn’t have to suffer such humiliation. The person he hated the most was Huo Shengzhe, and the person he feared most was also Huo Shengzhe. It was only after the marriage that he vaguely heard that Guan Suyi was originally a Zhaoyi appointed by Huo Shengzhe, position comparable to vice empress. Snatching Guan Suyi from his palm, Zhao Luli inevitably felt a little secret indulgence, but those indulgence were washed away by these terrible rumors.

If Huo Shengzhe learned that he was pulling the emperor benevolence’s mighty tiger skin to suppress Guan’s family, he would definitely show his most disgusting smile. He could already imagine how he despised himself in his heart, and then ran to Ganquan Palace to force Ye Zhen to see the nature of his cowardice and incompetence.

So this matter must be clarified, and it must be eliminated from the source! After thinking about it, Zhao Luli was about to beg forgiveness, but was interrupted by Old Master Guan who waved his hand, “No need to explain. They all say that when the family is unified, the country is governed, and the world is peaceful. You don’t even have unified house, so why take on the heavy responsibility of the court? After you return, clean up your house, don’t make a joke outside.” He then looked at his granddaughter again, and said warmly, “Take down the picture hanging in my study and take it back. Take it as a warning in the future.”

Guan Suyi obediently agreed, got up to get the calligraphy, and showed it to Zhao Luli when she came back, only to see five characters written in wild cursive on it – Know Your Shame Then Be Brave.

The Old Master Guan was indeed not good with words, so he didn’t speak to his grandson-in-law, but this picture and the implicit meaning behind them were a fatal blow to Zhao Luli. He thought, in the next three years, no, maybe five years, he would have no face to go to the gate of the Guan family again.

After a round of beating, Zhao Luli was finally able to take his new wife home. In front of Guan’s family, he helped his wife into the carriage very considerately, but when he entered the carriage he hid his hands in his sleeves and rubbed it secretly. Guan Suyi sat down opposite him, took out a veil, and wiped the touched wrist over and over again, and finally put on the pungent safflower oil.

Seeing Zhao Luli’s surprised expression, she smiled slightly, “Sorry, I have a sanitary disease, and it is very serious.”

“It’s nothing.” Facing Guan shi, Zhao Luli felt very weak.

Guan Suyi didn’t mind making him even weaker, and said frankly, “I was deliberately make it clear at the family banquet before. Although my Guan family is a poor family, but we are family of farming and reading heirloms, we have no less knowledge than your wealthy family. Since young I have followed my grandfather throughout the twelve states of the country, preached Confucianism everywhere, and when a little older I was sent to my maternal grandparent, studied history with my grandmother, and also learned agriculture from my grandfather. If you really take me seriously, you should know, “Zuo Shi Biography” was written by my grandmother, and now the widely circulated book “The Farmer” is the painstaking work of my grandfather. I’m never ashamed of my birth, on the contrary, I am very proud. Because the knowledge they taught me and the principles of how to conduct in society allows me to face anyone without fear.” Even in her previous life, she never felt that she was humble. The reason she endured all kinds of misunderstandings and censure was just because she was grateful for the Zhao family’s assistance to the Guan family.

The kindness of the previous life had been paid off, and there was no need to bear it in this life.

Zhao Luli had never realize his wife’s family background, and was surprised when he heard those words. The three surnames of Zuo, Zhong, and Guan may be very common, but if history, agriculture, and Confucianism were involved, everyone would instantly realize that three masters were referred by these three surnames. Zuo Dingxiang, Zhong Chuanbo, and Guan Qiguang, these three were the top three of the top ten literary giants, they were indeed like thunder piercing the ear. No wonder Huo Shengzhe wanted to accept her as Zhaoyi, the root cause were actually here.

Zhao Luli suddenly understood, finally came back to his sense. How could Guan Suyi, who was brought up by three literary magnates, be deceived by such bad rumors? She just embarrassed him on purpose!

“Yes, I deliberately embarrassed you.” Guan Suyi admitted openly, took off the silver hairpin on her head, poked a roll of charcoal in the small incense burner, and said casually, “It’s better for me to embarrass you than if His Majesty embarrass you. You fought everywhere with him, you should know what is the most frightening army of the Jiuli tribe.”

“Scout army.” Zhao Luli uttered two words with difficulty.

“So you still remember.” Guan Suyi wiped the gray stains on the silver hairpin with a veil, there were waves in her eyes, but her tone was light. “The scouts are everywhere, and the entire Wei is in His Majesty’s eyes and ears, not to mention a small Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. I don’t know the dispute between you two monarch and minister, but I know that a military commander who has lost the trust of the emperor must have no shortage of scouts in his mansion. With one sentence you let my father get the position of the head of the Nine Ministers and let my grandfather become the emperor’s teacher, who do you think you are? Who do you think His Majesty is? Is he a puppet that you can control at will? Maybe His Majesty will not care about you, but is it a glorious thing to end up with the impression of deceiving the world and ridiculous self-importance? Even the late emperor and empress dowager cannot control His Majesty’s will. Which great gods of Marquis Zhenbei’s memorial tablet have you rely on?”

Relied on the cap on his head, but the emperor wouldn’t blindly indulge Marquis Zhenbei, because after all, he was the overlord of the Central Plains. Guan Suyi shook her head secretly, saying that apart from her father, grandfather, and maternal grandfather, men in the world really don’t have a single good thing.

“Stop talking! Don’t say these things in the future! I beg you!” Zhao Luli showed shame. He knew Huo Shengzhe’s suspicious and cold temperament better than anyone. But compared with his suspicion and suppression, he couldn’t bear to be despised by him. He had already lost, but he didn’t want to lose too unsightly.

“If I don’t talk, can this be regarded as not happening?” Guan Suyi finally looked him in the eye, “Of course I can suppress the rumors. But I came from a poor family, how can the servants of the Marquis Mansion really respect me? Complying on the surface, but it’s unknown what will be passed on behind the back. Now the world has just been settled, the government is not stable, so many eyes are staring at the Marquis Mansion. The one who start the rumor want to see the jokes of my Guan’s family, but they don’t know that they have turned the Marquis Mansion into a big joke instead. You have to figure out how to solve this problem yourself. I know that you pretended to be drunk on the night of the wedding, and that you deliberately avoided me. You have unresolved heart, and I can wait. Since l have already married into the Marquis Mansion, I will live with you, but only if you respect me and trust me. I, Guan Suyi, also have lofty and unyielding character, can’t tolerate slander and trampling.”

Even after the speech over, Zhao Luli had no temper, instead he was attracted by his wife’s firm and deep eyes. In his impression, his wife was gentle, elegant, and quiet. It could be said that she was a person with no sense of existence. However, now she had become so vivid and fierce, showing her extraordinary person. It made Zhao Luli, who was used to seeing humble and weak women, was greatly shocked. She is willing to wait for him, and willing to face the problems of Marquis Mansion with him, and even more willing to talk frankly and openly. This is good, really good.