Chapter 183.1
The Gu Family"s ancestral grave was located to the south of the capital which was a blessed land according to geomancy. It was said that their great grandparents made their fortune from there. After making a fortune, they bought a piece of land to build a mausoleum for the Gu Family.
The Marquis t.i.tle of the Gu Family, in fact, only began with the Old Marquis’s generation, and this t.i.tle would begin to be demoted after three generations of inheritance. In short, Gu Changqing would be the last Marquis of the Marquis Ding’an Estate. If he failed to make great contributions, his son would become a count, his grandson a viscount, his great-grandson a baron, and lastly his great-great grandson would return back to being an ordinary common citizen.
Of course, in the State of Zhao, there also existed clans and families who prospered for a hundred years like the Duke Ding Estate and the Zhuang Family, who possessed a large number of talents and a stable position.
Yao shi got up early. She was wearing a plain and neat white skirt with a cinnamon girdle wrapped around the waist and a pipajin[1] jacket. He didn"t wear any gold or silver ornaments, but only two white jade hair pins.
A servant girl brought her a rouge box.
Yao shi waved her hand, "There’s no need to put on a make up."
She was going to the burial ground, not visiting someone’s place.
"Yes." The servant girl stepped down with the rouge box in her hand.
"The sky is overcast. I"m afraid it"s going to snow again." Grannie Fang came in from outside and rubbed her frozen stiff old hands together. She added, "Madame, your attire is too thin. Please put on your cloak."
"En." Yao shi nodded and wore a white satin cloak.
With this carefully picked attire, no one should be able to pick faults with her.
In the end, Grannie Fang was still afraid that she would freeze to death, so she had people prepare some hand warmer stoves and also let her use a hand warmer pillow.
When Yao shi came to the gate with a rabbit fur hand warmer pillow, the three Gu brothers also arrived from their respective courtyards.
There was no change in Gu Changqing"s expression.
On the other hand, Gu Chengfeng and Gu Chenglin"s faces didn’t look quite good.
Gu Chenglin glanced at Yao shi coldly and grunted, "Aunt is really! Why did she ask her to come? Isn"t it better for just the three of us to make offerings to our mother?"
Gu Changqing looked at him sternly and said, "Get in the carriage."
Gu Chenglin complained, "I didn"t say anything wrong! She killed our mother! She actually still has the face to go to our mother"s grave!"
Gu Chengfeng thought so too. It was just that his eldest brother was here, and he didn’t want his younger brother to be punished by his eldest brother again.
He tugged at his younger brother"s sleeve and said, "All right, get on the carriage first. If we set out late and it snows, it"d be hard to walk on the snowy road."
"Humph!" Gu Chenglin glared at Yao shi with resentment before boarding the carriage.
Gu Chengfeng got on the same carriage with him.
Gu Changqing was riding a horse.
Yao shi and Grannie Fang got into another carriage, and there were two other carriages carrying offerings for Ling shi behind.
"Alas, why must Madame suffer this grievance?" Grannie Fang felt sorry for Yao shi as she helped her up the stool to the carriage.
"It’s fine." Yao shi said.
She had long been used to hearing such words. At first, she felt aggrieved and wronged, but now she was numb to it.
She did not kill the First Madame.
Her conscience was clear.
……
More than an hour later, a group of people arrived at Dongyue Village. The burial ground was in a mountain forest behind the village.
Gu Changqing dismounted his horse while his two younger brothers got off the carriage.
Yao shi also alighted the carriage. She ordered people to bring down the offerings for Ling shi, intending to go to Ling shi’s tomb and lighting an incense.
However, Gu Chenglin blocked her way and said, "I forbid you to make offerings to my mother! You don’t deserve it!"
Yao shi understood now. Concubine Ling called her here to humiliate her by borrowing her stepson"s hand.
Yao shi said calmly, "I promised the Old Madame that I would light an incense for the First Madame."
"Go away!"
Gu Chenglin extended his hands to push Yao shi but Gu Changqing stepped forward and grabbed the wrist of his younger brother, saying, "Are you going to make a scene here at mother’s grave?"
Gu Chenglin angrily withdrew his hand.
Yao shi handed the incense sticks and paper money to Gu Changqing, "Then I won"t go. I have to trouble shizi to pa.s.s on my good wishes."
Gu Changqing took the things she was handing him and said, "Madame can wait in the carriage. It"s windy outside."
Yao shi gave him an odd look. Was he concerned about her? Or do people just usually become kind when they’re in front of their mother"s grave?
Yao shi said nothing, turned around and got into the carriage.
"You shouldn"t have let her follow!" Gu Chenglin mumbled
"You talk less!" Gu Chengfeng said.
The Marquis Ding’an Estate had hired nearby villagers to guard the Gu Family"s ancestral grave, and every tomb was swept clean.
The three brothers made offerings to Ling shi, and then to their great grandfather and great grandmother. After that, they went to visit the village like usual.
The Gu Family"s ancestors were originally not from Dongyue Village, but they had been indebted to the local villagers. Even over the years, the Gu Family"s ancestral grave was well protected thanks to the villagers who guarded it.
Yao shi took the gifts from the carriage and sent them to the villagers one by one.
Because Concubine Ling was the one who used to do this in previous years, the villagers thought Concubine Ling was the real Madame of the Gu Family. When they first saw Yao shi, they asked her if she was the family’s concubine, which made Grannie Fang really mad.
This was Concubine Ling"s second move.
Borrowing the careless words of the villagers to make her choke in anger.
Yao shi wanted to laugh.
After all, Concubine Ling had never been a mother. She didn’t understand what it was like for a mother to be able to break the curse that her son wouldn’t live beyond fifteen years old and finally reunite with her long lost flesh and blood. In this life of hers, she had nothing more to ask for.
It was getting late when they finished visiting the villagers. It was time for them to return home.
Shortly after they boarded their respective carriages for their return journey, snow started to fall from the sky.
They didn"t eat at noon. Several people were hungry and cold. Yao shi asked the servant girl to send a box of snacks to the three brothers.
Gu Chenglin scoffed, "I will never eat anything she made!"
Gu Changqing frowned, revealing a complicated expression.
"Eldest brother, it"s snowing outside. Come and sit in the carriage." Gu Chengfeng told Gu Changqing.
Gu Changqing replied lightly, "No need."
Would people who marched on the battlefield care about a mere snow?
"Madame, they don"t want to eat." The servant girl brought the snacks back to Yao shi’s carriage.
"Then nevermind." Yao shi took back the box of snacks.
Actually, these snacks were not made by her. She wasn’t so kind as to make snacks for her several stepsons. She got these snacks from the estate’s kitchen.
She ate two pieces herself, but she had a bad appet.i.te recently, so she didn"t eat much and just gave them to Grannie Fang and the few servant girls.
1. ↑ — Pipajin 琵琶襟, or pipa flaps: the left flap covers about three-quarters of the torso and b.u.t.tons down the right side of the vest. The shape the overlap makes resembles the musical instrument pipa hence the name.