Chapter 7: The Marchioness is Unfathomable!

Gu Nanxi's confinement was also observed by many of the wealthy and noble families.

"That merchant girl, Jingniang, is truly infuriating! If she didn't have those tricks up her sleeve, why would she take on such a task? Now look what she's done—how are we supposed to get anything done?" The young lady of the Duke of Cheng's household was fuming with rage.

Not long ago, how extravagant was the funeral of Consort Tong's paternal uncle?

A little later, although the funeral of the old Marquis of Yongchang was somewhat of a joke, it was at least a lively and grand affair.

And yet, when it came to her own family—well, the Emperor issued an edict forbidding a lavish burial!

"It's all that merchant girl Li Ningjing's fault! And it's also the fault of the Marchioness of Yongchang. She has been the mistress of the household for so many years, yet she can't even handle a mere merchant girl," the young lady complained incessantly.

Sitting opposite her, Lady Niu, the wife of the General of the State, said mysteriously, "In the past, when I said you were straightforward, you wouldn't admit it. But after this episode, which lady doesn't hold the Marchioness of Yongchang in high regard? Yet here you are, acting like a complete fool."

The young lady of the Duke of Cheng was bewildered. "We've been friends since childhood; don't try to fool me."

Lady Niu rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Why would I fool you? The Marchioness of Yongchang is a close confidante of the Empress Dowager. Do you think she wouldn't hear even a whisper regarding the dispute between the Emperor and Consort Tong?"

The young lady of the Duke of Cheng gasped. "You mean..."

Lady Niu nodded slightly. "The Marchioness of Yongchang has long known the Emperor's intentions. She didn't dare cross him, but she also didn't want to be the one to stick her neck out among the nobility."

Lady Niu praised her endlessly, "As expected of a noble lady raised under the knee of the late Grand Empress Dowager. Her ability to probe the Emperor's heart and protect herself is truly unparalleled!"

"Every step she takes is calculated. She swallowed her pride for a moment just to let that merchant girl, Li Ningjing, be the sacrificial lamb!"

Lady Niu counted on her fingers, "First, she ensured the funeral was held with dignity; second, she didn't spend a single penny of the household's money; third, she gave the Emperor a reason to vent his anger, yet still made him feel guilty toward her; fourth, she pushed Jingniang into the spotlight to make her realize the difficulty and retreat; and fifth, she won over Su Dalang's heart."

Lady Niu said with a hint of loneliness, "If I had even half the capability of the Marchioness of Yongchang, how could those harlots in the back courtyards ever dare to push their luck with me?"

The young lady of the Duke of Cheng clicked her tongue. "Isn't that a bit exaggerated?"

Lady Niu patted her hand soothingly. "I didn't see it that deeply at first. It was last night, when my husband returned; he told me to learn more from the Marchioness and gave me a thorough analysis. Only then did I realize how many layers of complexity there were!"

"My husband said the exact same thing when he returned," the young lady of the Duke of Ji suddenly spoke up, having been silent and quietly cracking melon seeds.

The young lady of the Duke of Ji spat out a melon seed shell and said with mock indignation, "That old rogue must be regretting not asking for Gu Nanxi's hand in marriage back then! Hmph, I shut him down with just one sentence!"

Lady Niu and the young lady of the Duke of Cheng said in unison, "What sentence?"

The young lady of the Duke of Ji patted her abdomen and said proudly, "I said I gave birth to a good son, not a scoundrel like Su Xuanming."

"Hahaha!"

After the three finished laughing, the young lady of the Duke of Cheng spoke up, "I still can't swallow this insult! I must go find Li Ningjing and cause some trouble! From now on, our household is forbidden from buying anything from her family!"

The young lady of the Duke of Ji brushed the melon seed crumbs off her clothes. "Even if she is being used as a tool for Gu Nanxi, I accept it! This Li Ningjing truly doesn't know her own place!"

The Li family's medicinal herb shop had originally catered to wealthy families; after all, medicinal herbs were precious, and the purchasing power of one wealthy family could outweigh a hundred poor people.

With the nobility boycotting them, the Li family's cash flow plummeted straight down.

That evening, while the Li family was balancing the books, Old Man Li was so anxious that several blisters appeared at the corners of his mouth. "What is going on? Why has the Duke of Ji stopped buying herbs from us?"

The masters of the Duke of Ji's household loved medicinal cuisine most of all. When they encountered good herbs, they wouldn't hesitate for a second to buy them.

This time, they would rather buy ginseng that had been in Tongji Hall for five years than buy his own ten-year-old ginseng!

Big Brother Li paced around frantically. "This shouldn't be happening. Even for the sake of the Yongchang Marquis's household, they shouldn't be this ruthless!"

Jingniang, who had just returned home under the moonlight, was immediately handed a mountain of account books the moment she opened the door.

As Jingniang's mind raced, she understood the underlying mechanism. "The Emperor issued an edict criticizing the Marchioness, which caused resentment among the other nobles who needed to hold funerals."

Big Brother Li said indignantly, "If they have grievances, they should direct them at the Emperor or the Marchioness. Why target us?"

Jingniang threw the account books onto the table. "They are just picking the easiest target to squeeze. The Marchioness has the Marquis of Yongchang as her backing and is unfathomable; why would the nobles be willing to harbor resentment against her?"

Old Man Li wiped his face and advised, "Jingniang, let's cut our losses while we can! Su Dalang may be at your beck and call, but the Marchioness is not someone to be trifled with!"

Old Man Li truly hated himself for being blind. How could he have failed to recognize such a formidable person?

A woman who could hold her position as Marchioness for over ten years was certainly no mere ornament.

Without her even showing her face, their family business of three generations was nearly ruined!

Jingniang called for a basin of water to wash her hands and spoke calmly, "Father, think carefully. To prepare for the last funeral, we invested more than half of our family assets. If we give up now, all of that will have gone down the drain."

Old Man Li winced in pain; that was money saved over three generations!

Jingniang stared blankly at her reflection in the water, but she soon became resolute. "Father, if I give up now, I will be forced to live as a spinster. Who would dare marry me? But as long as we persist, I refuse to believe the Marchioness would disregard her reputation and cast me aside!"

Big Brother Li raised his hand in agreement. "A daughter-in-law who has observed mourning for her elders cannot be divorced. Moreover, Little Sister managed the funeral affairs personally. Unless the Marchioness kicks Su Xuanming out of the house, she will have to accept Little Sister as her daughter-in-law whether she likes it or not!"

The Li family held a family meeting all night and unanimously decided to see this through to the end!

The next day, after Jingniang had managed the trivial affairs of the Marquis's household until dusk, she finally intercepted Su Xuanming as he was returning from his studies.

Su Xuanming looked dazed, as if he were not quite present, until Jingniang lightly tapped him, bringing him back to his senses.

"Jingniang, what is it? It's so late, why haven't you returned home?"

Jingniang's eyes shimmered as she spoke hesitantly, "Brother Su, there have been many rumors lately. I... I am truly..."

Jingniang covered her face and sobbed softly.

Su Xuanming hurriedly handed her a handkerchief. "Because of me, you have suffered, Jingniang. Once the mourning period is over, I will have Mother send a matchmaker to propose. As for the affairs in the household, sigh, leave them to me."

Jingniang choked up and glanced at Su Xuanming out of the corner of her eye. Seeing his sincere expression and realizing he wasn't trying to abandon her, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the mourning period would last at least a year. Given the Marchioness's capabilities, there were too many variables in a single year!

"Brother Su, I want to see the Marchioness. As long as I can get a definitive answer from her, I will fear nothing," Jingniang stated her true intention.