Chapter 842: Chapter 678: The Widow
Iâm afraid that when the time comes, even if Gu Chengyu had a thousand mouths, he still wouldnât be able to explain it clearly.
Besides, Niu is quite beautiful, so Gu Chengyu wouldnât really suffer a loss, and in the end, heâd have to accept it while pinching his nose in resignation.
"Where? Where? Yi Clan Leader has the real tolerance for alcohol!"
It took Gu Chengyu a good while to come back to his senses, and he replied, picking up the silver chopsticks from the table, preparing to pick up the osmanthus ribs from the bowl.
But no matter how long Gu Chengyu tried to pick it up, he couldnât, which made him a bit annoyed. He threw down the chopsticks and prepared to grab it with his hand.
Yi Lanshan looked at Gu Chengyu stabbing at the table with his chopsticks and saw his drunken expression, guessing that he was indeed drunk.
"Master!" A maid on the side stepped forward, intending to feed Gu Chengyu.
Since it was a seated banquet, Gu Chengyu only brought one follower. Ming Mo and the others had already gone to rest elsewhere, leaving only Lu Chen behind to follow orders.
"Is the master drunk?" Lu Chen supported Gu Chengyuâs slumping body, uncertain about Gu Chengyuâs intentions.
Assuming Gu Chengyu was truly drunk, he took the opportunity to give him a hard pinch under the cover of his sleeve.
Gu Chengyu cursed inwardly at this fellow for trying to take revenge now, just because he had to stand aside and watch him eat and drink. Was that pinch really necessary?
He knew Lu Chen wanted to gather information, yet he had sent Ming Mo and the others away.
After all, he couldnât trust Lu Chen, so naturally, he had to send Ming Mo and the others to investigate, and only in the evening could he act according to the situation.
"Ugh!" Gu Chengyu only groaned softly without answering.
Yi Lanshanâs eyes gleamed, seeing that Gu Chengyu couldnât even sit steadily, he finally spoke, "It seems Mr. Gu is truly drunk. Why not let him rest in our residence to sober up?"
Yi Lanshanâs words were reasonable. After all, he got drunk in their residence, so they couldnât possibly send a heavily intoxicated person back home, right? That wouldnât be proper hospitality.
"This?" Lu Chen, upon hearing this, glanced at Gu Chengyu. Naturally, he knew this was a good opportunity.
Gu Chengyu secretly kicked him, making Lu Chen realize that Gu Chengyu was pretending to be drunk, creating an opportunity for him!
"Then thank you for the trouble, sir. In this state, Master definitely canât take a carriage."
Supporting Gu Chengyuâs body against himself, inhaling the scent of alcohol all over Gu Chengyu.
Lu Chen slightly strengthened his grip, straightening Gu Chengyu.
"Of course, brother, no need to be polite. Iâll have someone prepare a guest room right away."
Yi Lanshan then called a steward inside, "Hurry and tidy up Tianfang Courtyard, let Mr. Gu have a good rest."
The steward glanced curiously at his master but knew this was not his place to question.
The west side of Tianfang Courtyard was adjacent to the outer courtyard of the third house, with the north side adjoining the inner courtyard of the main house.
Because this house was near the third house, it was usually unused and merely served as a gathering place for young masters at leisure.
Since the master chose this room, he naturally had his reasons.
Yi Lanshan watched Gu Chengyu being escorted forward by a servant, then turned and left the side hall.
He called over his second brother and shared his plans with Yi Lanwen.
"This? Brother, this might not be appropriate?" Yi Lanwen frowned tightly, feeling that this matter deeply harmed the Yi familyâs reputation.
"Why not find a girl from the third house? That way, we can preserve the Yi familyâs face and give Mr. Gu a way out."
Finding a girl from within the clan, they wouldnât be losing out. A pure girl is certainly better than a widow, isnât it?
"Youâre really naive. Itâs best to choose Tianâs sonâs wife; that way, we can control Mr. Gu. If word gets out, it wonât sound good, and Mr. Gu, concerned about his reputation, would have to swallow his grievances in silence. If you find a girl from the clan, heâd only gain a reputation for being romantic!"
Yi Lanshan cast a sidelong glance at his not-so-bright brother.
"But what if Mr. Gu doesnât like her? If he gets angry and makes a scene, what should we do then?"
Yi Lanwen also felt frustrated. If Gu Chengyu were to act defiantly and refuse to cooperate or even deny the matter altogether...
Even if the Yi family tried to spread the word, people might not believe it!
"Tianâs sonâs wife is very attractive; he wouldnât refuse such a beauty, would he?"
Yi Lanshan spoke with certainty, but he lacked confidence deep down.
This Gu Chengyu was exceedingly handsome himself, so he might not be interested in Tianâs sonâs wife.
"If it really doesnât work out, we can let him choose another to be a concubine from our clan. Heâs free to choose among the girls, except for the legitimate daughters."
Yi Lanshan waved his hand. As long as they werenât legitimate daughters, he wouldnât mind.
After all, there were plenty of daughters in the clan, and making one a concubine would save on the dowry.
"Brother! If we do this, how could the third house possibly agree?"
Yi Lanwen still felt the plan was unreliable. If the sonâs wife from the third house raised a fuss, wouldnât that be a huge embarrassment?
"Just go do it! Donât let Tianâs sonâs wife find out beforehand so she doesnât come to terms with it. As for the third house, Iâll compensate them with my estate. That should make up for it, right?"
Yi Lanshan took a deep breath and spoke, gritting his teeth.
"Youâd really give that up?" Yi Lanwen widened his eyes in disbelief.
That small estate had been coveted by the third house for a long time. It was given to the main house during the family split, which even made him envious.
The third house had always claimed they got the short end of the stick in the split and that the estate should rightfully be theirs.
Because of this estate, there had been many disputes between the main house and the third house.
Who wouldâve thought his brother would seriously give it away today, even giving away the estate?
"Iâm doing this for the sake of the Yi family. Those who achieve great things donât worry about the small stuff. Once we align ourselves with that big ship, weâll no longer lead such a petty life. Second brother, you really need to have a long-term vision. Iâve staked my old face for the clan and only hope that in the future, you wonât blame me but remember my good deeds a little. If so, Iâll be grateful."
How could he be willing to part with that estate? But if he didnât part with it, the matter with Tianâs sonâs wife would lead the daughter-in-law of the third house to confront him desperately.
He felt deeply pained too! But when considering the potential alliance with Gu Chengyu, he suppressed his profound reluctance.
Ultimately, it was the prospect of that gold medal that drove him, or he wouldnât have plotted like this.
Yi Lanshan sighed deeply. With his clansmen not living up to expectations, he resorted to such despicable acts, and his heart was far from content.
"Brother!" Yi Lanwen looked at his aging brother, feeling an indescribable bitterness in his eyes.
He knew his brother had worked tirelessly for the clan over the years, and his heart was filled with gratitude for his brother.
Just moments ago, he had harbored a bit of concern and guilt towards the third house, but all that vanished now.
Yi Lanwen was overwhelmingly moved, "Iâll handle this matter; we canât keep letting Brother bear the burden of infamy alone."