Chapter 44: The Fourth and Fifth Branches of the Gu Family

Upon hearing this, the servant cast a stealthy sideways glance at Lady Qin’s expression, which was a blend of gentleness and hidden malice.

Then, catching Gu Tingye’s piercing gaze, he hesitated for a moment before respectfully presenting the ledger to Zhao Han.

"Please look over this, Young Master. I am merely an errand boy collecting a debt, so I beg you not to make things difficult for me," the servant said, his voice trembling slightly.

Zhao Han took the ledger quite calmly, his eyes scanning back and forth between the lines.

Gu Yankai stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. In his heart, he truly hoped the person who had run up the tab was not Gu Tingye.

After all, based on what he knew, although his second son was unruly, wild, and profligate, he was never a coward who would do something and refuse to own up to it.

"Brother Zhao, have you noticed anything?"

"I dare swear upon my life and reputation that the debt at the Thousand Springs Pavilion is most certainly not mine!"

Gu Tingye knew that the person who incurred the debt was most likely one of his uncles or cousins from the fourth and fifth branches, but for now, he had to prove his innocence first.

A moment later, Zhao Han paused, his fingertips stopping as the corners of his lips curved into a meaningful smile. "Interesting."

"On the twenty-sixth day of the second month, at the third quarter of the戌 hour (7:45 PM), Zhonghuai was clearly with me at the Guangyun Terrace. Could it possibly be that he has learned the art of division and managed to be at the Thousand Springs Pavilion at the very same hour?"

"On the twentieth day of the third month, after passing the palace examination and placing high among the top scholars, I hosted a banquet at the Fan Tower to celebrate together with Zhonghuai."

"Yet the ledger records that on that exact same day, he was still running up fifty taels of silver in alcohol debts at the Thousand Springs Pavilion."

Gu Tingye hurried forward, looked closely at the ledger once again, and suppressing the anger rising in his chest, spoke up, "And on the first day of the fourth month, I was at the Marquis's Manor the entire day, without even stepping out the front door!"

"Do I possess three heads and six arms, that I could still be drinking wine at the Thousand Springs Pavilion?!"

Hearing this, the servant instantly panicked, his face turning ashen.

"This... this is the ledger given to me by the proprietor."

"I only knew to come collect the debt based on the name written upon it, I knew nothing of these matters..."

Zhao Han closed the ledger, raised his gaze to look at Gu Yankai, and cupped his hands in salute. "Lord Gu, viewed in this light, it is evident that someone indeed assumed Zhonghuai's name to go drinking and consort with courtesans. I fear this goes far beyond the Thousand Springs Pavilion alone."

"If this is not thoroughly investigated, it is not merely Zhonghuai's reputation that will suffer."

Gu Tingye chimed in immediately, "Father, today your son will speak to you from the bottom of his heart. In the past, I did frequent pleasure quarters and brothels, causing everyone in Bianjing City to curse me as a dissolute wastrel whenever they laid eyes on me."

"Yet this scandalous reputation has never belonged to your son alone!"

"Fourth Uncle, Fifth Uncle, Gu Tingbing, Gu Tingdi, and Gu Tingyang—whenever they go out to drink and consort with courtesans, which one of them does not use my name?"

"In the past, out of regard for our blood ties, your son was unwilling to bicker with them. But now, I have reformed and decided to travel a thousand miles away to study at an academy."

"If this matter is not cleared up, I fear that once I am gone, they will continue to drag my reputation through the mud!"

Gu Yankai’s chest rose and fell slightly as he gazed at Gu Tingye with an intensely complex expression.

There was shock, heartache, and an unspeakable trace of guilt.

Meanwhile, the smile on Lady Qin’s face grew somewhat stiff.

Several days ago, she had intentionally leaked the rumor that Gu Tingye was leaving the capital to study and would not return for at least two or three years.

Then she had secretly sent someone to instigate the people from the Thousand Springs Pavilion to come collect the debt.

Based on her past understanding of Gu Tingye, he would surely have owned up to this muddled debt today.

By then, the glimmer of expectation that Gu Yankai had recently cultivated toward him would have plummeted instantly.

While properly nurturing Gu Tingwei over the next few years, she could then effortlessly prompt the fourth and fifth branches to continue splashing dirty water upon Gu Tingye.

Even if Gu Tingye truly returned after passing the provincial examinations, no one in Bianjing City would ever look upon him with respect.

Yet she never expected that not only had Gu Tingye genuinely mended his ways, but Zhao Han had also appeared out of nowhere to disrupt her plans.

"Lord Marquis, when all is said and done, this is a family matter. I shall simply use some silver to send him away," Lady Qin said, reaching out to stroke Gu Yankai's arm while instructing Mama Xiang to fetch silver for the servant.

"Stay right where you are!" Gu Yankai roared in anger, causing Mama Xiang’s shoulders to flinch and instantly halt her steps.

"Every debt has its debtor, and every grievance has its author. Once we return to the manor, I shall settle these accounts one by one."

"The hour is growing late, Erlang, you should board the ship first. Your studies are of the utmost importance; pay no heed to this matter," Gu Yankai said, patting Gu Tingye’s shoulder meaningfully.

Gu Tingye nodded solemnly, then turned to Zhao Han, cupping his hands. "I am grateful to Brother Zhao for your keen discernment, otherwise I would have suffered yet another groundless accusation."

"When I return after completing my studies, I shall drink and make merry with Brother Zhao once more."

Zhao Han quickly returned the salute. "Zhonghuai flatters me. As you journey to the White Deer Grotto Academy through mountains and rivers, I pray you take good care of yourself."

A sudden river breeze swept across the water. Gu Tingye swept his gaze over the gathered crowd, turned, and strode onto the vessel.

"Second Brother, you must take care! I shall wait at home for your return!" Gu Tingwei waved his arms vigorously, watching Gu Tingye with reluctance written all over his face.

Gu Yankai gazed at his second son’s straight, upright figure, tears shimmering faintly in the corners of his eyes.

***

Marquis Alley.

With a countenance as dark as iron, Gu Yankai returned to the manor and his very first act was to send servants to summon the occupants of the fourth and fifth branches.

Before long, Gu Yanming, the fourth master of the Gu family, strolled in leisurely, closely followed by the fifth master, Gu Yanzi, who was rubbing his sleep-heavy eyes.

"What play is the Lord Marquis putting on so early in the morning? Why summon us here for no good reason?"

Gu Yanming glanced casually at Gu Yankai before seating himself directly in the chair on the left, picking up the tea served by a maidservant.

"Indeed, I haven't even had time to eat breakfast," Gu Yanzi complained with a yawn.

Gu Yankai clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and tossed the ledger from the Thousand Springs Pavilion directly into their hands.

"Take a look for yourselves!"

Gu Yanming squinted at the ledger and burst out laughing. "I wondered what grave matter it was; it turns out the young rogue Erlang went off drinking and consorting with courtesans again!"

"If you ask me, Big Brother, you needn't take this to heart."

"Who in all of Bianjing does not know that Erlang loves best to linger in the pleasure quarters? We have long since grown accustomed to it."

Gu Yanzi stroked his goatee and chimed in, "Quite right. Over the years, what absurd deed hasn't Erlang committed, whether running up tavern debts or racing horses through the bustling streets?"

"It's merely a hundred or so taels of silver; just pay it. Why summon us here?"

Hearing their words, Gu Yankai’s expression grew increasingly grim, the veins on his forehead throbbing violently.

"Scoundrels! Think carefully—just whose debt is this!"

Lady Qin cast a look of bitter disappointment toward them, shook her folding fan, and sighed with a frown, "Erlang is still an ignorant child, why must you two uncles pin every tavern tab on him and needlessly tarnish his reputation?"

At this, Gu Yanming and Gu Yanzi exchanged glances, their minds racing as they tried to recall the details.

Ever since Gu Yankai inherited the title, the Marquis of Ningyuan’s estate had been divided.

By rights, Gu Yanming and Gu Yanzi should have long ago moved out with their respective families to establish their own households. Even had they chosen not to move, their accounts ought to have been thoroughly separated.

Yet, relying on the fact that Gu Yankai was their eldest brother and had spent his early years fighting on battlefields while rarely returning to Bianjing to fulfill his duties as the eldest son, they had taken charge of the family estate.

Coupled with the late Marquis’s dying injunctions urging Gu Yankai to look after his two younger brothers, they had stubbornly clung to the manor over the years, refusing to leave. Not only were all their daily expenses charged to the public ledger, but they also constantly devised ways to pin their debts from dallying with courtesans onto the Marquis's estate and Gu Tingye’s name.