Hearing his younger brother's rare show of concern, Gu Yanli's face broke into a faint smile:
"I've been well."
Gu Yanshu felt somewhat reassured, then seemed to recall something and quickly asked:
"What about Miss Tang? Has that matter been settled?"
"Don't worry about that—it's all taken care of." At this, Gu Yanli chuckled softly, as if remembering something amusing.
Gu Yanshu narrowed his eyes slightly, skeptical:
"Aunt Chang didn't make trouble?"
During the Three-Day Return visit, Gu Yanshu had planted the idea of remarriage in Gu Hongji's mind with just a few well-placed words.
Though he'd immediately tasked Gu Yanli with finding a matchmaker, he knew the path wouldn't be smooth.
If nothing else, Aunt Chang was no pushover.
Gu Mingrong, constrained by Qin Lu's presence that day, had swallowed her fury—but surely she'd complained to her mother afterward?
Originally, Gu Yanshu planned to assist Gu Yanli in handling the fallout—both to prevent mishaps and to leverage Prince Li Manor's influence if needed.
But plans changed.
Taoran Pavilion's affairs had consumed Gu Yanshu's attention, leaving little energy for the Marquisate.
Trusting Gu Yanli to manage matters, he'd temporarily set them aside.
Had Gu Yanli not visited today, Gu Yanshu would have returned to the Marquisate after resolving the newspaper issues to check on progress.
"Make trouble? Of course she did," Gu Yanli sneered, his expression dripping with scorn. "And quite spectacularly at that."
He then recounted the recent upheavals at the Marquisate—events no less dramatic than the Taoran-Yunci feud.
The moment Gu Yanshu departed after the Three-Day Return, Gu Mingrong had informed Aunt Chang about the remarriage suggestion and Gu Hongji's enthusiastic agreement.
Aunt Chang, naturally, couldn't sit idle.
She immediately confronted Gu Hongji, demanding he retract the decision.
Initially, Gu Hongji, recalling Gu Yanshu's arguments about "securing the children's futures," ignored her.
But somehow—whether through charm or manipulation—Aunt Chang clouded his judgment.
Soon, Gu Hongji summoned Gu Yanli, claiming remarriage seemed "inappropriate" now and ordering him to cancel the matchmaking.
Though the plan originated with Gu Yanshu, Gu Yanli fully supported it. He wouldn't yield so easily.
Taking a page from his brother's book, Gu Yanli avoided direct refusal. Instead, he meticulously outlined the chaos of a household without a proper mistress.
His arguments ultimately reinforced Gu Hongji's determination to remarry.
Yet Aunt Chang proved equally adaptable.
Seeing Gu Hongji's resolve harden, she shifted tactics.
"She even persuaded the old madam's family to support making her the official wife."
Gu Yanli's voice thickened with contempt:
"After all these years, she still doesn't understand what kind of man Father is."
Gu Yanshu fell silent momentarily.
What kind of man was Gu Hongji?
Even Gu Yanshu, with limited interaction, had him pegged.
Perhaps due to the old Marquis's overbearing emphasis on scholarly achievement, Gu Hongji had absorbed every pretension of literati culture.
Mediocre yet domineering, obsessed with romantic ideals while spouting Confucian platitudes, he considered merchants beneath him—hence his disdain for Gu Yanshu's mother, the celebrated "Twin Jewel of South City" from the prestigious Mu merchant family.
Such a man would never elevate a concubine to wife.
Tianqi Dynasty strictly upheld marital hierarchies—commoners might escape with reprimands, but nobles risked demotion or imprisonment for such breaches.
Gu Hongji, ever status-conscious, would never jeopardize his position for a concubine.
Sipping his tea, Gu Yanshu smiled faintly:
"Aunt Chang must have panicked."
"Not panic—she's intoxicated by Father's favor." Gu Yanli saw clearer here.
A decade of unwavering favor had deluded Aunt Chang into overestimating her importance.
But she failed to grasp the proverb: "Heroes emerge from butcher shops; betrayal springs from scholars' hearts."
A third-rate scholar like Gu Hongji, who prioritized appearances over substance, loved no one beyond himself.
Today's darling could be tomorrow's castoff.
Pitiable Aunt Chang—whether willfully blind or genuinely oblivious—hadn't realized this.
Gu Yanshu cared little for her psychology; only outcomes mattered:
"Father must have been furious."
Gu Yanli shot him an approving glance:
"Furious indeed! The day she suggested it, Father ordered me to finalize the Tang match immediately. The betrothal date was set yesterday."
In traditional weddings, the six rites were: proposal, name divination, engagement confirmation, betrothal gifts, date selection, and fetching the bride.
Setting the date (请期 qǐngqī) signaled near-irrevocable commitment—short of provoking a feud, neither family could withdraw.
Hearing this, Gu Yanshu knew the matter was sealed:
"When's the wedding?"
"Second day of the second lunar month."
"That's barely three months away."
"Both families are eager," Gu Yanli explained. Had the Tangs not wanted Miss Tang home for New Year preparations—and were weddings not taboo in the first lunar month—it would've been sooner.
Gu Yanshu nodded:
"Sooner is better. Aunt Chang's reign has lasted long enough."
His eyes darkened momentarily.
Selecting Miss Tang had been a deliberate deathblow to Aunt Chang's schemes.
Not out of cruelty—but because Aunt Chang had left Gu Yanli and Young Master Gu no quarter.
Having raised Young Master Gu, she knew his temperament better than anyone.
Her machinations with the imperial marriage decree were calculated to destroy both brothers:
Young Master Gu, forced into the marriage, might flee or rebel—either justifying his disinheritance.
Gu Yanli, protective to a fault, would inevitably self-destruct defending him.
Only one variable escaped her calculations: Gu Yanshu's transmigration.
As he contemplated tightening the noose, Gu Yanli interrupted:
"Let's not waste our rare meeting on such dreary matters."
This marked their first reunion since the Three-Day Return.
Had Gu Yanshu not raised the topic, Gu Yanli wouldn't have marred their time with Marquisate drama.
Now, having concluded it, he refused to let Aunt Chang dominate further.
"Agreed," Gu Yanshu smiled, smoothly pivoting:
"Did you receive the tea set and lamp shades I sent? Do you like them?"
Naturally, he wouldn't forget Gu Yanli when distributing glassware to the palace and Qin Hao.
"Received and already in use! Father was green when he saw my extra lamp shades," Gu Yanli grinned triumphantly. "Demanded I share—I refused."
Gu Yanshu's gifts to him outnumbered others'—a blatant favoritism that delighted Gu Yanli.
Not even Gu Hongji could pry them away!
Gu Yanshu laughed at his brother's pettiness:
"You could've humored him. Glass is easily reproduced—I'd send replacements."
"No." Gu Yanli crossed his arms stubbornly.
Seeing his mulish expression, Gu Yanshu dropped the subject, steering conversation elsewhere.
Their rapport made time fly—hours melting into effortless banter.
Eventually, the topic turned to the newspaper.
Though reluctant to burden Gu Yanli, Gu Yanshu found himself explaining the editorial dilemma.
Watching Gu Yanli frown in concentration, he regretted mentioning it:
"Don't trouble yourself over this. The right candidate will emerge in time."
But to his surprise, Gu Yanli looked up thoughtfully:
"Actually... I might know someone who fits your requirements."