My Sister Insisted on Swapping Marriages, and I Became a Marchioness Instead

Chapter 153: Chapter 53: The Concubine’s Status

Gu Shiliu forced himself to suppress the anger in his heart, held back his frustration, and asked, ”Why can’t you take a look at these poems first, sir? They were composed by our Sixth Master and several other scholars. The Assistant Minister of Rites and Lord Academic Administrator both said they were well-written.”

The bookshop owner sneered, ”Those are just polite but insincere words. Who doesn’t know that Sixth Master Gu from Dingbei Marquis Mansion loves to play cultured while consorting with courtesans and boating on the lake? His poems are nothing but drivel. Stop embarrassing yourself here. The Dingbei Marquis may value his brother, but others do not.”

Gu Shiliu really wanted to punch someone, but knowing that he still had many matters to handle today and that he wouldn’t be able to move about freely once the Marquis Mansion was sealed tomorrow, he stopped pestering and turned to leave.

The bookshop owner wasn’t finished yet and shouted loudly behind him, ”I advise you crude martial artists not to think you can make us scholars bow with silver. Relying on military achievements to gain titles and benefits is already an ancestral blessing. Reading and learning are refined activities that can’t be coerced.”

The crowd watching the commotion laughed.

Gu Shiliu just turned his head and spat, ignoring him.

Marquis Gu managed his troops strictly, not allowing subordinates to exploit their power to bully others. Moreover, given the current tumultuous times at Dingbei Marquis Mansion, he absolutely couldn’t damage the mansion’s reputation over mere arguments.

Gu Shiliu thought, if the largest bookshop won’t do, surely there are other bookshops or book stalls willing to take this on.

Who would have thought he’d be rejected wherever he went? Gu Shiliu, his eyes red with fury, grabbed the owner of a small bookshop and asked, ”Why refuse without even looking at the manuscripts?”

”We’re just a small business, and the owner of the Book Sea Pavilion has spoken. Anyone who takes a bribe to publish this poetry collection for the Marquis Mansion would be crossing the Book Sea Pavilion.”

Gu Shiliu was puzzled, saying, ”Everyone runs their business based on their abilities. Why are you so afraid of him?”

”You’re not in this business, so you don’t understand. Our biggest income from selling books each year comes from strategy essays, followed by novels. These poetry collections are a small part. If someone wants to gain fame, they can pay a bit, and we can find people to engrave and print them, doing some self-publishing business.”

”The strategy essays published by Book Sea Pavilion sell massively every year, and scholars only recognize their essay collections. If I took a bit of silver from the Marquis Mansion, and Book Sea Pavilion stopped letting me exclusively sell their strategy essays, I’d have to close my shop. We really can’t afford to offend them.”

Gu Shiliu was greatly disheartened.

At this rate, even if he looked outside the province, no one would dare to take the job.

It’s truly infuriating.

Gu Shiliu had to let this matter rest for the time being and went to investigate the Xu family, only to find that their affairs couldn’t be sorted out in a day or two.

Not a single task assigned by Marquis Gu could be completed; the report had been submitted today, and tomorrow the mansion would be sealed.

Gu Shiliu couldn’t help but feel disheartened. He kicked pebbles along the road with his head down until he heard someone calling him from behind, ”Brother Sixteen, what’s on your mind?”

He turned around and saw a plump, amiable-looking man smiling at him.

This man looked somewhat familiar, but Gu Shiliu couldn’t recall where they had met.

”Brother Sixteen, you’re busy outside every day, so you probably don’t remember me. I’m Shen Changle, Madam’s attendant.”

”Oh...” Gu Shiliu remembered, saying, ”I went to Jizhou recently, and after only a couple of days of rest, I was back to being busy outside, so I haven’t seen Brother Shen much lately.”

Shen Changle didn’t mind and said, ”I’m also running outside every day. Madam’s dowry shops are entrusted to me. There’s a small shop in West Market, secluded and small, and I’ve been thinking about what business to do there. But the mansion is about to be sealed.”

Gu Shiliu chatted with him for a while.

Shen Changle then asked, ”You seem to have something on your mind, Brother Sixteen. Could it be you’re worried about the task Marquis assigned you?”

Gu Shiliu asked curiously, ”How do you know?”

”What’s so hard about that?” Shen Changle squinted his eyes with a smile, ”I could tell from your figure that you’ve encountered difficulties, and when speaking with you, you didn’t seem deeply troubled, so it’s clearly not a personal issue but one the Marquis assigned to you. It’s important but not extremely vital; it’s just something you want to accomplish.”

”Good insight,” Gu Shiliu admired greatly.

Madam is formidable, and her attendants are equally impressive.

”If you trust me, tell me about it. We all serve the master and wish for their well-being. Besides, three humble craftsmen are better than one Zhuge Liang.”

Shen Changle’s affable manner quickly won Gu Shiliu over.

”Let’s discuss it at a teahouse.”

Having been running around the entire half-day without eating, Gu Shiliu took Shen Changle to a teahouse for some tea and ordered two bowls of noodles with broken meat. By the time the noodles arrived, Shen Changle and Gu Shiliu had become good friends, sharing everything.

Shen Changle said, ”If it were anyone else, it might not work, but since you met me today, I can find a way to make it happen for our Young Master from the Qin Family and Sixth Master Gu.”

Gu Shiliu said, ”Oh, Brother Shen, if this is done, you’re like my brother from another mother. Do you know someone who can help mediate?”

Shen Changle laughed, ”No need for that. The owner of Book Sea Pavilion is of the same Advanced Scholar status as a Third Rank, similar to being a concubine compared to a main wife in societal terms. While higher than scholar, they aren’t respected by First and Second Rank Advanced Scholars. It’s often joked that the same Advanced Scholar is akin to a concubine, and when a formal Advanced Scholar is the main wife, the same Advanced Scholar is treated like a concubine. Scholars can be ruthless with their insults. There’s even a saying about washing the feet of a concubine while granting the origin of a same Advanced Scholar.”

Gu Shiliu couldn’t help but laugh, praising, ”Were it not for Brother Shen sharing this, how would someone like me, a martial artist, know this?”

Shen Changle said, ”Just something I heard more often at Lord Sacrificial Officer’s home. This man is proud but wasn’t prepared for the disappointment upon being labeled as the same Advanced Scholar. Thus, he was unwilling to take office and be humiliated, nor did he choose an official position, opting instead to open a bookshop in Capital City. He became close to several Advanced Scholars of the same batch from the First and Second Ranks, paid them handsomely to annotate strategy essays over time, and so his business grew. His targeting of you is nothing but his old high-minded nature acting up again.”

After speaking, he buried himself in his noodles.

Gu Shiliu asked, ”So what’s to be done?”

Shen Changle mumbled, ”Eat your noodles first, then I’ll tell you. The noodles are about to get mushy. Rest assured, this matter can be properly resolved.”

Gu Shiliu hurriedly picked up his chopsticks and finished the noodles in just a few bites, while Shen Changle still had half of his left.

”We’re used to eating like this, forgive us, Brother Shen.”

Shen Changle, after finishing his noodles, stretched lazily and said, ”You must have developed this habit in the army with the Marquis. I’ve seen many military men eat this way, but let me advise you, while it’s fine when young, as you age, your stomach won’t handle it well.”

Gu Shiliu chuckled awkwardly, eagerly watching Shen Changle for more.

Shen Changle laughed, ”Come on, let’s find Madam.”

Gu Shiliu: ”?”