"Then... what if they really cause a scene..."

Steward Qian frowned, looking somewhat displeased.

Housekeeper Han said, "When soldiers come, we use generals to deal with them; when water floods, we use earth to block it. What’s there to fear? We have so many household guards here in the mansion, are we going to let the Xu family take advantage of us?"

Indeed, with so many people in the Marquis Mansion, how could they let the Xu family take advantage?

The two hurriedly instructed the servants to go inform their relatives and in-laws, while Qin Yuan arranged a whole bunch of tasks waiting for them to handle. Steward Qian initially planned to find some faults but seeing the list well-organized and everything in place, he was even more convinced and started working more diligently.

Housekeeper Cao, after sending away the magistrate from the Capital Governor Mansion, received instructions from Qin Yuan to send someone to invite the Yin Yang Department of the Astronomical Bureau to choose an auspicious date.

By 3:00 PM, all the family members had received the news. No matter the distance of their kinship, they all came, and Sixth Madam’s courtyard was packed. Mrs. Dai lived the closest and arrived the quickest, helping along with several close female relatives from the clan to entertain guests.

Gu Jingcheng naturally also went to the front courtyard to assist the Marquis and Sixth Master with the guests.

The Xu family had already arrived, but only Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, and two young boys yet to come of age. They started wailing and sobbing uncontrollably upon entering Sixth Madam’s courtyard.

Mrs. Xu fell beside the bed, crying out, "My poor sister-in-law, you left us like this." She kept lamenting for a long time.

Several daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law from the Gu Family’s seventh branch repeatedly tried to comfort her before they managed to calm her down.

Mr. Xu, with red eyes, said, "Marquis, Sixth Master, my good sister, so young, has just departed like this. Our mother’s health is weak, and we haven’t dared to let her know."

Sixth Master Gu sat aside, and upon hearing this, tearfully said, "The Madam is truly pitiable, and my children even more so. Brother Kang and Fuguo’er are still better off, being boys and now grown. But my Sister Lan, losing her mother so young, might face difficulties in marriage in the future."

For a while, the two mourned together, crying like they were soaked in tears.

Gu Jinghui sat by with a stern face, moved his lips, but ultimately said nothing.

Fortunately, Gu Jingcheng and others were there to relieve the situation, allowing the two to settle down.

Soon after, Sacrificial Officer Qin, Qin Siyuan, and Lin Ziqi all arrived.

Sacrificial Officer Qin, upon seeing Gu Jinghui, said, "Son-in-law, your mother-in-law has also come; she has gone to the inner courtyard. Your daughter is still young and likely inexperienced, you may instruct your mother-in-law directly if you need help."

Gu Jinghui hurriedly and respectfully attended to his father-in-law. Sacrificial Officer Qin, due to Gu Jinghui’s involvement in the Capital Inspection duties, had been frequently disturbed and refrained from speaking with his son-in-law to avoid suspicion. Now, he naturally took the opportunity to inquire a bit more.

Qin Siyuan nodded to Gu Jinghui, then went to Sixth Master Gu, saying, "Accept fate with sorrow and change with time."

Sixth Master Gu sighed, "If you have some free time these days, it’s better to come around the mansion more often, so I have someone to talk to. Mr. Songshan has had me memorize many poems."

Qin Siyuan said, "I have come, but you’re always too busy. There’s so much going on, even with my sister helping you manage things, you still have to personally attend to guests."

Sixth Master Gu said, "I was wrong in my thinking, hoping to catch up after not seeing each other for so long."

Lin Ziqi, standing awkwardly to the side, felt quite out of place.

Today, all the visitors were either relatives or in-laws. Most of Gu Family’s relatives had military backgrounds or lived off their ancestral assets, leaving him, a scholar, with little to talk about. As for the Xu family, only Mr. Xu and two boys came, which was even less promising for a conversation.

Lin Ziqi sheepishly approached Sixth Master Gu and said, "Sixth Master, accept fate with sorrow and change with time."

Sixth Master Gu, seeing him, sighed and teared up briefly.

"It’s just pitiful for my children, losing their mother at such a young age. They can only be raised on the mother’s lap, but she’s aged and still has to labor for me. Truly, I am unfilial."

Lin Ziqi consoled, "The deceased cannot be brought back to life. Instead of crying, it would be better to think about how to handle the funeral arrangements."

Qin Siyuan: "..."

Given Sixth Master Gu’s nature of not handling matters, it’s likely all affairs are passed on to his cousin, but that’s not something Qin Siyuan would say publicly. Instead, Sixth Master Gu remarked, "I’m not one to manage affairs, what use could I be? Thankfully, my third sister-in-law manages the household, handling everything for me, or else I wouldn’t know what to do."

Mr. Xu, his eyes rolling, cried, "My poor sister... dying so tragically. They say she married into the Marquis Mansion, yet her husband has no title, not even an honorary title in death. When she passed, he could just marry another, living off what my sister left behind. My foolish sister, tirelessly dedicating herself to her husband’s family, working herself to death, and no one appreciates her efforts."

The two children they brought along also began to wail loudly.

Gu Jinghui and Gu Jingjun’s faces grew increasingly grim, as did the surrounding relatives who felt the situation was becoming inappropriate, remarking, "Someone just passed away, and Mr. Xu speaks so that Sixth Madam cannot rest in peace."

Sacrificial Officer Qin said to Marquis Gu, "The Sixth Master’s in-laws are acting unreasonably."

Marquis Gu, irritated, said, "What can be done? It was his biological mother who arranged this marriage, preferring a daughter from the Xu family known for being fertile. Back then, not many were left in our family. We only hoped the old Sixth would have more children. Over the years, the Gu family hasn’t been unkind to the Xu family, only now causing trouble over the Xu family’s daughter going missing and bringing up matters like the dowry, which makes it difficult for me as the elder uncle to discuss."

Rumors of a falling out between the Xu and Gu families have been circulating recently, but considering the occasion, Sacrificial Officer Qin refrained from asking further, suppressing his curiosity, and said, "If Sixth Master Gu does not intend to pursue titles, he might as well donate for a title. Dingbei Marquis is a hereditary title, and by custom, one with military merit can donate for an honorary title, which would be more dignified and convenient for social interactions in the future."

Gu Jinghui thought for a moment and said, "Alright."

He immediately sent someone to call Housekeeper Cao for a discussion.

Just in time, Housekeeper Cao arrived with the Astronomical Bureau’s Yin Yang Department’s Wuguan Baozhangzheng, who had checked Sixth Madam’s coffin and calculated it should be kept for forty-nine days, starting the funeral in three days, and they had determined the location where the coffin would be placed.

Mr. Xu, seeing this, stood dazed at the side.

The two children nudged him and whispered, "Father, are we still causing a scene?"

Mr. Xu glared at them, "Speak outside."

The three of them slipped away, finding a secluded spot, where Mr. Xu scolded, "You’re getting older; it’s time to be more mindful. Xu Tang is only your cousin, related through the same lineage."

The elder son bluntly asked, "Is father giving up?"

Mr. Xu rebuked, "Are your eyes just for show? Backing out isn’t done whimsically. Your brother-in-law lacks a title and is thus useless, and naturally, your sister doesn’t have an honorary title either. Typically, the Astronomical Bureau would be uninterested in such matters. Frankly, if your old man dies, you wouldn’t be able to invite such an eighth-rank official from the Astronomical Bureau to calculate for you. But just look, not only did they calculate, but they also personally visited. This shows the Dingbei Marquis is still favored by the Emperor. It’s not as Xu Tang accused, that he’d be abandoned by the Emperor and thrown out to offend people."

The younger son pouted, "So are we just leaving like this?"

Mr. Xu said, "Of course not. We should stay here and watch for a while."