One of the official's wives could tell that Madam Gao was in a fix, so she said pointedly, "There are many highly ambitious people who are not blessed with good fortune. They are unable to see where they stand, so they dare to dream of things out of their reach. Now with the rumors being spread throughout the imperial capital, they might very well end up falling into the mud soon."
Madam Gao turned to look at the woman when she heard this.
When Madam Gao saw the unfathomable expression on the woman's face, as though she knew more than she was letting them in on, Madam Gao could not help but ask, "Do you know something about this?"
Both women were on friendly terms and were frequently in contact, which was why Madam Gao did hesitate to ask the question.
The woman shook her head. "All I've heard were rumors. I've yet to hear anything directly with my own ears."
