Chapter 186 Must be the Gu Family’s Child

"Su Cheng, you will not die well——"

The man's angry curses came from afar, echoing in the street.

Xie Suzhou coldly watched Tian's body being dragged away and asked in a low voice, "Can this matter be investigated further?"

"No need." Su Cheng stepped back from his embrace and looked at the bloodstains on the ground with a slightly gloomy expression. "It's Huo Beiting. Only he knows where I came from."

Xie Suzhou lowered his eyes and looked at her, his eyes were indifferent, "You want to fight back?"

"Am I going to suffer for nothing?" Su Cheng raised his eyelids, his expression firm and calm. "The more people who watched the show just now, the more news that will spread that is unfavorable to me. Even if I use the bracelet to stabilize my identity, I can't escape those people's mouths."

"Huo Beiting wants to humiliate me and embarrass me, so I will return the favor." Su Cheng raised his chin slightly and spoke in a calm tone, "Qing Shuang, Cai Lian."

"The servant is here."

Su Cheng took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "The Concubine Qin has been hosting banquets in the palace recently, entertaining the families of officials who are on good terms with her. Go spread the word that these seemingly simple banquets are actually an attempt to win over ministers for Qin Wang. Her intentions are obvious."

Xie Suzhou raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at the woman beside him in surprise, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. After the two maids left, he whispered, "In the previous life, the King Qin broke into the palace in the name of clearing the court of corrupt officials. He committed unjust acts, yet he still maintained his good reputation."

"A traitor is a traitor, and there's no way to clear his name." Su Cheng stood in front of the door, the glaring sunlight shining on her. "He wants a good reputation, but I'm determined to destroy it. Once the rumors spread, which official would dare to get close to him?"

"Doctor!"

An Zhicheng hurried back, shouting, "Old Grand Tutor Gu went and personally beat the drum to report Duke Su!"

Xie Suzhou's face darkened, and he exchanged glances with Su Cheng beside him, and whispered, "Prepare the carriage."

-

Isayan

The room was silent. The imperial guards standing on both sides dared not breathe. They all acted like ostriches, lowering their heads, fearing that they would meet the eyes of the old man standing in the middle.

Damn it! I'm already annoyed by my shifts, why do I have to run into this guy?

"Who beats the drum to complain?"

Elder Zhang walked slowly into the room, cleared his throat, and was about to sit on the crescent chair when he saw the old man standing below him. He jumped up in shock, his jaw almost dropping to the ground, "Gu... Grand Tutor Gu!"

Old Master Gu raised his eyelids and glanced at him indifferently, still holding the drumstick in his hand, "I'm the one who beats the drum."

Zhang Gelao, who had been in the court for many years and was a seasoned expert, never showed his emotions. But now, with visible panic on his face, he stepped down from the platform and whispered, "Grand Master, if you have anything to say, just tell me directly. Why bother coming here to beat the drum?"

Old Master Gu dusted off his armor and said casually, "I came here to make my grievances known to the public."

At just one glance, Lord Zhang recognized that the armor on the old man was the one he wore when he followed the previous emperor to conquer the world. Although it was old, the bloodstains and knife marks on the armor were still there, and he instantly got goose bumps.

What kind of injustice would make the old man dig out this old thing?

"After beating the drum, the court will punish you with thirty strokes of the cane. I know all the rules." After saying this, the old man placed the drumstick in his hand flat on his chest and pretended to kneel. "I am Gu Minghan. I beg Lord Zhang to make the decision."

"Grand Tutor Gu!" Zhang Ge Lao was so frightened that his beard trembled three times. He rushed over and blocked his kneeling movements with his body. He looked up at him, tears in his eyes. "Grand Tutor, even if I had ten times the courage, I would not dare to use the cane on you! Grand Tutor has a long history and has served the emperor well. If you use the cane, I will lose my head!"

Old Master Gu reached out and helped him up. Seeing that he was sweating profusely, he couldn't help but sigh, "Zhang Pu, you are now the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, why are you still so reckless? Now that you are the one in charge of the government, you appear as if the emperor is here in person. What's the point of kneeling before me?"

"Grand Master, please don't embarrass me." Zhang Ge Lao was so anxious that his forehead was sweating profusely. He wanted to pull out those who had offended the old man and beat them to death with sticks. "Even if the emperor came, he would be terrified when he saw you."

The dragon-headed cane in the old man's hand is not just for decoration. It is used to beat tyrants and corrupt officials. The dragon's eyes are inlaid with luxurious gems, which add a bit of charm to the wood carving. It really looks like a dragon opening its eyes, giving a full sense of oppression.

If he really let the old man's knees touch the ground, the wooden dragon's horns would hit his face.

The Three Dukes were honorary titles and had no real power, but Gu Minghan was different. The late emperor valued affection and favored the Gu family alone, showering them with titles and rewards, and even short of giving away the throne beneath him.

Besides, when the current emperor followed the previous emperor to build the empire, he was still in his mother’s womb and had never seen the sun!

"Who bullied our Grand Tutor?" The more Zhang Gelao thought about it, the more he choked back his anger. He spoke angrily, determined to redeem himself from the accused. "Someone, bring up the guy the Grand Tutor is suing. I'm going to skin him alive!"

"No need to order them around." Old Master Gu waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "The person I want to sue hasn't arrived yet."

"He didn't come?" Elder Zhang's face flushed with anger, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Who dared to make the Grand Tutor wait?"

Old Master Gu slowly raised his eyes, "Tang Yuan."

"Tang—" Elder Zhang paused, suddenly becoming extremely embarrassed, "Duke Su?"

Mr. Gu nodded, "That's him."

"This..." Elder Zhang laughed dryly and whispered, "Duke, could there be a misunderstanding here?"

Lord Zhang felt as if the official hat on his head was about to fall off. He was not afraid of Tang Yuan, but it was difficult for an honest official to judge family affairs. If he intervened, and the family reconciled tomorrow, how would he face Tang Yuan?

"A misunderstanding?" Old Master Gu glanced at him and said coldly, "He kept a concubine and brought her child into the mansion, deceiving my daughter into giving someone else's son to raise for eighteen years. Now that his biological son has returned, he cruelly refuses to acknowledge him and allows his adopted son to send assassins to murder his own son. Is this even considered a misunderstanding?"

Zhang Ge Lao was completely bewildered and couldn't make out what he was saying. "Wait... Grand Master, wasn't your grandson eighteen years ago..."

"That's a misunderstanding. My grandson is alive and well now." Perhaps thinking of his grandson, Mr. Gu's face brightened up a bit, and even his voice rose a bit. "My grandson is the champion of this year's provincial examination and will soon be a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue."

"Such a talented person must be a child of my Gu family."

The figure who stepped over the threshold froze and looked into the house in surprise.