The Gu family was a renowned royal noble family in the Southern Frontier, known to everyone. Shen Qingcheng quickly learned where the Gu residence was by asking around.

Strangely, unlike other noble residences which were built in bustling areas outside the palace, the Gu family mansion was instead built on the edge of a sparsely populated city.

Shen Qingcheng was somewhat puzzled.

In the Great Yan Dynasty, the closer a residence was to the royal palace, the higher its status was considered.

The Gu couple, one a descendant of a prince and the other a princess, how could they have fallen to live in such a place?

While pondering, Shen Qingcheng headed towards the Gu residence.

The inn is to the south, and the Gu residence is to the north. Without a token or instructions, riding horses is not allowed on the streets of Shengcheng. The carriage was given to Shen Qingye and Shen Yu.

He used his light-footed skills to weave through alleys and lanes.

One hour later.

Shen Qingcheng stared silently at the glittering, imposing plaque in front of him. Even the so-called "stone lions" at the entrance were made of gold and jade, as if the whole man had too much money to burn.

He suddenly understood.

The reason why the Gu family doesn't live in the central area of ​​Shengcheng isn't necessarily because something happened. Another possibility is that they are too wealthy and think the land next to the palace isn't big enough.

Thinking about it, it's understandable. You really need to have a strong mentality to be neighbors with the Gu family.

To give an example, court officials who have struggled for most of their lives studied day and night when they were young, and even in their old age they still work hard from dawn till dusk, conscientious and diligent, never daring to relax for a moment for their meager salary.

He went to court every day full of energy, only to be dazzled by the two golden lions at the entrance of the Gu family's residence. After a while, it would be abnormal if his mentality didn't collapse.

The fabric worn by the gatekeeper of the Gu family was comparable to that of a second-class servant in an ordinary household.

He was a little intimidated by this seemingly unapproachable young man, and asked loudly, "What brings you here, sir? Do you have a visiting card?"

Shen Qingcheng: "No."

Upon hearing that there was no visiting card, the servant immediately tried to send him away, saying, "My master is very busy. Please prepare a visiting card and come back in three days."

These days, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can get into the Gu family mansion. Wouldn't that be chaos?

Shen Qingcheng understood the servant's meaning, and without getting angry or annoyed, he frankly stated his purpose.

"Young man, you misunderstand. I am not here to see Master Gu. I am looking for a young lady surnamed Shen, named Shen Jiao."

Because of the special status of Shen Jiao and the Tyrant, Madam Gu had already instructed all the servants in the mansion to serve them well and not to offend them.

Upon hearing this, the servant gave Shen Qingcheng a scrutinizing look.

This guy may look like a gentleman, but he's carrying a sword, so he's not someone to mess with.

What if they're here to cause trouble for Miss Shen?

The servant asked cautiously, "Who are you? What is your relationship with Miss Shen?"

Shen Qingcheng handed a white jade pendant to the servant: "I am Shen Qingcheng, and I am her elder brother."

The servant took the jade pendant with suspicion.

"Please wait a moment, young master, while I go in and inquire."

Shen Qingcheng nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."

...

In the courtyard.

Master Gu was excitedly discussing the Youlan River with Shen Jiao.

There are two good things: first, a way to get rid of the cursed insects has been found.

Secondly, this method not only does not consume manpower and resources, but can also generate huge benefits.

“Using crayfish as an ingredient is one solution, but Jiaojiao, outsiders don’t trust you as much as we do. Everyone’s thoughts are similar to those chefs.”

Shen Jiao naturally thought of this, and she smiled broadly.

"Well... I have a way, but I'll need to trouble Uncle Gu's friend."

The Gu couple were willing to take a step closer to her and call her Jiaojiao, and she blurted out "Uncle Gu" without hesitation.

Master Gu was puzzled.

"What does Jiaojiao mean?"

Shen Jiao lowered her voice: "We can do it like this..."

The two whispered to each other for a while, and Old Master Gu's eyes gradually brightened.

...

The gatekeeper's status was limited, and there were some courtyards he was not allowed to enter. He was looking for the steward, Uncle Liu, to deliver a message.

Uncle Liu couldn't find him, but he happened to see Gu An lying in a hammock sunbathing, having eaten and drunk his fill.

"Young master." The servant presented the white jade.

"A young man has arrived at the door, claiming to be Miss Shen's elder brother..."

The sun was warm and comforting, and Gu An was feeling drowsy. He hadn't quite caught what the servant had said earlier, but he vaguely remembered it being something like—

Shen Qingye's gang leader is looking for Shen Jiao!

Gu An immediately sprang to his feet, grabbed the white jade, and smiled sinisterly.

The servant suddenly shuddered.

He shouldn't have been lazy; he should have honestly gone to find the butler, Uncle Liu.

"Well, that persistent Shen Qingye dares to chase me all the way to the Southern Frontier. Doesn't he know whose territory this is? How dare he be so arrogant? Go, bring me my whip. I'm going to have a go at this big brother."

The servant was confused on his way to fetch the whip.

He thought to himself that what he had just said was quite clear, wasn't it?

That young master clearly wanted to see Miss Shen, so why was his young master getting involved?

Forget it, it's none of his business to worry about the master's affairs.

The servant quickly and eagerly retrieved the two-meter-long whip belonging to the Whip King of Southern Xinjiang.

Gu An is quite intelligent when he's alone.

Worried that the commotion would be too big and difficult to handle, he asked his servant to invite his elder brother to the training ground, adding that there was no need to inform Shen Jiao about such a troublesome matter, lest it only cause more trouble.

The servant agreed.

The Gu family's mansion was a grand residence with seven courtyards and seven gates, so building a martial arts training ground within their own compound was not a difficult task.

Shen Qingcheng is the eldest son of the Marquis of Anbo's family, a young master born into a life of luxury.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!