When Madam Tu heard the old lady asking her to make arrangements, she immediately felt a surge of anger.

Don't you have any idea what state your household has become? This isn't how you beg for alms. Do you expect the Marquis's mansion to support your entire family?

She looked directly into the old lady's eyes, and the old lady's eyes held no other intention than to ask her to make the arrangements.

It's just a case of putting on a brave face when you're not.

How could Madam Tu possibly agree to this? Even if she were to take a single blade of grass from them, it would still belong to her children and grandchildren, let alone the many people she was supporting.

Once these people settle in, it will be difficult to get rid of them.

So she smiled and said, "Mother, these are all important matters. Let's discuss them with the Marquis, my second brother, and my third brother later."

"Alright, let the three brothers discuss it after the third brother finishes court."

The old lady thought that Gu Shaoyu would be leaving court at noon. She rarely asked the third prince for favors, but he would always give her some face, given how much the old Marquis had doted on him back then.

Xie Zhaozhao remained silent. Madam Lu was completely invisible. She glanced at Madam Tu, then at Xie Zhaozhao. Normally, she never received any benefits, and now that something was wrong, she couldn't find her either.

I felt a little smug.

Xie Zhaozhao had her period today, so she didn't stop eating for long after finishing her meal. She then said goodbye to the old lady and went home.

Madam Tu was also in a hurry to return to her courtyard. Gu Yuebai and Ruhua were in her courtyard, and she had to go back to take care of her grandson.

The eldest aunt's face darkened; clearly, the request she made was not something her nephew's wife from the Marquis's mansion would be happy with.

The old lady had always thought that Gu Shaoyu would return at 1-3 PM, but little did she know that the palace was holding a grand gathering for the elderly today, with His Majesty celebrating with the people. However, important matters of state could not be left unresolved.

He was busy until evening when all the old men had been picked up by their families, and those from out of town had been taken to the post station, before he finally had time to see Nanxing.

"Did you tell Madam that she'll be going back later tonight?"

"As I said, Bei Chen came once this afternoon; it was Madam who sent him."

Gu Shaoyu felt a surge of excitement. He knew it! Xiao Guai must have missed him too.

He didn't show it on his face, but asked what Madam Nanxing had said.

Nanxing said, "Our maternal grandparents from Ouyang have sent a group of several dozen people. It seems they are planning to settle down in the capital. The old lady wants to ask the three brothers of the Marquis's mansion to help them out."

"What else did Madam say?"

Nanxing thought to herself, "Isn't this all there is to it? What else can I say?"

But as Gu Shaoyu stared at him, Nanxing desperately tried to remember what Beichen had said.

Saying you miss the Grand Secretary? Bah, Madam has the best manners; she certainly didn't say such a thing.

He remembered that Bei Chen had also said a few "nonsense" things, but he didn't know if they would be of any use.

"Speak quickly, what else did the lady say?"

"Madam said that the Marquis and his wife have been making great efforts to arrange things, and they should be able to resolve some of the issues... Madam said that she will uphold her filial piety and try her best to fulfill the old lady's wishes."

Nanxing thought for a long time and came up with two sentences, but they were just nonsense.

Gu Shaoyu immediately understood, blinked twice, and said, "Pack your things and go back to the manor."

Nanxing slipped up and said, "My lord, isn't that just a pointless statement?"

Why are you in such a hurry to go home?

Gu Shaoyu stopped and looked sternly at Nanxing.

Nanxing immediately broke out in a cold sweat and said, "My lord, I was wrong."

Gu Shaoyu didn't say anything, got into the carriage and went straight back to his residence.

Upon returning to the manor, the gatekeeper immediately helped him unload his horse and then reported to Zhang Qing, who in turn reported to Marquis Gu Boyu.

Gu Shaoyu walked slowly and deliberately at the entrance, not in a hurry to return to Qingpu Courtyard.

Sure enough, Gu Boyu arrived in a hurry.

"Third brother, you've come back just in time. Mother is still waiting," Gu Boyu said.

"Then let's go see Mother." Gu Shaoyu didn't return to Qingpu Courtyard. Gu Boyu then called Gu Zhongyu, and Madam Tu followed along. Together they went to the old lady's Ci'en Courtyard.

When the old lady learned that he had just returned and hadn't gone back to Qingpu Courtyard yet, she said, "Why don't you go and tell Madam Xie first?"

Gu Shaoyu said, "No need. Mother, please just say what you need."

“Your uncle’s family has come. They have been living in their hometown of Ouyang for a long time. Over the years, the Marquis’s Mansion has never given them any help, and they have rarely asked the Marquis’s Mansion for help.”

The old lady said carefully, "This time they're thinking of finding some jobs in the capital. What are your plans, Third Master?"

Gu Shaoyu asked, "Is everyone looking for assignments, or is someone specifically looking for assignments?"

Upon hearing this, the old lady's eyes immediately lit up, and her voice became cheerful: "Your three uncles are getting old, so it doesn't matter whether they find jobs or not. But you can arrange jobs for your cousins ​​and nephews, as long as they can support themselves."

"How many cousins, nephews, and cousins ​​are there? Do they have any official titles or honors? What are their specialties?"

"There are five male cousins, two male cousins, and four nephews..." The old lady couldn't continue.

There are eleven people now. How easy is it to assign tasks to so many people?

Gu Shaoyu looked at Gu Boyu and Gu Zhongyu and asked, "Do you two brothers have any connections?"

Gu Boyu said awkwardly, "Third brother, you know me. I don't have any connections. I don't even have a job myself."

He inherited the marquisate, but his original post had been neglected, and he spent more time in casinos and brothels than at home.

To put it bluntly, he was just an empty shell as a marquis.

Gu Zhongyu also shook his head. He was just a captain of the eighth rank, and he was only given the rank because of Gu Shaoyu.

Ultimately, the Gu family's genes for academic excellence were passed down to Gu Shaoyu, while the ability to kill enemies and achieve meritorious service was left to the old Marquis's generation.

The Gu brothers, Boyu and Zhongyu, are the ones who are said to be "heroes of the first generation, but cowards of the second." The two of them are Xiong Da and Xiong Er, who are not even a tenth as good as their old lord, being neither good at literature nor martial arts.

If it weren't for Gu Shaoyu, the Marquis's title would be in grave danger.

Nanxing, who was listening at the door, suddenly understood why the Grand Secretary insisted on hearing what the Madam had to say.

The relatives wanted to find jobs, that is, they wanted to become officials, but the Marquis and the Second Master didn't care at all; they all relied on Grand Secretary Gu.

As for the old lady's filial piety, it's highly likely that she's after the third wife's dowry.

Sighing inwardly, Nanxing thought, "The Grand Secretary is no good; his family is full of troublemakers."

The old lady was very unhappy when Gu Shaoyu asked if his two older brothers had any connections.

"You are the Grand Secretary, with so many departments and bureaus under your jurisdiction. What's wrong with assigning ten or eight people? Your father doted on you when he was alive, and your mother never asked you for anything. But this time, you refuse to help?"

Gu Shaoyu said, "Mother, I didn't say I wouldn't help our relatives. It's just that you should ask around the capital and see who can arrange jobs for eleven people at once. We need to find a suitable opportunity to help them. I won't go into the details, I'll keep an eye out."

The old lady breathed a sigh of relief and said, "How long will it take before a vacancy becomes available?"

"That's hard to say. No matter how much His Majesty values ​​me, I'm still just a subject. It wouldn't be right for me to dismiss someone else to make room for my relative."