“The old lady knows about this place, but none of them have ever been here,” Gu Shaoyu explained. “This place belongs only to me, and from now on it will belong only to us.”

That is the private property of the third branch of the family, and has nothing to do with the Marquis's mansion.

Xie Zhaozhao mentally shouted "Good!"

Xie Zhaozhao was in a very good mood while strolling through the garden with him.

She doesn't dislike Gu Shaoyu.

She was very touched by all that he did for her.

Unlike her, Gu Shaoyu appeared calm, but was somewhat distracted.

He took her to slowly enjoy the garden; she looked at the scenery, and he looked at her.

Under the sunlight, Xie Zhaozhao's skin appeared even whiter and more radiant, so tender it seemed you could pinch water from it.

Only when he got closer to her did he realize what flawless white jade and lotus emerging from water truly meant.

The indescribable fragrance emanating from her was delicate and sweet, like silk, gently enveloping him, making him both intoxicated and aroused.

Xie Zhaozhao had a slight sheen of sweat on her nose, but her steps remained steady and her back was always straight.

So beautiful!

He hired the most beautiful and best woman in the city.

A true lady of high society.

Seeing that she was sweating, he took out his own handkerchief and handed it to her. Xie Zhaozhao blushed and indicated that she had a handkerchief.

Fearing she would get sunburned, Gu Shaoyu took her back to the island in the middle of the lake.

Tea was already prepared in the tea room. As the two drank their tea, Gu Shaoyu told them about her biggest concern: the resettlement of the refugees.

"After discussing with His Majesty, we have built a temple in Jiangnan. Anyone who has participated in building bridges and dikes, resettling disaster victims, and bringing benefits to the local people can become a god in the temple according to their merits and enjoy incense offerings for hundreds or thousands of years."

Xie Zhaozhao's eyes lit up. "You can do it like this?"

But she understood in an instant: how much can a person eat, wear, and use in a few decades of life? Even after death, how many descendants can offer incense to their graves every day? If a spendthrift son comes along, the family line might end in death.

But being a god is different. Even if your grave is gone and your family is gone, your divine position will still be worshipped for thousands of years.

Many emperors wanted to live forever; wouldn't they fight tooth and nail for such a great opportunity to become an immortal?

Gu Shaoyu knew she would understand what he meant, and said with a smile, "These days, those divine positions are extremely difficult to obtain. Many minor gods have already been appointed, and several major gods are still vacant. Everyone is as excited as if they've been injected with stimulants, and even high-ranking officials in the imperial court are vying for them!"

Xie Zhaozhao laughed heartily. It was definitely not because of good fortune that Grand Secretary Gu was able to become Grand Secretary at the age of twenty-five, but because he was possessed by a god.

It is conceivable that these people would do everything they could to build dikes, bridges, and roads, attract people, and ensure that the people could live and work in peace and contentment, so that they could enjoy the blessings of their ancestors for generations to come.

Building temples and selling deity tablets is a brilliant but harmful idea, but it is absolutely beneficial to the country and the people.

Gu Shaoyu rarely saw her smile so relaxed, which told him that she was extremely satisfied with her actions.

Actually, he wanted to say that the inspiration for this idea also came from her. She was called Guanyin, which made him think of the gods, and suddenly he came up with this good strategy of governing the country by using the gods' protection to prosper the local economy.

Before noon, Gu Shaoyu personally escorted her back to her residence. She sat in the carriage while he rode a horse beside her, attracting countless stares along the way.

On the way back to the mansion by carriage, groups of students strolled through the streets, their faces beaming with excitement.

Xie Zhaozhao asked through the curtains, "What's going on? What are these people doing?"

Gu Shaoyu said, "The results of the palace examination will be announced the day after tomorrow."

Oh right, Ling Xun's palace examination results are about to be released.

Upon returning to the manor, Gu Shaoyu personally visited Wutong Garden to pay his respects to the old lady.

We will safely return Miss Xie to her family and give the old man an explanation.

Madam Xie was overjoyed, looking at the dashing and extraordinary Grand Secretary Gu, she was extremely satisfied. That day, when she went to the palace to speak with Consort Xi, the Consort said that this grandson-in-law was excellent.

After Gu Shaoyu left, Xie Zhaozhao left Wutong Garden and returned to her own courtyard.

The two little girls, Yuanyuan and Manman, chattered excitedly as they told Granny Xu about the scenery of Moon Lake.

As Xie Zhaozhao thought about the imperial edict about to be announced, her thoughts drifted back to her past life.

In her past life, Guan Yingying saved Ling Xun and Zhang Xiangsheng. After they became officials, these two devoted their lives to her and were powerful contributors to the success of her business empire.

After the "Silk Road" trade route was opened, Guan Yingying brought in a large quantity of panaceas, addictive poison pills.

And the addiction is getting stronger and stronger; if he doesn't consume it, he will go crazy.

Because of the loss of his beloved minister Gu Shaoyu, Emperor Hui fell seriously ill. The Crown Prince and Gu Chengyan, two heartless men, gave Emperor Hui a panacea.

Within a few years, the once robust Emperor Hui's body was ravaged, and he died a gruesome death. The crown prince ascended the throne, and the Xie family's entire estate was reduced to rubble.

...

Although she is tied to Grand Secretary Gu in this life, she doesn't want to let go of Gu Chengyan and Guan Yingying.

Thinking of this, I went to the south room.

The south room was a guest room in the Xie residence.

After Ling Xun and Zhang Xiangsheng were rescued from Nancheng, they stayed at a clinic there for a day before Yunhe took them back to the Xie residence and handed them over to the family physician for careful treatment.

He has already fully recovered.

Before the imperial examination, Xie Anfeng and Xie Yu sought out renowned scholars to give them special guidance and recommended them to get acquainted with some officials in the court, thus making them Xie Anfeng's disciples.

When Xie Zhaozhao arrived at the south room, Ling Xun and Zhang Xiangsheng happened to be there. When they saw Xie Zhaozhao coming, they both bowed respectfully and thanked her.

"I will never forget your great kindness, Miss."

"You're welcome."

Xie Zhaozhao sat down gracefully and asked, "Are you all settling in well at the manor? How did the physician say about your injuries?"

Zhang Xiangsheng said respectfully, "Thank you for saving my life, Miss. I have already fully recovered."

Ling Xun: "The eldest son arranged for a great scholar to give us special guidance, which was of great help in this palace examination."

As soon as their injuries had slightly healed, Xie Yu arranged for them to attend the top-tier academy in Da Gan, Yu Long Academy. The students there were all princes, heirs, and scions of the four great families—the children of the capital's elite.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!