Door-to-door service

"Have you forgotten everything about me? Have you forgotten everything completely?"

His tone was full of resentment, like that of a wife who had been forgotten by her husband.

When Xu Qiu arrived, Gu Yu was picking grapes. She looked away guiltily, "These grapes are quite sweet, Lord Xu, wouldn't you like to try some?"

She casually picked the roundest and largest grape and handed it to Xu Qiu. He didn't reach out, but simply leaned down slightly and opened his mouth to take the grape in.

His dark eyes were still fixed on Gu Yu, and she quickly withdrew her hand, her fingertips still feeling damp and warm.

Gu Yu felt that her hands were not clean.

"Tsk, why is Lord Xu in such a hurry all of a sudden? Aren't you busy too? Wasn't the Land Administration Bureau your doing?"

Xu Qiu spoke frankly, "Indeed, this is the essay I wrote for the imperial examination, but I'm a little curious how Miss Gu knew about it?"

"I guessed." She smiled. "Local officials wouldn't dare to collect land taxes from princes and members of the imperial family. Only the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard would dare to do it. Who else would be so audacious as to propose setting up a land bureau to specifically supervise these people, and who would also gain the Emperor's favor? After thinking it over, I can only think of you."

“Miss Gu is so intelligent, I am completely humbled,” Xu Qiu said, bowing respectfully.

"How are things going in Bianjing?"

"You've come at just the right time..."

Gu Yu smiled enigmatically. Why did Xu Qiu arrive at such a convenient time? It must have been because as soon as the impeachment petition from Bianjing was submitted, they sent people to keep an eye on Gu Hanying's actions.

“My father just returned from Bianjing. He went straight to his study to write something as soon as he got back. He must be going to apologize. Lord Xu is here to help her, right?” she guessed.

"Indeed, let's also talk about Miss Gu's marriage to me."

“My father isn’t one of those people who value profit and fame; he values ​​me more.”

"I know."

Xu Qiu smiled, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.

Gu Yu ate the grapes one by one, watching the man's departing figure with a strange expression. He had come to visit in person; he must have come prepared.

However, her marriage should indeed be put on the agenda.

She declined the invitations from the Fifth Prince and the banquet from Consort Xian in the palace, citing illness. It would be difficult to explain if she refused again.

study.

"My lord, Lord Xu requests an audience—"

The steward of the manor knocked on the door of the study.

Gu Hanying raised his voice, "Which Lord Xu?"

"Xu Qiu, compiler of the Hanlin Academy".

Xu Qiu was already standing in front of the study door, and answered Gu Hanying's question on his own.

"Oh? Why didn't you announce your arrival and went straight into the residence?"

"I greeted Miss Gu first," he replied truthfully.

Gu Hanying gritted his teeth. He had already guessed it, but he didn't expect the kid to say it so frankly, which made him even more annoyed.

How could he possibly have a good attitude towards someone who tries to abduct his daughter right in front of him?

"Come in." You have to call the person in and yell at them.

Xu Qiu obediently pushed open the door to the study and then closed it behind him.

Very good, very self-aware.

Gu Hanying pretended to be nonchalant and continued writing his confession, ignoring him.

Xu Qiu stood in the study for a long time.

He looked around the study, trying to figure out Gu Hanying's personality. There weren't many books in the study; the Four Books and Five Classics were probably just for show, and there were many military books on the shelves.

The most numerous items on display were related to military campaigns, such as a map of the Great Sheng city, with a sword displayed directly in front of it, its cold light sharp and its aura chilling.

He has some antiques and collectibles, but not many; they're probably just for decoration, as he doesn't like them.

Gu Hanying wrote for a while before putting down his pen and saying, "Speak, what is it? If it's about Ayu, then forget it."

“You are of questionable character and have a deep-seated cunning. I dare not entrust Ayu to you.”

"Of questionable character?" Xu Qiu asked doubtfully.

"Everyone in the capital knows you've taken a mistress. Don't say I'm wronging you. She lives in the third alley to the left of Xuanwu Gate, the second courtyard on the left, her name is Xu San Niang, right?"

He looked at Xu Qiu with disdain. How dare someone like him try to seduce his daughter? He should take a good look in the mirror.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qiu's expression changed inscrutable. He gritted his teeth and said, "That is not my mistress. She is the most beautiful courtesan in Yunxian Pavilion. I saved her for a friend. The rumors about her being a mistress are all unfounded. I did not buy that courtyard either. If the Duke does not believe me, he can investigate and find out."

"I see."

Gu Hanying seemed to be deep in thought, and thought that this made sense.

"I heard from A-Yu that you saved her many times, and that she has feelings for you. What are your thoughts on that?"

He sighed as he asked the questions, lamenting how daughters grow up and leave home. "Ayu is naive and doesn't know the wickedness of people. I shouldn't have asked you that..."

"I ask you, what are your intentions and purposes in approaching Ayu time and time again?"

Xu Qiu was unaware that Gu Yu had already mentioned their relationship to the Duke of Yingguo, and was using the classic hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress trope.

Unexpectedly, his image was further damaged when he arrived at the Duke of England's residence.

"I have fallen in love with Miss Gu at first sight and sincerely wish to marry her."

"You say you're sincere, and I'll believe you? Do you think I'm a fool? Do you think I'd rip your heart out and see?" Gu Hanying sneered.

He felt that Xu Qiu was no good, and that he was glib and smooth-talking, so A Yu couldn't be handed over to him.

"If Your Excellency doesn't believe in this, then let me talk about something else first."

"Okay, go ahead."

Gu Hanying was not someone who wouldn't listen to others; on the contrary, he was very willing to listen to other people's advice.

"Your Excellency should be aware of the matter concerning the Land Administration Bureau. This is a method I wrote in my essay for the palace examination."

"Hmph!" Gu Hanying was even angrier when he thought of this. "Lord Xu, what a clever idea! Aren't you afraid of dying for this job? What are you trying to do by telling me this? Do you want to force me to hand Ayu over to you? Don't even think about it. It's just a small matter."

"My lord, I would like to say that His Majesty values ​​me highly, and I am certain that I will have a place in Shengjing within three years."

"Although the Duke is a nobleman with immense power."

"But the Duke is going to guard the north and will soon leave the capital, leaving the young master alone in Shengjing. The Duke has never had any private dealings with the other ministers of the Six Ministries, and he cannot have too close a relationship with the princes and members of the royal family."

"If someone wants to harm the Duke's mansion, the young master will be powerless in court, with no one to help him."

Xu Qiu paused here, and Gu Hanying stared at him thoughtfully.

"For example, this time, if the Duke had someone in court to speak up for the impeachment by the Crown Prince's faction in Bianjing, it certainly wouldn't have escalated to such an ugly state."

"As I know, Your Excellency is now caught between the Fifth Prince and the Crown Prince. Both sides will try to force Your Excellency to choose one side."

"Both sides want to marry Miss Gu, which must be a difficult situation for the Duke. Since the Duke doesn't want to get involved in factional strife, why don't you choose me?"

Gu Hanying sighed again, "What you said is all right, what you said makes sense, but who will think about what will happen to my Ayu?"

"I owe her so much, and now that she finally has someone she likes, he's a treacherous and scheming person."

"Put yourself in my shoes. How could I entrust my daughter to such a person?"

Xu Qiu's smile froze. "Even if there are other considerations, I am truly sincere towards Miss Gu. What guarantee does Your Excellency need to confirm my sincerity? Please speak frankly."

“You all treat the Gu family like a piece of fat meat, and everyone wants a bite. I’m really afraid something will happen to my children.”

He stroked his messy beard, his eyes darting around. "You know, I don't want to get involved in this mess in Shengjing, nor do I want to speculate about whether the Emperor is going to depose the Crown Prince. I just want to protect myself, my family, and my children. So, I'm just asking, now that the waters in Shengjing and Bianjing are muddied, what are you going to do next?"

"Actually, the matter of the Land Bureau is still in the planning stage, and the Emperor may not be able to settle accounts and hold people accountable so quickly."

"Lord Duke, your matter has been used as a pawn by someone with ulterior motives. Bianjing threw you, a meritorious official, out to see the Emperor's reaction."

"You know what the situation is like in Bianjing. The Duke has been granted a lot of land, and other nobles have even more. That place is full of princes and royal families. Even the Crown Prince is now under their control."

Gu Hanying was satisfied with Xu Qiu's clear explanation; at least he felt his sincerity.

So what should I do?

Gu Hanying sighed inwardly.

Sometimes he hated the roundabout ways of those intellectuals, but it was best if such people could give him advice.

"Ahem!" He coughed lightly. "Lord Duke, I stand with the Emperor."

"If the Duke is on the Emperor's side, he certainly needs to go and apologize, and be punished accordingly, but with a better attitude. The national treasury is currently empty, and the Duke should make up for all the land taxes he previously owed..."

Gu Hanying looked at this innocent-looking young man again and found him disagreeable. Goodness, this was exactly what he was waiting for.

"Now that the Land Administration Office has been established, His Majesty intends to settle accounts with it, it's only a matter of time. The Duke was the first to confess, so His Majesty will definitely punish him leniently. Moreover, the Duke has set an example, and His Majesty knows that the Duke is thinking of him. In the future, if anything happens, His Majesty will definitely think of the Duke first."

,

Gu Hanying glanced at the confession he had written and quickly made a decision: it was just a matter of paying some money.

Money, no matter how good it is, is only truly valuable if you're alive to spend it.

"Okay, you're right, I'll do as you say." He then asked, still puzzled, "Don't you intellectuals get tired of thinking about so much every day?"

"I am merely sharing the Emperor's burdens; how dare I complain of being tired?"

His words were flawless, but Gu Hanying felt somewhat weary.

"If you were to marry my daughter—and I mean hypothetically—would you take a concubine?"

"No. My heart belongs only to you, Miss. No other woman can catch my eye."

Xu Qiu smiled and said, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, if I were to indulge in beautiful women, I would already have a wife at home. Before I met Miss Gu, I never thought about getting married. I only thought about serving the Emperor and repaying my adoptive father's kindness."

“I forgot you have a godfather…” Gu Hanying stroked his chin thoughtfully, “Master Xu, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen him, I’ll have a chat with him too.”

"What if you were to encounter misfortune one day?" he continued to ask.

"I will write the divorce papers carefully and will absolutely not implicate Miss or the Duke," Xu Qiu said earnestly.

"Xu Qiu, Xu Qiu, to be honest, I can't quite see through you. How much of your sincerity is there?"

Xu Qiu pondered this question seriously and repeatedly, not for the sake of the court situation, nor for the weighing of interests, but simply for the sake of a father who was worried about his daughter.

He smiled wryly and said, "I can't give you an exact number either. How can you measure feelings like that?"

"I gave her all the little bit of sincerity I had."

He didn't know what that feeling of concern, bittersweetness, and strangeness was. He didn't know.

But they are allies, allies with shared interests and common goals, and that's enough.

Gu Hanying truly never expected that this cunning and scheming man would say such a thing.

There are so many heartless and unfaithful men in this world, and so many beautiful vows. But a vow is just a vow; it is only sacred at the moment of the oath. After that, it is nothing but empty words.

He should have reprimanded him for his boastfulness and scolded him for only saying nice things, but he didn't.

He saw a hint of sincerity in Xu Qiu's eyes, mixed with self-doubt and confusion.

Isn't that kind of gaze more touching than one that feigns unwavering devotion?

He had feelings for Ayu, but he was completely unaware of them.

Gu Hanying was never the kind of father who took on everything and liked to insist on arranged marriages.

He thought it might be worth a try for his daughter.

He couldn't teach people how to understand human nature; only she could truly understand it through her own experience.

Moreover, his Ayu is very smart and knows how to protect herself.

"Let me have a good talk with your godfather first."

Xu Qiu noticed that Gu Hanying breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he was wavering. "I will wait for news from the Duke."

"You won't stay in Shengjing after this, will you?" Gu Hanying wasn't stupid; if he were, he wouldn't have survived this long.

"Yes, I am going to Shaanxi to provide disaster relief."

"Shaanxi Plain," Gu Hanying murmured, a strange thought creeping into his mind. A treacherous place indeed.

Last year's drought, this year's snowstorm, and the case of selling official positions...

A place where princes, royal families, imperial merchants, bandits, and refugees mingle in a diverse mix.

We were hit by both natural disasters and man-made calamities.

He really does run to wherever there's chaos, but only in this way can he achieve what he said: to have a place in Shengjing City within three years.

He was honest, at least he didn't lie to him. Gu Hanying's opinion of Xu Qiu changed a lot. Maybe he really was a turning point for the Great Sheng Dynasty. After all, he was a ruthless person who could propose the Land Administration Commission.

He hoped she was lucky; he'd heard rumors throughout Shengjing that his daughter was cursed to bring misfortune to her husbands...

If his daughter becomes a widow, she will be heartbroken...

No, we need to talk to Xu Shanhai first before we can decide on the matter of these two children.

"Then I shall take my leave." He bowed and took his leave.

"Let's go, let's go." Gu Hanying waved his hand impatiently.

Xu Qiu paused as he left the study, then turned towards Gu Yu's courtyard. "Miss Gu's grapes are quite nice. I wonder if I might have the honor of taking some back with me?"

"The deal was done?"

She looked at Xu Qiu, who was smiling smugly, with a puzzled expression. His smile was so bright, as if he had truly married the woman he loved.

Ugh, that's so unlucky! How could she think like that? She doesn't want to be that unlucky girl.