Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Raging Waves

Chong'an had never seen the Marquis laugh silently like this, and laugh for so long, so he was so scared that he didn't dare to follow the Marquis. Just then he saw someone bringing a message, so he hurried to the back.

But he didn't dare to report the news to the Marquis, so he could only glance at his brother Chongping. Chongping had no choice but to let him speak first, and then he saw that the Marquis had put away his smile, stood under the girl's window with his hands behind his back, and looked up at the sparse stars in the sky.

Chongping stepped forward and reported in a low voice.

"Master, the eldest master of the Gu family, Gu Yangsi, has just arrived in person at the dowry house."

Master Gu, Gu Yangsi, is Madam Wan’s only legitimate son.

The man snorted.

Somehow, Chong'an, who was standing next to him, felt the air around him grow colder.

He heard the Marquis speak slowly.

"You came just in time."

Chong'an was inexplicably frightened for the Gu family.

But the Marquis looked towards the room again.

In the room, Qiu Lin had to come over to persuade the girl, "Even if you are in a hurry to make money, you still have to save your eyes."

The girl still said it was okay, but when she saw Qiulin was about to move the lamp away, she quickly stopped her.

"What if it breaks while moving it around? This time I only brought this lantern made by Sanlang with me."

"Girl." Qiu Lin sighed heavily.

The girl took the lamp herself and said, "I'll work for another hour and then turn off the light and go to sleep."

"One hour?" Qiu Lin didn't know what to say.

In the darkness outside the window, Chong'an saw the Marquis slowly withdraw his gaze.

The next moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew outside the window.

The half-closed window was pushed open by the wind. The window frame creaked, and something flew in through the window and hit the lamp holder with a bang.

The angle was extremely tricky, and the light suddenly went out.

The master and servant in the room were both stunned. They didn't know where the wind came from, nor did they know what in the wind extinguished the lights.

Qiu Lin called out to Ruan Gong repeatedly, "Miss, is there anyone outside the window?"

Ruan Gong quickly looked around and said, "No one! No one."

"Strange... maybe it's just the wind blowing away the sand and stones." Qiu Lin closed the window.

But the light went out, and when Du Lingjing tried to light it again, she couldn't.

Qiulin saw the girl sitting at the table with her eyes downcast and put down her pen.

"Qiulin, can you fix the lamp?"

Her voice was no longer the same as before, and now it seemed to have sunk to the bottom of the water.

Qiu Lin hurried over and looked at the lamp again and again. She didn't know what was going on. "But there are repair shops in the capital, and there must be one that repairs this Xi'an lamp. I will ask Ai Ye to take the lamp to the repair shop tomorrow."

Du Lingjing looked at the lamp that inexplicably couldn't be turned on and remained silent for a long time.

But Qiu Lin also pulled the girl up, "The light is broken, it's good that the girl doesn't have to strain her eyes, otherwise she really couldn't stand it."

Du Lingjing still didn't say anything. She pursed her lips and stood up.

*

In the dowry house on the other side of Chengqingfang, someone stood at the entrance of the alley for a few breaths. The people in the yard didn't notice anything, and the person at the entrance of the alley left.

In the courtyard, Gu Yangsi ordered people to carry the things out again.

"If anyone gets bumped into, don't blame me for kicking him out!"

What he said was the same as what his mother, Madam Wan, had instructed, but the difference was that Madam Wan wanted to send the most exquisite dowry for her own granddaughter, while Gu Yangsi had people carry these fine things out again as they were.

It's really not his fault that he didn't give his niece respect. It was because he heard about this yesterday and came to see it with his own eyes, and he saw that his mother was so willing to do so.

It is true that my niece is going to be a marquis' wife, but she will not have all the wealth and glory as a marquis' wife, and yet my mother still gives her such a huge dowry.

Because of the previous incident, Gu Yangsi had no one looking for him for help, and his finances immediately became tight.

Rather than letting his niece take advantage of these good things, it would be better to keep them in his hands.

As for my mother, it was given away anyway, so it didn't matter who I gave it to, so I might as well give it all to him.

Gu Yangsi came again tonight. He also temporarily rented a yard nearby and asked people to carry the things to his yard. He also gave instructions to everyone.

"Don't tell the old lady about this," he added, "Don't tell anyone. Just pretend you don't know and keep it all to yourself."

He was the master, who dared not listen to him? He took the things he had just brought in and turned around to move them out again.

Gu Yangsi was in a very good mood. It would be embarrassing to ask his mother for money, so it would be much more convenient to pawn and sell the things now.

He repeatedly urged people to move faster and not to be discovered.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, the originally dark alley suddenly became brightly lit.

I saw a group of officers and soldiers holding torches and trotting towards Gu Yangsi and his group.

Gu Yangsi didn't know when it happened, but he was afraid of being recognized, so he quickly hid behind.

At this time, the leading officer showed his sign.

"We are doing business in Shuntian Prefecture. Is this the courtyard where the Du family keeps their dowry?"

This is something everyone knows, someone replied.

"It is Du Jiadian's house."

As soon as he finished speaking, the leading officer asked directly.

"Who are you then?"

"We are... of course from the Du family."

The leading officer laughed.

"You're from the Du family? Instead of guarding the dowry in the middle of the night, you're moving it out? I think you guys are thieves, right?"

He suddenly called out to the officers and soldiers behind him, "Capture them all!"

Before Gu Yangsi could react, his arms were tied and he was taken to the Shuntian government office.

... ...

Madam Wan found out this morning that the people who went out last night did not come back.

But she never expected, "You said the master is here too? Why is he here?"

The visitor didn't dare to say directly that he had gone out to pee last night and luckily escaped. He only said, "The master was afraid that they would do something bad, so he went to watch them in person. He didn't expect to be caught as a thief!"

The servant wanted to cover up for Gu Yangsi, but Madam Wan's teacup hit him directly in the face.

"How dare you not tell the truth?!"

The hot tea burned the servant's hands so much that they began to tremble. He could no longer bear the intimidation from Madam Wan and told the truth.

When the truth was spoken, Liang on the side couldn't help but cover her mouth.

Her husband actually wanted to covet his niece's dowry.

Her face turned hot, and Madam Wan seemed to have a date stuck in her throat and couldn't speak for a long time.

"... ...What a shame... ...How is he now?"

The servant had just received a letter from Gu Yangsi from the Shuntian Prefecture jail, "Master, please ask the old lady to quickly prepare some money, saying it was a misunderstanding, and ask Shuntian Prefecture to release the person immediately."

Gu Yangsi really didn't have the courage to give his name. After all, he was an official with a hidden advantage, and he would be laughed at to death if others knew it.

Madam Wan felt a headache and immediately ordered the steward to get the person out quickly.

He also warned, "Don't let anyone know."

Firstly, it is really embarrassing, and secondly, if the substitutionary marriage is discovered, it will cause a stir.

Unexpectedly, the steward came back from time to time, shaking his head at the old lady with an embarrassed look on his face.

"Shuntian Prefecture said that the identity of the arrested person is unknown, and that our eldest master did not admit that he was the eldest master of the Gu family. They may be hiding someone else, so they cannot release him."

Madam Wan was surprised that she failed to redeem the person secretly.

Does she have to go and bring her son back in person?

Just as she was thinking about it, another message came from outside, "Madam, it's bad. The Shuntian government office has posted a notice, asking the people to go and identify the person. On that notice is a portrait of our master!"

Gu Yangsi refused to admit that he was himself, but the government directly posted his portrait.

Madam Wan's eyes went dark. She no longer hesitated and just hoped that as few people as possible would see her portrait. She changed her clothes and went to the Shuntian Prefecture Office in Lingchunfang.

However, when they arrived in front of the government office, they saw people on the street surrounding the signboard and pointing at the portrait on it.

"Oh, how come he looks like the eldest master of the Gu family in Huanghuafang!"

The portrait was very well painted and one could tell at a glance.

Madam Wan quickly asked someone to go to the back and then handed the note forward, asking to see the governor of Shuntian Prefecture first.

Unexpectedly, things seemed to be going in circles for her. The governor of Shuntian Prefecture was not there, and was said to have gone out of the city. Madam Wan did not see the court official, and the people below could not make a decision. They only thought that the best they could do was to remove the portrait on the notice for her sake.

Although the painting was removed, many people saw it, and some of them were sharp-eyed enough to spot Madam Wan's carriage at a glance.

Instead of taking her son out, Madam Wan returned to her mansion and heard rumors spreading in the capital.

The most serious thing is that some people have already started to suspect him.

"That's the Du family's dowry house. What are the Gu family doing in and out of it? Could it be that they want to replace the eldest daughter of the Du family with the second daughter and let the second daughter become the marquis' wife?"

As soon as this speculation came out, the whole city was in turmoil.

Originally, the marriage of the daughter of the Du family was at the center of controversy. Now no one could stop the rumors. In just half a day, the whole capital knew that Madam Wan wanted to marry her granddaughter to Marquis Lu.

Liang was at a loss as to what to do. On the one hand, she was unable to redeem her husband who was imprisoned, and on the other hand, the storm in the city was overwhelming her home.

"Mother, what should we do? Everyone with a discerning eye has seen it, and I'm afraid the palace and the Marquis' Mansion also know about it."

At this moment, Madam Wan took a deep breath and calmed down.

She let Nanny Guan rub her forehead, then she picked up the teacup and took a sip before speaking.

"Since everyone knows, there's no need to hide it. Let them say whatever they want. I only care about what the palace and the Marquis' Mansion think."

If no one came from the palace, it would mean that the Du family agreed to marry any of their daughters, since they were all Du Yijing's granddaughters anyway. This was what the imperial edict said.

Then let's look at the Marquis's Mansion. The palace doesn't care, so both girls are fine. It depends on who the Marquis wants to marry.

Although the eldest daughter of the Du family has a father who is a minister, Mr. Du has passed away for many years; the second branch is not prominent enough, but the second daughter is the granddaughter of Madam Wan.

The next morning, Du Zhiqi brought his daughter Du Runqing to Mrs. Wan's Rong Yutang.

Like Liang, the father and daughter were completely at a loss about the sudden change.

Du Zhiqi was worried about the palace, "Will the emperor be displeased? After all, when the imperial decree was issued, Qing'er had not yet reached the age of marriage."

Madam Wan glanced at him and said, "You think too much. The palace is too lazy to care about these trivial matters of your family."

She said, "If the palace is dissatisfied, a eunuch should come down to give some advice this morning. Have you seen him?"

No one from the palace came from either the Du family or the Gu family.

Du Zhiqi breathed a sigh of relief.

But Du Runqing asked his grandmother in a low voice, "Will the Marquis recognize me?"

Madam Wan waved to her and took her in her arms.

"Have you forgotten how the Marquis helped you in the past? You and the Marquis were destined to be together. Would the Marquis not want you and marry your sister? She is just an orphan with no one to rely on. She just has your uncle's name on her. She insists on splitting up the family this time. If your two families split up, she will have nothing. And you still have your grandmother."

Anyone with a discerning eye knows how to choose the most cost-effective one.

These words finally made the little girl calm down.

Until the sun was high in the sky, there was no movement in the palace.

Du Zhiqi felt relieved, and Madam Wan also smiled. Du Zhiqi complimented her, "Mother-in-law is the matchmaker in Beijing after all, and she knows how to make decisions accurately."

Madam Wan's brows relaxed and she just asked people to keep an eye on the Marquis' Mansion.

The palace doesn't care, so it all depends on the opinion of the Marquis' Mansion.

But there was no movement in the marquis' mansion until the sun set. Suddenly, news came from outside that someone from the Northern Pacification Office of the Jinyiwei had come and taken the eldest master of the Gu family away from Shuntian Prefecture.

Why did the Jinyiwei mention Gu Yangsi for no reason?

Du Zhiqi was surprised that Madam Wan could still sit still.

"Commander Wei is not in the capital, so it must not be his order. The one who brought the person here is the Northern Pacifier. If I remember correctly, the Northern Pacifier is from the Yongding Army, right?"

A Northern Pacification Envoy who came from Yongding Army and was a man of Lu Shenru.

There was no need for Madam Wan to explain this, even the idle people in the streets and alleys of the capital had guessed it.

"It seems that the Marquis has already made his choice."

"Who did the Marquis choose?"

"Then it must be the second daughter of the Du family? Aren't you in a hurry to get your future uncle out? Maybe you're afraid that your uncle will be embarrassed if you just ask Shuntian Prefecture to release him, so you ask Jinyiwei to let him go... ...Give him the title of assisting in the investigation, which sounds good."

Everyone suddenly realized, "That's right. Who would choose an orphan girl when there is Madam Wan's granddaughter? It's useless."

On the street, Acorus was being ordered to gather information, and he was furious when he heard this.

"You are too contemptuous. If you have the guts, go to Qianxingfang and take a gamble to see who the Marquis chooses!"

Everyone looked at him with amusement, "Why, are you the Du family's eldest daughter's man?"

Chang Pu said nothing, but took out ten taels of silver and said, "Do you dare?"

Some people said he was a fool, but why wouldn't he take a fool's money? Quite a few people followed him to Qianxingfang and staked their entire fortunes on it.

When Ruan Gong found Changpu, he saw that he had pawned his belt. He also heard that he had pawned his daughter in marriage to the marquis, so he slapped him on the head.

"The girl is determined to return to Qingzhou. What do you mean by holding her hostage? Are you deliberately going against her?"

Chang Pu felt very aggrieved. "Master Gong, I am just so angry. Why do they flatter that old lady Wan and look down on our daughter?"

These words actually made Ruan Gong's heart stagnate.

He let go of Acorus and said, "Forget it, forget it. Once this matter is settled, we will return to Qingzhou and no longer be involved with these snobs."

The two of them returned to Chengqingfang from time to time to talk to Du Lingjing.

Ruan Gong said, "There are all kinds of rumors out there. But the saying that the Marquis asked the Northern Governor to take Master Gu away is an intentional act of caring for him, so that means he probably agreed to marry the second young lady."

Du Lingjing couldn't help but nod her head at these words, "I hope so."

... ...

Gu Mansion in Huanghuafang.

Madam Wan sent someone to wait at the gate of Jinyiwei. She thought her son would be out in the evening, so she took him home immediately.

Who knew that after waiting for a long time, it was already dark and the person still didn't come back.

Wan's eyelids twitched twice.

Du Zhiqi also felt that something was not right. If the Marquis really asked his "future uncle" to leave and did not allow him to go home at night, would he still let him stay overnight?

He simply stayed with his daughter, believing there would be news tonight.

Everyone was waiting in Rong Yu Hall.

I waited from dusk till midnight, but no news came until the sky in the east turned slightly bright.

The Gu family's steward suddenly ran in, covered in blood.

Everyone looked towards him, and Madam Wan asked anxiously, "What's going on?"

"Madam, the Northern Governor has detained our master and has not released him, but he has leaked the news that our master is suspected of collaborating with the enemy!"

"What?!" Madam Wan almost couldn't stand still, "Then what happened to him?!"

Du Zhiqi was also shocked, and Du Runqing's face turned pale.

Liang urged the steward, "Hurry up and tell me!"

The steward did not speak immediately. Instead, he took out a bloody shirt with a strong fishy smell from his arms.

He put the bloody shirt on the ground with trembling hands.

"The people from the Northern Pacification Office said..."

"say what?!"

"They said, they said it was sent by the Marquis himself, our master is in prison... ...and is about to be beaten to death!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Wan fell down on the armchair behind her.

Du Zhiqi looked at the bloody clothes that smelled fishy and his eyes were dazed.

Du Runqing was stunned. The little girl had never thought of such an outcome. Her voice trembled.

"How could it be? How could it be?!"