Chapter 56 [VIP]

Li Deshun cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Miss Gu, the Emperor said that Miss Ji has grown up in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion since she was a child, so she can stay there for the time being."

Gu Zhizhuo was not surprised by this.

Ji Nanke will become the Third Prince's consort; this is the will of Heaven.

If the Ji family were convicted, then Ji Nanke would have no chance of becoming the Third Prince's consort. Thus, the jade pendant appeared, and Ji Nanke's good fortune "personally" handed the handle over to her, saving the Ji family.

The same applies now.

If she were just an orphan, without parents, she would not be a good match for the Third Prince. But being associated with the title of the cousin of the Duke of Zhenguo's family makes all the difference; she is fully qualified to compete for the position of the Third Prince's consort.

Gu Zhizhuo guessed that if he forcibly drove her away, something big would definitely happen.

Gu Zhizhuo refused any unforeseen changes without being fully prepared.

However, "表姑娘" and "表姑娘" can be different.

"Yes. Please inform His Majesty, Eunuch Li. I will obey your command."

Seeing that she agreed so readily, Li Deshun was relieved.

Speaking of which, Miss Gu has always been quite polite to herself, but I've seen her be less polite to others a few times.

For example, wait a minute!

For a moment, Li Deshun was distracted, and then he saw the rather impolite Miss Gu walk towards Ji Nanke, not forgetting to smile at him and say, "Don't worry, Eunuch Li, Miss Ji is, after all, Aunt Ji's own niece, but..."

Gu Zhizhuo gently patted her shoulder.

"From now on, you need to understand your place. You are no longer the Duchess's niece, but the niece of a concubine. Stop making a scene in front of me. You should just be a proper Miss Ji. My Gu family doesn't need you."

"Either get out."

"Get out of my Gu family, and then go back to flaunt your Miss Ji's arrogance."

Ji Nanke's eyes narrowed suddenly, filled with astonishment.

"If you're living under someone else's roof, you have to follow the rules, understand, Miss Ji?"

Li Deshun: "..."

He wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.

They really don't hold back.

Ji Nanke's expression shifted between light and dark, her delicate body swayed involuntarily, and a sudden feeling of humiliation welled up inside her.

She was living under someone else's roof, but that was no excuse for Gu Zhizhuo to humiliate her.

Gu Zhizhuo insisted on making things difficult for her, and even Xie Jing, who claimed to love only her, did not stand up for her. He even turned his back on Gu Zhizhuo and said some meaningless things.

"Ke'er, don't argue with her."

Xie Jing wanted to tell her how awful Gu Zhizhuo was, and that he was actually capable of hitting people!

Ke'er is innocent and kind; she definitely can't beat her.

Before she could finish speaking, Ji Nanke shoved him away and stared straight at Gu Zhizhuo. For a moment, Xie Jing noticed a strong sense of hostility in her eyes.

Gu Zhizhuo returned to Li Deshun and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Eunuch Li, I have already spoken with Miss Ji."

Hehehe. Li Deshun's lips twitched. Okay, if she said it's settled, then it's settled. Anyway, it's not a big deal! Li Deshun controlled his expression well, his face crinkling with laughter, and said, "Then I'll go back and report." He didn't move as he spoke.

Gu Zhizhu handed over the jade pendant.

“I found this at the Women’s Temple. I don’t know who dropped it. I’d appreciate it if you could help me look for it, sir.”

After he accepted it, she politely curtsied and said, "Farewell, Eunuch Li."

"Miss Gu is truly sensible," Li Deshun thought to himself.

As Gu Zhizhuo watched him leave, he turned around and found Gu Baibai and Gu Liaoliao just a few steps away.

She held the imperial edict in her hand and sent the old woman accompanying the carriage to escort Ji and her servants back to their residence. Ji Nanke watched silently, her stubborn and forbearing demeanor breaking Xie Jing's heart. He took her hand and said affectionately, "Ke'er, you still have me."

Gu Zhizhuo shivered and quickly walked towards Gu Liaoliao and the others: "Third Uncle, Aunt, you've come too."

She smiled nonchalantly and waved the imperial edict in her hand at them.

Gu Liaoliao's voice trembled: "Just now, what did Eunuch Liu say... my elder brother, he..."

“Father’s remains are still here, which is a happy thing.” Gu Zhizhuo said, then changed the subject, “Aunt, did Grandmother send you here?”

Gu Liaoliao nodded. As soon as her mother got home, she hurriedly said that Yaoyao had taken Ji Shi to the Meridian Gate to beat the Dengwen Drum. She told them to send them over so that Yaoyao wouldn't suffer any losses.

She was terrified, thinking someone had bullied Yaoyao, but thankfully it was someone else.

Without saying a word, Gu Zhizhuo pushed Gu Baibai's wheelchair to the corridor.

She looked in the direction of the palace and said, "Father's remains have always been in Daqi."

The patrolling soldiers were far away from them. Gu Baibai's two attendants stood casually on either side, but their eyes were wary.

Gu Liaoliao was startled, her pupils suddenly contracting: "Really?!"

There's no need to ask; Yaoyao would never make up something so important.

Gu Liaoliao's eyes instantly filled with unbearable sorrow, waves of bitterness welling up in her heart. Her elder brother died for the Great Qi, so why could this person on the dragon throne do such a despicable thing, making him unable to die in peace! This caused the Gu family to suffer excruciating pain once again.

The wind rustled Gu Zhizhuo's dress, and the last rays of the setting sun enveloped her cold body with their last warmth.

Gu Zhizhu forced a smile, a bitter smile, as if he had swallowed a mouthful of bitter medicine that he couldn't spit out and could only force down.

She looked up at the setting sun and briefly recounted what had happened. Then she turned to face them and said, "...The emperor wanted to protect the Ji family, so he had no choice but to agree to my conditions."

Gu Zhizhuo spoke very slowly.

These words, as they were spoken, made Gu Liaoliao's heart sink deeper and deeper.

This was completely beyond her comprehension. Gu Liaoliao blurted out, "You mean..."

She suddenly remembered that her niece was not yet married, and some words might offend her ears. Unexpectedly, Gu Zhizhuo spoke up himself, saying those four words in the same tone: "A ruler steals his subject's wife."

Apart from this reason, Gu Zhizhuo really couldn't explain why the emperor insisted on protecting the Ji family.

In the previous life, the emperor left Qin Su to take over the Gu family's Thousand Machine Battalion, and also specially left Ji Shi and Gu Yan as recipients of his favor, giving Gu Yan the title of Duke of Zhenguo and all the wealth accumulated over four generations.

Ji Shi is of great use.

Moreover, it is something that can gain the emperor's trust.

Gu Liaoliao touched her face tenderly. Her hand was covered by a veil, but her fingertips could still clearly feel the coolness of her cheek.

"You little rascal!"

Gu Baibai's face instantly turned cold. Gu Liaoliao sensed something was wrong and quickly stepped in front of him, saying without thinking, "Brother, third brother, dear brother! Don't scold her, she knows she was wrong. Yaoyao, quickly tell her you know you were wrong."

Huh? What did she do wrong? She handled it quite well. Gu Zhizhuo didn't understand, but she was the type to listen to advice, so she obediently said, "I was wrong."

This doesn't look sincere at all!

"hand!"

Gu Baibai even took out the ruler.

Wait a minute! Why is Uncle San carrying a ruler when he goes out?! It's a habit he developed since childhood. Without thinking, Gu Zhizhuo shrank back and crawled behind her aunt.

Gu Liaoliao spread her arms in front of her, saying, "Third Brother, Yaoyao has already apologized."

"You do everything yourself without saying a word. Is there no one in the manor you can trust?!" Gu Baibai was furious. No matter how smart this girl was or how meticulous her plans were, she shouldn't have taken all the risks upon herself.

She was such a young child, yet she desperately wanted to spread her wings and protect them all behind her, even if it meant her own destruction! How could he not feel heartache and anger at that?

He's just crippled in the leg; he's not dead yet.

He's not as useless as he seems.

He could die for the Gu family, but he couldn't bear to see his niece covered in wounds because of the Gu family.

My niece can do whatever she wants; she can stand in front of him instead of burying her head and desperately protecting the whole family.

Gu Zhizhuo paused for a moment, her red lips parted slightly, her heart feeling both bitter and sour.

In her previous life, after the young master's death, she had long been accustomed to being alone, secretly stirring up trouble in the treacherous court and overturning the world. No matter what she did, whether good or evil, she was always alone.

After being reborn.

She was determined to protect the Gu family and her loved ones.

She desperately wanted to stand in front, but she forgot that her family was not weak and easily bullied!

"I was wrong."

This time, Gu Zhizhuo spoke sincerely. She peeked out from behind Gu Liaoliao and carefully extended her hand with her palm facing up.

Gu Baibai picked up the ruler and smacked him.

It hurts!

Just as she raised her hand for the second time, Gu Liaoliao stopped her: "Alright, alright, that's enough." She winked at Gu Zhizhuo, signaling her to run away quickly.

Gu Baibai's gentleness is merely a facade. She is someone who can wield a sword on the battlefield and is willing to cripple her own legs to lure the enemy. She is never a gentle and harmless person. When she gets angry, her stern face alone is enough to make people tremble.

Gu Zhizhuo took off running, not forgetting to call out to Qingmei, and dashed down the Meridian Gate tower.

Gu Baibai almost laughed in anger: "Is this how you spoil her?"

He runs faster than anyone else.

Since her niece had run away, Gu Liaoliao didn't stop her and said nonchalantly, "Don't talk about me, I don't think your ruler will ever come down on me, Third Brother."

Hmph, don't think she can't see through it! If we're going to spoil someone, we'll spoil them together, what's it to me!

Gu Baibai: "..."

Gu Liaoliao casually squatted down beside his wheelchair, her expression slightly lowered, and said, "Seriously, Third Brother, do you think Gu Yan's surname is Gu or... Xie?"

Gu Baibai paused for a moment, then shook her head.

have no idea.

During those years, the war with the Northern Barbarians was at a stalemate, and he and his elder brother spent at least 300 days a year in the northern frontier.

Battle after battle raged, their entire focus on minimizing soldier casualties and protecting the people from the iron cavalry of the Northern Barbarians. Ji Shi's pregnancy was a good thing for the Gu family; their lineage was thin, and any child, boy or girl, was especially precious. Who would suspect that while the eldest brother was desperately protecting the territory of Daqi, the emperor and Ji Shi were having an affair?

“But Gu Yan, he obeyed the title of Wang.” Gu Baibai squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.

The names of this generation of princes all begin with the character "王" (wang, meaning king). Whether it's Xie Jing, Xie Zhuo, Xie Lang...

Gu Yan's name was bestowed by the emperor himself, and it included the character "王" (wang, meaning king) to show the emperor's boundless grace.

Looking back now, it feels like I swallowed a fly whole.

Discovering such a sordid affair, and then using it as leverage, with a do-or-die attitude, she managed to get the emperor to agree to let the Gu family retrieve her elder brother's remains. This whole process was incredibly clever, one step after another. But how much hatred and disgust must Yaoyao have endured to complete all of this?

Gu Baibai punched her numb legs hard.

He had never regretted anything as much as he did now, regretting that he had ruined his legs and suffered from numerous injuries for the sake of Daqi, to the point that he now had to rely on Yaoyao, a child, to stand in front of him.

His narrow eyes were fixed on Gu Zhizhuo as she descended from the city wall, mounted her horse, and prepared to leave.

Just as she was about to look away, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, her whole body leaping with joy as she happily ran toward a young man standing beside a carriage.

The young man was tall and handsome, and just by standing there, he exuded an air of extraordinary nobility.

This is... Young Master Chen?!

He is indeed handsome! The thought that his little niece had taken a liking to his face gave Gu Baibai a headache.

"Let's go back first," he said, rubbing his temples.

"But..." Gu Liaoliao wanted to say, Yaoyao is about to run away with someone!

"News has come from the palace that, in addition to Prince Li and Grand Secretary Song requesting an audience, twelve censors have jointly submitted a memorial imploring the emperor to give the Gu family an explanation."

The fact that the emperor conceded so quickly, not only agreeing to Yaoyao's conditions but also demoting his wife to a concubine, suggests that Xie Yingchen was secretly protecting her and coercing the emperor's will.

“With Yaoyao’s current temperament, she’ll probably go to the Western Frontier herself,” Gu Baibai said. “Come with me to the Thousand Machine Camp and pick some people for Yaoyao. The Western Frontier has been very turbulent lately. The Liang people have massacred several villages, and there are also bandits along the way.”

"Are you really going to send Yaoyao?"

"Can you persuade her?"

The brother and sister exchanged a glance and silently looked away.

I couldn't persuade her!

Gu Liaoliao looked at her little niece who was smiling up at Gongzi Chen. Such joy and dependence, and she still said "I didn't know I would be betrothed" and "I forgot to say it", little liar!

*Yawn!* Gu Zhizhu sneezed, touched his nose, and said with a smile, "Young Master, did you come to pick me up?"

Xie Yingchen smiled and agreed, then asked, "Did Third Master Gu scold you?"

Xie Yingchen stood below and saw from afar that the Third Master of the Gu family had even taken out a ruler.

"Mmm." Gu Zhizhuo held out her palm to show him: "It was my third uncle who hit me!"

Her palms were fair and soft, without a single red mark.

Xie Yingchen's face remained expressionless. He pulled her hands to his lips and breathed on them.

He breathed a few times, looked up at her reddened earlobes, and smiled: "It doesn't hurt anymore."

The warm breath brushed against her palm, and Gu Zhizhuo's heart also felt warm. Her eyes darted away for a moment, and she immediately changed the subject, saying, "Ma... Ma, right, I still need to go and lead the jade lion."

The jade lion heard its name called and nudged her with its nose.

Xie Yingchen took the reins of the jade lion from her hand: "Will you take me back?"

Gu Zhizhuo readily agreed.

The carriage was left standing there. Qin Chen, who was acting as the coachman, took the initiative to drive the empty carriage ahead, with only Chong Jiu following at a distance. Qing Mei also simply moved even further away, falling behind.

After exiting the Meridian Gate, Gu Zhizhuo took the initiative to say, "Young Master, I would like to go to Aur City."

She didn't want to wait any longer and wanted to bring her father's remains back as soon as possible to be buried with her mother.

"good."

Xie Yingchen did not hesitate at all.

If she wants to go, she can go!

Xie Yingchen said, "Aur City is located on the border between Daqi and Xiliang, and is one of the thirteen border cities. The garrison commander's surname is Jiang, and his given name is Jiang Youzheng. He entered officialdom through the military examination in the tenth year of Taiyuan."

Gu Zhizhuo's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her phoenix eyes sparkled.

Xie Yingchen walked beside her, neither of them holding the reins. The jade lion hopped and skipped behind, occasionally nuzzling Gu Zhizhuo's palm with its head.

"In the twentieth year of the Taiyuan era, Jiang Youzheng served as a Qianzong (military officer) in Balehai City in the western frontier. After the city's garrison commander was killed in battle that year, he held the city gates and refused to open them, thus saving the people under his jurisdiction from slaughter. Three years ago, he was transferred to Aur City as a garrison commander. The Jiang family is of military lineage. Do you know Jiang Youyi? He has been stationed in Minzhou since the tenth year of the Taiyuan era."

Upon hearing this, Gu Zhizhuo understood. In her previous life, she had accompanied the young master to Minzhou and met Jiang Youyi, who was then the general of Minzhou.

"The Jiang family is a legitimate family of military generals."

Xie Yingchen used a very strange word: "serious".

"He has the temperament of a warrior and the shrewdness of an official."

“Besides Jiang Youzheng, there is another person in Aur City you need to pay attention to. His surname is Liu, and his name is Liu Nuo. He is a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the third year of Chengqing.”

Chengqing is the current reign title.

Xie Yingchen paused for a moment, then continued, "Liu Nuo was also transferred to Aur City three years ago. At that time, the war with Liang had just ended, and Liang withdrew its troops, resulting in heavy losses for the cities in the western frontier. Liang carried out several massacres, reducing the population of the western frontier by nearly 50%, and even local officials were mostly killed. In addition to redeploying the garrisons of the cities, the emperor also set up a military supervisor in each city."

Xie Yingchen spoke of these things with great ease.

Even three years ago, when he was in Liang Kingdom, he knew everything about the Great Qi Dynasty.

"Emperor Taizu valued military prowess over civil administration. In order to prevent military power from falling into the wrong hands, the current emperor has chosen to rely heavily on scholars and civil officials, but he is not capable enough."

Xie Yingchen calmly said the words "insufficient ability".

“The ruler is weak while the ministers are strong. The current emperor has been on the throne for six years, and he still cannot suppress the ministers left by the late emperor.”

Gu Zhizhuo nodded thoughtfully: "...He wanted to make Xie Jing the crown prince, but the court opposed it, so he had no choice but to endure it."

This is very easy to understand.

He couldn't balance the factional struggles in the court, and before the court could reach a conclusion, he himself became timid.

Therefore, the power of the Eastern Depot, which could do some dirty work for him, gradually increased.

Xie Yingchen smiled slightly: "After realizing that he could not control the court and the people, the current emperor thought of replacing all these old ministers with his own 'disciples of the emperor'."

"Starting from the third year of the Chengqing reign, the current emperor began to cultivate those students who had just embarked on their official careers."

"Especially for scholars from humble backgrounds, who have no connection with the families that have long been rooted in the court, the emperor trusts them more. As a result of this greater trust, they are all given important positions. For example, Liu Nuo was sent to Aur City as a military supervisor shortly after passing the imperial examination."

Gu Zhizhuo was stunned, blinking incredulously. She really wouldn't have known this if Xie Yingchen hadn't told her.

Born into a poor family?

Military supervisor?

A person who has just passed the imperial examination?

She recognized every single word here, but put them together, it was like a colossal absurdity.

Gu Zhizhuo let out a low sneer, then couldn't help but laugh, his laughter filled with endless mockery.

It wasn't that she looked down on people from poor families.

Rather, being born into poverty meant that before passing the imperial examinations and entering officialdom, all he saw was schools, oil lamps, and the Four Books and Five Classics. He likely never left home except for the imperial examinations, was ignorant of worldly affairs, and knew nothing of people's lives. What could such a person know about serving as a military supervisor on the frontier?

If one is of good character, humble and eager to learn, then by taking on this task, observing, listening and learning more, and gaining experience for three to five years, one might be able to become proficient.

However, civil and military affairs have never been compatible. Emperor Taizu favored military over civil officials, and Confucian scholars had long been disgusted with military generals. If a scholar from a humble background were to become arrogant and domineering after gaining power, and use the emperor's authority to suppress the defense of a city, it would inevitably cause serious problems during wartime.

"What is Liu Nuo's temperament like?" Gu Zhizhuo asked, frowning.

"Arrogant and conceited."

Xie Yingchen only used these four characters.

"Hey you, are you out of your mind?!" Gu Zhizhuo made no attempt to hide the disgust in his eyes. "If all the cities in the Western Frontier are like this, we'll be finished when the Liang Kingdom comes!"

Don't you think so?

As we walked along, more and more pedestrians appeared around us, and some small stalls were set up one after another, bustling about and greeting customers.

"yes……"

"Aaaaaaah!"

A sudden scream interrupted their conversation. In the tavern directly in front of them, a figure tumbled down the steps, followed by three or five burly men who rushed out and began punching and kicking him.

Gu Zhizhuo grabbed Xie Yingchen's sleeve and pulled him several steps away, then stepped forward and reached for the long whip at his waist.

The series of movements were as smooth as flowing water.

Xie Yingchen, who was neatly shielded behind him: ? ? ?

Something seems off.

"Thank goodness, it's just a fight." Gu Zhizhuo observed carefully, then turned around with a bright smile.

Xie Yingchen chuckled softly and said in a serious tone, "I was terrified, thank goodness you were here!"

A note from the author: