77 House Arrest
"It seems Yuan Le is only willing to be loyal to his brother."
In the imperial study, a memorial requesting an external post had been suppressed for three full days.
Lu Jing looked up at the map of Jiangnan Road. Hangzhou and Huzhou were only a hundred miles away from the Zhennan Army's headquarters, so they were good places to choose.
No wonder she said she had no regrets when she was in Wangyun Tower that day. It turned out that she had already thought of her destination long ago.
Another secret report was placed on the imperial desk. The secret guards found out about the business and learned that Yuan Le had planned to sell the house he had bought with his cousin in Xingqingfang some time ago.
This was not a whim, but something she had planned for a long time.
The warm morning sun shone on the jade steps. When Gu Ningxi was summoned to the outside of the imperial study, a matter in the Ministry of Works was only half dealt with.
Looking at the closed door of the imperial study, she felt a sense of unease in her heart and whispered to Sun Jing, "General Manager, what does His Majesty want to see me about?"
Sun Jing couldn't explain why, he just felt that Lord Gu was a little too nervous.
Even though there was a previous dispute over the succession, His Majesty has never had any grudge against Lord Gu and has always been much closer to him than to others.
"How is your Majesty feeling these days?"
Sun Jing thought about it carefully and realized that because of the busy state affairs, His Majesty had been staying in the imperial study recently and rarely had people serve him in the inner room.
But it doesn’t matter. Your Majesty always feels better when he sees Lord Gu.
Just then, the attendant who had gone into the Imperial Study to deliver the message returned to report. Sun Jing said cheerfully, "Your Majesty is free right now. Sir Gu, please come in."
Gu Ningxi straightened his robe and silently walked up the jade steps.
The door of the imperial study slowly closed behind her.
Sunlight streamed in through the window. She avoided the gaze of the person above her and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I greet you. May your Majesty be blessed."
"Yes." She heard the emperor agree calmly, "Sit down."
Gu Ningxi thought about it and found a place that was neither too far nor too close. This kind of private summons always made her recall her first dream.
She folded her palms nervously. Everywhere she looked, she saw that the furnishings in the imperial study had been completely replaced.
Unlike in her dream, there was no time to arrange anything.
There was a moment of silence, which seemed very long to Gu Ningxi. She quietly raised her eyes and saw that the emperor was casually holding the memorial she had submitted a few days ago.
"Do you want to ask to be sent out?" she heard him say.
I thought that the approval of the Ministry of Personnel would be enough, but I didn't expect that the memorial would still be handed to His Majesty.
Gu Ningxi replied, "Your Majesty, yes."
"Didn't you say you liked being in the Ministry of Industry?"
Once an official is sent to a remote place, many of them will serve in various places and may never have the chance to be transferred back to Kyoto in their lifetime.
How could a local official's career compare to that of the Shangshu and the six ministries? Had she thought it through? Moreover, the Xuanping Marquisate was in decline at court, so she was afraid it would not be able to help her with her affairs.
Gu Ningxi pursed her lips and said reluctantly, "Most officials in the court are sent out for training."
"That's an ordinary person," Lu Jing pointed out bluntly, "a top-ranked scholar wouldn't need to be like that."
Many people are keeping a close eye on the vacancies in the six ministries of the imperial court. There are very few officials like Yuan Le who request to be sent out of the capital without receiving a transfer order from the court.
Gu Ningxi was speechless for a moment.
Lu Jing then asked, "Why do you want to go to Jiangnan?"
"I've heard that Jiangnan is a beautiful place with beautiful mountains and rivers, and it's home to outstanding people and a wonderful environment." She was quick to respond, taking the opportunity to elaborate on the previous question. "I grew up in the capital and have never traveled far from home. I also want to go out of the capital to see different landscapes."
"If you want to enjoy the scenery, there will be plenty of opportunities during your southern tour in the future. A trip south by boat will only take a few months. Why bother with such a long journey?"
"But I..." Gu Ningxi met the gaze of the person on the throne. Lu Jing said, "Gu Yuanle, are you going to tell me that you think you have a better future in Jiangnan than in Kyoto? Or are you going to tell me that the people in Jiangnan are better than those in Kyoto?"
"That's not what I meant." Gu Ningxi vaguely sensed that the person in front of him was angry. Could it be because she had decided to leave without informing him in advance?
But exile was a matter of official business. How could she discuss it with the monarch? She had to have a conclusion before she could say goodbye to her friend.
Gu Ningxi lowered her eyes. She understood the emperor's intention. It wasn't that she didn't want to stay in the court, but given her status, marrying and having children would be flaws, so she couldn't stay in the court for long.
Her face was clearly filled with embarrassment. Lu Jing asked, "Have you really decided? Are you going to give up everything in Kyoto?"
"If you regret it, I can just ignore this memorial."
"Your Majesty..." In just a few breaths, Gu Ningxi made the final decision.
She was not the type to drag her feet, so she stood up and knelt in front of the imperial desk.
"I am a humble official, and I hope Your Majesty will grant me your approval."
Having said that, is there anything else that Lu Jing doesn’t understand?
For the sake of a mere cousin, she was willing to leave her beloved Ministry of Industry and give up her bright career.
What did Meng Mingxuan have that was worth her sacrifice? When he went to Jiangnan to build his career, did he ever think about her situation?
She gave in step by step, and the people and things in Kyoto were not enough to make her stay.
The imperial study suddenly fell into silence, and even the sound of the memorial case being thrown on the table was particularly clear.
Gu Ningxi seemed to be able to hear her own heartbeat. During the silent confrontation, a thin layer of cold sweat broke out on her palms.
"It seems that Yuan Le is only willing to be loyal to his brother."
"Your Majesty?! Your Majesty has misunderstood."
When Gu Ningxi finally heard the reply from the leader, his heart seemed to skip a beat.
These words were extremely serious. The Gu family of Xuanping Hou had originally been a member of the Shu King's old party and had never pledged allegiance to the new emperor. Now that the new emperor had ascended the throne, the Gu family's descendants were walking on thin ice in the court.
Is this going to take action against the Gu family and use her as a scapegoat?
The emperor didn't give her a chance to speak: "Go away. You don't have to attend court or work at the Ministry of Works for the next few days."
"His Majesty--"
All of Gu Ningxi's words were beyond her expectations. She wanted to argue, but the emperor didn't allow her to argue. He said, "Back!"
Outside the imperial study, Sun Jing was shocked when he heard the slightest movement from inside.
What on earth happened? How did it become like this?
When the door of the imperial study opened, Sun Jing hurried forward to help Lord Gu, and for a moment he didn't know who to persuade.
Sun Jing did not dare to ask more questions and could only follow the emperor's instructions and order someone to escort Lord Gu back home.
The sun was shining brightly, and he noticed that Lord Gu's lips were a little pale, and he thought of the worry he had when Lord Gu came.
He didn't know what was going on, so when no one noticed, he quietly advised, "Wait a while until His Majesty is in a better mood, and then Lord Gu can come back and talk to His Majesty properly."
Gu Ningxi was still in shock. Feeling the kindness of Manager Sun, she thanked him.
Sun Jing watched the carriage gradually leave, then looked up at the cloudless sky, and felt as if he was dreaming.
Your Majesty has always treated Lord Gu well, how could this happen?
…
In the afternoon, a play called "Half a Lifelong Romance" was being performed lively on the palace stage.
Sun Jing was standing by. The emperor hadn't even had lunch yet, but on a whim he asked to listen to this play. Sun Jing hurriedly took people to arrange it.
He was even more puzzled, for His Majesty had clearly issued an order before that Half a Lifelong Romance was not to be performed in Prince Zhao's Palace any more, and it was obvious that he disliked this play.
But it doesn’t matter, Sun Jing thought immediately.
After all, we are in the palace now, not Prince Zhao's mansion.
Seeing that His Majesty hadn't even touched the cakes and fruits in front of him, Sun Jing asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, would you like some more snacks, or perhaps lunch?"
The opera was singing about Li Niang's acquaintance with a powerful official in the capital, who discovered her identity.
“Neither is necessary.”
If it were any other time, Sun Jing could still follow Lord Gu's method last time and have someone go outside the palace to buy some food.
But it just so happened that it was Lord Gu who had angered His Majesty today, so how could Sun Jing dare to add fuel to the fire?
He sighed and stepped back silently.
Lu Jing held up a secret report in his hand, which Cheng Wu had brought back from the Liang family in Jinzhou last year.
According to Yuan Le's wet nurse, the eldest son of the Xuanping Marquis's family had been childless. To secure the crown prince position and dispel rumors, the Marquis, already having several daughters, adopted the newly born Yuan Le as his legitimate son.
This was reasonable, but the nurse also mentioned that the Xuanping Marquisate had arranged a fallback plan, sending a baby girl to a separate estate so they could later lie to the public that Madam Meng had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The two children had conflicting fates, so they couldn't be raised together.
As for other details, such as why the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion took the risk of doing such a thing, and why they didn't just adopt a baby boy to replace the boy with a girl, the wet nurse had no idea.
"Half a Lifelong Romance" was still being performed on the stage. Li Niang was accused and had no choice but to admit her identity as a woman in the court and kneel down to ask His Majesty to re-examine her cousin's unjust case.
For a time, the court was in turmoil, and some ministers advocated punishing Li Niang for deceiving the emperor by disguising herself as a man.
The powerful and influential people pleaded for her and secured Li Niang the opportunity to speak in the court.
In addition to gratitude towards him, Li Niang seemed to have some different feelings for him, but she restrained them in time.
He arrived too late and missed everything.
A hint of sarcasm flashed across Lu Jing's eyes. How is that possible?
Before singing the part where Li Jun rejected the powerful and resigned from her official position to return home with her cousin, Lu Jing stopped the whole play.
He doesn't have that kind of temperament.
He will never let go.
Lu Jing said coldly: "Summon Marquis Xuanping to the palace."
…
The opera in the palace was singing and playing endlessly, but the Leyou Courtyard was quiet.
After returning from the palace, Gu Ningxi changed out of his official uniform and dismissed everyone in the bedroom.
She sat on the couch with her knees hugged, recalling over and over again everything that had happened in the imperial study that morning.
She was afraid that the emperor's pressure would come at her head, and she had no idea how to deal with it.
She was puzzled and didn't understand why the man on the dragon throne was so angry today?
She was angry. Even if he wanted to suppress the Xuanping Marquis Mansion, why did he use her as a target?
How had she ever wronged him in this life that he didn't even remember their past feelings?
Among the myriad complex emotions, there is also a bit of grievance.
Yes, it’s aggrieved.
From childhood to adulthood, he had never been so cold and hard to her.
Unable to make any sense of what was going on, Gu Ningxi simply covered herself with the quilt and lay down to sleep.
She just thought she was being a little pretentious; with the new emperor on the throne, things were of course different from before.
From the afternoon until dusk, Gu Ningxi didn't know whether she had fallen asleep or not.
The afterglow of the setting sun illuminates the entire palace, and the glazed tiles on the roof of the palace reflect colorful light.
After leaving the imperial study for a long time, I could see the carriage of Marquis Xuanping from afar.
The palace attendant turned back and said, "Goodbye, my Lord."
In a quiet corner, where no one was around, Marquis Xuanping leaned against the palace wall, gasping for breath.
The emperor, who was in his early twenties and had just ascended the throne, was even more imposing than the retired emperor of that time.
In His Majesty, he seemed to see the shadow of Emperor Gaozu when he conquered the world.
During the half hour in the imperial study, Marquis Xuanping almost had a close call with death.
When His Majesty mentioned that twenty years ago, the Marquis's family had sent their daughter to the other manor, he was horrified. He didn't even have time to think about where the flaw in this old story had been revealed, and he thought his family was about to be destroyed.
But I didn't expect that the next moment, I would find a way out of despair and spring would come back to life!
He didn't know what kind of disbelief suddenly overwhelmed his panic when he heard the deep meaning of His Majesty's words.
If they catch it, it will bring immense glory to the Gu family and help the Marquis' Mansion reach the top of the court!
"My Lord."
The personal attendants of Marquis Xuanping's mansion were unable to wait for Marquis Xuanping for a long time, so they came all the way here to look for him.
He saw that the Marquis looked pale, as if he had been seriously ill, and his whole body looked as miserable as if he had been pulled out of the water.
"No problem." Xuan Pinghou straightened his back and said, "Let's go back home."
"Yes, my lord."
As the carriage left the palace, Marquis Xuanping suppressed the pounding of his heart.
The Yao family of Yi'an Hou were once just an ordinary aristocratic family in Jinyang. They had no military achievements to establish a country, nor any achievements in the court, yet they have managed to prosper in the Jin Dynasty to this day.
For what? To marry into the royal family.
His Xuanping Marquis Mansion was a founding hero, and his family had made great achievements for generations, which the Yao family could not even begin to match.
The fortune the master had calculated for Xier turned out to be accurate, and she was indeed in the top three, the most noble one in the world!
When he arrived at the gate of the marquis' mansion, Marquis Xuanping went straight to the back house.
He went to Qinlan Courtyard first, where Mrs. Meng was embroidering.
The Marquis has been at home most of the time, and when Madam Meng stood up to pay her respects, she was held back.
Tea was quickly poured in Qinlan Courtyard, and at this moment, Marquis Xuanping had calmed down.
He said, "Where's Xi'er?"
"She has been asleep in her room for at least an hour or two."
Seeing that it was almost time for dinner, Madam Meng said, "If the Marquis is looking for her, I will have someone wake her up."
"Not yet. When did Xi'er come back?"
"Around noon."
"How does she look?"
"Not very good."
Mrs. Meng was worried about this. Today was not a day off, and Xi'er had returned home suddenly, and she had no appetite. She even had to coax her into eating two bites of lunch.
"My Lord, has something serious happened?"
"No, don't worry." Xuan Pinghou comforted her, "Don't let your imagination run wild. Good things will happen in the end."
He did not stay for long and ordered someone to go to the courtyard of Lord Gu to inform his father to discuss this important matter with him.
…
The weather was sunny for several days, so Gu Ningxi didn't have to go to the Ministry of Works for duty. He stayed in Leyouyuan for two days.
When she came back the day before yesterday, she had wanted to go to the Ministry of Industry to sort out some things and finish the unfinished tasks.
However, he was sent directly back to his residence by the imperial carriage, without even having time to ask for leave.
Gu Ningxi was waiting for news from the palace. When she had nothing to do, she could only flip through books and draw pictures in the study, feeling very bored.
She simply ordered the servant to harness the carriage and go for a walk on the street, which was better than staying at home and thinking about random things.
But when she changed into her going-out clothes and brought the servant to the gate of the mansion, she was stopped at the gate for the first time.
"What's wrong?"
"Please forgive me, Erlangjun. I have been recuperating at home for the time being and it is not appropriate for me to leave the house."
"What did you say?" Gu Ningxi blurted out. When did she need to rest?
The guards were in a dilemma, but they still stayed where they were.
The road that had been smooth in the past now made Gu Ningxi feel at a loss.
On the other side of the wall, she could hear the hustle and bustle of people coming and going on the street.
"What if I have to go out?"
The guards apologized and explained everything in detail: "This is the order of the Marquis, and we can only follow it. Please don't make it difficult for us, Lord Erlang."
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