Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Two Updates in One
Gu Zhizhuo clenched his fists tightly.
Her angry eyes swept over Ji and Gu Yan, who was crying loudly in Ji's arms. At this moment, Ji looked like she was stared at by a poisonous snake and her face turned pale.
Gu Zhizhuo retracted the dagger, handed the bird to Qiongfang and asked her to take it back to the yard and place it there, then ran out without looking back.
She had no time to care about Ji Shi now. In her previous life, Ah Man died on the seventh day of the fifth lunar month.
It is the first day of May. Logically, it should not be the time yet. However, fate is never static.
It is possible that Ah Man’s death will come earlier!
She suddenly stopped, called out to Qiongfang, and ordered in a cold voice, "Go gather some men. After leaving the city, head north. There's a small village with a river in it. Have your men start from the upper reaches of the river and search downwards, spreading out in a dispersed manner."
"Go to the front yard and use my token to transfer the people there."
In the previous life, Ah Man's body was found in this small village.
There was an old widow in the village. When she was washing clothes, she saw her floating down from upstream and fished her out.
Otherwise, no one knows where it will eventually drift to, let alone whether it can be found.
Qiongfang agreed and ran faster with the bird in her arms.
Gu Zhizhuo took out a compass from her sleeve pocket. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and the magnetic needle of Tianchi was trembling as well.
calm!
After repeating it silently several times, she finally held the compass steadily.
She couldn't figure out whether Ah Man's death had come earlier than expected, nor could she figure out where Ah Man would be now, but God would always leave a glimmer of hope for everyone.
Gu Zhizhuo was calculating this glimmer of hope.
She slowly turned the inner disk, and Qingmei couldn't help counting silently in her heart. She counted to three hundred and fifty-nine, and the shaking magnetic needle suddenly stopped.
"southeast?"
Gu Zhizhuo muttered to himself.
The Jing'an Marquis's Mansion is not in the southeast, and the village and river where Ah Man's body was found are not in the southeast either.
Qingmei tilted her head and stared at the compass. The only thing she was sure of was that the magnetic needle was definitely not pointing to the southeast.
The girl was probably looking at these scribbles-like things on the compass!
Gu Zhizhuo put the compass in his pocket, ran straight to the stable, took the jade lion and left.
Ah Man is too close to her bloodline, and she is not sure whether this divination is accurate. Or she can go to the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion to take a look first. If Ah Man is still there, everything will be easy.
Just as he was thinking about it, the corner gate opened, and a black lacquered carriage with the emblem of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion entered the gate, surrounded by a group of guards.
Gu Zhizhuo's mind moved, and he stepped forward and called out, "Is it Grandmother and Auntie who are back?"
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing Gu Liaoliao's heroic face. She asked, "Sister Zhuo, did you just come back, or are you about to go out?" Her face didn't look very good, and she was forcing a smile.
Gu Zhizhuo cut to the chase: "The wife of the Marquis of Jing'an took Ah Man away."
Gu Liaoliao's expression froze, and she asked anxiously, "What did you say?"
The empress summoned her to the palace because the wife of the Marquis of Jing'an had filed a complaint. She had originally been summoned alone, but her mother, worried about her, had gone with her. Since her mother was also present, the empress refrained from harsh criticism, simply stating that as a married woman, she had a duty and should not live constantly in her parents' home. She still had her in-laws to be filial to, and that a child was on the way, and since she was born the legitimate wife and the first consort, she should not be jealous.
After listening to so much nonsense, now you tell her that A'man was taken away by the wife of the Marquis of Jing'an?
No! Who let the Qin family in?! She clearly gave the order.
Gu Zhizhuo simply explained the matter, and before she could ask any more questions, he began to exaggerate, "I asked for a divination for Ah Man at the Taiqing Temple. The temple master himself interpreted it as a very bad omen. He said there was a calamity of life and death. I'm afraid something bad will happen if the Qin family takes Ah Man away."
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu leaned forward and said in shock, "Are you telling the truth?!" Compared to the newcomer Qingping Zhenren, most older people like Madam Gu believe in the master of the temple more.
"Absolutely true."
Mrs. Gu was frightened.
The Dowager had originally thought that the Lady of the Jing'an Marquis was her grandmother after all, and that it was indeed impolite for her to come to their house and take Ah Man away without permission, but there was no need to be so anxious, especially since the Empress had just scolded her for Ah Liao staying at her parents' house for so long. The Dowager had originally thought that if the Lady of the Jing'an Marquis took Ah Man back, she could let her stay with her for a day and then go and get her back tomorrow, which would be considered an explanation to the Empress.
And now, she wished she could go to the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion and snatch Ah Man back.
"Grandmother, please go to the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion with my aunt now."
"right!"
Since the matter involves her daughter and granddaughter, the lady is quite smart.
A Liao was the wife of the Qin family's heir apparent and the daughter-in-law of Lady Jing'an. Filial piety came first. If Lady Jing'an used this to prevent her from seeing A Man, there would be no way to stop her for a while. But going by herself would be different.
The lady ordered repeatedly: "Quick, turn around quickly."
Gu Liaoliao's mind was buzzing, confused and anxious.
So, the carriage had just entered the corner gate when it turned around and went out.
"Qingmei, you go with me," Gu Zhizhuo instructed. "Whether Ah Man is at the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion or not, tell me immediately."
"Come to the southeast to find me."
She looked at Qingmei seriously and said, "You can find it, right?"
This was the first time since she followed Gu Zhizhuo that she had given an order in such a serious manner.
Qingmei immediately realized that the girl knew that she was not the only one sent here by her master. She was in the open, but there were actually others in the dark. Therefore, she believed that she could find her.
"Yes." Qingmei agreed, "I will go first."
After Qingmei finished speaking, she pulled the reins and chased after the carriage.
Gu Zhizhuo took the compass in his hand and headed straight to the southeast.
The capital city is square. There is an old saying that "the east is rich and the west is noble, the south is poor and the north is humble". The east side of the capital city is mostly inhabited by wealthy families. It is also the most prosperous area in the entire capital, with cars coming and going, and restaurants and brothels every few steps, bustling with people.
Gu Zhizhuo rode his horse all the way, and every time he came to a fork in the road, he took out the compass to check.
It was not until near Zhangtai Street that the magnetic needle of Tianchi finally began to shake again. Gu Zhizhuo lowered her head and calculated, and the next moment, her eyes fell on a theater not far away.
"girl."
Qingmei arrived at this time. Gu Zhizhuo turned around and looked. Qingmei pulled the reins and said quickly, "Miss, the wife of the Marquis of Jing'an said that our cousin is missing."
Her tone was filled with anger.
Qingmei followed him to the Jing'an Marquis's residence. The Marquis's wife initially said Ah Man had gone to bed and wouldn't let her see him. When Madam Gu insisted on forcing her way in, Qingmei reluctantly said, "He got lost." Then she started complaining, saying Ah Man was disobedient, throwing a tantrum on the way, insisting on going to a circus. So, she took Ah Man to see a circus, but Ah Man ran away as soon as they got off the carriage, and they searched for him for a long time.
Not to mention that the eldest aunt got angry on the spot, even she wanted to touch the whip.
Ah Man can't even speak, yet he's clamoring to watch a circus? He's lying to this extent, and he's not afraid of being struck by lightning!
Ah Man is lively and not afraid of strangers. Qing Mei always secretly lifts her up high to watch the birds. They have been having a great time together these days.
When she heard Jing's story at Taiqing Temple, she didn't quite believe it. They weren't ordinary people. A noble family, no matter how poor, wouldn't be so desperate to raise a little girl that they'd kill her. But the girl's expression at the time was filled with fear, hatred, and grief, as if she was absolutely certain the Qin family would do this.
But as soon as she came back, Lady Jing'an actually "lost" Ah Man!
Gu Zhizhuo just said, "Follow me."
Qingmei glanced in the direction she was going and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She quickly caught up with Gu Zhizhuo, but before he could stop her, she saw Gu Zhizhuo throwing the reins to the waiter who came out to greet him, and looked up at the theater sign.
This theater is called Xiang Theater, and it is one of the two largest theaters in the capital. It has two floors, and the second floor is full of private rooms.
The window of the box facing the street was half open. On the windowsill sat a black tabby cat, its body lithe and graceful. A bony hand was stroking its chin. Its long red sleeves hung over the railing, and the gold embroidery gleamed in the sunlight.
The cat squinted comfortably.
"Meow."
It called out in a sweet voice, and the owner of the hand lowered his head to take a look, with black hair, red lips and sparkling eyes.
Their eyes met for a moment, then the window slammed shut and the cat disappeared.
Gu Zhizhuo: “…”
She calmed down a little and strode into the theater.
Qingmei also saw the person, and shrank behind Gu Zhizhuo with stiff hands and feet.
"Miss, please come in." The waiter came over and greeted her warmly, "There are no private rooms today, please see..."
"Looking for someone."
After Gu Zhizhuo finished speaking, he walked up the stairs.
"Miss." Qingmei hurriedly caught up and whispered, "This theater is one of the bases of the East Factory."
Oh? Gu Zhizhuo raised an eyebrow. If Qingmei hadn't said it, she really wouldn't have thought that such a bustling theater where anyone could come would actually be a stronghold.
"However, the master should just be here to watch the show."
Gu Zhizhuo nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
After going up to the second floor, Gu Zhizhuo walked straight towards the box. Sheng Jiang in front of the box door looked at her with an indescribable expression.
Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile, "Please pass it on."
Sheng Jiang didn't move.
Qingmei, who was following behind Gu Zhizhuo, kept bowing to him, but he remained unmoved.
Gu Zhizhuo had no idea what it meant to retreat when faced with difficulties. She cleared her throat and said in a neutral tone, "Du Chen..."
Sheng Jiang quickly interrupted her and said, "Miss, wait a moment." He said these words with gritted teeth.
If it were anyone else, Sheng Jiang would never believe they had the guts to expose his master's identity even though they knew he was inside. But this person... he had no idea what they were capable of.
Sheng Jiang took the hanging duster and cleaned the soles of his shoes, then went in to report in person. Soon, he respectfully invited her in.
Qingmei didn't dare to follow and stayed outside obediently.
Gu Zhizhuo bowed to Sheng Jiang to express his gratitude, then calmly stepped onto the snow-white shag carpet, leaving behind a few muddy footprints.
Chen Xu was still dressed in red, leaning against a royal chair, his fingers tapping the armrests intermittently, agarwood Buddhist beads dangling from his fingertips. Seeing Gu Zhizhuo come in, he looked at her with disdain in his peach blossom eyes, and said sarcastically in a feminine voice, "Have you come back from rolling in the mud?"
Um, it's not that bad, just because I climbed the mountain and my shoes are a little dirty, that's all.
"Master Governor."
Gu Zhizhuo bowed with a smile, not caring about his cold face, and sat down opposite him naturally.
She did the same thing once, and when she did it the second time, Shen Xu didn't even bother to lift her eyelids.
The tabby cat stood on the Huanghuali square table, staring at Gu Zhizhuo with its golden eyes without blinking, and meowed as if to say hello.
"Master, please help me."
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes were burning, and without waiting for his consent, he said to himself, "Please help me find a little girl, about three or four years old, this tall..."
Shen Xu was too lazy to pay attention to her.
Considering this Man Daqi, who would dare to ask him to help find the child in front of him?!
"Please."
Gu Zhizhuo finished his words in one breath, clasped his hands together and said, "This is a thank you gift."
She pulled out a jade plaque from her purse and boasted, "I made it myself. It's very effective."
Shen Xu lowered his eyes to take a look and laughed angrily.
He pinched the edge of the jade token with two fingers and lifted it up with disdain as if it were something dirty: "Are you sure this is a thank you gift?"
This jade plaque is so ugly that it's appalling.
None of the runes carved on it were worth looking at; they were either severely crooked or varied in thickness and depth. The only decent thing was the jade, but he could easily pull out a handful of this quality white jade.
Take it as a thank you gift? Does he need such ugly things? Pah, he doesn't need anything that is not ugly.
Gu Zhizhuo felt guilty for a moment.
She carved two jade plaques in total at that time. Initially, she planned to give one to Ah Man and one to the young master. The one for Ah Man was a calming talisman, and the one for the young master was a peace talisman. However, the two were too ugly, so she didn't feel comfortable giving it to the young master.
But she immediately regained her composure.
"Don't worry, if it wasn't truly useful, I wouldn't dare to use it to fool you." Gu Zhizhuo placed the compass on the table and told the truth, "I calculated that this child's only chance of survival is you."
Apart from the East Factory's spies throughout the capital, no one could find a child who couldn't even speak in such a vast capital in such a short time.
That's why this hexagram happened to him.
"Please help me."
Shen Xu took a sip of tea from the tea bowl.
When she was in Zhuangzi, she was in a situation where there was no chance of survival, but she never asked for help. She was like a cunning raccoon that would stretch out its claws and scratch people at any moment.
Shen Xu raised his hand and knocked on the table three times. Sheng Jiang pushed the door open and came in. He first glanced at Gu Zhizhuo who was sitting opposite his master, secretly marveling at how courageous this girl was. Then he stood there and waited for instructions.
"You say it yourself." Shen Xu said impatiently.
"I want to find a child."
Sheng Jiang was shocked, but inwardly he gave Miss Gu a thumbs-up. She'd come to the East Depot looking for her child—this was definitely a first.
"The child's name is Ah Man. He can't speak, but he can hear."
Gu Zhizhuo described Ah Man's characteristics in detail.
Since she had asked Chen Xu to help, she didn't hide anything and said, "A'man was taken away by the wife of the Jing'an Earl. It was just after noon. Just now, the wife of the Jing'an Earl said that she was missing."
So, at most, I lost two hours. Why is Miss Gu so anxious, like she's about to die? Last time, she was practically dying, and she didn't even frown.
Sheng Jiang glanced at his master. Shen Xu didn't say anything, so he certainly didn't have any objections.
"The Lady of Jing'an probably wants to drown her, so it must be done as soon as possible."
At this point, even Shen Xu looked at her, his eyes fell on the compass in her hand, and he was slightly thoughtful.
He finally managed to say: "As soon as possible."
Sheng Jiang agreed solemnly. As soon as he left the box, he called someone over and gave him some instructions.
Qingmei whispered aside, "I didn't tell the young lady that the master was here."
And even she didn't know that the master was here today.
"Miss Gu figured it out herself."
Sheng Jiang remained silent.
Regardless of whether it can be calculated or not, as long as the master doesn't care, then this matter is not important at all.
A rumbling sound was heard.
The show begins.
After asking for instructions, Sheng Jiang ordered someone to open the partition close to the stage. Sitting in this box, one could have a clear view of the entire stage.
Gu Zhizhuo listened to the humming song absentmindedly.
She might have been wrong from the start.
It was she, not anyone else, who was reborn with such a great opportunity.
Therefore, in this life, their fate has not changed, and the death calamity bestowed upon them by heaven is still there and cannot be avoided.
Ah Man died unexpectedly in her previous life, so she had to face death all over again, just like Qin Chen.
Only by giving birth can you live.
She had never been reborn before, so she was careless.
"Meow."
The tabby cat walked up to her with graceful steps, sat down, and scratched her hand with its soft paw pads.
Alas. Gu Zhizhuo sighed secretly and gave it a perfunctory touch. The tabby cat was enjoying itself, stepping on her arm with its front paws, squinting its eyes in satisfaction and making a "gurgling" sound.
She looked at its tail, her eyes lit up and she said, "Master, this raccoon is actually a Qilin cat."
"It's not mine." Chen Xu said indifferently.
He didn't know where the cat came from, but it stayed with him and refused to leave.
Oh. Gu Zhizhuo understood: "Because it likes you."
Cough! Sheng Jiang's saliva got stuck in his throat, and he coughed so hard that he almost died. What about liking or disliking? This Miss Gu even dared to say such things casually.
Chen Xu raised the corner of his eye, glanced at her sideways, and sneered.
"It's a Qilin cat." Gu Zhizhuo scratched its chin and said, "Qilin cats love to be close to unlucky people. The more unlucky the person, the more it likes them, like me."
The cat meowed at just the right moment, as if responding to her.
"For example." Gu Zhizhuo pinched the cat's paw and pointed at him, "You."
She looked him up and down and said, "You're in trouble."
Cough cough! Sheng Jiang coughed even more violently, causing Gu Zhizhuo to turn his head and look at him.
Chen Xu said coldly: "If you make any more noise, go cut off your tongue."
Sheng Jiang hesitated for a moment, wondering who he was talking about, then realized he was. He quickly covered his mouth with both hands, swallowing his cough, his cheeks flushed and tears welled up.
It's really pitiful. Gu Zhizhuo sighed in his heart, and then took the initiative to say: "Mr. Shen, can I tell you a fortune?"
"Need not."
Shen Xu refused calmly.
He crawled out of the hell of corpses and came to where he is today, not by believing in fate.
If he believed in fate, he would have died eight hundred times already.
Gu Zhizhuo shrugged and put the compass into his sleeve.
The cat lay down in front of her, with all four legs facing the sky, asking for petting.
"Sir, do you want to keep it?"
"No."
"actually……"
Shen Xu said coldly, "Shut up or get out."
Gu Zhizhuo: “…”
Since she needed help from others, she wisely kept her mouth shut.
But if she didn't talk or pay attention, she would become restless.
Chen Xu was listening to the opera by himself. No matter whether the opera was sung melodiously or passionately, his androgynous face remained calm. The Buddhist beads hung between his fingers. He did not look like the murderous director of the East Factory at all.
Gu Zhizhuo stared absentmindedly at the direction towards the street.
After the first act, a horse finally came galloping down the street and stopped in front of the theater. Before the horse had even stopped, the rider leaped off with a deft movement that showed he was a skilled rider.
Gu Zhizhuo hurriedly turned around, and after a while, Sheng Jiang lightly clapped his hands, and someone came forward to close the partition again.
Sheng Jiang said respectfully, "Master. It's Zhao Jia."
"Enter."
Shen Xu's red lips moved slightly, and only one word came out.
As soon as Zhao Jia entered the box, he knelt there and said respectfully, "Master, I found it."
"explain."
Zhao Jia didn't even dare to look up as he continued to tell the whole story: "We found them about three miles north of the capital. Two women were holding a little girl by the river. The girl's hair and clothes were soaking wet."
Ah! Gu Zhizhuo's heart suddenly felt like it was being pinched by a big hand, hanging high in the air.
"The girl is alive and well, unharmed, and not in danger of death. Everyone is under control."
Gu Zhizhuo finally caught his breath, stood up and said, "Thank you, Governor." Then he looked at him eagerly.
"You take her there." Shen Xu said.
Zhao Jia respectfully agreed.
Gu Zhizhuo had expected him to give her some sarcasm and give her some awkward remarks, but thankfully, this man seemed more approachable than in her previous life. She added one last word of caution, "Carry this jade token with you; it's truly useful!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she bowed and ran downstairs.
"Meow."
The cat flicked its unicorn tail, then walked gracefully towards Shen Xu and rubbed his face with its forehead.
Chen Xu coldly pinched the cat's neck and lifted it up.
He looked straight into its golden eyes and said with a half-smile, "As soon as she left, you came back again. So, she is more unlucky than me?"
"Meow meow."
When Gu Zhizhuo walked downstairs, he could still hear the soft meow of a cat.
She ordered, "Qingmei, call your aunt and go directly over there."
Then, get on the horse and go.
Zhao Jia led the way and took her out of the city, heading north. After running for about three miles, Gu Zhizhuo suddenly saw a river not far away. There was a lonely carriage parked by the river. A dozen people surrounded the carriage and the riverbank, and the coachman was detained in the carriage.
This is not the river where Ah Man’s body was found in the previous life.
Gu Zhizhuo saw two familiar maids sitting there in shock, one of them holding the motionless Ah Man in her arms.
The river water flowed down her hair and clothes, drop by drop, and gathered into a pool on the ground.
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