Chapter 51 Chapter 51 is the only genuine version...
It’s all Qin Chen’s fault for saying such weird things!
He looked so lively that he could kneel for another day and night without any problem. Gu Zhizhuo was too lazy to pay attention to them.
That's right. The closer she got to the main house, the faster her heartbeat became. A distance that was only a dozen steps had suddenly become a hundred. Finally reaching the porch, she raised her hand, lowered it, and raised it again.
"Girl?" Qingmei tilted her head to look at her and found that her earlobe was a little red.
The door opened.
Gu Zhizhuo was startled. Chongjiu came out and said expressionlessly, "Miss Gu, please come in."
He saw it all inside: Miss Gu walked back and forth, up and down the stairs several times.
Chongjiu said, "The young master has woken up."
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes lit up: Wow, what good luck!
"I'll go check it out." The slight awkwardness he'd felt faded away, and Gu Zhizhuo asked as usual, "Chongjiu, what's going on with those two?"
“Make a mistake.”
The words were so concise that they were boring. Gu Zhizhuo had long been accustomed to this, so he asked haphazardly, stepping around the screen.
The door was ajar. Xie Yingchen had already woken up and was leaning on the pillow, flipping through a yellowed book.
Gu Zhizhuo tiptoed in, raised his arm, took the book from his hand, then closed the book with a "snap" and stared at him with a smile.
She knew that none of these people were reliable. They had already told her not to think too much, and yet they asked the young master to read a book!
A gentle smile crept up the corners of Xie Yingchen's eyes and he said skillfully, "I was wrong."
The attitude of admitting mistakes is quick and good.
Gu Zhizhuo chuckled and could no longer keep a straight face.
"No, no, try again."
It’s like this every time, and I always feel that I’m too easy to coax.
Xie Yingchen nodded with a smile: "Okay."
He took the book back and opened it seriously, in the same manner as before.
Gu Zhizhuo frowned and lectured, "I told you not to overthink it, don't..."
Xie Yingchen obediently closed the book and put it in her hand.
"I was wrong."
She hasn't finished speaking yet!
"I accept the punishment."
Gu Zhizhuo sat on the round stool beside the couch: "What's the punishment?"
The big, dark eyes stared at him without blinking. Xie Yingchen's heart skipped a beat. He lowered his eyes slightly and said gently, "There's a box on the table. It's for you."
On a coffee table not far away was an ebony box engraved with twined branch patterns. Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand and took it.
The box felt a little heavy in the hand. When I opened it, I saw several pieces of white jade inside. Each piece was as smooth as cream, with fine texture, slightly cool to the touch, and in excellent condition.
"Are they all for me?"
"yes."
After all the items from his father's private treasury were delivered to him, he looked through the booklet and asked someone to find a box of white jade.
My father likes seal carving and has collected many seal stones and jades. These were all his treasures back then.
Gu Zhizhuo picked up the pieces one by one. These white jades were simply polished into the size of jade pendants, with smooth surfaces on both ends, and no seals had been engraved on them.
She lowered her head, a strand of black hair falling down, covering the end of her eye. Xie Yingchen naturally raised his hand to tuck the loose hair behind her ear, and his slightly rough fingertips touched her tender cheek.
Gu Zhizhuo felt as if he had been scalded, and his earlobe felt hot again.
She was a little dazed until she heard the words: "...our engagement."
Engagement. Gu Zhizhuo closed the box, placed it on his knees, and said obediently, "I really forgot."
Chongjiu said that Huai Jingzhi was punished by the young master because he concealed the marriage arranged by the Huahui.
Then she... the young master won't have to punish her too, right?
How about she go kneel next to Huai Jingzhi first? For a moment, she really thought so, and her eyes drifted towards the window.
Xie Yingchen saw through her thoughts at a glance, feeling both angry and amused. He sat up straight, put his hands on her shoulders, and turned her to face him.
He said solemnly: "If you are willing, I will come to your house to ask for marriage, and I will write three letters and six ceremonies."
Originally, he didn't want to do it so soon. He wanted to wait until at least next year. If he could turn the situation around, he would go to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to formally propose marriage.
Who would have thought it would be such a coincidence.
Now that things have come to this, letting go is impossible.
Gu Zhizhuo opened his lips slightly and did not speak for a long time. His thick eyelashes trembled slightly, and there was a hint of helplessness and confusion in his clear eyes.
Xie Yingchen's eyebrows were filled with a faint smile. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but she had never thought about it carefully. This was much better than he had expected.
He said, "Don't worry, and don't tell me today."
Sure enough, after he said that, she relaxed all of a sudden, as if putting the troublesome things behind her was as if nothing had happened.
She handed the box to Qingmei, then extended her hand toward Xie Yingchen, her attitude particularly natural: "Give me your hand."
Xie Yingchen stared at her slightly red earlobe, smiled softly, and placed the back of his hand in her palm.
Huh?
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes lit up, and he took his hand, touched it, and squeezed it.
His palms were warm.
Xie Yingchen smiled and said, "This hand is also warm."
He offered her his other hand.
Gu Zhizhuo pinched his palms and felt his pulse. His pulse was getting better day by day and was no longer intermittent. His Yang Qi was gradually rising, and the warmth in his palms was the best proof of that.
It's finally warm.
She pinched her left hand, then her right hand, and a smile of joy appeared at the corners of her mouth.
Even in his previous life, the young master always became colder and colder, and later on, he was so cold that he didn't even have the body temperature of a living person.
very nice.
She joyfully took his hands and jumped up from the stool, jumping several times. The pearl flowers on her head swayed from side to side, and the joy on her face almost overflowed.
"Young Master."
Chongjiu knocked on the door outside and came in with medicine, followed by Huai Jingzhi who was limping.
Huai Jingzhi looked at the smile on Xie Yingchen's face and stood aside quietly.
Gu Zhizhuo took the medicine from Chongjiu and sat back on the round stool.
She first touched the wall of the bowl with the back of her hand. It was still a little hot, so she used a spoon to gently stir the medicine to dissipate the heat.
Huai Jingzhi presented a piece of silk paper and said, "Sir, it has been confirmed."
Xie Yingchen unfolded the silk paper, glanced at it, and sighed in his heart.
He placed the silk paper on the couch and called out, "Miss Gu."
Gu Zhizhuo raised her head to look at him, her clear phoenix eyes revealing everything, but this time, Xie Yingchen avoided her gaze.
Gu Zhizhuo:?
Xie Yingchen took the medicine bowl from her hand, drank it all in one gulp, and handed it to Chongjiu. Then he said, "Miss Gu, we have found the remains of the Duke."
Gu Zhizhuo's pupils shrank, and he subconsciously clenched his hands together, with his nails pressing tightly against his palms.
Gu Zhizhuo's face suddenly turned pale and her voice trembled: "Master, you mean... my father..." She couldn't even finish a sentence.
She hadn't lost her composure like this in a long time, and her mind was in a mess.
"My father..."
It felt like there was a breath of foul air stuck in her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.
Daddy's body was nowhere to be found in Xiliang. When my brother returned with his coffin, he only brought back a set of armor and a cenotaph. Of the four generations of the Gu family, Daddy wasn't the only one whose body was lost; almost half of them had cenotaphs.
The Gu family has long been accustomed to this kind of pain, which is heart-wrenching and engraved into their bones.
"I am here."
Seeing the fierce look in her eyes, Xie Yingchen patted her cheeks twice, as lightly as a feather.
Gu Zhizhuo habitually leaned his face against his palm and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she asked, "Master, where is my father now?"
There was an uncontrollable sob in the hoarse voice.
Xie Yingchen handed her the silk paper and said, "Back then, Liang State retreated thousands of miles and petitioned for peace, which the Emperor accepted. Liang State then returned the Duke's remains to Daqi as a token of good faith."
"No, that's not right. Big brother said... he didn't find it."
My brother went to the war with my father back then.
After Xiliang was severely defeated, the emperor ordered Xiliang to be driven out of the Langawa River.
It was in this battle that Daddy, when returning to the camp after another great victory, was buried in the quicksand along with tens of thousands of his troops, due to scout mistakes and incomplete maps. Not a single body was left.
"Liang State has indeed returned the remains of the Duke of Zhenguo to Daqi."
Xie Yingchen hadn't been living a life of idleness in Liang Kingdom all these years. He had to earn a living for himself and for the lives of so many people in the Eastern Palace.
The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was one of his original choices.
"But after I returned to Beijing, I learned that the Duke had erected a cenotaph."
Xie Yingchen ordered an investigation right then, originally intending to do so as a thank you for Gu Zhizhuo's help when he was in Zhuangzi. Some clues were only found not long ago.
He omitted some details and simply said, "It was the Prince of Jin who negotiated peace on behalf of the emperor. He received a secret decree and, after returning the remains from Liang, he sent them to the nearby Shangxu Temple. The whole thing was done quietly. Today, the remains should still be in that Taoist temple."
Why? !
Gu Zhizhuo didn't understand.
But no matter how much he couldn't understand it, he couldn't deny the fact that his father died in battle for Daqi, but the emperor refused to give them even his remains.
In her previous life, until the very end, she had no idea about this matter.
The young master would not refuse to tell her, unless, when she met him in the previous life, her father had already been reduced to ashes.
Gu Zhizhuo's chest felt a burning sensation. She stood up suddenly and walked around several times, but she couldn't suppress her rage. "Master, where is Shangxu Temple? I want to go there. I..."
"Sit down." Xie Yingchen patted the round stool she had been sitting on. "Be obedient. I haven't finished what I'm saying yet."
Gu Zhizhuo bit her lower lip tightly and sat back quietly. She put her hands on her knees and did not move.
"You cannot leave the capital without an imperial decree." Xie Yingchen said bluntly, "Where can you go?"
As soon as these words came out, Gu Zhizhuo suddenly lost all his energy and his tense shoulders drooped.
Anger assaulted her reason, and she calmed herself down and thought carefully.
The families of the border guards were not allowed to leave the capital at will, and the same was true for the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. She couldn't leave the capital! At least, on the surface, she couldn't leave the capital.
Otherwise, this would be a huge handle.
For the current Zhenguo Mansion, any evidence is fatal.
Even if she could sneak over there in private, what good would that do? Shangxu Monastery was under the Emperor's orders; they wouldn't return the remains to her. Unless she stole them, were they going to let her steal them, hide them, and not even bury them?!
Her father, Gu Taotao, was a hero who died on the battlefield fighting for his country and his people. How could he be so shameful!
Her father had lived an upright life, so how could she let him act secretively and timidly after his death!
Absolutely not!
Seeing that she had figured it out, Xie Yingchen stroked her furrowed brows with his fingertips and said, "So, you need the emperor's order."
“It needs to be aboveboard.”
This is frustrating, but crucial.
"The Emperor..." Gu Zhizhuo stated the truth in a cold voice, "The Emperor will not agree."
Xie Yingchen nodded slightly: "Unless, we make a deal with the emperor.
trade.
Xie Yingchen's ability to leave the palace was, after all, a transaction involving personal interests.
Gu Zhizhuo chewed on these two words silently, and the more he thought about it, the more hatred he felt.
The Gu family has always adhered to the oath they made to Emperor Taizu, protecting the territory of Daqi from generation to generation, and not allowing the Northern Di people to set foot in Daqi.
The Gu family shed its last drop of blood.
Gu Yican was less than fifteen years old, and Gu Yiqun had just turned twelve.
They are the only two men left in this generation of the Gu family.
But what is the result?
Daqi let down the Gu family.
The emperor has let down the Gu family!
Gu Zhizhuo let his tears slide down the corners of his eyes, flowing down continuously and soaking his cheeks.
This was the first time she cried since her rebirth.
Xie Yingchen didn't say a word.
His last name was Xie. Now he was not worthy of saying any words of comfort, nor was he any reason for her not to hate him.
"trade?"
Gu Zhizhuo murmured to herself that the Gu family had paid with blood and lives, but in the end, she even needed to "trade" to bring back her father's remains.
She chuckled to herself and tried hard to think about what bargaining chips the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion had that could make the emperor interested.
Is it the Northern Frontier Tiger Tally, or a title?!
Seeing her eyebrows move slightly, Xie Yingchen let out a low sigh. Handing over the tiger talisman and the title was only a last resort. It would be better to keep the troops in place than to be so rash.
He said, "Besides the benefits, there are also leverages that can be used for transactions."
"If there is no..." can also "create" a handle.
handle?
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes suddenly lit up.
If you want to talk about leverage, there really is one!
"Young Master, Young Master." Gu Zhizhuo leaned forward, her eyes red as she spoke impatiently, "The Duke's wife... isn't right!"
"The Duke's wife?" Xie Yingchen realized who she was talking about as soon as he thought about it.
As far as he knew, the Duke's wife was a double-faced person with a sweet exterior but a cruel heart.
"She may have connections with the emperor."
What? Huai Jingzhi was horrified, and even Xie Yingchen couldn't help showing a hint of surprise.
Connection?
Uh-huh!
Gu Zhizhuo told Xie Yingchen everything that had happened in the mansion in recent days without any reservation, and became more and more angry as he spoke.
Xie Yingchen pondered, "Do you know where the iron mine is?"
"Know."
Xie Yingchen winked at Huai Jingzhi, signaling him to send someone to take a look. Huai Jingzhi nodded in agreement, thinking: Now that I have given him the task, the young master should be less angry, right?
Xie Yingchen bent his fingers and tapped the bed gently, again and again rhythmically.
Gu Zhizhuo muttered in dissatisfaction, "The late emperor promised me that Ji was gentle and kind, with excellent character. That's not true at all."
Even if the young master is here, she will still tell it!
"The late emperor had terrible vision!"
Because she had the guarantee from the late emperor, she never had any difficulties after Ji Shi entered the house.
Xie Yingchen's mind moved: "Have you ever thought about...marrying in place of someone else?"
These two words came out of his lips.
"ah?!"
This moment was like an epiphany, and all the things that he had not figured out were connected in Gu Zhizhuo's mind.
Everything makes sense!
It was her preconceived notion. In her previous life, she heard Ji say with her own ears that it was the ghost of her dead twin sister that was haunting her, so she didn't think about it in this direction.
Xie Yingchen said calmly: "This is indeed a handle..."
"Young Master."
Chongjiu reported from outside, "The imperial physician is on his way, along with Prince Jin. They've just entered the palace."
Gu Zhizhuo wiped the tears from his cheeks and said hurriedly, "Sir, do you want to change the pulse? The imperial physician's medical skills are quite good."
Judging from the young master's current pulse condition, the imperial physician can definitely tell that he will not die this time.
"Need not."
Xie Yichen smiled and shook his head.
So, before Prince Jin and his companions came in, Gu Zhizhuo quietly slipped away.
"Sir." Huai Jingzhi thought again and again, but couldn't help but say, "Now is not the right time. Miss Gu is too impatient."
He was referring to the remains of the Duke of Zhenguo.
The young master actually did not persuade Miss Gu to be patient. If this matter were exposed at the right time, it would be enough to make the emperor lose everything and shake the morale of the army.
But now, it will only cause the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to break off relations with the Emperor in advance, and the young master will face increased pressure instead.
Xie Yingchen smiled faintly and said, "So, I have to get better as soon as possible."
He didn't want her to be patient and do whatever she wanted.
He had to go to the court and become her support.
"When you've finished your errand, go out and kneel down."
Huai Jingzhi just wanted to slap himself in the face and limped out.
The imperial physician came with Prince Jin.
After Xie Yingchen moved out of the palace, Prince Jin came to see him for the first time and was surprised to see him awake. After a round of greetings, Prince Jin signaled with his eyes that the imperial physician was taking Xie Yingchen's pulse.
The imperial physician was just bowing in agreement and stepped forward to take the patient's pulse. An expression of shock was revealed on his face. His gaze lingered on Xie Yingchen's brows for a long time before he finally confirmed a fact.
The eldest son probably, possibly, should not die.
The imperial physician suddenly felt that his breathing was about to stop, and he didn't even know how to explain to the emperor.
"Doctor Zhou."
Xie Yingchen had gentle features and an innate noble demeanor that made people afraid to look him in the eye.
"How is my illness?"
The imperial physician subconsciously said, "Your pulse is normal, and you are fine."
As soon as these words were spoken, even King Jin looked over, his expression filled with inquiry and consideration, which was inexplicable.
"Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Zhou."
"I wonder when Doctor Zhou thinks I'll recover?"
The imperial physician was feeling very nervous, not knowing if it was his illusion, but there was a subtle difference between the current Young Master Chen and when he was in Xiyunwu.
Full of determination.
He said nervously and vaguely, "Take good care of yourself, young master. You will recover soon."
"Three days will be enough."
"……enough."
"I present you with auspicious words."
Xie Yingchen smiled and asked the King of Jin, "Uncle Jin, do you think I can recover in three days?"
King Jin looked at him and without waiting for his answer, Xie Yingchen raised his hand to show him off, and Chongjiu, who was waiting at the door, took a step forward.
"please."
As soon as he came out of Xie's house, the imperial physician was hurriedly saying goodbye to Prince Jin and hurried into the palace.
The lights in the imperial study were not turned off all night. Several imperial physicians entered the gate of Xie's mansion one after another. Countless people in the capital were watching. Everyone was secretly wondering whether Master Chen was about to die. The Ministry of Rites even began to discuss how long the funeral should be kept.
All eyes in the capital were fixed on the Xie Mansion, waiting for the day when the white banner would be hung.
Not a single day.
Not for two days.
Waited until the third day.
Accompanied by the sound of the whip, Xie Yingchen walked into the Golden Palace towards the light.
He looked sick, his skin was unnaturally pale, and the loose court robes on him made him look even thinner.
The emperor sat on the dragon throne.
Xie Yingchen stood at the foot of the high platform.
When their eyes met, Xie Yingchen smiled slightly. The handsome young man was as gentle and elegant as jade, and he was planning to rule the world with ease.
The emperor suddenly grabbed the armrest of the dragon throne, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
Before the court was dismissed, everyone in the capital knew that the crown prince was alive.
Let Miss Gu’s wedding be a success!
Gu Zhizhuo: “…”
What the hell is this?
The whole family finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the person was alive, it was good. At least when his eldest daughter got married, she would have someone warm to take care of.
The lady had been worried for several days, especially when she heard a few days ago that the person was about to die. She went to Taiqing Temple every day and generously donated tens of thousands of taels of silver. Now that the person is alive, she pulled Gu Liuliao and kept saying that she would go to Taiqing Temple again tomorrow and bring back 10,000 taels of silver notes.
"Is ten thousand taels enough? Will the Grandmaster think we are not sincere enough? Forget it, let's take more."
Raised in the splendor of Fugui, Mrs. Gu had no concept of gold and silver. Gu Zhizhuo jokingly said, "Grandma, don't be careless and use up all your private savings."
"Go away, you have no conscience."
Gu Zhizhuo bent his knees with a smile and came out.
Passing through the hanging flower gate, Gu Zhizhuo wandered into the small garden and sat down next to the beautiful woman by the pond. He asked the maid for a bag of fish food and casually scattered it. Golden sunlight danced between the water and the treetops.
She sat for a while and then asked, "How is Madam doing lately?" Her voice was extremely cold.
After the arson, Gu Zhizhuo took the initiative to ask about Ji's situation for the first time.
Qiongfang, who had been staring at the main courtyard, reported, "Madam had a persistent fever. We called a doctor, and the fever subsided, but the blisters on her face have broken, and are now red and swollen. The doctor has been prescribing medicine for the past few days. I asked the doctor, and he said that Madam will most likely have scars on her face. He also said that if she isn't well cared for, the scars will become dense and difficult to conceal."
The water in the pond was rippling, and the fish all gathered around with their tails wagging, vying for the food. A few that didn't get anything would wag their tails and refuse to leave, waiting for more food to be fed.
bait.
It would definitely not be a good idea to casually go to the emperor and propose a deal. That would be too stupid.
If the fish don’t come around, it just means that you haven’t spread enough bait.
Gu Zhizhuo said to Qiongfang, "Send someone to the main courtyard to spread some information. Just say..." She stared at the koi fish in the pond, not even looking up. "Just say that when Eunuch Li came to announce the imperial decree a few days ago, he asked the Madam to send someone to the women's temple to pick up Ji Nanke. The Emperor is planning to arrange a marriage between her and the Third Prince."
"The Madam said that the Madam has gone mad. Before we go to pick up Ji Nan Ke, we must first send her to the farm to settle her down, so that Ji Nan Ke won't come back and cause trouble again."
"Deliver the message nicely."
Qiongfang didn't understand her intention, but she never questioned any of her decisions.
Gu Zhizhuo threw all the fish food in his hand into the pond and casually wiped away the crumbs from his fingertips.
With more bait, the fish will come.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
