Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Hey, are you dissatisfied with the Holy Will? ...
"That's enough." Madam Gu said sternly, "Let's get in the carriage first. Zhuo girl, come and sit with me."
When they came, Gu Zhizhuo and Ji Nanke rode in the same carriage.
At this moment, Madam Gu called Gu Zhizhuo to her carriage and sent Ji to another one.
Carriages left the imperial city one after another, filling the avenues of the capital.
As soon as Mrs. Gu got on the carriage, she drank several sips of warm water.
Her mind was in a mess and she was still a little frightened. Gu Zhizhuo's disturbance in the imperial garden had offended both the Queen and the Third Prince. When the Queen was publicly reprimanded at the palace banquet, she was almost frightened to death.
Now, one is closing the palace, and the other is kneeling for a long time. This granddaughter is really good at causing trouble!
She rubbed her forehead in fear: "What do you want to do?"
"Canceling the engagement."
Gu Zhizhuo answered without hesitation.
She repeated it with the same firmness: "Grandma, it's time to break off the engagement."
Madam Gu was shocked for a moment and blurted out, "Nonsense! Do you know what this marriage contract means to our Zhenguogong Mansion?"
"Granddaughter knows."
The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion has a small population. After his father died in the war, the only adult male in the Gu family was his uncle with crippled legs, and his brother was only in his teens. It was not easy for such a young shoulder to carry the Gu family.
The marriage that the emperor promised in front of his father's spirit was like a rope hanging in the water for the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
In his previous life, Gu Zhizhuo thought just like that.
His elder brother was deprived of the title of Crown Prince, and his younger brother Gu Yan was not even old enough to start learning, so the Gu family was almost wiped out.
She could only hold on to the engagement, desperately pulling at this "life-saving" rope. Even though the world laughed at her for being ugly and vicious, not worthy of the Third Prince, and ridiculed her for relying on the achievements of her ancestors to cling to the Third Prince.
She didn't understand the affairs of the court before and thought that this would save the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, but she was wrong.
This marriage cannot protect the Gu family.
It is just a chess piece in the hands of the emperor, which will only lead the Gu family step by step towards its predetermined fate.
She had experienced all of this herself a long time ago.
"grandmother……"
Gu Zhizhuo wanted to have a serious talk with her, but was interrupted as soon as he opened his mouth.
Madam Gu said angrily, "You are the daughter of the Gu family. Because of the Gu family, you can live a life of luxury."
"You always think about your own momentary likes and dislikes. You are always so willful, selfish, and don't care about the consequences!"
Gu Zhizhuo sighed and said, "Grandma, please listen to me..."
Madam Gu didn't want to hear any of her excuses: "The Third Prince doesn't like you and would rather destroy your appearance than marry you. Aren't you wrong?"
Gu Zhizhuo was stunned for a moment, her eyelids drooped, and a sneer escaped from her lips.
This mocking laugh made Madam Gu speechless, and her face turned red and blue.
"What's wrong with my granddaughter?" Gu Zhizhuo smiled, his smile not reaching his eyes. "Even if someone steps on your head, you should still face them with a straight face and flatter them. That's right."
"Madam."
Gu Zhizhuo simply changed his name: "My grandfather taught me: once your knees kneel down and your back bends, you will never be able to lift it up again in this lifetime."
"Daddy taught me: Even if I die for my family, I must stand tall and proud."
"No one ever told me to learn to fawn and beg for mercy."
She said it word by word.
"Every brick and tile in the Zhenguo Mansion is stained with the blood of the Gu family."
"Madam, you're asking me to be servile and fawning to you. You should ask if Grandfather and the others agree!"
"you……"
Madam Gu's suppressed anger suddenly surged up in her heart.
Nanny Zhu hurriedly patted her chest to calm her down, and said dissatisfiedly, "My dear, I'm so arrogant to say something here. Where do you get the etiquette from? You're yelling in front of the Madam. You did something wrong, and the Madam is your grandmother, so she can't say a few words to you?!"
Yes! Madam Gu nodded angrily. This girl simply doesn’t know how to teach.
I don’t know who this stubborn temper resembles!
"Shut up." Gu Zhizhuo snorted coldly, "We are talking about grandparents and grandchildren, why do you, a servant, have any say in this?"
Nanny Zhu widened her cloudy eyes.
She was the old nanny in the mansion and served the lady-in-waiting. It had been many years since she had been scolded in person like this.
"Madam." Gu Zhizhuo slowed down his tone, "Now even the emperor has admitted it. The one who is wrong is the Third Prince, not me, his granddaughter."
"You still say such things. Are you dissatisfied with the Holy Will?"
“You, you…” Madam Gu was so angry that her face turned red. She shouted, “Stop the car!”
The coachman didn't know what was going on and quickly stopped the carriage.
She yelled at Gu Zhizhuo, "Get out!"
"Go back home and reflect on your actions on the way. Do you know if you are wrong?"
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes were calm, and he was not moved by her anger.
Suddenly she smiled and pulled open the curtain of the carriage.
She looked outside: "Madam, do you still remember going from here to the Wuying Marquis Mansion in Jiutong Hutong?"
"The Marquis Wuying's mansion was just raided."
At that time in the water pavilion, the noble ladies watched helplessly as the girl from Wuying Marquis's mansion was taken away. Later, in order to calm down, someone suggested playing tossing pots.
"This is a case personally tried by the Eastern Depot. They say it's treason... and they caught him red-handed."
Gu Zhizhuo turned to Madam Gu again, his eyes full of mockery: "Madam, when the Zhenguo Mansion no longer has any value to exist, can it still be like this..."
"Innocent."
She placed emphasis on these four words.
After saying that, Gu Zhizhuo suddenly stood up and called out, "Qiongfang, let's go."
She didn't use a footstool, but lifted her skirt and jumped out of the carriage. She turned around and asked the guards for a horse.
"Walk!"
In the carriage, Madam Gu shouted angrily.
The carriage left.
Gu Zhizhuo took the reins and mounted the horse first, then reached out and pulled Qiongfang onto the horse's back.
The two of them rode away on horseback.
"Ah! Miss!" Qiongfang exclaimed in surprise, "The rewards are still in the carriage!"
Gu Zhizhuo smiled and said, "Things bestowed by the Emperor cannot be escaped."
That's right! Qiongfang immediately stopped worrying and asked, "Miss, where are we going?"
"Go to Zhuangzi."
Gu Zhizhuo had no intention of returning home. Even if Madam Gu hadn't kicked her out of the carriage, she would have found a chance to sneak out after returning. As long as the bandit issue remained unresolved, it was like having a sword hanging over her head; she couldn't rest easy.
After leaving the city, Gu Zhizhuo rode his horse straight to the farm outside the capital.
This was the dowry farm of her biological mother, Wang, and it was less than an hour away from the capital.
Zhuangzi's tenants saw her from afar and hurried to tell the manager.
Upon hearing the news, the senior manager came out with a smile on his face that was full of wrinkles.
Qiongfang waved happily from her horseback and called out, "Daddy!"
Qiongfang is the daughter of the senior official. All of her family members are servants of the Wang family, and she is also Wang's concubine.
Not only this manor, but also all the fertile lands and manors of the Wang family in Yizhou and the capital area were managed by the senior officials.
The senior manager's eyes were filled with joy, and he greeted her cheerfully, "Miss, why are you here?"
Looking at the familiar person in front of him, Gu Zhizhuo looked a little dazed.
In the previous life, after those bandits fled to the capital, they burned, killed and looted everywhere. This village was not spared and was burned to ashes by them. Including the family of the senior manager, all the more than ten people in the village were killed.
Gu Zhizhuo dismounted, suppressed the emotions gushing out of his eyes, and called out with a smile, "Good morning, Mr. Gao."
"Oh!" The senior manager laughed even more happily, "I haven't seen you for a few months. You've grown taller again, young lady."
Gu Zhizhuo covered his mouth and smiled: "It's going to rain soon, let's go inside first."
Is it going to rain? The senior manager looked up at the clear sky. However, the girl must have her reasons for saying that! The senior manager agreed without any principles: "Yes, it's going to rain soon, girl, you go in first and don't get wet."
"I'll have someone go get some fish. The fish in the pond are really fat this year. I was thinking of sending them over to the mansion in a few days for you to try." The attendant said cheerfully, "Qiong girl, go tell your mother to make some vinegar raw fish for you. You love it."
"I also want to eat braised spring bamboo shoots."
Thinking of the taste of braised spring bamboo shoots in oil, Gu Zhizhuo's appetite was whetted.
The senior manager readily responded, "Great! Spring bamboo shoots are at their tenderest."
Gu Zhizhuo led the horse and walked forward.
The green pond, the singing kingfishers, the gorgeous blooming camellias in spring, everything overlapped with the burnt village in Gu Zhizhuo's memory.
The manor is very large, and Gu Zhizhuo usually lives in the main courtyard on the east side.
As she stepped into the hanging flower gate, the branches of the century-old wisteria vine drooped above her head, and the vine was full of buds, hanging densely.
"Girl, if you come back next month, the wisteria will be in bloom."
The senior management spoke enthusiastically.
"With all the good rain this year, the wisteria flowers will surely bloom beautifully."
This year, the young man and girl in their family are in mourning for the coming of age. In order to get a good omen, the senior management has had people pruning the branches and fertilizing the plants more carefully than usual since last year. It's just the beginning of spring, and the flower buds are growing so vigorously. They will surely be beautiful when they bloom.
Gu Zhizhuo reminisced, "My mother loved this wisteria the most."
In the past, when the wisteria was in full bloom, their mother would bring them here to stay for a while.
Her mother would also make wisteria cakes for her.
In the distant memory, Gu Zhizhuo seemed to still remember the sweetness of Wisteria Cake.
She couldn't help but say, "When the flowers bloom, send someone to tell me. I want to eat purple wisteria cakes."
The senior manager readily agreed and said, "Miss, the Chinese toon is very tender at this time of year. Would you like to try some Chinese toon cakes?"
Gu Zhizhuo agreed happily.
Walking along the pebbled path into the house, Nanny Wan had already asked the maids to fetch water.
After helping her wash her hands, Qiongfang took a clean white silk handkerchief, untied her veil, and carefully washed her face.
Gu Zhizhuo, with a moist face, sat in the armchair in a refreshing manner, and the pearl on her hairpin cast a faint reflection on her cheek.
After instructing the clerk to prepare paper and ink, she added, "Clerk Gao, go get another reliable guy. He needs to be skilled in martial arts and clever. He must also be loyal. I have an important matter that I need him to run."
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