Chapter 94 Chapter 94 is the only authentic version...
The Xu family was considered a moderately wealthy family, with children and a considerable staff. However, from childhood onward, Gu Zhijiao not only had to work day and night on needlework and prepare meals, but Mrs. Xu also constantly lectured her, telling her that she lived for her brother, that her life was given by him, and that if it weren't for him, she would have died.
If she does anything wrong to her brother, she will be heartless and will go to hell.
Day after day, endlessly.
"You ungrateful bastard." Mrs. Xu covered her face, gnashing her teeth. "Xu Ying'er, I should have killed you long ago."
She had been in jail for several days, without her hairpins or jewelry, wearing prison clothes, her eyes bloodshot and filled with hatred.
"Isn't there?" Gu Zhijiao's eyes flushed. "When I was three, you gave birth to Xu Baozhang. You wanted to throw me into the well, but I screamed in fear, attracting Master Xu, and you finally stopped. When I was seven, Xu Baozhang broke your jade bracelet and blamed it on me. You punished me by making me kneel in the snow all night. I had a high fever, but you refused to call a doctor, saying I deserved to die. When I was eleven, I accompanied you to burn incense, and the carriage lost control. You said it was too heavy and threw me off..."
When I was thirteen, you forced me to marry Gong Hai, even though you knew that no one in Gong Hai's mansion could survive more than a year.
"That's right. If I die, there will be no evidence. You can live in peace for the rest of your life."
"But I'm not dead. My father and grandfather are in heaven, and they are protecting me."
"So, now you're going to die."
Gu Zhijiao's eyes were gentle.
After saying these words, she suddenly felt relieved.
"My name is not Xu Ying'er, my name is Gu Zhijiao!"
The uneasiness in Gu Zhijiao's eyes faded, replaced by a clear, bright light like autumn water. She faced the court, bowed, and said, "Sir, please read the interrogation."
Xu stood outside the court, covering her face and crying.
The Jingzhao Prefecture had already held two trials, and all the cases that needed to be tried had been tried clearly. With the confession of Nanny Sun and the Zhenguo Mansion watching from behind, the Jingzhao Yin did not delay and read the interrogation in court.
"The Great Qi Law states that anyone who sells a good family's daughter shall be hanged."
When the word "strangle" came out, Mrs. Xu froze in place.
"No, not a rip-off, no!"
“Just adopted.”
"Ying'er, tell them quickly, I'm not selling you off. Tell them quickly, Auntie, tell them I'm doing this to leave a heir for the Xu family, not to sell you off!"
Xu yelled incoherently.
Nanny Sun collapsed on the ground in a daze.
After hearing the word "hang", Gu Zhijiao did not stay any longer and walked out of the court of Jingzhao Prefecture.
She raised her hands to shield her eyes, staring at the dazzling sunlight, and the last trace of haze in her heart gradually dissipated in the sunlight.
"mother."
Gu Zhijiao took the initiative to hold Xu's hand, his eyes blooming like spring flowers, "Let's go."
"If you can't bear to leave Madam Sun..."
Gu Zhijiao wanted to say that if Xu Shi was reluctant to let it go, then so be it, he had already let it go.
Xu closed her eyes, and what came to her mind was the time when Nanny Sun held her in her arms and hummed nursery rhymes.
She touched the top of her head and said, "I took you back not to let you suffer any injustice."
"Madame Sun is guilty, so we will punish her according to the law."
"We are being lenient by not using lynching."
"If we treat evil with good, how can we distinguish between good and evil?"
Gu Zhijiao thought about it carefully. She took Xu's arm, leaned her head on her and walked out: "Mom, I want to study."
She never received any education in the Xu family.
Xu smiled and said, "Ask your elder sister to find a teacher for you."
"Bow and horseback riding, the Four Books and Five Classics, music, chess, calligraphy and painting, whatever you want to learn."
Gu Zhijiao's eyebrows were curved.
"That would be very tiring. Would Second Aunt be willing to do that?"
A voice with laughter sounded, and Gu Zhijiao looked up. The carriage from the mansion was parked in front of the yamen, the curtain was opened, and the elder sisters were smiling at him.
Gu Zhiwei raised her hand and waved, "Second sister, get in the car quickly. The eldest sister said she would take us to pick out some pearl flowers. Jinyu Pavilion has imported a lot of pearl flowers from Jiangnan. They are so beautiful."
"Go ahead."
Xu gave her a push, and Gu Zhijiao walked over, letting the restraint on her waist swing. She stepped on the carriage and jumped up holding Gu Zhizhuo's hand.
"Mom (Second Aunt), let's go out and play!"
"Alas, this is too rude." Xu sighed secretly, but smiled with extraordinary joy.
After watching the carriage leave, Xu did not return home. Since the Xu family was unwilling to sell their property and return to the north, she would go and "help" them.
The Gu family's carriage was very spacious, and even with five people in it it was only a little crowded. Qiongfang sat on the shaft, Qingmei followed on horseback, and the other maids were in another carriage. They first went to the Jinyu Pavilion on Zhuque Street.
Gu Zhizhuo waved his hand and said, "Grandmother said that you can choose among yourselves and ask the shopkeeper to go to the Duke's Mansion to settle the bill with her."
The shopkeeper of Jinyu Pavilion had been to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to customize jewelry for the lady-in-waiting and several other ladies. When he saw them coming, he immediately led them to the third floor and took out all the newly arrived pearl flowers, bracelets, earrings, gold necklaces, etc.
There were not only Jiangnan-style jewelry, but also gems from Minzhou. These gems were brought from overseas by ships. When the shopkeeper took them out to show them to them, Gu Zhizhuo fell in love with two cat's eyes at first sight. The cat's eyes were golden, with excellent color and were extremely clear. When Gu Zhizhuo saw them, he thought of the eyes of the sinking cat.
Gu Zhizhuo drew a sketch and ordered a cat collar from the shopkeeper as a return gift.
In addition to the cat's eye stone, she also picked out a few pieces of high-quality white jade and had them polished into the size of small jade plates, which she would take with her when she came to pick up the cat's collar.
Gu Zhizhuo paid for the cat collar and jade pendant himself, and asked the shopkeeper to go to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to settle the rest.
The lady loves buying jewelry for her granddaughters the most.
After leaving the Jinyu Pavilion, they strolled and played on Zhuque Street, went to the rouge shop to buy rouge, went to the study to buy new storybooks, and went to the antique shop where Ah Man saw a small golden cage for her beloved bird.
Gu Zhijiao smiled faintly. Her sisters didn't take special care of her, so she felt very relaxed.
All the bags, big and small, were thrown into the carriage. By the time I reached the end of the street, I was almost tired from shopping and decided to go to Tianxi Tower to rest.
"Big brother and Yinyin will be here soon. Let's have dinner and then go watch the circus."
Gu Zhizhuo had someone reserve a private table early on. After he sat down and ordered his meal, Gu Zhinan asked the waiter, "I saw a female entertainer playing the pipa in the building."
The waiter said attentively, "It's Madam Gui. She is an excellent pipa player, especially skilled in pipa composing and writing. She has been in our building for half a year."
"Big sister." Gu Zhinan's eyes were burning. He wanted to hear it.
"Go and call him."
"Okay!"
The waiter bowed and went down, and soon brought in a female entertainer holding a pipa.
She wore a long plain veil that reached down to her chest, revealing only a pair of extremely beautiful peach blossom eyes. Her eyes were sparkling, and even when she wasn't looking at anyone, just a small glance down seemed to contain endless affection.
She bowed and sat down holding the pipa.
"What are some of Madam Gui's best songs?" Gu Zhizhuo asked with a smile.
Her voice was very soft: "I know both 'Wan Qingsi' and 'Yuanyangxiu'."
"Listen to 'Mandarin Duck Sleeves', big sister."
Gu Zhizhuo nodded readily.
Lady Gui played the pipa and began to sing.
Gui Niangzi's voice was much purer than when she spoke. The moment she opened her mouth, it was like a breeze rushing into the ears. Amid the sound of the pipa, she told the whole story.
The waiter came in quietly and served the dishes.
"Mandarin Duck Sleeves" tells the story of a woman who, when the country was in ruins, put on military uniform and picked up the spear left by her father and brother after they died in battle.
Gui Niangzi's voice is sometimes high-pitched and sometimes gentle, and every word is full of emotion and touches the heart.
The song ended when the woman placed the mandarin duck pendant that symbolized her love for her childhood sweetheart on the city wall and pointed her spear at the enemy.
"You sing well," Gu Zhizhuo praised, clapping his hands. "Madam Gui, are you from Yongzhou?"
Lady Gui raised her eyes unexpectedly, her eyes like deep pools of water: "How did you know that, young lady?"
Lady Gui spoke fluent Mandarin, with no accent, but...
"'Mandarin Duck Sleeves' tells the story of a female general in Yongzhou. She defended the city for ten days and ultimately perished with it. Her childhood sweetheart, her fiancé, wrote 'Mandarin Duck Sleeves'."
"This story isn't popular outside of Yongzhou. In the capital, people still prefer stories about talented men and beautiful women, or about a prosperous and flourishing age."
Lady Gui's eyes were as bright as water, full of charm: "Miss, you are right."
"How about singing another song, 'Wan Qingsi'?" Gu Zhizhuo asked his sisters.
"good."
Gui Niangzi plucked the pipa, her red lips parted, and the melodious sound of the song spread out. Gu Zhijiao sat by the window, feeling relaxed and at ease.
A horse-drawn carriage stopped at the foot of the restaurant, the horses neighing. Gu Zhijiao glanced over there inadvertently out of the corner of his eye, and his hand holding the chopsticks suddenly tightened.
It’s Gong Hai.
After that encounter at Admiral Gong's residence, Gong Hai's appearance, along with that wounded girl, was etched in Gu Zhijiao's mind like a nightmare. She turned her head and leaned back, avoiding appearing in front of the window.
After Gong Hai got off the carriage, another person got out. He was a very handsome young man, whose gender was hard to tell. He was wearing a thin moon-white Taoist robe with wide sleeves, a silk belt around his waist, and his black hair was draped over his shoulders, making him look thin and frail.
"Gong...Brother Gong."
Xie Jing came out from Tianxi Tower to greet him.
He had been waiting for a long time, originally scheduled for noon, and now it was almost noon.
Given Gong Hai's age, Xie Jing, in disguise, almost blurted out "Uncle Gong." Luckily, his mind snapped before he could say it. The Ministry of Rites was already preparing for the wedding, and the Emperor had ordered Princess Zhaoyang to marry within the month. This meant Gong Hai was his brother-in-law, and calling him "Uncle" would be inappropriate.
Gong Hai nodded: "Third Young Master." It was considered a return of the gift.
Xie Jing looked at the beauty next to Gong Hai. He had seen this person when he went to the princess's residence two days ago. At that time, the eldest princess was eating grapes that he fed her. Her name seemed to be Sese.
It should be the legendary Qingyi.
Hmm, could it be that they were planning to live together as a group of three from now on? Xie Jing's thoughts were so wild that his ears were red. He made a "please" gesture and asked as he walked over, "Brother Gong, what do you think of that blueprint?"
"Did you draw the divine arm crossbow on the blueprint, Third Young Master?"
"yes."
Xie Jingfeng was handsome and said with a smile, "I wonder if Brother Gong thinks it is worth three hundred thousand taels of silver."
"If it's really as the picture shows, it's naturally worth it."
"Brother Gong, just have the craftsmen make one and we'll know." Xie Jing took out a folded piece of silk paper. "The data on this one is more detailed."
"Then I'll have to take a look."
The two of them went upstairs while talking.
Seeing that Gong Hai indeed showed some interest, Xie Jing also breathed a sigh of relief.
This drawing was given to him by Ke'er.
He felt sorry for Ke'er, having failed to keep his promise to her, but Ke'er still missed him. He didn't even use the divine arm to achieve merit, but instead gave it to him to befriend Gong Hai. The Zhenguo Mansion had already turned to Xie Yingchen because of Gu Zhizhuo. If Xie Jing wanted to compete with them, he could only use Gong Hai, the commander of the imperial guards.
Gong Hai is his future brother-in-law, this is the best twist.
If I think about it carefully, maybe the marriage that my father arranged for my eldest sister was also for my own sake.
Moreover, if Gong Hai was willing to allocate military funds to buy this blueprint, he would have the money to return it to Miss Gu.
"Brother Gong, this is it..."
Seeing Gong Hai go upstairs and walk in another direction, Xie Jing hurriedly called him.
But before he could finish his words, Gong Hai had already pushed open the door of a private room. Lady Gui, who was sitting by the door, was startled. The wind brought by the door blew over her veil, revealing the burn that almost occupied half of her cheek under the veil.
Gong Hai looked back, and was first stunned by her stunningly beautiful peach blossom eyes, but then with some disgust he turned his gaze away from the burn on her cheek.
What a pity.
He doesn't like this kind of flawed beauty.
"Miss Gu..."
Gong Hai greeted him with a smile, "Long time no see."
He recognized Gu Zhijiao among the other girls in the Gu family. In his mind, she was a timid little girl who didn't even dare to raise her head. Beneath her thick bangs, she held a budding beauty. Now that she was no longer timid, she was actually unattractive. Beauty was supposed to be weak and yielding to one's will.
No one paid any attention to him, but that didn't stop him from asking, "I heard the Thousand Machine Camp is short of food?"
There was a hint of interest in his tone.
Xie Jing stood behind him awkwardly, wanting him to leave quickly.
Gu Zhizhuo stroked the glass cup in his hand, his fingertips stroking the cold glass, and asked, "What do you mean, Master Gong?"
Gong Hai ignored Xie Jing and walked into the private room. "Miss, go back and have a good talk with the Crown Prince. It's not that we won't give you the food and wages, it's just that they'll be a little late. After all, we just sent a batch a few days ago. The Thousand Machine Battalion is small, so they shouldn't be running out of food."
"Are those the moldy garbage your Lordship is talking about?"
"How could it get moldy?" Gong Hai shook his head calmly, not even slightly reluctantly saying, "It must be a misunderstanding. Perhaps the camp wasn't well-stored and rainwater seeped in."
He placed his hands on the Eight Immortals Table, staring in amazement at Gu Zhizhuo's face, which looked even more heroic after he removed the veil. He leaned forward slightly and said with a smile, "However, if the Thousand Machine Battalion really can't hold on any longer, it's not impossible to spare some. As long as you, Miss Gu, ask for it, this admiral will definitely get some from you..."
Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand and poured the fruit juice on his head.
Gong Hai was too close to dodge, and the red sherbet flowed down his hair. The ice cube in the sherbet hit his forehead, and the coldness made him shudder.
A hint of gloom flashed across Gong Hai's eyes. He stood up, raised his sleeve to wipe the wine off his face, and smiled softly: "It seems that the Thousand Machine Battalion is not short of food."
"Master Gong," Gu Zhizhuo's voice was even softer than his, but his words were even harsher than his: "Has anyone ever taught you that you should never offend a miracle doctor who can bring the dead back to life? Otherwise, when you are about to die, there will be no one to save you."
"Okay, okay." Gong Hai didn't seem angry at all, and clapped his hands lightly: "This admiral is waiting for you to come and beg me, young lady."
Gu Zhizhuo lowered his eyes. Gong Hai was deliberately provoking him to ensure that the Thousand Machine Battalion would definitely go to seize the food and supplies. Every word he said was intended to attack his mind.
"roll."
The glass cup was thrown out from Gu Zhizhuo's hand.
Gong Hai tilted his head slightly, and the glass cup brushed past his ear, fell to the ground with a bang, and shattered into pieces. The splashing fragments scratched his cheek.
Gong Hai's face turned cold, and he raised his hand to wipe it away. The fruit juice and blood mixed together, making it even brighter.
"You don't know how to appreciate it."
He swung his sleeve vigorously, and the next moment, someone grabbed his wrist and slowly lifted it up again.
"Oh, who are you begging?"
This extremely arrogant voice made Gong Hai frown.
Gu Yican is like the rising sun at its peak, flamboyant and unconcealed.
"I seem to have heard that Admiral Gong is not providing food, is that correct?"
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