Chapter 146 Chapter 146 is the only genuine version...
Gu Zhizhuo made a face at him.
"Sir, let's ignore him."
As she spoke, she took out a box of cinnabar beads and showed it to him.
The cat's pupils suddenly straightened into a line and its tail wagged wildly.
Gu Zhizhuo picked up a bead to tempt it: "Do you want this?"
"Meow."
Gu Zhizhuo didn't give the cat a cinnabar bead, fearing that it would swallow it. Instead, he took a slightly larger red agate bead and threw it to the ground. The cat excitedly pounced on it, and the bead rolled around as the cat chased it, running around in the pavilion.
These cinnabar beads were specially polished by Gu Zhizhuo and he just got them before going to Yihe County.
She sat there and strung them together one by one with a red string.
Xie Yingchen asked someone to bring two more glass lamps, lit the wicks brightly, and placed them beside her.
Wang Xing continued the previous topic, "I need to ask the ship's steward about the latest model of musket you want. The foreigners have strict control over it, so it's not easy to buy."
"Why not find a few more merchants, buy some parts from each of them, bring them back and assemble them ourselves."
"In that case, we can give it a try."
Gu Zhizhuo strung the cinnabar into a bracelet, and they also discussed everything. In addition to the new type of musket, Wang Xing promised to bring him two newly improved spinning machines and looms next time. Xie Yingchen also asked the Wang family to take a few people with them when they went out to sea.
Chen Mao got tired of playing with the beads and fell asleep with his legs spread out on Xie Yingchen's arm as a pillow.
"Sir, hand."
Xie Yingchen extended his hand.
Gu Zhizhuo put the bracelet on him and said, "You can't take it off."
Then, he counted out eighty-one amulets, folded them one by one by hand and put them into a red lucky bag.
"Hang it up."
Xie Yingchen was very obedient and hung it together with the jade pendant around his waist.
Is that it? Wang Xing thought of himself, who was hung up like the thousand-year-old cypress trees at Taiqing Temple, and silently shed a tear for himself.
"Cousin, yours."
Gu Zhizhuo did not forget him either. He took out another amulet and handed it to him, then closed the wooden box.
A box full of talismans was suddenly half empty.
Wang Xing was shocked: "He has eighty-one, and I only have one?"
"My cousin is lucky. He will definitely live to be ninety-nine and won't need this."
"Yes, yes. If I accidentally don't survive, I'll come find you, right?"
Despite what he said, Wang Xing still put the amulet into his pocket. He looked at the sky and said, "Shall we go?"
Gu Zhizhuo poked the cat's head: "Is it time for you to go home?"
If you don't go back, that guy will get anxious.
The cat rolled over sleepily, sat up and shook its fur. It rubbed against Gu Zhizhuo first, then against Xie Yingchen. As it rubbed, it seemed as if it smelled fake Su (note). Its whiskers stood up in excitement, and it licked again and again. It even bit the back of his hand reluctantly, leaving two shallow tiger tooth marks.
Finally, it passed by Wang Xing again. Wang Xing put his head close to it and waited for it to rub against him.
Bang!
The cat slapped him on the face and pushed him away, swearing at him "Meow meow meow".
Wang Xing:?
Gu Zhizhuo was extremely satisfied and praised, "My cousin is indeed very lucky."
The cat is a good cat. It will go home to accompany its owner when it gets dark.
It stretched, walked with its head held high and its tail held high.
Gu Zhizhuo accompanied them all the way to the ceremonial gate, watched them get on the carriage, and then watched the carriage leave before returning to his own yard.
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.
After washing up, Gu Zhizhuo took out the counting sticks and compass, sat cross-legged on the mat in the small study, and made some random calculations. He found that the hexagrams were different every time, so he finally gave up and fell asleep.
The trip to Yihe County was quite tiring. After returning home and settling down, she slept until noon. Seeing that it was still early, she buried her head in sleep again.
When I woke up again, it was already dark.
It’s dark, which means there won’t be any daylight tomorrow. This thought flashed through Gu Zhizhuo’s mind, and he fell asleep again.
This time, I got a good night's sleep.
After sleeping for a day and a night, I feel refreshed.
I'm hungry too.
Gu Zhizhuo liked to take advantage of meal breaks to deal with some unimportant matters, and Qiongfang was used to it. She first told him about Xizi's condition. Baijitang followed Gu Zhizhuo's instructions before he left and went to check her pulse and prescribe medicine every seven days. Now she has recovered quite well.
"The headmaster of the women's school praised Sun Tianshou for his nimble hands and feet and his excellent workmanship. When the fourth son of the Zheng family returned last time, he rewarded him with ten taels of silver, which he immediately used to pay back some of the money he had spent on medicine at Baekje Hall."
"If he wants to, let him do it." Gu Zhizhuo ate chicken noodle soup, "There's more."
“There are some posts in the days you are not here.”
Gu Zhizhuo drank the last mouthful of soup and picked up a pearl jade bag: "Tell me."
"The ninth young lady of the Song family invites you to the Feihua Banquet on the third day of next month."
Gu Zhizhuo thought for a moment and said, "Okay."
"The eldest daughter of the Cheng'en Mansion invites you to her birthday party on the eighth day of next month."
Yo?
“When was the post?”
Qiongfang covered her mouth and smiled: "Before you come back."
So that's how it is. If it were now, Sun Nian would probably not even be in the mood to hold a birthday party.
"No."
She and Sun Nian had never had much friendship, and she was most likely invited because of Ji Nan Ke. She was not so free as to go and keep others company.
Qiongfang continued, "And the Anyang Marquis' Mansion..."
Gu Zhizhuo asked Xue Zhong to serve her a small bowl of porridge, which she ate slowly with the buns. Without even looking up, he gave her instructions one by one and said, "Go and help me draft the replies to these families."
Qiongfang responded.
The job of drafting the invitations was always done by Qiongfang, so she went down first with the visiting card.
After finishing this bowl of porridge, he finally didn't feel so hungry anymore. Gu Zhizhuo put down his chopsticks and stretched without any image. He had a very comfortable sleep.
Qingmei brought her some digestive tea.
"Take it to the study."
Gu Zhizhuo didn't want to go out. She was too lazy to comb her hair. She just tied it into a ponytail with a hair tie, went to the study and sat on the mat.
I have used up most of the amulet in my hand, but fortunately, there are cinnabar and yellow paper in the cabinet.
Gu Zhizhuo simply stayed in the study and drew talismans all day.
Drawing a talisman requires calming the mind, controlling the tip of the brush to complete the pattern. After a few failed attempts, Gu Zhizhuo's tense nerves gradually relaxed. Then, with a flick of the brush tip, the final stroke was completed, creating a perfect amulet.
Huh?
Gu Zhizhuo tilted her head and looked at the tip of her pen. Just for a moment, she felt a mysterious change in the air flow.
This amulet looks no different from before, but it also seems very different.
Gu Zhizhuo put the amulet into his purse, planning to show it to his master in a couple of days.
She calmed down and continued painting.
From peace talismans, to meditation talismans, Xuanhuang talismans, to the seldom-used house-guarding talismans and wealth-attracting talismans, he drew about ten of them, all kinds of things, but none of them had the mysterious feeling he just had.
From noon until the sun almost set, Gu Zhizhuo put down his pen.
She took the abacus sticks and cast another divination, but still got no result. Gu Zhizhuo held the abacus sticks in thought when Qiongfang's voice rang out from outside: "Miss."
"Come in. "
Qiongfang opened the door and walked in. She walked past the waste talisman paper on the ground without looking away and said with a smile, "Young lady, my uncle sent someone to bring you a message. My cousin met the Concubine Shu today. My uncle personally brought her to Hanzhang Palace. Don't worry."
That's good. Gu Zhizhuo nodded.
"My son-in-law also said that he has a tentative appointment with Prince Li to meet at Tianxi Tower tomorrow at noon. If you don't have time, we can change it."
"Let's do it tomorrow." Gu Zhizhuo put the abacus away. "It's better to finish it early."
Gu Zhizhuo didn't want there to be an "outsider" in the house.
Qiongfang promised: "I will reply right away."
"etc."
Gu Zhizhuo called her over and handed her two lucky bags: "One for you and Qingmei."
Qiongfang accepted it happily and said, "I'll give it to Qingmei."
As soon as Qiongfang left, Gu Zhizhuo stretched his limbs, put all the newly drawn talismans into the peach wood box, and packed up the remaining yellow paper and cinnabar.
The sky was getting dark as dusk approached, with only a hint of orange lingering on the horizon.
Gu Zhizhuo went to bed early.
She had made an appointment with Prince Heli at noon, and after half past 9 o'clock, Xie Yingchen came to the mansion to pick her up.
As soon as she got on the carriage, Gu Zhizhuo first checked that her lucky bag and cinnabar bracelet were both in good condition. Then she looked around and didn't see the kitten. She asked with some disappointment, "Where's the cat?"
Xie Yingchen rolled up her hair with his fingers, tucked it behind her ears, and pulled her to sit down: "The cat didn't come."
He chuckled softly and said to her, "I met Lord Shen this morning, and he asked me if I wanted to borrow his cat for a few days."
Even if Xie Yingchen hadn't given any extra description, Gu Zhizhuo could still imagine the sarcasm in Shen Xu's tone from just these few words. She chuckled, her smile as bright as a spring flower. Gu Zhizhuo tugged at his sleeve and asked excitedly, "Has Shen Mao ignored him recently?"
"At first, I only stayed for an hour or two, but then it got longer and longer. These past few days, whenever I went to Wenyuan Hall early in the morning, Shen Mao would come and stay until dark."
"The day I went to pick you up, Mao probably couldn't find me in Wenyuan Palace, so he ran to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to look for me."
"Early this morning, Lord Shen came to catch the cat."
Not long after Xie Yingchen arrived at Wenyuan, the cat was still rolling around and acting coquettishly when Shen Xu rushed in, asked that question, and then carried the cat away by the soft flesh on its neck.
Gu Zhizhuo was happy.
Chen Xu is used to saying one thing and thinking another, which means he is not happy that the cat is not at home every day.
She buried her head in his shoulder and laughed, her shoulders shaking slightly.
Xie Yingchen patted her back gently, fearing that she would choke on her saliva.
"Sir. I've thought about it."
Gu Zhizhuo looked up at him, the smile on his lips had not completely disappeared, and his face was serious, which gave Xie Yingchen a bad feeling.
"Sir, starting tomorrow, you must take your cousin with you wherever you go.
Xie Yingchen: “…”
"Okay." Gu Zhizhuo shook his arm, with the ending tone rising and swirling.
Xie Yingchen: “…”
He doesn't want to be with Wang Xing all day long!
But, with her like this, how could he refuse? Xie Yingchen's heart was beating fast. He cleared his throat and said softly, as if nothing had happened, "It's a rare visit to the capital for Cousin Wang Xing, so he has to walk around, right?"
"I heard that cousin Wang Xing might be here to meet Princess Shang? Then he should spend more time with Dan Ling."
"How can I let him follow me all the time?"
That makes a lot of sense.
Gu Zhizhuo hesitated.
"How about this." Xie Yingchen continued to coax her, "If you're worried, why don't you stay with me?"
Huh?
"Are you busy lately?"
Gu Zhizhuo thought about it carefully and it seemed that there was no such thing. After sending Gu Yan away, she could have some free time.
"You're good at fighting. I can rest assured with you by my side." Xie Yingchen hooked his finger around hers, twisting it around, his tone addictive. "What do you say?"
Gu Zhizhuo's earlobes were burning from being disturbed, and his mind was completely on him.
"Okay! From today on, I'm not going anywhere."
She told the young master three fortunes a day and always got it right once.
A smile graced his brows, and Xie Yingchen's eyes were gentle.
When they got off the carriage, he was still smiling. He took her hand and helped her down, intertwining their fingers, his palms filled with her body temperature.
Xie Yingchen had already reserved a private seat in Tianxi Tower.
Today was a double octane day, and Gu Zhizhuo remembered that Madam Gui should be in Tianxi Tower. She looked around at the musicians waiting in the lobby, but didn't see anyone, so she stopped the waiter and asked casually.
"Just now a guest ordered Gui Niangzi."
The waiter led the way in front.
Xie Yingchen raised his eyebrows and asked, "Madam?"
"She plays the pipa beautifully. I was hoping to hear another piece. What a shame."
Tianxi Tower faces the street on one side and a large garden on the other. There are only four elegant rooms in total. It is a two-story building built in the garden facing the lake, which is particularly quiet and peaceful.
They arrived neither too early nor too late, a quarter of an hour before noon, and Prince Li was already there. Seeing them finally arrive, he put down the teacup in his hand and said, "Have a seat."
The waiter bent down and closed the door for them.
"Your Majesty."
Gu Zhizhuo knelt down to greet him and sat down with Xie Yingchen.
Xie Yingchen ordered a glass of fruit juice for Gu Zhizhuo. Before she could even drink the juice, Prince Li got straight to the point and said, "Miss Gu, I asked you to come here because of Gu Yan's matter."
No matter what, when it comes to the word "Gu Yan", Prince Li still looks embarrassed.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't respond.
This is how business works. You can’t let the other party think that you have a good relationship with them and then try to lower the price.
Prince Li wanted to quickly settle the matter. He thought about the price Gu Zhizhuo had asked for when he sold Ji Shi to the emperor. Although his heart was a little dark, after careful consideration, it seemed reasonable. He said, "Gu Yan has been in the Gu family for six and a half years. If all his expenses doubled, and he lost two imperial farms, would that be a good deal?"
If it were someone else, they would not dare to negotiate any conditions with the royal family, but Gu Zhizhuo was different.
She clasped her fingers together and placed them on the eight-immortals table, then leaned back in the armchair, with a half-smile on the corner of her mouth.
Prince Li was obviously a prince, and old enough to be Gu Zhizhuo's grandfather. However, after being glanced at by her phoenix eyes, Prince Li inexplicably felt as if he couldn't raise his head, and his momentum was suppressed by more than one level.
Yes, in this matter of Gu Yan, even if he was biased to the point of being blind and heartless, it was still the emperor's fault, and it was his own fault.
Prince Li cleared his throat and asked, "Miss Gu, what do you think?"
"Your Highness," Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile, "Excuse me, but is money important to your palace?"
Judging by what he said, silver was certainly important. Prince Li wasn't one of those pedantic scholars who viewed gold and silver as mere petty gains. Even the Ministry of Revenue was swamped daily with money, so what right did he have to despise it? But to say he was obsessed with it wasn't necessarily the case. With his position in the royal palace, as long as he didn't rebel, he wouldn't be short of silver.
If that were the case, the same must be true for the Zhenguogong Mansion. Prince Li smiled helplessly. The little girl was really straightforward in her words.
She was telling him that the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was not short of money, and he shouldn't think of getting rid of her easily with just a few dollars.
"Your Highness," Gu Zhizhuo sighed softly, "Alas, my grandmother has cherished Gu Yan since he was young, raising him with great care for so many years. Now, she suddenly says that Gu Yan is not our child. Grandmother is really reluctant to let him go. She has cried several times. Alas, our grandparents had a very deep love, and my grandfather's spirit in heaven cannot rest in peace."
"Six and a half years of hard work can't be calculated in gold or silver. Don't you agree?"
Prince Li smiled awkwardly.
Not to mention Madam Gu, even he himself doted on his youngest grandson the most. If he were to tell him now that the grandson was not his, no amount of money would make him give up.
But apart from gold and silver, what else can he give?
What is the Duke of Zhenguo’s Mansion lacking?
Prince Li suddenly had an idea. He asked tentatively, "The gold and silver will remain as they are. I can make the decision and have the Crown Prince inherit the title immediately. What do you think, Miss Gu?"
As the crown prince, Gu Yican's succession to the title requires the approval of an imperial edict, because the emperor has been delaying it until now, three years have passed since the Duke of Zhenguo passed away, and the crown prince is still the crown prince.
Gu Zhizhuo smiled. Prince Li thought he had hit the nail on the head and was about to promise her that he would get it done as soon as possible, but Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand to interrupt him.
She said, "My brother was personally appointed the Duke of Zhenguo by the late emperor. The Duke of Zhenguo Mansion has never committed any acts of rebellion. The title originally belonged to my brother. Your Highness cannot use a matter of course to write off the grievances suffered by the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion."
Prince Li: “…”
Miss Gu was truly impressive. In just a few words, she made him feel that the price he offered was truly unfair. No wonder even someone as astute as Gu Baibai insisted on waiting until his niece returned before discussing the matter.
"However, the prince is old and has just recovered from a stroke. He still has to take the trouble to deal with the emperor's aftermath. I don't want to make it too difficult for the prince."
Prince Li stroked his long beard and nodded with satisfaction in his heart. Miss Gu was quite considerate.
"Since the prince mentioned the title, that's fine."
Gu Zhizhuo sat up straight, and suddenly changed from a nonchalant attitude to a serious one. Even Prince Li couldn't help but look solemn.
"My Zhenguo Mansion wants a prince, isn't that too much?"
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