Just as Qiaoniang was about to stop after passing the screen, Uncle Zhong took two more steps before stopping: "Something has happened in Qingyun County! The master and mistress have been detained and are now on their way to the capital!"
His tone was urgent and worried, yet he deliberately lowered his voice, making it hoarse and strained, which echoed in the air, leaving Qiaoniang stunned.
Where is the person now?
Qiao Niang asked anxiously.
"Now he's in the imperial prison!"
Qiaoniang was startled. Previously, when they were imprisoned, they were only in the main jail of the Jingzhao Prefecture. The Imperial Prison was for serious criminals. What crime had the master and his companion committed to be imprisoned in the Imperial Prison?
"The messenger said that the First Madam seemed to be in very bad shape and had to be carried in!"
Qiao Niang was startled again. The Heavenly Prison was no good place. The journey from Qingyun County was arduous, and even their own carriage was exhausted.
But since the old man and his wife were being escorted to the capital, they wouldn't receive any special treatment, like fine carriages and horses. Perhaps the madam's health couldn't withstand it?
Just as they were pondering, they heard a "thump" from behind the screen.
Qiaoniang and Uncle Zhong were both startled and quickly walked behind the screen.
Gu Xingzhi was lying on the ground, convulsing, but still conscious. He was some distance from the bed.
He had been playing around and had been trying to eavesdrop on what Uncle Zhong and Qiao Niang were saying. He thought it was just some ordinary news, but he ended up hearing that his elder brother and sister-in-law had been escorted all the way from Qingyun County to the imperial prison.
He was currently weak and frail, and the lingering poison had not yet been cleared. It was a time when he needed to rest and not exert himself. The doctor had also specifically instructed him not to overwork. However, upon suddenly hearing this major news, he initially told himself to remain calm and not to get angry, but he still panicked when he heard that his sister-in-law had been carried into the prison.
Qiao Niang was shocked to see Gu Xingzhi in such a state. She called for help and, together with Uncle Zhong, helped him onto the bed.
Gu Xingzhi was anxious, feeling both ashamed of his physical condition and unwilling to reveal it to Qiaoniang. His expression grew increasingly strange.
Qiaoniang was extremely anxious, but then she heard Gu Xingzhi breathing heavily, as if he were speaking. She quickly moved closer and vaguely heard Gu Xingzhi calling out "Yaoniang." Qiaoniang hurriedly said, "Go! Go quickly and tell the young lady to come home immediately!"
The servants quickly agreed. Qiao Niang held Gu Xingzhi's hand, which was trembling, but she still comforted him, "Second Master, don't worry! I will send someone to inquire! The First Master will be fine, and you mustn't be in trouble either! Don't worry, the doctor will be here soon! You can't be in trouble, Second Master! The more you worry about the First Master, the calmer you must be."
While comforting Gu Xingzhi, she gently pressed on his arm and, following the breathing method that Doctor Song had taught her, guided Gu Xingzhi to inhale and exhale deeply with her.
Gu Xingzhi gradually calmed down. He gently touched Qiaoniang's hand, and Qiaoniang finally felt relieved and let out a long sigh of relief.
-
Gu Yaoniang twisted her neck vigorously in the Jin Yu Lou, put down her sore wrist, and placed the pen on the pen holder.
The sun gradually sank, casting a dazzling golden glow on the horizon, before disappearing completely beneath the horizon. Only after the long night had passed did it rise again from the other side.
"Jinchuan, you don't have to stay with me all the time."
Gu Yaoniang turned her gaze to the side. Lu Zhaoan was nestled against the rocking chair, lost in thought, and hadn't looked at her. Only when she heard Gu Yaoniang speak did he turn his head.
He smiled and said, "I'm just idling around anyway. The Lu family doesn't have much business these days. Everyone's investigating."
Gu Yaoniang remained silent.
With flying silver, shopping became much more convenient, and shops seized the opportunity to raise prices. The wealthy and powerful, however, continued their extravagant lifestyles, even becoming more wasteful than usual. They didn't care about the price increases, as they had plenty of silver and weren't worried about running out.
At first, there were only complaints from ordinary people, lamenting how difficult life had become. But it didn't cause any unrest. No matter how many ordinary people there were, who would pay attention to unimportant people? It wasn't like they were going to starve. Let it be difficult; this world wasn't meant to be easy anyway.
Gradually, the shops that didn't raise prices ran out of stock, their goods snapped up by shoppers. Meanwhile, those shops that were waiting for the right moment to raise prices became even more blatant in their price gouging, leaving only the wealthy able to grit their teeth and buy some.
At first, it was just jade and calligraphy, then it gradually expanded to writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, clothing and fabrics, and finally, even the rice and grain shops were abandoned.
Fortunately, under Gu Yaoniang's instructions, the Gu family had been hoarding rice and grain and setting a price limit for each person when selling it, so they were able to provide rice and grain to help the people in the city who couldn't afford to eat.
However, much more rice and grain must have been bought up at high prices by noble families and hoarded in their mansions. The less available rice and grain were outside, the less likely they were to take out the rice and grain they had hoarded at home.
The Lu family's business was originally a peaceful one, and now that everyone is preoccupied with their own food, business is naturally not busy.
"Then why don't you go and keep your mother company?"
Lu Zhaoan's ten-year agreement with his father had come to an end. He had originally wanted to leave the Lu family with his mother long ago, but recent turmoil had delayed his plans. Almost another year had passed since then.
No one in the Lu family could replace Lu Zhao'an, nor was anyone willing to take his place. They considered themselves superior, and even though businessmen had little influence on their careers these days, the Lu family members were unwilling to "lose their integrity."
Lu Zhao, on the other hand, was happy to be a hands-off manager. Over the past ten years, he had already planned his future. If he just needed to get rid of everything, he could start his own business and become the head of his own family.
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