When Madam Xie heard that something terrible might have happened at the Marquis's residence, she was truly alarmed.
But if we send someone to investigate at the Marquis's residence, and if Grand Secretary Gu finds out, it will definitely affect the relationship between the two residences.
If we don't investigate, we're afraid that our granddaughter and the Xie family will both fall into trouble.
Throughout history, many marriages have resulted in a mutually beneficial union, but many others have ended in tragedy where one party's loss leads to the loss of all.
If we could invite Grand Secretary Gu over to ask, and put this matter on the table, that would be the best course of action.
Xie Zhaozhao said, "Send an invitation to Grand Secretary Gu and ask him directly. He is known for his impartiality. If he is willing to tell the truth, that would be best. If he has concealed anything and implicates the Xie family, Father will surely impeach him."
Grandmother held her hand with heartache: "Zhaozhao, if you do this, Grand Secretary Gu will probably hold a grudge. How can Grandmother implicate you for life?"
“Grandmother, I have been favored by the Xie family since I was a child. They have raised me to be outstanding, if not one in ten thousand. I am sure I am quite remarkable in the capital. Since I have received their kindness, I must repay it. Anyone who is detrimental to the Xie family, I will be their enemy.”
Tears immediately streamed down Madam Xie's face. How could she not love this granddaughter?
Madam Xie asked Xie Anfeng to convey her regards to Grand Secretary Gu, inviting him to her home after court to discuss matters related to the marriage.
When Xie Anfeng went to court, he told Gu Shaoyu. Gu Shaoyu came to Xie's residence with Xie Anfeng as soon as he finished court in the afternoon.
The old lady saw him in his purple court robes; although he was a civil official, he had a dignified and imposing presence, even more so than a prince, and she liked him very much.
She really picked a good son-in-law for her eldest granddaughter.
Since the betrothal had been made, Gu Shaoyu followed Xie Zhaozhao in addressing the old lady as "Grandma."
"If there's anything you need, Grandmother, please just tell me."
He was very polite and didn't beat around the bush, so Madam Xie spoke frankly in return.
“Yesterday your mother and your sister-in-law came to the mansion and asked to move the wedding date forward. The old lady said she was unwell and wanted to bring the two children to the mansion as soon as possible. I thought that Grand Secretary Gu might not know about this yet.”
Gu Shaoyu was taken aback and said, "I really don't know about this."
"What does Grand Secretary Gu think about moving the wedding date forward?"
What does Grandmother mean?
"It's already June, and the wedding is less than a month away. It would be best if we could stick to the original date. The betrothal ceremony was held on the Dragon Boat Festival, and the ninth day of the seventh lunar month is already very tight."
Madam Xie was displeased. How could this be? Two months of preparation was already very stressful. If it were brought forward again, what would others think of the Xie family?
Gu Shaoyu immediately said, "Then let's keep the date as it is, the ninth day of the seventh month."
After saying that, he added, "Grandmother, don't worry about this. Leave it to me, I will take care of it."
Madam Xie was pleased and said, "If there is anything in the Marquis's mansion, please don't hesitate to ask. The Xie family will do its best to help in any way it can."
"Nothing's wrong at home, Grandmother, please don't worry."
Xie Anfeng also said, "The marriage is settled. Don't change it. It won't look good for my daughter's reputation."
Is it that the Xie family's daughters can't get married? Or is it that the Xie family can't tolerate their daughters?
That sounds awful.
Gu Shaoyu stated that the wedding date will proceed as planned and will not change.
After talking for a while, Gu Shaoyu pleaded with the old lady, "Jingchen wants to see the eldest young lady. Please grant me permission, Grandmother."
Of course, Madam Xie would not refuse; she liked Gu Shaoyu very much.
Ying'er took him to Xie Zhaozhao's courtyard.
White walls, green bamboo—Xie Zhaozhao's courtyard was indeed elegant and tranquil.
When the servant Mo Yan, who was guarding the door, saw Ying'er bringing someone over, he immediately greeted her happily: "Sister Ying'er, greetings to Grand Secretary Gu."
Gu Shaoyu said with a smile, "Go and inform the young lady that I have come to pay my respects."
Ying'er curtsied to Gu Shaoyu and said, "Then this servant will take her leave now."
Mo Yan saw Yuan Yuan feeding the birds under the eaves and called out, "Sister Yuan Yuan, please inform the young lady that Grand Secretary Gu has come to visit."
"Grand Secretary Gu has arrived? Please come in quickly."
Yuanyuan welcomed Gu Shaoyu into the east room tea room, served him tea, and then went to the main room to inform Xie Zhaozhao.
Gu Shaoyu looked at the row of seven or eight gilded bronze vats in Xie Zhaozhao's courtyard, each containing lotus flowers that were in full bloom.
The lotus leaves are delicate and exquisite, and the lotus leaves are red and green.
He thought he would put a few more of these gilded bronze jars in the yard later.
After sitting for a short while, he heard light, rhythmic footsteps, stood up, and looked towards the door.
I couldn't help but feel happy.
When Xie Zhaozhao entered, she saw him in his court robes and his smiling eyes, knowing that he had come without even changing his clothes after court.
"You've worked hard, Your Excellency," she said with a slight smile.
"I came here today to tell you about some things at home, so that you won't be unaware of them when you arrive."
For some reason, Gu Shaoyu just wanted to be honest with Xie Zhaozhao and didn't want to hide anything from her.
Xie Zhaozhao hummed in agreement and sat down opposite him.
"Recently, some things have happened in the manor. The main problem is that the young master made a mistake in hiring people. First, a servant made some outrageous remarks, which offended some people and caused the manor to have to pay a lot of money in compensation."
"After that, the prince opened an ice shop with his cousin, which led to a lawsuit."
"Because of these two incidents, the manor has suffered a significant loss of money."
“I was unaware that my mother and sister-in-law had come to ask me to change the wedding date. Although I want to marry you sooner, I don’t want to sacrifice your reputation, so I wanted to tell you that I will make arrangements and we will stick to the original date.”
Although Gu Shaoyu spoke tactfully, he did not cover up for Gu Chengyan or exaggerate; he told the truth without concealing anything.
This man is really likable!
Xie Zhaozhao smiled and said, "Then I'll leave it to you, Your Excellency."
"Don't overwork yourself, just make sure your wedding dress is ready. I'm not good at managing money, so once you're married, you'll be in charge of the household. My salary won't be much, but we'll have enough to eat and wear."
He bluntly said, "If you don't like dealing with your sisters-in-law, we can move out of the mansion and live separately."
This is to tell her that we will stand by her to the end.
Xie Zhaozhao smiled and said, "Speaking of having enough to eat and wear, there are still many refugees stranded in the capital, both in the south and north of the city. Refugees from the west and northwest are still stranded in the capital."
She told Grand Secretary Gu that she wanted to select a group of displaced people of decent character and settle them on the estate.
“I will find someone to teach them some kung fu. Those who learn well will be sent to Baiyue to reclaim wasteland for farming or to open up trade routes in Baiyue.”
"No matter how much silver we earn, this will completely settle the displaced people in the capital, and these people will no longer affect the security of the capital."
Gu Shaoyu is a Grand Secretary, and it is his responsibility to handle issues concerning people's livelihood. She is trying to improve his official reputation.
Gu Shaoyu's eyes were smiling, shimmering and very charming. He said to her, "Go ahead and do it. I will find a time to tell His Majesty."
In this way, her recruitment process became legitimate.
She laughed happily, and he laughed with amazement.
He seemed to have a weakness, and she seemed to have developed armor.
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