The word "poisoned" shocked everyone once again.
Aunt Qu frantically slapped and hit Luyi: "You wretched maid, how dare you harm the Fifth Young Master! When have I ever mistreated you? How dare you kill your master?"
"Quickly, go to the palace and fetch Physician Ye!" the old lady shouted. "Aunt Qu, shut up!"
The physician had done his best to treat Xie Xun. He knew some basic detoxification techniques. He went to invite Doctor Ye, but felt that the poison was too strong and the child was too young, so it was best to remove it completely.
News of the chaos and turmoil in Wutong Garden had already reached the front yard.
Xie Anfeng, Xie Yu, Gu Shaoyu, and Gu Chengyan all came.
Fearing that family matters would disturb Gu Shaoyu, the old lady said to Xie Zhaozhao, "Take Grand Secretary Gu to your courtyard to rest; it's too chaotic here."
Xie Zhaozhao still had a slight limp, so Gu Shaoyu took her from Yuan Yuanman's hands and helped her slowly walk towards her room, asking, "How did you sprain your ankle?"
Xie Zhaozhao recounted her visit to her younger brother.
Gu Shaoyu didn't think about the infighting in the inner quarters and said, "You should be careful when you go to see your younger brother. Sprained ankles hurt a lot. I'll give you a massage later."
Xie Zhaozhao was really afraid that he would suddenly become aggressive again while rubbing his feet; this was the Xie residence, not Qingpu Courtyard.
She firmly refused to let him rub her feet, saying, "I feel much better. The doctor treated me just now and applied some medicated oil. I should be better soon."
Gu Shaoyu knew she was shy, so he didn't insist.
Xie Zhaozhao told Gu Shaoyu about Xiao Wu's poisoning, and he was very surprised: "How could a child be poisoned?"
"I don't know, let's see what Doctor Ye has to say later."
As Xie Zhaozhao walked past the covered walkway, she saw that the peaches in the peach grove next to her were fully ripe and fragrant. She said to Yuanyuan, "Go and pick a few peaches for the Grand Secretary to try."
Yuanyuan picked seven or eight peaches, went back to the yard, washed them, peeled them, cut them into small square pieces, put them on crushed ice, and served them to the two of them with a fruit fork.
These peaches are sweet and crisp.
Seeing how beautifully she ate each tiny piece, Gu Shaoyu felt a pang of envy and carefully fed her some with a fork.
Xie Zhaozhao said shyly, "You eat it yourself, you don't need to feed me."
Gu Shaoyu didn't say anything, but just carefully fed the food, one piece at a time.
Xie Zhaozhao said it several times, but he wouldn't listen.
Yuan Yuanman, watching from the side, felt both bewildered and amused. What was her son-in-law up to? With a serious face, it seemed he wasn't feeding his children, but doing something very sacred.
Unable to resist, Xie Zhaozhao retaliated by shoving a piece of peach into his mouth.
The man was not polite at all; he opened his mouth just in time, ate a peach, and kept his eyes on the peach pieces in the ice basket.
What's the next one? Throw it over here!
Helpless, Xie Zhaozhao had no choice but to feed him again. The man accepted the food and smiled at Xie Zhaozhao in an exceptionally... seductive way!
Xie Zhaozhao was dazzled by his laughter. How could this person be like this, constantly exuding the aura of male courtship?
Can you please tone it down a bit?
Xie Zhaozhao simply put down the spoon; she couldn't bear to watch anymore.
"Zhao Zhao, these peaches are so delicious! They're sweet, crisp, juicy, and incredibly fragrant." He said it all with such seriousness, every word was correct and easy to understand, but Xie Zhao Zhao just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
She vowed that she would never let him feed her again, nor would she feed him.
After finishing the peaches, the two little girls had long since disappeared.
Grand Secretary Gu said contentedly, "I feel much better after eating the peaches you fed me. I'm hungry, and I'm not eating yet."
Xie Zhaozhao checked the time, and sure enough, it was already noon, time to eat.
Just as they were thinking it was time to eat, Guan Yan rushed in from outside: "Your Excellency, Madam, the table has been set out, and Master wants you to come and eat."
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Yu arrived and called out from outside the courtyard, "Zhao Zhao, dinner's ready."
Gu Shaoyu helped Xie Zhaozhao put on her shoes and then helped her slowly leave the room.
Xie Yu said, "I just heard from the physician that you twisted your ankle. How are you? Does it still hurt?"
"It's almost over, the pain has subsided." Xie Zhaozhao asked, "Is Fifth Brother alright?"
"Doctor Ye examined Xiao Wu and has now cleared away most of the toxins, so there shouldn't be any major problems."
With the two sons-in-law in the mansion, Xie Yu didn't want to say anything more.
For lunch, the Xie family's banquet was already top-notch, with bear paws, venison, and all sorts of delicacies from land and sea... everything imaginable was served.
However, the rules were very strict. Servants carried bowls, teacups, dishes, and served dishes, and no one repeated anyone.
People come and go, their clothes fluttering, yet everything is orderly. You can't hear any footsteps. Even the maids and servants who sweep and clean greet guests without any haste or panic. No one runs around, shouts, or hides.
The Xie family was a true aristocratic family.
The father-in-law and son-in-law toasted each other, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely. Xie Anfeng and Grand Secretary Gu had a very pleasant conversation. Second Master Xie and Third Master Xie tried their best to curry favor with Grand Secretary Gu, hoping to get a promotion for themselves.
Gu Chengyan is the heir of a marquis's mansion, but he has no real power; he is just an empty shell.
As the saying goes, a first-generation marquis is a hero, a second-generation marquis is a coward, and with Gu Chengyan, all that's left is a dog.
Xie Yu, concerned about saving face, didn't ignore him too much.
Xie Zhaozhao was with the old lady, Xie Xiangxiang and other female guests. Madam Xu was also there, but she was distracted the whole time.
Madam Xie the Second and Madam Xie the Third were extremely hospitable, constantly serving Xie Zhaozhao food and saying many kind words.
With the old lady present, they dared not make any big demands.
Madam Xie pleaded, "Miss, could you please speak to Grand Secretary Gu? Your second uncle wants to be transferred to the Salt and Iron Bureau, even if it's just a lowly errand boy, it would be better than him just hanging around on the periphery."
Second Uncle Xie Anhuai had little presence in the household, but he was still quite respectful to Father.
Xie Zhaozhao couldn't make any promises. The Salt and Iron Bureau was probably the most lucrative department in the court, and her second uncle knew how to choose.
But when she arrived, Gu Shaoyu told her, "There is a vacancy in the Salt and Iron Bureau. It's not a high-ranking position. If someone wants it and happens to be someone you want to promote, you can accept the offer."
That position was too low; he didn't want to assign Xie Yu to it.
Xie Yu spent a few years in the Ministry of Revenue and was promoted to Minister of Revenue. After a few more years of outstanding political achievements, he would have had a chance to enter the cabinet.
Madam Xie also looked at Xie Zhaozhao with great anticipation. Naturally, she hoped that her son could be promoted, as Xie Anhuai was also her biological son.
"Zhaozhao, the Salt and Iron Bureau is His Majesty's purse. Now that His Majesty is giving important positions to people from humble backgrounds, it's definitely not easy to get involved. Just ask Grand Secretary Gu to keep an eye out for it."
The old lady was saying this to the second and third wives, telling them not to keep asking Xie Zhaozhao for favors. Do you think you're buying vegetables on the street?
Seeing her grandmother say this, Xie Zhaozhao said, "I'll talk to the Grand Secretary and tell him not to have too high hopes. I don't know if he can squeeze out a vacancy."
The old lady and Madam Xie were overjoyed, as if they had received a royal decree.
The young lady is always reserved in her speech; if she's willing to give a word, then she'll definitely do her best to help.
Xie Xiangxiang got angry at their agitated state, slammed her chopsticks on the table, and said, "Is this never going to end? Are you marrying off your daughter or selling her?"
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