Su Rong had never heard anyone plainly pointing out the harm she had caused Zhou Gu, expressing sympathy for him in front of her.
The old Duke, Great Princess Sheng’an and the Duchess had not, because they could empathize with her standpoint and understand her decisions, and out of respect for her mother, they refrained from criticizing her. Especially after she saved Zhou Gu’s life, they found it even harder to blame her for anything.
They pitied Zhou Gu, but that was all they could do.
Only her mother, had rebuked her on a few occasions, yet tend towards her standpoint, for her consideration.
Now, Qin Ruo who was far away in this harsh and cold land, almost pointed at her nose and scolded her. She thought him well-mannered as he scolded without cursing, but highlighted how badly she had treated Zhou Gu.
This man hadn’t really thought about the Qin family, or about his own situation, nor had he given much thought to the chances of her succeeding in competing for the throne in Nanchu.
He hadn’t considered that if she failed, his life would be in danger.
However, after she finished speaking, he agreed, even though he had complicated feelings that challenged his perception of Zhou Gu.
She got up with a smile, pretending to lean on Qin Ruo, "I didn’t make a detour for you in vain. Since you’ve agreed, go and inform your dear mother and relatives." She looked at the sky and saw it was mid-afternoon, "You have half a day to prepare, we leave tonight."
Qin Ruo nodded, "Okay."
Su Rong handed Qin Luan’s letter to him, then turned to Ning Ze, "Ning Ze, you go with Young Master Qin, pay a visit to the Qin family on my behalf. If they need anything, whether it’s silver or medicine, leave them some."
Ning Ze immediately stood up, "Alright."
He quickly walked up to Qin Ruo and smiled, "Brother Qin, my name is Ning Ze."
Qin Ruo took the letter and looked at him, "You’re the second young master from Marquis Nanping Residence?"
"Yes, that’s me."
Qin Ruo nodded, "Thank you, let’s go!"
As the two of them departed, the Local Official signaled his people to follow them quickly. Now that he had promised Su Rong to take care of the Qin family, he would naturally do his best.
He was thinking, the Qin family were currently doing some rather heavy labor, which they should no longer do. He could arrange some work for them, such as accounting or supervision tasks.
He was again astounded by what he had just heard. The Zhou Lieutenant of the Duke Residence was to marry the Nanchu Princess? The Crown Prince and the old Duke were indeed willing to let go of him.
He said to Su Rong, "My residence is in the city center. Would Lady Su Qi like to stay for a couple of days? I would like to extend my hospitality."
Su Rong shook her head, "I don’t have that much time, but I can dine at your place tonight before I leave."
The Local Official broke into a smile at her agreement, "I will make the arrangement now."
He immediately hurried to find some people and gave the instructions, then he turned to Su Rong, "Lady Su Qi, let’s go. You must be tired from the journey, so let’s rest first at my place. My cook makes the best Nanhuai dishes."
Su Rong nodded, "Alright."
Thus, under the guidance of the Local Official, Su Rong and Fen Ling went to his residence.
As Qin Ruo was heading to see his mother and relatives, he still felt somewhat in a daze. He looked at his surroundings at the stone quarry, at the toiling crowd, and at the desolate barren land. He had meant to spend years here, his spirit bending, suffering through each day, waiting for the day the Qin family name was cleared before he could leave Nanhuai City.
Even though he had Zhou Gu’s favor which made Local Official wary and somewhat kind-hearted, he still needed to rely on his own strength and wisdom to carve out a place for himself within this land, to ensure the survival of his family.
But now, unexpectedly, he was about to leave.
He should thank his sister. If she hadn’t pleaded with the Crown Prince and Su Rong, Su Rong might not have thought of him. However, he also remembered that when the entire family was exiled, his sister cried and begged him to ask Zhou Gu for help, saying that Zhou Gu could definitely find a solution. As long as he asked, Zhou Gu could let her stay in Capital City even as a maid or a concubine.
His sister was right. If he had simply asked, Zhou Gu would have agreed.
At the time, the Eastern Palace and the Duke Residence were both being suppressed and the Emperor was watching every move these two residences made. But whenever they tried to make a move, the Emperor would seize the opportunity to strike. He didn’t actually want to ask Zhou Gu for help, because he knew it would only invite trouble. The Qin family, the Qin family members, had committed serious crimes. Without the attention of the Emperor and the first and second Princes, it would be difficult to do anything.
But his sister had begged him while she cried on her knees. She was still so young, so he reluctantly agreed.
He halted, turning to Ning Ze, "Brother Ning, could you wait for a moment while I read this letter?"
Ning Ze immediately waved his hand, "Brother Qin, take your time."
Qin Ruo unfolded the letter, read through it, and saw that it wasn’t very long. Qin Luan had asked in the letter about his wellbeing and his mother’s wellbeing, mentioned her days in the Eastern Palace, her situation, and then about Zhou Gu, and Su Rong.
Finally, she advised him that she had only begged for one chance to follow Su Qi, a chance that was hard to come by and not even she could get it. She dearly hoped to see her family saved, but had only a little influence, so she asked her brother to try his best to help their family by using Su Qi, at least to make their mother’s and the relatives’ lives a little easier.
Apart from these, she wished him good luck and further stated that she had settled the debt she owed him. In the future, they should lead their own lives and forget about the past.
After reading the letter, Qin Ruo folded it carefully and signaled Ning Ze to move forward.
He thought to himself, Su Qi’s reasons for refusing his sister were quite justifiable. Every person in power or rank, every intelligent person who had learned how to manage subordinates, must have certain principles.
But Su Qi must not know that his sister is in love with Zhou Gu.
She wanted to go to Nanchu, perhaps because she had heard that Zhou Gu would go to Nanchu and perhaps even settle there later. So even if she didn’t have wild ambitions, she wanted to be close to Zhou Gu.
Back then, his sister was begging him while crying and said that she would be Zhou Gu’s concubine or servant. It pained him as her elder brother, but he had no other choice. He agreed and asked Zhou Gu to find a way to take care of her and prevent her from being exiled.
Zhou Gu found a way to exempt the women from exile and cleverly placed her safe in the Eastern Palace, not breaking his promise to take care of her.
He didn’t take her with him, let alone take her as a concubine on his trust.
When the news reached Nanhuai City, he knew that Zhou Gu didn’t love his sister and indeed, the Eastern Palace could take good care of her. Holding a position in the Eastern Palace was not a bad deal at all.
But his sister must be very disappointed and full of sorrow, feelings she could not express to outsiders.
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