Jiang Shaofu is desperate and Gu Yanzhou enters the palace to rescue him
On the day off, Gu Yanzhou woke up early. He had an appointment with Pei Linyan to travel to Beimang Mountain today, so he dressed up specially. He was wearing a Jinxian crown, a curved-hem robe, and single-soled cloth shoes, and looked happy.
At this moment, the door rang, and Gu Yanzhou hurried out from the inner room to open the door. Seeing that it was Jiang Huai, the light in his eyes dimmed a little, and he forced a smile and said, "Brother Jiang, what's the matter with you coming here?"
"Brother Gu, I hope you can save my entire clan from this dire situation. I kneel before you." He knelt down before Gu Yanzhou, who grabbed him and said, "What's going on? Why are you here? Please explain clearly."
"This matter is extremely urgent and we cannot wait. I will tell you in detail on the way to the palace." After Jiang Huai said this, he took Gu Yanzhou's hand and got into the car.
Soon, Pei Linyan returned and found the hut empty. Panic seized him, his heart aflame, his fists unconsciously clenched, his expression growing increasingly grim. Gu Nanfeng reached the door, seeing it unlocked. Thinking he'd been robbed, he picked up a piece of wood to protect himself. Looking up, he saw Pei Linyan, his face trembling with anxiety, his hands clenched into fists, crouched beneath the plum tree, his mind vacant, like a lost animal.
"Master Pei, why are you here alone?" Gu Nanfeng asked
Pei Linyan came back to his senses after hearing the words, and seeing who was coming, he instantly moved to Gu Nanfang, squatted down, clasped his hands tightly on his shoulders and said, "Do you know where Yan'er went?"
Gu Nanfeng had never seen such a scene before, and stammered, "I ran into the young master on the street and saw him get into the Jiang Mansion's carriage and head to the palace."
When Pei Linyan heard about the palace, his whole body became anxious as if he had been electrocuted. He quickly mounted his horse and galloped down the street, chasing after Gu Yanzhou.
At the same time, in the carriage, "Now tell me what you want my help with." Gu Yanzhou said
"This matter... concerns the lives of my entire clan. I am at my wit's end. I hope Brother Gu, who is a master at solving cases and has meticulous investigations, can save me from this danger." Jiang Huai said
"You are so secretive, what is it that you are talking about?" Gu Yanzhou said
"A strange thing has been happening in the palace recently. Every night, there are strange noises and ghostly sights. Last night, the person pretending to be a ghost was arrested. Chu Zhaorong firmly believes that it was Concubine Jiang who ordered it. Concubine Jiang is my younger sister. My younger sister has always been gentle and humble, and has never been aggressive with the world. She would definitely not do such a evil thing. I hope Brother Gu can help me find the real culprit and clear my younger sister's name."
Gu Yanzhou's mind buzzed as he thought, "No matter what the truth is, this is bound to offend someone, and it's quite complicated. It doesn't sound simple, but it's too late to regret. I can only take it one step at a time. I hope Lin finds out soon, otherwise I'll just have to leave it to fate." Gu Yanzhou hated the feeling of being out of control. It was like being back on a snowy night when he was eight years old, miserable and lonely, unable to grasp his fate, and could only sit and wait for death. Everything was about to go off the rails...
When he arrived at the palace gate, he saw the Jinwu Guards guarding both sides of the palace gate with solemn expressions. Jiang Huai got out of the car and asked to be let through.
"Master Shaofu, today is a day off. Instead of resting at home, you come all the way here. Why are you here? What's your business?" Lan Xu asked.
"I have something important to report to the emperor, and I need you to let me go. Don't stop me." Jiang Huai said
"Master Shaofu, you should know that entering the palace is only by imperial decree except for the morning court. Does your Excellency have an imperial decree today? If so, we will let you in. If not, please come back for the morning court tomorrow." Lan Xu said
"This matter is extremely urgent. I can't wait until tomorrow. I hope Lord Lan can be flexible." After saying that, he stuffed the horseshoe gold into his hand.
"This is unacceptable. I am helping the emperor and expressing my patriotism. How can I accept bribes?" Lan Xu said, and returned the horseshoe gold to Jiang Huai.
For a moment, Jiang Huai didn't know what to do. He was like an ant on a hot pan. If he couldn't enter the palace, he wouldn't be able to help his sister get justice. The situation was unclear, and the whole family might suffer disaster.
Seeing that he was in trouble, Gu Yanzhou got out of the car and said, "I am Gu Yanzhou, a clerk in Chang'an County." Before he could finish his next sentence, he was interrupted.
"So it's Lord Gu. My brother Lan Ci often mentions you. Thank you Lord Gu for helping my brother many times. Since Lord Gu is going with us, it must be a big deal. So I'll give you a favor and you can go early and come back early." After Lan Xu said this, he let him go.
"Thank you," said Gu Yanzhou.
"Yanzhou, you helped me again, I would like to thank you." Jiang Huai said
"It's okay. I was just lucky. It's just a coincidence. It's such a small matter, so don't worry about it." Gu Yanzhou said
"After all, I'm sorry for bothering you. Not only did I involve you in this mess, but I also caused you so much trouble. I'm so ashamed, so ashamed." Jiang Huai said
"That's not serious. When Brother Jiang encountered a crisis, the first person he thought of was me. This also proves that our meeting was destined. There's no need to worry." Gu Yanzhou said
The two arrived at Changle Palace, only to hear a strong and powerful voice in the palace, "Lady Jiang, do you have something to say?" The atmosphere was solemn. Jiang Huai was so frightened that his legs trembled. He entered the palace and knelt down and said, "Your Highness, Jiang Huai, pays homage to the Queen Mother. Changle is boundless."
Gu Yanzhou followed him into the palace and said, "Your servant, Gu Yanzhou, the court official of Chang'an County, pays homage to the Empress Dowager. May your joy be boundless."
"Oh, Gu Yanzhou, look up." The Queen Mother said
Gu Yanzhou's heart was beating fast. Without thinking, he slowly raised his head. The first thing that caught his eye was a black curved-hem robe. He felt that the color was as deep as the sea, as if to suck people in. Looking up, he saw a face that was 50% similar to Pei Linyan, which made him feel dazed. He was stunned as he met the eyes, which were cold and chilly.
"As Yan'er said, she is a beauty." The Queen Mother said
"Your Majesty, your praise is too much. I am a weakling, and it is hard for me to be seen." Gu Yanzhou said
"You are humble and polite, and you know when to advance and retreat. That's right. When Prime Minister Chen mentioned you, his words of praise were overflowing. You have made great contributions in the Salt and Iron Case and the Longevity Case, and your meritorious service is outstanding. Why are you here to ask for a reward today?" said the Queen Mother.
"I dare not. Today I heard that there is a strange case in the palace that has caused panic among the people. I am afraid that it will offend the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. I took the initiative to come to the palace to investigate and help you solve your problem. I hope that the Empress Dowager will forgive my disrespect." Gu Yanzhou explained.
"In that case, I have wrongly accused you." said the Queen Mother
"The Queen Mother is kind and benevolent. I have acted presumptuously and disturbed your peace." Gu Yanzhou said
"Nothing, since you are here, I will leave this case to you to find out the truth." said the Queen Mother
"Thank you for your grace, Queen Mother. I will investigate the truth thoroughly.
Looking closely, a woman who looked like a palace maid was kneeling. "Tell me what happened last night," Gu Yanzhou asked.
"Your Excellency, I am Honghua, a maidservant of Lady Jiang of Gui Palace. I happened to be on duty alone yesterday. My stomach started to upset at midnight. While I was washing my hands, I heard strange noises and ghostly figures. It was very scary. I fainted on the spot. When I woke up, I was tied up and told that I was the one causing trouble. I really have no idea what happened yesterday. I hope Your Excellency can understand." Honghua said
"You bitch are good at making sweet arguments, then why were you the only one there when the strange noises and ghosts appeared yesterday? What a coincidence that you were also the only one who saw it. You said it wasn't you, so who was it? It's clearly the thief crying thief, trying to confuse people." Chu Zhaorong said
"That's right. Thanks to my Zhaorong for capturing you. For the sake of peace in the palace, we must get rid of you, the scourge." Lianxiang said
"I think you must have been instructed by Lady Jiang to disturb the health of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. My Lord, you must not let this lowly maid go." Xiyu said
"It's not like that. It really has nothing to do with Concubine Jiang. Concubine Jiang is eight months pregnant and has been behaving well. She never leaves the house every day. Why go to so much trouble? I hope you can see clearly." Lu La said, then knelt down and kowtowed.
"That's just hypocrisy. She's trying to do this just to win the emperor's favor. She stays in your palace every day and uses some seductive tricks." Chu Zhaorong said sarcastically.
"Sister, why do you have to speculate about me like this? You and I are both the emperor's people. We should be humble and loving, live in peace, and serving the emperor is the most important thing." Lady Jiang said
"Bah, you are not worthy of being compared with me. I am the daughter of the Imperial Censor, and the Jiang family is just a poor family. Put away your hypocritical appearance, I will not fall for it. You can fool others, but you can't fool me." Chu Zhaorong said
Jiang Ying couldn't argue, so she looked to the Queen Mother for help. The Queen Mother was drinking tea leisurely, looking relaxed and at ease. She turned to Jiang Huai, whose eyes were full of heartache but he could do nothing.
"Alright, this is the court, not the place for you to engage in verbal battles. The Queen Mother asked me to investigate this matter with all my strength. Just answer me quietly. If you make trouble again, I will not be polite." Gu Yanzhou said sternly
"Let me ask you four, what was that strange noise and what was that ghostly shadow like?" Gu Yanzhou asked, and the four of them came forward and knelt.
"That strange sound was miserable and sharp, like a demon from hell; and the ghostly figure was even more like a demon, unpredictable and changeable." Green Wax said
"When and where did it appear?" Gu Yanzhou asked
"As long as it's night, they'll appear after midnight, usually in the Gui Palace." Honghua said.
"There's no movement in Changle Palace and Weiyang Palace," Gu Yanzhou said.
"Yes" Green Wax Road
Seeing the red marks crawling on the fingers of Lianxiang and Xiyu, which were exposed from their sleeves, like blood-colored snakes, eye-catching and dazzling, Gu Yanzhou had a thought in his mind.
"I already know who the murderer is and how he committed the crime. If you confess the truth, you can be spared from death. Otherwise, your family will be exterminated in an instant." Gu Yanzhou said
Seeing that everyone was confused, Gu Yanzhou explained, "Have you heard of people who are good at ventriloquism? They can imitate the sounds of all things in the world, and the sounds are so lifelike that they are indistinguishable from the real thing. And there is also a type of people who are good at shadow puppetry. Their hands can imitate humans, demons, ghosts and fairies. If you add a candle and combine the two, the sound is like a demon and the shape is like an evil spirit. People who pretend to be ghosts use this to stir up trouble in the harem, making everyone uneasy. Am I right, Chu Zhaorong?" Gu Yanzhou said
"Stop talking nonsense and making random accusations. This matter has nothing to do with me. Even if it is related to me, without evidence, it is slander." Chu Zhaorong said
"Oh, if you don't believe it, please stretch out your hands, Lianxiang and Xiyu, and you will know it." Gu Yanzhou said
The two of them hurriedly put their hands into their sleeves, their faces full of panic.
"Go check their hands," the Queen Mother said.
Nanny Meng grabbed the two of them and saw that both of their hands were covered with wax marks. "Do you have any excuse?" Gu Yanzhou asked.
"This is...we got burned accidentally." Lianxiang defended
"Yes, that's right. I accidentally got burned while serving the master yesterday." Xiyu agreed.
"I've wrongly accused you. If you can't serve Chu Zhaorong well, you're also failing in your duties. Come, drag these two out and beat them to death." Gu Yanzhou threatened
"Master Gu, you are probably treating Changle Palace as your own Chang'an County Government. You have already taken matters into your own hands before the Queen Mother has spoken. This has really opened my eyes. It also allowed me to see Master Gu's heroic demeanor." Chu Zhaorong said
"I think Chu Zhaorong is also afraid that I have wronged them. If you don't believe it, then the Queen Mother can send people to search the Weiyang Palace and catch him red-handed." Gu Yanzhou said
"No, Weiyang Palace is deep in the backyard of the imperial palace. It might be inconvenient. We need to think carefully." Chu Zhaorong said
"Oh, a search will clear your name. Why is Chu Zhaorong being so reluctant? I'm afraid there's something she can't see." Gu Yanzhou said
"I finally understand. You were specially invited by Young Master Jiang to support Lady Jiang. As soon as you arrived, you targeted me. Queen Mother, you must stand up for me and never be deceived by others." Chu Zhaorong said
"You really care about me. I'm afraid you think my eyesight is blurry and I can't tell right from wrong. I want to see this shadow puppet show. Take your men to search the Weiyang Palace. Don't miss any corner." The Queen Mother said
After hearing this, Chu Zhaorong collapsed to the ground.
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