Chapter 146 He didn't care whether he lived or died; if he wanted to thank someone, he should thank her. ...
This time, it was truly thanks to the blessings of the Three Pure Ones; Gu Xiangzhi's sudden appearance brought a glimmer of hope to the situation.
Sui En jogged ahead of him, leading the way.
Upon noticing his colleague arrive, Shen Tu stood with his hands behind his back, a forced smile on his face, responding to Gu Xiangzhi's slightly questioning remarks.
He repeated his discovery, with a hint of mockery: "It's as if only you, Supervisor Gu, understand etiquette, and everyone else is like a fool."
"Don't worry, those of us without anyone protecting us are extremely cautious. We wouldn't dare to be disrespectful." Everyone present could hear the veiled barb in Shen Tu Zheng's words, but due to their status, the others dared not give him any dissenting glances.
The infighting within the Imperial Horse Administration has been going on for a long time, and the position of the next Grand Supervisor will eventually be decided among these three.
To put it more precisely, only Gu Xiangzhi has a chance of becoming the Grand Eunuch.
Over the years, Chang Yushan has devoted himself to cultivating only him, and has taken care of him the most.
Of the three junior supervisors, the other one didn't have much ambition to become the future head of the Imperial Horse Administration. He was a casual person who just went with the flow and did his job well.
In contrast, Shen Tu Zheng was much more ambitious. Since he couldn't compete with Gu Xiangzhi, he naturally wouldn't speak politely to him.
Chang Yushan always thought he was inferior to Gu Xiangzhi, so he wanted to achieve something even more to impress Chang Yushan.
Therefore, he was as strict and serious as ever in apprehending Xiao Chengyan this time.
After listening to Shen Tu's barbed words, Gu Xiangzhi walked up to him unhurriedly, without refuting his words, and said as he walked: "Since you are the most cautious, then Junior Supervisor Shen Tu should understand that the location of Hongzheng Pavilion is not your business."
In order to capture Xiao Chengyan more quickly, under Zhao Yunfu's orders, the two of them were each responsible for a part of the area.
In terms of location, Hongzheng Pavilion is indeed not within Shentu Zheng's jurisdiction.
Accused of overstepping his bounds, Shen Tu replied openly, "Supervisor Gu has many duties. He has to arrest the traitor Xiao, help His Majesty with local affairs, and supervise grain supplies."
“There are some places that Supervisor Gu is too busy to take care of, so I, being a free man, will do my best to help you.”
Shen Tu Zheng said, "I did cross the line, but we're all trying to catch Xiao the thief. It's such a small matter, Supervisor Gu, why are you being so petty and arguing with me?"
In the southward campaign of the Red Armor Guard, the provisions were prepared and transported by Nie Yuzi, the Minister of Revenue, and Wang Chang, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat. The Imperial Horse Administration was responsible for supervising the entire process, with the assistance of the Censorate.
While Chang Yushan was still leading his men to quell the rebellion in the area, Gu Xiangzhi also had to keep an eye on things to prevent any unforeseen events.
He essentially held three positions, which was a huge responsibility.
Shen Tu Zheng's words sounded somewhat compassionate, and every word he uttered made sense.
If Prime Minister Gu were to pursue the matter seriously, it would appear petty.
Moreover, Shen Tu Zheng had initially assured everyone that his men had definitely seen someone enter Hongzheng Pavilion.
Faced with such irrefutable words, Gu Xiangzhi had no choice but to investigate. If he did not, Shen Tuzheng's memorial against him would be placed on the Emperor's desk in the Dongguan Pavilion the next day.
He exchanged a glance with Yu Nie without making a sound, and in that brief eye contact, he had already read the truth.
The person was inside. He wasn't afraid of being impeached. To be honest, he didn't care whether Xiao Chengyan lived or died, but he knew very well that she wanted to save Xiao Chengyan's life.
“I am deeply honored that Lord Shentu has such a heart.” His eyelids darkened, and his cold face showed little expression: “If you are going to investigate, you must investigate to the end, otherwise we will both be unable to bear the consequences if Xiao thief gets away.”
Shen Tu Zheng looked noncommittal.
He faced her and bowed slightly: "I apologize for disturbing you, Princess. I hope you will forgive me."
Perhaps because there were familiar faces around, Yu Nie wasn't as nervous as before. She pretended to be extremely tired and said listlessly, "Then please hurry, my lords. I need to go to the palace to meet the Emperor at dawn tomorrow. Don't delay too long."
She subtly reminded him, "Anyway, you've already checked everything else. The only place left is the bed. You don't need to send so many people in."
As she spoke, she looked at Shentu Zheng and smiled sweetly: "In my opinion, why don't you go in and continue the inspection by yourself, Lord Shentu?"
Shen Tu Zheng seemed flattered and gleefully glanced at Gu Xiangzhi before immediately bowing and replying, "Your humble servant obeys."
Then, he said to Gu Xiangzhi in a boastful manner, "I'm sorry, Supervisor Gu, I'll be going first."
Gu Xiangzhi remained silent, watching as Shen Tu was about to go inside.
Song Ai, Cui Wei, and Sui En, who were standing nearby, all felt their hearts tighten.
Yu Nie pursed her lips, staring at Shen Tu Zheng's retreating figure.
Just when everyone except her thought that Gu Xiangzhi was about to let Shen Tu Zheng in, he spoke in a cold tone.
"Lord Shentu, please wait."
Caught off guard by the sudden shout, Shentu turned around with a look of suspicion on his face.
Gu Xiangzhi stepped forward: "I believe that one should manage one's own territory. What do you think, sir?" As he spoke, he had already arrived at the palace gate, his black cloud boots less than half a foot from the lacquered red threshold.
This move greatly displeased Shen Tu Zheng, who felt that he should be the one to verify the clues he had discovered.
Shen Tu thought to himself, "Isn't this just stealing credit? If we don't find the person, that's fine, but if we do catch the person, won't we have to give him the credit?"
Gu Xiangzhi's attitude was very firm, and he didn't give him a chance to answer at all.
His words, seemingly a question, were actually a notification. After leaving the question behind, he entered the hall without looking back, leaving Shen Tu standing there, gritting his teeth.
Seizing the opportunity, Yu Nie quickly followed Gu Xiangzhi's footsteps, while Song Ai took the chance to direct two guards to stand outside the door, clearly indicating that she did not want a third person to enter.
Not wanting to appear as if she was trying to keep him at bay, Song Ai finished her bow and respectfully explained, "My princess dislikes outsiders setting foot in her bedchamber. The first time was an exception made out of consideration for your work, sir. This time, with Eunuch Gu inside, please forgive us servants and don't upset the princess again."
With only the bed remaining to be investigated, Shen Tu Zheng, unaware of the true relationship between the two, did not believe that Gu Xiangzhi would protect Xiao Chengyan.
Now that things had come to this, given Yu Nie's current position in front of the emperor, he was too lazy to argue anymore. He could only look inside with resentment, then stand angrily with his hands on his hips under the corridor, as if a flame could shoot out from his head.
Seeing that he had given up, Song Ai thanked him gently and turned to enter the hall.
While observing the situation outside, Yu Nie gave winks to the people beside him.
Knowing where Xiao Chengyan was hiding, Gu Xiangzhi glanced out the door and noticed that Shen Tu Zheng was peeking.
He gestured to Yu Nie not to worry, then knelt down in front of the bed.
He squinted slightly, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Back then, his father was falsely accused, which led to the murder of more than a dozen members of his family. Later, his father's friends did their best to exonerate his family, allowing his father to retain his good name in the world.
The damage has been done, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. Even if the late Emperor of Nan Yin wept bitterly and was filled with remorse, what could he do? Who would repay the lives of his entire family?
Even though Xiao Chengyan, who carries the blood of the Southern Yin royal family, was arrested and imprisoned at this moment, he showed no pity whatsoever.
only……
Seeing that he didn't move, Yu Nie thought something had happened and quietly stepped forward with a slightly nervous expression.
Hearing her footsteps brought him back to reality.
Seeing that he hadn't lifted the covers from the bed, Yu Nie couldn't help but bend down and ask in a low voice, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
Not wanting her to suspect anything, Gu Xiangzhi shook his head and said it was nothing.
Then, he lifted the blankets.
When they saw what was under the bed, they both froze.
"It's just checking the bed, Lord Gu, have you discovered a villain? Why haven't you come out yet?" Shen Tu Zheng, unwilling to let someone steal the credit, barged in at that moment.
The two people in front of the bed turned around and looked back. Shen Tu Zheng also saw that the area under the bed was empty.
He slapped his forehead in frustration: "Damn it, where did that person go?!"
"I knew those good-for-nothings couldn't accomplish anything significant. They couldn't even catch a single thief, and they still managed to let someone escape even when surrounded like that! What a damn bad luck!"
After unleashing a torrent of curses, Shen Tu Zheng, suppressing his rage, bowed to Yu Nie and said, "I have disturbed Your Highness greatly tonight. I have not found the person, so I will take my leave now."
Before Yu Nie could even say a word, Shen Tu Zheng had already left the hall.
Immediately afterward, a series of orderly footsteps sounded. Song Ai peeked out the door and looked outside. As the resounding footsteps faded away, she turned back and said as if she had been granted a pardon, "Princess, the person is gone."
Finally, having sent the "plague god" away, Yu Nie, whose heart had been tense for half a day, completely relaxed and let out a deep breath.
As if she was still worried, she instructed Sui En to follow them again to make sure they had completely left the building.
Having received his orders, Sui En strode briskly after them.
Seeing that Shen Tu had led his men away, Aunt Liu, who had been staying in the front courtyard and avoiding being seen by others so as not to cause Yu Nie any unnecessary trouble, came to the inner courtyard bedroom and asked her with concern what important thing had happened in the middle of the night.
Aunt Liu and Cui Miaochang knew nothing about what was happening in the imperial court, and she never mentioned it to them.
The sudden arrival of so many people startled Aunt Liu, who vaguely thought that Jian'an was about to start a fight.
Yu Nie hugged Aunt Liu and comforted her, telling her not to worry: "Those are people from the Imperial Horse Administration. They just thought a thief had broken into our house, so they came to check."
"Really?" Perhaps having witnessed the banditry firsthand in Dingzhou, Aunt Liu seemed still shaken.
Yu Nie repeatedly assured her that he was not lying, and Aunt Liu was finally relieved. Cuiwei then took her back to rest.
Despite the commotion tonight, Cui Miaochang did not appear, simply because she sent someone earlier that evening to say that she would be staying at Yongxing Temple again tonight.
After taking Aunt Liu back to rest, Yu Nie immediately hurried to the bed and searched inside and out.
"Where did Xiao Chengyan go! I clearly told him to hide here."
As she searched, Gu Xiangzhi also cautiously surveyed the room.
Just as they were searching, the wardrobe hidden behind the curtain creaked open, and Xiao Chengyan carefully emerged from it.
Upon hearing the sound and seeing his feathered flank, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, though he was already drenched in a cold sweat.
"What are you doing over there?" She walked over. "I thought you had left, and I was worried about you."
After Xiao Chengyan made a sound of an explosion outside the house, drawing everyone out, he felt that it was no longer safe under the bed. In addition, he discovered through the carved gaps that the cabinet had been searched, so he took the opportunity to change locations and launch a surprise attack, betting that Shen Tu Zheng's men would not check a second time.
After recounting the entire process, Xiao Chengyan remained vigilant, his gaze sweeping over Gu Xiangzhi, who stood quietly to the side, his scrutinizing eyes filled with undisguised wariness.
As someone from the Imperial Horse Administration, he could never treat him as an ordinary person.
Sensing his tense hostility, Yu Nie understood.
She came to him and gently recounted how Gu Xiangzhi had appeared in time and come to his rescue.
Xiao Chengyan overheard some of their conversation outside the door.
However, he was still uneasy and wondered, "Why did he show up at this crucial moment? Doesn't Qiqi think it's too much of a coincidence?"
His question left Yu Nie momentarily speechless. She didn't suspect Gu Xiangzhi of having ulterior motives, but the question itself made her realize that his arrival was indeed abrupt, as if he had been waiting outside the door for a long time.
After a moment, a subtle silence fell over the room.
Standing to the side, Song Ai noticed the sudden tension in the atmosphere and was afraid that they might misunderstand each other.
Immediately, she said apologetically, "Your Highness, this matter is my fault; I failed to speak up in time."
“The situation was chaotic just now, and I was worried about your safety and His Highness's safety. So, while everyone was inside, I quietly found Sui En and ordered him to quickly go and invite Lord Gu to come and help.”
"It was a desperate measure, and I never expected that Lord Gu would actually come so quickly."
Song Ai finished speaking.
Gu Xiangzhi, who disliked explaining, unusually took the lead. His tone was calm and devoid of any emotion: "It was indeed a coincidence. When Sui En found me, I was on my way back to the manor and happened to run into him at the intersection."
He calmly met Xiao Chengyan's probing gaze and said indifferently, "Therefore, my arrival is perfectly timed, just in time."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chengyan pursed his lips and did not utter another word.
Gu Xiangzhi walked straight to the table, lifted his robe, and sat down. The bright candlelight made his expression unreadable.
Just as Yu Nie was about to plead for Xiao Chengyan, he heard him get straight to the point, looking at Xiao Chengyan and saying, "There are wanted posters for you all over Jian'an City. If you continue to stay here, it will affect her."
At this moment, Gu Xiangzhi had made up his mind.
She wanted to save him, and he wouldn't make things difficult for her.
He didn't say a word more than necessary, only stating succinctly: "Tomorrow, I will arrange for you to leave the city."
"What?!" Xiao Chengyan thought he had misheard; he had no connection with Gu Xiangzhi.
Not only him, but even Yu Nie standing to the side was stunned. She hadn't even pleaded for him yet.
"Are you willing to let him go?" Before he could say anything, she was still thinking about how to persuade him. After all, during the day, he still seemed unwilling to give up on capturing Xiao Chengyan.
Gu Xiangzhi ignored Xiao Chengyan's shock and simply went along with her words: "I know you want to save him and do what you want to do. I will do my best to assist you."
Unable to express his love, he felt that this was all he could do.
Then, he turned to Xiao Chengyan: "From this moment on, you are not allowed to step out of this place." He emphasized: "You must leave tomorrow, lest something unexpected happen."
“But Han Jie is still elsewhere, and I must go to meet him.” Xiao Chengyan did not want to implicate Madam Qu’s family, so he did not specify where Han Jie was.
“I will send someone to meet your entourage.” Gu Xiangzhi picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of tea. “But if you don’t trust me, you can simply not say anything.” He took a sip, his tone indifferent.
Xiao Chengyan unconsciously clenched his fists, as if he were reconsidering or making a final decision.
Things suddenly took a turn for the better, and Yu Nie knew this was the perfect opportunity for him to leave Jian'an.
Seeing this, she comforted him and dispelled his concerns: "Xiang Zhi promised to help, and he will definitely not betray you and Han Jie. He is a man of his word and will not break his promise."
Hearing her call him by his name, Gu Xiangzhi lowered his gaze.
After a short while, under her gentle persuasion, Xiao Chengyan finally made up his mind and whispered the address of Lady Qu.
After saying what he needed to say, Xiao Chengyan said to him, "...Thank you." He said this thank you with difficulty, but also with a sense of relief. For both public and private reasons, he should say thank you.
Gu Xiangzhi gestured for Mei Nian to write down the address, then picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp before standing up.
"The person you should thank is not me." He said indifferently, not accepting the thanks: "If you want to thank someone, thank Qiqi."
This was the first time he had called her by her childhood nickname in front of outsiders.
It was getting late, and he didn't plan to stay any longer.
He lifted his foot and walked towards the door, but when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned back to look at her, as if he had forgotten something important. His gaze lingered on her face.
"You should rest first. I have official business to attend to at the manor. I will come again tomorrow morning to discuss the matter of sending him away."
Hearing this, she nodded and watched him disappear into the night, his figure gradually receding into the distance.
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