At night, Master Gu Zhiming returned home and learned that Xie Mao and his men had come to attack him during the day. The Master was so angry that he picked up a knife and was about to go out and chop Xie Mao down.
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, finally managed to persuade the man to calm down.
"This is a conflict between my second brother and his eldest brother-in-law. Don't get involved."
The eldest master, Gu Zhiming, glared at him fiercely, "How can this be called meddling? Xie Mao is too much of a bully, even bringing people to attack us. Who gave him the courage?
I wasn't home this afternoon, so he escaped. If I were at home and he dared to come to my house, I would kill him without a word."
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, curled her lips with a look of disgust.
The master was very dissatisfied, "Do you look down on me?"
Zhang secretly rolled her eyes. "They are all officials appointed by the imperial court. Who can kill whom? Do you think that you are a general leading troops outside the court, and you are not subject to the orders of the emperor. You can kill whoever you want and just submit a letter of apology afterwards?
This is the capital, at the feet of the emperor. Who dares to kill an official without his permission? Do you want to be jailed by the Jinwu Guards?
I tell you, the matter between my second brother and Xie Mao can only be resolved through official means.
You are a military commander, and you cannot defeat those civil officials. You must respect your second brother's opinion on this matter and do not cause trouble."
The eldest master was so angry that he smashed the teacup, "Are we just going to let Xie Mao be so arrogant without being able to fight back?"
Zhang said calmly, "We have to fight back in the officialdom. Xie Mao can bring his men to attack us, but we can't do that."
Everyone in the court is watching. My second brother is attracting attention now, so he must not make any mistakes and get caught.
Don't forget that the Empress is still lying in the palace. Do you really think that the Eastern Palace family is easy to bully?"
Zhang was obviously calmer and more rational than the eldest master, and she saw things more clearly.
The Zhang family has been a military family for generations, and has lived in the capital for generations. Zhang has been influenced by his family since childhood and has a relatively clear understanding of the affairs of the court.
Although she couldn't offer the best advice, she knew what to do and what not to do, and she understood the importance of self-preservation.
The master frowned and snorted coldly, extremely unhappy.
As a military commander, it is really frustrating not to be able to kill your opponents with ease.
He said to Zhang, "You're just a woman, I don't want to talk to you. I'm going to see my second brother. This matter can't be let go like this."
The master went out angrily.
Zhang watched the eldest master leave with a look of disgust, foreseeing that the eldest master would run into a wall with Lord Gu.
The master walked through the corridor and headed towards the study.
But I didn't expect to meet Mr. Gu.
Old Master Gu suddenly jumped out, startling the eldest master.
"Why did father come out?"
Old Master Gu looked unhappy and spat at the eldest master as soon as he saw him.
The master was disgusted, but he couldn't fight back, and felt very aggrieved.
"I gave birth to two useless sons like you. You have completely disgraced me. You useless things."
Old Master Gu pointed at the eldest master and cursed.
The master's face turned red. Who is useless?
"Father, if you don't understand the inside story, don't talk nonsense."
"There's nothing I don't know. What sin did I commit in my past life to give birth to two cowards like you?"
Old Master Gu cried and screamed, then sat down on the ground and started making a fuss.
Lord Gu heard the noise and walked out of the study.
When Old Master Gu saw Master Gu, he jumped up and grabbed Master Gu's wrist, "Second brother, why are you useless? Come on, follow me to the Xie family and drag Xie Mao out and beat him up."
Lord Gu looked impatient, "Father, can you please stop making trouble? I have my own ideas on this matter, you don't need to worry about it."
"What's your opinion? What exactly do you think you're going to say? Xie Mao came to your door, and you should have slapped him back and taught him a lesson."
Mr. Xie refused to give in and insisted on dragging Mr. Gu to the Xie family to seek revenge.
Master Gu asked the eldest master for help, "Brother, please take care of the old man."
The master frowned and winked at the servants. Several servants rushed over and skillfully lifted up Mr. Gu.
Old Master Gu cursed, "You unfilial sons and grandsons, you gave birth to a son with nothing to show for it. You two cowards, let me down. If you dare not listen to me, I will beat you to death next time."
Mr. Gu's voice gradually faded away, and the farce finally ended.
Master Gu sighed, "Brother, you still have a solution."
The eldest master, Gu Zhiming, snorted, "I told you to train some useful servants long ago. Next time the old man makes a fuss, you should follow my method and carry him down and lock him up in the yard."
Master Gu smiled helplessly, "You've seen it too, I've been so busy lately that I've neglected the old man's affairs."
The master stared at him, "What's wrong with Xie Mao? He came right to your door, and you let him get away with it?
In my opinion, the old man was right. You should just give Xie Mao a slap in the face and teach him a lesson.
He relies on his status as the brother-in-law and is completely lawless. He doesn't take our Gu family seriously at all. If that's the case, why should you be polite to him? "
Master Gu's face was extremely serious. "Brother, this matter is not as simple as you think."
The eldest master snorted, his eyes scornful. "It's just the Eastern Palace, you're not afraid of him. Anyway, our Gu family and the Eastern Palace can't piss in the same pot, and the Queen is almost dying, so let's just tear our relationship apart and fuck him. Xie Mao has the Eastern Palace behind him, but don't forget, you have the entire noble army standing behind you. I don't believe that the noble army can't overthrow the Eastern Palace if they unite."
Lord Gu frowned, "Brother, can you please stop causing trouble? If things were really that simple, would those princes have waited until today? I'm afraid they would have taken action years ago.
In short, the time is not right yet. We must be more patient at this time. A little impatience will ruin a big plan. We must not make a wrong move at this time.
The master looked impatient. "I just don't like your way of doing things. You have to take your time. It's been so many years, and you're still like this."
Forget it, I can't help you with the affairs of your government office. But if you need me, just let me know. We are brothers, so don't be so formal."
"Don't worry, big brother. I will definitely not be distant with you."
The elder patted Mr. Gu on the shoulder and said, "Remember, this time, you must teach Xie Mao a lesson. If you can't kill him, you must peel off a layer of skin from him."
Lord Gu nodded solemnly, "That's exactly what I meant."
The master laughed heartily, "Then I feel relieved."
At night, Xie woke up.
She asked someone to invite Lord Gu to Furong Courtyard.
"Master, my elder brother..."
"This matter needs to be brought up again." Lord Gu interrupted Xie without waiting for her to finish.
Xie looked dejected and was extremely panicked.
She opened her mouth, but faced with Lord Gu's serious face, she couldn't say anything.
In the end, only a sigh remained.
The couple was silent for a long time before Xie spoke again, "The Marquis of Lu's mansion has sent a matchmaker to propose marriage. Madam Lu has taken a fancy to the second girl and wants to marry her off to her youngest son. Master, please give us your opinion on this matter so I can reply to Madam Lu as soon as possible."
Lord Gu frowned immediately.
Xie was surprised.
She thought that Lord Gu would definitely agree to such a good marriage as the Marquis of Lu's Mansion.
Xie asked cautiously, "Master, is this marriage inappropriate? The second girl is weak and cannot be the head lady. Marrying the youngest son of the Marquis of Lu is also suitable for her."
Master Gu said expressionlessly, "There's no rush for this marriage. Let's wait and see."
Lord Gu had doubts in his heart.
Pei Ren, Marquis of Lu, was in a high position and had great power, but his position was unstable as he attracted attention.
Becoming relatives with the Marquis of Lu seemed like a good idea at first glance.
However, if you think about it carefully, the risks are very high.
Lord Gu remembered that the Marquis of Lu had originally wanted to marry into the Marquisate next door, but was rejected by the Marquisate.
After thinking it over, Lord Gu decided to wait and see until the situation became clearer.
He said to Mrs. Xie, "There's no rush for the second girl's marriage. If the Marquis of Lu asks about it, think of an excuse to delay it."
"I will obey the master."
Xie was surprised, but also relieved.
It’s better to drag it!
She was not happy to see Gu Jiu marry into the Marquis of Lu's Mansion.
Gu Jiu is a sickly girl, how can she be qualified to marry into a wealthy family?
…
The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month is Little New Year.
The Gu Mansion was decorated with lights and lanterns, preparing for the New Year.
The servants were busier than usual, but everyone was very motivated.
During the Chinese New Year, you can get a large amount of money. When you get together, eat, drink and spend money, wouldn't it be fun?
On this day, Gu Jiu’s first business in the capital opened.
Located in Shili Hutong in the south of the city, the people living here are all common people from the capital.
In the middle of the alley, a shop that had previously been a clothing store but had gone bankrupt reopened for business that day.
Passersby peered in curiously. What kind of things does this shop sell? Jumeizhai? They had no idea what the name was.
When Erzhuang placed the goods at the door, everyone suddenly realized that it was a shop selling pearl jewelry.
Do I need to rent a shop specifically to sell this kind of stuff?
This boss doesn't know how to run a business. He's bound to close down within a month.
Everyone shook their heads and left, no one came to see Jumeizhai's business.
Er Zhuang was a little confused when he saw that all the onlookers had left.
Fortunately, after moving from the northwest to the capital and running around every day, Er Zhuang has gained some experience.
He arranged the goods, with the most beautiful ones placed on the outside, so that the young girls and wives passing by could see the beautiful pearl flowers on the door panels at a glance.
He remembered Gu Jiu's advice: since it was a small business, he should just try it out and not panic even if business was not good. After all, they could afford the loss.
The shop assistants from other shops were standing at the doorway, looking in and pointing.
Er Zhuang looked calm and not at all timid.
"Erzhuang, is the business open?"
Gu Yu brought the yamen runners here to boost Er Zhuang's business and to intimidate the surrounding businesses.
A reminder to all major businesses: the newly opened Jumeizhai has a backer.
Anyone who dares to cause trouble or use tricks in Jumeizhai must be prepared to pay the corresponding price.
Er Zhuang grinned, "Master Gu Si, why are you here today?"
"I was worried, so I came to check it out. It's not open yet?"
Er Zhuang smiled and said, "At the beginning, take your time, don't rush."
Gu Yu laughed. "That's right. There's no need to rush this small business. Just think of it as earning some pocket money for my second sister. Erzhuang, these yamen runners are responsible for maintaining public security in the Shili Hutong area. This one is Zhang Tou, and this one is..."
Gu Yu introduced Er Zhuang to several local tyrants and yamen runners.
Erzhuang quickly took out the red envelopes he had prepared in advance and gave them to them one by one.
Several yamen runners got the benefit and started laughing.
"Are you Erzhuang? Don't worry, if anyone dares to cause trouble for you in this area, just come to me and I will stand up for you."
"Thank you, Zhang. Let's have a drink together tonight."
"Haha, sure! Let's have a drink at Juxianlou tonight, okay?"
Er Zhuang nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes."
Juxianlou is a relatively high-end restaurant in the south of the city. A meal there will cost at least a few taels of silver.
Erzhuang felt sorry for the money, but he also knew that he had to drink the wine during this meal.
As the saying goes, it is easy to see the King of Hell, but difficult to deal with little devils.
Don't think that everything will be fine just because you have Lord Gu as your backer.
The people who do the work are all the subordinates. If you don't take good care of the subordinates, it will not be enough to just have Mr. Gu's face.
Gu Yu said, "Er Zhuang, you take care of your business, we'll leave first."
"Thank you, Fourth Young Master Gu, thank you, Mr. Zhang..."
Er Zhuang watched everyone leave and felt relieved.
The shop assistants who were standing at the door watching the fun now all came over enthusiastically.
Jumeizhai has a backer in the government office, so we have to make friends with him.
"Brother Erzhuang, are you selling pearl flowers? How much is this? I want to buy one for my sister."
"I want a pair too. Chinese New Year is coming soon, one for my wife and one for my daughter."
…
Er Zhuang didn't expect that Gu Yu's trip with the yamen runners actually brought him business.
Jumeizhai finally opened.
The waiters bought some, and young girls and wives also came over.
No one was optimistic about the business at first, but unexpectedly, after it opened, the business never stopped.
Er Zhuang almost couldn't handle it alone.
On this day, the young girls and wives in Shili Hutong were all talking about the pearl flowers and accessories from Jumeizhai.
Good-looking, not expensive, and in many styles.
It's much more beautiful than the pearl flowers sold at Xuji Shop at the entrance of the alley.
Xuji Shop is a long-established local jewelry store. However, the pearl jewelry they sell appear old-fashioned and ugly compared to those sold at Jumeizhai.
"Hey, what's that on your head? It's really pretty. Where did you get it?"
The older girl smiled shyly and said, "I bought it from Jumeizhai."
"What what what? What fast?"
"Jumeizhai, a newly opened shop, specializes in beaded flower ornaments, which are particularly beautiful."
"Yeah, it's quite beautiful. It's quite expensive."
"It's not expensive. This pearl flower of mine is only twenty-five cents."
"Twenty-five cents isn't too much, is it?"
The women complained about the high price, but secretly thought that they would buy a pearl flower to wear on their heads tomorrow.
Conversations like this unfolded around Shili Hutong and gradually spread.
It won’t be long before the whole south city knows that there is a new shop specializing in selling pearl flower ornaments in Shili Hutong, called Jumeizhai.
The things sold in that shop are nice-looking, inexpensive and new in style.
Er Zhuang had a fruitful day. He thought that the assembly line operation that Gu Jiu had planned might be completed ahead of schedule.
But even if you want to do it earlier, you have to wait until after the Chinese New Year.
After the Chinese New Year, when I have made my money back, I will hire a few people and start the assembly line production.
He remembered again that Gu Jiu asked him to recruit talents.
Erzhuang already has several goals in mind.
After arriving in the capital, he wandered around the city all day, asking for news, and actually got to know some people.
However, whether these people are suitable or not will have to wait for Gu Jiu to see them in person and make a decision.
The day passed in a busy manner.
As the sky darkened, lanterns lit up at the gate of the Gu Mansion.
Butler Gu Quan personally went to the gatehouse and asked twice, "Is the Second Master back?"
The doorman shook his head, "I haven't seen the second master come back."
Gu Quan frowned. It was already this late, and the Second Master hadn't returned yet. Could it be that he was delayed by something at the government office?
Gao Sanfu came to ask. "Madam asked me to come and ask when Master will be back. Today is the Little New Year, and Madam has prepared a banquet and is waiting for Master."
Butler Gu Quan frowned and said, "I'll go to the government office to take a look."
Gao Sanfu's heart skipped a beat. "Butler Gu, the master wouldn't have met with an accident, would he?"
"You crow mouth, it's New Year's Day, don't you know how to say something nice?"
Gao Sanfu raised his hand and slapped himself twice, "Look at my stinky mouth, don't mind it, butler."
Gu Quan nodded and led his men towards the yamen.
In Furong Courtyard, the people from the second house gathered together, waiting for Lord Gu to come back so that they could start the banquet.
It was already completely dark, and Lord Gu had not returned yet.
Xie had sent people to the gatehouse to ask several times, but there was no news.
She was a little anxious.
The Sixth Young Master Gu Cheng said, "It's the end of the year and the government office is very busy. Father might not be back until midnight."
Xie frowned and said, "Today is New Year's Eve. When the master went out this morning, I reminded him to come back early. It's already this hour, and he still hasn't appeared. I wonder if something has happened."
Gu Ting shouted, "Don't worry, Madam. Father is safe and sound. Everything is going smoothly. Nothing will happen to him."
Xie said nothing.
Gu Jiu frowned. She called Xiao Cui over and whispered, "Go to the corner gate and see if it's still open. Ask the people in the mansion if they know anything about the master."
Xiao Cui responded and left quietly.
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