Prince Ning's Mansion.
The garden pavilion was surrounded by a screen to block out the howling cold wind.
The sound of a piano came from behind the screen.
The piano sounds melodious, with a hint of laziness and comfort.
The maids and eunuchs were waiting by the side, and did not dare to approach without instructions.
Liu Zhao was playing the piano alone, looking relaxed.
No matter how stormy the outside world is, it cannot affect his mood for playing the piano.
The sound of the piano gradually became passionate, faintly revealing the ambition of the person playing the piano.
Guard Zhao San walked towards the pavilion. When he heard the sound of the piano, he involuntarily slowed down his steps.
He did not disturb Liu Zhao, but waited outside the pavilion, waiting to be summoned.
"Is Zhao San here?" Liu Zhao's cold voice rang out from behind the screen. The sound of the zither, accompanied by the sound of ice in the winter, made people shiver subconsciously.
Guard Zhao San bowed and replied, "I'm here."
"Come in."
"Yes, sir."
Zhao San walked up the stairs, moved aside the screen and entered the pavilion.
It was warm as spring in the pavilion.
Zhao San looked down and saw a brazier in the corner.
Liu Zhao continued to play the piano, the sound was low, as if he was feeling pity for someone.
Liu Zhao mixed several pieces of music together and played for nearly half an hour before stopping.
As soon as the music of the piano stopped, a maid came in from behind the screen, carrying hot water and wiping Liu Zhao's fingers.
Each finger should be wiped carefully. After wiping, massage and relax.
After enjoying it for a while, Liu Zhao waved his hand and the maids silently left the pavilion.
He picked up the hot tea, took a sip, and asked, "What's the matter?"
Zhao San bowed and said, "Qingping Horse Farm has sent another batch of horses to Beijing."
"That's it?"
Liu Zhao raised his eyelids with a cold look.
Zhao San quickly added, "Things are indeed developing according to the young master's plan. Lord Gu was imprisoned last night, and early this morning, the Marquis of Pingnan went to the palace to see the emperor, hoping to plead for Lord Gu's life. However, the emperor did not give the Marquis a chance. He must have asked someone to arrange a conversation with Minister Li."
Liu Zhao had no expression on his face and remained silent.
Zhao San considered it for a moment and said cautiously, "Sir, Master Gu is the father of the second Miss Gu. If Master Gu is caught this time, the second Miss Gu's future will be in jeopardy. She will definitely not be able to marry into a good family."
"Are you worried about her?"
Liu Zhao asked with a cold expression.
Zhao San said after careful consideration: "After all, she saved the young master."
Liu Zhao raised the corner of his mouth slightly, "You are right, she saved me after all."
Eunuch Lin Shuping walked into the pavilion and bowed, "Sir, the princess invites you."
Liu Zhao's eyebrows moved slightly, and he asked calmly, "Why does my mother want to see me?"
"I don't know." After a pause, Lin Shuping guessed, "Maybe it's about the young master's marriage."
Liu Zhao frowned for a rare moment.
Since it was about Liu Zhao's marriage, Zhao San didn't dare to speak.
Liu Zhao was silent for a moment, then said to Zhao San, "Go to the study and wait. I will go see my mother first."
"As you command."
Liu Zhao stood up, and the maids walked silently into the pavilion and put on a cloak for him to ensure that he would not be affected by the cold wind.
Liu Zhao went to Chunhe Hall where Princess Ning lived.
When I walked into the main room, I saw Princess Pei of Prince Ning chatting and laughing with two concubines and several beauties.
Liu Zhao's sisters also accompanied Princess Ning and had fun with her.
He walked forward expressionlessly and bowed, "Your son greets you, Mother. I pay my respects to you. How has your health been these past few days, Mother?"
Princess Ning originally had a smiling face, but from the moment she saw Liu Zhao, her smile gradually faded and her eyes became serious.
She looked at Liu Zhao indifferently, "Come on, sit down. You're older now, and it's not easy to see you."
Liu Zhao sat down below Princess Pei of Prince Ning with an expressionless face.
The concubines and beauties all stood up and said, "Your Majesty has something to discuss with the eldest young master, so we will take our leave now."
Liu Zhao's sisters also said goodbye.
Princess Pei of Prince Ning waved her hand and said, "You guys go and get busy."
As everyone left, the main room was almost empty in an instant.
The maid brought a cup of health-preserving tea and placed it in the hands of Princess Pei, Princess Ning.
Princess Pei of Prince Ning took a sip of the health-preserving tea and remained silent.
Liu Zhao was very patient and also did not speak.
After drinking her tea, Princess Pei of Prince Ning frowned when she saw that Liu Zhao was silent.
"Don't you have anything to say to this princess?"
Liu Zhao bowed slightly, "Mother, you asked me to come here because you have something to tell me. I am listening."
Princess Pei frowned, clearly dissatisfied. She suppressed her anger and said calmly, "You're not a child anymore, it's time to hurry up and get married. Your brother has already started looking for a partner, how long are you going to delay?"
Liu Zhao raised his eyebrows and smiled, "I'm sorry to trouble you, Mother. My son's marriage will be resolved when the time comes. Don't worry, Mother."
"You're my son, how can I not be anxious? I think Pei Yun is a very good girl. She has been thinking about you since she was a child. You two are a perfect match."
Liu Zhao raised his eyebrows, "Is this what my mother meant, or is this what my father meant?"
Princess Pei of Prince Ning suppressed her anger and asked, "Is there any difference?"
Liu Zhao bowed slightly and said directly: "Pei Yun is not suitable."
The Duke of Lu held a large military force and held a high position of power. As the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind, and marrying Pei Yun would inevitably attract attention from all sides.
Liu Zhao now needs to keep a low profile and reduce his presence as much as possible. Marrying a less conspicuous wife is more suitable for his current status.
Princess Pei of Prince Ning was dissatisfied, "How is Pei Yun not worthy of you? Or are you dissatisfied with me and don't want to marry a girl from the Pei family?"
"Mother, you misunderstood. I absolutely do not mean to look down on the daughter of the Pei family. It is simply because Pei Yun is not suitable for me. There is no other intention."
Liu Zhao spoke in a cold and calm tone.
Princess Pei of Prince Ning snorted coldly, "No matter how many excuses you have, your marriage must be settled within a year. Don't forget, you're already twenty, and royal family members your age already have three or five children. It's you who's been dragging your feet on marriage. How shameful!"
Liu Zhao was unmoved, but he still said, "I understand what mother means. I will arrange the marriage as soon as possible. You don't need to worry about it."
"You, you are simply reckless. Marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker's words. How can you say that I don't need to worry about it? In my opinion, you are getting more and more unreasonable as you grow older."
Princess Pei of Prince Ning was so angry that her heart ached.
Liu Zhao smiled and said, "Mother, don't forget that I am a member of the royal family. The Minister of the Imperial Household will take care of my marriage. When I enter the palace in the first month of the year, I will meet with the Minister of the Imperial Household and ask him if he has any suitable girls. Then I will choose one directly. Are you satisfied, Mother?"
"In the final analysis, you just don't want to marry a girl from the Pei family."
Liu Zhao did not deny it. "Yes, my son cannot marry a girl from the Pei family. If mother insists on becoming in-laws with the Pei family, why not consult father and the Duke of Lu first? I'm afraid they have no intention of becoming in-laws."
Princess Pei frowned, "What's wrong with the Pei family that you all despise it so much?"
Liu Zhao smiled softly, "Mother, you misunderstood. It's not that the Pei family is bad, but that the Pei family is too good. So good that my son dares not marry."
Princess Pei's face changed drastically, her lips opening and closing before she finally let out a sigh. "You...take care of yourself. Arrange the marriage as soon as possible, otherwise His Majesty will arrange a marriage for you when he remembers, and you won't be able to regret it then."
"Thank you for your reminder, Mother. I know the importance of this matter. If you have nothing else to say, I will take my leave."
Princess Pei of Prince Ning waved her hand and said, "Go ahead, go ahead. I want to see you now, but I have to find an opportunity."
Liu Zhao bowed and said goodbye, then left Chunhe Hall.
He went straight back to the study, where Zhao San was waiting.
"Young Master!"
Liu Zhao waved his hand, signaling Zhao San not to speak.
He stood by the window, looking at the dead branches outside. After a long moment, he asked, "Has Lord Gu been imprisoned?"
"Exactly."
Liu Zhao smiled contemptuously, "The Queen is becoming more and more unrefined these days."
Zhao San echoed, "After all, the Empress's time is running out. She must hurry and clear all obstacles for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"It's a pity that her efforts were in vain. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is a hopeless case, and the officials in the Eastern Palace are all shifty, selfish, and despicable."
Liu Zhao was not polite at all and criticized everyone in the Eastern Palace as worthless.
Zhao San asked carefully, "Sir, what are you going to do?"
Liu Zhao chuckled softly, "That Miss Gu must be very anxious."
"I don't know."
Liu Zhao made a prompt decision, "Send her a letter. I want to arrange a meeting with her."
Huh?
Zhao San looked as if he couldn't react.
I don’t understand. I don’t understand at all.
"Why does the young master want to see Miss Gu?"
Liu Zhao said capriciously, "Because I want to see her, I have to see her. The time is tomorrow afternoon. I hope she won't disappoint me."
Zhao San didn't ask any more questions and bowed his head. "As you say, I obey. I'll make the arrangements right away."
…
Gu Mansion, Zhilan Courtyard.
Gu Jiu came to the study, ready to practice calligraphy and calm down.
If your mind is not calm, you cannot think calmly.
When she opened the copybook, a letter fell down.
This is an unsigned letter.
Gu Jiu frowned and smelled the smell first to make sure there was no poison or anything like that before she tried to open the envelope.
This was an invitation letter, inviting her to meet at the Taoist temple in the city tomorrow afternoon.
Signed: Gongzi Zhao.
It turned out to be Gongzi Zhao?
How could it be possible that Gongzi Zhao would take the initiative to see her?
How could Gongzi Zhao know such a small person like her? It was unbelievable.
Gu Jiu was confused and had a feeling that she might have overlooked some important clue.
She read the letter again several times and thought it shouldn't be fake.
Who would make such a joke?
"Green plum, green plum..."
Gu Jiu shouted outside the study.
Qingmei heard the noise and walked in.
"Young lady, you called me here, but do you have something to tell me?"
Gu Jiu asked directly: "Has anyone entered the study today?"
"No. How about I ask, maybe the maids came in to clean up when the young lady was away."
Gu Jiu said hurriedly, "Go and ask, ask clearly. Ask them if they saw anyone come in, and also ask if they saw an unsigned letter in the study."
"Girl, is something wrong?"
Qingmei looked at Gu Jiu worriedly.
Gu Jiu said: "It's not a big deal, don't worry. Ask first."
"As you command."
Qingmei walked out of the study and asked the maids one by one.
I asked around but didn't get any answers.
Qingmei told Gu Jiu anxiously, "Reporting to the young lady, the maids all said that no one entered or left the study during this period."
Gu Jiu frowned, the letter came too strangely.
It seemed to have fallen from the sky and landed on her desk.
That Gongzi Zhao, what a powerful method. Entering the Gu Mansion is like entering and leaving an empty place.
Gu Jiu pursed his lips, feeling depressed.
At this time, Xiao Cui hurriedly ran back from outside.
"Girl, girl..."
"Don't run around, be careful not to bump into the girl." Qingmei glared at Xiaocui.
Xiao Cui felt embarrassed and quickly slowed down her pace and walked into the study politely. "Excuse me, young lady, there is an important matter that I want to report."
"But is there any new news in the Marquis' Mansion?" Gu Jiu asked hurriedly.
Xiao Cui shook her head. "It wasn't the master's fault. It was Mrs. Wu who was guarding the back door. She suddenly grabbed me and gave me a key. I didn't react at the time. Afterwards, I secretly went to the back door and tried the key. This key can, can open the back door. Really, I didn't lie."
Xiao Cui quickly took out the key and placed it on the desk. "This is the key to the back door. With this key, you can sneak out of the house in the future without worrying about being discovered."
Gu Jiu looked at the key and took a breath.
This young master Zhao is so resourceful that he even considered the issue of her going out.
Did Gongzi Zhao place spies in the Gu Mansion, or did he bribe the gatekeeper in such a short time?
No matter which situation it was, it was not a good thing for Gu Jiu.
It is obvious that the Gu Mansion and Lord Gu have been targeted from the very beginning.
Gu Jiu rubbed his eyebrows. It seemed that the meeting tomorrow afternoon was inevitable.
Qingmei was still asking Xiaocui, "Are you sure this can open the back door?"
Xiao Cui nodded repeatedly.
Qingmei pressed on, "Are you sure it was Mrs. Wu, the one guarding the back door, who gave it to you personally?"
Xiao Cui said, "It's absolutely true. It was given to me by Mrs. Wu herself. Sister Qingmei, if you don't believe me, let's go to the back door and try this key."
Qingmei bit her lip and said, "Okay, I'll go with you to the back door to try this key."
Then, Qingmei asked Gu Jiu for instructions.
Gu Jiu's face was as gloomy as water. He said, "Go ahead. It's good to give it a try. But that key must be real."
"Why are you so sure, girl?"
Gu Jiu laughed at herself, "Because I have to go out of the house tomorrow."
"ah?"
Qingmei didn't understand.
Gu Jiu waved his hand and said, "You guys go and do your work first, we'll talk later."
Gu Jiu’s own thoughts were all in a mess.
She always felt that she had overlooked some important clue, but she couldn't remember it.
What she couldn't understand the most was why Gongzi Zhao took the initiative to see her?
She was just an unknown girl in the boudoir, not some famous pearl in the capital, known to everyone. How could Gongzi Zhao ever think of meeting her?
It's impossible that the two of them knew each other before.
Qingmei went to the back door herself and tried the key, and it worked.
She couldn't understand why Mrs. Wu would take the initiative to give her the key.
At first, she spent money but failed to bribe Mrs. Wu. When she gave up, Mrs. Wu took the initiative to hand over the key to her.
What the hell is this?
Qingmei was very worried. She whispered to Gu Jiu, "Could it be that Mrs. Wu wants to harm the young lady? Could it be that someone else bribed Mrs. Wu and waited for the young lady to sneak out of the house, and then went to the mistress to complain?"
It was indeed someone else who bribed Mrs. Wu, but not to file a complaint, but to make it easier for Gu Jiu to leave the house.
Gu Jiu couldn't say this.
She said to Qingmei, "Don't think too much about this. Mrs. Wu has no ill intentions. Keep the key. Tomorrow afternoon, accompany me on a trip. Also, have Li Chuan notify Erzhuang and ask him to prepare the ox cart."
"I understand. I'll go see Li Chuan right away."
Qingmei walked to the door, turned back, and confirmed again, "Miss, is this really okay?"
"Don't worry, it's okay."
Gu Jiu has been waiting for news from the Marquis' Mansion.
However, the old marquis worked hard for a whole day, but no good news came.
Things are at a stalemate.
The old marquis made it clear that if the situation continued to be deadlocked, it would be extremely disadvantageous to Lord Gu.
The most feared situation is that Lord Gu is imprisoned in the imperial prison and is in a state of panic, while His Majesty has completely forgotten about him.
By the time Your Majesty remembers it one day, it may have been a year, two years, or even three to five years.
By then, Lord Gu will be completely ruined.
This situation of being forgotten is even more terrifying than exile.
Even in exile, at least one is aware of one's own situation. With the help of the Marquisate, exile may not be difficult. And who knows, one day there might be a general amnesty and reinstatement.
In exile, anything is possible.
Being forgotten is the real misery.
I live in constant fear every day, as if there is always a sword hanging over my head, and I don't know when it will fall.
In such days, people with weak willpower would be driven crazy if they were locked up in the imperial prison all day without seeing the sun.
The old marquis’ meaning was very clear. The matter could not continue to be deadlocked. Regardless of the outcome, it had to be resolved as soon as possible.
Gu Jiu deeply agreed with this.
However, the negotiations between the old marquis and the queen were not smooth.
The Queen Mother clearly displayed her carriages and horses, refusing to give the old Marquis face.
Now Gu Jiu can only hope to meet Gongzi Zhao tomorrow.
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