"Ma'am, great news. The master is out of jail."
Gao Sanfu came to Furongyuan with excitement.
When Mrs. Xie heard the noise, she suddenly stood up from her chair.
Dizzy, almost fell down.
Chun He quickly supported Xie, "Madam, be careful."
"It's okay, I'm fine."
Xie's face flushed, unable to conceal her excitement. She had thought there was no hope, and she had almost given up. She was already wondering how the family would survive if Master Gu couldn't get out.
Unexpectedly, things turned around and Lord Gu was released in the blink of an eye.
It’s so, so incredible.
Xie asked excitedly, "Has the master really been released?"
Gao Sanfu nodded heavily, "This is absolutely true. I accompanied the Third and Sixth Young Masters to the Imperial Prison to see the master. I personally witnessed the master being released from the prison. The two young masters will stay with the master for the time being. I will return first and report the good news to the madam."
"Thank God! Thank you for the Bodhisattva's blessing, thank you for the Taishang Laojun's blessing..."
Xie fiddled with the Buddhist beads in her hand and thanked all the gods and Buddhas in the sky.
Then she asked, "Where is the master now? Is he back?"
"The master has to rush to the palace to meet the emperor and thank him. He probably won't be back until dark."
When Xie heard that Lord Gu was going to the palace to meet the emperor, her heart skipped a beat.
She did not forget that the last time Lord Gu went to the palace to meet the emperor, he ended up in prison.
Will this happen again?
"Master, why don't you come back and get rid of your bad luck before going to see His Majesty? What if this offends His Majesty?"
Mrs. Xie was extremely worried.
Fearing that Lord Gu would be disliked by the emperor because of his poor image, he threw Lord Gu into the imperial prison.
The emperor had an unpredictable temper and sometimes he couldn't figure out where the officials had violated the taboos, so they would be thrown into prison.
Similar things have happened quite frequently in recent years.
It is said that the older the emperor gets, the weirder his temper becomes.
This is absolutely true.
Gao Sanfu comforted Mrs. Xie, "Don't worry, Madam. The master will be fine this time. Madam, do you know who personally went to the imperial prison to greet the master?"
"Who is it?" Xie asked nervously.
Gao Sanfu said excitedly, "It's Shen Changshi, who is beside His Majesty. Although Shen Changshi is young, he is a real favorite of His Majesty. There are rumors in the palace that in a few years, Shen Changshi will definitely be promoted to the position of Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department."
"Really?" Although Xie was happy, she still had some hidden worries in her heart.
Gao Sanfu nodded repeatedly, "This is absolutely true. Minister Shen personally went to the Imperial Prison to welcome the master out of prison, and then escorted the master to the palace to meet the emperor. Madam, this is a good omen. From now on, the master will be prosperous and rich."
Xie heaved a sigh of relief, feeling completely relieved. "That's great! Thank God. Why haven't Liu Lang and the others returned yet?"
Gao Sanfu said hurriedly: "The Third Young Master and the Sixth Young Master are waiting at the palace gate. After the master leaves the palace, they will return to the mansion together."
Mrs. Xie nodded. "That's the right thing to do. They are all filial children."
After Lord Gu was released from prison, Xie temporarily put aside her prejudice against Gu Ting and praised him, which was rare.
The news of Gu Daren's release from prison spread quickly throughout the mansion. Everyone in the mansion was smiling, and the lanterns hanging under the eaves looked very festive.
Thank God, the master is safe and sound. We can finally have a good new year.
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, came to Furongyuan and congratulated Mrs. Xie in person.
Xie was smiling, in a good mood, and her spirits improved as well.
She invited Zhang to sit down, feeling both emotional and grateful.
Zhang smiled and said, "I've said it before, second brother, good fortune is in your hands. Look, I was right. Now you can finally relax and take good care of your health."
Xie's face flushed red, she was too excited and couldn't calm down.
She said to Zhang, "Thank you, sister-in-law. Brother and sister-in-law, you have worked so hard these days, running around everywhere."
"It's too polite of you to say that, sister-in-law. I'll treat you tomorrow and you can just have a couple of extra drinks."
Xie smiled and said, "Then it's settled."
The maid Dongmei came in from outside and said, "Madam, the neighboring marquis's mansion sent a few jars of wine to celebrate the master's safe release from prison."
Zhang reminded Xie, "The Marquis' Mansion has been of great help this time. The old Marquis has been traveling around every day and has lost a lot of weight. When my second brother comes back, my sister-in-law and I should discuss it carefully and find some time to go to the Marquis' Mansion next door to express our gratitude and pay our respects to the old Marquis and his wife."
Mrs. Xie nodded repeatedly. "My eldest sister-in-law is right. When my master comes back, I will discuss this with him. I must thank the neighboring Marquis' Mansion very much. This time, thanks to the old marquis's running around, my master was able to come out so quickly."
"Who says it isn't? It's because our two families visit each other so often that we maintain a close relationship. That's why the Marquis' Mansion came to our rescue when something happened. If it were any other family, they would have long ago disowned us and cut off all ties."
Zhang lamented the fickleness of human nature.
After all, the Marquis' Mansion is still very humane.
Therefore, the people of the Gu Mansion should also be polite and not take the help of the Marquis Mansion for granted. If you offend someone, they will not help you wholeheartedly next time.
Xie expressed her gratitude again and discussed with Zhang what gifts to send to the Marquis' Mansion.
Before the two of them finished their discussion, the girls came to Furong Courtyard together.
Gu Yue's face was full of smiles, she looked energetic and her eyes were shining.
She was the happiest person to have Lord Gu released from prison safely.
"Greetings to mother and aunt. Mother, when will father be back? I miss him so much."
Xie said cheerfully, "Your father is currently in the palace, and will be back in the evening."
Gu Shan said, "Should we ask the kitchen to prepare two banquets for Father to come back?"
Mrs. Xie nodded. "Prepare a few more tables. Tonight, our second and first wives will dine together. What do you think, sister-in-law?"
The eldest wife, Zhang, smiled and said, "Since my sister-in-law invited me, how can I not give her face? I will prepare four tables of banquet, which will be more than enough."
Xie immediately asked Chunhe to go to the kitchen and ask them to prepare the banquet.
Chunhe took the order and left.
Gu Yue's cheeks flushed red as she asked excitedly, "Mother, what about the Haixi Marquis' Mansion?"
Xie's good mood was instantly destroyed because of Gu Yue's words.
She put away her smile and stared at Gu Yue with a cold expression.
Gu Yue looked confused, not knowing where she had done wrong again.
Xie hummed, then said, "In two days, I will send someone to the Haixi Marquis's Mansion to deliver the New Year's gift."
If the Haixi Marquis's Mansion accepts the New Year gift, the marriage between the two families will naturally continue.
If the Haixi Marquis's Mansion refuses the New Year's gift, then our marriage will be in trouble.
Although Gu Yue didn't understand why Mrs. Xie was unhappy, she still smiled happily when she heard that she was going to send a New Year gift to the Haixi Marquis' Mansion.
She smiled sweetly, "Thank you, mother."
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, watched the scene with a smile on her face and said nothing.
The others also looked at their noses and their hearts, and did not speak.
Only Gu Yue was happy there, thinking that she would soon be able to marry Zhao Erlang.
Gu Jiu didn't go to Furongyuan. She sat in the study of Zhilanyuan and read.
Upon learning that Lord Gu had been released, Gu Jiu nodded and muttered to himself that Liu Zhao was indeed trustworthy and acted quickly.
Gu Jiu was also very curious. How did Liu Zhao impress the Queen and rescue Lord Gu?
Or is it that the Queen's targeting of Lord Gu is itself a show?
Gu Jiu made some random guesses, but when he couldn't come up with an answer, he stopped thinking about it.
As the sky darkened, lanterns were hung at the gate of the Gu Mansion.
In just a few days, Lord Gu fell from a great height to the dust, and then returned from the dust.
It's like a dream, and when you wake up, everything is gone.
Looking at the plaque on the gate, Lord Gu couldn't help but feel emotional, and at the same time he had a profound conversation.
In just a few days, Master Gu understood many truths and was elevated from body to soul.
"Master, please go in quickly. Everyone is waiting for you."
Lord Gu nodded, walked into the door, stepped over the brazier, and took another bath to wash away the bad luck.
Only then did he come to the flower hall.
The banquet has been served and everyone is present, just waiting for Lord Gu.
The eldest master stepped forward and patted Master Gu on the shoulder, "You're finally back. It's good to be back."
Xie cried again, "Master!"
She looked at Lord Gu eagerly.
Gu Jiu and others also stood up and called out "Father".
The children of the eldest wife also came forward to pay their respects to Lord Gu.
Lord Gu looked excited, tears seemed to be glistening in his eyes, "Okay, okay, everyone is fine. Sit down."
The eldest master pulled Master Gu to sit beside him and poured wine himself, "Second brother, come, I'll toast you. This time you've turned misfortune into good fortune, which indicates that good times will come after bad times. From now on, you will be rich and powerful."
"Thanks for your good wishes, big brother."
Lord Gu picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp.
Next, the atmosphere in the flower hall gradually became lively and everyone was saying auspicious words.
Gu Jiu noticed that it was rare that Mr. Gu was absent from the banquet tonight.
No one mentioned Mr. Gu, and everyone seemed to have forgotten him.
Gu Jiu lowered his head and smiled. It didn't matter whether Mr. Gu was pretending to be ridiculous on purpose or not.
But whether he was pretending or not, in everyone's mind, he was just a ridiculous old man.
Gu Jiu picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
Gu Yue drank a lot of wine tonight. Her face was flushed, but her eyes were shining. She looked very excited.
She pulled Gu Jiu aside to talk.
"Second sister, you've suffered so much this time because of father's accident. It's a pity that the Lu Marquis's proposal came at the wrong time. If they had waited until the beginning of the new year to propose, the situation would have been completely different. Second sister, don't be sad. There will definitely be a better match in the future."
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Yue with a half-smile, "Third sister is thoughtful. You don't need to worry about my affairs, just take care of yourself."
Gu Yue smiled and said, "Second sister, we are sisters, there is no need for you to be distant with me. Don't worry, when I marry into the Haixi Marquis's Mansion, your marriage will be in my hands. I will definitely find you a suitable match."
Gu Jiu laughed sarcastically, "Father and his wife are still alive and well. When will it be your turn to worry about my marriage? And you even said it's all up to you. Third sister, you are so shameless."
Phew!
Gu Zhen, Gu Lin, and Gu Jun all laughed secretly.
Gu Yue's face flushed red, this time out of embarrassment.
She looked angrily, "Second sister, why are you like this? Not only did you not appreciate my kindness, but you even ridiculed me."
"Yes, I just don't appreciate it. So please don't worry about me anymore in the future, Third Sister. I really don't need your kindness."
Gu Jiu showed no mercy at all.
Gu Yue snorted coldly, picked up the wine glass, and drank it in one gulp. She was so angry.
She secretly thought that with Gu Jiu's reputation as a sickly person, even if she didn't help, Gu Jiu would not be able to find a good marriage.
Thinking of this, Gu Yue became happy again and turned to talk to Gu Shan.
Gu Shan dealt with her patiently, and most of the time she just listened to Gu Yue, rarely speaking herself.
The banquet lasted until midnight.
Qingmei was holding a lantern in front, "Be careful, girl."
Gu Jiu drank a little too much today and felt a little drunk.
But she remained conscious and her steps were steady.
When she returned to Zhilan Courtyard, she collapsed on the bed, unable to move.
Several maids helped her wash and change clothes. Gu Jiu turned over, rolled up in the quilt and fell asleep.
Qingzhu covered her mouth and laughed, "It's great that the girl doesn't make a fuss when she's drunk."
Xiao Cui nodded repeatedly, "Gu Jiu looks really good when he's drunk."
"Do you know what looks good? When a girl dresses up, that's what looks really good."
That night, everyone in the Gu family was filled with joy.
Xie was particularly happy. Now that Lord Gu was back, she had a backbone again.
Mr. Gu was lying on the bed, and Mrs. Xie wiped his face personally.
Halfway through wiping, Lord Gu woke up, grabbed the hot towel and wiped his own face.
"Master is awake. I have prepared some hangover soup, please have some."
Lord Gu sat up from the bed and said, "Bring it here."
The maid brought the sobering soup, and Lord Gu took it and drank it in one breath.
After wiping the corner of his mouth, he felt a little clearer.
Xie asked with concern, "Master, are you feeling better?"
Master Gu nodded and patted the seat beside him, "You sit here."
Xie smiled shyly and sat down next to Lord Gu.
The maids understood what he meant and left the bedroom on their own accord.
Master Gu took Xie's hand and said, "Thank you for your hard work these days."
Xie shook her head. "I'm not tired. For the master, I can even give up my own life."
Master Gu smiled, a smile that was profound. "I understand your intentions. If something were to happen to me, you wouldn't have to do this. The children's marriages need to be decided by their elders. If something happened to me and you weren't around, what would happen to the children?"
Xie burst into tears, "Master?"
She thought of the torment of the previous few days and felt extremely panicked.
Master Gu patted the back of her hand and said, "Okay, stop crying. I'm fine."
Xie wiped away her tears and said, "Master has been reinstated, but I haven't congratulated you yet."
Lord Gu laughed at himself and said, "There's nothing to congratulate. If I hadn't been in that position, I wouldn't have been in this predicament."
Xie was speechless, not knowing what to say.
Lord Gu continued, "I heard Xie Mao resigned?"
Xie was nervous. She nodded and said, "It was the day after the master's accident that my eldest brother submitted his resignation, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince approved it. Now my eldest brother is idle at home, reading and listening to music every day."
Upon hearing this, Lord Gu sneered, "He seems to be living a leisurely life. He plotted against me from behind and still wanted to get away with it. There's no such thing as a good thing in the world."
Xie suddenly grabbed Master Gu's sleeve and said, "Master, was it really my elder brother who harmed you? How could he have such ability?"
Lord Gu smiled and said, "Madam, you underestimate Xie Mao's ability. Not only does he have this ability, but he also wants to get away with it unscathed and look for an opportunity to be reinstated after the situation has calmed down. Given the Crown Prince's nostalgic nature, if he is reinstated, he will at least be promoted one level."
Xie was panicked, her face pale, "This, this, why did big brother want to harm the master?"
"Because he is Xie Mao, is this reason enough?" Lord Gu stared at Xie with a cold expression.
Xie was at a loss.
In a blink of an eye, Master Gu laughed again, "Okay, don't think too much. You don't have to worry about official affairs. You just need to take care of your internal affairs.
In addition, on the first day of the first lunar month, all the ladies in the capital must come to the palace to pay their respects. You should prepare and go to the palace with the Marquis's family on the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, bringing Xiaojiu, Yue'er, and Shan'er with you.
Xie was startled. "I want to go to the palace to pay my respects as well?"
Lady Gu nodded, "You are a lady of honor, you should come to the palace to pay your respects."
Xie was nervous. She never expected that she could enter the palace to pay her respects.
But soon, Xie became happy again.
After enduring for so many years, I finally made it to this day. God is watching over me.
So what if Su was the original wife? Now it is she, not Su, who is enjoying the honor of being a wealthy wife.
The Xie family was full of pride and seemed to have fundamentally suppressed the Su family.
Who made Su die so early?
Xie asked, "Master, why do you want to bring three children with you?"
"This is the palace rule. You must bring all three of them with you."
Xie bit her lip and was unwilling to bring Gu Jiu into the palace.
"Master, Xiaojiu is not in good health. What if he offends the nobles by entering the palace? What should we do?"
Lord Gu looked at Mrs. Xie with a half-smile, "Madam, you should pay more attention to Yue'er and prevent her from getting into trouble in the palace. As for Xiaojiu, there's no need to worry. If you encounter something you can't decide, it won't be wrong to listen to Xiaojiu's opinion."
Xie was bewildered.
The master asked her to listen to Gu Jiu's advice. Was he wrong?
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