Early in the morning, Lord Gu came to the Marquis' Mansion with gifts.
He first went to Songhe Hall to pay his respects to the old lady Wei.
"I'm glad you're back safely. Do your job well in the future. If you can't make a decision, consult your brothers."
Old Madam Wei was deeply moved. Lord Gu had also suffered a bad year, being transferred back to the capital at this critical moment, and appointed the post of prefect of the capital. He had almost lost his life in a moment of carelessness.
Master Gu bowed and said, "I am an unfilial nephew for causing my aunt to worry about me."
Madam Wei said, "How can I not be worried when something so serious happens to you? Your mother passed away long ago. If she were still alive, your father would probably still be in the court and could help you and your brothers."
Master Gu lowered his head slightly and said in a deep voice, "Let's not talk about father's affairs."
Old Madam Wei sighed, "May God bless you this time and turn danger into safety. You must be more careful in your actions from now on.
The capital is in chaos right now. And you're in the position of prefect, and I know it's not easy for you.
From now on, avoid the affairs of the princes and grandchildren if you can. If you really can't avoid it, ask the old marquis for advice and don't carry it all on your own."
"Thank you for your concern, aunt. I will keep it in mind."
Madam Wei waved her hand and said, "I know you are not comfortable here with me. Go to the outer courtyard to see the old marquis. He will surely have a lot to say to you."
"Goodbye, nephew."
Lord Gu followed the servant of the Marquis' Mansion to the study in the outer courtyard to meet the old Marquis.
The eldest master of the Marquis' Mansion, Gu Zhiwen, was also there.
Mr. Gu first bowed in thanks, "Greetings to Uncle. This time, my nephew was able to be released safely from prison, thanks to your great help. I am very grateful."
The old marquis exchanged glances with the head master of the marquisate, Gu Zhiwen, and both of them had serious expressions.
"No need to be so polite, get up."
Lord Gu stood up and sat down on the chair.
The old marquis stared at him, then said seriously, "It's not my credit that you're able to get out of prison safely this time."
Lord Gu looked confused.
The old marquis continued, "I have been running around for you these past few days, and have talked to the Empress twice through Minister Li, but the results were not satisfactory.
When we heard yesterday that you were released, Zhiwen and I were both stunned. I even asked Zhiwen if he had used some connections to get you released.
He told me that he did have connections, but those connections could only keep you from suffering in prison, but were not enough to get you out safely.
Gu Zhiwen, the eldest master of the Marquisate, nodded repeatedly. "The few connections I used could never have helped you get out of prison safely. Ever since we learned you were released yesterday, the old Marquis and I have been wondering what connections were behind the scenes that allowed you to be released safely."
Master Gu looked bewildered. "If it weren't for you, uncle and cousin, helping me, how could I have been released from prison so quickly?"
The old marquis stared at Lord Gu and asked, "Think carefully, who could possibly help you get out of prison? Could it be that you've overlooked some connection? I heard that the Marquis of Lu's mansion proposed marriage to you. Could it be that the Marquis of Lu's connections helped you?"
Gu Zhiwen, the eldest master of the Marquisate, said, "If it's Marquis Lu's connections, it's possible that he could rescue you, my cousin."
Lord Gu shook his head repeatedly, "It's absolutely impossible that the connections at the Marquis of Lu's Mansion saved me.
The day after my accident, my wife sent someone to the Marquis of Lu's residence. The Marquis's wife avoided us and said that the marriage had never been mentioned.
Furthermore, I don't believe that the Duke of Lu is a man of high moral integrity, doing good deeds without leaving a name behind. If it was really the Duke of Lu's mansion that saved me, they should have sent someone to my house to demand a reward.
Furthermore, I don’t think I’m worthy enough for the Lu Hou Mansion to take the trouble to save me.
When I was in the northwest, I rarely interacted with the Marquis of Lu, so we couldn't really be friends. So, it's absolutely impossible that the Marquis of Lu's mansion saved me."
"It wasn't the Marquis of Lu's Mansion, nor was it our Mansion. Then who saved you? It can't be that the Emperor suddenly came to his senses and released you."
The old marquis was full of questions.
Gu Zhiwen, the eldest master of the Marquisate, asked, "Second cousin, think carefully, did you encounter any special people or events when you entered the palace to see the emperor yesterday?"
Lord Gu frowned in thought. "Yesterday, when I entered the palace, I first met Prince Zhao, who was very rude to me. Then I met Prince Zhao of Prince Ning's mansion. He thanked me for retrieving the jade pendant for him, but didn't say anything else."
The old marquis frowned, "If I remember correctly, this incident happened because Gongzi Zhao said the jade pendant was lost, and then he came to you to report it."
Lord Gu frowned, "Could it be that the old marquis is suspicious of Young Master Zhao?"
Then, Lord Gu shook his head repeatedly and laughed sarcastically, "It can't be Gongzi Zhao. This time, I was imprisoned by the emperor, it was all thanks to him. How could he take the initiative to save me?
Furthermore, I don't believe Gongzi Zhao has such ability. If he could truly influence Your Majesty's decisions, why would Prince Ning be so completely suppressed by Prince Zhao?
Even the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, with his weak character, could suppress Prince Ning. Impossible, it absolutely couldn't be Gongzi Zhao."
The old marquis frowned, "I agree with you. Gongzi Zhao should not be able to influence His Majesty's decision."
Among the many grandchildren of the emperor, Liu Zhao's presence is very ordinary. Everyone knows that he is the eldest son of Prince Ning, but more is unknown.
The impression he left on everyone was that of a slightly frail young man from the imperial family. His talent, character, and abilities were unremarkable. He was just an ordinary grandson of the emperor.
It is impossible that such an ordinary grandson of the emperor suddenly did something that no one else could do, and even influenced the emperor's decision.
Therefore, the old marquis rejected Liu Zhao at the first opportunity.
Gu Zhiwen, the eldest master of the Marquisate, asked, "Who saved my second cousin? Second cousin, do you really have no idea?"
Master Gu shook his head. "I always thought it was you who ran around for me and saved me."
The old marquis sighed, "It seems there are people in this world who do good deeds without leaving their names. Since the other party refuses to show up, let's leave it at that for now."
Lord Gu returned to the Gu Mansion with a lot of questions in his mind.
He didn't go to the yamen today.
The previous case has been transferred to the Jinwu Guard, who will investigate the Xue family, the Eastern Palace, and its officials.
The Jinwu Guards were the emperor's henchmen, so they weren't afraid of offending anyone. Even if it was the crown prince, they could bring him down if they caught him.
The Jinwu Guard had a brilliant record over the past few decades, and had defeated four or five princes. There were also countless royal relatives, nobles, and high-ranking officials of the first and second ranks.
The court, from top to bottom, hated the Jinwu Guards to the core, but they could do nothing about them.
Who made the other party the emperor's henchman? With the emperor as his backer, there is nothing to be afraid of.
Anyone who dares to go against the Jinwu Guards will be defeated by them.
When Lord Gu came out of the imperial prison, he was both afraid and hated the Jinwu Guards, and he made up his mind to stay away from them from now on.
"Sir, do you have any difficulties?" asked Master Ma.
Master Gu did not hide it from Master Ma, "The old marquis said that it was not him who saved me."
Master Ma was bewildered. "If it wasn't the Marquis' Mansion that saved you, who else could it be?"
Lord Gu frowned and said, "I am also confused."
Master Ma made a bold guess, "Could it be Xie Mao?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible."
Lord Gu's face changed. "I was imprisoned because of Xie Mao. Xie Mao wanted me dead, so why would he save me? Don't talk nonsense."
"Your Excellency is right. I was confused. But if the Marquis' Mansion had not saved the master, I really can't think of anyone else who could have saved the master."
Lord Gu frowned and paced back and forth in the study.
He said to Master Ma, "Tell me about your itinerary over the past few days. I'll see if I can find any clues."
Master Ma bowed and accepted the order. He recorded all of Lord Gu's itinerary and all the people he met from the time he was imprisoned to the time he was released, and asked Lord Gu to review it.
Lord Gu read it over and over again, but still couldn't see who had the ability to rescue him from the imperial prison.
Master Ma thought for a moment and reminded Master Gu, “Master, I believe that the person who can save the master is either someone in the palace or someone who can speak with His Majesty.
I have compiled a list of officials who can influence your majesty's decisions. Is there anyone you are familiar with?"
Lord Gu looked at the list and saw Hai Xibo, but he still shook his head, "I don't recognize any of them."
As for Haixibo, Lord Gu had known about it for a long time. After he got into trouble, Haixibo did not show up, let alone plead for him in front of His Majesty.
So it couldn't be Haixibo.
Master Ma put away the list and said, "In this case, only the people in the palace are left. My lord, think carefully, does the Marquis have any acquaintances in the palace?"
Lord Gu thought about it carefully and slowly shook his head, "No. The Marquis' Mansion used to have connections in the palace, but with the death of that lady, the Marquis' Mansion and the palace lost contact."
Master Ma frowned, "This humble official really can't understand. Could it be that His Majesty has really come to his senses and released you?"
Lord Gu laughed at himself, this thing would never happen.
He had only appeared before His Majesty twice. It was good enough that His Majesty remembered his name, but how could he suddenly remember him and release him?
Unless someone deliberately mentions his name in Your Majesty's ear and speaks fair words on his behalf.
Thinking of this, an idea suddenly flashed through Lord Gu's mind, but the idea flashed too quickly and he didn't catch it.
Lord Gu said, "Go and call Gu Quan."
The servant took the order and left.
Soon, Gu Quan was called to the study.
"Master, is there anything you want me to do?"
Lord Gu stared at him and said, "Record everything that happened in the mansion after this official's accident, your itinerary, and the people you came into contact with, no matter how big or small.
Gu Quan was a little confused and didn't understand why Lord Gu did this.
Master Ma reminded him: "When the adults ask you to write, just write. Remember every detail. No matter how small the matter is, no matter whether it is useful or not, record it all."
"oh!"
Gu Quan was still confused. He picked up a pen and honestly recorded what happened in those days.
Record where you went, who you met, and when.
Things in the mansion, such as when Xie sent whom to where and what they did, were also recorded.
Such a "big event" as Mr. Gu running out of the mansion must naturally be recorded.
"Master, I have finished writing. Please review it."
Lord Gu flipped through the paper, quickly reading each line.
I didn't see any valuable clues.
Is it really a blessing from heaven that he can be released from prison?
Lord Gu saw the record at the back and asked casually, "Why did the old man run out of the mansion?"
Butler Gu Quan shook his head, "I was out on the road at the time, so I don't know the specifics."
Mr. Gu asked again: "Do you know what the old man did when he ran away?"
Butler Gu Quan was embarrassed. He knew nothing about anything. He was not a qualified butler.
He hurriedly said, "I'll find someone to ask."
"Go quickly."
Lord Gu did not find any clues from this incident. He was worried that Old Man Gu would run away and cause trouble.
Just in case someone comes to ask for an explanation one day, he needs to understand the situation in advance.
The person that the housekeeper Gu Quan called was none other than Fang Po, the woman who guarded the courtyard gate and looked after Mr. Gu.
Mrs. Fang was trembling with fear. After so many years of working, it was the first time she walked into the study in the outer courtyard. She was so nervous that she didn't know what to do with her hands and feet.
"This servant pays homage to the master."
Lord Gu first nodded and looked at Mrs. Fang.
Then he got straight to the point and asked, "The old man ran out of the mansion a few days ago. What happened? I asked you to look after him. Is this how you do your job?"
Lord Gu was a very powerful official. He questioned her sternly, and Mrs. Fang was so scared that she knelt on the ground.
"Master, please understand. This is not my fault."
"If it's not your fault, then whose fault is it?"
Master Gu glared at her, and Mrs. Fang said tremblingly, "The old man wants to leave the house, and I can't stop him. I am alone, how can I be a match for those servants?"
Master Gu snorted coldly, "Are you saying that you have no responsibility and that the fault lies with the old man?"
Mrs. Fang shook her head repeatedly, "That's not what I meant. I did my best."
Lord Gu said with a stern face, "Tell me, why did the old man leave the house? Don't tell me, the old man just wanted to leave the house on a whim. I want to hear the truth. If you dare to hide anything, I will find out and you will be beaten to death."
The words "beat to death" frightened Mrs. Fang so much that her legs trembled.
She trembled and said, "This servant guesses that maybe the second young lady said something to the old man that provoked him, so he thought of leaving the house."
Lord Gu frowned, "What does this have to do with the Second Young Lady? Explain clearly!"
Mrs. Fang swallowed her saliva and said fearfully, "That afternoon, the second young lady went to see the old man.
The grandfather and grandson closed the door and talked for half an hour. I don't know what they talked about specifically.
After the second girl left, the old man sat in the room, not drinking or making any noise, but just cursing under his breath. I didn't hear who he was cursing.
Finally, the old man led the servants to rush to the gatehouse and ran out. No one knew where he went, and the master couldn't find out.
Anyway, in the end, the old man came back on his own, without any illness or injury, and the matter was over."
Lord Gu and Master Ma exchanged glances, both of them full of questions.
Master Gu asked, "When the second young lady went to see the old man, what did she tell you?"
"The second young lady said she paid her respects to the old man. It's very unfilial of her to not pay her respects to the old man after such a long time back in Beijing."
Mrs. Fang knelt on the ground, her eyes rolling around, her mind filled with evil thoughts.
Lord Gu frowned. Gu Jiu saw that Mr. Gu's reasons couldn't even fool a ghost, so of course they couldn't fool him.
Master Gu waved his hand and said, "Go down and do your job well. If anything happens to the old man again, watch out for your skin."
"Don't worry, Second Master, I will definitely take good care of you."
Mrs. Fang left the study impatiently and quickly left this horrible place.
Master Ma asked, "Sir, do you want to call the second young lady over for questioning?"
Lord Gu frowned, pondered for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement. "Send someone to invite the second young lady over and tell her that I have something to ask her."
Butler Gu Quan took the order and went to Zhilan Courtyard in person to invite someone.
This matter is of great importance, and Gu Quan dare not treat it casually.
At this moment, Gu Jiu was sitting in the study of Zhilan Courtyard, reading a strange story novel with great interest.
Qingmei grumbled, "On the first day of the first lunar month, the young lady will go to the palace with the madam to pay her respects. The third and fourth young ladies are both frantically preparing. How come the young lady isn't nervous at all and is even interested in reading some idle books?"
Gu Jiu flipped through the pages of the book and said, "It's just a visit to the palace to pay respects. What's there to be nervous about? Once you're in the palace, just follow others. You guys are just worrying about nothing."
Qingmei said, "The Marquis's Mansion will send a nanny over this afternoon to teach you the rules of the palace. Young lady, you must study hard and remember the nanny's words."
Gu Jiu listened intently, "I understand. I'll go learn the rules after I wake up from my nap."
Gu Jiu felt depressed when he thought about having to learn the rules again.
Learning the rules is not an easy task.
Qingzhu came in from outside, "Miss, the housekeeper is here to ask you in. He said the master wants you to go to the study to talk."
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