“Ahem…”
Master Gu coughed twice and said, "Second girl, please be careful with your words."
Gu Jiu was very respectful, "Father is right."
Master Gu glanced at Xie again and said, "Alright, I know you are planning for the second girl."
Xie said with a stern face, "I'll be satisfied if Master knows that I have good intentions."
Master Gu then said to Gu Jiu, "Madam, there is some truth in what you said. There are too many young and beautiful maids in the palace. If you don't have a capable maid by your side, you will suffer."
Gu Jiu lowered his head and smiled. It turned out that Lord Gu had a straight male mindset.
She said solemnly to Master Gu, "Father is right. But I have different ideas, and I don't know whether I should express them or not."
"Tell me about it."
Gu Jiu said, "Father just said that there are too many young and bright maids in the palace, and that's true.
I think that Gongzi Zhao has been accustomed to beauties since he was a child. My father and wife kindly prepared maids for me to compete for their favor. But I ask myself, what kind of beauty can compare with the large group of young and bright maids in the palace? What kind of beauty can catch Gongzi Zhao's eye?
As far as my daughter knows, the young maids in the palace are both beautiful and talented, and are proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting.
My daughter knows nothing about anything, but she married with two brightly colored maids. Aren't you afraid that they will be outshined by the maids in the palace and become a laughing stock?
"This?" Lord Gu looked hesitant.
The palace lacks everything except beauties.
Seeing that Lord Gu was wavering, Gu Jiu struck while the iron was hot and said, "I appreciate the kindness of my father and madam. I think it would be better to wait until I get married and understand the situation. If I really need maids to compete for my favor, then I can ask my father and madam to come forward and select two stunning maids to send to the palace."
Lord Gu nodded secretly, "Your thinking is very mature. There are too many beauties in the palace. You should first understand them before making a decision."
Xie was unwilling to give up and said, "Where will we find a maid when the second girl needs one to compete for her favor? Why not take advantage of the time now and quickly find two stunning maids and bring them to the palace together?"
Gu Jiu lowered his head and sneered. Xie's biggest problem was that she ate in an unsightly manner.
She directly retorted, "If you really need a maid to consolidate your favor, there's no need to rush for those few days. Madam is really a joke."
Gu Jiu looked at Xie with a smile, reminding her not to forget Aunt Tan.
Mrs. Xie was furious. "Second girl, I was just thinking about you. My good intentions went in vain."
Gu Jiu said: "Thank you, Madam, for your kindness in making this plan for me, but I don't need it."
"you……"
"Okay, stop talking."
Lord Gu did not give Xie any face and directly interrupted her before she could finish her words.
Xie frowned, a complicated look flashed in her eyes, and she relaxed, which was rare. "I will listen to the master."
Lord Gu said to Gu Jiu: "From what you said, it seems that you have thought it through clearly."
Gu Jiu bowed slightly, "Father, you are too kind. I will marry into the palace and become the wife of the emperor's grandson. I will not slack off for a single day. I don't ask to add any help to the family, but at least I won't cause any trouble for them."
Lord Gu said approvingly, "It's good that you think this way. Your father's expectations of you have not been in vain. When you arrive at the palace, be more careful and observe more, talk less. Do whatever the princess asks you to do. Don't be too stubborn, and don't let people say you don't behave well."
"A daughter listens to her father and must strictly abide by the rules and not make even the slightest mistake."
Gu Jiu has a very good attitude. He is the typical person who actively admits his mistakes and refuses to repent.
Asking her to listen to the princess and do whatever she says, how is that possible!
She is not a young wife who is easily bullied, and she is the one who cannot stand being bullied.
Master Gu took the dowry list and said, "It's a little short, but if you think it's enough, I won't force you."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Thank you for your support, father."
Master Gu also advised, "While there's still some time left before the divorce, take good care of your health and don't overwork yourself. Then you can marry in style."
Time has entered the coldest month of the year, the twelfth lunar month.
The wind was howling in the cold, and it snowed early again this year.
In weather like this, I wish I could stay in the room for twelve hours a day.
There was a brazier burning in the room, making it very warm.
With only a few days left before the wedding, the eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, and the eldest and youngest wives, Mrs. Zhang, have already started preparing for the wedding.
It was Gu Jiu's wedding, and Lord Gu booked fifty tables for the banquet, inviting all his classmates, friends, and colleagues in the officialdom to come, making it a lively occasion.
Preparing a banquet for fifty tables in the middle of winter is not an easy task.
The banquet cannot be held outdoors, it can only be held indoors.
The three flower halls can only accommodate thirty tables at most.
Fortunately, the male guests were dining in the outer courtyard.
The flower hall in the outer courtyard can also accommodate thirty tables.
Assuming that some guests would not come, but some might show up uninvited, Mrs. Zhang asked the kitchen to prepare three more tables for the banquet.
Mrs. Xie took the guest list and looked over it. "Is it necessary to invite even distant family members?"
The eldest wife, Zhang, said, "If you have any objections to the list drawn up by your master, go find him."
Mrs. Xie snorted, "These clansmen are coming to our house, so they're bound to ask for money. Sister-in-law, are you ready?"
The eldest wife, Zhang, said, "Don't worry, I've made preparations."
Zhang knew exactly which clansmen would take advantage of the opportunity to extort money.
After all, she has been the mistress of the house for so many years, and she is adept at dealing with these poor relatives.
Mrs. Xie continued to browse the guest list. "The Minister of Rites and his entire family are attending. Why haven't I heard my master mention this family before?"
Mrs. Zhang, the eldest wife, laughed and said, "I don't know about that."
Xie saw a familiar name on the list. "I understand Su Zheng, but what's going on with this Second Master Su? When did the Su family come to the capital? How come I didn't know?"
When Xie saw the name of Master Su Er, her face changed.
Madam Zhang glanced at the list and said, "It is indeed Mr. Su Er. I heard that he just arrived in the capital and has already gone to the government office to see my second brother."
Mrs. Xie's face turned pale. "The Su family still has the nerve to call themselves a family of scholars, but when they came to the capital, they didn't even bother to say hello."
"The Su family only has the uncle and nephew in the capital, and there are no female relatives around. How can we go to see my brother and his wife? It would be more appropriate to go directly to the government office to see my second brother."
Xie gritted her teeth, "Even if you don't come to see me, shouldn't you ask about the second girl's situation? Shouldn't you ask about Gu Ting's situation?"
The eldest wife, Zhang, looked at Xie with a half-smile. "Why is your sister-in-law so upset that the second master of the Su family has come to the capital? Gu Ting is gaining experience in the military camp. When the second girl gets married, uncle and nephew will be able to see her. As for the second girl's situation, you can ask your second brother and he will know for sure."
Xie was so angry that she threw the list on the table.
"This list includes the Su family, all relatives and friends, but not the Xie family."
Zhang picked up the list and said, "When Shan'er gets married, my sister-in-law can invite all the members of the Xie family and not invite any members of the Su family. That's all. There's nothing to be angry about."
Xie stared at Zhang. "That's easy for you, sister-in-law. You haven't been in my shoes, so how can you understand my difficulties? When the second girl gets married, when friends and family see that no one from the Xie family is here, what will everyone say? How will I be able to save face?"
Zhang suggested to Xie, "Just tell everyone that the Xie family is in mourning and cannot attend the wedding banquet."
Mrs. Xie was stunned for a moment. What Mrs. Zhang said was right. The Xie family was currently in mourning and it was indeed inconvenient for them to attend the wedding banquet.
But Xie was still very unhappy.
She grabbed the handkerchief and almost crumpled it to pieces.
"Master Su Er came to the capital without even saying hello. Could it be that he is here to extort money?"
Zhang rolled her eyes and despised Xie in her heart.
"No matter how poor the Su family is, they will never come to our Gu family to ask for money. Sister-in-law, you think too much."
Xie laughed sarcastically, "How could it be impossible? Back when we were in the northwest, that brat Su Zheng went all the way around, just to ask for money."
Zhang asked, "Did your sister-in-law give you the money?"
Xie choked.
Although she knew that Su Zheng came to her house to ask for money, she really didn't give him a penny.
Xie said stubbornly, "I didn't give it to you, but my master definitely gave it to you."
Zhang sneered, "I wonder how much money my second brother gave Su Zheng for his journey?"
Xie said, "No more, no less."
Zhang laughed. "Sister-in-law, I advise you not to talk about things you don't understand, so as to avoid misunderstandings. I heard that during his time in Jinzhou, Su Zheng was only busy copying books every day. When he left, he didn't even ask for the money that my second brother had prepared."
"Who did you hear that from? Did the second girl talk nonsense in front of you to save face for the Su family?"
Zhang shook her head. "When I was checking the list with Gu Quan a few days ago, we talked about the Su family. Gu Quan told me personally that Su Zheng didn't even take a penny from my second brother."
Xie frowned. "How is that possible? Su Zheng is a pauper. He's pretending to be noble and asking for no money. Does he want to starve to death?"
Zhang smiled and said, "Master Su didn't starve to death. I heard he rented two rooms in the capital and is studying peacefully."
Xie sneered, "These scholars love to pretend to be noble, and they suffer in their death for the sake of face."
Zhang was too lazy to discuss these small talk with Xie. "Since my sister-in-law has already looked at the list, if there is no problem, I will go and get busy first."
Xie nodded.
After Zhang left, Xie called Gao Sanfu over and said, "Go and find out where that kid Su Zheng lives. I heard that the second master of the Su family has also gone to the capital. Find out why the second master went to the capital."
"As you command."
While Xie was thinking about the Su family's affairs, Gu Jiu secretly left the house and came to the small courtyard rented by Su Zheng in South City.
Originally, Su Zheng rented two rooms at a cheap price.
Only after Mr. Su Er came to the capital did Su Zheng rent a small courtyard to live in again.
When Gu Jiu saw Master Su Er, he quickly stepped forward to greet him, "Hello, Second Uncle."
Master Su Er was very excited. "Hurry up, hurry up. As soon as I received your letter, I hurried as fast as I could and finally arrived in the capital before the canal froze."
Gu Jiu smiled sweetly, "Thank you for your hard work, second uncle. It's tiring for you to go to the capital in the middle of winter."
Master Su Er waved his hands repeatedly, "I should thank you. If it weren't for your help, our family wouldn't be able to celebrate the New Year."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Good things should be kept within the family. If there is something good happening, then naturally I will think of my two uncles."
This time, Master Su Er came to the capital mainly to deliver medicinal materials.
The Su family's ancestral home is rich in medicinal materials.
When Gu Jiu wanted to open a medicine shop, he thought of his two uncles who were unemployed at home.
She asked Song Zheng to take some money to the Su family's ancestral home and find his two uncles.
Although the Su family has fallen into decline, they were prosperous for several generations in the past. They have extensive connections and know many people.
The Su family purchased medicinal materials for Gu Jiu, which not only guaranteed the quality but also allowed them to lower the price. They also didn't have to worry about being bullied by local tyrants, which naturally saved them a lot of trouble.
Gu Jiu wanted to take care of her two uncles, so she agreed at the beginning that she would make a profit from the difference between the two uncles and sell the medicinal materials to her at the market price.
Worried that his two uncles would not accept it, Gu Jiu specially wrote a long letter to them. He also encouraged Su Zheng to write back home to persuade the Su family.
Then came the incident where Master Su II personally went to the capital to deliver medicinal materials.
With Song Zheng escorting them all the way, and Gu Yu getting the official documents for Gu Jiu, they arrived in the capital smoothly.
With Gu Jiu's care, the Su family finally saw some improvement this year.
Therefore, Master Su Er was grateful to his niece Gu Jiu from the bottom of his heart.
Su Zheng personally brewed and poured tea.
"Cousin Xiaojiu, please have some tea."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Cousin Su, you are too polite. Please sit down and talk too."
Su Zheng nodded and sat down below Master Su Er.
Master Su Er is very concerned about Gu Jiu's herbal medicine shop and is worried that Gu Jiu will be in debt.
"Xiao Jiu, has the patent medicine shop mentioned in your letter opened?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "Not yet."
Master Su Er immediately became worried. "With so many medicinal herbs, what should we do?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Don't worry, Second Uncle. We've already found a shop. We're just waiting for your batch of medicinal herbs to arrive in the capital. We'll choose an auspicious day to open it."
Master Su Er breathed a sigh of relief. "Xiao Jiu, don't blame your uncle for being nosy. This patent medicine business is not easy to do. You need an experienced doctor to take charge, and you also need a few prescriptions to establish a store."
Gu Jiu said, "Don't worry, uncle. We've already found an experienced doctor who is guaranteed to be reliable. We also have the signature prescription. We just need to wait for an auspicious day to open for business."
Master Su Er was now completely relieved. The muscles on his cheeks relaxed, and even his gray beard looked lighter.
Su Zheng refilled Second Master Su's teacup with water and whispered, "Uncle, don't worry about Little Sister Jiu. Little Sister Jiu will soon marry into the royal palace. With the status of the emperor's grandson's wife, no one will dare to mess with her medicine shop, and business will pick up quickly."
Master Su Er was not as optimistic as Su Zheng. He had witnessed the struggles in the court and how Emperor Kaiyao brutally suppressed the royal family.
During those years, the blood shed by the royal family was enough to fill the entire Xingqing Palace.
The decline of the Su family can be said to be inextricably linked to the purge of royal relatives.
Master Su Er stroked his beard. His long robe, which had been washed white, had a sleeve that was already untied.
He said, "I still have some impression of Prince Ning. He was a very talented man back then, with a tendency to overshadow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. But after some incidents, Prince Ning became increasingly absurd. The most absurd incident was when he slept with a maid from Xingqing Palace."
ah?
Prince Ning was really courting death. He even dared to touch the palace maids around the emperor.
Master Su Er continued, “That time, Prince Ning was beaten half to death and locked up in a small room in the imperial mausoleum for a whole year.
Later, Prince Ning bribed the people around the emperor and was able to return to the capital.
Because of this incident, no matter how many ridiculous things Prince Ning did later, the emperor didn't care.
Now that I think about it, Prince Ning's move on the maids of Xingqing Palace might not have been outrageous, but it could have been intentional, a move designed to put himself in a desperate situation.
"Is there such a thing?"
Gu Jiu was shocked, and at the same time he deeply admired King Ning's courage and strategy.
Prince Ning had set a new low point from the very beginning, effectively giving the emperor a head start. From that point on, all his absurd behavior pales in comparison to his involvement with the maids at Xingqing Palace.
The emperor has already accepted the lower limit of Ning Wang. As long as he does not cross this limit, no matter how Ning Wang commits suicide, the emperor will not do anything to him. Instead, he will indulge him.
This is like a person who has indulged in pornography, gambling, and drugs, and suddenly he stops gambling and taking drugs, and only pornography remains. At this time, what can his family and friends not tolerate?
Not only will they be tolerant, but they will also say that he has returned to prodigal form.
King Ning took the bold gamble and it was a successful one.
Second Master Su solemnly reminded Gu Jiu, "Prince Ning, your grandfather once said that he is cunning and ruthless. He is cruel to others and even crueler to himself.
"Xiaojiu, when you marry into the palace, you must remember to never offend His Royal Highness Prince Ning. For anything related to Prince Ning, you should stay out of the way and let Gongzi Zhao handle it."
Gu Jiu stood up and thanked Master Su Er, "Thank you for the reminder, Second Uncle. I will keep it in mind."
Even Nanny Fang didn't know what Master Su had just said.
After all, Nanny Fang's focus was only on the harem and the inner chambers. She knew nothing about what was happening in the court.
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