Gu Mansion.
Lord Gu walked back and forth in the room with a serious expression.
Xie said sarcastically, "I've long expected this day to come, but I didn't expect it to arrive so soon. When Gu Jiu was betrothed to Prince Zhao, everyone was celebrating. I warned her to be careful about bringing disaster upon the family. And sure enough, she'd only been married for a few days when the palace was surrounded by the Jinwu Guards."
"Speak less."
Lord Gu yelled at Mrs. Xie impatiently.
Xie looked at Master Gu and said, "Master, you must make up your mind as soon as possible. Our Gu family cannot be implicated by the Wang family."
Lord Gu frowned and was very annoyed.
Gu Ting snorted twice to express his dissatisfaction.
However, he did not confront Xie directly because he was not good at verbal battles and was definitely no match for Xie.
Gu Cheng frowned, "Mother, this matter is not as serious as you think."
Xie was furious. Gu Cheng was now alienated from her and only spoke for Gu Jiu. He really didn't know what was good for him.
She said, "The palace has been surrounded by the Jinwu Guards. You saw it with your own eyes. How can you say it's not serious? Liu Lang, you must not talk nonsense and mislead your father."
Gu Cheng said to Lord Gu, "Father, I went to the Prince's Mansion today, and everything is normal. The Jinwu Guards surrounding Prince Ning's Mansion are not alone. Other princely mansions also have Jinwu Guards guarding the gates to prevent people from entering or leaving. I think this incident will be a close call and will be over soon."
Lord Gu hummed, without commenting.
Xie asked, "Is Gu Jiu coming back tomorrow?"
Gu Cheng nodded, "Second sister is very sure that she will come back tomorrow."
Xie scoffed, "I don't think she'll be able to come back tomorrow. The palace has been surrounded, and she can't even leave, so how can she come back?"
Lord Gu sighed secretly, "It doesn't matter whether I return or not at this time. What matters is how serious the prince's condition is, and will it implicate our Gu Mansion?"
Gu Ting said, "Of course it won't implicate our Gu Mansion. My sister is the new bride. Even if something happens in the palace, it won't be blamed on my sister, let alone the Gu Mansion."
Gu Ting's tone was very affirmative, and he seemed to be very confident in Gu Jiu.
Xie's eyes were gloomy. "Sanlang, don't brag. Regardless of whether she is a new bride or not, she is now part of the palace. As the saying goes, when one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer. There is absolutely no possibility that she will be the only one left out."
"Stop talking."
Lord Gu finally made up his mind.
He said, "Let's wait and see for two days."
Xie was a little unwilling, "Master, if you don't make a decision, you will suffer the consequences."
Lord Gu waved his hand, "Don't talk nonsense. Something just happened in the palace, and the matter hasn't been concluded yet, and I'm in a hurry to distance myself from it. Then, in the eyes of the world, I will become a treacherous villain. It won't be too late to distance myself from the palace after the matter has been resolved."
"But, what if..."
"There's no such thing as a one-off. This matter is settled."
Lord Gu made the final decision and left with a flick of his sleeves.
Gu Ting also left.
In the hall, only Xie and Gu Yan's mother and son were left.
Xie was furious. "I really don't know what the master is thinking. It's an obvious matter, but he's dragging his feet and refusing to make a decision."
Gu Cheng frowned, "Mother, that's not what I meant. What if the prince is safe and sound in the end?"
Xie said, "I bet something's going to happen to the prince this time. Just wait and see, he'll regret it sooner or later."
Gu Yan shook his head, unable to continue the conversation, and simply said goodbye.
Palace.
Princess Pei fainted, and Gu Jiu hurriedly ordered the servants to carry the princess back to Chunhe Hall. At the same time, he ordered people to go out of the palace to invite the imperial physician.
The Jinwu Guards guarding the gate of the palace did not make things difficult and let the man go out to invite the imperial physician.
Everyone who rushed to Chunhetang to inquire had a worried look on their faces.
The prince is trapped in the palace and the princess is unconscious. What should we do?
Everyone seemed to have lost their backbone and was in a state of panic all day long.
Gu Jiu sat upright beside the bed.
Hiding under her sleeves, she was quietly taking the pulse of Princess Pei.
He was depressed and repeatedly stimulated, and he was so angry that he fainted.
Pei's condition requires rest and recuperation.
However, the palace was in turmoil, and how could a princess like her stay calm? It was a blessing to be unaffected by the continuous bad news.
Gu Jiu withdrew his hand, looked at the anxious, worried, and bewildered crowd, and said, "The princess was extremely angry and fainted temporarily. I think it should be nothing serious. There is no need to worry too much."
"How do you know that my mother is not seriously ill? Are you a doctor?" Xiao Qin'er stood up and confronted Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow. She and Xiao Qin'er were naturally incompatible. This was due to the conflict between Liu Zhao and Liu Yi, but the main reason was the struggle for interests and power.
In such a huge palace, there can only be one head of the family.
After the princess, who is more respected, Xiao Qin'er or Gu Jiu? They must fight for it.
Whoever holds the power of the palace controls the palace's finances.
Power is interest.
The two have different positions and are destined to be unable to coexist peacefully.
There is always someone who has to submit to another person.
It was either her, Xiao Qin'er, or Gu Jiu.
So whenever there is a chance, Xiao Qin'er will always step forward and cause trouble for Gu Jiu.
It may not be useful, and you may even be killed.
But if she didn't make such a gesture, everyone in the palace would think that she had surrendered to Gu Jiu and respected Gu Jiu.
Therefore, even if you know that a small dispute will not help, you must still fight for it.
It's like an office fight.
Not every fight is about interests. Many times it is purely because of stance, because people dislike the other party.
It is not surprising that many people have done things that harm others and benefit themselves.
Gu Jiu asked Xiao Qin'er, "Is Fourth Sister-in-law hoping that the Princess will become seriously ill?"
Xiao Qin'er was furious. "Don't misinterpret my meaning. You're not a doctor, so how can you say Mother is okay? What if Mother is ill and her treatment is delayed? Can you bear the responsibility?"
Gu Jiu smiled coldly, "Before you came, I had already sent for the imperial physician. He will be here soon and will not delay the princess's illness in any way. Fourth sister-in-law, before you convict me next time, at least understand the situation clearly. Otherwise, you will be the one to be embarrassed."
As soon as he finished speaking, the maid at the door reported that the imperial physician had arrived.
Doctor Li couldn't help but frown when he saw the room full of people.
"There are too many people in the room, and it's hard to breathe. It's affecting the health of the princess. Everyone, go out and don't crowd in the room."
Gu Jiu nodded, "Then I'll trouble Doctor Li."
After saying that, Gu Jiu took the lead out of the bedroom.
The rest of the people followed him out.
Everyone was waiting for news in the side hall, and everyone was full of thoughts.
Ouyang Fu twisted her handkerchief and whispered to Gu Jiu, "Sister-in-law, will Mother be okay?"
Gu Jiu said, "Don't worry. Mother will be safe."
"What will happen to the prince and the eldest son in the palace?"
Gu Jiu stared at Ouyang Fu, "I don't know."
Ouyang Fu lowered her head, her eyes filled with disappointment.
She thought Gu Jiu knew something and hoped to get some information from him.
A moment later, Doctor Li came out of the bedroom.
Everyone rushed forward and asked, "How is the princess? Is she okay?"
Doctor Li coughed lightly, interrupting everyone's questions.
After everyone quieted down, he said, "The princess was so angry that she fell into a coma. I have already given her an acupuncture treatment. She is now awake and is fine. However, she needs to rest and should not be disturbed. In addition, I will prescribe another medicine for her to take daily."
"Is the princess really all right?"
"That's natural."
Everyone was relieved.
While feeling relieved, he couldn't help but look at Gu Jiu.
Unexpectedly, Gu Jiu was right. The princess was indeed fine.
Nanny Qin, who was beside the princess, came to invite her, "Princess, please ask the eldest lady to come in and talk. Everyone else, please go back."
Concubine Shen asked, "Princess, are you not going to see us too?"
Nanny Qin nodded, "The princess is in poor health and has limited energy. Everyone needs to be understanding."
"What about me? I want to share my mother's worries." Xiao Qin'er asked.
Nanny Qin shook her head, "The princess didn't say she wanted to see the Fourth Madam."
Xiao Qin'er's face changed, she bit her lip, and looked suddenly at Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu remained indifferent and followed Nanny Qin into the bedroom.
She knew exactly why Princess Pei wanted to see her.
Pei had already sat up and was leaning against the head of the bed.
She waved at Gu Jiu, indicating that Gu Jiu should sit on the round stool in front of the bed, closer so that it would be easier to talk.
Gu Jiu readily followed suit and asked with concern, "Is mother feeling better?"
Pei's face was pale, and she looked weak and lifeless. "That's all. The Jinwu Guards are here to arrest someone. Does that mean the prince is in grave danger?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "That's not the case."
Pei stared at Gu Jiu intently.
Gu Jiu lowered his voice and said, "The fact that the Jinwu Guards came to arrest people only proves one thing: they didn't get any useful clues from the prince and the young master. From this, it can be inferred that the Jinwu Guards also didn't get anything useful from the other princes."
"But the Jinwu Guards have arrested someone and imprisoned him. Can those eunuchs withstand the punishment? What will happen if they say something detrimental to the prince?"
Pei was anxious and panicked, clutching the quilt tightly with both hands, veins bulging.
Gu Jiu soothed him, "Even if those eunuchs couldn't stand the torture and confessed, does Mother think they can reveal many facts that are unfavorable to the prince?
The prince's extravagant ways were known to everyone. The eunuchs, however, could only confess to drinking, gambling, and robbing women.
"Can those people really tell me anything about the Crown Prince's poisoning? Or does Mother believe that the Crown Prince was poisoned by someone, and that it was the Prince who did it?"
Pei sternly denied, "Your Highness has absolutely nothing to do with the Crown Prince's poisoning. I'm worried that someone might not be able to withstand the torture and might tell lies to get away with it."
Gu Jiu shook his head. "Mother's worries are unnecessary. As far as I know, the palace servant who poisoned the Crown Prince had been serving in the Eastern Palace for more than ten years. In other words, that person has been lurking in the Eastern Palace for at least ten years.
The eunuchs around the prince had only arrived at the palace eight years ago. The two eunuchs, though elderly servants around the prince, were only responsible for his daily life and diet, so their knowledge was limited.
In Gu Jiu's opinion, if it was really Prince Ning who poisoned the Crown Prince, then Prince Ning must have thought carefully before taking action. And at the beginning of the action, he had already cut off the tail and destroyed all evidence.
Therefore, no matter how the Jinwu Guards investigated, they could not get the truth from the dead.
As long as Prince Ning insisted that he was innocent, the Jinwu Guards would not dare to torture the prince.
Unless the emperor does not ask for evidence and convicts Prince Ning based on suspicion alone.
Thinking this way, it is only a matter of time before Prince Ning returns.
It just makes Liu Zhao suffer.
In fact, many of Prince Ning's private affairs were handled by Liu Zhao.
Are the people around Liu Zhao tight-lipped?
Pei was still worried, "Hasn't the person who went to Lu Hou Mansion returned yet?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "He never came back. He was most likely blocked outside by the Jinwu Guards and couldn't get in."
Pei frowned, "What should I do?"
"Don't worry, mother. Father will definitely return safely." Gu Jiu's voice was gentle and soothing.
Pei suddenly grabbed Gu Jiu's wrist.
Gu Jiu felt pain, but he couldn't shake off Pei's hand.
Pei stared at Gu Jiu intently, "Can the prince really return safely? You didn't lie to me?"
Gu Jiu nodded heavily, "A daughter-in-law dare not deceive mother."
Pei breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're back safely. This princess is convinced that the prince's poisoning had nothing to do with the prince. It's true that the prince knows how to eat, drink and have fun. But it's absolutely impossible that the prince had been planning this for decades, planting spies in the East Palace, waiting for an opportunity to poison the prince. The prince doesn't have that ability."
Gu Jiu didn't know what to say.
If Prince Ning knew that Pei looked down on him so much, I wonder if he would feel proud or upset.
Is it true that Prince Ning has no wisdom and strategy as Pei said?
Gu Jiu slowly shook her head. She did not agree with what Pei said.
Prince Ning was so young, but he knew how to sleep with the maids in Xingqing Palace and defile himself, lowering the emperor's standards for him. This incident alone shows that Prince Ning was not lacking in wisdom or courage.
Be cruel to others and even crueler to yourself.
Most people don't have the courage to try such a self-degrading method that risks being criticized.
Gu Jiu said, "Since the prince was poisoned and it wasn't the prince's doing, then His Majesty will release the prince sooner or later."
Pei nodded repeatedly, "You are right, the prince will come back sooner or later."
The maid lit some calming incense.
Pei was exhausted and soon fell asleep.
Gu Jiu stood up, walked lightly, and left quietly.
She didn't expect that Ouyang Fu was standing under the eaves, waiting for her.
"Sister-in-law, is mother okay?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "Mother is fine and has gone to bed. Why hasn't my second brother's wife returned to her room?"
Ouyang Fu was filled with worry. "I'm worried. I want to stay and take care of my mother."
"Second sister-in-law is very thoughtful. But Mother is surrounded by maids and nannies to take care of her. Second sister-in-law has been tired for two days, so she should go back to her room and rest early."
"Where's my sister-in-law?"
"I also want to go back to my room to rest."
"Tomorrow is the second day of the Lunar New Year. Will sister-in-law go back to her parents' home?"
Gu Jiu said, "I would like to go back to my parents' home, but I'm worried that the Jinwu Guards guarding the door won't let me leave."
Ouyang Fu looked haggard, "Sister-in-law, what should we do in this situation?"
Gu Jiu stared at the night sky for a long time before saying, "Second sister-in-law should ask the Second Young Master about this. I'm just a woman from the inner chambers. I don't understand the overall situation of the court, and I don't even understand the rules of the palace."
"Why should you be so modest, sister-in-law?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, please forgive me for not accompanying you. I'm tired after a day, I'll go back to my room to rest. Goodbye!"
Gu Jiu left quickly and decisively, without giving Ouyang Fu a chance to ask further questions.
Ouyang Fu stamped her feet and had no choice but to go back to her room.
Gu Jiu was very tired, but not sleepy at all.
After she finished washing up, she leaned back on the soft couch in the small study and closed her eyes to rest.
After a moment, she suddenly opened her eyes and said, "Go, call Eunuch Deng."
Qingmei took the order and left.
Deng Cunli was invited to the small study. "This old servant pays his respects to the Madam."
"No need to be polite, sit down and talk."
After a pause, Gu Jiu asked directly, "Eunuch Deng has served in the palace for decades. In your opinion, how will His Majesty handle the Crown Prince's poisoning?"
Deng Cunli pondered for a moment and said, "There are two possibilities."
"I'd like to hear more about it."
"The first possibility is to find the real culprit and execute him immediately, while simultaneously purging the Imperial Palace. This would also give His Royal Highness the Crown Prince a chance to catch his breath.
The second possibility is that there is no real culprit, and the case remains unsolved. However, Your Majesty is suspicious and will severely punish all the princes. A salary deduction would be the least of the problems; he might even be stripped of his titles. The Crown Prince would become a target, and dethronement is not far off."
Gu Jiu nodded secretly, "Then which possibility do you think is more likely?"
Deng Cunli said, "I believe Madam has already found the answer to this question."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "My answer is that there is no real murderer."
"That's right. There can't be a real murderer in this case."
The court, civil officials, and military generals are engaged in a three-way game.
The palace has privately contacted the military generals. They will not allow the real culprit to appear in this case and give an explanation to the Crown Prince.
That group of people spent nearly ten years, and finally made sure that no one around the emperor would speak for the prince.
Ninety of the hundred steps have been taken, and we must not fail in the last ten steps.
Even if thousands of people had to die, they would not hesitate to pull down the prince.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
