"Madam, the actor Lan Xiang requests to see you."
Actor? Lan Xiang?
Gu Jiu thought about it before he remembered who this person was.
Some time ago, the palace bought a new group of actors who specialized in singing ditties, one of whom was called Lan Xiang.
"What is he doing here?"
The servant said, "He said he had something important to report to the Madam, and it was related to the Daihou Mansion."
Daihou Mansion, Gu Mei’s husband’s home.
Gu Jiu thought for a moment and said, "Let him come in."
Lan Xiang, the actor, was invited into the small study. He suppressed his curiosity and didn't dare to look around. He first bowed to Gu Jiu and said, "I pay my respects to the Madam."
Gu Jiu asked expressionlessly, "Tell me, what exactly do you want to see me for?"
The actor Lan Xiang raised her head cautiously and glanced at Gu Jiu.
He was a little excited in his heart, and said with a humble look, "My Madam, the prince was furious when he learned that Princess Huyang had unusual dealings with young men outside.
He ordered that all those people be arrested, regardless of their status. One of them was Han Wulang from the Daihou Mansion.
I remember that one of your sisters from the same clan married into the Daihou Mansion, so I came here specifically to inform you."
Gu Jiu's eyebrows moved slightly when he heard this.
Princess Huyang's extramarital affairs would be exposed sooner or later. I just didn't expect it to be exposed so early.
What was even more unexpected was that King Ning was so angry that he sent people to arrest those people.
She asked the actor Lan Xiang, "How do you know this?"
"Madam, when the incident happened, I was in the side hall of Bixi Pavilion and overheard a few words."
oh!
I see.
Gu Jiu pondered for a moment, picked up a pen, wrote a short note, put it in an envelope, and handed it to Qingmei.
She whispered to Qingmei, "Go to the Daihou Mansion for me and meet Sister Mei. Remember to hand this letter to Sister Mei personally. Don't let anyone else pass it on."
Qingmei accepted the order and asked, "Should I wait for a reply?"
Gu Jiu said, "If Sister Mei has a reply, you can bring it back. If there is no reply, you can go back home directly."
"I know."
Qingmei took the envelope and went out.
The actor Lan Xiang was still standing there respectfully.
Gu Jiu looked him up and down and asked, "Why did you tell this to my wife?"
Lan Xiang, the actor, gave a subtle smile and said, "I just want to make a good relationship."
Gu Jiu looked at him with a half-smile, "Come here, give Lan Xiang twenty taels of silver as a reward."
Lan Xiang was anxious, "I don't want the silver."
He has no shortage of money.
The prince rewarded him with many valuable items. If he was after money, he would not have come to the East Courtyard to ask to see Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu smiled knowingly. She was not in a hurry and had plenty of time.
She asked, "If you don't want money, what do you want?"
"I said I wanted to establish a good relationship with Madam."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Do you think I will believe this?"
Lan Xiang gritted her teeth and said, "Madam is the eldest lady of the palace. Sooner or later, the palace will be handed over to you. So I want to establish a good relationship with you in advance to prepare for the future."
Gu Jiu smiled, "Let's not talk about anything else, just talk about the prince and princess, they are in their prime, without any illness or disaster, and it's unknown how many years it will take for Gongzi Zhao to inherit the palace.
Isn't it too early for you to seek good fortune from me now?
To be honest, I have no control over you at all. Even if you want to make good friends, you should look for the managers of Bixi Pavilion, not me.
Tell me, what is your purpose? Money? Or something else?"
Lan Xiang was panicked for a moment.
Soon, he calmed down again.
He bravely raised his head, his face clean and refreshing, looking like an ordinary young man.
He said to Gu Jiu, "If I say that I see the Madam has a kind face and therefore want to make some friends with her, will you believe me, Madam?"
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows, "Do you think I look kind?"
"Exactly."
Gu Jiu snorted coldly, "This lady doesn't care what you think. I just want to remind you to put away all your thoughts. This lady can tolerate you, but my young master has a bad temper and wants to kill people."
Lan Xiang was startled. Could it be that the eldest lady had guessed what he was thinking?
Gu Jiu had a vague guess, but didn't delve into it.
For some things, it is better to be confused. It is meaningless to delve into them too deeply.
She went on to say: "I have to thank you for coming here in time to deliver the message.
In return, I would like to remind you that from now on you should just focus on serving the prince, don't ask about other matters, and don't say too much.
Only then will the prince tolerate you. If you don’t want to be put to death by the prince, don’t do things like today.”
Lan Xiang, the actor, turned pale, a little frightened. "Thank you, Madam, for reminding me. I will not come to the East Courtyard again from now on. I will take my leave now."
Gu Jiu winked at the eunuch Bai Zhong.
Bai Zhong stepped forward and said to Lan Xiang, "We'll take you out."
After everyone left, Nanny Fang frowned and angrily asked, "Is this actor Lan Xiang trying to frame Madam?"
If King Ning mistakenly believed that Gu Jiu had bribed the people around him, who knows how much trouble would be caused.
If Lan Xiang goes to the East Courtyard, she will be made up of all kinds of stories if she is not careful.
Lan Xiang died, but the lady had to endure all the criticism.
The situation that had just been opened up was ruined in an instant.
Of course, this is the worst-case scenario.
But Lan Xiang's visit forced Nanny Fang to consider the worst.
Gu Jiu said, "He probably has no intention of framing me, but he just doesn't know how deep the water is."
The prince's palace is not an imperial palace, but it is better than an imperial palace in many aspects.
The suspicion between father and son is not a joke, nor is it just talk.
If you are not careful, there could be death and bloodshed.
Nanny Fang said, "Even if he didn't intend to harm Madam, the fact that he came to us on his own initiative could potentially implicate Madam."
Gu Jiu comforted Nanny Fang, "Don't be nervous, Nanny. Everyone is worried about money right now, and Princess Huyang has caused such a big commotion. No one can pay attention to me for the time being. And I asked Bai Zhong to send him back because I want to tell everyone that I am open and honest and I can tell anyone anything."
Nanny Fang breathed a sigh of relief. "If anyone like this comes to your door again, Madam, please do not see them."
"I know, thank you for reminding me, Mammy."
…
Qingmei rushed to Dai Hou Mansion, and after going through layers of notifications, she finally met Gu Mei who was pregnant.
"This servant pays respects to the eldest young lady."
"Hurry up and get up. Sister Xiaojiu sent you here. Is there something wrong?"
"My wife ordered me to give this to the eldest young lady for her review."
Gu Mei took the envelope, took out the note inside, read the contents on it, and her face changed slightly.
She was a little bit incredulous. "Is what it says above true? Is my Wulang really entangled with Princess Huyang?"
Is Han Wulang out of his mind? He's actually involved with Princess Huyang. He really doesn't know how to spell death.
Qingmei nodded, "This should be true. The prince has already ordered that everyone be arrested, and Han Wulang is not to be spared."
"Sister Xiaojiu is so thoughtful. I know about this. Please thank Sister Xiaojiu for me. When I give birth, I will invite her to the baby's full moon banquet."
Qingmei bowed and took her leave.
The maid Panchun asked, "Madam, how should this matter be handled?"
Gu Mei sneered, "I'm a pregnant woman, how can I be in charge of my brother-in-law's affairs? Go to the wife for me and tell her that Wu Lang is in contact with Princess Huyang. Don't say anything else."
"If Madam asks me how I know this, what shall I say?"
Gu Mei smiled and said, "Just say you heard it on the street. In short, don't say a word. No matter the outcome of this matter is good or bad, I, a pregnant woman, will not get any good results. And I can't pretend that I know nothing."
The maid Panchun took the order and left.
Gu Mei thought about it for a while, then wrote another letter to Han Dalang, telling him the whole story.
She sealed the envelope and asked the servant to deliver it to Han Dalang immediately.
…
Princess Huyang was invited to the Bixi Pavilion.
She didn't know what was going on and looked happy, thinking it was good news.
"Brother Wang, you sent someone to invite me here. Is there something wrong? Is there any news from the palace? Did mother ask me to come to the palace?"
Prince Ning's face was gloomy. "My mother is busy, so don't go into the palace to disturb her."
Princess Huyang looked disappointed. It seemed that the turmoil in the palace had not yet completely subsided.
She asked again, "Brother Wang, why are you making such a face? Who made you angry?"
Prince Ning was in a complicated mood, not knowing whether to sigh or laugh.
Is his sister, who is from the same mother, really stupid or just pretending to be stupid?
Although King Ning knew that Huyang was sometimes really stupid, he still hoped that Huyang was always pretending to be stupid and not really stupid.
He was too lazy to beat around the bush and simply asked directly, "Huyang, what have you been busy with recently?"
Princess Huyang suddenly became worried and began to complain, "What else can I do? I'm just busy with how to pay back the money. The Ministry of Revenue is urging me to pay back at least some of it. Otherwise, the Ministry of Revenue will have to ask the Minister of Revenue to come forward and collect. Brother Wang, you must help me."
Huyang looks pitiful.
Prince Ning snorted coldly, "You said you were busy raising money?"
Princess Huyang nodded repeatedly, very sincerely.
Prince Ning said with a stern face, "I heard that you've been hanging out with some questionable people lately."
Upon hearing this, Princess Huyang flew into a rage. "Who is talking nonsense? What's so unethical? This is slander, all slander. Brother Wang, tell me who is talking nonsense, or I'll tear his mouth apart."
Is my sister-in-law saying bad things about me behind my back? I know she doesn't like me and wants to kick me out. But where else can I go now except to seek refuge with my brother? My husband is gone, and the Chen family is gone too? I don't even dare to go back to the Princess's Mansion now, for fear that seeing things will remind me of my husband. Woo woo..."
Princess Huyang began to sob and was very sad.
Prince Ning was very impatient: "Enough, stop crying every time something happens. The princess has never said a bad word about you in front of me, so don't slander her. I want to ask you, you keep saying that you are thinking about Prince Consort Chen, why do you keep a gigolo outside? Explain this to me clearly."
"What pretty boy?" Princess Huyang was bewildered, then burst into tears. "My prince, whose slander did you listen to? I must kill him. What pretty boy? What shady guy? Who is so cruel to keep slandering me? My prince, do you even believe such words? Are you senile and confused?"
"Shut up, my king."
Prince Ning was furious. He didn't bother to argue with Princess Huyang and ordered directly, "Come here, bring all those pretty boys up for the princess to examine."
The servant took the order and left.
Princess Huyang's eyes were in a panic and her heart was filled with insecurity.
He asked cautiously, "Brother Wang, what are you going to do?"
Prince Ning angrily rebuked, "You won't cry until you see the coffin, so I will grant your wish."
"Brother Wang, are you trying to force me to death?"
"You are seeking death yourself. This king is saving you."
Princess Huyang burst into tears, "My brother, if you don't like me, just say so. Why force me?"
Prince Ning was furious and scolded Hu Yang, "Shut up! How long has it been since Prince Consort Chen died? Why did he die? Do you think everyone in the court is a fool?
If your surname wasn't Liu and you weren't a princess, do you think you and your child could survive?
At this time, you don't reflect on yourself, don't know how to keep a low profile, and actually openly keep a gigolo outside.
Believe it or not, tomorrow the censors' impeachment memorials against you will fill up your father's desk.
This matter has alarmed the emperor, and you will be in great pain if you don't die.
I worked so hard to clean up the mess for you, yet you accused me of deliberately forcing you to death. Huyang, if you refuse to obey my instructions, get out of here now."
Hu Yang burst into tears, "Brother Wang, what right do you have to accuse me of keeping a gigolo? My husband died, and you can't let me find another one?
My brother is always exaggerating and using my father to intimidate me. You just want me to stay at home and be a virtuous woman.
Why do you have so many women on your side, a woman today and an actor tomorrow, while I, a princess, cannot have several men? What's the logic behind this?"
Prince Ning laughed angrily.
At this time, the servant reported that the people had been brought here and were waiting outside the door.
Prince Ning said sternly, "Bring the person in."
There were seven or eight young men, ranging from teenagers to young men, from those with red lips and white teeth to those with muscular bodies, all kinds of men were included.
Half of the children from noble families covered their faces in shame.
He was caught by the palace guards, and if the news got out, it would be a huge disgrace.
The other civilian men were terrified, fearing that Prince Ning would be furious and chop them all to pieces.
Prince Ning pointed at Princess Huyang and asked, "Is this the man you raised?"
The Lord Mayor of Huyang opened his mouth but said nothing.
Among the four sons of aristocratic families, only Han Wulang was born of a legitimate wife, and the other three were all born of concubines.
The three illegitimate children chose to hang out with Princess Huyang, perhaps out of a desire for profit. Therefore, these three also felt quite guilty.
Only Han Wulang, the noble son of a marquisate who has been spoiled since childhood, is entangled with Princess Huyang, which is really not a coincidence.
Seeing that Princess Huyang was speechless, he stood up and said loudly, "Your Highness, this is a mutual agreement between me and the Princess, and there is no financial transaction involved."
Princess Huyang was instantly moved. She looked at him lovingly and called out affectionately, "Wu Lang!"
Prince Ning sneered and pointed at Han Wulang, "You, the son of the Daihou Mansion, are quite courageous."
Han Wulang was intimidated by Prince Ning's aura and lowered his head and said, "I am just telling the truth."
Prince Ning's face darkened and he was about to lose his temper.
Princess Huyang was anxious and quickly stood up to speak for Han Wulang: "Brother Wang, please don't make things difficult for Wulang. Wulang and I are not in the relationship you think."
Prince Ning glared at Hu Yang fiercely. "Alright, I'll trust you for now. As for the others, tell me clearly what your relationships are. If you can't explain clearly, I'll drag you all down and chop you off."
"Your Majesty, please spare my life, Your Majesty, please spare my life..."
Several grown men knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.
"I am intimidated by the princess's status, so I have no choice but to obey. I am actually unwilling to do so. Please understand, Your Highness."
"You bastards!" Princess Huyang was furious. She picked up a teacup and threw it at the men. "You usually speak so sweetly, and now you want to get away with it. I tell you, you're dreaming. Brother Wang, I admit, I raised these bastards for my daily entertainment. If you want to chop them up, I won't stop you."
Several men were horrified. "My Lady Princess, please save us for all the hard work we put into your care."
Some even hugged Princess Huyang's calf and said, "Princess, didn't you say you loved me the most? Please have mercy and spare my life. From now on, I will work like a slave to repay you."
Princess Huyang kicked the man away and said, "Get out! Get out! All of you combined are not as powerful as one of Wu Lang's fingers."
Then, Princess Huyang expressed her deep love to Han Wulang, "Wulang, I finally understand today that you are the only one who is sincere to me. I am sorry for wronging you in the past."
Han Wulang was feeling uneasy. He wondered if he had overacted and made Princess Huyang misunderstand him.
Oh, oh, oh, he just wanted to get away. He really didn't mean anything else.
Princess Huyang, please don't look at me with such affectionate eyes.
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