"The Second Madam agrees that the Second Young Master can take a concubine."
"real?"
Gu Jiu felt incredible.
How could Ouyang Fu agree? She clearly didn't want to, and she could have used her pregnancy as an excuse to ask the Second Young Master to postpone taking a concubine.
She has enough chips, at least until the child is born.
Why didn't she use the chips in her hand?
Xiao Cui nodded repeatedly, "This is absolutely true, I dare not speak nonsense."
Gu Jiu rubbed his brows and called Ma Xiaoliu, "Go out and find out what's going on with the Second Young Master and the Second Madam."
Ma Xiaoliu took the order and left.
Xiao Cui said, "Madam, you should send me to inquire about this matter. I am very familiar with many sisters in Xile Hall."
Gu Jiu laughed, "See? It's already dark. The sisters you know can't go out now. If you go to ask, you will only be turned away.
On the contrary, the servants and eunuchs around the Second Young Master have no access restrictions, so Ma Xiaoliu just happened to go to them for a drink and to get information."
"Madam is really thoughtful." Xiao Cui felt a little embarrassed.
Gu Jiu smiled and asked Qingmei, "I came back after eating half of the banquet today. Did anything go wrong afterwards?"
Qingmei shook her head. "Nothing happened. The princess and Madam Xiao have reconciled and are very close. Princess Huyang also gave Master Chen Lu two thousand taels, saying it was money for him to buy New Year's goods."
Gu Jiu laughed when he heard this, "I didn't expect that the stingy Hu Yang would be willing to give money to Chen Lu."
"Yes, everyone was very surprised at the time. Madam didn't see it, but the expression on Chen Lu's face was so frightening that he almost died."
"Princess Huyang gave him money to spend, but he was still afraid?" Gu Jiu was curious.
"I guess he's afraid that the interest will compound and Huyang will ask him to pay it back in the future. I was just joking."
Gu Jiu asked, "Did Princess Huyang give Sister Min any pocket money?"
"I gave it to you. Five hundred taels."
"Didn't you say you wanted to take Sister Min back to the Princess's Mansion?"
"No."
It seems that Hu Yang also knows that his princess's mansion is too messy and not suitable for a little girl to live in.
Hu Yang's transformation surprised Gu Jiu.
She was even more surprised that Ouyang Fu would agree to let the second young master take a concubine.
Ma Xiaoliu returned to the East Courtyard with a cold feeling.
I changed into a pair of dry cotton shoes first, and waited until I was warm before going to see Gu Jiu.
He was afraid of giving the other person a chill.
By this time, Gu Jiu had finished his dinner and walked around the room a few times to digest the food.
Seeing Ma Xiaoliu coming back, he asked, "Did you find out everything?"
Ma Xiaoliu bowed and said, "Madam, the Second Madam has agreed to the Second Young Master taking a concubine. I also heard that a banquet will be set up tomorrow to welcome two concubines."
"What's going on? Have you found out why the second lady agreed to let the second young master take a concubine?" Gu Jiu asked anxiously.
There must be a reason why Ouyang Fu changed her words.
Taking in a concubine requires setting up a banquet. How noble are those two concubines?
There must be something fishy going on here.
Ma Xiaoliu whispered, "I heard that the second lady's brother from her family had an accident and needs money. I plan to go out and find out the details of the situation at the Ouyang Mansion tomorrow."
Gu Jiu suddenly understood.
It turned out that something happened in her mother's family, so Ouyang Fu had to compromise.
But isn’t it too much for the second young master to take the opportunity to threaten to take a concubine?
…
In Xile Hall, Ouyang Fu sat by the window for several hours, completely motionless, as if her soul had left her body.
The maid was very worried, but couldn't bear to disturb her.
Seeing that the time was getting later, the maidservant whispered: "Madam, it's late, it's time to rest."
After a while, Ouyang Fu's soul returned to her place and she finally came to her senses.
"What time?"
"One minute at midnight."
I didn't expect it to be so late. Ouyang Fu smiled bitterly.
"Help me up."
Two maids hurried forward and helped her up.
Ouyang Fu stumbled and almost fell to the ground.
After sitting for too long, blood circulation is blocked and my calves become sore, swollen and numb, which is very uncomfortable.
Ouyang Fu smiled sadly. She never expected that after being strong all her life, she would end up like this.
The maid brought hot water and soaked her feet.
"Would you like to eat something, Madam? The food is still warm."
She shook her head, "No, I'm not hungry."
She didn't feel hungry at all now, she was already full from being angry.
She casually asked, "Where is the young master?"
"The young master is resting in the study. Do you want me to ask him to come over?"
Ouyang Fu thought about it and nodded in agreement, "Call him over and tell him I have something to discuss with him."
"As you command."
A little maid hurried out of the room to invite the second young master.
Ouyang Fu looked lonely and disheartened.
If it weren't for the baby in her belly, she really wanted to throw a tantrum, just like Xiao Qin'er, turning the world upside down.
However, Xiao Qin'er's previous experience was a lesson not far away, and Ouyang Fu did not dare to gamble with her child and her own future.
She is afraid of losing!
She had already experienced how cruel men could be.
She is not as cold-blooded as men, nor does she have as many bargaining chips as men.
After washing up, my body finally came back to life.
She wanted to sit upright in a chair, but her waist ached so much that she had to go to bed and lean against the headboard with several pillows under her.
The second son, Liu Ping, came to the bedroom, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked with concern: "How are you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Ouyang Fu lowered her head and smiled sarcastically.
"Do you care about me, sir?"
"Of course I care about you."
She looked at him with a sad expression, "But the young master is going to take a concubine tomorrow."
"We've already agreed on this matter. Please don't mention it again, okay? Take care of yourself."
The second young master speaks softly and seems like a warm-hearted man, but the things he does are so cold-blooded and ruthless.
Ouyang Fu's heart tightened and she felt uncomfortable.
"Since you are concerned about my health, why can't you take a concubine?"
The second young master frowned slightly. "Do you still want to argue with me? You know I don't like to argue with you."
Ouyang Fu almost shed tears.
She nodded, "I understand. Don't worry, I won't object to you taking a concubine, but please skip the banquet. At least give me some respect."
The second young master held her hand and said, "Those two concubines are from good families. One of them is from a local official family. We should give them some respect, don't you think?"
Ouyang Fu bit her lip. "Their dignity is respectable, but can mine be thrown away casually?"
"Don't be so unreasonable. You're pregnant, and no matter who it is, no one can surpass you. You will always be my first and legitimate wife, and those two concubines will have to obey your discipline after they enter the house."
The Second Young Master's tone was still unhurried, gentle and polite, which made Ouyang Fu look very unreasonable.
Ouyang Fu's heart ached. "Have you ever thought about taking a concubine at this time? What if I can't handle the stress and give birth prematurely? Or do you simply not care about me or the baby in my belly?"
"Of course I care. If I didn't care, I wouldn't even need your permission to take a concubine. Don't let your imagination run wild."
Ouyang Fu looked at the Second Young Master with a sad face, "I have only one request: no banquet tomorrow."
The second young master smiled and shook his head.
He is still so gentle, yet so cruel.
He tucked the quilt in for her and said, "Go to bed early. You have to get up early tomorrow."
Ouyang Fu was very sad. "If my brother returns the money, will you not take a concubine?"
The second young master asked, "Can your brother pay back the money?"
Ouyang Fu felt heartbroken.
Her brother made a mistake in his work and his superiors found out about it. But they gave him a chance to fix the problem and let it go.
Where can I get so much money to cover the deficit of forty or fifty thousand taels?
As a last resort, Master Ouyang had to go to Ouyang Fu and ask for her help.
Ouyang Fu scolded her brother, but after that she still took out 30,000 taels to fill the hole for her brother.
The thirty thousand taels she lent out were exactly the thirty thousand taels that the second young master brought back from the south.
Thirty thousand taels of silver were lent out before they could even warm up.
It’s said to be a loan, but whether you can get it back in this lifetime is a question.
The money had already been lent out, and the second young master did not ask Ouyang Fu to take it back. He only put forward one condition: he wanted to take a concubine.
Ouyang Fu had no choice but to agree. She was in the wrong.
Thirty thousand taels of silver is not a small amount of money. If she uses it, she will have to bear the consequences.
But I really can't accept it.
My heart really hurts.
She thought that he still had some sympathy for her, and that their relationship was harmonious.
But I didn't expect that in the face of money, everything would be exposed.
What can she do?
Unless she can make up the deficit of 30,000 taels.
She had no choice but to compromise and agreed to his taking a concubine. She just didn't want to have a banquet, didn't want people to pity her, didn't want people to sympathize with her, and even more didn't want people to laugh at her.
He didn't agree to such a small request.
She covered her heart and smiled sadly, "When you are cruel, you really drive me to death."
The Second Young Master held her hand and said, "You always have wild thoughts. Look at me. I went south and didn't keep any concubines, nor did I bring any women back without your consent."
Not only that, I also brought back tens of thousands of taels of silver for you. Isn’t that good for you?
Now I want to take a concubine, and I have also asked for your opinion, and you have agreed. Are you going to regret it now?"
"I have no regrets. You can take a concubine if you want. I only beg you not to hold a banquet and at least give my child some dignity."
"It's just a banquet, why are you fussing over it?"
"Since it's just a banquet, why cancel it? Why do you insist on having a banquet? How can I enjoy this banquet? Are you really going to force me to death?"
Ouyang Fu looked heartbroken. Her request was really not high, just asking for no banquet.
The second young master smiled and said, "Never mind. Since you strongly requested not to have a banquet, I will follow your wishes. Are you satisfied now?"
Ouyang Fu breathed a sigh of relief, feeling relieved.
At least she didn't have to embarrass herself in front of others.
Although she was already very embarrassed, at least she didn't have to face the gaze of the public.
“I’m tired!”
She was really tired, both physically and mentally. She even wanted to give up on herself. Just let it go, life was really boring.
The baby in her belly seemed to sense her mood and was moving violently.
So the child is also afraid?
She stroked her belly to soothe the restless child.
The second young master nodded and said, "If you are tired, rest early. The newlyweds will serve tea tomorrow, and everything will go smoothly."
Ouyang Fu lowered her head and smiled. Was the young master trying to criticize her? Was he telling her not to embarrass the newcomer?
She nodded and said, "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for the newcomer."
The second young master smiled and said, "This is a very good day. Actually, you don't have to worry. The newcomer will not threaten your position."
Just listen to this and don't take it seriously.
Ouyang Fu didn't want to see him or talk to him at this moment.
"You should also go back to your room and rest. Don't get tired."
At this time, she still maintained the appearance of being virtuous and kind.
"You have a good rest, I'm leaving."
The second young master stood up and left.
Ouyang Fu was so exhausted that she couldn't move.
How many people stayed awake this night?
Time will not stop according to human will.
At dawn, the palace woke up from its slumber, and the noise and the atmosphere of life were everywhere.
Liu Zhao didn't come back last night. It was obvious that he was tied up in some errands and would be away for two or three days.
Gu Jiu called Qian Fu over and asked directly, "Do you know where the young master has been?"
Qian Fu bowed and said, "There's been a problem at the Ministry of War's armory, and the young master is cleaning up the mess."
After a pause, he continued, "This matter also involves Doctor Ouyang."
Doctor is an official title. Doctor Ouyang is Ouyang Fu's elder brother.
Gu Jiu was surprised. She seemed to have figured out the truth that Ouyang Fu agreed to the second young master taking a concubine.
She asked, "Is it serious?"
Qian Fu nodded. "This involves the whereabouts of hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, and it happens to be during His Majesty's most irritable time. If we don't handle it well, the Ministry of War will suffer from it from top to bottom."
The whereabouts of hundreds of thousands of taels of silver is a major case that is on the emperor's desk.
Given the emperor's current hot temper, there might be more heads rolling.
In the last Ma Zheng case, a lot of people from the Ministry of War were implicated from top to bottom, and more than a dozen were beheaded.
If this arms case is not handled in time, I'm afraid another string of deaths will occur.
Gu Jiu asked, "How deeply is Doctor Ouyang involved in this?"
"It's not too serious. If you make up for the deficit in time, you should be able to get a lighter sentence."
"How much deficit?"
"At least sixty or seventy thousand taels."
Gu Jiu finally understood that Ouyang Fu agreed to the second young master taking a concubine probably because of money.
She asked, "Is the young master involved?"
Qian Fu shook his head. "The young master is naturally not implicated. But because he is a superior official, and such a big thing has happened, he must hurry to clean up the mess. He can only report to His Majesty when he asks about it."
Gu Jiu understood, "I understand. Tell the young master to take good care of himself, not just focus on his work, and eat three meals a day on time."
"As you command. Madam, do you have any other instructions?"
"Keep an eye on the South City Gate for me, and don't miss any movement."
Qian Fu was a bit embarrassed. He told the truth, "To be honest, Madam, we have limited manpower. We also have to investigate the poisoning case of Concubine Shu. I'm afraid we can't spare anyone to help Madam keep an eye on the movements outside the South City Gate."
Of course Gu Jiu knew that Qian Fu had no one under his command.
The reason she made this request was to shift the topic to the case of Concubine Shu's poisoning.
She frowned slightly and asked, "The Concubine Shu was poisoned. You've been investigating for so long, and you haven't found anything?"
Qian Fu was ashamed, "I am so incompetent!"
"Don't you even have a suspect?"
"There are a few suspected targets, but there are still many doubts."
"Tell me, who do you suspect?"
Qian Fu suddenly shut his mouth and said, "Please forgive me, Madam, I can't say anything."
"Can't say?" Gu Jiu stared at Qian Fu with an unfriendly look.
Qian Fu nodded. He really couldn't say anything. The master had specifically told him not to utter a single word.
Gu Jiu asked, "No matter how hard I try, you won't tell me?"
Qian Fu nodded and said, "Madam, if you want to know anything, you may ask me in person. If you have no other instructions, I will take my leave."
Qian Fu ran away very fast, fearing that he would be caught and questioned by Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu laughed at him and said, I didn’t expect you to be so rich.
The servant reported, "Madam, the Fourth Madam wishes to see you."
Gu Jiu was surprised that Xiao Qin'er would come to see her.
"Please invite the fourth lady in."
"As you command."
Xiao Qin'er walked into the small study with a gust of fragrant wind.
"Sister-in-law looks good today."
"Fourth sister-in-law, please take a seat. What wind brings you here today?"
Xiao Qin'er held a brass hand warmer and sat down opposite Gu Jiu.
"I came to see my sister-in-law today to ask for something."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows, "You're too polite, Fourth Sister-in-law. If you have anything to say, please tell me first."
Xiao Qin'er pursed her lips and smiled. "I heard that my sister-in-law bought a large piece of land outside the South City Gate and will start construction in the spring. I thought that since the money is just sitting there anyway, I might as well invest it in my sister-in-law and earn some pocket money."
It's really strange that Xiao Qin'er actually took the initiative to invest money.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Thank you, Fourth Sister-in-law, for your trust in me. The project outside the South City Gate hasn't started yet. I'll let you know when it starts, and it won't be too late to invest then."
"Then it's settled." Xiao Qin'er smiled happily, "I'll give you three thousand taels, sister-in-law, please don't think it's too little."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Of course it's not too little."
As long as it's money, no matter if it's three taels or three thousand taels, Gu Jiu will never complain about the amount of money, she only complains about the person.
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
After a week of feeling depressed and listless, I finally felt full of energy again.
Thank you all for your tolerance and understanding of Yuanbao, love you!
Tomorrow is Friday, and I will add another chapter as usual.
Love you!
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