The maid Aqing walked into the flower hall holding a note.
"The Marquis of Zhenguo sent a visiting card to his wife."
"Marquis Zhenguo?" Gu Jiu was surprised.
She took the post, opened it and saw that it was indeed from the Marquis of Zhenguo.
The Marquis of Zhenguo was the former Duke of Zhenguo, the brother of Empress Cui Ruizhen.
When Emperor Wende wanted to strip someone of his title, the first person he targeted was the Duke of Zhenguo.
After some operations, the hereditary Duke of Zhenguo was demoted to the Marquis of Zhenguo who would be executed after five generations.
This matter was the emperor's will, and the entire process was led by the Sun family.
The Cui family and the Sun family also became enemies because of this.
Back then, when Empress Ruizhen Cui and the former Crown Princess Sun were still alive, the relationship between the Cui family and the Sun family was relatively harmonious.
Now, I'm afraid I wish the other person would die.
However, both families are currently in a very frustrated situation and neither can do anything to the other.
"It's surprising that the Marquis of Zhenguo is here at this time. Where is he?"
The maid Ah Qing said, "The person is right outside the gate. The Marquis of Zhenguo personally handed over the visiting card."
Gu Jiu placed the visiting card on the table and said, "You are indeed sincere. Go and invite them in."
Ah Qing was a little worried. "The Marquis of Zhenguo's status is sensitive. Will he be suspected if he comes to visit Madam?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "He has already appeared outside Xiaozhu Gate, and there must be many people who saw him. Whether he comes in or not, it can't stop people from being suspicious. Please come in, I am also curious about the purpose of his visit."
"As you command!"
After a while, the Marquis of Zhenguo was invited in.
After not seeing him for several years, the Marquis of Zhenguo had aged considerably. His hair was completely white, and his body was no longer as tall and mighty as it once was. His back was slightly bent, and his face was covered in wrinkles.
When he saw her suddenly, Gu Jiu didn't dare to recognize her.
When he confirmed that the person in front of him was the former Duke of Zhenguo and today's Marquis of Zhenguo, Gu Jiu breathed a sigh of relief.
She sighed, "The Marquis is really old!"
The Marquis Zhenguo smiled calmly, "Madam is the same as always, almost unchanged from what I remember. As for me, I am indeed old, a useless old man."
"Your Highness's personal presence brings honor to our humble home. Please take a seat, Your Highness!"
"You're welcome, ma'am!"
The two faced each other.
Gu Jiu invited the Marquis of Zhenguo to have tea.
"How has the Marquis been these years?"
"Whether it's good or bad depends on how you look at it. I think it's okay, but the younger generation in the family may have some opinions."
Gu Jiu said: "It's inevitable for the younger generation to have their own ideas. As long as they are safe, that's all that matters!"
"Madam, what you said is exactly what I think. Your Majesty allows our Cui family to continue to gain a foothold in the capital. We are lucky. If it were the late emperor with a temper like that, our Cui family would have..."
There is no need to say what is not said, Gu Jiu understands it all.
If it were the previous emperor, he would have confiscated the Cui family's property and exiled them long ago.
It must be admitted that compared with the previous emperor, Emperor Wende was gentler in temperament and more tolerant towards his subjects.
As long as you don't offend Emperor Wende, he is usually easy to talk to.
Gu Jiu asked, "My Lord, why did you suddenly come to see me? Is there something wrong? My Lord, why don't you just tell me directly?"
The Marquis of Zhenguo relaxed his brows and looked at Gu Jiu calmly, "Madam, nothing can be hidden. I heard that Madam intends to let Sun Minzhi take over as the magistrate of Xinmin County?"
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled, "My Lord, you are really well-informed."
"Madam has been looking for candidates for some time. It's widely rumored that when Gu Yu steps down next year, you will select a young man from the aristocratic families of the capital to succeed him as the magistrate of Xinmin County."
"Some people are just anxious to prevent the world from being in chaos, fabricating nonsense all day long. Xinmin County belongs to the imperial court, and the county magistrate should be appointed by the Ministry of Personnel. Xinmin County is definitely not my personal territory, and it is not my place to pick and choose the county magistrate. This lady will obey the arrangements of the Ministry of Personnel and Your Majesty."
Gu Jiu spoke righteously and seriously.
The Marquis of Zhenguo was stunned when he heard this.
After hearing this, he came to his senses and laughed, "Don't worry, Madam, such words are only spread privately."
Gu Jiu picked up the teacup and took a sip. "I don't care where the Marquis heard this rumor from, my answer is no. I am living in a small courtyard, recuperating. The rumors about the Xinmin County Magistrate and the young nobles from the capital are all nonsense."
"Madam, you misunderstood what I meant."
Gu Jiu waited quietly for what would happen next.
The Marquis of Zhenguo said bluntly, "My youngest son dislikes swordplay, but greatly enjoys poetry and song, and is skilled in playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as appreciating antiques. I've heard that the Shanhe Academy is open to all talents and offers many other courses besides the imperial examinations. I would like to request a teaching position for my youngest son there."
Gu Jiu was stunned. "Isn't he the magistrate of Xinmin County?"
The Marquis of Zhenguo smiled and shook his head, "Of course not the Xinmin County Magistrate. I know my own limitations."
Gu Jiu came back to his senses and laughed.
"My Lord, you've come all this way in person just to ask for a tutoring position for your youngest son?"
The Marquis of Zhenguo nodded and said seriously, "That's right! My youngest son doesn't like the imperial examinations, and he never took them. But because he's quite accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, he once taught at another academy. However, other academies prioritize the Four Books and Five Classics, while music, chess, calligraphy, and painting are dispensable." My youngest son was willful and ran home to continue eating Zu Meng.
He's quite old, already in his forties, but he has no foundation. I'm getting older day by day. If I pass away one day, my youngest son will have to rely on his brothers for money in a few years with the little we have.
Gu Jiu asked, "The youngest son of the Marquis, is he Master Cui Qi, also known as Crazy Cui?"
"Exactly!"
After a pause, the Marquis of Zhenguo continued, "He and your grandfather, Old Man Gu, were once close friends regardless of age."
Gu Jiu's heart skipped a beat.
Friendship regardless of age?
Could it be that the Imperial Seal...
No, that's not right.
Crazy Cui's age doesn't match.
When Mr. Gu was making a fake of the imperial seal, Crazy Cui was probably not even born yet.
"Neither he nor your grandfather was interested in the Four Books and Five Classics. They only enjoyed playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and the appreciation of antiques. Back when Old Master Gu was still serving in the court, the two of them often gathered together to play with antiques and jade, and they had a very close relationship."
Gu Jiu said, "My grandfather never mentioned the Marquis's youngest son."
The Marquis of Zhenguo said, "This is not surprising. Ever since Old Master Gu stopped attending court, he gave up on antiques. My youngest son once went to the Gu family to look for your grandfather, but he was beaten out with a broom."
Holding a broom to chase people away, this is something that Mr. Gu would definitely do.
Gu Jiu laughed, "Since my grandfather could chase people away with a broom instead of yelling at them, it's obvious that the youngest son of the Marquis is still a good person in my grandfather's eyes.
If the Marquis does not dislike Shanhe Academy, then Shanhe Academy will be open to you. The Marquis's youngest son can come to Shanhe Academy to take up a position at any time. If you need to live in the academy, please let us know in advance and the academy will prepare a room. However, the academy's rooms are simple and cannot compare to the opulence of the Marquis' Mansion.
The Marquis of Zhenguo finally smiled. "Thank you, Madam. I am deeply grateful. The Marquis's Mansion is not wealthy now, and we only have simple meals every day. I will make the decision for my youngest son and ask for a room to live in."
"This lady will have someone arrange it in advance."
The serious business was over, but the Marquis of Zhenguo was not in a hurry to leave.
He drank tea and chatted with Gu Jiu about gossip in the capital.
As they chatted, they talked about the Sun family.
"What does Madam think of the Sun family?"
"A century-old family, its reputation is well-deserved!" Gu Jiu smiled indifferently.
The Marquis of Zhenguo said, "Madam seems to think highly of the Sun family?"
"Given the Sun family's great reputation in the literary world, I'm not going to hide it from you, my Lord. I'm really drooling over it!"
"If I say that there is a way to force the Sun family to submit and have the reclusive top scholar of the Sun family come to teach at Shanhe Academy, what do you think, Madam?"
Gu Jiu paused for breath.
She calmed herself down and laughed, "My Lord, you are still strong even with your age. I can't hide my little tricks from you."
The Marquis of Zhenguo waved his hand. "I simply believe that Sun Minzhi, a mere figure, is not worthy of Madam's attention. I'm afraid your real interest lies not in Sun Minzhi, but in the Sun family's literary reputation."
"So the Marquis took the initiative and arranged for the Seventh Master to be admitted to the Shanhe Academy."
"It's true that I'm arranging a livelihood for my young son. I'm not lying."
"I believe that the Marquis has a kind and loving heart. However, I am very curious about how the Marquis will persuade the reclusive top scholar of the Sun family to teach at Shanhe Academy? From what I know, the Sun family has a bad relationship with your Marquisate."
The Marquis Zhenguo said, "Madam, you only know one side of the story. It's true that there's a conflict between our mansion and the Sun family, but within the Sun family, there's also a conflict between the lineage of the number one scholar and the lineage of the Sun family's head. Because family disgrace shouldn't be aired publicly, the Sun family never publicizes this matter, so very few people know about it."
Madam, do you know why the number one scholar in the Sun family, at the peak of his career, suddenly retired from office and lived in seclusion? Why did he do that?
Gu Jiu shook her head. How could she know the secrets of such a wealthy family?
In other words, the Cui family and the Sun family had a honeymoon period, which is why they were able to know the facts that the Sun family was eager to cover up.
The Marquis of Zhenguo lowered his voice and said, "The head of the Sun family is the biological father of the late Crown Princess. Back then, the head of the Sun family definitely supported the Eastern Palace. However, the lineage of the top scholar was quite critical of the Eastern Palace and repeatedly opposed the Sun family's bet on the Eastern Palace. Madam, you should understand what happened next without me having to explain."
Gu Jiu nodded.
The butt determines the head.
There are different opinions within the Sun family.
The family head's lineage has the upper hand.
The lineage of the top scholar failed in the struggle, not only in the internal family struggle, but also in the official struggle, and finally had to withdraw in disgrace.
Today, the head of the Sun family is no longer as prosperous as he used to be, but the number one scholar’s family is also unable to revive the family and can only live in seclusion and lead a simple life.
Emperor Wende suppressed the Sun family without distinction. Anyone with the surname Sun would be suppressed.
"My Lord, are you confident that you can convince the number one scholar of the Sun family?"
The Marquis of Zhenguo nodded, "I have some ties to that number one scholar. If Madam trusts me, I can act as a go-between and help Madam and the Shanhe Academy."
Gu Jiu laughed. It felt so good that someone brought him a pillow just when he felt sleepy.
She said, "Thank you, Lord. But with the Sun family, how can we not have the Zhou family?"
"The talented man of the Zhou family is currently in the capital." The Marquis of Zhenguo obviously came prepared.
The Zhou family that Gu Jiu mentioned was the Chuzhou Zhou family.
The eldest lady of the Marquis's Mansion, Mrs. Zhou, was from the Zhou family of Chuzhou.
The Chuzhou Zhou family and Zhou Jin's Huai'an Zhou family are relatives within the fifth degree of mourning.
However, the two sides had cut off contact as early as the previous generation.
Gu Jiu was curious, "The great talent of the Zhou family? How come I have never heard of him?"
"This man has a strange temper, is arrogant and unruly, and everyone says he is out of step with the times. He has cut ties with the Zhou family and the Zhou family never speaks of him in public."
"Who is this person and where is he now?"
Gu Jiu was too curious.
She had never heard of such a person.
The Marquis of Zhenguo has lived for so many years that he is like a living history book. He knows every family and clan, every person, and every event clearly.
He said to Gu Jiu, "This man's name is Zhou Shi'an, and he is currently a seventh-rank doctor at Lantai Temple."
"A great talent was sent to Lantai Temple?" Gu Jiu was surprised.
Where is Lantai Temple?
Lantai Temple, in layman's terms, is an archive. A fighter in a clean government office will never have a chance to rise to prominence.
The emperor will never remember Lantai Temple, so the people in Lantai Temple should stop thinking about getting promoted or making money.
I am lucky enough not to be blamed by court officials.
Gu Jiu asked curiously, "How did he get into Lantai Temple?"
The Marquis of Zhenguo smiled. "I've said before that he's a bit out of place. While he possesses great talent, he's unruly and his writing is sharp and poignant. During the imperial examination, it's said he nearly failed because of his criticism of government in his essays. The chief examiner saved his place, but he ended up at the bottom."
He had the talent to be the top scholar, but he was forced to live in Lantai Temple. Fortunately, he loved reading, and he felt at home there. But life was too hard. Madam knew that living in the capital was not easy, and his salary was barely enough to make ends meet. He had severed ties with his family and refused to accept money from them, so his life was quite difficult.
"Is he willing to resign and teach at Shanhe Academy?"
"It's hard to say! He has a strange temper. I'm not sure I can convince him."
"Let's give it a try!" Gu Jiu requested solemnly.
Talent is rare!
He has a weird temper, but it doesn't matter.
Shanhe Academy is open and inclusive, and will accept even the most eccentric people.
The Marquis of Zhenguo nodded and said, "I will give it a try."
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