Lord Gu gave his sixth brother an approving look, cleared his throat, and before he could speak, Gu Baozhu exclaimed, "What's wrong with the Xu family? I feel so sorry for my sixth sister-in-law. She did all this for her family, but they treat her like this. She probably won't be able to rest in peace even in the afterlife."
Old Madam Gu quickly scolded, "Keep your voice down, don't talk nonsense. What if Kang Ge'er and the others hear you?"
The children are already pitiful enough to lose their mother at such a young age, and to have to hear people say how cold and calculating their maternal uncle's family is is simply a tragedy.
Gu Baozhu looked disapproving.
“Mother, they are very clever. Last time, they even had a fight with the Xu family’s boys at the family temple. I never expected that the Xu family would be so embarrassed when they tried to get Lan’er to marry back. I think it’s better for them to know about these things sooner rather than later, so that they won’t all be won over and it will be too late to regret it.”
This made Old Mrs. Gu tremble with anger: "Why didn't anyone tell me about this?"
Lord Gu sneered, "That's strange indeed. Do they think they can even dream of marrying off our daughter? As the saying goes, 'One should look up when marrying off a daughter, and look down when taking in a wife.' In another ten or eight years, Lan'er will be getting married. Do you think the Xu family can stand on equal footing with us just because of Xu Tang and Prince Jin? That's too audacious. Not to mention that Mother is in good health, we won't be splitting up our mansions in ten or eight years. Even if we are, Sixth Prince's official rank will be higher than that of the Xu family. If you ask me, it's a miracle that the Xu family has even reached the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Five Cities Garrison."
This sarcastic remark made Gu Baozhu laugh heartily, and Qin Yuan couldn't help but smile slightly as she said, "We don't need to get angry over them. It's just a bit of wishful thinking on the part of the Xu family. How can the bloodline of the aunt flow back? Even a commoner would be gossiped about if he did such a thing, let alone an official family like ours. If the censors find out, they will definitely impeach us. Madam Xu may not know, but Lord Xu should be aware of it."
Gu Baozhu widened her eyes and asked, "Really? Isn't it said that people with the same surname shouldn't marry? But I've heard of several cases like this."
"It doesn't matter if people have the same surname but different clans. In ancient times, there were many surnames, but the land of China was small, so we had to pay attention to these things. After the First Emperor unified the six kingdoms, the territory became more and more extensive, but there were fewer surnames. Moreover, each family compiled a genealogy, so there will be no confusion."
Qin Yuan offered a few words of explanation in a calm tone.
Gu Baozhu nodded: "I see. Listening to Third Sister-in-law's words is better than reading books for ten years."
Qin Yuan laughed and said, "If you had stayed in the manor and listened to Mr. Songshan's lectures with Kang and the others, you would have known all this long ago. Mr. Songshan has read thousands of books and traveled thousands of miles. He has a lot of stories to tell."
In her haste, Gu Baozhu stuck out her tongue, glared, and rubbed her neck with her hands, which made Qin Yuan chuckle.
Sixth Master Gu gently added, "Mother, Third Sister-in-law is right. This is just wishful thinking on the part of the Xu family. I can't even eat when I see their faces. Why would I bother to say this to you? From now on, we will not have any contact with the Xu family. We will just stay away from them."
The topic kept getting off track.
Finally, it was Old Madam Gu who asked, "Sixth Brother, what are your plans?"
Sixth Master Gu said, "The Xu family started this whole thing, and I had no choice but to deal with it. Since Third Sister-in-law said that pepper prices will rise sharply in the future, it's not a loss for me to take it. The government has closed the case and kept a record, so they won't be able to cause trouble or plot against the Marquis's mansion in the future."
After saying that, he glanced at Qin Yuan's expression.
Madam Gu pondered for a moment and said, "That's fine too. As the saying goes, 'Don't push a dog into a dead end.' Let's leave it open for now."
Qin Yuan also said, "Sixth Brother, it's not a loss for you to accept the pepper; you'll always make it back in the future. However, regarding the Xu family's matter, we must leave a detailed and clear record at the Jingzhao Prefecture. It would be best to have Steward Han and Steward Cao go with us tomorrow, as the case we reported to the Jingzhao Prefecture last time is still unresolved."
Sixth Master Gu nodded.
Lord Gu, fearing that he still did not understand, said, "If we cannot clarify the matter of Xu Zhen, then we should not reconcile with the Xu family. As for the matter of Accountant Sun and Steward Zhang lending money, we should not be afraid of losing face, but simply pursue it to the end."
Sixth Master Gu had some reservations.
"If this gets out, what if..."
After all, usury is a serious crime, and if it accidentally involves the Marquis's mansion, it could be very troublesome.
Qin Yuan said, "It's alright. The Xu family started this whole thing, the Xu family members helped with the lending, and the accountant Sun and steward Zhang were the ones who conspired within the household. We've already arrested them and sent them to the Prefectural Governor's Office. The Xu family is afraid we'll meticulously calculate every single transaction. How much of the Xu family's dowry, how much of the silver they've received from the Marquis's mansion over the years, has passed through their hands and been lent out, and how much has been recovered? If we're really serious about it, we can't just settle things with this little bit of silver. They've handled so much silver; that's a serious crime."
Since Madam Xu is already dead, it is impossible to investigate further. At most, Lord Gu can be blamed for lax household management, but he still took remedial measures and sent the criminal to the Jingzhao Yin's office.
If the Xu family doesn't behave themselves, then they won't take care of them.
If the Xu family is sensible, they can avoid being so aggressive in lending.
In short, it was the Xu family who begged them, not the other way around.
The more he listened, the more determined Master Gu's expression became.
Lord Gu added, "Yes, I am currently in charge of the capital inspection, so I doubt the Prefectural Governor's Office would dare to cause too much trouble."
Gu Baozhu said happily, "So that's how it is. What are you still worried about, Sixth Brother? The Xu family may be shameless, but can they be fearless of death? Even if they can find a way to get out of trouble through Prince Jin, we should still sort things out. We can't let them keep using Xu Zhen to cause trouble."
Even if it results in mutual destruction, it's better than being blackmailed and manipulated by the Xu family.
Master Gu then said, "Then let's do it this way. I'll take two stewards with me tomorrow."
After everyone agreed, they dispersed.
When they returned to Wutong Garden, Qin Yuan asked Lord Gu, "What exactly did Mother ask about today? You looked troubled and even asked Sixth Brother to change the subject."
"You really can hide anything from me!"
Lord Gu sighed.
Qin Yuan said, "You make it sound like I'm some kind of wise and just official. Don't play tricks. Just tell me what you want to say. If I know, I can help you cover for yourself in front of Mother."
Lord Gu sighed, “What is there to hide? It’s just that there are too many complicated things to talk about, and I don’t even know where to begin. What I’m concerned about is who was in the dry well in the temple. You know there was a gold ornament next to the remains, which was my fourth brother’s keepsake. He always carried it with him. Who do you think could have gotten that gold ornament?”
Qin Yuan didn't respond, waiting quietly for what would follow.
Lord Gu continued, "My fourth brother and the Mo family girl were deeply in love and engaged. Then he died in battle, and the marriage was called off, but..."
As he was speaking, Lord Gu paused, hurriedly got up, lifted the curtain, and walked out, leaving behind the words: "If you are sleepy, you should rest first. I suddenly remembered something and need to go find Lao Liu."
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