The next morning, the sky was foggy. As soon as Xu Yunci stepped out the door, all she wanted to do was crawl back inside and stay in her warm bed.
When he got up, Li Shiyue was still holding him tightly, her slender hands resting on his chest. Thinking about it, taking a step seemed even more difficult.
As soon as Xu Yunci stepped outside, Lian Dong, who was guarding the corridor, was somewhat puzzled, but still kept her head down and waited for instructions.
However, Xu Yunci strode out the next moment. Lian Dong didn't think much of it, thinking that she and Chunling would go in early to wake up the madam. The end of the year was approaching, and there were many things in the mansion that now depended on the madam's decision.
After the morning court session, Xu Yunci felt a bit cold even in his official robes. After reporting his trip to Huayuan County, he left the palace without hesitation.
"His Majesty has given the Heir Apparent three days to rest. Should the Heir Apparent return to the Duke's Mansion or the Capital Prefecture? Minister Guo said to go to the Capital Prefecture first and wait for us."
Xu Yunci paused for a moment, then went to the Funing Palace after the morning court session, without having a chance to speak with Guo Xun.
"Go to the Jingzhao Prefecture and personally tell the lady that I will be returning home later."
Chang An seemed used to it. After agreeing, he jumped off the carriage and headed towards the Duke's mansion.
The carriage slowly came to a stop outside the Jingzhao Prefecture.
As the year draws to a close, the cold winter months cannot dampen the people's desire to go out and shop. The year-end personnel assessment is just around the corner, so there are only a few pedestrians passing by on the streets in front of the Jingzhao Prefecture.
"You came back quickly; I was thinking I would have to wait a while longer."
Guo Xun saw him rushing in and took two steps forward to greet him: "It's not that urgent, I can't run away."
Xu Yunci glanced at him indifferently, patted the snow off his body, then sat down and leisurely picked up a cup of hot tea and took a sip.
The chill gradually faded, and a warmth began to rise from my throat and body, so I didn't feel so cold anymore.
“I acted rashly when I attacked your cousin yesterday, but I haven’t wronged him.”
After saying that, he glanced to the side, and someone brought over some things, all of which had the same effect as the powders Guo Cheng had.
"I had someone check it. The dosage is small, neither harmful nor beneficial to the body. At most, it will make people fall into a deep sleep for a few hours. After a few hours of sleep, they will be unconscious and have enough time to do many things."
Looking up at Guo Xun, he realized that these were things that Xu Yunci had ordered people to find in the capital after returning from the Guo residence yesterday. To put it bluntly, these things seemed to be widely known among some powerful and influential young men.
Guo Xun also realized the seriousness of the matter. In the end, if these things spread, it would be detrimental to the stability of the capital, and even more so to those defenseless young women.
"Just tell me how to proceed with things in the capital, and I will arrange for the Dali Temple to cooperate with your Jingzhao Prefecture."
He paused, looked at Xu Yunci, and after the two looked at each other, Guo Xun was the first to look away: "Guo Cheng has already been given twenty strokes of the cane and will have to lie in bed for several months."
“I’ve already asked him who gave him that thing. It was his first time using it, and he did something foolish because he was drunk. Once he can get out of bed, I’ll take him to the Duke’s mansion to apologize in person and beg for forgiveness.”
Xu Yunci rubbed his fingertips without speaking, and looked at Guo Xun with a quiet gaze: "That kick of mine should keep him in bed for a month and a half. Let's talk about it when he can get out of bed."
"But that's not a pleasant thing to hear. What do you mean by doing something foolish because you're drunk? It just means you have ideas in your mind, but you don't dare to do them when you're sober."
"Just because I was drunk and couldn't control myself, I did something foolish. Can I be so easily forgiven? If so, how many people in the Jingzhao Prefecture prison could say that I was drunk and that's why I made such a big mistake?"
“Guo Xun, I understand your guilt towards your cousin, but don’t spoil him too much. At his age, you would have been an official by now. I know you don’t want to measure Guo Cheng by your own standards.”
“But he is a perfectly good young man. If Aunt Guo had been as strict as he is, Guo Cheng would not have been so unruly. Your pampering and unconditional indulgence have led him to do foolish things after drinking yesterday. One day when he sobers up, he will cause trouble in the house.”
Xu Yunci sighed, looking at him seriously: "You should think it over carefully. If something really bad happens one day, you might not even be able to protect your only cousin. You can protect him for a while, but are you going to let him live like this for the rest of his life, just drifting through life in a daze, without any ambition?"
"Think about it carefully."
After he finished speaking, Guo Xun fell silent for a long time without saying a word. However, his furrowed brows and serious eyes showed that he had taken Xu Yunci's words to heart.
Xu Yunci did not break the silence. He poured himself another cup of tea and sipped it slowly, giving Guo Xun ample time to think.
If it were anyone else, he wouldn't say a word more and would just deal with the person directly. However, the charge of "disrupting the safety of the city" is actually very simple.
However, he was Guo Xun's cousin after all. Putting aside his relationship with Guo Xun, his younger sister was Guo Xun's wife. Xu Yunci couldn't bear to see his brother-in-law's official career go from being bright to being tainted.
This is also for the sake of Chonghua Hall. Although Chonghua Hall's status is now secure, a bright and clean environment is definitely better than one with blemishes.
Moreover, he didn't think he had done anything wrong and could gloss over it by saying he was confused because he was drunk.
Drinking is not something you can be forced to do; it's a personal choice, not something someone forces you to drink.
It's true that people often do wrong things when they're drunk, but most of the time it's because they had bad thoughts in their minds. Once you've done something wrong, you have to bear the consequences. Blaming it on drinking is mostly a way to evade responsibility and try to get away with it.
"It's not that I want you to punish Guo Cheng in any way, but after this incident, you should teach him a lesson. However, if you punish him, all he will remember is the pain."
“If he is properly taught, Guo Cheng is not a true playboy. He is as kind as you said, he has just gone astray.”
“Since you truly love this younger brother, you should choose a bright future for him. It’s better than him indulging in pleasure now, not even knowing a single word. Can he stay with you for the rest of his life? He’ll still have to marry a new wife eventually.”
"I'm not trying to be mean, but given Guo Cheng's current state, what good girl would want to marry him? He's unambitious and always causing trouble. Do you really think this is for his own good?"
Xu Yunci put down his teacup. Sure enough, when he said that, Guo Xun's expression became even more serious.
“You’re right. I spoiled and indulged him. He’s in this situation partly because of my mistakes.”
Guo Xun finally sighed, lowered his head, and seemed to regret it in his eyes. Perhaps he should have disciplined Guo Cheng more.
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