Chapter 410: Gu Junze did not thank the emperor, so he should compensate him
The smile on Concubine Shu's face had completely frozen, and a cold light flashed in her eyes.
She looked at Yingyue and Qinghe kneeling on the ground, then looked at Gu Junze's unyielding attitude, and knew in her heart that the matter was irreversible.
"So that's how it is," Concubine Shu sneered. "I thought it was a big deal, but it turns out it's just these two ignorant servants who broke the rules."
Her voice suddenly rose: "I sent them to the General's Mansion with good intentions, but who knew they would be so presumptuous! They have truly betrayed my trust!"
Gu Junze had no expression on his face, but he sneered in his heart.
Concubine Shu is acting, trying to distance herself from this matter.
"In that case, I will take my leave." Gu Junze bowed and said, "I am personally sending him back today to make my position clear - the affairs of my mansion will not be interfered with by outsiders."
After hearing this, Concubine Shu's face became even uglier, but she couldn't get angry either.
"Mammy," Concubine Shu turned to the trembling Mammy Liu and said in a cold voice, "Take them away! Severe punishment!"
Seeing this, Gu Junze said no more and turned to leave.
Gu Junze walked out of the side hall of Fengluan Palace.
The voices of Concubine Shu's suppressed anger and Madam Liu's pleas for mercy behind her sounded particularly harsh within the strict palace walls.
He looked calm, as if he hadn't heard anything.
Near the palace gate, beneath an old locust tree, a figure stood with its hands behind its back. Moonlight filtered through the sparse branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
"Your Highness." Gu Junze stopped and bowed.
Zhao Yunci turned around, her face hidden in the shadows, her expression unclear. Only her eyes, bright in the moonlight, were visible.
"Send the person back." Zhao Yunci's voice was very soft.
"Yeah." Gu Junze responded.
Zhao Yunci did not ask for details, but just walked slowly to him.
"The evidence of the Pingnan Palace's crimes has been almost collected." Zhao Yunci's tone was a little cold.
Gu Junze thought of the files sent from Nanzhou.
Zhao Tai, the prince of Pingnan Palace, relied on the power of the palace to act tyrannically in Nanzhou, committing rape, looting and all kinds of evil.
Local officials were afraid of the royal power and dared not speak out, leaving the people complaining bitterly and suffering.
Although the Prince of Pingnan tried to appease the people on the surface, the effect was minimal, and there was even a hint of connivance.
"The prince of Prince Pingnan's palace committed rape and robbery, and was guilty of all kinds of evil. The entire Nanzhou was filled with resentment, and the Prince of Pingnan's attempts to appease people had little effect." Gu Junze succinctly recounted what he had found.
Zhao Yunci listened and frowned slightly.
"One piece of dog shit spoils the whole barrel." He sighed softly.
"Your wife has been wronged by this matter, and I will compensate her." Zhao Yunci looked at Gu Junze with a hint of apology in his tone.
Gu Junze said nothing, nor did he thank the emperor. In his opinion, the emperor should have compensated him.
Zhao Yunci turned her head and her eyes fell on the towering palace in the distance.
"The military power in the Eastern Jin Dynasty was dispersed, and the late emperor was too lenient towards the princes, which encouraged them to seize the imperial power." Zhao Yunci's voice was low.
"This won't work. I have to take back the military power bit by bit." He muttered to himself, as if he was talking to Gu Junze, or as if he was talking to himself.
Zhao Yunci withdrew her gaze and looked at Gu Junze again.
"If we get rid of Queen Pingnan, who will be in charge of Nanzhou?" he pondered.
"We still have to think carefully and consider the candidate." Zhao Yunci rubbed his eyebrows, seeming to be quite troubled.
"I am willing to take my wife and children to Nanzhou." Gu Junze's voice was calm and powerful.
Zhao Yunci's gaze suddenly fell on Gu Junze. He looked at this calm face and pondered for a moment.
"My cousin is my confidant, I can't live without him." Zhao Yunci shook her head.
"It's better for my cousin to stay in the capital with me."
As the tone changed, Zhao Yunci's eyes became sharp.
"How's the investigation into the Qingmo Valley going?" he asked.
Gu Junze said in a serious tone, "Many ministers in the court are involved with Qingmo Valley."
"I have discovered that Qingmo Valley is related to the Five Kings Rebellion."
When Zhao Yunci heard this, his expression instantly became solemn.
"It was Princess Anyang who did it herself back then. Could it be..." He didn't continue, but his meaning was already clear.
A cold light flashed in Gu Junze's eyes. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask Prince Yong about the details of that year."
Zhao Yunci took a deep breath, as if she had thought of something that was giving her a headache.
"That old bastard is so slippery..." He cursed under his breath.
"The late emperor really left me with a mess."
It was already dark when Gu Junze returned to the General's Mansion. The lights were still bright, and it was obvious that someone was waiting for him.
As I stepped into the inner courtyard, I saw Chu Ruohan sitting on a rattan chair under the corridor, wearing a thin blanket and holding a book in her hands, but she was obviously absent-minded.
Yuling stood aside, holding a cup of hot tea in her hand, looking towards the door from time to time.
"Why haven't you rested yet?" Gu Junze walked forward quickly.
When Chu Ruohan heard the voice, she looked up suddenly, and a hint of joy flashed in her eyes.
She put down the book and wanted to stand up, but Gu Junze gently held her shoulders.
"Don't move, watch your stomach." Gu Junze sat down next to her, took the teacup handed to him by Yuling, and took a sip.
"I'm back," Chu Ruohan raised the corners of her lips slightly, "Is everything going well?"
Gu Junze put down the teacup, reached out and gently stroked her cheek, and said in a gentle tone: "Everything has been taken care of, you don't have to worry."
Chu Ruohan breathed a sigh of relief, but then frowned again: "Did Concubine Shu give you any trouble?"
Gu Junze chuckled, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes: "How can she embarrass me? She is just forcing a smile and pretending that everything has nothing to do with her."
He held Chu Ruohan's hand and said, "Don't worry, I'm here, no one can touch you."
Chu Ruohan smiled, the warm light of the lights reflected in her eyes.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard light footsteps coming from outside the yard.
"Madam, you haven't slept yet?" Song Ruyan's voice was clear and pleasant.
The two looked up and saw Song Ruyan holding Doctor Qian's arm. They came back quietly from outside, both with embarrassed looks on their faces.
"Yeah, Junze just came back not long ago." Chu Ruohan responded gently, her eyes shifting between the two of them, "You guys... just came back from outside?"
Upon hearing this, Doctor Qian's ears turned even redder, his eyes became evasive, and he hesitated to explain.
Song Ruyan took the initiative and said generously: "Doctor Qian said that the starry sky is particularly beautiful tonight and invited me to go stargazing with him."
Yuling, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but chuckle when she heard this. She jokingly said, "Oh? When did Doctor Qian become so refined? You don't usually care about anything else besides herbs."
Doctor Qian's face was almost bleeding with embarrassment. He waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, I..."
Song Ruyan didn't care at all. Instead, she held Doctor Qian's arm tighter and winked at Yuling.
"Of course there are, you just don't know it."
As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly grabbed Doctor Qian's arm, tapped the ground with her toes, and rose up from the ground as lightly as a swallow.
"ah--"
Doctor Qian was caught off guard. He felt his body lighten and was carried to the roof by Song Ruyan. In fear, he let out a short cry.
In the blink of an eye, the two of them had landed steadily on the roof of the main hall.
Song Ruyan stood at the eaves, her skirt fluttering in the night wind.
She looked down at Chu Ruohan in the courtyard and asked with a smile, "Madam, do you want to come up and take a look? The scenery up here is very different from that down there!"
Allen Chu held her bulging belly, smiled and shook her head: "It's inconvenient for me to go up, you guys just look."
Gu Junze stretched out his hand and said gently, "It's late at night, be careful not to catch a cold. Come on, I'll help you back to your room to rest."
"Yeah." Chu Ruohan responded, and the two left together.
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