Chapter 708: Currying favor with the powerful, changing one's face so quickly
Gu Lu was wearing a brand new fourth-rank official uniform, holding an account book in his hand, and walking very steadily, step by step.
His face was calm and his eyes were straight ahead. He walked straight through the silent court, came to the emperor, lifted up his official robe and knelt down.
There was another person following behind him, with his head down, so his appearance could not be seen clearly.
Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an and Qian Zhenyun looked at each other, and there was a hint of unexpected surprise in each other's eyes.
Is there any other trick?
"Your Majesty, Gu Lu, the former governor of Jinguan City, impeaches the Third Prince, Zhao Chenyu!"
"He abused his power, colluding with officials at all levels to secretly resell military supplies, including winter clothing and rations, embezzling military pay and enriching himself! All accounts are here!"
He held the account book high in his hand.
Zhao Chenyu's face was already as pale as death, and when he heard this, he jumped up suddenly like a cat whose tail was stepped on.
He pointed at Gu Lu and cursed, "You are slandering me! Gu Lu, you are no longer the prefect. You are taking revenge for personal gain! This account book is forged! It's fake!"
Gu Lu didn't even raise his eyelids. "The Ministry of Revenue will know the authenticity of the account book once it is checked. Besides, I have a witness."
His gaze slowly turned and fell on Lin Jiayou
"Your Majesty, this account book was compiled by Lord Gu and I. I can explain the origin and destination of every account recorded in it."
The truth, at this moment, was completely revealed.
Lin Jiayou was actually the most powerful chess piece that Gu Lu had planted next to the Third Prince!
Everything he showed, his so-called loyalty to the Third Prince, and his pandering to the powerful, were all paving the way for today.
Not only him, but also Gu Lanxin. If it weren't for Gu Lanxin's surrender, the Third Prince would not have been so lenient towards Gu Lu.
Zhao Chenyu completely collapsed.
He staggered back two steps and looked in disbelief at Lin Jiayou, his most trusted strategist, the "confidant" who gave him advice and helped him frame the prince and Qian Zhenyun.
It turned out that his self-righteous conspiracy was nothing more than a stage for others to take advantage of his own tricks.
It turned out that the counselor he was proud of was the one who sent him to the guillotine.
"ah--"
Zhao Chenyu's legs went limp and he collapsed to the ground.
Zhao Yunci, who was sitting on the dragon throne, had a face that had turned from ashen to black. He slammed the dragon table.
"Come here! Capture the rebellious son Zhao Chenyu and all his followers! Throw them into the Sky Prison and investigate thoroughly!"
With his order, the imperial guards outside the palace swarmed in.
A storm in the court was finally settled.
Qian Zhenyun was not only safe and sound, but also made great contributions by exposing the prince's corruption case and luring the snake out of its hole.
At the palace gate.
Gu Lu walked up to Qian Zhenyun with a hint of apology on his face.
"In order to make the plan foolproof, I had no choice but to include you in the plan. I hope you won't blame me."
Qian Zhenyun shook his head, and a look of shame appeared on his face.
"Brother Lu, you're too kind. I didn't judge people well enough to doubt you and...Lin Jiayou."
Gu Lu patted his shoulder and laughed out loud, "You don't have to feel guilty. Even Qingchen was fooled by this scheme, which shows that we acted quite well."
Qian Zhenyun looked over Gu Lu's shoulder and looked at Lin Jiayou not far away.
Although he knew clearly that he was "one of them", Qian Zhenyun's vigilance and hostility did not diminish in the slightest.
He knew very well that this man was far superior to him in terms of scheming and the means of gaining other people's trust.
On the other hand, the Duke of Anguo’s Mansion was filled with guests today.
The pavilion in the backyard was even more lively.
The old lady of the Duke of Anguo's Mansion is celebrating her birthday today, and almost all the prominent ladies in the capital are here.
Men and women sat at separate tables, and those sitting in the pavilion at this moment were all noble ladies and young ladies from various mansions.
As the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, Chu Ruohan was naturally treated as a guest of honor and sat next to the old lady.
She was in a very good mood today and was chatting and laughing with the ladies around her.
"Lu Ge'er is a stubborn kid who insists on gaining experience outside. As his aunt, I'm worried every day."
Another lady immediately chimed in, "Master Lu is a handsome man, a man of both civil and military talents. Everyone in the capital knows this. I wonder how Your Majesty intends to employ him when he returns to the capital?"
This is what they really care about.
Chu Ruohan put down the teacup, the smile on her face unchanged: "That depends on His Majesty's wishes. He is still at home waiting for the imperial edict."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere, which was warm just now, suddenly cooled down subtly.
The ladies exchanged glances and immediately changed the subject.
"Young talents always need more training and practice, there's no rush."
"Yes, it's good to see the world outside. Although the capital is nice, it's not as comfortable as the countryside."
The censor's wife, who had just wanted to find out more, just smiled, picked up her teacup and sipped it, without saying another word.
They spoke compliments, but they could not hide the alienation and wait-and-see attitude in their expressions.
An official who has just been transferred back from a remote area has an uncertain future. Who would be in a hurry to marry their daughter to him?
What's more, Gu Lu is already 25 years old, which is considered "old" in the eyes of everyone.
Chu Ruohan saw all of this, and her mind was as clear as a mirror, but her face remained calm and she responded calmly.
The third branch of the Gu family is now managed by Yang, but her husband does not hold a high official position and only sits at the end of the ladies.
She knew she couldn't decide Gu Lu's marriage, but her father-in-law insisted that she come today to see him and, by the way, to test the Duke's wife's opinion...
At this moment, a housekeeper from the Anguo Mansion walked quickly to the old lady, lowered her voice, and said a few words excitedly.
The old lady's face, which was originally smiling, was instantly replaced by astonishment. She looked at Chu Ruohan fiercely, and her voice rose a few notches: "What a great joy!"
Everyone in the room was shocked and looked over.
The old lady excitedly grabbed Chu Ruohan's hand and said, "News just came out from the palace! Just now at the morning court, your brother Lu exposed the Third Prince's serious case of embezzling military funds and reselling military supplies!"
"What?"
The waterside pavilion was in an uproar, and all the ladies looked horrified.
The old lady was even more delighted as she spoke: "Not only that! His Majesty was extremely pleased and said that Lu Ge'er was brave and resourceful, and had made great contributions to the country. He immediately issued an edict to appoint him as the Minister of the Dali Temple!"
Dali Temple Minister!
Third rank! In charge of reviewing criminal cases nationwide, a true court official!
The water pavilion, which was silent just now, suddenly became like boiling water.
"Oh my God! The Dali Temple Minister! Master Lu has a bright future!"
Mrs. Chen, the censor, was the first to react, and her face was filled with a warm smile, as if the person who was watching just now was not her.
"I said that Master Lu is a dragon among men, and definitely not something you would find in a pond!"
"That's right!" Another lady came over immediately.
"Madam Zhenguo, you've kept this a secret from us, and it's been so hard! My little daughter has always admired responsible men like Master Lu!"
"The one in our family may not be the best in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, but he has a very gentle and virtuous personality, making him a perfect match for Master Lu!"
"My little girl just turned 15 this year, and her looks and personality are both top-notch!"
The ladies who had just kept silent about Gu Lu were now vying for the position, wishing to finalize the marriage on the spot.
Those warm faces formed a stark contrast with the coldness and alienation just a moment ago.
Chu Ruohan was surrounded in the middle, still with a decent smile on her face.
She dealt with them one by one, saying polite words like "Children's affairs depend on fate" and "Thank you, madam, for your kindness."
But in her heart, she had already crossed out these names from the list of candidates.
Gu Lu's daughter-in-law can be from a humble family and can be plain-looking, but she must not be from a family that curries favor with the powerful and only cares about power and status.
In her eyes, the bustle and admiration in the room was nothing but a joke.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
