Chapter 118
"Can it be repaired?"
[It can be repaired from the inside, but the outside of the coordinate code can only be repaired by local manpower, otherwise it will continue to be damaged.]
"Then what's the point of Xiu coming here?"
Before leaving, Ling'er covered the damaged area of the space wall with rocks.
"So, apart from Ling'er, no one else would know that the hole outside leads to my space grid number three?"
[What if no one moves those stones and discovers the damage, and digs through the space wall you later patched up?]
"Then why are you still talking nonsense? Just fix it!"
[Repairing the broken space wall will cost 100 points. Do you agree to the deduction?]
Two options appeared in front of Gu Ran: [Yes] [No]
I knew that the Guru system's initiative to repair the broken space wall was not a good thing!
Gu Ran pressed [Yes] in frustration.
Hearing the sound of Gulu deducting points, he watched the hole on the cupboard slowly disappear, but the cupboard he had come in through still had a fist-sized hole in it.
I can only wait until I get back and ask Master Huang to fix it.
Three days after space grid No. 3 was repaired, the official ship they were on arrived at the last seaport, completing a journey that lasted more than two months.
It was mid-March, and the weather in the north had already warmed up. When we took a carriage to the capital, we could see lush greenery everywhere.
Gu Ran and Pei Liu sat in the same carriage and breathed a long sigh of relief.
very nice!
Although I stay in Space No. 3 every day, it’s pretty nice to have a little boy to chat with.
But fresh air is still better outside!
The scenery is nice too!
While Gu Ran was squinting her eyes to look at the scenery, the little Douhua in Pei Liu's arms jumped onto her knees and meowed to ask the old grandma to pet it.
Gu Ran hugged Xiao Douhua with one hand, and then looked at Pei Liu: "Liu Niang, have you been to the capital?"
Pei Liu shook his head slightly.
"Hey, I..." Gu Ran was about to say that he had never been here before, but then he immediately remembered that the original owner was born and raised in the capital. How could he say that he had never been here? He changed his words and said, "It's been a long time since I came back. Things have changed a lot, and I'm afraid I can't even remember what the capital is like!"
So when you arrive in the capital, don't be surprised if you see her looking like a country bumpkin who knows nothing!
"It's nothing. If you don't remember it, then don't remember it. It's not a big deal!" Pei Liu said.
But Lord Hang thought it was a big deal.
When he was first invited to Dunzi Island to commend the brave men who wiped out the number one thief, he already knew the identity of the second wife of the Gu family.
The second lady of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion married the former fourth lady of the Qin family.
Although Gu Er Niang divorced the Fourth Master of the Qin family as soon as she arrived in Minzhou, her identity as the second wife of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion remained unchanged.
Although Gu Er Niang is not the biological daughter of Ningyuan Hou, she is the adopted daughter of Ningyuan Hou and his wife. Although she has been exiled here now, the Ningyuan Hou Mansion has never come forward to say that Gu Er Niang is no longer his wife.
So I’m afraid that Gu Erniang’s identity can still be used.
This is also why Lord Hang was polite to Gu Er Niang when he agreed to take General Qiao back to Beijing, and did not directly refuse when she wanted to add someone.
Now that they had passed the rigorous scrutiny of the soldiers outside the city gates and were able to pass through the majestic city walls and into the streets of the capital, Lord Hang immediately asked Gu Ran about his arrangements: "I will arrange for General Qiao to enter the palace immediately. You have also asked my steward to find me a place to stay at the Hang family's villa and await good news. Second Lady Gu, would you like someone to escort you back to the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion?"
Gu Ran was stunned, and the others also looked at her.
The slow-witted Shen Er just remembered: Yes, it is rumored that Gu Er Niang is the second lady of Ningyuan Marquis Mansion. Is this true?
"No need. I haven't been in contact with Ningyuan Marquis Mansion for so many years, so I'm not familiar with it." Gu Ran shook his head and said, "Master Hang, please arrange for me, Liu Niang and others to come together as well."
"Okay." A flash of disappointment passed through Lord Hang's eyes, but he still smiled and nodded.
"Second Mother!" Qiao An looked at Gu Second Mother, then at the other people who had come with him to the capital. He held the little golden flower in his arms and stroked it again and again: "Just wait patiently, I'll be able to leave the palace soon."
"Of course." Gu Ran and others nodded.
"Grandpa Qiao, we are waiting for your good news."
Qiao An also nodded, turned around and followed Lord Hang to get on another horse carriage for transfer.
Gu Ran and others followed the steward brought by the Hang family to the villa that Lord Hang mentioned.
Along the way, listening to Shen Er's loud shouting coming from the carriage behind, Gu Ran coughed repeatedly, trying to stay calm, and then secretly glanced at the gap in the curtain lifted by Pei Liu, revealing the spacious streets of the capital, the densely packed buildings, and the bustling people in gorgeous clothes. He suppressed the screams of surprise in his heart.
Stay calm, stay calm!
She was born and raised in Beijing, not some ignorant country bumpkin who was bawling like a ghost!
"Second mother!"
"Um?"
"Is this your old hometown?"
Gu Ran pretended to be calm and nodded.
"very nice!"
Such a magnificent capital city, it is countless times more prosperous than Jianzhou!
The capital city in his memory has become very vague. Even if he comes back now, he can't find any trace of having lived here.
"Half and half!" Gu Ran could neither refute nor admit it, so he said ambiguously.
Pei Liu withdrew his gaze from outside and looked at Gu Ran.
Gu Ran said calmly: "I think you also know my identity and origin. I was fortunate to become the wife of the Marquis's Mansion and lived a rich and carefree life, which is naturally great. But I was taken away by mistake since I was a child. I was so close to my biological parents that I couldn't recognize them. Naturally, it was not good. Later..."
The original owner thought it was a good marriage, but it turned out to be a bad one. He was even exiled to Minzhou because of it, and died of illness and hatred on the way, which was even worse.
"However, fortunately, after being exiled, I became more open-minded. I no longer want to be as stubborn as before. I am brave enough to do what I want to do, and I succeed in doing it." Therefore, she is different from the Gu Er Niang that people in the capital call her. Her temperament and behavior are different. Don't be surprised!
"Also, I'm lucky to have met you, Liu Niang, as well as Uncle Li Ji, Village Chief Wu, and many others. In the past, with my status as the Second Lady of the Ningyuan Marquisate and the airs of the Fourth Madam of the Qin Mansion, I would have looked down on none of you."
Pei Liu smiled faintly.
"So, people, it turns out that when they suffer enough, they really do change." Gu Ran gave Pei Liuniang a heads-up and asked with a smile, "Isn't that right, Liuniang?"
Pei Liu nodded and thought of himself.
Of course, people will really change if they suffer too much. Isn’t he the same?
Seeing that Pei Liuniang didn't think much about it, Gu Ran breathed a sigh of relief.
The villa prepared for them by Lord Hang was not very big. It was a two-story courtyard. According to the steward, Lord Hang rented it early last year for the time when he went to Beijing to report on his work.
Counting it up, the years that Lord Hang served as the prefect of Jianzhou were exactly the years when the number one thief was rampant in Jianzhou, and also the years when the number one thief was repeatedly eliminated. At the end of last year, Gu Ran and others had the merit of eliminating such a large group of remnants of the evil thieves. In addition, General Qiao has been found now. It seems that Lord Hang's promotion is probably a sure thing.
Perhaps this is why Lord Hang dared to spend a lot of money to rent a courtyard in the capital - if he happened to be able to stay in the capital, this courtyard would naturally be of great use.
Gu Ran and Pei Liu were placed in two adjacent rooms in the inner courtyard.
Now that we have a place to stay, all that remains is to wait.
Wait for the result after Lord Hang brings General Qiao to the palace to meet the emperor, wait for the news that the emperor has restored General Qiao's identity, wait for General Qiao to clear the injustice of those who died unjustly that year.
At the same time, they were also waiting for the emperor to reward them for saving General Qiao and making great efforts to eliminate the number one thief and villain in the world.
Of course, these are things that will only have follow-up reactions after General Qiao and Lord Hang meet the emperor, so they can't be impatient.
So after a day's rest to recover from the fatigue of the long journey, Gu Ran packed up his bags and went shopping with Pei Liu.
It was the original owner who was familiar with the capital, not her. After finally arriving at the capital of the Great Sheng Dynasty, why not go and take a look at it in person?
Coincidentally, Pei Liu also wanted to visit his birthplace which he had not visited for a long time, so he readily agreed.
When they reached the gate of the courtyard, they found that Li Ji and Mr. Shen and his son had the same plan, so they invited them to go together.
The villa where they lived was in the outer city, so they decided to take a look around first.
Unexpectedly, not long after leaving the house, I heard the people of Kyoto talking about it on the street. They were both shocked and happy: "Did you hear? General Qiao found the person!"
"Really? It's said that it was the prefect of Jianzhou who brought the person back."
"That's right. I also heard from Ah Sun, who works as an errand boy at Lord Meng's residence next door, that the emperor's top priority at court today is to restore General Qiao's innocence and award him a reward and a higher rank."
"A notice has been posted outside the Imperial City Gate announcing this, and many people have come to read it. Even though you can't read, there are people who can read it to you in public!"
"Let's go and take a look."
"God bless you, General Qiao is not dead!"
"Indeed, the general is indeed worthy of being a general. God will never let such a powerful general die unjustly."
"Bah, that bastard Du Jiang! If he had known the general was still alive, he should have waited until now to behead him in public, so that General Qiao could vent his anger."
"Come on, let's go and take a look. Maybe we can see General Du Qiao coming out of the palace!"
…
So, after entering the palace yesterday, General Qiao’s identity was confirmed today?
That's fast enough.
"Shall we go take a look too?"
Outside the imperial city gate, she also wanted to see it with her own eyes!
"Okay." Just as Gu Ran and the others were about to follow the excited and noisy crowd, the steward of the Hang family hurried over in a carriage: "Madam Gu, Madam Pei, and everyone else, wait, wait!"
"Manager Hang, what happened?"
"Hey, nothing happened. It's a great joy!" Manager Hang jumped out of the car, took a deep breath, and then said, "Just now, someone from the palace came and asked you to come in and see the emperor!"
Everyone was shocked, and then Shen Erlang was so frightened that he screamed "Ahhh!", and Master Shen's embarrassed face made him cover his mouth hard but he couldn't stop it.
To meet the emperor in person is a great blessing that ordinary people may only be able to obtain in three lifetimes.
No wonder the irritable Shen Erlang wanted to yell. Even Gu Ran, who had lived two lives and had seen the world, wanted to yell, but she tried her best to cooperate with the original owner's identity: Calm down, calm down, I was born and raised in the capital, and I was once the second lady of the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion, who was the most favored by the emperor. I used to go to the palace often to see the empress dowager and the queen. What big scenes have I not seen?
Li Ji and Mr. Shen were also overjoyed. When they were about to board the carriage sent by Steward Hang, Pei Liu paused and looked at Gu Ran: "Second Madam, if you go to the palace, I won't go!"
After hearing Pei Liu say this, everyone's joy was cut in half.
"Why not go?" Gu Ran was puzzled.
"You and I are of different status."
In fact, Pei Liu was worried about the identity of Pei Jia Liuniang that he was impersonating.
He could meet other people as Pei Liuniang, but entering the palace to see the emperor was another matter.
First, he met the emperor as Pei Liuniang. If the other person restored his identity, he would be guilty of deceiving the emperor by knowing his mistake.
Secondly, what he learned from the number one thief since he was a child told him that the palace was the place with the most powerful and discerning people. He and Gu Erniang, Li Ji, the father and son of the Shen family, and Pei Liuniang could get along well because they had preconceived notions and did not think of him as a husband. However, the palace was not the same as outside the palace.
He entered the palace where the most discerning people gathered, and he was afraid that he would be discovered to be a man in an instant.
He couldn't take this risk.
The above is the real reason why Pei Liu was unwilling to enter the palace, but what Gu Ran and Li Ji thought of was: Yes, although Xiji was once a guilty person, he was implicated/wronged, while Pei Liu was the number one thief in the world/the one who actually committed the crime of murder.
So she is afraid of this?
"But Liuniang, you have already been punished and even killed the evil villain to make up for your mistakes. I'm sure the emperor won't care." Gu Ran advised.
Pei Liu shook his head: "Just say that Pei Liuniang feels guilty and has no face to see the emperor!"
Seeing Pei Liuniang's insistence, everyone had to give up.
"Then Liu Niang, go back to the villa and wait. We should be back soon."
Pei Liu nodded at Gu Ran and smiled: "Okay!"
Gu Ran had no choice but to bid farewell to Pei Liu, feeling a sense of regret and loss.
Alas, why can’t I share such a wonderful happy event with Liu Niang?
You know, going to see the emperor is as grand as going to see the country's top leader in her first life, and as grand as going to meet the immortal in her second life!
In her first life, she certainly had no chance to meet the country's first leader, because she was just an ordinary citizen.
In her second life, she was not a cultivator qualified to meet the Immortal Lord, because she was just an ordinary talisman master who entered the Qi Refining stage in her forties. It was difficult for her to even meet the great cultivators in her own clan, let alone the Human Emperor.
As a result, now that I have come to the Great Sheng Dynasty, I can actually meet the emperor?
What a great fortune!
Gu Ran, you have really achieved something!
Gu Ran felt dizzy for a moment and kept shouting in his head: Calm down, calm down!
But this calmness was gone when she actually entered the palace to meet the current emperor, the third empress of the Great Sheng Dynasty. Her kneeling legs were still trembling slightly. She only remembered that when she entered the palace, she was so magnificent and bright that her mind was confused. She could only mechanically answer yes or no to what the empress said or asked General Qiao.
After being given a seat, she regained her sanity a little, and finally calmed down to listen silently to what the emperor on the dragon throne in the imperial study said to General Qiao beside him, and what General Qiao replied.
The emperor asked General Qiao about their identities when he met him.
After asking around, he learned that there was another woman named Pei Liuniang who was worried about her past guilt and feared that she would offend the emperor, so she was unwilling to enter the palace, but she didn't say anything.
Finally, when the emperor called the eunuchs and gave them rewards, Li Ji and the Shen father and son knelt down again.
Li Ji's purpose of following General Qiao to Beijing was very clear. Although Mr. Shen didn't say it, Gu Ran also guessed their motive for following him to Beijing.
"Your Majesty is wise and wise. I, Li Ji, do not want anything. I only ask Your Majesty to judge for me and reopen the case of my innocent murder of the suspect. Clear my name."
"Your Majesty, I am Chen Huaixun! Because I testified against the Suzhou Shen family's crimes, I was stabbed by the clan leader. All these years, I was forced to leave my homeland and was even nearly killed by the most vicious thief in the world. I beg Your Majesty to investigate this matter for me as a reward, so that my family will no longer have to live in fear and displacement."
The emperor looked at the three people who suddenly knelt before him, his face stern, and then glanced back at General Qiao: "Qiao An, it seems that all these people you brought into the palace have been wronged?"
Qiao An stood up and bowed to His Majesty. "I never expected that my lifesaver had so many secrets to tell. However, even since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have issued decrees striving for clean governance and have had local authorities thoroughly investigate unjust cases. If their grievances are true, doesn't it mean that some in the government are secretly disobeying your Majesty's love for the people, and are daring to defy your majesty's authority?"
The emperor snorted coldly.
"Your Majesty!"
"I beg Your Majesty to make the decision for me."
"Well, since I promised you a generous reward, I won't let you suffer any more injustice. In view of your bravery in eliminating the number one thief and saving General Qiao, I will grant your request."
"Your Majesty, I bow to thank you for your grace." Li Ji and the Shen father and son were overjoyed.
When the emperor's eyes fell on him who had been watching silently, Gu Ran's heart skipped a beat: Yes, it's my turn!
"What about you, Gu Erniang, what grievances do you have to complain about?"
"Your Majesty, I have no grievances to complain about. I like whatever Your Majesty rewards me."
On the way into the palace, someone warned everyone not to be presumptuous in front of the emperor and also taught them some simple etiquette for meeting the emperor. However, she also found many rules for entering the palace from the original owner's memory, so Gu Ran answered honestly this time.
The emperor laughed and said, "I heard that you were originally the second wife of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion?"
"Your Majesty, although I am not of the Ningyuan Marquisate's bloodline, the Ningyuan Marquisate is my adopted parent. However, after I married into Prime Minister Qin's residence, something unexpected happened. To avoid implicating the Ningyuan Marquisate, I actually severed all ties with the Ningyuan Marquisate and am no longer Madam Gu of the Ningyuan Marquisate."
She is not the original owner and does not want to have anything to do with the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion anymore, so as to avoid people who are familiar with the original owner recognizing her as a fake.
It would be better for him to break off the engagement on his own initiative and say that he would have nothing to do with the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion in the future.
Anyway, no matter who investigates, the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion's disregard for the original owner after the accident can be confirmed, and it cannot be considered as deceiving the emperor.
And now I’m afraid that the Ningyuan Marquis’ Mansion will not easily let me go back, right?
If they really want to admit it, they should also consider the fact that the original owner was exiled to Minzhou all these years and the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion never asked about it. Will this be a slap in the face to them?
"Oh, is this true?"
"really."
"Then why haven't I heard Ningyuan Hou mention this matter during my years in the capital?"
"I'm afraid that Marquis Ningyuan sympathizes with my difficult situation and is reluctant to speak." Gu Ran said, "I am not of the Ningyuan Marquis's bloodline, so I don't want to take up the title of his wife for nothing. If I hadn't accidentally saved Grandpa Qiao this time, I would never have planned to return to the capital."
"You're quite straightforward. I heard that you divorced Qin Si?"
"yes."
"Why?"
"I am originally a commoner, and I am not a good match for the Qin family. Although I used to respect Fourth Master Qin, we never met. Now that I have been exiled to Minzhou with the Qin family, I don't want to be a burden to them anymore, so I am asking for a divorce."
"But now it seems that you are living well in Minzhou!"
From the emperor's tone, Gu Ran knew that he already knew everything that had happened to her in Minzhou.
She probably heard it from Lord Hang, or General Qiao told her.
"Thankfully, my wife has a skill that allows her to make ends meet, and thanks to the support of the village chief and fellow villagers, I've finally managed to establish myself in Minzhou."
"Lord Hang mentioned your case a few times, and General Qiao also told me that you, Gu Erniang, have accomplished something that few women in this world aspire to do." The saint looked at Gu Ran. "A woman, alone in exile, has found a place to stand, and even had the courage to buy an isolated island and make a living by growing oranges. That's quite something."
"It's just a way for a common woman to make a living. Your Majesty, thank you for your praise."
Before entering the palace, the ceremonial officer had taught them not to look directly into the emperor's face. At this time, Gu Ran met the saint's gaze and quickly lowered his head.
I didn't see it clearly before, but this time I saw it clearly: the current emperor has a handsome and heroic face, a shining crown, and a dragon robe on his body. The royal majesty he exudes is something that ordinary people dare not look directly at.
This is the number one leader of the Dasheng Dynasty!
Awesome!
"It is thanks to your plan to reclaim the island and your careful care for General Qiao that he has gradually regained consciousness." The sage paused before continuing, "You were the one who masterminded the destruction of the evil bandits, and your greatest contribution was saving General Qiao. I reward you with fifty taels of gold, one thousand taels of silver, a jade ruyi, a pair of pearl ornaments, and two bolts of fine silk. Is this acceptable?"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
Gu Ran looked very happy, and he was also very happy in his heart: I’m rich!
I never thought that I didn’t make a fortune in my second life of cultivating immortals, but now I have become rich all of a sudden after coming to the Great Sheng Dynasty!
The saint is such a good person!
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