Chapter 1568 Extra Chapter: Life's Many Crossroads (Part 2)
The seventeenth year of Yanhuang, the first month.
A lotus flower, formed from ice and snow, gently floated down onto Gu Chi's shoulder.
He subconsciously looked up in the direction the lotus had come from, only to be met with a gloomy face. Gu Chi's heart skipped a beat. Shen Tang, who had thrown away the lotus, propped his chin on his hand and said, "What's with the skipping? You've been having so much fun out there that you've forgotten all about home, haven't you? It's rare that my Imperial Censor still remembers to come back. I thought I wouldn't see you for the whole New Year. Come up here, what are you standing there for?"
Gu Chi picked the lotus flower and went upstairs with a wry smile.
The private room was mostly filled with familiar faces, with two unfamiliar faces remaining.
I guess he was promoted during the two years he took his annual leave.
"My lord, aren't there still a few days of annual leave left?"
Two unfamiliar faces were curiously observing Gu Chi, Yuan Cong's trusted confidant who hadn't been seen for two years, secretly studying his character and appearance. When they heard Gu Chi approach Shen Tang so casually and intimately, they both widened their eyes in shock. Shen Tang raised her hand and accepted the ice lotus flower that Gu Chi offered. Her palm surged with literary energy, and the ice lotus flower transformed into flowing water, filling a wine cup. The clear aroma of wine wafted from the cup.
Shen Tang calmly took a sip of wine.
Are you sure there are still a few days left?
Gu Chi: "..."
Seriously? Are we going to argue with him for the next few days?
"Tsk, sit down." Shen Tang's feigned seriousness melted away with a smile. She stopped trying to scare Gu Chi and ordered someone to bring up the coconut milk and egg custard that had been warming up for him to drink to warm himself up. "You're not the same as before now, so take it easy."
Gu Chi: "...I'm not even seventy or eighty yet."
Gu Chi was confident that even in his seventies or eighties, he would still be as spry as a man and as youthful as an eighteen-year-old. But at this moment, he looked at the bowl of fragrant hot milk drink with a bitter and resentful expression.
"His face was almost frozen blue, and he was still being stubborn."
Gu Chi: "..."
Shen Tang said, "Now that the annual leave is over, take these few days to put away your playful spirit, get back on track, and then return to work after your leave is over."
She felt quite unaccustomed to Gu Chi's absence for the past two years.
Some locals in Kangguo, thinking the reins on their necks had loosened, secretly engaged in borderline activities to test the royal court's attitude towards them. As long as they weren't reprimanded even once, their audacity swelled like an inflated balloon. They really thought their status as a noble citizen was too powerful.
Gu Chi drank about half a bowl before he felt his hands and feet warm up.
He muttered a complaint: "What does 'a wild heart' mean?"
His two-year leave wasn't a complete rest; he still had to work from home for some tasks and maintained a general understanding of personnel changes and other matters in the court. In the Lord's words, it would seem as if he had done nothing but play around for the past two years.
Shen Tang asked meaningfully, "Oh?"
Gu Chi: "..."
He looked embarrassed as he thought about the spicy and delicious flavors of the past two years.
A subject has many days off each year, and after six years, he can even have a full year of annual leave. But this ruler has to worry about things 365 days a year, and the idea of "working six days and resting one" is out of the question. Other rulers could be hands-off and not attend court for decades, but this ruler is different. She wants to do everything herself and has to see everything, big or small, before she can feel at ease.
This kind of personality is destined to be a workhorse with no rest.
Gu Chi could more or less guess why Shen Tang was unhappy. It was probably because he felt that Shen Tang had been living a carefree and happy life for the past two years, and he was both resentful and envious.
With this in mind, he decided not to argue with his lord.
After all, they were colleagues who had fought side by side. Even though Gu Chi had been away for two years, the atmosphere between them had become lively after just a few drinks. His schedule for the next few days was packed, which made Gu Chi feel somewhat flattered.
I'm starting to doubt whether I've become a heartthrob _(:з」∠)_
However, he has something he needs to resolve right now.
Where will he stay when he comes back?
Cui Xiao had been living in his house for two whole years, which was fine, but Cui Shanxiao was unlucky. His house had been abandoned for almost sixteen years. But when he returned home, the original steward immediately said, "The head of the household has gone out to a banquet and has not yet returned." Wasn't that too much?
"Why don't you open your eyes and see who I am?"
The manager actually tried hard to blink, rub his eyes, and then look closely again.
"Home, parents..."
Gu Chi said, "Oh, you still remember your parent."
"Please don't be offended, parents, it's just that these past two years..."
The butler chuckled awkwardly, trying to explain, afraid that Gu Chi might fire him in a fit of pique. Without this job, where could he find another one with such a high salary, easy work, and a less demanding employer? Before he could finish, Gu Chi waved his hand, telling him not to say anything.
The manager was so frightened his face turned pale.
"So scared? I didn't blame you. You didn't even give me advance notice of your return. It's no wonder. Go and get a few people to clean up the room." Gu Chi pulled his heavy cloak tighter around himself. It was the coldest time of year, and he really disliked the weather.
The steward said with a gentle expression, "In the two years since the head of the household was away, the main courtyard has been cleaned every ten days, and the floor heating has been kept on."
Sure enough, a warm breeze greeted me as soon as I entered the room.
Gu Chi looked around and saw that the furnishings in the courtyard were the same as they had been two years ago.
He didn't even touch the notebook on the table that he had left open.
The room was clean and tidy, without a speck of dust.
Gu Chi listened carefully to the thoughts of the servants and maids around him, and they were not much different from what the steward had said, which surprised him. People are inherently lazy, and even if they are given high salaries and stable working conditions, they will still slack off if their master is away from home for long periods of time without supervision.
Maintaining the same diligence that Gu Chi had when he was alive would go against human nature.
He was prepared to give the house a dressing down when he got back, but to his surprise, everything at home was in perfect order, and the steward had promptly brought over two years' worth of accounts, which were crystal clear. Gu Chi listened to the steward's thoughts while comparing the accounts, and was quite satisfied.
After a long while, he closed the account book.
Gu Chi instructed, “You are all long-time employees of my household, and I must have put in a lot of effort while I was away these past two years. Steward, have the accountant record an extra three months’ salary for each of you as a winter bonus, plus five catties of cotton, four bolts of cloth, and ten catties of pork.”
The downside of receiving a large house is that it requires a lot of manpower.
Gu Chi initially declined.
Unfortunately, the lord refused.
Firstly, Shen Tang didn't want outsiders to criticize Gu Chi for not being favored by the emperor. Secondly, a larger residence would require hiring more people to help manage and care for it, essentially providing stable jobs in the market. Even the stingiest person would have to provide nearly a hundred jobs for a bestowed residence.
If things are more relaxed, there could be two or three hundred positions.
These positions were all officially registered with the government, and the men and women working there had only an employer-employee relationship with Gu Chi. The master could question the servants' work performance, but could not physically punish them; even a slap could result in a fine equivalent to a year's salary. The master could not dismiss these servants arbitrarily without special circumstances; a convincing excuse was required. If the master and servants engaged in a physical relationship that went beyond the scope of their employment, the government could prosecute.
In short, work is work.
It's different from the old one.
The servants in the courtyard all bowed and thanked them.
Guan was initially grateful, but then said, "The Cui family has already given us the winter solstice gifts this year. Do they want us to give us more?"
Gu Chi: "..."
He finally understood why these people were so hardworking.
The job is so desirable, the competition is fierce!
During the two years that Cui Shanxiao lived in his house, this fellow also voluntarily gave the servants half a month's salary as before. In other words, working at Gu Chi's house was easy because the master was not at home. Not only was Cui Lang, who was staying there, not harsh, but he also indirectly increased his salary by 50% every month.
Gu Chi: "..."
He pressed his throbbing temples.
Cui Xiao has dug a huge hole for himself.
Everyone in the household had gotten used to the happy days of salary increases over the past two years. With his return and Cui Xiao's departure, the servants' monthly allowances had returned to normal, but in their eyes, it wasn't a return to normal but a reduction. He could imagine how many complaints and negative sentiments he would hear in the coming months.
Gu Chi: "Just accept it if you give it to me."
He went to the study to read for a while, and then Cui Xiao returned.
"Tsk, you got a dark look on your face as soon as you knew I was coming back?"
Cui Xiao rolled his eyes without any politeness: "It has nothing to do with you."
Gu Chi subtly inquired when Cui Xiao would return to his own home, since the rightful owner was back and it wouldn't be right for Cui Xiao to usurp the place.
Choi Hyo: "There's bad news and even worse news."
Gu Chi: "Let's hear the first one."
Cui Xiao: "I can't move out anytime soon."
Gu Chi: "Why?"
Cui Xiao: "The weather was dry, and a fire broke out in the house."
Just as the abandoned mansion, which had been stalled for sixteen years, was about to be completed and inspected, a few days ago, a sudden thunderstorm during a snowfall caused the mansion to catch fire. Unfortunately, at that time, the people of the capital were all attending the New Year's Lantern Festival, and the dazzling display of lights caused the fire to spread rapidly before it was discovered and extinguished.
Gu Chi: "...Worse news?"
Cui Xiaodao said, "That money-grubbing Xun Hanzhang insists that the construction budget has been used up, and there's no reason for the Ministry of Revenue to spend more money to repair the residence. I even have the urge to take advantage of him after court and beat him up. Can you even speak like a human being?"
That day, Xun Ding was in charge of protecting the safety of the capital.
On what grounds is Xun Zhen withholding the repair costs?
Gu Chi: "..."
He's been gone for two years, and the Ministry of Revenue is still so stingy?
Seeing Cui Xiao's unfortunate state, Gu Chi couldn't bear to add fuel to the fire—his colleague was already unlucky enough. If houses in other parts of Kang Kingdom were demolished and rebuilt and left unfinished for sixteen years, the local military governor's office would be condemned by the royal court. Cui Xiao was helpless in this situation.
It wasn't that the Ministry of Works was negligent, nor that the Director of Works deliberately stalled the progress; it was simply that Choi Hyo-jae was the culprit behind the unfinished project.
The day after returning to the Phoenix Court, I attended a banquet.
On the third day, we attended a banquet.
On the fourth day, a banquet was held, and gifts were presented.
On the fifth day, I took a breather to see a new opera performance at the Peking Opera House.
Although he has been prolific in the past two years, other novelists are also working hard to compete. He doesn't know what new plays are popular in Huangting, so he has to observe and learn from them, and also supervise his daughter Yue Ke's winter vacation homework: "This year, we can't let it drag on to the last day again."
Yue Ke: "Father..."
Gu Chi said, "If you don't write it, I'll tell your mother."
We cannot take advantage of the fact that Bai Su is far away and cannot hit the child.
Every child's childhood should be complete.
Yue Ke: "..."
She could only frantically finish her winter break homework, and when classmates came to invite her out to play, she could only reluctantly refuse. Gu Chi was quite satisfied with this and continued to go out to learn more. Publishing costs for novelists are relatively high, so in order to reduce costs and know readers' feedback on the story as soon as possible, some newcomers like to perform their carefully crafted first few chapters in teahouses and restaurants to observe the readership.
Gu Chi watched it with great interest for a long time.
Just when he thought the day would pass by like any other, he heard a voice in his ear, and he quickly pulled back the step he had taken, secretly observing the dejected old woman in the corner.
"Your Majesty, is there something troubling you, with worry in your eyes?"
Wow, he hasn't even gone back to work yet, and his sales are already coming to him.
The first day that officials in the royal court resumed work.
They saw the Imperial Censor return in a red robe and gold belt—don't ask why it was red and not purple; purple made him look darker and was rejected in the last reform of official robes.
Wu Xian: "...???"
Is Gu Wangchao sick?
Even if you're the one picking on the weak, you shouldn't just pick on them.
Gu Chi said, "It is precisely because Wu Zhaode is not strict in managing his household."
This is just an appetizer.
This matter is somewhat complicated, and it all started with the sales performance that came knocking on her door. The old woman had a daughter who was originally a servant employed by the Duke of Lu's mansion. She was quite beautiful, and Wu Xian's son took a liking to her and wanted her to secretly follow him.
[In the past, I might have taken you as a concubine, but now you can stay with me. Though you have no official status, I will not mistreat you.]
The old woman's daughter resolutely refused.
This man thought she was playing hard to get.
So, resorting to some underhanded means, the aggrieved man went to his legal wife to plead for justice, but she said it was impossible. Although her husband held no official title, he was a handsome and talented man, and he had the backing of the Duke of Lu—before the Duke of Lu died and before his daughter formally inherited the title, Wu Xian's children were nominally all potential heirs. What kind of woman couldn't her husband have?
Is it really necessary to use such methods to coerce people?
On the contrary, it is more likely that the other party made a false accusation.
There are also people who use this method to extort a huge sum of money.
Do you know the consequences of falsely accusing someone and being punished in return?
After confirming with her husband, she realized that he had indeed betrayed her. Overwhelmed with jealousy, he beat the woman to death.
Wu Xian's son was numb when he saw the corpse.
But they still have to help clean up the mess.
"You can kill me if you want, why bother killing her?"
What's even more troublesome is that the servant's elderly mother doesn't believe her daughter died of illness and insists on seeing her daughter's body with her own eyes. If she doesn't agree, she threatens to report it to the authorities. Wu Xian's son dares not let outsiders or even his own father know about this, so he personally goes to their door and tries to silence her with money.
The old woman initially refused, but endured it after being persuaded by her son and daughter-in-law.
Gu Chi, however, exposed this matter.
The old woman initially refused, but after being persuaded by her son and daughter-in-law, she changed her mind and agreed, thinking she might be able to make a big profit from this.
Wu Xian felt like the sky was falling.
"...When did this happen?"
If others don't know, how could he not know?
Gu Chi returned to preside over the Censorate after two years, and his first act was to establish his authority, while also giving a round of reprimands. Wu Xian inwardly regretted having such a son and daughter-in-law, while simultaneously trying to downplay the seriousness of the matter. Since it was his daughter-in-law who had disregarded human life…
There might still be a chance.
Wu Xian's son denied forcing the old woman's daughter.
He went to the door that day to silence the victim and apologize, to make amends.
He confessed readily and decisively, admitting that his wife's suspicion of infidelity stemmed from his failure to fulfill his duties as a husband and to stop his domineering wife from taking a life. Forcing the old woman's daughter was also impossible; the disparity in their social status was too great, and it wasn't worth it for him.
Gu Chi sneered: "You disregarded the law, protected the murderer, bullied the weak, and even forced your way into their home to threaten them with violence and death, coercing the old woman and her family into accepting hush money... Which of these is less serious than your coercion of the woman? You did both of the first two things, so how can you prove that you didn't coerce her? It's a misunderstanding; you're trying to pin the blame for your death on your wife..."
If he's just an accomplice, he might not die.
At most, he'll be sentenced to exile to a remote island overseas.
However, this was not Gu Chi's real purpose.
He wanted the couple to die.
If Wu Zhaode doesn't know what's good for him and try to stop it, he'll get slapped too! This matter should naturally be blown out of proportion, with at least two lives involved. Without paying with their lives, some people really think they can enjoy the benefits of having powerful backers: "Lord Zhaode, don't you think so?"
As the saying goes, things are valued for their rarity.
Gu Chi felt...
There are still too many dukes; it would be good if a few could be reduced.
Wu Xian looked at his good-for-nothing son with hatred in his eyes.
Children who aren't born to Xiang Nan are just inherently bad-natured...
"Everything should be based on the law. If this boy has truly committed atrocities, then we should expel him from the family." In any case, he can't let it affect his and Xiang Nan's daughter's future. Even if Gu Chi causes him trouble, Wu Xian will only be punished for failing to properly discipline his son; a fine of a salary or confinement will be the maximum...
Gu Chi: "..."
He secretly twitched the corner of his mouth, cursing Wu Xian for being shameless.
Qian Yong and Wei Shou exchanged a knowing glance.
Speaking of which, among all the Yuan clan members, the two of them had relatively many children. With so many children, and those children having children of their own, it was truly impossible to control them all. No one could guarantee that these little devils wouldn't cause trouble outside, especially if they fell into Gu Chi's hands…
You really can die.
Even if someone is on the verge of death, Gu Chi will do his best to kill them.
Both the Duke of Lu's mansion and his in-laws' side have hung white banners.
(σ)σ:*☆
Last month's fan titles have been approved and distributed. Mushroom is preparing to launch one last fan title event ahead of schedule, with 90 slots available again.
Those interested can check the comments section in the next couple of days.
(End of this chapter)
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