Chapter 136 [VIP]
As musicians, they had to ignore whatever the guests said and were not allowed to interrupt or make any noise other than playing or singing while the guests were speaking.
Gu Zhizhuo raised an eyebrow slightly.
Today, a string broke, and I lost my voice.
Two consecutive lapses in composure are quite unusual.
Lady Gui lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
"What's wrong?" Gu Zhizhuo took the white handkerchief from Awu. "Do you know that little girl?"
Sun Tianshou works as a waiter here; perhaps you've seen him before?
"I was just thinking about something. I'm sorry to have disturbed the ladies' enjoyment." Lady Gui bowed slightly, her beautiful eyes misty with tears, making it hard to be harsh with her.
Gu Zhizhu dried his hands and asked, "Can you tell me about it?"
Lady Gui raised an eyebrow slightly: "If you're willing to listen, there's no problem with that."
She rested her pipa on her shoulder and said, "Have you ever heard of 'borrowing luck'?"
ah?
Gu Zhizhu shook her head. She was a follower of a legitimate Taoist sect and knew very little about such heretical and unorthodox practices.
Even if Ji Nanke borrowed the Gu family's fortune and merits, it was only because of the favor of Heaven, not because of human effort.
How do I borrow it?
"Before I came to the capital, I sang for a living in many places," Lady Gui recounted. "One year, when I was passing through a certain place, I heard about a strange story."
"There was a man named Qiao in the area who, in just ten years, went from a beggar to one of the wealthiest businessmen. Once, when Mr. Qiao was hosting a banquet, he drank too much and inadvertently said that he had borrowed luck from others."
He said that blood is the soul of a person, and the soul contains fortune. Blood can be used as a guide to borrow a person's fortune.
Xie Danling listened nervously and tugged at Gu Zhizhuo's sleeve.
"Later, his words were overheard and reported to the authorities. As a result, the authorities found a secret room in his residence containing about ten corpses, all of whom were children aged eight to ten. These children had been bled dry before they died."
Xie Danling's eyes widened, her heart pounding, and she couldn't help but ask, "Is this true?"
Lady Gui smiled and shook her head: "I've only heard about it, and I don't know if it's true or not. Just now, you mentioned that the little girl had been bled, and I suddenly remembered this."
"And then what?"
"I don't know anything after that."
Okay. Xie Danling slumped her shoulders and leaned back in her chair. A thought struck her and she said, "When Cousin Xing came last time, he encountered someone trying to borrow his lifespan."
Gu Zhizhuo pondered deeply: Is there such a thing?
“When they came to the capital last time, Cousin Xing found a beautifully embroidered purse on the road.”
Why would Cousin Xing pick up a purse?
"I don't know. It's not important." Xie Danling waved her hand and continued, "There was a small silver ingot in the purse, and a piece of paper. The paper said, 'Borrow money to borrow life, for ten years.' My aunt was terrified at the time, and took my cousin Xing to several Taoist temples, making offerings and asking for amulets and such."
Xie Danling covered her mouth and laughed as she spoke, "Do you remember that for more than half a month, Cousin Xing was covered in talismans? You were so naughty, you tricked him into wearing a green robe, and we laughed at him for looking like the ancient cypress trees at the entrance of Taiqing Temple."
Hmm. I don't remember. Gu Zhizhuo looked blank. Was she really that bad?
But thinking about it, wearing a green robe and covered in talismans, he really did resemble that ancient cypress tree. Gu Zhizhuo burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
Xie Danling tapped her forehead with her finger: "You have a terrible memory. I told you, I'm sure I'm right!"
Yes, yes, yes.
Gu Zhizhuo nodded repeatedly.
So, it seems that some people have heard similar rumors about buying young girls from matchmakers and then bleeding them to improve their luck?
She tapped her fingertips lightly on the octagonal table and said coldly, "Even if you have borrowed luck and become rich and powerful for a short time, what good is it? In the end, there will be karmic retribution."
Xie Danling nudged Gu Zhizhuo with her elbow and whispered, "Go talk to Brother Chen and ask him to urge the Prefect of the Capital. They can definitely find out which matchmaker bought the person and who sold them to. Does the Prefect of the Capital just take a salary and not do any work?"
"good."
Official teeth are easy to check.
Private brokers often buy and sell law-abiding citizens from flower sellers, so it's not always possible to trace them.
Even a casual glance from Gui Niangzi reveals a shimmering, tender affection in her peach blossom eyes.
She spoke slowly and deliberately, "The strings have been changed. I'll sing you another song." With a slightly upturned ending note, her voice was melodious and gentle, like a light breeze.
After they responded, she picked up her pipa and changed to a different piece, one of Xie Danling's favorite "talented scholar and beautiful woman" songs.
Xie Danling listened with even greater fascination.
When Qingmei and Qiongfang returned, Gui Niangzi had finished singing the third song, and the two cousins had almost finished eating.
Qingmei reported, "Miss, the people have been settled. That waiter is very diligent; he immediately started looking for work. Young Master Yuezheng is quite satisfied with the manager he arranged at the girls' school. It's agreed that he will continue working here during the day and help out at the girls' school at night. The girls' school will provide the siblings with two meals a day and lodging, and will also give him one string of cash a month."
"Qiongfang also sent the medicine over and told them how to decoct it."
"Xizi said that after her father sold her, the person who bought her gave her a cup of water, and after drinking it, she didn't know anything else."
Gu Zhizhuo nodded.
After finishing her business, Qingmei covered her mouth and smiled, then said, "When I came back, I ran into the shop assistant from Zhengmu Pavilion. The Taihu stone you bought has already been delivered to Prince Chen's residence."
Gu Zhizhuo said happily, "I'll go check in a bit to see if there are any bumps or scratches."
That's true.
Xie Danling urged her to hurry up and go, but she grinned mischievously and said, "I won't go. You can come back by yourself in a bit."
Gu Zhizhuo pinched her cheek, and before leaving, she asked with a smile, "Gui Niangzi, are you still going to Tianxi Tower?"
"Go." Lady Gui exhaled softly, her crimson veil fluttering. "I stay here on odd-numbered days and go to Tianxi Tower on even-numbered days."
"Then we'll come find you at Tianxi Tower next time."
Xie Danling thought so too: "Tianxi Tower is even more elegant. Lady Gui, where are you from? I think you speak Mandarin very well."
"I was born in Yongzhou, left home at a young age, and wandered all over the world. It was only in the last two years that I arrived in the capital..."
Gui Niangzi's voice gradually softened. Gu Zhizhuo kept Qiongfang behind and only took Qingmei with him.
The people on the street had long since dispersed, each busy with their own affairs. Just as Gu Zhizhuo was about to mount her horse, an old woman suddenly came running over, shuffling along, and handed her a pear.
"Here you go. Young lady, you are a kind person."
Gu Zhizhuo smiled and took a bite, the sweet pear juice filling her mouth.
Seeing that she didn't mind at all, the old woman smiled broadly.
"Girl, try this."
Another auntie smiled and stuffed a steamed bun into her hand. Gu Zhizhuo took a bite and found it to be a pork crackling and vegetable bun. She exclaimed, "Delicious!"
"Miss, this net is for you..."
"And this too."
Before long, Gu Zhizhuo's hands were stuffed full of snacks and small trinkets like combs, so much so that he could barely hold them all.
Finally, they reached the end of the street, and no one else came. Gu Zhizhuo breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the things in his hands, and a happy smile curved his lips.
Gu Zhizhu finished the pear and then ate a steamed bun; he really couldn't eat anything else.
Qingmei opened the cloth bag on the horse's back for her and put all of these things inside, and wrapped the food and other items in oil paper.
Qingmei chimed in, "I heard that Sun Tianshou started working at a young age to earn money to support his younger sister. He used to carry her on his back. The neighbors in the area have watched them grow up."
"When I was helping to look for the person, many neighbors went along with me."
Gu Zhizhu packed everything up, hung it on the horse's back, and after mounting the horse, said, "Tell me how you found the person."
Qingmei also mounted her horse, and they talked as they rode.
"I followed Sun Tianshou back to his house first. It's just a small alley not far ahead. Only his gambling father was inside; he was drunk and unconscious..."
Qingmei later secretly used the Eastern Depot's informant in this area to find the person so quickly.
"Fortunately. If it had been half an hour later, even a miracle wouldn't have saved us," Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile. "Thank you for your hard work."
Qingmei raised her eyebrows and said, "Miss, weren't there three other little girls who went missing in the alley? Later, the neighbors told them that Xizi had been found and asked them to go look for their children too. That's when they told the truth. They weren't abducted; they were all sold. They were afraid people would say they sold their daughters, so they said they were lost."
"They even have the audacity to say that once they're sold to a wealthy family and become a personal maid, they'll be a mistress, which is far better than living a life of luxury with them." Qingmei sneered, "In their mouths, being sold is a way to enjoy wealth and honor."
Those who manage to sell their goods to wealthy families are the luckiest.
But wealthy families all have children in their own homes, so they wouldn't just buy people from outside.
Most of them don't end up well.
"Have you found those three?"
Qingmei shook her head: "Like Xizi, she was sold to a private broker. I heard that private brokers give more money."
She grew angrier as she spoke: "These people are really confused. When we told them that Xizi almost bled herself to death, they said it was just bad luck for Xizi. Their daughter is definitely enjoying a life of luxury now."
“It’s not that I’m confused, I’m just pretending.” Gu Zhizhu stroked the jade lion’s mane. “Go on.”
"When Xizi's gambling father heard that Xizi had been found, he locked the door and wouldn't let them go back, lest the matchmaker come looking for him for money... I almost wanted to drag him out and beat him up."
"besides……"
As they were talking, they soon arrived at the Prince Chen's residence.
It was just past 1-3 PM, and Xie Yingchen had not yet returned from the yamen.
However, that's not important.
Gu Zhizhuo entered the Prince's Mansion through the side gate with familiarity, casually tossing the reins aside so that the Jade Lion could go to the stable to graze on its own.
She didn't need anyone to serve her; she casually called over the head eunuch, Zhang Ping, and asked him where the newly delivered Taihu stone was placed.
"For now, we've moved them all to the pond. If you think you'd like to move them somewhere else, just tell me."
The eunuchs in the mansion were all former servants who had served when the crown prince was deposed, and they were all quite old.
"Let me check first. You have difficulty walking, so please walk slowly."
Zhang Ping smiled broadly, her voice high-pitched, "The ointment you gave me last time worked really well; my legs don't hurt anymore. Now I can walk with ease."
His legs were injured from kneeling in the freezing cold while mourning his master. For years, the pain would escalate whenever the weather changed, especially at night, making it impossible for him to sleep. Gu Da Niang's plaster was simply miraculous; after using it for two days, not only was the pain gone, but he could even bend his knees again.
Gu Zhizhu smiled and said, "Let me see how nimbly you walk."
Zhang Ping led the way, deliberately walking fast and steadily.
Walking along the bluestone path, Gu Zhizhuo could see two lonely stones standing by Taihu Lake in the distance, making the surrounding scenery look even more desolate.
Why.
Gu Zhizhuo couldn't help but mutter to herself, "It's still summer, how can such a big garden have nothing but wildflowers?" But at least there were a few fish in the pond, which she had just bought.
Gu Zhizhuo was easily satisfied, and her eyes crinkled with delight.
She walked around the Taihu stone twice, and it was perfectly fine; she hadn't bumped or knocked it over.
She had already decided where she wanted to put it when she bought it, so she said, "I had someone deliver bamboo the other day..."
"Everything has been planted as you instructed. Would you like to go and take a look?"
"Move this piece to the bamboo grove," Gu Zhizhuo instructed. "There's another piece; leave it for now, and I'll have someone move a pavilion over in a few days."
This Taihu stone is exceptionally beautiful. From the side, it resembles a crane spreading its wings and standing on the stone. Gu Zhizhuo plans to build a viewing pavilion and then move the Taihu stone there. She wants to plant wisteria in the pavilion, place stone lanterns, and raise some birds.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't treat himself as a guest at all, and his habit of giving orders was so natural that Zhang Ping kept agreeing and bustling around.
He invited Gu Zhizhuo to sit down, and then called over a lowly eunuch to move the Taihu stones.
These Taihu stones were quite heavy, and Qin Chen, who was on leave and hadn't gone out, came over to help when he heard the news.
Three days ago, Qin Chen was officially transferred to the Thousand Machine Battalion as a captain, and he went to take up his post after his leave.
"Where should I move it?" Qin Chen rolled up his sleeves, eager to try.
"Move it to the bamboo area."
The bamboo that Gu Zhizhuo bought was a newly transplanted bamboo, planted in the northeast corner of the mansion.
After moving a Taihu stone over, she enthusiastically instructed them to move it left and right, and then ran back and forth to check it, instructing them to move it back three inches.
Qin Chen wiped his sweat: "How is it different?"
“It’s just different,” Gu Zhizhuo said confidently. “Look, from here, doesn’t this rock look like a cat pouncing on a butterfly?”
Qin Chen stared blankly: "How is it similar?"
“Look this way.”
Qin Chen turned to look at her, even more stunned: "How is she similar?"
Why.
"Imagine the protrusion in the upper left corner as a cat's paw, and the hole as a cat's eye..."
Xie Yingchen heard about her arrival as soon as he got back, and seeing that she was furious with Qin Chen, he smiled and gave her a reminder.
Qin Chen: "..." His expression became even more stunned.
How is it similar?!
"Young Master." Upon seeing him return, Gu Zhizhuo's phoenix eyes suddenly lit up, as if illuminating countless stars.
She skipped and hopped over, jumping down three stone steps. Xie Yingchen's breath hitched for a second, and he quickly stepped forward and opened his arms.
Gu Zhizhuo bounced steadily into his arms, looked up at him and smiled, the smile spreading from her face to the depths of his heart, and then gradually spreading outwards.
A faint, sweet fragrance lingered around his nose.
"It's like casting pearls before swine; let's ignore him."
"I'll take you there."
Gu Zhizhuo tugged at his sleeve, treating the three stone steps as one, and jumped up in one go.
"Why are you back so early today?" Gu Zhizhuo looked up at the sky, asking without waiting for an answer, and pulled him to look, "Does the Taihu stone look good here?"
"nice."
"You didn't look carefully."
So Xie Yingchen carefully walked around and looked around: "Let someone build a canopy in the bamboo forest so we can cool off and enjoy the scenery. Do you want a swing?"
"want."
“I’ll build it for you. I’ll use bamboo; it will blend in better with the surrounding scenery.”
The tenderness in Xie Yingchen's eyes was almost overflowing, and his pupils reflected only her.
These days, Yaoyao has had many things brought over, and before we even had a chance to set them off, they've already piled up all over the garden. The mansion is getting warmer and warmer every day, as if we've returned to the old days when our parents were still alive.
Since the fall of the Eastern Palace, from the capital to Liang Kingdom, and then from Liang Kingdom back to the capital, he finally has a home again.
“Let’s build another three-story pavilion here,” Gu Zhizhuo said.
"good."
Gu Zhizhu wished, "I also want a star-gazing tower. My master will teach me how to observe the stars. It's so much fun."
Xie Yingchen took her hand and walked into the bamboo forest.
His slightly calloused fingers stroked her cheek, picked up a bamboo leaf from her head, and coaxed her softly in a deep voice, "How about we put it in the northwest corner?" His eyes were filled with a dazzling smile.
The two gradually walked away.
Qin Chen squatted down beside the Taihu stone, looking up at it from below. After squatting for a while, he turned his head and pointed at the Taihu stone, asking Huai Jingzhi, who had just walked over, "Old Huai, what does it look like?"
Huai Jingzhi narrowed his eyes: "Cat playing with butterflies."
Qin Chen: !
Where exactly does it resemble a cat?
Why can't he see it?
Huai Jingzhi looked down at him, a rare hint of sympathy appearing on his otherwise unremarkable face.
Even though he didn't say a word, Qin Chen could clearly see two words in his eyes: You're blind.
Huai Jingzhi silently turned his face and stepped into the bamboo forest.
"Wait a moment."
Qin Chen tugged at his sleeve, raised his chin, and said, "Look over there. Tell me, is it appropriate for you to go over there now?"
Didn't you see that you and Qingmei deliberately avoided this place?
He said earnestly, "Old Huai, it's not easy for the young master to find a wife."
Huai Jingzhi waved the folded document in his hand: "It's important."
A note from the author:
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
