Chapter 28 [VIP]
Gu Zhizhuo clenched his fists tightly.
Her angry gaze swept over Madam Ji and Gu Yan, who was being held in Madam Ji's arms and crying loudly. At that moment, Madam Ji looked as if she had been stared at by a venomous snake, and her face turned pale.
Gu Zhizhuo sheathed his dagger, handed the bird to Qiongfang to take back to the courtyard, and then ran outside without looking back.
She has no time to care about the Ji family now. In her previous life, Aman died on the seventh day of the fifth month.
It's the first day of the fifth lunar month now, and logically speaking, it shouldn't be time yet. However, fate is never static.
Ah Man's death may come sooner than expected!
She suddenly stopped, called out to Qiongfang, and coldly ordered, "Go and gather some people. After leaving the city, head north. There's a small village with a river in it. Have your people start searching upstream and work their way down the river, spreading out their search."
"Go to the front yard and get my token to summon the people there."
In her previous life, Aman's body was found in this small village.
There was a widowed old woman in the village who was washing clothes when she saw the woman floating downstream and pulled her out.
Otherwise, no one knows where it will eventually drift to, or whether it will ever be found.
Qiongfang agreed and ran even faster with the bird in her arms.
Gu Zhizhuo took out a compass from her sleeve. Her hands were trembling uncontrollably, and the magnetic needle of the Tianchi compass was also shaking erratically.
calm!
She silently repeated it several times before finally managing to hold the compass firmly.
She couldn't predict whether Ah Man's death was coming sooner than expected, nor could she predict where Ah Man was now. However, the will of Heaven always leaves a glimmer of hope for everyone.
Gu Zhizhuo had calculated this glimmer of hope.
She slowly turned the inner dial, and Qingmei couldn't help but count silently in her mind. She counted until she reached three hundred and fifty-nine, when the swaying magnetic needle suddenly stopped.
"southeast?"
Gu Zhizhu muttered to himself.
The Jing'an Marquis's residence is not in the southeast, nor is the village where Aman's body was found or the river in the southeast.
Qingmei tilted her head and stared at the compass. The only thing she was sure of was that the magnetic needle was definitely not pointing southeast.
The girl mostly looked at those scribbles on the compass!
Gu Zhizhuo tucked the compass into his pocket, headed straight for the stable, and led the jade lion away.
Ah Man was too close to her by blood, and she wasn't sure if the divination was accurate. Perhaps she should go to the Marquis of Jing'an's residence first. If Ah Man was still there, everything would be much easier.
Just then, the side gate opened, and a black lacquered carriage bearing the insignia of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion entered, surrounded by a group of guards.
A thought struck Gu Zhizhuo, and he stepped forward and called out, "Have Grandmother and Aunt returned?"
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Gu Liaoliao's spirited face. She asked, "Zhuojie, have you just returned, or are you about to leave?" Her expression was not good, and she seemed to be forcing a smile.
Gu Zhizhuo kept it brief: "The Lady of Jing'an took Aman away."
Gu Liaoliao's expression froze, and she asked hurriedly, "What did you say?"
The Empress summoned her to the palace because Lady Jing'an had filed a complaint. Originally, only she was summoned, but her mother, worried about her, went with her. Because her mother was also there, the Empress did not reprimand her too harshly. She only said that as a married woman, she should be dutiful and should not continue to live in her parents' home. She also had her husband's family and parents-in-law to be filial to, and with a child about to be born, she, as the principal wife, should not be jealous, and so on.
After listening to all that nonsense, the result is that she's now told that Aman was taken away by Lady Jing'an?
No! Who let the Qin family in?! She clearly gave the order.
Gu Zhizhuo briefly explained the situation, and before she could ask any more questions, he said alarmingly, "I asked for a divination for Aman at Taiqing Temple. The abbot himself interpreted the divination, and it was a very bad omen. The abbot said there would be a life-or-death calamity. I'm afraid that if the Qin family takes Aman away, something bad will happen to her."
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu leaned out and exclaimed in shock, "Are you telling the truth?!" Compared to the newly arrived Master Qingping, most older people like Madam Gu had more faith in the abbot.
"Absolutely true."
Madam Gu was terrified.
The Dowager Lady had initially thought that while it was indeed impolite for Lady Jing'an, the Earl of Jing'an, to come to their house and take Aman away without permission, there was no need for such a rush, especially since the Empress had just reprimanded A-Liao for staying at her maiden home for so long. The Dowager Lady had originally planned that since Lady Jing'an had taken Aman back, she could let her take her for a day and then pick her up the next day, which would also be a way of giving the Empress an explanation.
Now, she wished she could go to the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion and snatch Aman back.
"Grandmother, you should go to the Marquis of Jing'an's residence with your aunt now."
"right!"
The matter involved her daughter and granddaughter, and the old lady was still quite shrewd.
Ah Liao is the wife of the heir of the Qin family and the daughter-in-law of the Lady of Jing'an. Filial piety is her top priority. If the Lady of Jing'an uses this as leverage to prevent her from seeing Ah Man, there's really nothing that can be done in the short term. But it's a different story if she goes herself.
The old lady repeatedly ordered, "Quickly, turn around!"
Gu Liaoliao's mind was buzzing, in a state of chaos and anxiety.
So, the carriage had barely entered the side gate when it turned around and left.
"Qingmei, you go with her," Gu Zhizhuo instructed. "Whether Aman is at the Jing'an Marquis's residence or not, come and tell me immediately."
"Come to the southeast to find me."
She looked at Qingmei earnestly and said, "You'll find it, won't you?"
This was the first time she had given an order with such a serious attitude since she started following Gu Zhizhuo.
Qingmei immediately realized that the young lady knew that she wasn't the only one sent by her master. She was in the open, but there were others secretly working for her. Therefore, she believed she could find her.
"Yes," Qingmei replied. "This servant will go now."
After Qingmei finished speaking, she pulled on the reins and chased after the carriage.
Gu Zhizhuo took the compass in his hand and headed straight for the southeast.
The city of Beijing is square, and there has been a saying since ancient times that "the east is rich and the west is noble, while the south is poor and the north is lowly." The east side of Beijing is mostly inhabited by wealthy families and is also the most prosperous area in the entire city. There is a constant flow of traffic, and every few steps there are restaurants and red-light districts, bustling with activity.
Gu Zhizhu rode his horse all the way, taking out his compass to check the road at each fork in the road.
Near Zhangtai Street, the compass needle in Tianchi finally started to shake again. Gu Zhizhuo lowered her head to calculate, and the next moment, her gaze fell on a theater not far away.
"girl."
Qingmei arrived at that moment. Gu Zhizhuo turned around and saw Qingmei rein in her horse and say quickly, "Miss, the Lady of Jing'an said that Miss is missing."
Her tone was full of anger.
Qingmei followed them to the Jing'an Marquis's residence. The Marquis's wife initially said that Aman was asleep and wouldn't let them see her. When Madam Gu insisted on forcing her way in, Qingmei reluctantly said, "She's lost." Then she launched into a tirade of complaints, saying that Aman was disobedient, throwing a tantrum on the way, insisting on seeing the acrobatics. She had taken Aman to see the acrobatics, but as soon as they got off the carriage, Aman ran off on her own, and they had searched for her for a long time, and so on.
Not only did the eldest aunt turn hostile on the spot, but even she wanted to touch the whip.
Ah Man can't even speak properly, yet she's clamoring to watch acrobatics? She's lying through her teeth to this extent, isn't she afraid of being struck by lightning!
Aman is lively and not afraid of strangers. Qingmei always secretly lifts her up high to watch the birds. These days, the two of them have been having a great time together.
She had overheard the story told by the man surnamed Jing at the Taiqing Temple, and she didn't really believe it. This wasn't some backwater village; even if a noble family was impoverished, they wouldn't be so desperate as to kill a little girl. However, the girl's expression at the time—terrified, hateful, and sorrowful—made it seem as if she was absolutely certain the Qin family would do such a thing.
Upon their return, Lady Jing'an actually "lost" Aman!
Gu Zhizhuo simply said, "You come along."
Qingmei glanced in the direction she went, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She quickly caught up with Gu Zhizhuo, but before she could stop her, she saw Gu Zhizhuo throw the reins to the waiter who came out to greet her and look up at the theater's sign.
This theater is called Xiangxilou, and it is one of the two largest theaters in the capital. It has two floors, and the second floor is full of private boxes.
The window of the private room facing the street was half open, and a black tabby cat sat gracefully on the windowsill. A hand with distinct knuckles was stroking its chin. A long red sleeve hung down on the railing, and the gold embroidery shimmered in the sunlight.
The cat comfortably squinted its eyes.
"Meow."
It meowed sweetly, and the owner of that hand looked down at it; it had black hair, red lips, and shimmering eyes.
Their eyes met for a moment, then the window slammed shut, and the cat was gone.
Gu Zhizhuo: "..."
She felt more at ease and strode into the theater.
Qingmei also saw the person and stiffly shrank back behind Gu Zhizhuo.
"Miss, please come in." The waiter greeted her warmly, "We don't have any private rooms available today, so..."
"Looking for someone."
After Gu Zhizhuo finished speaking, he went upstairs.
“Miss.” Qingmei caught up with him clumsily and said in a low voice, “This theater is one of the East Depot’s strongholds.”
Oh? Gu Zhizhu raised an eyebrow. If Qingmei hadn't mentioned it, she really wouldn't have thought that a theater like this, where people come and go and anyone can come, would actually be a base.
"However, the master is probably just here to watch the show."
Gu Zhizhuo nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
Upon reaching the second floor, Gu Zhizhuo headed straight for the private room, where Sheng Jiang stood with a troubled expression on his face.
Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile, "Please inform them."
Sheng Jiang remained motionless.
Qingmei, who was following behind Gu Zhizhuo, bowed to him, but he remained unmoved.
Gu Zhizhuo had no idea what it meant to back down when faced with a difficult situation. She cleared her throat and said in a measured tone, "Supervisor Chen..."
Sheng Jiang quickly interrupted her, saying through gritted teeth, "Miss, please wait a moment."
If it were anyone else, Sheng Jiang would absolutely not believe they would have the audacity to reveal his master's identity knowing he was inside. But this one… he had no idea what this person was capable of.
Sheng Jiang took the duster hanging on the wall and cleaned the soles of his shoes. He went in to report to her personally and soon respectfully invited her in.
Qingmei didn't dare to follow and stayed obediently outside.
Gu Zhizhuo bowed to Sheng Jiang in thanks, then calmly stepped onto the snow-white shag carpet, leaving a few muddy footprints on it.
Shen Xu was still dressed in red, leaning back in a grand chair, his fingers tapping absently on the armrest, sandalwood prayer beads dangling from his fingertips. When he saw Gu Zhizhuo enter, he looked at her with disdain in his peach blossom eyes, and said sarcastically in a soft voice, "Did you roll around in the mud before coming back?"
Well, it's alright, I guess. It's just that my shoes got a little dirty from hiking.
"Master Supervisor."
Gu Zhizhu smiled and curtsied, completely ignoring his cold expression, and naturally sat down opposite him.
She had done the same thing once, but when she tried to do it a second time, Shen Xu didn't even bother to lift her eyelids.
The tabby cat stood on the rosewood square table, its golden eyes fixed on Gu Zhizhuo, and meowed as if to greet him.
"Master Supervisor, please do me a favor."
Gu Zhizhuo's gaze was intense, and without waiting for his reply, she said to herself, "Please help me find a little girl, about three or four years old, and this tall..."
Shen Xu ignored her.
In this vast Qi Dynasty, who would dare ask him to help find their child in front of them?!
Please.
Gu Zhizhu finished speaking in one breath, then put his hands together and said, "This is a thank-you gift."
She pulled a jade pendant from her purse and boasted, "I made it myself; it's incredibly effective."
Shen Xu glanced down at it and laughed in exasperation.
He pinched the edge of the jade pendant with two fingers, lifting it up with disgust as if it were something dirty: "Are you sure this is a thank-you gift?"
This jade pendant is so ugly it's outrageous.
None of the runes carved on it were decent; they were either severely crooked, or of varying thickness and depth. The only thing that was somewhat acceptable was the jade itself, but he could easily produce a whole bunch of white jade of that quality.
He's going to give it as a thank-you gift? Does he need something so ugly? Pshaw, he doesn't need anything that isn't ugly either.
Gu Zhizhuo felt guilty for a moment.
She only carved two jade pendants. Initially, she planned to give one to Aman and one to the young master. The pendant for Aman would be a calming talisman, and the pendant for the young master would be a peace talisman. However, she felt embarrassed to give the pendant to the young master because they were too ugly.
But she immediately became self-righteous again.
"Don't worry, I would never dare to show this to you if it weren't truly useful." Gu Zhizhuo placed the compass on the table and told him the truth, "I've calculated that this child's only chance of survival is you."
Apart from the Eastern Depot's extensive network of informants throughout the capital region, no one could find a child who couldn't even speak in such a short time in this vast area.
That's why this divination applied to him.
"Please help me."
Shen Xu held the teacup and took a sip of tea.
When she was in Zhuangzi's place, even in a situation where there was no chance of survival, she never uttered a single plea. She was like a cunning fox, always ready to strike unexpectedly.
Shen Xu raised his hand and tapped the table three times. Sheng Jiang pushed the door open and came in. He first glanced at Gu Zhizhuo sitting opposite his master and was secretly amazed. This girl was still so bold. Then he waited for instructions with his hands at his sides.
"You tell me yourself," Shen Xu said impatiently.
"I want to find a child."
Sheng Jiang was utterly shocked, inwardly giving Miss Gu a thumbs up. Coming all the way to the Eastern Depot to find a child—this was truly unprecedented.
"The child's name is Aman. He can't speak, but he can hear."
Gu Zhizhuo described Aman's characteristics in detail.
Since she had entrusted Shen Xu with this matter, she made no attempt to hide anything and said, "Aman was taken away by Lady Jing'an. It was just past noon. Just now, Lady Jing'an said that she had gone missing."
So, at most two hours have been lost. Why is Miss Gu acting like she's about to die? Last time, when she was really on the verge of death, she didn't even flinch.
Sheng Jiang glanced at his master, Shen Xu, who hadn't spoken, so he naturally had no objections.
"The Lady of Jing'an Marquis likely intends to drown her, so we must act quickly."
At this point, even Shen Xu glanced at her, his gaze falling on the compass beside her, lost in thought.
He finally managed to say, "As soon as possible."
Sheng Jiang solemnly agreed, and as soon as he left the private room, he called someone over and gave them instructions.
Qingmei whispered from the side, "This subordinate did not tell the young lady that the master was here."
Moreover, even she didn't know that her master was here today.
"It was Miss Gu who calculated it herself."
Sheng Jiang remained noncommittal.
Whether it was calculated or not, if the master doesn't care, then this matter is completely unimportant.
A rattling sound began.
The show has begun.
After consulting with his superiors, Sheng Jiang instructed someone to open the partition door closest to the stage, so that those sitting in the box could have a complete view of the stage.
Gu Zhizhuo listened absentmindedly to the wailing singing.
She may have been wrong from the start.
She was the one who was reborn through a tremendous opportunity, not someone else.
Therefore, in this life, their fate remains unchanged, and the calamities that Heaven has ordained for them are still present, inescapable.
Ah Man died a violent death in her previous life, so she has to face the death tribulation again, just like Qin Chen.
Only by being alive can one live.
She had never been reborn before; it was her carelessness.
"Meow."
The tabby cat walked gracefully over to her, sat down, and nudged her hand with its soft paws.
Sigh. Gu Zhizhuo sighed inwardly, giving the tabby cat a perfunctory pat. The tabby cat was quite pleased with itself, pawing at her arm with its front paws, its eyes half-closed in contentment, purring contentedly.
She looked at its tail and her eyes lit up. "Master, this raccoon is actually a Qilin cat!"
"It's not mine," Shen Xu said dismissively.
I don't know where the cat came from, but it just wouldn't leave him.
Oh. Gu Zhizhuo understood: "Because it likes you."
Cough! Sheng Jiang choked on his saliva, coughing so hard he almost choked. What liking or disliking? This Miss Gu dares to say such things so casually.
Shen Xu raised an eyebrow, glanced at her sideways, and sneered repeatedly.
“It’s a Qilin cat,” Gu Zhizhuo said, scratching its chin. “Qilin cats love to be close to unlucky people, the more unlucky a person is, the more they like them, like me.”
The cat meowed at just the right moment, as if in response to her.
“For example,” Gu Zhizhuo said, pointing at him while holding the cat’s paw, “you.”
She looked him up and down and said with certainty, "You're in for a rough time."
Cough cough! Sheng Jiang coughed even more violently, which made Gu Zhizhuo turn his head to look at him.
Shen Xu said coldly, "If you keep making noise, go cut your own tongue out."
Sheng Jiang hesitated for a moment, then realized he was being talked about. He quickly covered his mouth with both hands, forcing back his cough until his cheeks turned red and tears streamed down his face.
How pitiful. Gu Zhizhuo sighed inwardly, then offered, "Young Master Shen, may I tell your fortune?"
"Need not."
Shen Xu declined calmly.
He crawled out of the hell of corpses and got to where he is today, not by believing in fate.
If he believed in fate, he should have died eight hundred times over.
Gu Zhizhu shrugged and casually tucked the compass into his sleeve.
The cat lay down in front of her, paws in the air, begging to be petted.
"Young master, would you like to keep it?"
"I won't raise them."
"actually……"
Shen Xu coldly said, "Shut up, or get out."
Gu Zhizhuo: "..."
Since she needed someone's help, she wisely kept quiet.
She becomes restless if she doesn't talk or distract herself.
Shen Xu listened to the opera as if he were oblivious to whether the singing was melodious and gentle or high-pitched and passionate. His androgynous face remained calm and expressionless, with his Buddhist prayer beads hanging between his fingers. He did not look like the ruthless head of the Eastern Depot at all.
Gu Zhizhu stared absently at the side facing the street.
After one act of the play ended, a horse finally galloped from the end of the street and stopped in front of the theater. Before the horse had even come to a complete stop, the rider leaped down with a swift and skillful movement, clearly indicating that he was a trained martial artist.
Gu Zhizhuo quickly turned around, and a moment later, Sheng Jiang clapped his hands lightly, and someone came in to close the partition door again.
Sheng Jiang respectfully replied, "Master, it is Zhao Jia."
"Enter."
Shen Xu's red lips moved slightly, uttering only one word.
As soon as Zhao Jia entered the private room, he knelt down and respectfully said, "Master, we've found it."
"explain."
Zhao Jia didn't dare to raise his head and continued in detail: "The people were found about three miles north of the capital. Two women were holding a little girl by the river. The little girl's hair and clothes were already soaked."
Ah! Gu Zhizhuo's heart suddenly felt as if it had been gripped by a giant hand, hanging high in the air.
"The girl is alive, unharmed, and out of danger. Everyone is under control."
Gu Zhizhuo finally caught his breath, stood up and said, "Thank you, Chief Supervisor." Then he looked at him expectantly.
“Take her there,” Shen Xu said.
Zhao Jia respectfully agreed.
Gu Zhizhuo had expected him to say something sarcastic and difficult, but thankfully, he seemed much easier to talk to than in her previous life. She added one last thing: "Keep this jade pendant with you; it really works!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she curtsied and rushed downstairs.
"Meow."
The cat flicked its unicorn tail and gracefully walked towards Shen Xu, nuzzling his face with its forehead.
With a cold expression, Shen Xu grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck and lifted it up.
He looked directly into its golden eyes and said with a half-smile, "She left and you came again, so she's more unlucky than me?"
"Meow meow."
As Gu Zhizhuo walked downstairs, he could still hear the soft meows of cats.
She instructed, "Qingmei, call your aunt and go straight there."
Then, they mounted their horses and rode off.
Zhao Jia led the way, taking her out of the city and heading north for about three miles. Suddenly, Gu Zhizhuo saw a river not far away. A lone carriage was parked by the riverbank, surrounded by about ten people. The coachman was detained inside the carriage.
This is not the river where Aman's body was found in the previous life.
Gu Zhizhuo immediately spotted two familiar-looking nannies sitting there in shock, one of them holding the motionless Aman in her arms.
The river water flowed down her hair and clothes, drop by drop, and gathered into a puddle on the ground.
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