Chapter 13 Chapter 13

The days passed quickly and in May it was time to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. Every household had already prepared cattail leaves and were ready to make rice dumplings. When walking on the street, you could smell the scent of rice dumplings from time to time.

In a room of the Censorate.

Gu Huaisheng tilted his head to look out the window. The midday sun was dazzling and hot, and the dust in the air seemed to be clearly visible. The light shone directly on the tangled leaves in the yard. The lush leaves were gleaming with light at this moment. The summer wind blew past, swaying the shadows, and the shadows of the trees on the ground swayed with it.

It was afternoon now, he had just finished his lunch and was staring out the window with nothing to do.

Just then, he heard footsteps at the door and turned to look.

The person who came was a colleague in the yamen, He Chuan.

He Chuan worked as a sixth-rank official in the Experience Department of the Censorate, and was under the supervision of the Left and Right Assistant Censors. Whenever there was something going on, He Chuan would first pass it on to the Assistant Censors' office. If the matter was a little tricky, he would come in person to discuss it with Gu Huaisheng.

Just like now, he encountered a trouble and came to consult Huaisheng.

Gu Huaisheng stood up and walked to the reception table. There was a set of mahogany tables and chairs outside. In the middle of the room hung a square plaque with four large characters "Be Fair and Just" inscribed on it.

The two men sat facing each other. As they were of similar age and had frequent official interactions, they were considered familiar with each other.

Gu Huaisheng asked, "What are you doing here today?"

Since he came here on his own initiative, this must be something unusual.

He Chuan frowned slightly and explained his purpose directly, "Didn't we convict the doctor from the Ministry of Works of corruption a few days ago? Today, we sent the case to the Dali Temple for review. Who knew that it was rejected?"

The Censorate was responsible for supervising and impeaching all officials. Generally, after a case was decided by the Censorate, it would be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for conviction and execution. However, if the Dali Temple did not approve the case after review, it would be sent back for re-examination.

He Chuan encountered this incident today.

The corruption case of a doctor in the Ministry of Works was the case that Gu Huaisheng was busy with some time ago.

A few years ago, the Ministry of Works received an order to build the Tianlu Terrace. This order was issued by the inner cabinet, giving the Ministry of Works two years to complete the construction. The Minister of Works accepted the order and then handed the matter over to the doctor in charge of the Ministry of Works to supervise the construction.

Tianlu Terrace was successfully completed two years later. Everything seemed normal. However, less than a year after the completion of Tianlu Terrace, it suddenly collapsed...

This incident caused quite a stir and immediately caused an uproar. When the emperor found out about it, he was furious and ordered the arrest of all those involved in the incident and imprisonment in the Censorate.

This matter was of great importance, and the emperor specifically asked Gu Huaisheng to investigate it, which showed his trust in him.

If we really want to investigate this matter, it is not difficult. It is nothing more than that the supervisor of the Ministry of Works embezzled the money for building the platform and used low-quality materials, which led to the collapse of Tianlu Terrace, which was completed only a year ago.

At first, the doctor from the Ministry of Works refused to plead guilty, but after being interrogated by Gu Huaisheng, he finally gave in.

After the confession, they handed over the evidence and confession of the man's guilt to the people at the Dali Temple, but unexpectedly, the man denied it.

However, this was also expected.

Seeing that He Chuan was angry, Gu Huaisheng poured him a cup of tea and pushed it in front of him.

He said, "It seems that someone from the Dali Temple has taken care of it."

No wonder the doctor confessed his guilt so readily in the end. It was probably because he knew that even if he confessed, they would not be able to pass the Dali Temple.

This matter definitely involves more than just a small official from the Ministry of Works. How could a fifth-rank official dare to cause such a big incident? If there is no one behind him, it is unlikely. The Dali Temple was able to fight back this time, which means that it had already communicated with the people behind him.

He Chuan took the tea he poured, raised his head and drank it in one gulp. He said, "Who is so desperate to get involved in such a matter?"

"Who else could it be?" Gu Huai said calmly.

All the money for building Tianlu Terrace was paid to the Ministry of Works. The money could never leave the Ministry of Works. A fifth-rank doctor would not have the courage to covet the millions of taels of silver, but what if there was a minister of the Ministry of Works standing behind him?

Both of them knew exactly who Gu Huaisheng was talking about.

Minister of Works...now the chief minister of the inner cabinet.

If it was him, it seemed like there was really no way out. If he wanted to protect the person, it would be difficult for them to kill the doctor of the Ministry of Works. Besides, he was not the one who was truly corrupt. He was just a scapegoat. If they killed him, there would be thousands of him in the future.

But He Chuan was still unwilling to accept it. "Since that person is involved, can we just ignore it? The collapse of Tianlu Terrace killed so many people. The money was gone, and people died. In the end, they got nothing."

Initially, two million taels of silver were allocated to the Ministry of Industry, but now it seems that all of it was wasted.

How can one not be angry at seeing a bunch of misleading country termites?

Gu Huaisheng also kept silent and said nothing more. After a while, he said, "Then let's fight them."

Now that someone has intervened on their side and won't let them be convicted easily, there's nothing else they can do except wait and see.

Hearing him say this, He Chuan also knew that this matter could not be rushed. He responded, then took his leave and went out.

Not long after He Chuan left, Shu Liang, the servant beside Gu Huaisheng, came into the room again. He came out from outside with a brocade box in his hand.

Shu Liang saw Gu Huaisheng's eyes fall on the brocade box, and explained, "It was a gift from His Majesty, who said that the Dragon Boat Festival is coming."

Gu Huaisheng nodded, indicating that he understood, and said, "Put it on the table."

Shu Liang kept talking, "The emperor really loves his master."

The current emperor is Emperor Taihe, and perhaps out of his love for talent, he is quite appreciative of this young marquis of the Gu family. Not only does he use him in a high position, but he also gives him many rewards during festivals.

Gu Huaisheng didn't take this to heart. He was silent for a moment, and no one knew what he was thinking about. After a while, he suddenly said, "Let's go to Jiang's house later."

"What are you going to do at Jiang Mansion?" Shu Liang was a little puzzled.

Gu Huaisheng said, "It has been a long time since I last met my grandmother. The palace has given me gifts, so I should show my filial respect to her first."

After hearing this, Shuliang thought it was true and didn't think about it any more.

*

In May, after the Grain in Ear Festival, the air becomes a bit hot and dry. Towards dusk, the fiery clouds in the sky are particularly eye-catching. The fiery sunset shines on the courtyard, dyeing the leaves red. It is late, but the house is not as stuffy as during the day.

Jiang Jingfang could no longer bear the torture of Madam Liu, so she ran back to the second room's residence and had not been there for some time. She wanted to leave, and the old lady did not stop her. She did not want to learn, and she did not have the time to force her to learn.

Jiang Jingchun finished a day's class with Nanny Liu, and after class, he stayed by the old lady's side.

Aunt Liu was also present today, talking to the old lady about Jiang Jingchun's recent learning achievements.

After listening to Madam Liu's words, the old lady nodded with some satisfaction, then turned around and asked Jiang Jingchun, "Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, do you want to go out and play?"

Going out to play? Ever since he was reprimanded last time, Jiang Jingchun has become particularly sensitive about this matter.

Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, so we will have a family dinner, as we have done every year.

If she ran away and her father found out, she would probably be beaten again.

Besides, after the last time, she had made up her mind not to mess around anymore.

She shook her head and said, "I won't go out. I'll just stay at home."

The old lady knew what she was afraid of. She said, "There will be a dragon boat race and lantern show in the city tomorrow. Do you really not want to go?"

She has always been particular about relaxation in moderation. If a person stays in the house all the time, he will get sick.

Besides, Jiang Jingchun is only sixteen years old after all, and is not the type who can stand loneliness.

The old lady said, "Why don't you wait until after the family dinner before leaving? The dragon boat race will start around that time and the lanterns will be lit up, so it's a good time."

The old lady really understood her best. After she said this, Jiang Jingchun, who was sitting next to her, brightened her eyes.

If her grandmother allowed her to go out, then it wouldn't be considered sneaking out...

The old lady noticed the change in her expression, smiled, and asked her again, "Do you want to go?"

Jiang Jingchun finally couldn't resist the temptation and nodded. However, she was really scared after being beaten last time. The wound on her hand hasn't healed yet and it hurts every day.

She asked worriedly, "Grandma, is this really okay? If Daddy finds out, will he still beat me?"

Her voice was somewhat cautious, and there was clearly some fear in her eyes.

The old lady said, "Don't worry, you can leave in front of him this time. When the banquet is over tomorrow, you can go out and play. Grandmother is here to keep an eye on him."

Hearing this, Jiang Jingchun was no longer afraid. She happily ran to the old lady and threw herself into her arms, "Grandma is still the best to me."

The old lady laughed and scolded, "You are naughty, always acting like a spoiled brat to please me."

Just as Jiang Jingchun was leaning against the old lady, the pearl curtain outside was lifted, and the sound of beads colliding could be heard. Then, the servants passed the message inside, "The young marquis is here."

Hearing this, Jiang Jingchun hurriedly climbed up from the old lady and stood up straight, and Gu Huaisheng came in.

No one expected Gu Huaisheng to come today, and he came alone.

His sudden appearance caught everyone by surprise.

Jingchun's face turned slightly red because of her anxiety. Maybe she was afraid that Gu Huaisheng would be unhappy if he saw her like that, so she got up so anxiously. She stood aside and tidied her hair from time to time, for fear that it would become messy.

Last time he said she had a childish temper, which made her feel upset.

After she calmed down a little, she said to Gu Huaisheng, "Cousin."

Gu Huaisheng nodded as a response, then walked up to the old lady and saluted her.

The old lady was a little surprised to see Gu Huaisheng coming so suddenly. She asked, "Why did Fu Yan suddenly come here today?"

Gu Huaisheng responded to the old lady's words and repeated the same words again.

After hearing this, the old lady looked pleased, and then said, "You are so thoughtful, please sit down."

Thinking of this grandmother when giving her something is one way of being thoughtful, and making the trip in person to deliver something is another way of being thoughtful.

The old lady could never find anything to criticize about her grandson.

Gu Huaisheng nodded and sat down on a chair nearby.

Jiang Jingchun was standing aside, and when she saw this, she wanted to sit next to Gu Huaisheng without making a sound. However, Aunt Liu was right beside her, and she taught her that men and women should not touch each other. Under her nose, Jiang Jingchun did not dare to be so presumptuous.

So she sat in the empty seat between them.

Gu Huaisheng saw everything she did.

The grandfather and grandson exchanged some casual conversation, which was nothing more than Gu Huaisheng asking whether the old lady was in good health, and the old lady asking Gu Huaisheng whether everything was going well in the yamen.

After about two incense sticks of time, the two had finished talking, and Gu Huaisheng's things had been delivered. Seeing that it was almost dark outside, he stood up and said goodbye. Seeing that he was about to leave, Jiang Jingchun couldn't hold back either. Jiang Jingchun, who had been silent until now, suddenly stood up and said, "Grandma, I'll go see my cousin off."

The old lady looked at her, then looked at Gu Huaisheng, but in the end she didn't say anything. She said, "Well, go ahead."

Jiang Jingchun followed Gu Huaisheng and went out with him.

The two of them were silent all the way until they left the room. Jiang Jingchun suddenly asked him, "Cousin, are you free tomorrow night?"