Chapter 23 Chapter 23

Li looked at him and said, "She is your sister, not your biological daughter, but she is still your sister. You can dislike her, but you don't have to think about her like that."

Jiang Runchu clenched his palms, lowered his head, and ultimately said nothing more.

Jiang Jinghui, who was hiding outside the wall, heard the whole thing. Until she slapped Jiang Runchu, she couldn't help but sneer in her heart.

Haha, he is so nice to her that he even beats his own son whenever he wants.

Li turned around and went back into the house, leaving Jiang Runchu alone there.

When Jiang Nan came back, he heard what happened that evening and knew what the two men were arguing about. He went straight back to the house to look for Li.

Li's face still didn't look very good, as if she was still upset about what happened just now. She didn't even notice Jiang Nan coming in.

It wasn't until Jiang Nan walked up to her and called her name that she reacted.

Jiang Nan asked her, "Did you have a fight with Mingfeng today? Did you even hit him?"

Mingfeng is Jiang Runchu's pen name.

Speaking of this, Li couldn't help but get angry. She said, "This bastard is really too much. How could he say such things to Jingchun? He has become like this, and he has all kinds of dirty thoughts on others."

Jiang Nan didn't say anything, just said: "He just feels sorry for his sister."

"There's no need to say such harsh words. They grew up together. Doesn't he know what kind of person she is?"

Jiang Nan did not agree with Li's words. He sat on the chair opposite her and suddenly said, "She has reached the age to get married."

Jiang Nan said this suddenly. Li was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant.

She remained silent and turned her head away. It was obvious that she didn't want to answer him.

Jiang Nan said, "It's not my selfish motive. This is all for their own good. Now that Jinghui is back, her situation is really awkward. How can she be happy staying at home? After something like this happened, I'm afraid she will feel like she is living under someone else's roof."

Seeing that Li still had no intention of speaking, Jiang Nan continued, "Besides, it makes sense for a woman not to get married. She is sixteen now, so it is a good time to propose marriage. If she waits any longer, it will be difficult to even get married. There will be many things like today in the future, and it is also torture for her. It is better for her to choose a husband's family that can treat her well, so that she can live a peaceful and smooth life in the second half of her life."

After hearing this, Li's expression indeed relaxed a little.

Yes, you have to get married eventually.

The best way out for Jiang Jingchun now is to find a good husband.

This way, it's better for everyone.

Li finally looked at Jiang Nan and asked him, "Do you have any good candidates? You are an official in the court, so you can see if there are any suitable young talents in the court. They must have a good family background."

Jiang Nan was overjoyed to see Li finally give in. He had told her about these things a long time ago, but she had always refused to agree. Now she finally gave in. He quickly agreed to it and said, "Okay, I'll ask her to keep an eye on it right away. Don't worry about it."

*

In the Censorate.

After Gu Huaisheng finished the work at hand, he thought of other things when he had some free time.

These days, the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was not right. He had met Jiang Jinghui at the Jiang family's ancestral recognition banquet and always felt that there was something strange about her.

He has always been a very alert person. Many times, even if the other party has not done anything wrong, he can still vaguely sense that something is wrong just by relying on his intuition.

He called Shu Liang who was outside the room and ordered, "Ask someone to check the background of Jiang Jinghui."

Shuliang asked him, "Sir, do you think something is wrong?"

Gu Huai hummed, and intuitively felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Shuliang agreed to the task. After he left, Gu Huaisheng looked at the sky outside. It was not so hot after the sun had risen. The breeze was gentle and shadows shrouded the yard.

Gu Huaisheng stood up and walked towards the prison of the Censorate.

Last time at Zuixianglou, he and He Chuan arrested the left assistant minister of the Dali Temple who was guilty of corruption and bribery.

It was almost the same as what they guessed. The Dali Temple official had accepted money from others, so he repeatedly rejected the case sent by the Metropolitan Procuratorate and was not sure about the corruption case of Tianlutai. But the other person who was arrested was just a guest official who worked for others. He refused to give out the person behind the crime and finally committed suicide in prison.

After the Dali Temple's Secretary was arrested for corruption and thrown into prison, the case of Zhu Tianlutai could be settled. Now the arrested Minister of Works has been found guilty and will be beheaded on June 15th.

All in all, there are only two days left.

The summer heat was unbearable. The prison was stuffy and humid. The dark environment was filled with the smell of blood and decay, revealing a breath of death. Only a few rays of sunlight penetrated through the small window on the top, casting a mottled reflection on the broken stone wall.

Gu Huaisheng walked deeper into the prison, where the Langzhong of the Ministry of Works who had supervised the construction of Tianlu Terrace was imprisoned.

At this moment, the man was lying half-dead on the straw mat, looking like he was on the verge of death. It was unknown whether he could survive for another two days.

Gu Huai called out his name.

"Li Si."

The person inside moved his body, recognized Gu Huaisheng's voice, stood up, and looked in his direction.

"You're going to die."

Li Si heard Gu Huai say this in a very calm voice.

These few words came out of his mouth as if he was stating something that could not be simpler.

Li Si had no reaction after hearing this, or perhaps he no longer had the strength to react. How long had he been in this prison? He couldn't remember clearly, but after being locked up, every day was dark for him.

At first, he didn't think he would die. After all, he had someone behind him to protect him. But time went on and on, until his wounds began to rot and maggots grew on them. He thought he wouldn't be able to get out.

Who let this matter be handed over to Gu Huaisheng? If it was someone else, he might still have a chance to survive.

Li Si laughed, and this laugh stirred up his internal organs, causing his forehead and heart to furrow in pain. But it didn't matter. It was fate and this was his destiny.

Even though he knew that things were irreversible, he still wanted to be angry with Huai Sheng before he died. He looked up at him and asked with a smile, "What if the young marquis tried so hard to kill me?"

He can only make a scapegoat die. Even if he dies, there will be thousands and millions of him.

What he said was indeed true, and Gu Huaisheng did not want to refute it. He also looked at him.

Li Si couldn't read the emotion in his eyes.

Gu Huaisheng asked him, "How much did you take out of the two million taels of silver that went into the Ministry of Industry?"

Li Si would naturally not answer his question. He was dead, but he had old people and children at home. If Gu Huaisheng asked him, would he answer? If he was dead, he was dead. Why leave trouble for himself?

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Gu Huaisheng asked again, "The person behind you is the king..."

Before Gu Huaisheng could finish his sentence, Li Si interrupted him with a sharp voice, "Young Marquis, now that I have confessed my guilt, the case can be closed. If Tianlu Terrace collapses, you can just pay with my life. Why are you being so aggressive and insisting on this? How can this benefit you?"

These matters could have been concluded, and the charges had clearly been established, but Gu Huaisheng still wanted to bring up other things.

A breath of foul air suddenly rushed up to his chest, and Li Si was so emotional that he suddenly spurted out a mouthful of blood from his chest.

Gu Huai made a "tsk" sound and took a step back with a hint of disgust.

"It seems I was right."

Li Si was reluctant to pull him out, but Gu Huaisheng insisted on holding him and he could do nothing about it. He turned over with difficulty, facing the wall, and stopped talking to him.

Just let Gu Huaisheng talk to himself. If he doesn't say anything, what does it have to do with him?

Unexpectedly, Gu Huaisheng said again: "I brought something with me. It says that Wang Shun is guilty of corruption. Are you willing to put your fingerprints on it?"

Wang Shun is the current Prime Minister of the Cabinet and also the Minister of Works, Li Si's immediate superior.

Li Si felt that Gu Huaisheng was more or less crazy. Since he had willingly admitted his guilt and become a scapegoat, he did not dare to implicate the person behind it. Now he wanted him to identify him.

Are you sick?

He didn't say anything, but just moved himself towards the wall again and again, which made his attitude clear.

Seeing that he was unwilling, Gu Huaisheng did not get annoyed and continued, "If you plead guilty, the Prime Minister will protect your family."

Li Si was imprisoned, and Wang Shun had tried to get him out. Since he couldn't get him out, he should just take the blame. This way, his family would be able to enjoy endless wealth and glory for the rest of their lives.

Otherwise, why would Li Si willingly give up his life?

Asking people to do things and clean up after others is almost an unwritten rule, and everyone knows it.

Wang Shun knew it, Li Si knew it, and Gu Huaisheng naturally knew it too.

But Li Si didn't understand why he suddenly brought up this matter, but he felt a sense of uneasiness inexplicably.

As expected, Gu Huai said, "If you don't press this handprint today, I will go and cause trouble for your family."

His unhurried voice reached Li Si's ears, but he still did not move, obviously not taking his threat seriously.

If Wang Shun can't even protect his family, wouldn't this discourage his subordinates? Who will work for him in the future?

Gu Huaisheng obviously knew what he was thinking. He chuckled and said, "I'm not trying to scare you. Don't disbelieve me. To put it bluntly, the Prime Minister is already over 60 years old. Do you think I can't survive him? He has no descendants anyway. Who do you think will still remember your family when that time comes?"

He was tall and slender, and even though he was standing in such a smelly place, he was still so bright and cheerful, and his voice was as clear and melodious as the sound of pearls colliding.

But the words that came out of his mouth made Li Si feel cold.

Gu Huaisheng said, "But I am different. I am still young and have plenty of strength. Even if I can't do anything to them now, do you still think I can't do anything to them after they die? Wang's party is on the decline, but I am only 21 years old and I have become a fourth-rank official."

The implication is that Wang Shun is declining day by day, but he is thriving day by day.

He is the Prime Minister now, but he won't always be.

Li Si finally turned around. He looked at Gu Huaisheng with anger in his eyes. He asked him in a hoarse and almost hysterical voice, "Do you really want to harm innocent people?"

"They are not innocent." Gu Huaisheng's smile faded. "There were countless casualties at Tianlutai. You took the blame and let your family live happily. What about those who died?"

Li Si didn't know where he got the strength from, he suddenly stood up and climbed to the fence. He was so angry that he wanted to pull Gu Huaisheng, but the distance was too far. He could only say "Pooh" fiercely and cursed: "You are just a hypocrite seeking fame and reputation, don't pretend to be a saint."

A saint? A gentleman?

A few years ago, when he was still young, he wanted to be a saint.

But now, Gu Huaisheng no longer wants to think about it.

He was not angry at Li Si's behavior. After all, when something that people cherish is threatened, they will always lose their minds.

He finally just asked him, "Do you want to press the hand seal?"

"If you don't press it, I'll leave."

Gu Huaisheng really turned around and left, but before he took a few steps, he heard Li Si calling him.

"I press, I can identify him as the one who ordered it."

Gu Huaisheng turned around, took out a complaint from his sleeve and handed it to Li Si.

Li Si had blood on his lips. He looked at Gu Huaisheng and asked him again, "Will you protect them?"

Wang Shun will not let his family go after he did such a thing.

Gu Huaisheng said: "Don't worry, I will live longer than him."

After receiving Li Si's complaint, Gu Huaisheng went directly to the palace.

He went to the Qianqing Palace, the sleeping quarters of Emperor Taihe.

The eunuch at the door went into the hall to deliver a message, and came out shortly afterwards, leading Gu Huaisheng into the hall.

"Shouldn't you be on duty today? Why are you in the palace?"

Emperor Taihe is now less than forty years old. His father had finally won the throne, but he passed away before he could sit on the throne for a few years. The throne was ascended by the crown prince who was only about fifteen years old.

Twenty years have passed.

The emperor was wearing a golden dragon robe and a golden crown, but even a simple question revealed a bit of majesty.

Gu Huaisheng saluted him and then replied, "Your Majesty, there is another hidden story about the Tianlutai case."

Emperor Taihe was indifferent after hearing this, and just asked, "Didn't you guys already decide on the case a few days ago?"

Gu Huaisheng handed the petition to the eunuch beside him, who took it and presented it to Emperor Taihe.

Emperor Taihe did not look at the object yet, but asked the eunuch to put it on the table first.

Gu Huaisheng stared at the charges presented on the table, clenched his hands slightly, and said nothing.

Emperor Taihe told him something else. "It's rare for you to come to the palace. I heard that Minister Jiang's family found his daughter a few days ago. Is it true?"

The incident of Jiang Jingchun going missing caused quite a stir back then, and Emperor Taihe also knew something about it.

Gu Huaisheng didn't quite understand why he asked this question, but he still replied, "Yes, I found it."

Emperor Taihe did not react much after hearing this, but said in an ambiguous tone: "That's really good. After so many years, I can still find it back."

The two were speechless for a moment. At this moment, another person came to the outside of the hall to report that Prime Minister Wang had come and had important matters to discuss with Emperor Taihe.

Gu Huaisheng had just arrived when he quickly caught up.

Who would believe it if I said it was a coincidence?

Emperor Taihe tapped the tabletop with his fingers intermittently, looked at Gu Huaisheng and said, "Since Mr. Ge is here, I will discuss government affairs with him first."

Gu Huaisheng's eyes always fell on the complaint on the table. He knew that he would most likely not read it.

He pursed his lips and walked out of the hall.

When he left the hall, Wang Shun was also heading back inside.

The man was already in his sixties, with gray hair and eyebrows. When Wang Shun was young, people called him a man with beautiful beard, with a beard longer than his belly, and a graceful demeanor like a snow-covered Kun. Now that he is old, he still has a long white beard on his chin.

He had already risen to prominence in his early years. He was the Taifu of Emperor Taihe when he was still a prince. Later, the previous emperor died suddenly after only a few years on the throne. After the young Emperor Taihe ascended the throne, Wang Shun was an old man by his side, so naturally he rose with the tide. Later, he assisted the young emperor and rose to the position of the chief assistant of the inner cabinet. Now no one can shake his position.

Just as the two men passed each other, Gu Huaisheng saw Wang Shun smile at him.

The smile on that old and mottled face did not even cause a single wrinkle.

Gu Huaisheng quickly realized that the smile contained some malice and contempt.

That malicious smile disappeared in a flash, and after the two of them passed each other, his face immediately turned expressionless again.

Gu Huaisheng understood what he meant from his smile.

Wang Shun knew that he would come today, and he also knew that he came here to say something.

However, he would not take his own affairs seriously at all. Even if he presented all the evidences to the emperor, what would that do?

*

Gu Huaisheng went straight home after returning from the palace, and returned a little later than usual.

Lord Gu sent someone to ask about it, and found out that the person had gone into the palace.

He asked Gu Huaisheng to go to the study to find him first when he came back.

Candles were already lit in the room, and the flickering candles cast a shadow on the wall. Lord Gu sat at the table, thinking about something. His back looked a little lonely. Outside the window was the sound of cicadas chirping, making people feel upset.

It didn't take long before Gu Huaisheng arrived here.

Lord Gu first heard him knocking on the door, then he came back to his senses and shouted at the door: "Come in."

After Gu Huaisheng entered the room, Lord Gu nodded towards the chair in front of him and said, "Sit down."

Gu Huaisheng lifted his robe and sat opposite him.

He did not speak, his hands resting on the red rosewood armchair on both sides, his head lowered, his eyelids drooping, and he looked a little listless compared to usual. His face looked even paler in the dim candlelight, so much so that it seemed to carry a bit of pity in Lord Gu's eyes.

This was the first time that Lord Gu saw Gu Huaisheng like this.

He took a closer look and asked curiously, "She didn't cry, did she?"

Gu Huaisheng finally looked up at him, as if he had not expected Lord Gu to say this. He twitched his lips and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Seeing him looking at him like that, Lord Gu touched his nose awkwardly and said, "I know you won't cry, I was just joking."

He asked him again, "Did you go to the palace today to talk to the emperor about the matter of Tianlu Terrace?"

Lord Gu knew that he had been busy with this case recently. Although Li Si was convicted in the end, he knew that Gu Huaisheng would still be somewhat unwilling to accept it.

I must have entered the palace today for this matter.

Gu Huaisheng replied, "I have brought Li Si's complaint accusing Wang Shun of corruption and bribery to the emperor."

He thought for a moment and added, "He put the thing on the table without looking at it, and then Wang Shun happened to come."

Lord Gu was stunned at first, as if he had not expected that he could actually get the complaint.

It's considered to be quite capable.

Then when he heard that Wang Shun had also entered the palace, he actually laughed out loud. At first it was just a laugh, but then as if he couldn't help it, he laughed louder and louder.

Gu Huaisheng looked at him in confusion. Is there something so funny?

Lord Gu laughed for a long time, and then stopped laughing. He said, "You are done."

Gu Huaisheng was even more confused.

Lord Gu said, "After you leave, our emperor will show Wang Shun the thing you gave him."

As soon as he left, Emperor Taihe gave the thing to Wang Shun, and then Wang Shun knew where the thing came from without even thinking.

Gu Huaisheng was not afraid of Wang Shun. If he was, he would not have done such a thing today.

He was curious why Lord Gu thought this way.

He asked, "How did Father know?"

Lord Gu said lightly, "What a coincidence! I have done the same thing as you before. Our good emperor immediately gave this thing to our Prime Minister to observe carefully."

Gu Huaisheng was speechless.

It turns out that I have been cheated once.

He did not speak again, and the two of them remained silent for a long time. Later, Lord Gu spoke again, and this time his tone was no longer joking, but rather serious. "I think you should not get involved in this mess. This matter has already been resolved, and the death of some people to take the blame is the best solution. There is no point in getting entangled in it. I know you are not used to Wang Shun's behavior, but don't worry. He won't survive for many years anyway."

Gu Huaisheng lowered his head and said nothing, and it was unknown whether he had heard what Lord Gu said.

Seeing him like this, Lord Gu knew that it was useless to say more. He was an experienced person and when he was young he didn't like to be nagged by others.

He remembered something that happened nearby and asked him, "By the way, did you know that your uncle has been looking for someone for Jingchun these days?"

Want to meet someone else?

After hearing this, Gu Huaisheng finally showed some emotion. He looked up at Lord Gu with a frown on his face and a hint of doubt in his dark eyes.

When did this happen and why didn't he know about it?

"Who are you going to see?"

He raised his voice slightly, sounding somewhat anxious.

Lord Gu was puzzled by his expression and asked, "Why are you so anxious?"

Gu Huaisheng gripped the handrail tightly to hide his emotions. He said calmly, "It's just a little strange. Why did you suddenly start looking at me?"

Sudden?

He said, "She is sixteen this year. In fact, you should have been engaged a long time ago. In the past few years, she has been hanging around you, but you don't like her very much. Anyway, you don't like her noisy personality. There is no possibility for the two of you. My brother and sister-in-law must have realized that they can't delay it any longer, so they started to see each other."

Even he knew that Jiang Jingchun was pestering Gu Huaisheng, but his son didn't seem to have much interest in love, so he thought Jiang Jingchun should have given up now.

Lord Gu was talking to himself and didn't notice the change in mood of Gu Huaisheng opposite him.

"Your uncle also asked me to help check if there are any young men of the right age in the court. I saw some good young men in the government, so I told him about it."

The more Gu Huaisheng listened, the tighter he gripped the chair. Before he knew it, his thin lips had been pursed into a straight line, and even his jaw was tense.

Lord Gu finally noticed that Gu Huaisheng was abnormal. "Why are you tensing so tightly?"

Gu Huaisheng came back to his senses. He looked at Lord Gu and said, "Father's vision has never been very good. I think you should not make random comments."

Lord Gu suspected that he had heard it wrongly. Why did the words sound so strange?

But he didn't have time to think about it, because Gu Huaisheng said that he had poor taste, and he was unhappy. He immediately retorted, "What do you mean I have poor taste? Hey, hey, hey, what nonsense are you talking about..."

Gu Huaisheng was no longer in the mood to listen to what Lord Gu had to say, so he stood up and walked out.

When he came out of the study, it was already dark. He walked towards his own courtyard, thinking uncontrollably about what Lord Gu had just said.

She is sixteen years old.

Now we have started looking for a marriage partner.

This is a very normal thing, just like before, he also started to see other people.

Yes, we are just seeing each other, and we are not going to get engaged so soon.

However, unlike what Gu Huaisheng thought, he thought that Jiang Jingchun's marriage would not be so easily arranged, but within a few days, they had already found a candidate for her engagement.