Chapter 53 Chapter 53
Although he had a lot on his mind, he didn't say anything in the end. He just said "hmm", and the matter was settled.
She didn't let him ask where she was going, so what could he do?
After Jiang Jingchun finished his meal, he went back room, leaving Gu Huaisheng alone to eat his meal.
The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the diamond-shaped window on one side and shone onto Gu Huaisheng's back. This scene was inexplicably tinged with a sense of loneliness.
After she left, Gu Huaisheng put down his chopsticks and stopped eating.
Just as he was about to get up, Shuliang came in from outside.
This time, he was reporting to him what happened to the Governor's men on the wedding night.
He stood aside and said, "Sir, we still can't find him. He showed up once and we can't find him anymore. Do you think he has left the capital?"
Those secret guards have been investigating this matter secretly and have already engraved the general's face into their bones, so there should be no possibility of mistaking him for someone else.
Since I didn't recognize the wrong person, how could that person just evaporate from the world and disappear just like that?
Have we already left the capital?
Otherwise, after searching for so long, if we follow the location and turn the north of the capital upside down, we should have some clues.
Gu Huaisheng has come back to his senses from his previous emotions and regained his former mood. When he talked about business, his expression unconsciously became a little cold.
He sat back in his chair, his hands folded on both sides, his eyes lowered in deep thought. From the side, his jaw seemed a little tense.
After a moment he said, "No, he must still be in the capital."
The capital is safer than other places, so they must still be with them.
He said: "Since those people dared to let him show up that day, they must have been absolutely sure that he would not be found. Besides, few people knew about what happened back then. After the Battle of Hangu Pass, the teacher was disgraced and sentenced to death. His subordinates were dismissed and severely punished, and disappeared without a trace after surviving their lives..."
Gu Huaisheng was a little confused. Why did that subordinate hide?
He was afraid that someone would find him.
Are you afraid of him?
How could he have the ability to hide like that?
Is there someone helping him behind the scenes?
He had had this thought before, but this time, he was basically certain that there must be someone helping him behind the scenes.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for the secret guard to search for so long without finding it.
On the wedding night, they deliberately dropped such clues to lure him in, just to show him the person he had been looking for. Because they knew with absolute certainty that he couldn't find him, he let them see him without hesitation.
A person who acted so arrogantly reminded Gu Huaisheng of Wang Shun.
He never took others seriously, and he was not afraid even when the evidence against him was handed to him.
At that time, the teacher's new policy harmed the interests of the old party. Wang Shun was the first to not tolerate him. Therefore, he was framed for treason. Wang Shun wrote a letter to the emperor and sentenced him to death.
The teacher died, and along with him the New Deal collapsed.
The one who wanted to harm the teacher was Wang Shun.
Therefore, that subordinate must be protected by Wang Shun now.
Gu Huaisheng's gaze fell on the setting sun outside the door, and the remaining sunlight was slowly devouring the floor in front of the door.
He suddenly said, "Shuliang, I seem to understand something."
Gu Huaisheng seemed to gradually understand that his subordinates were hiding because they might have done something shameful.
It seems that we can now identify who the traitor was.
A gust of wind blew in from the yard, and the bleak smell of autumn wind in the wind made Gu Huaisheng recall the past.
He thought of the dead teacher.
During his lifetime, Shen Changqing was close to Lord Gu, and the two could be considered friends with the same heart and mind.
Because of this relationship, when Gu Huaisheng was ten years old, he worshipped Shen Changqing as his teacher. In the years before he became a top scholar in the imperial examination at the age of fifteen and entered the Hanlin Academy, the relationship between the two was always very good. However, two years after he entered the Hanlin Academy, the two gradually began to have differences.
Shen Changqing is a very law-abiding person, self-disciplined and cautious. In fact, a person like him is most suitable to be a teacher. Before Gu Huaisheng entered the officialdom, he also liked his teacher very much. He respected and revered him, and regarded him as closer than his own father.
But in fact, two people who are not very different will always have differences. This difference was not very obvious in the past, but after Gu Huaisheng entered the Hanlin Academy, he gradually developed his own ideas, and the differences between them became gradually obvious.
The two of them were incompatible in every way: their personalities, ideas, and ways of dealing with people.
Shen Changqing felt that Gu Huaisheng was walking too fast, while Gu Huaisheng felt that Shen Changqing was walking too slowly.
Shen Changqing said that he had no ambition and was only interested in immediate benefits, while Gu Huaisheng felt that the teacher was a bit rigid and conservative.
What Shen Changqing disliked most about Gu Huaisheng was that he had clearly won the third place in the imperial examination with his own abilities, so why did he still use the influence of the Marquis' Mansion to climb up by any means necessary?
Yes, by any means necessary...
The last time they spoke, he scolded him for being unscrupulous and not having the demeanor of an ancient gentleman or sage.
How could it be possible? Every young man has the dream of becoming a gentleman.
At first, Gu Huaisheng also wanted to become a gentleman like his teacher.
But obviously, not everyone can be a gentleman.
On the first day of entering the Hanlin Academy, Shen Changqing warned Gu Huaisheng not to rely on his family background. He said that a gentleman should be cautious when alone and not do anything that gives others an advantage. He is a young marquis, but he cannot be just a young marquis.
He had always wanted Gu Huaisheng to abandon the influence of his family background and become a clean and pure person. The world was changing rapidly, and there were countless people who rose from poverty. Gu Huaisheng won the third place in the imperial examination with his own ability, and he wanted him to gain a firm foothold in the Hanlin Academy and not be too eager for quick success.
A good family background can provide people with too many convenient ways. Just relying on the title of young marquis, too many people will try to please him. Shen Changqing does not think that this is an aid to him. He thinks that this is a hindrance to him.
From ancient times to the present, are there not many people who are blinded by fame and fortune?
When he was still young and had just entered the officialdom, Gu Huaisheng valued his pride more than anything else. He also wanted to be a saintly gentleman who was not tainted by the dust. At that time, he even hated his family background because he thought that everyone loved him, not because of him, but because he was the young marquis of Heyang Marquisate. His identity brought him too many conveniences in the officialdom. Even the top scholar did not live as comfortably as him, the third scholar.
Young people are full of vigor and will always hate this kind of comfort. When their achievements are tainted by other things, they will think that these things are not pure and the heart of a saint is polluted.
He hated the air of fame and fortune that surrounded him more and more.
He also began to doubt whether everything he had now was due to his birth in a marquis's mansion.
During the first two years of his immersion in officialdom, he wanted to listen to his teacher and be a flawless saint, but the reality was that he was enjoying the convenience brought by his family background. Everyone called him "Young Marquis Gu" instead of his official title in the Hanlin Academy.
They value him, but it seems that what they value is not him.
No matter what he did, he seemed unable to escape this shackles.
This made Gu Huaisheng feel a little torn.
This feeling of disconnection is quite dangerous.
If left unchecked, it is easy for people to lose their way, and Gu Huaisheng indeed gradually lost his direction.
Finally, in the third year after entering the Hanlin Academy, at the age of eighteen, he went to the Buddhist temple and found his own answer.
Sitting quietly under the Bodhi book, his mind was as calm as dead water.
He thought about it for a long time and suddenly realized that he could not achieve the purity of a saint, so he was not a saint.
The use and disposal of things depends on the time, and the actions and concealment are up to me.
Sometimes, when you understand a truth, you don’t need to worship many gods and Buddhas or visit many temples. In an instant, at that moment, you finally figure out what you want and what you don’t want.
This was a decision that changed the trajectory of his life. He decided not to be the gentleman or saint that his teacher had described him as.
Because he is not that kind of person at heart.
Well...he didn't want to walk as slowly as the teacher, that was not what he wanted.
Follow the will of heaven and do your best.
Today I know who I am.
Everyone will have his or her own enlightenment in Longchang.
And his way became clear on that day.
He understood in an instant that there was no need to worry so much. If he had power, everything would indeed become easier to handle. So he should use it. He used his family background and his own talents to easily reach places that ordinary people would never reach in their lifetime, and did things that ordinary people would never be able to do in their lifetime.
If you reach a position that others cannot reach, you can do a lot of things you want to do.
If you can seize the opportunity to climb up, why not just climb up the pole instead of pushing off?
He doesn't want to.
He and Shen Changqing thought completely differently.
After that day, Gu Huaisheng did indeed become as unscrupulous as Shen Changqing said.
In fact, Gu Huaisheng felt that he did nothing, but in the eyes of Shen Changqing, it was something extremely intolerable, because he could not tolerate any dirty things.
Later, the two had a quarrel. To be honest, it was Gu Huaisheng who was scolded by Shen Changqing.
Shen Changqing couldn't get used to Gu Huaisheng's behavior. Gu Huaisheng agreed that Shen Changqing wanted him to be a gentleman, but he really couldn't do it.
So in the end, they had different ideals and could not work together, and their relationship ended completely.
Many people heard Shen Changqing scolding Gu Huaisheng that day. After all, he had taught these students for so many years and put so much effort into them, and in the end, things turned out like this. How could he not be angry?
Gu Huaisheng always thought that the teacher walked very slowly.
However, a year after their quarrel, he proposed a new policy.
The old party was powerful, and the road to the new policy was bumpy and tortuous. For Shen Changqing, this step was too big and too fast. He had been slow all his life, and in the end he still couldn't take this step.
Half a year after the new policy was proposed, Shen Changqing took on the role of Governor of Northern Xinjiang and went to the region.
Not long after, Shen Changqing lost a battle and an entire city's worth of people died. In the end, he was sentenced to death for treason and treason.
The autumn of the twenty-third year of Taihe was desolate and cold, with a wind so ferocious that it seemed to break people's bones.
On the evening when the teacher was beheaded, Gu Huaisheng also went there.
The waning sun that day was like blood, covering the earth.
He was clearly standing far away, but he still felt that the blood had seeped into his eyes.
The wild wind passed through the crowd and his chest, and there were waves of thunder in his ears. He looked through the crowd and saw the teacher's head falling to the ground, his eyes staring at him intently.
teacher......
teacher......
His throat felt dry and the blood in his body seemed to have frozen.
That was the first time in Gu Huaisheng's life that he felt so distraught. He ran back home as if escaping and locked himself in his room.
He locked himself in his room for a long time, and even rarely missed work the next day.
In the afternoon, Jiang Jingchun came to Gu's house to find him.
She came with a pen bag to learn how to write from him.
His eyes looked very red that day, as if he had been crying. It must have been quite scary. Jiang Jingchun was frightened and she froze in place.
Gu Huaisheng originally thought that she would be scared and run away.
But no.
She sat next to him and asked him if he was hungry. She asked someone to buy some sweet-scented osmanthus cake and said, "Cousin, when you are in a bad mood, just eat something sweet. I heard from my aunt that you didn't have lunch, so you should eat a little and don't get hungry."
She held the osmanthus cake in front of him, and her eyes seemed to be shining with stars.
Gu Huaisheng doesn't want to eat.
But Jiang Jingchun acted coquettishly with him. She said, "Cousin, please eat a little. I am worried about you..."
He looked at her, and finally listened to her and ate the piece of osmanthus cake. However, the sweet cake stuck to his throat like blood, making it difficult for him to swallow.
Jiang Jingchun saw that he was in a bad mood. Gu Huaisheng sat on the couch, and she sat beside the footstool, chattering on and on about interesting things to try to make him happy.
Gu Huaisheng was actually very upset that day. He was so upset that he didn't want to see anyone or listen to anyone.
But when he heard Jiang Jingchun's sweet voice, he unexpectedly didn't feel disgusted.
I found a moment of peace in my heart.
She stayed with him for the whole afternoon, and those heavy things were finally put behind his mind temporarily until the evening when Jiang Jingchun was finally going home. Gu Huaisheng didn't want to let her leave, but he didn't realize his strange emotions at that time. He just thought that after she left, he would have to think about those things again and think of his dead teacher.
But in the end he didn't say anything to keep her.
If he had asked, Jiang Jingchun would definitely have stayed.
But he said nothing.
He just watched Jiang Jingchun turn his head back every few steps and slowly disappear from his sight.
Gu Huaisheng gradually came back to his senses from his memories, his cheeks seemed to be stiffened by the cold wind, and he withdrew his gaze from the setting sun at the door.
Hangu Pass was breached, several thousand people died, and ten thousand generals were killed. The initial news sent back to the capital said that the governor had made a wrong judgment and rushed into battle in a panic.
The governor underestimated the enemy and his crime was not punishable by death...but later news came back that it was Shen Changqing who colluded with the enemy and deliberately let the Mongols in.
The nature of this is somewhat different.
The files that were transferred from the Ministry of War also said that the commander was arrogant and domineering.
The commander will defeat the enemy...
Hangu Pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Without the order to fight, it seems that the Mongolian cavalry would not be able to break into Hangu Pass. Even if someone wanted to frame him for treason, it would be useless.
Was the order to open the gates and fight given by Shen Changqing, or was it someone else who gave the order?
It has been more than a year since this happened. The Battle of Hangu Pass was a humiliation for Da Zhao and very few people mention it. Most people don't have a good face when they mention Shen Changqing, after all, he was responsible for so many lives.
The files only gave a rough idea of what happened, but Gu Huaisheng wanted to know more details.
He still had doubts in his mind and wanted to investigate further to find out what exactly happened.
Perhaps it was the cold night breeze that made him feel extremely cold. Not wanting to think about these things any longer, he stood up and walked into the house.
Jiang Jingchun was lying on the imperial concubine couch, with one hand supporting her chin and the other hand flipping through a storybook, her two legs swaying behind her.
The skirt was bunched up at the bend of her calves, revealing her embroidered shoes that swayed with it.
The concubine's couch was next to the wall, and the window next to the wall was wide open. The faint light of the setting sun came in from outside. Jiang Jingchun read the storybook in the remaining sunlight outside.
Gu Huaisheng took one look at the scene, then turned around and asked his servant to fetch a fire starter.
He went into the house with a tinder.
In the past, he might have told Jiang Jingchun not to lie down and read when it was almost dark, because it was not good for his eyes.
But now, he has learned to shut up.
There is no need for him to say such things that may make others unhappy.
It's not good to read at dark, why don't he light a fire for her? Why bother saying anything more?
He walked towards the direction of the imperial concubine's couch, and the fire lighter opened with a "pop" sound.
When Jiang Jingchun heard the noise, she thought it was a maid at first, but then she realized it was Gu Huaisheng. She looked away and continued reading her storybook.
Gu Huaisheng lit a candle and then sat down beside the couch.
He asked her, "Where are you going in a few days?"
Her thoughts were easy to guess. She suddenly asked him not to ask about her whereabouts. She probably didn't know where she would go in a few days.
And I went to a place I didn't want him to know about.
Jiang Jingchun was silent for a moment, her eyes still on the book in front of her. She was absorbed in reading and answered him absentmindedly, "Why do you care so much? Besides, even if I go out, do I need to inform you? Can't I have fun when I go out?"
Gu Huai's voice made her choke, but she became more determined in her thoughts.
He was a little curious about where she had gone.
But she really didn't want to say it, and he was afraid of bothering her with questions again, so he kept silent.
He didn't say anything else, but suddenly lay down on the couch.
The imperial concubine's couch was not very small, but Gu Huaisheng's body was quite broad. Once he lay down on it, he was squeezed into the corner by Jiang Jingchun again.
Jiang Jingchun immediately made a "tsk" sound and wanted to ask him what he was doing here.
Besides, isn't he very busy on weekdays? He's either busy with official duties or busy with something unknown. Why did he have to come over and do something today?
However, Gu Huaisheng spoke before her.
"I'm so tired and cold, I'll just lie down for a while..."
His voice was a little deep, with an indescribable sadness.
The words of Jiang Jingchun's question were stuck in his throat, and Fang's foot, which was about to turn around and kick him, stopped in mid-air.
She looked at him.
Under the candlelight, his cold, jade-white profile was tinged with a sickly paleness, his brows were wrinkled, his jaw was tightly tightened, and even his lips looked a little pale. No one knew what had happened. How could Gu Huaisheng become like this in just such a short while?
The tall man now looks so weak.
Jiang Jingchun thought that Gu Huaisheng's tricks of selling pity were getting more and more powerful.
Seeing this, she felt too embarrassed to kick him off.
Jiang Jingchun compromised, but said: "Then you lie down, I will go down."
She was still wearing her shoes and it was difficult for her to move, so she pushed Gu Huaisheng next to her and tried to go down.
But Gu Huaisheng refused to move. He said, "Just lie here and read. I won't bother you. Just lie down for a while and then I'll leave."
He got a headache whenever he thought of what happened back then, as if he was brought back to that bitterly cold autumn day. He wanted to lean against her; it was warm next to her, so he warmed himself for a while and then left.
Things that were once within easy reach are now out of reach...
His pitiful tone was almost pleading, and Jiang Jingchun felt something was wrong.
What happened to him? It's very strange.
What on earth happened just now?
But after hearing this, Jiang Jingchun really did not move.
Because he looked like he was really about to freeze to death.
My lips are so white.
He was indeed tired. He got up earlier than the chickens all day long and was extremely busy.
Jiang Jingchun didn't say anything else and continued to flip through the book in her hand, but Gu Huaisheng was not very honest and always wanted to stick to her side.
He was really cold, and Jiang Jingchun could even feel the chill.
She turned her head to look at him, but saw that his eyes were closed, with his long eyelashes casting a shadow under his eyes. She couldn't tell whether he was asleep or not.
But it was rare that she didn't push him awake.
Even though he was pushed into a corner and his face turned red, he didn't say anything.