"Ma'am, Mrs. Fang said that the second girl came to greet the old man in the afternoon. The grandpa and grandson didn't know what they said. After that, the old man ran out."
Shao Yao truthfully reported the news she had heard from Mrs. Fang to Mrs. Zhang.
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, paused for a moment, then looked back at Shao Yao, "This matter is serious."
"The servant asked someone to ask, and the second girl did come to the outer courtyard in the afternoon."
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, looked back at the gate of the courtyard where the old man lived, and said, "I know about it."
Shao Yao asked a lot, "Does this matter need to be investigated? Why is it a little strange that the second girl came to greet the old man suddenly, regardless of the year?"
The eldest wife Zhang said with a straight face: "There is no need to investigate. Don't spread this matter."
Shao Yao nodded in response, "The servant obeys the wife. The servant will beat her as well."
"Remember to tell her to shut up. If you let me know that she is talking nonsense and ruining the reputation of the girl's family, I will not spare him."
"Slave remembers."
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, didn't want to delve into why Gu Jiu went to see Mr. Gu, nor did she want to delve into whether Mr. Gu's sudden running out had something to do with Gu Jiu.
In this matter, she is indeed a little good, and she has made a lot of guesses.
But Mrs. Zhang knows that it is better not to know some things.
When Gu Jiu sees Mr. Gu, there is always her reason.
…
Early the next morning, Gu Jiu went to the Furong Courtyard to pay his respects.
When going out, Qingmei whispered a few words, "Girl, when will master come back?"
Gu Jiu said in a deep voice: "Wait, maybe it's just a day or two."
There are still a few days before the Chinese New Year, and Liu Zhao asked her to attend the palace banquet, so Mrs. Gu must be released before the court holiday. It will not exceed the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month at the latest.
After the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month, there is no way to talk about the palace banquet.
When I arrived at Furongyuan, I met Gu Yue.
Gu Yue's eyes were red and swollen, and she cried countless times in the past two days.
Gu Jiu wanted to ask Gu Yue if she was crying for Master Gu's safety, or for the attitude of Haixibo Mansion, or for her own marriage.
"Third sister, are you okay?"
Gu Yue was depressed, his face was pale, and he looked weak.
She was very polite and non-aggressive, and said, "Thank you for your concern, second sister. I'm fine. Second sister looks good. I really envy second sister who can eat and sleep soundly."
Gu Jiu smiled, "Because I firmly believe that father will return safely and everything will be fine. Third sister, do you think father will never come back?"
Gu Yue retorted without strength: "Don't talk nonsense. I hope more than anyone else that my father can return safely as soon as possible."
This is true, if Master Gu does not come back, the marriage between Gu Yue and Zhao Erlang may not be possible.
As long as Gu Yue didn't marry in Haixibo Mansion for a day, there would still be variables in her marriage.
"Second sister, third sister, you always come so early. It's cold outside, let's go in."
When Gu Zhen came, she also didn't have a good rest, her complexion was dull, and her appearance plummeted.
Gu Jiu nodded, "What big sister said is true. Big sister should also take care of her health."
Gu Zhen gave a wry smile, Yaoyao nodded, and walked into the Furong Courtyard first without saying anything.
Everyone entered the main room one by one, Gu Shan and Gu Lin both arrived, and both of them sat silently on the chairs.
The maids helped Mrs. Xie out.
Gu Jiu stared at Mrs. Xie and took a closer look.
In a few days, Xie's whole body seemed to be seven or eight years old, not only his face was haggard, but also his complexion was dark yellow, and his lips were chapped. The cheeks are also thin and sunken.
Gu Jiu took the lead and greeted Mrs. Xie.
Xie waved his hand, "Sit down."
Gu Yue opened her mouth, and asked the question that she always wanted to ask but was afraid to ask.
"Mother, has anyone been sent to my uncle's house? Is my father's imprisonment related to my uncle?"
Xie's gaze pierced Gu Yue's face like a knife.
Gu Yue shivered.
With a straight face, Mrs. Xie said loudly, "Master's matter has nothing to do with the Xie family or your uncle."
"But… "
"No but. If anyone dares to talk nonsense in the future, I can't spare her."
Now, Gu Yue didn't dare to ask again.
The maid Dongmei came in and reported, "Ma'am, the young masters are here."
"Let them in."
Led by Gu Ting, the boys from the second room entered the main room one by one.
"Greetings to my wife (mother)."
Mrs. Xie gasped and said, "Sit down. Liulang, is there any news from the Hou Mansion? What did the old Hou say?"
"Old Hou Ye is relying on his relationship to rescue his father."
Mrs. Xie lowered her head, unable to hide her disappointment, "Are you going to visit your father in prison today?"
"The son will go there with the third brother in a while. Mother, please rest assured that the father did not suffer in the imperial prison, and the people of the Jinwu Guard did not embarrass the father."
Mrs. Xie nodded, "That's fine. It's just when your father will come out."
"everything will get better."
Xie hoped that everything would be fine, but she really didn't have much confidence.
She built a small Buddhist hall in Furongyuan, where she chanted sutras and prayed for blessings every day, but there was no good news at all.
Xie was almost desperate.
But she can still hold on, she has a daughter and a son. She can't go down.
Mrs. Xie didn't want to talk, so she went directly to the Small Buddha Hall to chant scriptures.
Everyone followed suit.
Gu Cheng took the initiative to talk to Gu Jiu.
"Second Sister, things are not going very well in the Hou's Mansion. Uncle has found many connections, but he can only guarantee that Father will not suffer in the imperial prison, but he is unable to intercede in the palace."
Gu Jiu nodded, she knew all these things. The Gu family seems to be a family with a profound heritage. But after Mr. Gu was scolded by the emperor and ordered to think about it, Gu's mansion was in the palace, and he was almost speechless. Some familiar personal connections in the past have also been cut off.
Now, cramming for the time being will naturally not work.
Gu Teng sighed, "In the past few years, my uncle only cared about managing the relationship in the military. The relationship in the palace was broken as soon as he said it. Now he can't even find someone to help him."
Gu Jiu said: "Eldest uncle is not to blame for this matter. Even the Marquis Mansion doesn't have any connections left in the palace, let alone eldest uncle. Even if eldest uncle wants to experience the relationship in the palace, he is powerless."
As the emperor aged day by day, many newcomers entered the palace, and many old people passed away at the same time.
Gu's relationship in the palace is all old connections. With the death of a person, it is not uncommon for contacts to be cut off.
Gu Cheng nodded, "I know all of this. I heard a piece of news and I want to discuss it with my second sister."
"Sixth brother, please tell me."
Gu Cheng looked around, and the two came to a secluded place to talk.
Gu Teng said: "The Empress seems to be willing to let my father go because of the conditions that put the old Hou in a dilemma. I can see that the old Hou will not agree to the conditions of the Empress. Second sister, my father is in danger. .”
Gu Jiu raised her eyebrows, "Do you know what condition the empress saw?"
Gu Teng tried to say: "It may be related to the East Palace."
Gu Jiu pursed her lips, "If it's related to the East Palace, the old Hou Ye would naturally not agree.
For example, if the Empress asked the Hou Mansion to publicly support the East Palace, how could the Hou Mansion agree to such a condition
Compared with the safety of the father, the safety of the entire Hou Mansion is more important. In order to preserve the Hou Mansion and the Gu family, sacrificing his father alone is nothing.
Not to mention the clan elders, maybe even the eldest uncle would agree to sacrifice his father to keep the entire Gu family. "
"Then what should we do?" Gu Teng looked anxious, "Do you want to watch father's decapitated body?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "There is no unparalleled road. If the empress can't reach an agreement, it doesn't mean you have to give up. Maybe there are other ways."
"What way?" Gu Cheng felt that Gu Jiu was hiding something.
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Cheng and said, "Sixth brother, why don't you wait patiently. You are going to visit your father today, why don't you ask your father why he returned to Beijing to work.
Given the current situation in the capital, it stands to reason that staying in the northwest is the best policy. Staying in the northwest, you can stay away from the right and wrong of the capital. Although there is no hope of promotion, you can also keep your family safe.
I have always wondered about this point, whether something happened in the middle, and my father had no choice but to return to Beijing to work. And he is still serving as the official position of the governor of the capital. "
"The second younger sister suspects that there is something inside the father's return to Beijing to take up the post of governor of the capital?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "Didn't you ever suspect Sixth Brother?"
Gu Cheng frowned, thought deeply, "I may have guessed a little reason."
Gu Jiu raised her eyebrows, "What did Sixth Brother guess, can you tell me?"
Gu Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "Maybe it has something to do with uncle."
Knew it!
Gu Jiu smiled comprehensibly, "No wonder my father and Mr. Xie are life-and-death enemies. It is indeed very unkind for Mr. Xie to bring his father back to the capital at this time to take up the post of governor of the capital. It can even be guessed that Mr. Xie has always Contain evil intentions."
Gu Teng is unwilling to speculate Xie Mao maliciously, Xie Mao is his real uncle after all.
However, there are various indications that things are very likely to be as Gu Jiu said. Xie Mao had no good intentions from the very beginning, and dug a big hole for Mr. Gu from the very beginning.
But Mr. Gu couldn't avoid it, knowing that it was a big hole, he could only jump into it.
The official documents of the Ministry of Officials have all been released, what can Mr. Gu do? He could only hold his nose obediently and take the whole family to Beijing to take up his post. As a result, he was sentenced to prison within a month after taking office.
It created the fastest speed for an official to take up a new position and be imprisoned. Maybe a hundred years later, it will be recorded in the history books.
Mr. Gu is also famous in history, although his reputation is not very good.
Gu Teng said: "I will ask my father about this matter myself."
Gu Jiu reminded, "Sixth brother, have you ever thought about it? After you find out the truth, what are you going to do? Make a clean break with Xie's family from now on? If you meet in the officialdom in the future, just step on it to death?"
Gu Cheng pursed his lips, with a sad look in his eyes, "I will consider this matter. In short, my surname is Gu, not Xie. My position has never changed. Please rest assured, my second sister."
Gu Jiu refused to let him relax, "If the wife insists on getting in touch with Xie's family, what will you do?"
"me… "
Gu Cheng was tongue-tied.
Gu Jiu didn't push too much, "Sixth Brother, go get busy, it's not too late to think about these things later. Also, since Sixth Brother is planning to become an official, shouldn't he be more concerned about some things from now on. Reading alone won't do it."
"What does the second sister mean?"
Gu Jiu smiled, "If Sixth Brother has time, he might as well do something within his capacity for father. Even if it's just to go to the yamen to sort out the official documents and observe other people's work, it's also good."
Gu Teng was very surprised. He didn't say much, but solemnly thanked him, "Thank you for the second sister's reminder, I will think about it. Second sister, pay attention to your body, don't blow the wind outside for too long, I will go first."
"Brother Six, go get busy."
When Gu Teng walked away, Qingmei asked suspiciously: "Why did the girl remind the sixth young master to go to the Yamen to practice? The sixth young master is the wife's precious son."
According to ordinary people's thinking, since Gu Teng is Xie's son, if he hates the house and Wu, Gu Jiu should also hate Gu Teng. I wish Gu Teng had no future.
But Gu Jiu didn't think so.
She said: "The wife is the wife, and the sixth brother is the sixth brother. The sixth brother's surname is Gu, which has the same surname as mine. The wife is thinking about the Xie family, but the sixth brother does not have the Xie family in his heart.
And the third brother is determined to join the army, but he doesn't know what the future holds.
Our second room cannot live without a man who stands up to the door. The third brother wants to stand up the door, and I don't know how many years it will take.
Moreover, the third brother also needs the help of the court to join the army. In the future, when his father becomes an official, the third brother can only count on the sixth brother. With one piece of paper and one weapon, our second room can prosper.
Starting from the overall situation, it is a wise choice to support the sixth brother to stand up. "
"But if the sixth young master is promising, there will be trouble with the wife again. I don't know what it will be like."
Gu Jiu smiled softly, "Madam can't control Sixth Brother now, and can't be Sixth Brother's master. After Sixth Brother becomes an official in the future, do you think what Madam said will still be effective
Even if my wife wants to be a demon at that time, I have already been married by then, and she can't do anything to me.
And besides the father, there must be someone in the mansion who can control the wife. Gu Yue can't, Gu Shan can't, and Gu Gong can't.
At present, it seems that only Gu Teng can restrain his wife and make her feel afraid.
We can't stop our wife from being a demon, but she is always the second wife, and it is impossible not to admit her identity.
When she was acting like a demon, someone had to come forward and take care of her. It's like having an uncle in charge of the old man. The wife must also have such a person in charge of her. This person must belong to Sixth Brother. But if Sixth Brother's official career is difficult and his future is not settled, how can he have the confidence to control his wife
At that time, I am afraid that Gu Gong will ride on the head of the sixth brother to play wild, and by the way indulge his wife's nonsense. "
When Gu Jiu said this, the maidservants all understood.
Qingmei said: "It's still the girl who thinks through. There are few people in this world who can have the generosity of a girl, who can let go of their prejudices and sincerely communicate with the sixth young master."
Gu Jiu laughed, and pinched Qing Mei's cheeks, "Don't forget, your girl, I am a person who has to do big things. How can I care about those trivial things every day. With that time, I might as well do more practical things , Let our days become more and more prosperous."
Xiaocui clapped her hands and laughed, "Young lady is right, you will be pissed off if you argue with your wife about trivial matters every day."
Qing Mei sighed, and said: "Third Miss should listen to these words. She has been thinking about the marriage in Haixibo Mansion all day long, and I think she is going crazy."
Gu Jiu said: "Don't worry about her, let her make trouble. You will regret it sooner or later."
Gu Jiu looked down on Gu Yue very much because of a man who wanted to die or live.
No matter how good a man is, can it be more important than loving himself
Marriage is a major event, the order of the parents and the words of the matchmaker. To Gu Jiu, this kind of marriage is essentially a transaction, like a contract, the two families are good friends and help each other.
However, this kind of contract generally can only share joys and sorrows.
Gu Jiu never liked anyone in her previous life, and it is very likely that she will not like any man in this life either.
For marriage, she is already prepared.
Even if she lived to be old in her previous life, there was a high probability that she would never get married.
But in this life, she couldn't escape marriage, and she had to get married sooner or later.
Gu Jiu didn't seriously think about what kind of person to marry.
After much deliberation, her marriage should be a well-matched man.
The two get married, manage their married life, deal with their parents-in-law, sister-in-law and sister-in-law, and all kinds of nonsense.
When you think about it that way, marriage is scary.
Gu Jiu didn't want to get married at one point, and if she could delay it for a year, it was a year.
But if she can't go on and insists on getting married, she can regard that man as a business partner and a community of interests. ,
In this way, many bad things can be seen away.
Gu Jiu pursed her lips and smiled.
In my heart, I secretly praised my wit.
There is no better way to approach your future husband-in-law as a business partner.
I hope that the man she meets in the future is a reasonable person.
Her request is so low, God will surely satisfy her.
God: Hehe!
If you don't torment you to death, I will lose!