The two brothers Gu Tingyu and Gu Tingwei were very nervous when they took the boat all the way south. When the boat entered Yangzhou waters, they immediately felt a completely different atmosphere. Large iron boats of the same color kept patrolling back and forth on the rivers of Yangzhou waters, majestic and majestic.
Ningyuan's sergeants stared at every strong merchant with expressionless faces. Ships traveling from south to north all obediently went to the Yamen at the dock to complete tax procedures.
"Big brother, is this the big iron boat of the second brother?" Gu Tingwei, who was already eight or nine years old, looked at the big iron boat cruising curiously, and then looked at his eldest brother Gu Tingyu with confusion on his face and asked.
"Yes! Your second brother is now Prince Ning of Jiangning Mansion. Remember to behave yourself when you see Prince Ning later." Worried that Gu Tingwei would say the wrong thing later, Gu Tingyu quickly gave one more instruction.
"I know, big brother."
Gu Tingyu looked at the heavily guarded and majestic Ningyuan Army at Yangzhou Pier. He was born in a military family and was shocked. He didn't expect that his second brother's Ningyuan Army was so elite. No wonder it was wiped out so quickly.
The two small border countries in the southwest were able to force the civil servants and military generals of the Song Dynasty to surrender. At this time, Gu Tingyu couldn't help but feel worried about this trip south.
Ever since the Gu brothers boarded the ship from Bianjing Pier, Suning had already received a report from the Jinyiwei. At this time, the Jinyiwei had already developed into various fields in China. Daliao in the north and Xixia in the northwest could not escape the surveillance of the Jinyiwei.
Many of Jin Yiwei's non-staff members do not know which side they are serving, so the entire Jin Yiwei's intelligence system is very secretive.
This time, Suning did not choose to avoid it. After all, he had completed all the early plans. After the Gu brothers disembarked from the Jiangning Mansion Pier, he asked the Jin Yiwei to take them to Prince Ning's Mansion. Gu Tingyu looked at the man who was sitting upright in front of him.
The king's mood was very complicated. The look in his eyes when he met the young King Ning confirmed that he was no longer his second brother.
"Second brother, I am Ting Wei!" Looking at the second brother whom he had not seen for several years, Gu Tingwei couldn't help but look at him with joy and shouted.
"Ting Wei, don't make trouble! Quickly salute His Highness Prince Ning." At this time, Gu Tingyu noticed Suning's cold eyes and quickly scolded his third brother in a low voice.
"Okay! Gu Tingyu, you don't have to ridicule me. I am no longer the Gu Tingye I used to be. My name is Suning now, and the officials also named me Zhao Ning." Suning couldn't tell what Gu Tingyu said, and then
He reminded the other person with a nonchalant expression.
"Prince Ning, although your current identity and name have changed, the blood of the Gu family is still flowing in your body. Without the hard work of so many generations of the Gu family in the military, you would not have achieved what you have achieved today."
"Gu Tingyu, are you out of your mind? I started my career by rebelling against the imperial court. Do you really think that the influence of the Gu family in the military will be helpful to me?" Suning heard that Gu Tingyu was arguing so hard with him, so did Suning.
He was so angry at the sight of Gu Tingyu in front of him.
"Prince Ning, I don't believe that your Ningyuan army really doesn't have any close associates of our Gu family." At this time, Gu Tingyu's face suddenly froze at the rebuke, and then he asked Suning back with a pale face.
"Haha, I'm really sorry. The main body of my Ningyuan army is the Yan people and the Song army. They really have nothing to do with your Ningyuan Hou Gu family."
"this……"
"Okay! Don't talk nonsense! Tell us your reasons for coming!" Suning naturally didn't have time to chat with them here, so he looked at the two of them and asked straight to the point.
"Prince Ning, you owe Marquis Ningyuan a lot to the Gu family and the three clans, so you have to compensate the three clans of the Gu family." Seeing that Suning was determined to sever ties with the Gu family, Gu Tingyu said with bitterness in his heart.
"Gu Tingyu, when I chose to rebel, I did it just to kill everyone in the Gu family. Do you think I will compensate you for anything?" Suning sneered and said the true thoughts and purpose of his rebellion, which was nothing more than this.
I want everyone in the Gu family to recognize the reality.
"You..." At this time, Gu Tingyu and Gu Tingwei looked at Suning in front of them with horror on their faces.
"Gu Tingyu, let me tell you one more time. I am Suning, not Gu Tingye. Don't ask me for Gu Tingye's responsibility." Suning stared at Gu Tingyu's eyes coldly and repeated.
"Prince Ning, the Gu family is really in trouble right now and has no ability to survive, so only you can save us."
"Hmph! Gu Tingyu, you are so smart that you should know what happened eighteen years ago. At that time, the Gu family should have been confiscated and exterminated by the officials. The Gu family first forced your biological mother, the Daqin family, to death, and then deceived my biological mother.
The Bai family's dowry, and later in order to maintain the relationship with the Yongchang Houfu, they jointly planned with the Xiao Qin family to kill the jealous Bai family. Now I can't wait to shave you beasts one by one."
"You...you...are talking nonsense..." At this time, Gu Tingyu looked at Suning's cold and bloodthirsty eyes, and couldn't help but tremble with fear.
"Also, when you leave, take a trip to Hou'an Salt Village and take your Gu family away. In the future, your Gu family will not be allowed to appear in my land in the south of the Yangtze River. Otherwise, they will all be taken to the salt village to work as coolies.
.”
"Gu Tingye, you..."
"Here comes! See you off."
"Both of you, please." Then two tall and thick-looking guards came to Gu Tingyu and Gu Tingwei, staring coldly at the two brothers in front of them.
Gu Tingyu also thought that this trip south would be very unsatisfactory, but he did not expect that it would be a deadlock now. He could also clearly feel Suning's disgust towards their Gu family, and realized that there was no way to take away the Gu family's affection.
Come to suppress Suning. If they continue to entangle, they will definitely force Suning to go on a killing spree. You must know that the current Song Dynasty does not have the power to suppress Suning and Ningyuan's army.
"Brother, where are we going next?" Gu Tingwei looked pitifully at Gu Tingyu aside, and he also realized that the previous harmony would never return.
"Hey! Go to Yangzhou Hou'an Salt Village and quickly bring the Fourth Uncle and the Fifth Uncle back to Bianjing." Gu Tingyu is also an extremely smart talent. Seeing that Suning's road is no longer feasible, he completely no longer has any hope.
Any fantasy.
"Big brother, second brother, will you never pay attention to us again?" At this time, Gu Tingwei looked at Gu Tingyu with a wry smile and puzzled look on his face and asked.
"Yes! He has completely severed ties with our Gu family."
Seeing that Suning was too lazy to talk to the two brothers anymore, Gu Tingyu and Gu Tingwei could only leave Jiangning Mansion with disappointment, and then came to Hou'an Salt Village in Yangzhou to meet Gu Laosi and Gu Laowu, and Hou'an Salt House
Zhuang obtained Suning's order in advance and naturally gave them a pass.
"Ting Yu, Ting Wei, are you also captured by King Ning to work as salt workers?" Gu Laosi and Gu Laowu looked at the two brothers Gu Tingyu in front of them in surprise and asked.
"Fourth uncle, fifth uncle, we are here to pick you up. Prince Ning has agreed to release you." Realizing that the Gu family in Yanzhuang had misunderstood, Gu Tingyu quickly looked at them and explained.
"Ah? Ting Yu, can we finally leave?" At this time, Gu Laosi and Gu Laowu had expressions of disbelief, because they had long been numb from the day-in and day-out work.
"Yes! Fourth uncle, fifth uncle, all the property of our Gu family has been confiscated, and the title of Marquis Ningyuan has also been lost. From now on, the whole family will have no source of income." Then Gu Tingyu briefly introduced the current situation.
, and also allow Gu Laosi and Gu Laowu to be mentally prepared.
"Ah? What should we do? We can't live on the streets begging for food, right?" Sure enough, the Gu family started making trouble again, and they really couldn't accept this reality.
"Fourth uncle, fifth uncle, this is not the place to talk. We should hurry back to Bianjing to open the ancestral hall and discuss it." Gu Tingyu saw that these close relatives still behaved like this, and shook his head helplessly and urged.
"That's fine! We don't want to stay in this salt village any longer."
…
When Gu Tingyu returned to Bianjing with the tortured children of the Gu family, he immediately became the talk of the high-ranking officials and the common people in Bianjing. There was no one who did not sneer at the greedy Gu family.
The masses mainly benefited from the public opinion propaganda of Ningyuan Army Jinyiwei in Bianjing City, which also allowed ordinary people who did not know the truth to know many secrets of the Gu family. They also knew that King Ning's rebellion was forced by the Gu family.
In the ancestral hall of the former Ningyuan Marquis Mansion, the elders of the Gu family who had experienced a life-and-death disaster were all bowing their heads. Although they were lucky enough to save their lives, they lost all their wealth and status and had to work hard every day.
After enduring the contempt and insults they received from the people of Bianjing, I deeply realized that a phoenix in distress is worse than a chicken.
"Everyone, today I shamelessly invited the Marquis of Xiangyang here. I just want him to be a witness to our Gu family's discussions." Gu Yankai looked at the group of people in front of him with their heads bowed, and then forced a smile on his face.
He looked at the old Marquis of Xiangyang sitting beside him and said.
"Brother, if you have anything to do, please tell me quickly! We haven't even had breakfast yet!" Gu Laosi and Gu Laowu, who had no hope at all, urged Gu Yan disapprovingly.
Let's discuss quickly.
"Okay! This time Ting Yu and Ting Wei went to Jiangning Mansion and were kicked out by the man. They also stated that they would not have any contact with our Gu family in the future. At the same time, the man warned us that the children of the Gu family should not appear south of the Yangtze River.
Otherwise, the Salt Village in Yangzhou would be a good place for us, the children of the Gu family."
"Ah? Brother, how could this be?" Gu Laosi, Gu Laowu and others were shocked again when they heard Gu Yankai conveying Suning's warning personally.
"Ahem! I know that the family affairs in our big house are dragging everyone down, and I also know that everyone has no source of income for daily life, so I plan to sell this Gu family mansion directly, and then share the money from the sale with everyone.
From now on, our children of the Gu family will go our separate ways to find their own way out." Then Gu Yankai stopped paying attention to the shock and confusion of the children of the Gu family and continued to talk about all his next arrangements. In the final analysis, it was nothing more than a separation of families.
"Brother, now everyone in Bianjing despises me, the children of the Gu family, and no one is willing to buy our house." After hearing that Gu Yankai wanted to sell the big house in Bianjing and split up the family, Gu Laosi and Gu
Lao Wu was not optimistic and smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"I have already thought of this problem! At the same time, the Marquis of Xiangyang is willing to take over our house at a high price, which can be regarded as the end of the relationship with our Ningyuan Marquis and the Gu family." Then Gu Yankai looked aside with gratitude again.
The old Marquis of Xiangyang.
"I'd like to thank you, Mr. Marquis." As expected, all the Gu family members in the ancestral hall looked gratefully at Mr. Marquis and saluted him.
"Everyone, what happened this time made the officials and the Grand Prime Minister very angry. The nine clans of the Gu family naturally brought us, the Marquis of Xiangyang Mansion, and the Duke of Qi Mansion with them. However, the officials have always been kind and pardoned us in the end.
My two families, originally I didn’t want to have anything to do with you anymore, but now that Gu Yankai has come to me in person, there is no reason to turn a blind eye, but the only thing I can do to help you is
This is the step." The old Marquis of Xiangyang, who had been silent at this time, looked at the incompetent Gu family disciples in front of him and explained.
"Thank you, Mr. Marquis."
"In addition, I also send a message to you on behalf of the officials." Then the Marquis of Xiangyang once again sent a message to you on behalf of the old emperor.
"Ah? Officials?" Sure enough, everyone in the Gu family couldn't help but get excited again.
"The official family has always been kind! This time I have pardoned your death penalty, but I don't want you to provoke Prince Ning again, otherwise I won't spare you as lightly as this time." The old emperor in the palace has already understood the current situation.
, Naturally, I don’t want the idiots of the Gu family to provoke Suning. If Ning Yuan’s army is forced to rebel again, the current situation will not be the same.
"I will obey the official teachings."
"Okay! I will give you double the market price of this house, and I hope you can live up to your expectations after leaving Bianjing." After talking about the matter, the old Marquis naturally did not want to stay here any longer.
"Thank you, Mr. Marquis."
"Yan Kai, try to choose a good day to send Ting Wei to the Marquis of Xiangyang." The old Marquis who walked to the door turned around again and looked back at Gu Yankai and said.
"Yes! Old Marquis."
After the Marquis of Xiangyang left the Gu family mansion, Gu Laosi and Gu Laowu looked at Gu Yankai in confusion and asked, "Brother, what did the Marquis mean by the last sentence just now?"
"Hey! The old Marquis has always had no children, and the only daughter Princess Pingning and the Duke of Qi have only one Qi Heng, so they have decided to adopt Tingwei as the stepson of the Marquis of Xiangyang." Then Gu Yankai smiled bitterly without hiding anything.
explained.
"What? Why did the old Marquis fall in love with Ting Wei?" At this time, Gu Laosi and Gu Laowu remembered that the Marquis of Xiangyang had always wanted to adopt the Gu family, and then they looked at Gu Yan in shock and confusion.
Kai asked.
"Huh? Maybe he saw that Ting Wei was young and planned to take him with him to raise him personally." Looking at the somewhat excited fourth and fifth brothers in front of him, Gu Yankai guessed with some surprise. Naturally, he would not say that it was the old man he begged for.
Lord Hou.
"Hmph! Brother, I think you secretly promised the old Marquis behind our backs. You must know that my Ting Bing and Lao Wu's Ting Di have always been well-behaved. The old Marquis has always been thinking about asking for something.
Adopt them."
"Fourth and Fifth, if you really have any objections, you can go and talk to the old Marquis in person. My original intention is not to let Ting Wei adopt me."
"Huh! Brother, you are really hypocritical." Gu Laowu exposed Gu Yankai's hypocrisy without mercy. The best arrangement was to leave it to his own son.
"Hmph! I think you got an advantage and acted like a good boy." Gu Laosi, who was on the side, was naturally full of disdain, feeling that his elder brother was too cunning.
"You...what do you want to do?" At this time, Gu Yankai became completely furious, realizing for the first time how greedy and ruthless his brothers were.
"Hmph! Since your youngest son Gu Tingwei has been successfully adopted to the Marquis of Xiangyang, he will also be the future Marquis of Xiangyang, so the proceeds from the sale of the Gu family's mansion must be divided more among us." Gu Laosi and Gu Laowu naturally disagreed.
Those who dare to go to the old Marquis of Xiangyang, and then look at each other and tell them their biggest request.
"Okay! Except for Gu Tingyu's life-saving money, I will give you all the remaining money. You should be satisfied now, right?" Gu Yan happily agreed and just hoped that this matter could end as soon as possible.
"Brother, don't look too aggrieved. The reason why our Gu family is in this situation today is because you and your sister-in-law are not strict in running the family, so this is what you deserve for us." Gu Laosi
He and Gu Laowu didn't know what gratitude was. Instead, he looked at Gu Yankai in front of him with a mocking look on his face and said.
"You... you..."
"Huh!" Gu Laosi and Gu Laowu didn't give Gu Yan a chance to yell. Instead, they just walked away triumphantly. There was no trace of the weaklings who were working as coolies at Yangzhou Hou'an Salt Farm.
After his two bastard uncles left the Gu family, Gu Tingyu walked up to the angry Gu Yankai with a wry smile and said, "Father, you shouldn't have gone to Yangzhou to pick them up in the first place."
"Hey! Ting Yu, what they said is right!" At this time, Gu Yankai finally calmed down the anger in his heart, and then he sighed and said with a wry smile, "Our big house does owe them a lot. Give them more."
They don’t have much money.”
"Father, it was because of them that the Gu family lost so much money back then. In the end, you, the eldest brother, were sacrificed. Also, they tried their best to go to Yangzhou to rob the Bai family's property. Why are we all blamed for what happened now?