"Why don't you come and repay me for such an important matter?!" Minglan turned back and asked in a low voice. ~
"I have reported it." Qin Sang was frightened and whispered: "When the master went out, he entrusted the affairs of the outer courtyard to Mr. Gongsun. The master said that the matter was important, so he sent Gu Quan to report to the master in the camp first, and then to report to you.
Unexpectedly, Gu Quan, the young man, came back in the evening and said that it was the master's order and that you were busy, so I didn't want to bother you with these things. The people who just went back to the Marquis Mansion said that the emperor's school review was a big deal, and the master was busy.
Military affairs cannot be separated. Although you are very anxious, there is nothing you can do about it."
Minglan felt relieved. This man was very conscientious and had to pick her off cleanly. It was not in vain for her to have worked so hard in bed and out of bed these past few days.
After getting dressed properly, Minglan didn't have time to ask Qin Sang any more, so she had to follow Gu Tingye out quickly. As soon as she walked out of the double flower door, she saw Sister Rong standing at the other end of the path on a white stone path with rich emeralds and bright reds.
, she lowered her head and didn’t know what she was thinking, her little feet were paddling on the ground, and there was only a little girl standing next to her who kept urging her to go back.
As soon as she saw Gu Tingye and Minglan coming over, she immediately dodged and leaned into the shade of the tree. Gu Tingye paused for a moment and saw that she was still looking thin and timid. He couldn't help but frown, and looked up again, thinking deeply.
The voice said: "Why are you here? You have time to learn a few more words, why are you running around outside?"
Minglan saw Sister Rong shrinking, her face dark and depressed, and she quickly said softly: "The sun is at its worst at this time, and your father is afraid that you will be exposed to the sun. Now that I have something to do with your father, you should go back to the house first.
, come to my room to talk at night."
Sister Rong lowered her face deeply and remained silent.
Gu Tingye's eyebrows were a little engraved, and he didn't know what to say. He said yes and walked forward; Minglan turned around and winked at Dan Ju, and hurriedly followed Gu Tingye.
Danju Minglan immediately stepped forward to hold Sister Rong's little hand and said with a smile: "This time we went back to the mountains. The master and his wife have been thinking about Sister Rong and brought many things to her, including two palm-sized things.
A little white rabbit, a singing lark, and some delicious fruits..."
When Minglan and Gu Tingye were about to disappear at the intersection, Sister Rong suddenly raised her head quickly and stared straight over there.
When Danjue saw it, she sighed softly, squatted in front of Sister Rong, and said even more amiably: "Sister, in the past half month, the master and his wife have gone to do important things, otherwise they would not leave sister behind.
Yes; I turned around and showed the master the calligraphy I have practiced these days. I am sure I will be very happy to see that my sister has improved..."
Before she could finish speaking, Sister Rong pushed Dan Jue away fiercely and ran away as fast as she could. Dan Jue slowly stood up and sighed: "He is his biological father after all, and he still misses her. I just don't know if he misses me."
I hope your wife is having a good time these days."
Lu Zhi at the back walked to Dan Ju and said with a flat mouth: "It's delicious, well-clothed and provided, and I care about your daily life from time to time. The girls and women are only half-hearted, and they are sent away in a blink of an eye. Madam is also doing her best."
"Yes, I have been reluctant to call you 'Madam' for so many days. It's just..." Suddenly remembering Minglan's temper and rules, she quickly bit her lip.
While they were talking, the couple had already taken a soft sedan to the Ningyuan Hou Mansion. As soon as they arrived at the door, before they got off the sedan, Minglan felt that the mansion was deserted. Gu Tingye got off the sedan first, and stood across the sedan door.
He whispered: "Don't say anything later, just follow my response." Minglan was worried, but after hearing this, she got what she wanted and quickly responded.
When they arrived at the Neiyi Gate, only two maids dressed in ordinary clothes came out. They were standing there facing their mother, stretching their necks and waiting. When they saw Gu Tingye and his wife coming, they hurriedly welcomed them in.
"Second Master, Second Madam, everyone is waiting in Xuanning Hall, please come with me."
Minglan was embarrassed, her steps stagnated, and she continued walking in with the second master in front of her.
Walking all the way in, there was silence and deserted people. Many dead leaves and branches had fallen on the path. There were many green and yellow algae floating on the pond. Minglan felt more and more a deep feeling of desolation. Several generations of the Gu family
When they came down, those servants with connections or who had accumulated surplus wealth either ran away on their own or begged the Lord to redeem themselves. The remaining people were also in panic, fearing that they would be implicated by the Lord's family, and they might be sold and exiled.
How can I think about taking care of the house?【叶*】【*】
Ming Lan was worried and secretly glanced at Gu Tingye's handsome profile, only to see that he looked calm and still walked slowly and striding.
When I came to Xuan Ning Hall, I saw that there were already many people sitting inside. Except for the frail Gu Tingyu who couldn't get up, almost everyone from the royal family was there. The first person sitting at the top was the Madam, and the second seat was the Fourth Old Master.
There are two couples, including the fifth old man, and the men in each room below sit in order. There are several female family members sitting behind the large carved mahogany fan in the hall.
As soon as they saw Gu Tingye coming, they hurriedly got up and started chatting.
"Second brother is here! This is great."
"Second Brother Ye is finally here, please don't be upset, everything will be fine now!"
"Second brother, you must help this time, it all depends on you!"
…
Gu Tingye was not impatient. He raised his hands and returned the greetings to the brothers one by one with a gentle attitude. Minglan walked inside and saw that there were already five sisters-in-law sitting there, including herself, a total of six sisters-in-law, two in each room.
.They seemed to have bad expressions and did not dare to chirp. They only indicated with their eyes. Mrs. Zhu seemed to want to say something to Minglan and moved her lips, but did not say anything.
Mrs. Xuan was the calmest one. She smiled and pulled Minglan to sit next to her: "I heard that you went to the suburbs of Beijing to tidy up your village. How about it? Everything is going well."
"Yes, they all say that the mansions owned by Brother Ye are scary. I'm afraid it won't be easy to manage. If there is a brother or sister who can't be managed, I have a few capable people here who have known the situation for many years.
Mrs. Di Er said with a smile.
"Thank you, my two sisters-in-law, for remembering me. I have remembered what my second sister-in-law said. I never know when I will come to ask for someone." Minglan smiled and bowed, and Mrs. Di Er smiled with satisfaction.
After Old Mrs. Gu separated their family, it was said that each house would have its own property, but Mr. Fifth was always polite and Mrs. Five also prided herself on being elegant. Neither husband nor wife were good at taking care of household chores. The elder Gu Tingyang was also a flower stand.
Not to mention the eldest wife, she is just like a saw-headed gourd. With such three big mountains, it is not easy for Mrs. Di who is actually in charge of the affairs.
Therefore, neither a farm nor a shop can be run as well as a long house or a four-bedroom house. Over time, the housekeepers at home will inevitably have fewer errands, more monks and less food, redundant staff, and little oil and water. Even if those in charge don’t say it themselves, the family’s
The wife and children were inevitably dissatisfied, and gradually some complaints came out.
Minglan is currently short of people, so she has long been paying attention to the situation of the servants in the Gu family, and often asks people about it. If there are really useful ones, Minglan doesn't mind recruiting a few. There is no unchanging loyalty in the world. How many people can be found?
He has a clean background and is willing to work hard, but it is better than buying from outside. After all, he knows three generations of his ancestors.
But Minglan didn't know how to answer, so she just changed the subject and laughed at herself: "My mother-in-law and her wife always caught me looking at the land register, and asked me to listen to the manager's report every year. At that time, I just felt annoyed.
"It's very good. Why don't you learn some Nvhong poetry, which is both quiet and elegant? Then it will be your turn and you will realize the painstaking efforts of your elders."
Mrs. Xuan patted her thigh lightly and said in agreement: "Who says it's not the case! When I was a girl, I didn't know that there were so many tricks to being a daughter-in-law. How could I just be an embroidery needle?
.”
Mrs. Bing'er listened to them talking for a long time and couldn't hide her anxiety. She interrupted: "My brother and sister are really busy people. We sent so many people to look for you. It's okay if we can't see anyone. What do you think about Brother Ye?"
Did you say that? We are in a hurry here, and you still act like you don’t know, so I dare not do anything about you!"
Minglan really wanted to say, 'She really doesn't know anything.' Mrs. Xuan immediately added: "My younger brother and sister are also women, how do they know about things outside? These days, one of them is busy in the camp, and the other is in the village.
I'm so busy here that I'm afraid I won't even be able to say a few words. How can my brothers and sisters have time to ask questions? Let's listen to what you have to say."
The female relatives thought about it and quickly pricked up their ears to listen.
"Brother Ye, what do you think we should do about this matter?" Mrs. Tai's voice was still gentle, with only a hint of anxiety.
Gu Tingye turned sideways and wrote lightly: "I just want to ask a few questions. Once I explain it clearly, everything will be fine. (·~)"
The fourth old man was the most anxious. Hearing these cool words, he said with consternation: "What are you talking about! That day, Liu Zhengjie led a group of guards to break in like wolves and tigers. Indiscriminately, he first
The eldest brother's study was searched randomly, and a few of us were detained and interrogated in the small courtyard. There was a lot of chaos in the room, and no mercy was shown. Do you think our Gu family is just a humble family?!"
Ming Lan thought for a moment: If he really didn't show any mercy, he should be taken to Dali Temple for questioning like Mo Lan's father-in-law and several husbands and brothers, instead of questioning him at home.
"Exactly!" The fifth old man slapped the case and said angrily, "But relying on the favor of the emperor, he is so arrogant. The man surnamed Liu is just a humble official. Once he ascends to heaven, he will come to a family with meritorious deeds.
Just come and come out as soon as you want, it’s really annoying!”
Then everyone started chatting with each other, cursing the Dali Temple and the officials from the Ministry of Punishment responsible for the case for being stupid and incompetent, causing random trials and sentences, and the three guards of the Forbidden Army who were responsible for detaining people and imprisoning them for being arrogant and domineering.
, regardless of the dignity of the Quanjue family, and then lamented twice about the misfortune of the Gu family, the focus was to arouse Gu Tingye's hatred of the same enemy.
It's a pity that Gu Tingye remained motionless and took care of himself. After everyone had finished talking, he said: "Liu Zhengjie is a close confidant of the emperor. He came to ask questions because of his superiors' wishes. As for the adults who are trying the case,
Either he was appointed by the emperor, or he was a famous official. It would be disrespectful for us to slander the emperor like this."
As soon as these words came out, everyone fell silent. Gu Tingye slowly moved his wrist resting on the armrest and said casually: "The Lingguogong Mansion and more than a dozen other companies in front of us have all provided clear evidence that they were indeed involved in the 'Four Emperors'."
The Prince's rebellion case has been convicted long ago. The case is still being tried now. If anyone is found to be slightly involved, he will be questioned again. Yongchang Houfu, Yongping Bofu, and several other houses have been found to be fine.
Yes, let him go and everything will be fine, right? Everyone can ask, why can't our family ask?"
This was quite reasonable. The two old men had nothing to say to refute, but Gu Tingbing, who was sitting next to him, stood up and said loudly: "What do you mean by being slightly involved?! It's just that they don't have the ability to try the case, so they look for trouble in others.
Just to show off your ability! Our Gu family has been loyal to the master for generations and couldn’t be more honest! Second brother, you now have dignity in front of the imperial court. Our old Gu family has been bullied to the front, and you don’t even try hard. Could it be that this has happened?
Let people see our family’s joke!”
"After I learned about this matter, I also looked for an opportunity to inquire about it." Gu Tingye smiled faintly, "It was said that the Ministry of Punishment took the witnesses and physical evidence, and after repeated inspections, there were indeed doubts, so the emperor sent someone to the door for questioning. My cousin felt that
Is this a joke?"
Gu Tingbing choked for a while.
After hearing this, Minglan inside couldn't help but sigh in her heart: These uncles and brothers really won't shed tears until they see the coffin. At this time, they are still singing a high-key tune. Do they know the crux of the problem?
Ever since Gu Tingye left home in anger, the Gu family and Gu Tingye have been two different things. Especially after the death of Mr. Gu, Gu Tingye's last tie was gone. In those years, when the battle for the legitimate heir in the capital was intensifying, Gu Tingye was eating three cents.
A bowl of Yangchun noodles, a life of licking blood from the edge of a knife in the world of rivers and lakes. They were implicated in seizing the legitimate children and were unlucky. What should they care about Gu Tingye?
At this time, there was a noise beside her, and Mrs. Bing Er suddenly stood up and walked straight to the hall. She walked up to Gu Tingye and begged in a plaintive voice: "Brother Ye, I am a woman who doesn't understand big things, but I can't do anything."
I can't write the word "Gu" with my pen. Now that your uncles and brothers are in trouble, you can't just sit back and watch!" As he spoke, he burst into tears.
Minglan praised, saying that women's sixth sense is reliable. Needless to say, it is the last word to appeal to people with emotion. As expected, Gu Tingye frowned, stood up and avoided Mrs. Bing'er's salute.
, turned to the Fourth Old Master and said, "Why don't you please go back first? This is not etiquette."
But the fourth old man didn't care: "We are all close relatives, so we don't need to pay attention to so many rules. It's normal for your sister-in-law to be anxious."
Mrs. Bing'er wiped her tears and stood aside respectfully.
In fact, except for major events such as family division and property division, women in ancient times were not allowed to show up casually, and even their husband's uncles and brothers were not allowed to see each other easily, out of politeness and taboo.
Minglan squinted her eyes, what does this mean? Use both soft and hard tactics?
Gu Tingye raised his eyebrows slightly and said: "Okay. In that case, I will tell you directly." Then Da Ma Jin Dao sat down and said loudly: "The four princes of the late emperor have long been convicted of treason, and the few who rebelled
The main criminals have all been convicted and sentenced, and what we are currently investigating are the accomplices who aided the rebellion, those who had a close relationship with the rebel king, and those who were involved in the conspiracy."
Emperor Renzong had been soft-hearted for a lifetime, and he finally understood before he died. In order to give the unlucky Third Prince and Concubine De an explanation, and to make the road easier for the Eighth Prince who later ascended the throne, he convicted the Fourth Prince of treason.
As soon as these words were said, everyone in the hall was shocked. The fifth old man finally got through the officialdom in vain, and said in a deep voice: "Back then, when I... rebelled against the royal power and surrendered half of the capital, there were so many people who came and went with the royal palace. They were so close.
If you go too far, can it be regarded as rebelliousness?"
"Of course not." Gu Tingye picked up the tea on the small table and took a sip, "The emperor is a virtuous and wise king. He specially ordered the three departments of Dali Temple of the Ministry of Punishment and the Metropolitan Procuratorate to conduct a joint trial. How could the decision be hasty? When he rebelled against the king and committed rebellion,
At that time, there were 50% of the troops and horses outside to respond, and there were several imperial guards and internal guards to support them. There were also people in the palace who helped write false edicts, first forcing the third prince to death, and then forcing the late emperor to abdicate. Several forces broke out at the same time.
This led to great chaos."
"Dad has been in the army for twenty years and guarded the border for more than ten years. Although he later stopped doing things, many of those who were promoted and cared for at the beginning later became effective. Over the years, various armies and battalions have been scattered.
, most of them have medium-sized military positions. What matters now is, did any of these people participate in the conspiracy? Did our family help the rebel king to recruit these people? If so, it would be considered a crime of continuous rebellion.
"
Gu Tingye's eyes were extremely clear, and he slowly swept over everyone present, and everyone's hearts felt as if they had passed through ice water - to help Nii win over, this matter can be big or small, at least it is just to introduce someone to the fourth prince.
On a more serious scale, maybe some people got involved in the struggle to seize the heir because of the favor of the Gu family.
"This, this..." Mrs. Tai finally understood the power and said in a trembling voice, "You know your father's character well, he can't do it!"
Gu Tingye didn't answer. He just continued to scan the rest of the people with his eyes. His words became slower and slower, as if he was lingering word for word: "I can't leave the camp on the outskirts of Beijing, but I wrote to ask Liu Zhengjie if he was not good.
Revealed, he only told me a piece of news, saying that someone had helped Ni Wang purchase several batches of Jiangnan girls."
"Is this... considered a crime?" Gu Tingyang, who was always absent-minded, asked in shock.
Gu Tingye put down the tea cup and said calmly: "Later, most of these women were sent to the homes of court officials and generals for the purpose of bribing them."
The fifth old man glanced at the fourth old man, lowered his head and was silent in thought. Gu Tingwei looked unstable. He turned to look at Gu Tingbing beside him, and saw that his face was pale, and big beads of sweat were dripping down his forehead.
Minglan was listening in rapt attention when her hand was pinched. She turned around and saw Mrs.
There is no way to do business."
Minglan smiled blankly and said nothing. Now it is clear that Mr. Gu is cautious and will not try to hook up. Gu Tingyu is weak and sick, so he probably doesn't have the energy to hook up. Gu Tingwei has his mother watching over him, so he probably won't be too outrageous.
; But for others, it’s hard to say.
She has also read ancient criminal laws for several years, and she usually follows her father and brother. She knows a little bit about the secrets. According to what Gu Tingye said just now, even if the crime of collusion is carried out, the Gu family is the founder of the country, and with Gu Tingye's presence, it is estimated that they will not
It was so miserable to be beheaded and exiled to the army. So, what is the worst case scenario?
Minglan looked outside. Except for Gu Tingye, who was drinking tea with a calm expression, everyone else was either panicked, frightened, or anxious, with different expressions.
What the eldest brother is most worried about is naturally being reprimanded for his lax management of the family, confiscating the family property (the imperial estate), or even seizing a title; what the fourth and fifth brothers are most worried about is that once the charges are confirmed against individuals, they may be punished.
Being punished, forced labor, jailed, or exiled is not easy to bear. So what does Gu Tingye want?
Minglan couldn't help but look up at the man sitting upright. Did he just want to see the misfortune of the person who had bullied him?
"The second nephew has said so much and made a lot of nonsense. Could it be that he is trying to evade!" The fifth old man gritted his teeth and stared straight at Gu Tingye, "You can just watch your uncles and brothers suffer! Just give me a word,
Do you want to help or not?"
"Fifth Uncle, please tell me something. Is what I said just now really connected with him?" Gu Tingye said casually.
The fifth old man was choked. He couldn't deny it, but he couldn't shamelessly admit it, lest he provoke Gu Tingye to scold him for being "loyal to the emperor and patriotic." He was a scholar and wanted to face him.
The fourth old lady didn't want to interrupt, but if something happened to the fourth old lady, her daughter would no longer want to marry into a wealthy family, so she said softly: "Brother Ye, no one can make mistakes without being a sage. Even your uncles and brothers occasionally make mistakes.
You should also help me, after all, we are a family, right?"
Gu Tingye glanced at her and said, "I can't stand idle."
Minglan thought to herself about this ambiguous statement, well, the topic has returned to its original place.
The fourth old man took out his handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, raised his head and said to Gu Tingye: "Brother Ye, speaking of which, you are the most responsible person in our family now. Your eldest brother is not in good health and cannot bear anything.
The title and the heavy burden of a family require you to be the pillar to carry it..."
The madam suddenly raised her head to stare at the fourth old lady, with anger hidden in her eyes.
"Fourth uncle, be careful what you say!" Gu Tingye immediately lowered his expression and said solemnly, "Young and old are in order, how can you make such nonsense! It's wrong for fourth uncle to mess up the ancestral family law and ruin the brotherhood!"
The fourth old man sat back down in disbelief.
Minglan frowned. The fourth old man was too shameless, and they never understood Gu Tingye's thoughts. He didn't want the title for the sake of the title, he wanted it because he couldn't swallow it, for his mother who died long ago.
, for the grievances they have suffered over the years. From this perspective, the fourth and fifth bedrooms are actually more hateful than others.
"Brother Ye, please say something." The lady noticed something was wrong and asked directly, "How should this matter be resolved?"
Seeing her anxious look, Gu Tingye said slowly: "It would be best if we find out that nothing happened; if..." He smiled helplessly and stopped talking.
The fifth old man stared at Gu Tingye coldly and said solemnly: "As long as the Gu family is safe, everyone in the Gu family can escape unscathed!"
——Tch! Is this ‘just’? Your demands are really low. Minglan slandered.
Gu Tingye also looked at him quietly, his voice like a cold spring: "If you want peace, why bother in the first place? Fifth uncle, don't be angry. If Tingye hasn't returned yet, what should fifth uncle do?"
Everyone in the hall was shocked. When Gu Tingye left home, when the sick old man was surrounded by people around his bed, the fourth and fifth old masters once comforted him like this: Just pretend that the Gu family does not have such a grandson!
Everyone was speechless for a moment, and Mrs. Tai wept with tears: "Brother Ye, it's all my fault. I made you feel wronged in the first place. I know you are angry in your heart! If you are angry, just come to me. That's right.
I didn't take good care of you, so you went out in frustration..."
After all, it was her stepmother, and it would not look good to cry like this. Minglan thought about whether she should step forward to persuade her.
Gu Tingye had turned around and stepped forward, supported the wife, and said warmly: "Even if something happens, I will go and take care of it."
"Is everything going to be okay?" Madam Tai did not give up.
Gu Tingye said briefly: "Everything is unclear now, it's hard to say."
This is the end of the conversation. They have promised to help, so what else can you say. Everyone in the hall looked at each other, helpless. Today, Gu Tingye actually refused to give in and began to practice Tai Chi.
"However," Gu Tingye smiled slightly and looked around at everyone present, "I dare not say anything else. At least my life is safe."
The words had a profound meaning, and many people were shocked.
The author has something to say:
Sorry, I have recently entered a period of burnout. I obviously have no glitches, but I just don’t want to write. I am working hard to recover.