Chapter 89: The Previous Generation's Gu Er and Gu Three [Grateful Thanks to Readers for Support]

The woman cultivated by the Eastern Chang Hou Fu was not necessarily originally intended for Gu Yankai; it was merely unknown why she ultimately appeared before him.

Gu Gu Tingyu exhaled deeply, nodded, and agreed with Xu Xu Zaijing's assessment.

Sitting aside, Xu Xu Zaijing pondered; in the original work, this woman was named You You Lian, a name chosen to convey the meaning of "even I find her pitiable."

She was a personal maid purchased by Xiao Qin Shi and sent to the Gu family as a gift for Gu Yankai.

Later, she was defiled by Gu Gu Tingbing of the Gu family's fourth branch, after which Xiao Qin Shi pinned the blame on Gu Gu Tingye.

This maneuver allowed Xiao Qin Shi to seize leverage over the fourth branch, ensuring their perpetual alignment with her, while simultaneously driving a wedge between the father-son relationship of Gu Yankai and Gu Gu Tingye.

Killing two birds with one stone.

Wait, nowadays this Xiao Qin Shi has married into the Anguo Gong Fu as a continuation wife.

No, in my memories, by this time Gu Yankai's health had already been secretly undermined; he had begun to cough!

He was now merely a noble without any real power!

Gu Gu Tingyu saw the clarity in Xu Xu Zaijing's eyes but did not ask aloud, merely waiting quietly.

"Brother Yu, didn't the Second Miss of the Qin family become the continuation wife of the Anguo Gong family?! Apart from the Marquis, is there anyone else in the Gu family capable of commanding the Gu Army? If not, can the Anguo Gong replace Hou Gu?"

Gu Gu Tingyu slowly shook his head and said:

"Apart from Father, there is no one. I pursue the literary path; Second Brother cultivates both civil and martial arts, but he is still too young. As for the quality of the fourth and fifth branches, you know it well. Among the collateral lines, the Marquis Xiangyang Marquis is already distant from our family, and the other collateral branches possess no outstanding sons."

Gu Gu Tingyu paused, and after sorting through the relationships between the various military factions of Great Zhou in his mind, he sighed.

"They wish to force Father to step down and make way for others. They have indeed calculated well."

"So, between military authority and a beauty, the Marquis chose the beauty?" Xu Xu Zaijing asked.

Gu Gu Tingyu nodded; seeing that Xu Xu Zaijing still did not fully understand the internal situation, he continued:

"The rations and pay for the soldiers under Father's command are issued in full and on time.

Moreover, for four or five generations, members of the Gu family have served in the military, with many falling on the battlefield.

Among them, several ancestors of the main Gu line knew death was certain yet remained without regret! Some stayed behind to cover the retreat of the main army, while others charged into enemy formations to die protecting the command banner.

The young men under his command all know that for the sake of victory, the Gu family members beneath the command banner will not spare their own kin."

Xu Xu Zaijing felt somewhat moved; these words were not mere talk. To send one's own nephews and sons to their deaths requires a shift in perspective; it is akin to sending one's own Zhu Zhu Qinghu, the Sun family cousins, or even in the future, one's elder brother Xu Zaiduan or Xu Xu Zaijing himself to charge into the fray.

And the purpose is to bite down on the enemy and secure victory.

If you lack such a resolute mindset, your momentum will be suppressed by others, and all that remains is to be harvested by them!

"With such a general, the young men of the Gu Army will surely be willing to die, for they know this is for victory, so that their comrades may stand rather than lie dead."

Gu Gu Tingyu smiled as he looked at Xu Xu Zaijing, yet his eyes were misty, and he nodded.

"Second Uncle Gu Zhongkai and Third Uncle Gu Chuankai both perished in this manner, which is why Father has always protected our uncles from the fourth and fifth branches. But nowadays, Father has..."

"Perhaps Hou Gu did not think that far ahead and did not anticipate such massive troubles arising later."

Gu Gu Tingyu shook his head and said: "Han Wulang, do you know how much the monthly rations and pay alone amount to for the several armies under the Gu family's command, numbering tens of thousands of men?"

Xu Xu Zaijing frowned and said: "No! What they want is money? The blood and sweat money of the soldiers?"

"If it is not this, then could they want Father to relinquish his post so they can lead the troops to pacify the Northern Liao and Bai Gao? Hmph! If they possessed such ambition, then I too would be willing to serve as a military scribe at the front lines!"

Xu Xu Zaijing laughed in anger: "Damn it."

"Brother Yu, what is your plan? Keeping such a disaster will inevitably lead to trouble sooner or later."

"I already have some plans."

"Can you not tell me?"

"Not for now."

"Then I must implore you, Brother Yu, to ensure my sister suffers no difficulties or pain; otherwise, next time I will not merely cause a scene at your home like this."

Gu Gu Tingyu patted Xu Xu Zaijing on the shoulder and said:

"I know; rest assured, not even a single hair of the maids and female servants who accompanied Ping'er as part of her dowry will be harmed. Stop the carriage!"

He exited the carriage.

Xu Xu Zaijing again put on a stern face, wearing an expression of great displeasure, mounted the horse following behind, and returned to the Xu family.

Upon arriving at Quyuan Street,

seeing the palace guards and female officials at the gate wearing smiles, Xu Xu Zaijing knew there must be some happy occasion.

After dismounting, Xu Xu Zaijing went to the entrance of the courtyard where Sun Shi resided.

In the courtyard, Second Brother, who had returned early, stood smiling to one side,

while Sun Shi was seeing off the palace eunuch official along with Xie Shi and Xu Xu Anmei.

"Mother, what is happening?"

Holding a hand warmer, Sun Shi did not respond to Xu Xu Zaijing; she smiled as she bid farewell to the palace eunuch official. Although he was a eunuch, he was an envoy from the palace, representing the Emperor.

Xu Xu Zaijing bowed slightly in salute.

"Oh, oh, good Han Wulang, this humble servant dare not accept such courtesy, dare not accept it."

Speaking thus, the eunuch official hastily bowed deeply in return, bowing twice.

Having finished, he hurriedly left the courtyard where Sun Shi resided, saying aloud: "Madam, do not see me off; this humble servant must depart first."

The eunuch official departed to a distance.

"Mother."

Sun Shi wiped the smile from her face, glared at Xu Xu Zaizhang, and returned to the main hall.

Her daughters-in-law, Xie Shi and Xu Xu Anmei, followed behind.

Xu Xu Zaijing also followed over.

He took the hand warmer handed to him by Xiao Dan.

Sun Shi gazed at her youngest son and said:

"The Gu family was in the wrong, but why did you still smash basins and bowls? Hearing your brother say it, you even broke a chair?"

Hearing these words, Xu Xu Anmei gripped the handle of her own chair, looking at her fifth younger brother with eyes full of disbelief.

Xu Xu Zaijing said:

"Mother, we are not some civil officials; we are meritorious nobles and martial generals. If we argue reason like this, others will think we are easy to bully! Previously, against the Qi family and the Marquis Xiangyang Hou Gu family, we showed a bit of our methods, and didn't everyone in Bianjing City become much more respectful?

If Auntie Bai has something she cannot leave behind, I am still polite; she is merely a concubine."

"You, oh you!" Sun Shi pointed vacuously at Xu Xu Zaijing.

Sun Shi continued speaking: "Let your elder sister come home for a visit; I want to see her!"

"Yes, Mother, I will have someone deliver the message immediately! Also, Mother, what exactly is the happy occasion in the palace?"

Looking at her mother-in-law drinking tea, Lady Xie smiled and said:

"Han Wulang, Her Majesty the Empress is with child."

Xu Xu Zaijing froze, then said in a low voice: "Her Ladyship is well cared for; one cannot tell her age. Mother, do you know?"

Sun Shi rolled her eyes at her own son and said, "No comment."

Having finished speaking, she rose and took Little Zhu to the storeroom to inventory the Empress's rewards; those items that could not be stored were to be sent to the kitchen or distributed among the various courtyards for use, while those capable of long-term storage would be placed in the storeroom.

Lady Xie shook her head, wondering why her own younger brother-in-law simply could not speak pleasant words? Why bring up age, of all things!

Supported by a female attendant as she stood up, Lady Xie said: "Han Wulang, hearing from my natal mother, Her Majesty the Empress is even younger than the Lady of the Duke of Britain."

"I thank my elder sister-in-law for the clarification."

Lady Xie nodded and said:

"An-Hua Jie, let's go, let's see the clothes the female attendants made for the cat."

"Yes, Sister-in-law."

Lady Xie had not gone far when Xu Xu Zaijing heard his mother's voice:

"Eldest daughter-in-law, you are with child; do not always hover near the cat! Come over! The eldest miss of the Sheng family has been betrothed to the Yuan family; accompany me to select some fine fabrics to prepare as a gift for the eldest miss of the Sheng family."

"Yes! Mother-in-law, An-Hua Jie, you go yourself."

Xu Zhang Zhang exchanged greetings with his own younger brother and went to the study to continue his studies.

Walking under the long corridor of the Xu residence, Xu Xu Zaijing smiled scornfully and muttered a phrase: "The Yuan family? Tsk~~"

Leaving the long corridor, the two arrived at the side courtyard within the residence.

In the courtyard, Uncle Deng was tending to rare green vegetables for winter inside the warm room.

Earthen walls more than half a zhang thick enclosed a rather large room; Xu Xu Zaijing's master was also in this place.

Because the earthen walls were thick enough and a stove was lit inside, the temperature was not low; the kettle on the stove emitting steam also made the air humid, and after finishing his work, the groom master also liked to come here to play a bit.

As soon as Xu Xu Zaijing's master saw his appearance, he walked toward the interior of the warm room; Xu Xu Zaijing walked to his master's side, while Uncle Deng moved as close as possible to the doorway of the warm room.

"?"

With a single glance from his master,

Xu Xu Zaijing understood the meaning.

He roughly explained the matters concerning the Lady Ningyuan Hou Fu to his master; since this involved the Dongchang Hou Fu Qin family, Xu Xu Zaijing knew very well that his own master did not get along with the Qin family.

After hearing Xu Xu Zaijing's words, the eye within the single socket moved about, obviously thinking about something.

Subsequently, he said in a hoarse voice: "You two only thought about the Anguo Duke and the Qin family making money, but who is standing behind them?"

Xu Xu Zaijing asked in confusion: "In recent years, the Imperial Prince is healthy, and Your Majesty also has an heir; do they need someone standing behind them? Isn't making money, enjoying life, and buying land good enough?"

If there are any typos, please point them out, readers! Thank you!

I guarantee once again, I will not end chapters arbitrarily!

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(End of Chapter)