Gu Chengzhi couldn't understand at all. He glared angrily at Gu Junyan. "Elder brother, are you crazy? That case is clearly fishy. Gu Liyue is just a young girl. Are you just going to let the Jiang family bully her?"
Gu Junyan stared at Gu Liyue's back. After a long while, he said, "Gu Liyue... Did you see her when you went to Cangyun County? Did you see her parents?"
Gu Chengzhi was confused, but still honestly shook his head. "No, I didn't. Her parents are both dead. She was raised by her aunt, whose name is... Yunniang."
Gu Junyan frowned but said nothing. He turned around and was about to leave.
Gu Chengzhi grabbed him. "Elder brother, people say you never show favoritism. But why are you acting like this today? Are you scared because it's the Duke's Mansion? Or is it because the Jiang family is your maternal family, so you're doing this... Have you forgotten the teachings of our grandfather and eldest uncle?"
The wife of the eldest branch of the Gu family was from the Jiang family of the Duke's Mansion. Duke Jiang was Gu Junyan's uncle, and Lady Jiang was his aunt.
Gu Junyan looked at him seriously. "That girl is pitiful."
"Who? Gu Liyue? You know she's pitiful, so why don't you enforce the law impartially? Are you worried that she did this out of desperation? I tell you, I know her well. It's impossible. Although she's from the countryside, she's simple, upright, kind, and brave. She's definitely not the kind of person who will do anything to get ahead."
Seeing that Gu Junyan ignored him, Gu Chengzhi stomped off angrily.
After he was out of sight, Gu Junyan's servant quickly stepped forward and asked, "My lord, if you don't thoroughly investigate today's case, your reputation for integrity may..."
Gu Junyan shook his head. "The Jiang family is blackmailing me with kindness, and her relatives are under the control of the Jiang family. If I insist on further investigation, even if I find out the truth against her will, how will she face herself in the future? I don't want it to end up with her 'committing suicide out of fear of punishment'. If so, it will be my sin."
The servant didn't understand. "But my lord, such things are not rare. Why do you have to make an exception for this girl?"
Gu Junyan stared at the door for a long time before coming back to his senses and going to sort out the case files.
As for Gu Chengzhi, when he got home, he saw his father blowing his beard and glaring at him. His father pointed at him and shouted, "Did you cause trouble again today?"
Seeing the long stick in his father's hand, Gu Chengzhi jumped three feet into the air. He ran towards his grandparents' yard while wailing, "I didn't. Grandfather, grandmother, save me. Father, I didn't cause any trouble. I was on patrol outside the city today, and I met some outlaws... Ouch, father, don't hit me. Grandmother, save Zhier!"
In the Late Spring Courtyard, Lady Jiang of the eldest branch of the Gu family was helping her mother - in - law with the accounts. The New Year was approaching, and the New Year gifts for each mansion should be prepared. Everything else had been arranged properly, but her mother - in - law's natal family was far away and the clan members were scattered, so she still had to ask her mother - in - law for a plan.
Hearing Gu Chengzhi's shouts outside, Lady Jiang quickly held down the old lady. "Mother, I'll go and have a look."
As soon as she went out, Gu Chengzhi jumped behind her. "Aunt, save me. As soon as I got home, father wanted to beat me."
Gu Zhongxian was out of breath. He pointed at Gu Chengzhi. "Eldest sister - in - law, please get out of the way. I must beat this unfilial son to death today."
The Gu family was already a four - generation - under - one - roof family. The old marquis didn't care about worldly affairs, and the old lady was enjoying her later years. The eldest branch was Gu Boxian, whose wife was Lady Jiang. They had a eldest son, Gu Junyan, and a second son, Gu Junzhe. Gu Junyan's eldest son was already two years old. The second branch was Gu Zhongxian, the angry man in front of them. His wife was Lady Qin, who was in poor health and always taking medicine. The second branch also had two sons, the third son, Gu Cheng'an, and the fourth son, Gu Chengzhi.
From Gu Junyan to Gu Cheng'an, the three young men of the Gu family in this generation were all well - behaved and had jobs in the court. Only Gu Chengzhi had been mischievous since childhood. Although he didn't do bad things like stealing, robbing, or bullying men and women, he had done a lot of naughty things, which gave the whole family a big headache.
He didn't study hard. Originally, he could have been a small official with the family's influence, but he was not a quiet person. He was always fidgety and couldn't hold a job for long. That's right. He had just taken the job in the Yulin Guards a month ago, and now he didn't know how he had caused trouble and made Gu Zhongxian so angry.
Lady Jiang was kind - hearted. She stopped Gu Zhongxian. "Second brother, please talk slowly. Why are you so impatient?"
Gu Chengzhi had already started shouting. "Aunt, I've been very good today. I got up early to go on duty and patrolled the suburbs. I didn't slack off at all. Moreover, I caught several bandits and sent them to elder brother."
Gu Zhongxian was even more angry. He pointed at him and said, "Eldest sister - in - law, you're still protecting him. Do you know that he made a big commotion when he caught people today? It's okay that the people he caught were your relatives. But for those few bandits, he caused such a ruckus that he trampled on the vegetable fields of a whole village. It's freezing cold now, and the common people rely on those vegetables to survive the winter. But you, riding your horse around, and I heard you even injured two people..."
Gu Chengzhi shrank his neck and grabbed Lady Jiang. "Aunt, I... I just wanted the common people to be safe. It was... an accident. I compensated them with silver."
Gu Zhongxian was so angry that his whole body ached. "Compensated them with silver? Gu Chengzhi, you're really generous. Are you insulting the common people with silver? Have you forgotten all the family teachings of the Gu family? Eldest sister - in - law, please get out of the way. I must teach him a lesson today!"
Lady Jiang couldn't stop him. The stick hit Gu Chengzhi hard, and he cried out in pain.
The old lady came out leaning on her cane and hit the ground hard. "Second son, stop right now! Is Zhier your own son? Is this how you act as a father?"
Seeing his savior, Gu Chengzhi immediately threw himself beside the old lady and cried, "Grandmother, it hurts so much, grandmother!"
"If you know it hurts, you should know how to behave!" The old lady was angry, but seeing her grandson's state, she felt heartache. She supported him and said, "Come in with grandmother. Second son, you're not allowed to come in!"
Lady Jiang quickly arranged for someone to get the wound medicine and shook her head helplessly at Gu Zhongxian.
Seeing that his mother and sister - in - law were both protecting this naughty boy, Gu Zhongxian was angry and helpless. He stamped his foot and said, "Mother, if you spoil him like this, you'll only spoil him. What will this child be good for in the future? Look at his three elder brothers, and then look at him! When Junyan was eighteen, he had already been praised by so many people in the capital for solving so many major cases..."
Just then, he saw something shiny on the ground.
Gu Zhongxian rubbed his eyes and stepped forward to pick up the object on the ground. It was a pendant that was neither gold nor silver. It looked very ordinary and old. How could such a thing be in the Gu family?
Was it from an outsider? From which woman?
Gu Zhongxian's anger flared up. He ignored his mother's order not to go in and chased after them. He pointed at Gu Chengzhi and shouted, "Gu Chengzhi, you haven't even been betrothed or married yet, and you're fooling around outside, right?"
Gu Chengzhi looked confused. "What?"
Gu Zhongxian threw the pendant at Gu Chengzhi's face. "What's this? This thing was given to you by some woman, right? You can tell at a glance that there's no such thing in our family. I said why you were so eager to go on duty in the suburbs. It turns out you've taken a fancy to some girl..."
Gu Chengzhi shook his head repeatedly. "No, it's not like that, father. This is..."
"This is... Where did you get this?" The old lady exclaimed. She snatched the pendant and rubbed her eyes. "Where did you get this? This seems to be Shuxian's thing!"
Everyone was stunned. The old lady held the pendant and confirmed it again and again. Then she grabbed Gu Chengzhi's hand and asked, "Zhier, where did you get this? Tell me. This is your third uncle's thing. I put it on your third uncle with my own hands back then."
Gu Chengzhi was still confused. "Third uncle's?"