Gu Chengzhi said helplessly, "Prince Liang is entirely focused on state affairs. How could he have the time to take care of his family? In the previous years, the emperor was seriously ill and the crown prince was still young. The palace was in turmoil, and the whole of the Great Zhou was in an unstable state. If it weren't for Prince Liang holding up the country single - handedly, the Great Zhou would not have enjoyed national peace and people's well - being as it does today."
Gu Liyue didn't say anything more. Prince Liang was probably a loyal man. He hadn't shown the slightest sign of disloyalty even in such a difficult situation. She used to think that all his sons were like him, and that Lu Jinxuan was just diligent and capable, and would be able to assist Lu Jinchen in managing the Prince Liang's Mansion in the future. But she had never thought that perhaps the princess and Lu Jinxuan had already regarded Lu Jinchen as a thorn in their side.
Gu Chengzhi continued, "Anyway, I don't like Lu Jinxuan. He's very cunning. Haven't you heard? Since you got engaged to Lu Jinchen, there have been rumors that he's pursuing Qi Manyan. Hehe... It was clearly on purpose."
Thinking of Qi Manyan, Gu Liyue lifted the curtain and said, "By the way, I'm going to the front to buy candied fruits, and then I'll go to the Ministry of Justice."
Gu Chengzhi asked, "Big brother will be back tonight. Why don't you tell sister - in - law?"
But Gu Liyue insisted on going. There were things weighing on her mind, and she couldn't feel at ease.
When they arrived at the Ministry of Justice, a junior official came out to greet them. "Lord Gu and several other lords are discussing matters. Young master and young lady, please wait a moment."
After waiting for about half an hour, Gu Junyan came over with a worried look on his face. When he saw his younger brother and sister, he didn't say much. "Since you're here, have a meal with me."
When they went to the dining hall, many of the officials and junior officials of the Ministry of Justice were already having their meals. A junior official with good sense fetched three servings of food and then quickly retreated.
Gu Liyue took a look. The food in the Ministry of Justice was served in individual portions. Whether it was the Minister of the Ministry of Justice or the most ordinary junior official, they all had the same food. There was no distinction based on official rank.
The food was not very delicate. It was just ordinary, but with a proper combination of meat and vegetables, it wasn't bad.
Gu Junyan put the meat from his dish into Gu Liyue's bowl. "Sister, you should eat more. This place is not like home, where you can have whatever you want."
Gu Liyue quickly picked the meat back. "Big brother, there's no need for this. Since you all treat each other equally, I should do the same."
Gu Junyan smiled and didn't insist. After the meal, he stood up and said, "Sister, come with me. Chengzhi, go outside and have a look at the newly - received cases."
Gu Chengzhi scratched his head and asked, "Why? I want to go with you..."
Gu Junyan cast a glance at him, and Gu Chengzhi immediately fell silent. With a wronged look on his face, he turned around and went out.
Gu Liyue followed Gu Junyan to the archive room. She felt a bit nervous. All along, her big brother had been very kind to her. But she also knew her big brother's character. He was by no means a person who would mix public and private matters. In fact, he was rather pedantic. As a girl, she shouldn't have come to such a place.
Gu Junyan didn't say much. He bypassed the junior officials who were sorting out the case files in the front and walked all the way to the desk at the very back. He sat down and told Gu Liyue to sit down too. "Grind the ink for me."
Gu Liyue did as she was told. While grinding the ink, she turned her face away and didn't look at what he was writing.
After Gu Junyan finished writing the letter, he carefully folded it and then asked, "What do you want to see me about?"
Gu Liyue paused. So her big brother had long since seen that it wasn't her fourth brother who had brought her here to play. She said in a low voice, "Last night... I met Qi Manyan."
Gu Junyan's eyes narrowed, and his face turned cold. "Did she bully you?"
Gu Liyue shook her head. "No. It's just... I've always been strange before. She was always very polite to me in front of others. I thought my previous speculation was wrong. But last night, for some unknown reason, she said a lot of... jealous words in front of me."
Gu Junyan nodded slowly. "Well, no matter what happened, at least she showed her true colors. This is a good thing. Just in time, I've never been able to find any handle on the Qi family. Now, with her handle, we can start a proper investigation this time."
Gu Liyue felt rather nervous. She asked carefully, "Big brother, did I... cause you any trouble?"
A rare gentle look appeared on Gu Junyan's face. He reached out and stroked Gu Liyue's head. "Silly girl, you're not a trouble. You're my sister."
Gu Liyue smiled. "Big brother, I'll tell you everything as soon as it happens from now on."
Gu Junyan waved the letter in his hand. "Do you know who this letter is for?"
Of course Gu Liyue didn't know.
"It's a letter to the governor of Luanhe City. The Shu family is coming back."
Gu Liyue was confused. "Who... are the Shu family?"
Gu Junyan's eyes were deep. After a long time, he said, "I shouldn't have told you this originally. But since the Shu family is coming back, the past events will sooner or later reach your ears. The Shu family is the family that made your parents determined to leave the capital. And there's a girl in the Shu family named Shu Mingzhu. She's probably two years older than you. Along with the return of the Shu family, there's also a piece of news. Shu Mingzhu's biological father is your father."
Gu Liyue's eyes widened in shock. "This... This... How could this be?"
Gu Junyan patted her on the shoulder to comfort her. "Liyue, don't worry. We won't believe such nonsense. But this matter concerns your father's innocence. We can't just sit back and ignore it. We must find out the truth."
Gu Liyue's heart was pounding. Did her father have another daughter before? What was the situation with the Shu family? The Shu family? It seemed that the Princess of Liang was also from the Shu family.
"Is it the same Shu family as the Princess of Liang's?"
Gu Junyan nodded. "Yes. It's also because of the Princess of Liang that the Shu family can return to the capital so soon. For more than a decade... If they had just stayed in Luanhe City, no matter how they lived, the Gu family wouldn't have done anything. We wouldn't have reached out so far just because of those old matters. But the Shu family..."
Gu Liyue wanted to ask about the past but didn't dare to. She just grabbed her big brother's sleeve. "But isn't the Gu family no match for the Prince Liang's Mansion?"
Gu Junyan shook his head. "Prince Liang is a very upright man. Our Gu family is also not the kind of family that likes to play dirty tricks. We act openly and above - board. Why should we be afraid of them? For our Gu family, the reputation of our family members is more important than anything else. Back then, when Uncle left the capital, no matter what others said, we believed in him and never disgraced our own reputation. Moreover, now we have you."
He looked at Gu Liyue lovingly and patted her on the shoulder again. "I'm telling you all this so that you can be prepared in advance and won't be at a loss when others talk about it. But Liyue, remember, these things have nothing to do with you. You don't need to care about them, and you definitely don't need to be panicked."
Gu Liyue's eyes were shining. She was really panicked. She had just managed to confirm that the Gu family was her home and that her relatives all loved her. She didn't even dare to think about what would happen if an outsider came and broke the current peace.
What would happen if that Shu Mingzhu was really her father's daughter?
Gu Liyue gritted her teeth. After a long time, she said, "Big brother, I want to know... the specific situation when my parents left the capital."