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Chapter 73: 73 Home visit
Chapter 73: 73 Home visit
Chapter 73: 73 Home visit
Meanwhile, Lord Gu had settled in at the Wenquan Villa.
Lord Gu, holding a significant position in the capital, should not be absent for long, but facing such a grave matter, he had already written to his second son in the capital, asking him to request leave on his behalf from the emperor.
Ordinary marquises might not be able to get audience with the Emperor, but who else’s sister is a favored concubine of the Emperor if not Lord Gu’s? Hence, there was no difficulty for the second young master of the Gu family to meet with the Emperor.
The Emperor was aware of Gu Yan’s condition and guessed that Lord Gu might stay because Gu Yan’s not well. He instructed Lord Gu to stay peacefully at the villa and resolve the family affairs properly.
… He just omitted to say that Lord Gu could return to the capital once he had handled the aftermath of Gu Yan’s situation.
Lord Gu, oblivious to the subtle intents of the Emperor, was busy searching for that child from all those years ago.
Lord Gu first sought the midwife who had delivered Yao’s child years ago.
The midwife was from a nearby village, so the search boundary wasn’t too wide, and news came quickly.
However, it turned out that the midwife’s family had moved away many years ago, supposedly they had amassed a large sum of silver for delivering a child for a noblewoman in a temple, then they settled and prospered in the town.
By the time Huang Zhong found that family, unfortunately, the midwife had already passed away years ago, and her family knew very little about the birth she assisted in the temple.
Having no other option, Lord Gu, like a desperate man trying a dead horse as if it were alive, started from the neighboring villages and indeed found some clues.
There were five children born in the temple, among them one was eighteen, another was nineteen, and a third was only seven. Their ages didn’t match. The other two whose ages did match were villagers at the foot of the mountain, one lived in Xinghua Village and the other in Qingquan Village.
Lord Gu’s confidant bodyguard first went to Xinghua Village, but upon arrival found that it was a boy and his birth month was also incorrect.
The twins were born in October, while that boy was born in August.
Therefore, only the child of Qingquan Village remained.
If this one also didn’t match, they would have to search outside Qingquan Town, which would greatly expand their search area.
“Lord.” The bodyguard in charge of the investigation was called Huang Zhong, a trusted associate that Lord Gu had brought from the capital city. He said, “My lord, Qingquan Village isn’t near the foot of the temple mountain, but rather on the other side of it, I’m afraid…”
The chances seemed quite slim.
Lord Gu thought the same, hence putting Qingquan Village in as the last place for inspection.
He said: “Go and check it out first. If it’s not the one, come back, don’t arouse suspicion. If it is… I’ll wait for you at the teahouse in town.”
“Yes.”
Huang Zhong immediately set off for Qingquan Village by carriage.
Huang Zhong, in his early forties, was a muscular man with a genial face. At first glance, he seemed like a good person, who could easily gain the trust of strangers.
“That’s a child from the Gu Family!” an old man who was sunbathing at his doorstep remarked.
The old man, a little hard of hearing and sight, was forgetful but remembered that the Gu family had a child who was born in the temple.
“Which Gu family?” Huang Zhong asked.
“Lizheng! Gu Lizheng!” The old man waved his hand, pointing him the way.
Do they also have the surname Gu? What a coincidence.
After thanking the old man, Huang Zhong drove his carriage towards the old residence of the Gu family.
Gu Dashun and Gu Xiaoshun had gone to study, Gu Lizheng had taken Gu Changhai to the Yamen to collect rice, and Gu Changlu and Gu Ershun were sowing seeds in the field. Only Gu Yue’e and the ladies of the Wu family were left at home.
It was Gu Yue’e who opened the door.
Although not her first time seeing a nobleman and a carriage, Gu Yue’e still appeared startled: “Who… Who are you looking for?”
Given that she was a country girl who had seen little of the world, her reaction was normal. Huang Zhong smiled and said, “Is Mr. Gu Lizheng at home?”
Gu Yue’e, shy about speaking with a strange man, turned and dashed into the house. “Grandma! Someone’s looking for Grandpa!”
The Grandmother-Granddaughter-in-law trio was chopping chillies in the backyard. Seeing Gu Yue’e rushing in all flustered, the Wu woman frowned impatiently: “Who’s looking for your Grandpa?”
Gu Yue’e pointed to the back: “Don’t know him, he came in a huge carriage.”
At the mention of a carriage, the expression on Wu’s face changed.
Wu put down her kitchen knife, wiped her hands on a cloth, and quickly walked towards the entrance.
The carriage that Huang Zhong sat in, drawn by two horses, one more horse than the carriage the steward had used when sending a message to Gu Xiaoshun last time, made Wu Family wonder about the man’s identity. He must hold a higher rank than the Academy’s dean!
But why would such a high-ranking person visit their home?
With a smile plastered on her face, a member of the Wu Family asked, “Who are you? What business do you have with my husband?”
“My name is Huang. I heard that there’s a child born in a temple in your home, and I’d like to inquire about this child.”
The smile on the woman’s face vanished instantly.
He is here for that little disaster, nothing good ever comes from associating with a sinful child!
Just as she was about to close the door with a grim face, a woman named Liao Family stepped forward. With a bright smile, she said, “Information isn’t free.”
Huang Zhong understood, and with an unchanged smile, he took out a silver ingot from his pocket.
The eyes of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair bulged out instantly.
Liao Family reached her hand out to get it, but Wu Family snatched the silver right out from under her!
Liao Family gritted her teeth in secret!
As soon as Wu Family received the silver, her face brightened up, “Ask what you want, go ahead!”
“How old is the child? Is it a girl?”
“Fourteen! A girl!”
This time, Huang Zhong’s eyes lit up. “Which month was she born?”
Wu Family was stumped by this, who would bother to remember the birthdate of a good-for-nothing idiot?
Liao Family hurriedly said, “I-I-I-I know! She was born in the tenth month!”
That was the month she had just gotten pregnant with Gu Xiaoshun, so it was deeply ingrained in her mind.
Even the month matched. Huang Zhong’s heart began to stir, “What day?”
“Was it the 17th or the 18th?” Liao Family couldn’t remember this clearly. It seemed that aside from Gu Xiaoshun, no one bothered to remember Gu Jiao’s birthday.
Twins, a boy and a girl, were born on the 18th. With these clues, they are very close to the truth.
Huang Zhong managed to suppress his pounding heart, and asked further, “Which temple was she born in?”
Liao Family pointed and said, “The one on that hill, which other could it be?”
Just then, Gu Changlu came out carrying a hoe.
Liao Family waved him over, “Is our Ershun’s daughter born on the 17th or the 18th?”
“The 18th, why?” While Gu Changlu spoke, he eyed the unfamiliar man and his carriage at the doorway.
Huang Zhong’s excitement knew no bounds, everything matched, it had to be her.
Who would’ve thought, the child they never expected to find turned out to be the one they were looking for!
Gu Changlu came up to Wu Family and Liao Family. Meanwhile, Zhou Family also came out to watch the excitement.
Only Gu Yue’e being timid, was peeking out from the back door of the hall.
Huang Zhong’s excitement was beginning to show, Gu Changlu scrutinized him up and down, then asked Liao Family, “Why the sudden interest in Jiao?”
Liao Family pulled Gu Changlu aside, pointed at Wu Family’s pocket and whispered, “He came to inquire about Jiao’s news and gave a silver ingot, but my mother took it all!”
Gu Changlu gave Liao Family a stern look, displeased by her complaining about his mother in this tone. But he also didn’t agree with Wu Family’s actions.
He walked over to Wu Family, “Mother, we can’t accept this silver.”
Wu Family tightly clutched the purse, “Why can’t we accept it?”
Gu Changlu glanced at Huang Zhong, “We don’t know who he is, and why is he inquiring about Jiao’s matters? What if he’s a bad guy with ill intentions towards Jiao?”
At his words, Wu Family became upset, what does it matter to her if that little disaster is alive or dead? Dead is better, it would save the family from all the misfortunes she brings!