These posts were all delivered over a month ago. By then, the imperial selection had only just been rumored, and she had already departed for Jiangnan.
Qing Miao had promptly replied, informing them that her mistress was away on a journey.
Lu Nian Fu went through them one by one and found that Qing Miao had responded quite appropriately. Putting aside her memories from her previous life, she didn't recognize any of the people who had sent the invitations. However, it wasn't difficult to guess that they were aiming for the position of Consort of Prince Rui.
Who would want to introduce concubines to their own man? No matter how much loyalty they professed, it was all nonsense. They had only met a few times, yet they were already set on becoming Gu Yan Chen's concubine. What were their ulterior motives?
She was indeed a merchant's daughter, but she still managed so many profitable businesses. Must they always imagine her as an idiot? She was immensely grateful that she had managed to slip away as soon as the selection began, otherwise, just dealing with these people would have driven her half to death.
"Qing Miao, send an invitation to Ping Ning Bo's manor and the Gu manor. Ask if they are available for a visit tomorrow." As for the others, she wouldn't bother for now. Pushing the stack of invitations aside, Lu Nian Fu gave her instructions.
Yes, the invitation from Guang Ling Marquis's manor was not from Gu Rong and his wife, but from the Second Aunt, Madam Qin.
That afternoon, Lu Nian Fu received their replies. Both sides indicated they were available the next day.
Lu Nian Fu then postponed her account reconciliation day by another day and, early in the morning, took local specialties to the Gu family's second uncle's home. She planned to chat with her second aunt and then have lunch at Ping Ning Bo's manor.
Gu Yan Chen was also very busy.
Although he claimed to be on leave and thus not attending court, the backlog of cases at the Dali Temple could not be ignored.
He flipped through the case files and sneered, "Tsk, I've only been gone for a little over a month, and Dali Temple already has two cold cases. What on earth has Jian Shi Jie been doing?"
Dali Temple did not handle minor cases. They only took on cases involving officials or major crimes. And yet, there were two cold cases!
No wonder the Qi Ying Marquis's manor had such strong backing; he was still only second-in-command. It turned out he lacked the ability.
Meng Chang Dong stood by the table, watching him intently, "Boss, are you planning to take them on?"
"Naturally. A backlog of cold cases at Dali Temple would tarnish my reputation."
"Wouldn't that offend the Qi Ying Marquis's manor?"
If the case that Jian Shi Jie couldn't solve was solved by the boss as soon as he returned, wouldn't that be a direct slap in the face?
Gu Yan Chen looked at him strangely, "The Qi Ying Marquis's manor, how much have I *not* offended them? From Jian De Qiu, to Jian Shi Zhao later, and then clashing with Jian Huai Ming several times in court..."
Compared to all that, slapping Jian Shi Jie's face was nothing.
Not to mention, he was his superior. Taking over cases that the subordinate couldn't solve was perfectly justified. If the subordinates were incompetent, what was wrong with him stepping in personally?
"Boss, you are a prince now. How can you advance further by making enemies everywhere?" Meng Chang Dong's voice was very low. If it weren't for considering the boss's intellectual capacity, he would never have spoken so plainly.
He was already a prince; the next step would be...
Gu Yan Chen suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief. After a long pause, he gave Meng Chang Dong a thumbs-up, "I truly didn't expect that Military Advisor Meng would have such confidence in me. Should I be overwhelmed with gratitude?"
Fine, there was nothing more to be said. Meng Chang Dong instantly understood his meaning and couldn't help but roll his eyes, "Indeed, I overestimated you. Now, shall I report on these two cases?"
"Have you found any leads?"
"Of course."
"One heart, two hands prepared. Truly worthy of being called a military advisor!"
Meng Chang Dong ignored him and continued, "The first case occurred on the Dragon Boat Festival. The Ministry of Works' Vice Minister Meng's residence was attacked at night. All twenty-nine residents were killed, and valuable items were looted. Lord Jian ruled it as a robbery-homicide, but I believe it was the work of an inside traitor."
"Didn't you say everyone in the household was killed?"
"But among the twenty-nine charred bodies, one belonged to a crippled beggar."
The crippled beggar was born with a disability, but his mind was sharp. Even though he wore tattered clothes and begged with a bowl, the money he earned from selling information was enough for him to live comfortably for a lifetime.
Amongst all walks of life, information was always the most readily available. Gu Yan Chen had even done business with him a few times while investigating cases.
Gu Yan Chen looked up at him, his expression momentarily pained, "The crippled beggar is dead? How can you be sure that body was him?"
Meng Chang Dong said, "You would recognize him if you saw the body as well. The crippled beggar had six fingers on his left hand, and with his limp, the body was highly distinctive. Furthermore, I investigated and confirmed that the crippled beggar is genuinely missing. Therefore, I infer that there must have been an insider in the Meng manor who used the crippled beggar as a scapegoat, allowing the true culprit to escape with impunity."
"Do you know who the insider is?"
"The charred bodies cannot be identified definitively, only their gender can be inferred. I compared the number of registered residents of the Meng manor and discovered a missing female corpse. I have already had someone draw portraits of the entire Meng family and stationed people at all city gates. He should still be in the capital."
"Well done." Gu Yan Chen put away the files. "Let's go and take a look at the Meng manor first. What's this about Censor Wu killing his wife?"
"Censor Wu is in prison shouting his innocence, claiming he was drugged."
"What kind of drug would make him kill his own wife?" The long legs had already crossed the threshold. Meng Chang Dong followed him closely, but this did not hinder his reporting. "There's not much to investigate in this case. Censor Wu was indeed drugged with Wu Shi San, but the drug was not administered by anyone else; he was already addicted. The coroner has examined the body and determined that he suffered hallucinations after consuming Wu Shi San, leading to this tragic incident."
"Then this case is obvious, isn't it? Why is it still unresolved?"
Meng Chang Dong whispered, "Boss, the Ministry of Works' Vice Minister Meng Shi is Lord Jian's cousin."
"I understand. He's trying to cover up for the criminal. I'll write a memorial impeaching him tonight."
"What do you mean you understand? Jian Shi Jie is simply stalling for time. He doesn't want to offend anyone, and this case was waiting for you to handle it."
Gu Yan Chen: "...Damn it, that's why they say officials in the capital are so cunning."
"Are you still going to handle it?"
"Of course, but let's let him stew for a few days first."
Meng Chang Dong: ...
Actually, you yourself are quite cunning.
The Meng manor was now reduced to ruins, but from the traces of these things, one could still glimpse the grandeur of the residence. Two neighboring houses were also affected, but they only suffered financial losses. The residents had fled when the Meng manor caught fire. Gu Yan Chen estimated the size of the Meng manor's grounds and sighed with envy, "A mere sixth-rank official lives so luxuriously. Officials in the capital are indeed wealthy."
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works was a sixth-rank official, and the Ministry of Works was a notoriously obscure department in the capital.
Meng Chang Dong cast him a silent glance and reminded him, "If you hug the right person, you'll get rich quickly. Meng Shi is from the Qi Ying Marquis's manor and is in charge of procurement for the Ministry of Works. Boss, you are a prince now, and we subordinates are still staying at your residence. I've heard that the mothers-in-law in the capital have high standards; without a proper residence, you can't marry a wife."
Life in the capital was good in every way, except for the lack of ways to make money.
Under the Son of Heaven's gaze, there were no merchant fleets for them to protect, nor pirates for them to plunder.
Gu Yan Chen calculated the number of people he had brought back from Yangzhou and felt his purse strings tighten. "...Let's talk about the main business first. This manor is so large, besides gold and silver, there must have been many valuable large items. To move all these things in one night, they must have a base nearby. We'll find an excuse to thoroughly investigate this area when we get back."
Meng Chang Dong's eyes lit up, "I'll make arrangements right away."
Lu Nian Fu was very busy. She had originally planned to visit Madam Qin early in the morning. However, Qing Miao reminded her that before meeting her second aunt, she needed to pay her respects to Madam Fang at Ping Ning Bo's manor.
So, she had to hastily prepare a gift and went to Ping Ning Bo's manor early in the morning.
Madam Fang was quite surprised by Lu Nian Fu's arrival.
When Gu Yan Chen was enfeoffed as Prince Rui, she had indeed worried and feared for a while. But after the initial shock and fear, she found that the Emperor had not held her accountable for her mistreatment of Gu Yan Chen. Thus, she quickly came to terms with it.
It was said that the kindness of upbringing was greater than the kindness of birth. So what if she had mistreated him? Gu Yan Chen had grown up nonetheless, and so exceptionally well. In the end, their Guang Ling Marquis manor had shown him kindness. It was just a pity that she had realized this too late; by then, Gu Yan Chen and his wife had already left the capital.
As a result, her son had not been selected for the Hanlin Academy and only obtained a vice minister position in the Ministry of Rites.
A mere sixth rank was not worthy of her son.
So, she cornered Lu Nian Fu and began to curry favor, and incidentally, to ask for benefits for Gu Yan Dong. "How can a mere sixth-rank vice minister showcase Yan Dong's talent? If Yan Chen fights with other princes in the future, even if he wants to help, he'll be powerless. You should talk to Yan Chen properly. Brothers united can break gold. It would be extremely beneficial for Yan Dong if Yan Chen were to promote him. A third or second-rank official is hard to come by, so I won't be greedy. Let him get a fourth-rank official for Yan Dong."
A fourth-rank official, and she was satisfied?
Qing Ya rolled her eyes significantly.
Lu Nian Fu, however, was very agreeable. "Madam speaks wisely. I will certainly tell the Prince when I return."
Madam Fang was overjoyed, even overlooking that she had addressed her as 'Madam'. She happily saw Lu Nian Fu out, urging her to find Gu Yan Chen quickly, preferably to have this fourth-rank official position secured for her son within the day.
As soon as she got into the carriage, Qing Ya couldn't contain herself. "Miss, how could you agree to such a thing?"
"If I didn't agree, she would probably have kept me here talking for an entire morning. Suffering from the noise is one thing, but I have other things to attend to today!" Lu Nian Fu smiled. "Besides, my agreement doesn't mean anything."
Qing Ya: ...
Madam Fang, of course, didn't know Lu Nian Fu's intentions and just thought she was easy to deal with. She happily said, "It's different now that she's a Princess Consort; she's starting to care about her reputation. If it were before, this little vixen wouldn't listen to me at all. Si Qin, go and fetch the cousin tomorrow."
Si Qin replied, "Madam, have you forgotten? The cousin is still in the Xiu Palace."
"Then have Lu Nian Fu come again tomorrow."
Si Qin's throat felt a little choked. She braced herself and said, "Madam, Madam, she is already the Princess Consort of Prince Rui now?"
Not your timid little daughter-in-law anymore?
Madam Fang, however, didn't seem to care much. "Being a royal daughter-in-law isn't easy. I've been Gu Yan Chen's mother for over twenty years. If he turns his back on me as soon as he's successful, do they still care about their reputation? Just go boldly. If she doesn't come, hmph, I'll find some storytellers to go to the teahouses and gossip until she's ruined. I raised Gu Yan Chen for over twenty years; it's time he repaid his gratitude."
Si Qin: ...
Compared to Madam Fang, Madam Qin was much more polite. Not only did she welcome her at the door, but she also bowed respectfully.
Lu Nian Fu sidestepped. "Second Aunt, please don't. We're family, no need for such formality. You're humbling me."
"How could that be? You are now the Princess Consort of Prince Rui, and there will be many people who will bow to you and pay their respects in the future. You'll get used to it slowly."
"Let's talk about it after I'm used to it."
"Alright." Madam Qin's expression relaxed considerably. Lu Nian Fu's demeanor suggested that she was not someone who would turn her back on favors. She made a gesture of invitation. "Princess Consort, this way please."
Tea fragrance wafted from inside. After Gu Rong sent ten thousand taels of silver, Madam Qin's finances improved considerably, and she could afford to drink good tea. The two sat down as host and guest. Madam Qin's relaxed expression became uneasy again. She was not a eloquent person and didn't know how to curry favor when asking for something. She was so anxious that beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.
Lu Nian Fu tasted the tea and was surprised by Madam Qin's appearance, sweating profusely. "Second Aunt, is there a difficult matter you need my help with?"
No way? The invitation was sent over a month ago. Could it be that after a whole month, her problem was still not resolved?
Madam Qin became even more embarrassed. "Princess Consort, I haven't thanked you yet for the matter at the Aurora Tower last time. Now I have something else to ask of you, and I am truly ashamed to even speak of it. But this matter concerns Yan Shu's lifelong happiness, so I can only shamelessly beg you."
"Second Aunt, please explain it in detail. I can't agree without knowing the specifics."
Madam Qin wiped away her tears and began to recount the story from the beginning.
It started with the imperial selection.
The legitimate daughters of capital officials ranked fourth and above were required to participate. Gu Li's rank was not high enough, so it originally had nothing to do with their family. However, after Scholar Luan had an accident, the Emperor promoted him, just enough to meet the standard for this imperial selection.
But before this, Gu Yan Shu had fallen in love with Zhan Wei, a scholar whom Gu Li had sponsored.
Although they hadn't officially become engaged, Zhan Wei had already pleaded with Gu Li, promising that once he achieved success in the imperial examinations, he would have his parents come to the capital to propose marriage. As it turned out, he was indeed accomplished and obtained the second-place scholar title in the final imperial examination. However, before his parents could be brought to the capital, the Emperor announced the imperial selection.
Gu Yan Shu's name was naturally submitted.
Madam Qin looked at Lu Nian Fu expectantly. "Princess Consort, Second Aunt knows this is an excessive request. Don't say it's my husband, even Elder Brother hasn't been favored by the Emperor for long. If they were to speak up about this matter, and it backfired, it wouldn't just be Yan Shu's lifelong happiness at stake. I truly have no other choice but to seek your help. You can speak with the Empress, and if you request a special favor, her name will be removed from the list of candidates. I didn't expect you to go out of the capital either. Now, we can only hope for an imperial marriage decree from the Empress."
Lu Nian Fu understood. "So, Second Aunt, you hope I can ask the Empress for a special favor to have Yan Shu's name removed from the candidates and married to that scholar?"
"Yes."
"Has that scholar Zhan obtained an official position?"
"He entered the Hanlin Academy through the selection of scholars."
"Did Second Uncle help with that?"
"No, not at all. Originally, given Zhan Wei's background and not being among the top three, he would never have been selected for the Hanlin Academy. My husband hadn't intended to strive for this, but an article of his happened to be favored by the Emperor, so he personally decided to keep him."
To be favored by the Emperor, he must indeed have genuine talent.
Lu Nian Fu knew that the Empress's politeness towards her was only because she wanted to win over Gu Yan Chen. But with this reason, the Empress would certainly not refuse her small request. After contemplating for a while, she said, "If the Empress cannot help with this matter, it shouldn't be difficult for my husband to speak to the Emperor. But Second Aunt, are you truly determined to marry Sister Yan Shu to Zhan Wei?"
Madam Qin looked puzzled. "Princess Consort, why do you say that? Is there something improper about this matter?"
"Second Uncle works in the Hanlin Academy. You must know that while people who emerge from the Hanlin Academy have good career prospects, many also never leave the Hanlin Academy. It is a very poor office. And Yan Shu, being your husband's cousin, was selected as a candidate for the imperial selection. The palace would certainly assign her someone of high status. Have you truly not considered a different son-in-law?"
Madam Qin shook her head. "Let's forget it. My husband has treated me well over the years. The household is peaceful, and there are no internal family disputes. That girl was raised by me to be pure and innocent. If she were to marry into a prominent family, she might suffer a great deal. As for this Zhan Wei, my husband praises his character, and given his background, he will certainly not let Yan Shu suffer. To put it plainly, even if he were to act outrageously, my husband could still go and seek justice for his daughter. But if she married into a prominent family, we might not be able to do anything even if she were gone."
Lu Nian Fu couldn't help but look up to Madam Qin.
In this era where people favored climbing the social ladder and marrying into wealth, Madam Qin and Gu Li's consideration for their daughter was truly rare.
She certainly wouldn't encourage them to marry into prominent families, nor would she promise that Gu Yan Chen would protect Gu Yan Shu. She thought carefully for a moment. "I understand what you mean. I will discuss it with my husband when I return and see how to best handle it."
This was a tacit agreement, and Madam Qin was overjoyed. She clasped her hands together and recited a Buddhist mantra, wanting to bow and thank Lu Nian Fu again.
Lu Nian Fu quickly stopped her and stood up to take her leave.
Madam Qin naturally wanted to keep her for a meal, but Lu Nian Fu declined, stating she had to go to Ping Ning Bo's manor.
Madam Qin felt regretful but had no reason to stop her from visiting her maiden home. So, she personally escorted her out of the manor, and the carriage meandered towards Ping Ning Bo's manor.
Having visited two households consecutively, the carriage arrived at Ping Ning Bo's manor near noon.
The invitation to Ping Ning Bo's manor was sent by Zeng Wei Yang, but it was not she who came to greet Lu Nian Fu. Lu Nian Fu looked at Madam Ban, who had no expression at the door, with bewilderment. Her mother's behavior so far could be described as having "dislike for her" etched onto her forehead.
Yet, she had actually come out to meet her?
Madam Ban's expression was as cold as usual. After glancing at her, she said, "You're here? Wei Yang has been ill for a long time and has been waiting for you. Go and see her quickly; she should be awake now."
"Is Sister Wei Yang ill again?"
"Her constitution is weak; she falls ill every so often. We are all used to it."
"Then I'll go and see her."
"Yes, Princess Consort, this way please."
Madam Ban bowed her head and made a gesture of invitation. The moment Lu Nian Fu turned her head, she caught sight of a smile blooming at the corner of her lips. This smile was extremely pleased, but it was quickly hidden by her wide sleeves.
Lu Nian Fu was surprised but had no intention of delving into the meaning of a smile.