Rebirth and Marriage: I am the Mistress of the Palace

The next day, the sky was just getting light.

Gu Rongchang returned with Gu Qianling.

Both of them looked unwell, especially Gu Rongchang, whose expression held a hint of anger and whose eyes were bloodshot.

He ordered his servant, "Go, bring that wretched child to my study! That scoundrel is always causing trouble; he's trying to kill me!"

The servant responded and quickly ran to Qionghua Courtyard to fetch someone.

Gu Qianling said gently, "Father, please don't get angry, lest you harm your health. No matter how big the matter is, nothing is more important than your health. As long as you and Mother are healthy and happy, that is the greatest wealth of our Duke's Mansion and also my greatest wish."

Gu Rongchang looked at his eldest son with tenderness in his eyes, and said with some relief, "Even at a time like this, you still remember to be filial. You are much more sensible and considerate than that wretched child!"

“My second brother is also filial, but he is a bit cold-hearted and doesn’t like to show his inner thoughts, unlike me who is more willing to express them. But in fact, he is just like me, hoping that our father and mother are well.”

"You don't need to speak up for him. Do you think I don't know what kind of person he is? He's just heartless!"

Gu Rongchang waved his hand and said, "You knelt in the palace for half the night and were scolded by the Emperor. You must be exhausted, both physically and mentally. Go back and rest. Don't go to the Imperial Household Department to work today."

"Yes, father."

"Also, you should try to appease Yunlan. She probably has no idea about the outrageous things Meng Deguang did, so don't take your anger out on her."

"Father, rest assured, one thing at a time, your son can understand right from wrong."

Gu Rongchang nodded in satisfaction: "Yes, you're always reliable in your work. I trust you completely. Go ahead!"

Gu Qianling lowered her head slightly and then left.

-

When it was fully light, Gu Qianhan leisurely went to Gu Rongchang's study.

His expression was indifferent, and his tone was calm and even: "Did you call me here so early in the morning because of something important?"

Gu Rongchang smashed a teacup over his head: "You bastard, you've made me wait here for almost an hour!"

Gu Qianhan tilted her head slightly, easily dodging the teacup, and casually said, "Who made you wait? I was sleeping soundly, and you insisted on having someone wake me up. I don't know what you were up to."

Gu Rongchang slammed his fist on the table in anger: "You bastard! How dare you talk to me like that? I called you here to ask you something, of course. What am I supposed to be worried about?! You're so suspicious all day long, always thinking that this person or that person wants to harm you. If you used all that cunning on the right path, you would have been a successful official by now!"

Gu Qianhan remained indifferent, showing no emotion whatsoever despite being ridiculed by his own father: "If I want to enter the imperial court as an official, I'm afraid my father and mother will be the first to object, right?"

"What nonsense are you spouting! If you want to become an official, your mother and I would be overjoyed!"

"Really? That sounds so insincere."

Gu Qianhan said calmly, "You say I'm paranoid? Then don't give me the chance to be paranoid. You want my elder brother to trample me underfoot, you want me to act like a fool, and you want me to be grateful to you? What, you get all the good things, and I don't even have the right to be paranoid?"

"you--!"

Gu Rongchang was so angry that he couldn't speak, he could only glare at Gu Qianhan as if he wanted to poke a hole in her with his eyes.

"Alright, stop pretending. Do you think I don't know what you're all up to? Don't worry, I don't want anything from the Duke's mansion. It all belongs to my elder brother. Besides, if you think I'm in your way, I'll take Atang and move out of the Duke's mansion right now. We'll live in our own place, which will probably be more comfortable and carefree."

Gu Rongchang slammed his fist on the table with a loud "bang": "You're dreaming! As long as your mother and I are alive, you can forget about moving out!"

Gu Qianhan shook her head, as expected, she refused to let him move out.

However, it doesn't matter. If he wasn't planning a rebellion, he would naturally find a way to move out, separate from the family, and live a much more carefree life.

But since he's already planning a rebellion, it doesn't really matter whether we move or not.

"What do you want? If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

"Stop! I called you here for a reason! Your elder brother said you provided the evidence against Meng Deguang. Tell me the truth, how did you get this evidence? And when did you obtain it?"

Gu Qianhan casually replied, "Someone gave it to me; I just received it yesterday."

"Who gave it to you? Why should you give it to you? This kind of evidence should be given to me or your older brother, not to a cold-blooded and ruthless person."

Gu Qianhan raised her eyelashes, looking at Gu Rongchang with a cold gaze: "Perhaps it's because I'm cold-blooded and ruthless enough that I won't show favoritism or protect Meng Deguang. As for you and my elder brother, you appear benevolent and righteous on the surface, but in reality, you've done plenty of things that involve bending the law for personal gain. Who knows if the first thing you do after obtaining the evidence is to destroy it?"

He didn't lie to Gu Rongchang about this.

The evidence and witnesses were all given to him by Ren Jingqiu. The reason Ren Jingqiu chose him was not only because he helped her escape Meng Deguang's imprisonment, but also because his reputation for being ruthless and heartless was widespread.

Ren Jingqiu felt that now that she had revealed herself, the evidence was not safe in her own hands and was very likely to be taken away and destroyed by someone else.

The safest way is to entrust it to someone who can keep it safe.

This person doesn't necessarily have to be very righteous, but must not be afraid of Meng Deguang's power and the title of Censor of the Censorate, and must not have any vested interests with Meng Deguang.

Gu Qianhan was Ren Jingqiu's best choice at the time.

"What nonsense are you spouting! When did your elder brother and I become people who bend the law for personal gain? If we obtain evidence of Meng Deguang's crimes, of course we will hand it over to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review so that he will pay the price he deserves!"

Gu Qianhan sneered: "Do you think I'm a three-year-old? Do you think I'd believe something like that?"

“If Meng Deguang had committed any other crime, perhaps you and your elder brother would have exposed him, but this time he has touched the emperor’s sore spot. The mistake he made could lead the emperor to kill him a hundred times over, and it would also implicate all his relatives and friends.”

"Of course you wouldn't expose this kind of thing. Not only would you not expose it, you would also try your best to cover it up for him."

Gu Rongchang frowned deeply, and after a long while, he suddenly asked, "You didn't expose Meng Deguang's affair, did you?"

Gu Qianhan lied without batting an eye: "What does this have to do with me? Wasn't it Director Ku Jingqiu who exposed him?"

"Hmph, I'm not senile yet! If Ren Jingqiu really had that much ability, would she have been trapped by Meng Deguang for five years?"