Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Soon, with General Qiao's appearance in the imperial court, the news of the Emperor's reward to the lifesaver he brought back spread throughout the capital, causing quite a stir.

Among the discussions, the loudest voices were about Gu Erniang.

After all, although the people of the capital were not familiar with Li Ji and Pei Six, many knew that Gu Erniang had once been the second daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis family.

As a fake heiress, she had stirred up a lot of gossip in the Ningyuan Marquis family, becoming a well-known figure long before Prime Minister Qin died by hitting a pillar. After the Qin family was exiled to the southern frontier, Gu Erniang stirred up another wave of gossip.

And now, this woman who should have been an exiled convict had not only saved the much-concerned General Qiao but had also returned to the capital, entered the palace to meet the Emperor, and received his rewards. Wasn't her story more dramatic and legendary than other people's lives?

Once their location was known, people from all walks of life who had heard about them gathered outside the Hang family's courtyard every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of everyone, especially Gu Erniang. This made everyone in the courtyard afraid to go out.

However, although they didn't go out, the rewards bestowed by the Emperor this time were brought in by officials.

At this moment, Gu Ran was smiling with joy as she looked at the pile of gold and silver she had received as rewards.

Even in her second life as a talisman master, she had never seen so much gold and silver!

Fifty taels of gold, which converted to five hundred taels of silver, plus one thousand taels of silver, amounted to one thousand five hundred taels. Not to mention the expensive jade ruyi, two pieces of eastern pearl jewelry, and the sellable imperial silk.

She had instantly become a wealthy woman with thousands of taels, enough to live comfortably without working for the rest of her life.

With just one reward from the Emperor, she had gained so much wealth. If she were to receive a few more rewards, wouldn't she become even more fabulously rich?

No wonder everyone wanted the Emperor's rewards!

Unable to help herself, Gu Ran rubbed her hands together and asked with a smile, "I wonder how much money this jade ruyi can be sold for?"

Pei Six, Li Ji, and Shen Er Lang, along with Shen Laoye, all looked at her in disbelief.

"Erniang, you can't sell it!"

"Why not?"

This jade ruyi was just an ornament, and being a royal gift from the Emperor, it needed a place in the house that matched its status to be displayed. It would gather dust over time, and it would be more practical to keep gold for its value rather than keeping this as a long-term asset.

"Gu Erniang, you really have a way with things. When people receive gifts from the Emperor, they usually keep jade ruyi like this as a family heirloom. But you, you want to sell it for money." Shen Er Lang shook his head helplessly.

"Erniang, generally, rewards from the Emperor, like this jade ruyi and the eastern pearl jewelry, have official marks from the palace. Most families wouldn't sell them for money. If they do, it usually signifies the family is in dire straits." Shen Laoye also said.

"I'm just asking. When I was a second lady in the marquis family's mansion, I had seen everything. I was just thinking, if the jade ruyi bestowed by the Emperor were to be sold, wouldn't it fetch more money than an ordinary jade ruyi if someone really wanted it?"

"Of course."

"Sigh, after all, I'm someone who built everything from scratch. In the past, when I received rewards, I never thought of selling them for money. Indeed, since becoming my own master, I've started thinking more practically."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Was there really such a thing as seeing matters from so many perspectives?

While they were enjoying themselves, Hang Guan shi hurried in from outside and smiled when he saw Gu Erniang.

"Gu Erniang, there are some relatives of yours at the door."

Hearing that relatives had come, everyone was stunned, and Gu Ran was also surprised. "Who? Which relative?"

"Which relative? The relatives from your Ningyuan Marquis family!"

*

These two days, the Ningyuan Marquis family in the capital had been in turmoil.

The tranquility of the Ningyuan Marquis family was shattered by the shocking revelation last year that Councilor Du Jiang had colluded with the Zhou family of Jian Prefecture to frame General Qiao. They had secretly imprisoned General Qiao for many years.

Now that General Qiao had been found, the court was full of congratulations. Initially, the Ningyuan Marquis also joined in the celebration. However, when he learned that the person who had saved General Qiao was a Gu family's Second Miss who had been exiled to the Min region, he started to feel uneasy.

Gu family's Second Miss—what a coincidence. The Ningyuan Marquis also had the surname Gu, and there had once been a Gu Erniang mistakenly thought to be of their own flesh and blood. She had been exiled to the Min region because her husband's family had committed a crime.

Could it be that this Gu Erniang is the same as the one from our family?

The Ningyuan Marquis wanted to inquire further, but General Qiao was being kept in the palace by the Emperor, and Councilor Du was busy with his report. He sent servants to find out where the group who had come to the capital were staying, but before they could find them, the group that had accompanied General Qiao and Councilor Du to the capital was summoned to the palace to receive rewards.

By the time they left the palace, everyone already knew who Gu family's Second Miss was.

"So, it really was the Second Miss from the Ningyuan Marquis family who saved General Qiao?"

"Indeed, it's true. She even admitted it herself, though it's said that she has already severed ties with the Ningyuan Marquis family."

"Severed ties? How come we never heard of this?"

"Exactly. During the scandal involving Prime Minister Qin, we never heard anything from the Ningyuan Marquis family about this."

"Is the Second Miss from the Ningyuan Marquis family the same as Qin Fourth Madam?"

"No longer Qin Fourth Madam. It's said that she has already divorced Qin Fourth Son!"

"Divorced? How heartless of the Qin family! Gu Erniang was exiled because of their crimes, and they sent her to a remote place, then looked down on her and divorced her."

"But it seems that after the divorce, Gu Erniang hasn't struggled too much. It's said that she even bought an island in Jian Prefecture, the very island where General Qiao was stranded, which is how she saved his life."

"Exactly. Otherwise, we wouldn't have known that General Qiao had been living alone on a deserted island for so many years!"

"Since Gu Erniang saved General Qiao and received a reward from the Emperor, her future will be much better!"

"This is what they call 'blessing in disguise!'"

"I didn't expect Gu Erniang to be so capable. It's said that even the Emperor had much praise for her. She is indeed a lady raised in the Marquis family."

The Ningyuan Marquis listened, feeling quite uncomfortable.

Although most people outside thought that the Ningyuan Marquis family was still a trusted lineage of the royal family, since the current Emperor ascended the throne, the Ningyuan Marquis family was no longer as prosperous as before.

As the saying goes, 'One dynasty has its own ministers.' The current Emperor relied on people who were not trusted by the late emperor. As a former favorite of the late emperor, the Ningyuan Marquis was clearly suppressed. Judging from the Emperor's attitude of continued cold treatment, it was likely that the people of the Ningyuan Marquis family would not be re-employed during the reign of the current Emperor.

The Ningyuan Marquis returned to his mansion in low spirits, only to find his wife waiting in the hall, as if anticipating his arrival. Seeing him return, she hurriedly asked, "My lord, is it true that the person they are talking about outside is our family's Second Miss?"

Many in the mansion had now heard the rumors outside. Some had even seen the notice posted outside the imperial city announcing the discovery of General Qiao. When the news came out that the person who saved General Qiao was Gu Erniang, many in the Marquis family were shocked.

After all, she had been raised in the Marquis family. Although she had left the capital because of her husband's family's troubles and had gradually been forgotten, many remembered her when she was brought up again.

Some gossipy maids couldn't help but talk about it, and slowly the news reached the ears of their masters.

When the Ningyuan Marquis's wife heard this, she was even more astonished.

While outsiders were unaware, as her mother, she knew that in the second year after the Second Miss was exiled to Min Prefecture with the Qin family, she had received a letter from a passing post station.

In it, she lamented her regrets and said that she shouldn't have married Qin Fourth Son. She hoped that they would, out of consideration for her youthful ignorance, help her divorce Qin Fourth Son. She was willing to return to the capital to serve her parents and fulfill her filial duties.

The tone was that of a beloved daughter of the family.

"She really believes she’s my biological daughter, huh?" Ningyuan Marquis said sarcastically, tearing the letter apart.

At that moment, the Marquis's wife felt a twinge of pity, but it was brief and faint.

As the mistress of the Ningyuan Marquis family for many years, she naturally understood the gravity of the situation. The current Emperor was extremely displeased with officials who meddled in the imperial succession disputes. Whether they supported the third prince or the second princess, they had all crossed a line.

Prime Minister Qin, a talented official trusted by His Majesty, had imprudently supported the third prince, which displeased the emperor. Now imprisoned after committing a crime, even his attempt to prove his innocence by banging his head against a pillar couldn’t change the fate of his family’s exile.

Given how much the Emperor once favored the Ningyuan Marquis family, they couldn’t afford to be associated with the Qin family, which was bound to fall from grace.

On the surface, they could have granted her a divorce as a gesture of goodwill. However, to win the Emperor’s favor, to distance themselves from the Qin family, and to prove their loyalty, they couldn’t afford to be associated with the second Miss who had married into the Qin family.

Moreover, she wasn’t even their biological daughter. Having found her a good marriage out of years of upbringing was already more than generous.

What bad luck that her father-in-law got involved in the imperial power struggle.

It wasn’t worth risking the safety of the entire Ningyuan Marquis family just for an adopted daughter.

So, after grieving for two days, the Marquis's wife resumed her life of luxury and never mentioned the second Miss again.

If only they had known back then…

At this moment, seeing her husband return, the Marquis's wife naturally had to ask whether this was the second Miss they had adopted and raised. When Ningyuan Marquis confirmed it, the Marquis's wife felt a complex mix of emotions and was momentarily speechless.

Ningyuan Marquis looked at his wife and tapped his fingers on the table. "People outside are saying that it’s because we, the Ningyuan Marquis family, educated her well that she became so intelligent and capable. Otherwise..."

Hearing this, the Marquis's wife straightened her posture slightly.

Indeed, if she hadn’t treated her like her own child and taken care of her meticulously, how could she have raised such a dignified and proper lady?

"I’ve found out where she’s staying. If you have time, go pay a visit," Ningyuan Marquis said.

The Marquis's wife looked at him.

"Now that His Majesty values General Qiao greatly, it’s uncertain whether he’ll stay in the capital or return to Da Mao City," Ningyuan Marquis continued, "Either way, the Emperor will hold General Qiao’s people in high regard. The Ministry of War is currently compiling a list of old subordinates who served with General Qiao. The deceased will receive posthumous rewards, and the living will be promoted. As for us, the Ningyuan Marquis family..."

He didn’t finish the sentence, but how could the Marquis's wife, who had been immersed in the officialdom for many years, not understand?

"Rest assured, my lord. I’ll go meet our long-lost daughter right away!"

And so, at the separate residence of the Hang family, Gu Ran saw the Ningyuan Marquis's wife stepping down from the carriage, smiling at her, and saying, "Come here, Erniang. Let your mother take a good look at you. It’s been a long time, and I almost didn’t recognize you."

Gu Ran was startled. Did the Ningyuan Marquis family have a problem? Hadn’t she clearly stated that she had severed ties with them?

Can they not take a hint? How thick-skinned of them to come here and claim kinship!

But with so many people watching, she couldn’t afford to be rude or become a laughing stock. So, under everyone’s gaze, she had no choice but to invite the Marquis's wife inside for a chat.

As they walked through the small courtyard toward the hall, a look of disdain briefly crossed Ningyuan Marquis's wife's face.

"Ranran, now that you’re back in the capital, why didn’t you come home to see me? Why are you living in such a small place and putting yourself through hardship?"

Gu Ran turned around and asked Manager Hang to prepare some refreshments. Hearing Ningyuan Marquis's wife's words, she forced a small smile. "You must be joking, Lady Marquis. The Ningyuan Marquis family was never my home, so what do you mean by ‘coming home’?"

"Ranran..." Gu Ran interrupted, "Moreover, to avoid putting the Ningyuan Marquis and his wife in a difficult position, I’ve already told the Emperor that I severed ties with the Ningyuan Marquis family the year the Qin family was exiled. It’s really not wise for you to come looking for me now."

Although I was the one who suggested cutting ties with the original owner's past to avoid trouble, I was also trying to protect the Ningyuan Marquis family.

During her years of exile in the Min region, they hadn’t checked on the original owner. Now that she’s returned to the capital, her connection to the Ningyuan Marquis family will inevitably be brought up, and people will start talking about how they neglected her over the years.

But since I claimed to have severed ties, it preserves everyone's dignity.

Outsiders won't think the Ningyuan Marquis family is heartless, and I won't have to deal with them, so there's no risk of exposing any flaws.

Isn't that thoughtful of me?

Yet, Lady Ningyuan insists on getting close, and she doesn’t seem like someone who can’t weigh the pros and cons. To avoid future troubles, it’s better to clarify things now.

"Ranran, I've gone through so much trouble to come see you, how can you be so heartless? After all, I raised you for more than ten years and even found you a good marriage..."

"A good marriage?"

"Who could have foreseen that Prime Minister Qin would get involved in... that affair? I didn't see that coming either, so how can you blame me?" Lady Ningyuan sounded aggrieved.

"Then, when I was alone in the Min region, you, Lady Ningyuan, had no contact with me. Isn't that rather heartless?"

"That's..." Lady Ningyuan faltered, "But, I did think about sending someone to check on you. It's just that, with such long distances, and who knows which remote place you were banished to? It's not like the capital where I know everything. I had no idea."

"So now, I, Gu Ran, am not familiar with you, Lady Ningyuan, or anyone from the Ningyuan Marquis family."

"Ranran, how can you be so angry? I'm just a woman from the inner quarters, I couldn't consider everything thoroughly. It was unfair to you, being exiled to such a desolate place, and I didn't send anyone to check on you. I admit that was my fault. But I thought, with the Qin family, with Qin Si taking care of you, they wouldn't dare mistreat you out of respect for our Ningyuan Marquis family, right?"

"I've divorced Qin Si!"

"But I didn't know!"

"I wrote letters back to the Ningyuan Marquis family about this!"

"Really?" Lady Ningyuan looked shocked.

"Of course, it's true. In Qingyi, even though it was just for show for Granny Dou and others to see, I did write two letters to the Ningyuan Marquis family."

"But I never received any letters from you!" Lady Ningyuan shook her head, denying it. "Ranran, I truly didn't know. If I had, no matter how far, I would have come to bring you back to the capital."

Gu Ran smiled.

If the letters were lost, then they were lost. There's nothing I can do about that now.

"Lady Ningyuan, if there was no word from me for two or three years, wouldn't you have been worried about how I was doing and whether you should help?"

"But you're doing fine now, right?"

"Yes, I'm doing fine, but that doesn't erase the fact that the Ningyuan Marquis family neglected me for those years."

"You know it's only been two or three years. Do those few years really outweigh the more than ten years I cherished you like a precious jewel?" Lady Ningyuan sounded heartbroken. "It's not like I deliberately ignored you, Ranran. How can you be so cruel and unreasonable?"

"Yes, I am that cruel and unreasonable." Gu Ran stopped smiling and looked coldly at Lady Ningyuan.

If she were still the original owner, who had received the Ningyuan Marquis family's kindness for many years, she might still feel some familial attachment. But she wasn't.

The original owner, raised by this Lady Ningyuan, had already died on the way to exile.

No matter who was right or wrong, the original owner's connection to the Ningyuan Marquis family had already been severed long ago, and she had no intention of restoring that relationship.

"Ranran? Do you really have to hurt me like this?"

"It's not that I want to hurt Mother's feelings, but the truth is, I have already declared before the Emperor that I have severed ties with the Ningyuan Marquis family and will have no further association with them. If I were to pretend that everything is fine between us, and the Emperor were to think I am deceiving him, I would become a traitor." Gu Ran said, "Or does Mother wish for a traitor who has angered the Emperor to return to the Ningyuan Marquis family and call you Mother again?"

"Ranran, you..." The wife of the Ningyuan Marquis turned pale. "How can you speak so boldly in front of the Emperor?"

"I am merely stating the truth. Didn't it happen exactly like that back then?" Gu Ran replied. "Or does Mother have a different story to tell outsiders about how you neglected to inquire about me all these years?"

The wife of the Ningyuan Marquis looked at Gu Ran, as if seeing this daughter she had raised for many years for the first time. "Ranran, you've changed. You weren't like this before."

Gu Ran was startled, but quickly calmed down. "Anyone who suffers imprisonment, walks the road of exile, and endures the hardships of the wilderness in the Min region for two or three years would change. If you don't believe me, why don't you try living in the Min region yourself and see if the person who returns to the capital is still the well-nourished Marquis's wife you are now."

The wife of the Ningyuan Marquis breathed slowly, barely maintaining her composure. "I understand what you mean, Ranran."

"Good that you understand. Manager Hang, see them out."

As soon as the wife of the Ningyuan Marquis sat in the marquis family's carriage, her expression turned cold and icy. The handkerchief she had been holding was twisted tightly in her hands. After a long while, she exhaled deeply.

"Indeed, no matter how well you raise someone who isn't your own, they will never truly feel like family," the wife of the Ningyuan Marquis lamented.

"Madam?"

"Since she has said such things, I must be prudent. She's just a lucky girl who caught the Emperor’s eye. It's not for me to lower myself." The wife of the Ningyuan Marquis sneered. "Even if she doesn't acknowledge us, the Ningyuan Marquis family, she must still acknowledge her biological parents, right? I'll do a good deed and let them reunite."

She then lifted the carriage curtain and called the overseer who had been attending to her during the trip. "Go to that alley and find the Yuan family. Tell them that their biological daughter, Gu Erniang, has returned to the capital and that great riches and honor await them if they come to claim her."

"Yes, Madam."

The wife of the Ningyuan Marquis lowered the curtain, and only then did she loosen the handkerchief she had been twisting.

"Ungrateful brat, I hope I catch her slipping up. Otherwise..."

Meanwhile, Gu Ran had no idea that the wife of the Ningyuan Marquis had alerted her biological parents. She was currently looking at the reward silver brought out of the palace by General Qiao!

It was said that General Qiao had been very busy recently, organizing the case details revealed after Du Jiang's imprisonment and the old soldiers' roster, all to rehabilitate these soldiers and provide them with pensions once they returned to Da Mao City.

In addition, the well-connected noble families in the capital who had good relations with the Qiao family in the past had come to socialize with him, not to mention other powerful ministers and nobles who came to make his acquaintance.

Today, when General Qiao returned to the separate residence, it really surprised everyone.

Everyone compared their rewards before putting them away.

Gu Ran received the most, followed by Pei Sixth Lady.

Although she hadn't entered the palace, her share of the rewards was still delivered to her by the palace people.

As for Li Ji and the Shen father and son, since they had requested amnesty to reopen their cases, each of them received only one hundred taels of silver. The rest of the silver brought over was to be distributed to the guards who had returned to Jianzhou.

Naturally, General Qiao received the most rewards, though only a small portion was brought over.

This was also to thank everyone for saving his life and to pay the salaries of the guards, Li Ji, and Pei Sixth Lady.

Since General Qiao had spoken, no one hesitated to take their rewards.

"So, General Qiao, you're not staying in the capital?"

"No, my hometown is in Da Mao City. Most of the soldiers I led were from Da Mao City, and I need to return to give them a proper account, and also to return home." General Qiao said.

"Then when will you depart? We're also passing through Da Mao City on our way back to Jianzhou, we can go together!" Gu Ran said.

"You can go together, but we won’t be joining you," Shen Laoye waved his hand.

Now that the Emperor has spoken and will send someone to personally investigate Shen Clan Leader's matter in Suzhou, the Shen father and son will also have to depart soon and accompany the investigators on the journey.

"I’m in a similar position," Li Ji’s situation was similar to Shen Laoye’s; he would be leaving the capital in a few days.

Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Miss both nodded in agreement.

After all, when it concerns one's life and innocence, solving the case is the most important thing.

Thus, on the third and fourth days after arriving in the capital, the Shen father and son, along with Li Ji, set off for Suzhou and Jianzhou, each accompanying the imperial envoys handling the case.

For the time being, only Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady remained at the Hang family’s estate.

And of course, Minister Hang remained behind.

While General Qiao was returning to Da Mao City, Minister Hang planned to stay in the capital and continue his role as an official. As the prefect of Jianzhou, a key battleground in the suppression of the Heaven Rank First bandit group, officials of all ranks vied for Minister Hang’s attention, eager to hear tales of the dangers faced during the bandit suppression and General Qiao’s remarkable adventures. He had become a highly sought-after figure.

Minister Hang was enjoying the attention.

This shift in attention also reduced the scrutiny around the estate. Noticing that fewer people were keeping watch outside, Gu Ran felt a growing urge to explore.

"Sixth Miss, we've been here for so long, and apart from that one time when we entered the palace, we haven't strolled through the streets of the capital. Since there are fewer people today, how about we go out for a walk?"

"Alright."

Gu Ran didn’t expect that this walk would lead her to an additional business venture.