sjar Chapter 706 My family's good cabbage is now being coveted by several pigs.
Chapter 706 My family's good cabbage is now being coveted by several pigs.
Gu Qingchen rode back to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and before he could even hand the reins to a servant, he went straight to his father Gu Junze's study.
With a "bang," she pushed open the study door.
Gu Junze was holding a military treatise when he heard the sound. He looked up and saw his daughter's angry face and red eyes. He simply put the treatise down calmly.
"Father!" Gu Qingchen rushed to the desk, his hands gripping the tabletop, and said urgently, "Qian Zhenyun has been framed by the Third Prince! He's currently imprisoned in the Censorate. You must find a way to get him out!"
Gu Junze's face remained expressionless. "The innocent will remain innocent, and the guilty will remain guilty."
He picked up his teacup and gently blew away the foam. "Let him handle this himself."
Gu Qingchen's eyes widened. "Solve it himself? He's a criminal now, how can he solve it?"
Instead of getting angry, Gu Junchu laughed. He put down his teacup and looked at his daughter, who was trembling with anger, with a leisurely air.
"You silly girl." His voice carried a hint of amusement. "A few days ago, you almost overturned the table with your father because of Lin Jiayou. Today, you came here pointing your finger at me because of Qian Zhenyun's injustice."
He paused, then asked pointedly, "Tell your father, whose side are you really on?"
This question was like a bucket of cold water poured over my head.
All of Gu Qingchen's anger and anxiety instantly got stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Yes, what is she in such a hurry for? Which side is she on?
She was stunned, her face turning red and white in turns. Finally, feeling extremely embarrassed, she threw down the words "You are all unreasonable" and turned to run away angrily.
Watching her daughter flee in panic, the curtain of the inner study was lifted, and Chu Ruohan came out, giving Gu Junze a reproachful look.
"Look at you, all you do is talk in riddles, you've driven your daughter away."
Gu Junze sighed heavily, his previous composure gone, replaced by a father's helplessness.
"My family's best cabbage is now being eyed by several pigs."
He picked up his teacup, then slammed it down. "One looks docile, but is actually full of bad intentions. The other just silently guards, is of humble origin, and is always insecure."
"There's another one. He's of noble status, but his mind is deeper than the sea. As his father, I'm not happy about it."
Chu Ruohan was amused by his crude analogy. She walked behind him and gently massaged his shoulders.
"Things will work themselves out. This girl has a good sense of right and wrong, so don't worry too much. But are you really just going to do nothing and just watch?"
Gu Junze leaned back in his chair, a barely perceptible glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
"Don't worry? I just believe that the Crown Prince and that kid Qian Zhenyun aren't idiots."
His fingers tapped lightly on the table. "It's not time for me to leave this game yet."
Meanwhile, inside the Eastern Palace.
Qian Zhenyun was offering advice to Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an.
"Your Highness, I would like to request that you use the Crown Prince's private treasury."
Zhao Chen'an's gaze sharpened: "What are you doing?"
"To make an exact replica of an ancient inkstone from a previous dynasty."
"Imitation?" Zhao Chen'an asked, puzzled.
Qian Zhenyun's eyes were calm and still: "Yes. Not only should it be copied, but Your Highness should also immediately spread the word that you have just acquired this precious inkstone and love it so much that you admire it every night."
The Third Prince's Mansion.
Lin Jiayou was reporting today's events to Zhao Chenyu.
"Your Highness, Gu Qingchen caused a scene in front of the East Palace today, and his words indicated that he had broken ties with me."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Chenyu was not angry but delighted, and clapped his hands and laughed.
"Good! Good! The more she makes a scene, the more guilty Zhao Chen'an and that servant seem! Heaven is on my side!"
He turned to his trusted confidant, his eyes filled with ruthlessness: "Send a message to Lord Zhou of the Censorate, and tell him to present irrefutable evidence in court tomorrow to definitively condemn Qian Zhenyun and ensure he can never recover!"
The night was as dark as ink, and two shadowy figures sneaked into the small courtyard where Qian Zhenyun lived in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
They pried open a very well-hidden section of the floor and carefully concealed a heavy wooden box and an ancient inkstone wrapped in brocade inside.
After doing all this, they carefully restored the floor to its original state, and after confirming that no trace could be seen, they quickly disappeared into the night.
Unbeknownst to them, right after they left, another figure quietly appeared in the shadow of a large tree in the courtyard. He glanced down at the floorboards and then disappeared into the darkness as well.
The next day, before dawn.
A large entourage of officials from the Censorate appeared in front of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, the leading official holding official documents and looking grim.
"The Censorate is acting on imperial orders! We have received intelligence that the stolen goods received by the wanted criminal Qian Zhenyun are hidden in the residence of the Duke! We request that the Duke's Mansion grant us this favor!"
The steward of the manor was sweating profusely, unsure whether to stop him or not.
"Lord Zhou, this...this is probably against the rules, isn't it? How can you search the Duke's mansion without any evidence?"
Lord Zhou sneered and waved the official document in front of him: "I am acting on imperial orders. I am not searching the Duke's mansion, but the residence of the disgraced official Qian Zhenyun! If the Duke's mansion tries to obstruct me, are they going to defy the law?"
When this serious accusation was leveled, the butler turned pale with fright.
"Let him search."
A calm voice came from inside the mansion, and Gu Junze came out with his hands behind his back.
He was dressed in plain clothes, his hair tied up with a simple jade hairpin, yet he exuded an imposing aura that silenced the noisy officials outside the door.
Gu Junze's gaze swept calmly over Lord Zhou: "If Lord Zhou wants to search, I, the Duke, will naturally do so."
"However, Qian Zhenyun is a member of my Zhenguo Duke's Mansion. If nothing is found in his courtyard, it will tarnish the reputation of my mansion. The Censorate must give me an explanation."
Lord Zhou felt a chill run down his spine, but his words remained firm: "Rest assured, Your Excellency, I would not dare to bother you if I were not absolutely certain."
"Then please." Gu Junze stepped aside to make way, gesturing for them to proceed.
Lord Zhou led a group of officials and stormed in, heading straight for the side courtyard where Qian Zhenyun lived.
For a time, the servants in the mansion were in an uproar, and everyone was filled with anxiety.
Gu Junze acted as if nothing had happened and turned back to the inner courtyard.
Chu Ruohan had already dressed up in a lotus-green palace gown, with a kingfisher feather hairpin tucked into her hair. She was sitting in front of the mirror, admiring a pair of pearl earrings on her ears.
"With such a commotion outside, how can you still be in the mood to go out?" Gu Junze walked in, his tone tinged with helplessness.
Chu Ruohan glanced at him in the mirror, picked up an eyebrow pencil, and said indifferently, "What's so interesting about a clown's performance? Their affairs can't possibly interfere with my important business, can they?"
She put down her eyebrow pencil, turned around, and looked Gu Junze up and down.
"But you, are you really just going to let them rummage through the house like this?"
"The stage is all set up, so we have to let them beat the gongs and drums."