The slow sound of water dripping from the copper drain outside the hall was tapping gently into the water tank gilded with gold and silver animal patterns. Everyone in the hall was thinking.
No one spoke for a moment.
What can they say?
Do you blame the town’s Duke Gu Shao for failing to discipline his daughter?
Why couldn't he discipline his daughter? For the safety of the Zhou border, for the imperial court, and for the people of the Zhou Dynasty.
Do you blame Gu Qingyuan for being willing to degenerate and do something unethical?
The Duke of Zhenguo said that the fault did not lie with his daughter.
What was the cause of the incident? It was because Lu Wenze was unethical. While he was engaged to his sister, he was hanging out with her, hoping to get the Queen E's daughter-in-law.
Ask yourself, how would you deal with something like this if your daughter encountered it?
Anyone with a conscience would have long ago sought justice for their daughter. Not to mention knocking on the door, they could have canceled the marriage cleanly.
It has to be said that Zhen Guogong is not only capable of killing people on the battlefield, but he can also hit the nail on the head.
"Wait a minute... Duke Zheng." A speechless minister who was being questioned looked like he was thinking hard. He suddenly slapped his head and said loudly,
"You just came back to Beijing. I wonder if you know that your daughter is not a bloodline of the Gu family, but an abandoned baby picked up by someone from your family."
"That's right." Some ministers agreed and gave high fives.
At this time, everyone didn't care what Gu Qingyuan did, they just felt that they couldn't lose their face in front of everyone.
This is a handle that can regain face from Gu Shao.
When Gu Shao heard this, he took a long breath and said calmly,
"It's just the nonsense of a few women. You are high-ranking ministers of the court, and it will be rainy if you listen to the wind. How can you be loyal to His Majesty? How can you ask for orders from the people of the world?
Besides, what if she is not of the blood of my Gu family? I recognize this daughter."
His eyes moved inch by inch, and he said solemnly,
"This is my Gu family's housework, what's up? Your Excellency controls heaven and earth, can you control which daughter I, Gu Shao, recognizes?"
The words are loud and clear, and the attitude is clear.
He glanced lightly at the minister who was speaking, his eyes straight and cold.
With the chill brought back from the battlefield.
The second brother-in-law of the Gu family did not recognize Gu Qingyuan, but Gu Shao, the duke of the town, recognized her.
Most of the officials present were of third rank or above, even in front of the emperor and empress.
Gu Shao showed his attitude on the spot, and the case regarding the authenticity of Gu Qingyuan's identity was decided.
Although Gu Qingyuan is not a bloodline of the second wife of the Gu family, she is actually the daughter of Gu Shao, the duke of the country.
This shows the importance of this daughter in his heart.
From now on, among the aristocratic families, who would dare to laugh at Gu Qingyuan's humble status?
You even have to please her.
The minister who spoke seemed to have someone pinching his neck and stuffing a rotten peach into his mouth, and he kept having to speak again.
Unexpectedly, the emperor said coldly, "My dear friends, it's over."
The sound was neither loud nor quiet, but it made the ministers' hearts tremble.
After Gu Shao said those words, he walked around with his hands behind his hands and looked at the young man standing aside, frowning slightly.
Once, he remembered that one year in the border area, a retired colleague returned to his hometown, got drunk at his place, and uttered some drunken words.
It is said that the youngest granddaughter of the family became lovesick after meeting Pei Jinting once, no matter how much the family scolded her.
No daughter will marry unless she is Pei Jinting.
Later, the family thought of many ways, but the granddaughter never forgot about it, and finally vowed not to marry for the rest of her life.
Gu Shao thought about how he had thought about booking Pei Jinting as a young man.
At that time, he was handsome and loved to laugh. He was born with a rich and handsome personality, and it was normal for him to attract the attention of young ladies in Kyoto.
But now that he was really with his daughter, Gu Shao was shocked.
Pei Jinting's heart tightened when Gu Shao looked over.
This was his first real encounter with the Duke of Zhen.
In the past, I had only encountered him at most, but I had never received such a scrutinizing look from the Duke of Zhen.
He was really nervous, fearing that he would dissatisfy the Duke of Zhen in some way.
Wait. He seemed to have encountered a commotion on the road just now.
Are your clothes dirty?
I just knelt on the ground and haven't had time to straighten it before I got up. Are there any wrinkles?
It is no exaggeration to say that Pei Jinting had never been so focused before. He only felt as if he was facing an imperial examination.
In front of him, the Duke of Zhen, who frowned at him, was the biggest examiner.
He couldn't say a single word wrong.
He speculated in his mind what the Guoguo Guild had said to him.
"Boy from the Pei family, since ancient times, parents have ordered matchmakers. Do your parents recognize the marriage between you and my daughter?"
These days, Gu Shao was traveling under the stars, and he also learned a lot about Gu Qingyuan.
Her affairs with the Pei family, the suffering she suffered at Lu Wenze's place, the lotus appreciation banquet hosted by the queen...
Pei Jinting looked at Gu Shao's smiling eyes, tightened his fists, and felt a little nervous.
He was really afraid that he would accidentally say the wrong thing.
How should he answer this?
at last.
He didn't say anything about the attitude of Mr. Cheng'en and his wife.
He didn't say that he would be kind to Gu Qingyuan in the future.
He heard his own voice echoing, "I am the third in line at home. I have two elder brothers. The Pei family does not need me to inherit. If the Duke of the country doesn't dislike it."
"I can support the Duke..."
Holding flags is something only sons do.
This means that he, Pei Jinting, can marry into the Gu family.
When Pei Jinting said this, the tall and steep lines were like cedars on the edge of a cliff.
Those amber eyes were filled with emotion, but without any hesitation.
He looked straight at Gu Shao, who was looking at him inquiringly.
The air was so quiet that it was suffocating. A sound of footsteps came slowly from the side, and a vague shadow, illuminated by the candlelight, stopped in front of Pei Jinting.
With Gu Shao's tone as calm as the morning wind,
"Back then I mentioned to Duke Chengen that you should be my son-in-law, but your father refused."
Pei Jinting suddenly raised his head, his amber eyes dark and heavy, as if slightly damp.
Gu Shao's eyes turned and he noticed keenly that his long and well-jointed hand hanging by his side was slightly white.
After a pause, Gu Shao bowed his head to the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I would like to ask your Majesty's permission for something today."
The emperor was so smart, he hesitated, not daring to look into Gu Shao's eyes, and looked around at him,
"Well... My dear, you traveled all night long to get back. Why don't you go home and fix it up before talking about anything else..."
Gu Shao kowtowed respectfully to the emperor.
"My daughter has neglected to teach me these years. I don't think there is anything wrong with her. However, people in the capital are formidable."
"Therefore, I want to choose a good son-in-law for my daughter, who will be loved by my parents-in-law and gentle."
"My little girl is really not a good match for the third son of the Pei family. I ask your majesty and empress for your permission."
"I will make the decision on behalf of my little daughter about this marriage. If not, please cancel it."