Granny Kong was also tornted by this group from the Old Gu Family. Each one of them was too troubleso. If this bunch of nuisances were her kids, she would have drowned them in a chamber pot long ago!
Mrs. Gu was so frightened by Granny Kong’s fury that she hurriedly hid back in her room and sobbed, not daring to make any more commotion.
Yet, she still stubbornly uttered, "Don’t be arrogant, I won’t die. My daughter, Sister Ya, is the most filial and will co back to save ."
Only the Zhan Family knew about Young Master Zhan San’s plan to drown Gu Ya and the others, but Mrs. Gu was still dreaming of Gu Ya returning gloriously to rescue her from danger.
"Spit! Save you? Don’t you know what the Zhan Family ans? With your family’s disgraceful deeds involving the Zhan family’s uncle and nephew known all over the Prefecture, it’s impossible your daughter is still alive!" Granny Kong knew the discreet thods big families used to deal with people; those thods were cruel and efficient, never leaving any girl who troubled a rich family’s sons in peace.
Granny Kong had been holding back for a long ti, but today she not only beat and scolded Mrs. Gu and Ms. Zheng but also went to give Gu Dagu a thrashing.
Afterwards, feeling satisfied, she asked Constable Ma, "Elder Ma, do you still want the banquet food in the front hall? If not, spare it for this old woman. Those are so fine dishes, and it’d be a sha to waste them."
Constable Ma replied, "Take them for yourself, Granny. If it’s not enough, we’ll prepare another table for you tomorrow!"
Impressive, only a shrew can handle another shrew.
Granny Kong didn’t hesitate at all and laughed, "Alright, I won’t have breakfast tomorrow then. I’ll wait for your feast, Elder Ma."
After saying that, she gleefully rushed to the guest hall in the front yard and packed up all the leftover at and dishes Constable Ma and the others had left.
The news of Gu Chengxian’s death also reached the governnt office’s prison.
Upon hearing this, Lord Lai didn’t feel any grief. Now, he only wished for all of Granny Gu’s descendants to die tragically!
As for Granny Gu, upon hearing of Gu Chengxian’s death, she was montarily stunned but showed no sadness, only telling the prison chief, "I want... to see... Master Zhi!"
The prison chief was so headache-stricken from hearing this again, "Here we go again, I’ve told you, Lai Zhi doesn’t want to see you, you should give up already."
Granny Gu was obsessed with Lord Lai. Even when she was close to death, she still shouted daily in her waiting-to-die-in-prison ti to see Master Zhi.
The prison chief relayed her words to Lord Lai, but Lord Lai was furious, cursing Granny Gu as shaless, and told the prison chief to inform her that he would never see her, so she should just give up!
But Granny Gu wouldn’t give up; her love for Lord Lai was overwhelming. She had to see him before she could rest in peace.
And what Lord Lai wanted was exactly for her to die unfulfilled.
The prison chief, seeing how persistent she was, bluntly conveyed Lord Lai’s intent, "Lord Lai will never see you; he hates you to death and wants you to die with regrets."
Granny Gu knew Lai Zhi’s motive, which made her even more determined to see him, hoping to move Lai Zhi to forgive her before she died.
Granny Gu naively believed that she and Lai Zhi had feelings; if she continued to request to see him, she would surely touch him, and they could die together, be reborn together in the next life as a loving couple.
However, Granny Gu did not have ti to wait any longer.
That evening, the Da Li Temple prison guards rode fast horses into He’an Prefecture, arrived at the He’an Prefecture Governnt, and announced the final decision from Da Li Temple on Lord Lai’s case of framing Yuan Jiaman.
"Lai Zhi, Vice Magistrate of He’an Prefecture, broke the law knowingly and should be executed accordingly. His innocent descendants can atone with silver; Liu Shiliu’s maliciousness deserves the execution punishnt, but considering her old age, she is pardoned from execution and instead sentenced to be beheaded; her offspring, similarly malicious-hearted, are all sentenced to beheading to warn all commoners in the world!"
The Da Li Temple prison guards, clad in heavy armor, handed the decree docunt to Magistrate Gu after reading it aloud, "Magistrate Gu, Junior Minister Ming ntioned that you are an upright official with a talent for judging cases, which greatly pleases him."
Magistrate Gu shivered upon hearing this... Did Junior Minister Ming praise him? That fearso King Ming praised him? Was he dreaming?
In this case, his transfer to Jiangnan should be settled?
Junior Minister Ming, a descendant of one of the Top Ten Families, had a grandfather who contributed the imperial seal when the Great Chu was established and was granted a dukedom, making him one of the few noble families with both hereditary and real power in the Great Chu.
Anyone favored by the Ming Family is sure to have a smooth official career, and Junior Minister Ming, bolder and shrewder than his predecessors, is a solidly built ironclad ship that if tied with, even enormous storms wouldn’t be a problem.
The prison guard had witnessed many people who beca ecstatic from just one praise by Junior Minister Ming, so he simply smiled and added, "Junior Minister Ming asked to inform Magistrate Gu not to let Lai Zhi and his family survive until the day after the official docunt is delivered."
Magistrate Gu was taken aback upon hearing this. Indeed, it was the style of King Ming; killing has never been delayed, it’s executed imdiately.
However, he felt sothing was amiss and asked, "Why is it so urgent, could there be any changes in the Capital?"
The prison guard replied, "Junior Minister Ming said for you to consider who Lai Zhi’s backer is?"
The Eldest Imperial Prince!
Magistrate Gu’s face turned pale; Junior Minister Ming ant that the Eldest Imperial Prince had fallen?
Indeed, the Eldest Imperial Prince had not only fallen but had also been killed by his own father, leaving no descendants, but the news hadn’t reached He’an Prefecture yet.
Magistrate Gu dared not delay further and imdiately responded, "Please reassure Junior Minister Ming, Lai Zhi and others will not live to see tomorrow."
The prison guard nodded in satisfaction and asked again, "Magistrate Gu, Junior Minister Ming wants to know, is the top scorer of the Prefecture Examination Gu Jin’an?"
Magistrate Gu was once again stunned and nodded, "Indeed, why is Junior Minister Ming interested in this?"
The prison guard, a Shadow Guard from the Ming Family, was arranged into Da Li Temple for Junior Minister Ming’s convenience in handling cases, allowing him to confidently convey his ssage, "Junior Minister Ming said this is a talent, and he wants him."
The Ming Family had never ceased their mission to recruit talents nationwide, gathering many capable individuals over the years, and as long as these people could enter the court as officials, they would beco the Ming Family’s party, usable by the Ming Family.
Magistrate Gu swallowed hard; Junior Minister Ming was truly bold to so openly recruit talents, not fearing Emperor Chu...
But the Ming Family’s power was great, and after Emperor Chu made the foolish move of destroying Duke Wei’s family five years ago, the Northwest remained unstable, preventing him from easily targeting the Ming Family again.
Magistrate Gu responded, "Please tell Junior Minister Ming, I understand his intention, and will ensure Gu Jin’an safely goes to the Capital for the Imperial Examination."
Escorting one person is manageable, as long as King Ming doesn’t bring harm to him.
After delivering all he had to say, the prison guard went to rest in the guesthouse of the governnt office, waiting for Lai Zhi and Granny Gu and the others to be executed; once identification was confird, he could return to the Capital.
...
Magistrate Gu acted swiftly; as soon as the prison guard left, he ordered the governnt officials to prepare a sumptuous al for Lai Zhi, Granny Gu, and the people from the Old Gu Family, allowing them to die with full bellies.
Granny Gu, having so insight, seeing this dinner rich with at, vegetables, and wine, knew it was her last al, and cried out to see Lord Lai, "I want... to see... Master Zhi!"
She had to see Master Zhi; she desperately needed to see him, or she’d die with unrested soul.
User Comments
0 comments from readers