Chapter 448: The Imperial Court
Chapter 448: Chapter 448: The Imperial Court
Gu Kaiping truly felt utterly wronged. His father had never been this irritable before. He was genuinely seeking guidance with an open mind, unlike his second brother who always pretended to understand things he didn’t.
Before he knew it, he had spoken his inner thoughts aloud.
Gu Baijiang clutched his forehead. Gu Kaiping hurriedly went over to help him sit down. "Dad, should I call a doctor?"
"No need. Just anger me less, and I’ll live to a ripe old age," Gu Baijiang said, massaging his temples. One couldn’t be taught, another pretended to know it all, and Gu Kaiyuan was simply rebellious. What kind of terrible luck was this?
All these blasted flaws were definitely inherited from that woman, Mrs. Xu! Perhaps he should have listened to his mother’s advice back then and waited until after the imperial examinations to seek a noble lady from a prominent family. His entire life had truly been ruined by Xu Huizhen.
"Dad, you still haven’t told me!"
"I suddenly don’t want to. If you can’t figure it out, just keep thinking about it right here. And don’t leave the estate unless it’s absolutely necessary."
With that, Gu Baijiang stood up and left. He sought out the butler and instructed him to tell the gatekeepers that for the next few days, aside from purchasing supplies, no one in the household was allowed to come or go—especially the Gu family members.
The butler was a bit puzzled, but he agreed nonetheless. It was probably for the best that the Gu family stayed inside, saving them from embarrassing their master in public. He immediately went to instruct the gatekeepers.
The next day, during the morning assembly, an Imperial Censor submitted a memorial to the throne. He reported that the Third Prince’s concubine, a daughter of the Gu family, had harbored vicious intentions during her maiden days. She had persecuted an innocent young girl and remained unrepentant, adamantly refusing to pay compensation.
Furthermore, the Censor claimed the Third Prince was shielding his concubine, using his authority to oppress the common people.
The Emperor sat high upon his throne, quietly observing the performances of the ministers below.
The royal court was meant for handling major national affairs. Yet, these absurd officials fixated entirely on their imperial family matters. If they didn’t submit at least two memorials a day about it, they acted as if they were neglecting their duties.
As soon as the impeachment was read, others immediately stepped forward to echo the sentiment. They cited ancient texts and historical precedents, nearly blowing a trivial matter out of proportion until it sounded like a disaster that would throw the entire world into chaos.
The Third Prince knew that his Eldest Imperial Brother had orchestrated this. He was also aware that Zhou Gang had turned around and sought the Eldest Imperial Brother’s backing.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered eliminating Zhou Gang preemptively. But on second thought, he realized that the moment he dared to do so, those lurking in the shadows would instantly pounce and bite him even harder.
Although Gu Antong had brought him trouble, the timing was actually quite serendipitous.
Previously, his Imperial Father had handled his matters in Lingnan with a mere slap on the wrist, which had already provoked dissatisfaction among many calculating officials in the court. Using this incident to let them vent their frustrations—while simultaneously tarnishing his own reputation a bit—would ensure that his brothers diverted their attention away from him.
"Imperial Father, this is all my fault," Rong Ruiyuan stepped forward and knelt. "It is my failure to properly discipline my concubine. This is a mistake she made in her youth out of ignorance. Upon returning to my estate, I will personally take her to their doorstep to apologize and deliver the promised compensation in full.
"It is not that we are refusing to pay our debts. Rather, having just returned from Lingnan, our finances are stretched thin, and I currently lack surplus silver. I simply wanted to ask the other party for a brief extension, but I never expected it to be misunderstood, leading to this current uproar."
He had previously established a persona of being deeply affectionate, so he had to maintain it. More importantly, Gu Antong was tactful and sensible. Spending time with her made him feel entirely relaxed—something he couldn’t find with his other wives and concubines.
Naturally, he visited her quarters more often. Sometimes, during their conversations, she even helped him strategize and solve minor problems. If she were a man, he would have loved to recruit her as a political advisor.
Her mind was truly sharp. Fortunately, she had entered his inner courtyard.
Before this, he had still harbored some concerns. Historical tales of women interfering in state affairs had rung enough alarm bells to keep him cautious. Therefore, although he granted her some favor, he dared not give her too much power.
But now, with this scandal tarnishing Gu Antong’s reputation, the incident had been blown up in the royal court, thoroughly pinning the blame on her. In the future, no matter how outstanding her abilities might be, she would never escape this massive stain on her record.
In a way, this meant he could confidently elevate her status to suppress those arrogant women in his inner courtyard, saving him the trouble of dealing with wives who relied on their powerful maiden families to stir up storms in his household.
The other princes listened, all revealing mocking smiles.
Everyone knew everyone else’s secrets. Among the brothers right now, none were likely as wealthy as the Third Prince.
That old geezer Gu Youjiang had always been unappreciative. Since he had delivered such a perfect opportunity to their doorstep, they couldn’t be blamed for making an example out of his granddaughter.
Did he really think that by latching onto the Third Prince and sending his granddaughter into his inner courtyard, he could enjoy a meteoric rise? With them around, it remained to be seen if the Third Prince even had the fate to endure it.
The First Prince stepped forward. "Although Zhou Gang is now but a common citizen, he has never committed any capital offenses. A fiercely cherished daughter was nearly ruined simply because of Gu Shufei’s jealousy. With such a malicious heart, how can she be fit to be a daughter-in-law of our imperial family?"
Back then, in order to win over Zhou Gang, he had already promised to take Zhou Gang’s daughter into his inner courtyard. Although he had never met the Zhou family’s daughter, his word had been given; she was his woman.
She was supposed to be a woman of his inner courtyard, yet because of Gu Antong’s wicked intentions, her future was now likely limited to a solitary life of prayer or marrying a rural farmer. It was truly a pity.
As the First Prince, he also considered himself a protector of beauties. Since he could no longer take her into his inner courtyard, he would seek justice for her.
Thinking of this, he instantly felt much nobler, and his back straightened with pride.
"I believe Eldest Imperial Brother is right," the Second Prince chimed in. "If such a vicious woman were to bear a royal heir, it would be an insult to the imperial bloodline."
Didn’t Gu Baijiang want to rely on the Third Prince, even offering up so much silver with both hands? If he wanted to rely on his granddaughter to turn his fortunes around, he would have to see if they agreed—and whether they held a grudge.
"Imperial Father, I feel that Eldest Imperial Brother and Second Imperial Brother are being a bit too harsh. Third Imperial Brother’s concubine might not have done it intentionally. We shouldn’t condemn someone entirely over such a trivial matter." The Fourth Prince took a step forward. He had only just entered the royal court, yet his three older brothers were already collectively ostracizing him. He originally didn’t need to get involved in today’s matter, but he stepped forward anyway.
Right now, his Third Imperial Brother was being attacked from all sides. This was the perfect opportunity to offer help in his hour of need.
He needed to win over an ally first to prevent his Eldest and Second Imperial Brothers from gaining more power.
Sure enough, he immediately caught his Third Imperial Brother’s grateful gaze. He quickly offered a modest smile, looking every bit the obedient younger brother.
"Fourth Brother, you have only just taken up your post in the court and don’t understand the causes and consequences behind this. You should go back and figure things out before speaking up here," the First Prince said, giving the Fourth Prince a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. None of these younger brothers of his gave him any peace of mind; who knew what wicked schemes they were brewing now?
He wouldn’t underestimate any of them, especially this youngest one, the Fourth Prince. Seeing him pretend to be so well-behaved, did he really think people didn’t know what kind of person he was in private?
"Thank you for your guidance, Eldest Imperial Brother. It’s just that I feel there’s no need to bring such a trivial matter to the royal court.
"Couldn’t we just let Third Imperial Brother resolve it himself later?
"The royal court is meant for discussing major national affairs. If we bring out every petty squabble involving the female relatives in the inner courtyards, then there would be no time left to handle matters of state."
These words were very pleasing to the Emperor’s ears. "My Fourth Son is right. However, my Third Son, you must also go back and properly discipline your female dependents. I will let past matters slide, but she cannot be allowed to tarnish the imperial family’s reputation in the future."