Chapter 494: Return
Chapter 494: Chapter 494: Return
Gu Kaiping was currently rubbing his hands together, gearing up to accomplish something big. He said dismissively, "I’ve already told Father. Even if he has objections, he’ll just have to swallow them. Don’t tell me he’s going to go and reject the Third Prince on my behalf?
"Besides, what’s wrong with Lingnan? His Majesty is focusing on cleaning up that area right now. I heard many great families are rushing over there, wanting a piece of the pie.
"My going there at this time is the perfect opportunity to line my pockets. Otherwise, our family’s hands will be tied in everything we do. How are we supposed to live like this?"
"But in what corner of the world is this Shao County?"
"It’s actually quite a coincidence. Shao County is right next to Zhang County. Father told me to bring the clansmen back with me this time, so once I establish a foothold, it’ll be easier to look after them."
"We finally managed to return from Lingnan, and now you want to go back." Liu Yun had no fond memories of Lingnan. To her, it was the source of all her suffering; she had lived through a lifetime of hardship there.
At this moment, she had completely forgotten to worry for Gu Antong and instead grew anxious for herself. If Gu Kaiping was going to Lingnan, did that mean she had to follow him again?
Setting aside the grueling journey, there was absolutely nothing there. How could it compare to the convenience of the capital, Shangjing?
"What does that matter? A true man’s ambitions lie far and wide," Gu Kaiping said. He had always wanted to secure a post outside the capital. With the mountains high and the emperor far away, there would be plenty of room to maneuver.
Otherwise, why did all those local officials return with fat bellies and thick wallets?
Moreover, without his father there to suppress him, he would finally be able to call the shots.
"This time, I’m not going as an exiled criminal. Even though I’ll only be a clerk, I’ll still be an official." Although the position had no official rank, it was enough to intimidate the locals in a small place like Lingnan.
"That’s true. Even a lowly post is still a government position." Neither husband nor wife realized that this so-called "clerk" was merely an aide brought along by the County Magistrate, carrying no actual official rank.
"But if the Third Prince can make his retainer a County Magistrate, why doesn’t he know to take care of you, his father-in-law?" Liu Yun voiced her dissatisfaction.
"Don’t speak nonsense!" Gu Kaiping hurriedly glanced out the door. Seeing that no one was paying attention and no servants were walking by, he sighed in relief. "Don’t forget that the servants in this mansion all belong to *him*.
"I heard from others that the Third Prince went to great lengths and called in many favors to secure this County Magistrate position.
"Right now, so many people are competing for territory over in Lingnan. As long as I do this job well, do you really think we’ll be short on rewards in the future?
"Since His Highness is willing to give me this chance to prove my worth, you’d better not hold me back. Keep your mouth shut from now on."
Before, when he had no silver, he felt he lacked the confidence to even speak up in front of Liu Yun. But now things were different; he had a new starting point in life.
So what if it was just a lowly clerk? He would definitely work his way up step by step.
"Then I’ll help you pack your luggage," Liu Yun probed. "Who are you planning to take with you?"
"Who do you think I should take?" Gu Kaiping countered. "In this mansion, who else can I rely on to take charge?"
Liu Yun’s expression stiffened. Naturally, she was the only one.
"Don’t worry, I won’t take you out with me this time." Gu Kaiping didn’t even have to guess; he could read it clearly from her expression. "Stay at home and take good care of Father and the children. An Tong will also need your support.
"By the way, I heard the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion sent us an invitation today?"
"Yes, they probably heard that our daughter is quite favored in the Third Prince Mansion and want to mend our relationship," Liu Yun said. "They invited me to attend my grandnephew’s one-month milestone banquet, but I’m still agonizing over what gift to send."
It was rare for the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion to show her any regard, and she had always wanted to repair the rift between them. Having another pillar of support in Shangjing would be ideal, so naturally, she wanted everything to be handled perfectly.
"A gift?" Gu Kaiping felt a headache coming on. Since returning to Shangjing, their expenses had far outweighed their income. They had already given away several valuable items, making their empty pockets even more apparent.
And now she had to buy a gift herself? How could they afford that?
"Yes. They’ll definitely invite other noble mansions as well. As a married aunt of the family, I can’t look too shabby."
"You’re the lady of the house," Gu Kaiping said. "You figure it out yourself."
With that, he stood up and walked out. Perhaps afraid that Liu Yun would call him back, he took the last few steps with extreme haste.
Liu Yun waited until he was far away before closing her eyes in thought. Should she follow him to Lingnan, or stay in Shangjing?
If she accompanied him now and shared his hardships, her reliance on him for the rest of her life would be secure.
But if she didn’t go, this huge mess in the capital would fall squarely on her head. What if Gu Kaiping found himself a little charmer over there? Her future days would be miserable.
***
Gu Antong was currently riding high on success. Rong Ruiyuan had spent the night in her courtyard for several consecutive days. When the women of the backyard came to pay their morning respects, they didn’t hold back on their sour remarks. Even the usually magnanimous-acting Third Prince Consort had made passive-aggressive comments a few times.
But she couldn’t help it! The Third Prince insisted on coming over. Was she supposed to shut him out?
When she said this, she felt as if those women were going to tear her apart. Yesterday, the Third Prince Consort had even summoned an Imperial Physician to check her pulse.
It wasn’t that the Third Prince Consort cared about her health; she was simply terrified that Gu Antong would give birth to the eldest son first.
Gu Antong had been paying close attention these days. At this rate, she was bound to be the first to bear the eldest son.
"Concubine, your meal has arrived." Cai Li’s voice sounded somewhat wooden, which was something Gu Antong strongly disliked.
She had seemed quite shrewd before. Why had she changed so drastically upon entering the Third Prince Mansion?
As the two senior maids who had accompanied her into the mansion, their contracts of indenture were in her hands, meaning their loyalty should be absolute.
She really wanted to utilize the two of them to their fullest potential. She even thought that if she became pregnant, she would have to rely on these two maids to help her solidify the prince’s favor.
"Why are there so many bland dishes again?" Gu Antong glanced at the food, her dissatisfaction apparent. "And there are barely a few pieces of diced meat in this. Who do they think they’re fooling?"
"These are uniformly arranged by the kitchen. The kitchen manager said these were the rations for our courtyard, so I had the two older servant women bring it back." Cai Li felt wronged too. The concubine hadn’t given her any silver to grease the wheels today, so she could only take the leftovers that others didn’t want.
No wonder Sister Cai Hua refused to go to the rear courtyard today. She hadn’t even bothered to cover for her. Life here was getting harder and harder.
The Third Prince had bestowed some rewards over the past few days, but those items could only be used or displayed, not spent.
Today, Cai Hua had taken some things out of the mansion. Aside from delivering a few items to the Gu Family, she was also going to pawn a few pieces. Who knew if they, as mere maids, would be pushed out as scapegoats if such a thing was discovered?
This place was becoming increasingly inhospitable. She had been playing dumb these past few days, and the concubine was already growing impatient with her. She truly wanted to leave as soon as possible.