Chapter 569: Accountability
Chapter 569 -570: Accountability
Gu Baijiang moved very quickly this time. He must have prepared well in advance. Before the people Gu Kaiyuan had keeping an eye on things could even send out a letter, Gu Baijiang was already heading toward Lingnan with his massive entourage.
The journey was completely unimpeded. One could say that the Gu Family and the letter addressed to Gu Kaiyuan arrived practically one after the other.
However, Gu Baijiang ultimately had a guilty conscience. Not daring to linger in Zhang County, he led his entire family in a grand procession to seek refuge with Gu Kaiping.
When Gu Kaiyuan received the letter, he was completely speechless. He had finally figured out a way to keep them away, so how were they back again?
He wondered if he was truly destined to be entangled with the Gu Family for the rest of his life.
“Then let’s not go back for a while,” Bai Suihe said. “Let’s first wait and see what kind of tricks they come up with.”
Anyway, Bai Suihe felt a sense of tranquil peace in this small fishing village. They might as well take this opportunity to stay a bit longer. Perhaps they could even be the first to watch their ocean-going vessel launch into the sea.
The various spots Gu Kaiyuan had marked on the map were still waiting for them to “collect the goods.”
Gu Xingyang, however, had a different opinion. “Mother, I want to go take a look. There are definitely a lot of interesting things happening around them.”
Bai Suihe truly didn’t know what to do with her, but she had absolutely no interest in the Gu Family’s gossip. “Let’s not. With the way they are now, the moment you get close, they’ll latch onto you like leeches. It’s quite repulsive.
“If you want to know what’s happening with them, we can just send a few more people to keep watch. They’ll relay every bit of news back to us.”
“Listen to your mother,” Gu Kaiyuan said. “We’ve finally managed to live a peaceful life. Staying as far away from them as possible is the best choice.”
Gu Xingyang had no say in the matter right now. Since her parents had both said so, what else could she do?
However, she still managed to negotiate a compromise: from now on, she had to be told every piece of gossip regarding the Gu Family.
In private, Gu Kaiyuan asked Bai Suihe, “What’s going on with our daughter? Why is she so curious about everything?
“She loves watching a spectacle so much. Doesn’t she know that some spectacles aren’t pleasant to watch?”
“…” Bai Suihe knew exactly how to answer that, but she decided to simply play dumb.
“I heard the Gu Family didn’t even stop in Zhang County. Should we inform the Gu Family about this?”
“I’ve already found someone to quietly send the news back,” Gu Kaiyuan said. “In the past, when they were in the Capital City, they were beyond our reach. Now, they’re just one county away. I imagine there will be plenty of drama to watch next.”
Bai Suihe gave him a thumbs-up. “Not bad. You even know how to cause trouble for them now.
“Remember to have your people keep a close eye on things. Your daughter is still waiting to join in on the fun.”
After saying that, Bai Suihe turned and left. Gu Kaiyuan remained where he was, staring speechlessly at the sky. He suspected she was the real root of the problem.
***
When Rong Ruiyuan received the news of the Gu Family’s departure, he actually could have sent people to chase after them, but he ultimately gave up on the idea.
Whether Gu Baijiang had hidden assets or not, looking at his current state, he wouldn’t bring out a single tael of silver to support him anymore. In that case, keeping him in the Capital City would only be a burden.
After all, he had been the one shouldering the living expenses for that massive family. It was for the best that they left; at least he could save a little bit of money.
However, fearing he might earn a reputation for being cold and ungrateful, he still had his people spread the word that Gu Baijiang was worried about Gu Kaiping in Lingnan and had gone over to help keep an eye on things.
He even put on a show by sending a carriage full of flashy but useless items as a parting gift for the journey.
Little did he know that in the days before his departure, Gu Baijiang had constantly complained to some acquaintances. Though he hadn’t said it explicitly, he heavily implied that Rong Ruiyuan was burning bridges, forcing him to flee to a distant land.
Right as they arrived at the border of Lingnan, a shocking scandal erupted in the Capital City. The infighting within the inner courts of the Prince Ning Mansion was fierce. Because of her outstanding looks and talent, Gu Shufei, who had just been taken into the mansion this year, had drawn the jealousy of the other women. Using underhanded tactics, they ruined a beautiful, flower-like girl, turning her into an obese woman weighing several hundred pounds.
Initially, this rumor only circulated within a small circle. Who would have thought that in just two days, various versions of the inner-court struggle would be spreading like wildfire? Rong Ruiyuan’s Prince Ning Mansion was painted as a veritable dragon’s pool and tiger’s den, where no one without some serious capability could survive.
More than anything, people were curious about what the Gu Family daughter—whose beauty was once highly ranked in the Capital City—looked like now.
Everyone treated it as a joke and said whatever they pleased. Upon hearing this, Rong Ruiyuan was fuming with anger, practically blowing his top.
What upset him the most was that his other brothers immediately seized upon this vulnerability, submitting all sorts of memorials to the throne. The Emperor kept him behind and severely reprimanded him.
“You can’t even manage a single woman in your inner court, yet you still wish to plot for more?” the Emperor finally barked.
“I told you long ago that you needed to resolve this matter immediately. And the result? You’ve now caused our royal family to lose all its reputation and prestige.
“You no longer need to involve yourself in court matters. Go back and properly handle the affairs of your inner court.”
Rong Ruiyuan’s dishonesty during this period had naturally not escaped the Emperor’s eyes. It was completely in vain that he had previously indulged Gu Baijiang’s various actions just to allow this son to hold a bit of power and accumulate some capital.
But this guy was a complete lost cause. Even with so much silver thrown in, the number of ministers following him was still pitifully small.
Regarding the matter of the Gu Family daughter, when the Imperial Physician concluded that there was no cure, the Emperor had hinted to this foolish son to quickly expel her from the family register. Who would have thought he’d only focus on his own affairs? Now that the situation had worsened under the watchful eyes of so many, he’d like to see how this son planned to clean up the mess.
Rong Ruiyuan knelt. “Imperial Father, this is all your son’s fault. Please punish me, Imperial Father.”
Regardless of whether he was at fault or not, he couldn’t stubbornly argue back. He had to admit to the crime first.
“Look at this. Out of every ten memorials presented in court today, nine were about you! Go outside and listen—what is everyone out there saying?
“The entire inner court of the Prince Mansion has become a laughingstock for others to gossip about.
“I want you to resolve this matter today. If there is even one more memorial about you in court tomorrow, then you can forget about keeping your title as Prince Ning.”
After finishing his piece, the Emperor flicked his sleeves and left. He had thought highly of this son before and originally wanted to elevate him to balance the court. He had even paved the way for him, yet the fool still managed to ruin it like this. He was truly a lost cause.
He had hinted to him long ago that the royal family did not permit any jokes. He should have snuffed out the source of that joke early on. Attempting to act now would only dig a deeper hole.
Rong Ruiyuan slumped to the ground. Making him quell all these rumors within a single day—how could it be that easy? At the very least, his two Imperial Brothers wouldn’t allow it.
They were the ones who orchestrated all these matters to begin with. Why would they let him off so easily?
Then there was Gu Antong. It was now certain that she had absolutely no value left. He had initially planned to pick a date and ‘free’ her from her suffering, but now, it seemed inappropriate to make a move. Such an obese concubine would be a mark of shame permanently attached to him.
With every single thing going wrong, Rong Ruiyuan became even more unhinged. He needed to build connections at the fastest possible speed, and before that, he had to accumulate wealth.
At this moment, he even began to blame his concubine mother. If he, like his eldest Imperial Brother and second Imperial Brother, had a powerful maternal family, why would he have to struggle so much?