In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

Zhu Qingyu followed Xiong Kun back to the study of the government office. The head steward of the Zhang family was still waiting in the study with Lord Liu.

Upon seeing the two of them return, the head steward immediately stood up, his face full of anxiety, and looked anxiously at Zhu Qingyu.

Xiong Kun looked at Lord Liu and said succinctly:

"The Vice Minister has ordered the release of the prisoners."

Gu Zhao ordered the release of the people, and Lord Liu stood up without asking a single question, his face beaming with smiles:

"Very well, I will obey Lord Gu's orders."

He then looked at Zhu Qingyu:

"That's wonderful. It's good that things are cleared up. Madam Zhang, please come with me. I always said that a young girl like her couldn't do anything bad. There must have been a misunderstanding. I've always had my wife accompany the Third Miss, and I haven't let her suffer any injustice."

Zhu Qingyu bowed and expressed her gratitude:

"Yes, I am deeply grateful for your kindness, sir. When Jingyan returns, I will definitely come to personally express my gratitude."

Lord Liu led Zhu Qingyu and the head steward towards the backyard, waving his hand and saying:

"Alas, I wasn't much of a help. Madam Zhang, if you want to thank someone, you'll have to thank Master Gu properly in the future."

Lord Liu emphasized the words "good" and "well," but Zhu Qingyu pretended not to know and replied:

"You are right, sir. I will definitely tell Jingyan that I will never forget the kindness that you two have shown to my Zhang family."

Seeing that Zhu Qingyu didn't respond, Lord Liu smiled awkwardly and said nothing more. The group arrived at the backyard one after the other.

Just as Lord Liu had said, Zhang Ruohua was indeed staying in Madam Liu's courtyard, and Madam Liu even set up a table to entertain her.

Locked up without cause, Zhang Ruohua sat at the table, back ramrod straight, hands clenched tightly, neither eating nor drinking nor speaking. Until she saw Zhu Qingyu, she suddenly stood up, her eyes red and brimming with tears, and only managed to utter one sentence:

"sister in law."

Zhu Qingyu stepped forward, took her hand, and looked her up and down.

The little girl's fingers were icy cold and trembling uncontrollably; it was unclear whether she was frightened or frozen.

Fortunately, her hair ornaments were intact, her clothes were neat, and there were no marks on her face or hands, so she did not appear to have been neglected.

Finally seeing the person, Zhu Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief, took her hand, and said to Madam Liu:

"My sister-in-law is being unreasonable. She takes advantage of your kindness, Madam, and has been bothering me until now without even coming home. Please forgive her, Madam."

Lady Liu smiled gently and kindly:

"The third daughter is lively and adorable, and I really like her, so I kept her here a little longer. Please don't scold her, and come visit often when you have time."

Zhu Qingyu came to pick up Zhang Ruohua, not only to take her away, but also to prevent any gossip from spreading about today's events. Madam Liu's reply meant that, at least for today, the matter was covered up on the surface.

On the way here, it rained heavily, but the rain subsided when we left the government office.

Zhang Ruohua could still hold back her tears when she got into the carriage with Zhu Qingyu, but as soon as the carriage left the government office, the young girl could no longer contain herself. She hugged Zhu Qingyu, tears streaming down her face, and sobbed:

"sister in law."

Zhu Qingyu hugged her back:

"It's alright now, don't be afraid."

Zhu Qingyu said she was fine, but she knew in her heart that since Lord Liu had started this, he wouldn't stop so easily until he achieved his goal.

Zhang Ruohua choked back tears as she recounted her accusations:

"Sister-in-law, I didn't do anything wrong, why did they want to harm me? Will they do it again?"

Zhu Qingyu patted her head:

"Ruohua, don't be afraid. They bully others by relying on their power, but they don't know that there is always someone stronger. Just look at him, he has angered someone with even greater power, and he won't be able to keep up his act for long."

In the few years she's been here, she's witnessed the ups and downs of Yangzhou's officialdom. In just a few years, two once-glorious salt commissioners in Yangzhou have fallen from grace, angering Gu Zhao. Can Lord Liu still hold onto his position as the prefect of Yangzhou?

Lord Liu is being too clever by dragging her into this mess. He either wants to use her to curry favor with Gu Zhao or to harm Gu Zhao. Perhaps even the previous assassination attempt was related to this Lord Liu.

Since Gu Zhao said he would handle the rest, it's likely that Lord Liu is also within the scope of this matter.

When gods fight, innocent bystanders suffer. What she needs to do is, as Gu Zhao said, be careful about her comings and goings during this period, so as not to give Lord Liu any opportunity to take advantage of the situation and disrupt Gu Zhao's plans.

……

Xiong Kun was ordered to escort Madam Zhu out of the government office. After the Zhang family's carriage left the government office, he turned around and walked back to report to Gu Zhao.

Lord Liu hurried a few steps to catch up, calling out to him:

"Hey, hey, Lord Xiong, wait a moment! Are you going to see Lord Gu? I'd like to go with you. Would that be convenient?"

Xiong Kun nodded:

"The Vice Minister has instructed that if Lord Liu has any questions, he may ask them himself. Please, Your Excellency."

Gu Zhao described how he personally met with Zhu Qingyu when he was in disarray, but Lord Liu did not receive the same treatment when he arrived.

Although her hair had been dried in a fumigator, it was already late, and Gu Zhao was too lazy to tie it up or change into her official robes. So, while having her dinner behind a screen, she said to Lord Liu:

"Liu Wenhuan, how dare you!"

Lord Liu rushed to see Gu Zhao at this hour just to see what Lord Gu thought of today's arrangements—whether he was satisfied or annoyed.

Although he hadn't seen the man in person, he could tell from these words, separated by the screen, that Lord Gu seemed to be angry. However, upon closer examination of his tone, he couldn't detect any anger in Lord Gu's voice. Lord Liu then realized that he had basically figured out Lord Gu's intentions.

While the preferences of those in power are difficult to fathom, the fact that they do not object implies tacit approval.

Some matters are secretive and not so respectable. Superiors may not want to take action themselves or even express their opinions easily, but those below should be perceptive enough to understand their superiors' intentions and do things in a way that pleases them.

Lord Liu knelt down with a thud and said firmly:

"Your loyalty to the Vice Minister is evident to Heaven. You work tirelessly day and night for the country and its people. All I want is to share some of your burdens."

Gu Zhao's tone was indifferent:

"Oh? To share my worries? I must ask you, Lord Liu, what troubles me? And how can you help me resolve this?"

Lord Liu's tone became even more earnest, as if he wished he could kowtow to Lord Gu on the spot to pledge his loyalty:

"A beautiful and graceful lady is the object of a gentleman's affections; it is only natural. With your family background, talent, and appearance, whoever you desire is a great blessing to them. Why should you lower yourself? Your worries are my worries. I am willing to share your burdens and play the villain, ensuring that the one you desire will not only be willing but also deeply grateful to you."

There was no response from behind the screen for a long time.

Lord Liu, who was originally full of confidence, couldn't help but feel uneasy because of the long silence. He cautiously raised his eyes to look at the screen.

The shadow on the screen remained motionless.

Lord Liu didn't know whether he hadn't explained things clearly enough or too clearly, which was why Lord Gu had to think about it for so long.

So long that Lord Liu's knees began to ache from kneeling, and he started to doubt whether he had made the wrong bet or said the wrong thing, that Lord Gu's voice came again. With just one sentence, Lord Liu went from self-doubt to uncontrollable joy.

Gu Zhaodao:

"Go on."