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

When Zhu Qingyu was traveling south to Yangzhou by boat, Gu Zhao was presenting the account book that Yan Pan had given to the emperor.

The emperor picked up the account book, flipped through it, and laughed in exasperation:

"Another account book! This is the third one already? The officialdom in Yangzhou is a complete mess in every other way, but their ability to fabricate account books and expose wrongdoings is top-notch."

Although the emperor had been on the throne for less than a year, he had served as regent for the previous emperor for two years prior to his ascension.

Three years ago, the late emperor was heartbroken by the death of Consort Gao, and his grief was so great that he fell ill and never recovered. After a year of illness, he was no longer able to manage state affairs and issued an edict appointing the crown prince to oversee the country.

The first major case handled by the Emperor after he became Crown Prince and took over the reins of government was the Yangzhou salt smuggling case.

Relying on an anonymous tip about an account book, they followed the clues and dismantled the lair of the notorious salt smuggler Hu Xiaofeng. Hu Xiaofeng was executed by slow slicing, and the Yangzhou salt commissioner, who was involved with the salt smugglers, was also beheaded and his head displayed in public.

The case was solved, but the ledger that inexplicably appeared, supposedly Hu Xiaofeng's private account book, was eventually found to be fake.

Six months ago, the emperor ascended the throne, and the second book of accusations was published. Yan Qizhong, the salt commissioner of Yangzhou, fell from power.

It is true that Yan Qizhong harmed salt producers, sold smuggled salt, and extorted bribes, but the ledger he was accused of using was still fake.

Now that we've reached the third book, Gu Zhao replied:

"I compared them last night. The first two were meticulous and detailed. Although they were fake account books, they were enough to pass for the real ones. But this account book is too crude and full of loopholes. It does not seem to be from the same person."

Despite being the supreme ruler, he was repeatedly fooled by a commoner hiding in the shadows using a fake account book. The emperor threw the account book back onto the table, and in his fury, he laughed:

"More than one person? Very good, very good! Cousin, hand over the person who reported this to the Ministry of Justice and let them conduct a thorough investigation. Make sure to find out who is behind this. I want to see what kind of people these arrogant scoundrels who have no respect for their sovereign are."

Although the account book was fake, the events might not be fake. Because it involved Lei Dawu, a salt smuggler who had escaped a few months earlier, the emperor immediately issued a secret edict to the Governor-General of Liangjiang, ordering him to arrest Lei Dawu and bring him back to the capital as soon as possible. If he delayed any further, he would be severely punished.

As for the other people accused, the Emperor's thoughts coincided with Gu Zhao's:

"Capturing Lei Dawu is the most important task. As for the other accomplices, we can arrest them whenever we want. Let's leave them alone for now and not alert them."

After finishing his errand, Gu Zhao was ordered to return to the mansion to deliver the medicine bestowed by the Empress Dowager to the old lady.

In the bustling capital, where carriages and horses moved about during the day, Gu Zhao couldn't help but laugh at himself when he saw the blue cloth carriages that could be seen everywhere on the streets on his way back to his residence.

It was clearly visible everywhere, so how could she have mistaken the Zhang family's car for the one she had ridden in that day?

It's utterly incomprehensible, like they've gone mad.

Perhaps, though he wanted the matter to fade away quietly, he was still curious about who she really was.

After this incident, Old Madam Gu was devastated. Seeing that Gu Zhao had been busy with official business from morning till night and had no intention of entering a nunnery again, she did not take the initiative to arrange someone for Gu Zhao until the New Year.

The first New Year after the Emperor's ascension to the throne finally passed peacefully. The Emperor was firmly seated on the throne, the cabinet was on the right track, and everyone performed their duties in an orderly manner. Gu Zhao no longer had to stay in the palace every day. Except for one day every ten days when he still had to be on duty in the duty room, he could go back to his residence to live the rest of the time.

As dawn broke, Gu Zhao awoke once again from a beautiful dream. While expertly searching for a change of clothes, he wondered if he should get married.

Otherwise, he wouldn't keep dreaming about a girl he's only met twice, someone he has no connection with. It's been months, and her bright smile, her charming breaths, and her tender pleasure haven't faded away. Instead, they linger in his dreams, becoming more and more vivid day and night.

Humans have great desires, and he is just an ordinary man, always like this. Perhaps it is because he has not yet married. Once he marries, things should be better.

The young master was spending more time in the mansion, and the servants on duty became more alert, secretly trying to figure out his preferences so as not to offend him and mess up their jobs.

That day, Granny Zhao, who was in charge of the laundry room, came to pay her respects to Old Madam Gu. As she was about to leave, she subtly mentioned something:

"The young master is fond of cleanliness, and his undergarments must be changed every day."

Granny Zhao had been serving Old Madam Gu for many years. As soon as she mentioned it, Old Madam Gu immediately became alert. At such a vigorous age, there still needed to be someone in the house.

With the national mourning period ending in a few months and the wedding soon to take place, Old Madam Gu, not wanting to create any further complications, simply abandoned the idea of ​​finding a concubine for Gu Zhao. When Gu Zhao came to pay his respects, she gave him several invitation cards:

"Don't just focus on official business. Now that spring has arrived, the scenery outside is beautiful. You young people should go out and enjoy the flowers. Come with your grandmother to these flower viewing parties. If you find someone you like, you can also settle your marriage. Although we can't go through the formalities yet, we've already agreed that after the national mourning period, the six rites can be performed."

Gu Zhao flipped through the invitations; clearly, her grandmother had already selected the families that were well-matched with the Duke's mansion and suitable for marriage.

In the spring, the wealthy and powerful families of the capital held flower-viewing banquets. Although ostensibly for appreciating flowers, these banquets were actually for matchmaking. Young men and women of similar social standing would attend.

Gu Zhao had rarely returned to his residence since childhood, so he had neither the energy nor the interest to participate in such flower-viewing banquets.

But this time he replied:

"Yes, I will follow Grandmother's arrangements."

In the spring, Gu Zhao accompanied her grandmother and mother to several flower-viewing banquets, both to observe others and to be observed by them.

After visiting several places, Grandma Gu specifically asked him to ask:

"Among these, is there any you like?"

To Gu Zhao, these families were all the same, with no difference whatsoever. In fact, he didn't even have a clear memory of what the girls from these families looked like.

Gu Zhao then countered with a question:

"Does Grandmother have any she likes?"

Grandma Gu was so exasperated by him that she lost her temper and scolded:

"It's for you to find a wife, not for this old lady like me! Why do you care who I like? Our family doesn't need to rely on your marriage to climb the social ladder, so naturally we have to choose someone you like. Otherwise, if we marry someone we don't like, wouldn't we be arguing and bickering every day and the house be in turmoil? Since these families don't suit our tastes, we'll look at other ones."

Old Mrs. Gu lowered her expectations a bit and selected a few more families, waiting for Gu Zhao to come so he could choose.

As a result, Gu Zhao arrived in a hurry that day and spoke first:

"Grandmother, I am ordered to leave the capital on official business. I will be leaving in a few days. This trip will last at least a few months and at most half a year. As for the marriage, it is up to you to decide."