After the rebirth of Madam Hou Clan, her heart was sealed with cement

Chapter 358 The two hooked up and planted an spy

On the other side, Gu Huaijing unfolded Tan Zhixu's letter in the dim light. The worry between his brows gradually turned into perseverance, "Xu Xu, the day when we fight side by side is not far away."

In the early morning of the next day, the capital was as lively as usual, and people in the streets were talking a lot.

In front of the gate of the Hou Mansion, an old man was vividly describing to others what happened in the teahouse last night: "Have you heard about the incident between the second lady of the Hou Mansion and the Canal Admiral? It is said that the two had an engagement. Now It’s so lively.”

In Jing'an Hall, Tan Zhixu was standing dignifiedly in simple and elegant clothes. Facing the serious old lady, her eyebrows were calm, neither humble nor overbearing.

"Old Madam, everything Mr. Gu and I did in the northwest was for the country and the army, and there was no personal involvement."

Her words were firm, and her words revealed unquestionable determination.

The old lady snorted coldly and slapped the crutch in her hand, "How unbecoming is it for a woman to show up in public and still have an old relationship with a deceased person? The Song family has been completely disgraced by you!"

For a time, the atmosphere in Jing'an Hall dropped to freezing point.

"Old Madam, Mr. Gu serves the country and the people, risking life and death to escort the soldiers. As a member of the Song family, how can I ignore you?"

Tan Zhixu's eyes were bright and he said loudly, "Between me and Mr. Gu, everything is pure and innocent. If there is any violation of the rules, I am willing to be punished."

At this time, the housekeeper of the Hou Mansion hurried over and whispered a few words to the old lady.

The old lady's expression changed instantly, with a hint of surprise and disbelief, and her look at Tan Zhixu became complicated.

It turned out that the housekeeper brought an oral instruction from the emperor. The emperor highly praised Tan Zhixu and Gu Huaijing's actions in the northwest, and specifically mentioned that there was no deviant behavior between them and they were purely serving the country.

"It seems that I wrongly blamed you."

The old lady's voice trembled slightly, her tone softened a lot, but she was still stern, "Well, since the emperor has said so, you can continue what you are doing, but remember, you still need to earn back the Song family's face. .”

Tan Zhixu bowed slightly and saluted, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, people inside and outside the capital were discussing this matter more and more enthusiastically. Some people admired it, some were jealous, and some were puzzled.

"Oh, I didn't expect that our second wife of the Hou family is not only courageous and knowledgeable, but also has the trust of the emperor. She is really a woman who cannot be compared to other women!"

"That's right, I thought she really had something to do with that canal admiral. It seems like there was a misunderstanding."

Deep in the palace, Gu Huaijing received a secret report and learned that Tan Zhixu was safe and sound and had successfully resolved a family crisis. He couldn't help but smile with relief.

Night fell again, and inside and outside the capital, both the people who admired Gu Huaijing and Tan Zhixu, and the ministers who were originally suspicious, after the storm subsided, they all speculated on the fate of this pair of men and women who were both talented and shared weal and woe. Next, we will work together to deal with the changing situation in the court.

At this time, the backyard of the Hou Mansion.

Song Ling'er felt even more unhappy when she saw that her mother did not punish Tan Zhixu. Thinking that she was not welcomed when she went to northern Shaanxi, she was even more angry. She always felt that there must be something bad between Tan Zhixu and Gu Huaijing. Innocent, thinking that many people in the court were afraid of Gu Huaijing, she thought of the second prince who had contacted her before.

In a remote corner of the backyard of the Hou Mansion, Song Ling'er leaned angrily against the pillars, looking at the brightly lit Jing'an Hall in the distance, her heart filled with unwillingness and jealousy. She angrily babbled to the maid next to her: "What do you think is good about that Tan Zhixu? My mother is so protective of her, and now even the emperor's oral instructions are coming. It's really disgusting."

The maid cautiously replied: "Miss, the Second Madam's courage and resourcefulness are indeed extraordinary. This trip to the northwest not only saved Master Gu, but also helped the court solve a major problem. The common people are praising her deeds. .”

"Humph, those are just market rumors. Who can tell whether they are true or false?" Song Ling'er sneered, a hint of cunning flashed in her eyes, "Gu Huaijing has made many enemies in Beijing, and I don't believe that he and Tan Zhi Xu Neng has been safe and sound."

Thinking of this, she came up with a plan and decided to use external force to deal with Tan Zhixu.

So, she quietly took out the letter in her arms. It was a secret letter sent by the second prince of the capital in private. The words in it implicitly expressed the intention of wooing him.

"Since they can gain the emperor's trust, I also need to find a backer." Song Ling'er said through gritted teeth, quickly wrote a reply, and agreed on a time and place to meet the second prince.

On the other side, deep in the palace, the secret report received by Gu Huaijing also mentioned signs of secret collusion between Song Ling'er and the second prince. He frowned, knowing that if this matter was not handled properly, it would probably set off a bigger war. of storm.

But Gu Huaijing did not inform the emperor of the matter immediately, after all, we did not have evidence yet.

In the early morning of the next day, the discussion in the streets and alleys of the capital was even louder, and everyone's admiration and curiosity for Tan Zhixu became even stronger.

An old man selling tofu said to the people around him with great interest: "Have you heard? This Marquis Mansion is getting more and more exciting. This is really a show within a show!"

An elegant scholar in the crowd shook his head and sighed: "Oh, once a woman gets involved in a power struggle, she will probably cause a bloody storm."

At this time, Tan Zhixu, although he was in the whirlpool of public opinion, remained calm and composed.

She silently sorted out relevant information about the Northwest War in the house, knowing in her heart that the real test had just begun.

In the bustling commercial street of the capital, Tan Zhixu walked into his shop with a light step, dressed in simple and elegant clothes.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, secretly observing every move of the clerk in the store, and was keenly aware of several abnormalities.

These new faces look busy, but in fact their eyes are wandering, which is in sharp contrast to the focused and down-to-earth attitude of the old guys.

"Hey, have you heard? After the Second Madam returned to Beijing, this shop has become very lively. It is said that Miss Song has placed many people here." A lady who was selecting fabrics whispered to her friends around her.

Another aunt covered her mouth in surprise: "What? Isn't that to cause trouble? The second lady is so capable, how can she let her family get involved and cause trouble?"

When the guys in the store heard these discussions, they all looked at each other, and the new guy looked nervous, obviously he had heard about these rumors.

Tan Zhixu walked to the counter calmly and knocked on the countertop lightly, attracting everyone's attention.

She looked at the new faces, and her tone was calm but with irresistible power: "I don't care who sent you, but since you have entered this house, you must abide by the rules of this house. If you deliberately stir up trouble, leave as soon as possible. .”

The new guys were taken aback by her aura, and for a while no one dared to answer.