Doting on concubines and destroying wives? I don’t want to be the mistress of the Hou clan anymore.

Chapter 73 Counselor
Lou Yun greatly appreciated Lin Miaofu's insight into the subtleties. She nodded and said, "I will investigate this matter carefully."

It was late at night, and the two of them went back to their rooms without much chatting.

Gu Zhao's study was brightly lit, and there were two middle-aged men dressed as scribes sitting inside.

These are two of Gu Zhao's staff, one is named Xia Duo, and the other is named Xie, named Xie Guangzhu.

Xie Guangzhu was specially invited by Madam Chiang to serve as Gu Zhao's staff. He had watched Gu Zhao grow up. When the incident occurred in the Duke's Mansion, he was not in Kyoto and went to Nanling to check the accounts, so he escaped.

Xia Duo, on the other hand, was introduced by Xie Guangzhu and only came to Gu Zhao's side for only three years. However, he civilized everyone with his strategies and quickly gained a place beside Gu Zhao.

Xia Duo was the one who had experienced the entire incident in the Duke's Mansion. At that time, the Chaohui Hall where Gu Zhao lived was surrounded by people sent by the Duke. There were not many guards left in Chaohui Hall. Gu Zhao's confidant Li Ji , and Xia Duo takes care of daily life.

Xia Duo arrived not long ago, and he was a scribe and a staff member. I couldn't ask anything from him, but he was detained without food.

Li Ji was tortured to a state of disgrace. Later, when he was rescued, he became a useless person and could only do accounting work. Gu Zhao felt a heart-wrenching pain every time he saw him.

"I heard a rumor today that it was a conspiracy devised by Duke Dingguo to send troops to assist Xue Chujiang. What do you two think?"

Gu Zhao held a string of Buddhist beads in his hand, which Mrs. Jiang often wore.

My hands fiddled with it from time to time, and my mood became calmer and calmer.

Xie Guangzhu was furious: "Who said this? How could he say such irresponsible words? Duke Dingguo is such a brilliant man, how could he do such a thing!"

"Your Majesty, please don't listen to anything."

Xie Guangzhu originally worked as an aide to Duke Dingguo. It was Mrs. Chiang who loved her eldest son and forced him to come from Duke Dingguo.

He naturally knows Ding Guogong better than others.

"I thought so too at first." Gu Zhao said: "But it's groundless. I always feel that this matter is not as simple as rumors."

Xia Duo was also thinking.

He had only heard about Duke Dingguo's deeds from others, but had never seen Duke Dingguo's demeanor with his own eyes, and he had no idea what he was like as a person.

But I understand that people who can be praised by everyone must have something extraordinary. Such people often make people jealous.

"It's not easy to investigate this kind of speculation." Xia Duo said: "Your Majesty, do you know where the news came from? As long as we find the source, we can know what is going on."

"Mr. Yixia, do you think this matter is necessary?"

Xia Duo smiled brightly and said, "Of course we have to investigate."

He touched his beautiful beard and said: "Master, you see, this mouth is standing on someone else's side. We are standing on the side of Duke Dingguo, so we will naturally speak for him, but there are always those who cannot be seen in the world." People who are good to others don't care what the truth is... they will just add insult to injury."

"What's more, Duke Dingguo's methods are quite tough. I'm afraid there are many enemies in the court. If his enemies find out about this matter, they can make the emperor and his ministers alienate with a little use."

What Xia Duo didn't say was that the prince didn't take the Duke's face into account when he did things before, which might have displeased the emperor.

After all, the Xia Kingdom ruled the world with filial piety. Now that the emperor is old, he still fulfills his filial piety in front of the Queen Mother from time to time.

The emperor did not reprimand Gu Zhao for being so disobedient to his biological father, but he must have a grudge in his heart.

"I thought so too." Gu Zhao sighed and said, "But if we investigate... I'm afraid..."

Xie Guang high-fived the armrest and said, "I made a mistake."

"It's better for the prince to tell Duke Ding the news directly and see how he plans to deal with it."

"Say it directly?" Gu Zhao still felt that this was not a good idea. According to what he knew about his uncle, he was afraid that when he saw the news, he would not only not care about it, but would instead laugh at him.

"Uncle won't care about these little things."

"Your Majesty, can you please tell us who said this?"

Gu Zhao didn't say Lou Yun's name before because he was worried that this matter would have a bad impact on Lin Miaofu.

She seemed to trust him.

But if he didn't say it, I really don't understand his purpose of preaching this.

"It's Lou Yun. He claimed to have been a staff member under Xue Chujiang's family and was Xue Chujiang's former subordinate. He found him and asked him to help rehabilitate Xue Chujiang. He heard that what he said was wrong and refused."

Hearing this, Xie Guangzhu and Xia Duo frowned, feeling that this was very strange and inexplicable.

"If someone really rehabilitates Xue Chujiang, the first thing to do is to overthrow Duke Ding. Once Duke Ding is convicted, he will defend the sixteen states of Yanyun. I'm afraid it won't be so peaceful. If this is true, only I’m afraid someone wants to provoke war in our Xia Kingdom.”

Xie Guang said: "This matter really needs to be investigated carefully."

Except at the beginning, Xie Guangzhu was influenced by his emotions and did not think so comprehensively. This time, he is a qualified staff member.

He is accustomed to following the events to find the person who profited, and then deduced his purpose.

Gu Zhao was shocked and said: "It can't be so serious, right?"

"This is just the worst possible outcome. Duke Dingguo has been guarding Yanzhou for so many years and is loved by the local people. He is a barrier to our Xia Kingdom."

"If it is planned by another country and the monarch and his ministers are alienated, this barrier will collapse on its own."

"But how could your Majesty listen to others' beliefs?"

"Then what if someone has prepared all the evidence and is just waiting for an opportunity for Your Majesty to come and investigate?" Xia Duo sneered: "Does the prince still see less of the fight for power?"

"But..." Gu Zhao couldn't understand. Who would do such a thing that harmed others and not benefited oneself?

But if it is for fame and fortune, naturally many people will flock to it.

"For this matter, I have to trouble Mr. Xia to go there for me."

Xie Guangzhu once worked as a staff member for Duke Ding, but he was afraid that he would be recognized and would not be able to visit the place again.

"I'll ask Jiang Huai to take a few people to accompany you."

Xia Duo did not refuse and said: "I will get up early tomorrow morning and go to Yanzhou."

Xie Guangzhu added: "I'm going to look up Lou Yun's origins. If I can communicate with him again, there may be other gains."

"Okay, then I'll make the arrangements."

"By the way, the Xue family, are there any descendants here?"

"Yes." Xie Guang wrote: "When Xue Chujiang's house was confiscated, there was a three-year-old boy at home. The emperor kept him in consideration of his previous merits, but only demoted him to a slave status."

Xie Guangzhu suddenly realized, and said: "I'm going to check where he is now... If this matter really started because of Xue Chujiang, he is a very important figure."

(End of this chapter)