Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
âIâm afraid it wonât do. The imperial edict mentioned you two, so you have to go-
âBesides, donât you want to eliminate your sinful statuses? This is the best opportunity to do so.â Although Manager Liu didnât outright mention the absoluteness of this mandate, his tone made it certain.
The couple knew they couldnât hide from it, so they nodded.
When she sent him out, Zhou Ying reminded Manager Liu, âAfter entering the capital, winter should be starting, so we must bring more straw and other things to keep the carriage warm. Otherwise, the frozen sweet potatoes wonât be able to be used as seeds.â
âAlright, Iâll be careful.â Manager Liu nodded solemnly and then rushed to the manor.
After dinner, they took a piece of beef and went to their old house. Madam Qiao, who had just put down her bowl, looked at the meat in their hands and was a little confused. Why did they send meat at such a time?
But she didnât ask much. âOh, you guys are here. Have you eaten? If you havenât eaten, come and eat together.â
âWe came after eating.â Gu Chengrui handed the meat to Mrs. Guo, who had stood up.
Then, he told them that they would enter the capital to receive a reward. â1 donât know when Iâll be back from the capital, so 1 came to tell you in advance.â
âThis is great news. Maybe we can take the opportunity to return to the capital.â Mrs. Liu immediately smiled when she heard that.
âYou think so? Do you think itâs good to return to the capital without any power or influence?â Father Gu replied unhappily.
He sighed and continued, âThereâs nothing you can do to stop this trip.â
âSince you two are going with the Third Prince, be sure to follow him and not act on your own.
âIn addition, you must be careful of the First Princeâs people and stay away from the Fourth Princeâs men. Staying alive is more important than anything else.â
âAlso, the Empress has always been at odds with Princess Ping Yang. Naturally, she wants to eliminate our Gu family as soon as possible. Try not to get in touch with her if possible.â Second Uncle Gu echoed.
Madam Qiao nodded in agreement. âIndeed, the capital is a sinkhole. You must be careful.
âIf thereâs something you canât avoid, look for Concubine An.
âI saved her life when 1 was young, and we got along quite well.
âShe and the Empress Dowager are cousins and have always been very close. At a critical moment, she can protect your lives.
âHowever, you canât use it simply because itâs likely that she will do what you ask her to do to repay this debt.â
âWhy didnât you use it when we were kicked out?â Mrs. Liu asked indignantly.
If they had used it back then, would they even have lived such a miserable life in this remote place?
âDo you think Concubine An would dare defy an imperial edict? If the Emperor wants to sack us out, it would be useless even if we have the Empress Dowager on our side.â Madam Qiao answered unhappily.
She hesitated and continued, âWhen you reach the capital, go to the Ministry of Revenueâs Yang family and see your aunt and see how sheâs doing.
âIfâ¦
âIf theyâre not doing well, bring them back.â
âAlso, that uncle of yours is on the First Princeâs side. You must be careful.â Father Gu quickly added.
âI understand. If it doesnât work out, weâll bring Auntie back.â Gu Chengrui nodded.
After that, they chatted for a while more. However, most of the time, it was Father Gu and Second Uncle Gu analyzing the capitalâs political situation.
Zhou Ying also knew that her âfather,â Headmaster Zhou, was the father-in-law of the Fourth Prince on the surface but sided with the Emperor.
After chatting for a while, the two bade farewell.
When they returned home, the village had already quieted down. They locked their doors and brought Er Zhuang into the interspace.
After finishing the work in her interspace, Zhou Ying took the opportunity to put all the fish, aged about a year old, into the river outside the village, then began packing her luggage..