Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 132

The commotion in Liu Yue’s courtyard was so loud that even for Gu Yu Qi, residing in Danxia Courtyard, it was impossible to ignore.

Money could make the heavens go crazy. Right now, Gu Yu Qi was short of everything except funds. Run Ying was managing her businesses meticulously. Li Da, stationed in Kuizhou, sent her daily updates and the city’s street renovation was nearing completion, only awaiting an auspicious day to celebrate its opening. Meanwhile, her express delivery business in Jiangxia City was thriving, generating massive profits daily.

All the servants in Liu Yue’s courtyard who could be swayed have already been bribed by Gu Yu Qi.

So no matter what happened, Gu Yu Qi was the first to know.

A sentence dismissed by Gu Si Yang had caught Gu Yu Qi’s attention.

Liu Yue had clearly said to Gu Si Yang, “Without me, Liu Yue, there would be no Gu Huai Zhong as he is today!”

Gu Yu Qi turned that statement over in her mind repeatedly, sensing something amiss.

Gu Huai Zhong’s marquisate had been earned through military merit, how could that have anything to do with Liu Yue? Yet the conviction in Liu Yue’s words, her natural confidence, unsettled Gu Yu Qi and made her think deeply about the matter.

The more she considered it, the more suspicious she became.

Gu Yu Qi summoned Qiu Yue and Zhao Hu in and asked them about her maternal grandfather, General Liang, in great detail.

In her previous life, by the time Gu Yu Qi had transmigrated, her grandfather had already passed away. In this life, though reborn, her grandfather was again no longer alive. Originally, Gu Yu Qi had not given it much thought, but after learning about the potent properties of the Hanxin Grass’s nectar, Gu Yu Qi had to think more.

Had it not been for Liu Yue’s outburst today, Gu Yu Qi might never have questioned the circumstances surrounding her grandfather’s passing. However, Liu Yue’s angry words had stirred a deep suspicion within Gu Yu Qi. Could Liu Yue have something to do with her grandfather’s death?

As long as her grandfather had been alive, the Liang family army would have existed and Gu Huai Zhong would have remained just another general in the front of the battlefield. At best, he would have been her grandfather’s son-in-law. How could he ever have had the opportunity to rise to prominence on his own?

Gu Yu Qi learned from Zhao Hu that her grandfather’s Liang Army had always only obeyed her grandfather’s orders. Even though Gu Huai Zhong was her grandfather’s son-in-law, he had no authority of his own and was entirely subject to her grandfather’s command. Many of the Liang generals were already dissatisfied with Gu Huai Zhong. However, after her grandfather’s passing, Gu Huai Zhong seized military control, submitting secret reports to the imperial court multiple times. His Majesty then issued an order to transfer some generals of the Liang Army to other places. Gu Huai Zhong also promoted some of his confidants, dismissed some of the originally disobedient lieutenants, eliminated some old soldiers who were loyal to her grandfather, and sent them back to their hometowns. It took several years before he truly consolidated power.

When Grandfather’s coffin was returned to Jiangnan, Gu Huai Zhong used the excuse of urgent military matters and the tense war situation, and did not follow him back to the old house in Jiangnan.

Though his words sounded nice, in truth, he was busy seizing power along the border.

Zhao Hu was originally a soldier in the Liang family army. Although he had been away from the military camp for some time, the memories of those years were deeply ingrained in him, unforgettable for a lifetime.

Gu Yu Qi trusted Zhao Hu completely. Zhao Hu was a very loyal person and he had never lied to her or her mother.

When Zhao Hu heard Gu Yu Qi asking about General Liang, he could not help but recount everything he knew about the Liang family army and General Liang. He became increasingly emotional, unable to restrain himself. Zhao Hu’s voice rang with conviction and when he reached the more impassioned parts of his tale, Zhao Hu, despite being a sturdy man, could not help but shed tears.

Even Qiu Yue, standing nearby, wiped away her own tears. After all, their lives had all been saved by General Liang.

“So Grandfather’s health was always robust?” Gu Yu Qi asked thoughtfully.

“Indeed,” Zhao Hu replied, “When this servant was stationed at the frontier, my benefactor was always in good health. Minor injuries would heal quickly with just a little care.”

“Didn’t they say that Grandfather was struck by a poisoned arrow from the Rouran people?” Gu Yu Qi inquired.

At this question, Zhao Hu suddenly became indignant, “Miss, there is something this servant has kept in his heart for many years. Now that Miss is asking about this matter, this servant can no longer remain silent.”

“Speak,” Gu Yu Qi sat up straight.

“Several years ago, this servant happened to meet a fellow comrade from the Liang family army in the capital. After the Liang family army was disbanded, he started doing some small business.” Zhao Hu adjusted his expression and said, “This servant was very happy and took him to a tavern to have a few drinks. After three rounds of wine, he suddenly burst into tears. He cursed our Marquis, saying that if it were not for him, the Liang family army would never have been disbanded. This servant felt it was strange because it was His Majesty who ordered the disbandment of the Liang family army, what did it have to do with the Marquis?

He said that although our benefactor had been struck by a poisoned arrow, the wound was only on his shoulder. The poison was the kind commonly used by the Rouran people, and since our army had fought with the Rouran for a long time, we had become familiar with such poison. The military physicians had also treated it in a timely and appropriate manner, and the poison had been quickly and thoroughly removed.

However, while under the Marquis’ care, our benefactor grew weaker and weaker, and in the end, he was bedridden, handing over all the military affairs to the Marquis. At that time, a few of them privately said that, given our benefactor’s health, it was impossible for him to decline so quickly. They also sought other local physicians to see him, but none could find anything unusual. They even took the residue from the medicine for examination, but nothing was discovered. So, at first, all suspicions pointed to the Marquis, but in the end, the matter was left unresolved. Even though they had no evidence to prove that our benefactor’s death was related to the Marquis, they always found it suspicious.

The Marquis’ official career grew more and more successful. After their dismissal, they just wanted to escort our benefactor’s coffin back to Jiangnan and carry his soul to its resting place, but the Marquis obstructed them in every way, expelling them from the military camp. They had no choice but to silently bow three times toward Jiangnan before each going their separate ways.”

Gu Yu Qi’s eyes widened sharply, “Why didn’t you say this earlier?”

“Miss, who was this servant supposed to tell?” Zhao Hu said indignantly, “At that time, the Eldest Miss and the Marquis were still husband and wife. This matter was merely speculation, without any solid evidence. He was also drunk when he said it, so his words were not reliable. If this servant had confronted the Marquis based on such fragmented hearsay, how would the Eldest Miss have dealt with it? Moreover, they found no proof back then, and so many years have passed. Where would we find evidence now to verify it? If it were true, so be it, but if it were false, would that not add more worries to the Eldest Miss, causing unnecessary conflict between the couple?”

“Can you still find that fellow soldier now?” Gu Yu Qi immediately asked.

“In response to the Miss, yes. This servant kept his address,” Zhao Hu quickly nodded.

“Does he live far away?” Gu Yu Qi asked.

“It is quite far. His home is in Shanxi,” Zhao Hu replied, “It would take ten days on horseback for a round trip.”

“Then you should make the journey. Bring him to the capital,” Gu Yu Qi instructed immediately. “Ask him if he has kept any of the medicine residue from back then. If so, bring it with you.”

“Understood,” Zhao Hu cupped his fists in reply.

“Wait a moment,” Gu Yu Qi thought for a second. Not good, the Gengzi Rebellion was about to break out. She quickly told Zhao Hu, “Take two more people with you. In just a few days, a major rebellion will erupt, and its effects will spread widely. Shanxi will be plagued by rampant bandits. You must be extremely careful.”

“This servant understands,” Zhao Hu was shocked. It seemed Young Miss was determined to investigate the matter of his benefactor’s death.

Having followed Gu Yu Qi for some time, he knew her capabilities well. If it turned out that the Ding Yuan Marquis was truly involved in his benefactor’s death, then there was no need to say anything else. Even if it took his life, he would tear Gu Huai Zhong apart with his own hands!

Gu Yu Qi, however, was not holding much hope that the man still had the medicine residue from back then. However, it was essential to bring him here. After all, Zhao Hu had already left the frontier by that time, and everything he knew was second-hand hearsay.

This man’s account could be the key to the whole matter. If they could find other people from that time through him, it would be even better.

Liu Yue’s words spoken in her fury could not be entirely baseless. If her grandfather truly died because of the honey from the Hanxin Grass, then Gu Yu Qi’s hatred for Liu Yue would run even deeper. Moreover, if Liu Yue had access to the Hanxin Grass’ honey back then, it meant that she was already in contact with the witch doctors of the Rouran people. Could it be that Liu Yue was a spy for Rouran? But if Liu Yue was indeed a Rouran spy, why was Gu Huai Zhong still able to win battles with her by his side?

This was something Gu Yu Qi could not make sense of, no matter how hard she thought.

Gu Huai Zhong had saved the Emperor twice. Opportunities like that were not something just anyone could hope for.

Wait, saved the Emperor twice? The more Gu Yu Qi thought about it, the more something felt off.

When the Emperor personally led troops into battle, his movements were always kept extremely secret. How could it be that he was surrounded by the Rouran forces twice? Once might be due to the Rouran people’s luck, but would the Emperor not have been more cautious after being ambushed the first time? How could he have been surrounded again?

And on both occasions, it was Gu Huai Zhong who rescued him? Could there really be such a coincidence?

Liu Yue had said that without her, Gu Huai Zhong would not be where he was today. Could that mean that the information Gu Huai Zhong used to save the Emperor had come from Liu Yue?

Gu Yu Qi’s mind was now in a complete mess. If Liu Yue truly was a Rouran spy, she should have been prioritising the Rouran people’s interests. Why would she have allowed Gu Huai Zhong to rescue Emperor Jing? After all those years by Gu Huai Zhong’s side, did she never secretly leak the Qi dynasty’s defence maps or battle plans to the Rouran?

Gu Yu Qi felt utterly confused, unable to make sense of any of it.

She pondered for a long time but could not come to any conclusion. She finally stood up, walked over to the window, and opened it. Fresh air rushed in, carrying the autumn chill into the room and sweeping away some of the frustration clogging her heart. It also cleared her head, which had been in disarray.

Everything would have to wait until Yun Ke uncovered the truth about that so-called cousin and his real relationship with Liu Yue. Only then might she be able to make some sense of it all.

Just thinking about her upcoming marriage to Yun Ke made Gu Yu Qi’s head hurt again.