RPAGF Chapter 648 Where is he? Where is Gu Junze? Why hasn't he come back yet?
Chapter 648 Where is he? Where is Gu Junze? Why hasn't he come back yet?
Outside Chengdu, on the official road, a procession was making its way to the capital at a leisurely pace.
Inside the prison van, the group of criminals, led by Chen Taimo, looked dejected, while the atmosphere of the escorting team was not particularly grim.
Gu Junze rode a tall horse alongside a carriage, occasionally exchanging a few words of laughter with his wife inside.
Chu Ruohan lifted the curtain, looked at her husband's leisurely appearance, and shook her head helplessly.
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from behind, accompanied by billowing dust.
"Report! Urgent! Secret message from the capital!" A messenger, covered in dust, dismounted, knelt on one knee, and held a wax-sealed letter tube high in the air.
Gu Cheng'an immediately stepped forward to take it and presented it to Gu Junze.
The group fell silent instantly, and all eyes were on Gu Junze.
Chu Ruohan's heart also tightened. She exchanged a glance with Gu Cheng'an, both seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes. What had happened in the capital that warranted such an urgent dispatch?
Gu Junze calmly broke the wax seal and pulled out the letter.
He glanced at it only once, and a hint of surprise first appeared on that usually cold and stern face. Then, that surprise melted away and turned into an irrepressible smile.
He laughed, and his shoulders trembled slightly with laughter.
"What's wrong?" Chu Ruohan asked anxiously.
Gu Junze didn't say anything, but simply handed the thin sheet of paper through the car window.
Chu Ruohan snatched it and quickly glanced at it, her expression a fascinating mix of emotions. From worry to shock, and then from shock to a state of bewilderment and amusement.
"That girl! She really knows how to cause trouble," Chu Ruohan's voice changed, "We have to go back quickly!"
Gu Junze leisurely pulled back the reins, looking as if it were none of his business: "What's the rush? Let the Emperor enjoy himself, and let Qingchen have some fun too."
"Huh?" Chu Ruohan could hardly believe her ears. "Aren't you afraid he'll really send our daughter to the northern border?"
Gu Junze chuckled, his tone full of certainty: "Send her away, of course. Our daughter will definitely be the first to surrender, and she might even become sworn brothers with the barbarian Khan."
Chu Ruohan, inside the carriage, was so angry that she couldn't speak. What kind of father is this!
Gu Cheng'an, who was standing to the side, was terrified and leaned forward to ask in a low voice, "Um, what about us?"
Gu Junze glanced at him and waved his hand: "You take your people back first, don't wait for us. Han'er is just a woman, how can she stand traveling at high speed? Let's take it slow."
Gu Cheng'an's facial muscles twitched.
He's not stupid. He escorted the prisoner back by himself, but "lost" the Duke of Zhenguo. No wonder the emperor skinned him alive!
He immediately bowed, his face serious: "Brother is right! Your wife's health is of utmost importance! I am not in a hurry, I will wait here!"
So, this team, which should have rushed back to Beijing, slowed down and continued on its way as if it were sightseeing.
In the blink of an eye, the ten-day period has arrived.
Inside the imperial study, Zhao Yunci paced back and forth restlessly, the hem of his bright yellow dragon robe fluttering at his feet.
"Where is he? Where is Gu Junze! Why hasn't he returned yet?" He suddenly stopped and roared at the eunuchs in the hall.
"And the Eastern Camp! I asked them to do some simple tasks, and they dragged their feet like this! I'm starting to suspect that my subordinates are all a bunch of good-for-nothings!"
The eunuchs fell silent, lowering their heads even further.
At this moment, Empress Su Wan entered gracefully, carrying a bowl of ginseng tea. She gently advised, "Your Majesty, please calm down. It's not worth getting sick over such a trivial matter."
Zhao Yunci took the ginseng tea, but couldn't drink a drop. She slammed it down on the table: "A trivial matter? Your Majesty, you have no idea what that girl has been up to these past few days! She found the palace too stuffy and actually dug a tunnel! She almost dug her way to the Cold Palace!"
Su Wan was also troubled by this. She sighed and slowly said, "Your Majesty, I think that Qingchen is really spoiled by the Duke and Duchess of Zhenguo and has become completely unruly."
"Why don't we hire a governess for her?"
She looked at the emperor and said earnestly, "Find the strictest and most disciplined matron in the palace to properly teach her palace etiquette. As a girl, she should always know how to be polite and chaste."
Zhao Yunci paused in her irritation.
He turned his head sharply to look at the Empress, his eyes flashing with a sudden light.
Yes! Why didn't he think of it!
That girl isn't afraid of being tortured.
If she were confined, she could tear down the palace.
It is precisely those rules and regulations that can wear down her temperament the most!
The gloom that had been on the emperor's face vanished.
"Excellent!" He slammed his hand on the imperial desk. "That's how it'll be done!"
Confined to the palace, Gu Qingchen found the simple meals and congee tasteless and tasteless.
She held a copy of "Rules for Women," tilted her head, and dangled her legs over the edge of the chair, muttering to herself, but not paying attention to a single word.
"What 'don't show your feet when you walk, don't show your teeth when you laugh'? Humph, so boring!" She closed the book and slammed it heavily on the table, making a dull thud.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the palace gate.
The two young palace maids were so frightened that they quickly lowered their heads and retreated to the side trembling.
A woman dressed in dark palace attire walked in with a straight posture, a serious expression, and no smile.
Her hair was neatly combed, and she wore only a plain silver hairpin in her bun.
She was none other than Qin Mama, the most senior and strictest-disciplined governess in the palace.
Granny Qin walked straight up to Gu Qingchen, her gaze falling on her casually swinging legs.
“Miss Gu,” she said in a low voice, “you sit so improperly. Is this the behavior of a lady from a respectable family? Please put your legs together and put them back in place.”
Gu Qingchen was startled; she had never seen such a stern palace servant before.
She instinctively pulled her legs back, but with her neck stiff, she muttered defiantly, "Who are you? What right do you have to tell me what to do?"
Qin Mama's lips twitched slightly. She didn't answer directly, but instead took out a bright yellow imperial edict from her sleeve and unfolded it in front of Gu Qingchen.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Gu Qingchen, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, is unruly and disrespectful. Therefore, the Imperial Nurse Qin is hereby appointed to teach her day and night, ensuring that she is well-versed in poetry and literature, understands etiquette, and behaves with dignity, so as to conform to the dignity of the royal family."
Gu Qingchen's face fell instantly. She stared wide-eyed at the bright imperial edict and then at the old-fashioned man in front of her who seemed to have stepped out of a painting.
"Government nurse?" she wailed, shrinking back. "What tricks is His Majesty up to now?!"
Unmoved, Granny Qin rolled up the imperial edict and put it back into her sleeve.
"From today onwards, you must get up at 5 a.m. every day, practice calligraphy for a quarter of an hour, then recite the 'Admonitions for Women' for half an hour, and you may have breakfast at 7 a.m.."
She spoke very quickly, her voice icy, “After lunch, follow me to learn embroidery, playing the zither, and flower arranging. There must be no mistakes.”
"After dinner, continue reciting the Classic of Filial Piety and the Standards for Being a Good Student and Child until you go to bed at 9 PM."
She paused, her gaze fixed intently on Gu Qingchen: "If there is any negligence, or if his words or actions are not in accordance with the rules, I will deal with it impartially and without any leniency."
Gu Qingchen's head was spinning. This wasn't education; it was practically imprisonment!
She wanted to argue, to throw a tantrum, and to pretend to faint as usual.
But Qin Mama's eyes, devoid of any emotion, sent a chill down her spine, rendering her unable to utter a single word.
She seemed to see an invisible mountain slowly pressing down on her.
"Now, please sit down again, with proper posture. I will test your knowledge of yesterday's 'Rules for Women'," said Granny Qin.
Gu Qingchen was on the verge of tears; she hadn't even looked at it yesterday!
Inside the imperial study, Zhao Yunci listened to the chief eunuch's report, and a long-lost smile finally appeared on his face.
"Oh? As expected, Granny Qin has lived up to my expectations. Has that girl behaved herself today?" He picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and was in a great mood.
The chief eunuch bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Granny Qin is very skillful. Today it was indeed much quieter, and we did not hear any crying. However... Granny Qin said that Miss Gu pricked three fingers while embroidering."
Zhao Yunci's lips twitched slightly, but then she regained her composure.
What's a pricked finger? As long as you don't cause trouble.
"What about Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan? Still no news?" He put down his teacup, his smile fading slightly.
The chief eunuch cautiously reported, "Your Majesty, news came from the post station in the suburbs of the capital that Duke Gu and his wife arrived in the suburbs three days ago. They said that the wife was unwell and would rest at the post station for a few days before proceeding to the capital."
"Rest and recuperate?" Zhao Yunci suddenly stood up, her face darkening again.
"They arrived three days ago? It's only half a day's journey from the outskirts of the capital to the city! Do they think I'm a fool?!"
He paced back and forth in the hall, gritting his teeth and growling, "Well done, Gu Junze! You've really done something! My palace has been turned upside down by your daughter, while you're out there having a good time!"
He grew angrier the more he thought about it. "Issue my decree! Order the Prefect of the Capital to send men to 'invite' Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan into the palace!"