Before Du Guqing's privileges were restored, someone came from the capital in great haste, riding one horse after another to exhaustion. When this person finally showed up at the Prince Rui's Mansion, Du Guqing and Mei Qingxue were quite speechless.
"Who are you?" Du Guqing, with his white hair, stared at the visitor. He guessed in his heart that this person couldn't be just a messenger.
"Reporting to Prince Rui, I'm a subordinate of the Third Prince. I've been sent here on the Third Prince's orders to pay my respects to Your Highness." The man said this with a look of self - righteousness. Du Guqing sneered silently in his heart. What a pretentious look!
It was obvious that Du Gujue had sent this man to win him over, but he made it sound as if they were all brotherly and respectful. Du Guqing secretly despised this in his heart.
"Thank my Third Brother for me. Now that you've seen me, you can go back and report." Du Guqing said coldly.
"Your Highness, the Third Prince also asked if there's anything you lack." After seeing the Prince Rui's Mansion, the man was also speechless. The mansion had been arranged so well by Eunuch Tang that there was no need for any additional furnishings. His question was almost redundant.
"If there's nothing else, go back and tell my Third Brother that I'm currently in seclusion and recuperation. I don't like to be disturbed. I really hate outsiders coming. Oh, just talking about it makes me feel unwell."
After saying that, Du Guqing stood up, flicked his sleeve, and his servants quickly stepped forward to support him.
"See the guest out!" Du Guqing said these two words pretending to be weak, then walked away without looking back.
He didn't remember when he and Du Gujue had become so close. After turning a few long corridors, he shook off the servant's hand and angrily returned to his study. He picked up a stack of files and began to read slowly. Most of them were complaints against the Geng family for their cruelty.
Du Guqing was so angry as he read these files that he almost went crazy. The angrier he got, the harder it was for him to continue reading. Finally, he angrily swept all the files to the ground. He took a few deep breaths, then picked them up one by one and forced himself to calm down and read.
There were so many unjust cases. It was really too easy for Su Minghui to die. The more Du Guqing tried to calm himself down and read, the angrier he became. That bastard was really outrageous. He deserved to be tortured to death.
"Han Chao..." Du Guqing stood up and shouted towards the door. Instead of Han Chao, a strange - looking guard came in. He bowed respectfully and reported, "Your Highness, didn't you allow Captain Han Chao to return to the capital?"
"Oh, right, right!" Only then did Du Guqing remember that Yue Ru was about to give birth. He had granted Han Chao leave during the day, but he had been so enraged by the Geng family that he had forgotten.
"Are you from the Old Duke's Mansion? Li Zhonghu, right?" Du Guqing sized up this guard.
"Yes!" Li Zhonghu saluted and then stepped back to his original position.
Du Guqing looked in the direction of the Qingxue Pavilion. He knew that he couldn't go back until he finished reading these files.
"Li Zhonghu, get two people to classify these files for me. Put the ones accusing the Geng family in one pile, the ones accusing local officials in another, and the ones about other disputes in a third pile."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After a while, Li Zhonghu led two guards in. They quickly sorted the large stack of files into several piles. Du Guqing first looked at the files about general civil disputes. Seeing that they were all trivial matters, he turned to the guard and ordered, "Li Zhonghu, go to the Duke's Mansion and fetch Guo Jun. I have something to discuss with him."
Now Guo Jun was temporarily in charge of the government office. Du Guqing thought of asking him to help deal with some of the matters. Since Mei Qingxue hadn't said he couldn't ask for help, he could invite someone, which would reduce his own trouble.
"Seventh Young Master, the Prince asks you to go there right away!" Li Zhonghu woke up the drowsy Guo Jun.
"Got it. I'll be there right away." Guo Jun said while quickly getting dressed.
After a while, he seemed to remember something. While putting on his pants, he asked, "Zhonghu, did the Prince scold you guys?"
"Seventh Young Master, no. The Prince and the Princess are both very kind people." Li Zhonghu also knew that the Princess had driven the Prince to sleep in the study, but he wouldn't say much.
Seeing that Li Zhonghu had a high opinion of Du Guqing, Guo Jun was very relieved. It seemed that this Sixth Prince was different from the other princes.
"Let's go!" After getting dressed, Guo Jun followed Li Zhonghu to the mansion.
"I pay my respects to Your Highness." Guo Jun bowed obediently. His grandfather had repeatedly told him that even though the Prince was his cousin, the etiquette couldn't be neglected. After all, there's no harm in being polite.
"No need for such formalities." Du Guqing pointed to a stack of files on the ground. "Guo Jun, since you're now temporarily in charge of the government office, you should learn to handle government affairs. These are mainly civil disputes. You can learn to deal with them. Here, these ones."
"Yes!" Looking at the mountain - like stack of civil dispute files, Guo Jun's face became solemn.
He knew that Su Minghui had been ineffective, but he didn't expect him to be so completely useless. He looked at the relatively small stack of files beside him and sighed slightly.
He stood up and turned up the lamp, then picked up a file to read. He frowned constantly while reading. These files were so old. It was obvious that Su Minghui was just taking up a position without doing any work.
"Ah, it's Lieutenant Li. What brings you here?" As soon as Geng Longtian saw Lieutenant Li, he was overjoyed. Originally, he had planned to write a letter asking his daughter to ask the First Prince to intercede. After all, it was his brother - in - law. How could he let others arrest him?
"I'm here on some business in Linzhou. This is something that the Sixth Lady asked me to bring to you." Lieutenant Li wiped the sweat off his face and handed over the things in his hand. Geng Longtian took them with both hands and quickly invited him to sit down.
"Just in time. I have a favor to ask of you," Geng Longtian said with a big smile on his face, looking very humble.
"Oh?" Lieutenant Li asked curiously. What could this Geng Longtian want from him? He couldn't help but feel a bit strange. He was afraid it wouldn't be a good thing.
"My son has been arrested and taken to the government office. Since you're here, Lieutenant Li, could you please intercede with Prince Rui on my behalf? Don't worry, Lieutenant Li. I'll definitely reward you handsomely."
"Intercede with Prince Rui? Couldn't Su Minghui handle this? Why do you come to me?" Lieutenant Li looked confused.
"Su Minghui was beheaded by Prince Rui for some mistake," Geng Longtian said.
Lieutenant Li said indifferently, "No matter how weak Prince Rui is, he's still of royal blood. If Su Minghui hadn't really angered Prince Rui, Prince Rui wouldn't have killed him. It must be that Su Minghui had gone too far."
How could Geng Longtian say that it was because his stupid son had molested a woman that had led to Su Minghui's death?
"I'll talk about this, but I can't guarantee anything." Lieutenant Li wouldn't make any promises to Geng Longtian. He was just a subordinate of the First Prince and didn't have that much influence.
Moreover, he knew about Geng Longtian's son. He was a troublemaker. Who knew what he had done?
"Then thank you, Lieutenant Li. There will be a generous reward if this matter is settled." Geng Longtian looked at Lieutenant Li. He thought that with the First Prince's man taking action, Prince Rui would surely give some face, after all, the First Prince was his elder brother.
"I've already arranged a guest room. Please!"
Since his daughter had become a concubine of Du Guming, Geng Longtian knew that he had attached himself to a powerful person. His daughter had also written in her letter that the First Prince was highly regarded by the emperor. Now he didn't take that Sixth Prince, who was out of favor with the emperor, seriously at all. He was sure that with Lieutenant Li taking action, this matter would be settled. Now he was thinking about what kind of reward he should give Lieutenant Li after it was done.
Du Guqing already knew that the First Prince had also sent someone, and he also knew where that person was, but he didn't care at all. When he went to the government office, Geng Junhu kept shouting in the prison. He finally stopped when his voice became hoarse.
"Guo Jun, if you're smart, release me early. My father will surely reward you later," Geng Junhu said weakly.
"Don't waste your breath on me. It's my wish to have you arrested. Although I wasn't the one who arrested you, as long as I'm temporarily in charge of this government office, no one can get you out of my hands."
"We were classmates after all..."
"Classmates? When you molested my sister - in - law, did you think we were classmates?" Guo Jun laughed. "Actually, I really want to know what would happen if you had snatched the Sixth Princess back. The twelfth concubine? Humph..."
"Sixth... Sixth Princess?" Geng Junhu almost fell. No wonder Guo Jun, who was usually so arrogant, would kneel and talk to his sister - in - law. So that was the reason. No wonder that woman was so beautiful. She was the most beautiful woman. It seemed that his father couldn't save him this time. Thinking of this, Geng Junhu deflated like a punctured balloon and slumped to the ground.
"I've long advised you not to indulge in wine, women, wealth, and vice, but you just wouldn't listen. Since we were classmates, I'll give you a quick end." Guo Jun lowered his head and continued with his official duties, ignoring Geng Junhu. He was just a small pawn on the battlefield, not really in charge of the government office. Fortunately, it was only a temporary position.
That day, from the way his sister - in - law had spoken, he knew that she not only wanted him to stay in this place but also wanted him to do his job well and not disgrace the Duke's Mansion.
When Lieutenant Li tried to enter the Prince Rui's Mansion, he was blocked outside by Eunuch Tang.
"The old man said no entry, so no one can enter," Eunuch Tang blocked the door. In the morning, Mei Qingxue had said that all visitors should be blocked, and only people from the Duke's Mansion should be admitted. Now this person wanted to force his way in.
"Let me in. I have the First Prince's order." It was Lieutenant Li who had come.
"You can use the First Prince's order by yourself. Look carefully. This is the Prince Rui's Mansion. Can't you read?" Eunuch Tang pointed at the plaque. "This isn't the First Prince's mansion. We only listen to Prince Rui and Princess Rui."
"You... If I go back and tell the First Prince, you'll be in trouble!" Lieutenant Li glared.
"Such ignorance! How scary. I don't know what the First Prince wants you illiterate guys for?" Eunuch Tang fluttered his little finger and gave Lieutenant Li a disdainful look.
"Old man, how dare you block me? I'm the First Prince's man!" Lieutenant Li was very rude.