Chapter 971: Chapter 971 Something Urgent

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

After bidding farewell to Gu Wanning with a hundred thousand taels of silver and a few pleasantries, Zhou Ying emerged from the palace with the three children. They found Gu Chengrui waiting by the carriage, a glum expression clouding his face.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Gu Chengrui sighed. “Nothing major, just some tasks the Emperor entrusted me with.” He proceeded to explain the Emperor’s request.

Zhou Ying smiled reassuringly. “Accept the token. If you encounter someone blatantly abusing their power, handle it. But if things seem overwhelming, simply report back to the Emperor.”

Inwardly, however, she doubted they’d encounter such a situation.

“Alright,” Gu Chengrui conceded, accepting the token. He scooped up their youngest son, Third Fatty, before returning to the palace.

Later that afternoon, Zhou Ying paid a visit to Mingyu, bearing gifts of fruit.

Mingyu, overcome with envy, lamented, “Your Chengrui is so thoughtful. Mine, Huaiming, wouldn’t dream of taking us out for leisure. Three to five months at home a year is all I can manage with him.”

“You’re too stubborn, Mingyu,” Zhou Ying chided playfully. “Now that you’re in charge of the residence, why wait for him? Take the children on outings! Even if you can’t travel together, venturing out occasionally broadens their horizons. It’s a win-win-win situation.”

Mingyu’s eyes brightened. “You’re right! I need to explore sometime. It’s a shame I can’t join you all. But if you encounter anything interesting, do bring me back a souvenir.”

“Don’t worry, you and Wanning won’t be forgotten,” Zhou Ying promised. After exchanging more pleasantries, she left to pack for their journey.

Meanwhile, Gu Chengrui relayed instructions to the medical yamen and later hosted a dinner for Gu Chengxi and Gu Chenglin.

The next day, Zhou Ying summoned Niu Fugui and Gu Cheng to entrust them with guarding their property. By afternoon, their family of five, accompanied by twenty guards, had embarked on their southward journey.

Thanks to the newly installed tires on their carriage, they opted to forgo changing waterways and enjoyed a leisurely journey south. They lingered at any location, boasting delicious food, spending a comfortable two days at each stop.

They also inspected their own businesses along the way, offering rewards or reprimands depending on their performance.

As dusk settled upon their current inn, Tiger, one of their guards, abruptly knocked on the door. “Master,” he announced, “urgent business requires your attention.”

Gu Chengrui, momentarily startled, passed Third Fatty to Zhou Ying before stepping outside with Tiger. “What’s the matter?” he inquired.

“While tending to the carriage in the backyard, I found a seriously injured man in the woodshed,” Tiger explained. “He claims to be a servant of Master Chengsi, and it seems something has befallen his family.”

Concern washed over Gu Chengrui. “What did he say? Did he elaborate?”

Tiger shook his head. “He wouldn’t trust me enough to share further details.” “A servant from Zhizhou Manor seeking help in Qianzhou points to either internal conflict or a more serious event,” Gu Chengrui concluded. “Let’s head in and investigate.” With that, he strode towards the back, followed closely by Tiger.

Upon reaching the backyard, they found the injured man gone, but a trail of blood marked his path. They followed the trail, eventually locating him inside the neighboring hay shed. This man, clutching a small bag, was barely breathing.

“Brother, are you alright? I’m Gu Chengrui. I can help treat your wound.”