Time Travel: The Noble Family-Chapter 1213 - 511: Brothers 5

Gu Zhe understood that Mr. Yu Shan wanted him to help his aunt with arranging the art exhibition. His aunt was someone who cherished old relationships, and as long as he showed sufficient ability, she would lend him a hand for the sake of his grandfather.

Over the past few years, Gu Zhe deeply regretted his earlier life of carefree living. Influenced by his father, he had little interest in pursuing a scholarly path, thinking it wouldn’t be bad to be a tenant farmer like his father for life. However, the family upheaval a few years ago made him realize how naive his thinking was; after the upheaval, he couldn’t ensure a future for his wife and children. The whole family had to rely on his mother for support. Determined not to repeat his father’s mistakes, he buried himself in books, and by luck, he passed the Juren exams. But Gu Zhe knew clearly that he had missed the best time for studying, and passing the Juren was already fortunate. With a ranking of third from the bottom, it was nearly impossible to advance further. Back then, he wanted to secure a position, but it was exceedingly hard to secure a real one. From last year to this year, whenever there was a vacancy in any county of Liangjiang, everyone was scrambling for it, leaving no chance for him.

He initially planned to go to the Capital City this spring; no matter what, his grandfather still had many connections there, and perhaps waiting in the Capital City might yield more opportunities. But before he could even set out for the Capital City, he heard news that his aunt was heading to Jiangnan. At that time, his grandfather asked him to wait in Hangzhou. He understood his grandfather’s intention: the Prefect of Suzhou’s wife was as close to his aunt as real sisters, and as long as he gained his aunt’s favor, surely, an opportunity would arise.

Gu Li sneered, "Criticisms? What I’m saying is the truth. Since you are willing to sit idly here, it’s none of my business. I’ll take a boat back to Hangzhou later."

Gu Zhe was about to speak when a young servant called from outside the door, "Eldest Young Master, the Magistrate has sent someone; he requests you to visit."

Upon hearing this, Gu Li was overjoyed and left the room ahead of Gu Zhe. However, upon hearing that only Yueyao had invited Gu Zhe and not him, his expression turned very unpleasant. Still, turning to see Gu Zhe, Gu Li said with a smile, "Brother, let’s go together!"

Gu Zhe thought for a moment and then nodded, "Let’s go together then!"

Gu Li looked at the two large stone lions at the main gate, a fervent gleam flashing in his eyes.

Gu Zhe furrowed his brow slightly, feeling it inappropriate to say anything. Before meeting Yueyao, he told Gu Li, "Aunt is a person who greatly values etiquette; you should be mindful of this."

Gu Li sneered, "Who are you fooling? If she truly valued etiquette, how could she possibly go night boating on the Qinhuai River?"

Arriving at the main hall, the two brothers waited for quite a while but still didn’t see anyone. Gu Li wanted to sit, but seeing Gu Zhe’s unpleasant expression, and knowing they were at the Prefectural Mansion, he dared not act out of line.

After a long while, soft footsteps could finally be heard approaching.

Without waiting for Yueyao to speak, Xiang Wei asked first, "This time, having called you here, I want to know who leaked the news about Madam’s night boating on the Qinhuai River."

Gu Zhe shook his head promptly, yet candidly admitted, "I heard Aunt wasn’t going to the Qinhuai River after the boat fees were paid. I just thought it’d be a pity to waste it. Aunt, I really don’t know why these people would know about Aunt’s plan to go boating on the Qinhuai River."

Xiang Wei chuckled lightly, "They not only knew Madam was going night boating on the Qinhuai River, but they also clearly knew which lantern boat she was taking." If outsiders only knew Yueyao was going boating that night, it might be understandable, as rumors often spread through crowd gossip. But for people to know even the exact boat she was on, that couldn’t be downplayed as mere carelessness.

Seeing Yueyao not wanting to pursue the matter, Xiang Wei understood that for Mr. Yu Shan’s sake, the issue would have to be dropped. But the fact that Gu Li directly ran into it, she couldn’t let pass without a response.

Gu Li stubbornly insisted, "With so many people around, how could we know who leaked the info."

Xiang Wei smirked sarcastically; Gu Li had been exceptionally intelligent since childhood, pampered as a treasured gem by the whole family. Old Madam Gu and Dong Yuan both catered to his every whim. Were it not for Old Master Gu’s strict discipline, he might not even have passed the Juren exams, "Besides Prefect Niu and his wife, only you all knew about this news. Are you implying that Prefect Niu and Lady Niu told others?"

Gu Li, extremely annoyed, said, "With so many people in the Magistrate’s office, anyone could have leaked the news."

Yueyao stopped Xiang Wei, preventing her from continuing. If she continued, it would become more embarrassing for Gu Li, and Gu Zhe’s dignity would also be damaged, "Gu Zhe, I asked for you to come because I have something to discuss."

Gu Zhe, no fool, understood from the conversation that Xiang Wei meant his brother had leaked the news about his aunt’s night boating on the Qinhuai River. Fortunately, his aunt put a stop to the topic, otherwise, he would have wished for the ground to swallow him up. Gu Zhe respectfully said, "Aunt, tell me whatever you need."