The husband who forced her to marry her couldn't keep her warm, and she didn't want him to

The prince that Mr. Wei mentioned is Jiang Nanhuai, the eldest son of the Duke and his deceased wife.

Shaoxiu Hall is the Jiang family's forbidden area. It is where interrogations take place and servants receive punishments. The prince rarely sets foot here.

As he was speaking, a pampered-looking man wearing a stone-blue robe and a jade crown stood outside the door. Upon seeing his father in the main room looking at him, he lifted up the hem of his robe and stepped over the high threshold.

Only after he walked in did he see a bloody human figure on the ground.

He paused, clenched his wide sleeves into fists, walked around the position, bowed and said, "Father."

"I just saw Mr. Wei. He said you were going to the palace? Is there something urgent going on so late at night?"

"That little thief sneaked into your fifth brother's yard and assassinated him!" The Duke said as he raised his hand. He asked the servants to help him put on his clothes while he had the assassin on the ground dragged out.

Seeing a long bloody mark on the ground, Jiang Nanhuai took a few steps back and almost bumped into Jiang Nansheng who was standing in the main room.

Jiang Nansheng half-opened his arm to support his brother and reminded him, "Brother, be careful."

It happened in the evening. Shaoxiutang and the Crown Prince's Songtaoyuan are located in the south and north respectively. It was a coincidence that my eldest brother met Mr. Wei.

Jiang Nanhuai is not as tall as his father, and is far inferior to Jiang Nansheng.

He straightened his collar and swallowed twice unconsciously.

He looked up and down at Jiang Nansheng's scarlet official uniform and said, "Since you entered the Dali Temple, my fifth brother has rarely been seen at home, causing mother to worry every day."

Jiang Nansheng walked out from the darkness. The cloud geese embroidered with gold thread on his chest looked so lifelike that the prince turned his eyes away from him.

"With Brother Chen by my side, mother has a lot more fun during the day." Jiang Nansheng said in a low voice with a faint smile.

The Chen Ge'er he mentioned is the eldest grandson of the Crown Prince, who is less than two years old this year.

It's so cute when you can simply express your needs.

As the eldest grandson of the Crown Prince and the great-great-grandson of the Duke, he is the most beloved person in the Jiang family.

Speaking of Brother Chen, Jiang Nanhuai became comfortable, with a smile on his thin face:

"Fifth brother should also worry about marriage. Among father's children, only fifth brother has not yet started a family."

Jiang Nanhuai is the eldest son of the Duke, fifteen years older than his youngest brother Jiang Nansheng.

Whether in appearance or temperament, Jiang Nanhuai seemed a little mediocre standing next to Jiang Nansheng.

Only in his offspring can his sense of superiority be highlighted.

Jiang Nansheng smiled faintly, "Thank you for your concern, big brother. When the time comes, I will naturally marry a new bride."

The Duke stood in the courtyard with a frown on his face. Except for the fifth son, his four sons seldom came to Shaoxiu Hall, especially the eldest son.

This was no place for casual conversation. He urged them, "Hurry up! Nan Huai, are you going to follow your father into the palace?"

When Jiang Nanhuai was young, his father was away fighting all year round, and the unfamiliarity and fear of his father were engraved in his bones.

The Duke's roar made his body tremble, and he only then remembered the purpose of Shao Xiu Hall.

With an unnatural smile on his face, he casually made up an excuse, "The emperor was very angry because of the imperial examination cheating case. If it wasn't an urgent matter, why would father bother to disturb the emperor?"

Seeing his father's face become serious, his wife's instructions were still ringing in his ears, but the volume gradually became lower:

"I don't understand what you and Xiaowu are doing. If I go, it will only cause trouble for you. If it is about asking for permission to inherit the title, I will be happy to do so."

...

In the carriage, the Duke leaned there with his eyes closed for a long time, and only opened his eyes when they were almost at the palace gate.

"Your eldest brother was raised to be a bit cowardly by his mother. Ultimately, it is my responsibility as a father."

Not only his eldest son, but also none of his three illegitimate sons made him truly satisfied.

"In the future...when that day comes, you will take your mother with you. After all, she only has one biological son, so it is only natural for you to raise him."

Jiang Nansheng sat there with his eyes downcast looking at the jade pendant in his hand. His father was really old. It was the first time in his life that he heard him speak in such a tone as if he was arranging his affairs after his death.

He said more directly, "Why should I wait for you for a hundred years? After I get married, I will separate from my elder brother and his family and live separately."

The Duke slapped the coffee table in front of him with his big hand, leaving a deep crack on the surface. He lowered his voice and shouted:

"Nonsense, how will outsiders view the Jiang family? Wait until I die before you can do anything you want!"

Jiang Nansheng did not respond, knowing that what he had just said was a bit impulsive and ill-considered.

Then I heard my father ask, "Have you explained the whole story to His Majesty? People in that position are trembling with fear and suspicion."

The Duke was so angry at his youngest son's words that he fumed and glared, but he did not forget to explain the interests involved to him.

"We reported this to His Majesty after the day at Huitong Hall. It was His Majesty who said he wanted to lure out the person behind the scenes, but unfortunately the fox's tail is too well hidden." Jiang Nansheng curled his lips and said in a low voice.

The emperor knew that the 'Tianqing' who cleverly captured the Fuso people that day was Gu Jinchu, and he also told her what she had said: If you make a mistake, you must accept the punishment.

Otherwise, the imprisonment of the father and son of the eldest branch of the Gu family would have been avoided, and the disaster of being wiped out would not have happened.

All I can say is that everything has cause and effect.

Gu Jinchu was embroidering the unfinished double-sided embroidery of a pine and crane picture, and the pine oil lamp on the kang table was turned to the brightest.

The wind blew in from the open window, and the wick of the lamp swayed slightly, making crackling sounds.

Doubao was holding a pomegranate that was almost as big as his head and was playing happily on the kang near the window.

Bai Zhi pushed the door open and walked in, bending down beside her and whispering, "Miss, my brother is back and said he has something to tell you."

Gu Jinchu heard that the needle was withdrawn and looked up at her, "Let him in."

Gao De is a man who knows when to advance and when to retreat. He came here so late, there must be something important.

She lowered her eyes to look at the blood beads appearing on the tip of her index finger, and put the fingertip in her mouth.

Mother divorces and punishes Gu's family...

Everything that had happened recently had gone so smoothly that she always felt like she had missed something.

Gao De walked in, bowed and whispered, "Miss, the Gu family's madam and others were killed!"

Gu Jinchu's expression remained unchanged, but his voice was a little tense, "Grandmother, aunt, fifth sister, and that concubine Chun Xing?"

Gao De nodded, his expression as calm as if he was just chatting casually.

"Chun Xing slipped and fell into the moat the day after they left. Now, the bodies of several people have been found and are all in the charity cemetery in the east of the city."

Gu Jinchu asked what she wanted to know most, "Did you see who did it?"

Since the day he left the Gu family, Gao De has been monitoring these women with his men, and many answers seem to be about to come out.

Gao De stood beside her and lowered his voice, "Miss, it's someone from the palace..."