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

The sixth prince, Zhao Kuo, was about the same age as Gu Wen. They were both born out of wedlock and had similar circumstances.

Gu Jinchu had only met Zhao Kuo twice in this life.

One time was in Huitong Hall, when the Fuso people spoke rudely to the eldest princess. Although he was not the first to stand up, he also tried his best to defend the eldest princess, his imperial sister.

Zhao Kuo stood in the crowd with a firm look in his eyes. Although he looked a little immature, he had an indomitable spirit.

The second time was at Mingxiang Pavilion in Dongguxiang, where someone was arranging a show about Mr. Jiang Wu and Miss Shen.

It was this incident that became the fuse that caused the collapse of the Gao family's empire.

She looked at the wooden box with delicate carvings on the table with a puzzled look in her eyes. She turned to look at the eldest princess and asked, "Sixth Prince! Is it for me?"

Zhao Xuan nodded slightly, looking somewhat nonchalant, and gently fiddled with the teacup in her hand and said, "It's not a valuable thing, so auntie doesn't have to worry about being criticized."

A complex emotion flashed in her eyes. Her father wanted her mother to adopt Zhao Kuo.

If the person she met last time had not been Zheng Kaicheng, no one could have predicted where the person behind the scenes wanted to put her and what his purpose was.

Since then, my mother had begun to be wary of Zhao Kuo and would never agree to adopt him.

Zhao Kuo later found her and explained what happened at Qianxi Wusuo that day. He was knocked unconscious and stuffed into a cage, so he was also a victim.

The young eunuch Song Xiang who was beside him died, and he had no idea what was going on.

Gu Jinchu opened the box and saw a bracelet with a clasp lying on the brocade.

The red gold bracelet inlaid with beads was indeed not a valuable thing, just as the eldest princess said.

Gu Jinchu put the bracelet back into the box and motioned Bai Zhi to put it away.

Bai Zhi nodded in agreement. Old Madam Zheng and Madam Zheng had repeatedly warned her that she must be cautious and careful with anything that passed through the master's hands.

She stood beside her master and had just looked up and down at the red gold buckle bracelet. She muttered to herself that the Sixth Prince was a little stingy.

This bracelet is not as valuable as the gift from her master on her wrist.

Zhao Xuan put down the teacup and said, "Zhao Kuo has had a difficult time recently."

Gu Jinchu looked at Zhao Xuan quietly, waiting for her to continue speaking.

"Zhao Kuo's policy paper won the emperor's praise. At this time, my eldest brother was ill. The former court and the harem had rumors from somewhere, and coupled with my father's growing affection, they all thought that Zhao Kuo had caught my father's eye... Among them, the one who disliked Zhao Kuo the most was my second brother."

"With the power and means of Concubine Jing in the harem, it is too easy for her to suppress a prince who has no support from his mother's family. Sending gifts to his aunt is just Zhao Kuo's way of trying to please his mother. This is his natural move."

After the eldest princess left, Gu Jinchu asked Bai Zhi to bring the small box over again.

Not long after the second prince Zhao Xu ascended the throne in the previous life, the sixth prince Zhao Kuo was found to have colluded with the Fuso people. On his way to escape, he was beheaded by the Jinwu Guards.

Only then did the world realize that the Sixth Prince, who had no support from his maternal family, held the leverage over many ministers in the court.

Such an unpopular prince actually has his own unique network of relationships in a place that no one knows about.

For a time, the new emperor demoted a number of officials, and everyone was in danger.

Gu Jinchu felt that the constant turmoil in the court under the new emperor was just a political change by the new emperor.

At this time, Zhao Kuo was just a young boy under the age of fourteen. If he was really like in his previous life, then he was hiding it too well...

Gu Jinchu looked at the bracelet in the box and wondered in her heart, what was Zhao Kuo's intention in giving her such a bracelet that looked exquisite but was actually worthless?

At this time in the Yangxin Palace, Emperor Jianyuan sat on the dragon throne with a gloomy face.

The sunlight slanted in from the window, but it could not warm the cold palace.

Emperor Jianyuan threw the file away vigorously and growled, "Who gave you the right to buy up farmland and plant mulberry fields? You're using the name of disaster relief to lower the price of grain. How do you let those farmers survive?"

He roared until his face turned red, and pointed at Zhao Xu who was kneeling in the hall with a shaking finger.

The previous dynasty was destroyed because of the corruption of officials. Officials at all levels plundered the people for personal gain, making people live in misery. This eventually led to uprisings in various places and caused the demise of the country.

Since he took office, the fiscal deficit has been gradually made up. These people have embezzled so much money in just a few years.

A small cut was made on Zhao Xu's forehead, and bright red blood flowed down his cheek.

He knelt on the ground with his back straight and said, "Father, my uncle was also deceived. The Zhou family will never condone their subordinates to do such a thing."

A trace of anxiety flashed in his eyes, and his tone slowed down, becoming distressed, and then he continued:

"My uncle knows that survival is not easy, and he is willing to use three times the compensation to make up for the losses of the farmers over the years."

Emperor Jianyuan snorted coldly, his voice stronger and more severe than before, "Three times? The Zhou family has a good idea, planning to use money to silence the gossips? You can imagine how difficult it will be to appease and rebuild afterwards!"

Zhao Xu knelt on the ground with his hands clasped in a cupped hand, and said firmly, "Father, my uncle has always been honest and trustworthy. When doing business, reputation is the most important thing."

"My mother always reminds me of this in every letter she writes every month. It also reminds me to supervise my uncle at all times, so that my mother will not lose face and bring discredit to my father."

His eyes were full of sincerity. "To show my loyalty, uncle is willing to donate all his wealth to the national treasury, five million taels of silver. May the country be peaceful and prosperous!"

Emperor Jianyuan frowned slightly and lowered his eyes to look at the second prince who was kneeling below him.

If I had this money, then in the future Yuer...

Last year, the court's total expenditure was more than 1800 million taels of silver. A royal merchant asked for 500 million taels of silver, which was one-third of the country's total expenditure.

Since the Zhou family can come up with this money, considering Zhou Yibai's behavior, it will at least not be a serious loss.

Jiang Nansheng saw Emperor Jianyuan's expression soften, and then heard him say:

"... Although Zhou Yibai has a good business sense, he lacks the ability to employ people. Your mother has been worried about the Zhou family recently. You should go and put her mind at ease..."

Zhao Xu knew that his father agreed to show leniency to the Zhou family, but he didn't know whether it was because of his mother's favor or because of the 500 million taels of silver.

All in all, their goal was barely achieved.

However, he also knew that his father would definitely be on guard against him and the Zhou family in the future.

The Zhejiang corruption case ended at the instruction of Emperor Jianyuan.

The Zhejiang governor You Dachang and the provincial governor He Maocai involved in the case were demoted and their property was confiscated, and their entire family was exiled to Ningguta.

Zhou Ming, a member of the Zhou family involved in the case, was beheaded at the Wumen Gate immediately to uphold the law.

The winter sun was blinding, and as heads fell to the ground, cheers from the people rang out.

Zhao Xu walked to the side of Jiang Nansheng, withdrew his eyes from the pool of red on the stone road, and turned his head to look behind Jiang Nansheng.

The dark-faced man wearing Chengzi's clothes met the fifth master of the Jiang family for the first time, and the guard followed him.

Apart from Jiang Fei, I never saw anyone else.

Who would that be?