The Zhang Family held a wedding.
Mounted on a tall, fine horse, Zhang Shiping went to fetch Zhao Ya'er as his bride.
Both the Zhang and Zhao families possessed considerable wealth. With Zhang Shiping appointed Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, the Zhao Family provided a lavish dowry, leaving onlookers green with envy.
Zhao Feng drank himself thoroughly drunk.
Though he had misjudged Gu Zhengchen and nearly ruined his daughter's happiness, Zhang Shiping's luck was far better than Gu Zhengchen's. Zhang Shiping was a Principal Third Rank official in the Capital, while Gu Zhengchen was merely a seventh-rank official, a lowly local county magistrate.
Seen that way, missing out on Gu Zhengchen had been a blessing instead.
With a "Left Vice Minister" getting married, the county magistrate naturally had to offer his congratulations. He also brought along Liang Family Jiajun, who had been buried in his books, and Gu Zhengchen, who had gone fishing on the lake.
They were all "colleagues." Even if they did not curry favor with one another, the formal courtesies of official life could not be neglected.
By the time the banquet ended, stars filled the sky.
Liang Family Jiajun returned to the Liang Family residence, while Li Yi accompanied Gu Zhengchen toward the city gate.
"He's a Left Vice Minister, a higher-ranking official than you. Don't keep dwelling on the matter of the woman."
Li Yi spoke.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Li Yi in astonishment. "Why do you say that, Magistrate?"
Li Yi chuckled. "You smiled throughout the banquet, but it felt very false. Everyone knows Zhao Ya'er was betrothed to you first. If not for the Zhang Family, perhaps your two families could have renewed their Qin-and-Jin marriage alliance..."
Gu Zhengchen slapped a mosquito dead and rubbed his hands together. "You underestimate me, Magistrate. I've seen the Zhao Family's character with my own eyes, and Zhao Ya'er's too. Life lasts only a few decades. I'd still rather find a woman who understands me."
"Ha, that won't be easy."
Li Yi clasped his hands behind his back, seemingly speaking from deep experience, and added, "Harder than being an honest official."
Gu Zhengchen understood that too. There was no such thing as freely choosing one's love in Great Ming. If he met a passably pretty woman pushing open her window, her surname might turn out to be Pan. And a chance encounter on the Broken Bridge, like those in the plays, would still be a romance between a human and a demon...
Li Yi stopped and looked solemnly at Gu Zhengchen. "You must remember one thing: officialdom is a realm of personal favors. The scholar-official's ideal of standing among others without leaning on them, and standing alone without fear, exists only in writing. Whether inside the court or outside it, everyone relies on connections and favors. Common folk often say, 'Don't become an official without someone at court.' You should understand that a man without a backer won't get far."
Gu Zhengchen gazed intently at Li Yi.
That was true enough. Without a backer or connections, hoping for promotion and a comfortable life was, without question, impossible.
But asking him to find a backer now-wasn't that asking for his life?
Next month, Hu Weiyong would formally become Right Chancellor of the Central Secretariat, beginning his seven-year reign of monopolizing power and charging ever onward.
With him as a backer, Gu Zhengchen could jump about for a few years, but after that, he would only be able to lie flat.
In a coffin.
Li Yi looked deeply at Gu Zhengchen. "Zhang Shiping holds high office and will be in the Capital, where it's easy to befriend powerful officials. Liang Family Jiajun has the Liang Family behind him, and they have connections in the Capital. Only you have nothing. Your road will be harder than theirs."
Gu Zhengchen raised his head toward the starry sky. "The Purple Forbidden Star will point the way. Following its path cannot lead me wrong."
Li Yi laughed and pointed at Gu Cheng up ahead. "Go home."
Gu Zhengchen bowed and took his leave of Li Yi.
He headed home beneath the stars.
In the days that followed, Gu Shi stopped going to the White Sugar Courtyard and instead sat in the yard sewing shoe soles with Chen Shi. Gu Zhengchen was heading to the Capital to assume his post, and he could not go without someone at his side. Gu Cheng would have to accompany him.
Though their parting was close and their hearts were reluctant to let go, Gu Shi and Chen Shi were still happy.
Enter official service today, and bring glory to the ancestors in years to come.
That was the common belief.
Gu Qingqing, meanwhile, had been ordered by Gu Zhengchen to study and practice writing. Miserably clutching her brush, she scrawled ghostly squiggles.
Gu Zhengchen was teaching Gu Cheng to cook. From now on, this fellow would be his cook and errand runner. To spare his stomach any suffering, he could only make Gu Cheng's hands suffer through more practice...
"Is Candidate Gu here?"
At noon that day, Deputy County Magistrate Jin Dache arrived outside the Gu Family's gate with two yamen runners.
Hearing the commotion, Gu Zhengchen came out. His expression grew grave when he saw Jin Dache with the runners, and he stepped forward to ask, "County Deputy Jin, what happened?"
Jin Dache asked solemnly, "Candidate Gu, you haven't been into town today, have you?"
"No."
Gu Zhengchen shook his head.
Jin Dache pressed, "Do you have witnesses?"
Gu Zhengchen frowned slightly and glanced at his mother and Chen Shi before telling Jin Dache, "I've been home all day. Not only can they testify to that, but the neighbors can too."
Jin Dache breathed a sigh of relief. His tense expression eased somewhat, and he said quietly, "Wang Youcheng died two hours ago."
Gu Zhengchen was a little surprised. Then, as a thought struck him, he looked coldly at Jin Dache. "The magistrate suspects I did it, so he sent you here?"
Jin Dache sighed mournfully. "Candidate Gu, I'm only following orders. Everyone knows Wang Fugui harmed your father, and Wang Youcheng fought with you in the street. There was deep enmity between you. Now that he's suddenly dropped dead from an unknown cause, the magistrate has to investigate. Since you didn't enter town today, there's no problem."
Gu Zhengchen nodded slightly.
Smiling, Jin Dache turned to leave. He visited other households to make inquiries, and only after confirming that someone had seen Gu Zhengchen two hours earlier did he return with his mind at ease.
Gu Shi looked at Gu Zhengchen with a slight frown, then rose and told him, "Come into the room with me."
Gu Zhengchen followed his mother inside. Gu Shi sat down, fixed her eyes on him, and asked quietly, "Did you do it?"
"Mother, I've been home the whole time."
Gu Zhengchen felt rather wronged.
Gu Shi reached up and twisted Gu Zhengchen's ear. "You've been home the whole time, but Gu Cheng hasn't. Tell your mother what really happened."
Gu Zhengchen cried out in pain. "Gu Cheng only went into town to buy vegetables and meat! Besides, even if you gave him a knife, he wouldn't know how to kill anyone. You're worrying too much, Mother. Wang Youcheng probably worried himself sick and was so terrified that he suddenly dropped dead."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Gu Shi released Gu Zhengchen and said sternly, "My child, you must remember this: you must never take an innocent life, nor treat human lives as worthless grass. Otherwise, I will never forgive you."
Gu Zhengchen raised his hand in a pledge. "I will faithfully follow your teachings, Mother."
At the Wang Family residence.
The coroner carefully examined Wang Youcheng's entire body but still found no wounds. Helplessly, he reported to County Magistrate Li Yi, "Judging by the state of his body, he seems to have been poisoned. Yet we've searched the entire Wang Family residence and found no poisonous substances. For now, it's difficult to determine exactly what killed him."
"Keep investigating."
With a grave expression, Li Yi looked at Jin Dache as he approached. "Well?"
Jin Dache shook his head. "We can confirm that Candidate Gu did not enter town today. Also, the villagers of Dayan Village mentioned that Wang Youcheng went there two days ago and threatened to kill the entire Gu Family, but the villagers drove him away."
Li Yi snorted coldly. "Wang Youcheng really was a fool. Though Gu Zhengchen hasn't gone to the Ministry of Personnel to obtain his credentials, he is already an official. To dare threaten an official's family-he deserved death and more!"
"That may be true, but the case..."
Jin Dache was somewhat worried.
Li Yi looked at the dead Wang Youcheng, his head aching terribly.
He had questioned the Wang Family servants. Wang Youcheng had only wandered around town that day. He had not gone outside the city or quarreled with anyone.
His death was extremely suspicious.
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