Destined

Liu Yu Ru was somewhat annoyed.

She could tell from Gu Jiusi's appearance that he had been bullied. Yet he remained silent, and pressing further would only wound his pride. So she decided not to ask. Gu Jiusi smiled faintly, rose to bathe, and upon returning, hesitated before sprinkling some feminine-scented powder on himself. He lifted his sleeve to sniff, ensuring no odor lingered, then climbed into bed.

Liu Yu Ru was still fuming, lying with her back to him in silence. Gu Jiusi edged closer, nuzzling her shoulder with his cheek. "Don't be angry," he coaxed. "I have my own ways."

He then playfully waved his sleeve near her. "Here, smell this. Isn't it fragrant?"

Liu Yu Ru swatted his hand away and closed her eyes to sleep.

Gu Jiusi chuckled helplessly and lay down to rest as well.

The next day, he rose before dawn and headed early to the kitchen. Yin Hong was already busy there. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he asked, "Yin Hong, could you prepare some pastries for twelve people? Deliver them to the Magistrate Office at noon."

Yin Hong paused in surprise—Gu Jiusi seldom made requests. She promptly replied, "Of course, Young Master."

Gu Jiusi nodded and left early. On the street, he found Huzi, handed him a steamed bun, and inquired, "Do you know which families in the city are the most arrogant and domineering?"

The question was straightforward. Huzi rattled off a list of names, and Gu Jiusi listened intently. After gathering enough details, he finalized his plan and instructed Huzi, "Go to my wife and get some food for you and your friends. Use the back door, not the main one. After eating, gather a few people to keep an eye on Zhao Yan. Try to find out his schedule for today."

Huzi eagerly agreed, "Yes, sir. Don't worry."

The Zhao family served under Jiang Xi in the Youzhou army and had built a cotton cloth business in the city leveraging that connection, supplying most of the army's fabric. However, they had been caught using inferior cotton for low-ranking soldiers' winter uniforms, discovered by Zhou Gaolang, who then sent Zhou Ye to Yangzhou to procure better cloth. This incident had already strained relations with Zhou Gaolang. When the government called for donations, the Gu Family led with a contribution, followed by several shrewd merchants. The Zhao family, relying on their military ties, donated a mere five hundred taels of silver.

Zhao Yan, the eldest son of the Zhao family, was notoriously unruly—a figure no one in Hope Capital City dared provoke. Crucially, he had recently been galloping through the streets, singing and carousing without restraint.

Anyone behaving so recklessly at such a time was either foolish or utterly unaware of the current situation.

Gu Jiusi pondered this briefly. As dawn broke, he returned to the Magistrate Office.

The bruise on his face remained unconcealed. Huang Long and others noticed it with evident delight. That morning, Huang Long clapped Gu Jiusi on the shoulder, feigning concern. "Oh, Jiusi, what happened to your face?"

Gu Jiusi smiled dismissively. "Brother Huang, what's the plan for today?"After beating Gu Jiusi, Huang Long felt much more at ease. He didn't trouble Gu Jiusi further as they patrolled the streets together. At noon, when they returned to the Magistrate Office for lunch, Liu Yu Ru personally delivered some pastries. Everyone was taken aback at the sight of her. Liu Yu Ru smiled at them and gave each person a bag of waterpipe tobacco before saying, "My husband is still young and has a childish temper. I hope you gentlemen will look after him."

In the Youzhou region, Liu Yu Ru stood out with her delicate and gentle beauty. When she bowed her head softly like that, these rough men had never encountered such a lady before. They quickly stood up, somewhat flustered, and said, "No problem, no problem. Don't worry."

Liu Yu Ru smiled and then left. Gu Jiusi walked her out, saying, "I told you it was fine, but you still worried."

Liu Yu Ru glanced inside and sighed, straightening his clothes as she said, "I'll rest easy as long as you're well. Don't be too stubborn in everything; be more flexible."

Gu Jiusi acknowledged her words and watched her walk away.

As he stood at the door, Huang Long and the others were eating the pastries Liu Yu Ru had brought. One man looked at Gu Jiusi's back and whispered, "That Gu Jiusi is really a fool. We beat him, and he still sends us food."

Huang Long glared at the man but said nothing more. Gu Jiusi stood at the door for a moment before returning. No one had saved any pastries for him, but he didn't seem to mind. Smiling, he said, "My wife was worried and came to check on me. But she does have a point—I'm still young and don't understand some things well. If I've made any mistakes, I hope you gentlemen will guide me."

With that, he raised his teacup and said, "I'll use tea in place of wine. Thank you for your care."

His actions left everyone stunned. After exchanging glances, one of them, munching on a pastry, laughed and said, "Jiusi, I think your wife is really pretty. To—"

"Shut up!" Huang Long cut in, glaring coldly at the man. "Are you drunk or out of your mind? Have you no shame at all?"

Huang Long stood up and said coldly to Gu Jiusi, "Let's go patrol the streets!"

Gu Jiusi smiled and said nothing more.

That evening, Huzi came to the Gu Family and called Gu Jiusi out. He said to him, "Ninth Master, Black Dog heard at the tavern today that Zhao Yan is going for an outing outside the city tomorrow morning."

Gu Jiusi nodded and then asked, "How much has the number of refugees increased recently?"

Huzi gave him a rough estimate, and Gu Jiusi inquired about the direction and circumstances of these refugees' arrival.

After pondering for a moment, Huzi asked curiously, "Ninth Master, I heard Huang Long bullied you. What do you plan to do about it?"

"Oh, that," Gu Jiusi thought for a moment and then said, "Huzi, do any of you dare to steal?"

"Ninth Master," Huzi was taken aback, "You don't want me to steal from Zhao Yan, do you?"

"Not from Zhao Yan—from Huang Long."

Gu Jiusi said calmly, "I'll cover for you so you won't get caught. But it's best if you don't do it yourself. Find a refugee, someone unfamiliar, to do the stealing with their face covered."

"That'll work."

Huzi nodded and said, "I know someone. Leave it to me."

Gu Jiusi acknowledged and then added, "When the time comes, steal Huang Long's things and lead him to Zhao Yan. You can keep the money, but don't keep the wallet—don't leave any evidence.""Understood." Huzi quickly responded, "Don't worry, Ninth Master. It'll be done cleanly."

"After you finish this, go to the Zhou residence and deliver a message to Zhou Ye. Tell him that no matter what news he receives later, he should go to his father and let him decide."

Although Huzi didn't understand what Gu Jiusi was planning, he still nodded and said, "Understood."

Seeing how mature the boy acted despite his youth, Gu Jiusi smiled and asked, "Is your sister-in-law's cooking good?"

Huzi scratched his head, smiled sheepishly, and then said, "Master, if I do well, when you become successful in the future, could I be your personal attendant?"

Gu Jiusi was amused by Huzi's words. Without minding the boy's greasy hair, he reached out and ruffled it gently, saying softly, "You'll have a better future ahead. Don't fixate on being just an attendant."

Huzi was stunned for a moment before hearing Gu Jiusi continue, "Go back now. It's getting late. Be careful on the road, you're just a child."

Huzi lowered his head and murmured, "Alright, Ninth Master. You should rest early too."

After Huzi left the Gu residence, Gu Jiusi returned home. He washed his hands and fetched water for Liu Yu Ru. Watching the man calmly going about his tasks, Liu Yu Ru bit her lip, wanting to ask how his day had been but finding it difficult to bring up.

Actually, she had already sent someone to inquire and knew he hadn't had an easy day, so she naturally guessed who had beaten him.

But since he hadn't told her, he clearly didn't want her to know. This made her feel upset, though she couldn't express it, so she could only sulk in silence.

Gu Jiusi didn't know why she was angry. Seeing her come out after her bath and lie directly on the bed, he pulled her up and began drying her hair, both amused and exasperated. "What are you sulking about? Sleeping with wet hair like this will give you headaches later."

"I'm not angry," Liu Yu Ru muttered.

Hearing her words and looking at her pouting face, Gu Jiusi found the person before him utterly adorable.

His heart itched with affection. As he dried her hair, he said calmly, "If you're unhappy, tell me about it."

"Nothing's wrong."

"Yu Ru," Gu Jiusi sighed, "This habit of keeping everything bottled up inside is no good."

Liu Yu Ru snorted coldly and said nothing more.

As the person behind her continued drying her hair, her anger toward him gradually faded. After turning it over in her mind, she concluded that Huang Long was the one truly at fault.

Though she appeared delicate, she had a strong will internally. Lying in bed at night, she pondered left and right until she finally decided: she would give him a taste of his own medicine.

Having come up with a plan, Liu Yu Ru finally fell asleep contentedly.

Meanwhile, Gu Jiusi lay listening to Liu Yu Ru's breathing in the night. He opened his eyes and saw the faint, triumphant smile lingering at the corners of her lips, making him purse his own lips slightly.

He guessed that Liu Yu Ru's anger stemmed from him being beaten, and now that she had fallen asleep, she must have thought of some good solution. Gazing at her sleeping face, he felt she resembled a triumphant little cat, making his heart swell with joy. It seemed like...

Gu Jiusi's face flushed slightly, but he had to admit it.

He liked her immensely.

Observing his own heart and sensing his feelings, was this what liking someone meant?

He wasn't entirely sure, but he decided to follow this feeling and no longer resist it. Watching the girl's pearly white skin under the moonlight, he lowered his head and carefully kissed her forehead.Then he felt his heart pounding like a drum, and everything around him fell silent. He quietly savored the warmth of his lips touching her skin. After a moment, he straightened up and gazed calmly at the person before him.

Then he smiled softly, lay down, closed his eyes, reached out to hold her hand, and fell asleep just like that.

When he woke the next day and dressed, Liu Yu Ru happily tied his belt for him. Gu Jiusi knew she had plans and found it amusing. He couldn’t help but ask, “What are you planning to do today?”

“Oh, just going to the shop.”

Liu Yu Ru cleared her throat lightly, feeling she might have shown her excitement too plainly, and added, “I won’t be bringing you pastries today. I have a big order to take care of.”

“Alright.” Gu Jiusi pressed his lips together, hiding a smile, and said no more.

That morning at the Magistrate Office, everything was as usual. Everyone dispersed to patrol the streets, with Huang Long still paired with Gu Jiusi. Huang Long’s attitude had improved considerably compared to before—though he still didn’t engage much with Gu Jiusi, at least he wasn’t cursing him anymore. Bored during their patrol, Huang Long casually asked, “I heard Yangzhou is prosperous. Why did you come here out of the blue? And right after arriving, you donated all your money. Is your family out of their minds?”

Gu Jiusi smiled but didn’t evade the question, recounting everything that had happened in Yangzhou in detail.

Huang Long listened in astonishment. For someone of his standing, such matters—rebellion, raising armies—were distant and perilous, life-threatening affairs. Swallowing hard, Huang Long couldn’t resist asking, “Then… when you left, how did you and your wife make it to Youzhou?”

“We crossed through Qing and Cang provinces.”

Gu Jiusi replied calmly.

“But isn’t Cang province deserted everywhere now?” Huang Long mentioned the rumors he’d heard. “And with you and your wife like that… how… how did you manage to get through?”

As he spoke, Huang Long sized up Gu Jiusi, who appeared quite frail—hardly the type to protect a beauty like Liu Yu Ru in such chaotic times. Gu Jiusi smiled and was about to respond when a figure suddenly dashed out, snatched Huang Long’s money pouch, and sprinted away frantically.

“Hey!”

Huang Long immediately gave chase. Gu Jiusi pretended not to notice what was happening and turned to block, allowing the thief to slip away. Huang Long yelled angrily, “Someone stole my money pouch! Are you blind?”

Gu Jiusi quickly feigned surprise and joined Huang Long in pursuit.

The thief was incredibly fast, leading them through narrow alleys as he ran.

Gu Jiusi followed closely behind Huang Long, swiftly drawing a small bottle from his sleeve.

He removed the cap—the red cloth stopper was coated with a fine powder—and flicked the powder lightly onto Huang Long’s back. Then, with a single hand, he resealed the bottle and tucked it back into his robes.

Huang Long chased the thief, cursing as he ran. They burst out of the alley onto the main road, with Gu Jiusi lagging slightly behind. Suddenly, a horse’s panicked whinny pierced the air. As Gu Jiusi emerged, he saw the horse charging wildly toward Huang Long.

Huang Long instinctively drew his blade, slashed the horse’s leg, then rolled aside to avoid the collapsing animal.

However, the rider was thrown from the saddle and tumbled to the ground. Bystanders rushed to help him up. When Huang Long recognized the man, he dropped to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly in terror. “Young Master Zhao! This lowly one failed to recognize your eminence! I beg for your forgiveness!”"You bastard!" Zhao Yan grabbed a whip from the side and lashed it toward Huang Long, striking him squarely as he raged, "How dare a lowlife like you injure my horse?!"

Huang Long didn't dare speak, desperately kowtowing instead. Zhao Yan raised the whip to strike again, and Huang Long closed his eyes, bracing for the blow. But all he heard was the whistle of the whip cutting through the air—then silence.

Trembling, Huang Long opened his eyes to see Gu Jiusi standing before him, gripping the whip as he addressed Zhao Yan: "Galloping a horse through the streets warrants a five-tael fine. Obstructing official duties and assaulting a court official warrants twenty lashes and three years of penal servitude."

"Where did you crawl out from, you scoundrel?!"

After a stunned moment, Zhao Yan snapped back to reality: "Do you know who you're speaking to?!"

"The Son of Heaven is bound by the same laws as commoners," Gu Jiusi replied calmly. "Come with me to the magistrate's office!"

"Jiusi, let go!" Huang Long scrambled to his feet, trying to pull Gu Jiusi away as he anxiously pleaded, "This is Young Master Zhao from the Zhao household!"

Gu Jiusi glanced at Huang Long and frowned. Watching their exchange, Zhao Yan brandished his whip furiously: "Well, well! One of you maims my horse, the other wants me jailed—I never knew Wangdu had such formidable figures! Beat them!"

With a roar, Zhao Yan ordered his servants: "Kill them if you must! Beat them to death!"

No sooner had he spoken than the Zhao family retainers swarmed forward.

The dozen or so men accompanying Zhao Yan were all skilled fighters from his household. As they surged forth like a dark tide, Huang Long completely gave up resisting. Yet Gu Jiusi remained unflinching, throwing a punch the moment he raised his hand. Huang Long watched as Gu Jiusi moved with the agility of a rabbit and struck with the ferocity of a tiger, fighting one against ten in a display that set blood boiling!

Huang Long's legs went weak. He swallowed hard at the scene.

Suddenly, he remembered.

Zhou Ye!

Gu Jiusi had Zhou Ye backing him!

Without another thought, Huang Long rushed off to find help.

Noticing Huang Long's direction, Gu Jiusi shackled the attackers with iron chains. His movements were a blur as he circled the group, and with one final pull, he had them all bound together!

By the time Zhao Yan realized what was happening, he was already cuffed at the front of the line. The crowd erupted in cheers. Dragging Zhao Yan along, Gu Jiusi wore a faint, mocking smile—a stark contrast to his previously earnest expression—as he taunted, "Shall we go, Young Master Zhao?"

Huang Long ran until he was gasping for breath, finally reaching the Zhou residence. Zhou Ye, having received advance notice from Huzi, was already waiting outside. Upon hearing Huang Long's account, he immediately said, "Wait here. I'll fetch my father."

Huang Long was utterly bewildered. He knew the Zhou family always followed protocol—could it be that for Gu Jiusi's sake, they were actually going to involve Zhou Gaolang?!

Inside his study, Zhou Gaolang listened to Zhou Ye's report, pondered for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Clever."

He declared loudly, "Wait here. I'll go find your Uncle Fan."

Zhou Ye frowned, contemplating his father's meaning, as Zhou Gaolang promptly mounted his horse and rode off to find Fan Xuan.

Fan Xuan was sipping tea when Zhou Gaolang entered, cheerfully announcing, "Lao Fan, someone's delivering silver right to our doorstep.""Hmm?" Fan Xuan looked up, somewhat puzzled. Zhou Gaolang approached him cheerfully and said, "Weren't you still worrying about those wealthy merchants refusing to budge? I told you before, we should just arrest them and be done with it, but you were afraid of gaining a reputation for being unrighteous. Using the Gu Family to pressure them didn't work—they pretended not to understand. This time, we'll make sure they get the message."

"How?" Fan Xuan raised an eyebrow. Zhou Gaolang replied excitedly, "The eldest son of the Zhao family galloped his horse through the streets and even assaulted government soldiers. He's been dragged to the County Government Office."

"Such a person exists?"

Fan Xuan was well aware of the Zhao family's standing among the common people of Wangdu. He had previously considered finding a reason to take action against these wealthy merchants, but to do so, he needed both a justifiable pretext and someone bold enough to carry it out.

Now, with the Zhao family acting arrogantly, committing violence in public, and being directly hauled to the authorities, this was an ideal opportunity.

By targeting the Zhao family—following the Gu Family's precedent of donating money to save themselves—the merchants of Wangdu would surely learn their lesson.

"It's that Gu Jiusi!" Zhou Gaolang said happily. "He specifically informed Ye about this. The whole scheme was his doing."

"Such cunning at such a young age." Fan Xuan pondered for a moment before concluding, "Since the gift has been delivered to our doorstep, it would be impolite not to accept it. Go and assess the situation. If the county magistrate handles it poorly, we ought to return the favor to Gu Jiusi."

"That's exactly what I thought."

Zhou Gaolang nodded. "I'll head over right away."

After speaking with Fan Xuan and taking his token, Zhou Gaolang found Zhou Ye and hurried directly to the County Government Office.

By then, Gu Jiusi had already dragged the offender to the authorities. The county magistrate took one look at the person Gu Jiusi brought in, felt dizzy, and promptly fainted, later claiming illness and withdrawing.

Zhao Yan stood in the courtroom, sneering at Gu Jiusi. "Picking a fight with me? You didn't even bother to find out who I am."

Gu Jiusi remained expressionless, standing calmly. "Then let's wait for the magistrate to wake up."

"Fine, let's wait," Zhao Yan retorted mockingly. "We'll see who's digging their own grave then."

The two waited in silence as a crowd gathered outside. Zhou Gaolang arrived at the entrance, cleared a path, and strode in.

"What's going on here?" Zhou Gaolang entered with Zhou Ye, scanned the courtroom, and then noticed Zhao Yan. He scrutinized him and frowned. "What crime has he committed?"

"Reporting, sir," Gu Jiusi replied steadily. "This man galloped his horse through the streets, nearly injuring people. Huang Long from the Magistrate Office injured his horse in self-defense, and in response, he publicly whipped a government officer. I apprehended him and brought him here for judgment."

"I see," Zhou Gaolang nodded. "And where is the county magistrate?"

"He's ill."

"Ill?" Zhou Gaolang snorted coldly, turning to the registrar who had peeked out to assess the situation. "Since Magistrate Yang is in such poor health, tell him he needn't come. This is a trivial matter—I'll handle the trial for him."

With that, Zhou Gaolang walked up to the judge's seat and sat down leisurely. Zhou Ye poured tea from the side and handed it to him. After taking a sip, Zhou Gaolang looked at Zhao Yan. "Galloping through the streets and whipping an officer, is that right?"

He turned to Gu Jiusi. "What does the law prescribe?"

"A fine of five taels of silver, twenty lashes, and three years of penal servitude."

"The law is clear enough. Is further deliberation necessary? Proceed as stated.""Lord Zhou!" Zhao Yan panicked a little, and he hurriedly said, "You... this, this should at least wait until my father..."

"Oh, and your father," Zhou Gaolang nodded, then looked up and said, "Alright, young man," Zhou Gaolang looked at Gu Jiusi and said directly, "take a group of people to the Zhao residence and bring Zhao Master here."

Gu Jiusi respectfully replied, "Yes."

"Wait a moment," Zhou Gaolang seemed to remember something, "it's not quite appropriate for a mere constable like you to summon Zhao Master."

Everyone exchanged glances, unsure of what Zhou Gaolang intended to do. Zhou Gaolang turned to the registrar standing nearby and said, "Isn't County Magistrate Yang in poor health? He's been unwell for many years, and Wangdu is in chaos. Alright then, I think this young man is quite capable and full of drive. Go and tell County Magistrate Yang to hand over the official seal and focus on recuperating for as long as he needs. Let this young man take over his duties for him. How about that?"

Upon hearing this, the registrar turned pale and stammered, "Sir, isn't this... a bit hasty..."

"Not hasty at all," Zhou Gaolang waved his hand dismissively. "I discussed this with Lord Fan before I came. Tell him not to waste my time and to bring the official seal quickly."

Zhao Yan, who was standing nearby, grew panicked as he listened to the conversation. Even if he were a fool, he would realize that Zhou Gaolang and Fan Xuan were involved, and this was aimed at his family!

Zhou Gaolang stood up and beckoned to Gu Jiusi calmly, saying, "Come with me to take over from County Magistrate Yang."

Gu Jiusi acknowledged and followed behind Zhou Gaolang.

Once they entered the rear courtyard, Gu Jiusi respectfully asked, "Sir, isn't this move a bit too rushed?"

Zhou Gaolang chuckled softly, "The knife is already unsheathed. What's the point of hiding it any longer?"

"Originally, we planned to let you rest for a while and then give you an opportunity to earn merit so you could re-enter officialdom. But since you've already distinguished yourself and have a legitimate reason for promotion, we won't deliberately hold you back."

With a calm expression, Zhou Gaolang continued, "Old Fan and I don't want to emulate Wang Shanquan, but Youzhou is even more short of funds than Yangzhou. Now, Prince Liang is about to enter the Eastern Capital. Do you understand?"

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi felt a stir in his heart. He bowed respectfully and said, "Sir, rest assured. Today, when I enter the Zhao residence, I will resolve the matter without bloodshed and ease your worries."

Author's Note: Gu Jiusi: Moms, don't worry, I never let myself suffer losses in vain~~