Chapter 159: Deliberation
Upon receiving the message, Second Master Gu hurried back from the Censorate by carriage.
His expression was grave as he entered Gu Dezhao’s study, followed by two or three advisors. Gu Wuye was already waiting inside, while Gu Dezhao’s two advisors stood respectfully with their hands at their sides. Gu Dezhao himself sat pale-faced on a Dongpo chair.
Seeing his second brother return, Gu Dezhao quickly stepped forward to greet him, and a servant brought over an armchair.
"Explain everything clearly from the beginning. How did the granary incident happen?" Second Master Gu asked sternly.
Gu Dezhao then recounted the events while recalling the details, also mentioning the state of the granaries: "...These granaries were under the supervision of the granary clerks under Sun Shitao’s department and belong to the Tong granaries. There are thirty-five Tong granaries in Daxing, Shi’an, and Tongzhou. However, the granaries in Tongzhou cannot be opened unless it’s wartime, and they are guarded by military officers. The granaries in Daxing are meant for disaster relief and stabilizing grain prices. They fall under the Ministry of Revenue’s jurisdiction, and your Censorate’s granary inspectors are also involved."
"I’m responsible for the granaries. If the Daxing granaries are compromised, I can’t escape blame. Sun Shitao is the chief administrator, but he’s already disappeared... When I went to inspect the granaries, the guards were actually drinking in the sheds next to them! I ordered them to open all the granary chambers. Out of the 360,000 dan of stored grain in the Daxing Tong granaries... over 200,000 dan had been replaced with bran and stale rice!"
Second Master Gu felt a chill in his heart—200,000 dan... Even if the Gu family liquidated all their assets, they wouldn’t be able to cover such a massive loss!
He said grimly, "You shouldn’t have alarmed those people. If word gets out, the Censorate will have you arrested immediately."
Gu Dezhao also regretted it: "...At the time, I was furious and panicked—I acted rashly. But I’ve already detained all of them. They’re afraid of repercussions and won’t dare to spread the news. In a few days, the granaries are supposed to open to transport grain to Shanxi... Second Brother, what should we do?"
Second Master Gu had no idea either and snapped, "How should I know? And you need to distance yourself from me... I’m from the Censorate. If this comes to light, our private discussions will be seen as collusion. Not only will you be implicated, but I’ll be dragged down too!"
Despite his words, Gu Deyuan couldn’t simply stand by and do nothing.
After some thought, he said, "Have you questioned those granary guards? Transporting that much grain in secret would be impossible without others noticing. Let’s interrogate everyone involved and salvage what we can."
Gu Dezhao nodded and sent Li Guanshi to question them.
A short while later, Li Guanshi returned with several documents in hand.
"It’s all been clarified. The guards said that a month ago, the clerks brought an approval document bearing your and Chief Administrator Sun’s seals, claiming they were replacing old grain. They transported the old grain out of the granaries overnight."
Gu Dezhao was stunned. He snatched the documents and examined them, his face turning grim. "I never approved anything like this. This year’s new grain harvest was insufficient, and prices were already high. Seventy percent of the grain transported to the capital went to the military granaries, and the remaining thirty percent was stored in Tongzhou. There was no surplus grain sent to Daxing!"
Gu Deyuan frowned. "Didn’t the guards notice the weight discrepancy? How could they mistake bran for grain?"Li Guanshi bowed his head and said, "This servant also inquired. They said... the warehouse clerk gave each of them ten taels of silver and told them not to interfere. They thought it was... higher-ups colluding to embezzle grain from the granaries, so they took the money and kept silent."
"I've never seen this document before..." Gu Dezhao murmured. He had never laid eyes on it, yet it bore not only his own seal but also that of the Ministry of Revenue's Granary Director. Where could this have come from?
His belongings were kept in the Ministry of Revenue office—Sun Shitao could have pried open the cabinet to misuse them. Now the man had completely disappeared...
Sun Shitao was trying to get him killed!
Gu Dezhao felt furious, but even more than that, he was terrified. If Sun Shitao had vanished, wouldn't the full responsibility fall on him? Fortunately, this was discovered early—there might still be a way to remedy it. If it truly couldn't be resolved, he could submit a memorial confessing his own guilt to receive leniency. But if it were only discovered when the imperial inspectors came to move the grain days later, his head would likely be forfeit...
He told Gu Deyuan, "Second Brother, I never signed this document. Sun Shitao must have taken my seal. He probably embezzled the grain himself and is trying to pin it on me..."
Second Master Gu shook his head. "It's not that simple. He couldn't have done this alone. The granary issue is tied to Shanxi disaster relief—we can't think of it so simply."
The sudden disaster in Shanxi should have prompted immediate tax exemptions and reductions, along with relief funds and grain transfers from local granaries to support the affected areas. Yet though the disaster report had been submitted, the tax reduction decree still hadn't arrived, and the Ministry of Revenue's relief funds were repeatedly delayed. Anyone could see what was happening.
But Gu Dezhao's situation was different—like them, he bore the Ye family's mark.
Though the Ye family had offered no substantial assistance—that was putting it mildly. To be blunt, how could the prestigious Marquis Changxing's Ye family regard the insignificant Gu family with any esteem? They'd married a daughter over, but beyond the heir visiting his elder sister during festivals, the two families had little interaction.
Yet to outsiders, they were unmistakably part of the Ye faction—there was no arguing otherwise.
Embezzlement was every official's worst transgression. And to steal grain meant for disaster relief—if this got out, how could the Gu family maintain any dignity in the capital? Not only would Gu Dezhao lose his position, but he too would be implicated!
Second Master Gu asked Gu Dezhao, "You said Chaojie was the one who warned you about this Sun Shitao?"
Gu Dezhao nodded. "...She has an accountant who once served as an advisor to the Cao family of the Court of Imperial Seals. He claimed to know Sun Shitao."
Second Master Gu frowned. Gu Jinchao had an accountant?
Gu Jinchao had just summoned Cao Ziheng and explained the situation to him.
Upon hearing this, Cao Ziheng was startled. "...This matter is far too grave. I'm honored by Eldest Miss's trust!" He first cupped his hands respectfully before continuing, "Over two hundred thousand dan of grain—even if Clerk Sun wanted to embezzle it, it wouldn't be so easy. Given its connection to disaster relief, this humble one suspects it's more complex..." Cao Ziheng quickly thought of Yuan Zhongru, the current Shanxi Provincial Administration Commissioner and close friend of Lord Fan.
Considering recent court developments, a vague suspicion formed in his mind.Gu Jinzhao knew the fate of Yuan Zhongru in her past life, so she quickly realized this matter must be related to the Shanxi famine relief. Cao Ziheng shared his speculation, which aligned perfectly with her thoughts.
Gu Jinzhao considered it more comprehensively. Problems with the relief grain could not only delay the Shanxi relief efforts but also conveniently eliminate her father, who had close ties with the Ye family.
The main targets were still Yuan Zhongru and the Marquis Changxing's family. Her father was merely collateral damage.
She instructed Cao Ziheng to meet with her father first. As an advisor, Cao Ziheng could more easily discuss matters with her father and Second Uncle.
Meanwhile, she sat on the heated kang, embroidering a handkerchief on a small hoop while lost in thought.
In her past life, her father had avoided this disaster because his connection to the Gu family wasn’t as strong. The Gu family had suffered instead, continuously suppressed by Zhang Ju Lian’s faction in court. Later, Gu Jinxian and Ye Xian rose to prominence, but after Fifth Madam’s death, their hatred for the Gu family deepened. Strangely enough, her father remained unscathed during that time, though it was odd that he wasn’t affected at all...
If things followed the same path in this life, after her father was suppressed, the rest of the Gu family would inevitably face calamity.
But 200,000 dan of grain... How could such a deficit be covered? Even liquidating the entire Gu family’s assets wouldn’t suffice. Even if they had the financial means to resolve this, procuring 200,000 dan of grain was no simple feat—it would cause fluctuations in the capital’s grain prices.
The Ye family wouldn’t stand idly by, but what could they do? At best, they could intervene when the matter came to light to protect her father’s life. His official position would undoubtedly be stripped, never to be reinstated.
Court affairs were no place for a woman’s interference—she couldn’t act openly. But behind the scenes, she could still do something.
What puzzled Gu Jinzhao the most was why Chen Yanyun had slipped her that note. Why would he help her? Or rather, help the Gu family? He was part of Zhang Ju Lian’s faction!
If she could understand Chen Yanyun’s motives for aiding her father, she might find a way to preserve his official position through him.
Gu Jinzhao couldn’t help but recall her past life. When she first married into the Chen family, Chen Yanyun had treated her exceptionally well. On the second day of their marriage, he accompanied her while she dressed and paid respects to Tai Furen. Though he spoke little, his subtle support ensured no one looked down on her.
But this period lasted barely a month before he stopped visiting her—or any of his concubines. He lived austerely, abstaining from wine and meat.
Once, she noticed a string of rare agarwood Buddhist beads on his left wrist and assumed he had turned to Buddhism. Now, in this life, she realized those beads had been with him all along.
What was Third Master Chen thinking? What were his intentions? If he wanted to help the Gu family, why not explain clearly instead of leaving only the words "Director of Granary Affairs"? Was it because, as a member of Zhang Ju Lian’s faction, he couldn’t speak openly?
Gu Jinzhao felt a headache coming on. Dealing with Third Master Chen was infinitely more exhausting than dealing with Ye Xian. Ye Xian was easy to predict—he acted on impulse, doing as he pleased. But Third Master Chen? What was he thinking? Were his actions part of some long-term scheme? She had no idea.
This man!
She set aside the embroidery hoop and asked Qingpu to fetch some cooling balm.After a while, Cao Ziheng came from the outer courtyard and relayed the discussed matters to Jinchao: "...Second Master Gu's opinion is still to hold our position for now. They will first approach Marquis Changxing to negotiate and see if the Changxing Marquisate can resolve it. If that fails, then the master should submit a petition to explain the situation. At worst, he might be dismissed and investigated, but if the Changxing family is willing to fully support him, there might still be room for maneuver."
This was indeed the only path the Gu family could take.
However, Gu Jinzhao felt there might still be another way—at least with Third Master Chen, there might be a solution.
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