Chapter 37, The Intention of the Gongsun Family

  The next morning, Zu Zhao arrived at the horse farm and met with Zu Cheng and Zu Ji.

  He didn't plan to go to Lingzhi County today, after all, since he had already obtained some clues, if he still went back and forth with many people, it would inevitably be suspected of startling the snake. Zu Cheng and several other disciples knew some local people in Lingzhi County, so this time they went to contact these acquaintances in Lingzhi County.

  Before departing, Zu Zhaung and Zu Cheng again carefully considered some details, such as even if they were familiar with the local people of Lingbi County, they could not be completely trusted, and some precautions had to be taken; also, for example, after investigating the whereabouts of Deng Mao or other Taiping rebels, how the Zu family should take action as soon as possible, and what kind of action to take.

  Although Zucheng understood that the eldest son was preparing for a rainy day, he couldn't say anything specific about the arrangements at this time, including contacting those familiar people in Lingshou County. To be strict, they were not even familiar, but rather had come and gone on business trips between the two places and occasionally met to drink together. As for taking action, it was even harder to say. According to his understanding, after capturing Deng Mao again, he would have to conduct an interrogation first, and only after obtaining specific information from the thief could he make a corresponding plan.

  "Your Excellency, regarding the matter of linking up with County King's family, I think we can only take it one step at a time. However, if we are to take action, shouldn't we first discuss this with Old Master and County Lord, or perhaps mention it to Ah Hua?"

  "I'm not planning anything, you have fewer people, if you grasp the thief's clue but don't know the specific situation, I'm afraid there will be an accident." Zu Zhao said calmly.

  "I see. Well, don't worry, young master, we will definitely act according to our abilities." Zu Cheng thought for a moment before responding.

  "It's worth a try. Today I will personally go to the county magistrate's mansion and make an effort, hoping to get the county magistrate's pen and ink, and if necessary, it would be more convenient to ask the local officials to come forward." Zu Zhao said.

  "It's better this way. The neighboring county is already a hassle, and the neighboring prefecture has its own unspoken rules." Zu Cheng nodded and sighed.

  After that, Zu Zhao also asked Zu Ji to inform all the idle and strong young men in Ben Village not to go out casually during the day. If there is any news from Ling County or if there is a need for manpower at any time, they can be organized into a team at any time. He was worried about the harm of the Yellow Turbans, which was also one of the reasons why he wanted to talk to Zu Cheng specifically about "action". What he feared most was that if a large number of Yellow Turban rebels suddenly gathered and lost control, it would put Zu Cheng and others in danger.

  Zujiazhuang and the entire Beigouting, naturally have the ability to organize a group of armed forces. With the special military family status of Zujia and the lax control in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, even if they openly distributed weapons and armor, it would not arouse suspicion. If they could understand the movements of the Taipingdao followers, they could even send troops to suppress them with justification. Unfortunately, the enemy is in the dark while I am in the light, and many times can only take passive action.

  The handover was almost complete, and Zu Zhao sent Zu Cheng and others out of the horse farm.

  By noon, he went to see his grandfather again. Yesterday, because of Gulinare's affairs, he had a fierce argument with his grandfather in court. Regardless of right or wrong, he couldn't ignore the importance of family ties and relationships. Now that Gulinare's problem has been temporarily solved, taking a step back and admitting his mistake to his grandfather wouldn't be a big deal.

  After arriving at Zu Jue's residence, Zu Zhao found that his grandfather's mood was much better than yesterday. He guessed that perhaps the matter of taking in Hu Nu was not a big deal after all, and that his grandfather had only been worried about losing face in front of the public sons yesterday. His grandfather leaned on his age and scolded him with a few words, repeatedly reminding him to handle the matter of Hu Nu's placement well, lest there be any mishaps, so as not to truly shame the Zu family's reputation.

  The grandfather and grandson discussed some serious matters again, and the old man was still worried about the horse thieves. Apart from this, he wasn't very reassured about the hospitality of the Gongsun family's guests in recent days. He had not expected that such a big thing would happen during the reception of guests. In these two days, they not only had to busy themselves with dealing with the county and prefectural governments, asking the authorities to increase their efforts to catch the thieves, but also had to take care of the funeral arrangements for the murdered clansmen, and at the same time, they had to divide their attention to entertain the guests of the Gongsun family.

  Zu Zhaoming's meaning is simple, the guests of the Gong Sun family are secondary, and they should be aware of the current situation. He expressed his thoughts and also agreed with his grandfather to send away the guests as soon as possible. As for the marriage alliance, it's just an initial contact now, and when the time comes, things will go as they should. It won't be until next spring at the earliest that there will be a conclusion.

  Zujì felt that Sunzi's words were reasonable, but he didn't immediately respond.

  Zu Zhao immediately made a veiled reference to the potential hidden danger of the Taiping Dao. Zu Ju had already understood the clues about Deng Mao yesterday, and although he also had some doubts, they were far fewer than those of Sunzi Zu Zhao. After listening to Zu Zhao's words, Zu Ju fell into deep thought and remained silent for a long time.

  "Grandfather, today's world is no longer what it used to be. Undercurrents are surging and people's hearts are no longer pure. The fact that the Taiping rebels in Zhili Province dare to gather crowds and cause trouble also proves that these people are not good." Zuo Zhao said solemnly.

  "What you said is not unreasonable, but if it's true as you say, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will spread to various provinces, and once it moves, everything will move, and the consequences are really unthinkable." Zu Jie said solemnly.

  "It is precisely because of this that we cannot but defend." Zu Zhao emphasized. In persuading his grandfather's position, he had a clear purpose from the very beginning, and only by getting his grandfather's support could he fully grasp all the resources of the Zu family.

  "This matter must be considered from a long-term perspective. Zhao Er, it's good that you have this foresight, but relying solely on intuition, this matter can be big or small, and it's really not enough to be fully trusted. Of course, your grandfather I am not a stubborn person, during this time you have been in contact with the Zhang brothers of Anyangting, everything you do is thinking about danger in times of peace. You can continue to act according to the original plan, in this aspect, your grandfather I will definitely provide strong support." Zu Jiu said with a serious and sincere tone.

  "Thank you, Grandfather. With your words, I am already satisfied." Zu Zhao said with a sigh of relief.

  He was well aware that his thoughts might not be fully accepted by his grandfather, but after all, his grandfather had a military background and had some sense of crisis awareness. Although for him, it was still a bit awkward at this moment, it was better than having no preparation at all.

  "Later, you go to the West Wing and get close to the guests of the Gong Sun family. Yesterday, I've already talked to Mr. Gong Sun Zhi about this, and he more or less understands. I suppose the Gong Sun family will be leaving soon, so take advantage of the remaining time to interact with them some more, and let the Gong Sun family get a better understanding of you." Zu Jiu said again.

  "Grandson understands." Zu Zhao replied with a slight hesitation, at this time he certainly didn't have the heart to consider improving relations with the Gong Sun family, but thinking that the Gong Sun family still had a few more people who were eager to do good deeds, this favor should be accepted.

  After leaving his grandfather's residence, Zu Zhao hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to head to the West Wing.

  These days, the guests at the Gongsun family have all been staying in the west wing, and the outings and banquets of the previous few days have all come to an end. As a result, except for worrying about the progress of the horse theft case every day, most people are idle and bored, and many have already begun to look forward to leaving early and returning home.

  Arrived at the Western Courtyard, he followed etiquette and inquired after several senior members of the Gongsun family.

  Gongsun Zhi was still in a leisurely mood, brewing tea and taking a short rest in the main hall. When he saw Zu Zhao arrive, he warmly invited him to sit down and have some tea together. As soon as they sat down, he began to ask about the progress of the horse robbery case with concern. Zu Zhao briefly mentioned some of today's action plans on the farm, but didn't go into too much detail.

  "Alas, I never expected such an accident to happen. Isn't it frustrating?" Gong Sunzhi sighed and said.

  "What the master said is absolutely right, otherwise, how could I have been so slow in coming to see you these past few days? This time, it was my grandfather who specially called me here, firstly to apologize and pay respects to the elderly master and other friends who came from afar, secondly, also sincerely hoping that the elderly master would not be disappointed because of this matter, and could stay a few more days with peace of mind. Even if you need to go out, just mention it in advance, and everything will be arranged properly." Zu Zhao sat opposite Gong Sun Zhi, bowing his head slightly as he spoke to show humility.

  "Haha, young master is too polite. This time I've been bothering you for several days, even though there was an accident recently, but absolutely no slow words were spoken, on the contrary, it has made us truly experience the sincerity of your esteemed villa's upper and lower levels. It's just a pity that we couldn't help with today's accident, if there's really anything needed, Chunyu and I, the few young masters of the Gong Sun family, will not hesitate in the slightest." Gong Sun Zhi said slowly, his tone sounding very sincere.

  "Thank you, sir. I know that you are not an outsider, and if you really need my help in the future, I will definitely come to ask for it." Zu Zhao said calmly.

  "It seems that the world is becoming increasingly turbulent, and I fear that the peaceful days are numbered." Gong Sunzhi suddenly changed his tone, revealing a worried expression.

  Zu Zhao was somewhat perplexed by Gong Sun Zhi's sudden words, although he had heard similar words from him before, but the situation was different now, and there seemed to be an underlying tone to his current words.

  "The gentleman's words are not bad. If it is true that there is a connection with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, I fear that with the current situation of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, it will stir up great winds and waves." He said in agreement with Gong Sunzhi.

  "The young master is indeed a man of vision. He prepares for danger in times of peace, and I believe he will not be wrong. If our family can become friends with the Zong family in the future, we can help each other out, which would be great." Although Zu Shao was knowledgeable and reasonable beyond his years, he was still a child in front of Gong Sun, so he intentionally spoke more directly this time.

  "The words of the master are indeed correct, as they say 'strong and strong join hands, turning zero into whole', facing any change can be more calm and composed." Zu Zhao naturally wouldn't be stupid enough to not understand this, he figured out that Gong Sunzhi, this old man, appears kind and gentle on the surface but is actually a person with hidden depths, otherwise he wouldn't have easily spoken out the prophecy of great chaos in the world.

  Just as they were chatting, a lively footsteps came from the corridor outside the hall. Before long, a small figure in elegant white clothes appeared at the front door. This little man was none other than that strange young master who made people feel very curious. Zu Zhao still remembered his name, which should be "Xiao Ban".

  The young master saw Gong Sunzhi and Zu Zhao in the hall, first stunned for a moment, then hastily dodged to one side, only revealing half of his face, shyly peeking inside.

  Gongsun Zhi had indeed seen "Little Half", his face showed a subtle change that was hard to detect, but this change was quickly covered up by a benevolent smile. He smiled and said to Zu Zhao: "Young Master, this child's name is Gongsun Xiaoban, he is my young nephew."

  Zu Zhao smiled and nodded, unaware that the young master still looked shy and was even more elusive.

  I didn't expect it to be colder back in my southern hometown than in Beijing! My hometown doesn't have heating, it's so cold!