Spoiling my mistress and swallowing my dowry? After my rebirth, I changed my marriage to a powerful

Gu Shaoyu did not tell Xie Zhaozhao about what happened in the court, but Bei Chen had already learned about the rebellion of Prince Rong and Prince Ning and reported it to Xie Zhaozhao.

Xie Rongyu was a step slower than Bei Chen. He also hurriedly handed the news to Yuanyuan at 5 p.m. and told her, "Prince Rong's fiefdom is adjacent to Zizhou."

Lord Gu is rushing to Zizhou, where he may encounter Prince Rong's army.

It is also possible that Prince Rong would assassinate Gu Shaoyu nearby. After all, Gu Shaoyu was Emperor Hui's favorite minister, and killing him could boost morale.

Therefore, Xie Zhaozhao asked Hongying to prepare a cart of gunpowder weapons.

She didn't know that Chu Zhongtian had spent a lot of money to make iron gunpowder bombs. Although the quantity was not large, Chu Zhongtian gave Hongying ten at once, which made Hongying very happy.

Xie Yu and Ling Xun came to discuss with Gu Shaoyu the departure for Zizhou that evening. Gu Shaoyu took them directly to the study.

The few of them talked in secret for half an hour. Before leaving, Ling Xun went to pay a special visit to his savior Xie Zhaozhao, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave.

The sky is gloomy today, and the night is dark and windy, but there is a bright moon in his heart, illuminating the whole world.

Xie Yu and his sister hadn't seen each other for some time, so the two siblings talked for a while.

"We will be in Zizhou for several months, so please take care of yourself at home. Qingpu Garden is too big, so I will give you some more manpower to protect the garden."

Xie Yu is the young patriarch, he is already married, and Princess Changping is pregnant, so Xie Anfeng decides to hand over all of Xie's Xuanyi Guards to him.

Xie Zhaozhao then realized that the Xie family’s Xuanyi Guards were not just a few dozen or a few hundred, but one hundred and fifty thousand!

Not to mention fighting one against a hundred, fighting five or ten is no problem at all.

These 150,000 Black Robe Guards live in seclusion in the city. Even the all-pervasive Imperial City Administration cannot get an exact grasp of their whereabouts.

No one else knows how deep the water is in a thousand-year-old family. Even Xie Zhaozhao, the eldest daughter, learned for the first time that her mother's family actually has 150,000 Xuanyi Guards.

But the Xie family had so many Xuanyi guards with such strong fighting power, why did they destroy their family and property in the previous life?

Won't they rebel?

Or is it that Xie is blindly loyal?

My father and brother died so tragically, but those Black Robe Guards were indifferent?

Why……

"Sister?" Xie Yu looked at Xie Zhaozhao with her eyes lowered. She didn't respond when he spoke to her, so he called her a few more times.

She raised her eyes, both filled with tears.

Xie Yu was frightened: "Sister, what's wrong with you?"

"Brother, has Xie's Xuanyi Guard always been 150,000 people? As they get older, where did the people who were replaced go?"

Xie Yu didn't know what she meant by asking this, so he said, "At the beginning of the founding of the country, the Xie family's Xuanyi Guard maintained 200,000 people, and later my grandfather reduced it by 50,000. Some of those who were replaced stayed on the farm, some were sent to their hometowns to live in old age, and some..."

"what happened?"

"I sent it to my most trusted relative."

Xie Zhaozhao suddenly felt a pain in his heart and asked, "Did you give it to aunt?"

"Yes!" Xie Yu said, "Aunt has made too many sacrifices for the Xie family. If she wants someone, father will give it to her."

For example, Xie Yu felt sorry for his sister and could only mobilize a few hundred people before the wedding, but he gave his sister fifty people without hesitation.

Xie Zhaozhao twisted his hands together, some thoughts running wildly through his mind.

Hopefully, what she guessed was not the truth.

After a while, Xie Zhaozhao said seriously: "Brother, the Xuanyi Guards are the life-saving talisman of the Xie family. Whether it is my father or you, you have to bear the responsibility of the family and always put the safety of the Xie family first. If the Xie family is not well, we girls will not be well either!"

When people are in a high position, being affectionate is being heartless, and being heartless is being affectionate.

Xie Yu was very smart and understood it immediately. He replied, "Yes, brother, I understand."

The topic changed, and the brother and sister chatted about some family matters, and Xie Yu returned home.

He went back and immediately found his father, and the two of them had a secret conversation in the study.

The next morning, Xie Yu and Ling Xun came to Qingpu Garden and set off with Gu Shaoyu.

Nanxing was used to following Gu Shaoyu, so he followed him this time when he went to Zizhou.

Because Wei Shuyun was in charge of the Wei family's food and fodder, he, Shen Su and Jin Feng also went to Baiyang County.

The two groups of people slept in the open air throughout the journey, but did not encounter any obstacles on the road. They arrived at Baiyang County, the worst-hit area in Zizhou, almost at the same time.

Gu Shaoyu, Xie Yu and Ling Xun went to the county government office.

Wei Shuyun, Shen Su and their party went to meet the five major grain merchants.

When County Magistrate Qin received the document and learned that Gu Shaoyu would come in person to handle the matter, he immediately brought out the bailiffs to greet him.

County Magistrate Qin was very disappointed when he saw that Gu Shaoyu only brought a carriage, a driver, and two officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works.

He thought that Lord Gu would come with a team of grain carts.

Gu Shaoyu glanced at him indifferently, and he was so scared that sweat broke out: "Greetings, Lord Gu."

"How much grain is left in the granary now?"

"It's barely enough to distribute to the people for five days." County Magistrate Qin said, "It will be distributed for one hour every day, and each person is limited to two taels."

"What is the current price of grain?"

"Two hundred coins a bushel."

It’s getting more and more outrageous!

Gu Shaoyu walked along the street, and County Magistrate Qin reported to him as he walked.

Back at the county government office, Gu Shaoyu said, "Go and call the five major grain merchants. I have something to discuss with them."

County Magistrate Qin shook his head and said, "Master, it is useless to look for them. I have used threats and inducements, even asking them to report their achievements to the court, erect a monument, and build a temple, but they still refuse."

"It doesn't matter, just find the person."

County Magistrate Qin didn't know why Gu Shaoyu was looking for the five major grain merchants. Was he discussing a price reduction? Asking them to donate grain?

Wei Shuyun and Shen Su, one representing the former Duke Cheng'en's Mansion and the other representing the Princess' Mansion, went to meet the five major grain merchants when they arrived in Baiyang County.

The five major grain merchants, from largest to smallest, are: Wei family, Wu family, Bai family, Meng family, and Liu family.

The Bai family, the Meng family, and the Liu family are local forces. The Wei family is a branch of Wei Jingzhong that is five generations apart, and they just cling to Wei Jingzhong's thigh. The Wu family clings to Wu Chaohui (the father of Wei Shixun's concubine).

These five companies, each with their own advantages, are usually competitors, but driven by current interests, they have become allies.

Wei Shuyun and Shen Su told them that no matter what Gu Shaoyu said, the price of grain would not be lowered.

An offensive and defensive alliance was established, and the five heads of the family, together with Wei Shuyun and Shen Su, had a dinner at the Wei family.

The guard outside the door came to report: "Master Wei, someone from the county government came to say that Lord Gu wants to invite five masters."

A group of people laughed triumphantly.

"I thought you were so capable, but you still come to beg us?"

"No matter how capable Lord Gu is, he can't produce food."

"He will have to be humble and submissive when he comes to our two acres and eight mu of land!"

Several people were excited and agreed with each other: "He was the top scholar of that year. He entered the government at the age of 17 and entered the cabinet at the age of 25. He has been an official for 13 years. He must be very good at talking. We will stick to it: no price reduction! If we do reduce it, it will be at most five cents."

"Row!"

"Let's go, let's go see the elder!"

A few people entered the county government office with arrogance and the pleasure of trampling on the current ministers under their feet and madly ravaging them.

Gu Shaoyu sat on a high place, watching them come in arrogantly. He sat there without moving and glanced at them indifferently.

With just this one glance, several heads of the household were so frightened that their minds instantly cleared, and they all knelt down and said, "I pay my respects to you, Lord."

Gu Shaoyu said calmly: "Thank you for your hard work, please take a seat."

Several people sat down, still hoping to see a joke, and looked at Gu Shaoyu. They thought: Is it time to talk about food?

Gu Shaoyu still said calmly: "Please have some tea."

"Yes, yes, tea, tea."

He picked up the teacup and took a sip, smiling awkwardly, feeling uneasy.

After Gu Shaoyu said "Please have some tea", he held the teacup and drank the tea slowly without saying a word or even glancing at them.

The heads of the Bai, Meng, and Liu families all began to tremble uncontrollably.

All the original heroic spirit was thrown out of the window at this moment.