The Moon is Full in the Traveling House

Chapter 107 Master Chen Xuan Arrives in Qingzhou

As Su Lun and his companions continued to head north, Master Chen Xuan also arrived in Qingzhou. At this moment, Master Chen Xuan was sitting in an elegant study, reading a letter sent by Su Lun at full speed with Qingzhou Governor Gu Ze.

The two of them looked serious and read the contents of the letter attentively. After a while, Gu Ze slowly put down the letter in his hand and sighed softly: "It seems that the situation in Chu is really not optimistic. Lord Yang, please be careful on your way there." There was a hint of worry and solemnity in his voice.

Master Chen Xuan chuckled and said, "Master Gu, there is no rush for this matter. There is still some deployment work to be done. I hope Master Gu will not reveal my whereabouts for the time being."

Gu Ze nodded quickly and said, "Don't worry, sir. I will keep the secret strictly and will never let anyone know that you have come to Qingzhou."

Master Chen Xuan nodded with satisfaction and continued, "In addition, we must pay close attention to the dynamics of the Chu State and be prepared to deal with various situations at any time."

Gu Ze agreed and said he would fully cooperate with Master Chen Xuan's arrangements. The two had an in-depth discussion on how to deal with the current situation and worked out a series of detailed plans and strategies.

Young Master Chen Xuan changed the subject and asked about Tong Bo: "Master Gu, I heard that someone found the eldest son of the Tong family in Qingzhou a few days ago?"

"Your Excellency, it is true." Gu Ze replied respectfully, "The people below reported that the eldest son of the Tong family behaved very strangely. We suspect that he is trying to defect to the State of Chu. Therefore, we have sent people to closely monitor his every move."

"Hmm... when the Tong family was raided, not much property was seized." Master Chenxuan said thoughtfully, "The Tong family has been operating for generations, how could they only have this little wealth? If everything goes as expected, the remaining wealth should be controlled by this eldest master."

He frowned and continued to order: "You must keep a close eye on him and never let him have the chance to leave the city!"

"As you command, sir." Gu Ze nodded to show that he understood, and silently lit a candle for Tong Bo. After meeting Master Chen Xuan, the Tong family's fate was really over. However, this was also their own fault, and they did not deserve any sympathy.

"It seems that the Tong family has a third young master and a third young lady who have not shown up. I wonder if they are in contact." Gu Ze asked with some confusion.

As the nephew of Madam Xiao, Gu Ze was naturally not an outsider. Young Master Chen Xuan did not hide it, but sneered and said, "Someone was so smart as to take the Third Young Master and his wife of the Tong family as hostages to force Minister Tong to confess. We have already found out about this news. The Third Young Master and his wife of the Tong family have been under our surveillance. They should not be aware of the Tong family's transferred property. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is in the limelight now, so it is not appropriate to pursue the Jin Wang party relentlessly. We still have to find a suitable time..."

Master Chen Xuan's words were brief, but Gu Ze understood the deep meaning. Although His Majesty is very satisfied with and values ​​His Royal Highness the Crown Prince now, it is hard to predict the emperor's mind after all. Who knows when things will change? The King of Jin has been suppressed, and continuing to pursue him may cause His Majesty's disgust. Moreover, doing so will give people the impression that he is narrow-minded and intolerant, which is not conducive to the future development of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Therefore, it is necessary to find an appropriate time to completely eradicate the power of the King of Jin without making people think that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is too cruel and ruthless.

"The court today is facing constant internal and external troubles, and the situation is unstable. We need to first concentrate our efforts on resolving external threats and ensuring national security. Regardless of the outcome of this negotiation, Qingzhou is a vital strategic location. Lord Gu, I will leave for the capital of Chu in two days, and everything here will be left to you." Master Chenxuan said with a serious expression and a heavy tone.

"Don't worry, sir. This is Gu Ze's unshirkable responsibility." Gu Ze answered without hesitation.

Then, Gu Ze hesitated for a moment and asked, "Sir, I heard that someone saw my third brother in Qingzhou and Licheng. I wonder how he is doing now?"

Master Chen Xuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Master Gu, this matter is of great importance, I cannot tell you more information."

Hearing this, Gu Ze lowered his head and said softly: "It was me who crossed the line..."

Young Master Chen Xuan neither denied nor confirmed, so the person his men saw must be his third brother Gu Bei. Gu Ze is a smart man, and he can understand the purpose of Gu Bei and others' trip with a little thought. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel worried. The Gu family has been scholars for generations, but Gu Bei is an outlier in the family. When Gu Bei insisted on joining the army, he was the first to support him. After all, a good man has ambitions, and Gu Ze doesn't think there is anything wrong with Gu Bei's behavior. It's just that when he suddenly learned about his brother's news and knew that he was doing such a dangerous thing, he couldn't help but worry.

A trace of worry flashed across Gu Ze's eyes, but he soon regained his composure. Young Master Chen Xuan seemed to have noticed something, and he smiled softly and comforted him, "Don't worry too much, Master Gu. We have rehearsed this operation many times, and Captain Gu is a smart man and a leader of the younger generation. I believe he will complete the mission safely."

Hearing Master Chen Xuan say this, Gu Ze nodded, with a forced smile on his face: "I hope so. Third brother has been very independent since he was young. Now that he has the opportunity to serve the court, I believe it is what he wants. As an elder brother, I will naturally support him to realize his ideals and ambitions."

"Oh? I heard that two young masters of the Gu family will take part in the imperial examination this year. It would be a great joy if both of them could pass the exam!" Young Master Chenxuan smiled and changed the subject.

Gu Ze's mouth curled up slightly, and his tone became gentle: "Yes, my second brother should have taken the imperial examination two years ago, but unfortunately he was ill and couldn't take the exam, so it was postponed until now. This time he is trying his best to get a good score. As for my fourth brother, he is still young and probably has no hope of passing the exam." At this point, Gu Ze couldn't help shaking his head. Gu Ze and Gu Bei are brothers, both sons of Gu Lianzhou, the current Hanlin Academy scholar, while his second brother Gu Qin and fourth brother Gu Ran are sons of his second uncle, the Imperial Censor Gu Lianhai. He has been in Qingzhou for five years. When he left home, his fourth brother was still a child. Over the years, Gu Ze has only been back twice, and he really misses his family.

"I heard from my second uncle that although the Fourth Young Master is young, he is smart and studious, and is not inferior to his brothers. My second uncle is very optimistic about the Fourth Young Master." Young Master Chenxuan's words were not a compliment. The two young masters of the Gu family were both students of Kyoto College. He had heard from his second uncle that both of them were good seedlings and might have a chance to surpass Gu Ze back then.

"Then I'll take your words of praise. It seems that I haven't been lazy these years..." Gu Ze looked very proud. If it was really as Master Chenxuan said, and the two brothers were both admitted to the imperial examination, it would be a great honor for the family.

"The imperial examination ended yesterday, and the results will be known in ten days. Now is the time to recruit people, and Your Highness is worried about the lack of people!"

"It would be a blessing for the Gu family to have the opportunity to serve the court. I just hope the two boys won't let everyone down." Gu Ze said modestly.

"Well, it's getting late, you should go to bed early." Master Chen Xuan patted Gu Ze's shoulder, "There are still many things to deal with tomorrow."

"Thank you for your concern, sir. I will go and prepare what you have asked me to do. You should go to bed early. I'll take my leave." Gu Ze stood up, bowed to Master Chenxuan, and left the room.