Yang Fan had a mysterious smile on his face. Gu Zhuting tilted her face and thought for a while. She said tentatively, "A set of … new clothes?"
Yang Fan burst into laughter and said, "Preposterous! You think I'm too petty!"
Gu Zhuting bit her lower lip with her white teeth. She thought for a moment and said, "Ah! I know. A set of jewelry? "
Yang Fan still shook his head with a smile.
Gu Zhuting thought for a while and said embarrassedly, "It can't be … a set of three courtyards and ten acres of fertile farmland in the countryside, right?"
Yang Fan laughed and took out something from his arms. He handed it over and said, "You don't have to guess. Take it and see for yourself."
Gu Zhuting thought for a while and a very bold and exciting idea popped up in her mind, "Take me as a concubine?"
But this idea was quickly thrown away. How could a man use such a condition as a reward? How narcissistic must he be to think that taking someone as a concubine was a kind of reward?
With Gu Zhuting's status, if Yang Fan was willing to do this, she would indeed be a magpie on a high branch. She should go to the temple and burn a stick of incense.
Yang Fan handed over a letter. Gu Zhuting couldn't help but feel curious. When she took out the letter and opened it, she couldn't help but be shocked. She was so excited that her face turned red and her hands couldn't help but tremble.
This was a letter, just a letter. It was a letter written by Yang Fan to the master of the Cui family in Qinghe. In the letter, apart from those useless pleasantries, there was only one thing mentioned. He asked the Cui family to remove Gu Zhuting's parents and brothers from their status as untouchables and bring them into the household register.
Although Gu Zhuting had excellent martial arts, it didn't help much in improving her status. She lived in this society and was bound by all kinds of restrictions. She was a slave. She was born as a slave. This couldn't be changed.
What was a slave?
Slaves could be bought and sold at will. They were bought and sold together with livestock. It was called "horse trading". If the master raped the wife and daughter of his slaves, he was not guilty. If he beat the slave to death, as long as he reported it to the government, it would be fine. Because no one treated slaves as people, they were the private property of the master.
Slaves did not have any right to sue. Not only could they not complain to the authorities if they were treated unfairly, even if their master committed a crime, as long as it was not a major crime such as rebellion or rebellion, if they dared to complain to their master, they would be immediately sentenced to death by hanging.
The status of slaves was hereditary. They could have their own families, but the law did not recognize or protect them. Their masters could break up their families at will. Their children were slaves from birth, and they were also part of their master's property.
Moreover, once a slave's identity was determined, it could not be changed. Whether you had money or others were willing to help you, it was impossible to redeem your slave identity. During the Qin Dynasty, one could still use their military exploits to get rid of their citizenship. During the Tang Dynasty, this rule was also useless. If one wanted to change their status as a private slave, it had to be completely decided by their master. The master and his eldest son had to jointly write a document and submit it to the government for approval. Only then could their status be changed.
Although the Cui Family was a scholarly family and a thousand-year-old family, they would not mistreat slaves. The Gu Family had many strong men and was an important armed force under the Cui Family. Because of this, they were treated more leniently, but they lived a better life within the Cui Family. The blood and lives of the Gu Family could not be exchanged for a change in status. In this world, they were always lowly people.
Gu Zhuting felt the sorrow of this status, so she vowed since she was a child that she would rather end her life alone than marry and have children. She did not want her children to repeat the miserable status of their ancestors. But today, Yang Fan actually proposed to help her family get rid of their citizenship.
This piece of paper weighed more than a thousand pounds. Gu Zhuting's hand holding the letter involuntarily began to tremble.
Yang Fan said apologetically, "I heard you mention it before and know that the Gu Family has a large population. So far, there are already nine branches and hundreds of descendants, who belong to different branches of the Cui Family. If I want to get rid of all of them, I am afraid the Cui Family will not give me face. For the sake of propriety, I only propose to get rid of your family's citizenship. This is all I can do. I hope you will not be disappointed. "
Gu Zhuting's tears flowed like a spring. She turned over and jumped up from the horse. She knelt in front of Yang Fan's horse. She only said half a sentence, "Ah Lang's kindness is as heavy as a mountain, I …" Then she choked with sobs and could not speak anymore.
She knew that no one would ask other families to release their slaves, especially a family like the Cui Family. Others did not dare to ask, and the Cui Family did not need to give other people face. The Gu Family was of great use to the Cui Family. Ordinary slaves could not be compared to them. They could easily be given away to others, or they could be asked to become a good man.
Previously, she looked forward to becoming the Sect Master's concubine. She also had the thought of changing her skills. As a lowly commoner, she was not even qualified to become a good man's concubine. The Cui Family would not embarrass the Sect Master just for her. When the time came, they would definitely release her slave status. Unexpectedly, the Sect Master gave her a huge favor today.
Since Yang Fan said this, he naturally had confidence. However, if the Cui Family agreed, Yang Fan would owe them a big favor. It was not easy to owe favors in the official circles. With the Cui Family's ability, they could solve most things by themselves. If they needed the help of someone who owed them a favor, it would not be a light matter. This gift was indeed heavier than a mountain to Gu Zhuting!
Yang Fan hurriedly jumped down from the horse and helped her up. He said sincerely, "You have made a great contribution this time. I am already ashamed that I cannot get rid of the Gu Family's citizenship. You must not do this!"
Gu Zhuting's eyes were red. Her tears did not stop. At this moment, she would die three or five hundred times for Yang Fan. Even if her body was smashed into pieces, she would not have a word of complaint.
…
When Wu Zetian saw her granddaughter Li Guo 'er, she finally broke the cold atmosphere of being alone with her son. After talking for a while, Wu Zetian was very fond of this clever, lively and cute little granddaughter.
When she was tired, the observant Li Xiancai came forward to urge his mother to rest. Wu Zetian used the excuse that the Prince of Luling's residence had failed for a long time and was in ruins. She ordered people to send them to the Eastern Palace and temporarily settle them there. At the same time, they could reunite with his brother Li Dan.
As for the hidden meaning, she believed that her son, who had lived in the Eastern Palace for many years, would understand even if he was stupid. It was better to let Dan 'er take the initiative to abdicate the position of Crown Prince. The modesty of a brother and the respect of a brother was also a beautiful story. It was not good to let her make the decision.
When Wu Zetian returned to the rear palace, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong saw her tired expression and hurriedly came forward. One massaged her shoulders and the other massaged her legs, attentively attentive. The other beautiful youths in Fengchen Prison could not help, so they served fermented rice or peeled fruits. It was a mess.
Wu Zetian impatiently waved her hand and shooed those beautiful youths away. Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong saw that Wu Zetian did not seem to be in a good mood. Although they had always been favored by her, they did not dare to be arrogant. They became even more careful with their hands and only served her attentively, not daring to say a word.
Wu Zetian closed her eyes and rested on the chair. After resting quietly for a while, she slowly asked, "Was the night at the Dragon Gate safe and sound?"
Zhang Changzong only dared to speak after hearing her question. He pursed his lips, which were lightly smeared with rouge, and said coquettishly, "The Saint also said that in the future, you shouldn't ask us to do such tasks anymore. Last night, we almost lost our lives. We can't serve the Saint anymore."
Wu Zetian lightly said, "Aren't you all fine? Tell me, what happened last night? "
Zhang Changzong immediately narrated what happened last night with embellishment. He exaggerated the enemy by many times, and his brothers were also many times braver. Their "Ghost Face to Repel the Enemy" was described by him as a righteous shout to stop the assassin, and then the two brothers used their swords together …
Zhang Changzong talked non-stop for a long time before Wu Zetian sighed softly. She ordered Zhang Yizhi, who had not spoken and was only quietly observing her, "Go and bring the two girls, Gao Ying and Lan Yiqing. I have something to ask them."
Zhang Yizhi quickly nodded and left. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhang Yizhi led a pair of beautiful young girls into the main hall. Wu Zetian waved her hand, and Zhang Yizhi understood. He quickly pulled Zhang Changzong, who still couldn't see clearly, away.
Wu Zetian still had her eyes closed. After a while, she said, "From the day you left the capital, tell me in detail what happened on the way."
"Yes!"
Gao Ying narrated in full detail. When she talked about Gu Zhuting's disguise as Prince of Luling, Wu Zetian exclaimed, "Is there such a strange trick in the world? Can the fake be mistaken for the real one? "
Lan Yiqing smiled and said, "Sage, it's possible to pass off the fake as the real one for a while, but it's impossible to pass off the fake as the real one completely. As long as someone gets close, they will know the real one with a little contact. When the Princess went to the Dragon Gate, she saw through the fake one time, but it's easy to fool those assassins. "
Wu Zetian was slightly disappointed and said, "I see. It's just a camouflage like the old nun of Hanoi. It must have been tough on Yang Fan. How could he make use of such a strange and perverted trick? Go on … "
Gao Ying continued to narrate, and Wu Zetian listened very carefully. Because the process was too treacherous, full of twists and turns and climaxes, Wu Zetian, who was at an age where she loved to doze off, actually became more and more energetic as she listened. She did not feel tired at all.
At this point, it can be seen that Yang Fan did not borrow the power of the 'Hall of Succession'. If the 'Hall of Succession' was involved in the process of welcoming the Crown Prince and fighting the large group of assassins sent by the Wu family, no matter how secretive their actions were, they could not hide from Wu Zetian's eyes. Once she knew that Yang Fan had a mysterious and powerful force, his death would come.
On the contrary, Yang Fan only used one confidant, Gu Zhuting. The internal guards and the cavalry all knew that she was a slave bought by Yang Fan from Chang 'an. In addition, she used the telescopic dagger on Ye County Hill, so Wu Zetian and the internal guards all believed that she was a Jianghu person who had learned the art of illusion and did not take it seriously.
The more Wu Zetian listened, the more moved she became. When Gao Ying talked about them moving to the Dragon Gate, it was still fake. It was not until the next day when they left for the palace that Wu Zetian knew what happened next and waved her hand to stop. Wu Zetian carefully thought about what Gao Ying said and praised, "Brave and resourceful, unparalleled!"
She slowly opened her eyes and sat up. Gao Ying and Lan Yiqing quickly bowed and Wu Zetian happily said, "My old eyes are not blurry. If I did not choose this person, how could Xian 'er return to the capital safely?"
Gao Ying and Lan Yiqing quickly said, "Sage is wise!"
Wu Zetian happily said, "You can leave and pass on an oral order. After tomorrow's morning court, let Yang Fan see the Emperor at Wucheng Hall!"
…
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