While Zhu Qingyu was traveling south to Yangzhou by boat, Gu Zhao was presenting the ledger submitted by Yan Pan to the Emperor.
The Emperor flipped through it and laughed in anger.
“Another ledger! This is the third one already? The officialdom in Yangzhou is a complete mess in every other way, yet they are remarkably skilled at fabricating fake ledgers for accusations.”
Although the Emperor had not yet reigned for a full year, he had already governed on behalf of the late Emperor for two years before ascending the throne.
Three years ago, after the death of Noble Consort Gao, the late Emperor was so grief-stricken that he fell seriously ill and could no longer handle state affairs. He ordered the Crown Prince to act as regent.
The first major case handled by the Crown Prince was the Yangzhou salt smuggling case.
Based on an anonymous ledger, they traced the clues and destroyed the smuggler Hu Xiaofeng’s network. Hu Xiaofeng was executed by slow slicing, and the Salt Inspector at the time was also beheaded.
But later, that so-called ledger turned out to be fake.
Half a year ago, after the Emperor ascended the throne, a second ledger appeared. Another Salt Inspector, Yan Qizhong, fell from power. His crimes were real, but the ledger was still fake.
Now came the third one.
Gu Zhao reported, “I compared them last night. The first two were detailed and convincing despite being false. This one, however, is crude and full of flaws. It does not seem to be the work of the same person.”
The Emperor threw the ledger back onto the table, furious.
“More than one person? Good! Very good! Hand the accuser over to the Ministry of Justice and interrogate thoroughly. I want to know who is behind this.”
Though the ledger was false, the matter itself might not be.
Since it involved the fugitive salt smuggler Lei Dawu, the Emperor issued a secret order to the Governor-General of Liangjiang to capture him immediately.
“As for the others, leave them be for now. Do not alert them.”
After completing his duty, Gu Zhao returned home with medicine bestowed by the Empress Dowager.
As he rode through the bustling streets, he saw countless ordinary carriages like the one he had mistaken earlier.
He couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
Why had he mistaken Zhang’s carriage for hers?
Perhaps, despite wanting to forget, he was still curious about her identity.
After the incident, the old lady was shaken and stopped arranging concubines for Gu Zhao.
The Emperor’s first New Year passed smoothly. Governance stabilized, and Gu Zhao no longer needed to stay in the palace every night.
One morning, waking again from a vivid dream, he found himself thinking:
Perhaps it was time to marry.
Otherwise, why would he keep dreaming of a woman he had only met twice?
Her smile, her voice, her presence—lingered more vividly with each passing day.
He was, after all, only human.
With Gu Zhao spending more time at home, the servants became more attentive.
One day, a senior maid hinted to the old lady:
“The young master prefers cleanliness. His undergarments are changed daily.”
The old lady immediately understood—he needed a woman in his chambers.
With the mourning period nearing its end, she decided to arrange a proper marriage instead.
When Gu Zhao came to pay respects, she handed him several invitations.
“These are flower-viewing gatherings. Go take a look. If you find someone suitable, we can arrange your marriage.”
Gu Zhao flipped through them. All were well-matched families.
Such gatherings were essentially matchmaking events.
He had never cared for them.
Yet this time, he said:
“I will follow Grandmother’s arrangements.”
Throughout spring, Gu Zhao attended several gatherings.
Afterward, the old lady asked, “Do you fancy any of them?”
To him, they were all the same.
He could barely remember their faces.
“Do you have a preference, Grandmother?” he asked instead.
She scolded him:
“It is your marriage, not mine!”
She selected more candidates.
But before anything could be decided, Gu Zhao arrived one day in haste.
“Grandmother, I have been ordered to leave the capital on official duty. I will depart in a few days. The trip may take months. As for my marriage, I leave it entirely to you.”