Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 267 The Family Reunion Banquet, a Vast Family

These events may seem unrelated to Liu Shi of the main branch, but Gu Qingyue has a gut feeling that they are inextricably linked to that person!

It's highly likely that Liu instructed someone to do all of this. Putting aside everything else, just take that Heart-Eating Gu. Where would ordinary servants get their hands on it?

Of course, this can only be speculation.

Although they captured Granny Zeng and used severe torture, she still wouldn't give in.

He even bit his tongue and committed suicide half an hour after being caught.

Gu Qingyue didn't even have time to try hypnosis, how infuriating.

The trail has gone cold, and we haven't found any useful information yet.

It's alright, Gu Qingyue has plenty of patience.

After instructing Cui Shuming to investigate thoroughly, Gu Qingyue began to ponder: if it was Liu who poisoned Qin, what would her motive be?

Judging from the current situation, the eldest uncle is the heir apparent and the future Duke, and she is the heir apparent's wife and the future Duchess. What need would she have to poison a second wife of a younger brother?

Also, was she involved in my disappearance back then?

Or perhaps, even if she didn't do it, she was still someone who knew about it?

The truth is elusive and may be right before our eyes, but amidst the chaos, it's impossible to make sense of it all for now.

After thinking it over, Gu Qingyue still instructed Cui Shuming to continue investigating along the jade trail.

Instruct Yue Ran to secretly investigate everything related to the Liu family, including the Liu family of her maternal family in Lizhou and the Liu family's affairs before and after Gu Qingyue's disappearance more than ten years ago.

Lunchtime arrived, and it was finally time for the whole family to gather and reunite.

Gu Qingyue was still dressed in a simple moon-colored silk gauze dress, the light purple color making her small face appear even whiter and more radiant.

Bathed in sunlight, her face glowed with a healthy pink hue. Her phoenix eyes shone like stars yet remained calm as water. At first glance, she resembled a peach blossom standing alone on a branch, adorned with morning dew—vibrant yet serene, charming yet reserved.

When Gu Qingyue stepped into the flower hall, this was the kind of woman that countless eyes saw.

Apart from the old Duke, Gu Yuanjin and his brothers, and Lady Liu, everyone else, whether masters or servants, stared wide-eyed, too shocked to speak. The room suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Grandfather, brothers, I've arrived," Gu Qingyue said, glancing around and smiling gently.

He waved to Gu Yuanjin and the others as a greeting, and then walked towards the old Duke.

Her voice was sweet and gentle, and the woman's smile was as beautiful as a flower.

Instantly, whispers arose from the surroundings.

Two older men immediately walked towards Gu Qingyue. Without any introduction, Gu Qingyue knew that these must be her eldest uncle and third uncle.

The two men were tall and resembled the old Duke. They were also quite handsome, and being middle-aged and civil officials, they possessed an air of refined elegance and nobility.

"Is this Yue'er?"

The man in the blue robe spoke first, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement.

There was surprise and admiration; he truly seemed like a good uncle who longed for his niece to return home soon.

He looked Gu Qingyue up and down, "It's good that you're back. Your mother and everyone else have been waiting for you for so long, Yue'er."

The old Duke nodded and spoke up at the right moment, "Yue'er, this is your eldest uncle and your third uncle."

"Hello, Uncle. Hello, Third Uncle."

When it comes to feigning innocence and acting, Gu Qingyue is second to none.

In her previous life, she had taken acting courses, not to become an actress, but for work purposes.

"Yue'er has grown up and become a beautiful young lady," Uncle San immediately exclaimed, his eyes filled with surprise and admiration, as well as a fleeting glint of shrewdness.

It's hard to tell whether the two elders in front of me are genuinely surprised and excited, or if they have ulterior motives, or if they're just saying one thing but meaning another. Time will tell, so there's no rush.

Then, Liu and her third aunt Hu also stepped forward and spoke warmly with Gu Qingyue.

Especially Liu, who kept trying to find out how Gu Qingyue was doing in the countryside.

Gu Qingyue smiled and repeated the story she had discussed with her grandfather and the others: she was seriously ill and was fostered in the countryside, and she also learned medicine from her master and traveled to various places. After saying it many times, Gu Qingyue could recite it smoothly, just like it was something that really happened around her.

While she was talking, she was also subtly observing the expressions of the two women.

When Liu mentioned being sent to the countryside by her maternal family due to serious illness, the corners of her mouth clearly turned down, and a cold smile spilled from the corner of her eyes. It was an expression of indifference and mockery.

Gu Qingyue could see it clearly; it was obvious that Madam Liu knew Gu Qingyue was lying.

But so what?

Once it is confirmed that Liu is an insider, she will not be let off easily.

Speaking of those in the know, Gu Qingyue thought of Granny Wu, who served Princess Qing'an, wondering if she had been released.

With this marriage alliance, Princess Qing'an might be going to Nanzhao, so asking Granny Wu about what happened back then is urgent.

The lengthy family reunion banquet wasn't without its benefits. After the meal, Gu Qingyue finally managed to match up all the names and people that her fourth brother had explained to her.

It must be said that the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is indeed a century-old family and a prestigious clan.

It is said that the Duke of Zhenguo's family had an empress, a concubine, and an imperial tutor in their ancestors' lineage. By the time of the old Duke, all his children were male, and because the old Duke did not take any concubines, he did not even have a single illegitimate daughter.

The old Duke's father, despite inheriting the title from his ancestors, did not follow the path of a civil official. Instead, he abandoned literature for military service, inheriting the legacy of the ancestors of the Duke of Zhenguo's family at the beginning of the founding of the country.

On the battlefield, he was brave and invincible, and founded the Gu Family Army. By the time of the old Duke, the Gu Family Army had grown to 100,000 men.

Although their numbers were small compared to the army of the Great Chu, they still incurred the emperor's coldness and suspicion, especially the current emperor, who had been trying to suppress the old Duke and seize the military power of the Gu family army since the beginning of his reign.

Of course, it did succeed in the end.

The reason for the success was that, for the sake of the continuation and safety of his family, the old Duke voluntarily relinquished control of the Gu Family Army and handed it over to the imperial court.

On the other hand, the old Duke was a very intelligent and pragmatic person.

He had no intention of rebelling and becoming emperor, so keeping military power would bring no benefit to the Gu family other than arousing suspicion.

"What a pity for those brothers. They risked their lives following the Gu family, only to be endlessly suppressed by the imperial court. I have let them down..."

This was a family story that the old Duke kept telling during a drunken revelry. While the older generation reacted indifferently, the children of Gu Qingyue's generation listened with great interest.

In Gu Qingyue's view, this was a unique sight in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

As Gu Qingyue emerged from the flower hall, she pondered the grandsons of the Duke's mansion in the Yuan generation. There were as many as thirteen, including two illegitimate children and eleven legitimate children: three from the first wife's branch, four from the second wife's branch, four from the third wife's branch, and two great-grandchildren, both boys.

In addition, there are five granddaughters in the Duke's mansion. Only one is a legitimate daughter, Gu Qingyue from the second branch of the family. The rest are four illegitimate daughters from the first and third branches of the family.

So, the Gu family really does have a large number of members!

The direct line of the old Duke alone has eighteen grandchildren, not counting the grandchildren of the collateral branches of the Gu family.