In fact, the two masked people who suddenly appeared in front of Cuizhu just now are also an unannounced secret between the various clans in this time and space. They also have a loud but somewhat chilling-sounding name, Dark Guard.

As one of the noble clans that used to be in the whole country and are now only one of the local nobles in Qingshan County, the Gu family naturally also has its own secret guard. These secret forces swear allegiance to the death, often for generations.

Usually "disappearing" without a trace, as if it does not exist, but the critical moment is on call, and the speed is amazing.

Especially when the family is peaceful and prosperous, they seem to have little effect, just to carry out trivial tasks, spying, undercover, stalking...... But emergencies are often life-savers.

Take the Fu family, another prominent family in the capital, for example, who was targeted by the enemy more than a hundred years ago, waiting for an opportunity to destroy his entire clan. Seeing that the building is about to collapse, it will enter the abyss from which it will never recover. At the critical moment, the secret guard desperately rescued the little son of the Fu family, and then with the help of other clansmen, he was able to make a comeback.

And people with a little common sense know that the Gu family, the Shen family, the Fu family and the Zhuang family are the four most famous families in this country, the celebrities among the celebrities, and the nobles among the nobles.

The Gu family originally started in the jewelry industry, and the business can be said to be all over the country. When the family is at its most prosperous, it is not too much to say that the country is rich.

But because of this, it was suspicious from the royal family, and the villain provoked him to say that he was plotting to overthrow the country, and provided some perjury, so the royal family made up its mind to prepare to exterminate the family.

Fortunately, the Shen family, who was good friends at the time, risked death to tell the informant.

After getting the news, the Gu family panicked, some suggested fleeing, some suggested an uprising, and more were at a loss.

Fortunately, the century-old Wang family has its own extraordinary.

A wise man in the family resolutely put forward the suggestion of "sacrificing wealth to save his life". In his opinion, the reason why the royal family is gullible and thinks that the Gu family has the ability to overthrow the country is not because the Gu family is rich and rivals the wealth of the country.

As the saying goes, the husband is not guilty, but he is guilty. As long as the Gu family no longer has the wealth of the country and scatters most of the wealth, then most of the doubts in the royal family's heart will be gone.

Although he is reluctant, he is also suspected of being a loser, after all, this is the wealth that the Gu family has accumulated for generations. Nowadays, it is easier said than done.

How will you survive and feed your people in the future? And how to gain a foothold in the major families?

However, saving your life is still the most important thing.

After discussion, when the Gu family officials in the court came to the court on the second day, they offered to donate most of the family's wealth on the grounds of national needs to replenish the treasury.

At the same time, he proposed that due to his old age and good health, he hoped to resign immediately and retire to Qingshan County with his family.

Although the emperor was "shocked" in his heart, when he saw that the Gu family was so "knowledgeable", he donated most of the family wealth, and they could not turn over any big storms in the future, so he pushed the boat down the river and dispelled the idea of exterminating his clan.

At this point, the Gu family was able to escape.

In fact, whether the Gu family collaborated with the enemy and betrayed the country, the emperor naturally knew better than anyone else. Therefore, the so-called evidence is just that he is pushing the boat with the current. It's just that he can't be blamed for this matter, only the empty treasury is blamed, but the Gu family is so rich that the country rivals the country.

He still has a number of how much property the Gu family has. Therefore, when he heard that Gu's family reported a number, he turned a blind eye and acquiesced.

As the saying goes, blessings are incomparable, and disasters are not singular.

This hurdle in front of the emperor is over, but a new and greater crisis comes unexpectedly.

The people in the court are the most powerful, and all kinds of signs show that since the Gu family "accidentally" went to the opposite side of the royal family, this is fatal. Therefore, the family, which originally had a very general relationship with the Gu family, naturally respected and stayed away from it.

These are not terrible, what is terrible is that the original enemies of the Gu family will naturally not let go of this good opportunity. Since the Gu family is already like this, they will never be merciful, let alone mind temporarily inserting a fatal knife.

Therefore, even if the Gu family has taken the initiative to become a "shrinking turtle" and retreated to Qingshan County, which is far away from the capital, the birthplace of the ancestor of the Gu family, they still can't escape persecution.

For a time, the scholars of the Gu family were persecuted almost at the same time, either entrained or glanced at indiscriminately, their reputation was damaged, and it was impossible to enter the office; But anyone who has a business mind will either overturn and die in a carriage, or even if he walks carefully, he will be hit on the head by a stone falling from the sky.

What's even more vicious is that someone is said to have hired a group of Taoist priests to go deep into the Gu family's old house and the Gu family's ancestral tomb to wreak havoc before the Gu family had time to move from the capital to Qingshan County, and set up a vicious array, which is said to make the Gu family's descendants inferior to the next generation.

In this way, after nine deaths, the original wealth has become a distant memory. The power that originally spread all over the country has gradually declined, and it has officially become a legend.

The Gu family, gradually, inevitably became the weakest of the four major families. Aside from the Dark Guard, there seems to be nothing that explains its original glory.

It's strange to say, it's just that the rich and noble forces are gradually declining, maybe the vicious array really worked, and this person is not as good as the generation.

In Gu Chengtian's generation, he is over half a hundred years old, and he has countless concubines openly and secretly, Rao is like this, and there are only two daughters under his knees, and they are all from his wife Qin.

The eldest daughter's name is Gu Yunyun, and she married into the Shen family and became a young grandmother. These two families were originally close friends, and they were not the only ones who married their children in this generation. If it was before, the eldest lady of the Gu family would be able to marry up and down.

But now, it can only be regarded as a high climb.

As for the second daughter, it's a pity.

This cherishes being independent since childhood, acting differently, and quite famous. At the age of thirteen, he privately used a few hundred taels of silver to build a treasure house with the assistance of the shopkeeper Ye.

This treasure is dedicated to the business of dignitaries, so the jewelry is unique and exquisite. In just a few years, with the efforts of Gu Xixi and Ye Shopkeeper, Zhenbao Zhai has become the best choice for the ladies and ladies of Qingshan County to buy jewelry.

Come to think of it, the business bloodline left in the bones of the Gu family has been successfully passed on to Gu Xixi.

Speaking of the success of this treasure house, in addition to Gu Xi's efforts, I have to mention another person, that is, Ye Yuntian, the current Ye Da shopkeeper.

This Ye Yuntian was originally a down-and-out talent, from a bitter cold family. Just because he was a young man, he was a showman, a momentary scenery. Seeing this, the family smashed the pot and sold iron to supply, blindly for him to study, just to be able to go to high school one day, and the Toad Palace won the laurels.

How could he be that he is also ill-fated, he goes to the exam every year, and his name falls to Sun Mountain every year. After repeated failures and discouragement, Ye Yuntian suddenly woke up, with his financial resources and network, even if he took the test for another ten years, it was estimated that he would be standing still.

Looking at this long road to the imperial examination, looking at his parents' increasingly clumsy waist and his thin younger brother, Ye Yuntian had no choice but to abandon Confucianism and engage in business.

It just so happened that this treasure Zhai was recruiting the shopkeeper, saying that he didn't ask about his background, but only about his ability. With Ye Yuntian's talent and ability, he is naturally handy. Therefore, after a simple interview, he successfully became the manager.

And since becoming the shopkeeper, not only do things with heart, but every day is the first to come, the last to go, and when I have time, I help other people in the shop to do things, conscientious, and fulfill my duties.

One comes and goes, and the popularity is excellent.

Gu Xixi is also a lover of talents, because she is very pleased to see this Ye shopkeeper pay like this, plus Ye Yuntian can be the shopkeeper, or she slapped the board, the two gradually began to discuss some business matters.

This shopkeeper is not very thorough in learning, a little brainless, loves to drill the horns, but unexpectedly in business is self-taught. Every time I discuss with Gu Xixi, I can come up with amazing strategies. Gu cherishes his talent, and Shopkeeper Ye admires her courage and beauty.

came and went, and the two secretly fell in love.

After a day of drinking, the two couldn't help but do the things of the clouds and rain in Wushan. Coincidentally, just this time, this pity turned out to be a secret knot.

The changes in her body made Gu Xixi irritable.

But both of them are rational people, and naturally know that this relationship is simply impossible, in other words, they will not be blessed by anyone at all.

If the two of them eloped, people would not only say that the shopkeeper Ye wanted to eat swan meat, but also said that he was shameless and hooked up with his subordinates. The Gu family has already fallen to this point, and if this "strong stroke" is added, it will not be able to gain a foothold among the wang clans for several lifetimes.

Therefore, what they want to break through in the end is not the opposition of Master Gu and the Qin family, nor the worldly vision, but the hierarchical concept rooted in the hearts of everyone in this time and space.

Perhaps, you will say, they can elope and sacrifice everything for love and children. But in this clan society, for the whole family, the individual is just a drop in the ocean.

Even if the two of them eloped, it would only be the Gu family who would be hurt.

Not only will people not bless this relationship, but they will only blame Gu Chengtian and the Qin family's goddaughter for not having a way, and they will only say that Gu regrets and is shameless.

And reputation may be the only thing left of the Gu family that can be called a family.

So no matter how much Gu Xixi loves Ye Yuntian, no matter how trustworthy the shopkeeper Ye is, and even Gu Xixi has a small life in his belly, for the two of them, this life is just fate.

After all, this matter could not be concealed from Mrs. Gu's Qin, and when she asked the "adulterer" to no avail, she concentrated her resentment on the piece of meat in her stomach, because she was determined to get rid of the "evil obstacles" in her daughter's stomach.

In this era, a woman's unmarried pregnancy can be called "heinous", and if she doesn't get it right, she will be sunk. Even if he is lucky enough not to die in the end, the saliva of the world alone is enough to drown the person concerned.

If so, it is better to be clean than dead.

Qin, who had only given birth to two daughters, was full of guilt at the moment, and she felt that it was her own fault that her daughter had come to this point. If you discipline yourself more strictly, you will never be taken advantage of by those bad men who want to climb the high branches.

Therefore, the determination to get rid of the child can simply "crack the golden stone".

However, Gu Xixi is Gu Xixi, and she is unwilling to harm this innocent life. Seeing that the Qin clan was iron-hearted, and also knew the Qin clan's methods, he made a plan while pretending to agree and flattering the Qin clan from time to time.

No, one day, he fled to a secluded place with Cuizhu while he was unprepared. Thinking about giving birth to the child first, and then figuring out a way when the time comes.

Anyway, she didn't elope, she just wanted to give birth to the child. As long as it is concealed properly, sending the child out to be raised by distant relatives will not affect anything at all.

However, this Qin clan is not a fuel-efficient lamp, and he used the secret guard to search for months, but finally found a hiding place for Gu Xixi.

Seeing that the Qin clan had found himself, Gu Xixi knew that the time for compromise had finally come. Qin's methods, she knows better than anyone else. If it weren't for her biological mother and daughter, fighting with the Qin family, she would have died hundreds of times.

So, she stopped struggling and was surprisingly calm, just begging the Qin family to let her give birth to this child safely, and the future affairs were at her disposal.

The Qin clan originally insisted on getting rid of this child, after all, once he stayed, there would be endless troubles. Only the child's silent death is the best policy. After all, chasing after the wind and shadows and making groundless things are just rumors at best.

As long as you get rid of it with your heart, everything is just a rumor.

But at that time, the child was a month old, and the fetus had already been formed, and a bowl of fetal medicine was very likely to be a corpse and two lives. No matter how much the Qin family hates iron and steel, they also love and cherish it, and they have to accept the reality.

No matter how much she resents Gu Xixi, this is also her own daughter. Besides, the daughter was also compromised, so she acquiesced.

Two months later, Gu Xixi gave birth safely and gave birth to a white and chubby, quiet baby boy. Qin's face was dark, and he wanted to forcibly take the child away.

For her, this child is doom, a disaster, and will only implicate the Gu family.

The heart of the Qin clan is like iron and stone, and it is impossible for there to be any turnaround. In desperation, Gu Xixi took the bag he was carrying, showed off a little tiger on it, and put ten elixirs from the Western Regions that the Ye shopkeeper had finally obtained.

In addition, there is also half a piece of jade: this was originally designed by her and Ye Shopkeeper together, one person and half together, together they are a whole. It is estimated that it will be difficult to see this child again in his life, and this is the only thing he can do for him.

With this token, if there is fate, there will always be a day of reunion.

While she was embroidering a tiger, the Qin family still didn't speak with a tiger face at first, and when she saw that she was sorry to embroider a stitch, she shed a tear, and her heart softened. It is said that it is embroidered tiger, but in fact, this tiger is not embroidered with a needle and thread at all, but made of tears one by one.

As soon as the Qin family saw the baby boy, the hatred in his heart immediately disappeared by half: that little face was eight points similar to his daughter, and holding him was like holding a young daughter.

And their Gu family's generation is completely free of men, and she will not let other concubines give birth at all.

Therefore, the original plan was to hand it over directly to Renyazi and sell it far away, but at this moment, the hatred was extinguished, and it was just handed over to the "disposal" of his companion Qin Song's family.

This Qin and Song family originally served in the Qin family for generations, and the original surname was Song but not Qin. It was only because Qin Song's grandfather Song Song saved Qin's grandfather's life because he gave him the surname Qin. Later, Qin Song married Qin's personal maid Begonia, so he came to the Gu family with Qin as a companion.

It stands to reason that Qin Song's grandfather saved people, plus the previous savings and the subsequent rewards, he could completely break away from slavery and go home to live a happy life.

If there is a creation, according to these accumulated assets, it is not difficult for the family to have a person or something.

But Song Song was originally a "long-term plan".

In his opinion, although he was just a slave in the Qin family, because he saved the old lady's life, no one would look down on him. As long as the Qin family does not fall for a day, their credit will be there. Even when he was out of the house, low-grade officials were polite when they saw him, and he was also a slave favored by the Qin family.

And getting rid of the slave and turning over to become a master sounds good, but it also means that from now on, the protection of the Qin family has been freed, and the scene of "turning over the serf and singing" may never appear.

Therefore, he only wept bitterly and told that he was unwilling to leave.

When the Qin family saw this, they only thought that he was a person who did not forget his roots, and looked at him more and more. Therefore, Qin Song was able to marry the eldest girl of the Qin family, Begonia. At any time, the eldest maid of the lady in charge, even if she has an ugly appearance, is also a big hit for the young lady in the house to dream of marriage.

Just because he climbed the line of Mrs. Qin, he can be regarded as a leader in this life.

This Qin Song also has a distant cousin in the countryside called Song Yueming.

Just hearing this name, I thought he was a scholar, but in fact, he had nothing to do with reading, just a person who didn't do his job. has been married for five years, and his wife Fu still has nothing.

At the suggestion of Qin Song, Haitang had to agree to hand over the child to Song Yueming to raise. After all, apart from this method, she couldn't even think of a better one for a while. Taking the child with her side hindered Mrs. Qin's eyes, and it was really inconvenient.

And at the moment, time is urgent, and it is really difficult to find the right person. Although Song Yueming is a distant relative, he is his own family, and he is always easier to handle than that stranger.

In addition, there is actually an advantage to handing it over to him to raise, that is, as long as Song Yueming and the others raise this child for a day, as long as the Gu family and the Qin family do not fall, they will not suffer. Regardless of whether this child is justified or not, it is undeniable that behind him are the Gu family and the Qin family.

When they first received their children, Song Yueming and his wife still cherished it. After all, this is their first child. The two of them, who don't do their jobs on weekdays, are stunned that they haven't let their children go hungry even once.

Gu Xixi and Shopkeeper Ye are both good-looking people, and this kid is even more professed with the advantages of the two, which is really cute.

In just a month, it seems to have grown out, and it is very handsome.

Who knows, God's will makes people, but in just two or three months, this Fu Shi is pregnant. Song Yueming was happy, but gradually became less interested in the child sent by his cousin.

One day, because he drank wine again, his hands were itchy and unbearable, so he blocked two handfuls, and unexpectedly fell into a trap, and lost a few hundred taels of silver.

It just so happened that one of the gamblers in this group was Hanako, who originally bought babies in various places and sold them at a high price, because he learned that Song Yueming had a foster child at home, so he set up a set to make him owe a lot of debt.

Afterwards, he was tempted to say that as long as one child could repay the debt, Song Yueming relied on the courage of the wine and left.

This Fu didn't pay much attention because he was snooze in the early stages of pregnancy. When I woke up, I found that the child was gone. Song Yueming only insisted that he didn't know about it, and although Fu Shi suspected it, he had no evidence, so he had to believe it.

Besides, this is her father-in-law, and she is pregnant again, if something happens to him, she is orphaned and widowed, and she will not want to live.

Therefore, it is only an accident to turn a blind eye to it.

But how do you explain it to your cousin? Although he didn't say it, he could also see that this child's background was not simple.

Sure enough, a few months later, this begonia came to the countryside to visit the child: Gu Xixi was going to get married, and the other party was the Lu family, a large family in Qin's search.

Although it is not as good as the four major families, it is also an official family and has an official position.

So, Gu Xixi quietly asked her to come to see the child, only saying that this was the last time. Listening to the news of the child can be regarded as a thought, and it can be regarded as a formal decision with the past.

The child was lost, or lost it inexplicably, and this begonia was also frightened when she heard the news at first glance. But soon he calmed down again. Under no circumstances should the Lord know.

Therefore, when we discussed it, we only said that the child was infected with the wind cold and passed away.

When Gu Xixi heard this, he immediately cried to death, and was overwhelmed with grief. The short time I spent with the child when he was born was a farewell forever.

Because of excessive sadness, his thoughts are heartbroken, and he lingers on the sickbed.

Seeing this, Mrs. Qin discussed with the Lu family and postponed the marriage by one month.

And Shopkeeper Ye didn't know this, but he thought that the Qin family and Gu Xi were ruthless and secretly killed the child, so they drank every day and anesthetized themselves. Unexpectedly, he drank with Qin Song one day, and Qin Song "completely let go" after drinking, and told how he took in the child who took care of him, and how his cousin sold the child short-sightedly.

After finishing speaking, he fell asleep, but Shopkeeper Ye was so shocked that he was heartbroken and drunk.

At the moment, I realized that I had misunderstood Gu Xixi, but it turned out that she didn't even know. Regardless of the consequences, he told Gu Xixi everything he heard.

Hearing this, the anger burned all reason, and the Qin family's various performances made her have to suspect that this had been planned a long time ago. , my mother, originally couldn't tolerate sand in her eyes. Just look at how she is like a fish in water among dozens of concubines, and you can see it left and right.

While resentful, he and Shopkeeper Ye tried their best to find the child. But there is a vast sea of people, where is there still news of that Hanako.

I can't find a son, and the anger in my heart burns completely. This anger, regardless of the gains and losses of the family, or the mood of the parents, is finally let out.

She first resolutely withdrew from the Lu family despite opposition and became a topic of conversation at that time. Then, just when Qin's anger had not completely disappeared, he announced that he was in love with a poor man and was determined to marry him: if he did not agree, he would elope with him.

Since the Qin family looks down on poor scholars when they open and close their mouths, then she must marry a person who has nothing under the watchful eye of the public.

The Qin clan immediately became angry, but there was nothing to be done. I really wanted to sell this child. Now that the child has really been sold, is it considered benevolence for himself?

And if the daughter really eloped, the Gu family would really be finished.

At this point, the Qin clan had nothing to do except sigh that people are not as good as heaven. In desperation, he wholeheartedly helped Gu Xixi to arrange the wedding. She Qin married her daughter, no matter how shabby the other party was, she couldn't be underestimated.

Moreover, the eldest daughter is married, far away in the capital, and has a bad relationship with her, so she is the only child. Therefore, even the various furniture of his own dowry was not a pity to be given to Gu Xixi as a dowry property.

It's just that in the face of Qin's enthusiasm, Gu Xixi didn't seem to see it, the past things made her always haunted, and her relationship with the Qin family naturally plummeted, and there was even a tendency to die of old age.

How many people turn against each other, not because of any deep hatred, but actually because of "deep love and responsibility".

The Qin family naturally understands that the stubbornness of his daughter will not change because of his words, so he just pays silently and does not ask for anything in return.

This situation continued until she gave birth to two children, and she finally understood the meaning of the phrase "parents who are all parents in the world".

If her daughter is like this in the future, she should also do things that are no different from the Qin family without any suspense. As a result, the relationship between the mother and daughter gradually eased.

Of course, at this point, it is impossible for the Qin Song family to have a good result, and the reason why the Qin family endures it and does not have a seizure is just to paralyze the other party.

When the Qin Song family completely relaxed their vigilance and thought that the main family was generous and did not pursue it, the Qin family set up a trap and found an excuse in the end, only saying that their dowry bracelet was stolen by Qin Song. Regardless of Haitang's bitter pleading, he insisted on suing the official, and after beating the eighty boards and asking for half of Qin Song's life, he drove him out of the Gu family.

When the government saw the Gu family like this, they also knew that Qin and Song had been completely abandoned. Therefore, Qin Song, who had lost half his life, was imprisoned again. In prison, thanks to Qin's sentence of "take care of him", Qin Song suffered a lot, but he always kept half his life.

At this moment, he finally realized the exact meaning of life is better than death.

Three years later, Qin Song was released from prison with half his life and an illness, and he had no choice but to go back to the countryside penniless.

Marrying a husband and following her husband, Begonia is no longer willing to give up the glory in front of her, and can only follow Qin and Song to live in the countryside. Besides, although the Qin family didn't blame her, she was no longer a confidant in the end, and several other maids used words to squeeze her every day, and she was speechless.

On the day Qin Song returned to the countryside with the unwilling Begonia, the Qin family actually dressed up in makeup and personally took a sedan chair to send them to the intersection.

Before leaving, he summoned the people of the whole house, rewarded them with three hundred taels of silver in front of everyone, and said a lot of heart-wrenching words, which made everyone cry and envy them.

Only begonias, the bitterness in their hearts is worse than eating coptis. What kind of person Qin is, she knows best. How beautiful they are at the moment, how miserable they will be in a while.

However, looking at the smiling and sincere Qin family, she didn't dare to say anything. If she wasn't allowed to take this breath, she knew that she would only get worse. If a moment of "punishment" can make the Qin family a little happier, she is also happy to cooperate.

Sure enough, as soon as the two of them left the county and arrived in the mountains, a "robber" came. didn't speak, just took a sack and covered Qin Song's head is a violent beating, and he picked his nose, eyes and mouth.

These people didn't move Begonia either, because she just watched silently, but didn't shout. These people were very satisfied, and the province covered their mouths with their own hands. finally understood that the employer said, "Just fight to the death, and his family will not be silent."

Naturally, a few hundred taels of silver plus their own silver were all snatched away without a penny. Looking at Qin Song, who was swollen into a pig's head and only had half a life left, Begonia wanted to cry without tears.

However, if she is so good at doing this, Mrs. Qin can be regarded as having a bad breath, then they should have a peaceful life in the future.

Back in the countryside, sure enough, the two lived a peaceful life. But one day, she found that Qin Song was missing, and when she asked her neighbors, she found out that he had relapsed and went to the gambling house.

Where did he get the gambling money!

Begonia gave up all illusions.

She finally understood that the Qin family would always be the Qin family, bright and dignified, with an amiable smile--- this was just a face.

From the moment Song Mingyue sold the child, Qin's nominal grandmother never thought about making him feel better. She even calculated that she would hook Qin Song to the gambling house, and she must have a "colorful" life in the future.