Chapter 1172: Chapter 1008: Plea

"But according to Mrs. Tan, Yilan was just a little girl of eleven or twelve at the time. Would Grandfather really trust her to take care of me?"

Liu Su’er was always puzzled about this. She thought that the person Grandfather entrusted might have been someone else.

Gu Chengyu glanced at Liu Su’er, and his regard for her intelligence increased.

However, he did not dispel his doubts about Liu Su’er. Back then, she was still an infant when she was taken away.

Could years of countryside or marketplace life cultivate such poise? After all, Liu Su’er’s demeanor was not lacking in comparison to a grand lady like Yao Mengxian.

Could Mrs. Tan and her husband alone cultivate a young girl brought up in the countryside or marketplace into a grand lady?

Daughters of aristocratic families have strict rules; their upbringing is stringent, showcasing the family’s heritage in every aspect. Hence, whether one can cultivate the grace of an aristocratic lady largely depends on the environment.

Without such a privileged environment, Gu Chengyu felt it was quite difficult to raise a grand lady.

The accounts from the three of them earlier matched what Xue Miao previously described. However, Gu Chengyu was not particularly interested in this matter now.

The Emperor had just passed away, and the new Emperor had yet to ascend the throne. Even if he wanted to help, there’s no place to start. Even if the most likely to ascend is the Crown Prince, could he truly overturn the crimes assigned by the Emperor on the Xue Family and clear their name?

Doing so would not only damage the Royal Family’s dignity but also disrespect the late Emperor.

More importantly, not a single male member of the Xue Family survived, making it impossible for them to rise again. What good would clearing their name do?

Infringing the Royal Family’s honor to preserve the Xue Family’s face? No matter who ascends to become Emperor, they wouldn’t want to do this.

Moreover, Gu Chengyu, while not believing Liang Zhirui would be so ruthless to the Xue Family, who could really clarify the matters of those years? Perhaps there’s a hidden story.

But regardless, his teacher was already involved. He didn’t want to stir the matter again, affecting his teacher’s reputation.

For now, the most important things are discovering the spy who infiltrated from the Dayan Border, and the group of assassins; these are the priorities.

Liu Su’er temporarily set aside her doubts. Now that she said so much, she naturally had to reveal her purpose.

"Mr. Gu, I, the young girl, along with Mrs. Tan and the others, have been in the Capital for many days and have gathered considerable information. Among the people in the workshop, the most talked about is you, Mr. Gu. I believe you are an official who serves the country and its people. Now I earnestly request you, Mr. Gu, to rectify the injustice for our Xue Family and restore their innocence!"

Liu Su’er knelt and performed a grand ceremony, unable to hold back her tears.

Seeing this, both Mrs. Tan and Uncle Qin followed and knelt down, "Please, sir, uphold justice for the young lady!"

Gu Chengyu frowned, feeling this matter might end up being thankless, bringing no benefit to him and possibly ruining his future.

Liu Su’er looked up to see Gu Chengyu unmoved, and her heart grew anxious.

Thus she pleaded again, "Please, sir, punish those vile people and provide justice for the Xue Family!"

"During the Xue Family’s case years ago, indeed, I heard quite a lot. But this matter has long passed, and the evidence vanished over time. Speaking of it now is too late. The situation is irreversible, not something one man’s strength can change."

"I’m sorry, but this is beyond my power!" Having said this, Gu Chengyu got up to leave.

Having learned their purpose, he planned to send someone to investigate later. If what they say is true, Gu Chengyu wouldn’t care for it.

"Sir! As an official appointed by the court, you should strive for the welfare of the people and the stability of the nation. How can you ignore a case that involves Da Xing? You clearly know there are suspicious elements yet disregard them—this is aiding and abetting the wrong!"

Liu Su’er, seeing Gu Chengyu leaving, grew increasingly anxious. Her expression turned icy as she voiced her question.

Gu Chengyu sneered, "You claim your Xue Family was wronged, but what evidence do you have? Without solid proof, how can the court and Emperor allow you to slander? The punishment of the Xue Family back then was personally decreed by the Emperor. The Emperor was perceptive and astute; do you think he’d wrong your Xue Family?"

Liu Su’er’s heart chilled at this—did Gu Chengyu refuse to believe her, or did he just not want to be involved?

Suddenly, she remembered someone. Of all the things Grandfather left behind, one name was vividly ingrained in her mind.

Gu Chengyu was about to open the door when a sharp voice called from behind, "Mr. Gu is hesitant to intervene in this matter because the person colluding with foreign countries is your teacher, Liang Zhirui, isn’t it?"

Liu Su’er remembered the news Uncle Qin gathered yesterday; it was said that Gu Chengyu was engaged, his fiancée being Liang Zhirui’s granddaughter.

And Liang Zhirui was Gu Chengyu’s teacher—wasn’t this an obvious case of officials protecting each other?

She realized her mistake; she shouldn’t have sought Gu Chengyu. But after many twists and turns in the Capital, they ultimately settled on him, believing he was capable and cared for the people, someone who might clear their injustice.

They thought he was different from other officials, but only now did she realize it was all a naive fantasy.

Everyone has their selfish motives. These are accusations of collusion with foreign countries—who would act against their kin?

Gu Chengyu paused, looking back at Liu Su’er, kneeling resolutely.

Liu Su’er noticed Gu Chengyu just staring silently, the chill in her eyes turning to frost. Her heart sneered, indeed, Gu Chengyu seemed to know more about the Xue Family case than her.

Suppressing the anger brewing inside, after a while, Gu Chengyu calmly said, "Miss Liu, what evidence do you have to show that my teacher is a traitor to the nation? During the extinction of the Xue Family, you were just a newborn. How much of the case could you really know?"

Gu Chengyu did not think much of Liu Su’er’s evidence. If it were definitive, Xue Haozhen would have presented it to the Emperor back then, rather than leave it till now.

Liu Su’er abruptly stood, grabbing onto the table and stumbling.

Mrs. Tan quickly stepped forward to support her, "Young lady, you’re still injured! If it’s impossible, let’s forget it!"

Mrs. Tan realized Gu Chengyu had no intention of handling this matter, particularly since it involved his teacher. Would he truly act against them?

This can’t be forced; they still have evidence and could seek other officials for justice.

Liu Su’er ignored Mrs. Tan’s words, her steps unsteady, heading for the pedal near the bed.

"Since Mr. Gu wants evidence, then I will present it for your scrutiny. When the time comes, you must not shirk it anymore."

Liu Su’er still believed Gu Chengyu’s conscience hadn’t been lost. Even if he would not clear their injustice, he would not harm them—her intuition assured her!

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