Chapter 22

The events of tonight could be said to have been orchestrated by Gu Qiancheng, yet ironically, she had no chance to witness them herself. She could only stay in her small courtyard, waiting for Mother Sun to return.

She waited all night, but there was no news from Mother Sun. Gu Qiancheng was extremely anxious, fearing that something had happened to Mother Sun. However, she was trapped in the inner courtyard, with no one close by to help her investigate.

Exhausted and anxious, and having spent a considerable amount of time in cold water, Gu Qiancheng was drowsy throughout the night. Finally, when dawn broke, she barely managed to get up, only to find that Lady Gu had brought a group of maids and servants to her room, claiming to escort her to the family temple.

Seeing the dark circles and the redness under Lady Gu's eyes, which even rouge couldn't hide, Gu Qiancheng smiled. "It seems Mother had a good night." Unfortunately, she couldn't see it with her own eyes.

"You little wretch, I'll remember what happened yesterday. We'll see about this." With no one else around, Lady Gu dropped her act of being a virtuous wife and mother, and spoke viciously.

Gu Qiancheng was not the least bit afraid and smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Mother. I'll be back soon, and then we'll settle all old and new accounts together."

"Hmph..." Lady Gu snorted, looking at Gu Qiancheng with a mocking expression.

Wanting to come back after leaving? It's just a dream.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and escort the young miss out." Lady Gu said through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with a desire to tear Gu Qiancheng apart.

Without hesitation, Gu Qiancheng slowly and steadily got into the sedan chair under Lady Gu's arrogant gaze, but not before giving Lady Gu a last glance.

Seeing Lady Gu's twisted face, Gu Qiancheng couldn't help but laugh.

She, Gu Qiancheng, would definitely come back, and soon!

The servants carrying the sedan chair knew how much the lady of the house wanted Gu Qiancheng gone, so they took large steps, quickly leaving the inner courtyard.

As they passed through the outer courtyard, Gu Qiancheng faintly heard some servants talking. The voices were too low, and the servants moved too fast, but she caught words like "Prince Qin," "inner courtyard," and "delusion."

Combining this with what happened last night, Gu Qiancheng guessed that one of her sisters had a crush and had drugged Prince Qin, which ended up benefiting her.

"A family that relies on women to rise to power indeed lacks depth," Gu Qiancheng thought to herself.

The Gu family, as a founding hero, was indeed prestigious, but the younger generation was not ambitious. They held titles but no real power. By the time it reached her father's generation, the title should have been reduced. The only reason it was inherited in its entirety was because of the imperial concubine.

Lady Gu was deeply favored by the emperor, who granted a favor to the Gu family, allowing the duke's title to be retained for one more generation. Because of Lady Gu's success, the women in the Gu family had all become corrupt, each hoping to become the next Lady Gu, to rise to prominence and enjoy wealth and honor.

As a third-generation descendant of a revolutionary family, Gu Qiancheng held the Gu family, which relied on women to rise to power, in utter disdain.

Relying on women to gain titles and honors, how long could such a family last? In the highest echelons of power, there are rules. To enter this circle, one needs not only a good background but also ability.

"Miss, please get out of the sedan chair." As Gu Qiancheng was lost in thought, the sedan chair had stopped. She collected herself and was not angry that the servants had carried her out through a small gate.

Which gate she left through didn't matter; what mattered was which gate she would enter when she returned.

Gu Qiancheng took a look at the carriage in front of her. She had to admit that her stepmother had put a lot of thought into it.

This carriage was no less than a luxurious and ornate one, far exceeding the grandeur befitting a young miss like her. It was so ostentatious that it would make people envious. It not only displayed her stepmother's virtue but also openly told everyone that the person in the carriage was very wealthy, inviting robbery.

Riding in such a lavish carriage without a single guard, it would be fine within the city, but once outside the city gates, it would be a different story. Of course, that was assuming she could even leave the city gates.

The saying "the most venomous are women" was indeed true. It seemed her stepmother wanted to use others' hands to ensure she never returned.

"Miss, please get in the carriage." The servant looked at Gu Qiancheng, who was staring at the carriage for a long time, with disdain.

What kind of young miss is this, who has never even seen a decent carriage? Truly petty, even worse than a servant.

Gu Qiancheng glanced at the servant, closed her eyes, and, with the help of a maid, stepped into the carriage. Before getting in, she deliberately paused and looked back, but there was still no sign of Mother Sun.

Gu Qiancheng was very worried, but at this moment, she was powerless to save Mother Sun. She could only pray that Mother Sun would be alert and, if the task failed, at least not get caught.

Before stepping into the carriage, Gu Qiancheng took a careful look at the driver, a man with shifty eyes and a lecherous gaze. He clearly wasn't a good person. When he saw Gu Qiancheng enter the carriage, his eyes roamed freely, filled with unhidden lust, which made her feel sick.

Gu Qiancheng glared at him in disgust and quickly got into the carriage. Two burly servants followed, sitting on either side of her.

Gu Qiancheng glanced at them coolly and said, "Go."

"Sure thing." The driver responded, cracked his whip, and the carriage quickly entered the street.

The Gu family's residence was surrounded by high-ranking officials, and the roads were wide. It was just dawn, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the road, so the carriage moved quickly and steadily.

Racing along, they occasionally encountered a few early risers who quickly moved out of the way at the sound of the hooves. Gu Qiancheng leaned against the carriage, seemingly resting, but in fact, she was listening to the sounds outside.

After about two hours, the carriage arrived at the city gate. Many people were entering and leaving the city early, and it was already quite late, so the city gate was bustling.

Sitting in the carriage, Gu Qiancheng could still hear the vendors' cries. Just as they were about to leave the city gate, the carriage suddenly jolted, and the next moment, the horses pulling the carriage let out a sudden scream, and the carriage tilted to the left.

The two servants screamed in terror, and Gu Qiancheng was thrown to the other side. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and didn't hit her head.

"Something's wrong." When the carriage jolted, Gu Qiancheng sensed something was amiss. She was about to stand up when the two servants pounced on her, pinning her shoulders. At the same time, the lecherous driver also lunged into the carriage.

"Miss, stop struggling. It's no use." The two servants, seeing the driver approach, pushed Gu Qiancheng toward him.

This way, when the carriage tipped over, Gu Qiancheng would inevitably end up in a compromising position with the driver.

This was to completely ruin her!

Gu Qiancheng understood that if she ended up in a compromising position with this driver today, for the sake of the Gu family's reputation, her unscrupulous father would either force her to marry the driver or kill her.

"What a clever plan, what a brilliant strategy. My dear stepmother, this move is indeed brilliant. Not only will it ruin my reputation, but it will also cover up the matter with Qianxue and the dowry. This way, the Zhao王府 (Zhao Wangfu) won't take out their anger on Qianxue, and the public's criticism will not be directed at the unmarried and pregnant Gu Qianxue, but at me, Gu Qiancheng, a woman who was seen embracing a driver on the street."

The lecherous driver, seeing Gu Qiancheng being pushed toward him, became excited, his eyes gleaming with lust as he looked at her, and he reached out to grab her chest...