Chapter 46

Gu Qiancheng knew what Grandfather Gu was thinking, but unfortunately, Grandfather Gu was destined to be disappointed...

Gu Qiancheng lowered her eyes, hiding the mockery in them, and whispered, "Those books... all burned. Winter was too cold, and Lady didn’t give me charcoal. I and Mama Sun couldn’t bear it, so we had to burn the books to keep warm."

"What? You burned them? You burned all the boxes of books?" The old man, agitated, stood up with a swift motion, his eyes bulging as he glared at Gu Qiancheng, wishing he could kill her with his gaze.

What a wasteful brat!

"Yes, all burned." Gu Qiancheng pretended not to see, continuing to look down, feigning disappointment and pitifulness: "Grandfather, don’t be angry. Qiancheng had no choice but to burn the books. Winter was too cold, the cold wind felt like knives, cutting through the skin. The courtyard where Qiancheng lived was drafty everywhere, and there were no thick clothes or warm blankets. I couldn’t get warm no matter what. Apart from burning books, I couldn’t find any other way. The last book Qiancheng gave to Grandfather was the last one. I thought I was leaving, so I didn’t need that book anymore and gave it to Grandfather. But I got used to burning books, and I tore that one too. When I gave it to Grandfather, I only had half of it left."

Tears streamed down Gu Qiancheng’s face...

When else would she give Lady Gu a taste of her own medicine? Besides, what she said wasn’t a lie. The original owner’s mother’s dowry, except for a few boxes of books, was all taken by Lady Gu.

And the original owner did indeed burn the books with Mama Sun when it got too cold. The only thing she lied about to the old man was that the original owner couldn’t read and didn’t read those books, but now there was no way to verify it.

"What a sin, what a sin." The old man, hearing Gu Qiancheng’s words, was both angry and furious, but more so regretful: "Lady Zheng has wronged our Gu family, Lady Zheng has wronged our Gu family!" Lady Zheng was Lady Gu, whose maiden name was Zheng.

"Grandfather, Grandfather, don’t be angry. It’s all Qiancheng’s fault. You can hit Qiancheng, you can scold Qiancheng." Seeing the old man’s agitated state, Gu Qiancheng was afraid he would get too upset, so she quickly stood up to soothe him.

Alright, Gu Qiancheng admitted, she did it on purpose.

If the Gu family made her uncomfortable, she wouldn’t let the Gu family have it easy either. The old man was so eager for wealth and honor, so she put the hope of wealth in front of him and then shattered it, making him realize how wrong he had been to mistreat Gu Qiancheng all these years.

Without Gu Qiancheng saying anything, the old man already regretted it, his regret so deep that his intestines turned green: "Karma, all karma, this is all karma." The old man beat his chest, as if someone had gouged out his heart. He had experienced this pain three months ago when he learned that the second part of *Yi Guo Zhi* was gone.

The Gu family must have owed Gu Qiancheng something in their previous life. This granddaughter kept giving him hope and then making him despair. The old man now felt both love and hate for Gu Qiancheng.

Gu Qiancheng, a weak woman with no support, could make Lady Gu lose face. Gu Qiancheng was undoubtedly a smart and capable woman.

The emperor was old, and even if Empress Gu was still favored, there was a limit. The Gu family needed a smart woman to enter the palace to consolidate their glory.

Originally, the old man favored Qianxue and turned a blind eye to Lady Gu and Qianxue’s persecution of Gu Qiancheng. But Qianxue’s way of entering the Zhao王府 (Zhao Wang Fu) meant she wouldn’t have a bright future, and Prince Chu, after being scared last time, seemed to be in no condition...

In the current situation, the Gu family needed to cultivate another daughter to send to the palace when the new emperor ascended the throne. The old man spent three months selecting among his granddaughters and finally chose Gu Qiancheng, whom he had previously been the least satisfied with.

Although Gu Qiancheng’s reputation was bad, the old man didn’t care. As long as the emperor liked her, her reputation didn’t matter.

The old man planned to focus on cultivating Gu Qiancheng, using both kindness and authority to win her heart, but Gu Qiancheng’s actions made him want to spit blood every time he saw her.

But the old man couldn’t find fault with Gu Qiancheng. If Lady Gu hadn’t mistreated her, Gu Qiancheng wouldn’t have burned the books.

The old man would never admit he was wrong. Since it wasn’t Gu Qiancheng’s fault, it must be Lady Gu’s fault. The old man directed his anger at Lady Gu, originally intending to give her a minor punishment, but now he ordered a severe punishment...

After the old man spoke, Lady Gu didn’t dare to say anything. Hearing the old man order the punishment of the male servants, she felt both happy and afraid.

If these people were punished, no one would know about her being pinned down by a male servant, but it also meant the old man was dissatisfied with her.

Lady Gu was dazed, unable to understand how things had suddenly turned this way. It was just the death of an old woman, how did it turn into this?

Lady Gu felt as if she were in a dream, her mind numb, unable to see things clearly. Not until everyone had left did she come to her senses, and upon not seeing the Duke of Gu, tears streamed down her face again...

She knew this time things wouldn’t end well. She had really messed up and probably couldn’t act recklessly for a while.

Lady Gu’s worries soon came true. The old man didn’t punish her on the spot because he respected his wife and wouldn’t interfere in the back courtyard. To punish Lady Gu, the old lady would have to speak up.

The old lady had already investigated the cause and effect of the matter. With the old man’s order to severely punish Lady Gu, the old lady didn’t hesitate. She directly made Lady Gu hand over her power and go to the small Buddhist hall to reflect for three months.

In other words, Lady Gu not only lost her power but also couldn’t see the Duke of Gu for three months.

This was a devastating blow to Lady Gu. She could fight to regain her power, but if she didn’t quickly restore her good image in the Duke of Gu’s heart, she would have no place in the Gu family.

Lady Gu begged the old lady to delay, but the old lady wouldn’t give her the chance. Lady Gu and the Duke of Gu had a good relationship, and Lady Gu held a high position in the back courtyard. Although she respected her mother-in-law, she wasn’t as obedient as the second and third daughters-in-law. Now, with such a good opportunity, the old lady had to teach Lady Gu a lesson.

That night, the old lady sent Lady Gu to the small Buddhist hall, and all the maids and servants who were with Lady Gu that day were punished by the old lady.

Not only that, the old lady also sent several young and beautiful maids to her son, and everyone knew what they were for...

Gu Qiancheng didn’t expect the old man to be so angry that he would directly make Lady Gu lose face, but she wasn’t pleased. As long as Lady Gu didn’t die, there was still a chance for her to turn things around. The battle between her and Lady Gu was far from over.

After sending the murderer to the authorities, Gu Qiancheng focused on arranging Mama Sun’s funeral.

Mama Sun had no children, and as the master, even if Gu Qiancheng wanted to, the people in the mansion wouldn’t allow her to wear mourning clothes. The only thing she could do for Mama Sun was to give her a decent funeral.

"Mama Sun, Qiancheng has wronged you. I can only send the person who killed you to prison. I know who the mastermind is, but I can’t do anything to her." Gu Qiancheng, dressed in white, knelt in front of the altar: "Mama Sun, wait... I am weak now, but I won’t always be. One day, I will have the power to send all those who harmed you to prison."

Gu Qiancheng knelt on the ground, bowing deeply, tears welling up in her eyes...

In Lady Gu’s eyes, Mama Sun was just a servant. Killing Mama Sun not only scared her but also cut off her only support in the Gu family. But to Gu Qiancheng, Mama Sun was more than just a servant...

With new and old grievances, the enmity between her and Lady Gu was irreconcilable, a fight to the death!