Chapter 6

As the disgraceful affairs of both herself and her daughter were publicly exposed by Gu Qiancheng, the Duke of Gu was furious.

With the help of his servants, the Duke of Gu stood up and scolded Gu Qiancheng, "Qiancheng, you must not cause trouble. Who taught you to falsely accuse your own mother and defame your sister?"

Losing so much face, the Duke of Gu wished he could slap Gu Qiancheng to death, but he couldn't do that now. He could only try his best to save the Gu family's reputation.

Unfortunately, Gu Qiancheng was completely uncooperative, pointing at the unconscious Lady Gu and saying, "Father, I am not causing trouble, nor am I falsely defaming Mother and Sister. I am telling the truth. Besides, even if I were causing trouble, it would be Mother who is causing it."

"Father, look... An unconscious person wouldn't bite their lips, clench their fists, or stiffen their body. Mother's feigned faint is too fake. I can't pretend not to know."

As Gu Qiancheng said this, everyone looked over.

With countless eyes staring at her, Lady Gu became even more nervous, and her body became even stiffer, confirming Gu Qiancheng's words.

The act of fainting was too amateurish, but she couldn't wake up now, so Lady Gu had to continue the act.

The Duke of Gu's old face turned red with embarrassment. He had never felt so humiliated. Waving his hand, he ordered the servants to carry Lady Gu away, so she wouldn't continue to disgrace the family.

"Qiancheng, what do you want?" The Duke of Gu finally realized that this matter couldn't be resolved amicably, and this daughter was not as easy to control as before.

"If Father had said this earlier, there would have been no problem," Gu Qiancheng shamelessly shifted the responsibility to the Duke of Gu. "Father, if Qianxue likes this man, give him to her. I have no intention of getting married anyway. If Qianxue likes my dowry, I can let her take it to the Zhao王府 (Zhao Wangfu) in your honor."

Hearing this, the Duke of Gu relaxed, but Qin Yunchu was unhappy. It was clear that he didn't want Gu Qiancheng, but now it seemed like Gu Qiancheng didn't want him.

Gu Qianxue, supported by her maids, hurried to the back hall and heard this. Her face lit up with joy, and she gestured for the maids to help her sit down.

Since the situation was in her favor, she didn't need to call her grandfather and grandmother. The more trouble Gu Qiancheng caused, the worse her fate would be. As long as she could achieve her goal, Gu Qiancheng's life or death was irrelevant to her.

Qin Yunchu wanted to object, but Gu Qiancheng didn't give him a chance to speak, changing the subject: "But... my dowry is not just any valuable thing. Even if I have a deep sisterly bond with Qianxue, I can't just add so much to her dowry. The dowry my mother left me was once appraised at one million taels. I don't ask for much; Father, just give me eight hundred thousand taels. The remaining two hundred thousand taels can be considered my contribution to Qianxue's dowry."

The phrase "deep sisterly bond" was full of sarcasm, and Gu Qiancheng's generous contribution to the dowry seemed to confirm this.

Behind the screen, Gu Qianxue's heart raced. The position of the Crown Prince of Zhao and a dowry worth a million taels were all hers, all hers.

Gu Qianxue was so excited she couldn't speak, and the handkerchief in her hand was twisted into a braid. After years of plotting, her goal was finally achieved, and she was overjoyed.

The Duke of Gu knew this wasn't the time to haggle. He thought for a moment and immediately agreed, "Alright."

Gu Qiancheng was his daughter, and whether to give her the money was his decision. Unfortunately, the Duke of Gu forgot that today's Gu Qiancheng was no longer the naive girl she used to be.

Seeing the Duke of Gu agree, Gu Qiancheng smiled slyly and turned to the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, you have all heard it. My father has agreed to give me eight hundred thousand taels to exchange for the dowry my mother left me, to be used for my sister Qianxue's dowry."

"Qiancheng, since everything is settled, you should return to your room." The Duke of Gu had a bad feeling and quickly signaled the servants to pull Gu Qiancheng away.

But Gu Qiancheng was prepared. Before the servants could get close, she dodged and, dragging her injured leg, walked to the door, smiling sweetly, "Father, don't worry. I'll leave after I finish speaking."

In this world, filial piety governs all. Even if she was unwilling, she had to maintain appearances. Gu Qiancheng bowed gracefully to the Duke of Gu.

"Father, I know I am disabled and may never marry. The eight hundred thousand taels are useless to me. Today, in front of all the ladies and gentlemen, I will use these eight hundred thousand taels to light a perpetual lamp for my deceased mother. This money will be handed over to the abbot of Chengtian Temple in one month. I believe his compassion will ensure that this money is used to its fullest extent."

"Rebellious daughter, how dare you!"

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