Chapter 87

Information is power; knowing more gives you the upper hand, allowing you to act faster and outmaneuver others without them even realizing it...

As a daughter, Gu Qiancheng wouldn't directly tell the Duke of Gu what to do. She only said to the Duke of Gu, "Prince Chu caught a dirty disease at Chunyi Tower."

The Duke of Gu definitely knew who the master behind Chunyi Tower was, and if he didn't, he could easily find out.

"How do you know this?" Clearly, the Duke of Gu knew who the master behind Chunyi Tower was, but how could Gu Qiancheng know something even the master didn't?

"Father, do you think it was the old master who told me?" Gu Qiancheng asked instead of answering. Lady Gu quickly interjected, "If not the old master, who else?"

"Lady, when something happens, use your head more." Gu Qiancheng pointed to her head. "If the old master knew about this, could he keep it a secret from others?"

"Prince Qin?" The Duke of Gu immediately guessed, thinking of how Qin Jiyu had taken over the Chunyi Tower case.

That kind of dirty disease could only be caught in a place like a brothel.

"Father is wise," Gu Qiancheng praised without hesitation, since it didn't cost her anything.

"How could Prince Qin tell you about this?" Lady Gu still didn't believe it. Gu Qiancheng, with no talent or beauty, had no reason to catch Prince Qin's eye.

"That's my business, no need for you to worry, Lady." Gu Qiancheng was not the least bit polite. Lady Gu, feeling choked, was not about to give up. In front of the Duke of Gu, she said sarcastically, "I don't want to worry, but... if you have such a good heart, would you help Qianxue? You must be up to no good, right?"

Lady Gu was biased against Gu Qiancheng. No matter what Gu Qiancheng did, she would think it was for ulterior motives. Clearly, the Duke of Gu thought the same way, and both of them looked at Gu Qiancheng.

Gu Qiancheng pretended not to notice and said to Lady Gu, "Lady, you come from a humble background, so you don't understand the concept of 'when one rises, all rise; when one falls, all fall.' If Sister Qianxue marries into the Zhao王府, the Gu family will be better off, and if the Gu family is better off, I will be better off. My private grudge with Sister Qianxue is nothing compared to the honor and disgrace of the Gu family."

Lady Gu was so angry that her face turned red, wanting to say something, but the Duke of Gu cut her off, "Qiancheng is right. If Qianxue is well, our Gu family will be well. Qiancheng, you are smart, so you must understand that when I had Qianxue marry as a substitute, it was for your own good."

The Duke of Gu was lying through his teeth, and Gu Qiancheng played along, "Father is right. Qianxue is more suitable to marry into the Zhao王府."

Everyone likes to hear nice words. As long as the Duke of Gu acted as she wanted, she didn't mind flattering him a bit.

Although Gu Qiancheng and the Duke of Gu's conversation was polite but distant, it was better than the Duke of Gu's previous habit of beating or scolding her every time he saw her.

Even such a distant conversation made Lady Gu extremely dissatisfied. Her teeth ground together, and the handkerchief in her hand was twisted into a rope.

In Lady Gu's view, the Duke of Gu should beat and scold Qiancheng, not speak to her kindly.

Gu Qiancheng sneered inwardly. After subtly reminding the Duke of Gu, she said, "By the way, Father, I have something to report. Grandfather never told me to move to another courtyard. Today, Lady brought the servants to move my things to Zian Garden without any orders. Who gave the order? Is Zian Garden really prepared for me to live in?"

Zian Garden was not a place for just anyone to live in. Only someone as short-sighted as Lady Gu would prepare Zian Garden for her to live in just for dowry.

"Zian Garden? Who told you to arrange for Qiancheng to live in Zian Garden?" The Duke of Gu was so angry that he almost slapped Lady Gu.

Ignorant and foolish woman, what kind of place is Zian Garden? If Qiancheng lives there, won't she be closer to the old master?

In the future, would there still be a place for him in the Gu family?

"Your... humble servant..."

Lady Gu was cut off by the Duke of Gu, "Nonsense! Where Qiancheng lives is for the old master to decide. How can you interfere? Quickly have the servants move her things back."

He couldn't let Qiancheng live in Zian Garden. That was a place even the old lady couldn't live in.

"Your... humble servant..." Lady Gu opened her mouth, and Gu Qiancheng gracefully thanked her, "Thank you, Lady."

Regardless of what the Duke of Gu was thinking, Gu Qiancheng was satisfied that her goal was achieved. She turned and left...

As soon as Qiancheng left, Lady Gu couldn't suppress her anger and cried, "Sir, with Qiancheng acting like this, you not only don't discipline her but also indulge her in bullying me. How can I keep my dignity?"

Moving things back and forth, it was as if she was being treated like a monkey. The servants would surely look at her differently.

"You don't understand... Qiancheng has connections with Prince Qin, and the old master likes her. How can you force her to do something she doesn't want to do?" The Duke of Gu, though unwilling to admit it, was impressed by Qiancheng's insight about 'when one rises, all rise.'

He seemed to have never truly understood this daughter. Qiancheng was not as arrogant, selfish, and disrespectful as Lady Gu described.

Lady Gu ground her teeth and suppressed her anger, "What about Qiancheng's dowry?"

She couldn't have worked for nothing and had to use her own savings to repay her family's debts, right?

"Put it aside. With all those things in the house, they won't fly away." The Duke of Gu had never thought of those things as belonging to Qiancheng.

Everything in the Gu family belonged to him.

"Sir, you're right." Lady Gu thought about it and realized she had been too hasty. Without her order, those things in the Gu family couldn't just walk out on their own.

"Sir, what about Qianxue's matter?" After discussing the dowry, Lady Gu was concerned about her own daughter.

"Don't worry about Qianxue. I will take care of it. Have the servants move Qiancheng's things back." Though he didn't like Qiancheng, the Duke of Gu knew she was right...

No matter what, the news of Prince Chu's illness must not come from the Gu family. The Zhao King and the Zhou King were in conflict, so he would add fuel to the fire and make things worse.

The Duke of Gu was not foolish enough to go to the Zhou King. If the Zhou King knew this news and realized he was in the wrong, he might not spread it. The only one who would spread this news was the Rong King.

With his plan in mind, the Duke of Gu immediately arranged for someone to subtly pass the information to the Rong King...

Gu Qiancheng knew the Duke of Gu would act, but she didn't know how or when. She didn't have her own confidants yet, so she couldn't send people to gather information. Some things could only be waited for.

The net was cast, and the Duke of Gu and Lady Gu had taken the bait. Gu Qiancheng put this matter aside and thought about how to have Uncle Gu find an opportunity to inform Prince Qin and quickly help her deal with the dowry once the matter escalated.

Lady Gu was truly a unique character. When she saw that Qiancheng had locked the door to prevent her from touching the dowry, she actually added another lock, as if no one could open it.

Gu Qiancheng couldn't describe her feelings when she saw that lock...

She once suspected that her father had married a fool.

Did Lady Gu really think a broken lock could stop her?

Who told Lady Gu that a key was needed to open a door, and without a key, it couldn't be opened?

She didn't know if she had overestimated Lady Gu or if Lady Gu had underestimated her.

Gu Qiancheng only laughed inwardly. What she didn't expect was that Second Lady and Third Lady specially came to comfort her, telling her not to mind Lady Gu and to wait for the old master to return to make a decision.

At this moment, Gu Qiancheng realized that it wasn't that Lady Gu was too peculiar, but that she was too formidable...

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