Chapter 30 Chapter 30 is the only genuine version...

Gu Zhizhuo took out the whip from his waist.

With a flick of his wrist, the black whip was driven by his arm, and the tip of the whip flexibly hooked the plaque.

Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand and pulled, and the plaque fell down with a "bang", landing heavily on the ground and breaking into two pieces.

The huge noise immediately attracted the attention of the doorman. When he opened the door, he saw such a big scene. He stared at the plaque on the ground in a daze. Is the sky falling?

The sky did not fall. Gu Zhizhuo took the lead and led his men directly in.

The concierge was horrified.

First, they didn't come with a visiting card, second, they didn't knock on the door, and they even smashed the signboard. They must be here to cause trouble!

The doorman shouted, "Quick, go and report to the uncle and the lady!"

The maid rushed out, sweating profusely, and entered the main courtyard panting.

Before anyone even entered the main hall, they cried out, "Madam, Madam, this is bad! The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion is knocking on our door!"

What? !

Lady Jing'an suddenly stood up, furious. "Why won't Gu just stop? If she makes Yao Niang miscarry, I'll punish her! A woman's jealousy is endless."

"Madam," Aunt Qiu said cautiously, caressing her chest. "Aunt Ping and the others haven't returned yet... Do you think the Gu family might have found out?"

The wife of the Marquis of Jing'an stopped cursing abruptly, and her confused eyes began to move around.

No way?!

The Lady of the Marquis of Jing'an paced back and forth for a few steps. It was only half past the evening hour. The capital was so vast that even the most capable Zhenguo Mansion couldn't possibly have found the person in such a short time. Not to mention the Zhenguo Mansion, even she didn't know which river Madam Ping had taken the little mute.

Maybe, maybe Gu couldn't find Ah Man and came here to cause trouble on purpose.

Thinking of this, she felt a little more at ease.

"Hmph, go warn Gu. If she makes trouble again, she will live on the farm and reflect on her actions!"

Nanny Qiu's eyes were evasive. This task was not easy to take on. The Crown Prince's wife would not tolerate being beaten or scolded.

"Ma'am, you are absolutely right."

She flattered him with all her words, and as soon as she left the main room, she grabbed a maid and threw the job to her.

As soon as the people left, Aunt Qiu was just looking for a place to hide away when the maids in the yard screamed one after another.

"What are you yelling about? Do you have any manners... Ahhhhh!" Aunt Qiu cursed and started shouting, "Who are you? Who let you in? This is the inner courtyard, the inner courtyard!"

Lao Shan pushed her aside and walked in. He scanned the yard with his one remaining eye and said, "I heard that Madam Bo borrowed a black lacquered and gold-plated wenge screen from our eldest aunt, a five-legged incense burner with a red golden turtle and a lotus flower, and a pair of gold-thread hanging curtains with southern pearls..."

He listed four or five things in a row, then said, "...it's time to return it."

"The eldest girl said that the lady is old and shouldn't bother with such a small matter. Let us come and look for it ourselves."

"Hurry up, there are other places after searching here."

Aunt Qiu panicked and shouted, "Quick, stop them!"

There were only a few maids and old women in the yard, so they couldn't stop the people. Old Dan led his men straight into the main hall.

As soon as Lady Jing'an sat down, her butt jumped up in fright.

She heard everything that Lao Dan shouted in the yard.

However, Gu has never been a good and filial daughter-in-law. There are obviously many good things in the dowry, but she doesn't know how to take the initiative to take them out to honor herself.

Yao Niang got married and was pregnant with a grandson. What a happy event! But Gu Shi didn't even give her a gift. She even turned her head away when asked to bring out a root of old ginseng.

These few pitiful things were the birthday gifts she gave me on my birthday.

There is no reason to ask for a gift back once it has been given!

"I see this statue." Lao Dan pointed to the screen in the corner. "It's been moved."

"The color is wrong. It looks like Huanghuali wood."

"Move it back and let the young lady take a look. We don't know anything about it, so if we make a mistake, it's fine. We have more energy than we can use up anyway."

That makes so much sense!

So, Lao Dan folded the screen neatly, carried it on his shoulder and walked away, still saying, "Look for it again."

A group of people were searching around in the main hall, laughing and joking, and no one paid any attention to the anxious wife of the Earl of Jing'an.

"Robbers! Robbers! The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion is full of robbers."

These burly men rushed in front of her, and she couldn't stop them or drive them away. She cried even more sadly, wiping her tears with a handkerchief: "My life is so miserable."

Aunt Qiu came in cautiously. As soon as she saw her, Lady Jing'an asked, "I asked you to go find Gu. Where is Gu? Has she had enough of her trouble?"

"Madam," Aunt Qiu said awkwardly, "The Crown Prince's wife hasn't returned yet. The eldest daughter of the Gu family brought people here. They are now moving the Crown Prince's wife's dowry to Qiyun Courtyard."

Qiyunyuan is Gu Liaoliao's residence in the Qin family.

The maid who came to report said that the inner courtyard was in chaos, as if the house had been ransacked. However, Aunt Qiu did not dare to say this.

This is too much! The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion is simply too much!

"You, quickly send someone to report this to the uncle!"

Marquis Jing'an has no job and is now staying in the mansion.

The wife of the Marquis of Jing'an kept muttering something, then looked up and saw a slouchy man pulling out a gilded candlestick with flower and bird patterns from somewhere. She suddenly became anxious and shrilled, "That's mine! Put it down! Put it down now!"

No one paid any attention to her.

Seeing the mess everywhere, she could no longer sit still. She stamped her feet and rushed out with the maids and nannies.

Along the way, people came to report in a panic from time to time. Sometimes the Gu family broke the lock of the warehouse, and sometimes the Gu family went somewhere to move things... Lady Jing'an's face became darker and darker, and her mood was gloomy as if a storm was brewing.

When she arrived at Qiyun Courtyard and saw Gu Zhizhuo, a violent wind gushed out.

Gu Zhizhuo, wearing a veil and holding a horsewhip, stood in the courtyard, strolling back and forth leisurely.

Compared with the chaotic main courtyard, the maids and servants in Qiyun Courtyard came and went in an orderly manner.

Box after box of things were carried out, and Lady Jing'an saw Gu's trusted daughter-in-law holding an old dowry list and checking it one by one.

After each check, Gu Zhizhuo would go over to take a look and order: "Lock it up."

Then a large brass lock clicked shut.

Lady Jing'an saw that there were several locked boxes piled up neatly in the yard.

“What are you doing!?”

Lady Jing'an cried out sharply and piercingly.

Gu Zhizhuo glanced back at her, his lips curled up: "Oh, it's Madam Bo who's here."

"Greetings to Madam Bo."

She finished her words nonchalantly, then added: "Don't just stand there, our eldest aunt has a lot of dowry, it's almost dark, hurry up."

"How dare you!" Lady Jing'an rushed over in two steps, pointing at Gu Zhizhuo with a trembling finger and saying, "These are all the Qin family's things. Put them all down, put them down!"

"Qin family?"

Hehe. Gu Zhizhuo hooked his finger, and the daughter-in-law who was counting the dowry came over with a smile: "Big Miss."

"The Zhou Zhi family, Lady Jing'an said these are from the Qin family?" Gu Zhizhuo said calmly, "You should check them carefully and don't mix them up."

"Don't worry, young lady." Zhou Zhijia smiled. "I don't have any other strengths, but I have a good memory. I can recognize anything in our family without making a mistake. Look at this octagonal glass cup. The rubies on it are as big as my fingernail. Where can I find such a fine thing in the Jing'an Marquis' Mansion?"

"And this white jade pillow, dense and fine, pure white as cream. Even if you searched the entire Jing'an Marquis's mansion from top to bottom, you wouldn't find another one like it."

"My dear, this old ginseng was specially found by the Duke of the Kingdom as a dowry for my eldest aunt. It's over three hundred years old. The Jing'an Marquis's Mansion can't even afford a fifty-year-old ginseng, so it's definitely not the wrong one."

"You can rest assured that I will do my job."

Zhou Zhijia glanced at Lady Jing'an with disdain.

The prince had asked for this set of glass cups last month, saying it was hot and Lady Jing'an had lost her appetite, so she thought a cooler dish would help her eat better. A few days later, he asked the eldest aunt for the white jade pillow, saying Aunt Sun had trouble sleeping at night and heard that white jade could calm the mind. And the old ginseng, he'd pressured the eldest aunt to get it several times.

They had accompanied their eldest aunt in getting married for so many years, and had witnessed the old uncle's lavish spending of money and his continued spending of money while pawning his belongings.

This lady of the uncle's house is so short-sighted. Last time, my aunt asked someone to find a set of golden soap boxes with the twelve zodiac animals for Miss A'man to use for bathing. She accidentally saw it and started to make a fuss. Sometimes she couldn't eat and sometimes she felt stuffy in her chest. What she meant was that Miss A'man shouldn't be so "extravagant" at such a young age. Such a good thing should be used by her grandson when he takes a bath.

It's really disgusting.

The indirect criticism made Lady Jing'an look unhappy.

Gu married into their Qin family, and even she herself belongs to their Qin family, so of course these personal belongings should also belong to their family.

Besides, Gu has no son, and these things will have to be left to her grandson in the future. What's wrong with asking her to take some out now as a favor?

Lady Jing'an spoke with confidence.

Gu Zhizhuo was dumbfounded. She silently looked up at the cloudless sky and wondered why there was no lightning to wake up the confused people.

Zhou Zhijia looked surprised. Ever since the Duke passed away, the Qin family had been showing their true colors day by day.

Especially when Aunt Sun became pregnant, Lady Jing'an was so crazy about it that she thought she was pregnant with the prince.

"Where's Gu?" Lady Jing'an scolded with a stern face, "She's been away from home all day. I don't know what shameful things she's been doing. Now she's making a fuss over such a trivial matter. This is the Gu family's upbringing..."

Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand and whipped him.

Lady Jing'an never thought that she would actually take action.

She screamed and pulled Aunt Qiu over to block herself.

Snap! The whip hit Aunt Qiu's body. Aunt Qiu's face was distorted with pain, but she didn't dare to hide.

The barb on the whip hooked the sleeve of Lady Jing'an's wife, and with a snap, the sleeve was torn open, revealing a bright red whip mark on her white arm.

The spoiled woman had never experienced such a scene. Lady Jing'an was so frightened that she was stunned. After a long pause, she screamed, "Doctor, doctor! I'm dying, I'm dying!"

A group of maids and old women surrounded them in panic.

Gu Zhizhuo said slowly, "I won't die."

These words failed to comfort Lady Jing'an at all. She leaned weakly against Aunt Qiu, pointing a shaking finger at Gu Zhizhuo, furious: "The Gu family is calling for war and killing, are they trying to sever our relationship?!"

Gu Liaoliao married into the Jing'an Marquis's family, and the Jing'an Marquis's wife was Gu Zhizhuo's elder.

This whip, the younger generation hitting the elder, means—

Break off relations.

"Yes." Gu Zhizhuo clapped his hands and said, "Let's get a divorce."

Divorce?!

Lady Jing'an's pupils shrank, not caring about the pain in her arm as she shouted, "No! The Gu family has no children, so they deserve a divorce from the Qin family, yet they still have the nerve to ask for a divorce."

"Or, leave the dowry behind and let Gu get the divorce letter and leave."

"Or, tell her to come back honestly."

"Divorce is absolutely impossible," she said sternly. "If you continue to make trouble, I will go to the palace immediately and ask to see the Empress!"

Gu Zhizhuo: “…”

Indeed, once this matter reached the palace, there would be no divorce.

The Gu family has been deeply rooted in the military for a long time, and it is impossible to uproot them all at once. The emperor left Gu Yan to inherit the title, and also prepared someone to take over the Gu family's connections and accumulation in the military.

The emperor's favorite was Qin Su.

With the title of Gu family's son-in-law, he can gain a foothold in the army more quickly.

In his previous life, Qin Su successfully took over his brother Gu Yican's Qianji Camp, and then led the Qianji Camp to join the third prince Xie Jing.

Qin Su is the person the emperor wants to use.

But if he is no longer the son-in-law of the Gu family, then it will be of no use.

Therefore, divorce must be quick.

All other accounts will be settled after the divorce.

Otherwise, if we miss the opportunity and the palace finds out and intervenes, it will be difficult to get rid of the Qin family.

Gu Zhizhuo's eyes were heavy, and he suddenly asked, "Madam Jing'an, where is Ah Man?"

Lady Jing'an's heart was pounding. No matter who asked, she would just say, "He's lost."

"Where did you lose it?"

"She's just a little girl, if she's lost, then she's lost."

Lady Jing'an hummed.

She never felt she had done anything wrong.

It’s all because that mute is an evil star. If she stays in the world, she will only harm people.

"Mrs. Bo."

Gu Zhizhuo stared at her and said slowly, "You probably don't know. When Ah Man got lost, my aunt was terribly worried. When people get anxious, they can't say anything."

Why.

Gu Zhizhuo sighed seemingly unintentionally, took a step forward slowly, and his slender figure loomed over her.

"When I came out, my aunt was still mumbling about a nightmare she had, a dream where Ah Man was drowning. She wanted to light a fire to warm Ah Man up."

Lady Jing'an's heart skipped a beat. What did she mean by this?

Gu Zhizhuo raised the end of his eyebrows, his phoenix eyes looked at him sideways, and the corners of his mouth were full of mockery.

"Hey, I'm really doing this for the good of the Qin family. If you don't appreciate it, then there's nothing I can do. You're the elder, and you've already spoken. I'll have my aunt come back in a while."

"Live a good life."

These words were spoken softly and slowly, and when Lady Jing'an heard them, she felt a chill down her spine.

The Gu family had clearly given in, so why was she even more anxious?

Gu Zhizhuo continued, "That's right. Auntie is probably worried. As long as Ah Man is not found, her worries will not go away."

"If my aunt has another nightmare in the middle of the night and thinks Ah Man fell into the water and is cold, it's normal to light a fire to warm her up."

Gu Zhizhuo smiled, and there was a poison in his smile that made people feel scared.

Her voice seemed to come from the underworld: "Madam, please bear with me."

Lady Jing'an's mind was in a mess and her scalp was tingling.

She squeezed out two words from between her teeth: "You dare!"

Gu Zhizhuo crossed his arms and said with a smile, "Zhou Zhi's family, don't clean up. My aunt will be back soon. Oh, and have someone prepare some firewood and kerosene."

Not to mention Lady Jing'an, even Aunt Qiu couldn't help but tremble.

"Are you threatening me?!"

"Look at what you said. My aunt is just worried about Ah Man. Once Ah Man is found, her worries will naturally be relieved." Gu Zhizhuo asked, "Madam Jing'an, where is Ah Man?"

Lady Jing'an's heart was trembling, and she couldn't help but look towards the gate of the courtyard. Why hadn't the uncle come yet?

"Madam, madam!"

Lady Jing'an couldn't help but feel happy, thinking that Jing'an had finally arrived. Then a little maid ran in.

The maid replied, sweating profusely, "Madam, the Earl said you're the boss. It's really beneath politeness to ask him about every little thing in the inner chamber." She glanced cautiously at the Lady of the Marquis of Jing'an as she spoke. "The Earl has invited Master Zhang and Master Cheng, and has also summoned Miss Qinghong and Miss Man'er from the Tianxiang Pavilion. They're currently painting a beauty... a beauty emerging from the bath."

Gu Zhizhuo chuckled deliberately.

Lady Jing'an felt completely humiliated.

What are you laughing at! Wait, what is she holding?! Lady Jing'an was momentarily distracted when she saw a gilded candlestick in Gu Zhizhuo's hand.

She seemed to be playing with it nonchalantly, and every word she said frightened Lady Jing'an.

"This candlestick is quite good. It falls over with a slight push. The wind is even stronger today. It will burn everything down in a flash."

"By the way, I heard that the concubine in the mansion is about to give birth, and it's a boy. Congratulations."

This is a naked threat, scoundrel! Shameless!

Lady Jing'an covered her pounding heart.

The Gu family has always been cruel. She had heard before that the former Duke Zhenguo once burned tens of thousands of people to death in a fire. The Gu family also killed many people when they were in the northern border. They are full of blood debts.

She really dared to set fire!

How dare you kill someone! Yao Niang is due to give birth in the next couple of days. If something happens to this grandson that I have worked so hard to get...

"Divorce!!"

The more Lady Jing'an thought about it, the more frightened she became: "Don't let Gu step into the door again." She used up almost all her strength to say this, and after she finished speaking, she was gasping for breath.

Gu Zhizhuo took out the divorce agreement that Gu Liaoliao had already signed and sealed from his bosom and said in a cold voice, "Please ask Madam Bo to sign for the prince."

Zhou Zhi's wife asked the maid to move the table and chairs out of the house and get some writing materials. Gu Zhizhuo slammed the divorce papers on the table.

"Madam." Aunt Qiu was sweating profusely.

Divorce is a big deal.

If it weren't for the Crown Prince's wife managing the household expenses, they wouldn't even be able to pay their monthly allowances. Alas, the Bo's wife has been living a comfortable life, eating blood swallows every day, and she might have forgotten that before the Crown Prince's wife married into the family, she only ate white fungus.

"Madam, please don't be impulsive. It's not too late to make a decision after the prince comes back and asks him."

Aunt Qiu was extremely anxious. She kept winking at Madam Bo, thinking: "Ms. Gu is just talking, how could she really set a fire? Don't let her scare you."

Gu Zhizhuo said slowly, "Your golden grandson is not easy to come by. You must think carefully. If there is any mishap, you will be without descendants."

She pronounced the words "no descendants" in an emphatic manner, which was like a heavy hammer hitting the heart of Lady Jing'an, breaking her last psychological defense.

"No more waiting." Lady Jing'an made the decision.

Su'er has long been bewitched by Gu. When Su'er comes back, how could he agree to it?

A woman who can't give birth to a son, what will she do after the divorce? Humph, sooner or later she will have to come back to beg me, then I can control her. Otherwise, she will cry out for war and killing at every turn.

Thinking of this, Lady Jing'an picked up the pen, shaking her whip-marked arm.

Sign and seal.

Done in one go.

In the Great Qi Dynasty, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, and divorce certificates could all be signed and sealed by parents on behalf of their spouses.

Aunt Qiu's face was pale and she wanted to cry but had no tears.

Gu Zhizhuo took the divorce papers and looked at the bloody fingerprints on them, and he felt relieved.

She sent Zhou Zhi's family to deliver it to Jing'an Bo, saying, "Tell my uncle that Jing'an Bo's family has always been noble and aloof. Don't make a fuss over my aunt's dowry. It's disrespectful."

The Zhou family happily took the divorce agreement and ran away. Their daughter really understood Jing'an Bo's thoughts. In front of the guests, Jing'an Bo would sign the divorce agreement no matter how reluctant he was, just to save face.

Gu Zhizhuo asked Qingmei to go with him: "After signing, you will take the trouble to send it to Jingzhao Prefecture and make sure that the Jingzhao Yin gets the job done today."

Qingmei was speechless. Her daughter really didn't treat her as an outsider!

By the time Qingmei came back with everything done, the dowry was basically packed up.

Gu Liaoliao's wedding was a grand affair, with a total of 128 loads of dowry, which filled four warehouses. It took quite a lot of work to pack it up.

The entire Jing'an Marquis's Mansion was turned upside down before everything was put back in order.

Lady Jing'an's eyes were red as she watched all these valuable things being packed into boxes. She was really reluctant to part with them and wanted to regret it a thousand times.

Gu Zhizhuo stood in the middle of the courtyard and gave the order: "Move."

"Finish moving quickly, and I'll book some tables for you guys to have a nice drink and celebrate."

"Thank you, young lady."

Lao Dan and others responded with a heroic fist salute.

The guards divided the work in an orderly manner, and the dowry was carried out from the main gate of the Jing'an Marquis' Mansion one after another, exactly the same as when it was carried in.

Lady Jing'an covered her chest with her hands, feeling a dull pain.

These should all belong to the Qin family.

They should all be her grandchildren!

It was almost three o'clock in the morning when Gu Liaoliao's companions followed the last box of dowry out of the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion and ran into Qin Su who had just returned from the palace.

Qin Su stared blankly at the boxes and crates being carried out, then looked at Gu Zhizhuo, and then looked at the boxes and crates again, completely unaware of what was happening.

He couldn't help but ask, "Sister Zhuo, what are you doing..."

There was a vague sense of unease lingering in his heart.

He could have been back in three quarters of an hour, but when he was about to leave the palace, the commander called him over and asked about the third prince falling into the water. This delay made him too late.

"Sister Zhuo?"

A faint smile escaped Gu Zhizhuo's lips. "My Lord, when your precious son holds his third birthday banquet, my Gu family will come again..." She emphasized the words, "to congratulate you!"

After saying that, she walked away.

Qin Su's anxiety almost burst out. He gripped the reins tightly and galloped into the mansion.

"My Lord."

The attendant, with a bruised face and nose, hurried out and said in a panic, "Madam has signed the divorce documents for you, and the Gu family has taken away all the dowry for the Crown Prince's wife."

I originally wanted to go find the prince, but the guards of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion forced the door shut and wouldn't let anyone out.

Qin Su: "..."

His body shook, a fishy and sweet taste came out of his throat, and a mouthful of blood spurted out.

"My Lord!"

Qin Su's eyes went dark and he fell off the horse.