Her elder brother, Chen Yuan, became Chen Shu's lifeline.

The brother and sister had a good relationship. Although the older brother was not talkative, he had always treated his younger sister well.

Following Gu An'an's advice, Chen Shu went to find her brother. He did not stay at the Chen residence, but instead lived in a house bestowed upon him by the Longqing Emperor.

Watching the people leave, Man Niang sighed, "These aristocratic families may look glamorous, but they're not all that great inside."

Gu An'an sighed, "People all over the world come and go for profit."

The same applies to aristocratic families, except that they don't care about petty gains, but rather about matters related to their family.

However, the honor of the family and the ambition of men must be built on the sacrifice of women. Gu An'an really looked down on this kind of honor.

Looking at the person who was filled with emotion, Man Niang couldn't help but laugh, "The master is a wise man, our young master and young lady are indeed blessed."

Gu An'an smiled and said, "They have their own lives too."

As for how they will fare in the future, that depends on their own fate.

However, within her means, Gu An'an will naturally give these children the best.

When Chen Yuan came to her door alone, Gu An'an wasn't surprised at all.

This man had previously gone to Anping County to help him because of a letter from Chen Bei. Now that his own sister's marriage was involved, how could he, as the elder brother, possibly stay out of it?

The young general, who had achieved fame at a young age, looked somewhat solemn. "Thank you for reminding Shu'er."

They were saying thank you, but it sounded more like they were demanding a debt.

If Gu An'an hadn't known that this person was always like this, she felt she would have been truly frightened by him.

"Chen Shu has helped me a lot. Without her, this tournament would not have been able to proceed so smoothly. It's just a matter of returning the favor."

That's what they said, but Chen Yuan knew it wasn't just a simple exchange of gifts.

Chen Shu helped only because she was somewhat playful; helping was merely going with the flow.

But Gu An'an's reminder was a real lifesaver in her time of crisis.

Otherwise, if he hadn't known, given his little sister's current panicked state, he would probably have already been tricked by his grandparents.

"I owe you a favor, and I will repay you in the future."

Gu An'an watched the person turn and leave, and she burst out laughing. This person was really quite interesting.

She instructed Manniang to keep an eye out and inquire, but as a newcomer, she didn't find out much useful information. In the end, it was Princess Linglong who came over to gossip with her.

“My mother told me that yesterday the Emperor’s uncle was furious and said he would dismiss Chen Yuan from his post. Do you know why?”

Gu An'an pretended not to know, "General Chen didn't complete the task assigned by His Majesty?"

"No, that's not it. It's said that before the Emperor's uncle had even finished handing over his duties, Chen Yuan left the capital, which infuriated the Emperor's uncle, who said that Chen Yuan had no respect for the Emperor and his father."

Is Chen Yuan's plan to escape the capital with Chen Shu?

Isn't General Chen's method a bit too simplistic and crude?

However, leaving the capital is necessary; otherwise, if one cannot even leave, one will be at the mercy of others.

That's not good.

Princess Linglong pouted as she looked at the person who was so adept at being perfunctory, "But I know why he ran away, and you know too, right?"

The girl rushed up to Gu An'an and said, "Fourth brother, you have no shame. His son is only a few years younger than Chen Shu, yet you want to have an affair with a young girl. You're shameless."

This left Gu An'an even more speechless.

Princess Linglong didn't expect Gu An'an to say anything. She just complained to herself, "My imperial uncle is getting old, and my imperial brothers are all restless. You mustn't get involved with them, or you might end up in trouble."

"I'm just a small-scale business owner, how could I be qualified?"

"Don't say that," Princess Linglong muttered. "His Highness the Crown Prince fell in love with a merchant's daughter before and insisted on taking her as a concubine. He even offended his maternal uncle because of this. I'm not saying you should marry anyone, but these princes are capable of anything for the throne."

Princess Linglong is still young. She has been a royal princess since she can remember. People who live surrounded by gold and silver are closest to the core of power.

Because she was a girl, she was not viewed with suspicion by the public. In fact, this little princess, whom everyone thought was love-struck, was quite aware of the power struggles and intrigues involved.

But who can she tell?

Her mother wanted her to be a wealthy and leisurely person, and her father didn't expect her to have any future; he just wanted her to live a peaceful and happy life.

She was not on good terms with the princesses in the palace, and her relationship with the noble ladies was only casual.

She couldn't find anyone she could confide in, and she never expected that the person she finally had a place to vent to would be Gu An'an.

"I was just kidding, don't take it seriously. By the way, Gu An'an, my mother is hosting a banquet and flower viewing party at the mansion in a few days. Do you want to come and join the fun?"

"Is this the season for flower viewing?"

Princess Linglong laughed, "That's right, she grew the peonies in a glass greenhouse."

Yes, if it's grown in a greenhouse, it's not impossible.

"I was just being naive, but I won't be going to the princess's banquet."

Seeing this, Princess Linglong felt bored. "Actually, these banquets are not very interesting. I would like to go out and travel around, but unfortunately my father and mother disagree. By the way, Gu An'an, I heard that you are very good at cooking. You are very good at cooking. What can you cook?"

The royal princess in front of her was a talkative young girl who kept pulling Gu An'an into conversation, wanting to know what the world outside the capital was like.

When Chen Bei came looking for her, Princess Linglong's smile faded slightly.

Gu An'an also felt uneasy; why was he here at this time?

In his haste, Chen Bei didn't think too much about it and asked, "Sister Gu, how have you been lately?"

He only learned from his elder brother's letter that his grandfather and the others had been sabotaging Sister Gu. This made Chen Bei very flustered, so he asked for leave from the Imperial Academy and came here.

As for Princess Linglong's angry expression, Chen Bei completely ignored it.

"I'm fine," Gu An'an said gently, "Your Highness has helped me a lot. In fact, I should treat you to a meal at Wuweiju."

"What's so good about the food at Wuweiju? I'm so tired of it. How about you make me a couple of your signature dishes?"

This suggestion put Gu An'an in a difficult position. "I'm afraid it won't be very convenient for me to stay at an inn."

"It's alright, Sister Gu. My mother has prepared a house for me in the capital. It has everything you need. You can host a banquet for the princess there."

Princess Linglong huffed and puffed, “So you think you’re so great just because you have a house? I have one too. My mother also bought me a house. Gu An’an, you can come to my place.”