Hopefully, Zheng Huiyi won't be so foolish as to dream of venturing into the world, which would be tantamount to courting disaster.

After arranging everything, Gu Qinlan gently rubbed her dry eyes and turned to ask, "Has my uncle's family gotten up yet?"

"Qinlan, your cousin mentioned that there is a courtyard for rent in the west of the city. Your aunt and I are planning to go and take a look. If it is suitable, we will rent it."

Looking at Gu Qinlan's exhausted face, Jiang Wenyuan felt a pang of tenderness in his heart.

Gu Qinlan asked with slight anxiety, "Uncle, are you not used to living here? Or are the servants not attentive enough?"

The servants of the Duan Prince's mansion, spoiled by the Duan Princess and others, have become unruly, and she fears they might gossip about the Jiang family behind her back.

Jiang Wenyuan hurriedly explained, “You misunderstand. The Duan Prince’s Mansion is indeed a good place, and the servants there are extremely attentive. We just thought that since we have chosen to settle here, we should settle our families down as soon as possible. If we stay here for too long, I am worried that it will spoil the children. Everyone has their own ambitions, and they should enjoy the life that is within their means. The luxurious life of the Duan Prince’s Mansion is not something they can afford at present.”

Both sons of the Jiang family have started their own families and now have four grandchildren, the oldest being seven years old and the youngest only three years old.

However, Jiang Wenyuan's words were merely an excuse. He was unwilling to distract Gu Qinlan from taking care of their family at this crucial moment.

Gu Qinlan could not possibly misunderstand his meaning, so she immediately tried to offer her advice.

Jiang Wenyuan raised his hand to stop her: "Qinlan, I understand your good intentions, but you should also understand the difficulties your aunt and I face. We have a long future ahead of us, so there's no need to rush. Let's move away temporarily so you can focus on handling the important matters in the mansion. Once everything is settled, we can gather together again."

“If anything changes in the household, we will not interfere if you do not speak of it. But no matter how great the problem, even if the sky falls and the earth cracks, we will share it with you. Do not bear everything alone. From today onwards, you are no longer alone. You have us, your family, by your side.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qinlan felt a warmth in her heart, her eyes reddened, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.

She fought back tears and nodded to Jiang Wenyuan: "I will keep it in mind. Since my uncle and aunt have made their decision, I will follow your arrangements. But if you need any help, please let me know. We are family and should support each other. I will be deeply saddened if you become distant from me."

Then she turned to Hongye and instructed, "Go and fetch a hundred taels of silver."

Jiang Wenyuan hurriedly stopped her: "What do you mean? I still have money on hand."

Gu Qinlan remained steadfast: "Uncle, since I've followed your wishes, you should listen to me this once. I know you don't want to be a burden to me, but I can't bear to see you living in poverty. Since you say we're family, you must accept this gesture. Consider it a loan from me."

She knew the Jiang family's current situation very well. They had just returned from exile and then moved the whole family. Where would they have much money left?

Although one hundred taels of silver is not a lot, it is enough for the Jiang family to rent a well-equipped courtyard and settle down, with some extra money to maintain their daily life.

She will take the matter seriously and continue to provide them with assistance.

Having heard her words, how could Jiang Wenyuan bear to refuse? So he accepted the stack of silver notes.

Jiang Wenyuan was always a man of action; once he had the silver notes in hand, he immediately invited Yao to go to the west of the city to find a place to stay.

Originally, they didn't have much money, and the houses they could choose from were very limited, and most of them were in poor condition. However, now, with the help of one hundred taels of silver, their choices have been greatly expanded. In just half a day, they found a suitable courtyard and paid a deposit.

Meanwhile, Gu Qinlan had a good sleep.

After two consecutive sleepless nights, she simply couldn't hold on any longer.

Fuyu was worried about Gu Qinlan's health, so she ordered the kitchen to prepare a calming and brain-boosting soup. After Gu Qinlan took it, Fuyu closed the doors and windows, dismissed all the servants who had stayed up all night, and left only Fuyu, who had not stayed up all night, to guard the courtyard, while the others went to rest.

When Gu Qinlan woke up, it was already getting dark.

There has been no word from Zheng Huiyi.

When Jiang Ye reported the news, his tone was cautious. "I personally led the team to the nunnery where the old lady was praying, but we couldn't find any trace of the young lady along the way. I also asked the monks in the nunnery, and they said they hadn't seen the young lady come to ask for help."

"Neither the Zheng family's collateral branches nor the eldest daughter's maternal family have any news about her. The only clue now is the direction of the northern frontier."

Gu Qinlan said solemnly, "The Northern Frontier is the least likely possibility. She left home because of the shock of her brother's letter, and her heart must be filled with resentment towards him right now. Moreover, the Northern Frontier has rugged terrain and is a long and arduous journey..."

At this point, Gu Qinlan paused briefly, realizing that she couldn't judge Zheng Huiyi's behavior by ordinary standards, so she continued, "Continue to send people to search towards the northern border. If you really can't find her, then inform her brother."

"In addition, we sent people to various brokerage firms in the city to inquire about information, and also... we tried to find them in brothels."

Mentioning this, Gu Qinlan's mood grew even heavier.

She didn't want to imagine how she would react if Zheng Huiyi actually appeared in those places.

No family could tolerate a woman with such an experience.

She could only pray that God would protect Zheng Huiyi from that fate; otherwise, in order to protect the family's reputation and the reputation of other women, Zheng Huiyi would probably not escape death in the end.

Jiang Ye asked with concern, "If the worst-case scenario really happens, how do you plan to deal with it?"

If Zheng Huiyi really falls into that situation, the Zheng family may ultimately blame Gu Qinlan.

Although Zheng Huiyi brought this upon herself, the Zheng family will certainly take their anger out on others. They might even firmly believe that Gu Qinlan forced Zheng Huiyi down this path of no return.

Gu Qinlan was also completely bewildered and at a loss at this moment.

Her only hope right now is that Zheng Huiyi will have some luck and not encounter the worst possible situation. As for everything else, she can only wait and see.

"It is imperative to keep the news under wraps. Those servants who go out to search must be repeatedly instructed not to leak even the slightest word."

Jiang Ye nodded in agreement: "I have repeatedly reminded you, Madam, please rest assured."

Gu Qinlan waved her hand gently: "Cousin, you've worked so hard these past few days, go and rest for a bit."

Jiang Ye was indeed exhausted. He hadn't even had time to drink water since yesterday.

Worried that falling ill would cause more trouble, Jiang Ye took his leave to rest.

After he left, Gu Qinlan stood alone by the window, gazing at the gloomy sky, her brows furrowed, filled with worry.

Zheng Huiyi, you'd better protect yourself, or you'll find yourself in a desperate situation with nowhere to escape.