Chapter 728 If she ranks second, no one dares to claim they are number one!

forecourt.

Outside the study.

Thunder rumbled and rain poured down relentlessly.

Gu Qianhan already knows everything that happened after Shen Wantang arrived today, including their conversations and even what her maid said.

The guard knelt on the hard bluestone ground, his body already soaked with sweat and his legs numb. He was about to collapse, but Jixiang, who was kneeling beside him because of him, stood upright and knelt meticulously without the slightest slackening.

Jixiang had served his master since childhood and grew up with him. Their bond was extraordinary. Even Jixiang dared not fall down, so how could he?

The entire courtyard was dark tonight, with no lights on, except for the occasional flash of lightning that tore through the darkness, illuminating the surroundings in a stark white light.

He didn't dare to look up at Gu Qianhan's face, because he knew without looking that his expression must be icy cold.

Earlier, Fuze came to tell Jixiang that when the Second Young Master returned to Qionghua Courtyard, he was kicked out by the Second Young Mistress. The Second Young Mistress could not enter his study, and from now on, he would no longer need to enter her courtyard.

The arrogant and unparalleled second young master was turned away and could not even return to the courtyard where he had lived since childhood.

And the culprit behind all of this was this very guard.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he heard Gu Qianhan speak coldly:

"Mo Feng."

The guard was startled and quickly bowed, saying, "Your subordinate is here! Your subordinate knows his mistake and will never dare to do it again! Please punish me, Second Young Master!"

"From this day forward, you are no longer my subordinate."

The guard looked up abruptly, his face deathly pale: "Second Young Master!"

"I never imagined that the wife I went to great lengths to marry would be so harassed and humiliated by my own men. Because of you, I have no face to see her now."

"Your subordinate knows his mistake! Your subordinate was confused for a moment. He thought that the young master and the eldest young mistress were discussing important matters in the study and should not be disturbed, so he took it upon himself to stop the second young mistress! Your subordinate was thinking that he would inform you about the second young mistress's matter after the eldest young mistress came out, Your subordinate—"

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Qianhan kicked him away.

Amidst the torrential rain, Gu Qianhan's voice was sharp and furious: "You idiot who can't even distinguish her own mistress! This is tantamount to betraying her master! What is Meng Yunlan anyway? Shen Wantang is my lawfully wedded wife! She is your master!"

"You're my subordinate, how dare you stop my people?! And you even dare to use my elder brother to humiliate her, you're not worthy! In the entire Duke's mansion, if Shen Wantang says she's second, no one dares to say they're first! I'm not good enough, my father isn't good enough, and my elder brother and sister-in-law are even less good!"

"Luckily, she didn't have anything urgent to do today. If she had, and you had delayed her because of your interference, how am I supposed to explain it to her?!"

The guard lay on the ground, raising his head in pain and shock.

Is the second young mistress really that important to the second young master?

How could this be? How is this possible!

He has been following the second young master for three years. The second young master never cares about anyone. He is exceptionally intelligent and regards the common people as ants. He is a cold and ruthless person by nature!

If we're talking about who he's been polite to, it's undoubtedly the eldest young mistress, Meng Yunlan!

Even Gu Qianning, the eldest daughter of the Duke's mansion, is never given a kind look by the second young master, but he treats Meng Yunlan with courtesy!

Therefore, he thought that the Second Young Master only respected Meng Yunlan, and that everyone else, including Shen Wantang, was just a figurehead.

He struggled to his feet and knelt before Gu Qianhan: "Your subordinate knows his mistake. I beg you, young master, to give me a chance to make amends and allow me to apologize to the second young mistress in person."

"You're not worthy to apologize to her."

Gu Qianhan's emotions had vanished without a trace, as if his previous rage was just an illusion.

His sharply defined face regained its indifference: "However, you should kneel outside Qionghua Courtyard first. You slapped her face today, and the whole mansion knows it. It will spread outside tomorrow. She has lost all face. We have to get some back for her. Kneel for a few days, until everyone knows about it, and then you can leave. But you are not allowed to step into the Duke's mansion again."

The guard knelt down, his face filled with remorse: "Yes."

"auspicious."

Jixiang, who had been kneeling like a wooden stake, moved slightly: "Young Master."

“As my personal servant, you didn’t even know the young mistress had arrived, leaving her stranded outside. This is dereliction of duty. From today onwards, you will be punished by feeding the horses in the stables and will be fined six months’ wages.”

Ji Xiang felt relieved. Thank goodness, the young master hadn't driven him away; he had left him a way out.

He quickly bowed and said, "Yes! Thank you, young master!"

"We've passed this hurdle," Ji Xiang thought with relief, while quickly pulling up the guard, "Mo Feng, get back here right now!"

The guard followed him, looking dejected.

That's it, he's lost his job. He can no longer act arrogantly outside, and he won't be able to get such generous monthly wages and bonuses anymore.

If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have coveted the young mistress's money. Now he's lost more than he gained.

They left, and the courtyard became quiet again.

After a long while, Gu Qianhan spoke again: "Blessing, Obsidian."

"Yes, sir!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Give the order: from this day forward, everyone shall treat the Second Young Madam as if she were me. Her orders are my orders, and anyone who dares to disobey will be severely punished!"

"yes!"

"There's one more thing, Obsidian. I asked you to investigate the carriage matter. Have you found out anything?"

"It's been investigated."

"explain."

"The young mistress's carriage was deliberately damaged, and it was the young mistress herself who instructed the coachman to do so. She must have... deliberately caused the carriage to break down on the only route from the Prince's Mansion back to the Duke's Mansion, waiting for the eldest son to finish his shift."

"That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking why, since her carriage broke down, and Granny Yan clearly sent someone to the manor to inform them, the manor didn't send a carriage to pick her up?!"

Obsidian's expression hardened. He realized that his master didn't care what tricks or schemes the young mistress had used. He only cared whether the young mistress had been wronged or bullied.

He quickly said, "There was a problem with the eldest young mistress. She was scolded by the madam because of the matter in the study, and she was in a bad mood, so she refused to see Steward Pang when he asked to. Since the eldest young mistress didn't give the order, Steward Pang didn't dare to send out a carriage on his own. Otherwise, if the Duke and his wife needed a carriage, he would be punished if he couldn't provide one."

Gu Qianhan sneered: "It's not like we only have one carriage in the manor. Sending one to pick someone up requires such reporting and approval? What a joke! Anyone who didn't know better would think that our Duke's manor has fallen so low that carriages are more valuable than people!"

"Young master, Steward Pang said that he originally wanted to report the matter of sending a carriage, but the eldest young mistress turned around and went to the madam's courtyard and hasn't come out yet, so the matter has been delayed."

Gu Qianhan's eyes flashed with mockery: "Butler Meng Yunlan is really good at managing things. How come I never realized she was so capable before? In order to avoid sending a carriage to Atang, she actually risked being scolded by her mother and hid in her mother's courtyard again! She really knows how to find a scapegoat!"