Chapter 234 Dismissal
Gu Huan watched Mu Junyan leave through the secret door and then walked out of the room.
It was still dark, and through the wooden window I could see the sky was just beginning to turn white.
Dong Qing, who was sleeping on the couch in the outer room on night duty, heard the noise and quickly got up when he saw Gu Huan.
He asked in surprise, "Madam, you woke up so early?"
"Yes. Go and call Zhou Chunyu and Zhou Zhilan over. I have something important to tell them."
Gu Huan almost didn't sleep all night, but she was full of energy.
"Okay." Dongqing quickly put on her coat.
After a while, Zhou Chunyu and Zhou Zhilan arrived.
Zhou Zhilan didn't even have time to comb her hair, so she just randomly tied it up with a headband.
He nervously grabbed Gu Huan's hand and said, "What's wrong with you? Can't sleep? Are you feeling uncomfortable? Go and ask Chen Li to check on you."
Gu Huan shook her head: "No. Mu Junyan came back last night."
She paused, and seeing that the two did not look surprised, she said directly: "He will come back often in the future, so the Yongguo Mansion must be well protected."
The two men's expressions suddenly became serious and they nodded in unison.
Zhou Chunyu knew the situation outside: "The court has been a bit chaotic recently, and there are many rumors in the capital. We need to be more cautious. The whereabouts of the master must not be known to others."
Zhou Zhilan continued, "I've been wanting to say this for a long time. We don't need so many people in our mansion. We can get rid of all the people we bought from the capital. These people are bound to have a thousand connections with the people in the capital. Who knows, if someone talks too much, he might become a thorn in someone else's side."
Gu Huan nodded: "Let's go discuss it with mother."
The main issue is Mu An.
He is like a custom-made bomb that could explode at any time.
The three of them went to Xiangrui Hall together and discussed with the old lady for a while. Zhou Chunyu and Zhou Zhilan quickly began to identify and clear out all the people in the outer courtyard who were not from the original Mu family army or who had served the family for two or three generations. They were not sold by human traffickers either. Instead, they were given house slave certificates and money to dismiss them.
Early in the morning, the Mu Mansion was like an earthquake, and everyone was shocked.
Some people cried and didn't want to leave, while others happily took the house slave certificate and severance pay and expressed gratitude profusely.
It was not until noon that all the people who had been cleared out were sent away.
The interior layout of the house has also been changed, except for the white banners and lanterns still hung outside the main door and in front of the screen wall at the entrance.
Security was heightened in Xiangrui Hall and Wenhan Pavilion, and the mourning decorations in the inner courtyard were removed.
The rest of the servants didn't have to wear mourning either.
Gu Huan asked Dong Qing to go to Xiubofang and Linlanglou to order a few sets of plain skirts and jewelry for her and the old lady, so that they wouldn't have to wear all white all day, which was unlucky.
After all, Mu Junyan is still alive, and Gu Huan feels uncomfortable and doesn't want him to be affected by bad luck.
Gu Huan learned etiquette very well. During this period, she gradually received invitations from officials' wives to appreciate flowers, listen to music, etc.
Last night she discussed with Mu Junyan that one of them would be in the Ming Dynasty and be responsible for making friends with the officials' wives.
One is in the dark, planning and strategizing.
In the past few days, Wang Linyi's injuries have improved and she can walk. She is not idle either. She chats with the old lady every day. Seeing Gu Huan and the others busy every day, she can't help but ask, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Gu Huan smiled and said, "Nothing much, the two mothers can just chat."
Seeing Wang Linyi hesitated to speak.
The old lady smiled and took her arm: "Let the young people do the work, and we can just have fun leisurely. Don't cause trouble for them, just help them. Come on, let's play cards."
Wang Linyi felt a little guilty.
"Huan'er is pregnant, and I can't help them at all. I'm really useless. Will the old lady dislike me?"
The old lady laughed cheerfully: "How can I dislike you? I am a rude person and never pay attention to those etiquettes. It's good enough that you don't dislike me."
Wang Linyi blushed, "Although I was born in the Wang family of Langya, we are a small branch family. At that time, the head of the Wang family of Langya did not have a girl of the right age to marry into the Wenchang Marquis's Mansion. Otherwise, it would not have been my turn."
"We in the military often say that it doesn't matter where a hero comes from. One's status is given by one's parents, but one can change everything through hard work. Look at Huan'er, she was bullied so badly in your house, but now she has become a completely different person. Isn't she showing the aura of a mistress of the house? So people can change through hard work."
Wang Linyi nodded hesitantly, his eyes slightly red.
"I want to see my grandmother! You dogs dare to stop me! I will kill you!"
There was a commotion outside, and the old lady's face darkened when she heard the noise.
Yi Niang hurried out.
"Sir."
She stopped Mu An who broke in.
Mu An had a bald beard and was holding a bloody sword. He chopped down anyone who stood in his way.
Yi Niang looked at the person who fell to the ground behind her, and anger appeared on her face.
"Sir! What do you mean?"
"What do you mean?"
Mu An stared with a pair of red eyes, waved his arm and pointed outside: "That bitch dared to seal the door of my Zui Mo Xuan, what does she want to do? She wants to drive me out so that the evil child in her belly can inherit the Duke's Mansion, right?"
Yi Niang's face was grim: "Master, be careful with your words! Madam is pregnant with the master's posthumous child!"
"Bah. A posthumous child? That bitch is a fickle woman. She slept with me and seduced my father. I don't know who else she slept with. Who dares to say..."
Before he could finish his words, a figure rushed towards him like crazy. Before he could react, there was a crisp sound and a scratch was made on his face.
Mu An didn't hold the sword firmly in his hand and it fell to the ground with a clang.
Wang Linyi was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at him and cursed: "You are talking nonsense! My Huan'er is innocent, don't insult her!"
Mu An covered his burning face. Seeing that it was Wang Linyi, he was even more furious with red eyes: "Bitch! How dare you hit me! I am the son of a dignified Duke, but you, a bitch, fooled me into marrying a fake daughter and brought me to this point! I will kill you!"
After saying that, he picked up the sword and stabbed towards Wang Linyi.
Just as the sword was about to pierce Wang Linyi's chest, a wooden dragon head suddenly stretched out and blocked Mu An's sword.
Mu An's hands went numb from the shock, his sword fell to the ground with a clang, and he looked up in surprise.
The old lady held the staff in one hand and raised it up, knocking his sword away. She then swept it horizontally, and the dragon-headed staff hit Mu An's abdomen heavily.
He was shaken so much that he stepped back repeatedly and finally lost his balance and sat down on the bluestone floor, screaming in pain.
My butt hurt, and my stomach hurt even more. I covered my stomach and stared at the old lady in horror and grievance.
"Grandma! Why do you do this to me?"
The old lady had a cold face, even with a hint of disgust: "Don't call me grandma, I can't bear to be called grandma by you."
Mu An's face froze, and a ferocious look of anger crept onto his face.
Gu Huan, Zhou Zhilan and others rushed over after hearing the news, and their faces turned pale when they saw a bunch of people being hacked.
All the injured were helped away, and Zhou Zhilan protected Gu Huan and brought her closer to the old lady.
Gu Huan couldn't help feeling disgusted when she saw Mu An.
She supported the old lady and said, "Mother, you are frightened. Today, my daughter-in-law ordered the door leading to the main courtyard of Zuimoxuan to be sealed. I arranged for craftsmen to enlarge the corner door of Zuimoxuan so that it can be opened to the outside. Mu An can go out at will without being confined to his house."
This was the idea Mu Junyan gave her.
The matter of setting up a new mansion could only be dealt with after Mu Junyan's return, so the doors of the two courtyards were simply closed, and Zuimoxuan became an independent courtyard, which also meant one less thing for the Duke's Mansion.
It's not a solution to keep him under house arrest all the time. Letting him out first might lure out the person who wants to take action.
Mu An roared angrily: "Bitch, don't even think about kicking me out of the Duke's Mansion! I am my father's legitimate son listed in the family tree! How can you, a little bitch, kick me out at will!"
The old lady said solemnly, "It just so happens that Huan'er is here too. I will explain the matter clearly to prevent some people from distorting the facts and having wishful thinking!"
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