"Madam Third Young Master, are you sure you want me to help you with the inventory and audit?" Li Xiangsheng said, and from time to time he looked back at Li Xiangji who was standing beside him.
The Third Prince sat there expressionlessly and calmly as always, without uttering a single word of criticism throughout the entire process.
Li Xiangsheng was even more complacent. It seemed that Gu Qing had already seen through the signs of the factional struggle, otherwise, he would not have embarrassed the third prince in public.
Now his followers have been growing stronger day by day, as long as the disaster relief funds are properly handled -
The emperor naturally looked at him differently.
Li Xiangji smiled awkwardly, paused briefly, and then said slowly, "The Fifth Prince usually behaves in a dignified manner. Handing this matter over to the younger brother is obvious to all, and everyone can rest assured."
"Royal brother, I'm afraid there's something wrong with this matter. After all, it's a task assigned to you by our father and mother. How can you let me steal your limelight?" Li Xiangsheng couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips as he spoke.
"Father often sighs that Your Highness is upright and honest in his work. We are all confident in Your Highness's work." Gu Qing said with a smile and called to the servants around him, indicating that these things should be sorted and packed and taken to the fifth prince for review.
Although Li Xiangsheng noticed something strange about this matter, he still couldn't figure it out.
The servant beside him whispered in his ear: "Your Highness, this is understandable. After all, Lord Gu and you are on the same side. Gu Qing is also a smart person. She can see that the Third Prince..."
Li Xiangsheng couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips. He said in a cold voice, "Interesting."
Throughout the whole process, Chen Zhizhou witnessed everything happening in front of him, with a calm face. He sat aside, silent and taciturn.
Afterwards, when the servants were carrying the treasure out, he instructed the servants in the mansion to take out one thousand taels of silver from the treasury, which would be considered the disaster relief silver donated by the Chen family to the court.
One thousand taels is neither too much nor too little. It just complements the Chen family's dignity without stealing the limelight from others.
This Hongmen Banquet ended abruptly after everyone donated money and supplies.
The watery rice porridge with side dishes was hard for these children of the powerful to swallow. Who could eat it?
Before taking out the gold, silver and treasures, the Chen family has to count them first.
When filling in the amount of money and gold, Gu Qing directly ordered someone to write down 14,000 taels.
As for the jewelry, she even ordered someone to change it to around 30,000 taels...
"Your Highness, this is the donation from the descendants of famous families in the capital. Please take a look." Gu Qing walked towards Li Xiangsheng and handed the list in her hands to him with both hands.
At this moment, Li Xiangsheng had no time to study how much these people donated. He was just curious about what Gu Qing's intention was.
"The Third Young Master's wife's attitude has changed so quickly. This really makes me feel flattered." Li Xiangsheng glanced at Gu Qing with a pair of malicious eyes.
Gu Qing bowed slightly and saluted. She said in a low voice without being servile or humble, "Good birds choose trees to rest in. This principle is something that even poultry understand. How could Gu Qing not understand it?"
All this is just the beginning.
As early as that day, when Chen Zhizhou came back and told her that the court did not have enough disaster relief funds and the emperor threw this difficult problem to the third prince, she figured out something.
Instead of sitting and waiting to die, becoming a fish on someone else's chopping board, it is better to take the initiative and attack, so that you can still have a glimmer of hope of survival!
"Qing'er."
A cold and magnetic male voice came from behind Gu Qing.
She couldn't help but be slightly stunned, and when she glanced back, she was surprised to find that it was Chen Zhizhou who came.
Chen Zhizhou first saluted Li Xiangsheng with his fists clasped, then said politely: "If the people Your Highness brought are not enough, I can--"
Before Chen Zhizhou could finish his words, Li Xiangsheng interrupted him decisively, "No need for that. Just let the people below handle this small matter."
After seeing off Li Xiangsheng and his group, Gu Qing stood at the door of the Chen family mansion with a smile on his face.
She couldn't stop giggling, which made Chen Zhizhou beside her puzzled.
Chen Zhizhou frowned slightly and looked her up and down with a hint of suspicion: "You're so happy just because I helped the Fifth Prince?"
"Of course!" Gu Qing smiled like a flower and handed over the two lists with Li Xiangsheng's seal on them. Then she blinked and smiled knowingly at Chen Zhizhou.
The number of people coming and going from the Chen family today was complicated, and Li Xiangsheng had no time to carefully count how much stuff his subordinates had brought with them...
Gu Qing did not dare to make the false accounts too obvious, as the error was only a few thousand taels of silver.
only--
"His Majesty instructed the Third Prince to do this. If the Third Prince and I fail to do our job properly, we will still be charged with incompetence..." After Chen Zhizhou finished speaking, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
He naturally understood Gu Qing's intentions.
The disaster relief funds were transferred to the Fifth Prince. Firstly, the Fifth Prince would have to pay out of his own pocket to make up for the error in the accounts. Secondly, the disaster relief money had a source, which was a good thing for the people.
But for the third prince and the Chen family, it was a disaster.
"You don't understand. There's a saying that goes, 'The crying child gets the milk.' As long as we use a little trick, His Majesty will definitely not blame us for this. If you don't believe it, just wait and see!" Gu Qing smiled, with a hint of cunning in his eyes.
She and Chen Zhizhou had known each other for two lifetimes, and the same was naturally true for the three prince's brothers.
Having dealt with Li Xiangsheng for two lifetimes, she already knew this man's character very well.
If nothing unexpected happens, Li Xiangsheng will naturally go to the palace to ask for credit tonight.
But the emperor was suspicious by nature. Even if the third prince said nothing and did nothing—
The old emperor would naturally guess that Li Xiangsheng had stolen Li Xiangji's limelight.
By then, Li Xiangsheng will be able to experience what it means to shoot oneself in the foot!
"As a husband, I don't know when Madam learned to be so insidious and cunning. It doesn't seem like what a woman would do at all—" Chen Zhizhou looked at her with eyes full of admiration and praise.
Gu Qing smiled playfully as if she didn't care. She gently punched Chen Zhizhou's strong chest with her hand: "What do you mean by cunning and deceitful? I am called icy and smart, you!"
While the two of them were flirting, a figure walked quickly towards them from a distance...
Old Madam Chen hurried towards them, her face filled with anxiety. "Qing'er, how were you today? Did those nobles from outside say anything about what you did? Did our Chen family not get any gossip?"
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