Gu Xinyi shook her head, crying.
"Why are you doing this? Can't the three of us just live a peaceful life together? I know you and Dad have been subservient to the Sixth Branch all these years and feel resentful, but haven't we lived a more noble life than others under the protection of the Sixth Branch?"
"Mom, where is Dad? I need to go find him and release Great-Grandpa."
“Xinyi, don’t do anything foolish. Your dad doesn’t have time to see you right now. You’re not allowed to go anywhere for the next few days. Just stay in your room.”
"No, I don't want to stay here. I want to go out and find my dad."
Seeing that her daughter wouldn't listen to reason, Ye Yuzhen hardened her heart.
He forcefully pushed Gu Xinyi to the ground.
"Ah!" Caught off guard, Gu Xinyi squatted down on the ground, screaming in pain.
A hint of reluctance flashed in Ye Yuzhen's eyes.
But when faced with something big, there's no time to worry about such a small amount of heartache.
She turned around resolutely and reached out to grasp the doorknob.
After opening the door, he turned around and glanced at Gu Xinyi.
“Xinyi, your parents have made up their minds. If you want your father and me to continue to stay with you, it’s best not to do anything. Just pretend that what you saw today never happened. Three days, just three days and I will let you out.”
"No, Mom, you can't do that."
"Bang!" Ye Yuzhen ignored Gu Xinyi's shouts and resolutely closed the door.
He then gave instructions to the servants outside the door.
"Lock the door. No one is allowed to let the young lady out without my permission."
"yes!"
**
After Old Gu was led to the underground secret chamber, the group of people left.
He silently estimated the time in his mind, and about ten minutes later...
Footsteps sounded outside, and then the iron door to the secret room was opened.
The group entered the house, and judging from the sound of their footsteps, there were three of them.
Old Gu stood upright, and although he was old, his aura inspired awe.
Gu Tingjun glanced at Pei Shaoyuan beside him.
He gave him a look, signaling him to speak.
Pei Shaoyuan chuckled softly.
"Second brother, you are more familiar with Grandpa Gu, so why don't you talk to him?"
"You brat, you dare to scheme against me?" Gu Tingjun shouted angrily in a low voice.
Before coming in, he had discussed it with Pei Shaoyuan, and he would force the old man to hand over power.
Once inside, the kid turned his back on everything.
Upon hearing the man's voice, Old Master Gu's expression changed slightly.
"Pei Yuanshao?"
"Hehe, old man, your hearing and memory are truly beyond the reach of us young people. We've only met once, yet you've already remembered my voice."
Old Gu sneered: "Heh, I knew that with Gu Tingjun's guts, he would never dare to do something so audacious on his own. So it turns out you were the one instigating him behind the scenes."
When Gu Tingjun was singled out by Elder Gu, he immediately panicked.
Although he had the old man under his control at the moment, his fear of the old man had been deeply ingrained over the years.
"Sixth Grandfather, since you know it was me who did it, and we all have the blood of the Gu family flowing through our veins, I can't bear to see you suffer. Let's be frank today. Over the years, our second branch has always followed your lead, and my grandfather and father have always been loyal to the sixth branch. But how have you treated us? Heh, you've treated us like thieves, always on guard. Your son, Gu Zhizhou, in what way is he more capable than me? But because he has you as his father, he's risen through the ranks since joining the army, while what about me? I can only hold a powerless, idle position. Humph, I've long been dissatisfied with him. With my abilities, I should be in Gu Zhizhou's position."
After hearing Gu Tingjun's words, Old Master Gu's stern lips curled into a disdainful twitch.
"Gu Tingjun, do you know where your biggest problem lies? Hmph, it's that you're far less intelligent than your grandfather and father. Before your father passed away, I was by his bedside when he personally told me that you were reckless and that he was afraid you would cause trouble and ruin the second branch of the family's business. He told me not to assign you any highly competitive positions."
Old Master Gu sighed deeply: "Indeed, no one knows a son better than his father. Your father knew long ago that you harbored wolfish ambitions and had a premonition that you would get into trouble sooner or later."
"You're talking nonsense. My father would never say such a thing to you. The achievements of the second branch over the years are all thanks to me, Gu Tingjun. My grandfather and my father are just good-for-nothings. My eldest grandfather passed away early, so according to the order of succession, my grandfather should be the eldest son of the Gu family. I just don't understand why the Gu family still uses the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children in this day and age. All the good things are given to the legitimate son first, while the illegitimate son has to live like a servant, always around the legitimate son. My grandfather and my father suffered greatly because of this, so they lived a miserable life. Not only were they miserable themselves, but they also wanted their descendants to be miserable as well."
Gu Tingjun revealed his truest thoughts, and at this moment he had no more reservations.
Old Master Gu shook his head: "Do you think the reason the Sixth Branch has always controlled the Gu Family is simply because it is the direct line?"
Gu Tingjun sneered: "Otherwise what? I don't believe that the Gu family can't function without your sixth branch."
Old Gu gave a mocking laugh.
"Without the existence of the Sixth Branch, you only have a grasp of some things about the Gu family on the surface. The wealth and strength hidden in the shadows of the Gu family can only be inherited by my descendants. The Gu family has not been established for hundreds of years, and there is a reason for its survival. You only see a fertile island of the Gu family that has emerged from the water, but you do not know that what supports this island is beneath the water."
Gu Tingjun frowned, lost in thought.
He understood that the Gu family's hidden power was beyond the control of the rest of the Gu family.
The old man wasn't lying about this. If the Sixth Branch of the family were to fall, the hidden forces and wealth they had created would definitely not continue to serve the Gu family.
At that time, all these seemingly glamorous things on the surface will become nothing but illusions, and they will likely be replaced by others in just a few years.
What outsiders fear and respect is not only General Gu's illustrious military achievements and prestige, but also the hidden power of the Gu family.
Gu Tingjun admitted that he couldn't do that yet.
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