Xiao Cui ran back to Zhilan Courtyard excitedly.
"Girl, good news."
The weather was getting warmer, and Gu Jiu was wearing thin spring clothes and leaning on the soft couch.
The window was open and a cool breeze blew in, making the hair at the temples messy.
She raised her hand and tucked the loose hair behind her ear.
I have a history book in my hand and have read one-third of it.
Xiao Cui had a loud voice, so Qingmei shushed her.
"Keep your voice down, the girl is reading."
Xiao Cui quickly lowered her voice and said to Qingmei, "Sister Qingmei, the palace has sent an invitation, inviting the masters to attend a banquet at the palace in six days."
"really?"
Xiao Cui nodded heavily, "Absolutely true. The person who delivered the invitations to the palace is still in the outer courtyard, and the housekeeper is taking care of him."
Qingmei asked again, "Does Madam know?"
Xiao Cui said, "Madam already knows. I heard that the palace not only invited Madam, but also the eldest Madam."
Qingmei's expression was a little serious. "The palace sent an invitation. I guess it's the princess who wants to see a girl."
"The young lady's marriage to Gongzi Zhao has already been decided, and even the wedding date has been set. How can the princess still look at him?"
Xiao Cui asked curiously.
Qingmei glanced at her and said, "You don't understand."
It is not easy for a mother-in-law to choose her future daughter-in-law.
Qingmei walked into the study and came to Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu flipped through the pages of the book and said, "What were you and Xiao Cui whispering about outside?"
Qingmei squatted down and whispered, "My dear lady, the palace has sent an invitation to the masters to attend a banquet in six days."
"Yeah?"
Qingmei nodded, very worried, "I guess that this banquet is because the princess wants to see the girl."
"Just watch it, what are you worried about?"
"This servant is worried that the princess is not satisfied with the girl."
Gu Jiu closed the book and said, "I am not gold or silver. It is impossible for everyone to like me. Whether the princess likes me or not, I will marry Gongzi Zhao. This matter cannot be changed under the imperial decree."
Gu Jiu actually hoped to change the imperial edict so that she would not be allowed to marry Liu Zhao.
However, she did not have that much power. Now she was just an ordinary girl in the boudoir, and her right to speak was limited to the Gu Mansion, and it was very limited.
Once upon a time, Gu Jiu wanted to use Lord Gu's connections to strengthen his influence in the mansion and carefully plan his marriage and future.
When I was in the northwest, the effect was pretty good.
After returning to the capital, especially after she was betrothed to Liu Zhao, Lord Gu no longer called her to talk to him for some unknown reason.
Gu Jiu had read through all sorts of history books this year and had Er Zhuang inquire about the news in the capital. She had a lot of ideas in her head, but she couldn't find an opportunity to put them to use, so she was helpless.
Moreover, Gu Jiu also discovered that Lord Gu’s ideas were actually rather old-fashioned.
Although it doesn't mean that a woman without talent is virtuous, we don't want her to get too involved in outside affairs.
Gradually, Gu Jiu stopped trying so hard to express his thoughts in front of Lord Gu.
Besides, Lord Gu didn't seem to take her ideas seriously.
Perhaps Lord Gu was thinking that she would be getting married soon and there was no point in saying more.
The four words "no point in saying more" say it all.
The man she was going to marry was the grandson of the emperor. If the Ning Palace prospered, the Gu Palace would also benefit. If the Ning Palace suffered misfortune, Master Gu would definitely distance himself from it immediately.
No one knows who will sit on the supreme position in the end.
Therefore, it is useless to say anything now.
Gu Jiu doesn't blame the heaven or the earth.
She accepted her fate and bided her time. She knew very well that the palace was where she could show her abilities.
Her battlefield is in the prince's palace, in the royal family, in the imperial palace, and in the court.
She wanted to cherish the last few months of her single life, be a comfortable girl waiting to get married, and save more for her dowry.
Qingmei said, "But if the princess doesn't like you, you will definitely be in trouble everywhere after marrying into the palace. The princess can make it difficult for you to take a single step in the palace with just one word."
Gu Jiu smiled softly, "What do you want to say? Do you want me to please the princess?"
"It would be great if the princess could be easily pleased." Qingmei sighed.
Gu Jiu pinched Qingmei's cheek and said, "You just think too much. From the day of the arranged marriage, it was destined that the princess would never like me. Why worry about it in vain?"
Qingmei complained on Gu Jiu's behalf, "The princess hasn't even seen the girl, so why doesn't she like her?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "If you hate someone, you don't necessarily have to meet them. In the eyes of the princess, marrying Gongzi Zhao is a real step up.
The princess's family is from the Marquis of Lu, and her husband is the current Prince of Ning. She must have a very high opinion of herself. How could she possibly be attracted to the daughter of a mere prefect of the capital? Do you understand?"
Qingmei nodded and understood.
"It's just that the girl was wronged."
"I'm not wronged."
Gu Jiu's eyebrows curved, and his eyes were full of smiles.
The ivory white dress makes her cheeks look white and smooth, and her face is full of collagen.
A head of black and smooth hair makes people want to reach out and touch it.
Compared to the same year ago, Gu Jiu has undergone a complete transformation.
She has grown taller, more beautiful, and has a better figure. She is no longer the skinny and withered bean sprout she used to be.
Gu Jiu said, "Because of the arranged marriage, I received a dowry of 40,000 taels, 20,000 taels more than Gu Yue. It was also because of the arranged marriage that the servants in the mansion respected me, making my life much more comfortable. It was also because of the arranged marriage that the master turned a blind eye to my opening of a shop outside."
The pearl flower shop that Gu Jiu asked Erzhuang to open was ultimately unable to be hidden from Lord Gu.
However, after Master Gu found out, he didn't say anything and pretended not to know about it. But he privately told Gu Yu to keep an eye on him.
Gu Jiu heard about this from his fourth brother Gu Yu.
The reason why Lord Gu knew that the Zhuhua Shop was opened by Gu Jiu was probably because someone let the cat out of the bag.
Although Erzhuang did not work in the mansion, many elderly people in the mansion knew him.
After learning that he opened a pearl flower shop in the capital, after a little inquiry, she found out that the master behind it was Gu Jiu.
Fortunately, this matter has not yet reached Xie's ears. Otherwise, Xie would have made a fuss and would not have heard of it in peace.
Qingmei opened her mouth and asked, "Do you really think so, girl?"
Gu Jiu nodded and said solemnly: "Think about it carefully, this marriage is not good, but it is not bad either.
The dowry of 40,000 taels consisted of only a few thousand taels of silver, and the rest were farms, shops and other items.
But with this capital, I can do many things in the future. It is much better than the current monthly income of several dozen taels.
The jewelry store I mentioned earlier can be opened after I receive my dowry."
Qingmei chuckled and said, "I have good news for you, young lady. Erzhuang's business was very good last month. After deducting all expenses, Erzhuang sent someone to deliver 120 taels of silver."
Wow!
Gu Jiu became happy.
"It wasn't easy. After a few months of opening, our revenue finally broke through double digits."
"Er Zhuang said that we don't need to invest money to expand the business this month, and we can make more money next month."
Gu Jiu laughed, "The pearl flower business may seem insignificant, but I never thought it could bring in hundreds of taels of profit every month."
In the previous few months, Erzhuang would withhold a portion of the profits every month to hire people to expand the business and to do favors.
For example, expenses such as treating yamen runners to tea and wine.
Therefore, the income sent to Gu Jiu was not much, only thirty or forty taels.
But even if it was only thirty or forty taels, it was equivalent to Gu Jiu's monthly salary for most of the year, which made Gu Jiu feel much more comfortable financially, and he would not feel any pain in rewarding his servants.
Now everything in Jumeizhai is on track and expenses have been reduced.
From then on, Erzhuang could bring in hundreds of taels of profit every month.
A few hundred taels may not seem like much, but if you add up a little, you can earn a thousand taels a year.
Many shops in the capital that seem to be doing very big business only make a few thousand taels of profit a year.
Jumeizhai is one of those seemingly insignificant but very profitable businesses that must be sustained for a long time.
The brand of Jumeizhai has been well-known, and now all the young ladies and wives with a little wealth have chosen Jumeizhai.
Even though the items at Jumeizhai are more expensive than those at other places, people still buy them there because they are beautiful, have limited quantities, and they can show off their wealth.
Qingmei asked, "Miss, are you going to do a very big business in the future?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "Yes! I want to do a very big business and become a wealthy woman."
Qingmei laughed, "According to the girl, this is called obsession. The girl has a strong obsession with becoming a small rich woman."
Gu Jiu couldn't refute this because she did have an obsession.
In my previous life, I had never been poor since I was born and had never worried about money.
When he first came to this life, he was penniless and so poor that Gu Jiu felt guilty.
Money is a person's courage. Without money, one lacks confidence.
I had to resort to some tricks to get the first start-up capital.
Since then, Gu Jiu has been obsessed with becoming a wealthy woman. She has developed a serious illness called "no money, no discomfort."
A dowry of 40,000 taels can greatly improve Gu Jiu's situation.
With a few thousand taels of silver as her dowry, she could do many things. Many money-making plans could be implemented in advance.
At that time, she could throw the silver in Liu Zhao's face and say, "Look, I'm richer than you, so why don't you kneel down and sing "Conquer"?"
Thinking of his pride, Gu Jiu started laughing first.
It’s not good to sing "Conquer" on his knees. Liu Zhao should kneel on an abacus or a washboard.
Deep down, Gu Jiu laughed out loud, as if he had reached the peak of his life.
"The girl is really a money-grubber. When she talks about money, she smiles so hard that her teeth show."
Qingmei teased.
Gu Jiu laughed, "You know I'm a money-grubber, so why don't you bring the account book over to me? I need to do the math myself."
Qingmei said, "I have prepared it for you a long time ago."
After putting the account book on the desk, Gu Jiu picked up the abacus and started to calculate the accounts.
Seeing that there were more than one hundred taels of silver in the account, Gu Jiu was very happy.
Adding the thousand taels of silver Liu Zhao had given her last time in the palace, there were still a few hundred taels left. Adding up all the silver, she was considered a small wealthy person, richer than all her sisters.
It feels so good to be rich. The air is fragrant and even Mrs. Xie isn’t so annoying anymore.
…
Early in the morning, Gu Jiu came to Furongyuan to pay his respects.
I met Gu Yue at the door.
Gu Yue's face was gloomy, and she didn't know who had offended her.
Gu Zhen called out, "Hey, Third Sister, who are you showing that face to?"
Gu Yue snorted, "What do you care about me?"
After saying that, he turned his head and walked into the Furong Courtyard.
Gu Zhen spat and felt extremely disgusted with Gu Yue in her heart.
She said to Gu Jiu, "Second sister, guess why third sister is angry?"
Gu Jiu's heart moved, and he asked, "Could it be that Big Sister knows?"
Gu Zhen smiled mysteriously, "Yesterday, I saw my third sister walk into Hibiscus Courtyard with a very happy face, but she came out in less than an incense stick of time. When she came out, her face was full of gloom, as if someone owed her hundreds of taels of silver."
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow, "So it's the wife's fault?"
Gu Zhen nodded and whispered, "It's most likely because of my wife. I just haven't found out the specific circumstances. Second sister has a lot of ideas, why don't you ask Xiao Cui."
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Zhen with a half-smile, "Big sister is really good at joking. I don't have any ideas. Let's go in first and don't let Madam wait for us."
Gu Jiu was the first to walk into Furong Courtyard.
As soon as I entered the main house, I saw the two sisters Gu Yue and Gu Shan staring at each other.
Gu Yue was full of resentment, and Gu Shan looked puzzled, not knowing how she had offended Gu Yue.
Just as the situation was at a stalemate, Xie arrived.
Gu Yue immediately restrained his expression and put on a submissive look.
Gu Jiu nodded secretly. In recent months, Gu Yue's patience has been getting better and better. It must be said that Gu Yue has made great progress.
She is no longer like before, yelling and screaming like a crazy mad woman when something happens.
Xie coughed lightly, "You all know about the invitation from the palace. In five days, all of you will come with me to the palace for the banquet.
You all know the rules. I just want to remind you: don't do anything embarrassing, don't be petty, and don't offend others.
You have either already arranged to be married or are about to. You know the consequences of making a mistake in the palace and bringing disgrace upon yourself. If you delay the marriage, don't blame me for not warning you."
"Remember my wife's teachings."
Xie nodded secretly, feeling in a good mood today.
The words of the first wife Zhang woke up Xie.
She must not get angry easily, otherwise she would age prematurely and give Aunt Bai a free ride.
In the past few months, Xie has been taking medicinal food to recuperate her body while trying hard to control her temper.
She endured the matter of Aunt Bai giving birth to a son, and finally managed to hold it in.
In just a few months, the results are good.
Xie's features now looked gentler, and her tone of voice was much softer than before.
She looks energetic and with proper maintenance, she looks three or four years younger than her actual age.
Mrs. Xie looked at Gu Zhen and said, "Girl Zhen, the Xu family will be visiting us today. You must be prepared. You must not embarrass yourself in front of the guests."
Gu Zhen's face darkened and she nodded heavily, "Thank you for reminding me, ma'am. I know."
The Xu family is the husband's family of the eldest wife Zhang's younger sister.
Xu Zhang is looking after Gu Zhen on behalf of her concubine's son, and will come to visit today.
Whether Gu Zhen’s marriage will be successful depends on today.
Xie looked at Gu Yue again and said, "Yu'er, stay with me today and don't move around."
Gu Yue opened her mouth, as if to retort. But she nodded meekly, "A daughter listens to her mother."
Xie nodded with satisfaction, "That's great."
Gu Zhen secretly glared at Gu Yue. She remembered the hatred between the two of them very clearly.
Last time, Gu Yue ruined her marriage.
This time, she would not let Gu Yue succeed no matter what.
If Gu Yue did anything with bad intentions, she would slap them without saying a word.
Xie said, "Alright, follow me to the meeting hall to do my work."
Everyone stood up, left Furong Courtyard, and headed to the meeting hall.
Gu Lin fell to the back, looking unhappy and worried.
Gu Jiu asked her, "Fifth sister, what's wrong with you?"
Gu Lin said worriedly, "My aunt's health hasn't recovered yet, and my brother is sick again."
The boy born to Aunt Bai is the eleventh among her brothers.
Perhaps the eleventh brother was held in the womb for a while when he was born, so he was born weak and suffered from many diseases.
Before I even learned to eat, I already started taking medicine.
I have to ask a doctor to come to my house every few days.
Aunt Bai worried so much about her eleventh son that she even neglected her own recovery.
I heard that Aunt Bai's health has not recovered well and she is very weak, so she doesn't allow Lord Gu to visit her.
She said she was afraid that Lord Gu would see her ugly side.
When Xie heard this, she cursed, "You're so hypocritical!"
Gu Zhen asked Gu Lin, "Eleventh Brother, weren't you feeling better a few days ago? Why are you sick again?"
Gu Lin lowered her head and said with a worried look on her face, "It might be because of the unpredictable weather. I caught a cold and got sick again."
Gu Zhen sighed in accompaniment, "Eleventh brother's health is really weak, almost catching up with that of second sister when she was a child."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Big sister, was I that weak when I was a child?"
Gu Zhen nodded. "Even weaker than Eleventh Brother. Honestly, Second Sister is truly lucky to have grown up safely and smoothly. Every time she's seriously ill, everyone thinks she's dying, but she always manages to pull through at the last moment."
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, "This is what I call surviving a great disaster will bring good fortune in the future."
Gu Zhen nodded, "That's true."
Therefore, the fact that the second sister was able to marry the emperor's grandson is indeed a sign of good fortune in the future.
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