We need to find a place to discuss this in private.
Hongmian and the others left and closed the door from the outside. The stewards and stewardesses who were standing on the steps also wisely stepped down.
Gu Shiliu followed Qin Yuan to the side room, with Hongye standing by her side.
Qin Yuan sat down in the armchair and instructed, "There are no outsiders here, please sit down and speak slowly."
Gu Shiliu bowed and sat down at the lower seat, whispering, "Madam, that fake Granny Yang had been secretly passing on messages before, acting discreetly. After going to Master Cheng's house, perhaps feeling that the guards were more lax than in the mansion and that no one recognized her, she became much more active."
They've been keeping an eye on her ever since they discovered the fake Granny Yang was passing messages around.
Unfortunately, he was cautious and didn't make any moves after that incident, focusing on appeasing Pang Cheng and Pang Yu, and hiding in the courtyard of the main house to bide his time.
I thought I would have to wait a while, but I couldn't resist on the very first night after moving into Master Cheng's house.
Hongye laughed and said, "It's clear you've been cooped up for months."
Gu Shiliu laughed and said, "That's right. A while ago, Young Master Cheng injured Brother Qi. Because of this, the Marquis has become much more distant from them. He also sent people to visit Zhao's family members, saying that he wanted to foster them away. Naturally, these people dared not make any rash moves."
Qin Yuan twirled the handkerchief in her hand, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Let's think about it. If Zhao really has some connection with Yelü, and she is determined to keep Cheng Ge'er and Yu Jie'er in the Marquis's mansion, and now that they have been officially fostered in Master Cheng's house, what will Zhao do next?"
Hongye frowned and said, "The Zhao family can either take things slowly and wait for the storm to pass before trying to get the Marquis to adopt them back, or they can take them away?"
Gu Shiliu glanced at Hongye with approval.
Qin Yuan said, "It's all possible. It depends on what Zhao plans. If she wants Cheng Ge'er to continue following the Marquis and make a good future in the army, she will take it slowly. After all, there is Pang Hai's life-saving grace and several years of friendship. The Marquis is kind and righteous. In time, he will naturally stop blaming them. Then he can make a comeback."
Before she could finish speaking, Hongye said angrily, "How can that be? Who knows what that wicked woman of unknown origin is up to?"
Gu Shiliu also said, "The Marquis should not be so confused. If she really has some kind of affair with the Yelü family, in the Marquis's eyes, she has already betrayed Daxing and Pang Hai. The Marquis has received Pang Hai's kindness, not Zhao's."
Qin Yuan nodded: "That's right. Zhao Shi didn't know about our situation. Otherwise, wouldn't her previous scheme have succeeded?"
Hongye nodded: "What you say is true, Miss. If it weren't for your support and Dr. Li's help, Zhao would probably have already gained a firm foothold in the Marquis's mansion."
Gu Shiliu let out a long sigh of relief, still shaken.
Qin Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "With a fake Granny Yang passing on the message, Zhao should know that she can no longer take the child back to the Marquis's mansion. Even if the child could return, she absolutely cannot."
Gu Shiliu nodded and said, "That's natural. The Marquis already knows what kind of person she is, so he sent Young Master Cheng to live with Sister-in-law Cheng, thus putting an end to her hopes."
Qin Yuan said, "You're right. If she only wanted the Marquis to treat the two children well, he already did that before. She wouldn't need to go through all this trouble. If she wanted the Marquis's favor and to take her as a concubine, that's no longer possible. No matter how much she schemes, she can't bring the children into the manor. Is it possible that after her attack fails, she'll find a way to take the children away?"
Gu Shiliu said, "How can a woman like her take care of two children?"
Qin Yuan said, "You should not underestimate a woman's abilities. There are many cases of women destroying families and countries. Zhao Shi, a woman, almost destroyed the Dingbei Marquis's mansion. She appears weak and helpless, but she acts cunningly and ruthlessly. Moreover, her origins are unknown, which is different from ordinary women. You cannot judge her by common sense."
They've already colluded with the Yelü clan, so how can they not find a way to settle the two children?
Clearly, although the Marquis and Gu Shiliu were aware of Zhao's ruthlessness and actions, they were still deceived by her gentle appearance and subconsciously underestimated her abilities.
Underestimating the enemy easily leads to mistakes, and Qin Yuan had to point that out.
Gu Shiliu fell silent.
Not only is the origin of the Zhao family unclear, but the origin of Pang Hai is also shrouded in mystery.
This couple is truly mysterious.
If the Zhao family were from the Yelü clan, then the previous speculation would be...
The room was quiet for a while.
Qin Yuan asked, "Sixteen, tell me, what were the Marquis's original plans?"
"At first, we were instructed to keep an eye on Master Cheng's house and wait for Zhao to walk into the trap. Later... the Marquis said he would find a way to lure Zhao out to prevent future troubles."
Gu Shiliu felt somewhat ashamed, his voice trembling, and he lowered his head, waiting for Qin Yuan's instructions.
Qin Yuan nodded without saying a word.
Are they waiting for her to walk right into their trap? Clearly, Lord Gu hadn't been truly ruthless towards Zhao and her son before.
It seems the decision has been made.
Qin Yuan took a sip of tea and frowned as she looked at Gu Shiliu.
"The Xu family's affairs are getting more and more complicated. We can't let this drag on any longer. Sixteen, do you have any brilliant ideas?"
Gu Shiliu said, "The injury is to the child's body, but the pain is to the mother's heart. As Sixth Master said, after the family was recognized yesterday, regardless of what outsiders think, Young Master Cheng and his sister must be feeling uncomfortable. The Marquis's adopted son has become Gu Jingcheng's adopted son. Moreover, the Marquis has become cold towards them and is gradually distancing himself from them. There are rumors outside that the Marquis is tired of Young Master Cheng and Miss Yu. If we put on a few more shows and spread some rumors outside, if Madam Zhao loves her child, she will definitely not be able to resist taking action."
Qin Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Since you already have a plan in mind, I'll leave this matter to you to arrange."
Gu Shiliu quickly stood up and said, "I will certainly live up to the expectations of Madam and the Marquis."
Qin Yuan waved her hand, gesturing for him to sit down, before saying leisurely, "Brother Qi's mother is recuperating at Sister Cheng's house; you know how capable she is."
Gu Shiliu grinned and rubbed his hands together, saying, "With his mother around, the odds of winning have increased by at least 20%. It's fortunate that Madam made arrangements early on. Is this what the Marquis often refers to as 'strategizing and winning from afar'?"
Hongye, who had been listening silently for a long time, finally had a chance to speak: "Of course, Madam is incredibly resourceful, comparable to Zhuge Liang."
Qin Yuan couldn't help but laugh, and spat, "You can't stand not flattering people for a day, can you?"
Even the red leaves are smiling.
Gu Shiliu immediately flattered, "Madam, please don't scold Miss Hongye. In fact, Miss Hongye and I share the same view. Not only do I think so, but Shiba also thinks so. In fact, who doesn't think so now that they have witnessed Madam's abilities?"
Hongye laughed even harder.
Qin Yuan then kicked the two of them out.
"Let's capture the person first, and not alert them."
"Don't worry, Madam, we know what we're doing."
He walked out of the second gate with a smile on his face, but then stopped in his tracks, unsure whether to look back at the Marquis. In the end, he decided against it.
"The Marquis is in a bad mood today, and I'm not going to be a fool and provoke him."
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