Afterwards, Qi Che left the yard and ordered the guards outside to keep a close watch on Chu Qingniang and not allow her to step out of the room. Even Tong Zhixia was not allowed to enter or leave the room.
After Qi Che walked away, Zhi Xia was so angry that she punched the pillar and said, "Miss, how long do we have to endure his bullying?"
I really hope General Pei can come soon!
If he stayed any longer, Zhixia would be unable to hold back and start a killing spree.
Chu Qingniang walked out of the yard and looked around the small courtyard that she had carefully decorated. There were rockery and flowing water, and the surrounding area was dotted with precious flowers and green trees.
She took great pains to have someone arrange all of these things. Now she is about to leave this courtyard where she has lived for three years, and she feels that things have really changed.
Zhixia probably sensed her mood and came over to comfort her: "Miss, don't be sad. There are many good men in the world. We don't have to hang ourselves on this crooked tree. When you regain your status, at worst we can select lovers from all over the world. We can select gentle and considerate, courageous and resolute, calm and steady men to be in the princess's mansion and make Qi Che angry to death."
Chu Qingniang couldn't help but chuckle: "Silly girl, when did I ever say I was sad?"
She stared at the falling cherry blossoms on the distant tree and whispered, "People's hearts are fickle, just like the flowers and trees that change with the seasons. Today they are as bright as fire, but tomorrow they are crushed into mud. It's just a wrong fate. Why should I be sad about such a thing?"
Zhixia breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm glad you think so, Miss. But now this yard is surrounded like an iron barrel, what should we do next?"
Chu Qingniang retracted her gaze and replied calmly with one word: "Wait."
Once someone can't sit still, they will definitely come first to cause trouble.
As expected, the next day, Gu Yanran, at the instruction of Old Madam Qi, forcefully took over the management of the Qi Mansion. She dismissed or sold the servants originally arranged by Chu Qingniang, and placed most of the important positions with people she trusted.
Not only that, in order to show that she could manage the household better than Chu Qingniang, Gu Yanran also sent people to the Chu family's silk shop and store to forcefully take over the business, but was rejected.
The managers stood in front of the shop, looking respectful but refusing to give way.
The head of the shop, Chen, bowed and said in a neither humble nor arrogant tone: "Madam, please forgive me. The deed and account books of this shop are all under the name of Madam Chu. We have been favored by the Chu family for many years and only obey Madam Chu's orders."
The nanny behind Gu Yanran shouted, "How dare you! My wife is now in charge of the Qi Mansion. Are you guys planning to rebel?"
Shopkeeper Chen sneered and took out a stack of documents from his bosom: "This is the rule set by Madam Chu. It is clearly written in black and white. The operation of the shop is fully handed over to us. Even if Qi Zhuangyuan comes in person, he can't move an inch without Madam Chu's order!"
The crowd of onlookers gradually gathered and discussed:
"I heard that the top scholar married a noble lady from a high-class family, and demoted his former wife to a concubine. It seems that this woman is the legendary daughter of Prime Minister Gu."
"That's right, but he just took over the position and he's so eager to swallow up the dowry shop of his first wife. It's too ugly to be greedy."
"I didn't expect that the daughter of a prime minister could be so shameless and even covet the dowry of her husband's original wife..."
The discussions around her continued, making Gu Yanran feel embarrassed.
She stared at the shopkeeper Chen and the others in front of her, and said, "What a cunning slave! Come here, chase them all away for me. I will take over this silk shop today."
"Madam, please think twice!" Shopkeeper Chen suddenly raised his voice, "The silks in this shop are all for the imperial palace. If Madam takes over by force and something goes wrong with the imperial supplies, I'm afraid even Qi Zhuangyuan can't bear the consequences!"
Shopkeeper Chen's attitude completely angered Gu Yanran.
"Oh, I am the daughter of a prime minister. I want to take over your shop because I think highly of you. Don't be ungrateful!"
"How dare a mere merchant use the royal majesty to threaten my wife?"
She sneered and waved her slender jade fingers fiercely: "Come here! Break open the warehouse for me! This shop is for me today!"
The servants behind her rushed forward like wolves and tigers and started smashing the goods in the shop.
Shopkeeper Chen took two steps back in panic, "Stop! These are all royal items..."
“Shut up!” Gu Yanran pushed Shopkeeper Chen away, the hairpin on her head shaking violently: “So what if I am the imperial concubine? Today, I want you, a bunch of stubborn slaves, to know who is the master of this Qi Mansion!”
The shop assistants tried to stop them in a panic, but accidentally let Gu Yanran's men break into the warehouse. For a moment, the silk was knocked over and the account books were scattered all over the floor.
"These are all registered tributes!" Shopkeeper Chen was still shouting in grief.
Gu Yanran turned a deaf ear to him and proudly ordered: "Move all these account books back to the mansion, and give me all this fine brocade..."
Before he could finish his words, a waiter accidentally knocked over a candlestick, and the flames instantly spread onto several pieces of silk.
"Oops, the tribute is on fire!"
Shopkeeper Chen shouted in panic, but secretly winked at a few of his trusted assistants.
A quarter of an hour later.
Gu Yanran was like a victorious rooster. After taking over the shop forcefully, she returned to the Qi Mansion in a high-profile manner in a carriage.
Manager Chen and others took a few of their employees to the prefectural government to file a complaint and beat drums to appeal for justice.
However, when the prefect Du Youwei heard that the person being sued was Qi Che's new wife, the daughter of Prime Minister Gu, his expression suddenly changed.
"Pah!"
Du Youwei slammed the table and stood up, denouncing Manager Chen for "falsely accusing the officials' families". Not only did he not accept the lawsuit, but he also detained Manager Chen and others on the charge of disturbing the court and put them in jail.
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