"In other matters, I will not be polite to you, but on this matter, I must stand firm. This matter is quite thorny, far-reaching, and affects a wide range of people, so I have decided to make a deal with you so that I can have peace of mind and you can be properly compensated for your hard work."
Upon hearing her description, a hint of admiration flashed in Po Lang's eyes.
Before she stepped into the Prince Duan's residence, she didn't have much affection for Gu Qinlan. She knew a little about the Gu family's background; it was a family that only cared about money, pursued fame and fortune, and used crude methods.
What kind of woman could be raised in such a family?
However, with further contact, she gradually discovered that Gu Qinlan was vastly different from what she had previously imagined. Not only had she single-handedly rescued Zheng Huiyi from Xiaoxiang Pavilion, but she had also managed to rescue the Zhao family's daughter. Afterwards, she even asked Gu Qinlan to help cultivate talent, and now she had proposed a trade. This series of actions completely overturned her stereotypes about merchant women.
Even more surprisingly, she even knew the inside story of Xiaoxiang Pavilion and the whereabouts of Luo's mother's child.
Was she really just an ordinary female merchant?
A strong interest in Gu Qinlan welled up in Po Lang's heart, but on the surface he remained calm and simply asked with a smile, "What are your orders, Madam? My price will be quite high."
Gu Qinlan suppressed her smile and gestured for all the maids in the room to leave, leaving only Fuyu and Hongye.
"I ask you to help me find out the truth about my mother's death, investigate the ins and outs of my uncle's family's exile, and at the same time expose the role played by the Gu family and the power behind them."
Po Lang lowered his hand that was supporting his chin and sat up straight: "Does Madam intend to take action against the Gu family?"
Gu Qinlan smiled gently: "Whether or not to take action depends on the results of your investigation."
Po Lang said, "Five thousand taels of silver, half as a deposit, and the remaining half after the investigation is completed. If the truth is not found within two months, the deposit will be fully refunded."
Gu Qinlan responded decisively: "Deal."
Fuyu immediately took out three silver notes: two of them were worth 1,000 taels each, and one was worth 500 taels each.
Po Lang took the silver note and deftly placed it into the exquisitely crafted money pouch at his waist. With a beaming smile, he said, "Thank you for your patronage, Madam. I will do my utmost to find out all the truth you need as soon as possible."
Gu Qinlan smiled radiantly and said softly, "You are truly my treasure. I wish I could uproot you from where you are and take you into my possession. Even if you do nothing but sit quietly in front of me, it can make me happy."
Po Lang raised her lips slightly and replied with a charming smile, "That's not impossible, but it seems that Madam is not yet able to afford such expenses. I'm quite the spendthrift."
Gu Qinlan responded humorously: "Then I'll work harder to make money, and when I'm able to support you enough, I'll come and win you, this stunning beauty."
Po Lang chuckled, his eyes filled with anticipation: "Then I will wait here for your arrival, Madam."
After the two finished their discussion, Lady Liang and Princess Duan entered Gu Qinlan's courtyard.
Po Lang wasn't interested in interacting with elders, so he took the opportunity to get up and politely take his leave.
Lady Liang and Princess Duan met Po Lang in the courtyard. Po Lang greeted Princess Duan with a charming smile, then turned and left.
As the figure of the woman who had been piercing the waves disappeared into the distance, a clear look of disdain flashed in Princess Duan's eyes: "Seductive and alluring, she looks exactly like a vixen, what kind of person is she! What's wrong with Qinlan? How could she let such an incongruous person infiltrate the manor? What will others think of our Duan Manor?"
Madam Liang knew Po Lang's identity well; Gu Qinlan had mentioned it to her before. Hearing the Princess Consort of Duan's comments, she defended Po Lang: "Madam, you misunderstand. Miss Po Lang is not as you say..."
Princess Duan interrupted her, her tone serious: "You are still too naive. You are, after all, Qinlan's aunt, and Qinlan is quite close to you. You must remind her properly in the future. If Dinglian were still in the manor, wouldn't such a vixen be eager to pounce on him? It is common for men to have three wives and four concubines, but concubines should also be divided into different ranks. If a vixen like this enters the manor, I'm afraid the entire manor will not be peaceful."
"I am very satisfied with my daughter-in-law Qinlan. She is not the kind of wicked mother-in-law who enjoys watching her daughter-in-law and concubines fight. From now on, all the concubines in this household must be firmly under her control."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Liang felt both helpless and amused.
This Madam Zheng, if you say she's bad, she understands that concubines cannot overstep the position of the principal wife, and even wants her daughter-in-law to control these concubines.
But if you say she's good, then on the very second day after her daughter-in-law entered the family, she added four more beauties to her son's harem. Such behavior is truly hard to judge.
Gu Qinlan walked out of the house with light steps, a gentle smile on her lips. She said to Princess Duan, "Mother, Miss Polang is not only the Crown Prince's favorite student, but also someone he specially sent to assist us."
Princess Duan was somewhat embarrassed and forced a smile: "Oh dear, so she's Dinglian's prized student. Why didn't you tell me sooner? She probably didn't hear my slip of the tongue just now, did she?"
Gu Qinlan chuckled softly, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing: "You are the Crown Prince's relative, of noble status. You were unaware of this before, so Miss Polang will certainly not hold it against you this time."
The underlying meaning in those words was that the situation might be different next time.
Gu Qinlan naturally wouldn't utter such presumptuous words as, "As a junior, Miss Polang shouldn't argue with her elders." After all, who wants to be talked about like that behind their back?
After a moment's thought, she added, "Not only is Miss Breaking Waves beautiful and talented, but her abilities are also outstanding. Even royalty might not be able to win her heart."
These words were undoubtedly a reminder to Princess Duan that while Zheng Dinglian was indeed outstanding, not every woman would flock to him and be willing to become his concubine.
Princess Duan understood Gu Qinlan's unspoken meaning, and her face immediately flushed red with embarrassment. She was so embarrassed that she could no longer care about anything else and hurriedly made an excuse, saying, "I have to go see Huiyi. You two, uncle and niece, can have a good chat."
Before she could finish speaking, she hurriedly left.
Only after her figure disappeared from sight did Madam Liang gently shake her head and say with a smile, "Your mother-in-law is always so straightforward, but you don't mean any harm."
Gu Qinlan knew perfectly well that Lady Liang was expressing her opinion in a roundabout way. In fact, Lady Liang had already discerned the Princess Consort's character in just a brief encounter.
Madam Liang gently patted Gu Qinlan's hand and said earnestly, "From now on, you'll have to put in more effort."
Princess Duan is not a bad person, but she is too muddle-headed, lacks her own opinions, is easily influenced by external factors, and is indecisive, just like a blade of grass on a wall.
Facing a mother-in-law like this, even more so than those who are domineering and good at stirring up trouble, can make one feel uneasy.
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