However, before Hongye could find a suitable candidate, ten strong and burly men arrived at her door, each carrying a letter written in Zheng Dinglian's own handwriting. The ten men lined up in two rows and bowed to Gu Qinlan in unison.
"Greetings, Madam."
After the ceremony, a burly man who appeared to be the leader stepped forward from the group. His name was Sang Qian. He said, "Madam, we are all the Crown Prince's personal guards. We are here on orders from the Crown Prince to serve as his protectors. Please arrange accommodations for us brothers."
Gu Qinlan did not rush to reply, but first opened the letter and read it carefully.
This letter, written in extremely concise language, outlines the origins of Sang Qian and his party, as well as Zheng Dinglian's meticulous arrangements.
Zheng Dinglian had received warnings of the natural disaster and was worried that refugees might cross the border. Therefore, he carefully selected several of his trusted subordinates and sent them to the mansion to serve as guards.
After reading the letter, Gu Qinlan looked up and asked curiously, "Is the situation in the northern border region quite tense lately?"
She recalled that at this time in her previous life, several princes were plotting to attack Western Wei in order to gain military merit in order to compete for the throne.
Sang Qian hesitated for a moment, then nodded in response: "The Northern Di have been making frequent moves recently, and the Crown Prince is fully engaged in training and preparing for war."
Looking at the slightly hasty handwriting on the letter, Gu Qinlan felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
Even in such a busy time, Zheng Dinglian still managed to find the time and energy to pay attention to these trivial matters, which shows how deeply he cares for her.
She is not an ungrateful person.
So he said to Sang Qian, "You have traveled a long way and are covered in dust. I will arrange for the servants to clean your lodgings. Go and enjoy some good food first. If you have any preferences, just tell the maids."
Sang Qian thanked him repeatedly and then went off with his companions to make their own arrangements.
After they left, Fuyu said with great joy, "Miss, our son-in-law is so considerate, he even thought of such details for you."
As she spoke, she parted her hair and pointed to the scar on her forehead: "The medicine that my son-in-law sent back is incredibly effective. My scar has faded by more than half, and it will disappear completely in a few days."
Gu Qinlan examined it carefully and found that the results were indeed remarkable.
Fuyu leaned close to Gu Qinlan's ear and whispered, "Miss, the young master holds you in the softest place in his heart, and he remembers everything you asked him to do. Even if you didn't say it, he has considered everything for you."
Hongye then added, "When your son-in-law returns from the front lines, he will surely spoil you rotten, and perhaps we will welcome the birth of a new life next year."
The maids inside the room all smiled shyly upon hearing this.
Gu Qinlan lightly scolded them, "Go, go, all you do is joke around!"
Her current situation with Zheng Dinglian is only a temporary collaboration, and whether this marital relationship can last is still unknown.
In his past life, Zheng Dinglian brought back a young girl from the smoke-filled battlefield. Her return became the catalyst for the freezing of his relationship with Gu Qinlian. One of the reasons why Gu Qinlian's relationship with Zheng Dinglian reached a stalemate was precisely because of this woman—she was probably the one Zheng Dinglian truly loved.
Gu Qinlian was already prepared; she was ready to give up her position at any moment and would never allow herself to indulge in those unrealistic fantasies. Whenever she thought of everything Zheng Dinglian had done for her, her heart would be stirred with subtle ripples.
However, Gu Qinlian quickly warned herself not to indulge in too much fantasy. Zheng Dinglian's actions were essentially to protect his family. Whether she was there or not, Zheng Dinglian would make the same arrangements. She shouldn't connect everything to herself; she wasn't that attractive.
Thinking this way, Gu Qinlian's mind became much clearer. The maids around her, seeing that Gu Qinlian lacked the typical feminine fragility, were somewhat puzzled. They couldn't help but wonder if their young mistress truly felt no affection whatsoever for the young master.
...
Sang Qian was a man of great responsibility. He settled his companions in an orderly manner and organized the original guards of the Duan Prince's Mansion to participate in daily training. The Duan Prince's Mansion originally had ten guards, who were burly in stature, but were merely for show.
After two days of rigorous training by Sang Qian and his companions, the guards were exhausted and could barely stand. Sang Qian had trained under Zheng Dinglian, and all his training techniques came from Zheng. Facing those guards who were unwilling to train, Sang Qian and his companions forcefully pulled them up and compelled them to participate. Anyone who dared to slack off was severely punished.
These guards, who had enjoyed years of service at Prince Duan's residence, had long lost their former vigor. After being reorganized by Sang Qian and his group, they all rushed to Gu Qinlian, demanding their wages and expressing their unwillingness to continue serving. They had originally planned to use this method to force Gu Qinlian to negotiate with Sang Qian and his group, allowing them to train their own soldiers and no longer interfere in the affairs of these elderly men.
However, to their surprise, Gu Qinlian settled their wages without hesitation.
She had long harbored resentment towards these guards, and had only kept them on temporarily because she hadn't found suitable replacements. Now that Sang Qian and his group had arrived, why should she continue to employ these useless individuals?
The ten guards were stunned and looked at each other blankly.
The head of the guards, Hu Weng, looked anxious and argued urgently, "Madam, we brothers have served in the Prince Duan's mansion for many years. Although we have not made any outstanding contributions, we have endured a lot of hardships. Are you just going to dismiss us so hastily?"
Gu Qinlan's lips curled into a faint smile, her tone calm yet undeniably authoritative: "Otherwise, what else can you do? Where is your so-called hard work? You allowed the young lady to leave home without permission right under your noses, and you didn't even notice. How dare you talk about hard work in front of me?"
Hu Weng was speechless for a moment, then awkwardly paused before struggling to speak: "Madam, my brothers and I have served the Prince Duan's mansion faithfully for many years. Now that times are difficult, could you please consider..."
"Absolutely impossible."
Gu Qinlan's face darkened, and her tone was firm and cold: "Your wages have been settled. Leave the Duan Prince's residence immediately, or don't blame me for being ruthless."
After she finished speaking, she clapped her hands lightly, and Sang Qian and his companions immediately appeared, their eyes fixed on Hu Weng and the others.
Mr. Hu and his party, recalling the setbacks they had suffered in the past few days, felt a chill in their hearts and dared not say another word, so they could only leave dejectedly.
However, as they walked out of the gate of Prince Duan's mansion, Hu Weng glanced back, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes.
"Since the Prince Duan's mansion is heartless and ruthless, then don't blame us for being ruthless!"
That Madam Zheng is utterly foolish. They've stayed at the Prince Duan's residence for years and know every corner of it like the back of their hand. How dare she treat them like this? She's practically asking for trouble!
They only wanted Gu Qinlan to retract her order and allow them to remain in the Prince Duan's residence. Even if that wasn't possible, they hoped to receive a substantial sum of compensation.
Such a request is not unreasonable.
However, Gu Qinlan showed no mercy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
