A sense of unease welled up in Gu Qinlan's heart.
She clearly remembered that in her previous life, Lord Liu would return to the capital this winter to fulfill his duties, and Jindu would welcome a new official.
She vaguely remembered that her father and Lord Liu were not very close in their previous life. How come they became so close in this life?
Perhaps because the events she experienced in this life did not occur in her previous life, she mistakenly believed that their personal relationship was not very close.
So Gu Qinlan said, "Uncle Jin, could you lend me a hand and help me find out about my father's recent situation, especially regarding his business?"
Jin Tianming glanced at her with surprise, but didn't say anything, only nodding in agreement: "Of course, no problem."
After seeing Jin Tianming and his wife off, Gu Qinlan picked up a book and sat on the soft couch by the window, lost in thought.
Her intuition told her that Madam Liu's visit today must be related to her adoptive father.
However, her father's target was not her.
Rather, it was the Prince Duan's Mansion, which she relied on.
So, who is the real mastermind behind the Gu family?
It's the Third Prince!
She recalled that in her past life, the Gu family did not stay in the Third Prince's group until the end, but was kicked out of the group halfway through.
The reason was that the Gu family's ancestor passed away, and her adoptive father made repeated mistakes, causing the Gu family to suffer heavy losses and eventually be ostracized from the group.
It seems that the Gu family only managed to join the Third Prince's ranks in the last two years.
Joining the Third Prince's ranks is no easy feat. The Gu family's current wealth isn't particularly impressive, and what could possibly attract the Third Prince's attention is definitely not the Gu family's business.
But it was this marriage she was in!
In the twists of fate, she married Zheng Dinglian, who held military power and was brave and skilled in battle. If he chose to serve the Third Prince, then the Third Prince would have another powerful trump card in his hand.
So it seems that her cheap father is plotting to join forces with Lord Liu, intending to use her as a pledge of loyalty in order to pave their way to power.
Lord Liu appears to want to solve the refugee crisis, but in reality, he harbors ulterior motives and only wants to lure her into a trap. If she inadvertently gets involved, the outcome is destined to be failure.
Currently, Zheng Dinglian is stationed on the frontier, and the only one who can save the Duan Prince's Mansion is Lord Liu. More accurately, it is the Third Prince, whom Lord Liu supports.
At that time, even if Zheng Dinglian is unwilling to express his opinion, he will have no other choice.
After all, the Third Prince saved his entire family!
At that time, everyone will assume that the Zheng family has submitted to the Third Prince's lineage.
Gu Qinlan's gaze was as cold as ice.
Her mother was likely killed by her cheap father's scheme, and the Jiang family's assets were also seized by the Gu family through trickery and force. Now he actually wants to use her to pave the way!
They really want to drain the Jiang family dry before they're satisfied!
Since that's the case, she'll make him repay the blood and sweat he's swallowed, with interest!
Gu Qinlan put down the book in her hand and instructed Fuyu, "Go and invite Polang over."
Seeing her serious expression, Fuyu knew the situation was urgent and hurriedly ran away.
Soon after, Polang was led into the reception room.
"What are your orders, Madam?"
Po Lang asked casually.
Gu Qinlan asked calmly, "How much do you usually charge for the tasks you take on?"
Po Lang raised an eyebrow: "Taking a life starts at five hundred taels. If it's just arson, it's cheaper, only two hundred taels. Madam, whose life do you wish to take, or are you planning to commit arson?"
That night, the moonlight was hazy.
Gu Dingli was embracing his beloved concubine, lost in the bliss of their love, when a sudden, urgent knocking on the door jolted him awake from his dream like a thunderclap.
Who is it?
Gu Dingli was furious. His beautiful concubine sat up groggily and gently stroked his chest, seemingly to comfort him, which made Gu Dingli feel extremely comfortable.
Outside the door, the butler's urgent voice came: "Master, something terrible has happened! Several of our warehouses are on fire!"
"Oops!"
Gu Dingli woke up instantly, pushed away his beloved concubine who was still gently stroking him, jumped off the bed in a panic, and rushed out of the house in his underwear without even putting on his shoes, hurriedly opening the door.
What did you just mention?
The steward frowned, his voice trembling slightly: "Sir, several granaries in our city have caught fire simultaneously."
Gu Dingli quickly pushed him away and hurried towards the central garden of the Gu residence, his heart filled with anxiety.
In that garden, there is a majestic artificial mountain, high enough to overlook most of the scenery of Jindu.
Gu Dingli was only forty-two years old, but he was still agile and soon climbed to the top of the artificial hill.
His gaze sharpened as he stared at one of the granaries, where flames roared and burned fiercely. He turned and looked at another granary, where the scene was exactly the same.
"What on earth happened? How could a fire suddenly break out!"
The butler was also completely baffled; he had only received the news a little earlier than Gu Dingli.
Gu Dingli was anxious, and his vision blurred. These granaries contained the grain he had purchased at great expense, which he had intended to present as a gift to the Third Prince to show his sincerity.
Now it has all vanished.
Although the value of the grain was not enough to deal a fatal blow to the Gu family, his plans had already been affected.
"Quickly, prepare the vehicle! I'm heading to the granary immediately!"
The steward took a pair of shoes from the concubine and handed them to her, saying, "My lord, please put on these shoes to avoid rubbing your feet."
Gu Dingli casually slipped his shoes on, not caring whether his attire was appropriate, and hurriedly ran down the mountain.
It was late at night, and the artificial hill was dimly lit. With the trees and flowers growing everywhere, Gu Dingli hadn't put his shoes on properly and was walking quickly. As a result, he tripped over his own shoelaces, lost his balance, and fell forward.
Gu Dingli was truly struck by bad luck. As he fell, his head hit a rock on the side of the road, and he immediately lost consciousness.
The steward was terrified and cried out for help at the top of his lungs: "My lord! Someone come quickly! My lord is injured! Quickly, fetch a doctor..."
The entire Gu family mansion was thrown into chaos.
When Gu Qinlan received the news, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
"Madam, someone from the Gu family informed us that our father-in-law was seriously injured last night and is in critical condition. They request that you go there as soon as possible."
Gu Qinlan was shocked; this completely disrupted her plans.
However, aside from being taken aback, she did not show much reaction.
Therefore, she immediately changed her clothes and hurriedly returned to the Gu residence with several maids.
When they arrived at the Gu residence, a faint glimmer of dawn was already appearing on the horizon.
The Gu residence was brightly lit, as if it were daytime. The servants and young men all looked tense, as if they were caught in a whirlpool of busyness, yet like flies that had lost their way, lost in the chaotic footsteps, at a loss.
Gu Qinlan knew perfectly well why they were in such a panic.
Madam Song was known for her tendency to exaggerate. Whenever a major incident occurred in the household, the idle servants and old women would be severely punished once the situation calmed down. Therefore, the servants of the Gu household were increasingly flustered and overwhelmed when faced with significant changes.
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