The loyalty of these two to Gu Dingli was beyond question. Wherever Gu Dingli pointed in their previous life, they followed without any selfish motives.
Therefore, Gu Dingli trusted them greatly and bestowed upon them generous benefits and honors.
However, Gu Dingli has passed away, and the Gu family's business is in dire straits.
She didn't believe they weren't interested in it.
Human nature is complex; who can be without selfishness?
Gu Qinlan gently stroked the teacup and used the lid to lightly remove the floating tea leaves: "In addition, try to make my grandfather suspicious of these two people."
Old Master Gu is a shrewd businessman, known for his cunning and resourcefulness. He believes in profit rather than emotion, and his trust in Gu Kui and Zhang Lei is far less profound than his trust in Gu Dingli.
Perhaps he had already secretly sent people to monitor the two of them.
If they reveal their selfish motives, Old Master Gu will definitely not tolerate it.
These two men have been running the Gu family's merchant caravan and fleet for many years, and they are by no means easy to deal with. At that time, a battle between the two sides is inevitable.
She only needs to sit back and watch the tigers fight to easily control the whole situation.
After listening, Jin Tianming couldn't help but exclaim, "Madam's scheme of fanning the flames and pushing things along is truly a masterstroke."
Gu Qinlan simply smiled and replied, "It's hardly clever; it's just a minor trick that exploits human weaknesses."
However, Jin Tianming held a different view.
To be able to have such a profound understanding of human nature and to skillfully exploit it, without having to use a single soldier, to plunge the opponent into chaos—what else could this be but brilliance?
What's even more astonishing is that this lady is not even twenty years old!
Such methods are even comparable to those of a seasoned business veteran like the Gu family patriarch.
"Please rest assured, Madam, I will handle this matter perfectly."
Gu Qinlan had full confidence in him.
"By the way, Uncle Jin, what's the situation outside the city? Have those displaced refugees shown any signs of leaving?"
Upon hearing this, Jin Tianming's face showed worry: "The situation is not optimistic. Kyoto is continuing to expel refugees, but refugees from other regions are still pouring into Kyoto. Unable to enter Kyoto, they can only stay in the surrounding prefectures. Our Jindu is still a few days' journey from Kyoto, so we can manage the situation. But Lu'an is on the verge of collapse."
Jin Tianming lowered his voice and continued, "Madam, many families in the city are already facing food shortages, and I'm afraid it will soon lead to riots. That official, in order to keep his position, will probably demand grain from the wealthy households in the city. Originally, you wouldn't have been affected, but since you took over the Gu family's business, I'm afraid..."
Gu Qinlan immediately understood his implied meaning.
She smiled slightly and said softly, "Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Jin."
After finishing his business, Jin Tianming took his leave.
Gu Qinlan didn't try to persuade them to stay, but instead asked Xiaoman to invite Aunt Lian over. After chatting with Gu Qinlan for a few minutes, the couple left together.
The day after Jin Tianming reminded Gu Qinlan, government officials came to visit.
The visitors were no ordinary people; they were none other than Lord Liu, the local official of Jindu, and his wife.
"This humble official greets Madam."
Lord Liu was highly skilled in social interaction. Upon seeing Gu Qinlan, he immediately bowed and greeted her, and his wife followed closely behind, bowing to her as well.
Gu Qinlan quickly offered a helping hand and smiled, "Lord Liu and Madam Liu are too kind. Please take a seat."
As soon as everyone was seated, fragrant water was served.
Lord Liu took a sip and praised it highly: "Madam, this tea is truly wonderful. The first sip is sweet, and the aftertaste is endless, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth. It is rare to be able to taste such fine tea in these difficult times."
Gu Qinlan lowered her eyes slightly, afraid that she would not be able to help but show a look of contempt.
This Lord Liu is truly shameless. Before demanding anything, he deliberately said those things. On the surface, he praised the deliciousness of her tea, but in reality, he implied that the people outside were starving, so how could she be so extravagant?
"You must be joking, sir. This tea is just a product of ordinary farming, picked by a young girl from my estate. We had to use it to make tea because we were short of tea leaves at home recently. I didn't expect it to win your favor. Mangzhong, go and get a pound of tea leaves, and have you take it with you later."
Lord Liu looked embarrassed and chuckled awkwardly, "Madam, you're too kind."
Gu Qinlan said with a smile, "This is just some rough tea. It is its good fortune that it is valued by an adult."
Mangzhong moved swiftly and quickly retrieved the tea leaves.
This is indeed just a simple farmhouse tea, wrapped simply in oiled paper, and looks quite rustic.
Lord Liu was extremely embarrassed. The tea wasn't actually very good; he was just making up an excuse. Who knew that Madam Zheng would be so sincere as to actually offer such tea as a gift?
For a moment, he didn't know whether to praise Gu Qinlan's honesty or criticize her for not knowing how to treat people.
Madam Liu, however, was a sensible woman. She accepted the tea leaves and smiled as she helped her husband out of the predicament: "Thank you, Madam. Things have indeed been difficult at home lately, and life is even harder for the people in the city. My husband has been so worried about these things that he's developed blisters on his lips. We just can't even find any tea leaves to help cool down, so this packet of tea from you has put my mind at ease a little."
Gu Qinlan immediately chimed in, "Yes, if it weren't for the vegetables I planted on the estate that came with my dowry, our Prince Duan's manor would also be facing famine. But this can't go on forever. Lord Liu, when will the refugee problem outside the city be resolved? Does the court have any effective measures?"
Lord Liu felt that although the Crown Princess was young, she was very intelligent. Her words hinted at the predicament of the Prince Duan's mansion, and made him unable to continue his previous remarks.
Ultimately, it's the women who are able to humble themselves.
Seeing her husband rendered speechless by Gu Qinlan's words, Madam Liu sighed deeply and said:
“Madam Zheng, to be honest, my husband and I have come here today to ask you for a favor. The Duan Prince’s Mansion is the most prestigious family in Jindu. It is no exaggeration to say that the people of Jindu place their hopes on the Duan Prince’s Mansion.”
"As refugees besieged Jindu like a tidal wave, many residents in the city ran out of food and went to the government every day seeking assistance. As the local official, my husband was deeply anxious seeing this. However, I knew in my heart that his official position was still low and his power was limited. Although he had a heart full of love to help the people, he was powerless to put it into practice."
Therefore, the purpose of their visit today is to earnestly request that Madam step forward and join forces with the powerful families of Jindu to help the people of the city overcome this crisis.
In reality, what they really wanted was for Gu Qinlan to produce the food, but they were worried about angering her.
Gu Qinlan sighed softly, her voice tinged with helplessness: "Lord Liu's love for the people is truly touching. I am also deeply worried about the current predicament. However, although I have the title of Crown Princess, I am still young, and how many of those powerful families are willing to submit to my command?"
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