Fuyu and Hongye exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. Fuyu couldn't help but say, "Madam, this eldest daughter of the Duan Prince's Mansion, Zheng Huiyi, is truly incredibly foolish. She almost squandered the entire Zheng family's fortune. She's courting her own destruction!"
Gu Qinlan smiled lightly, a hint of arrogance flashing between her brows. She picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, and then slowly said, "Hongye, you're only half right. Zheng Huiyi's stupidity was certainly one of the reasons that almost caused her to squander her family fortune, but there's something much deeper behind her."
Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashed in Hongye's eyes. She frowned and asked, puzzled, "Deeper water? Madam, what do you mean by that?"
Gu Qinlan put down her teacup, her eyes becoming deep. She looked at Hongye and said calmly, "Hongye, you don't know this, but the way the master of the Zheng family squanders money is actually being manipulated by a dark hand. That dark hand is the Zheng family's steward."
Hongye and Fuyu looked at Gu Qinlan in surprise, their eyes filled with shock. Although they knew that something was off about the Zheng family's butler, they didn't expect Gu Qinlan to know so much detail.
Fuyu couldn't help but ask, "Madam, how do you know all this?"
Gu Qinlan smiled slightly and said mysteriously, "This is a secret of heaven."
Hongye and Fuyu exchanged a glance, both seeing the doubt in each other's eyes. They both knew about the "secret of heaven" Gu Qinlan had mentioned, but her answer was clearly a deliberate attempt to pique their interest.
Hongye couldn't help but laugh and said, "Madam, are you deliberately trying to whet our appetites?"
Gu Qinlan smiled, looking at Hongye with a hint of mockery in her eyes: "Hongye, you're too clever for your own good. I did deliberately keep you in suspense, but that was also to make you understand that not everything in this world can be seen with your own eyes."
Upon hearing this, Fu Yu's eyes flashed with realization. She looked at Gu Qinlan and exclaimed, "Madam, you are truly unfathomable."
Gu Qinlan smiled, looking at Fuyu with a gentle glint in her eyes: "Fuyu, are you praising me?"
Fuyu blushed, lowered her head, and said softly, "Madam, I just think you are very mysterious and unpredictable."
Gu Qinlan smiled, turned around, and pondered while rubbing her chin: She already had a limited number of servants. Apart from Fuyu and Hongye, the rest of the servants were generally mediocre. They could barely handle errands and odd jobs, but they were clearly not up to the task of managing affairs, let alone serving as stewards.
After careful consideration, Gu Qinlan narrowed down her choice of her cousin, Jiang Zhiyu, as the candidate for the housekeeper position.
Jiang Zhiyu is the eldest son of his maternal uncle Jiang Wenyuan. He is shrewd and capable, and his business acumen is in no way inferior to that of his father.
With this thought in mind, she turned to her maid Hongye and said, "Hongye, go and fetch a pen, ink, paper and inkstone. I want to write a letter to my uncle."
Hongye immediately accepted the order and soon brought over the writing implements.
Gu Qinlan picked up her pen and pondered for a moment, then picked up her brush and wrote down all her plans on the paper.
After the letter was written, Gu Qinlan handed it to Hongye: "This letter is of great importance. You must deliver it to your uncle personally and make sure there are no mistakes."
Hongye took the letter, carefully placed it in her bosom, and left to carry out her orders.
A few days later, Hongye returned to the Duan Prince's Mansion with a reply from her uncle, Jiang Wenyuan. Gu Qinlan eagerly opened the envelope and was overjoyed to see her uncle's promise to let Jiang Zhiyu serve as the steward of the Duan Prince's Mansion.
That evening, Gu Qinlan summoned Hongye to her study and inquired about the details of delivering the letter. Hongye described in detail her conversations with Jiang Wenyuan and Jiang Zhiyu, which only intensified Gu Qinlan's anticipation for Jiang Zhiyu.
Finally, Jiang Zhiyu arrived at the Prince Duan's residence. Gu Qinlan hosted a banquet in the flower hall, with Fuyu and Hongye serving him.
After a few rounds of drinks, Gu Qinlan said, "Cousin, I had no choice but to invite you to serve as the steward of the Duan Prince's Mansion. I am short-handed and there are many affairs in the mansion, so I am afraid I will not be able to handle it. You are shrewd and capable, and I would like to ask you to lend me a hand."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhiyu smiled slightly, cupped his hands, and said, "Cousin, rest assured. Now that I have come to the Duan Prince's residence, I will do my best to live up to your expectations. However, I am new here and still need to familiarize myself with the affairs of the residence. I am afraid there may be some oversights. I hope you will forgive me."
Gu Qinlan smiled and nodded: "Cousin, you are too modest. I believe in your abilities. However, now that you have come to the Duan Prince's residence, you should first learn about the rules and personnel of the residence, so as to avoid inconvenience in the future."
Jiang Zhiyu nodded in agreement, and then discussed various matters concerning the Duan Prince's Mansion with Gu Qinlan. Hongye and Fuyu listened from the side, and couldn't help but admire Jiang Zhiyu's intelligence and wisdom.
Hongye couldn't help but say, "Young Master, you are truly talented. No wonder Madam trusts you so much."
Jiang Zhiyu smiled and said, "Miss Hongye, you flatter me. I only know a little bit about this. I hope you will give me more guidance in the future."
Hongye smiled shyly and said nothing more.
...
The next morning.
Hongye brought shocking news: Princess Duan had actually gone to kneel in the ancestral hall!
Upon hearing this, Gu Qinlan's teacup trembled slightly, spilling a few drops of tea. She immediately put down the cup, hurried out of the house, and headed straight for the ancestral hall.
Inside the ancestral hall, Princess Duan appeared exceptionally lonely. Dressed in plain white robes, she knelt on the cold ground, her head bowed, as if in silent prayer. Gu Qinlan entered the ancestral hall, watching her mother-in-law's retreating figure, a complex mix of emotions welling up within her.
"Mother, what are you doing?" Gu Qinlan asked gently, but her worry was hard to hide.
Princess Duan slowly raised her head, a trace of sadness flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "I dreamt that your father blamed me, saying that I had not guarded the Duan Prince's Mansion well. I felt guilty, so I came here to kneel and pay my respects to atone for my sins."
Gu Qinlan stepped forward and gently took her mother-in-law's hand, trying to help her stand up: "Mother, your health is the most important thing. This kind of thing can be done by the servants. Why do you have to kneel in the ancestral hall yourself?"
Princess Duan shook her head and said firmly, "No, this is a debt in my heart that I must repay myself."
A hint of helplessness flashed in Gu Qinlan's eyes, but she still patiently persuaded, "Mother, I know you feel guilty, but doing this will only make the people of the Duan Prince's Mansion worry. Please get up, I will kneel with you."
Princess Duan looked at Gu Qinlan, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes, but she still insisted: "You mean well, but my mind is made up. If you truly care about me, then let me do it."
Gu Qinlan was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, since you insist, I'll kneel with you."
The two knelt side by side in the ancestral hall, the atmosphere somewhat somber.
Gu Qinlan knelt with Princess Duan for a while. Princess Duan turned to look at her and couldn't help but say, "Qinlan, stop kneeling. Go and attend to your own business."
Although Princess Duan's voice was soft, it contained an undeniable authority. Gu Qinlan slowly rose, bowed slightly, and respectfully replied, "Your daughter-in-law obeys. Thank you for your concern, Mother."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
