Jiang Ye gently shook his head and explained, "That's not the case. This letter was specifically written for Madam and Miss."
As he spoke, he handed her the rather thick envelope containing the letter.
A hint of doubt flashed in Gu Qinlan's eyes as she secretly wondered if Zheng Dinglian had really sent a letter of divorce.
Just as she was about to open the envelope, Zheng Huiyi suddenly burst in, shouting, "Did my brother write to me? Where is my letter?"
Her gaze immediately fell on the letter in Gu Qinlan's hand. She strode forward, snatched the envelope, and questioned, "Is this your letter? How dare you just pick it up and open it like that!"
As she spoke, she eagerly tried to tear open the seal.
Jiang Ye quickly stopped her, took the envelope from her hand, and turned it face up to Zheng Huiyi: "Miss, this is a letter the General wrote to the Madam, and your letter is here."
Zheng Huiyi stared at the strong, bold words "To My Wife" on the envelope, and a blush instantly rose on her cheeks. But she stubbornly said, "If it's not my letter, why didn't you say so earlier!"
She threw Gu Qinlan's letter back as it was, then took her own letter and muttered in dissatisfaction, "How could you be so frivolous?"
Is it a letter of divorce?
The thought flashed through Zheng Huiyi's mind. A glint of light appeared in her eyes, and she hurriedly tore open the seal, took out the thin piece of paper, and saw a very simple sentence written on it: Behave yourself! If you don't listen to your sister-in-law, I will definitely teach you a lesson when I get back!
Zheng Huiyi was struck dumb, unable to believe that her brother had left her only such a sentence, and it was even a warning!
She had a moment of doubt that the letter was forged by Gu Qinlan, but she was so familiar with her brother's handwriting that she couldn't tell the difference between the real and fake.
How could her brother treat her like this!
She's his own sister! It's one thing for him not to support her, but he even threatened her!
Unable to accept such a blow, Zheng Huiyi threw the letter on the ground, stomped on it twice, and stormed out of the door in tears.
Gu Qinlan glanced at the contents of the letter and couldn't help but smile. She slowly instructed the servants, "Go tell Granny Zhang that the eldest young lady's etiquette is not yet up to par and she needs to be urged to improve."
Gu Qinlan did not open the letter immediately. Instead, she had a fine meal served to her. After finishing the meal, she returned to her room to wash up carefully and changed into comfortable clothes before sitting down at her desk to begin reading.
Her residence was spacious and comfortable, with one half serving as a bedroom and the other half carefully furnished as a study. The books she brought from the Gu family were now neatly arranged here.
Fuyu gently turned on the lamp on the desk, the soft light shining on the envelope: "Miss, please take care of your eyes."
As soon as she finished speaking, she leaned lazily against the desk, her bright eyes fixed on the envelope, a hint of worry showing between her brows.
Gu Qinlan chuckled and glanced at her sideways: "Why don't you open it and take a look?"
Fuyu quickly gave a forced smile, "This servant is really worried. What if the young master is misled by the eldest young lady's slander..."
Gu Qinlan smiled calmly: "If he really believes it, that would be perfect. I can't wait to get rid of this mess."
Now, she no longer worries that Zheng Dinglian might have the idea of dissolving the partnership.
With her mother's generous dowry, plus the large sum of compensation she extorted from the Gu family today, she can live a leisurely and affluent life even if she does nothing for the rest of her life.
With these thoughts in mind, Gu Qinlan slowly opened the envelope.
Taking the letter out of the envelope, she was surprised to find, in addition to a few sheets of paper, two silver notes, each worth a huge sum of one thousand taels.
She set the banknotes aside and carefully unfolded the letter to begin reading.
Zheng Dinglian's letters were surprisingly direct and clear, completely devoid of the affectation of literary figures. The entire letter was written in simple and unadorned vernacular, as if he were standing right in front of you, personally confiding in you.
This writing style struck Gu Qinlan as novel.
In the letter, Zheng Dinglian first briefly described his recent affairs before mentioning the various matters concerning the Prince Duan's residence.
[You are surely well aware of the situation in the manor. That Huiyi is foolish and has squandered almost all of the Duan Prince's estate. I originally planned to reorganize it after the marriage, but an imperial decree suddenly arrived, forcing me to go to the battlefield.]
[You don't need to consider Huiyi's feelings. Just do what you believe is right. If anyone disagrees with your decision, show them my personal seal. In the Duan Prince's residence, the personal seal is my embodiment.]
Your mother is simple-minded and easily swayed by others, so you don't need to be overly obedient. Filial piety only needs to be superficially respectable, so as not to give others any ammunition against you.
As for your two elder brothers' children, you'll need to take good care of them. Huaiyu has been spoiled by his mother and is quite disliked; Fenghui is simple-minded but kind-hearted. Fengyun is a sensitive and suspicious child, and his thinking is more mature than his age. Discipline them boldly; if they disobey, use family discipline. If they still don't listen, let them go hungry for a few meals. If anyone dares to argue, throw this letter in front of them.
Upon reading this, Gu Qinlan couldn't help but let out a playful smile.
She had expected Zheng Dinglian to criticize her in the letter, but to her surprise, the letter was full of support and encouragement.
Although she doesn't really need other people's support, the feeling of being understood and supported still warms her heart.
In her past life, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to fulfilling her duties in the Ji family, yet no one ever expressed any appreciation for her efforts, as if those tasks were simply her birthright. Any slight mistake would result in one or even several severe reprimands.
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