Chapter 701 Touched His Sore Spot
In the main courtyard.
Madam Gu was directing the maids to arrange the account books and tally cards, which Meng Yunlan had just sent over.
Looking at the stacks of account books, Madam Gu felt a headache coming on: "Does our Duke's mansion have so many accounts? No wonder Yunlan complains of being tired; I feel exhausted just looking at them."
Gu Qianhan's indifferent voice sounded behind her: "So, Mother can't bear to let my sister-in-law suffer, so she lets A-Tang suffer instead?"
Madam Gu turned around abruptly: "Did your wife go back to complain to you?"
"She didn't complain."
"How would you know about this if you didn't report it?"
"If my mother hadn't sent someone to fetch me, I would never have known about this! A-Tang suffered grievances and was ostracized by you, but she didn't tell me a word. It was A-Ning who told me!"
Madam Gu's face stiffened: "That brat, how dare she spout nonsense in front of you! Don't listen to her nonsense. Your wife was married in a proper ceremony, how could I possibly make her suffer or exclude her?"
"Really? What about the housekeeper? Why do you insist on letting her manage things one minute and then refuse to let her manage them the next?"
Gu Qianhan's expression was icy: "Is it fun to toy with her?"
Madam Gu quickly said, "I wasn't teasing her. I just noticed that she wasn't too keen on managing the household, and your sister-in-law said she could continue managing it, so I stopped letting your wife manage it!"
"Then my mother told me, have you ever treated your sister-in-law like this?"
"I...I..."
Madam Gu choked, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Because she had never treated Meng Yunlan that way before.
Gu Qianhan saw right through Madam Gu's thoughts: "Mother has never taken A-Tang seriously. If your sister-in-law finds managing the household tiring, then you make A-Tang manage it for her. If your sister-in-law wants to manage the household, then you kick A-Tang aside!"
"No, that's not what I meant! Why are you saying such hurtful things about me!"
"Because my mother went so far!"
Gu Qianhan's eyes darkened: "Mother can favor my eldest brother, and she can disregard me, but Atang is innocent! When you favor your sister-in-law, don't use her as a stepping stone!"
Madam Gu was also annoyed: "Your elder brother and sister-in-law are filial and sensible. What's wrong with me showing them some favoritism? Your elder brother would never question me like you do, so disrespectful! Your sister-in-law would never complain about me to your elder brother behind his back. She is the most virtuous and obedient!"
Gu Qianhan sneered: "You've always unconditionally favored your eldest brother, so naturally he has nothing to question you about! If things were reversed today, and you used your sister-in-law as a stepping stone for A-Tang, do you think your eldest brother would question you then!"
"Your older brother would never do that! He's much more filial than you, and he always listens to me!"
"In that case, from today onwards, I will be the heir of the Duke's mansion, and I will inherit the title of Duke's mansion in the future!"
Madam Gu stared at him in disbelief: "What did you say?!"
"Furthermore, the management of the household is also handed over to Atang. From this day forward, Atang will be in charge of all affairs of the Duke's mansion. Eldest sister-in-law, step aside! The eldest branch of the family will no longer enjoy the heir's allowance for food, clothing, and daily necessities, and the number of maids and servants serving them will be reduced by half!"
"Gu Qianhan! Are you crazy?!"
"Why are you in such a hurry, Mother? Didn't you say that my elder brother is more filial and obedient than me? Didn't you say that my sister-in-law is virtuous and respectful? Since they are all so good, what's wrong with giving up the position of heir apparent and the power to manage the household?"
Madam Gu's face turned pale with anger: "You, you are simply a wolf in sheep's clothing! Have you been coveting your elder brother's position as heir apparent for a long time?!"
Gu Qianhan twitched her lips, revealing a sarcastic smile: "In Mother's eyes, I'm just a wolf in sheep's clothing, so that's why you don't teach me anything or give me anything, right?"
Madam Gu looked at him coldly: "Don't even dream about it. The title of Duke's mansion will never be given to you! Your elder brother is the eldest son, and the title has been his since birth! No matter how many tricks you use, you can't take it away!"
"I don't care!"
Gu Qianhan's voice was as cold as ice: "A-Tang doesn't care about any housekeeping rights!"
"If Meng Yunlan thinks the housekeeper is too tiring, then let her get out! What she doesn't want, A-Tang won't take either!"
"She wants to occupy the position of the heir apparent's wife, but doesn't want to suffer the slightest bit of hard work. She wants to make Atang do her work, but won't allow Atang to share the Duke's mansion's power. How come she gets all the good things in the world?!"
"Trying to outsmart me? She could die a hundred times over and still not outsmart me! She might just end up playing herself to death!"
“If Mother wants peace and tranquility in the family, then treat everyone equally! Treat A-Tang the same way you would treat Meng Yunlan!”
"If Mother can't treat everyone equally, then don't blame me for turning the Duke's mansion upside down, and there will never be a peaceful day again!"
Madam Gu stared at him blankly. She had raised this son for so many years and had never seen him so angry or say such venomous things.
Normally, although he was indifferent, he had never had such a big emotional fluctuation before. Even if the sky were to fall, he would still appear calm and composed.
Has this... touched a nerve?
She used to be even more biased towards the eldest son, but Gu Qianhan never came to settle scores with her, nor did she ever see him lose his temper.
Today, I only showed a little favoritism towards the eldest son's wife, and Gu Qianhan went crazy as a result.
The maids and nannies in the room had never seen Gu Qianhan lose her temper before, and they were all trembling with fear, none of them daring to utter a sound.
The second young master is known for being cold and ruthless. No one dares to provoke him unless he gets angry. Now that he's angry, even fewer people will dare to mess with him.
Gu Qianhan didn't care what the people in the room thought of him, and he didn't even care what his mother thought of him.
Seeing that his mother remained silent, he turned away coldly and strode away.
Long after he left, Madam Gu finally found her voice: "That wretched child, he's gone mad! He even dares to call his sister-in-law by her given name!"
Although she was cursing Gu Qianhan, she felt a chill in her heart.
Thank goodness, it was just a false alarm. She thought Gu Qianhan was really going to steal her elder brother's position as heir!
It was just a prank to scare her!
As long as he doesn't try to seize the position of heir apparent, and as long as Shen Wantang doesn't try to seize the power of managing the household, everything is negotiable!
Granny Chang stepped forward and advised with concern, "Madam, this matter... was indeed not very appropriate. You should not be so obvious in the future. The Second Young Master is not someone to be trifled with! He cherishes the Second Young Mistress so much, so naturally he does not want her to suffer the slightest grievance. You should not walk into his trap."
Madam Gu gritted her teeth: "How was I supposed to know he would react so strongly? He never cared about these things before!"
"Madam, the past is the past, and the present is the present. They are all your own children. The second young master is married now and is no longer a child. You should at least save face!"
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