Chapter 468: One is rude and unreasonable, the other is insidious and cunning
Duan Yunfan didn't walk far after leaving the post station. After thinking it over, he turned back. Gu Junze frowned when he saw him appear again.
"Mr. Duan, what else do you want?" Gu Junze's voice was as cold as ice.
Duan Yunfan forced himself to appear calm and composed, and said with a bow, "Brother Junze, when I was leaving just now, I saw some unfamiliar faces around the post station. I felt uneasy, so I came to give you a heads up."
Gu Junze picked up the teacup and took a sip slowly: "Oh? Master Duan is so concerned about my safety?"
Duan Yunfan asked tentatively, "There's been a lot of trouble in Zheng City lately. I wonder if Brother Junze has encountered any unpleasantness? If anyone has offended me, I'm willing to mediate."
"No need." Gu Junze put down his teacup, his eyes burning, "Mr. Duan, you should take care of your brothers first."
Duan Yunfan was shocked, but he didn't show it on his face: "Brother Junze, what do you mean by this?"
"Literally." Gu Junze stood up, indicating that the conversation was over. "If you have nothing else, please go ahead."
Seeing that he couldn't get anything out of him, Duan Yunfan had to bow and leave.
He was feeling uneasy, as Gu Junze's words seemed to hint at something. Could it be that those people had been arrested?
At the same time, in the Duan family mansion, Duan Yunzhou was pacing back and forth in his courtyard.
Ah San and his companions had been gone for a long time, but no news had come back. Just as he was getting anxious, a servant came running over.
"Master, this is bad! Asan and the others have all been arrested!"
Duan Yunzhou's face turned pale instantly: "What? How is that possible?"
"It's said that General Gu's shadow guards were well prepared, and they were stopped as soon as Ah San and the others entered the courtyard." The servant's voice trembled. "Now they are all detained in the post station."
Duan Yunzhou's legs went weak and he almost lost his balance. "Has anyone confessed?"
"I don't know yet," the servant whispered, "but I heard that General Gu personally interrogated Ah San."
Duan Yunzhou was struck by lightning and slammed the table. "Asshole! That idiot Ah San must have told everything!"
He ran straight to Xiao Zhou's courtyard in a panic and fell to his knees as soon as he entered the door: "Mother, my son is in trouble!"
Mrs. Zhou was embroidering. Seeing her son like this, she frowned and said, "What's wrong? You're so flustered. How can you be so unbecoming?"
Duan Yunzhou's voice trembled, "Mother, the people I sent to capture Gu Junze's wife and children have all been captured! Ah San was even interrogated alone, and he will definitely confess that I was the one who ordered it!"
"What?" Xiao Zhou dropped the embroidery needle in her hand. "Did you really send someone?"
Duan Yunzhou knelt down and kowtowed: "Son, I shouldn't be so anxious. I just wanted to share my mother's worries, but I didn't expect it to backfire."
Xiao Zhou suppressed her anger, walked quickly to the door, waved away all the maids, and closed the door tightly.
"You bastard! I told you to wait and see, but you took action on your own!" Little Zhou scolded in a low voice, "Now that the matter has been exposed, how do you want me to end this?"
Duan Yunzhou burst into tears: "Mother, please save me! If my father knew about this, I would definitely die!"
Xiao Zhou paced back and forth in the room, then suddenly stopped, a fierce look flashing in her eyes: "Yunzhou, things have come to this point, crying is useless."
"Then what should we do?"
Little Zhou leaned closer to her son and lowered her voice, "We can't wait for Gu Junze to report it to your father. We must take the initiative."
"Preemptive strike?"
"The wicked are the first to complain!" Little Zhou's eyes gleamed. "I'll send people to the city to spread rumors, saying that Gu Junze, an envoy from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, is trying to frame my Duan family's eldest son and stir up trouble between the two countries."
Duan Yunzhou's face lit up with delight: "This is a brilliant plan! If the rumor gets out, even if Ah San confesses, we can still say that Gu Junze forced him to confess and framed him!"
Xiao Zhou sneered, "Not only that, I will also send people to all the major teahouses and taverns to tell them that Gu Junze is unwilling to acknowledge his ancestral roots and wants to use this opportunity to blackmail the Duan family and demand a huge amount of money and property."
"If this happens, Gu Junze's reputation will be completely ruined, and my father won't easily believe his words."
Duan Yunzhou nodded repeatedly: "Mother is wise!"
Xiao Zhou waved her hand and said, "Go back first, stay calm, and don't reveal any flaws. I will take care of the rumors."
Duan Yunzhou wiped his tears and stood up to say goodbye. Just as he reached the door, Xiao Zhou called him back, "Yunzhou, remember, if your father asks, just say you know nothing."
"Son understands."
Xiao Zhou watched her son leave and called her trusted maid, "Go and call Manager Lin."
Soon, a middle-aged man with a sinister face quietly arrived. Manager Lin bowed and asked, "What are your wishes, Madam?"
Xiao Zhou informed Lin of the plan. After a moment's reflection, Lin said, "Madam, if you want to spread rumors, you might as well start with this."
He leaned close to Xiao Zhou's ear and whispered something. Xiao Zhou's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! Do it immediately and make sure the rumor spreads throughout the city by tomorrow morning."
Manager Lin took the order and left. Xiao Zhou stood in front of the window with a cold light in her eyes.
"Gu Junze, you're dreaming of returning to your roots! Today, I'll let you experience the bitterness of public opinion."
As night fell, the inn was brightly lit. Gu Junze summoned his shadow guards and finalized the evacuation plan.
"Prepare to set off at midnight. Divide into three groups to escort the wife and children." Gu Junze said in a low voice, "If you are stopped, don't show any mercy."
The shadow guard took the order and left. Gu Junze returned to the room and saw Chu Ruohan packing her luggage.
"Han'er, this is the pill I asked someone to prepare. If there is any danger on the road, you can let Xuan'er take it. It can keep him from feeling hungry or thirsty for three days." Gu Junze handed over a small porcelain bottle.
Chu Ruohan took it, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes: "Will the Duan family let us go so easily?"
"They can't stay even if they want to." Gu Junze sneered, "Duan Yunfan came back today to test whether I knew the mastermind behind the kidnapping. I deliberately told him to keep his brothers in check. I guess he must have guessed something."
Chu Ruohan sighed: "The Duan brothers, one is arrogant and unreasonable, the other is insidious and cunning, but they both take after their father."
Gu Junze's eyes were gloomy. "Duan Yunfan is much smarter than his elder brother. If I'm right, he has already gone back to inform the authorities."
Chu Ruohan asked worriedly, "If we leave the city tonight, will there be an ambush?"
"I've sent people to explore the route ahead of time, and I've prepared fast horses outside the city." Gu Junze held Chu Ruohan's hand, "Don't worry, I won't put you and the child in any danger."
Chu Ruohan nodded and leaned on Gu Junze's shoulder: "After leaving this time, I don't know when I can come to see Brother Yun again."
Gu Junze stroked her long hair, "There will always be a chance..."
As they were talking, a shadow guard hurried in to report, "General, we just received news that someone in the city is spreading rumors that you intend to frame the eldest son of the Duan family and sow discord between the two countries."
Gu Junze sneered: "As expected. It seems that Xiao Zhou has already made a move."
"There are even more vicious rumors, saying that you are unwilling to return to your roots, but want to take the opportunity to blackmail the Duan family and demand a huge amount of money and property." The shadow guard continued to report.
Chu Ruohan angrily said, "What a twist! They clearly wanted to kidnap us, but they framed us for extortion!"
Gu Junze's eyes flashed coldly: "Don't be angry, this just gives us a reason to leave."
He turned to the shadow guard and said, "Pass my order to set off an hour earlier. No more waiting at midnight."
The shadow guard took the order and left. Gu Junze looked at the night outside the window with his eyes as sharp as swords.
"Since you attacked first, don't blame me for retaliating."
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