Chapter 606: The "Plan to Ask for Merit" Failed Before It Even Began
Lin Jiayou and Qian Zhenyun looked at each other and saw the same doubt in each other's eyes.
"What method?" Lin Jiayou put down the book and leaned forward slightly, obviously his curiosity was aroused.
Qian Zhenyun added softly, "Qingchen, don't do anything out of line, or your aunt will be angry."
"Don't worry," Gu Qingchen waved his hand, his face showing the pride of having masterminded the plan. "I'm helping mother solve a big problem, and I'm making money legitimately!"
She lowered her voice and told her two friends everything about the price difference she had discovered when checking the accounts for the century-old ginseng.
"I'll go ask that Manager Liu," Gu Qingchen's eyes sparkled, "as long as he returns the money he embezzled, I'll ask my mother for credit."
"If she's happy, she could give me three or five taels of silver. Wouldn't that be enough to buy a gift for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
After hearing this, Lin Jiayou raised his eyebrows, with a hint of approval in his eyes: "This method is not bad. It can not only punish the servants in the mansion, but also help you gain face in front of your aunt."
"But, Manager Liu is an old man in the mansion, I'm afraid he won't be that easy to deal with."
"That's why I need your help!" Gu Qingchen put one hand on someone's shoulder, looking like a little general assigning a task.
"Go away," she said, looking at Qian Zhenyun. "Go to the warehouse this afternoon and guard it. Don't let anyone get close to the medicine warehouse, especially that Manager Liu, to prevent him from destroying the evidence."
Although Qian Zhenyun was a little scared, he nodded vigorously after seeing Gu Qingchen's trusting eyes.
"Yeah! I guarantee not even a fly can fly in!"
"Lin Jiayou," Gu Qingchen turned to the other side, "You have a good brain. When I interrogate him later, you can help me write down every word he says and find loopholes in it."
Lin Jiayou smiled and agreed: "No problem."
The three of them made up their minds and started to act immediately.
She made up her mind to go to the accounting office first to block them, so that Manager Liu would not get wind of the matter and run away.
As soon as I walked into the hall, I ran into a familiar housekeeper.
"Where are you going, young lady?" Aunt Zhang smiled and bowed.
Gu Qingchen cleared her throat and, imitating her mother's usual manner, asked with a certain air of authority, "Madam Zhang, have you seen Manager Liu from the Purchasing Department?"
Nanny Zhang had a strange look on her face. She glanced at Gu Qingchen, then at the two young masters behind her, and then she whispered, "To answer the young lady, Manager Liu was sent out of the mansion by the Madam yesterday."
"What?" Gu Qingchen's voice suddenly rose, and the smug expression on his face froze.
She felt like someone had poured a bucket of cold water on her head, chilling her from the inside out.
"Sold it? Why?" she kept asking.
"I don't know anything about that." Nanny Zhang shook her head. "I only heard that he was dishonest and violated the rules of the mansion. After Madam found out, she immediately had him taken away by a pawnbroker and sent out of the capital overnight."
Gu Qingchen was completely silent, like a defeated rooster, with his head drooping.
It turned out that her mother had already seen through the trick that she had worked so hard to discover, and had dealt with it swiftly and decisively.
Her self-righteous cleverness is not worth mentioning in front of her mother.
Lin Jiayou patted her shoulder and comforted her softly, "Auntie is decisive, which is a good thing."
Qian Zhenyun also came over and whispered, "Yes, Qingchen, the person was driven away..."
But Gu Qingchen couldn't be happy at all.
Her carefully planned "plan to ask for credit" failed before it even started, and the money for the gift was nowhere to be found, which made her feel very upset.
The three of them returned to the academy dejectedly, and no one was in the mood to talk.
Gu Qingchen lay on the table, unconsciously drawing circles on the table with his fingers.
Why is my mother so fast?
She felt both admiration and frustration.
Just as she was feeling upset, pages of account books suddenly flashed through her mind.
It was not just the accounts of purchases made in the mansion, but also the running accounts of the shops owned by her mother, which she had flipped through to kill time during those days.
The purchasing channels, selling prices, and the amount of each profit were all clearly imprinted in her mind.
A thought, like a thunderbolt, suddenly split her chaotic thoughts.
Gu Qingchen's eyes suddenly lit up, and she sat up straight with a "bang", which scared Qian Zhenyun and Lin Jiayou who were standing next to her.
"I've come up with another idea!" She lowered her voice, but the excitement in her tone could not be concealed.
"What method?" Lin Jiayou asked.
Gu Qingchen smiled mysteriously, moved in between the two of them, and said in a voice that only the three of them could hear: "Let's do our own business!"
"Do business?" Qian Zhenyun's eyes widened. "How can we do business?"
"Haven't I looked through so many of Mother's account books?"
"I've discovered that the noble ladies of the capital love novel and unique jewelry the most. We can design some unique styles and have them made. They'll definitely sell for a good price!"
Lin Jiayou thought for a moment and nodded: "The idea is feasible. But!"
He pointed out the most critical question, "Where does the capital come from? Design drawings, purchase materials, hire craftsmen, everything requires money."
Qian Zhenyun also nodded, with a worried look on his face: "Yes, sister, you need money to do business."
Gu Qingchen was stunned by the question.
She touched her empty purse, and the fire of hope that had just been ignited seemed to be shaken by the cold wind of reality.
Her eyes subconsciously swept around the classroom.
Looking at those classmates who were studying hard or whispering to each other, most of them came from wealthy families, dressed in fine clothes, and had bulging pockets around their waists.
An extremely bold idea emerged in her mind.
The corners of Gu Qingchen's mouth slowly curled up into a cunning arc.
She cleared her throat, stood up, and walked to the center of the classroom.
"My fellow students, please be quiet for a moment. I have something incredibly good to share with you!"
Her voice was clear and loud, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
The classroom suddenly became quiet, and dozens of pairs of eyes looked at her.
Gu Qingchen took a deep breath and said loudly, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will celebrate his birthday in ten days. A banquet will be held in the East Palace. Lin Jiayou, Qian Zhenyun and I have all been invited."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar below.
What an honor it is to be able to attend the prince’s birthday banquet!
Looking at the envious and eager eyes of the crowd, Gu Qingchen knew that the fish had taken the bait.
"Here, I have an opportunity for everyone to participate and make a lot of money."
She paused, then threw out the bait, "We all know that Your Highness, I am the future emperor. A gift represents a token of my heart."
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