Exposed to the light
Xie Yan smiled, his face still pale, but his eyes were surprisingly bright: "It's alright. I know her... I know Xuanru. She's straightforward, and her reaction is most genuine if she doesn't know the inside story. If you entrust this matter to someone else, I will be unhappy."
He paused, then asked, "You've risked your life to come here; what do you need me to do?"
Gu Jinghong sat down on the edge of the couch, lowering his voice even further: "These past few days, I've rechecked all the nodes in the information flow in the files room and found several delays or distortions in key information, the source of which vaguely points to the workshop."
Xie Yan's eyes narrowed as he looked at Gu Jinghong: "Is it the one in the Southwest?... That shouldn't be the case. I have confidence in the Southwest workshops; no one else could possibly find out about them."
Gu Jinghong shook her head, her eyes resolute: "It's the one from the capital."
Xie Yan was taken aback.
“…I suspect,” Gu Jinghong paused thoughtfully for a moment, then looked up at Xie Yan, “Gongsun Lie…”
Her bright eyes darted around, and suddenly a sly glint appeared in them.
Xie Yan instantly caught on: "Did you think of something?"
Gu Jinghong looked at Xie Yan meaningfully, "Senior brother, what if a thief discovers a treasure hidden in the shadows?"
Xie Yan pondered, "...Should we place the treasure among the crowd so that everyone passing by can see it?"
"Anything else?" Gu Jinghong smiled slyly.
Xie Yan frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then looked at Gu Jinghong: "Switching the dragon for a phoenix, replacing it with a fake? Then what about your Jinghong Dock..."
He suddenly understood, "You want me to build you a fake 'Jinghongwu', located near our Zhuoyuelou?!"
Gu Jinghong nodded: "Senior brother understands me best... Moreover, there must be a traitor in Jinghong Village. I need senior brother to handle this matter for me."
A cold, fierce glint suddenly appeared in Xie Yan's eyes, something he hadn't seen in a long time: "Even if Ah Hong doesn't tell, I will settle this score."
...
That night, Gu Jinghong returned to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard of Chengxin Residence, he saw the servants suddenly freeze as if they had seen a monster, then their eyes darted around, they whispered among themselves from time to time, and they even stole a glance at Gu Jinghong.
The newlywed heir apparent's absence from the Duke's mansion for three whole days would be huge news in the capital, yet this news hadn't even reached the gates of the Duke's mansion.
As Gu Jinghong walked towards the main house, she became increasingly certain that the Duke's mansion wanted something from her, and she was almost certain that the Duke knew about the mechanical workshop she had visited in the capital.
However... the Duke of Zhenguo has always been shrewd and composed, but his wife is full of noble ideas and would never allow a newlywed to disobey her parents-in-law or disregard etiquette.
As expected, Lady Wang, the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo, sat upright in the main seat, her plump yet fair hands holding a cup of tea, with two robust nannies standing beside her.
Gongsun Cheyuan stood to the side.
Seeing Gu Jinghong enter Chengxin Residence in a smart outfit, his previously anxious heart finally died.
He desperately tried to wink at Gu Jinghong, glancing at her and then at his mother sitting in the head seat, secretly waving to her.
Gu Jinghong acted as if she hadn't seen him, curtsied politely with impeccable posture, but her expression remained indifferent.
"Mother."
Wang slammed her teacup down, the porcelain bottom striking the table with a jarring sound. She didn't look at Gu Jinghong, but spoke to Gongsun Cheyuan: "I find even the name of that building offensive, yet our Duke's wife comes and goes as she pleases."
Gongsun Cheyuan knelt down with a thud: "Mother, it was I who sent Jinghong! She knows she was wrong, please forgive her this time..."
Wang looked at her son, her chest heaving, and finally turned her cold gaze to Gu Jinghong: "Tell me yourself."
Gu Jinghong curtsied, her posture impeccable, but her voice remained calm and even: "Zhuoyue Tower is my daughter-in-law's dowry property. She has been unconscious for a long time, so I just went back to handle some matters. As for climbing the social ladder..." She raised her eyes, her gaze calmly meeting Wang's, "Mother knows that it is His Majesty's decree, and I dare not disobey."
These almost defiant words stunned Gongsun Cheyuan.
"Dowry? What a dowry!" Madam Wang sneered. "I've heard that your restaurant is hiding some shady dealings! Setting up private workshops and associating with all sorts of scoundrels, it's a disgrace to the family! Today I'm going to teach you a lesson for your evil ways! Granny, bring me the family discipline!"
Two burly old women stepped forward in response.
Gongsun Cheyuan hurriedly stood up to stop her: "Mother!"
Gu Jinghong remained calm and even stepped forward, speaking clearly, "Mother, please forgive me. My daughter-in-law runs the Zhuoyue Pavilion in the capital, which was already in operation before I married into the Duke's mansion. How is that 'shameful'? Besides, I also have a small workshop in the capital where I make novelties. Do you think that's disgracing the family?"
Gongsun Cheyuan was taken aback by her words—she had voluntarily admitted to the workshop?
Wang said, "You...you still have the nerve to admit it!"
"Why don't you dare admit it?" Gu Jinghong met her gaze. "The small gadgets I made, such as the improved crossbow latches and the labor-saving farm implement linkages, are small skills, but they are the result of my hard work. A few days ago, even an official from the Ministry of War sent someone to inquire, saying that he intended to purchase a batch for military equipment improvement. I was just about to tell my father and mother that this would be a great honor for the Duke's mansion."
"Bring glory to your family? I think you've brought trouble upon yourself!" Although Wang Shi didn't understand the situation, she was enraged by her attitude and blurted out, "Just because you're the adopted sister of Prince Jin, you think you can act lawlessly! How long can that wicked Xiao Chengyan protect you? He's a warrior; swords have no eyes. He probably can't even protect himself—"
"On your wedding day, the two of you were all entangled and confused, and the whole capital saw it! Let me tell you, Xiao Chengyan, that kind of killer who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, has a heart that's already black! Do you think he can be so arrogant for long?"
"Mother!" Gongsun Cheyuan interrupted in shock.
A cold glint suddenly appeared in Gu Jinghong's eyes.
"No! Jinghong!" Seeing the anger in Gu Jinghong's eyes intensify, Gongsun Cheyuan knew she had murderous intent towards his mother. He suddenly stood up to protect his mother, shaking his head as he said, "Jinghong, no, you... for my sake, for my sincere feelings for you, don't..."
The murderous intent in Gu Jinghong's eyes receded slowly like a tide, but her gaze remained as cold as ice.
She looked at Gongsun Cheyuan, "Your Highness, I will only give you this face once."
As soon as he finished speaking, a hidden arrow shot out with a "whoosh" towards the painting behind the armchair, hitting the woman in the painting squarely on the forehead.
Her voice suddenly turned cold: "Those who fight for their country must not be slandered!"
Gu Jinghong looked at Gongsun Cheyuan and said, word by word, "If His Majesty desires my mechanical workshop, I will gladly offer it to you! If the Ministry of War desires it, it may purchase it according to the law! But if anyone tries to use this to frame me or curse the pillars of the nation, I will fight to the death rather than allow myself to be bullied!"
These words seemed somewhat unfounded. Gongsun Cheyuan had never mentioned her mechanical workshop to Gu Jinghong; it was all Gu Jinghong who was talking about it. Yet, Gongsun Cheyuan felt his heart race as he listened.
He knew that his father, Gongsun Lie, was after Gu Jinghong's mechanical workshop.
Seeing Gongsun Cheyuan's somewhat absent-minded expression, Gu Jinghong turned to look directly at Madam Wang, "Since Mother believes that I have disgraced the Duke's Mansion, then I will request to leave the mansion and reside at Zhuoyue Tower. This will also prevent my 'shady' businesses from tarnishing the Duke's Mansion's reputation!"
Gongsun Cheyuan seemed to finally wake up and walked towards Gu Jinghong, "Jinghong, you...you're moving out?!"
"Nonsense!" Just as he was about to say something, Gongsun Lie's voice rang out at the right moment.
Wang finally felt that someone could stand up for her had arrived. She wiped away her tears and walked towards Gongsun Lie, saying, "Master!"
Gongsun Lie strode in, first glancing coldly at the broken pieces on the ground, then shouting sternly the moment he touched Wang Shi: "Ignorant fool! Shut up!"
He turned to Gu Jinghong, his face grave, but a hint of shock and anger lurked deep in his eyes—Gu Jinghong was trying to use this as an excuse to escalate the situation and bring the workshop into the open! In this way, his original plan to secretly control the workshop would completely fail.
Gongsun Lie's eyes flashed, and he instantly saw through Gu Jinghong's scheme of retreating to advance and forcing him to make a statement.
In his shock and anger, a thought of going with the flow also took shape.
He immediately stepped forward: "Jinghong, you have been wronged! Your mother is ignorant and does not recognize the value of such a skill that benefits the country and its people!"
He suddenly raised his voice, as if announcing to the entire audience: "That is precisely why your workshop needs to rely on the prestige of the Duke's mansion! Tomorrow, I will personally write to His Majesty to explain this matter and request commendation for you! Moving out of the mansion is absolutely unacceptable; wouldn't that make your loyalty to the country a laughing stock for outsiders?"
Gu Jinghong lowered her eyes, concealing a glint of light in them, and obediently replied, "Since Father says so, Jinghong will obey."
After she left, the gentle expression on Gongsun Lie's face instantly froze.
He walked up to the still-shaken Wang, bent down, and suddenly raised his hand—slap!
Wang stared blankly at Gongsun Lie.
After more than 20 years of marriage, this was the first time Gongsun Lie had ever hit her, and it was for the sake of his daughter-in-law.
Her eyes sparkled, and she was about to say something when she saw Gongsun Lie pointing a finger at her with a look of disappointment, as if he wanted to throw a whole bunch of warnings at her. In the end, he just left her with the word "idiot."
That ignorant woman, how could she understand how much effort he had put in to keep Gu Jinghong in the Duke's mansion? If he really dared to touch her, even Xiao Chengyan would not stand idly by.
You stupid woman!!!
...
One month later...
The Study of the King's Mansion
Xiao Chengyan listened to his subordinates' report on military affairs in the northern border with a blank expression.
Everything was progressing as he envisioned, but his mind was preoccupied, hanging on a spider's web, unable to settle down.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the study door.
"Your Highness." Changfeng strode in, his expression solemn, glancing around.
Xiao Chengyan waved his hand, signaling everyone to step back.
The study door closed, and Changfeng immediately reported, his voice, though forced to remain steady, trembling slightly: "Your Highness, news has just arrived. Miss Gu... she... at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, in front of Gongsun Lie and his wife, publicly revealed her workshop in the capital."
"Click"
It is the sound of the knuckles.
"Explain yourself." Xiao Chengyan's voice sounded calm, but it was terrifyingly deep, like the rumble of thunder before a storm.
"It is reported that Lady Wang, the Duchess of the State, used this as a pretext to launch an attack and intend to impose family punishment. Miss Gu then took the opportunity to admit the existence of the workshop and stated that its production involved military equipment improvement, and that the Ministry of War was already interested in purchasing it. She... she also almost took action against Lady Wang on the grounds that she had cursed the Prince, and finally asked to leave the mansion, but was forcibly stopped by Gongsun Lie."
Open workshop! Procurement by the Ministry of War! Requesting to leave the capital!
Xiao Chengyan's gaze sharpened for a moment. It had been a month since he had received any news from Gu Jinghong. Someone was pressuring him to inquire about her, testing his concern for her.
The more this is the case, the less he can move.
He asked, "When did this happen?"
His expression, which had been as cold and hard as a stone sculpture, finally moved.
Changfeng said, "A month ago."
"Click"
The pen that Xiao Chengyan was holding broke.
Does she even know what she's doing? That workshop is the culmination of her years of hard work, one of the very foundations of her livelihood! Exposing it to the light of day is tantamount to placing herself on the target of every ambitious schemer! That old fox Gongsun Lie originally thought that controlling Ah Hong by exploiting her reputation as a woman would allow him to proceed gradually, but now that things have come to this, he's probably going to take a risky gamble, plotting how to devour her and the workshop in one fell swoop!
A surge of scorching heat rushed to his chest, and the Gu poison stirred slightly due to this sudden and intense emotion.
"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime..." He closed his eyes, veins throbbing on his forehead.
He leaned on the table, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He tried to suppress his surging blood and qi with his internal energy, but various terrifying images uncontrollably surfaced in his mind—she was schemed against by various forces, imprisoned and exploited by Gongsun Lie, and even met with misfortune because she touched the interests of certain people...
He thought that by placing her under the protection of the Duke's mansion, he could prevent her from being killed by his out-of-control self and protect her temporarily. Secondly, he knew Gongsun Lie's motives. If Gongsun Lie thought that Ah Hong and her workshop were under his control, he would never take action against Ah Hong.
Unexpectedly, Ah Hong chose the most dangerous path.
"And what about this past month? How has it been?"
Seeing that the prince's expression was not right, Changfeng quickly said, "This month, Pavilion Master Gu has been painting at the Duke's mansion most of the time."
It was...so peaceful?
Xiao Chengyan frowned, then slowly shook his head. No, no, this wasn't her style. This was clearly the calm before the storm. What exactly was she planning to do?!
He suddenly opened his eyes—he had to see her with his own eyes!
Before Changfeng could react, Xiao Chengyan had already vanished into the deep night like a ghost.
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