Chapter 30 [VIP]
Gu Zhizhuo took out the whip from his waist.
With a flick of his wrist, the long black whip moved as if guided by his arm, its tip nimbly hooking onto the signboard.
Gu Zhizhuo tore it off, and the plaque fell down with a "thud," landing heavily on the ground and shattering in two.
The commotion immediately caught the attention of the gatekeeper. Upon opening the door, he was met with such a grand spectacle. He stared blankly at the plaque on the ground, wondering if the sky had fallen.
The sky didn't fall, and Gu Zhizhuo took the lead, directly leading his men inside.
The doorman was terrified.
They didn't send a visiting card, didn't knock on the door, and even smashed the signboard. They're definitely here to cause trouble!
The gatekeeper shouted, "Quickly, go and inform the Lord and Madam!"
The old woman rushed out, running until she was covered in sweat and panting as she entered the main courtyard.
Before she even entered the main hall, she cried out in a low voice, "Madam, Madam, something terrible has happened! The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion has come to our door!"
What? !
Lady Jing'an stood up abruptly, furious: "Why can't Madam Gu keep quiet? If she disturbs Yao Niang's pregnancy, I'll teach her a lesson! A woman, her jealousy never ends."
“Madam,” Granny Qiu said cautiously, patting her chest, “Granny Ping and the others haven’t returned yet… Do you think the Gu family might have found out?”
Lady Jing'an's cursing stopped abruptly, her muddled eyes darting around.
No way?!
Lady Jing'an paced back and forth a few times. It was only a little past 5 PM. The capital region was so vast; even with the Zhenguo Duke's mansion's capabilities, it was impossible to find the person in such a short time. Not to mention the Zhenguo Duke's mansion, even she didn't know which river Ping Mama would take the little mute boy to.
Perhaps, perhaps the Gu family couldn't find Aman and deliberately came to cause trouble.
Thinking about it this way, she felt a little more at ease.
"Hmph, go warn Madam Gu that if she causes any more trouble, she'll have to stay at the estate to reflect on her actions!"
Granny Qiu's eyes darted away. This was a difficult task; the young master's wife wouldn't tolerate being beaten or scolded.
"You are absolutely right, Madam."
She flattered and agreed with everything, but as soon as she stepped out of the main room, she grabbed an old woman and dumped the chores on her.
As soon as the person left, Granny Qiu was looking for a place to hide away when the maids in the courtyard cried out in alarm one after another.
"What are you yelling about? Don't you have any manners... Ahhhhh!" Granny Qiu cursed a couple of times and then shouted, "Who are you? Who let you in? This is the inner courtyard, the inner courtyard!"
Old Dan pushed her aside and went inside. He scanned the courtyard with his remaining eye and said, "I heard that Madam borrowed a black lacquered and gilded chicken-wing wood screen, a five-legged incense burner with a tortoise and lotus incense stick, and a string of South Sea pearls and gold thread curtain from our eldest aunt..."
He read out four or five items in a row, and then said, "...it's time to return them."
"The eldest daughter said that the aunt is too old to bother with such a small matter, and told us to come and find it ourselves."
"Hurry up, after we've searched here, there are other places."
Granny Qiu panicked and shouted, "Quick, stop them!"
There were only some maids and servants in the courtyard, which was no match for them. Old Dan led his men straight into the main room.
Lady Jing'an had barely sat down when she jumped up in fright.
She heard everything Lao Dan was shouting in the yard.
However, Gu was never a dutiful daughter-in-law. Despite having many fine items in her dowry, she never took the initiative to offer them to her.
Yao Niang entered the family and became pregnant with a grandson—what a joyous occasion! Yet, Madam Gu didn't even give her a gift upon meeting her, and when she asked her to bring out an old ginseng root, she gave her the cold shoulder.
These few pitiful items were all birthday gifts she gave me on my birthday.
There's no reason to ask for a gift back once it's been given!
“This one looks like it to me.” Old Shan pointed to the screen in the corner. “Move it.”
"The color is wrong; this looks like rosewood."
"Let's take it back and let the young lady see it. We don't know anything about this. If we make a mistake, so be it. Anyway, we have plenty of strength."
That makes so much sense!
So, Lao Dan deftly folded the screen, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and left, calling out, "Keep looking."
The group searched high and low in the main room, laughing and joking, ignoring the anxious Lady Jing'an.
"Robbers! Robbers! The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is full of robbers."
These burly men barged in front of her, impossible to stop or drive away. She cried even harder, wiping her tears with her handkerchief: "My life is so miserable."
Granny Qiu entered cautiously. As soon as she saw her, Lady Jing'an asked, "I told you to go find Madam Gu. Where is Madam Gu? Has she made enough of a scene?"
“Madam,” Granny Qiu said awkwardly, “the young master’s wife has not returned. It was the eldest daughter of the Gu family who brought people here. They are currently moving the young master’s wife’s dowry from Qiyun Courtyard.”
Qiyun Courtyard is Gu Liaoliao's residence in the Qin family.
The old woman who came to report said that the inner courtyard was in complete chaos, as if it had been ransacked. However, Granny Qiu did not dare to say this.
This is outrageous! The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is simply going too far!
"You, quickly send someone to inform the Lord!"
The Earl of Jing'an has no official duties and is currently staying at his residence.
After making a fuss, Lady Jing'an looked up and saw a lame man pulling out a gilded candlestick with floral and bird patterns from somewhere. She suddenly became anxious and said in a shrill voice, "That's mine! Put it down! Put it down now!"
Nobody paid any attention to her.
Seeing the chaos everywhere she looked, she couldn't sit still any longer. She stamped her foot and, with her maids and servants, rushed outside.
Along the way, people came up in a panic every now and then to report that the Gu family had broken the lock on the storeroom, or that the Gu family had gone somewhere to move things... Lady Jing'an's face grew darker and darker, her mood so gloomy that it seemed as if a storm was brewing.
When she arrived at Qiyun Courtyard and saw Gu Zhizhuo, a gust of wind suddenly erupted.
Wearing a veil and carrying a riding whip, Gu Zhizhuo stood in the courtyard, strolling back and forth leisurely.
Compared to the chaotic main courtyard, the maids and servants in Qiyun Courtyard moved about in an orderly fashion.
One box after another was carried out, and Lady Jing'an saw Gu's trusted wife holding an old dowry list and checking it item by item.
After checking each item, Gu Zhizhuo would go over and take a look, then order, "Lock it up."
Then a large brass padlock clicked shut.
Lady Jing'an noticed that several locked boxes were already piled up in the courtyard, arranged neatly.
What are you doing!?
Lady Jing'an shouted out in a sharp and piercing voice.
Gu Zhizhuo turned around and glanced at her, a smile playing on his lips: "Oh, it's Madam Bo."
"Greetings to the Madam."
She finished speaking casually, then added, "Don't just stand there. Our eldest aunt has a lot of dowry. It's getting dark, so hurry up."
"Outrageous!" Lady Jing'an rushed over in three strides, pointing a trembling finger at Gu Zhizhuo and saying, "These are all Qin family's things, put them all down, put them all down!"
"The Qin family?"
Hehe. Gu Zhizhuo beckoned with his finger, and the woman who was counting the dowry walked over with a smile: "Young lady."
"Zhou Zhi's family, the Lady of Jing'an said these all belong to the Qin family?" Gu Zhizhuo said calmly, "You should check them carefully and not mix them up."
“Don’t worry, young lady,” Zhou Zhi’s wife said with a smile. “I don’t have any other strengths, but I have a good memory. I can’t mistake any of the things in our house. Look, this octagonal glass cup, each of the rubies on it is as big as my fingernail. Where would the Marquis of Jing’an’s mansion get such a good thing?”
"And this white jade pillow, its texture is dense and delicate, as white as solidified fat. You could search the entire Jing'an Marquis's mansion and not find another one like it."
“Young lady, this old ginseng was specially found by the Duke to be part of your dowry. It is over three hundred years old. The Jing’an Marquis’s mansion can’t even afford a fifty-year supply, so it certainly wouldn’t have been mistaken.”
"You can rest assured that I will do my job well."
Zhou Zhi's wife glanced at Lady Jing'an with disdain.
This set of glass cups was requested by the young master last month. He said that because of the hot weather, Lady Jing'an had lost her appetite and wanted to use cool, refreshing utensils to make her eat more. A few days later, he asked the eldest aunt to bring out the white jade pillow, saying that Concubine Sun couldn't sleep well at night and that white jade could calm the nerves. And this old ginseng—he's forced the eldest aunt to bring it out several times already.
They've been with their eldest aunt since she married into the family, and they've witnessed firsthand how the old master started spending lavishly, and how he continued to pawn his belongings while still throwing money away.
This dignified aunt is so short-sighted! Last time, the eldest aunt had someone find a set of twelve zodiac-themed gold soap boxes for Aman to use for bathing. Aman accidentally saw them and started making a fuss. One minute she couldn't eat, the next she felt tightness in her chest. The implication was that Aman shouldn't be so "extravagant" at such a young age, and that such good things should be used by her grandson for his third-day bath.
It's absolutely disgusting.
The veiled insults made Lady Jing'an's face turn ugly.
Since Gu Shi married into the Qin family, and she herself belongs to the Qin family, these external possessions should naturally also belong to the Qin family.
Besides, Madam Gu has no sons, so these things will eventually be left to her grandsons. What's wrong with asking her to take some out now to do her a favor?
Lady Jing'an spoke her mind with a clear conscience.
Gu Zhizhuo was dumbfounded. She silently looked up at the cloudless sky, wondering why there wasn't a lightning bolt to bring her senses back to her senses.
Zhou Zhijia looked like he was used to it; ever since the Duke passed away, the Qin family had been showing all sorts of true colors every day.
Especially after Consort Sun became pregnant, the Lady of the Marquis of Jing'an became incredibly arrogant, even thinking that she was carrying the Crown Prince.
"Where is Madam Gu!" Lady Jing'an scolded sternly. "She's never home, I wonder what shady things she's up to. Now she's making a scene over some trivial matter. Is this how the Gu family is raised..."
Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand and lashed out with the whip.
Lady Jing'an never expected that she would actually make a move.
She screamed and pulled Granny Qiu to stand in front of her.
*Crack!* The whip struck Granny Qiu, who was writhing in pain but dared not flinch.
The barbs on the whip snagged on Lady Jing'an's sleeve, and with a rip, the sleeve was torn open, revealing a bright red whip mark on her fair arm.
The pampered woman had never experienced such a scene before. Lady Jing'an was terrified and, after a long pause, screamed, "Doctor! Doctor!! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!"
A group of maids and servants rushed over in a panic.
Gu Zhizhuo said slowly and deliberately, "He won't die."
These words offered no comfort whatsoever to Lady Jing'an. Weakly leaning against Granny Qiu, she pointed at Gu Zhizhuo with trembling hands, exasperated: "The Gu family is shouting for violence, do they want to sever ties with us?!"
Gu Liaoliao married into the Jing'an Marquis's family, and the Jing'an Marquis's wife was Gu Zhizhuo's elder.
This lash, from a junior striking a senior, signifies—
Severing ties with relatives.
“Yes,” Gu Zhizhuo clapped his hands and said, “Let’s get a divorce.”
Divorce?!
Lady Jing'an's pupils contracted. Ignoring the pain in her arm, she shouted, "No way! The Gu family has no children. They should just give the Qin family a letter of divorce. How dare they even mention divorce?"
"Either leave the dowry behind and let Madam Gu take the divorce papers and get out."
"Or, tell her to come back obediently."
"Divorce is absolutely out of the question," she said sternly. "If you continue this nonsense, I will go to the palace immediately and request an audience with the Empress!"
Gu Zhizhuo: "..."
Indeed, once this matter reaches the palace, a divorce will be impossible.
The Gu family had deep roots in the military for a long time, and it was impossible to uproot them all at once. The emperor left Gu Yan to inherit the title, and also prepared someone to take over the Gu family's connections and accumulation in the military.
The emperor's preferred candidate was Qin Su.
With the title of son-in-law of the Gu family, he can establish himself in the military more quickly.
In his previous life, Qin Su successfully took over his elder brother Gu Yican's Thousand Machines Battalion and led it to join the Third Prince Xie Jing.
Qin Su was someone the emperor wanted to use.
But if he is no longer the son-in-law of the Gu family, then he won't be of much use.
Therefore, divorce must be done quickly.
All other accounts can be settled after the divorce.
Otherwise, if the opportunity is missed and the palace discovers something amiss and intervenes, it will be difficult to get rid of the Qin family.
Gu Zhizhuo's gaze darkened, and he suddenly asked, "Madam Jing'an, where is Aman?"
Lady Jing'an's heart pounded. No matter who asked, she only said one thing: "She's lost."
Where did you lose it?
"She's just a little girl, she's gone, so be it."
Lady Jing'an hummed in agreement.
She never felt that she had done anything wrong.
It's all because that mute woman is an ominous star; keeping her in the world will only bring harm.
"Madam."
Gu Zhizhuo gazed at her and said slowly, "You probably don't know. My aunt was so worried when Aman got lost. When people get anxious, you can't say anything."
Why.
Gu Zhizhuo sighed seemingly unintentionally, and slowly took a step forward, his slender figure looming over her.
“When I came out, my aunt was still talking about how she had a nightmare in which Aman drowned. She wanted to start a fire to warm Aman up.”
Lady Jing'an's heart skipped a beat. What did she mean by that?
Gu Zhizhu raised an eyebrow, his phoenix eyes glancing sideways at the person, his upturned lips full of mockery.
"Sigh, I'm genuinely doing this for the good of the Qin family. If you don't appreciate it, there's nothing I can do. You're the elder, and you've already spoken. I'll have my aunt come back in a bit."
"Live life well."
These words were spoken softly and slowly, and when they reached Lady Jing'an's ears, a chill ran down her spine.
Even though the Gu family had given in, why did she feel even more anxious?
Gu Zhizhu continued, "That's right, Auntie is probably worried sick. As long as Aman can't be found, her worries won't get better."
“If my aunt has another nightmare in the middle of the night, and thinks that Aman fell into the water and is cold, it’s normal to light a fire to warm her up.”
Gu Zhizhuo smiled, a smile tinged with deadly poison, sending chills down one's spine.
Her voice seemed to come from the underworld: "Madam, please bear with me."
Lady Jing'an's mind went blank, and her scalp tingled.
She forced out two words through gritted teeth: "You dare!"
Gu Zhizhu crossed his arms and said with a smile, "Zhou Zhi's wife, don't bother tidying up, your aunt will be back soon. Oh, and have someone prepare more firewood and kerosene."
Not to mention Lady Jing'an, even Granny Qiu couldn't help but tremble.
"Are you threatening me?!"
“Look at what you’re saying, my aunt is just worried about Aman. Once she finds Aman, her worries will naturally disappear.” Gu Zhizhuo asked, “Madam Jing’an, where is Aman?”
Lady Jing'an trembled with fear and couldn't help but look towards the courtyard gate. Why hadn't the Earl come yet?
"Madam, Madam!"
Lady Jing'an was overjoyed, thinking that the Earl of Jing'an had finally arrived. A little maidservant ran in immediately afterward.
The maidservant, sweating profusely, replied, "Madam, the Earl said that you should make the decision. It's really uncivilized to ask him about every little thing in the inner quarters." As she spoke, she cautiously glanced at Madam Jing'an. "The Earl invited Masters Zhang and Cheng, and also called over Miss Qinghong and Miss Man'er from Tianxiang Pavilion. They are currently making a painting of beauties emerging from the bath."
Gu Zhizhuo deliberately chuckled softly.
Lady Jing'an felt utterly humiliated.
What are you laughing at! Wait, what is she holding?! In the blink of an eye, Lady Jing'an noticed that Gu Zhizhuo had somehow acquired a gilded candlestick.
She seemed to be casually playing with the objects, but every word she uttered sent shivers down the spines of Lady Jing'an.
"This candlestick is quite good; it tipped over with a gentle push. And the wind is even better today; it could burn them all up in a flash."
"By the way, I heard that the concubine in your household is about to give birth, and it's a boy. Congratulations!"
This is blatant threat, scoundrel! Shameless!
Lady Jing'an clutched her wildly beating heart.
The Gu family has always been ruthless. She had heard before that the former Duke of Zhenguo once burned tens of thousands of people to death. The Gu family had also killed many people when they were in the northern frontier. They have a lot of blood on their hands.
She's really capable of arson!
They really dare to kill people!
Yao Niang is due to give birth in the next couple of days. What if something happens to her precious grandson whom she has finally found...?
"Divorce!!"
The more Lady Jing'an thought about it, the more frightened she became: "Don't let Madam Gu step into the door again." She used almost all her strength to say this, and after she finished speaking, she was panting heavily.
Gu Zhizhuo took out the divorce agreement that Gu Liaoliao had already signed and sealed from his bosom, and said coldly, "Please have Madam sign it for the young master."
Zhou Zhi's wife had a maid bring out tables and chairs from the house, and also fetched writing materials. Gu Zhizhuo then slammed the divorce papers onto the table.
"Madam." Granny Qiu was covered in sweat.
Divorce is a big deal.
In recent years, if it weren't for the Crown Prince's wife managing the household affairs, they wouldn't even be able to pay their monthly allowances. Alas, the Lady of the Heir Apparent has been living a comfortable life, eating bird's nest every day, and has probably long forgotten that before the Crown Prince's wife married into the family, she only ate white fungus.
"Madam, please don't act rashly. It's not too late to make a decision after we've asked the young master when he returns."
Granny Qiu was extremely anxious. She kept giving the auntie a meaningful look, thinking: Miss Gu was just talking, how could she really start a fire? We can't be fooled by her.
Gu Zhizhuo said slowly, "Your precious grandson is hard-won, so you'd better think it over carefully. If anything goes wrong, you'll be childless."
She pronounced the words "to be childless and without descendants" with such dramatic intonation that it struck Lady Jing'an's heart like a heavy hammer, shattering her last psychological defenses.
"We won't wait any longer," Lady Jing'an decided.
Su'er was already completely infatuated with Madam Gu, so how could he possibly agree to anything when Su'er returned?
A woman who can't bear a son, what will she do after a divorce? Hmph, she'll have to come back begging for my help sooner or later, then I'll have more leverage over her. Otherwise, she'll be threatening violence at the drop of a hat like this.
With that thought in mind, Lady Jing'an, her arm bearing whip marks, picked up the pen.
Sign and affix your fingerprint.
Completed in one go.
During the Great Qi Dynasty, marriage certificates, divorce papers, and separation papers could all be signed and sealed by the parents on their behalf.
Granny Qiu's face was deathly pale, and she was on the verge of tears.
Gu Zhizhuo took the divorce papers and looked at the blood-red fingerprints on them, which made him feel more at ease.
She sent Zhou Zhi's wife to deliver it to the Earl of Jing'an, saying, "Tell the Earl that the Jing'an family has always been of noble character, and he must not make a fuss over my aunt's dowry, as that would be uncivilized."
Zhou Zhi's wife happily took the divorce papers and ran off. Their daughter truly understood the Earl of Jing'an's thoughts perfectly. Even if the Earl of Jing'an was unwilling, he would sign the divorce papers in front of the guests, for the sake of his reputation.
Gu Zhizhuo asked Qingmei to go along as well: "After you sign it, you'll have to make the trip to the Jingzhao Prefecture and make sure the Jingzhao Magistrate gets things done today."
Qingmei was speechless; her young lady really didn't treat her like an outsider!
When Qingmei returned after taking care of everything, her dowry was basically all packed up.
Gu Liaoliao's dowry, stretching for ten miles, consisted of a total of 128 palanquins, which were stored in four storerooms and took quite a bit of effort to organize.
The entire Jing'an Marquis's mansion was turned upside down before everything was properly organized.
Lady Jing'an, her eyes red, watched as these valuable items were packed into the chests. She was truly reluctant to part with them, yet she also had a thousand reasons to back out.
Gu Zhizhuo stood in the middle of the courtyard and gave the order: "Move."
"Finish moving as soon as possible, and I'll book a few tables for you guys so you can have a good drink and celebrate with your brothers."
"Thank you, young lady."
Lao Dan and the others responded with hearty fist salutes.
The guards worked in an orderly manner, and the dowry was carried out one after another from the main gate of the Jing'an Marquis's mansion, just like when it was brought in.
Lady Jing'an clutched her chest, feeling a dull ache.
These should all belong to the Qin family.
They should all belong to her grandsons!
As midnight approached, Gu Liaoliao's maids followed the last chest of dowry out of the Jing'an Marquis's mansion and bumped into Qin Su, who had just returned from the palace.
Qin Su stared blankly at the boxes that were being carried out, then looked at Gu Zhizhuo, then at the boxes again, completely unaware of what had happened.
He couldn't help but ask, "Zhuo-jie, what's going on here...?"
A vague unease lingered in his heart.
He was supposed to return in a quarter of an hour, but just as he was about to leave the palace, the commander summoned him to inquire about the Third Prince's drowning. This delay made it too late.
"Zhuo Jie'er?"
A slight smile played on Gu Zhizhuo's lips: "Young Master, when your precious son celebrates his third-day-old celebration, my Gu family will come again..." She emphasized the last word, "to offer our congratulations!"
After saying that, she turned and left.
Qin Su's unease almost burst forth. He gripped the reins tightly and spurred his horse into the mansion.
"Young Master".
The servant, his face bruised and swollen, rushed out to greet them, saying in a panic, "Madam has signed the divorce papers for you, and the Gu family has taken away all of the young master's wife's dowry."
They originally wanted to go find the heir, but the guards of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion forcibly blocked the door, refusing to let anyone out.
Qin Su: "..."
His body swayed, a metallic taste filled his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Young Master!"
Qin Su's vision went black, and he fell off the horse.
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