The daughter of the first wife grew up in the countryside and was extremely powerful

Gu Fanchu sneered in his heart and looked at the woman who was speaking inconspicuously. She was the second daughter of the Qin family, the Minister of Public Administration, Qin Mingzhu, and a good dog of Meng Hewan.

In her previous life, she was the driving force behind Meng Hewan's plan, and she had been verbally humiliated by him many times.

Gu Fanchu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile. He said calmly, "Miss Qin seems to be very interested in me. However, I wasn't raised on the farm. I was picked up and raised by someone. My brother only found me a few months ago."

The General's Mansion did not explain Gu Fanchu's origins, and they did not want to hide it. After all, if there is a secret, there will be loopholes. If it is exposed one day, it will be used against them.

So what my grandfather meant was that if someone asked, it didn’t matter whether you told him the truth or not.

In her previous life, she racked her brains to cover up her past of the past decade, fearing that it would bring shame to the Marquisate and be looked down upon by others. However, it was eventually exposed, and she became the laughing stock of the entire capital.

Seeing the surprised expressions of the young ladies, Gu Fanchu continued, "As for why I share the same birthday as the young lady from the Marquis' Mansion... I wonder if this isn't fate? How can one decide their own birthday?"

Qin Mingzhu was speechless for a moment. She didn't expect Gu Fanchu to speak so frankly, and his tone was full of contempt for Meng Hewan. She immediately retorted:

"Do you really think you can be compared to Sister Wan'er? Sister Wan'er is a famous noble lady in the capital, well-educated, talented, and beautiful, while you have been raised outside. I'm sure you've never seen a big occasion. How dare you hold a birthday party on the same day as Sister Wan'er?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the pavilion fell into silence.

Qin Mingzhu also regretted saying such blunt words, and her heart began to beat fast. Would Gu Fanchu go and complain?

Humph, even if I tell the elders, it's just a joke between children. However, when she saw Gu Fanchu's face immediately turned cold after hearing this, her heart couldn't help but tighten.

Gu Fanchu stared at Qin Mingzhu, with a hint of anger and dissatisfaction in his eyes.

Her voice was cold and powerful, as if it was piercing the bones with a chill wind. She said, "The Qin family is truly well-educated. If you didn't want to come, then why did you come? Could it be that the General's Mansion is holding a knife to your neck? You just think the General's Mansion is more powerful than the Marquis' Mansion, and you're acting like you're so righteous."

These words were like a sharp sword, piercing Qin Mingzhu's heart.

She never thought that Gu Fanchu would refute her so directly, and his words were sharp and merciless.

For a moment, she felt ashamed and a blush appeared on her face.

But she still pretended to be calm, trying to save face, "Humph, I'm just telling the truth."

Gu Fanchu sneered and looked at Qin Mingzhu with disdain, "Tell the truth? You say this in a very righteous way. People who don't know you would think you are so noble. In fact, you are just a selfish, hypocritical person." She would not tolerate such self-righteous people, especially rich kids like Qin Mingzhu.

Qin Mingzhu had never expected that Gu Fanchu would say these words so sharply and bluntly in front of everyone, which made her feel humiliated in an instant.

However, faced with such accusations, she was powerless to refute them. She could only stand up angrily, snorted coldly, and then stormed out of the pavilion angrily.

Meng Fanchu looked at Qin Mingzhu's departing back, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a barely perceptible smile.

She knew that what she had just said had successfully suppressed Qin Mingzhu's arrogance.

Then, she turned to look at the maid beside her and winked at her. The little maid understood and immediately followed Qin Mingzhu's footsteps and left the pavilion.

At this moment, the other girls in the pavilion fell silent. They each had different thoughts in their minds, but they all had one thing in common - what Gu Fanchu said was indeed the truth.

When serving as an official in the court, one must know how to weigh the pros and cons and establish good relationships with people who are beneficial to one's family.

Although they may have some small actions and thoughts in private, on the surface, the status and influence of the General's Mansion are something they dare not offend easily.

Therefore, although I feel a little dissatisfied, I can only accept this reality silently.

No matter what Gu Fanchu's identity is, as long as he is recognized by the General's Mansion and is included in the family tree, he is a member of the General's Mansion.

At this time, another girl asked curiously: "Could it be that the General's Mansion has really severed its relationship with the Marquis' Mansion?"

Gu Fanchu's face was smiling again, and her bright face showed no trace of the coldness from before. "What are you talking about? The fate of the General's Mansion and the Marquis' Mansion is decided by the elders in my family, and as a girl, I know it well. Everyone, try this fruit wine. My grandmother asked the farm to brew it. It tastes sweet and sour, very suitable for us girls."

Seeing that she had no intention of talking anymore, everyone gave up and picked up their wine glasses to taste the wine, appreciate the flowers, and chat and laugh.

When the banquet started, the young ladies returned to the flower hall and returned to their families.

Thinking no one would arrive, the old general was about to start the feast when the steward outside the door rushed in like a gust of wind. He walked to Gu Mingqing's side and said in a low voice, "Grandpa, the Fifth Prince has arrived with his Grand Tutor Shi and General Ji. And... he has also brought an imperial edict!"

Those sitting next to the old general were all important officials in the court. When they heard the report from the housekeeper, they were all shocked. When did this general's mansion become related to the fifth prince and others?

There was also an imperial edict? What kind of imperial edict was it? Could it be a reward for Gu Mingqing and Gu Yunye?

Everyone was confused, and as the protagonists of the story, they were also full of doubts. However, this was not the time to think about these things. Gu Mingqing immediately led everyone to the front hall to receive the order.

Shi Jinyan was pulled here by Ji Yunchen today. From his gossipy eyes, Shi Jinyan naturally knew what this good friend was thinking, but he did not refuse and came over according to his wishes.

Naturally, he had heard about what people in Beijing had been saying recently, but she believed that the cunning woman would be able to find a way to solve it.

On the way here, he also met the fifth prince who came to deliver the imperial edict.

Ji Yunchen, somewhat curious, pulled his friend, who had remained indifferent, and whispered, "Hey, why is the Fifth Prince so attentive, coming all the way to deliver the imperial edict? Could it be that he wants to marry into the General's Mansion?"

It is hard not to suspect that the General's Mansion has been in its heyday in recent years, and many people want to curry favor with it. As a prince, if he can establish a relationship with the General's Mansion, he may get a lot of benefits in the future.