After my luck was stolen, I led my whole family to defy fate and change our destiny.

The three brothers stood blankly in front of the ruined kitchen and woodshed, their expressions of astonishment identical.

Gu Yu'an looked at Su Xiuran, who seemed lost in thought, and said, "Mother, it's ruined, so be it. Maybe tomorrow we...we..."

At this point, Gu Yu'an choked up a little, "Maybe tomorrow, or soon...maybe...maybe we shouldn't fix this kitchen."

Su Xiuran's fingernails dug tightly into her flesh. "No, I won't give up until the very last moment... Order someone to clean up the room next door and build a stove there."

Gu Yu'an lowered his head and stopped saying anything discouraging.

"Okay, I'll supervise it myself."

Gu Liyao walked to Su Xiuran's side and gently comforted her, "It's alright, Mother. We will definitely get through this."

Su Xiuran nodded slightly. "Mm."

She stroked Gu Ziming, who was hugging her waist, and said, "Go back to sleep, Mother is fine."

Gu Linglong was naturally awakened by the commotion, and she rolled her eyes in thought.

What happened? How could there be a fire?

Wang Fugui immediately flew out, eager to claim credit and reward.

"Well, Lord White Tiger, is this what I arranged?"

Gu Linglong was stunned for a moment. [Is this the method you mentioned for reminding my mother to bring her valuables?]

"Hehe, yeah, when they see the fire, they'll definitely think about packing their valuables and running away."

"See? I'm smart, aren't I?"

【You, you, you…you're so smart!】

[You're driving me crazy! When there's a fire, shouldn't your first reaction be to put it out?]

Wang Fugui put his little finger to his lips and rolled his eyes. "Hmm... it seems so."

The last time I was this speechless was the time before that.

Please think of something! I'm so worried, it's almost dawn!

"Host, I know you're in a hurry, but please don't rush."

Gu Linglong placed her small hand on her forehead, muttering dejectedly, "What a terrible teammate..."

Hearing their conversation, Su Xiuran finally felt a little relieved.

It can only be considered a man-made disaster, not an act of God, but... what can I do? I really want to beat up Wang Fugui.

Su Xiuran stared straight in the direction of the sound.

Wang Fugui was startled. Could she see me? Her eyes looked like she wanted to hit me.

Wang Fugui flew around Su Xiuran once, and when he found that Su Xiuran did not have any other special reaction, he breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest.

Oh... that scared the bear to death.

The sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, and then golden light began to appear.

The servants were busily preparing for Gu Linglong's full-day celebration.

Gu Linglong was dressed in bright red early in the morning, with a bright red swaddle blanket and a hat with a fake braid. You could tell at a glance that she was a girl.

Su Xiuran wore a long, sapphire blue dress with gold thread, over which she wore a square-necked vest. The hem of her dress was decorated with auspicious clouds, and she wore three gold hairpins on her head.

She wouldn't dress like this unless it was a special occasion; her elegance and tranquility exuded a noble air.

Gu Yu'an wore a crescent-white robe with gold thread and dark floral patterns, and his hair was half-tied up with a silver crown with wavy patterns.

Gu Liyao wore a royal blue Shu brocade robe, black auspicious cloud boots, and a hair ornament with white cloud and gold patterns standing up. His clothes were somewhat similar to Su Xiuran's, giving the impression of a parent-child outfit.

Gu Ziming, on the other hand, insisted on wearing matching outfits with his sister early in the morning.

So, Gu Ziming put on a bright red robe and looked... very flamboyant!

The mother and her children prepared to go to the main hall to greet the guests. The butler walked hurriedly, with a bit of sweat on his forehead.

"Madam, it was brought by a little beggar early this morning."

"Little beggar?"

"Yes"

Su Xiuran frowned. "Did the other party say anything?"

"no"

Su Xiuran took out the envelope and waited to see its contents before her lips turned pale.

Her body seemed to lose all strength, and she involuntarily leaned backward, but fortunately Chunhe caught her in time and silently patted her back.

Gu Yu'an: "What's wrong, Mother?"

Su Xiuran handed over the letter with trembling hands, and Gu Liyao immediately came over as well:

The Minister was imprisoned last night; preparations were made in advance.

"Who sent this?"

Su Xiuran shook her head. She knew last night that he had been imprisoned, so his identity must be extraordinary.

"But now is not the time to speculate about the other party's identity," Gu Yu'an said, pursing his lips.

"Then I'm afraid... no one will come to today's full moon celebration."

Gu Liyao: "Yes, Mother, why don't we close the door to visitors?"

Gu Ziming tilted his head: "Are you afraid of losing face if no one comes?"

Gu Yu'an patted his third brother's head. "Face is a minor issue. The intricacies involved are too complex to explain in a short time. Just observe patiently."

Gu Ziming nodded, seemingly understanding, and said, "Oh."

Gu Yu'an turned to Su Xiuran: "Mother, how about we listen to my second brother and refuse visitors?"

Gu Liyao: "Yes, mainly because we're also holding a banquet, so it won't be too high-profile and arouse the Emperor's suspicion?"

Su Xiuran took a few deep breaths. "No, the doors are wide open, welcoming guests."

"Do you think His Majesty doesn't know that our Gu family is celebrating its anniversary today? By closing the door to guests, he won't become suspicious?"

Gu Yu'an: "The news of Father's imprisonment today may have already spread, I'm afraid..."

Gu Liyao: "What's there to be afraid of? As Confucius said, 'A gentleman is always at ease, while a petty person is always anxious.' We are gentlemen, we are not afraid."

Gu Yu'an secretly rolled his eyes: It's as if you weren't the one who suggested closing the door to guests just now.

Su Xiuran forced a smile: "That's right, isn't this a perfect opportunity to see what's going on in people's hearts?"

...

The entire household waited from Chenshi (7-9 AM) until Sishi (9-11 AM), but no one came to visit.

Su Xiuran sat upright in the main seat of the hall, circling the teacup with the lid of her teacup, her face serious and silent, displaying the majesty of the mistress of the house.

The servants were all silent with fear, and the chefs and cooks in the kitchen looked at the room full of high-end ingredients with worry.

What a terrible thing!

None of the family members who were usually on good terms with the Minister's family came, including the in-laws who were engaged to Gu Yu'an.

Gu Yu'an sighed quietly, and Gu Liyao was also a little worried. They didn't care who came or who didn't come, but they were worried that Su Xiuran couldn't accept that the Minister's mansion had gone from being deserted to being completely ignored.

At that moment, a loud voice rang out.

"Distinguished guest, Lord Su from the Duke's Mansion, and his family have arrived with congratulatory gifts."

Su Xiuran finally smiled; her older brother had arrived!

"Second sister, I had some things to take care of, that's why I'm late."

"No rush, elder brother, please take a seat."

Su Zhe sat down and said, "I don't know why, but Father hasn't attended court for a long time, yet he was summoned to the palace early this morning."

Su Xiuran lowered her head: "I'm afraid it's because of my master's matter."

Su Xiuran gently pressed a handkerchief to the corner of her eye, afraid she would cry. "I've dragged Father down with me."

Su Zhe sighed, "I did hear about it on my way here, but Ming Tang isn't the kind of person who can't see things clearly."

"Don't worry, they'll probably just ask some questions or something."

"Um"

Su Zhe looked at Gu Yu'an beside him and said, "Yu'an, your father is away for the time being. You are the eldest son, and the family is counting on you."

"A male guest has come to our residence today. You must be courteous and attentive to his manners. If anyone asks you anything, just give a perfunctory answer. Under no circumstances should you act impulsively. If anything happens, feel free to ask your uncle."

Gu Yu'an bowed and said, "Yes, thank you, Uncle."

Su Zhe was about to say something more when he heard the excited voices of the servants.

"The Sixth Prince has arrived!"

"?"

Su Xiuran and Su Zhe were both taken aback: Who? You said you came?

Either they don't come at all, or they come in a big deal.