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

Gu Mingtang was so shocked that he took a step back. He wasn't his biological son?

Who was his father?

Su Xiuran and Gu Yu'an glanced at Gu Mingtang discreetly and saw that his face was pale and his eyes were slightly red.

Gu Mingtang composed himself and stood up. "I'll go deal with those people right now."

Gu Yu'an followed behind, and the guards filed in and seized all the people around Gu Chenshi, tying them to the bench. They had previously been mindful of the old hag's reputation and hadn't used force.

Now let the whole household see who's really in charge!

People were tied to more than ten benches in the courtyard.

Gu Mingtang's expression turned serious. "Still not confessing? Beat them all until they do."

The courtyard was filled with heart-wrenching cries, pleas for help, and shouts of injustice.

Hearing the news, Madam Chen rushed over. "Mingtang, what are you doing? They are all my people, how could they possibly assassinate a midwife?"

Gu Mingtang said calmly, "Mother, there may be people sent by my political enemies around you. I'm doing this for your safety."

"No, Mingtang, they've been by my side for years."

The person on the stool saw Chen as if she were a lifeline.

"Madam, save me!"

"Madam, help!"

Gu Mingtang said calmly, "I will handle this matter. Madam, please return."

Chen lowered her eyes. He called her "Old Madam" instead of "Mother"?

She seemed to be thinking about something, and her tone became somewhat hurried.

"How can people withstand this kind of fighting?"

She paused and continued

"Let him be executed instead."

Everyone "..."

Gu Mingtang didn't answer him, but instead said to the two maids, "What are you all standing there for? Take the old lady away!"

"Yes!" The two maids immediately stepped forward and dragged the old lady away.

Gu Mingtang's expression hardened. "Did you hear that? The only one who can save you is me. It doesn't matter if you die, think of your families in the capital."

Gu Mingtang lifted his robe and sat down, letting go of the imposing aura he had long held in a high position.

Everyone in the courtyard shuddered. No matter how tough their mouths were, they couldn't be as tough as a board. Under Gu Mingtang's coercion and enticement, Gu Chenshi's crimes were listed one by one, filling the entire page.

He accepted gifts from students amounting to over 20,000 taels of silver, and condoned distant relatives forcibly abducting women from the village.

He used the name of the Minister to amass wealth everywhere, and privately increased taxes on the estate, forcing farmers to sell their children...

Gu Mingtang thought that the old lady was just concerned with appearances and favored her second brother, but he never expected that she had done so many despicable things in private.

As each incident unfolded, Gu Mingtang's face grew increasingly dark.

Gu Yu'an was also shocked and broke out in a cold sweat. If these reports were reported to the Emperor, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"boom"

The teacup on the table was smashed into pieces.

"This is outrageous!"

Gu Mingtang's veins bulged, and he flung his sleeves and left.

Seeing his wife and Gu Linglong dispelled most of the gloom in his heart.

"Well? Have those unruly servants confessed yet?"

Gu Mingtang sighed and shifted the blame, saying, "Madam, please don't be angry after reading this."

Su Xiuran quickly glanced through it, her heart growing colder with each reading: "How could the old lady do this?"

"I plan to return to the manor immediately; Madam, please rest at the estate for now."

Su Xiuran shook her head. "No, I'll go back with you."

Gu Mingtang frowned. "But what about your health?"

Gu Xiuran patted his hand. "It's alright, as long as you avoid the wind."

Gu Mingtang knew that if he didn't take her back to the manor, she would probably be even more worried about "good" (a term of endearment for someone who is not yet married).

On the way back to the manor, Madam Gu wanted to see Gu Mingtang, but was refused by officials. She was very flustered and did not know what the servants had said. All the servants around her were replaced by Gu Mingtang's people, and she could not get any information out of them.

Upon returning to his residence, Gu Mingtang took decisive action, ordering his trusted confidants to sell off all those on the confession list and swiftly recovering the stolen money, totaling over 100,000 taels of silver.

When he told Su Xiuran these things, Gu Linglong cried out in her heart.

Wow~ My dad is so handsome! It's a pity Daqing is known for his filial piety, so I can't kill him with one blow. Although he's not my biological son, he still holds the status of my legal mother.

Uh... wait, we can split up the family property!

Gu Mingtang nodded, clearly agreeing with Gu Linglong's suggestion. "I'll gather Gu Minghai and the others to divide the family property right away."

"Take me with you, Daddy, take me with you! I want to see what's going on!"

Gu Yu'an affectionately patted Gu Linglong's head. "Mother, you rest first, I'll take care of your little sister."

Wow, my dear older brother is the best!

The hall was filled with clansmen.

"Mingtang, what brings you here to open the ancestral hall?"

Gu Mingtang cupped his hands and said, "Fellow clansmen, the reason for opening the ancestral hall today is to divide the family property. My second son, Gu Minghai, and I will be dividing the family property, and the old lady will live with my second son."

"Separate?"

Gu Chenshi's heart skipped a beat. "No, I don't agree."

Of course I disagree! I haven't even received the money yet!

Gu Mingtang handed over a accusation, and Chen Shi panicked as she read it. "Slander! It's all slander! I haven't done a single thing that was mentioned above!"

"Alright, I'll bring them back. Maybe I can find out something else from them."

Chen was speechless for a moment. No, she couldn't bring him back. What if he found out she wasn't his biological mother? He wouldn't even know how he died.

"Okay, I agree to live with the second son, but we have to split the shop and the money in half."

[Father, we can't give it to them! If we do, they'll have the capital to do business. They've been engaging in malicious business warfare, framing Uncle's shop and causing Uncle to go to jail.]

Not only did they lose their status as imperial merchants, but fearing their uncle's resurgence, they released dead rats into the prison, whereupon their uncle contracted the plague and died.

My maternal grandfather was already heartbroken and depressed because of my mother's exile, and this incident made him fall seriously ill. He passed away not long after.

Gu Mingtang felt a chill run down his spine. Such a good father-in-law and brother-in-law had ended up like this. He had never known that Gu Minghai was so ruthless all these years.

He seemed to have never truly known his second brother.

He was determined not to tell his wife about this. He calmly blew on his teacup and said, "I won't give you a single cup."

Madam Gu Chen retorted angrily, "I am your mother!"

"So what? If you don't agree, I'll send these to the Jingzhao Prefecture government office."

Madam Gu pointed angrily at him, "You...you unfilial son!"

Gu Minghai, dressed in a purple robe, stepped forward. "Mother, from now on you will live with me. Just pretend you don't have an elder brother as your son."

"Brother, since you're so heartless and won't give me a single penny, then don't come begging to me when I become successful."

Oh my, so this is my cheap second uncle. He's actually quite good-looking, huh?

"Every profession has its own secrets, I wish you success."

Gu Minghai helped Gu Chenshi leave, and Gu Linglong felt as if she had forgotten something important.

Ah, I remember now, Grandmother is still in the old witch's secret room. The old witch is furious and embarrassed; could she be trying to cover up the crime?

Gu Mingtang's hand holding the teacup trembled. "Let's follow her and see if the old lady takes anything she shouldn't have."

Gu Mingtang's steps were heavy. He... was about to see his biological mother? Had she been in the dark room all along? What did she look like? Did she even remember she had such a son?

When they arrived, Madam Gu was setting fire to the hidden doorway.

"Stop! The old lady has gone mad! Hold her down!"

The guards stepped forward and restrained Gu Chenshi, while Gu Mingtang snatched the firebox and went into the dark room.

The narrow passageway was very dark, and people could only enter one at a time. Gu Yu'an followed behind.

Passing through the passageway, you enter a brightly lit basement.

Upon seeing the contents, the firebox fell to the ground with a thud, and his heart sank to the bottom.