Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

Gu Hua smiled slightly: "Granny Du, let's not beat around the bush. If something happens to the Second Young Master in your care, you might not be able to save your life."

Granny Du turned pale with fright: "Second Miss, you know, it's all because of Consort Pei... How dare I stop her?"

Gu Hua's smile vanished, and she said sternly, "Giving your second brother random medicine, your broken wrist, and the scars on your body and hands are all evidence of your poor service. If anything happens, Aunt Pei will definitely pin it on you. Even if the Marquis's mansion doesn't care, I won't let you off the hook. I will definitely take you to the authorities and have you charged with abusing your master!"

Granny Du was terrified and knelt down on the ground with a thud: "Second Miss, spare my life!"

Whether I spare you or not depends on what you do in the future.

"This servant will definitely listen to Second Miss and take good care of Second Young Master." Granny Du kowtowed vigorously.

Gu Hua helped her up, her tone softening: "Get up. As long as you serve your second brother well, if Aunt Pei mistreats him again, you can report it to Mother and Father. As long as your second brother is well, I will give you an extra monthly allowance from now on."

A look of joy flashed across Granny Du's eyes: "This servant will certainly obey the Second Miss's orders."

She could tell as soon as she came in that this second daughter seemed to have achieved great success.

Although I don't know what happened, judging from her attire and the imposing manner of the people who came with her, I know she is no ordinary person.

Gu Hua changed the subject: "Granny Du, you were originally a maid in the Pei family who accompanied my mother. You've always served by my mother's side, so you should know which nanny delivered my baby, right?"

"Of course, this servant..."

Granny Du suddenly stopped talking, a look of shock flashing in her eyes.

With a quick glance, she changed her tune: "The year the second young lady was born, I had just gotten married and wasn't serving by my aunt's side."

Gu Hua had already taken in her expression.

Granny Du knew the truth!

But right now, she couldn't get Granny Du to tell the truth.

Gu Hua changed the subject: "I brought some snacks and medicine for my second brother. You can take him back."

"Yes, then this servant will lead the young master back to the front courtyard."

"Go."

Granny Du led Gu Jinwen out with large and small bags. Gu Hua looked at her younger brother's reluctant gaze, her heart ached as if pierced by needles, and the smile on her face gradually faded.

Zhou Zhilan moved closer to her and asked in a low voice, "Could it be that the midwife did something to make you unwell?"

Gu Hua didn't dare to reveal directly that her identity had been switched, so she could only vaguely say, "Yes, I was in poor health when I was young. But I'm much better now."

Zhou Zhilan frowned: "Why are all the people in your family like this?"

Gu Hua looked lost and dejected.

At the moment, we can't find anything.

……

"You're saying the son-in-law didn't go to Jiaochun Garden?" Aunt Pei's face turned ugly.

"Yes, the room that the eldest daughter booked is empty. The people at Jiaochun Garden said they haven't seen the eldest son-in-law."

The one who answered was Granny Lu, the steward whom Aunt Pei trusted most.

Aunt Pei's face was sinister: "It must have been that little slut's doing!"

She had to stop that little bitch from riding on Ru'er's head.

Granny Lu also looked anxious: "What do we do now? Will the eldest son-in-law blame the eldest daughter?"

Aunt Pei paced back and forth in the room with a sullen face: "Why didn't Ru'er send a message back when her plans changed? Could it be that something has happened at the Duke's mansion?"

Granny Lu was also at a loss.

Aunt Pei suddenly stopped, a malicious thought creeping into her mind. She pulled Granny Lu aside and whispered in her ear, "Go..."

As she listened, Granny Lu's expression changed slightly, and she lowered her voice: "Madam, if someone finds out, it will be difficult to explain to the Marquis and his wife."

Aunt Pei said disdainfully, "That little slut has lost her virginity but doesn't dare to make a sound."

Granny Lu hesitated: "But... her three maids are ruthless."

They were all from the Duke's mansion, and one of them was even the younger sister of Steward Zhou...

"Don't they live separately? Blow something into Gu Hua's room without anyone noticing. Stop dawdling and go quickly."

Granny Lu gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, this servant will go right away."

It's quiet at night.

The guests have all rested.

Suddenly, the courtyard gate was gently pushed open, and a dark figure slipped in, making his way to the main house with practiced ease.

The shadowy figure listened intently by the window, making sure there was no sound inside. He then took out a thin bamboo tube, moistened a hole with saliva, inserted the tube, and blew into it.

The shadowy cat waited by the wall for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before quietly opening the window and stealthily climbing inside.

The room was pitch black, and the dark figure cautiously groped his way toward the bed.

"what!"

A scream pierced the night sky.

Suddenly the room was brightly lit.

Donghua held up a wooden stick. A man lay on the ground, clutching his bleeding head, staring in horror at the four girls in the room.

Gu Hua held a candlestick and stood by the door, coldly watching him.

This man was the coachman for Aunt Pei, named Lao Liu. He was a widower with a dark, grimy face.

Shen Li sat in the chair, toying with a smoky incense stick in her hand.

Zhou Zhilan, her face full of hostility, drew her dagger and was about to step forward when Gu Hua stopped her.

"Someone is coming."

The two maids who had been awakened outside rushed in and were startled by what they saw.

“Go and tell my father and mother that a thief has broken into my house.”

"Yes." The maids didn't dare to delay and quickly went off to report.

The sixth brother panicked, scrambled to his feet, shoved Donghua aside, and tried to run out the door, but he had only taken one step out...

Shen Li moved with lightning speed, her hand swift and precise, the needle piercing Lao Liu's spine.

The sixth brother, like a deflated balloon, collapsed onto the threshold, unable to move.

All that remained was his mouth pleading, "Second Miss, spare me! Second Miss, I entered the wrong room!"

Gu Hua didn't want to hear his wailing: "Donghua, gag me."

Donghua grabbed a piece of cloth of unknown origin and stuffed it into Lao Liu's mouth.

Shen Li walked over, squatted down, and held ten three-inch-long silver needles in her hand, waving them in front of him.

"You tried to seduce Miss Gu by blowing sleeping pills into the room. Think carefully about how you're going to respond. Otherwise, a single needle could make you wish you were dead."

The sixth brother rolled his eyes in fright.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Madam Wang, supported by Granny Zhou, arrived in a hurry with a group of people, and was startled when she saw what was happening.

"what happened?"

With red-rimmed eyes, Gu Hua knelt before Madam Wang, looking pitiful, and choked out, "Mother..."

Wang felt sorry for her and took her hand. She felt that Gu Hua's small hand was cold and knew that she had suffered a great injustice.

He turned to Granny Zhou and coldly ordered, "Let's see which wretched child it is."

Granny Zhou stepped forward, glanced at him, then turned back to Madam Wang and whispered, "It's the sixth son, Aunt Pei's coachman."

Wang's face was pale, and she was so angry that she trembled and couldn't speak for a long time.

Since this concerns Aunt Pei, she cannot act rashly.

But since it concerned the reputation of the young lady of the Marquis's mansion, she had to deal with it quickly.

"Tie him up and drag him aside."

Granny Zhou, accompanied by two strong women, tied the man up and dragged him aside. The silver needles in his spine caused Lao Liu to strain his neck and bulge his veins with pain whenever they were moved.

Wang pulled Gu Hua into the house and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"

Gu Hua shook her head: "It just so happened that the incense that Miss Shen lit clashed with the sleeping potion and neutralized it."

"Scented incense?" Wang's tone changed.

Born into the Langya Wang clan, she had been married into the Wenchang Marquis's household, the head of the civil officials in the capital, for over twenty years, and knew all the tricks of the trade within the inner quarters.

But I've never seen a lowly servant from the outer courtyard dare to sneak into the inner courtyard and drug a young lady.

That's absolutely absurd.

But if it was Aunt Pei who did it, why would she do it?

Gu Hua is her own daughter. What good would ruining her daughter do for Aunt Pei?

Even tigers don't eat their cubs.

Wang made a quick decision: "If this gets out of hand, it will damage your reputation. I might as well kill you and let you vent your anger."

Gu Hua shook her head.

"Mother, the culprit must be severely punished, otherwise, won't the young ladies of the Marquis's mansion be in danger in the future? If there is another one who is not so lucky, the reputation of the Marquis's mansion will be ruined."

How could she let Aunt Pei off so easily?

Fortunately, she suspected that Aunt Pei might make a move tonight, and she also suspected that Aunt Pei and Gu Wanru were forcing her to leave the mansion. She shared her doubts with Zhou Zhilan and the other two.

The four of them discussed it and decided that Zhou Zhilan and Donghua would keep watch secretly, while Shen Li and Gu Hua would wait inside the house.

Upon smelling the medicine, Shen Li immediately lit the antidote.

otherwise……