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

Aunt Pei gritted her teeth and threatened fiercely, "How dare you bully Ru'er..."

Gu Hua interrupted her: "Aunt, I am really curious and confused. I am your biological daughter, so why do you favor my elder sister and trample your own daughter into the mud? People outside might think that my elder sister and I have been switched."

Aunt Pei looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"What nonsense are you talking about... I just hope she can take better care of you."

Gu Hua smiled enigmatically: "Yes, my elder sister does indeed take good care of me, personally administering aphrodisiacs to both me and the Duke. Now that she's helped me rise to a position of power, isn't that also bringing honor to you and the Pei family?"

"Didn't you go to great lengths to arrange this marriage between the Gu family and the Duke's family, all to help the Pei family? Who should be valued, right? If you always show favoritism and cause us sisters to turn against each other, do you think the isolated eldest sister will have a good life?"

How dare that little bitch threaten her!

But first, she felt worried and afraid.

She never expected things to develop this way, and she never imagined that the little bitch who had been weak since childhood would grow up so strong and become uncontrollable.

Aunt Pei forced a smile and said, "Of course, it's a good thing that the Duke values ​​you."

Gu Hua spoke slowly, but with a warning in her voice: "If you don't restrain your favoritism towards your elder sister in the Pei family, and the Pei family also misunderstands that your elder sister is your biological daughter, what will the Pei family think? According to the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty, a concubine who steals the offspring of the mistress is guilty of beheading and will bring disaster upon her entire family. Can you bear the responsibility, or can the Pei family bear the responsibility?"

The color drained from Aunt Pei's face, and she stared at her blankly.

It was clearly the same face she saw every day, but those deep, cold eyes seemed to have been reborn from purgatory, piercing her heart with a bone-chilling coldness.

"You...don't think nonsense, how could that be? Your mother is thinking of you."

Gu Hua looked away, pretending not to see her panic and fear.

"Yes, I know you are resentful, Aunt. The eldest daughter of the richest family in Jiangling, the Pei family, brings a generous dowry, yet she is forced to become a concubine. You hope that I will succeed, so I will strive to fulfill your wishes."

These words struck a nerve with Aunt Pei.

Unexpectedly, her fake daughter, whom she had suppressed for more than a decade, was able to understand her deepest pain.

Gu Hua slightly tilted her head, changed the subject, a smile playing on her lips, her tone suddenly turning cold.

"If anyone dares to interfere with my affairs, I won't hold back. I learned this from my aunt."

Aunt Pei was shocked again, staring intently at the girl's beautiful yet calm face.

I could even see a resemblance to the noble air I had when I first met Madam Wang.

No, there was something more about her that was hard to fathom.

Aunt Pei trembled involuntarily.

The little slut has grown up.

She is no longer that timid little girl.

His gaze toward her became complicated.

Gu Hua's goal was simple: to prevent Aunt Pei from revealing the baby swapping incident within the Pei family.

This would allow her to use the information gap regarding her identity to gain Pei Yi's trust during this period, thereby achieving her own goals.

Pei Yi rushed over from the yamen and entered the private room on the second floor, where he immediately saw the girl who haunted his dreams.

I also noticed the only ornament on her hair, which was the hairpin he had given her.

My heart skipped a beat.

"cousin."

Gu Hua stood up, smiled sweetly, and bowed.

Pei Yi dared not meet her captivating eyes and bowed slightly in return.

"Nephew greets Aunt and Cousin."

The three of them sat down, and Aunt Pei gestured for Gu Hua to speak.

Pei Yi then mustered the courage to look at Gu Hua.

Gu Hua looked troubled: "Cousin, my elder sister needs 50,000 taels of silver urgently, so she asked my aunt for help. My aunt can't come up with that much money right away, so she can only come to you for help."

Pei Yi frowned upon hearing this.

If he didn't know that Gu Wanru was bullying Gu Hua, it would be fine, since the eldest daughter of the Duke's mansion would need help in an emergency, and the Pei family would provide it.

However, this eldest daughter seems to be of no use and is a bottomless pit. Throwing in 50,000 taels is like throwing meat buns to a dog—it's gone forever.

Seeing his expression, Aunt Pei knew he was unwilling, and she was both anxious and angry: "What, even your aunt has come to beg you, can't you? Can't you come up with a mere fifty thousand taels?"

Pei Yi's face darkened slightly: "Aunt, you know how difficult it is for the Pei family to settle down and establish themselves in Bianjing. The silver notes we give you every month are almost all of the Pei family's profits in Bianjing."

Aunt Pei sighed and glanced at Gu Hua, saying, "You can go out now."

Gu Hua stood up: "Yes."

After she left and closed the door, Aunt Pei lowered her voice and said, "Last time your father wrote to me, asking me to find a way to get the Duke to handle the matter of becoming a first-class imperial merchant. Ru'er is the young mistress of the Duke's mansion, and coincidentally, the young master is acquainted with the godson of the head of the Inner Palace Attendants Bureau, so it would be easy to pass on a sample. Ru'er found out that the young master urgently needs 50,000 taels of silver, so she asked Hua'er to pass on the message."

"Is her confinement still in effect? ​​Why does she need her cousin to relay the message?"

Aunt Pei was startled: "How did you know she was under house arrest?"

He regretted it as soon as he finished speaking and hurriedly tried to make amends: "She wasn't confined to her quarters. She's pregnant, and the Duke's mansion values ​​its unborn eldest grandson too much, so they don't let her go out."

Pei Yi looked on with suspicion.

The last time I saw Gu Wanru, she didn't seem to be favored.

But now that things had come to this, Pei Yi couldn't refuse.

"Aunt, please wait a moment, I'll go and get it right away."

"Okay." Aunt Pei was overjoyed, and her heart finally settled down.

Pei Yi went out and instructed someone to serve tea and snacks inside before hurrying off to find Gu Hua.

Gu Hua sat down and chatted with Dong Hua and Dong Qing over tea.

Seeing Pei Yi come out and look around, he stood up and went to greet him.

"Cousin, you were looking for me?"

"Cousin, may I speak to you in private?"

"Okay." She reassured Donghua and the other girl, then followed Pei Yi into an elegant room.

"Cousin, tell your cousin the truth, is Gu Wanru really able to pass on a message for us?"

Gu Hua: "It's hard to say. My elder sister recently had a miscarriage; she couldn't keep the baby..."

"What? You miscarried? You lost the baby?"

Pei Yi's eyes widened. Just now, his aunt had been talking about the eldest grandson, but it turned out she had been lying to him!

Gu Hua feigned panic: "What, didn't Mother tell you?"

Pei Yi's face was grim: "Fifty thousand taels may not seem like much to the Pei family, but the Pei family's wealth doesn't grow on trees. Asking for it repeatedly, little by little, adds up to a huge sum. Besides, would Gu Wanru, that legitimate daughter, truly help the Pei family?"

Pei Yi was probably so angry that he blurted it out.

Gu Hua sighed, "For some reason, Mother seems to be bewitched and dotes on her. But cousin, don't worry, I have a way to help you get this done."

Pei Yi looked at the confident young girl in surprise: "Really?"

"Really, you just need to prepare enough goods." Gu Hua said confidently.

"How much silver is needed for bribes?"

Pei Yi also received a letter from his father, saying that he had asked his aunt to handle this matter.

My aunt said that as long as my son-in-law sent samples of winter cotton cloth and cotton to the palace, she would give him 100,000 taels of silver.

Once the order is completed, the son-in-law will receive 500,000 taels of silver.

Pei Yi had already prepared the money, but he had doubts about his aunt's ability to handle things. After witnessing Gu Wanru's status in the Duke's mansion, his doubts deepened.

Now I hear about miscarriages and the loss of babies...

“No need,” Gu Hua said simply.

Pei Yi's eyes widened, and he lowered his voice: "Cousin, this is a big deal. Don't be afraid to speak up. If it succeeds, the Pei family can earn at least two million taels of silver. The money for bribes is only right."

Gu Hua was startled.

Two million taels of silver—what does that even mean?

It was simply unimaginable for her.

No wonder the Pei family is so generous.

“As my cousin also said, the Pei family’s money doesn’t grow on trees, so we should save where we can. The Duke is also the Minister of War, so the Mu family’s army has a great need for winter uniforms. I’ll try it out first, and then I’ll talk to my cousin if I need more money.”

Pei Yi inexplicably trusted her completely.

Without hesitation, he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her: "This is my sincere offer. I will reward you handsomely after the matter is settled."

Gu Hua took it and opened it. It was a property deed with her name on it.

She was so shocked.

"This……"

Pei Yi blushed slightly: "This courtyard is not big, it only has two courtyards, and it is located in the West Market, so the price is not high. Let it be my cousin's personal belongings."

Gu Hua stared intently at Pei Yi.

Although he had been in business for many years, he was not at all vulgar like a businessman. On the contrary, he was gentle and refined, like a gentleman.

Actually, he was a good match.

Unfortunately, he was a member of the Pei family.

It was destined to be a sharp blade in her hands, a nightmare for Aunt Pei, and retribution for her and Gu Wanru!