The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

Xue Qingwan froze, a look of disbelief flashing in her eyes.

She glanced into the room instinctively. Although there was no one inside, she still felt a little guilty.

"Are you crazy? What do you want to do?"

She used to think Gu Huai'an was just a playboy, but after getting to know him better, she realized that he was very ambitious.

What he wanted was definitely not just the title of "Third Young Master".

Seeing Xue Qingwan's nervous appearance, Gu Huai'an chuckled nonchalantly, "Why are you so afraid? Aren't you usually very bold?"

He reached out and touched Xue Qingwan's fair face, his eyes filled with burgeoning desire: "Besides, are you content to be just a concubine? Don't you want to experience the power and prestige of a Marquis's wife?"

“I…” A hint of panic flashed in Xue Qingwan’s eyes, and she shook her head: “The past is the past, and the present is the present.”

She used to think that a group of ancient people could have any wisdom.

With her intelligence and wisdom, she will surely be able to trample these foolish ancients underfoot.

After several rounds of sparring with Song Wenjun, Xue Qingwan's confidence was completely shattered.

The ancients were simply constrained in their thinking; it doesn't mean they were stupid.

On the contrary, she is even wiser than this modern person.

Xue Qingwan gently pressed her face against Gu Huai'an's chest and whispered, "I don't want to get involved in this backstabbing anymore. Huai'an, I truly love you. Let's leave here."

Seeing her nervous expression, Gu Huai'an's eyes flickered.

It seems that this matter requires further consideration.

He gently put his arm around Xue Qingwan's shoulder and said, "Let me think about it."

Xue Qingwan hugged him even tighter: "I only have you, you must never let me down."

"Don't worry, I will never let you down."

……

Zhou returned to the Marquis's residence late at night, and was immediately summoned by the old Marquis.

"How's it going?" the old Marquis asked.

Zhou replied cautiously, "It's progressing very smoothly. Qinghe is indeed outstanding. She captivated the Emperor almost effortlessly. I estimate that the imperial decree of investiture will be issued in the next few days."

After hearing this, the old Marquis burst into laughter: "Good, good indeed, hahaha..."

"My family has hope for the future, and at least we haven't disgraced our ancestors."

Zhou was also somewhat proud, and said to the old Marquis, "This matter was made possible thanks to Mengxue. The old Marquis cannot abandon Mengxue now that he has Qinghe."

Although Gu Mengxue is not Zhou's biological daughter, she is still useful, and Zhou is reluctant to abandon her.

If the old Marquis had the support of her, Gu Mengxue's position in the palace would be more secure, which would be beneficial to her. That's why Zhou Shi pleaded for her.

The old marquis thought for a moment and said, "She deserves credit for this. Go and tell Mengxue that I remember her contribution and that she can stay in the palace with peace of mind."

It seems that the old Marquis didn't intend to completely abandon Gu Mengxue.

Although she is currently out of favor, no one can predict what will happen in the future.

Having made up her mind, Zhou left with a smile on her face.

At this moment, the steward walked in from outside and said to the old Marquis, "The Marquis and the Madam just had a quarrel, and it was very unpleasant."

Gu Huaizhou's affairs were causing the old Marquis a lot of trouble. He had countless things to deal with every day, and not only did Gu Huaizhou not help him, but he also kept causing him trouble.

Upon hearing this, the old Marquis's face darkened: "What's he doing all day? Why is he arguing with Wenjun for no reason?"

Song Wenjun held a significant place in the old Marquis's heart; if it weren't for her supporting the household, such a large family business would have collapsed long ago.

The steward looked embarrassed and said, "They said that the lady's carriage broke down. His Highness the Prince of Chu sent the lady to the palace, and when she returned, the Marquis saw her and had a big argument with her, saying that the lady had disgraced the Marquis's mansion."

The old marquis nodded in surprise: "Is that so?"

"Madam's carriage broke down halfway there. Prince Chu happened to be passing by, but the two did not ride together. Prince Chu rode away on horseback." The steward told the old marquis what he knew, and then said with a smile and flattery, "It is said that the eldest princess invited Madam to come over to discuss business. I suppose Madam will come to tell the old marquis about this soon."

The old Marquis's brows completely relaxed, and he laughed heartily: "Your Highness is such a gentleman, yet he still suspects you for no reason. He himself is incompetent and has no shortage of trivial matters. Wenjun truly deserves to be called the lucky star of our Marquis's mansion, bringing such a great backer to our mansion."

"What about the young mistress?" The steward looked at the old Marquis, waiting for his next instructions.

“I recently sent some of my newly acquired pearls to the young mistress. She is now the face of our manor and we can’t let anyone look down on her.”

Pearls from the East are rare and expensive; a single pearl can be worth a hundred taels of silver.

The old Marquis went to great lengths to win Song Wenjun's heart.

The butler smiled broadly and said, "I'll take care of it right away."

Before long, the butler personally took Dongzhu to Qiufeng Courtyard.

Song Wenjun rewarded the steward with a ten-tael silver ingot and left the item behind.

The pearls from the East are all round and have excellent color.

This was the first time Song Wenjun had ever seen so many pearls. After thinking for a moment, she took out ten pearls and asked Xiao Tao to deliver them to the Gu family for her sister-in-law.

The rest were kept and stored in the warehouse.

Originally, Song Wenjun was about to rest, but after seeing the steward off, she asked Xiao Tao to put her makeup back on.

She went to the old marquis's courtyard in person and told him about doing business with the princess.

After hearing this, the old Marquis said excitedly, "Our rouge has caught the eye of the Eldest Princess, all thanks to you. Go ahead and work with the Eldest Princess with confidence. If you don't have enough funds, just ask. This is an excellent opportunity that outsiders can't get even if they want to."

"Yes," Song Wenjun replied respectfully. "I will settle the accounts tonight and submit them to the Prince of Chu's residence tomorrow."

"The King of Chu was involved too?" the old Marquis asked in surprise.

Song Wenjun smiled and said, "He has a deep relationship with the eldest princess. The eldest princess is good at business, so it's understandable that the King of Chu wants a share of the pie."

She paused for a moment, then added, "This matter was discussed in secret between the Princess and me; we cannot let too many people know about it."

The old marquis gave a meaningful "oh," his eyes flashing with a deep light.

If the Marquis's Mansion could simultaneously gain favor with both the Eldest Princess and the Prince of Chu's Mansion, its position in the court would be even more secure.

However, this would inevitably force the Marquis's Mansion to side with the Prince of Chu's Mansion.

The old marquis was somewhat troubled; the King of Chu's move was truly cunning.

He had no choice but to join, whether he wanted to or not.

If they don't join, they will offend the eldest princess.

Song Wenjun smiled faintly, having already figured out some of the King of Chu's thoughts.

The other party clearly knew that she, a woman, couldn't make such a big decision on her own, so they used her to pass the hot potato to the old Marquis.

He was caught in a dilemma: whether to accept the answer or not.

The old Marquis's enthusiasm was completely dampened. He did not make a decision immediately and said to Song Wenjun, "Let me think about this matter carefully first."

The struggle for the princeship has now reached a fever pitch, with each side trying to win over court officials to their side.

The Marquis's mansion had always remained neutral, not wanting to offend anyone, so this move by the King of Chu was truly disgusting.

Isn't this forcing the Marquis's mansion to side with the King of Chu?