Chapter 337: Profit Above All Else

After Prince Qi and Qin Yuan agreed, he hurriedly stood up and bid farewell.

Marquis Gu escorted him to the mansion’s gate, and they exchanged a few casual words before parting ways.

As soon as he entered the mansion, Gu Shiliu whispered, "Marquis, Hong Ye just suggested finding a way to investigate the Xu family’s involvement in high-interest loans and printing money, including those lawsuits. Which officials handled them, and who helped resolve them from behind the scenes?"

Gu Jinghui angrily said, "The Xu family is fickle and profit-oriented, no wonder Sixth Elder looks down on them. Now Madam is still discussing matters with Old Madam, and this concerns Sixth Elder too, you should have him go to the room to discuss."

Gu Shiliu replied, "Yes."

Before he lifted his foot, he heard Marquis Gu muttering, "These days, becoming increasingly lazy, today I even took a nap after waking up. General Jin said a gentle homeland is a hero’s grave, it’s really true."

Gu Shiliu shivered, then walked away swiftly.

If he stayed any longer, he would hear Marquis Gu talk about life after marriage, and add a jab about how he had not married yet and wouldn’t understand.

It’s great that the master’s newlywed bliss is sweet, but it’s indeed unbearable.

Gu Jinghui hurried back to the room, unsurprisingly seeing Gu Baoshu being punished to kneel in the corridor, and said, "Even if Mother doesn’t punish you, I would. You’re becoming quite unruly."

Gu Baoshu angrily said, "The brothers in other families pamper their sisters, you’re so much older than me, shouldn’t you treat me better? If I leave one day and you regret not treating me better, it will be too late."

Gu Jinghui said, "Haha, the comedians in the theater don’t even say anything as funny as you, I wonder which unlucky man you’ll marry."

Gu Baoshu gritted her teeth and said, "Third Brother, you are truly hateful, I was thinking of embroidering a fan case for you in the future, but now there’s no chance, even if you regret it and change your mind now, it won’t help."

Gu Jinghui sneered, lifted the curtain himself and went in, leaving Gu Baoshu sadly and miserably swearing at the swaying bamboo curtain.

Soon Sixth Master Gu came, saw the situation and asked, "Treasure Bead, what happened this time, how were you so angry that Mother punished you?"

"Now Mother only has eyes for Third Sister-in-law, she’s much stricter with me than before. Sixth Brother, go in and say a few good words to Mother, let me stand up, I didn’t do anything terrible, just concerned about family matters, overheard a couple of sentences, forgive me this time, I’ll never dare do it again."

Sixth Master Gu hesitantly entered the room, saw Qin Yuan and Gu Jinghui both there, their faces serious, and Old Madam Gu sitting sternly at the head, said, "Mother, Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law are here."

Gu Jinghui frowned and asked, "Didn’t Sixteen tell you?"

Sixth Master Gu said, "Sixteen barely had time to give me a message, then Shi Ba called him away, seems like something urgent."

Gu Jinghui then said, "Sit down, we need to talk about this slowly."

Sixth Master Gu’s heart sank.

As soon as he sat down, he heard Gu Jinghui say, "Sixth Brother, the Xu family has accused the Marquis Mansion, saying Xu Zhen got lost in the mansion, putting the responsibility on us. The magistrate visited the mansion today, but your Third Sister-in-law turned him away, avoiding questioning your wife."

Sixth Master Gu’s anger surged, he jumped up and angrily said, "How dare they? I haven’t even sued the Xu family, yet they dare accuse me."

Gu Jinghui frowned and said, "The magistrate hinted to Housekeeper Cao, the Xu family is now under the protection of the King Jin Mansion. The Xu family’s servants gossiped in the mansion yesterday about sending a daughter to King Jin as a concubine. The government office dares not ignore it; the Xu family won’t let this go easily. You know your wife probably has dealings amounting to tens of thousands of taels of silver with the Xu family; this is no small matter, I dare not keep it from Mother anymore, I’ve already informed her."

Sixth Master Gu was ashamed and angry, blushing, said, "This is all my fault, not controlling Mrs. Xu. I only knew she was taking advantage of her position to gain some extra benefits and turned a blind eye to her subsidies to the Xu family. I didn’t expect they’d be so bold."

Gu Jinghui said, "You indeed have faults, but now’s not the time to discuss them."

Sixth Master Gu uttered an "oh" and then asked, "So what do you suggest we do, Third Brother?"

Gu Jinghui’s jaw muscles twitched.

Old Madam Gu said, "Sixth Elder, sit down first, speak slowly, aren’t we all trying to figure it out."

Sixth Master Gu finally sat down, smiled apologetically at Qin Yuan, and said, "Thanks to Third Sister-in-law, otherwise, who knows how chaotic it would be in the mansion."

Qin Yuan worriedly said, "Sixth Brother, you’re too polite, it’s no big deal, but even though it involves Sixth Brother’s family affair, it also concerns the mansion. As long as Xu Zhen isn’t found, the Xu family will use this to make things difficult for the mansion. The accounts with your wife are muddled, and over time, all sorts of talk will arise. If word reaches the officials, it might cause trouble for Third Brother. But, if we confront the Xu family directly... your wife’s health might not hold up, and her nanny Zhao still refuses to reveal the truth..."

Old Madam Gu also said, "Rumors can cause great harm, if the Xu family keeps causing trouble, over time, busybodies will fabricate stories, spreading rumors, sigh, it’s difficult all around."

Sixth Master Gu stubbornly said, "Mother, I say let’s directly sue the Xu family. Yesterday, the Xu family angered Mrs. Xu like that, I haven’t even gone after them. If that old witch Zhao stays tight-lipped, Sixteen has evidence of their printing money anyway. Let’s see who loses face and who ends up unlucky."

Old Madam Gu fretted, "But can Mrs. Xu endure this? Will the three children blame us for disregarding familial ties if we end up costing their mother’s life? Mrs. Xu’s collusion with the Xu family in printing money makes her one of the mansion, counting as Marquis’s poor household management."

The three children are all Sixth Elder’s legitimate son and daughters, raised under Old Madam Gu’s watch; how could she bear it.

Sixth Master Gu said, "Yesterday Doctor Li came to check, saying he could barely save her this time, if there’s another incident, it’ll require someone more skilled."

Old Madam Gu gasped, "Yuan’er, why didn’t you tell me about such a serious matter."

Qin Yuan quickly stood up and replied, "Mother, I just heard about it for the first time; yesterday when the Xu family caused trouble, I learned of it and went to see. After Doctor Li arrived, I left, was with guests afterward, didn’t have time to ask, planned to visit Sixth Brother’s wife today, but then the magistrate came."

Sixth Master Gu said, "Mother, the blame doesn’t lie with Third Sister-in-law, if she hadn’t gone and tackled things, we’d have had a disaster on our hands yesterday. Doctor Li said it was thanks to Third Sister-in-law calming Mrs. Xu’s heart and pulse that she could be saved."

Old Madam Gu sighed, "I was simply overtaken by anger, Yuan’er, please don’t take it to heart, quickly sit down and let us talk."

Qin Yuan obliged, sat down, and said, "Mother’s worry is natural, the mansion’s affairs are my responsibility, and I should be paying attention to Sixth Brother’s wife’s condition."