Chapter 455: Forced Purchase
Chapter 455: Chapter 455: Forced Purchase
Bai Suihe was quite curious about what kind of bizarre carbon-based lifeform, or newly evolved species, was sitting up front. To reveal her purpose so blatantly—was she worried the Empress had too good of a reputation? Or was she so utterly selfish that she didn’t care if others lived or died?
The venue was eerily quiet. Many had yet to even catch a glimpse of Madam Gu’s face, but her pretentious, affected voice was already torturing everyone physically and mentally.
Those seated and those standing had been subjected to nothing but her endless bragging—about how prestigious the Gu Family was, how highly the Empress regarded her, and how her jewelry and clothes were all imperial rewards from the Empress herself.
At first, the crowd listened with keen interest. After all, many here were exiled officials far removed from the imperial court. Their ancestors had once seen glory, but that was years ago; they could never compare to the Empress’s maiden family.
But the longer they listened, the more sour the tone felt. Bragging was one thing, but why did she have to speak to them with such condescension?
Yes, they were commoners now, but many of these families had children studying for the imperial exams. Who was to say they wouldn’t return to the court one day and restore their ancestral glory?
Going back three generations, there wasn’t a single person here who didn’t have an official in their family tree.
Those who had seats were faring alright, but those standing were suffering terribly.
Since their living conditions in exile had improved, many had grown accustomed to a comfortable life. When was the last time they were forced to stand like this for so long? Their legs were already giving out.
Yet, the long-winded, incessant bragging dragged on.
Those seated at the front naturally didn’t dare make a sound, but those further back were already whispering among themselves.
"What is she doing? Showing off? If we wanted to listen to this, we could spend a little Silver and have a storyteller entertain us for three days and three nights. It would be far more exciting than her."
"She keeps harping on the same things over and over again—bragging about what she eats, drinks, and wears, and lecturing us on her household rules. That’s her family’s business. What does it have to do with us?"
"Exactly. Hasn’t she been talking long enough? Isn’t she thirsty?"
"Whether she’s thirsty or not, my feet can’t take it anymore. If I knew the banquet would be like this, I wouldn’t have come."
"Ugh, what kind of gathering is this? When is she going to let us off the hook?"
Bai Suihe also wanted to know when the woman would let everyone off the hook.
As the murmurs in the crowd grew louder, Madam Gu finally sensed that something was amiss.
If Bai Suihe and the others had been standing closer to the front, they would have seen the elderly maid beside Madam Gu hesitate to speak several times, unable to find a chance to interrupt.
When Madam Gu finally paused to take a sip of water, one of the elderly maids leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Madam, please don’t forget the proper business the Master entrusted to you."
Madam Gu shot her an impatient glare. It hadn’t been easy for her to leave the capital and find a place where she could flaunt her authority. She was just getting into the groove of it, and now this servant was rushing her to get to work? How tactless.
"Do I need you to teach me how to do things?" Madam Gu said coldly. "Can’t you see how excited everyone is to listen to me? How could I ruin their mood?"
"Madam, we didn’t plan this well. Many of the ladies are standing while listening. If they stand any longer, I’m afraid something might happen."
The elderly maid had noticed several ladies swaying unsteadily on their feet. If someone collapsed from exhaustion, what would become of the Gu Family’s reputation?
"You impudent servants! How dare you instruct me?" Madam Gu’s voice was laced with anger. Completely forgetting where she was, her pitch rose several octaves. "If you know people are standing, why aren’t you hurrying to arrange seats for them? What use do I have for feeding you?"
The elderly maid swallowed her grievances. She had told Madam Gu earlier that they should be selective with the invitations. But the Madam felt that was too troublesome and simply invited everyone on the list the Master had given her.
With such a small venue, did Madam Gu think this was the massive courtyard of the Duke Mansion? Did she think she could send out hundreds of invitations at once?
A mere few dozen invitations had already packed this backyard to the brim. And this was only because many guests had exercised restraint by not bringing family members. Their personal maids and older female servants had been sent to wait at a nearby inn; otherwise, there wouldn’t even be room to stand.
As for not being able to seat everyone—didn’t she know exactly how many chairs had been purchased? They had already dragged out every single stool from all the side rooms. If they hadn’t, the situation would be even more embarrassing.
"Madam, this servant knows her mistake." She was the master; what else could the maid do but apologize?
She only hoped Madam Gu would quickly get to the point and handle the task the Master had assigned. Otherwise, not only would they bungle the job, but they would also end up offending every prominent family in Zhang County.
"The Master is still waiting for news," the maid added gently.
Madam Gu looked thoroughly annoyed but couldn’t retort. After all, her husband had given her clear instructions. If she failed to deliver, she would likely face a severe scolding.
These damned servants really knew how to kill the mood. Couldn’t they let her enjoy herself just a little longer?
Madam Gu cleared her throat before speaking again. "I invited you all here today because there is actually one other matter. As you know, we are new arrivals. If we want to establish a firm foothold here, we need properties.
"We have come to Lingnan to build a future together, and we hope to receive your full support..."
Because of the surrounding murmurs, Bai Suihe couldn’t clearly hear what was being said at the front. She could only stare forward blankly, just like the other ladies in the back.
Only those seated at the front were suffering miserably. They were already regretting their foolish decision to sit closer to the noblewoman.
Now, being stared down by Madam Gu, they didn’t even know how to open their mouths.
Madam Gu had delivered a long, eloquent speech and felt she had made her point perfectly clear. She expected these people to sell their land to her at dirt-cheap prices, yet surprisingly, not a single person spoke up to take the lead.
Her face darkened involuntarily. Had all her talking been in vain?
"What’s wrong? Do you ladies look down on the Gu Family?" she pressed. "Our Gu Family doesn’t forcefully seize property from others. We are offering real gold and Silver to buy from you. However, you shouldn’t be too greedy with your prices. A token amount will do."
The elderly maid standing behind her didn’t stop her this time, evidently sharing the same thought.
Madam Gu couldn’t keep an eye on everyone sitting in the back, so she locked her gaze on the few ladies at the front, waiting for them to make a statement. As long as someone broke the ice, she didn’t believe the other families would dare offend the Gu Family.
The people at the front fell utterly silent, and the whispers in the back died down.
The atmosphere instantly froze. Although Bai Suihe and the others in the back didn’t know exactly what was happening, since the people in front weren’t speaking, everyone else kept their mouths shut as well.
When Madam Gu spoke again, her voice sounded exceptionally grating. "This is the very reason I invited you all here today. Think carefully about what good farmland and storefronts your families own. Gather the deeds, and we can proceed directly with the transfer of ownership."