Chapter 504 - 505: Reception
Chapter 504: Chapter 505: Reception
"Just look at what’s on this list!"
"Velvet antler, goji berries, rehmannia root, deer whip, donkey whip, tiger whip..."
Seeing the start of the list, one could tell how much effort the sender had put into it. Now, the only question was whether the Third Prince’s body would be too frail to handle such potent tonics.
"Fourth Brother, how did you get your hands on all these good things?" First Prince Rong Ruixue asked teasingly. "You’re not even married yet. Don’t go learning bad habits from others."
"First Brother, I read about these in books! I paid a high price for them, hoping they’d be useful to Third Brother." Not knowing whether he was truly foolish or just naive, Rong Ruibo added, "These are all meant for nourishing the body!"
"HAHAHA!"
"HAHAHA!"
The First Prince and Second Prince laughed unabashedly. Finally, Rong Ruixue suppressed his laughter and said, "Third Brother, this is all part of Fourth Brother’s painstaking effort. You must not let him down, and you have to remember this favor."
Rong Ruiyuan squeezed the words through his gritted teeth. "Thank you for the reminder, First Brother. I will certainly keep it in mind."
The other younger princes who had been brought along stood quietly in the back, listening to their older brothers banter back and forth. Anyway, they were still young; they just needed to watch what their older brothers did.
Since they had specifically come to visit him during his illness, Rong Ruiyuan naturally had to entertain them. However, when the tea and pastries were served, he noticed that not a single person touched them.
Rong Ruiyuan grinned and said with a smile, "What’s wrong? You don’t even dare to take a sip of water in my Prince Mansion?
"Don’t worry. The poisoner wouldn’t strike at a time like this. Who knows if they might end up harming themselves?"
As Rong Ruiyuan spoke, he scanned his brothers’ faces but couldn’t spot any anomalies in their expressions.
A mocking smirk curled the corners of his lips. He realized that until the true culprit was caught, everyone would probably have to remain on guard against those around them from now on.
Meanwhile.
Gu Kaiyuan had no idea that his choices had turned the entire royal family completely upside down. Now, it wasn’t just the Imperial Palace launching investigations; even every Prince Mansion was undergoing a massive purge.
The results of the investigations were shocking. Every mansion was like a giant sieve, infiltrated by people from various factions. Even those aristocratic ministers had planted their fair share of spies in the princes’ residences.
Looking at the investigation reports, the Emperor felt entirely unwell, because the Imperial Palace was in the exact same situation.
Gu Kaiyuan and Bai Suihe were completely unaware of these massive purges, as their pawnshop officially opened today.
Unlike their previous quiet and low-key opening, this time, all the prominent figures in the county came to attend. Gu Kaiyuan specially rented out an entire inn and hired several master chefs.
Bai Suihe also reserved an entire floor specifically to host the ladies she was acquainted with.
Today, she even saw Mrs. Lin, Hu Waner. Hu Waner’s complexion and aura were completely different from before, making her look several years younger. Bai Suihe no longer wanted to dwell on whether she had been implicated by Mrs. Lin previously or if it had all been a calculated scheme. Regardless, the current outcome was good.
What surprised her even more was that Madam Gu had also arrived.
Bai Suihe found it a bit strange until Zisu whispered a reminder in her ear, explaining that the master had invited Mr. Gu, and as his wife, she naturally accompanied him.
Nearby, another lady was puzzled, wondering if Madam Gu hadn’t supposedly been grounded. Could the rules of such a prominent family really be changed on a whim?
Since visitors were guests, Bai Suihe greeted her with a welcoming smile. "Madam Gu, what a rare guest! Please come in."
Madam Gu looked at Bai Suihe and revealed a meaningful smile. "I’ve heard so much about you, Mrs. Gu. Today, I finally get to see you in person."
"You must be joking, Madam Gu. I attended the banquet at your mansion last time. You simply had too many guests and didn’t notice nobodies like us."
Bai Suihe replied neither too softly nor too harshly, then added, "If the hospitality is lacking today, please bear with us.
"Are there any families you are familiar with inside? I can adjust the seating for you."
They weren’t well-acquainted to begin with, and Madam Gu had arrived so late that everyone else was already seated. But since she was a guest, Bai Suihe had no choice but to help arrange a spot for her.
Who knew the woman would merely glance around before shaking her head. "Ah, I’m truly sorry. Having just arrived in Lingnan, I don’t really know anyone yet. However, I find you quite agreeable, Mrs. Gu. How about we sit together?"
Bai Suihe chuckled. "As a newcomer, you might not know the customs here. As the hostess, I must constantly attend to the guests’ needs. I’m afraid I’ll be rushed off my feet today.
"I just remembered there’s an empty seat available. It’s a perfect opportunity for you to make some new friends."
With that, she led the way. As for whether Madam Gu followed behind her or not, Bai Suihe didn’t look back, pretending she simply hadn’t noticed.
Madam Gu gritted her teeth, resentful of Bai Suihe’s dismissive attitude. However, with so many people watching, she didn’t dare to cause any trouble. Otherwise, Mr. Jiu might actually send her back to the capital when they returned.
If she was sent back like that, the only things awaiting her would be a life as a solitary nun or a divorce letter.
If Bai Suihe had just followed her arrangements that day, none of the subsequent troubles would have occurred. Furthermore, this couple was far too blind. She and her husband had already made their intentions clear. Anyone smart would have offered the items up with both hands, and in return, the Duke Mansion might have provided them with some protection.
Who knew Gu Kaiyuan would insist on organizing an auction banquet, forcing them to spend so much extra silver.
The amount the Duke had given them was fixed. If they spent less, they could pocket the difference; but since they spent more, they had to cover the deficit themselves. Going back and forth like this, their branch of the family suffered a massive loss.
There was nowhere to reason this out, so they had no choice but to swallow their bitter resentment.
When Bai Suihe brought her to a secluded private room, the disgust in her eyes could no longer be contained. "You’re seating me here? Who is inside?"
Bai Suihe turned back in feigned surprise. "All visitors are guests. You’ll become familiar with each other once you gather together. These ladies are very easy to get along with."
Who was she putting on airs for? Even if she came from the Duke Mansion, Gu Yeshi was merely from a collateral branch of the family and held no official rank. Their statuses were all the same.
Called out by Bai Suihe like this, Madam Gu Jiu truly couldn’t find any words to retort. Bai Suihe had already stepped ahead of her, greeting the ladies inside. "Mrs. Xiao, Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Liu... forgive my poor hospitality.
"This is Madam Gu Jiu, who just arrived at the banquet. May she sit with you?"
Bai Suihe had, of course, chosen this private room with a calculated plan in mind. The women here were all family members from a few households that had relocated from the capital.
Unlike Madam Gu Jiu, they were not nearly as high-profile. Instead, they dreaded social interactions and had specifically asked Bai Suihe for such a secluded little private room.
The women had all heard rumors about Madam Gu. Now that they saw the person standing right in front of them, they all became curious.
Facing their unabashed scrutiny, Madam Gu wasn’t completely foolish. Although she hadn’t interacted with these people before, she knew that several aristocratic families had also sent people over. Recalling the surnames she had just heard, she realized these women were likely from those very families.