Chapter 373: Chapter 365: Entanglement

Gu Er looked at her coldly without saying a word, then picked up an account book and began reading. Princess Yuanhua stood there like a clown, cursing loudly, but no one paid her any attention. As for the servants that Princess Yuanhua brought, they stood silently in the courtyard, feeling deeply troubled—having such a master was hard on anyone.

After Princess Yuanhua was exhausted from cursing, she smashed everything in the study and then stormed angrily to the backyard. Even while sitting there, Princess Yuanhua was still not reconciled. No matter how much her nanny tried to persuade her, it was of no use.

The nannies attending her, seeing that something might go wrong, could only send a message to the Zhou Mansion. After receiving the message, Mrs. Zhou Sr. was so angry her chest hurt. She thought for a while, then coldly curled her lips into a sneer, and had someone prepare ink and brush to write a letter, dividing it up to send to the East Mansion.

Gu Yifeng heard someone from the Zhou Mansion had written him a letter and couldn’t figure out what it was about. But when he opened the letter, his face turned cold.

He hadn’t expected Mrs. Zhou Sr. to write to him, or to include such content in the letter. He slammed the letter onto the table forcefully, “Go to the Zhou Mansion yourself and just tell Mr. Zhou that the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion has no time to deal with such frivolous matters all day long.”

Li Si didn’t understand why his master said this, but he quickly agreed and hurriedly withdrew.

Gu Yifeng was aware of Princess Yuanhua’s visit to the mansion during the day and knew she came to create trouble. He didn’t take it to heart because Sister Ning had already skillfully refuted her. In recent days, Gu Yifeng had been busy waiting for news from Zhao Housheng at the border.

According to Chancellor Liu’s calculations, the news should have reached the Capital long ago. But now, several days had passed, and the news still hadn’t arrived. He guessed something must have happened en route, so Gu Yifeng sent Hidden Guards to investigate.

Who would have thought Princess Yuanhua would come to the mansion? Gu Yifeng knew she came because of the conflict with the second eldest, feeling aggrieved, and venting her anger.

He just couldn’t understand why Sister Ning had such a good nature, allowing them to think they could bully her at will.

With a cold smile on his face, Gu Yifeng decided that this time he would make Princess Yuanhua understand that some people were not to be trifled with, even if she had an Imperial Concubine for a mother.

Mrs. Zhou Sr. had written about Princess Yuanhua’s tantrum after returning to the mansion today and pointed out that the issue was because of the First Madam, hoping the Marquis could mediate. After all, if things really escalated, it would be the First Madam who would get the bad reputation. Although the letter was asking the Marquis to intervene, it carried a sense of threat.

Gu Yifeng was not someone to be easily threatened. He particularly despised people like those in the Zhou Mansion, so he directly sent Li Si to respond without giving them any face.

Mr. Zhou, upon hearing this, didn’t understand what was going on. He was called to the backyard by Mrs. Zhou Sr., who explained the situation, and only then did Mr. Zhou grasp what had happened, repeatedly saying his mother was muddle-headed for doing such things.

Mrs. Zhou Sr. was indifferent, “After all, it was that woman who caused the commotion. My actions were merely a reminder. How can you say I was muddle-headed? Besides, Gu Er is his brother. They may have severed ties, but can blood relationships really be severed?”

“Mother, the Dingyuan Marquis is close to the Emperor, and even the Eldest Prince couldn’t win him over. Now they only managed to win over his illegitimate son. But through this matter, they also offended the Dingyuan Marquis. Now, Mother has done this, which will certainly make the Dingyuan Marquis even more furious with our Zhou Mansion,” Mr. Zhou regretted bringing back the Dingyuan Marquis’s illegitimate son.

Back then, he agreed because Yuanhua had pleaded with him, but who could have foreseen it? The Dingyuan Marquis directly expelled him from the mansion, not caring about public opinion, and even made his stance clear.

This was a severe slap in the face for the Zhou Mansion in front of the noble families in the Capital. Your Zhou Mansion was trying to help, but you ended up ruining his family affairs. Now Mr. Zhou was regretting it, but it was too late.

Now Mother has done this, worsening the relationship with the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.

“Alright, alright, this is all in the past now, even if you say I was wrong, it’s already done. Let’s talk about our Sister Yan’s matter, being betrothed to the Eldest Prince. The wedding is set for this winter. The weather is already cold, and it’s only a few days until the Mid-Autumn Festival. After the festival, preparations should begin in earnest. Has the matter with the Dong Mansion been resolved?”

“The daughter of the Dong Mansion marrying into the Prince Mansion is just as a concubine. The daughter of the Dong Mansion is actually the Madam of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion. The Eldest Prince values this connection greatly, so there’s no need to pursue that angle. Our Sister Yan will be an Imperial Consort, unaffected when she enters the mansion.” Mr. Zhou also did not agree with his mother’s actions.

Although he had not asked what exactly his mother had done, he knew that whatever she was involved in, it was something unseemly and not meant for public knowledge.

However, seeing his mother ask now, it seemed she had not succeeded.

“What worries me is precisely this relationship. The girl from the Dong Mansion is the wife of the Dingyuan Marquis. Even if she’s not favored, that connection would still cause the Eldest Prince to favor the Dong Mansion. Our Zhou Mansion is, after all, his grandmother’s house regardless of how the Eldest Prince acts, so it’s expected we’ll be on his side. This is where we lose out,” Mrs. Zhou Sr. had her own thoughts, “That’s also why I’ve been encouraging you to take action against the Dong Mansion.”

“There’s no need to discuss this further. Even if you continue like this, it won’t work. The Dong Mansion has already been utilized by the Eldest Prince, and the girl hasn’t even entered the Prince Mansion yet but is already working for him.” Mr. Zhou knew some things because the Eldest Prince would tell him.

Mrs. Zhou Sr. was surprised, “Are you saying the girl from the Dong Mansion is already helping the Eldest Prince?”

Mr. Zhou did not elaborate further on this matter and merely nodded, “Mother, refrain from targeting the Dong Mansion anymore, or the Eldest Prince may become unhappy and take it out on you.”

Mrs. Zhou Sr., looking displeased, nodded without saying more.

After leaving his mother’s place, Mr. Zhou asked his servant, “Keep watching the Dong Mansion, and also keep a close eye on Vice Minister Wang.”

………

Strongly recommend the completed work by a good friend, Xian Ke, “White Lotus Strategy,” featuring a heroine with both beauty and wisdom, strategy, and tactics—don’t miss it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep