"Bang!"
Old General Gu slammed his hand heavily on the table and said sternly, "Presumptuous! How dare you speak such treasonous words!"
Gu Kun was dismissive, "Father! Every man for himself, heaven and earth destroy the wicked. What your son thinks and says is all for our Gu manor!"
Gu Qianying shot Gu Kun a cold glance, a sneer playing on her lips. "For our Gu manor, ha! If that's the case, then Father can disregard his daughter's reputation and let her be known as a wicked woman in everyone's mouths. Has Father ever considered that if I were truly accused of this baseless murder, even if the Ninth Imperial Uncle has intentions towards me, so what? Do you think he would marry a murderer simply because he has a little affection for me?"
"Even if not as the main consort, then as a side consort, or even a concubine, it's all the same. Qianqian, your father has a keen eye for people. The Ninth Imperial Uncle treats you differently than others. If you get into trouble, he won't abandon you!" Gu Kun said shamelessly.
"Heh!" Gu Qianying was so angry she laughed. "If Father misjudged the person, and the Ninth Imperial Uncle doesn't resolve my troubles as Father said and marry me, then what?"
"Qianqian, if that were to happen, your father would absolutely not abandon you. I will bring you food in prison every day and handle all your affairs, ensuring you don't have too hard a time in prison."
"So, in the end, Father still intends to sacrifice his daughter?" Gu Qianying said with a cold laugh.
Gu Kun, with a heart full of desperation, said, "Qianqian, your father is doing this for our Gu manor, and it's for your own good... you..."
"Grandfather, have you heard what Father said? I implore Grandfather to be my advocate," Gu Qianying coldly interrupted Gu Kun and turned to Old General Gu, kneeling heavily. "If Grandfather believes Father's method is viable, then your granddaughter has nothing more to say and will abide by Grandfather's decision."
As Gu Qianying spoke, her unwillingness and reluctance were extremely evident.
"Crack!"
On the desk, a fine inkstone was smashed to the ground by Old General Gu, leaving a small pit in the wooden floor.
Old General Gu was immediately enraged, "You scoundrel! You, a father, do not cherish your daughter, but I will!"
With that, Old General Gu roared towards the door, "Guards! Take the Second Miss, Gu Mingyue, away and hand her over to the Dali Temple. Furthermore, I will inform the Crown Prince of this entire incident in writing. As for whether the Crown Prince will disregard your misfortune and treat you as kindly as before, that will be your fortune."
With that, Old General Gu turned his back to everyone and waved his hand, "All of you, leave."
"Grandfather! Don't..." Gu Mingyue collapsed onto a chair, her face ashen, crying out.
"Father! How could you..." Gu Kun was shocked, never expecting Old General Gu to make such a decision.
"If you don't want your other leg cut off, then shut your mouth and get out!"
Old General Gu did not turn around, only roaring at everyone with his back turned.
His words successfully frightened Gu Kun.
Gu Kun, the master of the Gu manor, immediately shut his mouth obediently, not daring to say another word.
As Gu Mingyue was dragged away by two servants, her cries were muffled by a handkerchief casually placed over her mouth by Gu Qianying.
When Gu Mingyue looked at Gu Qianying, the hatred and unwillingness in her eyes were exceptionally clear.
After Gu Mingyue was dragged away, the maid Cai Guo and the "fake physician" tied up like a mummy were secretly dealt with by Hu Biao, without consulting Old General Gu.
Gu Qianying was never lenient with those who harmed her mother.
After the maid Cai Guo was beaten to death, Gu Qianying did not have her buried. Instead, she sent Hu Biao to secretly take Cai Guo's corpse to the Third Concubine's courtyard and place it in the room of the Third Concubine, Madam Han.
"Ah!"
A terrified scream reached everyone's ears.
The Third Concubine, Madam Han, woke from her sleep, and due to extreme fright, she fainted on the spot.
When she woke up, she dismissed all the serving maids in the room.
A moment later, when no one was paying attention, a dark figure knocked on the door from outside and entered the room.
No one knew how long that dark figure stayed in the room, nor did anyone know what Madam Han and that person did inside. All that was known was that when Madam Han called the serving maids outside back into the room, only Madam Han was inside.
"Have you found out where the Fourth Miss and the Second Miss were sent?"
The maid knelt on the ground and replied, "Replying to Third Concubine, this servant heard they were both sent to the Dali Temple."
Madam Han picked up a grape and put it in her mouth, a hint of coldness rising in her eyes. "Prepare yourself. Inform those people that the time has come to do what needs to be done. Remember, ensure the matter is handled cleanly, and do not leave any loose ends."
The maid nodded, "Yes."
After the maid left, Madam Han called another on-duty maid and instructed, "Go, drag Cai Guo's corpse to the small kitchen, chop it up, make meat patties, and feed them to the dogs!"
"Yes... yes..." the maid said quickly, terrified.
On the other side.
Madam Lan, who had been knocked unconscious by someone and locked in the woodshed, was dragged out of the woodshed by people sent by Gu Qianying after she woke up. She was tied up and brought before Old General Gu. Subsequently, Old General Gu sent people to escort Madam Lan to the Crown Prince Nan Rongqi's Eastern Palace overnight.
Regardless of who Madam Lan's true master was, on the surface, she was the governess sent by the Crown Prince Nan Rongqi to the Gu manor to look after Gu Mingyue.
If this person committed any offense, it was more appropriate for the Crown Prince Nan Rongqi to handle it himself.
As Madam Lan was dragged away, her right arm, which should have been severed by Gu Qianying long ago, was still intact. Only then did Old General Gu realize that the letter he held, which was blank, and the bloody arm he had seen earlier were both faked by Gu Qianying.
Their purpose was to trick others.
Although it involved some minor schemes, Gu Qianying's way of handling affairs actually earned Old General Gu's approval.
At the same time, Old General Gu increasingly felt that it was a great pity if his granddaughter Gu Qianying did not become a general.
Coupled with his personal observation of Gu Qianying's martial arts skills, and her being a master, although he was filled with doubt, his doubts were overshadowed by his urgent desire for Gu Qianying to join the army as a general.
Thus, one day, Old General Gu sent someone to summon Gu Qianying again.
The purpose was to persuade Gu Qianying to join his army as a general.
When Gu Qianying met Old General Gu, she had already anticipated why Old General Gu had summoned her.
"Grandfather, your granddaughter is willing to do as you wish and join the army as a general."
The path she had walked in her previous life, and now in this reborn life, she could not escape it. Gu Qianying couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
The course of history had not changed because of her rebirth.
What she could change was perhaps only the fate of those around her.
However, even so, the pain she had experienced in her previous life and the suffering her family had endured, she would not let herself and her loved ones experience it again in this life.
Old General Gu was naturally pleased to see Gu Qianying agree so readily.
"Good granddaughter, this is my good granddaughter... Hahaha."
"Grandfather, Fourth Sister and Second Sister were assassinated by unknown individuals while being escorted to the Dali Temple."
After Gu Qianying and Old General Gu finished discussing the matter of joining the army as a general, Gu Qianying immediately brought up another matter to Old General Gu.
"What! How could such a thing happen?" Old General Gu said with a shocked expression, then asked, "Were they injured?"
Gu Qianying replied truthfully, "Grandfather need not worry, they were not injured, only... Second Sister gave birth prematurely due to extreme fright. The child was fair-skinned, but there was no one to hold and care for it. In their panic, they were roughly thrown from the carriage and died on the spot."
As she said this, Gu Qianying felt truly uncomfortable.
After all, an infant was the most innocent.
"Alas, what a sin!" Old General Gu sighed upon hearing this, then asked, "Are there any survivors among the assassins?"
The servants escorting Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei were all skilled in martial arts. The chances of assassination in front of them were not high.
Gu Qianying shook her head, "They were all death warriors, with no survivors. However, since they failed, there will surely be a second attempt. Grandfather, we can just wait patiently."
Old General Gu agreed with Gu Qianying.
At this moment, a letter was presented to Old General Gu by his subordinates.
Old General Gu opened it, and upon reading the contents, his body swayed. Gu Qianying quickly supported him, "Grandfather, what's wrong?"
Old General Gu's face was very pale, and his voice trembled slightly, "The soldiers in the camp have contracted the plague, and many have died."
Saying this, Old General Gu, without even putting on his outer robe, strode out quickly. "Guards, go and summon the eldest son, and have him accompany me to the camp immediately."
At this moment, Gu Qianying stood frozen in place.
After all her efforts, she still couldn't avoid the arrival of this "plague."
"Grandfather, wait a moment," Gu Qianying called out to Old General Gu as she chased after him.
Immediately, she sent Lu Zhu to quickly return to the Garden Pavilion to fetch the pills she had refined a few days ago and hand them to Old General Gu, asking him to take these pills to the camp to be given to the soldiers with milder symptoms of the plague.
Although these pills could not cure the plague, they could temporarily alleviate the toxicity in their bodies.
"These are..."
Old General Gu's face was filled with confusion.
"They can temporarily alleviate the toxicity in your body. Once I arrive, I will assess the soldiers' physical condition and then think of a solution."
"What? You, girl, are also going with Grandfather?"
If it were any other time, it would be fine for Gu Qianying to go to the camp with him for training.
However, this was the time of the "plague." If Gu Qianying went along, it would be a serious matter if she were infected.
"Grandfather, don't worry, your granddaughter will be fine."
"No! Grandfather disagrees!"
Old General Gu absolutely refused to allow Gu Qianying to accompany him to the camp during such a dangerous period.
"Grandfather, it's decided. You go first, I will follow shortly."
With that, Gu Qianying, without waiting for Old General Gu to object, returned to the Garden Pavilion with Lu Zhu and changed into men's clothing.
At this moment,
Ninth Imperial Uncle's Manor.
"How is it?"
Bai Qi pushed Nangong Mo and stopped outside the door of Lanxi Pavilion.
Du Chun walked out from inside.