Chapter 550 - 551: Discussion

Chapter 550: Chapter 551: Discussion

"Not all families value only their male heirs," Ms. Ding said with a double meaning. "Even if they are daughters who have married into other families, as long as they are favored, their words can sometimes carry more weight than those of their own sons."

Gu Qianyi thought of his aunt. While outsiders might be in the dark about many of the family’s internal affairs, he still knew a thing or two. Even now, his grandfather and the other elders still frequently consulted his aunt on major decisions. This was despite the fact that his aunt was now the Empress, and one who had fallen out of favor at that.

But their family knew their own business. His aunt had profound reasons for doing this, and it was all part of her calculations. Given the Duke Mansion’s current status, the Emperor would never allow them to rise any higher in power. Ever since his aunt married into the royal family and the current Emperor ascended the throne, she had known that she would never be allowed to have children of her own—not even a princess.

Therefore, over the years, his aunt had poured all her energy into him and his brothers. As for the affairs of the inner court, she simply turned a blind eye, handling everything strictly by the book as long as it was passable.

Now that the Princes were growing older, the various palaces were becoming increasingly restless. Without any children of her own, the Empress could temporarily stay out of the fray. However, this situation wouldn’t last forever. Once a victor emerged from the power struggle, his aunt’s position would become quite awkward. Even if, to appease the masses, she was later granted the honorable title of Empress Dowager, she would still have to live at the mercy of the new Emperor’s biological mother. By then, she would likely be powerless to protect the Duke Mansion.

Thus, the Duke Mansion urgently needed to find an exit strategy. They had to either amass enough leverage or make a timely retreat by distancing themselves from the center of power over the next few years. But neither path would be easy. He had advised them before that, if worst came to worst, the family should pick a Prince to back. However, the elders had completely rejected the idea. By remaining neutral, they might still secure a peaceful resolution in the future. If they chose sides too early, the Emperor would likely be the first to punish them.

When the Bai Family made a graceful exit, many families guessed that the Princes had probably set their sights on them. As astute merchants, they wouldn’t have reached their current heights without a great deal of competence. Even so, the Bai Family had only temporarily liquidated a portion of their assets in Shangjing, keeping a massive share firmly in their grasp. This incredibly lucrative prize was enough to tempt many noble families. Upon learning that the Bai Family had relocated to Lingnan, they all flocked to follow the scent. Besides wanting to get their hands on those assets, they also aimed to get into the Bai Family’s good graces.

Gu Kaiyuan, a young man who had previously accomplished nothing, had sharply seized the opportunity in this short time. He bought up numerous rural estates and storefronts early on, making a massive profit in the process. The Bai Family’s shadow was evident in all of this. They not only provided substantial funding but also paved this path to wealth for him. If Gu Kaiyuan kept at it, he could very well become the next unimaginably wealthy Bai Family.

It was just a pity that the Bai Family currently didn’t have any legitimate daughters of marriageable age, otherwise suitors would surely be beating a path to their door. As for the concubine-born daughters, they were never even a consideration for these noble families. Marrying the daughter of a merchant was already their biggest concession; naturally, they wouldn’t even glance at those unpresentable concubine-born daughters.

"But hasn’t the Bai Family already left? I heard they went to Quangang. If worse comes to worst, we can head over there..."

Ms. Ding replied, "The Bai Family has already split up their household. Bai Suihe is Mrs. Bai’s only legitimate daughter. The vast majority of the assets in the capital were part of Mrs. Bai’s dowry. I actually think that Bai Suihe is an excellent breakthrough point."

"I understand everything you’re saying, but they’ve already left and their return date is completely uncertain. You’re telling us to wait here, and while I don’t really mind, the people back in Shangjing don’t know the situation." Gu Qianyi knew he had no talent for studying, meaning the family’s mundane secular affairs would definitely be handed over to him in the future. Because of this, he had been paying extremely close attention over the years. He couldn’t agree with Ms. Ding’s idea. Waiting around wasn’t his style; he vastly preferred taking the initiative.

"Second Young Master, the Master and Madam also instructed us to sort things out here in Zhang County first. After all, a branch of the family will be relocating here in the future, so we can’t leave any hidden problems behind."

Hearing this, Gu Qianyi fell silent. It was true; if they didn’t properly settle the matters in Zhang County, they wouldn’t be able to leave anytime soon. "Yesterday’s banquet went pretty well, and I managed to familiarize myself with everyone. I’ll spend the next few days running around outside. I’ll have to trouble you with the affairs of the estate, Ms. Ding."

Seeing him soften, Ms. Ding broke into an affectionate, maternal smile. "Don’t worry, I’ll clean up all this mess. By the time the second young madam comes to take over, everything will be perfectly in order." After all, he was a child she had watched grow up. Since he would surely be stationed here for many years to come, she naturally had to lend a helping hand.

After the master and servant finished talking, they discussed a few more details before going their separate ways to get busy.

Trapped in the backyard, Madam Gu Jiu was currently complaining to Gu Yeshi. "Yesterday was the day we moved into our new home, and she still wouldn’t let me go out. I admit my past mistakes, and I’m willing to be confined to this backyard.

"But a whole day has passed! What right does she have to stop me from leaving today?

"No matter what, I am still the mistress of this estate! Where does a mere servant get the authority...?"

Gu Yeshi no longer maintained his usual calm and unfazed demeanor that he showed to outsiders; his expression was remarkably gloomy. "Who can you blame for that? When all is said and done, you only have yourself to blame.

"If you hadn’t messed everything up, you and I would naturally be the ones calling the shots in this estate. But from now on, I’m afraid that won’t be the case."

"What do you mean by that?"

Gu Yeshi replied, "Can’t you see it yet? The main branch has already abandoned us. Now that they’ve sent Gu Qianyi over, do you honestly think we have any ability to resist or fight back?" From the moment Gu Qianyi arrived, he could clearly feel his own authority within the estate slipping away. The servants they had brought with them from the main estate bowed and scraped before Gu Qianyi. The moment the young master opened his mouth, countless people scrambled to curry favor with him. It was at that moment he soberly realized that even if he was entrusted with important responsibilities, he could never change his birth. He was merely a concubine-born son from a side branch. His status was only slightly higher than that of the servants. Compared to the legitimate main branch... no, he couldn’t even begin to compare.

"Then what do we do? We worked so hard to fight for this..."

"What can I possibly do? How can just the two of us fight him?" Gu Yeshi wiped his face in frustration. "That’s why I came here today to warn you. You’d better behave yourself in the coming days. Do not provoke Ms. Ding. It’s best if you just do exactly as she says."

"But I..."

"Don’t ever say that Ms. Ding is a mere servant again. She is a female official with a formal rank. Even the legitimate branch in the main estate has to treat her with a degree of respect. If you don’t know what to do, just do what we used to do to survive back in the main estate."

Madam Gu Jiu slumped into her seat. "I swallowed my pride and groveled for so many years... do I really have to go back to living like that now?"