"Marquis, this is perfect," Gao Lan said excitedly. "Weren't you just worrying about not being able to catch a grievance against your wife? She pawned all the tonics bestowed by the Grand Princess. Once the Princess finds out, she will surely be furious and won't back her up anymore."
"I hope so."
Xu Weibai was not as optimistic.
To someone in a high position like his grandmother, as long as a person was useful, she wouldn't care about trifles.
Gu Wanning was indeed troublesome, but pawning something would, at most, make his grandmother feel a slight dislike toward her.
As long as the Gu family did not fall, she could continue to ride roughshod over him at will.
At this thought, Xu Weibai's hand clenched into a fist under the table.
He didn't care what his grandmother wanted to do, but he would not allow that woman to act up right under his nose!
"Go guard the entrance and wait for her return."
Xu Weibai decided to catch her red-handed, leaving her with nothing to say in her defense.
He couldn't divorce her for the time being, but he could certainly give her a lesson she wouldn't forget!
Gu Wanning, dreaming of making a grand debut with her Corn, returned home happily, only to be blocked at the entrance by a "Door God."
Xu Weibai stood below the steps in front of the gate, looking down at her with a chilling gaze.
Gu Wanning clutched the brocade box in her arms tightly and said warily, "Does the Marquis have business with me?"
A good dog doesn't block the path!
Could this man have found out she bought something rare and come to steal the credit?
"Don't you know what you've done?" Xu Weibai gritted his teeth.
Gu Wanning felt a bit guilty. "Is it not allowed for me to go out and buy a few things?"
"Where are the things grandmother bestowed upon you yesterday?" Xu Weibai was incensed.
So he was talking about those tonics. She thought he was going to snatch her Corn!
Gu Wanning felt a wave of relief and said righteously, "The Marquis wants to snatch the things bestowed upon me?"
What a joke. Once given to her, they were her property, and she could dispose of them as she pleased.
"That was grandmother's goodwill! Have you no respect for it?"
"Oh, then my marriage to the Marquis was also the Princess's goodwill toward you. Has the Marquis ever respected it?" Gu Wanning said unhurriedly.
It was obvious the Grand Princess supported her.
"You…" Xu Weibai's face contorted with rage. "The state has its laws, and the family has its rules…"
"Heh, aren't the family rules set by me?"
Those who are disrespectful to the Principal Wife shall be slapped!
He should go and learn properly from his Concubines.
"Someone, come!" Xu Weibai grew ruthless.
Gu Wanning's mind raced, preparing to fake a faint.
She was so "frail"; how could she possibly withstand the Marquis's shouting?
If she played it right, she might even win another wave of pity from the Grand Princess.
There was no helping it; whoever was weaker was in the right.
"Marquis, please appease your anger—" The Second Concubine, carrying a bundle, hurried out from the gate.
That bundle was unmistakably the one Gu Wanning had used to carry the tonics out today.
No wonder Xu Weibai found out so quickly; it turned out someone was spying on her.
She hadn't expected the Second Concubine to "seize the initiative" in currying favor with Xu Weibai.
"What are you doing here!" Xu Weibai's tone was unfriendly.
He was quite impartial toward the wives and concubines he disliked—he never bothered to hide his loathing.
"To answer the Marquis," the Second Concubine knelt down, casting a timid glance at Gu Wanning. "Marquis, this servant heard there was some misunderstanding between you and Madam, so I came specifically to clear it up."
A playful smile touched the corners of Gu Wanning's mouth.
A bit of a "green tea" act!
After doing something "bad," she came to play the peacemaker?
This Second Concubine was quite interesting.
However, once she heard what the Second Concubine had to say, she found it even more interesting.
Though it was different from what she had imagined.
"Please listen, Marquis," the Second Concubine said obediently. "Yesterday, the Grand Princess bestowed tonics, and Madam asked this servant to keep them safe… I don't know how the Marquis misunderstood today, but after hearing of it, I rushed out… Marquis, Madam, you must not let a misunderstanding create a rift between you…"
Oh, did I just get an ally?
But her predecessor and the Second Concubine had no friendship whatsoever.
Gu Wanning remained silent, quietly watching the performance.
Xu Weibai's brow furrowed. "What business is this of yours?"
This foolish thing, trying to assert her presence for no reason, was revolting.
The Second Concubine seemed nervous, but in fact, she calmly opened the bundle. Inside were the exact items Gu Wanning had pawned an hour ago.
At least, Gu Wanning couldn't see any difference; they were identical.
How could the Second Concubine have prepared this in advance?
It wasn't that Gu Wanning was overly suspicious, but this truly felt like a "thief crying thief" scenario.
"You are in league with her!" Xu Weibai accused mercilessly. "Do you take me for a fool? Gao Lan, go to the pawnshop and bring someone here to testify!"
Gu Wanning still said nothing.
She had simply pawned things that belonged to her. Her greatest sin was merely being ungrateful and not appreciating an elder's kindness.
But as for other matters that were getting mixed in, she couldn't resolve them.
To her surprise, the Second Concubine didn't panic either.
Things seemed to be getting more and more amusing.
After a while, Gao Lan returned alone, his head hanging low like a frost-bitten eggplant, looking cowed and hesitant.
It was over; he was guilty.
He didn't know how his subordinates had handled things. They had reported seeing Madam enter the pawnshop to pawn items, but when he went back to check, why didn't the stories match?
He had been so anxious in the pawnshop just now that his face turned red, and he had even used the name of the Marquis Residence to intimidate them, yet the shop assistant insisted that no woman had entered the pawnshop today.
How the hell was it so uncanny!
Could Madam know some sort of dark sorcery?
"What happened?" Xu Weibai asked.
"To answer the Marquis, perhaps, perhaps…" Gao Lan collapsed to his knees with a thud. "It was all this subordinate's incompetence. I listened to rumors and misunderstood Madam."
Xu Weibai: ?
What kind of misunderstanding could there be?
They actually couldn't find any proof?
Although she didn't know why, Gu Wanning’s mood was beyond delightful.
She immediately adopted the air of a petty person who had achieved success, kicking a man while he was down: "Oh, the Marquis is so eager to sweep me out of the house that he's even resorted to framing and planting evidence!"
Xu Weibai's face turned ashen.
This woman was doing it on purpose!
She had deliberately deceived him and then used some unknown trick to make him look like a fool.
Fine, very well.
He lost this round, and he would admit it!
"Back to the study!" Xu Weibai stormed off, flicking his sleeves.
Gao Lan kowtowed to Gu Wanning once more. "Madam, I was wrong. Please be the bigger person and don't hold a grudge against the Marquis."
"Rise." Gu Wanning raised a hand to touch her hair, smiling with the formidable aura of a high-ranking imperial consort. "As a servant, you have to serve your master and take the blame for him. I can empathize with you. If I don't blame you, what else can you do?"
"No, this subordinate… the Marquis didn't…"
"I know, the Marquis doesn't have a petty heart. It was just you being bold enough to target me on your own." Gu Wanning said with a half-smile.
Gao Lan couldn't explain himself and, in frustration, raised his hand and slapped his own face.
What a mess this was!
Then he stood up and hurried to catch up with Xu Weibai.
The Second Concubine remained kneeling on the ground, looking up at Gu Wanning with a smile.
Interesting, truly interesting.
Gu Wanning arched an eyebrow, glanced at her, and began walking inside.
The Second Concubine stood up with the bundle and followed her closely, step for step.