sjar Chapter 650 Sister, are you leading them in a rebellion?
Chapter 650 Sister, are you leading them in a rebellion?
Back in the carriage at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, the atmosphere was terribly oppressive.
Gu Qingchen was held tightly in Chu Ruohan's arms, and the hand covering her mouth showed no sign of letting go.
Qian Zhenyun huddled in a corner of the carriage, trying to minimize his presence, afraid of being blamed.
Chu Ruohan's chest heaved violently, clearly furious. She glared at Gu Junze, who stood calmly to the side, her voice forced out through clenched teeth.
"Gu Junze! How can you still laugh!"
"Listen to what she's saying! Impotence? Where did she learn such nonsense from!"
Gu Junze finally suppressed the smile in his eyes, reached out and pulled his wife into his arms, gently patting her back.
"The palace is a big melting pot; you're just influenced by what you see and hear."
"Influenced by what she sees and hears?" Chu Ruohan was almost amused by his nonchalant attitude. "If she continues to be influenced like this, will she ask the Emperor in front of the entire court what positions he uses to favor his concubines next time?!"
Gu Qingchen, who was in her arms, stiffened upon hearing this, seemingly thinking it was a good idea.
Chu Ruohan sensed her daughter's unusual movement and increased the pressure on her hand, eliciting a series of "mmm" protests.
The carriage slowly drove into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
The steward and servants in the manor were already waiting at the gate, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the carriage return.
Holding her struggling daughter, Chu Ruohan said to Gu Junze without turning her head, "You deal with her. I don't want to see her!"
After saying that, she tossed this hot potato to Gu Junze and quickly walked towards the main house.
Gu Junze held Gu Qingchen by the back of his collar with one hand, like he was holding a kitten, and said calmly to Qian Zhenyun, who looked terrified, "Go back, your mother misses you too."
Qian Zhenyun felt as if he had been granted a pardon and scrambled to catch up with Gu Cheng'an as soon as he ran away.
Inside the main house.
Chu Ruohan picked up the hot tea served by the maid and drank it all in one gulp, which finally calmed down her anger a little.
She had just put down her teacup when she instructed the maid beside her, "Go and call Steward Qin Fang here."
A moment later, Qin Fang hurried over and bowed, saying, "Madam, you wanted to see me."
"Hmm," Chu Ruohan's expression had returned to its usual gentleness, but there was still a hint of fatigue in her eyes. "The matter in Jin Guan City needs to be implemented as soon as possible."
Qin Fang immediately took out paper and pen, stood aside with his hands at his sides, and prepared to take notes.
"As for Granny Sun, find her a quiet two-courtyard house in the south of the city, and assign two clever maids to serve her. From now on, she will be a master weaver supported by our Chu Family Chamber of Commerce, and her monthly allowance and expenses will be in the highest rank."
"Yes." Qin Fang quickly wrote it down.
Chu Ruohan paused, then remembered something and continued, "Her little grandson is in poor health. You should go there yourself and take him to Doctor Qian's clinic. Tell Doctor Qian to use the best medicine and to put the consultation fee on your household account."
A hint of admiration flashed in Qin Fang's eyes, and he nodded emphatically: "Madam is kind-hearted, I will take care of it right away."
"Finally," Chu Ruohan's gaze sharpened, the aura of the head of the Chu Family Chamber of Commerce inadvertently revealed, "immediately send the batch of Shu brocade we brought back from Jinguan City to the shops in Jiangcheng."
"Tell the shopkeepers in Jiangcheng to bring the price down. I want the people of Jiangcheng to know that from now on, Shu brocade will no longer be an exorbitantly priced item that they can only dream of."
This is not only to break the monopoly of people like Chen Taimo, but also to enable artisans like Granny Sun to truly live a decent life based on their own skills.
Qin Fang was deeply moved. He knew that his wife's decision would cause an unprecedented shock to the entire silk market in Jiangnan.
"Understood!" He bowed deeply and solemnly. "I will certainly not fail your trust, Madam!"
After Qin Fang left, Chu Ruohan finally breathed a long sigh of relief and rubbed her throbbing temples.
After dealing with these important matters, her tense nerves finally relaxed a little, but the thought of her daughter's actions brought back that headache.
Just then, Gu Junze walked in from outside.
"Where is he?" Chu Ruohan asked.
"Kneel in the ancestral hall." Gu Junze sat down next to her, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to her.
Chu Ruohan took the tea but didn't drink it. She just looked at her husband with a complicated expression: "Aren't you angry? She even dares to say those outrageous things in public now."
Gu Junze looked at her with a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"She could turn the palace upside down, leave the entire court speechless with anger, and still manage to escape unscathed. Don't you think that's a lot like you?"
Chu Ruohan was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening.
She recalled the time when her parents relinquished power and handed the entire Chu Family Chamber of Commerce to her.
When facing those elders in the clan who relied on their seniority and those with ulterior motives, as well as business rivals, the methods they used seemed even more ruthless than Qingchen did in the palace.
She was both amused and exasperated, and playfully punched Gu Junze.
"Nonsense! I'm nowhere near as lawless as her!"
Gu Junze took her hand, placed it to his lips, and gently kissed it, his voice low and tender.
"With me here, she can do whatever she wants, no matter how lawless she wants."
Gu Qingchen knelt for a whole night.
The next day, when she was put into a carriage and sent back to Bailu Academy, she was completely listless, with big dark circles under her eyes, and her knees were throbbing with pain when she walked.
The moment she stepped into the academy gate, the once lively courtyard fell completely silent.
All the classmates turned their gazes toward him, then, as if they had seen a ghost, they all looked away.
Especially since Shen Yu was bruised and swollen, and was limping, she was so frightened when she saw Gu Qingchen that she almost turned around and ran away.
I finally made it to the end of the school term.
Gu Qingchen was about to make a quick getaway when a group of people blocked his way.
Qian Zhenyun was being pushed and shoved by several teenagers, standing at the front with a troubled expression.
Behind him, Shen Yu had a mournful face, her face covered in tears and snot.
"Gu Qingchen, it's all your fault!" Shen Yu staggered forward, her voice trembling with tears, accusingly saying, "My father listened to what you said and when he got home he hung me from the rafters and beat me! He said I disgraced the family and talked nonsense!"
As soon as he opened his mouth, the sons of the ministers beside him found their pillar of support and began to complain.
"My dad made me kneel for a whole day and night, and he didn't even give me dinner!"
"My mom locked me in the room and said she's never letting me play with you again!"
“My dad also said that if I keep talking nonsense, he’ll send me to the countryside!”
A group of children were crying and sobbing; the scene was quite tragic.
As Gu Qingchen listened to these accusations, he felt no remorse whatsoever; instead, he frowned.
With her hands on her hips and a wave of her small hand, she beckoned the group of crying boys to her like a big sister.
"Why are you crying? You're useless!"
"Are you all stupid! Why don't you run away when you're being beaten? Why don't you pretend to faint when you're being forced to kneel?"
The group of children were stunned, staring blankly at her.
Gu Qingchen looked at their clueless expressions and felt a sense of disappointment.
"Let me tell you, when my parents punish me, I pretend to be sick—a stomachache, dizziness, blurred vision, anything will do!"
She puffed out her small chest and proudly shared her experience.
"Just lie down on the ground and close your eyes, and they won't dare touch me! Try it next time, and remember, cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide—adults fall for that the most!"
Yup!
Why didn't they think of that!
Shen Yu was the first to react. He hastily wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve, and his gaze toward Gu Qingchen turned into one of utter worship.
"Boss! We're following you from now on!"
"Yes! Boss!"
"Boss, teach us a few moves!"
The other children echoed, their gazes toward Gu Qingchen burning with an almost frightening intensity.
Gu Qingchen's reputation as a little devil quietly escalated at this moment.
She became the undisputed "king of the kids" at Bailu Academy.
Standing to the side, Qian Zhenyun watched his classmates who had been instantly turned to the other side, and his cousin who was standing with her hands on her hips and looking smug. He silently raised his hand and covered his forehead.
Sister, are you leading them in a rebellion?