Gu Baijiang, "Why on earth is she going to the countryside?"

A surge of anger welled up inside him, and he kicked the steward before storming inside in a fury.

The comfortable nest he painstakingly created for himself was now suddenly gone.

He spent quite a bit of silver on it, how could he not feel distressed.

"Master, should we report to the authorities?" The steward, bearing the pain, had no choice but to approach him again.

"Report to the authorities," Gu Baijiang laughed angrily, "I am the authority. If this gets out, won’t it bring disgrace to me?"

How could he report this to the authorities? This was property he secretly purchased, also the place he arranged for Mrs. Li. If this news spread, not only would the old lady at home cause a scene, but who knows how many memorials accusing him would follow.

"But so many things were lost?" The steward was anxious, not knowing how Madam Li would reprimand them upon her return.

"Gather everyone and ask if they colluded with outsiders."

Silently putting so many people to sleep, Gu Baijiang didn’t think one person could accomplish it.

There were many servants in the mansion, making it difficult to start an investigation, and he didn’t want to cause a big scene, so he took a light touch.

As night fell, in this house that now had only walls and columns, he couldn’t find a way to sleep.

He stormed back to the Gu Mansion with his entourage and went straight into the study.

He pondered what audacious person dared to act so close to the official residence. Could it be his political enemies?

Was this a probe, or a warning?

That night, the study’s lantern remained lit throughout...

Gu Kaiyuan heard the news the next day but paid it no mind, greeted people in the main chamber, then took Bai Suihe out.

For three or four consecutive days, Gu Kaiyuan and Bai Suihe were busy outside, collecting everything they needed.

Looking at the space filled to the brim, especially with enough food to last both of them for years without cooking.

And Bai Suihe’s shops, half the goods were moved, all liquid silver and account books taken, enough to maintain normal operation.

If questioned, she could claim poor management skills, which could be an excuse.

"The time should be about right, shouldn’t it?" Bai Suihe counted on her fingers; unknowingly, more than ten days have passed. Oh my, hard times were coming.

Gu Kaiyuan, "I’ve already handed Lin Hua and Lin Wei’s indenture papers over to them. Is there anything else not arranged?"

Bai Suihe shook her head. Winter Plum and Spring Fragrance were arranged, and the small courtyard she bought was under their names.

"I’ve explained to the household that Winter Plum and Spring Fragrance redeemed their indentures to return to their hometowns.

As for other matters, I’ve told my mother, so if there’s trouble, she’ll redeem my dowry.

What about you? Are there others to release?"

Gu Kaiyuan, "There are a few more. Lin Hua and Lin Wei will handle it later. We can’t be too conspicuous now.

We’ll just say that they’re of marriageable age, so we released their indentures."

"You should rest well first. We still need to go somewhere tonight."

Bai Suihe gestured a number with her hand, "Everything’s arranged."

"All arranged," apart from wanting to make Bai Suihe happy, Gu Kaiyuan also wanted to muddy the waters.

Without the Third Prince interfering, the Gu Family’s days were sure to be more exciting.

As night fell, Gu Kaiyuan left through the side door with Bai Suihe.

Bai Suihe felt a bit incredulous seeing the maid respectfully open the door for them, "Is she your person?"

Gu Kaiyuan didn’t say much, "She just did me a small favor before."

Bai Suihe nodded, realizing that their family had conveniences here, thanks to Gu Kaiyuan’s connections.

They boarded the carriage parked nearby, with Gu Kaiyuan personally driving, heading to the alley behind the Third Prince Mansion.

The area was devoid of pedestrians and unusually quiet.

Gu Kaiyuan gently pushed open the side door, which opened upon touch.

"How was this done?" Bai Suihe licked her lips. Could the Prince Mansion’s security be so lax?

"With enough silver, anything is possible."

Bai Suihe followed him in, discovering that it was silent inside, and the guards at the side door lay unconscious on the ground.

"Did you drug them? How was this accomplished?"

Gu Kaiyuan nodded, reading her question, "The kitchen, food."

Bai Suihe gave him a thumbs-up, thinking that the Third Prince would never expect someone to be so bold as to attack a prince.

Gu Kaiyuan first sent her to the kitchen to collect her fill, then quickly moved through the mansion, confirming that there wasn’t a single conscious person, before returning to Bai Suihe’s side.

Bai Suihe’s storage was already full, so now everything was piled in the courtyard.

She wasn’t picky and cleared out every place she visited as she did with the new Gu Mansion earlier.

But the Third Prince Mansion was much larger than the Gu Mansion. Bai Suihe, after collecting the kitchen and storeroom, couldn’t continue beyond the main courtyard.

Eventually, Gu Kaiyuan carried her, found the Third Prince’s private treasury, and quickly withdrew before checking its contents thoroughly.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to take everything, but the guards seemed to have a strong resistance to the drug, showing signs of awakening.

Returning to the mansion, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is the maid at the side door reliable?" Bai Suihe was worried, as this could be their sole vulnerability.

"Rest assured, you’re pregnant; occasional cravings are normal.

Tonight, we just went out to Scholar’s Loft for rice wine."

Bai Suihe stroked her calming heart, "This is just too thrilling. How did you bribe someone from the Third Prince Mansion?"

Generally, people wouldn’t dare to help with such a matter.

"The Third Prince’s wet nurse has a biological son.

A few days ago, I had someone lure him into a gambling trap; it’s just that he lost badly and urgently needed silver."

To ease Bai Suihe’s worry, Gu Kaiyuan added, "Don’t worry, I never showed my face, and that gambling den is the Crown Prince’s business."

Bai Suihe didn’t know how to express her admiration, only able to utter a single word, "Brilliant!"

Bai Suihe’s compliment made Gu Kaiyuan uncharacteristically shy, "You flatter me, Madam."

The ingenuity and intelligence stemmed from experiences accumulated in his past life, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so smooth, making him feel somewhat undeserving.

In rare peace at the mansion, Gu Kaiyuan and Bai Suihe decided not to venture outside anymore.

With both abstaining from leaving, Xu Huizhen grew restless, promptly sending someone to summon Gu Kaiyuan.

"Has Ms. Bai explained everything to you properly?"

"Everything’s been handed over, I’ve visited the shops and estates," Gu Kaiyuan answered honestly, having frequented these places lately.

"That’s good, manage them well in the future. Your eldest and second brothers don’t understand worldly matters, so the three of you should support each other.

Recalling how selling Madam Bai’s headdress saved them from their father’s wrath, Xu Huizhen felt a pang of heartache.

"Manage them well in the future, and don’t forget to show filial respect to your mother."