Chapter 612: Chapter 612: How to Set the Dogs on Each Other

On the bed, Madam You finally opened her eyes.

"Mother is awake," Madam You rushed over, sobbing, "Mother, you must stand up for Miss You. She has been bullied terribly."

Madam You opened her mouth, and the phlegm in her throat rattled. Ru Hua quickly said, "Madam You, Old Madam just woke up, I’m afraid she’s not..."

Before she could finish speaking, Madam You was annoyed: "Is it that only you care about Old Madam in this house? That only you are useful? Are we not as thoughtful as you are?"

"Stop arguing," Madam You said with difficulty, "Miss You has indeed been wronged, and I will make it up to her in the future."

"Mother," Madam You sobbed uncontrollably.

Madam You beckoned her eldest son over and instructed intermittently, "If anything happens to me this time, you go into mourning. We’ve greatly offended the Dingbei Marquis Mansion this time and have now allied by marriage with King Jin Mansion. The Crown Prince’s health is frail; there will be much contention in the future."

"...Mother, I will remember."

...

Wutong Garden.

Qin Yuan returned with a heavy heart, writing under the lamp for a while, waiting for Marquis Gu to come back.

Marquis Gu appeared stern, his handsome face chiseled like sculpted from stone, and his sharp brows and eyes icy cold. The young maid who was sent in to serve him approached trembling and in a voice as light as a mosquito’s, "Greetings to the Marquis."

Qin Yuan looked up to see his brows slightly furrowed, his dark eyes deepened. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, "Have you finished discussing with Mr. Songshan?"

Marquis Gu’s expression softened a bit, "Nothing can be kept from you. About the Mo family... as you said, there is indeed something peculiar. I hope it’s not the worst..."

The Mo family had been close with the Gu family for years. Little Ni and their brothers grew up together as childhood friends.

The scene of his fourth brother with Little Ni flashed before Marquis Gu’s eyes, leaving a sour taste in his mouth.

Seeing the young maid looking uneasy, Qin Yuan said, "Go tell them to boil some water and wait outside, no need to come in."

The young maid exhaled in relief and quickly retreated.

Qin Yuan asked again, "What do you plan to do about the twins? And I wonder when Xiao Hong and Zihe can be transferred here; I’m short of people."

Marquis Gu seemed puzzled: "Haven’t you seen Sister-in-law Cheng yet?"

Qin Yuan said, "I haven’t had the chance; I returned late and it’s inconvenient to go now. I’ll talk about it in the morning. Hasn’t mother already arranged everything?"

Marquis Gu nodded, "I was just asking, arrange it as you see fit," he couldn’t help but sigh, "Pang Hai... let’s just call him Pang Hai. He’s tall and strongly built; I had no idea he was a Lord’s man... perhaps he’s not... Did he entrust his offspring to me just to place Mrs. Zhao and those two children near me?"

Qin Yuan observed his expression for a moment, then gently stepped forward and flicked non-existent dust from his garment, smiling, "For all the years Daxing was founded, the Northern Border has been in constant warfare, planting spies is not unusual, is it?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Marquis Gu understood as well.

The Grand Ancestor Emperor once said that border generals must know how to use spies, and it’s common in the art of war to plant officers in enemy territories, but this is the first time one was placed beside him.

"Judging by Mrs. Zhao’s actions, it’s indeed no surprise."

Recalling what the nanny confessed in the dungeon, Marquis Gu’s narrow, long eyes slightly squinted, and a glint of murder flashed through them.

Since gratitude was mixed with calculations, there was nothing left to be hesitant about.

Qin Yuan laughed, "It’s better to know now than never. If it hadn’t been discovered, who knows what chaos they would cause later? Then it would truly be raising a tiger to one’s own detriment, and it would be too late for regrets."

Marquis Gu couldn’t help but pull Qin Yuan’s slender waist, sitting under the lamp, inhaling her delicate fragrance, and said, "With you, even the greatest problems feel like nothing after a few words."

Qin Yuan slightly bowed her head, her eyebrows gentle, and her long, dark hair loosely fell at her neck, reflecting the light like a piece of fine satin.

Marquis Gu’s initially cold heart quickly melted in this warmth.

Feeling at ease, he heard Qin Yuan say, "In my opinion, since ancient times, heroes have a hard time resisting the beauty trap, and among the Thirty-Six Stratagems, there is the Beauty Stratagem. But since you vowed not to marry before defeating the Yelv, this beauty trap can’t be used."

Marquis Gu’s lips curled slightly.

Qin Yuan continued, "You value the camaraderie of your companions and cherish family relationships, that’s why they strategically placed Pang Hai and Mrs. Zhao’s family with you. If you had family, they would have caused trouble in the back courtyard as the widow of your benefactor, stirring up chaos. If you had been lost in gentle affection over the years, the Yelv wouldn’t have been defeated so miserably."

Marquis Gu held her jade-white hand and whispered, "Exactly, though I was grateful for Pang Hai’s kindness and treated his family with favor, I never crossed the line with them. I had no family at my government office in the Northern Border, only servants around me, and I was busy from the moment I opened my eyes, only seeing the two children whenever I found time..."

This made Mrs. Zhao and her children a useless pawn at first, and after the Yelv was defeated, they became a reserve pawn.

It’s undeniable that it was quite poisonous.

In the past life, Qin Wan faced such an opponent and was doomed to fail.

Qin Yuan laughed, "Fortunately, my husband is a great man, upright and honest, or else he would have been taken advantage of. Yelv’s schemes never managed to trap him."

Marquis Gu wished Qin Yuan would praise him more, but he said, "It’s not so easy. After all these years at the Northern Border, they really didn’t understand me. Maybe it’s my fault for having no shortcomings, leaving them no weaknesses to exploit."

Qin Yuan quietly rolled her eyes in her heart.

Out loud, she complimented, "Indeed, if you were soft-hearted or lecherous, who knows what Mrs. Zhao would have done. The Gu Family Army would have fallen into their hands. It’s lucky our ancestors blessed us, and you never did anything to shame them."

Marquis Gu felt an inexplicable guilt, but changed the subject, "Mrs. Zhao had previously been in contact with many military wives, most likely passing on quite a bit of information. Still, given our deep foray into the Northern Border and the countless changes during our marches, she couldn’t pass on anything of real value. Now in the Capital, she’s dug her own grave. Above all, I am grateful to have you."

After talking for a while, the maids brought in hot water. Marquis Gu washed up, and the couple went to rest.

Qin Yuan tossed and turned in bed, and Marquis Gu asked, "What’s wrong? Still thinking about what happened today and can’t sleep? Rest assured, I won’t let them off, and Mother said our Gu Family won’t suffer losses."

Qin Yuan said, "I know, I just suddenly thought, since the main wife and concubines in King Jin Mansion already filled their roles, what position will Miss You take when she marries into King Jin Mansion? King Jin has always followed the Crown Prince closely. After today’s events, the Crown Prince should realize King Jin’s ambitions, right? That Yelv scoundrel wants to use King Jin to humiliate you. We should let them fight among themselves."