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“Wang Jinhe, for the sake of our family ties, I implore you to spare Gu Qing.” It was only at this moment that the people pressuring Wang Jinhe truly realized how arrogant their previous behavior had been.
Gu Qing was the most prestigious elder of the Gu family, accustomed to having the final say in family matters. Speaking to Wang Jinhe in this manner, they truly regarded her as a member of the Gu family.
Wang Jinhe smiled faintly. “No.”
“Wang Jinhe…”
“I don’t care how arrogant you were in the Gu family, but you cannot act that way in front of me. Even though I am not a member of the Gu family, you dare to be so arrogant in my presence. You were used to having the final say in the Gu family, weren’t you?” They thought they could scold and command her as they pleased, as if the entire world belonged to the Gu family.
“Wang Jinhe, you are the legitimate daughter of the family head. How can you not be considered a member of the Gu family?”
Wang Jinhe looked at the elders, seeing their urgency, anticipation, and calculation in their eyes. From their expressions, she could tell that they didn’t truly want her to return. Their goal was simply to obtain what she held in her hands.
“You have come to me for one purpose only. The Gu family has long been on the decline, and you need someone to restore it to its former glory. Previously, you focused on Gu Xiruo because of her business acumen. However, she has been facing frequent troubles lately, and she is not even a match for Lu Lingfeng. Now that you know she is not a true member of the Gu family, you have naturally abandoned her.”
Wang Jinhe’s words felt like a pair of large hands tightly gripping their hearts, instilling a sense of fear within them.
Wang Jinhe’s ability to discern their thoughts so accurately was surprising. How could a child raised in a mountain village possess such cunning?
“We are not…”
“Not what? Not shifting your focus to me after abandoning Gu Xiruo? You probably think that as a child raised in a rural family, I should be grateful if you want me to return to the Gu family?” Wang Jinhe looked at the group of people with a cold gaze.
“You just want to use my identity as the Princess to elevate the status of the Gu family. You also want to claim the benefits of the health preserving fruits and vegetables in my possession. Once these things are in your hands, you think you can do whatever you want, am I right?” Wang Jinhe’s clear eyes stared directly at the elders of the Gu family.
The elders of the Gu family looked somewhat uncomfortable.
Wang Jinhe had guessed everything.
“What gives you the right to think that I would return to the Gu family? In terms of wealth, Su Yu has given me everything he earned. I have more assets at my disposal than the entire Gu family combined.”
“In terms of status, I am the Princess consort and a county princess personally appointed by the emperor. The Gu family is nothing more than a fallen clan. I can do whatever I want now. I have no in-laws, but have uncles, and grandfathers that treat me well. My husband dotes on my son, who is obedient and adorable. I can lie down and count money every day without doing anything. I have everything I need. What can you offer me?”
“Endless scheming, or a fallen family?”
Wang Jinhe’s words were sharper with each sentence.
If she were just a peasant woman, they could still try to support her in the Royal Mansion if her life was not going well. But Wang Jinhe didn’t need that at all.
Looking at the speechless group, Wang Jinhe sneered. Were they capable of running to her to ask her to return to the Gu family with such limited abilities?
Su Yu looked at Wang Jinhe with a smile, his eyes full of indulgence. He had not spoken because he knew that Wang Jinhe could easily crush these people.
If it happened once, it would happen again. It seemed that they needed to make an example to ensure that no one dared to provoke Wang Jinhe again or covet anything related to her.
“Yuan Bao, go and watch them being punished.” Just because they were older, did that give them the right to talk nonsense?
“Yes.”
As they listened to the muffled groans from outside, the people in the room broke out in a cold sweat.
Seeing the fearful looks in their eyes, Wang Jinhe knew that they wouldn’t be coming back for quite some time. Su Yu’s strategy of killing the chicken to scare the monkey had worked.
“Please leave.”
Gu Qing wanted to say something, but Wang Jinhe smiled and spoke, “Gu Qing, right? If you don’t want to embarrass yourself further, then don’t speak. I’m not as easy to talk to as you think, nor am I as foolish as you think.”
“No matter what, that’s still your family and your roots,” Gu Qing gritted his teeth through the pain.
“Are you trying to be someone who forgets their ancestors and roots?”
Wang Jinhe couldn’t help but chuckle, pointing at herself. “Su Yu, the accusation is quite serious. I’m actually a little scared.”
“The threshold of the Gu family is too high for me to reach. Of course, you can also accuse me of forgetting my ancestors and roots. Let’s see who will end up being the laughingstock,” Wang Jinhe said nonchalantly.
“You…”
“The ambitions of all of you are clear as day. You’re all like ancient fox spirits. Are you trying to tell me a ghost story?”
She usually couldn’t be bothered with these matters, but she wasn’t truly foolish. This person really took themselves too seriously.
Gu Qing looked deeply at Wang Jinhe and spoke in a hoarse voice, “Let’s go.”
Watching them leave, Wang Jinhe leaned back in her chair, squinting her eyes. “Su Yu, do you think they will come back?”
Su Yu smiled, “Do you really need to ask? You know the answer in your heart.”
With such a tempting offer in front of them, how could they possibly resist reaching out to take it? Any sensible person would know what choice to make.
“They really are insatiable,” Wang Jinhe used the term “insatiable” to describe the Gu family.
Su Yu nodded with a smile. Indeed, weren’t they insatiable?
The actions of Gu Sheng and his wife, as well as those of Gu Xiruo, were something they couldn’t afford to compensate for, even if it meant bankrupting the family. After all, it was just a minor issue with the family’s assets.
“Yuan Bao, let Wan Feng and the others continue. When will they realize that the one behind the action is me?” Wang Jinhe played with her fingers, lifting her eyes to look in the direction where Gu Qing and the others had left.
“They won’t realize it in the short term. They’ll just think that you’re a young girl who wants to find her biological parents and return to the family, so your current attitude towards them is just…”
“Indulging in desire?” Wang Jinhe raised an eyebrow, finishing Su Yu’s sentence.
The two of them couldn’t help but smile as they locked eyes.
“I asked Mother if she still wanted it. She said that the current Gu family is like a piece of gold that fell into a pit latrine—disgusting to pick up, but a pity to leave behind. She said that if we want it, we should just take it, and Grandfather wouldn’t blame her, I’m sure.”
“That’s good. The current Gu family is indeed not what it used to be. But let me tell you something interesting.”
“Oh?” Wang Jinhe looked at Su Yu, urging him to continue.
“Gu Xiruo wants to become the head of the Gu family.”
“Her current abilities and status are not something the elders of the Gu family would agree to. Besides, there’s also Gu Yanqi in the Gu family. With him around, it’s impossible for Gu Xiruo to become the head of the Gu family.”