Chapter 11: A Hot Commodity

“Marquis, this subordinate has already sent people to investigate, what exactly happened.”

Gao Lan didn’t even dare to look at his Marquis’s face.

But he had a guess in his heart, he just didn’t dare to say it.

Xu Weibei didn’t seem as angry as he was outside, his fingers tapped on the table, his lips curled into a playful sneer, “She did it on purpose.”

He felt that this was Gu Wanning’s way of giving him a warning.

“That can’t be right.” Gao Lan said, “You are Madam’s heaven. This subordinate thinks that Madam might really be short of money, so she really pawned those tonics, it’s just that the second concubine… wanted to curry favor with Madam, so she helped her.”

Although he hadn’t figured out how it was done, Gao Lan thought this was the most likely possibility.

The second concubine was the one who came out of nowhere, otherwise the Marquis would have already successfully controlled Madam.

“Really?” Xu Weibei didn’t believe it, “If she wanted to curry favor, she shouldn’t come to curry favor with me, why would she go to curry favor with Gu Wanning?”

“This, this Marquis, you might be a little off…”

Gao Lan thought to himself, although the Marquis lost his parents when he was young, he had seen his parents’ love, and there were no other messy women in the mansion.

The Marquis didn’t understand the struggles between women as well as he did.

After all, his scumbag father, who achieved nothing, had many women, and he squandered all his family’s wealth.

“The concubines have spent more time with Madam… They can only have a good life if they win Madam’s favor.”

“Winning my favor is not important?”

“It is important.” Gao Lan quickly “tutored” Xu Weibei, “It’s best to win your favor, but they wouldn’t dare to think about that. If they can’t win your favor, they would settle for the next best thing, they want to live comfortably in the mansion, they all have to look at Madam’s face.”

Gao Lan thought to himself, didn’t the concubines suffer so much before, wasn’t it all caused by Madam?

Who would be suppressed every day and not learn to be obedient?

The second concubine is clearly a sensible one.

Xu Weibei thought, women are just so troublesome!

He didn’t have time to think about those things now, the army was expected to return to the capital tonight—he had returned early yesterday, he still had to go.

This was also his excuse for delaying going to the Gu family today.

He really didn’t want to deal with the Gu family.

He would have to go to court later, he would delay it for as long as possible.

Thinking of his annoying father-in-law, Xu Weibei was restless.

He was fighting on the front lines, he needed food and supplies, he needed money to boost morale, but what happened?

This father-in-law was cutting military spending behind his back.

Although the big sword didn’t fall on his head, it caused a lot of discussion and affected morale.

So, he was already being merciful by not punching the old man when he saw him, and he still had to bow to him?

Just thinking about it made him feel suffocated.

“Have someone continue to investigate this matter, you must find out the truth.”

Xu Weibei didn’t believe it, he couldn’t figure out these women in the mansion!

Speaking of Gu Wanning, after dinner, she lay comfortably on the couch, next to her, a carved ice cooler with ice cubes melting slowly, making the whole room pleasantly cool.

“Madam, this servant has sent the silver note to the steward, this is the silver note and the loose silver that was found.” Er’ya came in from outside, her face was covered in sweat.

“Okay. You sit down and rest, eat some watermelon.”

“Okay, thank you, Madam.” Er’ya happily picked a small piece of chilled watermelon from the ice cooler.

This cold watermelon, it’s so refreshing to bite into it on a hot day.

“It’s good that the Marquis is back,” Er’ya mumbled as she ate the watermelon, “The Marquis is back, the mansion has ice now, and we can eat watermelon…”

These were all precious things, normally, besides the Great Princess’s gifts, the mansion wouldn’t buy them.

Now that the Marquis is back, everything has been set up.

She also benefited from it.

“Right, Madam,” Er’ya finished the watermelon rind and was slowly chewing on the rind, she couldn’t wait to eat the rind, “The Marquis brought back a lot of things this time…”

Hmm?

“When I went to see the steward just now, I saw him with people making a list and putting things in the treasury! I secretly took a peek, they were all good things!”

Gu Wanning thought for a moment and understood.

When they go out to fight, they cross the border, aren’t they just bandits?

They just grab… and put some in their own pockets, isn’t that standard practice?

They are all risking their lives for the country, no one would blame them for this.

Xu Weibei is the commander-in-chief, what good things wouldn’t he get to pick first?

“I wonder if we can get some later, I’ll get to see some good things with you.”

“Don’t even think about it.” Gu Wanning said lazily, “As long as he gets the chance, he will immediately divorce me, how can I still expect him to send me things?”

Don’t dream about it.

“Then will he give some to the concubines? If you don’t have any, and they do, where will your face go?”

“Face is earned by yourself, not given by others.”

Er’ya didn’t understand this.

She saw the brocade box containing the corn still on Gu Wanning’s hand, she couldn’t help but ask, “The hole in the accounts has been filled, are you still going to plant this thing?”

“Of course I am.”

This is her career, and it’s her hope for leaving the Marquis’s mansion in the future.

Even if, even if she’s been busy for half a day, she still hasn’t gotten a divorce—after all, it was an arranged marriage, Gu Wanning was fully prepared for the difficulty of getting a divorce, she still had to become a rich woman.

She has no family love, no love, let her cry in her cold golden cage.

“Okay, let’s go plant it when the sun sets in the evening?”

“Hmm.”

Gu Wanning looked at the bright yellow corn, countless beautiful fantasies rose in her heart.

After filling the hole in the public accounts, and with her imagination of a bright future, Gu Wanning slept until the evening.

Then she took Er’ya to the backyard to plant corn.

Unexpectedly, the eldest concubine also came to help.

Gu Wanning saw her approaching her, she couldn’t help but think of the second concubine sending her the silver note.

She thought that the eldest concubine’s purpose should be the same.

Heh, come, come, bring your silver notes.

She greeted her with a smile, promising to arrange it to their satisfaction!

It’s just that the eldest concubine was also good at keeping her mouth shut, she didn’t say anything while planting corn, Gu Wanning was eating, she stood beside her and served her, but she didn’t speak.

Gu Wanning was about to get indigestion from being served by her, she couldn’t help but say, “Do you have something to ask me today?”

Hurry up and take out the money, we’re doing business, you don’t need to beat around the bush for so long.

The eldest concubine probably doesn’t have much money, the highest bidder wins, she’s behind the second concubine, it should be fair, right?

“Madam is wise, this servant has something to ask Madam.” The eldest concubine knelt down in front of Gu Wanning.

Gu Wanning sighed and put down her chopsticks.

This wasn’t just indigestion, it was directly stopping her from eating.

“Say it, what do you want?”

Xu Weibei is really a hot commodity…