I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 54 Conspiracy
After Princess Xuan spoke, she went straight to the point.

The auctioneer dedicated to the Warm Winter Banquet stepped forward, walked onto the round platform, and after bowing, he took the first item of the day - the Double Ninth Festival Banquet Picture - from the servant.

As soon as this painting came out, it caused a commotion.

The young master, holding a white jade fan, rang the bell on the table himself, "The Ning'an Marquis's Mansion offers five thousand taels!"

"The Shen family bids 5,500 taels!"

"Six thousand taels!"

. . . .

"Girl, this painting is so expensive!" Qiuyu was shocked.

"This is an authentic work by a master from the Ming and Qing dynasties," Tang Zhao leaned back and whispered, "and it's worth the same as the painting of fishing in the green mountains and rain hanging in our storeroom."

Qiuyu was in awe.

After the intense stage, only a few bidders were left. Yang Jiadalang glanced sideways at Sun Jiasanlang who was deliberately raising the price, and shouted through gritted teeth:
"Fifteen thousand five hundred taels!"

"The Yang family is offering 15,500 taels. Are there any other guests who would like to raise the price?"

Sun Jia Sanlang was given a sidelong look by his mother, and he reluctantly put down the bell in his hand.

"Fifteen thousand five hundred taels once!"

"Fifteen thousand five hundred taels twice!"

"Fifteen thousand five hundred and two or three times!"

"Deal!" the auctioneer hammered down. "Congratulations to the Yang family for winning the Double Ninth Festival Banquet painting for 15,500 taels!"

Hearing the sound of the hammer, Yang Jia Dalang slowly exhaled. He looked at the middle-aged man behind him. The middle-aged man nodded and went to pay the silver and take the painting.

When he came back, the second lot was being auctioned.

"Has it been identified?" Yang Jia Dalang asked in a low voice.

The middle-aged man's voice was drowned out by the noise of the bidding. "I have personally inspected it and it is indeed authentic."

Yang Jia Dalang: "There is no time to lose. After the banquet, you will personally escort him to Luoyang."

The middle-aged man agreed.

Tang Zhao yawned out of boredom. Seeing Gu Ci carefully carving a piece of polished purple jade with a carving knife in his hand, he asked curiously, "What are you carving?"

Gu Ci finished carving a small corner before saying, "Purple Jade Whistle."

"Oh," Tang Zhao squinted at him.

Gu Ci waited for a while, but didn't wait for the next sentence, so he couldn't help but ask, "You don't ask who it's for?"

Tang Zhao patted his hands, his eyes full of wisdom: I understand, I understand everything.

She glanced diagonally across and saw Gu Ci's ex-fiancée, Bai Rouyin, the heroine of the book, whispering and laughing with the girl in brocade clothes beside her. The girl in brocade clothes glanced at her provocatively.

Gu Ci looked at her silently for a while, then lowered his head and continued carving the stone.

He ignored me even though his identity was discovered. Tang Zhao sighed, he was quite shameless.

Although Bai Rouyin was talking to Gu Xuan, her mind was always on the first seat on the left, and she saw every detail of the interaction between Tang Zhao and Gu Ci.

Brother Yuanye hates being touched by others the most. After being engaged for 16 years, they have never even touched each other's sleeves.

They had only been married for a short time, but Brother Yuanye not only did not reject contact with her, but also allowed her to roll her eyes at him.

Brother Yuanye condoned such disrespectful behavior. Bai Rouyin thought sadly that they were a real couple after all, and they were different from her, the fiancée who was only verbally engaged.

Bai Rouyin lowered her head and wiped the tears from her eyes. Gu Xuan panicked, "Sister Rouyin, don't cry. After the auction is over, I will definitely ask Fifth Brother to come out and have him apologize to you in person!"

Bai Rouyin shook her head. "Brother Yuanye," she paused and changed her words. "General Huoqi did nothing wrong. Why should he apologize to me?"

Gu Xuan asked anxiously, "How can it be correct? My sister and fifth brother's marriage was arranged by our father and Uncle Bai himself. Even though they haven't exchanged the engagement letter, who in the Northwest family doesn't know about it?"

"So what if the whole world knows?" Bai Rouyin smiled bitterly, "It's enough that the late emperor didn't know."

Gu Xuan opened her mouth, not knowing what to say. Her royal grandfather had issued an edict granting the marriage without any warning, catching both the Prince's Palace and the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery's Palace off guard. Before her father's memorial of defense left the northwest, her fifth brother had already welcomed his new bride into the palace.

There is no turning back.

Bai Rouyin knew it in her heart, which made her feel even more uncomfortable. She stared at Gu Ci's profile in a trance. This was supposed to be her husband. She had been engaged to him since she was born. Since she was old enough to understand, she knew that she would marry him, cook for him, and give birth to children for him.

She secretly made countless clothes, shoes and socks for him, waiting to give them to him after they got married, but now she could never give them away.

The woman's gaze was not concealed at all. Gu Ci frowned, said hello to Princess Xuan, and left.

Bai Rouyin's face turned pale and her body tilted, but she was caught in time by Gu Xuan and the wife of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, preventing her from falling to the ground.

The subtle scrutiny and prying made the wife of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery feel uneasy. She stood up and said, "Princess, I'm feeling unwell and would like to borrow the guest room in your mansion."

"Of course." Princess Xuan sent someone to escort the mother and daughter of Marquis Zhongyong to the guest room, and invited the court doctor to take their pulse. After confirming that it was just excessive emotion, she prescribed a tranquilizer and waited for Bai Rouyin to take it before leaving.

"Why are you doing this? I told you not to come, but you insisted on coming!" The wife of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery was distressed and sad. "Now that you've seen it with your own eyes, you should give up. The rumors are true. Gu Ci and Princess Zhaoshan are a loving couple. You should forget him as soon as possible. Mother will find you someone better!"

"A better one?" Bai Rouyin said with a dull expression, "Can mother find one?"

The legitimate son of a prince, a god of war general, handsome, talented and virtuous, he does not linger in brothels and does not covet wealth and power. Where can you find another man with such a unique family background, ability, appearance and character?

The wife of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery choked and changed her mind, "What about the second son of King Xuan?"

King Xuan's second son, Gu An, also served in the Northwest Army and was currently a fifth-rank General of the Central Army. Except for not being born as a legitimate son, he was no less capable than Gu Ci in other aspects.

Marquis Zhongyong mentioned many times that she originally looked down on Gu An's status as a widower, but now that she thought about it, he was indeed an excellent candidate.

Since their family asked, King Xuan would probably not refuse.

Bai Rouyin said coldly, "I'd rather be a hero's concubine than a mediocre man's wife."

She's had the best, so why should she settle for second best?

The wife of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery was furious. She ordered someone to keep an eye on Bai Rouyin and went back to the banquet to talk to Concubine Han.

Inside the house, Bai Rouyin pushed over the wooden stool that the wife of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery had just sat on and shouted, "Get out!"

The maids hesitated for a moment and then retreated under the eldest lady's terrifying gaze.

Bai Rouyin leaned on the bed in a daze. After an unknown amount of time, she felt someone calling her.

She looked up and saw Gu Xuan looking at her with concern.

Bai Rouyin grabbed Gu Xuan's hand and said, "Sister Xuan, you must help me!" Then she sat up and told her everything she had planned.

"Sister Rouyin, are you crazy?!" Gu Xuan widened her eyes. She could never have imagined that Bai Rouyin, who was always the most polite and rule-abiding, would be so bold.

"I won't accept this, I really won't accept this!" Bai Rouyin's eyes flickered with madness, "I must fight for myself once."

"Sister Xuan, you must help me!"

Author: I am starting to follow the original storyline.

Zhao Zhao: I'm starting to change the original book's plot

Thank you for your support and love

The author will continue to work hard on coding.
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(End of this chapter)