After being forced into a marriage with a wealthy family, the virtuous wife caused a huge uproar.

"Father, since he's willing to give it, you should accept it." Rong Yingluo thought of the agreement, which stipulated that she would detoxify him, but the ginseng was useless for detoxification, so she decided to consider it an advance payment for the treatment.

"Since it's a gift from my son-in-law, then I won't stand on ceremony." Seeing his daughter say this, Rong Zhengqing naturally accepted it.

It's only right that he accepts the good things his precious daughter risked her life for.

"Father, elder brother, please take my husband to the study to talk. I want to have a good talk with Mother." With Gu Ce around, Rong Yingluo felt it was inconvenient to speak.

The father and son immediately stood up, leaving the mother and daughter alone.

They all knew that with Gu Ce around, there were many things they couldn't say. If the mother and daughter were alone together, Rong Yingluo would tell her mother many things, and then the father and son would find out.

"My child, are you doing well in the Gu family?" Madam Rong's gaze lingered on her daughter's face, unwilling to look away.

Her most beloved and most wronged daughter had selflessly married in place of her sister for the sake of the Rong family. She felt deeply guilty for not being able to stop her daughter from marrying into the Gu family and facing wolves and tigers.

"Don't worry, Mother. Today, the Emperor bestowed upon me the title of a third-rank noblewoman and said he would give our family a plaque inscribed with 'Loyal and Righteous Merchants.'" Rong Yingluo then told her mother about what happened in the palace that day.

Rong's mother was stunned.

Yingluo is a smart child, and she is not afraid of power. She can fight back against noble people like the Crown Prince and the Princess, and she can also act with propriety when facing the Emperor.

The Gu family really got a good deal.

"By the way, Mother, has my master sent all my things back?" Rong Yingluo had already written a letter to her sect. She could do without anything else, but the various medicinal herbs and poisons she had collected were all valuable items.

What else is needed to detoxify Gu Ce?

She wanted to finalize the terms of the agreement as soon as possible so she could leave the Gu family and live a carefree life.

"It was just delivered yesterday and is already in your yard. I'll have the old woman take it to your carriage in a little while."

"Has my eldest sister written back?" Rong Yingluo was afraid that her eldest sister was too stubborn.

"She just arrived yesterday. She also wrote you a separate letter, in the inner room." Madam Rong got up, took her daughter to the couple's bedroom, and took the letter from under the pillow.

Rong Yingluo quickly glanced at it.

"So Young Master Qin has already gone to Qingyun Temple, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to stop my eldest sister from wanting to come back."

"Yes, your eldest sister has always felt guilty towards you since she was little. Now that you've married in her place, she feels even more guilty." Madam Rong's eyes reddened as she spoke of this. She loved both of them dearly.

"Mother, you and Father should take some time to go to Qingyun Temple. Arrange for the wedding of Eldest Sister and Young Master Qin nearby. Young Master Qin is very devoted to her, so there's no need to wait any longer. Once Eldest Sister is married, she'll have less to worry about." Rong Yingluo hoped that her eldest sister would get married soon and have her own family, so she would have less to worry about her maternal family.

"Your father and I had the same idea." The elderly couple had already discussed this matter many times, so there was no need to wait for the auspicious day six months later.

"I suspect that Young Master Qin might not be from Nanxia. If we have him take my elder sister far away, our Rong family's plans for Qi Jun won't be exposed." Rong Yingluo had already guessed this from her brief encounter with Qin Yan.

How did you find out?

"Intuition." Rong Yingluo couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she just had a strong feeling about it.

"That's fine, but it's tough on you." Madam Rong was still uneasy thinking about the deaths of four brides in the Gu family.

"Don't worry, Mother, my life is not in danger. The Gu family's method is poisoning, and I am their nemesis," Rong Yingluo assured her.

On the spot, Rong Yingluo wrote a reply and asked her mother to send it to her eldest sister to put her mind at ease.

The mother and daughter talked for a full hour before they were able to ease their longing for their loved ones.

In the study, Gu Ce sat upright and solemnly.

"Young Master Gu, do you know that my Rong family does not want to marry our daughter to you?" Rong Zhengqing did not develop a good impression of Gu Ce just because he received a generous gift.

"I know, this is Ce's fault." Gu Ce didn't have much to explain.

He could say that Su Shi hadn't consulted him at all about the marriage; once she had her eye on someone, she went straight to the palace to request an imperial decree.

At the time, Consort Su was also adding fuel to the fire. She even brought up the merits of the Gu family, saying that the heir of the Gu family could not be without an heir, and that even if he was a widower, he should still leave an heir. Consort Su spoke with such sincerity that the emperor issued the decree without consulting her.

In Gu Ce's view, the emperor's actions actually showed his disregard for merchants.

Whether they are officials or merchants, they cannot say that the emperor is wrong. Thunder and rain are both expressions of imperial favor.

"Our Rong family values ​​daughters and sons equally. If anything happens to a daughter of our Rong family in your Gu family, even if you are the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, our Rong family will never let this go and will definitely demand an explanation," Rong Zhengqing said firmly.

It perfectly embodies a father's love for his child.

Gu Ce felt envious again; the Rong family couple's love for their children was truly a model for parents everywhere.

His father, though he loved him, always felt that something was missing.

There seems to be an invisible barrier between father and son, and they lack that sense of intimacy.

Perhaps it was because her father was often away from home.

The second brother was spoiled and became a playboy, and their father never seemed to care much about him.

"Please rest assured, Father-in-law, Liuli will be fine." Gu Ce believed that he had learned a lot about Rong Yingluo's abilities in the past few days.

It shouldn't be difficult for her to survive in the Duke's mansion.

Now that the Emperor has given him five men, he is even more confident in protecting her.

He had figured out why the Emperor had chosen this day to give him five people; perhaps it was partly due to the Rong family.

The Emperor has seen Rong's performance in the palace today. The Rong family is the richest family in the capital. If the couple works together, they will naturally receive support from the Rong family, and he will be able to serve the Emperor more effectively in the future.

People die for wealth, birds die for food; never underestimate the power of money. Perhaps that's exactly what the emperor was thinking.

The Emperor knew that his father had not given him any power in his household, so he helped him out. At the same time, he wanted the Emperor to focus on serving him and not have any other thoughts, and it was also to counter the Crown Prince.

"With your words, I feel a little more at ease. Do you know anything about your stepmother?" Rong Zhengqing already knew some things from his daughter, but he wanted to hear Gu Ce's attitude.

"I know that I grew up without a mother, and no one taught me the methods of harming people in the inner quarters."

Before I was ten years old, I was poisoned by her many times. Later, my father hired several tutors for me, and I slowly began to understand.

But she always acted too perfectly, and no one could find fault with her.

"But I don't have a real wife, and I generally don't enter the inner courtyard except when necessary. My stepmother is all-powerful, which is why the previous four people died tragically." Gu Ce didn't hide anything in order to gain sympathy.

Only by gaining the approval of the Rong family can he maintain a good relationship with Rong Yingluo.

These past few days, he's thought a lot. He really needs a woman like Rong Yingluo to help him clear up those troubles in the inner quarters.

Only then can he serve the emperor without any worries.

Rong Zhengqing was indeed somewhat moved. This was also a pitiful child.

But, no matter how pitiful, he's not his son.

His daughter may not necessarily marry him.

"Young Master Gu, as a father, my daughter is undoubtedly the most important person in my heart. If one day my daughter's marriage with you comes to an end, I hope you will allow her to return home." Rong Zhengqing stood up and bowed solemnly to Gu Ce.