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

"At that time, one of the guards next to my elder brother spoke with the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince accepted it." Gu Qingya said, puzzled.

"You mean Zhong Sheng?" Su Jingyi was surprised. When did Zhong Sheng have the ability to make His Highness the Crown Prince change his attitude?

"It wasn't Zhong Sheng. It was a middle-aged man I'd never seen before, around thirty years old, with a very imposing presence. But once he left, I felt nothing at all." Gu Qingya had a deep impression of that man, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on what else she felt. It was as if, over time, she had forgotten what he looked like; once he was out of sight, it was as if he had never been there.

Su Jingyi's gaze froze.

When did Gu Ce get such a person by his side? She had no idea.

Could it have been given to me by the Duke?

However, based on her nineteen years of management in this mansion, she should be the first to know what the Duke does. She even has her own people around the Duke, but she hasn't received any news for so long.

That means it wasn't a gift from the Duke.

Who is it?

She had to write to the Crown Prince about this matter; otherwise, she wouldn't feel confident.

After sending her daughter away, Su Jingyi wrote a letter to the East Palace.

She received a reply before it even got dark.

When she saw the two simple words on the letter, she could barely hold the envelope; it was from the Emperor.

What is it about Gu Ce that makes him so favored by the Emperor? His wings are growing stronger and stronger.

Su Jingyi was very confused at this moment.

The Duke forbade his son from going to the battlefield, and to this day she still doesn't know what the Duke meant.

We can only wait for the Crown Prince's next order.

"Madam, the Second Madam has arrived," Zhao Mama announced as she entered.

"Let her in." Su Jingyi snapped out of her daze.

Madam Guo entered with a smile: "Greetings, sister-in-law."

"Second sister-in-law is here, sit down and let's talk," Su Jingyi said with a gentle smile.

The two sisters-in-law maintained a superficially harmonious relationship.

After the old lady forbade them from paying their respects, the two lived their own lives and rarely saw each other even though they lived in the same mansion.

Guo sat down in the guest seat, and a maid served tea.

Guo took a sip, put down her teacup, and remained silent, her face showing hesitation.

"What's wrong with my second sister-in-law?" Madam Su asked, feigning ignorance.

"Sister-in-law, my daughter Qingwan has come of age, and I've been trying to find her a suitable husband, but nothing has come of it. I've come today to ask for your advice." Guo was a little embarrassed.

Her sister-in-law must have known about her contact with Princess Pingyang. For her to say this today is a slap in her own face.

"Since my second sister-in-law has come to me for help, as Qingwan's aunt, I should do my best to find her a good husband." Su Jingyi pretended to think.

A moment later, her eyes lit up again: "I heard that the second son of the Gao family is quite learned. I think his name is Gao Zhixian. Madam Gao has not yet arranged a marriage for him. She is waiting for the results of the imperial examination next spring before making a decision."

I heard that he was highly regarded by the teachers at the Imperial Academy, and that they said he might be among the top three in the imperial examinations.

The eldest wife of the Gao family is the younger sister of Consort Cao. After the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the Gao family will surely rise to a higher level.

"If our Qingwan marries him, she will surely become a first-rank noblewoman." Su Jingyi spoke gently, describing the Gao family as even more prestigious than the princess's mansion.

"Does Sister-in-law mean that my Qingwan and Young Master Gao are a good match?" Guo had received Gu Jingcheng's instructions and had already asked someone to carefully inquire about Young Master Gao's character, appearance, and learning. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been persuaded by her own husband to come to her sister-in-law.

"In my opinion, there is no better marriage than this," Su Jingyi nodded.

The second wife's legitimate daughter, married to the son of the second wife of the Gao family, isn't that a perfect match? He's also good at studying, Gu Qingwan is really lucky.

"But didn't my sister-in-law say that Madam Gao wanted to wait until after the Third Young Master's imperial examination next spring before making a decision?" Madam Guo was very interested.

"Second sister-in-law, our Gu family is a Duke's mansion. As long as I step in, there's no need to wait for the imperial examinations. This matter will definitely be accomplished," Madam Su assured her.

"If my sister-in-law can really make this happen, my second master and I will be extremely grateful." Madam Guo was delighted, but she also felt very uncomfortable.

Her family was even more illustrious than Su's, but because she was also the daughter of the second wife, she could only marry the second son of the Gu family, and even that was considered a step up. Su, the second wife, rose to prominence later, thus creating a significant difference in their social status.

Her daughter could not marry into a high-ranking family and become the matriarch; she could only marry a second wife or a second son, just like her, and could never become the matriarch.

But she couldn't change reality. If it weren't for the fact that she married the second son, her daughter wouldn't have been unable to even reach the position of Princess Pingyang's second son.

Guo was quite pleased to receive confirmation.

The two chatted for a while longer before Guo took her leave.

Madam Su immediately instructed Granny Zhao to begin drafting the guest list and writing the invitations.

She wanted to hold a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet so that the sons and daughters of the two families could meet, and at the same time, she could also find a match for her two children.

This matter quickly reached Rong Yingluo's ears.

Granny Zhu gathered the young maids in the courtyard and instructed them to keep an eye on what was happening in the mansion. As long as it wasn't something that needed to be kept secret, these young maids were happy to inquire for Granny Zhu for a few coins.

These maids were all born into the Gu family. The servants in the household were mostly married to other servants in the household.

Over time, these servants developed their own networks of relatives.

It's easy to find out some superficial information.

When Gu Ce returned from his post, she told him about it, and Gu Ce remained expressionless.

"Aren't you going to stop him?" Rong Yingluo asked curiously when Gu Ce didn't respond.

"I have found a weakness in Minister Gao's case, and now I'm just waiting for the evidence. It will be difficult for Minister Gao to become prime minister."

"My second uncle wants to marry his daughter to the Gao family. He must have heard that Minister Gao is likely to be the next prime minister, which is why he arranged this marriage ahead of schedule." Gu Ce calmly took off his official robes and handed them to his maid.

Rong Yingluo was taken aback: "You were able to find incriminating evidence against Minister Gao so quickly?"

"With the people the Emperor gave us, the investigation will be much faster. They already know a lot of things," Gu Ce praised the five people the Emperor had given him.

Their abilities far exceeded his imagination; they were not only the Emperor's Shadow Guards, but also did many things for the Emperor in private.

He asked them why the Emperor had sent them away. An Yi told him that the Emperor's Dragon Shadow Guards had to retire at the age of thirty and be replaced by younger guards.

These people were trained from a young age, and only those who passed the examinations could serve the emperor.

People who retire usually go on to train the next generation; they don't appear in public, and no one knows where they go.

The Emperor had never given it to anyone else, yet he had given it to five people. Gu Ce could only conclude that he truly enjoyed the Emperor's favor, and couldn't think of any other reason.

"What leverage?" Rong Yingluo's curiosity was piqued.

"You'll find out in a few days. You should focus on recovering." Gu Ce kept everyone in suspense.

It's best not to talk about things that haven't been fully implemented yet.

"What if Second Uncle betroths Qingwan to the third young master of the Gao family in the next few days?"

Once an engagement is made, it is generally not dissolved unless absolutely necessary.

Gu Qingwan gave her a much better feeling than Gu Qingya, and she didn't want her to marry the wrong person.

Moreover, the Gao family are loyal to the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince commits a crime, the Gao family will surely be destroyed. At that time, Gu Qingwan will not have a good life, and it will also implicate the Gu family.

"You want to stop me?" Gu Ce couldn't see through his wife at this moment.