Chapter 504: Recognized Him

Zhu Huanhuan got off the carriage and walked into the manor.

In the back courtyard, Guanyin Nu was sitting under the corridor, doing needlework.

Seeing her daughter come in, she put down the work in her hands.

"Back already? Did you buy the book?"

"Got it," Zhu Huanhuan nodded and sat down beside her mother.

Guanyin Nu gave her daughter a glance.

"What's wrong? Your complexion looks off."

"Mother, I'm fine," Zhu Huanhuan shook her head.

Guanyin Nu didn't ask further.

She knew her daughter's temperament; asking about something she didn't want to say was useless.

Zhu Huanhuan sat for a while, then got up and headed toward her father's study.

Reaching the doorway, she halted, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.

"Father..."

Zhu Yong was reviewing the progress report on the telegraph line, looked up, and stared at his daughter.

"What's the matter?"

"Father, today at the teahouse I saw Gu Rui."

Zhu Yong set the report down.

"You recognized him?"

"I did. He's not Gu Xian."

Zhu Yong looked at his daughter and was silent for a moment.

"How did you recognize him?"

"His smile is off; when Gu Xian smiles, his eyes are steady, looking straight at yours without averting, but his gaze drifts, as if acting."

Zhu Yong's mouth twitched slightly upward.

"Just that?"

"Just that."

Zhu Yong stood, walked to his daughter's side, and patted her shoulder.

"Huan Huan, you've grown up."

"Father, what do they intend?" Zhu Huanhuan looked up at her father.

Zhu Yong stared into his daughter's eyes.

Those eyes were like her mother's, dark and bright, yet what lay within was like his.

"They plan to have Gu Rui impersonate Gu Xian to marry you."

Zhu Huanhuan was silent for a moment.

"Does Gu Xian know?"

"No."

Zhu Huanhuan clenched the edge of her garment.

"Father, what do you intend to do?"

"We wait for them to make a move, then sweep them all in one net."

"And Gu Xian? What will happen to him?"

"He won't know anything; the wedding date stays the same, on the eighteenth of next month, you will marry as planned."

Zhu Huanhuan stared at her father, silent for a long while.

"Father, I understand now."

She turned and left the study, her steps steady, her back straight.

Zhu Yong stood by the window, watching his daughter's silhouette fade at the courtyard entrance.

He turned around, picked up the report on the desk, and continued reading.

Lin Yuan had already laid over three hundred li of line near Jinan; at this pace, reaching Beiping by year‑end would be no problem.

He read for a while, then set the report down.

Gu Mingcheng thought his plan was flawless.

He didn't know that each of his steps was under the watch of the Jinyiwei.

The merchants he had contacted in Jinling were thoroughly investigated by the Jinyiwei.

The Wang family, the largest silk merchant in Jiangnan, had business nationwide; just in Yingtian Fu they owned seven or eight shops.

The Li family, the largest tea merchant in Jiangnan, controlled thirty percent of the region's tea trade, and even the palace's imperial tea was sourced from them.

The Zhao family, the biggest salt merchant in Jiangnan, held a dozen salt contracts, handling several million taels of silver each year.

These three families, plus the Gu family, almost controlled half of Jiangnan's economic lifeline.

Gu Mingcheng brought them in, hoping to use this marriage alliance to tie these people to his ship.

His ship was the Wu Wang Fu's ship.

What a beautiful fantasy...

Zhu Yong's mouth twitched slightly, he picked up the brush and began to write a letter.

The letter was addressed to Zhu Biao...

"Brother, the fish are biting; the Wang, Li and Zhao families have already entered the game, and the Jinyiwei have found evidence of their dealings with Gu Mingcheng.

Once they make a move, we can cast the net."

After finishing the letter, he sealed it and handed it to Wang Gui.

Wang Gui took the letter, turned to leave, but was called back by Zhu Yong.

"Wang Gui, tell Liu Zhen to keep a close eye and don't let the fish get away."

"Yes…"

Jinling, the Gu family main residence.

Gu Mingcheng sat in the study, holding the letter that Gu Rui had sent from Yingtian Prefecture.

"Everything went smoothly; she didn't recognize him."

He finished reading the letter, placed the paper on the desk, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

It's good she didn't recognize him.

The next step is to find a chance to send Gu Xian away.

Once Gu Xian leaves Yingtian Prefecture, let Gu Rui take his place.

Now that the rice is cooked, can Wu Wang Fu still back out?

As for Gu Xian.

Give him a sum of money, let him stay in Europe for a few years, and return after things have passed.

By then, Gu Rui will already be Wu Wang Fu's son‑in‑law; what can he do?

Gu Mingcheng stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, Jinling city's night view was beautiful.

The street lamps lit up one by one, illuminating the whole street as bright as day.

He thought that soon, Gu Rui would be able to walk into Wu Wang Fu openly and become the son‑in‑law of the sovereign.

And he, Gu Mingcheng, head of the Gu family, would also rise with this marriage alliance.

By then, in Jiangnan's business world, who would dare not give him face?

The Wang, Li, and Zhao families have already agreed to help him.

As long as it succeeds, they can also get a share of the spoils.

Who wouldn't want to be associated with Wu Wang Fu's golden signboard?

"Sir, the Wang family's patron has arrived," the steward said as he entered from the doorway.

Gu Mingcheng turned around…

"Please…"

A moment later, a man in his fifties, plump, walked into the study, wearing a dark‑brown silk shirt, white and chubby, with a smile plastered on his face.

He was the Wang family's patron, Wang Demao, the largest silk and brocade merchant in Jiangnan.

"Brother Gu, how is the matter progressing?" Wang Demao sat down on the chair.

"Smoothly, Rui'er has already met the Princess; she didn't recognize him," Gu Mingcheng poured him a cup of tea.

Wang Demao nodded, then asked, "What about Gu Xian? When will we send him away…"

"Almost ready; before his grand wedding, we'll find a pretext to send him to Europe, and then Rui'er will take his place."

Wang Demao took a sip of tea and lowered his voice.

"Brother Gu, this matter cannot go awry; Wu Wang Fu is not easy to deal with."

"Don't worry, nothing will go wrong."

Gu Mingcheng also took a sip, the teacup covering the smile at the corner of his mouth.

What he didn't know was that before coming to the Gu household, Wang Demao had just encountered a Jinyiwei officer.

The Wang family's shop in Yingtian Prefecture was audited by the Jinyiwei three days ago.

The accounts were turned upside down; although nothing was ultimately found, Wang Demao knew the Jinyiwei were sending a warning.

He would come whether he wanted to or not…

If he comes, he'll cooperate with Gu Mingcheng to finish the charade.

If he doesn't, the Wang family's business in Jiangnan will be over.

"Brother Gu, regarding Wu Wang Fu, how do you plan to respond?" Wang Demao set down his teacup.

"Respond to what… once Rui'er becomes Wu Wang Fu's son‑in‑law, Wu Wang Fu will be our backing."

Gu Mingcheng said it lightly.

Wang Demao looked at his smiling face and sighed inwardly.

He didn't know the Jinyiwei had already set their sights on them, still dreaming of grand ambitions.

Yingtian Prefecture, Wu Wang Fu.

Zhu Huanhuan lay on the bed, staring blankly at the twin lotus embroidered on the canopy.

Today's events kept replaying in her mind.

Gu Rui, the one who impersonated Gu Xian.

His smile was indeed similar, but his gaze was off.

When Gu Xian looks at people, his eyes are direct, unflinching, like a clear pool of water—you can see straight to the bottom.

Gu Rui's gaze is drifting, as if veiled by a layer of gauze; you can't see what he's thinking.

She turned over and buried her face in the pillow.

The pillow was embroidered with orchid grass, which she had sewn herself last year.

Orchid was Gu Xian's favorite flower; he said orchid grass looks delicate but is actually the strongest, unbent even by strong winds.

At that time she thought, this person's words were truly interesting.

Even now, thinking back, she still finds it interesting.

She turned over and looked at the tent ceiling.

There are twenty‑three days until the eighteenth of next month.

She didn't know what Gu Mingcheng and the others would do, nor did she know how her father would respond.

But she trusted her father, and also trusted Gu Xian.

She turned over again and closed her eyes.

Outside the window, Moonlight was like water.

The electric lights in the courtyard had already gone out, and only in the distant direction of the Qinhuai River some lights still glowed.

A new day will soon arrive.