tallest building

Chapter 54 A Hidden Scheme

Wen Mingqian said, "I was originally going to tell the old lady and the master today, but I didn't know that Aunt Song had also come up with a solution."

Madam Gong asked, "What is your plan? Are you confident in it?"

Although I asked this question, I didn't hold out any hope.

Firstly, Wen Mingqian was a woman, and her family was not prominent.

Secondly, she had been away from Beijing for a long time and didn't have any close and capable friends.

Thirdly, this matter was inherently difficult to handle. Not to mention her, even Gong Rang, who had been in officialdom for twenty years, was at a loss.

"I can't say how confident I am, but I can give it a try," Wen Mingqian said. "I will take Chang'an to see Lord Zhu tomorrow."

“What? You want to go find Zhu Hui? I’m afraid you won’t even be able to see him,” Gong Rang shook his head. “That man is extremely cold-hearted.”

"Of course I know this is a difficult matter, but for the sake of the master, I can only believe that things can be accomplished by human effort," Wen Mingqian said. "We must try no matter what, as long as we do our best."

"So what exactly do you plan to do?" Old Madam Gong asked, looking at Wen Mingqian as if she were quite confident.

"Grandma, it's not that I'm deliberately keeping you in suspense, but things often succeed by being kept secret and fail by being revealed. Besides, this is a very important matter, so please forgive me for not being able to tell you right now." Wen Mingqian refused to reveal the truth.

Upon hearing her words, Madam Song did not believe them, thinking that this was most likely a delaying tactic.

So he said, "Madam, it's not that I want to stop you, but if you succeed, that's fine. If you fail, I'm afraid it will anger Zhu Hui, which will be even more detrimental to the master."

"No, I can guarantee that," Wen Mingqian reassured her, and also comforted the old lady of the palace. "Besides, even if it doesn't work out in the end, isn't there always the option of having Chang'an as a substitute? We haven't offended Prince Zhao; at most, we've only offended Zhu Hui. What's wrong with that?"

Although Song was unwilling, she couldn't be too forceful in her attitude.

Otherwise, it would reveal to everyone that she was using her position for personal gain, not just to save Gong Xu, but also to take revenge on Wen Mingqian.

"Grandma, Master, I swear on my life that even if this fails, I will never let the situation get worse. Please let me try!" Throughout, Wen Mingqian did not utter any harsh words; she was calm, composed, and knew when to advance and when to retreat.

However, Madam Gong was still undecided, and she looked at her eldest son.

"Let your sister-in-law give it a try!" Gong Rang chose to believe Wen Mingqian. "Just like she said, it doesn't matter whether we offend Zhu Hui or not. Anyway, he doesn't give people any face, so even if we offend him, he might not retaliate."

Zhu Hui is known for his integrity, so it's difficult to win him over or bribe him, and it's also difficult to get him to take revenge for personal reasons.

"Alright then! Be very careful," Madam Gong instructed. "If it doesn't work, think of another way."

As she said this, her eyes unconsciously drifted towards Gong Chang'an, clearly indicating that she was still tempted by Song's suggestion.

The crowd then dispersed, and Wen Mingqian brought Gong Chang'an back with him.

Song returned to her Ruixiang Residence, looking sullen.

"Young Madam, do you think that man surnamed Wen might be up to something?" Granny Yang asked worriedly. "The Old Madam and the Master are being too indecisive. They should have followed your suggestion; it would have been perfect." Madam Song glanced at her, sighed deeply, and then sneered twice.

"The master and his wife are both kind people! If it weren't for them, Wen Mingqian would have been kicked out of the house long ago."

I don't believe Wen Mingqian has any brilliant plan to persuade that stubborn Zhu Hui.

"That's right, young mistress. Could she be plotting against us?" Granny Yang thought of Steward Chen, who had been kicked out not long ago.

Wen Mingqian remained calm and collected that time as well.

"Then what will she do? Will she beg Zhu Hui, saying that I forced her to give up her son, so that Zhu would feel pity?" Madam Song began to maliciously speculate about Wen Mingqian.

“I don’t think this method will work. Zhu Hui is a very filial son! He probably won’t think this is coercion. After all, since ancient times, it has been considered a noble duty for a subject to die for his ruler and for a son to die for his father.” Granny Yang shook her head.

"Then she won't make a big fuss about this and let everyone know about it?" Madam Song's eyes widened suddenly. "Making a huge fuss will only restrict our actions."

King Zhao valued his reputation, and not wanting to be accused of taking advantage of someone in distress, he simply cut off that route.

"What? Could it be that she really has this in mind?" Granny Yang was shocked. "If that's the case, we'll offend the Prince of Zhao. Not only will we not be able to rescue our master, but he'll also sever ties with us. That would be a huge loss."

With the King of Zhao wielding such power, offending him was tantamount to offending most of the court, making it even more difficult for the Gong family members to advance in their careers.

But Madam Song quickly realized: "No, she won't do that. If she doesn't want to give up her son, she can simply refuse firmly, which would only offend the Gong family."

It would be incredibly unwise for her to start a fight; she'd offend everyone. Wen Mingqian isn't that stupid; it was I who made a mistake just now.

"If that's the case, what exactly is she trying to do?" Granny Yang couldn't figure it out; her mind was a complete mess. "Is it just a delaying tactic? How long can it last?"
As long as they remain in the Gong family, they can't escape. What difference does it make if they get a day or two off?

“I don’t care what she’s thinking,” Madam Song gritted her teeth. “I’ve only decided on this one path. I’ll show the Gong family that I’m the only one who truly wants to rescue Master, and that only my method will work!”

“Young Madam, what can we do? The Old Madam and the Master have both agreed to let her give it a try,” Granny Yang asked, gesturing with her hands.

"What's so great about being wise after the event? What we need to do is prepare in advance." Madam Song said, standing up. "I'm going to kneel before Wen Mingqian and beg her to agree to rescue Master as soon as possible!"

Song knew this opportunity was too good to pass up, and it would be a real shame not to take advantage of it to scheme against Gong Chang'an.

After all, sending Gong Chang'an to be a substitute would not only save Gong Xu, but also allow him to be promoted and ennobled in the future.

Why not sacrifice a legitimate son in exchange for a lifetime of wealth and honor?
This is the most important matter concerning her and her son's entire lives; how could she possibly ignore it?
She was determined to push Wen Mingqian to the brink of death!

"Madam, the young mistress is kneeling outside." Liu'er came in and said to Wen Mingqian with a troubled look, "We servants can't persuade her to get up."

Wen Mingqian was drinking tea when he heard this and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Zhang Ma said, "This Aunt Song is afraid that things will calm down in the mansion, so she keeps causing trouble. If she wants to kneel, let her kneel. She deserves to be punished for making a mess of things!"

(End of this chapter)