Carrying the little lucky star, leading the villain on the road to exile

Chapter 149. Bargaining
Rong Ruiyuan was unwilling to believe Gu Baijiang's words, and the experiences of the past two days had almost worn down his patience.

"Lord Gu, I adore your granddaughter and wish to give her a bright future. What do you think?"

"This is the master's favor, but An Tong is still young. Besides, given her status, she is probably not even qualified to be a servant by the master's side."

"Lord Gu, what are you saying? She is the only legitimate daughter of the Gu family. How could I possibly wrong her?"

I believe my father would not want his descendants to be of such humble origins, so please await my good news, Lord Gu.

This was an offer of great benefits. Gu Baijiang's eyes gleamed. He was about to bow in respect when he aggravated his wound, which brought him back to his senses. Even if the emperor pardoned him, he could not return to officialdom.

He needs to think this through carefully. He should at least keep half of that money; that's his guarantee for the future.

Gu Kaiyuan was unaware that his intervention had caused Gu Baijiang's face to be injured, which also triggered a chain reaction.

"Even if His Majesty grants me a pardon, I am unable to return to the court in my current state."

Rong Ruiyuan's lips twitched slightly. This Gu Baijiang really dared to think that way. With his current appearance, even ghosts would avoid him.

“Lord Gu, there’s no need to rush. Isn’t there your son?” Rong Ruiyuan looked at Gu Kaiping, who had approached, with a warm gaze. “Like father, like son. I believe that one day young Lord Gu will also be highly valued like you.”

Gu Kaiping's eyes sparkled. Was the Third Prince making a promise to his father?

Unless her father finds a miracle doctor to restore his appearance, his career is over, and her second and third sons can forget about it either. So the hope of the entire family rests on her shoulders.

Looking at Gu Kaiping, who couldn't hide his joy, Gu Baijiang felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Even though he always valued the eldest brother, he was also aware of his own limitations.

Gu Kaiping was only mediocre; if it weren't for his protection, he would have long become someone else's stepping stone.

If he were allowed to return to the court alone, the Gu family would disappear from the capital again in a few years.

As for Gu Kaichen, after so long, he still hadn't even passed the county-level imperial examination, so he had long given up hope on his second son.

Gu Kaiyuan has been behaving very strangely lately. He looks cunning and has a fickle heart. If he really gains power in the future, he will probably lean more towards the Bai family.

As for the two grandsons, they are still too young...

"Then let's wait for good news from His Highness the Third Prince," Gu Baijiang changed his form of address, deciding to get out of this predicament first, no matter what.

Otherwise, even if they manage to appease the Gu family members temporarily once they reach their place of exile, their lives will not be easy afterward.

When Rong Ruiyuan heard Gu Baijiang say this, he began to doubt his previous decision. How could he have thought that Gu Baijiang was reliable and worth winning over?

But right now, he needs money the most, and he can't afford to break off relations, so this is the only way.

"Your Highness, An Tong is, after all, our beloved daughter whom we have raised with great care. As her grandfather, I will certainly not mistreat her. How much dowry do you think I should prepare for her?"

Rong Ruiyuan pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth; this was the beginning of his negotiation.

Gu Antong's rank also indicates how much Gu Baijiang is willing to spend. That damned old fox, using his own money to trade with him, he really has guts.

I had originally planned to settle things with a concubine, but now it seems I need to reconsider.

"Only a concubine could bring a dowry into the mansion, that would be a high-ranking official. He would still have a great use for a secondary concubine, and I'm afraid the old man wouldn't even look at a concubine." "There's no rush. I'll go to the palace and report to my father, and he can make the decision himself."

The ambiguous answer pleased the Gu family father and son, because if they had to go through the palace, their status would be quite high.

"The news of my presence here has already leaked out. The guards following me are probably from several different factions. I'm thinking of leaving tomorrow." He didn't want to stay in this dilapidated carriage for even a day longer. Although Gu Antong was assigned to it, there were also two little devils there, making it inconvenient for him to do anything.

Sometimes, when I say something cryptic, the two kids seem to understand, which makes it even more boring.

"What if..." Gu Baijiang was genuinely worried. He didn't want any more men in black to come; his body couldn't withstand it.

"After I leave, Lord Gu must be careful with his words and actions. Although I will send people to keep an eye on things nearby, it is inevitable that others will come to cause trouble again. Lord Gu, please take care."

At least until he gets his money, Gu Baijiang's life cannot be lost.

Gu Baijiang glanced at Ming Peifeng behind him, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Ming."

"Our lowly lives depend on Lord Ming."

Ming Peifeng said, "...Lord Gu is overthinking it. I'm just doing my job for my master. I know I will do my best and dare not be negligent in the slightest."

Gu Baijiang knew he was telling him he shouldn't haggle, but what could he do about it?

He has already gambled his future and his life for Rong Ruiyuan. Is it so hard for him to ask for a guarantee?

Whether it was for show or for the money, Rong Ruiyuan could only protect them no matter how angry he was!

Gu Antong was quite clever. As long as she could enter the Three Emperors' residence and bear children for the Third Prince, then the Gu family would still have hope.

As for seeking refuge with other princes, Gu Baijiang had considered it, but after weighing the pros and cons and calculating the gains and losses, he ultimately could only choose Rong Ruiyuan.

In order to properly entertain Rong Ruiyuan, Liu Yun and Xu Yulan went on a trip and finally managed to bring back a variety of dishes at great expense. Seeing that it was getting late, the two of them did not dare to delay and began to get busy.

Gu Antong was quite busy trying to appear virtuous, but even while busy, she didn't forget to show Rong Ruiyuan her most beautiful side.

However, she was very good at controlling the degree, attracting Rong Ruiyuan's attention without appearing deliberate.

The Gu father and son exchanged glances, both feeling in their hearts that this move was absolutely the right one.

"Dad, are we really going to apologize to the clan chief later?" Gu Kaichen, who came back carrying firewood, instantly ruined the good mood between father and son.

"Of course I'll go, but you'd better keep quiet."

“Dad, you should say this to the third son. I think that kid Kaiyuan has become disloyal to us now.”

Gu Baijiang didn't expect his second son to be so clever today. "That's because you went too far. If Xu and you hadn't gone too far, Bai wouldn't have had an excuse to break away from us."

"Father, we can't bring up these old things. Besides, we're all family, how can we hold such a grudge?" Being lenient with oneself and strict with others is Gu Kaichen's motto, so how could he possibly recognize his own mistakes?

"But we need to think about how to deal with our clansmen first." Gu Kaichen had just gone out to gather firewood when he heard some discussions. If they didn't handle it well, their reputation would be completely ruined.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Gu Baijiang also wanted to know if his son had any sense.