In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

In the study in the front courtyard of the Duke's mansion, Gu Zhao was looking at the things he had redeemed.

The pawnshop owner made it clear that this was Zhu Qingyu's second time pawning something, and that she had made an appointment with him for another pawn in a few days.

The day before, Gu Zhao had pawned some clothes and jewelry, which she wanted to buy, but they had already been bought by someone else. So she could only buy today's items instead.

Gu Zhao made an agreement with the pawnshop owner that if Madam Zhang came to pawn anything again, he could keep it for her. The pawnshop owner was very understanding and even sent a clerk to deliver the items to Gu Zhao's home.

She examined each item one by one. Many of them were things Gu Zhao had never seen before, but there was a white fox fur cloak that she had seen wear several times. It must have been one of her favorite items, which she had now pawned.

And the brocade clothes he wore that day to keep their appointment—it was rare to see her dress up for him—were now being pawned by her.

As Gu Zhao looked at the clothes, the image of her wearing them and then being untied by her own hands flashed through her mind.

Fine clothes should be worn by a beautiful woman, and only such gorgeous clothes are worthy of her. But in the future, she can only wear coarse clothes and toil for three or five taels of silver every day. In less than three or five years, even a beauty will be covered in dust and a delicate flower will wither.

Even so, despite her current predicament, despite Zhang Jingyan having nothing left, and despite the fact that they were not even a real couple, she would rather live a life of poverty with Zhang Jingyan than marry him.

Gu Zhao felt a deep sense of frustration, along with an unusual sense of anger.

She was furious at Zhang Jingyan's overestimation of his abilities. He couldn't even protect himself, and it was foreseeable that he wouldn't be able to protect her in the future. How dare he become her husband?

As she was stroking her clothes in deep thought, the servant outside the door came to report:

"Young Master, the gatekeeper says there's a man outside who calls himself Zhang Shen and requests an audience."

He dares to come again!

What is he doing here?!

Showing off?

Gu Zhao glanced over, his eyes sharp, but his tone remained calm, showing no sign of anger as he replied:

"Please invite him to the front hall for tea."

It was already the dead of winter, and Zhang Shen's illness had not fully healed. When he entered the Duke's mansion, he was still coughing, weak, and looked like he could collapse at any moment.

The servants who served the tea didn't dare leave; they just stood guard at the door, worried that someone might die inside and be falsely accused of causing trouble for the Duke's mansion.

Fortunately, Gu Zhao didn't keep Zhang Shen waiting long. Almost as soon as the servant served tea, Gu Zhao entered the front hall and rescued the trembling servant.

Gu Zhao was seething with anger. Upon entering and seeing Zhang Jingyan also dressed in plain clothes, her anger intensified, but she calmly asked:

"Jingyan, what brings you here?"

Zhang Shen came without Zhu Qingyu's knowledge and needed to hurry back to avoid her finding out, so he didn't keep her in suspense and said directly:

"First, I want to thank you, sir. I was able to escape imprisonment thanks to your kindness. Second, I have come to see you, sir, to ask you for a favor: I would like to borrow sixty taels of silver."

The Zhang family has been sending silver to the Ministry of Revenue these past few days, and it's been flowing out like water. Compared to the Zhang family's vast wealth, sixty taels of silver is just a drop in the ocean, not worth mentioning.

Therefore, what Zhang Shenlai was referring to was definitely not about sixty taels of silver.

Gu Zhao calmed himself down and continued to ask:

"Sixty taels of silver, what do you need it for?"

Zhang Shen rose, bowed, and solemnly said:

"Lord Gu, the Zhu Family Medical Clinic in Yangzhou was part of her dowry. It was purchased for 120 taels of silver back then, but now, following market prices, it's being sold along with the Zhang family's properties, and can only fetch 60 taels of silver. Therefore, I would like to ask Lord Gu to lend me 60 taels of silver, which I will definitely repay in the future."

Gu Zhao understood; Zhang Shen wasn't referring to the sixty taels of silver.

Zhang Shen was asking him to intercede with the Emperor to allow Zhu Qingyu to keep the Zhu family's medical clinic.

As for why Zhang Shen would come to him for help, and why he was so sure that Zhang Shen would help him and that he could accomplish this,

The reason, though not explicitly stated, is something he knows, something he knows, something he knows he knows.

Since he also knew this, Gu Zhao believed that the words could be spoken more clearly.

Gu Zhao didn't say whether he would lend the sixty taels of silver or not, but instead smiled and said:

"Jingyan, you should know that since I can get you out of the imperial prison, I can also give you high-ranking positions, wealth and honor, and not just these sixty taels of silver."

Almost as soon as he said those words, Gu Zhao regretted it.

He was just jealous; he was driven by malice.

The thought that this man had taken over her husband's position and was now brazenly showing off the dowry she had prepared when she married him drove him to the brink of madness with jealousy. He was so mad that he wanted to unleash all his malice upon him.

Gu Zhaoming knew perfectly well that her rejection of him had nothing to do with Zhang Shen, but she just couldn't help herself. She wanted to put Zhang Shen in a position of being unrighteous and unjust, hoping that the person she had risked everything to save would become a despicable mortal, causing her heartache, making her regret, and making her change her mind.

Although he knew perfectly well that this was impossible, and that if Zhang Shen became a villain, she might leave him, he, as the instigator, would be even further away from her.

Fortunately, Zhang Shen did not accept his suggestion, but instead smiled and said:

"Lord Gu, even if you offer me high office, wealth, and honor, do you think you can get what you want? Forgive my bluntness, but the decision-making power in this matter lies neither with me nor with you. You've chosen the wrong person to do this business with. I can only do business with you for sixty taels of silver; I have no say in anything else. I've disturbed you today, so I'll take my leave."

After Zhang Shen left, Gu Zhao silently returned to his study and stared at her clothes for a long time.

What happened today must not happen again; even if it happens just once, he will lose her completely.

Gu Shouming, no, you are not allowed, you must not!

You are not allowed to have such malicious thoughts again, and you are not allowed to become the kind of villain she despises.

He once put on the shackles of restraint to win her over, but those shackles shattered the moment she threw herself into his arms.

Now, Gu Zhao is once again imprisoning himself in the shackles of self-control.

This time, it wasn't about getting her, but about getting her love.