lcionline Chapter 606, "The Grand Plan to Claim Merit," failed before it even began.
Chapter 606, "The Grand Plan to Claim Merit," failed before it even began.
Lin Jiayou and Qian Zhenyun exchanged a glance, both seeing the same doubt in each other's eyes.
"What method?" Lin Jiayou put down his book and leaned forward slightly, clearly intrigued.
Qian Zhenyun added in a low voice, "Qingchen, don't do anything out of line, or your aunt will be angry."
"Don't worry," Gu Qingchen waved his hand, a smug look on his face, "I'm helping Mother solve a big problem, making money legitimately!"
She lowered her voice and told her two friends in detail about how she discovered the discrepancy in the price of the century-old ginseng while checking the accounts.
“I’ll go ask that Manager Liu,” Gu Qingchen’s eyes gleamed. “As long as he spits out the embezzled silver, I’ll go to my mother to ask for credit.”
"If she's in a good mood, she might reward me with three or five taels of silver, which would be enough to buy a congratulatory gift for His Highness the Crown Prince?"
After listening, Lin Jiayou raised an eyebrow, a hint of approval in his eyes: "This method is not bad. It can both put a good order on the servants in the mansion and allow you to save face in front of your aunt."
"However, Steward Liu is an old man in the manor, so he may not be so easy to deal with."
"That's why I need your help!" Gu Qingchen put his arm around one person's shoulder, looking every bit like a young general assigning tasks.
“Get out of here,” she said, looking at Qian Zhenyun. “You go to the warehouse this afternoon and keep watch. Don’t let anyone get close to the medicine warehouse, especially that Manager Liu, so he doesn’t destroy the evidence.”
Although Qian Zhenyun was a little scared, he nodded vigorously when he saw the trust in Gu Qingchen's eyes.
"Yes! I guarantee not even a fly will get in!"
“Lin Jiayou,” Gu Qingchen turned to the other side, “you have a good brain. When I interrogate him later, you can stand by and write down every word he says and find the loopholes in it.”
Lin Jiayou smiled and agreed, "No problem."
The three of them had made a plan and were ready to put it into action.
She made up her mind to go to the accounting office and block the person first, so that Manager Liu would not get wind of the situation and run away.
As soon as I walked into the passageway, I bumped into a familiar head maid.
"Where is Miss going?" Granny Zhang asked with a smile and a bow.
Gu Qingchen cleared his throat and, mimicking his mother's usual demeanor, asked in a haughty manner, "Granny Zhang, have you seen Manager Liu from the purchasing department?"
Zhang Mama's expression was somewhat strange. She glanced at Gu Qingchen, then at the two young masters behind her, before replying in a low voice, "Reporting to Miss, Steward Liu was sent away from the mansion by Madam yesterday."
"What?" Gu Qingchen's voice rose instantly, and the smug expression on his face froze.
She felt as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her head, chilling her to the bone.
"Sold? Why?" she pressed on, unwilling to give up.
“This servant does not know.” Zhang Mama shook her head. “I only heard that he was dishonest and violated the rules of the manor. After the madam found out, she immediately had a slave trader take him away and sent him out of the capital overnight.”
Gu Qingchen fell completely silent, like a defeated rooster, his head drooping.
It turned out that the trick she had painstakingly discovered had already been seen through by her mother, who had swiftly and decisively dealt with it.
Her self-righteous cleverness was utterly insignificant in front of her mother.
Lin Jiayou patted her shoulder and gently comforted her, "Auntie's decisive actions are a good thing."
Qian Zhenyun leaned over and whispered, "Yes, Qingchen, the person was kicked out..."
But Gu Qingchen was not happy at all.
Her meticulously planned "reward scheme" failed before it even began, leaving her with no money for the congratulatory gift, which made her feel extremely frustrated.
The three returned to the academy dejectedly, none of them in the mood to speak.
Gu Qingchen lay on the table, unconsciously drawing circles on the surface with his finger.
Why is Mother so fast?
She felt both admiration and frustration.
Just as she was feeling troubled, pages of account books suddenly flashed through her mind.
It wasn't just the household's purchasing accounts, but also the accounts of her mother's shops that she casually looked through to pass the time.
The sourcing channels, the selling prices, and the amount of profit from each transaction were all clearly imprinted in her mind.
A single thought, like a thunderclap, abruptly cleaved through her chaotic thoughts.
Gu Qingchen's eyes suddenly lit up, and she sat up straight with a "slap," startling Qian Zhenyun and Lin Jiayou beside her.
"I've thought of another way!" she said in a low voice, but the excitement in her tone was impossible to hide.
"What method?" Lin Jiayou asked.
Gu Qingchen smiled mysteriously, moved closer to the two of them, and said in a voice that only the three of them could hear, "We'll run our own business!"
"Do business?" Qian Zhenyun's eyes widened. "How would we know anything about doing business?"
"Didn't I look at so many of Mother's account books?"
"I've noticed that the noble ladies in the capital have a particular fondness for novel and unique jewelry. We can design some one-of-a-kind pieces, have them made, and they're sure to fetch a good price!"
Lin Jiayou pondered for a moment, then nodded: "The idea is feasible. But!"
He pointed out the most crucial question: "Where does the capital come from? Design blueprints, purchasing materials, hiring craftsmen—everything requires money."
Qian Zhenyun nodded in agreement, her little face full of worry: "Yes, sister, doing business requires money."
Gu Qingchen was stumped by the question.
She touched her empty purse, and the flame of hope that had just been ignited seemed to be torn apart by the cold winds of reality.
Her gaze unconsciously swept around the classroom.
Looking at those classmates who were buried in their studies or whispering to each other, most of them came from wealthy families, dressed smartly, and had bulging purses around their waists.
An extremely bold idea sprouted in her mind.
A sly smile slowly crept onto Gu Qingchen's lips.
She cleared her throat, stood up, and walked to the center of the classroom.
"Dear classmates, please be quiet for a moment. I have some very good news to share with you all!"
Her voice was clear and loud, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
The classroom fell silent instantly, and dozens of eyes turned to her.
Gu Qingchen took a deep breath and said loudly, "His Highness the Crown Prince will be celebrating his birthday in ten days. He will be hosting a banquet at the Eastern Palace. Lin Jiayou, Qian Zhenyun, and I have all been invited."
These words immediately caused an uproar.
What an honor it is to be able to attend the Crown Prince's birthday banquet!
Seeing the envious and longing looks in everyone's eyes, Gu Qingchen knew that the fish had begun to take the bait.
"I have an opportunity here that allows everyone to participate and make a lot of money."
She paused, then threw out the bait, "We all know that Your Highness is the future emperor. A gift represents a sentiment."