Jintang proved highly efficient.
Just a day later, she brought back the person the Eldest Princess had asked for.
"This humble citizen Chu Lianxin greets the Eldest Princess."
Gu Zhaoyan rested her chin on one hand, gazing down at Chu Lianxin, whose eyes were vacant and cheeks sunken as she knelt and kowtowed.
Chu Lianxin had entered the Shen Estate at the age of ten. Because she was nimble, sensible, and obedient, she was later assigned to Shen Yuan's courtyard as a first-class maid.
The two grew up in each other's constant company, and the stirrings of youthful affection had blossomed in a single heartbeat.
In her past life, once the Shen clan received Gu Zhaoyan's imperial decree, they had sold Chu Lianxin to a brothel simply to sever any lingering thoughts Shen Yuan might harbor. Naturally, Shen Yuan would not turn against his own parents for the sake of a mere maid, so he had shifted all the blame onto Gu Zhaoyan.
As for this lifetime—
Gu Zhaoyan narrowed her eyes. She wanted Chu Lianxin to become her own person.
"Get up and speak."
"Thank you, Eldest Princess."
When Chu Lianxin stood up, her steps faltered. As she steadied herself by putting a hand on the floor, Gu Zhaoyan caught sight of the bruises on her arm. "Who hit you?"
"Huh?"
Chu Lianxin froze for a second, then hurriedly pulled down her sleeve to cover her arm. Lowering her head, her eyes filled with unease, she stammered, "No one. This humble citizen just bumped herself by accident. No one, no one bullied this humble citizen."
"In a brothel—a place that forces good women into prostitution—getting beaten is putting it lightly. However..."
Gu Zhaoyan rested her chin in her hands and looked at Chu Lianxin with a smile, "You must harbor some resentment toward me in your heart, don't you?"
"This humble citizen wouldn't dare."
Chu Lianxin dropped to her knees with a thud, her body trembling with fear. "Everything this humble citizen has been through is punishment for her own misdeeds. It was wrong of this humble citizen to harbor improper thoughts."
"Mutual affection between a man and a woman is only human nature. It was completely natural for you and Shen Yuan to develop feelings for one another after spending every day together. My investigation back then was simply not thorough enough. But I never imagined the Shen clan would be so vicious, sending a vulnerable young woman like you into a brothel just to cut off Shen Yuan's attachments, while letting him heap all his hatred onto my head. I must say, the Shen clan has been dissatisfied with this marriage from the very beginning. Since they couldn't rival my power, they used such a despicable method just to disgust me."
Chu Lianxin was stunned. She slowly raised her head and looked at the Eldest Princess.
"What is it? Something to say?"
Chu Lianxin shook her head hurriedly, biting her lower lip in utter bewilderment.
"I redeemed you because I didn't want the feud between myself and the Shen clan to spill over onto you. You are just a good girl who simply wants to live a decent life."
Earlier, Chu Lianxin hadn't shed a tear, but upon hearing the Eldest Princess say, "You are just a good girl who simply wants to live a decent life," a sourness welled up in her nose, and tears began to drop one by one. "This humble citizen didn't know—she didn't know what she did wrong. She begged them desperately, but they still insisted on sending her to a brothel."
Gu Zhaoyan smiled faintly, stood up, walked slowly over to Chu Lianxin, squatted down, and looked at her. "Do you still have feelings for Shen Yuan?"
Chu Lianxin paused, then shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Once I entered the brothel, I already brought shame upon my family. I cannot put their lives in danger again."
"I want the truth." Gu Zhaoyan curved her finger and gently brushed away the tears on Chu Lianxin's face. "Your first taste of love—I hardly think you can let go of it so easily."
The Eldest Princess's words carried no warmth, yet her fingertips were very warm.
Chu Lianxin sniffled, opened her reddened eyes, and stared at the Eldest Princess. "This humble citizen wouldn't dare covet your Imperial Son-in-law."
"I have already called off marriages with three different families; Shen Yuan will not become my Imperial Son-in-law." Gu Zhaoyan paused. Seeing that Chu Lianxin did not look overjoyed as she had imagined, she continued, "If you wish to return to the Shen clan and continue serving Shen Yuan, I can help you."
"No."
Without a sliver of hesitation, Chu Lianxin flatly refused. "During my time in the brothel, this humble citizen realized that I am nothing more than an ant, with my life and death entirely at the mercy of my masters' whim. Even if you helped me return to the Shen clan, my days ahead would not be easy."
"Well, have you thought it through?"
"Yes, I have thought it through. This humble citizen will not go back."
"That works out well. I happen to lack a personal maid by my side. Are you interested?"
"Eh?"
Chu Lianxin was momentarily dazzled by the smile on the Eldest Princess's face. She had long heard that the Eldest Princess was exceptionally beautiful, but seeing her up close now, she truly felt struck by her breathtaking looks.
"There's no rush. I'll give you time to think about it."
"This humble citizen is willing."
Fearing the Eldest Princess might change her mind, Chu Lianxin rushed to say, "My parents are in poor health, and I have younger siblings at home. If I cannot earn money, they will probably struggle even to survive. If the Eldest Princess is willing to keep me, I will be endlessly grateful. I can do anything, truly! Whatever I don't know how to do, I can learn."
"I happen to like girls with drive."
Gu Zhaoyan reached her hand out toward Chu Lianxin.
Chu Lianxin hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended her hand and placed it into Gu Zhaoyan's palm.
Gu Zhaoyan pulled her up, and the two stood together, looking at her with a gentle smile. "From now on, your name will be Lianxin. Jintang will teach you the rules of the estate."
"Yes."
Lianxin nodded and bowed to Jintang, who was standing behind Gu Zhaoyan. "Greetings, Elder Sister Jintang."
"Jintang, go draw some silver from the accounts, hire a carriage, and let Lianxin go home for a visit."
"Eldest Princess..."
The tears Lianxin had finally managed to stop threatened to fall all over again.
"Let your family see you so they can set their minds at ease."
And through their mouths, she could also let the Shen clan know that Chu Lianxin was now under her protection.
"Thank you, Eldest Princess."
Lianxin knelt. This time, her tears were tears of joy and deep emotion. "This maid will work like a horse or an ox to repay you."
Having won over Lianxin, news soon came from Mingyue Restaurant as well.
They agreed to sell the restaurant.
Gu Zhaoyan curved the corners of her lips.
That left the final candidate among the three Imperial Son-in-laws—and the most difficult one to handle: Wei Jiuzhao, the son of the Grand General.
"Moyu, tell me, if a man is not obsessed with romance and has no particular hobbies in his daily life, what on earth keeps him going?"
Moyu frowned, thought about it for a moment, and said, "As long as someone is human, they must have some kind of attachment in their heart to sustain them. If they have nothing at all, they might as well just shave their heads and become a monk."
"That makes sense."
Gu Zhaoyan figured it out.
Ever since he was born, great expectations had been heaped upon Wei Jiuzhao. From the time he could remember things, he had always wanted to become his father's pride.
Unfortunately, he was merely the product of a drunken night of passion between his father and a maidservant of the legal wife.
As luck would have it, that whole affair had been meticulously arranged by the Grand General's Wife herself, as she was unable to bear children due to physical ailments.
Yet Wei Jiuzhao knew nothing of his own birth. He could never understand why, no matter how hard he tried, he could never win his father's approval.
Initially, he had also opposed this marriage, but after listening to the Grand General's Wife, he came to believe that it would bring even greater honor and prestige to his father.
So he had agreed.
Therefore...
Gu Zhaoyan hit upon the key to breaking the deadlock: "Moyu, go and find out if there has been any recent news or gossip within the Grand General's military camp."