After the rebirth of Madam Hou Clan, her heart was sealed with cement

Chapter 381 The businessman gave in and Gu Huaijing helped him

The moonlight shines through the window on Tan Zhixu's peaceful face, and her eyes shine with wisdom and determination.

"Liu'er, this battle for the reserve is no small matter. Every tiny piece of information may become the key to determining the overall situation. Although Lord Gu Huaijing is the canal admiral and seems to be far away from the center of imperial power, he is highly valued by the emperor and has already It has inevitably become the focus of attention from all parties.

What we have to do is to build a solid line of information defense around him so that he can gain a foothold in the turbulent situation. "

When Liu'er heard this, she understood the great responsibility she shouldered. She replied firmly: "Sister Zhixu, please rest assured that I will do my best to prevent any information that may harm you from being missed."

The two ended the conversation tacitly and returned to their tasks.

Liu'er began to actively deploy, using the network she established inside and outside the Hou Mansion to more closely monitor the dynamics of Song Ling'er and the Sixth Prince. At the same time, she also worked hard to search for clues related to the battle for the throne.

On the other side, Gu Huaijing and Li Mubai also went deep into various social venues in the capital under the cover of night to explore the truth behind the power game through various channels.

The next day, amidst the hustle and bustle of the court, the second prince's patience was exhausted when he saw Liu Huangzi's influence steadily increasing.

After going to court, the second prince found Song Ling'er in anger.

"You're just a worthless pawn! All this flattering is just to please, but all you can do is embarrass yourself!"

Song Ling'er was already scarred by her repeated failures against Liu Huangzi, and she cowered under the reproach of the second prince.

A flash of resentment flashed across her face, but it was quickly replaced by a look of despair.

She knew she was on the verge of losing everything.

That night, in a secret corner, Song Ling'er's hands trembled as she stole a precious scroll, which contained Tan Zhixu's secret recipe for cosmetics, including a unique mixture of rouge and powder that has always been coveted.

Her heart was pounding with guilt, but in the eyes of the second prince, the thought of redeeming herself made her transcend her moral bottom line.

Song Ling'er sold the stolen formula to another famous shop in the city.

Word spread quickly, and soon Tan Zhixu found himself accused of plagiarism.

The once-respected businessman now faces a barrage of accusations from store owners with whom she unknowingly competes.

Tan Zhixu was shocked and confused. Her almond-shaped eyes narrowed with concern and determination, "We must get to the bottom of it,"

At the same time, Gu Huaijing, who was deeply involved in his own investigation, got news about Tan Zhixu from Li Mubai.

He pondered this new development and sensed a sinister web linking these events to the fierce struggle for the crown.

"Li Mubai," Gu Huaijing said seriously, "it seems we must take the next step."

"As you said." Li Mubai frowned and replied.

The next day, Tan Zhixu spread rumors about their merchants and went to the Marquis Mansion to make a fuss.

The old lady called Tan Zhixu to Jing'an Hall and asked her how she planned to handle the matter.

In the Jing'an Hall of the Hou Mansion, the old lady sat in the middle, looking at Tan Zhixu with a majestic but yet caring face. The atmosphere in the hall was depressing and tense. The businessman who came to make noise was standing on one side with a proud look on his face, waving the secret recipe that Tan Zhixu allegedly plagiarized in his hand.

"Zhixu, this businessman insists that you plagiarized his secret recipe. This matter has caused uproar in the city. What do you have to say?" Although the old lady's words were soft, every word was loud.

Tan Zhixu met the old lady's gaze calmly. There was no fear on his face, but a confident smile.

"To my mother, this is indeed my secret recipe, but a few key ingredients are not clearly stated, just in case it is stolen or plagiarized.

Although the rouge gouache on the market today is similar on the surface, due to the lack of those ingredients, the effect cannot be compared with the one I prepared myself. "

After listening to this, the admiration in the old lady's eyes became stronger, and she nodded slightly, "It turns out that you were prepared for a long time, but you are too worried. In this case, tomorrow you will bring your complete secret recipe, go to the shop together, and confront him face to face. , and let the world see who is confusing right and wrong."

When the businessman heard this, his face instantly turned pale. Apparently he had not expected that Tan Zhixu would have such a response.

He tried to quibble, but was stopped by the old lady's stern gaze.

"Let's leave this matter for the time being. Please step aside and discuss it tomorrow." The old lady waved her hand to the businessman and signaled him to leave.

After the businessman exited Jing'an Hall, the old lady turned to Tan Zhixu and softened her tone a bit, "Zhixu, you did a good job. Your composure and wit are far beyond what I thought. But there may be something deeper behind this matter." You have to be more careful about the conspiracy."

Tanzhi Xu Lengan saluted and replied: "Don't worry, old lady, I will handle it carefully and find out the truth as soon as possible."

After leaving Jing'an Hall, Tan Zhixu found the businessman.

The businessman saw that Tan Zhixu was still a little timid. Tan Zhixu just smiled at him and said, "As long as you reveal the real culprit behind the scenes, I will not hold you accountable. Otherwise, your reputation will be ruined tomorrow when the authenticity is verified." But it’s ruined.”

The businessman was so frightened by Tan Zhixu's words that his whole body trembled. He knew that the man in front of him was not joking with him. After thinking for a moment, he nodded.

After Gu Huaijing learned about this, he also fell into deep thinking.

He knew that this was not only related to Tan Zhixu's reputation, but also might be a new variable in the battle for the reserve position.

He and Li Mubai quickly adjusted their strategies and decided to take a two-pronged approach. While helping Tan Zhixu clarify the plagiarism incident, they continued to dig deeper into the sixth prince's true intentions and his collusion with other princes.

At this time, in a dark corner, Song Ling'er looked at the silver coins in her hand, but her heart was full of fear and uneasiness.

"Li Mubai, do you remember clearly the next actions?" Gu Huaijing looked out the window at the darkening night and asked earnestly.

"Sir, I have sent people to closely monitor the businessman, and I am also looking for the latest movements of Song Ling'er and the Sixth Prince. I believe that as long as we follow the clues, the truth will come to light." Li Mubai responded calmly, with firm determination shining in his eyes.

Gu Huaijing nodded with satisfaction, "Go ahead."

As soon as Li Mubai left, Liu Er came to the government office with some clues.

"Sir, this is some evidence that Sister Zhixu asked me to hand over my concubine to you."

Early the next morning, Gu Huaijing carefully studied the evidence brought by Liu Er, and the clues were connected one by one, pointing to many wrongdoings of the second prince, and even involved him instigating Song Ling'er to steal the secret recipe in order to attack Tan Zhixu , thus affecting the attitude of the Hou Mansion.