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Liu Chancellor usually dotes on his daughter, which is why he sternly warned Liu Susu to withdraw in time and not be dragged into this murky water without knowing anything.
"I don't care! They bully me like this, and I can't swallow this anger!" Liu Susu threw down her handkerchief and said to Liu Chancellor, "Father, don't you think? They dare to bully me because they don't take you seriously at all!"
Liu Chancellor felt helpless towards his willful daughter, who refused to listen. "All you need to do is promise me that you won't get involved with anyone related to Gu Bei from now on. That's it!"
"Why should I?" Liu Susu retorted angrily. "Father, why have you suddenly become so timid? That Gu Bei doesn't take you seriously at all. Ever since he learned that you're in charge of the case, he hasn't even come to pay his respects. Is that how he should behave?"
Liu Chancellor was amused by her foolishness. "As the person in charge of the case, he is a suspect. We should avoid any appearance of collusion, let alone meet in person and give those lurking in the shadows something to talk about."
"Even if it's not Gu Bei's fault, it doesn't mean he's a good person!" Liu Susu recounted everything she had heard, regardless of its truthfulness, trying to tarnish Gu Bei's reputation in her father's eyes so that during the trial, he would unconsciously lean towards a verdict unfavorable to Gu Bei.
It would be best if Gu Bei's crimes could be solidified! A malicious smile appeared on Liu Susu's lips; once Gu Bei's crimes were confirmed, they would be serious offenses. At that point, not only would he lose his position as a general, but he could also end up imprisoned!
Once Gu Bei fell from power and lost his support from Ye Xiaohan, he would be nothing but a soft-shell shrimp. By then, wouldn't she, Liu Susu, be able to manipulate him as she pleased?
"Father, haven't you heard? Gu Bei is exactly the kind of man who lacks responsibility!" Liu Susu continued. "He was safe before but didn't return to report; instead, he waited until the emperor ordered him back. This is because he knows the crimes he's committed are real and is afraid to come back!"
"Father, it's been spreading outside that what Gu Bei did is true. He’s just refusing to admit it out of fear!" Liu Susu scoffed. "I think it's true; if he really wasn't afraid of death, he wouldn't have fled from the battlefield but would have fought alongside those soldiers until death!"
"Nonsense!"
Before Liu Susu could finish her slander against Gu Bei, she heard Liu Chancellor's furious shout.
"You are becoming more and more reckless! Do you think I can't see through your little schemes? You got rebuffed by Gu Bei and now want to turn it against him!"
Liu Chancellor stepped out from behind the desk, pointing at Liu Susu with a pained expression. "I thought that after you got married, you would have matured, but it seems like the years have only made you older without adding any wisdom!"
Liu Susu was taken aback by her father's anger and dared not act recklessly anymore. Although he was usually strict, he treated people with a certain calmness, making it rare to see him this furious. Yet, she remained unwilling to accept it, her eyes filled with resentment.
Seeing the look on Liu Susu's face, Liu Chancellor understood her thoughts and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It was his indulgence that had spoiled her, leading to her current willful temperament.
However, he could not afford to be lenient with Liu Susu in this matter. If he allowed her to act as she pleased like before, simply because she threw a tantrum, it would only lead to her own downfall.
The more involved they became, the more it would drag the Liu Family into trouble. At that point, he couldn't even guarantee his ability to turn things around and protect the safety of the Liu Family.
"Did you hear me?" Liu Chancellor shouted. "From now on, stop stirring up trouble and focus on your own responsibilities!"
Liu Susu reluctantly replied in a voice so low she could barely hear herself.
Seeing her demeanor, Liu Chancellor felt a twinge of compassion and advised her gently, "Don't waste your father's good intentions; this is all for your own good! You fail to see the seriousness of this situation."
He sighed again and said, "If you have time, visit Imperial Aunt more often. She is alone and hopes for you to show her filial piety regularly."
"Yes, I understand," Liu Susu replied. After being scolded by her father, she realized that continuing to argue would only make him angrier. She had no choice but to swallow her pride and refrain from contradicting him.
Liu Chancellor knew she was unhappy inside, but enduring some discomfort now was far better than causing herself harm in the future.
He earnestly advised her, "You need to think further ahead; focusing solely on the present won't lead to success. Your Imperial Aunt has no children of her own; she regards you as her own child, and you should honor her properly."
Liu Susu's aunt, who is Liu Chengye's sister, entered the palace many years ago and has now risen to the rank of Consort, enjoying the Emperor's favor.
It is not entirely true that she has no children; Liu Consort once had a son.
"I'm not that unfortunate soul who died at birth!" Liu Susu muttered unhappily when she heard Liu Chancellor remind her to show respect to Liu Consort.
Fortunately, she wasn't bold enough to retort in the face of Liu Chancellor's anger. This remark was kept to herself, muffled enough that no one could hear it.
If Liu Chancellor had caught wind of it, she would surely have faced another round of scolding. It turned out that Liu Consort had given birth prematurely back then, and the child was weak from the start, unfortunately passing away shortly after.
This incident deeply wounded Liu Consort's heart. She was unwilling to speak of it again, and others respected her wishes, keeping the matter buried in their hearts and refraining from mentioning it casually.
Even the Emperor felt a profound sense of regret and showered Liu Consort with even more affection, as if trying to compensate for her sorrow.
With a beloved Consort from the Liu Family in the palace, they naturally enjoyed more imperial favor than others. Especially after Liu Consort's first childbirth resulted in her health being compromised, the imperial physician diagnosed that it would be difficult for her to conceive again.
As a member of the royal family with capabilities and not involved in any factions vying for the Emperor's sons, the Emperor naturally placed great importance on the Liu Family. Liu Chengye's rise to the position of Chancellor was closely tied to the Emperor's deliberate promotion.
However, these matters were beyond Liu Susu's consideration at this moment. What she wanted now was to bring down Gu Bei and Ye Xiaohan, making them unable to revel in their current success. She wanted them to taste the humiliation she had endured.
Liu Susu had originally been upset by Ye Xiaohan and sought out Liu Chancellor for revenge. Unexpectedly, she ended up being lectured by Liu Chengye instead, which only added to her frustration.
While she felt a bit resentful towards her father for not caring for her, more so she thought that Ye Xiaohan was too much of a nuisance. Thus, she attributed all the grievances she suffered at Liu Manor onto Ye Xiaohan.
Ye Xiaohan was unaware of her thoughts; even if she knew, she would merely scoff at them and not take them seriously. The only thing she feared about Liu Susu was the power of the Liu Family.
However, given the current situation, Chancellor Liu could not openly take action against Gu Bei. In fact, due to the emperor's ambiguous favoritism towards Gu Bei, he had to stand on Gu Bei's side.
As a result, at least for the time being, they were not in any danger.
As for what would happen in the future, circumstances changed rapidly; she could not control everything. It was better to take things one step at a time and focus on doing well in the present.
The preparations were finally complete, and an Auspicious Day had been chosen; they were just waiting for the opening of the restaurant.
On the day of the grand opening, a crowd gathered early. The previous promotional efforts had paid off well, and now many people in the capital knew that the previously contaminated Dye House had been well managed, and the shops in front of it were no longer affected.
Out of curiosity, even those who were not particularly interested in the restaurant were eager to join in the excitement.
"Sister-in-law, I'm ready. Can we start ordering?" Li Yang asked as he held a lit incense stick, standing in front of the firecrackers hanging at the entrance while turning back to Ye Xiaohan.
Xia Qing stood beside him, covering her ears with her hands, both scared and excited as she watched intently.
As for the Third Prince, who usually wandered around the capital causing trouble out of boredom, he had already secured a good spot and was urging them to get started quickly.
Ye Xiaohan nodded at Li Yang and stepped aside a bit. "It's fine; you can do it yourself!"
"It's all good." With permission granted, Li Yang brought the burning end of the incense stick to the firecrackers. The fuse emitted white smoke, followed by a series of crisp pops. The smell of gunpowder filled the air as bits of red paper exploded everywhere.
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