Chapter 379 Dismissal

Rumors are circulating that Gu Yan is impotent, and as his grandmother, she can't very well go around explaining to everyone that her grandson has no problems in that area.

If Gu Yan were to get married, the rumors would simply disappear.

But the more anxious she is to set Gu Yan up on blind dates and the more she lowers her standards, the more it confirms the rumors that Gu Yan is abnormal in the eyes of others, making it even harder for him to find a good girl.

The old lady became increasingly confused and decided to stop doing anything and just wait in the hall for Gu Yan to be brought back so she could ask this wretched boy what he was thinking.

They waited until nightfall, and Gu Yan was brought back again, completely drunk.

"Madam, it's not that we don't want to bring the general back, it's just that the general is very agile and fast. If he weren't drunk right now, we wouldn't be able to catch him at all."

The guards had to consider Gu Yan's image, but dared not hurt him. They were timid and hesitant, and were indeed no match for Gu Yan.

The old woman thought of Gu Yan and his guards chasing each other back and forth in the brothel, with the girls and customers watching and laughing. She felt that she would be driven to her death by anger sooner or later.

After waiting all day, all that came back was this drunken, unconscious person. The old lady was simply at her wit's end.

"Splash water! Get me some cold water and wake this wretched child!"

Two large basins of cold water were poured over his head. Gu Yan opened his eyes in a daze and saw his grandmother standing in front of him with a dark face, looking as if she wanted to devour him alive.

A moment of hesitation flashed through Gu Yan's mind, but he quickly hardened his heart and said in a drunken slur, "Take the wine. Tonight, we won't leave until we're drunk... You can go back on your own. Don't worry about me. I'll sleep in Zuijiao Pavilion tonight..."

"You wretched child, wake up!" The old lady shook Gu Yan's shoulders angrily. "You're planning to stay out all night? Your grandmother is too ashamed to even go out now, and you still have the nerve to go out and have a good time every day? What decent girl would dare to marry you like this? Say something, you good-for-nothing, what are you planning to do..."

She was so angry she broke down, but she couldn't get a single question out.

Gu Yan wanted nothing more than wine and women.

When asked about the final point, Gu Yan developed a high fever. The doctor said it was because she had drunk too much alcohol before her old injury had healed, and was also splashed with cold water. If she didn't rest properly, she might develop a chronic illness.

The old lady was usually ruthless in disciplining her grandson, but when she saw that Gu Yan was really sick, she felt very sorry for him. She had to suppress her anger and had someone take Gu Yan to his room. She prepared medicine for him and took care of him day and night.

This time, Gu Yan only stayed at home for one day. His high fever had just subsided when the old lady Gu couldn't find him when she tried to talk to him. She then learned that he had secretly run away again.

For the next two weeks, Gu Yan spent every day going out to philander and live a life of debauchery. Every time Old Madam Gu saw him, he was either extremely drunk or had already passed out, making normal communication impossible.

Moreover, no matter how much you lock his room or even seal the windows, he can still escape the next day.

The old lady tried every possible method and trick she could think of, using both soft and hard approaches, but she still couldn't get Gu Yan back to the right path. Instead, he went further and further down the absurd road.

Due to days of excessive drinking and lack of rest, Gu Yan's face turned bluish-black, his eyes were red and he looked emaciated, resembling the drunkards on the street who indulged in debauchery. He no longer possessed the heroic demeanor of a young general.

The elderly woman, who had been worrying for days, had also lost a lot of weight.

Most importantly, her spirits have weakened. In the past, her voice was booming and she always had an arrogant smile on her face. Now, she hides in her mansion every day and often sighs with her head down.

The old lady guessed that Gu Yan was competing with her because she forbade him to associate with Meng Xiyao, so Gu Yan had willingly fallen into depravity as revenge.

The old lady was very disappointed that Gu Yan was so muddle-headed, but she still had to make plans for her only grandson.

After much deliberation, she decided to arrange a marriage for Guyan as soon as possible. If she couldn't find a dignified noblewoman from a prominent family, she would find a poor but honest girl.

Nian Yong, the handyman responsible for cleaning the outer courtyard of the Gu Mansion, had a fifteen-year-old daughter named Nian Xiaocai. She was pretty and shy, and although not stunningly beautiful, she was still quite attractive.

The key point is that this girl looks like a decent and well-behaved person. She is dressed appropriately, answers questions politely, and is very docile and honest.

She used to think that Yan'er was too petty and far from being worthy of her, but now that Yan'er has fallen to such a state, she can't find anyone better, so she can only let Nian Xiaocai have her.

Niu Xiaocai was far from meeting the old lady's standards for a granddaughter-in-law, but when she thought of the infamous Meng Xiyao and the vixens in Yanliu Lane, she had no complaints about Niu Xiaocai.

When Nian Yong learned that a third-rank general was going to marry the daughter of a handyman, his hands trembled as he was struck by this unexpected joyous occasion, even though he knew all about the disgraceful things the general had done in recent days.

He wasn't the kind of person who would sell his daughter for money; it was simply that Gu Yan's talent and status far surpassed his family's, and he couldn't resist such a great temptation.

Besides, if the general hadn't been so muddle-headed lately, such a good thing would never have fallen into his daughter's lap.

The old lady was eager to marry him, and Nian Yong was moved to tears. Both were afraid that the other would go back on their word, so they immediately found their birth charts and consulted the oracle to determine the auspiciousness of the marriage. They then waited for Gu Yan to return home. The old lady threatened him with her life to force him to agree to the marriage.

Threatening with one's life is the last resort for the old woman, and it should not be used lightly unless absolutely necessary.

Now that she's been driven to the brink, it's time to use this tactic.

The old lady and Nian Yong had been thinking for a long time about how to coax and force Gu Yan to agree to this matter, but they never expected that before Gu Yan returned to the mansion, they would receive an imperial edict.

Gu Yan was still out there fooling around somewhere, so the old lady had no choice but to lead the entire household in kneeling to welcome the imperial edict.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I, the Emperor, have entrusted only the most virtuous and capable generals with the training of new troops. However, General Gu Yan, a third-rank official, has neglected his duties, missing three days in a row. He has indulged in revelry in brothels, his disgraceful reputation spreading far and wide, corrupting the order of the court. He is hereby stripped of all his official rank and demoted to the common people. Respectfully approved!"

After the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, he handed it to the old woman.

After saying "What a pity!" three times, he turned and left.

Even after the old woman and the others had gone far away, she remained kneeling on the ground, still in a daze.

Granny Wu helped her up and asked worriedly, "Madam, are you alright?"

"Did I hear wrong? I heard the Emperor dismiss Yan'er from his official post?"

The old lady's eyes reddened as she muttered, "How could it have come to this? Yan'er was just angry with me, how did it become so serious? Could it be that the Emperor is taking revenge for personal reasons? I didn't agree to Yan'er's marriage to the three Meng girls, so he dismissed Yan'er from his official post?"