Chapter 84 [VIP]

The old nanny lowered her head and said tremblingly, "The eunuch who is here to deliver the decree is already waiting in the mansion, just waiting for you, Madam, to return and receive the decree."

Congratulations!

Gu Zhizhu clapped his hands lightly and laughed: "Your daughter-in-law from the Gong family has arrived."

Madam Gong's face turned ashen, and her body swayed precariously, as if she were about to collapse.

"That's impossible!"

How could it be the eldest princess?

Hai'er had never mentioned it before, so how could she suddenly be betrothed?

The Prime Minister's wife's light laughter broke the silence. She then offered her congratulations, saying, "Madam Gong, I have long heard that the eldest princess and Admiral Gong are very compatible. This marriage is truly a perfect match, a match made in heaven."

When the topic turned to getting along, everyone in the main room exchanged knowing smiles.

They even have their eyes on the same man; how can that not be a perfect match?

The Prime Minister's wife was grateful to Gu Zhizhuo for saving her husband. It was a family matter between the Gu family, and she didn't know the Gu family's attitude, so it was inconvenient for her to interfere. But now that she had seen Gu Zhizhuo's attitude clearly, she was saying one sharp thing after another.

"Commander Gong and the eldest princess were recently arguing over... a courtesan." She emphasized the word "courtesan" with a smile, and as a sharp gaze fell upon her, she touched the corner of her lips with a handkerchief, saying nonchalantly, "...The eldest princess and Commander Gong probably both love watching plays. Now it's all good; there's no need to argue anymore. From now on, we can build a stage, merge the two families into one, and live happily and harmoniously. How wonderful!"

Many of the ladies laughed along with them.

Governor Gong's first two wives were both dead, and their deaths were disgraceful, a fact known to everyone in the capital. What respectable family in the capital would dare marry their daughter into such a family? And now, the Gong family has set their sights on this delicate young lady, determined to ruin her reputation and force her into marriage. Some couldn't hold back any longer and echoed the Grand Secretary's wife, saying, "Madam, it's not easy to find a like-minded wife these days."

"Admiral Gong is truly blessed."

Madam Gong clutched her chest, her face flushed red, as if she might not be able to catch her breath at any moment.

Old Madam Gong knew perfectly well that they were all laughing at her.

Even if you didn't know what kind of person the eldest princess was before, you should know now after seeing more than a dozen male concubines being dragged out of the princess's residence and paraded through the streets.

A noblewoman from heaven, when the time comes, she will be supporting actors and male lovers, and I won't even be able to say a word to her, let alone expect her to show me filial piety.

If I have a child in the future, I won't even know whose child it is. How can I accept that?

Thinking back to before today, she was still laughing at the Duke of Anguo's mansion, mocking the old Duke for having no descendants, and that when he lay in his coffin, his daughters and grandsons would have no one to protect them.

And now, the person who has become the laughing stock of the entire capital has become the Gong family!

Just thinking about those people's faces sends waves of heat rushing to my head.

She gripped the longevity cane tightly, the wrinkled skin on the back of her hand taut.

"Madam Gong, why do you seem unhappy? Could it be that you are dissatisfied with His Majesty's will?"

"How could that be?" Old Madam Gong forced a smile. "His Majesty's grace in betrothing our daughter to you is something the Gong family will be eternally grateful for."

She leaned on her longevity cane, stood up unsteadily, and took her leave with a stern face.

Mrs. Xu's mouth moved, as if she wanted to ask whether Gong Hai and Ying'er's marriage was still valid. Seeing that she didn't even glance at her, she quickly shut her mouth, her eyes darting around.

The Grand Secretary's wife said gently, "Marrying the Princess is a joyous occasion. Please wait, Madam. We cannot keep the eunuch who is delivering the imperial decree waiting. Otherwise, wouldn't that be disrespectful to the Emperor's will?"

Old Madam Gong paused for a moment, then quickened her pace; her agile movements made it impossible to believe she was already seventy. All she wanted now was to return immediately and see what had gone wrong, why they had betrothed their eldest princess to their family.

This marriage.

This marriage absolutely cannot go through.

Gu Zhizhuo took Xu Ying'er's hand and led her inside, pondering the meaning behind his second aunt's unfinished words...

Her gaze shifted to Madam Xu, and seeing Madam Xu nod at her, she felt as if she had been enlightened.

No way!

"Madam, the auspicious time is almost here."

Granny Zhu had been keeping an eye on the water clock in the corner of the room, and even though she knew the atmosphere was a bit tense, she still gave a reminder.

Xu Ge'er's birth was fraught with danger, and the entire Gu family took his third-day celebration very seriously, not daring to make the slightest mistake.

"Mother, let's give Xu'er his third-day bath first."

Xu took the initiative to speak.

The old lady hadn't said much from beginning to end. Upon hearing this, she stood up with the help of Granny Zhu and beckoned everyone to head to the wedding hall.

Once outside the main room, she whispered to Granny Zhu, "...This handkerchief, was it deliberately arranged by the Xu family and Granny Gong?"

Having been pampered since childhood, the matriarch had little experience with power struggles within the household, and it wasn't until now that she finally pieced together the whole story.

She said regretfully, "Oh. It was fake after all..."

Granny Sun knelt there, at a loss, feeling uneasy. For a moment, she didn't know whether she should get up or stay kneeling.

She instinctively went to look for Mrs. Xu, but her eyes met those of Madam Xu.

Everyone in the main room had left at some point, not even the servants. Only Madam Xu remained, looking down at her with her cold, dark eyes.

“Granny Sun, you’ve been with me since I was little. You were there when I was in the Xu family. You were there when I got married. You were there when I gave birth to Lie Lie, and you were there when Lie Lie died young. You were there when I gave birth to Jiao Jiao, Que Que, and Wei Wei. The moment I opened my eyes, you were by my side. You are more important to me than my parents.”

Her parents only cared about her older and younger brothers. Her only value was to grow up to the best age and marry a man who could help her older and younger brothers.

Granny Sun is different.

She protected her as she grew up, accompanied her to her wedding, and stayed by her side for over twenty years.

Xu slowly opened her lips: "Why?"

Granny Sun's shoulders trembled. Her muddled eyes stared at Madam Xu, and her heart clenched as if all the blood in her body had been drained away, leaving her feeling icy cold.

“Madam,” Granny Sun said, pulling at her skirt, her breath quick and shallow, “you must believe me.”

Madam Xu pulled the hem of her skirt from her hands and said expressionlessly, "Cause and effect are cyclical and eternal. Granny Sun, think it over carefully here, and then tell me when you've figured it out."

Granny Sun slumped to the ground like a fish out of water.

Emerging from the main room, Madam Xu clutched her chest and strode quickly into the wedding hall.

The third-day-after-birth ceremony is a matter for women. Unmarried girls usually go to the banquet first, but Gu Zhizhuo brought Xu Ying'er along, and the two stood behind the Grand Madam.

Madam Xu did not miss the auspicious time, and the wet nurse brought out Xu Ge'er.

In just three days, Xu Ge'er had gained weight, his newborn red and black skin had faded, and his skin had become much whiter. Apart from being a little smaller than a full-term baby, his face had also become fuller.

The midwife poured water boiled with mugwort into a small golden basin, held Xuge'er, and slowly sprinkled the water with mugwort on the child, saying auspicious words.

Xu Ge'er neither cried nor made a fuss, but opened his bright black eyes and looked around.

All eyes were on Xu Ge'er, and people said some flattering things to him.

Gu Zhizhuo took out the prepared gold ingots and gave a few to Xu Ying'er. The gifts for the newborn were for the midwives and maternal grandmothers, so a few gold or silver ingots were enough.

Xu Ying'er was still somewhat shaken and stammered, "Big sister, I'm sorry."

She ruined her little cousin's third-day celebration.

“Nonsense. You don’t need to apologize to anyone.” Gu Zhizhuo patted her back.

Gu Zhizhuo's hand was slow and gentle, as if carrying a strange force, making her unconsciously straighten her back.

Qingmei whispered a reminder: "Miss."

“I saw it.”

Mrs. Xu, who was standing at the door, looked around furtively and then quietly slipped out.

There wasn't a single servant along the way, allowing her to return to the main room without incident.

The main room was quiet, with only Granny Sun kneeling in the middle, drenched in cold sweat.

"Mrs."

Upon seeing Madam Xu emerge, Granny Sun abruptly raised her head and stammered, "Please save me. Madam must already know everything."

"What's the panic? As long as I insist that Ying'er is my child, how can she prove that she didn't give birth to a stillborn baby back then? Granny Sun, don't panic. I'm already annoyed that the marriage is ruined!"

“A dead girl, yet the Gu family treats her like a treasure. Granny Sun, since the Gu family doesn’t believe she would seduce the young master, then you should make it a fact. There are many people here today, so put some perfume on your handkerchief and call Ying’er out in a while. Send her and the young master into the same room.”

"Are you crazy?" Granny Sun exclaimed incredulously. "The young master is Miss Ying'er's cousin. Incest between people with the same surname is a crime punishable by heavenly punishment!"

"You're the one who's crazy!" Mrs. Xu slapped him across the face. "Shouting like that."

Mrs. Xu looked around guiltily, and seeing that no one was around, she lowered her voice and said, "If the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion wants to cover up its scandal, it has to give my Bao'er a job. Would it be better to join the Imperial Guard or the Five Cities Garrison? Or Bao'er could go to the Hanlin Academy."

Granny Sun covered her face, watching her lips open and close, her bright red lips making her look like a vengeful ghost.

Granny Sun swallowed hard and asked with difficulty, "What about Miss Cousin?"

If something like that really happened, would Xu Ying'er still be alive?

“Granny Sun, you know she’s just a nuisance.” Mrs. Xu half-squatted down, looking kind and gentle. She raised her hand to brush away the strands of hair that were falling across Granny Sun’s face and said lightly, “Once she’s gone, you won’t have to live in fear anymore, will you?”

Granny Sun felt a chill run down her spine, as if something was churning inside her. A wave of acid gushed from her stomach, almost making her vomit.

She wasn't a good person, but she never expected Mrs. Xu to be so vicious.

"And what about this servant?" Granny Sun murmured.

"Of course you'll still be your nanny."

"Hehehe."

A self-deprecating laugh escaped Granny Sun's lips.

“I think I’m utterly wicked, that I stole the child to save my own life. But I’ve carried this sin for thirteen years. For these thirteen years, I haven’t had a single night of restful sleep.”

Mrs. Xu pursed her lips: "It's nothing, why are you so scared?"

“I said Ying’er was my child, and that’s what it is. So many people knew when I was pregnant.”

Granny Sun trembled, her face ashen.

As Ying'er grew older, she resembled the Second Madam more and more. Others might only see her as a niece who resembled her aunt, but every day she was afraid. Especially after Ying'er moved into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, she stopped being timid and submissive, stopped wearing drab clothes, and stopped covering her face with thick bangs.

It looks even more like it now.

Even the second wife repeatedly asked her whether the child had a birthmark.

She had nightmares every day.

"Cause and effect exist in a continuous cycle, and will never perish."

She'll get her comeuppance; someone like her will definitely go to hell after she dies.

Granny Sun slowly got up from the ground. Mrs. Xu smiled and patted her shoulder: "It's good that you've figured it out. I'll take good care of your youngest daughter. Once you've settled things, I'll stop giving her the contraceptive soup... Ah, how dare you! What are you doing!"

With a strength that seemed to come from nowhere, Granny Sun grabbed Madam Xu's arm tightly and dragged her out without a second thought.

As she stepped out of the main room, the sunlight fell upon her, making her feel momentarily disoriented.

"Let go, let go!"

No matter how fierce Mrs. Xu was, she was still a pampered woman and no match for Granny Sun's strength.

She struggled desperately, but couldn't break free, and screamed in a shrill voice, "Are you out of your mind? Don't you care about your daughter's life either?"

Speaking of her daughter, Granny Sun paused for a moment, then dragged Mrs. Xu with even greater force.

"No, I don't want it."

“This servant should have died long ago for doing such a thing.”

Mrs. Xu screamed desperately, her shrill voice startling sparrows into flight, but she didn't see a single servant. Seeing this, Granny Sun understood perfectly well. The Second Madam truly knew.

The last shred of hope in her heart vanished.

She dragged Mrs. Xu through the corridor, and just as she saw the Grand Madam and the others coming out of the wedding hall, Granny Sun pulled her again, dragging her to the Grand Madam's side and giving her a hard shove from behind.

Mrs. Xu stumbled and fell to the ground, landing right at the feet of the Dowager Madam.

The old lady pulled her foot back and patted her chest.

What's wrong now? You're so jumpy. It's terrifying!

Granny Sun knelt down before the Grand Madam, just as she had done in the main hall. The Grand Madam frowned, thinking that she was about to bring up the handkerchief again.

What's wrong with embroidering a handkerchief? Don't make a fuss.

Before the reprimand could even be uttered, Granny Sun raised her voice and shouted, "Second Madam, Cousin Ying'er is your own daughter. It was this servant who stole her away back then."

"This servant deserves to die a thousand deaths."

Madam: !

Wait, stolen? Stolen from whom... and why?

Ying'er was born to the second son's wife?

A series of questions flooded into the old lady's mind at the same time, and then turned into a tangled mess in the next moment. She couldn't even find the thread that led to the end of the mess.

To onlookers, Madam Gu appeared dignified, her expression devoid of emotion, her sharp eyes fixed on the two people on the ground.

Granny Sun trembled as if she were sitting on a leaf.

"You insolent servant!" Mrs. Xu shrieked. "What nonsense are you spouting! My lady, are you just going to let your insolent servant run wild here? Drag him away and beat him to death!"

Seeing that Madam Xu remained unmoved, Mrs. Xu got up, dusted herself off, and said resentfully, "If the Gu family treats guests like this, I will never come again."

She turned to leave, and just as she took one step out, Granny Sun, who was kneeling below, pulled her back with all her might.

Thump!

Mrs. Xu fell flat on her face, her face hitting the ground. She bit her tongue, and blood stained her lips.

After speaking, Granny Sun seemed to have released the last shackle, and said in one breath, "Back then, it was I who stole the child and told you that the child was dead. In fact, the child was not dead; the madam took the child away."

"After Madam married into the Xu family, she did not have a child for six years. When the master and madam wanted to divorce her, she pretended to be pregnant and even deliberately chose a time around the same time as yours."

“She had the idea of ​​taking your child away from the very beginning.”

“This servant is an accomplice.”

The chaos of war and the burning of fires everywhere gave her an opportunity.

Gu Zhizhuo held Xu Ying'er's hand, the other hand in his palm was icy cold and trembling slightly.

She gave her an encouraging smile.

Xu Ying'er raised her head, straightened her back, and stood there without flinching, facing the gazes coming from all directions.

Madam Xu stepped aside and curtsied to everyone: "I'm sorry to have made you ladies laugh."

“I haven’t finished what I was saying yet… The handkerchief was embroidered by Ying’er, and the character ‘Can’ on it was also embroidered by Ying’er. It was embroidered by Ying’er for Can Can.”

“Embroidering a handkerchief for one’s own cousin is in accordance with etiquette.” Her clear voice choked with emotion. “My Jiaojiao has never done anything shameful.”

What's with all this talk about welcoming a child?

She is Jiaojiao.

My husband had already chosen a name for our daughter while she was still in his womb.

Gu Zhijiao.

A note from the author: