Chapter 61 Cleaning up Yunxi's backyard
Xu Shulan and Shen Yujiao originally wanted to take the opportunity to ridicule Yunxi, but after she hit her, she left gracefully, not giving them a chance to retaliate.
Although the princess was furious at Yunxi's arrogance, she wouldn't argue with her further. If she didn't drive her away while her son was unconscious, Gu Nanxiao would definitely be furious when he woke up.
The princess didn't intend to pursue the matter since only a few servants had been beaten. She simply sent someone to follow Yunxi from a distance, and only after confirming that she had left the mansion did she feel at ease taking care of her son.
Shen Yujiao wet a handkerchief in the basin of water, and the princess took it and personally wiped the cold sweat from Gu Nanxiao's forehead.
Consort Xu watched coldly, secretly wishing that Gu Nanxiao would never fully recover from his injuries, that he would become crippled, and that he would lose the Emperor's favor.
Xu Shulan also wanted to stir the handkerchief, but Shen Yujiao pushed her aside, making her so angry that her eyes were blazing with fury, and she wished she could strangle this bitch.
However, given the presence of the princess, she, as the future daughter-in-law, had to maintain a virtuous and magnanimous demeanor in front of her mother-in-law.
She stood there awkwardly for a while, but the disgruntled princess, who accused her of being shameless, made her too ashamed to stay any longer, so she left Songzhu Courtyard with Consort Xu.
Gu Nanxiao was in a coma for two days and two nights with a high fever before he slowly woke up. The first thing he did when he woke up was to murmur and call out to Yunxi.
When Shen Yujiao, who had been staying by the bedside, heard what her cousin said, she was so angry that she almost lost control of her expression. But she knew that she was insignificant in her cousin's heart.
If he said anything he didn't want to hear, he would be humiliated. So he hurriedly ordered his maid to inform the princess that the person had woken up and asked her to come quickly.
Before long, the princess rushed over. But what she saw was Shen Yujiao standing in the courtyard.
After Gu Nanxiao fully regained his senses, he immediately kicked Shen Yujiao out of the bedroom. He then learned from Mo Yu the whole story of how Yunxi was kicked out of the palace.
Knowing that Yunxi hadn't suffered a major loss and had been taken to Huimin Pharmacy by Qianyu's escort, he immediately ordered Moyu to bring her back to the mansion.
To avenge Yunxi, Gu Nanxiao dispatched two teams of guards to forcibly throw Shen Yujiao and Xu Shulan, along with their maids and servants, out of the mansion.
When Yunxi was brought back to the manor, she happened to see the two of them being kicked out of the house.
The group of more than a dozen women, including mistress and servants, had their hair disheveled from being pushed and shoved by the guards. Their hairpins, jewelry, and ornaments were scattered all over the ground, and their clothes and belongings were thrown directly on the ground, attracting a crowd of onlookers.
Yunxi had never heard of any noble lady visiting a mansion only to be so humiliatingly driven away by the host.
Feeling embarrassed and ashamed that others had seen their disheveled appearance, the two rushed towards them in a fit of rage. Shen Yujiao was the first to point her finger at Yunxi's nose and yell:
"You vixen, you wicked maidservant, you're always urging my cousin to favor his concubine over his wife. You've ruined his reputation."
Yunxi stopped in her tracks as she stepped into the Prince's mansion, turning back to scrutinize Shen Yujiao from head to toe. Only when her gaze made one feel uneasy did she speak:
"If I remember correctly, even if you were to marry into this family, you'd only be a concubine, right? Aren't you a concubine? Aren't you the wife who should be pampered?"
Shen Yujiao was rendered speechless by her words, while Xu Shulan, who was standing to the side, believed that she had the upper hand in terms of her status as a wife or concubine.
She took a step forward, shoved Shen Yujiao aside, and threatened Yunxi, "You know there's a difference between wives and concubines? I advise you not to be so arrogant, otherwise you'll offend me, the mistress of the house, and you'll have a hard time in the future!"
Upon hearing her words, Yunxi burst out laughing, only managing to stop herself after a long while before saying, "Then you should become the mistress first."
"An unmarried girl who rushes to her fiancé's house every day to act like the matriarch—if you were even a little more discreet, you wouldn't be kicked out on the street."
Yunxi's words immediately sparked discussion among the people on the street:
"Tsk tsk tsk, what's going on with these two ladies from high-ranking families?"
"At first, I thought it was a dispute between wives and concubines, but later I realized that these two were still unmarried young ladies."
"You've really lived long enough to see all sorts of dramas."
The whispers and pointing fingers of the people made Xu Shulan and Shen Yujiao too ashamed to stay and continue the argument. Supported by their maids, they fled.
As Yunxi watched the two figures disappear, she felt a rare pang of guilt. She was indeed bothered by the fact that Gu Nanxiao had a fiancée.
But the thought that I wouldn't marry him and would ruin someone else's marriage made me feel a bit guilty.
If those two hadn't used so many despicable methods on her, she probably could have lived peacefully with them, right?
However, the tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease; and she is also one to hold grudges, so how could she bear to suffer others' mistreatment for no reason?
Fortunately, Xu Shulan and Shen Yujiao were not a good match. If she plans for Gu Nanxiao's future, will there be a better person willing to marry him?
As Yunxi was pondering this, she heard a group of women walking out of the mansion behind her, chatting and laughing. Yunxi had never seen these women before; their attire didn't suggest they were maids, but they didn't seem to be the rightful mistresses either.
Each of them carried a small, heavy bundle, which must have contained silver.
When Mo Yu saw these women walk to the gate of the mansion, he deliberately said loudly to them, "The Marquis had no intention of taking you as concubines; it was all arranged by our elders."
Fortunately, you have never been favored by the emperor and are both virgins. The Marquis hereby grants you the freedom to marry and gives each of you two hundred taels of silver as a dowry.
The women's expressions varied, but more than half of them looked happy. After all, they had never seen any hope in Gu Nanxiao.
Rather than being confined to a small courtyard every day, living a life no different from being in prison, it would be better to take the money and indenture, find a commoner to marry, and experience what it's like to be a legitimate wife.
Moreover, Lord Moyu's words in the street just now were tantamount to proving their innocence. For a moment, they even felt that not being favored by the Marquis all these years was a kind of luck.
Mo Yu's words caused a stir among the crowd. Upon hearing that each of the women had received a reward of two hundred taels of silver, several older women immediately stepped forward and volunteered their sons.
A few women, however, looked rather sorrowful. Among these concubines, some had genuinely liked Gu Nanxiao. After all, given his status, appearance, and family background, it was only natural that he would be liked.
Mo Yu's words weren't entirely on behalf of the concubines. He was simply trying to gain more favor with his master in front of Miss Zhao.
He didn't care who his master would marry or who he would love in the future. What he cared about was whether his master was happy. He was one of the first people to follow his master, so he knew better than anyone the suffering his master had endured over the years.
His life, seemingly glamorous, was actually one of desolation and loneliness. Whenever he was injured, he would hide away alone to lick his wounds.
Over the years, no one has ever been able to enter his heart. But ever since Miss Zhao came to the manor, the master has been smiling more often every day.
However, the master did not know how to get along with women, so their relationship was always turbulent.
Mo Yu, being an outsider, had a clearer perspective. Although this Miss Zhao was different from other women, she wasn't one to cause trouble. Whenever she got angry, it was either her master or someone close to her who provoked her first.
Therefore, in order to ensure that his master could live a comfortable life for a long time, he had to be on high alert and deal with Miss Zhao's matter.
Mo Yu approached Yun Xi and respectfully cupped his hands, saying, "Miss Zhao, as soon as Master woke up, he avenged you and ordered me to greet you at the door."
Yunxi nodded with a complicated expression, but as soon as she stepped into the mansion, she was blocked by two concubines who knelt down and begged for her way.
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