Chapter 161 Xuan Yi's Accident
"Something terrible has happened!"
"Madam, something terrible has happened!"
Just as Zhang was about to go to Gu Xuanyi's courtyard, and Meng Jinyao was about to leave, a maid's urgent voice suddenly came from outside, as if something serious had happened.
Upon hearing this voice, Meng Jinyao paused in her steps.
Zhang's heart was pounding rapidly. Her intuition told her that it couldn't be anything good. In an instant, many possible scenarios flashed through her mind, and she panicked.
After the maid rushed in, Madam Zhang calmed herself down and said in a deep voice, "What's the matter? Why are you in such a panic? Such recklessness and lack of manners. Fortunately, there are no guests here today."
The maid was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then quickly bowed to Meng Jinyao and her, and replied, "Madam, it's the eldest young lady. Something has happened to the eldest young lady."
Upon hearing this, Zhang felt dizzy and nearly collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, Meng Jinyao was nearby and quickly reached out to help her. The maid next to her also reacted quickly and rushed forward to support her, preventing her from falling to the ground.
Meng Jinyao and her maid helped Zhang Shi sit down.
At this moment, Zhang's face turned pale and she looked flustered. She had just learned that her daughter was boating on the lake with the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an, and now she was told that her daughter had an accident while she was with a man. What could that be good news?
Her voice trembled as she asked, "What happened to Xuanyi?"
The maid replied, "The eldest young lady fell into the lake while boating today. She was rescued by the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an, and he has now brought her back."
Upon hearing this, Zhang's mind went blank. It was exactly what she feared. She had just been wondering if her daughter had gotten into some trouble with the Marquis of Wu'an's son, and it turned out to be true. A young woman went boating on a lake with a man, fell into the water, and was rescued by him; her reputation was ruined. In this situation, her only option was to marry that man.
Meng Jinyao's face froze. She had only discovered this in the morning, how could something have happened in the afternoon?
Seeing that Zhang was completely dumbfounded, but with the maid present, she couldn't say anything, but gently reminded her, "Sister-in-law, why don't you go and check on Xuan Yi first? Xuan Yi should be alright."
Upon hearing this, Zhang slowly came to her senses and nodded blankly: "Okay, I'll go take a look. Third sister-in-law, you go back first. We'll talk another day."
Meng Jinyao responded and then returned to Weirui Pavilion.
The Marquis of Wu'an's heir was being received by Gu Jingsheng. Since Gu Jingsheng had saved her daughter, she felt obligated to thank him. After thanking and sending the Marquis of Wu'an's heir away, Madam Zhang stormed off to her daughter's courtyard.
Seeing that his daughter was unharmed, had changed into clean clothes, and was holding a bowl of ginger soup with a smile on her face, she seemed very satisfied with what the Marquis of Wu'an had done.
Enraged, Zhang took two steps forward, raised her hand, and slapped her daughter across the face with a loud "smack".
Gu Xuanyi was stunned by the blow, and she dropped the bowl of ginger soup she was holding, spilling it all over her skirt. Her face stung with pain, and she looked up blankly at her mother in disbelief: "Mother, you...you hit me?"
The maid standing nearby was also startled. The First Madam always doted on the eldest daughter, treating her like a precious gem. Why would she suddenly attack her?
Looking at her hands and then at her daughter's face, Zhang felt a pang of regret, but mostly anger. She dismissed all the maids, glared at her daughter with fury, and angrily rebuked her, "Xuanyi, didn't I tell you before that the Marquis of Wu'an's son is not suitable for you? How could you go boating on the lake with him?"
Gu Xuanyi was stunned, then smiled and said matter-of-factly, "Mother, I think the Marquis of Wu'an's heir is excellent. Grandmother says he's not good, isn't it just because I'm not her biological granddaughter? Does she not want me to marry well? Once I marry him, I'll be the heir's wife, and then the countess. What's wrong with that?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang nearly fainted from anger. She questioned, "Xuanyi, tell your mother, is someone trying to instigate you? You clearly promised that day that you wouldn't have any designs on the Marquis of Wu'an's son, so why did you suddenly change your mind?"
A flicker of panic flashed across Gu Xuanyi's eyes before she firmly denied it: "No, no one instigated me. I just think the Marquis of Wu'an's son is quite nice. He's handsome, from a good family, and he's fond of me."
Madam Zhang was so angry that she was dizzy. Her finger trembled slightly as she pointed at Gu Xuanyi: "Xuanyi, you...you're so confused!" As she spoke, tears streamed down her face as she blamed herself. "It's also my fault. I promised the Lady of Wu'an that you two would meet. Otherwise, you wouldn't have taken a liking to him. It's all my fault."
Gu Xuanyi disagreed: "Mother, I think you did the right thing. I think the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an is a very good man. Now that something like this has happened, I will definitely marry him. Do you want me to end up like that lowly concubine's daughter, Gu Xuanling, and marry into a poor family of a minor official?"
Don't think she didn't know; her cousin's marriage was already arranged. Her fiancé was the son of an eighth-rank official. It was said that his ancestors for three generations were all scholars, a family of upright officials, but none of them held high-ranking positions; they were all low-ranking officials.
The one who fared the best was Liu's deceased father, who rose to the rank of a fifth-grade official. This shows that the Liu family had been useless for generations, so there was no way this young master Liu could amount to anything.
But a lowly concubine's daughter is a perfect match for such a family, unlike her, who is destined to be the wife of the heir apparent.
Zhang angrily retorted, "Shut up! Your father was also born out of wedlock!"
Gu Xuanyi was stunned. After a moment, she turned her face away and said with her neck stiff, "Mother, since it's already a done deal and there are people I know who saw the Marquis of Wu'an's son rescue me, I have no choice but to marry him. You decide what to do. If you don't let me marry him, then I will elope with him, just like Third Brother and Aunt Li did!"
Zhang never expected her daughter to speak to her like that, and even to say something as shocking as eloping with a man. Disappointed and angry, she exclaimed, "Are you trying to drive me crazy?"
Seeing her mother's tears, Gu Xuanyi felt a pang of regret for her harsh tone, but she still stubbornly insisted, "It was Mother who said that I am the legitimate daughter, the eldest granddaughter of the Marquis's mansion, and different from Gu Xuanling, who was born out of wedlock. She said I should marry into a wealthy family in grand style. Mother also said before that the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion is very good. If I behave well, I can marry the Marquis of Wu'an's heir and become the heir's wife. I don't want to marry into a poor family like Gu Xuanling."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang turned pale, vaguely wondering if it was her fault that her daughter was so fixated on the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an, wanting to become a glamorous wife of the heir.
Gu Xuanyi glanced at her and continued, "Mother, someone saw him rescue me and promised me that he would go back today and tell Madam Wu'an that he would come to propose marriage in a couple of days."
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