A few days after receiving the letter, Yu'er arrived at the Prince's Mansion.
In Gu Jiangli's memory, Yu'er was a naughty and unruly child when he left home, but after he came out of the strict private school, he seemed to have undergone a huge transformation and became very different.
He had grown much taller and become more polite and composed. He wore the most ordinary coarse cloth clothes and a simple mahogany hair ornament. If you put him in a crowd, no one would think that he came from a royal family with wealth beyond measure.
If it weren't for the fact that she could still recognize Yu'er by her eyes and brows, she would have even suspected that it was a different person.
When she saw the prince and herself, she even gave a deep bow.
"When Jingyu returned after completing her studies, she met her grandmother, uncle, and aunt."
When the mistress saw him, she couldn't help but burst into tears and talked to him for a long time.
They talked about the tremendous changes that had taken place in the Prince's mansion in recent years, then about the Prince's children, and finally about his mother.
“Yu’er, your mother made a mistake and is cultivating in the Moon Dew Mountain. I know she must have suffered a lot, but you can’t blame your uncle and aunt, because it was indeed your mother’s own doing, understand?”
"From now on, you must be respectful to your uncle and aunt in the Prince's mansion, and you must not be as willful and mischievous as before."
Zhao Jingyu took a half step back and clasped her hands in a gesture of respect. “Grandmother, I have already heard about this matter at the private school. I have no intention of defending my mother. She did make a mistake, but she was spared her life, which is already a great favor.”
"I only wish that I could visit my mother at Yuelu Mountain occasionally in the future, is that alright?"
The mistress paused, then turned her inquiring gaze to Gu Jiangli and the prince.
Gu Jiangli observed him carefully. Zhao Jingyu showed almost no malice towards her and was very respectful.
One shouldn't hit a smiling face. Since the person was speaking so politely, she had no reason to refuse, so she nodded directly, "She is Yu'er's biological mother, so it's only natural that Yu'er wants to see her."
"Thank you, Aunt. Yu'er knows that I have been disrespectful to you many times, which was my fault. I have reflected on this many times while I was studying, hoping that I can apologize to you after returning to the Prince's Mansion. I hope that you can forgive me without holding a grudge."
I've heard that private schools can transform a spoiled brat into a well-mannered and knowledgeable young master, and now it seems that it's really true.
Gu Jiangli was also extremely magnanimous, "Yu'er, don't take it to heart. I'm very generous. Let bygones be bygones."
She didn't harbor any hatred towards Yu'er. Most importantly, she retaliated against almost every instance of his rudeness on the spot.
After being forgiven, Yu'er felt a weight lifted from her shoulders, as if a great burden had been lifted.
Seeing the family getting along so harmoniously, the matriarch was moved to tears once again.
That night, Yu'er came to her courtyard alone and said she wanted to talk to her alone.
Gu Jiangli gave him this opportunity.
Night had fallen over the pavilion in the middle of the lake.
Upon seeing her, Yu'er immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
This sudden movement startled Gu Jiangli. "What are you doing all of a sudden?"
After bowing, Yu'er stood up from the ground; he was now almost as tall as Gu Jiangli.
“Aunt, I know you don’t believe what I just said to you in front of the mistress and uncle, but I sincerely ask for your forgiveness. Please forgive me for the many outrageous things I did to you when I was young and ignorant.”
Yu'er's eyes were sincere, not fake.
So you're saying you're truly remorseful?
"Yu'er, it seems that the years at the private school have made you quite different."
"Yes, every day in the private school was tough. We had to get up at dawn to learn etiquette and start reading at dusk. There were no delicacies, only coarse tea and simple meals. There was no kind and loving grandmother, only a teacher who would beat us with a bamboo stick at the drop of a hat."
"Over the past few years, I have learned a lot. Every night before I fall asleep, my experiences at the Prince's Mansion flood my mind like a tide."
“I often think of the love my mother and grandmother had for me, but what I think about most is what happened with my aunt by the lake that day.”
A scene from a few years ago suddenly flashed through Gu Jiangli's mind.
Yu'er tried to frame her with a self-inflicted injury, but unexpectedly, she was outsmarted instead.
Thinking about it that way, she still found it funny.
"Yu'er, it seems that incident has had a profound impact on you."
Zhao Jingyu lowered her head and affirmed Gu Jiangli's words, "That's right, I always remember what you taught me, that the 'bitter trick' is only effective when used on people who love me... I can't forget how my uncle jumped into the lake in one swift motion, ignoring me, and first rescued my aunt."
“I will never forget how all the lies I told became false in an instant after my grandmother found out that you were pregnant, Aunt.”
Are you complaining that they don't love you?
“No, no, no,” he hurriedly denied. “Aunt, to be honest, during the month I was away from the Prince’s Mansion, I cursed Grandmother, you, and Uncle every day. But as time went on, the more books I read, the more I realized that you were right.”
His voice was hoarse, but his tone was firm. "If I had been as intelligent as you back then, I probably wouldn't have done those useless things at my mother's behest. If I had understood my uncle's love for you and my grandmother's expectations for her grandson, I would never have created that farce."
“Aunt, over the years, I have gradually come to understand my mother’s intentions. All she has done is to seize the family property of the Prince’s Mansion. But she is too extreme. Even if Heng’er becomes the head of the Prince’s Mansion many years later, he will not drive us out of the mansion and make us beg on the roadside.”
"She is the daughter of the Zhao family, and I am the grandson of the Zhao family. Even if we cannot inherit so many mountains of gold, the blood flowing in our veins will not make us poor."
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