Chapter 377 Taking Charge
The old lady was getting on in years and couldn't move as quickly as a young person. She was half a step slower and her clothes got soiled by the filth that Gu Yan had vomited.
This made the stench even more overwhelming, making the old lady feel nauseous.
She had been waiting for several hours and was already exhausted, both physically and mentally. Now, the smell of alcohol, combined with her anxiety, made her dizzy and feel unwell all over.
Despite his swaying body, he insisted on ordering his servants to take Gu Yan to the ancestral hall.
The old woman behind him quickly tried to stop him.
"Madam, the general is already drunk and unconscious. He won't know if you hit him again. It's late now, you should rest early and deal with the general tomorrow."
"Yes, General, your injuries from last time haven't fully healed yet. Besides, General Leng said last time that we can't use family discipline on you again."
The old lady turned her head and saw that Gu Yan was indeed not very lucid. He was swaying and talking nonsense, and even mistook the little maid at the door for a prostitute and made lewd remarks.
The more she looked at it, the more upset and angry she became.
"Then let's lock him in his room first, so he won't embarrass himself here."
The old lady left two guards to question them, and had the rest of the men carry Gu Yan away on their backs and shoulders.
"You bunch of good-for-nothings! How could you let the General go to such a filthy place? What kind of place is our Gu family? We are the most virtuous and upright family in the capital. Going back five generations, not a single man in my family has ever taken a concubine. And now you're letting the General go to that dirty brothel..."
The old lady was ashamed to utter words like "patronizing prostitutes" or "whoring." Just thinking about how Gu Yan had just returned from such a place made her not want this grandson anymore.
Unfortunately, Gu Yan is the only son in the Gu family now. If we don't take him, the Gu family has no other children or grandchildren to support the family.
The guard lowered his head and whispered, "The old lady said that as long as the general doesn't go to see Miss Meng, he can do whatever he wants. We've been watching him all day, and the general not only didn't go to see Miss Meng, he didn't even mention her name."
It would have been better if this matter hadn't been mentioned, because the old lady was so angry that her eyes welled up with tears.
She did say those words, but little did she know that this wretched child didn't go to that shameless Meng family member, but instead went to the even more disgraceful brothel.
The thought that she had devoted nearly twenty years of her life to raising a dissolute young man who frequented brothels filled her with shame and indignation, making her feel incredibly embarrassed.
Although the old lady was strict in disciplining her children and grandchildren, she never abused her power against her servants. Moreover, the guards were indeed acting according to her orders; it was simply that she hadn't explained things clearly.
Besides, this wicked child is still his master. If he has evil intentions, how can the guards do anything about him?
After pressing her hand to her chest and calming herself for a while, the old woman finally asked the question.
"How many people saw the general go to that filthy place today?"
The most important thing now is to minimize the impact of this incident and stop the damage before things get out of control.
"The general frequented the three most popular brothels in the capital, spending lavishly to book several of the most sought-after girls. He even got into a fight with the second son of the Imperial Censor Feng to compete for the title of 'Queen of the Courtesans,' making quite a spectacle of himself. There are at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, who know about this. By tomorrow morning, it will probably be common knowledge."
The old woman's vision went black, and she once again experienced the feeling of the sky collapsing and the earth splitting open.
I was hoping to spend some money to quell the matter and tell those who saw it to keep their mouths shut and not spread Gu Yan's shameful affair.
But with so many people in the know, where would she get so much money to bribe them?
She also knew the second son of the Imperial Censor Feng's family. He was a spoiled and dissolute young man from the capital. It was truly shameful for Gu Yan to be jealous of such a person over the courtesan.
Gu Yan, you've really given your grandmother a big problem.
The old woman, leaning weakly against the table, sat down and gritted her teeth as she gave the order.
"Tomorrow morning, once this wretched child wakes up, bring him here to beg for forgiveness. Then lock him in his room and forbid him from stepping out of my residence."
"yes."
The guards bowed their heads in response, and not daring to leave without being told to do so, they stood like two pillars blocking the center of the room.
The old woman waved her hand impatiently to send the man away, tears welling up in her eyes.
"What a disaster... How did this wretched child suddenly turn out like this? Now, let alone in the afterlife, I have no face to meet my ancestors. I will never be able to attend banquets in the capital again. I might as well just close my doors to guests and stay indoors all day."
"How come the child, who was perfectly fine, suddenly changed so drastically, as if he had gone mad?"
The Gu family was known throughout the capital for its fine family traditions and emphasis on etiquette.
At ordinary banquets and parties in the capital, the old lady was always admired and praised wherever she went. She had been praised her whole life. Now that the matter of Gu Yan has spread, those who used to flatter her will probably laugh at her. She will probably become the subject of gossip as soon as she goes out.
Because of her poor upbringing, the wife of that Imperial Censor Feng could never hold her head high in front of her. Now that Gu Yan has committed such a grave mistake, how could she possibly hold her head high again?
Granny Wu, who had been waiting quietly by the old woman's side, knew that the old woman was confiding in her, so she stepped forward and massaged the old woman's shoulders while speaking softly.
"Madam, I have served you for over forty years and have watched the General grow up. If I may be so bold as to say something that offends you, the General's current state is inextricably linked to you."
“General, you have always been obedient and followed your instructions. But even a clay figure has its own nature. Besides, you are now a third-rank official with a bright future. It’s inevitable that you will want to make your own decisions for once.”
"Just then, the general met a girl he liked, and naturally wanted to settle down and have his lifelong wish fulfilled. But you, Madam, not only broke them up, but also insulted the girl he liked. This was like a bucket of cold water poured on the general, a huge blow. Heartbroken, the young man gave up and did whatever he wanted, trying everything he couldn't do before. In my opinion, this is just the beginning. Who knows what trouble the general will cause in the future..."
"What else does he want to do?" The old woman raised her voice, annoyed. "He's already caused so much trouble, what other mischief could he possibly get into?"
Granny Wu had been with the old lady since childhood and was the servant she trusted most in the household. Originally, she had hoped to hear Granny Wu say a few words of comfort, but the more she listened, the angrier she became.
It was precisely because she felt that Granny Wu's words made some sense that she found it even more unacceptable.
It's normal for a grandson to have his own ideas as he grows up. He can make his own decisions if he wants. If he likes a dignified and proper girl, why wouldn't she agree?
Meng Xiyao was not only a concubine of the former emperor, but was also banished to the cold palace for her scandalous behavior. Whoever marries such a woman is doomed. Was she wrong to stop her?
Granny Wu always doted on Gu Yan, and now she must be feeling sorry for him because she saw him drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
If even the servants felt so sorry for Gu Yan, how could she, as his grandmother, who was not heartless, feel any better?
But feeling sorry for someone is one thing, and giving in because of feeling sorry for them is another.
A son of an orphan can only marry one wife; choosing the wrong one will bring disaster to the entire family.
Everything can be discussed, but this is one thing she absolutely cannot back down on.
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