Chapter 664 Second Uncle, I was wrong.
The shadow guards moved extremely quickly. Almost at the moment when Gu Junze finished speaking, two black shadows appeared silently in the corridor.
They walked behind Gu Xuan, and one of them leaned forward and said in a voice without a single rise or fall: "Master Xuan, I'm sorry."
Gu Xuan's stiff body did not resist, not even a single unnecessary movement.
He just slowly raised his head and took one last look at the closed door.
Inside the door was the person he had called "mother" for more than ten years.
Snowflakes fell on his long eyelashes and instantly melted into cold water droplets, sliding down his cheeks. It was hard to tell whether they were snow or tears.
The shadow guards didn't delay any longer and lifted him up from the snow, one on each side.
His legs had already become numb from kneeling, and he was almost dragged forward by the two men.
The snow made a "crunching, crunching" sound when my feet stepped on it, which was particularly harsh in the quiet snowy night.
…
Inside the house, Chu Ruohan listened to the receding footsteps and sighed softly in the darkness.
Gu Junze walked back from the window, sat on the edge of the bed, and held her cold hand in his warm palm.
"It wouldn't be a bad thing for him to go to Dongying and suffer a little, so that he can get rid of those inappropriate thoughts."
"I just didn't expect it," Chu Ruohan's voice was full of fatigue, "After more than ten years of living together day and night, it turned out that it was not as good as Mei Zi's few seemingly plausible instigations."
She leaned her head on Gu Junze's shoulder, and her hand subconsciously covered her lower abdomen.
This child has gone through so many troubles before he was even born.
"The human heart cannot stand the test." Gu Junze held her tighter, "especially when faced with huge interests."
He never believed that human nature is inherently good. He only believed in the knife in his hand and the person he had to protect.
Haitang walked in quietly, holding a bowl of hot milk.
"Master, Madam." She placed the milk on the table and whispered, "Young Master Xuan has been escorted out of the mansion. The government has also sent someone to report. Mei Zi's guilt is irrefutable, and she should be executed according to the law."
She paused, then continued, "The servants in the mansion have all been restrained, and no one dares to say anything more."
This thunderstorm tonight reminded everyone once again of the methods of this Duke of Zhenguo.
"Pass the order down," Gu Junze said calmly, "This matter ends here. No further discussion is allowed in the mansion. Anyone who violates the family rules will be punished and expelled from the mansion."
"Yes." Haitang bowed and responded, then quietly retreated.
The room finally became completely quiet, with only the rustling sound of falling snow outside the window.
Gu Junze helped Chu Ruohan lie down and covered her with a blanket.
His palm rested on her abdomen, and through the soft blanket, he felt the bond that belonged to them.
"It's all over." He whispered, "Sleep peacefully, I'm here."
Chu Ruohan said "hmm", but kept her eyes open.
"What should I say to Qingchen?" She was still worried about her daughter. "That girl is straightforward and she's always protective of her brother."
Gu Junze tidied up the loose hair on her forehead, his eyes calm.
"Tomorrow, I'll tell her myself."
"She is the daughter of our Zhenguogong Mansion. She cannot develop a personality that does not know right from wrong. She needs to know that if she does something wrong, she must bear the consequences. This is the same for everyone."
———
The watchtower in Dongying is covered with snow.
Gu Cheng'an had just finished inspecting the camp defenses and was rubbing his hands as he walked towards his tent when he saw two familiar black figures escorting a man, coming towards him in the wind and snow.
He paused, squinted his eyes, and when he saw the face of the man being held, his face instantly darkened.
"Brother Xuan?"
The shadow guard brought the man closer, released his hand, and bowed to Gu Cheng'an: "General, the Duke has ordered that Young Master Xuan be sent back to the East Camp."
Gu Xuan's legs went weak, and if he hadn't held onto the doorpost of the tent, he would have almost fallen to his knees in the snow.
His whole body was frozen, his lips were purple, and a thin layer of snow covered his shoulders and hair. He looked like he had been fished out of an ice cave.
"Got it." Gu Cheng'an waved his hand, signaling the shadow guard to retreat.
He pulled open the heavy curtain, grabbed Gu Xuan's arm and dragged him in.
"What are you still standing there for! Get in here!"
In the tent, the brazier was burning brightly, making a crackling sound.
Gu Cheng'an pushed Gu Xuan to the edge of the brazier. Looking at his distraught look, the anger in his heart suddenly rose.
"Tell me! What happened?"
Gu Xuan raised his head and opened his mouth, but no sound came out of his hoarse throat.
Gu Chengan poured a bowl of hot water and shoved it roughly into his hands: "Drink it! Explain it to me clearly!"
A warm touch came through the palm of his hand, Gu Xuan shuddered, and his Adam's apple rolled with difficulty.
He held the bowl and told the whole story word for word. From Mei Zi's first attempt...
From the moment he knelt in the snow to the moment his father ordered him to be sent back to the barracks, he did not hide a single thing.
As soon as the words fell, there was dead silence in the tent.
“Bang!”
Gu Cheng'an slammed his palm on the table next to him, causing the bowl of water to shake out.
"You heartless bastard!" He pointed at Gu Xuan's nose, shaking with anger. "How dare you say that! Who was it that brought you out of that wolf den of the Gu family's third branch?"
"You were like a kitten back then, and I raised you little by little until you grew up like this."
"Have you forgotten? When you were five years old, you had a high fever that wouldn't go away and you were talking nonsense. Even Doctor Qian said it was very dangerous. It was your mother who held you in her arms and stayed by your side for three days and three nights!"
Gu Cheng'an became more and more angry as he spoke, his chest heaving violently.
"She loves you like her own son. She holds you in her mouth for fear that you will melt, and holds you in her hands for fear that you will fall."
"In the end, this is how you repay her? Because of a few words from a servant, you allowed her to harm your mother and your unborn brother!"
Every word and sentence was like a red-hot iron, burning Gu Xuan's heart.
He could no longer hold on, his knees gave way, and he fell heavily to the ground, his forehead resting on the cold ground.
"Second Uncle, I was wrong."
"I know I was wrong. I was really wrong."
Looking at him like this, the anger in Gu Cheng'an's eyes was gradually replaced by disappointment.
He sat back in his chair, his voice cold. "The title of Duke of Zhenguo was earned by your father at the cost of his life on the battlefield! What do you think it is? Is it wealth gained by relying on the protection of your ancestors?"
Gu Xuan raised his head suddenly.
"If your father really didn't want you to inherit the family business, why would he send you to this military camp?"
Gu Cheng'an stared at him and spoke slowly, "He sent you here so that you could earn military merit with your own abilities and establish yourself!"
"I want you to stand up straight and take over this family with integrity in the future! Instead of hiding in the backyard like a baby, being bewitched by some illusory things!"
"Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run. He's paving the way for you, you idiot!"
The last sentence was like a thunderclap, exploding in Gu Xuan's mind.
So that's how it is.
It turned out that his father sent him to the military camp not for training, but to entrust him with a task.
He is so stupid.
"Even crows know how to repay their parents, and lambs know how to kneel down to suckle." Gu Xuan knelt on the ground, but his back straightened little by little.
He raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face, "Second Uncle, I won't make the same mistake again."
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