Chapter 32 is just a joke.
After leaving the main hall, Gu Yun'an looked cold and stern, and went straight out of the mansion.
Lately, a tense atmosphere seems to permeate the air in the capital. The affair between Gu Qingxu and Feng Rongrong is like an undercurrent, quietly surging among the prominent figures in the capital.
They were all secretly watching and vying for power, wondering whether the Gu family or the Feng family would be the first to lose in this silent contest.
Gu Qingxu's matter really needs to be resolved.
The carriage had just come to a stop when the morning court session had just ended, and officials were gradually emerging from the palace gates.
He couldn't help but rub his forehead, his heart filled with irritation. He was somewhat annoyed that Feng Rongrong was so impatient; of all people to clash with, it had to be Gu Yun'an!
Gu Yun'an may appear gentle and mild-mannered, but the Gu family is known for its tough characters, especially since he is the only legitimate son of the Gu family.
In his haste, he didn't pay attention to the road ahead. Just then, a clear voice called "Grand Tutor Feng" reached his ears.
Gu Yun'an calmly stepped down from the carriage, his steps steady and composed as he walked towards Grand Tutor Feng. His face was stern, his features deep and sculpted, and his eyes, like cold stars, held an unfathomable depth.
When Grand Tutor Feng saw him appear, a look of surprise flashed across his face for a moment, but he quickly recovered and had to stop. He forced a smile and said, "It is quite a coincidence to meet Lord Gu here."
Even if two literary families have a falling out, they still need to maintain a polite facade.
Gu Yun'an slowly stopped, raising his eyebrows slightly. This was no coincidence; he had clearly been waiting here on purpose.
A smile flickered in his eyes, and with a calm expression, he slowly spoke, "It is indeed a coincidence."
Seeing that Gu Yun'an was only half-heartedly responding, Grand Tutor Feng was unsure of what was going on and dared not make any rash moves.
Gu Yun'an's smile faded, and he spoke in a tone of seeking advice: "I had the pleasure of passing by the Feng residence this morning. It shouldn't have been anything serious, but your daughter's words were a bit too outspoken, and since I happened to run into the Grand Tutor, I came to ask for his guidance."
As he spoke, he lowered his head slightly, as if genuinely seeking advice. If Grand Tutor Feng hadn't already known about Feng Rongrong's offense, he probably would have thought Gu Yun'an was simply there to ask for guidance. Now, it seemed he had come to interrogate him.
The midday sun had risen high in the sky, and more and more ministers were emerging from the palace gates. Upon seeing Grand Tutor Feng and Gu Yun'an there, they all stopped in their tracks.
Everyone in the capital knew that the eldest daughter of the Feng family had almost been shot by the fifth daughter of the Gu family with an arrow. At this moment, everyone seemed to be frozen in place, and they all wanted to stay and see what was going on.
Gu Yun'an wanted everyone to know, otherwise he wouldn't have come here to ambush people. It's just that Gu Qingsu was too flamboyant, making her behavior known to everyone in the capital.
This time, we must resolve her matter discreetly, otherwise, people will say that he is abusing his family's power.
He dared not accept Gu Yun'an's request for advice. He had originally planned to think things over carefully before going to the Gu family to seek an explanation for Feng Rongrong, but he did not expect that Gu Yun'an would come to him first.
Ultimately, Gu Qingxu almost shot Feng Rongrong with an arrow at the banquet, which was witnessed by many people. So, in the end, the Gu family was still in the wrong.
Now that Gu Yun'an has come looking for him, he can't afford to lose face any longer. Feng Taifu thought to himself, but maintained a friendly smile on his face, saying evasively, "It's not really asking for advice; it's just that my daughter is a bit naive, so some of what she said was just a joke."
The vicious words cursing someone to die were turned into a lighthearted joke by Grand Tutor Feng. His ability to distort the truth was truly remarkable. Gu Yun'an couldn't help but wonder why he was a Grand Tutor.
Grand Tutor Feng paused, then raised his voice as if to make sure everyone around could hear him: "Besides, my daughter was frightened by the actions of the fifth young lady of the Ling family at the banquet the other day, which is why she misspoke."
Having said that, a hint of accusation crept onto his kind face as he glanced at the surrounding ministers. The Gu family was powerful, but Feng was no pushover either; it was clear to everyone that the Gu family had been bullying them.
Upon hearing this, the ministers watching from the sidelines gasped in shock, secretly wondering if the two would finally break off their relationship. After all, it was a fact that Gu Qingxu had shot an arrow at Feng Rongrong, and in this respect, the Feng family seemed to have the upper hand.
A gentle breeze brushed against Gu Yun'an's robes, and his already aloof lips curved slightly, revealing a faint smile, but his eyes showed no remorse for what Grand Tutor Feng had said.
He glanced at it calmly, then said unhurriedly, "Grand Tutor Feng said that this matter was actually a misunderstanding. It was just that my fifth sister acted impulsively because my younger sister was pushed into the water by Miss Feng in a moment of panic."
What Gu Yun'an said wasn't entirely untrue; someone did indeed fall into the water that day, and there were rumors that Feng Rongrong was responsible, but there was no direct evidence to suggest she did it intentionally. Gu Qingsu, however, was different; she genuinely intended to harm Feng Rongrong.
Upon hearing this, Grand Tutor Feng frowned, curious to see what he could say.
As he spoke, Gu Yun'an paused slightly, a hint of danger flashing in his dark eyes, like a whirlpool hidden in a deep pool.
"Besides, my fifth sister hit the bullseye with all three of her arrows that day, but when she aimed at Miss Feng, she shot it into a tree. So my fifth sister was just being silly and joking."
He spoke with utmost seriousness, his expression showing no sign of joking, as if it were the truth.
Upon hearing this, Grand Tutor Feng was so angry that he almost burst out laughing. He had almost hit the target, but Gu Yun'an said it was just a joke!
The ministers watching from the sidelines were also taken aback by Gu Yun'an's statement, and dared not breathe, for fear of saying the wrong thing and getting into trouble.
A barely perceptible smile flashed in Gu Yun'an's eyes, as if he didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said. He casually asked again, "What does Grand Tutor Feng think?"
Grand Tutor Feng was furious, feeling that Gu Yun'an's words were utter nonsense! But on the surface, he had to pretend to be calm and composed.
He was extremely agitated. If he didn't go along with Gu Yun'an's words, wouldn't his previous statement that Feng Rongrong was just joking be exposed as false, and wouldn't it only cause him more trouble? But if he agreed, it would mean reconciling with the Gu family about Feng Rongrong's humiliation in front of everyone.
Faced with this dilemma, Grand Tutor Feng couldn't help but inwardly complain that Feng Rongrong was too impatient and had ruined his original plan. He had originally intended to use this to restrain the Gu family.
Some ministers couldn't help but feel worried for Grand Tutor Feng, thinking to themselves, "Who told him to run into Gu Yun'an? This fourth young master of the Gu family is not an easy character to deal with."
Gu Yun'an raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression calm. He did not show any impatience because of Grand Tutor Feng's hesitation. On the contrary, he looked forward to what kind of response Grand Tutor Feng would give.
After all, the Gu family's daughters have all married into high-ranking families, especially the eldest daughter, Gu Qingming, who is currently the most favored Consort Ming. Not to mention, Gu Yun'an is the commander of the Censorate, wielding immense power. Breaking ties with the Gu family would bring the Feng family no benefit whatsoever.
After much deliberation, Grand Tutor Feng let out a sigh of relief, put on a polite smile again, and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "Yes, some of the younger generation are ignorant, and it's inevitable that there will be some stumbles."
As Grand Tutor Feng spoke, the smile on his face became so stiff that it seemed as if it might shatter at any moment.
Seeing that Grand Tutor Feng had accepted the situation, Gu Yun'an saw no need to continue the argument. He straightened his sleeves, smiled, and stepped aside to make way for him.
"I think so too. Then I'll disturb Grand Tutor Feng's return to his residence. Take care, Grand Tutor Feng."
Despite harboring a thousand grievances, Grand Tutor Feng could only maintain a polite facade. The surrounding ministers, who witnessed the entire scene, couldn't help but click their tongues in astonishment. However, they didn't seem particularly surprised, given the Gu family's immense power and influence—a force to be reckoned with in the capital.
Grand Tutor Feng returned home seething with anger. When he saw Feng Rongrong still insisting that he take charge of things for her, his anger flared up instantly.
"After what you said to offend Gu Yun'an this morning, do you think I can do anything for you? Tell me what's the rush? Didn't I tell you to wait?" Grand Tutor Feng glared angrily and shouted.
"I..." Feng Rongrong had been holding back her anger all day, but now, faced with Grand Tutor Feng's rebuke, she could no longer contain herself and said bluntly, "It was clearly the Gu family who sent an insignificant person to humiliate me, which is why I was so angry." Her face was flushed with anger, and her chest heaved violently.
"Besides, it was Gu Qingxu who shot me with the arrow. I want Gu Qingxu to come and bow down to me personally." Feng Rongrong was furious and couldn't help but recall the humiliation she suffered yesterday. The more she thought about it, the more agitated she became, and her voice unconsciously rose a few decibels.
Grand Tutor Feng closed his eyes helplessly, sighing inwardly. This time, let alone making Gu Qingxu bow his head, he probably wouldn't even get a word of apology.
He took a deep breath and looked at his daughter, who was always regarded as a model citizen in the capital, now somewhat hysterical. He lowered his voice and said, "Since the Gu family has apologized, then let's leave it at that and there's no need to discuss it further."
After saying this, Grand Tutor Feng turned and left, his back revealing a hint of weariness and helplessness.
Feng Rongrong was still pondering the meaning behind Feng Taifu's words when, by the time she came to her senses, Feng Taifu had already walked away.
"What do you mean 'that's the end'? Gu Qingxu hasn't apologized to me yet, so how can we stop discussing it?" Feng Rongrong asked, her eyes wide with confusion.
"Then tell me why you pushed the person into the water?" Grand Tutor Feng asked impatiently.
"I...I didn't push her." When Feng Rongrong said this, she had lost her previous momentum and sounded a little weaker.
"Then why are you standing next to her?" He knew Feng Rongrong's character all too well. Would she stand so close to someone she wasn't close to?
"I...I..." Feng Rongrong was speechless. She just wanted to make her lose the pitch-pot game, but it would be dishonorable for her to say it out loud. How could she explain it?
Seeing Feng Rongrong speechless, Grand Tutor Feng pinched his aching brow and impatiently instructed, "Don't leave the manor for the next few days, and don't spend all your time hanging around that boy from the Yi family."
Feng Rongrong has been getting close to people for quite some time now, and she's doing it so blatantly now. Does she think she's not embarrassed enough already?
Upon hearing this, Feng Rongrong became even more depressed. If it weren't for Gu Qingxu, she wouldn't be in this situation.
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