Chapter 220 Beating Up the Scumbag Marquis (Second Update)
The old Marquis was unaware that Madam Yao and her son had returned to the capital. He assumed they were still at the hot spring resort and did not send them any message.
He began questioning his son and three grandsons: "What are those rumors circulating in the capital?"
You wouldn't know until you try it, and what you find is shocking. So many major events have happened in the Marquis's mansion during the years he's been away from the capital.
The first thing to worry about is Gu Jinyu's background, which is really distressing. She was actually switched at birth.
Next came the matter of Aunt Ling.
This also explains why Gu Chenglin turned out this way.
Aunt Ling has already been dealt with by Old Madam Gu. The old Marquis didn't ask whether she was dead or alive; he didn't have the time to care about a concubine.
As for the fact that his real granddaughter didn't want to return to the mansion, he didn't take it too seriously.
She's just a maid, nothing to take seriously. Besides, now that she's married, a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; she's no longer considered a member of the Marquis's household.
The four members of the family tacitly kept quiet about how Gu Chenglin bullied Gu Yan and ended up getting beaten up by Gu Jiao.
There's no point in saying anything; they'll just be the ones getting beaten up anyway.
Gu Yan was physically weak and would die from a beating. He never got beaten, no matter what mistakes he made.
Furthermore, the daughters of the Marquis's family are not expected to shoulder the responsibility of the family. From childhood to adulthood, regardless of whether Gu Jinyu caused trouble or not, the old Marquis never laid a finger on her.
Therefore, Gu Jiao will not be beaten.
Even without mentioning this, the Marquis's mansion was in complete chaos—some were skipping work, some were moving out of the mansion, and the upper beam was crooked, so the lower beam was crooked too, and everyone had to be punished!
Lord Gu has already been beaten, so let's beat him again.
Lord Gu: "...!!"
Are you still my biological father?
The old Marquis looked at Gu Changqing: "As the eldest brother, you failed to discipline your two younger brothers. Shouldn't you be punished?"
Gu Changqing lowered his eyes and said, "He should be punished."
The old marquis didn't see the complex emotions in his eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Fine, one hundred lashes."
Gu Chengfeng received fifty lashes, and Gu Chenglin also received fifty lashes.
Gu Changqing said, "My third brother has just recovered from serious injuries and cannot withstand the whipping. I will take the punishment in his place."
Gu Chengfeng hurriedly said, "I can also take the punishment in place of my third brother!"
"Fine, twenty more lashes for each person." The old marquis said coldly, then looked at Gu Chenglin, who only had half a head of long hair. "The remaining ten lashes, if you can endure them, fine; if you can't, I'll just pretend you don't exist!"
The old Marquis is truly ruthless!
When Gu Changqing was disciplining his two younger brothers, Old Madam Gu still dared to cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide. But when the old Marquis gave the order, the whip cracked on his son and grandson, and Old Madam Gu didn't dare to utter a sound.
Lord Gu was beaten until he was covered in bruises.
"Alright," the old marquis said, "Don't kill him. He'll have to go to the palace to apologize."
Lord Gu, utterly despondent: "..."
You really are my dad!
The old marquis brought his son to the palace to plead guilty before the emperor.
The old Marquis knelt down and bowed, clasping his hands in a fist salute: "It is the father's fault for not raising his child properly. That girl has caused a terrible disaster, all because of this unfilial son. I have brought this unfilial son here, and I leave him to Your Majesty's judgment!"
The emperor glanced at Lord Gu, whose face was bruised and swollen, a pitiful sight.
They've already beaten him up like this, he has nowhere left to strike.
The emperor coughed lightly and waved his hand: "Forget it, the fault doesn't lie with Marquis Gu. The little girl is just young and doesn't know any better. We'll discipline her more in the future."
Regarding the reason for Gu Jinyu's punishment, the official explanation remains that he broke the imperial seal, with the addition of the crime of deceiving the emperor.
Whether it was the bellows or the glutinous rice mortar that deceived the emperor, the official statement did not elaborate.
But the more this is the case, the easier it is to achieve two goals at once. Even without evidence of the bellows, there are now many voices in the public claiming that Gu Jinyu falsely claimed credit for the bellows.
Strictly speaking, Gu Jinyu was not primarily responsible for this accident. Although she provided the blueprints for the renovation, it was up to the Ministry of Works to decide whether or not to use them.
The Ministry of Works' Construction Supervision Department had long discovered the problems with her modifications, but instead of stopping them, it skipped the normal trial process and hired a large number of unlicensed workers to start the work illegally.
However, the old Marquis could not exonerate Gu Jinyu. He stated that all losses would be borne by the Ding'an Marquis's Mansion. In addition, he requested the emperor to revoke Gu Jinyu's status as a county princess.
The emperor sighed, "Alas, why is the old marquis doing this? I have already stripped her of her title as a princess, but I will keep her title as a county princess."
"Your Majesty, please rescind your order!" the old Marquis insisted.
The emperor, with an air of "since she insists, I can't very well refuse," issued an edict to revoke Gu Jinyu's title of county princess.
Gu Jinyu finally walked out of the Ministry of Justice, but she couldn't be happy.
Just over two weeks ago, she was a high-ranking second-rank princess, but now she has nothing left.
Falling on flat ground doesn't hurt, but falling from a height does.
Gu Jinyu returned to the Marquis's residence. She first went back to her courtyard to take a comfortable hot bath, changed into clean clothes, tidied her appearance, and then went to the flower hall to pay her respects to Marquis Gu.
She choked back tears, her eyes slightly red: "Grandfather, Jinyu knows she was wrong. Jinyu is willing to go to the ancestral hall to kneel as punishment."
"No need," the old marquis said.
Gu Jinyu was overjoyed. Her grandfather couldn't bear to punish her by making her kneel. Her grandfather still loved her!
The next second, she heard the old Marquis say coldly, "You are not a member of the Gu family, so you are not qualified to kneel and worship the ancestors of the Gu family. Also, don't call me grandfather anymore."
Gu Jinyu froze on the spot.
The old Marquis was always a strict and violent head of the family. He was ruthless when beating his children and grandchildren, except for Gu Yan and Gu Jinyu.
Gu Jinyu had always believed that it was because her grandfather doted on them, but now, she inexplicably felt that her grandfather might not care about her and her brother at all.
Gu Jinyu was wrong.
The old Marquis didn't disregard his siblings; he simply didn't care about her.
The old Marquis dotes on Gu Yan; otherwise, he wouldn't have given Gu Yan two bodyguards, even though he didn't have Gu Chengfeng and Gu Chenglin.
The old Marquis was a typical patriarchal man who favored sons over daughters. He didn't love his own granddaughter, and he loved those who weren't his own children even less.
After settling matters at his residence, the old Marquis entered the palace once more.
The news of the old Marquis's return to the capital quickly spread throughout the city. Almost everyone knew that this once-powerful general had returned. But what did it matter that he had returned? He had long since relinquished his military power, and the Gu family army had been incorporated into someone else's command.
Gu Jiao was always oblivious to what was happening around her. She didn't know that the old Marquis had returned; she was busy taking stock of the wound medicine that had been delivered from the factory.
This is the second batch of wound medicine customized for the military camp.
She then randomly checked a few bottles, and the quality was perfectly fine.
"I don't have anything to do today, I'll go deliver it." She also wanted to deliver something to Xue Ningxiang's brother-in-law, Zhou Erzhuang.
Because of her role in delivering medicinal herbs, Gu Jiao was able to enter the military camp.
The soldiers had just finished practicing martial arts and were resting on the open ground, the air filled with the smell of sweat and weapons.
It was a scent she knew from her past life.
Gu Jiao didn't look around much and took a carriage to the doctors' camp.
She was received by a physician surnamed Lu.
Gu Changqing had given the order a few days earlier. Doctor Lu treated Gu Jiao very politely, but he was also nervous and cautious, saying, "Don't wander around for a while. I'll leave right after I've finished examining the medicine."
This morning they received news that a very important person was coming to the military camp.
The important figure was so high that even the Marquis of Xuanping, who hadn't appeared for half a year, was summoned to the military camp.
Marquis Xuanping was grumpy when he woke up, and he was still angry after sitting in the carriage the whole way. He refused to get off the carriage and said, "I think you, surnamed Ran, don't want to work here anymore."
General Ran stood beside the carriage, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said with a smile, "Your Excellency has misunderstood me. How could I dare disturb Your Excellency's sweet dreams? It's just that..."
As he spoke, he looked around, stepped forward, and whispered close to the carriage window, "People from the palace are coming. The General is worried that he won't be able to handle the situation, so he ordered me to invite the Marquis here no matter what. Half of the soldiers here are from the Gu family army. Ordinary people can't control them. It really takes your presence, Marquis!"
Marquis Xuanping said calmly, "Why would I get involved?"
General Ran awkwardly lifted the curtain: "My lord, please get out of the carriage first. It's quite stuffy inside. I've prepared some fine wine and dishes for you, which will be served to you shortly."
It was indeed quite stuffy inside the carriage.
Marquis Xuanping alighted from the carriage with a cold face.
Even with a cold expression, his handsome and refined appearance, along with his noble air, was undeniable.
General Ran then replied, "It's nothing serious. What the General means is... that you should lead the soldiers in some drills later, preferably arranging them into formations or something, the more impressive the better! I'll call everyone out!"
"Why make such a big fuss? His Majesty doesn't understand." Marquis Xuanping rolled up his sleeves and said casually, "Let's just do something pointless."
The emperor and the old marquis had just alighted from their carriage when they heard this outrageous remark.
The old Marquis: "..."
emperor:"……"
(End of this chapter)
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