After Jiang Yu left, Gu Qingyao ran to the side hall where Consort Rong was.
"The moon shines outside the window, the child has parents, don't cry, don't cry..."
Seeing the deranged Consort Rong, Gu Qingyao snatched the pillow from Consort Rong's arms, saying, "Don't think you can escape all your crimes by pretending to be crazy."
"Why did you try to take my child?" Consort Rong said fiercely. "Let go of my child, or I'll fight you to the death."
Gu Qingyao stared intently at Consort Rong, tears streaming down her face.
"Why did you give birth to me?" Gu Qingyao forcefully grabbed Consort Rong's shoulders. "You've already given birth to me, so why do you insist on registering me under the Empress Dowager's name? I'm a person, not an object for you to dispose of at will!"
The pent-up resentment finally erupted, and Gu Qingyao broke down in accusations against Consort Rong for her past misdeeds.
"They switched my mother's child with theirs but didn't properly educate me, leaving me to live in a daze for nine years, becoming the laughingstock of the entire capital!"
Everyone in the capital said she was willful and capricious, but Consort Rong used this to criticize her mother for not teaching her daughter properly and never tried to advise her.
"If I eat myself into a fat, bloated state, not a single noblewoman in the capital will want to befriend me!"
Gu Qingyao was pulled down to the ground by Consort Rong, but Gu Qingyao was completely unaware and kept questioning her.
“If anything happens, the first person you'll abandon is me.”
She was filled with hatred! She hated herself for being unable to distinguish right from wrong, for causing such great harm to her mother, and for leading to this irreparable situation.
It's laughable that she was tormented by nightmares every day, while Consort Rong went mad, freeing herself from all the guilt and remorse she should have borne.
"My child, my child..."
Consort Rong nervously hugged the pillow to her chest. "My dearest child, don't cry."
Gu Qingyao's tears flowed even more profusely. Consort Rong had never coaxed her so gently before; she would only trick her into doing things that would damage her reputation.
Gu Qingyao was sobbing uncontrollably, while Consort Rong smiled foolishly and gestured with her hand to her stomach, saying, "Our bellies are the same size, even the heavens are helping me."
"Shh, you've overdone it, the baby will get too big and have a difficult delivery..."
As she spoke, Consort Rong's expression suddenly changed, and she began to exude a torrent of jealous venom. "She's so lucky. She managed to give birth to the child even after a difficult labor."
Seeing Consort Rong's deranged state, Gu Qingyao's teeth chattered. "You've done such a heinous thing, you'll go to hell after you die!"
As she cried, Gu Qingyao got up and wiped away her tears.
"It's okay. You have to live well. Your face and mine are the irrefutable proof that you switched the two faces back then. Yes, I have to live well too."
......
[Wanji found too many children around ten years old in the capital, yet I don't even know whether the child from back then was a boy or a girl.]
Upon learning that Consort Rong had gone mad, Gu Heng immediately sent someone to take her back to Lingxi Palace, as if he were afraid that she might ramble on about something incoherent.
Even Gu Heng himself began to reduce his presence in front of Jiang Yu.
The Zhaoning Palace has returned to its former tranquility.
That child is suffering; he couldn't have been raised in a wealthy family and pampered.
Jiang Yu was making some aimless guesses until she received another letter from Heng County. This time, Gu Lin's name appeared in Gu Qingyan's letter.
"Huo Xiang?" Jiang Yu's heart trembled slightly. "Ayan has only been in Heng County for a short time, yet he has praised this person so highly."
Sitting opposite him, Jiang He paused upon hearing this. The letter A-Yan gave him was quite different from the one he gave A-Yu. In the letter he held, A-Yan recounted the assassination attempt. In essence, this Huo Xiang had saved A-Yan's life.
“Ayan is a clever child; he must have investigated this person thoroughly before he felt at ease,” Jiang He said softly. “Now that the identities of the three Crown Princes have been confirmed, what are Your Majesty’s plans next?”
"Find my child from back then and remove Gu Qingling from the position of Crown Prince."
Jiang Yu's eyes were filled with darkness. If she didn't fight back after being schemed against like this, she would be unworthy of being a mother.
“Brother, it will take a day to find out the truth about this matter. I have already sent people to investigate. Right now, the most important thing is Ayan. The investigation into Heng County is getting deeper and deeper, and I am worried about Ayan’s safety.”
Jiang Yu felt inexplicably uneasy on the day Gu Qingyan gave birth, and she still feels lingering fear when she thinks about it now.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, we have already found clues regarding the matter in Heng County." Jiang He paused, "Lord Wei Sheng seems to be getting quite close to the Crown Prince lately."
Jiang Yu's expression suddenly hardened; Gu Qingling had also become involved in this matter.
The next day, Jiang Yu went to the Imperial Study.
"Mother?"
Gu Qingling was clearly surprised by Jiang Yu's arrival and quickly concealed her emotional fluctuations.
[Gu Qingling has been relentlessly trying to win over ministers outside the palace lately; she's incredibly foolish!]
Gu Qingling's face instantly turned ashen, and his nostrils flared as he exhaled. "Mother, what brings you here to see your son today?"
"I've come to bring you some food," Jiang Yu said calmly. "Consort Rong has gone mad, and I was worried that it would affect you, so I came to see you."
[It's unlikely that Gu Qingling will be affected much; to Gu Qingling now, Consort Rong is practically a stranger.]
Listening to Jiang Yu's inner rant, Gu Qingling's forehead veins started to bulge.
He didn't understand why he suddenly became so worthless in Jiang Yu's eyes, even worse than Gu Qingfeng and Gu Qingyao.
"Thank you for your kindness, Mother. I was just about to go to Lingxi Palace after school today."
Jiang Yu nodded upon hearing this. "If you have some free time, go to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence to visit your uncle. He's been very busy with military affairs lately, so you should go and help him with some of the work."
Gu Qingling's eyes lit up. "Go to Uncle's?"
“Your uncle came to the palace yesterday and specifically mentioned you,” Jiang Yu continued with a half-smile. “Going to the Marquis of Dingyuan’s residence will put your father’s mind at ease than going to other officials’ residences.”
"Thank you, Mother."
Gu Qingling's words were noticeably more sincere now. With Jiang Yu's words, he could legitimately go to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence.
After Jiang Yu left the study, Gu Qingling's mood improved significantly, and even her previous frustration with Jiang Yu's attitude towards her lessened.
"Your Highness, wouldn't it be too conspicuous to go to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence at this stage?" Xu Dong asked tentatively.
"The Marquis of Dingyuan's residence is my maternal family, so it's the least conspicuous place for me to go there." Gu Qingling waved her hand. "Tomorrow, take the longsword that Lord Wei gave me and see if my uncle will take a liking to it."
"If I could go to the military camp with my uncle to gain some experience, that would be the best."
Gu Qingling happily returned to her seat in the study, while Xu Dong lowered his head, concealing the gloom in his eyes.
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