"Your Highness Consort Rong, Her Majesty the Empress requests that you come to Zhaoning Palace tomorrow. His Highness the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Princess will all be there."
Ling Mama spoke with a forced smile, glancing at Gu Qingfeng, who looked somewhat guilty, and sighed inwardly. The Dingyuan Marquis's family had been loyal and virtuous for generations, but they had never had a child with a temperament like the Second Prince.
They've really been corrupted by Consort Rong.
"Granny Ling, did Her Highness say what it was about?" Consort Rong's heart sank. Gu Qingfeng had already come to her to claim credit for what happened in the Imperial Study yesterday, but judging from the situation, Jiang Yu might not be on Gu Qingfeng's side.
Thinking of this, Consort Rong spoke again, "As you know, His Highness the Crown Prince and the Second Prince cannot afford to fall behind in their studies..."
"Your Highness, there's no need to worry. Our Lady sent someone to ask Master Meng for leave early this morning."
Ling Mama's tough stance left Consort Rong unable to vent her anger.
The next day, when Consort Rong brought her three children to Zhaoning Palace, she realized that something was wrong.
Jiang Yu invited all the wives of the students in the Imperial Study to come over. Even the Princess Consort of Yu and other highly respected ladies in the capital were invited to sit beside Jiang Yu. All the people who had attacked Gu Qingyan stood in the room with droopy eyes. When they saw Gu Qingling and the other two arrive, they quickly showed their pleading expressions.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress." Consort Rong nervously winked at the nanny behind her, and then a palace maid from Lingxi Palace ran out, but Jiang Yu didn't care.
Even if Gu Heng comes, so what? Today, I will definitely seek justice for Ayan.
After hearing Jiang Yu's thoughts, Gu Qingfeng angrily raised his head, "Empress Rong was summoned to Zhaoning Palace before she had fully recovered, and my brother and I had our studies suspended. I don't know what important matter it was for."
Princess Yu and the ladies present frowned deeply. How could the Second Prince be so ill-mannered? He didn't even know to bow to his own mother, the Empress Dowager, and only showed affection to a concubine.
[How could such a disrespectful creature deserve the sincerity I showed it before?]
Jiang Yu stood up and walked to Gu Qingfeng, looking at Gu Qingfeng who was about to jump up and hit someone, and said, "Kneel down."
"What right do you have to make this prince kneel down?" Gu Qingfeng's eyes were bloodshot, and he didn't even notice Gu Qingling tugging at his clothes.
"Why should I? It's because you, Gu Qingfeng, are my son, and I have a responsibility to educate you." Jiang Yu stared intently at Gu Qingfeng, and under Jiang Yu's gaze, Gu Qingfeng's knees suddenly buckled.
"Granny Ling, tell everyone what happened in the study the other day."
As Ling Mama finished speaking, the attendants and ladies involved in the incident turned pale. Consort Rong couldn't help but look towards the doorway. Why hadn't the Emperor arrived yet...?
"Your Majesty, your unfilial son is disrespectful to the Third Prince. Please forgive him this time."
One after another, the ladies knelt down to beg for forgiveness, and the companions involved were trembling all over. They were used to showing off their power with Gu Qingling and her two companions, and this was the first time they had kicked a hornet's nest.
[They're just mere study companions, yet they bully the common people and act arrogantly, relying on the power of the princes and princesses. And these three ungrateful brats don't even try to stop them! How foolish!]
Gu Qingling's face was dark, and even Gu Qingyao hid behind Consort Rong in fear. They felt an inexplicable fear of approaching Jiang Yu.
"Aunt, what do you think?" Jiang Yu changed the subject and asked Princess Yu with a smile.
“Since they are ignorant companions, we can just replace them with another batch.” Princess Yu was a shrewd woman who couldn’t stand concubines being superior to the principal wife, so she naturally sided with Jiang Yu.
"I would like to add one more thing: the princes and princesses are the foundation of the Great Qing Dynasty. If they are raised poorly, it could shake the very foundation of the nation."
Jiang Yu nodded immediately, "Let's do as Aunt Huang said and change the study companions."
Consort Rong's face grew paler and paler. She could clearly feel the dissatisfaction in the eyes of the ladies present. They all knew that the princes and princesses were close to her, so if problems arose, it was naturally because of her poor upbringing.
"The Second Prince not only condoned those around him speaking rudely to his younger brother, but also conspired with the Princess to attack him, slashing Ayan's face." Jiang Yu sneered. "The royal family has never tolerated infighting among brothers. Consort Rong, what do you think?"
[It seems that Consort Rong's words were a subtle provocation, and Gu Qingfeng and Gu Qingyao, being so brainless, blindly followed her instructions, while Gu Qingling, who was slightly more shrewd, watched from the sidelines.]
Before Consort Rong could speak, Gu Qingfeng stepped in front of her, saying, "What brother? Gu Qingyan is not our brother; he's just a bastard."
"Slap—" Jiang Yu slapped Gu Qingfeng across the face without any mercy.
Seeing that Gu Qingfeng was still unwilling to accept the situation and wanted to argue, he was slapped twice more in an instant. Gu Qingfeng's face swelled up on both sides instantly, and tears welled up in his eyes from the pain.
"As a prince, you speak only filthy words. How can the emperor entrust you with important responsibilities in the future? How can the people of Daqing trust you to protect them?"
Thinking of the wounds on Gu Qingyan's body, Jiang Yu still felt angry and walked closer, forcing Gu Qingfeng to retreat repeatedly.
"You gave birth to me but didn't raise me; you're unworthy of being a mother!"
Gu Qingfeng couldn't tell whether he was crying because of pain or some other emotion; he only felt that the woman in front of him, whose eyes no longer belonged to him, was completely unfamiliar.
"I gave birth to you but didn't raise you?" Jiang Yu said as if she had heard a joke. "Gu Qingfeng, apologize to Ayan."
If I had given birth to you but never raised you or protected you, how many times do you think you could have escaped my schemes?
"I won't apologize." Gu Qingfeng spat out a mouthful of blood, finally unable to bear it any longer and loudly accused, "I'm your biological child, why are you favoring Gu Qingyan?"
I am ashamed to have given birth to such a domineering, unreasonable, cold, and selfish child. If I could, I would rather have never given birth to you.
Jiang Yu, her whole body radiating coldness, had icy eyes, and her words were like a chokehold on Gu Qingfeng: "Guards, bring the whip."
"I will raise the wicked child I gave birth to myself."
The ladies present all held their breath, as if the Empress reminded them of the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan before her marriage.
Wanji, the chief eunuch of Zhaoning Palace, held a long whip and struck it once... twice... Gu Qingfeng gritted his teeth and tried his best not to make a sound. Gu Qingling couldn't help but kneel down to beg for mercy, but she fell silent under Jiang Yu's gaze.
"I am clearly your biological child."
The stench of blood filled the air, and Gu Qingfeng finally succumbed to his injuries, murmuring as he fell into a coma.
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