Tangning’s expression turned awkward as she quickly released her hand from covering Xiao Yan’s mouth, nervously fiddling with the hem of her robe. “Uncle Gu, what are you saying? We’re not here to scheme against you…”
“Hah!”
Gu Helian let out a derisive snort, clearly unconvinced.
Xiao Yan, noticing the young girl’s embarrassment, lightly pinched her wrist, guiding her to sit down. Only then did he speak in an even tone, “This time, we’re truly not scheming against you.”
Gu Helian’s face remained expressionless, his silence saying all too clearly, Do you think I’ll believe that?
“The Princess Consort of Cheng is returning to the Prince’s manor.”
With that single sentence, Gu Helian’s expression changed. The man who had been lounging stiffly straightened his spine, his jaw tightening.
Xiao Yan chuckled lightly. “And yet you pretend not to care. Interesting.”
He pushed a plate of pastries toward Tangning and then leisurely picked up a teacup, rolling it in his hands before casting a glance at Gu Helian.
“The Princess Consort and the Prince of Cheng have been married for over a decade. Their bond runs deep. Now, with a child on the way, if the Prince of Cheng lowers himself and sincerely apologizes, and with Xie Yin being such a filial son, even if she still resents the Prince’s past deception, she might reconcile with him for the sake of her child.”
Gu Helian’s response was cold and cutting: “If she wants to reconcile with him, what does that have to do with me?”
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. “I thought you claimed to be her brother?”
Gu Helian immediately exploded. “Xiao, do you think I won’t beat you to a pulp?!”
Why must this scoundrel always hit where it hurts?
Tangning, sensing the rising tension, quickly interjected, “Uncle Gu, Big Brother didn’t mean it like that. He’s just saying that if you and Aunt have unresolved misunderstandings—ones that might even involve the Prince—then once Aunt returns to the Prince’s manor, there might not be another chance to clarify things.”
“Who needs to clarify anything!” Gu Helian snapped, his tone sharp. He wanted to deny any lingering misunderstandings between himself and Rong Yue, but Xiao Yan’s knowing look saw straight through his bravado.
Xiao Yan leaned back slightly. “The Prince of Cheng has deceived the Princess Consort with such skill and composure in the past that I couldn’t help but doubt his so-called sincerity. So, I had someone investigate his history. What I found was… quite interesting.”
Gu Helian’s gaze narrowed as Xiao Yan continued, his tone light yet pointed.
“I thought, as someone who values the Princess Consort’s well-being, you’d want to strategize with us. But since you’re not interested, I must have misjudged.”
He set the teacup down and rose to his feet. “Tangning, let’s go. We shouldn’t disturb Master Gu’s peace.”
Tangning, momentarily stunned, quickly stood as well. “Apologies for our intrusion, Uncle Gu. Please forgive us.”
Gu Helian watched, speechless, as the pair performed a half-bow and turned to leave.
What is this act?
He knew full well that Xiao Yan wasn’t one to visit him without an agenda. This man’s mind was a tangled web of schemes. If he was here, it was definitely not for idle chit-chat. Yet, as he watched the two head straight for the door without looking back—not even that clingy Little Tangning—his expression darkened.
Just as they were about to step outside, he finally snapped. “Come back here.”
Xiao Yan stopped and turned, his expression neutral. “Does Master Gu have something to add?”
Gu Helian gritted his teeth. “Since this concerns the Rong family, I suppose I should at least hear what you’ve found…”
Xiao Yan smiled faintly. “That doesn’t seem appropriate. With the Grand Tutor of Rong long gone and no ties left between you and the Rong family, it wouldn’t be right to trouble you with this.”
Gu Helian was momentarily struck dumb, glaring at Xiao Yan with barely restrained fury.
“Fine! I suddenly care, is that good enough for you?”
Xiao Yan’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before he relented, his faint smirk deepening. “If Master Gu insists.”
Gu Helian clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking audibly. Gritting his teeth, he added through clenched teeth, “Fine, let’s hear it. Please, Lord Xiao, share your insights.”
Xiao Yan’s composure remained unshaken, though his faintly smug demeanor was enough to drive Gu Helian to the brink.
As Xiao Yan began recounting the findings from his investigation into the Huo family, Gu Helian’s earlier bluster faded.
“She said that?” Gu Helian’s voice was heavy.
“She said it herself,” Xiao Yan confirmed. “The fall that disfigured her was no accident—it was deliberate.”
Gu Helian cursed under his breath. “I always knew that bastard Xie Tianyu was up to no good.”
“You suspected this?” Tangning asked, leaning forward.
Gu Helian’s expression darkened. “When I was still in the Rong family, I heard whispers about Xie Tianyu’s marriage negotiations. Everyone knew about his engagement with the Huo family, but the other two matches were kept so secret that no one outside knew a thing. If there was nothing suspicious, why the secrecy?”
His hatred for the Prince of Cheng was palpable. “That hypocrite! When he set his sights on Rong Yue, he pursued her relentlessly and even went so far as to sabotage those around her.”
Rong Yue’s beauty was renowned in the capital, and many admired her. Among them were several promising suitors whom the Grand Tutor of Rong had favored. Yet, one by one, they all encountered misfortune.
“Once or twice might be coincidence, but when it happens repeatedly, it’s impossible not to suspect something,” Gu Helian said bitterly. “I wanted to expose his true nature, but he always maintained an impeccable public image, giving me nothing to work with.”
He gritted his teeth, his brow furrowed with anger. “Then Rong Yue had that so-called ‘accident,’ and Xie Tianyu conveniently ‘saved’ her. That idiot fell for him and agreed to the engagement. And I, young and foolish, let myself be provoked into ruining everything…”
Xiao Yan regarded him curiously. “So why were you driven out of the Rong family?”
Gu Helian’s expression soured further, and after a moment of silence, he admitted, “On the day of Rong Yue’s engagement, I got drunk and barged into her room.”
Both Xiao Yan and Tangning stared at him in shock.
“Uncle Gu, you…” Tangning began.
“Nothing happened!” Gu Helian snapped, his face flushing red with anger. “I’d had two bottles of wine, but I wasn’t so drunk that I didn’t know what I was doing! I only intended to speak to her through the door, to persuade her to reconsider. But then I heard a commotion inside her room, and in my panic, I rushed in.”
He paused, his fists clenched at the memory. “What I found was Rong Yue drugged, her clothes in disarray, unconscious on the floor. I was so focused on checking her condition that I didn’t realize she’d woken up. And wouldn’t you know it, just at that moment, four imperial consorts delivering congratulatory gifts walked in.”
Gu Helian laughed bitterly, his voice dripping with self-recrimination. “That was it. No matter how innocent I was, it was a scandal that couldn’t be explained away even if he jumped into Fengjiang River.”
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You can read ahead to chapterr 300 (100+ extra chapters) here
Wow they did him so dirty.
ReplyDeleteThey really did
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