Gu Qingzhao turned her head and saw her father, Gu Yuande, standing beneath the veranda, with Xiao Hongshuang at his side.
At that moment, Xiao Hongshuang was coaxing him: “Second Brother, don’t be angry. Isn’t Jin’er safe now? Fortunately, her fate is strong—though the pregnancy was shaken, the doctor says the child can still be kept. Otherwise, if Prince Cheng were to blame us, we’d truly have no way to explain.”
“Since Jin’er is fine, why not spare Zhao Zhao this time?”
It sounded like persuasion, but in truth it only poured oil on the fire.
Gu Yuande’s anger flared even higher. “This girl has been spoiled by us. If she goes on like this, sooner or later she’ll cause a disaster.”
But the moment Gu Qingzhao saw Xiao Hongshuang, a chill ran down her spine. So they no longer bothered to hide? By rights, with such a relationship, Xiao Hongshuang should never have come to the main courtyard. Yet here she was—and clearly not for the first time. For the eight years her mother had been absent from the household, had the main courtyard truly housed only her father?
Gu Qingzhao glanced around at the maids and old servants moving about the yard. Suddenly she realized: these were all her father’s people—or rather, her father’s and Xiao Hongshuang’s.
Most of her mother’s dowry servants had retired. The few trusted ones left were all serving at the valley.
While Gu Qingzhao lowered her gaze in thought, Gu Yuande had already come forward, whip in hand, his face dark with fury, ready to strike.
Chūnlán and the others quickly shielded Gu Qingzhao behind them. Chūnlán had already resolved: if the Duke dared to raise his hand, she would fight back.
But Gu Qingzhao signaled them to step aside. She walked up to Gu Yuande herself, her bright eyes fixed on him. Just as he was about to lash out, she spoke: “Father, if you beat me because of those things—remember, they were gifts from Uncle and Cousin. If you punish me for that, what will Uncle say when he finds out?”
Gu Yuande’s raised hand froze in midair. What would happen?
Her maternal uncle treated Gu Qingzhao as though she were his own daughter. With his fiery temper, if he learned of today’s events, he might well storm into the capital with a spear in hand.
Most importantly, her father still relied on Prince Liao’s household.
Gu Qingzhao knew he had scruples. If she remembered correctly, in her previous life her father had secured a lucrative post procuring grain and military supplies for the frontier—thanks to her uncle’s recommendation at court.
It was a fat assignment, rich with profit. By sheer fortune, an early cold snap that year made grain procurement extremely difficult. Yet somehow her father managed to complete the task. The emperor praised him highly and entrusted him with the responsibility thereafter.
Gu Qingzhao’s naked threat made Gu Yuande’s expression falter; for a long moment, he was struck dumb.
Seeing this, Xiao Hongshuang stepped forward and spoke with solemn concern: “Zhao-jie, you mustn’t speak to your father like that—especially in front of so many people.”
Then her tone dropped, heavy with implication: “You mock me for being born of a concubine—I don’t hold it against you. I am your elder; I won’t stoop to quarrel. But your Third Aunt must teach you: you must show respect to your father.”
Gu Yuande’s face darkened at once. He turned to Xiao Hongshuang. “What did she say to you?”
Xiao Hongshuang quickly shook her head. “Second Brother, don’t ask. She’s young—it was thoughtless.”
Though she called him “Second Brother,” her eyes were languid, and her voice carried a coquettish lilt.
Gu Yuande pressed her twice more, but Xiao Hongshuang kept deflecting.
As the two exchanged words, Jinse, Xiao Hongshuang’s maid, suddenly dropped to her knees. “Duke, our lady has been wronged. We beg you to uphold justice for her.”
When Jinse suddenly dropped to her knees, Gu Yuande immediately demanded, “Speak—what exactly happened?”
Jinse replied gravely, “Duke, Third Miss’s words were far too harsh. Today…” She recounted everything Gu Qingzhao had said and done at Tangliwu.
When she finished, Xiao Hongshuang snapped sharply, “Jinse, you talk too much.”
But Gu Yuande, having heard her account, glared furiously, eyes wide with rage. Pointing at Gu Qingzhao, he shouted, “How dare you speak such things? I warn you—never again insult your Third Aunt in this way.”
“Don’t think that just because your mother is the principal wife and your Third Aunt is not… in truth, your Third Aunt—”
Gu Qingzhao arched her brows slightly, waiting for the rest of his words.
But Xiao Hongshuang gave a sudden soft cough, and Gu Yuande seemed to come to his senses, cutting himself off mid-sentence.
Suspicion stirred in Gu Qingzhao’s heart. What had her father left unsaid? Was there some hidden truth?
As she lowered her gaze in thought, a commotion rose outside the courtyard.
Moments later, the gates swung open, and Madam Xiao Tingyun, Duchess Ying, entered with a train of attendants.
Seeing her mother return, Gu Qingzhao froze for an instant—then her eyes reddened. In the next breath, tears burst forth like a broken dam, impossible to restrain. No one knew what she had endured across two lifetimes, nor how she had clawed her way back from endless pain and despair to be reborn.
“Mother…” Gu Qingzhao choked out, running forward and throwing herself into Xiao Tingyun’s arms.
Xiao Tingyun stiffened in shock—not because her daughter was suddenly so affectionate, but because in her sobs she heard a grief so deep it could drown a soul. And in her daughter’s eyes as she rushed toward her, there was no longer the innocence and clarity of youth. Instead, it was the gaze of one who had crossed mountains and rivers, endured life and death, and finally found her way home.
What had her daughter lived through? Xiao Tingyun’s hand hovered uncertainly in midair, hesitating. When was the last time her daughter had clung to her so desperately?
It seemed to have been the year little Yan was born, when she had to take him to the valley for treatment. Her daughter, unwilling to let her go, had held her tightly all night long. Later, because she neglected her, the bond between mother and daughter gradually grew distant.
Xiao Tingyun hesitated only for a moment before reaching out to embrace the person in her arms. Gently stroking her back, she whispered in comfort, “Zhaozhao, don’t be afraid. Mother has returned, and I will never leave again.”
At that moment, Nanny Chen, who was beside Xiao Tingyun, carried the sleeping Gu Yannian toward the western side chamber.
The other attendants serving Xiao Tingyun all stood waiting nearby.
After a while, Gu Qingzhao’s sobs quieted. Only then did Xiao Tingyun turn a cold gaze on Gu Yuande. “What have you done to Zhaozhao?”
Her eyes fell on the whip in his hand. Word by word, her voice cut sharp and icy: “You dared to use family discipline on my daughter!”
Gu Yuande detested Xiao Tingyun’s forceful nature most of all. Hearing this, he snapped back, “Why don’t you first ask what your daughter has done?” He spoke that way because he hadn’t yet decided how to explain matters to her.
Watching Gu Qingzhao weeping in Xiao Tingyun’s arms, he felt a flicker of surprise. In the past, even if she suffered grievances, she would never show it before her mother. What had changed today? When had their mother-daughter relationship mended?
Xiahe, after a quick thought, stepped forward and softly explained what had happened that day. She mentioned retrieving things from Gu Qingjin, which inevitably led to a discussion of Gu Qingjin’s connection with Prince Cheng.
Xiahe’s temperament was gentle, her tone mild, yet her narration was clear and concise. In no time, she had laid out the entire situation, leaving nothing unsaid.
By the time she finished, Xiao Tingyun’s face was dark as water. “Gu Yuande, is this how you act as a father? Siding with outsiders, humiliating and bullying your own daughter?”
Her words had barely fallen when Xiao Hongshuang stepped forward. “Second Sister-in-law, don’t be angry. It was my failure in teaching my daughter…”
But before she could finish, Xiao Tingyun’s piercing gaze swept over her. “I am speaking to the Duke. You have no place to interrupt!”