Gu Qingzhao’s expression was unreadable. “Brother Tong, then tell us—was it your left cheek or your right cheek that he struck?”
Gu Yantong froze, the hand on his right cheek suddenly stiffening. “I… I misspoke at first,” he stammered.
Gu Qingzhao turned toward the Old Madam and Gu Yuande. “Grandmother, Father, it’s plain to see—Brother Tong is lying.”
The Old Madam’s brows furrowed. “Brother Tong, speak the truth. Did Brother Nian strike you or not?”
Gu Yuande’s face darkened as well; clearly, he hadn’t expected Brother Tong to fabricate the story.
But Xiao Hongshuang quickly interjected, “He’s just a child! Nervous children make mistakes—it’s normal. He’s only seven. Do you expect every word to be flawless?”
Xiao Tingyun shot her half-sister a displeased glance. This concubine-born sister was still the same as ever—able to argue three points out of nothing.
Gu Qingzhao, seeing that Hongshuang would not admit defeat until the coffin was nailed shut, gave a soft laugh. “Of course, there is other evidence.”
She set Gu Yannian back onto the chair where he had been sitting earlier and whispered, “Yannian, whatever I ask you to do, just follow my lead.”
By now, Gu Yannian had stopped crying and regained his composure. He nodded solemnly. “I’ll listen to Sister.”
Gu Qingzhao then called Gu Yantong forward and placed him in front of Gu Yannian. “Yannian,” she said, “strike Brother Tong across the face.”
At once, Xiao Hongshuang cried out, “Third Miss, what are you doing? How can you encourage him to hit someone?”
Gu Qingzhao shot her a cool glance. “I know Third Aunt is anxious, but you can wait a moment before panicking.”
Gu Yannian hesitated. He had never struck anyone before. In the valley, all were kindly old men—he wouldn’t even raise his voice for fear of startling them. But he had promised to obey his sister. So he raised his hand, intending to slap Gu Yantong in the face. Yet even with his arm stretched to its fullest, he could only reach Gu Yantong’s chin. “Sister, I can’t reach.”
Because he had failed her instruction, Gu Yannian looked guilty.
Gu Qingzhao arched her brow at the gathered family. “Yantong is a head taller than Yannian, and Yannian is seated on a low chair. Everyone can see—he couldn’t possibly reach Yantong’s face. Unless Yantong bent down to offer it, how could he have been struck?”
“Yantong himself said he was standing, while Yannian was sitting.”
The truth was now laid bare: it was Gu Yantong who had pushed Gu Yannian, not the other way around.
Gu Yantong was young, but not foolish. Seeing his mother’s eyes full of bitter disappointment, and his grandmother and second uncle’s faces clouded with disapproval, he finally realized the gravity of the situation. Flustered, he no longer knew whether to explain further or simply confess. In his panic, he burst into tears.
Xiao Hongshuang rushed forward to embrace him. She wanted to cry along with her son, perhaps even to sway Third Master with her tears. But remembering the Old Madam’s stern warning from the day before, she forced herself to hold it back. This trick worked well, but it couldn’t be used too often—overused, it would lose its effect.
Gu Yuande was unsettled. The usually obedient Gu Yantong—how had he learned to lie? He mulled over how to punish the boy, but when his gaze fell on Xiao Hongshuang, his resolve wavered. The anger in his chest dissolved into pity. Forget it. He owed mother and son too much. He would teach the child slowly, in time.
“From my point of view…” Gu Yuande began, ready to settle the matter.
But before he could finish, Gu Qingzhao cut in. “Father, Third Uncle is gone, and he left only this one son. I don’t think we should punish him too harshly. Let him bow and apologize to Yannian, take ten strikes on the palm, and kneel in the ancestral hall for one night.”
Gu Yuande: …
This was her idea of leniency? He hadn’t intended to punish Gu Yantong at all—just a scolding.
Xiao Hongshuang clutched her son tighter, casting a pleading look at Gu Yuande.
Gu Yuande coughed lightly. “Isn’t that punishment a bit too heavy? Let him apologize, and let that be warning enough.”
Gu Qingzhao’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Too heavy? Father fears offending our late Third Uncle? Then all the more reason to punish him. If Third Uncle knew his only son lied and struck his own brother, he would never rest easy in the grave. We cannot let outsiders say that because his father died, the boy was left untaught.”
As she spoke, Gu Qingzhao fixed her gaze on Gu Yuande. At the words “his father died,” his lips twitched involuntarily. Her suspicion deepened.
“Father, since his own father is gone, you, as his uncle, are his guardian—you must discipline him.”
Gu Yuande was still pondering when the Old Madam spoke: “Do as Zhao-jie’er says.”
With her word given, Gu Yuande could not object further.
Thus, Gu Yantong bowed and apologized to Gu Yannian, received ten strikes on the palm, and was sent to kneel in the ancestral hall. He was only seven, of course, so attendants and nurses accompanied him.
Gu Qingzhao had no wish to truly torment a child—only to teach him a lesson and to warn Xiao Hongshuang.
Before the meal, the Old Madam suddenly called Gu Qingzhao forward.
“Why did you decide to donate those things to the Cien Treasury? Was it just to embarrass your father before Eunuch Su?” Her gaze was calm, not angry—only probing.
Gu Qingzhao showed no panic. She shook her head. “Grandmother, I didn’t know Father would come. Before they entered, there were many people in the courtyard—I didn’t see anyone outside. And I told Father already, the items were meant for the Cien Treasury. As for donating them… forgive me, Grandmother, but I couldn’t bear Gu Qingjin wronging me and still taking so many of my fine possessions. I could have asked you to intervene, and I believe you would have allowed me to reclaim them. But this time, the Gu family’s scandal is too great—it involves a prince and the Imperial Uncle. Surely the Empress Dowager is furious. We cannot expect her anger to vanish just because we donate, but at least when she recalls this matter, she may also remember the Gu family’s goodwill. I fear nothing else—only that unrest at home will harm Father’s career and the family’s reputation.”
The Old Madam’s pupils trembled. Without this incident, she would never have realized her granddaughter had such vision.
“As long as you weren’t trying to shame your father. Sit down; the meal is ready.”
Servants brought warm water. Madam Chen attended the Old Madam, while Xiao Tingyun and Xiao Hongshuang served dishes.
“Everyone, sit.”
Gu Yuande and Gu Tingyun sat with Gu Yannian at the Old Madam’s table. Madam Chen and Xiao Hongshuang sat with the young ladies.
The hall was hushed as they ate, scarcely a sound to be heard. Halfway through, faint voices rustled outside. Too soft to catch the words.
The Old Madam frowned slightly. Her attendant Nanny Qin hurried out, whispering, “The masters are dining—what are you doing out here?”
A reply came from outside.
Moments later, Nanny Qin returned. “Concubine Wan is in severe pain, bleeding. The servants dared not disturb the meal, but those from Qingyi Court are desperate to see the Duke, so they made a commotion.”