Qiuzhi was puzzled as to why her young mistress cared about this matter when Baishao beside her answered, “I heard it was the master who went to the palace to request imperial physicians.”
“Several came, even the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau,” Qiuzhi added, catching on.
Indeed, Gu Nanyin thought to herself. Her father would never have requested imperial physicians for her. For one, he wasn’t genuinely concerned about her; for another, he had always cared about face—family scandals shouldn’t be aired in public. Her falling into the water was likely something he feared others would find out, lest it implicate his true darling, Gu Qinglian.
So, it went without saying who had sent the imperial physicians, yet Yuan Jue hadn’t even mentioned it. He was always like this, quietly being good to her without ever saying a word.
As Gu Nanyin was lost in thought, she saw her mother walk in carrying medicine. Seeing her awake, Madam Gu was overjoyed: “Nanyin, you’re finally awake! You worried me sick. Drink this medicine quickly.”
Seeing her mother, Gu Nanyin felt a lump in her throat, and tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably. In her past life, her mother had warned her that Gu Qinglian and Concubine Yun were not good people. At the time, she had thought her mother was narrow-minded and had even argued with her about it several times. Later, her mother, afraid of upsetting her, never brought it up again.
Gu Nanyin felt she had been an ungrateful wretch in her past life, hurting those who truly cared for her while treating wolves like family. She wished she could slap herself hard.
Crying, she said, “Mother, I was wrong.” Madam Gu thought her daughter was apologizing for being careless and playing around in the winter without taking care of herself, not knowing that Gu Nanyin was actually apologizing for her foolish self in her past life.
“Don’t be so reckless next time. Do you know how worried I was?” Madam Gu pretended to be stern.
Gu Nanyin hugged Madam Gu tightly, sweetly cooing, “Don’t worry, Mother. I promise there won’t be a next time.” Seeing Madam Gu’s mood lighten, she changed the subject: “But this time, it wasn’t my carelessness. I was pushed by Gu Qinglian.”
The smile that had just appeared on Madam Gu’s face vanished instantly. Previously, she had turned a blind eye to Gu Qinglian’s petty schemes because the girl could amuse her daughter, but now she had dared to plot against her daughter. It seemed she had been too lenient with them.
“Nanyin, drink your medicine and rest first. I’ll go settle the score for you,” Madam Gu said, rising to leave. Gu Nanyin quickly grabbed her mother’s hand, picked up the medicine beside her, and drank it all in one go. Then, eagerly, she said, “Mother, I’m coming too. I’ll seek justice for myself.”
Seeing that her daughter had finally seen through Gu Qinglian’s true nature, Madam Gu didn’t stop her. She simply ordered someone to bring several thick garments and bundled Gu Nanyin up layer by layer before allowing her to leave.
Gu Nanyin watched helplessly as she was wrapped up like a rice dumpling, both amused and exasperated. She had no choice but to step out, carrying her mother’s heavy love with her.
Gu Nanyin led a large group of people into the Qifang Courtyard, where Gu Qinglian and Concubine Yun lived. She had specifically instructed Qiuzhi to summon several sturdy maids and servants accustomed to heavy labor.
“Call Second Young Lady and the concubine out,” Gu Nanyin ordered. She had Qiuzhi bring two stools, and she and her mother sat conspicuously in the middle of the courtyard.
When Gu Qinglian and Concubine Yun emerged and saw this scene, they were visibly confused.
However, Gu Qinglian didn’t think Gu Nanyin was there to cause trouble. After all, she knew her elder sister well—naive and easily deceived.”Sister, if you’re unwell, why not rest indoors? In this bitter cold, be careful not to catch a chill,” Gu Qinglian said with feigned concern.
Gu Nanyin watched her act with an indifferent expression. Having lived a second life, she had no intention of playing the role of a loving sister with Gu Qinglian. In the face of absolute power, all schemes and tricks were useless—a truth Gu Qinglian unfortunately failed to grasp.
But it didn’t matter. She would teach her personally.
“I was ill the past few days, and now that I’ve just recovered, I’ve come today to settle a debt with you, sister.”
Gu Qinglian found it strange that Gu Nanyin’s tone lacked its usual warmth, and hearing her mention a debt only deepened her confusion.
“Sister, are you mistaken? I’ve never borrowed anything from you.”
Gu Nanyin sneered. Indeed, Gu Qinglian had never borrowed anything from her. In her previous life, whenever Gu Qinglian took a liking to something of hers, all she had to do was put on a pitiful act, and her “dear sister” would immediately hand it over, even if she cherished it herself. How could Gu Qinglian ever use the word “borrow”? Borrowing implied returning, and she would simply claim things as her own without hesitation.
“Sister, you truly have a short memory. Let me remind you then—two days ago, while we were playing in the courtyard, you pushed me into the pond. So, you owe me a life. What do you plan to repay me with?”
Upon hearing this, Gu Qinglian’s face instantly paled. She never expected Gu Nanyin to bring this up in public today. In her view, Nanyin had always doted on her since childhood and should have done everything possible to cover up the incident. How could she publicly question her and ruin her reputation?
Didn’t she know how important a woman’s reputation was?
Just as Gu Qinglian was about to retort, two elderly maidservants immediately stepped forward and restrained her. The older one on the left even thoughtfully pulled out a handkerchief and stuffed it into her mouth.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Gu Nanyin’s lips. She had made thorough preparations—how could she allow Gu Qinglian to utter a single word of rebuttal? Did Gu Qinglian think she couldn’t do anything without evidence? The indentures of all the maids and servants in the mansion were in her mother’s hands, and everyone knew perfectly well whom they should be loyal to. If not for her previous life’s blindness to familial affection, what could Gu Qinglian and Concubine Yun possibly have achieved?
“Second Miss, as a concubine-born daughter, you attempted to harm your legitimate elder sister. Though I am merciful, such misconduct cannot be tolerated. Let twenty strokes of the cane serve as a lesson. Remember to strike lightly—I cannot bear to see too much blood,” Gu Nanyin said with an air of indifference.
The servants waiting to administer the punishment immediately understood—this meant blood must be drawn. The two maidservants dragged Gu Qinglian to the prepared bench nearby. Gu Qinglian struggled fiercely, her muffled cries escaping through the handkerchief.
Seeing that Gu Nanyin was serious, Concubine Yun immediately shed her usual fragile demeanor. She anxiously shouted at Gu Nanyin, “Aren’t you afraid of what the master will say when he finds out?”
Though her words were directed at Gu Nanyin, they were meant more for the maids and servants Nanyin had brought. While Concubine Yun and Gu Qinglian were not as favored as Nanyin on the surface, they still held considerable sway in front of their father, Gu Yuanyao. If they took advantage of his absence to punish his daughter, Nanyin might escape punishment, but what about these servants?Gu Nanyin almost wanted to applaud Concubine Yun—her ability to sway hearts was truly remarkable. Since she had entered the room, Concubine Yun had only spoken this one sentence, yet it was clear this woman was far more clever than her daughter.