“Concubine Yun need not worry. Father is a reasonable man. He will only feel gratified that I am punishing the culprit who caused me to fall into the water.” “However—” Gu Nanyin deliberately paused for a moment before continuing, “Second Sister is already of marriageable age, yet she remains so wicked, attempting to harm her own legitimate elder sister. This shows that Concubine Yun has failed in teaching her daughter properly. Even if Concubine Yun comes from a humble background and does not understand propriety or etiquette, you should at least be able to distinguish right from wrong. Or perhaps you intentionally indulged her?”
Concubine Yun’s eyes were now red, clearly enraged to the extreme. Like Gu Qinglian, she despised others looking down on her origins. Gu Nanyin merely glanced at her indifferently before continuing with words that could anger someone to death: “Although you are merely a concubine who cannot be brought into proper society, you are, after all, older. Today, I will not hold it against you.” With that, she turned to the two servants: “Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and beat her. I came out in a rush and haven’t had time to eat yet.”
The maids and servants exchanged glances. Seeing that Concubine Yun was utterly defenseless against the eldest young lady, their last trace of worry vanished.
In an instant, the sounds of beating echoed through the air. Gu Qinglian lay prone on the long bench, her body tense, cold sweat beading on her forehead. At this moment, she wished she could skin Gu Nanyin alive. Even though she was a concubine-born daughter, her father’s favorite was actually her and her mother. When had she ever suffered such humiliation?
Gu Nanyin watched as Gu Qinglian glared fiercely at her, feeling an immense sense of satisfaction. This was merely a small interest she was collecting for her past life. Could Gu Qinglian not even endure this? How unfortunate. Without the opportunity to scheme, what could Gu Qinglian possibly use to contend with her?
Gu Nanyin observed Gu Qinglian’s already bleeding buttocks and merely lowered her head to casually examine her fingernails. Concubine Yun watched her daughter’s pitiful, weakened state, her lips trembling slightly, but in the end, she did not utter a plea for mercy. She would never beg Gu Nanyin, as doing so would only further confirm her lowly status.
Gu Nanyin silently counted to twenty before ordering the beating to stop. By then, Gu Qinglian’s skin was torn and flesh exposed, barely breathing.
Concubine Yun quickly instructed her maids to support her daughter. Gu Nanyin, now in high spirits, said, “Concubine Yun, hurry and find a physician to examine Second Sister. I never imagined her constitution would be so weak—only twenty strokes and she’s already this feeble. Had I known, I would have ordered fewer strokes.”
Concubine Yun merely glared at Gu Nanyin with a sinister expression. If looks could kill, Gu Nanyin would have been reduced to ashes by now.
Unfazed, Gu Nanyin waved her hand dismissively. “Let’s go. Concubine Yun is too busy to entertain me today. I’ll visit another time.”
Gu Nanyin linked arms with Madam Gu and cheerfully left the courtyard. She was slightly worried that her sudden fierceness upon waking might have frightened her mother.
Just as she hesitated over how to explain herself, Madam Gu gently patted her head and said, “My Nanyin has grown up and can protect herself now. Mother is very pleased.”
Gu Nanyin’s heart ached. Suppressing her sorrow, she made a promise-like declaration to Madam Gu: “Your daughter will not only protect herself but will also protect you, Mother. From now on, no one will ever bully us again.””Good, good.” Madam Gu was somewhat moved, repeating the word “good” several times in succession, with a sense of pride as if her daughter had finally grown up.
After finishing the meal with her mother, Gu Nanyin returned to her own courtyard with her two maidservants.
“Young Miss, you were truly amazing today,” Qiuzhi said, looking at Gu Nanyin with admiration. Unlike Qiuzhi, who was lively and expressive, Baishao was more reserved, but she also nodded quickly in agreement.
Gu Nanyin was somewhat surprised. “You don’t think I was too harsh today?” After all, she had always been gentle and amiable toward others. Today’s sudden change in temperament worried her, fearing that the two maidservants might struggle to accept it.
“How could that be? Gu Qinglian pushed you into the water. On such a cold day, you only gave her a few strikes with the rod. Clearly, you were being magnanimous and mindful of sisterly affection.” Qiuzhi was so angry at the memory that she didn’t even refer to her as Second Young Miss, instead calling her by name directly.
Gu Nanyin looked gently at the two maidservants who had grown up by her side. Although it was true that Gu Qinglian had pushed her into the water, she had no concrete evidence. Yet, whether it was her mother or these two maidservants, they never doubted her words. Such unreserved trust was truly rare.
Baishao also spoke indignantly. “In the past, Second Young Miss has taken so many precious things from you—all of them brought back by your cousin from thousands of miles away. She has the audacity to just ask for them without a second thought. It pains me to see you part with them.”
Baishao’s reminder made Gu Nanyin recall. Her maternal grandfather was the current prime minister, and her uncle held the rank of General of the Cavalry, both powerful figures in the court. However, her second cousin was an exception—disinterested in officialdom but passionate about commerce. He often traveled overseas, engaging in trade with foreigners and occasionally bringing back rare treasures for her.
In the past, whenever Gu Qinglian took a liking to something, Gu Nanyin would give it to her without hesitation, even if she cherished it herself. Gu Nanyin thought coldly, “Even raising a dog for this long would have fostered some affection. Gu Qinglian is nothing but an ungrateful wolf, always ready to bite the hand that feeds her, no matter how well she is treated.”
“Qiuzhi, go fetch that list of mine. Take a few people to Second Young Miss’s courtyard and retrieve everything. Tell her that if she doesn’t want to return them, she can consider them as charity from me. After all, she and her mother come from humble origins, and they’d likely never lay eyes on such things in their lifetime.” Fortunately, Qiuzhi had always been meticulous, recording every item Gu Qinglian had taken from her, never missing a single detail.
Qiuzhi rubbed her hands together excitedly. “Don’t worry, Young Miss. I’ll make sure not a single item is left behind.” Who would have thought that things given away could ever be reclaimed? All her past heartache now felt worth it, and she almost wished she could light firecrackers to celebrate.
With that, Qiuzhi dashed out, afraid that if she ran too slowly, her mistress might change her mind.
Watching Qiuzhi’s cheerful retreating figure, Gu Nanyin and Baishao both smiled faintly.
Gu Yuanyao had just returned from court and hadn’t even had time to change out of his official robes when a maidservant from Concubine Yun’s side came to summon him.
Though puzzled about what urgent matter could have arisen in the household, he hurried over without delay.
Upon entering the room, he saw Gu Qinglian lying unconscious on the bed. The sight of his daughter’s lower body covered in blood filled him with shock and anxiety. “What happened? How did Lian’er get injured so severely?” Who would dare lay a hand on his precious daughter? He had never even raised a finger against her.Concubine Yun merely wept silently, her tears falling like rain on pear blossoms. The Matron by her side, however, feigned a look of terror and stammered hesitantly, “It… it was the Eldest Miss, Master. You must seek justice for the Second Miss.”