Gu Yuanyao found it hard to believe. His two daughters had always been very close, with Nanyin doting on Qinglian excessively. Whatever Qinglian asked for, the elder daughter never refused—this was one of the things he greatly appreciated about Gu Nanyin. In his view, the younger daughter was a concubine-born child, already inferior in status to Gu Nanyin, so it was only natural for Gu Nanyin to yield to Gu Qinglian.
Although Gu Yuanyao’s heart was biased, he couldn’t believe that Nanyin would harm Qinglian so severely. Furious, he declared, “This old woman is spreading lies. Drag her out and beat her.”
Seeing her trusted confidant about to be punished, Concubine Yun had no choice but to speak up: “Master, it truly was the eldest young lady who brought the people. She even said that this concubine is of lowly birth and unworthy of speaking to her.” Concubine Yun added fuel to the fire.
Hearing these words from the woman he loved, Gu Yuanyao had no choice but to believe them. Just then, Qiuzhi arrived with people to demand the items, which only fueled Gu Yuanyao’s rage. He immediately ordered someone to summon Gu Nanyin.
Gu Nanyin had long anticipated this summons. Instead of panicking, she calmly changed her clothes and leisurely made her way over.
Before Gu Yuanyao could voice his barrage of questions, his eldest daughter spoke first: “Although Father’s heart is filled with love for his daughters and wishes to stand up for me, I have already punished Second Sister, which means I have forgiven her. After all, we are family. Please spare Second Sister this time, Father.”
Gu Yuanyao’s accusations lingered on the tip of his tongue, caught off guard by Gu Nanyin’s words. It was true he wanted to stand up for his daughter, but he meant his beloved Lian’er. Why did Gu Nanyin’s words imply that Lian’er was at fault? And what did she mean by “forgiving her”? Did Lian’er need her forgiveness?
But he had long played the role of a doting father in front of Gu Nanyin and couldn’t afford to tear off the mask now. He had no choice but to retreat: “Even if Lian’er made a mistake, as her elder sister, you should be more forgiving. She is still young, and Lian’er has always been sensible…”
Gu Nanyin sneered inwardly. Since childhood, her father had instilled in her the idea that she must yield to Gu Qinglian. As a result, she had fulfilled Gu Qinglian’s every wish, even to the point of sacrificing her own life in the end. Why should she? She and Gu Qinglian were not born of the same mother, and Gu Qinglian had never shown her an ounce of gratitude.
She looked at this man who was her father in name only, feeling no emotion whatsoever. Without even asking what Gu Qinglian had done to her, he as a matter of course demanded her to be accommodating. She had no interest in such a scumbag father.
“As a concubine-born daughter, she deliberately pushed the legitimate daughter into the water. Having her beaten was simply teaching her the proper hierarchy and respect. Father is busy with court affairs and neglects discipline, while Concubine Yun, being of lowly birth, cannot distinguish right from wrong. As the eldest sister, it is my duty to step in. Father need not thank me; this is what I ought to do.”
Gu Yuanyao opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. Gu Nanyin’s unusually firm attitude today felt utterly unfamiliar to him. He had always relied on emotional manipulation with Gu Nanyin, but now it seemed ineffective. A sense of unease crept into his heart.
Gu Nanyin knew full well that her father dared not do anything to her. His current status relied entirely on her maternal grandfather’s family. Her grandfather held a high and powerful position, and her Prince husband was even more influential, capable of overshadowing everything. Having been reborn, she could walk sideways without a care in the world.”By the way, Concubine Yun, I have a record of all the things Qinglian took from me in the past. Please remember to sort them out and send them to me. I won’t trouble anyone to make another trip,” Gu Nanyin said coldly.
Seeing that Gu Nanyin showed not even a trace of respect at this moment, Gu Yuanyao couldn’t hold back any longer. “Nanyin, you’ve truly disappointed your father. How have you become as cold-blooded as your mother?”
Gu Yuanyao thought his words would make his daughter compromise, as Gu Nanyin had always been close to him, her father.
To his surprise, Gu Nanyin simply found a stool and sat down, not even sparing him a glance. “I’m only taking back what belongs to me, and Father is already disappointed. It seems Father’s ability to handle pressure is quite poor. I wonder how he even managed to become the Minister of Personnel.”
How did he manage it? It was all thanks to having a good wife’s family.
“Moreover, my mother is the best mother in the world. If Father thinks she is cold-blooded just because she treats Gu Qinglian differently from me, then Father should reflect on his own issues. After all, it’s not her fault that her mother was of lowly birth and she is merely a concubine’s daughter. If she couldn’t choose a better birth, she has no one to blame but herself.”
“You… you…” Gu Yuanyao was so infuriated by the undisguised mockery in her words that he felt flustered. At this point, he could no longer pretend to be affectionate. After all, Gu Nanyin had practically pointed at his nose and accused him of being ungrateful and opportunistic.
“Look, Second Sister has angered Father so much. It seems my punishment was too lenient. I’ll take note for next time,” Gu Nanyin had no intention of stopping.
Back in the day, her father was just a minor official. Her mother had admired his talent and learning, disregarding his humble background and lowly status. At that time, Gu Yuanyao had indeed treated Madam Gu well, which was why she had defied her family’s objections and married him without hesitation. Her maternal grandfather, sharp-eyed as he was, sensed that Gu Yuanyao was not entirely sincere. However, Madam Gu was the family’s beloved treasure, and since his daughter was determined, he did not stand in her way.
Instead, after their marriage, he vigorously promoted Gu Yuanyao. Otherwise, with so many newly appointed officials in the court each year, how could a minor official like her father ever have risen to prominence?
Unfortunately, her grandfather had not been mistaken. Once Gu Yuanyao had climbed the ranks, he brought his childhood sweetheart and cousin, Concubine Yun, into the household. Not only did he dote on her excessively, but he also lavished affection on their daughter. At the same time, he began distancing himself from his wife’s family, who had helped him rise to power, and even started to feel that Madam Gu’s presence made him a laughingstock—a man who had relied on a woman to reach his current position.
He believed Madam Gu was cold-blooded and unfeeling, unable to treat his precious Gu Qinglian as her own.
Madam Gu, realizing she had misjudged him, chose not to engage in their petty disputes. She disdained using her father’s power and status to suppress them, focusing all her attention on her own daughter instead.
But Gu Nanyin was determined to tear away the last shred of her father’s dignity. If they needed something from her, they would have to beg on their knees. If they couldn’t swallow their pride, they could leave. She had no intention of indulging their arrogance.
Gu Qinglian had already woken up in a daze but pretended to be unconscious, waiting for her father to stand up for her. She never expected her father to be utterly defenseless against Gu Nanyin. Overwhelmed with anger, she fainted once again. Unfortunately, no one present had the mind to pay her any attention.”This courtyard of Concubine Yun’s also seems quite inappropriate. For a mere lowly concubine, the furnishings here do not conform to regulations. If word gets out, people might think Father favors concubines over his wife. However, moving all these things back and forth is too troublesome. Why don’t you simply change courtyards, Concubine? I think you should move to the Lonely Grass Pavilion. Qiuzhi, find a few people to help Concubine move together. Take advantage of the daylight and move there today.” Without even asking, Gu Nanyin made the decision directly.