Chapter 114: Chapter 113: Turning Away in Disdain

Gu Er saw that his mother was truly angry, and his playful grin vanished.

Mrs. Kong was so frightened that she didn’t even dare to breathe heavily, but even as she tried to hide, Mrs. Gu Sr. did not let her off, “You’ve really opened my eyes. This is the daughter brought up by the Duke Mansion, beating her own man to a pulp. With actions like yours, how will you keep the servants in line in the future? Have you learned the virtues of the Three Obediences and Four Virtues of women only to throw them to the dogs? Is this all you learned about the codes of a noble lady? Since you married into this mansion, carrying a child, I spared you the etiquette, and after such events, you ought to have understood the rules. That’s why I have never interfered in matters of your courtyard. But look now, you’re a woman in the inner quarters who dares to lay hands; what will you not dare to do in the future?”

Mrs. Gu Sr. hardly ever said these things now, yet she uttered all these words in one breath.

Mrs. Kong was so frightened that all color drained from her face, her legs weakened, and she knelt on the ground.

As she knelt, the servants in the room also knelt.

Nanny Guan was also on edge, knowing that the Second Young Master had forgiven the Madam, but passing Mrs. Gu Sr. was not going to be easy.

Acting this way today, saying all these things without sending the servants away, how is the Madam supposed to maintain her dignity later?

Mrs. Kong, having been pointed out for her premarital pregnancy, was already tied up with such thoughts that she couldn’t think of anything else, feeling so humiliated she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

Mrs. Gu Sr., however, cared not at all about Mrs. Kong’s shaky state from these words, showing her disdain unapologetically, clearly revealing her intense dislike for Mrs. Kong.

Mrs. Gu Sr. had always believed that girls raised by the Duke Mansion couldn’t be bad, yet she forgot to consider this point when looking at the inner workings of the Duke Mansion.

When Mrs. Gao married into the Duke Mansion, there were no concubines in the Duke Mansion inner courtyard, and later Mrs. Gao, though unable to conceive for a while, was too narrow-minded to allow concubines to have illegitimate children until she bore legitimate sons and daughters; no other offspring were born in the Duke Mansion over the years.

In such a large inner courtyard, only one woman was able to have children. What does that indicate? Who wouldn’t understand?

After all, because she was the principal wife and bore legitimate children, everyone turned a blind eye.

Mrs. Kong is Mrs. Gao’s daughter, so how could she not be as narrow-minded as Mrs. Gao? Just look at the second branch, apart from the legitimate children, are there any illegitimate offspring?

The Gu Mansion back then was one of three generations of honorable deaths, already sparse in offspring, and now the eldest branch doesn’t even have legitimate children. Only two male heirs from both branches combined, how could that not make Mrs. Gu Sr. anxious?

Mrs. Dong over there is indeed virtuous, but ultimately the eldest branch’s child luck is thin, and forcing it doesn’t help. Yet, she happens to encounter someone like Mrs. Kong…

Mrs. Gu Sr. closed her eyes, a feeling of indescribable regret in her heart.

It was her doing after all.

“You are a girl from the Duke Mansion, these words I need not say, you should know them clearly yourself.” Mrs. Gu Sr. looked at her indifferently as if she wasn’t looking at her, “Supporting your husband and teaching your children, which have you accomplished? Sister Yue is ten years old, isn’t she? A nanny was even hired for her upbringing, yet why does she still have these manners? I merely thought you cherished your daughter and turned a blind eye, just hoping that she wouldn’t cause big trouble, but she’s still developed a mouth that sows discord. A girl from a noble family with such conduct, does she intend to marry into a lower court official’s family in the future? And why has the Second Young Master been idling day by day, you can’t not know why, can you? His conduct is already tainted, and in the future, even if he ascends to officialdom, people will use this against him.”

“What can you do besides raising spoiled children and entangling your own man?” Mrs. Gu Sr.’s gaze was cold.

“Mother…” Such accusations, could they still leave her with any way to survive?

Even if this matter passes, won’t she always be a rung below Sister Lin, how will she manage herself?

“Second Young Master indiscriminately hit Sister Yue, Sister Yue is also a piece of flesh from my body, how can I not feel distressed, I pushed Second Young Master, that was also an impulsive moment…”

Nanny Guan quietly cried out bad behind her, wanting to intervene but it was too late; Mrs. Gu Sr. had already rebuked her aloud.

“Fool.” Mrs. Gu Sr. interrupted her defense abruptly, “Do you still think you have a point? At this point, do you still not know where you went wrong? Do you still not know how to repent? The filial child fostering is a heaven-commanded principle, even with servants present, you didn’t know to maintain the dignity of the family’s man, only knowing to tear and fight like a shrew from the marketplace, where did your marriage wife obedience go? Don’t tell me you used to confront the Duke like this in the Duke Mansion? Then I have witnessed it myself, truly enlightened, these are the rules of the Duke Mansion.”

“Do you feel that me scolding you now has caused you to lose face? Then did you know when Gu Er was instructing Sister Yue, if you wanted to preserve your and Sister Yue’s face, you should have sent the servants out, then let Sister Yue admit her mistake to Gu Er, preserving Gu Er’s dignity, and letting Sister Yue fulfill her filial duty. At least in this way, it wouldn’t lead to such mockery as it does now.”

Mrs. Kong bit her lower lip until it bled through, her mother-in-law only knew how to scold her, and still in front of the servants; knowing to say she should have driven the servants away, why doesn’t the mother-in-law expel them?

Could it be it’s just to disgrace her?

Thinking she has been married into the mansion for ten years, never favored by her mother-in-law, now being humiliated so directly by her, no wonder the servants in the mansion are all respectful on the surface but contemptuous at heart, is it not all her mother-in-law’s doing?

“I won’t say more about today’s matter, just let someone send you back to the Duke Mansion first, you can learn the rules thoroughly in your maiden family, before coming back. If you can’t learn the rules well, then don’t come back anymore. Although our Gu Mansion has never had a precedent of dismissing a wife and remarrying, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.” Mrs. Gu Sr. watched her with a sullen face and just felt it was an eyesore, not wanting to look any longer.

“Mother?” Mrs. Kong widened her eyes in shock, “I have already admitted my mistake, and know I was wrong, why is mother still forcing me like this?”

“Forcing you? This old woman never knew how to make things difficult for people, had I truly made things difficult, I would never have agreed to let you enter the mansion with dignity back then.” Mrs. Gu Sr. sneered, “Since you already think of me as a villain, then just consider it my forcing you.”

Mrs. Gu Sr. waved her hand, “Take your Madam to pack up her things, and send her back to the Duke Mansion today.”

Gu Er on the side wanted to speak up to persuade, but was stared down by his mother and lowered his head again, thinking it’s just going back for a few days, waiting for his mother’s anger to dissipate before bringing her back.

Moreover, if he countered his mother now, wouldn’t it break his mother’s heart?

His mother is, after all, standing up for him now.

Seeing that Gu Er did not even plead for her, Mrs. Kong felt completely dead-hearted, collapsing on the ground, she was dragged out of the room still supported by two older women.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep