Chapter 228: Chapter 229: Manipulation

Gu Er hadn’t eaten for two days and nights and had knelt outside for so long; when he was carried back to the mansion, he had already fainted.

Mrs. Kong hurried over upon hearing the news, threw herself to the bedside, calling for the Imperial Physician while calling Gu Er’s name, looking utterly miserable.

The people who brought Gu Er back were all from the Zhou Wu Mansion, having arrived with Zhou Wu. At this moment, seeing Mrs. Kong’s condition, everyone was reminded of the imperial edict from the Emperor, and for a moment they didn’t know what to say, especially the people from the Zhou Mansion, who felt particularly awkward in this situation.

“Madam, the master returned with an imperial edict, and the eunuch from the palace also brought the Imperial Physician,” a young maid rushed in from outside, “The person delivering the imperial edict is still waiting for the master to come out and receive it.”

“The master is in this state; how can he receive the decree?” Mrs. Kong wiped away her tears, “Let the Imperial Physician come and see the master. I’ll go out to receive the edict.”

But Zhou Wu stopped her. “This imperial edict, Madam, might be inconvenient for you to receive. Let the eldest young master of the mansion do it instead.”

No one in the room dared to speak, and only someone with Zhou Wu’s status was suitable to step forward.

Moreover, by stepping forward, he was also maintaining the face of the Zhou Mansion.

After all, the Emperor had bestowed a marriage, but Gu Er still had a wife, who belonged to the Duke Mansion. Although Princess Yuanhua was demoted to commoner status, she was still the daughter of the Emperor and Consort Zhou. The Duke Mansion could not resist and could only swallow this bitter pill.

However, this situation likely created tensions between the Duke Mansion and the Zhou Mansion, as everyone perceived that the Zhou Mansion had overshadowed the Duke Mansion.

Perhaps outsiders saw it as an unintentional event, but in the eyes of the Duke Mansion and the Zhou Mansion, it was a warning from the Emperor.

After all, the Eldest Prince had been openly recruiting various forces, and now the royal family was embroiled in a scandal. Whether or not they caused it, the Emperor had already taken his anger out on them.

The Emperor had to show them that with just a word, he could dismantle the connections they had built.

Mrs. Kong looked at Zhou Wu, “Young Master Zhou, I do not quite understand what you mean. I am the lady of the mansion. Now that the master is ill, it is my duty to receive the imperial edict. Is there something in the edict that I should be aware of?”

Mrs. Kong immediately thought of a possibility, eyeing Zhou Wu warily.

Princess Yuanhua and Zhou Wu were also considered cousins.

With Zhou Wu stepping out to speak like this, Mrs. Kong grew more uneasy. “This is an internal matter of the mansion, so there’s no need for Young Master Zhou to worry.”

At this critical moment, Mrs. Kong held herself with the demeanor of the head lady of the house. She instructed the maid beside her, “Prepare and arrange the incense tables to welcome the imperial edict.”

She cast a cold glance around, then led the household servants out, leaving Zhou Wu with a face alternately turning green and red, glaring in the direction Mrs. Kong left, bottled anger unable to be released.

Those in the room also felt awkward. At this moment, they wanted to avoid the situation but couldn’t, and unfortunately witnessed the scene of Zhou Wu being overshadowed by Mrs. Kong, fearing that the Zhou Mansion would not look kindly upon it either.

Yet when Mrs. Kong heard the contents of the imperial edict being read, she was stunned to the spot, not knowing how she was helped up by the servants. By the time she came to her senses, she was already sitting in another room.

No wonder Zhou Wu advised her not to receive the edict. It turned out that the Emperor issued a decree of marriage, bestowing Princess Yuanhua upon Gu Er as his legitimate wife. Then what about her?

Mrs. Kong seemed to realize something and immediately stood up, rushing out of the room like the wind. She charged all the way to the Marquis Mansion. Seeing her approach from a distance, Mrs. Dong as about to welcome her to speak, but Mrs. Kong had already stormed into the Woodland Pavilion, cursing loudly in the courtyard.

“Such a cruel heart! No wonder you’ve been sending things to the mansion these past two days—I foolishly thought the old madam truly forgave our mother and son’s group, never guessing it was to keep us from leaving the mansion, to make Gu Er kneel there in loyalty. Gu Er always looked down on you, thinking you merely oppressed him, but now it appears that despite your usual coldness and detachment, you always had his interests in mind. With such a good marriage now, how could you not have been secretly maneuvering it all along?” Mrs. Kong grew more sorrowful as she spoke, “I was foolish for not seeing all this clearly, but now I’ve been played by you. The imperial decree is already down, and I know I have no strength to oppose it. The Duke Mansion naturally will not stand up for a daughter like me. But today, I’ll say it here for you to hear: as long as I, Mrs. Kong, am alive, the Gu Family will never have a day of peace.”

Mrs. Dong, walking in from outside the courtyard, heard these words and felt her scalp tingle. She quickly took a few large steps forward, “Sister-in-law, I can understand your discomfort, but such words cannot be said. If they spread, how will Brother De find a wife in the future, and how could Sister Yue get married?”

“You, too, act like a weeping cat, pretending kindness, always using such lies to deceive me. Now that I’m about to be cast aside, how can their marriages be related to me? If your Gu Mansion truly cared for these two children, you wouldn’t have done such disgusting things!” Mrs. Kong jerked her hand free from Mrs. Dong’s grasp, her eyes full of venom, “False kindness, each and every one of you in the Gu Mansion wears a mask of false benevolence. Speaking of righteousness and morality while doing such disgraceful deeds. Today, I’ll speak my mind; dare you not let anyone hear?”

Gu Yifeng walked out of the study with large strides, face cold as he looked at Mrs. Kong in the courtyard, “If I hadn’t allowed it, do you really think you’d have entered the Marquis Mansion? Since I’ve let you in today, I naturally have things to explain to you, to save you from this discontent.”

“I had people stop the mansion from knowing, sending the second son to the palace to kneel—that was on my orders. Now that he is with Princess Yuanhua, this matter must be accounted for to the Royal Family, and it is a consequence the second son must bear. Why did he go to Jiangxi? Why has it come to this? You should ask yourself. If you hadn’t given him medicine to prevent offspring, would he have become so sharp?” Gu Yifeng’s face was expressionless, his lips barely moving, yet his words were as cold as knives, “So what about the Duke Mansion? Do you really think I hold back only because of the Duke Mansion’s face? Were it not for the two children’s sake, a venomous woman like you should have long been sent to a nunnery or simply caught a sudden terminal illness and perished.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep