Chapter 118: Dawn
Upon returning to his mansion, Gu Jie immediately knelt on the blue stone slabs in front of his parents’ courtyard.
The blue stone slabs were still radiating the summer heat, like burning coals.
His clothes were soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to his body. His knees had long gone numb, and though his body was burning with fever, his heart was filled with sorrow…
“If you’re going to kneel, go kneel in the ancestral hall!”
The clapper’s sound at the hour of Yin drifted into his ears, and the door suddenly burst open.
Madam Chun stood at the threshold, wearing a plain velvet outer robe.
“Take that lowly maid and kneel before the ancestral tablets to beg for forgiveness!”
Gu Jie fell to the ground, “Mother, please…”
Madam Chun looked at him coldly and slammed the door shut with a bang.
Gu Jie wept bitterly, the pain in his knees piercing to the bone. The door never opened again.
He knelt until noon the next day. As the sun grew stronger, the Marquis Jingyuan’s cough could be heard from inside.
“Let that unfilial beast crawl in!”
Madam Chun looked at her husband, and her heart softened. She had a servant help her son into the room.
Marquis Jingyuan leaned on his couch, coughing. The medicine bowl sat on the desk, its brown liquid forming a thin crust.
Madam Chun held a pair of silver shears, trimming a pot of purple azaleas by the window. She turned her head, not wanting to see her son’s dejected and disheveled appearance.
“Father, Mother…”
The veins on Gu Jie’s forehead throbbed with each kowtow.
“Your son begs you both to show mercy and save Ying’er’s life.”
Marquis Jingyuan threw the medicine bowl at him—
“Unfilial son! If you beg for that lowly maid again, don’t blame me for using the family law. Cough, cough…”
Gu Jie tried to help his father, but his steps faltered. Just as he was about to stand, he knelt down again. His knees pressed indentations into the corner of his robe. He crawled to the couch.
“I cannot bear to see her and the child, to die together, one body, two lives.”
“Snap!”
Madam Chun cut off a flower branch.
The purple and white petals fell to the ground.
Her face was ashen, filled with anger, and then she suddenly burst into laughter.
“If you want to protect her, then disown your parents!”
That child was originally something she and the Marquis had truly longed for…
When Xue Yueying returned to the mansion, she insisted it was the Gu family’s grandson. Only when the Marquis went to invite an Imperial Physician to diagnose her did she change her tune, shamelessly declaring in public, “Perhaps it was because the rain was heavy and the sky was dark that night, and I didn’t see the person clearly”…
In fact, even without the child, Xue Si’s affair with Prince Wei was a foregone conclusion and could not be denied.
Madam Chun couldn’t understand what had possessed her son.
Why did he have to protect that shameless, wicked woman?
Was it truly as the Marquis said, that the deeper one fell, the deeper the obsession?
Madam Chun slowly put down the silver shears, her face filled with disappointment.
“If even half of the affection you have for her, this kindness of yours, were directed towards the Sixth Miss, would we be in this situation today?”
Gu Jie’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his face contorted in pain. “This son knows he was wrong. But she is a woman this son once loved… this son cannot bear to see her with no one to turn to, and the Xue family not accepting her. If this son does not help, she and the child will have no way out…”
Marquis Jingyuan’s eyes widened in anger, and he struggled to breathe.
“A good unfilial son, deeply infatuated, unconcerned with her misdeeds, you are truly the Gu family’s unique devoted lover in a hundred years!”
Madam Chun rubbed her husband’s back and then shook her head at Gu Jie.
“It is time for you to taste that heart-wrenching, bone-piercing torment. The suffering within is retribution, it is karma. You all deserve it.”
Gu Jie’s face streamed with tears.
After a long pause, Marquis Jingyuan suddenly turned his head, his eyes bloodshot, staring at him.
“To save her and the child, there is only one way now.”
Gu Jie’s face lit up with surprise, his eyes shining. “Father, what do you say…”
Marquis Jingyuan beckoned him over, as if all his strength had been drained.
Gu Jie eagerly crawled forward, only to hear Marquis Jingyuan say coldly, word by word.
“Publicly acknowledge—that the child Xue Si is carrying is of the Gu family bloodline.”
Gu Jie’s shoulders stiffened. It took him a long time to recover.
“Father wants this son to swallow all the humiliation?”
“Wrong!” Marquis Jingyuan suddenly pushed himself up, laughing in extreme pain, glaring at him.
“It is the Gu family that will swallow all the humiliation for your foolishness!”
–
After the morning court the next day, Emperor Chong Zhao went to Ning Shou Palace to visit the Empress Dowager. From afar, he saw Marquis Jingyuan kneeling in front of the hall, his back hunched like a shrimp, looking very undignified.
Emperor Chong Zhao felt a throbbing pain in his scalp.
“What is going on?”
The eunuch Wang Chengxi bowed and replied cautiously, “Your Majesty, the Marquis is here to apologize to the Empress Dowager…”
Emperor Chong Zhao knew exactly what Li Yan had done.
He stepped forward and helped Marquis Jingyuan up, sighing, “I have heard about the incident at Prince Duan’s Separate Villa. It is my son who was unruly, and it is I who should apologize.”
He sighed again.
“They say even an honest official finds it hard to settle family disputes. I, as Emperor, also find it hard to settle matters of the inner chambers.”
As he spoke, he ordered Marquis Jingyuan to be invited into the hall.
The Empress Dowager was half-reclining on a soft couch, looking listless, but her complexion was fair and rosy, indicating she was not seriously ill.
Emperor Chong Zhao paid his respects and sat down at the head.
Marquis Jingyuan respectfully offered his greetings and, prostrating himself, choked out his apology.
“Your Majesty is wise, and the Empress Dowager’s kindness is profound. It is I who have failed to discipline my son, bringing shame to my family, and even implicating Prince Wei. I deserve death.”
Emperor Chong Zhao frowned deeply and remained silent.
The Empress Dowager glanced slightly, her jade ruyi gently tapping the edge of the couch. “The Gu family has been loyal and righteous ministers for three generations. Do not let the scandal caused by women in the inner chambers tarnish your family’s reputation.”
Marquis Jingyuan repeatedly agreed, “Thank you, Your Highness, for your magnanimity…”
Before his words could fade, the stout man who looked like a guard, brought by Marquis Jingyuan, suddenly removed his cap and loose outer robe, and with a thud, knelt down. When he looked up again, it was Xue Yueying, her belly protruding.
She meekly kowtowed three times, her forehead bruised and purple.
“This humble woman risks her life to seek an audience, imploring Your Highness for mercy.”
The Empress Dowager’s face changed drastically, and she almost dropped her jade ruyi.
“You, how are you here? Who let you in? Guards, drag this immoral slut out.”
She hated Xue Yueying immensely for having ruined her good grandson.
Seeing her filled her with extreme disgust.
Therefore, even though Emperor Chong Zhao repeatedly coughed to signal her, she paid no attention, giving Marquis Jingyuan no face at all.
Xue Yueying knelt on the cold floor tiles, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
“If Your Highness kills me, it will make Prince Wei bear the name of infanticide…”
“How dare you! Drag her out…”
In her rage, the Empress Dowager rose directly from the couch.
Seeing Emperor Chong Zhao looking at her with a confused frown, she suddenly remembered she was pretending to be ill and slowly lay back down, coughing a few times.
“When did I say I would kill you?”
Marquis Jingyuan observed the expressions of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, then quickly stepped forward and sternly rebuked Xue Yueying.
“Do not be disrespectful before the Emperor. If you speak nonsense again, don’t expect to have a peaceful pregnancy.”
Xue Yueying knelt on the ground, her swollen belly rising and falling slightly with her breaths. In the dim hall light, it appeared heavy and out of place. “This humble woman begs His Majesty and Your Highness for mercy…”
Marquis Jingyuan said, “His Majesty is a benevolent and wise ruler, and Your Highness is a devout Buddhist, compassionate and kind. How could she want the life of a pregnant woman? Moreover, misfortune should not extend to the innocent fetus. You are carrying the Gu family’s bloodline in your womb. Do not speak such wild words again.”
The person was brought by Marquis Jingyuan.
The Emperor and the Empress Dowager naturally knew Marquis Jingyuan’s stance.
The Emperor said, “Beloved Minister Gu, we have known each other since childhood, and I know your character best. However, your son needs to be disciplined properly. Jade cannot be made into an artifact without carving.”
Marquis Jingyuan quickly placed his hands on the ground and respectfully said, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s teachings.”
–
Upon returning home, Marquis Jingyuan drank a large bowl of tea and remained silent for a long time.
Madam Chun, with a pained expression, helped him change his clothes, her eyes red and her throat choked with emotion.
“Why must Master sacrifice the Gu family’s century-old reputation for that foolish son? The Old Madam is already ill from anger.”
Marquis Jingyuan’s expression was grave, and he sighed deeply.
“I will have to trouble Madam to take care of and comfort the Old Mother. Alas, since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety are hard to reconcile. This time, your husband has chosen not loyalty, nor filial piety, but ‘life’—”
Madam Chun’s hand trembled.
Marquis Jingyuan continued, “Regarding Prince Wei’s affairs, Fifth Master has become too deeply involved. On the surface, we have suffered a loss, taking the blame for the royal family and bearing a disgraceful stigma. But this way, His Majesty can be at ease, and the Gu family and Fifth Master will have a future…”
Upon hearing this, Madam Chun’s eyes reddened, and she sobbed in his arms:
“Master, it is I who have wronged you, giving birth to an unaccomplished son who has burdened the Marquis’s Mansion. It is all my fault…”
Marquis Jingyuan slowly raised his hand and gently patted her back, comforting her in a soft voice.
“In life, can everything go smoothly and be a clear path? As a family, we must bear it together. Chun Niang, you are a good woman, but your heart is too soft, and your nature is too kind. You should learn to be more decisive in the future…”
Madam Chun nodded repeatedly.
Marquis Jingyuan added, “According to the Third Miss, the Zhao family’s young master seems quite good. You should visit more often when you have time, and if it’s suitable, arrange the marriage…”
Madam Chun choked out her reply, “Yes.”
–
That night, Gu Jie drank himself into a stupor.
He stumbled out of Zui Xiang Lou. At a street corner, he ran into Prince Wei Li Yan.
Li Yan, accompanied by a few personal guards, appeared relaxed, as if nothing had happened.
The anger in his heart flared up with a “whoosh.”
The Marquis Jingyuan’s mansion was in chaos, yet the culprit was completely unharmed.
Was it because he was an Imperial Prince that he could act so recklessly?
Fueled by alcohol, Gu Jie staggered forward.
“Your Highness.”
Li Yan heard the voice and slowly turned around. Seeing it was him, he raised an eyebrow.
“Fifth Master Gu, do you need something from this Prince?”
The wine jar shattered on the blue bricks with a “bang.”
Looking at the contemptuous smile on Li Yan’s face, Gu Jie gritted his teeth, bloodshot veins appearing in his eyes.
“You provoked her, why did you then discard her like worn-out shoes?”
Li Yan looked at this reckless fool who was so deeply devoted to a woman like Xue Yueying, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.
“My affairs are not for you to question.”
Gu Jie gritted his teeth and stared at him coldly.
“Does Your Highness not fear divine retribution for acting this way?”
“Divine retribution?” Li Yan whipped his horsewhip towards him.
“I am heaven!”
Li Yan was also aware of the events in the palace.
For a leisurely prince who already had several children at a young age, he didn’t care much whether Xue Yueying’s child was born or not, but he didn’t want to easily take the lives of Xue Yueying and her child.
However, when Gu Jie said this, he became displeased.
Li Yan dismounted, handed the reins to an attendant, walked up to Gu Jie, grabbed him by the collar, and delivered several solid punches.
The drunken Gu Jie had no strength to fight back.
Li Yan found it uninteresting. He wiped his hands and whispered into his ear with a low laugh, threatening him.
“Scram, you good-for-nothing. Take good care of my child for me. If that child suffers any harm, I will make the Marquis Jingyuan’s mansion a living hell…”
Prince Wei rode away proudly.
Gu Jie collapsed on the side of the street like a puddle of mud.
The sun had been bright during the day, but at night, there was a sudden clap of thunder and rain began to fall.
The cold rain soaked him, and he vaguely remembered that rainy night ten years ago, when Xue Sui was curled up in the mud, covered in blood, and he, to please Princess Ping Le, had personally thrown a basin of sewage on her.
And that year, on a snowy day, the “sizzling” sound of the branding iron he was forced to pick up, as it burned her lower back, and the smell of burnt flesh that made him nauseous just thinking about it…
Who would have thought that the venomous hatred in Xue Liu’s eyes back then would eventually turn into a sharp blade, piercing through his self-righteous life…
He chuckled softly, and as he laughed, tears streamed down his face. He shouted loudly for the thunder to strike him dead.
Then, he vaguely collapsed on the wet street and fell unconscious.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw Ping Le’s delicate but somewhat stern face.
As far as he knew, Princess Ping Le had also been having a difficult time recently.
Rumor had it she was seriously ill, and though not confined, she was effectively under house arrest.
Her affair with Fan Bing had also angered the Imperial Son-in-law.
Imperial Son-in-law Lu had been cold to her, and since returning home that day, he had not entered the Princess’s Qi Feng Courtyard.
For the proud Princess Ping Le, this was more humiliating and unbearable than any disgrace.
Gu Jie, reeking of alcohol, chuckled.
“Greetings, Princess. I, I greet the Princess…”
“Hmph!”
Ping Le didn’t want to argue with a drunkard, but seeing Gu Jie’s pathetic state, she felt disgusted.
“You Zhimu is dead, Yao Wei is crippled, and the Yao family has fallen… The Guo family brothers have been avoiding the Princess’s Mansion lately. The people I need at the moment are not very useful…”
Ping Le’s crimson nails traced his neck, her voice laced with seduction.
“If you want to make a name for yourself, only I can give you the opportunity…”
The voice that suddenly came from the pouring rain sounded eerie. Gu Jie instinctively shivered, wanting to dodge…
“Don’t you hate Xue Liu? Coincidentally, I hate her too!”
Ping Le gripped his jaw, her nails almost digging into his flesh. “Don’t you want revenge?”
Gu Jie’s averted shoulder slowly stopped. A thunderclap seemed to split the chaos he had been in for days.
Xue Liu’s words, “To kill a snake, strike its seven inches; to bite a prince, sever the dragon’spulse,” should also apply to a princess, right?
He struggled to stand, slowly looking up at Ping Le, his drunken eyes revealing a hint of malice.
“Please, Princess, command me.”
Li Zhao: I heard everyone has their own precise retribution. I wonder what mine is?
Xue Sui: Me.
