"Kill you? Heh, this princess finds it too boring. It's better to..." Before finishing her words, she suddenly turned, holding her long sword and walking towards Gu Ziran.
Gu Ziran watched Gu Qianying approach with her sword, fear growing in her eyes.
"What do you want? Don't come near me, you... you..."
Gu Ziran wanted to retreat, but she was held by the guards, unable to move.
The man slumped on the ground, seeing Gu Qianying like this, sensed her intention.
He wanted to rush over, but was pinned down by two guards. His wrist tendons had been severed, making it even harder to break free. His reddened eyes glared at Gu Qianying, and he roared, "Don't touch her, kill me instead, but don't touch her!!!"
His anger did not stop Gu Qianying.
The sharp sword tip pressed against Gu Ziran's fair, smooth neck.
Gu Ziran was so frightened she held her breath.
"Gu Qianying! Let go of my daughter!"
Madam Han cried out in alarm.
Gu Kun frowned and looked at Gu Qianying, saying nothing.
He didn't understand why Gu Qianying was so determined to kill his third daughter. However, if it could appease Ninth Imperial Uncle Nangong Mo and stop the current extensive search, it would be worth it.
The most precious item was in his room, and he hoped it wouldn't be found by others.
In his eyes, his daughters were all stepping stones for his future prosperity. It didn't matter if one or two died.
Thinking this,
Gu Kun looked at Gu Qianying, his eyes full of calculation.
Now, wasn't there already a daughter who could serve as his stepping stone?
It seemed he would have to get closer to his eldest daughter from now on!
As for the Crown Prince, he needed to come up with a plausible explanation.
At this moment, the man who had been slumped on the ground became somewhat frantic because Gu Qianying was about to kill Gu Ziran. He roared hysterically,
Gu Qianying looked at him, a cold smirk on her lips, "Her life, you care so much about. What is it all for?"
She retracted her sword, casually tossed it to a guard behind her, passed by the guards, and approached the man. Looking down at him, she said, "After all, you are blood relatives. It's understandable that you can't let go."
Her words surprised everyone, and the man's expression changed.
Madam Han, feeling guilty, denied it before anyone else could speak, "What nonsense are you talking about? He is not their father."
"Their?"
Gu Qianying smiled and looked at Madam Han, "So, your pair of children are not your husband's biological offspring, and their biological father is this man before us?"
"Ah? No way! How is that possible?"
Everyone was even more shocked by this.
"No! It's not... no... he's not."
Madam Han stammered, as if her secret had been exposed. Her panic was evident in her eyes.
The more she denied it, the more flustered she became.
Seeing her like this, no one present could fail to understand.
And now, the man named Zhu Li, slumped on the ground.
He had been silent since Gu Qianying started speaking.
This indicated that what Gu Qianying said was not false.
"Slap, slap, slap..."
A long whip, covered in dense fine needles, suddenly lashed out at Madam Han, followed by Gu Kun's enraged roar: "Shameless slut, to have worn a cuckold's hat for this old man for so long, you truly deserve to die! Today, this old man will beat you to death!"
Gu Kun, sitting in his wheelchair, swung the long whip. He wished he could beat Madam Han to death. The whip was something he had quietly asked his attendant to fetch just now.
"Ah, it hurts, Master, it's not like that, ah, Master, don't hit this concubine, this concubine has done nothing to betray you, don't hit me, ah..."
Madam Han was closer to Gu Kun, and as Gu Kun whipped her, she couldn't dodge in time. Her back, face, and arms were all covered in bloody, mangled wounds.
Her screams reached everyone's ears.
Yet, no one sympathized with her.
Even so, Madam Han continued to deny her relationship with Zhu Li.
She also denied that Zhu Li was the biological father of her children.
Madam Han's denial made Gu Qianying frown. It wasn't until a bowl of clear water was brought and a blood-dropping test was performed that
Madam Han was rendered speechless. She sat on the ground as if defeated, her face ashen.
At this moment, Gu Ziran, having learned the truth, could not believe that she was not the noble third young lady of the manor, but the daughter of her mother and a common man.
She couldn't accept it for a while.
"No, it can't be, I don't believe it, this isn't true." She shook her head repeatedly, unwilling to believe the cruelest thing that had happened.
Turning her gaze, she saw Gu Qianying, who was a step closer to her. Her jealousy and resentment intensified.
It was all Gu Qianying's fault. If she hadn't come to ruin her good fortune, she wouldn't be in this predicament now.
It was also Gu Qianying's fault. If she hadn't exposed her mother's scandal, how could she have gone from being the noble third young lady to an illegitimate child overnight!
And the man she loved would never look at her properly again!
Thinking this, Gu Ziran suddenly had an idea at this moment.
As this thought deepened, she looked up and suddenly broke free from the guards holding her.
At the same time, she drew the long sword from the guard's scabbard and turned to stab Gu Qianying.
Before everyone could react, the long sword was about to pierce Gu Qianying.
At this moment, Gu Qianying had her back to her.
"Qianying! Be careful!"
Whoosh!
A powerful force flung Gu Ziran away violently.
The long sword fell to the ground.
After spitting out a mouthful of blood, she closed her eyes and fainted.
"Daughter!" Madam Han cried out.
Gu Qianying turned around and looked at Nangong Mo, her heart stirred.
Nangong Mo had saved her again.
Nangong Mo looked back at her. Although he didn't speak, his eyes, which only held affection for her, seemed to tell her that no matter where or when, he would protect her.
Gu Qianying was stunned for a moment, then averted her gaze, no longer looking at him.
She preferred to believe that Nangong Mo treated her this way only because she resembled his beloved, not because he truly cared about her.
Only then would her heart feel better.
In her past life, she had trusted men too much. In this life, she would trust no one.
But even so, the damned guilt had taken root and sprouted deep within her heart.
Pfft!
Just as everyone was momentarily stunned, Madam Han suddenly picked up the long sword from the ground and lunged at Zhu Li with it.
The sword pierced his chest, and blood dripped from the tip.
Zhu Li looked at her in disbelief.
He raised his hand, trying to touch her face.
Madam Han tightly gripped the hilt of the sword and forcefully twisted it.
Zhu Li's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, a bitter smile spreading across his lips.
He fell straight to the ground, his eyes still open, looking at Madam Han.
Seeing this, Madam Han, disregarding everything, released the sword still stuck in Zhu Li's chest, turned, and knelt at Gu Kun's feet, crying, "Master, this concubine has killed that man. It was that man who defiled this concubine, which is why I gave birth to his child. Master, please believe this concubine. For so many years, this concubine's heart has always belonged to you. Please, Master, give this concubine another chance to reform. This concubine swears that from now on, this concubine will serve Master well."
As she spoke, Madam Han took out a small, palm-sized purple glazed jade bottle from her sleeve. She held it, opened it, and poured out a pill. Kneeling at Gu Kun's feet, she said, "Master, it's time for your medicine. Come, this concubine will serve you your medicine."
Gu Kun, however, believed her ridiculous plea.
He reached out, helped Madam Han up, and swallowed the pill she held.
Gu Qianying frowned, her gaze falling on the purple glazed jade bottle in Madam Han's hand.
What was this item that made her enraged father willing to tolerate Madam Han's betrayal and obey her every word?
This made Madam Sun, one of the other concubines, feel resentful.
Madam Bai, on the other hand, maintained an indifferent attitude.
After serving Gu Kun his medicine, Madam Han knelt before Gu Qianying and declared, "Ninth Princess Consort, this concubine is guilty and begs for your forgiveness. If I had often disciplined Ziran, I would not have allowed Ziran to commit such an unforgivable crime as poisoning her elder sister.
Thank heavens that Ninth Princess Consort is safe. Otherwise, this concubine would never have peace of mind. Ziran has committed a heinous crime, and I, as her mother, am incapable of controlling her any further. I beg Ninth Princess Consort to apprehend her according to our dynasty's laws and send her to the Dali Temple for proper reformation."
Thus, Madam Han exposed Gu Ziran, making her solely responsible for all the wrongdoing.
Logically, poisoning a royal relative was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of the family.
However, because members of her family had married into the royal family, and because her family had contributed to the court and the country, this crime could be gradually reduced.
A moment later,
Gu Ziran was arrested for poisoning the Ninth Princess Consort.
As for Madam Han's betrayal of Gu Kun, it was Gu Kun's family matter. As outsiders, no matter how noble a person's status, they had no right to interfere.
Although Gu Qianying was also the eldest young lady of the Gu manor, since her father did not pursue the matter, she had no reason to interfere.
Watching Madam Han push Gu Kun away,
Gu Qianying's brows furrowed deeply.
Madam Han had harmed her mother, and today, she couldn't bring herself to bring this person to justice. It was a pity!
But there was no rush. She had found the item she needed.
Some plans should be implemented ahead of schedule.
After all was said and done, she would personally end Madam Han's dog life!
However, seeing Gu Yi being driven out of the manor, Gu Qianying, with her maid Cai Xia, walked out.
Outside the main gate of the Gu manor,
Gu Yi sat on the ground, supporting himself with one hand and coughing several times. Beside him lay books for the imperial examination and a bundle containing a few clothes.
He heard people pointing and gossiping,
"I never expected this third young master of the Gu manor to be an illegitimate child. What a pity."
"Indeed. Look at him, with his clear eyes and handsome features. It's a shame about his frail body. How many days will he live after leaving the Gu manor?"
"Yes, he definitely won't live long."
Among the crowd, there were whispers, some cursing, some pitying him.
Having lost the noble status of the third young master of the Gu manor, Gu Yi, after being shocked by his parentage, accepted it calmly. He clutched his chest, coughed heavily, and struggled to stand up from the ground.
At this moment, not knowing where to go, he heard a familiar voice.
"Where are you going? Are you looking for a secluded place to hang yourself?"