Gu Shan recalled what Gu Jiu had told her in the Flower Pavillion at the hou fu: If taitai asks, just tell the truth.
So, as she cried, she said, “San jiejie resents er jiejie and told da jiejie to secretly spread the word that er jiejie is a sickly person. This way, everyone at the hou fu would avoid her and no longer associate with her.”
Gu Zhen was shocked, her face full of disbelief.
She glanced at Gu Yue, suspecting that Gu Yue had told Gu Shan about this, which was why Gu Shan knew everything so clearly.
Before anyone could react, Gu Shan continued, “At the banquet at noon, san jiejie drank a few more cups, became emotional, and caused another scene. Fortunately, Chun He jiejie arrived in time and took san jiejie to the side room.”
Gu Yue stared at Gu Shan in shock, never expecting that Gu Shan would dare to say this out loud—word for word.
Who gave her the courage?
Gu Yue felt utterly betrayed.
Gu Shan had betrayed her. How dare she?
Yet, Gu Shan didn’t stop. She continued speaking.
“San jiejie cried in the side room for a while. Da jiejie and I finally managed to calm her down, and the three of us returned to the Flower Pavillion together. At first, everything was fine, but when Qi jiejie asked about the northwest, san jiejie got angry.
“Perhaps because Qi jiejie had initially directed the question at er jiejie, san jiejie felt ignored and grew upset. She then mocked er jiejie, saying that since er jiejie was always sick in bed and rarely went out, she couldn’t possibly know anything about the northwest.
“The atmosphere was very awkward at that moment. The hou fu’s guniang were all surprised—they never expected san jiejie to mock er jiejie so openly in front of everyone.”
“You’re lying!”
Gu Yue was so furious she was about to explode.
That damn Gu Shan! How dare she?
“Si meimei, why are you lying? Are you jealous of me? Jealous that Mother favours me more than you, so you’re deliberately trying to ruin me? Is that it?”
Gu Yue questioned her angrily.
Gu Shan remained calm and shook her head. “I am not lying. Every word I said is true. If even one word is false, may I be struck by lightning the moment I step outside!”
Boom!
Gu Yue’s ears rang. The phrase struck by lightning kept echoing in her mind. She couldn’t hear anything else.
She stared at Gu Shan blankly, unable to process what had just happened.
Gu Shan had sworn such a poisonous oath, and everyone was now looking at her with suspicion.
Even Xie shi gave Gu Shan a few more glances.
In these times, a poisonous oath carried serious weight. Once someone made such an oath, no one would doubt that what they said was true.
Everyone exchanged glances, unable to understand why Gu Shan had exposed everything.
Based on past experience, whenever Gu Yue made a mistake, Gu Shan was always the first to clean up after her, doing everything possible to minimize the damage.
Everyone was used to Gu Shan handling things this way.
But this time, Gu Shan hadn’t helped Gu Yue at all. Instead, she had spilled everything. Everyone wondered—had Gu Shan lost her mind?
Or had the two sisters had a falling-out, and Gu Shan now held a grudge against Gu Yue?
Hmm, everyone nodded to themselves. That was highly possible.
Gu Yue had a nasty temper. It was already remarkable that Gu Shan had tolerated her for so long.
If it were anyone else, they would have turned against Gu Yue a long time ago.
Gu Jiu was a bit surprised by Gu Shan’s reaction.
Could it be that what I said to her in the Flower Pavillion actually worked?
She had only spoken casually, never expecting it to have such an effect.
In Gu Jiu’s view, Gu Shan was someone who was extremely good at enduring.
As long as Gu Yue didn’t threaten her core interests, and given the pressure from Xie shi, Gu Shan would continue to cover for Gu Yue.
She never expected that just a little push would make Gu Shan turn against Gu Yue completely.
Gu Jiu lowered her head and smiled secretly. It seemed that Gu Shan’s patience had reached its limit.
Moreover, as everyone grew older, a smart and mature girl like Gu Shan was bound to start thinking about her own future marriage prospects.
Xie shi’s repeated favouritism, combined with Gu Yue’s constant ingratitude and disregard for Gu Shan’s kindness, had finally pushed Gu Shan over the edge.
And just at the right moment, Gu Jiu had nudged her a little, and Gu Shan had snapped.
Xie shi’s face darkened with anger, and she stared at Gu Shan with a complicated expression. It was as if she were seeing Gu Shan for the first time.
In the past, Xie shi had always thought of Gu Shan as an obedient and sensible child, though not particularly likeable.
But now, she realised that she didn’t truly understand Gu Shan at all.
Xie shi took a deep breath, trying to suppress her fury. She decided to hold off on punishing Gu Shan for her betrayal.
Because there was still a bigger culprit to deal with.
Xie shi turned to Gu Yue. “Yue’er, is what your si meimei said true?”
Gu Yue glared at Gu Shan fiercely and immediately denied it. “Mother, si meimei is slandering me! She’s jealous of me and deliberately ruining my reputation!”
Xie shi sneered. “Zhen’er, your si meimei claims that you secretly spread the rumour that er yatou is a sickly person. Is this true?”
Gu Zhen’s eyes darted around nervously as she weighed her options. After a brief moment, she made her decision.
“Taitai, si meimei is lying.”
Gu Shan was momentarily surprised by this response, but she quickly regained her composure. Gu Zhen choosing to side with Gu Yue didn’t surprise her.
Gu Shan stole a glance at Gu Jiu.
But Gu Jiu kept her head lowered, making it impossible to read her expression.
Xie shi asked, “Shan’er, do you have anything else to say?”
Gu Shan expressionlessly replied, “Every word nü’er said is the truth. These events happened right in front of the hou fu ladies. Nü’er did not fabricate anything.”
“Oh?” Xie shi’s face was ice cold, her gaze devoid of warmth. “Regardless of whether your words are true or false, did you consider that Yue’er is your own sister before you spoke? Treating your own sister so coldly and mercilessly—how heartless. After all the time I spent carefully raising you, is this how you repay me?”
Gu Shan trembled. “Mother, nü’er just wants san jiejie to acknowledge her mistakes and stop blaming others every time she does something wrong.”
“Hmph!”
Xie shi let out a cold snort. “Your third sister made a mistake, and it is up to me to discipline her. When did it become your place to speak out so recklessly and spout nonsense? You are far too insolent.”
Gu Shan mustered up her courage and said, “Nü’er is not spouting nonsense. Every word nü’er said is true.”
“Shut your mouth! Even now, you dare to argue? Do you truly not fear my punishment?”
Gu Shan lowered her head, feeling wronged, and silently wept.
Gu Jiu stepped forward, preparing to step in for Gu Shan.
No matter what, at this moment, Gu Shan and she were standing on the same side. Both emotionally and logically, she ought to step in.
However, someone was even faster than her.
Gu Lin suddenly shouted, “I heard it.”
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Gu Lin.
Gu Lin shrank back, a bit fearful. But in the end, she gathered her courage and said, “I heard da jiejie speaking with Qin jiejie from the hou fu. Da jiejie said er jiejie was a sickly person. This is absolutely true.”
Gu Zhen’s face changed drastically, turning pale as snow.
She pointed at Gu Lin. “Wu meimei, I never expected you to be this kind of person. Just because we had a disagreement, you made up lies to frame me.”
“I didn’t make up lies,” Gu Lin shouted. “If you want to know the truth, just ask Qin jiejie from the hou fu, and everything will be clear. Also, in the Flower Pavillion, it was san jiejie who provoked er jiejie first, and er jiejie only retaliated.
“San jiejie wasn’t a match for er jiejie and ended up being laughed at, so si jiejie stepped in to help her. But san jiejie didn’t appreciate it. Da jiejie, san jiejie, you both did wrong things, and now you’re suffering the consequences of your own actions. Why shouldn’t I speak the truth?”
“Enough! Silence! Wu yatou, did I allow you to speak?” Xie shi roared, her anger turning to humiliation.
Even this little brat, Gu Lin, dared to speak out. When had she, the mistress of the house, ever been so disrespected?
Outrageous!
Gu Jiu couldn’t stand it any longer and stepped forward. “Taitai wants to know what truly happened at the hou fu today. Si meimei told the truth. Taitai wants to protect san meimei because you love her, and we understand that. But taitai should not twist right and wrong and place all the blame on si meimei.”
“How dare you!”
Smack!
Xie shi slammed the table. “Er yatou, did I give you permission to speak? If it weren’t for the dispute between you and san yatou, would the hou fu have had such a spectacle to watch? You were guests at the hou fu, yet you embarrassed yourselves by quarrelling in front of everyone. And you think you have the right to speak? Let me tell you, you have no say in this matter. It is not for you to decide how I handle it.”
Gu Jiu met Xie shi’s gaze head-on. “Taitai is right. It is entirely up to you to decide how to handle this. However, taitai should not place all the blame on si meimei. Today, si meimei did nothing wrong. On the contrary, she did her best to persuade san meimei, advising her not to lose her temper, not to let anger cloud her judgment, and make a fool of herself.
“It is clear that san meimei ignored her advice and instead escalated things further, provoking others repeatedly. San meimei is so reckless and arrogant—shouldn’t she be the one to be disciplined?”
Gu Yue suddenly burst into tears. “Er jiejie, are you trying to drive me to my death?”
“Shut up!” Gu Jiu scolded her sharply.
Everyone was shocked, unable to believe their ears.
Even Gu Yue was dumbfounded. How dare Gu Jiu yell at her?
Gu Jiu’s face was cold as she stared at Gu Yue. “What right do you have to cry? Everyone else here has a reason to feel wronged, a reason to cry—everyone except you. Everything that happened today, every incident, was caused by you.
“You can’t tolerate anyone else, always stepping on your sisters and expecting everyone to cater to you. The moment something doesn’t go your way, you throw a tantrum, forcing others to yield. Do you think you are made of gold, that everyone must adore you?”
“You… you… wah… Mother, look! This is how er jiejie treats me! I don’t want to live anymore! I don’t want to live!”
“Then go ahead and die!” Gu Jiu spoke indifferently.
Everyone shuddered in unison. Er jiejie was so fierce. But so satisfying! That scolding was truly cathartic.
Gu Yue was shocked, forgetting to cry.
Gu Jiu sneered, “Threatening people with death? If you have the guts, go ahead and die. Do you dare? Gu Yue, let me tell you, if taitai doesn’t hold you accountable today, fine. But if she does, don’t think you can get away with it.”
Gu Yue froze, completely stunned.
Xie shi’s chest heaved violently in rage.
“Outrageous, simply outrageous! Gu Jiu, who gave you permission to speak so brazenly in Furong Yuan? Do you even recognize me as the taitai? You dare to lecture people right in front of me? You have no respect at all!”
Gu Jiu’s expression remained calm. “So, taitai is determined to protect Gu Yue?”
“What do you mean? Shut your mouth!”
Gu Jiu smirked coldly. “If taitai insists on shielding Gu Yue while placing all the blame on us, then we’ll have to ask Father to step in and judge the matter. Qing Mei, go invite Father over.”
“Stop right there!”
Xie shi abruptly stood up, glaring at Gu Jiu with hatred.
Gu Jiu remained fearless—let’s see who’s really afraid of whom.
Xie shi had a weakness in Gu Yue, but Gu Jiu did not.
If Xie shi wanted to act high and mighty as an elder, fine, but she should at least behave like one. She wasn’t expecting perfection, just the bare minimum of fairness in clear matters of right and wrong, so people would be convinced.
Instead, she blindly defended Gu Yue, twisting facts, yelling at everyone, and turning the entire matter into a chaotic, messy dispute.
Xie shi scolded harshly, “Gu Jiu, do you really think I can’t punish you? Don’t forget, in name, you must call me mother. I am your stepmother. Showing disrespect to your stepmother—that is an act of great unfiliality.”
Gu Jiu chuckled with a half-smile. “Taitai, please speak as you wish. I’ll listen. If you want to accuse me of being unfilial, feel free.”
Xie shi froze—something was wrong with Gu Jiu’s reaction.
Then she realized—it wasn’t that Gu Jiu’s reaction was off, but that Gu Jiu was simply ruthless and fearless.
Gu Jiu continued, “Before taitai ruins me, I will make sure to destroy Gu Yue first. If taitai doesn’t believe me, go ahead and try.”
At this moment, Gu Jiu had no patience for word games.
Let’s lay everything out in the open—this way, both sides would know how to deal with each other going forward.
Xie shi could continue being the taitai, and Gu Jiu would maintain proper appearances and show due respect on the surface.
But if Xie shi broke the rules, Gu Jiu wouldn’t hesitate to resort to extreme measures.
“You… you…”
Xie shi pointed at Gu Jiu, furious to the point of explosion.
Gu Jiu looked at her and softly asked, “Has taitai made her decision?”
Xie shi gritted her teeth and said bitterly, “Today’s matter ends here. Whether it’s what happened at the hou fu or here, no one is to speak of it again. If I find out anyone is gossiping in private, I will punish them severely.”
Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
Xie shi continued, “Yue’er, Shan’er, you two stay behind. Zhen’er, Lin’er, you two kneel outside in the courtyard and reflect. Gu Jiu, return to your room immediately.”
Gu Zhen and Gu Lin were horrified. Xie shi punished them but let Gu Jiu go? Why?
Gu Jiu slightly lowered her gaze and said, “Taitai, take care of your health. I will take my leave.”
She left? Gu Jiu just left like that?
She was involved in everything, yet she was completely unscathed?
Sob sob sob!
Gu Lin trembled slightly, feeling fearful.
Xie shi shot her a cold glare. “Gu Zhen, Gu Lin, get out and kneel.”
No matter how unwilling they were, Gu Zhen and Gu Lin had no choice but to kneel in the courtyard for reflection.
Gu Zhen was furious and indignant, kneeling on the cold stone ground without a cushion. Her knees ached terribly.
She gritted her teeth and said, “Why wasn’t er jiejie punished? Why is taitai only punishing us?”
Gu Lin felt wronged. Hearing Gu Zhen’s words, she secretly rolled her eyes.
“Da jiejie, shouldn’t you be punished? You spread the rumour that er jiejie was sickly—you deserve to be harshly reprimanded.”
Gu Zhen retorted, “I didn’t lie. Er jiejie really is sickly.”
Gu Lin said, “Even if er jiejie is sickly, it’s not your place to spread rumours. I know why you agreed to san jiejie’s request. You were jealous. You wanted to ruin er jiejie’s reputation so she wouldn’t get a good marriage proposal.”
Gu Zhen glared at Gu Lin. “What do you know? You know nothing! Stop spouting nonsense.”
Gu Lin snorted. “I may be young, but I’m not stupid. Er jiejie lost her birth mother. Even though she’s the di daughter, she used to live worse than us shu ones. But now, she’s doing better and better, and Father values her more and more. Of course, you feel unbalanced. You just want to ruin her. You don’t want her to marry well.”
“Gu Lin, if you dare to say one more word of nonsense, I’ll rip your mouth apart.”
Gu Zhen’s face twisted in anger, her gaze vicious.
Gu Lin shuddered, lowered her head, and stopped speaking.
Gu Zhen snorted coldly, feeling extremely embarrassed at having her thoughts exposed.
She looked toward the window—what was happening inside?
Would taitai punish Gu Yue and Gu Shan? She had to, right? After all, taitai had lost face—she was even threatened by Gu Jiu.
Gu Zhen still found it unbelievable. Where did Gu Jiu get the courage and confidence to threaten taitai?
Wasn’t she afraid that taitai would use marriage to control her? Wasn’t she afraid of being labelled unfilial?
What was even more shocking was that taitai actually compromised.
As the taitai, Xie shi had countless ways to control Gu Jiu—so why did she back down?
Gu Jiu was just a young girl. What exactly was she capable of?
Gu Zhen couldn’t understand. The question tormented her, driving her to the brink of madness.
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