Chapter 388: Concubine (2)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The patriarch’s entire body was trembling as he looked at Madam Gu with hatred. There was surging anger in the corners of his eyes.
Was this woman crazy?!
How could she say such things so casually?!
Madam Gu also thought of this and panicked. Her half-closed eyes moved with uncertainty. She didn’t dare to look up, let alone look at the Emperor.
When she said those words to Gu Yuan previously, she didn’t expect to confront him in front of the imperial court. She only wanted to humiliate Gu Yuan and let him be pointed at by others.
But now that they were in the imperial mansion, these words couldn’t be said casually.
Madam Gu didn’t know how to reply.
Zhao Rang had a smile on his face the entire time. His tone was friendly as he reminded her, “Madam Gu, the Emperor is asking you a question.”
Madam Gu:”…”
Madam Gu’s face was pale. She hesitated again and again and said tremblingly, “Emperor, Gu Ce was born by me. 1 was just saying angry words to Brother Yuan.”
She didn’t dare to look up at the Emperor at all, and only heard the parrot cawing as if it was mocking her. The gazes of the others around her made her feel uneasy.
The Emperor didn’t speak and instead looked indifferent. He picked up the teacup and slowly brushed the foam off the teacup with the lid.
“Are you saying angry words in front of the Emperor?” Zhao Rang’s tone suddenly turned cold.
Madam Gu was speechless again, feeling uneasy.
She knelt in front of the palace gate to apologize to the Emperor on behalf of Gu Yuan, so what she said in front of the palace gate was actually equivalent to being in front of the Emperor.
This was disrespectful to the Emperor.
Zhao Rang casually flicked the long silver-white horsetail whisk in his hand and reminded coldly, “Madam Gu, it’s better if you think about it before answering.”
Thump, thump! Madam Gu’s heart was beating wildly in her chest, each beat more violent than the last. Her pupils were moving wildly, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.
The expression on her face changed wonderfully, clearly reflecting her conflicted emotions. Almost everyone present could see it and knew what was going on.
If even the question of whether Gu Ce was her biological son was so complicated, then there was only one answer—
As expected, Gu Ce wasn’t born by Madam Gu. The Gu family had used the son of a concubine to inherit the title!
Everyone had different expressions.
No one expected that a memorial to inform one’s ancestors would actually lead to such a secret of the Marquis Household. In front of the imperial palace, even the Dingyuan Marquis Household couldn’t easily be let go.
The patriarch at the side quickly lifted his robe and knelt between Gu Yuan and Madam Gu.
“Emperor.” The patriarch looked nervous and his breathing was chaotic. He explained anxiously, “Gu Ce wasn’t born by a concubine. He was born to the old marquis’s first wife.”
“Madam Gu is his…” He frowned and thought for a long time before slowly squeezing out two words. “Second wife.”
No, I’m not! Madam Gu shouted in her heart and retorted. Her dry and pale lips moved slightly. These words were on her lips and she almost shouted them out.
Madam Gu’s eldest sister’s familiar and yet strange voice appeared in front of her eyes again, and her heart ached.
When she was 15 years old, she met Gu Xuan. When she first saw him, she liked him, but in Gu Xuan’s eyes and heart, there was only his eldest sister.
She really didn’t understand what was so good about her eldest sister. She couldn’t understand what Gu Xuan liked about her. Because of this, she was conflicted every day. Even after her eldest sister died, it was still a thorn in her heart.
It was the barrier of her life!
Madam Gu’s turbid pupils were in chaos, and her emotions were almost driving her crazy. A terrifying storm quickly brewed, and her body trembled like a sieve. Even the head of pearls on her crown trembled non-stop, making a faint rustling sound.
This big show suddenly took another turn.
The others in the water pavilion were all silent as they watched coldly. The Feng brothers were too busy to care about the Gu family’s matters.
“Second wife?” The Emperor raised his eyebrows slightly. His expression was calm, and no one could tell if he was happy or angry. He only turned to ask the chief eunuch, Zhao Rang, “Did Gu Xuan remarry?”
Zhao Rang frowned slightly and pretended to recall. Then he shook his head. “No.”
Gu Xuan didn’t need to report to the imperial court to renew his marriage, but if he wanted to ask for an order for his concubine, he had to be punished.
The Emperor sneered and looked down at the patriarch kneeling on the ground. He said in a low voice, “Do you know that lying in front of the Emperor is a crime of deception?”
The others were also suspicious and looked at each other.
After all, no one had heard that the Old Marquis, Gu Xuan, had an “original wife.” Clearly, in order to avoid the crime of being a concubine, Gu An was afraid that the Marquis title would be confiscated, so he forcefully said that the concubine was the original wife.
Only Chu Yi, who was opposite the Emperor, was calm. He had always maintained a faint smile on his lips, like the wind and the moon, warm and genial.
His eyelashes were slightly lowered, as if he was looking at the chess game on the chessboard, making it impossible to see his eyes.
“Your Majesty…” The patriarch wanted to explain something, but the Emperor didn’t want to hear it.
The Emperor frowned. When he glanced at Madam Gu, Gu Jian, and Patriarch Gu, his indifferent and heartless gaze was as if he was looking at ants. His face wasn’t moved at all.
The Emperor said coldly, “Not only is the Gu family using a concubine as the legitimate wife, but they are also guilty of deceiving the Emperor. Their crimes are irrefutable.”
Zhao Rang shook his head with a sigh, as if to say that the Dingyuan Marquis Household was simply too daring.
Madam Gu and Gu Jian seemed to be strangled. They wanted to defend themselves, but they couldn’t say a word.
The mother and son’s faces were filled with the same despair.
“Father, since you’ve added more sins to your crimes, other than being punished according to the law, you should also punish his descendants by not allowing them to enter the court for three generations. How about that?” Chu Yi’s voice was warm and mellow as he casually placed a piece. The black chess pieces on the chessboard were aggressive, completely unlike his refined and gentle appearance..
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