Chapter 375: Separation (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The Meridian Gate was a must-pass for officials to enter the palace. Be it entering the palace to meet the Emperor, going to the Cabinet Hall, or going to the Wenyuan Pavilion, the Literary Hall, or other places, they had to pass through the Meridian Gate.
Madam Gu’s upright kneeling on the ground naturally attracted the gazes of some passing officials, and they couldn’t help but speculate.
At this moment, Madam Gu couldn’t care less about the others around her. She stared at Gu Yuan, who was getting closer and closer, without blinking. Her eyes darkened.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Yuan stopped three steps away. His tall and handsome figure cast a shadow on Madam Gu.
His words sounded like concern, but both sides knew that he wasn’t sincere at all.
Against the light, Gu Yuan’s handsome face was blurry.
He was still saying calmly, “It’s cold here. It won’t be good if Madam is sick.”
“Although Sister is at home, Grand Madam feels that she’s not Sister’s biological grandmother. Sister won’t try her best to save her.”
Gu Yuan’s words ended with a faint sigh.
Madam Gu’s eyes moved, and she panicked for a moment, as if her hidden illness had been exposed in public. She subconsciously looked around and saw a few officials pointing at her and Gu Yuan from 30 to 40 feet away.
A hint of embarrassment appeared on Madam Gu’s dignified face, but it quickly disappeared and she regained her composure.
She told herself: This was a situation she’d expected before she came here.
She dug her nails into her palms and quickly adjusted her emotions. She quickly calmed down and looked up at Gu Yuan calmly. “Yuan’er, although your father, Gu Ce, was born by a concubine, he has been under my name since he was young. I treat him as my own and have never treated him badly. I even let him inherit the Marquis Mansion’s title.”
“All these years, I’ve forgotten that 1 didn’t give birth to your father.”
“I’ve always done my best for the eldest branch. I have a clear conscience.”
“But from your father to you, you were all disloyal and unrighteous. You made a huge mistake.”
“You’re a violent person. You killed the capital magistrate, Feng He, at Chengtian Gate. It’s my fault for not raising you well. Today, I’m willing to take the blame. I only hope that the Emperor can spare your life.”
Madam Gu’s voice was full of energy and power. She looked righteous and hoped that the officials nearby could hear her clearly.
Her words seemed to have already sentenced Gu Yuan to death. She positioned herself as the grandmother who put righteousness before family, who came today to beg the Emperor to exempt Gu Yuan from the death penalty.
The officials, who were about 10 feet away, indeed heard it clearly. They were all shocked and looked at each other.
The Marquis of Dingyuan, Gu Ce, was actually only the son of a concubine?! Even if he was registered under Madam Gu’s name, he was still a concubine’s son.
Gu Yuan was still staring at Madam Gu, who was kneeling on the ground and much shorter than him. His thin lips were pursed into a straight line.
Although he had long known that the Great Madam wasn’t his biological grandmother and had long abandoned his previous feelings for her, at this moment, he still couldn’t help but feel a little cold, as if he had been ruthlessly stabbed by an invisible ice blade.
The two of them looked at each other, as if they were in a showdown without blades and shadows. Sparks appeared in the air.
Madam Gu knelt on the ground, but her chin was raised high. She was clearly looking up at Gu Yuan from below, but she seemed to be high in the air.
Her deep and fierce gaze seemed to pass through Gu Yuan and look at another person who wasn’t here. Her eyes and expression seemed to proudly declare that she was the winner.
Everything in the Dingyuan Marquis Household was hers!
Gu Yuan narrowed his long and cold eyes and stared at Madam Gu for another three breaths before walking past her. He walked with his head held high, and his footsteps were strong. There was no longing or fear.
After passing through the gate and leaving the palace through the Chengtian Gate, Gu Yuan rode his horse straight back to the Dingyuan Marquis Household and went to the Yuheng Garden to tell Gu Yanfei that Madam Gu was kneeling at the entrance. He even told him about Madam Gu’s “good intentions” declaration.
“Sister, let’s split up. We ll move today.”
Gu Yuan said with a calm and resolute expression. There was no joy, no sadness, no resentment, and no regret.
The Marquis Mansion was no longer their home.
Gu Yanfei personally poured a glass of water for Gu Yuan and handed it to him. She corrected him calmly. “It’s time to separate.”
“But moving…” She paused and said slowly, “Not necessarily.”
Gu Yuan felt that his sister was hiding something. He raised his eyebrows, took the wine from his sister, and finished it in one gulp..