CH 52

Chapter 52: Midnight divorce

Although Liang-shi was the wife of a first rank minister in the imperial court, it was not appropriate to rashly request to see a prince who was cultivating.

Fortunately, her mind moved quickly and she made Qiu Yue bring a tonic she had simmered for Gu Yu Qi.

When they arrived at the gate of the courtyard that Prince Fu was in, Liang-shi handed in a note according to the rules. Soon after, a guard came to deliver a message, saying that His Highness Prince Fu would meet them.

Liang-shi tidied up her clothes then followed the guard in.

She was taken to a meditation room. Upon entry, a stream of elegant sandalwood fragrance came floating over and it was mentally refreshing. It seemed to be able to make one calm down all of a sudden. ‘Meditation’ was written in large letters and hung from the middle wall in a beautiful and elegant font. As a self-proclaimed sect, it was signed by a mountain hermit.

Beneath the word ‘meditation’, there was a square table and a round stool. The shapes were simple and were one with the room. There was a clean white vase on the table.

“Madam, please rest here for a while. His Highness will be coming soon.” The guard served a cup of fragrant tea, then left.

After a while, Liang-shi heard light footsteps coming from the door. She stood up hurriedly. The door was pushed open from outside and a man in white came in. He was slightly thin in stature and his white robe was plain and simple, tied with just a blue silk sash around his waist that was tied in two loops at the bottom, hanging down naturally. His black hair was neatly tied at the back of his head and held in place with a green jade hairpin. His face was covered in a white veil with only his black eyes visible. Those eyes were a deep contrast, clear and peaceful, unstained by dust.

“Greetings, Madam of Ding Yuan Marquis.” The man who came in saw that Liang-shi was a little stunned and spoke first. His voice was clear and gentle, like a clear spring passing over stones. It was very pleasant to hear. “I* am the person Madam is looking for.’

(*TLN: He uses “在下” which is a humble version of “I” usually used by monks)

He did not call himself this prince, and instead used I, which made him sound very kind.

Only then did Liang-shi return to her senses. She hurriedly curtsied, “This minister’s wife, Liang-shi, Madam of Ding Yuan Marquis, greets His Highness Prince Fu. Wishing His Highness all happiness and good fortune.”

“Madam need not be so polite,” Yun Ling smiled lightly, “This place is for Buddhist cultivation, so please keep everything simple. Madam, please take a seat.”

Only then did Liang-shi stand up straight, “This minister’s wife heard that Your Highness is cultivating here, so this minister’s wife specially sent some supplements.” After she finished speaking, she asked Qiu Yue to bring it over, “But it is just something homemade, Your Highness please excuse it.”

“Madam is too courteous.” Prince Fu Yun Ling motioned for Liang-shi to put it down, “For Madam to come here, there must be something to ask me.” His clear eyes looked at Liang-shi. Liang-shi felt that although this person was extremely polite, he had a pair of eyes that could see through the heart. Unexpectedly, Prince Fu Yun Ling who had been cultivating all this time was such a transparent person and his words were not sloppy.

“This minister’s wife came firstly to visit His Highness Prince Fu and secondly to inquire about His Highness Prince An.” When Liang-shi saw Yun Ling being straight to the point, she also stopped beating around the bush.

“My Seventh Brother carelessly fell into this mountain temple’s secret passage last night and sustained some injuries. Fortunately, my health has always been bad so there are imperial physicians here in the mountain temple. The imperial physician has already seen Seventh Brother. They’re all skin injuries and will only take a while to recover. It has made Madam concerned,” Prince Fu Yun Ling said with a smile.

Liang-shi wanted to observe his expression carefully, but had no way of doing so as he was wearing a veil. No matter how she looked, Liang-shi could only see his eyes…

Yet, right now, he did not seem angry at all. If His Highness Prince An had said something to him, he would not be too fond of her. Liang-shi thought over it to herself.

“Could this minister’s wife go and see His Highness Prince An?” Liang-shi asked tentatively again.

“Seventh Brother is currently sleeping after taking medicine. I’m afraid it is a bit untimely.” Yun Ling politely declined Liang-shi’s request. “However, I can convey Madam’s visit on behalf of Madam. I also thank Madam on Seventh Brother’s behalf.”

This… What did this mean? Was it because he was angry or did he really fall asleep? 

Liang-shi could not make up her mind for a while. She could only stand up, “Since this is the case, then this minister’s wife will not disturb Your Highness’ cultivation and will take leave first.”

“Okay. Someone, send Madam off.” Yun Ling also got up and said.

He watched the entire time as Liang-shi, the Ding Yuan Marquis’ Madam, left the meditation room, then he walked out slowly.

Yun Ling walked to a room in the back of the courtyard and pushed open the door to enter.

There was a strong medicinal smell inside the room. Yun Ling grew up taking medicine since he was a child so he did not mind the unpleasant smell. He walked straight to the bed and stood looking at the man on the bed in comatose. He sighed slightly.

Just when will he wake up?

When he sent someone to rescue Yun Ke from the secret passage last night, Yun Ke had already fallen into a coma. Some strips of cloth were wrapped around his waist, but those cloth strips were already stained with blood.

The imperial physician was so frightened by Yun Ke’s appearance at that time that half his soul flew away.

If he had been saved an hour later, it was likely that all his blood would have been drained. The wound on his lower back was extremely deep.

Fortunately, Yun Ke had pressed a few of his acupuncture points to stop the bleeding. In addition, someone had used cloth strips to tie the wound tightly to stop the bleeding, otherwise Yun Ke would not have been able to last that long.

Yun Ling had already sent someone to deliver a letter back to the capital overnight. He only wrote that Yun Ke had fallen into the Hu Guo Temple’s secret passage but did not mention how he fell.

Firstly, he did not know what happened and could not talk nonsense. Secondly, he knew that Yun Ke could not have fallen by himself because the cloth strips wrapped around his waist were obviously not torn from his shirt. Looking at the material, it looked like a girl’s skirt. Since this involved a girl’s reputation, he could not talk nonsense. Everything would need to wait until Yun Ke woke up and explained it himself.

However, the girl who came to report last night had a good face and spoke softly, seemingly well-trained. Looking at her clothes, she should be a maid of a big family. It was probably someone from their family who had gotten lost in the secret passage with Yun Ke, and Yun Ke had just sent them out to inform him, not having the strength to go out himself.

Just now, Liang-shi had asked to see His Highness Prince An. Yun Ling understood something.

The one who fell into the secret passage with Yun Ke should be the young miss from the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence. The Madam had come to sound him out…

Although he had been cultivating and recuperating in the mountain temple, it was not as though he did not hear anything going on in the outside world. There would be someone who would pass everything that happened outside to his ears.

The young miss of the Ding Yuan Marquis’ Madam’s family, could she be the one who shone at the Winter Hunting Festival a few years ago? What was her name? Right. Gu Yu Qi. Yun Ling remembered.

He clearly remembered that there were rumours at that time of how Yun Ke had personally carried her out of the hunting forest. However, Yun Ke unexpectedly married the young miss of the Mu Rong family. Rumours about this matter circulated for a long time.

Yun Ling glanced deeply at Yun Ke’s unconscious face. If it was Miss Gu Yu Qi from the Ding Yuan Marquis’ family who had fallen into the cave with Yun Ke last night, then these two were really fated…

After Liang-shi returned, she had been restless.

She really could not guess Yun Ling’s intentions. Looking at his calm appearance, it was as though it was not his younger brother who had been fished out of the secret passage last night… However, he did not let her see Yun Ke. Was this because Yun Ke really had fallen asleep or were they already discussing countermeasures on how to punish Gu Yu Qi so he deliberately would not see her?

Chun Xing, who had gone to deliver the letter, had not returned yet. Liang-shi did not dare to visit her daughter either, afraid that her nervousness would infect her daughter. Her daughter had not slept well last night.

Liang-shi waited until the evening and ended up waiting until Gu Huai Zhong came.

He had clearly come with Chun Xing and was covered in dust. Without taking a shower, he went straight into the house and asked, “Where is Gu Yu Qi, that brat?”

His expression was obviously bad, so dark that he had turned into a swollen lump of iron.

“She’s in her room.” Liang-shi frowned secretly.

“That brat is so bold! Even daring to fight the imperial family and nobles!” Gu Huai Zhong said angrily, “It’s all your fault! It’s fine to teach our daughter embroidery and calligraphy, why teach martial arts?! Look at the mess she caused!”

Liang-shi’s heart sank suddenly and she felt a chill rise from the depths of her heart. Her face fell too, “Marquis, I didn’t ask you to come here to scold my daughter and I! But to find a way to remedy this!”

“Remedy?” Gu Huai Zhong was anxious and hurried this way and that, so naturally he did not give Liang-shi any good expression. Listening to what Liang-shi said, he smiled sarcastically, “Say, how should this be remedied? Your daughter is so capable, actually beating up a prince of the dynasty for a maid! How do you expect me to remedy this for her?”

“My daughter?” Liang-shi could not hold back the anger in her heart any longer. She thought that over the years, with Gu Huai Zhong teaching Gu Yu Qi martial arts and having more contact with them as mother and daughter, he should have accepted his daughter from the bottom of his heart. Although she had lost her original love for Gu Huai Zhong, he was Gu Yu Qi’s father after all. Her daughter had always been by her side without fatherly love. She also felt very guilty.

Since something like this happened, she naturally wanted to notify Gu Huai Zhong immediately. She thought that it would be better two have two people finding a way than jumping around alone.

Yet, she never could have imagined that Gu Huai Zhong would rush over in such a troubled manner and say something like this.

“Could it be that Ah Nan is not your daughter?” Liang-shi asked angrily.

“So what if she’s my daughter?” Gu Huai Zhong also held back his anger. He had deliberately wanted his daughter to marry into the imperial family a few years ago. In the beginning, this daughter was also very competitive, vigorously accomplishing two major things and becoming famous in the capital. He even got into His Highness the Crown Prince’s good graces. He thought that his daughter could marry into the Crown Prince’s palace when she was older and become the Crown Prince’s concubine, then she would have a future of boundless prospects. Yet, her reputation was ruined by Prince An. Fortunately, it was destroyed by Prince An’s hands. He thought about waiting a few years for his daughter to grow up. Then she could be assigned to Prince An as a concubine.

Great now, she was so capable that she dared to beat His Highness Prince An.

He had been to the back of the courtyard just now to find His Highness Prince Fu, requesting to see Prince An, but had been stopped by Prince Fu. He thought that His Highness Prince An was already burning with anger and was thinking about how to punish the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence.

“Does Ah Nan not understand any manners at all? If it wasn’t really urgent, how could she have hit His Highness Prince An?” Liang-shi said angrily. “As a father, not only do you not know how to comfort our daughter when something goes wrong, but you scold me to my face and want to teach me a lesson first? What next? Would you tie up your daughter and apologise to Prince An?”

“Then should I treat her like royalty?! She dared to beat Prince An today, so will she fight up to the throne room tomorrow?” Gu Huai Zhong was even more angry at what Liang-shi said. “So what if I tie her up and bring her to apologise to Prince An? As long as it doesn’t involve the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence, it wouldn’t be wrong if His Highness Prince An wanted her life, so daring as to beat up the imperial family. Do you not know this is a great sin that implicates nine generations of a family?! I see that you usually act dignified as a young lady from a wealthy family. But look at the daughter you taught, hitting people so easily. What’s the difference between her and a wild country woman?! You only think about Gu Yu Qi. Si Yang and Si Yu are also in that residence. Why don’t you think about them?” 

Liang-shi looked at Gu Huai Zhong in disbelief. Although the man in front of her was still handsome, in her opinion, he was already disgusting.

***

Liang-shi actually laughed when she saw this. Her eyes filled with great anger and the corners of her mouth hooked up strangely. Her current expression startled Gu Huai Zhong.

“Good of you to say why not think about others. In your heart, Gu Si Yang and Gu Si Yu are the most important, right? Only they are your children. What am I and Ah Nan?” Liang-shi glared at Gu Huai Zhong as she said this.

At this time, the door was slammed open from outside. Gu Si Yang and Gu Si Yu had been pulled by Gu Yu Qi and they stood outside the door at a loss. Liang-shi and Gu Huai Zhong looked out together. When Gu Huai Zhong saw that Gu Yu Qi dared to bring her younger brother and younger sister together, he almost lost his breath.

“You wretched creature! Still dare to come?!” He pointed at Gu Yu Qi and roared. Then he searched the room, “You still aren’t hurrying over to get tied up?! Come with me to apologise to His Highness Prince An! If you still have the Ding Yuan Marquis residence in your heart, don’t implicate your siblings!”

Gu Yu Qi’s heart was as cold as Liang-shi’s.

After she learned that Gu Huai Zhong was here, she deliberately called Gu Si Yang and Gu Si Yu because she wanted to see ultimately, who in this family would be on her side in the face of disaster.

They had already heard Liang-shi’s and Gu Huai Zhong’s conversation clearly outside the door. Gu Yu Qi felt a chill in her heart. Gu Si Yang was not feeling well either and his little face collapsed slightly, but he took the initiative to hold Gu Yu Qi’s hand. As for Gu Si Yu, she had long been frightened. She did not know what to do as she was held in Gu Yu Qi’s arms. Tears were already welling in her eyes.

“Father.” Gu Yu Qi resisted the pain in her foot and entered the meditation room. She said quietly, “I caused this misfortune. I won’t implicate the Marquis residence.”

“You talk about it lightly! How can we not be implicated?” Gu Huai Zhong’s anger burst out when he heard Gu Yu Qi say this, “Everyone knows that you’re my, Gu Huai Zhong’s, daughter! Gu Yu Qi!”

“Does father regret giving birth to this daughter?” Gu Yu Qi asked calmly.

“Yes! If I had known that there would be a wicked obstacle like you who would implicate me in the future, I would have…”

“Would have done what to Ah Nan?” A sharp voice interrupted Gu Huai Zhong’s words. Gu Huai Zhong looked back and met Liang-shi’s red eyes, “Would have strangled Ah Nan to death? Gu Huai Zhong. Do you still have a conscience? How you fell in love with me in the first place, I don’t even want to mention it anymore. I just feel sick now! You don’t want to think about me and I don’t want to argue with you anymore. But now something happened to Ah Nan. You, as a father, don’t know how to protect our daughter, wholeheartedly just wanting to escape, even being willing to push our daughter out! Gu Huai Zhong, I was really blind at first. My heart was blind to marry you!” After Liang-shi finished speaking, she took a step back then slammed her palm on the table inside the room.

After a muffled bang, the wooden table actually splintered apart and crashed into the ground, “Today, my relationship with you as a husband and wife is like this table!” Liang-shi looked at Gu Huai Zhong and said coldly, “I don’t care about the imperial mandate anymore! I will do as you wish today and burn the bridge between us. Let’s go back to the capital now, find the mayor of the capital and divorce! Listen carefully, it’s not you divorcing me, it’s me leaving you! From now on, you go your way and I’ll take Ah Nan on our way. Whatever happens in the future, it’ll have nothing to do with your Ding Yuan Marquis residence!”

“Ha! You’ve got a temper, I was just saying how could a good daughter like Gu Yu Qi beat someone?! Turns out it was you who taught her!” Gu Huai Zhong was so angered by Liang-shi’s words that he became incoherent. 

The world has really changed! Liang-shi dared to say that she would leave him!

“Don’t talk nonsense with me! Are you coming to the capital mayor or not?!” Liang-shi ignored Gu Huai Zhong’s sarcasm and asked as she glowered at him.

“Go then!” Gu Huai Zhong’s breath was stuck in his chest and he felt his limbs become cold.

“Father and mother, please reconsider!” Gu Si Yang called out first. If Gu Huai Zhong and Liang-shi divorced, he should be happy. Yet, now he could not be happy at all. Once they separated, Liang-shi would leave the Marquis residence with his eldest sister…

At his words, Gu Si Yu also cried and hugged Gu Yu Qi’s waist, “Eldest Sister, Si Yu doesn’t want Eldest Sister to go!”

Gu Yu Qi also had mixed feelings. Although she had wanted to test Gu Si Yang and Gu Si Yu out of selfishness, her heart now was really sad. Logically, she should be happy to see the current situation. As long as Gu Huai Zhong and her mother divorced, she could openly take her mother away from the Marquis’ residence and fly far away. However, when it came to reality, why was her heart so torn?

She silently embraced Gu Si Yu’s body and gently patted her back.

It could be said that they have been together for many years so naturally, it was impossible to be completely emotionless with these two younger siblings. She had deliberately approached them and gained their trust and support, so how could she be cold?

“You both need not say more!” Gu Huai Zhong raised his hand to stop Gu Si Yang’s words and said coldly, “Since this is Young Miss Liang’s decision, then this marquis should obey!”

There was an indescribable feeling in his heart as if someone suddenly grabbed his throat and he was unable to breathe.

He was angry with Gu Yu Qi and his words had been a little too harsh, but it was also out of consideration for the Marquis’ residence! To save the Marquis’ residence at the expense of Gu Yu Qi, as the Ding Yuan Marquis, what made him wrong? Liang-shi was actually so decisive against him! This made his heart feel cold.

Young Miss Liang! Liang Huai Yu looked at Gu Huai Zhong with contempt. If it were not for the fact that she, the Young Miss of the Liang family, had fallen in love with him, would he have reached where he was now?

He kept saying that he was afraid Gu Yu Qi would implicate the Marquis’ residence. Why did he not think about how if it were not for her, the Young Miss of the Liang family, and if he did not have the Liang family’s marksmanship that the Young Miss of the Liang family taught him, how could a small captain of his standing come to be a marquis?!

Father! This daughter was so unfilial! To be so blind as to marry such a man! Liang Huai Yu heart became extremely cold.

Originally, she had stayed in the capital to seek grievances for Gu Yu Qi. Now, the Ding Yuan Marquis in front of her was completely mindless of Gu Yu Qi’s safety. So what was the point of her staying? She only hated that when she first came to the capital, she did not cut them off and immediately divorce Gu Huai Zhong!

“Don’t talk nonsense! Come to the capital mayor with me!” Liang Huai Yu raised her hand and grabbed Gu Huai Zhong’s wrist.

Gu Huai Zhong was shocked and his heart was full of bitterness. In all these years, the first time she took the initiative to touch him was actually to pull him away to get a divorce.

“It’s late, the capital mayor…” Gu Huai Zhong had not finished his words when he saw Liang Huai Yu’s eyes full of resentment and anger. After that, the remaining words could not be uttered.

In addition to resentment and anger in her eyes, there was a barrenness… Gu Huai Zhong felt a little regretful. He should not have said something so decisive. It was just hard to back out now after being committed. He had already agreed. Would it not be shameful to go back on it now?!

He had seen her shy eyes when she was a young girl, seen her eyes that exuded joy and happiness from the bottom of her heart when he had married her. She had been very close to him then, unlike an aloof empyrean fairy. At the beginning, she had been like a fairy who had fallen into the heart of a mortal. The Liang Huai Yu now was like a phoenix in nirvana, wings fluttering to fly. He seemed to be able to see that he was about to lose the fairy from back then. Not every fairytale had a good ending. This fairy who had fallen to earth was finally going to return to the heavens…

“Not afraid of it being late.” Liang-shi grabbed Gu Huai Zhong’s wrist with one hand and smiled sarcastically, “Aren’t you afraid that Ah Nan will implicate the Marquis residence? The sooner we divorce, the earlier Ah Nan’s actions will have nothing to do with you.”

“Xiao Yu. I…” Gu Huai Zhong was really anxious now. He wanted to explain, but Liang Huai Yu interrupted him harshly. “You don’t deserve to call me Xiao Yu.”

These words hit Gu Huai Zhong’s heart like a heavy hammer.

Not worthy… After so many years, she finally said what was in her heart, and it was that he was not worthy… 

“If you want to go, then go,” Gu Huai Zhong sighed and let Liang Huai Yu pull him out of the meditation room.

Gu Yu Qi followed hurriedly and pulled her mother’s clothes, “Is Mother really determined?” She asked again worriedly. Although she really wanted to take Liang-shi to leave the Marquis’ residence, when push came to shove, she was still afraid Liang-shi would regret it in the future.

In fact, she had not expected things to evolve to this stage… She had not expected that Gu Huai Zhong, who she thought had eased up, would speak for her and really had not thought that Gu Huai Zhong would denounce her guilty as soon as he came, almost tying her up and bringing her to Yun Ke.

She had planned for the worst, to follow Gu Huai Zhong’s wishes and be tied up to apologise to Yun Ke.

Besides, she had already kneeled to Yun Ke countless times in her last life. It did not matter how many times she knelt in this life.

Yun Ke would not let her go. It made no difference if she did it earlier or later.

Unexpectedly, her mother actually tore apart her relationship with Gu Huai Zhong in order to protect her. This made Gu Yu Qi happy, guilty, and a little scared. She was scared that Liang-shi would regret it later… and would blame her… Then she would rather go and kowtow to Yun Ke over a dozen times right now. Even if Yun Ke took her life, it did not matter. She did not want her mother to be sad in the future.

This was why she grabbed the hem of Liang-shi’s clothes and asked in a low voice.

Liang Huai Yu looked back and gave Gu Yu Qi a comforting look, “Don’t worry, Ah Nan. Mother has already figured it out. You’re right, the sea and sky are boundless, how could there not be a place for us? What does the Marquis’ residence matter? As long as you’re safe and sound, Mother will be happy.”

With these words, Gu Yu Qi could not stop her tears from falling down, “Mother, don’t worry. Today we leave the Marquis’ residence. In the future, I’ll make it so that Mother can live a wonderful life! A hundred times better than now!”

“Silly girl, what crazy things are you talking about? It’s enough for Mother to have you.” Liang Huai Yu’s eyes were also slightly red. After she finished speaking to Gu Yu Qi, she turned her gaze to Gu Huai Zhong and said coldly, “Let’s go, Marquis, what are you waiting for? If you wait until His Highness Prince An comes over, don’t regret it.”

“Let’s go then!” Gu Huai Zhong immediately lifted the hem of this clothes and walked forward.

What a drama of deep love between a mother and daughter. After they leave the Marquis’ residence, he wanted to see just what kind of life this wretched brat could make Liang Huai Yu live! A hundred times better?! What nonsense!