CH 54

Chapter 54: The Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence at night

“This…” The capital mayor had a bitter expression. This was the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence’s family matter, just go home and solve it. Why did they have to make trouble in his yamen? This capital mayor could be said to be in charge of the affairs, but in reality he was just a handyman. Based on his status as a handyman, how could he take care of family affairs for noble families?

If they really wanted to separate father and daughter and evict the young miss from the house, then it would be fine to finish this in their own ancestral hall. Why on earth did they have to make a fuss here? If he really decided to let Gu Yu Qi leave the Gu family today, then in the future, the Ding Yuan Marquis would find him to settle accounts. As a petty fifth ranked official, how could he live?

The capital mayor was about to kneel down to the Ding Yuan Marquis family. How about these three great gods just go back and make trouble in their own home?

“What do you mean ‘this’? Give a definite answer!” Liang Huai Yu glared with her apricot eyes as she roared at the capital mayor. If possible, she also did not want Gu Yu Qi to bear the notoriety of being kicked out of the house. However, it had come to this stage today and she was leaving the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence for the sake of her daughter. If she left but her daughter could not leave, then what was the point of the divorce?

“I’m still currently the Madam of the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence and a first ranked lady by order of imperial mandate.” Liang Huai Yu saw the capital mayor apprehensively look at her for a while, then look at Gu Huai Zhong. As long as Gu Huai Zhong did not nod, he did not dare to move at all. She said with a sneer, “Since you don’t dare to judge, then I will judge! My daughter, Gu Yu Qi, beat her biological father and violated the Qi dynasty law. I am currently still the Madam of the Gu family, so I will banish her from the Gu family. She cannot be a part of the Gu family tree while alive, and when she is dead she cannot be buried in the Gu family graveyard! What do you think?”

The capital mayor felt that his back was about to be soaked through by the sweat that came out of his body. What was all this about? While arguing about a divorce, she drove her daughter out of the house first. He could not help but touch the cold sweat on his forehead. It was likely that there had never been such a strange situation since the beginning of the Qi dynasty!

He could only look at Gu Huai Zhong as if asking for help.

Gu Huai Zhong’s face turned black and blue with anger when he heard this. He had not expected that Liang Huai Yu as a young miss of a great respectable family would actually play such an underhanded trick. It was just that he and she had not signed the divorce agreement, so she was still a wife of the first ranked minister, still the head madam of the Gu family. So her words were obviously useful!

“I’m furious!” Gu Huai Zhong forced these words through his gritten teeth. There was black smoke in front of his eyes and his raised fingers trembled slightly. “You wretched woman! What a scoundrel!”

“I’m a scoundrel?” Liang Huai Yu turned to look at Gu Huai Zhong and smiled coldly, “Even if I’m a scoundrel, I cannot match you, Marquis!” After she finished speaking, she took the document from the capital mayor’s hand. Then she picked up a brush and wrote quickly on the paper.

After a moment, the divorce agreement was written and she had signed her name on one side, then pressed her handprint on it. Then she threw the document in front of Gu Huai Zhong.

“Sign it if you are a man!” Liang Huai Yu raised her head slightly and looked at Gu Huai Zhong proudly.

Gu Huai Zhong’s hands were already clenched into fists. His knuckles were turning white with force and he slammed his fist on the wall beside him with a bang. There was a muffled sound and the capital mayor shivered in shock. This Ding Yuan Marquis was so angry that he was practically about to knock down the room.

Gu Huai Zhong glared at Liang Huai Yu fiercely. Then he pulled the document over and opened it. He was even angrier, “What did you write?!”

He threw the divorce agreement back and glared angrily.

“Is that not what you did?” Liang Huai Yu smiled coldly and said, “What? Dare to do it but don’t dare to admit it?”

Although there were only a few sentences on the paper, it was clear and concise that Gu Huai Zhong had deceived his wife, secretly taking a concubine outside and giving birth to children before the battle.

If this was spread out, Gu Huai Zhong would have no place to show his face! Taking a concubine and giving birth to children before the battle without the consent of the commander-in-chief was also a big sin! The punishment was to be struck a hundred times by the army!

If he had been beaten with a hundred army strikes before it would have been fine. However, he was now the Ding Yuan Marquis. How could he be pushed to the ground and be struck a hundred times?

“Not signing it?” Liang Huai Yu saw that Gu Huai Zhong would not touch the document. She simply took the document generously, then pretended to roll it up and put it away, “Then I’ll go to the palace at night and ask His Majesty to judge! You should know that as long as you don’t sign it, I’m still a first ranked madam and if I want to enter the palace to see His Majesty, I need only show a token. What’s more, I still have the jade pendant from the Imperial Princess. If I can’t see His Majesty, then it would be very easy to see the Imperial Princess!”

“You crazy woman!” Gu Huai Zhong did not even know what was going on in his mind right now. He was completely turned into a mess by his anger towards Liang Huai Yu. The Imperial Princess’ jade pendant. It was that woman, the Imperial Princess, again! Why give out a jade pendant for no reason?! Now it put him in a dilemma and he had not a clue how to deal with this mother and daughter! He could still suppress this kind of thing at the capital mayor’s place. However, if the Imperial Princess found out, what was the difference between that and telling His Majesty?! They as brother and sister were accomplices who colluded hand in hand!

Gu Yu Qi looked at her mother in surprise and joy, unable to believe her eyes and ears.T-t-this, was this still her own gentle and dignified mother? When had she become so vicious?!! She could not help but sigh. That was why it was said that you should not mess with other people’s mothers. All mothers would fly into a rage to protect their children. It was a terrifying small universe.

“Bring it!” How could Gu Huai Zhong let Liang Huai Yu bring this kind of matter to the palace in the middle of the night?!!!

Gu Yu Qi had already offended His Highness Prince An. Until now, there was no news from His Highness Prince An’s side on what he would do with Gu Yu Qi. Now Liang Huai Yu had caused a fuss at the capital mayor’s place. If she disturbed His Majesty, how could this thing come to an easy end?

Forget it, forget it! He sighed deeply in his heart. Since His Highness Prince An had not recovered to deal with Gu Yu Qi, he may as well sign this divorce agreement first and drive Gu Yu Qi out of the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence. In the future, if His Highness went to His Majesty and asked for justice, it would be none of Gu Huai Zhong’s business! So be it if he lost a Gu Yu Qi. He had Gu Si Yu to use as a chess piece.

Thinking of this, he gave Gu Yu Qi a deep look. He only thought of this girl as being born beautiful and talented. In the future, she could definitely have brought him a good future for the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence. However, he had not expected this girl to be born to oppose and revolt against him.

“Gu Yu Qi, listen here. From now on, I, Gu Huai Zhong, will no longer have you as my daughter!” Gu Huai Zhong said in a cold voice. Then he picked up a brush and signed his name hastily on the divorce agreement. Then he threw it in front of the capital mayor. The capital mayor hurriedly picked up the document and made two copies faster than he had ever done in his life. He handed them to Gu Huai Zhong and Liang Huai Yu and had them sign it.

Liang Huai Yu put away the document that belonged to her, then she raised her eyes and glanced at Gu Huai Zhong one last time. The moment she had received the document, she had not felt the slightest bit of sadness or discomfort at all. Instead, she felt very at ease as if she had dropped the burden she had been carrying for a long time. The burden had weighed her down and she had gasped for breath, unable to straighten her breath.

The only regret she had in her heart was for her daughter. In the future, she would be a lone woman with a daughter who had been kicked out of the house. She had nothing. How many contemptuous looks and accusations would her daughter have to endure? She did not even dare to think about it.

“Mother.” Just as Liang Huai Yu was lost in thought, her arms were hugged. She turned her eyes and saw Gu Yu Qi’s smiling face, “Mother, now that we’ve left this place, we can go anywhere you like,” Gu Yu Qi’s gentle words warmed Liang Huai Yu’s heart. “Don’t worry about me.” There are so many sights in the world, so many things waiting for us to see them and experience them. You don’t need to be fettered by those useless and mundane things.”

Yes, since she was leaving the capital with her daughter anyway, their days in the future would be filled with high skies and vast lands. Where would there be any slandering?!

Her daughter was so good, how could she be handed over to Prince An to do as he wished? She deserved to have the best man in the world be sincere to her. If he only cared about her status, then she did not need that kind of son-in-law!

“Alright! Let’s go back, pack up and leave the Marquis’ residence!” When Liang Huai Yu thought of this, she stretched out her arms and hugged Gu Yu Qi hard.

Gu Huai Zhong’s expression was dark. When Liang Huai Yu walked out of the door, he grabbed the capital mayor by the collar. The poor capital mayor was just a scholar so how could he withstand Gu Huai Zhong’s grab? His feet were dragged off the ground.

“Marquis… Calm down and speak!” The capital mayor said to Gu Huai Zhong in tears. He felt great disdain in his heart. He had naturally read the contents of the divorce agreement and had long despised the Ding Yuan Marquis, Gu Huai Zhong, for what he had done. Now he had been grabbed and suspended midair by him, he looked down on him even more. As a dignified man, he had done something wrong and had been brought to the capital mayor by his wife. He could not do anything to his wife and daughter, so he took out his anger on him instead. What kind of thing was this?!

He silently blew a raspberry at Gu Huai Zhong from the bottom of his heart.

“The divorce agreement, you have to keep it well!” Gu Huai Zhong threatened the capital mayor through gritted teeth, “If this Marquis hears something outside, be careful, this Marquis will demolish your capital mayor’s office!”

If you have that ability, then demolish it now! The capital mayor slandered him from the bottom of his heart. Although he was only a fifth ranked official, this was the capital and the big bosses behind him were His Majesty and Her Highness the Imperial Princess! If Gu Huai Zhong had a favour to ask someone, he should be humble or at least polite. What was the meaning of this threatening tone?

Was he bullying this capital mayor as if he was not an official?

The capital mayor muttered in his heart but on the surface, he spoke with a smile, “Don’t worry, Marquis.” 

“Hmph!” Gu Huai Zhong let go of the capital mayor, then he pushed him hard before leaving.

How could the capital mayor’s small body endure this? He stumbled back a few steps and fell on his butt on the ground. His tailbone hurt when he fell and he grimaced.

He waited until Gu Huai Zhong had walked away, then he helped himself up using the table next to him. He spat fiercely at the back of Gu Huai Zhong who was leaving. Then he looked at the original copy of the divorce agreement in his hand and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Liang Huai Yu brought Gu Yu Qi back to the residence. She saw that the entire Marquis residence was brightly lit. The mother and daughter felt strange and they glanced at each other involuntarily.

What was going on?

***

When they walked up the stairs, they heard a small creak from the door as it was opened from the inside. Dong Xue came out from inside, “Greetings, Eldest Young Miss and Young Miss.”

“Why are you here?” Liang Huai Yu asked in surprise.

“After Eldest Young Miss and Young Miss left, Young Master also made a fuss to come back. Us servants had no choice but to bring Young Master and Second Young Miss back overnight,” Chun Xing said, then she looked inside the door, “That person in Ming Yue Ju already knows the news. She already sent people to Madam’s Wan Xin Zhai and Young Miss’ Dan Xia courtyard. Chun Xing brought Bai Fu to guard at the door to Wan Xin Zhai and not let her people in. There were several unruly women who tried to make a move. Chun Xing and Xia He already taught them a lesson. That person was dissatisfied and called to punish Chun Xing and the others, but they were afraid of Chun xing and the others and did not dare approach.”

Liang Huai Yu and Gu Yu Qi looked at each other after hearing this. They could tell from each other’s eyes that they did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Was she so impatient? If it were not for Chun Xing and the others keeping watch, it was likely that Liu Yue would have long swept away the things in the two courtyards.

“Let’s go,” Liang Huai Yu said while holding onto Gu Yu Qi. “We’ll leave tonight. Just pack some valuable jewellery to take with you.”

“Daughter knows,” Gu Yu Qi nodded. She had long wanted to leave this house. If it had not been for Liang Huai Yu, she would have already ran away. It was good this way, she would just follow her will.

Accompanied by Dong Xue, the mother and daughter first went to Dan Xia courtyard. As soon as they entered the main gate of Dan Xia courtyard, they saw Ran Mo holding a wooden sword standing at the smaller gate of Dan Xia courtyard. She originally did not speak much; now her lips were pursed and her starry eyes were filled with a serious aura that said no strangers admitted. Although she was young, her aura was not small and no one from the group of women and servants surrounding the door dared to step forward. They just cursed Ran Mo from the side, speaking nasty words like how she was raised by some woman, so shameless, muttering and scolding continuously.

Ran Mo was expressionless by nature. She let them say whatever they wanted and did not reply, simply guarding by the door. Those women and servants could not beat her in a fight either. Quite a lot of people had already suffered a lot and had to be carried away. Behind Ran Mo were five guards brought from Jiangnan by Liang Huai Yu. They stood on guard with their swords at the ready, each guarding a different corner of the courtyard to prevent people from jumping in from other places.

Seeing Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu returning, there was a crack in Ran Mo’s calm face, “Young Miss!” She called out softly, but Gu Yu Qi could hear there was some grievance in her tone.

Gu Yu Qi felt pity in her heart. After all, she was just a teenage girl who had been surrounded and insulted by a group of women for so long. Even for Ran Mo who was like this, how could she not feel wronged?

She stepped forward and held Ran Mo’s hand, then said in a low voice, “Thank you. You’ve suffered.”

Ran Mo’s eyes lit up and softened in an instant, “Young Miss is welcome.” She was still indifferent, but Gu Yu Qi could hear that her mood had improved a lot.

Ran Mo was like this. Although she was quiet, no matter what you told her to do, she would silently do it well.

“What are you all doing around here?” Liang Huai Yu’s gaze swept over the servants who normally grovelled to her and said sharply.

When the women and the servants saw that Liang Huai Yu and Gu Yu Qi had returned, they could not help but feel a little guilty. They glanced at each other and retreated to one side in an orderly manner. Some clever ones had taken advantage of the lull in proceedings and left quickly to report to Liu Yue.

Liang Huai Yu led Gu Yu Qi inside then with the fastest speed, they packed Gu Yu Qi’s most valuable jewellery. Run Ying also received her master’s orders to sort out all the valuable things such as account books and pack them up.

Yan Zhi had woken up and was excited to see Gu Yu Qi. Gu Yu Qi comforted her and told her to pack up her things and prepare to leave. Yan Zhi did not ask much and simply went to do this.

Liang Huai Yu looked at the maids around Gu Yu Qi. Although they were all young, they were well organised in the face of danger and she liked it.

Yan Zhi, Run Ying, and Dai Mei quickly packed up the valuables and each of them carried a bundle wrapped in cloth, then gathered at Liang Huai Yu’s side.

Liang Huai Yu called the guards over to help carry things to the gate. Then she took Gu Yu Qi to Wan Xin Zhai.

Even before they entered the gate to Wan Xin Zhai, she could see Liu Yue and a group of her servants from a distance, waiting for them at the gate to Wan Xin Zhai.

Seeing the mother and daughter coming, Liu Yu could not contain the joy in her heart. She put on a sad expression and greeted them, “Eldest Sister!”

“Who’s your eldest sister?” Liang Huai Yu said as she looked coldly at Liu Yu’s acting.

“Eldest Sister, don’t be so impulsive when you’re angry!” Liu Yue secretly cursed Liang Huai Yu in her heart. She forced out two teardrops, “Why did you fight with the Marquis?”

“Stop!” Liang Huai Yu waved her hand as if waving away the approaching Liu Yue to the side like a fly, “Don’t call me Eldest Sister, it’s making me nauseous. I don’t have a younger sister like you and you’re not worthy of being my younger sister.” She paused, “From now on, this residence has nothing to do with me. You get out of my way. I will leave after I go in and pack my things.” After she finished speaking, she said to Liu Yue with a half-smile, “Your chance has come, can you step up to the position of the Madam of the Gu family? You’ll need to work hard. The Marquis is still in his prime and you’re not young anymore. Be careful, another fox might come and steal your position.”

After hearing this, Gu Yu Qi could not help but burst out laughing. Her impression of her mother had been refreshed again…

It turned out that her mother had moments where she had a venomous tongue. It was just that she had suppressed it all in her heart before, but now she had no worries and had let it all go.

Either way, in her heart, her mother was the best. It was good to be gentle and dignified, but now was the time to be stingy and vicious! No matter what side she showed, she liked them all!

Mother and daughter were highly unified in this respect. One thought that her daughter was the best in the world and could do everything, and the other thought that her mother was the best and was good no matter what!

Gu Yu Qi smiled. Liu Yue’s face turned red and white. She never thought that the normally lofty, dignified and virtuous Liang Huai Yu would say such words.

She had turned a corner and was scolding her for being old and ugly without using obscene words!

“Ha! But it wasn’t me who was expelled from the Marquis’ residence, it’s you!” Liu Yue could not help shouting in a shrill voice. She had endured it for so many years and finally endured it until today. She had finally gotten what she had waited for. Liang Huai Yu was nothing! She was just a divorced woman. Why was she still putting on airs in front of Liu Yue? She was going to tear apart Liang Huai Yu today and trample her pride underfoot!

After she finished speaking, she put on a show of power and challenged Liang Huai Yu with her eyes.

Gu Yu Qi could not help but chuckle again, “Which family didn’t leash their dog?” She smiled and said, “Blocking the road and barking madly. Do you understand the saying of a good dog won’t block the path?”

“I don’t understand!” Liu Yue was already annoyed with Gu Yu Qi and she answered smoothly.

“Oh, you really don’t understand.” Gu Yu Qi said lightly. As soon as she said this, Bai Fu, who was standing by the door, could not help but burst into laughter. Liang-shi also smiled lightly, “You! A proper girl shouldn’t be like this,” she said to Gu Yu Qi softly.

“Yes, yes, yes. Mother is right.” Gu Yu Qi hurriedly nodded, “A proper girl should talk to people well. What’s the point of arguing with a dog?”

Liang Huai Yu could not help but laugh even more and she smacked Gu Yu Qi lightly.

Liu Yue only felt her face burn so hot that it could cook an egg. After following Gu Huai Zhong, she had never suffered grievances, but this mother and daughter pair were in perfect harmony and trampled her face underfoot completely.

She looked around and found that the maids and old women who had followed her in encouragement all had their heads lowered and their shoulders were shaking suspiciously. This made her want to spit out blood.

“Gu Yu Qi, you have a poor upbringing!” Liu Yue pointed at Gu Yu Qi and cursed. She had just finished her first sentence when her eyes blurred. Then there was a crisp sound and a slap landed firmly on her cheek. After she was hit, she immediately forgot all the words that followed.

“You dared to hit me?” Liu Yue clutched her instantly swollen face and stared at Gu Yu Qi in disbelief. “You little wench, how dare you?”

“The one who was hit is the wench!” Gu Yu Qi sneered coldly and said, “I even dared to hit Gu Huai Zhong. Isn’t hitting you the same as hitting a dog?” After speaking, she slapped Liu Yue on the other side of her face.

She was already taking Gu Si Yang and Gu Si Yu into consideration so her slaps were not that heavy-handed. Otherwise, she would not mind knocking out the woman’s two front teeth.

Do not think that just because Liang Huai Yu had lived peacefully in this life until now that Liu Yue had become a good person. If it were not for Gu Yu Qi protecting her day and night against Liu Yue, she would already have drugged her mother using her ignorant cousin!

That so-called cousin had now opened a medicinal herb shop in the capital and Gu Yu Qi had already found someone to monitor his every move closely. Gu Yu Qi remembered clearly how many times he had sent medicine to the residence.

“Someone come! Hold this little wench for me!” Liu Yue had been beaten into madness and she growled angrily.

When the maids and old women behind saw their master become angry, they hurriedly picked up random tools and rushed over.

“Young Miss, catch the spears!” When Chun Xing saw this scene, she was clever. She and Bai Fu were guarding the door and it was too late for them to squeeze through now. So she had a flash of wisdom in urgency and the two of them threw over their silver spears.

Normally, Gu Yu Qi practised martial arts in Wan Xin Zhai so the spear she used sat in the yard of Wan Xin Zhai. Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu reached out at the same time to catch the two spears flying in the air. They leapt up and the mother and daughter were of the same mind and they swept away all before them together. They angled the tip of the spear downwards and used the force of both their arms, arcing the barrel of the spear horizontally. Two silver arcs shone in the night sky and those maids and old women rushing towards Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu were instantly swept away.

“Ah Nan, Snatch the Moon!” Liang Huai Yu said to Gu Yu Qi.

“Yes, Mother!” Gu Yu Qi immediately followed Liang Huai Yu’s instructions and raised her spear to point upwards. She leaned backwards and Liang Huai Yu flipped in the air, her toes stepped on the tip of Gu Yu Qi’s spear. Using the momentum, her body leapt high like a swallow. Under the crescent moon, her figure was as light as a fairy and she actually jumped over the wall of people and landed directly in the middle of the yard. After she landed, she instantly tapped the ground with her feet again and the spear levelled. The person and the spear became one and like a meteor, they charged rapidly out of the door, toppling all the maids and old women in the back. Seeing this, Gu Yu Qi was not idle either. Her ankle was injured and she could not use its strength, but she could use the power in her wrist. She put on a display with her spear and sent all the servants close to her flying. In just four moves, the mother and daughter had beaten a whole group of maids and old women.

Liu Yue stood aside in horror and looked at the people around her. In the blink of an eye, all of them were laid on the ground wailing. She felt afraid from the bottom of her heart.

She looked at Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu like they were monsters, “You… Don’t come over!” She spoke in a trembling voice.

Gu Yu Qi held the spear in one hand with the tip angled forward. She sped towards Liu Yue at the speed of lightning. Liu Yue turned pale from fear and shrieked. The tip of the spear stopped firmly just one centimetre away from the tip of her nose.

Liu Yue’s legs weakened in fright and her body collapsed to the ground.

“Listen, don’t think I don’t know the things you’ve done! Just because you didn’t succeed doesn’t mean you didn’t want to hurt my mother.” Gu Yu Qi looked down at Liu Yue who was slumped on the ground, “Today’s events are a small punishment for what you’ve done before. I’m letting you off for the sake of Gu Si Yang and Gu Si Yu. Karma will always come for both good and evil. I’m done with you!”