Chapter 326

Many years had passed, yet Zhao Hui still lived in Moyun Pavilion instead of moving out of Qingyun Yazhu, and kept Moyun Pavilion hanging his mother's portrait. No one knew what exactly Zhao Hui was trying to do.

What was it? Back then, he raised a concubine behind his mother's back and forcibly brought his illegitimate eldest son into the mansion against all opposition, yet he still wanted to pretend to be a sentimental gentleman in front of them?

Didn't he feel ridiculous about himself?

Zhao Changdu seldom came to Moyun Pavilion, as he found the father Zhao Hui disgusting to the utmost. Zhao Hui knew that he had let his mother down, so he would never actively ask him to come either. Today, he asked him to come, and no one knew what medicine was sold in the gourd.

Sitting expressionlessly on the chair, he waited for a long time without Zhao Hui coming. Lowering his eyes to look at the teacup by his side, the hot tea had already cooled down, and still no one came in from the outside. He lowered his long eyelashes to hide the deep hatred in his eyes, picked up the teacup and drank all the cold tea in it.

After a stick of incense, a smoky purple figure floated gracefully into the study.

...

"Eldest young mistress, our mistress wants you to go to Baomo Hall."

On the way from Changfeng Pavilion to Moyun Pavilion, Gu Ying and her maids Yin Lan and Yan Zhi were stopped by Cheng's maids.

Gu Ying looked up at the sky. The cold moon was hanging on the treetops. Cheng was asking her to come at this time?

"What does my mother want from me at this time?"

The maid lowered her head and blocked Gu Ying, gently saying, "I don't know either, but it would be better for the eldest young mistress to go with me." Gu Ying frowned. She pushed her away and said, "I will go to Baomo Hall later, but I have no time now. Go back and report to my mother."

The maid panicked and refused to give way despite her strength.

Gu Ying was already worried about the Crown Prince and running out of patience. She immediately took a step back and let Yin Lan and Yan Zhi catch Cheng’s maid while she walked hurriedly to Moyun Pavilion.

Stroking her belly, she walked quickly and anxiously, feeling restless in her heart, not knowing what would happen, but she just couldn't calm down.

This was the first time she had defied her elder in such a way, let alone kicking open the door of her elder's study without permission. But when she saw Huo Qiyan kneeling in front of the Crown Prince with her clothes half taken off, disheveled hair, and weeping like a pear blossom in rain, she still stiffened and almost lost her balance. "What is this... What happened?"

Her lips moved as she stared closely at Huo Qiyan's smooth back, and saw the sporadic red marks on her collarbone. Her chest suddenly burned inexplicably.

"Ying."

Zhao Changdu saw Gu Ying first and walked towards her.

But Huo Qiyan suddenly hugged his leg and cried, "Cousin, you can't abandon me like this afterwards... Otherwise... I won't be able to face anyone... If my uncle and aunt find out about this, how can I live on?"

Zhao Changdu looked disgusted and furious enough to kill someone. Just as he was about to kick her away, he saw her crawling up in a panic and kneeling in front of the young mistress, grabbing her skirt and begging in tears, "Sister-in-law... I beg you... Please give me a way to live..."

But before Gu Ying could react, the servants who got the news quickly surrounded Moyun Pavilion with lanterns, making the pavilion as bright as daylight. Zhao Hui and Cheng also appeared at the door somehow, and the two elders stood at the door, only to see the chaos and mess in the study.

What was even more suggestive was that there were torn women's clothes on the bed and chairs.

Cheng was also stunned for a moment, screaming in shock, and hurriedly asked people to take the servants away. Under Zhao Changdu's murderous eyes, she quickly pulled Huo Qiyan up from the ground and hugged her, sternly saying, "What happened to you, girl... How did this happen? Come on, someone come, hurry up and get her some clothes! A good young lady from a respectable family actually got violated like this..."

As she spoke, she glared at Zhao Changdu.

"Aunt... you have to stand up for me... I miss my mother... Aunt... please help me..." Huo Qiyan cried harder, snuggling in Cheng's arms, her cries becoming more and more aggrieved.

Everything was in chaos, Cheng was being sarcastic, Zhao Hui was angry and reprimanding, and the servants were gossiping. In such a chaotic scene, Zhao Changdu's eyebrows were slightly furrowed. He took a few big steps to Gu Ying, grasped her icy little hand, and said heavily, "Ying, listen to me."

In the chaotic dim light, Gu Ying's fingers curled slightly. She slowly raised her eyes to look at the man standing in front of her, dazed and distracted for a moment, and her head started hurting again, pulsing at her temples.

Zhao Changdu's eyes were pitch black. He exerted some strength with his fingers, his voice low and hoarse. "I didn't touch her."

The two looked into each other's eyes. Gu Ying narrowed her eyes, quickly calmed down, and nodded slightly, holding his hand back.

Before she could speak, Cheng had anxiously asked someone to invite Zhao Rou to the mansion. In other people's home, they were afraid of not covering up things like this tightly enough, but Cheng made such a big fuss as if fearing that others didn't know that such an ugly thing had happened in the Duke's mansion.

Soon, the Huo family's carriage stopped at the side door of the Duke's mansion, and several elders sat scowling in the study to discuss the matter between the Crown Prince and Huo Qiyan.

Huo Qiyan cried bitterly, clutching a cloak around her, disheveled, and snuggled in Zhao Rou's arms struggling between life and death.

Cheng spoke nicely to persuade each side, mediating between Zhao Rou and Zhao Hui. She didn't want to offend either side, but she also wanted to take this opportunity to confirm what was going on between Huo Qiyan and Zhao Changdu.

In the not too small study room, each elder had their own hidden agenda.

Zhao Rou only had one request, "Since Qiyan's reputation is ruined, I only have one demand, which is that Adu will marry her."

She said this to Gu Ying. The word "marry" was different from "taking a concubine". She wanted Gu Ying to know that her daughter could not be a concubine, but must enter the Duke's mansion as a legal wife, otherwise she would make this matter known to the prefectural government of Bianjing, and let the whole world know that Qiyan's cousin the Crown Prince had assaulted her.

Gu Ying sat upright on the rosewood chair with the Crown Prince frowning beside her.

Hearing Zhao Rou's words, Gu Ying slowly raised a smile in the extremely quiet atmosphere, "Aunt, I'm afraid this matter is inappropriate."

"Why is it inappropriate?" Zhao Rou sneered, staring closely at Gu Ying's face, "My daughter has lost her chastity. Do you want her life?"

Gu Ying quickly sorted out this matter in her mind and smiled, "Aunt is overreacting. Why would I want sister Qiyan's life? I just feel that this matter concerns the reputation of the Crown Prince and sister Qiyan, so we need to be more cautious when dealing with it, otherwise the rumors spread out would be embarrassing for our Duke's mansion. The glory of the Duke's mansion was fought back by grandfather and the Crown Prince on the battlefield with their lives. As their descendants, we should guard this glory instead of messing it up ourselves. Don't you think so, Aunt?"

Her words sounded fair and unquestionable.

Zhao Rou's face stiffened slightly, and the corner of her mouth raised a faint ridicule. "Then how do you want to deal with it?"