The old General Gu glared fiercely at Gu Kun. Before Gu Kun could speak again, he strode forward and slapped him hard. Then, he sternly rebuked, "You scoundrel! Your father is not senile. You know what you've done. Why aren't you shutting your mouth? You're embarrassing me in front of everyone!"
"Father, your son truly didn't..."
"Shut up! Are you deaf? I told you to shut up!"
Gu Kun, clutching his face, was deeply displeased by the old General Gu's blatant disregard for his dignity in front of everyone.
However, he could only bury his resentment deep within his heart. He secretly vowed that once he truly took control of the Gu Mansion, he would repay this humiliation tenfold!
Without allowing Gu Kun further speech, the old General Gu instead approached Nangong Mo and Nangong Li. He cupped his fists and said, "Third Prince, Ninth Prince, you have witnessed a spectacle today. I have prepared some tea and snacks in the side hall for my servants. I hope you will grant me this favor and move to the side hall to rest for a while. After I have settled my family matters, I will come to apologize to you both."
The old General Gu, who had always maintained his dignity in front of outsiders and never bowed to even princes, spoke with a much softer tone.
Family shame should not be aired publicly. This was a domestic affair, and naturally, he did not wish for outsiders to mock them.
"What? Did I hear correctly? Old Gu, you actually expect this Prince and Ninth Imperial Uncle to rest in the side hall? Hmph, rest! This Prince will not go. This Prince prefers to stay here and watch the show."
Nangong Li fanned himself, circled the old General Gu, then pulled up a chair from the side and sat down next to Nangong Mo. Finally, he did not forget to bring out the melon seeds from the nearby table, cradling them in his arms as he nibbled.
The Gu family members: "..."
The old General Gu truly wished he could slap Nangong Li unconscious. However, Nangong Li was the current Third Prince, and today, he was accompanied by Prince Nangong Mo.
Angering Nangong Li was one thing, but if he angered Nangong Mo, the mansion might never know peace again.
Just as the old General Gu was considering whether to signal Gu Qianying, Nangong Mo pointed at Gu Qianying and said calmly, "Alright, but afterwards, this King wants to eat the clear soup noodles she makes."
"?"
Gu Qianying suddenly looked at Nangong Mo.
Her face was filled with confusion.
Clear soup noodles? What a peculiar request?
The old General Gu was also momentarily bewildered.
Nangong Li beside them twitched his lips fiercely.
He used his fan to shield his face and glanced at Nangong Mo several times.
Had Ninth Imperial Uncle not eaten breakfast and run off?
Nangong Li silently offered the remaining snacks in his hand to Nangong Mo.
Nangong Mo did not touch the snacks Nangong Li offered.
"You won't agree?"
Nangong Mo looked at the old General Gu with cold eyes.
"This... I'm afraid not..."
His own beloved granddaughter had never made him clear soup noodles, so why would she make them for others?
The old General Gu, who was about to refuse Nangong Mo's strange request on behalf of Gu Qianying, heard Gu Qianying respond, "Alright."
With a single word, "Alright," Nangong Mo, who was always indifferent and unsmiling, curved his lips slightly. "Mm, this King will wait to eat the clear soup noodles you... personally made. My demands are not high; as long as you make them, this King can finish them all. Therefore, this King will wait for you in the side hall. Do not keep this King waiting too long."
After Nangong Mo finished speaking.
Gu Qianying was stunned for a long time.
Nangong Li, who was pushing Nangong Mo away, kept patting his own face.
Today, he truly felt like he had encountered a ghost.
It was the first time he had heard his Ninth Imperial Uncle speak so many words at once, and they were even words of affection spoken to a woman.
All the way, Nangong Li came to a conclusion: in the future, when he had nothing else to do, he would definitely seek guidance from his Ninth Imperial Uncle on how to better woo beautiful ladies!
After Nangong Li and Nangong Mo left, the old General Gu dismissed all the maids in the room and ordered Gu Yefeng to take Meng Yi inside, and afterwards, hand him over to the Emperor.
For years, the remnants of the former court had been hidden within their Gu mansion. What was their purpose? And who was the mastermind behind it all? These were things he had to investigate thoroughly.
A moment later.
When only the old General Gu, Gu Qianying, and Gu Kun remained in the room.
Gu Qianying took out the Yijun Tang token from her embrace and handed a will to the old General Gu.
The old General Gu remained relatively calm when receiving the token, but as he took Gu Er Ye's will, his hands trembled slightly, and his eyes reddened.
The will only contained one line: The position of the head of Yijun Tang is passed by this master to his elder brother, Gu Kun.
The old General Gu glanced at the words on the will and remained silent. He then extended his hand, bit his finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the will.
As the blood soaked into the original writing on the will, the words gradually disappeared. Then, another line of text appeared on the entire paper: Wolfish ambition is a disaster. Domestic discord is chaos. Brother's murder is cruelty. Father's love is like a mountain, it is affection. No need for revenge, for my peace.
Father, I bid farewell.
When he learned that his beloved youngest son had been framed and killed by his own brother, his face turned pale, and he seemed to age several years in an instant.
His body trembled and swayed. He beat his chest, "It is all my fault, all my fault. I should never have given birth to this rebellious son. My poor little son, you died so tragically."
Gu Qianying supported the old General Gu, "Please accept my condolences, Grandfather. The dead cannot be brought back to life. Please take care of yourself.
Some ink appears when it comes into contact with blood.
This was a secret method his grandfather used for communicating with his own people via carrier pigeon in the military camp.
In his previous life, his grandfather had told her about it.
Gu Qianying comforted the old General Gu for a long time.
After a while, the old General Gu finally recovered from the unacceptable truth.
"Slap!"
Another slap.
The old General Gu glared at Gu Kun, his disappointment evident, and said, "Back then, your father was not favoring your second brother. Your second brother liked doing business, so I let him take over Yijun Tang. As for you, you were rigid and not smooth in your dealings, so I thought you would learn and temper yourself well by my side and be a steady civil official in the court.
However, you harbored jealousy, were dissatisfied with your father, and even took such cruel measures against your second brother. Your father is truly too disappointed in you!"
Gu Kun, covering his face, knelt heavily before the old General Gu and cried in repentance, "Father, your son was wrong. Please forgive your son. Your son was confused and wronged his second brother back then. It is all your son's fault. Your son should not have colluded with that bitch, Madam Meng, nor should he have..."
Gu Kun confessed everything he had conspired with the fake Madam Meng and the old General Meng Qian over the years.
In Gu Kun's account, he specifically emphasized that the fake Madam Meng and her father, Meng Yikang, had been hiding in the mansion for many years, and whenever they wanted to cause trouble, Gu Kun had suppressed them with other excuses.
Gu Kun stated that although he resented Gu Er Ye and was dissatisfied with the old General Gu's attitude towards him, he was still a member of the Gu family, and he would never do anything that would bring shame to their name.