Union

Chapter 178 No More Mistakes

Gu Yuanming had narrowly saved his younger brother's life, but after learning the reason for his father's fury and his brother's negligence, he nearly had a stroke from anger. He couldn't help but point at his brother and say, "You just wait!"

When Gu Yuanxi saw his elder brother's cold face, to be honest, he was terrified!
In the past, it was always his grandfather and father who wanted to punish him, and his eldest brother would speak up for him. Now that he has offended his eldest brother... it's over, no one can save him this time!

As for his grandmother, who always doted on him, even though she favored her, since it involved his younger sister and his sister had ended up in this state, his grandmother would definitely want to punish him herself.

Gu Yuanxi was terrified!
But then again, as long as he finds his real sister, what does it matter if his whole family punishes him?

He's happy to do it.

The three of them entered the courtyard of the Duchess of Xuanguo.

The Duchess of Xuanguo was also a woman in her seventies. She was petite when she was young, and now that she was older, her height had shrunk considerably, making her look like a child.

The old lady had gray hair and could no longer stand up straight, but her face was kind and she looked very approachable.

At this moment, the loving old lady was clutching her chest in pain, tears streaming down her face as she came out to greet her son, asking, "Did you really find her? Oh dear, how did she suffer so much? How did you manage to bang your head so badly? This is my own granddaughter! Our little girl hasn't enjoyed any blessings, but she's already suffered all the hardships in this world."

"Eldest son, quickly bring the child in and put her in the east wing. Mother will personally look after my great-grandson and never let her suffer any more grievances."

If circumstances allowed, the Duchess of Xuan would have liked to carry Yunying over herself. But even though she couldn't do that, she watched Yunying longingly and followed closely beside Gu Wangchen.

She would reach out from time to time to check Yunying's wound, but in the end, she was afraid of hurting the child again, so she could only take the child's drooping hand.

"My little warbler, you've suffered so much."

At this moment, Yang Lingjia finally arrived.

Now in charge of the Duke's household affairs, she immediately gave orders to have clean clothes brought, to have two basins of the finest silver frost charcoal sent to the east wing, to take the invitation from the mansion to summon the imperial physician, and to arrange for attentive maids and servants to come and serve her later...

The old lady watched her eldest granddaughter-in-law bustling around, wiping away tears as she said, "Thank you for your hard work. Your sister has suffered so much. Let's be nicer to her so she can accept this family sooner."

The old lady urged Gu Wangchen to change his clothes.

He was still wearing the clothes he had worn when he entered the palace yesterday, which were stained with the smell of alcohol and looked rather unseemly. But Gu Wangchen didn't care about that at all, and just looked at the old lady pleadingly, "Mother, let me watch over the child."

He still feels like he's dreaming.

Did he really find his daughter in the vast sea of ​​people?
Was it Huiyin who couldn't bear to see him regret it for the rest of his life, so she secretly sent the child back?
Now that they are reunited as father and daughter, Huiyin, can you see it?

As Gu Wangchen pondered these thoughts, even this tough man couldn't help but have his eyes redden again, his gaze filled with tears.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside again. "Master, the second young master of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion has arrived outside the mansion, claiming that he has important business to discuss with you."

Lady Xuan thought for a moment, "The second young master of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion? Is it Yan Zhou? Yuanxi, Yan Zhou came to see you this time, didn't he?"

Gu Yuanxi: "..."

The servants all said they came looking for their father.

My grandmother is getting old; her memory is failing, and her comprehension is also declining.

Mingming's sister-in-law had been talking to her these past two days, and even mentioned that Yanzhou had traveled with a beautiful woman and had acted impulsively for her sake.

This beauty is Yunying, how could Grandmother forget again?
But will this really remind Grandma?
Gu Yuanxi mumbled, "Perhaps, maybe."

"Then you should go see Yan Zhou, or..."

"I won't see him!" Gu Yuanxi said resolutely. "I... I still need to stay with my sister. When can't I see Yan Zhou? My sister just returned to our home, and I want her to see me the moment she wakes up."

"Sigh, then have someone go and tell Yan Zhou."

Gu Yuanxi responded, glanced at his father who seemed not to have heard the conversation, and his elder brother whose brows were furrowed, and then quietly left the room as if he had done something wrong.

Even after they had reached the door, Gu Yuanxi suddenly remembered something.

What on earth is he doing, acting like a ghost?

Although Grandmother didn't know, Father and eldest brother certainly did: Yan Zhou didn't come to see him, he came to see Yun Ying!

He didn't do anything wrong, so what did he do wrong? Why is he acting like a ghost, sneaking around like a dog?

Gu Yuanxi felt wronged, but he had nowhere to turn and could only swallow his anger. He gave his servant a few instructions and asked him to pass them on to Chen Yanzhou.

But it's obvious that Chen Yanzhou came for Yun Ying, and he definitely wouldn't leave until he saw her.

Even if he saw Yunying, how could he leave her here alone before she made a decision?

Chen Yanzhou refused to leave, and even took out a letter from the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, saying that he had come to pay a visit to the Duchess on his mother's orders...

He still couldn't get in.

But soon, Chen Yanzhou's opportunity came.

Several imperial physicians arrived at the Duke of Xuan's residence, and Chen Yanzhou walked in with them.

The gatekeepers saw this and reached out to stop him, but in the end, fearing they would make a fool of themselves, they had no choice but to watch helplessly as this unconventional young master of Yanzhou barged into the mansion. They quickly sent someone to report the matter to the master.

Gu Wangchen naturally spotted Chen Yanzhou at a glance among the many imperial physicians.

He was an exceptional man, with a refined and elegant appearance, and was a highly respected gentleman in the capital.

Gu Wangchen glanced at Chen Yanzhou, then looked away.

Chen Yanzhou frowned when he saw Yunying lying on the bed. At least an hour had passed since they left the palace gates, and Yunying still hadn't woken up. Could it be that the wound on her forehead had worsened?

Chen Yanzhou wanted to look again, but the Duchess stopped her.

Given that Chen Yanzhou and Gu Yuanxi are still good friends, he treats the Duke of Xuan's mansion like his own home, so the old lady is naturally familiar with him.

But even if you're familiar with someone, you can't just barge into a young lady's room.

Yan Zhou used to be a very well-mannered young master, but after being sent away for two years, he became impetuous after returning to the capital and even lost all his manners and etiquette.
The old lady patted Gu Yuanxi, signaling her grandson to entertain Chen Yanzhou. She couldn't help but think to herself that Yanzhou must have encountered something serious; otherwise, he wouldn't have refused to leave after being rejected multiple times, and he wouldn't have failed to realize such an obvious mistake.

Alas, every family has its own troubles. Let Yuanxi go and see if there's anything he can do to help.

Following his grandmother's wishes, Gu Yuanxi tried to pull Chen Yanzhou away. Chen Yanzhou, having mastered the martial arts of childhood, stood motionless on the ground, refusing to budge no matter how much Gu Yuanxi pulled him.

"Ancestor, I'll call you ancestor, okay? Please, have some mercy and leave for a while, okay? Yunying is my sister, my own sister!! It was one thing before that no one stood up for her and stood up for her, but now she has family and loved ones. Do you think my father would just stand by and watch you harass my sister like this, or that my grandparents would tolerate you coveting my sister like this?"

"Alright, alright. You're not married yet, so don't offend my father and grandparents first. Otherwise, you're dreaming if you still want to marry my sister."

Seemingly persuaded by Gu Yuanxi's words, Chen Yanzhou finally suppressed his worries and walked outside with Gu Yuanxi.

Although he was standing outside the door, he did not go far. He even held his breath and listened intently to the sounds coming from inside the house.

Meanwhile, in the east wing, several imperial physicians took turns feeling each other's pulses, exchanged glances, and their eyes were filled with relief.

Yunying suffered a severe head injury, and the injury had not fully healed, but after three days of rest, it was no longer as serious as it had been initially.

However, she remained unconscious for a long time. This was partly due to her injuries not having fully healed and her overexertion this morning, but the biggest reason was that she had been anxious all night and was extremely tired.

In short, she wasn't unconscious, but rather in a deep sleep.

There is a clear difference between coma and stupor. The former cannot be awakened by pain or shouting, while the latter can. In terms of degree, the former is generally in an unconscious state, while a person in stupor is in a deep sleep.

Upon hearing this conclusion from the imperial physician, everyone in the room instantly looked much better.

But Gu Wangchen was still worried about his daughter, so he asked, "Should we wake my daughter up and ask her if she has any other discomfort?"

The imperial physician chuckled and said, "That's not necessary. Before leaving the palace, we were instructed to leave one person at the Duke's residence to keep watch for the next two days. It's not too late to ask after the young lady wakes up."

Hearing that His Majesty was so considerate, Gu Wangchen and the others were all very grateful and thanked him repeatedly. When Gu Yuanming saw them off, he also gave the imperial physicians red envelopes.

It was quite a coincidence that Yunying woke up just as the imperial physician had written the prescription and left.

Yunying slept soundly and had a very long dream.

In her dream, she watched the little nightingale's life journey from childhood to adulthood.

Little Nightingale had a loving mother, and although her father was unreliable, he would occasionally bring them pheasants and rabbits for extra meals. Although the family wasn't wealthy, they had enough to eat.

This situation came to an abrupt end three years later.

First, a younger brother was born into the family, and then a younger sister, and life gradually became difficult.

Xiao Yunying felt sorry for her mother, who was working hard and hurting herself with embroidery, so she took the initiative to take over the household chores.

She does the laundry, cooks, takes care of her younger siblings, and even works in the fields on their two acres of barren land.

These burdens weighed heavily on little Yunying, leaving her exhausted every day. Coupled with insufficient food and supplies, she looked much thinner than her peers.

Even so, she was still outstanding; she was a renowned beauty in the surrounding area.

Xiao Yunying had heard many people say behind her back that she wasn't her parents' biological child, but rather that they had adopted her. Her parents hadn't had children for several years after their marriage, and it was only after she was adopted that they had a son and a daughter.

Those people gossiped without a care if she heard them. Some even went so far as to whisper in her ear, "Look at you, you're being mistreated because you're not their biological child. Look at the biological children, their son and daughter are sleeping soundly next to their adoptive mother. Only you have to work before dawn. You're not only free labor for this family, but when you grow up, your adoptive parents will take you out to sell for money to help your brother get married..."

The country folk weren't all that bad, but their words really hurt Xiao Yunying's heart.

Xiao Yunying kept these words to herself, not daring to ask her adoptive parents whether she was their biological child.

But it's obvious that it isn't.

She doesn't look like them at all.

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't imagine how two narrow eyes could give birth to a pair of almond-shaped eyes; she also couldn't imagine how two people whose appearance could only be barely described as delicate could give birth to a girl with a beautiful face.

The answer was obvious, but she refused to believe it and dared not ask further.

And just like that, she turned ten and her brother turned seven, reaching the age to start school and begin their education.

The family was poor and couldn't afford to send her younger brother to school. If it were an ordinary family, they might have simply let it go and not let their child attend school. Her mother had said the same thing, adding, "Ying'er is ten years old; it's time for her to be matched with a suitable family. Once we find one, we should start preparing her dowry. Tong'er is too young to judge her character. Let's try our best. If we can afford to send her to school, we will. If not, we'll send her to the village scholar to learn a few characters."

Her father scolded her, saying, "You're a woman with such narrow-minded views," "You're the one who ruined our son," "We have no money, no money. Money is earned, not saved," and "It's not that I'm destined to be rich or successful; it's all because of you!"

The next day, the father used the excuse that his words the day before had hurt his mother's feelings, and wanted to go to the county to buy a wooden hairpin as an apology. He took her to the county town to help her choose one.

Once she went there, she was sold, and from the age of ten to eighteen, she never returned to the place where she grew up.

Perhaps the matter of being sold was too heavy and too bleak for Yunying. As an observer, just watching it made her heart ache, as if a stone had been placed on her heart.

Waking from her dream, Yunying was still in a daze. Her brows furrowed, her heart heavy with sorrow, unsure how to face the thorny path that lay ahead.

"Daughter, daughter, are you awake? If you're awake, look at your father. It's me, your father!"

Suddenly, a voice, both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar, rang in my ears.

She felt the voice was unfamiliar because she had never heard it before today; yet it also felt familiar because it had lingered in her ears for a long time at the palace gate.

Oh, right, the palace gate!

Didn't she go to the palace with Chen Yanzhou to express her gratitude today?
Where is this?
Who is this person before me?
Yunying's thoughts were finally brought back to normal. She quickly recalled the scenes before she fainted, and when she looked at the person beside her bed, it was none other than General Pingxi!

Yunying's eyes widened in disbelief. Had she been brought back by General Pingxi? Could she really be Gu Wangchen's daughter?
Just then, several more voices came one after another, "Really awake?"

“Oh my granddaughter, let your grandmother take a good look at you.”

"Father, there's no mistake. My sister resembles both Mother and Grandmother; she must be my own sister!"

Yun Ying looked up following the sound and saw a slightly familiar young man standing beside Gu Wangchen. Upon closer inspection, she realized that he was none other than Gu Yuanxi, whom she had met once at the temple fair at the foot of Linghui Temple.
Looking behind Gu Wangchen, a kind-looking old lady appeared. Behind the old lady, a young man who looked somewhat like Gu Yuanxi but was clearly a few years older appeared.

(End of this chapter)