Union

Chapter 179 Family
The entire family of the Duke of Xuanguo is very good at physique. At first glance, they all look somewhat alike, making it clear that they are a family with close blood ties.

Yunying quickly recalled what Chen Yanzhou had told her about the Duke of Xuan's mansion after the temple fair.

However, Chen Yanzhou was not a gossipy person, and he only mentioned the matter of the Duke of Xuan's mansion briefly, without going into too much detail.

Fortunately, it doesn't matter, because you can roughly tell the identities of these three generations just by their age.

Yunying's mind raced, but she wasn't mentally prepared to disrupt the current situation.

Before she could speak, the people in front of her all pushed forward with a mixture of surprise and delight.

The old lady was elderly and in poor health, so she pushed her son aside, and Gu Wangchen didn't dare to complain in the slightest. Even though he was unwilling, he still had to get up and give up his seat for the old lady.

The old lady sat on the stool where Gu Wangchen had sat before, took Yunying's hand and placed it in her palm, "Grandmother's good granddaughter, you've finally woken up. Grandmother was so worried."

Seeing the unfamiliarity in Yunying's gaze, along with a faint, distant wariness, the old lady felt a pang of sadness, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Sin!
Her precious granddaughter doesn't recognize her!
The old lady calmed herself down and said, “Child, I am your grandmother, your own grandmother. This is your father, your eldest brother, your second brother, and your sister-in-law. Child, you are the legitimate daughter of my Duke Xuan’s mansion, my own granddaughter.”

After saying this, perhaps thinking of the hardships her child had endured while living away from home, or perhaps thinking of her daughter-in-law who had died tragically, the old lady finally couldn't hold back her tears and burst into sobs, her face streaked with sorrow.

"Please, please don't cry," Yunying quickly said to comfort the old lady.

But because she was so anxious when she woke up this morning, she couldn't eat, and was even afraid to drink water for fear of losing her composure. Her throat was hoarse and dry, and she had lost all her strength, which made her voice weak and made her look even more pitiful.

The old lady was heartbroken again, and she grabbed Yunying's hand and cried, "My poor granddaughter! What a good child! God, how could you be so blind? How could you bear to let my child suffer so much?"

Although the old lady didn't know how her granddaughter got the injury on her forehead, she thought, what could a little girl like her have done? It was probably just that her beauty was too striking, attracting attention and causing some jealous girls to retaliate.

The old lady cried even more bitterly at the thought of this possibility.

"My poor He'er, she has suffered terribly."

Yunying looked dazed. Who was He'er?

Was it a nickname her parents gave her when she was still an infant?

Seeing Yunying's blank expression, Gu Wangchen explained to his daughter in a choked voice, "When you were little, your father and mother discussed it and gave you the nickname Hele. We thought a humble name would be easier to raise, and we hoped you would grow strong and healthy like a seedling, full of vitality..."

Gu Yuanming and Gu Yuanxi also share the same humble names. One is called Jishan, and the other Yuliang. Even though they are now in their twenties or thirties, the Duchess of Xuan sometimes still calls them that.

These three names were the result of much thought and deliberation between him and his wife.

Gu Wangchen thought of his deceased wife again and couldn't help but turn his head away. The old lady seemed to also think of her deceased daughter-in-law, let out a sob, and then couldn't help but cry bitterly.

The old lady's crying brought tears to the eyes of the others as well.

While comforting the old lady, the others thought to themselves that the old lady was confused and couldn't remember who Yunying was or why she had suffered this misfortune, but the rest of them knew very well.

Yunying suffered because of Lin Shuqing's evil deeds.

Ultimately, the reason Lin Shuqing was able to control Yunying was because the family that took Yunying away sold the child into slavery.

Their Xuanguo Duke's Mansion was a noble family established since the founding of the dynasty. The mansion had enjoyed immense prestige and favor with several emperors, truly a family of immense wealth and power.

However, the only girl in this generation of the family had been wandering outside since childhood and was sold into slavery.

This is so ironic.

The mere thought of it pierced their hearts with pain, causing them to tremble and clench their fists tightly. If those people were right in front of them, they would want to smash them into mincemeat to alleviate their inner agony.

The people from the Duke of Xuan's mansion were all extremely considerate and thoughtful. They told Yunying about her background word by word, and also said that the family had never given up on finding her, and had been searching for her for eighteen years.

Now that she's back, they will avenge her for all the suffering and sins she endured. They are her family, and they will certainly seek justice for her.

Yunying didn't know what to say.

Her gaze swept across the faces before her.

Although it was just a brief encounter, Yunying could tell that they were all very good people.

A kind and gentle grandmother, a refined, wise, and tolerant father, a strict and steady eldest brother, a warm and gentle second brother who is protective of his own, and a virtuous and gentle eldest sister-in-law.

They are all very good people, but is she lucky enough to be their family?
Yunying asked uncertainly, "How...how can you be so sure that I am definitely a girl from this manor? People can look alike, maybe I am just..."

"There's no mistake, you are Father's daughter. If I can't even recognize my own daughter, how can I face your mother after I die?"

Yunying became stubborn, "But what if?"

Perhaps because of Yunying's stubbornness, or perhaps because the matter was progressing too smoothly, for a moment, under Yunying's questioning, the old lady and Yunying's two brothers became somewhat uncertain.

Only Gu Wangchen stubbornly insisted, "There's no mistake, Father would never be wrong. The moment Father saw you, he knew you were his daughter."

He said in a low voice, "If I even mistake you, how heartbroken your mother would be down there."

Yunying said awkwardly, "But I think we should still find concrete evidence."

Gu Wangchen said, "No need..."

"Boss."

The old lady spoke up at this moment, sighed softly, and said, "Since this is what the child wants, we should respect her wishes and go and confirm this matter."

The old lady then looked at Yunying, "Grandmother asked your father to do this not because she doubted your identity. In fact, your stubbornness is exactly like your father's."

But it's good to check.

The person who took He'er away must have witnessed his daughter-in-law's death. Perhaps they could learn the specific details of her death from him.

It also gives an explanation to the in-laws.

The old lady had indeed lived several decades longer than expected. She briefly mentioned this idea, and Gu Wangchen and his two sons fell silent.

Chu Huiyin is a scar in the hearts of the father and his two sons; whenever it is reopened, it causes excruciating pain.

But having previously been unwilling to touch upon the subject, now that he had the opportunity to uncover the scene before Huiyin's death, Gu Wangchen's throat bobbed a few times before he finally managed to give a difficult "okay."

The conversation then turned to the idea of ​​going to find the Marquis of Chang'an's residence.

Yunying was previously sold to the Chang'an Marquis's mansion by human traffickers. The Chang'an Marquis's mansion had a special steward who searched far and wide every year for beautiful girls, bought them, and sent them to the capital.

Gu Wangchen and his two sons felt aversion towards the Chang'an Marquis's mansion, but they had no choice but to deal with them now that they needed their help. Thinking of the Marquis's daughter's plot to harm Yun Ying, and then of the Chang'an Marquis's mansion now mired in its own troubles, they were like blind monks, frantically seeking help everywhere. But with the Chang'an Marquis's mansion on the verge of capsizing, who would lend a helping hand? Everyone was too busy trying to protect themselves.

Gu Yuanming said, "If we come to their door, the Marquis's family will probably take the opportunity to climb up the social ladder." They will also take the opportunity to make some harsh demands, asking us to help them get through this crisis.

Gu Yuanxi understood his elder brother's words and immediately cursed, "You bastards, don't even think about it! They bullied my sister and want our help? They're dreaming!"

Gu Wangchen said, "Have someone find out who the manager in charge of buying people is, and bring them here directly. The Chang'an Marquis's mansion is about to collapse, and anyone who wants to save their life won't deny this information."

Upon hearing this, Yunying bit her lower lip slightly.

Her father and brothers went to all this trouble just to find her adoptive father. But why go through all this trouble? She knew her adoptive parents' house perfectly well.

Yunying hesitated for a moment before speaking, "There's no need to look for the people from the Marquis of Chang'an's residence. I grew up in Changting Village, Baili County, Qianzhou. My adoptive father's name is Xu Shaotian. If you really want to verify my identity, just ask my adoptive father."

Everyone looked at Yunying, who pulled the blanket up higher. "I also want to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Gu Wangchen said in a low voice, "He'er, don't worry, Father will send people to thoroughly investigate this matter right away. It won't keep you waiting too long."

He was about to ask his daughter, but there were other things he needed to tell her. The old lady had already finished processing the information she had received.

After processing the information they had shared, a sudden thought struck the old lady, and she remembered the gossip her eldest granddaughter-in-law had told her a few days earlier.

Lin Shuqing was tormenting a young maid, and Chen Yanzhou, enraged for her sake, thought about it carefully—the maid's name was Yun Ying!

Compare the injury on my granddaughter's forehead, and wow, everything matches up!
So this nightingale is the same nightingale!

The culprit that nearly killed her granddaughter was the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion.

The old lady was furious. She stood up abruptly and said, "Fine, fine, the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion is really something else."

Seeing this, everyone understood that the old lady had come to her senses. But a woman who had come to her senses was even more dangerous to provoke, or she would definitely scold them all as well.

The old lady was so angry she jumped up and down, but she didn't even have time to resent her children and grandchildren for not reminding her about it.

She angrily instructed her son, "They almost killed He'er. This matter cannot be left like this. Eldest son, you must get justice for He'er. I really can't swallow this. Have someone wait for your father at the door and have him add fuel to the fire! What kind of people are they? Just because their family is powerful, they treat others like dirt. Our family is even more powerful than theirs. Is it our turn to treat them like dirt this time?"

"The father is to blame for the son's misbehavior, and the Marquis of Chang'an and his wife are certainly no better. They must come and apologize to my He'er in person, or this matter will not be over..."

The old lady was so angry she almost fainted. Gu Wangchen quickly put a pill in her mouth, which finally calmed her down.

But after the old lady recovered, she felt even more sorry for her granddaughter. She kept clutching Yunying's hand, sobbing, "My poor He'er, my poor granddaughter..."

With the old lady in such a state, no one could say anything more. The three men exchanged glances and then prepared to go outside.

As soon as they stepped outside, they saw Chen Yanzhou standing openly under the window.

Chen Yanzhou greeted him respectfully, "Uncle, Brother Yuanming, Yuanxi."

The other three: "..."

Gu Wangchen found it difficult to be kind to Chen Yanzhou.

If he hadn't insisted on bringing Yunying to the capital, she wouldn't have suffered so much. Then again, if he had left Yunying in Lingnan Prefecture, he probably would never have found his daughter in his lifetime.

Gu Wangchen both resented and appreciated him.

But he kept all these feelings to himself and couldn't express them.

“Yanzhou,” Gu Wangchen called out.

"Uncle, your nephew is here."

Chen Yanzhou perked up, his face calm, but his body tensed up uncontrollably.

“He’er has found her way home, so you don’t need to worry about her anymore. You’ve been out for a while now, so to avoid worrying your parents, you should go back home first.”

Chen Yanzhou: "..."

He's well past the age where his parents worry about him when he goes out.

But Uncle Shi was practically kicking him out openly. If he still didn't know his place, he might be blacklisted by the Duke of Xuan's mansion.

Chen Yanzhou knew he should take his leave, but he dared not leave without seeing Yun Ying.

"Uncle, Yunying..."

“Yanzhou, Yunying is a girl’s given name, so you shouldn’t call her that out rashly. Besides, she’s currently in the Duke’s mansion, with family taking care of her, so she’ll be fine.”

Chen Yanzhou: "..."

Chen Yanzhou wanted to say something, but he couldn't speak. At this moment, he felt numb and powerless, as if he had encountered a hedgehog with its feathers standing on end. He could only watch from afar, completely at a loss for what to do.

Just as the four were facing off, someone came out of the house and resolved the predicament.

Yang Lingjia first greeted her father-in-law, and then said, "He'er wants to see the second young master, and Grandmother has agreed."

Gu Wangchen frowned, unwilling.

Even the father couldn't stand seeing a young, blond boy so coveting his daughter.

But his mother had spoken, and his daughter wanted to see him... Gu Wangchen felt very frustrated, but he had no choice but to compromise.

But instead of leaving, he decided to stay. This time, he and his two sons stood outside the window, openly listening to what was happening inside.

Yunying only realized that Chen Yanzhou was waiting outside the window when she heard voices outside.

She still had some things to tell Chen Yanzhou, and she knew that if she didn't say a word, he would be worried and unable to eat or sleep.

Yunying was helped to sit up by the old lady. Chen Yanzhou greeted the old lady from a distance and dared not take another step forward.

Their eyes met in mid-air, and seeing that each other was alright, they both breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions relaxing.

Yunying said, "You go back first. I'll contact you if anything happens."

The old woman closed her eyes, her face filled with worry. How could this young woman be so unreserved? Even if they were to arrange a meeting, the man should be the one to initiate it.

Yunying added, "Don't worry, I'll be fine, and I'll take my medicine on time. You can write to me when you have time, and I'll reply."

(End of this chapter)