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墨書 Inktalez
Gu Qingning had just stepped out of the carriage when a servant hurriedly approached her, head bowed.
"Miss, the old lady requests your presence in Songhe Courtyard."
Gu Qingning nodded and turned to head towards Songhe Courtyard.
As she approached the entrance, she could hear the old lady's scolding mixed with endless cries from within, causing those around her to frown in discomfort.
Without hesitation, Gu Qingning entered gracefully and stood quietly to one side, curious to see how the others would address her.
"Mother, please have pity on your poor daughter!"
Li Ruofeng, catching a glimpse of Gu Qingning, immediately raised her voice in an attempt to draw the old lady's attention to Gu Qingning.
"Grandmother, I truly didn’t do anything!" Gu Yanran cried, breathless and aggrieved. "I don’t even know what happened!"
"You don’t know!?" The old lady slammed her palm on the table, causing the tea in the cup to ripple and spill over.
"You’ve brought shame upon us! You dare say you don’t know?! Useless thing, you’ve embarrassed the entire loyal and distant Marquis household!"
Watching the old lady’s furious reprimand, Gu Qingning discreetly stepped back a few paces.
"Gu Qingning, kneel!"
The old lady shot a glare at Gu Qingning as she attempted to retreat.
"Why should my granddaughter kneel?" Gu Qingning replied calmly and assertively.
"Isn’t today your fault?" Li Ruofeng said discontentedly while looking at the old lady.
"Why don’t you tell me what I did wrong?"
Gu Qingning knew that both the old lady and Li Ruofeng were intent on dragging her into this mess using Gu Yanran's situation against her.
"You two sisters went out to attend a banquet while my daughter was harmed. How can you stand here so indifferently? Is this how you act as an older sister?"
Li Ruofeng’s voice grew softer and less confident as she spoke.
"What your second aunt says is right; you should look out for each other when you go out. You are at fault too." The old lady glanced at Li Ruofeng as she spoke.
Gu Qingning frowned. It was absurd how these two women were trying to use sisterly bonds to pull her into this muddy water.
"As the legitimate daughter of the loyal and distant Marquis household, you must always remember to protect our family’s reputation; as the eldest sister, it is your duty to look after your younger sister; moreover, you are soon to marry into the royal family and have a responsibility to uphold their honor."
The old lady, with a tone that oscillated between referring to her as the legitimate eldest daughter and a royal daughter-in-law, was merely looking for a reason to vent her anger on Gu Qingning.
"Grandmother, this morning I intended to go to the Qi State Duke's residence with Sister Yanran, but unfortunately, Sister Yanran left for the Duke's residence ahead of me with the Tenth Prince. At the flower-viewing banquet, I was jostled by others and fell into the water. I thought Sister Yanran would be safe by the Tenth Prince's side, so I followed the servants to change my clothes."
Upon hearing this, the old lady's expression immediately turned cold. She had hoped to summon her for a reprimand, but unexpectedly, the obedient girl had suddenly transformed into someone else, arguing back against her in recent encounters.
"You are the legitimate daughter of the Zhongyuan Marquisate. Even if your sister is with the Tenth Prince, you should not allow her to act recklessly on her own." Li Ruofeng wiped away her tears and retorted indignantly.
Her heart shattered when she learned of her daughter's pre-marital indiscretion! In a panic, she had come to seek solace from the old lady.
"Indeed, you are the elder sister and should always keep an eye on her. You cannot let her act alone today and bring disgrace upon our Zhongyuan Marquisate!"
The old lady, upon hearing this statement, turned her ire once again toward Gu Qingning. To her, nothing was more important than the reputation and face of the Zhongyuan Marquisate. More crucially, she could not allow anyone to tarnish her own dignity. After enduring through the old marquis's death and then Shi Min's passing, she had finally grasped control of the household; she would not let anyone easily destroy what she had painstakingly built.
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