The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

As Gu Fuju spoke, Yu Tingwan did not interrupt. Her peripheral vision inadvertently fell on the screen in the distance, where light and shadow seemed to flicker.

Her eyes were calm as water, and even if a few sparks of color appeared within them, they quickly returned to silence.

She did not respond to Gu Fuju's words.

I just turned my head to look at the towering trees outside the window, where flocks of birds were playing on the branches.

"I brought back a woman from Ze County, but I do not know her identity. I hope the Grand Tutor can enlighten me."

She had barely begun when Gu Fuju responded.

“That’s the maid who serves in your mother’s courtyard, her name is Bishui.”

"She was originally sold to a brothel by her family, but she refused and attempted suicide on the way. Your mother, who was a child at the time, happened to see her and took pity on her. Your maternal grandfather saw that she was about the same age as your mother, and since the He family didn't need another servant, he simply bought her into the household."

“But she wasn’t born into a wealthy family. There are many rules in high-class households, and she would have to be trained before she could serve in your mother’s courtyard.”

The maids serving the masters in the mansions of officials in the capital were all literate.

What kind of place is "Hong Kong"?
It is a den of iniquity where people sell their bodies and willingly degenerate.

Bishui was heartbroken at the time, but Jiashan saved her life, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was her second parents. She has been taking care of him wholeheartedly ever since.

“The bond between master and servant is very strong. When your mother gave birth prematurely, apart from being frightened by the riots of the disaster victims, Bishui helped her to take refuge. However, in the midst of the chaos, she tripped your mother and hit her stomach.”

Bishui was terrified, especially when she saw the girl start to cry out in pain and bleed from her lower body.

She deserves to die.

Fortunately, the baby was born.

The girl is alright.

"But she was deceived by sweet words and had a secret affair with that guard."

Gu Fuju: "She is loyal to your mother and would never betray her. During the chaos, she handed you over to the secret guards to protect you."

“When you were lost by the guards, she noticed something was wrong. She was panicked, remorseful, and ashamed to face your mother, but she dared not reveal a word about the guards. One time, she went out to look for you with the servants in the house and never came back.”

Yu Tingwan remained silent for a moment.

asked again.

Why is the Duke of Zhou pursuing me so relentlessly?

Yu Tingwan's eyes were clear and bright, seemingly without any impurities, just like her.

"Whether I was just born or I was in the Yu family, I don't think I posed any threat to him."

Was it just because Gu Fuju impeached them? But it seems the Duke of Zhou's mansion didn't pay a heavy price for it.

Is it because a duke has to be exceptionally petty and intolerant of others?

Or is it that those in positions of power always have a sense of superiority, disregarding human life and easily summoning a group of subordinates to carry it out with a single word? Do they treat the decision of life and death with the same cruelty and indifference as crushing an ant?
Enjoying this pleasure?

Perhaps both are true, but Yu Tingwan felt it was all a bit far-fetched.

Gu Fuju's tone remained as gentle as ever.

“Noble families value their reputation most. The Duke of Zhou’s younger brother was punished with ten strokes of the cane in the palace. Although it was a light punishment, it was still a blow to the Zhou family’s reputation.”

A beating can cause someone to bleed profusely. At the same time, it can also be as harmless as a feather, causing no damage whatsoever.

It all depends on whether someone can pull strings.

The Zhou family had already bribed their way in, and not a single hair on their head was harmed.

Have you ever heard of Five-Stone Powder?

Yu Tingwan: "That's medicine for treating illnesses."

Very expensive!

Gu Fuju nodded: "It's also addictive."

"That man indulged in all sorts of vices, including drinking, gambling, and whoring. After being tortured, he showed no remorse and became even more arrogant and resentful, feeling that I had made him lose face. He also secretly took Wushi Powder, which caused hallucinations. He derived pleasure from the heat and toxins it brought him, and then he lost his footing, fell into the water, and drowned."

Are the Duke of Zhou's family reasonable people?

They beat and killed the servants who had misbehaved while attending to them, then turned around...

"They're blaming me again."

Yu Tingwan felt that something was missing.

as predicted.

"This also implies the emperor's tacit approval."

Yu Tingwan's heart tightened.

"The He family supported the Yan family." "After the late emperor ascended the throne, there was a period of panic in the capital. Old Master Lu pleaded for the Yan family and had them beaten to death. The He family escaped unscathed because they had a connection with the Empress Dowager."

Even if they weren't actually mother and son, he still had to put on a show of filial piety for others.

Would an emperor truly be indifferent?

The Zhou family was not particularly capable.

Duke Zhou became Duke because his younger sister became Empress.

His power and influence were all bestowed upon him by the emperor.

How could the emperor not know his every move?

"His Majesty tacitly approved it but did not intervene. Even if the matter comes to light, it has nothing to do with the Emperor. However, he was able to use the Duke of Zhou to warn the He family and me not to have any improper thoughts. Otherwise, we cannot bear the consequences."

"The Duke of Zhou already hated me, but I acted according to the rules, and he couldn't find anything wrong with me, so he couldn't get rid of me."

When the second action was taken, Gu Fuju had already returned to the capital to take up his post, and was no longer the minor official who had gone to the small town where the capital was located to lie low.

But the Duke of Zhou still dared to be presumptuous.

As he said this, his back hunched slightly, no longer as straight as before.

Yu Tingwan closed her eyes.

"so."

You probably don't know my temper.

Yu Tingwan: "I am not used to others being nice to me, nor am I good at handling these relationships."

"You should have met the Wei couple."

“My mother-in-law was kind to me at first, giving me a pair of cotton shoes, but I subconsciously felt that she had ulterior motives.”

"Back then, I didn't believe that in this world, some people were destined to be good to others."

The girl's voice was quite loud, but the study was empty.

“But my parents and I were completely open with the Wei family.”

Yu Tingwan raised her hand and gestured to her face.

“My father has a scar here, which is unusually long. It was caused by an accident he had while he was escorting goods.”

“I asked him if it hurt, and he said he wasn’t afraid of pain, but he was afraid that my daughter and I would cry.”

"Therefore, my mother didn't cry that day when the fire started; she didn't dare to cry. She just kept telling me, 'Yaoyao, don't sleep, your father will come.'"

Yu Jingcheng has really arrived.

He rushed into the fire without hesitation.

The moment Hu Yuniang saw him, she smiled.

She was born beautiful, and after marrying Yu Jingcheng, he took good care of her.

Yu Tingwan still remembers the raging fires everywhere, but Hu Yuniang's smile was even more scorching.

Yu Tingwan heard her breathe a sigh of relief.

Say.

"Jingcheng, quickly take Yaoyao out."

“When my father took me from my mother’s arms, he ran outside and was hit on the back by a beam that fell down from the raging fire. I could smell the burning flesh, but he kept telling me not to be afraid.”

"He said he wasn't in pain, but Yaya's tears were precious."

Yu Tingwan still can't bear to recall what Yu Jingcheng looked like back then.

"Can……"

"You may not believe me, but I am completely unharmed."

"After I learned that my identity was different and that the Gu family's daughter was favored by everyone, it was impossible for me not to care at that time."

But that wasn't jealousy.

Instead, it was a faint sense of resentment.

I wouldn't say I care about it particularly much.

At the time, she was just confused.

Why is it that she has lost everything, while some people have never experienced any hardship?

Why is it that she lives so humbly and cautiously in Xilin Village, while some people can be so arrogant and unrestrained?
(End of this chapter)