blueteamnovel Chapter 551 - 543: A Solution
Chapter 551 - 543: A Solution
Gu Yifeng had been sitting there with a cold face, like an iceberg, keeping strangers at a distance.
But as soon as Hailan’s words had not finished, he was already striding out, a gust of wind passed by Hailan, and his shadow disappeared, leaving no trace of relaxation on Hailan’s face.
The Marquis had been blaming himself, which everyone could see, and so the Marquis had not rested all night, busy searching for the young lord, but what was the use of that? The young miss’s health was already poor, and if the Marquis fell, who would manage this large household, and who would go to find the young lord?
Hailan slowly got up from the ground, and Shanmoi walked out with an unpleasant look on her face, "What should we do about the people outside? We can’t just leave them out there making a ruckus, even if they have the energy, I’m afraid the Marquis will get annoyed and just deal with them, which would be hard to explain to the outside."
Shanmoi, of course, dared not mention how hard it would be to explain to the Prince Xian Mansion.
Hailan, however, picked up on it, a cold smile on her face, "What’s so difficult to explain? When they snatched Brother Zong away, why didn’t they think it would be hard to explain? When they made that move, why didn’t they think of that? I think it is because our household was too lenient that they dared to make such plans. A newborn child, taken away like that, even if the young lord was taken in by a kind person, how can a two-day-old child, in such cold weather, not meet with misfortune?"
Hailan couldn’t continue, covering her face and crying on the spot.
Shanmoi also wiped her tears beside her, "Sister Hailan, don’t cry, now the miss and the Marquis are like this, the matters of the household await us."
Hailan wiped away her tears, "As for the people in the courtyard, we don’t have to bother with them. Let them be; if they’re really cold, they’ll find somewhere to settle themselves. The Marquis brought them back and left them in the courtyard, but he didn’t say what to do with them, much less demand they kneel there. Now it’s their own guilty conscience that’s keeping them kneeling."
The two maids spoke while walking out, while Heir of Prince Xian in the courtyard no longer had his previous confidence despite wearing thick clothes. Staying outside in such weather, how could he not be cold? He shivered while hugging himself, and over by Mrs. Kong, she kept whispering explanations to Brother De, yet Brother De wouldn’t look at her, the pain in Mrs. Kong’s heart visible on her face.
Gu Er had also been brought here, yet stood there looking at the ground, not knowing what he was thinking. Since Princess Yuanhua was taken away, Gu Er had been frequenting the brothel, and this time he was forcibly fetched back from there.
He never thought he would meet Mrs. Kong under such circumstances.
Since Mrs. Kong married into Prince Xian Mansion, except for once when Mrs. Gu Sr. invited her to the mansion for a show of power and ended up angering herself, Gu Er hadn’t seen Mrs. Kong. Now seeing Mrs. Kong continuously apologizing to Brother De and feeling a sudden urge to strangle her.
Brother De was cold, noticing that the guards holding him were retreating, he cautiously stood up, seeing the guards not obstruct him, he truly relaxed and stood up, yet dared not move from his spot.
Over at the Heir of Prince Xian, seeing Brother De do so without being stopped by the guards, he too stood up and even started wandering around in the courtyard. Mrs. Kong, heavily pregnant, struggled for a while before standing on her own, turning her head to look at Gu Er staring straight at her, a struggle apparent in Mrs. Kong’s eyes, yet she turned away without a word.
In the outer courtyard, Mrs. Liu Sr. and Liang Hui were present. When they saw Gu Yifeng arrive, they withdrew. After fainting yesterday, Mrs. Liu Sr. had been staying at the East Mansion, not returning home, naturally with Liang Hui by her side to look after her.
Yesterday Zhao Housheng managed to restrain his temper with his daughter, but today, seeing that Sister Ning hadn’t gotten up and remained in a stupor, he slapped his daughter in anger. Mrs. Liu Sr.’s heart felt both that it was deserved and reluctant, finally deciding to have Sister Ling sent to the Prime Minister’s Mansion to be with Sister Hong.
Prince Shou had been staying at the East Mansion all along, seemingly unaffected, making Zhao Housheng increasingly worried, not for anything else but recalling his father losing a child and subsequently withdrawing from the world, which seemed the most straightforward solution. Zhao Housheng was no longer young then, and he vividly remembered what his father was like when his sister was lost, identical to now.
Seeing Gu Yifeng head to the back courtyard, Zhao Housheng then hurried to his father, "Father, are you considering any solutions?"
Zhao Housheng naturally dared not bluntly ask.
Prince Shou glanced at his son and then spoke faintly, "I originally thought that with you all grown and the Crown Prince’s side stabilized, nothing more would happen. Now it seems I underestimated things. Dingyuan Marquis once said he would take your sister to the border, which I never agreed to. Now Brother Zong has been stolen like this, I regret not letting them go, or today wouldn’t have turned out this way."
"How can this matter blame father? Those people schemed against Sister Ning sincerely. Regardless of where Sister Ning went, they would pursue her. I’m instead relieved it happened here; at least we’re all by her side. If it were at the border, the Marquis would have to care for Sister Ning while searching for Brother Zong, where would he find the energy?"
"Seeing Sister Ning like this now, I can’t help but think of your mother. Back then, your mother was the same; though she eventually woke up, she became more listless by the day. At the time, I thought slowly she would recover, only for her to leave like that. Countless times I thought if I had comforted her consistently or brought a child, claiming it was Sister Ning, perhaps she would have been alright." Prince Shou murmured to himself.
Zhao Housheng’s eyes lit up, "Father, if that’s so, could we use this method now?"
Prince Shou looked at his son, "You’re suggesting getting a child to deceive Sister Ning, saying it’s Brother Zong?"
Zhao Housheng nodded, "A newborn changes every day, we can say it’s Brother Zong, how could Sister Ning discern? Otherwise, as father said, if something truly happens to Sister Ning, even if Brother Zong is found, what’s the use? What we’re doing now is for Sister Ning, and someday when she knows, she won’t blame us."
Prince Shou didn’t respond.
Yet Zhao Housheng became spirited, "Father, presently this seems the only feasible solution. Sister Ning is still in a daze; shall we just watch her decline day by day?"