Chapter Thirteen: The Joint Hearing

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Songhe Residence was not far away, so there was no reason for the Old Madam and the others not to know what had happened there.

Yet the Old Madam had shown no intention of sending anyone to protect her.

Su Zhinian lowered her head, concealing the icy glint in her eyes.

It was clear now just how foolish she had been in her previous life—not to have seen through any of this.

“Zhinian, whatever else she may have done, Mother Wang is still one of the Old Madam’s people. You shouldn’t have egged Shijin on to throw her out.”

“The Old Madam has only a handful of people around her who truly care for her. What you’ve done must have chilled her heart. After all, she has always cherished you like the apple of her eye.”

Madam Gu’s face was filled with displeasure. As Su Zhinian’s mother-in-law, she had never been able to keep her in line.

That was because the Old Madam had always protected Su Zhinian.

Madam Gu could never understand why the Old Madam would neglect her own granddaughter, Xuan, and instead dote on Su Zhinian—the woman who had married into the family and then brought about the death of her son.

With the Old Madam supporting her, she, as Su Zhinian’s mother-in-law, had been utterly helpless against the younger woman.

But now, at last, she had caught Su Zhinian in a vulnerable position.

Her words were sharp, every sentence an accusation.

Gu Shijin frowned at this. He looked toward Su Zhinian, wanting to see how she intended to explain herself.

Instead, he found her standing there with lowered brows and a submissive expression, as though she had no intention of answering. After all, he was the one who had dealt with Mother Wang. Gu Shijin pressed his lips together.

“Mother, Mother Wang was completely lacking in propriety. I’ve only just returned, and who knows how many eyes are watching our family. If her mistakes bring trouble upon us, the entire Gu family will suffer!”

If Su Zhinian had said such a thing, Madam Gu would certainly have choked her with another few remarks. But since it had come from her own son, she could hardly say anything.

“Enough! She’s only a servant. What kind of spectacle are you making over this?”

The Old Madam’s sharp rebuke immediately silenced Madam Gu.

It was always like this. The Old Madam invariably took Su Zhinian’s side.

But now Madam Gu had been speaking on the Old Madam’s behalf, and she was still the one being scolded.

Madam Gu decided that from now on, she would never meddle in this matter again.

Su Zhinian took in every change in Madam Gu’s expression and curled her lips in a cold smile.

Madam Gu was impulsive, coarse, and incapable of hiding her thoughts. She possessed hardly any cunning at all.

With her mind, how could she possibly see that the Old Madam was using the tactic of elevating Su Zhinian only to destroy her later?

At this moment, Madam Gu was probably already inventing all sorts of explanations in her heart for why the Old Madam favored Su Zhinian.

“Zhinian, surely you aren’t blaming Grandmother?”

Tears glimmered in the Old Madam’s cloudy eyes. Her pale lips trembled slightly as she asked the question.

In the past, Su Zhinian would have been filled with distress at such a sight. She would have immediately knelt down and begged forgiveness.

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Then she would have used the money from her private coffers to buy Buddhist statues, prayer beads, and the like, offering them to the Old Madam as an apology.

Seeing the Old Madam put on such an act, Madam Gu felt as though she could not catch her breath. Her anger made her chest ache.

Even Gu Lingxuan glared at Su Zhinian with undisguised jealousy.

Yet Su Zhinian merely raised her head and replied calmly,

“Zhinian would never dare.”

And with that, she said nothing more.

The Old Madam had been prepared to pour out a flood of grievances, but every word became lodged in her throat.

She stared suspiciously at Su Zhinian, a sudden unease rising in her heart.

Could this girl have discovered something?

In the past, whenever she spoke in this manner, Su Zhinian would lower her head in guilt and immediately admit her fault.

But why did things seem different now?

Gu Shijin, however, could not help looking at her in a new light. This woman seemed more obedient before his grandmother than she had ever been before him.

“Enough. Since everyone is here, let us get to the important matter.”

Gu Jingyuan owed his position to the fact that his father had been granted the honor of being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. He now held a minor seventh-rank post overseeing sacrificial rites and ceremonial affairs.

Much of his prestige came from having such a promising general for a son. Gu Shijin had brought the family ample honor.

Dressed in a dark blue-black brocade robe patterned with bamboo, Gu Jingyuan sat upright, exuding an imposing authority.

“Indeed. Zhinian, take your seat.”

The Old Madam forced a smile, her eyes filled with concern for the younger generation.

Once everyone had settled down, Gu Jingyuan spoke in a solemn voice.

“Shijin spent three years in hiding and slew the most ruthless commander of the Northern Rong. He is a great hero of our Fengqi Kingdom.”

At those words, Su Zhinian already understood the purpose of this gathering.

Gu Jingyuan fixed his stern gaze upon her.

“Our Gu family must be even more cautious in both word and deed from now on. We cannot give anyone cause for gossip. Madam Su, do you understand?”

Madam Gu and Gu Lingxuan exchanged a glance, their faces wearing mocking smiles as they waited to watch Su Zhinian make a fool of herself.

“If Father-in-law has something to say, you may as well say it plainly.”

Su Zhinian blinked her large, innocent eyes, as though she truly did not understand the implication behind his words.

What a dull-witted fool!

Gu Jingyuan cursed her inwardly before speaking bluntly.

“I have ordered Shijin not to divorce you, but merely to demote you to the position of a concubine. That is already compensation enough for you. I hope you will not become greedy.”

“His Majesty will soon personally arrange the marriage between Shijin and Xixi. Do not resort to those petty schemes of a woman confined to the inner household. Everything must be done for the sake of the Gu family!”

His every word was filled with arrogant superiority, as though he had granted Su Zhinian an immeasurable honor.

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After all, Gu Shijin had originally been determined to divorce her. If not for the Old Madam and Gu Jingyuan persuading him, he would never have changed his mind.

Affection shone in the Old Madam’s eyes as she slowly began to reason with her.

“Zhinian, rest assured. Even after that Ren Xixi enters the household, Grandmother will recognize only you as my granddaughter-in-law.”

Gu Shijin immediately objected.

“Grandmother! You can’t favor Su Zhinian so much that you treat Xixi this way. It’s unfair to her!”

As expected, Su Zhinian was a deeply scheming woman. She knew exactly how to curry favor with his grandmother.

Xixi was such a wonderful woman. Why couldn’t Su Zhinian tolerate her?

“Be quiet!”

The Old Madam’s expression changed at once, and she sharply rebuked him.

“You faked your death without sending even a message home. If not for Zhinian, our Gu family would never have endured until your return!”

“You’ve done something so heartless and ungrateful. How can you possibly face Zhinian?”

Hearing the Old Madam’s words, Yushu was nearly moved to tears.

In the entire Gu family, only the Old Madam sincerely cared for their young mistress.

Yet as Gu Shijin listened, his heart held nothing but hatred for Su Zhinian. Not the slightest trace of guilt touched him.

He had been on the brink of death. If not for Xixi, he would have died then and there.

A debt for saving one’s life outweighed everything under heaven.

Why couldn’t they understand that?

Gu Shijin glared viciously at Su Zhinian.

“Old Madam, you really are the one who dotes on Zhinian most.”

Su Zhinian appeared deeply moved. She raised the handkerchief in her hand and dabbed at the corner of her eye.

That was more like it.

The Old Madam gave an almost imperceptible nod. This was the attitude Su Zhinian ought to have shown.

“However, Zhinian knows that she cannot compare with Miss Xixi, and would never presume to hope for anything beyond her station.”

Su Zhinian lowered her head sorrowfully. From the side, her eyes seemed slightly reddened, and her entire figure radiated a stubborn yet fragile beauty.

Gu Shijin felt strangely uncomfortable.

So Su Zhinian had treated him that way before only because she had loved him too deeply and could not bear to accept such a situation.

Now that she was behaving so obediently, she must have realized that nothing could be done to change the outcome.

“It’s good that you understand! You can’t compare with Sister Xixi in any way, so hurry up and give up your position!” Gu Lingxuan shouted, craning her neck.

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