Communication and traffic in ancient times were inconvenient. The doctor wouldn’t arrive instantly when invited. After the crowd panicked for a while, two groups of people were sent out to invite the doctor. One group went to invite Ji Danqing, while the other went to invite another doctor. It was thoughtful in this kind of situation. There were three people that became uncomfortable at once. Even if Ji Danqing came at this moment, he probably couldn’t handle it all on his own.
Unlike old madam who couldn’t be moved because of her symptoms, Fang shi was hurriedly moved by the maids to the inner room of Pine Crane Hall and was laid down in bed first. Yingluo anxiously walked around the bedside. She really didn’t know what to do and was afraid that the fetus inside Fang shi was unstable. In the end, she simply called Shixiang and let her go made the medication to prevent miscarriage. As for whether Fang shi could take it, they had to wait for the doctor to see.
After a period of chaos, Gu Da finally got some of his breath back. He turned to Gu Xiren and when he saw Gu Xiren standing with his head held high, he (GD) felt an indescribable hatred and disgust in his heart. He then turned to Gu Xuan and saw her bending the head and wiping her tears. Under his sorrow and anger, he couldn’t help but laugh coldly, “I almost forgot, there’s still you! Do you hate me to the bone, or do you hate your eldest big brother to the bone?”
When he asked, Gu Xuan’s tears fell faster but she only wiped her tears and said nothing. This sad appearance with the little white flower of the hairpin on the hair of her temples and the slight trembling of her body, made her look more pitiful and caused people to feel sympathy for her.
However, Gu Da couldn’t stand to see her like this. He grabbed the teacup and threw it her way, “At this moment, to who are you still shedding these crocodile tears? Speak!”
With no surprise, another teacup was broken to pieces.
Shu Huan looked at the broken porcelain on the ground, and couldn’t help but caress the faint scar on her wrist. She was dumbfounded that the people from Gu household were really alike. They all had a hobby of throwing teacups.
Gu Xuan didn’t evade. When she was forced to answer, she just shook her head continuously.
Gu Xiren glanced at her and couldn’t bear it anymore. He interrupted and said, “This has nothing to do with her! A man must bear the consequences of his own acts! It’s not worthy to get her involved!”
Gu Da sneered even more, “I really gave birth to a good son who personally caused his big brother’s death. And now, you’re giving me this deep brother-sister bonding! No matter how much you protect her, you can’t erase what she has done!”
“I coaxed her into putting the candy in Red Cloud Yard! She didn’t know anything!”
“That’s an accomplice too!”
“I told you she didn’t know anything! Even a vicious tiger will not eat its cubs. I did it, so if you want to pursue the matter, investigate me only. Whether you want to kill me or punish me, I’ll accept it all!” Speaking till here, Gu Xiren furrowed his brow, “Or, you have long been unhappy with the both of us, and wants us all to be buried with eldest big brother. If that is the case, then, I have nothing to say!”
Even a vicious tiger will not eat its cubs: no one is capable of hurting his own children.
The last sentence made Gu Da almost jump up and said furiously, “Drag him out and let him kneel outside the ancestral hall!”
Gu Xiren squinted at him arrogantly: “No need, I’ll go on my own!”
At the end of his speech, he glanced at Gu Xuan, swung his sleeve, and walked out with his head held high.
Zhou shi saw that he was so determined that she directly cried and fell to the ground.
Gu Da was so angered by him (Xiren) that he vomited blood again. Lin shi and the other concubines panicked, and immediately rushed over to comfort him but got told off by him. He took a breath and said to Gu Xiran, “Take that unfilial son to the ancestral hall and punish him with the wooden stick on my behalf. After punishing him, let him kneel there. Call two servant to watch over him. No one is allowed to give him food and drinks. Tomorrow morning, tie him up to see the officials!”
Gu Xiran frowned slightly, then he heard him (GD) continue to deal with Gu Xuan. He (GD) let people take Gu Xuan to the woodshed to lock her there first. Without his orders, she couldn’t be released!
In fact, this punishment couldn’t be said to be unfair. After all, since ancient times, a murderer must pay with his life (a life for a life). Moreover, Gu Xuan looked innocent and pitiful but Shu Huan and others knew that she (GX) had swapped the candies after the murder. This meant that even if she didn’t know in advance, she must have known about it afterwards. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have thought of changing the candies back. However, no one knew if she did this for the sake of Gu Xiren or was she afraid that she would be implicated if the matter was exposed.
When Gu Xiran was still making up his mind, he heard Gu Da shout at him, “What are you waiting for? Why aren’t you going already? Or do you also think that Xiren did a good job that made you pleased and you couldn’t bear to punish him?”
After hearing these ridiculous words, Gu Xiran immediately became sullen.
He knew that Gu Da was sad because he lost his son, and it was even more painful to know that it was caused by hostility between brothers. However, he (GD) had lived for a long time and had gotten established in society for years. He should have never said such extremely cold words that wished for the whole family to be in chaos (desire to stir up trouble). Or did he only take Gu Xitian as his only son and thought the others were dispensable?
In the end, the perpetrator of this tragedy was Gu Da! He didn’t reflect on his own mistakes but vented his grievances on others. In this way, even if there were a few more big events happening in the family, Gu Xiran wouldn’t be surprised!
Since he (GXR) had no good feelings for Gu Da and didn’t want to get involved in the internal conflicts within Gu Household, Gu Xiran tactfully refused the job that had been forced on him. He coughed twice and said softly, “Master, please find another person to do the punishment. I have always been sick and weak. I’m afraid I can’t do it and will cause you trouble afterwards. It’s already a mess at home.”
Although, he didn’t have good feelings for Gu Da, but he was still his father in name. At the end of his speech, he (GXR) still gave some advice to Gu Da.
In comparison to Gu Da, Gu Xiran preferred the smooth method of how old madam handle things. She would temporarily suppress the matter. On the surface, she was taking care of Gu Xitian’s funeral but also secretly investigating the matter and quietly dealing with it. How was this not good? Wordless and uncommunicative, all the trouble had been solved. At least, it wouldn’t be to the point where the whole household knew about the matter. There would be more or less room for adjustments. They didn’t need to be shaken by one harsh news after another. Nobody would vomit blood or faint. At this moment, even the unformed fetus inside Fang shi’s had been implicated. No one knew if it would survive.
Wordless and uncommunicative: without speaking / taciturn / not providing any news.
All this was caused by Gu Da’s messy handling of things!
Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad. Gu Da was so grumpy at the moment that he had no judgement at all. Let alone carefully analyze the situation and thought calmly over it. The only reaction of Gu Da towards Gu Xiran’s words was….
He (GXR) was provoking him!
Gu Da was so furious that he pointed at Gu Xiran and said, “Even…even you dare….”
Spoken words were like split water that is difficult to retrieve. If he (GXR) let him (GD) finish his words, he (GXR) was afraid that in the future it would be difficult to repress the resentment in his heart and to continue to maintain that pretense of a father-son relationship on the surface!
Split water is difficult to retrieve: what’s done is done and can’t be reversed.
Gu Xiran licked his lips and interrupted him (GD), “Master, please calm down. It’s important to take care of the body.”
“You….” Gu Da still wanted to say something.
Shu Huan’s eyes were sharp and saw a bamboo-colored figure outside the door. She quickly said, “Doctor Ji is here. Master, if you have more to say, please wait after the doctor has seen old madam.”
As soon as she mentioned old madam, Gu Da immediately became silent and sat back on the chair powerlessly.
Nowadays, filial piety is a top priority. No matter how much old madam weighted in Gu Da’s heart, as long as she was involved, everything else had to be postponed. After all, there were only a few people in the world like Gu Xiren, who dare to expose the hostility between brothers, who was unfilial and heartless, and who didn’t hide anything at all.
