FBC – Chapter 220 Besieging the Mansion

Gu Hua slept deeply.

She didn’t know how long she had been asleep when a burst of commotion outside the window startled her awake.

“Should we wake Madam?”

“No need. Just guard here. I’ll go find Old Madam.”

“Yes.”

Gu Hua suddenly sat up. “Dong Hua, Sister Zhilan, what’s going on?”

Zhou Zhilan and Dong Hua froze, muttering under their breath, “Ai, still woke her up.”

The two quickly came inside.

Zhou Zhilan leaned over and pulled the quilt up for her. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing. My brother and I are here, and Old Madam as well.”

Gu Hua instantly understood it had something to do with her.

She tugged at Zhou Zhilan’s sleeve. “What is it?”

“The Gu family carried the gravely injured Gu Yuan here and surrounded the front gates, demanding Madam give an explanation.”

Dong Hua’s face was grim. “They brought many people, shouting all the way, drawing quite a crowd. They came with ill intent.”

Gu Hua frowned. “Gu Yuan? He was perfectly fine when he went back.”

“Exactly, they’re just looking for trouble.”

“Who’s leading them?”

“That Concubine Huang.”

Gu Hua sneered. “She still dares to stir up storms in the Marquis of Wenchang’s household?”

“Dong Hua, dress me.”

Zhou Zhilan pressed her down. “Shen Li said your pregnancy is unstable, you must rest. This little matter doesn’t need you to intervene.”

“I must resolve the affairs of the Marquis of Wenchang’s household once and for all! So they’ll never dare harass me again. Don’t disturb Mother, no need for her to worry.”

Wrapped in a thick silver fox cloak, Gu Hua walked to the front gate, only to hear Concubine Huang’s shrill voice outside.

“Gu Hua, get out here! You murdered your own father, an unforgivable crime! You stole the sons of the Mu family, trying to cut off their line. How vicious you are!”

Rage shot straight to Gu Hua’s head.

She strode out with her fully armed guards.

Standing high on the steps, she swept her gaze coldly over the crowd.

Besides the Gu household servants, there were many unfamiliar faces, all burly men wearing the Gu family guard’s uniform.

They looked well-trained, unlike the usual Gu household guards.

Gu Hua’s wariness grew.

Concubine Huang and the Gu family froze briefly under her imposing presence and the wall of dark-clad guards.

Regaining her nerve, Concubine Huang straightened her back and shouted, “You venomous, cold-blooded woman, how dare you show your face! You stole the Marquis’s two sons, and now you beat your own father to death?”

Gu Hua’s eyes narrowed in disgust as she looked at Gu Yuan lying half-dead on a chair.

He was covered in blood, not even a cloth draped over him, shivering in the bitter late-winter cold, stiff like a frozen fish.

“Is he dead?”

Concubine Huang scoffed. “Of course not, though you’d like him to be! He only wanted to take back his two sons and invited you to his birthday feast tomorrow. Yet you beat him like this? Do you even have a conscience? He is your father!”

Gu Hua tugged her fox-fur gloves tighter and ordered Chiyu, “Go to Kaifeng Prefecture and invite the Prefect, bring coroner and officers.”

Concubine Huang’s expression shifted. “This is family business. No need to call in Kaifeng Prefecture.”

Gu Hua smiled faintly. “Didn’t you accuse me of murdering my father and stealing children? Without Kaifeng Prefecture, how can this be judged? If I’m guilty, then let them arrest me, no?”

She suddenly said, “Dong Hua, fetch a quilt. The Gu household doesn’t even care about their own master, leaving him covered in blood to freeze. Once Kaifeng Prefecture arrives, how will they know if he was beaten to death or frozen to death?”

Dong Hua answered loudly, and soon a servant came with a quilt to cover him.

Concubine Huang furiously shoved the servant aside. “Who knows if you hid needles or poison inside the quilt!”

Without hesitation, Gu Hua pointed at her. “Strip her cloak and cover the Marquis with it.”

Before Concubine Huang could react, two Mu household guards darted forward, ripped off her cloak, and threw it over Gu Yuan.

Being called “father and daughter” and accused of patricide made Gu Hua sick to her stomach. A ferocity she’d never felt before surged up.

Her voice was calm, yet filled with anger. “First of all, Gu Yuan has nothing to do with me. If you dare spout nonsense again, I’ll rip out your tongue on the spot!”

Concubine Huang’s maid was just draping a shawl on her when she froze in horror at Gu Hua’s words.

Gu Hua’s face remained icy as she walked down the steps step by step, with Chiyu and the guards close behind, ready to shield her.

“Gu Yuan came to my manor, and I had him thrown out. He is unworthy of stepping into the Duke’s Residence, and I’ve no interest in seeing him. As for my two younger brothers, the Gu clan elders permitted them to stay with me for proper upbringing. How is that stealing children?”

“And besides, if they remained in the Marquis’s household without a mother, how could they live well? Would a concubine like you, scheming to be Marchioness, ever treat them kindly?”

With each word, Gu Hua drew closer to Concubine Huang, her half-smile chilling to the bone.

Concubine Huang had only seen her twice before, always thinking she was just a woman who relied on men for power. Without Mu Junyan, even as Duchess, she was an empty shell.

That was why Young Master Jiang gave her a dozen men, instructing her to stir up trouble outside the Duke’s Residence and abduct Gu Hua in the chaos.

But she had never seen this terrifying side of Gu Hua, and she instinctively staggered back two steps.

Gu Hua pressed closer. “When Kaifeng Prefecture investigates, they’ll know exactly where Gu Yuan was beaten. His servants are all witnesses.

Concubine Huang, you killed your husband to seize the Marquis’s household, and now you come to the Duke’s Residence to frame me? Who gave you such courage?”

Concubine Huang’s face went pale. She retreated and shouted, “Seize her!”

Hearing her cry, Gu Hua grabbed her wrist, just as killing intent flared from the crowd.

Looking up, she saw several burly strangers rushing at her.

Chiyu and his men unsheathed their swords without a word, clashing fiercely with them.

Gu Hua turned toward Gu Yuan and ordered, “Don’t let him die!”

Zhou Zhilan immediately understood. She waved, and guards rushed to shield Gu Yuan.

Sure enough, someone was already closing in on him.

The guards caught him, twisting his wrist to reveal a dagger in his hand.

Gu Hua’s face turned cold as ice. She tightened her grip on Concubine Huang’s wrist.

Seeing Gu Yuan carried into the Duke’s Residence and the fighting breaking out, Concubine Huang panicked.

She thrashed wildly, shouting, “Catch this parricidal wretch! Whoever seizes her will be rewarded a hundred taels of silver!”

Her maid tried to lunge as well, but Zhou Zhilan kicked her flying.

Gu Hua’s eyes darkened. She drew a dagger and stabbed straight into Concubine Huang’s shoulder without hesitation.

Concubine Huang shrieked, clawing at Gu Hua’s face with sharp nails.

Gu Hua swung her blade backhanded, slicing off all five fingers. Concubine Huang collapsed, clutching her bloody hand, fainting on the ground.

Zhou Zhilan and Dong Hua drew their swords, shielding Gu Hua tightly.

Suddenly, the sharp hiss of bolts rang out, followed by screams, as swathes of Gu family men fell.

Zhou Chunyu rushed out, holding a hand crossbow, with a dozen armed men behind him, all aiming at the enemy while shielding Gu Hua.

The opposing group froze in shock.

In that moment, the sound of pounding hooves thundered closer.