FBC -Chapter 317 Princess Consort Causes a Separation

Not far away, Mu Junyan stood listening to their entire conversation.

Seeing Gu Hua storming toward him, he hurried to meet her.

“Hua’er…”

Gu Hua looked up when she heard him, her face instantly darkening. She walked right past him without a word.

Mu Junyan panicked and quickly followed. “Hua’er, please listen to my explanation.”

Gu Hua suddenly stopped. Mu Junyan almost ran into her and braced himself just in time.

“Explain? Sister Zhilan is lying there like that—what use is an explanation? Can explaining bring back her innocence?”

The more Gu Hua spoke, the angrier she became. “Sister Zhilan was always such a cheerful person, yet she was tortured until she was on the verge of death. She almost lost even the will to live. What are you all trying to explain?”

Tears streamed down her face. “You men never understand how hard it is for women in this world. Men can have multiple wives and concubines, you can ruin a woman’s chastity and refuse to take responsibility, thinking that giving some betrothal gifts and marrying her off will make things right.”

Mu Junyan: “…”

Uh oh. She was digging up old grievances.

Gu Hua continued through tears, “Zhou Chunyu thinks treating Sister Zhilan well from now on is enough. But does he understand her suffering? She wanted to give her pure, whole self to him. Even though he couldn’t be a ‘real man,’ she never despised him. She endured grievances for years, following him without name or status. Finally, when the clouds parted and the moon shone bright—Zhou Chunyu finally woke up and wanted to marry her—yet she was destroyed by you men who thought you loved her. What did Sister Zhilan ever do wrong? Why should she be the one to suffer?!”

“Hua’er, I’m sorry…”

“Sorry? Is sorry enough? Can sorry start everything over?”

Gu Hua cried, wiping her nose and tears. Her own suppressed grievances from years past surged up too.

Back then, although she seduced him to save her life, didn’t he also refuse to take responsibility at first?

All men were such bastards!

The more she thought, the angrier she became. She no longer wanted to argue and simply shouted at him: “Stay away from me! I don’t want to see someone as selfish as you!”

With that, she marched toward the twins’ courtyard.

Mu Junyan watched her retreating figure helplessly.

He knew she was truly furious this time. How was he supposed to coax her?

Zhou Chunyu had indeed ordered the guards of Yong Prince Manor to loosen surveillance outwardly while secretly setting up defenses.

No one expected those beasts to target the Zhou Residence, and even less that they would take their anger out on Zhou Zhilan, who had nothing to do with anything.

This was their mistake.

Mu Junyan also felt deeply guilty.

But the matter had already happened. He would do all he could to make amends. Yet Gu Hua’s words earlier had struck him hard.

Indeed, being a woman in this world was far more difficult than being a man. Especially when it came to purity and reputation—often even when it wasn’t the woman’s fault, she could lose her life over it.

Mu Junyan stood there, stunned, his head buzzing.

Suddenly, heavy snow began to fall.

He didn’t notice at all, lost in thought.

Not far away, Chiyu couldn’t bear it anymore. He quietly approached and said, “My lord, it’s snowing.”

“Oh.”

Mu Junyan blankly lifted his head to look at the sky.

Then he quietly instructed, “Tomorrow… let them in. Allow them into the city to deliver the decree.”

Chiyu cupped his fists. “Yes.”

It turned out Chiyan’s men had already discovered that Bianjing had sent envoys to deliver an imperial decree.

Though they didn’t know its contents, the emperor had been chronically ill. Delivering a decree at such a time could not be good news.

Worried it would affect Zhou Chunyu’s wedding, Mu Junyan had ordered men to create obstacles—deliberately damaging their carriage wheels, stranding them five li away outside Juzhou. With the snow starting, he intended to delay them until after the wedding.

But after the incident occurred, he had no time to think of them, and the delay stretched into two days.

When Gu Hua saw Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan’s joyful faces, the knot in her heart eased a little. She played with the two adorable children for a while when Dong Hua peeked in.

“Dong Hua.”

Gu Hua called.

She hurried inside. “Princess Consort, His Highness says you should return to rest. It’s snowing, he fears you’ll be chilled.”

Gu Hua ignored her and directly ordered, “Starting tonight, I’ll be living here with the children. You and Dong Qing go move my things.”

“Huh?” Dong Hua and the nearby Dong Qing, who was playing with the children, both froze.

Dong Hua knew a little—Chiyu had secretly told her.

The Princess Consort was angry at the Prince.

“But His Highness is waiting outside—”

Gu Hua’s face turned dark. “Are you my maid or his? If you want to follow him, then don’t serve me anymore!”

Dong Hua was terrified. It was her first time seeing Gu Hua this angry.

She dropped to her knees. “This servant belongs to the Princess Consort!”

Dong Qing and the nanny maids also knelt in shock.

“Princess Consort, please calm your anger.”

Gu Hua looked at them. She had never lost her temper at servants before. She didn’t know why her usually gentle self had become so irritable.

Her tone softened. “Get up. I just want to stay with the children for a few days. You don’t need to be so frightened.”

Dong Hua’s face was still pale. Seeing Gu Hua’s mood hadn’t improved, she didn’t dare rise.

Dong Qing, though unsure what happened, understood her mistress well. The Princess Consort never scolded servants—even when they made mistakes, she forgave with a generous heart.

For her to be like this, something enormous must have happened.

Dong Qing stood and helped Dong Hua up. “Princess Consort, we’ll prepare right away.”

Dong Hua’s legs trembled, and she almost cried as she followed.

The servants silently prepared the new room.

Gu Hua said nothing more. After coaxing the children to sleep, she took a bath and went to bed early.

Outside, the snowfall grew heavier.

Gu Hua couldn’t sleep, her mind in chaos.

The stillness made it easy to hear Dong Hua whispering outside the window.

“My lord has been standing outside for a long time. No one dares approach him. He didn’t even take an umbrella—he’s become a snowman. What should we do?”

Dong Qing said solemnly, “This is not for servants to meddle in. You know the Princess Consort’s nature—gentle, soft-spoken, always attentive to us servants and to His Highness. For her to become like this, it must have been something major that pushed her over the edge.”

Gu Hua’s heart pounded.

In this heavy snow… he wasn’t even using an umbrella?

What were Chiyu and Dong Mo doing?!

What if he froze sick?

But… she didn’t want to give in. She didn’t want to speak to him.

Who told them to treat Sister Zhilan’s wedding so lightly, harming her like that?

The two maids were still whispering. Gu Hua grew annoyed and shouted, “Silence!”

Dong Hua and Dong Qing nearly knelt again.

They could not understand why their gentle Princess Consort had become so frightening.

Dong Qing patted Dong Hua, then quietly entered the room. She approached the bed carefully, touched Gu Hua’s blanket, and tucked it gently.

Then she poked the charcoal fire, listening closely for any movement.

The Princess Consort definitely wasn’t asleep—she had heard the comment about the Prince turning into a snowman. Dong Qing wondered if she would soften.

She waited a long time. No movement.

She quietly retreated.

But just as she reached the door, a muffled voice came from the bed:

“Tell Dong Mo… if he gets sick, I’ll hold him responsible.”

“Yes!” Dong Qing replied in delight, softly closing the door.

Dong Hua rushed over but didn’t dare speak.

Dong Qing leaned close and whispered the message.

Dong Hua nodded vigorously and bolted off.

The Old Madam, hearing from Yiniang about the situation, simply said calmly, “Don’t worry. Snow won’t kill him. Let’s sleep.”

Yiniang was stunned. “Old Madam, you really won’t intervene? This is the first time the Princess Consort has ever been this angry. What if His Highness can’t coax her back?”

“Relax. This couple has had it too smooth. A little conflict and temper might be good for them.”

The Old Madam went to bed. Yiniang could only assist her.

Very soon, the entire Yong Prince Manor knew:

—The Princess Consort was staying in the children’s courtyard tonight.

—The Prince had turned into a snowman standing outside.

The atmosphere in the manor dropped lower than the snowy weather. Everyone walked lightly, terrified of disturbing their two masters and making the situation worse.