FBC – Chapter 37 Destroy

Gu Hua gave a faint smile. “Granny Du, let’s not play games. If anything happens to Second Young Master in your care, I’m afraid your life won’t be spared.”

Granny Du’s face turned pale in fright. “Second Young Miss, you know… it was all Concubine Pei! How would I dare to stop her?”

Gu Hua’s smile vanished, and her tone turned stern. “Giving my second brother random medicine, a fractured wrist, the scars on his body and hands—these are all proof of your poor service. If something goes wrong, Concubine Pei will definitely pin everything on you. At that time, even if the Marquis household lets it go, I won’t. I’ll report it to the authorities and have you charged with abuse!”

Granny Du was terrified and dropped to her knees with a thud. “Second Young Miss, have mercy!”

“Whether or not I spare you depends on how you act going forward.”

“I’ll do as you say, Second Young Miss. I’ll take good care of Second Young Master,” Granny Du promised, kowtowing heavily.

Gu Hua helped her up, her tone softening. “Get up. As long as you sincerely serve my second brother, and if Concubine Pei ever mistreats him again, you can report it to my mother and father. As long as my brother is well, I’ll give you an extra monthly allowance.”

A glimmer of joy flashed in Granny Du’s eyes. “This servant will absolutely follow Second Young Miss’s instructions.”

From the moment she entered, she could tell—this Second Young Miss seemed to have risen to power.

She didn’t know what exactly had happened, but just from the way Gu Hua dressed and the imposing aura of those accompanying her, it was clear something had changed.

Gu Hua changed the subject. “Granny Du, you came as a dowry maid from the Concubine Pei household and served by my mother’s side. You should know who delivered me when I was born, right?”

“This servant certainly…”

Suddenly, Granny Du stopped mid-sentence, a flicker of shock passing through her eyes.

She quickly changed her tune. “Second Young Miss was born the year this servant happened to get married, so I wasn’t serving the madam at the time.”

Gu Hua took in her expression completely.

Granny Du knew something.

But right now, Gu Hua had no way to force her to speak the truth.

So she changed the subject. “I brought some pastries and nourishing medicine for Second Brother. You take him back now.”

“Yes, this servant will take the young master back to the front courtyard.”

“Go on.”

With large bundles in hand, Granny Du led Gu Jinwen out. Gu Hua watched her younger brother cast her one last reluctant look, and her heart felt as if pierced by needles. Her smile slowly faded.

Zhou Zhiluan leaned in and asked in a low voice, “Was it the midwife who tampered with something and caused your health problems?”

Gu Hua didn’t dare to reveal that her identity had been switched, so she only vaguely replied, “Mm, I was sickly when I was young. But it’s much better now.”

Zhou Zhiluan frowned. “What kind of people are in your family?”

Gu Hua felt a pang of sorrow.

For now, there was nothing else she could find out.

“You’re saying the young lord didn’t go to Jiaochun Garden?” Concubine Pei looked grim.

“Yes. The room Eldest Miss reserved was empty. The people at Jiaochun Garden said they hadn’t seen the young lord,” replied Granny Lu, Concubine Pei’s most trusted servant.

Concubine Pei’s expression turned sinister. “It must be that little wench causing trouble!”

She had to stop that little slut from stepping over Ru’er.

Granny Lu also looked anxious. “What do we do now? Will the young lord blame Eldest Miss?”

Concubine Pei paced the room, scowling. “Why didn’t Ru’er send word if her plans changed? Could something have happened at the Duke Estate?”

Granny Lu had no answer.

Suddenly, Concubine Pei halted, a malicious thought taking root. She pulled Granny Lu over and whispered in her ear, “You go and…”

Granny Lu’s face shifted slightly as she listened. She lowered her voice. “Madam, if we’re discovered, how could we explain this to the marquis and his wife?”

Concubine Pei scoffed. “If the little slut loses her virginity, she won’t dare make a fuss.”

Granny Lu hesitated. “But… the three maids with her are fierce.”

They were all from the Duke Estate, and one was even the younger sister of Steward Zhou…

“Aren’t they staying in separate rooms? Just blow something into Gu Hua’s room—silent and unnoticed. Stop dawdling. Go.”

Granny Lu gritted her teeth. “Yes, this servant will go now.”

Night deepened.

Everyone in the guest courtyard had gone to rest.

Suddenly, the courtyard gate creaked open, and a shadow slipped inside, moving confidently toward the main room.

The shadow pressed an ear to the window to check for any sound. Hearing nothing, they pulled out a thin bamboo tube, moistened one end with saliva, and inserted it through a hole in the window, blowing softly inside.

The shadow crouched by the wall, waiting about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then gently pushed open the window and climbed in on tiptoe.

Inside the room, it was pitch black. The shadow crept carefully toward the bed.

“Ah!”

A bloodcurdling scream pierced the night.

Suddenly, the room burst into light.

Dong Hua stood holding a wooden stick. A man lay on the ground, clutching his bleeding head and staring in terror at the four girls surrounding him.

Gu Hua stood by the door with a candlestick in hand, her expression icy.

The man was Lao Liu, Concubine Pei’s carriage driver. A widower, his face was dark and rough.

Shen Li sat in a chair, playing with a still-smoking incense stick.

Zhou Zhiluan wore a murderous expression. She pulled out a dagger and stepped forward, only to be stopped by Gu Hua.

“Someone come.”

Two maids outside, awakened by the noise, hurried in and were shocked by the scene.

“Report to Father and Mother—there’s been a break-in here.”

“Yes.” The maids didn’t dare delay and quickly ran off in separate directions.

Lao Liu panicked. He scrambled to his feet and shoved Dong Hua aside, trying to flee through the door. As he stepped out…

Shen Li moved swiftly. With a flick of her hand, a needle shot into Lao Liu’s spine.

Lao Liu collapsed like a deflated ball, thudding onto the threshold, unable to move.

Only his mouth worked: “Second Young Miss, mercy! I entered the wrong room by mistake!”

Gu Hua had no interest in his lies. “Dong Hua, gag him.”

Dong Hua grabbed a random piece of cloth and stuffed it into Lao Liu’s mouth.

Shen Li walked over, crouched down, and held up ten silver needles, each three inches long, flashing them in front of his eyes.

“You blew knockout powder into the room, intending to assault Second Young Miss. You’d better think hard about how to explain yourself. Otherwise, just one of these can make you wish you were dead.”

Lao Liu rolled his eyes in terror.

A short while later, Madam Wang arrived, supported by Granny Zhou and followed by a crowd. She was startled by the scene.

“What happened?”

Gu Hua knelt before her, eyes red, her voice choking. “Mother…”

Madam Wang looked at her and felt heartache. She gripped Gu Hua’s icy hands, knowing her daughter had been deeply wronged.

Turning to Granny Zhou, she coldly ordered, “See who this criminal is.”

Granny Zhou stepped forward, took a look, and then whispered to Madam Wang, “It’s Lao Liu, Concubine Pei’s carriage driver.”

Madam Wang’s expression darkened, her body trembling with rage. She couldn’t speak for a long moment.

Because it involved Concubine Pei, she couldn’t act rashly.

But this concerned the reputation of the Marquis’s daughter—she had to act quickly.

“Tie him up and drag him away.”

Granny Zhou summoned two strong servant women, who bound Lao Liu tightly and dragged him aside. The needle in his spine sent waves of pain with every movement, causing his neck veins to bulge as he tensed in agony.

Madam Wang pulled Gu Hua into the room and quietly asked, “Were you hurt?”

Gu Hua shook her head. “Luckily, Miss Shen lit an incense that countered the knockout powder.”

“Knockout powder?” Madam Wang’s voice sharpened.

She, born of the prestigious Wang clan of Langya and married into the leading civil household of the capital for over twenty years, knew all the tricks of the inner court.

But she had never seen an outer-courtyard servant dare sneak into the inner residence and drug a young lady.

It was absurd.

But if Concubine Pei did this… why?

Gu Hua was her own daughter. What good would ruining her do for Concubine Pei?

Even a vicious tiger doesn’t eat its cubs.

Madam Wang quickly made up her mind. “If this gets out, it will ruin your reputation. Let’s beat him to death quietly—at least you’ll have some justice.”

Gu Hua shook her head.

“Mother, we must punish the true mastermind severely. Otherwise, won’t the other young ladies of the Marquis household be in danger? What if next time they aren’t so lucky? Our reputation would be destroyed.”

She would not let Concubine Pei off so easily.

Tonight, she had suspected Concubine Pei would act and was wary of why both Concubine Pei and Gu Wanru insisted she leave the house. She had shared her suspicions with Zhou Zhiluan and the others.

The four of them came up with a plan—Zhou Zhiluan and Dong Hua hid in secret, while Shen Li stayed in the room with Gu Hua.

When Shen Li detected the drug, she immediately lit a countering incense.

Otherwise…