FBC – Chapter 70 A Head-On Confrontation

Gu Hua bent slightly at the waist. “Mother.”

Concubine Pei frowned.

She had always demanded that Gu Hua salute her with the full etiquette due to a daughter greeting the official wife, yet now Gu Hua only gave a junior’s salute to a concubine.

Just as she was about to flare up, Gu Hua instructed Dong Qing to present a gift.

Granny Lu accepted it and opened the box—it was just a piece of old ginseng. Though valuable, it was hardly impressive for the legitimate daughter of the Pei family, the wealthiest in the region.

Suppressing her displeasure, Concubine Pei opened with a question, “How is your elder sister? Is the baby alright?”

Normally, Gu Hua would have felt bitter—her own mother only cared about the legitimate daughter, not her biological one.

But today, she had been waiting for that very question.

Gu Hua feigned surprise. “Didn’t Granny Chen tell you? Something terrible happened.”

Concubine Pei was shocked, immediately abandoning her airs and grabbing Gu Hua’s hand. “What happened? Tell me quickly!”

Gu Hua pouted, eyes turning red. “Mother, you’re hurting me.”

Coming to her senses, Concubine Pei let go and glared. “So dramatic. Speak!”

Gu Hua sighed. “Elder Sister miscarried. The baby’s gone.”

“What?!”

Concubine Pei shot up from her seat and lunged at Gu Hua, hands aimed to strangle her.

Dong Hua darted forward and shoved her back hard. “Presumptuous! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Concubine Pei staggered backward. Fortunately, Granny Lu caught her in time.

“You—!”

Furious, Concubine Pei’s face turned ashen, but seeing the fierce maid glaring at her, she dared not act rashly.

Gu Hua peeked out from behind Dong Hua and spoke aggrievedly, “You’re trying to strangle me already? If you don’t want to hear the message Sister asked me to bring, I’ll just leave.”

She turned to go, pulling Dong Hua and motioning for Dong Qing to follow.

“Stop! You stand right there!” Concubine Pei called out anxiously. “Ruo’er asked you to bring me a message?”

Gu Hua turned her head. “Then, does Mother wish to speak properly with me?”

Her heart was burning with anxiety. This little brat was clearly toying with her—she was so angry she could hardly stand it.

“Yes, yes. I won’t lay a hand on you. Sit down and speak.”

Dong Hua dragged over a chair, placing it a good distance from Concubine Pei. “Young Miss, please sit. I’ll stand between you. If she dares touch you again, I won’t show mercy.”

As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves, hands on hips, glaring fiercely.

Concubine Pei nearly fainted from anger.

Granny Lu hurried to smooth things over. “Second Young Miss, you’ve misunderstood the Madam. She’s always cared deeply for you. With the Eldest Miss’s misfortune, she fears she can’t protect you anymore.”

Gu Hua said wistfully, “Anyone listening would think Elder Sister was her biological daughter.”

Concubine Pei and Granny Lu’s faces changed at once.

This must never be exposed.

“Second Young Miss, even jokes shouldn’t be said so carelessly.”

Granny Lu quickly added, “I’ll go make you some tea.”

Dong Qing raised a hand to block her. “Our Young Miss is particular about her tea. We’ve brought Snow-Tipped Green from the imperial tribute.”

Granny Lu’s expression froze as she watched Dong Qing exit, then return carrying a basket from a servant outside. She laid out a full tea set on the table.

It was an exquisite, translucent set of official white porcelain. Dong Qing moved with practiced grace, heating the water and steeping the tea.

As she worked, she explained, “This snow water was collected from the Peach Blossom Garden in our Duke’s estate this spring.”

Concubine Pei’s eyes bulged like a dead fish.

This wretched girl’s life was more luxurious than her own. Meanwhile, her poor Ruo’er had miscarried?!

Even Gu Hua was surprised by the setup Dong Qing and the others had prepared.

She froze for a moment, then quickly understood—it must have been taught by Sister Zhou.

She played along, raising the teacup Dong Qing handed her with elegance, sipping slowly before placing it back down with poise.

“Elder Sister drugged both me and Lord Duke. After the incident, Brother-in-Law had a fierce argument with her. Yinzhi was beaten so badly on the spot that her fate is still unknown. The argument left Elder Sister so anxious and angry that she miscarried. The family doctor said she had been worrying too much recently, the fetus was already unstable and underdeveloped, so the child couldn’t be saved.”

Gu Hua sighed with regret. “It was a fully-formed baby boy.”

Concubine Pei let out a wail, clutching her aching chest, overwhelmed with grief.

The legitimate eldest grandson of the Duke’s household! If they’d had that child, her Ruo’er would’ve surely become the most distinguished Duchess in the future.

Gu Hua looked at her coldly.

Hurts, doesn’t it?

That’s still not enough.

Gu Hua delivered the final blow. “Elder Sister committed a grave mistake. Lord Duke was furious and confined her. Brother-in-Law even spoke of divorce.”

“She lost the child, but Concubine Yao is pregnant. Brother-in-Law doesn’t seem too heartbroken. Mother, Elder Sister’s position as the young madam of the Duke’s household is hanging by a thread.”

Concubine Pei’s face lost all color. It was as if several knives had stabbed into her chest—she was in such pain she couldn’t speak.

Granny Lu’s face turned deathly pale.

Drugging the Duke, facing divorce from her husband—how could this be salvaged?

Eldest Miss’s life was as good as ruined.

Gu Hua’s gentle voice was like poison. “Elder Sister has no way out. She asked me to bring you a message—to save her life.”

Concubine Pei looked up with bloodshot, tear-filled eyes, gritting her teeth. “Speak!”

“Brother-in-Law is in some trouble recently. Elder Sister wants you to help him. He’ll surely appreciate her kindness and reconcile with her.”

Concubine Pei immediately straightened. “What trouble? Speak!”

“He needs fifty thousand taels of silver.”

“Fifty thousand?” Concubine Pei’s expression changed.

That wasn’t a small sum. Besides, Pei Yi had just given her her monthly allowance—it would be difficult to ask for more so soon.

She gave all her leftover silver to Ruo’er. She couldn’t possibly produce such an amount right now.

“I know it’s difficult for you, Mother. Why not tell Madam? She is Elder Sister’s real mother, after all—she’ll surely think of a solution.”

“No need!” Concubine Pei refused immediately.

Granny Lu quickly added, “Second Young Miss, the Eldest Miss came to us for help. If Madam misunderstands and thinks the Eldest Miss has become disloyal, that would be bad.”

“Granny speaks wisely.” Gu Hua agreed easily.

She had no desire to upset her own mother with such messy affairs.

Let this mother-daughter pair tear each other apart instead.

Looking at Concubine Pei’s distressed and grief-stricken face, Gu Hua kindly reminded her, “Mother, you could ask Cousin Pei. I’m sure he would help you.”

Concubine Pei glared at her fiercely.

Right now, that was probably the only way.

Gu Hua offered sweetly, “I can go with you, Mother, and explain the situation to Cousin Pei.”

Concubine Pei looked at her suspiciously. So considerate?

Or… has she set her sights on Pei Yi?

Last time she had arranged a meeting between the two and had been planning to secretly marry them off—once the deed was done, she could inform the Marquis. Even if he was angry, he wouldn’t care about a concubine’s daughter.

Besides, the Pei family were major patrons of the Gu household—sending off a concubine-born girl would be a worthy gesture of thanks.

But unexpectedly, Pei Yi said to wait. She didn’t dare tell the Duke that Gu Hua already had a match.

If this little slut actually liked Pei Yi, then that was a different story.

“Alright.”

With scheming in her heart, Concubine Pei agreed.

The two boarded the Duke’s estate’s carriage. As they entered, Concubine Pei’s eyes caught a wooden plaque hanging on the side: “Yong.”

Her heart skipped a beat—this was the Duke Yong’s personal carriage?

She looked around. Having been born into Jiangling’s wealthiest family, Concubine Pei had seen top-notch luxury—she could tell at a glance that while the furnishings looked simple, the materials were exquisite.

A masculine scent lingered inside.

“Whose carriage is this?”

Gu Hua casually replied, “Lord Duke’s.”

Concubine Pei’s eyes nearly popped out. Rage boiled within her, but she dared not lash out, for fear of alerting the Duke’s men outside.

She leaned in and hissed, “You little slut, did you really climb into the Duke’s bed? You shameless whore! He’s your sister’s father-in-law!”

Gu Hua’s eyes turned cold as she cast her a faint, mocking glance. “Mother, mind your words.”

That icy look startled Concubine Pei.

She actually looked a little frightening.

Could it be this wretched girl had absorbed the Duke’s aura after becoming his woman?

Seeing her quiet down, Gu Hua said coldly, “Mother, I must remind you. If you tell Father or Madam about Elder Sister losing the Duke’s heir or about my relationship with Lord Duke, which daughter do you think Father will value more?”

Concubine Pei froze.

She had never considered that. She’d only ever thought about how to help her Ruo’er trample over the Marquis’s wife’s daughter to vent her resentment for being forced into concubinage.

But judging by what she knew of Gu Yuan…

He would absolutely choose to favor this little slut.

And if Ruo’er was divorced, Gu Yuan would discard her too.

The very thought terrified Concubine Pei.