newbobooks Chapter 462 This young Mrs. Zhou is far more sophisticated than the former Mrs. Gu.
Chapter 462 This young Mrs. Zhou is far more sophisticated than the former Mrs. Gu.
Gu Junze's face darkened instantly. Just as he was about to speak, a commotion broke out outside, with the faint sound of a woman crying mixed in.
Chu Ruohan patted Yun-ge'er's back reassuringly and looked at Gu Junze: "What's going on outside?"
Gu Junze frowned slightly and called out, "Ying Yi, go take a look."
A short while later, Yingyi came in to report.
His expression was somewhat strange: "My lord, my lady, the young Zhou from the General's mansion is outside the post station with that Princess Duan, saying... they've come to apologize."
"An apology?" Chu Ruohan raised an eyebrow. "Quite a show of force." Judging from the commotion outside, they probably wanted everyone to know.
Gu Junze snorted coldly: "Pretending."
He stood up and straightened his robes: "Let's go see what tricks they're up to this time."
Chu Ruohan nodded and said softly to Yun'er in her arms, "Yun'er, be good. Stay in the room with Xuan'er and Xiao Qingchen. Mother and Father will be back soon."
Although Yun-ge was still a little aggrieved, he nodded sensibly when he heard that something was happening outside: "Mother, please be careful."
Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan walked out of the room side by side, where Song Ruyan was already waiting.
Outside the post station gate, a large crowd had gathered, with many onlookers pointing and discussing the spectacle.
Madam Zhou was dressed in simple, elegant clothes, with only a silver hairpin in her hair. She looked haggard and was standing at the entrance of the post station with Duan Shumin, who was also meek and submissive, but they did not come in.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked pitiful, as if she was about to cry.
Upon seeing Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan emerge from inside, Xiao Zhou's eyes lit up, as if she had found her pillar of support, or as if she had suffered a great injustice.
She pulled Duan Shumin along, and before they could get close, she knelt down on the ground with a thud, her knees hitting the bluestone slab with a dull thud.
"Lord Gu, Madam Gu!" Madam Zhou's voice choked with sobs, filled with deep sorrow. "I have failed in my duty to raise my daughter properly, allowing this wretched child to offend you two noble ladies. I deserve to die!"
"When she returned yesterday, the Prince severely punished her. I brought her here today to kowtow and apologize to you both, begging you to be magnanimous and forgive her this time!"
As she spoke, she pressed down hard on Duan Shumin's head, gesturing for her to kowtow as well.
Although Duan Shumin was unwilling, she could only bite her lip and touch her forehead to the ground, remembering her father's warning yesterday and Xiao Zhou's instructions.
Xiao Zhou's actions, with her earnest words and extremely humble demeanor, immediately drew sighs from the surrounding crowd.
"Oh dear, this lady is so pitiful!"
"Yes, they even knelt down. The envoy from the Eastern Jin Dynasty was really too heartless, wasn't he?"
"That's right, I heard that this princess was beaten up at the jewelry shop yesterday!"
Xiao Zhou glanced at the people's reaction out of the corner of her eye and secretly felt smug, but her voice became even more sorrowful: "Shumin is young and ignorant, and spoke without thinking. She offended Lord Gu and Madam Gu. It is all my fault."
“Although our Zheng state is not as wealthy as the Eastern Jin, we still know etiquette and shame, and would never dare to show the slightest disrespect to the envoys of a superior state. It is only because this child has been spoiled by us that he has caused such a disaster.”
"Please, Lord Gu and Madam Gu, consider her youth and ignorance, and give her a chance to reform!"
Her words repeatedly emphasized that she was from the state of Zheng and that Gu Junze was an envoy from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, deliberately elevating the matter to the level of the two states.
They also positioned themselves as the weaker party, implying in every word that Gu Junze and his group were abusing their power and taking advantage of their status as "envoys from a superior country" to bully the "weak women of Zheng".
Chu Ruohan stood on the steps, looking down at Xiao Zhou's performance, a cold smile playing on her lips.
This young Mrs. Zhou is far more sophisticated than the former Mrs. Gu.
No wonder Duan Qingye has been so slow to make her his official wife; it's not just her background, but also her mannerisms.
Furthermore, Duan Qingye also wanted to maintain his unwavering affection...
Gu Junze's biological mother, Princess Anyang, was an exceptionally virtuous and upright person.
The woman in front of me, however, only knows how to use such despicable means to gain sympathy and stir up trouble. They are worlds apart!
The surrounding crowd's chatter grew louder, and some people began pointing and whispering about Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan.
"I think it's because the people of the Eastern Jin Dynasty were too domineering!"
"That's right! They dare to be so arrogant on our Zheng territory!"
"Exactly! You hit someone and then expect them to kneel down and beg for forgiveness? What kind of logic is that!"
Some even started shouting, "Get out of Zheng! Zheng doesn't welcome you!"
Gu Junze's face was ashen, and he exuded a terrifying chill. When the clamoring crowd was swept over by his gaze, they involuntarily shrank back and their voices became quiet.
Chu Ruohan smiled slightly, her voice clear and bright, neither too loud nor too soft, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"Madam, this is too much of a gift from you. How can my husband and I possibly accept it?"
"Ruyan, what are you standing there for? Quickly help the Madam and the Princess up. It's early in the morning, the ground is cold, don't let them catch a cold."
Upon hearing this, Song Ruyan immediately stepped forward.
Xiao Zhou felt a chill run down her spine. She had originally intended to continue kneeling, to make the sob story even more convincing, and to make Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan even more embarrassed in front of everyone.
But she didn't expect Chu Ruohan to react this way. Instead of responding to her, Chu Ruohan politely offered to help her up.
As she was trying to think of an excuse to continue kneeling, Song Ruyan was already in front of her, and with a forceful pull, she lifted her up from the ground.
Little Zhou staggered, almost losing her balance, and the perfectly timed expression of grief on her face froze for a moment.