newbobooks Chapter 390 If I don't take care of him in one go, there won't be any peace and quiet from
Chapter 390 If I don't take care of him in one go, there won't be any peace and quiet from
Consort Shu's voice was completely calm, "He said that although you and Madam Chu are related, they are not blood relatives, much less sisters. How dare you impersonate a general's wife, deceiving the emperor and committing treason! According to the law, you should be executed!"
Upon hearing this, Guo Ying'er trembled all over and banged her forehead heavily on the ground: "Your Majesty, spare me! I was confused for a moment and will never do it again!"
Consort Shu sneered, "If it weren't for General Gu's magnanimity in begging His Majesty to spare your life, you would already be beheaded!"
Guo Ying'er cried even more miserably: "Thank you for your kindness, General! Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty!"
"From this day forward, you are demoted to a palace maid in the Inner Palace, where you are solely responsible for washing clothes and sweeping. If you show the slightest disrespect again, you will be immediately exiled to the Inner Palace Laundry Bureau for lifelong labor service! Dismount!"
When Guo Ying'er was dragged out of the palace, she was crying uncontrollably. She had thought that having a powerful backer would allow her to act with impunity in the palace, but she didn't realize that the rules here were higher than the sky and deeper than the sea.
Inside the general's mansion, Gu Junze told Chu Ruohan about what had happened in the palace.
"Guo Yunzhou has already spent a lot of money preparing for the victory banquet. Now that his daughter has been demoted to a palace maid, it will probably be a huge blow to him." Chu Ruohan shook her head and sighed.
Gu Junze's expression was solemn: "This talent selection was originally His Majesty's way of testing his ministers. Guo Yunzhou bribed officials, and Guo Ying'er became arrogant and domineering in the palace, which just happened to put her in His Majesty's line of fire."
Chu Ruohan said thoughtfully, "My only worry is whether this matter will implicate the Chu family?"
"His Majesty has made it clear that this matter was solely the work of Guo Yunzhou's family and has nothing to do with the Chu family," Gu Junze reassured him. "However, we should still keep our distance from them to avoid being implicated."
Chu Ruohan nodded, feeling a little more at ease. Outside the window, the sun was setting; the day's troubles were finally over.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Guo Yunzhou knocked on the gate of the General's Mansion.
Yu Ling hurried in to report: "Madam, your uncle and his wife have come to visit, saying... they have something urgent."
Chu Ruohan put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with her delicate handkerchief, and understood. Guo Yunzhou really couldn't sit still any longer.
"You received the message quite quickly. Please invite them in," Chu Ruohan said calmly.
"Wait, call Yue Shu over too..."
Her uncle is a real troublemaker; if she doesn't deal with him once and for all, there will never be a moment of peace.
Before long, Guo Yunzhou and his wife rushed in one after the other.
Chu's mother was also pulled along by Guo Yunzhou. She looked at Chu Ruohan with a face full of distress and pleading.
"Han'er, please help your uncle! The celebration banquet can't be held, and the money has gone down the drain, but Ying'er... Ying'er is your cousin. She's been pampered since she was a child and has never lifted a finger. How can she endure the hardships of the Imperial Laundry Bureau?"
Upon hearing this, Guo Yunzhou became even more furious. He slapped his thigh and roared hoarsely, "It's more than just suffering! My Guo family's daughter, we spent so much effort and money to pave the way for her to enter the palace, all for wealth and glory, to bring honor to the Guo family!"
"I'm not going to be a palace maid, to wash clothes for those lowly bastards! If word gets out, where will I, Guo Yunzhou, put my face? How will I face my ancestors a hundred years from now!"
He beat his chest and stamped his feet, looking as if the sky had fallen.
"Ruohan, now that you are the General's wife, you can speak up for the Emperor. Plead with the General and say a few kind words to Consort Shu to get Ying'er transferred out."
"Even... even just being an ordinary palace maid, without having to go to the laundry department, would be fine!"
Chu Ruohan sat upright in the chair, holding the teacup steadily without even a ripple.
She raised her eyes, her clear gaze sweeping over Guo Yunzhou and his wife before finally settling on Chu's mother.
“Uncle, Aunt, Mother. You all know better than anyone why Ying’er has ended up in this situation. Bribing court officials and interfering with the selection of concubines are already serious crimes. Her lack of restraint in the palace and her defiance of Consort Shu only compounded her mistakes.”
"To have only been demoted to a palace maid is already an act of leniency from His Majesty, and Consort Shu has shown mercy."
"If Junze hadn't taken my side into consideration and spoken a few words for the Guo family in front of His Majesty, the Guo family would probably be facing more than just Ying'er's demotion now."
Chu Ruohan paused, her eyes suddenly turning sharp, "Does Uncle think there's still room for maneuver in this matter?"
Guo Yunzhou blushed at her words, but he was still unwilling to give up. His eyes darted around, and he suddenly put on a grief-stricken expression, his voice trembling with sobs.
"Ruohan, you can't be so heartless! The Guo family and the Chu family are one family! When your maternal grandmother was alive, she loved Ying'er and you the most! Now that Ying'er is in trouble, how can you, as her cousin, stand idly by?"
Chu Ruohan sneered, "How can the emperor of a country be swayed by a few words from a woman like me? Besides, with an imperial edict, the crime of deceiving the emperor, are you trying to drag the general down with you?"
"I don't care about any crime of deceiving the emperor!" Guo Yunzhou completely abandoned all pretense of civility and began to throw a tantrum in the hall.
"My daughter entered the palace to become an empress! Not to do laundry and sweep the floors! If you don't get her out, I'll... I'll kill myself right here in this general's mansion!"
"Let the whole world see how your Gu family drove your relatives to their deaths!"
As he spoke, he actually rushed towards the pillar next to him, pretending to smash his head against it and die.
Mother Chu was horrified and screamed, "Yunzhou, no!"
Chu Ruohan frowned suddenly. Before she could make a move, Guo Yunzhou's wife rushed over, hugged his leg tightly, and cried and wailed.
"Master! You can't die! What will we do if you die!"
The hall erupted into chaos, filled with cries and shouts of dissuasion.
When Guo Yunzhou was stopped, he simply sat on the ground and started wailing with snot and tears streaming down his face.
"I don't want to live anymore! My daughter has become a lowly servant, what's the point of me living! Chu Ruohan, how cruel you are! You've climbed the social ladder and now you disown your poor relatives like us!"
"Have you forgotten who bought you candy when you were little, and who carried you to see the lanterns? You ungrateful wretch!"
He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and foul language began to flow from his mouth.
"You guys..." Chu Ruohan's face was very pale. Suddenly, she cried out "Ouch!", clutched her lower abdomen, and her body went limp and she fell to the side.
Yu Ling reacted quickly, supporting her and her voice changed: "Young Madam! What's wrong?"
Chu's mother was terrified and rushed over, her face drained of color: "Han'er! Han'er, don't scare your mother! Did your uncle upset you?"
Guo Yunzhou's wailing stopped abruptly. He stared blankly at Chu Ruohan, and his wife also stopped tearing at him.
For a moment, only Yu Ling's anxious calls and Chu's mother's tearful inquiries filled the hall.