Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

Sigh, you want to shut the door and bully her girl again, don't you?

Donghua stepped forward, her back ramrod straight: "Second Miss Gu is still ill and her voice is hoarse. If Aunt Gu has anything to say, she can say it in front of us servants, and we will speak for her."

Aunt Pei's temper flared up when she was insulted by a maid.

He slammed his hand on the table and shouted sternly, "Are all the servants in the Duke's mansion this insolent?"

Donghua scoffed, "Ha, of course people from the Duke's mansion can act so presumptuously. It's your Marquis's mansion that has such chaotic rules. Aren't you a servant, Aunt? What are you doing here, setting up a stage to sell crabs? The goods are mediocre, but the setup is impressive."

Donghua perfectly embodies the phrase "abusing one's power to bully others."

Gu Hua felt great.

Suppressing a laugh, I quickly lowered my head.

Aunt Pei was furious and about to retort when Gu Wanru stopped her, giving her a disdainful look.

Shame!

Gu Wanru adopted the demeanor of the young mistress of the Duke's mansion and reprimanded in a hoarse voice: "Auntie, you don't know the rules. This is the Duke's mansion, do you still think of it as the Gu family's Marquis's mansion? It's fine if you act arrogantly in the Marquis's mansion, but here you have to abide by the rules of the Duke's mansion."

Aunt Pei's arrogance dissipated instantly, like a punctured balloon.

“What the young lady says is true. The young lady is well-educated and reasonable. Don’t bother with a shameless person like Gu Hua who doesn’t know any better.”

Hey!

Donghua was furious. Her daughter hadn't even said a word, and she was being dragged down for no reason.

Just as he was about to step forward to argue, Gu Hua grabbed him.

She stepped forward, bent down, and spoke with difficulty in a hoarse voice: "Daughter greets Aunt and elder sister."

The sound was so faint that it was almost inaudible.

Seeing that she was still obedient, Aunt Pei regained her sense of control.

"Get the people who came with you out. I have something to say to you."

Aunt Pei was about to put on the airs of a loving mother when she walked to the chair and prepared to sit down.

Donghua, quick-witted and agile, stuck out her bottom and bumped into Aunt Pei's bottom, then helped Gu Hua push her down onto the chair.

"Young lady, you're not feeling well, please sit down."

Aunt Pei stumbled from the impact and, in a fit of anger, raised her hand to slap Donghua across the face.

Suddenly, a figure flashed in front of her. She didn't know what the person did, but her raised arm got stuck, and she felt a piercing pain. She opened her mouth and screamed.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... What did you stick in my skin?!"

Gu Wanru was startled and turned pale with anger, clutching her stomach.

Shen Li withdrew her hand, brandished the two-inch-long thin silver needle in her hand, and said coldly, "If you dare to swear again, you'll become mute."

Aunt Pei turned pale with fright and looked at Gu Hua, who sat silently, with fear in her eyes.

Gu Hua, who had always been timid, seemed to have become a different person.

Donghua sneered: "In our Duke's mansion, where the master is, even concubines and servants have no right to sit."

Concubine Pei was furious: "I am the mother-in-law of the Duke of Yong's son!"

Donghua raised an eyebrow and said loudly and exaggeratedly, "Our young master's mother-in-law is Lady Gu, so what kind of mother-in-law are you, a mere concubine? You dare to say that? We servants wouldn't dare to listen, lest we break the rules of hierarchy."

Aunt Pei blushed red after being rebuked.

Gu Hua cleared her throat and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Aunt Pei, don't forget your place and embarrass the Gu family, or displease Father."

Hmph, how dare that little slut use Lord Gu to intimidate her?

Aunt Pei was so angry she wanted to grind her teeth. She dared not do anything to the people of the Duke's mansion, but she couldn't handle that little bitch Gu Hua.

Seeing that Gu Wanru was unwell, he wanted to finish quickly and suppressed his anger to get straight to the point.

"Gu Hua, your fiancé has arrived in the capital. Your mother will take you back to meet him, catch up, and discuss the wedding date."

Gu Hua's expression changed slightly as she looked up at her.

Did he really find her a fiancé?

Gu Wanru leaned weakly against Jin Kui and said softly, "Sister, your aunt came for your marriage. You're getting married, so you can't just stay in the Duke's mansion and not go home, can you? People in the Duke's mansion will say that our Gu family has no manners."

Does the Gu family even have a concept of family education?

Gu Hua was puzzled. Why had Gu Wanru changed her mind again?

She no longer wanted to get involved with the Duke?

Leaving the manor now is definitely not an option; she wouldn't even know how she died.

Gu Hua glanced at Dong Hua.

Donghua tilted her head back and said, "My lord asked Miss Gu to transcribe the manuscript for the late Madam, but Miss Gu is too busy to return to the manor."

"The Duke couldn't possibly be keeping his in-laws' unmarried daughter hostage, could he? If word gets out..."

Gu Hua stood up abruptly and bowed slightly: "Auntie, please be careful with your words! After all, it was my elder sister who promised to let me stand up for the Duke. If I want to go back, I also have to give some explanations."

"You must come with me now," Aunt Pei said, as was her habit when giving orders to Gu Hua.

That little slut is dreaming of currying favor with the Duke, hoping to rise from humble beginnings to become a phoenix.

I don't think about it!

She would not allow that little slut to escape her control and climb over her daughter's head.

Gu Hua glanced at her: "If the Duke blames you, can you bear it, Aunt? Have you thought about your elder sister?"

Aunt Pei quickly looked at Gu Wanru, and seeing her wink, she forcefully suppressed her anger.

"Then I'll wait for you here. Go and come back quickly."

Is this a firm decision to take her away today?

Gu Hua lowered her eyes for a moment, then thought of the point that had thwarted Aunt Pei's scheme.

Gu Hua smiled faintly: "Did you leave the manor without permission, Aunt? Did Mother give your permission? Did the Duke's manor send you a formal visiting card?"

Three sentences were enough to make Aunt Pei's expression change drastically.

She saw that the Duke's Mansion suddenly sent a box of gifts to the Marquis's Mansion, saying that because Gu Hua was working for the Duke, the Duke was sending her a dowry as a gift for her upcoming marriage.

Both Lord Gu and his wife were dumbfounded, while Aunt Pei panicked, fearing that Gu Wanru had prevented her son-in-law from succeeding.

I received another letter from Gu Wanru today, saying that Gu Hua has lost control and her fiancé has fallen out with her because he can't have her. She asked me to think of a solution.

Worried that her daughter would be wronged, she risked sneaking out of the Marquis's mansion, and then Jin Kui secretly opened the side gate of the Duke's mansion to let her in.

Gu Hua could tell from her expression that she had guessed correctly.

She smiled faintly: "Aunt Pei, you should go back to where you came from. Otherwise you'll implicate my elder sister. My elder sister has been in a bad mood lately and had a falling out with her husband. If she offends the Duke as well, have you thought about the consequences?"

After finishing her long string of words, Gu Hua's throat started to feel dry again, and she couldn't help but cough.

Upon seeing this, Shen Li immediately gave her two bright green pills.

The pill went down my throat and I felt much better immediately.

The flames of anger in my heart have dissipated considerably.

Gu Hua didn't want to look at them again and turned to leave.

Aunt Pei was so angry that she couldn't speak.

"Has this little slut really grown up since entering the Duke's mansion?"

Gu Wanru pulled her back, "Jin Kui, go outside and keep watch."

Jin Kui went out and closed the door.

Gu Wanru frowned and lowered her voice, saying, "Auntie, please keep your voice down. This is the Duke's mansion. If someone hears us, I won't be able to face anyone."

Aunt Pei immediately changed her expression to that of a loving mother: "You're pregnant, so don't worry too much. I'll take that little slut out of the manor and discipline her properly. I guarantee she'll come back obedient."

Gu Wanru frowned: "Actually, I don't know if Father really has taken a liking to her, but last night the head steward personally came to tell her to stay in Ya Yun Pavilion alone. What if it's true? Should we make a move first? What if we anger Father? Mu An hasn't become the heir yet."

Aunt Pei shook her head: "Although I've never met the Duke of Yong, I've heard all the stories about him. He looks down on all the noble ladies in the capital, so why would he take a fancy to that slut Gu Hua? I think it's just that little bitch daydreaming."

The Duke only took a liking to her handwriting and made her a copyist. As for her lodging, it was just for convenience when she went to copy books.

It's not that I'm criticizing you, but you're just too naive, so easily fooled by that slut. Don't you think that if she really did marry the Duke, would she still be so subservient to you? Even if she becomes your concubine, she'll still be your elder.

Besides, what about your husband? The woman he fancied has become your father's concubine. Won't he be furious? Now that your best confidante has fallen, you can't afford to lose both your wife and your money, and then lose your husband's favor as well.”

Gu Wanru wholeheartedly agreed: "I was truly driven mad by my husband, believing the nonsense of that little hussy."

Her eyes lit up: "How about this, you arrange a place, give her something to drink, and I'll have my husband go there. As long as I please my husband, he'll know how good I am."

"That's right." Aunt Pei patted her chest proudly. "Leave this to me, don't worry."

Aunt Pei suddenly smiled smugly: "The one in the family won't live long either. Once your mother becomes the legal wife, you can rightfully return to my name as the legitimate daughter."

Gu Wanru's face darkened: "Auntie, stop talking nonsense."

Even if her mother dies and her concubine becomes the legal wife, she can only be the biological daughter of the original wife and stepmother.

It was precisely because of this prestige that the Duke of Yong proposed marriage to her for his son, wasn't it?

If word gets out that she is her aunt's biological daughter, both mother and daughter will face utter destruction.

She's completely lost face.