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

When Gu Hua returned to Ya Yun Pavilion, Dong Hua and Dong Qing became even more respectful.

The two men quickly and efficiently helped her bathe and change her clothes.

Shen Li walked in carrying a bowl of herbal medicine. After putting down the bowl, she took Gu Hua's wrist and carefully took her pulse.

He frowned: "You're not fully recovered yet, and you're already doing all this unnecessary work. It's a waste of all the good medicine I've given you these past few days."

Gu Hua blushed: "Thank you for your hard work."

"Drink it." Shen Li pushed the medicine over.

Gu Hua obediently picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Shen Li frowned: "Not bitter?"

She used a very high dosage, and the medicine was brewed to a very strong concentration; even she felt nauseous just smelling it.

Gu Hua smiled slightly: "I'm used to it."

Shen Li glared at her: "If you don't take care of your own body, who will?"

After saying that, she picked up the medicine bowl and stormed off.

Gu Hua smiled, but tears welled up in her eyes.

It's wonderful that she's surrounded by people who love and care for her.

While she was combing her hair, Zhou Zhilan arrived.

Gu Hua felt a little embarrassed to face her, blushed, lowered her head, and didn't say anything.

Zhou Zhilan pretended not to see her embarrassment and went straight to the wardrobe to choose a set of light green and white clothes that had just been delivered by Jixiangzhai, along with a sky blue cloak.

"Wearing this outfit would perfectly match the silver-inlaid jade jewelry from Linlanglou."

Gu Hua looked up, her eyes reddening: "Isn't this too expensive?"

This ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) doesn't have much elaborate embroidery or inlay, but the lower skirt is made of rare, multicolored glass gauze pressed with pleats. It's as thin as a feather, and when still, it's a white color that shimmers like a seashell. When it moves, it's like the surface of a multicolored lake, sparkling and beautiful.

The upper garment was made of fine, plain, light green silk satin without any embroidery, and the shawl was made of the same material as the skirt.

A silver belt cinches the waist, with a matching silver sash hanging from the upper garment.

It is paired with a silver-inlaid jade bracelet made of the same high-quality materials and with a simple design.

The whole set is simple, clean, and exceptionally luxurious.

Indeed, simplicity is the highest form of sophistication.

Gu Hua naturally liked it.

She didn't say anything, obediently letting Zhou Zhilan help her change her clothes and tie her cloak tightly, which perfectly covered up the ambiguous traces of last night.

Dongqing was skilled at styling hair and applying makeup. He styled her hair into a multi-bun hairstyle that an unmarried woman could wear, applied sandalwood-colored makeup, and paired it with her clothes. She looked like a fairy descended from heaven.

Zhou Zhilan looked at her with amazement, and after a long while, she sighed softly, "I don't know if this is good for you. I'm starting to regret it."

Gu Hua was touched, her eyes reddened, and she said softly, "It's good."

In her previous life, she never dared to hope for such a day.

Even if it was just a fleeting moment, lasting only a dozen days, she was still happy.

Zhou Zhilan's eyes also reddened. They were both girls; how could they not understand?

Gu Hua smiled sweetly at Zhou Zhilan.

Zhou Zhilan smiled and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, the master is a good man."

Gu Hua panicked slightly and glanced at the two maids who were packing things.

Zhou Zhilan took her hand and led her outside, whispering, "Don't worry. The people who serve you closely are all trustworthy, and they keep their mouths shut. You can also rest assured about the young mistress; with the master's permission, not a single word will leak out."

Gu Hua felt a little more at ease.

She needs time to prepare.

She suddenly remembered something and quickly tugged at Zhou Zhilan's hand, whispering, "I want Shen Li to come back to the manor with me. I have a younger brother who is very weak, and I'd like her to take a look at him."

"Dongqing, go and tell Shen Li to wait at the door."

Zhou Zhilan, arm in arm with Gu Hua, walked to the gate and saw a magnificent cobalt blue carriage parked there. Zhou Chunyu stood at the gate, while Shen Li stood to the side carrying a cloth bag.

Upon seeing them emerge, Zhou Chunyu smiled and gestured for them to get in the carriage: "Miss Gu, please get in."

Gu Hua was stunned: "Isn't this inappropriate?"

That's way too flashy.

“What’s wrong with that? You’re now the young lady of the Duke of Yong’s household, hired to copy the manuscripts of the late Duke’s wife. You’re of a very high status. This is the old lady’s old carriage. Come on.”

Zhou Zhilan pulled her into the carriage.

Donghua and Shen Li, who followed, also came up.

Gu Hua lifted the curtains and saw Zhou Chunyu leap onto his horse, and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Is Steward Zhou going too?"

Zhou Zhilan nodded, raised her head, and said proudly, "I told you the Lord is a good man, didn't I? To save face for you, the Duke's mansion's head steward and female steward, who are second only to the Duke, personally accompanied Miss Gu back to the mansion."

Gu Hua was amused by her, and while she was shocked, she was also somewhat delighted.

She never expected that Mu Junyan would stand up for her.

……

Mu Junyan looked at Mu An with a gloomy face.

"Five strokes of the cane isn't enough, is it?"

Mu An lowered his head and dared not utter a sound.

"Mu An, I shouldn't be meddling in your affairs, but don't you know how many eyes are on the Duke of Yong? You're getting more and more out of control!"

Mu An retorted, "Father, you said that all the wealth and glory of the Yongguo Duke's mansion belong to me. What's wrong with me having another woman in my harem?"

Mu Junyan suppressed his anger: "It's fine to marry properly, but you also want brothels and theaters, and you even want to force your wife's younger sister. What do you dare to say!"

Anger flashed in Mu An's eyes: "Gu Hua was offered to me by Gu Wanru herself, why can't I accept her? Yao Yao is deeply devoted to me and is even carrying the Duke's grandson. If I don't take her into the manor, wouldn't I be heartless and ungrateful? Father, is your anger because your son has gone too far, or because you covet Gu Hua and want to compete with your son for a woman?"

Snapped!

The tea table under Mu Junyan's hand suddenly cracked, and teacups and teapots shattered all over the floor.

Mu An's eyes flickered, but he still stubbornly insisted, "Father, when you brought me back to the manor back then, you said that everything that was yours was mine. Now, all I want is a woman, and you're going to try and take her from me?"

Mu Junyan stood up abruptly, a chill emanating from him. He pointed at him and said in a deep voice, "Back then, when your father died a heroic death, what did you say? You said you wanted to be like your father, dedicating your life to the yellow earth and burying your loyal bones in the sand without any regrets! Have you forgotten that?"

Mu An straightened her back: "But you said my father died to save you, you said you and my father were closer than brothers, you said you owed my father a life, you said you didn't want the An family line to end, so you made me abandon martial arts and pursue literature. You also said that the Duke's mansion would be mine in the future, are you going to go back on your word now?"

Mu Junyan stared at him, his anger surging, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

He had already made all the arrangements. After his death in battle, in addition to settling the group that followed him, he would leave most of the Yongguo Duke's Mansion's property to Mu An and help him rebuild the An Mansion.

How could he be at ease with Mu'an now that she's become like this?

He hated himself for raising his brother's child badly and for marrying the wrong wife for him.

Mu Junyan strode up to Mu An, grabbed his collar, and said coldly, "Mu An, the reason I named you An is so that you would retain the name of the An family. Your father was the most valiant general under my father's command. Your An family has been composed of men of unyielding integrity for generations. Their names are engraved on that immortal stone tablet in the southern border."

And you, are you going to rot away, or get up and uphold your family's honor? Think it over carefully!

Anger ignited in Mu An's eyes.

What does he mean by "Anjia Menmei" now?

Are they planning to kick him out? Are they saying that the Duke of Yong's mansion has nothing to do with him anymore?

It turns out that he never intended to leave everything of the Duke of Yong's mansion to him!

Mu Junyan suddenly released him: "Go to the ancestral hall and kneel before your father's memorial tablet to reflect on your mistakes!"

Mu An turned and left in a huff.

Akabane quietly walked in, and seeing his lord's furious face, he didn't dare to utter a sound.

"Tell me, did I do something wrong?" Mu Junyan rubbed his temples.

Akabane thought for a moment: "Young Master is still young."

Mu Junyan's gaze was heavy: "His father led me to fight on the battlefield when he was thirteen years old. I regarded him as my teacher and brother. He was brave and unparalleled and killed countless enemies. He died to save me. I thought that the best thing for Mu An was to be good to him. But Mu An is now eighteen years old. He is neither good at literature nor martial arts. I have raised him like this. I have failed his father."

Akabane: "Actually, General An is not..."

Mu Junyan glared at her coldly, and Chi Yu quickly changed the subject: "The young mistress isn't very capable either; she can't control the young master..."

Akabane realized he had said the wrong thing again, quickly stopped himself, and secretly glanced at his lord.

Back then, the lord personally visited the Gu family with eighteen betrothal gifts to ask for the eldest daughter of the Gu family to marry Young Master Mu'an.

The daughter-in-law he personally chose turned out to be like this. The lord must be feeling bad, right?

Mu Junyan's gaze was deep.

"Find the evidence as soon as possible."

"Yes." Akabane knew what he meant.