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

Gu Hua knelt with her head bowed.

Wang also forgot to wake him up.

Zhou Zhilan couldn't stand it anymore: "Madam, Miss Gu Er hasn't been feeling well these past few days. Could you please let her get up first?"

Wang glanced at the kneeling girl and saw that her complexion was indeed not good, but her earlier pity for her had dissipated considerably.

Although she never criticized her illegitimate children, she was unhappy that outsiders always interfered in the affairs of her illegitimate daughters, as it was a slap in the face to her as the head of the household.

But it was best not to say anything in front of the Duke's family, lest it affect Ru'er.

He said in a flat tone, "Get up."

Gu Hua thanked Zhou Zhilan and was helped up.

Her legs were truly weak; she hadn't recovered from the ordeal of the previous night.

Gu Hua said softly, "Mother, you don't look well. Miss Shen Li is skilled in medicine. Would you like her to take your pulse?"

Wang glanced at the young, aloof girl following behind her. What kind of medical skills could this little girl possibly have?

I was already feeling annoyed and had no mood to deal with her.

Without even thinking, he refused outright: "No need, my body is taken care of by the royal physician."

Gu Hua was about to speak when she saw Aunt Pei rush in.

Seeing Gu Hua standing to the side, Aunt Pei felt a surge of anger.

That little slut dared to bypass her and come to see Wang Shi first; she simply doesn't respect her at all.

He gave a perfunctory bow to Madam Wang, and before Madam Wang could speak, he turned around and scolded Gu Hua: "You don't know any manners at all. You don't even go back to your own courtyard after returning to the manor. What are you doing here disturbing Madam's rest?"

In front of outsiders, the concubine dared to embarrass the mistress. Madam Wang's face darkened, and she said coldly, "Concubine Pei, I have something to ask you."

Aunt Pei paid no attention to the mistress's words, and didn't even glance at Wang Shi, staring intently at Gu Hua.

"Madam, please ask your questions later. I have urgent business with Gu Hua. I will take Gu Hua with me and leave now. I will return shortly to ask for your punishment."

After saying that, he stepped forward and tried to grab Gu Hua.

Zhou Zhilan's eyes widened. Aunt Pei was really too presumptuous. Did she think the people of the Duke's Mansion were vegetarians?

She stepped forward to protect Gu Hua.

Without a second thought, Donghua stepped forward, and the two of them blocked Gu Hua from behind, one on each side.

Madam Wang's face darkened. Usually, Aunt Pei, relying on the Marquis's favor and her power in managing the household, never took her seriously.

But today, in front of the Duke's family, and with Ru'er's reputation at stake, she had to uphold the dignity of the matriarch.

She shouted sternly, "Insolence! Kneel down!"

Aunt Pei was stunned, looking at Madam Wang in disbelief: "Madam, you want me to kneel down?"

Wang was always mild-mannered and turned a blind eye to her domineering behavior.

Did I take the wrong medicine today?

When Granny Zhou saw her mistress getting angry, she immediately stepped forward, grabbed Aunt Pei's shoulder, and kicked her in the back of the knee.

Aunt Pei fell to her knees with a thud, howling in pain.

Granny Zhou had long been dissatisfied with her, and she scolded, "You disrespectful thing! How dare you address me in front of Madam?"

Aunt Pei was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and said indignantly, "Madam, what did I do wrong to deserve being punished by kneeling in public? I am now in charge of the household affairs. If I lose face, how can the servants trust me?"

Snapped!

A crisp slap made Aunt Pei see stars.

Everyone in the room froze, a moment of silence falling.

Gu Hua walked straight up to Aunt Pei without anyone noticing, and after hitting her, she took a step back.

Zhou Zhilan gave Gu Hua a thumbs up.

Gu Hua shook her numb hand and said slowly, "Aunt Pei, you're mistaken. The power to manage the household affairs was temporarily entrusted to you because Mother is unwell. You dare to use this to put on airs in front of Mother? Have you forgotten your own worth and status after managing the household for so long?"

"You little slut! How dare you hit your own mother!" Aunt Pei's voice changed with rage.

Gu Hua said calmly, "Auntie has misspoke again. With Mother above, how dare Auntie refer to herself as the mother of the Marquis's daughter?"

Aunt Pei stared at her as if she had seen a ghost, speechless for a long time.

Wang and Granny Zhou were stunned for a long time before they could react.

Gu Hua seemed like a completely different person.

Previously, she never got close to the madam, only listened to Aunt Pei, and was always submissive when she was rarely seen.

Why would you stand up for your wife and beat your own mother today?

Aunt Pei was furious and was about to get up and hit someone when she was kicked away by Granny Zhou.

"Kneel down obediently! Madam hasn't asked any questions yet. Second Miss is a well-mannered girl; you should learn from her."

Aunt Pei was furious, but since the mistress wanted to establish her authority, she didn't dare to do anything.

Wang was exasperated and just wanted to finish her question as soon as possible: "When you asked Hua'er to come to the Duke's mansion, you said it was so she could learn to manage the household from Ru'er. But Hua'er said you made her sign a slave certificate and affixed my personal seal. What's going on? Where did you get my personal seal from?"

Aunt Pei's expression changed.

If this is exposed, it will be a big problem.

Seeing her expression, Wang guessed it was true and her face changed drastically: "How dare you!"

Aunt Pei's eyes darted around: "Madam, please allow me to explain. Gu Hua envied the eldest daughter for marrying such a good husband and begged me to find a way for her. She was willing to become the eldest son-in-law's concubine. I felt sorry for my daughter and also hoped that she would find a good match. So, I was confused for a moment and agreed to her absurd request. I begged you and the eldest daughter to allow her to enter the Duke's mansion as a dowry maid without using any private seal."

Gu Hua knew she was shameless, but she never expected her to be so shameless as to lie to her face.

Her eyes reddened with anger, and she pointed at her: "Aunt Pei, you're lying! You locked me up for three whole days without food or water and forced me to sign the slave registration document! I never said I wanted to be my brother-in-law's concubine! You let me into the Duke's mansion, saying it was so I could learn to manage the household from my elder sister and find me a good marriage. I saw the private seal on the slave registration document with my own eyes."

This is her best chance to regain her status as a law-abiding citizen, and she doesn't want to let it go.

Madam Wang was shocked: "Locked up for three days without food or water? Madam Pei, Hua'er is a young lady of the Marquis's mansion, and she is also your own daughter. How dare you treat her like this?"

Zhou Zhilan chuckled and mocked, "I never imagined that the Gu family, which prides itself on being a noble and prestigious family, is all show and no substance. To allow a concubine to run around like a madwoman, disregarding the proper order of things, and even to allow a concubine to secretly turn the young lady into a servant—it's truly unheard of. I wonder how the censors will view the way the Marquis of Gu manages his household after hearing this."

Madam Wang's face darkened: "Miss Zhou, watch your words! This is a family matter of the Gu family, and outsiders should not interfere. Besides, you are just a servant of the Duke's mansion."

The implication is that you are nothing more than a slave.

Zhou Zhilan raised an eyebrow: "Even the servants in the Duke's mansion are more sensible than your masters in the Marquis's mansion..."

"Who dares to be arrogant and presumptuous in the Marquis's mansion!" A man's sharp shout interrupted Zhou Zhilan's words.

Following the sound, two men strode in.

They looked and saw Marquis Wenchang, Gu Yuan, and Zhou Chunyu.

They happened to hear only half of what Zhou Zhilan said.

Gu Hou's face was gloomy and terrifying. He glanced coldly at Zhou Zhilan and then frowned as he looked at Gu Hua.

His second daughter was the best-born of his three daughters born out of wedlock, but she always had a servile attitude, was petty, and didn't want to come out in public, so he didn't like her very much.

Zhou Chunyu had just visited him and mentioned inviting Gu Hua. He was skeptical, so he followed Zhou Chunyu to the madam's place to ask about Gu Hua.

However, Gu Yuan was extremely protective of his reputation. Even if he wanted to curry favor with the Duke of Yong, he would not allow his servants to trample on him and act recklessly.

"Steward Zhou, didn't you say that the Duke of Yong ordered you to come and deliver gifts in order to have my second daughter copy documents? What, are the servants of the Duke's mansion coming to my Marquis's mansion to point fingers? What are you trying to do?"