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

Gu Hua returned to Ya Yun Pavilion and then quickly took Dong Hua and the other two to Xiang Rui Hall.

When the maid outside saw her arrive, she announced her arrival to the inside, who then said, "Please come in."

The maid lifted the bamboo curtain and led them inside.

As Gu Hua entered the room and walked past the screen displaying magnolias and magpies, she saw a kind and gentle old lady sitting cross-legged on a soft couch by the window, showing no signs of dementia.

Donghua asked the maid for a futon and placed it on the ground.

Gu Hua stepped forward lightly, knelt down properly, and respectfully performed a kowtow.

"Gu Hua greets the old lady. Wishing the old lady good health and longevity."

The girl's voice was sweet and pleasant to listen to.

Yi Niang was surprised.

Many people who came to visit her thought that the old lady was unconscious because she suffered from dementia and was just putting on an act for the master.

Even the young mistress's first tea ceremony was perfunctory, which resulted in her being slapped by the old lady.

I never expected that the young mistress's half-sister would perform such a grand ceremony.

The old lady chuckled, "Get up quickly! Where did this fairy made of flour come from? Come here and let this old woman take a look."

Gu Hua smiled, stood up, took small steps forward, and stood obediently in front of the old lady.

The old lady took her hand, squeezed her palm, and touched her skin, showing her great affection.

Gu Hua was also sizing up the old lady.

The legendary, valiant female general now has a wrinkled face with an innocent smile, and slightly cloudy eyes that reveal longing.

What did she go through to become like this?

Gu Hua had never received warmth since childhood. Her grandmother was a devout Buddhist who rarely left the house and forbade the younger generation to pay their respects. They could only meet her once a year during festivals.

She was an insignificant nobody, deliberately hidden away by Aunt Pei, and was simply not worthy of her grandmother's attention.

The little hand was gently kneaded by the old man's warm hand, and a feeling of warmth and kindness flowed into the heart.

"My goodness, these little hands are so tender and soft, and you look even more beautiful than a fairy. My child, are you married? If you're not, consider my Yan'er."

Unexpectedly, the old lady said that, and Gu Hua blushed, at a loss for words.

Yi Niang laughed: "Madam, Miss Hua'er is your granddaughter-in-law's younger sister."

The old lady's face suddenly changed, and she slammed her hand on the table, startling Gu Hua into looking at Yi Niang in a panic.

Yi Niang smiled at her, giving her a comforting look.

The old lady's face hardened: "What nonsense about a grandson! My son isn't even married yet, where would a grandson come from? I already sent that imposter who was pretending to be my grandson's wife away last time."

Gu Hua was surprised.

So that's how my eldest sister was beaten?

The old lady stared intently at Gu Hua: "If you've ever met him, you'll definitely like him."

Gu Hua didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Yi Niang quickly smiled and said, "Miss Hua, don't take it to heart. The old lady is just like a child."

"When you meet my son, you will definitely like him."

The old lady stubbornly held Gu Hua's hand, her delight growing with each glance.

Gu Hua's heart stirred. She squatted down, tilted her pretty little face up, and said with a smile, "Madam, the Duke is dashing and chivalrous, as handsome as a jade tree in the wind, and his looks are unparalleled in the world. Many young ladies like him."

The old lady immediately beamed with joy and clapped her hands excitedly: "Yi Niang, look, I knew my Yan'er couldn't possibly not find a wife, he's so good."

Yi Niang nodded obediently: "The old lady is right."

"The wedding is tomorrow, you two hurry..."

She gave birth to a healthy grandson.

The old lady pulled Gu Hua up, and casually took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and put it directly on Gu Hua's wrist.

"This is a gift from the Empress Dowager to this old woman; consider it my son Yan'er's betrothal gift."

Gu Hua was so startled that she quickly pulled down her bracelet, saying, "Madam, you mustn't do that."

"You dare to take your clothes off? This old woman will be angry!" the old lady said sternly.

Yi Niang was also puzzled as to why the old lady was so kind to Miss Hua.

However, the little girl is indeed adorable.

Just as Gu Hua was at a loss, a cry of "Mother" broke the deadlock.

"Yan'er, quickly make the fairy accept the betrothal gifts, or she'll fly away."

The old lady held Gu Hua with one hand and reached out to Mu Junyan with the other, her eyes red with anxiety.

Gu Hua quickly stood up, trying to move aside, but her hand was still being held by the old lady, making her position very awkward.

Mu Junyan approached and said with a smile, "Mother, the betrothal gifts cannot be given indiscriminately."

"You're disobedient!" The old lady was angry, but she wouldn't let go of his hand.

Mu Junyan glanced at Gu Hua: "Accept what the old lady gave us."

Gu Hua's face turned completely red as she murmured, "It's not appropriate..."

How could she dare accept betrothal gifts?

"You just praised my son as handsome as a jade tree in the wind, with unparalleled good looks, and said that you like him."

Gu Hua's eyes widened.

This memory, this ability to misinterpret words, is it dementia?

Who believes?

Gu Hua blushed and whispered, "I meant that many young ladies like the Duke."

Mu Junyan gave Gu Hua a meaningful look.

"It's rare for the old lady to be so happy. Miss Hua, please come and keep her company more often when you have time."

What else could Gu Hua say but agree?

Knowing that the mother and son had something to say, Gu Hua bowed and left, raising her wrist to check.

The bracelet is made of a rare jadeite with a purple-red hue.

It's too expensive; it feels very hot to the touch.

Donghua leaned closer with a grin: "The old lady really likes Miss Hua. She used to be very averse to strangers."

Gu Hua sighed and lowered her voice: "The old lady is confused. You should secretly give it to Yiniang tomorrow."

"Oh? The old lady will be unhappy if she finds out."

"Doesn't the old lady have dementia? She'll forget about it in a little while. It would be bad if she remembered to look for such a valuable item one day."

Gu Hua and Dong Hua walked and talked in hushed tones.

Do you know how the old lady developed dementia?

Gu Hua was puzzled. With Mu Junyan's status, what kind of good doctor couldn't he find?

Before Donghua could speak, her eyes reddened: "The manor strictly forbids mentioning it."

There's a reason for that.

Since she wasn't allowed to bring it up, she naturally couldn't ask again.

……

Xiangrui Hall.

Yi Niang closed the door and stood guard five steps away from it.

Only Mu Junyan and the old lady remained in the room.

"Mother," Mu Junyan sighed softly, "you've suffered so much."

The old lady swept away her childlike expression, sat up straight, and smiled faintly: "I'm used to it."

His gaze fell on Mu Junyan, who was still wearing his court robes: "Is she going to force another woman from the Jiang family onto you?"

Mu Junyan was annoyed just thinking about it: "She won't give up."

The old lady's eyes darkened, filled with anger: "We've both compromised so much! And she still won't let you go!"

“As long as military power remains in my son’s hands, the Empress Dowager will keep an eye on me. Who can blame them for their growing estrangement? The pro-peace faction in the court is gaining more and more power, and the Emperor is wavering. The Empress Dowager sees this as a good opportunity.”

The old lady sneered, "Your father and your brothers all died fighting to protect their empire. And what do they do? They want to use you for the sake of imperial power! They even tried to manipulate your marriage. It wasn't enough to just give you Jiang Ruoyun; they had to give you a sister too!"

What kind of family is the Jiang family? They've spent their lives as cowards, only caring about enjoying wealth and luxury. If it weren't for the Jiang family's backing, how dare the peace faction slander the Emperor? A daughter of the Jiang family is unworthy to be my daughter-in-law!

"Mother, don't be angry. Your son has his own way of handling this. No one can force your son to marry anyone."

The old lady looked at him with heartache in her eyes, and after a long while, she softened her tone: "The girl is good. Now that you have someone you like by your side, your mother can rest assured."

Mu Junyan's ears turned red for once: "Who are you listening to gossip about? She's your granddaughter-in-law's half-sister."

The old lady glanced at him.

"Do you really think I'm senile and blind? Don't even mention Mu An and his wife; they've turned the Duke's mansion into a complete mess. You're too busy to manage the inner quarters, and I'm pretending to be senile and unable to, but are you just going to let them ruin your reputation?"

Mu Junyan remained silent.

“You should have a woman by your side. Find an opportunity to let old woman Jiang see the bracelet on her wrist, and she won’t dare let the Jiang family’s daughter bother you anymore. If she keeps nagging, I’ll take the dragon-headed cane bestowed by the late emperor into the palace and give her a few whacks!”

Mu Junyan said in a deep voice, "She doesn't deserve to wear that bracelet."

The young girl only needed his help; she wasn't truly in love with him.

The betrothal gifts sent by the matriarch of the Mu family?

She can't afford it.

Snapped.

The old lady slapped his arm hard: "This girl has innocent eyes, is kind and polite, how can she not be good enough for you? I've been pretending to be crazy for over ten years to put the Zhao family at ease. I don't ask you to leave me a grandson, at least don't make me worry about you!"

Mu Junyan was somewhat saddened: "Your son is unfilial."

The old lady glared at him with her bloodshot eyes: "Your father's head was chopped off and hung on the city wall. I single-handedly retrieved your father's remains and beheaded the five generals."

From that day on, I understood that a military general should not only sacrifice for the Zhao family's country, but also for the people of the world, for your father and the millions of soldiers who died in battle to fulfill their unfulfilled wishes!

Don't be fixated on dying in battle; you must live well to maintain firm control over 500,000 troops. As long as the southern border remains unsettled, military power will not be relinquished!

"Mother, rest assured, your son will firmly grasp military power."

The mother and son exchanged a glance, speechless, yet it spoke volumes.