freenovelworld Chapter 665 People all grow up and become able to distinguish right from wrong.
Chapter 665 People all grow up and become able to distinguish right from wrong.
The next day, the sky cleared up after the heavy snow.
The entire Duke's mansion was shrouded in a blanket of white snow; the glazed tiles and withered tree branches were all covered with a thick layer of white.
When Gu Qingchen woke up early in the morning, he felt that the courtyard was unusually quiet.
She pushed open the door and didn't see her brother practicing, which made her feel a little strange.
"Sister Haitang, where is my brother?" She ran to the main courtyard and happened to run into Haitang, who was carrying a basin of water.
Haitang's expression was somewhat unnatural, and she forced a smile: "Young Master Xuan... went back to Dongying."
"Back to Dongying? Why so suddenly?" Gu Qingchen asked, puzzled. "He was fine yesterday, how could he just leave like that? My parents are really something, why didn't they let him tell me?"
She muttered to herself as she tried to rush into the house, saying, "I'm going to ask Mother."
"Qingchen".
Gu Junze's voice came from behind.
Gu Qingchen turned around and saw her father standing under the plum tree in the courtyard.
"Father," Gu Qingchen stuck out his tongue and called out obediently.
"Come here." Gu Junze beckoned to her.
Gu Qingchen suddenly felt a little uneasy and slowly walked over.
She saw a look in her father's eyes that she had never seen before.
"Father, my brother..."
Gu Junze interrupted her.
"Qingchen, your brother has made a mistake, and I'm punishing him by sending him back to the army camp to reflect on his actions."
He looked into his daughter's clear yet questioning eyes, "Today, Dad is going to tell you what is right and what is wrong."
Gu Qingchen was stunned and somewhat bewildered, not understanding what was wrong with his father.
"Dad, what did my brother do wrong? Was he wronged?" she asked anxiously, her little face full of worry.
Gu Junze did not answer, but simply took her hand and led her to sit down on the stone bench next to them.
"Qingchen, do you still remember the accident your mother encountered in the corridor and the warm pavilion a few days ago?"
Gu Qingchen nodded vigorously, her face pale.
"I remember, I was terrified. The baby in my mother's belly almost got into trouble."
"Hmm." Gu Junze's gaze deepened. "Then do you know that these accidents were all caused by human intervention?"
Gu Qingchen's eyes widened suddenly as he looked at his father in disbelief.
"Man-made? Who? Who wants to harm mother and baby?" Her voice was filled with anger.
Gu Junze looked at her and said, "It's Meizi. She's been plotting all this behind the scenes. She wants to harm your mother's unborn child."
Gu Qingchen's small mouth opened slightly, and after a long while, she finally spoke: "Granny Mei? How could it be her? Isn't she always with my brother and very good to him?"
"She was indeed good to your brother, but that kindness was based on a flawed understanding and prejudice."
"She believed that the child in your mother's womb would threaten your brother's future and status, so she wanted to get rid of the child."
Gu Qingchen's face turned pale. She couldn't imagine that a nanny who usually seemed so gentle would do such a thing.
"Then...does brother know?" she asked in a trembling voice, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.
Gu Junze looked at her, his eyes filled with a hint of regret.
“Your brother knows.”
"What?!" Gu Qingchen stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock. "He knew? Why didn't he tell Father and Mother? Why did he protect Granny Mei? How could he do this!"
She couldn't accept the fact that her beloved older brother, who had always doted on her, would do such a thing.
"He made a mistake." Gu Junze's voice remained steady, but carried a hint of disappointment.
"He was blinded by those illusory things and chose silence and indulgence."
“Qingchen, you must remember that covering up evil is tantamount to aiding and abetting evil. He knew that Meizi had ill intentions, but he chose to hide it, which in itself is a harm to your mother and the child in your womb.”
Gu Qingchen's tears fell in large drops; she couldn't believe it.
"But...but brother didn't do it on purpose, he was just...he was just tricked by Granny Mei, right?" She tried to defend her brother, but found her explanations so weak.
Gu Junze shook his head: "People grow up and become able to distinguish right from wrong. He had a choice, but he chose to remain silent."
"So, Father punished him by sending him back to the East Camp to temper his character and make him understand that some things cannot be obtained through underhanded means."
"More importantly, he needs to learn to take responsibility for the consequences of his actions."
Gu Qingchen squatted down, hugged her knees, buried her head in her arms, and burst into tears.
She couldn't accept that her brother would do such a thing.
She also couldn't accept that the old nanny Mei, whom she had once trusted so much, was actually a villain who wanted to hurt her mother.
Gu Junze didn't comfort her; he just sat quietly beside her and watched her cry.
He knew that this truth was cruel to a child who was only a few years old.
But she needs to know that life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and that people's hearts aren't simply black and white.
After crying for a while, Gu Qingchen finally raised his head, his eyes red and swollen, his voice hoarse: "Father, what about Granny Mei? How is she?"
“She has already been sent to the yamen,” Gu Junze replied calmly. “She attempted to murder the mistress of the house; the evidence is conclusive, and according to the law, she should be executed.”
Gu Qingchen's body trembled violently. She didn't say anything more, but just gripped her father's sleeve tightly.
She felt confused and aching inside, as if something had shattered.
The carefree little girl who was once cherished by everyone seems to have experienced the complexities and cruelty of the world at this moment.
Gu Junze looked at his daughter and knew she was very sad.
But he had to make her understand that some boundaries were absolutely inviolable.
He gently ruffled her hair: "Qingchen, everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is to recognize your mistakes and correct them. Once your brother has truly figured things out, he will come back."
Gu Qingchen did not respond, but simply leaned against her father's chest, feeling that sense of reliance.
In the days that followed, although the atmosphere in the Duke's mansion returned to calm, some subtle changes were quietly taking place.
Chu Ruohan rarely went out, and apart from Song Ruyan occasionally coming over to make a ruckus, she almost never saw any other guests.
She devoted most of her energy to nurturing her pregnancy, taking her medication on time every day, and having Haitang personally take care of her diet and daily life.
Gu Junze then strengthened the defenses within the mansion, ostensibly removing the shadow guards but secretly deploying more hidden agents to completely surround the Duke's mansion.
He personally handled all affairs within the manor, ensuring that no one else had a chance to get close to Chu Ruohan.
Gu Qingchen, ever since his long talk with his father that day, has become much more composed.
She was no longer as lively and playful as before. Apart from going to the academy on time, she often sat alone in the courtyard in a daze, or went to her mother's room to keep her company, telling her interesting stories and making her happy.
She knew she couldn't be as willful as before.
She learned to hide her emotions in front of others, and even if she was very sad, she would not easily show it.
Only occasionally, when she saw the bare plum tree in the yard, a complicated look would still flash in her eyes.
After my brother left, he never came back.
She didn't know how to face him, or what to say to him.
Perhaps time will heal all wounds.
Perhaps, when their brother comes back, they will both understand.