"With you here, I can rest a little easier. Alas..." Madam Qin said, tears in her eyes.
Madam Lan patted Madam Qin's hand. "Rest assured, as long as this old woman is alive, I will protect them. If I am gone, my dear sister, you can take Tingxue back. Before I die, I must see A Nian take over the Duke's mansion. As for my unfilial son, he can do as he pleases. If he weren't my only biological son, I'd want to beat him to death."
"Grandmother, I never cared for the position of heir or Duke. If Eldest Brother desires them, he can have them," Gu Sinian said with a sorrowful expression. "We are brothers; we shouldn't fight over such things. I also believe in my own abilities; I can earn my own titles. But he has always treated my mother as the murderer of his own mother, being outwardly compliant but inwardly rebellious. If that's the case, it would be a great disservice to my mother to still consider him a brother. This time, when my mother was poisoned, although a maid took the blame, I don't believe this was something a maid could orchestrate. Her words were flawless, but the more perfect they were, the more suspicious it made me. And my father, he didn't even visit my mother when she was poisoned, and instead ordered the maid's family to be treated well. What does this mean?"
Madam Lan's eyes flickered. What it meant was that her muddled son was using this method to express his long-held views to the people of the Duke's mansion—
He blamed his principal wife for the death of Dong Ningwan.
Madam Lan felt powerless. But she was no longer the ignorant child who clung to her. He was the dignified Duke, capable of discerning right from wrong. How could he be so muddled? A dead person...
"A Nian, rest assured, from now on, your grandmother will be on your side and your mother's. I will no longer concern myself with your father's foolishness. Once you smoothly take over the Duke's mansion, he might finally settle down," Madam Lan comforted Gu Sinian.
Gu Sinian nodded gently. "I will listen to Grandmother."
Gu Changwei rushed back to the mansion upon receiving the message. For years, he had harbored resentment towards his mother, but no matter how strong the resentment, she was still his birth mother. It made no sense for him, as a son, to avoid her when she returned to the mansion.
When Gu Changwei arrived at Yannan Courtyard, Madam Lan and Madam Qin were talking. The moment he entered, their conversation ceased.
Madam Qin stood up, beckoned Gu Sinian forward, and together they helped Madam Qin nod to Madam Lan before walking out.
From beginning to end, they acted as if Gu Changwei did not exist.
"Where have you been? Today should be a day of rest, shouldn't it?" Madam Lan spoke indifferently, her face showing no joy at the reunion with her son after a long absence.
Gu Changwei sat down beside Madam Lan. "I was dragged out for drinks by some colleagues. As soon as I received the message, I rushed back."
A faint smell of alcohol lingered in Madam Lan's nostrils. It was indeed the smell of alcohol.
Gu Changwei had been drinking, but not with colleagues. He had been with Dong Ningxin; she played the zither, and he sipped wine. Neither spoke, and the feeling was as if Ningwan were still by his side.
"Let's talk. What are your plans? Madam Qin is your mother-in-law, Tingxue is your lawfully wedded wife, and A Nian is your legitimate son," Madam Lan said with a stern face. "You didn't even greet your mother-in-law. Tingxue is so weak she needs help to walk, yet you ignore her. It's no wonder A Nian doesn't even give you a proper glance when he sees you."
Gu Changwei let out a cold snort. "They forced Ningwan's maid to her death back then! Mother-in-law? Does she think she can do whatever she pleases in the Duke's mansion just because of her status? And that brat, he has ruined the reputation of our Duke's mansion; I wish I could beat him to death! As for Madam Qin, she has only herself to blame for her current situation."
"You investigated the matter back then yourself, and Mother also investigated. It's clear that Madam Qin had nothing to do with it; she is innocent. How can you blame her for it years later?" Madam Lan felt as if fire were about to erupt from her head, and she questioned him sternly.
"Nothing to do with it? How could that be? If I had married Ningwan as my principal wife, Ningwan wouldn't have been unhappy. She would have been happy, protected by me, and wouldn't have had an accident during childbirth. Ningwan was magnanimous; she didn't say anything outwardly but kept it all inside. If not for that, how could she have left me and A Ya?" Gu Changwei's voice rose. "Even if she didn't poison anyone, from the moment she insisted on entering the Duke's mansion, it was destined to be like this between us."
Madam Lan's chest heaved, and her face turned an unnatural red. It was clear she was extremely angry.
"Back then, it was I who went to the Qin family again and again to ask for Tingxue's hand in marriage for you. Although she was devoted to you, without my repeated pleas, the Qin family would not have considered you a prospective son-in-law. So, are you resentful of Mother for making you marry Tingxue?"
Gu Changwei remained silent, his head hanging low.
At this moment, silence was tantamount to an admission.
"You unfilial son, get out! Get out of here immediately!" Madam Lan waved her hand, sweeping all the teacups and teapots from the table to the floor, shattering them into pieces.
"Mother, you must be tired from your journey. Your son will come to pay his respects tomorrow." Gu Changwei cupped his hands in a salute to Madam Lan and strode out.
The events at Yannan Courtyard soon reached Lanzhi Courtyard. Madam Qin looked worried. "A Nian, your grandmother can no longer control your father. What will become of you and your mother in the future? This Gu Changwei is truly a scoundrel!"
"Grandmother, please don't worry. I'm here for everything," Gu Sinian comforted Madam Qin.
Madam Qin was anxious and upset, but she could do nothing. This mother and son were determined not to leave the Duke's mansion, and she couldn't stay here forever. It truly made her uneasy.
"Mother, you've seen my mother-in-law's attitude. As long as she is in the mansion, your daughter will be fine," Madam Qin also comforted Madam Qin. "You've been staying here for almost a month; your family must be missing you. Although my father hasn't sent anyone to urge you, you know how much he misses you, don't you?"
Madam Qin sighed. Yes, her daughter was important, and the old man at home was also important. As for the mansion, the eldest and second daughters-in-law were sensible and would surely manage everything in good order. Only the old man, his daily life was all arranged by her. No matter how thoughtful the daughters-in-law were, they might not be able to meet his every need.
"Then I'll go back and stay for a few days. Remember to send someone to notify me if anything happens. You can leave those two old women here..." Madam Qin said.
"Mother, please take them back with you. They are the old servants you are accustomed to using. I am fine here; my mother-in-law will protect me, and Mama Li will be more careful in the future," Madam Qin refused.
"Grandmother, I will have people select two servants to send over later. My mother will definitely not have any more mishaps," Gu Sinian also said.
Madam Qin's intentions were good, but this was the Duke's mansion after all. If they were willing, others might not be. If this were used as an excuse to cause trouble, then they would be in the wrong. The most reliable method was naturally for Gu Sinian to find people himself.
"Alright, Grandmother won't dawdle with you anymore. A Nian, you must protect your mother well," Madam Qin instructed.