He might have readily agreed to accompany them into exile if it were in the past.
But now…
Although he wanted to save Siya, a rift had formed in his heart.
He could no longer be as selfless as before.
"Mother, your son must stay by your side to fulfill his filial duties," Gu Changwei said with difficulty.
If he had agreed readily, Old Madam Gu, despite her disappointment, would have held him in higher regard.
But with his current response, Old Madam Gu was utterly disappointed.
How could she have given birth to such a creature?
"I have already said that I am powerless to help with Gu Siya's situation. The Empress will not intervene either, as this is the Emperor's decision. As a subject, and as the Emperor's consort, who can possibly sway the Emperor's decision?"
"As for what other methods you can think of, that is up to you to figure out."
"Regardless, the Gu family has already been ruined by you; how much worse can it get?"
With that, she left, supported by her maid.
The Emperor had given them three days to move, but they couldn't truly drag their feet until the third day.
As for everything else, they would take it one step at a time.
Meanwhile, on Dong Ningxin's side, although Old Madam Gu had summoned a physician for her, all that commotion meant the child might not be saved.
After Dong Ningxin regained consciousness, she began to curse incessantly.
Each word was more vile than the last.
She cursed Gu Changwei, Qin Tingxue, Gu Siya, and Gu Sinian.
She believed her miserable state was all their fault.
The maids trembled as they served her.
After her tirade, Dong Ningxin instructed the maids to pack her belongings. Gu Changwei had told her to leave, so she would leave this useless man.
The maids packed for a long time, managing to gather only two bundles.
"Where are my things?" Dong Ningxin asked suspiciously. "Did you hide them from me?"
Her possessions were far more than this.
The maids quickly shook their heads. "No, no, we didn't hide anything. These are all there are. Madam's previous belongings were all taken by the Master."
"What?!" Dong Ningxin struggled to get up from the bed.
Due to her excessive movement, blood flowed profusely from beneath her.
"The physician said you must remain in bed, otherwise, you could experience severe bleeding, which could be fatal. Old Madam instructed us to take good care of Madam," the maid quickly said.
Dong Ningxin also feared death, so she stopped struggling. However, her hatred for Gu Changwei reached its peak.
"Go and ask the physician to examine me," Dong Ningxin said. So much blood had flowed out earlier, and it still seemed to be stopping intermittently.
The maid responded and hurried out.
On the other side, Gu Changwei took the silver from the official and set out again.
He had to see Siya at least once.
This time, he managed to see Gu Siya.
Of course, this was with Xie Chen's tacit approval.
It wasn't a free visit. Half of the silver Gu Changwei carried found its way into the guards' pockets.
Xie Chen had said this was a reward for them that day.
"Father, Father, why did you take so long to come?"
Gu Siya's forehead was wrapped in a white cloth, with bloodstains seeping through. Coupled with his expression, he looked utterly pathetic.
Even though he had cursed Gu Changwei a hundred times in his heart, on the surface, he still put on a show of a son's dependence on his father.
Seeing his tragic state, Gu Changwei was greatly shocked.
"Did Xie Chen torture you?" Gu Changwei asked, his heart aching.
"No, Lord Xie did not," Gu Siya replied.
Gu Changwei was a person who easily got lost in his own thoughts. To put it plainly, he was conceited, always believing his eyes were sharp and could see through everything, that nothing could escape his notice.