Xie Chen's mouth twitched. He had never met anyone so disgusting.
Whether Gu Changwei was good or bad was debatable, but his affection for his son, Gu Siya, was undeniable.
Yet, now, this good son had sold him out without a moment's hesitation.
Xie Chen's gaze swept past Gu Siya, his tone laced with a touch of sarcasm, "Duke, I'm quite curious, what are you feeling in your heart right now?"
Gu Siya spun around abruptly, seeing the look of disappointment on Gu Changwei's face.
He then turned back to Xie Chen, "Xie Chen, you did this on purpose."
Xie Chen spread his hands, "That's a rather unreasonable accusation. The mouth is yours, and I can't stop you from saying what you want. As for the Duke, his legs are his own, and I couldn't stop him from returning either."
"Or perhaps you think I should have informed you that Gu Changwei was back?"
"On what grounds?"
Xie Chen watched Gu Siya with a smile, observing the shifting colors on his face and his contorted expression.
"Father," Gu Siya gritted his teeth and walked towards Gu Changwei. "Things are not as you've heard. Lord Xie has always harbored deep resentment towards you. It was he who deliberately misled me. Your son merely went along with his words to see what his intentions were."
The ability to cover up was truly astonishing.
Xie Chen observed Gu Changwei. He remained expressionless, and it was impossible to tell if Gu Siya's words offered him any comfort or only fueled his anger.
"Duke, why did you return so soon? If you hadn't, perhaps my young master and I would have had a more pleasant conversation," Xie Chen added another jab with a smile. "Your son, indeed—"
"Sacrificed his own kin for righteousness!"
Xie Chen deliberately emphasized these four words.
He couldn't help himself; seizing such an opportunity to stab Gu Changwei in the back was too tempting to pass up.
To Xie Chen's surprise, Gu Changwei still showed no reaction to his words. Instead, he turned to Gu Siya, "His Majesty is unwell, and I was unable to see him. I will re-enter the palace. For now, I must ask you to bear with the inconvenience, my son."
For now?
From Xie Chen's earlier words, Gu Siya already knew that Gu Changwei's chances of seeing Emperor Chongwen were slim.
Was he abandoning him?
Clearly, Gu Changwei was bothered by what he had said and done.
His words and actions were merely a means of self-preservation.
What was wrong with a father making a small sacrifice?
Or was the concern he always expressed for his son just lip service?
It had to be. If he truly cared for him, why would he act this way? If he couldn't see Emperor Chongwen, wasn't there Consort An?
He was Consort An's elder brother; surely he could arrange a meeting if he tried?
"Father, are you unwilling to help your son anymore?" Gu Siya stared intently at Gu Changwei.
Gu Changwei remained expressionless, "How could I not? You are my son, how could I not help you."
"But—"
"Do you expect your father to storm the palace?"
An unauthorized entry was a capital offense, regardless of one's status!
"Aunt, you can ask Aunt to see him!" Gu Siya blurted out his thoughts.
Aunt?
A flicker of emotion crossed Gu Changwei's face.
In private, Siya's attitude towards Ah Le...
He was stubborn, believing Ah Le didn't like him.
Of course, Ah Le truly didn't like him.
Therefore, he never addressed Ah Le as Aunt in private.
And now...
"I have no face to ask Consort An to see me," Gu Changwei said.
His heart was a jumble of emotions. He had thought of many things, and he truly felt he had no right to face Ah Le.
Previously, he believed he had done nothing wrong. But after hearing Ah Ya's words, he had repeatedly questioned himself: Had he made a mistake?