Chapter 560 - 561: Small Courtyard
Chapter 560: Chapter 561: Small Courtyard
Rong Ruiyuan smacked his forehead, frustrated that he couldn’t come up with a solution no matter how hard he tried.
He had supported so many aides and given them countless opportunities, yet they were entirely useless. As for the women in his backyard, having failed to bear any heirs, they certainly wouldn’t empty their dowries to support him now. They might even stop their maiden families from helping.
He was backed into a corner. Anything of value that could be sold in his mother’s palace had already been fenced during the last theft. If she sold anything else, it would be difficult to maintain her dignity in the palace.
Left with no other options, he ultimately focused his attention on the Gu Family. He couldn’t shake the feeling that an old fox like Gu Baijiang had to have held something back.
If Gu Baijiang wasn’t offering it up, it was likely a test. Unfortunately, Gu Baijiang’s face was now ruined, and Gu Kaiping was far too mediocre. Even if Rong Ruiyuan wanted to prop Gu Kaiping up, he had no way to silence the wagging tongues.
After all, the old officials from before were still around. They knew exactly how Gu Kaiping had managed to pass the imperial examination. No one had exposed him back then simply because everyone shared common interests. In the past, with Gu Baijiang backing him up, Gu Kaiping had known his place and hadn’t made a fool of himself, which was why they had allowed him to sit in that position for so long.
But things were different now. The old foxes in the royal court all knew what was really going on. Why would they do Rong Ruiyuan any favors? After all, once Gu Kaiping vacated his post, they had already arranged for their own people to take over. Every clan had one or two mediocre members who needed a position.
He had considered showering Gu Antong with favor to deepen the relationship between the two families. However, given her current state, he truly couldn’t stomach it. Figuring out how to force Gu Baijiang to reveal his final trump card was proving to be a real headache. As for the other members of the Gu Family, after calculating his options, only the two kids still studying at the academy showed any signs of intelligence. But due to their young age, it would be difficult for him to manipulate them.
Feeling irritable, Rong Ruiyuan didn’t want to stay in the study any longer and headed toward the backyard.
Ever since it was discovered that he temporarily lacked the ability to father children, the women in his backyard had immediately changed their tunes. They no longer went out of their way to appear before him. While he had enjoyed some peace and quiet for a while, his pride had taken a massive beating.
He might be sterile, but he hadn’t lost his manhood! These damn women were all too pragmatic. Regardless, he was keeping score. Once he ascended to the position of Crown Prince, he would definitely select some considerate and caring companions for himself.
As he walked, he surprisingly found himself at Gu Antong’s courtyard again. Before he even got close, he saw a maid leaning against the doorframe, dozing off. Stepping closer, he realized it was Gu Antong’s senior personal maid, Cai Hua.
"What’s wrong with you? Instead of serving your master inside, you’re out here slacking off."
Thinking of all the lazy women in his backyard, Rong Ruiyuan directed his anger straight at the young maid.
Cai Hua had been having a sweet dream. In it, she was receiving Rong Ruiyuan’s favor. Who could have known he would suddenly bark at her for slacking off? Startled, she immediately sprang up. However, because her legs had been crossed, they tangled beneath her, sending her sprawling face-first onto the ground. She immediately wailed in pain, clutching her face with both hands, feeling as if her nose and teeth were detaching from her skull.
"How disgraceful!" Rong Ruiyuan snapped, looking at her foolish appearance. All the dissatisfaction he had harbored today erupted at this moment. He walked over and viciously kicked the unseemly maid aside. "With such recklessness, how can you be trusted to serve a master here?"
He shouted loudly, "Guards, take her away and hand her over to the Princess Consort! How did she train such a maid? Sell off anyone who can’t do their job properly."
By this time, Cai Hua had regained her senses. To her horror, she realized that earlier had just been a dream, and this was reality. Ignoring the pain in her face and the blood dripping down, she kowtowed ceaselessly and begged for mercy. "Prince, spare my life! It is this servant’s fault. I beg the Prince to give this servant a chance..."
"Give you a chance? How is your cheap life worth a chance?" Rong Ruiyuan waved his hand impatiently. Not daring to delay, the two guards immediately dragged her away.
Cai Hua panicked, terrified that they were going to beat her to death with clubs. "Prince, spare me! Prince, spare me... Concubine, save me! Liang Liang, save me..."
The two guards dragged her away expressionlessly. The girl’s face was covered in blood, and they needed to make sure she didn’t offend any other masters with her gruesome appearance.
Lying in the inner room, Gu Antong heard Rong Ruiyuan’s voice and Cai Hua’s cries for help. She wanted to sit up but found she lacked the strength. With great difficulty, she managed to roll over and, by gripping the edge of the heated brick bed, slowly pulled herself up.
"The Prince is here," Gu Antong murmured. Getting out of bed was arduous, and every step she took was exceptionally difficult, not to mention she hadn’t eaten for two consecutive days, surviving solely on tea to stave off her hunger.
But even so, Gu Antong felt as though she had gained even more weight today. She wasn’t going out to rekindle any romance with Rong Ruiyuan this time; she just wanted to see if he could grant her a quick death.
Outside, Rong Ruiyuan hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open. Since he was already here, he figured he might as well probe Gu Antong to see if she knew of any backup plans Gu Baijiang might have. As for finding out exactly how much wealth Gu Baijiang still possessed, Rong Ruiyuan didn’t think he would let a married-off daughter know. He was only going in to test the waters. Even if he couldn’t get the full picture, he might pick up on something. As long as there were a few clues, it would make his next move easier.
The moment he pushed the door open, he saw a mountain of flesh moving toward him.
Gu Antong’s delicate and charming face looked as though it had been inflated with air. The only feature that vaguely resembled her old self was her eyes. But her once bright Taohua eyes were no more, having entirely lost their original luster.
"Prince," Gu Antong said. Her melodious voice hadn’t changed much, but coupled with her massive body and distorted facial features, Rong Ruiyuan instinctively took a step back.
"Gu Shufei," Rong Ruiyuan said. He couldn’t bring himself to utter the words ’beloved concubine.’ He even regretted stepping foot in here; he would likely suffer from nightmares for quite some time after going back tonight.
Moreover, if his brothers found out about her current appearance, there was no telling how much ridicule it would draw. They would probably spread the news far and wide. He wanted nothing more than to obliterate this entire courtyard and the woman inside it, but remembering his purpose for coming, he held himself back.
Suddenly, Gu Antong fell to her knees. The impact of her massive frame crashing to the floor made Rong Ruiyuan feel as though the entire house were trembling. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought an earthquake had struck.
Unable to feel the pain radiating from her legs, Gu Antong cried out in profound sorrow, "Prince, please save me! If you can’t cure this illness of mine, I beg you to give me a quick death."
Rong Ruiyuan wanted to feign some lingering affection to move her, but when he reached out to help her up, things instantly grew awkward...