The old lady didn't feel well yesterday, so she got up late today. She was still reclining on the couch, and a heated kang was burning in the room. An old cat was lying in the corner, looking drowsy. Only when one got closer did they realize it was just a decoration.
Seeing Gu Liyue staring at the decorative cat, the old lady couldn't help but smile. She waved her hand and said, "As I've gotten older, I've taken a fancy to these things. But these living things don't have a long lifespan, and I can't bear to see the little fellows leave this world before me. So I just got a fake one."
Gu Liyue pursed her lips and nodded. "It looks so real."
The old lady said, "I heard your fourth brother got you a cat yesterday. Do you like it?"
Gu Liyue blushed a little. Presumably, her grandmother didn't know that the cat belonged to Lu Jinchen. "I like it very much."
Not long after, Mrs. Jiang lifted the curtain and entered. She paid her respects to the old lady and then asked with concern, "Did Liyue sleep well last night? Was it cold?"
Gu Liyue had slept with Yunniang last night, and no one had said anything about it.
Mrs. Jiang felt Gu Liyue's hand. "Did the maids serve you well? If there's anything you're not satisfied with, tell your aunt. I'll replace them for you. If you want to pick your own maids, I'll have the matchmaker select some good ones later."
Gu Liyue quickly replied, "Everything's fine. They've been very dedicated."
Mrs. Jiang nodded and then started talking about the Jiang family's affairs. "Yesterday's matter has been resolved. The Jiang family has admitted that it was Jiang Yingyue who was jealous of you and wanted to harm you. As for the people involved in the middle, they've all been investigated one by one and punished."
Gu Liyue nodded. "Thank you, grandmother. Thank you, aunt."
Mrs. Jiang patted her hand. "We're family. Why say thank you? We didn't know you before, but from now on, you're a young lady of the Gu family. We'll never let anyone bully you."
Gu Liyue thought for a while and then asked, "Aunt, may I ask how Miss Jiang Yue passed away?"
Mrs. Jiang felt quite sad when she mentioned her niece from her natal family. "For the sake of the Jiang family's reputation, although I knew about those things, I've never told anyone... Mother, do you still remember Yue'er?"
The old lady had caught a cold after standing in the wind at the door yesterday, so she wasn't feeling well. Now, while drinking her medicine, she nodded. "Yes, I still remember. She was polite and well - behaved, much better than those naughty kids from ordinary families. I said at that time that if our family had such a lovely daughter, it would be as if our Gu family had burned high - quality incense."
Mrs. Jiang continued, "Yes, that girl was obedient and well - behaved since she was a child. She could recognize characters at three and read and write at six. She was proficient in poetry, songs, the lute, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Despite the heat of summer and the cold of winter, she was always diligent. Every time I went back to my natal family and saw her, I felt that both Junyan and Junzhe, as boys, were far inferior to their cousin!"
The old lady squinted her eyes and thought for a while. "I liked her very much at that time, but I also felt a bit sorry for her. A girl should be pampered. There's no need to work so hard..."
Mrs. Jiang smiled. "If Liyue had been raised at home, mother would have been extremely happy."
Gu Liyue had been with Mrs. Jiang for so long that she had already learned how to deal with noble people. She just sat there shyly and said nothing.
She didn't know that her reserved look made the old lady feel sorry for her all over again.
Mrs. Jiang continued, "Back then, it was said that Yue'er died of illness, but in fact, it wasn't like that. Before she got sick, she went on a hunting trip with her father and was assigned by the noble concubine at that time to accompany Princess Jing. Yue'er and Princess Jing had grown up together since childhood and had a deep friendship. But at that time, Princess Jing had actually contracted smallpox and there was no way to cure it."
Whether one could survive smallpox was entirely up to luck.
Gu Liyue was surprised. Could it be that the noble people in the palace were so heartless that they didn't care about the lives of their subjects? She asked, "So, the Duke of Jiang didn't know that Princess Jing had contracted smallpox and let Miss Jiang Yue accompany her, and finally she also contracted smallpox?"
There were tears in Mrs. Jiang's eyes. She said in a low voice, "If it was just like this, why would my sister - in - law have held a grudge for so many years? At that time, my elder brother made a mistake and was severely punished by the emperor. There was even a sign that his title would be revoked. My elder brother learned in advance that Princess Jing had contracted smallpox. In front of the emperor and the noble concubine, he said that Yue'er... had had smallpox before and could take care of Princess Jing."
Gu Liyue's eyes widened. Once a person had had smallpox, they wouldn't get it again. Of course, the noble concubine was happy to let Jiang Yue accompany her daughter. After all, they were good friends, and it would be good for Princess Jing to have the comfort of a friend in her pain.
But if it wasn't like this, and Duke Jiang deceived the emperor and the noble concubine for his own future and status and didn't care about his daughter's life at all, then it was truly a sign of a sinister heart.
Mrs. Jiang thought of her early - deceased niece and felt very sad. She choked with sobs and said, "The princess had contracted smallpox. To prevent people from gossiping, it wasn't announced to the public. After that, my elder brother just told my sister - in - law that Yue'er had been strong and healthy since childhood. While other kids were often sick, she rarely got ill. He thought that it was just to accompany the princess, and Yue'er was smart. As long as she didn't get too close to Princess Jing, it should be okay..."
Gu Liyue unconsciously covered her chest. How could there be such a person? How could there be such a father who would gamble with his daughter's life?
Mrs. Jiang sighed. "Getting smallpox isn't an absolute thing. There have been cases where people who had had smallpox before got it again. Later, Yue'er died of it. My elder brother said that she was just the one in ten thousand. And the emperor and the noble concubine felt guilty. They not only restored the glory of the Jiang family but also posthumously conferred the title of County Mistress on Yue'er... But no matter what, that posthumous title couldn't bring Yue'er back to life."
Gu Liyue said in a low voice, "Gambling his own daughter's life for a smooth official career... Can the Duke of Jiang feel at ease now that he's secured his position?"
Mrs. Jiang took a deep breath, and tears slid down her face. "Yes, can he feel at ease? I never thought that the person who would do such a thing would be my own elder brother."
The old lady squinted her eyes and nodded. "No wonder you didn't interact much with the Jiang family later. I thought it was really because of the difference in political views between Boqian and your elder brother."
Mrs. Jiang gave a bitter smile. "Political views are men's business. As a woman, how could I cut off contact with my elder brother because of that? I just think that my sister - in - law has really had a hard life."
The old lady's face was calm. "She has indeed had a hard life, but these hardships weren't caused by Liyue. She shouldn't have dragged Liyue into such a situation. We don't care about the messy affairs of the Jiang family. But Liyue is a young lady of the Gu family. Our Gu family isn't the kind of family that doesn't care about its daughters. How could we let Liyue be wronged?"
Mrs. Jiang nodded. "Father - in - law and Boqian think the same way. But my sister - in - law is kind - hearted. She remembers her many years of friendship with Jiang Yingyue and is determined not to send Yingyue to the official authorities... Liyue, this result may not be satisfactory. She persecuted you so much and made you suffer an unjust accusation. In the past two days, your uncle has already decided to write a memorial to impeach the Duke of Jiang."
Gu Liyue just shook her head. "Aunt, please tell uncle for me. I've been able to have my current good fortune thanks to the kindness of Mrs. Jiang in the past. I'm not an ungrateful person. Since the truth has already come to light, there's no need to dwell on these trivial matters."