The next day.
Gu Wuji was taking a day off at home and did not attend court.
Just after breakfast, someone outside came to report, “Your Grace, Prince Dai has brought Princess Changning to offer their apologies.”
Upon hearing this, he showed no reaction. He casually poured himself a cup of tea, leaned back in his chair, and slowly sipped it before turning to ask Changshan, “How is Manman?”
“This morning, someone went to check on her. There’s nothing serious, but she feels bored and keeps fussing about wanting to go to the academy,” Changshan replied with a smile. After speaking, he instructed the young servant outside, “Invite Prince Dai and Princess Changning to the Flower Hall. Tell them that His Grace is occupied and have them wait with good tea and refreshments.”
Gu Wuji chuckled upon hearing this. “You’re making decisions for me now?”
Changshan only smiled and said nothing.
The young servant outside, unsure of what to do, continued to stand with his head lowered, waiting for orders. It was only after Gu Wuji spoke, “Alright, just do as he said,” that the servant finally responded and left.
After the servant had gone, Gu Wuji remained seated, sipping tea and engaging in idle chatter. He then asked about Gu Jiufei’s situation.
Changshan smiled and replied, “The Ninth Young Master has strong bones, but at his age, it’s difficult for him to train thoroughly. I plan to teach him boxing to strengthen his body.”
Gu Wuji had no objections to this.
His son had a calm temperament, quite unlike himself—who had been tough and energetic since childhood. With so many personal guards at home and no need to go to war, practicing martial arts was merely for maintaining health.
“Li Censhen’s son is quite impressive,” Gu Wuji remarked as he sipped his tea. After a pause, he chuckled. “More promising than that boy from the Fu family.”
“They’re all just children. You always wear such a stern face—what junior wouldn’t fear you?” Changshan teased him before refilling his tea. Then, he added, “But indeed, the Duke of Wei’s son is quite outstanding.”
“Among all the noble sons in the capital, only this Seventh Young Master of the Li family started martial arts training as soon as he could walk. His teacher was even someone from the military. Yesterday, in that situation, if not for his intervention, subduing that mad horse might not have been so easy.”
“But—”
His tone suddenly shifted, carrying a hint of regret. “Ever since his mother passed away, this child has not been the same.”
Gu Wuji, however, saw this as a sign of filial piety. He frowned slightly and countered, “Li Censhen is such a dull man, only knowing war all year round and rarely spending time at home. It’s already commendable that the boy hasn’t strayed from the right path.”
Changshan rarely saw him praise someone so openly, especially a junior, and couldn’t help but be surprised. “You seem to think highly of him.”
Gu Wuji wasn’t particularly invested in the boy, but seeing Li Qinyuan always reminded him of his younger self. Thinking of his actions yesterday, he casually said, “If there’s an opportunity in the future, lend him a hand when possible. After all, I still owe him a favor.”
“Understood.”
Changshan then playfully suggested, “If you like him so much, why not recruit him as a consort for our princess?”
The moment he said this, Gu Wuji—who had always doted on his daughter—immediately scowled. He snapped, “You old fool, your mouth is getting more and more reckless!” Liking the boy was one thing, but considering him as a son-in-law was another matter entirely.
How could those be the same?
Tsk.
Changshan, seemingly having anticipated this reaction, did not press the matter further. Instead, he simply chuckled and said, “You shouldn’t always dismiss these young men. After the new year, the princess will be sixteen—sooner or later, she’ll have to marry.”
“If you ask me, the young master of the Jing family is actually a good choice. He has a good temperament and excels in his studies.”
Gu Wuji frowned, still appearing displeased. If he only viewed these young men as juniors, they were all fine. But the moment he had to consider them as future sons-in-law, not a single one seemed suitable.
Gu Wuji could no longer drink his tea and said indifferently, “Let’s talk about this later.”
Prince Dai, Xiao Beiqin, had been sitting in the Flower Hall for nearly two full hours. The longer time dragged on, the more uneasy he became. He was a timid man, afraid of trouble. Even though he bore the surname Xiao, he didn’t dare to accept any official position.
Every day, he either played with birds at home, sipped tea, or painted—acting more cautiously than anyone else.
Fearing that the man on the dragon throne might grow suspicious of him, he had never dared to have a son all these years. In his household, he had only this one daughter, Xiao Yi.
He had thought that by living so cautiously, trouble would never find him. But who could have imagined that his well-behaved, obedient daughter would commit such an outrageous act?!
Attacking someone at the academy—
And the victim was none other than the daughter of Duke Ding!
When he learned of this yesterday, he had nearly fainted on the spot. Originally, he had wanted to bring Xiao Yi over that very night to beg for forgiveness, but considering how late it was, he felt that making a visit then would be inappropriate. Thus, he endured a sleepless night until this morning.
At the break of dawn, he had rushed over with Xiao Yi to plead for forgiveness.
Yet even after arriving, they had not been granted an audience. Now, as he sat on pins and needles, Xiao Beiqin could no longer remain still. He wanted to ask the young servant outside, but upon seeing the boy standing with lowered eyes, silent and composed, the words stuck in his throat. With no other way to vent his frustration, he could only pace around the room, and when his gaze landed on Xiao Yi sitting quietly to the side, his anger flared up again. He gritted his teeth and scolded, “You still have the mind to drink tea?!”
Xiao Yi’s hand holding the teacup paused.
After a brief silence, she said nothing and simply placed the cup onto the high table.
But Xiao Beiqin’s anger was far from spent. It was as if a fire had been burning in his chest with nowhere to release it, so he could only direct all his fury at Xiao Yi. Lowering his voice, he hissed, “When the Duke arrives, you will apologize properly. Whatever he asks you to do, you will do! Even if he tells you to kneel and beg for forgiveness from Princess Leping, you will endure it without complaint!”
The more he spoke,
The angrier he became.
“How did I raise you? How dare you commit such an act? Do you have a death wish? Or do you think our family is living too comfortably?!”
Xiao Yi did not respond. Her hands, resting on her lap, clenched involuntarily.
Her nails were already long, and now they dug deeply into her flesh—but she no longer felt the pain. Compared to the torment in her heart, what was physical pain? Since last evening, her entire world seemed to have turned upside down.
The father who had cherished her since childhood now resented her.
The concubines who once feared her now mocked her openly.
Even the servants of the household whispered behind her back, speaking ill of her.
She wanted to laugh.
But the pain on her face made it impossible.
Last night, her so-called loving father had struck her for the first time. Before a crowd of concubines and servants, he had slapped her three times. It was the first time in her life she had ever been beaten.
She could still recall her emotions at that moment—sorrow, disappointment, disbelief.
She had thought that no matter what happened, the father who had loved her since childhood would stand by her side. He might be disappointed, he might be furious, he might wish she had done better—but he would help her resolve the problem.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he had looked at her with disappointment and disgust.
A look she had never seen before.
A look of a stranger.
At that moment, Xiao Yi finally understood—
Not all father-daughter relationships were like Gu Wuyou and her father’s.
Not everyone had someone to clean up their mess when they made a mistake.
She had always been alone.
Completely and utterly alone.
Hearing her father’s words now, she no longer felt anything. Pressing her red lips together, she sat upright in her chair, using every ounce of strength to maintain the last shred of her dignity.
“Are you deaf or mute? Didn’t you hear me?!” Xiao Beiqin’s love for his daughter had turned into hatred. He was about to continue scolding her when footsteps suddenly sounded outside.
Turning his head, before he even saw the person, he heard the respectful voices of the young servants and maids greeting in unison, “Your Grace, Duke.”
Xiao Beiqin’s heart tightened. The resentment he had shown towards Xiao Yi just moments ago vanished instantly as he quickly composed himself and stepped forward to greet him.
Gu Wuji entered from outside, dressed in casual home attire, his expression solemn.
Xiao Beiqin had always been deeply fearful of this Duke Ding. Now, even more so. Despite being a prince, he bowed his hands in greeting to a mere duke and stammered nervously, “Brother Ruohua.”
In the past, Gu Wuji would never have accepted such courtesies. He would have deemed them unnecessary and would not have bothered to respond.
But today—
It was as if he deliberately waited a beat longer. Only after Xiao Beiqin completed his bow did he frown and say, “What is Your Highness doing? Acting like this, you’re putting a common minister like me in a difficult position.” His words suggested humility, but there wasn’t the slightest trace of humility on his face.
Xiao Beiqin knew all too well, but what could he say?
Forcing a smile, he replied, “I have come today to apologize. This courtesy is well deserved…” After speaking, he turned to Xiao Yi, his voice lowering in anger as he snapped, “You wretched thing, come over here!”
Gu Wuji said nothing.
As Xiao Yi stepped forward to pay her respects, his gaze swept over her face, catching sight of the handprint still faintly visible there. His brows knitted together.
In the Prince Dai’s Mansion, there were only two true masters—this father and daughter. The slap mark on Xiao Yi’s face could only have come from Xiao Beiqin himself. Though Gu Wuji despised Xiao Yi’s actions, he also found such fatherly discipline contemptible.
“Rise.”
Retracting his gaze, he uttered those words indifferently before taking his seat.
“Brother Ruohua,” Xiao Beiqin deliberately used a familiar address and forced a laugh. “I’ve brought this disgraceful daughter today to personally offer our apologies to you and Princess Leping. I never imagined that this unfilial girl would commit such an act!”
“Whatever punishment you see fit, just say the word. I will not show the slightest partiality.”
Perhaps afraid that his attitude was still not sincere enough, Xiao Beiqin abruptly grabbed Xiao Yi and forced her to kneel. “Wretched thing, after what you’ve done, you still have the audacity to stand? Kneel and apologize!”
Xiao Yi stumbled from his rough pull, her knees slamming hard against the floor.
The pain was excruciating, yet she clenched her teeth, not letting a single cry of pain escape. Her back remained straight, like an unyielding stalk of green bamboo.
Seeing her like this, Xiao Beiqin grew even angrier, even more resentful. He truly could not understand—this daughter of his, always so obedient since childhood, had suddenly become so defiant? Even at this point, she was still resisting him!
Just as he was about to scold her further—
Gu Wuji frowned and interrupted, “Enough.”
He was never known for his patience, and he had not come here today to watch this father and daughter argue. “If Your Highness wishes to discipline your daughter, do it at home.”
Seeing Xiao Beiqin’s face stiffen with embarrassment, he finally turned his gaze to Xiao Yi. His voice was light, his expression even lighter. “Get up.”
“Thank you, Duke…” Xiao Yi opened her mouth, her voice hoarse from an entire night without sleep. Sensing the gazes upon her, she let out a self-deprecating laugh and corrected herself, “Thank you, Duke Ding.”
Pressing her hands against the ground, she pushed herself up. Her knees still throbbed with pain, but she did not make a sound. Instead, she looked straight at Gu Wuji and declared, “I will go to the royal temple for a year of seclusion to atone for my sins.”
This was a decision she had made last night. She had told no one.
Gu Wuji was clearly surprised. His hand, holding a teacup, paused midair. He lifted his gaze to examine the young girl before him. Her expression was calm, and though she still carried the noble composure she had always possessed, there was an undeniable coldness about her now—much colder than before.
“You’ve thought this through?”
Anyone sent to a royal temple for seclusion had committed a serious offense. In the palace, concubines who could not be executed were often sent away to such temples. Though it was only for a year, for a young woman’s reputation, it was nearly a death sentence.
“Mm.” Xiao Yi nodded, her expression and tone unchanged.
Gu Wuji did not look at her again. He took a sip of tea before saying, “Then let it be as the princess wishes.”
Xiao Beiqin seemed caught off guard by Xiao Yi’s decision. He was momentarily stunned, but as soon as he heard Gu Wuji’s response, he couldn’t help but interject, “Brother Ruohua, do you think this matter could be—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Xiao Yi, as if having had enough of his demeanor, interrupted directly, disregarding his words. “Duke, I wish to see Princess Leping.”
She still had things to say to Gu Wuyou.
Gu Wuji did not immediately respond. He looked at her for a long while before finally summoning a maidservant. “Take her there.”
The maidservant answered and stepped forward.
Xiao Yi gave Gu Wuji another respectful bow, then, without so much as a glance at her father, followed the maidservant out the door. As she walked further away, she could still hear her father’s hushed voice behind her, “Brother Ruohua, my daughter is an unworthy wretch. If you are still dissatisfied, feel free to punish her.”
“But I truly had no knowledge of this matter—please, do not misunderstand me…”
Xiao Yi looked at the bright and open sky outside, the golden sunlight spilling across the courtyard, and suddenly found it laughable.