Chapter 6

In her previous life, how could she not have seen through the hypocrisy of these people?

Why did the her of the past blindly devote herself wholeheartedly to Da Fang, becoming estranged from her father and brother?

It was probably because in her previous life, it was she, not Gu Jia, who had her reputation tarnished!

Now the tables have turned, and it's their precious Gu Jia who has been wronged. They have all dropped their pretenses!

The room was filled with endless bickering and Gu Jia's cries were ceaseless.

Gu Ying quietly listened to their scoldings and wailings. She did not try to placate Da Fang's family as usual, but calmly went before her grandmother and bowed.

"Grandmother, what do you say about this?"

Gu's old madam was a woman of steady temperament. In her youth, after her husband's early passing, she had single-handedly managed the entire Gu household for the first half of her life, exerting great effort to bring the huge family clan to its present prosperity.

Her eldest son Gu Boyan had inherited his title and obtained a civil position at the Honglu Temple.

Her second son Gu Boqing had gone to the frontier as a military officer to fight battles and wage war.

Although they did not have phenomenal wealth and nobility, they were still a respectable aristocratic household.

She was different from Liu Shi who had married up into the household. She was not a brainless woman. As expected, Gu's old madam coldly snapped, "Stop crying! What use is there in crying at a time like this?"

Gu Jia choked on her tears. Liu Shi and Gu Boyan also quieted down timidly.

"Mother, look - " Gu Boyan said, "Jia'er can absolutely not marry that Jiang fellow. Ying'er is different. I've heard Jia'er say before that ever since Ying'er met Jiang Yin, she has fallen for him. She has openly and secretly met him many times. Jia'er dotes on her younger sister and has helped her out a few times, sending her things like sachets, purses, and love letters - things that young girls share. Mother, you must agree-"

Gu's old madam's sharp eyes looked towards Gu Ying.

Gu Ying quickly knelt down and said, "Grandmother, Ying'er does not like Jiang Yin. The handkerchief Jiang found was personally embroidered by elder sister. As for the love letters, sachets and purses uncle speaks of, Ying'er has never done such things!"

"How could you not have done them? There are many letters hidden in your room. You just didn't have the chance. Otherwise you would have already given yourself to Young Master Jiang!" Gu Jia was furious. She never imagined that Gu Ying would oppose her like this as if she was possessed! "Sister, don't you feel ashamed? I still care about my reputation!" Gu Ying coldly sneered, "If grandmother does not believe me, close the doors and order some trusted servant girls to search my room and elder sister's! This way, even if Ying'er dies, I'll die with a clear conscience!"

"Search then! Search!" Gu Jia looked smug.

She had arranged it all long ago to fix Gu Ying and make it impossible for her to survive this.

"Do search. This will prove young miss Ying'er's innocence." Liu Shi understood Gu Jia's intent and quickly played along.

"Since this is the case, order people to search the young ladies' rooms. Irrelevant people should leave." Gu's old madam's shrewd eyes sized up Gu Ying. "This matter has already reached Imperial Concubine Shao's ears. We must settle it decisively today! Once settled, we will pick an auspicious day and this old woman will personally go to the Jiang household to settle these marriage arrangements!"

Gu Ying's body quivered slightly.

The scene was so similar to her past life.

They wanted to search her room.

Numerous love letters and unfinished sachets were found in her room.

Dozens of strikes from the rod left her bedridden for months. Later she was forced to kneel in the ancestral hall.

That cold, damp, endless winter night haunted the last ten years of her life. Every time she thought of it, she regretted her foolishness.

Gu Ying's lips quickly lost their color. Her eyes misted over as she stood stiffly in place.

Seeing her reaction, Gu Jia wiped her tears and leaned against Gu's old madam, extremely smug inside.

How could that shabby tutor from the Jiang family match her, the precious first daughter of the prestigious Gu household!?

After the time it takes to burn one incense stick.

The love letters, sachets, and purses had all been searched out and placed below the hall.

"Bright moonlight shines through faint mist, tonight I shall go to my lover's side. I slip on my socks and walk the fragrant steps, carrying gold embroidered shoes in my hands. I meet you at the southern edge of the painting gallery, huddling closely against you trembling. It's hard for me to sneak out, please show me your pity and favor as you wish."

The overt intimacy expressed in the letters violated the taboos of young ladies from prestigious families.

But in this moment, the one who lost her composure was not Gu Ying.

"How could these things have been found in my room!?"

Gu Jia froze, as if doused by a bucket of cold water. Then anger rose up and she shook uncontrollably. She completely lost her mind and staggered over to strangle Gu Ying. "It was you, wasn't it? You planted this to frame me! Gu Ying, you wicked girl!"

Gu Ying remained kneeling on the ground, her chin slightly raised. Her wet, pure eyes still held a childish innocence. She looked evenly at everyone present. Then she picked up the letter, her tone gentle and even.

"Ying'er can't read or write. I don't recognize big characters. Grandmother, the handwriting on these letters is clear and beautiful. It matches elder sister's handwriting, doesn't it?"

With one sentence, she condemned Gu Jia to hell.

Gu Jia froze, a chill rising from her feet to her head, leaving her mind buzzing blankly.

That's right, Gu Ying was illiterate. Where did these letters come from?

The letters she had prepared to frame Gu Ying, where did they go?

Could it really be haunted!?

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Even Gu Ying's expression seemed ghostly to her now.

She pointed a shaking finger at Gu Ying's face, confusion and disbelief naked on her own as she rambled crazily, "Impossible...impossible! It must be haunted...haunted!"

She cried and laughed hysterically as she ran to kneel at Gu's old madam's feet. "Grandmother, it's haunted!"

Liu Shi and Gu Boyan were also shocked speechless for a moment before quickly kneeling to plead for their daughter. "Mother, Jia'er would never do such a thing!"

Gu's old madam's patience was utterly exhausted. She impatiently rubbed her brows and pushed Gu Jia aside.

"Gu Jia, stop making a scene! Today's events have already been disgraceful enough! What do you think you're doing throwing a mad fit? Who would marry you like this?"

The word 'marry' instantly triggered Gu Jia's weak point.

She shot up and slapped Gu's old madam, her sharp nails cutting the old woman's cheek. "Grandmother, I won't marry!"

"Gu Jia, have you gone mad!?" Gu's old madam also shot up, livid.

The atmosphere in the main hall froze. The others were dumbstruck, never imagining that the usually gentle young miss would be so unruly!

Gu Jia stared blankly, not having realized what she'd done.

Seeing that she had lost control and offended her grandmother, Gu Ying's lips curled up imperceptibly as she hurriedly stepped forward seemingly worriedly to pull Gu Jia back. "Grandmother, are you alright?"

"It'll take more than that to kill this old bag of bones!" Gu's old madam was furious, glaring at Gu Boyan. "Gu Jia has always been spoiled. She has no respect for elders and no moral integrity. Exchanging private letters with a man! Since Imperial Concubine Shao has agreed to be the matchmaker, marry her off early for the best! Starting today, she will kneel in the ancestral hall! Anyone who dares plead for her will join her!"

Liu Shi and Gu Boyan dared not speak out in anger. They held the stunned Gu Jia and wept.

In an inconspicuous corner, the edges of Gu Ying's mouth raised slightly.

The ancestral hall was a good place. Many good things happened to her there in her past life.