131 Guilty

He was the older brother and could not rely on his sister to stand up for him in everything.

His sister was right, this rhinoceros horn bow should belong to him.

Back then, his grandfather had given this rhinoceros horn bow to his father, who had drawn it when he was 16 years old.

As a descendant of the Gu family, if he could draw this bow today, it would naturally be his.

Gu Yuan slowly said to Madam Gu, “Emperor Taizu said that a good bow is covered in dust, and it’s a pity to not meet someone with talent. A good bow should be given to a hero, and only those who are capable can take it.”

Back then, when Emperor Taizu gave the bow to his great-grandfather, Gu Qin, he said this. He meant that this bow should be given to someone who could use it, not be covered in dust in the box.

“Second Uncle hid a good bow and covered it in dust. He’s not a ‘capable person’.”

Gu Yuan’s every word was extremely sharp, as if he had stabbed Madam Gu in the heart.

With that, he flicked his sleeve and left without hesitation.

“…” Madam Gu’s face turned red, and she was speechless.

This time, she didn’t give chase.

She stared blankly at Gu Yuan’s back that was as straight as a bamboo. Her vision blurred for a moment, and there seemed to be a dark surge in her old eyes that was about to burst. Some anger flashed across her eyes, some surprise, some uneasiness, some powerlessness… and more than that, exhaustion.

She swayed and took two slow steps, her steps unsteady.

“Madam, be careful.” Granny Li quickly supported Madam Gu.

The sunny day after the snow was even colder, and the wind was bone-chilling.

The howling cold wind was like a wild beast roaring in demonstration, lingering.

“He…” Suddenly, Madam Gu asked in a hoarse voice, “Don’t tell me he knows?”

Did he know that she was not his father’s, Gu Ce’s, birth mother?

The leaves of the parasol tree with the yellow leaves above her head swayed with the cold wind. A few rays of sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves and cast mottled shadows on Madam Gu’s face, making her expression a little gloomy, obscure, and frustrated.

The rustling sound of leaves echoed in the courtyard.

Granny Li looked around warily. After confirming that there was no one else around, she advised in a low voice, “Madam, don’t think too much.”

Even the late Marquis, Gu Ce, did not know about this. How could Gu Yuan know?!

“…” Madam Gu looked straight in the direction Gu Yuan had left without blinking. Her turbid and bloodshot eyes seemed to want to engrave his figure.

Granny Li gently stroked Madam Gu’s arm and continued to persuade her. “Besides, even in the Gu family’s ancestral hall, there’s no memorial tablet for her. It’s impossible for Eldest Young Master to know.”

As she spoke, Granny Li lowered her voice even more, so that only the two of them could hear her in the cold wind.

Madam Gu seemed to be muttering to herself. “I personally raised Ah Ce and treated him as my own. I raised him carefully and watched him get married and have children… Even the title of Marquis Mansion was inherited by him. I only hope Ah Jian can be a rich and idle person.”

“I know that I didn’t let Ah Ce down… I didn’t let my eldest sister down either. I have a clear conscience.”

Madam Gu’s gaze slowly moved up, and she looked up at the blue sky, as if she was saying this for some old friend.

“Madam is right.” Granny Li nodded in agreement. “Madam, it really hasn’t been easy for you all these years.”

She said this from the bottom of her heart.

After a pause, Granny Li continued, “Besides, so many years have passed. Those old people in the Western State are long gone. No one has mentioned that incident again.”

“Madam, don’t worry. It’s impossible for the Eldest Young Master to know.”

Another bone-chilling wind blew, cutting into Granny Li’s collar like a knife. She shivered unconsciously from the cold.

“Besides, even if the Eldest Young Master knows, what right does he have to blame you, Madam? Madam, you personally raised the late Marquis. Raising him is better than giving birth to him.”

Madam Gu still stood motionless under the tree, her chest heaving. There seemed to be two forces fighting and colliding in her eyes.

After a moment of silence, she said, “But I keep feeling that Yuan’er doesn’t treat me like before…” It was as if he was guarding against her, as if he had… resentment towards her.

Thinking of this, Madam Gu gripped the prayer beads in her hand tightly, almost crushing them.

In the past, Gu Yuan was not like this.

Granny Li hesitated for a moment before reminding her, “Madam, Eldest Young Master should know about the memorial yesterday… Could it be that he’s angry because of this?”

Madam Gu’s expression froze. She stroked her sleeve and said indifferently, “I did it for his own good.”

“This child has been stubborn since he was young and won’t listen to the advice of his elders. I asked him to learn literature and painstakingly found the best academy in the capital for him. However, he insisted on abandoning literature to join the martial arts and was determined to march forward with the reputation of being the son of a sinner.”

“As long as he’s in the army, there’ll always be talk of his father surrendering. It’ll never be over.”

Granny Li quickly comforted her. “Eldest Young Master is still young and inexperienced. He doesn’t understand your painstaking efforts, Madam.”

Hearing Granny Li’s soft words, Madam Gu also felt pleased, and her expression softened.

As if just remembering the guests in the hall, she looked at them and said, “Forget it, let’s not talk about the past.”

“He’s an imperial guard now, it’s a good job. He doesn’t have to go to the battlefield and can lead the army.”

Even if an imperial guard of the Emperor was not of a high grade, it would still make people look at him differently.

In the future, Gu Yuan’s future will be bright.

Madam Gu sighed again and said in a low voice, “Yuan’er’s future is promising. In the future, even if I die in the netherworld, I’ll be letting the Old Marquis down.”

She looked at the western sky again, her eyes deep. Her heart was as stable as a rock after many ups and downs.

That’s right, the Marquis Household did not owe Gu Yuan anything.

She did not owe Gu Yuan anything.

She hadn’t let down her eldest sister, Gu Ce, nor his son.

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