The Prime Minister's Darling

Lord Gu replied, “There’s still half a year left.”

The twins were born in October.

Huang Zhong laughed, “Her Majesty the Virtuous Consort must be eagerly anticipating the young miss’ birthday.”

The Virtuous Consort was Lord Gu’s younger sister. She had a great relationship with the late Lady Gu, while her relation with Yao Family wasn’t as warm. She was somewhat indifferent towards Gu Yan but Gu Jinyu, with her talents, had always been her favourite.

Lord Gu felt a headache coming on.

He couldn’t go back to Capital City just yet, but even if he could, he would have to take Yao Shi and Gu Yan with him.

After all, as it was Jinyu’s coming-of-age ceremony, how could her biological mother not be present?

Besides, he had observed that Gu Yan’s health had improved significantly and he should be able to return to the Capital City with them.

“What about… the young miss?” Huang Zhong was referring to Gu Jiao.

“Of course, she’ll be brought along as well.” Lord Gu declared.

Such decisiveness? Was he a masochist?

Huang Zhong hesitated for a moment, “Aren’t you going to do a blood test for familial relationship?”

Lord Gu roared, “Even if we wanted to, we would need to get her consent first! You think you can get it?”

Huang Zhong shrank his neck, “I wouldn’t dare.”

Lord Gu said with a frowned expression, “Yanyan is very close to her, he wouldn’t be wrong about this. As for medicine trials, Huichun Hall’s medicine is temporarily effective, and it wouldn’t matter if the trials are delayed for some time. But…”

“But what?” Huang Zhong asked.

Lord Gu pondered for a moment, then said, “The girl grew up in a rural setting, and has all these bad habits. She doesn’t have even a bit of the grace of a lady, which would inevitably attract criticism once she arrives in the Capital City. Before we leave, we need to find someone to properly educate her.”

Huang Zhong’s eyes darted around, “Are you… skipping some important steps? Like, maybe the young miss herself isn’t willing to go?”

Lord Gu flicked his robe, “Hmph! Is there a room for her to object in such a matter? I am her biological father! Whether she believes it or not, if I really want to take her with me, can she resist?”

Huang Zhong curled up his lips, thinking about who was hung on a tree by the young miss once.

Lord Gu was not bragging, at this moment, his biggest worry was not Gu Jiao, but Yao Shi.

He didn’t know how to approach Yao Shi so as to minimize the shock to her.

“Where is the lady?” Lord Gu asked.

Huang Zhong recalled, “She seems to be in the Peony Garden outside the hot springs. I saw her there when I passed by earlier.”

Indeed, Yao Shi was indeed in the Peony Garden.

After Gu Jinyu’s peonies were ruined, Lord Gu ordered several more to be brought over quickly, and allocated a new garden for Gu Jinyu to grow peonies.

This could be considered as a compensation for losing her maid, Yu Ru.

Gu Jinyu was playing chess with Yao Shi in the center of the Peony Garden, “Mother, it’s your turn.”

Yao Shi was lost in thought.

Gu Jinyu waved her hand in front of Yao Shi’s eyes, “Mother, mother!”

Yao Shi came back to her senses and apologized with a smile, “Is it my turn? Let me see how to move.”

Gu Jinyu took up the chess piece Yao Shi was going to move, and said softly, “We’ve been playing for quite a while and you must be tired. Why don’t we take a break and have some snacks?”

“Okay.” Yao Shi nodded, asking the maid to clear the chessboard and bring over a plate of freshly cut melon and a box of Osmanthus Cakes she personally made.

Gu Jinyu ate a piece of the melon and took a tiny bite of the Osmanthus Cake.

Yao Shi noticed that she didn’t seem too keen on eating the cake, probably because her aunt, the Virtuous Consort, had once said that eating too many sweets would make her fat.

Since then, Jinyu didn’t really eat sweet stuff anymore.

“Mother, you look well recently.” Gu Jinyu said to Yao Shi with a smile.

Yao Shi touched her cheeks.

Indeed, after using Lady Gu’s medicine, she felt much lighter, she could eat well, sleep well, and wasn’t as prone to mood swings.

The only puzzling thing was that she kept thinking about Lady Gu. Even her distraction earlier was due to thoughts of her.

She shouldn’t have been so absent-minded while playing chess with her daughter.

“Mother, wait a moment!” Gu Jinyu set down her pastry, and took a cloak from a nearby room to drape over Madam Yao. “The wind is strong. Be careful you don’t catch a cold.”

Her daughter was considerate. However, Madam Yao felt a sense of shame for receiving such consideration from her daughter.

No one knew, but she had a secret buried deep in her heart.

She used to abhor Gu Jinyu immensely.

From the moment of her confinement after childbirth, she preferred Gu Yan over Gu Jinyu. She could not bring herself to feel attached to the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.

One year when they were both three, Gu Yan spilled a bowl of medicine soup on Gu Jinyu, who must have been very vexed. Gu Jinyu pounced onto Gu Yan and pinned him to the ground.

Gu Yan was suffocating under her weight.

Upon discovering the scene, she roughly yanked Gu Jinyu away. She even slapped her hard!

It was Gu Yan who initiated the fight. Gu Jinyu’s counterattack was justifiable, especially since they were only three-year-old children.

As their mother, all she needed to do was separate them, not resort to hitting her.

To this day, she still remembers the shock and hurt in Gu Jinyu’s eyes.

Gu Jinyu cried out for her mother, but instead of feeling pain, an impulse to abandon her welled up within her!

Although many years have passed since that incident and the children have no recollection of it, she was gradually able to rediscover her feelings for her daughter through daily interaction.

Yet every time she recalls that incident, she is filled with the notion that she is undeserving of being a mother.

Everyone believes that her silent agony stems from her relationship with the Marquis or the slander of the world.

But that’s not the case.

The thought that as a mother she could be unloving, even contemplate abandoning her own child, is something she cannot forgive herself for.

Gu Jinyu is a perfect child.

Even after she hurt her so badly, she still showed respect for her, and infinitely tolerated her younger brother, who always picked on her.

“Mother, why are you crying?” Gu Jinyu noticed Madam Yao’s tears.

Madam Yao wiped away her tears and smiled bitterly, “Do you ever feel that your mother… hasn’t treated you well these past years?”

Gu Jinyu took Madam Yao’s hand and solemnly said, “How could that be? Mother has been very good to me, just like father and grandmother. You, along with my younger brother, are the closest people to me in this world. I will always love you.”

Returning to her quarters, Gu Jinyu was called away by a maid. Another batch of peonies had arrived for her to inspect.

Madam Yao walked back to her courtyard alone, not allowing the maids to accompany her.

As she passed by a decorative hill, she heard quarrelling voices.

“Have you gone mad? Spreading such nonsense? Fear they will hear and report it to the Marquis and Madam. It could cost you your life!”

“Aunt, I’m not spouting nonsense! I heard it myself!”

Madam Yao recognized the two voices. One was Madame Fang who worked in her courtyard, and the other was her niece, Cuicui.

Cuicui worked as a sweeper outside the study room of the Marquis.

The conversation continued, and Madam Yao stopped in her tracks.

“You must have heard wrong!” Madame Fang rebuked.

Cuicui spoke loudly, “I didn’t mishear! That’s what the Marquis said! Our young miss was swapped at birth! She’s not the Marquis and Madam’s biological daughter!”

Madam Yao felt as if she’d received a thunderous blow to the head. She asked in confusion, “What did you say? Who was swapped at birth?”

“Madam?” Cuicui and Madame Fang turned their heads and gawked at her.

Madam Yao stumbled towards Cuicui, “Repeat your words, what do you mean by ‘swapped at birth’? Who is not the biological child?”

Madame Fang quickly intervened, “Madam, don’t listen to her nonsense…”

Furious, Madam Yao shouted, “Shut your mouth!”

Madam Yao was normally gentle, but even a rabbit, when cornered, would show its fangs.

Cuicui bowed her head, stammering, “The… The young miss was swapped at birth. She’s not your and the Marquis’ daughter. The real young miss grew up in a village, very ugly and foolish, often bullied by villagers. When the Marquis found her, she…”

Madam Yao couldn’t hear what followed. All she felt was darkness engulfing her vision and the world spinning around her.

After that, her field of vision faded, and she collapsed heavily to the ground.