Sensing the displeasure in the deity’s voice, He Zhen could already foresee the fate awaiting the Yang family.
When He Zhen mentioned that Yang Fang, who had married Old Lu’s granddaughter, had now taken in a concubine, Gu Xingzhao couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.
Wasn’t it Yang Fang who had once promised Old Lu, in front of the entire Lu family, that he would never take in a concubine and that Lu Youtiao would never suffer any grievance?
Back then, Old Lu had already arranged a marriage for his granddaughter with Jiang Shao, the only son of Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Revenue. The two families were on excellent terms, and the wedding date had already been set—everything was ready, except for the official engagement.
But Lu Youtiao had insisted on marrying Yang Fang.
Old Lu had been against it, but he doted on his granddaughter. After many persuasive talks from his eldest son and son-in-law, the Lu family relented. Yang Fang seemed honest, and he truly appeared devoted to Lu Youtiao. So, despite the disagreement with the Jiang family, the Lu family agreed to the marriage, even at the cost of their friendship with the Jiang family.
Without Lu Youtiao, Yang Fang wouldn’t have even set foot in the Lu family’s threshold, let alone proposed marriage.
Not only Gu Xingzhao, but even He Zhen, upon learning the news, felt bitter. She cursed the Yang family for their ungrateful behavior.
The Yang family probably assumed that since the Lu family had fallen, Lu Youtiao no longer had any support and could be bullied without consequence. Little did they know that she still had a powerful deity watching over her.
He Zhen said, “It seems this Concubine has been living outside for two years. Recently, she became pregnant, and that’s when Yang Fang brought her into the Yang residence. The doctor said she’s already four months along.”
Gu Xingzhao scoffed. If the Lu family found out, they’d likely storm the capital and castrate Yang Fang.
Lu Youtiao had poor judgment. She had turned down Old Lu’s carefully selected match and instead married this worthless scoundrel.
He Zhen sighed. “We haven’t been able to find any news about Miss Lu. I wonder how she’s doing.”
The best-case scenario was that the marriage had soured, and she’d be given a divorce.
The worst-case scenario… well, if the Yang family was heartless, her fate might be dire.
What He Zhen feared, Gu Xingzhao also understood. It was best not to tell Old Lu yet. She decided to check on the situation at the Yang residence first.
“Where is the Yang residence?” Gu Xingzhao asked.
He Zhen offered, “Would you like me to bring some people along to guide you?”
She thought that if Miss Lu was truly in danger, having some extra hands might help.
Gu Xingzhao thought it over. She only needed to scout the area and locate a point for teleportation. Bringing a crowd might attract too much attention. “No need, I’ll go alone first.”
He Zhen insisted, “At least let me guide you there. I’ll wait outside the residence while you go in.”
Gu Xingzhao agreed, “Alright. I’ll leave that to you.”
He Zhen, flattered, responded, “It’s an honor to assist you.”
That evening, He Zhen went to the Yang residence. Once outside, she used a paper tube to notify Gu Xingzhao of her location.
Gu Xingzhao teleported to the spot, arriving just as the sky was darkening over the capital. “You should head back now. It’s not safe to be out after dark.”
Having interacted with the deity many times, He Zhen understood her preferences. Since Gu Xingzhao was dismissing her, it meant she no longer needed assistance.
“If you need anything, just let me know.”
“Alright.”
After He Zhen left, Gu Xingzhao entered the Yang residence.
The place was enormous, and after wandering through it twice, Gu Xingzhao still couldn’t find Lu Youtiao. However, as she passed by the kitchen, she overheard two maids carrying trays of food.
“Another meal for Mistress Liang… I wonder how the young miss is doing,” one maid sighed.
The other maid glanced around nervously, “Shh! Keep your voice down, or someone might hear!”
“I secretly hid a steamed bun earlier. Later, you keep watch, and I’ll sneak it to the young miss.”
“Alright, but be careful.”
Hearing their conversation, Gu Xingzhao paused to think. Yang Fang didn’t have any daughters or sisters, so there weren’t many people in the household who could be addressed as “young miss.”
The “Mistress Liang” they mentioned must be the concubine He Zhen had talked about. As for the “young miss,” could they be referring to Lu Youtiao?
Ordinarily, people would address her as “madam.” The fact that these maids called her “young miss” suggested they might have come with Lu Youtiao from the Lu family and were using the term privately.
With this in mind, Gu Xingzhao decided to follow the maids.
It seemed the Yang family had assumed the Lu family had no power left, treating their legitimate wife so poorly that she needed a servant to sneak her a simple steamed bun.
Gu Xingzhao couldn’t even imagine how furious Old Lu would be if he knew his beloved granddaughter was being treated this way. It might just kill him.
The maids carried the food to a brightly lit courtyard, piquing Gu Xingzhao’s curiosity. She snuck in for a closer look.
Inside, Mistress Liang sat at a table, with two maids attending her. The table was laden with a variety of rich dishes, and from where Gu Xingzhao stood, she could see the slight swell of Mistress Liang’s pregnant belly.
Her face was filled with rage, her hand gripping a spoon so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
The tension in the room was thick, and the two trembling maids kept their heads down, not daring to breathe loudly.
Suddenly, Mistress Liang flung the spoon to the ground, shattering it. “You wretched servants! How dare you disrespect me!”
Her shrill voice echoed through the courtyard, and Gu Xingzhao winced, plugging her ears in annoyance. That woman’s voice was ear-piercing.
The two maids who had brought the food dropped to their knees in terror. Their knees hit the broken porcelain pieces, and the sharp shards cut into their skin, staining their clothes with blood. Their bodies trembled, and their heads were bowed so low they nearly touched the cold ground. Their eyes were filled with fear.
Mistress Liang stood, supported by two maids, one hand on her waist, deliberately pushing her belly forward as if flaunting her status.
She approached the kneeling maids, raised her hand, and viciously slapped one across the face. The sound echoed sharply, and a red welt quickly appeared on the maid’s cheek.
The maid’s eyes filled with tears from the pain, but she dared not cry out. She threw herself on the ground, kowtowing in fear. “I was wrong, Mistress! Please forgive me! I’ll never do it again!”
The other maid trembled even harder, too scared to move.
These maids had come with the young miss from the Lu family. They had been serving her for years, but ever since the Lu family’s downfall, the young miss had fallen ill from sorrow. Yang Fang not only refused to call a doctor but also sold off the servants in her courtyard.
The two maids never imagined that the once-affectionate Yang Fang could turn into such a heartless man, treating the young miss so cruelly. If he feared being associated with the Lu family’s disgrace, he could have just divorced her or sent her away. There was no need to torture her like this!
Thanks to the fact that their ownership papers weren’t in Yang Fang’s hands, he hadn’t been able to sell them off, so he banished them to the kitchen to keep them away from the young miss.
It was only because of the Lu family that Yang Fang had risen to his current position!
And yet, the rumors outside still praised Yang Fang as a devoted husband who hadn’t abandoned his wife despite her family’s fall from grace. The maids wished they could spit in the faces of those who spread such lies.
Disgusting.
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