Upon learning of his granddaughter’s ordeal, Lu Qing was filled with a murderous intent. What concerned him now, however, was the fact that his granddaughter was still in the Yang household, likely suffering further mistreatment.
He cursed the lack of family presence in the capital to support her, which allowed that ungrateful wretch to abuse his granddaughter so cruelly.
Sensing Lu Qing’s rising anger and worry, Gu Xingzhao reassured him, “Don’t worry. She’s already divorced from Yang Fang and is staying at Madam Liu’s (He Zhen) residence.”
“She also managed to take all her dowry with her—nothing was left behind. And, I’ve crippled Yang Fang.”
Lu Xingyan froze. Crippled?
“?” Lu Qing was equally taken aback, momentarily confused as to what exactly had been crippled.
Feeling quite proud of her actions, Gu Xingzhao’s voice held a hint of joy as she explained, “I scorched him from the waist down—he’s definitely crippled. Even the best doctors won’t be able to help him. From now on, he won’t be able to harm any more young women.”
Her words left Lu Qing utterly shocked, and he choked on his own spit, coughing uncontrollably.
Lu Xingyan stifled a laugh behind his hand. Truly, their ancestor was not like ordinary women.
Lu Qing’s expression turned complicated—after all, the ancestor was still a woman, and such topics… were rather awkward to discuss.
However, Gu Xingzhao was oblivious to their discomfort. To her, it was just a part of the human body, nothing taboo about it. If anything, she thought she had described it in a restrained manner!
“Do you have any messages you’d like to send to Lu Youtiao?” Gu Xingzhao asked.
Lu Qing thought for a moment. He needed to inform his eldest son and daughter-in-law about what had happened to their daughter. She was probably yearning for her family after all she had been through.
“Ancestor, please let me first speak with her parents. Once they know, I’ll see if there’s anything they’d like to pass along.”
Gu Xingzhao nodded and followed Lu Qing.
Lu Zhou had been speaking with his brother when he was summoned, and when he saw his wife called over as well, he assumed there was something serious the patriarch needed to convey.
Madam Song was also puzzled. Typically, when something needed to be discussed, it included the second son’s family and others, including Xingyao. Why were only the two of them called this time?
Remembering the letter the patriarch had written to their daughter the night before, Madam Song’s heart sank. Could it be that something had happened to their daughter, who was far away in the capital?
She immediately asked, her voice trembling with worry, “Father, has something happened to Youtiao?”
Lu Qing glanced at his son, whose expression was still calm, clearly unaware of the situation. It was his daughter-in-law who, with her keen instincts, had already guessed something might have happened to their daughter.
Lu Zhou hadn’t given it much thought, believing his wife was overthinking. After all, their daughter was in the capital, with her husband to care for her—what could possibly go wrong?
But Lu Qing’s face darkened as he explained, “Youtiao has indeed run into trouble. Two months ago, just after we left the city, that man surnamed Yang forced her to take miscarriage-inducing medicine and kept her locked up in the house without food. He even brought back that woman he kept outside.”
The news hit like a thunderbolt on a clear day. Madam Song’s vision went black, and she nearly fainted, only to be caught by Lu Zhou, who held her tightly as she clutched his arm. “What are we going to do?”
Lu Zhou, though a mild-mannered scholar who rarely raised his voice, was now shaking with rage. His face turned purple, and his fists clenched beneath his sleeves. Yang Fang, that beast!
Tears streamed down Madam Song’s face as she cried out, “My poor daughter, how could this happen? That monster is inhuman!”
The guilt weighed heavily on her as she remembered how she had thought her daughter was living peacefully in the capital. Just last night, she had even advised her father-in-law not to send a letter. The regret gnawed at her, leaving her heartbroken.
Lu Zhou, meanwhile, could only curse his helplessness. If he weren’t so far away, he would storm into the Yang household and tear that beast limb from limb!
Letting go of his wife, he knelt before Lu Qing, “Father, I am unworthy as a son—I beg you, let me return to the capital!”
Lu Qing frowned, his face stern. “That would be unwise!”
Madam Song, hearing this, also knelt down beside her husband, her tears flowing freely. “Father, please let us bring Youtiao back home!”
“She’s all alone in the capital, without her family to support her. She’s always been strong-willed, but after going through this, with no one from her family by her side, I fear she may lose the will to live.”
Gu Xingzhao couldn’t help but sigh—truly, no one understands a daughter better than her mother.
When she had gone to see Lu Youtiao, Gu Xingzhao had noticed the young woman’s complete lack of desire to live. She had suffered too many blows in quick succession: her family’s exile, the loss of her unborn child, and the cruel betrayal by her husband.
Had Gu Xingzhao not brought news from the Lu family and Lu Qing’s letter, it was likely that Youtiao would not have found the strength to divorce Yang Fang.
Lu Qing’s heart ached for his granddaughter, but returning to the capital was not an option.
Even though the guards like Du Hangwu were now on their side, they couldn’t risk the possibility of spies among the exiles. If word got out that the Lu family had fled, their relatives still in the capital would be implicated, and Youtiao’s safety would be in grave danger.
“Ancestor has already taken Youtiao out of the Yang household and placed her somewhere safe with people watching over her. She will be taken care of and given time to recover, so there’s no need to worry.”
“But what if Yang Fang tries to cause her more trouble?” Lu Zhou was still anxious. Now that he knew his son-in-law was a monster, he wanted nothing more than to bring his daughter home safely.
Gu Xingzhao raised an eyebrow. They had been through so much on this journey, even when Xingyao had injured his arm, and Lu Zhou had never reacted like this.
It seemed that in Lu Zhou’s heart, his daughter held a higher place than his son.
Lu Qing’s voice was firm, “Youtiao has already divorced him, and Madam Liu is watching over her in the capital. Yang Fang has been crippled by the ancestor and won’t dare bother her again.”
The news of her daughter’s divorce shocked Madam Song, but her tears finally stopped. “Divorced… that’s good, that’s good…”
Lu Zhou finally calmed down a bit.
Gu Xingzhao then added, “When I spoke with her tonight, it seemed she wanted to come north to reunite with you. I suggested she rest and recover first, but she seemed impatient. I’ll check on her again tomorrow.”
Lu Qing quickly responded, “Please, Ancestor, help persuade her to rest for a while longer before traveling. There’s no rush.”
He spoke openly, and both Lu Zhou and Madam Song heard it clearly. Song’s anxiety surged, “She mustn’t travel! Not now!”
A miscarriage severely weakens the body, and that beast had even starved their daughter while keeping her confined. He likely hadn’t even let her see a doctor. Her health was the most important thing right now—how could she possibly travel?
Gu Xingzhao reassured them, “Don’t worry, with me there, she will be fine.”
Her words acted like a calming balm, easing the worries of Lu Qing and Lu Zhou’s family. They all felt relieved, grateful that they had the ancestor to rely on in such difficult times. Without her, they would truly have been at a loss on how to handle the situation.
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