Qingzhi tightened her grip on Gu Qiurong’s fingers. "Young Miss, the Marquis is your own father. As long as you are willing to soften your stance just like the Fourth Miss and speak to him with gentle affection to make amends, surely he will not remain angry."
In Qingzhi’s eyes, Gu Qiurong was of the Marquis’s own bloodline; the estate was the only thing she could rely on. She did not want Gu Qiurong to endure the hardships of prison again, and even less did she want to see her berated and scolded by the household. She only wanted her Young Miss to be well and live the rest of her life in peace and security.
Had it not been for that dream, Gu Qiurong might have thought the same. But now, she saw everything with clarity.
Gu Qiurong grabbed Qingzhi’s wrist, her voice turning sharp. "Qingzhi, pinning one’s hopes on others is the beginning of all suffering. Having been through that prison once, have you still not recognized the reality of our situation?"
Qingzhi fell silent.
"They talk of making amends, but as long as Gu Lingwei exerts a little influence, she can easily cast me back into the imperial prison." Gu Qiurong’s lips were pale, and she coughed weakly twice. "Qingzhi, you are the person I trust most. I will tell you the truth: I returned to this estate for the sole purpose of severing ties with them. Even if it goes against all convention, I am determined to break with them completely..."
In this dynasty, as long as she was branded with the blood of the Marquis’s estate, she would always be seen as their possession. Should she try to strike out on her own, people would always defer to the estate’s wishes before deciding how to treat her. She wanted to sever those ties and have her name struck from the family genealogy. She wanted to be Gu Qiurong, and only Gu Qiurong—not a daughter of the estate, not a piece of property that required the Marquis’s nod to function in the world.
Even if she were to become the humblest of commoners, or return to being a servant waiting on others, it would be freer and more satisfying than continuing to be the Fifth Miss of the Pingding Marquis Estate.
And if... if she did everything in her power and still could not cut those ties, then she would simply... drag the entire estate down to the grave with her.
Qingzhi helped Gu Qiurong sit up straight. Gu Qiurong raised her weak hand and fumbled at her waist. She withdrew a piece of black jade hidden in the deepest folds of her clothing. "Qingzhi, take this jade pendant and find someone at the offices of the Brocade-Clad Guard..."
Gu Qiurong gently rubbed the jade. This time, she would hold her fate in her own hands.
Qingzhi did not understand why Gu Qiurong was doing this. Since returning from prison, many of the Young Miss’s actions were beyond her comprehension, but she would not hesitate to carry out any order given to her.
Carrying the black jade, Qingzhi arrived at the Brocade-Clad Guard station and handed the object to the two guards at the gate. "Brother, please, I beg you to deliver this pendant to your superior."
The two guards glanced at the jade in Qingzhi’s hand and frowned. "Which superior?"
Qingzhi could not name anyone; even Gu Qiurong had not specified who to look for, only that it should be given to someone in command.
"Give it to... to your Commander!" Whoever was "in command" must be the highest-ranking official, and the highest official in the Brocade-Clad Guard was the Commander, Chu Ci.
The guards looked Qingzhi up and down. Her clothes were clean and tidy, but she did not look like someone from a wealthy or influential family. How could someone like this possibly know their Commander Chu? However, if they did not help her, the maid would likely be relentless.
One of them took the pendant from Qingzhi and waved his hand. "Understood. Now go; this is not a place for you to linger."
After driving Qingzhi away, the two men examined the ink-black jade. "I’ve never seen a piece of jade of this quality before."
"Should we really give this to the Commander?"
The other man scoffed. "The Commander is busy with official business every day. Are you not afraid of being punished for bothering him with such a trifle? Who knows where this jade even came from? Let’s not bring trouble upon ourselves."
The man holding the jade nodded. "You make sense."
He casually hooked the black jade to his belt and went off to change shifts.
At the Pingding Marquis Estate, by the time Qingzhi returned, Chen Wenjin was already heading toward Rongan Courtyard with an imperial physician in tow. Just as they stepped off the long corridor, they were intercepted by Mother Hai, who served Gu Lingwei.
"Marquise! It’s terrible... the Fourth Miss has a sudden high fever that won't break! Her condition looks critical!"
Chen Wenjin’s heart tightened. After all, Gu Lingwei was a child she had raised since infancy; it was impossible for her to have no feelings for her.
"Marquise," the physician said, "I am only permitted to be out of the palace for half an hour, and much of that time has been spent on the road. I am afraid I can only attend to one young lady today. Which one would you like me to examine?"
Chen Wenjin froze. She had summoned the physician from the palace specifically for Gu Qiurong. Having suffered so much in prison, her body was severely depleted; if not treated immediately, she feared it would leave lasting damage. Chen Wenjin’s breathing grew heavy.
Observing her hesitation, Mother Hai lowered her eyes, her clouded gaze shifting craftily. "Marquise, you know the Fourth Miss’s health. All those years ago... she was hanging by a thread. Though she was saved, she was left with chronic ailments. Every time this fever flares up, it is agonizing for her..."
Mother Hai’s eyes filled with tears.
Qingzhi, witnessing this, felt a surge of righteous fury. It was too much of a coincidence—the fever had to happen precisely when the physician was brought in for her Young Miss. It was clearly a ploy to snatch the doctor away and deny her Young Miss treatment. She clenched her fists, rushed forward, and dropped to her knees before Chen Wenjin.
"Marquise!" She kowtowed heavily. "My Young Miss has suffered unspeakable torture in prison. If she does not receive medical attention, she will not survive. You are her birth mother—you cannot bear to watch her suffer like this..."
"You lowly wench! Who gave you the right to speak here!" Mother Hai glared at Qingzhi for daring to interfere. She played her trump card: "Marquise, if it weren't for the Fifth Miss hiring assassins all those years ago, my mistress would never have ended up in such a state..."
Mother Hai wiped her tears. "Marquise! Ever since the Fourth Miss learned she was not of the Marquis’s blood, she hasn't been able to sleep. She always tells me that if she hadn't occupied the Fifth Miss’s position, she wouldn't have caused her so much suffering. If she could, she would pay with her life! She only remains in the estate out of gratitude for your and the Marquis’s raising of her. She cares for nothing but the love between you and the Marquis!"
These words struck Chen Wenjin’s heart like a needle. She was torn between her own flesh and blood and the daughter she had raised for years. She was caught in the middle, unable to choose. Yet, regarding Lingwei, it had ultimately been Qiurong’s fault; if she had not framed her, Lingwei would never have been so deeply harmed.
Chen Wenjin sighed secretly. "Qingzhi, go back to Rongan Courtyard. Lingwei’s condition is urgent. I will take the physician to see her first, and we shall invite him to tend to Qiurong next time."
With that, Chen Wenjin hurried away with the physician toward Gu Lingwei’s courtyard.
Qingzhi knelt on the ground, staring blankly at Chen Wenjin’s retreating back. Mother Hai stepped forward and kicked her hard. "Know your place, you wretched thing."
Qingzhi fell to the ground, her hands scraping against the floor; the skin broke and blood began to seep out. Yet, she felt no pain—only a deep sense of injustice for Gu Qiurong.