Chapter 255: A Scene of Carnage

Su Wan felt there were countless doubts.

If Prince Changxing was truly Gu Huaizhi’s father, then his earlier questions about Great Zhou might have been an attempt to gather news about old acquaintances. As for why he came to Xiliang and became a prince of a different surname, there might be some hidden reason behind it.

What kind of hidden reason that might be, Su Wan wasn’t entirely sure, but she had a strong sense that it was likely connected to Lady Liu.

The impostor pretending to be Prince Changxing claimed that Lady Liu’s maternal grandfather was from Xihe Town. If Prince Changxing had truly abandoned his wife and child for Lady Liu, it would indicate that he didn’t care about his original wife or their offspring. So why go to the trouble of having someone impersonate him?

The deliberate encounter on the road with their carriage—Su Wan hadn’t forgotten that earlier today, Lady Liu had specifically sent someone to the palace to invite her. The timing was just too convenient, wasn’t it?

What did this indicate?

Gu Qingsong’s disappearance was undoubtedly Lady Liu’s doing. She likely knew Gu Huaizhi’s true identity and feared a reunion between father and son. To prevent this, she manipulated things to make Gu Huaizhi believe that Gu Qingsong was a scoundrel who had abandoned his wife and child to live a carefree life in Xiliang.

Piecing this together, Su Wan suspected that Prince Changxing’s question about where she was from in Great Zhou might have been a genuine attempt to gather information.

Regardless of the reasons behind it, so many years had passed. Gu Huaizhi’s mother had stayed in the same place, waiting for him, yet he had never sought her out. He had built a new family and life. Whether they reunited or not, it all seemed meaningless now.

Back then, when she learned that Qi Min had married and had children in Xiliang, her heart ached deeply. Because of this, she could empathize with Gu Huaizhi’s feelings.

If Gu Huaizhi’s mother were to learn the truth, it would likely be a devastating blow to her.

It might be better to consider him as good as dead.

“Huaizhi…”

“I’m fine,” Gu Huaizhi said, brushing his hand over her head. He steadied his emotions, though his voice was tight. “No matter what, he’s… unforgivable, isn’t he?”

The nearly decade-long wait his mother endured, the suffering she faced, and the death of his younger brother, how could Gu Qingsong ever make amends for any of it?

“I’m not going to Prince Changxing’s residence anymore,” Su Wan said as she embraced Gu Huaizhi, her head resting against his chest. “Gu Yunzhen’s critical condition must be a ruse. It’s undoubtedly Lady Liu’s ploy to lure me there.”

She understood that a doctor should act with compassion and avoid letting personal feelings interfere. But as Gu Huaizhi’s wife, how could she bring herself to save his half-brother? How would Gu Huaizhi feel about that?

Su Wan couldn’t do it.

She decided to hand over the treatment plan to Master Mingjue instead. No matter what, she couldn’t be the one to save him personally.

“Mo Yuan,” Gu Huaizhi called out softly.

“Master,” Mo Yuan appeared outside the carriage.

“Capture that man from earlier,” Gu Huaizhi commanded, pulling Su Wan into his arms. In a low voice, he added, “You made a promise to the Empress. How can you go against an imperial decree?”

Whether or not he acknowledged Gu Qingsong was his own decision, but he would not tolerate these tricksters playing games in front of him.

Su Wan looked up and met his cold, dark eyes, which carried a hint of icy mockery. From his expression, she could tell he was preparing to settle the score.

“Alright, since we have nothing else to do and we’re already out of the palace.”

The group headed to Prince Changxing’s residence.

The gatekeeper recognized Su Wan and immediately let her through. The next moment, however, he noticed his lord, Prince Changxing, approaching with an unfamiliar person by his side. The prince’s expression was strange, and the atmosphere felt tense and peculiar. The gatekeeper froze for a moment before quickly bowing in greeting.

Before long, a servant came to guide them to the rear courtyard. Standing at the courtyard gate was Lady Liu, her eyes red and swollen as if she had been crying. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head to look. When she saw Gu Huaizhi, her expression froze.

She had not anticipated Gu Huaizhi’s arrival. Based on her calculations, Su Wan would have come to Prince Changxing’s residence alone, then encountered Xu Chou, who would mention Gu Qingsong abandoning his wife and child. As long as Su Wan wasn’t foolish, she would piece together that Gu Qingsong was Gu Huaizhi’s father. Even if she didn’t figure it out, once she told Gu Huaizhi, he would certainly realize the truth.

Even if Gu Huaizhi had followed, after hearing Xu Chou’s words, he would surely resent Gu Qingsong. Why would he come to the residence? By the time Gu Huaizhi figured things out and came for answers, she would have already silenced Xu Chou.

Lady Liu’s expression shifted. Power and wealth could easily tempt people. Was Gu Huaizhi planning to let go of past grievances and reunite with Gu Qingsong for the sake of prosperity?

“Divine Doctor Su, you’re finally here! Zhen’er has been vomiting and having diarrhea for no apparent reason. Please, go take a look at him. The Prince only has this one son. If something happens to him, what will we do?”

Lady Liu quickly composed herself, tears welling up in her eyes as she urged Su Wan to hurry inside.

Su Wan glanced at Lady Liu, then at Gu Huaizhi. Seeing him give a slight nod, she pressed her lips together tightly and hesitated before stepping into the courtyard.

Gu Huaizhi followed closely behind, entering together with Su Wan.

Lady Liu instinctively tried to stop him, but then she caught sight of someone emerging from the archway. She froze, momentarily unable to discern whether this person was Xu Chou or truly Gu Qingsong.

The moment Lady Liu met the man’s gaze, a shiver ran through her. She recognized him—it was Xu Chou!

Her expression changed drastically. “You… why are you here?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Lady Liu realized her mistake and quickly corrected herself. “Didn’t the Prince say he was going to the military camp?”

Xu Chou was inwardly panicking. Lady Liu had repeatedly warned him not to step foot into Prince Changxing’s residence under any circumstances.

Xu Chou had stepped onto Gu Qingsong’s territory, and worse, he was impersonating him. If Gu Qingsong found out, Xu Chou would be as good as dead.

Since Gu Huaizhi had already sent people to capture him, it was clear they knew he was a fraud. The situation had spiraled out of control.

“I heard that Zhen’er was sick, so I came back to check on him,” Xu Chou said, taking two steps forward, only to be yanked back abruptly by a strong force.

Lady Liu immediately sensed something was wrong. Her face darkened as she scolded, “What are you doing? If you hurt the Prince, can you bear the consequences?”

She shouted toward the courtyard, “Someone come quickly! Arrest this thief!”

Mo Yuan responded coldly, “Lady, this man has brazenly impersonated Prince Changxing. Under my master’s orders, I am here to apprehend him and escort him to the residence, where he will be dealt with by the Prince himself.”

Lady Liu was struck with terror, her face instantly paling.

The next moment, Chun Rui came rushing in, exclaiming, “Lady, the Prince has returned!”

She rounded the archway, and the instant her eyes landed on Xu Chou, she froze in confusion.

Turning her head to look behind her, she saw another face identical to Xu Chou’s come into view.

“Two… two Princes?” she stammered, utterly bewildered.