Chapter 254: Stepmother and Stepfather

"Is the Marquis really sending you away? I haven’t heard anything about it." Qin Yuan frowned, speaking softly, "Brother Cheng, tell me, why does the Marquis want to send you out of the mansion?"

This was indeed not untrue. Marquis Gu had not spoken to her about how to deal with these two children.

Everyone looked at Brother Cheng.

Brother Cheng lowered his head, his face flushed, his chest rising and falling violently.

He seemed unable to speak.

Sister Yu’s sobbing grew louder.

Old Madam Gu couldn’t help but frown.

Qin Yuan then took Sister Yu onto her lap, wiping her tears with a handkerchief, gently coaxing, "Sister Yu, you tell me."

Sister Yu choked, unable to speak.

Brother Cheng suddenly stood up, his tone stiff, "I’ll talk."

"My adoptive father said that because of my mother’s affairs, it’s not proper for us to stay in the mansion. He asked if we had any relatives to rely on, if not, he would find a family to foster us."

Qin Yuan didn’t expect Marquis Gu to be so direct.

With a "thump," Brother Cheng knelt down and said, "Adoptive Mother, Sister Yu and I are still young and ignorant. We have said things we shouldn’t have. Please forgive us and plead with our adoptive father to let us stay. We promise to behave from now on."

Saying this, he pulled Sister Yu down, saying, "Sister, kneel with me and plead with Adoptive Mother. If she agrees, we can stay in the mansion."

The two children knelt on the ground, eagerly looking at Qin Yuan.

Everyone present looked somewhat uncomfortable.

This was almost as if saying that Qin Yuan couldn’t accommodate these two children and that was why Marquis Gu wanted to send them away.

Hong Ye rolled her eyes.

Qin Yuan remained silent.

Sixth Master Gu spoke up, "What my third brother said wasn’t wrong. Everyone in this mansion knows what your mother did. That kid with the surname Qi was knocked down without even defending himself and still you insult him, refusing to apologize. It was my third brother and sister-in-law who personally went to apologize, otherwise who knows what people would say about our Marquis Mansion behind our backs. Let me tell you, you haven’t even seen what real insolence looks like."

After a pause, he continued angrily, "Your mother was well-fed and well-cared for in the mansion, yet she left without explanation and committed such a vile act, causing my wife and child to fall ill. Thanks to our sister-in-law holding everything together, no one died in the mansion. I’m not holding this against you out of great magnanimity but because of the life-saving grace your father had for my third brother. Yet, regarding what your mother did, your father’s grace to my third brother is also repaid."

The two children’s heads drooped lower, but they remained stubbornly kneeling on the ground.

Old Madam Gu frowned and said, "Enough, enough, these words shouldn’t be spoken in front of the children. Letting them feel worse. Your third brother has his own reasons for his decision, and neither you nor your sister-in-law can influence him. He’s always been stubborn, and once he decides something, no one can change his mind, not even this old woman."

Sister Yu burst into tears.

Brother Cheng asked chokingly, "Does Grandmother not love us anymore?"

"How could I not love you?" Old Madam Gu sighed, "Sending you away, your adoptive father is still your adoptive father, and Grandmother is still your Grandmother, it’s just that we can’t meet often, but in our hearts, we still care about you. Good children, get up quickly, don’t make things difficult for your adoptive mother, today is your Sixth Uncle’s good day, let’s all be happy, okay?"

Old Madam Gu felt a headache, regretting having brought the two children to join the fun.

Nanny Rong came to help them up, saying, "Old Madam only thought that since you are soon leaving, it’s good to bond more with everyone. Who would have thought it would turn out like this, no wonder Sixth Master is unhappy. Good children, stop doing this, how would it look when the Marquis comes and sees this?"

Amidst the commotion, they heard Marquis Gu’s voice, "What are you doing?"

His voice was cold and seemed to contain suppressed anger.

Qin Yuan lifted her gaze to look at Marquis Gu, his face indeed cold, his narrow sharp eyes flashing with cold light.

Thus, she wisely kept quiet.

Marquis Gu added, "You’re making a scene in this hall, while Sixth Brother’s concubines and children are standing outside watching, what does that look like?"

Sixth Master Gu felt a bit aggrieved and complained, "Third Brother, Mother looked at my poetry collection and said I was starting to do something right, so we arranged a family feast for some joy. But look at this mess, it’s as if they are intentionally against me."

Marquis Gu frowned and glanced at him.

Sixth Master Gu, feeling wronged, fell silent.

Marquis Gu paid his respects to Old Madam Gu, then asked Brother Cheng, who was kneeling on the ground, "Why are you kneeling in front of your adoptive mother for no reason?"

Brother Cheng stiffened his neck.

"If Adoptive Mother doesn’t agree, we won’t get up. Before, Adoptive Father favored us, now no matter what we do, he thinks we are wrong."

The underlying meaning was quite intriguing.

It was as if accusing them of having a stepmother and thus a stepfather too.

Marquis Gu’s face twitched, coldly saying, "This is my decision, it has nothing to do with your adoptive mother. Everything that needed to be said was told to you. Sending you out of the mansion is for your own good. Your expenses and future marriages, your adoptive father will take care of them. Get up quickly, don’t let others watch and make a joke of it."

Brother Cheng and Sister Yu clung to Marquis Gu’s legs, crying and making a scene till Qiujie and Zihe took them away, making the situation quite awkward for a time.

After comforting Old Madam Gu, Marquis Gu sat listlessly beside Qin Yuan, saying, "It’s all my fault for spoiling them. Their mother didn’t teach them properly. How will I face Pang Hai in the afterlife?"

Before Qin Yuan could voice any comfort, Sixth Master Gu said, "Third Brother, shouldn’t this be something Mrs. Zhao says? You’re busy with military affairs, how many times have you seen them? These two children were raised by Mrs. Zhao’s hands, turned out like this, it’s Mrs. Zhao who owes Pang Hai."

Qin Yuan gently placed her hand on Marquis Gu’s knee, turned her head, and smiled, "What Sixth Brother says is right. Things have come to this, saying more is of no use. It’s better to settle them well and find someone to guide them."

Marquis Gu’s expression softened a bit, murmuring, "My sorrow isn’t just about this. Sixteen went to probe that granny in the dungeon and didn’t expect to extract much information. I’ll discuss it with you in detail later."

Qin Yuan pondered to herself, no wonder Marquis Gu’s face looked so unsightly, and his attitude towards the twins had become quite cold.

In all likelihood, this Yang Pozi was the nanny around Mrs. Zhao.

And Brother Cheng had known all along.

Such a commotion today, with how much truth and pretense mixed within, who could tell for sure?

"Old Madam, Sixth Master’s concubines and children are still standing outside, not daring to come in. Should we start the banquet?"

Nanny Rong timely reminded.

"Alright, poor things, they’ve been standing outside for so long, let them quickly come in."

Sixth Master’s concubines and children entered in order, paid their respects, and sat beside Sixth Master.

During the tea ceremony, Qin Yuan had not seen them. Although she had been in the mansion for a long time, she had only heard of them.

Today, she finally took a close look.

The Sixth Lady’s courtyard housed two concubines taken in early on. Aunt Huang had a daughter, while the other was originally Sixth Lady Gu’s maid, now without children or favor.

These before her lived separately, those with children kept them by their side.