Chapter 165: Who Hit This Side?
A short while later, Old Man Gu and Zhan Yi walked into the main hall together. Both were taken aback for a moment, then surveyed the room.
Madam Gao was holding the Third Miss Gao, who stood to the side with her hands covering her face, her body wracked with sobs. Miss Gao stood beside them, her face pale.
A troop of Hidden Guards was lined up in two rows on either side of the hall. The large round table in the center was laden with dishes, and sitting behind it, the little girl was casually holding a wine cup...
"Little lass, have you been drinking?" Old Man Gu walked over in surprise.
"Just a little. This wine is quite good. Old Man Gu, Old Master Zhan, would you care for a taste?" Ye Qianning raised her wine cup with a flourish.
"Nonsense. A child shouldn’t be drinking," Zhan Yi scolded.
"He’s right. You’re still too young. Drinking is bad for you." Old Man Gu stepped forward and snatched the cup from her hand.
Ye Qianning hadn’t planned on drinking much anyway. ’Three cups was plenty.’
"Old Man Gu, Old Master Zhan." Madam Gao smoothed out her clothes and stepped forward.
"Madam Gao, it’s been a few days. You’ve certainly filled out a bit," Old Man Gu chuckled.
"You’re too kind, Old Man Gu. Our residence is in utter chaos today, and my husband, the Prime Minister, is not here. I must ask you and Old Master Zhan to judge this matter and see that justice is done." Madam Gao dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.
Ye Qianning scoffed inwardly. ’What an actress.’
"Madam Gao, why don’t you tell us what’s happening?" Old Man Gu inquired.
Zhan Yi said nothing. When they’d first entered, the Prime Minister’s residence guards had been strewn across the ground. Now, he saw the Hidden Guards covered in blood while this little child leisurely drank wine and nibbled on food.
What kind of six-year-old carried themselves like that?
Come to think of it, his wife and son had gone to the General’s residence early this morning. It was almost dark now, and not only had the mother-son duo failed to pick anyone up, but the little girl they were supposed to retrieve had ended up storming the Prime Minister’s residence instead.
What kind of situation was this?
"We don’t know what happened either! This Miss Xiang just brought her people and stormed the Prime Minister’s residence, assaulting and killing! Old Man Gu, just look at what they did to Yun Yue! Her wedding is on the ninth of next month. How is she supposed to show her face now?" Madam Gao cried, pulling Gao Yunyue forward.
Old Man Gu tilted his head for a closer look. "Those two slaps certainly weren’t light. I bet she lost a molar."
"Exactly! Yun Yue is already seventeen. A molar won’t grow back at her age! Won’t she be a laughingstock for the rest of her life?"
"And who dealt this one?" Old Man Gu asked, pointing to the other side of her face.
’The two slaps weren’t from the same hand. Judging by the print and the force, it was a woman. And besides the mother, her two daughters, and their maids, there were no other women here.’
’The little lass’s hands aren’t nearly that large.’
Madam Gao looked awkward.
Ye Qianning let out a snort of laughter. "Old Man Gu, you truly have a sharp eye."
"I do?" Old Man Gu was confused by the sudden praise.
"The slap on Miss Gao’s left cheek was from Madam Gao herself," Ye Qianning said with a smile.
Hearing this, Old Man Gu turned to Madam Gao, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "So, you struck your own daughter? It seems your beloved child must have made a terrible mistake. And for such a mistake, one light slap is hardly enough to teach her a lesson. The little lass had someone add another slap, so she was actually helping you! How then, Madam Gao, do you have the audacity to ask this old man to be the judge?"
Madam Gao was nearly spun into a daze by his long-winded reasoning, yet she could find no way to refute it. As for what Yun Yue had said earlier, she certainly didn’t have the nerve to repeat it now.
"Old Man Gu has a point," Zhan Yi added. "If your daughter was in the wrong, Madam Gao, you should have punished her severely, not with a gentle tap. The punishment must be enough for her to remember the lesson." The fact that Madam Gao would hit her own daughter made Zhan Yi suspect there was more to the story.
Ye Qianning secretly gave Old Man Gu a thumbs-up. ’Brilliant. Truly brilliant!’