taken such good care of her in the past, so she found an excuse to take him to town.Fāng Jǐnxù may not know what Zōng Bǎi is thinking about. If she knew, she would be ashamed to death.Well, Dr. Qin i...Chapter 1193: Protecting Your Beloved Isn't Just About Words

Zhao Yun stepped forward and said.

"Madam, let Ayu go with you."

"All of you have gone into the palace, she is alone outside and would also be worried, unable to eat well or sleep well. It's better for her to be with you all, looking after each other."

Mrs. Mu could only feel full of apologies.

But Jin Yu is already your Zhao family's daughter-in-law. She came to the palace with us, what will your parents think

Zhao Yun immediately shook his head.

"No, Grandmother, please rest assured. I've already taken care of things with my parents. They know how important the Marquis and Madam are to us, so there's no use trying to stop us. It's fine."

When Zhao Yun said this, he made it sound light and casual. In reality, when Jin Yù said she was going to enter the palace with the Mu family, Zhao Yun's parents were strongly opposed to it.

Their concession had gone too far, allowing their son to marry a woman who had previously been a slave to another. This was an unprecedented humiliation for the Zhao family.

If it weren't for the connection with the Wuding Houfu, a woman of Jin Yu's status wouldn't even be qualified to be Zhao Yun's concubine, let alone marry him as his main wife through a proper marriage ceremony.

But since things had already been decided, they didn't say much more. After seeing the generous dowry that Jin Yu brought, the last bit of displeasure in their hearts was completely suppressed.

Originally, they were planning to accept Jin Yu and nurture her to be the next mistress of the Zhao Manor. They would also urge the young couple to hurry up and have a child. With a child, everything would be perfect.

To everyone's surprise, Jin Yu had only been home for a few days before deciding to accompany the Zong family into the palace.

When Zhao Yun entered the palace, he didn't know when he would be able to come out. His parents were absolutely against it.

But the jewels were still here, and Zhao Yun also insisted on listening to his wife.

The couple had made up their minds to stand on the side of Marquis Wuding, and there was nothing the Zhao family could do about it.

"Alright, Jin Yu, hope you don't regret this."

When Jin Yu saw Mu's relaxed expression, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"The old lady wouldn't regret it. Jin Yu would never regret it."

A group of people quickly packed their belongings and boarded the carriage to the palace. The Hou residence was left to Zhao Yunni to manage completely. With such a major incident happening at home, no one was looking after Old Madam Wu's side. She went to the door and overheard the conversation between Mu Shi and Jin Yu.

Hearing that they were all going to the palace, her heart skipped a beat. If everyone else in her family went, what would she do

Old Lady Wu was instantly panicked. She wanted to chase after them, but Zhao Yunni's eyes turned cold, and someone stopped her. Right before Old Lady Wu's eyes, the gates of Wuding Houfu were locked.

The emperor has decreed that no one is permitted to enter or leave the Marquis Wu Ding's residence without permission.

Zhuge Yun willingly stayed behind to guard the large mansion for Fang Jinshu and the others until everyone returned.

He believes everyone will surely return safely.

As for Old Madam Wu, since the head of the Hou residence was gone, no one paid her any mind anymore. Previously, when Mrs. Mu was around, she was kind and the servants dared not go too far in messing with Old Madam Wu's food and clothing.

Zhao Yunni knew that this old woman had treated Jinxiu and the others badly in the past, so she didn't say a word and let Old Wu rant and rave at the door.

When she was tired of calling, she went back to the house. She wanted to drink some water but found none. Her stomach growled, and no one came to bring her food.

I even heard the sound of the courtyard gate being locked.

Zhao Yunni had suffered greatly from her wicked stepmother when she was in the Du family, and she hated such evil stepmothers the most.

She, who was usually gentle in nature, was unusually ruthless when dealing with Old Madam Wu.

Every day, just throw a bun into the yard and don't give water.

Old Madam Wu was like a dog, barely clinging to life with just one steamed bun to sustain her. Though she wasn't dead, her life was incredibly miserable.

Zhao Yunni refused to give her water, so she could only drink her own urine when thirsty. If she was lucky enough to encounter rain, she would desperately catch rainwater and store it to drink slowly, not caring whether it was clean or not.

After such a long time, Mrs. Wu began to regret it. Although Mu Shi hadn't been very kind to her while she was still at home, at least the food and water she had were clean and hot.

She also took quite a few clothes from him.

Yet, this old woman, tortured like this, couldn't die. She didn't even have the courage to commit suicide herself.

Not until half a year later did Zhao Yunni have someone throw steamed buns outside Lady Wu's courtyard as usual. A servant reported that they smelled a foul odor coming from inside the courtyard.

Old Madam Wu was tortured by Zhao Yunni for half a year before finally dying. Zhao Yunni was too lazy to collect her body, forbidding anyone from approaching the courtyard, waiting for Old Madam Wu's corpse to naturally rot clean, eaten away by snakes, worms, rats and ants until only a skeleton remained. Then she ordered someone to find a broken jar at random to hold the bones, piling them in the corner waiting for Jinxiu and the others to return to deal with them.

Thus ended the life of Old Lady Wu, with no one to bid her farewell, nor even a flicker of sadness for her passing, as if she were just an ant that died on the roadside, insignificant and unnoticed.

To be forgotten by everyone and never missed.

Before Mu entered the palace gates, Gong Yu had been waiting there already.

Seeing the change in Mu Shi's expression, Yu Lian, under Fang Jin Xiu's subtle influence, no longer cared whether her mother would marry again.

My sister-in-law said that everyone has the right to pursue happiness, and age and status should not be obstacles to pursuing happiness.

My mother married my father and lived a hard life her whole life, she never found happiness with men. If Mother was willing, Lord Gong would indeed be a good man to entrust her life to.

Anyway, their children don't object to their mother being with the palace master.

"How did you get here" Mu asked, embarrassed.

Gong Yu smiled and extended his hand towards her, "I'll be waiting for you here."

"I can't enter the palace, but I will wait for you here until the day you come out."

Looking into Gong Yu's earnest eyes, Mu Shi felt she could no longer ignore the feelings in her own heart.

Because of her identity, her year, and the shame she felt, she had never dared to directly respond to Palace Elm's feelings. She was too timid, afraid of public scrutiny.

But now, under these circumstances, Gong Yu Ming knows they came to the palace as hostages. The Hou Mansion is no longer what it used to be, yet he remains steadfast in his devotion to her.

Mu suddenly had a newfound understanding. What if she just be brave for once

She took a step closer to Gong Yu, the first time she had proactively shortened the distance between them. Although it was just a small gesture, it filled Gong Yu with excitement.

He had a feeling that what Yun He was about to say would be exactly what he wanted to hear!

At that moment, his heart beat rapidly.

Mu had made up her mind and mustered the courage to speak, "Palace Master, if I can survive this and come out of the palace alive, then..."

Halfway through summoning the courage, it got stuck. When it came to saying the most important words, Mu was so shy that she stuttered uncontrollably.

I wanted to say it all in one breath, but this stuck point made the rest of the words...

"Just, just come to my house as a guest."

Gong Yu was stunned on the spot, dumbfounded.

Yu Lian nearly fainted when she heard her mother's words from behind. What was being a guest Her mother really dropped the ball at this crucial moment.

There aren't many men like Master Gung who are fearless of worldly opinions, remain pure and dedicated to their feelings. Mother shouldn't miss this chance to express her heart to Master Gung.

Even the most devoted person can't stand prolonged waiting. What if one day Lord Gong loses hope and gives up Then even crying wouldn't help.

Gong Yu was so amused by Mu Shi's reaction that he let out a giggle.

He looked at her with tenderness in his eyes and nodded.

"Alright, then please come as my guest. I will welcome you with all sincerity and prepare a place for you."

"Yun He, I'm waiting for you."

Mu Yunhe's heart was tight and aching, she didn't know why. Although Gong Yu was so gentle and understanding, she felt like crying instead.

But she didn't want the other person to see her vulnerable, tearful side. She forced the tears back and smiled at him, bowing gracefully as she took her leave.

As Mu Shi stepped into the palace gate, she didn't even look back. Gong Yu also retracted the smile from his face and turned around, guarding his beloved was not just about saying it out loud.

The crown prince is no longer a child; it's time for a tutor to guide him in the ways of a prince.reasons. If I find them reasonable, I will certainly take them into consideration.""Hmph, and you want to know a suitable reason""This little white face looks like a weakling, he'd fall over with just...