Chapter 373

Gu Shijie stared in terror at Gu Kang before him, for a moment anger and resentment mixed, but inside he told himself he had lost this round completely.

He had truly underestimated this son; from childhood he had thought he raised a good-for-nothing, never expecting him to be so ruthless and vicious.

Gu Kang slowly straightened his back, without regard for whether Gu Shijie wanted to let him into the household, he ordered the servant to move the boxes down from the ox cart, then strode into the Gu Minister's residence.

Those people had already entered the Zheng Ting, and Gu Shijie gritted his teeth and followed.

The butler watched the father and son's backs, let out a deep sigh, helplessly shook his head, turned and firmly shut the courtyard gate.

Yesterday, everyone in the manor had pretty much left; those remaining were people who had followed Gu Shijie for years, and they still had a shred of conscience, preparing to go with the master to the Minxi region.

Gu Kang strode straight into the Qian Ting and took the seat of honor.

Gu Shijie trembled with anger; this manor was still his, he hadn't sold it yet.

This brat was already sitting there like the master, which really displeased him.

He stood before Gu Kang, his face grim and severe.

Gu Kang nodded to his servant, who opened the box lid, revealing a box full of silver ingots.

In one of the boxes there was also a case of jewelry; the contents of the two boxes together were worth more than fifty thousand taels of silver.

That case of jewelry alone was worth about fifty thousand taels; Gu Shijie stared wide-eyed in disbelief at his son, knowing that when Gu Kang had been expelled from their ancestral home by him years ago, he had been penniless, nearly reduced to a street beggar.

If it weren't for Gu Jiu Ling taking Gu Kang back in, he would likely have starved to death on the streets.

Later, although Gu Kang also received support from Gu Jiu Ling, he certainly would not have given him this much silver; afterwards Gu Kang became a disciple of Mr. Wen.

Mr. Wen was a top-ranking scholar in Shang Jing; where could he get such money?

Gu Shijie's face almost twitched; if this money were given to him, he could get through the immediate crisis, but it was obvious this brat would not easily let him have it.

Gu Kang lifted his eyes to his father: "All together, it's roughly one hundred thousand taels of silver; this manor should be purchasable with that."

Gu Shijie's face twitched a little, and he also felt it strange.

His own son spending money to buy his manor, which was originally built by the Du family.

Gu Kang apparently didn't notice his father's embarrassed expression, looking at Gu Shijie: "I'm not just using this money to buy the manor; I also want to ask Father for a person."

Gu Shijie said nothing, merely coldly staring at his son.

"Where did this money come from? Could it be from some corrupt, illegal deed that harms heaven and reason?"

Gu Kang couldn't help laughing: "Where this money came from is no concern of Father's; in short, it was obtained justifiably."

"If it's not something you should worry about, then don't meddle."

Gu Shijie looked at the silver, his expression gradually easing, and he slowly sat down to one side.

After a long while he looked at his second son: "Fine, then who do you want to exchange? The Gu family has already been ruined by you to the point of near extinction; what more do you want?"

Gu Kang steadied himself and coldly laughed: "Father, what you say is somewhat unfair."

"Gu Huai initially schemed to frame me, slander me, and killed the great master of Bei Di; Father, why didn't you call him ruthless and vicious?"

"My elder brother, in order to swallow my silver and seize my position as the Gu family's heir, spared no effort in scheming against me, driving me out of the household."

"Even that aside, he wanted to hastily set a fire to burn Zhang Jie to death, knowing that fire was aimed at me; Father, why didn't you call him ruthless and vicious back then?"

"Hah! Was my mother's difficult labor in pregnancy truly a difficult birth?"

After Gu Kang asked that, Gu Shijie's face suddenly changed drastically, turning pale wave after wave.

Gu Kang stared at him coldly and said: "You clearly know my mother liked you, yet you still kept an external concubine like Lin Qingxue outside."

You clearly know he is kind-hearted, embarrassed to refuse and unable to save face, you actually brought this whole family company to Fuzhou.

He is the proper wife of your Gu family, yet you let my elder brother be born before my elder sister; where exactly have you placed my mother?

My mother's constitution was weak; after giving birth to my elder sister she never recovered.

After becoming pregnant with me, at this time you brought Lin Qingxue into the household.

And regarding my maternal grandfather's affair, Father, do you also bear an inescapable responsibility?

When my mother gave birth to me in difficult labor, where were you?

You took concubine Lin Qingxue boating on the lake. You are a dog-and-woman couple, enjoying flowers and moonlight, carefree; have you ever considered my mother's life-and-death separation?

Gu Shijie, at first I didn't understand, but now I have pondered every matter; ask yourselves, which of the things you've done to my mother, my sister, and me is not ruthless and vicious?

"You… you shut up, I am after all your father!"

Gu Shijie's face turned pale instantly; before he could utter a rebuttal, Gu Cheng snapped back: "... Story section. You really ought to be glad you are my biological father, otherwise you wouldn't have the standing to stand here and speak."

"Gu Shijie, my patience has its limits; now take a clear look at the situation—will this deal go through or not?"

Gu Kang's stern, righteous rebukes pressed Gu Shijie directly into a corner.

He trembled slightly, still fearful, lifted his head and stared fixedly at his son: "Just who do you want to exchange?"

Gu Kang slowly sat back in the chair, leisurely crossing his legs, picked up a cup of tea from the side, lightly sipped it, and smiled: "You may freely take advantage of my elder brother's corpse; from today onward I will take over this manor, you will reside in my villa, and you will leave Shang Jing in two days."

He steadied his body, raised his eyebrows, coldly looked at Gu Shijie: "Leave Aunt Lin with me."

Gu Shijie was dumbfounded; actually he had secretly suspected something before, but he still couldn't imagine that Du Kang would directly name it.

He then felt a pang of reluctance, for Lin Qingxue was the woman he had always loved, who had borne three children for her husband; if such devotion fell into Gu Kang's hands, it would likely bring more misfortune than fortune.

Gu Shijie muttered: "You… do you still have any law in your eyes? Do you still have any human ethics?"

"Is she not your foster mother? When your mother died early, wasn't it she who raised you?"

"Hehe," Gu Kang finally laughed. "The one who raised me with her own hands—I should thank her; she shaped me into what I am, and you know that well."

"By the way, the night my mother had her difficult labor when she gave birth to me—I was actually not yet full term."

"I heard from my elder sister that on that day, in the room where my mother stayed, she, being weak, had already lain in bed unable to move."

When Aunt Lin came to visit my family, upon leaving she gave many little trinkets—sachets, embroidered balls, even things like flower vases—all filled to the brim with musk.

"You say such a woman—should a son keep her or not?"