Chapter 1351 – Mother and Child Reunion (Part 2)
Gu Zhen hesitated, as if afraid to provoke Nie Xun.
“I heard you arrived in Xiangyang, so I thought I’d take a look on my way.”
She said it was a casual visit, but any discerning eye could tell—her outfit was clearly well thought out!
To improve her complexion, Gu Zhen had put on a delicate makeup.
Her base was good, and after years of careful maintenance, she looked no more than twenty-four or twenty-five.
No wonder Zhu Qing Ning had mistaken her earlier.
Nie Xun sighed, “You’ve also met Liu’s wife…”
Gu Zhen’s face turned pale as if Nie Xun’s half-sentence was a dismissal.
“Do you really not want to see me… anymore?”
In a daze, she felt her heart ache, nearly suffocating her, and her distressed expression made Zhu Qing Ning break a sweat for her.
Nie Xun said, “It’s not that I don’t want to see you, it’s just… we were never on the same path. What good does seeing each other do?”
The calmer his tone became, the worse Gu Zhen felt; the tears she had barely held back now broke free.
“How can we not be on the same path?” Gu Zhen tightly grasped Nie Xun’s shoulders, crying with her head down, “Do you know it wasn’t my wish back then? Every time I think of it, I loathe Meng Zhan to the core. If it weren’t for him, how could we have been separated for so long?”
As a powerless main wife, she indeed felt useless, unable to protect her son, who was nearly lost to a concubine’s schemes, left to suffer alone in the cold ground, trampled upon in life and death. Gu Zhen felt resentment too; how could she not?
Nie Xun didn’t acknowledge her, nor did she force him, but why wouldn’t he even give her a chance to make amends?
Zhu Qing Ning increasingly felt something was off, her eyes filled with suspicion as she glanced at her husband.
“I know all this… but what does knowing change? What’s done is done.” Nie Xun stated, “Lady Liu, you should let it go. Just pretend that child from back then was buried alive. I’m a foster son of the Nie Clan, not Meng Zhan’s second child.”
For Nie Xun, the gratitude from his upbringing far outweighed any blood ties.
While Gu Zhen was pitiful, did that mean Nie Xun deserved to suffer?
His life wasn’t solely tied to this woman; her loss was far more than just a son.
Other than their blood connection, how did they differ from strangers?
He owed Gu Zhen nothing, and she owed him nothing either; forcing a reconciliation was useless.
Nie Xun was willing to regard Gu Zhen as an elder, but he couldn’t force himself to view her with the same affection one has for a nurturing mother.
The bond between parents and children isn’t something determined merely by blood.
As Zhu Qing Ning listened to their conversation, she finally understood that this “Lady Liu” was Liu Zhi’s second wife, her husband’s biological mother.
At that moment, the baby in her arms began to cry.
Babies don’t care about adult circumstances; they cry whenever they feel like it, without regard for time or place.
Seeing this, Gu Zhen immediately stifled her sobs, hastily wiping her tears with a napkin, forgetting about her ruined makeup.
Zhu Qing Ning gently suggested, “She may need changing. I’ll call a wet nurse over, would you like to help keep an eye on the baby?”
Gu Zhen eagerly agreed, as the baby’s unique milk scent wafted into her nose, and the tears she had just managed to stop began flowing again.
The infant before her was the daughter of that child from back then—
Time had truly flown.
Gu Zhen was uncertain whether to be happy or sad.
Nie Xun felt quite helpless at his wife’s actions.
He wanted to cut off Gu Zhen’s hopes directly; maintaining superficial courtesy between their families was enough, no need for deeper connections or talk of kinship.
Gu Zhen was bending down to comfort the child, her voice like a whisper, as if raising it too high would upset Nie Xun.
In the face of this scene, even a rational person like Nie Xun couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy, disrupting his calm demeanor.
“I came this time with no intention of forcing you to acknowledge me; I just wanted to see if you were doing well and if there was anything I could assist with…” Gu Zhen spoke softly, and the more humble she became, the harder it was for Nie Xun to be stern.
Nie Xun replied, “I’m well.”
In a near-begging tone, Gu Zhen asked, “Then… can I come by often to see this child?”
Nie Xun said, “It might be inconvenient.”
Gu Zhen’s face turned completely white, as if someone had stabbed her heart with a knife.
Zhu Qing Ning happened to hear this exchange and shot Nie Xun an annoyed look.
Why only say half of what needed to be said?
She remarked, “Lady Liu seems to really care for this child?”
Gu Zhen knew Zhu Qing Ning was her daughter-in-law, but since her son didn’t even acknowledge her, how could she expect anything from her daughter-in-law?
“Naturally, I care very much.”
Zhu Qing Ning said, “If Lady Liu likes the child, I could bring her to the manor to visit when I have time?”
Nie Xun’s expression shifted dramatically, but he didn’t interrupt her.
Gu Zhen hurriedly nodded and exclaimed joyfully, “How could that be an intrusion? If you come, you could stay as long as you like.”
“Ceng Yan’s current situation is somewhat… to maintain our dignity, it’s best not to make it too public. We should minimize visitors at home. Lady Liu, don’t take his words to heart; that’s just his personality.” Zhu Qing Ning smiled, “Let’s have the wet nurse take the baby away for a change?”
After Zhu Qing Ning’s suggestion, Gu Zhen felt much better, harboring a faint glimmer of hope.
She handed the child to the waiting wet nurse and then, upon reflection, took off a bracelet she was wearing.
“I came in a hurry today and didn’t bring any gifts. I noticed that the child and I have a connection; I took to her instantly.” Gu Zhen asked Zhu Qing Ning to accept the meeting gift, humbly adding, “This bracelet has been with me for years; please don’t think poorly of it.”
Zhu Qing Ning, with her discerning eye, could tell that Gu Zhen’s gift was genuine.
Since it was a grandmother’s gift for her granddaughter, she accepted it graciously to avoid further upsetting Gu Zhen.
Reluctantly watching the child being taken away by the wet nurse until she disappeared from sight, Gu Zhen finally withdrew her gaze.
“I understand Liu Zhi’s temperament, but if it’s because of this matter that—”
Nie Xun cut her off when he realized what she was about to say, firmly refusing, “It’s not.”
Gu Zhen could only swallow the rest of her words. Zhu Qing Ning watched the atmosphere that had just started to soften stiffen again, feeling helpless.
“Then why?”
Nie Xun stated bluntly, “I have no plans to serve again.”
“Why not?” Gu Zhen seemed taken aback by his response, unable to help but ask, “Is it because Liu Zhi won’t allow it?”
Nie Xun was Jiang Pengji’s nominal and blood-related cousin.
They were family; while they might not outright favor one another, there was certainly some covert support.
In the end, it’s a game of winners and losers; Huang Song had already lost, so what was wrong with Nie Xun choosing a new master to serve?
Nie Xun lowered his gaze and said, “No, it’s for my own reasons.”
No matter how terrible Yuan Xin was, any grievances he had with Nie Xun only had Huang Song as the one to deal with him.
However, Nie Xun bypassed Huang Song and plotted to kill Yuan Xin.
Regardless of his motivations, at the core, it was an act of betrayal against Huang Song.
Simultaneously, it was a move that those in power detested the most.
When a courtier takes deadly action against another over personal grudges, who wouldn’t be put off by that?
When Nie Xun resolved to eliminate Yuan Xin, he had already made up his mind.
If Huang Song won, he would resign to Huang Song and withdraw completely.
If Jiang Pengji prevailed, he would stop serving and follow in his father-in-law’s footsteps, becoming a teacher instead.
