The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 32

Jiang Jingchun said she promised not to cry.

Jiang Jinghui merely sneered internally after hearing those words, though her expression remained unchanged. Finally, she began telling Jiang Jingchun the story she had in mind.

“I heard that many years ago, during a warm spring, a woman brought her three-year-old daughter to Miao’en Temple to pray. Even now, over a decade later, there are still people at the temple who remember her. She was so breathtakingly beautiful. Ethereal, like a startled swan and a graceful dragon—she looked like a fairy descending from the heavens. Everything about her seemed perfect, except for one thing—she looked so ill, as if she were on the verge of death.

“That woman looked young, not even twenty years old. Her health was poor, as her body was plagued by illness and she had a constant air of frailty about her. However, she wasn’t destitute. The fine silks and brocades she wore made it clear she wasn’t from a poor household. Yet, strangely, she had no husband or servants by her side—it was just her, alone, dragging her sickly body while holding the hand of her obedient child as they entered the temple. 

“No one had ever seen her before or knew where she came from, but people speculated that she must have been abandoned by her husband. Otherwise, how could someone in her condition bring a child to the temple alone? She was so beautiful—wasn’t her husband afraid someone might do something to her?”

Jiang Jingchun’s expression changed as soon as she heard the mention of the temple and the three-year-old child. She seemed to already have an idea of what Jiang Jinghui was implying.

Jiang Jinghui sighed regretfully before continuing her tale.

“That woman seemed to love her child deeply. From start to finish, she never let go of the child’s hand. She led her child to kneel before the Buddha’s statue and kowtowed in prayer… It was in the same prayer hall you visited with Song Xuan’an just now. Over a decade ago, that woman and her child knelt there too. But back then, no one knew what she was praying for. Maybe she hoped for her own recovery, or perhaps she was wishing for the return of the man who had abandoned her. Whatever it was, only she knew her own heart.

“Alas, life seldom grants us what we hope for. What we fear most often becomes reality. That poor woman couldn’t escape her doomed fate in the end.”

Jiang Jinghui sighed and shook her head, as if she was too sad to continue.

Jiang Jingchun’s eyes were already red. Her slender neck was taut with tension, and her complexion turned pale in the dim candlelight.

“Go on,” she said. Her trembling voice was laced with urgency. “What happened next?”

Jiang Jinghui resumed her story.

“The woman had just finished her prayers and was preparing to leave with her child when, out of nowhere, a crazed madwoman lunged at her. The madwoman shoved her hard. How could the frail woman withstand such force? With just one push, she fell to the ground.

“The sickly woman didn’t even have time to react to what was happening. She winced and frowned in pain, while the madwoman pointed at her and began hurling accusations. She yelled, ‘You wicked hag! How dare you kidnap my daughter!’ Heavens, can you imagine? 

“That child was the woman’s own flesh and bl00d, a child she had carried throughout her ten months of pregnancy, yet someone was accusing her of being a kidnapper. How could such injustice exist in the world? The sickly woman was so enraged she could barely catch her breath. She struggled to her feet and tried to reclaim her child while crying out, ‘That’s my child! Give me back my child!’

“But the madwoman wouldn’t relent. How could she? She insisted the child was hers and shoved the sickly woman to the ground once more. 

“This time, that sickly woman couldn’t get back up. Her obedient child began to cry and reach out desperately for her mother. The child sobbed and pleaded, ‘Give me back my mother! Give me back my mother!’ 

“But the madwoman was enraged by the cries. She covered the child’s mouth and held her tightly in her arms. Without sparing a glance at the woman she’d pushed down, the madwoman carried the child away. The sickly woman watched helplessly as her child was taken from her. She tried to crawl after them, but how could she possibly catch up? All she could do was watch as her child was carried away, surrounded by onlookers who pointed and whispered about her.

“They said she had the face of the kind Guanyin but the heart of a beast—that she was a kidnapper who stole children for money. How pitiful. 

“She was so pitiful, Xiaochun. Tell me, how can there be two children in the world who look exactly alike? How could this happen to her? 

“But in this vast world, power reigns supreme. Even though it was her own child, she not only lost her but was also slandered as a kidnapper, because she was weaker than the person who took her child.”

Jiang Jinghui’s tone seemed filled with pity, yet her eyes betrayed not a trace of sympathy.

Jiang Jingchun, however, had already begun to cry. Tears streamed down her face.

Who the sickly woman was, who the madwoman was, and who the child taken away was—how could she not know by now?

She had a mother.

That person was never Lady Li.

However, she had been deceived and had actually called that woman as her mother for over ten years.

That woman had treated her so well, so well that she couldn’t believe someone like her could have stolen her from her true mother.

She used to think Jiang Nan and Jiang Runchu were simply indifferent to her, so they were the worst. However, she’d now realised the one who treated her the best had wronged her the most.

And her real mother? How could she have endured such pain, weak and sickly as she was?

If this story was true, it was horrifying.

Jiang Jingchun shook her head. She didn’t want to believe it—not because she wanted to defend the woman who had raised her, but because it was hard to believe anyone could be so cruel.

She said, “Where did you hear such a tale? It must be false.”

Jiang Jinghui, however, merely smiled. “False? Then why are you crying so hard?”

Jiang Jingchun couldn’t stop her tears. In the dark of night, her suppressed sobs sounded heart-wrenching.

No wonder. No wonder no one had ever been willing to speak about the past when she’d asked. No wonder her grandmother had said she had done right by everyone. 

Who could she have wronged? Who could she have failed?

“Is she dead?” Jiang Jingchun asked while suppressing her grief.

“Of course. I heard that the woman died of illness within a year or two after losing her child.”

The summer night remained stiflingly hot, yet from time to time, a cool breeze swept through the room and brought its coldness seeping into their bones. The desolate sound of the wind was interspersed with the cries of insects, which at this moment sounded like the wails of bloodied souls.

The dim environment was perfect for revealing buried secrets. It made an already sorrowful tale sound even more tragic.

At this moment, Jiang Jingchun’s heart and her very being felt like they were being crushed underfoot.

Her mother was a lonely, helpless woman encountering a merciless world—what could she have done?

They called her a kidnapper, so a kidnapper she became.

Jiang Jinghui seemed to revel in Jiang Jingchun’s relentless tears. She feigned concern by sighing and saying, “Sister, why are you crying? Had I known you’d be this upset, I wouldn’t have told you…”

Before she could finish, Jiang Jingchun abruptly stood up.

If she didn’t realise by now that Jiang Jinghui had done this on purpose, then she must truly be a fool.

Jiang Jinghui knew exactly what and who the story was about.

However, she seemed delighted to see Jiang Jingchun’s pain. Her smugness was so blatant that Jiang Jingchun couldn’t ignore it even if she wanted to.

Jiang Jingchun could no longer bear it. She stood up and stormed out of the room.

What about the rest of the story? What happened to the woman afterwards?

How could she have survived after losing her child?

Jiang Jinghui said she had died, but Jiang Jingchun didn’t want to believe it.

How could she have simply died?

She wanted to return to the Jiang family residence and find the old madame. She needed to know what had happened and hear the truth for herself.

Even if she knew the ending wouldn’t be good, she still wanted to hear it with her own ears.

Jiang Jingchun ran out of the room.

She had to go down the mountain. Right now.

She had been deceived for over a decade, and now she couldn’t wait any longer.

She needed to know the fate of the woman whose child had been taken away.

Huayun had been waiting outside the room for Jiang Jingchun, but when she suddenly heard her crying from inside, she grew worried. Just as she was debating whether to barge in, Jiang Jingchun came running out, in tears.

Huayun had no idea what had happened. She instinctively thought Jiang Jinghui had bullied her. She turned to look into the room and saw Jiang Jinghui sitting expressionlessly in her seat. The flickering candlelight illuminated her face and gave her an eerie, almost terrifying look. Huayun shivered at the sight, then turned back to Jiang Jingchun, who was already running outside.

Huayun had no time to think about what had transpired between the two. She immediately chased after Jiang Jingchun.

Jiang Jingchun ran fast—so fast that Huayun couldn’t catch up. She watched as Jiang Jingchun passed through several round archways and headed toward the living quarters where the men resided—straight to Jiang Runchu’s chamber.

Jiang Runchu had told them earlier where he was staying and told them they could find him there if needed.

Jiang Jingchun reached Jiang Runchu’s chamber, only to find it empty. She knocked persistently, but no one answered.

She didn’t give up. Despite receiving no response, she kept knocking until her hands grew numb and sore. However, she ignored the pain. It seemed as if she wouldn’t stop until someone came out.

She was crying while slamming on the door with her hands, so she made a large commotion—enough to disturb anyone in the nearby chambers. Huayun rushed forward to stop her, saying, “Miss, the eldest young master is probably not in the room right now. How about coming back later?”

However, Jiang Jingchun wouldn’t leave. She continued crying, and her tears continued to fall uncontrollably. Huayun grew frightened and began to cry herself. Tremblingly, she said, “Miss, what happened? What on earth happened?”

Huayun couldn’t persuade Jiang Jingchun to leave, but fortunately, Jiang Runchu came soon after.

He had gone to the chamber next door to find Gu Huaisheng.

Jiang Runchu had arrived earlier in the day and missed Gu Huaisheng. It wasn’t until later that he learned Gu Huaisheng had also come. After he’d tricked Gu Huaisheng into coming to the Jiang family residence that one time, Gu Huaisheng had given him the silent treatment, so Jiang Runchu decided to seek him out in the evening to explain.

Their chambers were close to each other, and the two had barely exchanged a few words when they heard crying outside, followed by loud banging on a door.

The crying sounded like Jiang Jingchun’s.

They exchanged glances, then hurried outside, only to find Jiang Jingchun crying as she pounded on the door.

Jiang Runchu felt a headache coming on. He instinctively ignored her tears and strode forward to stop her actions.

“It’s late. What are you making such a fuss about?”

There was a hint of suppressed anger in his voice. He didn’t want to argue with her when they were in a public place, but seeing her behaviour here irritated him.

What he didn’t expect was for Jiang Jingchun to shake off his grip on her hand and declare, “Prepare a carriage for me. I want to go home.”

Since Jiang Runchu had reassigned the coachman, Jiang Jingchun had no idea where he was. It was also already late at night, so she had no choice but to come to him for help.

Jiang Runchu was momentarily stunned when she pulled her hand away so forcefully. He hadn’t expected her emotions to be so intense, as though even a slight touch would make her explode. However, he couldn’t dwell on that now. 

He frowned and asked, “It’s pitch dark. What do you want to go home for now? Who upset you? Why are you causing such a scene? Can you stop being unreasonable?”

Jiang Jingchun, who had been crying uncontrollably, suddenly laughed at his words. The more she laughed, the more bitter her laugh became. Tears streamed down her face as she laughed.

Her expression made Jiang Runchu’s frown deepen.

What was going on?

Jiang Jingchun was acting very strangely today. He only accused her of being unreasonable, yet she cried as if she had suffered the world’s greatest grievance.

Even Gu Huaisheng, who had come along, noticed something was wrong.

Jiang Jingchun looked at Jiang Runchu and retorted, “Unreasonable? How am I unreasonable? When have I ever been unreasonable?”

As she stared at Jiang Runchu, all she felt was disgust and hatred.

Every time, no matter what she did, these people always said it was her fault and always accused her of making a scene.

Only now did Jiang Jingchun realise how terrifying they were. From the very beginning, they had known she wasn’t the real Jiang Jinghui. They had forcibly taken her, yet they always made it seem like she was the one in the wrong.

What had she done wrong?

Was it wrong of her to be three years old back then? Was it wrong of her to be too young and foolish to recognise who her real mother was at that time?

These people were disgusting. On the surface, they appeared refined and dignified, but deep down, they were filthier and more vile than anyone.

Jiang Jingchun didn’t want to argue with him any longer. She needed a carriage. She needed to go back to the Jiang family residence. She needed to know, right now, what had happened to her real mother.

She looked at Jiang Runchu and said—almost screamed, “I want to go back to the Jiang family’s residence! Get me a carriage!”

Jiang Runchu was stunned by her sudden outburst. She looked furious, as if consumed by rage, and her eyes were filled with a blazing red.

Under the moonlight, she resembled a wounded beast letting out its final howl.

The sound of her sorrow shocked Jiang Runchu to the point that he couldn’t utter a word.

What on earth had happened to her today?

Gu Huaisheng was standing to their side. At that moment, he was the first to react. He grabbed Jiang Jingchun by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I’ll take you back… I’ll take you back.”

No matter what had happened, considering her current state…. If she wanted to go back, he’d send her back.

Since things had already come to this, what was the point of pressing further for answers?

Jiang Jingchun glanced at Gu Huaisheng. This time, however, she did not lash out at him with harsh words. She nodded and allowed Gu Huaisheng to take her back to the Jiang family residence.

Perhaps it was because she was too tired from crying, or maybe she simply didn’t want to talk to Gu Huaisheng, but in the carriage on the way back, she curled up in a corner. She was silent and withdrawn for the entirety of the journey. Occasionally, faint sobs or sniffles escaped her, and she sounded particularly pitiful in the quiet night.

Gu Huaisheng saw her in this state and knew that it was best to stay silent for now, but he couldn’t help wanting to ask. Just as he was about to speak, the carriage suddenly jolted to a halt, and the sound of galloping horses came from outside the window.

Shuliang lifted the curtain from outside. His expression was somewhat grim. He said to Gu Huaisheng, “Young Master, we’ve run into the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”

It was already dark, and curfew had begun.

It seemed that because the Miao’en Temple was holding a grand Dharma assembly today, the city was unusually lively, which led to a shortage of personnel. As such, even the Embroidered Uniform Guard had been called to assist in patrol.

Jiang Jingchun’s expression became uneasy. They had run into the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so could they still go back?

Gu Huaisheng understood what was on her mind and reassured her, “Don’t be afraid; it’s nothing.”

This was a simple sentence, but coming from Gu Huaisheng, it carried an undeniable sense of reassurance.

Gu Huaisheng lifted the curtain on the side window and looked outside.

Outside was a group of officers dressed in flying fish robes and carrying embroidered spring knives. The men blocking their path were led by a man Gu Huaisheng recognised. It was Xiao Lun, who worked as a surveillance division commandant in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which was a secondary-class, fourth-rank official position.

This man worked for Wang Shun. A few years ago, Xiao Lun had only been a seventh-rank official company commander, but after being recruited by Wang Shun, he had quickly risen to a fourth-rank position.

He was a few years older than Gu Huaisheng and was now 25. He was ruthless and fond of underhanded tactics, and he had a malicious appearance that seemed to match his sinister heart.

When Gu Huaisheng recognised him, he immediately frowned.

What was Xiao Lun doing on a curfew patrol? Had the Embroidered Uniform Guard become so idle that Xiao Lun had time to serve on curfew patrol duty?

Xiao Lun pretended not to notice Gu Huaisheng’s frown and smiled as he said, “Young Marquis Gu, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect to see you at this hour. However… isn’t it currently curfew? Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for you to be out and about?”

Gu Huaisheng heard the accusation in his question, but he didn’t feel that he had done anything wrong. He quickly composed himself and replied calmly, “It is indeed inappropriate, but urgency necessitated it. I must trouble you to make an exception.”

Their exchange was exceedingly polite on the surface, yet sharp undertones lingered beneath.

Gu Huaisheng and Wang Shun were at odds, so naturally, Xiao Lun and Gu Huaisheng were also at odds. Now that Xiao Lun had finally found an opportunity to catch him doing something inappropriate, how could he let it go? Yet, to his surprise, Gu Huaisheng remained so composed that Xiao Lun couldn’t immediately find an excuse to make things difficult.

After some thought, Xiao Lun spoke as if reluctantly, “An exception, huh? If everyone is given exceptions, then what would be the point of having rules? Young Marquis, you’ve always been one to uphold righteousness. Surely you wouldn’t do something like this?”

Wouldn’t do something like this?

Well, he’d already done it. The matter was what they could do about it now.

Xiao Lun was clearly trying to provoke Gu Huaisheng. On any other day, Gu Huaisheng would have had plenty of time to argue with him, but today, Jiang Jingchun seemed truly anxious, and he didn’t want to waste time on this matter.

Gu Huaisheng replied coolly, “I went to the temple with my younger cousin to pray earlier. We intended to stay overnight in the mountains, but she suddenly became homesick and insisted on returning home.”

Xiao Lun was puzzled and furrowed his eyebrows as he listened. 

Gu Huaisheng continued, “This is just how children are. They can be cheerful one moment, upset the next, and incredibly restless after that. As her elder cousin, how could I bear to watch her cry herself sick? My mother instructed me to take her home, so I had no other choice. If making an exception is not possible, Commandant Xiao, feel free to report me to the authorities later. But for now, I kindly ask you to step aside.”

Xiao Lun’s lips twitched as he heard this.

He naturally knew who Gu Huaisheng’s so-called younger cousin was.

However, how could a sixteen-year-old be considered a child?

Yet, Gu Huaisheng’s demeanour remained composed and sincere, and there wasn’t a hint of guilt in his expression.

Moreover, he had brought up the marquis’ wife, who was his mother and made himself seem like he was merely following his mother’s instructions. Gu Huaisheng deliberately framed the situation to involve family dynamics—and thus filial piety. What would people say if Xiao Lun blamed Gu Huaisheng for following his mother’s instructions? Now, if Xiao Lun reported this, people would say that he’d unnecessarily created trouble when it was merely a trivial matter that he could’ve easily overlooked. 

Rumours would spread that Xiao Lun was an unreasonable and heartless person. Moreover, offending the Gu family over this didn’t seem worth it.

He’d rather avoid such trouble.

Xiao Lun clenched his jaw in frustration but ultimately stepped aside with his men.

Gu Huaisheng added, “By the way, my cousin is easily embarrassed. Please don’t let word of this incident spread, or I’ll surely face scolding from my mother for mishandling the matter.”

What ‘mother’s scolding’—that was clearly just an excuse.

Xiao Lun’s jaw tightened, and he gave a curt bow in begrudged agreement.

Gu Huaisheng nodded slightly in farewell, let the curtain fall, and the carriage continued forward.

This was just a small episode. Gu Huaisheng knew Xiao Lun was simply trying to irritate him, but he had no time to spar with him. He turned back to Jiang Jingchun, who still looked pale and distressed.

He returned to his earlier train of thought, which the Embroidered Uniform Guard had interrupted, and finally asked her his question.

He asked, “Did you find out something?”

Her behaviour today was far too unusual.

Jiang Jingchun’s expression finally shifted at his words.

She looked up at Gu Huaisheng and confirmed, “You knew all along, didn’t you?”

Everyone knew. They all knew.

Except her. She had been completely kept in the dark from the very beginning.

Gu Huaisheng clenched his hands. He was unsure of how to respond—or rather, he didn’t dare to.

In truth, he hadn’t known, either, at first. The matter was distasteful, and the fewer people who knew, the better. Jiang Nan and Lady Li had kept it tightly under wraps—even Jiang Runchu didn’t know the full truth about his new sister’s origins. If it weren’t for Madame Gu’s closeness to Jiang Nan, she wouldn’t have known either.

But even then, Madame Gu had only confided in Marquis Gu and kept the matter from her children. After all, what good would it do for the younger generation to know of such a scandal?

Gu Huaisheng had learned of it only because of the old madame.

But that was a long story, and to explain it would open yet another wound.

Gu Huaisheng chose not to say more. He thought that once they returned to the Jiang family residence and saw the old madame, everything would become clear to her.

The carriage soon arrived at the Jiang family residence, and they entered through the back gate. They headed straight for Rongde Hall to see the old madame.

At that moment, she suddenly understood why her grandmother had looked at her with such a complex expression.

Her grandmother’s eyes had carried pity and sorrow. It made sense—after all, the truth was so cruel…

Jiang Jingchun wasn’t sure she could bear it.

She feared that what she was about to hear would break her even more.

But even so, no matter how afraid she was, she had to know. She needed to know where her mother was.

Was her mother really already dead, as Jiang Jinghui had claimed?