Rebirth and Marriage: I am the Mistress of the Palace

Chapter 735: This is the first time

Gu Qianling frowned slightly. "Why are you talking nonsense again? When I was at Mother's, I explained to you that I had no choice but to bring Qiao Zhiyu back. It was raining so hard today, and she's a weak woman with no one to rely on. I couldn't just leave her alone on the street. What's more, she's your cousin, so it's even harder for me to ignore her."

"So, you brought Qiao Zhiyu back for me?"

"I didn't say that. I just said that I brought her along because of your kindness."

"For my sake? For my sake, you should send someone to send her directly back to the Qiao family. My aunt is not in good health and she still needs someone to take care of her. If you take Qiao Zhiyu back to the Duke's Mansion, what will happen to my aunt?"

As Meng Yunlan spoke, he felt a surge of injustice in his heart and began to cry: "You weren't like this before. You never brought women home carelessly before! Qiao Zhiyu is my cousin, yes, but you never said a word to her before, and now you let her ride in your carriage back home!"

There was a look of fatigue and wearisomeness between Gu Qianling's brows. The conversation between the two of them now was almost exactly the same as what they had said at their mother's place.

He didn't understand what the fuss was about. Meng Yunlan was simply being unreasonable.

He had already had enough troubles in the Chancellery today. The Crown Prince had refused to see him for many days, but had met with everyone else. He, the former Crown Prince's companion, had been excluded from power by the Crown Prince.

He was exhausted and under unimaginable pressure, but he had no one to talk to.

After a tiring day, he just wanted to come back and have a good rest.

"Yunlan."

Gu Qianling's voice had become hoarse: "Stop talking, I'm tired. If you don't like your cousin, just send her away. I don't want to waste time here."

Meng Yunlan looked at him in disbelief: "Do you think talking to me is a waste of time?"

"That's not what I meant. I meant Qiao Zhiyu..."

"Qiao Zhiyu is my cousin. Why don't I like her? I just don't like you being nice to her and being close to her!"

"How many times do you want me to tell you that I'm not close to her? My second brother and his wife are riding in the same carriage with me today! I didn't ride in the same carriage with your cousin alone!"

Meng Yunlan's eyes were red: "Gu Qianling, you dare to yell at me?! You never spoke to me loudly before!"

Gu Qianling was getting more and more tired. "I didn't yell at you. It was clearly you who was yelling. It's late at night and everyone is asleep. How can you be so loud and noisy like that? Stop it. You're just making people laugh at you."

He really wanted to say that she had never been so unreasonable before, but he felt that saying this would only exacerbate the conflict and he would have no chance of rest tonight.

So, he swallowed the words back.

Meng Yunlan became even angrier. "If you hadn't mentioned your second brother's wife, I would have forgotten. Qiao Zhiyu said that Shen Wantang braved the heavy rain today to bring you an umbrella. How could she, your brother's wife, go and bring an umbrella to your eldest uncle?"

"And you spoke for her in front of your mother and questioned me on her behalf, asking why I didn't send a carriage to take her back home!"

"Shen Wantang got caught in the rain. You felt bad, didn't you? You blamed me for her, didn't you?"

Gu Qianling's face turned grim. "Haven't I already explained all this in front of Mother? Are you questioning me again? I already said it was Qiao Zhiyu who sent the umbrella, and it had nothing to do with my sister-in-law! I just casually asked you a few questions about the carriage. I didn't mean to question you, nor did I blame you. Do you have to misinterpret me?"

Meng Yunlan's voice became sharp. "I didn't misinterpret you. I understand you! You just feel that I caused Shen Wantang to get wet in the rain, so you feel sorry for her, and that's why you come to question me! If you trusted me, you wouldn't ask me about the carriage! And as for Shen Wantang, you should have defended her instead of taking all the blame for her!"

Even if Gu Qianling was made of clay, he would have been enraged. Moreover, he actually had a temper, but he had always doted on Meng Yunlan and never argued with her.

This time, he was exhausted and overwhelmed with countless official worries, so he suddenly exploded: "When did I take all the blame for you? Can you please stop talking nonsense?"

"Yes, Nanny Yan was convinced that it was you who refused to send a carriage for my sister-in-law, but I immediately refuted it and told them that you couldn't be that kind of person!"

"What else do you want from me? Isn't it true that the mansion didn't send a carriage to take my sister-in-law home? My sister-in-law got caught in the rain for an hour for nothing, and the Duke's Mansion is not at fault? As the mistress, don't you have the slightest responsibility?"

"Do you think you can just put all the blame on your mother and everything will be fine? Do you think you can escape your own fault by saying you didn't receive any news? If this were an official excuse to shirk responsibility, your superiors and colleagues wouldn't believe it!"

Meng Yunlan burst into tears. "This isn't officialdom, this is home! Don't use your official tricks to pressure me! I treat Shen Wantang as my own sister. How could I deliberately not send a carriage to pick her up? I really didn't receive the message! This isn't my fault! Why do you keep blaming me? You are my husband, shouldn't you be on my side? Why are you siding with others? "

Seeing that she refused to admit her fault, Gu Qianling suddenly lost the desire to continue talking to her.

He waved his hands tiredly: "Forget it, I won't say anymore, just take a good rest!"

After he finished speaking, he turned and walked out the door into the rain.

His servant hurried after him: "Master, an umbrella! Don't get wet!"

Seeing that Gu Qianling had actually left, Meng Yunlan stood there in a daze: "Mammy, where is he going? He wants to separate from me tonight?"

Nanny Ping looked anxious: "Oh, Madam, please go and chase him. You can't let the eldest young master sleep somewhere else. Even if we have a quarrel, you have to keep him in our yard!"

Meng Yunlan took a step forward, but then retreated. "Why should I chase him? In the past, whenever I cried, he would patiently comfort me. But today, he didn't even bother to comfort me! He's still speaking for Shen Wantang!"

Nanny Ping sighed, thinking that her master was used to being spoiled and did not know how to bow her head and give in, and she would only become more and more demanding.

In fact, before she got married, when she was in the Meng family, she was also very spoiled, but Mrs. Meng concealed it well for her, so she had the reputation of being gentle and virtuous.

After marrying into the Duke's Mansion, Gu Qianling had a good temper and good character. She was considerate and tolerant to Meng Yunlan. The Duke and the Duchess never found fault with her. When she made a mistake, the Duchess turned a blind eye. When she made a mess, they silently helped her to smooth it over.

Meng Yunlan couldn't be more comfortable living in the Duke's Mansion.

This is the first time I have had such an argument with Gu Qianling.