"My father, is Duke Yan..."

The words fell into sudden silence.

In an instant, Tang Ziqian’s complexion turned as pale as the Xin Yi beside him.

"What did you say!" He suddenly dragged Xin Yi in front of his eyes.

Xin Yi turned her eyes away in embarrassment: "I can’t... I am your sister..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Tang Ziqian pushed her away forcefully.

She fell to the ground, unable to steady herself, and caught sight of the storm brewing in his eyes.

"Impossible!" Tang Jiaojiao abruptly stood up, "Who sent you to slander my father! Is this how you repay the eldest young master and the second miss?" Her eyes were wide with rage, almost wanting to devour Xin Yi alive.

Xin Yi looked up at the little girl beside Gu Ning.

Though young, the girl was the only one in the room besides Qin Xiao who managed to stay calm. Her eyes were filled with shock but not hatred or anger.

Xin Yi suddenly felt a moment of peace in her heart, and she said in a low voice, "I didn’t slander... I don’t want to become his... blemish either..."

"After my mother passed away, I lost the Yue Que my father left behind... I really didn’t know where to go, so I came to the Capital City. I haven’t seen him for a long, long time, I just wanted, just wanted to see my father..." She covered her face, her voice choked with sobs, "I am also his daughter, why doesn’t he come to see me..."

"You haven’t seen him for a long, long time, and he doesn’t come to see you... How do you know you’re his daughter?" Tang Xiaobai suddenly asked, "Did your mother say so?"

Could it be a misunderstanding?

Xin Yi removed her hands, her tear-filled eyes staring blankly at the golden Yue Que in Gu Ning’s hand: "I haven’t seen my father much since I was a child, I only remember once when I caught a cold, he held me all night, feeding me medicine, coaxing me to sleep, I held onto him, calling out ’father don’t go’, and he held me for three days and nights without closing his eyes..."

Tang Xiaobai felt his heart sink.

There was some interaction...

"...When I woke up, he was gone, my mother said that because the Turkic people attacked, he had to leave, and because I clung to that piece of Yue Que, he took it off and left it for me... He was gone for many years, my mother said he was at war, guarding the frontiers, protecting us, he didn’t intentionally not see me..."

"What year was that?"

"The second year of Taixing, in the twelfth month."

In the twelfth month of the second year of Taixing, Tang Shigong was ordered to plunge into Liangzhou.

He indeed did not return for many years.

"You were only three years old then?" Tang Xiaobai was still unwilling to believe.

"Yes, but I remember, and my father also left that piece of Yue Que for me..."

Tang Xiaobai instinctively glanced over and saw Gu Ning’s hand holding the golden Yue Que tightening, turning white, veins faintly visible.

Could it really be true...

Suddenly recalling the scene when Tang Shigong returned home that day, and witnessing the couple’s affection over the past few months, Tang Xiaobai felt as though his heart was being cut, unable to look at Gu Ning’s expression.

Illegitimate daughter... Xin Yi...

"I don’t want to become his blemish either..."

"I am also his daughter..."

Tang Xiaobai was so distressed he wanted to curl up.

If she felt like this, what about others?

"Ah brother!"

Suddenly hearing Tang Jiaojiao shout.

Looking up, he saw Tang Ziqian rushing out.

Tang Jiaojiao chased to the door, but he was already out of sight.

She turned and walked back, standing in front of Xin Yi.

"Slap!" A slap landed on Xin Yi’s face, "Since you know you’re a blemish, why didn’t you die sooner?"

The eldest legitimate son of Duke Yan Mansion, not yet twenty, already holding a fourth-rank official position, unmatched among peers.

What excellence, what pride?

Almost being with someone who shares a father but not a mother...

Thinking of the torment her brother was in at that moment, Tang Jiaojiao was filled with intense hatred. She glanced at the dagger the maid was holding and rushed over to take it.

"Elder sister!" Tang Xiaobai was shocked.

Li Mu had been listening with a frown all along, and upon hearing Tang Xiaobai’s voice, his eyes shifted, and he took the dagger from Tang Jiaojiao’s hand.

"Qin Xiao!" Tang Jiaojiao then realized there was an outsider in the room: "This is a matter for our Duke Yan Mansion, you leave!"

"Jiaojiao’er—" Gu Ning suddenly spoke, "Don’t be rude."

The tone was still gentle and soft.

Tang Xiaobai turned to look at her.

At some point, Gu Ning had already calmed down, and the hand that had gripped the golden Yue Que tightly had also relaxed.

She gently held one end of the golden Yue Que, lifted it in front of her eyes to take another look, revealing a gentle and warm smile, and looked at Xin Yi: "You are not my husband’s daughter."

Xin Yi was startled: "I—"

"This golden Yue Que is indeed his," Gu Ning’s fingers gently brushed over the Yue Que, her eyes sparkling enchantingly, "but you are not his daughter—"

"In the twelfth month of the second year of Taixing, Xiaobai was not yet a year old..." Gu Ning turned her face to look at Tang Xiaobai, "Your father knew he had to go to Liangzhou, so he coaxed you day and night to call him ’father’, saying that he would feel at ease only after hearing you call him once."

"Did I call?" Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help asking.

Gu Ning smiled: "No, your father said that no matter what, he must come back to hear Xiaobai call him ’father’."

Tang Xiaobai’s eyes immediately became wet.

Gu Ning stroked her hair softly, smiled gently, then focused her gaze on Xin Yi: "I don’t know why you say this, but regarding this matter, I will only listen to what he says himself, what you say, I do not believe."

After speaking, she instructed the maid who was already pale-faced in the room: "Go check if the Duke has returned?"

"He’s back!" a voice responded from outside.

The voice was deep and unmistakably cheerful, but upon careful listening, it was still separated by courtyard walls.

Gu Ning’s face bloomed like a flower, she rose lightly, brushed the folds on her clothes, and, as if no one else was present, went out to greet.

When she reached the middle of the courtyard, she was embraced by Tang Shigong, who strode in.

"In such a rush to see me?" He smiled, stroking Gu Ning’s hair, his expression intimate as he looked down, "Next time I won’t respond to you, lest you run out and accidentally fall!"

As he spoke, he embraced Gu Ning’s shoulder and walked inside, lifting his head to see the scenes in the room.

Two daughters stood there, their expressions varied.

The Crown Prince stood as well, holding a dagger in his hand.

On the ground knelt a disheveled girl, looking up with tearful, blurred eyes, staring at him in a daze.

Tang Shigong’s brows furrowed slightly, his gaze returning to Gu Ning, he asked with a smile, "What’s going on here?"

Gu Ning looked at Xin Yi with a faint smile and said, "This girl says she’s your daughter."

As soon as she asked, the courtyard fell silent, everyone was watching Tang Shigong’s reaction.

He seemed taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "How come I didn’t know the lady has given me another daughter?" His eyes, however, gathered sharpness.

The hope in Xin Yi’s eyes instantly faded: "Father..."

Tang Shigong glanced at her and said with a faint smile: "Did I not make myself clear? I, Tang Shigong, in my life, have fathered only Tang Jiaojiao and Tang Xiaobai—"

"This young lady, is she mistaken in identity, or intentionally trying to ruin my reputation and destroy my family?"

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In the previous Chapter, it seemed someone scolded Gu Ning? No need for that, Gu Ning is not a good person! Don’t misunderstand!