Chapter 265: The Powerful Gu Family Elders
A lingering sense of dread hung over Sheng Wanyan. She placed a protective hand on her swollen belly, her eyes reflecting the fierce, unshakeable determination of a mother.
“Don’t worry, little one. Mommy won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Because the military operated under its own rigid set of laws, there was no legal way to make Liang Qian vanish from the compound forever. But if Liang Qian thought she was the only one with powerful connections, she was dead wrong. Sheng Wanyan had a formidable background of her own.
After finishing her lunch, Sheng Wanyan led Maodou out to the regiment’s telecommunications office to place a call to the Gu family residence in the Capital. She was carrying the next generation of the Gu bloodline; there was absolutely no shame in calling upon her in-laws for backup.
While she knew all phone lines within the military base were monitored, she wasn’t about to leak any classified state secrets. She was simply making a much-needed complaint to her family.
The line rang a few times before someone picked up. It was the family’s live-in housekeeper.
“Auntie Lin, it’s Wanyan. Are Grandpa and Grandma at home?”
“Wanyan! Yes, the Old General and the Old Lady are both right here.”
Grandpa and Grandma Gu had just finished their midday meal, meaning Sheng Wanyan had timed her call perfectly. The moment the elderly couple heard that their third grandson’s wife was on the line, they couldn’t sit still. Grandma Gu practically lunged forward, snatching the receiver from Auntie Lin’s hand, her voice overflowing with affection.
“Yan’er, sweetheart, how are you? Is everything alright?” Grandma Gu asked warmly. “Has Tingxiao already deployed on his mission?”
Hearing the familiar, doting voice of her grandmother-in-law, Sheng Wanyan felt a massive wave of relief wash over her. She answered meekly, “Yes, Grandma. Tingxiao left for his deployment just a little while ago. My health is perfectly fine.”
Grandma Gu’s sharp ears caught a subtle tremor in the girl’s tone. Why did the child sound so terribly aggrieved?
“Yan’er, tell me the truth. What happened?” Grandma Gu’s tone sharpened with maternal protectiveness. “Have you been crying? Did someone dare to bully you?”
Beside her, Grandpa Gu pricked up his ears, leaning in close to catch every word of the conversation.
“Grandma, I’m really fine…”
“Don’t give me that,” Grandma Gu chided gently, refusing to buy the evasion. Young people nowadays always preferred to report only good news while hiding the bad—especially the sweet girl married into their third branch. “Tell your grandma exactly what happened this morning! I’ll personally ensure justice is served!”
Sheng Wanyan couldn’t help but smile at Grandma Gu’s fierce, commanding tone. In truth, this was precisely why she had placed the call; she needed the unyielding shield of her husband’s family. Adopting a soft, shaken voice, she recounted the entire morning’s ordeal.
“SHE TRIED TO PUSH YOU?!”
Grandma Gu’s voice spiked several octaves, her temper exploding instantly. Confounded lunacy!
Hearing that, Grandpa Gu bolted upright, marching right over to press his ear against the receiver, his face tightening with concern.
“Are you and the baby alright? Tell me, Yan’er, did the child suffer any harm?” Grandma Gu demanded frantically.
“Grandma, I promise we are both unharmed. I was just terribly frightened,” Sheng Wanyan reassured her repeatedly. “Maodou shielded me from her, so the baby and I are completely fine.”
Only after hearing those explicit assurances did Grandma Gu let out a long, shuddering breath. As long as the mother and child were safe, nothing else mattered.
“And you say this lunatic is Chief of Staff Liang’s daughter?” Grandma Gu asked, her voice dripping with cold disdain.
“Yes. But Chief of Staff Liang disowned her in front of the entire lane this morning.”
Grandma Gu let out a sharp, mocking scoff. “Bah! That Liang fellow certainly knows how to move fast. The moment his daughter creates a catastrophic mess, he immediately cuts her loose to shield the rest of the Liang family from political fallout. If it weren’t for the toxic environment of the Liang household, would Liang Qian ever have grown bold enough to assault a pregnant woman?”
Grandma Gu held nothing but contempt for the Liang family for raising such a menace, only to discard her like a cheap pawn the moment her behavior backfired.
“Grandma, I’m genuinely afraid to step foot outside my courtyard now,” Sheng Wanyan whispered, playing up her vulnerability. “With Tingxiao away on duty, I’m terrified of what might happen. Once Liang Qian is released from detention, I fear…”
She didn’t need to elaborate on her fears; Grandma Gu understood the implications perfectly.
Grandma Gu shot a meaningful look at her husband. Ultimately, the military tribunal had to handle Liang Qian’s disciplinary action according to strict standard regulations. Grandpa Gu was a man of absolute integrity who had never once abused his legendary status to bypass military law.
However, applying massive administrative pressure to ensure the law was executed to its absolute, harshest limit? That was well within his power.
Sheng Wanyan had no intention of asking her grandfather-in-law to break any rules. She simply wanted him to deliver a thorough, unforgettable lesson to both the Liang and Du households. Left to his own devices, Chief of Staff Liang would undoubtedly pull strings behind the scenes to get his daughter out of detention as quickly as possible.
Grandpa Gu reached over and firmly took the receiver from his wife’s hand. “Wanyan, leave this matter entirely to me,” his deep, authoritative voice boomed over the line. “Rest assured, you will not endure this injustice in silence. You are the granddaughter-in-law of Gu Ronglong! I will never allow anyone to trample over a member of my household!”
Hearing his unshakeable vow, Sheng Wanyan nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Grandpa. I trust you completely.”
Still, Grandpa and Grandma Gu couldn’t shake their anxieties about her being left alone in the distant northern base, despite knowing her maternal grandparents lived just across the lane. At their advanced age, the elderly Sheng couple simply lacked the raw political and physical leverage to completely shield her from calculated malice—especially now that she was a member of the prominent Gu lineage.
“I’m going to arrange for your mother to pack her bags and head down to take care of you,” Grandpa Gu decided.
Sheng Wanyan hesitated, realizing the logistical strain that might cause. “Would that be alright, Grandpa? Won’t it be difficult for Mom to secure such a long leave of absence from her unit? Besides, Tingying’s wedding is coming up soon.”
Gu Tingxiao’s sister was scheduled to marry in July, and Mother Gu held a highly specialized, sensitive position within her own department.
“Do not lose sleep over her schedule. I will personally oversee the administrative arrangements for your mother’s leave,” Grandpa Gu countered smoothly. “You are heavily pregnant, and this crisis erupted the moment Tingxiao deployed. The entire family is deeply worried about you. Once Tingying’s wedding concludes, your father and the rest of the family will join her. These minor disturbances will be sorted out in no time.”
Recognizing that the family patriarch had made up his mind, Sheng Wanyan didn’t argue further. Since Grandpa Gu was taking the reins, she would simply wait for their arrival.
“Take exceptional care of yourself over the next few weeks. Keep your excursions to an absolute minimum,” Grandpa Gu commanded. Now that a threat like Liang Qian had emerged, he was terrified of a second security breach.
“I understand, Grandpa. I’ll stay inside.”
Seeing that her husband was done issuing commands, Grandma Gu swiftly snatched the receiver back, lingering on the line for several more minutes to offer her own doting reminders.
“Yan’er, you must prioritize your health! If I had known life at the base would be this volatile, I would never have allowed you to leave the Capital. I should have kept you right here under my wing. Keep your doors locked until your mother arrives, do you hear me?”
Sheng Wanyan answered every one of Grandma Gu’s instructions with sweet, obedient compliance. Checking the clock on the wall and realizing they had been speaking for quite some time, she politely brought the conversation to a close and hung up.
As she stepped out of the private booth, the young soldier on duty stared at her, his mouth falling open. He looked as though he wanted to speak but couldn’t find the courage to utter a sound.
Had he really just heard the name General Gu Ronglong mentioned?!
There wasn’t a second legendary figure by that name in the entire capital. A wave of pure shock crashed over the young guard as an incredible secret revealed itself: Captain Gu Tingxiao was actually the biological grandson of the Supreme Commander himself!
Good heavens!
The soldier silently lit a candle for Chief of Staff Liang in his heart, praying the man’s career could somehow survive the impending, cataclysmic fury of the Gu family empire.
Meanwhile, back in the Gu residence in the Capital:
Grandma Gu set the receiver down, her face drawn with a deep, lingering worry as she turned to her husband. “This is truly monstrous! We are fortunate that Wanyan belongs to our household, meaning we can step in and shield her from this malice. But what about the ordinary dependents who lack a powerful background? Are they simply meant to be bullied to death by these corrupt officials’ children?”
Grandma Gu’s sharp, principled words left both Grandpa Gu and the personal guards in the room looking thoroughly grim. It was a harsh, undeniable reality of the era.
Grandpa Gu turned to his trusted chief of security, Uncle Hu. “Call my son immediately. Relay every detail of this incident to him.”
He intended to apply immense, unyielding pressure on the military tribunal to ensure Liang Qian’s punishment was maximized to the absolute limit of martial law. Furthermore, the entitled, corrupt atmosphere festering within that specific northern regiment required a severe, ruthless rectification.
Later that afternoon, a high-priority call from the high command reached the northern base. Political Commissar Xie was so thoroughly terrified by the identity of the caller that his hands shook as he held the receiver.
As General Gu Ronglong’s furious, thunderous roars vibrated through the earpiece, the political commissar could only stand rigidly at attention, wincing as he repeatedly rubbed his ringing ears.
