Gu Changwei's expression was grim. In the early years, his relationship with his sister had been good, but later, due to Ning Wan, a rift formed between them. His sister disliked Ning Wan, deeming her unfit to be the Duchess. Gu Changwei always believed it was his sister who had poisoned their mother's mind against Ning Wan. Later, his mother, going against his wishes, arranged his marriage to Qin Tingxue, which caused Ning Wan to become heartbroken and her health to deteriorate, leaving him and Siya.
Therefore, Gu Changwei harbored resentment.
Furthermore, because of Ning Wan, his sister disliked Siya, which he couldn't comprehend. Siya was willing to be close to her, and Siya was his blood. Why couldn't she treat Siya the same way she treated Si Nian?
Adding to this, his repeated pleas for her to establish a new heir were rejected. This also caused the Emperor to stall the matter, fueling Gu Changwei's dissatisfaction. While not to the point of irreconcilable differences, it had reached a point of unforgiveness.
This was also a significant reason why he was willing to support Li An. Li An lacked a strong power base, so he would naturally rely on Gu Changwei's support in his bid for the throne. Once successful, Gu Changwei would be the greatest contributor, the Duke's mansion would undoubtedly be elevated to a princely estate, and he would become a prince of a different surname. Siya would then also achieve her wish of becoming the heir.
Recalling his thoughts, Gu Changwei said coldly, "I understand."
Gu Si Nian was accustomed to Gu Changwei's and his mother's indifferent attitude. Since the situation was already beyond repair, what else was there to care about?
Gu Si Nian paid a perfunctory bow and left Gu Changwei's study.
Gu Changwei sent for Gu Siya. "The Noble Consort wishes to visit home. The timing is sudden. Does Li An have any explanation for this?"
Gu Siya shook her head. "No, everything is as usual. This time, it's not just the Noble Consort visiting home; the Four Consorts and the Empress can all return to visit their families. Perhaps my aunt missed Grandmother and requested it from His Majesty. His Majesty, being fair, allowed all the consorts to return home for visits?"
"Since His Majesty ascended the throne, among the imperial consorts, only the Empress has been allowed to return home for visits. Your father feels something is amiss!" Gu Changwei frowned. "Send someone to inquire about the details. The First Prince is Li An's formidable rival. The Second Prince is backed by the Lu family, the foremost among the civil officials. Moreover, the Lu family has stood for a century and is an established noble clan! He also holds the position of the legitimate son!"
Gu Siya acknowledged his words and withdrew from the study.
Gu Changwei's furrowed brow never relaxed. If the Noble Consort had treated Siya kindly, why would he seek help from afar? He observed the First Prince's literary and martial talents and, frankly, he was indeed a promising candidate for emperorship. The problem was that neither the Noble Consort nor the First Prince thought highly of Siya. In their eyes, only Gu Si Nian mattered.
In that case, why should he support him? Would that not make Gu Si Nian's status even more prominent and further suppress Siya? This was something he absolutely could not accept! Back then, he had promised Ning Wan that he would take good care of Siya and give him the best. But the result...
Gu Changwei felt guilty. For so many years, he had let Siya suffer grievances. How could he face Ning Wan with any dignity in the future? Fortune favors the bold; he had to take a gamble! To secure a bright future for Siya!
With this thought, Gu Changwei's gaze grew more resolute.
By the time Gu Si Nian returned to his courtyard, he had already composed himself. He cheerfully discussed the matter of Noble Consort An's visit home with Qi Zhenzhen. Hearing that Noble Consort An would be staying for a few days, Qi Zhenzhen was also quite pleased. Upon hearing that Emperor Chongwen would also be staying incognito, Qi Zhenzhen nervously grasped Gu Si Nian's hand. "A Nian, could something go wrong?"