The room's door was closed, and the old Duke listened to Zhou Gu's retreating footsteps and sighed deeply. He felt a hint of regret. Back when Princess Zhenmin had approached him, he shouldn't have chosen Zhou Gu, the legitimate son, out of consideration for Zhenmin's peace of mind. Instead, he should have chosen Zhou Che, the third son born out of wedlock. If Zhou Che had been the one, Su Rong would not have cancelled the marriage, and Zhou Che would never have reacted the same way as Zhou Gu.
At least Zhou Che wasn't stubborn to a fault.
After leaving the old Duke's study, Zhou Gu went to the courtyard of the eldest Princess Sheng An.
Usually, at this time of day, Princess Sheng An would be bustling about tending to her flowers, but today she wasn't. Instead, she was talking to her wet nurse. When she spotted Zhou Gu, she greeted him with a smile: "What brings you here at this time?"