Yun Xiangye, while boating on a spring day, lost her footing and fell into the lake. She was rescued by Gu Yan, a wealthy young master who was recuperating in Jiangnan.
To repay his great kin...
Gu Yan's face darkened and he asked, "Divorce?"
Yun Xiangye said, "Yes, divorce. Nuonuo has my surname and is the daughter of my Yun family. You come from such a wealthy family, so I'm sure you will have children in the future. Nuonuo will be mine."
Yun Xiangye's parents died early, leaving only her and her younger sister. Before Yun Xiangye married Gu Yan, she told Gu Yan's uncle that no matter whether the first child she and Gu Yan had in the future was a boy or a girl, the first child would have the surname Yun, and Nuonuo would be her child of the Yun family.
Gu Yan's face was livid. "How have I wronged you? Why are you asking for a divorce just as we're about to reach Chang'an?"
Yun Xiangye said, "I didn't know you were the son of the eldest princess and the prime minister. Your family's threshold is really too high. Nuonuo and I are of humble origins and cannot enter your noble family compound."
Gu Yan's face was displeased. "You are my wife, and Nuonuo is my daughter. How can you say that she is of humble origin?"
Yun Xiangye raised her voice, "If you don't think I'm of humble origin, then why haven't you told me your identity even after almost three years of marriage? Do you ever consider me your wife? Why wouldn't you even tell me something as important as this?"
Gu Yan frowned slightly and said, "You're marrying me, not my parents. It's enough for you to know me. What does my background have to do with it?"
Yun Xiangye just found it funny and said angrily, "How can it not matter? Unless in your heart, your parents are not my parents, then it doesn't matter at all!"
"Mother."
It was the first time that Nuonuo saw her parents quarreling. She threw herself into Yun Xiangye's arms in fear and said, "Mom."
Yun Xiangye frowned, picked up Nuonuo and went out of the cabin. She didn't want to quarrel with Gu Yan in front of her daughter, but it was really hard for her to accept Gu Yan's life experience for a while.
If Gu Yan had told her about this earlier, she would have had a plan in mind and learned the rules of the princess's mansion sooner, but Gu Yan only told her about his distinguished background at this moment.
Gu Yan married me because he was seriously ill and had no choice but to find me to bring him good luck. In his heart, he didn't care about me at all, so he didn't care about her situation in her husband's family.
Gu Yan walked out of the door and looked at Yun Xiangye on the deck. He said, "If I looked down on your low status, how could I have consummated my marriage with you? Don't overthink it. My parents are both very good people. They won't look down on you. The threshold to our house is actually not high. You can just step over it and get in."
"If you feel the threshold is too high to cross, I will carry you over it."
Yun Xiangye listened to Gu Yan's words and looked into his eyes, unable to hide her anger: "Why didn't you tell me your identity earlier?"
"Isn't it the same whether you say it early or late?" Gu Yan said.
Yun Xiangye frowned: "How can it be the same?"
"Mother, Father."
Seeing her little daughter's frightened look, Yun Xiangye stopped arguing with Gu Yan and just breathed a sigh of relief.
The ship gradually headed west, and from afar, the surrounding cities could already be seen. It was only two or three hours away from the Chang'an City Pier.
Gu Yan actually only told me his background today. He really didn't take me seriously, let alone consider me as his wife...
The sun rose higher and higher in the east, and Yun Xiangye asked her maid Arun to help her dress up.
Yun Xiangye looked at herself in the mirror of her dressing table and put on her few hair accessories.
Yun Xiangye looked at herself in the bronze mirror, unable to hide her anger. Gu Yan didn't take her seriously at all, and she didn't know how she would live in Chang'an in the future.
Yun Xiangye asked Run'er to guard the cabin door and carefully sewed five silver bills worth one hundred taels into her clothes. These five hundred taels of silver were all her savings.
If Gu Yanzhen betrayed her and she really couldn't make ends meet in Chang'an City, she could just take her savings and return to the embroidery workshop in Yongxing City. It wouldn't be difficult for her and her daughter to have enough food and clothing.
After Yun Xiangye hid the silver, she felt the boat gradually slowing down.
The sounds of boat trackers shouting could be heard from all around.
Yun Xiangye went out and onto the deck, looking into the distance. She found that they had already arrived at Chang'an City.
Gu Yan looked out at the crowd on the dock in the distance, chuckled softly at his daughter in his arms, and said, "Nuonuo, let's go home."
Yun Xiangye was also looking at the dock from afar, and saw many luxurious carriages parked there.
Gu Yan turned around and saw Yun Xiangye combing her hair. He smiled softly, "We're home."
Yun Xiangye followed Gu Yan off the boat. As soon as they arrived at the dock, Yun Xiangye saw a girl about fourteen or fifteen years old running towards Gu Yan.
When the little girl was in front of Gu Yan, she took Nuonuo from Gu Yan's arms and said, "Little Nuonuo? You must be Nuonuo, right? I am your aunt!"
Gu Yan said to Yun Xiangye who was standing beside him, "This is my sister Jingyu, she is sixteen years old this year."
Gu Jingyu held the little baby in her arms, looked up at Yun Xiangye's appearance, knelt down and bowed, saying, "Sister-in-law."
Yun Xiangye looked at Gu Yan. Gu Yan had never mentioned that he had a sister. She didn't even prepare a gift, so she could only say with her bare hands, "Sister."
"cousin."
A gentle voice was heard, and a woman wearing a silver fox coat came over behind Gu Jingyu.
"Cousin, you are finally back."
Yun Xiangye looked over and saw that the woman who came was beautiful, with red lips, white teeth, and skin as white as jade. She had an air of nobility about her. She called Gu Yan "cousin", so she must be a lady from a wealthy and noble family.
Gu Yan nodded towards the woman who came over: "Cousin Wei."
Wei Xi looked at Yun Xiangye's attire and appearance beside Gu Yan, a look of surprise on her face, then she suddenly smiled, "Is this Miss Yun?"
Yun Xiangye found it ridiculous to hear what the woman in front of him said. This cousin called Gu Yan "cousin" but not her "cousin-in-law". Instead, she called herself "Miss Yun"?
"Yan'er!"
A beautiful woman dressed in rich clothes came beside the carriage.
Gu Yan hurried forward and knelt before the woman in brocade clothes. "Mother, I am unfilial. I have been away for three years and have only just returned."
Yun Xiangye looked at Princess Sheng Zhao. She had seen the princess once when she was young. At that time, she thought the princess was extremely beautiful. Now, more than ten years have passed, and time does not seem to have left too many marks on Princess Sheng Zhao.
Princess Sheng Zhao, who is in her early forties, still looks like she is in her thirties. She is as beautiful as a fairy and looks like Gu Yan's sister.
The man beside the eldest princess was dressed in a purple robe and was also extremely handsome. He looked to be in his early thirties...
Princess Sheng Zhao helped Gu Yan up, held his hand and said, "I'm glad you're back. It's been three years, and you're finally back."
"Mom, Nuonuo was still young before, so it was not suitable for us to travel quickly, so..."
Princess Sheng Zhao chuckled and said, "The child is still young, so it's not appropriate to rush. By the way, where is Xiangye? Why can't I see Xiangye?"
Princess Sheng Zhao looked behind Gu Yan and saw only Gu Jingyu holding a little girl in her arms, but no sign of her daughter-in-law.
When Yun Xiangye heard the princess ask this, she was stunned. Didn’t the princess see her?