"I've already thought about this," Gu Qian said, a smile returning to his mind.

"Yan Yan, if we have a daughter, we'll name her Gu Qingyue; the second daughter, Gu Qingyu; the third daughter, Gu Qinghua; and the fourth daughter..."

"Stop!" Qiu Yan chuckled. Had she stirred up a hornet's nest?

What if it's a son?

"Yan Yan, I haven't finished speaking yet. Of course, I've already thought of names for our sons. If we have a son, the eldest will be named Gu Chengyin, the second Gu Chengluo, and the third Gu Chengyun..."

"Gu Qian!" Qiu Yan interrupted Gu Qian again.

"Go give birth yourself next time." Is he planning to have a whole bunch of babies for him?

Qiu Yan was still thinking about doing business properly.

Recently, due to her business dealings with His Majesty, she has been in close contact with the Imperial Concubine.

Although Gu Qian did all the errands, she was still mentally exhausted.

"Of course I'll give birth myself, but I'll need my wife's cooperation." Gu Qian smiled gently.

He wanted to say that he had thought of more than just names for his daughter and son.

If Yan Yan is willing, he wouldn't mind having too much.

A house only becomes lively when there are children.

"You're going to exhaust me." Qiu Yan squinted and leaned against Gu Qian's shoulder, savoring the brief silence.

Time flows like water; she wants to experience the present moment and remember this time.

Memories are always beautiful.

And at this moment

After Gu Qian and Qiu Yan left Bihu Villa, Duan Yi walked alone along the riverbank, seemingly searching for the way home.

Wherever they went,

His former colleagues treated him like a stranger when they saw him.

What they see most is mockery.

"Have you heard? His Majesty will no longer employ prime ministers from now on?" These words came from the noble lady.

"Of course I've heard about such a momentous event. Prime Minister Duan is certainly worthy of being recorded in history." A sarcastic remark came from another woman.

"..."

Various, various

Duan Yi heard everything.

Duan Yi walked along the lake little by little.

The sarcastic words whispering in his ears were like a chilling autumn wind, sweeping past and tearing his already broken heart to shreds.

In the end, it turned into a pile of rubble.

Submerged in the vast lake...

Even now, the insults and mockery continue unabated...

"What Prime Minister Duan? If we're talking about Duan Yi, he deserves it! All these years he's held an important position, but he hasn't done anything. Everything is controlled by the Prince of Qin. He's just a figurehead." Another lady chimed in sarcastically.

"What do you mean, 'the King of Qin is in control'? Isn't the King of Qin controlled by His Majesty? Neither of those two—father-in-law and son-in-law—are good people!" an official who had been suppressed by the King of Qin for many years said bitterly.

"Tsk tsk tsk, the Qin and Duan families deserve to have come to this point." Another commoner who had been exploited by the King of Qin said, spitting on the ground as he spoke.

"Yes, he deserves it. Even his own son doesn't acknowledge him. It shows how much of a failure he is in life," a candied hawthorn vendor nearby chimed in.

"..."

"..."

When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down.

Duan Yi was filled with grief and indignation.

Back then, who didn't treat him with utmost respect when they met him?

Now that he has fallen from power, and his own son no longer acknowledges him, everyone is looking to kick him while he's down.

A surge of intense grief and indignation erupted from his chest.

He was indignant and wanted to confront His Majesty directly, asking why he was being treated this way.

But he didn't dare; he didn't have the courage to ask.

They had no choice but to swallow their pride and bear it.

If Gu Qian were willing to acknowledge him, that would be wonderful; then His Majesty wouldn't treat him this way.

No one else would dare to humiliate him like that.

He, Duan Yi, was born with the help of his parents, got married with the help of his wife, and now wants to rely on his children for the rest of his life.

But I can't rely on it.

Gu Qian is unreliable.

Duan Xiu has no serious business to attend to. If things continue like this, he won't even be able to support himself, and he won't be able to rely on anyone else.

As for Duan Tianzhang, he's even less likely to be trusted.

They had hoped that Zhang'er would marry into a good family, which would then be of some help to the Duan family.

It's obvious that it's impossible.

With the Duan family fallen, who would still be willing to marry Zhang'er, a once prestigious and powerful family?

Gradually, Duan Yi was submerged in the calm lake water...

……………………

"Big brother, big brother..." Suddenly, Duan Xiu's urgent shouts came from behind the carriage where Qiu Yan and Gu Qian were.

Gu Qian hurriedly stopped the carriage.

Qiu Yan lifted the curtain to look and saw Duan Xiu running after her at full speed.

He was panting heavily, and his forehead was covered with beads of sweat.

Qiu Yan asked, "What's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

“It’s my father, he…” Duan Xiu looked at Gu Qian and his wife, too ashamed to speak.

At this moment, Gu Qian had already alighted from the carriage and was facing Duan Xiu's anxious expression.

"If it's for his sake, then don't say anything. Just leave. I don't want to know anything about him!"

Duan Xiu clenched his fists, paused briefly to catch his breath, and glanced discreetly at Gu Qian, who had already alighted from the carriage. Seeing that Gu Qian's expression remained unchanged, he said dejectedly:

"Father is dying..."

"...?" Weren't they just fine a moment ago? Qiu Yan looked at Gu Qian in confusion.

But he appeared calm and composed, though his eyes seemed slightly somber.

"Drowning in the lake to commit suicide!" Duan Xiu closed his eyes; those four simple words deeply tugged at his heartstrings.

Qiu Yan sighed, thankfully Gu Qian didn't inherit Duan Yi's temperament.

As the saying goes, a prime minister's belly can hold a boat, but this Duan Yi truly has no sense of responsibility whatsoever.

Gu Qian remained silent, his indifferent expression even colder than that of a stranger.

Duan Xiu was really anxious, and seeing that Gu Qian didn't press for details, he directly explained the reason:

"His Majesty dismissed Father from his official post and stripped him of all his real power. Father is now just an ordinary commoner. In addition, my elder brother... my elder brother ignores Father. People praise the powerful and belittle the weak, so they say Father is worthless. Father couldn't bear the blow of being dismissed from office and chose to take his own life."

Gu Qian... of course he guessed the reason.

He truly didn't know how to judge Duan Yi, the man who had once given him life.

Seeing that Gu Qian remained silent, Duan Xiu felt a pang of sorrow, as if a thousand ants were gnawing at his heart.

"Brother, if you don't acknowledge him, so be it. At least look at him once." He turned to look at Qiu Yan, and suddenly his eyes lit up.

"Sister-in-law, please save my father. Perhaps he can still live. Please, please save him."

For his father's sake, the seven-foot-tall man lifted his robes in front of Qiu Yan in public and knelt down.

Without hesitation, Qiu Yan...

In fact, the entire speaking process took only a moment.

Qiu Yan looked at the driver.

"Turn around."

She could have ignored it.

However, even if it was a stranger, she didn't want to stand by and watch someone die.

What's more, this person is Gu Qian's biological father.

She wanted to use this to make Gu Qian's heart no longer hold any trace of that inexplicable feeling from the depths of his heart.

A sense of oppression.

I hope she can do it.

The coachman respectfully complied.

At this moment, Gu Qian was still standing under the carriage, in front of Duan Xiu.

He frowned as he looked at Duan Xiu.

"I'm not your elder brother, and she's not your sister-in-law. Besides, didn't you see that my wife has difficulty moving around?" Gu Qian said coldly, making Duan Xiu impatient.

"Father is dying..." He knelt on the ground, his voice filled with sorrow and intense unease.

"Brother, Father is dying. Please, please go see him."

Seeing that Gu Qian remained silent, Duan Xiu earnestly said again:

“Brother, Father already knew he was wrong. Even if you don’t acknowledge him, at least go see him one last time before he passes away.”

...At this very moment, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered at a certain spot on the lake.

In the crowd, Duan Yizheng lay on the ground, soaking wet and lifeless.

Qiu Yan got off the carriage and immediately stepped forward.

He took a closer look at Duan Yi, then waved to the crowd.

"Everyone, disperse."

However, the crowd, driven by their love of gossip and eager for drama, refused to leave.

Qiu Yan disregarded everything else, checked on Duan Yi, and found that his heart had stopped beating. Then, with her pregnant belly, she half-squatted beside Duan Yi and instructed Duan Xiu, who had rushed over, to quickly remove the mud and sand from Duan Yi's mouth.

Duan Xiu did as instructed.

Then, Qiu Yan pressed her hands onto Duan Yi's chest as quickly as possible.

After several attempts to press, Duan Xiang showed no reaction...

After pressing and pressing several more times, and completing a series of operations,

Qiu Yan's entire process was smooth and effortless.

Finally, Duan Yi coughed up a mouthful of lake water.

He slowly opened his eyes...

This scene left everyone around speechless.

Duan Xiu was moved to tears.

He had assumed his father was already a cold corpse.

His plea to Qiu Yan just now, in fact, didn't hold much hope.

Surprisingly, she actually did it.

He was extremely grateful to Qiu Yan.

"Father, why did you do this?" Duan Xiu held Duan Yi's body, weeping uncontrollably.

"Without status and position, what's the point of my father living?" Duan Yi woke up, but was still unwilling to accept it.

"What about me? What about my sister? Don't you want any of that?" Duan Xiu faced his father, hating his incompetence and weakness.

In the blink of an eye, he saw the people beside him still looking down at the spectacle, whispering and making sarcastic remarks. He was furious.

A stern voice,

"Disperse!"

Seeing Duan Xiu's anger, the common people finally gave up on gossiping and scattered like birds and beasts.

Only one person remained unmoved.

At this moment, Duan Yi's eyes were also fixed on Gu Qian.

"Qian'er, you've finally forgiven your father, haven't you?"

Duan Yi knew that without Gu Qian, he would have nothing left.

Faced with Duan Yi's earnest gaze, Gu Qian shook his head deeply.

"So what if you're dismissed from your post? So what if you're ridiculed? You can't even handle that? You're not afraid of death, what else is there to be afraid of?"

"This is less than a tenth of what I experienced in my childhood!"

"At least, I didn't take your life. At least, you can choose to live peacefully in another way!"

"And as a child, I was sentenced to death by you!"

His investigation revealed that Qin Hui's throwing knife skills were taught by Duan Xiu.

Because of the Qin family, the Duan family was indirectly involved in the murder of the crown prince.

Duan Yi felt deeply ashamed after hearing Gu Qian's words.

However, his focus remains on:

"Qian'er, you've finally acknowledged your father, haven't you?"

“You’re overthinking it,” Gu Qian shook his head again. “If the previous separation didn’t make you give up, then now, my wife has repaid your debt of giving birth to me.”

Duan Yi burst into tears instantly...

Gu Qian didn't want to see him like this.

"Cheer up, start anew, and make a fresh start. It's not too late."

After saying this, he took Qiu Yan's wrist and got back into the carriage to go home.

Gu Qian was never a vengeful person, but a scene from his childhood was too unforgettable.

He wanted to forget, but that painful experience remained vivid in his mind, like a malignant tumor, deeply etched in his heart, impossible to erase...

The entire process of Gu Qian and Qiu Yan leaving,

Duan Yi stared blankly at the silhouette of the carriage.

Only when he could no longer see his shadow did he begin to murmur.

"Alright, alright, Qian'er, thank you, Father."

Gu Qian is right.

He could choose another way: to live peacefully.

He also has Xiu'er, and in the future, he hopes to be able to enjoy the company of his family.

"Xiu'er, let's leave Shangjin, let's leave this place..."

Duan Xiu shook his head: "Father, where can we go if we leave Shangjin? We'll be homeless if we leave here."

...

This morning, right after breakfast,

Carrying packages of various sizes, Qiu Xu, accompanied by Gu Qian, headed towards the Sun residence.

Qiu Xu chose this time because he had inquired and found that Minister Sun was definitely at home at this moment.

He ate his meal half an hour early in preparation for the marriage proposal, just in case he didn't meet his future father-in-law when he arrived at the Sun residence.

Moreover, he specifically informed the Ministry of War today that he would be arriving a little later, so there would be no delay in terms of time.

Behind Gu Qian and Qiu Xu followed a group of followers.

The attendants all carried gifts of various sizes on their shoulders.

Beside you was a matchmaker, who appeared to be around forty years old, dressed in brocade and wearing a bright red flower in her hair.

The matchmaker beamed with joy, making no attempt to hide her happiness; her mouth stretched to the back of her ears.

Beside her were General Gu and the newly appointed top scholar.

This marriage is definitely a done deal.

Soon, they arrived at the Sun residence.

Thinking of Madam Sun, Qiu Xu hesitated outside, suddenly feeling a sense of fear.

Gu Qian noticed Qiu Xu's unease and couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Ah Xu, it's alright. Your senior brother is here, so there's no need to be nervous."

"Senior brother, I'm not nervous." Qiu Xu stubbornly insisted, forcing himself to walk towards the gate of the Sun residence.

Then, he clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute to the gatekeeper and said:

"Please inform them that Qiu Xu requests an audience."

"Your Highness, Young Master Qiu, please come in!" The gatekeeper, seeing Gu Qian, dared not be negligent.

Without even announcing it, they had already led the two into the Sun family compound.

Immediately, the guard whispered to another guard beside him, and that guard quickly ran away.

Soon, Minister Sun, Madam Sun, and Sun Wan appeared together and walked towards each other.

Minister Sun stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "I was unaware that the Prince of Zhenbei had come from afar. I apologize for any rudeness I may have displayed."

Beside him, Madam Sun and Sun Wan also bent down.

At this moment, Madam Sun's eyes were fixed on Qiu Xu.

He actually went to the trouble of asking the Prince of Zhenbei to accompany him in proposing marriage? It seems the Prince of Zhenbei truly loves his princess.

Madam Sun's gaze made Qiu Xu feel slightly uncomfortable, and he respectfully clasped his hands in greeting.

Sun Wan and Qiu Xu exchanged glances, their hearts pounding, and their faces gradually flushed red.

Her shy demeanor made Qiu Xu chuckle indifferently.

But when he met Madam Sun's gaze, his smile vanished abruptly, and he couldn't help but secretly back away.

To be honest, he was intimidated by Madam Sun.

"Lord Sun, Madam Sun." Gu Qian returned the greeting with clasped hands, his polite words expressing his respect for Minister Sun.

Minister Sun and his wife smiled obsequiously, while Sun Wan kept her head down, looking extremely shy.

The matchmaker cleared her throat, about to improvise, when Gu Qian said:

"I have come to your esteemed residence today because I have heard that your daughter is gentle, virtuous, knowledgeable, and reasonable."

"Today, the young master Qiu has prepared a small gift to propose marriage to the young lady of your household. He hopes that our two families will become close through marriage, visit each other frequently, and happily unite in marriage, with our affection growing stronger over time."