Enemy

Gu Yu sighed regretfully. She didn't have the patience to wait. Even if Emperor Shengyuan wanted to settle scores with those people, would they just sit and wait to die?

I'm afraid it will all just be a show in the end.

The Sun faction has been deeply rooted in the court for decades, and its roots are as intricate and complex as a towering tree. Emperor Shengyuan may not be willing to carry out a bloodbath in the court.

Emperor Shengyuan was unwilling, but she was determined to do it. No matter how many years it took or what price she had to pay, she would drag all these people down to hell.

Ashes swirled with snowflakes, blurring the boundary between heaven and earth. Gu Yu reached out and caught a piece of scorching ash, letting it burn her palm.

By the time Tang Qingning's body had been burned to ashes, it was already getting dark.

Because he was tied up with military affairs, Gu Jin left only Yuan Jing to protect Gu Yu, and took a fine horse that was pulling the carriage, and galloped towards the military camp through the snow.

Gu Yu slowly squatted down, scooped up a handful of still-warm ashes with her delicate hands, and carefully wrapped them in a plain white silk handkerchief.

"Yuanjing, do you think all the women in those brothels are promiscuous?" Her voice was slightly blurred by the wind, but every word was clear.

Yuan Jing's gaze swept over the swirling ashes on the snow. "They're all pitiful people. If they had a choice, who would willingly debase themselves in prostitution?"

As Gu Yu watched the last spark disappear into the snow, the frost on her eyelashes trembled slightly. "There are too many pitiful people in the world... and women are the most pitiful and lamentable of all."

The north wind swept through the woods, carrying snowflakes that made her plain cloak flutter in the wind, the gold-embroidered lotus pattern flickering in the twilight.

When the carriage reached Chongrenfang, it was completely unable to move.

Everywhere you look, there are scholars in blue robes and belts, holding poems and essays, lingering in front of the residences of various ministers. The snow reflects countless ambitious faces, and the jade pendants at their waists jingle as they jostle.

"...Now that the snow has stopped, many scholars who are preparing for the imperial examinations have come to visit the officials' homes. I'm afraid we won't be able to get through here." Yuan Jing gripped the reins tightly, his face filled with worry.

"There are only a few steps left, let's walk back. We'll leave the carriage in the alley and send someone to drive it back later."

Gu Yu lifted the curtain and got off the carriage. There was only a narrow path ahead, and everyone was carrying their own documents to and from the various officials' residences.

This was a common practice in the imperial examinations in Shengjing. The examinations were not conducted anonymously, so before the examinations, scholars would bring their poems and essays to the officials in the capital who might serve as examiners, in order to become familiar with the examiners.

Because there were many people, Yuan Jing walked in front of Gu Yu to clear a path for her, in order to prevent anyone from accidentally bumping into Gu Yu.

They had only walked a few steps when they saw a mansion ahead that was unusually lively, with the mansion's steward surrounded by a group of people.

"Whose residence is that?"

“Miss, that’s Guan Yiyun’s residence.” Yuan Jing lowered his voice and gestured for her to look at the mansion with the vermilion gate and the plaque that read “Guan Residence”.

A steward dressed in a silk robe was glaring at Shi Wen, his copper keychain jingling as it hung from his waist.

"Master Guan is not at home today. Please come again tomorrow if you have any business to discuss."

The person in charge tilted his head slightly and looked at the scholars with disdain.

"Steward Xu, I have brought all the documents with me. May I trouble you to help me present them to Lord Guan?"

The man respectfully presented the book to Xu Huaixiu with both hands, but Manager Xu showed no intention of accepting it.

"I'm sorry, Master Guan said he's been busy lately and doesn't have time to look at these things."

Manager Xu shook his head and waved his hand, trying to drive the people away, but the young scholars persisted and insisted on handing the documents to Manager Xu.

Gu Yu's nails dug into her palms. "Who is this Lord Guan? How come he is so prestigious among these scholars? It seems that he can't do without accepting their papers."

"He is almost certainly one of the examiners for this imperial examination, which is why these scholars want to submit their papers to him."

Guan Yiyun, Guan Yiyun, Guan Yiyun...

Gu Yu's face was terribly pale.

That person deserves to die. When her family had their accident, she suspected that Guan Yiyun, who had been staying at the mansion for several months and was about to take the imperial examination, was the culprit.

Her poor Yuzhu, the Yuzhu who grew up with her, the Yuzhu who died for her, who came to Yunxian Pavilion with her, was humiliated and died before her by Guan Yiyun...

Unexpectedly, this man's career has been thriving for the past three years, and he has already become a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel.

She remembered Yunxian Pavilion, and her steps suddenly stopped. As soon as she stopped, the person behind her didn't stop, and they were about to collide...

"Miss, be careful!" Suddenly someone grabbed her elbow and pulled her away from that spot.

She looked up and met a pair of clear, aloof eyes, so startled she almost called out the name—Yu Zhu.

Gu Yu suddenly came to her senses and thanked the purple-clad young man who had helped her, "Thank you, it was my fault."

"Miss, don't you remember me?" The young man in purple brocade robes squinted his fox-like eyes and smiled. "This morning, you and your brother helped Wei Cong and me."

He glanced at Wei Cong, "I never expected to meet you again today, Miss. What a coincidence."

Wei Cong simply nodded slightly, his thin cotton coat collar highlighting his refined and elegant face, his brows furrowed with an aura of perpetual snow.

Seeing Gu Yu staring intently at him, he asked in confusion, "Why are you looking at me like that, Miss? Is there something on my face?"

“Young master’s eyes resemble those of an old friend of mine. It’s quite a coincidence that we’ve met. Why don’t we go to the restaurant up ahead for a casual meal?”

Gu Yu stared at her, his clear eyes filled with sorrow. How could his eyes be so similar to Yu Zhu's?

Yuan Jinggang realized that the young lady who was walking behind him had not followed, so he quickly walked back the way he came. He saw the young lady standing with the two young men from that morning. As he got closer, he heard that his young lady wanted to invite the two men to a restaurant for dinner.

"Miss, judging by the time, the General should be returning to the manor soon. He will worry if he doesn't go back soon."

"Miss, Miss..." Yuan Jing called her a few more times before Gu Yu came back to her senses. "Alright, then let's do it in a couple of days. Would you two gentlemen be willing to give me this favor? I would like to host a banquet for you two gentlemen."

"I would be delighted. My name is Dongfang Hongyao, and I live in Wenxuan Residence in the alley ahead. Miss, you may come to invite me whenever you are free."

Seeing that Wei Cong remained unmoved, Dongfang Hongyao tugged at Wei Cong's sleeve again.

"Wei Cong." Wei Cong's expression remained unchanged as he stated his name.

Seeing that they were all carrying scrolls, Gu Yu knew they were also in a hurry to sell their scrolls, so she didn't bother them any further.

"Miss, I feel there's something wrong with your complexion."

Gu Yu forced a smile. "I was just thinking, these civil officials' homes are all so lively, while my father and brothers all fought their way up from the battlefield, yet they are nowhere near as respectable as these people..."

"The official robes are embroidered with birds and beasts, right? Do you think some people become beasts after putting on official robes, or were they originally beasts, just donning a facade to become beasts in human clothing?"

If it's Guan Yiyun, it should be the latter.

After hearing what Gu Yu said, Yuan Jing opened his eyes wide in surprise. When he looked at the young lady's expression again, he could no longer see the previous disappointment and sadness, only sarcasm and cold laughter.

Yuan Jing had never seen such a young lady before, or rather, he had never understood her. How could this well-behaved young lady, who had lived a secluded life in her boudoir for so long, suddenly say such things?

"Miss, in Dasheng, civil officials are more respectable than military officials."

The sky was as dark as undisturbed ink in an inkstone. The two returned home in silence as the twilight deepened.

As soon as they reached the entrance of the alley of the Marquis of Wu'an's residence, they saw Chunyue walking on the stone steps covered with a thin layer of snow, looking around frequently. When she saw who it was, she hurriedly stepped forward but then stopped, and even the pearl hairpin in her hair trembled.

"What happened?" Gu Yu took off her snow-covered cloak and handed it to Chun Yue, the fur collar brushing against Chun Yue's trembling hand.

"What happened? If you don't tell me, I won't listen anymore," Gu Yu said.

The young maidservant stole a glance at Yuan Jing, then whispered in his ear, her breath creating a white mist, "Su... Su Bicheng has been here... wandering around the back alley for quite a while..."

Gu Yu did not want Gu Jin to get involved in her and Su Bicheng's affairs, so she asked Yuan Jing to pick up Gu Jin, while she and Chun Yue returned to their own courtyard.

Her gaze swept past the withered willows by the gray wall, and as the dark figure disappeared into the darkness of the alley, she rubbed the snowflakes clinging to her sleeve. "What happened?"

Chunyue stamped her foot in frustration, "The servant at the back gate saw him, pretending to admire the plum blossoms with his servant, but actually he wanted to send a message to the back courtyard..."

"Miss, what do you think that man means? He's already married, so why is he coming to see you? What if he tarnishes your reputation?"

What exactly does Su Bicheng want?

He's now married to Liu Qingqing, the daughter of Liu Quantong, a wealthy merchant in Shengjing. He has no worries about money and wealth. As long as he focuses on preparing for the imperial examination, his future is naturally secure. Why did he have to provoke her? Does she really think she's an easy target?

"Chunyue, how learned is Su Bicheng?"

Chunyue thought to herself, "Didn't Miss always praise this Young Master Su for his extraordinary talent? Why is she asking her about it today?"

No, Miss has finally cleared her head and is finally able to listen to some of the truth.

"I don't think this Young Master Su's poetry is very good. His sentimental poems are alright, but last time Qiuju saw the poem he wrote for Miss, she said she had seen a similar poem in a collection of poems..."

Gu Yu had a plan in mind. This person wasn't worried about money; with the imperial examination approaching, what he was worried about was his chances of passing.

"No one gets up early for nothing," Gu Yu said. "Su Bicheng left me something, didn't he? It was a letter, wasn't it?"

"Miss is very clever; the letter is with Qiuju."

Sparks flew from the charcoal brazier, reflecting the cold smile on Gu Yu's lips.

Putting aside the affected words of concern in the letter, the main purpose of the letter was indeed to rekindle their past relationship.

Su Bicheng said that his marriage to Liu Qingqing was a last resort. Liu Qingqing had taken a liking to him and insisted on marrying him. He also needed money to treat his elderly mother's illness, so he had no choice but to agree to the marriage with the Liu family for his mother's sake.

He didn't like Liu Qingqing; she was still the only one on his mind. He invited her to meet him at the Zuixinlou Poetry Gathering in two days.

Gu Yu scoffed; this person was truly shameless to the extreme.

"I will be leaving the residence in two days."

The moment the letter was thrown into the fire, the smell of burning mixed with incense spread. She looked at the gnarled plum blossoms outside the window and suddenly felt a rusty nausea rising in her throat.

"Tsk."

Gu Yu was somewhat irritated. She had just met her enemy and was thinking about how to make him suffer the consequences he deserved, but now she had to deal with Su Bicheng, this troublesome person, first.

If left unattended, Su Bicheng would inevitably pester him relentlessly, since the original owner of this body left Su Bicheng with the impression that he was someone who could be summoned and dismissed at will.

Two days later, many scholars and literati who had recently arrived in Beijing gathered at Zuixinlou to participate in this poetry gathering.

Before coming to Zuixinlou, Gu Yu sent someone to Wenxuanju to invite Dongfang Hongyao and Wei Cong. If she wanted to meet Su Bicheng, she should bring along a few unrelated people. It just so happened that she had previously said she would host a banquet for the two of them.

The door to the private room on the second floor was wide open. Gu Yu sat by the window, her white silk dress making her look like thin porcelain, her skin as white as snow, and the silver threads of her skirt shimmering with a subtle light.

The scholars below were in an uproar over Guan Yiyun's arrival. Amidst the brocade and silk, a man in a crimson-purple robe with gold sleeves strode in, with Qiuju leading the way. This must be Su Bicheng.

"Ayu!" He stepped through the door and was about to close it when Qiuju stopped him.

"Young Master Su, please be careful." Gu Yu's fingertips were blue from the cold, and a distant smile appeared on her face. "It's better to keep the door open so we can hear Lord Qingguan commenting on the poems."

The door to the private room faced away from the central lobby. Sitting by the window, she could already take in the grand scene of the poetry gathering on the first floor. This was just an excuse to prevent Su Bicheng from closing the door.

She knew little about Su Bicheng, but she knew he was up to no good. She just couldn't understand why Su Bicheng would ask her to meet him at the Zuixinlou poetry gathering.

Was it all just to ruin her reputation? If so, why didn't he just elope with the innocent original owner of this body, instead of marrying her to extinguish her hopes?

No, that's not right. There must be other people involved.

Who are the participants in this poetry gathering? Whom does Su Bicheng want Su Bicheng to know about their meeting? Is someone involved in this affair?

Su Bicheng forced a smile and withdrew his hand, the jade-inlaid belt accentuating his slightly plump waist.

"Qiuju, you can go down and continue waiting for others."

"yes"

After Qiuju left, Su Bicheng's expression changed, and his tone became sorrowful, "Ayu, that day when you left the city gate, I was just about to enter. Seeing how thin you had become, I couldn't sleep all night... Although Liu Shi held the title of legal wife, she was nothing more than the daughter of a merchant, a woman consumed by greed..."

When Su Bicheng saw Qiu Ju waiting for him downstairs, he felt a sense of pride. Gu Yu was truly in love with him. Even though he was already married, she would still come to see him as long as he asked her out.

While he was plotting to elope with Gu Yu, Guan Yiyun approached him and promised that if he married and severed his ties with Gu Yu, she would guarantee him a place on the imperial examination list and even allow him to stay in Shengjing to take up a post.

This temptation is far greater than the possibility of even entering the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion.

He had just married Liu Qingqing when the Shen family arranged a marriage between them and the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion. He knew perfectly well that Guan Yiyun was actually working for Shen Xiuwen.

He was stopped at the gate by servants when he tried to deliver gifts to the Guan and Shen residences. Fearing that Shen Xiuwen might go back on his word, he arranged to meet Gu Yu again.

He had inquired and found out that the judges for this poetry gathering were not only teachers from the Imperial Academy and the top scholars from previous years, but also Guan Yiyun, a senior official from the Ministry of Personnel.

Although Shen Xiuwen will not be coming, his only son, Shen Changqing, will.