27 Aunt

From now on, your aunt will protect you.

Everyone turned around and saw a plump, elegant lady with high-piled hair and a spirited face walk in, exuding grace and nobility.

She was followed by seven or eight maids dressed in the same uniform, making a grand entrance.

She had a mole on her chin, and when she spoke, her eyes narrowed slightly, and her thin eyebrows arched upwards. "Are you Aunt Qi?"

Regardless of whether Qi Gu knew her or not, she stepped forward, took Qi Gu's hand, and carefully looked her up and down.

"It's just like it, it's extremely similar."

Because of her memories of her past life, Qi Gu naturally recognized who was the person carefully examining her.

The noblewoman before me, exuding an air of nobility, was none other than the younger sister of the founding empress of the Great Jin Dynasty, the wife of Marquis Yuan Kuai of Guangshun, and one of the founding heroes of the Great Jin Dynasty who were women and were granted the title of marquis—her aunt, Zhang Zhi.

Aunt Qi liked this aunt. She was straightforward and generous. She had followed the army and been to the battlefield when she was young. Despite being a woman, she was very confident.

Moreover, she was witty and humorous, unlike the arrogance of other nobles. Most importantly, her aunt genuinely cared about her.

In her past life, after the imperial decree for her marriage to Sima Hong was issued, her aunt told her earnestly that the Sima family was not suitable for her. She said, "Aunt Qi, if you agree, I will go to the palace right now and ask my elder sister to rescind the decree. There are too many rules and regulations for the wives of the main wife in the Sima family, and there is also that old codger Sima Taigong who is interfering. You will only suffer if you marry into the family and will find it difficult to be happy."

At that time, she had just left the Sima residence and thought that she and Sima Hong were already in love and that he was willing to marry her.

So she politely declined her aunt's offer, saying, "Aunt, I truly love Xiuyuan."

"You, you... fine, since you've made up your mind about Sima Xiuyuan, then your aunt can't say anything more."

She remembered her aunt holding her warm, large hands: "In the future, don't keep any grievances to yourself. Show your princess-like demeanor. You are your elder sister's first child and the first daughter of the Emperor of Jin. No matter what others are like, they will never be as noble as you. As for the so-called second princess and ninth princess, just act like the eldest sister and the eldest princess. Do you think you can be afraid of them? The Sima family is the same. What a century-old family they are, they are still subjects of the Chu family. You are just too soft-hearted and blinded by some unnecessary emotions. Remember, you must be firm when you need to be."

My aunt dared to stand up at the palace banquet to toast my father, and she dared to call my father, who had become the emperor, "brother-in-law." Even the founding heroes who followed the emperor to conquer the country did not dare to mention what happened in Yu County back then, but my aunt dared to say it.

However, the aunt was also very tactful. She knew very well what to say and what not to say, so as not to displease her brother-in-law, who was now the emperor, and to make many people at the table laugh, thus bringing them closer together.

Even the Empress Dowager sometimes couldn't do anything about this younger sister, and she trusted her aunt very much.

Every word of these words was golden advice, born from concern for her well-being and consideration for her well-being, but she couldn't heed them at the time.

Seeing that Qi Gu was standing there blankly without saying a word, Marquis Qu Zhou assumed that she was frightened by the sudden change.

She exclaimed, "Oh dear, I'm so happy I forgot! I'm your aunt. When you were little, you loved to pester me to carry you on my back. Do you remember?"

Her eyes showed pity as she thought of her niece's plight... Sigh, back then, her older sister was also helpless. She hoped that this child would not harbor any resentment towards her older sister.

Qi Gu lowered her eyes; she knew that her aunt was genuinely kind to her.

Between the interests of the Empress Dowager and the happiness of her niece for the rest of her life, the aunt risked being blamed by the Empress Dowager by saying those words to herself. She truly regarded herself as family and was thinking of her own future, rather than using her as a tool in a political game.

She was confused and didn't understand in her past life, and she couldn't be confused again in this one. Qi Gu lowered her eyes and said, "I remember my aunt. My aunt carried me on her back and played in the yard, fanning me with a palm-leaf fan." As if she had returned to the small courtyard where she lived in her childhood, Qi Gu said softly, "I remember everything."

Zhang Zhi recalled that before the emperor launched his rebellion, she often went to her elder sister's house to help take care of little Qi Gu. Little Qi Gu loved to hold her hand, point to the riverbank, and ask her to take her to play in the water.

Those were tough years, but at least the family stayed together. Later... only little Qi Gu, the soft Qi Gu clinging to her back, has been separated from her family for all these years.

She was only six years old then. She couldn't even imagine how such a young child could have survived. But she dared not mention it to her older sister. Her sister had suffered so much back then, but he was still her brother-in-law...

Forget about decorum, she pulled her poor niece into her arms. "Good, good, Aunt Qi, you're still alive. That's wonderful. Your aunt always thought you were already..." Zhang Zhi, who was now the Marquis of Quzhou, burst into tears.

Qi Gu leaned against her aunt's broad and soft chest, smelling a familiar fragrance of mugwort on her body, the same scent she smelled when she was a child, lying on her aunt's back.

She closed her eyes and recalled the scene of her aunt taking her to play by the river. A bitter feeling welled up in her heart, like fermenting wine.

Aunt gently patted Qi Gu's back with her broad, fan-like hands, just like when she was a child and she was coaxing her to sleep. "Aunt thought she would never see little Qi Gu again. Back then, Aunt wasn't in Yu County, otherwise I would never have let you... Good child, it's good that you're back."

Over the years, her elder sister didn't speak of it, and she didn't dare to ask about what happened back then. But she knew that her elder sister had no choice but to abandon Qi Gu. Her elder sister was not wrong. The wrong ones were the despicable Prince Yan and the Emperor who disregarded the bond between husband and wife and father and son.

There are some things that we couldn't blame that person for back then, and we certainly can't now.

She thought, since that's the case, she has already suffered the pain that Qi Gu has endured, so she should also enjoy all the honor that Qi Gu deserves!

Qi Gu silently shed tears in her aunt's arms. She didn't really want to cry, but her aunt's embrace was so warm, and that familiar scent made her feel like she was back in her childhood, when she still had her mother.

"You've suffered a lot these years, haven't you? It's alright now, your aunt will protect you from now on."

Qi Gu forgot that her father and Sima Hong were still beside her, and couldn't help but sob softly, "Aunt, I miss you so much, I really miss you, sob sob sob."

The dignified Marquis of Quzhou burst into tears again because of his niece's words, wailing and stroking Qi Gu's head repeatedly.

Marquis Quzhou took out a handkerchief and pressed it against the corner of Qi Gu's eyes. "Oh, let's not talk about these things anymore. It's all in the past. In a couple of days, when you enter the palace, our family will be reunited." Marquis Quzhou smiled through his tears as he wiped away Qi Gu's tears.

After saying that, she glanced at the courtyard again, not quite satisfied with it. Holding onto Qi Gu's hand, she said to Sima Hong, "Young Master Sima, why did you send my niece here? This is not appropriate."

As she spoke, she took Qi Gu's hand and started to walk away, "Come on, let's go home with your aunt. Everything in your aunt's house has been taken care of. There's a sandalwood canopy bed, a gauze bed curtain, and a glass screen. Unlike this courtyard, which is bare and empty. You won't be used to living here. Your cousin is also looking forward to seeing you."

Seeing this, Sima Hong stepped forward to stop her from taking Qi Gu away. "Lord Quzhou, the Xiongnu envoys are still in Chang'an, and the palace is busy with marriage arrangements. For now, it would be better to let Qi Gu stay here."

Qi Gu saw her aunt glance at Sima Hong, seemingly thinking about something, and then look at her niece, "What's inconvenient about it? I'm Qi Gu's aunt, it's only natural for her to live with me."

"At present, the matter of the marriage alliance has not yet been finalized..."

Qu Zhouhou rolled his eyes disdainfully upwards, "Hmph, even if it's a marriage alliance, let's see who dares to let Qi Gu go!" Does he think she and her elder sister are vegetarians!

"As far as I know, Princess Li Qiao in the palace is now a candidate for a marriage alliance, and the Empress has not objected. If Marquis Quzhou brings Qi Gu to your residence now, it may cause unforeseen complications."

Thinking of that imposter in the palace, and how my elder sister knew she was fake but didn't say anything, and even encouraged Madam Guo to instigate the emperor to send that fake princess to marry a foreign ruler.

Marquis Qu Zhou was not stupid; he immediately understood Sima Hong's meaning.

She stopped and turned to Qi Gu, saying, "Good child, please stay here for a few days. The palace is currently busy dealing with those barbarians from the Xiongnu. Once we're done, we'll bring you back to the palace in grand style."

Qi Gu was thinking, "Is Li Qiao going to be sent away for a political marriage?" Qi Gu frowned. She remembered that in her previous life, her father and mother had ultimately decided to recognize a minister's daughter as a princess and send her away for a political marriage.

Marquis Qu waved his hand again, and the two palace maids behind him immediately stepped forward. Qi Gu saw two familiar faces—Hongyan and Honghu.

"These two are maids chosen for you by your mother. From now on, they will serve you."

Marquis Quzhou said to the kneeling Hongyan and Honghu, "From now on, follow me well, young lady. If you fail to serve me properly, you will lose your lives."

Her originally kind and gentle face instantly turned stern.

Hongyan and Honghu lowered their heads and said in unison, "Yes."

Qi Gu looked at the two men. These were the people her mother had prepared for her. But in her past life, did her mother know that Honghu was Madam Guo's man?

She stared at the two of them, trying to glean clues from their expressions, but they had their heads down and she couldn't see their faces.

Well, she never intended to get involved in the vortex of the capital in this lifetime. She already had a plan in mind. These two wouldn't be with her for long. If all went well, she would request to go to her fiefdom once these matters were resolved.

Hongyan will never be harmed by her in this lifetime. No matter who Honghu works for, she will never let her harm him again.

Marquis Qu Zhou then ordered his men to bring up the gifts he had brought one by one. Only then did he notice a middle-aged man with an elegant and refined appearance standing next to Sima Hong, who was watching her and Qi Gu reunite with deep emotion.

The man's legs seemed to remain unchanged, and his gaze towards her held curiosity and admiration, but not the fear and cowardice of a subordinate facing a superior. He possessed a rare courage and boldness.

"And who is this?" asked Marquis Quzhou.

Qi Gu stood in front of her father and introduced him: "Aunt, this is my adoptive father. Back then, after I got separated from my mother and the others, I was fortunate enough to meet my adoptive father. He took me in and brought me back to my hometown after the war ended, which is how I survived."

In a few words, Qi Gu recounted her experiences after being separated from her husband: the fear of almost dying at the hands of pursuers, the hunger and cold while hiding in a tree hole, the despair of being abandoned by her father and mother, and the perilous encounter with her father. She glossed over all of these events.

Marquis Qu Zhou sighed inwardly, thinking, "How could they have gotten lost?"

Qu Zhouhou stood solemnly in front of Li Shi, putting away his previous imposing manner, and bowed deeply to Li Shi. "Sir, you saved Qi Gu, and you are the benefactor of my Zhang family. I, Zhang Zhi, am grateful to you. Whatever you want, as long as it does not violate the laws of the country, I will grant it to you."

[Author's Note]

I caught a cold yesterday and was really sleepy. I sat in front of the computer and typed over 900 words, but I couldn't write anymore, so I went to sleep. This morning, my tonsils hurt so much [laughing and crying with face covered]. Luckily, I didn't have any other symptoms, so I'll keep typing. Nothing can stop me from typing!