69. A chill is coming.

◎Qi Gu, marry me again◎

"Sima Hong, let me go." Qi Gu pulled her hand back and looked angrily at Sima Hong: "Lord Sima, Young Master Sima, what exactly do you want? Do you really want those wolves and tigers to tear me apart before you're happy!" Qi Gu said angrily.

"What, you're not calling me sworn brother anymore?"

Qi Gu gritted her teeth in anger, "Then why didn't you answer when I called you sworn brother just now!"

Sima Hong looked at Qi Gu's puffed-up appearance and thought it resembled a pufferfish that was puffing up in the river where he had lived in seclusion as a child.

His expression softened, and he said what he had wanted to say for a long time: "Qi Gu, marry me again. Let's start over in this life. I will never let what happened before happen again."

Qi Gu felt that there was something wrong with her ears and her eyes. No, were these words even uttered by a human being? These were the words of Sima Xiuyuan, Sima Hong, the future Grand Minister of Works!

"Sima Hong, are you even speaking human language?!" Or is it that being reborn has affected your intelligence?

"Do you even know what you're saying? Do you like me? Do you love me? When did you, Sima Hong, become such a frivolous person, casually telling a woman you don't like that you want to marry her, especially since she was the woman you indirectly caused to die in your past life? Sima Hong, where is your conscience?!"

“We are husband and wife. If you don’t marry me, are you going to marry your cousin Zhang Jun? Qi Gu, wake up! Marrying me is the best choice for you, your mother, and the eldest prince!”

Qi Gu seemed not to recognize Sima Hong. She stared intently at Sima Hong and said, "You did not answer my question."

She sneered and said, "Fine, you don't have to answer. Anyway, I know your answer. But what makes you think I still like you, still love you, and still want to marry you? Do you think my mother and brother need to depend on you? Ridiculous! Do you think you have any better options than helping my mother?"

Qi Gu's eyes were icy as she approached Sima Hong step by step. "Furthermore, in this life, what makes you think I would marry someone I don't love, or even two people who easily abandoned me during the palace coup in my past life, just for the sake of those who abandoned me while I was fleeing for my life?"

Each word was like a sword piercing Sima Hong's heart, and Sima Hong's face instantly turned pale.

Sima Hong was deeply hurt by Qi Gu's gaze. He believed that everything would be different after his rebirth. In this life, he would protect Qi Gu. In his eyes, Qi Gu was still his wife.

But Qi Gu's words kept telling him that she was no longer his wife, and that they were now just two unrelated people. If she didn't want to, he would lose her forever, just like in his previous life.

No, Sima Hong instantly came to his senses. He didn't know if what he felt for Qi Gu was love, nor did he think his decision in his previous life was wrong.

All he knew was that after Qi Gu died in his previous life, he felt a profound emptiness, like a walking corpse every day. He kept recalling Qi Gu's voice and smile. He could only rest for a moment on the bed where Qi Gu's scent still lingered. It turned out that he had long been used to Qi Gu being the person beside him, and he couldn't accept anyone else.

After being reborn, he listened to Qi Gu's words and thought that just looking after Qi Gu would be enough, but that was not enough at all!

He admitted that he was also a human being, and that he also had a greedy nature. He wanted Qi Gu to treat him the way she had treated him in their previous life.

But Qi Gu gave him a rude awakening, saying that she no longer loved him. How could that be? Even if she didn't like him, it didn't matter. He wanted her by his side, and she had to be by his side.

After Sima Hong figured this out, his vision suddenly cleared, and he seemed to see everything clearly from the chaos. His eyes became as unfathomable as a deep, mysterious, cold pool.

"Aunt Qi, so that's what you were thinking. I understand now."

Qi Gu breathed a sigh of relief. She had made her point very clearly: in short, there was absolutely no possibility for them in this lifetime.

I don't believe Sima Hong would be so shameless and brazen as to force her to marry him.

“Sima Xiuyuan, you have more important things to do. You shouldn’t waste your time on me. Besides, Gao Mingyu…”

Sima Hong smiled enigmatically. "Qi Gu, don't worry, how could I bear to let your mother and brother be bullied?"

"I am not..." Before Qi Gu could finish speaking, Sima Hong said, "Also, I will not marry Gao Mingyu. I didn't marry her in my past life, and I won't marry her in this life either."

Qi Gu glanced at Sima Hong. For some reason, she felt that he was unpredictable and moody, which made her uneasy.

His thoughts used to be hard to guess, but they never made her feel uneasy. Now, his gaze, even in the dark of night, made her feel suffocated.

Indeed, whether in her past life or this one, perhaps she never truly understood him.

Qi Gu had said all she needed to say, and there was nothing more to add. "Sima Hong, that's all I have to say. Let's just go our separate ways." Then she turned and left.

In the dim night, Sima Hong watched the back of the person wrapped in his cloak. His gaze was like the cloak, tightly enveloping the departing figure, but the owner of the figure could not be seen.

A "crack" sound came from behind, the sound of a branch being broken by foot.

Sima Hong didn't even turn his head, and said, "Come out."

A slender figure emerged from behind the trees. "Sima Langjun."

"Your Highness, how much did you hear just now?" He remained standing in the same spot, his back to the First Prince, and asked, seemingly unsurprised by the First Prince's appearance.

The eldest prince looked extremely pale, as if he were enduring some kind of pain. He said, "Sima Langjun, my elder sister has suffered a lot. I hope she can find happiness. If she doesn't like you, please stay away from my elder sister."

Sima Hong's expression was very cold. "Your Highness, this is a matter between me and Qi Gu. It's none of the business of outsiders. Instead of talking to me about this, you should think about how to become the Crown Prince. After all, only in that way can you better protect Qi Gu."

Whether it was stung by Qi Gu's words, or whether Sima Hong's previous portrayal of himself as upright and honest in front of outsiders was all a facade, now he had shed his disguise and revealed another side of himself.

"You...you..." The eldest prince never expected that Sima Hong, who was usually as aloof as the moon and also conservative and polite, would have such a violent side. For the first time, he felt that this person was very...dangerous.

"Stay away from my sister!"

"Your Highness, I've said it before, this is between her and me. Even if you are her brother, it doesn't matter!" The voice was filled with hostility.

The eldest prince was still in shock from witnessing a previously unknown side of Sima Hong when Atai came to him, "My lord!"

Sima Hong ignored the eldest prince and left with Atai.

"What is it?" Sima Hong asked.

Atai said, "Just as you guessed, the Guo family has secret ties with the Xiongnu."

Sima Hong walked from the darkness into the brightly lit banquet hall. For some reason, Atai felt that the young man in the darkness seemed different from the young man under the lights. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was just strange.

Atai couldn't help but wonder what the eldest princess and the young master had just talked about. He had a feeling that the young master's change was because of the eldest princess.

The banquet that night finally came to an end...

The next day, the Xiongnu finally left. Qi Gu stood on the city wall and watched Li Qiao leave with her long dowry procession.

From this day forward, she will be far from her homeland, not knowing when she will return, or perhaps she will never be able to return to the Great Jin Dynasty in this lifetime.

Li Shi stood aside and sighed, "Li Qiao, that child... it's all fate."

“Father, I sent Li Qiao a lot of medicine and gave her a lot of gold and silver that I had obtained, but I know that it is not enough at all…” Qi Gu watched the procession gradually disappear into the distance and wept uncontrollably.

Li Shi patted her shoulder, "Cry, cry, but Aunt Qi, you need to know, this is not your fault."

"But if I weren't... perhaps I would be the one going to be married off to a foreign land."

“Qi Gu, this is not your fault. If you have to say what is wrong, then it is the fault of this era.”

With red eyes, Qi Gu said, "Father, you're saying things I don't understand again."

Li Shi looked up at the sky and sighed, "I hope that one day there will be no more wars in this world, no more women needing to be sent to marry foreign rulers, no more hunger and cold, everyone can eat their fill and stay warm, everyone can read books and go to school, and everyone has the right to pursue their own ideals and values."

"Will that day really come?" Old Master Qi asked in a low voice.

Li Shi said confidently, "It will happen." However, it will probably be several thousand years before that day arrives.

Not long after the Xiongnu left, King Yi Jiang Shi and Marquis Zhongping Zhang Tian, ​​who had gone to the north to quell the rebellion, returned in triumph.

At the banquet held to welcome them, Qi Gu finally met her uncle for the first time in her life.

My uncle was exceptionally handsome, with striking eyebrows and bright eyes. Although he was forty-six, he looked strong and robust.

"This must be my eldest niece." The voice was very loud, not at all like the sickbed person from his previous life.

Aunt Qi stood up. "Uncle, you must be tired from your journey."

Looking at his niece, Zhang Tian saw that she was just as his son had described—graceful and elegant. She had been back for several days, busy with official business, and had mentioned Aunt Qi to his son and sister. Today, he finally met his niece.

He was delighted to see Qi Gu. This niece had suffered greatly, and her return was a stroke of good fortune.

"Hahaha!" He laughed heartily: "Little Yuan Chu, I was the one who named you. But your maternal grandfather said that a humble name is easier to raise, so he insisted on giving you the nickname Qi Gu. Really, Little Yuan Chu sounds much better."

Qi Gu smiled too. If there had been no war, she wouldn't have been abandoned by her parents, she would have grown up with her cousins, her parents wouldn't have become emperors, and her family would have lived in Yu County, leading an ordinary life.

Their family's life shouldn't be too bad. Her uncle was a handsome man in the surrounding area and had received an education. Her maternal grandfather's family also had a large house. Her father was a minor official who liked to socialize and didn't come home often, but their family was still quite well-off.

Unfortunately, the previous emperor was tyrannical, causing chaos throughout the country. In order to survive, my father was forced to lead his brothers in a rebellion.

Looking at her handsome uncle, Qi Gu smiled and said, "Uncle is still as good-looking as he was when he was a child."

"Haha, you still remember? How have you managed all these years?"

“I’m doing great. Let’s not talk about my uncle’s past. From now on, our family will have a good life.”

"Well said!" Zhang Tian beckoned to his son, "Jun'er, come here."

He had his son stand next to Qi Gu. The two looked very well-matched. Although Qi Gu's skin had become fairer in the past few months, it still couldn't compare to the ladies of the capital. His own son was away from home all year round, so his skin wasn't much fairer either.

The two stood together, their skin tones and complexions quite harmonious. He thought that the idea of ​​his niece marrying into their family was quite good.

Qi Gu and Zhang Jun reluctantly cooperated. After all, he was their uncle who had just returned. They let him be. The two looked at each other and smiled.

Wei Xin walked over and asked, "What are you doing at this time, Brother Ping Gong?"

Zhang Tian caught him and asked, "Qinghe, look at my son and Aunt Qi, aren't they a perfect match?"

Just as Wei Xin was about to follow up on Zhang Tian's words, who had just returned victorious, a chill suddenly seemed to strike from behind.

Looking back, a chill indeed descended – Sima Xiuyuan had arrived.

[Author's Note]

Qi Gu: Sima Hong forgot to bring his brain when he was reborn!

Sima Hong: From today onwards, I will transform from a white moonlight into a black moonlight.