82 He saw her

◎Because of your arrogance, I was…◎

After treating her cousin, Aunt Qi grabbed Doctor Ye and rushed off to her uncle's house.

She looked apologetically at Doctor Ye, who had just finished writing the prescription: "Thank you for your hard work." But even so, she still hoped to see her uncle as soon as possible.

Ye Ming didn't find it tiring. He traveled all over the country and once helped four or five people with different illnesses in a single day. That was still a small number. During times of war, he encountered entire villages that had fallen ill and needed his care alone.

He only made two house calls today, which is nothing to him.

However, he was somewhat curious. This young lady's illness had been present since childhood, but according to his understanding, Marquis Huicheng had just returned from a victorious battle in the south. If it were an external injury, ordinary medical staff could treat it, not to mention the imperial physicians in the palace. Could it be some kind of unspeakable hidden illness?

As Qi Gu prepared to leave with Doctor Ye, Sima Hong stood up and asked the Marquis of Quzhou, whose face was full of joy, "Where is the Marquis of Guangshun?"

A strange look flashed across Qu Zhouhou's face, so quickly that it was almost imperceptible. She said, "Oh, he went to the Prince Yi's residence. He said he had made an appointment to drink with Qu Zilie and Brother Wei."

Sima Hongdao: "Oh, is that so?"

Hearing this, Aunt Qi also felt a little strange. Her aunt and uncle had only had her cousin as their child all these years. Her aunt loved her cousin like a precious jewel, and in her previous life, her uncle also seemed to love her cousin very much. So why was her uncle absent when they had invited Doctor Ye to examine her cousin today?

Upon hearing her aunt's reply, Qi Gu's heart tightened.

Prince Yi? She remembered that in her previous life, her uncle and Prince Yi were indeed quite close, but in the end, Prince Yi's rebellion did not implicate her uncle.

Sima Hong was not one to speak carelessly. Today, he specifically asked his uncle if his uncle was indeed involved in the Prince Yi's rebellion.

In my past life, my uncle was demoted by my mother because of his improper words and deeds, but that was after the rebellion of Prince Yi was quelled.

Could there be another hidden story behind this? Perhaps in a past life, because of my aunt's relationship, my mother found another excuse to punish my uncle?

Qi Gu instantly understood Sima Hong's intention. He had also been reborn. Perhaps the reason he insisted on coming to her aunt's residence today was to confirm whether her uncle and the Prince of Yi were colluding, or how deep that collusion was.

Qi Gu felt a chill run down her spine. Sima Hong had as many hearts and livers as lotus roots. If he were reborn, he would probably have even more hearts and livers than before he was reborn.

Hopefully, Prince Yi will act wisely; otherwise, given Sima Hong's methods, he will not only fail to cause any bloodshed in his lifetime, but will also die even earlier.

Marquis Qu saw them to the door, and then pulled Qi Gu aside and said, "My birthday is coming soon. Every year, I hold a banquet in the capital. This year, since you've come back, your cousin's illness has improved. I'm determined to hold a grand celebration this year. When you come, I'll take you to see your handsome young man."

Qu Zhouhou smiled cryptically and whispered in Qi Gu's ear, "In previous years, these young ladies and gentlemen from noble families would look at each other at the banquet. After my birthday banquet, quite a few families made engagements. This year, your aunt will give you a good chance to find some suitable matches."

She glanced at Sima Hong. Although the young man was handsome and had a promising future, she still thought her own nephew was better, considering his eccentric grandfather, Sima Taigong.

Aunt Qi knew that her aunt loved lively gatherings and probably held more banquets in the capital than anyone else in the city. She herself had a title and was the Empress's younger sister, and her husband was also a marquis. Who in the capital wouldn't give her some face?

She also loved to play matchmaker, and she was most pleased to see young men blush with embarrassment at her. Her cousin's illness was under control, which relieved her aunt of a great weight.

Her banquet this year is likely to be quite a spectacle.

"I will definitely come on time to celebrate my aunt's birthday," said Aunt Qi.

Watching Qi Gu board the carriage, and... Sima Hong readily followed Qi Gu onto the princess's carriage, did Jun'er still have any hope?

The carriage wheels rolled forward, and the group disappeared at the gate of the mansion. Marquis Qu Zhou turned back into the mansion, his smile fading.

She summoned her trusted confidant and said, "Go and bring the Marquis back."

Looking at her master's gloomy face, Luo Ao knew that the Marquis had been leaving early and returning late these days, and had not even been there for the young lady's medical appointment today. Her master's dissatisfaction had reached its peak.

Qi Gu crossed her arms and looked at the composed Sima Hong, "Are you still coming with me to my uncle's house?"

"General Zhang's health is crucial to my future plans, so of course I want to know his condition as soon as possible."

With a perfectly reasonable and legitimate reason, Qi Gu couldn't think of any reason to refuse. She also hoped that the situation would stabilize as soon as possible, so that she could take her father away from the capital and return to her fiefdom to live a carefree and happy life.

Qi Gu snorted and asked again, "My uncle and the Prince Yi shouldn't be too involved, right?"

Sima Hong was surprised that Qi Gu had so keenly noticed the clue. He said, "Indeed, there wasn't much connection in our past lives, but..."

"But what?" he asked Sima Hong with a pair of round eyes.

Only at this time would she let down her guard against him, like a deer in the forest, curiously peering over at an outsider, her eyes full of wonder.

Sima Hong felt a wave of tenderness in his heart. "You should know that some things are not the same after being reborn. When some things change, related things will also change."

He captured Chen Zhan, which prevented Prince Yi from obtaining what Chen Zhan possessed in this life. In his previous life, Prince Yi obtained what Chen Zhan had, so he wanted to become emperor himself. In this life, however, he doesn't have as many bargaining chips, so he won't act rashly. He will try to win over more advantageous allies, and the Marquis of Guangshun and the Guo family will become his targets.

In order to compete for the position of Crown Prince, the Guo family will definitely try to win over Prince Yi, and the relationship between Prince Yi and the Guo family will only become closer.

Things are always developing and changing, and what he has to do is to unravel the complexities of these things.

He has already sent people to investigate the matter of Marquis Guangshun. What is certain now is that there is indeed something between Marquis Guangshun and Prince Yi, but he has not yet found out the specifics, though it should be soon.

Hopefully, he won't get involved in the matter of the Righteous King, otherwise it will upset Qi Gu, and he will thwart the Righteous King's plans in advance.

"Sima Hong, if you find anything wrong with your uncle, I hope you won't hide it from me."

Sima Hong did not deny it, and Qi Gu thought she guessed right; he must already know something.

She disliked being kept in the dark. Just like in her past life, she always wondered if her mother and Sima Hong had told her about their plans beforehand, would she have been tricked into entering the palace by Honghu that day?

They never told her these things because they didn't trust her. They felt she should stay in their carefully constructed protective network and wait for their protection.

Qi Gu had had enough of this feeling of not being trusted, so she felt it was absurd when Sima Hong asked her to marry him again.

Sima Hong will never understand why she will never marry him again, even though marrying him would be the best choice for her mother, her younger brother, and herself.

But in this life, she will never marry someone who cannot trust her again. She is not stupid, and she believes she is someone who can keep secrets. However, in her past life, the two people she loved most chose to keep things from her and did not trust her.

They thought they could protect him this way, but it was precisely their arrogance that killed her.

After being reborn, some things did change, but some things remained the same, just like the Second Princess's plan to frame her.

When she first entered the palace, her mother tested her. In her previous life, she failed her mother's test because she lacked the sharpness and intelligence her mother had expected. Her mother then "protected" her in her own way, and in the end, she died.

After her rebirth, her mother still tested her, and she thought that this time her performance would satisfy her mother.

So she turned the tables and conducted a test. When she realized that Honghu had made contact with the people sent by the Second Princess in advance, she went to find Aunt Lin, and it was an easy thing to get Aunt Lin to switch sides.

She reported the matter to her mother, and this time, she would be the one to test her mother.

Clearly, until the very end, her mother did not tell her about her plans with Sima Hong.

When she jumped off the wall and was pulled behind it by Sima Hong, she finally understood the disappointment her mother felt when she failed her mother's test years ago.

She told her the truth, hoping her mother would trust her, but her mother, just like in her previous life, told her nothing.

She should understand, after all, her mother had been walking on thin ice for so many years, and one wrong step could lead to utter ruin, but she was still disappointed.

At this moment, Qi Gu, who saw through everything, had such bright eyes that Sima Hong was startled. It seemed that from this moment on, he saw the real Qi Gu.

She was so intelligent, so perceptive, with such keen insight; she wasn't completely ignorant, it's just that he had initially placed her in a position where she knew nothing.

“Qi Gu, you…” So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is.

For some reason, Qi Gu immediately realized that Sima Hong seemed to know what she was thinking, but unfortunately, it was too late.

"I never knew that Qi Gu was the one who was truly insightful and detached from the world." Sima Hong looked at Qi Gu, whom he had never thought of before and had never discovered, and the calm lake in his heart began to boil.

Compared to Sima Hong's unexpected discovery of someone who stood at the same level as him, and who happened to be his wife from his previous life, this was a pleasant surprise and an accident.

Qi Gu remained calm. "I'm not all-knowing. It's because you've always been on a high pedestal, with everyone under your nose. You naturally assume that no one is as high as you. Sima Hong, have you ever considered that it was your arrogance that led to my..."

Before Qi Gu could finish speaking, a sudden commotion arose outside.

"My lord, princess, there's an assassin!"

Outside the carriages, all the pedestrians had run away, and Atai and Axiang stood guard beside the two carriages.

A dozen or so black men with cold eyes rushed up in front of them, and most importantly, there was an archer on a house to the side.

Atai, Axiang, and Fulian led their soldiers and charged forward.

Just as Qi Gu was about to open the window, suddenly! An arrow pierced through the window and flew in.

"Watch out..." Sima Hong shouted!

[Author's Note]

Qi Gu: Sima Hong, let me give you a piece of advice: Too much scheming and cleverness will only lead to your own demise. You were too clever, but I'm the one who lost my life. [Cracks]

Do you think that if Sima Hong and the Empress had told Qi Gu about their plan in her past life, would Qi Gu still have died?

Yes: Deduct 1; No: Deduct 2

Author: 111111 [Sunglasses] If the female lead doesn't die, I can't continue writing this story!