94 Face Reading

Qi Gu thought to herself that the Marquis of Xilin was indeed incredibly insightful, able to see through her two lifetimes at a glance. However, she felt that she did not have such great ability, as he said that many people would have their fates changed because of her.

In her past life, she had the status of a princess but never did anything earth-shattering. Even her mother shook her head when she saw her. All she wanted was to marry Sima Hong and be a good wife and mother. She finally married him, but after only three months, he ordered her to be shot to death with an arrow.

This life is a little better than the last. She learned some farming skills from her father, but that's not enough to change the fate of many people. She only hopes that those things from her previous life will never happen again. In that palace coup, not only she died, but also Hongyan, many palace servants, soldiers, and even ordinary people.

She didn't want to do anything big. If she could grow high-yield millet and wheat with her father, that would be the biggest thing she could do. But so far, there had been no results.

My father said that things can't be rushed. It would be lucky if it took three to five years. If things didn't go smoothly, it could take seven or eight years or even longer. My father said that this is called "science". Science requires time for rigorous verification.

"Lord Xilin is joking. I am a country bumpkin who was born and raised here. I was fortunate enough to be born as the child of my father and mother and bear the empty title of the eldest princess. No one can change me. I just want to be a princess with a fief and not be a burden to my father and mother. I would be grateful if I could just stay here."

For some reason, Marquis Xilin glanced at Sima Hong and said to Qi Gu, "Princess, I'd like to offer you a piece of advice: What you desire may not be attainable, what you attain may be lost, and what you lose may be gained in return."

He paused for a moment, his eyes seemingly filled with profound meaning as he gazed at Qi Gu: "Some things are bound to happen, some changes have already occurred from the very beginning, and the princess should accept them with equanimity."

Qi Gu's heart tightened. Had the Marquis of Xilin really seen his past life?

"Some things are bound to happen"? Could it be... that she will still face the same fate as in her past life, with no way to change the ending?

"Marquis of Xilin, do you know something...?"

Meng Fu remained calm and said nothing more.

Sima Hong grasped Qi Gu's hand tightly once more. The look Xi Linhou had given him just now seemed to hold profound meaning, yet also seemed to hold nothing at all.

He only felt that the soft hands in his palms had become very cold. His eyes darkened. Even if it was fate, he would not let anything happen to Qi Gu. Even if it went against the laws of nature and morality, he would make sure that Qi Gu would live a peaceful life.

Qi Gu felt her hand being enveloped by a warm, large hand, and her cold body regained some warmth. However, the person who brought her warmth left her with mixed feelings.

"Hahaha!" Marquis Dingyuan laughed and said to Meng Fu, "Afu, you've said so many complicated things, but aren't you just saying that Qi Gu has the appearance of a noble person? Only a noble person can change the fortune of those around them. Qi Gu is indeed a person with good fortune in the future."

Meng Fu smiled at Zhang Tian, ​​thinking that only Brother Zhang could have such an open-minded attitude.

"Marquis Xilin left the capital three years ago. Didn't he say he would stop telling fortunes without His Majesty's decree? Now that he's back, he's telling the fortunes of the eldest princess. You've broken your own vow. Shouldn't you also tell the fortunes of us old friends?"

The one speaking was King Yi. He had been testing Meng Fu's appearance, but Meng Fu had been completely discreet and had not revealed any flaws.

Meng Fu stopped smiling and looked at the righteous king, whose appearance had changed drastically. A crane-like face but a ruthless heart; in the end, someone had become unrecognizable.

"I said back then that I would no longer tell fortunes for others without His Majesty's decree. I also said that if I met someone with a predestined connection, what harm would there be in having my fortune told? It wouldn't be breaking my vow. Why does the Prince of Yi have something difficult to decide and want me to tell your fortune?"

"Then I wonder if I am the destined one for the Marquis of Xilin?" King Yi probed again.

Meng Fu bluntly asked, "I dare to claim it, but does King Yi dare to listen?" He was already quite disappointed.

Jiang Shi knew he was being too hasty. Since returning from the northern campaign, he had a vague feeling that many things were out of his control.

Could it be that Chen Zhan had already betrayed him? He immediately dismissed the possibility. He had never shown his face in the deal with Chen Zhan; it was always Yan Xun who made the arrangements. Yan Xun was dead, and he had completely erased all traces of his relationship with Yan Xun.

As he watched as His Majesty's power base became more and more secure, and the people of the land turned their hearts to His Majesty and the Empress, he felt increasingly uneasy.

An unspeakable longing deep within his heart burned his reason day and night, stirring the desires deep within his soul. "I can't wait any longer, I can't wait any longer," a voice kept telling him.

Sima Xiuyuan's attitude suddenly became clear, Meng Fu's sudden appearance, and this princess who appeared out of nowhere and could change everyone's fate.

All of this greatly angered the Prince of Yi. Why had the situation suddenly become so difficult? He glanced at Sima Xiuyuan with a puzzled look in his eyes, but soon he looked away, his face remaining as still as a mountain.

"Affleck, it's been years, and you've even learned to joke around now," he said with a forced, lighthearted laugh.

"I was wondering where everyone had gone. Turns out everyone was here." A young man's distinctively loud voice rang out, and everyone turned around to see the Second Prince, Chu Xiaocheng, walking in.

"Oh, isn't this Mr. Meng? You've returned to the capital! That's wonderful! Father will be very happy to see you." The Second Prince smiled innocently and energetically.

Behind him was the eldest prince, who was a step behind him. The contrast between the two standing together was striking: one looked thin and listless, while the other was full of vigor and vitality.

"Greetings, Mr. Meng." The eldest prince said gently and modestly, and then smiled at Qi Gu.

In Qi Gu's eyes, her younger brother looked rather frail, but he had a broad mind and clear eyes. Everyone saw him as weak and frail, and thought he was not a long-lived and resilient person. But such a person had accompanied his mother through all the hardships, and despite his frail body, he had been able to hold the position of Crown Prince for many years, which was enough to prove that he was not weak.

In his previous life, he made no mistakes as the crown prince; otherwise, the second prince and the Guo family wouldn't have resorted to such desperate measures as launching a palace coup.

His mother deserves credit for this, but if he does not agree with her and chooses to degenerate, even if she pushes him to the position of crown prince, the covetous Guo family will easily find a handle to pull him down from the position.

Looking at the Second Prince's current cheerful and bright demeanor, Qi Gu couldn't help but feel nauseous, as if she could smell the blood splattering inside Changxin Palace.

She would never forget the scene of Chu Xiaocheng capturing them and bringing them to Changxin Palace. His crazed face and the chilling look in his eyes, and the ferocious, triumphant way he pierced through the Ninth Princess, the Tenth Prince, and others with his sword, still terrify Qi Gu to this day.

The Ninth Princess and the Tenth Prince had always kept to themselves and the Second Prince. The Tenth Prince was in no danger of losing his position as Crown Prince. The Ninth Princess had once been on good terms with the Second Princess, yet he could kill them without batting an eye, making him no different from a beast.

Qi Gu felt a tightness all over her body. Just thinking about what happened that day, she felt the blood on the ground flowing to her feet. If Sima Hong hadn't led his men to the outside of the palace and surrounded Chu Xiaocheng, Chu Xiaocheng would never have let her go so easily that day. He would have tried every means to torture her and make her wish she were dead.

Sima Hong, who had been standing next to Qi Gu, noticed her unusual behavior. After the Second Prince entered, she was like a cat with its fur standing on end.

Sima Hong frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"

Qi Gu lowered her eyes, "Is it necessary to wade through this river of blood to sit in that position?" She looked up and saw Sima Hong's face, and became even angrier! She shook off Sima Hong's hand and glared at him hatefully.

What else? It's all your fault. I didn't know anything. I was almost tortured to death by Chu Xiaocheng after entering the palace, and in the end, you ordered me to be shot to death. So what?

Sima Hong looked at Qi Gu staring at him with her big eyes, and his heart softened even more. Qi Gu should be like this, full of lively scolding, anger, and happiness, instead of being silent and cold like in his dream.

His deep, magnetic voice reassured, "Don't worry, it won't be long, okay?"

Qi Gu gave a soft hum, no longer looking at Sima Hong, and turned to her aunt, asking, "Aunt, where is Zhuang'er?"

Mentioning this made the Marquis of Quzhou's eyes and brows light up with even more joy. "Look, I'd completely forgotten." She instructed the servants behind her, "Quickly, go and fetch the young lady."

Two maids helped Yuan Zhuang out. She was shorter and thinner than others her age, with a face as white as a pear and a shy expression. Marquis Qu Zhou pulled her over and said, "Hurry up and greet all the uncles, aunts, and maternal aunts."

After Yuan Zhuang paid his respects in turn, Marquis Qu Zhou said to everyone, "Zhuang'er's condition is now stable, which is good for her recovery. In the future, if you have any fun gatherings, don't forget her."

She looked at her daughter with affection and pushed her to Aunt Qi's side, "Alright, go play with your cousin."

Qi Gu looked at her cousin, whose eyes were sparkling as she looked at her. Her little cousin was nine years old this year, and she was soft, cute and well-behaved.

Because she has been bedridden for many years and rarely goes out to see people, she is timid in such crowded places.

A gentle feeling welled up in Qi Gu's heart. "Don't be afraid, cousin. Come with me from now on, and I'll take you to play in the mud in the fields."

Zhang Jun, who was standing nearby, laughed and said, "Qi Gu, your voice sounds like a big bad wolf trying to coax a little white rabbit."

Aunt Qi was only focused on pinching her cousin's soft, fluffy face, which looked like freshly picked cotton from the field.

Yuan Zhuang nodded obediently, "Okay, then how long until we go, cousin?" Yuan Zhuang had been waiting for her cousin to take her out for a long time. She had been bedridden for a long time, and her mother wouldn't let her go out alone. She also didn't have any close friends. She had longed to see her cousin Qi Gu farm the land.

My mother told me that Doctor Ye was invited by Sima Langjun out of respect for my cousin. My cousin was very worried about her illness, and my admiration for her grew even stronger.

Seeing Zhuang'er's longing expression, Qi Gu thought for a moment and said, "In a few days, I'll ask Xu Jin to let us go outside the city to find wild millet seeds."

"That's great!" Yuan Zhuang tugged at Qi Gu's sleeve. "Cousin, you must remember to call me."

Aunt Qi is so adorable! No wonder her aunt dotes on her cousin. Her cousin is so cute, who wouldn't love her?

But even in a harmonious atmosphere, there are always discordant individuals. "Where is Marquis Guangshun?"

Guo Yun asked the question knowingly, but everyone in the capital knew that Marquis Guangshun had taken a mistress behind Marquis Quzhou's back and had a son and a daughter with her.

Now the two live in separate residences and never see each other again. A few days ago, Marquis Guangshun came to sue for peace, but was beaten on the head with a stick and driven away by Marquis Quzhou. Marquis Quzhou did not give Marquis Guangshun any face. The way Marquis Guangshun left in anger has been talked about for a long time.

Marquis Quzhou, with his fiery temper, could not tolerate such provocative words, especially those spoken by someone from the Guo family.

"Lord Huicheng has come to the wrong place. This is the residence of Marquis Quzhou, not Marquis Guangshun. If you want to see Marquis Guangshun, would you like me to personally escort you there?"

“Lord Qu Zhou, I’m only doing this out of good intentions. You two are husband and wife, and Yuan Zhuang is the daughter of Marquis Guangshun. No matter what, how can you treat Marquis Guangshun like this?” Guo Yun said earnestly.

Qu Zhouhou's good mood vanished instantly. He pointed at Guo Yun's nose and cursed, "Guo Yun, this is my Zhang Zhi's mansion. You dare to spout nonsense in my house? Do you think this is your Guo mansion? Even the Emperor wouldn't dare to say I've done anything wrong. Who do you think you are, lecturing me like this?"

Guo Yun's face turned purplish-blue. "You...you...you woman...you really can't tell right from wrong!"

"Woman?" Marquis Qu Zhou placed his hands on her rounded waist, a sneer playing on his lips. "When I, this woman, was fighting alongside the Emperor on the battlefield, you, Guo Yun, were nothing! You bought your title with money, and you have the nerve to stand in front of me and lecture me. You forced me to expose your past on our joyous occasion. I earned my title myself, and you, who relied on your sister and nephew, come to me swaggering around. Humph! Do you think I, Zhang Zhi, am easy to bully!"

Marquis Qu Zhou spoke at an astonishing speed, each word hitting Guo Yun's sore spot. The Second Prince wanted to make peace, but seeing Marquis Qu Zhou's spittle flying everywhere, he hesitated.

No one dared to offer any advice, after all, this Marquis of Quzhou not only had a noble title, but also the support of the Empress and General Zhang.

Those who dared to offer advice tacitly kept quiet, none of them wanting to provoke the formidable Marquis Qu Zhou. Of course, they also didn't want to get involved with Guo Yun, who had deliberately provoked others at their birthday banquet.

However, Qu Yan glanced silently at the Prince of Yi. Guo Yun's behavior today was too abnormal. The Guo family and the Marquis of Guangshun originally had no relationship. Why did they stand up and speak for the Marquis of Guangshun at the Marquis of Quzhou's birthday banquet? They were deliberately provoking the Marquis of Quzhou.

“Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, please calm down. Actually, Brother Yuan asked me to help you today. He is currently outside and wants to take advantage of your birthday to ask for your forgiveness. He brought a gift specifically for this occasion.”

"Great, that's really great!" Marquis Qu Zhou said twice.

The Prince of Yi, unaware of her identity, assumed she had agreed and hurriedly sent someone to invite Guangshun in.

Those who know her find Qu Zhouhou's smile eerie.

Wei Xin had a bad feeling and said to Qu Yan, "Qu Zilie, this banquet is probably going to be a disaster. We'd better leave quickly." He immediately regretted dragging Qu Yan along to join in the fun.

He knows Zhang Zhi too well! Guo Yun's words completely hit her sore spot, and things will definitely not end well today.

I have no idea when that idiot Yuan Kuai got involved with the Guo family. What a fool! What an idiot!

[Author's Note]

This chapter took two hours to revise. There are too many characters in this chapter, and I was worried it would become too chaotic. Also, there are some very important foreshadowing elements. Can you guess what they are? [Sunglasses]

I'll try my best to see if the next chapter can introduce a romance plot.