Clear Ripples and Long Streams
In the first year of the Taichu era, he followed the head of the family to compile the history of Yu and wrote a biography for Gu Qingyi.
Inside a study in Shu, Sui Zhixu picked up his brush and wrote, "Gu Qingyi was a native of Ninghai in Yizhou, the daughter of Song Chang, the head of the Gu family. Known for her cunning and resourcefulness, she was initially the daughter of the Crown Prince's tutor, but was later demoted to a criminal..."
In the first year of the Taihe era, Gu Qingyi was only four years old. She held Sima Xian and looked warily at the emperor who was wearing a yellow robe.
Sima Xian tugged at her clothes, "Sister Qingyi."
"Don't be afraid." Gu Qingyi stood in front of him, unaware that her own hands were trembling.
"How dare you! You two dared to flee the palace without permission! Why don't you kneel before His Majesty!"
The eunuch had a shrill voice and stood before Emperor Qi, using his position to intimidate him.
He gestured for the eunuchs behind him to force Gu Qingyi and Sima Xian to kneel.
"Sister Qingyi!"
Gu Qingyi was forced to separate from Sima Xian. She was pinned to the ground by two or three eunuchs and could not struggle.
After Emperor Qi ascended the throne, their treatment plummeted. In the bitter winter, they had few clothes to keep warm. Mingming, a female official in the Shangyi Palace, told her that as long as she came to the Shangyi Palace at this time today, she would give her some winter fabric.
Her thin knees struck the cold ground, and she gasped, feeling a warm sensation on her knees.
She gritted her teeth, looked up to meet the Emperor Qi's hawk-like eyes, and remained silent.
"How dare you look directly at the Emperor's face!"
"So you're Gu Songshang's orphan?" Emperor Qi sneered. "You do have a similar temperament."
His tone was unfriendly and unfathomable. But when his father was mentioned, Gu Qingyi struggled to her feet. She refused to kneel before him; he was the one who killed her parents!
He's the one who slaughtered the entire Gu family!
He killed her entire family, leaving her the only survivor!
"Let me go! Don't touch me!" Gu Qingyi's eyes were bloodshot. A eunuch kicked her knee, and she fell to her knees with a thud.
"Sister Qingyi!"
“Those who flee without permission will be punished with thirty strokes of the cane as a minor punishment, considering it is their first offense.”
The eunuch flattered, "Your Majesty is wise."
With a few words, the two decided the fate of Gu Qingyi and Sima Xian. Thirty strokes of the cane—how could two frail children possibly endure that?
"Father, you mustn't! It was your son who sent them. If you want to punish someone, then punish me." Lu Yuan ignored the obstruction of the servants around him and stepped forward to plead for him.
“Madam Gu is frail and weak; she is just a young lady and cannot withstand thirty strokes of the cane.”
"Oh? Why did the Crown Prince allow them to leave the residence?"
Lu Yuan's hand trembled slightly as he bowed. He steadied himself, avoiding looking into Emperor Qi's eyes, and said, "I saw that they were frail, so I wanted to send them some clothing. I admire Mr. Gu's talent, and considering that Lady Gu is young, I brought her along. This was a thoughtless act on my part, and I hope that Your Majesty will forgive me."
Emperor Qi stared at him, but Lu Yuan remained motionless, still bowing with his hands clasped in greeting. After a long while, he said, "...The Crown Prince has always been kind and benevolent, so let's just let this matter go."
"Thank you, Father Emperor."
After Emperor Qi and the others left, Lu Yuan turned to look at Gu Qingyi. She was helped up by Sima Xian. Sima Xian was small and thin, and he stumbled, causing both of them to fall to the ground.
Lu Yuan stepped forward to help her up, but Gu Qingyi shoved him away, saying, "I don't need your help, let's go."
"Sister Qingyi, aren't you going to take the fabric?" Sima Xian looked up at Gu Qingyi, who was shorter than him.
Gu Qingyi paused. It was already November 17th. If it hadn't been for the heavy snow these past few days and the Princess Consort falling ill, she and Ah Xian wouldn't have run out.
"If you two don't mind, could you please wait a moment while my men go and fetch the materials? Everything I said just now was from the bottom of my heart..."
Gu Qingyi turned around abruptly, her eyes bloodshot. Her frightening gaze startled the eunuch beside Lu Yuan, but she said nothing and gripped Sima Xian's hand tightly.
Sima Xian looked up at her slightly, "Sister Qingyi, let's go back..."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"Qingyi..."
Gu Qingyi pulled Sima Xian behind her. Lu Yuan, though only nine years old, was composed and mature. Seeing this, he couldn't help but smile and urged the servants.
"Quickly, send someone to fetch materials, and charcoal for the winter."
Lu Yuan wanted to bring up Gu Songshang, but Gu Qingyi kept her head down, so he thought about it and didn't say anything.
Mr. Boyuan was a man of exceptional literary talent, as pure as ice and as clean as jade, whom he had long admired. However, Lady Gu had not long lost her father and had died at the hands of the Emperor, so perhaps he should not mention her.
Gu Qingyi accepted the fabric and thanked him again, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Lu Yuan responded with a bitter sound. He watched as Sima Xian rushed to help, and the two stumbled away without sending anyone else forward.
"Your Highness, should we send someone to help them?"
"No need, they probably won't like it." Lu Yuan lowered his head. He admired Mr. Bo Yuan and wanted to do everything he could to help his only bloodline, but he forgot that he was the murderer.
Sima Xian, holding the charcoal, was overjoyed. "Sister Qingyi, we're saved this winter!"
"Um."
She thought that this winter would be tough, but at least they could survive.
Like Aja said to her on her last day, live on.
Back at the Xuanping Prince's residence, the Prince of Xuanping saw them and knew where they had gone without asking. He knelt down and stroked Gu Qingyi's head.
"My child, I'm so sorry."
Gu Qingyi shook her head, "Father said he's willing."
Prince Xuanping sighed softly, "Come inside quickly, it's cold outside."
Sima Xian grabbed Gu Qingyi's hand, "Sister Qingyi, come and warm yourself by the fire."
He placed his warm hand near Gu Qingyi's ear and smiled. Gu Qingyi deliberately used her icy hand to cool his face, startling him into screaming.
The charcoal in the stove crackled and popped, casting a dim yellow light on the room. Prince Xuanping's face was hidden in the shadows, a smile playing on his lips, but a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
Two days later, someone from the Xuanping Prince's Mansion came to find Gu Qingyi and told her that the female official from the Imperial Wardrobe who had delivered the message to her had been dealt with.
Gu Qingyi didn't say anything, which angered Lu Yuan's servant so much that he went back to Lu Yuan to complain.
"Your Highness, you really shouldn't have had so much contact with them."
Lu Yuan sighed slightly, but continued to secretly and frequently send daily necessities to the Xuanping Prince's Mansion, and also often supervised the palace servants in charge of the Xuanping Prince's Mansion's daily expenses.
Years passed, and Emperor Qi even spoke with Lu Yuan about it. Lu Yuan simply said, "Your subject's matter is to emulate Father Emperor and demonstrate benevolence."
Emperor Qi didn't say much, not believing they could cause any trouble, so he let them do as they pleased.
Shunfeng, the little eunuch beside Lu Yuan, had already come to accept calmly all the help his lord had given to the Xuanping Prince's Mansion, especially to Lady Gu.
"How can Mr. Boyuan's children not study?"
"...Your Highness, what do you wish to do?"
"What do you think about being my study companion?"
"...No, no! The companions of the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince are all from their maternal families. They are all young masters from prestigious families. How can you, as the Crown Prince, find a wife, especially one from the Prince of the County's residence?"
Lu Yuan pondered, "Then I'll finish my studies as soon as possible and go in person."
"...Your Highness..."
"I will be careful."
Shunfeng: "..."
Gu Qingyi was quite surprised by Lu Yuan's arrival, especially since Lu Yuan had crawled through a dog hole.
Why are you here?
He held up the bamboo slips and said, "I have come to find you. You are ten years old now. Although boys and girls are not allowed to sit together after the age of seven, I should be able to act as your teacher."
The dog hole in the corner was covered with a thick layer of dust, and the hem of his moon-white brocade robe fell to the muddy ground, stained with dirt.
As he bent over and crawled over, the jade hairpin that held his hair back slipped off, and his dark hair fell loose over his shoulders, making him look completely different from his usual dignified and gentlemanly appearance.
"I don't need it, you can leave."
Gu Qingyi quickly glanced around to make sure no one was there, and urged him to leave.
“…I know that Prince Xuanping is learned and can serve as your teacher. I just want to do something to atone for my grave sins. Everything I said before was true. I do admire Mr. Boyuan’s talent and want to do something for his orphan. Madam Gu, if you inherit Mr. Boyuan’s talent, you wouldn’t want to just stay cooped up in the closed Prince’s mansion, would you?”
"What do you mean?"
Lu Yuan stood up, dusted himself off, and said in a gentle but firm voice, "Madam Gu can leave the Prince's Mansion with my help. Although I do not have the power that my father wields, I have the advantage of being the Crown Prince, which can help you."
"Mr. Boyuan came out of seclusion with a heart full of righteousness. At the end of the Yu Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, with bones exposed in the wilderness and no rooster crowing for miles. Mr. Boyuan single-handedly established a moment of peace in the chaotic world. He has done more than enough. The power struggles within the Yu Dynasty's royal court and the incessant torrential rains were not Mr. Boyuan's fault."
"Now that the new dynasty has been established, the world can be considered relatively peaceful, but there are constant disturbances on the borders. You have contributed to the world, and I don't think you would want your efforts to be in vain. Qingyi... forgive me for addressing you by your given name, but please come with me."
He stood in the courtyard, the wind blowing through his mud-stained robes, his eyes clear and bright, like a green bamboo by the water, upright and humble, gentle and refined.
Gu Qingyi stood slightly above him, her gaze hidden in the light and shadow.
She spoke softly, "You trust me that much?"
Yes, I believe you.
Amidst the mud and cold, a touch of elegance emerged. Gu Qingyi tilted her head to look at him, smiling softly. Her pale purple clothes were faded from washing, and the sunlight felt somewhat chilly on her.
Lu Yuanxin was filled with unease. She asked him, "Do you know how to play chess?"
"Yes! I have studied Mr. Boyuan's chess games."
"Okay, I can agree to that..."
Before Lu Yuan could rejoice, she changed the subject, "But we can't let anyone else know."
"Okay, I'll come early."
Hearing the noise, Gu Qingyi pushed the person away, saying, "I have something to do today, let's talk another day."
"I promise I will come."
Gu Qingyi gave a perfunctory reply, but caught a glimpse of a corner of clothing out of the corner of her eye, and her heart began to race.
Fortunately, she pushed Lu Yuan away in time, and when she turned around, she met his eyes.
"Why is it at the base of the wall?"
"I don't know where my earring fell off. I remembered we were playing chess in the bamboo grove yesterday, so I came to look for it." Gu Qingyi held the silver earring she had just taken off her ear and looked up at him, asking, "Is there something you need from me, sir?"
He laughed heartily, "It's nothing. I was just visiting Your Highness and the Empress and happened to pass by your residence. You seemed to be in some trouble."
Gu Qingyi lowered her head and smiled, "I'm sorry to have made you, Prime Minister, laugh at me."
"It's alright, it's alright. Since you're alright, I'll take my leave now."
Everyone thought Ye Xiang was dead, but who could have known that he had managed to slip away unnoticed and evade the guards at the Xuanping Prince's Mansion?
There were even Ye Taoyao and Ye Ming, who were not related by blood, who were infiltrating the court, but the rest of the Ye family were all dead.
She obtained all of this information by overhearing his conversation with Prince Xuanping.
Gu Qingyi frowned slightly. Could it be that he discovered her that day?
She didn't know, and she didn't know if it was right or wrong for her to agree to Lu Yuan's request.
But she really missed her father. In this world, no one would mention her father's name anymore, not even the Prince of Xuanping's mansion.
His name became taboo, and the palace fell into silence and sorrow, while outside there was fear and caution.
Once upon a time, they were simply a family finding comfort and happiness in Sichuan.
Unlike her father, who came from a prestigious family, her mother was just an ordinary mulberry picker from a common family in Sichuan. She would start bathing the silkworm eggs in the twelfth lunar month, sowing them around Qingming Festival, raising the silkworms, and waiting for them to grow slowly.
She was afraid of silkworms; they were long, white, and soft, and she would often hide behind her father to peek at her mother working.
Her mother would laugh at her, saying she was a precious person because she resembled her father.
Gu Songshang replied, "Under Madam Ashan's careful guidance, I've also learned a little bit."
Zhen Shan raised her chin, "Raising silkworms is quite simple; you just feed them mulberry leaves."
She handed the mulberry leaf to Gu Qingyi, "Qingqing, just try it and hand the leaf over."
Gu Qingyi held the mulberry leaf, brought it to her nose and smelled it. It didn't seem any different from the other leaves. Why did they only eat mulberry leaves?
"Anyway, this is how we've been for generations. Ask me? Even your mother doesn't know." Zhen Shan shook her head.
“Actually, they can be eaten, but they won’t grow well.” Gu Songshang thought for a moment. “Mulberry leaves can provide them with the nutrients they need, which will help them grow better.”
“Listen to your father, he’s well-read and knowledgeable.” Zhen Shan put her hand on his shoulder, speaking in a carefree manner.
“If Ah Shan hadn’t been hiding to study, you would have been the same.”
Zhen Shan covered her ears, "Ahhh, I don't want to hear it! Go teach Qingqing. It's already hard enough for me to learn your name, and I haven't even complained about how hard it is to write the name you gave me."
"Perhaps Qingqing also finds the name you chose difficult to write."
Gu Qingyi was poking them with mulberry leaves when she saw them running up the leaves. Startled, she scattered the leaves and pounced on Gu Songshang.
"That's scary."
She didn't hear their conversation clearly, so she peeked out from Gu Songshang's arms, revealing a pair of round eyes looking at them.
"Um?"
Gu Songshang fell into reflection, "Qingqing, your father is asking you, is the name Qingyi difficult to write?"
"Father, I'm only three years old, and you haven't taught me how to write my name yet. You taught me Mother, you've got it wrong again!"
Zhen Shan touched her nose, pinched Gu Qingyi's armpit, lifted her up and put her aside, "Children don't need to know so much, go play by yourself."
After that, the cocoons are spun and bundled together, then boiled to produce silk...
In the small courtyard, Zhen Shan pushed the loom to weave cloth, the wooden shuttle weaving back and forth in her hands. Little Gu Qingyi would always squat in front of the loom, listening to its clicking sounds, echoing in the distance as Gu Songshang dropped chess pieces.
"So sleepy."
Lu Yuan tapped on her desk, and she opened her eyes slightly. In her memory, the figure of her father overlapped with Lu Yuan.
Are you very sleepy?
Lu Yuan's voice was gentle, and he placed his hand on her forehead; it wasn't hot.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Didn't sleep well last night?"
"Hmm." Gu Qingyi rubbed her temples, she had been dreaming about the past a lot lately.
"Perhaps the journey was bumpy, why don't you go inside and get some more sleep?"
Gu Qingyi shook her head. She had been studying with Lu Yuan for more than four years. This time, there was a friction on the border between Qi and Yue, and Lu Yuan volunteered to guard the front line. She felt that this was a good opportunity.
“I am fine. The Yue Kingdom has occupied thirteen cities in Jiannan, and we can’t wait any longer. Take a look at this. I’ve collected information on the Yue Kingdom’s border generals. The newly appointed garrison commander of Guandu, Deng Ping, is suspicious by nature and has had several arguments with the commander-in-chief. Perhaps we can make use of him.”
Lu Yuan took the letter from Gu Qingyi, a smile spreading across his eyes. "The student has surpassed the teacher; Qingyi is becoming more and more remarkable."
"Stop talking nonsense." Gu Qingyi interrupted him, her pursed lips looking slightly serious, but her upturned eyebrows and eyes resembled a raccoon dog. She wasn't smiling, but it was clear at a glance that she was very happy.
Lu Yuan coughed lightly twice, looked away, and smoothed out non-existent wrinkles on his cuffs.
“The method is feasible. I will go and discuss it with the general and the others, and take into account the terrain.”
Gu Qingyi nodded. "I'm leaving."
"Are you leaving?"
Lu Yuan suddenly spoke, and Gu Qingyi turned around and cast a questioning look at him.
"What's wrong?"
He stood up with her, his moon-white robes cascading down, making his slender figure appear even more upright. Standing before her, he completely enveloped her figure beneath him.
“I…yes, the Western Regions sent some grapes as tribute. I’ll send someone to deliver them to you when I get back. And…and I’ve recently asked the palace gardeners for some ideas, and perhaps we can plant them in the Eastern Palace.”
"Grapes?" Gu Qingyi hadn't expected him to say that. "Thank you for remembering to give me some."
"You love reading the poems of Cao Cao's three sons, and you've learned about seven-tenths of their interests. How could you not remember them?"
A smile appeared on his face, gentle and tender. Gu Qingyi was caught off guard when she met his eyes, which were bright and sparkling, like a pool of spring water.
She slowly raised her fingertips, trying to touch the corner of his eye. Lu Yuan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and for some reason, he did not stop her.
"Brother!"
Gu Qingyi snapped out of her daze and withdrew her hand. Lu Yuan turned his head to meet Lu Huai's eyes, and a rare surge of anger rose in his heart.
Lu Huai scratched his head. "Brother, why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing." Lu Yuan sighed softly, resuming his dignified and gentlemanly demeanor, restraining himself and returning to propriety.
"You guys chat."
Gu Qingyi bowed and withdrew. Lu Huai glanced at Lu Yuan, then at her, and chuckled to himself.
He and Lu Yuan were twin brothers, but they did not resemble each other. Lu Yuan resembled the Empress more, with a handsome and gentle appearance and temperament. Lu Huai resembled the Emperor Qi more, with a rugged appearance. Lu Yuan handled most of the affairs of the court, while he was only responsible for being a leisurely prince.
After Gu Qingyi left, he stepped forward and hooked his arm around Lu Yuan's neck, saying, "So, brother is upset that I ruined your plans."
"No fooling around in the military camp."
"Oh, you're blaming me now?" Lu Huai clicked his tongue in amazement. "You dare say you have pure intentions? You really treat her like a younger sister?"
"Really." Lu Yuan calmly removed Lu Huai's hand from his shoulder. "She's just my sister."
"Tch, boring."
"You're something else. You followed me here just to hide from Madam Zhou."
"Where am I supposed to hide from her?" Lu Huai awkwardly shook his robes. "She's clearly being unreasonable. What did I do wrong?"
"Brother, you be the judge! She's clearly in the wrong! I just didn't have time to reply to her letter because the teacher had too much homework, and then she said I'd fallen for another woman. I'm innocent! I did reply later, she's just imagining things!"
Lu Yuan was getting a headache from his noise, so he raised his hand to stop him, "So you ran away?"
"...I guess so."
Lu Yuan: "..."
He rubbed his forehead. "Aren't you afraid she'll overthink things?"
"That seems to be true, it's all over."
Lu Yuan ignored him and said sternly, "Stop causing trouble here. This is a vital front line, not a place for you to play around."
"Heartless, you just like that other woman. You speak to her so gently, but you're not friendly to your younger brother at all."
"Get out, get out." Lu Yuan's head was throbbing, and he reached out to push him out.
Lu Huai was about to speak when Lu Yuan stopped him with a look.
"Watch out, or I'll cut your pay next month and won't let you go out."
"...You're ruthless. Why am I not the older brother?"
Lu Yuan dusted off his robe, his expression indifferent, and beckoned for someone to take him away.
Gu Qingyi felt that Lu Yuan was acting strangely because of his age, and he kept asking odd questions.
Jiannan's trip went quite smoothly. Almost every suggestion she made was put to use. Some of her ideas were improved by Lu Yuan, and the city was recaptured in just three days during the Battle of Guandu.
She knew in her heart that if it weren't for Lu Yuan, her plan probably wouldn't have been seen by anyone, but that didn't mean he was nagging her every day.
"You are about to come of age; has the Prince of Xuanping chosen a courtesy name for you?"
"Why don't I fetch it for you?"
"what do you like?"
"Next year will be my coming-of-age ceremony, and your coming-of-age ceremony. My courtesy name will probably be chosen by the Emperor."
On the way back, he kept babbling on and on, just one word at a time, it was so annoying.
She covered her ears: "No, you're so noisy."
Why not take it?
“I don’t want anyone else to take my name except for Aye.”
Lu Yuan finally shut up, but then he suddenly put his hand on her head and sighed.
She let out a sigh of relief and finally shut up.
Lu Yuan didn't speak to her for a long time. On the way back, Gu Qingyi was drowsy and thought it was just right so she could sleep peacefully.
After returning home, Gu Qingyi received high praise from the Empress, and Emperor Qi also praised her. He officially lifted Gu Qingyi's confinement, and her poems and essays were finally seen, making her famous throughout Chang'an.
"Are the grapes delicious? I know you like them, so I saved them especially for you."
With Gu Qingyi's confinement lifted, Lu Yuan could now openly invite her to the Eastern Palace.
She reached for the grapes on the plate, peeled off the deep purple skin to reveal the green flesh inside, and her fair fingertips were stained with the purple juice from the skin.
"How could you really tell the Emperor about me? Aren't you afraid of his punishment?"
Gu Qingyi was rescued after traveling to Jiannan with Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan did this secretly, relying on his status as the crown prince, so no one dared to say anything.
“You’ve already brought them, so this is all your achievement. How can you attribute it to me? Besides, isn’t this what you wanted? People outside are saying that you have the same integrity as Mr. Boyuan. Isn’t that good? You can go out openly and honestly, and go wherever you want to go.”
Lu Yuan's gaze fell on her hands, as gentle as ever, and Gu Qingyi's heart sank.
She swallowed the peeled grapes whole, forcing a smile to hide the bitterness in her eyes. "They're fine, though the grapes seem a little sour."
"Is it sour?" Lu Yuan asked, somewhat surprised, as he reached out to peel the grape.
Gu Qingyi's gaze fell on the faint patterns on the greenish-blue flesh of the fruit. She suddenly reached out and grasped Lu Yuan's hand, blocking her view of the fruit.
"Qingyi?"
Lu Yuan's ear tips turned slightly red, thankfully she lowered her eyes and didn't see it.
"Maybe the one I just ate wasn't good. Didn't you say you grew grapes? Take me to see them. I'm in a bit of a hurry. Sima Heng asked me to go to the music store to run some errands, otherwise it'll be late."
"I see." Lu Yuan smiled, and seeing that Gu Qingyi didn't pull her hand away, he smiled for a moment and then suppressed it. "Would you like a handkerchief?"
"I already have one, I don't need it."
“…Okay, I’ll take you to see the grapes.” He was a little disappointed, but he didn’t let Gu Qingyi notice.
The wind swayed the grapevines, and the broad grape leaves trembled in the wind, rising and falling, looking incredibly joyful.
"Look, I've built a trellis, and the grapes might climb up it. Grapes grow fast, so we might be able to eat them next year."
"Okay." Gu Qingyi looked at the tiny seedling. It hadn't grown very big yet, and there were still many small yellow leaves at the tip that hadn't turned green.
"If there are too many grapes, we can make wine. Her Majesty the Empress has given me a jar of wine. I wonder if it was at your behest?"
Lu Yuan stood in front of her, smiling slightly, "That's because the Empress Dowager likes you, how could it be my idea?"
"Next time we play chess together, if I lose, I'll make you drink."
"...That whole jar of wine is probably mine now."
"After you come of age," Gu Qingyi said with a faint smile.
Meeting his eyes, she suddenly lowered them, "I might not be there when you come of age."
"Why?" Lu Yuan frowned slightly, his usually calm gaze now showing a hint of anxiety.
"You said you'd come to my coming-of-age ceremony a few days ago." His hand clenched slightly in his sleeve as he tried to look into Gu Qingyi's eyes to find some truth.
She avoided her eyes, "Something suddenly came up, and I had to leave Chang'an... It's something to do in Yizhou."
"Yizhou?"
"Some of my mother's belongings."
Having said that, Lu Yuan didn't ask any more questions. Gu Qingyi breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was still pounding. She couldn't meet Lu Yuan's eyes; she was afraid.
She was afraid that Lu Yuan would notice something was wrong.
After this incident, how could Ye Xiang not understand that her relationship with Lu Yuan was not simple?
She gripped the brown porcelain bottle in her sleeve, Ye Xiang's words echoing in her mind.
"This powder is colorless and odorless. You only need to put it in Lu Yuan's food and water, and the poison will slowly erode his internal organs. During this time, no imperial physician will notice anything amiss. After a year, when his symptoms appear, it will be too late to save him. Even a god cannot save him."
"Qingyi, don't forget who killed your father? Your Gu family was wiped out, and you're the only one left."
"Qingyi?"
Gu Qingyi was brought back to her senses by Lu Yuan's words, and she pretended to be busy adjusting the hairpins at her temples.
Calmly, she asked him, "What's wrong?"
“Take this.” He reached out and took off his jade pendant. “This jade pendant was a gift from my father. Seeing it is like seeing me. It will be more convenient for you to take it with you when you go out.”
Gu Qingyi took the jade pendant in a daze. It was made of the finest Hetian jade, with a lifelike coiled dragon whose front claws were pointing forward, giving the impression of breaking free from constraints and soaring through the heavens.
"It's better if you don't come..." He spoke softly at the beginning, but his voice softened as always.
"It's alright, but remember to think of me. Here's a jade pendant, wear it carefully, so you don't really forget me while you're out there."
Inside her sleeve, Gu Qingyi's hand rested on the jade pendant. She clenched it slightly, the uneven surface of the pendant digging into her palm, the pain stimulating her brain to keep her alert.
"Of course. It's getting late, I'll be going now."
She said no more, turned and left, leaving Lu Yuan standing alone, silently watching her go.
Shunfeng spoke up, "Your Highness, why not take Lady Gu as your concubine? Lady Gu has no relatives, which would be difficult for her to be the Crown Princess. However, she has made great contributions this time. If Your Highness explains the situation to His Majesty, His Majesty will surely agree."
"No. I only wanted to make Mr. Boyuan's orphan live a better life to make up for my guilt. It was just wishful thinking on my part from the beginning. All the greed and selfishness that followed should be borne by me alone, and have nothing to do with her."
“She is thoughtful and her defenses are hard to break. She regards me as her brother, so how can I humiliate her?”
He was the one who was moved, he was the one who scattered love everywhere, everything revolved around him.
Because she was imprisoned in her childhood, she has little understanding of love between men and women and has seen very few people. How can he imprison her here because of his selfish desires and misunderstand gratitude as love?
"Shunfeng, she should be free."
He bent down and touched the growing grapes with his fingertips. "One day, she will climb up the trellis instead of being trapped in the palace. Whether she goes out or we never see each other again, it's my fault for letting her down, and now I'm dragging another woman into this mess."
"The future Crown Princess should be in charge of the inner palace. His Majesty has chosen a dignified, elegant, and non-jealous wife for His Highness."
"I have witnessed my mother's many years of hardship and the endless infighting in the harem. I remember it all and do not wish to follow in her footsteps. Let us not mention it again."
What Yizhou relics? Zhen Shan was just a mulberry picker. Although she was not exactly poor or wealthy in the first half of her life, she didn't even own a silver hairpin.
In the latter half of his life, he met Gu Songshang. Most of his money was used to help the common people and the poor. When he met his beloved and asked for her hand in marriage, he realized that he was short of money. He often sighed that Zhen Shan did not mind his betrothal gifts.
Therefore, Zhen Shan didn't have many pieces of jewelry, at least not as many as the wives of other noble families. She left them all to Gu Qingyi, since there were no other things available in Yizhou.
Gu Qingyi just wanted to find an excuse to go out.
She didn't want to make that decision.
But that day will always come.
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