Wei Qinglou finally looked up at her: "Your Highness is seventeen this year, isn't she?"
Gu Jinshu was slightly taken aback.
Why would he ask her age for no reason?
Thinking of a certain reason, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She looked into Wei Qinglou's eyes and nervously replied, "Mm."
“You’ve reached the age for marriage.” Wei Qinglou nodded slightly, but didn’t say anything more. Instead, he changed the subject, “Even the princess isn’t close to her own cousins. You and I aren’t exactly cousins either. Since you’ve reached this age, it would be more appropriate for you to call me Lord Wei from now on. What do you think?”
Gu Jinshu looked at him in confusion: "Cousin..."
Wei Qinglou's indifferent gaze swept over her, and she bit her tongue, ultimately remaining silent.
But how could this be?
She pursed her lips and forced a smile as she asked him, "Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?" Perhaps realizing her lapse in composure, she lowered her eyes slightly, gazing at the gleaming tabletop in front of her.
After waiting a while and not hearing a reply from the other person, she was still determined and asked tentatively, "Did someone say something to you?"
Wei Qinglou chuckled slightly: "Who do you think it is? Zhu Jiayu?"
Gu Jinshu suddenly raised her head and looked straight at him.
Wei Qinglou merely smiled faintly at her, his expression slightly cold. He didn't speak, yet Gu Jinshu felt as if she could see mockery and disdain in his expression.
He was silently questioning her: Do you even deserve it?
Realizing this, she slowly clenched her teeth.
There could be nothing more humiliating than this. She went to make things difficult for Zhu Jiayu, hoping to make her back down. She wishfully wanted to have only her by Wei Qinglou's side, but in Wei Qinglou's eyes, she was no match for that person at all.
How ridiculous!
She hadn't even done anything to Zhu Jiayu yet, and he was already eagerly approaching her.
"The Turkic prince will be arriving in Yujing soon. The princess is wise and surely knows what he is coming to do in Yujing."
Yes, she knew that the Turks and Da Ye had a long tradition of marriage alliances. The position of the Turkic prince's principal wife was vacant, and her trip to Yujing was to select a princess from among the women of the royal family.
Currently, there are only three women from the imperial clan who are of legal birth and of marriageable age: her, Anning, and Changle.
Anning is the younger sister of Prince Ke, who is also the son-in-law of the Duke of Zhenguo. Based on this relationship alone, the Emperor would not allow Anning to marry into the Turkic Khaganate. Chang Le, on the other hand, has been raised by the Empress Dowager in the palace since childhood. The Empress Dowager likes her and would not be willing to let her marry into a barbarian land.
She, with her unpleasant background, yet possessing such a noble status, is she not the best candidate for a marriage alliance?
Her eagerness to approach Zhu Jiayu was not without this concern.
She thought that if Zhu Jiayu were not around, he would at least glance at her, and at least consider their relationship. Perhaps he wouldn't ask the Emperor to marry her, but... he should at least plead for her and spare her the suffering of being married off to a distant land.
“If the princess behaves herself, there might be a way to turn things around. But if the princess…” Wei Qinglou paused, looked at her, and chuckled, “then don’t blame me for turning my back on her and kicking her when she’s down.”
After a moment of stunned silence, a surge of overwhelming joy at surviving a close call welled up in Gu Jinshu's heart: "You mean?"
She had assumed that his impatience in coming to her after her treatment of Zhu Jiayu was to avenge Zhu Jiayu. She never expected him to be willing to help her!
As if knowing her thoughts, Wei Qinglou said in a calm tone, "I did have plans for this matter long ago, but not for you."
His gaze suddenly sharpened, like a dark arrow sharpened with cold light, carrying an unstoppable and invincible momentum. "Peace gained by exchanging a woman is nothing but an illusion, like the moon reflected in water or a flower in a mirror."
“But none of this concerns you,” Wei Qinglou said, his aura subdued. “You just need to remember what I said.”
His tone softened again, but Gu Jinshu already understood that beneath his gentle exterior lay a cold and indifferent heart.
She came to terms with this fact and would never again harbor any unrealistic fantasies about him.
Now, all she feels for him is gratitude.
Yet she still felt sorrow, and inevitably developed a feeling of envy towards Zhu Jiayu.
It was all because she understood that for someone like Wei Qinglou, a single moment of attraction could last forever. She would never have another chance.
"I understand. I won't make things difficult for her anymore," she said earnestly.
Not only that, she will also help Zhu Jiayu gain a foothold in Yujing. This is what she owes Wei Qinglou, so she will repay it to Zhu Jiayu.
Having received her promise, Wei Qinglou did not linger any longer. After nodding to her, he got up and left Jianyue Tower.
The sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments drifted downstairs like distant clouds and mist. Gu Jinshu sat in the private room for a long time, lost in thought.
Mulan waited outside for a long time, but when she didn't see her come out, she pushed the door open in a hurry and saw the usually graceful and dignified princess with tears streaming down her face.
She immediately knelt down, head bowed, and softly called out, "Princess..."
Gu Jinshu wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, took a deep breath, responded to her, and then said coldly, "I'm fine. Let's go."
Stepping out of the Moon-Viewing Pavilion, she was once again the elegant and noble Princess Yuanhui, a model of aristocratic women in the capital city of the Great Ye Dynasty.
...
The next day, Zhu Congjian did not go out. He was very worried because Xiao Wei had rejected his invitation.
But he also knew that Xiao Wei was an official after all, and couldn't possibly take time to go fishing with him every day.
He walked to the backyard with his hands behind his back to check on the fish in the tank. Seeing that they were all still lively and jumping around, his depressed mood was somewhat relieved. But when he saw his daughter taking Luzheng out, he immediately became distressed and sighed, "Girls really are hard to keep at home once they grow up."
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