Chapter 1 Chapter 1 She is reborn!
In the sixth year of Chengqing, on the Qianqiu Festival, people from all over the capital came to the palace to celebrate the queen's birthday.
In the imperial garden, string music could be heard, young girls were playing and laughing, and the whole place was filled with springtime beauty.
In a side hall near Tingyueshui Pavilion, a beautiful girl sat on a beauty couch in a trance.
Her hair was like ink, her lips were like pearls, and her fair, smooth skin was as delicate as cream. The sunlight poured in from the window and enveloped her body, like a pearl with a halo, so beautiful that it was difficult to describe in words.
"Miss Gu."
The person who spoke was a royal physician in his forties. He solemnly reminded, "The wound on your face needs to be treated daily. Don't be lazy, otherwise it will leave scars in the future."
Gu Zhizhuo tilted her head, revealing a large patch of black ointment on her cheek. The strong smell of medicine and the faint stinging pain made her clearly aware of a reality -
She was reborn!
She returned to this day, the beginning of the nightmare.
On this day, she went to the palace with her grandmother to celebrate the Qianqiu Festival.
After the court ceremony, the queen kept a few ladies to talk and asked the palace maids to take these noble ladies to play in the imperial garden.
They were playing pitching pots in Tingyue Water Pavilion. Someone's aim was off, and the arrow they threw hit her face. Fortunately, the arrow was made of wood, and the tip was polished to a very smooth shape. The graze only left a slight scratch on her cheek, leaving a red mark.
In order not to lose his manners at the palace banquet later, Gu Zhizhuo went to a side hall and planned to apply a cold compress.
Later, the imperial physician came.
At that time, who could have thought that such an inconspicuous abrasion would fester in just a few days after she returned.
Half of her face became red and swollen, and pus was oozing out. Not to mention wiping it, even the slightest scratch when applying medicine would break the skin and expose the flesh.
It hurts a lot.
But when I sat in front of the bronze mirror and saw with my own eyes that I was becoming more and more like an evil ghost day by day, it was not just painful.
But it is the despair that is engraved into the bones.
Gu Zhizhuo's fingers hidden in his sleeves were as tight as strings.
Her personal maid, Qiongfang, was frightened by the imperial physician's words and quickly asked, "Imperial Physician Liu, is there anything else I should be aware of?"
Doctor Liu stroked his beard and said, "Miss Gu, you need to apply this ointment every day for seven days."
"During this period, there will be some itching, pain, and fever. Remember not to scratch with your hands. If there is some redness or swelling, don't worry, just continue to apply the medicine."
He warned carefully: "If you don't want to leave scars, you must never give up halfway."
Qiongfang nodded repeatedly, almost taking out a pen and paper to write it down.
Gu Zhizhuo had her eyelids lowered, but she suddenly opened them. She had a pair of extremely beautiful phoenix eyes, the corners of which were slightly raised, and as her eyes moved, a hint of ferocity emanated from them.
She watched Doctor Liu place a fine porcelain medicine jar the color of sky blue after rain on the table.
I watched him pack up his medicine box and stand up to leave.
She suddenly asked, "Doctor Liu, what is this medicine?"
Doctor Liu bowed and replied vaguely, "It's called Wanling Baibao Ointment, and the recipe comes from an ancient book."
"The ladies and princesses in the palace, if they have any scrapes or bruises, they all use this. It not only heals the wounds but also nourishes the skin."
Without waiting for her to ask again, he smiled warmly and said, "Miss Gu, please don't worry. His Highness the Third Prince has specifically instructed me to do so, and I will not neglect it. I will come to your house for a follow-up examination in three days. By then, you should be almost fully recovered."
Gu Zhizhuo nodded and ordered, "Qiongfang, go and see him off."
Qiongfang responded and followed him out, not forgetting to ask, "Doctor Liu, please tell me what else I need to pay attention to."
"Besides not being able to eat spicy or greasy food, is there anything else..."
“…”
As soon as Doctor Liu left, Gu Zhizhuo took a handkerchief and wiped the ointment off his face.
Even with this, she was still worried. She looked around the side hall and found a washbasin and a bronze mirror in the corner. There was half a basin of clean water in the washbasin, which was specially sent by the palace maid for her to apply a cold compress on her face.
Gu Zhizhuo scooped water from his hands and splashed it on his cheeks, then wiped them carefully with a handkerchief, over and over again.
"Miss. I just made some inquiries. This Imperial Physician Liu is an expert in trauma. His father was also an imperial physician in the palace, and he was quite capable."
Qiongfang was still outside when the cheerful voice arrived first.
"His Royal Highness the Third Prince truly cares deeply about you..."
She stopped abruptly, ran over nervously, and said in a slightly raised tone, "Miss! Doctor Liu said that this medicine must be applied every day."
"No problem." Gu Zhizhuo said without raising his head, "Go and close the palace door."
Qiongfang said "Oh" and went to close the door obediently.
Gu Zhizhuo wiped the water off his face and looked at his reflection in the bronze mirror. His skin was as white as snow, his eyebrows were like distant mountains, and he was exquisite without a single flaw.
Her slender fingers gently touched her tender cheeks, her plump red lips slightly curved, and two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks.
After her appearance was ruined, she never dared to look in the bronze mirror again, and she hadn't seen her own face for a long time.
This moment seems like a lifetime ago.
She almost forgot that she had once been so beautiful and charming.
Qiongfang closed the door and muttered worriedly, "Miss, Doctor Liu said that the medicine must be applied continuously."
Qiongfang thought she was afraid of losing her composure in front of the palace.
"How about I go and report to the Madam and ask for leave for you?"
"This isn't a good thing." Gu Zhizhuo picked up the small medicine jar and shook it gently, his voice slightly hoarse with fear. "Using this will cause skin abscesses to fester. Within three days, my face will be completely disfigured and incurable."
She had suffered this pain in her previous life, and she had had enough of it!
"ah!"
Qiongfang exclaimed and quickly covered her lips with both hands.
Her eyes widened and her voice seemed to be stuck in her throat.
Qiongfang has been by Gu Zhizhuo's side since she was a child, and she never doubts what he says.
At this moment, her face flushed with anxiety: "How could Imperial Doctor Liu do this! I will go and settle the score with him!"
Gu Zhizhuo sneered, "How could a mere imperial physician dare to murder a noble lady in the palace?"
"It's Xie Jing."
Gu Zhizhuo said these three words in a firm and decisive manner, with a strong hatred lingering in his heart.
Qiongfang half opened her mouth and stammered for a long time, "W-why?"
"Your Highness the Third Prince? He, he's your fiancé!"
Yes. Gu Zhizhuo pulled the corners of his mouth and smiled self-deprecatingly.
"Because he has a crush on someone, he wants to cancel the engagement, but he doesn't want people to gossip about him."
She used to be unable to understand it either.
I even once doubted whether I was being too suspicious.
It was not until he had experienced the confiscation of property and exile, and witnessed the painful deaths of his relatives one after another, that when he looked back on all that had happened, it was as if the fog in front of him had been cleared away, and everything suddenly became clear.
The Gu family is a super-class Zhenguogong Mansion. Their ancestors followed Taizu in the uprising, conquered the south and the north, and made great military achievements.
After Emperor Taizu ascended the throne, he rewarded his meritorious service by bestowing the title of Duke of Zhenguo, which was hereditary.
From then on, the Gu family guarded the northern border of Daqi and commanded the army for generations.
Among the many military generals in Daqi, only the Gu family possesses the power of 200,000 soldiers. It is also the only family in which the men have died on the battlefield for generations, and no one has a good end.
More than four years ago, the Liang Kingdom invaded the border with great force. General Zhou Jian, who was guarding the northwest, was killed in battle, and the 80,000-man army was completely annihilated. Several border towns were massacred one after another, and countless civilians were killed or injured.
The Liang cavalry burned, killed, and looted along the way, and in just three months they reached Luoxia Pass.
Luoxia Pass is the most important barrier in the west of Daqi. Once it is lost, the country will be in danger.
The emperor had no choice but to rush eight hundred miles to recall his father, the Duke of Zhenguo, from the northern border and order him to go to Luoxia Pass to fight the enemy.
It is well known to the world that Duke Zhenguo Gu Taotao is brave and good at fighting and has never been defeated.
This battle lasted a full year and a half. The Liang Kingdom was defeated and fled, surrendering several cities and submitting a petition for surrender. The Duke of Zhenguo pursued the victory and pushed the border of Daqi thousands of miles westward.
The great victory brought joy to the whole country.
But the Duke of Zhenguo left his life on the grassland, leaving only posthumous honors.
The emperor was heartbroken and suspended court for three days. Then, in front of all the civil and military officials in the court, he promised himself to the third prince Xie Jing in front of his father's spirit.
Xie Jing is the legitimate son of the Empress, and his future is limitless. People in the court and the country all praise the Emperor's great favor to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
However, Xie Jing had someone he loved, and he didn't want to see his beloved become a concubine, so he wanted to cancel the engagement. This marriage, to put it bluntly, was the emperor's way of appeasing the army. If he acted rashly, he would offend all the generals in the court, which would affect his position as the ruler of the Eastern Palace.
Unless, she is "unworthy" of being the Third Prince's consort.
She is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo. Judging from her family background, she is worthy of being the mother of a country.
To be considered "unworthy" of the Third Prince, one must either lose his virginity, become disabled, or...
Disfigured!
Qiongfang was anxious and angry: "How could someone do such a despicable thing!"
This is too much of an insult! Qiongfang was so angry that she almost cried.
Gu Zhizhuo was in mixed emotions.
Nightmare-like memories of past lives kept emerging, mixed with hatred, disgust and anger.
In her previous life, after she returned home, she developed a high fever and became drowsy and confused.
At the beginning, the mansion specially invited Doctor Liu to come over. Doctor Liu repeatedly said that this was normal and there was no need to worry.
When she woke up from her coma, she found that her face was rotten.
At that moment, she almost collapsed.
Then, even more devastating things happened one after another.
Gu Yican, the twin brother who was ordered to lead troops to suppress the bandits, failed to do his job well, allowing the bandits to flee to the capital, and people in several villages died under the bandits' butcher knives.
The people in the capital were all in danger and felt extremely anxious.
The emperor was furious and ordered Xie Jing to escort Gu Yican.
Gu Zhizhuo was shocked and worried, and waited anxiously day and night. Finally, she waited for Xie Jing to return to Beijing, but her brother did not come back with him.
In the Meridian Gate Square, Xie Jing reported indignantly in front of all the civil and military officials in the court and the onlookers: Gu Yican was greedy for life and afraid of death. He killed the guards and then defected. His whereabouts are unknown.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't believe such words at all. She lost her composure for a moment and rushed forward, wanting to get clarification.
However, Xie Jing casually lifted her veil with the long sword in his hand.
Her festering and pus-filled face was exposed in full view of everyone.
Xie Jing looked at her with a half-smile and said:
"As the saying goes, appearance reflects the heart. Your appearance is exactly like your brother's heart."
"It's a pity that the Duke of Zhenguo was so wise throughout his life."
From then on, everyone in the world knew that the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was born like an evil ghost, with a vicious heart and no self-awareness. She kept pestering the bright-as-the-moon Third Prince, insisting on getting engaged to him and forcing him to show favoritism and protect the defected Gu Yican.
Gu Zhizhuo's mind was filled with Xie Jing's indifferent and cold gaze that day. The surging blood and anger surged into his heart, causing a dull pain in his chest.
She had thought countless times about what she would do if she had the chance to do it again.
God actually gave her this opportunity!
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