Princess Ruining also quietly looked at Gu Yaoniang, the girl's eyes were dark, and there seemed to be a storm brewing in them.
She asked, "Are you scared?"
Was she afraid? Gu Yaoniang asked herself.
She wanted to deny it. From now on, she aspired to be a virtuous woman who stood tall and upright. To stand in this world, unafraid of the trials and tribulations, how could she be afraid?
But aren't they afraid? Their family members are innocent, and the emperor's thoughts are unpredictable. With people they want to protect, it's natural to feel fear.
Gu Yaoniang was about to speak when she saw the girl on the high seat chuckle.
She was taken aback, somewhat puzzled.
Princess Ruining said to Lu Zhaoan, "Cousin, you've won!"
Lu Zhaoan smiled and shook his head, looking at Gu Yaoniang: "The princess made a bet with me, which frightened Lady Gu. Don't be afraid."
Princess Ruining personally went to Gu Yaoniang's side, helped her up and sat her down, before returning to the head of the table.
Gu Yaoniang felt completely bewildered, her heart pounding as if it had soared to the heavens.
Princess Ruining before me had a bright smile, a stark contrast to her serious demeanor just moments before. She seemed like a child who had been trying so hard to appear mature, finally able to remove her mask, completely relaxed.
Princess Ruining also said to Yaoniang, "It was my fault. I frightened you just now. I heard from my cousin that you hit Lord Qin, so I knew that your relationship with him was not ordinary."
Seeing that Yao Niang's muscles were tense, she continued, "Don't be afraid. I don't think you have an affair with him. My cousin and I made a bet. If I scare you, will you tell us all the reasons?"
Clearly, Princess Ruining believed that Gu Yaoniang could do it, while Lu Zhaoan believed that Gu Yaoniang could not.
Princess Kerening changed the subject, her expression becoming solemn:
"I shouldn't ask about your relationship with Lord Qin. But I did ask you today whether you are familiar with Lord Qin and whether you know his character."
Since things have escalated to the point of physical violence, it's no small matter. Since it happened in my residence, I have no choice but to inquire about it.
Seeing Yao Niang hesitate, she continued, "I also have my own selfish reasons. My father has arranged a marriage between A Qiu and Lord Qin. A Qiu is my childhood friend, so I can't help but care about her."
If you know of anything amiss with Lord Qin, could you please tell me?
She spoke earnestly, but Gu Yaoniang seemed lost in thought.
Friends? Do royalty truly have any genuine friends?
Gu Yaoniang hesitated, not daring to speak easily. It was Lu Zhaoan who spoke up from the side: "Madam Gu, the princess is also genuinely fond of you. If Lord Qin really has any issues, you don't need to worry."
Gu Yaoniang did feel a little reluctant. She had only just met Xie Danqiu today, but she already felt a great liking for her.
Xie Danqiu was lively and cheerful; she shouldn't have married a gloomy person like Qin Yuxiu and wasted her life.
But after all, today was only our first meeting. We only had a good impression of each other, but no real friendship.
The wrath of a sage is like an invisible sword; the Gu family has no idea whether it will fall.
Informing Princess Ruining, a member of the royal family, of the marriage agreement with Qin Yuxiu was tantamount to informing the emperor.
Gu Yaoniang carefully considered her words before asking, "What kind of person is a sage?"
Princess Ruining and Lu Zhaoan were both taken aback, not understanding what Gu Yaoniang meant.
Gu Yaoniang then asked, "If so, is it possible that Lady Xie has nothing to do with Lord Qin?"
She had intended to ask if Qin Yuxiu had deceived the Emperor, and if the Emperor would take his anger out on others. However, she felt that it was too obvious, so she changed her question to test the waters.
Princess Ruining seized upon the loophole in her words and asked urgently, "But is there really something wrong with him?"
Seeing Yao Niang looking at her hesitantly, she became anxious: "Yao Niang! You are also a woman, how can you bear to watch A Qiu entrust herself to the wrong person!"
Gu Yaoniang opened her mouth, and her mouth tasted somewhat bitter.
It was Lu Zhaoan who spoke up and resolved her predicament: "Yaoyao, don't worry. Madam Gu is probably worried about whether the Emperor's decree to marry can be changed."
Upon hearing the name "Yao Yao," Gu Yaoniang almost thought she was being called. She paused for a moment before realizing that Yao Yao might be the princess's name.
She had always thought Lu Zhaoan was a quiet and reserved young man, but she never expected that he would talk so much at Princess Ruining's residence today.
It's probably because of his deep affection for the princess that things are different at her residence compared to usual.
Princess Ruining found Lu Zhaoan's words to be reasonable and said to Yaoniang, "My father is the most reasonable person. If Qin Yuxiu has a problem, Aqiu is someone he watched grow up! He will definitely not let Aqiu jump into the fire pit."
Gu Yaoniang, however, grasped the key point Princess Ruining made—that the sage is the most reasonable person.
She felt somewhat relieved, but still asked one last time, "If the Emperor is angry after learning the truth, I beg you, Princess, to protect my parents and younger brother."
Princess Ruining was somewhat surprised, but didn't take it to heart. She said, "My father is the most reasonable man; he would never hold a grudge against you."
Seeing Lu Zhaoan give him a meaningful look, he added, "I can always protect you!"
Having received Princess Ruining's promise, Yao Niang then spoke, recounting her past engagement with Qin Yuxiu.
The story begins with their betrothal since childhood, then recounts how Qin Yuxiu passed the imperial examination with flying colors, and how the Qin family went to the Gu family to break off the engagement. It also describes how she couldn't bear the gossip from the neighbors and insisted on going to Shuojing to find Qin Yuxiu and demand an explanation, only to unexpectedly encounter her at the Princess's residence today, witnessing Qin Yuxiu's actions and words.
She said, "Although we were betrothed since childhood, we rarely saw each other at home. I was just indignant and insisted on getting an answer. It's different when he deliberately abandoned me than when he was forced to leave me after being betrothed by a saint."
I didn't tell anyone before because everyone said that if the Emperor knew that Qin Yuxiu had once been engaged to me, he would be furious. I am just the daughter of a minor county clerk, while Qin Yuxiu is the top scholar chosen by the Emperor himself.
"They might ruin my life and the Gu family's reputation just for Qin Yuxiu's sake."
Gu Yaoniang was a little embarrassed: "When the princess first asked me during the day, I hesitated whether to tell you or not. But in the end, I had my own selfish reasons and didn't dare to tell you."
Silence fell over the hall.
After a few pauses, Princess Ruining said, "On the day of the palace examination, Father selected Qin Yuxiu as the top scholar and, following precedent, sent him to the Imperial Study for questioning."
The next day, her father said that Qin Yuxiu was a talented young man, and remarkably, despite being over twenty, he had not married to focus on his studies. Knowing that Uncle Xie was looking for a husband for Aqiu, he arranged the marriage for them. Little did he know that such a thing would happen…
Don't be afraid. Your father won't blame you. You're the one who's been wronged.
Lu Zhaoan remained silent as always, his eyes filled with pity as he looked at Gu Yaoniang.
Gu Yaoniang hated this kind of pity.
She forced a smile and said to Princess Ruining, "I have now gotten the answer I wanted, and I have no desire to have anything to do with him anymore. From now on, I will focus on living my life well. I only beg the princess to protect my family."
Princess Ruining nodded solemnly. She then added, "You don't need to worry about Aqiu's side."
Gu Yaoniang agreed.
For a moment, no one spoke, and the flower hall fell silent.
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