Entering the Palace
A thick fog rolled in, and a white dove quietly flew to the window and landed. Gu Youan untied the string from its feet, unfolded the letter, and gave it a slight tap.
She looked up into the distance and saw a sedan chair slowly approaching. She lifted her skirt and slowly walked onto it.
The solemn gate slowly opened, revealing a young man dressed in a dark blue satin robe. Gu Youan stepped forward, knelt, and bowed deeply. Her long black hair cascaded down her sides, the ends tied with pink ribbons. A clear, melodious voice rang out: "Greetings, Your Majesty."
The man in front of her slowly turned around, his face as white as jade. He helped Gu Youan up and said, "Miss Gu."
Li Yi sized her up: "Miss Gu is as delicate as a willow in the breeze; Daoqing is truly blessed."
Gu Youan took a step back without showing any emotion and said, "Please, Your Majesty, order me to go to Sheng Kingdom for a marriage alliance."
Li Yi became interested and looked her up and down without any attempt to hide his gaze: "You are Daoqing's wife, Gu Changming's sister, and the only daughter of the Gu family."
Xie Daoqing and Gu Changming were his right-hand men, but Gu Youan's identity was special, so he could not give this order.
He cleared his throat and said, "Miss Gu, you are Daoqing's fiancée. Does Daoqing know about this?"
Gu Youan knelt down and bowed gracefully: "Your Majesty, I have come here today to answer your questions."
Li Yi gently held her arm and said, "Don't bow anymore. Since you volunteered, I will grant your request. But I'm very curious, you could have married Dao Qing, so why did you choose to go to Sheng Kingdom? Are the rumors about you and Young Master Sheng true?"
Li Yi looked at her in confusion. Most women are unwilling to leave the place where they have lived since childhood. Sheng Kingdom is thousands of miles away, and its customs and traditions are different from those of Dayong. Could it be that this woman suffered grievances at home and did not want to stay in Dayong? After learning that Sheng Jingche intended to marry her, she decided to leave Dayong with Sheng Jingche.
Rumor has it that both the Sheng and Gu families treat Gu Youan very well. "If you marry into the Sheng Kingdom and marry Sheng Jingche, you will never be able to come back. If the Sheng Kingdom goes to war with the Dayong Kingdom and Gu Changming goes to the battlefield, you will be enemies. Once a woman is married, all her honor and disgrace have nothing to do with her maternal family."
Gu Youan paused for a moment, and Li Yi continued, "The reason I haven't given the order yet is not because I'm afraid of the Sheng Kingdom, but because I promised Wanqing that I would protect the Xie family."
Gu Youan frowned as she looked at him: "Your Majesty, marrying into the Sheng Kingdom is the best choice for me."
Xie Daoqing turned away from her, and Gu Youan said in a deep voice, "His Majesty only has one elder sister. The eldest princess of my Great Yong must not marry far away to the Sheng Kingdom."
Behind the screen, candlelight flickered, and a figure moved slightly. With a creak, the screen turned, and Xie Daoqing quietly appeared before her. Gu Youan's eyelashes fluttered, and she lowered her head slightly.
She should have known that this matter couldn't escape Xie Daoqing's notice. Li Yi glanced at the two of them and said, "Even an upright official can't settle family disputes. This is your own business, so I'll take my leave now."
Xie Daoqing pushed his wheelchair closer and closer to her. Gu Youan took a half step back. He grabbed Gu Youan's hand and pulled it away, saying, "Why did you do this? You really want to leave me, don't you, Youan? I promised Qingchen to stay by your side and let Sheng Jingche get close to you, just hoping that you wouldn't be so unhappy, just hoping that you could smile. Why did you do this?"
The questions pierced Xie Daoqing's heart like knives. Gu Youan twisted her arm and said, "You're hurting me."
His hands were covered in bruises, and Gu Youan pressed down on his hand, repeating, "You're pinching me too hard."
Gu Youan pried his fingers apart, and Xie Daoqing loosened his grip on his right hand. Gu Youan slammed heavily against the table behind her. She touched her lower back, straightened up by holding onto the table, and looked down at him: "You ask me why I left you, left the Xie family, and left Dayong?"
She pointed to her reddened wrist and said, "Xie Daoqing, why can't you live without me?"
Xie Daoqing hugged her waist and said, "You'an, you've just lost your memory. With a little more time, you'll remember everything that happened before. I beg you to wait a little longer."
Gu Youan pushed him away: "I want to leave you, I want to marry Sheng Jingche."
Before she could finish speaking, Xie Daoqing grabbed her wrist, forcing her back into a corner. "You love him that much, Gu Youan?"
Gu Youan reached out and slapped him across the face, saying, "Are you crazy, Xie Daoqing? How could you become like this?"
The slap woke Xie Daoqing up and also attracted Gu Changming. Gu Youan looked at him calmly and said, "If you're here to persuade me, I don't want to listen."
Gu Changming sighed and smoothed her messy hair with his right hand. "You still have the Gu family. If you want to break off the engagement, you don't have to gamble with your future."
Gu Youan smiled dismissively: "My leaving Dayong to marry into Shengguo is also to fulfill your wish."
Gu Changming held her swollen wrist, gently blew on it, and said, "You are my sister, how could I not feel sorry for you?"
Gu Youan withdrew her hand, glanced at Xie Daoqing behind her, and said, "Go and persuade him."
Gu Changming shoved a bottle of medicine into her hand and said slowly, “That young marquis of the Sheng family is quite handsome, but he is a womanizer and will have many wives and concubines in the future. Without your maternal family to take care of you, you will be bullied. Moreover, the customs and traditions are different. You are from Dayong, not Sheng. How will you integrate into the Sheng family? If you think marriage can help you escape your current predicament, then you are wrong. If you stay in Dayong and marry into the Xie family, your parents can take care of you. You are a Sheng family girl, and no one will dare to bully you. But if you go to Sheng, you will be a princess who is noble and precious on the surface, but in reality, you will be an orphan. If you do not want to marry Xie Daoqing, your parents can help you break off the engagement.”
Gu Youan turned her head away, avoiding his hand, and said, "Even if you don't agree, I will still marry Sheng Jingche."
Seeing Gu Youan's firm resolve, Xie Daoqing took off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders, saying, "It's cold at night, come with me to the Gu family. Let's wait a while before discussing the marriage alliance with Sheng Kingdom."
Gu Youan looked at him calmly, her eyes devoid of any emotion. She simply stood there woodenly, already having made up her mind. Xie Daoqing silently turned his head, his eyes dark and unfathomable. Gu Youan was startled and gently tugged at Gu Changming's clothes.
Gu Changming's eyes flickered, and he gently took her hand, saying, "I will take her away from the Xie family. Daoqing, you frightened her tonight. You are usually so composed, why were you so reckless tonight?"
Gu Changming pulled her into his arms. "Thank you, Daoqing. I will deliver the letter of annulment to your door tomorrow."
"Wait, You'an, don't marry Sheng Jingche. I agree to annul the engagement. Don't go to Sheng Kingdom."
Gu Youan didn't reply and left without turning her head.
The carriage swayed and rocked. Gu Changming gently wiped the red marks on her hands, while Gu Youan gently rotated her wrist.
He took a deep breath. "You were too reckless tonight. His Majesty and Xie Daoqing have an extraordinary relationship. If you really want to annul the engagement, why don't you go back to the Gu family?"
Gu Youan glared at him and said, "You control the entire Gu family, how dare I go back?"
Gu Changming paused with his right hand and gently pressed down on her wrist.
Gu Youan bit her lip and said, "My wrist is injured, so please be gentle!"
His eyes flickered slightly as he said, "Who told you that the Gu family will always be your family? Everything I do is to protect the interests of the Gu family. You are your parents' only biological daughter."
Gu Youan stubbornly turned her head and said, "Wasn't it you and His Majesty who suggested that I go for a political marriage?"
"Who told you that?" Gu Changming asked back.
"Does it matter who I listen to, Gu Changming? Haven't you ever thought about this? I am my parents' only biological daughter. If I were gone, you would be the only heir of the Gu family."
Gu Changming's lips twitched. He put her hand down, squatted down, looked into her eyes, and said, "In the years you've been in the Xie family, Xie Daoqing must have fed you a lot of negative news about us. But you must remember that the Gu family is your only support. If you abandon your own parents just because someone stirs things up, that would be the most foolish thing you can do."
"You voluntarily gave up seven years of memories; you'll be able to recover them when the time comes." Gu Changming's eyes flickered, and after some internal struggle, he still chose to keep it a secret.
Gu Youan looked at her in surprise, while Gu Changming took her hand and placed it on her chest.
"This is a Gu worm in your chest. These Gu worms have caused you to lose your memory. These Gu worms from the Emperor can only survive in your body with your consent. You'an, the truth may not be something you can bear."
Gu Youan lowered her eyes, her hand touching her chest, feeling her heart pounding. She took a deep breath, feeling a tearing sensation in her chest.
Gu Changming watched her actions and said calmly, "You'an, you have lost your memory and your memories are confused, but you shouldn't blindly trust other people's one-sided stories. If you don't trust me, why can you trust him?"
Gu Youan avoided his eyes, and Gu Changming looked down at her. "Don't avoid my eyes, Youan. You must always remember that only blood relatives can help you."
"Although I am not your biological brother, I am a member of the Gu family, your family. If you can't trust me, who else can you trust?"
He took out a translucent bracelet and put it on her wrist, saying, "After you lost your memory, you became distant from your parents, You'an. No matter what happens, please believe in me, and believe in your parents as well."
"Before I lost my memory, we were very close. Why did you let Zhao Wan'er hurt me? Gu Changming, don't you have any selfish motives? If I leave the Gu family, all of the Gu family's assets will be yours. Aren't you tempted?"
Gu Changming's eyes darkened. "You'an, you always suspect that my purpose in joining the Gu family is impure, but I have managed the Gu family very well over the years. Don't always make malicious assumptions about others, You'an. No one wants to harm you. Don't be so defensive."
Gu Youan turned her head away from him, and the two remained silent as they walked.
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