After the truth was spilled, Duke, seeing Zhou Gu’s state, could not help but feel a pang of heartache for his grandson. He regretted even more that if he had initially matched Su Rong with Zhou Che instead of Zhou Gu, he would not have these worries. Zhou Che was not as willful as Zhou Gu, was not as sharp, and did not bear his great expectations. He was not groomed for the role of an Auxiliary Minister, so even if he followed Su Rong to Nanchu to be a royal consort, that would also be acceptable.
Zhou Che was not Zhou Gu; he didn’t need to support the future of the Duke Residence or bear the responsibility of helping a wise ruler to prosper Daliang’s society. He could completely leave the Duke Residence, to be solely Su Rong’s royal consort, and still have the Duke Residence as his backing. He would be able to establish himself in Nanchu and perform his duties as a royal consort well.
Sheng An, the elder princess who had been silent all along, stood up and embraced the stiff Zhou Gu, patting his shoulder and lamented, "This is all due to Chu Rong. Why does he leave the Imperial Harem vacant? He has no son, and for no reason forces that little girl into a corner. If she had been smoothly married into our Duke Residence, even if her identity was revealed in the future, we of the Duke Residence would fight to the death to protect her."
"And now..." Princess Sheng An sighed, "The annulment indicates her determination; she clearly intends to seize power. Regardless of the arduous journey that lies ahead, it is, after all, divergent from your path."
Old Duke said, "The little girl is known for disregarding matters of the heart, but you, a virtuous young man, well-versed in sagely teachings and worldly affairs, how could you ruin your future and obstruct her path? Think it over!"
Zhou Gu closed his eyes.
"You damned kid..." Old Duke began to curse.
"Enough, no more," Princess Sheng An glared at the Old Duke.
Old Duke shut his mouth.
A moment later, Zhou Gu opened his eyes, his voice hoarse, "I understand."
He slowly stood up, gave a formal salute to the Old Duke and Princess Sheng An, "Grandfather, grandmother, I’ll take my leave."
Old Duke opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, he simply waved his hand dismissively, "Go!"
Princess Sheng An looked worried after Zhou Gu left, she complained to Old Duke, "Couldn’t you just have explained the situation? Why did you have to say that last part? You forced your wishes onto the child."
"If I didn’t say it, could he not understand?" Old Duke retorted, "Why do you think that little girl decided to cut the Gordian knot? Why was she determined to annul engagement once she learned of her true heritage? Did you think she was only considering herself? That little girl also saw clearly that with this scoundrel’s capabilities, he would be a significant presence in the Daliang imperial court and an able Auxiliary Minister in the future. His potential achievements would be too great for mere love to compare. Zhenmin was willing to forgo love for Daliang; that girl has her mother’s blood, she only hopes for Daliang’s best, in honor of her mother’s sacrifice."
"Enough, you’re right," Princess Sheng An sighed wearily, "Just feel sorry for my grandson. It’s all your fault. That year, you chose Zhou Gu in a moment of impulse. If he can’t let go and this becomes a thorn in his heart, becoming another Chu Rong, dwelling on one person and refusing to marry for life, what can we do? Are we to watch him live alone all his life?"
Old Duke fell silent.
Zhou Gu returned to his residence, Frost Forest Courtyard. Once in his room, he locked himself in.
Ziye was shocked to discover that his young master had drawn all the curtains in his room, not allowing any light in. The door was firmly shut, so he couldn’t see the slightest thing through any crevice.
After scratching his head and cheeks for a while, he called out softly, "Young Master, are you alright? What happened? Please don’t do anything rash."
Zhou Gu was doing nothing, just sitting on the floor in silence. Hearing Ziye’s incessant calling, he hoarsely replied, "I’m fine. Keep quiet. Don’t bother me."
Ziye immediately fell silent.
Zhou Gu sat silently for quite a while before getting up. He dragged out a wooden box from under his bed. Seven-piece puzzles, Chinese puzzle locks, Hua Rong Dao, and Nine-ring puzzles spilled onto the floor. He sat down and started to disassemble them.
These were his childhood toys that he would occasionally play with over the years. Even when his elder brother and younger brother got married and had their children, he didn’t let them keep it. He always kept them, not to save them for his future children, but to alleviate his restlessness.
But for the first time, he felt stifled. He shut all the doors and windows, drew all the curtains, and retreated into a world of his own, incessantly disassembling what was in his hand.
The eldest princess of the Sheng An family, really worried about her grandson, sends someone to check on Zhou Gu. Ziye quietly replied, "The young master has locked himself in his room ever since he returned, he hasn’t even eaten dinner."
The messenger hurried back to inform the eldest princess of Sheng An, who grew restless. She wanted to go to Zhou Gu’s courtyard but was stopped by the aging Duke, "He has become an adult now. He was obstinate since childhood, let alone now that he’s all grown up, you need to give him some time."
All the eldest princess of Sheng An could do was back down, instructing her people to remind Ziye to keep an ear out for any sounds from the room, since he did not want to be disturbed, they should respect his wishes.
Then, she sent for the Duchess and informed her about Zhou Gu’s situation, sighing, "It seems Gu’er has unconsciously developed deep feelings for Su Rong. You’re his mother, see if you can find a way to enlighten him. His grandfather and I have said all that was to be said, but I fear he may not be willing to understand."
The Duchess was silent for a while, then nodded, "Mother, Gu’er will figure it out on his own."
Every descendant of the Duke residence lives for the family, and are brought up for the state. She has two sons. The eldest, Zhou Wei, is the heir of the Duke residence and is destined to sustain the family legacy, a task from which he cannot shirk. The second son, Zhou Gu, even from the moment he was capable of keeping memories, they have already chosen his path for him. The so-called balance of civil and military skills, literal and martial arts should complement each other. The Duke Residence did not wish to repeat the tragedy of their predecessors. When Dawei launched an attack, all the grown men of the family died on the battlefield, yet they still couldn’t rescue Daliang from the brink of destruction. It was Princess Zhenmin, a mere girl, who had to sacrifice her life to save Daliang.
The bloody lessons of history, like a loud gong and drum, enlightened the elderly Duke, who happens to be her father-in-law, that if Daliang wishes to be powerful, it cannot lack either civil or military prowess. Only with the perfect combination of both, can the nation remain strong and capable of keeping foreign invasions at bay and safeguarding its territories.
Hence, he made Zhou Gu study literature.
Even if the present Emperor is unkind-hearted, there is still the Crown Prince. One monarch and one minister, one governing the country, one assisting the country.
As Zhou Gu’s mother, she naturally understands all this, and even Zhou Gu himself, has always known this.
Leaving from the Eldest Princess of Sheng An’s courtyard, the Duchess went to Zhou Gu’s Frost Pavilion. She saw the empty grapevine rack in his courtyard and thought of Su Rong, who she met at the Rui’an King’s residence. Su Rong’s every word, every action, was impeccably courteous. She was always polite and pleasing in conversation. In the short time since she came to Beijing, she, on her own, has won the favor and protection of Princess Qingping, the Rui’an Queen, and Madam Shen Xian. Although the ladies who attended the banquet didn’t say it out loud, they were privately amazed and appreciative. Who would have thought a young girl like her, with no family accompanying her and all on her own, would easily fit in the elite circle of Beijing?
It didn’t surprise her in the slightest that Zhou Gu had lost his heart to such a versatile girl.
She stood in the courtyard for a moment. Ziye came out and whispered, "Madam, you’re here. The young master is still keeping himself locked up."
The Duchess nodded, looking at the tightly closed doors and windows, the impenetrable curtains, and sighed to herself, "Ask the kitchen to keep his meals warm. Whenever he is willing to open the door, remind him to eat."
Ziye acknowledged her.
The Duchess stood again for a moment, not entering the room but turning away instead.
Zhou Gu sat from the afternoon until midnight, flipping through box after box of objects, assembling them over and over until he grew tired. Only then did he gather everything up, stuff it back under the bed, dust off his hands and turn to open the door.
Ziye was standing at the door. Seeing Zhou Gu open it, his eyes lit up, "Young master, you..."
Zhou Gu rubbed his temples, his voice hoarse, "I’m hungry."
Ziye quickly replied, "I’ll get your meal from the studio."
Zhou Gu nodded his head.
Ziye hurried away.
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