After anxious and uneasy waiting, the Gu family finally received the imperial edict from the palace.
When the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict arrived at the Gu Mansion, Lord Gu thought to himself, it's finally here.
Then I thought again, the imperial edict had really arrived.
At this moment, Lord Gu ordered his men to call all his family members to receive the imperial edict, while thinking about how capable Gu Jiu was, that he not only received the emperor's favor, but was also actually granted marriage to the emperor's grandson.
What was wrong, or was he overthinking it?
Lord Gu shook his head slightly. No, he definitely didn't think too much about it.
From the beginning to the end, this arranged marriage gave people a feeling of being in a fog, and the truth behind it was impossible to figure out.
He tried to get close to the eunuch in the hope of learning more about the situation.
Considering the family background of the Gu family, and the fact that their second branch of the family had only recently arrived in the capital, they had not even explored the land there yet.
If someone had not slandered His Majesty, how could His Majesty have granted Gu Jiu a marriage?
Yes, Lord Gu knew from the beginning that the other person to be married off was Liu Zhao from Prince Ning’s Mansion.
Thinking about the case instigated by Liu Zhao, which caused him to be imprisoned and live in fear for several days, Lord Gu felt annoyed and resentful.
After being released from the imperial prison, he made up his mind to stay away from the royal family like Liu Zhao. But he never expected that Liu Zhao would actually set his sights on his daughter.
I can’t figure it out!
While Lord Gu was trying to get close to the eunuch, he was speculating wildly that Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao might be having an affair.
No, no, no, how is that possible.
Lord Gu himself was the first to deny this absurd speculation.
Gu Jiu hadn't left the house since returning to the capital. The farthest he'd been was to the neighboring Marquis' Mansion. It stands to reason that he had never met Liu Zhao before.
However, Liu Zhao deliberately circled Gu Jiu's name. From what the eunuch said, the Minister of the Imperial Household had advised him to choose a girl with a better family background.
In the end, no matter how the Shaofu Ling tried to persuade him, Liu Zhao was determined to marry Gu Jiu.
The eunuch said cheerfully, "Congratulations, Master Gu, on having a wonderful daughter. Young Master Zhao is deeply in love with your daughter."
Lord Gu echoed with an awkward smile.
There is no such thing as deep love.
Lord Gu believed that Liu Zhao was harboring evil intentions and that he must have had bad intentions in marrying Gu Jiu.
The reason why Gu Jiu’s name came into the circle was simply because Gu Jiu was his eldest daughter.
Yes, definitely, that’s the reason.
Lord Gu imagined a grand drama of Liu Zhao's revenge in his mind.
Scenes flashed through his mind, and the worst of them was Gu Jiu.
For Gu Jiu to marry Liu Zhao is like jumping into a fire pit.
Lord Gu suddenly felt sad in his heart.
Gu Jiu is such a pitiful child.
He had neglected Gu Jiu for more than ten years. He had originally thought of making it up to her and arranging a good marriage for her in the future so that she would have someone to rely on for the rest of her life.
However, it was intercepted by Liu Zhao, the emperor's grandson with evil intentions and ulterior motives.
When Lord Gu thought about the suffering that Gu Jiu had to endure in order to marry into the palace for him, he felt that he owed Gu Jiu.
Yes, the drama that Lord Gu imagined was that Liu Zhao disliked him and wanted to take revenge on him. Since he couldn't do anything to him for the time being, he simply married Gu Jiu to torture her.
Lord Gu covered his face with his sleeves, his heart filled with sorrow.
Unexpectedly, he actually harmed his own daughter.
How could he bear to let his daughter suffer for him?
However, the imperial decree has been issued and cannot be changed.
Lord Gu sighed secretly and asked Liu Zhao indirectly about his personality and preferences.
The eunuch smiled and said, "Gong Zizhao is certainly a very good man, but he is a bit cold and indifferent. I heard that his health is not very good either."
"Is Master Zhao not feeling well?" Lord Gu was suddenly filled with thoughts.
The eunuch nodded, "The imperial physician often goes to Prince Ning's mansion to take his pulse. There's nothing serious wrong with him, just a weak constitution. He doesn't even need to take medicine."
If Gu Jiu were here at this moment, he would definitely laugh at the eunuch.
Liu Zhao is weak? You must be joking.
Gu Jiu had never seen a man healthier than Liu Zhao.
Even though Gu Ting runs outside all day and looks strong, he is still no match for Liu Zhao.
Liu Zhao is the typical person who looks thin when dressed but has muscles when undressed.
Ask Gu Jiu why he knew that Liu Zhao had hunks when he took off his clothes?
Of course it's a guess.
Of course, Lord Gu didn't know that Liu Zhao was as strong as an ox. When he heard that Liu Zhao was weak, he frowned and imagined all kinds of tragic endings of Gu Jiu.
The eunuch saw this and laughed.
"Master Gu, don't worry. Just marry your daughter to Master Zhao and enjoy the happiness."
Lord Gu smiled and said that this was just to fool ordinary people.
Marry the emperor's grandson and enjoy happiness?
It's good enough that you are not implicated and beheaded, but you are also enjoying yourself. You are overthinking it.
Everyone from the Gu Mansion has arrived.
Lord Gu waved towards Gu Jiu, his eyes full of love.
The daughter can only enjoy the days she stays at her parents' home. After she gets married, she will start to suffer.
Thus, Master Gu aroused an unprecedented fatherly love. The kindness in his eyes almost overflowed from his eyes, making Gu Yue jealous and gnashing her teeth.
Gu Jiu walked forward and saluted the eunuch.
Master Gu introduced: "This is my daughter, Gu Jiu."
The eunuch looked Gu Jiu up and down and nodded, "Master Gu is blessed. Everyone is here, so let's get started."
An incense table was set up, and the first and second wives of the Gu family knelt on the ground together to welcome the imperial edict.
The content of the imperial edict was very simple. Its general meaning was to marry Gu Jiu, the legitimate granddaughter of the General Zhenjun, to the emperor's grandson Liu Zhao.
The eunuch announced the decree, and Lord Gu took it personally.
The eunuch congratulated, "Congratulations, Mr. Gu, Miss Gu."
"Congratulations, congratulations."
Lord Gu had a smile on his face, but his heart was filled with bitterness.
Butler Gu Quan quickly presented a large gift. The eunuch weighed it and smiled with satisfaction.
"I have to return to the palace to report, so I'll leave first. Lord Gu, please quickly prepare Miss Gu's dowry. After Miss Gu reaches the age of 15, the Minister of the Imperial Household will send someone to discuss the wedding date."
"Thanks for the reminder. Take care."
After the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, no one left the lobby.
Everyone stared at the imperial edict in Lord Gu's hand.
Lord Gu simply unfolded the imperial edict and said, "Everyone, take a look."
The bright yellow imperial edict had Gu Jiu's name written on it.
When Xie saw this, she gasped and muttered, "Is the second girl really betrothed to Master Zhao?"
Master Gu nodded, "Of course it's true."
Xie stared at Gu Jiu with mixed feelings, "Second girl, you are blessed."
Gu Jiu smiled slightly, neither humble nor arrogant, and said as usual, "Thanks to my wife."
"I'm not that lucky." Xie felt sad and glanced at Gu Yue subconsciously.
If she was lucky, Gu Yue would not have married Zhao Erlang, a man who was unlucky in marriage.
Gu Yue was a little confused, a little at a loss, and more of a disbelief.
"My second sister was actually betrothed to the emperor's grandson. This, this..."
Before Gu Yue could finish her words, Lord Gu's gaze pierced through like a sword.
"Xiao Jiu was personally granted marriage by His Majesty. I'm afraid the Gu family will never have such an honor again. You guys, please be careful when you speak in front of Xiao Jiu."
Gu Zhen, Gu Shan, and Gu Lin all bowed in agreement.
Only Gu Yue was speechless, looking as if he was shocked.
"Let's all go."
Everyone left the front hall.
Gu Ting pulled Gu Jiu, frowning so hard that he could pinch a fly to death.
"How could my sister marry the emperor's grandson? This, this, this..."
Even after seeing the imperial edict with his own eyes, Gu Ting still couldn't believe it. He was also reluctant to let Gu Jiu marry into the palace.
He looked at Gu Jiu worriedly, "Sister, you've suffered so much. Is there no way to turn down this marriage?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "I can't refuse."
Then she laughed again, "Don't worry about me, brother. I'll be fine."
"How can it be okay? You're marrying the emperor's grandson, which is like stepping into a nest of trouble. I'm so worried when I think about all the messy things going on in the royal family."
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Ting and was moved.
She said to Gu Ting solemnly: "Brother, if you are really worried about me, after the first month of the lunar year, follow your uncle and gain some experience. When you become successful in the future, you can be my backer. Even if he is the grandson of the emperor, you don't have to be afraid of him."
Gu Ting held his head high and puffed out his chest. "Whatever the emperor's grandson is like, I'm definitely not afraid of him. If he dares to bully you, I'll beat him to a pulp."
Gu Jiu lowered his head and smiled, "My silly brother, do you really think Liu Zhao is a lazy young man from the royal family?"
If Gu Ting doesn't train hard, he will probably not be able to last more than a few moves against Liu Zhao.
Gu Jiu had never seen Liu Zhao in action, but based on his pulse and her observation, she felt that Liu Zhao should be quite skilled.
Although Liu Zhao looked like a noble young man, he had calluses on his hands. And judging by the location of the calluses, he must have been using weapons for a long time.
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Ting and said, "Brother hasn't promised me yet, I need to gain experience."
Gu Ting nodded heavily. "Don't worry, sister. After the New Year, I will follow my uncle to the military camp for training. I will definitely not let you down. If you are bullied in the future, don't bear it. Just beat him up. If you can't win, just wait for me to come back and I will vent your anger for you."
Gu Jiu laughed, "Thank you, brother. But you don't have to worry too much about me, I'm not stupid. Most difficult problems are not difficult for me."
Gu Ting grinned, "That's true."
Gu Jiu and Gu Ting parted ways and returned to Zhilan Courtyard.
Just two minutes after sitting down, the maid came to report, "Miss, the eldest lady, the third lady, the fourth lady, the fifth lady, and the sixth lady are all here."
"Quickly invite big sister and all the younger sisters in."
Gu Zhen and others came in one after another.
"Congratulations, second sister. Congratulations, second sister."
Gu Zhen smiled and was the first to congratulate Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu pulled her and pressed her to sit on the chair. "Sister, please don't congratulate me. Didn't you see the look on father's face? This marriage is not as good as you think."
Gu Yue frowned, feeling angry and annoyed.
"Second sister, are you still being ungrateful after getting such an advantage?"
As soon as Gu Yue opened her mouth, there was a strong smell of gunpowder.
Gu Shan subconsciously wanted to stop Gu Yue, but then she remembered Xie's instructions and stopped.
Gu Yue sneered, "Second sister is being betrothed to the emperor's grandson. This is a great joyous event. Others can't wait to envy her. But Second sister just said that this marriage is not as good as everyone thought.
My younger sister is not well educated, so I would like to ask my second elder sister, since marrying the emperor's grandson is not considered a good marriage, what kind of person should I marry to be considered a good match?"
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Yue with a half-smile, "Third sister said that as soon as this marriage was announced, others were envious. I want to ask, who is envious? Will the sisters in the Marquis' Mansion be envious? Will the eldest sister, the fourth sister, the fifth sister, and the sixth sister be envious?"
Gu Zhen shook her head slightly. "Marrying the emperor's grandson is indeed great, but if it were my turn, I definitely wouldn't be able to do it. So, I really don't envy you."
Gu Lin and Gu Jun nodded in unison, expressing the same opinion as Gu Zhen.
They came here just to congratulate Gu Jiu. If they were to marry the emperor's grandson, they would hide in their rooms and never come out again.
Marrying the emperor's grandson sounds good, but when you think about it carefully, it seems terrifying.
The grandson of the emperor, he was the grandson of the emperor who was high above everyone else. Marrying someone of equal status would inevitably lead to all kinds of troubles, and marrying into the royal palace would be a death sentence.
With their abilities, they definitely cannot cope with the various situations in the palace.
Only Gu Jiu dared to confront the wife to the end. Even if she married into the royal palace, it would probably not be a problem for her.
Gu Yue was so angry that she glared at her three half-sisters.
She looked at Gu Shan again, "Fourth sister, don't you envy Second Sister's marriage?"
Gu Shan's face was calm. "I'm not envious, I'm just worried."
"What is there to worry about?" Gu Yue was angry. "She is going to marry the emperor's grandson and rise to prominence. How can you be worried about her?"
Gu Shan ignored Gu Yue's shouting and asked Gu Jiu, "Young Master Zhao has several younger brothers, right? If Second Sister marries into his family, she'll be the eldest daughter-in-law. But in terms of family background, our Gu family can't compare to the authentic nobles. When the time comes, facing those sisters-in-law who are of noble birth, what will Second Sister do?"
When Gu Yue heard this, she suddenly understood.
Yes, when Gongzi Zhao’s brothers marry, they will definitely not marry the daughters of ordinary officials and officials. Most of them will marry the daughters of nobles.
In this way, Gu Jiu was inferior to others in terms of background.
Even if she is the eldest daughter-in-law, she will be embarrassed at every turn and will suffer a lot.
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Thank you for your concern, Fourth Sister. I hadn't thought so far ahead, but I didn't expect that Fourth Sister would consider it for me first."
Gu Shan smiled sheepishly, "I'm just worried about my second sister. Yesterday, I heard my mother discussing my third sister's marriage, and I was wondering how much dowry my second sister should prepare if she marries into the palace. If the dowry is too small, won't people look down on her?
Second sister, I can't help you much with the dowry, so please take care of it yourself."
"Fourth sister, you are thoughtful. You really think ahead of me."
Gu Shan's cheeks flushed, and she looked very shy. She said a few self-deprecating words.
Gu Zhen continued, "Second sister's dowry must be at least tens of thousands of taels."
"Where can we get so much money in the mansion?" Gu Yue counterattacked.
The word "dowry" irritated Gu Yue.
Gu Zhen sneered, "Second sister is going to marry into the palace, so her dowry is naturally not comparable to third sister's. Third sister, it's useless for you to be dissatisfied, just accept your fate."
"Big sister, what do you mean by that? What do you mean I'm not as good as my second sister?"
Gu Yue refused. Her marriage had already been dominated by Gu Jiu.
Her dowry cannot be surpassed by Gu Jiu again.
Gu Zhen sneered, "Isn't that your catchphrase, Third Sister? Back then, when Lady Haixi came to look for a marriage partner, she had her eye on me, but Third Sister, you snatched me away. What did you say then? You told me to accept my fate, right?"
There was naked mockery in Gu Zhen's eyes.
She was really happy that Gu Jiu could beat Gu Yue in the marriage matter.
She was even happier than having her own marriage settled.
She just wanted to see Gu Yue get humiliated, wanted to see Gu Yue being beaten to a pulp from all sides.
It feels so good, so good.
Faced with Gu Zhen's gloating, Gu Yue gritted his teeth.
"So, Big Sister is still brooding over this. At yesterday's banquet, Big Aunt was so enthusiastic about arranging a marriage for Big Sister. But I didn't expect Big Sister to still be thinking about Zhao Silang from the Haixi Marquis's Mansion. If this gets to Big Aunt's ears, I'd like to ask, how will Big Sister explain it?"
Gu Yue stared at Gu Zhen, her eyes full of malice and determination to succeed in her threat.
Gu Zhen sneered, "You're capable of doing this, and yet you don't want anyone to tell you? Go tell your aunt and see if she'll mind."
"you……"
Gu Yue didn't expect that not only was Gu Zhen not threatened by her, but she looked fearless.
It's so infuriating.
Gu Yue was furious and said viciously, "Big sister, don't forget that after your marriage is settled, mother will have to arrange your dowry for you."
Gu Zhen said, "Yes, my wife still has to trouble herself to arrange my dowry. But so what? Third sister, things are very different now, don't you understand? Do you think we are still in the northwest, and that my wife won't refute anything you say?"
Gu Zhen giggled, her eyes full of sarcasm.
Gu Yue's face changed drastically, and for the first time, he felt uneasy.
She looked at Gu Shan, but Gu Shan avoided her gaze.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
