Chapter 762 She just felt that her daughter's behavior was too reckless and she didn't care about the consequences
"Why should I be careful with my words!" Princess Jiahe shouted harshly. She turned around and looked at the noble ladies behind her, with a trace of grief and indignation in her eyes of "killing relatives for the sake of justice".
"We witnessed what happened today with our own eyes. Gu Qingchen and Young Master Qian's affair was exposed. This is a disgrace to the royal family and the Gu family!"
Her voice was lowered a bit, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"This matter must be reported to the Empress and His Majesty. We must not allow such a person to enter the Eastern Palace and tarnish the reputation of the royal family!"
The ladies looked at each other in shock, but they all understood the seriousness of the matter.
If this scandal were to spread, it would be enough to overturn the entire capital.
Upon seeing this, Princess Jiahe immediately turned around and ran towards the Golden Throne Hall, shouting as she ran, "Help! Something's wrong! Quick, help!"
Her voice was sharp and rapid, and it carried far into the silent night sky.
Gu Qingchen slowly raised her head and looked at Qian Zhenyun. There was no fear in her eyes, only a cold clarity.
Qian Zhenyun looked back at her, with a determination in his eyes that he had never seen before.
There has been determination and firmness.
It's time for this drama to end.
The clamor in the Golden Palace was soon pierced by sharp shouts coming from the direction of the Imperial Garden.
"Someone come! Someone come quickly! Something big has happened!"
The singing and dancing came to an abrupt end.
The emperor's brows frowned instantly, Zhao Chenan stood up suddenly, with a sinister look in his eyes.
"What's going on?" the emperor asked in a deep voice.
A eunuch came crawling in, knelt on the ground, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty! It's Princess Jiahe. She said...she said she saw it in the plum forest..."
Before the eunuch could finish his words, Zhao Chen'an rushed out with a cold air all over his body.
The queen's face changed and she immediately stood up and followed closely behind him, surrounded by palace maids.
A hint of a sneer of success flashed across Princess Yongding's face, but then she changed into an expression of extreme worry. She pulled Prince Yongding and said, "Your Highness, go and check quickly. I hope nothing has happened to Jiahe!"
For a moment, the princes and nobles in the Golden Throne Hall, with all kinds of thoughts in their minds, rushed to the Imperial Garden like a tide.
When Zhao Chenan arrived, this was the scene he saw.
Next to the Plum Grove Pavilion, Qian Zhenyun, dressed in green, stood in front of Gu Qingchen like a statue. Gu Qingchen hung his head, his face pale, his hair slightly disheveled, and he looked utterly miserable.
Princess Jiahe was pointing at them and crying to the growing crowd around her, her voice filled with grief and indignation.
"I saw it with my own eyes! The two of them were twitching and tumbling, behaving inappropriately! Sister Gu is the future Crown Princess you personally promised the Crown Prince. How could she...how could she do something so dishonorable to the royal family!"
Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of solemnity in the other's eyes. Was their daughter truly determined to go all out, or was she just putting on an act with this Qian family brat?
Chu Ruohan shook her head almost imperceptibly. She felt that her daughter's action was too reckless and she did not consider the consequences at all.
Zhao Chenan's gaze was like two poisoned knives, passing through everyone and fixed on Qian Zhenyun's back.
The anger of being betrayed instantly burned away all his rationality.
"Qian Zhenyun!" He squeezed these three words out of his teeth, step by step approaching, the air pressure around him was terrifyingly low, "I have treated you well, and you dare to covet what does not belong to you and do such a shameful thing of betraying your master for personal gain!"
Qian Zhenyun slowly turned around and met the prince's fiery eyes. His expression was calm and without any fear.
"Your Highness."
"How dare you call me Your Highness!" Zhao Chen'an was so angry that he suddenly raised his hand and was about to slap him.
"stop!"
A cold rebuke stopped Zhao Chenan's hand in mid-air.
Gu Qingchen walked out from behind Qian Zhenyun. She raised her head, and on her pale face, there was no panic or shame of being caught, only a bone-chilling sarcasm.
Under everyone's gaze, Gu Qingchen was not at all panicked. Instead, he slowly stood up straight.
She didn't even look at the queen, but instead fixed her gaze on the crying Princess Jiahe.
"The princess keeps saying that I'm the future Crown Princess, but I'd like to ask you a question."
Her voice was clear and cold, especially distinct in the stillness of the night. "May I ask when did His Majesty issue the imperial decree granting the marriage? And when did our Zhenguogong Mansion accept the betrothal gift from the Eastern Palace?"
"The title of Crown Princess was bestowed upon me by you, Princess. I, Gu Qingchen, dare not accept it."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.
The tear marks on Princess Jiahe's face froze.
"As for me and Young Master Qian," Gu Qingchen said, turning his head calmly and glancing at Qian Zhenyun beside him. He then swept his gaze over the crowd and spoke slowly, "Love between men and women is human nature. He and I are both unmarried and have a mutual affection for each other. What's wrong with that?"
"How dare you!" Zhao Chen'an finally couldn't help it and squeezed out two words from between his teeth.
He felt as if he had been slapped hard in public, and his face was burning with pain.
"I'm being presumptuous?" Gu Qingchen smiled, that smile filled with undisguised sarcasm. She met Zhao Chen'an's fiery gaze and said, "Your Highness, it seems that who I fall in love with has nothing to do with you, right?"
The emperor's face was so gloomy that water seemed to drip out of it.
"Gu Junze!" The emperor's voice was imposing without anger. "This is the good daughter you have taught!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Junze walked out of the crowd, his tall figure like a mountain standing in front of his daughter.
He first bowed to the emperor, then stood up straight, looked around at everyone, and spoke in a voice as steady as a bell.
"Your Majesty, calm down. I have long said that my daughter, a daughter of a wealthy family, will only marry into a family of her own, not outside the family."
These words are like adding fuel to the fire.
Immediately, an imperial censor stepped forward and righteously retorted, "Duke Zhenguo, your statement is wrong! When you said this, there was no legitimate heir in the palace to inherit the family line."
"Now that the Duke has a son, it's natural that this daughter should be married off to establish a royal marriage and consolidate the government!"
"Yes, now that the Gu family has an heir, it's time to change this rule."
"That's right, there's no reason to let the Crown Prince marry into the family. It's simply ridiculous!"
There were voices of agreement everywhere.
Gu Junze looked at the ministers who jumped out coldly, without any fluctuation on his face.
"For me, Gu Junze, my son is my own flesh and blood, and my daughter is also the apple of my eye." His voice was not loud, but it drowned out all the noise. "The rules of my Zhenguo Mansion will not be changed by anyone or anything."
After he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Qian Zhenyun, who had remained silent the entire time.
That look was filled with scrutiny, inquiry, and a hint of the intimidation of an elder over a younger person.
This earth-shattering scene stunned all the noble ladies present.
They were taught from childhood the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, the family honor, and that their marriage was just a transaction.
They never thought that a woman's marriage could be not for family or power, but only for herself.
For a moment, countless envious and jealous eyes fell on Gu Qingchen, who was dressed in plain clothes but stood proudly.
They suddenly felt that even if they had to bear the stigma of private communication, it seemed worth it to have such a father protecting them and to live for them like this.
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