Chapter 144 [VIP]
The Duke of Cheng'en's shrill voice pierced the sky.
Gu Zhizhuo tugged at Xie Yingchen's sleeve, covered her mouth and chuckled, her lips moving as she silently asked, "Is it fun?"
Xie Yingchen: "Open your mouth."
Huh? Gu Zhizhuo was confused, but opened her mouth as instructed. Xie Yingchen turned slightly to block the view of others and quietly slipped her a small piece of jujube cake.
The jujube cake was only the size of a coin, small enough to be bitten in one bite, and his soft lips left their warmth on his fingertips.
It's her favorite, date paste without walnuts.
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes lit up: "Delicious."
Gu Zhizhuo set off from Yihe County yesterday at noon, rushing back, and barely rested along the way. He was starving.
After she swallowed, Xie Yingchen fed her another piece, this time with red bean paste filling.
It's delicious too!
Gu Zhizhuo likes red bean paste and jujube paste. He doesn't like paste with nuts mixed in.
She leaned closer to look and saw that Xie Yingchen had filled a whole purse.
These days it's either porridge, steamed buns, or dry, choking pancakes—she's been craving them.
Gu Zhizhuo leaned against his horse, his eyes crinkling with delight as he ate the food offered to him.
"Yaoyao."
Wang Xing, with his sharp eyes, called out pitifully; he too had been eating steamed buns for several days.
"No." Gu Zhizhuo showed no regard for sibling affection whatsoever.
Xie Yingchen lowered his eyes and looked Wang Xing up and down. Gu Zhizhuo said, "Cousin Wang, his given name is Xing."
Wang Xing cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Highness Prince Chen." His robes fluttered, and he was handsome and dashing.
"Cousin, there's no need for such formalities."
Wow, you call him "cousin" so familiarly? Wang Xing raised an eyebrow.
Gu Zhizhuo casually stuffed a bag of orange candies into Wang Xingyi's hand: "Cousin Xing, look quickly."
"What are you looking at?"
Gu Zhizhuo covered his mouth and laughed: "People scare ghosts, ghosts scare people."
ghost?
The Duke of Cheng'en was still standing in front of the carriage, trembling, pointing at the carriage with one finger, which stunned everyone around him.
Duke Wei looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly; it was almost September, and although it wasn't as scorching as summer, the sun was still blazing overhead. Where did this ghost come from in broad daylight?
“Old Sun,” Duke Wei laughed heartily, “your son-in-law has been in the Western Frontier for so long, and he’s been traveling all this way. He’s probably not as handsome as you imagine, but you can’t call him a ghost either.”
"If your son-in-law is a ghost, then what is your daughter? Hahahaha."
He laughed for a while, and seeing that the Duke of Cheng'en did not respond, he coughed twice, somewhat awkwardly.
"relatives by marriage."
The Prince of Jin finally came to his senses. He forced a smile and pulled at the Duke of Cheng'en, quickly lowering the curtain of the carriage.
The Prince of Jin looked pleading: "Return to the capital first. After we return, I will explain everything to you in detail."
Yun'er has already suffered enough; he doesn't want his son to be pointed at and gossiped about anymore.
He talked for a long time, but Cheng'en Gong didn't listen at all. His lips trembled, and he kept repeating only one word: "Ghost, ghost..."
"It's out scaring people in broad daylight; it must be a vengeful ghost."
Cheng'en Gong touched the carriage from top to bottom, pulled out a peace charm he had obtained through prayer, and threw it into the carriage while muttering incoherently, "Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!"
Duke of Wei: ?
Seeing that even the Duke of Wei had arrived, the Prince of Jin did not want to make a big fuss. He blocked the carriage with his body, took the Duke's arms, and whispered in a humble manner, "My dear in-law, the one inside is Yun'er."
cloud……
Xie Qiyun?!
Duke Cheng'en turned his head and stared blankly at Prince Jin. It took him a moment to remember that Prince Jin had indeed been calling "Yun'er" earlier.
"Is this thing Xie Qiyun?"
The Duke of Cheng'en shouted in disbelief, his fingers trembling even more violently.
The Prince of Jin frowned, furious at the repeated use of the term "devilish thing." He forced a weak smile: "My dear in-law, please stop making trouble."
"Who's your in-law?" Duke Cheng'en was furious. "Prince Jin, you're really going too far. No wonder, no wonder, you're in such a hurry to set the date and offer betrothal gifts. Ha, you're trying to trick my daughter, aren't you?"
A son-in-law like that, let alone a daughter, would give her nightmares if she even glanced at him.
The Duke of Cheng'en was a reckless and unruly man. Although he was a son of a concubine, he was far more favored than his elder brother, and in his youth, he was a figure who could do whatever he wanted in the capital. His younger sister was the Empress, and his nephew was the future Crown Prince. As the emperor's brother-in-law, he had never suffered a loss.
The Duke of Cheng'en approached him, cursing, "You son of a bitch, you don't respect the Empress at all!"
The Prince of Jin was sweating profusely, but dared not turn his back, so he coaxed him gently, leaving onlookers bewildered and confused.
“A few days ago, the Prince of Jin’s Mansion and the Duke of Cheng’en’s Mansion set the wedding date for September 15th.” Xie Yingchen turned his head and said softly, “The Duke of Cheng’en has never been one to suffer a loss.”
His breath fell on Gu Zhizhuo's cheek, ruffling the hair at her temples.
In a moment of distraction, Duke Cheng'en dragged Xie Qiyun out of the carriage.
Xie Qiyun had been huddled in the carriage since the start of the journey. As soon as he saw the sunlight, he hurriedly covered his face with his sleeve.
"Oh, don't do that, let's talk this out!"
Duke Wei was also puzzled as to why the two in-laws had suddenly turned against each other, and hurriedly tried to help Xie Qiyun up.
As soon as he pulled up his sleeve, the Duke of Wei turned pale. He used all his self-control to keep from calling out the "ghost." He silently withdrew his hand, as if nothing had happened, and kept backing away. Sweat had unknowingly covered his forehead.
"My lord."
It wasn't until Xie Yingchen's voice broke into his ears that the Duke of Wei realized he was about to bump into him.
He smiled awkwardly at Xie Yingchen and couldn't help but ask, "Miss Gu, what's wrong with him... could this be the cause of the epidemic?"
Would it make someone's skin peel off completely? Just thinking about it sent chills down the Duke of Wei's spine.
"Of course not," Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile.
Duke Wei breathed a sigh of relief. That's good, that's good!
Seeing that Gu Zhizhuo was particularly easy to talk to, he pressed on, "Then, what about him?"
Gu Zhizhuo stared at him, making him feel uneasy. Just as he was about to give an awkward smile to ease the embarrassment, Gu Zhizhuo slowly spoke and asked, "Lord Duke, do you believe in karma and retribution?"
Her voice was not loud, and her tone was almost identical to that of the Duke of Wei.
Duke Wei asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"You reap what you sow," Gu Zhizhuo said calmly. "As for Xie Qiyun, he is the result of the grave sins of the Prince of Jin and his son."
The Duke of Wei asked in surprise and doubt, "Are you telling the truth?"
In the Great Qi Dynasty, Taoism was slightly more prevalent than Buddhism, and many people believed in Taoism. The Duke of Wei naturally also believed in the doctrine of cause and effect and retribution.
"Miss Gu, how do you... know all this?"
“Me?” Gu Zhizhuo pointed to himself. “People call me the Master Calculator.”
The Duke of Wei paused for a moment. He had witnessed her medical skills, but as for anything else…
He shook his head and said, "Miss Gu, please stop joking."
Gu Zhizhu smiled without saying a word, then raised his hand and pointed in Xie Qiyun's direction, saying with interest, "Oh, they've started fighting."
She made no attempt to hide the gloating in her tone.
Duke Wei instinctively looked in the direction of the sound and saw Duke Cheng'en raise a fist and punch Prince Jin in the face.
Snap!
Just hearing that sound made my cheek hurt.
The others waiting at Sanliting also rushed over, trying to persuade and pull them away.
A group of high-ranking nobles and officials were pulling and tugging at each other, making a ruckus.
Their attendants were pacing anxiously, but dared not step forward. Everyone here was extremely noble; if they hurt any of them, they would lose their lives.
Prince Jin was a military man, and his skills were at least better than those of Prince Cheng'en. However, he was in the wrong first, and even though he was beaten, he only wanted to calm the man down as quickly as possible.
"relatives by marriage."
"We can talk about it when we get back, okay?"
"My Prince Jin's Mansion will definitely give you an explanation."
The Prince of Jin adopted an extremely humble attitude, which would have made anyone, no matter how angry they were, temporarily hold back. However, the person standing in front of him was the Duke of Cheng'en.
Duke Cheng'en has always been prone to making mistakes, and he especially doesn't know the meaning of knowing when to stop.
The moment the Prince of Jin lowered his head, Xie Qiyun became even more arrogant. He pushed the Prince of Jin aside, strode forward, and picked up Xie Qiyun.
Upon lifting him, Cheng En Gong was shocked to discover that Xie Qiyun was frighteningly light.
No wonder he was pulled off the carriage so easily.
"Yun'er!"
The Prince of Jin was practically going mad and lunged at him.
As soon as Cheng'en Gong turned around, he missed.
"Look, look!"
When Cheng'en Gong got carried away, he grabbed Xie Qiyun and shouted, "Xie Qiyun has become such a scoundrel, yet he still dreams of getting married."
"Trying to scam me again?!"
Now, everyone saw everything, both what they had seen before and what they hadn't.
The surroundings fell silent instantly; everyone seemed to be frozen in place, as if under a spell.
Immediately following was a series of gasps.
Oh my god!
He's still alive?! Is he even human?!
The Duke of Cheng'en shouted, "Annection of the engagement! I must annul the engagement!"
"Ahhhhh!" Xie Qiyun pushed with all his might in terror, despair filling his still-intact face.
A barrage of astonished and terrified gazes fell upon the father and son, making them feel as if they were being pricked by thorns. Prince Jin had truly not expected his son's illness to be so severe; now, the entire capital would soon know of his son's inhuman, ghostly appearance.
If the Duke of Chengen's family breaks off the engagement, how can he find a suitable marriage for his son in a short period of time?
If it weren't for this Mr. Sun's unreasonable and disruptive behavior, we wouldn't have ended up in such an embarrassing situation.
The King of Jin was furious. He said fiercely, "I will not back down. The marriage contract between our two families has already been signed, and the wedding will take place on the fifteenth of September."
Since the man surnamed Sun is unwilling to talk things out properly, don't blame him for being impolite.
"retreat!"
No refunds!
"retreat!"
"Alright." If this continues, it'll really become a laughing stock. Duke Wei gestured for Xie Jing to quickly go up and persuade them. One of them is his maternal uncle, and the other is his paternal uncle. Why should he hide in the back?
Turning around, Prince Jin grabbed Xie Qiyun's arm, trying to snatch him back.
The two pulled and tugged at each other, neither willing to let go.
With Xie Qiyun's scream, Cheng'en Gong's hand went empty, and he stumbled back several steps. When he came to his senses, all that was left in his hand was a severed palm.
All around: !
Duke Wei was so frightened that his heart almost stopped, and he was drenched in cold sweat that soaked through his back.
How could this be illness? If someone is sick, their hand would be so badly pulled that it could be torn off.
The phrase "cause and effect, retribution" came to mind.
He quickly returned to Gu Zhizhuo's side and asked nervously, "Miss Gu, give me a straight answer."
Gu Zhizhu smiled and gave him a definite answer: "Yes."
Duke Wei's heart pounded wildly, each beat feeling as if it would leap out of his throat.
Every cause has its effect. What terrible crimes must the Prince of Jin and his son have committed to deserve such retribution?
Gu Zhizhuo asked with a half-smile, "Lord Duke, are you sure you still want to associate with him?"
Duke of Wei: "..."
Gu Zhizhuo's tone seemed to carry a certain seductive quality: "Why don't you think about it again, hmm?" The last syllable of his voice rose slightly.
Xie Yingchen smiled, his gaze overflowing with tenderness.
He never stopped or interrupted Gu Zhizhuo no matter what she did. For example, now that Gu Zhizhuo wanted to win over the Duke of Wei, he let her do it.
The Duke of Wei's eyes flickered.
To be honest, the Duke of Wei had already begun to regret his actions.
The chief minister of the Song Dynasty always said that the emperor lacked natural talent.
These days, he also tried to teach the Third Prince, but the Third Prince was not good at politics, almost just like the Emperor.
He initially didn't think much of it, but after working with Xie Yingchen, the stark contrast made him increasingly unmotivated.
But since the third prince has already been chosen, it's not easy to change course. No master would want a subordinate who is half-hearted.
Duke Wei forced a smile, intending to say something grand and dignified, but before he could speak, Gu Zhizhuo interrupted him.
“Words are no proof.” Gu Zhizhuo rummaged around and pulled out a compass, asking, “May I ask for the Duke’s birth date and time?”
Duke Wei hesitated for a moment before speaking. She then fiddled with the compass for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, "Duke, within three days, you will suffer a fire, your old illness will relapse, and your life will be in danger."
Gu Zhizhu put the compass away.
She asked with a double meaning, "Lord Duke, do you believe me or not?"
Duke Wei thought for a moment, realizing he didn't seem to have any old ailments, and wanted to ask more, but Gu Zhizhuo raised an eyebrow at Xie Yingchen and waved his hand, saying, "Return to the capital."
"yes!"
The soldiers responded in unison and mounted their horses.
Since Prince Jin and his entourage were not brought by Xie Yingchen, he naturally did not need to say goodbye to anyone else before leaving.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't know what the two were talking about, but Xie Yingchen got into Wang Xing's carriage and they chatted happily.
As long as the young master is willing, he won't quarrel with anyone. Gu Zhizhuo wasn't worried at all and took the lead in riding away.
As soon as they left, the others were dumbfounded, unsure whether to stay or leave. Even the Duke of Wei left with a displeased expression. In the end, Xie Jing went over, frantically pulling apart the Prince of Jin and the Duke of Chengen who were locked in a fight, and scolded the Duke of Chengen, "Uncle, that's enough!"
Then, he comforted Prince Jin, saying, "Your Highness, we can discuss this matter back in the capital. We need to find a doctor for the heir first."
The Prince of Jin, holding the severed hand he had snatched back from the Duke of Chengen, nodded expressionlessly.
He helped his distraught son into the carriage and said coldly, "This prince will not let the matter rest with the man surnamed Sun."
The sticky feeling still lingered on Cheng'en Gong's hands, which he rubbed repeatedly on his body.
The Prince of Jin neither hit nor scolded him; instead, his sinister gaze made the Duke of Cheng'en feel uneasy. He braced himself and shouted, "Don't try to scare me. I'm not someone who can be easily frightened."
Xie Jing was furious: "Uncle! Stop messing around."
*Smack*
The Prince of Jin lowered the curtain of his carriage.
The carriage sped past Xie Jing without uttering a word, clearly indicating that Xie Jing was also being held a grudge against.
The Duke of Cheng'en said discontentedly, "Your Highness, look at his arrogant attitude; he doesn't respect you at all..."
"Enough, Uncle." Xie Jing said sternly, "Let's go back to the capital first, and then we'll talk."
Xie Jing was in a real bind. If only the Duke of Cheng'en had restrained himself even a little, things wouldn't have come to this. He had made an enemy of the Prince of Jin, and now he still had the nerve to come and make a scene.
If she doesn't want this son-in-law, she can simply return to the capital and break off the engagement. Prince Jin can't force Sun Nian to marry him.
They had to make it like this.
Having incurred a deadly enmity, what good did the uncle gain besides a momentary moment of satisfaction?!
Xie Jing often felt that everything around him was going wrong. Not only was it going wrong, but it was also like a tangled mess that he couldn't untangle.
He was trapped inside too, and was about to suffocate.
Xie Jing couldn't help but look at Gu Zhizhuo's back. She rode her horse, her black hair fluttering, and her red dress was as dazzling as a flame.
When the Duke of Zhenguo first emerged from mourning, the situation she faced was far more complex than what he faces now. How did she overcome that situation? How did she get to where she is today?
"Your Highness, Jing'er," the Duke of Cheng'en said cautiously, thinking he was angry. "Alright, alright, your uncle will listen to you. Let's go back to the capital first, is that alright?"
The sunlight shone on him, casting a long shadow on the ground, but Xie Jing's hands and feet were ice-cold, and he remained where he was, while she had already walked to a place beyond his reach.
Gu Zhizhuo galloped away on horseback, even the wind blowing in his face carried a pleasant feeling.
She ordered Qi Fu to lead his troops back to camp, while she herself went directly back to the capital.
Wang Xing said he was going to pay his respects to the Grand Madam, so the carriage simply turned directly into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
"The young lady is back!"
The old woman at the gate was overjoyed to see her return and went inside to report.
"Tell the old lady that my cousin Wang and his son have arrived."
The doorman responded promptly and greeted them warmly:
"Young Master, Son-in-law, please."
Wang Xing got off the carriage, and the two seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation along the way.
When he got on the carriage, he called him "Prince Chen," but when he got off, he called him "Achen," acting as if they were brothers who hadn't seen each other for eight hundred years.
Gu Zhizhuo led them inside, when suddenly Wang Xing stopped and asked, "Oh, is this also a cousin from the household?"
Gu Yan stood far away behind the hanging flower gate, staring intently at them, his eyes completely unlike the innocence one would expect from someone his age. Seeing Gu Zhizhuo looking at him, he turned and ran.
Wang Xing: ?
He had just arrived in the capital and was unaware of what had happened to the Gu family.
Xie Yingchen just smiled: "Prince Li wanted to take him away a few days ago, but my third uncle said that you are now in charge of the Gu family, and we should wait until you come back. Prince Li asked me to ask you to meet him."
Gu Zhizhuo curled up the corners of his mouth, tugged at his sleeve, and asked, not wanting to miss the opportunity to stir things up, "What price does Prince Li intend to offer?"
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