Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Third Young Master Gu is Getting Married

The yamen attendant brought out all of the Gu Clan members imprisoned in various cells. Meanwhile, Gu Xingnuo (顾星诺) and Gu Xingyan (顾星言) helped to carry their third brother out of his own jail cell.

“You didn’t touch Qingyu?” Gu Xingyan asked, glancing back at the bitterly sobbing girl following in their wake.

Gu Xinglang shook his head.

Gu Xinyan lost it at that moment. “Are you a fool? We spent all that effort to send her–”

“Ol’ Second!” Gu Xingnuo shook his head at Gu Xingyan to stop him from saying anything else.

Gu Xinglang only lowered his eyes and murmured back, “There’s still my older brothers. The Gu Clan doesn’t need me to leave a heir.”

Gu Xingyan’s eyes turned red as he croaked out, “Don’t speak nonsense. We haven’t even heard the imperial decree yet. How do you know what it’s about?”

Gu Xinglang remained silent. Since he was going to die anyways, it’d be best if he didn’t drag down his family with him. By now, the Old Madam was already kneeling on the floor with Supreme Commander Gu. As soon as she saw her three grandsons, she burst into tears and exclaimed, “Xinglang?”

Jing Zhong smiled and said, “Old Madam, don’t be saddened just yet. Let me finish announcing His Majesty’s decree first.”

The Old Madam raised her head to look at the head eunuch, her fear plastered on her face.

“Everyone, kneel to accept the decree,” the old Supreme Commander Gu spoke in a heavy tone.

Gu Xinglang’s older brothers helped him carefully to the floor. Jing Zhong unfurled the decree and cleared his throat before reading its contents. After hearing it to the end, the Gu Clan was beginning to wonder if Xiaozong was fooling with them. The imperial clan only had one princess and she was born from the empress herself. This year she had yet to reach 14 years of age, but now they were marrying her off to the crippled Gu Xinglang? This isn’t how you tell jokes!

Once Jing Zhong finished reading, he walked up to Gu Xinglang and took his hand to place the decree on it. “Third Young Master Gu, the marriage between you and the eldest princess was decreed by the old empress dowager. His Majesty’s words are worth a thousand pieces of gold, so he’d never go back on a promise.”

Gu Xinglang’s head whipped up at Jing Zhong as his handsome features twisted into indignation. Gu Xingnuo and Gu Xingyan used all their strength to hold their little brother back. If he fought with the head eunuch here, what would become of the family?

“You can all leave the prisons today,” Jing Zhong was certain that Gu Xinglang didn’t have the guts to fight him. Even if he did, his crippled legs would make it impossible. The youth who had set foot in the battlefields at the age of 15 and became a young general in his own right was powerless now. Without wasting any more words, he flicked his sleeves and left with his retinue.

The men of the Gu Clan remained kneeling on the ground, still reeling from the revelations. Meanwhile, the official of the justice courts approached Supreme Commander Gu Chen (顾辰) and looked at him coldly. “Old Gu, take your children and leave. Are you waiting for this official to escort you out?”

The Gu Clan had stayed around two months in the prisons while waiting for their sentence. They never thought the official would be chasing them out instead. As the family stood in front of its entrance, they exchanged glances, unable to speak. When the entire family strode out of the prisons, the Gu Clan guards who’d been keeping watch for them had to doublecheck to make sure that their masters were truly free. The next second they were rushing forward to kneel at Supreme Commander Gu’s feet. One of the guards sobbed, “Supreme Commander, h-have you regained your freedom again?”

Supreme Commander Gu was still lost in a cloud, but he looked at his family flanking him on both sides, then the guards at his feet, and said, “Regained my freedom again?”

All of the Gu Clan were still at a loss.

Gu Xingnuo asked, “Xinglang’s getting married, then?”

Now all of the guards were confused as well.

Meanwhile, Ying Nianyun and the rest hurried over from the entrance to offer their congratulations.

Gu Cheng asked, “Ying, old brother, am I dreaming?”

Ying Nianyun recalled the scene in the prisons. From his perspective, the only reason Emperor Xiaozong had set the marriage in a fit of rage was because Princess Linglong had put him up to it. Thus he explained, “It’s rare to have someone like the princess. For the sake of saving you, old brother, and Xinglang and the rest, Her Royal Highness personally begged His Majesty for mercy.”

“That’s right,” another official chimed in, “I’m afraid Xinglang would have been in danger without Her Royal Highness bringing up the marriage first.”

Hearing this, the Gu Clan was left speechless. Their hearts swelled with gratitude, but they didn’t know what to say.

Gu Xingyan suddenly exclaimed, “My God, thank goodness Xinglang didn’t do anything with Qingyu. How could we ever be worthy of Her Royal Highness then?”

The Old Madam only felt fear in hindsight when she recalled her arrangements. If Qingyu bore a child before the princess after her marriage, wouldn’t that be slapping the princess in the face?

Qingyu stood at the very back of the crowd, still dressed in prisoner’s garb. She only felt wronged in her heart. So the Gu Clan can let afford to let me down instead?

The yamen attendant brought out all of the Gu Clan members imprisoned in various cells. Meanwhile, Gu Xingnuo (顾星诺) and Gu Xingyan (顾星言) helped to carry their third brother out of his own jail cell.

“You didn’t touch Qingyu?” Gu Xingyan asked, glancing back at the bitterly sobbing girl following in their wake.

Gu Xinglang shook his head.

Gu Xinyan lost it at that moment. “Are you a fool? We spent all that effort to send her–”

“Ol’ Second!” Gu Xingnuo shook his head at Gu Xingyan to stop him from saying anything else.

Gu Xinglang only lowered his eyes and murmured back, “There’s still my older brothers. The Gu Clan doesn’t need me to leave a heir.”

Gu Xingyan’s eyes turned red as he croaked out, “Don’t speak nonsense. We haven’t even heard the imperial decree yet. How do you know what it’s about?”

Gu Xinglang remained silent. Since he was going to die anyways, it’d be best if he didn’t drag down his family with him. By now, the Old Madam was already kneeling on the floor with Supreme Commander Gu. As soon as she saw her three grandsons, she burst into tears and exclaimed, “Xinglang?”

Jing Zhong smiled and said, “Old Madam, don’t be saddened just yet. Let me finish announcing His Majesty’s decree first.”

The Old Madam raised her head to look at the head eunuch, her fear plastered on her face.

“Everyone, kneel to accept the decree,” the old Supreme Commander Gu spoke in a heavy tone.

Gu Xinglang’s older brothers helped him carefully to the floor. Jing Zhong unfurled the decree and cleared his throat before reading its contents. After hearing it to the end, the Gu Clan was beginning to wonder if Xiaozong was fooling with them. The imperial clan only had one princess and she was born from the empress herself. This year she had yet to reach 14 years of age, but now they were marrying her off to the crippled Gu Xinglang? This isn’t how you tell jokes!

Once Jing Zhong finished reading, he walked up to Gu Xinglang and took his hand to place the decree on it. “Third Young Master Gu, the marriage between you and the eldest princess was decreed by the old empress dowager. His Majesty’s words are worth a thousand pieces of gold, so he’d never go back on a promise.”

Gu Xinglang’s head whipped up at Jing Zhong as his handsome features twisted into indignation. Gu Xingnuo and Gu Xingyan used all their strength to hold their little brother back. If he fought with the head eunuch here, what would become of the family?

“You can all leave the prisons today,” Jing Zhong was certain that Gu Xinglang didn’t have the guts to fight him. Even if he did, his crippled legs would make it impossible. The youth who had set foot in the battlefields at the age of 15 and became a young general in his own right was powerless now. Without wasting any more words, he flicked his sleeves and left with his retinue.

The men of the Gu Clan remained kneeling on the ground, still reeling from the revelations. Meanwhile, the official of the justice courts approached Supreme Commander Gu Chen (顾辰) and looked at him coldly. “Old Gu, take your children and leave. Are you waiting for this official to escort you out?”

The Gu Clan had stayed around two months in the prisons while waiting for their sentence. They never thought the official would be chasing them out instead. As the family stood in front of its entrance, they exchanged glances, unable to speak. When the entire family strode out of the prisons, the Gu Clan guards who’d been keeping watch for them had to doublecheck to make sure that their masters were truly free. The next second they were rushing forward to kneel at Supreme Commander Gu’s feet. One of the guards sobbed, “Supreme Commander, h-have you regained your freedom again?”

Supreme Commander Gu was still lost in a cloud, but he looked at his family flanking him on both sides, then the guards at his feet, and said, “Regained my freedom again?”

All of the Gu Clan were still at a loss.

Gu Xingnuo asked, “Xinglang’s getting married, then?”

Now all of the guards were confused as well.

Meanwhile, Ying Nianyun and the rest hurried over from the entrance to offer their congratulations.

Gu Chen asked, “Ying, old brother, am I dreaming?”

Ying Nianyun recalled the scene in the prisons. From his perspective, the only reason Emperor Xiaozong had set the marriage in a fit of rage was because Princess Linglong had put him up to it. Thus he explained, “It’s rare to have someone like the princess. For the sake of saving you, old brother, and Xinglang and the rest, Her Royal Highness personally begged His Majesty for mercy.”

“That’s right,” another official chimed in, “I’m afraid Xinglang would have been in danger without Her Royal Highness bringing up the marriage first.”

Hearing this, the Gu Clan was left speechless. Their hearts swelled with gratitude, but they didn’t know what to say.

Gu Xingyan suddenly exclaimed, “My God, thank goodness Xinglang didn’t do anything with Qingyu. How could we ever be worthy of Her Royal Highness then?”

The Old Madam only felt fear in hindsight when she recalled her arrangements. If Qingyu bore a child before the princess after her marriage, wouldn’t that be slapping the princess in the face?

Qingyu stood at the very back of the crowd, still dressed in prisoner’s garb. She only felt wronged in her heart. So the Gu Clan can let afford to let me down instead?