Chapter 26

Princess Royal Shou Kang’s smile stiffened. She blinked, thinking that she’d heard wrong.

Gu Hui Yan maintained a calm smile and serenely watched her.

He didn’t look like he was joking. Shou Kang slowly digested his words before responding.

Although Princess Royal Shou Kang was shocked, she pushed aside the maid who stepped forward to serve her, “What are you saying? You… are you serious?”

“I’m serious.”

Princess Shou Kang looked at Gu Hui Yan’s calm and unruffled manner, as if he was talking about something ordinary like eating or drinking. But her heart was in chaos and she was almost unable to maintain her cool. If memory serves her right, hadn’t Gu Hui Yan entrusted her to help Lin Wei Xi look for a husband not one month ago? What happened during that time to cause this kind of flip?

Princess Royal Shou Kang hurriedly took a sip of tea. After calming down a bit, she thought about it again and felt it was good no matter how she thought about it. Of course, Princess Royal Shou Kang wanted to find a good husband for Lin Wei Xi and had spent these past few days considering quite a number of sons of influential officials. But which family could compare to Prince Yan?

Furthermore, even if Shou Kang chose someone, Lin Wei Xi would have to wait on her in-laws. How could Princess Shou Kang find a simple and upright family like that? After all, a daughter-in-law was different from a daughter. As the saying goes, what goes around comes around, and Lin Wei Xi had to carefully serve her in-laws. But if it was the Prince Yan Residence, these troubles wouldn’t exist. Prince Yan’s parents had passed away many years ago and there were only three people in the family. Aside from Prince Yan, the other two were his son and daughter-in-law. If Lin Wei Xi married Prince Yan, she would become Shizi and Shizi Fei’s elder. Who in the entire residence would dare to give her attitude?

Princess Shou Kang felt this was a good thing the more she thought about it. Prince Yan was clear minded and had insurmountable power. He wasn’t the kind of person who could be deceived by tricks and schemes. As long as Lin Wei Xi didn’t provoke Prince Yan’s anger, she would never suffer in the back courtyard. The Shizi had also grown up, and Lin Wei Xi didn’t have to endure any anger directed at her for being a stepmother. Instead, she earned a filial daughter-in-law without doing anything.

Princess Royal Shou Kang almost laughed out loud when she thought of that. Didn’t Gao Ran scheme to rob Gao Xi of her marriage for the power of the Prince Yan Residence, and to be the mistress in charge of the Prince Yan Residence. But she should know that the Prince Yan Residence belonged to Prince Yan, not Gu Cheng Yao. The Prince Yan Consort seat was empty, so Gao Ran, as the Shizi Fei, took charge of the household instead. But once the true mistress returned, who was Gao Ran compared to her?

Princess Royal Shou Kang was overwhelmed with joy. She felt reassured about Lin Wei Xi’s marriage and finally had the time to think about the intentions behind Prince Yan’s words. It was in a woman’s nature to be gossipy, and Princess Shou Kang was no exception. She asked tentatively, “Prince Yan, I’m not trying to be disrespectful. It’s just that things were alright previously, but you suddenly brought this up today. Is there a reason for this?”

Princess Royal Shou Kang would never expect that Lin Wei Xi had been the one to proposed this shocking plan. She still thought that Prince Yan was going all out to look after Lin Wei Xi, and now that she was about to get married, he almost couldn’t bear to part. Or maybe something had happened in the Prince Yan Residence that outsiders didn’t know about, which was the catalyst…

Gu Hui Yan looked at the eagerness in Princess Royal Shou Kang’s eyes and could guess what his Aunt was thinking. He had already figured it out by the time he returned to the study. After that, he prepared his horse and left to visit Shou Kang first. He knew very well what he was doing and made clear arrangements for each step ahead of time. Now that Princess Royal Shou Kang was asking him the question, Gu Hui Yan also thought about it. Why was he doing this?

Lin Wei Xi had said those words due to her illness. Knowing her temperament, there was no way she would take her words back once she’d said them. Either she’d succeed, or she’d leave the Prince Yan Residence and their paths would never cross again. Gu Hui Yan had to admit that he was fond of this overly lively girl. Watching her make noise made him feel as if he was a lot younger than he actually was. He felt indescribably jittery at the thought of letting Lin Wei Xi move out of the Prince Yan Residence, unable to see her again. Since it was like this, then he only had one other option.

It was either one or the other, so the logic was simple. Gu Hui Yan went to the battlefield at fifteen and spent half his life on it. What he did best was making strategic decisions, and he was also the most decisive when making those decisions. Lin Wei Xi’s situation was much simpler than the ever-changing battlefield. The pros and cons were clear and distinct, and he didn’t have to choose between abandoning one team or the whole army. Gu Hui Yan made his decision very quickly.

But Gu Hui Yan wasn’t used to discussing such personal topics, so he only smiled and said, “Aunt can rest assured that I’m not hiding anything. I know what I’m doing.” After speaking, Gu Hui Yan paused slightly and added, “she also knows.”

I hope she knows.

Princess Royal Shou Kang pretended to look relieved, but she knew she wouldn’t be getting anything else out of Prince Yan. He seemed reasonable and easy to talk to, but was actually very firm with his boundaries, and she’d cross them if she continued to question him. Shou Kang conveniently changed the topic and no longer asked about it.

She was extremely excited today. Her only granddaughter had passed away and she felt unspeakable regret. Now that she had Lin Wei Xi, she wholeheartedly wanted to manage the perfect marriage for her, so that she wouldn’t follow Gao Xi’s footsteps. Gu Hui Yan no longer lingered on the matter after entrusting it to Princess Royal Shou Kang. As for the traditional wedding rituals, marriage proposal and other ceremonies, she would handle it. Gu Hui Yan didn’t care how she handled it, and cared even less about the extravagance of the whole thing.

Seeing as time was almost up, Gu Hui Yan got up and bid farewell. Shou Kang smiled and sent him out of the main hall. After that, she excitedly had her lady-in-waiting open the storeroom so she could pick Lin Wei Xi’s dowry herself. The atmosphere in the Princess Shou Kang Residence was cheerful and warm, while the Prince Yan Residence was quiet and serene. It had been raining for the past few days and it was humid today. The trees in the courtyard had been thoroughly rained on, while wind blew into everyone’s sleeves, making it seem colder than it actually was.

Lin Wei Xi woke briefly at noon before falling asleep again. Her breath was hot, her dreams were intermittent, and she slept restlessly. The people coming in and out of Jingdan Garden all had serious expressions. Regardless of whether they were sincere or not, they at least seemed to be worried about her condition. Wan Xing and Wan Yue replaced the cold handkerchief on Lin Wei Xi’s forehead without a break, and continued to do so until evening, when her fever finally subsided.

Lin Wei Xi woke up to see that the sky had darkened outside the window. She lowered her head and coughed, ignored the drink, and promptly asked, “did His Highness Prince Yan visit?”

“He didn’t.”

Lin Wei Xi let out a soft “Oh”, her heart slowly sinking. Didn’t she already know that Prince Yan wasn’t stupid. How could he allow her to scheme against himself?

Wan Yue saw Lin Wei Xi’s expression and had a bad premonition. She whispered, “the Prince just returned from the Princess Shou Kang Residence and still hasn’t returned to the back courtyard. If Miss has something to tell him, why don’t I go and invite him?”

Before Lin Wei Xi could respond, she heard footsteps coming from outside. When Lin Wei Xi saw the person, she promptly tried to sit up, ” Commander Gu… “

Gu Ming Da was greeted respectfully as soon as he entered Jingdan Garden. There wasn’t a single person in the Prince Yan Residence who didn’t know him. His family had served the Prince Yan Residence for generations and he’d followed Prince Yan around in his youth. Later, he was even granted the imperial surname “Gu”, showing his status. However, a trusted aide like him who stood above the inner and outer courtyards, and even stood above the masters’ close servants, was very polite to Lin Wei Xi. After entering the room, he stopped outside the screen, lowered his eyes, and didn’t peek inside at all. He asked in a formal tone, “Miss Lin, are you feeling better?”

Lin Wei Xi let Wan Xing support her as she sat up. Separated by the bed curtain and the screen, she also politely replied, “Thank you for your concern, Commander Gu. I feel much better already.” she couldn’t help asking, “did His Highness Prince Yan ask you to come here and check on me?”

Gu Ming Da unexpectedly didn’t answer, but paused for a moment and said, “It’s good that Miss Lin’s illness has improved. Miss Lin should focus on recuperating for the next few days. When the weather gets warmer, Princess Royal Shou Kang will pick you up to stay with her temporarily.”

Gu Ming Da didn’t say whether or not it was Prince Yan, but if she didn’t know that it was impossible, she would’ve thought that Gu Ming Da was deliberately avoiding it. However, what kind of servant would avoid painting his master in a good light? Wouldn’t it benefit him to give an answer after putting up some resistance? Gu Ming Da’s attitude was indeed strange. But before she could digest his words, he mentioned her moving out. Lin Wei Xi’s attention shifted and she frowned, doubtful, “why?”

Why now?

“Why?” Gu Cheng Yao also looked at Gu Hui Ya, puzzled, “she’s bedridden right now, and it’s not as if the Prince Yan Residence can’t support her, so why have her move out of the residence?”

Gu Hui Yan sat in the armchair, unhurriedly lifting the floating leaves from the teacup, “in the beginning, it wasn’t an issue if she wanted to stay here for a long time, but now it’s inappropriate for her to continue living in Prince Yan Residence.”

Gu Cheng Yao was baffled, and he asked without thinking, “Why is it inappropriate?”

Gu Hui Yan put down the Yue porcelain cup. His movements were calm and his expression was the same as when he faced all those countless battles, imposing and unmoving, as if victory was within his grasp. But if Gu Ming Da were here, he would’ve realized that Gu Hui Yan’s movements and speech were slower than usual. This hesitancy was unusual for Gu Hui Yan.

It was only after Gu Hui Yan set the teacup down that his mood settled. He acted like nothing had happened and said without thinking, “in a few days, she’ll marry into the Prince Yan Residence. If she continues to live in the Residence, it will affect her reputation.”

Thunder had struck the ground◇

, and all the servants in the study stared in astonishment before quickly clenching their teeth, shrinking their shoulders and lowering their heads. Gu Cheng Yao stared blankly and only understood what Gu Hui Yan had said after a long time, “Father, did you say that Lin Wei Xi is going to marry into the residence? I don’t have any brothers, this… ” as he said that, he quickly came to himself and looked at Gu Hui Yan in disbelief, “Father, could it be… “

◇

“Correct, I will soon marry her, and she’ll be the Princess Consort.”

Gu Cheng Yao, who’d always been praised by everyone in the capital for being a gentleman, neglected his appearance. His mouth gaped open in astonishment as he stared at Gu Hui Yan. After a moment, his face suddenly sank and he said resolutely, “you can’t.”

Gu Hui Yan merely glanced faintly at Gu Cheng Yao, obviously not really caring. Gu Ming Da came in, and when he heard this, he said evenly, “Shizi, you’ve crossed the line.”

Gu Cheng Yao also found his words ridiculous. He was the child, so who was he to control the affairs of his elders? But how was this okay?

His thoughts were in a mess. He’d opposed it without thinking and practically blurted everything out. It was only after he finished speaking that he pondered it in hindsight. Why not?

Did he disapprove of his father’s remarriage in order to protect his parent’s love, because his mother, Shen Shi, said that they’d fallen in love at first sight, their love stronger than gold? Or was it because the person his father wanted to marry was Lin Wei Xi, who was younger than himself, and felt it preposterous, so he opposed it. Or perhaps it was because she was Lin Wei Xi, someone who felt indescribably familiar to him?

Gu Cheng Yao’s confusion lasted for only a moment before it was pushed down by the image of Shen Shi’s smiling face. Gu Hui Yan had been in the war campaign for many years and didn’t stay in the residence for long, so Gu Cheng Yao grew up by his mother’s side. Back when they were still living in the residence in the Yan fief, the old Princess Consort had still been alive, and she treated Shen Shi in a lukewarm manner. Shen Shi had lamented to Gu Cheng Yao all the time about her mother-in-law’s harsh criticism. As time passed, he grew further distanced from his grandmother and clung to his mother even more.

At that time, Gu Cheng Yao was still young. Shen Shi repeatedly and patiently narrated her encounter with Prince Yan to him. Prince Yan had rescued her from amidst the chaos of battle; the hero had saved the beauty and she fell in love at first sight. Hence, she travelled thousands of miles to chase her husband, and they got married in the end, living happily ever after. Gu Cheng Yao was actually not very interested in Shen Shi’s stories about their romance, but she was his mother. Over the years, Gu Cheng Yao became deeply influenced throughout his childhood. Without even realizing it, he truly believed that his parent’s marriage was an eternal love out of a fairy tale, even if Gu Hui Yan stayed in the army camp without returning home the entire year. Even if his grandmother was very apathetic towards Shen Shi.

When Shen Shi later died of illness, Prince Yan didn’t remarry for many years, and everything seemed to be going well. But now this fairy tale love was suddenly shattered and someone new had appeared out of nowhere. There was no way Gu Cheng Yao could allow it.

He pulled a long face, his voice stiff, “Father, isn’t this unfair to Mother? While you were busy fighting the war these past few years, she managed the household, supported grandmother, and raised me all by herself. Did you think of Mother even once, who’s in the underworld, when you decided to remarry?”

Gu Ming Da thought to himself so you know that Princess Consort Shen’s already in the underworld. But he merely took a step forward and coldly said, “Shizi, you’ve crossed the line.”

Gu Cheng Yao looked at Gu Ming Da, but Gu Ming Da stayed firm and watched him with a calm and businesslike look in his eyes. Gu Cheng Yao ultimately caved in and stiffly said, “this son was rude,” before turning and fleeing from the room.

“My Prince… “

“It’s all right.” Gu Hui Yan didn’t pay any attention to the earlier disturbance and stood up to walk toward the study. Court affairs piled up into a mountain of documents everyday, so he didn’t actually have a lot of free time. “He’s still naive. Let him be.”

Gao Ran was sitting in the room, and when she saw Gu Cheng Yao rush in, she promptly greeted him, “Shizi.”

She saw Gu Cheng Yao’s expression and she smiled sweetly, her voice gentle as water, “Shizi, what happened?”

Gu Cheng Yao took a deep breath and said, “It’s nothing. Nothing more than a disagreement with Father.”

Gao Ran was shocked, “What kind of disagreement? Why?” It wasn’t a good sign that he had argued with Gu Hui Yan.

“Father wishes to marry Lin Wei Xi as his Princess Consort. I said a few things and it turned out like this.”

Gao Ran didn’t listen to the second half of Gu Cheng Yao’s sentence. Her attention was entirely focused on his first few words. She stood on the spot, her brain buzzing, and was finally able to speak normally after a moment, “What did you say?”