Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 100

As Yun Ke’s position in the court became increasingly prominent, those aristocratic families who had initially not held Yun Ke in high regard began to consider their options.

Yun Ke had only married one wife and she had already tragically passed away. In Prince An’s vast palace, there were no other occupants besides His Highness and a young heir. If their own daughter could marry into the palace, even if only as side concubines, they would be legitimate princesses. If, in the future, they were fortunate enough to bear a son for Yun Ke, there might be a chance for their own children to become princes.

Coupled with Yun Ke’s cold demeanour, although he seemed aloof and somewhat unapproachable, one could not ignore the fact that he was exceptionally handsome. Among the numerous imperial princes, he was considered the most attractive.

Once they began having these thoughts, actions followed suit. Invitation after invitation was sent to Prince An’s palace and some even sought the help of Eldest Princess to broker the discussions.

Eldest Princess was an enthusiastic person and shared the sentiment that it was time for Yun Ke, who had been widowed for a year, to remarry. The young heir was growing up and having a mother’s guidance was essential. Therefore, she occasionally visited Prince An’s palace from time to time to ask Yun Ke about his thoughts.

However, Yun Ke was as tight-lipped as a clam. No matter how Eldes Princess attempted to probe him, he did not reveal anything.

“Ke’er, is there someone in your heart?” On this day, Princess Ping Hu had come to Prince An’s palace again to have a meal together. After eating, she asked Yun Ke to accompany her for a walk. As they walked, she asked, “Why is it that, despite the many candidates Aunt has presented, you don’t seem interested in any of them?”

Yun Ke’s mind flickered slightly. He gave his imperial aunt a deep look and then respectfully bowed, startling Eldest Princess.

“Ke’er, what are you doing?” Princess Ping Hu was not offended by the gesture, but Yun Ke’s sudden action caught her off guard and she could not figure out thoughts. She quickly reached out to help Yun Ke up, saying, “If you have something to say, just speak openly. Why be so formal with Aunt?”

“Imperial Aunt, you are right. There is indeed someone in Ke’er’s heart, but unfortunately…” Yun Ke sighed deeply and turned his face away slightly.

The sky had just darkened and the lights in the prince’s palace had been lit. Under the dim yellow light, Yun Ke’s beautiful profile resembled a still painting and the slight furrow of his brows suggested a hidden sorrow.

Princess Ping Hu could not stand it when people beat around the bush. Seeing Yun Ke’s hesitant expression made her feel uncomfortable, as if bugs were crawling all over her.

“Oh, just tell me. Which family’s daughter is it? As long as it’s not too outrageous, tell Aunt. Aunt will help you with your Father the Emperor!” Princess Ping Hu urged.

“Does Imperial Aunt remember Gu Yu Qi from the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence?” Yun Ke sighed lightly before slowly speaking.

“Gu Yu Qi?” How could Princess Ping Hu forget that girl? She had even left the city overnight with the jade pendant she had given her. Princess Ping Hu started to feel a bit displeased, “Surely she’s not the girl you like?” Her voice deepened, “I heard she’s a rebellious girl. Ke’er, now that you’ve finally gained some reputation in front of your Father the Emperor, it’s not worth upsetting him for the sake of marrying such a girl.”

Princess Ping Hu had initially been fond of Gu Yu Qi, but the girl had completely ignored her, which made Princess Ping Hu very dissatisfied.

“Aunt, the rumours about her in the capital are not true. It’s really a misunderstanding,” Yun Ke said slowly, “Her mother was not burnt to death. Instead, she left the capital with her.” He then told Princess Ping Hu in detail about his encounter with Gu Yu Qi in Jiangxia City.

Princess Ping Hu had spent most of her life in the capital and rarely travelled. Although Yun Ke spoke slowly, each word had been carefully chosen and refined by him. His words formed a coherent narrative, making it seem like he was reading from a script. Princess Ping Hu listened with great interest.

When Princess Ping Hu heard about how Gu Yu Qi had found a prescription to cure the plague and had distributed it for free in Jiangxia City, Princess Ping Hu could not help but sigh.

She had heard about the prescription, but listening to Yun Ke’s firsthand experience gave her a sense of being there. In the end, she sighed deeply and said, “Then from what you’ve said, not only is Gu Yu Qi not an evil girl, but she’s a role model among girls?”

Role model? Yun Ke shook his head lightly, “Her temperament isn’t gentle enough for her to be called a role model, but she can be a model for women to stand on her own and not rely on men.” This was not the main point. He continued. “Imperial Aunt, Father the Emperor intends for the Ding Yuan Marquis to accept Gu Yu Qi again, but the Ding Yuan Marquis has been claiming to be ill and taking no action. Doesn’t Aunt find this suspicious?”

Princess Ping Hu frowned slightly, “Indeed. Logically, how could the Ding Yuan Marquis, who is such a discerning person, not see through the intentions of Brother the Emperor? Why does he keep delaying?”

“That’s why this nephew found it strange and had someone investigate it secretly,” Yun Ke bowed slightly to Princess Ping Hu, “Imperial Aunt, do you think this nephew is meddling in other people’s business too much?”

“Of course not, you’re just too reserved, my child,” Princess Ping Hu felt her curiosity aroused by Yun Ke’s words. She helped Yun Ke up, “Tell Aunt, what have you found out?”

Yun Ke’s eyelids lowered slightly, covering his bright eyes. A trace of brilliance flashed in the depths of his eyes for a moment, disappearing without Princess Ping Hu noticing.

This was what he wanted, to spark Princess Ping Hu’s curiosity.

Yun Ke had always wanted to urge the Ding Yuan Marquis to welcome Gu Yu Qi back to his residence as soon as possible. This way, he could propose to his Father the Emperor to marry her. However, the Ding Yuan Marquis continuously feigned illness, which left Yun Ke frustrated.

He secretly sent people to investigate and they discovered some clues. He vaguely guessed the reason behind the Ding Yuan Marquis’ reluctance to bring Gu Yu Qi back. It was likely related to the contents of the divorce letter.

How could there be such a coincidence in the world? When he sent people to investigate the divorce letter, the warehouse of the capital mayor’s office had caught fire and the former capital mayor had unexpectedly fell off his horse and broke his neck, meeting an untimely death. This left only three people who knew the contents of the divorce letter. One was the Ding Yuan Marquis, the others were Liang Huai Yu and Gu Yu Qi. There must be something about the Ding Yuan Marquis in that divorce letter that were unspeakable.

Yun Ke had already sent a letter to Gu Yu Qi to inquire about the contents of the divorce letter, but she had not responded yet. He was still waiting.

The incident at the capital mayor’s office and the former capital mayor’s unexpected fall were suspicious. Yun Ke, despite having highly capable secret guards, could not confirm whether the fire at the capital mayor’s warehouse and the capital mayor falling accidentally were intentional acts.

When things were too perfect, it was also a flaw.

People from the Reincarnation Pavilion had appeared around Gu Yu Qi. The Reincarnation Pavilion was known for helping people resolve their troubles discreetly in exchange for money. Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu had virtually no conflicts with anyone in the capital. Since the Winter Hunting Festival, Gu Yu Qi had never left home and had been living a secluded life. Yun Ke found it hard to believe that she had somehow attracted such formidable enemies just by sitting at home.

Considering all these aspects, Yun Ke could not help but suspect Gu Huai Zhong.

However, he had no real evidence to link everything to Gu Huai Zhong, so he could not take any drastic actions. So now, Yun Ke wanted Princess Ping Hu to step forward and create some disturbance. If it was really him the hired killers from the Reincarnation Pavilion to murder Gu Yu Qi, Yun Ke swore that he would not spare him, even if he was Gu Yu Qi’s biological father. They say a tiger would not eat its cubs, but would Gu Huai Zhong sacrifice even his own family?

What exactly did Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu possess that caused Gu Huai Zhong to be so fearful and want to get rid of them so quickly? Yun Ke thought about it again and again. The only possibility was the content of the divorce letter.

There were three copies of the divorce letter, with Gu Huai Zhong and Liang Huai Yu each holding one, and the third copy stored in the capital mayor’s office. When Gu Huai Zhong and Liang Huai Yu divorced that night, the only other person aside from Gu Yu Qi was the capital mayor. So, only four people knew the contents of the divorce letter. With the warehouse burned down, the former capital mayor dead, and now with Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu both having been targeted for assassination twice, was this pattern not obvious?

His Father the Emperor clearly intended to bring Gu Yu Qi back to the capital. Gu Huai Zhong could not be unaware of the emperor’s plan, but he kept claiming to be ill and staying home.

Gu Huai Zhong was a sly fox. His strategy was to sit leisurely and wait until his Father the Emperor gradually forgot about Gu Yu Qi, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.

If he knew that Princess Ping Hu had started to investigate the reasons behind the fire at the capital mayor’s office and the death of the former capital mayor, he would not be as comfortable as he currently was. The jurisdiction of the capital fell under Princess Ping Hu’s domain, so her investigation into matters within her territory was entirely appropriate.

So he set a trap with his words, guiding Princess Ping Hu into the trap.

Princess Ping Hu did not have as many thoughts as Yun Ke did. She was initially puzzled by the sudden fire at the capital mayor’s office which had always been peaceful, and the unexpected fall of the former capital mayor. She had even considered whether this year was particularly ill-fated and thought about inviting a high-ranking monk to pray at the capital. The city had experienced a flood, plague, and now a fire. She wondered when these troubles would end.

But today, after hearing Yun Ke’s explanations, even she felt that the events were too coincidental.

“No way, can it be true that the Ding Yuan Marquis has the audacity to murder an official from the imperial court?” Princess Ping Hu furrowed her brows and thought carefully, asking suspiciously.

“This nephew also finds it a bit unbelievable,” Yun Ke followed Princess Ping Hu’s lead and said, “But the circumstances are too coincidental, making it hard for people not to consider that possibility.”

Yun Ke’s words made Princess Ping Hu fall into silence. She was a warm hearted person, but that did not mean she lacked discernment. After hearing Yun Ke’s words, she had already formed some conclusions in her mind. However, such a matter seemed unbelievable and she could not easily jump to conclusions.

“Have you always been in contact with Gu Yu Qi?” Princess Ping Hu frowned and asked, “Why do you know so much about her situation?”

“To tell the truth, Aunt,” Yun Ke replied, “She saved this nephew’s life so if this nephew were to remarry, it would only be with her. This nephew sent someone to protect her secretly, so this nephew is well-informed about her situation. Aunt, this nephew has never asked for Aunt’s help for anything before. However, this nephew is really at a loss. That’s why this nephew is requesting Aunt’s assistance. If this whole situation was plotted by Gu Huai Zhong against her and her mother, then this nephew pleads Aunt to uphold justice and restore their innocence. Additionally, please talk to Father the Emperor to betroth Gu Yu Qi to this nephew.”

Yun Ke rarely used a pleading tone. Every word he spoke was crafted to suit Princess Ping Hu’s personality, making it extremely pleasing to Princess Ping Hu’s ears.

Princess Ping Hu was in a good mood. She immediately patted Yun Ke on the shoulder, “Ke’er, rest assured. If things are indeed as you say, Aunt will certainly ensure justice for Gu Yu Qi. And Aunt will definitely help you with your personal matters!”

Only then did Yun Ke smile, “Nephew is truly grateful to Aunt!”

Princess Ping Hu continued to chat with Yun Ke for a while. Now that she had finally found out Yun Ke’s intentions and gained such shocking information, how could Princess Ping Hu, who had an overwhelming sense of justice, sit still in Prince An’s palace any longer? Swishing her long skirts, she walked out of Prince An’s palace and headed directly for the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence.

The Ding Yuan Marquis, Gu Huai Zhong, had been restless at home these days since he could not go out from feigning illness.

How could the people from the Reincarnation Pavilion be reliable sometimes but unreliable at other times?

Initially, their actions were flawless. They burnt down the capital mayor’s warehouse and orchestrated the accidental death of the annoying former capital mayor from falling off a horse. Everything had been planned so meticulously that it went unnoticed. However, their attempt to assassinate Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu had failed.

Two days ago, he received the money sent back from the Reincarnation Pavilion, which made him fly into rage. They had actually refused to continue doing business with him anymore.

Now what should he do? He had tried to find other assassins but even after approaching two other well-known killer organisations in the martial arts world, both of them refused outright when they heard the targets were these two women. Gu Huai Zhong was enraged, feeling like he really was about to fall sick from being so angry.

Could it be that other organisations would not accept business that even the Reincarnation Pavilion would not do?

He did not even know such rules existed in the martial arts world.

What could he do? Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu would not die immediately. At the same time, he had already claimed to be sick for a bit too long. He was really afraid that one day, someone from the palace might come to inquire about his condition and incidentally, ask about Gu Yu Qi. His original plan was to feign illness for a while, then hire an assassin to kill Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu. This way, he could report to His Majesty that the two women had fallen victim to bandits and died. He knew that His Majesty would not investigate further just for the sake of the mother and daughter, so he would be able to sit back and relax.

In this world, anything can happen. The more someone feared something, the more likely it would happen!

Early this morning, while Gu Huai Zhong was still dreaming with Liu Yue in his arms, a messenger came to report that Princess Ping Hu had arrived.

Initially, Gu Huai Zhong thought that he had misheard but the messenger repeated the message. Hastily, he jumped out of bed.

Princess Ping Hu was here? Gu Huai Zhong instinctively felt like his entire body was unwell.