Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 139

Someone was naturally sent to inform the Eldest Princess, but since Gu Yu Qi had been staying in her own room, she likely had not yet heard the news. So Jia Xi had hurried over, only to find Gu Yu Qi’s side surprisingly calm. Not only was Gu Yu Qi already prepared, but even her maids were composed and unperturbed, leaving Jia Xi both shocked and secretly impressed.

After Jia Xi met up with Gu Yu Qi, the two of them headed towards the Eldest Princess’ chambers.

At the courtyard gate, they encountered Prince Fu and Gu Si Yu, who had also rushed over upon hearing the news.

Prince Fu was dressed in his usual pale green robes, his face partially veiled. He seemed to be in a hurry, his breathing uneven, and he could not help but cough though he tried his best to suppress it.

The capital had been attacked. Of the four city gates, three were still resisting, but one had already been forced open. Large groups of bandits had flooded into the city, killing whoever they saw and burning whatever they came across. The capital was now in utter chaos.

Gu Si Yu’s face was filled with panic. Even her steps were unsteady, and she nearly tripped over her long dress several times.

The three groups met outside Fu Rong Dwelling. Prince Fu cast a deep look at Gu Yu Qi and Jia Xi, silently praising them in his heart. Under Gu Yu Qi’s influence, Jia Xi had completely calmed down and put away her previous panic, carrying herself with poise. As for Gu Yu Qi, she was as steady as ever, her composure unshaken. Compared to their calm and steady demeanours, Gu Si Yu, stumbling and flustered, appeared a little weak.

One was indeed a descendant of a military family, a true Marquis’ legitimate daughter, and the other, truly worthy of being a noble lady of the imperial family. In contrast, this Marquis’s concubine-born daughter seemed rather lacking.

While Prince Fu’s gaze was fixed on Gu Yu Qi, Gu Yu Qi’s eyes bypassed Prince Fu and landed on a guard standing behind him.

Though he had tried his best to conceal his presence, Gu Yu Qi immediately recognised him at a glance, Du Xia! So it turned out that Yun Ke valued Prince Fu so highly that he had even sent Du Xia to protect him. When had he arrived?

Gu Yu Qi’s eyes lit up momentarily but quickly dimmed again.

She turned her gaze away, pretending as if she had seen nothing.

Since she could not give him anything, it was better not to meet at all.

Du Xia had clearly noticed her as well, but like Gu Yu Qi’s, his gaze lingered on her for only a moment before looking away.

Gu Yu Qi let out a self-mocking laugh in her heart. This was exactly the outcome she wanted, was it not? To Du Xia, she was nothing more than a passerby, no longer able to influence or partake in his life. After all, he was like the rising sun, climbing steadily towards a bright future, while she was already like the setting sun, fading into twilight, decaying and feeble.

Gu Yu Qi’s expression was fully noted by Gu Si Yu, who had been keeping an eye on her. She had been wanting to prevent Gu Yu Qi casting too many glances at Prince Fu but did not expect her to focus instead on the guard behind him. Could it be that her elder sister had a relationship with this guard?

It seemed that Liu Yue’s words had ultimately taken root. Gu Si Yu’s perspective on Gu Yu Qi had shifted entirely.

The more time she spent with Prince Fu, the more she liked him. He was gentle, humorous, and kind. Though his face remained hidden, she could see Prince Fu’s eyes. With eyes like, surely he would not be unattractive. Besides, when comparing him to his brothers, was there a single one who was not strikingly attractive and distinguished?

In just a few short days, Gu Si Yu’s heart had completely fallen for Prince Fu.

She was terrified that Gu Yu Qi would steal everything from her. After all, Gu Yu Qi was so capable, so strong.

Her mother was right; she needed to be vigilant and could not afford to remain idle any longer.

With that thought, she deliberately moved a little closer to Prince Fu.

Yun Ling noticed her approach him intentionally but he did not mind. After all, they were already engaged. He simply extended his hand to hold the edge of her sleeve, “Careful, mind the door threshold,” he reminded her gently.

Yun Ling’s actions made Gu Si Yu’s face instantly blush a faint pink, and her heart raced as if it might leap out of her mouth.

They had been seeing each other almost daily in the residence and often chatted for a long time. However, he had never touched her of his own initiative. Just now with him holding her sleeve, she was already feeling as though she were walking on air.

Distracted by her thoughts, her foot caught on the threshold. Fortunately, Yun Ling grabbed her in time, preventing her from making a fool of herself.

Realising that Yun Ling had held her hand in a hurry, Gu Si Yu turned an even deeper shade of red. She dared not even lift her head, her mind filled with rosy thoughts and floating bubbles of delight.

Yun Ling had initially intended to let go of her hand, but seeing Gu Si Yu standing there dazed, he worried she might trip again.. Deciding it was better to avoid the risk, he simply held her hand as they walked together. After all, they were already engaged, and given the current perilous circumstances, there was nothing to be shy about.

Once they entered the Fu Rong Dwelling, Her Highness Princess Ping Hu was already seated upright in a grand armchair, holding a teacup. Though she appeared calm and composed, Gu Yu Qi noticed that her hand, partially concealed beneath her sleeve, was trembling faintly.

Seeing the group enter, Princess Ping Hu forced a smile, “You’ve all come. That’s good. The situation outside is chaotic. One of the city gates has already fallen, and there are numerous bandits roaming the streets. Now that you’re all here, I can feel a little more at ease.”

“Yes, Aunt. We are already aware of the general situation,” Prince Fu replied with a respectful bow.

Princess Ping Hu nodded before her gaze landed on Gu Yu Qi. She was slightly startled by her attire and the silver spear in her hand, “What is the meaning of this?”

“Of course it is to protect Your Highness,” Gu Yu Qi replied calmly. This was Yun Ke’s request, though she did not mention it aloud. “Is there any safe place in the Princess’ palace where we can hide?” Gu Yu Qi asked.

“Do we have to hide too?” Princess Ping Hu frowned. “There are plenty of guards in the Princess’ palace. I don’t believe those bandits have the ability to break into the Princess’ palace. Besides, the city’s guards are still in place,” Princess Ping Hu said, feigning composure.

“One of the four gates has already fallen,” Gu Yu Qi responded evenly. “These bandits are not just a disorganised mob. While the guards in the Princess’ palace are numerous, the estate is vast and cannot be easily defended.”

Gu Yu Qi’s words struck a nerve, leaving everyone in the room startled and exchanging uneasy glances. Indeed, the city’s defences were renowned for their strength. For a gate to fall indicated that the bandits were highly aggressive. While the Princess’ palace might have many guards, its extensive grounds meant that their forces were spread thin. Spread too thin, they could hardly withstand the bandits.

Gu Yu Qi’s straightforward analysis pinpointed the crux of the issue, and Princess Ping Hu, who had always prided herself on maintaining her composure, suddenly felt a chill spreading through her limbs.

“Then what should we do?” Jia Xi was the first to recover and asked Gu Yu Qi directly.

“If there is no secure place to hide, we should all retreat and fortify Ling Long Tower,” Gu Yu Qi quickly suggested. She bowed to Princess Ping Hu and continued, “It’s still possible to contract our defence lines and establish a perimeter around Ling Long Tower.”

Princess Ping Hu was rendered speechless by Gu Yu Qi’s assessment and found herself at a loss. She could only glance uncertainly between Gu Yu Qi then look blankly at Prince Fu.

Here, Prince Fu was the only man present. If he had been the one to speak, his words would undoubtedly carry weight. However, coming from Gu Yu Qi, Princess Ping Hu hesitated, unsure whether to listen or not.

Though Gu Yu Qi had kept a low profile in recent days, her maids had not been idle. Bai Fu had good Qinggong and had already scouted the entire Princess’ palace under the cover of night.

If Bai Fu could come and go freely within the Princess’ palace, it was clear to Gu Yu Qi that the guards of the Princess’ palace were not as formidable as Yun Ke and Princess Ping Hu believed. After all, years of peace had made them complacent. Even though the city had endured a plague recently, no one had dared to trouble Princess Ping Hu. The guards of the Princess’ palace would have grown a little lax.

Gu Yu Qi would not stake her life on careless guards.

Ling Long Tower was where the Princess’ palace’s valuables were stored, and was essentially a massive warehouse. Towering seven zhang high with five stories, it was the tallest structure in the Princess’ palace. Ling Long Tower had excellent visibility with surrounding high walls and a reinforced iron gate, which made it easy to defend and hard to breach. If the defensive lines had to be contracted, retreating everyone to Ling Long Tower was the best option.

They had assumed Gu Yu Qi had been idle behind closed doors, but they had not known that she had been meticulously observing the situation in secret.

Gu Yu Qi clearly explained to everyone why she wanted to go to the Ling Long Tower. With this, Yun Ling nodded, “Imperial Aunt, let’s follow Eldest Miss Gu’s plan. Withdraw all guards and concentrate our defences around Ling Long Tower.”

“Very well.” With Yun Ling’s agreement, Princess Ping Hu slapped the table and declared, “We will do as you suggest.” She then ordered her trusted maids and guards to relay the instructions. Rising from her seat, she led the group, now surrounded by attendants, toward Ling Long Tower.

“Forget the valuables,” Gu Yu Qi reminded them, “Bring food and water instead.”

This chaos would not resolve in a day or two, it would take several days. Money and riches were mere possessions, only food and water could save lives.

There were more than just a few people in the Princess’ palace and all of them were going to Ling Long Tower. She was afraid that water and other things would be a big problem.

“That’s right,” Yun Ling nodded, “Gather all the food you can find and bring it to Ling Long Tower. Be quick.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the eunuch beside him replied with a bow.

“What else should we prepare?” Princess Ping Hu asked Gu Yu Qi as they walked. Everyone now entirely relied on Gu Yu Qi for direction.

“Bows and arrows. Bring as many as possible,” said Gu Yu Qi, “It would be even better if it was possible to bring some fire oil as well.”

“Okay,” Princess Ping Hu nodded and immediately ordered her staff to prepare the items.

As Princess Ping Hu and her group reached Ling Long Tower accompanied by some guards, a bl00d-soaked guard suddenly stumbled towards them desperately.

“Your Highness… the Princess Dowager’s residence has been breached. Bandits have flooded in…”

Before he could finish, the guard collapsed, a bright and trembling feathered arrow piercing in his back.

“Close the gates!” Gu Yu Qi shouted. “Quickly!”