Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 142

Gu Yu Qi truly had no idea that Prince Fu looked like this.

After her initial shock, she sighed endlessly. No wonder Yun Ke, in her previous life, had always been upset about her refusal to marry Prince Fu… She had genuinely not known that the Prince Fu she was betrothed to had a disfigured face. Perhaps he had thought she was aware of Prince Fu’s appearance beforehand, so she had risked her life to plead before the emperor, insisting she would rather be Yun Ke’s concubine than marry Prince Fu as his principal wife.

Fate truly played cruel tricks! She had lived two lifetimes and only now learned of Prince Fu’s appearance.

If she had obediently married Prince Fu in her past life, perhaps none of the tragedies that followed would have occurred.

Though Prince Fu’s appearance was damaged, he was a good man and was knowledgeable, gentle, and witty. If she had spent time with him, she would definitely have gradually come to love him. Living out her days with someone so kind, even without fiery passion, would have been a slow and enduring happiness.

Why did she have to meet Yun Ke first and not Prince Fu?

A faint pain coursed through Gu Yu Qi’s heart. She thought of the young man in white in the mountain temple, standing beneath blooming peach blossoms. His demeanour was pure and refined, cold yet captivating. Just one glance had been enough to seal her fate. Everything had begun with that fateful moment.

At this moment, Princess Ping Hu and Yan Zhi, who had exchanged clothes, emerged from the inner chamber surrounded by attendants.

If one did not look closely and merely glanced at them, it was indeed difficult to distinguish which one was Princess Ping Hu.

Bai Fu rushed downstairs, clutching her bow. “Miss, there are too many of them, we are running out of arrows.”

Gu Yu Qi followed Bai Fu to the second floor and looked around, her expression darkening. They really needed to break out. The treasures stored in Ling Long Tower could serve to slow their pursuers.

“Ran Mo, stay behind with me,” Gu Yu Qi called Ran Mo over and said to her, “We will cover their retreat. If we get separated, no matter what, meet at Yingzi Alley in the city’s eastern quarter after nightfall.”

“Yes,” Ran Mo nodded, drawing an arrow and shooting down an approaching bandit with precision.

“Bai Fu, lead everyone out through the other side first. Leave all the arrows behind,” Gu Yu Qi said to Bai Fu, then took the bow from Bai Fu’s hands. Bai Fu was familiar with the layout of the Princess’ palace, so it was best for her to lead the way. Gu Yu Qi did not trust the people around the Eldest Princess. The Eldest Princess had lived a life of luxury and indulgence. Even though this is her home, she likely had no real sense of its size or structure. Bai Fu was different. She had been living here for the past few days and went out every night. She had already scouted every corner of the Princess’ palace thoroughly. She knew which paths were easiest and where the obstacles lay.

There was a small courtyard residence in Yingzi Alley that Gu Yu Qi had recently purchased, originally intended for her to reside in after leaving the Marquis’ residence, and more so for Liang Huai Yu’s use. The residence’s location was exceptionally hidden, with its unassuming small gate and humble structure, making it unlikely to attract the attention of bandits.

They would never bypass grand mansions brimming with wealth to loot an ordinary house with little to offer. At this time and comparatively speaking, small civilian homes were much safer.

The other guards handed over the few remaining arrows to Gu Yu Qi, cupped their fists to Gu Yu Qi respectfully, and quickly retreated downstairs.

“I will stay too,” said a steady voice beside Gu Yu Qi as she pulled her bowstring. She turned her head and saw Wang Yan, who had taken a bow from one of the guards and now stood behind her.

“Thank you,” Gu Yu Qi said with a grateful smile. Then she aimed at an approaching bandit and released the arrow she had drawn. The arrow flew out like a meteor and pierced the bandit squarely in the chest.

Downstairs, Bai Fu conveyed Gu Yu Qi’s intentions. Du Xia’s heart sank in an instant.

She was staying behind to cover their retreat, did she not know just how dangerous this was?

“There’s no time to delay, let’s go!” Bai Fu saw everyone looking at each other but no one moved, and she stamped her feet anxiously. In a moment of quick thinking, she seized Princess Ping Hu, who was disguised in Yan Zhi’s outfit, and hoisted her onto her back, “Apologies for the offence!” she shouted, and in the next moment, she leapt out of the window with Princess Ping Hu on her back.

Seeing this, the others hurried to follow suit.

“Bai Fu, the main gate is still safe,” Gu Yu Qi called from above after surveying the situation in the courtyard.

“Okay,” Bai Fu replied. Without a word, Bai Fu carried Princess Ping Hu and rushed towards the main gate. A guard nearby quickly assisted in opening the heavy iron doors, and everyone began streaming out.

“Northwest corner,” Gu Yu Qi directed Bai Fu after looking around upstairs.

“Understood. Take care, Miss!” Bai Fu responded with a nod. Carrying Princess Ping Hu, she darted towards the safe place as instructed by Gu Yu Qi. Although Du Xia was reluctant from the bottom of his heart, his mission this time was to protect Prince Fu Yun Ling. He could only follow along as others carried the unconscious Prince Fu. However, he could not resist turning his head for one last look at the girl in red standing solemnly by the window on the second floor.

In the blazing sunlight, her crimson-clad figure was scorching, a sight that deeply pierced his eyes and heart.

That valiant bow-wielding figure became an image that would never fade, engraved permanently in his soul.

Without the burden of a large group, Gu Yu Qi felt a sense of relief. Together with Ran Mo and Wang Yan, the three formed a triangular assault formation. Their arrows shot forth with deadly precision, each one claiming the life of a bandit like a soul-claiming spirit. Despite being only three people, their coordinated effort created an extraordinary impact, forcing the bandits to hesitate and refrain from advancing recklessly.

“Miss, there are no more arrows,” Ran Mo said to Gu Yu Qi after firing her last arrow. She had reached for her quiver, only to find it empty.

Gu Yu Qi glanced down at her own quiver and saw that there were only three arrows. She turned to look at Wang Yan, who had but a single arrow remaining in his hand.

“Let’s go.” They had already bought the group sufficient time. Bai Fu was a smart person and with Du Xia among them, they should have been able to escape the Princess’ palace by now.

The three discarded their bows and leapt out from the side of the second floor.

For the three of them, escaping within the Princess’ palace was not a difficult task. The residence was truly enormous, and even the bandits could not thoroughly search such a vast area. Moreover, the three were agile and well-trained. Wang Yan, being a former shadow guard, excelled in stealth and concealment.

After a brief discussion in a secluded corner, the trio decided it would be safer to stay hidden in the Princess’ palace until nightfall rather. The situation outside was uncertain, and attempting to escape now could lead to trouble. Within the sprawling residence, however, there were countless places for three individuals to hide. Earlier, with the larger group, hiding in the Princess’ palace would not have been easy, but now the circumstances were entirely different when they were the only three left.

Ran Mo had also previously scouted the residence and she led them to a particularly remote and dilapidated storeroom. Originally used for storing miscellaneous sundries, the room had been emptied when the building was scheduled for renovation, so now the room was vacant.

The three remained hidden in the Princess’ palace until nightfall. Through the broken window, they saw fires blazing outside. Exchanging a wordless glance as if they had telepathy, they silently scaled the walls out of the Princess’ palace. As they landed outside the perimeter, they turned back to see the Princess’ palace engulfed in flames and they felt wave of sadness.

The once resplendent Princess’ palace with magnificent buildings had sunk into a raging inferno.

“Let’s go,” Ran Mo gently tugged at Gu Yu Qi’s sleeve, speaking softly.

“Mhmm,” Gu Yu Qi replied, pulling her gaze away. Together with Ran Mo and Wang Yan, she headed towards Yingzi Alley.

Along the way, traces of the bandits’ plundering were everywhere. The acrid smell of burning lingered in the air, and the once-prosperous capital seemed to be submerged in flames. The darkened night sky was illuminated by an orange glow as if it was sinking into a hellish abyss. Crying and screaming were fainty heard in the wind, like the anguished calls of vengeful spirits.

Even someone like Wang Yan, a secret guard accustomed to witnessing life and death, could not help but grip the hilt of his sword tightly at the tragic sight of an entire family slaughtered on the roadside.

He was not supposed to have moral judgments. His duty was to kill whoever his master commanded him to kill. Yet, he had always had a reason when he killed. These bandits, however, had none. They pillaged, burned, and killed indiscriminately. Tthe darkest and most depraved sides of human nature were laid bare tonight.

“The capital’s defences are truly vulnerable,” Wang Yan muttered, unable to hold back.

“Then ask His Highness the Crown Prince what he has been doing,” Gu Yu Qi replied in a low voice.

Wang Yan fell silent. He had overstepped his authority. As a member of Prince An’s household, he should not criticise court matters lest he cause unnecessary trouble for his master.

Yet, having spent so much time by Gu Yu Qi’s side, he seemed to have forgotten his identity as a secret guard of the prince’s palace.

Perhaps he had grown too accustomed to freedom.

Gu Yu Qi’s stomach churned when she saw the devastation on the streets. It was not that she had never killed before and she could take a life without batting an eye but only because it had been in self-defence. There was nothing hypocritical about that. However, the people lying dead on the streets were innocent civilians.

A faint suspicion began to form in Gu Yu Qi’s mind, and the further they walked, the heavier her heart grew.

The so-called Gengzi Rebellion must have had some assistance from His Highness the Crown Prince. In her previous life, she had not paid much attention to these events, but her experiences in this life had unfolded so differently that she could not help but see things more clearly.

How could the capital and the Princess’ palace have been so easily breached? Without internal and external collusion, the moment the chaos broke out, the city’s Five Military Departments would have closed the gates, and the bandits outside would never have been able to pour in so easily.

It was evident that there had already been plans laid in advance within the capital. Both Bai Fu and Ran Mo had seen people dressed as guards from the Princess’ palace mingling with the bandits, which was proof of this. It was likely that people were lying in ambush not only in the Princess’ palace, but in the imperial palace too.

No matter how vigilant one was during the day or night, it was always hardest to guard against a traitor within one’s own home.

The Crown Prince’s demotion and Emperor Jing’s declining health after this battle were likely due to this very reason.

“Who goes there?” A sharp shout rang out from the alley’s entrance.

“Go quickly,” Wang Yan immediately gave Gu Yu Qi a push when he noticed that they had been discovered by a group of bandits, who had been setting houses ablaze.

“There are people here!” Around ten bandits, holding torches aloft, raised their blades and charged toward Gu Yu Qi and the other two in the alley.

The one leading the charge suddenly saw a silver flash before him, followed by a cold sensation in his chest. Stunned, he looked down to see that he had been stabbed by a silver spear. Gu Yu Qi exerted force, driving the spear deeper into his chest until it pierced out of his back and continued its momentum, skewering the bandit behind him as well.

With a fierce kick to the first man’s abdomen, Gu Yu Qi dislodged her bloodstained spear. At that moment, Wang Yan’s figure flew up like a soaring wild goose, launching himself at the bandits charging from the rear.