Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 143

It was also because these bandits had grown careless. After breaking into the capital, they were assigned to set fires along the streets. There had been no obstructions in their path. With ten men, subduing defenceless commoners was as simple as chopping vegetables. Moreover, the citizens of the capital were accustomed to peaceful days and instinctively chose to shut their doors and protect themselves when they saw the bandits coming. They never thought to band together and resist. So the bandits had smooth sailing wherever they went.

They had no idea they would meet their doom here.

The firelight illuminated the dark and long alley. Gu Yu Qi, dressed in red and wielding a silver spear, looked like a beautiful Asura from the depths of hell, a living demoness. It was unclear whether the flashes of red were her clothes or their own bl00d.

After dispatching the ten bandits, the trio quickly left the alley. They could not be sure how many more bandits were out there setting fires. Ten men were manageable, but what if there were another ten? Or 20?

The faint outline of Yingzi Alley came into view, and the three sprinted toward it with all their might.

Gu Yu Qi glanced up at the hidden flower motif on the door and finally let out a breath of relief. They had previously agreed on certain motifs. If there was trouble, the motif would be destroyed. Seeing it intact meant the others had safely made it from the Princess’ palace to this location.

This area was the most remote part of the capital, with a river in front that made it difficult for bandits to reach Yingzi Alley quickly. The alley earned its name because it was so isolated and often overlooked.

Following their prearranged knock, Ran Mo stepped forward and rapped on the door.

Bai Fu came to greet them and opened it cautiously. When she saw it was Rna Mo, she almost cried out in joy.

“Miss!” She pulled them inside, glanced around outside, and carefully shut the door behind them.

It was Wang Yan’s first time here. From the outside, it looked like an unremarkable civilian residence, but inside, it revealed a hidden world.

“Miss, you are hurt?” Yan Zhi, who had changed back into her own clothes, ran out of the room. Upon seeing bl00d on Gu Yu Qi’s face, she nearly tripped in fright.

Yan Zhi’s alarmed cry drew everyone else out of the room. Princess Ping Hu emerged first, her steps shaky.

After the day’s turmoil, Princess Ping Hu seemed to have aged significantly. She was dressed in simple, everyday clothes and wore no makeup.

“Is Yu Qi injured?” Ever since being escorted here, she had been worrying about Gu Yu Qi.

This child was so loyal and selfless, staying behind without a second thought to cover their retreat. If anything had happened to Gu Yu Qi, how could she ever face Yun Ke? Yun Ke had repeatedly emphasised that she should bring Gu Yu Qi to the Princess’ palace for a few days and take good care of her. Yet, when the moment came, it was Gu Yu Qi who risked her life to protect her old bones.

So as soon as she heard Yan Zhi’s alarmed cry, she was so scared that her heart leapt into her throat and she walked out without a second thought.

Under the flickering lamplight, Gu Yu Qi’s silver spear was now stained crimson, the white tassel at its tip dripping bl00d. Her jade-like fair face was also speckled red with bl00d.

“Let this princess see, where are you hurt?” Princess Ping Hu pulled Gu Yu Qi in front of her and carefully examined her from head to toe.

Seeing the unhidden concern in Princess Ping Hu’s eyes, Gu Yu Qi felt a slight warmth in her heart. “Don’t worry, Your Highness. I’m fine. This bl00d isn’t mine.”

“Thank the Bodhisattvas’ blessings,” Princess Ping Hu sighed in relief, clasping her hands together in prayer to the heavens, “Come in quickly and wash up.” Without a second thought for Gu Yu Qi’s bl00d-stained state, she grabbed her and led her into the main hall.

Gu Yu Qi noticed Prince Fu standing behind Princess Ping Hu. Her heart trembled slightly. He had also changed into plain clothes, but the light veil that once covered his face was gone, leaving the scars on his face exposed for all to see.

“Your Highness Prince Fu, this civilian girl is punishable by death…” Gu Yu Qi began, but Yun Ling smiled gently and raised a hand to stop her.

“It’s alright. You only wanted to save lives,” Prince Fu replied before coughing twice. Gu Yu Qi noticed that his complexion was noticeably worse than before.

“Is Your Highness feeling unwell?” Gu Yu Qi asked.

“It’s nothing,” Yun Ling replied, suppressing his discomfort and offering Gu Yu Qi a warm smile. “Don’t worry about me.” Yet, a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes.

Where was Gu Si Yu? At this moment, should it not be her tending to him, offering words of care and comfort?

Gu Yu Qi’s gaze swept across the hall but found no sign of Gu Si Yu.

“I wonder where Si Yu…”

“Second Miss Gu was a bit frightened and has already gone to rest,” Prince Fu replied.
Gu Yu Qi silently sighed. She was indeed frightened, but could she truly rest?
The first night of the Gengzi Rebellion passed amidst the raging inferno in the capital and the restless fear of those in Yingzi Alley.
At dawn, a resounding horn call echoed faintly from outside the city. Its powerful and prolonged sound pierced through the morning light, like a shot of adrenaline injected into the despairing hearts of the capital’s citizens.
This was the horn of the Qi Dynasty’s Great Army.
Gu Yu Qi was jolted awake, clutching her spear as she leapt down from the tree. She was utterly exhausted. She had been afraid of something happening in the night so she had not slept at all. It was not until morning when she had finally succumbed to a brief nap on the tree.
Prince Fu emerged from the house, his body bringing a chilliness. He coughed incessantly, but the joy on his face was unmistakable.
“Greetings to His Highness Prince Fu,” Gu Yu Qi said, curtseying slightly. She knew Prince Fu had stayed awake through the night too. His coughing had been incessant, and even from outside, Gu Yu Qi had felt a pang of worry for him. Such a noble prince, yet his health was so frail.
“I apologise for disturbing you,” Prince Fu said with a faint smile, his tone apologetic as he knew Gu Yu Qi was outside.
“Not at all, Your Highness,” Gu Yu Qi replied, shaking her head, “It’s just that we have no doctor or medicine here, and Your Highness has had to endure.”
“That’s the horn of our Qi Dynasty’s Great Army,” Prince Fu said with a faint smile. On the unscarred side of his face, a shallow dimple appeared, contrasting starkly with the terrifying scars that twisted further with the movement of his lips, “It must be Seventh Brother coming to rescue the capital.”
Gu Yu Qi naturally understood what the horn signified, but she could not quite tell whether she felt joy or sorrow.
There was a world of difference between experiencing something and merely hearing about it. In her previous life, she had avoided the Gengzi Rebellion altogether. This time, however, she had experienced it firsthand. What was imperial power? Imperial power was a path of no return, paved with countless corpses. What were the common people? They were but tools to be sacrificed and exploited.
“You don’t seem happy?” Prince Fu asked curiously, noticing Gu Yu Qi’s silence.
“It’s nothing,” Gu Yu Qi finally pulled herself out of her thoughts, shaking her head with a faint smile. A gust of autumn wind blew past, and a fallen leaf silently landed on her slightly raised forehead.

Yun Ling instinctively reached out and brushed it away for her. “Life is much like this fallen leaf. There is birth, there is brilliance, and even when it falls, it leaves a trace behind. There is no permanence in the world. Live with sincerity. If you cling too tightly to something, it often slips away, leaving only sorrow and regret. Let the past remain in the past. Look forward to the future, and perhaps you will see something even more beautiful.”

Gu Yu Qi gazed at Yun Ling, whose features were partially illuminated by the morning light. Her heart swelled with admiration. The morning sunlight seemed to cast a faint golden glow around him, and his gentle gaze radiated a magnanimity and compassion that she felt she could never attain. He seemed dignified and sacred.

“Why do you say that?” Gu Yu Qi murmured, unable to suppress the surge of emotion within her.

“Are you not unhappy because you’re clinging to everything from yesterday?” Yun Ling asked with a faint smile.

Gu Yu Qi exhaled softly, realising he was referring to yesterday. She had mistakenly thought he was talking about her previous life.

“If the pain you endured, and all you have experienced, leaves you deeply scarred and terrified, would you still choose to forget it?” Gu Yu Qi asked.

“The Buddha says, ‘Let go, and you gain.’ If you cannot let go, how can you gain?” Yun Ling replied, “I’ve spent years in Hu Guo Temple, so I’ve only experienced some of my own matters. For someone like Eldest Miss Gu, all you need to do is follow your heart’s true desires.”

“Does Your Highness not resent your own ruined face…?”

Yun Ling was momentarily startled but then smiled warmly. He raised a hand to touch the disfigured half of his face, “What use is resentment? It’s already happened. But it’s not without gain. At least now I don’t have to worry about many of the things that trouble others. I live in peace and contentment. Someone as intelligent as Eldest Miss Gu should understand what I mean.”

Gu Yu Qi looked at Yun Ling with wide eyes. From his gaze, she could not detect even a trace of resentment or anger. In his deep, ocean-like eyes, there was only humility, warmth, and a calm indifference.

“If only I had met you sooner,” Gu Yu Qi murmured unconsciously. Then, realising her words could be misinterpreted, she hurriedly explained, “What I mean is, if I had received guidance from Your Highness Prince Fu earlier, I might not have found myself stuck in so many problems.”

“I understand.” Yun Ling’s smile remained gentle, but Gu Yu Qi, flustered by her slip of the tongue, blushed a deep red.

Gu Si Yu stood in the corner, glaring resentfully at the man and woman standing in the courtyard. From her angle, Yun Ling’s flawless side profile was illuminated by the morning light, appearing immaculate like fine jade. Gu Yu Qi stood in front of him with a faint blush on her cheeks, her gaze sparkling brightly. They stood facing each other, resembling a perfectly matched couple.

Gu Si Yu could not hear their conversation clearly because they were far away, but she could see the gentleness and warmth in Yun Ling’s eyes.

Why is this happening?! Why is Yun Ling’s face like that? How great it would be if the other half of his face was intact?!

Damn eldest sister! Even Prince Fu with a marred face was not safe from her clutches!

Mother was right, some people were just born shameless.

Gu Siyu’s feelings were a tangled mess of contradictions. On one hand, she could not bear to look at Yun Ling’s scarred face. The thought of spending the rest of her life with such a man made her shudder. She could not even bring herself to glance at that disfigured side. On the other hand, she was also paranoid and convinced that Yun Ling must be something Gu Yu Qi did not want and had been pushed to her. What good was the title of Princess Consort of Prince Fu? How could Prince Fu ever compare to Prince An’s elegant, jade-like demeanour? Now, seeing her eldest sister standing opposite His Highness Prince Fu, she could not suppress the jealousy and bitterness bubbling inside her.

It felt as though her heart had been plucked out, thrown into boiling oil, and fried.

From childhood to now, she had never been able to surpass Gu Yu Qi in anything! Even in marriage, she had to settle for what her eldest sister rejected!

If her own life was to be miserable, why should Gu Yu Qi get to marry happily as Prince An’s secondary consort?!