Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 148

Prince An’s thoughts were jumping around rapidly while Gu Yu Qi was left in complete bewilderment.

His Highness Prince An sat quietly to one side, his brows slightly furrowed as though deep in contemplation over some significant matter. Well, the chaos in the capital had only just been quelled, and he had made a strong impression before Emperor Jing. No doubt, more responsibilities would soon weigh heavily upon him.

Since these were matters of state, they were beyond her concern.

She was merely his ally, providing financial support when necessary. Anything beyond that had nothing to do with her unless he specifically spoke to her about them.

After a moment, Yun Ke came back to his senses. Seeing Gu Yu Qi standing nearby, he cleared his throat lightly and rose to his feet, “This prince still has matters to attend to and will leave first.”

So strange… Gu Yu Qi simply responded with a polite acknowledgement and saw Yun Ke off respectfully.

The moment Prince An stepped out of Danxia Courtyard, he pulled Wang Yan aside and whispered something into his ear. Wang Yan’s eyes widened, then he nodded resignedly.

After the Gengzi Rebellion subsided, the capital gradually regained its former prosperity. The bloodstains on the streets were washed clean, and the white banners of mourning displayed outside every household were taken down after a month. His Highness Prince An had led troops back to the capital to defend the throne and had made meritorious achievements. He was rewarded by Emperor Jing with a promotion. He was now Imperial Prince An. Yun Ke was the first prince to be conferred the title of Imperial Prince. Among all the princes, he held the highest seniority.

While everyone assumed that His Highness Imperial Prince An Qin was on the cusp of a meteoric rise, he shocked the court by relinquishing all his administrative responsibilities. This move left the court officials utterly flabbergasted in disbelief. Was Imperial Prince An stupid? The powers that once belonged to the Crown Prince were within his grasp, yet he chose to give them up willingly. Now, those powers had been divided between Yun Yi and Yun Qing.

Far away in Jiangxia, Yun Qing, was also summoned back to the capital for his efforts in quelling bandits. However, unlike in their previous lives, Yun Qing returned alone this time rather than leading troops into the city.

“What does Seventh Brother mean by this?” Yun Yi could hardly believe his good fortune. It was as if a meat pie had fallen from the sky and landed squarely on his head.

When the Gengzi Rebellion began, he had realised how dire the situation was. There were only two possible outcomes. Either the Crown Prince succeeded in his coup and forced the emperor to abdicate, or one of the other princes would return with troops and claim credit. Neither scenario boded well for him. At the critical moment when the Crown Prince’s coup seemed imminent, Yun Ke had returned, lifting the siege of the capital and resolving Yun Yi’s crisis. However, this also made Yun Yi acutely aware of a far greater danger. The younger brother by his side who had always seemed quiet and unassuming was secretly amassing considerable power under the radar.

He had already discussed with the Virtuous Consort how to curb Yun Ke’s influence once he began to assert his power. Yet now, aside from accepting the title of an Imperial Prince, he had relinquished all other responsibilities! Yun Yi was puzzled so he turned to his mother.

The Virtuous Consort, dressed in opulent and dignified attire, sat on the intricately carved soft chaise with a similarly confused expression.

Has this wolf cub had a change of heart, or has he suddenly grown a conscience?

“Regardless of his intentions, you must remain vigilant against him,” the Virtuous Consort said after carefully studying her son, her tone measured, “Fortunately, Ying’er will soon marry into the Prince’s household. Whatever moves he makes, they will not escape our grasp.”

“Mother’s foresight is truly unparalleled,” Yun Yi bowed deeply to the Virtuous Consort and said with a smile, “Mother, sending Cousin Xia Ying to Seventh Brother’s side was a great move. Now, there will be a strong and reliable informer within Imperial Prince An’s household.”

“You are this consort’s only son. If I don’t plan for you, then who else would I think of?” The Virtuous Consort was evidently pleased with herself, her son’s praise making her giddy. “You must strive for excellence. You must hold the country in your hands in the future. This consort is counting on you!”

“By the way, Mother, I have a request,” Yun Yi said to the Virtuous Consort.

“Just say it,” the Virtuous Consort replied with a smile, clearly in high spirits. How could she not be pleased? She had initially feared Yun Ke would rise to power and her son would be left without even a shred of the spoils. Yet Yun Ke, inexplicably, had turned away from wealth and power, content with a mere title. Such shortsightedness! An Imperial Prince title was enough to satisfy him? If only she had known earlier! After all, he was born of a concubine who could not rise to influence, so he would just focus on something right in front of him. However, the newly returned Yun Qing posed a threat.

That kid was so popular and he was on equal footing with Yun Yi as soon as he returned. This deeply displeased the Virtuous Consort.

“If I truly ascend to the throne one day, Mother, please help me bring Gu Yu Qi into the palace,” Yun Yi said with a broad grin.

“You’re crazy!” The Virtuous Consort was startled, sitting up straight with her almond-shaped eyes wide open as she stared at her son, “Are you possessed by a ghost or what? That Gu Yu Qi will soon become your Seventh Brother’s secondary consort, complete with a title bestowed by your Father the Emperor. She’s not someone who can be easily brought into the palace!”

Yun Yi simply knelt before his mother, just as he had when he was a child, tugging persistently at the brocade sleeve of her gown, “Mother, I will obey you in everything, but this is the only thing I truly want. Mother, if I become emperor, I will be the ruler of the world. Can’t even a wish as small as this be fulfilled? If not, then what use is it to have an empire? Why should I desire the empty title of the Emperor?!” He was acting like a spoiled child in the first half, but he was a bit angry in the second half.

Yun Yi rarely acted this way and the Virtuous Consort, seeing his earnestness, felt her eyelid twitching uncontrollably. Oh my god, she could not stand it anymore! Could someone just get rid of that vixen Gu Yu Qi?! She was already about to be married, yet she still had her son in such an emotional turmoil.

Being shaken incessantly by Yun Yi, the Virtuous Consort felt as if her arm was about to fall off. She had no choice but to employ a delaying tactic, “Alright, alright. We’ll talk about this later.”

“Mother, you must promise me,” Yun Yi insisted, sly enough not to fall for her stalling.

The Virtuous Consort was left with no choice, “Alright, fine. Mother promises you!” Yun Yi broke into a radiant smile. However, while the Virtuous Consort outwardly smiled as well, her heart was already filled with murderous intent.

Gu Yu Qi could not be allowed to live!

After Yun Ke relinquished all his official responsibilities, his life appeared extraordinarily leisurely. He spent his days inside his palace, tending to flowers or playing with birds, as if he had entered retirement prematurely. The Gengzi Rebellion had thrust him into the spotlight and if he did not now recede into the shadows, all conflict and attention would inevitably converge on him.

As for the matter of the future crown prince, he was entirely unbothered. If Yun Yi wanted to become the crown prince, would Yun Qing agree? Let them fight it out. In the end, neither of their opinions would matter. The only person who could appoint a crown prince was their father, Emperor Jing.

Haha, it was just as Gu Yu Qi had said in their past life: the world may laugh at my insanity, but I laugh at their inability to see clearly.

In their previous life, he had found the phrase too arrogant and had disliked it. However, upon deeper reflection in this life, the profound wisdom within the words lingered in his thoughts. Now that he had more time, his mind often drifted to memories of his past life with Gu Yu Qi, to the things she had said, things she had done. Some memories remained vivid, while others had faded into obscurity.

The person remained the same, yet their states of mind had been utterly transformed in this life.

On the surface, the Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence seemed to have returned to normal but in truth, it had already undergone a complete transformation.

Following the Gengzi Rebellion, everyone in the household had quietly changed.

Liu Yue had lost all the treasure and wealth she had accumulated over many years, and had begun to demand money from Gu Huai Zhong. Where would Gu Huaizhong have the money to give to Liu Yue? His salary, along with all the gifts of ice and charcoal money from local officials, had already been handed over to Liu Yue. The rent from the Marquis’ estates and income from the shops were all managed by Liu Yue. Just as Gu Yu Qi had once said, he had been completely sidelined by Liu Yue. Now that Liu Yue was asking for money, where was he supposed to get it?

Liu Yue’s relentless aggression caused Gu Huai Zhong to grow increasingly distant from her, to the point where he began dreading returning home.

Gu Si Yang’s leg was left partially crippled after his tendons were severed. Although Yun Ke quickly brought in an imperial physician to treat him, even after recovery, he would inevitably walk with a limp. This reality made Liu Yue deeply uncomfortable, as the Qi dynasty had a strict law that those with physical disabilities were not eligible to inherit noble titles. This meant that the title of Ding Yuan Marquis was now destined to bypass Gu Si Yang. Now that her son was rendered useless, Liu Yue became fixated on the idea of bearing another son. However, Gu Huai Zhong was treating her as if she were the plague, avoiding her at all costs. How was she supposed to have another child alone?

With Gu Si Yang’s leg limping, the Xia family rejoiced. Teach your daughter to be arrogant!
Now this is karma. You deserve it! Yet, the prospect of marrying off a concubine-born daughter into the Gu family now felt like a losing bargain! They had initially planned that Gu Si Yang, being the heir presumptive of the Marquis title, was worth the match. However, now that his leg was crippled, the Xia family’s wishful thinking crumbled. Still, engagements could be arranged, and they could just as easily be annulled. The Xia family had few daughters. Each of them must be reserved for strategic alliances. Gu Si Yang, this useless person, was swiftly removed from their calculations.

Gu Si Yang himself was well aware of what his future held. Faced with his mother’s growing indifference, he accepted his reality. Each day, he had his servants carry him to Danxia Courtyard. Compared to his mother and the rest of the Marquis’ household, he preferred to be with Gu Yu Qi. After all, if there were still one person in this family who truly cared for him, encouraged him, and provided warmth, it would undoubtedly be his eldest sister.

Moreover, he enjoyed the atmosphere of his eldest sister’s courtyard. The maids there often chatted and laughed with his eldest sister like a real family. Sometimes, he would sit nearby and smile along, though a twinge of sadness would creep into his heart. They truly seemed like a family, whereas he often felt like an outsider. Fortunately, his eldest sister was always attentive. She would regularly involve him in their activities, never letting him feel left out. She even had two books on the customs of the Rouran people, which he found utterly captivating.

Perhaps it was his new disability that had granted him a fresh perspective on life. Gu Si Yang began to feel that he, too, should live like his eldest sister and go outside to explore the world if he had the chance. The outside world was so vast with its majestic mountains and magnificent rivers. How could it be described within the pages of books?