Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 38

After Liang-shi rushed off, Gu Yu Qi also wanted to follow, but she thought about it and held back.

She was only ten years old now and if she rushed out so recklessly, she was afraid she would not be able to save her mother. Instead, it would annoy her. She was so anxious waiting at the racecourse that she wished she could follow and see what happened.

At this time, the racecourse was in chaos. The guards who had any brains mounted their horses and rushed in the direction that the startled horse and Liang-shi had disappeared in. Gu Yu Qi was afraid there would be another accident, so she let the servant lead the horse away.

The other noble madams and ladies were also frightened and they all dismounted, letting the servants in the racecourse take the horses away.

Gu Yu Qi saw that the servant who had led the frightened horse had been dug out of the snow by others. Not only had the horse dragged him down just now, it had even thrown him into the snow at the edge of the racecourse.

It was likely that the servant was on the verge of dying. After being dug out, his eyes were closed and he could not move. A group of people hurriedly carried him away.

Gu Yu Qi felt something was strange. The horses in the racecourse for the madams and young ladies of noble families to play with were all carefully selected. They were all docile horses and ponies, so how could there be a strong-tempered horse going crazy?

She saw them carry the servant away. Then she slowly walked to the snow where the servant had fallen. She inspected it closely. The horse would not have reacted like that for no reason, unless it sensed danger or saw something it should not have.

Just as Gu Yu Qi had her head lowered looking for something, Prince Jing Yun Yi had received the news and rushed over in a hurry with people.

Originally, it was not Yun Yi who was in charge of guarding the hunting grounds, but because Yun Yi had handled the issue at the inn in an orderly manner that night without chaos or panic, he had won the praise of the nobles and gained face in the presence of His Majesty. In his happiness, the emperor handed over the security of the hunting grounds to Yun Yi and he could even temporarily mobilise all the guards in the hunting grounds. This caused the other princes and the crown prince to grit their teeth in secret.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he took up the task of guarding, Yun Yi received an urgent report that something happened at the racecourse so he immediately brought people over.

He brought people here and when Gu Yu Qi saw them, her entire body suddenly felt unwell again…

Why did Yun Ke also come? Should he not be hunting on horseback at the moment? She wanted to take advantage of the distance to slip away but she worried about her mother, so the awkward Gu Yu Qi could only keep her head lowered and pretend not to have seen them, searching in the snow.

Fortunately, the madams and ladies of various families who had already evacuated to the edge of the racecourse blocked Gu Yu Qi. When they saw the two princes coming, they did not even care about curtsies. They all gathered around chattering and wanting to express themselves, recounting what had just happened.

Although the noble families of the Qi dynasty abided by etiquette in the capital, they were a bit looser on the rules during every Winter Hunting Festival. Hence, the annual Winter Hunting Festival was also the most relaxed and happy time for the young ladies of each family.

Surrounded by a group of noble ladies, Yun Yi and Yun Ke felt that their heads were about to explode. They chattered over one another. The two of them could not even hear the general gist of it clearly and did not know who to listen to.

Yun Yi’s eyes crossed the crowd and happened to fall on Gu Yu Qi who was looking for something with her butt in the air on the other side of the racecourse. His expression became happy. She was actually here, did they not say she was sick?

However, it was good she was here. He believed that with her observation and orderliness, she would be able to express what happened clearly.

Yun Ke followed Yun Yi’s gaze. He could not help but frown deeply, this woman, really!!!!! Wherever she was, there would be problems!!!! She was sick but did not rest properly. Forget about the fact that she had run out here, but what was she looking for with her butt in the air with such an improper image?

Yun Yi whispered a few words to the guard beside him. The guard nodded, squeezed out of the crowd, and ran in the direction of Gu Yu Qii.

“Miss Gu, our prince asks Miss Gu to step to the side to talk.” As soon as the guard ran to Gu Yu Qi’s side and finished speaking, Gu Yu Qi slapped his leg, “Move aside.”

“Ah?” The guard was startled. What did this Miss Gu mean?

“I said to move aside!” Gu Yu Qi raised her head and glared at the guard, “You stepped on something!”

Only then did the guard come to his senses. He hurriedly jumped to the side, looked down, and saw a black thing in the pit in the snow he stepped in.

“Finally found it!” Gu Yu Qi’s expression relaxed, then she pushed the snow aside with her hands and revealed a small black snake.

The guard yelped and took a few steps back in fright.

Gu Yu Qi pulled the little black snake out of the snow and put it on the palm of her hand. She raised her eyes and smiled at the guard, “Looks real doesn’t it? Even I was frightened! But in this icy weather, snakes have long been hibernating. Where would a snake come from?” After speaking, she handed the lifelike fake little snake to the guard, frightening the guard so much that he retreated another two steps. Only then did he see clearly that Gu Yu Qi’s white little hand was holding a fake snake.

It was just that this snake was too realistic and it really was frightening when seeing it.

“Miss Gu… Our prince sends an invitation,” the guard looked at the little snake in shock, then remembered what he was here for.

Gu Yu Qi smiled and nodded. Then she stepped towards Yun Yi and Yun Ke. Yun Ke and Yun Yi were surrounded by three layers. Seeing Gu Yu Qi standing not far away, Yun Yi was not polite and moved the people in front of him to the side, then stepped towards Gu Yu Qi.

“Greetings Your Highness Prince Jing, Your Highness the Seventh Prince.” Gu Yu Qi curtseyed daintily. At her curtsy, the other young ladies who had surrounded Yun Yi and Yun Ke just now remembered that in their haste, they had forgotten etiquette. Inevitably, a few of them blushed. They were all pretty girls who were raised in a boudoir and rarely went out. Even when they went out, they were accompanied by many attendants and it was not even possible for them to fall. How could they have seen such a horrific event with their own eyes? It was normal for them to be confused for a while.

Gu Yu Qi’s calmness made some of them feel ashamed, but some were very disdainful. What was she pretending for? The reason for her pretending to be so calm was just because she wanted to gain a good reputation in front of Prince Jing and the princes. Her mother had rushed out in a chase and so far there had been no news but she did not look worried at all which showed that her heart was extremely cold and indifferent.

“Hello Miss Gu. Can you tell this prince what happened just now?” Yun Yi said with clasped fists. He had already sent cavalry to chase and now he just had to figure out why the horse had been suddenly startled.

The servant who had led the horse could only breathe out and could not breathe in, so naturally they could not ask him anything.

Gu Yuqi calmly recounted what she had seen just now and then took out the little snake she had found.

As soon as the little snake was taken out, even Yun Yi was taken aback. After a closer look, he realised that it was a fake snake.

“Your Highness is perceptive. It is freezing cold right now so how could a real snake appear?” Gu Yu Qi said, “Requesting His Highness send someone to ask the servants at the stables if the startled horse is usually afraid of snakes. If this is the case, then the servant who led the horse has been bribed. This fake snake looks realistic and it is not something that can be found on the street. If Your Highness can find the person who made this little snake, then it is likely to be close to the truth.”

Originally, Gu Yu Qi had not wanted to meddle in these things but she was angry at the servant for endangering another person’s life, and even bothering her mother who galloped out on horseback. If something happened to her mother, how could she bear it?! So she decided to look around and see if she could find any clues. Just now, she heard that the one who was on the startled horse was the wife of a British duke. The people from the British government had also rushed over. The British duke and his wife had not been married for long and the young couple were still in the affectionate and deeply attached stage. After receiving this bad news, the British official was so frightened that he almost fell off his horse. He no longer had the mind to hunt anymore and after charging Emperor Jing with crime, he rushed over without stopping with an anxious expression.

After Gu Yu Qi finished speaking, Yun Yi’s eyes lit up even more when he looked at Gu Yu Qi. He knew that asking her would result in something useful. She really was different.

He took the little snake from Gu Yu Qi’s hand and gave it to the guards next to him. Then he cupped his hands towards Gu Yu Qi, “Thank you Miss Gu!” This woman was simply his lucky star!

Originally, his father the emperor had handed over the duty of guarding the hunting ground to him because of Gu Yu Qi. Now that there had been an accident at the racecourse and a horse had been startled, logically it should not be his fault. However, it had happened when he had taken over guarding the safety of the hunting ground for the first time and the person who had an accident was a wife of a duke. No matter what, it was not good for him. Yet, he had not expected that Gu Yu Qi had already helped him find clues. How could Yun Yi not look at Gu Yu Qi differently?

Compared to Yun Yi, Yun Ke’s gaze grew darker and darker!

Surely this woman had not given Yun Yi her feelings towards himself in the previous life, otherwise why would she help Yun Yi repeatedly?!

Originally, he could use this situation and let the crown prince and other princes have a hand in Yun Yi’s downfall. Now it had all been destroyed by this damn girl in front of him!

If Yun Yi found out the truth of this matter, not only would he avoid mistakes but would gain merits.

Gu Yu Qi knew that Yun Ke was staring at her. She pretended not to see but her spine was struck with waves of coldness. She really had no way out of this day. Wherever she went, she would be stared at by Yun Ke the poisonous snake. If it were not because she was waiting for her mother, she would have already fled away.

Seeing that Gu Yu Qi lowered her head after she finished speaking. Yun Ke’s heart felt a little better. She knew how to restrain herself and was much better than in her previous life.

Yet, as soon as he thought of Gu Yu Qi being likely to say those nauseating words to Yun Yi, he was upset, very upset, extremely upset.

He wished he had a sharp blade in his hand so he could cut off Yun Yi’s gaze projected towards her body!

Just as Yun Ke was gritting his teeth, the sound of hoofbeats came from the forest and Gu Yu Qi immediately looked over.

After a while, Gu Yu Qi saw a beautiful woman riding a horse galloping out of the woods. In front of her, she held the noble madam who had a slightly smaller frame. The woman on the horse was tall and beautiful and there was a bit of vigorous heroism in the beauty of her face, very valiant. Who else could it be but Liang-shi? The British lady who had been shocked leant in her arms.

“Mother!” Gu Yu Qi was overjoyed and she did not care that Yun Yi and Yun Ke were still in front of her. She shouted out waving her hand, then picked up her skirt and ran towards Liang-shi.

Liang-shi’s face was rosy and her two cheeks were blushing on her white jade face which made her even more beautiful and attractive. Everyone who saw it was full of admiration. Then they looked at the British duke’s wife in her arms. She was small and delicate with a pale face but also had an indescribable charm.

When the British duke saw that his wife had been rescued, he did not even think to thank Liang-shi. He ran over quickly and picked up his wife. Then without even turning his head, he immediately carried his wife and mounted his horse to go to the doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

“Mother, are you alright?” Gu Yu Qi held onto Liang-shi who dismounted gracefully. She asked with concern as she looked her over.

“Don’t worry.” Liang-shi patted Gu Yu Qi’s head and smiled, “Although Mother hasn’t been active like this for a long time, she won’t hurt herself.”

There was confidence and pride in her eyes and her face was beautiful and fresh.

Gu Huai Zhong who had heard the news and rushed over, saw Liang-shi like this. He could not help but slow down his horse and look at his wife from a distance.

She was still as beautiful as she had been when she was young. No, she was more beautiful, with kindness and confidence in her eyes and a smile on her face that he had never seen before! Ten years, the two of them had wasted ten years time and it was he himself who had quietly pushed away such a beautiful wife.

He had made her gaze towards him become indifferent and alienated, and no longer tender.

Gu Huai Zhong was overwhelmed with emotion and forgot that he should ride forward on his horse and ask if his wife was hurt, if his daughter had been afraid. He looked at the person who should have been closest to him from a distance like the most familiar stranger.

Liang-shi’s eyes swept to Gu Huai Zhong who was on horseback in the distance. Her eyes dimmed a little, but turning to her daughter, her eyes warmed again.

“Mother, that horse didn’t startle itself,” Gu Yu Qi said softly, holding Liang-shi’s hand beside her.

Liang-shi knew that the horse would not have been shocked for no reason. This was not unexpected to her. What surprised her was what her daughter said next, “Daughter has found the reason. I’m afraid in a while, there will be a series of actions from the British duke.”

“How did you know?” Liang asked in a low voice.

“Mother, let’s talk further when we’re back,” Gu Yu Qi said in a low voice.

As Gu Yu Qi and Liang-shi whispered to each other, the imperial guards and other guards who had also chased after the startled horse were returning one by one. They all looked at Liang-shi completely differently.

She truly deserved to be the daughter of General Liang. That equestrianship was simply divine!

After they bowed to Yun Yi and Yun Ke, they recounted their experiences. Liang-shi had chased after the British duke’s wife and they all followed on horseback. The frightened horse led them into the forest. It was winter now and there was no occlusion from leaves, but there were still branches in front of them. They had to slow down, but the Ding Yuan Marquis’ madam was as dexterous as a deer as if she had become one with the horse. She shuttled between the branches proficiently and while they had been more or less scratched by the branches, the Ding Yuan Marquis’ madam did not get scratched, not even on her clothes. Naturally, she caught up to the startled horse before the others and with her superb riding skills, she kept pace with the startled horse. She pulled the British duke’s wife from the startled horse to herself and reined in her horse in time.

The startled horse was too frightened; it stumbled and landed on the snow. Then, it rolled over several times and broke its neck.

If the Ding Yuan Marquis’ madam had not pulled the British duke’s wife over in time, it was likely she would have died.