Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 90

The feeling of being someone’s target was indeed unsettling.

Gu Yu Qi and her group left the town under the cover of night and they did not dare to linger for too long. They took the road directly leading to the northern region.

After the commotion at the inn, they were obviously no longer as carefree as before. Zhang Lan and his men were responsible for carrying their belongings. Without the carriage, they had to work harder, as their skills were the weakest among the group. Zhang Lan and his men did not complain about taking on the role of porters. Without Gu Yu Qi, they would have long perished during the floods and the plague

For them, Gu Yu Qi was undoubtedly like a benefactor.

Zhao Wu led two guards to clear the way in front. Chun Xing and Xia He were responsible for protecting Qiu Yue, Dong Xue, Yan Zhi, Dai Mei, Run Ying, and the newly joined Lin Xiu’er. Wang Yan stayed close to Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu. His main duty in being left behind was to protect the mother and daughter. He would not even spare a glance for anyone else, even if they died in front of him.

Gu Yu Qi initially tried to persuade Li Da to return quickly to Jiangxia City, telling him not to follow them any longer. However, Li Da refused and even promised not to be a burden to Gu Yu Qi. Seeing his determination, Gu Yu Qi did not force him to leave.

Gu Yu Qi had her suspicions about Li Da and the newcomer, Lin Xiu’er. They had been travelling in a leisurely manner along the way and even when they chose an inn, it was spontaneous. How did those sacrificial soldiers know they were going to that specific town and lay an ambush in advance?

If there were spies among them, it could only be Li Da and Lin Xiu’er.

Li Da had warned her at the inn. If it was not to gain her trust, then he really was not the enemy. However, Lin Xiu’er… Gu Yu Qi eyes fell on on Lin Xiu’er as they walked.

In the night, Lin Xiu’er was very quiet without a word of complaint. During the incident at the inn, no one noticed where she was or what she was doing.

Gu Yu Qi contemplated the situation and did not think Lin Xiu’er seemed like a spy. Nobody had been on guard against her along the way and she had been helping Dai Mei with cooking and other chores. If she wanted to harm someone, there would have been too many opportunities. She could have poisoned them all without being noticed.

For a moment, Gu Yu Qi broke out in cold sweat. She thought she had been very careful but there were still oversights. She had made the same mistake as she had done in her previous life by being too trusting of others.

“Xiu’er, you weren’t frightened by what happened earlier, were you?” Gu Yu Qi asked, carrying a spear and quickly catching up with Lin Xiu’er who was walking in front of her.

“For someone who has already experienced death once, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Thank you for your concern, Miss,” Lin Xiu’er turned her face slightly and smiled faintly. Under the flickering torchlight, her beauty was gentle and captivating.

“As long as you’re not afraid,” Gu Yu Qi replied with a smile, “We might encounter more dangers ahead.”

“Don’t worry, Miss. Miss has saved Xiu’er twice. Xiu’er has already decided to follow Miss. If there are any difficulties in the future, there’s no need to worry about Xiu’er,” Lin Xiu’er said with a smile.

Gu Yu Qi looked at Lin Xiu’er in surprise. She was impressed by Lin Xiu’er’s clear thinking and realising that she had been suspicious of her.

Upon seeing Gu Yu Qi’s surprised expression, Lin Xiu’er lowered her voice and said to Gu Yu Qi, “This servant doesn’t know the exact status and background of Miss and Madam, but judging by Miss’ and Madam’s martial skills, as well as your guards and maids, one can guess that Miss and Madam must have a extraordinary origins. On the other hand, Xiu’er is just a woman abandoned by her lover and family. I was already dead inside, but thanks to Miss, I was rescued from that place. No matter what the future holds, Xiu’er promises tol never betray Miss and Madam,” She paused, “Perhaps right now, what Xiu’er is saying might not completely earn Miss’s trust, but time will prove everything.”

Uh… This was the second time Lin Xiu’er had seen through Gu Yu Qi’s thoughts and she was a little embarrassed for a moment.

However, Gu Yu Qi’s embarrassment was short-lived. She had already sent people to investigate Lin Xiu’er’s background. It was just as the brothel madam had described. Lin Xiu’er was something of a local celebrity in Jiangxia City. Her notoriety stemmed from falling in love with her cousin-in-law. Unfortunately, her lofty aspirations and fragile life were mismatched. Her beloved cousin deceived her with sweet words, took her family’s wealth, and tarnished her reputation. In a fit of rage, she set fire to her family estate, preferring death to dishonour. She chose to destroy her family’s property rather than let that unfaithful couple benefit from it. As a result, they reported her to the authorities and she was reduced to the status of a servant, then sold to a brothel.

She was a spirited and candid individual Much like her previous life, love had been her downfall.

Lin Xiu’er looked into Gu Yu Qi’s eyes with a clear and calm gaze. Gu Yu Qi extended her hand and gently patted Lin Xiu’er’s shoulder, “I’m sorry for overthinking things.”

“Anyone in Miss’ position would overthink things. Miss need not blame herself,” Lin Xiu’er said to Gu Yu Qi, “Miss bears the responsibility for the safety of so many people, so caution is essential.”

“Do you want to seek revenge?” Gu Yu Qi then lowered her voice to ask.

Revenge? Lin Xiu’er’s gaze turned deep. Who wouldn’t want revenge? That unfaithful couple had manipulated her feelings, deceived her, and taken the home that originally belonged to her. Ultimately, she was left branded a lowly servant and sold to a brothel. Frustrated, she had almost fallen to death. Since she had not died and had escaped that kind of place, she would definitely find them in the future! However, she was currently too weak for such a pursuit.

“Yes,” Lin Xiu’er replied without concealing her hatred. Her eyes blazed with a sudden burst of resentment and anger, making Gu Yu Qi feel like she was looking at her former self in her previous life.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Gu Yu Qi held Lin Xiu’er’s slightly cold hand and said softly, “Let them enjoy their time for now.”

“Alright,” Lin Xiu’er nodded in agreement.

As they walked side by side, Gu Yu Qi’s thoughts drifted to her previous life.

Back then, she had been filled with anger and hatred, and in the end she had set fire to herself. Yes, she had to admit that she had brought it upon herself. If she had not fallen in love with Yun Ke, or if she had not felt entitled due to her status as a transmigrated woman, demanding him to love her in every aspect as she did to him, how would it have ended up like that?

Without her insistence, she should have been the steady and secure wife of Prince Fu. While she had not seen much of Prince Fu in her previous life, a prince who had spent most of his life in a temple and led an idle existence would likely have had a decent personality and temperament.

It was her willfulness and arrogance that robbed her of the peaceful life that should have belonged to her. She just had to plunge into a relationship that was destined to be unrewarding and In the end, it left her physically and emotionally scarred, and heartbroken.

Gu Yu Qi could not help but sigh silently.

In this life, who would want her life this much? They even sent sacrificial soldiers after her.

She went through everyone she might have offended in her mind but still could not figure it out.

Could it be Liu Yue and Gu Huai Zhong? Gu Yu Qi thought for a while and came up with these two people, but she quickly dismissed this idea. What Liu Yue sought was the title of Marquis’ Madam. With her mother gone, the entire Ding Yuan Marquis’ residence belonged to her. Instead of being a good Ding Yuan Marquis’ Madam, she sent people to hunt down her mother and herself. Was it because she was feeling restless because she was satisfied and had nothing to do?

As for Gu Huai Zhong, Gu Yu Qi felt that it was unlikely that he would be behind this. Even though she had embarrassed him when leaving the capital, Gu Yu Qi was his biological daughter after all. Was there not an old saying that said a tiger would not eat its cubs? she had left the Marquise’ residence, so there was no reason for him to aggressively pursue her life.

Yet, apart from these two, Gu Yu Qi could not think of anyone else. If the Rouran people wanted to use her and her mother to threaten Gu Huai Zhong, they would need them alive, not dead. So, she ruled out the Rouran people too.

While Gu Yu Qi was still baffled, the capital was abuzz with joyful news.

The eldest daughter of Prime Minister Zhang was about to marry into the imperial family, and she had been bestowed the title of the Princess Shun by Emperor Jing.

Zhang Wan Yi and Yun Yi were not young anymore and it only took a short time for them to have their wedding from their engagement. The Virtuous Consort was afraid of potential troubles if the matter was delayed, so she actively facilitated it.

Yun Yi only cared about making Zhang Wan Yi his main consort, so that he could openly seek to marry Gu Yu Qi. He wanted both wealth and beauty, leveraging Zhang Wan Yi’s backing while having a beauty like Gu Yu Qi by his side.

After returning to the capital, Yun Ke gained Emperor Jing’s favour. Many of the Crown Prince’s responsibilities were transferred to him and his idle position at the Ministry of War was changed to a substantial role. The command of the elite cavalry battalion directly controlled by the Ministry of War was also assigned to Yun Ke. However, Emperor Jing spared the Crown Prince’s face by not stripping him of the defence management authority in the capital, leaving it under the Crown Prince’s jurisdiction.

This arrangement suited Yun Ke’s wishes. With the Gengzi Rebellion approaching, being in charge of defence in the capital would mean he would inevitably be implicated in the Genzi Rebellion. In the previous life, the Crown Prince lost his father’s favour completely due to the Gengzi Rebellion.

Yun Ke gained advantages and Yun Yi gained even more benefits. Yun Ke gave all the credit to Yun Yi, who in turn, secured a favourable position in the Ministry of Revenue.

In fact, Yun Ke was keenly aware in his heart that his father saw things clearly, having spent many years as the emperor. He himself always gave all the credit to Yun Yi. On the surface, it looked like he was showing kindness to Yun Yi but inwardly he was very discontented. Moreover, the Virtuous Consort was always asking for this and that in front of him, how could he not understand the Virtuous Consort’s thoughts? His blind humility triggered his father’s pity and made him think about many of the Virtuous Consort’s actions.

Yun Yi and the Virtuous Consort were just too impatient. Emperor Jing was still affectionate towards the Virtuous Consort, otherwise he would not have tolerated her actions for so many years. If they had been patient and waited, then once the Crown Prince’s position was abolished and even without making any significant moves, the position of the Crown Prince would likely have fallen into Yun Yi’s hands.

However, their actions were too frequent which instead aroused Emperor Jing’s displeasure.

In the previous life, Yun Ke was the emperor, so he naturally understood what someone in that position would be considering.

His own Crown Prince had been obedient and did not compete or fight for anything, always prioritising himself. That was sufficient. The position of Crown Prince was not a toy, given and rescinded at will. In this life, the Crown Prince had displeased Emperor Jing so much. If there was no Gengzi Rebellion, the Crown Prince’s position would have remained secure.

So, the Crown Prince shared the same problem as Yun Yi. He was impatient. Fearing that Emperor Jing might revoke his title, the more anxious he became, the more covert actions he took.

In the previous life, when Emperor Jing assigned Zhang Wan Yi to Yun Yi through marriage, he effectively cut off Yun Yi’s path to inheriting the throne. Neither Yun Yi or the Virtuous Consort saw through this. Instead, they thought marrying Zhang Wan Yi would bring a significant advantage. How ridiculous. No matter how powerful, Prime Minister Zhang was still just a minister. If Emperor Jing wanted to deal with Prime Minister Zhang, it would only take a word. The consort given to the Crown Prince also came from the influential family of Dinghai. A princess with a powerful maternal family would undoubtedly strengthen the Crown Prince’s influence, posing a threat to the emperor’s position. No emperor would want to see that. Sitting in that position required a balance of power, and Yun Yi’s dominance would upset the Crown Prince, creating a mutual restraint that the emperor, in his role as a father, could simply observe.

This realisation was something Yun Ke only came to understand after he himself became an emperor.

So, when Zhang Wan Yi was assigned to Yun Yi in this life, and after Yun Ke saw the delighted expression on Yun Yi’s face after returning to the capital, he no longer harboured the resentment and envy from the previous life. All that remained in his heart was a sneering laughter and a sigh.

At the thought of Gu Yu Qi’s face, Yun Ke’s heart immediately felt warm again. Although Gu Yu Qi still kept a distance from him, he had plenty of time to win her over and melt her heart. He just needed to wait a bit. Once he ascended to that position, he would personally welcome her back to the capital. This time, he would not let her be confined to the lowly role of a mere talented woman. The doors of Feng Yi Palace would be wide open to her.

He would tell her that this country did not belong to him alone but also to her.

On this night, it was already quite late when Yun Ke returned from the Ministry of War. He dismissed the guards around him, leaving only a few secret guards trailing him. He strolled alone through the streets of the capital. Every day, news came from the north through Wang Yan and it was all about Gu Yu Qi.

The most relaxing moment for him everyday was when he read the detailed letters sent from Wang Yan. The letters were written in great detail about what Gu Yu Qi did everyday. He had instructed Wang Yan to report everything, no matter what Gu Yu Qi did or who she met.

Some days ago, when he read about the misunderstanding between Li Da and Chun Xing, and where Gu Yu Qi explained on behalf of Chun Xing, he almost burst out laughing. Even Yun Ke himself was momentarily surprised, unable to resist touching his own face. He realised that he, too, could produce a genuine, heartfelt laugh.

In the previous life until he died, he rarely laughed heartily. Yet, in this life, a simple sentence from Gu Yu Qi made him laugh so much.

Yun Ke thought about it as he walked. Thinking about it now, he still found it amusing. A faint joy spread across his face and even his eyes held a subtle hint of a smile.

“Your Highness.” Just as Yun Ke approached the rear gate of his palace, a dark figure flashed out from the shadows and knelt before him.

Yun Ke frowned, “Who are you?”

“Your Highness, this servant is from the Zhang family and have been waiting here for Your Highness for quite some time,” the person said in a hushed tone, mindful of the darkness all around. He took out a letter from his clothes and handed it to Yun Ke, “Please take a look, Your Highness.”

A letter? Yun Ke’s brows furrowed even more, but he still reached out and accepted it. A chill ran through him. Sure enough, she had sent a letter inviting him, just like in the previous life.

Seeing as he had completed his mission, the man gave a bow and promptly left, disappearing into the night.

Returning to his study, Yun Ke opened the letter to find its contents nearly identical to the one in the previous life.

After reading it, he placed the letter on the table and took out another one. This one was from Wang Yan, with recent news about Gu Yu Qi. As he read, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

The next day, following the arrangement in the letter, Yun Ke went to Xiao Jing Lake. Just like in the previous life, even the meeting place was unchanged.

A small boat awaited him at the place that was agreed upon. As Yun Ke appeared, the boatman invited Yun Ke on board.

Being as cautious as she had been in the previous life, she chose to meet on the lake.

Once Yun Ke was on the boat, it sailed away from shore and drifted on the calm waters of Xiao Jing Lake.

The night breeze was cool and the moonlit lake shimmered with a layer of sparkling silver. Everything appeared serene and dark. A lantern hung at the front of the boat illuminated the surrounding water, adding a touch of poetic beauty to the scene.

“Cousin Yun Ke,” Zhang Wan Yi’s voice echoed from inside the cabin, “Since you’re here, why not come in?”

“Cousin, if you have something to say, just say it,” Yun Ke stood outside the cabin, his tone calm. He glanced at the boatman steering the boat, “Tomorrow, Cousin will become my fifth sister-in-law. I haven’t congratulated Cousin yet.”

The cabin fell silent and after a while, Yun Ke heard Zhang Wan Yi’s gentle sobbing.

Yun Ke remained standing at the bow, letting the night breeze tousle his hair and garments. In the previous life, he had also stood at the bow without moving but upon hearing Zhang Wan Yi’s sobbing, he could not help but rush in.

However, this time, the curtain in the cabin was lifted from the inside. Zhang Wan Yi’s exquisite face appeared before Yun Ke. She had just been crying, so glistening tears were still in the corners of her eyes. Her large, watery eyes resembled pear blossoms in the rain, a stark contrast to her usual grace and composure. Seeing her pitiable appearance, there was something touching about it.

“Why is Cousin weeping?” Yun Ke’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and he sighed softly, “Don’t you want to become Princess Shun?”

Seeing Yun Ke’s tone softened, Zhang Wan Yi’s heart rejoiced. She delicately stepped out, gazing up at Yun Ke, who stood tall at the bow of the boat. Under the bright moonlight, his face appeared to be sculpted from ice and snow, with long, elegantly arched eyebrows. His clear and cold eyes still held a hint of concern. Yun Ke’s appearance was like that of a deity, truly captivating.

Zhang Wan Yi felt like she was going crazy looking at him.

Deep down, she had always liked Yun Ke. Although he had never been her target, as the wedding day approached, her desire to see him grew stronger.

This thought was like a small hand constantly clutching her heart, making her restless. She knew that tonight’s actions were inappropriate in terms of her status and etiquette. If word got out, all her previous efforts might go to waste. Yet, she could not resist the urge to see Yun Ke.

From tomorrow onwards, she would become his fifth sister-in-law. Before the wedding, she wanted to give herself a chance, a final opportunity to be alone with him.

“Cousin Yun Ke, I’m very afraid,” she timidly took a step forward, bowing her head just right. She knew that from Yun Ke’s perspective, he could see her perfect neck curve and jawline, as well as a bit of skin exposed beyond her neckline.

If he was interested, he would surely pull her into his arms.

Was he interested in her? Zhang Wan Yi was not entirely sure. She knew Yun Ke had always been aloof, but he seemed a bit warmer towards her compared to other women. That indicated she held some significance in Yun Ke’s heart.

“Why are you afraid?” Yun Ke ignored Zhang Wan Yi’s charm, silently sighing to himself. If he were his past self standing in front of her, he might have been excitedly reaching out to embrace her by now. “Are you afraid that Fifth Brother won’t treat you well?”

“Mhmm,” Zhang Wan Yi nodded gently. Seeing that Yun Ke had not made a move, she felt a bit anxious. Did he have no interest in her at all?

“Fifth Brother is a gentle person and besides, you’ve grown up with us. Why would you be afraid of him?” Yun Ke said indifferently, reaching out to brush away a strand of hair from Zhang Wan Yi’s cheek.

He did not have any other intentions, he just wanted to see how far Zhang Wan Yi would go.

In fact, from the moment he stepped onto this boat, he had sighed and sneered inwardly. If Zhang Wan Yi truly was as gentle and virtuous as she portrayed herself, why would she invite him for a private meeting on the eve of her wedding?

During this moment in the previous life, he had believed that Zhang Wan Yi had stayed up all night to save him. His gratitude gave rise to pity and he had not even thought about how inappropriate this current meeting was.

Looking back now, compared to everything Zhang Wan Yi did behind the scenes, Gu Yu Qi seemed more straightforward and honest when she laid everything out on the table. It was not that Yun Ke could not see the affection and admiration in Zhang Wan Yi’s eyes right now, but her subtlety sharply contrasted with Gu Yu Qi’s boldness. In the last life, his brain was truly fried, and that was why he thought that Zhang Wan Yi’s restraint represented elegance and virtue, while Gu Yu Qi’s unrestrained expressions were shameless.

Why had he not considered looking at it from a different perspective? A villain was often reserved and subtle, but an honest person would be bright and magnanimous.

Thinking about the times in his previous life when Gu Yu Qi loudly declared her love for him in his ear, Yun Ke could not help but feel a touch of tenderness in his eyes. If she were to say such words again this lifetime, he would probably be overjoyed to the point where he would not even know what he would do.

His mind was filled with thoughts of Gu Yu Qi and he did not notice that Zhang Wan Yi’s hand had boldly reached out to his face.

It was only when her fingertips touched his skin that he alertly stepped back half a step. “What are you doing, Cousin?” he frowned.