Chapter 51 - 51 Wrong
51 Wrong
Chu You was shocked when the news reached the capital.
He had clearly reached an agreement with the State of Yue, and the State of Yue Emperor had also said in his letter that he would send someone to Danyang City to talk to him in detail. At this critical moment, the State of Yue suddenly fell out with him. Not only did they set fire to the city, but they even assassinated Magistrate He. It was equivalent to cutting Danyang City from his hands.
Chu Yi was also in Danyang City when it happened.
It was too much of a coincidence, but there didn’t seem to be any clues as to what Chu Yi had done to verify it.
Ever since Chu Yi returned to the capital, he had not done anything out of line. He had always looked sick and rarely saw outsiders. He had only gone to Prince Jing’s Manor a few days ago.
Yuan Zhe was also deep in thought. He said in a low voice, “In short, the Eldest Prince is a threat if he’s alive.”
Chu You nodded slightly in silence.
“Your Highness, do you want to see who the Eldest Prince’s confidante is?” Yuan Zhe looked at the shadowy figure beside Chu Yi again and thought to himself, ‘The Eldest Prince is already 18 years old. If he hadn’t been a hostage in the State of Yue for many years, he would have long been married.’
Just as the Empress Dowager had been worried about Kang Wang’s marriage, the Emperor was also considering the Eldest Prince’s marriage…
Chu You wanted to say that there was no need. He did not take a mere woman seriously at all, but when the words were about to come out of his mouth, he felt that the profile he saw through the bamboo curtain seemed a little familiar.
He also looked up again, his sharp gaze directed at the hazy beautiful side profile of the girl.
The girl behind the bamboo curtain suddenly leaned forward and raised her hand to lower the half-raised bamboo curtain again.
This action allowed the side of her face to be revealed from behind the bamboo curtain, clearly reflected in Chu You’s eyes below.
It was her! Chu You’s eyes widened in shock.
“Your Highness, do you recognize this lady?” Yuan Zhe saw something strange in Chu You’s expression.
Chu You was speechless.
This was…
Why was she with Chu Yi?!
Chu You still remembered what had happened at Prince Jing’s Manor.
Originally, he could have asked his mother to betroth Rong’er to him, but Gu Yanfei ruined it.
Chu You subconsciously clenched his fists, his joints cracking. He could not help but feel uneasy.
Gu Yanfei was just a village woman who had just arrived. How did these two people, who were worlds apart, get together?!
This feeling of uncertainty disgusted Chu You. It was as if something was out of his control.
Chu You’s eyes flickered. The bamboo curtain that fell closed like a door in front of him and Yuan Zhe.
The bamboo curtain blocked the sunlight from outside the window. Gu Yanfei, who was in the private room, felt much more comfortable and adjusted her sitting posture.
The shopkeeper carefully placed seven or eight wine pots and small plates on the table and bowed with a smile. “This is the wine that the lady ordered. Please enjoy.”
With that, the shopkeeper nimbly retreated from the booth.
In the private room, all kinds of wine fragrance overflowed and mixed into an intoxicating smell.
Gu Yanfei looked at the table full of wine she had just ordered and rolled up her sleeves with a slight smile. Then, she skillfully mixed the yellow wine, honey water, rose syrup, and so on. After gently shaking the wine pot, she finally sprinkled some fine rose petals into the wine. This series of actions was smooth and elegant.
She poured two glasses of wine from the flask, one for herself and the other for Chu Yi. She smiled and said, “Try it. Consider it an apology in place of Qing Guang. I cut its nails when I got back that day.”
She pointed to Chu Yi’s cuff, indicating the last time Qing Guang had scratched his cuff.
“…” Chu Yi could almost imagine the shocked expression on the cat’s face when its nails were cut and laughed softly.
His laughter was pleasant, like a stream flowing in summer. It gently rubbed against one’s eardrums and made the tips of one’s ears itch.
Chu Yi raised his hand and took the glass. His thin lips pursed as he took a sip and savored it, and a pleasant smile gradually warmed his originally cold eyes.
He drank very slowly, as if he was tasting tea. On the contrary, Gu Yanfei drank it all in one gulp.
Gu Yanfei left Qiongfang Shop after half an hour, looking slightly drunk and refreshed.
It was rare for her to come out, so she did not return to the Marquis Mansion immediately and wandered along Zhenhua Street.
In her previous life, although she had lived in the capital for a few years, she had almost never left the Marquis Mansion.
She had the money she had just won from the polo game. Along the way, she shopped and bought things. In addition to buying some snacks, sachets, and silk flowers, she also bought some cinnabar, talisman paper, silver needles, and medicinal herbs before slowly setting off on her way back.
When she returned to the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, it was already close to dusk.
The sun was setting in the west, and the afterglow of the setting sun burned the clouds in the sky, dyeing it with a colorful sunset glow.
The evening wind howled along the way. The parasol leaves on both sides of the street had fallen in the continuous drizzle of the past few days, leaving only barren branches reaching into the sky with bared fangs.
After entering the Marquis Mansion through the corner door, Gu Yanfei saw a two-horse carriage with jade cover and pearls parked outside.
Gu Yanfei could not help but stop in her tracks. Her gaze paused on the gorgeous carriage in front of her.
Having seen it in her previous life, she knew that it was the Duchess’s carriage.
Gu Yanfei did not speak. The female guard beside her noticed her gaze and said with a smile, “Second Lady, the Duchess came an hour ago.”
The guard’s eyes lit up, and there was a strange excitement in her expression.
Gu Yanfei walked forward against the cold night wind, and the broken leaves and flowers greeted her.
Gu Yanfei was no stranger to the Duchess.
In her previous life, after she returned to the capital, she had once visited the British Mansion with Madam Wang. She still remembered how picky the British Duke’s wife was with her and how her disdainful gaze was like a needle piercing her.
At that time, the Duchess did not say anything to Gu Yanfei. She only spoke to Madam Wang and mocked her silently.
In a moment, she said that Gu Yanfei was a country girl whose words and actions were not presentable.
Then, she said that she did not know what Gu Yanfei had experienced in the past 14 years.
In the next moment, she said that Gu Yanfei was clueless about zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She could not read or write, how would she manage the family in the future?
…
The other party’s words had made Gu Yanfei feel ashamed. She really wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.
The past came back to her clearly, like a passing lantern.
“Second Lady!” On the other side of the door, a slightly excited female voice called Gu Yanfei back from her thoughts.
The female guard slapped her thigh and said, “Qing Shuang has been waiting for you for a while.”
As she spoke, a beautiful green-robed maidservant walked towards Gu Yanfei from the outer door. She bent her knees and bowed. “Second Lady, Madam invites you over.”
Gu Yanfei stopped in her tracks and looked at the extremely luxurious carriage a few feet away again. The sunset covered the carriage in a gorgeous color.
The British Mansion was a hot topic in the royal court. Their current status far exceeded the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion that did not accept anyone. It was clearly the Marquis Mansion who was in the wrong to change people at the last minute and they clearly did not like her at all. In her previous life, why did they still agree to the marriage?!
It was not until half a year later that the Fang family found an excuse and broke off the engagement with her using the excuse that she had been in the same car as a man in Danyang City.
Gu Yanfei had never understood these things.