Chapter 63 - 63 Spiritual Energy
63 Spiritual Energy
Madam Gu composed herself. She gripped the armrest of the chair with one hand and softened her voice slightly. “Yanfei, it’s good that you can understand. Everything I do is for the sake of the Marquis Mansion, and it’s also for your eldest brother and yourself.”
“Since you’re unwilling to marry into the Fang family, I can agree to it.”
Madam Gu comforted Gu Yanfei nicely.
Gu Yanfei’s smile was as bright as the stars in the night sky and she only asked, “What’s the use of that jade pendant?”
Or rather, what secret of the British Monarchy was this jade pendant hiding that made the British Duchess want it at all costs? It had been like this in both lives.
“…” Looking up at Gu Yanfei, Madam Gu pursed her lips in silence and her body tensed up slightly.
Her thumb subconsciously rubbed against the prayer beads as her thoughts raced, as if she were hesitating or weighing the pros and cons.
The night wind howled, wantonly scraping the leaves and rustling their clothes. Candles in the lanterns flickered.
The surrounding servants did not dare to make a sound and looked down at the tips of their shoes.
To Gu Yanfei, the more Madam Gu acted like this, the more certain she was.
This jade pendant was very important!
The corners of Gu Yanfei’s lips curled up again and she suddenly took the jade pendant from the box held by Juan Bi. She raised it high and looked like she was about to smash it…
Under the light, the jade pendant in her hand was not very clear, so all Madam Gu could see was a round jade pendant.
“Stop!”
Madam Gu’s eyes suddenly widened in unconcealable shock and panic.
If Gu Yanfei really smashed the jade pendant, she would not be able to answer to the British Monarchy. The relationship between the Gu and Fang families would come to an end!
Nothing must happen to this jade pendant!
The veins on Madam Gu’s forehead twitched. It was clearly winter, but beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
Her cold gaze froze on Gu Yanfei. The two of them looked at each other and engaged in a silent stalemate.
Silence spread.
At this moment, even the wind had stopped, and the shadows of the trees in the dark had all stopped moving.
Madam Gu’s breathing gradually thickened, and her chest heaved more and more violently. Slowly, she began to calm down again and her eyes settled, as if she had made a decision.
After a while, Madam Gu waved her hand.
The maidservants beside her immediately understood and silently retreated.
Juan Bi, who was holding the box, looked at Gu Yanfei’s expression and also retreated 50 to 60 feet.
Only the two of them were left in silence after the servants left with the lanterns.
Within a radius of dozens of feet, only the silver moonlight poured down from the night sky, scattering silver frost on the ground.
Gu Yanfei was still standing in thin clothes and a long skirt that touched the ground.
Madam Gu sat on a chair on her shoulder, looking old and haggard.
Madam Gu cleared her throat and confessed in a low voice, “The British Duchess does want a jade pendant.”
Once she confessed, it seemed easier to go on.
Madam Gu sorted out her thoughts and said tirelessly, “In May 50 years ago, Emperor Taizu led his troops into the capital. On the day they entered the capital, the last Emperor of the previous dynasty burned the imperial city in a fire. Along with the Empress, the concubines, the princes and the princesses all died in the sea of fire.”
“The last Emperor’s surname was Yu, and he came from the Yu family of Yingchuan.”
“She’s the first aunt of the British Duchess.”
At this point, Madam Gu paused for a moment and her eyes flickered, as if she had recalled something from many years ago.
Gu Yanfei did not rush her and just looked at her steadily.
A moment later, Madam Gu continued, “After your mother married over, I noticed a jade pendant in her dowry. This jade pendant belonged to Empress Yu back then… I’ve seen it before.”
Madam Gu’s maiden family’s surname was Qi. In Yingchuan, Yuzhou, although they were not an aristocratic family, they were still a famous local family. When she was young, Madam Gu had also gone to the Yu family to play and had seen the noble Empress Yu.
On the day of Empress Yu’s marriage, according to the local customs, boys and girls needed to say something auspicious to the bride. At that time, Madam Gu was young and was also called over. She had once seen with her own eyes that the great-aunt of the Yu family was wearing this jade pendant.
This jade pendant was rare, especially since the carvings were the work of the local sculptor, Master Lu. The phoenix patterns were carved vividly and skillfully. Moreover, unlike ordinary jade pendants, the phoenix head had no eyes.
Therefore, Madam Gu could recognize it at a glance.
Thinking of the past so many years ago, Madam Gu sighed.
The prosperity and liveliness of the past were still in sight, but things had changed.
Madam Gu calmed herself down and said, “14 years ago, not long after Rong’er arrived in the capital, the British Duchess came to offer an engagement.”
Back then, the British Monarchy was far stronger than the Dingyuan Marquis Household, and it was still the same now.
However, the British Monarchy did not object to the Marquis Mansion’s sudden suggestion to change the candidate for the marriage. In fact, the last time the British Duchess came, she even expressed her intention to keep the engagement. Her words implied that no matter who the Gu family married, this engagement could not be broken off.
Madam Gu was not a fool and had long sensed that the British Duchess clearly had other motives.
In Madam Gu’s opinion, the only thing that the other party could want from them was the phoenix-patterned jade pendant.
Gu Yanfei raised her hand to brush away her hair that had been blown astray by the night wind and asked casually, “If that jade pendant really belongs to the Yu family, why is it in my mother’s dowry?”
“I don’t know about that.” Madam Gu sighed faintly and lowered her face to cough a few times, looking weak and haggard.
She wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and extended her hand to Gu Yanfei again. She said amiably, “Yanfei, give me the jade pendant.”
Gu Yanfei stared deeply at Madam Gu, as if she wanted to see through her. Then, she put the jade pendant into her sleeve pocket.
Madam Gu, who had originally forced a kind expression, changed her expression like she was flipping through a book. A sinister glint shot out of her eyes and her hand froze in midair.
Gu Yanfei flicked her sleeve with a faint smile and stood leisurely with her hands behind her back. Her voice was clear as she said, “Don’t worry, Madam Gu. I’m on the Gu family’s side. When you need the jade pendant, I’ll give it to you.”
After a pause, she added slowly, “But not now.”
“If there’s nothing else, Madam Gu, I’ll continue to count my mother’s dowry.”
“…” Madam Gu’s expression turned even uglier.
Before she came, she had clearly made up her mind to force Gu Yanfei to hand over the key, but now, she had even handed over her trump card.
A remnant leaf was swept over by the evening wind and happened to land in Madam Gu’s hair without her noticing it.
Gu Yanfei ignored her and turned around, calling Juan Bi into the small storeroom.
After entering the house, she opened her right palm.
On her palm was a suet white jade pendant engraved with a circle of phoenix patterns. Its carving was outstanding, simple and smooth, carrying a vast and simple concept.
Gu Yanfei had picked this jade pendant from a few pieces of the Xie family’s dowry.
She was certain that this was what the British Duchess wanted, because among the things in the storeroom, only this jade pendant emitted a faint spiritual energy.
This spiritual energy came from the jade itself.
In fact, its spiritual energy was very weak. If it was in the Bright Spirit Realm, it would be inferior to low-grade spirit stones and far from being a natural treasure. Gu Yanfei would not even look at it in the Bright Spirit Realm, but in this small world, it was extremely rare.