Xie Yingchen!?
Qin Su was finally certain he hadn’t guessed wrong.
Back then, his unruly younger half-brother had followed Xie Yingchen to Liang Country. The moment Qin Su saw him just now, he’d already suspected that the person inside that black lacquered carriage was most likely Xie Yingchen.
Qin Su composed himself and cupped his hands in salute. “Your Hi…” The word caught awkwardly in his throat, and he shifted midway, “…Young Master.”
Xie Yingchen raised his hand and unfastened the jade pendant at his waist.
“Please deliver this to announce my arrival.”
This white jade pendant carved with nine dragons was personally bestowed by the late Emperor when he was conferred the title of Crown Grandson.
Qin Su respectfully accepted it with both hands, then signaled a member of the Imperial Guard to hurry inside and report.
“Crown Grandson!”
A sudden exclamation rang out from the crowd of ministers leaving court. The Minister of Revenue, already over seventy, froze for a moment before rushing over in utter delight. He moved so quickly that he didn’t even care when his official hat slipped askew.
“It’s really you.”
The Minister of Revenue grasped his hand in one swift motion. His white beard quivered, and with trembling legs, he was about to kneel down.
Xie Yingchen quickly supported him with both hands, helped him straighten his hat, and smiled as he greeted him: “Minister Mo.”
“Yes, yes.” Minister Mo cried with joy, his words tumbling out incoherently. “Your Highness, you’ve grown so much… and you still remember this old minister.”
His words and actions were completely unrestrained, causing quite a few officials to stop in their tracks and look over.
Some stood at a distance, silently contemplating; some wished to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible; and others, like the Minister of Revenue, were so overwhelmed with emotion they could hardly contain themselves… Within the entire court, every civil and military official harbored their own thoughts.
“Crown Grandson!”
“Your Highness.”
“You’ve finally returned.”
For a moment, the area before the palace gates bustled with commotion and excitement.
Xie Jing’s face was filled with shock. He wasn’t sure if it was because the veil of his hat was too thick, but he felt as though even his breathing had grown sluggish.
All these high-ranking officials, who even he had to show respect to, were now gathering around Xie Yingchen, expressing their concern, without sparing even a glance in his direction.
He couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease.
Xie Jing had known that Xie Yingchen was on his way back to the capital.
It was just that earlier, he hadn’t thought much of it—just a deposed crown prince’s vile spawn. If they wanted him alive, he’d live; if they wanted him dead, would he dare not die? But now, all of a sudden, Xie Jing was struck by an overwhelming sense of crisis.
Did these old geezers truly care nothing for the Emperor’s temper?
Snapped out of his shock, Xie Jing called him by name, questioning harshly: “Xie Yingchen! Just yesterday you were still in Yizhou, and now you’re already at the foot of the Imperial City. With all these precautions—who exactly are you guarding against? Could it be that you think Father Emperor cannot tolerate your return?”
Xie Yingchen merely glanced at him and smiled without answering.
That smile seemed to imply many things—yet also nothing at all.
Prime Minister Song: “……”
His wife had told him after returning from the Qianqiu Festival that the Third Prince didn’t seem all that bright.
Indeed!
Some things are better left unsaid, because once spoken, they become sheer foolishness.
Prime Minister Song stroked his beard.
He didn’t want turmoil in the court, so before Young Master Chen returned to the capital, he complied with the Emperor’s wishes and requested an edict to establish a crown prince.
Back then, the Third Prince had seemed decent enough. Though his abilities were only average, he was gentle and courteous, diligent in study, and kind-hearted. Being born of the Empress, his status was perfectly legitimate. Who would have thought… after everything that happened yesterday, it really was hard to put into words.
Observe, he needed to observe further…
Having pondered for a moment, Prime Minister Song made his decision and said, “Eldest Young Master, this minister shall accompany you to seek an audience with His Majesty.”
Minister Mo glanced at Prime Minister Song, thinking that the older he got, the more cunning he became.
Among all of the late Emperor’s grandsons, Xie Yingchen was the eldest and the legitimate eldest grandson. If following the common custom of ranking cousins by age, calling him “Eldest Young Master” was entirely appropriate. It was rather clever of him to come up with such a flattering title.
But the late Emperor had never stripped the Crown Grandson of his title! Orthodoxy should remain orthodoxy—why resort to some half-baked title?
Look at the Third Prince—clearly intent on suppressing the Crown Grandson, yet all he could do was blurt out a few foolish remarks to provoke him. It was simply unbearable to watch. How could he possibly compare to the Crown Grandson, who was personally raised by the late emperor—measured in conduct, poised, and composed?
Minister Mo raised his head and said with a warm smile, “Crown Grandson, I shall accompany you as well.”
Prime Minister Song shot him a discreet glare—what was the point of arguing over a title? Calling him “Crown Grandson” at a time like this was simply inappropriate. Completely inappropriate!
The Imperial Guard, who had gone in to report, hurriedly returned, and accompanying him was the chief eunuch by the Emperor’s side—Li Deshun.
Li Deshun greeted all the officials present with a respectful bow, then turned to Xie Yingchen with a warm smile and announced, “By His Majesty’s command, you are summoned for an audience.” He, too, deliberately avoided addressing him by any specific title.
Xie Yingchen did not move right away. Facing in the direction of Gu Zhizhuo, he cupped his hands and said, “Many thanks for seeing me off, Eldest Young Miss Gu. One day, I shall pay a formal visit and offer incense in honor of the Duke.”
As soon as those words were spoken, every pair of eyes turned to Gu Zhizhuo, who stood calmly beside the horse.
In an instant, all chatter ceased, and the surroundings fell into silence.
For the eldest daughter of the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor to be openly traveling together with Xie Yingchen—this action alone was enough to stir endless speculation. For a moment, all kinds of guesses swirled in everyone’s minds.
But Gu Zhizhuo remained composed under their scrutiny. She smiled faintly from a distance and said, “Please go ahead, Young Master.”
He gave her a slight nod and then, surrounded by a crowd of people, stepped into the Imperial Palace.
Xie Jing stood rooted in place, staring blankly as the vermilion palace gates slowly closed before him. The confidence he once carried had vanished from his eyes, replaced by resentment, hatred, and confusion.
“Your Highness,” Gu Zhizhuo gave a wicked smile and said meaningfully, “Taizu Emperor once said—those with flaws in appearance shall not serve in officialdom…”
Back then, Taizu Emperor had decreed that anyone entering officialdom must have no facial blemishes or physical impairments—and the same should apply to emperors.
“Your face—do remember to take good care of it. Be patient in tending to it. Oh, by the way, does it still hurt?”
Xie Jing instinctively covered the wound on his forehead. Ever since the medicine had been applied, the skin there felt as if something were tugging at it, sending waves of dull, prickling pain that had kept him up all night.
Just now, not a single person spared him a proper glance—was it because Xie Yingchen had returned, or because they believed his injury was beyond healing and that he had already lost the qualification to compete for the position of crown prince?
Gu Zhizhuo had schemed against him in every possible way, showing not the slightest concern over whether their engagement still held. Could it be that the Gu family truly had hidden forces stationed along the northern border and now intended to abandon him, pledge themselves to a new master, and seize another chance to earn merit by supporting a rising dragon[mfn]从龙之功 (lit. “merit from following the dragon”) is a historical idiom meaning the credit or recognition earned by helping someone ascend to the throne[/mfn]?
So, was that why she was together with Xie Yingchen?
The moment this thought surfaced, it was like a bucket of ice water being dumped over Xie Jing’s head. A chill rose from within his heart, making him shiver—it was even colder than when he had knelt in the rain yesterday.
“I won’t disturb you while you reflect on your mistakes, then.” Gu Zhizhuo gave a soft chuckle as she mounted her horse. She offered a polite nod toward Qin Su in farewell, then called out to Qiongfang and Qingmei, “Let’s go!”
Xie Jing’s mind was in complete turmoil, and he stood frozen in place, unmoving.
The wind lifted the thin veil of his hat, revealing his pale face.
“Young Miss,” Qiongfang was a horse-length behind her, “are we going back to the manor?”
“To the manor.”
Gu Zhizhuo replied cheerfully, “My surname is Gu—of course I can return to the Duke Zhenguo’s Manor whenever I want.”
All those with the surname Ji were still living there comfortably.
Why should she avoid them?
She had only gone to the countryside manor because it was necessary. Now that the matter was settled, naturally, she was going back.
Gu Zhizhuo handsomely flicked her whip without striking the horse, and Jade Lion dashed out of the Meridian Gate in the lead.
She first stopped by Baiji Hall to have a few doses of medicine prepared for herself. She also instructed the shopkeeper to send someone into the manor to notify her if anyone came looking for her. After that, she returned home.
To Qiongfang, they had only been away for a single day.
But to Gu Zhizhuo, returning to this manor felt like it had been an entire lifetime.
Her great-grandfather had followed the Taizu Emperor in his uprising, earning outstanding military merits. After Taizu Emperor ascended the throne, he was granted the title of Duke Zhenguo—hereditary and never to be downgraded.
Bestowed along with the noble title was the Duke Zhenguo Manor itself, said to have once belonged to a powerful prince of the former dynasty.
Pavilions and towers, flying eaves and green tiles—every step revealed a breathtaking view, every corner resembled a painting. Even the smallest details still evoked traces of past extravagance.
The Gu family had never split into separate branches, and now three branches lived here—including her two younger female cousins and two younger male cousins, one of whom had not yet been born. In her previous life, during their exile, An ge’er[mfn]brother / boy / young man / lad[/mfn] had not even been half a year old. He survived the prison, only to die later in the public morgue.
Gu Zhizhuo gazed absentmindedly at the familiar trees and plants as she walked along the bluestone path back to her own courtyard.
Qiongfang was just about to knock on the door when Qingmei’s ears twitched slightly, and she gently pulled her back.
With a strange smile, she said, “Young Miss, there’s someone inside.”
“Someone?” Qiongfang tilted her head and leaned closer to listen. Sure enough, faint voices could be heard from within.
“… See, isn’t that right? It’s been a whole day and night—Madam’s been so worried she even cried.”
“Ay, Nanny Zhu, tell me—Madam treats our Young Miss with all her heart, always keeping her in mind in everything. How could the Young Miss not think that if she stayed out all night, the Old Madam and Madam would be worried?”
The more Qiongfang listened, the more her anger flared.
There they go again! If these words reached the Old Madam’s ears, she would definitely be furious.
Gu Zhizhuo gave her a look, signaling her to step aside. Then she lifted her foot and kicked.
Bang!
The red-lacquered wooden gate of the courtyard was kicked open by her, startling Granny Zhu—who was in the middle of saying, “Poor thing, the Cousin Miss was sent to the nunnery by Madam, yet the Eldest Young Miss still refuses to behave. Isn’t she ashamed…”—so much that she jumped to her feet.
Gu Zhizhuo stood with her arms folded, watching with amused interest.
Ruihuang’s face flickered with embarrassment, but she quickly smiled as if nothing had happened. “Eldest Young Miss, you didn’t come back last night. The Old Madam was so worried that she specially sent Nanny Zhu to inquire after you.”
With a fawning tone, she added, “As soon as Madam came back, she sent Cousin Miss Ji to the nunnery, saying it was for her to reflect properly.”
After speaking, she carefully studied Gu Zhizhuo’s expression.
She was one of Gu Zhizhuo’s two senior maids, given to her by Madam Ji.
Looking back now, Gu Zhizhuo vaguely remembered that after Madam Ji entered the household, her father stayed less than half a month before taking her older brother back to the Northern Border. Later, when she fell ill, Madam Ji—using the excuse that the servants had not taken proper care of her—dismissed her wet nurse and both of her senior maids and sent Ruihuang to her instead.
Once she recovered, Ruihuang would take her out to play all day.
She would often whisper in her ear, “Eldest Young Miss, you were born high up among the clouds; you are different from others.”
“How could the Cousin Miss compare to you? She’s just lodging in our manor, so she has to work so hard, learning all those poems, songs, zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and the Four Books and the Five Classics. Otherwise, who would look up to her when she goes out?”
“Madam likes you the most. If there’s anything you want, just quietly tell her—she will surely agree to it.”
Indeed, whatever she wanted, she could have—whether it was food, toys, or even avoiding reciting lessons and practicing writing. Even her homework, Ruihuang would do for her.
At that time, she was six or seven years old… hmm, she couldn’t quite remember.
