“Come with me to see liu shaoye.”
Gu Jiu hesitated for only a moment before making her decision.
Since she was already involved in this matter, she would not allow things to spiral out of control.
At this point, everything was still salvageable.
Regardless of how much conflict Gu Jiu had with Xie shi, before outsiders, they were still Gu family members.
If this matter were exposed, the consequences would be disastrous.
Gu Jiu and Xie shi might not share glory, but they would certainly share ruin.
Gu Jiu would never allow Xie shi‘s selfishness to tarnish the Gu family’s reputation and place the entire Gu family in a perilous position.
After all, the wrath of Lu hou Pei Ren was not something anyone could withstand.
Given Lu hou Pei Ren’s power and his connections in court, Gu Jiu doubted that the Gu family had the strength to retaliate if he decided to strike.
At that point, even the main Gu family in the capital and Pingnan houfu would likely abandon their branch of the family.
Gu Jiu’s face was dark as she headed toward the courtyard gate, inwardly cursing Xie shi as a woman foolish beyond redemption.
Lu hou Pei Ren’s daughter—how dare she scheme against her? Did she not understand the meaning of the word ‘death’?
If Pei Yun truly suffered such a violation, Pei Ren could easily raise an army to annihilate everyone in the governor’s residence.
This wasn’t speculation. Based on Lu hou Pei Ren’s history, he was absolutely capable of such an act. At most, he would plead impulsiveness before the emperor later.
The emperor, prioritising military matters in the northwest, would not genuinely punish Lu hou Pei Ren, only issue a minor rebuke.
As for the governor’s residence, reduced to ashes with hundreds dead, it would only be labelled as “deserved” in the mouths of others.
Gu Jiu wasn’t ready to die, much less accompany Xie shi to her grave.
Xie shi, usually such a shrewd person, must have lost her senses entirely to concoct such a ludicrous scheme—drugging Pei Yun and arranging for Gu Cheng to defile her, forcing the situation into an irreversible state.
Foolish!
Foolish to an astronomical degree.
Who exactly gave Xie shi the courage to believe she could placate the marquis’ fury afterwards?
Did she truly think that a general who had commanded hundreds of thousands and earned his merit through bloodshed would engage in mere verbal sparring like a civil official?
Before such debates even began, he would have already exterminated the entire clan.
The more Gu Jiu thought about it, the angrier she became, nearly driven to tears by Xie shi’s stupidity.
Yes, connecting the dots to the suspicious movements of Ping mama, Gu Jiu was now certain that the one scheming against Pei Yun was none other than Xie shi.
This foolish woman would get the entire Gu family killed.
Gu Cheng stood at the crossroad, hesitating as he looked toward the courtyard at the end of the path.
His eyes were conflicted, and though he wanted to leave, he clenched his fists at the memory of Ping mama’s words and resolutely walked toward the courtyard.
Just then, the courtyard gate swung open from the inside.
Gu Cheng stopped in his tracks, surprised to see Gu Jiu stepping out.
“What a coincidence. Liu ge is here too?”
Gu Jiu smiled faintly and walked directly toward Gu Cheng.
Gu Cheng glanced at Gu Jiu and then at the courtyard behind her. “Why is er meimei here?”
Gu Jiu replied casually, “I got tired walking in the garden and randomly found a place to rest. Seeing that no one was inside, I went in to take a break. When I heard from the maids that liu ge was here, I came out to greet you.”
Gu Cheng felt nervous and guilty, his gaze flickering toward the courtyard behind her. “Was there really no one inside?”
Gu Jiu followed his gaze and glanced back at the courtyard gate. She nodded. “Yes, there’s no one inside. Did you see someone go in? Qing Zhu, didn’t I tell you to guard the gate? Did someone enter without you noticing?”
Qing Zhu quickly shook her head. “Guniang, nubi has been guarding the gate the entire time and haven’t seen anyone enter. Could it be that liu shaoye saw wrongly?”
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Cheng. “Liu ge, you heard her. Qing Zhu has been at the gate the whole time and didn’t see anyone come in.”
Gu Cheng laughed awkwardly. “Perhaps I saw wrong.”
“Why did liu ge come to such a secluded place? Did you arrange to meet someone here?” Gu Jiu asked curiously.
Gu Cheng shook his head. “I was just wandering around and didn’t realise I’d ended up here. Er meimei, if you’re done resting, you should head back to the banquet. This place is too remote.”
“Thank you, liu ge.” Gu Jiu smiled gently.
Gu Cheng avoided her gaze, muttering, “I should head back as well. Er meimei, please pretend you didn’t see me here and don’t mention this to anyone.”
Gu Jiu smiled. “I understand. Liu ge, don’t worry; I won’t say a word.”
“Then I’ll leave first,” Gu Cheng nodded and hurriedly walked away.
Watching his somewhat guilty retreating figure, Gu Jiu frowned.
Qing Zhu, still unaware of the full situation, remarked innocently, “Liu shaoye came out wandering alone without even a servant accompanying him.”
Gu Jiu’s expression turned serious. She said to Qing Zhu, “Let’s head back. Continue guarding the gate, and remind Xiao Cui and Jiang Yan that not a word of today’s events should be mentioned to anyone.”
“Guniang, what happened?” Qing Zhu asked, now growing nervous.
Gu Jiu shook her head. “This isn’t the time to explain. Just act as if liu shaoye was never here.”
“Yes, guniang.” Qing Zhu, no fool, picked up on the severity of the situation from Gu Jiu’s tone and Ping mama’s earlier behaviour.
Back in the courtyard, Qing Zhu shut the gate and stood guard, peering through the cracks to keep watch.
Gu Jiu returned to the room.
Pei Yun was just sitting up from the bed, now able to move freely.
Qing Mei turned back to glance at Gu Jiu, concern evident in her eyes. Gu Jiu gave her a slight shake of the head, and Qing Mei finally exhaled in relief.
“Thank you, Gu guniang,” Pei Yun said, deeply grateful.
Gu Jiu smiled. “No need for such formalities, Pei guniang. Are you feeling better?”
Pei Yun nodded. “Much better. Your remedy worked wonderfully.”
Clutching the bed frame, Pei Yun stared at Gu Jiu with sharp eyes. “Gu guniang, did someone come while you were out? Was it the scoundrel who tried to harm me? Can you tell me who it was? I’ll kill him myself.”
Her fury was palpable, the resolve to kill practically radiating from her.
Gu Jiu remained calm and spoke evenly. “Pei guniang is mistaken. It wasn’t some scoundrel but a few young ladies wandering the garden. I stepped in to send them away.”
“Is that so?” Pei Yun narrowed her eyes, still doubtful.
Gu Jiu nodded. “Perhaps you’ve heard the rumours about me—I am the second daughter of the Gu family, often referred to as the sickly one. When the ladies saw me, they feared catching my illness and left before I could even finish speaking. In this case, it seems my reputation as a sickly person came in handy for once.”
Pei Yun visibly relaxed.
“Thank you for everything, Gu guniang. Please, keep this matter a secret for me,” Pei Yun said.
Gu Jiu nodded. “Even without your request, I would have kept my lips sealed. I’ve already instructed my maids not to utter a word of what happened today.”
“Thank you, Gu guniang.” Pei Yun stood up and bowed deeply.
Gu Jiu quickly stepped aside to avoid the gesture. “Pei guniang, there’s no need for such formalities.”
Pei Yun looked at Gu Jiu thoughtfully. “Hearing my surname, you may have guessed my identity.”
Gu Jiu nodded and asked frankly, “Is Pei guniang related to Lu houfu?”
Pei Yun smiled faintly. “I am indeed a relative of Lu hou.”
Gu Jiu appeared enlightened. “No wonder. When I heard your surname, I wondered if you were connected to Lu houfu. It turns out you’re related.”
Pei Yun smiled, pleased by the misunderstanding.
As Lu hou’s daughter, her true identity was sensitive and best kept concealed. Being mistaken as a mere relative suited her purposes perfectly.
Gu Jiu, eager to leave, said, “Pei guniang, since you’re feeling better, I think it’s time I returned to the banquet. Shall we part ways here?”
Pei Yun responded, “I also need to leave this place. Gu guniang, why don’t we leave together?”
Gu Jiu smiled. “Since you don’t have any servants with you, it would indeed be inconvenient to go alone. Allow me to accompany you back to your maids.”
Pei Yun expressed her gratitude. “Thank you, Gu guniang. I’m truly indebted to you.”
“No need for thanks.”
Qing Mei, understanding the cue, opened the door ahead of them.
She discreetly signalled Xiao Cui and Jiang Yan, reminding them to act as though they had seen and heard nothing.
Receiving the signal, Xiao Cui and Jiang Yan, well-trained, stood quietly at the door.
Gu Jiu and Pei Yun walked out together.
Pei Yun’s sharp gaze swept over the maids. She paused briefly on Jiang Yan, her exceptional beauty drawing attention.
Curious, Pei Yun wondered why Gu guniang would keep such a stunning maid by her side.
Leave a Reply