Switch Mode

“After Shedding My Armor, I Await Marriage” Chapter 34

I really want to take a bite.

Upon learning of Gu Fu’s plans, Fu Yan didn’t show any reaction; instead, he felt a sense of relief.

Because he had long anticipated this, knowing Gu Fu wouldn’t be content with the status quo. Resistance is always better than leaving, so he didn’t seem particularly shocked, as if Gu Fu had just commented on the weather.

Gu Fu put down his hand and leaned towards Fu Yan.

Fu Yan didn’t dodge or flinch, lowering his eyes as he asked, “What are you doing?”

Gu Fu smiled and said, “You hide things too well. I can’t tell what you like or dislike, so I want to get closer to see if I can figure out what you’re thinking now.”

Fu Yan, looking at Gu Fu so close, felt an urge to turn away but was afraid that doing so would show his weakness, so he endured it. “Did you figure it out?”

“Hmm…” Gu Fu carefully observed Fu Yan’s face, his gaze as if it had substance, sweeping over Fu Yan’s indifferent brows and eyes, high nose bridge, and finally landing on Fu Yan’s slightly parted lips.

—She really wanted to take a bite.

Lost in his whimsical thoughts, Gu Fu didn’t notice that Fu Yan’s ears, hidden under white hair, were reddening with heat. Nor did she know that Fu Yan, staring at the slightly raised corners of her mouth, had the same thoughts as she did.

But neither of them pierced that thin layer of window paper because Fu Yan didn’t take Gu Fu’s various flirtations seriously, only treating them as mischief. If he did take them seriously and went to bite or hug Gu Fu without caring about the consequences, he feared Gu Fu would avoid him just like she avoided those who discussed pairing her with other men.

Gu Fu’s thoughts were similar to Fu Yan’s. She didn’t dare let Fu Yan know that she truly coveted him, only using flirtation to slowly test the limits of the Imperial Preceptor’s tolerance. She was afraid that if the Imperial Preceptor knew about her dirty thoughts, he would rather stay up all night than let her get close.

Suppressing her impulse, Gu Fu leaned back and sat down. “I can’t figure it out.”

Fu Yan didn’t know what he had missed and thought, “That’s good.”

The heat that had risen between them inadvertently slowly cooled down under their mutual restraint and concealment.

The carriage moved forward slowly, and the bells hanging from the four corners of the roof tinkled pleasantly with the carriage’s swaying.

Gu Fu let go of Fu Yan’s hair and played with the ribbon used to tie it, asking him, “What does His Majesty think about the Chiyao Army?”

Guo Jian held grudges and was so ruthless that he could trample his own face underfoot. Li Yu definitely couldn’t handle him, so the emperor’s stance was crucial at this moment.

Fu Yan still remembered how Gu Fu had made Guo Jian seek his own revenge at the restaurant earlier, so he naturally understood the implication of her question. He told her, “His Majesty formed the Chiyao Army to protect Li Yu and also to create a new royal city army to balance the Imperial Guard.”

The Imperial Guard had been dominant for too long and had been infiltrated by many aristocratic sons, inevitably leading to various problems.

Not to mention their audacity to join forces and lure an official’s daughter to a secluded place at Linshui Garden the other day, and just now, they beat up Guo Jian and used the name of the Imperial Guard to intimidate people. This showed how arrogant they had become.

Out of respect for the empress, the emperor spared Li Yu’s dignity. But a ruler is still a ruler, and it is impossible for him to tolerate mistakes indefinitely. So, even though he was accustomed to using the Imperial Guard, he couldn’t help but be disappointed with them.

Establishing the Chiyao Army seemed like a division of power on the surface, but it was actually favoritism. Why else would the Imperial Guard make things difficult for the Chiyao Army? It’s because the Chiyao Army was not subordinate to the Imperial Guard but on the same level. Once the Chiyao Army grew stronger, the positions of the two royal city armies would be reversed.

How could the Imperial Guard stay calm towards the Chiyao Army?

However, the Imperial Guard’s suppression methods were flawed. They couldn’t truly eliminate the threat and only accumulated resentment, exposing their ugliness to the emperor.

If this continued and Guo Jian gritted his teeth and persisted, he would undoubtedly turn the tables. Whether it would be mutual restraint or the Chiyao Army overpowering the Imperial Guard would depend on Gu Jian’s ability and Li Yu’s response.

Gu Fu felt relieved and thought, “Then let them fight.”

Li Yu sneezed violently.

Today was the Dragon Boat Festival. His Majesty had summoned several princes and ministers to watch the dragon boat races organized by the palace by the Water Mirror Pool. The Imperial Kitchen had made hundreds of zongzi, hanging them up with strings, and people were asked to shoot them down with bamboo bows. Whoever broke the string would get the zongzi.

As the leader of the Imperial Guard, Li Yu naturally wouldn’t be absent on such a lively occasion. But he didn’t have to stay by the emperor’s side the whole time. For instance, now Prince Ying angered the emperor, who then ordered Li Yu to escort Prince Ying out of the palace and instructed him to have the Imperial Guard seal off Prince Ying’s residence.

After completing the task and returning to the palace to report, Li Yu sneezed midway and wondered if someone was cursing him. The next moment, he saw the person who might be cursing him—Wen Xi, who was following Grand Tutor Wei into the palace to compose poems for the emperor’s entertainment.

Seeing Wen Xi, Li Yu felt unlucky.

Wen Xi disliked Li Yu as well. They pretended not to see each other and brushed past each other. Wen Xi even turned back, wanting to silently spit at him, but unexpectedly found Li Yu’s back somewhat familiar.

Wen Xi was known for his excellent memory. He had no trouble memorizing books and practicing calligraphy. Various anecdotes and literary collections were at his fingertips after a single reading. So even after more than two months, he still remembered seeing someone who looked very much like Gu Fu outside the city when he was out spring outing with his family in February. He was certain it was Gu Fu.

At that time, there was another person beside Gu Fu, also riding a horse. Wen Xi hadn’t recognized who it was. Now, looking at Li Yu’s back, he realized that person’s back looked quite similar to Li Yu’s.

Gu Fu and the head of the Imperial Guard???

“Wait!” Wen Xi was shocked and immediately called out to Li Yu.

Li Yu turned around, his brows furrowed, clearly not wanting to deal with him. “What does Young Master Wen need?”

Li Yu’s attitude annoyed Wen Xi, but considering it involved Gu Fu, he suppressed his temper and asked, “In February, did you leave the city?”

February, leaving the city.

As soon as those words came out, Li Yu remembered the day he sent Gu Fu away and then recalled that Gu Fu’s letter for this month hadn’t arrived yet. His mood inevitably worsened, and his tone grew increasingly impatient. “So what if I did? Are you going to have your brother report me again? Or are you going to complain to Grand Tutor Wei and concoct some unfounded charges against the Imperial Guard?”

Wen Xi’s eyes widened. “What do you mean by that? My brother is a censor, and it is his duty to supervise all officials. As for Grand Tutor Wei, if the Imperial Guard weren’t problematic, he wouldn’t need to advise His Majesty. How does the Imperial Guard’s misconduct become someone else’s fault?”

Li Yu understood the reasoning behind this and had recently been working to reorganize and enforce discipline within the Imperial Guard. But knowing it himself was one thing, having it pointed out by someone he disliked was another.

“Young Master Wen, you’re very eloquent. I can’t argue with you. Goodbye.” Li Yu not only didn’t admit his fault but also blamed his own shortcomings on Wen Xi’s eloquence, leaving Wen Xi fuming in place.

—Absolutely no way! There’s no way my brother could be involved with such an annoying person like Li Yu!

After returning home, Gu Fu went straight to Mu Qingyao’s courtyard.

By this time, Mu Qingyao had regained her composure and was sitting in a chair doing needlework. The fat pigeon had also been let out of its cage, sitting by the ice chest to cool off.

Gu Fu gave her the books he had bought and took the opportunity to have a bowl of shaved ice.

In the late afternoon, Gu Qizheng and others gradually returned home, and the family took advantage of the holiday to have dinner together.

Gu Fu’s sister-in-law, Huo Biyan, didn’t come as usual, citing ill health and a fear of spreading her illness to the family.

Midway through the meal, a maid from Gu Chen’s courtyard ran into the dining hall and whispered something in Gu Chen’s ear.

Being skilled in martial arts, Gu Fu’s senses were sharp, and she immediately heard that there was an issue with her sister-in-law and that she had specifically called a maid to summon his brother back.

Gu Chen stood up and excused herself to the elders. They agreed and also instructed the household servants to go to the medical clinic before the curfew bell rang to bring a doctor to stay overnight at the residence, just in case something happened, and they couldn’t go out to get a doctor later.

Second aunt also instructed her maid to go to the storeroom and find some tonic to send to Gu Fu’s sister-in-law.

After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms. Gu Fu also prepared to change clothes and go to Qitian Tower.

However, while passing through the garden, Gu Fu noticed someone sitting by the lake.

Gu Fu stopped, and Lu Zhu, who was lighting the way ahead, also stopped.

A nearby maid, Nanny Lin, didn’t have Gu Fu’s keen eyesight and uncertainly asked, “Is that the young master?”

“Yes, you all wait here for me,” Gu Fu said. Without taking a detour, she lifted her skirt and stepped over the edge of the veranda seat, walking towards the lake.

Gu Chen, who was sitting by the lake, hadn’t noticed Gu Fu’s deliberate footsteps to avoid startling him. Gu Fu, fearing to scare him, called out, “Brother.”

Gu Chen finally came back to his senses and looked toward Gu Fu. “What are you doing here?”

Gu Fu replied, “I should be asking you that. What are you doing here so late? Feeding the mosquitoes?”

Gu Chen stood up and said, “It’s nothing, just sitting here for a bit. I’m heading back now; you should go back too.”

Gu Fu held him back, “You left dinner halfway. Why don’t I keep you company and eat a bit more?”

Without waiting for Gu Chen to refuse, she called out to Lu Zhu to go to the kitchen and bring some food, and asked Nanny Lin to fetch a jar of Huang Sha Tang wine from Gu Zhu.

Then she pulled Gu Chen to the pavilion in the center of the lake. After summer, the pavilion was often stocked with incense to ward off mosquitoes. Gu Fu lit the incense with a fire striker, and the slowly spreading fragrance thoroughly drove away the pesky mosquitoes of the night.

Afterward, Lu Zhu brought a food box, and Nanny Lin brought the strong wine. Gu Chen had no choice but to stay, although he couldn’t eat, so he picked up a cup and drank one after another.

Gu Fu poured wine for her brother. After they drank about half a jar, Gu Fu was still sober, but her brother was somewhat drunk. He couldn’t suppress the bitterness in his heart, and as soon as Gu Fu asked, he poured it all out.

It turned out that Gu Fu’s words to the maid earlier in the day had been overheard by her sister-in-law.

Although Gu Fu’s intention was to embarrass the sarcastic maid and the useless nanny, her sister-in-law felt there was an underlying message. With the old lady still around, Gu Qizheng and Gu Qirong, the two brothers, couldn’t split the family. Additionally, second aunt helped manage household affairs. In the future, if the family were to split and Gu Qizheng didn’t remarry, naturally, the management of the Gu family’s inner residence would fall to Gu Chen’s wife.

Gu Fu said she couldn’t manage the household, so who did she intend to manage it? Mu Qingyao?

Huo Biyan became increasingly tormented and fearful. In the end, it wasn’t Mu Qingyao’s existence that distressed her, but her fear of Mu Qingyao itself.

She decided to break the pot to pieces, called her husband back, and proactively suggested that her husband marry Mu Qingyao, thinking that if the sword hanging over her head fell quickly, she might stop being afraid.

But Gu Chen didn’t want to marry Mu Qingyao. He repeatedly explained this to his wife, but she thought he was being insincere and didn’t listen to a single word. Feeling helpless and suffocated, Gu Chen left the courtyard and wandered to the garden, where he met Gu Fu.

Gu Fu filled Gu Chen’s cup and said, “This can’t go on. Do you have any plans?”

Gu Chen finished the wine in his cup in one gulp but didn’t answer Gu Fu. It was unclear whether he had no plan or was contemplating one.

Gu Fu didn’t rush him and continued to pour him wine.

After a little while, the drunken Gu Chen propped himself up on the table and mumbled, “I want to request from my superiors to go to Qingzhou…”

Gu Fu’s hand paused slightly while pouring wine, and she switched to pouring tea instead. “Qingzhou? Is that an assignment outside the capital?”

Drunk and slow to react, Gu Chen took a moment to understand what Gu Fu had asked. He nodded and said, “Take her and go outside…”

Gu Fu understood. Her brother’s department had recently been considering an assignment to Qingzhou, but no one had been chosen yet. Her brother wanted to take this opportunity to leave the capital with his wife and get some fresh air.

This was Gu Chen’s decision, and naturally, Gu Fu wouldn’t interfere.

She then instructed Nanny Lin to call Gu Chen’s servant to help him back, while she changed clothes and headed to Qitian Tower.

By the time Gu Fu arrived at Qitian Tower, it was already past the Hai hour (9-11 pm). Fu Yan was still at his desk handling official matters. Seeing her arrive late, he didn’t say anything, but Gu Fu, feeling she had broken her promise, apologized to him.

“No matter,” Fu Yan shook his head. Since they had seen each other during the day, he could have gone to sleep if he wanted. However, he feared that if he went to bed early, Gu Fu might come and find him asleep.

More importantly, he wanted to see Gu Fu again.

A faint scent of alcohol wafted past Fu Yan’s face with the night breeze, and he asked Gu Fu, “Did you drink?”

“Yes.” Gu Fu sat down across from Fu Yan. Having drunk quite a bit, she was feeling slightly elated, and her speech was more straightforward than usual.

She told Fu Yan about her brother and sister-in-law’s situation, ending with, “Honestly, I could never be as tolerant as my brother.”

Fu Yan, struggling to stay awake, replied, “You’re not her husband, so naturally, you couldn’t.”

Gu Fu frowned, “You mean my brother is this tolerant because of his responsibility as a husband?”

Feeling drowsy, Fu Yan mimicked Gu Fu’s earlier posture, resting his head on one hand, and with a slight sheen of fatigue in his eyes, he said, “Why can’t it be because of love between them?”

Gu Fu couldn’t be sure. She wasn’t home when her brother got married, so she didn’t know much about their relationship. However, following Fu Yan’s logic made sense. Perhaps in the past, during their honeymoon period, her brother and sister-in-law had been deeply in love.

Thinking this, Gu Fu’s frown relaxed, and she smiled, saying, “If I were lucky enough to find someone who loved me deeply enough that even if he became unreasonable, I could still love and protect him, that wouldn’t be so bad.”

Fu Yan, who had been dozing off, was instantly wide awake.


If you enjoy my translations, you can consider supporting me on ko-fi! Thank you!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Release schedule: Every Monday.

Unlock chapters to read ahead!


To Buy Coins, please Register and Login before purchasing any chapter! Please join our Discord to get updates on normal and locked chapters! Also, Illustrations are available for some novels!
After Shedding My Armor, I Await Marriage

After Shedding My Armor, I Await Marriage

卸甲后我待字闺中 Xiè Jiǎ Hòu Wǒ Dài Zì Guī Zhōng
Score 9.2
Status: Completed Type: Author: Released: 2020 Native Language: Chinese

In the ninth year of Yongqing, General Gu Fu died in Qi Huai. The current emperor posthumously honored him as Marquis Zhongshun.

In the twelfth month of the same year, the second Miss Gu, who had accompanied her grandmother to the mountains to perform Buddhist rites for five years, returned home. The first thing she faced upon arrival was punishment—kneeling in the ancestral hall. In the ancestral hall, the elder of the Gu family scolded her, telling her not to act recklessly in the future and to obediently wait for the elders to arrange a marriage for her. However, she responded with a single sentence that made him storm off in anger. An unaware aunt and younger sister came to visit, seemingly out of concern, but they were actually mocking her. She calmly countered their remarks. Finally, her elder brother arrived. The scholarly eldest son of the Gu family paced back and forth in front of her, eventually blurting out, "The military camp is full of men! Do you know that if word of your disgraceful behavior spreads, it will bring shame to the family's daughters?" Gu Fu finally shed her carefree demeanor and replied seriously, "Defending the country is not a disgrace." Upon hearing that the Gu family wanted to marry off the second Miss Gu, the current emperor immediately sought out the empress, earnestly saying, "I regard the second Miss Gu as my own daughter. I can't let her marry just anyone. If empress has time, perhaps you could help me by looking for suitable candidates for her in the capital." The empress: "..." Understood, Matchmaking 101 it is.
If you enjoy my translations, feel free to consider supporting me on ko-fi! Thank you! Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com Release schedule: Every Monday. Unlock chapters to read ahead!

Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Options

not work with dark mode
Reset