Gu Fu noticed that the Empress was reluctant to speak. Considering that the Empress was Li Yu’s aunt, it was understandable that she didn’t want Li Yu to lose face in front of his former superior. So, Gu Fu didn’t press the matter further.
As they shifted the conversation away from Li Yu and were about to continue discussing the academy, Nanny Jing arrived to relay a message, saying that His Majesty had summoned both the Empress and Gu Fu.
The Empress asked Nanny Jing, “Did His Majesty mention what it was about?”
Nanny Jing replied, “No, but I asked Xiao Xi, who delivered the decree. Xiao Xi said that the National Master had brought someone into the palace to meet with His Majesty, and shortly after, His Majesty ordered him to summon Your Majesty.”
Fu Yan?
Gu Fu was puzzled but followed the Empress to the Hanliang Palace.
The Hanliang Palace was built beside the Lingyao Pond. Behind the palace was a large waterwheel that transported water from the pond to the palace’s roof. This water would flow down channels along the roof, creating a curtain of rain outside the palace, cooling it down during the summer.
Gu Fu entered the palace with the Empress and saw two young men in white robes standing beneath the imperial throne.
One of them, naturally, was Fu Yan. His white hair was neatly tied behind his waist with a silk ribbon, and his features were as delicate as a painting. He had an ethereal demeanor, exuding an aura of aloofness and coldness that was apparent even as he stood there silently.
The other young man was unfamiliar to Gu Fu. His appearance was ordinary, but he exuded an aura of harmlessness and joy, making it difficult for others to feel wary of him.
When Fu Yan saw Gu Fu entering with the Empress, the icy expression on his face gradually softened. After exchanging glances with Gu Fu, they both slightly lifted the corners of their lips in a smile.
Si Ya knew that Fu Yan was very fond of his fiancĂ©e, but witnessing this change in Fu Yan firsthand, Si Ya couldn’t help but stroke his chin in amazement. Could this still be the cold and ruthless junior disciple he once knew? Could it be that someone had taken over his body?
Before Si Ya could verify his suspicions, the Emperor spoke directly, revealing the idea Fu Yan had proposed to the Empress and Gu Fu.
Lately, there have been many strange rumors circulating in the capital. These were all spread by people under Fu Yan’s instructions as a preliminary test to see if his method would work. The results were promising: whether commoners or nobility, people were very interested in such rumors. Whether they believed them or not, they would gather to discuss them, and the stories would become increasingly exaggerated.
So, Fu Yan thought, why not use the talk of ghosts and spirits to help the Empress and Gu Fu? This way, they wouldn’t have to cover their plans with completely contradictory reasons, nor would they have to expose their ambitions, making themselves targets for opposition.
However, this was not a small matter. To deceive the entire capital, it wasn’t enough for the Empress and Gu Fu to agree; they needed the Emperor’s approval as well. After all, throughout history, events involving ghosts and spirits were often related to changes in imperial power.
For example, in the previous dynasty, the founding emperor’s rebellion was supported by many because, after a heavy snowfall, divine prophecies appeared on the ground when the snow melted. This allowed the founding emperor of the previous dynasty to smoothly overthrow the corrupt ruler of the earlier dynasty.
The founding emperor of the current dynasty also used similar tricks, not just once. The more mystical, the better, eventually transforming himself from a “rebel” into someone seen as divinely ordained.
This was an idea that neither the Empress nor Gu Fu had considered before. While intrigued, they both looked towards the throne, waiting for the Emperor’s final decision.
Unlike the anxious Gu Fu, the Empress was confident that this matter would likely proceed, or else the Emperor wouldn’t have called them over.
Sure enough, the Emperor did not oppose it.
But it wasn’t because he shared the Empress’s dedication to the women’s academy. Rather, he saw a potential benefit in the planâpeople were already talking about strange events, but to make them believe, there had to be actual “strange occurrences” as well.
These strange occurrences could be a divine prophecy appearing on the ground after a heavy snowfall, a white fox speaking human words on a full moon night, or an official returning to the capital with something sinister hidden within him, unable to resist the dragon’s aura after entering the city, locking himself in his room late at night, and dying mysteriously…
The capital was hit by a long-awaited storm with strong winds and heavy rain.
Because the storm made it difficult to travel to the palace, the Empress temporarily suspended the classes for Princess Ruiyang and excused her companions from braving the harsh weather.
However, Gu Fu still planned to visit the Qitian Tower in the evening as usual. Fu Yan wasn’t too keen on her going, fearing that the intense wind and rain might lead to an accident.
“Don’t worry, this kind of weather is nothing,” Gu Fu reassured him. She had gone to Fu Yan’s room to change out of her rain-soaked clothes. After going upstairs, she began to dry her hair and glanced at Yi Ye, asking, “I left my wet clothes on the floor, arenât you going to clean them up?”
Yi Ye looked troubled but finally ran downstairs to tidy up, calling out as he did, “I’ll be right back.”
As soon as Yi Ye went downstairs, Gu Fu threw aside the towel she was using to dry her hair and pulled Fu Yan by the collar, kissing him passionately.
Fu Yan, cherishing the brief moment without Yi Ye around, returned the kiss with intense affection.
“Ya ya ya ya ya!!” Suddenly, an exaggerated noise erupted from the stairway, nearly causing them to bite each otherâs lips.
Gu Fu let go of Fu Yan and turned towards the staircase, where she saw Fu Yanâs senior disciple brother, Si Ya, standing there. He was covering his eyes with his hands, pretending to be shy and embarrassed.
Gu Fu was speechless.
If youâre really embarrassed, why donât you just leave?!
But Gu Fu held back from shouting out what was on her mind. After all, this was Fu Yan’s senior disciple brother, and according to Fu Yan, they were on good terms.
Fu Yan, however, had no such reservations. He shouted one word towards the staircase: “Scram!”
Gu Fu began to doubt whether they were really on good terms.
Si Ya lowered his hands and said righteously, “No way, I have to keep an eye on you two. You aren’t married yet, so we can’t break the rules.”
Fu Yanâs expression clearly said, “I don’t believe your nonsense.”
A swindler who conned and cheated his way through the world still dared to talk about rules?
Si Ya didn’t care about Fu Yan’s attitude and seemed quite pleased with himself.
Soon after, Yi Ye returned. Gu Fu had no choice but to pick up the towel she had thrown aside and obediently dry her hair.
Yi Ye served hot tea to the three of them. Although Si Ya was unreliable and talkative, he was competent when it came to getting things done. After some light banter, he got down to business, discussing with Gu Fu and Fu Yan how to spread and create rumors.
However, Gu Fu didnât expect that before the various eerie and strange rumors could spread, the incident of Mu Qingyao being stopped by local thugs would be leaked first.
The afternoon Gu Fu heard the news, Wen Qize, the heir apparent of Prince An, came to her house in the pouring rain. He asked Gu Fu to apologize to Mu Qingyao on his behalf and assured her that he had never mentioned the incident to anyone. He even vouched for the integrity of the Prince of Yiâs people, leaving the culprits to be either the local thugs or the constables who had dealt with them.
“I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and give Miss Mu an explanation!” Wen Qize promised before mounting his horse and leaving. He was so upset that he didn’t even bother with an umbrella or a hat, showing just how angry he was.
Gu Fu stood at the side gate of the Gu residence, watching Wen Qize’s figure disappear into the rain. She couldn’t help but think: This guy is too honest. Didnât he consider that the leak might have come from our side?
Of course, Gu Fu and Mu Qingyao wouldnât have let anything slip, which left only the coachman and the guards who were present that day…
Gu Fu went to find Second Madam Li and was surprised to learn that the coachman had disappeared since the previous day. Realizing something was wrong, she not only asked Lu Zhu to seek help from the people at the Secret Cabinet but also requested Miss Qi, who had visited today, to ask Guo Jianâs people to keep an eye out for the coachman through the Gatekeeping Department.
Miss Qi had come today because Gu Fu had sent for her, mainly to inquire about Guo Jianâs reaction after learning of Li Yuâs true identity.
While Fu Yan could have provided information about the Imperial Guard, Gu Fu noticed that since the encounter with Li Yu in the side hall of the Hanyuan Palace, Fu Yan had harbored a strong hostility towards him.
Although Gu Fu couldnât quite figure out the source of this hostility, she followed her instinct to avoid unnecessary conflict and decided not to ask Fu Yan about Li Yu. Instead, she turned to Guo Jian, who was currently in a fierce rivalry with the Imperial Guard.
Guo Jian was eager to boast about his current success to Gu Fu, so much so that he wrote down what he wanted to say on a thick stack of papers and sent them with his wife to give to Gu Fu.
When Gu Fu saw Miss Qi pull out the thick stack of papers, she initially thought something had happened to Li Yu. But after reading through them, she realized that they were filled with Guo Jianâs accounts of how he had led his Chiyao army in quietly building strength, eventually seizing the opportunity to stand out in front of the Emperor and even snatching a few tasks from the Imperial Guard, hinting at a growing competition between the two forces.
Gu Fu was surprised that Guo Jian had achieved so much in just two months.
However, after reading the papers several times, she found that they didnât mention much about Li Yu, other than some sarcastic remarks.
Having confirmed that the papers contained no further information, Gu Fu turned to Miss Qi for more details.
Li Yu, born into an extraordinary family and still unmarried, was one of the most discussed potential suitors among noble ladies. Miss Qi, who frequently mingled among the women of the inner court, had naturally heard some things about him and told Gu Fu, “Everyone says he’s been acting very strange lately.”
“Strange?”
Miss Qi tried to recall and managed to piece together a rough idea. Gu Fu then learned that Li Yu had suddenly taken sick leave recently and had even gotten into a street brawl during his time off. However, the matter was hushed up. Miss Qi had heard about it from the wife of the Capital Prefect. Later, Li Yu botched a few tasks, leading to a scolding from the Emperor and even punishment from the head of the Li family.
Gu Fu was speechless.
No wonder the Empress didnât want to talk about itâthings were really bad.
From the single word “strange” that others used, only Li Yu knew what he had truly experienced.
That day, he recalled that his cousin Li Jin had once spent a hefty sum to obtain a portrait of the Gu familyâs second daughter. Without a second thought, Li Yu left his friends behind and went downstairs to find Li Jin.
However, Li Jin, thinking that Li Yu was suddenly asking about it because Gu Fu was now the National Advisorâs fiancĂ©e, lied and said that their fatherâLi Yuâs second uncleâhad discovered the portrait and thrown it into the fire to be burned.
Although Li Yu felt regret, he also inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.
It wasnât until he was at the Ministry of Personnel to pick up someone that he accidentally learned the name of the Gu familyâs eldest sonâGu Chen.
For some reason, this made him think of Gu Fu.
Compelled by an inexplicable force, he sought out Wu Huaijin, the former Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard who had been dismissed. Wu Huaijin had once exchanged betrothal letters with the Gu familyâs second daughter, so he naturally knew her given name. Thus, Li Yu finally discovered that the second daughter of the Gu family was named Gu Fu.
No one knew how he made his way back home that day. By the time he realized it, he had already barged into Li Jinâs courtyard, ignoring the maidservantsâ attempts to stop him, and thoroughly searched the place until he found the hidden portrait.
Staring at the woman in the painting, as graceful as a startled swan, he felt as though he had been struck by lightning, his mind going completely blank.
After a long while, something surfaced in his memoryâhis recollections from his time in the Northern Territory. The Gu Fu in his memories bore no resemblance to the elegant and beautiful woman in the painting. She wore men’s clothes and spent her days among men. Although she looked somewhat frail, her bravery on the battlefield had never led anyone to suspect that she was a woman.
Li Yu vividly remembered the first time she left an impression on him. It was in Youfeng City on the border, which was besieged by the Zuojia tribe. The reinforcements were delayed, and the city had run out of supplies. The townspeople, desperate, had organized themselves to bring their children to the Northern Army to be used as food, because the Zuojia tribe was notorious for slaughtering entire cities once they breached the walls. If the city fell, everyone would perish.
He suppressed his disgust and wanted to send the children back, but Gu Fu stopped him. At the time, he thought Gu Fu intended to eat the children, and they almost got into a fight. However, Gu Fu told him that once the children were brought here, they had to be hidden; if they were sent back directly, next time, it would be bowls of cooked meat soup that the townspeople sent back.
The city had already consumed everything edible, so where would they find meat to make soup, unless…
Li Yu looked at the innocent children and felt nauseous.
Gu Fu threatened him, “Try vomiting, and see what happens.”
It wasnât surprising that Gu Fu was so harsh. Li Yuâs identity was exposed not long after he joined the Northern Army, and because he was the Empressâs nephew, he was treated with special care everywhere he went. On the other hand, soldiers like Gu Fu survived by drinking water and gnawing on grass, occasionally catching a few birds flying over Youfeng City to feast on. If Li Yu dared to throw up in front of her, she really would beat him up.
In the end, though, he did throw up because, after hiding the children, Gu Fu suddenly said to him, “Old Hammerhead was the one who told me all that. Heâs been with the Northern Army for eight years. Do you want to guess how he knew that sending the children back would result in bowls of meat soup?”
When Li Yu thought about it, he couldnât hold it in and vomited.
This gave Gu Fu the perfect excuse to kick him to the ground.
Later, Li Yu learned that while he still had something to eat, the lower-ranking soldiers had already run out of rations. The day before Gu Fu beat him up, Old Hammerhead and a few other veterans had sneaked out of the city to find food. Unfortunately, they were spotted by the Zuojia tribe’s patrol and had their heads cut off and displayed on tall poles as a provocation.
So Gu Fu had done it on purposeâsaid those things just to have an excuse to beat him up.
From that time onward, he began to notice Gu Fu.
Gu Fu was different from him. She was always surrounded by people who would throw their arms around her shoulders, laugh, curse, and joke with her. They had a good relationship. Of course, some had conflicts with Gu Fu, but after a fight, they inexplicably ended up becoming close companions.
When Gu Fu was in a good mood, she was very friendly and would even draw portraits of peopleâs families back homeâparents, wives, and children. If misfortune struck, sheâd endure it with everyone else. But when she was in a bad mood, she could be incredibly difficult. Those who gritted their teeth at her were usually her comrades who had shared life-and-death experiences.
Gu Fu had many odd habits, like refusing to go into the water during the summer and placing heavy bets while drinking. She seemed carefree, but whenever someone she knew died, she would become very quiet. She didnât cry, yet she appeared deeply sorrowful.
Gu Fu fought with a ferocity that suggested she had no regard for her own life, but her martial arts skills were so formidable that it was often her enemies who ended up losing their lives.
Li Yu watched as Gu Fu, once an unremarkable low-ranking soldier, gradually rose through the ranks to become a scout, surpassing him step by step with an unrivaled determination, eventually leaving him behind.
Strangely, when he saw that someone who had once been beneath him had become his superior, he didn’t feel a trace of jealousy or resentment. Instead, he even felt a sense of pride, as if it were only natural.
If he could, he wished he could live like Gu Fu.
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