In the blink of an eye, the New Year festival had arrived again.
Due to the various unexpected events that occurred at the end of the year, the imperial court’s holiday was delayed for many days, and it wasnât until the 28th day of the 12th lunar month that the official seal was closed.
However, this did not dampen the festive atmosphere, which grew livelier day by day. Every household was busy preparing New Year goods and gifts.
On New Year’s Eve, Gu Qizheng, as usual, went to the palace to attend the imperial banquet. Unlike previous years, this time, many of his colleagues greeting him were military officials.
Gu Qizheng couldn’t pinpoint exactly when this shift began. Perhaps it was after the news arrived in the capital that Gu Fu had reached the northern border, captured the rebel Wei Xiao, and successfully took command of the Northern Army. Or maybe it started when he brought Mu Qingyao back from the Ministry of Justice and insisted on recognizing her as his adopted daughter.
In any case, by the time he noticed, many military officers had become close acquaintances of his. Since they all served the same court, a bit more interaction quickly forged deeper connections.
The imperial banquet was different from ordinary family banquetsâit followed strict rules. So, no matter how enjoyable the performances, the atmosphere remained restrained. But just as the banquet was about to conclude, a military report suddenly arrived from outside the palace. The music and dancing abruptly stopped, and after being checked, the messenger entered the hall, bringing news from the northern border: The Marquis Zhongshun had led the Northern Army to reinforce the Northwest and, together with the Northwest Army, launched a surprise attack, reclaiming two cities along the border.
The hall was abuzz.
The uplifting news brought immense joy to the civil and military officials, creating a rare lively atmosphere at this year’s imperial banquet.
After the banquet ended, even more people approached Gu Qizheng for conversation. When he returned home and shared the good news with his family, everyone was overjoyed.
âThis is wonderful, truly wonderful!â The old madam held Mu Qingyaoâs hand and asked Gu Qizheng, âDoes this mean Fuâer will be able to return soon?â
Gu Qizheng smiled wryly, âItâs not that simple.â
When Gu Qizheng left the palace, a newly acquainted military officer analyzed the situation for him. He explained that Gu Fu’s boldness and expertise were key. She understood that since the Northern Army had a new commander, if the enemy got wind of this, they would assume the Northern Army needed time to adjust and wouldn’t be able to assist the Northwest. This led the enemy to lower their guard. Furthermore, the success of the operation was due to the joint surprise attack by the Northern Army and the Northwest Army. After reclaiming one city, they took advantage of the enemy’s belief that the Dayong forces wouldnât split their troops. This allowed them to launch another surprise attack and reclaim a second city. One of the cities had previously been massacred by the Zuojia tribe, and the attackers werenât worried about the enemy taking the civilians hostage, which made the recapture easier.
However, the current situation in the North wasnât one that could be resolved simply by reclaiming three cities.
Gu Qizheng sighed, unsure of how long Gu Fu would have to stay in the North this time.
Since the old madamâs health couldnât endure staying up late, and Second Madam Li had to care for the young Gu Xiaowu, while Mu Qingyao had only just recovered from a serious illness, Gu Qizheng sent them to rest early, leaving only his younger brother Gu Qirong and his nephew Gu Zhu to stay up with him to welcome the New Year.
Mu Qingyao first escorted the old madam back to her room, where she was held back and given a long list of instructions. Then, accompanied by Lu Zhu and Lin Yuezhi, who had been left for her by Gu Fu, she returned to her own courtyard.
The rebellion case involving the two princes had been settled. Prince Yingâs unauthorized entry into the imperial city, the abduction of officials, the destruction of the palace gates, and the burning of the Qitian Tower were all undeniable facts. So, after the emperor returned to the capital, he showed no mercy and sentenced Prince Ying to the death row, where he was given a poisoned cup of wine.
All of his accomplices were sentenced to death, and the women of his household were made slaves, in accordance with the law. Prince Ying’s wife was the daughter of Prime Minister Zhao Changqi. It was said that when Prince Ying stormed the imperial city, Zhao Changqi, who had been left in charge of state affairs by the emperor, was the first to step forward and denounce him. Prince Ying spared Zhaoâs life because he was his father-in-law, but Zhao Changqi, determined to prove that the Zhao family had no part in the rebellion, threw himself against a pillar, choosing to die to clear his name.
Fortunately, Fu Yan had arranged for people to intervene. Zhao Changqi was stopped before he could do fatal harm to himself, and the imperial doctors saved his life. However, after the emperor returned to the capital, Zhao Changqi submitted his resignation, requesting to retire and return to his hometown.
Before Prince Ying’s death, Lin Yuezhi revealed her true identity to him, and afterward, the Secret Cabinet rescued her from death row.
The case involving Lin Yuezhi’s family had long since passed, and many pieces of evidence had been lost. So, even though they managed to find officials who had been bribed by Prince Ying, they still couldn’t overturn the case. But for Lin Yuezhi, sending Prince Ying to meet her parents and sister in the afterlife was already satisfying enough. She didnât desire anything more.
The case of the Prince of Yi was more complicated than that of Prince Ying, involving more people, including Mu Heng and his son.
Although Mu Heng himself hadnât participated in the rebellion, his wife was a spy, and his son had joined forces with the Prince of Yi. As a husband and father, he couldnât escape death.
On the day the Mu family, along with several other families, were raided, Prince An’s heir, Wen Qize, specifically entered the palace to report to the emperor that Mu Qingyao had already âmarriedâ into the Wen family, ensuring no mistakes were made regarding her.
Of course, when Wen Qize returned, his father shut him inside and gave him a beating.
Being associated with treasonâsuch a grave crime that led to family exterminationâwas serious. The fact that they hadnât annulled the marriage was already due to the empress dowagerâs decree. Now, for Wen Qize to go out of his way to intervene, Prince An was so furious that he almost wanted to beat his rebellious son to death.
In the end, it was Princess An who persuaded him to calm down.
Princess Anâs thinking was simple: since they couldnât change the situation, instead of being fearful and letting others look down on the Wen family, they might as well take a stand and show everyone that they werenât faithless or disloyal.
Of course, this approach was only suited to the present circumstances. If this had been during the previous emperorâs reign, she wouldnât have dared to say such things. However, the current emperor was known for his kindness and leniency. If Prince Ying and the Prince of Yi hadnât committed the capital crime of treason, they wouldnât have met such a tragic end.
Even so, Prince An was still hesitant, worried that any misstep in their behavior might cause the emperor to misunderstand.
Princess An added, âDidnât the fortune-teller say that holding a grand birthday banquet would drive away evil and bring good fortune? Mu Qingyao was betrothed during the Grand Dowager Consort’s birthday banquet. I have a strong feeling that she is the âfortuneâ the fortune-teller spoke of. Look, if she werenât blessed, how could it be so coincidental that she was betrothed to our family right before winter? It proves sheâs fortunate. And don’t forget, her relationship with Marquis Zhongshun is as close as sisters.”
Her words were like a sudden wake-up call, making Prince An realize that he had been so focused on the Mu family that he almost forgot Mu Qingyao had grown up in the Gu family. She also had a cousin who was a marquis, currently leading troops in the northern borders.
After Mu Qingyao was released from the Court of Judicial Review, the Gu family openly took her back in. Not only did they help prepare her marriage, but Gu Qizheng also formally adopted her as his foster daughter, which completely put Prince An’s mind at ease.
Following her release, Mu Qingyao fell seriously ill. No matter how much medicine she took, she showed no signs of improvement.
On the day her father and brother were executed, she coughed up blood. If not for the imperial physicianâwho had previously been summoned by the emperor to diagnose Gu Fuâstill being present, Mu Qingyao might have followed her father and brother to the grave.
But even though her life was saved, Mu Qingyao’s condition remained critical.
Seeing Mu Qingyao grow weaker by the day, Lin Yuezhi finally sat by her bedside one sleepless night and asked, “Do you know why I followed the General from the northern borders to the capital?”
Mu Qingyao didnât know, so Lin Yuezhi began to tell her the story of how her family had been wrongfully accused because of Prince Ying, leading to their extermination.
After finishing her story, Lin Yuezhi gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind Mu Qingyaoâs ear and softly said, “Do you know how much I envy you? My family was framed, but I still couldnât escape my fate. I was taken to the northwest and forced into the military brothel. My elder sister protected me, keeping me from being violated on the way. Because of that, when we arrived in the northwest, I was selected and sold off at a high price, earning money for them.
“Later, I met the General. I figured out her identity and purposely revealed to her that I knew, hoping she would kill me to keep her secret. I didnât want to live that kind of life anymore. But she didnât kill me. When she learned what I had been through, she ransomed me, bought a house for me, and made arrangements for my safety. Her subordinates told me she had asked around about my sisterâs fate in the northwest army, but she never told me because my sister was no longer alive. In a place like a military brothel, how could she have survived?
“But she didnât want to break my heart, so she kept it from me. Later, when she was about to leave the northern borders, she asked me whether I wanted to settle in some peaceful, scenic place or follow her to the capital.
“I begged her to take me to the capital because I wanted to avenge my parents and sister. I wanted to make Prince Ying pay with his life…”
Hatred, like a raging fire, had consumed Lin Yuezhi, leaving her unrecognizable.
Even now, as she spoke about it, she found it hard to stay calm. But she was willing to reopen her wounds to comfort Mu Qingyao, simply because Mu Qingyao was an important family member to Gu Fu.
“Youâre luckier than I am,” Lin Yuezhi said. “Youâve known the General since you were young, so even though your father married a spy who leaked military secrets, causing heavy losses in the northwest, and even though your brother colluded with rebels, committing crimes that should have dragged you down too, youâve still been able to escape a fate in the mud under the Generalâs protection. I know that right now, you probably think dying would be easier than living, but I hope youâll think carefully about it. They may have been your father and brother, but itâs the Gu family that raised you, worried about you, cared for you, and treated you as their own. At least for their sake, you should try to take care of yourself.â
Tears had been silently streaming down Mu Qingyaoâs face ever since Lin Yuezhi began speaking, and by the end, she was sobbing uncontrollably.
From that day onward, Mu Qingyao began to pull herself together, trying to recover her health and return to her former self.
However, there were still moments, late at night, when she would remove her jewelry and makeup, and stare blankly at her reflection in the mirror, lost in thought.
âMiss, itâs time to sleep,â Lu Zhu gently reminded her.
Mu Qingyao finally snapped out of it and went to bed.
The next day was the first day of the new year. The previous nightâs battle report from the northern borders spread across the capital like wildfire, adding an extra layer of joy to the already festive atmosphere.
Now, when people spoke of Marquis Zhongshun, no one dared to criticize her anymore. In fact, some scholars took particular aim at those who had looked down on her, and the public opinion in the capital shifted completely from what it had been before.
Because of Gu Fu, many noblewomen in the capital also began to pay close attention to the situation at the borders.
Princess Ruiyang, who had received a five-day break from her studies at the academy, rose early to pay her respects to the Empress. During their casual conversation, she brought up a certain matter. After a brief silence, Princess Ruiyang suddenly said, “Mother.”
The Empress responded, “Yes?”
Ruiyang continued, “I think Iâve come to understand the true purpose of the womenâs academy.”
Before Ruiyang had entered the academy as a role model, the Empress had been candid with her, explaining that the rumors and strange happenings surrounding the academy were merely tools she used to establish it. She had assured Ruiyang that there was nothing to fear.
However, Ruiyang, still lacking in wisdom at the time, could not fathom why the Empress had gone to such great lengths to create a women’s academy.
It wasn’t until she experienced the marriage proposal from the Zuojia tribe and narrowly escaped being deceived into marrying far away, and later learned that Gu Fu had once served in the northern army, and now heard of Gu Fu’s military achievements in the northern borders, that she finally began to understand.
If you donât want to be manipulated or deceived, you must not limit your perspective to only what others want you to see or restrict yourself to only doing what others expect of you.
You must learn, constantly learn. Learn to think for yourself, to explore and take risks. Learn to wield both the pen and the sword, and make yourself so strong that no one would dare to take advantage of you.
Women are not naturally inferior to men. As long as they receive the same education, they can achieve the same, if not better, results.
But without a weapon in hand, one is only left at the mercy of others.
Take herself, for example. If she were as skilled in military command as Gu Fu, those people would have been crazy to try and force her into a political marriage.
The Empress didnât ask further. She simply said, âIf you understand, then remember it.â
Remember this moment of clarity, this newfound understanding, and never waver from it. Continue to carry forth the thoughts and hopes that both she and Gu Fu share.
One day, they will all return to dust, but the spirit they pass on will live forever.
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