Chapter 40

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The corners of Empress Dowager Yuan’s lips tightened into a cold, hard line, the bamboo pavilion above casting a faint shadow across her dignified face.

“Don’t speak nonsense,” she said, suppressing the storm of emotions surging within her. Forcing a faint smile, she added lightly, “Miss Gu is already engaged.”

Her sharp gaze locked onto Kang Wang, her right hand gripping the armrest even tighter.

The Empress Dowager’s visit to Jing Wang Manor had two purposes: to select a principal consort for her son and to assess Gu Yun Rong in person. She had been prepared to make a concession by allowing the girl to be a concubine, thereby indulging Kang Wang’s infatuation while preserving her long-term plans.

But now, her perspective shifted. A flicker of displeasure for Gu Yun Rong began to take root in her heart. Her son was destined for greatness, a man with the ambition to ascend the throne. As a ruler, he could not afford to lose himself over a woman.

The stories of history echoed in her mind—Daji’s ruinous influence on the Shang dynasty, King You of Zhou igniting the beacons to amuse his beloved concubine. A sovereign enthralled by beauty was a sign of doom for his realm.

===
Daji: A concubine of King Zhou of Shang, often blamed in Chinese folklore for the Shang dynasty’s downfall. Her influence led to the king’s tyranny and indulgence in excesses, symbolizing the dangers of rulers captivated by beauty.

King You of Zhou: The last ruler of the Western Zhou dynasty. He infamously lit warning beacons, meant for summoning allies during invasions, to entertain his concubine Bao Si. This act eroded trust among his lords, contributing to the dynasty’s collapse.
===

“Mother, you’re mistaken,” Kang Wang said firmly, meeting the sharp gaze of the Empress Dowager without flinching. “That engagement belongs to the second young lady of the Marquis of Dingyuan Residence.”

The Empress Dowager froze momentarily. Her first thought was: Isn’t Gu Yun Rong the second young lady of the Marquis of Dingyuan Residence?

The others nearby were just as confused as the Empress Dowager, their faces a mix of curiosity and bewilderment.

Kang Wang called over his personal attendant and pointed toward Zhuoxin Pavilion. “The second young lady of the Marquis of Dingyuan Residence is in the pavilion. Go and ask her to come here,” he instructed.

Inside Zhuoxin Pavilion, Gu Yan Fei and Gu Yun Zhen overheard everything clearly. Gu Yun Zhen frowned, her mind flashing back to the earlier chaos at the Moonlight Pavilion, the image of Fang Ming Feng’s bloodied face lingering vividly in her thoughts.

It wasn’t long before a green-robed attendant entered the pavilion, his demeanor polite and formal. He bowed slightly to Gu Yan Fei. “Second Young Lady, the Empress Dowager and His Highness Kang Wang request your presence for a conversation.”

Gu Yan Fei set down her teacup, rising gracefully. She pressed a hand on Gu Yun Zhen’s arm as her elder sister began to stand, smiling. “Elder Sister, I’ll be right back.”

The other guests in the pavilion turned their gazes toward her in unison, their expressions a mix of curiosity, surprise, and admiration.

“Please, Second Young Lady,” the green-robed attendant said, gesturing toward the exit.

Li Zhulang watched Gu Yan Fei’s elegant figure as she departed, a look of utter despair clouding his face. His shoulders slumped as a single, devastating thought repeated endlessly in his mind: The beauty… is already engaged?!

“Fair lady, a gentleman seeks her favor.”

But if the beauty is already betrothed, doesn’t that mean he’s already lost before he even had a chance to compete?

Li Zhulang stood frozen in place, his expression despairing as if he were on the verge of tears. Beside him, the young boy gently patted his cousin’s shoulder in an attempt to console him.

The autumn wind stirred, carrying a faint chill from the lake. From Zhuoxin Pavilion to the polo field, the atmosphere was deathly quiet. The soft rustling of branches swaying in the breeze was the only sound that broke the silence.

Gu Yan Fei walked forward, all eyes on her, until she reached Gu Yun Rong’s other side. She curtsied gracefully to Empress Dowager Yuan, her movements precise yet carrying a subtle air of casual ease.

Kang Wang, however, paid her no real attention. He didn’t even look at her directly as he spoke, his tone cold and clipped. “Tell the Empress Dowager, are you or are you not betrothed to the heir of the Duke of Ying?”

Gu Yan Fei’s lips curved into a serene smile. “I am not,” she replied with a light-hearted calm, her answer consisting of just two simple words.

Her delicate, beautiful face lit up with a gentle smile, like the sun breaking through the clouds or crabapple blossoms just beginning to bloom, adorning the branches in a soft, budding elegance.

As Gu Yan Fei’s calm declaration fell—“I am not”—a ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. The onlookers began whispering and exchanging glances, curiosity mounting.

Many had already noticed this unfamiliar young woman today. Her strikingly beautiful face, a vision of national grace and charm, was captivating to both men and women alike, drawing their gazes repeatedly.

Most of the guests only knew her as “Miss Gu” and assumed she was another member of the prominent Gu family. Now, however, it seemed that this enigmatic Gu young lady had a far more significant background than anyone had imagined.

Kang Wang’s sword-like brows furrowed slightly as he glanced sideways at Gu Yan Fei. The young woman stood quietly in place, her soft smile giving nothing away. He couldn’t tell if she was deliberately opposing him or if she was genuinely unaware of the engagement.

Suppressing his thoughts, Kang Wang clasped his hands behind his back, exuding an aura of cold authority. His tone turned sharp and unyielding as he continued, “Fourteen years ago, when your grandfather was still alive, he arranged a marriage with the late Duke of Ying. It was agreed that Gu Ce’s eldest legitimate daughter would be betrothed to Fang Ming Feng, the Duke’s heir, even before her birth…”

“You are absolutely correct, Your Highness,” Gu Yan Fei smoothly picked up where Kang Wang had left off, her serene smile calm and composed. “The one engaged to the Duke of Ying’s heir is the eldest legitimate daughter of the main branch of the Marquis of Dingyuan Residence.”

Her silken hair ribbons danced lightly in the breeze, her flowing skirt trailing elegantly behind her. She shone like the cold light of the moon, an ethereal aura surrounding her that stood in stark contrast to Kang Wang’s imposing chill.

“The terms of the engagement were written clearly and unmistakably on the betrothal document,” she continued, her gaze shifting to Gu Yun Rong. “And as everyone knows, the eldest legitimate daughter of the late Marquis of Dingyuan is Gu Yun Rong.”

Turning her head slightly, Gu Yan Fei tilted her face toward Gu Yun Rong, the distance between them no more than half a foot. Her voice was soft, yet her question cut sharply: “Is that correct, or not?”

Gu Yun Rong’s pupils contracted, and her brow twitched faintly.

Kang Wang’s expression soured as well, his eyes narrowing as he finally gave Gu Yan Fei a proper look.

Gu Yan Fei’s smile deepened as she regarded the pair, the “lovers” standing so close together. Yet the amusement never quite reached her eyes.

In her past life, after returning to the Marquis of Dingyuan Residence, Gu Yan Fei and Gu Yun Rong had been registered as twin daughters under their father, Gu Ce, and mother, Madam Xie. However, the Gu family had always been vague about her identity. Whenever she was mentioned to outsiders, it was done in a deliberately ambiguous manner, leaving her as an undefined shadow beside her sister.

Back then, she had grown up under a cloud of abuse, beaten and berated from a young age. Later, under Nanny Xu’s relentless scorn, suppression, and humiliation, she became increasingly timid, withdrawing into herself. She spent her days confined within the Hou Residence, too afraid to interact with others and with no opportunity to defend herself.

As a result, nearly everyone in the capital assumed she was a distant orphaned relative or an adopted daughter. Few knew she was the true legitimate daughter of the Gu family. Instead, she was treated like an imitation pearl masquerading as the real thing.

Despite being the true blood of the Gu family, she had become an unmentionable presence, her existence downplayed and diminished.

Even at the time of her death, her identity remained unclear to those around her.

This ambiguity had become her heart’s deepest wound, her inner demon. In her youth, the injustice of it had often plunged her into deep despair.

Now, in this life, the same story was repeating itself. History seemed determined to play out as before.

Even though Gu Yun Rong had been formally transferred to the second branch, the Gu family still made no effort to officially restore Gu Yan Fei’s rightful identity. Her name remained in the shadows, her legitimacy unacknowledged.

In her past life, it had never happened. It hadn’t happened now, and it was certain never to happen in the future.

Gu Yan Fei tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on Gu Yun Rong, who stood mere inches away. She asked again, her tone calm yet pointed, “Is it, or is it not?”

A few stray locks of hair slipped down her cheek with the movement, the small pearl earrings dangling beneath her earlobes swaying gently. Her eyes glimmered with an almost otherworldly brilliance, stunningly captivating.

The color drained from Gu Yun Rong’s face, leaving her three shades paler. Her cherry-red lips pressed into a thin line. With just a few simple words, Gu Yan Fei had forced her into an impossible dilemma.

No matter how Gu Yun Rong answered, she would lose.

If she said yes, she would be publicly acknowledging Gu Yan Fei as the true eldest legitimate daughter of the main branch.

If she said no, it would confirm that she, Gu Yun Rong, was the one engaged to the Duke of Ying’s heir.