The 28th daughter of the Marquis House has gone missing?

  Gu Siyang and Gu Siyu, although they arrived in the capital before their mother, Gu Yuxiang, were participating in such a grand event for the first time. The two children sat in the carriage, looking out at the sights, unafraid of the cold outside. Gu Huaizhong rode on horseback, watching his children's smiling faces, feeling happy in his heart. Unfortunately, Liu Shi couldn't come; otherwise, it would have been a harmonious family gathering.

  What he thought was beautiful, Gu Yuqie and Liang's side became much quieter;

  "Where's Ah Nuan uncomfortable?" Liang felt that Gu Yuqiu's hand was a bit cold, and put her own warmer into her daughter's arms.

  "Mother." Gu Yuqie suddenly threw herself into Liang Shi's arms, wrapping her hands around her slender waist. "Mother, have you ever thought about what we'll do in the future?" She looked up at Liang Shi with a questioning expression.

  "What about the future?" Liang's family took advantage of Gu Yuqiu and wrapped her in his arms, covering her small body with his own crane cloak. A peaceful and serene smile appeared on his face. "In the future, mother will be looking forward to you marrying a good husband, living a happy life, and when you have children again, mother will help take care of them, and mother won't think about anything else." A faint sadness flashed in her beautiful eyes.

  "What if I don't want to get married in the future and just want to stay with Mother?" Gu Yuqie asked tentatively. "I don't want to leave you."

  Li's mother smiled and gently scratched the tip of Gu Yuqie's nose, saying in a spoiled tone. "You're still young now, so it's natural that you don't want to leave your mother. When you grow up and see handsome young men, you won't think this way anymore. You will eventually get married. Don't worry, I'll definitely choose a handsome and reliable one for you." Of course, the family background must also be good, otherwise, her daughter would suffer after marrying into that family. But Li's mother didn't say the second half of the sentence out loud.

  "Didn't mother think that father was handsome and reliable back then?" Gu Yuqie asked tentatively again.

  Li's smile stiffened, and a layer of gloominess shrouded her beautiful eyes. "Yes," she sighed, subconsciously glancing outside the carriage through the green silk window, where she could vaguely see the man riding on a tall horse, his profile almost perfect, yet somehow couldn't be superimposed with that handsome young man she had seen in Jiangnan years ago. "But mother won't let Ah Rou take the same path as her." Li silently sighed to herself, then forced a smile.

  "Mother, how can you be sure that the person who replaces me is reliable?" Gu Yuqie asked again, "Just like mother, although she is not willing in her heart, she always endures and tolerates. If I marry a man in the future and he betrays me and cheats me, should I also endure and compromise? Why? If I encounter a scoundrel in the future, I will definitely keep him at arm's length, let him live his life, and I will live my carefree days. It is better to solve it once and for all than to tolerate it every day."

  "You child, where did you get such a strange idea?" Mrs. Liang's eyelid twitched, "Did you read some inappropriate books?" Her voice became somewhat stern. Chen Hanlin was a great scholar at the time and would not have taught Gu Yuqiu anything strange or unusual. This girl had a photographic memory, so it couldn't be that she had gone to Gu Huai's study and read something that went against propriety, giving her such rebellious ideas?

  "Mother, I'm serious." Gu Yuqie had wanted to say these words for a long time. These days she had been getting up early and going to bed late, practicing martial arts and reading books, studying the geography of the nine states, all in preparation for the day when she could take the Liang family and leave the Hou estate behind, with a vast expanse of sky and sea ahead. "Mother, look, if we can support ourselves in the future, why must we be confined to this small estate? The outside world is so big, we can travel to all the states, read books and experience the world. When I grow up, I want to take you on a journey through the mountains and rivers of the nine states, watch the sunset over the long river, and taste the clear clouds and mist. Will you be willing?"

  Li was taken aback by Gu Yuqiu's words and didn't know how to respond for a moment. The scenery of the nine states, the sunset on the long river, the wind and clouds rolling in, what a magnificent scene it is! Just thinking about it makes one yearn for it, and yet these words came from the mouth of a ten-year-old girl. Li looked at Gu Yuqiu's eyes in surprise, the girl's gaze was firm and distant, through her daughter's eyes, she saw that such a broad heart was hidden in her small body.

  "Mother, if you don't want to, I won't mention it again." Seeing Liang Shi staring at her with uncertain eyes, Gu Yuqiu let out a long sigh and still leaned into Liang Shi's arms, like a obedient little cat. "If mother really just hopes that daughter will marry a good husband in the future, then daughter will listen to mother. In short, whatever makes you happy, mother, is what I'll do."

  Holding her little daughter's body, listening to her soft and sweet words, Liang felt a lump in her throat. Although she had lost the child in her womb, she now had such an obedient and lovely daughter.

  Gu Yuqiu no longer spoke, but those words had left a deep impression on Liang Shi's heart.

  She was not the kind of lady who stayed indoors all day, she had traveled extensively throughout Jiangnan in her youth, and she knew how free and happy she was back then.

  Is this kind of temperament inherited from her? Must she really be confined within the high walls and grand courtyards of a noble family?

  Liang also began to doubt whether his approach was really the best for Gu Yuqie.

  The horse cart continued to move forward along the official road, and Gu Huai Zhong outside the car couldn't hear the conversation between the mother and daughter inside. At dusk, the horse cart arrived at the inn that Gu Huai Zhong had previously booked.

  The inn's entrance was packed with horse-drawn carriages from various provinces, and the small town with only two streets was crowded to the point of bursting. Every year at this time, the town would hang wind lanterns everywhere, illuminating the town's only two roads as bright as daylight.

  After settling down the people in the lower house, Gu Huai Zhong naturally went downstairs to chat with his colleagues. The lobby of the inn was bustling like a New Year's celebration. At this time, the wives and young masters and misses from various official residences did not need to be overly reserved, which is why some marriages were often arranged after the annual Winter Hunting Festival. This was also what the high-ranking officials in the court wanted to see; after all, those who could bring their families to participate in the Winter Hunting Festival were somewhat prestigious in front of the emperor, and forming alliances through marriage would be beneficial to both parties.

  When it was time for dinner, Liang Shi finally brought Gu Yuqiu downstairs. Gu Siyang and Gu Siyu had already run down to play on their own, unable to wait any longer.

  It's rare for them to be let out, and Gu Huai Zhong didn't want to restrain the two siblings too much either. He just reminded them not to run too far away, and had the servants follow them, letting them go wild.

  Liáng shì dài zhe gù yǔ kuí hé xiāng shí de fū rén men yī yī de dǎ guò zhāo hu, zhè cái zài zhuō biān zuò xià.

  Translation:

  Mr. Liang greeted Mrs. Gu Yuqiu and the other ladies one by one before sitting down at the table.

  Gu Yuqie had been following Liang's pace, but she always felt that the eyes of the people in the room were drifting towards her. She had tried very hard to conceal herself, and it was as if she needed a cloak of invisibility to wrap around her, making herself an invisible person.

  The Seventh Prince held a fan in his hand, and although it was the middle of winter, he often carried it with him. The poem on the fan was said to be written by the eldest miss of this noble house. The Seventh Prince, such a cold and detached person, yet couldn't bear to part with Gu Yu's poem, and Chen Hanlin would occasionally bring up his female disciple, saying that Gu Yu's fame had already spread far and wide. Although the matter at the Princess's estate had passed, the ladies of the various noble houses still discussed it in private, making it even more impossible for Gu Yu to remain a hidden figure.

  The Princess's mansion also spread the news that she gave Zhang Wan'er and Gu Yuqiu each a princess's jade pendant, allowing them to enter and exit the princess's mansion at will. Zhang Wan'er was naturally restless and as soon as she recovered from her illness, she eagerly wore the jade pendant to show it off everywhere. On the other hand, Gu Yuqiu didn't even step out of the door for a whole month. In comparison, it was natural to pay more attention to Gu Yuqiu.

  Now she appears in front of everyone with Liang, her hair combed into two buns, wearing a bright red dress, with an exquisitely crafted gold and jade long-life lock around her neck, only a small butterfly-shaped perfume sachet and a white jade rabbit pendant hanging from her waist, but the jade pendant from the princess's mansion is nowhere to be seen.

  All the ladies took a look, and they all felt that Gu Yuqie was more pleasing to the eye than Zhang Wuji. After all, she didn't show off, unlike the young lady from the Zhang household, who acted as if she feared the whole world wouldn't know that she had caught the princess's attention.

  Everyone has a heart of jealousy, and Gu Yuqie is so low-key that Zhang Wanxi's high-profile is set off to be a bit annoying.

  Fortunately, Zhang Wan-yi was not in this inn. Gu Yu-qiu looked around and finally let out a sigh of relief.

  "Hey, isn't this the wife of Dingyuan Hou and the young lady of the mansion?" Just as Gu Yuqie had let out a breath of relief, she heard a strange laugh coming from the west side of the main hall.

  Li and Gu Yuqiu both turned their heads to look over, a lady stood up from the western table, wearing a emerald green cheongsam with a white pomegranate skirt underneath, holding a bronze lotus-shaped hand warmer inlaid with rubies. There were also two young girls and a middle-aged man sitting at her table. What a coincidence! It was Zhao Shilang's family, Madam Zhao, Zhao Zhixian and Zhao Zhixue were all there. Wasn't the one standing up Madam Zhao?

  "Mrs. Zhao;" Liang Huaiyu slightly nodded, with a smile on her face but discontent in her heart. This woman dared to come knocking on the door, and now there were too many people around, plus she was now the wife of the Marquis's household, so it wasn't convenient for her to take action against her. If she had followed her youthful temperament, she would have pressed this woman to the ground and given her a good scolding! Those were the days!

  Gu Yuqiu also nodded and bowed, but her eyes couldn't help but smile, because she felt her mother's hand tighten around hers, knowing that her mother was still angry with her.

  "It's been a month since we last saw her, and Miss Gu has become even more beautiful. No wonder the Seventh Prince can't forget about her." Madam Zhao said with a teasing tone.

  "Mrs. Zhao, don't talk nonsense," Liang's face sank. "My daughter only met the Seventh Prince at the Princess's detached palace, where did this 'can't forget' come from?"

  Mrs. Zhao's words were so sharp, if it wasn't for private favors, where would such unforgettable thoughts come from?

  Gu Yuqiu was only ten years old, if she really got a bad reputation, what would happen?

  Gu Yuqie secretly scolded him as an idiot in her heart.

  Yun Ke might not have shown his true colors to those people yet, but Gu Yuqie from the previous life was the one who understood him best. This person is now just a prince, still holding back his methods, but that heart of his is ruthless and icy cold, vengeful and unforgiving.

  Madam Zhao can just step on herself, but if she pulls Yun Ke down to be a scapegoat and it reaches Yun Ke's ears, then Yun Ke won't even need to lift a hand to deal with her.

  "The Seventh Prince always carries a fan." Madame Zhao glanced around, seeing that everyone's attention was drawn to her, and she couldn't help but smile, covering her mouth with her hand. "Isn't it common knowledge? The poem on the fan wasn't written by Miss Gu, was it? If the Seventh Prince didn't have any intentions, why would he always carry it?" After finishing speaking, she winked at the surrounding noblewomen and dignitaries.

  The adults and noblewomen present all smiled but didn't speak, their thoughts were a thousand miles apart, however everyone was a shrewd person, knowing that Mrs. Zhao was intentionally provoking Gu Yuexiang.

  Gu Yuqiu's reputation was well-known outside, and she also attracted a lot of jealousy for herself. Everyone didn't speak up but were all watching the excitement with one mind.

  Madam Zhao was determined to regain some face for herself, having suffered a great loss of face the last time at the Princess's Manor. She had been so humiliated that she didn't dare go out for a whole month, thinking only of how she could humiliate Gu Yuqin in front of everyone. Heaven pitied her and this opportunity just happened to come along.

  "If it's just holding a fan with poetry on it that shows you're thinking of me, then doesn't Mrs. Zhao also think of your family's tailor? " Gu Yuqie glanced at Mrs. Zhao lightly and smiled. "Otherwise, why do you always wear the clothes made by your family's tailor?"

  Gu Yuqie was obviously being unreasonable, but what she said also made some sense, so that for a moment everyone couldn't find anything wrong with her words. Isn't this the reason?

  Holding a fan is unforgettable, but wearing clothes made by others every day is another matter.

  There were already young masters who couldn't help but applaud and say a "wonderful" word, the argument was that it was using someone's own method to govern their own body. The other adults were after all figures on the court, they just felt that Gu Yuqiu was indeed as Chen Hanlin said, with quick thinking, but somewhat twisted reasoning.

  "You little girl, what are you talking nonsense in front of so many elders?" Madam Zhao's face changed again, and she was deceived by this little girl Gu Yuqiu. She couldn't help but scold with her hands on her hips, "Do you know what kind of crime it is to slander the imperial court's noblewomen?!"

  "You also know that you are a court lady, right?" Gu Yuqie tilted her head and winked, "As a court lady, one should be a model for women in the world, behave properly, speak carefully, and have a dignified demeanor." She looked up and down at Mrs. Zhao with her eyes, "Now, madam's posture of pinching your waist is no different from that of a common woman on the street?" After finishing speaking, she paused for a moment, then nodded, "Ah, yes, there is still a difference! You look like a teacup with two ears!"

  Mrs. Zhao was quite plump and with her hands on her waist like this, wasn't she just like a double-eared teacup?

  The adults present forced themselves to smile, while the ladies and gentlemen were too embarrassed to laugh, they could only slightly lower their heads and cover themselves with something.

  Li was also amused and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  No wonder, she's doing it on purpose. Last time at the princess's mansion, she still hasn't gone to settle accounts with this woman, and today she comes again to stir up trouble. Is she allowed to cause trouble while others are not even allowed to smile?

  Liang Huaiyu's smile was like a blooming spring flower, dazzling everyone's eyes. It made Mrs. Zhao look coarse and unrefined by comparison. The adults present couldn't help but shake their heads secretly. Someone had already gone to pull on Zhao Shilang's sleeve, implying that he should hurry up and call his wife back, so they could all just calm down and let the matter drop.

  Zhao Shilang had already been embarrassed for a while, but the feminine power at home was too strong, he wanted to pull it back, but he couldn't even budge. Zhao Shilang could only cup his hands in all directions, let out a long sigh, shake his head and sit down.

  Seeing her own mother being ridiculed, Zhao Zhīyuè couldn't sit still anymore. With a sudden movement, she stood up and said, "What's with the act? My sister and I clearly saw you staying alone with the Seventh Prince in a small courtyard for a long time, without even a maid by your side. Who knows what you said or did inside?! What my mother said wasn't wrong!"

  Her shouting again made everyone present look at Gu Yuqie, even Liang Shi was slightly startled. Although her daughter is still young, being alone with a prince in the small courtyard for a long time is not a good thing either.

  Gu Yuqiu suddenly realized why those two people were so angry that day and wanted to push her into the water. It turned out... She had taken a closer look at Zhao Zhixian and Zhao Zhiyue, and she really thought they were blinded by infatuation for Yun Ke, that scoundrel.

  Of course, I was also blinded by lard in my previous life.

  Seeing Gu Yuqie speechless, Zhao Zhixian and Zhao Zhiyue couldn't help but feel proud, raising their small faces with a look of disdain, saying "What kind of talented woman, at such a young age, doesn't learn anything good, instead learns something that's not even decent."

  "Oh? It's so lively here." A clear and bright voice with a hint of laughter echoed from the doorway, as the door to the inn's main hall was pushed open, letting in a gust of cold wind. Standing outside were a group of people, led by a man who was elegant and refined, wearing a long robe with a pale blue sable trim. Behind him stood a young boy, his face chiseled like ice, his posture straight as a bamboo rod, dressed in a dark-colored robe with a subtle pattern and ermine trim. By their side were attendants holding umbrellas for them, exuding an air of high-class elegance amidst the wind and snow.

  Everyone in the hall immediately stood up and saluted, "Greetings to the Fifth Imperial Prince, the Seventh Imperial Prince."

  Yun Yi stepped into the main hall, shaking off the snowflakes on his body and smiled, "No need to be so polite, just come as you please." After finishing speaking, he walked to the middle of the main hall, looking at Gu Yuqie and smiling, "Just now outside the door, I heard someone say that you and Seventh Brother..."

  The warmth in his eyes made Gu Yuqie's heart skip a beat, she lowered her eyelids and said softly, "It was just a small matter, disturbing the Fifth Prince."

  "What you're referring to is indeed a misunderstanding. Tonight, my seventh brother will also be staying here;” He said, looking at Zhao Zhixian and Zhao Zhiyue, “The two young ladies saw it that day, and it's true that my seventh brother was alone with Miss Guo, but it wasn't as you thought. It was the Empress Dowager who ordered my seventh brother to deliver the jade pendant from the Princess's mansion to Miss Guo."

  Everyone went "oh" and nodded to each other, so that's how it was.

  Yun Ke's lips curled up in a cold smile as he followed Yun Yi, his icy gaze sweeping over Zhao Zhixian and Zhao Zhiyue, making the two people shiver with fear.

  Gu Yuqiu slightly raised an eyebrow, somewhat unexpectedly, why would Yun Yi and Yun Ke help her speak up?

  What's going on here! In my past life, I didn't experience this, and in my previous life, Liang was ill at this time, how could I have brought her to the Winter Hunting Festival.

  Since the prince has already said so, what else is there to doubt? The crowd's gaze towards Zhao's mother and daughter couldn't help but be filled with disdain and contempt.

  Zhao Zhīyuè and Zhao Zhīxián were not convinced, "But at that time, where did she have a jade pendant on her body?! When my sister and I wanted to push her, we stepped on her cloak, and there was no jade pendant on her body." Zhao Zhīyuè suddenly spoke hastily, but it turned out that she had misspoken. In a hurry, Zhao Zhīxián only pulled her sleeve until she finished speaking, before realizing what had happened.

  If she hadn't been driven to desperation and her temper hadn't gotten the better of her, how could she have said something so thoughtless.

  "You finally admit that you wanted to push me into the water that day?" Gu Yuqie reacted quickly, grasping the loophole in Zhao Zhimiao's words, and said with a hint of a smile.

  Yun Ke also looked at Zhao's sisters with a cold face.

  So this woman is the victim.

  Mrs. Zhao almost fainted again, feeling dizzy and thinking to herself: "How did I end up raising such two foolish things!"

  "What a humiliation!" Minister Zhao finally lost his temper, slamming the table and standing up. "All of you get back inside the house!" He had been an official for many years, diligent and conscientious, but he never thought that today he would lose so much face, especially in front of many colleagues and two princes. This slam on the table actually gave Mrs. Zhao a chance to retreat, she quickly pulled her two daughters away from the main hall, as if escaping.

  Director Zhao almost fainted like Mrs. Zhao, but he endured it and stepped forward to make a deep bow to Liang Huaiyu and Gu Yuqiu, "The family discipline is not strict, which has harmed the young lady. Please forgive me, madam and young lady. I, Zhao, am willing to accept punishment on behalf of my wife and daughter."

  Vice Minister Zhao spoke earnestly, and this bow was equivalent to kowtowing on the ground. Instead, it made Liang Huaiyu feel embarrassed, but she hated those two women for trying to frame her daughter and yet still dared to distort the truth, so she just turned away in disgust.

  Gu Huaizhong came over and helped Zhao Shilang up, "It's alright, it was just a small misunderstanding between young girls. Fortunately, no harm has been done. Who hasn't done something foolish when they were young?"

  He made a round of apologies, and all the adults present also advised him repeatedly.

  Zhao Shilang finally straightened his waist, waved his hand and said "I'm ashamed too." He bid farewell to his colleagues, lifted his clothes and went upstairs to hide in his room, refusing to show his face again.

  Zhao Shilang and his family all hid in their rooms, the atmosphere in the main hall changed, and the adults surrounded Yunyi and Yunkai to chat. Liangshi took Gu Yuqiu to sit down at a table that had been reserved for them in her own home.

  "What about Gu Siyang and Gu Siyu?" She looked at the table and saw that only her mother and daughter were there, Gu Huai also surrounded Yun Yi's side, and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Didn't your father say he was coming to take care of them? Where are they?"

  Now Gu Huai is by Yunyi's side, and she can't go ask. Liang let Chun Xing go find the brother and sister, but after searching the entire inn, they couldn't be found, so she had to come back and report. Only then did Liang become anxious, "Can your father do something?" she scolded, "I said I want to keep an eye on them, he said he would come, now where have they been taken by him?" Although she didn't like the brother and sister, after all, they were family, so losing them made her anxious.

  "Don't worry, Mother, I'll go out and take a look," Gu Yuqie said to Liang Shi.

  "It's still me going." Ms. Liang wanted to get up, but Gu Yuqie pulled her sleeve and said, "Let the daughter go instead." She didn't have the nerve to say that she was more familiar with this town, while Ms. Liang was here for the first time.

  She passed by here many, many times in her previous life.

  "It's windy outside, let Chun Xiang go instead." Liang Shi shook her head and said, this time she only brought one maid, Chun Xiang.

  "Then let's go with Chun Xing." Gu Yuqie said, got up and pulled Chun Xing out from the back of the inn.

  Yun Ke coldly gazed at Yun Yi, who was surrounded by the crowd, while he himself hid to one side. He caught sight of Gu Yuqie slipping out of the side door of the main hall with a maid in tow. After glancing around and seeing that everyone's attention was focused on Yun Yi, he too got up and walked away.