Xue Wanyao lowered her gaze to look at Gu Zhuo, who smiled and said, "I understand now. Thank you, General, for clearing up my doubts."
General Qin turned to Xue Wanyao and said, "So, Your Highness, the reason you’ve been unwilling to discuss marriage these past two years must be to maintain your virginity and cultivate the Yunying Art, right?"
Xue Wanyao nodded slightly, thinking that Gu Zhuo’s reluctance to marry must also be for this reason.
General Qin said, "A Lang has truly caused great harm, nearly jeopardizing Your Highness’s family lineage. Seeing that Your Highness is almost eighteen, it’s time to marry early, continue the Gu family line, and let the late prince rest in peace."
Xue Wanyao smiled faintly and said, "Master, rest assured, I will prioritize having children and bear sons and daughters for the Gu family as soon as possible. We’ll take our leave now."
Gu Zhuo watched Xue Wanyao wearing his face and smiling faintly, his brow slightly furrowed.
Once outside the Qin residence’s gate,
Xue Wanyao looked down at Gu Zhuo and said, "Your Highness… Since it seems one doesn’t need to be a virgin to cultivate the Yunying Art, how about we consummate the marriage tonight and bear children for your Gu family?"
Xue Wanyao wasn’t sure if she and Gu Zhuo could ever switch back.
For her, becoming pregnant now would be extremely beneficial. The hardships of pregnancy—every day Gu Zhuo endured them would be one less day of suffering for her.
Ideally, she’d have Gu Zhuo walk through the Ghost Gate Pass for her and give birth to her own child.
Moreover, although the child born from her womb would still be considered a child of the prince’s household, it would ultimately be a child of a concubine. If it were a boy, it might be better, but if it were a girl, whether she’d receive any dowry support in the future would depend entirely on Gu Zhuo.
Having personally experienced the hardships of childbirth, he might show some compassion toward the child.
Gu Zhuo raised his hand and lightly tapped Xue Wanyao’s head. "Weren’t you quite conservative before? After I rescued you from drowning, you felt your reputation was tarnished just because an unrelated man touched you. How come you’re not embarrassed to talk about bearing children so casually? Is this something a young lady should say?"
Xue Wanyao rubbed her forehead and said, "Your Highness saved my life, so naturally, I must bear children for you as soon as possible to repay your great kindness."
Gu Zhuo lifted his eyes and glared coldly at Xue Wanyao. "Say that again—who will bear the children? You’re so eager to expand our Gu family lineage, probably scheming to have me endure the hardships of childbirth for you, right?"
Xue Wanyao coughed lightly. "No, I just want Your Highness to experience the blessings of motherhood."
Gu Zhuo snorted lightly. "Little ingrate. Let’s go. We’ll buy some clothes at the tailor shop. The clothes my mother gave you are all wide-sleeved and long-skirted—they’re simply impractical. I’ll buy a few sets of more comfortable clothes."
Xue Wanyao examined the young woman before her. "I actually think they look quite nice."
She had never worn such luxurious fabrics before. The princess’s clothes were exquisitely embroidered, and the wide sleeves and long skirts were something any young woman would adore.
"It’s easy for you to say since you’re not the one wearing these cumbersome clothes."
With that, Gu Zhuo angrily grabbed Xue Wanyao’s wrist and dragged her into the tailor shop.
Gu Zhuo found the shopkeeper and asked for comfortable clothes. Without even trying them on, he waved his hand and bought them all.
When Xue Wanyao heard that these clothes cost nearly a thousand taels, she couldn’t help but gasp. Her dowry was only three thousand taels…
And now, her dowry wasn’t even in her own hands…
The Xue family despised her for losing her reputation after falling into the water, but they had no qualms about tarnishing their own name by reclaiming the dowry that should have been hers.
After buying clothes, Gu Zhuo took Xue Wanyao to a restaurant he frequented.
It was Xue Wanyao’s first time dining in a restaurant. The establishment had two floors, and from the window upstairs, a river flowed by, with the sounds of hawkers from the streets on the opposite bank drifting in from time to time.
Seeing Xue Wanyao’s curious expression, Gu Zhuo asked, “Have you never eaten at Apricot Blossom Restaurant before?”
Xue Wanyao shook her head gently. “I’ve only heard of it.”
A waiter approached, draping a white towel over his shoulder. “Your Highness, will you have the usual today?”
Xue Wanyao nodded lightly and said, “Yes, and I’ve heard your honey-roasted pigeon is especially delicious. I’d like to order that as well.”
“Right away!”
After the waiter left, Gu Zhuo looked at Xue Wanyao and remarked, “It’s surprising you know about honey-roasted pigeon.”
“My fourth sister loves it. She often begs Father and our eldest brother to buy it for her. I’ve smelled it—it’s quite fragrant—but I’ve never tasted it.”
“Did your fourth sister never share any with you?”
Xue Wanyao smiled faintly. “My fourth sister is rather protective of her food.”
“If you wanted to eat it, why didn’t you ask your father to buy it for you?”
Xue Wanyao lowered her head. “I didn’t dare.”
Gu Zhuo said, “What’s there to be afraid of? It’s just a pigeon. Your father is quite biased—if he buys it for his fourth daughter, why not for his second?”
The waiter served the dishes quickly, bringing everything within half an hour.
Xue Wanyao finally got to taste the roasted pigeon. Her eyes curved into a smile as she said, “The flavor is indeed good. No wonder my fourth sister likes it.”
As they were eating, a group of people settled at the table next to them. Through the screen, Xue Wanyao overheard their conversation.
“I heard the Xue family removed the bride who fell into the water the other day from the family lineage. Now, the former third daughter of the Xue family has become the second daughter and will marry into the Wuding Marquis’s household in a few days.”
Hearing this through the screen, Xue Wanyao suddenly found the delicacies in her mouth tasteless.
“Why is the Xue family still marrying their daughter into the Wuding Marquis’s household?”
“The eldest son of the Wuding Marquis is gravely ill. The engagement with the minor official Xue family was originally arranged for a Joy-bringing Marriage. Otherwise, how could the daughter of such a low-ranking official be worthy of the Wuding Marquis’s eldest son? Even if he were a concubine-born son, it would never have been the Xue family’s turn…”
“That Miss Xue Wanyao is truly unfortunate. She fell into the water, was lifted by an unrelated man in front of everyone, and now she’s been disowned by her family. Who knows how she’ll survive in the future.”
“The pitiful one is the Xue family’s third daughter. Now that she’s become the second daughter, she has to go through with the Joy-bringing Marriage. They say the Wuding Marquis’s eldest son likely won’t live much longer. Once she marries him, she’ll become a widow.”
Listening to the conversation next door, Xue Wanyao felt her heart turn to ice, and her appetite vanished completely.
Seeing her expression, Gu Zhuo said, “Let’s go.”
Xue Wanyao took some silver from her purse, placed it on the table, and left the restaurant with Gu Zhuo.
When they reached a deserted alley, Xue Wanyao leaned against the wall, struggling to keep herself upright. In a hoarse voice, she said, “I always wondered why Father and Mother would let such a good thing come to me instead of my fourth sister. So, this so-called ‘good marriage’ they spoke of was just a Joy-bringing Marriage…
So, my betrothed was already on the brink of death…”
"So, in the Xue family, I can be so easily removed from the family register…"
"I merely fell into the water—what grave mistake have I committed? Even the clan has expelled me."
Xue Wanyao couldn't help but shed tears. She should have known long ago that in the Xue family, she was nothing more than a tool for marriage alliances. The Xue family had never cherished her as a daughter.
Gu Zhuo raised her hand to wipe Xue Wanyao's tears, unsure of how to comfort her.
Just as her mother used to hold her when she cried as a child, Gu Zhuo drew Xue Wanyao into her embrace.
Xue Wanyao leaned her head against the young woman's chest, weeping as tears streamed down her face.
Gu Zhuo gently patted Xue Wanyao's back to console her.
Three men passing by the alley glanced over at the sound of crying and then continued on their way.
"Is that the young prince?"
"It seems so…"
The three young men took three synchronized steps backward. In the alley, they saw a beautiful and delicate young woman holding "Prince Chu" in her arms, softly comforting him…
While Prince Chu wept pitifully, his tears falling like pear blossoms in the rain.
The scene was nothing short of bizarre.