Gu Qingyi had arrived a bit early and was resting in the willow grove by the riverside. She hadn’t expected to overhear such a heap of gossip.
It was somewhat regrettable. Given her exceptionally strong sense of pride, she rarely attended banquets to avoid being provoked into competing with others.
She had long heard of these renowned young masters from the great families, but unfortunately, due to her unavoidable seclusion, she had yet to meet any of them.
Ah, what a pity.
Listening now, any one of them seemed far better than that scoundrel He Runsheng.
The Gu family had lain low for many years. Although their ancestors’ prestige remained, the prolonged seclusion of later generations had still caused significant damage.
To restore the Gu family’s reputation as quickly as possible, both she and her brother needed to establish their own fame and prestige at the fastest pace.
With the Late Emperor gone and the new ruler still young, this was the perfect opportunity for the Gu family to turn their fortunes around.
Thus, today’s drinking banquet was the first step Gu Qingyi would take.
The journey to the stars and seas began today.
“Oh, will the Lady of the Gu Family really come?”
Gu Qingyi suddenly heard gossip about herself. She stopped Mianchun and the others from stepping forward and listened closely.
“She was just rejected by Dingbei Wang. Would she dare show her face and risk being mocked? It must be false news.”
“If it were anyone else, they definitely wouldn’t, but the Lady of the Gu Family was called a straw bag by Dingbei Wang. What sense could a straw bag have? I heard Lady Liang personally sent an invitation, and she accepted.”
“Really? Oh, will Lady Fu also be here today?”
“Yes, Dingbei Wang openly said Lady Gu was inferior to Lady Fu. Wouldn’t it be awkward if they met?”
“What’s there to be awkward about? How could Lady Gu compare to the widely talented Lady Fu? If anyone should be ashamed to show their face, it would surely be Lady Gu.”
“Still, Lady Gu’s beauty is unmatched in Huikang. Even if she lacks talent, it would be an honor for us to catch a glimpse of such a beauty.”
“Just a pretty face, nothing worth seeing. You’re too shallow.”
“So what? Weren’t you praising Young Master Xi earlier? In my opinion, Young Master Xi is just a skilled but reckless warrior, nowhere near as accomplished as Lord Yuan, who excels in both civil and martial arts…”
Gu Qingyi:…
What a grand scene of fans praising and tearing each other apart. She never expected that after traveling a thousand years back to this fictional dynasty, she’d witness something akin to modern-day fan wars.
Absolutely incredible.
Zhan Xia had already rolled up her sleeves, her face dark with anger, ready to charge out. Gu Qingyi glanced at her.
Zhan Xia was both indignant and furious on her young lady’s behalf. “This servant will go out and tear those wretched maids’ mouths apart. How dare they speak so ill of you?”
“If you charge out now, these people will say I lost my temper in shame and ordered my servant to attack, disregarding all decorum.”
Zhan Xia felt even more wronged.
Gu Qingyi smiled faintly. “What’s the rush? Reputation is like a cloud. If I want it, I can reach out and pluck it into my palm.”
Not to boast, but she was a time traveler, standing on the shoulders of giants. If she couldn’t even ride the wind like a soaring pig, she’d be utterly useless.
As the sun rose higher, splendid carriages gathered, and noble young ladies arrived one after another at the riverside.
With the arrival of these high-born ladies, the tone of the discussions about Gu Qingyi shifted slightly.
“Will Gu Qingyi really come? I doubt it. She’ll probably send word at the last moment that she’s unwell. She’s done that before.”
“With Young Lady Fu here today, how could she not come?” a somewhat sharp voice rang out.