By now, pedestrians had gradually gathered around the Gu residence. The news of Dingbei Wang breaking off the engagement had spread like wildfire, and now he had even invited the Imperial Uncle. How could anyone miss such a spectacle?
The crowd grew larger and larger. Neither the Gu Family, Dingbei Wang, nor the Imperial Uncle showed any intention of driving them away. The area in front of the Gu residence was bustling with activity, packed with three layers of onlookers.
Dingbei Wang wanted the crowd to witness his act of breaking off the engagement, delivering a harsh slap to the Gu Family’s face.
The Gu Family, however, was counting on Gu Qingyi’s plan to humiliate Dingbei Wang, so the more people, the better.
As for the Imperial Uncle… no one dared to speculate about his intentions.
As soon as Gu Jun finished speaking, someone in the crowd shouted, “But the Lady of the Gu Family truly has no reputation for talent. Compared to Lady Fu Liu, isn’t she just a straw bag? Dingbei Wang isn’t wrong!”
Gu Jun’s face instantly darkened. Gu Yishu stepped forward, unwilling to let his father stoop to arguing with commoners and lose face. He took a step forward, looked at the crowd, and said, “My younger sister has never been fond of attending banquets. Whether it’s composing poetry, admiring flowers, or tasting tea, she has little interest. Does not attending banquets make one a straw bag? If so, then everyone here who hasn’t attended a banquet and made a name for themselves must be a straw bag too. How utterly ridiculous!”
Seeing the situation drifting further from her intended outcome, Gu Qingyi quickly took control of the pace again. She tugged at her brother’s sleeve and stepped forward herself. Without even glancing at He Runsheng, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves and focused solely on the Imperial Uncle, Song Fengyu. She bowed respectfully and said in a clear voice, “Today, we have troubled the Grand Marshal with this journey. Such a trivial matter should not have required your attention, but as it concerns the reputations of both families, there are some minor matters we humbly ask the Grand Marshal to witness.”
Hearing Gu Qingyi’s words, Song Fengyu turned his gaze toward her with a faint, enigmatic smile. He paused for a moment before asking, “What minor matters?”
Gu Qingyi felt as though the Imperial Uncle’s gaze was like a blade scraping her bones. Forcing a smile, she replied, “Since I was betrothed to Dingbei Wang by imperial decree, our families have exchanged gifts during festivals and seasons. Now that the engagement is to be broken off, how can I continue to keep Dingbei Wang’s gifts? Moreover, to avoid suspicion, I ask His Highness to return the items I have given him. Does the Grand Marshal find this reasonable?”
As soon as she spoke, He Runsheng’s expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to speak, the Grand Marshal said, “Agreed.”
His heart sank. In the past, as a member of a commoner clan, he had been overjoyed to secure an engagement with the Gu Family. After the betrothal, gifts had naturally been exchanged during festivals and holidays.
However…
In the early years, his family was poor, and the gifts sent to the Gu Family were insignificant. Later, when he developed feelings for Lady Fu Liu, he naturally disdained sending valuable gifts to Gu Qingyi, this straw bag.
Moreover… to please Lady Fu Liu, he had secretly given away the valuable items Gu Qingyi had sent him to her. How… how could he possibly return them now?
Cold sweat slowly broke out all over his body. He Runsheng glanced at Gu Qingyi. How could such a straw bag come up with such an idea? It must be the Gu Family’s scheme to humiliate him. How utterly despicable.
“It’s just mere gold and silver. I never expected the Young Lady of the Gu Family to be so unwilling to part with them,” He Runsheng sneered loudly.
His words immediately drew roars of laughter from the crowd, clearly agreeing with Dingbei Wang’s statement.
Dingbei Wang holds a royal title, could he possibly care about such trivial things? The Gu family has indeed fallen into decline, and this young lady of the Gu family truly lives up to her reputation as a straw bag—utterly laughable.
Gu Qingyi had been waiting for He Runsheng to say exactly this. Knowing him well, she anticipated that if he tried to evade the debt, he would inevitably attack her reputation. And so it was.
Gu Qingyi spoke clearly and crisply, “Since Dingbei Wang keeps insisting these are mere trifles of gold and silver, I suppose he would have even less reason to covet and withhold them. Xin Dong, read it out.”
Amidst the crowd’s bewilderment, a maidservant in green stepped forward, holding a long scroll, and began reading aloud in a clear voice.
After hearing a few lines, the audience began to grasp the essence—it was a record of the gifts the Gu family had sent to Dingbei Wang over the past few years.
Good heavens! Leaving aside “minor” items like fine silks and cloth, there were also dozens of precious jade artifacts and porcelain pieces. At this time, only the Imperial Kiln could produce white porcelain, making it priceless. Moreover, the Gu family had even gifted three carriages: two long-canopied ox carts and one double-horse carriage.
So, were these merely trifles of gold and silver?
If so, they were far too trifling indeed!