Lin Jiao was rather surprised by Gu Yunrong’s reaction.
Her cousin’s expression was quite strange.
While Gu Yunrong sat beneath the eaves, enjoying the sunshine and chatting, Du Lan was going through a terrible ordeal.
She had been injured while trying to escape. Unable to get away in time, she was captured by the Japanese pirates who had come ashore to loot the area.
This time, the pirates had taken more than a thousand civilians hostage. They used the captives as leverage, stubbornly refusing to surrender and demanding that the imperial troops allow them to leave. However, the imperial army refused to give in.
After another half a month of fierce fighting, the pirates were finally defeated and scattered. General Yu Sixian led his soldiers in rescuing the captured civilians.
When Du Lan finally saw daylight again, she nearly cried herself breathless. She had been separated from her family, and during the days she was imprisoned, she never knew whether she would be killed or violated. She had not even dared to cry.
Although she had now escaped, she was still a young unmarried woman. If word got out about what had happened to her, who would be willing to marry her?
In reality, the pirates had been too busy fighting to bother with the captives, and she had not suffered any abuse. However, such things were difficult to explain to others.
Du Lan was not the only one who thought this way. The other captured women felt the same. They collapsed on the ground, weeping uncontrollably. Even after being rescued, they refused to leave.
Yu Shaoyuan, who served under his father, General Yu Sixian, as a company commander, saw that the women could not be persuaded to return home. Keeping them gathered there was not a solution either, so he went to report the matter to his father.
When Yu Shaoyuan arrived, General Yu was discussing military plans with Huan Che. He waited until their discussion was over before approaching his father.
General Yu thought about the problem for a long time but could not come up with a solution. Just then, Huan Che came out of the command tent, so General Yu cautiously sought his advice.
There was something General Yu found rather strange. They had clearly won a fine victory this time, yet the prince always seemed to have a dark expression. Over the past few days, Huan Che had been in a particularly bad mood. His temper changed without warning, and he even scolded people for no apparent reason. Soldiers and officers, regardless of rank, were all on edge.
Even General Yu, a veteran who had fought countless battles and was old enough to be Huan Che’s grandfather, felt his heart pounding whenever the prince lost his temper.
After listening to General Yu’s explanation, Huan Che replied expressionlessly, “Are most of the soldiers in the army unmarried?”
General Yu was momentarily confused. He stared blankly before giving a brief nod.
“Ask the women who refuse to return home whether they are willing to marry soldiers in the army. Those who agree may stay. The rest should be gathered together and sent home. Make sure there is no commotion.”
Yu Shaoyuan immediately understood.
This would solve the problem of the captured women lingering in the camp while also rewarding the soldiers. It was a solution that benefited both sides.
He cupped his hands happily and said, “Your Highness is wise. Many soldiers have no permanent homes, and finding a wife is indeed difficult for them.”
Nayun, who was standing nearby, immediately noticed that the prince’s expression had grown even darker.
He thought to himself, Could you please stop bringing up marriage? You already have a wife, but His Highness doesn’t even have one!
After Yu Shaoyuan withdrew, Huan Che glanced at his departing figure before suddenly turning to General Yu.
“Is your son also unmarried?”
General Yu was puzzled by the question, but he answered honestly that he was.
Huan Che seemed to think of something. His gaze darkened, and he turned away without another word.
Nayun understood everything perfectly.
His Highness had learned about the message Gu Tongfu had asked him to pass to General Yu. It had clearly displeased the prince.
Nayun could roughly guess what was troubling him. After all, His Highness was the one who had done all the good things for the Gu family, yet the person receiving their attention was General Yu.
Moreover, Gu Tongfu’s actions suggested that he wanted to build a close relationship with General Yu. Whether he intended to arrange a marriage between their children was difficult to say. In any case, General Yu was an easygoing man who did not care much about family background or social standing.
Nayun sighed. Everyone had been walking on eggshells these past few days. His Highness was in such a foul mood that he seemed displeased with everything and everyone.
Fortunately, they would be returning to their base in a few days. Once His Highness saw Miss Gu again, his mood would surely improve.
Du Lan was unwilling to marry an ordinary soldier. Most soldiers were rough men who risked their lives every day. How many of them would actually earn military honors and rise through the ranks? She would rather go home.
While waiting with the others for the carriages that would take them home, she struck up a conversation with a young woman standing beside her who was about her age.
Feeling frustrated, Du Lan began talking about everything that had happened. She started with her capture and eventually brought up the incident at the Gu family’s banquet. The assassins had caused an explosion that left the area outside her own home badly damaged as well.
As she spoke, her voice grew louder. She was getting carried away when a loud shout suddenly interrupted her.
“Silence! Everyone, kneel and pay your respects to His Highness!”
The women froze in shock.
Why had His Highness come here?
Du Lan stopped talking at once and hurriedly knelt with the others, who were all equally flustered.
Just as she was wondering what was happening, she saw a guard standing beside the prince walk directly toward her.
She stared at him, completely at a loss. Suddenly, her heart began pounding wildly as she remembered the fortune stick she had once drawn.
The guard stopped in front of her and looked down at her.
“You mentioned your address just now. Do you really live there?”
Although she had no idea why he was asking, Du Lan was so excited that she could barely speak.
“Y-Yes… This common woman really does…”
The guard nodded, then turned to the soldiers responsible for arranging the captives’ return.
“His Highness has some questions for her.”
Du Lan could hardly believe her ears. She was so happy that she nearly fainted.
Could this be the good fortune she had been waiting for?
After discussing it with Gu Tongfu, Madam Xu decided they would wait another seven days before setting off.
Gu Yunrong’s birthday was only five days away. If they left now, they would have to celebrate it on the road. Besides, they had heard that the fighting was going well, so there was no need to rush their departure.
Gu Yunrong herself was not particularly eager to celebrate her birthday. Another birthday meant she was a year older, bringing her one step closer to marriage.
She did not want to repeat the mistakes of her previous life, but neither did she have much hope of marrying someone else.
The best outcome of marrying someone she did not love would be gradually developing feelings for him after marriage. A more likely outcome was simply spending the rest of her life settling for an unhappy relationship.
Even so, she still hoped to find someone who genuinely liked her. What had happened in her previous life had left her emotionally exhausted.
The previous banquet had been ruined by the unexpected attack. Everyone was worried that Japanese spies might still be hiding nearby, and Gu Tongfu no longer had the heart to look for a suitable son-in-law.
Afterward, Gu Tongfu and Madam Xu seemed to have discussed the matter again. They might have narrowed down a few potential candidates, but Gu Yunrong knew nothing about the details. What little she had heard had come from Qiutang, who had overheard their conversation.
The autumn wind was bleak, and the night air was as cold as water.
Huan Che sat beneath the lamplight, staring at several official reports for a long time. Yet he could not concentrate on a single word.
The Japanese pirates who had attacked Haining County had been driven back, but there were still many military matters requiring his attention.
However, he had been sitting there for quite some time without approving even one report. Such a thing would have been unimaginable for him in the past.
His thoughts were a tangled mess. After sitting in a daze for a while longer, he grew increasingly irritated. He put down the rabbit-hair brush in his hand and stood up, intending to go to bed.
He had thought that falling asleep would at least give him a moment of peace.
Clearly, he had been mistaken.
He could not sleep at all.
His head throbbed painfully. He threw back the covers and got up, intending to return to his desk and continue reviewing the reports.
Just then, Nayun knocked and entered.
“Your Highness, a letter from the capital has arrived. It was delivered by express courier under the six-hundred-li emergency system.”
As he spoke, Nayun handed him a cylindrical document case.
Huan Che opened it. The moment he recognized the handwriting, his expression changed.
It was a letter from his father, the Emperor.
He quickly read through its contents. His fingers tightened around the paper before slowly relaxing.
The Emperor had told him not to hurry back to the capital. He was giving him another six months to capture Zong Cheng, the leader of the Japanese pirates.
Huan Che did not know whether he should feel relieved or worried.
When he first opened the letter, he had thought his father was going to urge him to return to the capital and get married. At present, he neither could nor wanted to go back.
Now he had been given permission to stay, but capturing Zong Cheng would not be easy.
Zong Cheng, who was known as the “King of the Japanese Pirates,” was someone Huan Che had never met. However, he had already heard plenty about him while living in the capital.
If they could capture Zong Cheng, it would greatly reduce the pirate threat, not only in Zhejiang but along the entire coastline.
However, this was not the time to think about Zong Cheng.
The moment Huan Che thought of Gu Yunrong, his head began to ache again.
On Gu Yunrong’s birthday, the entire Gu household was busy from early morning.
Ever since Gu Tongfu had begun working at the Governor’s Office, his salary had increased several times over. He also received gifts and extra payments from people under his authority.
As a result, the family’s financial situation had improved considerably. This time, they were able to hold a lively birthday celebration.
Everyone was enjoying the banquet and raising their cups when they saw Gu Tongfu hurry outside to welcome another guest.
The guests assumed it was General Yu and his son again. To their surprise, Gu Tongfu returned with a handsome young man dressed in fine silk robes.
The young man was so beautiful that he looked like someone who had stepped out of a painting. After taking his seat, he did not mingle with the other guests. Instead, he quietly sat in the separate place Gu Tongfu had arranged for him and drank tea by himself.
Song Wenxuan had also attended the banquet. By then, he was already a little drunk. When he spotted someone familiar, his spirits immediately lifted.
Swaying as he walked, he approached the young man and called out, “Young Master Wang!”
Then he sat down opposite him and began boasting.
Even after the banquet ended, Song Wenxuan showed no intention of stopping. In fact, the more he talked, the more excited he became.
He had always considered himself an excellent braggart. He had never imagined that the Young Master Wang sitting across from him could boast even better than he could.
How could he accept that?
For example, when Song Wenxuan claimed he knew everyone in the Qiantang County government, Young Master Wang said he knew everyone in the entire Zhejiang official circle.
When Song Wenxuan boasted that he was good at making money and earned at least ten liang of silver a month, Young Master Wang casually replied that he did not need to earn money at all. Wealth simply flowed into his hands.
The most outrageous claim was when Young Master Wang said that anyone visiting his home without a guide would get lost.
Song Wenxuan refused to believe it. Even if Young Master Wang was the son of a high-ranking official, how large could his residence possibly be? Could it really be bigger than the imperial palace?
Gu Tongfu stood nearby, listening with a mixture of anxiety and confusion.
Why was His Highness competing with Song Wenxuan over such trivial things? It would be terribly inappropriate if a drunkard offended him.
However, since the prince had not said anything, Gu Tongfu did not dare step forward and drag Song Wenxuan away.
Song Wenxuan kept drinking one cup after another. Before long, his speech became slurred, and his boasts grew increasingly ridiculous.
Finally, he staggered to his feet and invited the Young Master Wang, who sat opposite him with a cold expression, to go outside and compete over who could urinate farther.
Gu Tongfu nearly jumped out of his skin.
He could no longer hold back. He quickly called over a servant and ordered him to take Song Wenxuan away.
When Gu Tongfu turned back, he saw that the prince still had no intention of getting up. This left him in an awkward position.
Earlier, Huan Che had explained that he had been investigating the assassination attempt and happened to pass by the Gu residence. Hearing the lively sounds coming from inside, he had decided to stop by and rest for a while.
However, Gu Tongfu could not help wondering whether the prince was accustomed to eating only the finest delicacies in the palace. Since entering the room, Huan Che had not touched any of the food. He had simply sat there drinking tea.
While Gu Tongfu was still trying to figure out what to do, Huan Che suddenly spoke.
“Please ask your daughter to come out.”
Gu Tongfu thought he had misheard. He stood there, stunned.
Huan Che lowered his eyes and continued, “Since I happened to arrive on your daughter’s birthday, I should naturally give her a gift. I have already instructed my people to prepare something. However, a gift should be handed directly to the person receiving it.”
Gu Tongfu wondered whether he had drunk too much earlier.
How could his family possibly deserve such special treatment?
Still, since the gift was an imperial reward, it was only proper for the recipient to receive it in person.
When Gu Yunrong heard that Huan Che intended to give her a gift personally, her first thought was that he must have had too much to drink.
Otherwise, his behavior made no sense at all.
But Madam Xu, who had come to fetch her, told her that he had not touched a drop of alcohol.
As she walked over, Gu Yunrong began wondering whether he had hit his head instead.
When she saw Huan Che, she bowed respectfully and then said nothing more.
Huan Che remained silent as well.
For a while, the atmosphere between them was rather strange.
After some time, Huan Che raised his hand and signaled Qingdai, who was standing nearby, to hand Gu Yunrong a brocade box.
As Gu Yunrong reached out to take it, she felt Qingdai gently squeeze her fingers beneath the box.
She looked up and saw Qingdai glance briefly at the brocade box.
“Miss, you should open it as soon as you return. But please be careful with it and keep it somewhere safe. Don’t let anyone bump or damage it.”
When Qingdai released her hand, Gu Yunrong had not expected the box to be so heavy. It suddenly dropped in her grasp, nearly slipping out of her hands and falling to the floor.
She barely managed to catch it.
Her heart skipped a beat.
What on earth is inside this thing?
She was about to take her leave when she heard the faint sound of a chair being pushed back.
Turning around, she saw Huan Che standing up.