Shen Qianshan looked around and said coldly, “I’m going to investigate the Empress. She seemed to be completely different from before.”
Su Ge thought carefully. His master was worthy of the title of a duke because he was more insightful.
Gu Qiang tossed and turned on the bed at night. She wanted to read her diary, but she knew there must be nothing in it. Without anything to say, she just felt good that another her existed in an unknown place and they were like a pair of wings. She was desired to talk endless with the other one, but she couldn’t part her lips. Finally, she drifted into sleep in such a contradictory mood.
The next morning, guests from the palace returned successively. The Gu Family saw off every guest outside of the Prime Minister Mansion. Shen Zhongbai mounted his horse and then told Gu Qiang in public, “Qiang, I will come to visit you when I’m free. Wait for me at home. Understand?”
Gu Qiang refrained from rolling her eyes. Who did he think he was? However, due to the presence of many official families, she had to respond silently with a cold smile. Ye turned around to roll her eyes at Gu Qiang, walked closer to Shen Zhongbai, and asked with a fawning smile, “Your Highness, when will you marry Zhihua?”
She knew if she didn’t mention it, Shen Zhongbai might forget and delay it again and again. Gu Zhihua couldn’t stand anything unforeseen. Therefore, Ye decided to ask Shen Zhongbai on all accounts to force him to promise in public while leaving him no excuses to delay.
Shen Zhongbai meant to leave. Hearing what Ye asked, he turned around coldly and glanced at Gu Zhihua who was lowering her head and seemed well-behaved.
She wore the same clothes as yesterday. Her fancy clothes were in a high profile, and he disliked them.
“I will think about it later. If you are impatient of waiting, you can send her to my house in a sedan.” Then Shen Zhongbai spurred his horse. It spooked and galloped away.
Ye’s and Prime Minister Gu’s faces darkened. The Third Prince honored Gu Qiang but humiliated Gu Zhihua in the presence of so many people. They were sisters but were treated differently.
The madams and ladies from official families went away after those from the palace. Members of the Gu Family were left.
Gu Zhihua rushed Gu Qiang madly, grabbed her collar, and screamed, “Bit*h, how do you seduce the Third Prince?”
The facial expressions of Prime Minister Gu and Ye changed. Then the Prime Minister grabbed Gu Zhihua’s arm and rebuked her loudly, “Zhihua!”
Ye’s face darkened too. She couldn’t believe what she saw. Gu Zhihua was not an idiot. How could she do it to Gu Qiang in public? Even though they held a grudge against each other, she couldn’t do this because it would humiliate Prime Minister Gu.
Gu Zhihua didn’t calm down until now. She turned around only to see Prime Minister Gu extremely angry. He slapped her and knocked her flat. She let out a scream and couldn’t pick herself up, because he used too much strength.
Ye couldn’t keep calm anymore. She rushed over, lifted Gu Zhihua, and said to Prime Minister Gu tearfully, “Why are you so cruel to Zhihua? She is still a child. What if you hurt her face?”
Prime Minister Gu took two deep breaths to calm down, and he said at last, “I didn’t have the heart to slap her. But you saw what she did. She was rude to her elder sister. How reckless she was! She is just a concubine of the Third Prince. Zhihua, you should be gratitude for that. Why are you still dissatisfied?”
Due to the slap, Gu Zhihua’s face was as swollen as a piece of steamed bread, but she still stared at Prime Minister Gu stubbornly and didn’t think she was wrong.
Prime Minister Gu was furious and couldn’t help shivering. Seeing that, Gu Zhihua said, “Yes, I should be grateful that the Third Prince has accepted me as a concubine. But how can he seduce Gu Qiang in my presence? Does he think I can’t see that or I am blind? Or does he want to marry both of us?”
Prime Minister Gu parted his lips but didn’t say anything. He did find that Shen Zhongbai treated Gu Qiang differently after he came here. The Third Prince always looked at her and liked to talk with her. Gu Zhihua would be a concubine, which was inalterable. If Gu Qiang could become the wife of the Third Prince, she would be a princess and her position would be promoted greatly. Prime Minister Gu was dreaming of it, too.
Parents usually dreamt to help their daughter climb up the social ladder rapidly. But Gu Qiang was an infanta now and didn’t need to rely on the Third Prince. If she didn’t marry soon, the Emperor might choose a husband for her.
“We’re different. As the daughter of a concubine in our family, you are honored enough to be a concubine of the Third Prince. But I am an infanta and the eldest daughter of our family. I am quite worthy of him. You know my grandma is the Empress Dowager. Don’t you?” Gu Qiang turned around, moved closer to Gu Zhihua, and looked at her with cold eyes. She didn’t like to show off her status as the eldest daughter in front of Ye and Gu Zhihua before. However, now it was different. There was nothing to be scared of. She was able to protect herself and those she loved, so she was not afraid that Ye and Gu Zhihua would do anything to her. Instead, she hoped they would. So long as Ye did something against her, Gu Qiang was confident to fight back and let them know early how she would react and what position they were in.
On the one hand, Prime Minister Gu was irritated by Gu Zhihua’s attitude. On the other hand, what Gu Qiang said made him feel uncomfortable. It was true that Qiang was the eldest daughter, but she mentioned it complacently to provoke Gu Zhihua apparently. Prime Minister was dissatisfied with it.
“Qiang, it doesn’t mean you are not responsible at all…” Prime Minister Gu said, weighing every word.
Gu Qiang turned around to look at his eyes calmly.
Holding up her head and throwing out her chest, she glanced at Gu Zhihua, and then her gaze settled on Prime Minister Gu’s face. He looked sulky. His time-carved face showed that he would burst with anger, but he tried to control himself. Gu Qiang was an infanta. Even her father had to save her face.
However, Gu Qiang didn’t agree with him. What did he mean?
“Father, you think I am wrong too. Could you explain why?” Gu Qiang said firmly. When she looked up, she met Prime Minister Gu’s eyes, but he evaded the eye contact ruthlessly.
Ye couldn’t stand more, so she walked over to mediate, “Qiang, how can you talk with your father in this way? We are a family.”
“A family? Does it mean you can take the credit for what I did to ask the Emperor for an award? Does it mean that you can prevent me from contacting the Third Prince? Now that you are my family, you should hope I will live a happy life, shouldn’t you?” Gu Qiang walked to Ye with aggressive questions and stared at Ye’s almond-shaped eyes. Ye had thought that Gu Qiang could compromise for her sake. Unexpectantly, Gu Qiang didn’t do what she wanted. They had come to an open break in their relationship.
The difference lay in that Ye had to consider Prime Minister Gu’s feelings while Gu Qiang didn’t have to. Just as an old saying went, every dog had its day. No one said anything more. Gu Qiang couldn’t be bothered to talk nonsense with them. Gu Huaian’s carriage had receded into the distance. Gu Qiang returned to her yard without a backward glance.
Ye saw Prime Minister Gu’s chest heaving as if he would explode. Veins were protruding on his forehead, and he was sweaty.
Ye wanted to soothe him but swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue. It was not wise to talk much at this moment. Only when Prime Minister Gu felt how thoughtless Gu Qiang was could he be irritated.
After quite a while, Prime Minister Gu waved at Ye and said, “Let’s go back. I’m going to give a lesson to the black sheep of our family.”
Gu Zhihua was standing there with her head lowered and wiping her tears. Hearing what Prime Minister Gu said, she became elated as if she would fly into the air. After a secret eye contact with Ye, she entered the house with her father.
At dusk, Gu Qiang took her diary out from the wall corner. She thought carefully. Nothing important happened recently, but there were too many problems on her mind which were like a bottomless abyss. She wanted to talk with someone. But she knew the Empress had a tougher time. Gu Qiang didn’t want to make her more worried.
Gu Qiang put aside the diary and turned around to ask Ting Feng quietly who was in the main hall, “Does anything important will happen recently?”
Ting Feng walked in with a candle. She lit the room with a candlelight and then put the candlestick on the table. She thought carefully and answered, “Nothing important will happen to women recently. But I heard that Gu Huaihuai will take an examination.”
Gu Qiang thought and realized it would be the time for the imperial competitive examination. It was important, wasn’t it?
But how could Gu Huaihuai be eligible for the examination? He was stupid since he was young. He was neither good at reading nor swordplay. He would humiliate himself if he took the examination.
If he took the examination, it meant Prime Minister Gu had acquiesced. Wasn’t he afraid that he would be humiliated by Gu Huaihuai?
“Got it. Leave me alone.”
Ting Feng walked out and closed the door.