northernbook Chapter 132 My Background Becomes Clear
Chapter 132 My Background Becomes Clear
Shen Qingtan stood beside the side gate and noticed that Zhao Yi's expression was unusually solemn. She was already preoccupied with her own worries, and now she felt even more anxious.
She said softly, "Let's go back inside first. I also have something to tell you."
Seeing her frowning, Zhao Yi guessed that she must have encountered something unpleasant on her trip to see Gu Zongci.
The couple returned to Lanxue Garden in silence, with Liuyue and Tingxue standing guard at the entrance.
Zhao Yi took her hand and led her to sit on the daybed.
Looking at the worry in her eyes, he asked gently, "Did you not get the result you wanted from Boss Gu this time?"
“I specially wore a gold bracelet as a token to see him. When he saw me, he was momentarily flustered and said that I looked somewhat familiar.”
Shen Qingtan said with a complicated expression, "After that, when he saw the bracelet on my wrist, his expression clearly showed that he recognized it. But he seemed to have some reservations and tried his best to restrain himself from showing it in front of me."
But some things can't be hidden; they will unconsciously reveal themselves in one's eyes and behavior.
Thinking of this, she sighed softly: "We had lunch together. He ordered a table full of dishes, most of which are my favorites since I was a child, and he also has some picky little habits."
She grasped Zhao Yi's thumb in return and looked up at him: "My background should be related to the Gu family. They are unwilling to acknowledge me, probably because they haven't met their destiny yet and are afraid that acknowledging me rashly will bring me disaster."
Shen Qingtan was very depressed. They both knew each other's identities, but due to external obstacles, they could not recognize each other. This feeling made her feel very powerless.
Gu Zongci cared about her a lot, otherwise, how could he remember her childhood preferences after fourteen years?
But the more it is like this, the more uncomfortable it becomes.
“He wants to protect you, so he hasn’t acknowledged you yet. When the time is right, they will acknowledge you.” Zhao Yi held her wrist, looked down at the bracelet on her wrist, and traced the characters on it with his fingertips: “I heard some news in the Imperial Study today that the Prince of Zhenbei has taken his three sons to fight in the northern border.”
Shen Qingtan's thoughts were briefly confused, and she couldn't immediately grasp Zhao Yi's intention in mentioning the Prince of Zhenbei.
“The Prince of Zhenbei sent a secret letter to inform the Emperor of this matter. I saw his seal on the letter, and the characters on it are the same as those on your bracelet. These characters are a unique mark of a family, and no one else would use them.”
Zhao Yi said in a low voice, "If you are from the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, it is understandable that they do not recognize you for the time being. After all, the late emperor issued an edict that if anyone from the mansion leaves Liangzhou, they will be punished for treason. Even if the emperor is benevolent and will not punish the mansion for this matter, he still needs a reason to silence the public."
Emperor Jing'an ruled the country with benevolence and promoted filial piety, and would not openly disobey the late emperor's will.
Moreover, given the Prince of Zhenbei's status and position, there are bound to be treacherous officials eyeing him, plotting to bring him down.
If the Prince of Zhenbei were to achieve merit in the northern border, Emperor Jing'an could conveniently pardon his crime, and no one would dare to make a big fuss about it.
"The Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion..." Shen Qingtan suddenly realized the key point and hurriedly said, "Boss Gu has a younger sister. His sister has been in poor health since childhood and was sent to Liangzhou to recuperate. Later, she got engaged in Liangzhou and married there. Do you think... the person she married was the Prince of Zhenbei?"
Boss Qin said that Gu Zongci's sister married into a higher social class, but few people knew who she married.
If one were to marry into a powerful and influential family, there would be no need to be so secretive about it.
She had previously suspected that she was the daughter of the Gu family, and had speculated about various aspects of the matter, but she still couldn't figure out why Gu Zongci wouldn't acknowledge her.
Finally, it is speculated that Gu Zongci was wary of the Chengen Marquis's mansion. After all, he was just a merchant, while she was the daughter of the Chengen Marquis on the surface. He was worried that if he recognized her, it would bring retaliation from the Marquis's mansion.
If that's the only concern, Shen Qingtan doesn't mind.
They recognized each other secretly in private, and there was no problem with it.
Since she was stolen from the Marquis of Chengen's residence, given Zhao Yi's attitude towards her, he should support her.
With the Duke of Zhao's mansion standing behind her, she had no reason to fear the Marquis of Cheng'en's mansion.
Besides this, she had other concerns.
The Gu family are merchants; no matter how fortunate they are, it's impossible for them to gain the respect of the Marquis of Chengen in just one year.
If it's the Prince of Zhenbei, then everything makes sense.
The Prince of Zhenbei suffered suppression from the late emperor and is now stationed in Liangzhou. None of his sons have made any achievements.
In her previous life, General Qi died on the battlefield. Could it be that the Prince of Zhenbei was entrusted with a critical mission, leading his son to fight in the northern border, and only after achieving military merit was he able to return to the capital to find her?
“Mr. Gu dotes on his sister. If I were his sister’s daughter, it would make sense for him to love me. However, we’ve only deduced this from the clues we’ve gathered, and we still need to confirm it.”
Shen Qingtan cautiously asked, "Second Master, could you please investigate who the Princess Consort of the Prince of Zhenbei is?"
“If nothing unexpected happens, your guess is correct.” Zhao Yi coughed a few times and said in a hoarse voice, “The Prince of Zhenbei’s status means he cannot marry at will. The late emperor wanted to arrange a marriage for him to keep him in check. But he was arrogant by nature and capable, so he naturally wouldn’t listen to the late emperor’s arrangement. He did it first and then reported it later, and secretly married the princess.”
"The late emperor regarded the Prince of Zhenbei as a major threat. His actions caused the late emperor to lose face and his dissatisfaction with him reached its peak, which is why he issued that decree."
Zhao Yi pondered, "If the Prince of Zhenbei had married someone of equal social standing, given the late emperor's suspicious nature, he probably would have disposed of the Prince of Zhenbei regardless of the situation in Liangzhou when he passed away."
The implication is that the Prince of Zhenbei married a merchant's daughter of humble origins, and the influence she brought made the late emperor no longer a threat.
Although the late emperor was dissatisfied with the Prince of Zhenbei's disobedience, he turned a blind eye because there was no one else available.
Shen Qingtan felt a sense of desolation, like a rabbit being killed after its hunt is over.
Throughout history, loyal ministers and virtuous generals have often met tragic ends.
Zhao Yi raised his hand to smooth her furrowed brow: "I will investigate who the Princess Consort of Zhenbei is."
This is a matter of great importance, and we must indeed be cautious.
Shen Qingtan felt a coolness between her brows, and all her thoughts were focused on his fingers.
Seeing her staring blankly at his hand, Zhao Yi withdrew his hand: "What are you thinking about?"
"Huh?" Shen Qingtan snapped out of her daze, her mouth moving faster than her brain: "I wasn't thinking about anything."
Zhao Yi chuckled to himself.
Shen Qingtan's fair face instantly turned red. She realized that her mind had been disturbed by his small gesture, and she had even done something foolish.
What's even more infuriating is that this man actually asked the question when he already knew the answer.
She felt both ashamed and annoyed, and glared at him: "I was just thinking that if I really am the daughter of the Prince of Zhenbei, then we can't acknowledge each other for the time being. We can only acknowledge each other when he returns in triumph."
She paused, a cold glint in her eyes: "However, there is another way."
That means getting rid of the Marquis of Chengen and his wife.
After all, only the people from the Marquis of Chengen's residence knew that she had gone missing in Nanling Prefecture. As long as they were gone, no one could confirm that she had been to Nanling Prefecture, and it was perfectly acceptable to say that she had gone missing in Liang Prefecture.