Chapter 40: Pillow Talk
The emperor's thoughts held little interest for Gu Yan to ponder deeply. Yet, the sudden revelation that his wife beside him was of royal blood did not leave him entirely unaffected.
On the surface, the Marquis's estate appeared flourishing and splendid, but in reality, it was like oil boiling over a raging fire. Gu Yuan had once said how wonderful it would be if they could have an imperial heir with the Gu family's bloodline.
The two sons she bore for him both carried royal blood. Historical records mentioned that a century ago, when the imperial family had no capable male heirs, a Grand Princess served as regent, and the throne was passed to her son.
When Gu Yan read this, he had marveled at how women could be as formidable as men. Unfortunately, no such iron-willed princess had emerged in later generations. If only...
This thought lasted only a moment before Gu Yan suppressed it.
That princess, in her early years, had been like any ordinary woman—a loving husband, a harmonious marriage, and children gathered around her knees. But her consort was tragically killed in a struggle for the throne, and her children were implicated, with one son and one daughter dying in the Ministry of Justice prison. Driven by vengeance, she, as a princess, triumphed over her brothers but lived less than forty years.
Women ruling as regents were rare throughout history. Facing opposition from both the court and the public, she exhausted herself and died young.
Gu Yan raised his hand to stroke her hair at the temples. The pearl earring beside her ear trembled slightly. Unable to resist, he took her small earlobe into his mouth, closed her legs, and pressed his powerful hips downward.
In a daze, Yan Xuerui heard his deep voice.
"Be good, Rui'er."
"Your husband will cherish you."
Even with the Marquis's estate backing her, he still could not bear to expose her to the world. His Rui'er was a pitiful soul—her birth mother used her as a means to take revenge on the emperor, her adoptive parents were calculating and petty-minded. Gu Yan, with his high standards, had never thought much of the Yan family's ways.
Fortunately, she met him. Whether she was a merchant's daughter or a princess, in Gu Yan's eyes, she was simply his woman, the mother of his children. He would protect her, ensuring she lived a long, worry-free life.
...
Yan Xuerui didn't process his words. The hot breath against her neck made her restless, leaving no room for other thoughts.
After a long while, Gu Yan let out a satisfied groan, lying on top of her, catching his breath.
Yan Xuerui trembled as she opened her eyes, turned her face away, and said with *a hint of distaste*, "Dirty."
He hadn't actually entered her. During this period of abstinence, Gu Yan had relied on other means of relief. Yan Xuerui allowed him to have his way, but his lack of fulfillment left her frustrated and unsettled, her mind in disarray.
She murmured, "No..."
She wanted to say she did not want to be treated, that that so-called miracle doctor was a fraud. Once her condition passed, she would return to how she was before. It had been like this for many years; why was he putting on airs now?
If she had not felt his passion firsthand, she might have thought he was truly incapable.
Before she could speak, Yan Xuerui remembered Fang Zhixu, who was still using a wheeled chair, and fell silent.
She calmed the restlessness within her. Gu Yan casually took a handkerchief, cleaned up the mess, and contentedly held her warm, soft body, kissing her sweaty forehead.
"Wait a little longer."
He spoke. Though he was almost certain, he was meticulous by nature and needed to refine some details. He had already sent someone to the Yan residence in Yangzhou to retrieve the swaddling clothes that had wrapped Yan Xuerui as a baby. Yan's mother had not discarded them. The palace fabric, even after all these years, might be hard to trace, but it could serve as evidence.
Once he was completely sure, he would have the "heartblood."
The Crown Prince and the Virtuous Prince were not easy targets, but there were other useless princes and princesses. Surely one of them could cure his Rui'er.
Moreover, in extraordinary times, even the Crown Prince and the Virtuous Prince were not untouchable.
A dangerous glint flickered in Gu Yan's dark eyes, but Yan Xuerui, lost in her own musings, did not see it.
She thought it best not to mention Fang Zhixu if she wanted him to recover.
She changed the subject. "Today... I saw Father and Mother. It has been years since I last saw them. I have not been able to attend to them in their old age. I am truly unfilial."
Gu Yan chuckled, humoring her, his voice languid with satisfaction.
"Speak plainly."
Yan Xuerui: "..."
He always understood so well.
She carefully recounted the matter of Yun Shu, saying softly, "As her aunt, I should consider what is best for my niece."
Gu Yan pondered for a moment and said firmly, "She cannot be pushed into Ming Lan's quarters."
If she wanted to promote her family, she could have originally made her Ming Lan's concubine. Coincidentally, he had previously ordered an investigation into Prince Su's estate, and the secret letter mentioned the romantic affairs between the young master of Prince Su's estate and the granddaughter of the Yan family. He had glanced at it but paid no mind. Now that he thought about it, how could a woman with a tarnished reputation enter their Gu family's doors?
Marquis Gu, apart from his foolishness regarding Yan Xuerui, had always been a rule-abiding, tradition-following head of the family in all other matters.
Out of pity and compensation for her mother, he indulged Ming Wei. As for Ming Lan's marriage, while he said Yan Xuerui could choose freely, in reality, only those with distinguished lineages and capable fathers could step into the Gu family's threshold.
In his eyes, Ming Lan, as the firstborn son and heir of the Marquis's estate, should marry a wife capable of bearing the responsibilities of the household. His mother was elderly, and Rui'er was frail. Once Ming Lan married, it would be the perfect time to hand over household management.
Rui'er needed to recuperate and obediently wait for his affection.
But Yan Xuerui's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
"I had no such intention."
She said. Just as Yan Xuefang did not want Yun Shu to marry into the Marquis's estate, Yan Xuerui also felt uncomfortable. She and Yan Xuefang had never seen eye to eye since childhood. Now, out of respect for her parents, she let it go, but that was all—there was no extra affection.
She said, "Yun Shu is beautiful and comes from a good family. Although her father has passed away... with the support of the Marquis's estate, it should not be difficult to find a good match in the capital."
"Mother brought it up; I cannot refuse her."
"Since Ming Lan's marriage is still undecided, I can look into it together..."
She paused suddenly, lowering her long, thick eyelashes.
"Marquis, this concubine misspoke."
Just yesterday, she had softened and said she would listen to the Marquis in everything, yet today her mind was getting ideas again. Yan Xuerui lay weakly and helplessly in Gu Yan's arms, her thin silk nightgown loosely wrapping her slender, soft body. Her ink-black hair cascaded down, a few strands resting on her jade-white cheeks—the pliant posture Gu Yan loved most.
Gu Yan let out an ambiguous chuckle and squeezed her breast firmly, saying, "You're being dishonest."
If she truly felt she should not have said it, Yan Xuerui would not have spoken up. On one hand, it was her eldest son's marriage; on the other, the pressure of filial piety. Without stating it clearly, she acted pitiful in front of him.
It was like Jiang Ziya fishing—those who were willing took the bait. And he was one of them.
Gu Yan said, "Do not make public appearances like last time."
Occasionally meeting a few ladies of society was not something he forbade.
He could not be by her side every day. Firstly, he worried she would become melancholy; secondly, now that he knew her background, he could not be entirely sure of the emperor's feelings toward Consort Chen. Deceiving an emperor for over thirty years—was it love? Hatred? Or a mix of both?
Regardless, he did not want the grudges and entanglements of the previous generation to involve her. Nor did he need the identity of "princess" to do anything for the Marquis's estate. Things were fine as they were.
Rui'er was sharp and perceptive. Keeping her busy with other matters, he did not want her to figure things out and lead to unforeseen complications.
Gu Yan readily agreed, and Yan Xuerui felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her thoughts turned to Fang Zhixu—she wanted to find a physician to treat his illness and persuade him not to antagonize the Marquis’s household. But all of this depended on her being able to leave the estate.
She had used Yun Shu as a test, never expecting Gu Yan to be so accommodating today.
With his promise secured, she no longer saw the need to feign deference. She casually removed her earrings, letting the gleaming pearls scatter across the crimson mandarin duck brocade quilt. Yan Xuerui closed her eyes, ready to sleep.
Gu Yan called for a servant to extinguish the candles. As he drew the bed curtains, plunging the room into darkness, he suddenly said, "I once had someone investigate Prince Su's Mansion."
He briefly mentioned Yun Shu’s matter before shifting to another topic.
"A few years ago, Prince Su’s heir had a favored concubine. Within half a year of entering the household, she became pregnant. Relying on the child’s status, the heir declared that if she bore a son, she would be elevated to side consort."
To Yan Xuerui, hearing Gu Yan speak of such domestic affairs felt strange. She didn’t respond, but she was listening.
"The principal wife grew jealous and went to great lengths, spending a fortune to invite a revered Daoist master from Yangzhou to perform rituals in the mansion. The priest declared that the concubine was carrying an ill-omened fetus."
"Coincidentally, Prince Su had just fallen ill with a severe cold and was confined to his sickbed. The pregnancy was beaten out of her, and the concubine was left with lasting ailments. She soon passed away from melancholy."
Yan Xuerui’s eyelashes fluttered, and she couldn’t help but whisper, "Why must the beans boil so bitterly?"
They were all pitiable women trapped within the same gilded cage—why turn on each other? Gu Yan patted her back soothingly and said, "I believe the fraudulent Daoist bears the greater blame."
Unaware of the underlying implication, Yan Xuerui casually agreed, "Indeed. What became of that priest in the end? Was he brought to justice?"
"Heh."
Gu Yan let out a cold laugh, his voice particularly chilling in the darkness.
"Not only is that fraud alive and well, but he was later taken up by a capital noble. He transformed himself into a revered 'Transcendent Master' with an air of transcendent wisdom. Rui Er, don’t you find that absurd?"
Yan Xuerui could not bring herself to laugh. How could she not realize whom Gu Yan was referring to? Her limbs stiffened, and she refused to believe his words.
Cousin Zhixu… He was gentle and kind-hearted. He would give alms to beggars on the street and tend to injured birds, bandaging their wounds. He wasn’t that kind of person.
As Yan Xuerui fell silent, Gu Yan refused to let her evade the issue. His voice turned cold as he stated, "Do you truly believe Fang Zhixu is a man of integrity? He’s nothing but a charlatan who relied on deceit and trickery in Yangzhou!"
"Yet there are plenty of fools in this world, and he managed to build quite a 'reputation' for himself. Instead of lingering in Yangzhou, he had to come right under my nose. Rui Er, tell me, shouldn’t I—"
"My Lord—"
Yan Xuerui reached out and covered his lips. In the darkness, her beautiful eyes shone like starlight reflected in a deep pool.
"Let’s sleep. I’m tired."
She turned over, presenting Gu Yan with her slender, delicate back.
Was she angered?
Over another man?
Gu Yan gritted his teeth silently, then forcefully turned her body back toward him. Yan Xuerui suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and said plaintively, "My Lord, this concubine is truly exhausted."
"I’m sore down below as well. Whatever it is, can we discuss it tomorrow? Please, no more of this. Let’s just sleep."
Gu Yan’s eyes were icy. At the morning audience, he had held evidence that could ruin that man Fang, but after weighing his options, he had temporarily let it go.
But he said nothing more. Moments later, his arms tightened around Yan Xuerui’s slender waist, and he slowly closed his eyes.
***
The next day, when Yan Xuerui awoke, Gu Yan had already left for the morning audience. The servant Bi He relayed the Marquis’ message: Her Ladyship must take her medicine properly and on no account avoid treatment out of fear.
Yan Xuerui had no intention of neglecting her health. After drinking a bowl of nerve-soothing decoction, her mind felt considerably more at ease. Having finally secured Gu Yan’s consent, she planned to summon Yun Shu for an examination. Coincidentally, Ming Lan arrived to present his greetings, and the two entered together.