Chapter 370: Image
Translator: Atlas Studios | Editor: Atlas Studios
Gu Yunrong had long noticed the abnormalities of the w.a.n.g family. The smile on his face gradually disappeared.
Ever since she returned from the palace on the day of the banquet, Madam w.a.n.g’s att.i.tude towards her had changed. She was cold and indifferent. She had gone to the main courtyard to pay her respects a few times, but she was stopped by the servants in the main courtyard.
When the Ceremony Directorate came to make the decision, it was Madam w.a.n.g who accompanied Gu Jian to receive him. At that time, Madam w.a.n.g didn’t say much at all. The smile on her face was simply squeezed out.
As soon as the people from the Ceremony Directorate left, Madam w.a.n.g began to sigh at her sadly. One moment, she said that she couldn’t bear to let her get married so early, the next moment, she said that flowers don’t bloom for a hundred days, and the next moment, she said something about it not being a coincidence… Those words sounded like she was hiding something.
Gu Yunrong wasn’t stupid. Of course, she could tell what the w.a.n.g family meant. It was just that that day was her big day, and she couldn’t be bothered to argue with the w.a.n.g family.
At this moment, seeing how unwilling Madam w.a.n.g was, Gu Yunrong felt even more unhappy. She had been registered under Madam w.a.n.g’s name because she sincerely recognized her as her mother, but Madam w.a.n.g was different.
In the past, the w.a.n.g family recognized her as their daughter because of Kang w.a.n.g. Now, the w.a.n.g family was avoiding her like the plague because of Kang w.a.n.g.
Gu Yunrong’s eyes turned cold. He asked unexpectedly, “Mother, you’re so uneasy… Do you look down on Kang w.a.n.g?”
Madam w.a.n.g was drinking tea when Gu Yunrong asked her this question. She almost choked on the tea in her mouth and looked a little disheveled.
Gu Yunrong didn’t give the w.a.n.g family a chance to speak. He said indifferently, “No matter what, Kang w.a.n.g is still the dignified Prince of the Second Rank.”
“Kang w.a.n.g isn’t down yet. Madam, you don’t have to worry about being implicated.”
When she said the first sentence, she still called Madam w.a.n.g her mother. When she said the last sentence, she had already changed to calling her Madam. Her distance was obvious.
When she thought of how the w.a.n.g family had always treated her like their own daughter, Gu Yunrong felt mocking. The w.a.n.g family was really hypocritical and realistic.
Madam w.a.n.g’s expression froze again, but she knew that she couldn’t admit it.
Madam w.a.n.g wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and hurriedly said, “Rong’er, you’ve misunderstood me. How could I look down on Kang w.a.n.g?”
Madam Gu frowned and looked at Madam w.a.n.g unhappily, making Madam w.a.n.g’s heart skip a beat.
The air suddenly turned cold.
Gu Yunrong lowered her eyelashes slightly. Her long and thick eyelashes cast a faint shadow in her fair eye sockets. Her cherry lips were slightly pursed, revealing a hint of stubbornness and arrogance.
Madam w.a.n.g met Madam Gu’s sharp gaze and braced herself. “Mother, I’m thinking that the Eldest Prince might have his eyes on Yanfei.”
“Our Marquis Mansion…” Madam w.a.n.g frowned tightly and sighed hesitantly.
She sorted out her thoughts again before continuing, “Kang w.a.n.g and the Eldest Prince will definitely be unable to tolerate fire and water. No matter which side wins, will our Marquis Mansion have a good life?”
“Moreover, at the last banquet, even the Empress Dowager was ordered by the Emperor to be placed under house arrest. Yuan Zhe is still locked up in the imperial prison. Even the Yu family has fallen…”
“The capital’s magistrate, Feng He, has been killed. His brother, Feng She, is also detained in the palace…”
When the w.a.n.g family spoke of these things one by one, they felt frightened, and their mouths and lips were dry.
At first, Gu Yunrong hated the w.a.n.g family’s short-sightedness. When he heard them talk about the Eldest Prince and Gu Yanfei excitedly, his lips slowly curled into a cold smile.
From the moment Gu Yanfei returned, he had become a maggot that couldn’t be removed from his body.
Gu Yanfei refused to let her off, just like how she refused to let Mother Su off…
Gu Yunrong’s fair fingers gripped the handkerchief tightly. Her heart was filled with an indescribable grievance and sourness. A dull suffocating feeling lingered in her heart.
Looking at Gu Yunrong’s aggrieved and forbearing expression, Madam Gu’s heart ached as she put her arm around her slender shoulders. As she patted her gently, she comforted her gently, “Don’t worry, Grandma is here.”
“Grandma won’t let you suffer. My Rong’er just has to wait for her marriage in peace.”
Madam Gu comforted Gu Yunrong gently and kindly.
However, when she turned to look at the w.a.n.g family, her expression instantly turned cold. She said coldly, “Madam w.a.n.g, just prepare a dowry for Rong’er.”
“Rong’er will be the Princess Consort after she marries over. In the future…”
Madam Gu paused meaningfully, her eyes as cold as a blade. “If you dare to neglect Sister Rong, then don’t stay in the Gu family! Our Gu family can’t afford a big shot like you!”
This was the first time Madam Gu had addressed her second daughter-in-law as Madam w.a.n.g without giving her face.
These merciless words were tantamount to slapping Madam w.a.n.g in the face.
The servants in the room silently lowered their heads and pretended not to hear anything.
A calico cat was curled up in a ball on the table by the window. Occasionally, it would look up lazily and yawn before burying its head again.
Madam w.a.n.g gritted her teeth and felt her face burn. Her face turned red, green, purple, purple, and white. The colors changed brilliantly.
She almost flicked her sleeves and left, but she restrained herself in the end. She took a deep breath and nodded at Madam Gu with difficulty. “Yes, Mother.”
“I’ll remember it.”
Although Madam w.a.n.g said that, she looked even more obedient on the outside, but she was even more indignant in her heart.
However, she knew that in the Marquis Mansion, even if Madam Gu was an old feudal lord, even the Duke of Dingyuan, Gu Jian, didn’t dare to disobey her, let alone the w.a.n.g family’s daughter-in-law.
Madam w.a.n.g was angry but didn’t dare to say anything. She could only listen to Madam Gu’s scolding obediently. After an incense stick of time, she came out of the Benevolent Harmony Hall and complained to the nanny angrily.
“I’m also thinking about the future of the Marquis Mansion. Kang w.a.n.g’s future is unknown. This marriage should be considered at length!”
“I’m not asking Rong’er to annul the engagement. I just want to advise Mother-in-law not to be anxious lest the Marquis Mansion falls into it.”
“I was thinking about the Marquis Mansion, but my mother-in-law embarra.s.sed me in front of the juniors and servants…”
It II
Madam w.a.n.g wasn’t stupid. Her words avoided people complaining to the nanny in private. From the corner of her eye, she saw a calico cat walking out of the Benevolent Harmony Hall with its tail raised. That elegant back view was extremely arrogant.
Not only did Madam w.a.n.g see the cat, but the servants of Benevolent Harmony Hall also saw the cat. They all watched it leave reluctantly.
The cat left Benevolent Harmony Hall so brazenly and ran all the way to the northeast, flying back to Yuheng Garden.
“Meow!”
The cat didn’t go through the front door. It nimbly climbed up a tree and leisurely circled between tree crowns before entering Gu Yanfei’s small study through a window in the backyard.
Gu Yanfei sat in front of the desk by the window. She was holding a white scarf in her hand and wiping an old copper coin carefully.
There were four old copper coins on the desk in front of her. They were wiped clean and spotless.
After wiping the copper coin in her hand clean, Gu Yanfei placed it together with the other four on the table and rearranged it. She smiled in satisfaction.
The five Heavenly Emperors of the East, South, West, North, and Central were all here.
Gu Yanfei had searched the antique shops in the capital for a few days before she could gather all the money.
Gu Yanfei strung the five copper coins together with a red line and braided a big red ta.s.sel before hanging it below.
“Meow!”
When Qing Guang saw the big red ta.s.sel, it was happy and determined that it was a ta.s.sel made by her master.
It jumped lightly from the window sill to the table and stretched out its claws to scratch the string of five emperors’ coins. This is mine now!
The cat was very fast, but Gu Yanfei was even faster. She raised her hand and grabbed the string of five emperors’ coins in his palm, preventing the cat from scratching it.
“It’s not for you.” Gu Yanfei reached out and adjusted the string of five emperors’ money and the big red ta.s.sel. “This is for peace.”
The five emperors’ coins could ward off evil spirits and villains. They could even bring prosperity. It was suitable for girls to carry around like this. It could be worn on the side of the waist or hidden in a purse or sleeve bag.
The cat felt wronged and meowed a few times. It rubbed against Gu Yanfei’s sleeve and whined.
“Alright, I’ll make one for you next time.” Gu Yanfei patted the cat’s head comfortingly.
The cat was finally satisfied. It rubbed its fluffy cheeks against her again, its white beard trembling. Gu Yanfei scratched the cat’s chin twice and took out a talisman from the bib to put around the cat’s neck.
There were several twisted and complicated runes drawn on the pale yellow talisman paper with red cinnabar.
Gu Yanfei’s lips moved slightly as she threw the talisman into the air. A corner of the talisman burned. At the same time, three familiar figures appeared on the talisman. They were Madam Gu, Gu Yunrong, and Madam w.a.n.g…
Unfortunately, the image on the talisman wasn’t very clear and was intermittent.
“Meow, meow, meow…”
The cat saw it too. It waved its claws at the three people who appeared on the talisman paper and meowed non-stop.
Gu Yanfei still didn’t understand what the cat was saying, but she could guess what had happened in the Benevolent Harmony Hall from the silent scene on the talisman.
This was a photographic talisman she had drawn. Unfortunately, it was only a semi-finished product.
After a while, the talisman paper was completely burned to ashes.
The blurry image disappeared.
When the wind blew, the ashes in the air were instantly blown away by the wind, leaving not even a speck of dust behind..