Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 367 My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens!

"Congratulations, sister! Congratulations, sister!" Standing beside Gu Qingyue, Madam Wei was genuinely happy for her. She had heard her husband say that her younger sister and Prince Li had both saved each other's lives, which meant they were destined to be together. It was clear that Heaven was willing to grant the wish of a loving couple.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyue smiled but did not speak. She was still somewhat immersed in the surprise of receiving the imperial edict and had not fully recovered.

"Yes, congratulations on becoming the Princess Consort of Prince Li! From now on, no matter how many concubines Prince Li has, they will all have to be mindful of Yue'er's feelings. She truly lives up to her reputation as the legitimate daughter of our Duke's family! Congratulations!"

A soft voice came from behind.

Gu Qingyue finally came to her senses. Ever since she returned to the capital, her third aunt, Madam Hu, had been ambiguous in her attitude and had never shown any attitude towards the second branch of the family. At most, they would just leave each other alone.

Gu Qingyue never expected that a royal decree bestowing marriage today would elicit so much from Madam Hu.

She turned to the side and saw Gu Feiyan and Gu Feiwen, her two half-sisters, standing next to Madam Hu. Their expressions were not exactly ferocious, but their obvious resentment and jealousy were impossible to hide!

She was still young, so it was normal for her to not be able to hide her girlish thoughts, and Gu Qingyue didn't mind.

In this society, the most important thing for a woman is to get married. If she marries into a good family, she will live a peaceful and happy life. If she marries into a bad family, she will suffer for the rest of her life and will not be able to get a divorce.

Therefore, it's normal to feel a little jealous when someone marries well.

Gu Qingyue was actually quite puzzled. Her two half-sisters were practically invisible in the third branch of the family. Apart from the few times she had interacted with them, she usually didn't even remember that there were two such people in the Duke's mansion. Besides, their statuses were different, so what could she do if she was jealous?

I wonder if Hu's words just now were meant to defend those two illegitimate daughters, deliberately trying to annoy me and make things difficult for me?

Or perhaps she couldn't stand seeing the second wife doing well; in any case, Gu Qingyue didn't care.

She nodded slightly to thank Madam Hu for her congratulations, and ignored her comments about concubines and maids as if they were just flies buzzing around.

"Congratulations, little sister!" Gu Yuanjin finally squeezed through with his three younger brothers. Seeing his little sister's stunned expression, he couldn't help but find it a little funny.

"Congratulations to Yue'er on becoming the Princess Consort of Li, bringing honor to our Duke's family," said Uncle Gu Changqing, stepping forward with a smile.

He was clearly genuinely happy that Gu Qingyue was able to be betrothed to Prince Li.

But this makes it sound like the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion got its wealth by selling its daughters.

As soon as he finished speaking, he received a glare from the old Duke. What a good-for-nothing son!

"Congratulations, Yue'er," Uncle Gu Changjing said with a forced smile as he stepped forward to offer his congratulations.

Gu Qingyue glanced at him, nodded, and expressed her gratitude.

She looked around and didn't see Liu Shi, which was normal; she must be too sick to get up. That was good.

Apart from Madam Liu, almost everyone from each branch of the family came.

When receiving an imperial edict, all officials outside the capital would be summoned back to listen attentively. This was a custom and a sign of reverence for imperial authority.

Therefore, since the palace eunuchs left, the hall has been bustling like a vegetable market. Gu Qingyue felt a little dizzy. Having too many descendants is also a problem!

At this moment, everyone was excitedly discussing the arranged marriage, their faces beaming with joy, clearly very happy.

Whether he was happy for Gu Qingyue or for the fact that the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion had once again become entangled with the royal family over the years, remains unknown.

"Quiet down, everyone. It's a good thing that Yue'er has arranged a marriage between her and Prince Li, which is good for our Zhenguo Duke's Mansion. But we must be careful with our words and actions. Everyone should keep that in mind. Go back and do what you need to do."

Seeing his sons and grandsons all talking and making a ruckus, the old Duke immediately became irritated and chased them away.

Is this a good thing? The situation between North Korea and China is turbulent right now, and the future is still uncertain.

The old Duke sighed inwardly and looked at Gu Qingyue. However, one thing was certain: Yue'er liked Prince Li. This alone put his mind at ease.

In fact, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion has produced an empress and a concubine, and even an imperial tutor. It is a century-old family that should not be underestimated.

However, the family has actually been declining in recent decades, so the sudden emergence of a princess is indeed good news for the family.

Although the sons of the Duke's family currently hold low-ranking official positions in the court, and most of them are already civil officials.

However, as long as the emperor continues to pay attention to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and grants it the position of a princess, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion will not be truly marginalized or ostracized, and it has a great chance to turn the tide!

This was the opinion of most people in the hall.

Therefore, upon hearing this imperial edict, joy was inevitable. Although everyone had their own little schemes, their overall goal was the same.

Therefore, although he irritably chased everyone away, the old Duke was not overly harsh.

Once only the second branch of the family remained in the hall, the old Duke sat in the main seat with a solemn expression. "Yue'er, are you mentally prepared? If you have any regrets, your grandfather will fight for you."

"Prepare? What?" Gu Qingyue asked blankly.

The old Duke remained silent.

Gu Qingyue thought the old Duke wasn't going to continue, but then she heard his voice again.

He spoke earnestly, with a hint of worry in his voice, “Preparing to step into the royal vortex may bring you triumph and high status, restoring glory to the Gu family, or it may lead to a difficult and unbearable journey, where you may fall into the dust, unable to control your own destiny, and meet a tragic end.”

Apart from Gu Qingyue, the old Duke knew best about Prince Li's situation.

He understood the emperor's attitude and thoughts even better than Gu Qingyue and Prince Li, so he had to ask Gu Qingyue.

He didn't want his most beloved granddaughter to have any regrets.

Although he had privately promised to give King Li a chance last time, the Great Chu was now riddled with problems and in turmoil.

Moreover, the emperor was getting old, and the struggle for the throne had begun in the capital. It was still uncertain whether the emperor could remain unscathed in Lizhou. How could the emperor feel at ease?

"Father!!" Qin exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this, and stood up abruptly from her chair.

"Grandfather?" Gu Yuanjin and his brothers were surprised, their expressions turning serious.

No one expected that at this joyous moment, the old guild would say such a thing, which was tantamount to pouring cold water on everyone's heads.

"May the Bodhisattva bless my Yue'er with a smooth marriage and a lifetime of health and happiness," Qin Shi stood up and began to pray in various directions in the air, chanting incantations.

Gu Yuanjin and his brothers looked at each other, wondering why the old Duke had said such a thing.

“I understand Grandfather’s intentions,” Gu Qingyue said after a moment of silence.

“But Grandfather has forgotten that in my hands, my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens! Whether the royal family is virtuous or corrupt, whether the Great Chu is peaceful or turbulent, we will surely forge our own path. Grandfather, don’t worry too much.”

At that moment, the hall fell silent upon hearing these words.

In everyone's eyes, Gu Qingyue, who was always cute, mischievous, charming and lovely, had become a different person.