Chapter 40

The rain continued outside. Inside, Gu Chi was dazed for a long time before finally catching up with Lin Que’s thoughts and asking, “Brother, don’t you oppose this marriage?”

Lin Que sneered, “You keep running to Mingyue Nunnery for no reason, doing everything you shouldn’t, and I even had to cover for you. If you dare not marry her, Mother will definitely kill you with one stroke.”

Gu Chi knew he shouldn’t have had intimate relations with his beloved before marrying her, so he didn’t try to justify himself or explain his uncontrollable feelings to his brother. In any case, he achieved his goal—

His brother didn’t oppose the marriage.

From his brother’s words, it seemed their mother would also be agreeable.

Before coming here, Li Zhi and he confessed their feelings to each other and made promises, leaving only the Li family convinced.

Although Gu Chi was usually quiet, he was always decisive in action. He was now ready to confront his mother and ask her to propose to the Li family on his behalf.

Gu Chi’s face remained calm and composed, but his heart was soaring. He couldn’t wait to bring Li Zhi out of Mingyue Nunnery, marry her with all the traditional ceremonies, and then openly express his love and care for her as his rightful wife.

Before leaving, Gu Chi told Lin Que, “Brother, Qiongshi will definitely feel awkward calling you brother-in-law, and she’s used to calling sister-in-law ‘Little Five.’ So, it’s better if you and your wife each address each other differently.”

After saying this, he ran off, leaving a cup of lotus seed tea smashed on the ground behind him.

After smashing the teacup, Lin Que calmly took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. He thought about how his brother would go to their mother to explain the situation and sneered. He had initially planned to plead for Gu Chi in front of their mother, but now? With such heavy rain, he might as well stay home and teach Weixi how to play chess.

Lin Que temporarily set aside his brotherly feelings towards Gu Chi. The next day, he heard from Lin Qiwu that the Grand Princess had beaten Gu Chi, and quite severely, too. The Tianchu Camp even took two days off.

The reason wasn’t that Gu Chi wanted to marry Li Zhi but that he had crossed the line before marriage. The Grand Princess couldn’t bear to hit her sister, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t hit her thick-skinned youngest son.

After the beating, the Grand Princess’s approval was secured, leaving only the Li family.

The Grand Princess chose a day and, to have a good excuse, brought Li Mu along with a bunch of gifts to visit the Li family.

Li Mu knew she was there as a good luck charm and didn’t need to say anything. She just sat aside and ate the soaked fruits.

The Grand Princess and the Li family’s matriarch chatted, quickly steering the conversation towards Li Zhi. Li Mu slowed her eating, feeling a bit nervous.

“Poor Zhi, she didn’t find a good husband,” the matriarch sighed, trying to change the subject.

Most people knew not to bring up sensitive topics, but the Grand Princess didn’t. She asked, “Didn’t they say she went to live in the nunnery? With Buddha’s blessing, her days should improve.”

The Grand Princess said “went to live in the nunnery” instead of “became a nun,” which had very different implications.

Before the matriarch could respond, the Grand Princess picked up her teacup and casually said, “But the nunnery is austere. Weixi visited her earlier and told me about it, which made my heart ache. Even if the child is immature, the elders should take care of her and bring her back as soon as possible. How can they let her stay in the nunnery for so long?”

“People might think she’s becoming a nun, which would cause misunderstandings.”

The matriarch was stunned. She looked at the calm Grand Princess Zhaoming sipping tea and then at Li Mu. Hesitantly, she asked, “Your Highness, do you mean…”

The Grand Princess didn’t mince words. She smiled and said, “Li Zhi is about the same age as my son, Gu Chi. If the matriarch doesn’t mind, why not join our families in marriage?”

The usually eloquent matriarch was so shocked that she fell silent.

Li Mu, not part of the conversation, was extremely nervous. After a while, she heard the matriarch force a smile and say, “Li Zhi’s marriage should be decided by her parents.”

The Grand Princess nodded. “Of course. Can we call them here now?”

Feeling overwhelmed, the matriarch asked for Li Zhi’s birth mother, the second madam of the Li family.

Despite her loose tongue, the second madam didn’t dare speak recklessly in front of the Grand Princess. Upon hearing the Grand Princess’s proposal, she was ready to agree enthusiastically, but the matriarch interrupted, saying Li Zhi’s father wasn’t home and they needed to discuss it together.

The Grand Princess, not in a hurry, left with Li Mu.

After they left, the second madam couldn’t hide her excitement, while the matriarch sighed, unsure if this marriage would further tarnish Li Zhi’s reputation.

No matter how they tried to spin it, saying Li Zhi wasn’t becoming a nun but just staying at the nunnery, people would still gossip. If things went badly, even Mingyue Nunnery might be implicated.

After sending Li Mu back to the King’s mansion, the Grand Princess stayed for tea and discussed the matter with Lin Que.

“What’s the difficulty?” Lin Que said. “If you agree to my proposal, Gu Chi will be the rightful heir, and no one will dare gossip about them.”

Since Lin Que had the idea of making the Grand Princess the emperor, he had mentioned it several times. His reasoning was perfect: “Mother also has the surname Gu and royal blood. Gu Chi has carried the national surname since childhood. It must be Heaven’s will. Why not follow it?”

Unsurprisingly, he was thrown out of the Grand Princess’s mansion. But Lin Que didn’t give up, bringing it up repeatedly. After months of effort, even if the Grand Princess didn’t agree, she no longer scolded him. Given her current actions and power, it was clear to those with insight that she was almost like a ruler.

When Lin Que mentioned it again, the Grand Princess only said, “Let me think about it.”

A few days later, the Li family finally agreed, saying they would bring Li Zhi back first, and then the Grand Princess’s mansion could send a matchmaker with betrothal gifts.

Li Mu thought things were going smoothly until the day the Li family was supposed to fetch Li Zhi. She received urgent news from the pigeon loft.

The matriarch had agreed, and despite the second madam understanding the pros and cons, she still saw her daughter’s remarriage into the Grand Princess’s mansion as a great fortune.

The second master initially agreed, but after hearing a few words from Li Mu’s father, Li Wendao, he changed his mind, thinking the marriage would damage their reputation. Unable to refuse after agreeing, he instructed the nanny to persuade Li Zhi to commit suicide to avoid the marriage, even saying he would do it himself if she refused, claiming she was confused.

The pigeon loft had already sent the news to Mingyue Nunnery, and Lin Que’s people there would ensure nothing happened to Li Zhi.

But…

Li Mu, furious, called Fei Xing to prepare the carriage and horses, changed her clothes, grabbed her bow and arrows, and headed out.

—if Li Zhi found out that her own father wanted her dead, how heartbroken would she be?

Li Mu hurried, and when the road became more secluded, she got off the carriage and switched to riding a horse.

It was her first time riding a horse outside, and she regretted it halfway, wondering if she should have come and if she should have brought the bow and arrows.

Impulsiveness is a demon.

But when she dismounted, she still took the bow and arrows. She had been here before and didn’t want the nuns at Mingyue Nunnery to hear anything they shouldn’t, so she didn’t ask for a guide. She led Feixing to Li Zhi’s residence and encountered the maids sent by the Li family to fetch Li Zhi.

The maids told Li Mu that the nanny had gone in first and asked them to wait for instructions.

Li Mu quickened her pace. When she arrived, the nanny had already said everything she shouldn’t have. Li Mu stopped outside the door, gripping her bow so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Why are there always a few unworthy fathers in this world, Li Mu thought, her gaze fixed on the threshold a few steps away. She couldn’t move her feet, her throat felt like it was being squeezed, and her breathing quickened to catch her breath.

Until—

“Nanny, please go back and tell my father that I will not commit suicide.”

“If…”

Li Zhi still cried easily. Even though she didn’t intend to cry, and her tone was firm and calm, tears still flowed uncontrollably. She laughed at herself through tears and continued, “If this marriage affects Mingyue Nunnery and my younger sisters, I will spend the rest of my life making amends. But I will never… never die because of my father’s words.”

Li Mu’s grip slowly relaxed, and her breathing steadied.

The nanny tried to persuade Li Zhi a few more times, but Li Zhi remained resolute. Li Mu calmed herself, waited until her hands stopped shaking, and then continued to step inside.

But as soon as she saw the scene inside, her heart skipped a beat.

Li Zhi was sitting on the bed, packing her clothes. The nanny stood behind her, still trying to persuade her while pulling out a hidden rope, attempting to loop it around Li Zhi’s neck from above.

Li Mu forgot that Lin Que’s people were hiding there. She rushed in, pulled Li Zhi away, and smashed her bow heavily on the nanny.

Feixing followed closely behind Li Mu, restraining the nanny and tying her up with the rope meant to strangle Li Zhi.

The hidden guards only withdrew their arrows after Feixing had securely tied the nanny.

Li Zhi was initially happy to see Li Mu, but when she was suddenly pulled away from the bed and saw the nanny holding the rope, she realized what was happening. She stood there, trembling, until Li Mu hugged her and repeatedly said, “It’s okay,” helping her calm down.

“Little Five…” Li Zhi began, and as soon as she spoke, tears flowed like rain. She cried loudly in Li Mu’s arms.