RPAGF Chapter 774 This matter can't be let go.
Chapter 774 This matter can't be let go.
The sky, which was clear during the day, suddenly changed its color by evening.
The north wind howled through the streets and alleys of the capital, and in less than half an hour, the sky became as gloomy as ink spilled on rice paper.
Immediately afterwards, a flurry of heavy snowflakes began to fall, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the withered branches and rocks in the courtyard were covered with a thin layer of white.
Inside the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, in Chu Ruohan's warm pavilion, there was a cozy and warm atmosphere.
The bronze incense burner with animal heads was filled with the finest silver charcoal, producing no smoke or fire, but warming the entire room comfortably.
Gu Qingchen, Chu Ruohan, and Song Ruyan, who had been invited to the mansion at some point, were gathered around a small red clay stove.
The fire in the stove was burning brightly, warming a pot of fine Pu'er tea, its aroma wafting through the air.
On the wire mesh next to the stove, several round chestnuts were roasting, their sweet aroma wafting from their cracked openings as they were heated by the heat.
"This darn weather, it suddenly turned cold." Chu Ruohan poked at the fire with a silver skewer, looking at the snow falling heavier and heavier outside the window, and said softly.
Song Ruyan picked up her teacup, blew on the steam, and smiled, "That's right. A timely snow promises a good harvest. This snow is perfect; this year is sure to be a good one."
Her gaze fell on Gu Qingchen, seemingly unintentionally.
Gu Qingchen didn't speak. She sat cross-legged on the thick, soft cushion, concentrating on a freshly roasted chestnut.
The chestnuts were too hot to handle, so she wrapped them in a handkerchief and carefully peeled off the golden-brown shells with both hands, revealing the golden flesh inside.
She stuffed the peeled chestnut kernels into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out with satisfaction, like a little hamster that had successfully stolen some food.
The sweet and soft flavor melted in my mouth, and the worries and gloom that had been weighing on my mind for days seemed to be dispelled as well.
She peeled one, then picked up another, her movements practiced and seemingly tireless.
Looking at her daughter's appearance, Chu Ruohan's eyes were filled with love and heartache.
She knew who her daughter had met that day, but there were some things she didn't ask, waiting for her daughter to say them herself.
"Was the temple fair fun?" Chu Ruohan couldn't help but ask softly.
Gu Qingchen paused in her chestnut-peeling motion, looked up, met her mother's worried gaze, and smiled.
"It's alright, quite lively. It's just that Shen Yu is too much of a troublemaker, like a monkey."
She only mentioned Shen Yu, never mentioning Lin Jiayou.
Chu Ruohan understood, so she didn't ask any further questions. She simply pushed a plate of cut fruit toward her.
"This alone won't fill you up. Just have something to tide you over, and we'll have the kitchen make you a bowl of hot noodle soup in a bit."
"Thank you, Mother," Gu Qingchen replied sweetly.
Watching the interaction between the mother and daughter, Song Ruyan's smile deepened.
Looking at Gu Qingchen's lively and charming appearance, she liked her more and more, and felt more and more that this girl should be her own daughter-in-law.
She held a warm teacup in her hands, her gaze falling on Gu Qingchen's nimble hands peeling chestnuts, and then on Gu Qingchen's innocent and carefree expression as she ate. She sighed inwardly.
If this drags on any longer, who knows what other trouble the Crown Prince and Empress might cause.
That guy named Lin Jiayou is no pushover either.
Long-term pain is worse than short-term pain.
Song Ruyan slammed the teacup she was holding onto the table, making a crisp, light sound.
Gu Qingchen and Chu Ruohan were both startled and looked at her at the same time.
"Aunt Song, what's wrong?" Gu Qingchen asked, his mouth still full of chestnuts.
Suddenly, Song Ruyan's smile vanished, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness. She ignored Gu Qingchen, her gaze fixed directly on Chu Ruohan.
"Sister Ruohan".
Chu Ruohan was taken aback. When had Song Ruyan ever addressed her like that?
Chu Ruohan also put down the silver token in her hand and said seriously, "Ruyan, please feel free to speak your mind."
Song Ruyan took a deep breath, as if she had made a great decision.
She spoke each word clearly, her voice not loud, yet it resounded like a thunderclap in the warm attic.
"I think we shouldn't wait for things to calm down. As for Qingchen and our Gun Gun, let's just accept it as a fact between our two families."
"Pfft, cough cough cough!"
Gu Qingchen had just swallowed half a chestnut when he was choked by this shocking remark, coughing violently and his face turning bright red.
Chu Ruohan was also startled. She looked at Song Ruyan with shock in her eyes and for a moment forgot to pat her daughter's back to help her breathe.
Admit it?
How do you recognize it?
That was all an act to break off the engagement!
Song Ruyan, however, seemed oblivious to the mother and daughter's reactions and continued speaking on her own.
“I know what you’re thinking. But at this point, this is the best way.”
She stretched out her fingers and began to analyze each and every one of the cases.
"Firstly, do you really think the Crown Prince will let this go? He lost face so badly at the palace banquet. He's only not doing anything now because of the Empress and His Majesty. Once this storm passes, he has a hundred ways to mess with Qingchen, your Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, and our Qian family."
“But what if we accept it?” Song Ruyan’s speech quickened, her eyes gleaming. “The die is cast! No matter how noble the Crown Prince is, can he forcibly take a married woman? What about the dignity of the royal family?”
"Secondly, Her Majesty the Empress. Why is she suppressing this matter? It's not for Qingchen's sake, but for the sake of the royal family's dignity, and to win over your Zhenguo Duke's Mansion. She's leaving room for Qingchen now, just to keep you hanging on. When she finds an opportunity and issues an imperial decree of marriage, will you accept it or not?"
"But what can she do if Qingchen and Gungun's marriage is settled? She can't just completely break ties with your Zhenguo Duke's Mansion and our Qian family for the sake of a daughter-in-law who doesn't care about her son, can she?"
“The most important point.” Song Ruyan looked at Gu Qingchen, who was coughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face, and her eyes suddenly softened. “I’ve watched Qingchen grow up since she was a child. To make her marry a man like the Crown Prince and spend her whole life in a place like the Eastern Palace, what’s the difference between that and taking her life?”
“Our Gun Gun may not be very successful, but you all know what kind of person he is. He would never let Qing Chen suffer the slightest grievance. And I, as her mother-in-law, would never let her suffer the slightest mistreatment either.”
"Rather than letting Qingchen jump into that fire pit, it's better to let her make do with Gun Gun. At least for the rest of her life, she can live happily and do whatever she wants."
The warm room was quiet for a moment, with only Gu Qingchen's suppressed coughs and the howling wind and snow outside the window.
Chu Ruohan was completely stunned.
She had to admit that every word Song Ruyan said resonated with her.
Yes, how could she not worry about her daughter's future? With the Crown Prince's gloomy nature and the complicated environment of the royal family, Qingchen marrying into that family would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den.
But Qian Zhenyun...
She looked at her daughter.
Gu Qingchen finally caught her breath, her small face flushed red from coughing, and tears still glistening in the corners of her eyes. She stared blankly at Song Ruyan, then at her mother, her mind a complete mess.
Could she and Gun Gun... really be together?
Song Ruyan's words, "Are you sure you don't want to try with my little Gun Gun?" echoed in my ears again.
This isn't just a trial; this is a lifelong commitment!
"Aunt Song, you, you must be joking." Gu Qingchen's voice was urgent and weak, trembling with tears. "I, Gun Gun and I, we're friends, we're brothers! How could you..."
"Why not?" Song Ruyan interrupted her. "Between men and women, there's no such thing as pure brotherhood. Ask my Gun Gun, doesn't he only see you as a brother?"
Gu Qingchen was speechless.
She recalled the calm yet resolute look in Qian Zhenyun's eyes when he stood in the plum grove on New Year's Eve and uttered the words "mutual affection" to the Crown Prince.
She recalled the gentle yet tender look in his eyes when he walked out from the crowd at the temple fair today and said to her, "I'm worried about you."
Her heart was in turmoil.
Chu Ruohan finally snapped out of her shock. Instead of immediately responding, she picked up a handkerchief, gently wiped away the tears from her daughter's eyes, and handed her a glass of warm water.
"Drink slowly, don't rush." Her voice was as calm and gentle as ever, as if it had the power to soothe people's hearts.
Gu Qingchen took the water glass and sipped it slowly, which calmed his wildly beating heart a little.
Chu Ruohan's gaze returned to Song Ruyan's face.
"Ruyan, I understand what you mean." She spoke slowly, her expression regaining the dignity and composure of the Duchess of Zhenguo.
“This matter is of great importance. It concerns the lives of two children, and I cannot make this decision alone.”
She paused, her tone carrying a deeper meaning.
"Furthermore, we should also ask the child what they themselves think."
Her gaze gently fell on Gu Qingchen once again.
"Qingchen, tell your mother, what are you really thinking?"
All eyes were focused on Gu Qingchen.
Song Ruyan's gaze was filled with expectation and encouragement.
Chu Ruohan's gaze was filled with tenderness and respect.
Gu Qingchen held the cup of warm water, his fingertips trembling slightly.
How should she answer?
Saying they were unwilling? But Aunt Song's analysis was perfectly reasonable, and it seemed to be the only and best way to break the deadlock at the moment.
Moreover, could she really just stand by and watch Qian Zhenyun and the Qian family suffer a tragic end because of her impulsive act and the Crown Prince's revenge?
She said she was willing? But her feelings for Qian Zhenyun were truly just friendship! Was it fair to him to marry her? Could she accept a marriage arranged to resolve trouble without feeling guilty?
For the first time, Qian Zhenyun's face appeared so clearly in her mind.
His calm, gentle, helpless, smiling, and resolute demeanor... all these different aspects of him flashed by like a revolving lantern.
She realized that she had never really looked at him seriously.
The wind and snow outside the window seemed to be getting heavier.
Snowflakes were whipped up by the gale and pounded against the window, making a rustling sound that was unsettling.
Gu Qingchen lowered his head, looking at his blurry reflection in the water glass, without saying a word.
The atmosphere in the warm room became subtly stagnant.
Seeing her conflicted expression, Song Ruyan felt both pained and anxious, but she also knew that these things couldn't be forced.
Chu Ruohan sighed softly and reached out to hold her daughter's cold hand.
"Alright, stop thinking about it." She said softly, "It's my fault for forcing you to make a decision. This isn't urgent, we can discuss it further."
She turned to Song Ruyan, a hint of apology on her face: "Ruyan, I'm sorry you had to see this. That's just how this girl is."
"I understand, I understand." Song Ruyan quickly waved her hand, her serious expression turning into a hearty smile, as if the aggressive person from just now was not her.
"Children and grandchildren have their own destinies; we mothers can only worry about it. Let's not talk about it anymore, let's have some tea!"
She took the initiative to pick up the teapot and refill the tea for Chu Ruohan and Gu Qingchen. A conversation that could change everyone's fate was thus casually glossed over.
But Gu Qingchen knew that this matter was beyond saving.
It was like a seed that Song Ruyan planted in the hearts of her and her mother.
Now, it has begun, quietly sprouting.