RPAGF Chapter 698 I even suspect that we were switched at birth back then.
Chapter 698 I even suspect that we were switched at birth back then.
Inside the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Chu Ruohan's courtyard was brightly lit.
The Duchess, who was known for her shrewdness and competence, was facing the account book at this moment, her fingertips resting on the sandalwood abacus, but she did not move the next bead.
The curtain fluttered slightly, and Gu Junze walked in, bringing with him a chill.
Chu Ruohan didn't even raise her head. She snorted coldly and pushed the ledger beside her aside with a soft "snap".
"Your good daughter is really stupid."
"If I hadn't seen her crawl out of my belly with my own eyes, I would have doubted whether I had been switched at birth!"
Gu Junze walked to her side, poured himself a cup of warm tea, and instead of anger, he smiled helplessly.
“You’ve known her personality for a long time.” He took a sip of tea. “The more you go against her, the more she’ll push herself. Just let her run into trouble. When she’s all bloodied and bruised, she’ll know what pain is.”
"You know what pain is?" Chu Ruohan raised an eyebrow. "I bet she's already twisted her elbow to someone else's!"
"Lin Jiayou has her completely bewitched, and now she's even going to attend some ridiculous poetry gathering for him. Doesn't she realize what the Third Prince is really thinking?"
Chu Ruohan sighed noncommittally, too lazy to bother with her daughter's foolishness anymore.
She rearranged the beads on the abacus and changed the subject.
"The princes have all grown up, and their hearts have become wild. It's just a pity that the current emperor is still in his prime."
She paused, then brought up another matter on her mind, "Speaking of which, Brother Lu is not young anymore. In a few days, Minister Li's wife will be holding a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet. At that time, it will be time to give him a good look."
Gu Junze paused slightly as he held the teacup, his gaze becoming somewhat lost in thought.
"What are you thinking about? I'm talking to you." Chu Ruohan noticed his unusual behavior.
Gu Junze snapped out of his reverie, put down his teacup, and said in a voice devoid of emotion, "It's nothing."
Chu Ruohan was not so easily fooled. She stared into her husband's eyes and said slowly, "Brother Lu has been back for some time now, but he has not yet visited his grandfather."
"Today, my third uncle sent someone to deliver a message, and he had quite a few complaints about Lu'er in his words."
“Lu’er has official duties to attend to,” Gu Junze replied calmly. “The Emperor has other plans for him.”
As for what the arrangements were, he didn't reveal a single word to Chu Ruohan.
Chu Ruohan did not ask any further questions.
She knew Gu Junze too well, and she also knew that Gu Lu's sudden transfer back from Chengdu was not as simple as a promotion on the surface.
She couldn't ask too many questions about matters of the court.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingchen was completely unaware of his parents' worries.
Wearing a newly tailored hibiscus-colored long dress, her ankle injury had mostly healed, and she no longer walked with a limp.
The poetry gathering was held on the shore of Lanyue Lake in the suburbs of Beijing. Painted boats glide on the water, and melodious music fills the air. The invitees were all prominent young men and ladies from well-known families in Beijing.
When Gu Qingchen and Lin Jiayou arrived by car, they immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"Isn't that Miss Gu? Who's that scholar next to her?"
"You don't know him? He's Lin Jiayou, the one who shielded her from the bear during the hunt in Xishan!"
"So it was him. He looks weak and frail, but he has quite a bit of courage."
"It's more than just courage; I think it's ambition. By climbing up the tree of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, they've gained untold privileges and can even attend the Third Prince's poetry gatherings."
Lin Jiayou seemed oblivious to the stares around him.
Gu Qingchen straightened his back, like a proud peacock, and stood protectively in front of Lin Jiayou, returning the unfriendly stares with his eyes.
"Ignore them," she whispered.
Lin Jiayou smiled at her.
Just as the two were about to find a place to sit down, a gentle voice came from not far away.
"Sister Qingchen, Young Master Lin, this way please."
The speaker was the Third Prince, Zhao Chenyu. He wore a moon-white brocade robe, held a folding fan, and smiled like a spring breeze. Unlike the Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an's cold and dignified demeanor, he always exuded an approachable and friendly charm.
"Third Prince." Gu Qingchen and Lin Jiayou quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.
Zhao Chenyu offered a helping hand, his gaze falling on Lin Jiayou, and said approvingly, "I have long heard of the matter at Xishan. Young Master Lin, despite your frail physique, possess the courage of ten thousand men, which is truly admirable."
"Your Highness is too kind. I am unworthy of such praise." Lin Jiayou bowed humbly.
"Hey, no need to be so modest." Zhao Chenyu patted his shoulder with a smile, his posture friendly. "Talented people should not be buried. I am very much looking forward to Young Master Lin's masterpiece at today's poetry gathering."
These words were perfectly worded, both praising Lin Jiayou and giving Gu Qingchen face.
Gu Qingchen was overjoyed, feeling that this third prince was much more pleasing to the eye than his cold-hearted crown prince.
After exchanging pleasantries, the poetry gathering officially began.
After several poems with lofty artistic conception and gorgeous language, the audience cheered and he was the star of the show.
"This child should only exist in heaven!"
"Young Master Lin's talent is beyond our reach!"
Gu Qingchen sat in the women's section, listening to the praises around him, feeling honored.
She proudly straightened her back, looking at Lin Jiayou who shone brightly in the crowd, unable to suppress the smile on her face.
See, she didn't misjudge him.
Amidst the praise of the crowd, Lin Jiayou maintained a humble smile, but his gaze swept across the crowd and accurately found Gu Qingchen, giving her a look that only the two of them understood.
However, amidst the cheers, an untimely, indifferent voice rang out clearly.
"The Third Prince's poetry gathering is as lively as ever."
Everyone turned around at the sound and saw an even more magnificent ship slowly approaching the shore.
At the bow of the ship, Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a black python robe, which made his face appear even more stern. His gaze was calm and serene as he swept his gaze over the crowd on the shore.
Qian Zhenyun followed behind him.
When the Crown Prince arrived, there was complete silence.
The more ornate ship slowly approached the shore, and the boatmen quickly laid a thick wooden plank to connect the two pleasure boats.
Zhao Chen'an's gaze swept over the crowd and landed precisely on Gu Qingchen.
"come over."
All eyes immediately turned to Gu Qingchen.
It was no secret that the Crown Prince and she rode together on the same horse at the Western Hills hunting grounds.
Gu Qingchen's cheeks instantly burned, not from embarrassment, but from anger. She stood rooted to the spot, completely motionless.
Why drag her into this power struggle between the two princes? Why treat her like an object, summoned and dismissed at will, in front of so many people?
She cursed inwardly, but on the surface she just stubbornly pursed her lips.
The Third Prince Zhao Chenyu took in her reaction, gently closed his folding fan, his smile remained, but his words were laced with sarcasm.
"It seems that Sister Qingchen does not want to go. Your Majesty is being a bit too demanding."
In a single sentence, Gu Qingchen's hesitation was transformed into an open defiance of the Crown Prince.
Everyone knows what the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo represents.
Whichever side she chooses to go, it means which side the "Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion" will lean towards.