Lady Guo left the main residence where the Marquess’s wife lived and headed to Yan Duan’s courtyard.
Seeing his beloved so obviously troubled, Yan Duan was surprised. “Wanping, what's wrong? Did Madam make things difficult for you? That doesn’t seem likely.”
Guo Shi’s maiden name was Wanping. Yan Duan’s switch from calling her “Qingqing” to “Wanping” seemed auspicious to her, so she smiled. “Why would the Marquess’s wife make things hard for me? She just told me this residence doesn’t keep idle people… Your carefree days are over too.”
Yan Duan grinned. “That means I don’t have to keep up pretenses anymore.”
With his father leading troops outside, the three brothers—and even their sister—were effectively held hostage in the Capital as “living guarantees.” So he and his older brother kept a low profile, for the most part staying home to study behind closed doors—and they couldn’t take the imperial exams anyway. But now… Even an idiot could see his father’s ambition. Forget the imperial exams, he could even imagine becoming an examiner as a prince.
Thinking about the future, he grew more and more delighted.
Yan Duan’s happiness was written all over his face. Guo Wanping could easily guess his thoughts and said, “We all have to work harder now.”
Yan Duan had been caught by Emperor Yongning himself while saving her, and it was only thanks to his father’s arrival that things didn’t get worse… The most embarrassed party back then was Emperor Yongning, after all. Yan Duan hadn’t lost face in front of tens of thousands of soldiers, but his reputation and his standing in his father’s eyes had certainly taken a hit.
Now Yan Duan was in high spirits and perfectly content, but who knew how things would be a few years down the road? She couldn’t guarantee anything. Since the Marquess’s wife was willing to give her a chance, she was determined to seize it. If Yan Duan ever changed his mind, she’d still have her own footing.
Back at West Gate Pass, it was already the end of the year.
From top to bottom in the Northwestern Provinces, everyone had caught wind of the great upheaval in the Capital. The common people were relatively indifferent, but the local officials and prestigious families were quite adept at piecing together the intelligence: If Guo Sida declared himself Emperor, Marquess Jingwen might not follow him, but regardless, they all acknowledged that over the years Marquess Jingwen had defended against Jin on the border and kept the populace at peace, winning the hearts of the people… So why not go with the tide and see if they could earn merit by supporting the rise of a new dragon?
As a result, the series of banquets hosted by Ling Jing turned out splendidly. Afterward, she turned to Qin Jingzhou and praised that the real Yan Jingzhou, Marquess Jingwen, was “truly a pity. If he hadn’t been killed in Yongning Emperor’s assassination attempt, his future would have been more than just one-third of the land.”
Qin Jingzhou replied, “He was a talented and upright but unlucky man. With the solid foundation he built up over ten painstaking years, I plan to unify the realm within five years and end the chaos as soon as possible. Of course, before fighting, we need to store up a few years’ worth of grain.”
Ling Jing handed him a training manual. “Want to see the plan I put together?”
Qin Jingzhou didn’t take it and simply smiled. “I trust your judgment.”
Meanwhile, Guo Wanping was using gentle words and patience to soothe Yan Duan.
From being the favored consort of Emperor Yongning to now being the nameless lover of the Marquess’s third son—not to mention being Guo Sida’s own daughter—it was impossible not to draw criticism. Not to mention the ladies who were dripping with sarcasm, all hoping to marry their daughters to the third son.
She wanted to establish some achievements before discussing marriage with Yan Duan. So lately, besides attending banquets, she had been running herself ragged inspecting the estates at the Marquess’s wife’s request.
All in all, Guo Wanping lived up to Ling Jing’s description of her as “clear-headed in the world.” She not only understood her position but also carried herself with poise, able to tune out the surrounding “noise.” But just because she kept her feelings guarded didn’t mean she wanted Yan Duan to think she didn’t care… To be honest, what she truly wanted was to hear Yan Duan promise her directly.
Yan Duan understood her well. “I asked my father,” he said. “He said he went through a lot of trouble to save his silly son, and since I supposedly have my own ideas, he can’t be bothered to meddle with my marriage—I should decide for myself. Wanping, I’d like to marry right after my brother or sister do, then we’ll get married too.” His voice dropped even lower. “I just don’t want to draw attention to myself anymore.”
Guo Wanping knew Yan Duan was sincere—at least in this moment, he truly was. His desire to keep a low profile was sensible, and if his former palace sister-in-law married first, the pressure on her would be somewhat less.
Pleased with his answer, she rested her head lightly on Yan Duan’s shoulder. “I’m the one who brought you trouble…”
Yan Duan immediately said, “Don’t say that. If I hadn’t been the one pestering you, maybe you’d be a princess by now…”
At that, Guo Wanping had plenty to say. “Don’t mention it! That father of mine was determined to raise a rebellion but never even hinted to me once—not a word of warning. I’m not even a consideration to him!”
Yan Duan would never say something like “you can be my parents’ daughter.” Instead, he said sincerely, “But you still have me.”
Guo Wanping smiled, “Mhm.” Turning her head, she gave Yan Duan a kiss, and watched as his handsome face turned red from his eyes all the way to his neck… This male lead had a basket of flaws—hesitant, too soft-hearted, not fit for grand things—but he really had nothing in common with those scummy men.
She still had those words ringing in her ears the next day, when she and Yan Duan left the house together. While waiting for Yan Duan in a private room at the restaurant, a server stealthily slipped her a small note. She opened it right in front of her lady-in-waiting. Goodness, her father Guo Sida had indeed not forgotten his own daughter!
Guo Sida’s intentions weren’t hard to guess. He didn’t tell her about the uprising because he expected Emperor Yongning to take her away—so she could feed back information without end. What Guo Sida hadn’t expected was that she didn’t go with Emperor Yongning but instead ran off with Yan Duan to West Gate Pass.
Having confirmed her whereabouts, and after the Guo family’s spy in West Gate Pass verified she had established herself well in the Marquess’s residence, Guo Sida got in touch with her—the little note reminded her that she would always be a daughter of the Guo family, and if she wanted a good life, she’d always need the Guo family to back her.
The more Guo Wanping read, the angrier she got, but she didn’t lose her head. When Yan Duan returned, she pushed the slip of paper toward him. “Look, he really is my father!” She pointed at the lower half. “See? He didn’t forget to tell me he plans to declare himself Emperor at the start of the new year and wants me to celebrate for him… Hah!”
Yan Duan loved this lively side of Guo Wanping!
Having witnessed both Guo Sida fleeing at the sight of his father’s blade and Emperor Yongning literally wetting himself on the spot, he refused to take either of them seriously. “Honestly, your father has lofty aims but shallow ability… Can I keep this message?”
Guo Wanping was more than happy to “sell out” her useless father. “Of course!”
After the two of them discussed it, they returned home at dusk and learned that big brother, second sister, and Xue Yi were all in the main residence as well. They exchanged a look, feeling… even more secure.
And as for Xue Yi, he’d left behind his Prince Consort father and princess stepmother, bringing only his closest confidants and his mother’s family to West Gate Pass.
Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing both found the young man quite agreeable. Qin Jingzhou personally tested him and then placed Xue Yi among his own Personal Guards. These guards, aside from going out for training and missions, spent most of their time inside the Marquess’s residence.
After “finishing work,” that gave Xue Yi many more opportunities for romantic exchanges with Yan Yun. Xue Yi, being a young and handsome man, stood no chance against a Yan Yun blessed with the gifts of a temptress. He fell so deeply that during his shifts, he was openly distracted and grinning foolishly right under Qin Jingzhou’s nose.
After asking his daughter’s opinion and finding that she was equally fond of Xue Yi, Qin Jingzhou decided there was no time like the present. Since Xue Yi was on duty today, he gave the young man a chance to prove himself before the whole family.
Yan Duan and Guo Wanping felt they couldn’t have come back at a better time. They let the steward lead them into the main residence and, after giving their respects, sat by Yan Jun’s side.
Once everyone was present, Xue Yi, without needing a prompt, solemnly knelt before Qin Jingzhou and stammered out, “I beg the Marquess to let me marry your daughter,” and bowed his head to the floor.
Yan Yun, her cheeks pink, watched him with a smile.
Qin Jingzhou didn’t keep him waiting. “Treat my daughter well, or you’ll answer to my sword.”
Xue Yi wasn’t scared in the slightest. Right then and there, tears of joy fell from his eyes. Still kneeling, he straightened up, red-eyed, and looked at Yan Yun.
Yan Yun was bold as ever. She reached out and cupped his face, mumbling softly, “Oh, what are you crying about?”
Xue Yi sniffled, “I just… couldn’t help it.”
Yan Jun blinked. “Father, I’d like to get married too.”
Qin Jingzhou replied, “All right, but it’s best if your wedding isn’t too close to your sister’s, or your mother will be run ragged.”
Yan Jun agreed hurriedly and, hands cupped in salute, said, “Your son thanks Mother first.”
Ling Jing nodded, smiling wordlessly.
Then Qin Jingzhou turned to his third son. “It looks like you have something to discuss?”
Figuring his father was in good spirits, Yan Duan decided to just be direct. He handed over the note.
Qin Jingzhou glanced at it, then passed it to Ling Jing. “Guo Sida is really determined to cause trouble, isn’t he.” Then he praised Guo Wanping. “You did very well.”
Guo Wanping quickly stood and bowed in thanks.
Yan Duan basked in the shared honor.
It had to be said, Qin Jingzhou’s judgment was spot on. Guo Sida really was plotting still. He didn’t believe a short family letter could resurrect any former father-daughter affection, but he was sure he could make his daughter yield: first threaten, then entice. With no allies in West Gate Pass, wouldn’t she have to submit sooner or later?
So, as the spring thaw began, Guo Wanping once again visited the manor assigned to her by the Marquess’s wife, where she encountered Lady Li and her beloved—Lady Li being Yan Jun’s former wife, the supposedly deceased daughter of the Li couple.
Even someone as calm as Guo Wanping was shocked; that Guo Sida’s people could manage to bring these two to her manor! This was an estate assigned by the Marquess’s wife—there was no way the lady herself hadn’t done a thorough background check before!
In less than half a year, Lady Li had suffered greatly and grown much more cautious. “His Majesty doesn’t expect you to do much. You couldn’t assassinate Yan Jingzhou and probably couldn’t even harm Yan Duan. All you need is to send tidings now and then.”
The “His Majesty” here, of course, referred to Guo Sida, who was preparing to proclaim himself Emperor.
After a pause, she added, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. I don’t need to be the one to teach you that… Us women…”
Guo Wanping cut her off. “Enough. There’s no way you’re relying on gentle persuasion alone. What tricks do you have up your sleeve? Don’t hide it, just say it!”
Lady Li’s expression tightened, then she sneered. “You’ll find out once you get back.”
Guo Wanping turned on her heel and left.
Back at the Marquess’s residence, the steward waiting at the gate said, “Third Young Master’s got severe vomiting and diarrhea. The imperial physician suspects poisoning…”