Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 349 Forcibly Taking Another Man's Wife and Running Away

Who can prove it? And what happens after the proof? Would anyone dare to question His Majesty the Emperor's actions?

Back then, Prince Kang treated scholars with respect and attracted many followers. Who can say that he not only annoyed the other princes, but also that the old emperor might have had his own thoughts?

In short, King Kang was too young back then, and his heart was too sincere and passionate for the country and its people.

Sincerity is most easily betrayed!

The Prince of Kang was like this, and so was the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, but who cared?

“Grandfather, Grandfather?” Gu Qingyue’s voice pulled the old Duke back to reality.

When he came to his senses, he saw his granddaughter waving her little hand in front of him.

The old Duke reached out and took the little girl's hand, patting it gently. "Grandfather is fine, I was just thinking about some things."

"What are you thinking about so intently? Are you unhappy that Yue'er came back too late?" Gu Qingyue teased.

"Try to come home earlier in the future, and keep the treatment of your injuries as secret as possible," the old Duke said, looking at his granddaughter's face, unable to bring himself to say anything reproachful.

"Don't you have anything to say to your grandfather?"

Remembering his business, the old Duke bowed his head and poured himself a cup of tea, the aroma of which wafted through the air.

The shadows of the trees swayed gently, and everything was peaceful and warm. He was eager to know what his little granddaughter thought about the matter with King Li.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyue shifted uncomfortably.

She was so focused on being angry with Mu Yun Chu today that she forgot to ask him what he had said to her grandfather. However, knowing him as she did, she was sure he would tell her the truth and get straight to the point.

“Grandfather, I admire King Li. We have supported each other through thick and thin and understand each other well. Of course, we are still in the stage of getting to know each other better. Whether we can be together in the future, we will try our best.”

Gu Qingyue thought for a moment, and decided she didn't want to deceive her grandfather in any way.

Upon hearing this, the old Duke paused in mid-air with his teacup, clearly taken aback by his granddaughter's blunt words.

He thought that if he asked such a question, the little girl would be awkward and uncomfortable, or even talk about something else.

Although he was determined to get a honest answer from his granddaughter, he didn't expect the little girl to be so frank.

There was no shame or resentment, no attempt to conceal anything; everything was open, honest, and transparent.

This granddaughter makes him cherish her even more from the bottom of his heart, and he wants to protect and treasure her even more. This upright and honest character is what makes her a family-oriented girl!

"Haha, good, good."

The old Duke put down his teacup with satisfaction, patted the little girl's head, and said, "This is the kind of good girl I care about in my family. She has ideas and dares to take responsibility."

After a moment, the old magistrate straightened his expression and said, "King Li asked my grandfather for your hand in marriage and also told him about your affairs in Lizhou. So now I want to know, if King Li obtains the emperor's favor, are you willing?"

Gu Qingyue bit her lip and asked, "Isn't it unnecessary to get married right away? I'd like to wait a few years before considering it."

She really wasn't ready to marry him, not for any other reason than that she was still too young.

She didn't want to leave the Qin family and her grandfather, nor did she want to leave her brothers; she wanted to stay a few more years.

The old Duke nodded with a smile; he was also reluctant to part with such a wonderful granddaughter.

"Getting engaged first can also prevent other princes from coveting it. As for Prince Li, Grandfather still needs to take a good look at him."

The old Duke put down his teacup, his face somewhat displeased, showing that his grandfather was ultimately unwilling to agree to the engagement with the royal family.

Gu Qingyue lowered her voice and whispered, "Grandfather, didn't you dislike me marrying into the royal family?"

“Of course I don’t want to, but the court is in turmoil and the emperor is old, alas!” the old duke said, standing up.

"The princes' struggle for the throne is unstoppable, and I'm afraid that other noble families may not be able to protect you."

Although my grandfather still doesn't fully understand King Li, the fact that he has fought on the frontier since childhood, resisting the Nanzhao Kingdom, protecting the peace of the people, and making great contributions to the Great Chu Kingdom makes him worthy of a chance!

After a pause, the old Duke continued, "As for the future of the Duke's mansion, it is up to fate."

The old Duke's mood visibly somber.

Gu Qingyue understood; she had also read through the history books of the Great Chu, as well as various unofficial histories and anecdotes.

The practice of forcibly taking other men's wives was not uncommon among aristocratic families.

If her grandfather had followed his original plan and married her off to an ordinary family, those members of the royal family might have used their power to oppress her and seize her property through trickery.

How will ordinary people compete with the royal family at that time?

In the end, she will probably be the only one forced to sacrifice herself.

Although Gu Qingyue is capable enough to prevent such a thing from happening, and running away to a distant place is also a way out, it is still a last resort.

What Gu Qingyue didn't know was that four or five aristocratic families had already hinted at marriage proposals to her grandfather, but he had politely declined them all.

What Gu Qingyue didn't know was that the Fifth Prince had already sent someone to hint at making her his principal wife, but he had firmly refused.

He was mentally prepared for what kind of targeting and suppression he would face.

In the heart of the old Duke Gu, he did not want the future or fate of the Duke Zhenguo's mansion to be obtained through marriage or by sacrificing the interests of his family.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have initially wanted to marry Gu Qingyue to Liu Zichan of the Marquis's mansion.

But the situation in the capital is constantly changing, and they do not want to become anyone's pawns, with knives in their hands!

However, in order to safeguard the interests of the Gu family, they were forced to make a more advantageous choice!

Even though this choice now seems to require an alliance with certain forces within the royal family to be preserved!

Of course, the current choice is mainly based on the fact that the granddaughter already has feelings for King Le, and King Le has made a promise to be devoted to only one person for life, which is the most advantageous choice for both parties.

Otherwise, even if it meant the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion had to cut off its tail to survive, he would not hesitate!

Watching the old Duke's figure disappear into the distance, Gu Qingyue sat blankly at the round table, lost in thought.

Although she was not the head of the Gu family, she knew that her grandfather must have gone through a long period of thought and struggle to make the current choice; otherwise, he would have called her over for questioning early yesterday morning.

Gu Qingyue secretly resolved that no matter what the future held, she would find a way to preserve the Gu family's reputation. Even if they couldn't be remembered for eternity, they would at least live a peaceful and secure life.

The next morning, as planned, Gu Qingyue took Zhu Qing and Jiang Wan to Linfeng Academy.

After getting off the carriage, the first thing that catches the eye is the continuous, verdant mountains.

It is said that Linfeng Academy has a history longer than the founding history of the Great Chu Kingdom, and its headmasters have all come from scholarly families and have never been involved in officialdom.

Unlike the Imperial Academy, which was fiercely sought after by scions of prominent families in the capital, Linfeng Academy, while also cultivating pillars of the nation and with students primarily focused on the imperial examinations, offered a more diverse and broader range of courses.

For example, the courses on critical thinking and numerology, which have been passed down for more than two hundred years, are still offered today.

It not only covers the content involved in scientific expeditions, but also allows students who already have expertise and interest in this area to study and research more deeply.

I even heard from my fourth brother that the academy initially admitted female students.

This greatly surprised Gu Qingyue.