The downfall of the family caused a commotion. When the hustle and bustle gradually subsided, Dazhou entered another winter.
As the cold wind from the north swept through all parts of the south of the Yangtze River, the temperature dropped sharply, and people put on winter clothes. A few days later, the first winter snow hit, and the whole city was completely deserted.
In the Gu family's study, several pots of charcoal fire burned quietly, making the room warm. Snowflakes fluttered on the window lattice, adding a bit of life to the quiet study.
Footsteps sounded outside, and someone pushed the door open and came in. The snow outside rushed in with the wind and turned into water vapor in an instant.
"Brother, everything is packed..." Gu Shiba Niang gently shook the snowflakes on her cloak, looked at Gu Hai and said with a smile, "If the schedule is set, go and book the carriage and horses..."
Gu Hai put down the book in his hand, looked at his sister, smiled, and said hello.
Gu Hai's case was cleared, and he was reinstated. The court sympathized with him for his imprisonment and allowed him to take a break for the New Year. However, Gu Hai had all the affairs in Lizhou in mind, so he was ready to leave.
"This time, our family can celebrate the New Year together..." Gu Shiba Niang said with a smile, with eyes full of expectations. The meaning of the New Year is very important to everyone and every family, but for their family it is not. more important.
One year represents life and the preciousness of life.
Gu Hai didn't speak. He was silent for a moment, then hesitantly said, "Eighteen Mother, you really don't plan to..."
It stands to reason that Gu Shiba Niang's qualifications to enter the palace were gone the moment she was taken away by the Ministry of Punishment, but the current situation is that the Ministry of Rites not only did not send a clear edict disqualifying her from marrying on her own, but instead sent a decree to enter the palace. notify.
Of course, Gu Shiba Niang had already become famous through a letter from Gu Haihai, asking her to take it back because she was ashamed of herself, but there was no reply.
Gu Shiba Niang smiled, nodded, and turned her gaze to the door, where the wind carried snowflakes flying randomly.
"Oh, by the way, brother, I'm here to tell you that I'm going out..." She changed the subject.
"Where to go? In this snowy day..." Gu Hai frowned.
"Go say goodbye to Lingyuan..." Gu Shiba Niang said and smiled.
The Zhu family's matter was over. Although Lingyuan was still a bandit, no one was paying attention to it anymore, so Gu Shiba Niang found a place outside the city and built a tomb for him.
The tomb stood near the West Lake, a place where cemeteries were concentrated. Gu Shiba Niang felt that Lingyuan had lived alone and did not want him to be left alone after death.
The snow fell slowly and slowly, making this somewhat gloomy place become covered in silver, adding a bit of coolness.
Refusing the maid to follow, Gu Shiba Niang asked her to stay by the car and walked to Lingyuan's tomb holding an umbrella and a basket.
There is no last name on the tombstone, only the simple word "Lingyuan", and there is no person who set up the tombstone, which looks particularly desolate.
Gu Shiba Niang slowly squatted down, put the umbrella aside, shoveled away the snow with her hands, swept out a clearing, and slowly arranged the sacrifices in the basket.
"Come, let's have a drink..." She poured two glasses of wine and said to herself, "Come to think of it, we have never had a drink together..."
As he spoke, he drank it all in one gulp, then poured another cup in front of the tomb, and then poured another cup.
"I can't drink too much, my health is not good..." She smiled and looked at the tombstone, as if Ling Yuan was sitting across from her, "You won't be happy if I drink... You drink for me..."
As she spoke, she slowly poured the two glasses of wine onto the ground, and then stared blankly at the melted snow on the ground.
The snow kept falling and soon covered her body. Although the maid beside her was anxious, she did not dare to come over.
Gu Shiba Niang looked at the tombstone again, tears slowly sliding down her face, "Why can't we have a chance to come back alive... Why can't we live well..."
Her voice became more and more choked, and finally she broke down in sobs. She stopped talking and took out two red ropes from her lapel. One was tied with a piece of jade, and the other was a small wooden Buddha.
She reached out and untied the piece of emerald, slowly dug a hole in the grave with her hands, and buried it in it.
"I gave this to you. I haven't had time to give it to you..." She murmured, watching the snowflakes quickly cover the turned new soil one by one.
I looked at the tombstone quietly for a while.
"I'm leaving..." She stretched out her hand to touch the surface of the monument and stood up. Because she had been squatting for too long, her figure couldn't help but sway.
The maid was so frightened that she hurriedly ran over to help him.
"It's okay, let's go." Gu Shiba Niang signaled that she was okay, packed up with the maid, and walked back to the carriage.
The carriage moved slowly. In the carriage, Gu Hai had already asked someone to prepare a charcoal stove, a hand stove, etc. to keep warm. He soon calmed down. The maid took a dry towel and carefully wiped the snowflakes on her head and body.
The originally slow carriage suddenly stopped.
"Miss..." the nurse outside the car called in a low voice by the window, "Someone is coming..."
Someone is coming? Gu Shiba Niang frowned and opened the car curtain, only to see a tall figure standing in the middle of the road in front of her. He was wearing a purple cloak, standing with his hands behind his back, his head slightly raised, waiting silently.
Gu Shiba Niang was startled and was about to get out of the car and kowtow, but a guard on the side had already raised her hand to stop her movement.
"Have you seen the Ten Scenes of the West Lake?" Prince Wenjun asked as she approached.
Gu Shiba Niang shook her head.
"Me neither..." Prince Wenjun smiled, "It seems that we are really ordinary people, we have never seen the good and beautiful ones..."
"Your Highness's golden body..." Gu Shiba Niang lowered her head and said.
"Let's go." Prince Wen didn't wait for her to finish, and turned around to go ahead.
Gu Shiba Niang didn't speak anymore and followed up.
It is close to Baidi. If you go east, you can faintly see the broken bridge. When you get here, you can see people coming and going, which is very lively.
"The beauty of the West Lake is that the Sunny Lake is not as good as the Rainy Lake, the Rainy Lake is not as good as the Moon Lake, and the Moon Lake is not as good as the Snow Lake..." Prince Wenjun praised, "It is indeed extraordinary..."
The guards spread out, inadvertently creating a space around them.
"Yes..." Gu Shiba Niang responded in a low voice, her eyes sweeping over this refreshing scenery, "It's so beautiful..."
Prince Wen didn't speak anymore, and the two of them strolled through the snow one after the other. The Subai long embankment was like jade, the lakes on both sides were like mirrors, there were cruise ships dotted nearby, and the snowy mountains in the distance were empty.
"Will there never be a chance to enjoy such a beautiful scenery like this in the future..." After walking for unknown lengths of time, Prince Wenjun suddenly sighed with a smile.
"Your Highness's blessings and longevity are boundless, and your country is limitless..." Gu Shiba Niang lowered her eyes and whispered, "Don't say such words..."
"Am I blessed with endless longevity again?" Prince Wenjun smiled and looked sideways at her.
Gu Shiba Niang paused and lowered herself to kneel down.
"Let's talk properly..." King Wen Jun stretched out his hand to stop her.
He put his hand on Gu Shiba Niang's wrist, lingered for a moment, and then slowly took it back.
"Why don't you want to?" he asked calmly.
"Gu Xiang, what you are able to do in this life is all thanks to the gift of master Liu Gong..." Gu Shiba Niang said slowly in a low voice, telling how to get to know Liu Gong and how to become a disciple.
"Gu Xiang made a mistake in his previous life, and he must repay his kindness in this life..." She raised her head and did not avoid Prince Wen's eyes for the first time, "I can only repay my kindness in the next life..."
"You are allowed to make medicine, and you are allowed to accept disciples..." Prince Wen looked at her and said slowly.
Gu Shiba Niang's figure was slightly shaken.
"Gu Xiang, I just want to have someone by my side, just like when I was sick..." Prince Wenjun sighed softly and said, "Why is it okay in dangerous situations, but not at this time..."
Gu Shiba Niang looked at him, bit her lip, and finally slowly lowered her head.
"Your Highness... Gu Xiang is not worthy..." she said harshly, "Gu Xiang... the one who only wants to accompany Your Highness will always be the same Gu Xiang..."
That Gu Xiang, gentle, kind, loyal...
That Gu Xiang, at that time, took off all disguises and all precautions...
At this time, Gu Xiang's heart was riddled with holes, she was on guard, and she was calculating everything. She couldn't stop, she couldn't help herself, and she couldn't contain her anger...
"Gu Xiang..." He looked at her, seeming to sigh and then smile, "You... don't believe me?"
Don’t believe I can give you a day where you don’t need to calculate and be prepared.
"I don't dare..." Gu Shiba Niang lowered her head and said.
"Gu Xiang, think about it, even though you didn't believe me, have I ever let you down?" Prince Wen said calmly.
If you say Gu Hai is born, then I will be born, I believe you...
You said you could save me, I believed you...
Tears fell from Gu Shiba Niang's eyes. When she was desperate, she had no choice but to hit her with all her strength. There was no hope of survival, but he raised his hand and let go.
"I know..." she replied in a low voice. She knew her kindness, so she gave up indifference and looked on coldly, and decided to take risks to prepare the dragon and tiger soup.
"Gu Xiang..." Prince Wen's voice fell and he slowly stretched out his hand in front of her.
"Gu Xiang cannot be unfaithful, unjust or unfilial..." Gu Shiba Niang lowered her head and lowered her body, her voice choked with sobs, "Gu Xiang does not want to be ashamed in front of His Highness..."
The snow fell slowly and sprinkled one after another, quickly covering the palms of Prince Wen's hands with a layer of white.
She lowered her head and did not see the look of understanding, self-deprecation, and pity on King Wenjun's face.
Prince Wen smiled slowly and shook off the snow in his hands.
"Okay, whatever you say is good..." He said with a smile, "You... go ahead..."
Gu Shiba Niang burst into tears, "Thank you, Your Highness..."
The person in front of me did not leave.
"You should go first..." Prince Wen's voice fell softly from above his head, "It's rare to have some leisure time and enjoy the scenery..."
Gu Shiba Niang bit her lip and choked with sobs. She once again lowered her body and bowed deeply. She took a long time to get up, turned around and walked away quickly.
"Your Highness..." Attendant Huang walked over from the side, holding an umbrella and choking.
King Wenjun looked away from the vast snowy scene, and when he saw his eyes swollen and tears streaming down his face, he burst into laughter.
"Look at what you look like..." Prince Wenjun laughed and scolded, "When I see you crying, I want to laugh..."
"Your Highness..." Chamberlain Huang immediately shed two more tears in aggrieved tone, "I am sad..."
"Why are you sad..." Prince Wenjun said with a smile.
"I feel sad for Your Highness..." Huang Chamberlain wiped his face with his sleeve angrily and said angrily.
Prince Wenjun smiled, said nothing, breathed out gently, and looked at the snowy scene again.
"I just don't understand why she is doing this... How can she be like this..." Huang Huang said angrily, sniffing and crying again.
Prince Wen smiled softly, "You don't understand..."
His voice was quiet, and hearing it in Huang Neishi's ears, he felt lonely.
"Your Highness understands?" Huang Chamberlain asked with a wrinkled face.
Prince Wen didn't speak, he just looked at the snow falling silently all over the sky.
"Yes, I understand..." He seemed to be saying to himself, "I met her too late..."
Huang Huang was confused when he heard this. Is it too late? What's too late? Didn't they know each other a long time ago? Besides, what does it matter if it's late
Does it mean that Mrs. Gu has become a disciple and cannot abandon her, so it is too late
But it's not right... Huang Huang was puzzled. When he was about to ask, he looked up at Prince Wen's expression and sighed and said nothing.
Now that they all understand, why should he, an outsider, worry about it...
A few days later, the snow stopped, and at dawn, three carriages left the city gate.
"This house has been sold. It seems that I don't plan to come back..." Gu Yu said as he dismounted and took the wine glass from Gu Hai.
"It's not because I can't pay you back if I don't sell the house..." Gu Shiba Niang said with a smile, holding a wine glass in her hand.
"Can you afford to pay it back if you sell the house?" Gu Yu said calmly and drank the whole drink in one gulp.
Gu Hai smiled and drank it all in one gulp.
"Take care of yourself..." He nodded and reached out to pat Gu Yu's shoulder.
Gu Yu frowned and took a step away, "You don't need to tell me this..."
Gu Hai laughed and reached out to pat his shoulder again, "Okay! I'll tell you for myself!"
"Let's go." Gu Yu said calmly without running away this time.
Gu Hai nodded and saw Gu Shiba Niang on the side slowly finishing her wine, and hurriedly reached out to take down her wine glass.
"You can't drink... join in the fun..." he said angrily.
Gu Shiba Niang laughed and shook his arm, "Brother, I'll just have a drink..."
"Not even one cup..." Gu Hai glared.
Looking at the affectionate and laughing brother and sister, Gu Yu frowned and coughed.
"Hey, did you do this on purpose?" he asked.
Gu Hai smiled, turned around and stretched out his hand again, "You too, when attending official events, eat less wine..."
Gu Yu moved a step aside, and Gu Hai's hand fell away.
"Take care, take care." Gu Hai laughed heartily and cupped his hands.
Gu Yu nodded and watched the brother and sister turn and leave.
"Master Yu... come to Lizhou when you have time..." Mrs. Cao nodded at him and said softly.
Gu Yu nodded slightly and saluted, without saying a word. He watched Gu Hai helping Cao get into the car. The mother and son were talking and laughing. The warmth between their brows overflowed. He only felt a cramp in his heart, and then felt empty.
Some things, after all, cannot be completed even if the heart is missing.
Gu Shiba Niang suddenly stopped, said something to Gu Hai, and walked over again.
Gu Yu looked at the girl walking in front of him with a smile.
"It's so jealous and hateful..." Gu Yu said with a smile.
What he said was meaningless and disorderly, but Gu Shiba Niang understood.
"Is it because of this?" Gu Shiba Niang said with a smile, "Why do you dislike us?"
"What? You can't?" Gu Yu raised his eyebrows.
Gu Shiba Niang smiled, "Of course I can...but..."
She paused slightly, took a step forward, reached out and hugged Gu Yu.
Gu Yu was stunned for a moment and his body stiffened. It was obvious that he was in a big accident.
"Brother... there will be people who will be jealous of you to the point of hatred..." Gu Shiba Niang, who was a head shorter than him, gently touched her forehead in front of him and whispered, "...because you will also do it for you. My sister and brother who protect each other with their lives..."
Watching the carriage gradually turn into a black dot on the horizon, Gu Yu stood there without moving for a long time.
"What? She really didn't enter the palace..." Gu Luo'er was shocked when he heard this, his hands in front of him trembled uncontrollably, and then he laughed, "I knew she couldn't enter... This cheap maid... ..”
Gu Yu smiled mockingly and stood up, "Cousin, don't you understand me?"
Gu Luo'er stopped smiling and looked at Gu Yu.
"It's not that she can't get in, it's that she can't get in..." Gu Yu said, getting up and walking out.
"Nonsense!" Gu Luo'er sneered, "Fooling her face to look fat! How can she not want to get in if she can get in!"
Gu Yu stopped his feet, turned around and looked at her with a smile.
"There is a kind of person in this world who will never leave his destiny to the control of others..." He said lightly, "But people like you, I'm afraid they will never understand..."
After speaking, he strode away without stopping, leaving Gu Luoer in the hall with a pale face and chest heaving.
I will never leave my destiny to the control of others... .
A burst of delicate laughter from a woman outside interrupted Gu Luoer's thoughts. She raised her head and raised her eyebrows.
"Who's making that noise over there!" she shouted, her voice full of anger.
"Madam is here..." A charming woman outside the door whispered, looking sideways at her, "I thought you and I went to my aunt's house for a banquet..."
There was obvious sarcasm in her words. The relationship between Gu Luo'er and her husband had been very tense recently, and she was not even allowed to attend gatherings between relatives and friends. These words hit Gu Luo'er in the heart. She slapped the table and stood up.
"Come on, slap the mouth!" she shouted.
Although the relationship between Gu Luoer and her husband was somewhat bad, this did not hinder her status as the matron of the house. Several women immediately rushed out and held the woman down.
"Why do you hit me! What's wrong with me? Madam, why are you so angry at me?" the woman shouted angrily.
"Why? If I beat you as a concubine, do you still need the certificate?" Gu Luoer sneered, "So what if I sell you?"
As he said this, he waved his hands. The women understood and immediately raised their hands to strike. The woman's cries suddenly rang out.
"What are you doing!" A shout came from outside the door, making the chaotic scene suddenly quiet.
The third young master of Baoding Hou strode in with a drunken look on his face, his eyes scanning the chaotic crowd.
"Master..." The concubine broke away from her mother-in-law, ran over and knelt in front of him, crying.
"What are you doing?" The third prince of Baoding Hou frowned and looked at Gu Luo'er with a bit of displeasure.
"It's nothing. My concubine is ignorant. Let me teach you a lesson." Gu Luoer said calmly.
The Third Young Master of Baoding Hou sneered, "You still know what is sensible and what is not sensible..." His eyes were full of sarcasm, and he looked at her from top to bottom, "I thought you didn't understand..."
In public, these words were undoubtedly a loud slap on Gu Luo'er's face. Her complexion instantly became livid and her figure swayed.
Everyone in the family knew that the relationship between the two couples had been tense recently, but they did not expect that the tension would reach this point. Suddenly everyone looked at Gu Luo'er with profound expressions.
Countless gazes were like cold needles piercing into the body. Gu Luoer felt like her breathing was stagnant and her eardrums were buzzing.
Ever since he learned that Gu Shiba Niang had a close relationship with thieves during the interrogation by the Ministry of Justice, the third son of the Marquis of Baoding was furious. The couple, who had never been red-faced since their marriage, quarreled for the first time. Later, the Zhu family suddenly fell. Marquis Pingyang was implicated, and because Gu Luoer testified in this way, the third son of Marquis Baoding was questioned a lot. From then on, the relationship between the couple took a turn for the worse.
The couple has not slept together for more than a month, and they only see each other with a nod during meals.
But Gu Luoer didn't expect that he would embarrass himself like this in front of so many people. His vision went dark for a moment and he almost fell down.
"Let's go..." The third prince of Baoding Hou snorted, picked up the concubine who was kneeling on the ground and was stunned, and strode away with a puff of sleeves.
Until then, Gu Luoer could no longer hold on and sat down on the chair with a thud.
"Women like you just rely on your parents at home and your husband when you get married..."
"It depends on the words of being respectful to your parents, and it depends on your actions to please your husband's family..."
"Nothing you get is not given by others, so why be so complacent and arrogant..."
"Have you ever thought that once you lose the protection of your parents and the love of your husband's family, you will feel panic and helpless?"
Words rang in her ears one after another, and Gu Shiba Niang's indifferent eyes appeared in front of her eyes.
"May you always be reliable..."
Her eyes darkened and she finally passed out.
When I woke up again, the lights in the house were dim and silent.
Gu Luo'er remembered what happened and couldn't help but clenched her hands at her side. The rustling sound woke up the maid who was accompanying the bed.
"Madam, are you awake..." they asked hurriedly.
Gu Luoer's eyes swept across the room and saw the person they didn't expect to see.
"Where is the master..." she asked in a dry voice.
The maid lowered her head, somewhat evasive.
"The master invited the doctor, and the doctor said to let the madam rest..." she whispered.
"I asked where the master is?" Gu Luoer interrupted her.
"Master... Master is at Aunt Mei's place..." The maid hung her head so low that she could no longer hang her head, and her voice was like a mosquito buzzing.
Gu Luo'er closed her eyes and said no more.
"I never wanted anyone to respect me, nor did I want to compete with anyone. I just wanted to live like a human being..." Gu Shiba Niang's voice rang in her ears again.
Gu Luoer's tears slowly flowed down, and her hands in the quilt were tightly clenched.
Yes, I am jealous of you, so jealous that I want you to disappear forever. I am jealous of how someone can be so arrogant and wanton in fighting for what they want, and how can they be so free and decisive in leaving behind what they don’t want. Why, why can she? Live like that!
Gu Luoer's hand hit her hard, making the maid kneeling beside the bed tremble with fear.
I don't know how long it took, Gu Luoer took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
"Go and call Rou'er and Huazhi..." she said slowly.
Rou'er and Huazhi are the maids brought by Gu Luo'er from her parents' home. They are cute and beautiful, and are favored by Gu Luo'er. They are the first-class maids around them, but they never do the menial work that other maids do.
This kind of maid has a unified identity, that is, the concubine used by the mistress to win over her husband and to maintain her favor. Such candidates must be the mistress's confidants.
"Yes..." The maid responded and retreated.
Not long after, two enchanting figures appeared outside the bead curtain outside the door.
Looking at the two figures getting closer, Gu Luoer closed her eyes again. She thought she would never use these two people in her life...
Living is all about living. If you can do it, I can do it too, but you have your way of living, and I have my way of living...
"Gu Xiang... I will also live well... I can too... I will definitely be able..." Gu Luo'er murmured, biting her lower lip tightly, slowly sitting up, and slightly raising her arrogant face as always. He lowered his jaw and looked at the two girls who were kneeling in front of him.
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