Indeed, they had only gone out to see the lanterns. When they returned, Gu Chaobei reported to Empress Dowager Nian about the liveliness and prosperity of the common people, not mentioning a single word about the blue-eyed beauty. Shen Guiyan didn’t know where those arrested people ended up, but not a ripple of trouble arose, and no one asked about the blue-eyed beauty.
Xu Mengdie still entered the palace regularly, sometimes bringing precious medicinal herbs for the Imperial Prince, sometimes keeping her company and chatting. Her demeanor was natural, still as thoughtful and considerate as before, looking out for her in every way.
How could such a person be a bad person?
The First Prince now disliked having Baoshan serve him, spending every day with Nuo’er instead. That girl Nuo’er was also clever, running in and out, finding interesting things for the First Prince in various ways. The First Prince became increasingly inseparable from her, to the point that Baoshan couldn’t help but say to Shen Guiyan: “This servant can now marry with peace of mind.”
Shen Guiyan laughed. Speaking of marriage, Baoshan really should get married. After choosing and choosing, there was only Zhuiyun. They bickered every day but still couldn’t be separated.
Once this matter with the foreign envoys was over, she would prepare a dowry for Baoshan. That was her plan.
But this visit from the foreign envoys was completely different from the last time. Scouts reported that the foreign nation had transported an enormous iron contraption to present to the Emperor. An iron thing so heavy it took four men to barely lift it—no one knew what it was for. When it entered the capital, it attracted quite a crowd of onlookers.
“Look at this, it’s like an enlarged firecracker, with a fuse for igniting at the top.”
“Yes, it looks really imposing.”
The foreign envoy had also been replaced with a new one—a yellow-haired man with a face full of wrinkles. Upon entering the city gates, he was full of joy.
“Ambassador, His Majesty has decreed that you should rest first at the Gu residence,” Gu Chaodong came personally to receive him.
The yellow-haired man looked at him in surprise for a moment: “Shouldn’t we enter the palace? Why rest at the Gu residence?”
Gu Chaodong smiled elegantly: “The Ambassador has forgotten—the beauty your honored nation sent three years ago is still at the Gu residence. His Majesty’s arrangement for you to stay at the Gu residence naturally has profound meaning. We hope the Ambassador will appreciate this thoughtfulness.”
The implication being: wouldn’t it be better to host you where your acquaintance is?
The yellow-haired man shrugged, glanced at the person beside him and said: “Very well, let’s go to the Gu residence. This gift is precious—don’t damage it. It’s to be presented to His Majesty.”
“Rest assured,” Gu Chaodong made a gesture of invitation.
The person beside him followed the crowd forward, then halfway through changed direction, heading toward a secluded alley.
With the foreign envoys arriving, the streets were very lively. However, passing through the alley toward the Grand Marshal’s residence, there were hardly any people along the way.
After two light knocks on the door, the back courtyard creaked open. The person slipped in furtively and, following a maid, went to the main courtyard.
Xu Mengdie was leaning against a soft couch lost in thought, her complexion exceptionally pale.
Today was the twentieth day of the fourth month in the fourth year of Emperor Mingye’s reign—not suitable for travel, marriage, moving graves, or relocating.
She still remembered her previous life when she miscarried and wrongly blamed Shen Guiyan, hating her to the bone and becoming enemies early on. As a result, when Shen Guiyan and Gu Chaobei later rose to power and glory, her scheming husband remained merely an Imperial Guard Commander.
Also in her previous life, on this very day, as Imperial Guard Commander, Gu Chaonan had brought her to attend the state banquet.
The tragedy began right there.
That iron contraption was not some marvel of a prosperous age, but a Western cannon. A single cannonball could claim the lives of several people. Yet the foreign ambassador had aimed the cannon’s mouth at the Emperor and demanded that the Empress personally light the fuse at the top.
Shen Guiyan hadn’t gone to light it—she was afraid of the thing, so the Emperor casually pointed at her to go light it instead.
Xu Mengdie laughed softly. She had been truly foolish in her previous life, thinking this was some kind of honor. As a result, once she lit it, the Emperor and Empress Dowager were consumed by the cannon’s flames. Shen Guiyan, grief-stricken, immediately ordered her dragged out to the Meridian Gate for execution.
She didn’t know how everything turned out afterward—what became of Shen Guiyan’s fate, or who ended up sitting on the throne. But she knew she died unwillingly.
Living this life anew was heaven’s gift to her—a chance to make up for regrets and correct all the mistakes from her previous life. She could have wealth and glory, could support her husband’s advancement, could help Shen Guiyan rise step by step, assisting her time and again.
All of it was just to change the outcome today.
Shen Guiyan had always been curious why she treated her so well. Actually, there was nothing to it—because fate was hard to reverse. Without treating her well, without using her to climb step by step, she might still be the one pointed at today to light that thing.
But in this life, she was already the legitimate wife of the Grand Marshal. Even if the Emperor told her to go, she could refuse under some pretext.
She now had the power and status to refuse an imperial command. Even more, after this tragedy repeated itself, this empire might even fall into her and Chaonan’s hands!
This was what she had painstakingly schemed and calculated for all these years.
Now Shen Guiyan regarded her as a confidante, Xu Zhuangzhou was also proving capable and had gained Teacher Zhou’s trust, and Gu Chaonan was treated by the Emperor like a blood brother. Her plan was proceeding without the slightest deviation.
“Madam?” Shuang’er led someone in through the door, calling to her gently.
Xu Mengdie startled awake, losing her composure slightly. Her eyes were full of terror, frightening Shuang’er.
“It’s nothing.” Quickly recovering herself, Xu Mengdie looked at the person before her and smiled: “What is it?”
The person in plain clothes stepped forward and reported quietly: “The foreign ambassador has entered the capital. His Majesty has arranged for the ambassador to stay at the Gu residence.”
The Gu residence? Xu Mengdie frowned. Last time, he had stayed in the palace. But it didn’t matter—such a small change couldn’t stir up any great waves. Whether at the Gu residence or the palace, the final outcome would be the same.
She was Xu Mengdie who knew everything. In this lifetime, she definitely would not let herself live in vain again.
“The threshold at the Gu residence is high, and the fish pond is being renovated in the residence. The ambassador refuses to enter at the gate,” Zhuiyun came to report. “Does Your Majesty want to change the plan?”
“No need.” The Emperor issued orders while changing clothes: “Prepare the imperial palanquin. I will personally leave the palace to escort the ambassador into the Gu residence.”
Why on earth must it be the Gu residence? As Shen Guiyan helped him tie his sash, she thought for a moment and said: “This consort also wishes to go. After all, there’s nothing happening in the palace.”
Gu Chaobei nodded: “That’s fine too.”
As it happened, while in the carriage, he showed Shen Guiyan a secret letter.
“What’s this?” Shen Guiyan took the secret letter and pulled out the paper to look.
“I’ve had people monitoring Blue Eyes all along,” Gu Chaobei said flatly. “Finally understand what the arrangement on the Lantern Festival was about.”
This letter was one Blue Eyes was trying to send out. It contained nothing else but a drawing of the seating arrangement and layout of Juhuan Pavilion, with directions marked on it.
“A map?” Shen Guiyan was somewhat confused, but praised: “After all this time, she can still remember Juhuan Pavilion’s layout in such detail—truly remarkable.”
“She didn’t draw it.”