Chapter 24: Feng Zhinian's Marriage Arrangement-Depois de ser morta pelo meu marido canalha, casei-me com o tio do imperador atual.(Estrelas cintilam como meu coração.)

With a resonant finality, Gu Nanshu and the Eldest Princess simultaneously turned their gaze toward a visibly displeased Lu Heng.

Gu Nanshu knew perfectly well why Lu Heng was so angry. He likely felt that her choosing to address herself as "this humble wife" (chenqie) in front of the Eldest Princess, while she was still known as Feng Sanniang, had compromised his dignity. After all, he was the high and mighty Prince of Beichen; there were no shortage of noble ladies, aristocratic daughters, or even princesses from other kingdoms who would have been more than qualified to marry him. Why, he might wonder, should he be wed to a woman with a "tarnished" soul and a prior marriage?

However, having already spoken the words, she knew there was no taking them back.

The Eldest Princess, however, took no notice of this. She stole a glance at Lu Heng, assuming her younger brother was still nursing a grudge over Feng Zhinian’s recent pestering of Gu Nanshu. She hurriedly pulled Gu Nanshu to sit down and proceeded to offer a prompt apology to Lu Heng.

"Lu Heng," the Eldest Princess said with a smile, "regarding the trouble Zhinian caused last time, it was my failure as a mother to discipline him properly. I offer you a sincere apology on his behalf. I know you are unhappy, but please do not take it to heart; that matter is already in the past."

Lu Heng sipped his tea with a calm expression, remaining silent.

Seeing that he had nothing to say, the Eldest Princess continued, "Please, do not hold a grudge against that boy. He is young and impulsive, unable to let things go, and he hasn't yet tasted the hardships of life. But he has always admired you, his imperial uncle, ever since he was a child. Surely, your anger should be dissipated by now?"

The Eldest Princess had been deeply troubled by this, unable to eat or sleep well, hoping only that Lu Heng would forgive her son and avoid any lasting discord or enmity.

Listening to this, Gu Nanshu could not tell if Lu Heng’s irritation was truly because of her earlier remark, or because he was still incensed by Feng Zhinian’s disrespect. Regardless, she decided that silence was her best course of action.

Lu Heng frowned as he listened to his elder sister. Why was Feng Zhinian being brought up again? Silently finishing his tea and setting down the cup, he said coolly, "Eldest Sister, if you have come today to act as a lobbyist for Feng Zhinian, you may spare yourself the trouble. I have not taken that matter to heart. However, I must speak plainly: Gu Nanshu is now the Princess of the Beichen estate. If Feng Zhinian does not learn his lesson and continues to act out of line, do not blame me for failing to honor our sibling ties."

Lu Heng was that kind of man. If someone made a mistake in front of him for the first time, he might choose to forgive or overlook it. But if there were a second or third time, he would show no mercy.

The Eldest Princess smiled hurriedly. "Hearing you say that, I am relieved."

She exchanged a quick glance with her husband. The Prime Minister, who had been drinking tea, received the signal, set down his cup, and said to Lu Heng with a warm smile, "By the way, Your Highness, my son is somewhat untalented, but he will rely on your guidance in the future. After his marriage, your sister and I intend to send him to your military camp for training. What do you think?"

"Marriage? Whom is Feng Zhinian marrying?" The news of Feng Zhinian's marriage was so sudden that Lu Heng asked with some surprise.

The Prime Minister quickly explained, "It is like this: I have arranged a match for Zhinian, and I intend to propose it formally once Yuxi’s wedding is concluded. Since we were here to deliver the wedding invitations today, I thought I would mention it to you. After all, as his uncle, you should be involved in his marital affairs. When the time comes..." He looked pointedly at Gu Nanshu and smiled, continuing, "I will need the Princess to step in and help vet the bride. We should all go to the Martial Arts Villa together, see how the young lady is, and discuss the details."

Gu Nanshu felt a sense of doubt but did not press further.

Lu Heng remarked, "I have heard that you and the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, Xie Jing'an, are old acquaintances. Are you intending for Feng Zhinian to marry his youngest daughter?"

"Exactly."

The brief exchange cleared up the mystery for Gu Nanshu. After all, she had grown up in the Martial Arts Villa; how could she not know everyone there? Xie Jing'an had one son and two daughters. The daughter was named Xie Yin, and the son was Xie Zhao.

Xie Zhao was about her age and had often bullied her, frequently loading a slingshot with small pebbles to pelt her head. It would drive her into such a frenzy that she would chase him with a kitchen knife. Xie Zhao, however, possessed superb martial arts skills and always managed to escape. In those cherished childhood memories, she, Xie Zhao, and Zhong Muqiu were inseparable companions.

Back then, Xie Yin was only two years old, constantly trailing behind them, crying and demanding to play along. Later, after the incident involving Zhong Muqiu, Xie Zhao had heroically stood up for him, though he ultimately failed to change Xie Jing'an’s mind, and Zhong Muqiu was exiled from the villa. Because of this, Xie Zhao blamed his father’s cold-heartedness and ceased to view him as the righteous man everyone claimed he was. From that point on, a rift formed between father and son—a rift that likely remained to this day.

By the time she left the Martial Arts Villa, Xie Yin was only nine. How time flies; she had now grown into a young woman of marriageable age. And the man she was to marry was none other than Feng Zhinian—truly, a case of enemies meeting on a narrow path.

It turned out that the ultimate purpose of the Eldest Princess and the Prime Minister’s visit was to let them know that Feng Zhinian was soon to marry into the most prominent family in the martial arts world. They wanted to warn Lu Heng not to hold the past against Feng Zhinian, while simultaneously reminding Gu Nanshu that any lingering ties or old affections were to be wiped clean.

Gu Nanshu understood the Prime Minister’s implications perfectly. She smiled immediately and said, "Very well. When the young master goes to the Martial Arts Villa to meet his bride, I shall certainly accompany the Eldest Princess. You need not worry that I will not attend."

Seeing her so magnanimous, the Eldest Princess finally felt at ease. She took Gu Nanshu’s hand affectionately and said, "I did not expect you to be so understanding, sister-in-law. That is for the best. On that day, I will come to fetch you myself, shall I?"

Gu Nanshu nodded with a smile. "That would be fine. I shall trouble you, Eldest Sister."

"Think nothing of it." The Eldest Princess patted Gu Nanshu's hand, glanced at Lu Heng, and stood up to leave. "Then I shall not disturb the newlyweds any further. See that you and the Prince arrive at the Feng residence early on the wedding day."

"Understood. Safe travels, Eldest Sister."

Gu Nanshu had never cared for the Feng family, and that was no secret to Lu Heng. As she watched the Eldest Princess depart, the smile gradually faded from her face.

Lu Heng stared at her, feeling deeply conflicted. This was the first time they were alone since he had discovered that Gu Nanshu was Feng Sanniang. She was neither wife nor friend, and though she felt like an enemy, she was not quite that either. She was merely a pawn caught between the hatred of Feng Sanniang and the Prime Minister, trapped in a position where loyalty and righteousness were impossible to reconcile.

But one thing was certain: everything required proof. He spoke, "Gu Nanshu, I know your thoughts and intentions. You are wishing you could kill the Prime Minister to satisfy the hatred in your heart, aren't you?"