After being forced into a marriage with a wealthy family, the virtuous wife caused a huge uproar.

"Oh? You have this skill? Come, take my pulse." Old Prince An said, rolling up his sleeves.

Rong Yingluo stepped forward and took his pulse. As expected, it was weak and deep, indicating little vitality. His heartbeat was weak. Looking at his eyes, they were sunken and cloudy, his cheekbones were prominent, and his body was thin.

Rong Yingluo truthfully recounted the results of her pulse diagnosis.

"You've got some skills, pretty much what the imperial physician said. But the imperial physician isn't as brave as you; he wouldn't dare say that my lifespan is short." Old Prince An wasn't angry; instead, he praised Rong Yingluo for her courage.

Rong Yingluo just smiled. Knowing his relationship with her master, she naturally treated the old Prince An as an elder.

"Speak, what do you want?" Old Prince An instructed his attendant to put away the two paintings.

"I heard from the manager of Baibaozhai that you possess a compass once used by the Mingyang Master of the previous dynasty. Would you be so kind as to gift it to me?"

"Haha, so you've got your eye on that compass. Your master wanted it back then, but I couldn't bear to part with it; I had just acquired it at that time."

"So many years have passed, and I've long since lost interest. Giving it to you is just right; it has finally found a suitable owner." The old Prince An immediately ordered his attendant to fetch it for Rong Yingluo.

"I've heard you're quite good at chess. How about we play a game?" Old Prince An deliberately kept him there.

"Where did Your Highness hear that from?" Rong Yingluo was taken aback.

"Do you think I'm oblivious to what's going on around me? I know perfectly well what happened at the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet held at your Gu residence." Old Prince An didn't feel there was anything wrong with knowing something that others wanted to keep secret.

"Your Highness, I have another request." Rong Yingluo felt that the old Prince An might have planted spies in the Gu residence.

But this is something you can't ask directly.

"What is it?"

"Please do not reveal my identity. The Gu family still does not know, or rather, almost no one in the capital knows. I do not wish to expose it yet." Rong Yingluo looked at the old Prince An with pleading eyes.

"What do you want to do?" Old Prince An was shrewd and experienced, and he could tell at a glance that Rong Yingluo was hiding her identity to cause trouble.

"Of course, it's a case of playing dumb to deceive others. Gu Ce has lost four brides, and I don't believe you know nothing about it. I will deal with all the evil spirits in the Gu household before revealing my true identity." In just a short time, Rong Yingluo developed the greatest trust in the old Prince An.

"Very well, but you must send me two more paintings by the Hermit of Lingyin as a token of your gratitude." The old Prince An seized the opportunity to ask for a reward.

"Your Highness, this is not fair. That was my dowry." Rong Yingluo's shoulders slumped. She had already given away two sets, and now she was asking for more.

"A dowry that costs nothing," said the old Prince An, as if he only wanted some worthless things.

Rong Yingluo had no choice but to agree.

The two sat down at the chessboard and began their battle.

Time flies when playing chess.

The old man and the young man went back and forth, sometimes arguing, sometimes laughing.

The old Prince An loved to take back his moves, and Rong Yingluo always tried to stop him, but she couldn't, so she would argue with him. Then the old prince would laugh triumphantly, and the warm pavilion would suddenly become lively.

the other side.

Gu Ce was taken to the study, and after drinking cup after cup of tea, Rong Yingluo did not come out of the inner courtyard, nor did the old prince come to see him.

I couldn't stand it anymore, so I went to the outhouse.

After coming out, he didn't want to wait any longer, so he sent an old woman to check on Rong Yingluo and see what she was doing and why she was taking so long.

The old woman naturally knew Gu Ce's identity.

On the way to the warm pavilion where the old prince was staying, they met the fourth young lady of the Prince An's mansion, Yuwen Jing.

She was the eldest son's illegitimate daughter and also his only daughter, and was of marriageable age.

There were several other young ladies from the second and third wives' families, and she ranked fourth.

Although she was the granddaughter of the old Prince An, her birth mother was just a maid, so it wouldn't be easy to find her a satisfactory marriage.

After being picky for a year or two, I still couldn't find a suitable family.

Her birth mother was a maidservant who accompanied the mistress of the main house, so she naturally received more favor. As a result, Yuwen Jing was relatively favored among the concubine daughters in the Prince's mansion.

The eldest son of the Xun Gui family would never marry her, and the families of minor officials were beneath her notice.

Now she's almost seventeen and still hasn't found someone.

"Greetings, Fourth Miss." Granny Wu respectfully stepped aside, waiting for Yuwen Jing to walk over.

"Old Wu, aren't you working in the outer courtyard? Why are you in the inner courtyard?" Yuwen Jing asked casually, intrigued.

She remembered that the old woman was the one who cleaned her grandfather's study.

"Prime Minister Gu came to the manor today, but the Prince has been keeping him waiting in the study for almost half an hour. He couldn't wait any longer and sent me to see what the Prince was busy with."

Granny Wu didn't mention anything about Madam Gu.

"Oh?" Upon hearing that Gu Ce had come to the Prince's residence, Yuwen Jing's eyes immediately lit up. "You don't need to go. I'll go see what Grandfather is busy with."

Yuwen Jing dismissed Granny Wu, but instead of asking her to leave the inner courtyard, she asked her to fetch something.

After seeing Granny Wu walk away, Yuwen Jing straightened her clothes and left the inner courtyard with her maid. Sure enough, she saw Gu Ce standing alone under the eaves, gazing at the sky, lost in thought.

How could she bear to miss such a good opportunity?

Gu Ce is the youngest prime minister in Nanxia and the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

A man of such status would be the dream of countless noble ladies in the capital, but because of his reputation for bringing misfortune to his wives, no one dared to even think of marrying him.

Now, more than two months have passed since he married, and he hasn't died. His reputation for being a jinx to his wives has been dispelled, and many noble ladies in the capital are starting to get restless.

They had been struggling to get to know Gu Ce, but now that he had offered himself up, she was determined to take a chance. Rong Shi was just a merchant's daughter; a few simple tricks could easily send her to her death or even kill her.

Even if she marries into the Gu family as a concubine first, once Rong Shi gives up her position, she will naturally become the principal wife.

She moved gracefully to stand before Gu Ce: "Greetings, Lord Gu."

"You're too kind, Fourth Miss," Gu Ce replied curtly.

By this time, he was getting quite impatient.

I wonder if the old Prince An made things difficult for his wife.

Liuli's temperament lacked the gentle and compliant nature of the ladies of the capital, and he feared that she might offend Prince An due to her lack of respect for hierarchy.

"Is Lord Gu waiting for his grandfather?" Yuwen Jing asked gently, a faint blush rising on her face.

"Exactly."

"Lord Gu, my grandfather is entertaining distinguished guests. When I brought him tea and snacks, he instructed me to take you to the pavilion in the garden for a chat. Please follow me." Yuwen Jing lowered her head shyly and gestured for him to come.

Gu Ce was a little suspicious when he heard her say that the prince was entertaining distinguished guests.

Why was the old Prince An being so polite to his wife, treating her like a distinguished guest? This was somewhat beyond his expectations.

However, the lady has not come out for so long. I don't know how she talked with the old prince, but she has stayed until now, still in the waterside pavilion in the garden.

However, since it was the fourth young lady of the Prince's mansion who personally led the way, it should be true.

"Please." Gu Ce didn't think much of it and followed Yuwen Jing into the moon gate.

"Lord Gu, what brings you to see my grandfather?" Yuwen Jing asked, trying to make conversation with Gu Ce.

"It is my wife who has something to discuss with the Prince."

"I see." Yuwen Jing almost wanted to ask: Why wasn't your wife with you?

Suddenly, I realized that my grandfather had kept Gu Celiang in the outer courtyard for so long. Could it be that he was entertaining that merchant girl?

She immediately changed her story.

Yuwen Jing deliberately slowed her pace to walk alongside Gu Ce.

As they walked, they chatted idly with Gu Ce, who only gave perfunctory replies of two words. His eyes darted around, and ahead lay the Nine-Bend Bridge, beyond which lay the Water Pavilion.

As they walked onto the Nine-Bend Bridge, they passed a gap in the railing where a stone slab was raised above the ground. Yuwen Jing deliberately lagged behind and kicked the protruding part, losing her balance and falling towards Gu Ce.