pjbooks Chapter 762 She felt that her daughter's actions were too reckless and showed no regard for the
Chapter 762 She felt that her daughter's actions were too reckless and showed no regard for the
"Why should I be careful with my words!" Princess Jiahe rebuked sharply. She turned around and looked at the noble ladies behind her, her eyes filled with a trace of grief and indignation at "sacrificing family for the greater good".
"We witnessed what happened today. Gu Qingchen and Young Master Qian's affair has been exposed. This is a disgrace to the royal family and a disgrace to the Gu family!"
Her voice was lowered, but it was still loud enough for everyone to hear.
"This matter must be reported to Her Majesty the Empress and His Majesty. We must not allow such a person to enter the Eastern Palace and tarnish the royal family's reputation!"
The ladies exchanged glances, shocked but also aware of the gravity of the situation.
Once this scandal gets out, it will be enough to shake up the entire capital.
Upon seeing this, Princess Jiahe immediately turned and ran towards the Golden Palace, shouting as she ran, "Help! Something's happened! Help!"
Her voice was sharp and urgent, carrying far through the silent night sky.
Gu Qingchen slowly raised her head and looked at Qian Zhenyun. There was no fear in her eyes, only a cold clarity.
Qian Zhenyun looked back at her, his eyes filled with an unprecedented determination.
There was a resolute and determined spirit.
This show should come to an end.
The commotion in the Golden Palace was quickly pierced by sharp shouts coming from the direction of the Imperial Garden.
"Help! Help! Something terrible has happened!"
The singing and dancing abruptly stopped.
The emperor's brows furrowed instantly, and Zhao Chen'an stood up abruptly, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.
"What happened?" the emperor asked in a deep voice.
A eunuch stumbled in, knelt on the ground, and his voice trembled: "Your Majesty! It's Princess Jiahe! She said... she saw it in the plum grove..."
Before the eunuch could finish speaking, Zhao Chen'an, exuding an aura of coldness, strode out.
The Empress's expression changed, and she immediately stood up, following closely behind surrounded by palace servants.
A sly smile of triumph flashed across Princess Yongding's face, but she quickly replaced it with an expression of extreme worry, pulling at Prince Yongding and saying, "Your Highness, go and see quickly, lest something have happened to Jiahe!"
In an instant, the princes and nobles in the Golden Palace, each with their own thoughts, flocked to the Imperial Garden like a tide.
When Zhao Chen'an arrived, this was the scene he saw.
Beside the plum grove pavilion, Qian Zhenyun, dressed in blue, stood like a statue in front of Gu Qingchen. Gu Qingchen, head bowed, face pale, hair slightly disheveled, looked utterly wretched.
Princess Jiahe was pointing at them, crying out to the growing crowd around her, her voice filled with heartache and indignation.
"I saw it with my own eyes! The two of them were pulling and tugging at each other, behaving improperly! Sister Gu is the future Crown Princess whom you personally promised to the Crown Prince. How could she... how could she do something so disgraceful to the royal family!"
Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes. Was their daughter truly going all out, or was she just putting on an act with this Qian family boy?
Chu Ruohan shook her head almost imperceptibly. She felt that her daughter's actions were too reckless and showed no regard for the consequences.
Zhao Chen'an's gaze was like two poisoned knives, passing over everyone else and fixed firmly on Qian Zhenyun's back.
The anger of betrayal instantly consumed all his reason.
"Qian Zhenyun!" He spat out these three words through gritted teeth, approaching step by step, his aura terrifyingly low. "I have treated you well, yet you dare to covet what does not belong to you and commit such a disgraceful act of betraying your master for personal gain!"
Qian Zhenyun slowly turned around, meeting the Crown Prince's fiery eyes with a calm and composed expression, showing no fear whatsoever.
"Your Highness."
"You still dare to call me Your Highness!" Zhao Chen'an was furious and suddenly raised his hand to slap him.
"stop!"
A cold rebuke made Zhao Chen'an's hand freeze in mid-air.
Gu Qingchen stepped out from behind Qian Zhenyun. She raised her head, and on her pale face, there was no trace of panic or shame at being caught, only a chilling sarcasm.
Under everyone's gaze, Gu Qingchen showed no panic whatsoever; instead, he slowly straightened up.
She didn't even look at the Empress, but instead focused her gaze on the weeping Princess Jiahe.
"The princess keeps saying that I am the future crown princess, but I would like to ask a question."
Her voice was clear and cold, exceptionally distinct in the quiet night, "May I ask when His Majesty issued the imperial decree of marriage? And when did my Duke of Zhenguo's mansion accept the Crown Prince's betrothal gifts?"
"The title of Crown Princess was bestowed upon me by Your Highness, and I, Gu Qingchen, dare not accept it."
As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.
Princess Jiahe's tear tracks froze.
"As for me and Young Master Qian," Gu Qingchen said, turning his head frankly to glance at Qian Zhenyun beside him, then sweeping his gaze over everyone, and said, word by word, "Love between men and women is only natural. Neither of us is married, and we are mutually attracted. What's wrong with that?"
"How dare you!" Zhao Chen'an finally couldn't hold back and squeezed out two words through gritted teeth.
He felt as if he had been slapped hard several times in public, and his face stung with pain.
"I'm being presumptuous?" Gu Qingchen laughed, her smile filled with undisguised mockery. She met Zhao Chen'an's fiery gaze. "Your Highness, who I'm in love with is none of your business, is it?"
The emperor's face was so dark it looked like it could drip water.
"Gu Junze!" The emperor's voice, though not angry, carried an imposing authority. "This is the good daughter you've raised!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Junze stepped out from the crowd, his tall figure like a mountain, blocking his daughter's path.
He first bowed to the emperor, then stood up straight, looked around at everyone, and spoke in a deep, steady voice.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I have long said that my daughter is of noble birth and will only marry into a family, not outside the family."
These words are tantamount to adding fuel to the fire.
Immediately, an imperial censor stepped forward and retorted righteously, "Duke Zhenguo, you are mistaken! When you said that, there was no legitimate son in your household to carry on the family line."
"Now that the Duke has a son, it is only natural that his daughter should be married off to facilitate a royal marriage and consolidate the court!"
"Yes, now that the Gu family has an heir, it's time to change these rules."
"That's right, there's no reason for the crown prince to marry into the family; it's utterly ridiculous!"
A chorus of agreement arose.
Gu Junze coldly watched the ministers who had jumped out, his face showing no emotion.
“In my eyes, sons are my flesh and blood, and daughters are equally precious to me.” His voice was not loud, but it drowned out all the noise. “The rules of my Zhenguo Duke’s Mansion will not change because of anyone or anything.”
After he finished speaking, his gaze turned to Qian Zhenyun, who remained silent throughout.
That gaze carried scrutiny, inquiry, and a hint of the authority an elder would exert over a younger person.
This earth-shattering scene left all the noble ladies present stunned.
From a young age, they were taught the three obediences and four virtues, family honor, and that their marriages were merely a transaction.
They never imagined that a woman's marriage could be for herself, not for her family or for power.
In an instant, countless envious and jealous gazes fell upon Gu Qingchen, who stood proudly in his plain clothes.
They suddenly felt that even if they had to bear the stigma of having a father who protected them and that they could live for themselves like this once, it would all be worth it.