After the Cold and Aloof Husband's Mask Falls - Chapter 16

Early on the morning of the Recognition Banquet, the Princess of Huai sent her maid to wake the Heir so he could accompany her to the Protector Duke’s manor. Meanwhile, she served breakfast to the Prince of Huai.

The Prince was not yet forty, with a pale complexion and a well-groomed mustache, giving him the air of a refined scholar. He accepted a small celadon bowl from the Princess and shook his head with a smile.

“If Lin’er were not my son, he truly wouldn’t be worthy of that girl who just returned to the Protector Duke’s family.”

Recently, the incident at the Cui family’s poetry society had spread like wildfire among the commoners. In an attempt to suppress the rumors, the Cui family had arrested those spreading the news, an act that incensed the humble scholars and nearly sparked a bloody conflict.

When word reached the Emperor, he severely reprimanded Cui Qiong during the morning court session in front of all civil and military officials. This forced the once-arrogant prestigious clans to tuck their tails between their legs. Even the matter of the Rouran surrender letter had to be postponed for fear of the scholars’ collective wrath.

Who would have thought that such a massive shift in court politics was triggered by a dispute involving a young noblewoman?

The Princess of Huai covered her mouth and laughed. “The Prince thinks too highly of my niece. If she can marry into our palace, it would be her blessing.”

“Heh, she’d better be as impressive as you all say.”

A cold, sinister voice suddenly cut in. The Prince of Huai’s face darkened as he looked at his son in the doorway. He shouted sternly, “She is the only daughter of the Protector Duke, not some pet you can toy with at will! When you get to the banquet, you’d better fix your attitude. Do not cause trouble for me!”

Protector Duke? So what? He’ll be a dead man soon enough.

The Heir snorted inwardly and picked at his ear with an impatient look. “Fine, fine, I hear you. It’s not like I begged to marry her; her family is the one throwing themselves at us. What could possibly go wrong?”

Seeing the Prince’s face turn grim with anger again, the Princess quickly stood up to soothe him. “My Lord, don’t be angry. Lin’er will naturally become sensible once he is married.” She then signaled for the Heir to leave.

Once the “rebel” was out of sight, the Prince sighed heavily. “He truly was born just to spite me. If it weren’t for the sake of his mother…”

The Princess’s eyes flickered. She half-knelt and leaned affectionately against the Prince’s knee. “My Lord, if my sister knew from heaven, she would understand you. My only wish now is for the Heir to settle down and support your household.”

The Prince patted her back, his gaze turning serious. “Gu Wanlan is clever and capable. Only by placing a rebellious nature like Lin’er’s into her hands can I truly feel at ease.”

“This servant understands. I will ensure the Prince gets his wish today.” The Princess smiled behind her hand.

Protector Duke’s Manor

The Second Madam had originally sent invitations according to the Old Matron’s instructions—mostly to distant relatives and old friends of the Duke. Most of the ladies had given vague responses, which the Second Madam understood as a polite refusal. She wasn’t surprised; with the Duke’s illness, the manor’s influence was clearly waning.

However, when the day arrived, the situation was beyond anything she had expected.

The Second Madam was frantically ordering the butler to add more dishes to the kitchen when a maid ran up to her out of breath. “Second Madam! The Old Matron of the Duke of Xun! The wife of General Weiyuan! The Old Matron of the Marquis of Xuanping! They have all arrived!”

Heavens!

Name after name fell like hammer blows, leaving the Second Madam dizzy. When the invitations were sent, these houses had all given vague refusals. Why had they all seemingly coordinated to arrive at once?

She wasn’t too shocked about the Marquis of Xuanping’s Matron, as Gu Wanlan was on good terms with the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s Deputy Commander, Xiao Chen, who was a son of that house.

But the Old Matron of the Duke of Xun was a legendary elder of Xijing who rarely left her home. Usually, sending an invitation to her was merely a sign of respect; no one actually expected her to attend! How on earth did Gu Wanlan manage to pull her out of her manor?

The Old Matron had intended to put on airs at the banquet to humble Gu Wanlan, but with this turn of events, whose face was truly being slapped?

The Second Madam gritted her teeth, ready to give up. “I can’t manage a scene like this! Go get the Matron! Tell her she must host the proceedings!”

“Also, go check on the Eldest Miss to see if she’s ready. The guests she invited are already at the door; we cannot be impolite!”

After a thought, she stopped the maid again, her face darkening. “Forget it! You go check on the Eldest Miss; I will go fetch the Matron myself!”

The Second Madam hurried to the Sonehe Courtyard. Before the servants could announce her, she saw the Matron, fully dressed and supported by Qiugui, walking out.

Before she could speak, the Matron interrupted her with an unreadable expression. “Say no more about the guests.”

But the guests weren’t what the Second Madam was worried about! Seeing only the Matron’s confidants around, she whispered urgently, “Mother, today the Matron of the Duke of Xun and the Matron of the Marquis of Xuanping are both here. The matter you mentioned before… it might be hard to carry out. Should we delay?”

The Old Matron gave a cold laugh. “Do you think they are truly here for that brat? It’s only because she accidentally stirred up trouble for those high-and-mighty prestigious clans. These military nobles are taking this opportunity to celebrate and boost their own morale.”

“So that’s it…” the Second Madam murmured. Gu Baozhu had cried to her about the Cui family incident, but since she had already guessed Gu Wanlan would target the Cuis, she hadn’t paid much attention to the aftermath. She didn’t realize it had caused such a massive political storm.

A sudden realization made her shiver. Could this have been Gu Wanlan’s true goal all along?

The Old Matron looked down on her daughter-in-law’s constant cowardice. Since the arrow was already on the string, she patiently explained one more time.

“Even if our scheme doesn’t work, the Prince of Huai’s Heir is considered a junior to that old elder. She will stay on our side. Just do your part; the Princess will help us…”

“Yes…”

The Second Madam walked back to the front courtyard in a daze. The prestigious elderly ladies were being hosted by the Matron, so she prepared to wait at the main gate for her sister-in-law, the Princess of Huai.

Rounding a decorative screen, she saw the foster daughter, Gu Lehuan, speaking with a man at the gate with a grim expression.

The Second Madam frowned and stepped forward. “Lehuan, has something happened?”

Gu Lehuan turned with a polite smile and bowed. “It’s nothing, Second Aunt. I am helping Sister welcome a painter into the manor to paint a portrait for her today.”

A painter? Gu Wanlan had mentioned this before, but after everything that had happened, the Second Madam felt that everything Gu Wanlan did had a hidden motive.

She narrowed her eyes and looked past Gu Lehuan’s shoulder. Indeed, there was a man holding a scroll. He was a face she had never seen, but he was strikingly handsome and refined.

“Second Madam.” His voice was as clear as mountain snow.

Standing there, he seemed a perfect match for that “Calamity Star”—one active, one still. The thought flashed through the Second Madam’s mind for an instant.

Seeing the gatekeeper nod at her, she knew Gu Lehuan wasn’t lying; the stranger held an invitation. “Since he is a painter specifically invited by Wanlan, Lehuan, take him to the back. Just be careful not to disturb the other guests.”

“Understood, Second Aunt.”

Gu Lehuan signaled for Cui Jue to follow her. Although she had disliked him from the first moment they met, he was her sister’s guest, so she had to escort him.

“Seeing him makes me sick! Kick him out!”

Gu Lehuan jumped, almost thinking someone had read her mind. She turned around only to realize the person behind her was the Prince of Huai’s Heir! He walked in with his hands behind his back, looking less like a guest and more like he owned the place.

Seeing the Heir pick a fight with Gu Wanlan’s guest the moment he arrived, the Second Madam felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Everyone knew the Heir had been mocked for his appearance since childhood; as an adult, he was intensely jealous of any man better looking than him. And now, he had run into this one!

The Second Madam stepped forward to explain. “Your Highness, this is the painter Lady Wanlan invited for today.”

The Heir knew he was a painter—he had heard it at the gate. He also knew this painter was being taken to his future wife’s private quarters! To him, the man looked like a “lofty flower” on the outside, but was probably just a social climber looking to seduce a wealthy mistress.

The Heir surmised with pure malice. “Oh, he’s Wanlan’s invited painter? Then kicking him out would be wrong. However, today is Wanlan’s big day. Not just any random person should be allowed to see her—”

The Second Madam’s heart skipped a beat. “What does Your Highness mean?”

The Heir’s sinister eyes locked onto Cui Jue, a cruel smile stretching across his lips. “This painter should at least strip naked so we can check if he’s carrying anything ‘unclean’ before letting him in.”

Today, to meet Gu Wanlan, Cui Jue had set aside his warm fox furs and worn a set of elegant, wide-sleeved robes. Standing proudly in the wind with his scrolls, he looked like a transcendental immortal who could not be defiled.

“Is that so?”

Facing the blatant humiliation, Cui Jue did not grow angry. He even wore a faint smile, though the look he cast upon the Heir was utterly indifferent.

“I am Lady Gu’s person. You do not have the right to dispose of me.”