The Powerful Minister I Forcefully Married Won't Warm Up; After Rebirth, I Give Up the Chase - Chapter 55

Gu Ci came to the Wen Residence because of an exciting piece of good news.

His father, Duke Zhenguo Gu Chengye, would be returning to the capital soon.

At the time, he had taken the advice of Nianxi and… Pei Jian, writing to his father to ask him to pay closer attention to the movements of Northern Liang.

He had originally thought only of preparing for the worst.

Yet, he hadn’t expected that this investigation would actually uncover Northern Liang’s ambitious treachery.

Gu Chengye was cautious. He dispatched several secret agents deep into Northern Liang, one of whom reported back at the cost of his life: Prince Huyan Tuo of Northern Liang commanded a cavalry unit supported by the entire nation’s resources. Their warhorses were robust, their soldiers fierce, and they trained day and night without rest.

Not only that, but the Crown Prince also had people discreetly ascertain more concrete intelligence.

Huyan Tuo was a man of considerable ambition and had long harbored the desire to invade the South. Previously, he had successively annexed several small and large states in the Western Regions, taking prisoners of war to enrich his country. He was not the weak figure suggested by years of natural disasters.

Huyan Tuo’s cavalry was incomparably valiant and victorious in every battle, only concealing this from Great Jing. While the Jing court was busy raising provisions, Huyan Tuo was also constantly preparing for a massive surprise attack on the South.

Gu Chengye already had a countermeasure for this.

Of course, Gu Ci did not dwell on these military affairs.

He had originally expected his father to return to the capital next spring at the earliest. Now that the return schedule had changed, it meant that his happy event with Nianxi was drawing near.

Gu Ci had already decided that Nianxi was still young. This time, they would first establish the engagement. After his father and brother triumphantly returned, having defeated Northern Liang, it would not be too late for them to marry.

As long as the engagement was set and the title was established, no one could ruin their relationship.

Gu Ci shared the news of his father’s return with Nianxi immediately.

Nianxi seemed quite agitated: “Then there won’t be any accidents, right?”

Gu Ci nodded with a smile: “Naturally. If you know yourself and your enemy, you will never be defeated. Our General Gu will absolutely not allow the enemy’s schemes to succeed.”

Mentioning his father and brother, Gu Ci’s words were filled with pride.

Nianxi clapped her hands happily: “That’s wonderful!”

That way, Gu Ci would not have to endure the agony of his father and brother dying in battle, nor bear the fate of loneliness and sorrow. He could always remain as dazzling and bright as he was right now.

Like the brilliant sun hanging in the sky.

Gu Ci’s eyes, as bright as morning stars, were close at hand. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers with a smile: “Yes, it really is wonderful.”

As the sky was getting dark, Gu Ci left the Wen Residence. He always took the main avenue of Yi Qiao Street to return home. But today, his mood was exceptionally good, and he wanted to find Qin Lang for a couple of drinks, which led him to turn into a side alley.

Who knew that this spontaneous decision would lead him to run into Pei Jian walking out of the Wen Residence’s side gate? As he walked, Pei Jian was turning back to speak with the person inside the gate.

For a moment, Gu Ci’s blood seemed to freeze, and he stood still, unable to move.

Pei Jian ran into him face-to-face.

With just one look, Pei Jian saw through Gu Ci’s thoughts.

They had grown up together from childhood and naturally understood each other. Moreover, Gu Ci’s thoughts were practically written all over his face now.

“Curious about how I knew about the side gate?” Pei Jian glanced at him and said unhurriedly, “If Nianxi can bring you here, why can’t she tell me?”

The atmosphere instantly grew tense and confrontational.

Gu Ci glared at Pei Jian.

He controlled the urge to rush forward and kill him until his teeth ached, then said coldly, “Nianxi is not a name you are allowed to call.”

Pei Jian sneered, his lips twisting in mockery: “It wasn’t for me to call, but I’ve called it many times. How long have you known her? What do you know?”

He had ridden day and night from Lan Commandery back to the capital, only wishing to see her once, yet he could not. Gu Ci could sit openly in the Wen Residence’s reception hall drinking tea, while he had to sneak through the narrow side gate like a thief.

Now, he couldn’t even be a thief and was stopped here by Gu Ci for questioning.

All the exhaustion, grievance, embarrassment, and sharp discomfort made Pei Jian even more caustic:

“Speaking of which, didn’t you already know what I felt? Why didn’t you expose me then? Don’t talk to me about brotherhood. Why abandon it now? Or are you simply afraid that I will steal Nianxi away?”

Gu Ci had regained his composure by now.

He knew Pei Jian was trying to provoke him. He refused to admit the hidden fear and the momentary panic he felt upon seeing Pei Jian emerge from the side gate. He would not allow this shameless person in front of him to get his way.

Gu Ci tried to force a smile, but found his face stiff. Not yet crowned, he lacked Pei Jian’s sophistication and couldn’t even pretend in front of this person.

“You probably don’t know yet? My father will be returning soon, and Nian’er and I are going to get engaged.”

Pei Jian was stunned for a moment. He had just returned to the capital and had not yet paid his respects to the Crown Prince, nor was he aware of the details. However, the Duke Zhenguo returning should mean that the spies sent to Northern Liang had uncovered important intelligence.

Engaged—

He couldn’t help but clench his fists, the veins on his hands bulging, his face extremely grim. But he was better at pretending than Gu Ci. Even though his heart was shattering, his tone remained light and breezy:

“Forget engagement, what if you get married? Couples of many years still get divorced. How can you guarantee she will only love you?”

His light, unconcerned words were like pouring oil onto a fire. Moreover, he was brazenly laying out his non-existent moral bottom line:

I am waiting for the two of you to separate.

Even if you marry, I will not give up.

Any man whose wife is coveted by another would lose his temper, let alone Gu Ci, who was a hot-blooded young man. Pei Jian’s words provoked all his insecurity and rage, surging like a thousand-foot wave, wanting only to tear the person in front of him to shreds.

Why would there be such a shameless and despicable person in this world? Gu Ci couldn’t understand.

“Do you have to fight me for her?”

Pei Jian now didn’t even bother to lift his eyes, mocking: “Are you worthy?”

His once best brother was now justly fighting him for his beloved. Gu Ci could no longer endure, releasing his horse’s reins and swinging his fist.

Pei Jian was also fed up with Gu Ci’s expression.

Gu Ci was clearly the one stealing someone’s future wife, clearly the rogue, yet he wore a pitiful look of betrayal. How ridiculous! He, Pei Jian, disdained taking from others. What he wanted, always, was Nianxi—the Nianxi who belonged to him.

Just as the two were about to exchange blows, a familiar laugh suddenly echoed from the alley.

“Shizhang?”

Wen Yuanqiao was heading back after fulfilling an appointment with a friend. Earlier at the banquet, he was inspired and composed two timely poems, which were praised repeatedly, inevitably leading him to drink a couple more cups.

Fearing that his wife would catch him if he entered through the main gate, Wen Yuanqiao planned to take the side gate directly back to the residence. He never expected to encounter Pei Jian right outside his house.

Not just Pei Shizhang, but also his daughter’s sweetheart, Gu Ci, who often visited their residence.

“Qingye? Why are you here too?”

Wen Yuanqiao had drunk too much, his thoughts were slow, and coupled with the dim night, he didn’t notice the strange expressions or the awkward atmosphere between the two men.

He was helped down from his horse by a servant. Taking one man’s hand in each of his, he didn’t wait for them to speak, but pulled them toward the side gate: “What are you doing standing outside the door? Come, come, go inside with your uncle and talk.”