The Whole Family is Reborn, But I Transmigrated into a Book - Chapter 36

Gu Qingjia and Liu Qingyue stayed in the countryside for a few more days before it was time to depart. Yue Qing knocked and entered the room, casting a subtle, hesitant glance at Liu Qingyue before remaining silent. Although his master’s attitude toward the Princess Consort had changed recently, there were still matters he felt he could not speak of freely in her presence.

Gu Qingjia gave a slight nod, indicating that there was no need to hide anything from her.

“Master,” Yue Qing began, “the Second Prince has submitted a memorial specifically requesting a young physician from the Imperial Academy of Medicine. He claims the military doctors are insufficient…”

Gu Qingjia did not believe for a second that the military doctors were “insufficient.” The Second Prince was, after all, the legitimate son of the Empress. No matter how cold-hearted their Imperial Father might be, he would never allow his legitimate son to suffer such a disadvantage while guarding the borders. It was far more likely that the Second Prince had other motives.

“I remember that when the Second Brother returned for the New Year, he was quite close to a certain imperial physician. I suspect that is exactly who he is asking for.” Gu Qingjia tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, lost in thought. “Did Father grant it?”

Though he already knew the answer, he asked anyway.

“He did,” Yue Qing replied truthfully. “He is but a young physician. His Majesty does not hold such a person in high regard.” This was true; the Imperial Academy was filled with masters of medicine. A junior physician wouldn’t even have the status to seek an audience with the Emperor alone.

“Master, His Majesty also sent an imperial decree.”

The Emperor clearly knew they had traveled this far; in fact, he likely knew the Eldest Prince was here as well. Gu Qingjia frowned. He realized he was still too green to see through his father’s ultimate designs.

“Give it to me.” Gu Qingjia took the decree. Regardless of what his father planned, once a decree was delivered, he had no choice but to obey. He waved his hand, dismissing Yue Qing, who bowed and exited. As a secret guard, Yue Qing never dared to speculate on his master’s thoughts.

“My lady, what do you make of the Second Brother’s request for a physician?” Gu Qingjia asked. He knew by now that while Liu Qingyue rarely left the house, she possessed far more information than he had imagined.

“What could I possibly think? I don’t even know the Second Prince,” she replied with a smile. “Perhaps there truly is a shortage of doctors in the army.” Privately, she wondered why the plot was suddenly moving toward the Second Prince. Is this a crossover world?

In truth, she had hit upon the mark. This world was different from the book she had read; every individual here possessed their own agency and made their own choices.

Gu Qingjia didn’t elaborate; it had been a casual question. Whatever the Second Prince was doing at the border had nothing to do with him—or so he thought until he looked down at the decree.

“Father wants us to go to the border to visit the Second Brother,” Gu Qingjia said succinctly. He omitted the part where the Emperor scolded him in the decree, calling him a “foolish son of a landlord” and noting that if the Emperor hadn’t cleared the obstacles along the way, Gu Qingjia would never have reached Jiangzhou safely.

Every prince knew the Emperor commanded a troop of Shadow Guards, though no one knew their true numbers. Their every move was being watched. Gu Qingjia suddenly realized that the Eldest Prince’s “escape” had likely been sanctioned—or at least ignored—by their father.

“When do we leave for the border? How long will it take?” Liu Qingyue blinked. She still hadn’t met Jiang Shaocong yet.

“We depart immediately. If you have unfinished business, leave instructions for Yue Qing. He can stay behind to handle them and catch up with us later.”

Liu Qingyue nodded. She realized that she and Gu Qingjia had run away at great risk, only to remain under the Emperor’s thumb the entire time. Her perception was shattered. She finally chose to step out of her mindset as a “traveler” and look at this world for what it truly was. Since waking up, she had assumed she knew the trajectory of this world, believing she could protect herself even without power. Today proved how naive that was.

“What are you thinking?” Gu Qingjia whispered, leaning close.

“Did you know all along? That our movements were always known?” she asked.

“Yes,” Gu Qingjia nodded, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I told you, our every move is monitored. Your plans were good, but even if we changed our clothes and names, those who want us dead would find us. My lady, you don’t truly know my brothers. Like me, they are not ‘good’ men.”

“So you weren’t afraid of assassination because you knew someone would save us? Then what happened at that inn?” she asked, confused. If the Emperor was protecting them, why allow those two thugs to attack?

“Perhaps to warn us not to grow too bold,” Gu Qingjia said indifferently. “Or to test my ability. If I couldn’t even handle those two, we would have been put under lock and key the next second.”

“Doesn’t the Emperor value family? Why allow brothers to kill one another?”

Gu Qingjia poured a cup of water and pushed it toward her. “Because in his eyes, such things are mere trifles—especially since I wasn’t even wounded. My lady, I must remind you: you married into the most heartless family in the world. We are fighting for the throne of the empire, not a common merchant’s inheritance.”

Liu Qingyue was silent. Her soul was that of a modern person, raised in an era of peace and monogamy. To her, “life and death” usually meant illness, not cold-blooded calculation.

“I know you were raised in the inner chambers,” Gu Qingjia continued. “Your father intended you to be a submissive pawn. But I must tell you the cruel reality: neither of us is the one moving the chess pieces. I do not resist because I understand my position. If we want to survive, we must grow, or we will become stepping stones for others.”

Liu Qingyue looked at him. “Gu Qingjia, did you do this on purpose? You knew all this, yet you played along with my ‘naive’ ideas. Was this premeditated?”

“In a way,” he blinked at her playfully. “You were so cute; I didn’t have the heart to be harsh with you.”

“I see. I’m going to my room to think,” she said, not out of anger, but out of a need for clarity.

Gu Qingjia watched her go. He also needed to organize the fragments of his “past life” memories that were beginning to surface. In his memory, the Eldest Brother was a decisive, ruthless man who would never abandon power for a woman. Something is different, he thought. He could no longer afford to live aimlessly.

Arriving at the Border

The journey to Yu City, where the Second Prince Gu Qingzhe was stationed, took half a month of tireless travel. This time, Liu Qingyue rode on the same horse as Gu Qingjia to save time.

When Gu Qingzhe heard that the visitor wasn’t the physician he requested, but his younger brother, his face darkened. “What is the Fifth doing at the border?”

“General, no matter why Prince Jing is here, we cannot refuse him,” his aide, Zhao Lin’an, said. “He brought his wife, so it’s likely not official business. Even the First Prince has fled, after all.”

“I don’t know what they’re thinking,” Gu Qingzhe grumbled. “I’m out here guarding the borders while they cause trouble at home.” As the legitimate son, his relationship with his brothers was poor, but his status meant they rarely dared to offend him.

Inside the General’s Manor, the atmosphere was tense.

“Fifth Brother, why are you here?” Gu Qingzhe asked bluntly. He had no patience for the wordplay favored in the capital.

“Father’s orders,” Gu Qingjia shrugged. “He sent me a decree after the Eldest’s wedding telling me to come to Yu City. I don’t know why, but I can’t exactly say no to an imperial decree. I’ll be staying with you for a while.”

“The butler will arrange your rooms,” Gu Qingzhe said coldly.

“I don’t mind, as long as you can stand the sight of me,” Gu Qingjia replied, looking around.

“It’s a temporary stay, I haven’t gifted you the manor. Stop snooping,” Gu Qingzhe snapped.

“No wonder your marriage was arranged,” Gu Qingjia teased, showing off his wife. “If you had to find a wife on your own, you’d be a bachelor for life. But look at me—my Princess Consort is beautiful and charming. Even the Eldest found a wife, though he basically scammed her by pretending to be a homeless wanderer.”

Gu Qingzhe stared at him. Is ‘shamelessness’ a genetic trait in our family?

After a few more barbs, Gu Qingzhe headed to the military camp with Zhao Lin’an.

“Does the Emperor intend to recall you to the capital?” Zhao Lin’an asked. “With no Heir Apparent named, if he favors you, he must bring you back to gain experience in court.”

“Do not speculate on the Emperor’s will,” Gu Qingzhe said. “If he wanted me back, he would have said so during the New Year. More likely, he wants to train the Fifth. After all, only the Fifth carries the reputation of being a ‘useless’ prince.”

“But General, you are the legitimate son!” Zhao Lin’an said, frustrated.

Gu Qingzhe shook his head. He remembered his “previous life”—the path to the throne had been paved with the blood of his own people. “Lin’an, I chose the border at fifteen. That throne is glorious, but I no longer wish to fight for it. If I can protect the people and let them live in peace, being a Guardian General is enough.”

He had already written to the Emperor, pledging to stay at the border forever unless summoned. He would not turn his blade against his own brothers again.

“The word ‘people’ can be as light as a feather or as heavy as a mountain,” Gu Qingzhe sighed. “They trust me. I cannot betray that trust.”