The Whole Family is Reborn, But I Transmigrated into a Book - Chapter 61

After returning to the Prince’s Manor with Liu Qingyue, Gu Qingjia received the results of the interrogation. The source of the assassins was confirmed.

“It truly is Old Six. He has lost his mind,” Gu Qingjia said, shaking his head in disbelief. He could not fathom why the Sixth Prince was so obsessed with killing him. Logically, if Old Six were to target anyone, the Seventh Prince would be a more sensible mark.

While many looked down on Old Seven as a “dying invalid” destined to be nothing more than a leisure prince, Gu Qingjia knew his younger brother was far from a fool. He couldn’t decipher Old Six’s train of thought, but since the man had initiated this conflict, Gu Qingjia saw no reason not to return the favor.

“Dump all the corpses at the Sixth Prince’s manor,” Gu Qingjia ordered, his voice cold. “Let him know that we are fully aware of his handiwork.”

Though he maintained a gentle demeanor in front of Liu Qingyue, it did not mean Gu Qingjia lacked a ruthless edge.

“As you command, Master,” Yue Qing replied. He hadn’t expected such a provocative move from his master, but he was thrilled. He and the other guards had followed Gu Qingjia since childhood and had endured years of silent ridicule alongside him. They had long been frustrated by their master’s forced restraint; now that he was fighting back, they were eager to act.

At that moment, the Sixth Prince was blissfully unaware of the grim delivery heading his way. He had just received news from his mother, Consort Ling, that the Emperor was prepared to grant him the marriage decree he desired: a union with the Xie family.

The Xie family was an ancient and prestigious clan. Although they were not as politically dominant as they once were, their cultural and social foundations were deep—far surpassing those of ordinary civil officials. Their daughter, Xie Handan, was a celebrated beauty. The Sixth Prince had been captivated by her at the banquet, and given the political boost her family could provide, he had every reason to choose her.

The Xie family was equally eager for the match. It had been a long time since they had produced an imperial consort; marrying their daughter to the Sixth Prince would elevate their entire house. Naturally, they were kept in the dark regarding the Sixth Prince’s more treasonous plots.

The Sixth Prince wanted the wedding held before the New Year, which made the arrangements incredibly rushed. When Gu Qingjia had married, the preparations had taken months, featuring immense spectacle and grand gifts from the Emperor. But Old Six was impatient.

Consort Ling had smoothed this over with the Emperor by claiming her son had fallen in love at first sight and wished to secure the lady’s hand immediately to put his heart at rest—implying that other suitors in the capital might snatch her away if he delayed. While this made the Sixth Prince seem somewhat immature, the Emperor saw no reason to block a son who was finally willing to settle down.

As for their deeper schemes, the Emperor chose to turn a blind eye for now, treating it as a bit of “practice” for his son, so long as they didn’t cross a certain line. Consort Ling, unaware of her husband’s scrutiny, was simply relieved that the first part of their plan was in motion.

That night, the Sixth Prince was in high spirits. Unlike some of his brothers, he kept concubines in his manor, though he had never allowed them to conceive. He knew that a prince’s firstborn should ideally come from the principal wife; a premature illegitimate son would only be a political liability.

He was relaxing in his courtyard when a sudden commotion broke the midnight silence.

“What is all this noise about?” he demanded, adjusting his robes as he stepped outside.

His courtyard was filled with servants standing frozen in terror, staring at a heap of corpses dumped on the ground. The servants had no idea about the Sixth Prince’s secret operations and didn’t recognize the men as his own hired killers.

But the Sixth Prince knew exactly what this was. His men had not only failed, but they had been used as a message. This was Old Five’s retaliation—and a warning.

“What are you standing there for? Clean this up immediately!” he barked. “Do you expect me to dispose of these bodies myself?”

Though the servants couldn’t understand why he was reacting with such seething, silent rage instead of reporting the “attack” to the authorities, they didn’t dare ask. They hurried to comply under his dark, venomous gaze.

The Sixth Prince’s good mood was utterly destroyed. His hatred for Gu Qingjia intensified. He could not accept that he was being outplayed by “the failure,” and having the Fifth Prince slap him in the face like this was unbearable. He swore a silent oath: he and Gu Qingjia were now mortal enemies.

The imperial decree was issued quickly. By the following afternoon, news of the Sixth Prince’s impending marriage to Xie Handan had spread throughout the capital. The other brothers soon gathered to discuss the event, led by the Seventh Prince.

“Sixth Brother really wasn’t honorable—getting married and keeping us in the dark until the last second,” Old Seven remarked with a sigh. “I just hope the new sister-in-law has a good temper so the New Year can pass peacefully.”

“He’s certainly in a hurry,” Old Seven continued. “Even if she is beautiful, once Father issues the decree, who would be blind enough to try and steal her from a Prince? He should have waited until after the New Year to have a proper, grand celebration.”

Old Seven knew the alliance wasn’t simple, but since he didn’t share a mother with the older princes, he kept his more sensitive observations to himself.

Gu Qingjia remained silent, thinking of the “gift” he had left at Old Six’s door. The Fourth Prince also offered no opinion; having spent his youth in a monastery, his sense of family connection was paper-thin.

Only the Third Prince, Gu Qingyi, wore a look of amused mischief. “Perhaps Old Six wants to be the first to produce the Emperor’s eldest grandson. Old Five has been married for a while now, and yet there’s no news from his manor. Father is quite eager to hold a grandson, you know.”

It was true. From the moment Gu Qingjia wed Liu Qingyue, the Emperor had been droping hints. He had personally chosen Liu Qingyue, and he was satisfied with the match.

“Qingyue is still young,” Gu Qingjia said calmly. “We are in no hurry to have children.” He had no intention of using a child as a political pawn, and he knew the current climate was not the right time for an infant.

“I didn’t realize you were so considerate of your wife’s age, Fifth Brother,” Gu Qingyi teased. “Father would be pleased to know how harmonious your marriage is.”

“Since Sixth Brother is marrying, perhaps Third Brother should focus on his own affairs,” Gu Qingjia countered, lifting an eyebrow. “You’ve been pursuing Miss Wei for quite some time. She isn’t getting any younger; if you don’t secure a match this year, her family might start looking for a live-in son-in-law by next spring. If you have time to worry about my lack of an heir, perhaps you should spend it thinking about how to win her heart.”

He knew Wei Shangzi was not easily swayed. Gu Qingyi was barely on speaking terms with her; he was miles away from a wedding.

“Fifth Brother makes a fair point,” Gu Qingyi shrugged. “But don’t worry about me. If I can’t coax her, I’ll just follow Old Six’s example and ask Father for a decree. I’ll bring her home first and do the coaxing later.”

“That sounds a bit extreme, Third Brother,” Old Seven interjected. “With Miss Wei’s temper, she’d never stand for that. You should learn from Fourth Brother—look how calm he is. He’s practically a living immortal, completely devoid of worldly desires.”

Old Seven didn’t realize that the Fourth Prince, Gu Qingzhao, was currently fighting his own internal battle. Shen Xizhi had been avoiding him since the banquet, having clearly seen through his intentions.

Gu Qingzhao let out a long sigh.

“Why the long face, Fourth Brother? Do you have something on your mind?” Gu Qingjia asked. There was no major friction between the two of them, so the question was sincere.

“I have a few matters to attend to. I won’t stay to chat,” the Fourth Prince said, rising to leave. He never had much in common with his brothers anyway.

Gu Qingjia stood as well. “It’s getting late. I should head back too; my wife is waiting for me.” He meant it, but he also wanted a word with the Fourth Prince.

The two walked out together. Once they were clear of the others, Gu Qingzhao stopped. “Fifth Brother, what is it you wish to say?”

Gu Qingjia didn’t like talking in circles, but the street was too public for this conversation. “Is Fourth Brother free to share a cup of tea in a more private setting?”

He knew the Fourth Prince wouldn’t refuse. Gu Qingzhao had truly absorbed the nature of his monastic training; despite his royal status, he lacked the bitter resentment often found in exiled princes.

“It is rare for you to ask for my company, Fifth Brother,” Gu Qingzhao nodded. “I certainly cannot refuse.”

He was curious. For years, Gu Qingjia had played the role of the mediocre, unremarkable prince. Now, for the first time, he felt a certain sharpness emanating from his brother.