The Whole Family is Reborn, But I Transmigrated into a Book - Chapter 8

Upon returning to the estate, Liu Qingyue immediately had the kitchen prepare some pastries; she hadn’t eaten her fill at the Liu residence. Meanwhile, Gu Qingjia, who had supposedly “caught” a cold, had to rest in bed.

Liu Qingyue casually picked up a book and handed it to him. “Your Highness, read this to pass the time.”

Gu Qingjia had no intention of just “reading.” He reached out and grasped Liu Qingyue’s fair, delicate wrist, pulling her toward the edge of the bed. “The Princess Consort isn’t going to stay by my side to attend to my illness? Where are you going?”

Hearing this, Liu Qingyue gave him a mischievous smile. “Your Highness doesn’t actually have a cold. Even if you did, I’m clumsy and wouldn’t know how to serve you. How about I call Cuihe in? She’s always been good at attending to people.”

As she moved to call for someone, Gu Qingjia stopped her again. “Come back. I don’t need actual ‘serving.’ Just sit here and talk with me for a while.”

Liu Qingyue tilted her head at him. “What does Your Highness want to talk about?”

Seeing her cute expression, Gu Qingjia couldn’t resist teasing her. “Let’s talk about when we shall consummate our marriage. If people find out we haven’t done so yet, who knows what kind of trouble might arise?”

Liu Qingyue remained unbothered. She waved her hand dismissively. “How would anyone else know what happens in our bed? Don’t try to scare me with that, Your Highness; I know you’re doing it on purpose.”

“The Princess Consort understands me so well? Are you not afraid that I might truly have ‘intentions’ one day?” Gu Qingjia held her soft little hand, the corners of his lips curling slightly, though his eyes remained devoid of any real suggestive intent.

Liu Qingyue met his gaze calmly and squeezed his hand back. “If Your Highness had such desires, you would have acted on them on our wedding night, not waited until now. Besides, we set out tomorrow; I don’t think Your Highness would be so muddled.”

She knew Gu Qingjia was not a lecherous man; otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to interact with him so comfortably.

Gu Qingjia was indeed not a reckless person, but he felt that Liu Qingyue was a bit too trusting of him, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

“Instead of wasting energy on this, Your Highness should think about where we are going to find the First Prince,” Liu Qingyue said, pulling her hand away and sitting at the bedside without looking at him. She still lacked the self-awareness of a wife, unaware of the deep, unreadable look Gu Qingjia was giving her.

“Eldest Brother did this intentionally; we won’t find him easily. When Imperial Father granted me permission to take you to find him, he had already prepared for the possibility that we wouldn’t bring him back. You just need to think about where you want to go and have fun.”

Gu Qingjia understood the Yongchang Emperor very well. As the prince with the weakest presence and least ability, he posed no threat in court and had no impact if sent away. Therefore, the Emperor played the role of a “good father” for once and granted him this grace. If it had been the Third Prince, the Emperor would never have agreed.

He didn’t tell Liu Qingyue this, but she understood the subtext.

“Then let’s go to Jiangzhou! I’ve heard the scenery there is so beautiful that even immortals would linger and forget to return.” Liu Qingyue turned to look at him, her hands excitedly grabbing his shoulders.

The scenery in Jiangzhou was indeed pleasant, but more importantly, if they were lucky on the way there, they would surely encounter many talented and extraordinary individuals.

Liu Qingyue remembered that in the Jiangzhou region, there was once a child prodigy named Jiang Shaochong. He could compose poetry at age three, write rhapsodies at seven, and passed the entry-level exams at ten. However, when he was thirteen, his family suffered a disaster and the prodigy vanished. Later, when Jiang Shaochong reappeared, he had become the chief strategist for the First Prince. Without Jiang Shaochong, the First Prince might still have taken the throne as intended, but it certainly wouldn’t have been so easy.

Unaware of her hidden agenda, Gu Qingjia agreed to go to Jiangzhou without hesitation. It was rare for him to leave the capital, and he naturally wanted to see the Gu family’s empire for himself.

“You agree?” Liu Qingyue looked at him in pleasant surprise; she thought she’d have to waste more breath convincing him. “Then I’ll go pack the luggage right now. You stay in bed.”

She no longer cared about her pastries; her mind was entirely on Jiangzhou.

“Didn’t you say it would just be the two of us? What luggage is there to pack? We can just bring some banknotes.” Gu Qingjia felt that traveling light was best, especially since they weren’t taking a large entourage.

Liu Qingyue agreed, but added: “We need to prepare clothes that ordinary people wear. Also, you can’t wear any of these accessories. Otherwise, you’re just loudly telling bandits and thieves that you’re a walking stack of cash.”

Her years of reading novels and watching dramas weren’t for nothing. Every time she saw characters get robbed because they were being flashy, she wondered: Don’t these people understand the concept of keeping one’s wealth hidden?

Although Gu Qingjia was not favored, he never lacked for food or clothing and truly had no experience living like a commoner. “Then I’ll have the servants prepare it. They will surely be more thorough than you.”

He was right, so Liu Qingyue didn’t make things difficult for herself. “Then I’m going to go eat. I haven’t had my fill yet.” By her estimation, the small kitchen should have finished the food by now.

Unfortunately, before she could leave the room, a servant came to report: “Your Highness, the other Princes have arrived to see you off.”

Gu Qingjia wasn’t surprised. His Imperial Father loved to see his sons acting harmoniously, so they always put on a show of “brotherly love.”

“Understood. I’ll be out shortly.” Gu Qingjia didn’t enjoy socializing with his brothers, but he couldn’t refuse at a time like this.

Liu Qingyue, who was about to leave, pulled her foot back.

“Wasn’t the Princess Consort hungry? We can go together.” Gu Qingjia grabbed her hand, intending to lead her out.

“Better not. When you brothers talk, what place do I have there? I’ll just wait in the room for you to return.” Liu Qingyue refused repeatedly. Gu Qingjia’s brothers were all incredibly shrewd; she really didn’t want to see them.

“You don’t want to see them? They are all family. Even if you don’t see them today, you will in the future. Might as well meet them now and get acquainted.” Gu Qingjia had no intention of letting her go; after all, he didn’t like these occasions either. “They aren’t just here for me; they are seeing off the Princess Consort as well. Without a valid reason, you cannot hide.”

Gu Qingjia spoke with high-sounding reasons, making Liu Qingyue want to bash his head in. “Let go of me, Your Highness. I’ll go with you.” Knowing she couldn’t escape, she prepared to just “lie flat” and accept it. She didn’t believe these princes could actually eat her.

The princes naturally couldn’t do anything to her, but upon meeting her for the first time, their gazes were filled with a certain level of scrutiny.

“So this is Fifth Sister-in-law, Third Brother’s cousin. Quite impressive indeed,” the Sixth Prince spoke up first. He was rather foul-mouthed, especially in front of his brothers. “I’ve long heard that the ladies of Fifth Sister-in-law’s house are extraordinary, each one elegant and talented. Seeing you today, the rumors are true.”

It would have been fine if he only praised Liu Qingyue, but he pointedly brought up Gu Qingyi as well. Gu Qingyi was instantly displeased.

“If Sixth Brother likes them so much, my uncle’s house still has several unmarried daughters. I can help mediate for you when the time comes.” Gu Qingyi knew the Sixth Prince’s nature. His mother’s family had no power; if he married another wife without a strong backing, he would truly have no competitive edge. Therefore, the Sixth Prince would never actually consider a Liu woman.

“I appreciate Third Brother’s kindness, but as you know, our marriages require Imperial Father’s grace. We cannot decide for ourselves,” the Sixth Prince replied with a grin, though everyone knew he harbored hidden motives.

Liu Qingyue stood beside Gu Qingjia watching their performance without saying a word. She felt it was best to keep quiet at a time like this.

“Fifth Sister-in-law, don’t mind Sixth Brother’s words. He’s always a bit frivolous when he speaks, but he truly is praising you,” Gu Qingxian said with a cough.

Just as described in the book, he was perpetually ill, thin, and his complexion was poor. Liu Qingyue glanced at him and then withdrew her gaze.

“This must be Seventh Brother. This is my first time meeting you as well. I didn’t expect you to come see us off despite being unwell. You must take care of your health, otherwise, His Highness will worry for you as your elder brother.” Liu Qingyue gave a soft smile, maintaining her persona as a refined lady. Every time Gu Qingjia saw her acting so “considerate,” he felt a bit of an adjustment period was needed.

“Don’t worry about me, Sister-in-law. This is an old ailment; I’ve long since grown used to it. It’s no great matter,” Gu Qingxian smiled, appearing as though he posed no threat to anyone.

However, Liu Qingyue knew that Gu Qingxian was the most ruthless among all the princes. While others might have a shred of mercy, the perpetually ill Gu Qingxian was sinister and cold, as if his long years of isolation had warped his mind. When speaking with him, she avoided his eyes.

Fortunately, Gu Qingjia didn’t let things be difficult for her and redirected the attention to himself. “Brothers, since you are here to see me off, then I shall be the host. Let’s have a proper drinking session.”

Gu Qingjia knew these men could drink, especially the Third Prince, who spent his days among flowers and wine. He wasn’t afraid of getting drunk; after all, only when drinking would these people finally shut their mouths. There wasn’t much genuine affection between the brothers, so sitting together left them with little to do besides drink. Gu Qingjia didn’t want to engage in power struggles with them; whenever there was an issue, he simply dragged them into a drinking bout. The brothers were used to his style and cooperated.

As a woman, it was inconvenient for Liu Qingyue to drink at the table with them, so she was granted her freedom. She returned to her room alone and began to enjoy her meal. The culinary skills in the Prince Jing Estate were truly excellent. If she didn’t have more important things to do, she really would want to live there forever, just eating, drinking, and playing.

Liu Qingyue ate happily, completely forgetting about Gu Qingjia, who had been left behind to deal with his brothers. It wasn’t until late at night that Gu Qingjia returned to the room, smelling of alcohol.

Liu Qingyue was a bit dissatisfied with the smell of the person beside her. she put on a wronged expression, her brows furrowed together, looking incredibly pitiful. Fortunately, Gu Qingjia only stood by the bed and looked at her for a moment. He didn’t disturb her rest and left to wash up.