Chapter 27

Freshman

“Rong’er!” Madam Gu looked at Gu Yunrong with heartache and choked slightly. She sighed inwardly at how considerate this granddaughter of hers was.

In comparison, Gu Yuan was like an ingrate.

Ever since her eldest son, Gu Ce, died in battle eight years ago, Gu Yuan had become a different person. He seemed to be distant from her, his grandmother.

Madam Gu would occasionally wonder if Gu Yuan had always been dissatisfied with the second branch being put in charge of the Marquis Mansion, which was why he had a grudge against the entire Marquis Mansion.

Back then, she had also personally explained to Gu Yuan that Gu Jian being in charge was the former Emperor’s intention.

Madam Gu’s turbid eyes were turbulent as her thoughts ran wild.

“Yuan’er, you’re already an adult, but you’re not as sensible as Rong’er.” When Gu Jian mentioned Gu Yunrong, he was full of praise. When he looked at Gu Yanfei, he revealed undisguised disgust. He raised his hand and pointed at her. “You… you’re a scourge. You were born to jinx your mother. You’ve just returned and you’ve already stirred up the mansion. There’s no peace in the family with you around.”

As he reprimanded her, the others in the Gu family looked at Gu Yanfei with complicated expressions. Some of them agreed with him, some were disdainful, some were cold and distant, and some were sympathetic.

Currently, Gu Jian and Madam Gu were in charge of the residence. As a junior, she was despised by the two elders today. She was afraid that she would not have a good life in the future, unlike Gu Yuan, who was a man and still had a chance to make contributions outside.

Gu Yuan’s pupils dilated, and a cold and bloodthirsty glint shot out from his eyes. He raised his arm to touch his sword.

“I see.” Gu Yanfei’s leisurely sigh sounded in the hall. Sje pressed down on Gu Yuan’s right arm without a trace and said indifferently, “Gu Yunrong is good at everything. Why don’t we let her be the Marquis’s daughter so that I don’t have to jinx her.”

She vaguely remembered that in her previous life, the ancestral hall should have been opened these few days. At that time, she was too weak and was at the mercy of Madam Gu. Meanwhile, her eldest brother was in the military camp. He only knew of her existence after everything was settled.

Her Big Brother did not agree to leave Gu Yunrong under his parents’ names. For this reason, he even fought with Madam Gu and Gu Jian for a long time. However, even when her Big Brother died in battle, they still did not agree to open the ancestral hall again.

The prospect of Gu Yunrong becoming the future “Princess Consort Kang” or even the mother of the country was too tempting. They would not give up.

If Big Brother continued to argue, nothing would come of it.

Gu Yanfei did not want to waste time on such a small matter. If she had the time, she might as well comb her cat’s fur.

As long as the siblings drew a line with Gu Yunrong, it would be fine.

The eldest branch was the eldest branch, and the Marquis Mansion was the Marquis Mansion.

Mental demons were mental demons…

As soon as she said that, everyone was stunned. Her suggestion was unexpected.

After the initial anger, Gu Jian gradually calmed down. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

He thought about it carefully for a long time. It took him only a moment to figure it out.

There seemed nothing wrong with the idea.

The Gu family’s daughter who was engaged to the British Monarchy was the eldest daughter of the eldest branch. Once Gu Yunrong inherited the second branch, she would be the legitimate daughter of the second branch. Naturally, she would not have anything to do with this marriage, and Kang Wang would not have the reputation of “taking someone else’s wife”.

In the future, if Kang Wang could take another step forward, he might become the king’s father-in-law!

Thinking of this, Gu Jian’s blood boiled and his heart pounded.

“Big Brother.” Gu Yunrong took a step closer to Gu Yuan and sighed. She asked seriously, “Do you think so too?”

Gu Yunrong stood with her face tilted and close to Gu Yuan. Her hair was like fog, her lips were red, and her posture was elegant and beautiful.

Gu Yuan nodded silently.

There could only be one legitimate daughter.

He would not allow his sister’s background to be unclear.

Gu Yunrong’s long and thick eyelashes fluttered. She raised her soft chin slightly, and a soul-stirring sorrow and forbearance appeared. Softly, she whispered, “Then I agree.”

She turned to Gu Yanfei and said, “If I can make it up to my Second Sister and make my Second Sister and Big Brother not harbor any ill feelings towards me, I’m willing.”

After saying that, Gu Yunrong turned around and bowed to Madam Gu and Gu Jian. She said solemnly, “Grandma, Second Uncle, please agree to it.”

Her manner and movements were very graceful and she had an air of independence.

Madam Gu rubbed the sandalwood Buddha beads in her hand with her fingers and closed her eyes. After a long time, she said, “Second Brother, let’s do that. Rong’er will be adopted by you and your wife.”

That statement meant the dust had settled.

Gu Yanfei smiled but did not say anything. Half of her attention was on her cat.

The Patriarch and the elders exchanged a glance of relief.

The Patriarch put his fist to his lips, cleared his throat again, and said in a clear voice, “Then open the ancestral hall and change the family tree.”

After offering incense to the ancestral tablet, the Patriarch personally took the Gu family’s genealogy out and spread it out on the large desk.

The slightly yellowed register recorded the names of more than ten generations of the Gu family. The Gu family was just a commoner from the countryside in the previous dynasty. It was Gu Yuan’s great-grandfather, Gu Yao, who followed Emperor Taizu in the uprising and became a famous general who founded the country and was conferred the title of the Marquis of Dingyuan.

As a result, the Gu family rose and broke away from the commoner class.

Just looking at this piece of history, the Patriarch and the Gu family members present felt a sense of pride.

A junior served the Patriarch with ink. The Patriarch dipped his brush in the ink and asked Madam Gu, “Yuan’er’s sister’s name is…”

Madam Gu: “…”

Madam Gu’s expression froze. Only then did she realize that she had completely forgotten about this.

Naturally, she would not say it out loud. Her mind raced as she thought of a name at the last minute. She said nonchalantly, “She’s called Yun…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Gu Yanfei interrupted her.

“Gu Yanfei.”

Her voice was neither servile nor overbearing. It was crisp and sweet, like a spring breeze.

Meeting Madam Gu’s unhappy gaze, Gu Yanfei calmly met her gaze.

She knew that Madam Gu would name her “Gu Yunhua.”

In her previous life, her adoptive parents had never given her a name. Ever since she was young, they had called her “loser” and “damn girl”. After she was brought back to the Marquis Mansion, it was Madam Gu who gave her the name “Gu Yunhua”.

...

But she didn’t like it.

“Gu Yunhua” represented the cowardly and defeated her in her previous life. She was long dead.

“…” Madam Gu’s eyes were dark and gloomy.

She was annoyed to see this girl now. She felt that she was as evil as her cat. She might really be a scourge!

Madam Gu’s expression turned even colder as she said indifferently, “Alright, you can be called whatever you want.”

The Patriarch and the elders looked at each other. The Patriarch kindly reminded Gu Yanfei, “Girl, ‘Yun’ is the ranking of the daughters of the Gu family. Your eldest sister is called Yunrong, and your third sister is called Yunfeng…” If this girl’s name was different from the other sisters, it would inevitably attract unnecessary speculation from outsiders.

Gu Yanfei smiled at the Patriarch and emphasized again, “Uncle, my name is Gu Yanfei.”

This was the name her master had given her when she was in the Bright Spirit Realm. It had accompanied her for 200 years.

It represented her new life!