Drive a RV and go farming in ancient times.

What happened in the court soon spread out, and Prince Qi's heroic deeds became known to everyone. No one expected that he would do such a thing out of the blue.

What kind of response is this?

The onlookers were a little confused for a moment. What did the fact that the future princess was kidnapped by kidnappers and her reputation was ruined during the Lantern Festival have to do with his going to the northwest to fight against the Tartars?

Is this an excuse to avoid marriage? Is this a subtle way to express it when you can't refuse marriage directly? Or is it just a way to procrastinate?

After all, the King of Qi had said in the hall that he would not return to the court until peace was restored at the border, and there was absolutely no possibility of him going back on his word in front of all the civil and military officials in the court.

The war at the border has not been resolved for a long time, and the situation is not optimistic. No one knows how long it will take to stabilize the situation. Therefore, the King of Qi is prepared not to return to Beijing for several years.

How can you get married without returning to Beijing?

As expected, there is no man who doesn't mind having a cheating crush on him. Even if the other person is the daughter of the deputy commander of the imperial guards and marrying her would be of great benefit to him, he would not want to suffer such a loss and put himself in a difficult position.

Just when everyone thought they had figured it out, developments took another surprise.

The King of Qi received an imperial edict to go to the northwest to supervise the war, but before leaving, he had to get married first.

Originally, the marriage between the two families was scheduled for this autumn, but now, with the order of Emperor Jianxing, it has been moved up by half a year, and the Ministry of Rites has become busy.

On the other hand, there doesn't seem to be any tension between the two families, and everything goes on as usual.

Especially in Prince Qi's Mansion, from top to bottom, no one was happy at all.

Whether it was Ying marrying a new princess or preparing to go to the northwest to supervise the war, it did not seem to be something to be happy about for the people in the mansion.

Gu Huanxi didn't feel happy either. After thinking it over, he decided to find a chance to talk to Gu Xiaoyu alone.

The mother and daughter sat in the study, facing the fireplace and drinking milk tea. Next to them was a pot of old wintersweet. It was now in bloom, and the fragrance was pervasive and refreshing.

"It's a new semester, and I just changed classes. Is it hard to go to class?"

"It's not hard. The teachers are very dedicated in teaching. If there is anything I don't understand, I can go home and ask the teachers. I can keep up with the lessons."

"That's good. Don't work too hard. Don't read too late at night. You are still young and growing up. You must get enough sleep."

"Well, son, I'll listen to you. The lights will be turned off at 10:00 p.m."

My mother's family first chatted about family matters for a while, and then gradually the topic turned to business.

Gu Huanxi didn't want to put pressure on him, so she asked casually, "You've heard a lot of rumors recently, right?"

Gu Xiaoyu nodded and explained calmly, "There are quite a few people discussing this in the academy."

Gu Huanxi looked at him and asked, "What do you think?"

Gu Xiaoyu paused, and did not answer directly, but asked, "Mom, classmates privately said that the reason why the Xiao family's daughter was kidnapped was because someone did not want her to marry into the Qi Wang Mansion, and did not want the Qi Wang Mansion to climb the big tree of the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, so they deliberately created this accident to ruin the marriage, right?"

Gu Huanxi said "hmm".

Gu Xiaoyu asked, "Isn't it possible that it was an accident and not man-made?"

Gu Huanxi was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then she realized, is this because she can't accept the royal struggle? Or such a mean and despicable means, so she doesn't want to face it, and still holds a glimmer of luck, but it's a pity, she smiled bitterly, "I would rather it was an accident, and the Xiao family girl was unlucky, but this plan is a bit crude, many people can see it, and it's no use trying to deceive yourself."

"Where's the evidence?"

"On the night of the Lantern Festival, it wasn't just Miss Xiao who was kidnapped, but the others were all ignorant children, except for her. In the past, there were women of this age who were deceived and sold by human traffickers, but they mostly targeted ordinary people's families, and rarely targeted the daughters of wealthy families, because they were afraid of getting into trouble. Especially for someone like Miss Xiao, whose father was the deputy commander of the imperial guards, she had to stay away from them. But that night, Miss Xiao was lost, which shows that the other party deliberately went after her, and was definitely not an ordinary kidnapper."

Gu Xiaoyu's eyes dimmed for a moment, "So, it was my uncles who played tricks on me?"

Gu Huanxi sighed, "It's almost certain. They have the most motive. If there is a motive, there is suspicion. Besides, they are the only ones who have the courage and ability to plot against a prince. Of course, if they are investigated, they will not be the ones to do it. They just need to open their mouths."

Gu Xiaoyu pursed his lips and remained silent.

Gu Huanai touched his head lovingly, "Are you sad?"

Gu Xiaoyu did not pretend to be strong and carefree. He nodded and laughed at himself, "Is this what you call family? They smile and talk in public, but they stab me in the back without mercy. My uncle said that when I was in the palace, those who harmed me also had their shadows. It was not just the late Concubine Li's handiwork. Many times, it was Concubine Li who acted as a gun for them..."

He lowered his head. "I was only a few years old at that time, and they couldn't tolerate a child like me. How could I threaten them? They all said it was because of my status, but in fact, the emperor's grandfather treated me differently only for the sake of face. If he really valued and loved me, how could he be willing to put me in that position and make me a target for others?"

In the royal family, the more the emperor loves someone, the more dangerous that person is. So if you really like a descendant, the worst thing you should do is to treat him differently.

If other people saw this, they would definitely not be able to tolerate it.

"Little fish..."

Before she could comfort him, Gu Xiaoyu had already recovered from the tension and shook his head, "Mom, I'm fine. I've already seen through it and let it go. Ever since I was hunted all the way last year, I've learned that there is no family affection in the royal family. I shouldn't have any expectations."

Gu Huanxi felt heartbroken when she heard this, but she couldn't think of any better words to comfort him, because it was a fact that there was no family affection in the royal family, and she couldn't just use the same tricks to coax him as she would children.

She changed the subject, "Your father will be married soon, but no matter how many times he marries, no matter how high the status of the new bride is, she will be a concubine and must behave like a concubine in front of your mother. In the Prince of Qi's mansion, you are the eldest son, and no one can surpass your status, either in the past or in the future."

Gu Xiaoyu was stunned for a moment, and said "hmm" blankly. He wanted to say it didn't matter, but his throat was choked. He had to lower his head, picked up the milk tea, and drank a few sips without any taste.

Gu Huanxi felt distressed when he saw this, but he still had to ask, "After your father gets married, he will go to the northwest to supervise the war. He may not be able to come back for a few years. Do you want to see him?"

Gu Xiaoyu said in a hoarse voice, "My uncle also asked me..."

Gu Huanxi asked tentatively, "What do you mean?"

Gu Xiaoyu didn't hesitate too much and shook his head, "It's gone..."

Hearing this answer, Gu Huanxi was not very surprised, but was also a little curious, "Why?"

Gu Xiaoyu said softly, "I don't want to cause any trouble. I don't want to cause trouble for you and my uncle. I don't want to take any risks just to meet you. It's unnecessary and not worth it."

"..."

Gu Xiaoyu continued, "I have written a letter and plan to have my uncle pass it to him. I have also prepared gifts, firstly to congratulate him and secondly to send him off. Niang, do you think it is right for your son to do this?"

Gu Huanxi said without hesitation, "As long as you don't feel wronged, then it's right. If you feel wronged, then just do what you want and don't worry too much. You are not alone, and we, the elders, are protecting you."

When Gu Xiaoyu heard this, his expression suddenly relaxed, and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of his mouth, "My son is not wronged, so let it be."

At this moment, in his heart, he had a clear definition of which was lighter and which was heavier. He was not considering the overall situation, but doing what he felt in his heart.

Therefore, he no longer felt wronged or sad.

But Gu Huanxi felt sorry for him. When she saw Xu Huaiyi at night, she told him all the things. At last she complained, "It was the adults who committed the sin, but they asked a child to bear the responsibility. Why? They say that sensible children are loved by others. It's true. If Xiaoyu had made a fuss, I don't know if I would have felt better. But he didn't cry or make a fuss. He just accepted it calmly. I don't think it was a big deal..."

Seeing that she was about to lose control, Xu Huaiyi quickly hugged her and advised, "Don't think too much. Xiaoyu is smarter than we thought. He will definitely figure it out and overcome this hurdle. This is the price of growing up. We feel bad for him, but no one can replace him. From another perspective, this may not be a bad thing. It has honed his mind and will only make him stronger in the future..."

"But how old is he? A seven-year-old child has to endure so much..."

"Descendants of the royal family are destined to face this. Seven years old is not young anymore. It is better to see the reality earlier to avoid greater harm in the future."

Gu Huanxi knew that what he said made sense, but she still felt bad.

Xu Huaiyi coaxed her for a few more words before asking about the real matter, "How did Commander Xiao react when his daughter was kidnapped?"

Gu Huanxi said, "We have conducted a large-scale search for human traffickers in the city and have caught quite a few of them. However, the one who kidnapped Miss Xiao is probably not a human trafficker, but someone from another prince. So far, we have only caught some small fry, and none of the masters behind them have been exposed."

Xu Huaiyi frowned, "Is the tail hidden so tightly?"

Gu Huanxi guessed, "It could be that Commander Xiao has discovered something, but he doesn't dare to expose it in public. After all, it would damage the dignity of the royal family, so the punishment would be carried out in secret. I just don't know which prince lost his patience and took this step first."

Xu Huaiyi said, "No matter who it is, the goal has not been achieved. As you said, the marriage will not only continue, but also be brought forward. It is set in stone. If they dare to do it again, not to mention whether Emperor Jianxing will be angry, even Deputy Commander Xiao will never allow it. How can his daughter be bullied by others? Over and over again, it will be a slap in his face, even the prince will not be able to escape. The son-in-law of the King of Qi can't escape."

Gu Huanxi sighed, "Yeah, it's no use hiding at the border, I still have to marry her!"

"Xiaoyu really said that you don't want to meet him?"

"Well, it's gone. I wrote a letter."

"You're not angry, are you?"

"It doesn't seem like..."

Xu Huaiyi sighed, "That means I don't have much expectation for the King of Qi. Whether it's getting married or going to the border to start a career, Xiaoyu doesn't care at all. I'll let the King of Qi do whatever he wants. It's better this way to avoid disappointment in the future."

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think the King of Qi can do with his limited abilities?"

Gu Huanxi shook his head, "It's a bit difficult..."

Xu Huaiyi sneered, "It is difficult. Whether it is at home or outside, it is difficult for him to handle it properly. Just wait and see. Even if he marries the daughter of the Xiao family, he will not be a good husband. Who knows what will happen to the backyard. As for going to the border, so many experienced veterans are exhausted, not to mention him. There are few people around him who can be used. Emperor Jianxing only knows how to respect his status, but does not give him a knife to use. This chess piece is too useless."

"He is quite useless. The future princess has been plotted against, and he has remained indifferent until now. Even for the sake of face, he should find out the culprit and fight back."

"Otherwise he would be said to be incompetent and cowardly. He surrendered without a fight and even went to the battlefield and was a deserter. Fortunately, Xiaoyu didn't follow his temper, otherwise he would be so angry!"

"However, the capital may not be peaceful in the future. If the King of Qi doesn't come out, there is still the Prince of Chu's Mansion, which is stirring up trouble."

As soon as she reminded him, Xu Huaiyi couldn't help but frowned, "You are right, the King of Chu will not miss this opportunity. He will definitely have someone find out the truth and make it public, so that the princes will completely fall out with each other and he can reap the benefits."

"Emperor Jianxing thinks so too."

"As expected, we are all members of the royal family. Birds of a feather, humph, don't go too far. It would be interesting to turn the royal family into a joke."