“When mother was young, she once loved a failed scholar (fail as in failed in the imperial examinations). Not caring for her family’s opposition, she married him, and even gave birth to a daughter. However, the two of them did not live a happy life together, and mother later left that man, marrying my father.” A few simple sentences, outlined the life of one woman, yet deep inside it leaves only a bleak taste. Hearing up to this point, Lou Che’s brows slowly knits together, somewhat able to guess the implications behind this story.
Gui Wan takes a little pause, flashing a wry smile as she speaks again: “At home, I have never seen mother be truly happy before, she would always be filled with worries, rarely cracking a smile. She really doted on me, could be said to be excessively favoured, but towards older brother, she would not even look at him. Contrarily, father liked older brother, disliked me……mother was in a very poor physical condition, when I was fourteen years old, she had already fallen gravely ill. Although father went looking everywhere in seek of medical attention, she was still beyond curable. Before mother died, she really wanted to see the forsaken daughter she had left for over a decade. She told me, she has given her doting love for that daughter to me in double, hoping that I’d be able to give these feelings to that un-fateful older sister in future.” Speaking up to here, Gui Wan pauses for a long while, seeming to no longer plan on speaking any further.
Lou Che freezes, the answer seems to have already came out, he asks in confirmation: “You’re older sister……”
Gui Wan turns her head, steadily looking at Lou Che, and softly says: “Have you not already guessed it? The Empress is the person I need to return the love to.” Within such joyously carefree eyes, there holds assertiveness.
A moment of silence falls upon the inside of the tent, Lou Che did not know how to respond, and could only look at Gui Wan, her face exposing an expression of thoughtfulness.
Gui Wan flashes a soft smile, her hand reaches up to gather her hair, asking in a seemingly relaxed manner: “Lord Husband……what to do?”
Lou Che looks at her in slight puzzlement, an ominous feeling washes over him, causing him to feel a little troubled, and in this moment, he could not utter a single word.
“What are we to do……?” Gui Wan laughingly says, some sort of mournful feeling wells up inside of her, “I need to protect the Empress, you need to protect Consort Ying, perhaps our stances will become antagonistic……”
“It wouldn’t.” A decisive judgement cuts off her speculations, Lou Che authoritatively says, “This is originally not a problem between us.” His heart is troubled, bursting with troubles. Never has he ever thought, he would hear the word “antagonistic” come out from her mouth, making him feel as though his heart suddenly sank.
“Gui Wan, the one opposing the Empress is not me, and is in fact, the one who is named monarch of the country, his majesty the Emperor, you got that?” Lou Che explains, with emotions of indefinable panic mingled into his words.
Gui Wan lets out a little laugh, showing her state of loss, she quietly says: “Without Consort Ying, would his majesty do this?”
Lou Che says nothing, the answer to this question is too obvious, giving him no room to turn the situation around.
Time passes by in minutes and seconds, yet inside this tent, there seems to be the feeling of frozen time, one could faintly feel a kind of oppressive air intensely pass off.
“Gui Wan……” Lou Che’s lips part, only to lightly call out her name, his voice gentle but low.
Hearing this, Gui Wan could not help but to gently quiver, feeling a burst of severity, yet her face continues to carry a smile, “Lord Husband has once promised me, you would satisfy everything I want……I have always believed this. But, what if it’s an interest that affects Consort Ying, would Lord Husband continue to stand by my side?”