Destined

On the second day after Li Yunshang's death, Gu Jiusi returned from court and said to Liu Yuru, "Go rest at the Temple of Protecting the Nation outside the Eastern Capital for a few days. Don't stay in the city."

Hearing this, Liu Yuru paused and looked up as if to ask something, but seeing Gu Jiusi's grim expression, she knew better than to inquire. She simply said, "Then I'll take the whole household with me. It's been years since we stayed at a temple—Buddha probably thinks we lack sincerity."

Gu Jiusi acknowledged with a sound and said nothing more.

That night, as they lay in bed, Gu Jiusi noticed Liu Yuru had been awake for a long time. He turned over, took her hand, and said, "When you return from the temple, I'll prepare for my crowning ceremony. The Emperor granted me three days off—shall I take you out?"

Liu Yuru pressed her lips together, raised her hand to hold his, and said softly, "So my husband is only twenty."

"Indeed," Gu Jiusi replied with some pride. "Impressive, isn't it? A twenty-year-old Minister—where else would you find that? With a few more achievements, your title as Imperial Order Lady won't be far off."

Seeing his demeanor, Liu Yuru knew he was comforting her and didn't elaborate. She just leaned her head against him, listening to his heartbeat in silence.

The next day, Liu Yuru quietly took the entire household to worship at the Temple of Protecting the Nation. Not long after they settled in, news came from the palace that the Empress Dowager had coughed up blood in a fit of rage. The imperial physicians advised quiet recuperation, so Fan Xuan arranged to move her to the Secluded Mind Garden for proper rest.

The Secluded Mind Garden was neither too close nor too far from the cold palace—those in the know understood that this "recuperation" was effectively a demotion in disguise.

While burning incense at the temple, Liu Yuru's expression shifted slightly, but she remained silent.

That night, she stayed awake and, accompanied by Munan and Yin Hong, climbed to the mountaintop to overlook the Eastern Capital.

Around midnight, distant clamor rose from the capital—unclear but unmistakably filled with shouts and clashes of battle. The noise lasted until the morning star rose before fading into silence.

Liu Yuru sat on the cliff edge, gazing fixedly at the Eastern Capital without moving.

Only when day broke completely did Huzi rush up to the temple.

Having followed Gu Jiusi from Wangdu to the Eastern Capital, Huzi had been a beggar leader in Wangdu and continued the role in the capital, but in truth, he was Gu Jiusi's informant there.

Breathless from his sprint to the mountaintop, he found Liu Yuru seated there and panted, "Young Madam Gu."

Liu Yuru turned, her clear eyes fixed on him. "Speak."

"Ninth Master sent me to escort you home."

Huzi grinned, revealing his canine teeth.

Joy flickered in Liu Yuru's eyes, though she kept her composure. Turning to Yin Hong, she said, "Give the order to pack up. We're returning."

As Liu Yuru descended from the temple and entered the city, the streets of the Eastern Capital had been cleaned and restored to their usual bustle.

Halfway through her journey, she was stopped by Zhang Fengxiang, the chief eunuch serving Fan Xuan, who stood smiling at the entrance. "Young Madam Gu, His Majesty requests your presence in the palace."

Naturally, Liu Yuru dared not refuse Fan Xuan's summons. Following Zhang Fengxiang into the palace, she noticed servants still scrubbing bloodstains from the grounds. Her carriage rolled over patches of blood, heading straight to the doors of the imperial study.This gesture was clearly a mark of Fan Xuan's favor. Without needing to be told, Liu Yu Ru knew that Gu Jiusi must have accomplished a great feat this time.

Sitting in the carriage, Liu Yu Ru steadied her nerves. Before she could hear any sound from outside, the carriage curtain was abruptly lifted. A young man in a scarlet official robe stood at the carriage door, smiling brightly as he extended his hand to her and cheerfully said, "Come down."

Liu Yu Ru was momentarily stunned, feeling that Gu Jiusi's behavior in front of the palace hall was somewhat reckless. She gave a light cough and signaled with her eyes for him not to be too unrestrained. Then, she raised her hand, placed it on the back of his, and with his support, stood up and stepped out of the carriage.

Once she had alighted, Gu Jiusi immediately took her hand and led her into the imperial study. Kneeling and kowtowing, he announced, "Your Majesty, my wife is here."

Seeing Gu Jiusi's delighted expression, Fan Xuan couldn't help but laugh. Turning to Zhou Gaolang and the others behind him, he remarked, "Look at this childish behavior—does he resemble a minister at all? If I hadn't witnessed it myself, I wouldn't believe this is the same Lord Gu who strategized so brilliantly in the palace last night."

Everyone joined in Fan Xuan's laughter. Uncertain of the situation, Liu Yu Ru knelt beside Gu Jiusi before Fan Xuan. Fan Xuan gestured for them to rise and then addressed Liu Yu Ru, "Young Madam Gu, your husband performed a great service last night. I originally intended to reward him with ten beauties and a hundred taels of gold. But as soon as he heard this, he knelt in fright, kowtowing and begging me to spare his life, saying there's a tigress at home and he dare not pluck delicate flowers."

Listening to this, Liu Yu Ru could easily picture Gu Jiusi's reaction. Unsure whether to be pleased or annoyed, she simply replied gently, "Your Majesty jests."

"I am not jesting," Fan Xuan waved his hand. "He didn't dare accept the beauties, but he did take the gold. Then he asked me for a reward—he said you wanted to become an Imperial Order Lady. So I summoned you here. Yu Ru, Gu Jiusi is currently only a third-rank official. I'll grant you a second-rank Imperial Order Lady title, placing you above him in rank. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty," Gu Jiusi sighed beside them, "You are bullying your subject."

This amused Fan Xuan, who immediately declared, "It's settled then. Yu Ru, this fellow is too unruly—no one in the court can keep him in check. You must discipline him properly when you return home."

With that, Fan Xuan promptly drafted the imperial decree on the spot. And so, in a daze, as if playing a child's game, Liu Yu Ru received a second-rank Imperial Order Lady title and returned home.

On the way back, Liu Yu Ru was still somewhat bewildered. Gu Jiusi sat beside her, fanning himself with a folding fan, and asked, "What's the matter? Still in a daze? Didn't you want to be an Imperial Order Lady? I earned it for you this time—aren't you happy?"

His words snapped her out of her reverie. She gave a light cough and then asked, "What happened last night?"

Previously, she had known it wasn't the right time to ask, but now that the matter was concluded, she wanted to know.Gu Jiusi listened as she broached serious matters, yet he remained casual, leaning his head against one hand propped on the side table while fanning himself. "Li Yunshang is dead, and I’ve moved many people on my side. Nearly half of the former Empress Dowager’s faction was purged under the pretext of Liu Chun’s case. Then His Majesty stripped the Empress Dowager of her power—how could she endure that? Yesterday morning, she was ordered to move into the Secluded Mind Garden, and by evening, she had started a rebellion. But we were waiting for them to make a move. What did they think I sent the Crown Prince out with five thousand elite troops for—a sightseeing trip?"

Gu Jiusi let out a light scoff. "The Empress Dowager grew accustomed to His Majesty’s forbearance. Since he ascended the throne with her help, she always assumed he wouldn’t kill her—if he wanted to, he would have done it long ago. But she forgot that although His Majesty rose from the civil ranks, he was once the military governor of Youzhou, with a fierce spirit in his bones. The only reason he hadn’t eliminated them earlier was for the sake of the southern campaign. Now that their antics in court are disrupting the campaign, His Majesty is determined to secure the court thoroughly and decisively. Last night, we set up defenses within the Imperial City, waiting for them to attack."

"All cleared up?" Liu Yu Ru poured tea for Gu Jiusi, who nodded lightly and replied, "All cleared."

His tone was so offhand that Liu Yu Ru couldn’t help glancing up at him. Such matters seemed to have become routine for Gu Jiusi, no longer causing him any surprise. Liu Yu Ru rose and sat beside him, pulling up his sleeve to examine him. "You weren’t injured, were you?"

"Not at all," Gu Jiusi quickly boasted. "Last night, I even led a small squad in a surprise attack on their commander—I was the one who took his head. Yu Ru, you see, your husband is truly capable of governing with wisdom and securing the state with might—a perfect blend of both. Your judgment is impeccable. To pick me, Gu Jiusi, out of hundreds of frivolous young nobles—it must be the best deal you’ve ever made."

He spoke with such enthusiasm that Liu Yu Ru could see he was overjoyed. She didn’t interrupt, simply watching him with a soft, closed-lipped smile. After a while of self-praise, Gu Jiusi suddenly remembered something and turned to her. "Oh, one more thing."

"Hmm?"

"My uncle," Gu Jiusi said hesitantly, "should be released from prison the day after tomorrow. Until he finds a residence, he’ll stay with us temporarily. Please make the arrangements."

Liu Yu Ru acknowledged with a gentle, "Don’t worry, I’ll handle household matters properly."

"As for my uncle," Gu Jiusi added slowly, "he might be a bit... difficult."

"Hmm?" Liu Yu Ru looked up, slightly puzzled. "Difficult?"

"Yeah," Gu Jiusi replied with concern. After a moment’s thought, he said to her, "How about you grab some paper and a brush to take notes?"

Liu Yu Ru looked bewildered, but Gu Jiusi fetched writing materials from nearby, handed them to her, and said, "Get ready to write. I’ll start explaining."Liu Yu Ru held her brush and nodded. Moments later, she listened as Gu Jiusi described: "First, we need to prepare four maids specifically to attend to his daily needs. These four women must be beautiful, but not in the same way—each should have her own charm and specialties. One should be skilled in dancing, one in playing music, one in massage, and one in handling affairs. He wakes up every morning exactly half a shichen before the morning court session. His clothes must be scented with Ambergris Incense from Cloud Reaching Pavilion, his hair crown must be custom-made at South Street Treasure Pavilion, and his mouth rinse must be morning dew. Previously, it had to be flower dew, but since our courtyard doesn’t have enough flowers, we’ll let that slide for now. Still, we need to start planting them quickly, at least to show our attitude. His tastes are quite complex; he basically needs different cuisines every day, so we must hire a chef who can cook all kinds of dishes. And he’s particularly picky..."

As Liu Yu Ru listened to Gu Jiusi’s words, she initially took notes, but gradually grew overwhelmed. After talking for a long time, Gu Jiusi felt a bit thirsty, took a sip of water, and paused before continuing, "Did you get all that? There’s more..."

"Jiusi," Liu Yu Ru interrupted him seriously, "Do you know how much money your uncle would spend in a month with expenses like these?"

Gu Jiusi was taken aback. After a moment, he collected himself, cleared his throat lightly, and said, "Well, he has a bad temper. If..."

"Why are you so afraid of him?" Liu Yu Ru frowned, somewhat puzzled. "He’s a guest in our home; he should follow our arrangements. If he has a bad temper and doesn’t respect our family, why should we give him face?"

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi looked at Liu Yu Ru with an expression that seemed to say she had no idea what she was getting into. Seeing the look in his eyes, Liu Yu Ru felt a pang of heartache, thinking about how much abuse Gu Jiusi must have suffered from this uncle in his childhood to be so afraid of him.

She reached out and took Gu Jiusi’s hand, saying gently, "Jiusi, don’t be afraid. You’re grown up now, and you’ve married me. I won’t let him bully you. If he dares to act arrogantly in our home, I’ll deal with him."

"But..." Gu Jiusi hesitated, "But..."

"But what?"

Liu Yu Ru frowned. "Speak up boldly. I’ll find a way."

"But... he’s rich."

"When Uncle was in prison, he told me," Gu Jiusi’s eyes lit up, "he has a private stash of gold. While staying with us, he can cover all our family’s expenses."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yu Ru immediately straightened up and said seriously, "Is Uncle coming tomorrow? Why don’t we go welcome him today? Oh, Jiusi, did Uncle used to hit you? What kind of stick did he prefer? I’ll prepare one for him."

Gu Jiusi: "..."

Author’s note: Liu Yu Ru: Money makes me lose my humanity.