My sister became the empress, but I'm still growing vegetables and raising chickens

Chapter 356: Forced to a dead end

Upon hearing her mention Feng Zizhou, Zhao Ning coughed violently.

Startled, Guiyuan quickly got up and patted her back, saying, "Oh, you really need to take good care of yourself."

Zhao Ning's two maids looked displeased and wanted Gui Yuan to leave, but they didn't dare.

“It’s alright…” Zhao Ning didn’t want to look at those things anymore. She sat in front of the dressing table, looked at herself in the bronze mirror and asked, “Yuanyuan, do I look ugly?”

Gui Yuan said, "Princess, please don't talk nonsense. You have a beautiful face. You only look a little haggard because you are ill."

Zhao Ning looked at the bronze mirror, in which he saw himself and Gui Yuan.

Gui Yuan has a pretty appearance.

In fact, Feng Zizhou was not a lecherous man. Otherwise, the three young ladies of the Si family were all beautiful, yet he always treated them openly and honestly, without any other thoughts.

But Zhao Ning was preoccupied with her own thoughts, feeling that she was not as pretty as Gui Yuan and not as gentle as Gui Yuan.

She couldn't help but cover her face and start crying.

Gui Yuan reached out and hugged her, whispering, "Ningning, you're really making me anxious..."

She turned around and told her mother and maid to leave first. The maid was initially unwilling, but seeing her mistress's appearance and considering that this was a princess's residence, Guiyuan dared not be presumptuous and withdrew to stand guard at the door.

Gui Yuan sat down next to Zhao Ning, took her hand, and whispered, "Princess, Ningning, I've always considered you a friend and never intended to deceive you. The Fourth Young Master Feng and I... both our families do indeed share this intention..."

Zhao Ning withdrew her hand: "Why are you talking to me? If you want to get married, then get married. I... I should congratulate you."

“If you truly wish me well, then I should be happy,” Guiyuan said. “I’ve been frank with you, and I’ve glimpsed some of your thoughts, but I fear my guesses weren’t accurate enough, which is why I’ve come to tell you. If you’re not pleased, I’ll have my mother refuse to associate with the Fourth Young Master again…”

"What, what are you doing?" Zhao Ning lowered his hand, looking at her in a panic.

Gui Yuan took a deep breath, smiled, and said, "Ningning, I've already said I consider you a friend. If you have such intentions, how can I compete with you?"

Zhao Ning burst into tears again, throwing herself into Gui Yuan's arms and sobbing uncontrollably. After she calmed down a bit, she said, "Don't talk nonsense. He and I are just ordinary friends. It's just that we've been fooling around together since we were little, so we're closer than other people."

Gui Yuan didn't speak, but gently patted her hand.

Zhao Ning was anxious and said again, "Yuanyuan, don't blame me. I was indeed a little irrational, but I never had any other thoughts. He... he likes you. Besides, I'm already engaged. I'm the betrothed of Prince Ning. The marriage bestowed by the emperor can't be changed."

Gui Yuan's eyes darted around, but she remained silent.

Zhao Ning became even more anxious: "Yuanyuan, I really want to congratulate you, I'm not lying."

Guiyuan then said, "So you got so sick, wasn't it because of us?"

"What does my illness have to do with you?" Zhao Ning feigned anger. "If you say that, if you refuse this marriage, I will be angry and never have anything to do with you again."

Gui Yuan laughed, hugged Zhao Ning and coaxed her for a while, and the two made up again.

After Guiyuan left, Zhao Ning's illness indeed improved greatly. He was even able to get up and walk around, and even went to pay his respects to the Princess.

The eldest princess was overjoyed and said repeatedly, "If you like Guiyuan, then invite her to come and keep you company whenever you like."

Zhao Ning lowered her eyes and stammered, "No need, she... has things to do, and I don't want to see her."

When Guiyuan left the Princess's residence, her face darkened completely.

The maidservant couldn't help but ask curiously, "Miss, didn't you reconcile with the county princess?"

"Reconcile? When have we ever been on good terms? She treated me like an appendage. She was domineering and selfish. If I hadn't come here to take a step back and then move forward, I'm afraid I would never have been able to marry into the Feng family in this lifetime."

The maid was startled: "No way..."

Gui Yuan rubbed her hands together: "Feng Zizhou has rejected a marriage proposal once. Without his consent, the Feng family will definitely not arrange another marriage for him. But Feng Zizhou is slow-witted. I'm afraid Zhao Ning might be provoked and actually confess to Feng Zizhou."

"The county princess is already engaged, how could she do such a thing?"

Guiyuan had a hand warmer in her arms, the fire of which had not yet gone out. She extinguished it herself before speaking.

"The two of them are too alike. I must eliminate this possibility. I'm determined to be the young mistress of the Duke's mansion."

On his way home, he happened to see his father and colleagues walking out.

She gave a slight bow and stepped aside to let them go first.

I was just curious, because the people my father usually associated with were all adults around the same age. This man today, however, seemed much younger, around thirty, rather short, and rather thin and not very energetic.

Guiyuan only glanced at it briefly before looking away.

Gui Daren introduced, "This is my second daughter."

After that sentence, Guiyuan felt that the unassuming official's gaze was always on her, as if she were a vegetable in the market, available for people to choose from.

She disliked it very much.

After they left, Gui Yuan did not go back, but sat in a nearby pavilion to wait. Before long, Lord Gui returned.

"Yuanyuan, you haven't gone back yet?" Lord Gui said with a cheerful smile.

Guiyuan asked, "Has Father encountered some joyous occasion?"

"It'll be ready soon." Lord Gui said happily, "You two sisters have truly made your father proud."

Guiyuan was puzzled, wondering what her father meant. After thinking for a moment, she realized he was probably referring to her sister's impending marriage into the Eastern Palace as a concubine, and how she herself had caught the eye of several young mistresses of the Feng family.

She couldn't help but feel a little happy, knowing that this would bring prosperity to the Gui family.

Then Lord Gui asked, "What do you think of that Lord He from earlier?"

Gui Yuan frowned: "I didn't notice, why is Father asking me this?"

"Although the He family is not of high social standing, Lord He is very capable. He has become a principal of the Ministry of Works at a young age, and His Highness the Crown Prince greatly appreciates him."

Gui Yuan's heart sank for no reason. She suppressed her displeasure and said, "You don't look very young."

Lord Gui said, "He is not yet thirty. Coming from an ordinary family, he has achieved the rank of fifth grader before the age of thirty through his own talent. He is truly outstanding."

"Father, these things have nothing to do with me," Gui Yuan interrupted her father hastily, then hurriedly tried to leave.

But Lord Gui was secretly pleased and wouldn't allow his daughter to be so presumptuous. He simply said, "Yuanyuan, his first wife has passed away. This marriage was arranged by the Crown Prince, and I am very satisfied with it."

Gui Yuan was stunned and turned to look at Lord Gui in disbelief: "Father, what are you saying? Your daughter is just coming of age, while he is already thirty!"

“Men are older and know how to care for others,” said Lord Gui. “Besides, his family background is not prominent, so he will value you even more.”

Gui Yuan's eyes widened, and she shook her head desperately: "I will never agree."