244: Take her as a concubine

Bai Yu Kang seemed to be in a good mood; ever since taking the spirit herbs provided by Gu Li, he seemed to be getting more and more energetic.

"Oh? What request do you have? Speak directly!"

"Your grandson has admired Gu Li for a long time and wishes to take her as a concubine. Since she is present today, I hope Your Majesty will grant us a marriage!"

With these two short sentences, the expressions of Bai Shengrui and White Gaze both changed.

Bai Shengrui immediately stood up and bowed, "Your Majesty, Gu Li and I had already promised ourselves to each other; the marriage should be granted to me!"

Gu Xiaoyue felt as if ten thousand alpacas were galloping through her heart!

Bai Shengrui was truly shameless; at least Bai Rongxuan had accompanied her to the shopping mall once.

As for him, not only did he never come to visit, but as soon as Bai Rongxuan asked for a marriage grant, he jumped out!

What was most infuriating was that he actually claimed they had promised themselves to each other!

Like hell they promised themselves to each other; how come she didn't know about it?

Bai Yu Kang's complexion was ruddy, and seeing both grandsons asking for a marriage grant, his eyes crinkled into crescent shapes with laughter.

If Gu Xiaoyue stood up and said she was going to die, wouldn't that be bringing bad luck to Bai Yu Kang?

She pondered for a moment and did not speak.

Bai Yu Kang assumed she was acting with the shyness of a young girl and took the initiative to ask.

"Gu Li is young, beautiful, and powerful. Both of my grandsons are fond of you. Which one of them do you fancy?"

"Your Majesty is too kind; both young masters are outstanding. I am of humble status and feel I am not worthy of either of them."

Gu Xiaoyue muttered to herself, no matter how strong the power, once you snatched the natal beast, only half a life would remain!

Her gaze swept over those in high positions, thinking that it was only because she knew how to hide her true strength that they hadn't squeezed the oil from her very bones!

Clearly, her answer did not satisfy Bai Yu Kang; his face, which had just been ruddy, darkened slightly.

"It is only a concubine position, so a high status is not required. I am asking you, which one of them do you prefer?"

"It is difficult for me to choose, so I ask Your Majesty to give me a few days to think about it!"

Gu Xiaoyue wanted to use a delaying tactic, but she didn't expect Bai Yu Kang to slam the table and shout angrily.

"Presumptuous! I asked you which grandson you preferred, and you actually started choosing? Don't you know your own status!"

Gu Xiaoyue immediately knelt to bow, saying "Your Majesty, please calm your anger" with her mouth, while cursing the old geezer for being so wicked in her heart!

It was clearly he who asked her to choose, and yet he was unhappy when she said she wanted to think about it!

It really lived up to the saying: accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger.

Without some real skills, one wouldn't survive the second episode of a palace intrigue drama!

Seeing that Bai Yu Kang was truly angry, Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi stepped out to smooth things over.

"Father, Gu Li is a commoner after all; she doesn't know much about etiquette and rules. Please do not hold it against her, as it will only hurt your own health!"

Bai Yu Kang did not speak, sat there for a while to calm down, and continued to ask Gu Xiaoyue which one she fancied.

Gu Xiaoyue sighed and put on a tearful expression.

"In reply to Your Majesty, I am fond of Prince Yi—if you insist on making me choose between the two young masters, how am I supposed to handle this!"

If he insisted on making her choose between A and B, she would refuse!

If she had to choose, she would choose C, and it would also disgust their whole family! Including Yan Xinnan!

She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw that Bai Rongxuan, Bai Shengrui, and Yan Xinnan were all ashen-faced.

Her mood instantly improved quite a bit!

The banquet was crowded; if Bai Yu Kang insisted on assigning her to Bai Rongxuan or Bai Shengrui, they would all become the laughingstock of the royal nobility.

If the marriage was granted to Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi, she would disgust their whole family to death!

Anyway, she had illusion skills in her hand, which could ensure she wouldn't have a physical relationship with Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi.

Apparently, Bai Yu Kang was also shocked for a moment by Gu Xiaoyue's statement.

In terms of age, Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi could even be her father, but matters of the heart could not be measured by age.

Moreover, Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi was indeed well-preserved, looking like he was only in his early thirties.

Compared to him, Yan Xinnan actually looked a bit older.

In Bai Yu Kang's view, Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi only had Yan Xinnan as his primary consort, so adding a secondary consort was harmless.

But his own grandsons had asked for the marriage, yet because of Gu Xiaoyue's wishes, granting her to Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi—wasn't that putting the cart before the horse!

"Steward Shi, I am tired—"

Bai Yu Kang didn't say anything and let Steward Shi serve him as he returned to his sleeping quarters to rest.

Gu Xiaoyue breathed a sigh of relief; she had made it through today, but she didn't know what kind of trouble they would stir up in the future.

Externally, Gu Xiaoyue was White Gaze's mentor, so even at the hunting palace, her room was arranged next to White Gaze's room.

After the banquet ended, on the way back to their rooms, White Gaze finally couldn't help but ask.

"Sister, are you truly fond of Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi?"

He wouldn't even call Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi father.

Gu Xiaoyue did not answer, and it wasn't until they returned to the room that she let out a soft sigh.

She intended to take this opportunity to tell White Gaze about her previous deductions.

"Given today's situation, I'm afraid the only way to retreat unscathed was to say that. Also, I have some speculations; listen and see if my analysis is correct—"

Gu Xiaoyue told White Gaze about Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi using his heart blood but healing quickly. And the speculations about his grandfather's situation, and so on.

After listening, White Gaze frowned and lowered his head to think for a long while before speaking.

"Sister, I also think what you said makes sense, but—if His Majesty really grants you in marriage to Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi, what will you do?"

"Don't worry about that; if I really am made to marry him, I can just take the opportunity to find out where he is hiding your mother and the others!"

White Gaze blushed; she didn't seem to understand what he was worried about.

He couldn't say it directly, so he could only bite his lip and look at her with worried eyes.

After a while, Gu Xiaoyue realized.

"Oh, oh, you mean that matter, right? I have a way—"

While speaking, she casually cast an illusion skill on White Gaze, causing him to have a hallucination.

White Gaze closed his eyes and felt a bit dizzy, and when he opened them again, Gu Xiaoyue was standing in front of him after a bath, wearing a bathrobe.

Her hair was still dripping with water, and her red lips were luscious.

White Gaze's eyes were hazy, and he longed to bite Gu Xiaoyue's red lips.

He tried his best to restrain his impulses, but his ears were filled with Gu Xiaoyue's gentle calls.

"Sister, I feel so strange—"

He muttered, this feeling made him both excited and longing.

He wanted more physical contact with Gu Xiaoyue, wanted to hold her, wanted to kiss her—

"What's wrong?"

Hearing him say he felt strange, Gu Xiaoyue shook White Gaze's shoulders to make him wake up from the hallucination.

"I—um—just now—Sister, rest early!"

White Gaze was so embarrassed by his own feelings that his face turned bright red; he bid Gu Xiaoyue goodnight and fled from her room as if escaping.

Gu Xiaoyue blinked, watching his retreating figure.

How could she know the content of White Gaze's hallucination? She just thought he was in a hurry to go to the bathroom and ran off.

After a night's rest, early the next morning, the royals participating in the hunting trip were all ready to go at the entrance of the palace.

Gu Xiaoyue and a group of female family members rode in carriages, following behind the men who were riding pet beasts.

To show that she was physically weak, she deliberately applied two layers of loose powder, including on her lips.

Everyone arrived at a spot on the grassland, and the servants began to set up yurts.

The women drank tea and rested, while the young and strong men went off in different directions to hunt.

Gu Xiaoyue found a place with few people, basking in the sun, and her consciousness entered the Yu Beast Space to check on the status of her pet beasts.

It wasn't that she was worried, it was just that she was extremely bored.

Bai Yu Kang had clearly taken away her natal beast, yet he still insisted on bringing her along for the hunt.

She didn't know what the old geezer was planning, or if Bai Rongxuan and Bai Shengrui had already discussed with Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi to plot against her at the hunting banquet?

Not far away, noblewomen were complimenting each other and gossiping.

Gu Xiaoyue just sat there; after all, with a body strengthened twelve times, her hearing was—what she should hear and what she shouldn't hear all entered her ears.

In front of Yan Xinnan, they called her a vixen, and in other noblewomen's chats, they said she just looked a bit delicate but had bewitched the young masters of Prince Yi's household.

Gu Xiaoyue took a deep breath, just pretending they were complimenting her!

Not wanting to have her ears polluted by these messy words anymore, she slowly stood up, intending to wander around.

The air on the grassland was quite good; she didn't walk far, and just as she was closing her eyes to enjoy the peace, she was pulled into a spatial secret realm.

"I was wondering why they invited me to the hunt; it seems Prince Duan is determined to get rid of me!"