Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

Chapter 412 A Change of Heart - Gu Wenhua

Ayina carefully brought the secret letter close to the candlelight, the flames licking at its edges like a hungry beast. However, before the words on the letter were completely swallowed by the flames, Ayina quickly turned around and called out loudly to Xiao Cui.

Upon hearing her master's summons, Xiao Cui hurriedly carried the copper basin into the room. Just as she stepped inside, she witnessed Ayina forcefully crushing the half-burnt ashes of the secret letter into a pile of fine powder.

At that moment, moonlight streamed through the window lattice, spilling into the room like a silver veil, and slanted obliquely onto Ayina's knuckles, which were white from excessive exertion. In this faint moonlight, her bluish-purple veins were faintly visible, as if pulsating slightly, revealing a sense of tension and unease.

Ayina composed herself, turned to look at Xiao Cui, and said slowly, "Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), go to the black market in the south of the city and find a man named Lao Gua." Although her voice was calm, Xiao Cui could sense the gravity in it.

Xiao Cui nodded quickly in agreement. Ayina continued, "After you see Lao Gua, tell him that I want to investigate the whereabouts of Prince Wen's heir." After saying that, Ayina paused for a moment, as if she was thinking about something.

Seeing her mistress remain silent, Xiao Cui didn't dare to ask any more questions and simply stood quietly to the side. After a while, Ayina seemed to have made up her mind and continued, "Remember, this matter must be handled properly, and absolutely no word of it must leak out."

Xiao Cui nodded again, and Ayina waved for her to leave. After Xiao Cui left the room, Ayina slowly walked to the bronze mirror and gazed at herself in the mirror.

Her face was covered in thick makeup, which made her already beautiful features appear even more alluring. However, when her gaze fell on her deliberately exaggerated almond-shaped eyes, she couldn't help but squint slightly.

In that instant, Ayina's eyes became somewhat unfocused, as if she had returned to her carefree childhood self. Back then, she was fearless, even daring to lasso a wild horse.

Now, alone in this bustling yet treacherous Kyoto, Ayina has to learn to hide her true self, using thick makeup and deliberate cosmetics to conceal her inner unease and fear.

Three days later, the intelligence delivered by the crow made Ayina's hands, clutching her handkerchief, break out in a cold sweat. Gu Wenhua had studied diligently, and although he couldn't become the top scholar in the imperial examinations, he had still passed and become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). Although he couldn't enter the martial arts world through martial arts, he was still exceptionally skilled. However, the comparison between people was incredibly frustrating and disheartening. There were simply too many capable people around him, making him appear exceptionally weak and incompetent in comparison. However, this didn't mean that Gu Wenhua wasn't a good choice for a partner.

On that dark night, as the rain slanted across the window paper like a beaded curtain, Ayina stood silently like a statue, holding aloft a dim oil lamp, its faint light appearing so fragile in the stormy darkness. Her gaze was piercing, fixed intently on the message sent by Gu Wenhua, as if trying to see through the thin paper to uncover the truth hidden behind it.

Ayina pondered to herself that she wasn't as outstanding as others perceived her to be. She knew her abilities were limited, and to establish herself in this complex world, she had to seize every possible opportunity. And this opportunity before her might be the key to leaving the Western Regions.

Her elder brother, Ouyang Lie, the man who had grown up alongside her, had now become her greatest obstacle. Although he hadn't directly killed her, he showed no mercy to his brothers, killing or capturing them with extreme cruelty. Even some vassal kings were not spared, having their fiefdoms stripped and their former power reduced.

Ouyang Lie is now truly a lonely figure. His ruthlessness chills Ayina to the bone, but it also makes her more aware of his abilities. Undeniably, Ouyang Lie possesses extraordinary talent and wisdom, but his familial ties with the royal family are exceptionally weak, a fact that deeply frustrates Ayina.

Ayina knew she couldn't afford to take the risk in this gamble; she couldn't risk how much affection her adopted brother truly held for her. In his eyes, only his people from the Western Regions, and his mother, wife, and children, seemed to matter. To Ayina, she was nothing more than a dispensable presence.

The next day, sunlight streamed into the room through the window. Ayina got up early and began her busy day. She carefully prepared breakfast for Gu Wenhua, even choosing his favorite foods. When Gu Wenhua woke up and saw all this, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Ouyang Lie and Gu Wenlin also noticed Ayina's special treatment of Gu Wenhua. Ouyang Lie pondered to himself, what exactly was Ayina's intention? Gu Wenlin, on the other hand, was somewhat dismissive of Ayina's actions, believing that she was merely trying to curry favor with Gu Wenhua.

However, the ever-clever Gu Wenxuan saw through the deception. Seeing this, Ouyang Lie asked Gu Wenxuan, "Wenxuan, what do you think my sister's purpose is in doing this?"

Gu Wenxuan smiled slightly and replied, "Actually, Ayina did this simply because she's afraid of you. She knows you don't like her, so she wants to find someone to back her up. Although my cousin Wenhua isn't particularly outstanding, he's not without talent. Ayina's actions can be seen as her way out for herself."

Ouyang Lie nodded thoughtfully after hearing Gu Wenxuan's words. He continued, "Then, in your opinion, how should I respond?"

Gu Wenxuan thought for a moment and said, "If you don't want to arrange a marriage, then wait and see if they can naturally come together. However, based on my understanding of my elder brother Wenhua, he is not the kind of person with particularly strong willpower. So, if you agree with this, then perhaps we don't need to wait for them to like each other on their own, and arranging a marriage directly is not impossible."

Ouyang Lie replied, "Alright, let's strengthen our kinship through marriage. The wedding can be arranged when they return to Daxia. As for the dowry, the Empress will have to help her with that. I only kept this girl because her mother passed away early and she's not a bad person. I didn't expect her to be so afraid of me. She'll only feel at ease if you help her with the arrangements. You can use the things from my private treasury for her. She probably doesn't have much of a dowry herself."

Gu Wenxuan said, "Alright, she is a princess after all, and it's a marriage alliance, so we should bring some high-class gifts. I'll also give my brother and your sister some nice things; my younger brother and his family have been giving me so many things lately."