The Prophetic Dream

No, this won't work.

Gu Wanning thought that the only way to solve the problem might be to outwardly comply but inwardly defy it, agree first to lower Xu Weibei, and then secretly send her First Concubine away.

Where to send it is the question.

Gu Wanning's head ached from thinking so much that she didn't sleep well all night and woke up with dark circles under her eyes the next morning.

Fortunately, Xu Weibei to attend court, so out of sight, out of mind.

While that bastard is away, I can have a good talk with my First Concubine about what to do.

Gu Wanning didn't even eat before sending Er Ya to invite her First Concubine.

As a result, my First Concubine came, her eyes were red and swollen, and she could barely open them; it was obvious she hadn't slept well either.

The other concubines also came, clearly having heard the news.

Fourth Concubine reacted the most strongly, insisting on rolling up her sleeves and finding Xu Weibei to fight.

The Second Concubine said, "How come you've only grown older but not smarter? What problems can fighting solve? Let's wait for Madam to make the decision, and we'll just cooperate."

The Third Concubine also looked at Gu Wanning: "Madam, this servant is foolish and does not know how to help eldest sister. This servant will listen to Madam."

Fourth Concubine said, "If you won't let us fight, then shall we go together to beg the Marquis?"

Gu Wanning: "Stop arguing. Let's figure out a way to send Jinxiu away."

"Madam, the escaped concubine has been caught; her fate will be terrible," the Third Concubine whispered a reminder.

"That's still better than staying here. I can't think of anywhere else right now, so I need your help to think of something."

As everyone was discussing, the First Concubine stood up and bowed to them, saying, "Thank you, Madam and my sisters, for your tireless efforts. I didn't sleep a wink last night and thought about this matter carefully. I have a solution."

Chapter 53 Premonition of Dreams

"Eldest sister, you've already made up your mind? Tell me quickly!" Fourth Concubine said impatiently.

She was as anxious as a monkey scratching its head today.

The First Concubine had calmed down by now and was no longer as hysterical as before.

"Madam, I have heard of General Qin before; he is not a truly wicked person. Moreover, he values his reputation. If he knew that I would rather die than marry him, I doubt he would force me. However, I worry that this will anger the Marquis..."

At this point, she no longer cared what Xu Weibei thought of her.

However, if she were to cause trouble for others, especially for her sisters who were so kind to her, she would feel guilty and uneasy.

"You're too busy taking care of yourself right now, so don't worry about anything else," Gu Wanning said. "Let's resolve this immediate issue first, and we can deal with the rest later. Are you sure Qin Lie will give up once he knows you don't want to marry him?"

"Yes." The First Concubine nodded affirmatively.

Second Concubine's eyes darted around. "Eldest Sister, did you know him before?"

The First Concubine quickly shook her head. "I don't know him. How could I know General Qin?"

"Oh," the Second Concubine said again, "But from what you've said, I feel that this General Qin seems quite good. He seems to have decent character, and he's willing to marry you. To be honest, I'm tempted by these conditions."

Gu Wanning: Look, what did she say again?

Those who are good at calculating are always so shrewd.

The First Concubine gave a bitter smile, lowered her eyes, and remained silent.

"Regardless, let's get this message out first."

Er Ya volunteered, "Madam, give it to me."

What will you do?

"Do you remember that little beggar we met last time? I've run into him a few times recently. I was thinking of giving him some money so he can find some little beggars to spread the word."

We must make everyone aware of how shameful it is for the Marquis to casually give away concubines!

The Third Concubine said, "Don't mention the Marquis. As long as the matter is resolved, there's no need to make a big fuss."

She had served the Grand Princess, so she knew Xu Weibei better.

If Your Marquis is truly determined to pursue this matter, even the Grand Princess would be powerless against it, let alone the others.

In short, everyone offered suggestions, and no one stood aside.

After everyone had left, the First Concubine stayed behind.

She seemed conflicted, fidgeting, and sat listlessly on the embroidered stool, twisting a handkerchief in her hand.

Seeing this, Gu Wanning poured her a cup of tea. "I know you must be anxious right now. To be honest, I argued for you last night, but I really can't guarantee what the outcome will be. Prepare for the worst."

She did her best.

The First Concubine suddenly stood up and tried to kneel down.

Gu Wanning reached out to support her, preventing her from kneeling down.

"I'm in a similar predicament myself, but we all have to try our best. Do you have any other ideas for saving yourself? Tell me everything."

Gu Wanning hadn't expected that her First Concubine would know something about Qin Lie.

After a long silence, the First Concubine seemed to have finally made a decision.

Her voice trembled slightly. "Madam, do you believe in ghosts and spirits?"

After thinking for a moment, Gu Wanning said, "I didn't believe in it before, at most I believed in the God of Wealth. But later I developed some reverence for him."

After all, if something as absurd as time travel can happen, what other mystical phenomenon is impossible?

"I used to be skeptical, unsure about the concept of past and present lives, always thinking it was mostly a hoax. But do you know? During the days I was seriously ill, I kept having dreams, dreams of many people I knew and didn't know... It seemed like I was dreaming about things that would happen in the future, but they didn't quite match up..."

Gu Wanning was horrified. "You wouldn't have... you wouldn't have met Qin Lie in your dream, would you?"

"Yes, I met him in my dream." The First Concubine wept.

She dreamed of many strange people and things.

She dared not tell anyone, because many of the things were bad, and talking about them would bring bad luck.

Moreover, her dream was something she was ashamed of and couldn't talk about with others.

It wasn't until yesterday, when Xu Weibei said he wanted to marry her off to Qin Lie, that the tension that First Concubine had been holding in these past few days finally broke.