I Really Like the Male Supporting Character (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 9
When the crown prince heard about the betrothal, he was stunned.
He didn’t expect the Su family to act so quickly. Before he could even react, they had already arranged a new marriage for Su Luoyan.
Instinctively, the first question that came to Gu Xiuyan’s mind was: what would happen to his betrothal? How would they explain this to the emperor?
This was the question on everyone’s mind.
But soon, word came from the palace. Someone had brought up the matter with the emperor, and he casually responded, “I was only joking with Grand Tutor Su back then. Did you all take it seriously? Matters of marriage should be done with respect for the wishes of the children. A wedding is a happy event, not something to force on them. That would only create resentment.”
The meaning was clear: the betrothal was never a formal agreement, and the crown prince didn’t seem to like Miss Su anyway, so the matter was settled.
With the emperor’s stance clear, no one dared to object to the betrothal, even if they wanted to.
The crown prince was relieved to hear this news. He saw this as a sign that his father trusted him and was considerate of his wishes.
The empress had passed away early, and without his mother as a mediator between him and his father, the crown prince and the emperor had never been close. As Gu Xiuyan grew older, he grew closer to his maternal family, the Song family. He had even spent two years training at his uncle’s military camp, which made him closer to his uncle but also further widened the rift between him and his imperial father.
The Song family was a powerful clan with a long history. The late empress’ father and the emperor’s father-in-law, Song Qianshan, had once served as the chancellor of the imperial academy. (1-21, 1-22)
After his retirement, he founded the Song Family Academy, which produced many officials. At one point, there was a joke that almost half of the court were Song family disciples and that the Song family was a dynasty in their own right. Such was the family’s influence.
The current emperor, once the third prince, had married the Song family’s legitimate daughter and relied on their support to win the throne.
However, once he became emperor, his attitude toward the Song family changed.
In the past, he needed them and wanted them strong. However, as emperor, he came to understand the old saying, ‘How can anyone sleep soundly next to the throne?’
Song Qianshan’s son, Song Renzhou, was now the General of the Northwest, commanding an army of 200,000 soldiers.
The late emperor had passed not long after he summoned Wenren Song back to the capital. The Northwest Army had yet to be reassigned a commander, and the third prince had ascended the throne. As a gesture of gratitude to the Song family, he personally handed the military seal of the Northwest Army to Song Renzhou.
What he had willingly given away now felt like a thorn lodged in his throat that was impossible to remove.
The emperor feared the Song family’s military power, and as the crown prince grew older and spent more time with them, the emperor’s dissatisfaction with his ambitious son only deepened.
The crown prince was aware of the scrutiny in his father’s occasional glances. When Gu Xiuyan was younger, he had once admired and looked up to the man he called imperial father.
However, the emperor was not just his father; he had other sons. The love he received from his father was pitifully scarce. Whenever they met, the emperor would only inquire about his studies and test his knowledge. The emperor had never offered him any warmth or care.
Without a mother, even as the crown prince, Gu Xiuyan had suffered many hardships growing up in the palace. He had learned not to be weak, not to trust easily, and not to hope for the paternal affection that was ever-elusive to him.
Early in his life, he learned the power of authority, and that was why he requested to leave the palace and join the military camp, where he met his uncle, Song Renzhou.
There, Gu Xiuyan experienced rare familial warmth, which drew him closer to the Song family. His maternal grandfather was kind and loving, his second uncle would laugh and drink with him, and his female cousin would affectionately call him ‘Cousin’ and embroider sachets for him. To him, the Song family felt more like a home than the palace ever did.
Though the emperor’s words had made Gu Xiuyan believe his father cared about his wishes, it also troubled him. Since the promise between the emperor and Grand Tutor Su had been dismissed as a mere joke, he could no longer use it to make Su Baiwei his legitimate wife.
At that moment, someone from the Song family came to invite him over.
The crown prince was as familiar with the Song family’s residence as he was familiar with his own residence.
The servants greeted him as usual. They bowed to him and offered him pleasantries as he made his way to his grandfather’s quarters. Gu Xiuyan adjusted his clothing before stepping inside.
The room was quiet. An elderly man with white hair and a beard sat cross-legged by the window, his eyes focused on the black-and-white chessboard before him.
“Lingfeng, come over,” the old man said without looking up. “Play a round with me.”
Lingfeng was the courtesy name that Song Qianshan had given Gu Xiuyan. (1-23)
To the outside world, Gu Xiuyan was cold and distant, but in front of his respected grandfather, he set aside his aloofness and respectfully replied with a ‘yes,’ before sitting down across from him. His gaze fell on the chessboard after he sat down.
The two said no more. The crisp clack of chess pieces as they were placed on the board became the only sound in the room.
After a while, Gu Xiuyan set down his piece and said, “Grandfather, I’ve lost.”
Song Qianshan finally lifted his gaze. He studied his now-grown grandson intently.
“Lingfeng, do you know why you lost?”
“I lack skill.”
“No.” Song Qianshan’s sharp eyes gleamed. Not even the passing of time and his advanced age had dimmed them. “You were too sentimental. Because I am your grandfather, you hesitated to use the same tactics you would against a real opponent. In your mind, this was merely a game, not a battle.”
Gu Xiuyan remained silent. His grandfather was right.
“If you want to succeed, Lingfeng, you must set aside personal feelings and focus on the bigger picture.”
“I don’t understand, Grandfather.”
Song Qianshan calmly said, “The other princes have all grown up. They have mothers, extended families, and in-laws to support them. Why should you be able to surpass them?”
Gu Xiuyan replied, “I have you and my uncles.”
The old man’s voice turned cold. “You are a member of the imperial family. Your surname is Gu, not Song. The only tie you have to the Song family is your late mother. Why should we stake the entire Song family’s future on you?”
Gu Xiuyan clenched his fists but said nothing.
“You need a wife. A wife from a powerful family,” the old man’s weathered voice continued, steady and grave, like a bell tolling in the crown prince’s ears. “Your second uncle’s daughter, Rulan, will turn fourteen next month. The sachet you carry was embroidered by her…”
Now that the marriage between the Su family and the marquis of Yuanting’s heir was confirmed, the noble families in the capital who had eligible daughters became eager to act.
Given the crown prince’s age, he should’ve been married long ago. Since Su Luoyan was no longer his betrothed, the other noble misses now also had a chance for the position.
After all, no one thought that the Su family’s illegitimate daughter was fit to be the crown princess. To these powerful families, the crown prince’s marriage was not about love; it was a matter of power, alliances, and political investment.
However, barely two days had passed before the palace issued an edict announcing the crown prince’s betrothal to the legitimate daughter of the second branch of the Song family, Song Rulan. Apparently, the crown prince had personally requested this marriage from the emperor.
Given that the crown prince was now over 20 years old, his wedding couldn’t be delayed any longer. The date for his wedding with Song Rulan was set on the same date that he was supposed to marry Su Luoyan.
Many noble misses who had been secretly hoping to become the crown princess were crushed. When the news broke, more than a few handkerchiefs were torn in frustration.
Ah Luo learned of the news several days after the fact.
Ever since her betrothal to Wenren Jin was decided, the Su family’s residence had become bustling with activity. They had so little time, and there was much to prepare for her wedding. As a noble miss from a high-ranking family, her dowry required even more attention than most. Some families began preparing for their daughters’ weddings from the age of ten. Now, with only one month to go, everything was being crammed into a tight schedule, and both the masters and servants of the household were busier than ever.
Lady Yao was particularly busy. She ran around all day buying things, ordering the servants, preparing the dowry, writing invitations, and sending out letters. She even got Ah Luo’s sister-in-law to help with the embroidery of her wedding gown.
Ah Luo had started embroidering her wedding dress long ago, but it was originally designed for a crown princess. It now had to be altered for her new role as a future marquis’ wife, and one person alone wouldn’t be able to finish the alterations in time.
Her sister-in-law, Lady Zhong, was quiet and diligent. Although it was Ah Luo’s wedding gown, Ah Luo would often take breaks when she grew tired of embroidering while Lady Zhong remained focused.
One day, Zhao Qiuchen came to visit again and brought with her the news of the crown prince’s betrothal to Song Rulan.
Ah Luo wasn’t particularly surprised to hear the news.
She remembered Song Rulan from the original storyline. The male protagonist’s path to power had not been smooth since he had many strong competitors among his brothers. He had relied on the support of the Song family to eventually ascend to the throne, and the price he paid for that support was marrying his cousin.
Since the position of the crown princess was reserved for Su Luoyan, Song Rulan married him as a concubine.
In the original storyline, Song Rulan’s fate was much better than the original host. As the crown prince’s cousin, she shared a close bond with him. Unfortunately, she later suffered a miscarriage due to her young age, which damaged her health and left her unable to have children. This made the crown prince feel deeply guilty towards her.
Song Rulan also caused plenty of tension between the male and female protagonists. By that time, Su Baiwei had entered the palace and become empress, while Song Rulan had been titled noble consort. (1-24)
Whenever the crown prince visited Song Rulan’s palace, Su Baiwei would throw a fit. However, despite her tantrums, Song Rulan continued to enjoy her position as a noble consort.
None of this concerned Ah Luo, though. She merely listened to the news with mild interest.
Zhao Qiuchen noticed Ah Luo’s lack of interest. She pointed to Lady Zhong, who was busy with Ah Luo’s red wedding dress, and asked, “Are you altering the dress?”
Ah Luo nodded. “We don’t have time to embroider a new one, so we’re making alterations to the one I already started.”
Zhao Qiuchen took a closer look. “Are those flamboyant flowers?”
Ah Luo smiled and nodded. “Yes.”
“That’s quite unique! Most wedding gowns feature dragons and phoenixes or mandarin ducks. But you’ve chosen flowers and plants.”
Lady Zhong chuckled from the side. “Yan’er loves flamboyant flowers.”
“True enough. Besides, since the marquis’ heir is blind, you might as well embroider something you like,” Zhao Qiuchen commented bluntly.
Ah Luo shot her a glare and couldn’t help but retort, “He’ll love this dress. I know it.”
She believed that even though he couldn’t see the wedding dress, he would still like it.
Zhao Qiuchen almost wanted to point out that a blind man couldn’t even see what a flamboyant flower looked like, but she stopped herself at the last moment under Ah Luo’s stern gaze. Instead, she asked, “By the way, the crown prince is marrying a Song family girl now. What would happen to that concubine-born sister of yours?”
At the mention of this, a shiver ran down Ah Luo’s spine.
She recalled a scene she had accidentally witnessed a few days ago. Su Baiwei sobbed pitifully and questioned Gu Xiuyan, asking if he had deceived her. When Gu Xiuyan’s explanations fell on deaf ears, he pinned her against a tree and forcefully kissed her.
Ah Luo, who had been about to pass by, took a long detour to avoid disturbing them.
“What else? Mother said she’ll be sent to the crown prince’s palace in a few days.”
These past days, Su Baiwei had either been crying in the garden, crying on the path, or crying by the pavilion. It drove everyone, who was already dizzy from the wedding preparations, up the wall.
Even Lady Yao had had enough. She decided that, with the crown prince’s wedding fast approaching, sending Su Baiwei to him before the wedding might lead to her conceiving a child early, which would be a good thing. So, she made the decision.
It was chaos out there, but none of it mattered to Ah Luo. She only needed to stay in her little courtyard, embroider her wedding dress, and wait for her groom to come.