Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 44

As the optical brain system collapsed, Yixing completely disappeared from Gu Yun’s mind.  

Gu Yun felt the last thread of connection with Yixing sever, and the glow on her wrist gradually dimmed until it finally faded into nothingness.  

She raised her hand and looked at it, her expression blank. “Yixing?”

However, that familiar mechanical voice could no longer respond to her as it once did.  

Yixing… was truly gone.  

Gu Yun’s breath hitched, and she stood there, at a loss.  

She had never imagined that one day, Yixing would leave her.  

The optical brain was an artificial system bound to every person in the interstellar world from birth, coexisting with them until death.  

She had never thought that after only twenty-something years together, Yixing… would just disappear.

A belated wave of grief surged through her heart, and her eyes turned red. It felt as if a wound had been ripped open in her chest, leaving an empty void that kept consuming her.  

Suddenly, the infant in her arms stirred and then began to cry loudly.  

Gu Yun had no choice but to temporarily set aside her pain over losing Yixing and lower her voice to soothe the baby.  

But no matter how she tried, the baby’s cries wouldn’t stop.  

Seeing the child smack her lips, Gu Yun guessed that she might be hungry.  

But the Seventh Princess was still unconscious—she had no idea how to feed the little one. Should she just place the baby at the princess’s chest?  

Gu Yun turned to look at the wooden hut not far away and carried them both inside.  

She quickly cleaned up the Seventh Princess, then removed her own clothes and draped them over the princess and the baby.  

“Princess, she’s hungry. Can you feed her?” She wrapped an arm around Jiang Libai’s waist, placing them together.  

But the princess couldn’t respond.  

After revealing that secret to the princess, Gu Yun didn’t want to act presumptuously without her permission.  

Yet the little one kept crying, looking so pitiful.  

Gu Yun thought maybe she should just handle it for now? The princess seemed like she would wake up soon.  

With that in mind, she placed a clean finger near the baby’s lips. The starving little one instinctively latched onto it and started sucking.  

Gu Yun softly coaxed her while watching for any signs of Jiang Libai waking up.  

But after sucking a few times with no milk coming out, the baby’s mouth trembled, and she began wailing again.  

Gu Yun had no choice but to place her back in Jiang Libai’s arms.  

Looking at the princess’s steady breathing, Gu Yun was torn.  

“Princess… she’s really hungry.” Helplessly, as the baby cried sorrowfully, Gu Yun, afraid she would starve, slowly reached out to undo Jiang Libai’s front collar.  

Just as she was about to loosen it completely, Jiang Libai’s eyelashes fluttered, and she dazedly opened her eyes.  

Moments later, she was startled by the chill on her chest.  

Instinctively, she slapped away the hand undoing her collar.  

But as her consciousness cleared, she heard the infant’s cries.  

Then, she saw the tiny baby nestled against her chest.  

“Princess, you’re finally awake.” Seeing her hold the baby in both arms, Gu Yun quickly explained, “She’s been crying nonstop, likely because she’s hungry, so I… undid your collar.”

Hearing this, Jiang Libai turned slightly, adjusting her loosened clothing to start feeding the child.  

Perhaps due to proper nourishment during pregnancy, she had already begun lactating.  

Once the baby found food, she finally stopped crying.  

The simple wooden hut fell into silence, with only the soft sounds of the baby feeding.  

Under the moonlight, Jiang Libai gazed at the child in her arms, peacefully nursing. Only then did she realize that she still didn’t know whether the baby was a boy or a girl.  

She gently pulled aside the cloth wrapping the baby and saw—it was a girl.  

A long silence followed, neither of them speaking.  

Jiang Libai, recalling what she had heard before giving birth, was the first to break the stillness. “Gu Yun.”

“What is it, Princess?” Gu Yun had a vague idea of what she wanted to ask.  

Sure enough, the Seventh Princess asked about that matter: “You said she is our child?”

Gu Yun pursed her lips and gave a low “Mm.”

“…The person that night was you?” Jiang Libai’s heart pounded.  

Gu Yun answered with another “Mm.”

Jiang Libai bit her lip. “But you’re a woman… I saw it with my own eyes…”

How could it be possible that she had spent that night with Gu Yun… and even conceived a child?  

“Princess.” Gu Yun tugged at the corners of her lips, deciding to reveal everything about her identity.

After all, Yixing had already left her. The only attachments she had left in this place were the princess and the child.

She had to let them know where she truly came from.

“Actually, I am not Gu Yun of Jin Country.”

Jiang Libai’s breath hitched. “What did you say?!”

“I am a person from ten thousand years in the future. My name is also Gu Yun, a general of the Interstellar Empire. I died in a war, and when I woke up, I found myself in this body.” Gu Yun’s voice was low and steady as she slowly revealed her true identity.

But Jiang Libai could hardly understand. “What are you even saying?! What do you mean you died? And then woke up in this body?!”

Wasn’t this just like the monsters described in storybooks? Possessing someone else’s body at will?!

“You… you’re a demon?!” Jiang Libai’s brow twitched as she scrutinized Gu Yun, as if seeing her for the first time.

Her wary gaze made Gu Yun’s heart tighten. She hadn’t even mentioned that she was an interstellar alpha yet, and the princess was already this resistant. If she revealed that part… the princess might truly see her as a monster.

But at this point, she had no choice but to be completely honest.

Gu Yun closed her eyes briefly and sighed. “I am not a monster.”

“I come from the interstellar world ten thousand years in the future.” She looked toward the starry sky, her tone tinged with melancholy. “I don’t even know which star exactly. But in the future, people here will have enough technology to travel to other planets.”

“They built homes on those distant stars and split into two factions—the Empire and the Federation.” She glanced at the Seventh Princess, who seemed to be deep in thought, unsure if she understood. “I come from the Empire, from ten thousand years into the future.”

Jiang Libai half-understood, half-doubted. She also gazed at the twinkling stars above before turning back to Gu Yun. “You say you came from the stars, then do you have any proof?”

Gu Yun took a deep breath. “That night… is the proof.”

Jiang Libai instantly understood which night she meant.

Her gaze dropped downward, but she couldn’t see anything unusual.

Gu Yun instinctively pressed her legs together, but after a moment of thought, she realized she needed to make the princess believe her. So, she took Jiang Libai’s hand and slowly guided it toward her dignity.

Jiang Libai: ”???”

The moment she touched something indescribable, her face froze in utter shock: ”!!”

“I am an interstellar female alpha.” Gu Yun, suppressing the heat creeping up her face, guided Jiang Libai’s hand to the back of her neck. “This is my gland. My pheromones—what you always smell on me—are released from here… Ah—”

Jiang Libai immediately noticed that the skin here felt different from the rest. She instinctively gave it a light squeeze, only to hear Gu Yun let out a strange sound.

She thought she had hurt Gu Yun, but the blush on Gu Yun’s face told her… she had felt something?

Jiang Libai instantly pulled her hand back.

After touching something indescribable just moments ago, she now regarded Gu Yun with extreme caution.

Seeing her subtly retreat, Gu Yun’s rising anticipation faded significantly. Somewhat hurt, she explained, “Princess, the place behind my neck is my gland. My… scent is emitted from there. That area… is very sensitive. You can’t just squeeze it like that…”

Jiang Libai recalled how, in the past, whenever she held Gu Yun while sleeping, the scent of sandalwood from the back of her neck had always been especially strong.

So that was the reason?

A gland? Releasing pheromones?

Then… what about that indescribable thing?

Jiang Libai wondered if she had been mistaken before—was Gu Yun actually… a man?  

With that thought, her gaze landed on Gu Yun’s chest, the meaning in her eyes unmistakable.  

Gu Yun sighed again, silently loosening her collar before slowly unwrapping the bindings around her chest.  

The familiar curves appeared before Jiang Libai’s eyes. She blinked.  

Had she only imagined touching that indescribable thing earlier?  

Noticing her gaze drifting downward again, Gu Yun gritted her teeth, grabbed Jiang Libai’s hand, and placed it directly on her dignity.  

With her eyes seeing the rise and fall of Gu Yun’s chest and her palm feeling that place, Jiang Libai’s eyes widened, and her heartbeat quickened.  

“You… you…” She stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.  

“I am a female alpha. Do you understand now, Princess?” Gu Yun’s face was already burning red.  

Jiang Libai understood the word “female,” but…  

“A… what? What does that mean?!” She struggled to pronounce the unfamiliar term.  

Gu Yun looked down at Jiang Libai’s hand, which had yet to move away, and explained, “This place is an alpha’s… dignity.”

Jiang Libai half-understood, half-doubted.  

Her mind was already a mess.  

She was trying to process the fact that Gu Yun claimed to come from a distant star and called herself some kind of “female alpha,” which all sounded completely inhuman to her…  

“So, that night… it was really you? And the child… is truly ours?!” Jiang Libai was more tangled up over this than anything else.  

Gu Yun looked at the little baby still nursing and softly nodded. “She is our child. As an alpha, after… doing that with you, I was able to make you pregnant.”

At this moment, Jiang Libai had no choice but to accept this absurd and ridiculous truth.  

Gu Yun really could do that with her. And she really had given birth to their child…  

Watching Gu Yun rebind her chest, a sense of betrayal slowly took root in Jiang Libai’s heart. She bit her lip and asked in a low voice, “Did you know all along that the person you took that night… was me?!”

The person who had left her panicked, sleepless, tormented by guilt and harsh words… was Gu Yun?  

Gu Yun’s hands froze as she wrapped the bindings. “Yes.”

Jiang Libai’s breathing quickened. She clenched her jaw, her emotions growing increasingly complicated. She asked again, “Then why, after all this time since our wedding, have you never told me the truth?”

Gu Yun smiled bitterly. “Princess, something like this is too unbelievable. Even if I told you, you might not have believed me. Worse, if it disturbed you too much, it could have harmed the baby in your womb and hurt your body…”

Jiang Libai stared at her, suppressing the bitterness rising in her heart. “No. You had plenty of chances to tell me.”

“But instead, you let me suffer through my shame and guilt, knowing I was lost and broken because of the pregnancy…”

Gu Yun opened her mouth to say something, but Jiang Libai cut her off.  

“I don’t care who you are, where you came from, or whether you will leave one day.”

“The fact is, you hurt me. You deceived me. You played me for a fool.”

“I don’t want to see you again.”

“When we return to the capital—”

“We will divorce.”

After saying these words, Jiang Libai endured her physical discomfort, held her daughter tightly, and moved to the far corner of the wooden hut, keeping her distance from Gu Yun.  

Gu Yun felt a deep bitterness in her heart.  

She knew that no matter what she said now, the princess no longer wanted to see her.  

She finished dressing in her remaining undergarments, looked at the hazy night outside, and slowly walked out, leaving this small space to the princess.  

Her thin figure disappeared into the night.  

Jiang Libai clenched her hands tightly.  

But the baby in her arms whimpered softly, pulling her thoughts back.  

The little one had eaten her fill and was now blowing tiny bubbles.  

Jiang Libai adjusted her clothes and carefully laid her daughter down in her embrace.  

This child… was hers and Gu Yun’s…  

Jiang Libai bent down and gently kissed her daughter’s small cheek.

—

In the latter half of the night, multiple footsteps sounded outside the wooden hut.  

Leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, resting, Gu Yun suddenly opened her eyes.  

Under the moonlight, she saw the approaching figures.  

It was Ming Tao, leading a group of people!  

Gu Yun stood up and waved toward them. “Ming Tao, the princess is here!”

Inside the hut, Jiang Libai awoke with a start. Hearing Gu Yun’s voice, she immediately became excited—Ming Tao had come to find her!  

However, her body was still aching, and she dared not stand up.  

Before long, Ming Tao entered with two sturdy servant women.  

As soon as Ming Tao caught the scent of blood in the room and saw Jiang Libai holding a newborn in her arms, she hurried over. “Princess, are you alright? You… you’ve given birth?!”

Thankfully, she had anticipated the possibility of the princess going into early labor from the shock. Along the way, she had followed the trail of marks left by the prince consort and brought some experienced servant women with her.  

“Princess, let me carry the young heir.” Ming Tao carefully took the soft little baby from Jiang Libai’s arms and then motioned for the two servant women to help Jiang Libai up. “They will assist you outside. Once you are seated in the sedan chair, we can return to the capital immediately.”

Jiang Libai looked at her daughter and said softly, “She is a girl.”

Ming Tao smiled. “Then she is the little princess!”

The servant women were extremely cautious, and after just a few steps, they had already brought Jiang Libai to the sedan chair.  

She turned back to glance at Gu Yun, who stood in the corner dressed only in her undergarments, and said coldly, “Give him a robe.”

After saying this, she let the servant women help her into the sedan chair and had Ming Tao hand her daughter back to her.  

From beginning to end, she never spared Gu Yun another glance.  

Ming Tao did not notice the strange atmosphere between the two of them—or perhaps she simply did not care about Gu Yun. Right now, her only concern was getting the princess, who had just given birth, back as soon as possible.  

The group came in a hurry and left just as quickly.  

Gu Yun draped the long robe that Jiang Libai had ordered for her, mounted her horse, and silently followed behind.

—

By the time they returned to the capital, the sky was beginning to brighten.  

After being cleaned up, Jiang Libai was properly settled into her bedroom, and her newborn daughter was also taken care of, entrusted to the wet nurse by Ming Tao.  

As soon as she relaxed, exhaustion washed over her.  

Before long, she lay down on the bed and drifted off into a hazy sleep.  

Perhaps because Jiang Libai had not explicitly ordered the servants of the princess’s residence to bar Gu Yun from entering, Gu Yun had followed behind them and also returned to the residence.  

Fortunately, the servants did not intend to mistreat her. They prepared plenty of hot water and brought her clean clothes.  

After washing herself, she lay down in the side chamber of the main courtyard.  

She had stayed here before, so she was still accustomed to the place.  

She just didn’t know if the princess truly… intended to divorce her.  

If that happened, she wouldn’t even have the right to stay in this side chamber anymore.  

The ordeal of the past day and night had left Gu Yun utterly exhausted.  

On top of that, Yixing’s sudden passing filled her with unbearable grief—grief she could not express to anyone. She could only suppress it within her heart and endure the pain alone.  

Before long, she too fell asleep.  

However, her sleep was restless.  

In her dreams, she saw Yixing leaving her, then the princess’s cold gaze as she spoke of divorce, then their daughter refusing to acknowledge her…  

Over and over, these scenes repeated.  

Her body gradually grew feverish, as if she were trapped inside a burning furnace.  

—

**Inside Changchun Palace.**  

After ensuring everything was in order at the princess’s residence, Ming Tao hurried back to the palace.  

Seeing the anxious Noble Consort Yuan, she quickly stepped forward and joyfully reported, “Your Highness, the princess has been found! And she has given birth to a beautiful little princess. Both mother and daughter are safe, so please rest assured!”

Noble Consort Yuan let out a heavy breath of relief. “Jia Ning is truly unharmed?”After all, she had given birth over half a month early and had been abducted—what a terrifying ordeal!  

“The princess is fine, she’s not feeling unwell anywhere. She’s just very weak after giving birth and has already gone to rest.”

Only then did Noble Consort Yuan finally relax.  

Thank goodness, her Jia Ning was safe!  

“The people who kidnapped the princess are all dead. It was probably… the prince consort who killed them. Their bodies have been left behind for later handling.”Ming Tao then relayed the rest of the situation.  

Hearing this, Noble Consort Yuan suddenly remembered that Jiang Shen, that wretched traitor, had yet to be dealt with.  

She stood up and, while walking outside, ordered, “Prepare the sedan. I am going to see His Majesty.”

Fortunately, as soon as she received news of Jia Ning’s whereabouts, she had refrained from taking action against Jiang Shen’s wife and children. They were still confined in the ancestral temple, though she had indeed considered having them sent away.  

Now, she needed to see the Emperor—first, to expose the second prince as the culprit behind Jia Ning’s abduction, and second, to admit her own fault before His Majesty.  

—

When Jiang Libai woke up, the sun was already setting.  

She struggled to sit up and called for the young maid, Qin’er, outside.  

“Where is Chunxi?”

Qin’er quickly replied, “Sister Chunxi was injured and is still bedridden. She won’t be able to serve the princess for the time being.”

Jiang Libai nodded. “Has the imperial physician seen her?”

“Her Highness knew that the princess cares for Sister Chunxi, so she called for the imperial physician yesterday. The injury is not serious, and she just needs proper rest to recover.”

As long as Chunxi’s life was not in danger, that was enough.  

Jiang Libai instructed, “Tell her to rest well. Healing is the most important thing.”

Qin’er obediently responded, “Yes, Your Highness.”

*Where is my daughter?” Jiang Libai wanted to hold the child.  

“The wet nurse is taking care of the little princess. She just finished feeding and is now asleep.”

Since the baby was sleeping, it would not be good to move her.  

Jiang Libai hesitated for a moment.  

At that moment, she finally remembered Gu Yun.  

However, her emotions were complicated and unsettled, so she ultimately did not want to inquire about her.  

She opened her mouth slightly, but in the end, no words came out.  

Instead, she simply said, “I’m a little hungry. Have someone bring me some food.”

—

Upon learning that Jiang Libai had safely given birth to a daughter, Emperor Yu was overjoyed. Without waiting to hear anything else from Noble Consort Yuan, he immediately issued an edict conferring the title of *Princess Zhaohua* upon his beloved granddaughter and sent chest after chest of rare treasures to Princess Jia Ning’s residence.  

He even wanted to personally name the granddaughter he had yet to meet, but Noble Consort Yuan stopped him.  

“Your Majesty, you have already granted her a title. Let Gu Yun and Jia Ning choose their daughter’s name themselves.”

Only then did Emperor Yu give up the idea of naming *Princess Zhaohua* himself.  

“Fine, let the two of them decide. I won’t trouble myself with it.”

“Yes.” Noble Consort Yuan smiled faintly.  

Seeing how excited the Emperor still was, she pulled him to sit down beside her. “However, Your Majesty, Jia Ning gave birth prematurely and has suffered physical weakness… According to what Ming Tao said, Zhaohua is also very thin, like a little monkey, clearly somewhat frail from birth…”

Hearing this, Emperor Yu’s joyful expression faded, and he finally remembered that Jia Ning had gone missing because she had been kidnapped!  

Noble Consort Yuan seized the moment to add fuel to the fire. “Your Majesty, you would never guess who was behind Jia Ning’s abduction…”

Emperor Yu asked coldly, “Who?!”

“It was the second prince.” Noble Consort Yuan wiped the corner of her eyes as if shedding tears. “He kidnapped Jia Ning because he wanted me to help release his wife and children, who are imprisoned in the ancestral temple. He said that if I refused, you and I would never see Jia Ning again…”

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yu slammed his palm on the table, his beard quivering in rage. “That scoundrel!”

“I was worried about Jia Ning’s safety, and I feared that if I told Your Majesty, the second prince would find out. So I secretly took action regarding his imprisoned wife and children… I am guilty of this and ask Your Majesty for forgiveness…”

Emperor Yu had always cherished Noble Consort Yuan deeply, and he doted even more on their only daughter, Jiang Libai.  

Hearing her words, how could he truly be angry with her? Holding her hand, he helped her up from the ground. “Jia Ning is our daughter. You shouldn’t have kept this from me.”

“I was only afraid that Your Majesty would worry as much as I did…”

Emperor Yu patted her hand, comforting her. “Rest assured, Jiang Shen dared to lay a hand on Jia Ning—I will never let him go unpunished!”

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