Amidst the anticipation of the court officials and the prayers of Minister Gu, 001 spoke: "Minister Gu's beloved, named Lianyi, has been by his side since he was a mere scholar. She herself is very talented, but to support her beloved, she gave up her studies to teach at the academy and earn money to pay for Minister Gu's tuition when he was still a student."

As Qin Qianluo watched the woman in the light screen, dressed in green with a beautiful face, earnestly lecturing her students and managing household affairs for Minister Gu, doing laundry and cooking, a feeling of pity welled up in her heart.

Gu Qingshi stared blankly at the light screen above Princess Qingyun's head, watching the woman he longed for busying herself for him. His eyes reddened slightly, and when he thought of the woman in the manor, he wanted to slap himself. His Lianyi was so good, how could he think that the thin and weak person in the manor resembled her?

The ministers also saw the woman's appearance on the screen. She was indeed similar to the woman named Lian'er, and their names were also extremely similar, Lianyi Lian'er. However, the woman they saw now had the air of a learned woman, and it was clear that she was well-read. The woman they had seen before, on the other hand, had the air of a worldly woman. The two women had completely different temperaments. Minister Gu really had bad eyesight.

The emperor also saw the woman, but his attention was drawn to her demeanor as she taught. Her refined and cultured air was captivating. The emperor felt a pang of regret that she hadn't entered the court as an official; otherwise, she would surely have shone brightly.

Su Jinyun also felt regretful and couldn't help but glare at Minister Gu. Not only had such a talented woman been wasted, but now he had even come up with a replacement. It was truly hateful. However, seeing Minister Gu's red eyes, she didn't say anything more and continued to look at the light screen.

Following the events shown on the screen, 001 continued, "Lianyi was exceptionally talented. If she had participated in the imperial examinations back then, she would surely have a place in the court today. Unfortunately, she valued Minister Gu more and chose to remain behind the scenes, accompanying him step by step, taking care of his life, and guiding him when he was confused. For Minister Gu at that time, Lianyi was not only his wife and teacher, but also an indispensable woman he could not let down."

Gu Qingshi couldn't hold back any longer and slapped himself twice. The crisp sound of the slaps suddenly rang out, and everyone looked at Minister Gu, sighing inwardly.

Qin Qianluo was also drawn by the sound of slapping and looked at Minister Gu, asking Su Jinyun in front of her in confusion, "What's wrong with Minister Gu?"

Su Jinyun glanced at Gu Qingshi: "Minister Gu is fine. He's probably just feeling remorseful because he thought he did something wrong to someone. Qianluo, don't worry about him, he'll be fine in a bit."

Although Qin Qianluo still had some doubts, she did not ask further. Her mind was now filled with thoughts of the woman named Lianyi, and it was such a pity that such a talented person had wasted her time.

The Emperor glanced at Minister Gu and sighed inwardly. Now he realized he shouldn't have considered others as the person in his heart. What was he thinking all along? What a pity for my talented man. Such a talent has been missed.

001 was also drawn to the woman named Lianyi and didn't investigate what had happened to Minister Gu. It's hard to say whether these two were focused or carefree. If either of them had thought to check, the matter of having their thoughts heard by others would have been known to them. Unfortunately, neither of them was paying attention to this.

001 continued, "The two supported each other all the way to the capital through the imperial examinations. Minister Gu was also a devoted lover, promising Lianyi that after he passed the exams, he would marry her again in a grand and glorious ceremony, giving her a magnificent wedding, and that he would never take a concubine, only her. Unfortunately, their happiness was short-lived."

Upon hearing this, the officials paused, and those of similar age to Minister Gu realized what was happening. They hadn't heard of Minister Gu having a wife back then, and he only married and had children several years after becoming an official. What had happened in between? Could it be that Minister Gu, after becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination, became disillusioned with his wife, abandoned her, and even killed her?

The Emperor also had his doubts. He had never heard that Minister Gu had a wife. If he really did become the top scholar in the imperial examination, then he would despise his wife and kill her. In Tianxuan Kingdom, killing one's wife or husband was a capital offense, punishable by the extermination of three generations of one's family.

Gu Qingshi seemed to have returned to that time, and closed his eyes in pain, thinking of his Lianyi, his outstanding Lianyi.

001 continued, "On their way to the capital for the imperial examinations, the two encountered bandits. Minister Gu was then a poor scholar with no guards to protect him. Although Minister Gu and Lianyi knew some of the Six Arts of a Gentleman, they were outnumbered. In the end, Lianyi used all her strength to push Minister Gu out of the encirclement and threatened him with her life, urging him to leave quickly. Minister Gu had no choice but to mount his horse and go to find the local officials. Unfortunately, although they had reached the outskirts of the capital, the officials there treated people differently based on their status. Seeing Minister Gu's ragged clothes, they didn't listen to his complaints and simply threw him out."

The Emperor frowned as he looked at the attitude of the yamen runners. Yes, he was already overwhelmed with his own problems back then. There were countless corrupt officials in the court, and he simply didn't have time to understand the people's plight. Even though he was already close to the capital, there were still yamen runners like this. One can imagine how many wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice must have occurred back then.

The officials also fell silent, especially those who had accompanied the emperor from that period. They all thought of those not-so-easy days, when they struggled with heaven, earth, and man every day, and were exhausted.

Gu Qingshi stared blankly at the light screen, at the scene that often appeared in his dreams. He always wondered if the ending would have been different if he hadn't really left back then.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!