He hurriedly scrambled to his feet, knelt down, and bowed to the emperor, saying, "This humble general greets Your Majesty!"

It had been snowing for the past few days, and the snow still hadn't melted. Gu Cheng'an's head hit the snowy ground, his forehead was cold, but his heart was even colder.

"Gu Cheng'an, are you ignoring what I say, or are you amassing an army and plotting a rebellion?"

Huo Jin's words were undoubtedly a heavy blow to Gu Cheng'an.

Gu Cheng'an knelt extremely low: "Your Majesty, I dare not."

At that moment, Bai Ruifeng stood on the steps, looking at the scene below with a mocking expression: After His Majesty's death, Gu Cheng'an did indeed hold sole military power, and even the royal family had to give him face.

But His Majesty is still alive...

A single step may seem short, but it's actually a death sentence. Climbing it doesn't guarantee you'll make it to the top, but falling will certainly mean certain death.

"Sister, how are you?" Bai Yan walked up the steps and looked at Bai Ruifeng.

Bai Ruifeng shook her head, but Bai Yan squeezed her hand tightly: "Don't take any risks in the future!" Of course, she knew what Bai Ruifeng was thinking. She wanted to get hurt and wanted Gu Cheng'an to suffer a heavier punishment.

"You got hurt because of such a scumbag, aren't you afraid I'll be sad for you?"

Bai Ruifeng guiltily turned her head away, then looked at Gu Cheng'an, who was still kneeling on the ground, and shook her head: "I won't do it again."

Gu Cheng'an was foolish; he made the worst choice... If he lost those powers, he wouldn't have to worry about anything when he sought revenge against the Marquis's family.

"Effective immediately, Gu Cheng'an is relieved of his post as Left General," Huo Jin said coldly.

"Your Majesty!" Gu Cheng'an looked up in disbelief. He was not from a truly noble family. The Marquis of Boyuan's mansion had a title but had long since declined. He earned his position as Left General through real battles on the battlefield!

It takes ten years to hone a skill, and it took him more than a decade to achieve his current position in the military.

"Lord Boyuan, are you not going to accept the imperial decree?" Huo Jin's eyes darkened slightly.

He has already shown mercy. If he accepts the decree, he will at least retain the title of Marquis of Boyuan. If he disobeys the decree again, he will truly lose everything.

Gu Cheng'an understood the unspoken meaning behind the decree. After a moment of bewilderment, he could only kowtow and say, "Your subject accepts the decree."

More than a decade of military achievements were ruined in an instant, leaving him with only a nominal title. Gu Cheng'an's hands were clenched tightly in the snow, and the veins on the back of his hands were bulging.

Huo Jin stepped forward to Bai Yan's side, his coldness long gone. "It's cold outside, let's go inside."

He then embraced Bai Yan and was about to go inside when he turned to Bai Ruifeng and said, "The eldest young lady is the mistress of the Bai family, so you should take care of these things in the courtyard."

Bai Ruifeng was slightly taken aback, then quickly bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Bai Yan and Huo Jin entered the inner room.

Liu Yunrou was still traumatized by the slaps she received last time. She didn't dare to look up when Huo Jin was there, and only dared to go up to him after he left. She and her daughter Gu Mingzhu helped Gu Cheng'an, who was still kneeling on the ground, to his feet.

"Cheng'an..." Liu Yunrou called out Gu Cheng'an's name with some worry.

Gu Cheng'an came to his senses and sighed softly, "Let's go back to the Marquis's residence."

Now that Gu Cheng'an had lost his position as Left General, Liu Yunrou dared not say anything more and was about to return home. Gu Mingzhu, however, turned back, glanced at her stepmother still standing under the porch, and whispered, "Father, isn't Stepmother coming home with us?"

A wave of emotion rose in Liu Yunrou's heart. Yes... she couldn't afford to cause trouble for Bai Yan. If Bai Ruifeng returned to the Marquis's mansion, wouldn't she be at her mercy?

Gu Cheng'an and Liu Yunrou had different ideas. Bai Ruifeng was well-educated and reasonable, and was qualified as the legal mother of two children.

Now that he has lost his position as Left General, the Marquis's mansion needs a stable mistress even more.

Gu Cheng'an looked at Bai Ruifeng and said, "You've caused enough trouble outside these days. Now that the Bai family is safe, you should go back to the Marquis's residence."

“Mingjue needs your guidance, and Mingzhu is about to get married.”

Bai Ruifeng looked at Gu Cheng'an with amusement. What did he take her for?

"You've come to cause trouble for my own sister, and you even want me to return to the Marquis's mansion?"

Bai Ruifeng had been married into the Marquis's household for so long, yet Gu Cheng'an had never given her a second glance. In his heart, she was more like a handy and obedient tool.

He had already suffered a heavy blow today, and now hearing her say this, he frowned even more: "Bai Ruifeng, you are my wife, what do you want to do if you don't come back to the Marquis's mansion with me?"

"If you remain obstinate about your sister's matter, don't blame me for punishing you."

Bai Ruifeng's lips curled into a cold smile. "Punish me? You dare to challenge me?"

"roll!"

She pointed to the door: "Get out of the Bai residence right now!"

"You!" Gu Cheng'an gasped. How dare Bai Ruifeng speak to him like that?

In his limited memory, Bai Ruifeng was a gentle and mild-mannered woman.

She was corrupted by her younger sister!

Liu Yunrou was unwilling to accept this. She couldn't kill Bai Yan, and Bai Ruifeng, who used to be as soft as dough, had actually straightened her back. She wanted to teach her a lesson, but she had only just taken out the whip.

An Shisi, who had been standing by, stepped forward in front of Bai Ruifeng. Gu Cheng'an glanced at the two of them, not wanting to cause any more trouble, and could only pull Liu Yunrou away from the Bai residence quickly.

...

Bai Ruifeng was delighted that the Marquis's mansion had suffered misfortune, and she personally cooked to entertain His Majesty, who had come to the mansion as a guest.

In her past life, she learned excellent cooking skills to please her parents-in-law and husband in the Marquis's mansion. Now it was a good time to show off her skills. After thinking it over, she asked the kitchen helper to bring out a leg of lamb. A tender roasted leg of lamb would taste good in winter.

After the lamb leg is roasted, it is drizzled with a layer of fresh honey sauce, and the color alone looks extremely tempting.

After it came out of the oven, she and her servants prepared to take it to the main hall.

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