sick

"Something has happened, brother."

The show that Gu Yu had been waiting for was finally about to begin. "Do the three major military camps in the capital region still listen to you or the Zhang family?"

Gu Jin found his sister's words rather strange. "Normally, we discuss things together, but if something happens, he always listens to me. He only listens to me if I'm not around. And why did you say it was the Zhang family?"

"If something really happens, brother, first have your personal guards arrest this man."

"Something happened?"

Gu Jin had a vague idea in his mind. Although Emperor Shengyuan did not attend court, he personally summoned him to the palace to discuss the training of the three major camps. The current preparations were all for war.

“Yuan Jing is back now, I’ll have him keep an eye on things.”

"Alright, brother, be careful." Gu Yu was still a little worried about him.

The quiet and uneventful end of the year passed peacefully.

The sound of firecrackers was quieter than usual, and fireworks were scarce; the capital city of Shengjing was shrouded in bleak winds and bitter rain.

As he himself said, the Fifth Prince Jing Zichen frequently visited the Duke's Mansion.

However, Gu Jin had received the news in advance, and the two of them never met once in the mansion.

The gossip in Shengjing after meals was all about whether the widowed daughter of the Duke's mansion would eventually marry the Fifth Prince, but no one came to clarify the rumors, nor was there any new evidence to prove it.

Rumors are just rumors.

Meanwhile, at the same restaurant in Bianjing, the gentry who had gathered once before reunited.

"Lord Liu, Young Master Shen, what do you think His Majesty means by this? So many people from the Three Judicial Offices have come, but they're just dragging their feet. When will this case ever be resolved?"

The heavily pregnant Li Mingwu was extremely puzzled and was waiting for these intelligent people to answer his questions.

Wang Chunsheng, who loved to complain about being poor, chimed in, "Does His Majesty still intend to protect Xu Qiu? Is he leaving us no way out?"

Lin Shiyin frowned at this moment, because the imperial inspector sent by the emperor was the emperor's son-in-law and a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of the same year as Xu Qiutong, and the two naturally had a bond of camaraderie.

Qiu Xinhai was promoted by Xu Shanhai and is definitely a trusted confidant. The relationship between Xu Shanhai and Xu Qiu is well known.

Those officials from the Three Judicial Offices were adept at guessing the Emperor's intentions. They all knew perfectly well that the Emperor wanted to protect Xu Qiu, which was why he had dragged it out for so long, trying to find a breakthrough in the case.

Shen Changqing was the youngest, but he was like the backbone of the group. He said, "The one who should be most anxious about how things have turned out is not us, but Marquis Shouning."

“Zhang Xuyan was his most beloved eldest son, and now he has suddenly died under mysterious circumstances. The emperor is not willing to severely punish the murderer, so he is naturally furious.”

"Having lost his son in his old age, a parent outliving their child, he naturally harbors resentment and hatred towards the emperor. This is the perfect opportunity to win him over..."

At this moment, everyone belatedly realized what this advisor to the crown prince was trying to do: win over powerful families, wealthy merchants, and then the Ministry of War and its garrisons.

They had different thoughts, and some didn't want to get involved anymore, so they got up to say goodbye.

But he was stopped by the spears of the soldiers guarding the door. "Now that I have made things clear, sirs and elders, please leave something as proof. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll have another mouth to feed when you go back."

They looked at Liu Jinghe, the organizer of the gathering, whose expression was calm and composed. How could they not know who had let this treacherous snake in with ulterior motives?

Everyone sighed, "Now that things have come to this, I wonder how confident that person is?"

"If that person succeeds, will the Land Administration system be abolished? And what will it bring to us country folk?"

Seeing that these people were already wavering, Shen Changqing smiled and answered them one by one.

Emperor Shengyuan had long neglected state affairs and ignored the Crown Prince in Bianjing, yet he allowed the Fifth Prince, who had distinguished himself in battle, to reside in Shengjing for an extended period. How could such intentions not be obvious?

However, the Great Sheng Dynasty has an ancestral rule that the crown prince should not be deposed easily unless he commits a heinous act.

However, Emperor Shengyuan has always been unconventional and accustomed to doing whatever he pleases. If he were to fall seriously ill and die one day, the Fifth Prince would still remain in Shengjing. By uniting the three major military camps in the capital region and the power of the eunuchs, he might not be inferior to the Crown Prince by even a fraction, and might even be superior.

Therefore, the Crown Prince had long harbored the ambition to seize the throne, and the support of money, provisions, and noble families in Bianjing was crucial.

On the nineteenth day of the first month of the twenty-sixth year of the Shengyuan era, Emperor Shengyuan suddenly summoned many imperial physicians to the Qin'an Hall. Although no news of Emperor Shengyuan's serious illness had been released, the ministers had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

Emperor Shengyuan fell seriously ill. In the past, the ministers of the cabinet could see the emperor every few days, but now they could not see him or receive any imperial edicts.

News traveled swiftly in Shengjing and soon reached the imperial palace in Bianjing as well.

It should be noted that the emperors of the Great Sheng Dynasty were all short-lived, but Emperor Sheng Yuan was already forty-two years old, making him a long-lived emperor.

So when the news of his illness came out, everyone thought that his time was coming to an end.

Crown Prince Jing Zikun paced around the hall. He wore a crimson five-clawed dragon robe and a winged crown. His features resembled those of the current empress more, and he was handsome and dashing.

Seeing Shen Changqing arrive, he asked anxiously, "Changqing, do you think it's true that Father Emperor is ill? If he is, why hasn't he summoned me back to the capital? Am I really... still the Crown Prince?"

Jing Zikun has a very peaceful personality; to put it nicely, he is moderate; to put it bluntly, he is weak and not smart or decisive enough.

He served as crown prince for twenty-one years, with the first seventeen years going smoothly. However, at the end of the twenty-first year of the Shengyuan era, Emperor Shengyuan ordered him to move to Bianjing to study state affairs.

In other words, what's the difference between this and exile? Then, the fifteen-year-old fifth prince, who had not yet been granted a fiefdom, was thrown to the northern battlefield and became a major threat to the crown prince.

He vaguely sensed his father's meaning, but he never dared to think about it too deeply.

He had lived for twenty-one years, and everyone had told him that the throne was rightfully his. Now that his father wanted him to give up the throne to someone else, how could he possibly be willing?

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

He knew that his father had high expectations of him and didn't dote on him much, often criticizing and scolding him, but he had endured all of that. Now, he absolutely couldn't let his father do the work for someone else.

Shen Changqing remained calm and respectfully bowed. "Your Highness, I believe it is not important whether the Emperor is truly ill or feigning illness. What is important is that this is an opportune moment for Your Highness to return to Shengjing."

Now, the Fifth Prince frequently visits the Duke of Ying's residence, Gu Jin commands the three major military camps in the capital region, and Gu Hanying commands 200,000 troops in the north. If the Emperor truly falls ill, even if Your Highness is the legitimate heir, it will likely be difficult for you to return to Shengjing.

"Changqing, I trust you. What do you suggest we do?"

When Jing Zikun was still in Shengjing City, he and Shen Changqing had been friends since childhood, and he naturally trusted Shen Changqing implicitly.

"Your Highness should write a letter to the Emperor. Just talk about everyday things. Is the Crown Princess pregnant? Your Highness is going to be a father. You should know what to write," Shen Changqing replied.

"And then?" Jing Zikun was still a little confused.

"Then we just wait, wait for the right opportunity. This matter will definitely have a result in two months at most."

He paused, then continued, "Your Highness must continue to contact the Northern Di during this period, instructing them to harass the people of the nearby Dasheng city, so that Gu Hanying will have no choice but to intervene."

Shen Changqing had many thoughts in his mind, and taking revenge on the Gu family was definitely one of them. Now the Fifth Prince frequently visited the Duke of Ying's mansion. If the new emperor ascended the throne, the Duke of Ying would definitely be a major threat, and he should be eliminated as soon as possible.

He was really looking forward to seeing Gu Yu's expression when her family, a family that had been prominent for three generations, was destroyed overnight.

When he learned that Gu Yu and Xu Qiu had gotten married six months after he fled Shengjing, he realized something was wrong.

Fortunately, Dongfang Hongyao was kind-hearted and soft-hearted. He secretly investigated Hejian Prefecture and found those merchants who had sold paper and ink.

Now that Dongfang Hongyao has become Princess Yuning's husband, even though he has arrived in Bianjing, he dares not make any rash moves.

But everything will be different after the new emperor ascends the throne; he has plenty of ways to make his enemies wish they were dead.

Whether it's Gu Yu or anyone around her, they all must die. He wants her to experience the pain of losing her family and home.

"Okay, we'll do it your way."

After thinking it over, Jing Zikun felt that Shen Changqing's method was indeed good. By stalling Gu Hanying, and since the Fifth Prince was not a legitimate heir apparent and had no real power, the Ministry of War would not listen to him.

*

Leaving aside the turbulent court in Shengjing, Gu Yu fell seriously ill shortly after the New Year.

The illness came on suddenly and quickly. At first, it was just a common cold symptom. I consulted a doctor and got some medicine, but the illness did not get better. Instead, it got worse and worse.

Later, he developed a high fever and lay in a daze on the hospital bed, unable to sit up to take his medicine.

Chrysanthemums and the spring moon take turns watching over her, her heart burning with worry.

Chunyue had been in charge of things in Shengjing for over a year, and her temperament had become much more composed. However, when faced with urgent matters, she still spoke without thinking.

"What's wrong with Miss? It's been so long since you've been sick. Now you're acting like you're about to die."

Qiuju frowned and stopped her, saying, "If you say such discouraging things again, get out. I'll find someone to take your place."

"Sister Qiuju, don't be angry. I was just in a hurry, that's why I said the wrong thing." She quickly slapped her own mouth and hurriedly started wringing out her handkerchief.

It was freezing cold outside, but Gu Yu was burning like a furnace. Some of the stove and charcoal fire inside the house had been removed, and the handkerchief on her forehead was made of warm water.

Qiuju sighed inwardly, "Yes, how long has it been? Miss has been healthy and hasn't had a serious illness for almost two years."

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but recall her former son-in-law. Initially, when Xu Qiu went to take up his post in Xi'an Prefecture, he insisted on bringing his family with him, which she resented.

What kind of place is Shaanxi? Winters are dry and cold, summers are scorching, and spring and autumn are also difficult. It's a poor and barren place with infertile land and unruly people. It's not a place for a good family's daughter to stay.

But since Gu Yu was willing to go, she didn't dare to stop her. She originally thought that since her young mistress was delicate and precious, she would naturally have to endure a lot of hardship.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the weather turned cold, it was the son-in-law who kept nagging the young lady to put on more clothes, the son-in-law who went looking for her with a cloak and cape, the son-in-law who came up with ways to cool off in the summer by diverting water from the canal, and the son-in-law who built a cellar to make and transport ice.

Thanks to her son-in-law's attentive care, Gu Yu has not suffered from any serious illness and looks much healthier than before.

Now that she's separated from him, her young lady is ill, so ill that it's making her very anxious.

She murmured, "If only my ex-son-in-law were still my son-in-law, if only he were still here." If he were still here, there would always be a way.

The son-in-law is much smarter than her; he always knows how to coax the young lady, as if he could read her mind.

Chun Yue was also stunned. "I think there might be a psychological aspect to this illness..."

Gu Yu was delirious with fever, her mind constantly replaying past events, many things... including matters concerning the Tang family, matters concerning the Gu family, and the year she spent with Xu Qiu in Xi'an Prefecture.

All memories are disjointed, like snowflakes, one falling here and another there.

She saw herself laughing, then the next second she saw herself crying. The spirits of her family members were floating around her, asking her if she wanted to go down and join them.

Tang Qingning stretched out her hand, wanting to take a step.

But then Gu Hanying and Gu Jin appeared. They mistook her for Gu Yu, so they reached out and grabbed her tightly, preventing her from taking another step.

What lay ahead? Tang Qingning saw clearly: a bottomless abyss, the deepest hell, with scalding red lava churning with the remains of the dead.

The woman who had risked her life to save her daughter was also there; she looked at her with resentment and hatred.

She saw her enemy inside, struggling, pleading, and cursing, trying to reach out and pull her down with him.

Gongsun Li, Guan Yiyun, Shen Xiuwen... No, that's too few. How come he only has three enemies?

"Ayu, wake up... wake up, Ayu..."

Someone held his hand, a large, calloused palm, and recited the two sentences over and over again, in reverse order.

Tang Qingning thought that her enemies had not all gone to hell with her yet, she could not die, she could not die on the eve of dawn, when she could soon see another enemy fall from the high platform.

Thinking of this, she forced open her heavy eyelids. Her vision was blurry, but she could see clearly that the person sitting in front of her was her brother.

"Brother... I'll be alright, right?" She used all her strength, and in the end, she could only utter this sentence.

"It'll be alright..." A hot tear fell from Gu Jin's eye.

The vengeful spirit, curled up beneath her beautiful skin, was nearly scalded to death by the hot tear that landed in her equally scorching palm.

Gu Jin cried for her.

Gu Jin, who had always adhered to the teaching that a man sheds blood but not tears, cried like a child, "No matter what, A-Yu, please live. I beg you, A-Yu..."

"How foolish," Tang Qingning thought. "Gu Jin is so foolish for not recognizing his own sister, and for shedding tears for a vengeful ghost like her."

If he knew that his sister's soul had been scattered, would he hate her terribly, hate her for taking his sister's body, stealing her high-class status and wealthy life, and then turning around and thinking of relying on him and his father to avenge him?

However, the ghost will eventually return to the underworld, and she will return everything that belonged to her sister. Perhaps she should accumulate more merit for the deceased Gu Yu, praying that she can go further in her next life...

However, she will not die at this moment; she will live, and live longer than her enemies.

"Brother, medicine..." Gu Yu suppressed her nausea and drank a whole bowl of bitter medicine. "...Also, I'm hungry, I want...porridge."

"Okay, okay."

Gu Jin washed his face, fed her porridge, stayed by her side all night, took a short nap, and then went out to the camp.