Chapter 25 Can he do it?

The emperor had been waiting for a long time.

The sky was dark, but inside the Qianqing Palace, lanterns shone brightly, making the hall almost as bright as day.

Huai Leju left everyone outside the hall and went in alone to report.

Passing around the screen, one sees the emperor sitting upright by the window, staring intently at the sky.

Huai Leju bowed and reported: "Your Majesty, the traitor Zhou She is waiting for your decree outside the palace. His identity has been verified."

Emperor Hong'an turned around upon hearing the voice, his eyebrows twitching slightly, and asked, "Where is the Gu family's second daughter?"

Huai Leju hesitated for a moment, then carefully replied, "Gu Erniang is also outside the palace. Your Majesty, when I went to the Gu family, Gu Erniang said... she could help me capture Zhou She, thus making amends for my past mistakes."

Hong An raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"

“The Gu family and the Zhou family are all engaged in marriage, so I used Gu Erniang as bait.” Huai Leju lowered his eyes and said seriously, “However, he didn’t fall for it.”

Emperor Hong'an chuckled softly, sounding less annoyed and more like a gentle instruction: "You still haven't figured it out. No matter how deep Tianmu's feelings are, aren't they just strangers right now?"

"Your subject is dull-witted."

"It's rare to see someone plead for others." The emperor stood up and straightened his sleeves. "Let them in."

Having received permission, Zhou She straightened his disheveled hair before stepping into the hall and kneeling in the center.

Almost instantly, footsteps approached. Emperor Hong'an slowly emerged from behind the screen, his gaze falling on Zhou She as he scrutinized him once more.

As the supreme power in the feudal era, even if the emperor didn't say a word, the sense of oppression was far beyond what ordinary people could endure.

The eunuch brought over a chair at the right moment. Emperor Hong'an flicked his sleeves and slowly sat down in front of the two men, instructing, "Ziyou, you may leave now."

Huai Leju glanced at Zhou She, hesitating slightly: "Your Majesty, this man is suspected of treason, I..."

Emperor Hong'an's eyes curved slightly, and the smile on his lips vanished in an instant: "You've put your heart into this. But there's no need to worry, I know what I'm doing."

Since the emperor had made his words so clear, Huai Leju had no reason to disobey the imperial decree. He could only anxiously walk out of the main hall and wait outside.

The palace doors were wide open, a light drizzle was falling, and the sky still hung on the horizon, emitting a hazy light.

Zhou She and Gu Xunhui both lowered their eyes.

Emperor Hong'an looked at the two respectful-looking men and said thoughtfully, "You ran quite fast."

Zhou She's scalp tightened: "...Does Your Majesty believe this was just an accident?"

The emperor looked at him quietly, his eyes asking, "What do you think?"

Zhou She chose to remain silent.

The emperor's expression was grim. He said quietly, "Your mother came to the palace to plead for you, and I very much wanted to spare your life. Unfortunately... if I spared you, how could I appease the disloyal hearts of those who disobey?"

Zhou She knew exactly what was going on.

The emperor might spare him out of familial affection. But he was also the emperor; making an example of someone was a timeless tactic.

Seeing that he remained silent, Emperor Hong'an waited for a moment, then reached out and gently touched the air. The once silent sky immediately produced a rotating ring.

After doing all this, he turned to look at Zhou She.

Zhou She keenly sensed the emperor's gaze upon him and took a soft breath.

"The sky is not yet over for today, why don't you come and take a look with me first?"

Zhou She: "..." He was somewhat surprised and could only lower his head in agreement.

After a suffocating silence, the voice from the heavens rose again:

The Fifth Prince chose to spread rumors.

Since the twenty-seventh year of the Hong'an era, when Emperor Zhongzong went to the northern frontier, he rarely got involved in matters in the capital.

Everyone should remember the Second Prince's rebellion, right? It was in the 30th year of the Hong'an era, when Emperor Zhongzong had already established himself in the northern frontier.

However, the Fifth Prince's greatest talent was diverting attention by bringing up unrelated matters, dragging Emperor Zhongzong, who was merely a spy and had no connection to the case, into this long-standing one.

At first, I thought it had nothing to do with me, and I couldn't remember many of the details.

He still had some lingering memories. After thinking for a while, he remembered that Tianmu had indeed mentioned that "he" was monitoring the Fifth Prince at the time.

Emperor Hong'an calmly said, "You've been quite involved in these matters."

Zhou She was caught in a huge mess and wanted to ask: Didn't you hear the accusation of spreading rumors?

But he remembered that he was a criminal, so he could only weakly explain, "Your Majesty, Tianmu said that it was fake."

Emperor Hong'an ignored him.

In the thirtieth year of the Hong'an era, the Second Prince had already been the Crown Prince for several years, so why did he still rebel? After all, he wasn't insane, right?

As the true culprit, the Fifth Prince, after a series of meticulous analyses, came to an irrefutable conclusion: the Zhongzong family—that is, the Zhou family—had always supported the Third Prince, but after the Third Prince died, in order to gain merit for the new emperor, they decided to do something big, so they instigated others and caused a great disaster.

Genius! That sounds so reasonable.

Emperor Hong'an stroked his beard.

Zhou She had no idea what he was thinking. The emperor rarely showed his emotions, and such frequent displays of affection had become a rare occurrence lately.

However, he believes the claim that his father wanted to serve the emperor, but he also believes the claim that he incited the second prince to rebel...

The Zhou family really doesn't have that kind of guts.

Zhou She felt increasingly helpless. He simply wanted to survive, but the Fifth Prince insisted on stirring up trouble. Could he really be blamed for that?

However, he also knew that in this era, rebellion was rebellion, and no one cared about the reasons.

According to the logic of most emperors, even if your whole family is killed, does that mean you should rebel?

That doesn't make sense.

The Fifth Prince ordered his men to submit the memorial, but because the Emperor had fallen seriously ill after meeting with Emperor Zhongzong, it was only natural that the memorial was handed over to the Fifth Prince himself for handling.

The Fifth Prince feigned innocence, but upon seeing the memorial, he was immediately enraged and deeply saddened. He stated that he did not know why Emperor Zhongzong had participated in the treason, but in order to clear his name, he still followed the proper procedures to imprison him in the imperial prison for further investigation.

Fifth brother, you do have a bit of a sense of humor.

Is it funny?

Zhou She didn't think so.

He's really got a problem with this Fifth Prince; he's everywhere, and he's definitely no good.

Thinking of this, he glanced at the emperor again.

He tilted his gaze slightly upward, only to be met with a pair of equally dark eyes.

The emperor was also looking at him.

Zhou She immediately felt a chill run down his spine, his body tensed up, and he didn't move.

The emperor slowly said, "Fifth Prince is indeed a bit absurd, don't you think?"

The emperor's gaze was unfathomable, sending a chill down Zhou She's spine. With just a thought from him, no matter what kind of nobles or aristocratic families they were, they would have no choice but to obey obediently.

Logically, he should be sliding on his knees right now, which is exactly what he does best.

As long as he obediently admits his mistake and promises to follow the Fifth Prince's lead from now on...

No, even so, it's not certain he can save his life. Besides... he really can't stand the Fifth Prince.

When death is imminent, there are some things you just have to say.

Having passed the most terrifying moment, everything now seems so natural and logical.

Meeting the emperor's gaze, he countered, "Your Majesty, forgive my bluntness, but the Fifth Prince is not entirely absurd, is he?"

He truly felt wronged.

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that Gu Xunhui, who was kneeling beside him, was tugging at his sleeve.

The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his voice: "What did you say?"

Zhou She lowered his head and enunciated each word clearly: "Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you."

He knelt upright and said earnestly, "The Fifth Prince should not have ascended the throne; otherwise, the world and the people would have suffered as a result."

The emperor was enraged upon hearing this and said coldly, "I know that the fifth prince cannot ascend the throne; it is your turn. You, as his nephew, are quite ambitious. Do you know what you are doing?"

Judging from his tone, his next words were that he wanted to be dragged away and executed.

A fire suddenly ignited in Zhou She's heart. He asked himself honestly, even if he had made a thousand mistakes, could he have been more wrong than the Fifth Prince?

However, no one dared to say this in front of the emperor.

Since that's the case, he's a man who's about to die, so he might as well lay everything out on the table.

Zhou She stared at the gold bricks in front of him, first cursing himself for pretending to be honest for more than ten years, but deep down he was still restless. His voice was very loud: "Your subject is guilty."

Emperor Hong'an raised an eyelid: "Oh?"

"According to Tianmu, my actions were forced upon me." Zhou She did not look at the emperor; he was truly frustrated. "The Fifth Prince's perverse actions are deeply hated by everyone. If not for this, would the subsequent troubles have occurred?"

"You were forced into this situation, yet you seized my empire," Emperor Hong'an interrupted him, speaking in a deep voice.

Zhou She acknowledged the blame, but not entirely: "Yes, this is indeed my fault. But I had no intention of rebelling. If it weren't for the Fifth Prince's relentless pressure, I would never have come to this. Your Majesty is wise. All my skills are thanks to Your Majesty. Without Your Majesty, I would be nothing but an ordinary person."

"That means you repay kindness with enmity."

"I did not!" Zhou She denied categorically. "I am repaying Your Majesty's kindness. I am willing to die for Your Majesty and assist a wise successor. But the Fifth Prince is not. He is Your Majesty's worst choice!"

Emperor Hong'an flew into a rage: "How dare you!"

Zhou She's courage surged at the rebuke, and he hurriedly retorted: "Your Majesty clearly knows that the Fifth Prince is narrow-minded and lacks the qualities of a wise ruler. Although he is your son, he does not have your magnanimity! Assisting a wise ruler brings blessings to the world, while assisting a foolish ruler will only make it more difficult to protect the Ning Dynasty's throne!"

Emperor Hong'an rose angrily and stared intently at him.

Zhou She did not back down: "I am also Your Majesty's son, and your blood flows in my veins. The Ning Dynasty has achieved its golden age under my rule, and its legacy has been passed down for hundreds of years! If the Fifth Prince ascends the throne, can he do the same?! He will only ruin the Ning Dynasty and hand over the foundation laid by our ancestors to others!"

He finished speaking in one breath, his chest heaving uncontrollably. Although he regretted it a little when he thought about it, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart: That felt so good.

Can mere words save someone from the grave crime of treason?

Anyone with eyes can see that it's not true.

Since that's the case, I'll just say it.

Death is death; life is but a single death.

Opposite him, Emperor Hong'an fell into a long silence.

Gu Xunhui was also stunned, and unconsciously let go of Zhou She's hand.

Emperor Hong'an stared at Zhou She's face.

The young man, already nineteen years old, was extremely tall, yet his youthful vigor was still evident in his eyes and brows.

The emperor was suddenly surprised to find that the Zhou She in his memory and the Zhou She at this moment seemed to be two completely different people.

For Emperor Hong'an, his only hesitation was over the question, "Can he do it?"

If we believe the Heavenly Curtain, then the Fifth Prince is indeed as Zhou She described: petty, mean-spirited, manipulative, and deeply suspicious. But no matter how many faults he has, he is still his son!

If he didn't believe it, why did he execute Zhou She?

Emperor Hong'an kept looking at Zhou She, and suddenly remembered what those people from later generations had said in the sky a couple of days ago.

"He pacified the northern barbarians and conquered the western regions; he was the most skilled emperor in the Ning Dynasty."

The best at fighting?

Emperor Hong'an scoffed at this. Zhou She was the best at fighting; where did Emperor Gaozu stand? His grandfather was a formidable figure who had rightfully conquered the Ning Dynasty from south to north. Couldn't the military might that unified the world be compared to Zhou She's future achievements?

But as he thought about it, he was also somewhat tempted.

He always remembered Tianmu's evaluation of him: the Hong'an Dynasty did not value military force, and he was only lacking martial arts skills compared to the emperor of all time.

Of course, no matter how you argue, Zhou She deserves to die, and that is a thought that should not waver.

He knew that this was mostly the result of the fifth brother's misdeeds, but...

The emperor suddenly hesitated. Judging from Tianmu's assessment, the legendary SSR was right before his eyes. Should he kill it, or use it?

The emperor glanced at Zhou She's youthful face, his anger subsided slightly, and suddenly said, "Ruochuan, I think you really aren't afraid of death."

Zhou She's heart skipped a beat.

Judging from the tone, it seems like things have calmed down a bit?

He didn't really want to die, so he quickly seized the opportunity and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty. Your Majesty's benevolence extends to the whole world, and your ability to make me stop at the brink of disaster is a testament to your virtue!"

Emperor Hong'an almost laughed in exasperation at his Sichuan opera-style face-changing act: "So you mean I should still use you?"

Zhou She said with a docile expression, "I am only afraid that I will not be able to support my mother and fulfill my filial duties to my mother and maternal grandfather."

He seemed so sincere and honest, and his words were even better than his singing.

Emperor Hong'an didn't bother to look at him. He slowly sat down, supporting his knees. He felt a warmth beside him as Zhou She leaned in and gently supported his arm.

Seeing the emperor looking at him, Zhou She gave him a fawning smile.

Emperor Hong'an smiled and said, "Ruochuan, you don't need to worry. Although Zhou Ze is a bit young, he can take good care of your mother."

Zhou She: "..."

Emotional appeals no longer work.

While he was still suffering from a heart attack, the emperor suddenly asked again, "Gu Er, what do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xunhui slightly raised his face, carefully avoiding looking into the emperor's eyes, and said softly, "The eldest son is young and somewhat impetuous..."

"I'm talking about you," the emperor interrupted.

Gu Xunhui spoke almost without pause, having probably rehearsed these words a thousand times in her mind: "This subject is guilty, but my father knows nothing of this. The Gu family is loyal and has no ulterior motives. This subject begs Your Majesty to show leniency and punish only this subject, so as to inform the world."

Zhou She watched from the sidelines, extremely nervous.

He was barely able to protect himself, let alone Gu Xunhui. Although they were verbally engaged, they were now both in trouble.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "Your Majesty... my wife may not necessarily be her."

Emperor Hong'an didn't even bother to look at him: "You say it's not, so it's not?"

Zhou She: "..." My wife!

Hong An fiddled with the jade thumb ring on his hand, no longer pressing the two for answers, and beckoned, saying, "Second Sister Gu, you are a woman. Since you have made amends, I will not hold it against you."

When he turned to look at Zhou She, a glint of malice flashed in his eyes, and his expression suddenly changed: "Zhou She, you have no respect for the law and have committed treason... Guards, drag him away!"