Chapter 219 [VIP]

"Save me! Save me!"

"Help me."

Xie Rong prayed with difficulty.

Gu Zhizhu examined his wounds and said calmly, "You're beyond saving."

The knife pierced his lung, a fatal wound; even a miracle couldn't save him.

Xie Rong looked desperate.

Gu Zhizhuo gave him a pill, gave the doctor a few more instructions, wiped his hands, and went out: "It's a paper cutter. I don't know how it was brought in."

She shook her head at Xie Yingchen and whispered, "Stop the bleeding, and then use talismans and pills to forcibly prolong his life. He can probably hold on for another three to five days. However, during these three to five days, he will suffer terribly and slowly suffocate to death."

Xie Yingchen said to the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, "Submit the case file as soon as possible."

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review repeatedly agreed, saying that this treason case was being closely watched by everyone, and that the criminal must not be allowed to die before being convicted and executed.

Xie Yingchen then summoned Prince Li and the cabinet members, saying, "Yaoyao, he won't die anytime soon?"

“I won’t die without drawing my sword,” Gu Zhizhuo said confidently. “I need to draw a few talismans before I can draw my sword. Young master, why don’t you call my senior brother over and have him lend me a hand?”

Xie Yingchen gave orders to carry out the orders, saying, "Separate them into different locks. We'll go out first."

"Big sister! Big sister!"

Xie Yan chased after her again, her little hands gripping the iron bars tightly: "Big sister, take me with you, I promise I'll be good."

Xie Yanyu's lovely face was full of pleading. Gu Zhizhuo remained unmoved. She coldly pointed at Xie Rong: "You are very much like him. He killed his father, and you also killed your father. You are father and son destined to be together."

Xie Yan shook his head frantically, pounding on the iron bars, and screamed, "No, he's not my father, no. My surname is Gu, and my name is Gu Yan."

"You can't just abandon me! Aaaaaah!"

"You used to like me the most."

His cries echoed in the cell, making Gu Zhizhuo's eardrums hurt.

Seeing them about to leave, Xie Yan rushed to Xie Rong again, grabbed his clothes and shook him violently, crying out, "Go tell them I'm not your son. I'm Gu Taotao's son, my name is Gu Yan! Not Xie Yan."

It's all his fault.

He promised to let him inherit the title, but he broke his promise. He treats himself very badly.

Xie Yan kicked Xie Rong frantically, screaming, "Go tell them! Go tell them!"

Once Xie Rong speaks up, they'll definitely believe him; he'll still be the young master of the Gu family and won't have to suffer here anymore.

He kicked Xie Rong in the body and face, but Xie Rong remained unresponsive, lying there barely breathing and struggling to stay awake.

In his eyes, Xie Yan was like a vengeful ghost crawling out of hell, there to take his life.

Oh.

Gu Zhizhu smiled and left with Xie Yingchen.

The jailers came in, first taking Xie Jing and a few others out, then pulling Xie Yan away.

"Come here."

Xie Rong weakly waved to him.

Xie Yan was overjoyed. He unexpectedly bit the jailer's hand, and the jailer released him in pain. Xie Yan ran back excitedly, saying, "You're willing to talk to my older sister for me, aren't you?"

Even though Xie Yan was the one who stabbed him, he felt no remorse whatsoever.

Even though Xie Rong was on his deathbed, all he wanted was for Xie Rong to plead for him so that he could live a good life.

He felt no guilt or sorrow whatsoever towards his father.

"As expected, it is a vengeful ghost that has come to claim my life..."

Xie Rong laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Go tell your older sister..."

His voice grew softer, so soft that Xie Yan couldn't hear it at all, and could only slowly lean his head closer.

The jailer came over to pull Xie Yan away, but unexpectedly, Xie Rong grabbed Xie Yan's arm, pulled out the paper cutter from his chest, and slit Xie Yan's neck.

Blood splattered everywhere.

Aaaaaah!!

"The son kills the father, the father kills the son, hahahahahaha."

The long wind's curses seemed to echo in my ears.

Xie Rong dropped the paper cutter, and *poof!* A mouthful of blood gushed out, and he immediately gasped for breath.

Blood from his chest flowed through his fingers, mixing with the blood he vomited, and the straw beneath him was immediately stained red with blood.

The doctor was terrified.

The jailers were also among them.

Xie Jing had just stepped out of the cell and stood there for a while before shouting and breaking free of the jailer as he rushed outside.

"Miss Gu!"

"Help."

Gu Zhizhuo was still on the first floor and could only rush back. The talisman had not yet been drawn, so she first used silver needles to stop the bleeding and prolong life, and then hastily wrote a prescription to have someone go and get the medicine.

He was covered in blood from all the work, but luckily Qingping came, so Gu Zhizhuo asked him to help draw talismans.

It took her a full hour to get out of the prison. After washing her hands, she returned to the back office.

"He's been saved," Gu Zhizhuo said, holding up one finger. "He'll last at most three days."

She was exhausted and leaned back in the armchair.

Prince Li and his men had heard about what had happened, and when they arrived, they went to the prison to check on it and kept watch for a while.

Upon hearing this, Prince Li sighed somewhat, but didn't say much more.

To die at the hands of an adulterous child is retribution.

Gu Zhizhuo finished a glass of warm water that was handed to him and had just rested for a while when the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review rushed in and presented Xie Yingchen with the organized case files.

If Xie Rong weren't surnamed Xie, every single one of the things he did would warrant the execution of his entire family.

pity.

The joint trial by the three judicial authorities determined that the principal offender would be executed immediately, his wives, concubines, and children would be exiled to Minzhou, and, except for their status as members of the imperial clan, would be reduced to slavery. The other accomplices would be dealt with according to the severity of their crimes, either by execution in the autumn, confiscation of their property, or exile...

Generally speaking, the punishments set by the Three Departments will be heavier, so that there is room for the higher authorities to show leniency.

They decided on exile, but what was actually approved was often just confinement.

After Xie Yingchen finished reading it, he handed it to Prince Li. Everyone in the group looked at it one by one, including Gu Zhizhuo.

In the end, it returned to Xie Yingchen's hands.

"Your Highness, look..."

Prince Li hesitated, wondering if he should change the exile to confinement or send him to guard the imperial tombs. Xie Yingchen, however, quickly wrote down the word "Approved" in vermilion ink.

Exile. Gu Zhizhuo smiled slightly. Excellent! Exactly the same as what the Gu family suffered back then.

Prince Li: "..."

Well, so be it, let him be exiled. Prince Li did not try to persuade him any further.

"The execution will take place in three days." After Xie Yingchen finished speaking, he said to Gu Yican, "Prince Zhenbei, you will supervise the execution."

"yes."

“By the way, Your Highness,” Gu Zhizhuo said, “Back then, the late Emperor bestowed a marriage upon my aunt, a woman from the Langya Wang clan, to be the primary wife of Prince Rong. The Wang family signed the marriage contract, but after my aunt arrived in the capital, she inexplicably became a secondary wife. This is wrong! The late Emperor deceived us into marriage, so the marriage contract should be invalid. Your Highness, please help me remove my aunt and cousin from the imperial genealogy.”

Prince Li: "..."

That's a stretch.

It's understandable that Miss Gu wants to protect Consort Shu, but is she too lazy to even fabricate some evidence?

Can we come up with a slightly better excuse first?

Xie Yingchen nodded: "In this matter, it was indeed the royal family who committed marriage fraud first. The marriage certificate should be deemed invalid, and Wang can return home with her daughter. Prince Li, go and make the arrangements."

Prince Li: "...Yes." Oh well, it's not a big deal anyway.

"All done!" Gu Zhizhuo turned to Gu Yican and smiled, "We'll go help Auntie move in a bit."

My aunt has moved back to the Wang family mansion, but since she left in a hurry, her dowry and other belongings are still in the palace and haven't been moved.

Gu Yican chimed in, "Let's invite Cousin Xing to come along too." Then he urged, "Your Highness, hurry up, let's get this done today."

"Very well, very well." Prince Li had no way to deal with the two siblings. "I will personally go and retrieve the imperial genealogy in a moment."

Speaking of this, Prince Li recalled that Xie Rong's wives and concubines were still imprisoned in the harem and should be moved to the prison, otherwise Xie Yingchen would not be able to move into the palace.

On that day, the sins of all people were judged and announced to the world.

The official document was posted in front of the Meridian Gate. The government specially sent several students to read it to the illiterate people, and arranged for yamen runners to walk through the streets and alleys with gongs and drums.

The decision on Xie Rong's punishment was made three days later.

The people cheered with joy.

The news has spread throughout the capital that the deposed emperor conspired with the Liang people to set the city on fire. If it weren't for Miss Gu's single-handed efforts to turn the tide, they would all have been burned to death.

Furthermore, the people of Beicheng spoke with absolute certainty that they had personally witnessed Liang people setting fires and killing people.

The resentment and anger towards the deposed emperor reached their peak at this moment.

However, several censors jointly submitted a memorial criticizing the Crown Prince's punishment as too severe, violating the principles of benevolence, righteousness, and filial piety. They argued that since the deposed emperor had once ascended the throne, his confinement and care for the emperor would suffice.

Xie Yingchen didn't say anything, but had someone read the memorial several times in front of the Meridian Gate. On their way back from the yamen, the censors were beaten by the agitated crowd, who put sacks over their heads.

Gu Zhizhuo was overjoyed when he heard this.

"Stop laughing, you're going to mess up your hair. Ouch, sit up straight. Don't move around."

"Couldn't you at least pretend for a little while?"

Madam Gu, with a stern face, gave him repeated instructions.

Princess Liqin will be arriving soon to set the date for their wedding.

This girl of mine has been gone for over half a month, saying she's going to "catch mice"? So unreliable, yet Chen'er hasn't called off the engagement, and even comes to talk to her every two or three days, much more considerate than this girl.

As soon as Zhuo Yatou returned, Princess Liqin immediately and formally presented her invitation to discuss the timing of her visit. The Grand Madam was quite pleased.

Xie Yingchen truly cherished Zhuo'er dearly.

The old lady was very satisfied, and as a result, she waved her hand and increased the dowry by leaps and bounds.

Princess Li followed ancient customs in everything, praising the Gu family highly. The auspicious wedding date was calculated by Wuweizi well in advance, and the Grand Madam readily agreed after opening the blessing package and looking at it.

Gu Zhizhuo sat obediently, pretending to be dignified and virtuous for a long time... anyway, no one would take it seriously.

Everyone was happy.

The old lady personally saw her off, and the two families jointly donated rice in front of the Longhu Temple for three days.

It is said that it is for the marriage of the grandson of the emperor and Miss Gu. Regardless of whether they need it or not, the people all went to ask for a handful of rice to add to the joy.

For Xie Rong, these three days were unbearable, like living hell.

He was barely clinging to life, his lungs injured. With each breath, he had to exert all his strength to inhale even a faint breath, yet that breath felt like the sharpest knife, cutting into his limbs and internal organs, causing excruciating pain.

Such torture is comparable to slow slicing.

He wanted to die but couldn't.

I want to live, but I can't.

He endured excruciating pain until the day of his execution, when his head fell to the ground in front of the entire world at the Meridian Gate.

Rumble.

A thunderous roar echoed across the sky, followed by the dispersal of dark clouds, as if all the gloom had been banished, and the sun shone brightly over the earth.

"Long live!"

"Long live!!"

On the Meridian Gate Square, people crowded together, cheering excitedly.

These shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" echoed like surging waves, reverberating between heaven and earth. Even Gu Zhizhuo became excited, pulling Xie Yingchen along as they jumped and chatted.

After watching the execution from the Meridian Gate tower, Xie Yingchen led her down the stone steps. They walked side by side, alone, without anyone else.

Gu Zhizhuo happily took his arm: "Young master, where shall we go to play?"

"careful."

Xie Yingchen had reason to believe that if she hadn't been holding him back, he might have jumped down three steps at a time.

Xie Yingchen: "Let's release river lanterns."

Today is the opening day of Longhu Temple, and there will be a large-scale Dharma assembly.

Gu Zhizhu nodded repeatedly, her eyes sparkling as if adorned with countless stars.

Xie Yingchen had Chongjiu park the carriage outside the Meridian Gate early on. They didn't disturb anyone and secretly got into the carriage. By the time Gu Yican finished supervising the execution and came to report, he was nowhere to be found.

"There it is!"

Someone with sharp eyes spotted Xie Yingchen climbing onto the bus on a footstool and shouted loudly.

"Oh no, we've been discovered."

Gu Zhizhuo smiled and pulled him up, urging, "Hurry up, let's go."

Chongjiu cracked his whip, and the carriage sped away, leaving everyone behind at the Meridian Gate.

Huai Jingzhi stood in front of the Meridian Gate and bowed deeply: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is going to release river lanterns, so you don't need to wait for him."

"Oh dear!" Prince Li stomped his foot in anger. "The auspicious day for his coronation has not yet been decided, the reign title has not yet been chosen, and there are still many things that have not been done. How could he just run away like that?"

Huai Jingzhi straightened up and said with his usual serious expression, "The Crown Prince said that if you keep watching him all the time, he won't be able to get a wife."

Prince Li was speechless, watching the black carriage disappear into the distance with tears welling up in his eyes.

Gu Zhizhuo leaned against the car window and looked back, laughing, "Prince Li is about to cry."

You'll get used to it.

Xie Yingchen rested his chin on his hand, looking at her with a smile in his eyes.

Yao Yao is a restless person, and even after their wedding, he will not let the small palace confine her.

Prince Li will have to get used to it sooner or later.

“What you say is absolutely right, sir.”

Gu Zhizhuo said cheerfully, "Shall we go to Gu'er Street to buy river lanterns first?"

"Just buy some bamboo, wood, silk, and paper. I'll make it."

good!

Gu Zhizhuo urged Chongjiu to go to Gu'er Street and buy everything they needed. The carriage then leisurely made its way to Taisu River. Taisu River was right next to Longhu Temple, and its water was extremely clear and sparkling.

Gu Zhizhuo gave Chongjiu a good seat. She lit a small red clay stove in the carriage, boiled water and brewed tea, and placed the snacks she had bought on the way on the small tea table.

She held the teacup with both hands, sipping it slowly as she assisted Xie Yingchen.

Hand him the scissors, pick up the bamboo strips, and casually point a few things out, then feed him some snacks.

Regardless of whether her instructions were correct or not, Xie Yingchen listened to her completely, laughing and joking. By the time they finished making a lotus lantern, they had painted cats chasing butterflies on each side of the lantern, and it was already dark.

Several river lanterns were lit on the Taisu River, their flickering flames like fireflies, making the river exceptionally beautiful.

Gu Zhizhuo, carrying the finished river lantern, jumped off the carriage.

The late autumn night was already quite cold, so Xie Yingchen wrapped her in a cloak.

There were many people standing in twos and threes along the banks of the Taisu River. There was a family with children, and a man and a woman who looked like a newlywed couple, clasping their hands together and praying for blessings in front of the river lanterns.

The Longhu Temple, not far away, was brightly lit and crowded with worshippers.

Gu Zhizhuo held the river lantern, and Xie Yingchen leaned closer to light the candle inside. The two of them then carefully placed the lantern into the lake and gently pushed it forward.

Gu Zhizhuo watched nervously as her fingertips traced the surface of the water.

The river rippled, and the river lantern, after being submerged, did not fall apart; it floated slowly along the ripples.

"Young master, look! The flowers are blooming!"

Xie Yingchen used the method of a revolving lantern. After the river lantern was lit, the petals slowly unfolded in the river, blooming from buds into a magnificent thousand-petaled lotus. The transparent silk was dyed a faint flame color by the candlelight, as if burning in the water, so beautiful that Gu Zhizhuo could not take his eyes off it.

The two sat on the ground by the river. Gu Zhizhuo leaned against him, gently hooked his little finger together, and smiled knowingly.

The lotus lantern drifted further and further away with the current, like a bright gem, slowly merging into the many river lanterns. It was the brightest of all the river lanterns, like stars surrounding the moon, with every other river lantern encircling it.

Gu Zhizhu smiled faintly, hooked her pinky finger around his, and sweetly called out, "Young Master."

"Don't call me 'Young Master' anymore." His voice was slightly hoarse.

Hmm.

She tilted her head and asked, "What should we call it?"

She had gotten used to calling him that in both her lives.

Gu Zhizhuo thought seriously for a while, her silky black hair falling over her shoulders, adorned with the stamen hairpin she wore on her coming-of-age ceremony, its diamond-encrusted tassels shining brightly in the candlelight.

Xie Yingchen took her hand and placed it to his lips. His soft lips touched the back of her hand, and the faint fragrance lingering in his nose made him reluctant to let go.

Gu Zhizhuo was slightly surprised, her red lips parted slightly, revealing a delicate and alluring beauty.

Her dark eyes darted around, and she had an idea: "Chenchen?"

Xie Yingchen: "..."

Very good, it fits the naming style of the Gu family.

Xie Yingchen happily agreed, kissing her fingers. His slightly calloused fingertips caressed her palm, making her feel ticklish. She leaned against him, feeling incredibly safe.

“Chenchen! We made a promise, you…”

"Meow?"

A tiny cat head squeezed in between the two of them. The tabby cat looked left and right, then happily meowed, "Meow!"

"Sinking Cat?"

Gu Zhizhuo recognized the cat. "What are you doing here?"

Seeing that it had found the right person, Shenmao swaggered onto Gu Zhizhuo's open cloak, slapped Xie Yingchen's hand away, turned its tail toward him, and stomped around on the cloak with a gurgling sound in its throat.

"Meow~"

Xie Yingchen looked at his empty palms, shook his head with a wry smile.

Gu Zhizhuo stroked its fluffy head and asked, "Your owner is here too?"

This area is far beyond the range that Shenmao usually roams.

"Meow!"

The cat's golden eyes looked around.

Gu Zhizhuo looked up, but Xie Yingchen drew her gaze first, saying, "There, on the right."

"Where... I see it."

It's Shen Xu.

He wasn't wearing any flashy red clothes, and Gu Zhizhuo almost didn't recognize him.

Standing next to him was Yin Xiyan.

"Are they here to release river lanterns too?"

To be precise, it was Yin Xiyan who was releasing river lanterns, and Shen Xu was standing beside her, silently protecting her.

In the candlelight, his profile looked exceptionally gentle, completely different from his usual appearance.

Shen Xu happened to look over as well, and the moment their eyes met, Gu Zhizhuo picked up Shen Mao and waved his little paws at him.

Perhaps it was the glare of the candlelight, but he smiled and nodded in Gu Zhizhuo's direction.

So friendly? It's really not my habit.

"Hey, have you heard? The Imperial Advisor is performing a ritual on the Meridian Gate tower."

"The Imperial Advisor said that we should follow the will of Heaven and choose an auspicious day for the coronation ceremony."

Several young scholars came together and walked past Gu Zhizhuo.

A ritual performed on the city wall? Gu Zhizhuo, cuddling the cat, said, "I think I've led my senior brother astray..."

Xie Yingchen raised his eyebrows to look at her.

Gu Zhizhuo leaned close to his ear and whispered what had happened, laughing more and more as she spoke. She spread her hands exaggeratedly and said, "...I said he shouldn't always hide himself, he's not flamboyant enough. Senior brother, he must have his eye on it, and he'll show off whenever he gets the chance."

Xie Yingchen also laughed and said, "Senior brother is simple-minded."

Xie Yingchen entrusted Prince Li with the entire responsibility for such a trivial matter as choosing an auspicious day for his coronation.

This must have been Prince Li's idea.

The deposed emperor has just been executed, and there is a need for something to boost public morale, the more flamboyant the better.

"It's settled, it's settled."

Another young man dressed as a scholar excitedly ran towards his classmate.

"The first day of the Lunar New Year, it's the first day of the Lunar New Year!"

The scholar said loudly, "After the Imperial Preceptor finished the ritual, golden smoke suddenly rose from the incense, which transformed into a golden dragon that soared into the sky. Then, a piece of yellow paper fell down, on which the first day of the first lunar month was written in cinnabar!"

"Great fortune!"

"With the blessings of Heaven upon the Crown Prince, a prosperous era for our Great Qi Dynasty is within reach."

Gu Zhizhuo looked over there excitedly, just like everyone else around him, his heart pounding as they asked about the story of the golden smoke turning into a dragon.

She tugged at Xie Yingchen's sleeve: "Will the reign title be changed next year?"

In the previous life, Xie Rong also changed the reign title the following year.

The two were only an inch apart at the shoulder.

Xie Yingchen had a sudden thought and took out a charcoal pencil from his sleeve.

"The Ministry of Rites chose the reign title at noon."

Xie Yingchen wrote three reign titles on the ground with charcoal: "Which one do you like?"

"Yuanxi, Qihe, Jing'an..."

Gu Zhizhu murmured the words over and over, and they all sounded quite nice. She was a little undecided; perhaps she should have her fortune told?

"Meow?"

The cat tilted its fluffy little head, jumped down from Gu Zhizhuo's arms, and circled the three reign titles.

Snap!

It decisively slapped one of them with its paw, then turned around and meowed sweetly, "Meow~"

Gu Zhizhuo and Xie Yingchen exchanged a glance and said in unison, "No, absolutely not!"

*

The History of the Great Qi Dynasty

On the first day of the first month of the first year of Jing'an, the grandson of the emperor, Xie Yingchen, ascended the throne and changed the era name to Jing'an. The emperor was young and wise, and his benevolence and virtue were evident. He promulgated new policies, reduced taxes, promoted water conservancy, and improved education, which won the praise of the people.

On the fifteenth of October of the same year, the Emperor and Empress were married. The Empress was the daughter of Lady Gu, named Zhizhuo. She came from the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, a daughter of a military family, skilled in archery and horsemanship, and exceptionally intelligent.

In the third year of Jing'an, she was later appointed by imperial decree as the commander of the Imperial Guards, in charge of the defense of the capital, setting a precedent for empresses to command troops.

The Emperor and Empress were of one mind, joining hands to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth. During the Jing'an era, the weather was favorable, the granaries were full, the people lived in peace and prosperity, the world was at peace, and all nations came to pay tribute.

This period is historically known as the "Jing'an Prosperity".

A note from the author:

End of main text.

My next book will be "Reborn Back to the Day My Husband Had Two Houses".