“Ayan.”

As soon as Jiang Yu's voice rang out, Gu Qingyan instantly calmed down.

Blood dripped from Cen Hai's lips. Cen Hai's gaze fell on Jiang Yu, a woman who should have been a proud daughter of heaven but had been schemed against and was covered in wounds.

Suddenly, Cen Hai reached up and hastily wiped the corner of his mouth, letting out a cry that was almost desperate:

"Your Majesty, you were so foolish!"

He had always been fond of the girl from the Dingyuan Marquis's household, and despite everyone's objections, he insisted on marrying her as his empress.

Even the tears of Consort Rong, whom you cherished dearly, did not shake your resolve to make her empress.

But why not get along with her properly?

You are foolish, Your Majesty.

After saying that, Cen Hai looked fiercely at the pillar in the main hall and slammed his head against it.

Your Majesty, you trusted me from beginning to end, but I have ruined your reputation.

This servant will go to the underworld to apologize to you.

With a thud, Cen Hai's body slumped to the ground, and he breathed his last.

Jiang Yu laughed, "That's ridiculous."

Step by step, Jiang Yu walked up to Min Fu.

"Lord Min, what did the Prince of Xiang ask you for back then?"

Jiang Yu did not receive a reply from Min Fu. A tear rolled down her cheek. Gu Lin had once told her that he was all alone back then.

He simply wanted his husband to take care of his wife and children.

No one knew how to end this farce; it was utterly absurd.

"Your Majesty, the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people."

Kui Ruo's eyes were bloodshot, and the hand holding the wu board was trembling slightly.

"I believe that the innocence of Prince Xiang should be restored." Kui Ruo hated Gu Heng to the core. "The late emperor treated Prince Xiang and the Empress Dowager in such a way, disregarding human ethics and laws. The Empress Dowager was deceived for ten years because of these schemes. It was too absurd!"

"Your Majesty, I second your opinion and request that Your Majesty restore the innocence of the Prince of Xiang."

"Not only that, I beg Your Majesty to apologize to the Marquis of Dingyuan on behalf of the late Emperor." It was General Bai who spoke, and he was furious at this moment. "To treat the Marquis of Dingyuan so disrespectfully is to chill the hearts of all the people under Heaven."

More and more ministers began to echo his sentiments, and Gu Qingyan turned to look at Jiang Yu beside him.

"Your Majesty..." Jiang Yu's tone was heavy, "If it weren't for someone questioning the Emperor's background and attempting to disrupt the Daqing court, these old stories would never have been known to everyone."

"Your Majesty is my own child."

Jiang Yu's voice seemed to travel through the Hall of Supreme Harmony to every corner of Daqing: "He is the child I carried for ten months and gave birth to, with the blood of the Gu and Jiang families flowing in his veins."

"The late emperor treated me this way back then, taking my child away and leaving my child alone in the Prince of Xiang's mansion, where he nearly died several times. Today, I will make things clear."

"The Daqing royal family killed my Jiang family's ancestor, and they have a blood feud with my Jiang family for generations." Gu Qingyan suddenly closed his eyes. "If it weren't for the fact that it is Ayan sitting on the dragon throne at this moment, my Dingyuan Marquis's Mansion would never let this go."

"If it's malicious gossip, feel free to target me."

"I've endured ten years of hardship, why would I be afraid of these things?"

After saying this, Jiang Yu flicked his sleeves and left the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

As they left the Hall of Supreme Harmony, all the officials knelt to see Jiang Yu off, saying, "Long live the Empress Dowager!"

"My mother is not afraid of rumors, but I cannot tolerate them." Gu Qingyan's face turned cold. "Anyone within the territory of Daqing who dares to criticize the Empress Dowager will be executed on the spot."

The young emperor's unquestionable voice resounded throughout the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the entire Great Qing Dynasty prostrated itself at his feet.

"Your Majesty, please send people to search for the whereabouts of Prince Xiang, whether he is alive or dead."

"Approved."

......

Gu Qingyan's true identity was completely exposed, and it took people from all over the country a long time to react before they realized the whole story.

They all closed the door and cursed Gu Heng under their breath, saying he was truly cold-blooded and heartless, treating his wife like this.

Jiang Yu sat steadily in Zhaoning Palace, while Gu Lin and his son Gu Qingyan revealed their sharp claws, staring at everyone who tried to smear Jiang Yu.

Even Jiang Yu felt that Gu Lin's nerves were a little too tense.

In the darkness, Gu Lin's eyes snapped open, and his hands, hidden under the quilt, began to stretch out, ready to strike the person who approached.

"Gu Lin."

As soon as Jiang Yu's voice rang out, Gu Lin's tense body instantly relaxed.

"Ayu, the smell of blood on me can't be washed off, so don't get so close to me." Gu Lin said, then quickly added, "The people are very sorry for you, but the people sent by Gu Qingling are deliberately spreading rumors about you."

“You killed all those people.”

A few breaths later, a muffled groan sounded, "Ayu, don't be afraid of me."

Gu Lin's rare vulnerable appearance made Jiang Yu lower her eyes. During the day, Gu Lin had almost gone mad with rage. The discussions around him, whether people felt sorry for him or felt sorry for him, drove Gu Lin to the brink of insanity.

He has received almost nothing but malice along the way.

So when he finally faced the truth he deserved, he only felt disgusted.

"You killed them for my sake, so why would I be afraid of you?"

Jiang Yu slowly approached Gu Lin and finally sat down on the edge of his bed. The strong smell of blood made her stomach churn. "I'll kill with you."

Gu Lin's gaze instantly locked onto Jiang Yu.

Ayu didn't try to persuade him to stop, nor did she tell him about what happened back then. She only told him one thing: she would kill with him.

"You don't believe me?" Jiang Yu turned to the side and lit a candle. In the candlelight, Jiang Yu was stunningly beautiful.

“Those people were cursing me, and I’m also the one most qualified to kill them,” Jiang Yu said with a smile. “I’m no saint either.”

Gu Lin, you're not the only one who came out of hell.

Gu Lin turned over, grabbed Jiang Yu's hands, and buried his face in Jiang Yu's palms.

"I'm sorry that you and Ayan were isolated and helpless in the capital for ten years."

He begged so many people, but not a single one believed him.

His wife, in the capital, used her sincerity to gain favor, but ruined her health in the process.

His son, however, never received any formal education from a young age and was confined in the Prince Yong's mansion.

Don't look back.

Jiang Yu spoke softly, "We should all look forward."

Listening to Ling Hai's report in Zhaoning Palace, I learned that Gu Lin left the mansion at dawn and did not return until dusk, covered in blood and expressionless.

It wasn't just Ayan who couldn't sit still; she was too.

So she came here.

"Ayu, I can't let you get hurt anymore." Gu Lin seemed to be trapped in a nightmare, and protecting Jiang Yu became his greatest obsession.

"No one can hurt you, and I will personally eliminate anyone who does."