72 Imprisonment
◎Gu Ningxi subconsciously wanted to escape, but someone grabbed her wrist.◎
As the end of the year approaches, the emperor has been staying in Renzhi Palace for nearly twenty days and is about to return.
"Your Highness."
As the night deepened and the palace was quiet, the secret guard knelt on one knee before King Zhao and said, "A secret report has arrived from the capital and has been delivered to Your Majesty's chambers overnight."
"Have you heard anything?"
"It seems to be related to the Eastern Palace. The person came in a hurry, and the news was kept secret. As soon as they entered the Renzhi Palace, someone took over."
They must be the emperor's personal guards. Lu Jing said, "Send a message to the people in the capital, and have them investigate further and report back anytime."
"As you command."
A few stars twinkled in the night sky. After years of military service, Lu Jing intuitively felt that something was amiss in the capital.
An imperial edict received on the second day further confirmed his guess.
The emperor issued an edict, summoning the crown prince to Renzhi Palace to accompany him on the pretext of missing him.
It would take two days for the imperial edict to be transmitted back to Kyoto. At this critical juncture, the emperor temporarily postponed his return to the capital.
During this exchange, the latest secret report from the capital had arrived, written in Yan Ming's own handwriting. He commanded half of Prince Zhao's secret guards in the capital.
"Bingzhou?" All those who stayed in the palace were confidants of Prince Zhao's palace. Zhen Yuan stared at the circled place name on the map. Bingzhou was less than 300 miles away from Renzhi Palace.
"The Eastern Palace is secretly communicating with Bingzhou Governor Yang Qing. While the emperor was away from the capital, the Crown Prince secretly ordered a shipment of military equipment to Bingzhou. His intentions remain unclear."
Zhen Yuan looked solemn. Even if the Crown Prince had no intention of starting a rebellion at the moment, Bingzhou had a strong army and horses. The Eastern Palace's secret allocation of military funds was most likely aimed at Prince Zhao's Palace.
"The Emperor's message arrived a day earlier than ours. He's already issued a decree to summon us. Let's wait and see how the Eastern Palace reacts."
Zhen Yuan said, "To be on the safe side, we still need to transfer more personnel from Kyoto."
Lu Jing was also prepared. Last night he ordered four secret guards to guard around Yuan Le's residence just in case.
In the emperor's bedroom, Emperor Mingde did not sleep all night and kept it a secret from his wife for the time being.
As a snowstorm loomed, an unsettling silence descended upon Renzhi Palace. However, at this moment, someone else was feeling the most uneasy.
In the East Palace, all the staff gathered to discuss matters.
Ever since receiving His Majesty's decree, the confidants of the Eastern Palace have speculated that the truth may have been revealed. The Emperor summoned His Highness, and His Highness hastened to Renzhi Palace, fearing that this was a dangerous situation.
After overnight discussions, the officials of the Eastern Palace were roughly divided into two factions.
One faction advised His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to go all out and take over the city and raise an army; the other faction advised the lord to go to Renzhi Palace alone to seek forgiveness from His Majesty, as there might still be a chance of turning things around.
After all, they were only transporting military equipment and had no intention of plotting rebellion, so it wasn't a dead end. Kyoto had been peaceful for a long time, but who could have predicted that His Majesty's intelligence would be so swift?
Lu Heng pondered over it again and again, the lesson of the Han crown prince a hundred years ago still fresh in his mind. As dawn broke on the horizon, Lu Heng finally obeyed the latter's advice, removed the crown prince's carriage, and went to Renzhi Palace to apologize.
…
On December 23, upon hearing that the prince had only brought a dozen followers with him, the furious Emperor Mingde summoned him.
As soon as he saw his father, Lu Heng bowed down, banging his head against the ground, and argued with all his might. The force was so great that it broke his forehead, and a stream of blood flowed out.
Emperor Mingde was furious, but thinking of his wife, with whom he had shared life, and the fact that the crown prince had stopped at the brink of death and was showing remorse, he was unwilling to deal with anyone rashly in his anger. He ordered his attendants to temporarily detain the crown prince and provide him with only two meals of coarse food a day.
Immediately afterwards, the emperor issued an edict, ordering an imperial envoy to go to Bingzhou and summon Yang Qing, the governor of Bingzhou, to come for an audience.
The turmoil subsided temporarily, and Emperor Mingde returned to the palace, but still detained the prince.
On December 28, Bingzhou urgently reported that Yang Qing had killed the imperial envoy and started a rebellion on the spot!
Things got out of control. Emperor Mingde was shocked and angry. He summoned Prince Zhao, Prince Huai, the Minister of the Central Secretariat and others to the Imperial Study to discuss the matter.
The aftermath of the Hebei incident had not yet subsided, and local mutiny broke out again.
Huai Wang Lu Chen was the first to advise, "Father, there is a rebellion in Bingzhou. I believe that my brother, Prince Zhao, should personally lead the troops to quell the rebellion, so as to put an end to the trouble forever."
Emperor Mingde remained silent. Lu Jing said, "The threat to Bingzhou is sufficient with local armed forces. There is no need for the imperial court to resort to such a large-scale military action."
"Brother Zhao Wang, you are wrong. The Crown Prince is behind this traitor. What if the situation gets out of control?"
He was so anxious that Lu Jing smiled and said, "Sixth brother, are you worried about repeating the same mistakes as in Hebei?"
Prince Huai Lu Chen's expression changed immediately and he clenched his fists.
Lu Jing no longer looked at him. "Father, I believe that the tiny Bingzhou is nothing to be feared. Yang Qing's army is unfounded, so it would be best to recruit his soldiers."
Lu Chen also said: "Father——"
"alright."
Emperor Mingde had already made his own decision, and Prince Zhao's words were exactly what he wanted. If he dispatched a royal army with great fanfare to quell the rebellion, wouldn't that be tantamount to announcing to the world that the imperial family was at war and that the country was in turmoil?
By that time, the prince would really be gone.
Emperor Mingde ordered the Minister of the Central Secretariat to draft an imperial edict, first ordering local generals to suppress the rebellion and at the same time sending imperial envoys to persuade them to surrender.
After discussing this matter, Emperor Mingde, who had been restless for days, was exhausted and tired, and ordered everyone in the hall to leave.
"I'll take my leave."
"I will take my leave."
After leaving the Imperial Study, Lu Chen was the first to leave eastward. He was still puzzled as to why King Zhao had let go of such a rare opportunity to step on the Crown Prince, thus ruining his entire plan.
Lu Jing stopped for a moment. Luoyang had just offered a batch of high-quality bird's nests as tribute the day before, and he asked someone to send some to Fengyi Palace.
Yang Qing of Bingzhou's rebellion was clearly doomed to failure, but he dared to take a gamble.
Lu Jing found this quite strange and sent a secret guard to Bingzhou to investigate the matter thoroughly.
…
The court had been in turmoil recently, and even Gu Ningxi, a member of the prince's party who had long been marginalized, had people approach her to inquire about news indirectly.
At the local level, Bingzhou had just rebelled, and Your Majesty took a two-pronged approach. Yang Qing was soon beheaded by his own men, and the rebellion was quelled.
In the court, the prince was still imprisoned in his residence and was not even allowed to attend the New Year's Eve family banquet or the New Year's Day palace banquet.
The entire New Year was chaotic and busy. The court officials, clan members, and concubines who supported the prince all took turns to plead with His Majesty, asking for forgiveness for the prince.
Gu Ningxi looked at it objectively. It had been nearly a month since the Bingzhou case broke out, and His Majesty had yet to issue an edict. He must still be reluctant to depose the crown prince.
The reason why Your Majesty has been treating the Eastern Palace coldly is simply to silence the gossips of the people.
The final result should be to handle it with caution and let the political situation return to balance.
This is the case intellectually, and Gu Ningxi has his own dream to support it.
If the dispute over the throne ended here, why would there be a palace coup?
No one in the court is allowed to visit the Crown Prince, but if Your Majesty really intended to cut off the Crown Prince from all contact with the outside world, he would not have confined him to the Eastern Palace.
"Your Highness." While delivering the meal, the servant of the East Palace lightly touched the third layer of the food box.
While eating, Lu Heng indeed broke out a note from a piece of cake.
The handwriting on the paper was written by the Grand Tutor himself, and the Grand Tutor said that the emperor had already expressed his willingness to give in.
The Bingzhou rebellion has been put down, and the court has determined that Yang Qing committed treason and had rebellious intentions.
Lu Heng breathed a sigh of relief. He was busy with his own affairs and didn't care why Yang Qing had rashly started a rebellion.
The political situation in the previous dynasty has eased, and the queen mother is in the harem.
He whetted his appetite, waiting for spring to come and melt the ice and snow, thus relieving his current predicament.
…
A full moon adorns the sky, and people say that the 15th and 16th are the days to celebrate family reunion.
After the Lantern Festival, tomorrow is the first day of the new year.
There was a backlog of memorials on Emperor Mingde's desk, some impeaching the crown prince and some defending him.
"Your Majesty, the Queen requests an audience."
Emperor Mingde knew the purpose of his wife's visit. She had never said anything to him about the treatment of Heng'er these days.
"Please come in, Queen."
The emperor ordered his men to tidy up the tables and dim the candlelight.
"Your Majesty, I have seen you."
"Your Majesty, there's no need to be so polite."
Emperor Mingde helped the man up and ordered Li Ji and his attendants to withdraw. The emperor and empress sat around the table and talked as usual.
He knew what the Empress was going to ask, and Emperor Mingde had thought it through. He wanted to tell the Empress that even though the Crown Prince had disappointed him time and again recently, he had been cultivating him for many years, and he couldn't bear to give up on him.
"Shuhua, don't worry too much. I will take care of everything."
Even though the Crown Prince was disobedient and Chen'er was incompetent, Emperor Mingde never took his anger out on the Empress. It was the father's fault for not educating his children, and he, as a monarch and father, was also derelict in his duty.
Empress Yao's eyes were calm, and she vaguely remembered that the year when she first came to Kyoto from her hometown of Jinyang, His Majesty had said the same thing to her.
At that time, His Majesty had already appointed Sister Zhen as the Princess, and Sister Zhen was two months pregnant.
The old story of demoting his wife to a concubine is long gone, and no one has mentioned it over the years.
But Emperor Mingde always felt guilty towards his first wife, and he really didn't want to see such disappointment in his wife's eyes again.
Even for the queen, he is willing to give the prince another chance.
"Shuhua, don't worry."
"Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask."
Two voices sounded at the same time, and Emperor Mingde was confident in front of his wife.
The Bingzhou case has been settled, but the foundation of the country has not been shaken.
He can still maintain the status quo in the court.
…
After the Lantern Festival, the court resumed and Gu Ningxi ordered people to harness the carriage and leave the mansion early.
The sky was dim, and the north wind was howling. Gu Ningxi tucked the hand warmer her mother had prepared for her into her sleeve and ate two cakes in the carriage to comfort herself.
When they arrived at the palace gate, all civil and military officials had to get off their carriages and walk.
It was still dark, and palace lanterns were guiding the way along the palace road.
The cold wind blew away his sleepiness. Gu Ningxi met several familiar colleagues along the way and exchanged a few words with them.
The Crown Prince has not appeared in public for a long time, and many people are wondering whether His Majesty will allow the Crown Prince to participate in today's court meeting.
Golden light breaks through the horizon at dawn, and the majestic palace is bathed in brilliant morning glow.
Gu Ningxi climbed up the white marble steps one by one and stood in his own position holding the sceptre.
All the ministers arrived, and in the long-awaited court, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao sat on the left and right respectively.
The Prince's Third Master's complexion had changed from the pale complexion of previous years, and the officials of the Eastern Palace all breathed a sigh of relief.
If nothing unexpected happens, Gu Ningxi thinks the political situation will return to its original state.
It was already dawn, and the time for court to open had long passed, but His Majesty had still not arrived.
The ministers, who had been waiting in a solemn manner, exchanged glances with each other. When someone from the palace was sent to the harem to inquire, some ministers could not help but whisper to each other.
Your Majesty is over 50 years old. Could it be that your health is ailing?
Your Majesty is ill. If there is no one to take charge of the situation in the court, I am afraid that chaos will break out immediately.
The ministers waited anxiously, but the one who arrived was not His Majesty, but His Majesty's chief eunuch, Li Ji.
"The imperial edict has arrived, the prince will receive it."
Lu Heng lifted his court robes and knelt in the center of the hall, and all the ministers followed him and knelt awaiting his orders.
Li Ji slowly unfolded the imperial edict: "The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims:
I, the Crown Prince, reign over the land by the Mandate of Heaven, rising day and night to provide for the well-being of my people, loving my children with deep affection and cherishing the bonds of family. As the legitimate heir, you are worshipped by the whole nation and blessed by the ancestral temple. You should have united with me in our shared endeavors, striving for a prosperous age. Yet, you, bewitched by treacherous officials and harboring evil intentions, have secretly formed a clique, hoarded weapons, and plotted treason. This deeply pains me.
Considering the bond between father and son, and the bloodline of our ancestors, I now grant you a pardon and dethrone you from the throne of Crown Prince, appointing you King of Shu. You should reflect on your mistakes, study the writings of the sages, comprehend the principles of loyalty and filial piety, and cultivate your character. You may not return to the capital without my order.
"
The sound echoed in the hall, and you could almost hear a pin drop.
Civil and military officials knelt on the ground, their expressions changing unpredictably. Even the most experienced elders found it difficult to control their expressions.
Gu Ningxi was particularly incredulous and could barely hold the jade scepter in his hand.
Could it be that Your Majesty will reinstate the Crown Prince in the future?
"Your Highness the King of Shu, please accept the order." Li Ji's voice was without a trace of emotion.
Lu Heng's hands were still trembling, and he failed to reach out several times.
In the dead silence, Huai Wang Lu Chen was the first to shout, "Did Chief Li announce the wrong order?"
He also couldn't accept that his elder brother was suddenly deposed. What could he use to compete with King Zhao?
Li Ji said nothing, read the imperial edict, and left in silence with a bow.
…
The north wind was bleak, and King Lu Heng of Shu knelt outside Fengyi Palace and could not get up.
His father refused to see anyone. He did not believe that his father was so heartless.
When he asked for an audience outside the Taiji Palace, Chief Steward Li suggested that he might as well ask the Empress first.
"Mother," Lu Heng, who had finally entered the palace, said in a trembling voice, "It was you who asked my father to issue an edict to depose me, wasn't it?"
He had thought of countless reasons, but he never thought that the person who would stab him in the back would be his most trusted mother.
From the moment he woke up in the morning until this moment, he was in a daze, as if in a dream.
He couldn't understand why this happened, and he only had a plausible excuse: "You want me to make room for your sixth brother, right?"
Empress Yao sat on the Phoenix Throne, and having made her decision, there was no reason for her to look back.
She simply said, "Although Shu is far away, it has thousands of miles of fertile land and a simple and honest people. If you govern the people with benevolence, promote farming and educate them, you might be able to create a new world in Shu."
"Mother!" Lu Heng cried out in agony, "I am your own flesh and blood! I am Father's eldest son!"
Years of emotions were vented out at this moment.
"For ten years, I have held the position of Crown Prince, working diligently from dawn to dusk, never slacking off for a single day. I fear that others might say I am unworthy of the Crown Prince's position. As the eldest, you and the Emperor have always placed high hopes on me, asking me to be a role model for my younger brothers and not let you down."
"While in the court, I have devoted all my efforts to fulfilling the tasks assigned by my father, fearing that I might make a mistake. Mother, what have I done wrong to deserve this treatment?"
He poured out all the words hidden in his heart: "Back then, Qi'an was young and hot-headed. Having just achieved military success, he offended the Turks. Zhaoli Khan sent an envoy to hold him accountable. My father couldn't bear to see him bow down before a foreign race, so he issued an edict to expel him from the capital. It was called exile, but it was actually a means of preservation. So what about me? What about me? As the crown prince of a country, I must mediate and curry favor with the Turks, endure the humiliation of making peace with them, and offer them gold, silver and treasures. I ensured peace in the northern borders of the Great Jin for several years. If I hadn't stabilized the Turks, how could Qi'an have no worries on the front lines?"
"He returned victorious, and the people of the land praised him, and the court officials praised him endlessly. But what about me? Has anyone ever thought anything good of me?"
"Everyone says the Crown Prince is a conservative and has made no military achievements. But the Crown Prince guards the capital, and the Princes control the four corners. Have my father and the court ever given me a chance? I have devoted so many years, and now I can't even keep the only throne in the Crown Prince's Palace?"
The eldest son questioned her repeatedly, and Empress Yao's eyes kept reddening. "Heng'er, destiny is not in your hands. Go to Shu, where the mountains are high and the waters are far away. You can still become the ruler of your own region."
This was the best solution she could think of for her child.
It was enough to have experienced it once in a dream. She could no longer bear to watch Heng'er commit suicide in front of her.
His Majesty has been hesitant in making a decision, so she must end it before Heng'er goes astray.
"Why isn't it in my hands?" Lu Heng almost roared.
No matter what others say about Prince Zhao being more dazzling than the Eastern Palace, why doesn't even his mother believe him?
Queen Yao felt heartbroken and her tears fell like beads from a broken string.
The Queen Mother was so sad that Lu Heng forgot his anger for a moment.
Queen Yao did not wipe her tears. How could she tell the child in front of her that even if they could smoothly overcome the current difficulties, His Majesty would still be indecisive and the fight for the throne would still be stagnant.
In the end, her two children took a desperate risk, kidnapped their father and the king, and falsely conveyed the imperial decree, first taking away the military power and then ordering the death of King Zhao.
Qi'an rebelled that night, killed the envoy with a sword, and led the soldiers of Prince Zhao's palace into the palace under the cover of darkness.
The commander at the palace gate was King Zhao's confidant. He opened the city gate without anyone noticing, catching everyone off guard.
So if we know his name, can we replace the guard?
No, absolutely not.
Eight hundred soldiers from Prince Zhao's palace entered the palace. The imperial guards and imperial guards along the way did not see the imperial edict and offered almost no resistance.
They are the best men in the Jin army, and only after being carefully selected can they guard the palace.
Many of them had achieved military merit on the battlefield while following King Zhao.
Their hearts were with His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. Even if they simply remained neutral and held their troops still, they had already abandoned their duties and clearly sided with Prince Zhao's palace. Some even switched sides directly on the battlefield.
This situation cannot be solved by simply replacing a single soldier.
The morale of the entire Jin army and the popularity of the local people all turned to King Zhao.
In the confrontation inside the palace, Heng'er was eventually defeated and committed suicide, while Chengyu defected.
Even if it takes another year or two to lead to a mutiny, the situation is actually irreversible.
Since she had no ability to change her fate, she just wanted to do her best to protect her child.
"No, no." Lu Heng stumbled to his feet, "I don't want to accept my fate."
"I have the support of the civil servants and the local powerful. Even if it means occupying the land and reigniting the war, I will never give up my kingdom. Even if it means we all perish, I will not hesitate!"
A crisp slap landed on Lu Heng's cheek.
This was the first time in more than 20 years that Empress Yao had hit her own child.
She said sternly, "What about your people? Where have you left them? You've ignored them and started another war. Where have you left your people?"
Lu Heng looked into his mother's eyes filled with disappointment and lost all his voice.
The Yao family, once a prominent clan, fell during the war and never recovered. Lu Heng still remembered when, as a teenager, his father sent envoys to take him and his mother to the capital. He hadn't seen his father in years, and lived with his mother in his hometown of Jinyang. He was already sensible by then, and although the envoys and his mother didn't say it explicitly, he knew that his father had divorced his wife and remarried, marrying the daughter of the renowned Prince of Zhending. He and his mother journeyed north with trepidation, encountering countless displaced refugees and starving people along the way, and countless children who had died of starvation and disease. For a child like him, separated from his father by war, in that world, simply having enough food and clothing was considered extremely fortunate.
He wanted to distribute the surplus dry food to the refugees, but was stopped by his mother.
He was puzzled, and the nanny told him that once the food was distributed, they might never be able to leave the area, including the people and the carts.
That day, he pondered for a long time alone. His mother hugged him and told him earnestly, "Heng'er, sharing a few pieces of bread is certainly easy. But what you must accomplish in the future is to ensure that all people in the world have enough food and clothing."
He remembered this sentence for a long time.
Queen Yao beat her eldest son, but she was so heartbroken that she could not control herself.
Qi'an unified the Central Plains in five years, achieving results that others might not have achieved in decades, saving the people from decades of suffering from war, and his contribution will be remembered for generations to come.
This country is destined to be his.
Empress Yao wiped her eldest son's tears and said, "Please think carefully. Even if you go to Shu, your mother will accompany you."
No matter what, she must protect her child.
…
The crown prince was deposed, but still lived in the palace.
The court suddenly changed, and all civil and military officials, especially those involved in the dispute over the throne, were walking on thin ice in the court.
The six ministries had been working absentmindedly for the past few days, and no one from the upper echelons was in charge. After all, the upper echelons would only care more about the changing political climate than they did.
It was just past noon, and Gu Ningxi had nothing to do. The documents she had submitted hadn't been returned yet, and her subordinates hadn't handed her the draft yet.
After lunch, Gu Ningxi, who had been idle for a long time, simply put on a cloak and took a nap at the table.
The situation in the court became a mess. While half asleep and half awake, Gu Ningxi's dreams became even more complicated and chaotic.
In the dream, the sun was setting. In the study of Prince Zhao's mansion, the black and white characters on the chessboard were intricately arranged.
She picked up a black piece and started playing chess in the afternoon when she was brought to Prince Zhao's mansion, one game after another, until now.
She was puzzled by his intentions. The East Palace and Prince Zhao's residence were already at loggerheads. She was baffled by how a mere assistant to the Crown Prince could be summoned into the palace so openly.
Gu Ningxi pondered for a long time about how to escape. As it was getting dark, he had not yet made up his mind to speak when the steward Sun came into the study to report.
Steward Sun's face was solemn: "Your Highness, there is an imperial decree from the palace."
His Royal Highness Prince Zhao only smiled calmly and said, "We're finally here."
Gu Ningxi sensed something unusual in what he heard, and without giving it time to ponder, he stood up and said, "Your Highness, then I will..."
She met his gaze and gritted her teeth before uttering the remaining two words, "I'm leaving."
His Royal Highness Prince Zhao ignored her and casually threw the chess piece in his hand back into the chess box with a crisp sound.
As she looked at him, he turned a Pisces bottle beside him.
Then there was the sound of a mechanism, and a secret room door slowly opened in front of Gu Ningxi.
After passing the front room where the secret reports were stored, there was a bedroom connected to it, which was fully equipped with a bed, desk, and screen.
Gu Ningxi's heart skipped a beat and she subconsciously wanted to escape, but someone behind her grabbed her wrist.
The force was so great that she couldn't break free at all.
She turned her head, but His Royal Highness Prince Zhao only stared at her and coldly gave her an order: "Keep an eye on him."
"Your Highness, Your Majesty——"
He locked her in a secret room and she watched in vain as he strode away without looking back.
The door of the secret room was closed heavily. She knocked on it and could not hear any noise from outside.
She was imprisoned here for four days and three nights, and someone brought her food every day.
The mechanisms for both doors were located outside, so she didn't have to waste her energy. The person who served the food wouldn't say a word to her, and she knew nothing about what was going on outside.
She knew that Kyoto was in chaos, but the secret room was peaceful. If it were daytime, sunlight would still be pouring in through the top window.
It was not until four days later that she was brought into the palace and presented before him.
The situation in the court has been turned upside down. The Crown Prince committed suicide after his defeat, and the whereabouts of Prince Huai are unknown.
Your Majesty was disheartened by this great change and abdicated the throne to Prince Zhao, and moved to another palace with the Empress.
The country cannot be without a ruler for a day. The coronation ceremony of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is scheduled for March 18th.
Everyone said that the Crown Prince and the Prince of Huai were plotting rebellion, holding the Emperor and Empress hostage, and committing heinous crimes. His Highness Prince Zhao had no choice but to rise up in rebellion, as a purge of the emperor's entourage.
During the four days of detention, Gu Ningxi figured out all the key points.
She was pinned to the bed, her new clothes scattered all over the floor. She asked in a trembling voice, "It's His Highness, isn't it?"
It is true that the Crown Prince and Prince Huai forged the imperial edict and started the rebellion first, but it was actually Prince Zhao who set up the scheme.
It was he who pressed the Crown Prince step by step, making him think that his position as Crown Prince was in jeopardy. Under the instigation of Prince Huai, he had no choice but to take the risk.
His Royal Highness Prince Zhao has made all the necessary preparations in the palace, waiting for the Eastern Palace and Prince Huai's Mansion to fall into the trap step by step.
Even if the history books of the future were to be carefully written, there would not be a single word of fault left for the new emperor during the entire palace coup.
"So what?" Lu Jing leaned over to look at her.
The bed curtains fell, and the room was dark.
"How should I settle the matter with you for the crime of deceiving the emperor?"
The jade pendant hanging on the corner of the bed swayed constantly, and Gu Ningxi suddenly woke up from her dream.
What she saw was still the familiar duty room of the Ministry of Works. The sunlight was glaring. She had slept for about quarter of an hour.
Her chest heaved, and the cloak covering her slipped off. Prince Zhao had arrived at some point and sat across from her.
"What kind of nightmare?" he asked in surprise.
【Author’s words】
The main difference between Xiao Lu’s two lives is actually his relationship with the girl.
In her previous life, Nv'e had always avoided Xiao Lu due to factional disputes. She also had her own reasons. Since she had not gone to the front lines to share Xiao Lu's hardships, she did not want to take credit for his achievements when Xiao Lu returned in glory.
From Xiao Lu's perspective, her best friend from Girls' Generation kept distancing herself from her, and she discovered that she seemed to have different feelings for him. Xiao Lu struggled with her homosexuality alone, and only learned the truth after the coup, which made her very angry.
As for Xiao Lu's political career, he's not much different. He's always been a bit of a jerk. Don't look at him being jealous and trying to be the queen. He's been very clear about politics and military affairs, and his goal has always been the throne [laughing].
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