Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Later, he died.
Not long after the current emperor ascended the throne, he asked Concubine Shu to bring Gu Zhizhuo to the palace to raise her for three years, living with the Fifth Princess. Her allowance was exactly the same as the Fifth Princess's. The emperor jokingly called her a "delicate guest". But now, this is her first time entering the palace since the death of the Duke of Zhenguo in battle, and she ends up disfigured.
This simply means that the royal family is getting rid of the donkey after it has served its purpose.
The Queen's temples were throbbing wildly, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. She repeatedly soothed him, "Sister Zhuo, don't worry. I will definitely make the decision for you."
"Shufei, please take Sister Zhuo to see an imperial physician first. This facial injury must not be taken lightly."
She just wanted Concubine Shu to take Gu Zhizhuo away quickly. If she continued to talk like this, the memorials impeaching Jing'er would fill up the imperial study.
The Prime Minister's wife secretly admired it.
Miss Gu completely gained the upper hand and retreated unscathed at this time. From then on, she could attack or defend. Each step, even if it was just going with the flow, was done beautifully.
If the wife of the Prime Minister can think of it, then the Concubine Shu can naturally think of it as well.
With tears in her beautiful eyes, she bowed to the Queen, took her niece in her arms, and said something like "Let's go find the doctor first", then took her daughter with her and left. They left neatly, leaving behind this mess and noise that no one knew how to end.
It was not until they entered the gate of Chonghua Palace that Gu Zhizhuo put down the handkerchief covering her face. The corners of her eyes were clean, without a trace of tears.
Shufei sat down in the main seat in the main hall. With a raise of her hand, the palace servants filed out, leaving only the eunuch in charge and two senior palace maids.
She waved to Gu Zhizhuo to come over and took off her veil with her own hands.
I didn't look carefully just now, but now, she held her face with both hands and looked left and right.
Concubine Shu looked at her.
She also looked at Concubine Shu with a dazed look in her eyes.
In the previous life, his elder brother Gu Yican was deprived of the throne of the crown prince by imperial decree after he "fled for fear of punishment."
A few months later, an urgent message came from the border guards, saying that Gu Yican, regardless of national hatred and family feuds, brutally killed General Cheng Cang and 300 soldiers guarding the border, and took the border defense map to beg for surrender to the Liang Kingdom.
Treason is a serious crime that will bring disaster to nine generations of your family.
In order to save her, her aunt worked tirelessly and paid a huge price, which resulted in the Gu family being exiled to Minzhou instead of being executed.
Shortly after the Gu family embarked on the road of exile, the aunt died suddenly.
Soon, cousin Danling, who was in a coma, died because no one was taking care of her.
Concubine Shu felt Gu Zhizhuo's body trembling, and thought she was afraid, and her heart ached.
"It's all right." She threw down her veil and whispered slowly, "Tell your aunt what happened?"
Gu Zhizhuo's long eyelashes moved, and he called softly, "Aunt."
Concubine Shu held her hand, her beautiful eyes full of pity: "Just tell me, don't be afraid."
Gu Zhizhuo pursed his lips and began by explaining how he discovered something was wrong with the ointment: "...When I applied it to my face, it hurt like my skin was being peeled off. The Zhenguo Mansion has all sorts of gold wound medicines. Using gold wound medicines will only soothe the wound, how could it possibly hurt more?"
She deliberately exaggerated to explain why she found the ointment to be poisonous.
"I felt it was inappropriate, so I wiped it off quietly. Aunt, you know that the palace doctors only prescribe to ensure peace and avoid mistakes. Doctor Liu didn't dare to do this privately. He said that the Third Prince sent him to see me, so it must have been the Third Prince's order."
Gu Zhizhuo explained the whole matter in a few words and smiled proudly: "Aunt, I couldn't stand this kind of grievance, so I threw the ointment back."
Her eyes were bright, like a gem, shining brightly after being polished by time.
Xie Danling, anxious to see the world in chaos, said, "Mom, you didn't see it. It was so lively just now."
"It's even more exciting than the excerpts!"
The two of them sat on footstools, talking back and forth, telling each other the whole story.
She touched the soft top of Gu Zhizhuo's head, her eyes soft as water: "Yaoyao, auntie is not insisting on asking you to cancel the engagement, but, have you ever thought about whether the emperor has issued an official decree?"
Gu Zhizhuo shook his head slightly.
This marriage contract was said to be granted by the emperor, but from the beginning to the end, it was just a promise made by the emperor in front of his coffin.
There was no imperial edict, let alone three books and six ceremonies.
Even among the common people, when a marriage is arranged, a token of trust or something will be exchanged, but these are still not available.
Concubine Shu said softly, "If you really have the heart, you won't do this."
"You have to know that the king's heart is hard to predict."
"Without a clear decree, this means that if the Emperor no longer needs this engagement, he can easily dismiss it with a single word. What will you do then?"
"The royal family will never admit that they are at fault. In the end, they will make you bear the stigma and help Xie Jing achieve his glory."
Every word is from the heart.
Every word is written with Gu Zhizhuo in mind.
Gu Zhizhuo buried his head in Concubine Shu's lap and said in a low voice, "Aunt, I was wrong."
In her previous life, at the end, she only got a sentence: "Gu's behavior is not good, and I was careless. Fortunately, I did not issue an explicit decree, so this engagement is cancelled."
It’s exactly what my aunt is worried about now.
Xie Danling hugged Concubine Shu's arm, shook it, and said delicately, "Mother, Yaoyao knows she was wrong. Please don't be angry with her."
The two girls sat side by side, looking at her with similar phoenix eyes, their eye sockets were wet and pitiful.
Concubine Shu felt soft-hearted and couldn't help laughing.
As soon as she smiled, Xie Danling stopped pretending to be pitiful: "Yaoyao, Mom is not angry anymore, let's go play!"
Concubine Shu gently patted the back of her daughter's hand and said with a fierce look: "Still playing!"
Xie Danling was crying and acting coquettishly.
Shufei's red lips were slightly raised, and her eyes were moving, full of charm.
She stroked Gu Zhizhuo's still slightly swollen cheek with her fingers painted with red nail polish, feeling distressed.
"Yaoyao, don't worry, it doesn't matter even if I offend Xie Jing."
I can still handle this little thing.
and……
She told them: "The cabinet submitted a memorial today requesting the appointment of a crown prince."
The cabinet had just submitted a memorial when their candidate for the crown prince, for his own selfish reasons, trampled upon the orphaned daughter of the Gu family and even poisoned and disfigured her.
The matter of appointing a crown prince will inevitably be delayed.
Xie Jing had to perform well in the court and would not dare to embarrass Yaoyao for a while.
If Prime Minister Song had not entered the imperial study and handed in this memorial just an hour ago, she would have thought that Yaoyao had received the news in advance and took the opportunity to make trouble.
Concubine Shu was in a very good mood: "Prime Minister Song is a man who cannot tolerate any grain of sand in his eyes."
"Besides, Gongzi Chen will be back soon."
Young Master Chen? Gu Zhizhuo's pupils shrank slightly, and his back tensed.
Xie Danling's distinct black and white eyes sparkled as she leaned on Concubine Shu's knees and said casually, "Are you talking about cousin Chen from the deposed crown prince's family?"
Concubine Shu nodded.
The young master's name was Xie Yingchen.
When the previous emperor was in power, the current emperor was the second son, and above him was the eldest son of the empress, who was the crown prince at the time.
The Crown Prince is a man of both military and literary talents, and possesses both virtue and wisdom. He has been in the Eastern Palace for twenty years, personally leading the emperor to fight campaigns, regulating the country, and offering sacrifices to heaven... His position is stable.
In the 22nd year of Mingde, the late emperor suddenly fell down due to poisoning during his southern tour. After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that it was the prince who colluded with the imperial physician to do it.
The late emperor was furious and issued an edict to depose the crown prince.
The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess committed suicide in the Eastern Palace out of fear of punishment. The late emperor was already suffering from the poison and was bedridden. After hearing the news, he vomited blood and died.
Before his death, the late emperor summoned Prince Jin and others, and personally appointed the current emperor as the successor to the throne in front of his bed.
Xie Yingchen was the eldest son of the deposed crown prince, born to the crown princess.
Originally, he had such an embarrassing identity. After the current emperor ascended the throne, even if he was kept in captivity, people would still praise him for his "benevolence".
Unfortunately, Xie Yingchen was the grandson appointed by the late emperor himself, and his status had been announced to heaven and earth through sacrifices in the imperial ancestral temple. Most importantly, when the late emperor deposed the crown prince, he did not issue an edict to depose the grandson as well.
When the current emperor was enthroned, the late emperor was still on his southern tour, and the edict did not go through the cabinet.
At that time, there were considerable disagreements and endless debates over who was the orthodox one, which led to turmoil in the court and unrest among the people.
Later, Xie Yingchen, who was only fourteen years old at the time, volunteered to go to Liang State as a hostage. The current emperor also had the late emperor's will in his hand, so he was able to ascend the throne smoothly.
Since the current emperor ascended the throne, he has repeatedly expressed or hinted that the country should have a crown prince, and each time it has led to arguments between the emperor and his ministers and endless debates in the court.
There are always ministers who stubbornly believe that Xie Yingchen was the grandson appointed by the late emperor himself, and even if the current emperor succeeds to the throne, Xie Yingchen should be the crown prince.
Concubine Shu stroked the blue phoenix pattern on her sleeve and sighed, "Yaoyao, three years ago, your father defeated the Liang Kingdom's cavalry and captured several Liang cities. The Liang Kingdom was frightened and took the initiative to seek peace. Your father then submitted a memorial, suggesting that Master Chen should be welcomed back to the capital."
"Your father wrote in his memorial: Only by redeeming the national humiliation and restoring the national prestige can the great nation prosper."
Concubine Shu's voice grew colder. "Our Emperor readily agreed and personally wrote a letter. Unexpectedly, your father died on the battlefield before the letter reached the border, and this matter was delayed."
"However, it was eventually brought to light. The cabinet urged him many times, and at the end of last year, the emperor sent people to Liang State to bring Prince Chen back to the country."
Gu Zhizhuo didn't know all this.
In her previous life, she was raised to be innocent and spoiled.
Growing up in a luxurious environment, she didn't understand that wealth and splendor are actually more easily dissipated than the clouds in the sky.
Until the family is broken up and everyone is dead.
On the road of exile, her grandmother, aunt, and cousins fell seriously ill one after another. It was a terrible epidemic, and even she herself was not spared.
The escorting officers and soldiers said it was bad luck and locked them up in the charity cemetery to die.
When she was dying, Xie Yingchen appeared and saved her.
He brought her out of that place filled with dead people and the smell of corruption.
He helped her overturn the verdict for the Gu family, safeguarding the Gu family's dignity and honor, so that her brother no longer had to bear the infamy and died a worthy death.
He took her to travel across the country, taught her how to identify and employ people, how to use maps and sand tables, how to use military tactics, and how to scheme in the court.
He told her that in life, one should be the chess player, not the chess piece being played.
She learned martial arts and archery, and he hired a famous teacher for her.
She asked to study medicine, and he collected ancient books and recipes for her.
During those years, he treated her like a teacher and a brother.
Later, he died.
Died on a snowy winter night...
From then on, all the people who were important to her, the people she cared about, were gone.
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