Chapter 65 Chapter 65 is the only genuine version...
The emperor was dumbfounded and looked utterly embarrassed.
He held onto the dragon chair and sat down, his voice trembling: "You, you..."
"How dare you!" the King of Jin roared. "This is the Golden Palace! You brought this thing into the Golden Palace. You have ulterior motives and deserve death! Come, drag him away!"
"Uncle Jin." Xie Yingchen said calmly, "The Emperor is still here. It's not up to you to make the decision."
Prince Jin looked at Xie Yingchen and pointed at Gu Zhizhuo, saying angrily, "This man has no respect for the emperor. He is truly hateful. Prince Chen, are you still going to plead for him?"
"Prince Chen." Prince Jin sneered, "I forgot that Miss Gu is your fiancée. The people of the Zhenguo Mansion are so disloyal and unfaithful, and they are committing crimes against their superiors. Could it be that you, Prince Chen, have already colluded with them and are plotting something treacherous?"
"My marriage was arranged by the Emperor. Uncle Jin, are you accusing the Emperor of scheming against you? You must explain this clearly."
"A cunning person..."
"Your Majesty, calm down." Prime Minister Song stepped forward and said, "Miss Gu is still young, and perhaps she may have been inconsiderate."
He glared at Gu Zhizhuo and shouted, "Get out of here quickly."
After saying that, he turned away from the emperor and winked at her.
When the Gu family went to the Western Frontier to carry the coffin, the emperor had already announced to the world that Xiliang would return the remains of the Duke of Zhenguo.
Gongzi Chen also asked whether the body of the Duke of Zhenguo was intact. At that time, the emperor angrily scolded the people of Liang for being unfaithful, destroying the Duke of Zhenguo's body and returning only the head.
Later, the King of Jin even impeached Miss Gu, saying that she had behaved inappropriately and recklessly in the Western Frontier, and that she had embraced the head of the Duke of Zhenguo in the city of Aul, inciting the people and almost causing chaos.
She even dared to hold her head!
The wooden box in my hand is so subtle that it makes me think more.
Prime Minister Song felt numb.
When the Duke of Guo died inexplicably after a great victory in Xiliang, there were many people in the court who had doubts, including the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
Now that the Duke's body is incomplete, it's normal for the Duke's Mansion to feel hatred and resentment. However, no matter what, Miss Gu shouldn't have brought the Duke's head to the Golden Palace!
This will only bring trouble to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
"Go down quickly."
"Get it!"
Prime Minister Song and Prince Jin spoke almost at the same time. The former wanted to protect him, while the latter wanted to push him into the abyss.
"Someone come!" The emperor finally spoke, his eyes bloodshot as he said, "Bring..."
"Your Majesty, please think twice!"
"Prince Jin." Gu Zhizhuo sneered, "I don't know what I've done, but Prince Jin keeps saying I have ulterior motives?"
Her piercing eyes stared intently at Prince Jin. "My Zhenguogong Mansion is devoted to the country and loyal to Daqi. Your Highness is talking nonsense and making false accusations. He is trying to put the Gu family to death by accusing them of all sorts. His heart is despicable and his actions deserve death!"
An undisguised chuckle rang out in the unbelievably quiet court.
For a moment, all eyes looked over, and when they saw it was Shen Xu, they quickly lowered their heads, fearing that he would discover them.
Shen Xu raised his red lips vaguely, stood on the right side of the emperor, looked down at the court, and looked down on everyone equally.
This laugh made the fire in King Jin's heart burn even more fiercely.
He pointed at Gu Zhizhuo and said angrily, "Why are you bringing such things? Are they gifts for the Emperor?"
Prime Minister Song frowned and shouted, "Prince Jin, be careful with your words!"
"This kind of thing?"
Gu Zhizhuo's face was gloomy, and he said in a cold voice: "You mean..."
She placed the wooden box on the ground, raised her hand and lifted it up, her voice suddenly rising: "...This one?"
The speed of the action shocked everyone.
ah!
Some timid civil officials were so frightened that they raised their sleeves to cover their eyes.
“Take it away!”
"Miss Gu, you are so bold!"
"Head, head..."
The Golden Palace was in chaos.
The King of Jin was horrified. He grabbed the arm of an official next to him and held it tightly, with beads of sweat pouring out of his forehead.
The Xie family conquered the world on horseback. All the members of the Xie family, whether they were princes or clan members, grew up practicing martial arts and archery. The same was true for Prince Jin. His hand was quite strong, and he pinched the official so hard that his hand was almost broken, but he dared not make a sound.
The emperor's legs were shaking and he was trembling like a sieve.
Li Deshun hurriedly took a half step forward and stood in front of the emperor to avoid losing his composure in front of his ministers.
He looked cautiously at the wooden box on the ground.
Huh?
Li Deshun rubbed his eyes, looked more carefully, leaned over and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, it's armor."
Armor?
"It's a helmet!"
The emperor was stunned for a moment, then slowly raised his eyelids and looked down.
The wooden box on the ground was completely opened. Gu Zhizhuo leaned over and took out the things inside, holding them respectfully with both hands.
The emperor narrowed his eyes and finally saw clearly that it was clearly a helmet.
A somewhat old, dark-colored helmet.
A helmet with scratches all over it, which makes people imagine the fierce battle at a glance.
A helmet that was stained with blood.
There were also many brave people in the court. Duke Weiguo stared at the helmet with burning eyes, took two steps forward subconsciously, and then stopped abruptly, his eyes suddenly turning red.
"Ah Tao. Hey."
He shook his head, and this long sigh seemed to carry an endless amount of unspeakable words.
helmet?
Prince Jin's face turned pale, and he felt like he was being fooled.
In the Golden Palace, the expressions of all the civil and military officials varied, and in an instant, a strange silence fell.
Chen Xu clasped his hands across his chest with great interest, his bright red robe shining brightly.
With just a wooden box and a helmet, he managed to fool the entire court, causing all the civil and military officials to behave in a disgraceful manner. Interesting.
He glanced at the girl standing in the middle of the court. She was calm and composed, with the corners of her phoenix eyes slightly raised, revealing an undisguised sharpness and brilliance.
"emperor."
When she spoke, her voice was as clear as pearls falling on a plate.
"This helmet was given to my father by the late emperor himself. It has always been with him and has never left his body."
"My father said when he went to war that even if the battle in Western Xinjiang was stained with blood, we would surely win a great victory and live up to the great cause."
"My father didn't come back three years ago."
"Now, three years have passed. Thanks to the Emperor's grace, I have been allowed to go to the Western Frontier and bring him back to the capital."
"My father has never failed the emperor's grace! He has never failed the people."
Her words were high-pitched and tearful, like thunder in the ears.
The four generations of the Gu family have lived up to Daqi.
Gu Zhizhuo straightened his back, his heart aching.
The hatred of the entire family being wiped out always made me feel heartbroken and unable to rest in peace in my dreams at midnight in my previous life.
She looked at the emperor and could even see the cold sweat on his forehead.
In her previous life, she had traveled all over the country with the young master, and she had seen with her own eyes that wherever the barbarians passed, nine out of ten houses were empty and mountains of bones were left.
The young master told her that if it weren't for the Gu family, at least hundreds of thousands of people would have died in Western Xinjiang.
If it weren't for the Gu family, the Han people in the northern border would be worse than pigs and dogs.
The Gu family used their flesh and blood to protect the people of the world.
For the sake of the world, Daddy is worth it.
For the sake of "Jun's grace", Daddy is not worth it.
Gu Zhizhuo raised his head and said, "My father served in the Western Frontier for a year and a half without a single defeat. Now that the war in the Western Frontier has ended, I, your humble servant, will carry his coffin back to the capital. I will use this helmet as a substitute and report to the Emperor."
"Thank you, Lord!"
Her voice was passionate and echoed throughout the Golden Palace.
I don't know how many people were moved and recalled the scene when Gu Taotao led his troops to war.
The emperor saw them off at Shili Pavilion. Gu Taotao toasted the heroic spirits with three cups of liquor and swore to defeat Daliang and live up to the emperor's grace.
The emperor and his ministers bid farewell to each other reluctantly, and the emperor promised to reward him with the best wine when he returned to the capital to report.
"Prince Jin, are you seeing clearly?!" Gu Zhizhuo stared at him, "You are talking nonsense and spouting nonsense, insulting and slandering the gifts given by the late emperor. Can I also say that Prince Jin is disrespectful to the late emperor, has evil intentions, and deserves death?"
The King of Jin was shocked and angry.
A junior, not even as old as his son, was so arrogant in front of him.
The Prince of Jin was filled with hatred. He lifted his robe, knelt down and said, "I have spoken carelessly. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
So what if I admit my mistake?
They had all been fooled by Gu Zhizhuo! Not only him, I'm afraid the emperor would also want to drag this damn girl out and beat her to death.
When he knelt, the emperor would only think that he was taking the blame for him.
The emperor stared at the helmet expressionlessly, waved his hand and said, "Don't be so impulsive next time. Just fine him a year's salary."
Prince Jin quickly thanked him and forced a smile: "Miss Gu, I made a mistake in my words."
He was quite flexible. No wonder he could rise from a remote royal family to become the emperor's trusted confidant and loyal minister. Gu Zhizhuo said in the gentlest tone, "Your Highness, there's no need to be so polite. Next time, you must look carefully. If your eyesight is not good, it would be better to dig out those eyes to save trouble."
"you!"
"alright."
The emperor interrupted impatiently. There seemed to be a black fog in front of his eyes, and sometimes he couldn't even see Gu Zhizhuo below.
The dragon robe was soaked with sweat, sticking to his back.
He sighed and said, "It's a pity that the Duke of Zhenguo has lost such a brave general. Every time I think of it, I feel heartbroken."
"Gu Qing and I are a harmonious relationship, but he never got to drink that bowl of fine wine."
"Your Majesty's grace towards my late father is as great as the sea. I, your humble servant, am deeply grateful."
She lowered her eyes, and her long eyelashes seemed to be covered with endless sorrow.
"But when I went to the Western Frontier, I learned that some people were claiming that it was the Prince of Jin who quelled the war, and that it was the Crown Prince of Jin who guarded the border and looked after the Western Frontier. Such achievements are truly unparalleled."
Prime Minister Song frowned and asked, "Miss Gu, are you serious?"
"Of course." Gu Zhizhuo sneered repeatedly, "This is what Liu Nuo, the military supervisor of Awul City, said himself. Liu Nuo is a retainer of the prince, right?"
"Your Majesty is really calculating."
"Not only did they take away my father's military achievements, they also wanted to erase his merits."
King of Jin:!
She came here just for me today, right?
How did I offend her?
For military merit? Gu Taotao was already dead, so what if he took that military merit?! It couldn't just go to waste.
"Your Majesty. I..."
Prince Jin knelt down again, his voice stuck in his throat.
Everyone in the court and the country knew how the title of Prince of Jin came about.
After pacifying the Western Frontier that year, Prime Minister Song petitioned the emperor to posthumously confer the title of Duke of Zhenguo and to reward the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion generously. The emperor said that the rewards would be given after the peace talks were concluded.
Afterwards, the emperor promised Miss Gu to the third prince Xie Jing in front of the spirit of the Duke of Zhenguo.
Xie Jing is the legitimate son of Empress Yuan and has always been the emperor's preferred prince. This promise is like a promise to the fusion of the blood of the Duke of Zhenguo and the Xie family, and a promise that in the future, the throne of Daqi will be sat by an heir with the blood of the Gu family.
This silenced many people.
Even when the emperor later gave the credit for "pacifying the war" to Prince Jin in the name of successful peace talks, there was not much opposition in the court.
Even Prime Minister Song was like this.
The current emperor has poor qualifications and is also suspicious and jealous.
He did not trust these old ministers of the previous emperor and was only interested in supporting his confidants.
Since the three-way balance of power in the court could make him feel at ease, Prime Minister Song also tacitly agreed to let him support Prince Jin and let Prince Jin take over the military merits of the Duke of Zhenguo.
The Duke of Zhenguo's achievements surpassed his master's, and the current emperor was not one to tolerate others. Now that the Duke of Zhenguo was gone, it would be better for the Gu family to keep a low profile. However, the Prince of Jin took credit for the Duke of Zhenguo's achievements, so how could he allow the Crown Prince to stir up public sentiment in Western Xinjiang and confuse right and wrong?
He exchanged glances with the Duke of Wei who was standing on the opposite side, and his eyes gradually turned cold.
"Your Majesty, my father's achievements were unparalleled. He conquered the northern border and pacified the western border. He was undefeated throughout his life and defended the Great Qi territory for over twenty years."
"How can such an unprecedented achievement be plundered by others and lost in the long river of history?"
"Your Majesty," Prime Minister Song stepped out and said, "The Duke of Zhenguo died in the Western Frontier. We cannot erase his contributions along with him. This will only unsettle the military and cause public discontent! Your Majesty, please understand."
The emperor hated the feeling of being coerced and remained silent.
Duke Wei snorted coldly, "Your Majesty, are you really going to protect such an incompetent person like the Prince of Jin?"
How could he be so incompetent?! The King of Jin angrily said, "Duke Weiguo..."
Gu Zhizhuo said proudly: "My late father Gu Taotao has made great contributions and deserves to be admitted to the Purple Extreme Pavilion!"
Her voice overwhelmed Prince Jin, and the whole court was in an uproar.
Prime Minister Song was horrified, and Prince Jin gasped and looked back at her in disbelief.
In the temple, all eyes were on her.
At the very center of power in Daqi, Gu Zhizhuo was fearless.
She knew Xie Yingchen was there, but she didn't go to see him.
She was determined, so she didn't need anyone to give her courage.
Xie Yingchen had a smile on his lips. The girl was dazzling, as bright as the sun, and as dazzling as the brightest star in the night sky. She was always the most eye-catching one.
Gu Zhizhuo paused for a moment before repeating, "Your Majesty should announce to the world that the contributions of Duke Gu Taotao are immense."
"You should enter the Ziji Pavilion!"
After Emperor Taizu ascended the throne, he issued an order to open the Ziji Pavilion.
The Ziji Pavilion is located next to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Emperor Taizu once stated that the spirits of famous officials throughout history who had made extraordinary contributions to the world could be placed in the Ziji Pavilion, eternally receiving royal incense and offerings from the people. The descendants of the Xie family during the Great Qi Dynasty have been offering sacrifices to this pavilion for generations.
The ones enshrined in Ziji Pavilion now are the twelve heroes who founded the country. Since Emperor Taizu, no minister’s spirit tablet has been allowed to be enshrined in the pavilion.
The Gu family is undoubtedly bold.
How dare you say such things in front of the emperor!
The emperor grabbed the armrest of the dragon throne and blurted out, "No!"
Gu Zhizhuo refused to give in: "Why not?"
His face turned cold. The Gu family became more and more arrogant. Relying on a little merit, they were now threatening him in public.
The emperor said without hesitation: "Although the Duke of Zhenguo has made contributions, they are far inferior to the achievements of the founding of the country. This cannot be done."
How could he possibly agree to such a thing?
The Gu family had long been deeply rooted in Daqi, and the reputation of the Zhenguogong Mansion was so great that who in Daqi didn't know the Gu family's name? He had spent a lot of effort to suppress the Gu family's momentum. Now, if Gu Taotao was allowed to enter the Ziji Pavilion, wouldn't it be acknowledging the Gu family's tremendous achievements?
How can I get rid of the Gu family with justification in the future!
As long as the Gu family is not eliminated, he... will be Daqi's biggest worry.
"This matter is not open to further discussion, retreat..." Chao.
Bang!
Gu Zhizhuo raised his hands high and smashed his helmet hard at the kneeling King Jin.
The King of Jin was caught off guard, and his helmet hit his shoulder and fell to the ground.
She clenched her fingers together and pointed at Prince Jin, saying, "He was able to be promoted to a prince based on his stolen military merits, but my father couldn't even enter the Purple Extreme Pavilion based on his actual merits."
Prince Jin was going crazy.
It was precisely because he really took credit for Gu Taotao's work that he had no right to speak at this time.
He had already stopped talking, so why was this Miss Gu still staring at him?
Is he easy to bully?
"Miss Gu!" Prince Jin clutched his aching shoulder, seething with rage. "Admission to the Ziji Pavilion is determined by the Emperor. Gu Taotao doesn't deserve it..."
"Your Highness Prince Jin, do you dare to say that again into the helmet?!"
The helmet rolled in front of him, and the bloodstains and scratches on it were reflected in his pupils.
He went to Xijiang when the war was drawing to a close, bringing with him a secret decree from the emperor, which asked Gu Taotao to hand over all matters in Xijiang to him. However, Gu Taotao refused.
At that time, Gu Taotao was wearing this helmet.
He looked at himself, his eyes so sharp that they seemed to be able to see through all his thoughts.
Prince Jin shuddered, his lips opened and closed, but he could not utter a word.
The emperor was furious: "Don't the Gu family even take me seriously?"
He stood up suddenly and walked down the platform.
"Your Majesty, calm down."
Prime Minister Song said repeatedly.
He had been frightened by this Miss Gu countless times, and his heart was pounding.
If this is a punishment for a crime of impropriety before the emperor...
Just as he thought of this, he saw Gu Zhizhuo's tears burst out. She was still young, not yet an adult, and her tears flowed as if she had suffered endless grievances and injustice.
The Prince of Jin took all the military merit for pacifying the Western Frontier and wiped out all the achievements of the Duke of Zhenguo.
She was seeking justice for her father, and even though she was excited at the moment, she was only doing it to King Jin, and she did not commit any act of rebellion.
If we insist on pursuing the matter, it will only make the emperor appear narrow-minded.
The Prime Minister's anxious heart was slightly relieved.
First, he used a helmet to disturb the emperor's mind, reiterated the achievements of Zhenguo Gong in pacifying the west, and brought up the fact that Prince Jin had seized military merits.
Prince Jin was the emperor's true confidant, but he had already seized the military merits first, so he had no right to speak, which was equivalent to cutting off the emperor's mouth.
And then press on step by step.
The purpose is to enter the Ziji Pavilion.
When the emperor was about to adjourn the court session, she hit Prince Jin with her helmet.
Whenever the emperor got angry, she would cry.
She is not yet of age and has not yet married. She is barely still a child. Who can be so petty with a child?
This Miss Gu is truly impressive.
How did Gu Taotao raise this daughter?
The emperor felt a lump in his chest, unable to breathe.
Gu Zhizhuo walked over and picked up the helmet again. She held it with both hands, facing the emperor, and said with tears in her eyes, "Your Majesty, my father has made great contributions and should be admitted to the Purple Extreme Pavilion!"
My senior brother said that in order to dissolve the curse, Daddy needs to be worshipped by all the people.
Whether it's to get back the credit that belongs to my father, or for this damn Zhuyin curse.
She wanted to have her father enter the Ziji Pavilion so that he could enjoy the offerings of the people of Daqi and the fortune of the royal family.
This matter must be accomplished even if it cannot be accomplished.
Her eyes swept across the court.
"Anyone have any objections?"
She raised her hands slightly, as if anyone who said "no" would be hit by the helmet.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
