The search lasted for three hours, but yielded no results.
The Imperial Guard leader rummaged through Xie Anfeng's documents and materials, making a mess of them, and even damaged Xu Zhiyan's portrait.
Xie Anfeng held the portrait, his face dark and silent.
Gao Quan had no choice but to lead the Imperial Guards away.
The next day, Xie Anfeng did not attend court as usual. At dawn, he, along with his mother and the clan elders, dressed in plain clothes, walked out of the house step by step.
Unexpectedly, they encountered Wang Fen, Xie Jue, Gu Chongjin and others on the way, who rode back to the capital at full speed to report that the soldiers who had returned from the victory in the Northwest were already ten miles outside the city.
Gu Shaoyu and his soldiers returning from the Northwest will soon be back in the capital.
Xie Anfeng, whose mood had already sunk to rock bottom, hurriedly grabbed Xie Jue and asked, "Grand Secretary Gu, and your brother have both returned?"
Xie Jue, unaware of what was going on, happily said, "Uncle, everyone has returned; they're just ten miles outside the city."
Xie Anfeng panicked immediately. What should he do?
Will His Majesty (both His Majesties) bring down Grand Secretary Gu and Xie Yu in one fell swoop?
He asked Xie Jue again, "How many troops returned with Grand Secretary Gu?"
"Of the 350,000 troops that went to the Northwest, less than 50,000 were lost. The 300,000-strong army has returned, awaiting His Majesty's rewards!"
Xie Anfeng immediately understood. How could someone as shrewd as Grand Secretary Gu be controlled by the Empress?
With 300,000 troops in hand, even if the military tally is not handed over, the Empress will not dare to act rashly for the time being.
He stopped beating the petition drum and waited outside the palace.
Before long, Emperor Hui, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly appeared in his imperial carriage, with a grand procession emerging from Zhengyang Gate.
A group of people rushed out, led by Leng Luo.
He jumped off his horse in front of Xie Anfeng and said excitedly, "Lord Xie, His Majesty has ordered you to quickly summon Prince Jing. I will go to the prison to bring out Lord Liu. You, please go quickly and bring me the secret letter that the old master in the mansion has hidden."
Xie Anfeng asked excitedly, "Which emperor's will is this?"
"Alas, in the hearts of this humble official and the lord, only the current emperor is His Majesty, and the Empress is just the Empress, isn't that right?"
"Yes, yes, yes, this humble official will immediately go and summon Prince Jing and Lord Liu to request a secret decree!"
The drum for petitioning was no longer sounded. Xie Anfeng pulled the dazed old lady Xie and said, "Mother, let's go back to the mansion."
"You're not going to appeal to the emperor?"
"I won't tell anyone! Mother, something terrible has happened!"
Before long, Prince Jing and Grand Secretary Liu were invited, and Lord Zhang was released from prison.
Fifty top experts from the Imperial City Guard escorted Xie Anfeng, Grand Secretary Liu, and Prince Jing, carrying a dark, heavy nanmu box, as they accompanied His Majesty's imperial carriage to the outer street.
Emperor Hui and Empress Xie rode in imperial carriages, leading the entire court of civil and military officials out of the palace to welcome Grand Secretary Gu and his entourage.
The streets and alleys were packed with onlookers.
The city gates opened wide to welcome the triumphant heroes.
Gu Shaoyu, Cao Wei, Yin Jin'an, and other generals who led the expedition against Wei knelt and kowtowed three times and nine times, saying, "Your subject is fortunate to have fulfilled his mission and defeated the enemy army."
Emperor Hui was helped down from the sedan chair by Hua Zisheng.
Emperor Hui walked shakily toward Gu Shaoyu. Gu Shaoyu rushed forward, and Emperor Hui embraced Gu Shaoyu, tears streaming down his face before he could speak.
Gu Shaoyu knelt down and kowtowed three times respectfully.
Emperor Hui looked at Hua Zisheng and nodded.
Under Empress Xie's extremely puzzled gaze, Hua Zisheng pressed a mechanism on the box in Xie Anfeng's hand.
Take out a piece of silk wrapped in two layers of waterproof cloth.
It was, in fact, an imperial edict.
"The Third Son of the Gu Family of the Marquis of Pingyang is my and Consort Yun's biological son. To avoid persecution by Wei Jingzhong's faction, I am now entrusting my son to the care of the Marquis of Pingyang. If I am fortunate enough to eliminate the treacherous Wei family during my lifetime, I will welcome my son back to his family to acknowledge his lineage. If this is not the case, I wish my son a life of peace, happiness, and prosperity..."
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