Deviation
The north wind howled as Gu Youan, wrapped in a coat, walked through the palace. The cold wind blew in gusts, and she followed closely behind the eunuch who was leading the way. The lamplight flickered on and off in the cold wind.
Gu Youan lifted her felt hat and smiled slightly, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Huaming slowly turned around and said, "I've heard that the princess knows the whereabouts of the Emperor's Sword?"
Gu Youan bowed slightly and said, "As long as Your Majesty spares my life, I will personally present the Emperor's Sword to you."
A ruthless glint flashed in Emperor Huaming's eyes. He gently lifted Gu Youan's chin and said, "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
Gu Youan looked arrogantly into Emperor Huaming's eyes and said, "The Xie family spared me. How could a weak woman like me survive the fire? Isn't Your Majesty curious?"
Emperor Hua Ming's eyes flickered slightly. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Gu You'an, saying, "You are truly audacious, Gu You'an. Princess Hezheng, I can kill you so easily. What do you have to offer in exchange?"
Gu Youan took a small step back and said, "I can summon all the members of the Emperor's Ship, and I am also the one who activated the Emperor's Sword."
The surroundings were quiet. Gu You'an composed herself and realized that in making an exchange with the person in charge, she couldn't back down first.
Emperor Hua Ming pressed, "Where is the Emperor's Sword?"
Gu Youan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I wish to see Xie Daoqing."
Xie Daoqing had some genuine feelings for Gu Youan. The Gu family had already arrived in Shengjing, but Xie Daoqing was the only one missing. She wanted to see Xie Daoqing.
Emperor Hua Ming looked her up and down and said sarcastically, "I heard you are the fiancée of the Xie family's young master. Now that your life is in danger, the person you still want to see is him."
Gu Youan disregarded his words and simply said, "His Majesty imprisoned me because of the matter of the Imperial Title and the Xie family, didn't he?"
“As long as I am here, the Xie family and the Emperor’s ship will not act rashly. I am Xie Daoqing’s former fiancée, and we are deeply in love. His Majesty captured me to force him to appear. Now that he has not shown up, isn’t His Majesty worried?”
Emperor Huaming looked at her approvingly and said, "What a clever and quick-witted young lady. The Emperor of Dayong has been slow to send a letter. As a princess sent for a political marriage, do you really think you can leave Sheng Kingdom alive?"
Gu Youan shook his head and said, "The Xie family is behind Dayong. The Xie family has sacrificed the entire family to support the Dayong royal family. If I die here, my Gu family will join forces with the Xie family to defeat the army of Shengguo."
Emperor Huaming chuckled dismissively and said, "You? Gu Youan, you overestimate yourself."
Gu Youan turned her head and said, "His Majesty has always been suspicious of my identity. If I were truly an ordinary person, I wouldn't be here today."
Emperor Huaming's gaze drifted into the distance. He thought of Consort Lin, that gentle and tender woman who, after her identity was exposed, was so resolute, determined to die, even at the cost of abandoning her young child.
"Your Emperor's title is all about sacrificing everything for the so-called greater good. Now that the Emperor's title of Dayong is gone, as long as you tell us the whereabouts of the Emperor's title of Chusheng, no one will dare to threaten you anymore, and you can live freely in this world."
Gu Youan looked up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Emperor Huaming, and said, "As long as Your Majesty agrees to let me see Xie Daoqing, I will let the Emperor's title be used by Your Majesty. The Emperor's title of Dayong will be destroyed, and the Emperor's title of Shengguo will be silenced. Only I know the whereabouts of the others. I only want to see Xie Daoqing."
The Emperor's twelve messengers, all members of the academy, died at the hands of Xie Daoqing. She only wanted to know what exactly happened that day.
Emperor Hua Ming stared intently at her and said, "Princess, do you perhaps intend to kill Xie Daoqing?"
Gu Youan smiled and said, "Why not? So many people from my Emperor's Ship have died at his hands. As the guardian of the Emperor's Ship, I want to see him."
A resolute glint flashed in Gu Youan's eyes. Emperor Huaming looked at her mockingly and said, "I'm afraid you'll join forces with him to deal with the Sheng Kingdom."
Gu Youan said, "If Your Majesty believes that I would join forces with Xie Daoqing, then there is no need to see me today. Your Majesty, I have not only the title of Emperor behind me, but also the Gu family. As long as Your Majesty can keep your life safe, I am willing to devote all my strength to helping Your Majesty conquer the Central Plains."
"What do you want?" Emperor Huaming asked.
Gu Youan smiled and said, "I want Xie Daoqing dead."
Emperor Huaming pondered for a moment, looked at Gu Youan's bright face, and suddenly smiled and said, "Princess, you are clever and intelligent. Why not make me your Noble Consort? When we conquer the Central Plains in the future, the children you bear will be the sole heirs."
Instead of becoming Empress Dowager and having children, she thought it better to become the emperor herself and seize power. She laughed and said, "I have no interest in the position of Empress. The Xie family killed so many of my people who held the title of Emperor. I just want the Xie family to die."
"If you want the Xie family head's life, why go all the way to Sheng Kingdom?"
Gu Youan turned her head away, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes, and said, "Your Majesty, my people died in Sheng Kingdom for no reason, so of course I have to come. Besides, I am a princess sent for a political marriage, and I bear the responsibility of maintaining diplomatic relations between the two countries."
Emperor Huaming looked at her calmly and said, "I will protect you from death, but you must make the members of the Emperor's Ship obey my orders."
Gu Youan knelt down and bowed gracefully, her long, ink-black hair cascading to the ground. Emperor Huaming vaguely saw the mark on the back of her neck and said, "I never expected you to be the one who unlocked the Emperor's Sword."
When the Emperor's Sword is dim, it is just an ordinary sword. But when the one who unlocks it appears, it becomes a true Emperor's Sword, a sword that can command the world.
Emperor Huaming looked at her in surprise and said, "The person who can activate the Commanding Emperor Sword is actually a woman."
Gu Youan was stunned. This feudal system, why couldn't the one who activated the Emperor's Sword be a woman?
He looked at Gu Youan with a dark and unreadable gaze, while Gu Youan looked at Emperor Hua Ming with confusion and a hint of surprise in her heart.
There was a hint of pity in her eyes as she said, "As long as Your Majesty protects me, I will activate the Emperor's Sword."
With the Emperor's Sword unsheathed, heroes from all over the land will vie for control of the Central Plains, and she will be able to find her way home.
The entanglement between Ye Qingchen and Xie Daoqing also deviated from its course due to her intrusion. The plot of this book has changed. Xie Daoqing killed so many of her allies, and Dayong chose to abandon her when a crisis occurred.
Gu Youan raised his eyes and said, "Da Yong has abandoned me. I can only survive by relying on His Majesty."
Emperor Huaming pondered for a moment and said, "I cannot trust you. Since you are a princess sent for a political marriage, that boy from the Sheng family is not good enough for you. Get engaged to my only son. After you activate the Emperor's Sword, whether you live or die, I will not stop you. But you must get engaged to Jun Qi now."
Gu Youan lowered her eyes and remained silent for a moment. Either way, she couldn't escape marriage. Marriage was truly a way to solidify relationships in ancient times.
"Okay, I'm willing to become the prince's consort."
"Father, I refuse!" The door was pushed open forcefully, and Gu Youan turned around to see Xiao Junqi striding in.
He glanced at Gu Youan, his face icy, then looked up at Emperor Huaming and said, "I do not wish to marry Princess Hezheng."
Even though the marriage alliance was for her protection, he was unwilling to marry Gu Youan; he didn't want to be dragged into this mess.
Emperor Huaming's expression changed, and he said, "You are already an adult, and you must not act impulsively. Princess Hezheng is a fairy-like beauty, more than a match for you."
Xiao Junqi naturally did not believe what Emperor Huaming said. He stood outside the door for a long time until he heard that Emperor Huaming wanted to arrange an engagement between him and Gu Youan, at which point he stepped out.
Xiao Junqi knelt on the ground and said, "I do not want to marry her."
Emperor Huaming has ignored this son for many years, but now he wants to arrange a marriage between her and Gu Youan. Even if he cannot stand with Sheng Jingche in a dignified manner, he is unwilling to marry Gu Youan.
"Outrageous! Xiao Junqi, have you forgotten your identity? You are a member of the royal family. Marriages are arranged by matchmakers. How dare you act so recklessly?"
Xiao Junqi knelt on the ground, and Emperor Huaming drew his sword and held it in front of him, saying, "If you don't want to marry him, then commit suicide."
Xiao Junqi closed his eyes and pressed his neck against hers. Gu Youan pushed him away in surprise and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I will definitely get the Prince's approval."
Emperor Huaming remained silent, only angrily throwing down his sword and leaving. She breathed a sigh of relief, walked up to Xiao Junqi, and reached out to help her up, but Xiao Junqi slapped her hand away, saying, "I don't need your pity. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be kneeling here today."
Gu Youan sneered, "You don't think I'm eager to marry you, do you? This is a deal between me and Emperor Huaming. You are just a link in this deal. Xiao Junqi, if you agree to marry me, I will help you ascend to the throne in the future."
Xiao Junqi glanced at her contemptuously, as if mocking her ignorance, and said, "Do you think everyone wants that position, Gu Youan? You overestimate yourself. You used the same method to get him to agree to your request back then, didn't you?"
Gu Youan was stunned, not expecting him to refuse so bluntly.
She tilted her head and looked at him, then whispered in his ear, "If you don't agree, I'll marry Sheng Jingche. He feels really guilty towards me because of Jiannan. Do you think he'll agree to marry me?"
In this ancient era where keeping male concubines was common, Xiao Junqi's love for Sheng Jingche was not something shameful. However, the key issue was that Xiao Junqi was a prince, while Sheng Jingche was the most outstanding man of the Sheng family in this generation. How could such a dignified and upright ruler become the royal family's plaything? Moreover, Sheng Jingche's aunt was the Empress. Wasn't this a blatant slap in the face to the Sheng family?
Xiao Junqi looked at her angrily and said, "I will marry you, Gu Youan. All you want is the protection of Sheng Kingdom. The harem of Sheng Kingdom is full of dangers. I want to see how you survive."
Gu Youan smiled and said, "There's no need for Your Highness to trouble yourself with that."
After Xiao Junqi left, the Fifth Princess emerged from a pillar behind her. Gu Youan looked at her in surprise and asked, "What are you doing here now?"
"The plot is getting more and more complicated. Are you really going to marry him?"
Gu Youan watched the departing figure, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and said, "Only by marrying him can I freely enter and leave the palace, find the Emperor's Sword, and only by marrying him can I see Xie Daoqing!"
The Fifth Princess shook her head and said, "Your obsession runs too deep, host."
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