Mad Queen
The warm sun shone on her body as Gu Youan stroked the gold thread on her clothes. Emperor Huaming was assassinated, Empress Mingzhao was confined to her quarters, and Sheng Jingche was unconscious.
Emperor Huaming issued an edict to appoint Xiao Junqi as Crown Prince and Gu Youan as Crown Princess. Today, the palace eunuchs delivered the ceremonial robes, and the investiture ceremony will be held soon.
Ye Qingchen led the remaining people of the Emperor's Ship away from the Sheng Kingdom, and everything returned to peace, yet nothing was truly at peace.
She leaned back in her chair, half asleep. She didn't know how long she slept, but the sunlight quietly streamed through the courtyard, and a shadow fell in front of her. She slowly opened her eyes.
"Your Highness!"
"It's chilly outside, let's go back inside."
Gu Youan nodded, and Xiao Junqi bent down to pick her up. Her hands rested on Xiao Junqi's neck, and in a daze, she felt a gaze watching her.
Her head rested on Xiao Junqi's shoulder, her shadow indistinct. She and Xiao Junqi exchanged a smile. There were Xie Daoqing's spies in the Eastern Palace.
She raised her head slightly and rested her chin on his shoulder. Gu Youan knew that these things would be reported back to Dayong, but she didn't care. Ye Qingchen had already left, and the Emperor's Ship was safe.
Xiao Junqi knew what she was thinking, and the two were like a perfect couple.
Emperor Huaming was furious about the assassination attempt. The Sheng family was held responsible for all the crimes and fell from grace. Xiao Junqi, who had never been favored, became the crown prince, causing an uproar and spreading rumors.
Xiao Junqi pressed his forehead to his clothes and said, "You will stay in the palace to rest and prepare for the birth of your child tomorrow for the investiture ceremony."
Gu Youan nodded and said, "Are you worried?"
Xiao Junqi's eyes dimmed, and Gu Youan turned her head and said, "Okay."
Gu Youan was engaged to Sheng Jingche and later married him. She was considered a femme fatale.
Gu Youan smiled and said, "I see that the maid in the courtyard likes you, so why don't you take her as your concubine?"
Xiao Junqi tightened his grip and said, "Don't talk nonsense."
Gu Youan smiled and said, "You are the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. It's not good to have only one Crown Princess in your residence."
Their every move was being monitored by Emperor Huaming. Gu Youan wanted to make the Eastern Palace lively and bustling so that everyone in the palace would stop focusing on her pregnancy.
Xiao Junqi held Gu Youan's hand and said softly, "Okay."
Sheng Jingche is unconscious. If Xiao Junqi wants to protect Sheng Jingche and the Sheng family, he must cooperate with her.
Gu Youan's gaze drifted into the distance, and she said, "This Eastern Palace is too quiet."
Ye Qingchen's letters flew into the palace of Sheng Kingdom one after another, but Gu Youan knew that those letters had been modified and that Emperor Huaming was monitoring their actions.
Gu Youan gently pinched the hem of his clothes and said, "Da Yong and Sheng Guo will go to war soon."
Xiao Junqi paused for a moment and then said, "The Emperor's Sword has not been activated yet, so Father will not start a war."
Gu Youan said, "I haven't been receiving any letters from the Emperor's Ship, and I'm worried..."
Despite the constant conflicts between Dayong and Sheng, a large-scale war has never broken out. If Emperor Huaming were to wage war against Dayong, both countries would suffer immense devastation, and the Emperor's domain would inevitably be drawn into the conflict.
Xiao Junqi frowned and said, "You guessed right. The army is pressing in; it's the Dayong Kingdom attacking the Sheng Kingdom."
Gu Youan's pupils dilated, and she stared intently at him, asking, "Is this really true?"
Xiao Junqi laughed and said, "Da Yong has declared war on Sheng Kingdom."
She lowered her head and smiled, "I see."
Xiao Junqi pressed his face against hers and said, "Don't worry, just focus on taking good care of yourself and have a safe delivery."
"I'm sorry, I..." The people were displaced, lost their land, and became slaves. If she hadn't let Xie Daoqing go, the Dayong and Sheng Kingdoms wouldn't be in this state now.
"I know you want the Emperor's Sword. If activating it can stop this war, I believe you."
Emperor Huaming was very wary of Gu Youan. If the army of Dayong invaded Shengjing, Shengjing Che would not be spared either.
"Everyone says that the man who wields the Emperor's Sword is the new emperor. If you can quell this war, I am willing to be your stepping stone."
Gu Youan's eyes flickered as he asked, "Is the war situation tense?"
Xiao Junqi nodded and said, "I will be going to the battlefield soon, so I will leave my bodyguard Yun Shen by your side."
"The Crown Prince is going to war?"
Xiao Junqi said, "Jing Che is in a coma, the Sheng family has been exiled, and my father has no choice but to send me to the Western Border. I have fought with Xie Daoqing."
Although the emperor of Dayong was Emperor Zhaoyuan, the Xie family was the most powerful family in Dayong, and this matter was probably orchestrated by the Xie family.
Gu Youan looked at Xiao Junqi and said, "Xie Daoqing's visit is ill-intentioned. Take care."
Xiao Junqi smiled and said, "Are you worried about me?"
Gu Youan paused for a moment and said, "I'm worried that if you die, I won't be able to become the Crown Princess."
Xiao Junqi lowered his head and said, "Don't worry, as long as you live, you will always be my Crown Princess."
"Sheng Jingche and I are waiting for you to come back in Shengguo."
"good."
From their initial confrontation to their current peace, a deeper bond has formed between them. With childbirth imminent, she must infuse her own blood into the Emperor's Sword.
Xiao Junqi will be heading to the battlefield soon. Having missed this opportunity to enter the library, he doesn't know when he will be able to enter the Emperor's Ship again.
She paused for a moment and then said, "I'll go to the battlefield with you."
"No, the battlefield is bloody. How can a pregnant woman like you go to such a place?"
Gu Youan pursed his lips and said, "I want to take the Emperor's Ship to the battlefield."
"Are you worried..." Xiao Junqi's fingers trembled slightly.
“The Xie family came prepared. Ye Qingchen is a member of the Ye family. I haven’t received any messages from them for a long time. I’m worried that they sent troops because they fear something might happen to me.” Due to the lack of communication between the two places, Gu Youan was worried that the other party might misjudge her situation.
"Good." If Xia'an City is breached, the defenses of Sheng Kingdom will be broken, and the fall of Shengjing City will be imminent.
"I'll take you away after the investiture ceremony." He glanced at her belly.
"Your Highness, a sword has been delivered from the library." A voice sounded from outside the door, and Gu Youan glanced warily at the door.
Gu Youan sat upright, and a maid with a sword walked up to her. Xiao Junqi ripped the sword off.
A rusty sword appeared before him. Gu Youan reached out and stroked the sword. This sword was no different from the others.
“This…” Gu Youan frowned.
Xiao Junqi said, "Everyone thought the Emperor's Sword was incredibly magnificent, with the blade separated. This sword can only shine again in the hands of the one who wields it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Youan eagerly pricked his finger and dripped blood onto the sword. Xiao Junqi grabbed his arm and shook his head, saying, "Wait."
Gu Youan frowned and looked at him, saying, "What are you waiting for? The situation at the front is critical. If this is just a piece of scrap metal, how will you defeat the army of Dayong?"
Xiao Junqi said, "Don't you care about the child in your womb?"
Gu Youan said with a dim look in his eyes, "With the two countries at war and the world in chaos, how can he possibly survive?"
Better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos.
Her blood dripped down, but the sword remained unchanged. Gu Youan watched all this in astonishment.
Xiao Junqi held her hand and said, "Perhaps it's just a rumor."
Gu Youan's eyes dimmed. The Emperor needed to be rebuilt. If the war did not end, all the years of effort would be wasted.
Gu Youan took a deep breath and said, "I will accompany you to the battlefield. I am a princess sent for peace, and I am responsible for maintaining peace between the two countries."
War has nothing to do with women, yet women bear the consequences.
Gu Youan's eyes flickered slightly. She looked into Xiao Junqi's eyes and said, "I am carrying Xie Daoqing's child. I am the guardian of the Emperor's ship. If I go to the front line, everything will have a chance to turn around."
Xiao Junqi's eyes darted around. "I'll take Sheng Jingche with me."
With the Sheng family convicted, Xiao Junqi couldn't trust anyone. Only by personally taking Sheng Jingche with him could he feel at ease.
"good."
Tomorrow is the investiture ceremony. Everyone is very well prepared. After the ceremony, Xiao Junqi will go to the battlefield.
She looked up and said, "I want to see Empress Sheng."
She sympathized with the woman, whose parents were separated and whose adopted daughter had died, but she also wanted to know what Empress Sheng meant by those words that day.
"The Empress Dowager is currently insane; if you go there now, you might accidentally hurt yourself."
"I want to know what role the Gu family played in this whole affair."
Xiao Junqi said, "Alright, I'll go with you."
"The Eastern Palace cannot have only one Crown Princess. I will choose another person to serve you tomorrow."
"Okay!" Xiao Junqi did not ask for the reason. Gu Youan was steady in her actions, and she must have her own reasons.
"I am currently pregnant, and I wish to hand over the affairs of the Crown Prince's Palace to the concubine. If you have any good candidates, please let me know." The more people here, the better. There are too many spies planted in the Crown Prince's Palace, and the focus of the Crown Prince's Palace cannot be on her.
"You don't need to ask me about the affairs of the Eastern Palace. Now that you have become the Crown Princess, you are the mistress of this place, and you have the right to execute anyone here at any time."
They are now in the same boat; only by working together can they defeat the enemy.
She paused, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, then pulled out the gold hairpin from her hair and threw it out. Birds outside the window flapped their wings, and Xiao Junqi slapped his hand towards the door.
Gu Youan and he quickly pushed open the door, and standing outside was Empress Sheng.
"What's going on?" Gu Youan looked down at Empress Sheng's eyes, which were lifeless and looked like she had long since gone mad, but Gu Youan still felt that there was something strange about it.
How could a crazy empress appear here? She took out a silver needle and stabbed it into her arm, but Empress Sheng did not dodge at all.
He abruptly withdrew his hand, and the silver needle pierced Xiao Junqi's arm.
"Ah!" Blood seeped out, and Xiao Junqi looked down at the bloodstains on his arm.
Gu Youan pulled Empress Sheng into the house.
"Aren't you overthinking it, You'an?"
Gu Youan shook her head and said, "I didn't think much about it. I just felt that she knew something."
How could a crazy empress come to the East Palace? The East Palace has been uninhabited for more than ten years, empty and desolate, which even Gu Youan found a bit eerie.
Empress Sheng reigned for many years, always dignified and elegant, never making a single wrong move. Why did she become so insane after the incident?
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