Princess Sheng An was at a loss.
She looked at Zhou Gu, letting out a deep sigh, "Gu’er, I just asked you, but you didn’t answer. Now I ask you again, you insist on seeking an answer, what is your purpose?"
She reminded him heavily, "You’ve already broken off the engagement with Su Rong! She’s not yours anymore, you can’t interfere with her affairs, and she doesn’t need your involvement. If it weren’t for the persistent advice from your grandfather, she would probably want to sever ties with the Duke Residence cleanly, releasing all connections. Do you understand?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Zhou Gu lowered his head and said softly, "I understand."
That day Su Rong came to break off the engagement, she was resolute and decisive, not leaving a single string attached. The piercing words she said still echo in his mind.
He raised his head, looking at Princess Sheng An, his eyes reddening, "Grandmother, if you insist on asking my purpose, then I will tell you, I can’t accept it."
Princess Sheng An was momentarily rigid, "What can’t you accept? Can’t accept being abandoned?"
"No." Zhou Gu shook his head and uttered word by word, "I can’t accept, that from today on, she has nothing to do with me."
Princess Sheng An sighed in relief, her tone was soft, "She still has something to do with you. There is the old friendship between us, you can consider her as a childhood friend in the future, and doesn’t she also call you Brother Zhou?"
Zhou Gu stared straight at Princess Sheng An, "My grandmother knows what I mean, do you want me to say it more explicitly?"
A stiffness crossed Princess Sheng An’s face.
"Grandfather told me to ask Su Rong, and you also asked me to inquire Su Rong. Very well, I will go ask her now." Zhou Gu stood up, seemingly determined, "If she doesn’t tell me, then I will follow her until she gives me an answer."
Having said that, he turned and walked towards the door.
At the doorway, he bumped head-on into the old duke, who glared at him, "You go back."
Zhou Gu halted, calmly looking at the old duke.
The old duke threw out a sentence, "You want to know, don’t you? I’ll tell you!"
Zhou Gu turned around and followed the old duke back into the room.
The old Duke sat down and looked at Zhou Gu, "Before I tell you, recount the reason I gave you to pursue scholarly learning."
Zhou Gu pursed his lips, "Grandfather, you once said that since my three brothers were all in the army, there was no place for me there. The Duke Residence’s glory had already peaked, and if I were to join the army as well, I would merely be picking up the crumbs. Though I might have a successful military career, I would spend my whole life bound by the shackles of nepotism. But if I cast aside the martial path and pursued the literary one, studying astronomy, geography, history, and literature, increasing my knowledge and wisdom, assisting a wise ruler, promoting state affairs, and leaving my name in history, I could also accomplish great feats."
"Good, you remember what I said to you back then." The old Duke looked at him, "Once I tell you the answer, I hope you will remember this discussion too."
Zhou Gu paused but eventually nodded.
The old Duke was waiting for this nod and then said: "Su Rong is not the biological daughter of the Inspector Su Xu of Jiangzhou. Her true identity is the daughter of Princess Zhenmin of Daliang and the Nanchu King, protectorate of Daliang."
Zhou Gu was shocked and sat up straight.
His mind was buzzing, and he wanted to blurt out, "How could that be?", but he didn’t utter it. The buzzing in his head wouldn’t stop.
"You have studied the history of Daliang thousands of times, so you should know that Princess Zhenmin, Yan Ruzhen, once saved Daliang in times of danger with her own strength. She agreed to a political marriage which caused her death in Dawei. It made Dawei retreat, return the city and sign a thirty-year peace treaty." The old Duke’s voice was filled with sorrow and helplessness, "At that time, the Nanchu King was still the Nanchu Crown Prince. He admired Zhenmin, but Zhenmin loved Xie Yuan. They had sworn their hearts to each other and only awaited the royal decree of marriage. Dawei invaded; your uncles died in that war. No matter how many people the Duke Residence buried, the decline in Daliang was unstoppable; the cities were lost one after the other. The fact that Daliang couldn’t afford a war was clear. Supplies couldn’t reach our troops, and our soldiers could only bear the pain and fight desperately. I went into battle, but it was nothing more than a death sentence. The Nanchu King was already double-crossing Daliang by standing idly by. It was Zhenmin who bit her lip and went to the Nanchu Crown Prince, Chu Rong. Chu Rong already admired her, so for her, he persuaded the Nanchu King and eventually convinced him to help Daliang. They signed a marriage agreement, and Zhenmin left for Nanchu. Nanchu sent troops and together with Daliang, they resisted Dawei."
The old Duke said this with detest: "But Dawei had long harbored ambitions and could not accept this outcome. So, they instigated the Nangong Family of Nanchu from the shadows. At the same time, they sent people to negotiate peace with Daliang. But the condition for peace was Princess Zhenmin’s marriage to Dawei. Or else, Dawei would continue the war; who would have the final victory was unclear. You should note, the Nangong Family held control over half of Nanchu’s court. If the Nangong Family sought power at this time, then the Nanchu Royal Family would be burned by their internal strife. If a war occurred under these circumstances, there would be only one outcome, that Daliang would be in danger, and it would be foreseeable that Daliang is no match for Dawei."
The old Duke sighed deeply, "So, Zhenmin had no choice but to plead with Chu Rong to let her go. Three months later, Chu Rong tore up the marriage contract and let her leave Nanchu. She went back to Daliang and married into Dawei. But after she arrived in Dawei, she discovered that she was pregnant with Chu Rong’s child. She couldn’t bear to abandon it, so she bit her lip and plotted the struggle for the Dawei throne. She faked her death amidst the chaos and escaped Dawei. The events that followed, you already know. Dawei, due to its internal strife, lost its will to invade and Daliang took the opportunity to demand Dawei to return its cities and signed a thirty-year peace treaty with Dawei. As for Zhenmin, she could only be dead in Dawei; there was no other way. The Imperial Court built a monument for her."
The old Duke said all this in one breath. Seeing Zhou Gu remaining silent, he continued, "After Zhenmin faked her death, she settled in Jiangning County and lived in the Governor’s Residence. Because she was injured in Dawei before and difficulties during the birth of Su Rong laid the foundation for her disease, she passed away when Su Rong was seven. Before her death, she contacted me through a letter for the protection of Su Rong. Of course, without any hesitation, considering the circumstances, I chose you to be the one to form a marriage alliance with her daughter, which gave her peace in her departure."
After finishing, he saw Zhou Gu still silent, and he continued, "Actually, back then, the Emperor already harbored doubts and suspicions about the Duke Residence. But since I had promised to protect Su Rong, I certainly had to keep my promise. Unexpectedly, the Emperor increased the power handed to him year by year, and the Duke Residence was watched closely. I did not dare to send anyone to Jiangning, afraid that she might be targeted. I thought that since she was raised by Su Xu and Xie Yuan, and there were hidden guards to protect her, she would definitely grow up safely. Therefore, until she came of age and Jiangning sent a message that she had grown up, I only then sent you to Jiangning."
The old Duke sighed, "In Jiangning County, how was your relationship with her? Did you notice anyone consistently trying to kill her? You didn’t mention anything when you came back, so I assume you didn’t notice. It wasn’t until she came to the capital to call off the engagement that I asked her only to find out that someone has been attempting to assassinate her for years. That person is the Nanchu Queen."
Zhou Gu stiffened his body instantly.
"These years, I have been keeping an eye on the situation in Nanchu. After the Nanchu King ascended the throne, despite taking many wives and nominating a queen, he did not step into the Imperial Harem. As you know, the Nanchu King has not had a son for many years, and Su Rong has become his only heir. There are precedents in the Nanchu vassal state where women have become the king. The Nanchu Queen hated Zhenmin and naturally Su Rong as well. She could not wait to see Su Rong dead. And for years the Nanchu Royal Family has been fighting for the succession of the throne. Considering the situation in Nanchu, how many people would be happy to see Su Rong alive? On the other hand, could it be that even if Su Rong did not want to go to Nanchu to fight for the throne, she wouldn’t have to? Sooner or later, she would have to go to Nanchu, and you..."
The old Duke paused, and then said heavily, "You are supposed to be an Auxiliary Minister of Daliang, to have your name go down in history. Would you go to Nanchu and become her King Consort?"
Zhou Gu froze entirely, unmoving and silent.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
