Seeing Ye Guixue agree, Zhou Gu gave a radiant smile.
Zhang Yun turned his head to look at Zhou Gu again, thinking that with this self-confidence, he could be invincible in the world.
Ye Guixue was also dazzled by Zhou Gu’s smile. He would never be like Zhou Gu - laughing heartily when he wanted to laugh, radiating arrogance like a bright moon when he wanted to present himself.
It was understandable that Su Rong fell for him, retreated from her original determination, softened her heart for him, and gave up the option of selecting him. He had to admit, he didn’t feel wronged losing to such a man.
The young master of the Duke Residence, Zhou Gu, was someone who he, and perhaps everyone else, had underestimated.
Zhou Gu suppressed his laughter, "Now, let’s discuss Brother Guixue. I think it’s better sooner rather than later. After our discussion, why not enter the palace right away to see the king? Then it would be best to have someone leave the palace in your carriage. Brother Zhang Yun and I will take them directly out of the royal capital. As for whether the Nangong family and the Liu’an Prince will discover this, how long it will take for them to discover, and what to do afterwards, it’s up to you and Ye Xiang Residence." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
After he finished speaking, he asked Ye Guixue, "Brother Guixue, can you make the decision on behalf of Ye Xiang Residence?"
"I can make half the decision." Ye Guixue responded, "I won’t tell my father about this matter first. If the king agrees, then leave it to me. As long as the king agrees and leaves with you, I will let him know afterwards."
Ye Guixue understood Ye Xiang’s temperament well - overly cautious. He had obviously decided to act first and report later.
"Alright, once we’re in your territory, we naturally follow your lead. We will only be responsible for taking the people away. I will take care of the king’s protection after leaving the royal capital." Zhou Gu thought that Ye Guixue being able to make half of the decision was good enough. After all, Ye Xiang and his elder brother had the final say. The fact that Guixue decided to act first and report later showed considerable decisiveness.
So, the three of them discussed how to remove the Nanchu King and how to leave the royal capital for most of the hour.
Half an hour later, Ye Guixue said to the two of them, "You rest in my courtyard. I’ll go into the palace now. If things go smoothly, I’ll send someone to deliver a message to you."
"Alright." Zhou Gu nodded.
Thus, without further delay, Ye Guixue prepared his carriage in the middle of the night and left Ye Xiang Residence to go to the royal palace.
In the royal palace, the Nanchu King had not yet rested. His injuries were not healed, and with no sign of Su Rong, he received news that someone had stirred up the secret agents of the Nangong family and the royal family hidden everywhere. He thought it was Su Rong, and he was extremely anxious, fearing that she could not withstand the three rulers and assassins sent by the Nangong family. He had originally wanted to send people to support her, but Ye Xiang had desperately stopped him.
Ye Xiang, kneeling on the ground, vehemently persuaded the king that he could not be left without a large number of guards. If the number of people sent was too few, it would be useless, if too many, how could they protect the king? If there was the slightest oversight, endangering the life of the king, then all would be in vain.
Ye Xiang went on to say that since the princess dared to step into Nanchu and confront the forces of the Nangong family and the Liu’an Prince, she was obviously prepared and not afraid. She has her own ideas and plans. If the king abruptly interferes, it may disrupt her plans or actions, putting the princess in a passive position. The king’s top priority now was to protect himself and not give the Nangong family and the Liu’an Prince another chance to harm him.
The Nanchu King was burning with impatience but he was ultimately a person who would listen to advice. Seeing Ye Xiang’s haggard face, he had no choice but to give up, as Ye Xiang had also been the target of several assassination attempts recently, and was struggling to cope with the forces of the Nangong family and the Liu’an Prince.
Therefore, given the current severe situation and his worries about Su Rong, the Nanchu King was restless and could not sleep. Even after turning off the lights and lying in bed so late, he found it hard to fall asleep.
Looking at the tent ceiling, the Nanchu King gritted his teeth and resolved that no matter what, he had to see his daughter.
It was the middle of the night, and the imperial palace was quiet.
The sleeping palace of the Nanchu King was even quieter.
Until an eunuch called out softly from outside, "Your Majesty, the Second Young Master Ye wishes to meet you."
The Nanchu King instantly sat up, "Quickly let him in."
He hardly hesitated and knew that if Ye Guixue had come late at night, he must have important matters to discuss.
The personal attendant eunuch, Li He, quickly opened the palace door and whispered, "Please enter, Second Young Master Ye. His Majesty is not asleep yet."
He walked in and lit the lamp in the palace.
The Nanchu King, sitting on the bed, watched Ye Guixue walk in. Without waiting for him to show respect, he promptly asked, "Guixue, do you have news of Su Rong?"
Ye Guixue nodded and shook his head, "Your Majesty, I indeed entered the palace late at night because it has to do with the princess."
The Nanchu King waved his hand, "Li He, leave us. Keep a close watch on those in the palace, and don’t allow anyone to send news outside the palace that Guixue has come to see me."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Li He promptly left.
After everyone had left the hall, Ye Guixue and the Nanchu King sat down, Ye Guixue moved closer to the Nanchu King. Despite the fact that the palace was filled with the king’s own people, he still lowered his voice to tell the King in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Your Majesty, the person who is still in Daliang dealing with matters and hasn’t come here is the princess. The one who has come is Zhou Gu from the Duke Residence."
"What?" The Nanchu King was surprised, "Why did he come? What is he doing here? Is he helping Su Rong? So, the hidden forces of the Nangong family and the royal family were his doing?"
"Yes." Ye Guixue nodded, answering each question, "The reason he came to Nanchu is because he gave up everything in Daliang to follow the princess here. He has her handwritten marriage document and was chosen by the princess herself as the prince’s wife. Since the princess couldn’t get away, he came in advance to help the king. The hidden forces of the Nangong family and the royal family were attacked by him and Zhang Yun."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Now that he has arrived in the royal capital, he saw me at Ye Xiang Residence tonight and discussed a tactic with me to break through the current stalemate. I think this tactic is feasible, so I’m here to discuss it with you."
The Nanchu King was even more surprised, "He got rid of the assassins sent by the Nangong family? He has actually arrived in the capital? Does the Nangong family know about it?"
"They probably don’t." Ye Guixue shook his head, "Lord Thursday is very capable and cunning. The Nangong family and the Liu’an Prince probably think that the person who came to our country is the princess, and do not know that it is him."
The Nanchu King nodded, "Tell me in detail, what tactic does he have? Why did he come here first? What is Su Rong doing in Daliang? Why couldn’t she get away?"
"I didn’t inquire closely about what the princess is doing in Daliang." Ye Guixue spoke in a gentle voice, "After listening to me, if you agree with this plan, you can meet Zhou Gu and ask in detail about the princess’s business in Daliang."
"That’s fine, you go ahead!" The Nanchu King nodded.
Ye Guixue then told the Nanchu King of Zhou Gu’s proposal - secretly taking the Nanchu King out of the capital, protecting him from the public eye, so that he won’t sit in the palace and be a live target for the Nangong family and the Liu’an Prince. He explained the countermeasure to protect Nanchu and the king himself, as well as Ye Xiang Residence.
After hearing it, the Nanchu King was silent for a moment, "Not a bad idea. I haven’t left the royal capital for more than ten years."
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