It was an unbearably hot summer day. The cooling water in the carriage had to be changed countless times along the way. After traveling for more than ten days, Ye Wanshu finally returned to Lin'an City.
Looking at the familiar city gate and recalling the scene when she left, Ye Wanshu felt a lot of emotion in her heart.
She knew that if she could not overthrow Queen Mother Gu this time, Lin'an City would become her permanent prison just like in her previous life.
"Father, please take Chu Lin back home first."
Putting the curtain back in place, Ye Wanshu instructed, "Father, please also take good care of Chu Lin, considering that Concubine Qin has served you for many years and gave birth to Ning Yue for you."
Thinking of Ning Yue's death, Ji Yuan's heart ached. He nodded slowly and said, "Don't worry, Wanwan. Father will send someone to take good care of him."
Thinking about returning to the Ji family again, Qin Chulin grabbed Ye Wanshu's arm with some fear.
Ye Wanshu smiled and patted the little one's head. "Big sister will be back in a few days. You promised big sister that you would take the imperial examination and become the top scholar in the future. Daddy will arrange the best tutor for you."
Ji Yuan also patted his shoulder lightly and said in a deep voice: "Your elder sister loves you very much. From now on, I will treat you as my own son. You just need to listen to your elder sister."
"Thank you, Master. Chulin will take note of this." Qin Chulin responded meekly, but looked at Ye Wanshu anxiously, "Big sister, if you go to the Duke of Rong's mansion, will that young master let you go home?"
This matter also gave Ji Yuan a headache, and he looked at his daughter anxiously.
Ye Wanshu smiled calmly, "Father, you and Chu Lin don't have to worry. Father only needs to complete the tasks I instructed, and Gu Tingchen will have no choice but to let me return home."
Ji Yuan thought about it and nodded. Once the marriage was decided, that bastard would have no reason to force his daughter to stay.
Ye Wanshu said goodbye to the two men and was about to get off the carriage when Ji Yuan suddenly called her.
Carefully pulling out a red scroll from his pocket, Ji Yuan gestured, "This is the marriage certificate from Prince Yongning's Palace. Look..."
Ye Wanshu felt warm at heart, but she was also a little amused. Her cheap father didn't take any of the betrothal gifts in Taowu's yard, but he was still thinking about the marriage certificate.
"Father, please keep it safe for your daughter."
Just as Ye Wanshu finished speaking, she heard a warm and urgent low voice calling out.
"Where is Wanwan? Why didn't father arrange a separate carriage for her? How could he let her ride in the same carriage with that sinister person from the Ji family?"
Hearing Gu Tingchen's voice, Ye Wanshu's face turned cold, and she immediately lifted the curtain and walked out.
After two months of separation, Gu Tingchen couldn't hide his smile when he saw his cousin again, and walked up to her excitedly.
"Wanwan, you're finally back in Lin'an." Gu Tingchen happily stretched out his hand and was about to help her get off the carriage, but Ye Wanshu lifted up her skirt and jumped down by herself.
Gu Tingchen's eyes darkened. Seeing the strange looks around him, he calmly followed and continued to explain, "Wanwan, you must believe that your cousin has no ill intentions. He is just worried that you will be plotted against by someone if you stay alone in Yuezhou."
Ye Wanshu glared at him coldly, "Gu Tingchen, what kind of person is considered a traitor in your eyes?"
"Anyone who dares to do anything bad to you is a wicked person," Gu Tingchen said angrily.
After saying that, he said to Caiju and Qiuli with a sullen face: "What are you standing there for? Send the cousin back home."
Seeing that he was about to forcibly take her away, Ji Yunze's heart tightened, and he hurried forward to stop him and said: "Master Gu, it is up to the princess to decide where she wants to go. You have no right to interfere."
"You nerd, you've become quite capable." Gu Tingchen shook his head with disdain, walked nonchalantly to Ji Yunze, and said with a smile, "Why, I didn't look for you, but you came to me and wanted to die?"
Ji Yunze looked at him coldly, his brows tightly knitted together.
Having suffered an assassination attempt by him once, Ji Yunze is now much more wary of him and is not afraid of him using any despicable means again.
"Young Master Gu, even though the Empress Dowager favors you, our Daye Dynasty still has rules and regulations. If you disrespect the princess again, I will ask the Empress Dowager to punish you even if I have to kneel in front of the Cining Palace for a long time." Ji Yunze warned solemnly.
Ye Wanshu had already seen that her uncle was planning to use Ji Yunze to quell the turmoil.
Things have come to this point. I am afraid that both Empress Dowager Gu and the Emperor are in a difficult situation. They each need a way out before they can give an explanation to the civil and military officials in the court.
And Ji Yunze is the best stepping stone.
Ye Wanshu could probably guess what this man was thinking. He was stirring up conflicts between the imperial court and the Yongning Palace, surely because he wanted to eliminate the two major forces, the Gu family and the Yongning Palace, for the emperor. However, he forgot the principle that the lips and teeth are cold.
If the Gu family and the Yuezhou army were to suffer mutual defeat, once the northern invaders moved south, the Daye Dynasty would be doomed to destruction.
She admired Ji Yunze's talent and character very much. If he were born in a peaceful and prosperous era, he would surely become a wise official. It was a pity that the world could not tolerate such an upright person as him.
Looking at Caiju and Qiuli, Ye Wanshu first instructed, "Wait for me by the carriage. I'll have a few words with Master Ji and then return home."
It seemed like he was telling it to the maids, but actually he was telling it to Gu Tingchen.
"Wanwan, what else do you have to say to him?" Gu Tingchen said with a frown.
"Gu Tingchen, don't go too far."
Ye Wanshu shouted angrily and walked straight towards the moat.
Chunhong and Xingtao led Ji Yunze away, and Gu Tingchen watched silently. He wanted to stop them forcibly, but thinking that his cousin had just returned to Lin'an, he didn't want to make her unhappy because of such a small matter. He just clenched his fists secretly and sat back on his horse with a gloomy face.
Watching Ji Yunze approach, Ye Wanshu said bluntly, "Master Ji, there are some things I should have explained to you in Yuzhou. I know you've always harbored resentment about our relationship."
Hearing this, Ji Yunze hurriedly shook his head: "Princess, I have never blamed you. I know that I have failed you and almost implicated you."
Then he made a solemn promise: "Please give me some more time. I will definitely give you a peaceful and stable life and never let you suffer any grievances again."
Ye Wanshu shook her head. "Master Ji, I didn't rescue you because I wanted any promises from you. I just wanted you to live in peace."
"But I..." Ji Yunze hesitated, "But I want Princess Xu to live in peace."
"Mr. Ji's talk of a peaceful life, does that mean framing King Yongning and causing chaos?" Ye Wanshu raised an eyebrow. "Just for you and me, are you going to let countless lives be destroyed?"
"I didn't frame Prince Yongning," Ji Yunze said righteously. "He's just a member of the imperial family from outside the vassal state. He killed an official appointed by the imperial court without authorization. Shouldn't he be punished? If every official were like him, what justice and law would there be in this world?"
Ye Wanshu sneered, "With treachery and miserliness reigning supreme, how can we maintain peace in a chaotic world without iron-fisted tactics?"
These words made Ji Yunze stunned.
Those people from the Pacification Commissioner's Office really deserved to be killed. It's a pity that the imperial power is weak now, and Empress Dowager Gu allowed it to happen, causing harm to the people.
Looking at the entire Daye Dynasty, Fu Mingchi is probably the only royal family member who still thinks about benefiting the people.
But the law is unforgiving. Even if he is a vassal king, he should be punished the same as the common people if he kills court officials without authorization.
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