Looking at Ye Wanshu, Ji Yunze said in a deep voice, "The Pacification Commissioners exploited the people and abandoned them in times of crisis. They deserve death. However, even if they have committed heinous crimes, the court should make the final decision."
"Who made the decision?" Ye Wanshu demanded. "Your Majesty, or Empress Dowager Gu? Wasn't enough blood shed in Qizhou? Guan Qing's death resulted in a major reshuffle of the Pacification Commissioner's staff, stabilizing Daye's coastal defenses. Isn't this a benefit to the people?"
"You're just making up stories." Ji Yunze was a little dissatisfied, but he still suppressed his anger: "Wanwan, you should just call me Yunze."
Ye Wanshu closed her eyes helplessly: "Master Ji, the past is the past, please..."
"I can't get through it."
Ji Yunze interrupted her angrily: "We could have gotten married smoothly, and from then on, we could have supported each other and become a loving couple that everyone envied. It was this unbearable world that ruined you and me. I want to change this world and give you everything you want. What's wrong with me?"
Looking at Ye Wanshu's indifferent expression, with no trace of her former enthusiasm in her eyes, Ji Yunze's heart was surging like a turbulent wave.
"Wanwan, do you know that during these days of separation from you, I have been unable to sleep or eat, racking my brains to plan how to welcome you back."
Excitedly pulling out the golden hairpin from his bosom, Ji Yunze said in a hoarse voice, "Back when I just came back from the prison at the Pacification Commissioner's Office, I was so ashamed that I almost died because I couldn't protect you. It's this hairpin that has kept me going until now. Don't you really care about our past at all?"
Seeing his excited expression, Ye Wanshu sniffed and sighed softly, "Many things have become extravagant hopes for me. Now I just hope that everyone can live in peace and security, and that no one can make me cry and stay awake all night for him again."
Hearing this, Ji Yunze felt deeply hurt.
He knew that the person he had always loved had changed after all.
"Mr. Ji, you are highly regarded by His Majesty. You should always think about sharing His Majesty's worries instead of just thinking about romantic matters," Ye Wanshu advised earnestly.
Ji Yunze sneered, "Wanwan has fallen in love with Prince Yongning, and invited me here today just to persuade me not to become his enemy?"
"I'm already his wife. This is an irreversible fact. I can only blame fate for playing tricks on me." Ye Wanshu said, "I once thought about trying to be with you, but I can't watch you lose your life for me."
Thinking of Fu Mingchi's resentful eyes on the top of Huizhou City, Ye Wanshu still feels a lingering fear.
"Prince Yongning's lifelong wish was only to recover the northern border for the court, and he never had any ambitions. Even so, there are still so many people who fear him and want to murder him. This time, you deliberately forced him into a desperate situation. Have you ever considered my feelings, or your majesty's feelings?"
Ye Wanshu said unhappily, "He's such a broad-minded man. If he were rude and unreasonable, do you think you could have left Yuezhou alive? Yes, you think you have justice in your heart, but in this world, can justice alone accomplish anything? You keep saying you're doing all this for me, but please think carefully: are you doing this for me, or are you just venting your own frustration?"
A series of questions left Ji Yunze speechless.
"Master Ji, there's no way back for us. Please take care of yourself."
After giving the instructions, Ye Wanshu was about to turn around, but Ji Yunze stopped her unwillingly.
"In the past few months, I have regretted it every day. I regret that if I had been more cautious, Gu Tingchen would not have been able to plot against me, and I would not have implicated you."
Thinking about what happened that day, Ji Yunze wanted to cry but had no tears: "I dare not relax for a moment now. If I relax, I will blame myself immensely, blaming myself for not working harder, blaming myself for being so careless and causing you to almost die in the Pacification Commissioner's Office."
Taking a deep breath with a trembling throat, Ji Yunze almost choked and said, "Sometimes I also wonder if I am really not as good as Prince Yongning. He is willing to fight the world for you and protect you at the cost of his life, while I can only be a burden to you, becoming timid just because of Gu Tingchen's threats."
"I've never blamed you. I know you, like me, have many limitations." Ye Wanshu said calmly, "You've studied hard for ten years, and I don't want you to ruin your statement in a moment of impulse."
"Why don't you blame me? Why don't you hate me?" Ji Yunze was a little annoyed. "He, Fu Mingchi, is a vassal king, and he would sacrifice everything for you. I'm just a poor scholar. Why can't I disregard myself for you?"
At this point, the resentment in his eyes became more intense, and he shouted excitedly: "Do you really care about him, Fu Mingchi? Does he miss you all night like I do? Do you miss him like I do? Do you feel as heartbroken as I do when you think of him?"
Seeing him lose his composure like this for the first time, Ye Wanshu was a little stunned and stared at him with a dull look.
Ji Yunze couldn't hide his anger and grabbed her arm, saying harshly: "You have never had this before."
Ye Wanshu could tell that he was blaming herself for not paying attention to him.
She glanced at Gu Tingchen, who was already approaching with his men in the distance. She shook Ji Yunze off with all her might and said coldly, "Ji Yunze, I've made it clear to you today about what you should and shouldn't say. A craftsman must sharpen his tools before he can do his work well. If you want to achieve great things, you should learn to be patient."
Ji Yunze said with reluctance: "I did all this just to allow you to make your own decisions sooner. It's all for your own good."
"That's only good if I think it's good." Ye Wanshu shook her head helplessly. "Forget it. Things have come to this point. Everything is over. You're the only one who refuses to let go."
After saying that, he immediately walked towards the city gate.
Gu Tingchen glanced disapprovingly at Ji Yunze, who was still standing there in distress, his eyes revealing infinite murderous intent: "Wanwan, did that nerd bully you just now?"
"Gu Tingchen, what do you want to do now?"
Ye Wanshu regarded him warily. Thinking of her own thoughts, she deliberately provoked him, "Don't forget, you're only a young master of the Duke's Mansion. Even though His Majesty respects the Queen Mother, the world of Daye ultimately belongs to the Fu family. You can't act recklessly."
"It seems Wanwan's horizons have broadened after her trip to Yuezhou."
Gu Tingchen pursed his lips with a half-smile, thinking about his plan in Qizhou, and his hidden ambition gradually emerged.
"Wanwan, even if you marry into the Yongning Palace, you'll only be a princess from an outer vassal state. Compared to the nobility of the Duke's Mansion, you're far inferior."
Giving her a faint smile, Gu Tingchen said cryptically, "Don't worry, Wanwan. One day, your cousin will make you a woman that even Prince Yongning wouldn't dare to marry."
Hearing the hidden meaning in his words, Ye Wanshu was secretly delighted.
In this way, it would be much smoother for Empress Dowager Gu to ascend the throne.
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