The banners that covered the sky almost obscured the entire Huizhou city. Even Empress Dowager Gu, who had experienced many storms, felt frightened at the sight of such a spectacular scene.
"Has there been any news from Tingchen?" Empress Dowager Gu asked Gu Ye anxiously.
If her nephew cannot quickly capture Yuezhou, she may not be able to turn the tide this time.
Seeing Gu Ye lower his head with a gloomy expression, Empress Dowager Gu had already made up her mind. She sighed silently, squinted her eyes and looked down at the city, and said loudly: "Gu An, you traitorous bastard, what benefits did the emperor promise you that are worth you risking your life for him?"
Gu An secretly glanced at Fu Mingchi beside him and said in a deep voice, "Prince Yongning, I have nothing else to ask for now. There are only two things that worry me. First, I ask Your Highness to fulfill His Majesty's promise and treat the Gu family members well in the future."
After a pause, he continued, "The second thing is, my Gu family owes Wanwan a lot. I hope you won't let her down in this life."
"Duke Rong is a man of high moral character. I will not go back on my word."
Thinking of Wan'er who was still waiting for him in the capital, Fu Mingchi was already eager to return home: "As for Wan'er, there is no need for Duke Rong to worry about her."
Gu An nodded thoughtfully: "Your Highness, please wait a moment."
After saying this, he pulled the reins and slowly walked forward. When he reached the floating bridge, he looked up at the top of the city wall and shouted, "Aunt, the situation is over. Stop it and don't kill any more innocent soldiers."
Queen Mother Gu looked down at the high-spirited Daye army below the city, then looked at the people around her, all of whom were dejected, and her heart suddenly became depressed.
"Aunt, have you forgotten how we escaped from Beidu thirty years ago?"
Gu An earnestly advised, "Royal relatives, civilians throughout the city, millions of people were ravaged by the northern invaders' cavalry, and less than 30% of those who crossed the river to Lin'an survived. Do you still want to watch such a tragedy happen again?"
Thinking of the tragic scene in Beidu back then, Empress Dowager Gu still felt a lingering fear in her heart. It was a nightmare she did not want to look back on.
"Am I really wrong?" Queen Mother Gu said with a trembling voice and slowly closed her eyes.
"Aunt, surrender." Gu Ye advised in a deep voice: "You are His Majesty's biological mother. It was you who rescued him from Lin'an and helped him ascend to the throne. As long as you are willing to surrender, His Majesty will be magnanimous and will let you spend your old age in peace."
Queen Mother Gu leaned her hands tightly against the city wall, pondered for a long time, and finally compromised: "Open the city."
Gu Ye was about to send someone down to pass on his order, but he saw Gu Tingchen coming up with a knife in hand: "Let's see who dares."
Striding quickly to the Empress Dowager Gu, Gu Tingchen flew into a rage, "Auntie, are you so easily deceived? You've trapped the old emperor in the palace for decades. If you surrender today, how could he easily forgive you?"
Queen Mother Gu's expression froze: "Has Yuezhou been taken?"
Gu Tingchen sighed helplessly.
"If that's the case, what bargaining chips do you still have?" Queen Mother Gu lamented, "Do you really want the 100,000 soldiers of Huizhou to be buried with you?"
"Huizhou is an important city for the imperial court, with ample food and fodder. Why can't we fight for it?"
Gu Tingchen angrily glanced at the leisurely Fu Mingchi below the city walls. "Wanwan and I have been childhood sweethearts. We've known each other since we were young. When I first saw her, I vowed to marry her. How can I give her up to that bastard Fu Mingchi now?"
"For a woman, you're going to kill so many innocent soldiers?"
The Queen Mother Gu became more and more disappointed as she listened: "Kaesong."
"Grandson will ask aunt one last time, do you really want to surrender?" Gu Tingchen stopped her, furious.
Queen Mother Gu lost her patience and stared at Gu Ye with an extremely determined look.
Gu Tingchen was so angry that his face turned red. He stabbed Empress Dowager Gu in the chest and abdomen with a knife and shouted: "Whoever dares to leave the city and surrender today will suffer the same fate as this old woman."
He then drew out his sharp blade and pushed Queen Mother Gu off the city wall without hesitation.
Everyone watched in horror.
"aunt."
Gu An was heartbroken and immediately dismounted and went forward, hugging Empress Dowager Gu tightly.
"An'er, you are right. I was wrong. I raised a wolf myself." A tear fell, and Mrs. Gu slowly closed her eyes in regret.
"evil creature."
Gu An stood up angrily and glared at the people on the top of the city wall: "How could my Gu family raise a bastard like you who has no respect for the emperor or his father?"
"Father was wrong."
Looking down at the city, Gu Tingchen said fiercely, "All this is your fault. If it weren't for you, my Gu family wouldn't be in this state."
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately looked at the soldiers everywhere and shouted, "Soldiers, if you don't want to become prisoners, follow me and King Yongning to fight to the death today."
Gu Ye suddenly felt embarrassed.
For a moment I didn't know who to listen to.
"Gu Ye, do you want to see the entire Gu family destroyed?" Gu An glared at the city wall with bloodshot eyes. "This evil creature killed his brother and mother, and today he even dared to kill the Queen Mother. He has long lost his humanity. Do you want to follow him and destroy the lives of all the soldiers in Huizhou?"
"Brother." Gu Ye looked at his brother, whom he had always respected the most, at a loss, and he didn't know why he would give up the Gu family.
It was obvious that as long as he was willing to gather the troops from Yezhou and Qinzhou, the Gu family would still have a chance to preserve its wealth and glory.
"Gu Ye, we soldiers have been fighting all our lives to protect our country. How can you bear to watch your brothers killing each other and turn the knife against your own flesh and blood brothers?"
Gu An said sternly, "When you were young, you once accompanied me to the northern border and saw the blood-stained mountains and rivers there. Now the northern invaders are marching south, and you are still aiding and abetting their atrocities. Do you want to become a sinner in the world?"
Gu Ye raised his eyebrows: "But brother, if we give up Huizhou today, it is equivalent to completely giving up the future of the Gu family."
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