Gu Xingnuo and Gu Xingyan were handcuffed and pushed into the imperial study by two palace guards from outside the door. They knelt on the ground. Because they lowered their heads, no one could see what the brothers looked like.
Xianzong looked at the Gu brothers and snorted coldly.
Young Master Gu touched his forehead to the ground and said to Emperor Xianzong with a choked voice: "Your Majesty, I am a sinner who deserves death."
Young Master Gu didn't say anything. He knew it was just an act, but now that he was immersed in the situation, he felt uncomfortable all over.
Xianzong continued to curse, and he looked very emotional, but the careful ministers could sense that the emperor's curse was much gentler than his previous one.
The Gu brothers knelt on the ground, bowed their heads and said nothing, looking as if they were waiting to die. When they heard Emperor Xianzong say that he had pardoned their death sentences and asked them to make meritorious contributions while serving their sentences, Gu Xingyan was unable to act. However, Young Master Gu was shocked and knocked his head heavily to the ground, choking with sobs and unable to speak.
A palace guard came forward and removed the shackles from the Gu brothers.
Xianzong flicked his sleeves and said, "The Ministry of Revenue should submit a report to me as soon as possible about the situation in the city. Everyone, please leave."
After paying their respects, the ministers withdrew. No one dared to ask Emperor Xianzong at this time, "Is Gu Xingnuo still the prime minister?"
The Gu brothers also left the imperial study. It was clearly a group of people walking out, but there was no one within three steps around them.
Yingnianyun came out of the imperial study and was about to go to the Gu brothers, but the eldest son Gu shook his head at his uncle and bowed.
The British scholar stopped.
The second young master Gu followed his elder brother's example and bowed to Yingnianyun. He was in a very bad mood at the moment, and his expression, in the eyes of others, was one of helplessness and humiliation.
The British scholar sighed and turned away.
Seeing this, the other ministers who wanted to talk to the Gu brothers had to leave without saying a word.
"Imperial Physician, call the Imperial Physician!"
Before the ministers left the front courtyard gate, the eunuchs' shouts were heard from the imperial study. The ministers were immediately panicked again. Is this the nth time that Emperor Xianzong has urgently summoned the imperial physician today?
Not long after, a young eunuch ran out of the imperial study, went straight to the commander of the imperial guards on duty, and whispered a few words.
The commander bowed to the imperial study, and then said to the ministers who stayed in the courtyard: "The emperor orders you to leave quickly. Do your job and don't betray the emperor's grace!"
The ministers knelt down again to receive the order and left the front courtyard door of the imperial study.
The last minister to leave stood at the gate and looked back. He saw several imperial doctors hurriedly running from the side hall to the imperial study. The eunuch leading the way kept urging them to hurry up.
Gu Xingnuo and Gu Xingyan followed the ministers out of the front courtyard gate. The two brothers walked slower and slower, and finally reached the end. They stopped at an intersection and parted ways with the ministers.
"Where are you going?" Young Master Gu tugged at his collar and asked his elder brother irritably.
The smile on the face of the eldest young master Gu was rare. He looked at the second young master Gu sternly and said, "What are you doing?"
Gu Xingyan stood up straight because of Gu Xingnuo's glare.
"Can you be more difficult than Xing Lang?" asked Young Master Gu.
Gu Xingyan drooped his lips and shook his head.
"Come with me to see His Majesty," said Young Master Gu, "Put away your temper. You are now in front of two armies, and you cannot let your emotions get the better of you."
"Got it," Young Master Gu responded honestly.
Xianzong lay on the dragon couch in the inner hall again, with a wet towel covering his forehead. When the Gu brothers followed the secret guards in, the imperial doctors had already left.
"No need to bow," Xianzong said to the Gu brothers who were about to kneel down to bow to him, "Come closer and talk."
Gu Xingnuo and Gu Xingyan stood in front of Xianzong's bed.
Xianzong held the wet towel on his forehead and whispered, "Gu Xiaoer will return to his hometown immediately. Yan Ruo, write a letter in person and ask Gu Chen to return to Fengjing as soon as possible."
The second young master Gu received the order, while the eldest young master Gu said to Emperor Xianzong: "Your Majesty, my grandfather is already on his way back to Fengjing."
"Use him to speed up his journey," Xianzong said, "After I leave the capital, the Seventh Prince will be placed in his army and he will take care of him."
Young Master Gu's eyes darkened, and he accepted the order and said, "I obey your order."
The Jiang father and son led the troops stationed in Fengjing, while Yu Ziyi was in Gu Chen's army. This was undoubtedly a means of checks and balances for Emperor Xianzong. In the future court, the Gu family did not want Yu Ziyi to be close to the Jiang family, and the Jiang family was the same. However, these two families were both helpers for Yu Ziyi to become emperor. Therefore, the power was in your hands and the people were in my hands. There was no possibility of fighting against each other, but they were wary of each other in their hearts. This was the situation that Emperor Xianzong most wanted to see.
"Gu Xiaoer," Xianzong said to Gu Ershao, "After you return to your hometown, it is almost time for Mo Wen to order all believers to go to the Yongsheng Temple to protect the Buddha. Anyone who wants to go to the Yongsheng Temple through the hometown will be killed without mercy."
Young Master Gu said, "Your Majesty, there are many caravans at the border. I am afraid that there will be too many people going out of the border, and it will be difficult for me to distinguish them."
"Then retreat," Xianzong said, "If you let one believer out, we will have one more opponent for our army. Gu Xiaoer, do you understand what I mean?"
Gu Xingyan's expression froze, and he bowed and said, "I obey your order."
"No matter whether you are male or female, old or young," Xianzong looked at Gu Ershao and said, "Anyone who attempts to break through the pass and gathers in front of the pass and refuses to leave will be killed."
"I obey your order," Gu Xingyan said again.
Xianzong was very glad that the two brothers of the Gu family were ruthless people who were used to killing people. If a civil official were in front of him at this moment, his decree might be accused of being cruel and inhumane.
Gu Xingnuo said to Gu Ershao at this time: "There may be believers in the army. If these people want to break through, you can stop them. If they break through, you don't have to chase them. Let them follow their Buddha."
Gu Xingyan raised his eyebrows and said, "I can hold the pass."
"We must not provoke a mutiny in the army," Young Master Gu said coldly, "If we keep these people in the army, when the two armies really confront each other, aren't you afraid of being stabbed in the back by these people?"
The second young master Gu was silenced by the first young master Gu.
Xianzong sighed heavily and said, "How about this. When Gu Xiaoer is about to reach the pass, send someone to pass the message to Guanzhong, saying that we are going to fight to the death with the Eternal Life Temple. Let those people in the army who are determined to follow Mo Wen go."
The second young master Gu said, "Your Majesty, why do you stop the civilians but not the soldiers?" Soldiers can fight, and even if the civilians go to the Temple of Eternal Life, their fighting power is not to be feared. How can they only stop the civilians and not the soldiers?
Xianzong takes care of Xingnuo.
Young Master Gu said immediately, "The army needs to be purged, but killing soldiers in the army will inevitably ruin morale. As for the civilians, stopping them is firstly for their own good, so that they will not die, and secondly to scare the civilians who come later. Soldiers and civilians are different. Xingyan, do you understand?"
Gu Xingyan glanced at his hands, which were about to be stained with blood again. "Your Majesty, I will never disgrace your command," the second young master Gu knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Emperor Xianzong to promise.
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