"Colluding with each other?" Gu Zian said calmly, "It seems that the Crown Prince's wife truly favors His Highness the Crown Prince."
Gu Zian closed his folding fan, turned around, and looked down at Li Lake.
As the sun sets, the river surface glistens with light. The golden afterglow spills onto the water, creating a sparkling effect.
On the other side, there was an empty street.
"Nanlin County is really a good place."
Gu Zian curled his lips, his gaze falling on the dozen or so guards, and murmured, "My brother is really willing to go to such lengths. Is it to win over the Marquis Chong's mansion? But none of that matters anymore."
Gu Zian coldly tossed his folding fan down from the teahouse, accompanied by a light, dismissive voice: "Kill them."
An Qi reacted extremely quickly, instantly appearing beside Li Li in a defensive stance while simultaneously ordering, "Protect Madam and Miss!"
In the blink of an eye, another group of masked men, also dressed in black, appeared on the terrace.
Lili looked closely and, wow, there were so many people that she could hardly see the sky.
How worried was Gu Zi'an?
Gu Zian had a smile on his lips, as if he were looking at a dead man.
The enemy had a large number of people, but the secret guards were not just people in name only.
The guards were selected into the guard camp from a young age and are proficient in all eighteen martial arts. They can excel in both close combat and the use of hidden weapons.
At An Qi's command, more than a dozen guards instantly flew forward to meet them, leaving only two to protect the group from the front and back.
The guards swiftly swung their blades, killing one enemy with each strike, and then strung together two swords in a row.
Like the sharpest dagger in the sunset, or a blade hidden in the shadows, once drawn, its sharpness is sure to be revealed.
The other party was no pushover either, but compared to the carefully trained secret guards of the Dark Guard Camp, they were nothing.
Gu Zian's eyes darkened slightly, and he gritted his teeth: "As expected, the old man gives the best to the eldest son..."
Swords flashed and shadows danced in the air, while on the terrace, a fierce battle raged on.
Bai Yu didn't expect Gu Zi'an to be able to play such a big game. It all started when His Highness the Crown Prince discovered that Zuo Pang, who was the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, had drunk with the First Prince's retainers twice.
The investigation further uncovered the story of Xia Ning's disappearance years ago.
This matter is so significant that it involves three major families.
The most direct target is the Xia family. The Xia family almost lost their beloved daughter, so they must investigate thoroughly. If they can find something wrong with the eldest prince, the Xia family will definitely hand over the evidence. Even if His Majesty only punishes Gu Zian by reducing his salary, the Xia family will still get their revenge.
Secondly, there is the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Xia Ning is not only a young lady of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, but she is also inextricably linked to Gu Zi'an because of the affair between Fu Yue, the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and Fu Li, the daughter of Bai Yun, the eldest sister of Bai Yu.
Thirdly, there is the Chongbo Marquis's Mansion. Ever since the Chongbo Marquis impeached Gu Zian in court, the two sides have been adversaries.
Therefore, the three parties cooperated to weave a giant net, just waiting for Gu Zian to fall into it.
What followed was a natural progression. When the wife of the heir of the Marquis of Chongbo's mansion returned to her hometown with her son, Gu Zian, having heard rumors that the Marquis of Chongbo had pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince, was bound to take some action.
I never expected Gu Zian to be so willing to part with it.
If Gu Zian makes even the slightest mistake in this move, it will be a desperate struggle for survival.
Putting aside the brothers' struggle for the throne, the crime of deceiving the emperor alone is enough to punish Gu Zian.
It should be noted that Gu Zian should be in Jiangnan at this time, not in Nanlin County.
It took Gu Zi'an several years to regain the emperor's trust. If he were to commit the crime of deceiving the emperor now... well, you can imagine what would happen.
Gu Zian looked at Lili, who was calmly staring at him, with amusement, finding it quite amusing.
"Aren't you afraid?"
Lili smiled faintly: "How could I, a mere eight-year-old child, understand these things? I am fearless and unaware of the allure of fame and fortune, nor the dangers of the world."
Gu Zian's lips twitched slightly.
The capital city is full of shrewd people, some of whom know how to speak eloquently. This is the first time he has ever met someone so blunt, so blunt that it seems... like they're treating him like a fool.
Lili certainly didn't think he was stupid.
Lili knew that Gu Zian was at his wit's end.
Each of the secret guards was capable of taking on ten men at once. Even if the men Gu Zian brought rushed up one after another, the secret guards could still cut them down like radishes.
If Gu Zian's actions succeed, it will be a risky move, a desperate attempt to survive on the edge of a knife.
If things go wrong, there will be no hope of recovery.
He's gambling.
"This humble woman speaks presumptuously. Although I have never met Your Highness, I can guess that Your Highness has always been extremely cautious in your actions. When faced with a matter, you always think it through carefully and weigh it repeatedly, never leaving any clues easily."
Lili stepped forward and gently brushed aside the guards blocking her way. "Putting aside your character and morality, I must admit one thing: Your Highness's meticulousness and profound shrewdness are indeed a step ahead of the young and weak Crown Prince at that time."
Gu Zian didn't speak, but his body, which had been bent over and leaning against the terrace, unconsciously straightened up a little.
Lili smiled: "However, I wonder if Your Highness has heard of such an article."
"Heaven is impartial and selfless, observing the good and evil in the world. When the righteous fight against evil, though it may be difficult for a time, Heaven will surely protect them. The virtue of the good moves Heaven and Earth, so Heaven helps them succeed. Evil will never prevail over good; this is the principle of Heaven. Heaven is biased towards justice, which is what all people expect and is the ultimate truth of the world."
"I am but a woman and a child, and I am truly not good at politics and court affairs, but I can see the goodness in His Highness's heart with my sincere heart. Your Highness, you have lost because you are not worthy of your position."
The boy's presence in the secluded spot suddenly became erratic for a moment, and the girl's gentle yet resolute words entered his ears one by one.
Just one sentence seemed to soothe his fatigue and weariness of the past few days, as if everything he had done over the years had been affirmed.
Gu Ziyi stared at that smoky blue figure, thin and small, yet surprisingly firm and resolute.
A gentle breeze ruffled her hair; the little dumpling of yesteryear had unknowingly grown into a young lady.
The young girl stood there upright, calm and rational, showing no fear of the surrounding swords and shadows, and calmly confronting them.
Gu Ziyi chuckled: "The little dumpling has become a little girl, and the little girl... will become a big girl."
As the sun sets and dusk falls, it seems as if something changes along with the changing seasons.
Gu Zian's face darkened considerably, but Lili seemed not to have heard him: "Your Highness is going to great lengths now, even disregarding the imperial decree, perhaps... you're at your wit's end?"
The Yang family and the others stared at Lili in astonishment, and Bai Yu couldn't hide her amazement.
Lili is absolutely right.
In the past, Gu Ziyi would not have been confident in facing Gu Zian head-on.
Gu Ziyi might choose a gentler approach, a roundabout way to achieve his goal, such as the time six years ago when he volunteered to go to the border, poisoned himself, and confused the enemy.
But six years ago, Lili appeared and changed his original plan.
It was also because of Lili that everything seemed to clear up and become clear.
From then on, it seemed that fate favored his side more, and he always managed to get the evidence he wanted.
The plans we want to implement, even if the process is sometimes tortuous, can ultimately be achieved.
Gu Zian had already aroused the emperor's suspicion five years ago during the disaster relief efforts in Xixiang County. He thought he had regained the emperor's trust after much effort, but in reality, the emperor already knew about it when Gu Zian secretly arrived in Nanlin County under a false identity.
Gu Zian's face instantly turned from black to white as he stared intently at Lili.
Even he himself didn't realize that the smile he had always faked had long since disappeared, replaced by a somewhat obsessive arrogance.
"Who are you?"
"My daughter, Shen Lili, is the daughter of the magistrate of Liucheng County."
Lili bowed slightly, appearing poised and graceful.
Enraged, Gu Zian grabbed a sword from the pile of corpses and charged forward, yelling, "What do you know? What are you, a mere girl, pretending to be so clever for!"
The sword pierced straight through, and upon closer inspection, one could see Gu Zian's hand trembling slightly with anger.
Gu Zian's face was fierce, but Lili calmly dodged and was about to kick him when she fell into a familiar embrace.
The familiar temperature, carrying the cool scent of ebony.
Gu Ziyi wrapped his left arm around Lili, and with a slight effort, lifted her up, switching their positions. He then held his sword in his right hand, steadily blocking Gu Zian's sword.
The swords clashed, producing a crisp sound and sparks flying.
Gu Ziyi showed no mercy, using all his strength, which sent Gu Zian's sword flying three meters away in an instant.
Gu Zian snapped out of his surprise and, after recognizing the person who had come, chuckled cryptically, "Third brother, long time no see."
Gu Ziyi carefully put Lili down and turned his head to signal the guards to take her to the back.
Lili wasn't surprised at all, as if she had known Gu Ziyi would come all along, and obediently followed the guards to the viewing area at the back.
Madam Yang scooped Lili into her arms and exclaimed, "Lili, you scared your mother to death!"
Lili patted her hand: "I'm fine, Mom."
Bai Yu looked at the two people facing off in the middle with some nervousness and said, "It's time for the First Prince and His Highness the Crown Prince to reach a conclusion."
At this time, the guards also dealt with the menacing masked men. Apart from being too exhausted, they were not seriously injured.
An Qi bowed and reported, "Your Highness, it's resolved. The people outside have been brought under control by Lord Han and his men."
"Hmm." Gu Ziyi nodded slightly.
"What?" Gu Zian narrowed his eyes and immediately turned around to look down from the edge of the terrace.
A troop of cavalrymen dressed in dark red robes replaced the original men and stood guard on both sides of the street.
Gu Zian's heart sank to the bottom. Gu Ziyi not only noticed his actions, but also made prior arrangements for the border troops!
Gu Zian suddenly realized: "Are you kidding me?"
Gu Ziyi chuckled lightly, as if bathed in a spring breeze: "Brother, if one has only courage and strength but no strategy, it is difficult to accomplish great things."
Gu Zian took two steps back in disbelief, his back reaching the edge of the terrace.
Now he has no way out!
The border troops have been alerted, which means that all of this will be reported to the emperor in detail!
Whether he can beat Gu Ziyi today or not, it's impossible for him now.
Gu Zian chuckled coldly twice, then suddenly burst into loud laughter: "Hahahahahaha..."
Lili frowned.
Gu Zian's smile was so bright, it felt strange.
Gu Zian's eyes suddenly softened, and he reached out to brush away the stray hairs on Gu Ziyi's forehead: "Third brother, in the blink of an eye, you've grown up so much. You're more meticulous than your older brother, your methods are superb, and your martial arts are even better."
The memory in Gu Ziyi's eyes vanished in an instant, and he said calmly, "Yes."
When Gu Ziyi was born, Gu Zian loved his younger brother very much.
He was only ten years old at the time, and he often went to Fengyi Palace to find all sorts of novel gadgets for Gu Ziyi to play with.
The two brothers have a good relationship, which is a good thing.
However, Gu Zian's mother was unwilling to be subordinate to the Empress and was determined to become the Empress Dowager.
His mother told him that his clan needed him.
The Empress Dowager said, "Don't you want to be His Majesty's most outstanding son?"
Gu Zian was initially reluctant, as he wanted to get along well with his younger siblings.
At some point, Gu Zian became increasingly obsessive and adept at concealing his emotions.
The Emperor especially favored Gu Ziyi; he didn't show as much affection to any of his other children combined.
Because he was the legitimate son of the Empress, he could easily obtain everything, including the supreme throne.
When Gu Ziyi was four years old, Gu Zian may have been distracted and possessed by a demon. He actually pushed Gu Ziyi into the pond and watched coldly as Gu Ziyi struggled. Only when the servant beside Gu Ziyi arrived did he cry and pretend to be scared.
From that year on, the two brothers could never go back to what they used to be.
Later, Gu Ziyi was appointed Crown Prince and protected by secret guards, but Gu Zian did not give up his confrontation with him.
Gu Ziyi then came to Nanlin County.
What Gu Ziyi didn't say was that when he first came to Nanlin County, besides wanting to eliminate the power of the First Prince's faction, he also wanted to prolong the timeline between the two of them.
The two did share a genuine brotherhood.
Unfortunately, there's no going back.
Gu Zian's eyes were filled with envy, and his voice was filled with resentment and pain: "You won, you always have, you always have."
Gu Ziyi remained silent.
The two looked at each other silently.
Gu Zian chuckled and said in a low voice, "Go get them."
To everyone's surprise, what should have been the end of the play turned into several more scenes.
Suddenly, a whooshing sound was heard, and several figures appeared like lightning.
The leader had a cold and imposing face, like an unshakeable mountain. The others were also majestic and each had their own unique charm.
Gu Ziyi's eyes flashed.
“Third brother, you have a backup plan, and so does your eldest brother.” Gu Zian chuckled softly. “These are all desperate men of the martial world, top assassins who lick blood from the edge of a knife. I wonder, compared to these men, who is better, your personal guards? Since your eldest brother has no way out, then why don’t you join him? After all, we brothers have a good relationship…”
Before the words were even finished, the dozen or so men swiftly drew their swords and confronted the guards. The two sides met in a narrow passage, and the atmosphere instantly froze, as if a cold glint was flashing in the air.
Gu Ziyi's face darkened as he leaped into the air.
The two sides fought fiercely, but it was clear to anyone with eyes that the secret guards were being pushed back and were being suppressed.
Gu Ziyi calmly said, "Brother, there are five hundred border troops right below the teahouse. You can't win."
"So what?" Gu Zian slashed with his sword. "I only want you, my dear brother, to die with your elder brother."
Gu Zian's terrifying eyes revealed a murderous intent, and the two quickly resumed their fierce battle.
Lili was dazzled by the sights and felt a little anxious and uneasy.
The guards chopped up so many radishes earlier, how could they possibly have the strength to slaughter a pig now?
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