Gu Yanran shuddered all over and subconsciously grasped Li's sleeves. "Mother! But it was because of me that Qi Che demoted the princess to a concubine. If she pursues this matter..."
Li was stroking her hair, and paused after hearing this, struggling and hesitating in her heart.
In fact, when Gu Yanran was going to marry Qi Che, she was not very optimistic about this marriage, but who knew that Gu Yanran secretly got pregnant with Qi Che. At a banquet, the two drank too much and had physical contact. Fortunately, the servants discovered it in time and reported it to her, so the matter did not spread.
Therefore, she later discussed it with Gu Tingyuan and agreed to Qi Che's proposal.
Now that I think about it, the drunkenness at the banquet must have been planned by Qi Che in advance.
Yan'er is already pregnant with Qi Che's child, and because Qi Che has offended the princess, he may no longer have a place in the court in the future.
After thinking for a while, Li made up her mind and said to Gu Yanran, "Silly child, those were all deceived by Qi Che. You are the daughter of the prime minister's family, and you are well-educated and well-mannered. How could you deliberately make things difficult for me?"
"It is obvious that Qi Che concealed the fact that he had already married. Our Xiangfu is also a victim."
Gu Yanran looked up suddenly and met Li's meaningful gaze.
——Li is teaching her how to lie.
Gu Tingyuan also spoke slowly at this time: "Tomorrow, I will report to the emperor and denounce Qi Che for deceiving the emperor and deceiving the officials and their wives. This child is proof of the Gu family's loyalty."
Gu Yanran immediately understood Gu Tingyuan's plan.
He was going to put all the blame on Qi Che, and she and the child would become "deceived loyal ministers' families" or even "victims".
"But if the princess doesn't believe it..."
"She has to believe it even if she doesn't want to!" Gu Tingyuan sneered, "The Third Prince has always wanted to win over my father. Now... it's time to give him a token of my loyalty."
Gu Yanran's heart was beating like thunder.
She understands!
The father wants to use the power of the third prince to compete with the princess, and this child will become a pawn in this political game.
After a long time, the worry and tension in Gu Yanran's eyes faded away, and were finally replaced by a hint of ruthlessness.
——
Five days later, at the gate of Beijing city.
An army of one hundred thousand cavalrymen lined up outside the city in a black mass, with flags fluttering, their momentum as high as a rainbow, and a murderous aura that soared into the sky.
At this time, the city gate slowly opened, and Prime Minister Xie Yunqi led all the officials to welcome Chu Qingluan's carriage.
He took the lead, standing at the head of all officials, his brows were as cold as frost, his thin lips were tightly pursed, and his pair of bottomless eyes were quietly staring at the slowly approaching imperial carriage.
It had been three years, and he almost thought he would never see her again in his life.
But unexpectedly, she did not die, but got married in that shabby place of Jiangnan. Now she has returned with a mighty army of 100,000.
There was an undercurrent in Xie Yunqi's eyes, and his hands tightened unconsciously.
Finally, when Chu Qingluan's carriage approached, Xie Yunqi dismounted first, walked to the front, and bowed, saying:
"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome the princess back to the palace."
His voice was neither hurried nor slow, but every word was clear, like the collision of ice and jade, which was particularly harsh in front of the silent city gate.
Behind him, all the officials knelt down and saluted in unison, with their foreheads touching the ground, not daring to look directly at the glaring figure on the imperial carriage.
Chu Qingluan sat upright above the imperial carriage, her eyes slightly lowered, looking down at everyone condescendingly.
"Thank you for coming to meet me in person. I am flattered!"
Her voice was not loud, like the collision of jade stones, losing the crispness of a young girl and gaining a bit of the majesty of a superior.
Xie Yunqi's heart trembled slightly. This voice was very different from the princess in his memory who would call him "Xie Qing".
"The princess has been away from the capital for three years. Your Majesty misses her very much."
Xie Yunqi still maintained the posture of saluting, the crane pattern on his official robe fluttering in the wind, "I, the special minister, am leading the officials of the six ministries to wait here. Princess, please transfer."
Xie Yunqi slightly turned his body, and the officials behind him immediately split into two rows, revealing the luxurious and spacious carriage behind him. It was pulled by eight snow-white horses, covered with precious incense, and surrounded by soft gauze curtains that fluttered in the wind.
This was to let Chu Qingluan leave his troops outside the city and enter the palace alone.
At this moment, a ray of sunlight happened to penetrate the clouds and shone on the cinnabar mole on Chu Qingluan's forehead, which was as red as blood and extremely beautiful.
She suddenly chuckled, raised her white hand, lifted the curtain and walked out, standing above the carriage frame, her red clothes fluttering, like a goddess descending from the sky to the earth.
Sacred, noble, and cool.
This scene made all the officials tremble in their hearts.
At this time, Pei Yuan rode forward with a cold face, his black armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight: "I have been ordered to protect the princess, so I will accompany you."
Xie Yunqi didn't even glance at him, he just said calmly: "General Pei, 100,000 border troops are stranded in the suburbs of Beijing, which is against the ancestral rules. If they lead troops into the palace again..."
He paused, and finally looked up at Chu Qingluan, his eyes flickering, "Princess, do you want to prove the crime of 'having your own troops'?"
After he finished speaking, the air around him became quiet.
Then, everyone heard Xie Yunqi add: "I heard that the princess left the capital for three years in pursuit of so-called love. Now that she has returned to the capital, has her heart been broken and she has seen through the world?
After three years of absence, I think your swordsmanship must have improved a lot. After all, he can even cut off the ties of love so neatly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, in front of the city gate where tens of thousands of people were gathered, it became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Even the birds flying in the sky unconsciously kept silent.
All the officials were worried about Xie Yunqi.
Although Xie Yunqi is the head of all officials and comes from the Xie family, one of the most aristocratic families, Princess Qingluan is a royal princess after all, and is also the heir most valued by His Majesty.
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