The emperor's face showed a hint of embarrassment: "Is it that obvious?"
Gu Jiangli felt that these words sounded familiar; it turned out that she had said them not long ago.
“Your Majesty has made a special effort to wash yourself and remove the smell, but I am pregnant and my sense of smell is more sensitive. Besides… the bloodstains on your hands have not been washed off.”
Upon hearing her words, the emperor looked down at the back of his right hand.
He shook his head and chuckled, looking rather helpless.
Mingming rushed to wash herself after being released from prison, but was in a hurry to return to Jinghe Palace, so she didn't wash herself very carefully.
"I intended to keep it a secret, but I didn't expect you to find out anyway."
Gu Jiangli, his eyes filled with worry, asked, "Is it the Eldest Princess?"
The emperor nodded and replied, "Yes, I sent her in to collect Fang Xun's body. It was just the right place, the imperial prison, where no one else was around, that I killed her."
Gu Jiangli felt a pang of unease in her heart. She picked up the emperor's hand, and the faint red mark on it was striking.
"His Majesty actually did it himself."
She wasn't heartbroken for the dead Chu Tan'er, but for the emperor who had killed her with his own hands.
The emperor was not one to kill easily; he would not even punish his servants severely for their mistakes. Yet now he had used those clean hands to kill someone.
"Is Your Majesty worried that Chu Tan'er will go mad and seek revenge after learning of Fang Xun's death, so you decided to strike first?"
The Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly, and his voice was low: "Chu Tan'er's ambitions all stemmed from Fang Xun. Now that Fang Xun is dead, she will surely descend into madness. I am not afraid of her going insane and seeking revenge, but I must mitigate the risks for you and for the children."
"With Chu Tan'er and Fang Xun both dead, no one dares to covet the throne. The Prime Minister and the Empress Dowager have lost their most important pawns, making their progress difficult. I will send them one by one to reunite with Chu Tan'er and her son."
In that instant, Gu Jiangli heard a series of violent vibrations emanating from within his chest.
Her heart was pounding, and she could hardly believe what the emperor was saying.
It was less a surprise and more a shock.
The emperor's transformation was so dramatic that it was astonishing.
Perhaps her expression was too obvious, which made the emperor somewhat flustered.
"Are you... scared? Don't be afraid, I just don't want them to hurt you..."
Gu Jiangli suddenly came to her senses and replied, "Why would Your Majesty think that way?"
"Is that what you think? I killed someone, and it was my own sister. It's understandable that you're afraid I'm a cold-blooded and ruthless person, but I just don't want them to hurt you or the children anymore..."
Gu Jiangli was heartbroken by his words, but her eyes were resolute as she hugged the emperor's neck tightly.
"Your Majesty is by no means a cold-blooded and heartless person. On the contrary, there is no one in the world who cares more about blood ties and family affection than you."
Otherwise, the emperor would have killed that rebellious Chu Tan'er long ago, and wouldn't have waited until today.
"Do you really think so?" the emperor whispered in her ear.
"Of course, Your Majesty is the best person I have ever met. I was just a little surprised that Your Majesty would go to such lengths for my sake, and that Your Majesty would make such an unprecedented decision."
"Your Majesty knows that you care about them, so even though they have done many things to hurt you, you have never punished them."
"I don't think I hold a very high place in Your Majesty's heart, so when I heard that Your Majesty had decided to kill the Prime Minister and the Empress Dowager, I didn't react for a moment."
The emperor suddenly interrupted her: "No, you are very important. You are the most important person to me in this world."
Gu Jiangli would never have dared to make such a guarantee before, but today, she has no doubt about the emperor's words.
Unexpectedly, the emperor, who was always reserved, would so frankly express his feelings.
"Your Majesty, I understand your feelings. I also wanted to explain to you why I killed Fang Xun, but it seems you already know everything."
“I understand that everything you did was for my sake. As long as Fang Xun is alive, Chu Tan’er and the Prime Minister’s faction will always harbor treacherous intentions and will continue to covet my position, which will always be detrimental to our child. Therefore, I never blame you for taking it upon yourself to kill Fang Xun. He truly deserved to die, and he had to die.”
Gu Jiangli felt even more bitter.
The emperor knew everything, but he never made up his mind to execute Fang Xun, which must mean he still had feelings for them.
Is Your Majesty sad?
"Sad?" the emperor asked in a muffled voice. "I thought I would be sad, but when the dagger was plunged into Chu Tan'er's abdomen, I felt only endless joy and relief."
"She lay on the ground, her eyes refusing to close. I didn't find it frightening; I just felt...it's good that she can no longer hurt you."
“She was my sister, but at that time, I felt completely at peace and did not feel like I had lost a family member.”
Gu Jiangli gently patted his back, "Because she is not your family, neither is the Empress Dowager, nor is the Prime Minister. Anyone who intends to harm you is not worthy of being your family."
The emperor chuckled behind her ear, his warm breath making her body feel cozy.
"Yes, I don't need them. I have you and the children, that's enough."
The two leaned against each other.
Gu Jiangli nodded, her heart gradually calming down.
The emperor was content with her and their child, and so was she.
Her current wishes, besides giving birth to the child safely, are for the emperor to recover from his illness.
"Your Majesty, why don't you rest for now?"
"Alright." The emperor nodded, and the two fell asleep in each other's arms.
The emperor has been sleeping much more soundly lately than before.
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