Chapter 445 You Won't
Shen Wantang was taken aback: "What?"
“What I mean is, as an advocate, you spent too little time speaking on behalf of others. If you leave so quickly, A-Ning will suspect that you didn’t try your best to persuade me.”
"Nonsense, A-Ning would never doubt me. She's not as cunning as you! Besides, you've already made your decision. No matter how much I say or how long I talk, it won't make a difference!"
Gu Qianhan suddenly chuckled softly: "You never really intended to convince me. You've always supported my decision, and you also hoped that A Ning could marry into Jiangnan, far away from the capital, right?"
In both lifetimes combined, this was the first time Shen Wantang had ever seen Gu Qianhan smile like this. It was as if he had encountered something very happy, his smile coming from the bottom of his heart, as if an iceberg had melted, revealing a ray of sunshine.
He was actually born with a handsome appearance; the Creator truly favored him.
With deep-set eyes, a straight nose, and sharp, angular features, he exudes an innate sense of pride and nobility.
He didn't know that in his previous life, when he swallowed poison and died, she had touched his eyebrows and eyes, and touched his angular face.
It wasn't that she had any other feelings for him; she simply felt that his face was too perfect, and she couldn't help but want to touch it.
Now, facing him in person, the impact of his perfect bone structure is even more intense.
Shen Wantang lowered her eyes and refused to look at him anymore: "I do hope that A Ning will marry into Jiangnan, and I really didn't intend to persuade you. I'm just going through the motions. A Ning is my only friend. This is the first time she has asked me for help, so I can't refuse. Anyway, your decision won't change, so it won't hurt for me to say a few words of advice."
Gu Qianhan's voice was low: "What if I'm easily persuaded and I change my mind after you talk to me?"
Shen Wantang lowered her head and said softly, "You won't."
"You know me that well?"
Shen Wantang did know him somewhat, but to avoid suspicion, she said, "I don't know you."
"Then why are you so sure I won't change my mind?"
"Because—you know the ending, and so do I."
For a moment, the room fell silent.
After a long while, Shen Wantang heard a soft sigh from above: "Yes, you and I both know the ending, and the only person I can protect is probably A Ning, so no matter how much she cries and makes a fuss, I have to send her away."
The topic was too heavy, and Shen Wantang's voice lowered: "How confident are you?"
Gu Qianhan said softly, "I actually have no confidence at all. After I was reborn, I learned that the Emperor and the Crown Prince had been preparing to deal with the Gu family for a long time. My father's side was filled with people planted by the Emperor, and my elder brother's side was filled with people planted by the Crown Prince."
"The Gu family's influence is being constantly diminished, and many of their properties have been taken away under various pretexts. After I took over the family's accounts, I learned that there were parasites in every estate, who stole most of the profits and gave them to the Emperor and the Crown Prince."
"Even more, I inadvertently obtained information that the emperor had actually drafted several secret edicts, intending to frame the Gu family and eliminate them. However, because each charge was too far-fetched and would easily lead to the emperor being despised by future generations, he shelved the matter."
Shen Wantang fell silent. The emperor was a very suspicious person, and he did not allow his ministers to have too much real power.
Even General Huo, who had just returned victorious, was recently stripped of his military power. The commander guarding the northwest has been replaced by Zhuo Xianli, who has no idea how to fight or deploy troops.
The same was true in my previous life.
Zhuo Xianli was originally a civil official. He wrote beautiful articles and had read a lot of military books, but he was terrible at fighting.
Under his leadership, the previously well-organized troop deployment was completely disrupted. The Xiongnu, who had been repelled by General Huo, launched repeated attacks, resulting in the continuous loss of cities in the northwest and the constant encroachment on their territory.
Zhuo Xianli served as a general for eight years, during which Dafeng suffered eight years of defeats.
However, the emperor preferred to suffer defeat rather than replace General Huo with another general. The reason was simple: he feared that General Huo's power would become too great and he would be difficult to control in the future.
Later, Zhuo Xianli himself was too ashamed to remain a general, so he returned and resigned. Only then did the emperor send someone else to the Northwest.
He later replaced the general with a military officer, but in order to limit the general's excessive power, he also sent two senior eunuchs to accompany him, ostensibly to assist him, but in reality to monitor and restrict him.
Because of interference from eunuchs, they never won any subsequent battles. As a result, after the emperor died and the crown prince ascended the throne, they had no choice but to use a marriage alliance to stop the Xiongnu from continuing to invade.
"The Emperor is determined to eliminate the Gu family. I once thought of having my father give up all power and retire to the mountains, but I only recently learned that the Emperor had said he would wipe out the Gu family completely, leaving no one alive."
A bitter smile appeared on Gu Qianhan's handsome face: "I was too young. I thought everything could be resolved, but I didn't know that my avoidance would only lead to the quicker death of my entire clan."
"Therefore, I cannot give up. No matter how confident I am, I have to give it a try."
Shen Wantang raised her head again to look at him: "How did you know so many of the Emperor's secrets? Did you plant someone by the Crown Prince's side?"
“I’ve planted spies, but my people won’t be able to get such confidential information anytime soon. I obtained this information by exchanging it for the most beautiful courtesan in the Wan Hua Lou.”
Shen Wantang was slightly taken aback: "You redeemed the courtesan for this reason?"
"Otherwise, what is it for?"
Shen Wantang remained silent, but Gu Qianhan saw right through her thoughts: "You think I've taken a fancy to that courtesan?"
Shen Wantang: "..."
That's the downside of talking to smart people; you can't even fool them.
She could only say, "The most beautiful courtesan in the Wan Hua Lou is stunningly beautiful and talented. It's only natural that you would fall for her. So I think it's only natural that you redeemed her because you were attracted to her."
Gu Qianhan's expression was not good: "Others may not know that the courtesan is pregnant, but do you think you don't know? In my past life, the fact that she was pregnant with Yu Baifeng's child and was forced to drink an abortion pill by Wan Hua Lou was the talk of the town, known to everyone. Am I crazy? Do you want all this?"
Shen Wantang: "If it's true love, it might not matter if she's pregnant with someone else's child."
Gu Qianhan's expression darkened further: "Do you take me for Xiao Qingyuan? Do I look like someone that brainless?"
"No, that's not what I meant."
This was the first time Shen Wantang had experienced what it meant to be drenched in sweat. She didn't even know how she had ended up talking to Gu Qianhan about this.
He looked down on Xiao Qingyuan for being brainless, but he himself wasn't much better. He blocked Xiao Qingyuan's wife from leaving and even dared to grab her hand. He didn't seem to be very bright either.
Seeing him getting closer and closer, Shen Wantang had no choice but to push him away: "Move aside, I'm leaving, A Ning is still waiting for me outside."
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