Chapter 776: What a bastard prince, he is so naughty at such a young age...
That night, Gu Qingchen couldn't sleep well after all.
The sound of wind and snow outside the window was like the war drums beating by Song Ruyan in her heart, one louder than the other, disturbing her and making her uneasy.
She covered her head with the quilt, but her mind uncontrollably kept recalling every word and every look of Song Ruyan.
Just admit it.
Just accept it.
She and Qian Zhenyun turned their fake play into reality and lived together for the rest of their lives.
improvise?
Gu Qingchen opened his eyes in the darkness, chewing on the word silently.
She has lived a free and easy life, doing whatever she wants. She never thought of using the word "make do" to define her life.
But she had to admit that Aunt Song was right.
The Crown Prince wouldn't let her go, and neither would the Queen. She had trampled upon the royal family's dignity. Their current silence was but the suffocating calm before the storm.
She dragged Qian Zhenyun and the entire Qian family into the water.
What qualifications did she have to push him away with a clear conscience and say, "We are just friends" while enjoying the protection he brought her?
This is not fair.
It's so unfair to him.
Gu Qingchen turned over and buried his face in the soft pillow.
Qian Zhenyun's figure appeared clearly in front of her again.
He was always so gentle and calm, like a deep pool. No matter how big the stone she threw or how big the waves were, he would eventually calm down and tolerate all her edges and willfulness.
Would marrying him really be a "makeshift" deal?
She doesn't know.
She just felt that her heart was a tangled ball of wool that could not be untied.
This heavy snow fell for three consecutive days.
The entire capital was shrouded in a vast expanse of white. Thick snow piled on the eaves and treetops, weighing down the branches.
At first, people were still immersed in the joy of the auspicious snow that heralded a good harvest. But gradually, this continuous heavy snow became a sudden disaster.
Many old houses in Beijing cannot withstand the pressure of such heavy snow for several days.
On the morning of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, a loud noise was heard in the slums in the south of the city, and a dilapidated courtyard wall collapsed.
Immediately afterwards, like the first domino falling, the sound of collapsing houses began to echo one after another throughout the capital.
The cries and calls for help, mixed with the howling wind and snow, cast a heavy shadow over this New Year that should have been festive and peaceful.
The atmosphere in the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion became more and more solemn day by day.
Gu Junze was called out by the housekeeper early in the morning, and when he came back, his face was ashen.
"Dad, what's going on outside?" Gu Qingchen just stood up and saw his father, radiating coldness, striding in from the wind and snow.
"Many houses in the city have collapsed, injuring many civilians." Gu Junze took off his snow-soaked cloak. "I just received an urgent report that several tents in the winter camp have also collapsed under the heavy snow!"
"What? Where's Brother Xuan?" Chu Ruohan heard this and walked out of the inner room, her face full of shock. "Aren't the tents in the military camp reinforced? How could this happen?"
"The snow is too heavy this year." Gu Junze walked to the charcoal brazier and stretched out his frozen and stiff hands to warm them by the fire.
"The tents for the new soldiers were hastily built to begin with, and the officials in charge cut corners. Now that something's happened, there's no one left to take charge!"
"Don't worry, Brother Xuan, everything should be fine!" He said, turned around and walked out.
"No, I have to go there myself. The soldiers have followed my Zhenguo Mansion through thick and thin, and we can't let them be stranded in this icy and snowy place without even a place to shelter!"
Chu Ruohan quickly caught up with him and put a thicker fox fur coat on him, "Slow down, be careful with yourself!"
Gu Junze nodded, but his steps did not stop at all, and he soon disappeared in the wind and snow.
Gu Qingchen stood in the corridor, watching his father's departing back, feeling heavy in his heart.
For the first time, she felt so clearly that the suffering of ordinary people and the safety of soldiers were closely related to her.
But she could only stand here and could do nothing.
The heavy snow blocked the roads in the capital, but it could not stop the transmission of news.
Crown Prince Zhao Chenan seized this opportunity at the first opportunity.
In the name of the crown prince, he ordered the granaries to be opened and grain to be released to comfort the victims. For a time, the reputation of the Eastern Palace's benevolence spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.
Immediately afterwards, an order from the East Palace was delivered to the Qian family as quickly as possible.
The prince ordered his tutor Qian Zhenyun to go to the south of the city immediately to coordinate the disaster relief work for the snowstorm.
This order sounded like the prince was entrusting Qian Zhenyun with an important task and was a great favor.
But when Song Ruyan heard the news, she was so angry that she threw the teacup in her hand on the spot.
"Asshole, he did it on purpose..."
In the study, Qian Zhenyun looked at the order stamped with the seal of the Eastern Palace. His expression was calm, but there was a cold clarity in his eyes.
He knew that the prince's revenge was coming.
He was asked to provide disaster relief, but he was not given the military tokens to mobilize any battalion of soldiers, nor was he given the tokens to call on any officials from any department. Even, not a single ounce of silver was approved for disaster relief.
How can this be asked to provide disaster relief?
This clearly meant that he was left alone to face the tens of thousands of displaced, hungry and cold victims in the south of the city.
If it is done well, the credit goes to the prince.
If he fails, he will bear all the blame and blame alone.
At that time, the prince only needs to follow the "public opinion" and can easily send this "incompetent" criminal to the guillotine.
What a vicious plan to kill without shedding blood.
"Get lost, you can't go!" Song Ruyan was so anxious that she was pacing around the room. "This is a trap! This little bastard prince is so naughty at such a young age, and he has so many ways to harm people..."
Qian Zhenyun folded the order neatly and put it into his sleeve.
He raised his head and looked at his mother, his voice as calm as ever: "Mother, the king's order cannot be disobeyed. I must accept this order."
"But……"
"Don't worry." Qian Zhenyun interrupted his mother. He stood up, his eyes calm but with a sharp undercurrent. "He wants me to die, but I just can't die."
After saying this, he put on his cloak and walked out of the room without saying a word.
Song Ruyan felt heartbroken as she looked at her son's resolute back.
Qian Zhenyun did not go to the south of the city.
He rode his horse, braving the wind and snow, and galloped all the way to the gate of the Dali Temple.
The Dali Temple is the highest judicial institution in charge of criminal cases across the country. However, at this moment, the front of the temple seems a bit deserted due to the heavy snow.
He dismounted, threw the reins to the guard at the door, and strode in.
"I'm looking for Gu Lu, Gu Shaoqing."
The messenger did not dare to delay and trotted into the inner hall.
Soon, a handsome young man in a crimson official robe came out. He was Gu Qingchen's cousin, Gu Lu, the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple.
"Zhenyun? Why are you here?" Gu Lu was surprised to see him. Noticing the serious look on his face, he immediately pulled him to the side hall. "What happened?"
There was no one else in the side hall, so Qian Zhenyun didn't waste any words. He took out the order from the Eastern Palace from his sleeve and handed it over.
"Brother, look."
He addressed Gu Lu as "Brother", a familiar term.
Gu Lu took the paper, glanced at it, and his face instantly darkened.
Of course he knew why the prince was targeting Qian Zhenyun. Ultimately, it was because of his cousin, Gu Qingchen.
Naturally, this account was also attributed to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
"What are you going to do?" Gu Lu looked at Qian Zhenyun.
"I need manpower." Qian Zhenyun's voice was clear and calm. "What the south city lacks most right now isn't food, but people. Digging people out from under the rubble, building temporary shelters for them, cooking hot porridge, calming them down, and maintaining order—all of these require a lot of manpower."
"The prince didn't give me anyone, so I had no choice but to come to you, brother."
Gu Lu looked at him, a hint of approval in his eyes.
Even at this moment, he can still analyze the situation so calmly and clearly. His mentality alone is far beyond that of ordinary young people.
"How much?" Gu Lu asked bluntly.
"The more, the better," Qian Zhenyun said. "I also need the title of the Dali Temple. I will use your name to requisition the medicine from all the pharmacies in the city and the grain from all the rice shops. All the accounts will be recorded under the Zhenguogong Mansion first, and I will bear the responsibility afterwards."
Gu Lu glanced at him and said, "Since this matter was caused by Qingchen, there is no reason for you to bear it alone!"
"I'll give you the people! I'll give you all the officers that the Dali Temple can mobilize! I'll also give you the title! Just take my Dali Temple token and go. I'll see who dares not to give you this honor!"
He turned around and shouted to the outside of the door: "Someone come!"
A clerk in black clothes immediately pushed the door open and bowed to receive orders.
"Pass on my order!" Gu Lu said, "Call all the servants on duty in the temple and gather in the front yard immediately! All those on leave will be recalled!"
"Also, take my token and go to the Ministry of Revenue, no, go directly to the Imperial Household Department!" Gu Lu's eyes flashed with a cold gleam. "Say that there's an emergency disaster in the south of the city, and the Dali Temple is under imperial order to investigate a case. They need to requisition some cotton-padded clothes to keep warm. Have them prepare them immediately!"
"Tell them that if they delay, the victims will freeze to death and a civil uprising will ensue. I, the Dali Temple, cannot bear this responsibility, and neither can his Imperial Household Department!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com