lie
In early May, the hibiscus tree in the courtyard sprouted flower buds, which surprised Gu Yu. The tree had looked so sad and forlorn at first, but now it was showing signs of new life.
It should bloom in June, just like that flower, delicate and beautiful.
Counting the days, the three-month mourning period has ended, and Jing Zichen is about to ascend the throne.
Gu Yu wondered when this young emperor would summon her.
She wasn't afraid of death; she just wanted to avoid implicating others after she died, and incidentally, to drag Sun Gu down to hell with her.
"Miss, someone from the palace has come and requests your presence."
Qiuju's voice was somewhat flustered. When the emperor was not yet the emperor, he had a very good relationship with her young lady and should not make things difficult for her, but she always felt uneasy.
Chunyue was a little anxious. "Miss, if the Emperor wants to take you into the palace as a concubine, he should issue the decree openly and honestly. Why is he doing it so secretly?"
Gu Yu shook her head and smiled, "Don't worry, things will work themselves out. I have my father and brother to rely on. His throne is not yet secure, so he wouldn't dare to make things difficult for me."
"Don't worry." Gu Yu reassured the two maids before getting into the sedan chair. "When I come out, take out the plum wine that was buried under the plum tree last year and drink it together."
"Okay, Miss, come back soon."
Qiuju remained composed, nodding as she watched the exquisite sedan chair head towards the palace.
Gu Yu idly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, observing the various aspects of life in the city. Indeed, no matter who sits on the throne, the common people live their lives as before.
After an unknown amount of time, the noisy sounds of the marketplace gradually faded away from the vermilion palace walls. Gu Yu glanced at the exquisite wooden animal carvings on the upturned eaves.
The palace was like a larger, more elaborate cage.
Living here, only the owner of the cage can have some freedom; everyone else is certainly not free.
After walking for a long time after entering the palace gate, Gu Yu finally put her feet on the ground and entered a side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. This was not considered part of the inner palace, but it was still the emperor's private residence.
The head eunuch led the way for her. Gu Yu sat in the side hall waiting for someone. Just then, she heard an announcement from outside the hall: "The Emperor has arrived!"
She immediately knelt down and bowed respectfully.
"Get up." When Jing Zichen saw her, he still had the same smiling face as always.
He waved his hand, dismissing the other palace maids and servants. "Sister Ayu, please sit down."
He gestured for Gu Yu to sit beside him, but Gu Yu shook her head, "This humble woman dares not."
"Sister Ayu, do you know why I summoned you here today?" Seeing her resistance, Jing Zichen did not force her.
He sat at his desk, wearing a bright yellow five-clawed dragon robe. His face was still round, but his amiable features had been tinged with imperial majesty.
"Your Majesty, I do not know."
"My ascension to the throne today is inseparable from the help of my sister Ayu. I wonder what kind of reward my sister Ayu would like?"
“I dare not accept the reward. What I have done is disloyal and unfilial, and I only ask for death.”
"Sister Ayu, do you know that by saying this, you are putting me in the same position?"
Jing Zichen's smile vanished. Although he had spoken to her about the same thing today, he hadn't expected Gu Yu to so directly expose the last veil of pretense.
“Your Majesty, this matter has nothing to do with you. I am the only one who knows about it. If I leave, no one in the world will know Your Majesty’s secret.”
"So, you've come here today seeking death?" Jing Zichen asked.
"Yes." Gu Yu nodded. "I am but a sick and frail woman, and I don't have many days left to live. It makes no difference whether I live sooner or later."
Upon hearing this, Jing Zichen closed his eyes. He had originally planned to do the same, but now that it had come to this, he still felt a little reluctant.
He still remembered the first time he saw her. She sat upright in the hall, with a face like Guanyin, and a red mole on her forehead added to her divinity. She was delicate and graceful, with an otherworldly temperament.
His stunning appearance at that time was undeniable.
But today, he is going to personally send the woman he has fallen for on her journey.
"Sister Ayu, will you resent me?" He frowned and looked at her drooping face, which was very weak and pale. He had heard that she had been seriously ill for several days, and it seemed that it was true.
"I have no regrets. I have never regretted what I have done. However, I have a few last wishes, and I hope Your Majesty can grant them."
Gu Yu thought many times about what she had to accomplish before she died. After much thought, besides getting rid of Sun Gu, she realized that there were more and more people involved with her.
Gu family father and brothers, Xu Qiu, Tang Nan, Xu San Niang, Qiu Ju, Chun Yue...
“As I said before, my help to Your Highness has nothing to do with my father and brother. They know nothing about what I have done, so this matter must not involve the Duke of Ying’s mansion. My father and brother are the most loyal to the emperor and the country, and Your Majesty should know this.”
"Very well, I grant your request."
"Then there is Tang Nan... Your Majesty should not know this person. If she makes meritorious contributions in the future and becomes famous in the army, please grant her a pardon."
Jing Zichen was somewhat puzzled, but still replied, "It's a small matter, I grant your request."
"They say things shouldn't happen more than three times, but my last wish might have to be two things."
"It's alright, Sister Ayu, please tell me."
"Sun Gu is a corrupt and treacherous official who usurps power for personal gain, bringing disaster to the country and its people. Your Majesty should not spare him. Now that Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, it is the time to establish your reputation. It would be better to execute him directly to set things right..."
If the previous two matters were minor, Sun Gu's matter was a matter of state. However, Emperor Shengyuan had left a will, and Sun Gu indeed had to die.
"Why? Is Sister Ayu truly selfless and devoted to the country?"
"Of course not, I only want to seek a better future for someone."
"Xu Qiu?"
“It was him.” Gu Yu’s lowered eyelashes trembled. “Did the late emperor intend to support Xu Qiu and overthrow Sun? Does Your Majesty know why?”
“Sun Gu has a bad reputation. My father is gone, and this man is the legacy he left me. Xu Qiu, on the other hand, is a capable minister. His work on the land administration has benefited the country and the people, and he has a good reputation among the populace. It is inevitable that Sun will be overthrown…”
Jing Zichen belatedly realized that Gu Yu's words were still so sharp, leading him to say some things he shouldn't have.
"Since that's the case, I'll change my last wish. I wish for Xu Qiu's freedom—the freedom to choose. If he wants to continue his meteoric rise, Your Majesty should grant him a good end. If one day he wishes to resign and retire, I also hope Your Majesty will allow him to go home..."
What constitutes a good ending?
“If one day the people despise him and the masses loathe him, and if he reaches the point where he is now, I hope Your Majesty will spare his life.”
What a biased mind! Jing Zichen smiled bitterly. Sun Gu was now beyond saving, but if Xu Qiu were in this situation, he would have to spare his life.
Gu Yu glanced at the young emperor and saw that he remained silent for a long time. "Is Your Majesty in trouble? I am a woman of ill fate. If Your Majesty tries to coax me now, I will believe it and leave in peace."
Jing Zichen felt a pang of sadness, but he also felt he had no right to feel that way. "Sister Ayu has shown him such deep affection. I agree."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I have no other wishes." Gu Yu curtsied in thanks.
Jing Zichen shouted loudly outside, "Little Li, bring the food up."
As the door was pushed open, a pale-faced, beardless eunuch walked in, carrying a tray with a wine pot and a small wine cup on it.
"Sister Ayu, drink it. In three months at the shortest, and six months at the longest, you will die from your weak constitution. Sister Ayu, how terrible!"
"I am not afraid. My wish has been fulfilled. Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting my wish."
After saying that, Gu Yu pinched the wine cup with three fingers and drank it all in one gulp. It was a little spicy, but not bitter, thankfully not bitter.
She hates bitter tastes.
Jing Zichen couldn't bear to look at her any longer, so he got up, flicked his sleeve, and walked out of the side hall.
She is different; Sister Ayu is different.
She helped him without gaining anything in return. He couldn't understand why she did it, but now that she knew those things, she couldn't live anymore.
But oh, oh, why is he so sad?
He tilted his head back, not letting the tears fall. How could the emperor shed tears?
He was no longer the fifth prince; he was the supreme ruler, the head of the nation.
"The messenger will escort Miss Gu back to the Duke's mansion."
"Yes, sir."
Gu Yu drank the wine and felt dizzy, but her body did not hurt. She slept for a while in the sedan chair, feeling dizzy.
By the time they returned to the Duke's mansion, it was already dark, with a few stars scattered across the night sky.
“Miss.” Chunyue had been waiting for her. Seeing that her young lady had returned safely, she smiled and said, “The plum wine has been taken out, and the food has been prepared in the courtyard. We can just heat it up and eat.”
"Master and young master are waiting for you in the front hall. If you come back any later, they will go to the palace to demand your return."
Gu Yu rubbed her temples wearily. As she passed the front hall, she saw two menacing figures.
Gu Hanying frowned and glared, looking somewhat fierce. "Ayu, what happened? What did that brat want with you in the palace?"
"I have only known His Majesty through chess, and I merely entered the palace to play two games with him." Gu Yu's face showed signs of exhaustion.
Gu Hanying looked at Gu Jin with some suspicion and said, "Ayu, go back to the courtyard and have some dinner first."
After Gu Yu left, Gu Hanying pondered for a long time before saying to Gu Jin, "Tomorrow, come with me to the palace. I feel that boy has ill intentions."
"Okay." Gu Jin seemed lost in thought.
Ever since Gu Yu uttered those words about gods and ghosts, and what her answer was, he often thought about it, and had a vague guess in his heart, but he dared not believe it.
But what if it were true? He dared not think about it.
In the courtyard, Chunyue and Qiuju were also asked to sit down by Gu Yu.
"Miss, this plum wine is so delicious, so sweet..." Chunyue had drunk a few cups of wine and was already drunk.
Qiuju, who had a better alcohol tolerance, laughed while covering her face with her handkerchief as she watched Chunyue's dizzy state. She only stopped when she heard Gu Yu cough a few times and hurriedly went to get her cloak.
It was still late spring, and the night air was cool.
Gu Yu sipped the plum wine, the sweetness slowly spreading on her tongue. It was indeed sweet; Chun Yue hadn't lied.
The moon rose above the treetops. A cloak was draped over her shoulders, shielding her from the cool breeze.
"Miss, Qingfeng said that Lord Xu's business in Yangzhou Prefecture went very smoothly, and he will be returning to the capital soon. He won't be being sent out again—"
"Miss!"
Qiu Ju exclaimed in surprise, noticing that Gu Yu's face was flushed, as beautiful as a peach blossom, and she was already completely drunk and unconscious. She was propping her chin up, looking up at the moon, her eyes completely closed.
Qiuju sighed, not knowing if the young lady had heard her words, and reached out to help the person into the room to settle in.
Not long after, the hibiscus flowers in the yard bloomed, a blanket of white, like the first snow of winter, densely covering the branches.
Gu Yu reached out and stroked the lowest flower bud.
"Miss, everyone in the streets and alleys is saying that Sun Gu, that corrupt official, has been ordered by the Emperor to have his home confiscated and be punished."
Chunyue rushed in excitedly, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
"Is that so?" Gu Yu withdrew her hand and smiled sincerely. "Let's go out and see what's going on today."
"Okay, I'll go tell Sister Qiuju." Chunyue ran out of the courtyard.
Gu Yu stood in front of Sun Gu's magnificent mansion, surrounded by onlookers who were discussing how this corrupt official had finally gotten his comeuppance.
She watched as box after box of valuables were carried out of the Sun residence and sneered.
Sun Gu, Sun Gu, you never expected this, did you? After so many years as Grand Secretary, you amassed countless riches, only to leave behind nothing more than the legacy of Emperor Shengyuan for the next emperor.
The tax laws you implemented and the people you elected are gradually being replaced by others. Wei Cong's new policies in Tongzhou have also transitioned well. When he returns to the capital, he will surely be able to obtain a powerful official position.
Everything that Sun Gu cared about was finally going to be taken away.
Gu Yu wanted to see Sun Gu and personally send him to the Yellow Springs.
She was already dying, so there were many things she no longer needed to worry about.
Gu Yu coughed twice, got into the sedan chair, and returned to the Duke of England's mansion through the back door.
"Miss." Qiuju, who was left at the manor, rushed to greet her upon her return. "Qingfeng said that Lord Xu will be returning to the capital in October."
Gu Yu glanced at her indifferently, "Since you're already divorced, why are you still telling me about his affairs?"
"Miss, since you still care about Lord Xu, why do you pretend to be so heartless?" Qiuju asked, puzzled. "Besides, Lord Xu is clearly still infatuated with you. Otherwise, after all this time, he would have married someone else. Why is he still single now?"
"Qiuju, I don't want to be a burden to him." Gu Yu said frankly, which was rare for her. "You know what my body looks like. Wouldn't it be better for him to find a healthy wife? It's true that he is very affectionate now, but one day he will forget me."
As time goes by, even the deepest feelings will fade, and Xu Qiu will eventually find an unlucky girl who reciprocates his feelings.
Qiuju's eyes reddened. "Miss, please don't say such discouraging things. I will take good care of you, and you will surely live a long and healthy life."
Gu Yu leaned against the small couch under the grape trellis, the warm red sunset dyeing the hem of her clothes. She forced a smile and said, "Silly girl, some people live only to fulfill their wishes. Once their wishes are fulfilled, then living has no meaning."
"Come here." She beckoned Qiuju to come closer, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, and made Qiuju kneel down to wipe away her tears.
"Cry less, crying too much will make you age faster."
The courtyard was enveloped in the twilight. Although tender green leaves had sprouted on the grapevines, and they were about to bear fruit, it could not conceal the increasingly pale faces of the people below.
"Whatever the outcome, it was my own choice, Qiuju, I have never regretted it," Gu Yu murmured softly.
"Miss, please promise Qiuju that you won't say such strange things anymore. Take good care of your health, and you will definitely recover."
She nodded helplessly. Sometimes, a lie is so beautiful that it can bring peace of mind, which is a good thing.
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