Chapter 67 (Continuing the Pretense)
When Gu Xunhui stepped off the carriage, he found that his elderly father had already arrived home, but his expression looked somewhat distorted.
From the fourth year of the Jinghua era onwards, Emperor Cheng's image frequently appeared in official court publications.
As is well known, King Jungjong began tinkering with newspapers during the Hongan era, and the "Jongbo" newspaper once became a best-selling annual publication. After all, who doesn't enjoy reading about the royal family's outrageous antics?
Of course, King Jungjong himself denied this: "What a joke! Do you think I'm the kind of person who posts jokes about my relatives online... no, in books to mock them?" However, because the description was so detailed and absurd yet impossible to doubt, the official gazette became a cradle of unofficial history.
Zhou She is very busy.
His daily schedule ran from 5 a.m. to midnight. This included, but was not limited to: practicing essential defensive and offensive techniques, reviewing the military situation of a small unit of 3,000 men, building rapport with the soldiers, analyzing the enemy's offensive intentions and attempting to devise counter-offensive routes, and going to General Cheng's camp to study and endure his scolding...
Until midnight, he could finally fall into a coma in bed, or take over from Su Miao, who was his deputy, and get through another all-nighter.
He had just finished his routine patrol of the camp and was walking out of Cheng Zhuoran's wartime conference room, braving the cold wind.
Su Miao and Tian Mu became increasingly familiar with each other. Listening to Tian Mu's teasing tone, and glancing at Zhou She beside him who looked tired and unwell from lack of sleep, Su Miao said, "Ruo Chuan, remember to leave me the most conspicuous spot in the future, so that this general's great achievements can be recorded!"
Zhou She: "..."
He was speechless at Su Miao's abrupt change of topic, and casually brushed it off: "Judging by the time, the envoy sent out to request grain should have arrived in the capital by now, right?"
Su Miao: "That's right. Li Tu is only daring to provoke us because he has the grasslands to his back. Once the supplies arrive, I think they will have to retreat sooner or later."
This is indeed a good thing.
Zhou She nodded and walked away with heavy steps.
In comparison, the sky seemed incredibly energetic and lively:
However, once Zhong Cong's purpose was established, Zongbao changed its tune and began broadcasting her actions in real time.
Moreover, the Zongbao newspaper was full of witty remarks and would occasionally bring up the main characters of previous issues—the princes of Hong'an—to criticize them, perfectly catering to the preferences of both new and old customers.
It's said that the later drafts of the Imperial Gazette were jointly written by Emperor Zhongzong and Fang Jingruo, which seems very reasonable to me. Fang Jingruo's emotions are incredibly vivid; he's a genius at evoking feelings!
He could also polish Emperor Zhongzong's writing while he was at it. After all, although the adult education program had shown initial results and was sufficient for writing memorials, for writing short stories, they still needed Fang Hou's help.
Su Miao clicked his tongue, seemingly wanting to press himself up there so that the whole world could see him.
On the other side, Gu Xunhui was about to leave his father and go to the study when his father suddenly called him back.
“Zhao Niang.” Gu’s father’s expression was very complicated. He was silent for a moment, then said, “His Majesty intends to bestow a marriage upon you.”
Gu Xunhui was stunned by the news, and his originally rosy face turned deathly pale.
She recalled her chance encounter with the Third Prince, and shock and anger surged within her at the same time. Finally managing to compose herself, she asked with a last glimmer of hope, "Your Majesty means..."
Mr. Gu's gaze seemed to fall on her, yet it also seemed not to, and he said vaguely, "It's just what you think."
Gu Xunhui: "..." She fell silent.
This is indeed a big challenge.
Gu Xunhui was already pondering how to face the Third Prince, whom she had just brushed off, when she heard her father say, "I never expected that His Majesty would actually bestow a marriage upon you and Zhou Ruochuan."
Gu Xunhui: "?"
Gu Xunhui: "!"
She belatedly realized what was happening and pressed for an answer: "Your Majesty is referring to Young Master Zhou?"
Father Gu looked at her lovingly and comforted her, "I know it's hard for you to accept. But in the end, even though Zhou She has offended His Majesty, ensuring your lifelong peace shouldn't be a big problem."
As he spoke, he noticed his daughter's expression growing increasingly reserved, and sighed, "His Majesty is ultimately sentimental."
Gu Xunhui: "..."
She almost burst out laughing, then quickly lowered her eyes, pretending to agree gently, and headed straight for the study.
The third prince came to see her, looking confident and certain of victory, which made her a little worried. But it turned out that the emperor already had his own plans.
She couldn't be sure what the emperor's purpose was in sending Zhou She to the northern frontier, but that no longer mattered. They would become comrades-in-arms again, just like in the story of Tianmu.
Since his daughter became empress and his son-in-law became emperor, Gu Jingshan's career has soared to new heights. He is successful in his career, but not in his love life.
However, as we all know, one should not be too complacent at times, as complacency can easily lead to a decline in moral character.
Gu Jingshan's expression cracked inch by inch.
After the court assembly, he was kept behind for a private talk by the emperor. Everything was harmonious until the emperor announced the phrase "donned the yellow robe" in the sky.
The emperor's gaze towards him immediately changed.
Gu Jingshan secretly groaned, hoping that Tianmu would let him go quickly.
Zhong Cong's popularity soared. In the fifth year of Jinghua, she returned to the capital from the border and was to become an official in the princess's residence, having been ranked second in the fourth year of Jinghua.
In the sixth year of the Jinghua era, Emperor Zhongzong began arranging for his daughter to enter the central government. The fact that a woman was allowed to attend court immediately drew criticism from the pedantic scholars. For the first time, Zhongzong did not immediately refute this, remaining silent until the court session ended. He then summoned his father-in-law, Gu Jingshan, for a private conversation.
As Gu Jingshan watched his role become increasingly prominent, finally—
His face appeared on the sky.
He wasn't in the palace, but in a room where candlelight illuminated the entire private room, and several old men opposite him had joyful expressions on their faces.
Gu Jingshan, positioned in the sky, was adept at navigating social situations and displaying his social skills. After several rounds of drinks, he stood up and said, "Everyone has made great contributions; I would like to propose a toast to you all."
After saying that, he downed the wine in his hand in one gulp, turned the glass upside down, and indicated that he had finished it.
One of the people opposite exclaimed repeatedly, "Lord Gu has an excellent capacity for alcohol!"
A faint blush had risen to Gu Jingshan's face, indicating a slight intoxication. He opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly heard someone whispering against the door, "Master."
Gu Jingshan was taken aback. His mood was interrupted by those words, and he was immediately displeased. He barely managed to suppress his temper and said in a deep voice, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and the candlelight cast the silhouettes of two people. Gu Jingshan looked closely and saw that his attendant was standing outside the door, bowing and scraping, while another man stood in front of him.
Everyone looked up in the direction of the voice, and instantly broke out in a cold sweat: this was the emperor's most trusted chief eunuch. How much had he heard standing there?
However, the eunuch did not make trouble. Instead, he greeted him with a smile: "Lord Gu, His Majesty is waiting for you in the palace."
Gu Jingshan quickly replied, "I'll go right away."
Shen Mingzhe disdainfully looked away: "That guy surnamed Gu has no backbone. He's just stirring up trouble behind the scenes. He deserves to die."
Lord Shen's mood worsened, and he became even more dissatisfied with the people under the sky.
Fang Jingruo went back to his hometown a few days ago, leaving him a certain amount of gold before he left, saying it could be used to build the Imperial Academy. Shen Mingzhe found this kid quite interesting, and after counting the amount, it was indeed half of the gold bestowed by the emperor.
So he waved his hand and accepted it decisively.
Emperor Hong'an didn't care about Gu Jingshan. He had a feeling that Zhou She had set a trap for Gu Jingshan again: remaining silent until the court session ended was clearly not in line with his style, but if it was some kind of "entrapment," it would suddenly seem very reasonable.
Gu Jingshan rushed to the palace, where Emperor Zhongzong was indeed waiting for him. Upon seeing him, he wore an expression that said, "My dear minister, why have you only arrived now? I was tossing and turning in bed because of those disobedient ministers."
No matter how rough Su Miao was, he finally realized what was going on and felt disgusted by Tianmu's words: "Ruochuan, you..." How pretentious.
Zhou She turned his head with a smile, which sent a chill down Su Miao's spine. His expression was exactly the same as the prelude to his scheme on the sky.
Gu Jingshan didn't say it, but he was secretly thrilled. Although he was the Empress's father and held the official position of Minister of Works, it wasn't a position he liked. Besides, the Emperor didn't pay much attention to him—even Xie Chaoxian, who only surrendered after entering the capital, was more valued than him.
So he feigned sincerity and said, "Your Majesty's will is my will. For Your Majesty's grand plan, I am willing to go through fire and water, and even die ten thousand times."
Everyone: "..."
Keep pretending, you two.
Gu Jingshan on the backdrop was truly a master actor.
His face was full of reverence, as if he were truly willing to go through fire and water as the emperor's loyal subject, just as he had said.
Unfortunately, everyone had already seen through his true colors, which only made them laugh in unison.
"Lord Gu's act is truly put on for His Majesty's benefit."
"Hehe..." one man stroked his beard and laughed, "Gu Jingshan has studied hard for many years, but he hasn't made much progress in his official career. He's certainly put in a lot of effort in these areas."
"This is what it means for a ruler and his subjects to be of two minds, but it's a pity that it's happening within the same family."
Indeed, Gu Jingshan probably didn't expect that his daughter wasn't on his side.
In his view, what difference did it make who he favored? His more naive grandson was clearly the best way for them, as relatives of the emperor, to infringe upon his power. Besides, could Zhou Yi, a woman, truly hold onto the throne? Perhaps she wouldn't even live to see her death before being overthrown.
In the sky, Emperor Zhongzong leaned over and helped up his father-in-law, whose face was full of sincerity. His expression was even more earnest, moved, and gentle than Gu Jingshan's: "I know that you, my dear minister, are definitely my right-hand man."
Gu Jingshan lowered his head at the opportune moment, his eyes filled with tears as he expressed his gratitude, saying that he did not deserve such a title.
There was a moment of silence, perhaps as both of them calmed themselves down.
Then the emperor continued, "My dear minister, you should know my intentions. Although Wei Ze is young, she already has the air of an emperor. I intend to make her the crown prince."
Weize was Zhou Yi's courtesy name. Shortly before Emperor Zhongzong ascended the throne, Zhou Yi turned fifteen, and the courtesy name was given to her.
Gu Jingshan had already guessed the emperor's intention and agreed without hesitation: "Your Majesty, I am willing to serve as your vanguard."
The emperor released his hand.
Following the emperor's hand, Gu Jingshan slowly looked up. He only saw half of the emperor's face, which was showing a heavy expression, and suddenly felt relieved.
Even the flamboyant and tyrannical emperors of this dynasty, who caused endless suffering among their ministers, had things they found difficult to accomplish.
This morning at court, the voices of opposition were so loud that he thought the emperor would, as before, engage in a verbal battle with the scholars, hurling sarcastic and sarcastic remarks until he was sweating profusely.
It now seems that even one's own son-in-law, the emperor, cannot escape the struggle between imperial power and the power of the prime minister.
It is now clear that they have won.
For some reason, despite the spacious and warm atmosphere of the hall, he broke out in a cold sweat. Gu Jingshan bowed his head one last time and heard the emperor's soft voice: "The empress also wants to see you."
[That's all for this episode. Now let's watch these two acting geniuses put on a show. Gu Jingshan clearly didn't expect that the emperor was fishing, the bait was the crown prince's position, and the fish was himself.]
Of course, he wasn't the only one. With so many fish in the pond, how could they possibly catch them all without baiting the area?
Gu Jingshan turned to see his daughter. Father and daughter were supposed to meet, their eyes brimming with tears—but no. The Empress coldly exposed all of her father's intentions and issued an ultimatum: "If you want to live, don't get involved in these matters. Haven't you seen your in-laws already died tragically because of them?"
Gu Jingshan: "..." He knew his daughter wasn't as gentle as she seemed.
Zhou Xuyan: "..." What does this have to do with me?
Gu Xunhui sat at her desk, unfolding a roll of Xuan paper. She seemed oblivious to the future conflict between herself and her father, focusing only on everything that had happened today, connecting all the subtle doubts together.
She wrote down all her speculations about the Third Prince's behavior on a piece of paper, folded it into a palm-sized sheet, and fell into deep thought.
How she will get this thing to Mingyuan Pass in the northern frontier is a problem.
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