Chapter 462 Sixteen Years Ago 2
But to everyone's surprise, the family refused to accept the compensation this time, insisting that the general from Wei pay for her husband's life.
I don't know how this matter escalated, but it eventually got to the point that the families of those who had been disabled or killed started making a fuss as well.
This matter eventually escalated into a struggle between the two countries, with the Wei state seizing the initiative and leading a large army to press on the border, resulting in a direct conflict with the Zhou army.
With war imminent, General Ji, as the garrison commander guarding the border, naturally could not allow his elderly father to personally lead the troops. Therefore, he personally led tens of thousands of troops to confront the Wei army head-on.
After several days of fighting, tensions between the two countries escalated, and the State of Wei seized the opportunity to carve up the territory of the Great Zhou.
The Ji family, whose members had served as generals for generations, were not to be trifled with. Although they lost a city at the beginning due to the opponent's swift action, General Ji recaptured it in just a few days.
Given this situation, even if neither country backed down, even if the Great Zhou couldn't drive away the Wei army, the Wei wouldn't dare to invade the Great Zhou's territory again.
But then a message came back saying that General Ji had mistakenly entered an enemy trap and was seriously injured, his fate unknown.
Ji Shi lost her mother at a young age, and her only elder brother's fate is now unknown. In her anxiety, she dragged her pregnant body, Gu Shuyan, onto the carriage and rushed to the frontier.
As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly. Just as Ji Shi was rushing to Yuzhou, she suddenly went into premature labor due to a miscarriage. It was in that chaotic moment that Gu Shuyan was switched by the Li family.
Finally, Lady Ji arrived at the frontier with her newborn daughter, Li Yingxin, only to find General Ji severely injured and unconscious.
Because she had just given birth and had traveled a long distance, Ji Shi naturally did not take good care of her body due to the hardships of this journey, which resulted in her being unable to conceive again after giving birth to Gu Shuyan.
"Shushu, the reason why the Wei Kingdom invaded the Great Zhou was because it had been plotting for a long time. General Ji was caught in their trap and eventually passed away."
Gu Shuyan naturally thought of this point after hearing it. Otherwise, how could an ordinary person make a monarch disregard the peace of the country and insist on such a large-scale war?
"So the Emperor of Wei and His Majesty have a grudge?"
Gu Shuyan's tone carried a certainty, which she could sense even though Yun Yichen hadn't said anything. Otherwise, given that Wei and Zhou had been at peace for centuries, and Wei hadn't been able to bring down Zhou in one fell swoop, why would they act so rashly?
Seeing that Gu Shuyan had already guessed, Yun Yichen nodded, "Speaking of which, this is also related to Consort Yun in the palace."
The whole incident started simply because the Emperor of Wei wanted to seek justice for Consort Yun, but unexpectedly, it ended up involving General Ji and the Gu family.
As Yun Yichen spoke, he gently placed his hand on Gu Shuyan's head and stroked her hair soothingly.
The reason Gu Shuyan has suffered so much over the years is partly due to him. Since they have such an inseparable bond since then, he can only cherish this little girl for the rest of his life and never let her suffer any more grievances.
"The Consort Yun that Brother Yun is talking about is the woman who was banished to the harem."
Gu Shuyan had heard a bit about Yunfei's situation, but she didn't know much about it in detail.
Upon seeing this, Yun Yichen nodded: "It is indeed her."
"Then what does this have to do with my second uncle?"
Since Ji Shi went to the frontier alone while pregnant for General Ji's sake, what is the relationship between her being switched at birth and the matter of the aunt she had never met, and this second uncle?
Gu Shuyan had inquired about this matter quite a bit at the Marquis's residence, and had even subtly mentioned it to Madam Ji and the Old Madam, but the two of them simply ignored her, so Gu Shuyan didn't get any substantial information out of them.
"There is indeed an inextricable connection, because it was you, my second uncle, who tipped off my mother-in-law at the time."
As Yun Yichen spoke, he pulled Gu Shuyan into his arms before continuing, "Back then, when my mother-in-law rushed to the border, General Ji had only been in trouble for a few days. Yet, it took my mother-in-law half a month to get there. This shows that your second uncle was either bribed or used by someone."
"Back then, when my grandmother and father-in-law returned home, they found that my mother-in-law was missing. They searched the entire Marquis's mansion and found out that it was your second uncle who had relayed the message."
"At that time, when they heard that their mother-in-law had disappeared, the Gu family was in chaos. Your second uncle also took the opportunity to sneak out of the mansion. In order to find your second uncle and find out where your mother-in-law had gone, Aunt Gu also joined the search team."
"Unfortunately, the second master of the Gu family was found, and the whereabouts of my mother-in-law were also known, but Aunt Gu disappeared for two days and two nights. When she was found again, her body had been dumped in the wilderness."
So, the whole incident back then was like a line, a heavy blow to both the Ji family and the Gu family. The Ji family lost a promising general, while the Gu family lost their most beloved youngest daughter.
Although Gu Shuyan had never met her uncle and aunt, she felt a pang of pain in her heart upon hearing the true reason for their deaths. Especially her eldest uncle from the Ji family, who, after enduring so many years of hardship, finally couldn't bear it and chose to end his own life—what a tragic thing that was.
"So, the root cause of this whole thing is that His Majesty abandoned Consort Yun, and the King of Wei started a war between the two countries in order to avenge Consort Yun. My uncle, my aunt, and even myself became victims in this war."
After saying this in one breath, Gu Shuyan took a deep breath.
Ultimately, who is to blame for this? The State of Wei? Consort Yun? Or His Majesty? The strangest thing is the wickedness of human nature.
Although Gu Shuyan didn't know much about Consort Yun, she had learned from Lu Youming that Consort Yun was nothing more than a pawn used by the emperor to ascend the throne.
After using her to his advantage and successfully becoming emperor, the emperor immediately ordered Consort Yun to be banished to the Cold Palace, a truly tragic end for a woman.
"Brother Yun, do you really think there's no brotherly affection in the royal family?" Gu Shuyan asked thoughtfully.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
