Xue Zhiyi didn't know how she walked out of the Empress Dowager's bedroom. She only knew that maybe it was just as the Empress Dowager said. The step she took had already put her and Huo Wuyou in a situation from which it was difficult to escape.
But she just wanted to keep the person in front of her and protect everything in the present. Even if he didn't die a good death one day, she would accept it.
But the war situation on the front line did not improve.
Logically speaking, with the supplies, the war should have gone more smoothly, but the news brought by Yangui was that they had lost contact with the secret agents in Jiangzhou.
The battle report would not arrive for at least three days, and Xue Zhiyi became increasingly restless.
Xue Zhiyi, whose pregnancy was originally stable, was extremely tired in the past few days. Her morning sickness, which was not serious, became abnormally more frequent when she was nearly five months pregnant, making her look haggard.
However, in the past few days, because the emperor had not attended court for several days, the concubines and court officials who asked to see him only saw an emperor lying on the bed with crooked eyes and a slanted mouth, as if he had suffered a stroke. Gradually, some people began to question whether the emperor's orders came from his mouth since he was in such a state, or whether the Zhongshu Ling Jiang Xu was meddling in the affairs.
Especially since Marquis Lin'an had just been severely criticized by the emperor, who suspected him of disobeying the emperor's order and keeping his own troops. The sister of the Minister of the Central Secretariat was the wife of Marquis Lin'an. It was feared that the two of them were colluding with each other internally and externally and had the intention of stealing the country.
The court officials impeached Jiang Xu and demanded that he be removed from office and that the prince be made regent until the emperor recovered.
Therefore, the second prince Gu Shiyun became the only candidate.
The ancestral law only prevented princes of foreign blood from succeeding to the throne, but it never said that they could not assist in government.
The second prince wanted to see the emperor, but the Palace Guards did not stop him.
When the emperor saw the second prince standing in front of him, hope finally rekindled in his desperate eyes. He let out an obscure whimpering sound from his throat, and his fingers, like dead wood, were grimacing, but he could not move and could only tremble with excitement.
Perhaps it was the first time he was thrust into such a position, having been so neglected since childhood, that Gu Shiyun felt somewhat lost. He only questioned in a deep voice, "The Minister of the Central Secretariat is acting like this. I'm afraid he's already defying the Emperor's will, just like the Marquis of Lin'an, and harboring ambitions of becoming regent, right?"
Before Jiang Xu could answer, a woman's voice rang out, "Second Prince, you're worrying too much. These are truly turbulent times, and the border war cannot be delayed. If the war is delayed because of Your Majesty's health, I'm sure Your Majesty would not want to see it."
Gu Shiyun looked back and saw Xue Zhiyi being supported by Chai Yue. His slightly thin face was covered with thick makeup. Although his body was heavy, he was still smiling.
"The Minister of the Central Secretariat is someone Your Majesty trusts; otherwise, he wouldn't have been entrusted with such an important task to assist Your Majesty in handling government affairs. My current actions are merely a follow-up to Your Majesty's order before he fell ill. However, a minister is still a minister after all. Unlike Your Highness, who was born a prince, assisting in government would naturally be more legitimate and would also reduce suspicion within the court."
The Second Prince looked suspicious: "What do you mean by that?"
Xue Zhiyi smiled and said, "If Your Highness is willing to follow the advice of the ministers and take over as regent for Your Majesty, I believe that the Minister of the Central Secretariat, born as a minister, will certainly assist him."
He originally intended to attack, but when he heard Xue Zhiyi say this, the Second Prince himself did not expect it to be so smooth. He even wondered if they had some other conspiracy. As long as he dared to nod, he would become the next prince who tried to force the emperor to abdicate and die in this Changsheng Palace.
Suddenly, he came to his senses and said, "Madam Lin'an, may I ask, on what grounds did you make this promise to me on behalf of the Minister of the Central Secretariat?"
Xue Zhiyi's smile remained unchanged. "Because I thought that the Marquis of Lin'an had sent back some good news from the front lines that might be of interest to Your Highness."
As Gu Shiyun was puzzled, a woman wearing a veil was brought in. The familiar figure made Gu Shiyun's breath catch. Until the woman lifted the veil, his eyes were shocked...
"Royal brother." The woman's voice was choked with sobs.
No matter how strong Gu Ruxuan was, she was still young after all. After experiencing so many things, once she returned to her hometown and stood in front of her relatives, she could no longer control herself and threw herself into Gu Shiyun's arms and burst into tears.
"...You're back?" Looking at Gu Ruxuan's wrists, which were so thin that their joints were clearly visible, and the scars on them, which were alternating between old and new, Gu Shiyun couldn't help but tear up. "Sister, you've suffered so much. It's my brother's fault for being so useless."
On the side, Xue Zhiyi explained, "A few days ago, the Marquis of Lin'an captured a Northern Di general alive and used him as a hostage in exchange for Princess Pingzhang. He then sent someone to secretly escort the princess back to the capital."
Holding Gu Ruxuan in his arms, Gu Shiyun's expression towards Xue Zhiyi became a little friendlier, but he still did not let his guard down. "Madam Lin'an said this to me, is she trying to use Ruxuan's life to make me give in?"
Upon hearing this, the emperor let out another anxious whimper.
Xue Zhiyi simply shook his head and said, "Princess Pingzhang's contributions to Dayong are immeasurable. Welcoming the princess back to court is the duty of the Marquis of Lin'an. How can the princess, with her dignity, be used as a bargaining chip? But, doesn't Your Highness want to know what happened before and after Princess Pingzhang's return to court?"
Gu Shiyun was stunned for a moment, then heard Xue Zhiyi continue, "General Shen attacked head-on, while Marquis Lin'an outflanked the Northern Di from behind, trapping the Northern Di in the city. They successfully recaptured Yunqiao County in Jiangzhou, which had been occupied by the Northern Di, and captured the generals in the city alive in exchange for Princess Pingzhang. Yunqiao County is a key pass for Dayong. From now on, as long as they occupy Yunqiao County and continue the offensive, they can counterattack the Northern Di and recapture the lost territory. The Northern Di naturally want to recapture Yunqiao County as well. It can be said that whether or not we can hold the city is crucial to Dayong's ability to turn the tide of the war and turn defeat into victory. But at this moment, His Majesty wants to summon Marquis Lin'an back to the capital."
Looking at the emperor lying on the bed who wanted to deny everything, Gu Shiyun remained silent.
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