Chapter 171 [VIP]
Gu Zhizhuo leaned back against the wall and whispered to Gu Yican, "The late emperor died suddenly, the crown prince committed suicide, the emperor ascended the throne, and the earthly emperor was ordained by Heaven and established the Mandate of Heaven."
Changfeng is dead.
"Only when the Crown Prince is exonerated and the Grandson is enthroned will it mean that the Mandate of Heaven has returned to the right track."
Gu Yican: "So, the emperor needs to issue an edict personally?"
Gu Zhizhu chuckled lightly, his smile cheerful.
She looked up at the sky.
I don't know when it started, but the sky has become a bit strange. Half of it is covered with dark clouds, and the other half is clear and sunny, with a clear distinction between the two, as if it is foreshadowing something.
Her lips moved slightly as she murmured to herself, "I've said it before, it's either me who's shattered to pieces, or you who will do as I please."
"You, be a good girl and listen to me."
As soon as the words fell, Gu Zhizhuo heard a series of thunderous booms in his ears.
Rumble!
A thunderous roar erupted overhead, startling the emperor.
His back was pressed tightly against the iron cage. When he looked down, he saw Changfeng's charred skin after being struck by lightning, and his gray-white eyes that remained open in death.
The emperor swallowed hard: "I...I..."
"We beg Your Majesty to proclaim to the world that the Crown Prince is innocent."
The Duke of Wei knelt at the very front. The jade tube in his throat had been removed, but he still had some difficulty speaking. These past few days, he had been recuperating at his residence, and after his restless mind had completely calmed down, he had come to understand many things.
The third prince was indeed not a wise ruler.
Although the third prince is indecisive and easily fooled, he will certainly rely on me in court when he becomes the ruler.
However, this is on the premise that he can actually get to that position.
The Third Prince was the legitimate son of the Empress, and the Duke of Wei originally thought that he could at least have a 50% chance of success based on this status alone, so he really couldn't make up his mind to choose a new master.
After all, everyone in the court knew that he had sided with the Third Prince.
Being indecisive is a major taboo for a minister.
Hesitating and hesitating, while still lying on the couch, he heard that Master Changfeng had confessed to poisoning the late emperor.
Once the deposed crown prince is absolved of his crimes of regicide and patricide, Xie Yingchen, the late emperor's personally appointed grandson, will undoubtedly be superior to Xie Jing in terms of status alone.
If the Third Prince loses this greatest advantage, what hope does he have of sitting on the throne?
Duke Wei felt he could no longer hesitate; any later, and he might not even catch a whiff of the dragon's breath, let alone follow it.
Despite his illness, he rushed over in a hurry.
Duke Wei bowed his head and choked with sobs, saying, "The deposed crown prince died unjustly and was cursed by thousands. I am filled with grief. If Your Majesty insists on not exonerating the deposed crown prince, I have no choice but to die to comfort his spirit in heaven."
His voice was mournful yet powerful.
As he spoke, he looked left and right, then suddenly stood up and rammed into the direction of the Dengwen Drum.
He was still recovering from his illness and walked unsteadily. Before he could even hit his head, he was stopped by the Imperial Guards.
The Duke of Wei wiped away his tears and sat on the ground, weeping bitterly.
"Your Majesty, it is this old minister who has failed you."
“Your Highness, this old minister should not have believed one side of the story and concluded that you murdered the emperor. How could you just leave like this?”
"Your Highness, please allow this old minister to go to the other side to apologize to you."
Duke Wei pounded the ground with his fist and wept bitterly.
The Prime Minister's lips twitched. This Duke of Wei is getting old, and he's such a good actor.
Judging from this pretentious act, he's almost certainly trying to show off in front of Prince Chen.
The Duke of Wei wept bitterly and wailed.
Most of the students who had not yet entered officialdom were of pure and kind nature. When the Duke of Wei cried, they immediately felt the same way. When they remembered that they had once written articles cursing the deposed crown prince, they were filled with remorse and cried bitterly.
He cried and shouted, and even banged his head against the wall, leaving the Imperial Guards stunned.
Fortunately, the Imperial Guards had practiced how to stop people from crashing into walls, and they could pull them off with ease. But they still couldn't stop some people from lying on the ground and crying along with the Duke of Wei.
While crying, the Duke of Wei let out a loud hiccup and exclaimed, "I beg Your Majesty to exonerate the deposed Crown Prince!"
Gu Zhizhu chuckled inwardly, then sadly took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.
The Duke of Wei's unreasonable and argumentative nature was indeed quite remarkable, and he also had a thorough understanding of the emperor's temperament.
The emperor couldn't handle the pressure, and he wasn't a person with his own ideas.
The emperor preferred to evade responsibility, always letting his ministers argue their points first, and siding with whoever won. This is why the court is now divided into three factions, each pursuing its own interests. These were things the young master had taught her in her previous life.
She said, "The emperor is going to compromise."
The emperor's gaze was unfocused.
All sorts of sounds surrounded him, their coercion, their cries, all of which left him feeling lost and helpless.
In the past, when the late emperor was in court, a single word could determine the fate of the empire.
Now, his words have no effect whatsoever; they are all pressuring him.
"We beg Your Majesty to proclaim this to the world!"
All he wants now is to get back to the palace and escape all of this.
"I, the Emperor," the Emperor gritted his teeth and uttered the single word with difficulty.
Even if the deposed crown prince didn't commit regicide, so what? Six years have passed, and the deposed crown prince has long since been reincarnated.
I am the rightful successor appointed by the late emperor!
Whether or not the verdict is overturned is completely unimportant.
The emperor told himself that the most important thing now was to stabilize people's hearts. He would settle the score with them slowly after he recovered.
Thinking about it this way, the emperor felt somewhat at ease.
Despite his resentment and anger, all he could say now was: "By imperial decree, the sorcerer Changfeng poisoned the late emperor for his own selfish gain. The late emperor died from the poison. To escape his punishment, Changfeng framed the deposed crown prince, which led to the crown prince's deposition and suicide."
"Now that I have investigated the truth, the evil Taoist Changfeng has been killed, the deposed crown prince is innocent, his coffin should be moved to the imperial mausoleum, and his spirit should be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple."
"It should be announced to the world."
"The deposed crown prince never plotted against the late emperor, so I should posthumously confer titles upon him."
The emperor finished speaking slowly and deliberately, his right hand gripping the bars of the iron cage tightly; only in this way could he hold on.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
The Duke of Wei stopped crying, straightened up from his knees, and was the first to shout.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
His voice was still a little muffled.
The students regarded the Duke of Wei, who had led the charge in banging his head against the wall, as a paragon of virtue, and they all followed suit, raising their voices one after another, each one louder than the last.
"The deposed crown prince is innocent!"
The dark clouds that had occupied half the sky gradually dissipated, revealing the sun beneath.
The continuous rumble of thunder disappeared, and the sky cleared up.
Gu Zhizhuo smiled faintly.
The next moment, her smile froze, and a sharp pain she had never felt before surged in her chest, far more painful than ever before.
She stumbled and almost fell, but Xie Yingchen's arm caught her around the waist.
"Guards, prepare the carriage."
The emperor's expression finally improved.
Before he could finish speaking, the Duke of Wei took a few more steps forward and bowed his head in worship.
He raised his face, revealing several layers of white gauze wrapped around his neck, looking like an old man, full of injuries and illnesses, but still pursuing justice and righteousness.
He cried out, "I beg Your Majesty to clear the name of the Crown Prince."
The emperor stared at him intently, his eyes so sharp they seemed to turn into knives, ready to devour him alive.
Chief Minister Song secretly gave Duke Wei a thumbs up. He was desperately trying to impress Prince Chen, hoping to surpass him.
Duke Wei, with his neck stiff, said, "The late emperor issued an edict to confer the title of Crown Prince. Previously, because of the Crown Prince's mistake, the Crown Prince was implicated. But now that the Crown Prince is innocent, the Crown Prince should also be given the title."
Chief Minister Song immediately followed up: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince should be the heir apparent!"
The emperor endured it again and again.
He has a son, so why would he choose a nephew as the crown prince? That's absurd!
"The Crown Prince's claim is perfectly legitimate!"
Gu Yican turned around and whispered, "Why don't you say a few words and take the opportunity to push me a little harder..."
Before he could finish speaking, his voice faltered.
His younger sister, who had just been laughing happily on his shoulder, was now panting heavily. Xie Yingchen's attention was no longer on the emperor. He turned his head, narrowed his long eyes, and said in a tight voice, "Let's go down first and go to Taiqing Temple."
Xie Yingchen was in a state of confusion.
She always seemed perfectly healthy, always darting around, full of energy. But Xie Yingchen knew that she was constantly suffering from defying the laws of nature. The more she took a step forward, the greater the suffering she endured, with chronic illnesses accumulating in her body.
Xie Yingchen was already quite uneasy when he discovered that his companion star had dimmed that day.
And now, she is weaker than ever before.
"Okay." Gu Yican agreed, "I'll take my sister, you go ahead with your work."
"I'll go."
The father's exoneration is a done deal; whether he was there or not is irrelevant.
Nothing can compare to Yaoyao.
Gu Zhizhu waved his hand and said weakly, "I'm all better now."
Heavenly Path suffered a crushing defeat this time.
No wonder she was angry.
Gu Zhizhu chuckled contentedly: "First, let's..."
She wanted to say that she should finish up what was going on here before going to pay her respects to her master, but before she could finish speaking, everything went black before her eyes, and then she fell headfirst to the ground.
Xie Yingchen reacted quickly and held her firmly in his arms.
Gu Zhizhuo could feel a persistent dull pain in her chest and hear Xie Yingchen's anxious calls. She wanted to say that she was fine, but her eyelids were heavy, and she didn't even have the strength to open her eyes.
So tired.
sleepy……
Gu Yican was almost frantic, calling out repeatedly, "Sister! Sister!"
Xie Yingchen immediately took out the pill given to him by Wuweizi and put it into her mouth.
The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, turning into a medicinal liquid that slid down the throat.
Gu Zhizhuo's breathing calmed down a little. Gu Yican bent down, picked her up, and ran down the city wall, with Xie Yingchen following closely behind.
Everyone's attention was on the emperor, and almost no one noticed what they were doing.
Prince Li turned around to call Xie Yingchen over to ask about his plans, but suddenly found that Xie was not there.
Prince Li: ?
Why are you running around like this at this time!
Xie Yingchen followed Gu Yican and ran all the way to the foot of the city wall.
Gu Zhizhuo wouldn't let him ride a horse, so Xie Yingchen always traveled in and out by carriage. There were carriages from the Prince Chen's residence parked in front of the palace gate. After Gu Yican settled everyone in the carriage, Xie Yingchen immediately said, "Yican, let's go straight to Taiqing Temple."
Gu Yican hesitated for a moment, wondering if they should go to the clinic first, but then he remembered that his sister was a member of the Taoist sect, so he gritted his teeth and agreed.
The students at the Meridian Gate all went up to the top of the city wall, and the carriages came out without any hindrance.
Chongjiu drove his carriage straight to the city gate.
Xie Yingchen held her hand; her palm was icy cold.
Gu Zhizhuo always complained that his hands were cold, but now, her hands were colder than his.
The dim companion star lingered in his mind. Xie Yingchen held her hand in his palm, trying to warm her hands with his own body heat.
Gu Yican impatiently lifted the carriage curtain, wanting to see where they were.
"Have you heard? It turns out the deposed crown prince didn't poison the late emperor."
"The Emperor has already issued an edict. It was done by a sorcerer, and he is at the Meridian Gate."
"I'll go take a look."
Such sounds could be heard everywhere on the streets, and some people were hurrying towards the Meridian Gate.
Amidst the commotion, the carriage quickly sped out of the capital.
It takes more than an hour to get from the capital to Taiqing Temple. They rode at full speed, and by the time they arrived, it was getting dark and the temple gates were already closed.
Gu Zhizhuo has been visiting frequently these past few months, sometimes staying for a few days, and sending her things from time to time. From the abbot down to the young Taoist boys, she is treated as warmly as her fellow disciples.
After Xie Yingchen knocked on the mountain gate, the young Taoist boy immediately welcomed them inside and then hurried to report to the abbot.
Xie Yingchen led the way, and Gu Yican, carrying his younger sister, quickly arrived at the small courtyard behind the mountain.
"Oh dear. My unlucky junior sister!"
"Come in quickly."
Qingping had just received the news and came out to greet her. Seeing her barely breathing, he was also anxious and quickly led them inside, saying hurriedly, "Master has a divination he doesn't quite understand and is currently in seclusion. I'll go and call him right away."
Gu Zhizhuo has her own room in this small courtyard. Gu Yican had just put her on the couch when Wuweizi arrived.
Wuweizi was still wearing a simple Taoist robe, his hair tied up with a bamboo hairpin. He walked in a hurry, his sleeves fluttering, and even his usually neatly combed hair looked a little messy.
"Zhuo'er!"
As soon as he entered the room, he glanced at the bed and asked, "Chen'er, what happened?"
"Master." Xie Yingchen stood up to greet him, and Gu Yican also obediently addressed him as "Master" and made way for him.
"We were at the Meridian Gate just now, and Yaoyao's complexion hasn't been good all day..." Xie Yingchen told him what had happened, saying, "The Emperor decreed that the Crown Prince was innocent, and not long after, Yaoyao suddenly fainted."
Wuweizi sat down by the couch, took her pulse, and then took out silver needles.
His silver needles were exactly the same as those used by Gu Zhizhuo, both as thin as a hair.
Wuweizi's technique was more steady and faster. After a few needles, Gu Zhizhuo's eyelids trembled, and his cold hands regained some warmth.
While administering acupuncture, Wuweizi said, "...I just cast a divination."
When they arrived, Wuweizi was in seclusion interpreting the divination.
"The divination result is somewhat complex, and I spent a little more time on it."
Xie Yingchen asked, his throat tightening, "Is the divination related to Yaoyao?"
Wuweizi nodded, for he saw a new destiny gradually taking shape in the divination.
This girl is reckless and headstrong; she really did it.
"Defying fate comes at a price. Now that fate has changed, all the backlash and illnesses that have been suppressed for so long have been imposed on her at the same time."
This time, it completely crushed her.
Wuweizi inserted another needle, looking worriedly at her bloodless face.
"Foolish child."
"Master, what should we do?"
"How can we get out of this predicament?"
Xie Yingchen and Gu Yican asked in unison.
"To redefine destiny."
Wuweizi had said this before.
However, fate is currently unstable, and good or bad fortune is unknown; even the divination results of Wuweizi cannot be seen through.
Only when a new monarch ascends to the throne can the Mandate of Heaven be truly restored.
Xie Yingchen turned his head to look at her bloodless face: "Master, I want to share the backlash with her, would that make her feel better?"
Wuweizi looked at him and asked, "Aren't you afraid of shortening your lifespan?"
Xie Yingchen smiled but remained silent.
Wuweizi pondered for a moment, then said, "Then..."
"Let's have a wedding to bring good luck."
Forehead.
"I remember that the betrothal gifts for the two of you have not yet been exchanged?"
"yes."
He had only proposed marriage, and he had discussed with the elders of the Gu family that they would wait until Yaoyao came of age in October before setting the engagement date.
"Qingping, go and fetch the new bottle of pills I just refined."
Wuweizi continued to insert the needles and slowly said, "Write down the marriage certificate as soon as possible and give it to me. The destiny has now been bestowed upon you. Once your lives are intertwined, your fortune will be able to protect her for the time being."
Qingping took the small bottle of pills.
Wuweizi poured out a pill and fed it to her.
Finish the stitches.
"Zhuo'er, wake up."
Wuweizi's voice used the incantation technique, and Gu Zhizhuo's long eyelashes trembled a few times before she suddenly opened her eyes.
She met Xie Yingchen's gentle eyes, and in his pupils, she saw her own reflection.
He said, "Let's get married."
Gu Zhizhuo opened his mouth slightly: "Huh?"
No! She was so tired that she only took a short nap. How could she be getting married so soon?
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