Chapter 5
Not long after the current emperor ascended the throne, he ordered Consort Shu to bring Gu Zhizhuo to the palace to be raised for three years. She lived with the Fifth Princess and received the same allowance as the Fifth Princess. The emperor jokingly called her a "pampered guest." Now, after the death of the Duke of Zhenguo's family in battle, she entered the palace for the first time and ended up disfigured.
This is practically a blatant declaration that the royal family is discarding their useful tools after they've served their purpose.
The Empress's temples throbbed violently, and cold sweat poured down her forehead. She repeatedly reassured her, "Zhuo'er, don't worry, I will definitely stand up for you."
"Consort Shu, you should take Zhuo'er to see a royal physician first. We must not take this injury on her face lightly."
She just wanted Consort Shu to take Gu Zhizhuo away as soon as possible. If she continued to speak like this, the memorials impeaching Jing'er would surely fill the Imperial Study.
The Prime Minister's wife secretly praised him.
Miss Gu had completely gained the upper hand. At this point, she was able to retreat unscathed. From now on, she could either attack or defend. Every step she took, even if it was just going with the flow, was done exceptionally well.
If the Grand Secretary's wife could think of it, Consort Shu could naturally think of it too.
With tears welling in her beautiful eyes, she bowed slightly to the Empress, put her arm around her niece and said something like, "Let's go find the imperial physician first," then pulled her daughter away. They left swiftly, leaving behind only this chaotic scene and commotion, with no one knowing how to end it.
Once she entered the gates of Chonghua Palace, Gu Zhizhuo lowered the handkerchief covering her face. Her eyes were clean, without a trace of tears.
Consort Shu sat down in the main seat of the main hall. With a wave of her hand, the palace servants filed out, leaving only the chief eunuch and two head maids.
She beckoned Gu Zhizhuo to come closer and personally removed her veil.
She hadn't looked closely before, but now she cupped her face in her hands, examining it from all angles.
Consort Shu looked at her.
She was also looking at Consort Shu, her eyes glazed over.
In his previous life, his elder brother Gu Yican was stripped of his title of heir by imperial decree after "fleeing to avoid punishment".
Several months later, an urgent message arrived from the border, saying that Gu Yican, disregarding national and personal grievances, had brutally murdered General Cheng Cang and three hundred soldiers guarding the border, and then surrendered to the Liang Kingdom with a border defense map.
Treason is a grave crime, punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.
To protect her, her aunt went to great lengths and paid a heavy price, ultimately saving the Gu family from execution to exile in Minzhou.
Shortly after the Gu family embarked on their journey to exile, their aunt died suddenly.
Soon after, Cousin Danling, who was in a coma, also passed away due to lack of care.
Consort Shu felt Gu Zhizhuo's body trembling and thought she was afraid. She felt a pang of heartache.
"It's alright now." She tossed aside her veil and spoke softly, "Tell your aunt what happened."
Gu Zhizhuo's long eyelashes fluttered, and she softly called out, "Aunt."
Consort Shu held her hand, her beautiful eyes filled with pity: "Just tell me, don't be afraid."
Gu Zhizhu pursed his lips and began by explaining that he had noticed something was wrong with the ointment: "...When I applied it to my face, it hurt terribly, like my skin was being peeled off. The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion has all kinds of wound medicines, and wound medicines should only soothe the wound, how could they possibly make it hurt more?"
She deliberately exaggerated to explain why she discovered the ointment was poisonous.
“I felt it was inappropriate, so I wiped it off quietly. Aunt, as you know, the imperial physicians in the palace only want to avoid making mistakes when prescribing medicine, so Physician Liu wouldn’t dare to do this on his own. He said that the Third Prince sent him to examine me, so it must have been the Third Prince who instructed him.”
Gu Zhizhuo explained the matter in a few words, and smiled proudly: "Aunt, I couldn't bear such humiliation, so I threw the ointment back at her."
Her phoenix eyes were bright, like a gemstone that shone brightly after being polished by time.
Xie Danling, always eager to stir up trouble, said from the side, "Mother, didn't you see? It was incredibly lively just now."
"It's even more exciting than a traditional opera performance!"
The two sat on footstools, taking turns recounting the whole story.
She gently stroked Gu Zhizhuo's soft hair, her eyes tender and gentle: "Yaoyao, your aunt doesn't necessarily want you to break off the engagement, but have you considered whether the Emperor has issued an explicit decree?"
Gu Zhizhuo gently shook his head.
This marriage, though said to be a royal decree, was in fact nothing more than a promise made by the emperor before his spirit tablet from beginning to end.
There was no imperial edict, nor any of the Three Letters and Six Rites.
Even in ordinary households, when children are betrothed, they would exchange tokens or something, but these things are still not done.
Consort Shu said softly, "If she truly cared, why would she do this?"
"You must know that a ruler's heart is unfathomable."
"Without an official decree, it means that if the Emperor decides he no longer needs this marriage in the future, he can simply let it go with a single word. What will you do then?"
"The royal family will not admit their fault. In the end, they will make you bear a full reputation to glorify Xie Jing's integrity."
Every word he said was heartfelt and sincere.
Every word was written with Gu Zhizhuo's best interests at heart.
Gu Zhizhu buried his head in Consort Shu's lap and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Aunt, I was wrong."
In her previous life, in the end, all she received was the statement, "The Gu family is of questionable character. I was too hasty. Fortunately, I did not issue an imperial edict. This marriage is hereby called off."
Just like what my aunt is worried about now.
Xie Danling hugged Consort Shu's arm and shook it, cooing in a sweet voice, "Mother, Yaoyao knows she was wrong, please don't be angry with her."
The two maids sat side by side, looking at her with similar phoenix eyes, their eyes moist and pitiful.
Consort Shu felt a pang of tenderness and couldn't help but smile.
She smiled, and Xie Danling immediately stopped pretending to be pitiful: "Yaoyao, Mother is not angry anymore, let's go play!"
Consort Shu gently patted her daughter's hand, her face stern: "Still playing!"
Xie Danling whimpered and acted coquettishly.
Consort Shu's red lips curved slightly, and her eyes sparkled with charm.
Her fingers, painted with red nail polish, tenderly stroked Gu Zhizhuo's still slightly swollen cheek.
"Yaoyao, don't worry, it doesn't matter if we offend Xie Jing."
This is a small matter; I can handle it myself.
and……
She told them, "The cabinet submitted a memorial today requesting the appointment of a crown prince."
The cabinet had just submitted its report when their chosen heir apparent, for his own selfish reasons, subjected the orphaned daughter of the Gu family to all sorts of abuse, poisoning and disfiguring her.
The matter of establishing an heir will inevitably be delayed.
Xie Jing needs to perform well in court from now on, and he won't dare to make things difficult for Yao Yao anytime soon.
If it weren't for the fact that Chief Minister Song had only submitted this memorial to the Imperial Study an hour earlier, she would have thought that Yaoyao had received advance notice and was using this as an opportunity to cause trouble.
Consort Shu was in high spirits: "Prime Minister Song is a man who cannot tolerate any injustice."
"Besides, Young Master Chen will be back soon."
"Young Master Chen?" Gu Zhizhuo's pupils contracted slightly, and his back tensed.
Xie Danling's bright, clear phoenix eyes sparkled as she rested on Consort Shu's lap and casually asked, "Are you referring to my cousin Chen from the deposed crown prince's family?"
Consort Shu nodded.
The prince's name was Xie Yingchen.
When the late emperor was on the throne, the current emperor was the second son. Above him was the eldest son born to the late empress, who was the crown prince at the time.
The Crown Prince is a man of both literary and military talent, possessing both virtue and wisdom. He has been the Crown Prince for twenty years, personally leading expeditions on behalf of the Emperor, overseeing the country, and performing sacrifices to Heaven... His position is secure.
In the twenty-second year of the Mingde reign, the late emperor suddenly collapsed from poisoning during his southern tour. After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that the crown prince had colluded with the imperial physicians to do it.
The late emperor was furious and issued an edict to depose the crown prince.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess committed suicide in the Eastern Palace out of fear of punishment. The late Emperor, who was already bedridden with lingering poison, vomited blood and died upon hearing the news.
Before his death, the late emperor summoned Prince Jin and others, and personally appointed the current emperor as his successor at his bedside.
Xie Yingchen was the eldest son of the deposed crown prince, born to the crown princess.
Given his awkward position, even if the current emperor were to confine him within high walls after his ascension to the throne, people would still praise him for his "benevolence."
Unfortunately, Xie Yingchen was the grandson of the late emperor, personally appointed as the crown prince, and had been honored with sacrifices at the ancestral temple and a public announcement to Heaven and Earth. Most importantly, when the late emperor deposed the crown prince, he did not issue an edict to depose the grandson of the crown prince.
When the current emperor was enthroned, the late emperor was still on his southern tour, and the edict did not pass through the cabinet.
Back then, there were many disagreements and endless debates about who was the rightful heir, which led to turmoil in the court and unrest among the people.
Later, Xie Yingchen, who was only fourteen years old at the time, volunteered to go to Liang as a hostage. With the late emperor's edict in hand, the current emperor was able to ascend the throne smoothly.
Since the current emperor ascended the throne, he has repeatedly indicated or hinted that the country should establish a crown prince, and each time this has led to a power struggle between the emperor and his ministers, and endless debates in the court.
There are always some officials who stubbornly believe that Xie Yingchen was the grandson of the late emperor, and that even if the current emperor succeeds to the throne, Xie Yingchen should still be the heir apparent.
Consort Shu stroked the blue phoenix pattern on her sleeve and sighed, "Yaoyao, three years ago, your father defeated the Liang Kingdom's iron cavalry and captured several cities in Liang. The Liang Kingdom was terrified and took the initiative to seek peace. Your father then submitted a memorial proposing that Prince Chen be welcomed back to the capital."
"Your father wrote in his memorial: 'Only by wiping away national humiliation and restoring national prestige can a great nation prosper.'"
Consort Shu's voice turned colder: "Our Emperor readily agreed and personally wrote the letter of state. Unexpectedly, before the letter could reach the border, your father died on the battlefield, and the matter was delayed."
"However, it was eventually brought to the forefront. The cabinet urged him repeatedly, and at the end of last year, the Emperor sent people to Liang Kingdom to bring Prince Chen back to the country."
Gu Zhizhuo was unaware of these things.
In her previous life, she was raised to be innocent and spoiled.
Having grown up surrounded by luxury and extravagance, she didn't understand that wealth and glory are actually easier to dissipate than fleeting clouds in the sky.
Until their families were destroyed and their lives were lost.
On the way to exile, her grandmother, aunt, and cousins all fell seriously ill with a terrible epidemic, and she herself was not spared.
The escorting soldiers complained about their bad luck and locked them up in the mortuary to await their deaths.
When she was on the verge of death, Xie Yingchen appeared and saved her.
He brought her out of that place filled with the dead and the stench of decay.
He helped her clear the Gu family's name, protecting their dignity and honor, and allowing her brother to die a worthy death without having to bear the infamy.
He took her on a journey across the vast land of Daqi, teaching her how to recognize and employ people, how to use maps and sand tables, military strategy, and court politics.
He told her that in life, one should be the one making the moves, not the one being played.
She learned martial arts and archery, and he hired famous teachers for her.
She asked him to study medicine, and he collected ancient books and prescriptions for her.
In those years, he treated her like a teacher and a brother.
Later, he died.
He died on a snowy winter night...
From then on, she had no one important to her, no one she cared about.
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