Chapter 118 [VIP]
Chief Ji was filled with doubt and surprise.
The Ji family was once known as a "distinguished family" in the previous dynasty. After two dynasties, the Ji family's Tongshan Study remained the premier academy, attracting countless scholars and students.
Even in the current Qi Dynasty, nearly 30% of the emperor's civil and military officials are graduates of the Tongshan Academy.
The Ji clan chief always believed that as long as they survived for three generations, the Ji family could once again rise to prominence, just like in the previous dynasty, with members entering the cabinet and becoming prime ministers.
"I was unaware that Ji Ruo was forced into marriage."
Chief Ji thought that what he meant by the family lacking integrity was this matter.
The eldest son acted arbitrarily, and as a result, the daughter of the Ji family was demoted from wife to concubine, a disgrace never before seen in the history of the Ji family.
If they hadn't been captured by the Gu family, Chief Ji would have wanted to exterminate the eldest branch of the family upon receiving the imperial decree.
“Miss Gu, on behalf of the Ji family, I apologize to the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion.” The Ji clan head did not respond to her words, but said, “Any condition is acceptable, as long as the Ji family can fulfill it. The Ji family is willing to write a book for the Duke.”
“Clan Chief Ji, there’s no need to waste time.” Gu Zhizhuo glanced back at the direction Ji Huacheng had fled in. “The branches trembled and birds took flight wherever he went. Even if he runs for another cup of tea, I can still find him. Otherwise, why would I waste my breath on you?”
Having his thoughts exposed, Elder Ji blushed.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't want to listen to his rambling anymore and said calmly, "Clan Chief Ji, do you dare to come with me?"
"I……"
"Clan leader, please save Cheng'er!" Master Ji Er cried, tears streaming down his face.
The second branch of the family was implicated by the first branch. If the first branch hadn't acted on its own initiative, how could they have provoked such a scourge as the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?
Chief Ji, with a death wish, declared: "I'll go."
"Meow".
The cat perched on Gu Zhizhuo's shoulder, meowing wildly at the forest, eager to pounce.
Gu Zhizhuo soothed the cat by patting its head, gave Lao Dan a wink, and then used one hand to push himself over the railing and climbed out of the pavilion, leisurely chasing after the direction in which a large number of birds took flight.
Gu Cancan said that whether a repeating crossbow is useful depends on its accuracy in continuous firing during actual combat and whether it will disintegrate.
Originally, I planned to try it out at a hunting ground.
But Gu Zhizhuo felt it was better to test it on people.
Ji Huacheng was limping and couldn't run fast. Gu Zhizhuo soon spotted the stumbling figure in the woods ahead.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't aim specifically, but raised the crossbow and fired continuously in Ji Huating's direction.
From one shot, one arrow; to ten arrows, one shot.
The sound of arrows piercing the air was sharp and shrill. Black iron arrows rained down on Ji Huacheng, and soon, large and small wounds appeared on his face and hands.
Ji Huacheng was on the verge of tears. He had considered that the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion might try to interrogate him. But he was a member of the Ji family, and the name Ji represented status among scholars. If the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion dared to torture him, they should at least be prepared to face public condemnation.
And then what happened?
She only asked him three questions in total, right?
How did things turn out like this?
She should at least ask again; maybe she'll be willing to tell him then.
He was like a harmless rabbit in the wild, helplessly hiding from the slaughter behind him.
He stuck out his tongue and gasped for breath, unsure whether to be thankful that Miss Gu's archery was inaccurate or afraid that the next arrow would hit his heart. He dared not stop; such a jinx was right behind him, and if he stopped, he would surely die.
run.
Run quickly.
Click.
Gu Zhizhuo stepped on and broke a tree branch on the ground.
She stroked the cat's head and muttered to herself, "If we were tracking it, it would be a huge mistake."
Ji Huacheng is too useless, which makes it impossible for her to take things seriously.
Gu Zhizhu kicked the tree branch aside and walked at a leisurely pace.
After reducing the length of the arrow magazine and iron arrows, the entire repeating crossbow became lighter and more agile. She carried it all the way, and her arm only ached slightly, which did not hinder her movement at all.
She followed behind Ji Huacheng, and whenever he slowed down, she would immediately pull the trigger, forcing him to keep running.
"Meow!"
The tabby cat grew even happier, its black whiskers bristling, its little nose twitching as it sniffed, and its unicorn tail hanging down to its chest swaying wildly.
It absolutely loved the unlucky aura that surrounded it. Meow~
Snap!
Ten more arrows followed.
Upon hearing this sound, Ji Huacheng trembled all over. He tripped over a tree branch with his right foot and fell heavily to the ground. An iron arrow pierced through his hair ornament and pinned him to the tree trunk behind him.
He was covered in specks of blood, but there were no fatal wounds. The pain was so intense that he wanted to just die.
Fear and pain drove Ji Huacheng to his last gasp.
Ji Huacheng watched in terror as the iron arrow flew from the direction it came from. The meows echoing through the woods sounded like vengeful spirits demanding their lives. Gu Zhizhuo's red dress appeared and disappeared in the dense forest.
A chill ran down his spine. Ji Huacheng used all his strength to pull out the iron arrow and continued running forward, tumbling and crawling.
"Run down the mountain."
There is a village at the foot of the mountain.
"No matter how arrogant the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is, it would not dare to kill someone in public."
He kept repeating this thought to himself, and it sustained him as he desperately pushed off with his legs. He ran for what seemed like forever, his mind a complete blank, when suddenly a bright light appeared ahead of him. In the somewhat gloomy woods, the light was almost blinding.
Did he escape?
Ji Huacheng was overjoyed. He glanced back but couldn't see Gu Zhizhuo. He belatedly realized that no more iron arrows had been shot at him for a while.
He really succeeded.
He dumped Gu Zhizhuo!
Ji Huacheng's lips twitched; the excitement of surviving the ordeal made his expression somewhat manic.
Once he escaped, he had to find Ji Ruo as soon as possible! The Emperor wouldn't just stand by and watch this scandal be exposed; he would definitely punish the Gu family severely. He definitely would…
Ji Huacheng buried his head and rushed out of the woods.
The joy on his face vanished completely in an instant; his expression froze, and utter despair filled his eyes.
There was no road ahead, only a precipice. He had been tricked!
"I clearly ran along the mountain path," Ji Huacheng muttered to himself.
No, did he really run along the mountain road? At first he did, but later he panicked and ran aimlessly.
"Meow!"
The cheerful meow startled Ji Huacheng. He stared blankly in the direction of the sound, and when he saw the slender figure wearing a veil emerge from the woods, his heart trembled.
"Don't come any closer."
Ji Huacheng was fragile and powerless.
He retreated, step by step, until he stood on the edge of the cliff.
He looked down shakily. It wasn't particularly high; he could see the village not far from the foot of the mountain and wisps of smoke rising from its chimneys. But it wasn't low either; jumping from here would surely mean certain death.
When he turned back, Gu Zhizhuo was already very close to him, her smiling eyes like a sharp blade, filled with danger and death.
Ji Huacheng trembled uncontrollably: "If you come any closer, I'll jump."
"Jump," Gu Zhizhuo said nonchalantly. "The manor you've been longing for is down there. If you jump and don't die, you'll get what you want."
Ji Huacheng swallowed hard: "If I jump, you won't get any answers from me."
His heart pounded in his ears, and he shuffled backward, hoping she would change her mind.
After all, he knows a lot of things, so she certainly won't let him die easily, right?
He was on the edge of the cliff, and no matter how careful he was, he only took two steps before he lost his footing and plummeted backward. In the nick of time, he grabbed a protruding rock and hung there precariously.
The fear of weightlessness shattered his last shred of sanity.
He broke down and cried out, "Help me! I'll tell you everything! I'll tell you! Help me!"
“Drag him up.”
Gu Zhizhuo didn't want to pull it herself. At her command, Lao Dan, who was following behind, stepped forward.
Old Dan and the others brought Clan Chief Ji with them and followed her the whole time.
Chief Ji was frantic with worry. He finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the person being pulled up. His throat tightened, and he asked, still in shock, "Miss Gu, you sent me to see this?"
Come here.
Gu Zhizhu called out, standing on the cliff, and pointed in the direction where the smoke was rising: "Do you see the village ahead?"
"So what if we saw it?"
“Ji Ruo is right there,” Gu Zhizhuo said with a half-smile. “Do you know who’s with her?”
Chief Ji looked puzzled.
"It is the current emperor, and the two are like husband and wife."
Chief Ji was struck dumb, his expression complex.
Even if Lady Ji was a substitute bride, she was still married into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. The Duke of Zhenguo is dead, but unless Madam Gu decides to release his wives and concubines, she is a member of the Gu family until her death.
He said sternly, "Miss Gu, you can't just say things like that."
"You don't believe me?" Gu Zhizhuo's lips curled into a smile. "Why don't you ask him? Maybe you'll believe what he says?"
The clan chief looked at Ji Huacheng kneeling on the ground, his aged face revealing a fear of the unknown.
He had also wondered why Miss Gu was so relentless towards Ji Huacheng. If Ji Ruo was forced into marriage, any resentment or blame should be directed at the eldest branch of the family, or even at him. Ji Huacheng was from the second branch, and even more distant from Ji Ruo, so there was no reason for her to keep targeting him.
"Hua Cheng, you speak."
Chief Ji was eager to know the truth.
Gu Zhizhuo raised the crossbow in his hand, the light of the iron arrows reflecting off Ji Huacheng's face, making his whole body ache even more. He said in horror, "I... I'll talk."
"Clan leader. My second cousin, Ji Ruo, had an affair with the Emperor and even had a son."
"No!"
Chief Ji shook his head uncontrollably, his face as white as paper, his heart almost stopping.
"This is impossible, absolutely impossible!"
The Ji family is a scholarly family with a clean and upright family tradition, and they are respected by scholars and students. There is absolutely no way they could have a woman who commits adultery and immorality!
No, it won't.
Clan Chief Ji lunged forward, grabbing Ji Huacheng's shoulders with both hands, his face contorted in anger: "Who on earth is spouting nonsense?!"
"Yes, it was me and my eldest cousin who saw it with our own eyes."
After saying all that in one breath, Ji Huacheng exhausted all his strength and collapsed completely.
Gu Zhizhuo closed her eyes briefly, letting out a sigh of "I knew it." Whether it was her or her third uncle, the only thing they hadn't yet figured out was whether Gu Yan was truly a member of the Gu family. Even with an 80% chance of doubt, they still held onto a sliver of hope until they were absolutely certain.
Now, that sliver of hope has completely vanished.
"Meow~"
The tabby cat rubbed against her cheek, its fluffy little head pressed against hers.
Chief Ji felt a dull ache in his chest and a metallic taste in his throat. He clenched his teeth and said, "Go on."
Ji Huacheng hung his head, his heart ashen: "Six years ago, in the twenty-second year of Taiyuan, my eldest cousin Zhen and I came to the capital to deliver New Year's gifts. I thought that it was my eldest cousin Ji Yuanchu who married into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."
It was the late emperor's decree that Ji Yuanchu was allowed to marry into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. At the time, the clan was speculating whether the late emperor was finally going to lift the restrictions and allow members of the Ji family to take the imperial examinations and enter officialdom.
However, the court made no further moves in the following two years, so the clan took the opportunity of sending festival gifts to let them live in the capital.
"After we arrived in the capital, the Gu family helped my eldest cousin get a position as an editor in the Ministry of Rites. Do you remember?"
Chief Ji nodded.
The letter they sent back gave him hope for the rise of the Ji family, but a few months later they returned, and Ji Huazhen died of illness on the way.
The clan chief Ji gripped his shoulders tightly with both hands: "...You said the Gu family sent you back."
Ji Huacheng dared not look him in the eye and mumbled, "That day, my eldest cousin and I heard that Ji Ruo was sick and had moved to the manor. We thought she had been bullied and driven out by the Gu family's stepdaughter, so we wanted to go to the manor to see her and support her. Who would have thought that when we arrived at the manor, we would see Prince Rong there as well. My eldest cousin quickly led me to hide so that Prince Rong would not find us."
Chief Ji's face turned even paler, his breathing became rapid, and his eyes were bloodshot.
“Prince Rong left at dawn, and we hid until dawn as well. As soon as he left, my eldest cousin rushed in to question Ji Ruo. Ji Ruo admitted it herself. When the two of them were arguing, Ji Ruo said that Gu Yan was Prince Rong’s biological son. If my eldest cousin dared to expose her, whether it was the extermination of his entire clan or the exile of his whole family, my eldest cousin himself would not escape it.”
"Ji Ruo said that he was a coward. When Prince Rong was around, he didn't dare to come in and only dared to yell and accuse her."
"My eldest cousin was very disappointed. He slapped her and said that she was indeed a fake and shameless."
"After leaving the manor, my eldest cousin resigned from his post and told us to pack our things and leave the capital to return to Jiangnan."
Ji Huacheng felt the hands gripping him gradually lose their strength. The clan chief fell backward and sat on the ground with a thud. Immediately afterward, he spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto Ji Huacheng's face.
"Chieftain."
Ji Huacheng was afraid that something might happen to him and that no one would be there to protect him, so he crawled over and carefully checked his breathing.
"Miss Gu, please go and fetch a doctor."
Ji Huacheng spoke nervously and anxiously.
Gu Zhizhuo took out a silver needle and inserted it into his Baihui acupoint.
Her movements were so quick and steady that Ji Huacheng didn't even see it clearly. Before he could react, a silver needle appeared on the top of the Ji clan leader's head.
Chief Ji caught his breath, his eyes vacant and lifeless.
"Clan Chief Ji, would you like to go down and take a look?" Gu Zhizhuo asked with ill intentions.
Chief Ji shuddered, staring intently at the manor below, his eyes reddening.
His hands, hanging by his sides, gripped the soil tightly, blood seeping from under his fingernails.
Gu Zhizhuo gazed in the direction of Zhuangzi and said, "Three days ago, there was an earthquake in Qingzhou, killing and injuring tens of thousands. You know that, right?"
"I know."
"However, the Emperor has not attended court for three whole days, has not handled state affairs, and has not paid attention to the tens of thousands of dead and injured people in Qingzhou, as well as the impending riots and epidemics. Clan Chief Ji, do you know where the Emperor is?"
Chief Ji's lips trembled as he stiffly looked up.
"With you, a girl from the Ji family, by my side, so soft and fragrant, I am so happy that I forget all about home."
“Let me think about how the history books will record this in the future.” Gu Zhizhuo nodded his lips and said condescendingly, “There was a woman from the Ji family in Jiangnan who abandoned her husband and seduced the emperor during the earthquake in Qingzhou. The emperor stopped holding court in the morning, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries in Qingzhou.”
Chief Ji used his hands instead of his feet to slowly move backward, his face completely bloodless.
Gu Zhizhuo smiled lightly: "From now on, the Ji family will have no face to stand among scholars."
She walked over step by step, her voice sharp and stern: "Unfilial descendants."
Chief Ji nearly collapsed, clutching his head in his hands.
Before him appeared a solemn ancestral hall, filled with hundreds of memorial tablets, all belonging to the ancestors of the Ji family. These tablets fell and collapsed before him, turning into dust and powder, like ruins.
He heard his ancestors cursing him.
The Ji family's glory, which had been preserved for over a dozen generations, vanished in his hands.
"Ah, ah..."
Chief Ji let out a short, shallow gasp, and then spat out another mouthful of blood.
"The Ji family motto is: loyalty and integrity go hand in hand."
Gu Zhizhuo rested his hands on his knees, leaned forward, and spoke in a seductive tone.
"Do you dare to beat the petition drum and announce to the world the crime of a ruler taking his subject's wife?!"
A note from the author:
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