"It turns out to be a piece of cloth that has special significance for the general."
Qin Ke'er's voice seemed to carry a different meaning. If Ling Ku continued to look up, he would see Qin Ke'er's eyes shining again.
Ling Ku cleared his throat to cover up his guilty conscience. The bitter taste in his mouth became even stronger. Ling Ku silently cursed Mei Chu in his heart. It must be that old bastard Mei Chu deliberately prescribed such bitter medicine to make things difficult for him!
"By the way, Miss Qin, the Qin family's secret guards..." Ling Ku hesitated, unsure how to tell Qin Ke'er about the heavy casualties suffered by the Qin family's secret guards.
"General Changqing has already told me."
Qin Ke'er still smiled as she looked at Ling Ku, "The Emperor also promised me that he would take good care of the wounded guards. As for the guards who died, a monument will be erected in Longyou and their names will be engraved on it."
For secret guards, their names are the most shameful thing.
And now these names will be engraved on a monument symbolizing their achievements.
"Those guards were ultimately protecting me..." Before Ling Ku could finish speaking, Qin Ke'er interrupted again:
"They weren't just here to save you, General; they were specially sent by the Qin family to help Dayu."
Qin Ke'er revealed a sly smile. Since you, Ling Ku, have told me to pay attention to my reputation, then I will pay attention to it in every aspect.
"Yes, yes, it's to help Da Yu."
Ling Ku pursed his lips. How could such words come from Miss Qin's mouth? His heart felt as if it were being cut by a dull knife.
It hurts terribly.
"The general just reminded me to value my reputation, so please consider my feelings as well." Qin Ke'er stayed there for a while longer before leaving Ling Ku's courtyard with her maid.
"Miss, don't you like General Ling? Just now, General Ling..."
"He doesn't want to see me like him right now, so I don't like him."
Qin Ke'er spoke mysteriously, then slightly raised her chin. She, Qin Ke'er, was also a proud daughter of heaven, and she also had her own dignity!
If Ling Ku rejected her without even thinking, where would that leave her pride?
Since that's the case, she was determined to make Ling Ku suffer a bit too.
"This servant doesn't understand. This servant doesn't think General Ling is as indifferent to Miss as he says," the maid said softly. "Will Miss still come to General Ling's place in the future?"
"Of course I'll come, but it'll be you who comes, not me personally."
Qin Ke'er boarded the carriage and headed straight for the palace.
......
Achoo!
Mei Chu sneezed loudly, and Gu Qingyan quickly opened the folded paper to cover his face to avoid being accidentally injured by Mei Chu.
Yingzhi quickly stepped in front of Mei Chu, only to be sprayed in the face by Mei Chu.
"Mr. Mei, have you caught a chill recently?" Gu Qingyan asked with concern, his lips twitching as he continued, the memorial he had been holding up the whole time never being put down.
"How could that be? It must be that brat Ling Ku who's cursing me."
Mei Chu spoke with an annoyance, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke, "Your Majesty, do you truly support Miss Qin and Ling Ku...?"
"Mr. Mei, do you feel there's something amiss?"
"Of course not. Mei Chu is already an old man, while Miss Qin is in the prime of her life. They're not a good match." Mei Chu perked up at this, "Now, only the Qin and Sun families remain among the powerful clans. If Mei Chu offends the Qin family, that would be...tsk tsk..."
"But I see that this Miss Qin is very fond of Ling Ku, and has even transferred the most elite secret guards of the Qin family to help my Dayu."
Gu Qingyan's eyes darted around, and he actually thought this marriage was excellent.
"Furthermore, I think Ling Ku is not uninterested in Miss Qin. Perhaps this is a marriage made in heaven. As for the age difference, it's not that much!"
Your Majesty... have you forgotten that Miss Qin came to Dayu in the first place because she wanted to marry you...?
Mei Chu silently complained to himself, "So the Emperor hopes that the two of them..."
"No, what I want to see is for things to develop naturally. Let the two of them see if they are suitable for each other. I will not interfere."
"Your subject understands."
After leaving the Taihe Hall, Mei Chu suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. He and Ling Ku were both single, so how could Ling Ku suddenly be about to have a wife?
Heaven is unjust.
......
A few days later, the Qin Dynasty's secret guards arrived in the capital.
Gu Qingyan first personally inspected the injuries of the guards, and then summoned Qin Zheng, Qin Ke'er, Sun Cai, and Sun Shu to the Taihe Hall.
"Greetings to Emperor Yu."
The four of them bowed slightly, and their words were more respectful, no longer as arrogant and domineering as they had been in the past.
"I have summoned you all today because I have important matters to discuss with you."
Gu Qingyan, dressed in a dragon robe, exuded an aura of power as he sat high on the dragon throne. Qin Zheng and Sun Cai couldn't help but purse their lips; they knew that this was a height they could never reach.
"Of the five great families, the Yun family, the Gong family, and the Pei family have all been incorporated into the Great Yu territory, leaving only the Qin family and the Sun family. And you are the direct descendants of the Qin family and the Sun family."
"I intend to issue an imperial decree: those who voluntarily submit to Dayu will be enfeoffed as kings of different surnames, ruling over their respective territories; those who do not wish to submit will have Dayu's iron cavalry depart from the capital in ten days."
Upon hearing Gu Qingyan's words, everyone present widened their eyes.
This is not only an attempt to persuade someone to surrender, but also a warning.
If they do not surrender, Dayu can directly inform them of the time to send troops, allowing them to prepare in advance; this demonstrates Dayu's determination to win.
For a moment, none of them knew how to react.
"You do not need to answer me immediately. After you leave, this imperial decree will be quickly sent to the Qin and Sun families. You have three days to decide whether to accept the Qin or Sun family's choice."
Gu Qingyan slowly stood up, a smile gradually appearing on his face.
Now he is confident of victory, and the day when he will unify the world is fast approaching.
"Emperor Yu, if we submit, our people..."
“If you submit, then you will be my subjects, and I will protect you.” Gu Qingyan walked down. “Alright, I should go see A-Chen.”
After saying that, Gu Qingyan left the Taihe Hall, leaving the four of them looking at each other.
"What do you think, Brother Qin?" Sun Cai broke the silence first, a wry smile on his face.
"Brother Sun, do you think we have a chance to not submit?" Qin Zheng pursed his lips. "The Pei family now, and the Gong family before them, are all examples of what should happen."
"In my opinion, we should write home as soon as possible to persuade the elders of the clan."
Sun Cai nodded upon hearing this. He understood that the Qin family might have originally intended to coexist peacefully with Dayu, but as for the Sun family, he would have to ask his father.
The group quickly left the palace, and within half an hour, the imperial edict had spread far and wide.
The emperor's decree attracted widespread attention.
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