"You're saying that this whole affair was orchestrated by that traitorous king from beginning to end?"
Bai Qian's pretty face was frosty, and she exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.
Her hands clenched uncontrollably beneath her sleeves, and Bai Qian's eyes were bloodshot.
The empress fell off a cliff.
These four words alone were a huge blow to Bai Qian.
"General, rumors are spreading everywhere that Emperor Zhaoyuan of Da Ning is... is the Prince of Xiang." Even the usually composed strategist was somewhat incoherent. If Emperor Zhaoyuan really was the Prince of Xiang...
Then wouldn't the emperor be Emperor Zhaoyuan's child?
No wonder Da Ning has never sent troops against them.
"So what if it is? So what if it isn't?" Bai Qian's gaze turned towards Da Ning. At this moment, Bai Qian was completely unrecognizable as a pregnant woman whose husband and best friend were on the verge of death. She was filled with hatred.
"Strategist, we must thoroughly terrify the Daning forces that have recently invaded Daqing!"
At times like these, one must fight for pride, even at the cost of death.
The strategist paused for a moment upon hearing this, then left the tent with a solemn expression.
Once she was sure she was all alone, Bai Qian slumped heavily into a chair, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
Your Highness, Your Lordship, please rest assured.
I will definitely guard the border town of Daqing well and will not let Daning cross Hengxian by a single step.
......
Daqing Imperial Palace.
During the morning court session, no one dared to mention Gu Lin's matter. Almost everyone tacitly accepted the fact that Emperor Zhaoyuan was Gu Lin. No one could have imagined that the Prince of Xiang, who had been schemed against by the late emperor, would actually become Emperor Zhaoyuan.
Only Min Fu stood there blankly the whole time, his eyes vacant.
Gu Qingyan also remained silent about Gu Lin's identity. Gu Qingyan's eyes were bloodshot, making him look somewhat frightening. Since learning about Jiang Yu's fall off the cliff, he had barely slept at night.
He originally intended to rush to the cliff regardless of everything.
But Ling Shan returned, saying that his father had gone mad with rage.
Gu Qingyan looked down at his palms, which were covered with crescent-shaped bloodstains. He had to stay in the capital. He couldn't let his mother down; she had fought so hard to build the Great Wei and the Eastern Qing Kingdom for him.
And that so-called mole, he must find him and kill him with his own hands to vent his hatred!
After the court session, Min Fu stayed behind.
"Your Majesty, are the rumors outside true?" Min Fu asked tremblingly. Seeing that Gu Qingyan remained silent, Min Fu understood Gu Qingyan's answer.
"On that day, Your Majesty revealed your true identity to defend Prince Xiang, bringing the truth of what happened back then to light." Min Fu smiled with relief. "During this time, I have been opposing Your Majesty to protect the interests of former officials."
"Upon learning today that King Xiang is still alive, I have no regrets even in death."
As Min Fu spoke, he looked directly at Gu Qingyan, his gaze carrying the gentle warmth of an elder looking at a junior, "Your Majesty should already understand how the court has maintained its balance during this period."
Gu Qingyan seemed to realize something and raised his eyes to meet Min Fu's gaze.
“Your Majesty knows that you do not like aristocratic families, but may I ask Your Majesty if the Jiang family is not an aristocratic family?” Min Fu sighed softly. “There are also four other aristocratic families. They are independent of the country, but they are also intricately intertwined with the interests of various countries.”
"If the emperor were to unify the world one day, would he want to exterminate these powerful families?"
Min Fu slowly knelt down, leaving Gu Qingyan with his last words: "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish."
As for that old man, he'll have to go apologize to King Xiang!
......
The next day.
Min Fu hanged himself in his residence. At the same time, a letter written by Min Fu himself to the world was also discovered.
This final statement, which took ten pages to complete, was filled with the virtues that Gu Lin had displayed from childhood to adulthood, as well as the inhumane treatment he had suffered in the past.
In his final words, he wrote only one line in blood.
"Although I am a teacher, my virtue and talent are inferior to those of my students."
Min Fu used this resolute method to salvage Gu Lin's reputation and to repent for his past actions of turning Gu Lin away and then blaming him.
When the news reached Gu Qingyan's ears, he paused, his vermilion brush poised in his hand.
He had a premonition when Min Fu bid him farewell yesterday.
"I understand."
His voice was calm and even, but a hint of worry flashed in Qin Wei's eyes. Ever since the lady's accident, the young master had been like this.
It seemed that nothing could affect the young master's mood.
What should we do?
Min Fu's final words spread rapidly, miraculously winning back the hearts of many for Gu Lin.
Just as Jing Zhao was plotting how to retaliate and take Da Ning away from Gu Lin, Wei Ruo approached Gu Lin.
"Gu Lin."
This time, Wei Ruo addressed Gu Lin by his given name.
Gu Lin didn't even raise his head, seemingly not wanting to pay any attention to Wei Ruo.
“Gu Lin, look at your reflection in the river. If A Yu were still alive, you wouldn’t be worthy of her.”
An immense pressure descended, and Kui Ruo swallowed a mouthful of blood, but the mockery on her face became even more pronounced.
“Ayu is willing to do anything for Daqing. Now that Dawei and Dongqing have been destroyed, Daqing will soon become a powerful country that does not belong to Da Ning.”
Kui Ruo pressed closer and closer to Gu Lin.
"Even if Ayu is dead, she died on the battlefield, which is a source of pride for the Jiang family. But what about you? You're always in a daze, either searching or killing, completely ignoring everything else. How can someone like you be worthy of her?"
"If you call out 'Ayu' one more time, you're as good as dead."
Gu Lin's killing intent was already gathering, but Wei Ruo chuckled softly.
"Killing me is nothing more than a piece of cake for you, but if you kill me too, Gu Lin, what difference is there between you and the devil?"
Even though Kui Ruo wholeheartedly agreed with Gu Lin's tyranny, the outside world was already in turmoil. If Gu Lin continued like this, all of the Empress's efforts would be ruined.
"If Her Majesty hadn't died, what would she have wanted to see, Gu Lin, you know."
Kui Ruo stared intently into Gu Lin's eyes. "The rebel king is stirring up trouble. If you abandon everything in Da Ning at this time, all your previous efforts will be in vain. Back then, the Emperor and the Empress endured so much pressure to clear your name. Gu Lin, don't let them down."
"And there's Marquis Dingyuan."
That night, Gu Lin sat in silence at the foot of the cliff for a long time.
He searched for seven whole days, but there was no trace of Ayu.
"Ayu, where are you?"
A gust of wind blew by, scattering Gu Lin's full head of white hair, making him look extremely terrifying against the dark cliff.
"I might have to go back for a while, Ayu. You must wait for me. I'll be back to be with you soon."
He wants to go back and kill Jing Zhao.
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