"Sir, this has absolutely nothing to do with you."
Gu Qingyan was about to explain that it was not Wei Ruo's fault that Zhong Qi'er was clinging to her, but when he saw the tears welling up in Wei Ruo's eyes, he stopped himself from saying anything.
Sir... it seems that more than just these things are causing you distress...
"I told the Zhong family that after pleading for them this time, I will repay their kindness," Kui Ruo said slowly. "After this, I will truly be all alone."
"call--"
Kui Ruo wanted to pour herself some wine, but found the wine pot was empty. "Look at me, I forgot to pour wine for the Emperor."
"Sir, drinking too much will harm your health."
"Tonight the moon is full, a day for reunion." Kui Ruo looked at Gu Qingyan and smiled wistfully. "I have thanked Heaven and Your Majesty countless times."
He thanked God countless times for sending Gu Qingyan to the Empress's side; otherwise, he couldn't imagine how the Empress would have gotten out of such a mire.
"My life belongs to Dayu, and to the Emperor."
As Wei Ruo continued her rambling, Gu Qingyan remained sitting upright, listening to every word she said.
Even though he was so drunk that he was out of his mind, Wei Ruo did not utter a single word that was detrimental to Jiang Yu.
It seems crazy, yet it is extremely restrained.
Finally, Wei Ruo, completely overwhelmed by the alcohol, collapsed onto the table. Gu Qingyan stood up without a word, helped Wei Ruo to her feet, and walked towards the outside of the Taihe Hall. As soon as the door opened, Gu Lin's figure appeared in Gu Qingyan's sight.
In that instant, Gu Qingyan was so frightened that he almost threw Wei Ruo, whom he was supporting, away.
"Why is Father Emperor here?"
Gu Qingyan's voice carried a hint of inexplicable guilt, but then he thought again, he and his master hadn't said anything, so why should he feel guilty?
"I heard from your mother that Prime Minister Kui was drinking with you here, so I came to see."
Gu Lin glanced at Wei Ruo as he spoke.
"Now that you've finished drinking, Linghai, escort Prime Minister Kui back to his residence."
After Gu Lin turned and left, Ying Zhi was so frightened that she almost couldn't stand up. Gu Qingyan's eyes narrowed. "Ying Zhi, what happened just now?"
"Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus has been standing here for a long time, his hand constantly stroking the scabbard."
Gu Qingyan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, fearing that if the gentleman had uttered even one word that was too presumptuous, his father's sword would have already drawn blood.
The gentleman is the backbone of the Great Yu, but the father emperor is the mother empress's husband.
There are some things he can pretend not to know, but his father cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes.
Thinking of this, Gu Qingyan couldn't help but sigh.
......
Zhaoning Palace.
"Gu Lin, don't you...don't you have any sense of what's going on?"
As soon as Gu Lin returned to Zhaoning Palace, he pounced on Jiang Yu and thoroughly tormented her, but then stopped at the crucial moment, "Ayu, I asked Mei Chu, and it's okay after three months..."
"you!"
Jiang Yu's face flushed red. "The baby is not even two months old yet. Why are you acting so strangely today?"
"fine."
Gu Lin said somewhat stiffly, "I'm going to take a cold shower."
After an incense stick had burned, Gu Lin returned and pulled Jiang Yu into his arms, as if he wanted to embed her into his very bones.
"Ayu, you can never leave me in this lifetime, no matter what."
"Who said I was leaving you?" Jiang Yu said irritably. "Let go of me, don't strangle the child."
"We'll share the same bed in life and the same grave in death, Ayu, you have to promise me."
"I agree."
Gu Lin tirelessly pressed Jiang Yu for her promise until Jiang Yu drifted off to sleep, but Gu Lin's eyes remained wide open.
Weiruo...
Gu Lin's brain began to race, and he thought of almost every noble lady in the capital.
I must grant Kui Ruo a marriage before I can feel at ease.
The next day.
When Wei Ruo woke up, she had a splitting headache, and after hearing the servant recount what had happened the day before, her face turned deathly pale.
"My lord, yesterday I noticed that the Emperor Emeritus looked quite unwell. Could it be...?"
"It's nothing."
Kui Ruo suppressed the churning in her stomach and said, "Go and tidy up the backyard."
"ah--"
The servant's mouth gaped open upon hearing this. Clean up the backyard? The backyard is where the women live. Where are there any women in the mansion these days?
"If I tell you to tidy up, then hurry up and tidy up."
After saying that, Wei Ruo could no longer hold back and vomited.
He lost his composure yesterday; I'm afraid the Emperor Emeritus won't let him off easily.
That's enough, that's enough.
......
"You must be Lan Yu? That's a rather elegant name."
Jiang Yu's voice rang out, but the maid called Lan Yu was so frightened that she trembled.
"You dare not answer the Empress Dowager's question?" Wanji shouted as well. Lanyu quickly kowtowed, "This servant Lanyu greets the Empress Dowager."
“They all say that Zhong Qi’er trusts you the most. On the night Zhong Qi’er slipped out of the mansion, you were the only one who stayed by her side the whole time.”
"This servant...this servant knows nothing, knows nothing..."
"Look at you, I don't like hearing you say that." Jiang Yu's smile gradually faded. "My patience is limited, so don't try to refuse a polite offer and then suffer the consequences."
"This servant really..."
"Guards, let Lan Yu taste all eighteen punishments of Lingxiao Pavilion." Jiang Yu had clearly lost patience with Lan Yu's excuses and spoke directly.
"Yes, I've heard that the Eighteen Tortures of Lingxiao Pavilion can make people wish they were dead, break their knees, and pierce their fingers." Wanji chuckled. "Miss Lanyu, please."
Lan Yu struggled but was still firmly restrained by Wan Ji. Just as she was about to be dragged out of the house, Lan Yu shouted, "I'll talk, I'll tell you everything."
"But I don't have that patience."
"Your Highness, someone wrote a letter to Miss saying that the Zhong family will be destroyed, and the envelope also contains the personal jade pendants of the head of the family and the young master, asking Miss to go... to the outskirts to negotiate terms."
"You gave the letter to Zhong Qi'er?"
"It was...it was me. That person gave me a piece of gold. And that jade pendant was fake. I drew a picture of the jade pendant for them, and they made it based on it." Lan Yu broke down in tears. "Your Majesty, I was really just blinded for a moment. Please, Your Majesty, spare my life!"
Do you remember what the person who gave you the gold looked like?
Lan Yu nodded vigorously upon hearing this, "I remember, I was worried something might happen, so I specifically observed that person. That person had a black mole on the web of his right hand."
"Also... that person smelled of ink, it was... it was the finest Huizhou ink, the ink that Minister Kui loved, so I often accompanied you, Miss, to buy ink."
"You're quite meticulous," Jiang Yu chuckled, then waved her hand and Wan Ji led Lan Yu away.
Inside the room, Jiang Yu suddenly fell silent.
The Zhong family abandoned Zhong Qi'er and asked Kui Ruo to plead for them on their behalf.
However, Zhong Qi'er defied the imperial decree and left the mansion in order to protect the Zhong family father and son.
That's ridiculous.
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