"Qingyi, you have disobeyed the master's orders, and this is what you should bear."
The heavy stick struck Qingyi's back repeatedly, and soon Qingyi couldn't help but collapse to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Pei Lan stood to the side, wanting to say something but not speaking. Qingyi... these days she is increasingly disobedient to her master and always contradicts his arrangements. How can this be allowed?
Just before falling into a coma, Qingyi looked up at Peilan.
"Stop!" Perrin finally couldn't help but call out, squatting down to check Qingyi's breathing. "That's enough. There's no need to hit him any more times. Go find a doctor to treat his injuries."
After saying this, Perrin strode away from the courtyard where the execution was to take place.
"You're still too soft-hearted." He Yu curled the corners of his mouth. After all, he had been protecting you in secret for many years, so it was only natural that you would be soft-hearted.
“Master wouldn’t want Qingyi to be crippled.” For once, Peilan didn’t smile at He Yu. Instead, she returned to the inner room, looking somewhat absent-minded. “I’m a little tired and want to rest for a while.”
Late at night, Pei Lan tossed and turned, and finally took a lantern and went to Qing Yi's courtyard.
"Does it hurt?" Qingyi's back was already a bloody mess. After regaining her senses, Qingyi had been staring blankly into space. Only after hearing Peilan's voice did she start to move her eyes.
"Why have we been lying low for so long, and why did our master even castrate himself to become Gu Qingyan's personal eunuch?"
Qingyi's words instantly ignited anger in Peilan's face. "Qingyi, why are you still so stubborn?"
"It's not me who's stubbornly clinging to my delusions."
The woman in green slowly reached out her hand, wanting to touch Pei Lan's face. "I have witnessed the suffering my master has endured, so I cannot accept my master's soft heart."
"Master has no mercy!"
Pei Lan's sudden rise in tone betrayed her true feelings. Qingyi twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "How about I make a bet with you?"
"What kind of bet?"
"Does the master still want to kill Gu Qingyan now?"
“Master will definitely kill Gu Qingyan.” Pei Lan said without hesitation, “I’ll bet with you, what’s the stake?”
"I'm betting your whole life on this."
......
A few days later, Gu Lin suddenly entered the palace with a very bad complexion.
"A rumor has been spreading from who knows where, saying that you are not my child, but just a child I adopted at random back then."
Gu Qingyan's pupils suddenly contracted. "Can't you find out where the rumors started?"
Gu Lin's expression darkened upon hearing this. The rumors had spread too quickly, leaving the people of Lingxiao Pavilion with no way to take action.
In addition, Gu Qingyan's recent reorganization of the court has involved the interests of too many people, so too many people have been affected by this open conspiracy.
"They knew perfectly well that I couldn't prove my identity."
Gu Qingyan found it laughable. In the eyes of the world, his father was dead, the Princess Consort of Xiang was dead, and even Gu Heng was dead. No one could prove his identity.
"Therefore, they were certain that we couldn't win this open conspiracy."
"Was it done by Gu Qingling's side?" Gu Qingyan quickly calmed down, his mind racing. Gu Qingling had suffered heavy losses in the battle of Lingzhou, and had also lost most of the people's support.
The timing of this "scandal" is undoubtedly the quickest way to resolve Gu Qingling's current predicament.
"Nine times out of ten, it's just that we can't find the source."
Gu Lin paused for a moment, then said, "Ayan, there is also a force behind Gu Qingling that should not be underestimated, and it is very likely that this force has been infiltrating and lurking in Daqing for a long time."
The rumors intensified, and finally, officials in the imperial court revealed Gu Qingyan's identity.
"Your subject has something to report."
"The rumors about the Emperor's origins are rampant and have begun to shake the morale of the people of Daqing. If we continue to ignore this, the consequences will be unimaginable."
"My dear minister, how do you think I should prove myself?"
Gu Qingyan's words left the ministers speechless. They all knew that there was no solution to this situation, but they had no choice but to try.
The person behind this was clearly not satisfied with the current situation. Before long, someone who claimed to have seen the Prince of Xiang said that the current emperor did not resemble the Prince of Xiang at all.
And he spoke with such conviction that it only fueled the public's suspicions about Gu Qingyan's background.
How can someone without royal blood become emperor?
Do you think everyone is Emperor Zhaoyuan of Da Ning?
At this time, Jiang Yu invited the families of officials to the palace to enjoy the flowers. This was the first time Jiang Yu had summoned the families of ministers after being made Empress Dowager.
"I have heard that recently the common people have begun to discuss the Emperor's origins."
This was also the first time Jiang Yu referred to herself as "the Empress Dowager".
The officials and their families all lowered their heads, not daring to utter a single word.
“Before I was married, I saw Prince Xiang almost every day. I know best whether Your Majesty and Prince Xiang are similar.”
Gu Lin, who was standing in the shadows, softened his gloomy expression after hearing Jiang Yu's words.
"If Your Majesty were not the Prince of Xiang's child, would the late Emperor have allowed Your Majesty to acknowledge your ancestry? Did he think that the late Emperor, Your Majesty, and I were all fools?"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
Seeing this, Jiang Yu slowly exhaled and said, "Get up, all of you. I'm not angry. I just find it ridiculous. The intentions of the person behind this are obvious. Go back and tell your families not to listen to these rumors."
At the same time, Qin Wei clenched his fists tightly. Pei Lan and Qing Yi, how dare they make decisions on their own!
They also mobilized spies who had been hiding in the capital for many years.
However, Jiang Yu's few words could not stop this massive rumor. Gu Qingling's side and the old officials in the court who were quite dissatisfied with Gu Qingyan's decisive actions joined forces to push the rumor to its peak.
Zhaoning Palace.
"Ayu, I'm going to kill all these people."
Gu Lin's forehead veins throbbed wildly, but Jiang Yu extinguished his anger with a single sentence: "What if you kill him? Ayan will be seen as acting out of rage. What will happen to Da Ning if something happens to you?"
"If I can't kill people, then I'll appear under my true identity."
Gu Lin found it absurd that someone would dare to say that A Yan wasn't his son.
“Ayu, we’ve already agreed that Ayan’s background…including mine, will be revealed to the world sooner or later. Only in this way can Ayan unify Da Ning and Da Qing.”
"Now that someone has presented us with this opportunity, let's go with the flow."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu stared intently at Gu Lin. At this moment, she finally understood Gu Lin's resolve; she was certain that he would reveal A Yan's identity to the world, and to her, no matter what...
"Have you thought this through? What awaits us is countless difficulties and dangers."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lin took Jiang Yu's hand and said, "Ayu, I am absolutely certain that this will be the most correct decision I have ever made in my life."
No matter how dangerous the future may be, he will never let go of his wife and children again.
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