Chapter 123
Gu Mingyue knew Gu Mingxi held little weight in Zhou Jingchen's heart, and even more so, she knew she held even less weight in his. Gu Mingxi was already married, and they were childhood sweethearts. Meanwhile, she, Gu Mingyue, was an outsider who had joined the Gu family midway through, and likely didn't even have a name in his heart. While she secretly believed she was Zhou Jingchen's destined wife, she also understood that, for now, she held no weight.
But just because there is nothing now doesn't mean there won't be anything in the future. Just like seven years ago she was a slave in Zhuangzi, but now she is second only to the emperor and above everyone else. Things in the world are always changing. It is true that things change over time. If you want to get anything, you have to pay a price. As long as you have a strong enough bargaining chip, the fate she said can change. Gu Mingyue has always been sober and has been holding on to what she has in her hands. She knows that all her glory now comes from Zhou Ye. Because of his favoritism, she can make the Gu family kneel at her feet. But it is precisely because it comes from Zhou Ye that she is always in panic.
——Just because Zhou Ye is a madman, a moody madman who cannot be judged by common sense.
Gu Mingyue knew her stunning beauty was a rare and powerful weapon. She was uneducated, untameable, but she was beautiful enough. Her looks wouldn't win her parents' favor, but they were enough to win men's. Gu Mingyue knew that favor gained through appearance was like rootless duckweed, shattered by the rain. So, she made sure to hold on to what she had secured before the rain came.
The vast Weiyang Palace was a scene of intertwined shadows, adding a touch of eerie dusk to the magnificent palace.
The dim light fell on her beautiful face, revealing a ghostly and gorgeous look.
Gu Mingyue's ability to single-handedly overpower three thousand women was partly due to her beauty, but it wasn't solely due to her natural beauty. Zhou Ye, though insane, was not a lecher. A deep fear lurked in Gu Mingyue's eyes, a fear no one understood. She knew it all, knowing it in her heart. Sooner or later, Zhou Ye would realize she wasn't who he thought she was, and her fate would be even more tragic than the countless others who had perished at his hands. Therefore, capturing Zhou Jingchen was imperative.
Zhou Jingchen was a man who valued his promises. No matter good or bad, he would never go back on his word once he had promised.
How could she get Zhou Jingchen to trust her? Gu Mingyue bit her fingernails anxiously. Zhou Jingchen was a hard man to impress, something she had known for years. He was incredibly perceptive and could see through people's hearts. Just like how Gu Mingxi, the idiot, hadn't been able to gain his true love for over a decade, Gu Mingyue worried that she wouldn't be able to make him accept her.
But when she carefully considered the bargaining chips she held: her beauty, status, and Zhou Ye's favor... Gu Mingyue didn't think these three things were attractive to Zhou Jingchen. But what if she thought about it from another angle? For example, Zhou Ye's brain?
Her heart pounded at the thought.
There was no one in the world who could approach Zhou Ye more easily than she did, without Zhou Ye's suspicion. Zhou Jingchen had been unable to capture Yanjing for a long time. If she could help him take Yanjing without a single soldier, would that give her the right to stay by his side? Or perhaps not only would she have the right to stay by his side, but she could also legitimately ask Zhou Jingchen to do something for her.
Gu Mingyue figured it out as soon as she thought about it, and her anxious heart immediately calmed down.
Dayan was finished, and Zhou Ye was now at the end of his rope. She was too young to die with him. While it was cruel to say so, she was only nineteen, wasn't she? Life was long. Morality and fame weren't essential; only tangible benefits were truly important. When necessary, nothing was more important than her life.
What Gu Mingyue was thinking was exactly what Zhou Jingchen was thinking about.
If Yanjing could be taken without a single soldier, there was no need to sacrifice the lives of soldiers. Zhou Jingchen's conquest of Great Yan in his previous life was a feat borne of bloodshed and mountains of corpses. The civil war, which lasted for over a decade, drained Great Yan's energy for four hundred years. As a result, he spent all his energy recuperating at a young age. In this life, he would do anything to minimize casualties.
Since ancient times, victors have always been kings and losers have always been bandits. Zhou Jingchen never thought that any method was more clever, nor did he care about the false reputation of being a military god.
In addition to waiting for the food and weapons in Yanjing City to be exhausted, Zhou Jingchen was also waiting for Gu Mingyue's action.
He knew this woman too well. Gu Mingyue, a woman who would destroy heaven and earth to protect herself, was capable of utterly ruthless acts. In a previous life, to save her own life, she had personally watched her eldest son surrender to the enemy. To maintain power, she would use her own body as a bargaining chip, even shamelessly trying to win over men. She seemed weak, but in reality, she was incredibly difficult to deal with. Not in terms of her intelligence, but in her sheer lack of boundaries.
As expected, as the days passed, and the food supply in the city was still running low, Gu Mingyue couldn't wait any longer and went to Zhou Jingchen again.
This time, she didn't bother with the two previous attempts, finally coming to her senses. Knowing Zhou Jingchen wasn't concerned at all about the conflict between Prince Jing's Mansion and the Gu family, she simply addressed the situation. Using Zhou Ye's life as a bargaining chip, she demanded three promises from him. If he agreed, she would offer him his head in two weeks.
Just like in her previous life, no matter how Zhou Ye treated her, Gu Mingyue would abandon Zhou Ye without hesitation.
There was complete silence in the main tent.
Zhou Jingchen lowered his eyes and gazed at the palace servant kneeling before him, feeling an indescribable nausea. Gu Mingyue had repeatedly sent people to the garrison, acting as if they were in an empty space. He didn't know whether to praise Queen Gu for her extraordinary abilities or ridicule her for always being so treacherous. The noble families outside the palace were unable to send letters out of the city, but Queen Gu within the palace was able to break through the city's restrictions and deliver people to the local camp on time.
With his eyelids slightly closed, hiding the faint light in his eyes, Zhou Jingchen coldly rebuked, "Even if she doesn't make a move, I can still get Zhou Ye's head. Why does Gu Mingyue think that I will grant her three promises just for Zhou Ye's head? That's wishful thinking."
As soon as the words fell, the people on the ground broke out in cold sweat.
Although Zhou Jingchen didn't speak harshly, the murderous aura honed in the sea of blood and corpses around him poured out, suffocating anyone instantly. The palace servant collapsed under the heavy burden, unable to utter a single word when questioned.
But when he thought of Gu Mingyue, the palace servant shuddered and raised his head again: "Your Highness, Prince Jing..."
Gu Mingyue had long guessed that Zhou Jingchen would not believe her so easily, so before leaving, she naturally gave the palace servants some instructions.
The palace servant's head was buzzing, but he still relied on his survival instinct to recite Gu Mingyue's instructions in detail: "Your Highness, there is a saying that goes, 'Those who are close to the water will get the moon first.' If this matter is accomplished, with the master's help, the border defense army can capture Yanjing in the shortest possible time and avoid bloody battles. Your Highness loves the people like his own children. If this can reduce the loss of life, why not do it?"
"So? If I don't accept your master's request, I won't love the people like my own sons?" Zhou Jingchen raised an eyebrow.
"That's not what I meant! I'm just telling you what the Master said."
The palace servant was frightened by his words and turned pale. He immediately fell to the ground and kowtowed.
Zhou Jingchen had no intention of making things difficult for a palace maid. Although Gu Mingyue's request was excessive, the proposal touched Zhou Jingchen's heart. If Zhou Ye's head could be taken directly, it would be much easier to take over Yanjing. Whether Gu Mingyue took it or not, it would not have much impact on the overall situation. After thinking for a moment, it was not impossible to agree. He then said coldly: "Go back and tell your master. If you want to save your life, you must put away your greedy face. Zhou Ye's head is not worth three promises. One life can only be exchanged for another."
"...If your master can spare Zhou Ye's head, then let her exchange it for her life."
…
When he finally walked out of the camp, the palace servant was soaked as if he had been fished out of the water, and he was in a trance.
Zhou Jingchen squinted his eyes and watched the person walk away.
After a moment, he knocked on the edge of the table. A tall woman in palace attire emerged from the darkness. She quietly bowed to Zhou Jingchen, then quickly followed the palace maid.
The two of them didn't walk fast, but they soon disappeared into the night.
As the days passed, the number of arrows that could be shot down from the city walls dwindled. The □□'s rate of fire had dropped from ten per day to one per ten. No matter how many skilled craftsmen the city had, without sufficient iron ore, weapons were becoming increasingly scarce.
As the situation between the two sides became increasingly tense, Zhou Jingchen's patience grew day by day.
Gu Mingyue responded quickly. Even if her three promises were reduced to one life, she thought about it again and again and finally agreed.
She didn't want to die, and she didn't want to die because of Zhou Ye.
If Zhou Jingchen ever breached the city gates and slaughtered the entire Zhou royal family, she would have to be among the survivors. Zhou Jingchen wasn't surprised by her choice. The only thing that surprised him was the ease with which the palace servants around Gu Mingyue entered and exited the city gates. How blind must Emperor Zhou Ye be to allow the imperial guards to open the city gates for her several times, despite the crime of deceiving the emperor?
Thinking of this, Zhou Jingchen glanced vaguely at Cheng Yi standing in the corner.
Cheng Yi watched his nose and his heart, quietly standing by. Noticing Zhou Jingchen's gaze, he raised his head, a bit puzzled. Zhou Jingchen said nothing, only slowly closing his eyes, thinking about the possibility of getting rid of Gu Mingyue at this moment.
In fact, Zhou Jingchen discovered something in his previous life - there was something strange about Gu Mingyue.
This woman seems to possess incredible luck, always able to turn danger into safety in critical moments, and even capable of making countless men willingly risk their lives for her. Clearly, her face isn't even half as pretty as Jia Niang's (someone's filter here), she has no talent, no virtue, and no achievements, yet countless men, upon seeing her, become like bewitched puppets, recklessly doing foolish things for her. It's incredibly strange.
Zhou Jingchen had considered killing her in his past life, but he'd tried several times in secret, but none succeeded, and ended up hurting himself instead. He'd never figured out what was so strange about Gu Mingyue. But if he couldn't kill her, what about imprisoning her?
Gu Mingyue didn't know what Zhou Jingchen was thinking. After getting Zhou Jingchen's response, she began to think about her plan to take action against Zhou Ye.
Over a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Yanjing was in turmoil. Outside, the border troops launched several feints, night raids, and occasional probing attempts. The arrows on the city walls seemed to be running dry. Seeing the opportunity was almost here, Zhou Jingchen decided not to wait any longer and ordered the preparation of battering rams. He waited for the dead of night to storm the city gates and lead his troops into Yanjing.
This move was a success, not a failure. The food inside the city was exhausted, and the people outside the city were also struggling to survive.
Before he knew it, Zhou Jingchen had already spent three months in Yanjing City. The situation in the southwest remained stalemated, but something worrying was beginning to unfold. The entire summer hadn't rained, and the drought had decimated grain production throughout the south. At the autumn harvest, there was no grain at all. The imperial court was engaged in war, and officials, seeking to protect themselves, had arbitrarily increased taxes.
In other words, the drought had occurred as Zhou Jingchen had predicted, and the situation was not to be underestimated.
In Yanjing City, we must fight a quick and decisive battle.
Zhou Jingchen summoned all the generals, spread out a huge defense map of Yanjing City, and marked several important locations in detail.
A conservative estimate of 50,000 imperial guards were stationed within the city, distributed across Yanjing's Northwest and Northeast Camps, as well as within the Forbidden City. Given Zhou Ye's fear of death, he would undoubtedly retain his strongest forces within the Forbidden City. Within the city gates, a maximum of 10,000 soldiers were manning them. Given Yanjing's rapid troop deployment, the border defense forces should be able to capture the gates within an hour.
Several red-marked areas on the map were crossed out one by one, and interception measures were set up at each location.
Zhou Jingchen raised his eyes: "How are all the preparations going?"
Having waited for over three months, the soldiers, unable to contain their excitement, shouted, "Your Highness, everything is ready."
Zhou Jingchen waved his hand and everyone dispersed.
…
Night fell, and darkness gradually grew darker. A flaming arrow streaked across the sky, a horn blew, and the rumble of battering rams hitting the city gates awoke the slumbering Yanjing.
Gu Mingyue was tossing and turning because she hadn't been able to take Zhou Ye's head. Unable to find an opportunity, Gu Mingyue was worried that the deal would be invalidated.
When the heavy door slammed open, she jumped up from the bed with a start.
A figure swiftly passed by the screen window. The palace was brightly lit, and the chaotic sound of footsteps running back and forth in the corridors was already a mess inside and outside the palace. The palace maids hurriedly pushed open the door and Zhou Ye strode into the Weiyang Palace. His clothes were disheveled and he was barefoot. He rushed over, grabbed Gu Mingyue's arm, and dragged her out the door.
Gu Mingyue looked at the sky full of fire in the distance and looked at Zhou Ye in shock.
Zhou Ye was in a hurry, no longer caring about the dignity of the emperor. He spoke very quickly: "Zhou Jingchen led his troops to attack, and the city gate was lost. Let's retreat through the tunnel first and return after the storm has passed."
Gu Mingyue was dragged out of the Weiyang Palace without a word. Her long black hair was draped over her shoulders, and her eyes were fixed on the back of Zhou Ye's head with a gloomy look.
The two of them sped all the way through the outer gate of the Weiyang Palace, crossed the Imperial Garden, and arrived at a rarely visited palace.
Gu Mingyue followed behind Zhou Ye, one hand slowly reaching into his bosom and pulling out a black dagger. Zhou Ye, panting heavily from the rapid running, ignored Gu Mingyue's silence as he fumbled around the courtyard, looking around. Unsure what he was looking for, the more he searched, the more panicked he became. Meanwhile, behind him, Gu Mingyue slowly unsheathed her dagger. She narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to Zhou Ye. Zhou Ye, who hadn't turned back, suddenly stopped. Gu Mingyue, still holding the dagger, felt a surge of anxiety and instantly withdrew her hand.
When the two looked up, they saw a tall woman in palace dress standing right in front of them.
The woman was extremely tall, wearing a dusty palace dress. Her features weren't stunning, but she possessed a pair of captivating almond-shaped eyes. Moonlight streamed down from the sky, landing on her shoulders. Against the backlight, her face was unclear. As the man slowly approached, the hazy moonlight gradually revealed her features. The moment he saw the woman's face clearly, Gu Mingyue's expression changed drastically.
Zhou Ye shouted loudly: "Who are you?"
The woman didn't answer, but just looked behind him.
Zhou Ye frowned and turned his head.
Seeing Gu Mingyue's pale face, Zhou Ye was stunned. Before he could figure out what was going on, he saw the woman slowly move her lips, and a voice that was difficult to distinguish between male and female suddenly rang out in the dark night. A gust of night wind blew, and the voice seemed a little ethereal. The woman curled her eyes and walked three steps away from Gu Mingyue: "Sister, since you impersonated me, you seem to have been doing well these years?"
With just these words, the dagger in Gu Mingyue's hand fell to the ground with a thud.
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