As dusk settled and dinner was over, the city lights began to twinkle.
Gu Qinghuai hurried into Lin Xihe's residence.
Mo Wusheng stood silently outside, vigilantly watching his surroundings to prevent Xu Qi or any other unscrupulous person from eavesdropping on the conversation inside.
As soon as Gu Qinghuai entered the room, without even exchanging pleasantries, he blurted out, "Xihe, you've entered the palace today?"
"Yes, His Majesty suddenly summoned me."
Lin Xihe responded softly and led Gu Qinghuai to sit down on the daybed.
She then recounted to Gu Qinghuai, word by word, the words the emperor had spoken before bestowing the marriage upon her that day, without reservation.
The flickering lights inside the room illuminated their faces. After listening, Gu Qinghuai frowned and fell into a long silence.
The room was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard; the atmosphere was oppressive and heavy.
Lin Xihe broke the silence and did not hide anything from Gu Qinghuai: "Also, Qinghuai, Mu Ruoyan sent someone to my side."
"Whom did you send?" Gu Qinghuai frowned slightly, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.
"His personal attendant, Xu Qi."
"This Xu Qi, he values him highly, saying he'll come to protect me, and..." Lin Xihe looked at Gu Qinghuai, hesitating to speak, her eyes revealing a troubled expression.
"Um?"
Gu Qinghuai looked slightly puzzled. After this period of recuperation, he had recovered most of his health.
At this moment, when he was not speaking, he naturally exuded an aura of majesty, just like when Lin Xihe first met him, he was a spirited and radiant general.
However, Lin Xihe knew in her heart that the days of imprisonment and torture were undoubtedly a nightmare for Gu Qinghuai, a painful past that he would never want to mention.
If she were to mention her three-month agreement with Mu Ruoyan, it would be like rubbing salt into Gu Qinghuai's wounds.
"Come and see me..."
Lin Xihe's voice trailed off, then, as if suddenly remembering something, she quickly changed the subject: "But, thinking back to His Majesty's words today, wasn't Xu Qi here to inquire about our Great Hao?"
"On the day I returned, I met a few people. His Majesty did indeed send people to look for me. I need to verify what he said, but my master would never betray the country, much less exchange his name for anything."
Gu Qinghuai did not believe the emperor's words.
In his heart, he knew Lin Bin's character better than anyone else, and those unfounded suspicions and slanders were utterly absurd.
"Xihe, he sought you out because he wanted you to tell me all this. Today I met with the envoys from the Western Regions; they were arrogant and arbitrarily withheld most of their annual tribute. It seems this battle is inevitable."
He knew that the situation in Da Hao was critical, with the provocations from the Western Regions becoming increasingly rampant, and war was imminent.
That's why Da Hao needed him to go to the battlefield and fight bravely, which is why the emperor made these seemingly appeasing but actually probing moves.
Lin Xihe listened quietly to Gu Qinghuai's words, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart. The man before her was being manipulated at will by the emperor, being lifted up when needed and discarded like a worn-out shoe when not.
"Qinghuai, what if the truth isn't uncovered and the Western Regions invade?" Lin Xihe looked at Gu Qinghuai, her heart filled with worry, and couldn't help but ask.
"We will respond to any war."
Gu Qinghuai's gaze was piercing, and his expression was exceptionally firm: "I am worshipped by the people of the world. Although I have been abandoned by His Majesty, it is he who has wronged me, not the people of the world. Protecting my home and country is my mission."
“Xihe, back in Nanzhao, I wish I could personally slaughter all those who betrayed me.”
Gu Qinghuai paused slightly, his expression grave: "However, overthrowing him and collecting evidence are not things that can be accomplished overnight. Right now, the Western Regions are stirring up trouble, and war is imminent. I certainly cannot stay in the capital for long."
The room fell into a deathly silence once again, each second stretching out endlessly.
Gu Qinghuai slowly raised his head, closed his eyes, as if to calm the turmoil in his heart. After a moment, he let out a long sigh, a sigh filled with helplessness and determination.
When he opened his eyes again, the radiance on his face had faded, leaving only a somber expression. His voice was low and hoarse as he slowly said, "Therefore, I have decided to annul our engagement."
He thought he would have time to plan properly after returning, but his contact with the envoys from the Western Regions these past two days made him realize that the situation was critical.
He didn't know when he would be able to successfully plan it, and he was even more afraid that if things went wrong while he was away from the capital, no one would be able to protect her.
The path he chose was fraught with thorns and dangers, and he never considered giving up on what he wanted to do, but he absolutely could not let her get involved in this danger.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe's throat tightened. She thought to herself that Gu Qinghuai must already know about her refusal to marry him today.
"Did you know about His Majesty's bestowal of a marriage today?"
"A marriage decree?"
Gu Qinghuai was slightly taken aback. He had just parted ways with the people from the Western Regions. Mo Wusheng had only told him that Lin Xihe had been summoned to the palace by His Majesty today, without mentioning any bestowal of a marriage.
Although he had already prepared himself to let go, the words "bestowed marriage" still stirred a ripple in his heart and a surge of indescribable anticipation.
"What did you say?" His voice trembled slightly, carrying a hint of nervousness that even he himself was unaware of.
Lin Xihe avoided his expectant gaze, lowered her eyes, and her long, butterfly-like eyelashes cast a mottled shadow on her eyelids.
She whispered, "I'm sorry..."
Time seemed to stand still, and all was silent.
Gu Qinghuai felt a tightness in his throat, and a sour feeling spread from the bottom of his heart, gradually permeating his whole body, turning into endless loneliness that completely overwhelmed him.
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