Lin Xihe's face paled instantly, and she instinctively covered her neck with both hands, her voice trembling with fear: "Could it be... that they want to take my head?"
Before Ji Zhuo could respond, she quickly added, "Is it still not too late for us to separate now?"
Ji Zhuo stared at Lin Xihe, who was so close to him, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He slowly reached out and gently stroked her slightly pale face, his words full of bitterness and helplessness: "There are still ten months until the wedding. Don't you even want to try? How can you abandon me so easily?"
After he finished speaking, a hint of pain quietly surfaced deep in his eyes, as if a tidal wave was surging within them.
Given the current situation, giving up Lin Xihe might be the wisest choice. However, just thinking about her becoming someone else's wife in the future makes Ji Zhuo's heart feel as if it is being deeply pierced by countless fine needles, and the pain spreads throughout his body.
Lin Xihe's hesitation and wavering in her words were like a sharp blade, piercing straight into his heart.
When Lin Xihe saw that Ji Zhuo had actually taken it seriously, her originally clear eyes instantly turned crimson, and tears welled up as if they were about to spill out.
Without hesitation, she strode forward and pulled Ji Zhuo into a tight embrace, saying with a hint of reproach, "You silly boy, can't you tell I was just teasing you? You actually took a joke seriously?"
As she spoke, she gently patted Ji Zhuo's back, as if trying to offer him some comfort.
"I know you must have suffered many setbacks when you went to see His Majesty today. Ah Zhuo, don't worry, you are the only one in my heart. I only want to spend my life with you and I will never change my mind because of an imperial decree." Lin Xihe's gentle voice rang softly in Ji Zhuo's ear.
As soon as she finished speaking, she realized that Ji Zhuo's entire weight was leaning on her shoulder, and the heavy pressure made her thoughts drift away.
Although in modern TV dramas, there are often characters who dare to confront the emperor and openly defy imperial edicts, in this era of supreme imperial power, once the emperor is enraged, corpses will be scattered for miles. If one is not careful, one will suffer the tragic fate of having one's entire family executed and nine generations of relatives exterminated.
If one disregards the safety and honor of one's family for the sake of selfish love, that would be a truly unforgivable and heinous mistake.
“Ah Zhuo, I know you haven’t found a good solution since you only came to me now. I neither resent you nor hate you.”
At this moment, Ji Zhuo had already adjusted his emotions. He gently embraced Lin Xihe and said, "Xi'er, give me some time. If I can surpass Gu Qinghuai in the court, then I will have a way to make His Majesty change his mind."
"Surpass him?" Lin Xihe asked softly.
“Indeed. Since only power can keep you by my side as the Grand Secretary, I will do everything in my power to climb to the top.” Ji Zhuo’s gaze was firm and his tone resolute.
Upon hearing Ji Zhuo's words, Lin Xihe felt a deep sense of frustration that was difficult to dispel.
She recalled what was written in the book: after Ji Zhuo met Sun Ningxiang, he worked hard to win her over and rose to the position of Grand Secretary in just one year.
At this moment, Lin Xihe realized that in the world of the book she was in, everything would follow the predetermined path set by the author.
She couldn't help but feel apprehensive, after all, she hadn't seen the ending of the book.
If the outcome is unfavorable, will the world they live in also extend in that negative direction, and will no one be able to reverse the situation?
Lin Xihe asked tentatively, her heart pounding with apprehension, "What do you plan to do?"
Ji Zhuo's expression was solemn as he slowly said, "For many years, I have followed His Majesty's secret orders to investigate the hidden affairs of court officials, and I have their secrets in my hands. Now, those old ministers in the court have grown old and lost their vigor. Gu Qinghuai, on the other hand, has become famous and powerful in the past two years, and those old ministers are naturally unable to contend with him."
"Your Majesty has always wanted the various forces in the court to check and balance each other. If I can cleverly get those old ministers to step down, and then I can compete with Gu Qinghuai for power, so that the various forces in the court can restrain and rely on each other, Your Majesty can probably feel at ease and sit firmly on the throne. The court can also be stable and secure in a state of balance of power, and the world can be at peace."
After hearing these words, Lin Xihe felt a mix of emotions. She sighed softly, "It's always been like this throughout history. Military generals fight desperately on the battlefield, but in the end, they are suspected by others; those who wholeheartedly serve the people are also suspected and even framed."
"Xi'er, do you think I'm despicable?"
"That's not the case. Even if it weren't you, His Majesty would have found someone else to do it. I just feel sorry for these people, but I also understand that none of this can be changed."
Lin Xihe stared intently at Ji Zhuo and said slowly, "A-Zhuo, I don't know what kind of person Gu Qinghuai is. If he is not a wicked person, you must not use despicable means to deal with him for my sake."
She paused slightly, a trace of sorrow flashing in her eyes, "My father, he spent his life on the battlefield, yet not long after his death, the steward accused him of a fabricated crime. My father had a lifetime of illustrious military achievements, and in the end, his son disappeared without a trace, and I..."
Lin Xihe didn't say what came next: Even her daughter was drowned in a water vat by a village woman in the countryside and died tragically. If it weren't for that, how could she have transmigrated?
Ji Zhuo gently grasped Lin Xihe's hand and replied solemnly, "Xi'er, I know you feel wronged. Gu Qinghuai, like your father, has guarded the border for many years and endured countless hardships. I only wanted to compete with him for power, not to deliberately harm him. If I don't take action, he might find himself in an even more dangerous situation when he achieves further military merit."
Ji Zhuo was sincere; he was not the kind of person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals or frame loyal and virtuous people.
After he fell in love with Lin Xihe, he secretly sent people to investigate the truth behind Lin Xihe's father's accident, while also searching for the whereabouts of Lin Xihe's brother, and discovered that there were indeed strange things going on.
However, he had previously focused his energy on matters in the capital and had limited knowledge of the situation on the border, making it quite difficult to begin an investigation now.
"Yes, Ah Zhuo, you know I'm not usually a very determined person, but at this moment I will definitely choose you. However, you must not do such evil things; everything has its limits," Lin Xihe solemnly instructed again.
At this moment, Ji Zhuo suddenly recalled the scene when he first met Lin Xihe, and couldn't help but smile: "When I first met you, you were stingy, mean, and would lie and secretly hide money. You would curse at the slightest thing. I never expected that you would be so principled in the face of right and wrong."
"Do you really think I have so many flaws?" Lin Xihe feigned anger.
"I haven't finished yet. But you are indeed very different from before," Ji Zhuo said with a smile.
"Hmph, I've received higher education. I might be lenient about small things, but there are some bottom lines, some principles that cannot be crossed," Lin Xihe said with a hint of pride, then added, "You wouldn't understand anyway~"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
