Chapter 468 - 334: The Bigger Picture (Part 2)
Zhang Fengcai: "Yes."
"You’ve had it tough day after day, thank you for your hard work," Young Master Gu said politely.
Zhang Fengcai: "It’s not hard." He thanked her for her empathy.
"By the way," Gu Lan suddenly asked, "Princess Ning An must be quite heartbroken."
Zhang Fengcai answered numbly: "Yes, after the Princess told Your Majesty about your identity, she left crying."
Gu Lan saw through everything and said, "Because Rong Jing went mad again."
Zhang Fengcai instinctively nodded, then suddenly realized with a frown that he had inadvertently agreed with Young Master Gu’s words!
After some time, Zhang Fengcai dragged his heavy footsteps out of Yongming Palace and returned to Qianyuan Hall to report to Rong Jing.
The faint scent of ambergris lingered in the air; the grand hall was as dim and silent as always. The porcelain fragments on the ground had been cleaned up. After Zhang Fengcai recounted everything to Rong Jing, he stood by nervously.
Rong Jing lounged lazily on the dragon throne, his eyes as serene and cold as peach blossoms, his expression extraordinarily calm. It was as if he wasn’t the same man who, upon learning that Gu Lan was a woman the night before, had furiously torn countless memorials to pieces.
Zhang Fengcai suddenly thought that Young Master Gu’s guess was correct—His Majesty indeed went "mad" again...
"Your, Your Majesty, shall I bind Gu Lan and bring her to court tomorrow?" Zhang Fengcai asked, trembling.
"No need," Rong Jing said, "Even if she doesn’t appear, it has been confirmed without a doubt that she is a woman. I have not wronged the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion."
"Yes." Zhang Fengcai asked again, "Then, Your Majesty, regarding the little eunuch whom Princess Ning An pleaded for, did I release him according to your instructions?"
Previously, Rong Miaoyan had proactively come to Qianyuan Hall to meet with the Emperor, saying she had learned of Gu Lan being a woman and confessed she was deceived by Gu Lan. In the end, she pleaded with the Emperor to spare the eunuch named Cheng Yu, and the Emperor had agreed.
Rong Jing lightly rotated the ring on his finger, his eyes turning deep, the peach blossom-like eyes unfathomable:
"Kill him, tell Ning An... the Emperor’s words are the most untrustworthy."
Zhang Fengcai’s heart trembled, a chill shot straight to his head, and his instinctive submission to Rong Jing made him nod unconsciously.
Rong Jing sighed deeply and closed his eyes.
The next day at the morning court assembly, Rong Jing announced before the civil and military officials that the true identity of the Heir of Duke Dingyuan, Gu Lan, was female, and that Gu Lan had committed the crime of deceiving the monarch by disguising as a man. The Gu Family had misled the court and had rebellious intentions.
The Emperor decreed that Dingyuan Marquis Gu Chengzhao must enter the capital within thirty days to explain this matter, or else be charged with treason, resulting in the execution of the entire Gu Family.
The news stunned the court and shocked the world!
Even Gu Chengye and Gu Changting, both members of the Gu Family, could not believe it and returned to the mansion to confirm with the old madam, who only gave them a definitive answer!
As for Prince Xiang, Rong Heng had already been listed as a traitor by the court half a month ago.
However, half a month ago, the Wei Country had invaded the Yan Country’s border, and as the Southern Border was engulfed in war once more, at such a critical juncture, the border army soldiers paid no heed to the Emperor’s decree. Rong Heng, as a king of Dayan, together with the only daughter of Prince Rui, Princess Changle, had resolutely led the troops to fight, defending the national territory.
Just as Rong Heng had suspected, Wei Junzhuo’s target was not Cang Wind Port or Qingshui County, but Qi Country.
The Monarch of Qi Country had made a deal with Wei Junzhuo, opening his borders to allow the Wei army passage, yet in turn welcomed one hundred thousand Wei troops into his territory.
By the time Rong Heng and his people arrived at Cang Wind Port, more than half of Qi Country had already fallen.
The Wei Country had occupied the Qi Country’s capital, where the Crown Prince of Qi bowed his head to Wei Junzhuo and even sent men to hunt down his own father, the Monarch.
The Monarch of Qi, under the protection of the Yulin Army, had fled to a small city near Yan Country’s Cang Wind Port, while the remaining thousands of Qi Country soldiers shivered and allowed the Wei army to ravage their land.
Qi and Yan Countries were intimately linked in their survival; one could even say Qi Country served as a gateway to Yan Country. If Qi Country were completely overtaken by Wei Junzhuo, then from that point on, Wei Country could attack Yan Country whenever they wished.
Rong Heng could not allow such a thing to happen and immediately joined forces with the remnants of Qi Country’s power to help regain the land seized by Wei Country.
The Monarch of Qi was named Xu Ding, a middle-aged man of a weak disposition.
Upon meeting Rong Heng, Xu Ding deeply regretted agreeing to Wei Country’s passage for the expedition against Yan and directly clung to Rong Heng’s leg, kneeling and admitting his mistake with tears streaming down his face.
He even expressed willingness to lower his national status to that of a Marquis, asking only that Yan Country protect his safety and quell the war.
Rong Heng, in his capacity as King of Yan, agreed to Xu Ding’s request, petitioning to confer Xu Ding the title of Marquis and independently appointing him as the Uncle Qingyuan of Dayan.