Wei Yun and Chu Yu fought their way out of the city, while Zhao Yue hurried back to the palace. Amidst the chaos and turmoil, only one person remained calm and composed, unhurried and steady.
He watched the farce unfold quietly, as if he were a complete outsider. All the confusion, entanglement, and ugliness had nothing to do with him. Only after Wei Yun and Chu Yu escaped did he turn and disappear into the crowd, his expression sharp as he made his way toward the palace gates under the protection of his guards.
By the time he entered the palace, the court was already in disarray. Zhao Yue, now fully composed, stood before the sand table in the imperial study, issuing orders one after another.
Gu Chusheng entered, knelt, and saluted respectfully. "Your subject, Gu Chusheng, greets Your Majesty."
"Rise," Zhao Yue said coolly, raising his hand. Gu Chusheng stood aside and listened as Zhao Yue swiftly deployed his men. Once the orders were given, Zhao Yue dismissed them with a wave.
Only Gu Chusheng and Zhao Yue remained in the room. Zhao Yue looked at him and smiled helplessly. "I thought you would leave with Wei Yun."
"If Your Majesty truly believed that, why give me this Imperial Decree of Marriage?"
Gu Chusheng walked to a small table nearby, sat down calmly, and poured himself tea. "By granting me this decree, Your Majesty was telling me that if I followed Wei Yun, I would never obtain Madam Wei. Only by standing with you could I gain enough power and status to marry her, wasn't that it?"
Zhao Yue chuckled softly at these words. "Minister Gu is truly clever."
"Your Majesty," Gu Chusheng said seriously, "were Wei Yun's words true?"
Zhao Yue did not answer. He simply stared at Gu Chusheng for a long time before finally laughing.
"What does it matter if they were true or false?"
Zhao Yue burst into wild laughter. "Was I wrong? Do you also think I was wrong? That Emperor Chunde was a traitor, rebelling against superiors and creating chaos! Have you forgotten how your father died?! I was merely avenging you—avenging all of us!"
Gu Chusheng said nothing. His body trembled as he glared at Zhao Yue. "How have you become like this?!"
The Gu family had once received imperial favor from the Zhao dynasty and swore lifelong allegiance to them. Gu Chusheng's grandfather had done so, and so had his father.
During the Zhao family's downfall in the palace struggles, Gu Chusheng's father had given his life to save Zhao Yue. Yet even then, Gu Chusheng's father had never insisted on restoring the Zhao family to power.
Gu Chusheng still remembered his father's last words to him before dying—
If the current emperor is fortunate for the nation, then let it be.
Let it be.
Who sits on the throne makes no difference—what matters are the common people, the masses. Thus, in his past life, though Gu Chusheng had been a villain in court intrigues, he had never betrayed the people.
Back then, saving Zhao Yue had been partly out of loyalty as a subject and partly out of friendship. When they rescued him—including The Eldest Princess—no one could have imagined that the warm, gentle young lord, who couldn't bear to step on an ant, would become what he was today.
Seeing the look in Gu Chusheng's eyes, Zhao Yue's face twisted with disgust. "Don't look at me like that."
He strode toward Gu Chusheng, his voice icy. "You and I are no different, Gu Chusheng. Look at yourself—knowing full well what I've done, you still chose to stand here."Zhao Yue crouched down, his serpent-like gaze fixed on Gu Chusheng. "You're just like me—selfish, cold-hearted. We're the same kind of people, Gu Chusheng. What right do you have to look at me like that?"
Gu Chusheng remained silent. After a long pause, he chuckled softly.
"You're right," he said, lifting his eyes to meet Zhao Yue's. "We are the same. I truly have no such right."
With that, he stood up. "Since Your Majesty appears confident and assured of victory, this humble subject will take his leave and trouble you no further."
Gu Chusheng turned to go, but after only two steps, Zhao Yue's voice rose behind him. "Chusheng!"
Gu Chusheng halted, his back still turned. Zhao Yue's voice was choked with emotion, yet he struggled to maintain his usual sternness. "Don't betray me," he said coldly.
Gu Chusheng didn't respond. Zhao Yue continued with difficulty, "When I was in dire straits, it was your Gu family who saved me at the cost of their lives. Chusheng, we've been brothers for years. Back then, I promised you that if I became ruler, you would be my prime minister. That was no idle talk. If you don't betray me," Zhao Yue's voice grew hoarse, "I will never betray you in return."
Hearing this, Gu Chusheng couldn't help but laugh.
If he hadn't betrayed him, then why had he acted the way he did when he sought to marry Chu Yu?
But he kept these thoughts to himself and merely said, "From now on, I won't interfere in your affairs. Once the matter with Wei Yun is settled," Gu Chusheng turned to look at Zhao Yue, "we'll settle our old scores."
With that, Gu Chusheng walked out. At the doorway, he turned a corner and whispered to an attendant, "Have Eunuch Zhao arrange for me to meet with The Eldest Princess as soon as possible."
The attendant acknowledged the order in a low voice and quickly withdrew.
Another guard nearby asked softly, "What does my lord plan to do now?"
Gu Chusheng glanced at him calmly. "Should I let such a scoundrel remain emperor?"
He continued evenly, "Right now, Wei Yun's justification is simply that Zhao Yue lacks virtue, so he must be killed to appease the nation. But once Zhao Yue is dead, who will take the throne? The Li family or the Zhao family? The Li family has long been torn apart by infighting, and their bloodline was never legitimate to begin with. The Zhao family now has only Zhao Yue left. If he dies, the land will likely fracture into warlord factions, plunging the world into chaos."
As he spoke, a glimmer of starlight flickered in Gu Chusheng's eyes. "Wei Yun must have realized this too. He's forcing my hand now."
"How is he forcing you?" the guard asked, confused.
Gu Chusheng's expression remained placid. "That's something I'll only know after meeting The Eldest Princess."
Gu Chusheng returned to his residence. Late that night, a messenger arrived from the palace and whispered, "My lord, everything in the palace has been arranged."
Gu Chusheng nodded. He had planted countless spies in the palace, and now they were finally proving useful.
Disguised as a guard, he entered the palace directly and was led to the Phoenix Perch Palace. There, he kept his eyes lowered, not daring to look up, and bowed respectfully, kneeling before The Eldest Princess.
"Your subject, Gu Chusheng, pays his respects to Your Highness."
"Last night, Wei Yun sent word that you would come to see me," The Eldest Princess said lazily. "What do you want from me?"
Hearing this, Gu Chusheng smiled.
At last, he understood what Wei Yun was truly planning.Wei Yun wanted Zhao Yue dead and wished for the world to have a wise ruler. But if Zhao Yue died without a rightful heir, chaos would inevitably ensue. Deep down, Wei Yun couldn’t bear such an outcome. Unlike him, Wei Yun lacked the deep-rooted influence and cunning maneuvering within the palace, so he left it to him to resolve.
Zhao Yue calculated people’s hearts, but wasn’t Wei Yun doing the same?
Only Zhao Yue believed human nature was inherently wicked, while Wei Yun held that it was inherently good.
Others saw Gu Chusheng as a treacherous villain—even Chu Yu, who had spent a lifetime with him, might have thought so. Yet in this lifetime, Wei Yun trusted him. Trusted that he wouldn’t trade the fate of the people for an obsession with "pure bloodline."
Gu Chusheng couldn’t describe what he felt. He lifted his gaze to The Eldest Princess and said calmly, "I came to ask Your Highness just one thing—do you wish to kill Zhao Yue?"
The Eldest Princess was momentarily taken aback before she chuckled softly. "Lord Gu, why ask what you already know? Speak plainly of your intentions."
She didn’t tell Gu Chusheng that the message Wei Yun had sent yesterday wasn’t just about his visit—he had also instructed her to follow Gu Chusheng’s arrangements in everything.
Gu Chusheng remained composed as he drew two small boxes from his sleeve.
"I intend to kill Zhao Yue and seek Your Highness’s assistance."
The Eldest Princess’s eyes fell on the medicine boxes as Gu Chusheng continued, "These two medicines—one is to be taken before intercourse. It intensifies pleasure, but after two months of use, the partner will begin experiencing numbness in the limbs, blurred vision, and frequent headaches. Two months later, they will lose the ability to speak, see, or move, completely paralyzed."
Then, Gu Chusheng looked up at her. "Would Your Highness be willing?"
The Eldest Princess smiled. "If I’m willing to kill him, why would I hesitate over this?"
"And the second medicine," Gu Chusheng pushed the other box forward, "will give Your Highness the appearance of a false pregnancy. I will arrange for the imperial physicians. All you need to do is ensure His Majesty names this child as The Crown Prince."
At this, The Eldest Princess frowned. "But I am not with child."
"You will have a child."
Gu Chusheng’s voice was firm. "You will most certainly have a child."
Seeing his certainty, The Eldest Princess finally understood.
He didn’t care whether this child was truly of royal blood—only that the world would believe it was, that this child would rightfully inherit the throne.
By Gu Chusheng’s plan, the two of them working together might have a direct chance to poison Zhao Yue. But after his death, without a confirmed heir, the world would likely descend into chaos. So before Zhao Yue died, there had to be a prepared heir to appease families like the Gus, who valued royal lineage.
The Eldest Princess understood. After a long silence, she nodded.
Gu Chusheng bowed respectfully and, without another word, rose to leave.
"Gu Chusheng," The Eldest Princess called out.
He paused at the door as she asked from behind, "You just let Chu Yu leave like that?"
Everyone could see the obsession in Gu Chusheng.
He stood at the threshold, silent for a long time before finally answering, "What else can I do?"
How many times had he vowed, how many times had he resolved, how many times had he decided to obtain her by any means necessary?
Even this very morning, upon learning Wei Yun had gone to Shuntian Prefecture, he had given orders to seal off Hua Jing and kill Wei Yun at all costs.But as he followed the crowd, watching her in the Queen's ceremonial robe trailing behind Wei Yun, observing her resolute expression, seeing her stand noble and gentle before the gates of Shuntian Prefecture, bathed in sunlight. Listening to the rhythmic drumbeats struck by Wei Yun, hearing him recount the grievances of the Wei family.
Though these were the Wei family's grievances, from these words, he pieced together the path she had walked all these years.
Amidst the crowd, he heard whispers of how she had once knelt before the Palace Gates, learned of the trials and tribulations she had endured in his absence.
This was a Chu Yu he no longer recognized.
In his previous life, though he had risen to a high ministerial position, he had never secured her a First-rank imperial title. Yet now, married into the Wei family, she had become this radiant, elegant, and unburdened woman.
These were things he had never been able to give her in his lifetime.
As she walked away hand in hand with Wei Yun, as she looked up at that man with a blossoming smile, he was suddenly struck by the realization—he hadn't seen that smile in nearly thirty-seven years.
Thirty-seven years ago, when she had come to him with sword in hand, her face had borne that same open and fearless expression.
Thirty-seven years later, after weathering storms and hardships, she had finally returned to that former self.
What could he do?
His blade could not fall, yet his hand could not let go.
Gu Chusheng numbly walked out of the palace grounds and took a sedan chair back to the Gu residence.
The Gu residence without Chu Yu seemed no different from his previous life—still cold, dark, devoid of any light or warmth.
He watched the coming and going of people, servants stepping forward to greet him.
After what felt like an eternity, he could bear it no longer. Covering his face with his hands, trembling, he crouched down.
Suddenly, he no longer understood the meaning of this rebirth.
If being reborn only meant losing Chu Yu completely, then why must he endure this torment, living through this agony once more?
OpenNovel