The Same Goes for Us (Part Two)
In the dark night, it was only after Kun YuYang, who had traveled through the bitter wind, had fallen asleep inside Yu Fu’s carriage that Yu Fu quietly came out.
Most of the soldiers were resting against trees or stones. Only a few stood guard in the distance with their backs still perfectly straight.
Gu HuaiJiang and Gu ShuBai sat next to the bonfire. Father and son were silent, as the atmosphere was unprecedentedly rigid.
Gu JiuGe and Gu HanMo had already gone to rest, while Gu ShuBai did not know what he could do here. He knew that Gu HuaiJiang did not like having people disturb him while he was thinking, but he also know the affection that Gu HuaiJiang had for his ruler.
A loyal subject clearly knew that his ruler had been assassinated, but he was unable to be by his side to protect him. He must be feeling all kinds of regret.
Yu Fu quietly came forward and sat on Gu HuaiJiang’s other side. Daughter and son sat to his two sides and tried to give him some strength.
He just watched the dancing flames, as he recalled the previous times that he had gone.
After a long time passed, he slowly said: “Every year during the autumn hunt, it would be father who would lead the Gu family’s army in protecting His Majesty. Although His Majesty is not skilled in martial arts, he was very accurate with a bow. He liked going to hunt rare animals in the mountains. If he could hunt a bear, His Majesty would be happy for three months, and he would often bring it up.”
“At that time, His Majesty was still young, and father did not have as many troops under my command. The feelings of suspicion and envy had not yet begun.”
Yu Fu listened to his story and imagined Emperor Ning and the head general when they were young. Ruler and subject were as close as brothers, and they worked together to protect their country. It was a story worth passing down.
After reminiscing on these beautiful memories, he started blaming himself.
“If I had told His Majesty about my suspicions of the eldest prince when His Majesty had been poisoned, His Majesty might not have died this time. He had been treated by the Deity of Medicine and should have been able to live as long as the late empress dowager…”
Yu Fu and Gu ShuBai spoke at almost the same time, “Father (Head general), this can’t be blamed on you!”
The two exchanged a look, and Yu Fu said: “Last time, the eldest prince felt forced to poison His Majesty because His Majesty was about to appoint the second prince as the crown prince. This time, however, there was no reason for him to kill His Majesty. There must be someone working in the shadows. How could head general place all of the blame on yourself?”
Gu ShuBai said: “Moreover, based on His Majesty’s personality, it’s hard to say if he would have believed father if you had said it at that time. Even if he did believe it, he might not be willing to punish the eldest prince. More importantly, we did not have evidence. Brazenly accusing the eldest prince would just cause unrest in court. Father did not do anything wrong at that time.”
The one in the wrong was the greedy eldest prince. The one in the wrong was the one who enticed the eldest prince into doing it again.
Gu ShuBai suddenly furrowed his brow, “Father, did you notice something off? When did Yin Shuo start getting along with the eldest prince?”
Yin Shuo was the second prince’s brother-in-law. Based on the relationship obtained through marriage, he should favor the second prince.
But after the incident, he did not say a single word in the second prince’s defense. Based on his odd behavior and how he interrogated Kun YuYang, regardless of whether or not he framed the second prince, there was no doubt that he was biased in the eldest prince’s favor.
Gu HuaiJiang looked at him, “You’re saying that Yin Shuo is the one who is at the center of this, and he’s the one who made the eldest prince commit evil acts again?”
“Yes, it’s definitely him!”
Yu Fu thought back to the past and was instantly certain that that person was Yin Shuo, “There’s something that I didn’t tell you. On the day of Yin Shuo and Princess DanYang’s marriage at the palace, Yin Shuo, he… expressed that he liked me. He said that I was the one that he wanted to marry. At that time, for the sake of having him give up, I said that if he dared to say to His Majesty that he did not want to get married, I would be willing to forgive his prior actions. I actually promised me but ended up changing his mind and gave his thanks to His Majesty.”
Gu ShuBai sneered and said: “That person is obsessed with power and status. No matter how much he loves you, he could not possibly offend His Majesty over it. But based on his personality, he could not possibly sing His Majesty’s praises at a time like that. It seems that he already had a plan in mind at that time. That’s why he was willing to marry Princess DanYang to solidify his position. It was for his future schemes.”
Yu Fu nodded, “I felt the same about this too. Yao Yue also said that he was having young miss Yin act as a honeytrap to try and disrupt the formation of the cabinet, and this made me even more certain. Head general, if Yin Shuo is taking these risks because his influence is being reduced by the existence of the cabinet, is it possible that he might help the eldest prince?”
All of these insignificant reasons added together formed a clear trail.
Gu HuaiJiang heavily closed his eyes, “It’s not just possible. It’s definitely him.”
The three fell silent once more. They clearly knew the culprit behind Emperor Ning’s murder, but they did not have enough evidence to prove it.
Gu ShuBai looked at the rolling hills in the distance, “If we travel day and night and have good luck, we can reach the capital in two days. Who knows what sort of changes will have occurred in that time. Based solely on Lord Ji’s influence, it might not be enough to stop them.”
Yu Fu looked back toward the carriage, “Eldest brother, you said that nothing would happen to uncle Ning. Is that true?”
“It’s true.”
Gu ShuBai comforted her, saying: “Ning TangShu is not as powerless as you think. As a member of the imperial family, he naturally has his abilities. He was able to protect his wife and allow her to escape, so staying alive in the capital would not be difficult. Moreover, the eldest prince and Yin Shuo aren’t stupid. His wife has already escaped, so what would be the point of killing Ning TangShu?”
Yu Fu found this to be reasonable. Kun YuYang came to them on her own but did not cry because of the difficulties encountered on the trip. She did, however, cry over Ning TangShu’s safety.
She had truly married the right person.
Yu Fu looked at Gu HuaiJiang once more, “Head general, after we get back to the capital, what do you plan to do?”
Gu HuaiJiang opened his eyes. The brilliance in his eyes had become much dimmer.
Yu Fu’s heart ached for him.
He put forth his best effort, and it was his loyalty that pushed him to strive for great victories on the battlefield. He initially thought that with this return to the capital, the border would be able to remain peaceful for at least a decade.
Who knew that while peace came to the border, a more frightening battlefield was waiting for him at the capital.
The battlefield of people’s hearts was a battlefield ten times scarier than a battlefield where swords clashed. Here, soldiers were not the ones doing the killing. Here, people died without knowing how it happened.
Who knew if Emperor Ning’s corpse would be able to close its eyes…
Gu ShuBai looked at his no-longer-young father. In his many years on difficult battlefields, he had never seen Gu HuaiJiang reveal this sort of expression.
He said: “If Lord Ji is able to keep the situation steady, and the eldest prince has not yet become the ruler, everyone in the capital should be waiting for father’s return to help the situation. As long as father suspects the eldest prince, he cannot ascend the throne smoothly. If father does not say anything…”
The second prince would definitely be executed. Without anyone to oppose him, the eldest prince would ascend the throne without any resistance.
Gu HuaiJiang’s attitude was particularly important.
Looking at the two children keeping him company and worrying about how miserable he felt, he felt a little bit of comfort.
“Father is still not so old as to be that foolish. Naturally, I understand what you are talking about. The reason for not speaking up when His Majesty was poisoned was because His Majesty was saved. But now that His Majesty has passed away, as a subject, I cannot allow the culprit behind His Majesty’s murder to ascend the throne. If I did, would I be worthy of my position as general?”
Gu HuaiJiang’s words were spoken with force. Gu ShuBai understood that he was determined to reveal the truth.
He earnestly cupped his hands and said: “No matter what father decides, it will be the decision that all of us in Marquis Gu’s Manor will accept and the order that all of us in the Gu family’s army will follow. Son will help father find out the truth and provide His Majesty with justice!”
Yu Fu agreed, saying: “Me too, I will do my best, even if it’s just a meager amount.”
“Father, the same goes for us.”
Gu JiuGe and Gu HanMo had woken up at some point and come out to quietly sit at their side.
“Head general, we will show our loyalty to His Majesty and will heed your orders!”
Yan HuaShi, Lao Jin, and the others also stood up. Following this, more and more soldiers stood up. In the darkness, they were silent but resolute.
It turned out that nobody was sleeping. They were all waiting for his decision.
Gu HuaiJiang stood up and looked at everyone. In front of these comrades who were willing to risk life and limb, all of the things that he had to say were unnecessary.
He reached out and slapped Yan HuaShi on the shoulder with his left hand and Lao Jin’s shoulder with his right. The two old generals suddenly started laughing.
The head general’s hands were still so full of force. He was not old. He would definitely lead everyone in providing His Majesty with a just outcome and allow him to return to the heavens in brilliance.
Even if it would not be easy.
Based on Yin Shuo’s ingenuity, it was certain that he only dared to make his move while Gu HuaiJiang was away and while they were on their way back to the capital. It was possible that their chance to gather any evidence had already disappeared.
No, they had a witness…
Gu HuaiJiang turned around. Next to Yu Fu’s carriage, a girl stood with her back perfectly straight.
“Though this lady is from Western Kun, His Majesty has shown me favor. Lord Marquis, if you can make use of this lady, this lady will be here!”
The Same Goes for Us (Part Two)
In the dark night, it was only after Kun YuYang, who had traveled through the bitter wind, had fallen asleep inside Yu Fu’s carriage that Yu Fu quietly came out.
Most of the soldiers were resting against trees or stones. Only a few stood guard in the distance with their backs still perfectly straight.
Gu HuaiJiang and Gu ShuBai sat next to the bonfire. Father and son were silent, as the atmosphere was unprecedentedly rigid.
Gu JiuGe and Gu HanMo had already gone to rest, while Gu ShuBai did not know what he could do here. He knew that Gu HuaiJiang did not like having people disturb him while he was thinking, but he also know the affection that Gu HuaiJiang had for his ruler.
A loyal subject clearly knew that his ruler had been assassinated, but he was unable to be by his side to protect him. He must be feeling all kinds of regret.
Yu Fu quietly came forward and sat on Gu HuaiJiang’s other side. Daughter and son sat to his two sides and tried to give him some strength.
He just watched the dancing flames, as he recalled the previous times that he had gone.
After a long time passed, he slowly said: “Every year during the autumn hunt, it would be father who would lead the Gu family’s army in protecting His Majesty. Although His Majesty is not skilled in martial arts, he was very accurate with a bow. He liked going to hunt rare animals in the mountains. If he could hunt a bear, His Majesty would be happy for three months, and he would often bring it up.”
“At that time, His Majesty was still young, and father did not have as many troops under my command. The feelings of suspicion and envy had not yet begun.”
Yu Fu listened to his story and imagined Emperor Ning and the head general when they were young. Ruler and subject were as close as brothers, and they worked together to protect their country. It was a story worth passing down.
After reminiscing on these beautiful memories, he started blaming himself.
“If I had told His Majesty about my suspicions of the eldest prince when His Majesty had been poisoned, His Majesty might not have died this time. He had been treated by the Deity of Medicine and should have been able to live as long as the late empress dowager…”
Yu Fu and Gu ShuBai spoke at almost the same time, “Father (Head general), this can’t be blamed on you!”
The two exchanged a look, and Yu Fu said: “Last time, the eldest prince felt forced to poison His Majesty because His Majesty was about to appoint the second prince as the crown prince. This time, however, there was no reason for him to kill His Majesty. There must be someone working in the shadows. How could head general place all of the blame on yourself?”
Gu ShuBai said: “Moreover, based on His Majesty’s personality, it’s hard to say if he would have believed father if you had said it at that time. Even if he did believe it, he might not be willing to punish the eldest prince. More importantly, we did not have evidence. Brazenly accusing the eldest prince would just cause unrest in court. Father did not do anything wrong at that time.”
The one in the wrong was the greedy eldest prince. The one in the wrong was the one who enticed the eldest prince into doing it again.
Gu ShuBai suddenly furrowed his brow, “Father, did you notice something off? When did Yin Shuo start getting along with the eldest prince?”
Yin Shuo was the second prince’s brother-in-law. Based on the relationship obtained through marriage, he should favor the second prince.
But after the incident, he did not say a single word in the second prince’s defense. Based on his odd behavior and how he interrogated Kun YuYang, regardless of whether or not he framed the second prince, there was no doubt that he was biased in the eldest prince’s favor.
Gu HuaiJiang looked at him, “You’re saying that Yin Shuo is the one who is at the center of this, and he’s the one who made the eldest prince commit evil acts again?”
“Yes, it’s definitely him!”
Yu Fu thought back to the past and was instantly certain that that person was Yin Shuo, “There’s something that I didn’t tell you. On the day of Yin Shuo and Princess DanYang’s marriage at the palace, Yin Shuo, he… expressed that he liked me. He said that I was the one that he wanted to marry. At that time, for the sake of having him give up, I said that if he dared to say to His Majesty that he did not want to get married, I would be willing to forgive his prior actions. I actually promised me but ended up changing his mind and gave his thanks to His Majesty.”
Gu ShuBai sneered and said: “That person is obsessed with power and status. No matter how much he loves you, he could not possibly offend His Majesty over it. But based on his personality, he could not possibly sing His Majesty’s praises at a time like that. It seems that he already had a plan in mind at that time. That’s why he was willing to marry Princess DanYang to solidify his position. It was for his future schemes.”
Yu Fu nodded, “I felt the same about this too. Yao Yue also said that he was having young miss Yin act as a honeytrap to try and disrupt the formation of the cabinet, and this made me even more certain. Head general, if Yin Shuo is taking these risks because his influence is being reduced by the existence of the cabinet, is it possible that he might help the eldest prince?”
All of these insignificant reasons added together formed a clear trail.
Gu HuaiJiang heavily closed his eyes, “It’s not just possible. It’s definitely him.”
The three fell silent once more. They clearly knew the culprit behind Emperor Ning’s murder, but they did not have enough evidence to prove it.
Gu ShuBai looked at the rolling hills in the distance, “If we travel day and night and have good luck, we can reach the capital in two days. Who knows what sort of changes will have occurred in that time. Based solely on Lord Ji’s influence, it might not be enough to stop them.”
Yu Fu looked back toward the carriage, “Eldest brother, you said that nothing would happen to uncle Ning. Is that true?”
“It’s true.”
Gu ShuBai comforted her, saying: “Ning TangShu is not as powerless as you think. As a member of the imperial family, he naturally has his abilities. He was able to protect his wife and allow her to escape, so staying alive in the capital would not be difficult. Moreover, the eldest prince and Yin Shuo aren’t stupid. His wife has already escaped, so what would be the point of killing Ning TangShu?”
Yu Fu found this to be reasonable. Kun YuYang came to them on her own but did not cry because of the difficulties encountered on the trip. She did, however, cry over Ning TangShu’s safety.
She had truly married the right person.
Yu Fu looked at Gu HuaiJiang once more, “Head general, after we get back to the capital, what do you plan to do?”
Gu HuaiJiang opened his eyes. The brilliance in his eyes had become much dimmer.
Yu Fu’s heart ached for him.
He put forth his best effort, and it was his loyalty that pushed him to strive for great victories on the battlefield. He initially thought that with this return to the capital, the border would be able to remain peaceful for at least a decade.
Who knew that while peace came to the border, a more frightening battlefield was waiting for him at the capital.
The battlefield of people’s hearts was a battlefield ten times scarier than a battlefield where swords clashed. Here, soldiers were not the ones doing the killing. Here, people died without knowing how it happened.
Who knew if Emperor Ning’s corpse would be able to close its eyes…
Gu ShuBai looked at his no-longer-young father. In his many years on difficult battlefields, he had never seen Gu HuaiJiang reveal this sort of expression.
He said: “If Lord Ji is able to keep the situation steady, and the eldest prince has not yet become the ruler, everyone in the capital should be waiting for father’s return to help the situation. As long as father suspects the eldest prince, he cannot ascend the throne smoothly. If father does not say anything…”
The second prince would definitely be executed. Without anyone to oppose him, the eldest prince would ascend the throne without any resistance.
Gu HuaiJiang’s attitude was particularly important.
Looking at the two children keeping him company and worrying about how miserable he felt, he felt a little bit of comfort.
“Father is still not so old as to be that foolish. Naturally, I understand what you are talking about. The reason for not speaking up when His Majesty was poisoned was because His Majesty was saved. But now that His Majesty has passed away, as a subject, I cannot allow the culprit behind His Majesty’s murder to ascend the throne. If I did, would I be worthy of my position as general?”
Gu HuaiJiang’s words were spoken with force. Gu ShuBai understood that he was determined to reveal the truth.
He earnestly cupped his hands and said: “No matter what father decides, it will be the decision that all of us in Marquis Gu’s Manor will accept and the order that all of us in the Gu family’s army will follow. Son will help father find out the truth and provide His Majesty with justice!”
Yu Fu agreed, saying: “Me too, I will do my best, even if it’s just a meager amount.”
“Father, the same goes for us.”
Gu JiuGe and Gu HanMo had woken up at some point and come out to quietly sit at their side.
“Head general, we will show our loyalty to His Majesty and will heed your orders!”
Yan HuaShi, Lao Jin, and the others also stood up. Following this, more and more soldiers stood up. In the darkness, they were silent but resolute.
It turned out that nobody was sleeping. They were all waiting for his decision.
Gu HuaiJiang stood up and looked at everyone. In front of these comrades who were willing to risk life and limb, all of the things that he had to say were unnecessary.
He reached out and slapped Yan HuaShi on the shoulder with his left hand and Lao Jin’s shoulder with his right. The two old generals suddenly started laughing.
The head general’s hands were still so full of force. He was not old. He would definitely lead everyone in providing His Majesty with a just outcome and allow him to return to the heavens in brilliance.
Even if it would not be easy.
Based on Yin Shuo’s ingenuity, it was certain that he only dared to make his move while Gu HuaiJiang was away and while they were on their way back to the capital. It was possible that their chance to gather any evidence had already disappeared.
No, they had a witness…
Gu HuaiJiang turned around. Next to Yu Fu’s carriage, a girl stood with her back perfectly straight.
“Though this lady is from Western Kun, His Majesty has shown me favor. Lord Marquis, if you can make use of this lady, this lady will be here!”
