Wei Yun raised his hand, signaling Gu Chusheng to enter.
Moments later, Gu Chusheng walked in with documents, bowed, and said, “Greetings, Marquis Zhenguo.”
As he straightened up, his gaze involuntarily fell on Chu Yu. He seemed surprised to see her there. Wei Yun, noticing his confusion, placed his hand on Chu Yu’s and said calmly, “She’s one of my people. It’s not an issue.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Chusheng’s expression changed momentarily. Chu Yu lowered her eyes, seeming to accept Wei Yun’s words. Seeing Gu Chusheng grip the documents tightly, Wei Yun said with some displeasure, “If Grand Scholar Gu has no business here, you may return to rest.”
“My Lord, please forgive me,” Gu Chusheng took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and said calmly, “I have come with important matters.”
Gu Chusheng knelt, adjusted his clothes, looked up at Wei Yun, and asked, “Does the Marquis know that Zhao Yue has already communicated with the Northern Di, willing to use all his forces to jointly attack Bai Province from north and south?”
Wei Yun frowned. This matter was likely done covertly by Zhao Yue, and he hadn’t known about it yet.
However, Wei Yun nodded, indicating he was aware. Gu Chusheng continued, “Does the Marquis also know that due to four years of war, Zhao Yue’s secret army building, and the construction of Lan Yue Tower, the national treasury can no longer be sustained? From two years ago, taxes have been increased, and the people are suffering greatly. Yet even so, our Da Chu’s granaries cannot be filled to the required amount each year.”
As Gu Chusheng spoke, both Chu Yu and Wei Yun raised their eyebrows. Wei Yun calmly said, “I’m aware of all this.”
“My Lord, Da Chu is now in a precarious situation. If there’s any natural disaster or human calamity that’s not handled properly, I fear there will be corpses everywhere and people will have nowhere to turn. My Lord,” Gu Chusheng spoke earnestly, “Do you want to put the world on a knife’s edge for your gain?”
Hearing Gu Chusheng’s words, Chu Yu suddenly remembered that she was now twenty-one years old.
In the year she turned twenty-one, there seemed to have been an earthquake in Luo Province. At that time, Gu Chusheng had worked tirelessly for over a month, barely returning home. She had been confined to the inner palace then, and in the capital, everything seemed peaceful. She hadn’t heard much news about the earthquake, so it probably wasn’t too severe.
Chu Yu silently recalled all the information related to that year’s earthquake. The main area affected was She City in Qing Province, which was Yao Yong’s territory. Chu Yu calculated the time and realized… this earthquake would indeed happen in just a month.
She was astounded that Gu Chusheng was already worrying about natural disasters at this point, indicating how precarious the national treasury must be. Although Gu Chusheng might have been using this argument to persuade Wei Yun, regardless, she needed to make early preparations.
As she was mentally calculating, Wei Yun chuckled, “Grand Scholar Gu truly cares for the country and its people. If that’s the case, why don’t you advise the one on the throne? Do you think I, Wei, want to rebel? I’m merely fighting like a cornered beast, seeking a way to survive.”
“My Lord is fighting like a cornered beast, but isn’t His Majesty doing the same? If My Lord abandons the livelihood of the people to seek his survival, how is that different from Zhao Yue?”
Gu Chusheng stared intently at Wei Yun, who picked up his tea, took a sip, and looked up at him, “So, I’ve left a path for Grand Scholar Gu, haven’t I?”
Gu Chusheng remained silent. Wei Yun calmly asked, “Is the Princess pregnant?”
Hearing this, Gu Chusheng laughed coldly, his smile cold and tinged with mockery.
“My Lord is indeed omniscient.”
“I’m not Zhao Yue,” Wei Yun said flatly. “I want to protect my family, but I also want to protect the people. Gu Chusheng, the choice has always been in your hands, not mine. I knew the truth back then, but I still let Zhao Yue ascend the throne. That was for the sake of the people.”
“I gave Zhao Yue a choice. If he had been a good emperor, we wouldn’t be here today. But he was decadent and cruel, incurring the people’s resentment. While I and the generals were fighting on the frontlines, he used the nation’s resources to build Lan Yue Tower, wasting lives and indulging in luxury. Were his actions my fault?”
“You had the Princess seduce him!” Gu Chusheng exclaimed. “If not for the Princess’s request, how could he have done such things?!”
Hearing this, Chu Yu couldn’t help but smile.
Gu Chusheng looked at her, and Chu Yu sighed, “It’s always women who are blamed for ruining the country. Grand Scholar Gu, in your heart, isn’t it the Princess, not Zhao Yue, who you believe is causing chaos in the world?”
Gu Chusheng pressed his lips together without speaking. Chu Yu said calmly, “But the Lan Yue Tower wasn’t the Princess’s idea, nor was the blind expansion of the army. Can’t you see what kind of person Zhao Yue is? Even without the Princess, Zhao Yue would have found other reasons and eventually walked this path. Do you know why?”
“From the day he ascended the throne, he never showed any respect for the people. He took that position for power, only to use his authority. If becoming emperor didn’t allow him to enjoy himself after enduring for so many years, how could he be content?”
Chu Yu’s words stunned Gu Chusheng. He had always thought that even if Zhao Yue had made mistakes initially, what was done was done and couldn’t be changed. He had always tried to find the best path for everyone, believing that Zhao Yue wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
However, he had never considered that if a person’s motives were wrong from the start, how could they possibly walk the right path?
Zhao Yue ascended the throne for the power of being above all but one. He had no family, no loved ones, no affection or respect for the world. Even if the bones of seventy thousand brave men paved his imperial road, he wouldn’t feel the slightest guilt. How could such a person, after obtaining power, not abuse it? How else could he justify all his scheming?
Gu Chusheng remained silent. Chu Yu calmly said, “However, I say all this, but Grand Scholar Gu surely understands. You’ve come here now, presumably already prepared, right?”
After a moment of silence, Gu Chusheng finally spoke, “I’ve had the Princess fake a pregnancy and simultaneously poisoned Zhao Yue. In five months, Zhao Yue will no longer be able to move. I will find a way to control the court situation until the Princess’s due date. I will find a child for the Princess, pretending it’s her child, and then we will assist in his ascension to the throne.”
As Gu Chusheng said this, there was no fluctuation in his gaze. Chu Yu was quite surprised; she knew Gu Chusheng’s character too well.
His Gu family had always emphasized royal bloodlines and legitimate succession, yet today, he was willing to personally engage in mixing bloodlines.
Chu Yu was surprised, but Wei Yun remained very calm as if he had long known of Gu Chusheng’s plan. He said mildly, “It’s good that you can accept this.”
“I hope that in these five months, you and Zhao Yue won’t have any large-scale conflicts,” Gu Chusheng said. “Avoid fighting if possible. If you must fight,” Gu Chusheng’s eyes darkened, “take Qing Province!”
Qing Province was Yao Yong’s territory. After Zhao Yue’s death, without Zhao Yue’s protection, Yao Yong would eventually rebel. Taking Qing Province now would not only cut off Zhao Yue’s right arm but also solve a future problem in advance.
“I can avoid fighting, but Zhao Yue won’t let me go,” Wei Yun said. “The Wang family has declared themselves kings, and he wants me to attack them. Now that I’ve declared myself king, everyone is watching. In the first battle, he will do everything to crush my momentum, otherwise, everyone in the world will follow suit. And with the world watching this first battle,” Wei Yun looked up, “I can’t lose.”
“I understand,” Gu Chusheng nodded, but said, “But for the first battle, I have a way for you to win without fighting.”
“Oh?” Wei Yun became interested. Gu Chusheng took a sip of tea and said, “The left vanguard for the first battle is an old acquaintance.”
“Who?”
Gu Chusheng looked up and said a name that surprised both Wei Yun and Chu Yu.
“Shen You.”
“At that time, I will find a way to provoke Yao Yong to go into battle. You know Yao Yong’s personality; once the situation turns unfavorable, he won’t force an attack. We’ll persuade Shen You to surrender before the battle. Once Shen You surrenders, the morale for the first battle will fall. Given Yao Yong’s character, he definitely won’t fight again immediately. Afterward, don’t delay, go straight for Qing Province.”
Gu Chusheng’s finger pointed at the map as he looked at Wei Yun with a stern expression. “Once Qing Province is taken, it will likely be five months later. By then, I will have full control of the situation in the capital and will announce a ceasefire. The Princess has publicly announced that her child is about two months along. Wait another six months, and we can ‘deliver’ a child under the pretext of premature birth.”
“Where will you find this child?” Wei Yun asked with interest.
Gu Chusheng looked up at Wei Yun, “That’s up to Your Highness to decide.”
“What if this child were my child?” Wei Yun inquired tentatively.
Gu Chusheng looked at him. Wei Yun’s expression remained unchanged as he lowered his gaze to Chu Yu’s hand, playing with her fingers.
Gu Chusheng seemed to understand. After a moment, he smiled slightly.
“If this child were Madam’s son,” he said solemnly, “I, Gu, would treat him as my own, serve him with utmost loyalty, and assist him until my dying day, to achieve a prosperous empire and a peaceful world.”