si-mexico Chapter 236 This game is getting bigger and bigger.
Chapter 236 This game is getting bigger and bigger.
Gu Junze sneered, "Then tell me, what benefits did Minister Su give to Prince Yong to make him not pursue the matter of the mine?"
Vice Minister Liu's lips trembled, but he remained silent.
"Since you refuse to say anything, then kill me!" Gu Junze gave the order, and the shadow guards immediately drew their sharp swords, their cold light flashing.
With his eyes covered, Vice Minister Liu's ears heard even more clearly; the sound of swords being drawn made him scream in surprise.
"No, no!" the obese body struggled violently. "I'll talk, I'll talk!"
Chu Ruohan watched quietly, waiting for him to speak.
Sweat rolled down Liu Shilang's forehead, wetting his collar.
"Minister Su said that he has already given Prince Yong a lot of silver. So Prince Yong will not pursue the matter of the mine; it's just a formality."
Chu Ruohan laughed disdainfully. She really didn't know what this pig-brain was thinking.
"Would a prince like him be short of money?"
Vice Minister Liu trembled violently, his voice shaking as he said, "Besides the silver, there was also a secret report. The Duke of Wei disobeyed the imperial decree. On the surface, Wei Qiming was exiled to Pingzhou, but secretly the Duke of Wei hid his son..."
He swallowed and continued, "Minister Su said that Prince Yong and Duke Wei are irreconcilable enemies. With this evidence, Prince Yong will not let Wei Qiming off the hook."
A glint of light flashed in Gu Junze's eyes as he silently noted down the information.
The Duke of Wei is getting bolder and bolder...
He'd do anything for his son?
Chu Ruohan took a step closer, her voice icy, "Even if Prince Yong is willing to show leniency, the iron mine corruption scandal has blown up so big now, and the Emperor is furious. What wouldn't Minister Su do to protect himself?"
She paused, her tone growing even colder: "And knowing too much makes you a pawn to be discarded."
Upon hearing this, Vice Minister Liu, who was already trembling, shook even more violently. The flesh on his fat face twitched, and he kept muttering, "No, no... He promised me..."
Seeing that he had lost his composure, Gu Junze immediately pressed his advantage: "Lord Liu, if you tell us everything you know now, we might be able to find a way to save your life."
"Otherwise, if we wait until Minister Su makes his move, it will really be too late."
Vice Minister Liu swallowed hard, his face turning as pale as paper. He seemed to finally realize his predicament.
Her lips trembled as she said, "I... I don't know much either. I only know that Minister Su has connections, and every seven days a batch of goods is secretly transported away from the iron mine."
Gu Junze immediately pressed, "Where are you sending it to?"
"I don't know the specifics, but it seems to be Lu County, or possibly Anping County..."
Vice Minister Liu's voice grew softer and softer, almost barely audible. "I really don't know. I just did whatever Minister Su told me to do..."
People always show their true colors in times of crisis.
It's alright, this information is enough. Lu County is right next to Anping County, so it seems to be in this area. He will investigate on his own.
"Send him to Lin Jingchuan," Gu Junze ordered coldly.
The shadow guards immediately stepped forward, untied the ropes binding Minister Liu, but still blindfolded him, and led him away.
Only Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan remained in the courtyard.
Chu Ruohan's thoughts, however, wandered elsewhere.
She pursed her lips, her brows furrowing slightly: "The Marquis of Anyang and Minister Su's plan is more insidious than I imagined. They not only want to use Vice Minister Liu as a scapegoat, but also want to take the opportunity to get rid of the Duke of Wei."
Gu Junze held her hand and said softly, "Don't worry, I was prepared."
Looking at Gu Junze's resolute profile, Chu Ruohan thought to herself: This game is getting bigger and bigger.
Gu Junze, however, seemed to have anticipated all of this and proceeded cautiously step by step.
No matter how many undercurrents lie ahead, with him by her side, she has nothing to fear.
Gu Junze wanted Chu Ruohan to leave the Marquis's mansion, but she had her own principles.
She had to stay and create a false impression for the Marquis of Anyang... and give him a chance!
Left with no other choice, Gu Junze could only leave most of the shadow guards to her to ensure her safety.
But he still had things to do...
After he left, Chu Ruohan only left two shadow guards, plus Ying Qing and Song Ruyan, which was enough.
The shadow guard originally only obeyed Gu Junze's orders, but she had her own methods...
In that quiet courtyard, the peach blossoms on the branches of the peach tree in the yard were in full bloom, and the pink petals danced lightly in the wind, landing on the stone table.
Gu Cheng'an and Du Ruoling sat facing each other, an unspoken silence filling the air.
"You're putting on this act again, who are you trying to impress?" Du Ruoling broke the silence first, her tone tinged with impatience.
Gu Cheng'an calmly replied, "I already know."
His voice betrayed no emotion, but his eyes revealed a resolute determination.
Du Ruoling's chest heaved, a surge of anger rising within her. "Who told you all this nonsense? Instead of wasting time, why don't you think of ways to make money?"
"As the saying goes, a woman marries a man for food and clothing. Look at the life we're living now. I followed you innocently, and I don't even have a proper title..."
Gu Cheng'an was used to these arguments. Was it because he hadn't given her a proper title?
A hint of bitterness flashed in his eyes.
Du Ruoling refused to be his concubine, so he broke with his family. He wanted to marry her as his principal wife, but she complained that he didn't have enough money to marry him in a grand manner.
"Liu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works."
Gu Cheng'an now only wants to make a final break with her.
Du Ruoling was stunned for a moment. She hadn't even figured out how to tell Gu Cheng'an, and he already knew?
Her fingers unconsciously twisted together, and her eyes flickered.
"I thought your young ladies were different, and they really are. It turns out that the 'one life, one love' you spoke of can be replaced at any time."
Gu Cheng'an's voice finally carried a hint of sarcasm.
Gu Cheng'an stood up. "This courtyard is yours. From now on, we'll part ways and never see each other again."
His back was as straight as a pine tree, yet it exuded a sense of liberation.
“Cheng’an…” Du Ruoling reached out her hand, wanting to stop him.
Gu Cheng'an walked away without looking back, his steps firm and without the slightest hesitation.
Peach blossoms drifted in the wind, landing on his shoulders and then being flung to the ground by his steps.
Du Ruoling squatted on the ground and sobbed. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She loved Gu Cheng'an!
But when did their love turn into mutual torment?
Was it from the moment Gu Cheng'an was forced to go to Lin Jingyao's place, or from the moment they moved out of the Marquis's mansion and ran out of money...?
It turns out that after traveling through time for a long time, she too can be assimilated by the ancients.
Her love was tainted...
She enjoyed being high and mighty, being waited on hand and foot, and living a life of extravagance and lavish spending.
Therefore, she couldn't stand Gu Cheng'an's lack of success and thought about changing to another man, or even selling herself to destroy someone else's family.
Isn't she the one who hates mistresses the most...?
She was wrong!
"Waaah, Cheng'an!" Du Ruoling chased after him, but Gu Cheng'an was already gone. She knew that Gu Cheng'an would never look back.
She lost her lover forever.
The peach blossoms remain, but people's hearts have changed.
Du Ruoling stood at the courtyard gate, tears blurring her vision. She didn't know where to go or what to do.