si-mexico Chapter 120: Guilt Increased by 1
Chapter 120: Guilt Increased by 1
"Wasn't it said that the buyers of the ironware were the Northern Di people?" The Imperial Noble Consort smiled. "At the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet last time, Wei Zhuo had already become the new emperor. Now Gu Liang not only has the White Tiger Army, but also the military power of the Iron Pagoda. If Wei Zhuo really leads his troops, wouldn't Gu Liang send troops as well?"
The Imperial Noble Consort probably guessed that Wei Zhuo's appearance was related to her son, and in order to consolidate his position, she was just giving him a push.
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A few rays of the setting sun faintly shone into the Ministry of Justice prison.
Wen Xiangyu leaned quietly against the dilapidated mud wall, which was low and filled with a sense of oppression.
He was dressed neatly and showed no signs of torture, because he confessed to all his crimes as soon as he entered the Ministry of Justice.
The trial results have now been handed over to the emperor, and we are just waiting for the final outcome.
"Squeak!"
The prison gates slowly opened.
A long shadow was cast on the ground.
Wen Xiangyu moved his head and lifted his eyelids.
Wen Xiangyu smiled calmly, unsurprised, "Your Highness, Prince Liang, you've come after all."
Gu Liang stepped into the cell and casually glanced around.
As Wen Xiangyu was an important official in the court, his environment was naturally not as dirty and messy as that of other criminals. There was a desk and a bed on the ground, and it was clean and tidy.
"The environment is quite nice," Gu Liang said.
Wen Xiangyu lowered her eyes, "You knew everything?"
“Of course.” Gu Liang crossed her arms. “I already know what you wanted to tell me with that painting.”
Wen Xiangyu's eyes flickered, and after a moment she looked at him thoughtfully, "Does Your Highness really understand?"
Gu Liang stepped forward and said, “Gu Xu colluded with the Northern Di to seize the throne, and Gu Yuan is also colluding with the Northern Di to seize the position of crown prince. I know all this better than you do.”
Gu Liang addressed the two by their names without any politeness, a fleeting glint of coldness in her eyes.
Wen Xiangyu gritted her teeth, "But you have no evidence."
"Yes," he admitted frankly. "If I had solid evidence, I naturally wouldn't have come to see you."
Wen Xiangyu's expression finally calmed down. "How can Your Highness be so sure that I have evidence?"
"Of course, it's not just you," Gu Liang said. "The Marquis of Zhenyuan and the Marquis of Guangde both have them."
Gu Liang snorted coldly, "Back then, in order to seize the throne, he assassinated the late emperor, and all the soldiers who defended the northern border perished without exception, with countless deaths and injuries. Later, he sent me to the Northern Barbarians to show the goodwill between the two places. Don't you understand the intention behind all this?"
Wen Xiangyu opened his mouth and asked, "Why don't you tell me these things?"
“What do you think?” he said.
Wen Xiangyu lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Yes, he could easily shift all the blame onto us."
He suddenly realized what Gu Liang meant.
"So you want him to experience the feeling of being isolated and helpless like those soldiers did back then."
“What isolated him was not me, but his own suspicion. It has always been that way.” Gu Liang’s tone became noticeably stronger.
Wen Xiangyu swallowed hard. "So, now it's my turn."
Gu Liang turned her face, her dark, jade-like eyes looking at him.
“Over the years, I have been careful and cautious, and even the emperor has not been able to find any fault with me.” Wen Xiangyu sighed softly. “It’s a pity that my nephew is too impatient and my sister is too ruthless.”
He had thought there was still hope, until an unidentified person bought ironware from the Northern Barbarians, and the Imperial Noble Consort sent him several letters.
His beloved younger sister, whom he had cherished since childhood, wanted him to take all the blame, but did she know that the emperor's most sensitive and untouchable traitor was colluding with foreign enemies?
Because the emperor had done this before, and now her son has done it too, she wants her son to have a smoother path in this matter.
“Sacrifice the pawn to save the king,” Gu Liang said. “The Imperial Noble Consort is a smart woman. Prince Xuan, Marquis Zhongjing, and Prince Chu are all Gu Yuan’s men. He used the same methods to collude with the Northern Di. How could she not know that?”
“She has kept many things from me,” he said helplessly. “Even if I die, she has the ability to protect herself and her son. She is favored not just because of me, her brother. I don’t know what other tricks she has up her sleeve, but after all, she is the sister I watched grow up, and I don’t want her to live a miserable life.”
"But have you ever considered that she isn't the legitimate daughter of your Wen family?" Gu Liang said in a calm tone.
Wen Xiangyu's brow twitched. "What?"
Wen Xiangyu had never imagined this outcome, and he asked again incredulously, "What did you say?"
“She’s not your Wen family’s daughter at all,” Gu Liang said. “Gu Yuan isn’t your nephew either.”
Gu Liang's two simple sentences instantly threw Wen Xiangyu's mind into chaos.
He found it hard to accept the devastating impact of those two sentences, but the facts were already laid out before him, and he had no choice but to accept them.
"Want to know whose children they are?" Gu Liang asked meaningfully.
"No need."
Wen Xiangyu no longer cared whose blood they were; because they had no blood relation, they could be so ruthless.
No wonder, the elder brother chose a relative over his son.
Wen Xiangyu gave a wry smile, "I am very grateful that Your Highness is willing to tell me this."
He was forced to risk his life for her own son, thus putting himself out of his mind. Since that was the case, he might as well add some spice to the mix.
“Your Highness, Prince Liang,” Wen Xiangyu raised an eyebrow, “the original documents that the Emperor sent five taels of gold and two hundred thousand jin of grain to the Northern Barbarians have been destroyed, but I left traces in the old accounts of the Ministry of Revenue. If you are willing to find them, you will be able to find out where the gold and grain went back then.”
"As for Gu Yuan, he probably used other methods to trade with the Northern Di, but he will eventually slip up. If Your Highness can get Pei Shangdao the position of Minister, then the evidence you need will not be far away."
Gu Liang slightly raised her eyes. "Pei Shangdao?"
He hesitated a bit about the person's name.
“Indeed,” Wen Xiangyu said. “He is a promising talent working under me. If Your Highness can join forces with him, it will naturally be twice as effective.”
"And what about you?" Gu Liang glanced at him. "What are your conditions?"
Wen Xiangyu snorted coldly, "The Imperial Noble Consort directly betrayed me, so how could she possibly care for my daughter sincerely? Besides, we are not related by blood. I would like to ask Your Highness to promise me that no matter what, you must protect my Wen Yanran. I am my only child, and she has already suffered enough since she came into this world. So I beg Your Highness to take good care of my Huohuo for me."
Gu Liang glanced at him. "Why do you think I would help you? I'm not raising someone else's child."
“If you refuse to agree,” Wen Xiangyu said firmly, “you will not come to see me in prison.”
Gu Liang smiled. "Could I have come here to make fun of you?"
Wen Xiangyu shook his head heavily, “Your Highness will not waste this time. Huo Huo is different from ordinary people and knows nothing about officialdom. She will not pose any threat. I ask for nothing. I only ask Your Highness to spare her life. I am willing to write a document as evidence for Your Highness to testify against her in the future.”
Gu Liang's eyes darkened. "I agree."
A hint of gratitude flashed in Wen Xiangyu's eyes, and he opened his mouth to speak.
Gu Liang pulled out paper and ink from his sleeve and placed them on the table, indicating that he could start writing.
Seeing that he was prepared, Wen Xiangyu was taken aback for a moment, then gave a wry smile, "Your Highness is quite the schemer."
"You flatter me," he said with a smile.