The judge's bench retreated, Chu State was speechless

  The night was deep, and the only sound on the long street of the quiet Yanjing City was the rolling of horse carriage wheels. A solitary crescent moon hung in the sky, casting a layer of serenity over the vast night.

  When the carriage stopped, Gu Yunxi was the first to lift up the curtain and jump down. The mansion in front of her looked very spacious and majestic from the outside. The vermilion carved gate had two stone lions standing on either side. Lifting her head, she saw a plaque hanging above the wide eaves of the mansion with three large characters that read "Chu Hou Fu".

  Gu Yunxi's mouth twitched, the Chu State was originally a prince who came to Da Yan as a hostage, but Emperor Lie crowned the mansion of the Chu State with the word "Hou", clearly intending to regard himself as an emperor and treat other countries as his own vassal states.

  Gongsun Mo got down from the carriage, and Da Yan took a look around the mansion. In the darkness of the night, it was quiet all around. He raised an eyebrow to signal Sun Zhe to go forward and knock on the door.

  The old man who opened the door seemed to be unaware that someone was coming so late, and when he saw clearly that it was Gong Sun Mo, he couldn't help but feel a little flustered. "Greetings, Your Majesty, our master has just returned not long ago and is currently taking medicine in the inner chamber. Please wait for a moment, I'll go and inform him."

  Gongsun Mo heard this and shook his head, "If Wan Xi's body is inconvenient, then don't bother, I'll go see him myself. Lead the way ahead."

  The old slave's eyes seemed to have a moment of stunned expression, but it was also fleeting. "Since that's the case, Your Highness, please follow me this way."

  Gu Yunxi followed behind Gong Sunmo, and only then did she carefully examine the courtyard that looked very majestic from the outside. As she looked around, Gu Yunxi felt two words - cold and quiet.

  This is the Chu Hou Fu, which was built by order of the current emperor. It's not inferior to the De Wang Fu in any way. However, when Gu Yun Xi looked around, apart from the old man with a hollow step, she couldn't even see a single servant. The empty courtyard had desolate flowers and plants, although they were thriving, but it still couldn't make up for the bleakness of the entire mansion.

  After walking along the main road of the mansion, and turning around a corner, what came into view was the largest main courtyard of the Hou Mansion. From afar, one could see the faint glow of lanterns lighting up, and on the windowsill of the main house, one could even see the silhouettes of people projected onto it. Gu Yunxi's eyes flickered slightly, and at this moment, there were actually two figures sitting opposite each other on that windowsill!

  Looking at the window, there should be a soft couch. Wan Xi Zhen is the only master of this mansion, who can sit with him? Looking at the two people with similar figures, Gu Yun Xue's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, could it be that he has a guest visiting?

  Gongsun Mo also noticed this. The old slave who led the way in front shouted loudly as soon as he entered the courtyard, "His Royal Highness De Wang has arrived!"

  Gongsun's eyes slightly sank as he glanced at the old man, seemingly somewhat disapproving of his words. However, it was already too late. The people inside the house had clearly heard him, and the figure on the windowsill moved in unison, only to be blocked by the wall curtains and disappear from view.

  When the hall door opened wide, Wan Qi had already put on a thick and heavy cloak. Behind him stood Mu Yan, both of them slightly bowed, "The King of De has arrived, Wan Qi is guilty for not welcoming you from afar."

  Gongsun Mo raised his hand, "You're not feeling well, go inside."

  Gu Yunxi's gaze swept across Wan Qixun's body, and the two people's eyes touched briefly like a dragonfly skimming over water before separating without leaving any trace. Wan Qixun stood at the door and gestured for Gong Sunmo and Gu Yunxi to enter first.

  As soon as she entered the house, it was a strong and rich dragon's saliva fragrance. Gu Yunxi's eyes changed slightly, and she coughed lightly twice, which made Gongsun Mo turn around and ask, "What's wrong?"

  Gu Yunxi shook her head, "I'm not used to this fragrance."

  Wan Qi's expression remained unchanged as he glanced at Mu Yan, who immediately removed the incense burner from the cabinet. "This incense was bestowed by His Majesty, and Wan Qi is quite accustomed to it."

  Several people sat down casually, and Mu Yan quickly brought over two cups of tea. Gong Sun Mo's gaze swept across the soft couch by the window, where a chessboard was set up, with black and white pieces arranged clearly, as if in the midst of an intense battle. "So late at night, Wan Qi still has the heart to play chess..."

  Wan Xi Zhen also sat down beside him, at this time he glanced at Mu Yan, "These past few days I've been feeling a bit unwell, and at night I couldn't sleep. Fortunately, I pulled Mu Yan to accompany me for another round."

  Gongsun Mo nodded, his eyes scanning Mu Yan's body. Mu Yan's figure was slender and elegant, roughly similar to that of Wan Qi Zheng. Gongsun Mo lowered his head and took a sip of tea before suddenly looking up and saying, "This mansion is too quiet for you, if there's no one by your side I can arrange for some clever servants to attend to you."

  Wan Xi's cold and stern face showed a hint of a smile, as he waved his hand, "Thank you for your kind intentions, King. However, I think it's unnecessary to have so many people around. Moreover, if others were to find out about our private interactions, it wouldn't be good."

  Gongsun Mo nodded and didn't mention the matter again. However, Wan Xi Chen looked at them with a hint of hesitation and said, "Your Highness came over so late at night today, is it about the Crown Prince and Yunyun's affair?"

  Gongsun Mo nodded slightly, "That's right, you've never mentioned before that you had the card of Yunyun as a bargaining chip."

  Wan Xi shook his head, "Lingling was taken away by the Empress a month ago. The Crown Prince had no choice but to get along with the Crown Princess, otherwise it would have been impossible for her to become pregnant. A few days ago, I accidentally found out where the Empress was keeping Lingling and managed to rescue her after taking some measures. I also sent someone to tell Lingling about what happened, which led to tonight's events. However, I didn't expect that the Crown Princess would be so magnanimous."

  Gu Yunxi looked at Wan Qi's expression as he spoke, and for a moment, she couldn't tell whether he was telling the truth or not. Her gaze wandered randomly around the room, in the spacious hall with its high beams, which was now decorated in a very somber manner. The deep-colored curtains hung heavily down, matching the vermilion-painted windows, and it all suited Wan Qi's profound aura perfectly.

  Suddenly, Gu Yunxi's eyes fixed on the heavy curtains hanging in the south of the house, where a black lacquered flower stand was placed. The three-tiered flower stand was filled with potted flowers, and upon closer inspection, they were the same dark orchids she had seen at the Jialing Mountain hunting grounds!

  Gu Yunxi only then felt a faint scent of orchid fragrance in the room, rich and lingering. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly felt her mind clear, and thinking back to the dragon's saliva incense earlier, Gu Yunxi's eyes couldn't help but shine brighter.

  "That Na Lan is obedient? Now that the Empress has accepted her in front of all the officials, she is at least a lady, and once the child is born, the position of Imperial Concubine is also secured—"

  Gongsun Mo spoke in a light tone, and Wan Xi Chen nodded upon hearing his words. "This is natural, but although it seems like the Empress has accepted Yunyun on the surface, we still need to observe how things actually are. The Empress comes from a noble family, her status is high and her family background is also extremely important in her eyes. Given the Empress's temperament, she is not one who will easily let things go."

  This is naturally correct, and Gong Sun Mo nodded and brought up another topic. "The charge of murder against the young master of the Sun family cannot be escaped, and if the Ministry of Punishment acts quickly, he will be sentenced to severe punishment within these few days. The Sun family now has only this one descendant, and Sun Yu absolutely cannot watch as Sun Zhuo dies like this. With your many years of understanding, what do you think Sun Yu will do?"

  This question also attracted Gu Yunxi's attention, and Wan Qi hesitated for a moment. "The king's methods are clever, Sun Yu can no longer mention Sun Zhuo's case, now it can only be done at the last execution, the king may reveal some flaws at the last moment, according to Wan Qi, Sun Yu will likely find someone to replace Sun Zhuo, the king just needs to send someone to follow him, wait for a sudden change on the execution ground to expose this matter, when the time comes to catch the escaped Sun Zhuo, two confront each other, and the crime of the national father-in-law is settled!"

  Gu Yun Xi's eyes lit up, "As long as we have this excuse to demote the Duke to a criminal waiting for punishment, the rest of the matters will be easier to handle. With several other items added, there's no worry that the Duke won't step down."

  Wan Qi Chen nodded, suddenly covering his mouth and coughing, Mu Yan immediately stepped forward a few steps, pouring tea and water for him while gently stroking his back. Gu Yun Xi looked at Wan Qi Chen's face, which had instantly turned extremely unsightly, and her eyebrows furrowed even deeper.

  Gongsun Mo looked at him and changed his expression, "Isn't there a royal physician taking care of you? Why isn't there any improvement?"

  Wan Xi Zhen coughed while waving his hand, "This old illness is hard to cure, the imperial physician has said so."

  Gu Yunxi was originally sitting, but now she walked over to the bookcase on one side. In addition to the pens, ink, paper and inkstones that Wanjun Chen usually used, there were also a stack of medical prescriptions. Gong Sunmo and Wanjun Chen both followed her movements with their eyes as she picked up the colorful paper pages and read them quickly, her brow furrowing more and more tightly.

  Gongsun Mo gazed at her slender back, his eyes deepening as he recalled that Gu Yunxi was never one to be overly anxious. Meanwhile, Wan Qi looked at Gongsun Mo with a faint expression and said, "The imperial physician said that this medicine room needs to be used for a while before it can take effect, so there's no need to rush."

  Gu Yunxi took a deep breath and put down the prescription in her hand, turning around with an already calm expression. Gong Sun Mo turned back, thinking she was just taking a casual look, then glanced at the dark sky outside, "You seem to be feeling unwell, why don't you get some rest early? We won't disturb you."

  Gongsun Mo stood up and was about to leave, but instead walked towards the few rows of ink orchids. Wan Qi saw her suddenly stand up with a hint of anger in her eyes, perhaps because she had exerted herself too much and caught her breath, and immediately started coughing violently again. Gu Yunxi stopped in her tracks when she saw him like this.

  "The black orchid in your palace is truly beautiful, apart from the black orchid, the calanthe is also a famous noble among orchids. Your Highness should focus on nurturing your heart while recovering from illness, why not spend more time tending to flowers and plants?"

  Gu Yunxi's words seemed casual, but Wan Qi Chen nodded with difficulty, suppressing his discomfort. Gong Sun Mo had already gone ahead and walked out, Gu Yunxi gave Wan Qi Chen a deep look before following him. Wan Qi Chen saw the two of them off to the door, only letting out a deep sigh and straightening up after they had walked out of the main courtyard.

  His eyes swept over the black lacquer flower rack, "Come out."

  After the curtain was lifted, a man in white clothes walked out step by step. He saw that Wan Qi's gaze was still looking outside the yard, and he also stepped forward and stood beside him.

  Wan Xi Zhen only heard the sound of the person beside him, coolly saying, "This De Wang Gongzi, although he has been in the military for many years, when it comes to learning the tactics and strategies of the capital, is indeed not slow at all. Zhen, what that young lady just said——"

  Wan Xi Zhen turned around, his eyes gleaming with a depth that rivaled the darkness outside. He swept his cloak aside and sat down on the soft cushion, seemingly intent on continuing their previous game of chess. The man in white smiled slightly as he sat down across from him, repositioning the piece that had not yet been played. However, it was clear that the person opposite him had no intention of making a move for a long time.

  Wan Xi Chen's hand dropped the black chess piece, his dark eyes flickered slightly, "Mu Yan, go find some good yulan magnolia tomorrow."

  The man in white raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming with interest as they landed on Wan Qiuchen. He let out a soft "tsk", "Qiuchen, when have you ever been so obedient..."

  When Gu Yunxi was sent back, it was already midnight. The little servants of the Xiang family saw her return and saluted her respectfully to ask about her well-being. On this side, Gu Yunxi still remembered what happened during the day and casually asked, "Has Father returned?"

  The little boy nodded while locking the door, "Master Xiang will be back this afternoon."

  Gu Yunxi raised an eyebrow, "Oh, Father can sleep now?"

  The little boy shook his head, "I don't know about that, but later I saw Master Xiang go to the side room of Madame."

  Gu Yunxi nodded and went straight back to the inner courtyard. She had been worried that her actions would at least earn her a scolding from Gu Zhongzheng, but now it seemed she had underestimated his thoughts. The lights were still on in Su Yue Xuan, and when Gu Yunxi pushed open the door, Luo Qingyi was pouring tea.

  "Mother, it's so late and you still haven't slept?"

  Lu Qingyi glanced at her, "Can't sleep."

  Gu Yunxi took off her cloak and walked over, "About what happened during the day, Mother, did you think I didn't do well?"

  Luo Qingyi looked at Gu Yunxi and raised her hand to gently brush away the strands of hair that had fallen on her shoulder. "Yunxi, I don't know what you're thinking, whether it's good or bad, but I won't judge. I'm only worried that this will bring trouble upon yourself."

  "Mother, rest assured, I won't give them a chance."

  As soon as the voice fell, Gu Yunxi's eyes glanced at the ear room on one side, "Is Zilan asleep?"

  "I'm afraid he hasn't slept yet, when I came back today the little guy was covered in injuries all over his body. My wife and I have already asked the imperial physician to come and take a look, it's just superficial wounds, applied some medicine and it's nothing serious now. My wife is accompanying him, alas, it's really pitiful, you go take a look."

  Gu Yunxi grasped Luo Qingyi's hand tightly, "Alright, Mother, go to sleep quickly, I'll go take a look at Zilan."

  Just a few steps away from the entrance of the courtyard, Zilan seemed to have heard her return and was staring at the entrance with shining eyes. As soon as she saw Gu Yunxi appear, her face lit up with joy, "Miss!"

  "What's wrong?"

  Zi Lan struggled to get out of bed, fell to the ground and was about to kneel down. Gu Yun Xi walked over a few steps and helped her up. She exchanged a glance with Yue Niang, both of them were amused and annoyed at the same time. "Why are you kneeling?"

  "Zi Lan thanked Miss Hui for protecting Zi Lan and today she also avenged Zi Lan."

  Gu Yun Xi let out a sigh and helped her lie down on the bed, only to see that her slender white arms and neck were covered in purple bruises, and even her face had injuries. The corners of her mouth curled up, "Zi Lan is getting smarter and smarter, what she said today was really good."

  Lilac lightly bit her lower lip, "Miss——"

  Yuenniang hadn't experienced that kind of scene before, until later when she saw Zilan being supported back by someone and got a fright. At this time, hearing Gu Yunxi say this, she couldn't help but ask another question, "What's going on?"

  Gu Yunxue smiled and glanced at Zilan, "Jin Xin has been following Gu Yingxue for many years, no matter how angry or scolded I am, she would never dare to say anything about De Wang in public, right?"

  Zi Lan's eyes welled up with tears, as if she had done something wrong. She stammered, "She didn't say that Duke De was arrogant, but indeed said that Miss, you climbed onto Duke De's bed, and even lamented why Duke De didn't like Eldest Miss but instead liked you."

  Gu Yunxi saw this and grasped her hand, sighing, "Zilan, then did I or did I not get into De Wang's bed?"

  Zilan looked at her pitifully, "No."

  "Then does De Wang like me?"

  Zilan was taken aback, but hesitated for a moment——

  Gu Yunxi stared tightly at Zilan's eyes, "Zilan, you must remember, your master is only the King of De's strategist, she is a person who will enter the imperial court as an official, and will never become the King of De's woman. Jin Xin doesn't say anything else, just these two sentences are enough to kill her. Zilan, you didn't do anything wrong either. When facing our enemies, we can only survive by being more ruthless and poisonous than them."

  Gu Yun Xi's eyes turned cold, "If I hadn't killed Jin Xin with my stick today, perhaps tomorrow it would be you and me who die."

  Zi Lan nodded and wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes, "Mm-hmm, don't worry Miss, I understand."

  As the time was already late, Gu Yunxi also stopped talking and instructed Zilan to go to sleep quickly. On the other hand, she called out Yuenniang and they both went out from the side door of the ear house, directly passing through the front hall and going out the door.

  The cold air outside the house made Gu Yunxi shiver, and Nianiang, who was following behind her, couldn't help but ask, "Miss, what do you want to tell me?"

  Gu Yun Xi hesitated for a moment, her gaze sweeping across the solitary moon in the sky. She spoke softly, "Yue Niang, you've been in this manor for almost 40 years, I'm sure there's nothing big or small that you're not aware of."

  Yu Nu furrowed her brow, lowered her eyes and remained silent. Gu Yun Xie didn't look at her either, but instead walked towards the central courtyard. The flowers and plants in the Shui Yue Pavilion were arranged with great care. At this moment, under the hazy night sky, there were sparkling frost flowers on the leaves. Her lips curled slightly, "Today, Jin Xin said I'm not father's biological child, a wild seed."

  The maid followed up with a sigh, "Miss, why bother listening to these words? Jin Xin is indeed a strong-willed person. When she gets angry, there's no telling what she'll say. Miss shouldn't stoop to her level."

  Gu Yunxi turned around and stared at Yue Niang with piercing eyes, "No."

  Yu'e seemed to be afraid to look her in the eye, and Gu Yunxi's eyes narrowed slightly. "From a long time ago, people have been saying this, all the way until now. I reckon that after what happened with Tian, things will calm down for a while. Rumors aren't scary; what's scary is people's hearts. For so many years, why has Father been cold towards my mother and me? Mother is like a prisoner in this courtyard, spending her days in solitude. If I hadn't received the favor of Duke De back then, I'm afraid that even now, I would still be treated as a lowly person, bullied by others. Yu'e, tell me, why is this?"

  The girl stepped back and didn't look at her, "I don't know."

  Gu Yunxi's mouth curved up, her eyes suddenly becoming desolate and distant. She turned around, the chilly air instantly enveloping her entire body. "Yue Niang, in this manor, apart from Mother, I only trust you. For so many years, Mother didn't say anything, I believed she had a good reason, and I didn't want to hurt her feelings. But, Yue Niang, are you also being cautious around me now?"

  The corners of her mouth twitched, and her eyes seemed to struggle, the thin back of Gu Yunxi reflected in her eyes was so desolate. She seemed to have steeled herself and finally spoke a few words: "Miss, I only know that when you entered the mansion at the age of one, Madam Luo held you in her arms, and then Master announced your identity. As for Madam Luo, until now, Master has not given her a title. All these years, Master has never stayed overnight with Madame."

  Just as the foggy sky was opened by an invisible hand, Gu Yunxi's mouth slightly pursed, as if carefully considering Yue Niang's words. After a moment, she smiled softly, "Thank you, Yue Niang, it's late, let's go back and rest."

  Yu'e let out a sigh and turned back into the house, but Gu Yunxue stood still in the courtyard for a long time. The sudden gust of cold wind blew away the dust of fate, revealing the events of many years past that had been buried. Gu Yunxue gazed out at the vast, dark night, and in the ink-black emptiness, it seemed as though there were too many unknowns hidden; and all of those things, she felt compelled to explore.

  The number one building in the world, whether it is really the number one or not, Gu Yunxi doesn't know. Gu Yunxi only knows that this restaurant has a very big reputation and is often visited by scholars and nobles from the capital city, today is also Gu Yunxi's first time coming to this place.

  Outside the building is the bustling Wangcheng Avenue, but inside it's a serene and elegant atmosphere. Gu Yunxi wore a white fox fur coat, her face without makeup, her raven hair simply tied up in a bun, standing tall and slender as she entered the door, instantly attracting attention from all directions.

  The first floor hall is where ordinary guests come to eat, mostly divided into small rooms with curtains, the surrounding decoration is made of red sandalwood pillars and beams, often adorned with famous landscape paintings and blue-and-white porcelain, elegant yet not losing its noble atmosphere, indeed a great place to visit.

  The little second in the building is a spiritual one. Seeing that there are noble guests coming to the door, he immediately walked up quickly and said, "Please give your regards to the young lady, what kind of elegant room does the young lady want?"

  Although Gu Yunxi's body was not adorned with any ornaments, a discerning eye could tell that the fox fur on her body was no ordinary object. The shop assistant immediately asked if she wanted the most expensive room, and Gu Yunxi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Which one is your most expensive room?"

  The little second raised an eyebrow, "The most expensive is the Tianzi No. 1 room, one hundred taels for one hour, and the dishes are extra."

  Gu Yunxi nodded, "What about Di Zi Number One?"

  The young man bowed slightly and said, "Sorry miss, room number one is not open to the public."

  "Why?"

  The little servant hesitated, "Miss, you don't know that the orientation of the house is not good, usually only our master uses it when he comes."

  Gu Yunxi shook her head, "This doesn't matter, I'll give you 200 taels, and I want the first floor room."

  The little shop assistant's eyes lit up, but upon hearing this, he still hesitated and said, "Wait a minute, miss. I need to ask our boss about that room. It's not up to me to decide."

  Gu Yunxi nodded, watching as the shop assistant rushed towards the back room. She turned her head to glance at the sky outside, her face expressionless. Before long, the shop assistant came out again, "Miss, our boss says you can use Room Number One. As for the price, our boss said you're the first person to ask for Room Number One, so this time we won't charge you."

  Gu Yunxi raised an eyebrow, "Your shopkeeper is——"

  The shop assistant glanced into the back room and said, "Our boss is Mr. Fifteen, he's currently settling accounts with the accountant, come on, I'll show you the way, let's go up."

  Gu Yunxi thought for a moment, but didn't have much of an impression of this person. He only glanced at Yueniang and meant to give her the money. The first floor under heaven had a total of four floors. Gu Yunxi had just gone up from the main hall to the second floor when he heard a loud and indignant voice.

  "Zhongwu Qingwen's downfall was just like this. If a ruler cannot listen to the words of scholars from all over the world, how can he open his mind and accept advice? That is where Emperor Chengyang lost out. He made He and Zhong, two officials who could have been his prime ministers, lose confidence in the politics of the time, and eventually defect to the state of Yan. The ruler of Yan was wise and treated the two gentlemen as honored guests. Under their guidance, the great state of Yan rose to its current glory..."

  Within the large room on the second floor facing the street, a man in white clothes was speaking passionately to a group of ordinary-looking young men. Gu Yun Xi raised an eyebrow, "This is..."

  Xiao Er smiled and said, "Miss, you don't know, this is Shu Wu Yan from Chu State, a famous scholar in several countries. He's really impressive at such a young age."

  Gu Yun Xi's eyes lit up, no wonder she thought that side profile was very familiar, it turned out to be him!

  Shu Wuyan looked at him with disdain, as he was supposed to be the envoy of Chu State, but unexpectedly, the tribute team from Chu State had already returned to Da Chu. He was still lingering in the capital, and a hint of doubt arose, making him take another look.

  Xiao Er continued, "This Shu Wuyan was originally supposed to return to Great Chu with the envoys of Chu State. However, rumors say he is a great admirer of our Yan State's Wei He and insisted on staying in the capital to meet him. But Wei He kept rejecting his requests because he is from Chu State. Back and forth like this, Shu Wuyan probably had a change of heart and started socializing with scholars and literary men in our city."

  These literary men would not be the young people in front of them, Gu Yunxi nodded and turned to the third floor of the Fushou Building. Wei He is now a university scholar of the Hanlin Academy, who was once criticized by Emperor Lie for his political views and said harsh words about the current situation. He had been demoted three times and promoted three times. Now, Shu Wuyan is a person from Chu State, and such literary giants attach great importance to their reputation, so they would not see him.

  Just like Wei He, other talented scholars in the capital saw Wei He as such, and naturally didn't dare to have a deep relationship with Shu Wu Yan. As a result, he could only discuss learning with a group of simple-minded young people.

  For someone like her who is eager to learn the truth, Gu Yunxi just smiled and passed by. The number one house on the fourth floor of the first building in the world was already open when she walked up to the fourth floor. Gu Yunxi frowned, "What's going on? Are there guests here?"

  The little servant smiled awkwardly, "I'm afraid they swept and forgot to close the door. Please come in, miss. You can call me anytime you need something."

  Gu Yun Xi waved her hand, today she didn't have an appetite for food.

  After entering the house, Gu Yunxi only started to look around the room, but her gaze didn't fall on anything else, instead it fell straight onto an object beside the bed.

  That was a pot of orchids, quietly blooming on the windowsill, with blue and yellow petals having ink-colored veins. Gu Yunxi furrowed her brow, it was actually an ink orchid!

  "Miss, this is a pot of high-quality Bi Luo Chun tea, take your time."

  Gu Yunxi nodded and suddenly looked at the orchid, "The orchids here are ——"

  Xiao Er smiled and said, "That's a black orchid. Our boss likes to tend to flowers and plants, and the flower arrangements in this store are often done by him personally."

  Gu Yunxi nodded, and a strange feeling arose in her heart.

  The little second locked the door and left, Yu Niang poured a full cup of tea for Gu Yunxi and handed it to her, muttering, "The little second said that the house is facing in a bad direction, I don't know..."

  Gu Yunxi sat beside the low table in the house, watching as Yue Niang walked towards the window. Her eyebrows couldn't help but furrow slightly, and sure enough, just as Yue Niang reached the window, she let out a startled cry of "Ah!"

  The girl turned around and looked at Gu Yunxi, "Miss, this——"

  Gu Yunxi took a light sip of the tea in her hand, feeling that this tea was indeed fragrant and sweet aftertaste, and couldn't help but take another small sip. "You don't have to be surprised, I want this house with this orientation."

  The girl still didn't understand, "Miss, why are you facing that Soul-Breaking Platform of the Imperial City?!"

  What the young lady said is not wrong, this four-story high window looks out to be a special place in the capital, the Execution Platform! The Execution Platform, put simply, is where the Ministry of Justice or the Metropolitan Procuratorate normally carries out executions. And recently, it just so happens to be the day of Sun You's young son Sun Zhuo's execution!

  Gu Yunxi wants to see is this play!

  No longer paying attention to the suspicious look of the maid, Gu Yunxi glanced at the time and it seemed that it was almost time. At this moment, a team of people from the Ministry of Punishment walked over from the end of the street. The onlookers pointed at the person covered with black cloth on the carriage, whispering to each other.

  "Miss, that is——"

  "That's the young master of the imperial family, because he killed the son of the Minister of Works, he was sentenced to death today."

  Yu Nu naturally knew Guo Zong Sun Yu, and upon hearing this, his eyebrows furrowed deeply. Gu Yun Xue stood alone at the bedside, holding a teacup in one hand, gazing straight ahead as the Ministry of Justice's prisoner transport team passed through the long street, heading straight for the Soul-Taking Platform.

  In the place where the executioner of the Ministry of Justice was, Jiang Jiucheng, who had never been nervous when executing the death penalty in the past, was very tense today. This was because the person to be executed today was not someone else, but the grandson of Guo's family. If something unexpected happened during the execution, this small official of the Ministry of Justice would probably lose his job.

  As the convoy arrived safely at the scene, Jiang Jiucheng's face relaxed. Seeing the prisoner being taken down from the prison cart by his subordinates, he felt a huge stone lifted off his heart. The prisoner Sun Zhuo was led to the execution platform, and an executioner had already made preparations. Jiang Jiucheng waved his hand at a nearby clerk, who immediately read out Sun Zhuo's crimes.

  As he finished reading the lengthy verdict of the Ministry of Justice, he took out a token from the nearby stack and threw it onto the execution platform.

  "The time has come, execute the punishment!"

  As soon as the voice fell, the jailer immediately removed Sun Zhuo's hood. After many days of imprisonment, Sun Zhuo was no longer the elegant and refined young master he once was. His hair was disheveled and stuck to his head like straw, his back was hunched, and his face was covered in dirt and grime, making it impossible to discern his features. Only his figure remained roughly the same as before.

  His cold and indifferent gaze swept across Sun Zhuo's slightly lowered neck, and with a swift motion, the large knife radiating a chilling glow was raised!

  Under the sunlight, the big knife slowly gathered above Sun Zhuo's head. Just as it was about to fall, the silent "Sun Zhuo" suddenly lifted his head. His eyes stared intently at Jiang Jiucheng on stage. "Sir! Sir! Don't kill me, I'm not Sun Zhuo, I don't want to die in his place!"

  As soon as this was said, Jiang Jiucheng, who was sitting on the stage preparing to finish work, held his breath and suddenly stood up, "Wait a minute!"

  He raised his hand to stop Xiao Zi's hand, and his eyes stared at "Sun Zhuo", "What did you just say?"

  The ordinary man on the execution ground shook his head constantly, his voice almost hoarse, "Your Honor, I am not Sun Zhuo, they forced me, Your Honor, don't kill me!"

  At this point, Jiang Jiucheng heard clearly, and the Kyoto citizens who were watching around also heard clearly, and suddenly there was a lot of discussion.

  "What a mighty and powerful Yan! Who would have thought that they would have such reasoning? The penal code of the Ministry of Justice is nothing in their eyes!"

  "Guo Zhang Sun Yu has power and influence, and can actually find someone to replace his own grandson to die. The Ministry of Punishment is probably also colluding with him."

  "What can be done? Sun Yu is someone even the Emperor can't control. I think his grandson must have fled long ago."

  "Bring back Sun Zhuo and uphold the law!"

  "Bring back Sun Zhuo and uphold the law!"

  Looking at the angry crowd below, Jiang Jiucheng was also confused for a moment. He looked at the people on the execution platform and then at the executioner's hand holding the knife, hesitating whether to drop it or not. With a wave of his hand, he shouted, "Take the prisoner back!"

  The commotion around him rose again, and Jiang Jiucheng himself knew that it was no longer just a matter of sending the prisoner back to solve the problem. The prisoner had been quietly replaced without anyone noticing. If not for this person's sudden retreat, perhaps no one would have known about this twist inside. Now, the question is, who exactly swapped out Sun Zhuo?

  Jiang Jiucheng was tormented and wanted to die. This question could be asked of a three-year-old child in the capital city, and they would probably all know the answer. But he, Jiang Jiucheng...

  That's the emperor!

  Was it really necessary for him to petition and say that the prisoner had been replaced, and then point the spearhead directly at the imperial father-in-law?

  Jiang Jiucheng was stunned, a small official beside him pulled his sleeve, Jiang Jiucheng's heart was impatient and he directly waved it open. The little official pulled his sleeve again, and his anger rose, "What are you doing? First take the prisoner back!"

  The little official's eyes changed and he weakly pointed to a nearby location, "Sir, it seems that the Duke of De is coming from over there."

  Jiang Jiucheng followed the small official's pointing direction and looked over, his dark eyes suddenly brightening. Not far away, Gong Sunmo was riding a horse, wearing a white cloak with a majestic appearance. Jiang Jiucheng pushed aside the crowd and ran over in big strides, "Your Highness, please save this official's life!"

  Looking from afar, the prisoner was taken away in a prison cart, unharmed. The crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed. Gu Yunxi's slightly raised corners of her mouth slowly sank, and she finished drinking the tea soup in her cup. She took one last look at the straight-backed Mo Lan, who walked out of the room. The whole process took no more than half an hour.

  When going downstairs, Shu Wuyan had already stopped lecturing, and the young men who were surrounding him earlier had also dispersed. He was standing alone in front of the building facing the street, not knowing what he was looking at. Perhaps it was the sound of Gu Yunxi's footsteps coming down that startled him, and when Gu Yunxi reached the second floor, he turned around.

  At first, Gu Yunxi thought that Shi Wuyan's appearance was extremely ordinary, but today, when she saw him face to face, he turned out to be a handsome man. She assumed he didn't recognize her and didn't react, directly heading downstairs, but before she could take a step, a voice rang out.

  "It's actually Second Miss Gu!"

  This was the first time Fa Gu Yun Xi had heard her name called, but she could still tell that the person was addressing her. She turned around and gave a slight bow, "Greetings, Mr. Shu."

  Gu Yunxi was somewhat surprised, their only meeting had been at the diplomatic banquet that day, when she sat behind Gong Sunmo and didn't say a word to anyone, yet Shu Wuyan actually remembered her.

  Shu Yuwen walked towards her, and it was only then that Gu Yunxi took a closer look at the man. Apart from being handsome, Gu Yunxi felt that his eyes were warm and gentle, with a soft gaze that made her feel very at ease.

  "Shu heard from a friend a few days ago that the girl had achieved impressive results in the Great Hunt of Yan, and was now a third-class military general of Da Yan, leading the Imperial Guard. At the time, Shu felt a sense of reverence for the second lady, thinking that he would like to meet her someday and have a good chat with her."

  Gu Yunxi was somewhat surprised and didn't expect his friend to say such things. She naturally wouldn't ask who his friend was, as she didn't plan on talking to this Tsinghua University student anymore.

  She smiled slightly, "Thanks to everyone's praise, it seems that your friend didn't know the inside story. Being able to get the Snow Lotus was all thanks to Yún Xiè's friends' help. I really can't take much credit for it myself. It's a wonderful thing to be able to have an in-depth conversation with someone as learned as Master Shū, but unfortunately, one of my friends had a prior engagement with Yún Xiè and now she has to rush off."

  Shu's eyes were warm and gentle, "I don't know who the lucky person is that gets to make an appointment with you, but it's truly a pity for me."

  Under his gaze, Gu Yunxi didn't think that sentence was unnecessary. She shifted her gaze and said, "It's a friend named 'Chu Yi'. I'm really sorry, but I'll take my leave now."

  Shu Yuwen nodded silently, "Since it's like this, I only hope that next time there will be an opportunity to see the young lady again."

  Gu Yunxi nodded and turned to leave, Yue Niang followed behind her with a smile in her eyes. Shu Wuyan looked at Gu Yunxi's back as she walked away, furrowing his brow, "Who is Chu Yi?"

  Digression

  Last night, I was typing and my eyes couldn't hold on anymore. I had to continue writing today, and after finishing, I revised it before sending it out now. My 1.5 vision seems to be getting weaker and weaker... I really need to do some eye exercises!