Part 3
Holding the jade chopsticks, Zhao Yiyi suddenly felt somewhat agitated. Looking at the delicacies on the table, she couldn’t muster much appetite.
“Sister, when I go back, I’m going to question Eldest Brother properly!” Zhao Duanduan clenched her fists indignantly and spoke hatefully.
Zhao Yiyi’s eyes held some tenderness as she touched her head. “Let him solve his own matters. You shouldn’t interfere.”
Purple Heaven Hall. Gu Zhen urgently summoned the Prince of Yan.
“The Empress wishes to go to the Western Capital. You will escort her along the way. There must absolutely be no mishaps.” He instructed concisely.
The Prince of Yan stared at him blankly. “Royal Brother?”
It took him quite a while to digest it before he understood.
If the Empress wanted to go to Chang’an with her ceremonial guard, someone had to escort her. Having him, a subject-brother, escort her was actually the most convenient arrangement.
No wonder his Royal Brother thought of him first.
The Prince of Yan bowed. “This subject-brother accepts the order. Royal Brother, please rest assured. This subject-brother will definitely ensure Royal Sister-in-law’s safety along the way and absolutely will not let any accidents befall her.”
He asked somewhat puzzledly, “Why does Royal Sister-in-law suddenly want to go to the Western Capital?”
“The Empress grew up in Chang’an, and the Zhao clan’s ancestral home is also in Guanzhong. It is perfectly normal for her to feel homesick.” The Emperor’s expression was indifferent, seemingly unwilling to discuss this topic further.
Suddenly, he turned his head to look in the direction of Chang’an, slowly hooking his thin lips. “The Western Capital is also a good place. We vaguely remember that when Father Emperor was alive, he was always thinking about returning the capital to the West, but for various reasons, he was never able to succeed.”
Chang’an was prosperous and bustling, with natural barriers on all four sides. It was easy to defend and hard to attack, and it held a great advantage in controlling warfare in the west and north. If there were changes with foreign enemies, news could be delivered to the Sovereign immediately.
However, it had a major drawback: transporting grain was not easy.
When the population was small, it didn’t count for much. But once the population grew, given the number of households in Chang’an as a capital, the grain transported was often insufficient, necessitating the Sovereign and ministers to move to Luoyang from time to time.
Not for anything else, just for grain.
Starting from Gu Zhen’s grandfather, they disliked the trouble of coming to Luoyang, so they simply established the Eastern Capital, Luoyang, as the capital and made the Western Capital, Chang’an, the auxiliary capital.
During the Late Emperor’s time, because war reports from the northwest could never be delivered in time and were always delayed on the road, he grew annoyed and entertained thoughts of returning the capital to the West.
The Prince of Yan seemed to recall past events as well and nodded. “This subject-brother remembers. The last time I went to the Western Capital with Royal Brother was six years ago. That was on Father Emperor’s dispatch, ordering this subject-brother and Royal Brother to check on the recent conditions in the Western Capital.”
“At that time, although the Western Capital was not as flourishing as Luoyang, it still retained some of the style of the capital region and was bustling and lively,” the Prince of Yan sighed. “I wonder how it is now.”
Gu Zhen gave a soft hum, frowning as if remembering something, yet not quite able to recall it.
He pressed the center of his brow and said in a deep voice, “You must ensure the Empress’s safety. Although the journey is not far and there are relay stations along the way, do not be careless.”
“On the road, remember to send letters to Us in time.” He spoke the final instructions indifferently.
“Right.” Gu Zhen suddenly stood up, lowering his eyes. “Recently, several Rouran spies were captured. It seems Rouran is currently unable to hold on much longer. After you go to Chang’an, you can directly mobilize the garrison troops of Guanzhong toward the northwest.”
After the Prince of Yan left, Gu Zhen sat alone in the hall for a while.
Wu Mao entered and reported, “Bixia, this is news regarding the matter from a few days ago where Empress Niangniang was attacked for punishing the palace officials.”
Gu Zhen took it from Wu Mao’s hand and flipped through it hurriedly. His gaze landed on the words “Deposed Prince of Wei,” and his two sword-like eyebrows knitted together.
The Prince of Wei had rebelled and been deposed. However, before his Father Emperor passed away—whether out of conscience or some other reason—he insisted on making Gu Zhen swear to spare his eldest brother’s life.
Because of the framing by the Prince of Wei back then, the two already had old grudges. But since the Late Emperor forced him in front of heavy ministers, he had to agree. Anyway, the Prince of Wei had lost a leg when he rebelled and couldn’t be considered a threat. For the past year, he had just been kept in confinement, treated like raising a piece of trash.
He hadn’t expected him to develop such capabilities.
Gu Zhen thought to himself, It seems this was manpower left to him by Father Emperor before his death.
Father Emperor had been decisive all his life, but in his old age, he started having these thoughts, and his heart gradually softened. Gu Zhen’s lips curled into a mocking smile. I wonder if Father Emperor ever considered whether leaving him manpower like this was helping him or harming him?
Just how much manpower did Father Emperor leave him to make him think he could use it to oppose the Sovereign?
Looking at the list detailing the events, Gu Zhen laughed. “Although Big Brother is so unrighteous, We cannot fail Father Emperor’s expectations.”
Staring at that smile on his lips—that treacherous, gloomy arc—all the fine hairs on Wu Mao’s body stood up instantly, and he shuddered forcefully.
Gu Zhen didn’t even lift an eyebrow. He couldn’t be bothered to guess whether his eldest brother was targeting the Empress or something else. Regardless, the fact that he dared to move to hurt the Empress was already an established fact.
A layer of haze gradually gathered in his eyes, and those eyes, dense with bloodshot veins, looked faintly terrifying.
Gu Zhen clutched the white jade pendant in his hand and ordered sternly, “Take the people from the Imperial Prison over to interrogate.”
No one could think of hurting his Yiyi.
Not the Deposed Prince of Wei, not Linchuan… not even himself.
He would calculate those past debts one by one, then settle them slowly.
He had already lost once, lost thoroughly and completely. Therefore, he did not want his own negligence to cause her to drift further and further away from him.
At the intersection of spring and summer, the occasional sound of cicadas could already be heard.
Gu Zhen sat on the reed mat, occasionally drinking the mint-infused tea, watching silently as the Jiao Fang Palace servants packed the luggage.
Though he looked calm, the knuckles gripping the cup revealed his nervousness.
Zhao Yiyi wore a honeycomb-patterned skirt printed with gold chrysanthemums today. A willow-green jacket was draped casually over her body, the butterfly patterns on the hems and cuffs lifelike. She wore no makeup or jewelry, yet she was shockingly beautiful.
Gu Zhen remained silent for a long time before finally being unable to resist saying, “Yiyi, Chang’an is far. Don’t go, alright?”
Zhao Yiyi looked back at him. There was still a smile on her face, her features soft and graceful as jade, as she replied softly, “That won’t do. Bixia has already promised; how can you go back on your word?”
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