Jiangshan Fengwuzhi

Chapter 181 The Truth of the Treason (I)

Gu Jingnian woke up before dawn, which meant he had only slept for less than three hours last night.

He also wanted to sleep in like he did in Yongjing, but he couldn't fall asleep no matter what. Perhaps it was because he felt a little nervous staying next to Gu Beiming. It's not that Gu Beiming was more dangerous than others, but that he was more afraid of him.

Since he couldn't sleep anyway, he simply got up and thought carefully about his current situation.

He himself did not object to the proposal of helping Gu Beiming to rebel, establish his own country, and conquer the world. It was just that this ambition had been strangled by Gu Beiming himself since he was a child. It was very strange that he suddenly brought it up again.

Moreover, the five countries in Zhongzhou have been established for more than a hundred years and are relatively stable, which did not provide a good environment for Gu Beiming to achieve hegemony.

How could Gu Beiming not know that the one who could unify Zhongzhou must be one of the five nations? Claiming to be king would only make the situation more chaotic, and in the worst case scenario, it would lead to the destruction of the family.

Even if we take a step back and say Gu Beiming really achieves great things one day, he still has other descendants, such as Gu Jize, who has been fighting with him for so long, why should he be given the position of crown prince?

In short, Gu Jingnian did not trust his father's promise that much. He intuitively felt that Gu Beiming was lying to him and that there were other purposes and secrets behind it.

But Jusai City is full of Gu Beiming’s confidants. How can we detect them?
There is a way, Miao Chunniang.

Gu Jingnian then got up, went out, and went to Miao Chunniang's residence.

The courtyard was still there, but the door was covered with moss, making it look very deserted. Gu Jingnian knocked on the door and waited for a long time before the wooden door creaked open.

Miao Chunniang was still wearing mourning clothes, with her head lowered, hiding her beautiful face under the mourning hat.

"I'm here to pay homage to my elder brother's spirit." Gu Jingnian said.

"it is good."

Miao Chunniang let him into the yard and locked the door.

Gu Jingnian did not start asking questions immediately. He went to the lobby to burn incense for Gu Jizu, while looking around carefully.

Yesterday, Gu Beiming pointed out that Pei Nian was a spy from the Rui Kingdom. Gu Jingnian couldn't figure out whether he was trying to trick him or if he really knew something. So, did Gu Beiming really not know that Miao Chunniang was a spy sent by Zhao Boheng?
"Are you safe?" Gu Jingnian asked.

In this city made entirely of black neodymium, they don't have to worry too much about someone using supernatural powers to eavesdrop on their conversations.

Miao Chunniang said "hmm".

"Are you from Vietnam?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Zhao Boheng has already told me your identity."

After Gu Jingnian said this, Miao Chunniang raised her head and stared straight into his eyes.

For a moment, Gu Jingnian felt a little dazed and almost entered a state that was close to a dream.

But he reacted quickly, pinched his thigh hard, and regained consciousness.

He was no longer afraid to look Miao Chunniang in the eye. Instead, he stared at those seemingly weak but actually charming beautiful eyes with a firm gaze, trying to see what Miao Chunniang was thinking.

"Do you want to erase my memory?" Gu Jingnian asked bluntly.

Some things are like window paper. Once it is broken, it is difficult to stick it back together.

Miao Chunniang's face turned pale, and she smiled miserably, "Yes."

"what will you do?"

"To confuse you, to find out what you know, and to make you forget it."

"Is it that simple? Just tell me and I'll listen to you?"

"It's also a kind of supernatural power after all." Miao Chunniang's tone was slightly self-deprecating.

She always had a sense of self-pity.

Gu Jingnian said, "I know everything. You are Zhao Boheng's spy in the Gu family. One of your goals is to find the daughter of the Princess of Yue."

"good."

Miao Chunniang did not continue kneeling in front of Gu Jizu's spirit tablet. She stood up and walked a few steps, pulled over a stool and sat down, crossing her legs, revealing her graceful figure wrapped in mourning clothes.

She leaned back slightly with her waist straight, and her whole temperament changed. She was no longer a weak and vulnerable girl, but had a disdainful and dangerous temperament that looked down on everything.

"I guess you haven't told Gu Beiming yet."

"Indeed not." Gu Jingnian said, "But he may have guessed your identity."

Miao Chunniang said, "I didn't guess it, otherwise I would have died long ago." Gu Jingnian asked, "You were the one who passed the news of Yin Kuo's being in Jusai City to Zhao Boheng, but have you ever thought that my father might be using you on purpose?"

Miao Chunniang was silent for a moment and said, "He may have guessed that there is a spy in Jusai City, but he hasn't guessed that it is me."

"How do you know for sure?"

"I asked a few of his confidants, and they didn't know that Gu Beiming had doubted my memory."

Gu Jingnian then realized that this special ability could be used in this way, and it was very convenient for investigating matters.

Miao Chunniang added, "Moreover, many people knew about Yin Kuo's stay in Jusai City. Can you guess how the news spread?"

Gu Jingnian didn't guess, but raised his hand and signaled Miao Chunniang to speak.

"Yin Kuo was assassinated."

"Who sent the assassin?"

"That's a good question," Miao Chunniang said. "I've been thinking about this recently. Who knew that Yin Kuo was hiding in Jusai City, and who could send a murderer to break into the Marshal's Mansion and chop open Yin Kuo's chest with a knife?"

After she said that, Gu Jingnian thought about it for a while and quickly came up with an answer.

"You mean, my father sent someone to assassinate Yin Kuo?"

"Guess why?"

"Create more Yin Kuo."

Miao Chunniang did think about this question for a long time and asked, "Yin Kuo's body is still intact on the outside, and at most only part of the internal organs were taken. How can Gu Beiming create more Yin Kuo?"

Gu Jingnian pondered and said, "Do we need a refiner and mucus?"

"Not only that. What is certain is that Gu Beiming was able to do it, which proves that he was the one who turned Yin Kuo into a salamander."

"Yes."

This conclusion is not new, Qu Jizhi also told Gu Jingnian the same thing.

Gu Jingnian thought again that if Gu Beiming really wanted to rebel and establish himself, he should first strengthen his power, or push Yin Kuo in front of the world and use the emperor to control the princes. Instead of sending someone to assassinate Yin Kuo and reveal the matter through others to put pressure on the Yong court.

This is an attitude of negotiating conditions, not a posture of achieving hegemony.

When Gu Jingnian was in deep thought, Miao Chunniang looked at his face with such serious eyes as if she was looking at an old lover.

As if she judged that Gu Jingnian could be won over, she slowly opened her mouth and expressed more speculations.

"You just asked me if I was from Yue. Yes, I am. I was only two years old when Yue fell. I lived in a prisoner-of-war camp the whole time. I don't know how much I suffered during those years. Later, I was rescued by my master. Although I have no memory before the fall of the country, I know how Yue fell. Master Xuandao defected to Yue and brought alchemy to Yue. He also caused Yue to suffer a lot of hardships and finally the country's strength was drained."

Having said that, Miao Chunniang asked back.

"Don't you think that Gu Beiming's betrayal to Yong State is exactly the same as what Master Xuandao did back then?"

Gu Jingnian was stunned for a moment.

Then he thought about it for a moment and recalled many things.

From childhood to adulthood, he had witnessed with his own eyes how loyal Gu Beiming was to the Emperor of Rui. Recalling that when they heard that Gu Beiming had defected, the entire Rui country was shocked and caught off guard.

"No, if it is as you said, how could the country of Rui lose thousands of miles of territory?"

"This is the work of Emperor Rui." Miao Chunniang said, "When Master Xuandao defected to the Kingdom of Yue, the people of Yue were ecstatic. Look at the situation of the Kingdom of Yong after Gu Beiming surrendered. How do you know that it was not because he planted the seeds of Yong's demise?"

"Why would he do this?"

Miao Chunniang said: "Of course it is to destroy the Yong Kingdom. More importantly, he can absorb the supernatural powers refined by the Yong Kingdom and become extremely powerful."

This sentence did not sound convincing at first, so Miao Chunniang thought for a moment and said, "Let me give you an example. After the fall of the Kingdom of Yue, those famous generals who used the power of the whole country to refine various supernatural powers did not all perish. Most of their supernatural powers were absorbed by Master Xuandao, Shen Jichi and Emperor Rui. Master Xuandao is dead, so let's not talk about him. Shen Jichi and Emperor Rui are far more powerful than you know. I don't believe that Gu Beiming can refuse to become the next Shen Jichi."

Gu Jingnian said: "We have lost thousands of miles of territory, and the border defense of Rui State is in great danger of collapse. Just for this purpose, it is too... too crazy."

"It's impossible to be defeated. With Shen Jichi here, Ruiguo has been foolproof from the beginning. I have been observing the Gu family. I know what Gu Beiming wants better than you."

Gu Jingnian had to admit that, in his opinion, Miao Chunniang's guess was closer to the truth than Gu Beiming's promise.

"I know you already believe me." Miao Chunniang said, "Gu Beiming's rebellion is a conspiracy by Emperor Rui to exploit Yong State. This time, they want to turn Yong State into a furnace. You and I are just two medicinal herbs in this furnace."

(End of this chapter)