The fake prince was exposed at the beginning, and I took office as emperor on the spot

Chapter 152 The Crown Prince and the Mirror (Three-in-One)

The banquet was far from pleasant. Gu Yuye was so publicly humiliated, yet he couldn't retaliate, and his face turned a deep shade of liver.

As soon as the banquet ended, he hurriedly expressed his gratitude and took his leave, turning away in a huff.

It also took away the turmoil that had gripped the city for the previous month.

When Gu Fangchen walked out of the Ziji Hall, a group of officials surrounded her, offering endless compliments and congratulations.

"Congratulations, Your Highness, on the exoneration of your grievances!"

"Your Highness is indeed brave and resourceful. I heard that the Seven Sects and the Sword Pavilion were locked in a stalemate, but Your Highness made a move and swept across the world with that Zhenpin sword, intimidating all the heroes. I am truly impressed!"

"Your Highness, I was previously misled by a villain and carelessly listened to rumors. I beg Your Highness to be magnanimous and not take it to heart..."

Previously, even as a sixth-rank cultivator, Gu Fangchen's status as the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei was not enough to make these high-ranking officials of the court almost bow down.

Among these officials, there are many who hold high positions and are arrogant and aloof. How could a crude and vulgar soldier be worthy of their bowing?

But now, because of the Confucian sage's affirmation of Gu Fangchen's literary lineage, even these aloof literati have to treat Gu Fangchen differently.

—After all, now that the suspicion of colluding with the Demonic Sect has been cleared, it proves that the person who recited the poem at the Qionglin Banquet was indeed not him. So where did this overflowing talent come from? They can only remain in the dark.

In short, although we can't see where this prince's talent lies yet, since the emperor has spoken, it must be true.

This is the influence of Xie Qian, the Confucian sage.

This also included Zhao Wenyuan's father, Zhao Wei, the Minister of War, who was Gu Fangchen's crony.

Zhao Weiyuan had always allowed his second son to hang out with the纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled brat) Gu Fangchen, turning a blind eye and only scolding him occasionally, just to curry favor with Gu Yuye.

Before this incident, Gu Fangchen, the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, was always considered Gu Yuye's weakness, and the world knew about his doting and indulgence of Gu Fangchen.

However, Zhao Wude, the eldest son whom Zhao favored the most, served as a general guarding the pass under Xiao Yinghao's command.

As the Minister of War, he was extremely tactful, never offending either side.

Overall, however, the opinion is still biased towards Xiao Ying. Zhao Wenyuan's friendship with Gu Fangchen is merely a matter of following the trend.

But right now, Zhao Wei is extremely grateful.

Although Emperor Yong'an did not say it explicitly, he definitely intends to support Gu Fangchen and replace Gu Yuye.

This means that those who previously sided with Gu Yuye will all be purged once the latter loses power.

But Zhao's attempt to get his useless second son to befriend Gu Fangchen inadvertently made him a master strategist!

Zhao Wei's only regret now is that he didn't give birth to a daughter...

This good-for-nothing son can only be a drinking buddy of the Crown Prince. Although there is some friendship, it is far too weak!
Zhao Wei recalled that it seemed that every time Zhao Wenyuan tried to sneak out to fool around, he was the one who chased him away eight out of ten times.

Zhao Wei: "..."

Well, it's understandable that young people are shy and lack social skills.

Zhao Wei stroked his beard, then squeezed in with a very enthusiastic smile, cupping his hands in greeting:

"His Highness has been away from Huangtian City for many days, and my son often talks about the time we spent together, almost to the point of losing his appetite!"

"I wonder when Your Highness will have some free time to have another short get-together with my son?"

Gu Fangchen's lips twitched upon hearing this. The way you're talking makes it sound like that boy is lovesick...

In reality, Zhao Wenyuan should have hoped that Gu Fangchen would never return to Huangtian City.

After all, he had no choice but to cooperate with him in making such a huge mess at the Qionglin Banquet, thus becoming an accomplice.

The two Yin-Yang Jade pieces should still be on Zhao Wenyuan's person. He'd love to get rid of such a hot potato as far away as possible!

Gu Fangchen gave a forced smile:

"Of course, of course. I've been exhausted these past few days and need to find some time to relax. I will definitely pay you a visit when the time comes."

"Please ask Lord Zhao to have Wen Yuan prepare some melon seeds and snacks."

Of course, finding Zhao Wenyuan was secondary.

Zhao Wenyuan is just a nobody now; what Gu Fangchen is really looking for is the monk Shenxiu, who is currently a guest at Zhao's residence.

This guy may seem like just a quiet, unassuming disciple of the Garan Temple, but in reality, he's one of the most important hidden characters in the Garan Temple side quest.

If we don't contact him, Garanji Temple will fall apart within three years.

Garan Temple is the most important force suppressing the Nine Netherworlds.

If the Nine Netherworlds' invasion succeeds, then the outcome will be "A Moment of Compassion".

Although this ending sounds like at least an ordinary ending, it is actually a truly bad ending, even worse than "The Demons Descend to Earth" in some ways.

【The Descendants of Demons】At least it's a struggle between human forces, but 【A Moment of Compassion】is a scene where the human hell is interconnected and evil spirits crawl everywhere.

You can talk to the demonic sects, but evil spirits and vengeful ghosts will not.

This outcome is something that must be blocked from the start.

Moreover, in order to evade the pursuit of the Four Symbols Calamity Master, Gu Fangchen's plan had to first follow this route.

At that time, Lü Fuyi was only temporarily tricked away by him. Later, due to the protection of two second-rank officials, he did not have the opportunity to make a move.

If Gu Fangchen were to leave Huangtian City even for a second, Lü Fuyi would probably rush over and wring his head off...

Of course, Zhao Wei was unaware of these thoughts.

He was pleasantly surprised that the Crown Prince had such a good relationship with his son, and quickly exchanged pleasantries with him for a while.

However, the crowd quickly and spontaneously stepped back, making way for the vermilion figure, who was then kept far away by her subordinates.

Gu Fangchen smiled and said:

"The eldest princess."

Xiao Yinghao curled the corners of her lips and said playfully:

"What, you're not pretending anymore? Weren't you so bold before? You said you'd been longing for it for so long, and you were just casually fiddling with it..."

Gu Fangchen coughed twice and said with a serious expression:

"I didn't know that the Princess already had a husband. As the saying goes, a beautiful and virtuous lady is sought after by gentlemen. I was moved and naturally couldn't help myself."

He said with great regret:
"However, now that the Princess is already taken, I cannot take her away from her, so I can only reluctantly give up!"

Xiao Ying was speechless. Others might not know, but didn't you know you were the one pretending to be the prince consort?
What are you pretending for!

Ha, thinking they can get away with this just because they haven't been exposed? There's no such thing as a free lunch!
One fire essence array eye is still not enough...

"Oh?"

Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and she suddenly smiled:

"Your Highness is such a virtuous gentleman, yet I wonder why you were so flirtatious and teasing earlier?"

The eldest princess took a step forward and stood in front of Gu Fangchen. With a flick of her wrist, she produced a piece of transparent jade.

Gu Fangchen immediately recognized that the stone was engraved with a memory array...

At this moment, an image that could be labeled "shot from an abnormal perspective" is being played on the screen.

It was a scene where Gu Fangchen suddenly stepped in from under the table and lifted her skirt.

puff!
Gu Fangchen almost choked on her own saliva.

Fortunately, he was mentally strong and avoided the tragedy of a dignified near-fifth-grade cultivator losing his life to saliva.

Xiao Ying, as if she were a good buddy, put her arm around his shoulder, turned her back to the crowd, and her phoenix eyes, now brimming with allure, leaned close to his ear and said with a smile:
"I thought... His Highness the Crown Prince liked to steal flowers that already belonged to someone else!"

The princess's breath was as fragrant as orchids, tickling Gu Fangchen's ears and giving her a jolt.

Mother, it's true that the more beautiful a woman is, the more poisonous she is!
Oh, my mother is the most beautiful woman in the world, then it's alright...

It's all this lousy game's fault. There's only a fixed female lead, and you can't freely romance NPCs. Who would have thought that Xiao Yinghao would like to play this kind of game after her affection level is high?

But now, the other side has the leverage over us.

Then we have no choice but to cooperate...sigh.

Gu Fangchen continued to struggle and resist:
"Your Highness, this is utterly unreasonable..."

Xiao Yinghao sneered:

"Gu Fangchen, don't be so stubborn. You don't want people to know that you did such a lewd thing at the palace banquet, do you?"

Gu Fangchen: "..."

Isn't this my trick? Why are you using it on me?

Besides, where did I do anything vulgar?
Nothing has been done yet...

Gu Fangchen sighed and said:

"What does the eldest princess want?"

Now that the damage to the mine protection array has been repaired.

Furthermore, my handling of the matter concerning the imperial son-in-law will not diminish his goodwill.

So now, Xiao Yinghao is doing this... possibly simply because of her own whims.

Well, it's better to lie down and let them do whatever they want than to be directly dragged into Xiao Yinghao's camp and tied down.

Xiao Ying chuckled softly:

"I will be staying in Huangtian City for about seven days. You must come to the Princess's residence at midnight three days from now."

She also thoughtfully said:
"Don't worry, the prince consort won't know."

Gu Fangchen: "..."

She actually started doing it!

But what could he do? He could only agree to this "affair".

Seeing Gu Fangchen nod, Xiao Yinghao put away the recording stone, waved her hand, and let her subordinates follow her away.

The bewildered officials looked at each other, wondering what important matter the princess and the crown prince were plotting.

Gu Fangchen shook her head.

Xiao Yi suddenly emerged from the crowd, glaring at him defiantly, and angrily said:

"I don't believe it! You must have pulled some trick again!"

He didn't dare to oppose Gu Fangchen in front of Xiao Yinghao, so he only dared to wait until the other person left before sneaking out.

He acted impulsively in the palace and attacked Gu Fangchen in front of her, which resulted in his father confining him for seven days, causing him great suffering.

This led to him becoming increasingly angry with Gu Fangchen.

Gu Fangchen raised an eyebrow and said leisurely:

"What do you not believe? Do you not believe His Majesty's decree, or do you not believe Master Juehui's testimony?"

Just then, Master Juehui came out and, upon hearing this, said:
"Amitabha Buddha, does Your Highness think this humble monk is lying?"

"..."

Xiao Yi was speechless for a moment.

That's the truth. Even the Emperor has issued an edict. How could he possibly question Master Juehui, such a virtuous and eminent monk?
But how could Xiao Yi accept such a huge change! Not long ago, this guy was a useless piece of trash whom he had trampled all over the streets, but now he's transformed, as if everything in the past has been wiped clean and washed away...

What about him, who used to claim to be righteous and acting on behalf of Heaven?

Wouldn't that just turn you into a clown?

Xiao Yi could only say dryly:
"Even so, can you just pretend that what you did in the past never happened?"

He became increasingly hesitant as he spoke, but when he turned and saw Gu Lianxian walking out, his eyes immediately lit up, and he said:
"Princess, don't you think so?"

In the past, he would always follow Gu Lianxian around like a puppy, "punishing evil and eliminating wickedness" and cracking down on the heinous criminal Gu Fangchen.

Seeing Gu Lianxian at this moment, I naturally felt like I was seeing a good friend.

Unfortunately, he didn't notice that his good friend was distraught and avoided looking at Gu Fangchen.

The girl was taken aback by what she heard. She pursed her lips and felt Gu Fangchen's gaze on her. Her body heated up and her face turned bright red, as if she were on fire.

The thought of having to fulfill her bet and kneel down before Gu Fangchen, barking like a dog, made her feel incredibly ashamed.

Under Gu Fangchen's gaze, they felt as ashamed as if they were naked.

Gu Fangchen said with a half-smile:
"Oh, so it's the young princess. You heard me? Is there anything you want to say to me?"

Gu Lianxian pressed her lips even tighter and remained silent.

Xiao Yi was dumbfounded when she saw this.

The little princess who used to hate Gu Fangchen the most, the little princess who was bold enough to put a sack over Gu Fangchen's head and beat him up, is now cowering like a quail...

It seemed, it seemed, that he was somewhat afraid of Gu Fangchen!
Xiao Yi felt that in just one month, and he had only been in solitary confinement for seven days, it was as if the world had changed and everyone had become so unfamiliar.
He immediately panicked and quickly said:

"Little Princess, didn't you hate him the most? Were you threatened by him? It's okay, he's the heir apparent, and I'm a prince. If he bullies you, just tell me!"

Gu Lianxian lowered her head, remaining silent, her slender shoulders trembling slightly.

She was indeed threatened, but not by Gu Fangchen, but by a terrifying, resurrected stranger...

That man knew her most shameful secret, and she absolutely could not let him reveal even a little bit of it, so... she could only do as he said.

Seeing this, Gu Fangchen suppressed her smile and said calmly:

"Alright, she said she has no objection. If the Sixth Prince still insists, why don't you go and talk to His Majesty?"

“I will make up for what I did in the past, and you don’t need to make decisions for me.”

He looked at Xiao Yi with icy eyes and said in a low, cold voice:

"Even the Prince of Zhenbei can't make decisions for me, so who do you think you are? I called you a stupid donkey before, and you didn't even reflect on your actions. When you went back, didn't the Princess replace everyone around you?"

Xiao Yi was initially furious after being berated by Gu Fangchen, but when she met his eyes, she lost all courage.

He opened his mouth, incredulous—

In that one glance, he felt as if he were facing his father, or the Prince of Zhenbei, in short... as if he were facing an elder or a powerful cultivator.

I felt a sense of fear subconsciously.

Xiao Yi's face turned pale. She took two steps back, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground... She watched helplessly as Gu Fangchen led Gu Lianxian away in front of her with an air of nonchalance.

He was horrified and swallowed hard.

Martial Courage Realm! This is the Martial Courage Realm!

With just one glance, the enemy would be terrified; with every gesture, his aura could kill!
Xiao Yi now truly experienced Gu Fangchen's current strength and was greatly shocked.

He sat there, his face blank.

The servants beside him hurriedly helped him up and asked in a low voice:

"Sixth Prince, are you alright?"

"No, it's okay..."

Xiao Yi subconsciously looked down and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, she wasn't wet...

He raised his head, looking in the direction Gu Fangchen had left, and murmured:
"Amazing……"

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" the attendant asked, puzzled.

Xiao Yi patted her bottom, realizing what she had blurted out. Her face turned as red as a monkey's bottom, and she immediately denied it loudly:

"Nothing! I didn't say anything!"

He strode away, his face stern, and snorted coldly:
"Hmph! So what if a petty person gets ahead! It's just a sixth-rank cultivator! Just you wait and see! I'll show you how to cultivate too!"

Then he jogged towards the direction Xiao Yinghao had left in:
"Sister! Gu Fangchen bullied me!"

……

Gu Fangchen had only taken two steps when Gu Lianxian quickened her pace, walked ahead of him, and then disappeared in a flash.

Gu Fangchen revealed a playful smile, wondering how long it would take for the little lamb to mentally prepare himself, and when he would choose to come and fulfill his bet with him.

Gu Yuye accepted her bet and lost; her daughter has to keep up too!
"This humble monk will now take his leave of Your Highness."

Juehui clasped his hands together, interrupting Gu Fangchen's thoughts. He also clasped his hands together and quickly said:
"Grandmaster……"

“This humble monk understands that Your Highness must still have doubts in your heart, but this humble monk does not know much either… Sixteen years ago, this humble monk was entrusted by the Queen to suppress the ‘Heart Poison’ for Your Highness. At that time, this humble monk wanted to take a drop of Your Highness’s heart blood and a wisp of his spirit.”

Gu Fangchen was taken aback, then narrowed her eyes: "But... something went wrong?"

Juehui nodded:

"Yes, at that moment, the Crown Prince's heart's blood and soul suddenly disappeared."

Gu Fangchen's pupils contracted, her expression turned serious, and she stood ready for battle.

Here it comes, an unexpected twist beyond the original plot... information that might answer his questions!
But then, an uncontrollable look of fear appeared on Juehui's face.

He immediately closed his open mouth, then clasped his hands together, his whole body trembling, and began to chant Buddhist scriptures in a low voice. It took him about a minute to calm down.

But by this time, Juehui was already covered in sweat.

Seeing this, Gu Fangchen frowned, feeling increasingly troubled. It seemed that the original owner of this body still had some secrets.

Juehui seemed to be struggling to control himself, and said in a hoarse voice with difficulty:
"After that, it was as if I were in a dream, and I told the Prince's Palace that I had taken the heart's blood and the soul."

"Upon returning to the temple, I did my best to preserve my consciousness, but I was still in a daze for several years."

"It wasn't until the Prince of Zhenbei sent another message that this humble monk regained consciousness and was able to inform the Crown Prince of this news..."

Gu Fangchen took a deep breath; this matter sounded like something out of the ordinary…

This is clearly a sign of being possessed and controlled!
Who else could be able to control a third-rank divine expert so quietly?
It could be either the Confucian sage Xie Qian, or... the master of Hengchang Dao.

Gu Fangchen wanted to ask more, but when she looked up, her face darkened.

As Juehui spoke, his expression gradually changed, from strained to bewildered.

In the end, it turned into doubt.

He looked at Gu Fangchen and said kindly:
"Your Highness, this humble monk must now take his leave."

Gu Fangchen: "..."

It was broad daylight, yet he felt as if a cold wind was blowing, making his back feel chilly.

A perfectly healthy person suddenly appears before you as if they've been formatted, spouting repetitive lines like an NPC.

It's both absurd and terrifying.

For a moment, Gu Fangchen almost thought she was still playing that game called "Mirror in the Dust".

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, forcing himself to calm down, and said:
"The journey is long... Take care, Master."

Juehui smiled at him and then left.

Gu Fangchen remained where she was, not knowing how much time had passed.

Ding Xingfeng, who appeared and disappeared like a ghost, finally emerged from around the corner, expressionless.

Gu Fangchen knew that Xiao Qiu had secretly approached him earlier and asked him to stay in the Ziji Palace for a while, which must have been Emperor Yong'an's intention.

Ding Xingfeng looked at him and said irritably:
"What are you doing standing here in a daze? I can't just look at the paving stones of this imperial city and reminisce about the past. I've walked through every single place here back in the day. What are you doing, kid?"

Gu Fangchen turned her head and said:
"What does His Majesty want with you?"

"It's nothing... he just wanted to catch up with me and return some old things from back then."

Ding Xingfeng twitched the corner of his mouth, his murky, sinister eyes looking towards a corner of the Ziji Palace, surrounded by layers of palaces behind him.

"But what's the use of that?"

He turned around, kicked Gu Fangchen, and said in a sinister tone:
"You better live up to my reputation, kid. If you can't kill Maha Wuliang, I'll settle the score with you!"

What a vengeful old man!

Isn't it just a matter of luring you out of your seclusion?
Gu Fangchen twitched her lips and raised her hands in surrender:

"I understand, I understand, Martial Saint. It's been so long, don't you still trust me? I promise I'll keep my word!"

He changed the subject:
"However... the stronger my body is, the faster the secret technique recovers. As my master, shouldn't the Martial Saint show some appreciation?"

Ding Xingfeng stared at him for a long time, then let out a cold snort:
"Alright, so that's what you're planning. I can teach you, but aren't you afraid of conflicts between the cultivation methods?"

Gu Fangchen chuckled:
"That's my skill..."

Ding Xingfeng rolled his eyes:

"It depends on my mood! I'll teach you when I'm in a good mood!"

……

A month has passed.

The Xiefang Courtyard, which had been destroyed by Gu Fangchen's Returning Wave Array, had long been repaired and re-arranged for maids and servants to serve there.

After greeting Ning Caiyong, Gu Fangchen returned to the place she first saw when she first transmigrated.

He was finally able to relax his hands, which had been behind his back, and leisurely strolled from the courtyard into the room.

After looking around, Gu Fangchen suddenly frowned, took two steps back, and looked at the room again.

He pulled over a maid and asked in confusion:
Why is there no mirror in my room?

The maid was also taken aback, and then said:
“Your Highness, it was your own request. Since you were three years old, you have been crying and fussing that you don’t want to have a mirror in your room.”

Gu Fangchen pointed to herself:

"I?"

The maid nodded: "You."

Gu Fangchen felt an increasingly ominous premonition and asked her to fetch a mirror.

The maid brought him a bronze mirror, which he took and placed in front of his eyes. Instantly, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

The face in the mirror was none other than himself before he traveled through time.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(End of Volume One, "A Cup of Wine")

(Next volume: [A Knife on Credit])
(End of this chapter)