I have suffered enough in my previous life, my cousin will never marry me

Chapter 186 Fanning the flames
As he hurried out of Cuiweitang, Gu Tingchen saw Liu Zhang leading his men and immediately asked, "Have you found out who entered Miss Biao's courtyard?"

Liu Zhang shook his head: "No trace was found during the search."

"These good-for-nothings," Gu Tingchen said angrily, "can't even keep an eye on a person."

Liu Zhang looked at Gu Tingchen cautiously and hesitated before saying, "Only the eldest young master knows our household so well."

"That good-for-nothing," Gu Tingchen said, his face darkening as he clenched his fists tightly.

He had long since realized that his elder brother still harbored designs on Wanwan, and considering his cousin's attitude towards him earlier, he feared that the good-for-nothing had already informed his cousin of their stepmother's death.

Fortunately, this good-for-nothing can't cause any trouble.

“Father has already gone to the northern border for peace talks. We can’t let this little matter distract him.” Gu Tingchen casually instructed, “Send someone to look for his whereabouts. If you find him, bring him back to the Duke’s mansion. Don’t let him die out there.”

Tingfeng's disappearance in Lin'an made him somewhat uneasy: "Immediately send someone with me to the Ji family. I want to see what Ji Yuan is planning this time."

"Yes."

Liu Zhang immediately gathered his men and followed Gu Tingchen out of the mansion. Just as they arrived at the gate, they saw Zhou Tong, the Prefect of Jingzhao, pacing back and forth in front of the gate, looking very anxious.

Upon seeing Gu Tingchen, Zhou Tong immediately stepped forward and anxiously reported, "Your Highness, that top scholar has been beating the drum and appealing for justice in the capital all day today, saying that he wants to accuse Your Highness of forcibly taking a woman from the people, which has attracted the people of the whole city to come and cause trouble, demanding that I hand over the daughter of the chief minister and send her to the northern border for a marriage alliance."

With a sigh, Zhou Tong said anxiously, "I am worried that this will cause even greater unrest, so I dare not make any decisions on my own and have come to ask Your Highness for instructions."

"That bookworm again," Gu Tingchen's eyes darkened. "Where is he now?"

Zhou Tong replied, "I have already temporarily detained the person in prison, but the rioting people have surrounded the Jingzhao Prefecture and have not dispersed yet. This matter has alarmed the Empress Dowager, and she specifically asked Eunuch Zhou to come and inquire about it."

"What a despicable bastard!" Gu Tingchen was furious upon hearing this.

That bookworm had been pestering his cousin all day long, but now he actually wanted to abandon her.

"Go, bring him to the Duke's mansion!" Gu Tingchen shouted angrily, then quickly turned and went back to the Duke's mansion.

Today, he was going to make his cousin give up on that bookworm completely.

He sent someone to invite his cousin over, while he himself waited quietly in a side hall very close to Cuiweitang.

Just as Ye Wanshu was about to rest, she suddenly saw Caiju and Qiuli come to invite her, and the old woman outside the courtyard even deliberately removed the shackles from her body.

Ye Wanshu asked Caiju in a low voice, somewhat surprised, "What happened at the manor so late?"

Caiju shook her head: "This servant is not very clear either, but His Highness seems very angry and is forcing Miss Biao to go over."

Ye Wanshu guessed that nothing good was coming, so she had no choice but to patiently follow him out the door.

Just as they reached the door of the side room, they saw a group of constables escorting Ji Yunze over.

Upon seeing Ye Wanshu, Ji Yunze hurriedly broke free from the constables and strode forward, asking anxiously, "Wanwan, are you alright? I heard that Prince Dao'an has imprisoned you in his mansion, and I'm very worried."

Just as Ye Wanshu was about to reply, Gu Tingchen came out of the room.

"You still have the nerve to mention worrying?" Gu Tingchen cursed, "You incited those lowly people to cause trouble at the Jingzhao Prefecture, did you ever think about her safety?"

Ye Wanshu was imprisoned in Cuiweitang all day long and was unaware of what was happening outside.

Looking at Gu Tingchen, her brows furrowed slightly: "What exactly did you do?"

Ji Yunze glared angrily at Gu Tingchen: "This man, a member of the royal family, disregards the lives of ordinary people. For the sake of the princess's safety, he forced tens of thousands of innocent women to go to the northern border in her place. How could a ruler do such a thing?" Ye Wanshu had been wondering why, although Empress Dowager Gu was under house arrest by this scoundrel, the matter of the northern border still needed to be resolved. Yet, he neither led troops to fight the enemy nor pursued a marriage alliance. It turned out that he had used such a brutal method.

Tens of thousands of women were sent to the northern border, meaning tens of thousands of families had to endure the pain of separation from their loved ones. Moreover, these women were merely used as tools to appease the northern invaders, and their fate was truly unpredictable.

I'm afraid that the entire city of Lin'an is now filled with resentment and anger, and people are probably cursing her behind her back.

"Gu Tingchen, you are utterly heartless and insane!" Ye Wanshu cursed fiercely.

Gu Tingchen was very disappointed. He grabbed her wrist tightly and said sternly, "Others may not understand my good intentions, but don't you understand them either?"

He glared fiercely at Ji Yunze, his voice even more stern: "You care about this bookworm, don't you? Fine, I'd like to see what he's going to do today. Just say the word, and I'll grant his request today."

Without hesitation, Ji Yunze immediately knelt down and solemnly said, "Please, Princess Jinghe, have pity on the common people, prioritize the overall situation, and go to the northern border for a marriage alliance."

Ye Wanshu was slightly taken aback, and suddenly felt a little disappointed in Ji Yunze.

He pitied the lives of those innocent women, which was a good thing in itself, but despite being well-read, his ability to read people was really poor.

The marriage alliance had just been proposed, and that bastard Gu Tingchen had already placed the Empress Dowager under house arrest. If I insisted on going to the Northern Border, not only would the lives of those tens of thousands of women be in danger, but their entire families would also be doomed.

As the days drew to a close, with only a few days left until Empress Dowager Gu ascended the throne, there was still a chance to rescue those women if Fu Mingchi could enter the capital soon.

All she can do now is keep Gu Tingchen calm and prevent him from becoming suspicious.

"Ji Yunze, you can leave now. I'm getting married soon, and other matters are none of my concern," Ye Wanshu said calmly.

Ji Yunze refused to give up: "Since the princess has received the emperor's favor, she should put the well-being of the people first. I urge the princess to go to the northern border. I am willing to go with the princess and protect her for life until death."

"Ji Yunze, are you ever going to stop?" Gu Tingchen's anger surged. "Look at your pathetic state, what right do you have to mention protecting Wanwan?"

"Enough." Ye Wanshu closed her eyes impatiently: "If you men of seven feet tall have even a shred of courage, you should pick up your swords and fight the Northern bandits to the death, instead of using innocent women to seek a moment of peace to prolong your lives. Do you think the 700,000 iron cavalry of the Northern bandits can change their wolfish ambitions because of a woman?"

Ye Wanshu glanced at Gu Tingchen deliberately and said in a low voice, "The enemy has not even arrived yet, and you are already eager to go and humiliate them by making peace. This will only embolden them."

"You want to provoke me into going to the Northern Border?" Gu Tingchen shook his head with a half-smile: "Wanwan really has a good plan. Is she waiting for her cousin to enter the Northern Border so that Prince Yongning can take advantage of the situation and you can continue your illicit affair?"

Ji Yunze was well aware that a marriage alliance was not a good solution. The reason he advocated for a marriage alliance was to take Wanwan away from Lin'an first.

When the northern bandits are enraged, Gu Tingchen will be forced to fight back. With this opportunity, Fu Mingchi will surely send troops to Lin'an. When the two fight to the death, he will still have a chance to restore the country for the emperor.

Unfortunately, Wanwan didn't understand her good intentions.

Seeing that Gu Tingchen was pointing the finger at Fu Mingchi, Ji Yunze had no choice but to go along with it and say, "Since Prince Dao'an knows that Prince Yongning is up to no good, how can he give him another excuse to send troops? Now Lin'an City is filled with resentment from both heaven and man. If Prince Yongning wants to cleanse the court of corrupt officials, how does Prince Dao'an plan to deal with it?"

Glancing sideways at Ye Wanshu, Ji Yunze deliberately began to stir up trouble: "I heard that the Grand Secretary went to see His Majesty as soon as he entered Lin'an, and His Majesty then voluntarily abdicated. Recently, Tingfeng, who was by the Grand Secretary's side, has mysteriously disappeared. Doesn't Prince Dao'an find this strange?"

Ye Wanshu felt that this person was becoming more and more unfamiliar, and she stopped him with displeasure, saying, "Ji Yunze, my father has no grudge against you, why are you framing him?"

Ji Yunze ignored him and continued, his face ashen, "Prince Dao'an, aren't you worried that His Majesty left behind some secret edict to entrust to the Grand Secretary before abdicating?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Tingchen could no longer remain calm: "Liu Zhang, come with me to the Ji residence immediately to arrest Ji Yuan."

Seeing Gu Tingchen leave in a hurry, Ye Wanshu glared at Ji Yunze with a dark look in her eyes. She found him completely unreasonable and resolutely left with her people.

Ji Yunze felt a pang of heartache and was about to call out to her, but she had already vanished from sight in an instant.

"Princess, you must believe me, I will take you away from here," Ji Yunze murmured as he walked out of the Duke's mansion.