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

Chapter 188 Regicide
As Gu Tingchen walked out of the Ji residence, he looked at the dark night sky and suddenly ordered, "Immediately send someone to bring back the peace delegation. Send an urgent message to the Yuezhou army to pass through Huizhou and lead the army north within three days. If the Prince of Yongning dares to make any move, Huizhou will be his grave."

"Yes," the lieutenant replied immediately and left.

Watching his deputy walk away, Liu Zhang thought about what had just happened inside the room and felt something was amiss: "Your Highness, Chief Minister Ji is quite interesting this time; she actually betrayed her own father."

"What's the big deal? Ji Yuan refused to arrange the marriage between that illegitimate daughter and Prince Qi, so she naturally harbors resentment."

Gu Tingchen shook his head dismissively, a proud smile appearing on his face: "Besides, Prince Qi is not a fool. Now that the Empress Dowager is in power, he has even more reason to bow and scrape."

Seeing that His Highness was so dismissive of Prince Qi, Liu Zhang suddenly felt anxious: "Your Highness, Prince Qi has always harbored ambitions, and I am worried that he will take this opportunity to rebel."

"He's plotting a rebellion?" Gu Tingchen sneered. "If he had that ability, I would really have to think highly of him."

"Although Prince Qi is currently without any support, I fear that some restless people around him might incite him to take a desperate gamble."

Liu Zhang said, "Your Highness, think about it carefully. Ever since Miss Biao returned to Lin'an this time, everything seems too unusual. Just as Ji Yunze said, the emperor abdicated for no reason, and Prince Yongning suddenly submitted a memorial requesting permission to go to the northern border to defend against the enemy. If there is no conspiracy, I really can't believe it."

Gu Tingchen frowned in displeasure: "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"It is not that I want to sow discord between Your Highness and Miss Biao, but I suspect that Miss Biao's return to Lin'an this time is somewhat unusual."

Liu Zhang said suspiciously, "Back then, on the city wall of the Zhenfu Shisi, Miss Biao was so resolute, preferring to jump off the city wall to be with Prince Yongning. But now she is willing to easily give up Prince Yongning. This is not like Miss Biao's behavior."

Hearing this, Gu Tingchen was very unhappy: "That's naturally because she cares about me and doesn't want to see me turn against Ye and her two children, so she chose to come back."

"Even so, the fact that Prince Yongning is willing to personally go to the northern border to fight the enemy for his cousin is a determination we must be wary of," Liu Zhang cautioned.

These words directly shattered Gu Tingchen's psychological defenses, and he was immediately stunned.

Tonight at the Duke's mansion, Wanwan mentioned leading the army north. If she knew that Fu Mingchi was leading the army north, she would probably admire him even more.

Seeing His Highness deep in thought, Liu Zhang immediately advised, "This humble general has a plan. Regardless of whether the Prince of Yongning truly intends to enter the northern border or has other intentions, it will surely make him completely give up on Miss Biao."

Gu Tingchen looked at him sharply: "Then why are you beating around the bush? Hurry up and tell me."

Whether the emperor gave a secret edict to Chief Minister Ji before abdicating is a matter that will be difficult to find out in a short time. Since this problem has become a hidden danger, it is better to cut it off directly.

Liu Zhang smiled sinisterly, "After all, Miss Biao is His Highness's future princess consort. If her heart is never with His Highness, how can they be of one mind as husband and wife? What if Miss Biao personally enters the palace to assassinate the emperor and offers this as a pledge of allegiance?"

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Tingchen immediately interrupted him: "What kind of terrible idea is this? How could you let Wanwan, a young girl, go and kill someone?"

"Your Highness, although this plan is somewhat insidious, it is the best way to keep Miss Biao here."

Liu Zhang earnestly advised, "If Miss Biao can assassinate the emperor, it will prove that she and her father have no connection with the emperor. Furthermore, it will make the Fu clan and the whole world hate Miss Biao and wish they could kill her. In that case, Miss Biao will have no choice but to rely on Your Highness. At that time, Your Highness will not have to worry that Miss Biao will not be devoted to you."

Gu Tingchen was quite intrigued by what he heard.

For so many years, Ji Yuan had been completely obedient to the old emperor, and the two of them placed all their hopes on Fu Mingchi. The mother and her children in the Yongning Prince's Mansion seemed to be particularly fond of their cousin. If their cousin were to kill the old emperor with her own hands, he would like to see how Ji Yuan would react and how Fu Mingchi would choose to act.

"Wanwan, don't blame your cousin for being heartless. Your cousin will let you see with your own eyes that from now on, only your cousin can accept you in this world."

Having made up his mind, Gu Tingchen excitedly mounted his horse and happily returned to the Duke's mansion.

……

The next morning, Ye Wanshu had just woken up when she saw Gu Tingchen leading the maids in. He personally took the key and went forward to unlock the shackles on Ye Wanshu's hands.

Looking at his wrists, reddened by the shackles, Gu Tingchen said with great heartache, "Why didn't you tell your cousin you got like this?"

Having said that, he angrily ordered the guards at the door, "How did those rough old women take care of Miss Biao? Drag them all away and beat them to death."

"Gu Tingchen, what's wrong with you now?" Ye Wanshu was furious at his smug face. "You treat human life like dirt. Don't you have even the slightest sense of respect in your heart?"

"You are my Princess Consort, Prince Dao'an. They treat you with such disrespect. What use are you to them?"

Thinking about his own plans, Gu Tingchen didn't want to have a falling out with her at this time, so he had to compromise and said, "Since Wanwan doesn't like her cousin killing people, then we'll forgive them this time and only let them each receive twenty strokes of the cane."

He then had someone bring wound medicine to Chunhong and Xingtao, and swore that he would never again confine her to Cuiweitang.

Although Ye Wanshu guessed that the scoundrel's sudden change of heart was not without ulterior motives, she still complied with the thought of not having to stay trapped in the courtyard any longer. She applied the wound medicine, washed up, changed her clothes, and led the two maids out of the bedroom.

Seeing Gu Tingchen personally setting the table in the dining hall, Ye Wanshu asked coldly, "Where is my aunt's body currently placed?"

When she mentioned her stepmother, Gu Tingchen's face clearly showed some displeasure.

Ye Wanshu frowned and said, "My aunt is no different from my own mother in my heart. Now that we are going to get married, how can you treat her so heartlessly?"

Gu Tingchen paused for a moment before replying, "My great-aunt's coronation ceremony is in three days. You will come with me to the palace. After the wedding, I can give her a grand funeral."

"Okay," Ye Wanshu agreed without hesitation.

Having been trapped for so long, she still had no idea what the situation was like outside. Now, all she could do was try to make the most of these last three days and prepare for everything.

He recalled what Gu Tingzhou had said last night: if he really had a way to help him force Prince Qi to rebel, he would definitely come to inform him before the uprising.

Therefore, no matter what, she cannot be imprisoned in this courtyard by Gu Tingchen any longer.

She had to find a way to make that bastard less wary of Gu Tingzhou.

Despite feeling nauseous, she forced herself to finish breakfast with Gu Tingchen.

While rinsing her mouth, Ye Wanshu looked at Gu Tingchen and suddenly said, "The person who came to Cuiweitang last night was my eldest cousin. He wanted to take me away from the Duke's mansion. I hate him and don't want to have anything to do with him anymore."

"Just as I expected," Gu Tingchen murmured to himself, not angry but pleased: "He has never been tactless, Wanwan, you don't need to take him to heart, but he is, after all, your elder brother. In the future, when you see him, you only need to be respectful on the surface."

Hearing his nonchalant tone, Ye Wanshu knew that he didn't care about the matter.

Gu Tingchen is the kind of person who loves to step on others to gain a sense of superiority. The more you say that, the less he will take Gu Tingzhou seriously.

After all, in his eyes, Gu Tingzhou had long become a laughing stock of the whole world, utterly worthless.

“Father is not in Lin’an, and I have to be busy with palace affairs these days. If you find it boring to stay in the courtyard, you can take a walk around the mansion.”

Gu Tingchen smiled and said, "It's a bit chaotic outside, so Wanwan shouldn't think about leaving the manor for the time being."

Ye Wanshu gazed at him intently: "I want to see Father before the wedding."