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

Chapter 191 The Second Window Climber

Since meeting his father that day, Gu Tingchen has become much less wary of Ye Wanshu after returning to the mansion, and even the hidden guards in Cuiweitang have all been withdrawn.

This bastard seemed quite pleased to see her break with her closest person, to which Ye Wanshu simply smiled and let it go.

She really couldn't imagine what it would be like to be husband and wife with Gu Tingchen again in this life.

Therefore, this time we must fight to the death no matter what.

With the Empress Dowager Gu's coronation ceremony just around the corner, Ye Wanshu, after having dinner with Gu Tingchen that night, was wide awake. After taking a bath, she stayed by the willow-leaf window.

Although she was certain that Prince Qi would launch a rebellion the next day, she still hoped to receive definite news.

Although the Yuezhou army's journey to the northern border was a strategy employed by Fu Mingchi to deceive others, the 200,000 Yuezhou troops did indeed enter Jiayu Pass, and it is likely that he did not bring many troops with him to Lin'an.

To help Fu Mingchi quell this turmoil, we must make precise plans and absolutely cannot allow Prince Qi to be suppressed by Gu Tingchen too quickly.

I was thinking about it for a long time, and just as I was getting into it, the willow-leaf window suddenly made a sound.

She quickly opened the window and saw Gu Tingzhou already standing at the window.

He climbed in somewhat clumsily; what he could do easily on ordinary days seemed particularly difficult today.

Ye Wanshu looked at him with some confusion and asked, "Gu Tingzhou, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Gu Tingzhou smiled and shook his head: "I caught a cold a couple of days ago, and Tingchen sent people to look for me, so I had to find an inn to rest for two days. I'm all better now."

Ye Wanshu nodded thoughtfully, but the way he walked seemed a little unnatural.

Ye Wanshu poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him, saying, "This tea was just brought by the maids, it's still warm, drink some to warm yourself up."

"Thank you," Gu Tingzhou said, taking the tea and taking a small sip, his smile still on his face. "Prince Qi has agreed to raise troops tomorrow."

"Why are you so sure?" Ye Wanshu asked, curious as she looked at his eyes, which were even more certain than her own.

Gu Tingzhou slowly put down his teacup: "Because I can help him, he will naturally not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"You help him?"

Ye Wanshu thought for a moment and suddenly remembered that Gu Tingzhou had an old friend, Commander Xue, who served in the Imperial Guard.

His relationship with this person was not known to the Duke's mansion. In his previous life, it was only when that person returned to the Duke's mansion to deliver a letter that the relationship between the two was revealed when he died in battle in the northern border.

“Gu Tingzhou, are you also going to join the rebellion?” Ye Wanshu asked with some concern. “The Prince of Yongning did not bring many troops with him to Lin’an. I cannot guarantee that he will win this time. If you get involved, Gu Tingchen and the Empress Dowager will not let you off if the rebellion fails.”

“He can only win,” Gu Tingzhou analyzed. “Until now, no one has noticed Fu Mingchi’s whereabouts. I’m afraid he brought at most two or three thousand men with him. My men and the Prince of Qi’s men can buy him two hours. If he can send out his troops quickly enough, he can take Lin’an.”

Ye Wanshu was still somewhat uneasy: "But you and Prince Qi participated in the rebellion. Even if Fu Mingchi wins, you will not have a good ending."

"At worst, we won't be able to live a life of wealth."

Gu Tingzhou smiled dismissively: "Fu Mingchi isn't a narrow-minded person. He wouldn't repay kindness with enmity for someone who has rendered him a service. As long as he lets me retire peacefully and live a carefree life, that's enough. As for Lao Xue and the others, they aren't the main culprits. I'll have to trouble Wanwan to plead for them later." Ye Wanshu felt a pang of sadness: "Gu Tingzhou, I told you in Yuezhou that I don't hate you. You don't need to take such a risk for me."

"Wanwan, this is not just about your safety alone."

Gu Tingzhou said solemnly, "Didn't you say that Fu Mingchi was able to turn the tide? These days, I've been away from the Duke's mansion and have seen many long-standing problems among the people. There are endless complaints, especially the recent incident of the government forcibly conscripting unmarried women to the northern border. I personally witnessed a couple in the west of the city jump into the moat in despair, but as a young master from a noble family, I was powerless to do anything about it. This world really needs to change."

At this point, he couldn't help but sigh softly: "Speaking of which, I should thank you. You showed me a different world. I shouldn't have been so arrogant before. The Gu family and I can't represent the whole world, nor can we control other people's fates. Now I understand completely why so many people are willing to go to Yuezhou to live and work in peace. It's because only Yuezhou in the entire Daye Dynasty can give people the dignity they deserve."

Hearing him speak so clearly for the first time, Ye Wanshu felt a complex mix of emotions.

It seems he's been through quite a lot lately.

"Alright, it's getting late, I should go."

Gu Tingzhou slowly got up, and as he walked towards the window, Ye Wanshu suddenly thought of the incident at the Zhenfu Shisi last time.

If Gu Tingchen finds out tomorrow that he was involved in a rebellion, he will kill him immediately.

"Gu Tingzhou, could you please not show your face tomorrow?" Ye Wanshu explained, "That day you told me to live well, and I hope you can live well too."

Gu Tingzhou simply smiled and remained silent.

It wouldn't be easy for him and Prince Qi to delay for two hours with their limited forces. The only way to maximize their chances of success is to get Gu Tingchen to focus all his attention on him.

Furthermore, the aunt did not like the cousin, but the second brother insisted on bringing her into the palace, unless he was absolutely certain that he could win the aunt's favor.

He hadn't yet figured out what his second brother's methods were, but it might not be a good thing for his cousin, and he was really worried about it.

"I remember that the outer city is now guarded by the Divine Might Army. There is a young general in the army named Han Jin who is guarding the city. He comes from Yuezhou. His elder brother is in the Yuezhou Army. This man is very loyal to His Majesty."

Ye Wanshu instructed, "Cousin, you can go find my father and ask him to persuade Han Jin to tell him the Emperor's decree. He will definitely help Prince Yongning enter the city. If things go smoothly, Prince Yongning may be able to quell this turmoil soon, and cousin will be able to rest easy."

"Han Jin?" Gu Tingzhou looked blank. "I've never heard of this person before. There's no famous general with the surname Han in the Yuezhou army. How do you know about him, Wanwan?"

Ye Wanshu couldn't very well tell him that this person was the general who had risked his life to protect the emperor during the Prince Qi's rebellion in her previous life, so she could only make excuses and say, "When I was in Taowu, Fu Mingchi had his personal guard, the Chifeng Battalion, stationed there. That's when I met Han Jin's elder brother, and he mentioned that he had a younger brother in Lin'an."

"I see."

Gu Tingzhou had heard about most of what had happened in Taowu, so he had nothing to doubt. He smiled and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, I'll go find Uncle Ji now."

Watching him climb out of the window again, Ye Wanshu vaguely saw many bloody marks on the lower part of his neck.

She was about to lean closer to take a look when Gu Tingzhou instinctively stopped her: "Go to sleep early, don't let anyone notice."

Rarely seeing him want to distance himself from her like this, Ye Wanshu could only nod sensibly: "Then be careful."

"Ah."

Gu Tingzhou responded softly, immediately closed the window, and cautiously looked around before his figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.