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

Chapter 193 Entering the Palace
Early in the morning, Ye Wanshu had Chunhong and Xingtao dress and groom her and wait for her at Cuiweitang.

The two maids were somewhat confused by Prince Dao'an's arrangement.

“Miss, ever since His Highness stopped the marriage proposal, the Empress Dowager has been very dissatisfied with you. Tomorrow is your wedding day with His Highness, why would he take you with him to the palace?” Chunhong pouted and said, “Wouldn’t that displease the Empress Dowager?”

Ye Wanshu had always found this matter somewhat puzzling.

Logically speaking, on a day like today, Gu Tingchen shouldn't have let her enter the palace.

Moreover, this scoundrel has never truly trusted me. If I say something to the Empress Dowager that embarrasses the grandmother and grandson, it will only make today's coronation ceremony unpleasant.

Could it be that this bastard has sensed something?
Ye Wanshu pondered silently for a while, then suddenly sensed something was wrong.

Gu Tingchen had always suspected that the emperor had left a secret edict for his father before abdicating, and he was extremely wary of Fu Mingchi. If he wanted his father and the civil and military officials to completely submit, there was only one way: to assassinate the emperor.

Moreover, they had to pin the blame for regicide on her.

At that time, her father would either have to choose to submit to the Gu family or choose to uphold righteousness and break with his legitimate daughter.

In this way, when Fu Mingchi entered the capital to defend the emperor, the rebel he wanted to kill was her.

"Gu Tingchen, you're really ruthless," Ye Wanshu thought, clenching her fists secretly.

Just then, Gu Tingchen, dressed in a purple python robe, slowly walked in.

Seeing his cousin looking distracted, Gu Tingchen smiled and helped her up, asking, "Wanwan, what's wrong? Did you not sleep well last night?"

Ye Wanshu subconsciously shook him off and gave a cold laugh: "Cousin, you're overthinking it. With you protecting me so closely all day long, how could I not sleep well?"

Although the words were not what they truly meant, they still pleased Gu Tingchen.

"Wanwan, don't worry, I will protect you tightly for the rest of my life and never let anyone hurt you," Gu Tingchen solemnly promised.

"Is that so?" Ye Wanshu's brows furrowed slightly as she slowly looked at him. "Now half of Lin'an City hates me to the bone. Are you sure you can protect me today, cousin?"

"Of course," Gu Tingchen chuckled. "I know there are still some scoundrels in the court who are trying to harm my Gu family, but don't worry, Wanwan, it won't be long before I get rid of them one by one."

As he spoke, he deliberately leaned closer, a provocative glint in his eyes: "Especially that restless Prince Yongning. Wanwan doesn't know yet, does she? He has personally led his troops to the northern border. This time, I will make sure he never returns."

Ye Wanshu simply gave him a cold smile, ignored him, and went straight out the door.

After getting into the carriage, she vaguely heard Gu Tingchen and Liu Zhang whispering for a while, and then the carriage headed towards the palace.

From Nanhua Street to Changle Street, half of Lin'an City appeared unusually deserted today. Apart from the patrolling troops, even the peddlers and laborers who usually thronged the streets were nowhere to be seen, as if they were all silently expressing their dissatisfaction with Empress Dowager Gu's usurpation of the throne.

Only when you reach the palace gates can you hear the clamor of discussion.

Ye Wanshu lifted the curtain and glanced into the distance, where she saw her father and his officials waiting outside the Meridian Gate.

The father and daughter exchanged a glance. Ji Yuan's face darkened, and he hurriedly stepped forward to ask, "Prince Dao'an, what is the meaning of your actions? Today is the day the Empress Dowager ascends the throne, a day of great solemnity and dignity, not a banquet or gathering in the inner palace. How could you bring your daughter, a mere young lady, into the palace? Wouldn't this make you a laughingstock to the world?"

“What are you saying, Father-in-law?” Gu Tingchen sneered. “Wanwan will soon be my queen consort. Her status in the Great Ye Dynasty will be so noble. Who would dare to laugh at her?”

Seeing Ji Yuan's uncertain expression, Liu Zhang knew that the prince's words were untenable, so he had no choice but to force an explanation: "Prime Minister, Princess Jinghe has received Emperor Zhaolie's favors several times, and now she has even abdicated in favor of Empress Longze. It is only reasonable to have Princess Jinghe express gratitude to Emperor Zhaolie on behalf of our prince and empress." Last night, Gu Tingzhou came to the mansion and mentioned to Ji Yuan that his daughter would be going to the palace today, which made Ji Yuan feel that something was amiss. At this critical juncture, to have his daughter see the emperor made Ji Yuan feel even more uneasy.

Just as he was about to speak, Ye Wanshu quickly gave him a look.

Although the emperor has abdicated, Gu Tingchen still keeps him trapped in the palace. If the emperor cannot be taken out of the palace, it will be a bad thing for him to fall into the hands of either Prince Qi or Gu Tingchen.

Since that bastard Gu Tingchen made her assassinate the emperor, it conveniently gave her the opportunity to take the emperor out of the palace.

“Father, what Commander Liu said makes sense.” Ye Wanshu smiled calmly: “Emperor Zhaolie has been kind to me. For both public and private reasons, I should go to the palace to express my gratitude in person.”

Ji Yuan, however, still looked worried.

Ye Wanshu shook her head at him and said, "Father, you must assist the Empress well in the future."

Having said that, he got off the carriage and followed Liu Zhang into the palace.

Emperor Zhaolie is currently residing in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and the Imperial Guards are stationed everywhere along the way. If Liu Zhang hadn't let her in, she probably wouldn't have been able to get close to the Hall of Mental Cultivation on her own.

As soon as they arrived at the palace gate, Liu Zhang sent someone to bring over a pot of wine and handed it to Ye Wanshu.

“Princess, His Highness will come to fetch you later.” Liu Zhang glanced at the wine pot. “His Highness instructed that you only need to personally deliver this wine pot to Emperor Zhaolie and persuade him to drink it as a way of thanking him for his kindness.”

Without a second thought, Ye Wanshu knew there was something wrong with the wine.

However, now that she has entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it is no longer important whether she personally carries the wine in.

Obediently accepting the wine, Ye Wanshu glanced at him with a stern face: "Liu Zhang, you've been aiding and abetting evil all this time, haven't you thought about your own retribution?"

"Princess, please don't worry about my affairs."

Liu Zhang smiled dismissively: "But Princess, His Highness is deeply in love with you. You really shouldn't have repeatedly disobeyed him and hurt his feelings. Today is a great opportunity for you and His Highness to put aside your past grievances. You must not let His Highness down."

"You really are a loyal and good dog."

Ye Wanshu glared at him, then slowly stepped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation with the wine in her hand.

The main hall was unusually quiet, with only Emperor Zhaolie and a middle-aged eunuch accompanying him.

Outside, the sky was clear and the light was dim inside the main hall. Emperor Zhaolie sat at his desk, engrossed in reading a thick ancient book. Hearing footsteps enter, he squinted and glanced at them.

"Are you Princess Jinghe?"

Although he had never met this woman, he immediately recognized her identity by noticing that she looked quite similar to Ji Yuan.

"Your Majesty, this humble woman greets you," Ye Wanshu said respectfully, kneeling down to pay her respects.

"I am no longer the emperor, so there is no need for you to be so polite."

Emperor Zhaolie glanced intently at the wine in her hand, and understood her purpose.

"Is it your father's idea or the Gu family's idea?"