Did the Seventh Prince attend court today?

The group arrived in Yicheng County in the afternoon. Gu Cheng was to cross the river to Xiangyang County in the north, while the eldest prince was to take a boat north to Zaoyang County, which is northeast of Xiangyang County.

After the carriage came to a stop, Youlu jumped off the carriage carrying Xiaogua, and Cang Shuyue took out his luggage from the back.

Seeing this, the eldest prince stared with his frog-like eyes and asked in confusion, "Seventh brother, aren't you coming with me to Zaoyang County?"

"Um..." You Lu Yujie glanced at Cang Shuyue, whose face had darkened, her eyes darting around, and said with a grin, "Okay, but boating is so boring, can I play the flute?"

The eldest prince was greatly alarmed and waved his hands repeatedly, then said with a dry laugh, "Yicheng is quite nice too. Seventh brother, you should stay and keep your uncle company. I... I can go to Zaoyang by myself."

He immediately urged the driver to hurry to the dock, fearing that Lu might change his mind.

The carriage vanished in an instant. Youlu complained, "Damn it! Is my flute playing really that bad? My eldest brother avoids me like the plague!"

He stared at Cang Shuyue, demanding an answer.

Even someone as love-struck as Cang Shuyue couldn't say anything against her conscience at this moment. She touched the tip of her nose and said, "I don't understand music, but I find it unforgettable. No one can surpass it, and no one can imitate it."

Youlu was satisfied with the answer and said sadly, "High mountains and flowing water, a true friend is hard to find."

After expressing his feelings, he picked up the little melon and kissed it, saying, "Little melon has such good taste."

Little Melon: "Quack~~"

Cang Shuyue: "..."

Is it too late to change your tune now?

The Pixiu remained silent, only lowering its head and suppressing its laughter.

Gu Cheng was about to cross the bridge to Xiangyang County when he realized Jian Dan had been following him the whole time. He frowned in displeasure and said, "Why are you following me instead of serving the First Prince?"

With a gloomy expression, Jian Dan said, "I am a doctor, so naturally I go wherever there are many patients."

The situation in Xiangyang was more serious than in Zaoyang. As it was a prefectural city, there were more disaster victims gathered there, and indeed, there were more sick people.

Gu Cheng looked him over with suspicion. "If that's the case, the situation in Yicheng is more serious than in Xiangyang. Why don't you go and follow the Seventh Prince?"

She simply and directly gave me a cold shoulder: "Don't mention him to me!"

Having said that, he angrily cracked his whip and rode ahead of him.

Gu Cheng's face lit up with joy. It seemed that this military doctor had a grudge against Xiao Yunlu. That was great.

The two arrived at the Xiangyang government office before dusk, but instead of Song Zhiyao, they were greeted by Zhang Rui, the magistrate of Xiangyang.

Last night, Gu Cheng sent a message by carrier pigeon to Zhang Rui, informing him that he would be coming to Xiangyang today. As a result, Zhang Rui waited in front of the government office early in the morning, hoping to take the opportunity to convey Yi Qiuwei's orders. However, when the man arrived, there was one more person with him.

"Commander Gu, Physician Jian." Zhang Rui composed himself and bowed respectfully.

Gu Cheng gave him a reassuring look, and was about to find an excuse to send Jian Dan away when he saw Jian Dan nod in return, then carry the medicine box into the government office and head straight for the back room.

Seeing his attitude, Gu Cheng felt even more at ease.

Zhang Rui maintained the outward politeness and said with a smile, "Commander Gu has had a long journey. I have prepared some simple wine and dishes at the county office. I hope you will do me the honor of joining me."

Gu Cheng nodded reservedly, "Then I shall respectfully comply."

The two exchanged a knowing glance.

Upon arriving at the Xiangyang County government office, Zhang Rui's territory, the two finally dropped their pretenses and began to warmly toast and exchange drinks.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhang Rui pushed a porcelain bottle in front of Gu Cheng and said casually, "Although the disaster situation has basically stabilized, I am still uneasy. I have heard that plagues are prone to break out after floods, especially in densely populated areas. I don't know if it is true or not."

The nature of this medicine is self-evident.

Gu Cheng's hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly.

The image of the people seeing him off that morning suddenly flashed into my mind.

Zhang Rui poured him a full glass of wine and said with a smile, "Lord Yi often praises Commander Gu for his courage and resourcefulness, saying he is better than Second Young Master Gu. The future glory of the General's Mansion will all be on your shoulders."

Gu Cheng stared intently at the medicine bottle on the table, his gaze flickering like a candle flame.

This is not just a bottle of medicine, but a surrender order, the last chance given to the Gu family by the Yi family.

But this medicine could cause a plague. If he accepted it, it would mean that he would personally push the people he had saved into the fire and destroy his own achievements.

He couldn't bring himself to do it, nor could he bear to.

This isn't just about one or two people; it's about the entire city's population. He might be willing to do anything for power, but he hasn't reached such a depraved level.

But if you refuse...

He thought of his father's instructions before he left.

His father told him to obey Yi's arrangements no matter what, which shows that his father had already guessed Yi Qiuwei's plans, and his father chose to comply.

For the sake of the clan's survival and for his and his brother's future, their father had already made his choice.

So does he still have a choice?

Seeing him gripping his wine glass without saying a word, Zhang Rui added with a forced smile, "Lord Yi also said that as long as the General Weiyuan Mansion and the Yi family are of one mind, he can overlook all the past events. Whether you want to elope with your sweetheart, marry a princess, or enjoy the bliss of having two wives, he will help you."

With a snap, the porcelain cup in his hand shattered. Gu Cheng abruptly stood up, grabbed the medicine bottle on the table, and said in a deep voice, "It's getting late, farewell."

He turned and went out the door, disappearing into the night.

Zhang Rui slowly sipped his wine and hummed a little tune, tapping his foot to the beat.

That evening, Cang Shuyue received a message by carrier pigeon from Xiangyang County.

After reading the contents of the note, Youlu shook his head and said, "I thought he would struggle for a couple more days, but I didn't expect him to agree so quickly. I guess I overestimated him."

Cang Shuyue frowned and said in a deep voice, "This thing is too dangerous and must be destroyed as soon as possible."

Lu reassured him, "No rush. We'll catch him red-handed when he makes his move. By then, we'll have both witnesses and physical evidence, so he won't be able to deny it."

"Okay, whatever you say." Cang Shuyue nodded, carried the person to the bed, kissed the corner of their eye, and said, "It's late, time to go to bed."

Youlu yawned, raised her hand and wrapped it around his waist, "I want to sleep in your arms."

"Okay." Cang Shuyue gently stroked his cheek and hugged him as they lay down.

For the next two days, Gu Cheng went out early and returned late, either inspecting various villages or wandering around the resettlement area in the city, while Jian Dan went out to provide free medical consultations every day. Although the two seemed to have no interaction, they were actually secretly keeping an eye on each other's whereabouts.

On the third day, Xiangyang was hit by another rainstorm. Although there was a well-developed drainage system, the water quality in the moat was still affected after the rain, and the people had to temporarily rely on wells in the city for their daily water needs.

Gu Cheng knew that his opportunity had come.

That night.

"The third watch of the night has arrived—all is well—"

"Bang—bang, bang!"

As the night watchman called out his words, the sound of the clapper, alternating between slow and fast beats, rang out, signaling that it was already past midnight.

On a dark and windy night, the streets were deserted when a dog barked from someone's yard, instantly bringing the quiet night to life as barking echoed through the streets and alleys.

Beside the well closest to the resettlement area, Gu Cheng, dressed in black, looked around and, after confirming that no one was nearby, took out a white porcelain bottle from his pocket.

It was the one Zhang Rui had given him.

The small porcelain bottle felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, so heavy that he couldn't even lift his hand.

He couldn't help but recall what Xiao Yunlu had said before: "If you have never done anything wrong, you won't be afraid of ghosts knocking on your door in the middle of the night."

If he were to take this medicine today, he would probably never be able to sleep peacefully for the rest of his life.

Was he afraid? Of course he was, but he was even more afraid of falling from the top and losing everything.

Torn between family honor and his father's instructions, and the lives of millions, he struggled and suffered, but unexpectedly thought of Shen Yuyao.

Yes, when he learned that Shen Yuyao was a pawn to be abandoned, he hesitated like that too, but in the end, for the sake of his own future, he still chose to betray the feelings of more than ten years and send Shen Yuyao to the execution ground. His conscience had long since dwindled, and now he was merely sacrificing the last bit of it.

He couldn't help but smile, and after some hesitation, he finally opened the cork of the porcelain bottle with trembling hands.