Chapter 205: The Death of Count Gu Chang

Chapter 205: The Death of Count Gu Chang

Emperor Xingyuan was a diligent man. His diligence was not only reflected in his governance but also in his daily practice of martial arts, which had continued almost without interruption for many years.

For a moment, Count Gu Chang was dazed, thinking it was back when they were still fighting to establish their rule. The man before him was not the ruler of the land but the commander who used to drink and laugh with his brothers.

"Great King—"

The familiar yet unfamiliar title startled Emperor Xingyuan, who withdrew the dagger that had been at Count Gu Chang's neck and sat down again.

As the life-taking dagger moved away, Count Gu Chang regained his senses.

He fell to his knees with a thud, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I don’t know what crime I’ve committed!"

Seated steadily behind the low table, Emperor Xingyuan looked down at his subject kneeling before him, a man he had once treated like a brother, feeling a mix of sorrow and complexity in his heart.

How had it come to this?

How could greed lead to this?

"What crime—" After what seemed like a long time, amid the continuous melodious sound of string and bamboo instruments, Emperor Xingyuan finally spoke, "The crime of insubordination, the great disrespect."

Great disrespect—

Count Gu Chang's face turned pale, unable to believe Emperor Xingyuan's words.

The great disrespect was one of the ten unforgivable crimes, where any words or actions that threatened the emperor’s dignity or security could be judged as such.

"Just now, during our drink, you called me by my name."

Count Gu Chang was shaken, "I did not!"

"You did."

"I did not!"

"You did." Emperor Xingyuan’s eyes, with their lifted corners, were clear and cold, devoid of the cloudiness of his age.

The emperor's calm and resolute gaze made Count Gu Chang realize that any struggle would be futile.

His body swayed, as if all strength had been drained from him, "I deserve to die."

Outside the pavilion enclosed by silk curtains, flashes of blades and sword shadows were visible, while inside, the scent of alcohol still lingered.

Silence fell between the emperor and his subject, with Count Gu Chang kneeling on the cold white jade tiles.

Gazing directly at the emperor’s face was also disrespectful, but he no longer cared.

"Your Majesty, may I die knowing the truth?"

Emperor Xingyuan slightly lowered his head, closing the distance between them a little, "Do you still refuse to admit it?"

"Admit—admit to what?"

Emperor Xingyuan enunciated two words, "Wanyang."

Count Gu Chang’s pupils contracted, his face filled with shock.

Wanyang!

How could the Emperor know!

But meeting Emperor Xingyuan's extremely cold gaze, Count Gu Chang's heart sank.

If the Emperor didn't know, how could he casually accuse him of the crime of treason and demand his life?

"Your Majesty—" Count Gu Chang opened his mouth, but the words of defense stuck in his throat.

Having been brothers for so many years and having served as minister and sovereign for so long, he knew all too well that defense would only make the other party angrier.

Watching Count Gu Chang's reaction, Emperor Xingyuan felt the last glimmer of hope disappear.

This glimmer of hope was for Count Gu Chang. He didn't wish for the truth to be so cruel. Given the gravity of the situation, he could not help but suspect He Qingxiao, who had been investigating this matter.

Today's "Feast of Hongmen" was a trap set for Count Gu Chang. He intended to use his imperial authority to pressure Count Gu Chang and see what answer he would get.

Unfortunately, hope was just hope.

Emperor Xingyuan looked at Count Gu Chang, who was kneeling with a deathly pale face, and even felt a hint of pity in his eyes.

This person who had fought with him through many battles, who had been wounded and bled for him, had not become any smarter after years of luxurious life.

"How did you find out about the Empress's whereabouts?"

"Someone happened to encounter the Empress and, recognizing her identity, came to inform me."

Furious, Emperor Xingyuan demanded, "Why did they think to come to you?"

Count Gu Chang bowed his head. "I am at fault! I feared the Empress's return to the palace and, in a moment of panic—"

Emperor Xingyuan slammed his hand on the table. "So, it was for Consort Shu and the Second Prince, then?"

Count Gu Chang was terrified. "Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. Consort Shu and Prince Qing are completely unaware. It was my selfishness that blinded me. I committed such a grave error."

"You truly are a good brother," Emperor Xingyuan said with irony dripping from his words.

"Consort Shu truly knows nothing—"

"Whether she knows or not, I shall judge," Emperor Xingyuan coldly interrupted Count Gu Chang's words, his eyes fixed on him without blinking. "I ask you, why were your men loitering in Wanyang?"

Before Count Gu Chang could react, Emperor Xingyuan asked again, "What were they searching for?"

Under such intense pressure, Count Gu Chang felt utterly helpless.

The Emperor truly knew everything!

When did the Emperor first begin to suspect?

While he had been pleased about Prince Qing's departure from the capital, someone else had also left the capital to bring about his downfall.

Glancing again at the emotionless Emperor, Count Gu Chang had no more hope.

He opened his mouth, his tone not fierce, but with a resigned numbness. "Initially, after completing their tasks, they were supposed to return to the capital but discovered survivors and remained."

"Who is the survivor?" Emperor Xingyuan, already knowing the answer from He Qingxiao, still wanted to hear Count Gu Chang say it.

"It's a little girl—"

Emperor Xingyuan was enraged: "Count Gu Chang, how dare you continue to deceive me! What little girl? The one who escaped is a young man, the son of the Empress and me!"

This time, however, Count Gu Chang refused to alter his statement.

Suddenly, Emperor Xingyuan laughed, a bitter laugh out of extreme anger: "I understand now. You fear that the appearance of the Empress's son will threaten your nephew’s position."

Having asked all the necessary questions, having felt the anger and disappointment, Emperor Xingyuan was left with only exhaustion: "Forget it. Whether you admit it or not, it doesn’t matter anymore."

The fact that residents of Count Gu Chang’s mansion are still in Wanyang shows that they haven't found the child either.

Has the child already departed from Wanyang? And if so, where might he have gone?

Empress Xin had numerous ingenious ideas that significantly assisted Emperor Xingyuan during his rise to power. But there's no denying that Emperor Xingyuan rose from the turbulent times with a group of capable ministers and loyal generals; he was undoubtedly intelligent and capable.

If I were that child—Emperor Xingyuan placed himself in the child’s position and immediately thought of a place.

The capital! If he were the child, he would head to the capital!

Emperor Xingyuan’s heart raced for a moment, and he forced himself to calm down, gazing at Count Gu Chang with a complex expression: "Since you have committed a grave crime of disrespect, I cannot shield you. Go in peace. I will not take my anger out on others if they genuinely do not know."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Count Gu Chang replied, trembling, still unable to believe that the Emperor would order his death.

"Guards!" Emperor Xingyuan called out loudly, "Count Gu Chang, having drunk excessively, committed the crime of disrespect towards me. Immediately, administer eighty strokes of the cane at the Meridian Gate!"

As the silk curtains were drawn up, guards rushed in and dragged Count Gu Chang out. Only then did the reality hit him, and he shouted at the top of his lungs: "Your Majesty, spare my life, please—"

Emperor Xingyuan sat in the pavilion with his eyes closed.

If he did not execute Count Gu Chang immediately, Consort Shu would create a disturbance, and so would King Qing. Numerous officials and nobles would follow, and the outcome would be unpredictable.

Hesitation only leads to trouble; better to strike first.

Xinxin’s death—only the execution of Count Gu Chang could extinguish the fire in his heart!