sjar Chapter 411 Outside, I am a general; at home, I am your devoted subject.
Chapter 411 Outside, I am a general; at home, I am your devoted subject.
In just over a month, Chu Ruohan received definite news from the palace.
Yu Ling hurried in from outside, her face showing a mixture of disbelief and excitement.
"Madam, news has come from the palace that Consort Shu... Consort Shu has been banished to the Cold Palace!"
Chu Ruohan paused slightly in her hand holding the teacup, the steam illuminating her eyes and brows.
Yu Ling took a deep breath and continued, "At the same time, the Pingnan Prince's Mansion also collapsed completely, and Consort Shu's father and brothers were escorted to the capital to await their fate!"
Chu Ruohan put down her teacup, the bottom of which made a soft "tap" as it hit the table.
It turns out that the Emperor's various acts of "favor" towards Consort Shu were nothing more than a pampering act to kill her, a way to stabilize the Pingnan Prince's Mansion and secretly gather evidence of her crimes.
The art of rulership is truly unfathomable.
Just then, Gu Junze walked in from outside, still carrying the slight chill of the morning air.
Seeing that Chu Ruohan seemed lost in thought, he asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Chu Ruohan looked up at him, and gave a light hum, half-scolding and half-smiling: "You really kept it a secret. I really thought the Emperor was suspicious of you and was worried about you every day."
Gu Junze walked over and sat down beside her, took her hand, and let out a deep laugh from his chest.
"Likewise. I never expected that Madam would actually bring those two women into the mansion and put on such a good show."
He paused, a hint of mockery in his eyes: "It's all my fault. My wife can punish me however she wants, but could you please not do it in front of the servants?"
Chu Ruohan was amused by his shamelessness, withdrew her hand, and raised her eyebrows slightly: "How dare I punish the Grand General Who Protects the Nation?"
Seeing her playful smile, Gu Junze's eyes deepened with amusement. He leaned close to her ear and said in a low voice, "Outside, I am a general; at home, I am your devoted subject."
Yu Ling heard it clearly and couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. She quickly turned around to tidy up the tea set on the table, pretending not to have heard the blatant teasing.
Chu Ruohan blushed with embarrassment and gently pushed his shoulder with her delicate hand: "Don't talk nonsense, what if someone hears us?"
"Why not?" Gu Junze grasped her wrist, completely unconcerned. "Who in the entire manor doesn't know my feelings for Madam?"
Chu Ruohan turned her face slightly away, her eyes sparkling, and said reproachfully, "You're getting more and more shameless, I can hardly handle it."
"If you can't handle it, then don't bother." Gu Junze laughed wildly, his fingers gently stroking her cheek, his eyes filled with love.
Chu Ruohan sighed softly. This man was as upright as a pine tree on the outside, decisive and ruthless.
He always expressed his affections so unrestrainedly in front of her, making it impossible for her to maintain her composed demeanor as a virtuous and capable wife.
Seeing that she was silent, Gu Junze changed the subject: "By the way, the Emperor said that you were wronged this time and there will be compensation."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a commotion arose outside the mansion. The steward rushed in to report, "General, Madam, the Emperor has sent someone with gifts!"
"Gift?"
Chu Ruohan was stunned for a moment, and before she could react, she saw a group of eunuchs dressed in bright yellow official robes file in, each carrying a brocade box or treasure chest of varying sizes.
The head eunuch, holding the imperial edict, loudly proclaimed, "General Gu Junze, who is in charge of protecting the country, receives the imperial edict!"
Gu Junze quickly helped Chu Ruohan to her feet and led her to kneel in the courtyard. Chu Ruohan followed suit, but because of the large size of her unborn child, kneeling was somewhat difficult for her.
Gu Junze helped her steady herself and whispered, "Be careful."
Seeing this, the eunuch smiled slightly, then unfolded the yellow silk and read aloud:
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: General Gu Junze is loyal and brave in serving the country, and his merits are outstanding; his wife Chu Ruohan is virtuous and kind, and understands the greater good. Consort Shu, unaware of the situation, sent people to disturb the General's residence, causing the General's wife to suffer injustice."
"I feel deeply remorseful and hereby bestow upon Lady Chu a pair of auspicious phoenix hairpins, ten pairs each of gold and silver hairpins, a seven-colored jade ruyi, ten embroidered brocade quilts, fifty bolts of Shu brocade, thirty bolts of superior Yun brocade, twelve Loulan jade artifacts, one hundred taels of gold, and one thousand taels of silver, to show my remorse. So be it."
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness." Chu Ruohan tried her best to calm herself down and expressed her gratitude.
Gu Junze accepted the imperial edict and respectfully said, "On behalf of the Lady, I thank the Emperor for his boundless grace."
The eunuch chuckled as he put away the jade scroll, then took out a letter with gold trim from his sleeve and whispered, "General, this is a private letter from the Emperor. Please take a look."
Gu Junze took the letter and nodded slightly.
After the eunuchs had all left, Chu Ruohan finally breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the treasures filling the courtyard, feeling both amused and exasperated.
"With such a grand display, many people in the capital will surely be envious."
"His Majesty has never been particular about details." Gu Junze helped her back into the hall and ordered people to put away the gifts one by one.
Haitang and Yuling were already busy taking stock of the priceless gifts, marveling at them as they counted them.
"Madam, look at these phoenix hairpins! The craftsmanship is exquisite, and they are inlaid with the finest rubies!" Haitang held up a small brocade box, her eyes wide with admiration.
Chu Ruohan smiled and shook her head: "Hurry up and put them away, we can't possibly use all of these things."
Gu Junze opened the private letter and read it carefully. After a moment, he folded the letter and put it in his sleeve.
"Junze, did the Emperor say anything else?" Chu Ruohan asked curiously.
Gu Junze glanced at the maids and servants around him and said in a low voice, "Consort Shu has been demoted to the rank of Noble Lady and given to live in the Cold Palace. The matter of the Prince of Pingnan's mansion has also been thoroughly investigated, and the evidence is conclusive."
Chu Ruohan nodded slightly and said softly, "She probably didn't expect that the game she played would eventually trap her."
"She only saw the military power in my hands, but forgot the emperor's determination."
Gu Junze said meaningfully, "The Emperor has been secretly reorganizing the court and weakening the power of the vassal kings. The Pingnan Prince's Mansion is just the first; there will be more to come."
Chu Ruohan pondered for a moment: "So, our 'injustice' actually helped the Emperor a great deal?"
"I suppose so." Gu Junze smiled. "His Majesty was very satisfied with our cooperation, especially the excellent performance you put on."
Chu Ruohan gently pushed him: "Who knows what you guys are up to behind my back? You made me worry for nothing for so long."
"So this generous gift today can be seen as His Majesty's apology to the Lady," Gu Junze said softly, holding her hand, "and also as a token of his trust in us."
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, and Song Ruyan rushed in.
"Madam! I saw so many palace servants and so many boxes outside just now. What happened?" Song Ruyan asked curiously.
Doctor Qian followed closely behind, his face showing a hint of helplessness, clearly having been dragged along by Song Ruyan all the way here.
Chu Ruohan gestured for Yuling to briefly explain the situation.
Upon hearing this, Song Ruyan's mouth dropped open: "Wow! The Emperor is so generous!"
Her eyes darted around, and she moved closer to Chu Ruohan, saying with a grin, "Madam, with so many fine things, could you spare me a pair of gold hairpins?"
Chu Ruohan chuckled and gently flicked her forehead.
"The imperial gifts won't do. You can pick whatever you like from the storeroom. Haitang and Yuling, you two go and pick a few things too."
"Alright!" Having achieved her goal, Song Ruyan shoved Yuling to open the storeroom, not forgetting to drag Doctor Qian along as well.
Chu Ruohan and Gu Junze exchanged a smile; the mansion was becoming more and more lively.