FIMA Ch59: Emergence

Early the next morning, just as the sky was starting to lighten, the gates of the County Lord’s residence were knocked on.

A servant immediately ran to the courtyard to find Gu Siyuan, saying that someone from the Ministry of Justice had arrived with an urgent matter.

Gu Siyuan turned over and sat up in bed.

Xie Changyue was also woken up by the commotion. His small face rubbed against Gu Siyuan’s waist and thighs as he mumbled, “Husband, you must ask the Emperor for a promotion and a raise. Who works like this…”

Gu Siyuan reached out and pinched his cheek, speaking coldly, “Stop rubbing.”

Xie Changyue immediately opened his eyes, lifted his head, and deliberately rubbed a few more times between his thighs.

Then, with a smug smile on his face, he looked at a certain spot and said, “Husband, you’re so excited. But you have to rush to the Ministry of Justice now, don’t you? How pitiful…”

Gu Siyuan quietly stared at him, a storm seemingly gathering in the depths of his eyes.

Xie Changyue’s heart trembled, and he chickened out.

He grabbed the quilt with both hands and began to silently shrink towards the foot of the bed.

Seeing his adorable demeanor, Gu Siyuan chuckled softly and beckoned with his finger, “Come here.”

Xie Changyue shook his head, hesitantly saying, “Husband, you need to go.”

Gu Siyuan squinted his eyes, extended his long arm, pulled him over, and pressed him into his embrace. Lowering his head, he fiercely bit those crimson lips a few times, then moved to his neck and bit several more times.

A moment later, Xie Changyue’s eyes were red at the corners, pitifully touching his neck, “I can’t go out today.”

“No,” Gu Siyuan shook his head.

“…” Xie Changyue glared at him, “Husband, I really need to talk to you. You’re getting more and more… Are you really going to force me to go out looking like this?”

Gu Siyuan nodded, “Yes, I am this bad and this perverted.”

“…” Xie Changyue puffed out his cheeks.

Such persuasiveness.

Just so blatantly perverted.

Gu Siyuan chuckled, gently stroking the mark on his neck, and said softly, “I’m sending you out for a reason. Listen carefully, after breakfast, go and…”

After a while, Xie Changyue nodded. “I will do as you say. You be careful too.”

Gu Siyuan kissed his fair forehead, then lifted the quilt, got dressed, and went out.

When he arrived at the Ministry of Justice, Gu Siyuan learned what had happened. It was said that in the early morning, Kou Yuanwu had left a suicide note on the wall, admitting that he had done everything himself and that no one else was involved. Then he tried to kill himself.

Fortunately, before Gu Siyuan left yesterday, he had arranged for the Longxiang Guards to secretly keep watch. They stopped Kou Yuanwu just as he was about to commit suicide.

After hearing this, Gu Siyuan quietly looked at Qin Huai, the Deputy Minister of Justice, who was sweating profusely.

“Master Gu, this time we owe you…” Qin Huai said with an awkward smile, though inwardly he had cursed Kou Yuanwu’s ancestors eighteen generations back.

Yesterday afternoon, he had confidently assured Gu Siyuan that there would be no issues with the prison at the Ministry of Justice…

Yet this morning, before he even reached the palace gates after court, he heard the news that Kou Yuanwu had almost died.

Gu Siyuan had no intention of ridiculing or blaming Deputy Minister Qin, a man in his fifties who was gasping for breath, likely having run all the way back.

The Chief Justice and the Censor-in-Chief nearby were in a similar state.

It seemed that being a Scholar of the Fifth Rank had its perks—at least he didn’t have to wake up at midnight for court.

With this thought, he continued to look at the Longxiang Guards. “How did he try to kill himself? When he was brought in, wasn’t he stripped of everything? No tools, so he couldn’t cut his throat or hang himself. It couldn’t be tongue-biting or head-bashing either. Was it poisoning?”

It couldn’t have been head-bashing or tongue-biting because Kou Yuanwu, lying on the ground like a sack of mud, would have had to bash his head repeatedly against the wall to kill himself, and the guards would have noticed long before the Longxiang Guards intervened.

As for tongue-biting, that was even more impossible.

With his scientific knowledge, Gu Siyuan knew that, barring an accident, a person couldn’t bite their tongue hard enough to reach a fatal artery; even if they somehow managed to bite it off, the capillary bleeding wouldn’t be enough to cause death. The chances of choking on their own blood were less than one percent.

The Longxiang Guards bowed and reported, “Master Gu, you guessed correctly, it was poisoning. When we snatched the poison from him, we immediately had the prison’s imperial physician examine it. It was Crane’s Crown Red, a deadly poison.”

“Crane’s Crown Red?” Gu Siyuan glanced at them. “Who had contact with him after I left yesterday? Bring them all here, every single one. If they can’t be brought, go search their houses immediately.”

After speaking, he and Deputy Minister Qin Huai sat down.

Gu Siyuan looked at Kou Yuanwu, sprawled on the ground like mud, and said coldly, “General Kou is truly a character, daring to swallow Crane’s Crown Red so casually.”

Qin Huai was also filled with regret. “As the saying goes, ‘Better a bad life than a good death.’ Why did General Kou resort to this? It would have been better to confess early and earn merits for his crimes.”

However, Kou Yuanwu did not glare or curse at them as he did yesterday. Instead, his expression was inscrutable, with a faint trace of lingering fear.

When he heard Qin Huai’s words, a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.

Gu Siyuan squinted his eyes and immediately took advantage of the situation. “Since General Kou has not come to his senses after a night and is even more unreasonable, there’s no need to hold back. Let him truly taste the Crane’s Crown Red, shall we?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Huai and the others were stunned and hurriedly tried to dissuade him. “Master Gu, please don’t be impulsive. Crane’s Crown Red is deadly. We can’t let a major criminal like Kou Yuanwu die so easily…”

They had come to understand Gu Siyuan over the past day. Despite his young age, he was ruthless and showed no mercy or false kindness.

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged as he said indifferently, “It takes two quarters of an hour to die.”

“…” Qin Huai.

But it still leads to death, what’s the difference?

Gu Siyuan ignored them and waved his hand. “Open his mouth.”

Two guards immediately took action.

Kou Yuanwu began to struggle violently, completely unlike someone who had left a suicide note and was ready to die.

Seeing this, Qin Huai and the others frowned and exchanged glances, suppressing their urge to intervene.

They were no fools after years of navigating the officialdom.

“He wanted to commit suicide before, but now that Master Gu is willing to grant his wish, why is he unwilling?”

“His thoughts change quickly.”

“Hmph, there must be some trick in between.”

Gu Siyuan squinted his eyes. “I once read in a collection of anecdotes that those who have experienced the terror of death once are more afraid of it than the average person.”

Qin Huai and the others looked at him, half-believing. “Master Gu truly deserves his title as the top scholar, well-read indeed.”

Hearing their casual conversation, Kou Yuanwu, who thought they had completely disregarded his life, went mad with struggle, shouting, “Gu Siyuan, you can’t kill me. Do you want to silence me?”

“Gu Siyuan, I know you have connections with the Wang family, and you’re close friends with Wang Xu. Do you want to silence me?”

Gu Siyuan lazily raised his eyes to look at him and said coldly, “Why would I silence you? I’m fulfilling your wish, aren’t I? Besides, there are three other officials here. How could I be so blatant if I wanted to silence you?”

Kou Yuanwu stared at him, confidently saying, “My suicide was out of loyalty, but killing me would be an act of betrayal.”

Gu Siyuan’s eyes lit up. “So you admit that you were instructed by the Wang family to commit the crime of selling military equipment?”

“…” Kou Yuanwu was momentarily at a loss for words.

Why does this person never play by the rules? Although he wanted to admit it was true, it wasn’t enough. His insistence on loyalty made his confession more valuable. Admitting too early would diminish its impact.

“Ungrateful.” Seeing him fall silent again, Gu Siyuan suddenly sneered, signaling the guard beside him. “Bring a wooden rod about this thick.”

Moments later, the jailers returned, bringing with them all the necessary items from the Ministry of Justice’s prison.

Gu Siyuan stared at Kou Yuanwu, his voice chillingly calm, “Shove that stick into his mouth, as deep as it can go.”

“…” Qin Huai and the others swallowed hard, feeling their throats and stomachs begin to ache.

The next moment, Kou Yuanwu’s eyes widened, and he began to make muffled sounds: “Mmm… ah ah…”

His body twisted like a pretzel in a frenzied attempt to escape, but the iron grip of the two jailers held him fast.

Qin Huai curiously asked Gu Siyuan, “Didn’t Lord Gu say to give him arsenic?”

Gu Siyuan replied to Qin Huai, “I said to let him taste the effects of arsenic. According to medical texts I’ve read, after ingesting arsenic, the throat burns, followed by nausea and stomach pain, then vomiting until only bile is left. I imagine the effect is similar to eating a stick…”

“…” Qin Huai and the others exchanged glances.

You’re really clever!

Several minutes later, Kou Yuanwu had already rolled his eyes back.

Gu Siyuan waved his hand, signaling the jailers to stop.

The moment the stick was removed, Kou Yuanwu gasped for air, then clutched his stomach and started vomiting, spewing out everything he had eaten in the past few days until only bile remained.

Qin Huai and the others instinctively exchanged looks. It seemed Gu Siyuan’s description was accurate, and they quickly turned their heads away.

“…”

Tsk, after just two days with Gu Siyuan, they were starting to become just as twisted.

Gu Siyuan, oblivious to the old men’s mental turmoil, looked down at the kneeling Kou Yuanwu and sneered, “General Kou, I’m disappointed. You couldn’t even last half a cup of tea. Real arsenic would take at least a quarter of an hour.”

Kou Yuanwu barely raised his head, glaring at Gu Siyuan with eyes burning with rage, as if he wanted to tear him apart.

Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow, “What, want more? I’m happy to oblige!”

Kou Yuanwu looked at Gu Siyuan like he was a demon.

After a long while, he rubbed his cheek and clutched his stomach, almost hysterical, “Lord Gu, what exactly do you want from me?”

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged, his voice calm, “The process of colluding with those behind the scenes, and the location of the hidden weapons.”

Kou Yuanwu shook his head, panting, “I haven’t colluded with anyone, I… don’t know where the weapons are.”

“Don’t know…” Gu Siyuan stood up, a faint smile on his face, and slowly walked to his side.

The next instant, he suddenly kicked him hard, his voice icy, “Useless scum, if you know nothing, what good are you?”

Kou Yuanwu collapsed on the ground, vomiting uncontrollably again.

Qin Huai and the others were startled by Gu Siyuan’s sudden outburst.

This young man was really unpredictable.

At that moment, two members of the Longxiang Guards entered, announcing loudly, “Lords, we found them.”

Gu Siyuan’s expression softened slightly, and he nodded, “Bring them up.”

Qin Huai and the others also smiled. It seemed they were getting somewhere.

The Longxiang Guards escorted three people in, a man, a woman, and a three or four-year-old child.

Seeing the newcomers, Kou Yuanwu, lying on the ground, couldn’t help but widen his eyes, “Lady Zhan, Bao’er, and Mr. Huang…”

Gu Siyuan looked down at him, sneering, “What, General Kou recognizes this family?”

Kou Yuanwu didn’t deny it but instead asked with wide eyes, “Family?”

The Longxiang Guard who brought them in said, “When I found them, this family was at the canal port in Tongzhou, about to board a boat to Jiangnan.”

Gu Siyuan stepped on his cheek, forcing him to look at the three, his voice calm, “Isn’t it? The child looks just like his father.”

Kou Yuanwu stared at Bao’er and Mr. Huang, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, muttering, “Impossible… impossible…”

At that moment, the child, seemingly frightened by the scene, ran over and hugged Mr. Huang’s leg, crying, “Daddy… Daddy, let’s go…”

Mr. Huang’s face turned ugly, realizing that years of planning were likely to be in vain.

He hadn’t expected to be found by the Longxiang Guards, and that Kou Yuanwu would still be alive.

Kou Yuanwu’s expression turned terrifying.

“Lady Zhan, you betrayed me!”

According to the original plan, Lady Zhan was supposed to wait with the child at a farm in Tongzhou. After taking the fake death pill, Kou Yuanwu would wake up in seven days. Then, they would disguise themselves and leave the capital, returning only when the Fourth Prince ascended the throne.

But now, the fake death pill had become arsenic, and the child wasn’t his.

Kou Yuanwu’s eyes turned blood red, almost bleeding, “You dare deceive me, you will pay for this… ah!”

…

Masuo Alley.

In an unremarkable small courtyard, two symmetrically planted camphor trees stood.

Although the foliage was not lush, it provided some shade from the scorching summer sun, making it more bearable than standing under the blazing sun.

At this moment, under the tree on the left, Gu Zhen looked at the person in front of him, his expression extremely complicated, “I didn’t expect that from such an early stage, everything was under his nose?”

Hearing this, Xie Changyue felt proud, wanting to praise his husband but realizing it wasn’t the right time.

He kept a cold expression, saying to Gu Zhen, “Fortunately, we knew early. Otherwise, by the time the Gu family was dragged to hell by you, everyone would still be dreaming.”

Gu Zhen gritted his teeth unwillingly, “Dragged to hell? Perhaps we would have soared to the heavens instead?”

Xie Changyue sneered, “Before today, you might have thought so. Now, if you still think that, you’re just foolish.”

Gu Zhen’s face turned pale.

After a while, he blinked, looking at Xie Changyue, “You came to me specifically at this time, saying all this; what do you want me to do?”

Xie Changyue’s expression was indifferent as he spoke each word slowly, “I want you to go to the Ministry of Justice and report Shen Changhuan and Xiao Jingchuan.”

Gu Zhen was stunned, then shook his head resolutely and said, “Impossible, I cannot do that to Changhuan.”

Xie Changyue narrowed his eyes at him, a mocking smile curling his lips, “You can’t do this to Shen Changhuan, but you can do it to the Gu family, to your parents, to your grandparents. You know, this is a crime of treason, which will implicate nine generations.”

Gu Zhen’s face turned ashen.

At first, he hadn’t been involved in the private soldiers matter at all, but as time went on, he wasn’t a fool. Naturally, he knew what Shen Changhuan was doing. But from a young age, he was used to protecting Shen Changhuan. Even with such a heinous crime, his first thought was to hide it, to prevent anyone from knowing, and to keep Shen Changhuan from trouble.

Later, as Gu Siyuan became more outstanding and dazzling, Gu Zhen gradually realized that this could be a shortcut to close the gap between him and Gu Siyuan, and he began to pay attention proactively.

Gu Zhen looked up at Xie Changyue and laughed loudly, “Yes, implicating nine generations. You and Gu Yang are also among my nine generations, so would he let this matter be exposed? He claims it’s for the Gu family, but isn’t it just for Gu Yang’s future?”

Xie Changyue’s expression remained unchanged, “My husband has always kept an eye on you, knowing you were never truly involved; you just failed to report it. Of course, this is also a serious crime. Perhaps my husband would indeed lose his future because of you, but maybe he wouldn’t. After all, the family is separated, and His Majesty has always favored him. But your parents, grandparents, they would definitely be implicated and exiled…”

Gu Zhen glared at him angrily, “You’re threatening me. Don’t forget, they are also Gu Yang’s family.”

Xie Changyue smiled, “Family? To be honest, I don’t care about their lives. Ever since I married into the Gu family, they have treated me poorly and unfairly toward my husband. Especially… I particularly dislike your mother. She is annoying, loves to take advantage of others, has a sharp tongue, and always bullies my father.”

Gu Zhen squinted at him, “At this moment, is it meaningful to slander my mother?”

Xie Changyue playfully blinked, “How is it slander if it’s the truth? Don’t lie to me. When my husband exposed that Shen Changhuan didn’t want to marry you because of your mother, didn’t you also secretly resent her? If, when Shen Changhuan was still a farmer’s son, your mother hadn’t been so snobbish and treated him better, you might have had a chance with Shen Changhuan. You must have thought this way, right?”

Gu Zhen was silent, not answering.

Because it was true.

Xie Changyue ignored his reaction and continued, “But even so, even if she is terrible in the eyes of others, you can’t truly hate her. Because you know, no matter how selfish she is, how harsh she is to the world, she is selfless to you, to Gu Zhen… Li Xiangtao is selfless to Gu Zhen.”

Gu Zhen closed his eyes, his whole body trembling violently as if he might collapse at any moment.

He kept retreating until he leaned against the sturdy tree trunk to barely stand.

Xie Changyue looked at him and calmly asked, “So, Gu Zhen, are you going to watch her die because of you? Just die like this?”

No one knew how much time passed.

Gu Zhen sat on a stool, looking at Xie Changyue, his face ashen, “Everything was calculated by him.”

Xie Changyue said indifferently, “My husband has already investigated everything. Even if you don’t report it, Shen Changhuan’s fate is sealed. But the fate of your parents and grandparents can be changed by you.”

Gu Zhen admitted he had been persuaded.

He looked at Xie Changyue and said one last thing, “Gu Siyuan is lucky to have swapped marriages with me and married you.”

Xie Changyue stood up and walked out. Hearing this, his eyes twinkled slightly, “Feelings are precious because of cherishing. Don’t belittle others’ feelings, and don’t belittle your own. Your attitude towards feelings… tsk!”

“…” Gu Zhen.

So harsh.

But… perhaps he was right.

Gu Zhen sighed deeply, reaching out to touch the rough bark of the camphor tree.

Da Zhou Imperial Palace, Qinzheng Hall.

Today, during the morning court, the chief officers of the Three Judicial Offices reported the interrogation results from the previous day to Emperor Yongjia, mentioning that one of the masterminds was Kou Yuanwu.

So, Minister Wang had already taken off his official hat in court today and gone home to reflect on his actions.

After the court session, Emperor Yongjia immediately summoned several princes.

He first looked coldly at the Fifth Prince below and said, “Kou Yuanwu is your brother-in-law, right? He was chosen by your uncle, wasn’t he…”

Facing this sudden disaster, the Fifth Prince stood straight, but his usually gentle voice revealed some unease, “Father, I dare not deny my relationship with Kou Yuanwu, but regarding the case of selling military equipment, I swear on my life, I had no part in it.”

At this moment, news from the Ministry of Justice’s prison came in.

“Kou Yuanwu committed suicide.”

Emperor Yongjia’s face instantly turned extremely ugly. He picked up the teacup on the dragon desk and smashed it, “You still dare to swear on your life, huh? Now he has already sworn for you. Do you know whom he committed suicide to protect…”

“Father, I am innocent, but I am truly wronged!” The Fifth Prince’s usually gentle face showed rare signs of cracking.

Kou Yuanwu actually committed suicide…

Everyone knew that the Wang family had been deeply kind to Kou Yuanwu, and Kou Yuanwu was a grateful person. If he committed suicide to protect the Wang family, it would be perfectly reasonable.

The Fourth Prince lowered his head, a barely perceptible smile curling his lips.

Sometimes, saying nothing after death is even more effective than speaking directly.

The Crown Prince also couldn’t help showing a bit of schadenfreude. The Fifth Prince had made a major misstep!

Emperor Yongjia pointed at the Fifth Prince and said, “Of course, you have no defense. You still have the nerve to argue about what you’ve done. Now, honestly confess everything, and I might consider sparing your life, sparing your mother’s life!”

Hearing such stern words, the Fifth Prince’s face changed drastically, “Father…”

At this moment, an announcement came from outside the hall.

“Your Majesty, Deputy Minister Qin, Imperial Lecturer Gu, and General Song have entered the palace.”

“Let them in,” Emperor Yongjia squinted. Yesterday, Gu Siyuan had uncovered Kou Yuanwu; today, the final results and evidence, perhaps even the location of the military equipment, might be revealed.

Deputy Minister Qin led the group, with Gu Siyuan at the end. The five of them walked in without glancing sideways, bowed together, and saluted, “Your Majesty.”

Emperor Yongjia looked directly at Gu Siyuan and asked, “Siyuan, has there been any progress in the case?”

Gu Siyuan nodded, “Yes, I need Your Majesty’s permission to arrest someone.”

Emperor Yongjia frowned, “I granted you the golden token to act with discretion. Do you still need my approval to arrest someone…”

Gu Siyuan raised his head and said calmly, “Because it involves the palace and Your Majesty’s safety, I need Your Majesty’s consent. I request to arrest Xiao Jingchuan, the Langjiang of the Imperial Guard.”

Emperor Yongjia’s eyes widened.

The Imperial Guard was one of his four close guards, responsible for the palace’s safety and among the closest people to him.

He was very familiar with Xiao Jingchuan, the eldest son of the General of the South and the disciple of Ji Hao, the commander of the Imperial Guard. Xiao Jingchuan had always been responsible for the security around Qinzheng Hall, and Emperor Yongjia trusted him deeply.

Recently, after recovering from illness, Emperor Yongjia had felt uncomfortable about Xiao Jingchuan being the Fourth Prince’s study companion and moved him away, not wanting anyone too close from the princes.

Unexpectedly, his intuition had been correct.

If the Imperial Guard was involved in the military equipment smuggling case, his safety would be hanging by a thread.

Emperor Yongjia immediately became furious, “Arrest him, arrest him immediately, and bring him directly to me.”

“Yes.” Gu Siyuan nodded and said to Song Qi beside him, “Please have the Longxiang Guard go.”

Song Qi responded and left without hesitation.

The Fourth Prince’s expression changed slightly. Since Kou Yuanwu had died, how did the Ministry of Justice trace it back to Jingchuan? What went wrong…

Emperor Yongjia looked at his fourth son with suspicion. Compared to the naturally advantaged Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince with his powerful maternal family, the Fourth Prince was usually very low-key, and Emperor Yongjia rarely paid attention to him.

But after constantly setting traps, he had been caught in one himself.

He frowned and directly asked, “Fourth, was Jingchuan your study companion?”

“Yes, but… Jingchuan is part of the Imperial Guard. How could he be involved in the military equipment smuggling case with the Shenwu Guard…” The Fourth Prince immediately kowtowed repeatedly, then looked at Gu Siyuan and asked naively, “Imperial Lecturer Gu, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?”

Gu Siyuan glanced sideways at the Fourth Prince indifferently, “Since the Fourth Prince has doubts about me, I will remain silent. Deputy Minister Qin and others are here; let them explain to the prince.”

Emperor Yongjia was too impatient to care about these trivial matters now. He looked directly at Qin Huai and said, “Minister Qin, you explain how the Imperial Guard got involved…”

Qin Huai immediately stepped forward and said, “This was revealed by Kou Yuanwu.”

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongjia furrowed his eyebrows, his gaze icy, thinking these people were using a dead man as a scapegoat.

“Kou Yuanwu… didn’t he commit suicide?”

Qin Huai reported again, “Yes, but thanks to Your Majesty’s Longxiang Guard, who were secretly guarding him, they intercepted him in time.”

Emperor Yongjia stood up suddenly and said, “So, he’s not dead.”

“Yes.” Qin Huai nodded.

The Fifth Prince sighed in relief.

The Fourth Prince clenched his fingers tightly in his wide sleeves.

Emperor Yongjia squinted, “He was willing to commit suicide to protect the person behind him. How could he confess immediately after being saved?”

Speaking of this, Qin Huai still found it incredible.

However, he still needed to answer.

He sighed, “This matter is quite convoluted. Kou Yuanwu didn’t actually commit suicide; he was trying to feign death.”

Hearing this, the Fourth Prince slowly lowered his head, knowing he was exposed.

“Feign death?” Emperor Yongjia felt like he was hearing a fantastical story.

Qin Huai nodded and continued, “Yes, according to Kou Yuanwu, before Your Majesty investigated the Shenwu Guards, he had already discussed with the person behind the scenes. After entering the Ministry of Justice’s prison, he would resist for a day to show loyalty, then leave a blood letter the next morning admitting everything and feign death. This way, all the blame would fall on Minister Wang and the Fifth Prince.”

“After taking the feign death drug, although the symptoms would resemble death, it would preserve life for seven days. When everyone’s attention was focused on the Fifth Prince, the person behind the scenes would secretly replace the body, allowing him to escape.”

“But due to Imperial Lecturer Gu’s prior arrangements, when Kou Yuanwu took the feign death drug, the Longxiang Guard intercepted him. Later, the imperial physicians discovered it wasn’t a feign death drug but deadly poison. Realizing the person behind the scenes had betrayed him, intending to silence him, he actively confessed.”

Emperor Yongjia rubbed his forehead and furrowed his brows, “What did he confess?”

Qin Huai continued, “Kou Yuanwu stated that all of this was under the instructions of the Fourth Prince, and the person he liaised with was Xiao Jingchuan.”

The Fourth Prince immediately knelt and kowtowed, “Father, please see clearly. How could I do such a thing? Kou Yuanwu is the Fifth Prince’s cousin. How could he take orders from me to frame the Fifth Prince?”

Emperor Yongjia also frowned. The story seemed plausible, but what was the motive?

He looked at Qin Huai and said, “Minister Qin, everyone knows Kou Yuanwu’s close relationship with the Wang family. What you say is hard to believe.”

Gu Siyuan thought: Human psychology cannot be simply explained by thin familial ties, especially such distant relations.

Qin Huai began to explain patiently.

Kou Yuanwu was originally from an aristocratic family. His father had considerable military talent and followed the governor of Liangjiang to guard against Japanese pirates along the southeast coast.

About ten years ago, when Minister Wang was still serving as a councillor in Zhejiang, they had a good relationship. Coincidentally, their children were of suitable age, so they arranged a marriage.

Later, when the Japanese pirates invaded, the Governor of Liangjiang commanded poorly. Not only did he suffer a major defeat, but he also cowardly retreated early before the reinforcements arrived, resulting in the massacre of several villages and the slaughter of innocent civilians.

All the military officers in Zhejiang were escorted back to the capital for trial. Those found guilty were either beheaded, exiled, or stripped of their positions. Kou Yuanwu’s father was exiled to Lingnan, leading to the downfall of the Kou family.

However, the Wang family has always had a reputation for integrity. Even though the Kou family had fallen, the arranged marriage between their children still proceeded as planned. After the marriage, Kou Yuanwu was also arranged to serve in the Shenwu Guard.

This act was widely praised as a gesture of righteousness by the Wang family.

Initially, Kou Yuanwu was very grateful to the Wang family, but over time, as he heard more gossip and rumors, his feelings changed. All the kindness from the Wang family began to feel like charity and humiliation to him.

He also became very dissatisfied with his wife, Wang Shi.

However, he knew that everything he had was because of the Wang family, and he couldn’t afford to offend them. So, outwardly, he became even more respectful to the Wang family and very caring and loving toward his wife, Wang Shi.

Even though Wang Shi remained childless for several years after their marriage, he did not take any concubines.

The Wang family was very pleased with Kou Yuanwu’s behavior and even felt a bit guilty towards him. As a result, they began to compensate him in other ways. Coupled with Kou Yuanwu’s own ambition and determination to climb the ranks, he quickly rose from a mere seventh-rank officer to a fourth-rank lieutenant general, becoming one of the key figures in the Shenwu Guard.

By this point, Kou Yuanwu had established his own power base.

He secretly kept a mistress and had a son with her. Moreover, he gradually began to plot revenge against the Wang family in conjunction with the Fourth Prince.