The bright palace lanterns stood in the cold wind.

The ministers who had been tormented in the palace for a whole day from day to day, until this time each wiped the cold sweat on their foreheads, dragged their tired bodies, and withdrew from the south study room full of worries.

Gu Juefei was the last to leave.

Suddenly, such a big thing happened, and the rebel was the general Xue Kuang, who had a high reputation among the people. First, he had the people's heart and secondly, he had the ability. If he really committed the rebellion, it would definitely become a serious problem for the royal family's confidant.

Baoding is too close to the capital.

Faced with a threat almost right under your nose, who can sit still? So the emperor kept him and asked a few more questions.

I just don't know if it was his delusion, but he always felt that Xiao Che was a little restless when he came back from a little meal in the afternoon.

Gu Juefei used to be Xiao Che's companion, and he knew him well.

The "incompetence" written in Xue Kuang's letter may be exaggerated, but it is by no means groundless: the emperor who is currently on the throne is ordinary in all aspects, and there is nothing wrong with him, nor any ability.

But other things mentioned in the oath...

People came down from the high steps and saw the darkness of the nine-layered palace. They couldn't hide the hurried palace people standing under the corridor, like duckweed floating in the wind and rain.

Gu Juefei's brows furrowed quietly.

It was already deep into the night, and he was more concerned about what was going on in the Grand Master's Mansion than discussing how to deal with Xue Kuang's rebellion in the palace.

After all, every word that Xue Kuang mentioned in the letter, especially the words related to the old lady, even when he saw it, he felt a chill in his heart. Gu Chengqian, who had trusted him so much, should be How are you feeling?

As for the authenticity, it cannot be investigated now.

One is that Xiao Che is in power, and the secrets of the royal family are not easy to inquire about;

But there is no doubt that Xue Kuang's letter is sinister.

Although the floods and droughts of that year were not caused by Xue Kuang, the treasury had no silver, so it was difficult to provide relief. Although Xiao Che’s scheduling was a mess, it was ultimately due to the border maintenance war that the treasury was severely depleted.

As for the fact that he was slandered by him back then, it is even more nonsense!

Therefore, this afternoon, the real "repudiation letter", which was discussed and concluded by the adults here in the court, has been posted outside the capital, and the mobilization of troops has also been completed by Liu Jin and Fang Shaoxing.

It is strange to say that in this rebellion, Xue Kuang used all his old divisions, but Liu Jin, the Admiral of the Nine Sects, was excluded. So much so that everyone in the court now looks at Liu Jin with special dread, fearing that he is Xue Kuang'an's hidden nail in the court, and Xiao Che has even expressed his doubts to Gu Juefei in private.

Gu Juefei didn't care.

If he were Xue Kuang, he would not choose Liu Jin if he wanted to rebel.

After the battle of Hanshan Pass, Liu Jin returned to the capital and enjoyed a high-ranking official salary. It is not that this person is greedy for enjoyment, but the world is peaceful, and it is a good thing not to fight.

Go and Liu Jin, who has his own judgment of right and wrong, I am afraid that he may not agree with Xue Kuang.

Therefore, Xue Kuang suddenly rebelled. Liu Jin neither knew about it nor participated in it, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

It's just that others may not see Gu Juefei as transparent as Gu Juefei, and many people in the court today criticized him.

When he left first, Liu Jin's face was very ugly.

Gu Juefei was afraid of depression in his heart, and said two words to him, afraid that this general would be pushed out by his own people at the critical moment.

He doesn't know if Liu Jinling appreciates it or not, but he has done his best.

Gu Juefei thought about everything that happened today from front to back, and before he knew it, he had already walked outside the palace gate, and saw the quiet capital in the dark at the moment.

I don't know why, but it reminds me of the past.

It was the early summer of the seventh year of Qing'an. After the palace test, he was ranked third and became the youngest third overall in the history of Daxia.

So he rode a royal horse and traveled the long street.

The streets were full of jubilant crowds, and every face I saw had the most vivid expression, even Gu Chengqian was smiling at that time.

After years of ups and downs in the court, this authoritative assistant minister has long practiced a kung fu in which his emotions and anger are indistinguishable. Most of the time, the expression on his face was indistinguishable.

But that day-

Facing the grand congratulations and compliments from his colleagues, for the first time his face showed the kind of sincere comfort and joy as a father.

only……

Then, why did it change?

Gu Juefei remembered it all too clearly. After just over a month, he and Gu Chengqian completely fell out. Since then, the father looked at him with only sadness and hatred in his eyes.

How many years have passed?

Fingers crossed, it's been a little ten years.

When he was standing in the Golden Palace and the South Study Room, he didn't feel anything yet, and he felt that he could still suppress all the turbulent emotions, but when he walked out of the palace gate and saw the capital under the moonlight, everything burst out. There was a storm in the chest!

Gu Juefei borrowed a horse from the guards guarding the gate of the palace, and when he grabbed the reins and got on the horse, his hands trembled rarely.

He didn't know why the trembling came from.

Or fear, the wind is too cold today, and the blood is too hot tonight!

The crisp sound of horse hooves broke the silence and clearly swayed under the frosty white moon.

Blowing in the biting cold wind, Gu Juefei passed through too many things in his mind, but when he saw the door with the lantern hanging in the front of the Taishifu, all of them scattered, leaving only the one that was already there. The thought that has been hidden in my heart for a long, long time——

Today, he can have a good talk with his father.

All the way back, enter from the side door, the reins are only thrown to the servants who are waiting. Gu Juefei didn't even look at their appearances and expressions, and went straight to the courtyard where Gu Chengqian lived.

The night was dark.

In the cold winter, there is neither the sound of insects nor the sound of birds. But when he approached the courtyard and walked to the entrance of the courtyard, he heard a suppressed cry.

His footsteps suddenly slowed down for a single beat, but at this time he had already bypassed the courtyard wall and entered the courtyard gate, and the scene inside immediately caught his eyes.

The servant girl who served on the ground knelt on the ground.

Everyone had a look of fear and sadness on their faces, and some were crying uncontrollably.

Sitting on the steps under the corridor was Wan Baochang, the chief general of the Taishi Mansion, who had served for half his life. His old eyes were flushed, and his face was full of tears.

The door to the study was half open.

Standing beside the door was his equally pale, red-eyed wife, who seemed to have arrived here when she woke up in the middle of the night, with her hair in a bun and no makeup.

Just for a moment, Gu Juefei's head had a bang, I don't know if it was the storm that swept in his chest, which finally destroyed something, or something built in his heart collapsed violently and turned into a piece of ice. Ruined ruins...

He walked over.

He felt that he was walking very steadily, but Lu Jinxi, who was standing by the door, stretched out his hand to help him.

No, he doesn't need to.

Gu Juefei retracted his hand, even took a step back, glanced at her almost blankly, then walked past her and pushed the half-open door open—

"Squeak..."

The sound of the door shaft turning, in this suddenly desolate moonlight, was like a desperate moan when an animal was strangled by its neck, and like a sudden roar from a beast in the dark.

He listened and had a cold war.

The scene in the study, at this moment, was unreservedly and thoroughly displayed in front of him.

Bright candles shone bright red.

The blood was like a red silk on fire, flowing like a river from the front of the desk, soaking the fleece blankets in the room, turning into a shocking dark color.

Gu Chengqian was sitting on the Taishi chair behind the desk.

He seemed to be tired of reading, so he leaned against the edge of the desk to rest, the silver-white hair on the top of his head was lit by candlelight, adding a dash of yellow light.

The blood-stained sword lay at his feet, as if it had fallen unintentionally.

For a moment, Gu Juefei felt that he was about to fall, but there was such a force in the shadows that supported him and let him walk through the few steps that seemed to be close at hand, but was actually far away from life and death.

He didn't even notice the man standing in the half-dried pool of blood.

He just stretched out his hand and put his hand on Gu Chengqian's shoulder, his voice choked and hoarse: "Master Taishi..."

Gu Chengqian lay on the desk, motionless, the blood spurting from his neck had dyed the robe red, but all the warmth had faded.

Gu Juefei stood beside him.

Just like a long time ago, when he was still a child, waiting in the study, when he came back to play chess, straight and straight.

"Master Taishi, Master Taishi..."

"Xue Kuang is the opposite..."

"Father, let's talk again, shall we?"

At this moment, Lu Jinxi outside the door suddenly burst into tears.