Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 75 pt. 1

The vast Ganming Hall was exceptionally cold. However, Emperor Yu felt that none of it could compare to the icy chill coursing through his body.  

“Your Majesty, you must take care of your health!” Eunuch Sun supported him as he slowly sat up, his face full of worry as he advised him.  

Emperor Yu’s chest rose and fell heavily, his brows tightly furrowed into a knot. He once again opened General Zhao’s secret letter and carefully read through it.  

It turned out that the reason Jin Kingdom had sent troops was under the pretext that Yu Kingdom had shamelessly altered the household records of Jin Kingdom’s Ninth Prince and forcibly kept him in Yu Kingdom as a consort.  

Jin Kingdom’s Ninth Prince—Gu Yun.  

“They call me shameless?!” Emperor Yu was so enraged that he nearly fainted again. He was already astounded by the Jin Emperor’s ability to distort the truth.  

Back when the Jin Emperor sent Gu Yun over as a hostage, he never inquired about him again. Even when Gu Yun was chosen as the prince consort for Jia Ning, Emperor Yu had specially sent a letter to Jin Kingdom to inform them of this matter.  

Yet, the Jin Emperor had shown no concern at all, not even bothering to send a reply!  

Later, when Gu Yun requested to be granted the identity of a Yu Kingdom citizen, Emperor Yu had also sent envoys to Jin Kingdom to explain the situation. At that time, the Jin Emperor had been just as indifferent!  

So this was what he had been waiting for! Using this matter as an excuse, he could now “legitimately” dispatch troops—how utterly shameless!  

But no matter how furious he was, there was nothing he could do about it. Emperor Yu could only set aside his anger for the time being and summoned several high-ranking officials overnight to discuss the matter.  

The ministers argued throughout the entire night in Ganming Hall, only barely coming up with a plan that could not even be considered a true countermeasure.  

“…The fact that Yun and Jin Kingdoms have dispatched troops simultaneously proves that they had already conspired beforehand. No matter what caused them to become allies, it undoubtedly revolves around one thing—profit.”  

“But at least Jin Kingdom still cares about appearances; they know they need to use the Seventh Prince Consort as a pretext to justify their actions…”  

“If they can use the Seventh Prince Consort’s name, then so can we.”  

Upon hearing these words, Emperor Yu’s expression eased considerably.  

“So, according to your suggestion, we should negotiate with Jin Kingdom in the name of Prince Jinping?”  

The elderly Grand Secretary of the Cabinet nodded and continued, “Once war breaks out, it is ultimately the common people who suffer. Moreover, the northwest has already lost three cities to Yun Kingdom. Therefore… we must not fight Jin Kingdom any further.”  

War required both manpower and resources. With only half the needed troops stationed at the borders and a temporary shortage of supplies, it would be best to avoid conflict with Jin Kingdom if possible.  

By the latter half of the night, after much persuasion from his ministers, Emperor Yu had made up his mind.  

After selecting the general who would lead the battle against Yun Kingdom in the northwest, he gestured toward Eunuch Sun, who had been waiting quietly by the side.  

“Your Majesty?” Eunuch Sun bent forward and approached Emperor Yu.  

After hearing Emperor Yu’s hushed instructions, he wore a solemn expression and immediately accepted the order.

—

Tonight, there was no bright moonlight. The heavy night enveloped everything in silence.  

In the main courtyard of the Seventh Princess’s residence, Gu Yun and Jiang Libai, who were still asleep, were awakened by knocking at the door.  

“I’ll go see what’s going on.”  

Jiang Libai groggily sat up, allowing Gu Yun to pick up the robe at the foot of the bed and dress her. Then, pressing down on Gu Yun’s arm for support, she slowly got up. After carefully tucking in the bed’s gauze curtain, she gradually became more awake.  

Exiting the inner chamber, she opened the door to the main courtyard.  

The night outside had yet to fade, and everything around seemed to still be asleep. The silence was only broken by the sound of the wind howling past.  

At the door, Chunxi stepped aside the moment the door opened, revealing the person standing behind her.  

“Princess, Eunuch Sun has arrived.”  

Chunxi’s voice was very light, almost lost in the wind. But Jiang Libai, who had just woken up, heard it clearly.  

Her eyes widened as she looked at the figure wearing a black veil hat, clearly surprised.  

“Eunuch Sun?”  

The person removed the veil hat, revealing a face full of deep wrinkles and a gentle gaze—it was none other than the Grand Chamberlain of the Imperial Household, Eunuch Sun.  

“May I ask why Eunuch Sun has left the palace so late at night? Is there something urgent from the Emperor?”  

Jiang Libai’s heart skipped a beat, and worry began to spread through her chest.  

Eunuch Sun did not beat around the bush. After glancing at the main courtyard behind Jiang Libai, he spoke in a low voice.  

“His Majesty has sent me to see the Prince Consort.”  

Upon hearing this, Jiang Libai’s heart pounded even faster.  

Eunuch Sun was not here for her, but for Gu Yun?!  

Could it be that her father had already discovered that Gu Yun was never actually poisoned and had been pretending to be ill all along???  

“But Gu Yun has not woken up all this time…”  

Jiang Libai cautiously tested Eunuch Sun’s attitude, but he seemed completely unconcerned.  

Pressing her lips together, she no longer blocked his way and instead instructed Chunxi to take Eunuch Sun to the study in the main courtyard.  

Watching Eunuch Sun’s departing figure, Jiang Libai felt as if something had already surpassed her understanding.  

She turned back into the room, only to see Gu Yun already fully dressed and sitting at the edge of the bed.  

She hurried over.  

“You heard everything?”  

Gu Yun took her hand and gently hummed in acknowledgment.  

“If the Emperor is seeking me so urgently in the middle of the night, he likely already knows that I was never poisoned.”  

“I’m worried…”  

Jiang Libai’s hands and feet felt cold with anxiety.  

These were tumultuous times. She had no idea what her father intended by summoning Gu Yun like this.  

Gu Yun shook her head and comforted her with a smile.  

“Perhaps it’s merely because of his fondness for you, and by extension, some care for me as well. Actually, His Majesty has always treated me quite well, so you don’t need to worry too much. I will go see Eunuch Sun first, and if anything happens, we will discuss it together.”  

With that, Jiang Libai could only suppress her overwhelming unease and leave the room together with Gu Yun.  

Upon entering the study, however, Eunuch Sun hesitated as he looked at Jiang Libai.  

She immediately understood his meaning.  

Her expression darkened slightly as she lowered her voice.  

“What matter is so secret that it must be kept even from me?”  

Eunuch Sun could only lower his head and reply truthfully.  

“His Majesty’s order is that, until the matter is confirmed, only the Prince Consort may know of it.”  

Hearing this, Jiang Libai closed her eyes briefly before turning on her heel and striding toward the door.  

At the moment she opened it, she glanced back at Gu Yun, her eyes filled with deep, unshakable worry.  

Feeling the intensity of her gaze, Gu Yun looked up and gave her a gentle smile.  

It was a faint smile, yet it was like the bright stars in the sky, falling softly into Jiang Libai’s heart and easing some of her unease.  

As the door closed, only Gu Yun and Eunuch Sun remained in the room.  

After a brief moment of silence, Eunuch Sun finally spoke.  

“Prince Consort, is your health any better?”  

Gu Yun had no interest in wasting time on such pleasantries. This kind of opening remark was not suitable for them.  

“Since His Majesty has already sent you here, I assume you are aware of my true condition.”  

She raised a hand slightly, gesturing for Eunuch Sun to sit, then seated herself behind the desk.  

As her fingertips lightly tapped against the tabletop, she lowered her voice.  

“So, whatever it is, you may speak directly.”

Seeing Gu Yun’s straightforward attitude, Eunuch Sun no longer beat around the bush and directly relayed the Emperor of Yu’s instructions in full.  

“…Now that Yu and Jin are connected by marriage, His Majesty does not wish to engage in conflict with Jin. After all, in the end, besides the suffering of the border citizens, you, Prince Consort, caught in the middle, would not have an easy time either…”  

“…His Majesty’s intention is to negotiate peace with Jin, and you, Prince Consort, are the best candidate to serve as the envoy.”  

Listening to Eunuch Sun’s long-winded explanation, Gu Yun immediately understood the Emperor’s plan.  

An envoy for peace talks?  

If negotiations were successful, she would be credited as a meritorious diplomat. But if they failed, she would become a hostage that could be used to threaten Jin.  

She had to admit, the Emperor of Yu’s method might actually work against Jin.  

These thoughts flashed through her mind, and she felt a moment of self-mockery—she wasn’t sure whether she should feel sorry for the original owner of this body or for herself, who had now taken their place.  

Neither Jin nor Yu was her home.  

Gu Yun sighed inwardly. Fortunately, she had traveled through time into this world, so she had no true attachment to either nation.  

For her, wherever the Seventh Princess was—that was home.  

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat strange.  

Seeing that the Seventh Prince Consort remained silent, her face partially hidden in the shadows, Eunuch Sun grew worried that she might reject the arrangement.  

“Prince Consort, do you still remember why you were not poisoned while imprisoned by the Ministry of Justice?”  

Eunuch Sun decided to use emotional reasoning to persuade her.  

Hearing this, Gu Yun’s gaze darkened in an instant.  

She had not been poisoned simply because, after taking a few bites of the food, she noticed something was off and stopped eating—wasn’t that all there was to it?  

But judging from Eunuch Sun’s words, was there something more she didn’t know?  

“Because of the Princess Jia Ning, His Majesty has shown you particular care. But previously, someone accused you of colluding with Jin, and even though His Majesty did not believe it, he still had to hand you over to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to quell public criticism…”  

“His Majesty knew you were imprisoned in the secret dungeon, and he secretly sent imperial guards to protect you. The day you were poisoned, it was those guards who switched the poisoned food in advance, saving your life…”  

“So the food you ate that day actually only contained a small amount of a special sedative to mislead others…”  

Eunuch Sun finished speaking, hoping that the Seventh Prince Consort would acknowledge the Emperor’s sincerity and agree to travel to the border for the negotiations, alleviating the crisis in Yu.