Chapter 334: Bearing a Burden Quietly

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Gu Qingluan understood his meaning and smiled, “What blood letter?”

A flame erupted from her fingertip and landed on the blood letter.

The eunuchs holding the blood letter quickly released it.

Before the blood letter could touch the ground, it turned into ashes.

Emperor Xuanzong was very satisfied with Gu Qingluan’s tactfulness. “Summoning you to the palace today was simply to meet the youngest Saint of our Chengyuan Kingdom. Saint Qingluan, at such a young age, possessing such cultivation, is truly the pride of our Chengyuan!”

This was a way to justify why he had summoned her to the palace.

The Emperor had given her a way out, and Gu Qingluan naturally took it.

Emperor Xuanzong was even more pleased with her now.

What he disliked the most were people who acted arrogantly.

Rumors had it that Gu Qingluan was arrogant and disrespectful, but it seemed that wasn’t entirely true.

As the saying goes, “Hear with your ears, see with your eyes.”

The Crown Prince smiled and said, “Congratulations to our Royal Father for acquiring two Saints. It’s a significant reinforcement for the Chengyuan Kingdom, further enhancing our already formidable strength.”

Now, the Chengyuan Kingdom had four Saints.

Previously, there were only two, and they were overshadowed by the South Qing and Dingyang Kingdoms, which had left Emperor Xuanzong frustrated.

Now, he could finally wipe away that humiliation and stand tall.

Emperor Xuanzong laughed heartily.

Apart from him, no one could see how truly delighted he was.

Duke Dingbei and his son were feeling incredibly stifled, and Gu Zhicheng’s mood hadn’t improved either.

They had hoped that Duke Dingbei’s family could quell Gu Qingluan’s arrogance, but it turned out that this father and son were so uncooperative that they let Gu Qingluan easily pass over this matter.

Gu Qingluan had killed their close nephew and cousin!

If anything happened to the Crown Prince, the Fifth Prince was the most powerful contender for the throne.

Gu Qingluan had crushed their hopes, and they didn’t even plan to pursue it!

Gu Zhicheng felt quite exhausted.

At that moment, Emperor Xuanzong suddenly remarked, “Patriarch Gu, you’re truly fortunate to have such a wonderful daughter. Even 1 can’t help but envy you.”

Gu Zhicheng could not utter a reply.

Well, was this really good fortune? It felt more like a stroke of bad luck.

The Gu family was on the verge of being ruined by this unfilial daughter.

Emperor Xuanzong then changed the topic. “I’ve heard about the recent disagreements between you and your daughter. Frankly, it’s quite unnecessary. There shouldn’t be any lingering animosity between a father and his daughter. As a father, you should be willing to compromise when needed, show understanding when necessary, and not engage in disputes that make you a subject of ridicule!”

Gu Qingluan raised an eyebrow. It seemed that after solving Duke Dingbei’s troubles, Emperor Xuanzong was now attempting to mediate the conflict between her and the Gu family.

Why didn’t she notice before that this emperor had the potential to be a neighborhood busybody?

She couldn’t believe that Emperor Xuanzong, with all his spies and informants, didn’t know the extent of the feud between her and the Gu family. Did he really not understand?

As Emperor Xuanzong scolded, Gu Zhicheng felt a sense of frustration, bearing the suffering in silence.

But he couldn’t say anything. He certainly couldn’t reveal all of his family’s issues to the emperor. If he did, it would be a massive blow to both the Gu family and his own reputation.

On the surface, he smiled and casually agreed, trying to divert the topic.

But Emperor Xuanzong wasn’t easily fooled.

His stern gaze swept over Gu Qingluan and Gu Zhicheng. “The Gu family is the foremost noble house in Chengyuan, and now you have two Saints, solidifying the Gu family’s position. Beyond the public and private interests, this is a good thing. Neither of you should act recklessly. If the Gu family were to decline, it would bring no benefit to either of you. This is my final word; both of you should go back and think carefully.”

Gu Zhicheng straightened up. “1 humbly heed your wise words.”

The emperor’s words held truth. If he and Gu Qingluan kept on opposing each other, they’d both endure losses without any gain.

He wished this stubborn young woman would grasp the wisdom of “when one suffers, both suffer”.

He gave Gu Qingluan a meaningful look.

In response, Gu Qingluan casually smiled at him.

That smile wasn’t the gesture of reconciling differences; instead, it seemed like she was up to mischief.

Gu Zhicheng’s spine instantly went cold.

That stubborn girl, what was she up to now?