Rebirth: Return to Houfu

Chapter 1

In the winter of the 37th year of Xuanyuan, the first emperor Wei Yuan died, and the crown prince Wei Qingmo ascended the throne, changing the name of the country to Xuanqing.

In the second year of Xuanqing Dynasty, Wei Qingmo went on a personal expedition, appointed Gu Changlin, the young master of Guhou's mansion, as the deputy commander, and led an army of [-] to the frontier battlefield.

After a year and a half of bloody fighting, Wei Qingmo and Gu Changlin lived up to everyone's expectations and won a complete victory. They expelled the wolf-ambitious enemy army far from the territory of Yan State, suppressed the enemy forcefully and signed a treaty of eternal submission to Yan State.

The squadron of the Yan State Army was still heading for the night, and the bonfire was ignited, and the soldiers who were finally able to relax sat around the camp, drinking and chatting happily, so wantonly.

Gu Changlin, who was sitting alone with a cold face in the lively scene after a long absence, looked particularly out of place and conspicuous.

"Why is Changlin sitting here alone? Could it be that he misses his beautiful wife at home?" Before this battle, Wei Qingmo and Gu Changlin were not familiar with each other, they could only be called casual acquaintances.However, after a year and a half of fighting shoulder to shoulder, how many days and nights the friendship honed with blood and sweat is extraordinary, and the conversation naturally loses politeness and alienation, and becomes natural and frank.Regardless of their identities as monarchs and ministers, the two are more like brothers and friends.

"Sister." Gu Changlin was cold-tempered and always reticent.If it wasn't for Wei Qingmo who was asking the question, he wouldn't have told the truth.

"Princess Jin?" When mentioning Gu Fangyao, Wei Qingmo's smile deepened, and his tone became familiar, "Speaking of which, Princess Jin is still my savior!"

"No." Different from the gentleness in Wei Qingmo's words, Gu Changlin's voice suddenly fell, with an invisible chill of repelling people thousands of miles away.

Pausing for a moment, Gu Changlin pursed his lips and subconsciously softened his expression: "Ling'er, Chen's younger sister is Ling'er."

After finishing speaking, he realized that he was calling his younger sister's boudoir name, Gu Changlin added solemnly: "Gu Fangling, the eldest daughter of Gu Hou's mansion."

Gu Fangling?Wei Qingmo was surprised for a while, and then came back to his senses.He had forgotten that there was a former concubine's daughter who was kicked out of the house in Gu Hou's mansion, whose surname was Gu Mingfang Ling.

Gu Fangling, the sister of Gu Changlin's compatriot, was once the eldest daughter of the Marquis Gu's mansion.In comparison, Gu Fangyao, who was born to her stepmother, is of course much closer, which is understandable.

Speaking of this Gu Fangling, although Wei Qingmo had never seen it, he had heard about it.After all, Gu Fangling is a legendary figure in Yancheng, who has been famous in Yancheng since the 25th year of Xuanyuan, and is often talked about.However, it is not a good reputation.

Wei Qingmo wouldn't say much about family affairs in the nearby mansion.However, Gu Changlin, as the next head of Gu Hou's mansion, should have been a solid backer for Jin Princess Gu Fangyao, but his attitude towards Gu Fangyao seems a little cold...

Thinking about this, Wei Qingmo couldn't help making plans for Gu Fangyao, and when he mentioned Gu Fangling, his tone became cold: "Madam Tanhua has been looking back at the Hou's Mansion for some time, I don't know how to plan in the future?"

"Guhou's mansion can afford Ling'er." Hearing Wei Qingmo call Gu Fangling "Mrs. Tanhua", Gu Changlin showed his displeasure, his cold eyes were stained with determination, and an awe-inspiring awe that never gave up. .

Wei Qingmo remained silent.Having known Gu Changlin for so long, Gu Changlin rarely showed his emotions, but tonight was abnormal.Even for Gu Fangling, Gu Changlin repeatedly choked with him regardless of his superiority, and made no secret of his support for Gu Fangling.This point is inconsistent with the rumors.

It is said that the relationship between Gu Changlin and Gu Fangling is not close. If Gu Fangling's situation was not too worrying, Gu Changlin would not have intervened at all, and went to Tanhua Mansion to bring Gu Fangling back to Hou Mansion...

However, Wei Qingmo had only seen Gu Changlin's appearance at this moment on the battlefield.It was a killing and ruthless aura, even he had to be afraid of it.

No matter how much Gu Changlin valued Gu Fangling, Wei Qingmo was more concerned about Gu Fangyao's status in Gu Hou's mansion: "Princess Jin is a kind person, and she saved my life when I was eight years old."

This situation once again emphasized Gu Fangyao's life-saving grace, and Wei Qingmo's intention was obvious, which was to take Gu Fangyao under his wing.It is not unlucky for Gu Fangyao to be treated differently by the new emperor without any effort.

Gu Changlin knew Wei Qingmo's position a long time ago.At that time, Gu Fangyao was not the concubine of Jin, and without the help of the crown prince, Wei Qingmo, it was impossible to successfully marry into the Jin palace.At that time, Gu Fangling had not yet married Chen Junbao, a hypocrite. Without the help of Princess Jin, she would not have come to where she is today.

Wei Qingmo chose to ignore Gu Changlin's silence, and continued blindly: "I think I was really daring at that time, but at the age of eight, I wanted to follow my uncle into battle to kill the enemy. The army had already set off that day, and I was stopped at You are not allowed to go out in the palace. It took me a long time to get rid of the guards placed beside me by my father and mother, and quietly followed behind the marching team."

Gu Changlin didn't answer, as if he didn't hear anything, his eyes drifted to the depths of the surrounding night.

In the 25th year of Xuanyuan, General Wanwei died in battle, and the bad news came back to Yancheng, causing an uproar.The heroic general Sun Ao was ordered in the face of danger, and rushed to the border with only a team of soldiers. He not only turned the tide, but also became the second invincible and invincible general in Yan Kingdom after General Wanwei.

Sun Ao is Wei Qingmo's uncle.General Wanwei is the grandfather of Gu Changlin and Gu Fangling.

Wei Qingmo noticed Gu Changlin's distraction, but he didn't take it to heart.What he wanted was Gu Changlin's protection for Gu Fangyao.Even if it's just superficial skills, Gu Fangyao still needs the support of the title of Guhoufu.

Therefore, Wei Qingmo's story continues: "It's a pity that I was young and ignorant at that time, so it was inevitable that I was arrogant. I didn't know how delicate my body was that I had been raised in the deep palace since I was born. Cheng fell ill on the side of the road and almost lost his life. If the concubine Jin didn't happen to pass by and kindly sent me to the hospital, I'm afraid I would have..."

Before Wei Qingmo finished speaking, Gu Changlin, who seemed to be distracted, turned his head suddenly, his expression full of suspicion.

"What? But what's wrong with what I said?" As the king of a country, although Wei Qingmo is the only one who respects me, it's not that he doesn't listen to the proverbs.Especially those who fall into his eyes are always entitled to privileges.Just like Gu Fangyao back then, and Gu Changlin at this moment.

"Before the 26th year of Xuanyuan, Gu Fangyao never left Yancheng." Looking at Wei Qingmo intently, Gu Changlin said in a deep voice, "Once, once, yes, no, yes, once."

"Impossible!" Wei Qingmo categorically vetoed, his tone unprecedentedly firm, "At that time, the jade gourd worn by Princess Jin was clearly a letter from the eldest daughter of the Guhou Mansion..."

Gu Changlin smiled.A very shallow smile, with a sarcastic arc on the corner of his mouth, and a strong self-deprecating tone: "Even at that time, I couldn't protect the eight-year-old Ling'er with my own strength. But Ling'er is the son of Gu Houfu. The matter of the eldest daughter is an undoubted fact. What's more, what the Holy Majesty said was the 25th year of Xuanyuan, which caused the Guhou Mansion to fall into troubled times. All the things that happened in the Guhou Mansion in that year, every single one, I remember clearly Chu, dare not forget for a moment."

Wei Qingmo's unfinished words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't continue.Inexplicably, he had an ominous premonition that Gu Changlin's next words would not be what he wanted to hear.

"In the 25th year of Xuanyuan, my grandfather died in battle and my mother died of illness. Overnight, Chen and Ling'er became forgotten existences in the entire Guhou Mansion. The concubine in the mansion took the opportunity to take the position and took the position of the mistress of the Guhou Mansion. , the power of life and death in the palm of the family. Even if the minister is a righteous young master of the Guhou Mansion, they can't find fault, so they dare not touch the minister in the slightest. However, Ling'er, who has a lively temper, was forcibly pressed down because of a single mistake. Disrespecting the notoriety of his stepmother, he was sent out of Yancheng overnight." Gu Changlin almost planned to hide the dark and helpless memories of the 25 years of Xuanyuan that he had never mentioned to anyone.If it wasn't forced by the situation, how could he tell Wei Qingmo casually?
"If I remember correctly, there are rumors in Yancheng that the place where Mrs. Tanhua was sent was Licheng." The emperor's aura was wide open, Wei Qingmo's face darkened slightly, and an imperceptible ruthlessness flashed across his eyes.With Gu Changlin's personality, he has been with him personally, so it is impossible for him to tell a big lie, let alone the crime of deceiving the emperor.

"What if they didn't want to save Ling'er's life at all?" Uncontrollably, Gu Changlin raised his voice with a bit of bitter hatred, "It should be the other courtyard in Licheng, but Linger The child was sent to Yecheng where Gu Fangyao's maternal ancestor's home was located. One south and one north, did the driver accidentally remember the wrong way, or did he deliberately not want the minister to find Ling'er? If the guards sent by the minister did not arrive in time, the Holy Majesty thought , Is the only younger sister of the minister still alive?"

Looking at the agitated Gu Changlin with an inexplicable expression, Wei Qingmo secretly clenched his hands into fists.If it was true as Gu Changlin said, the person who saved him was not Gu Fangyao, then how could Gu Fangyao's words and deeds be explained?

Because he believed too much in his own eyes, and because the old accounts in the past were revealed, it would easily cause troubles. When Xuanyuan found Gu Fangyao in 30 years, he didn't even send someone to investigate the ins and outs of it. He simply believed it. Gu Fangyao's rhetoric identified Gu Fangyao as a lifesaver...

But just now, Gu Changlin told him that he has been wrong about the recipient of his gratitude all along?For a moment, Wei Qingmo was full of thoughts, and his heart was full of emotions.

"From Yancheng to Licheng, the only keepsake that Ling'er carried with him along the way was the jade gourd pendant worn by Youchen's mother on Ling'er's waist, which symbolizes the identity of the eldest daughter of the Guhou Mansion. Linger must be right to see that emerald green jade gourd in Yecheng. And the jade gourd that Gu Fangyao is wearing now was snatched from Linger in the 30th year of Xuanyuan." Looking back fixedly Wei Qingmo and Gu Changlin didn't dodge their eyes in the slightest, they were as upright as ever.

The conversation between Gu Changlin and Wei Qingmo ended with Gu Changlin's conclusion.Wei Qingmo did not refute, nor did he speak again.Hit by the sudden truth, he who had always been confident that he could control the overall situation at any time actually didn't know how to deal with it, let alone how to make up for it.

Gu Fangling, the one who was once ridiculed by everyone in Yancheng.First, he was expelled from Guhou Mansion for five years for disrespecting his stepmother, and then he was humiliated by Qin Yunran, the prime minister's son, who unilaterally divorced him.After finally being lucky enough to marry Tanhualang Chen Junbao, she was supposed to be happy and happy, but met someone unkind again.

Doting on concubines and destroying wives, being forced to divorce... Wei Qingmo had heard many rumors about Gu Fangling, and each time they were just idle money after dinner, and never paid attention to them.If Gu Fangling wasn't Gu Fangyao's younger sister, Wei Qingmo wouldn't even remember the three words "Gu Fangling".Unexpectedly, in the dark, he who thinks he is worthy of saving his life is the biggest joke in the world!

Returning from the border to Yancheng, even though Wei Qingmo repeatedly ordered the army to speed up the march, it still took more than a month.Gu Changlin felt like returning home, and Wei Qingmo was even more anxious.He has too many doubts that need to be confirmed with Gu Fangyao, and he must go to Gu Fangling to plead guilty.

If the person who saved him back then was really Gu Fangling... Wei Qingmo raised his whip high in his hand, and rode his horse galloping fast.It was his negligence that caused Gu Fangling's ill-fated fate.As long as he pays attention to it a little bit, Gu Fangling's life will be completely different.He, I'm sorry for Gu Fangling.

On the tenth day of October in the third year of Xuanqing, Wei Qingmo and Gu Changlin led the army back in triumph.Not in a hurry to confer rewards, the two rushed to Guhou's mansion at the same time.It's just that when they hurriedly pushed open the door of Gu Fangling's small courtyard, their full expectations turned into slices of cold knives, and their throats were sealed with blood.

Eyes full of white silk, dazzling black coffin... Gu Fangling is dead.

(End of this chapter)