Gou Zai Liang Jie as a Human Gu

In the fifteenth year of Jingzhao in the Great Zhou Dynasty, in Yunmeng Marsh, Leilong City, at the Liwang Palace.

It was only June, but the sweltering heat had already swept in. The scorching sun baked the earth, and waves of heat swept over people in the city, making them restless and unable to sit or lie down comfortably.

Inside the prince's bedroom, in front of the embroidered couch with an ivory mat, there was a bronze ice mirror on each side, filled with crushed ice. Two maids held plain white silk fans and gently waved them at the ice mirrors, bringing a refreshing coolness to the sleeping young man on the couch.

pain!

it hurts!

Lin Mo opened his eyes and subconsciously reached out to touch his cheek.

He had a strange dream.

In his dream, a person dressed in a Taoist robe blew a handful of incense ash onto his face. A strong corrosive sensation surged over him, plunging his consciousness into darkness instantly...

"Luckily, I wasn't disfigured. I still need my looks to make a living."

Lin Mo breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that his facial skin was completely unharmed.

Suddenly.

The unfamiliar surroundings and the ancient-style maidservants serving him left him feeling completely lost.

Where am I?

Is this... time travel?

A torrent of memories was instantly triggered, like data being read from a hard drive, loading all at once with overwhelming force, almost burning out his brain's CPU.

Lin Mo, courtesy name Zhixuan, was a prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He was a pageboy accompanying the heir of the prince's palace, and his monthly allowance was six taels and eight mace.

His father was a guard of the Prince of Li, and died ten years ago in the Maitreya Sect's assassination attempt on the Prince. Subsequently, his mother passed away soon after due to an incurable illness... Thinking of this, Lin Mo felt a little ironic.

As everyone knows, the parents sacrifice themselves to the heavens at the beginning of the story, granting them boundless power.

"Am I not a pageboy? How did I end up on the young master's bed?" Lin Mo glanced at the two maids fanning him to cool off, trying to process the memory.

He quickly realized his current predicament.

After his mother passed away, he was taken into the Prince's household and became his companion to the Crown Prince.

Although the young master was somewhat of a playboy, disliked studying, and acted in a dissolute manner, he was still quite good to the page boy who could do his homework for him. Who would have thought...

Two days ago, when the prince visited the Qunfang Pavilion, he took a liking to the newly crowned courtesan. He spent the night in the brothel, but unexpectedly, he was attacked in the middle of the night and was rescued with his lower body covered in blood.

  

King Li was furious, and all the guards and servants who accompanied him were executed that night for failing to protect him properly.

Thinking of this, Lin Mo felt a chill run down his neck.

"How did I survive?"

Because he had to complete his studies on behalf of the crown prince, he did not accompany him that night. He was spared from danger because he stayed at the mansion.

"I see, the ancestors burned incense at the ancestral graves, they're blessing us... Wait, something's not right."

Lin Mo was just feeling relieved that he had survived when he suddenly remembered something. He hurriedly touched his cheek, then got up, not bothering to put on his shoes and socks, and rushed to the dressing table. He picked up the shiny new bronze mirror and examined his reflection.

The figure that came into view had delicate features and a pale, bloodless complexion, as white as rice paper.

Lin Mo felt a chill run down his spine, and his heart sank in as well!

This isn't my own face.

It belongs to the young master.

That Taoist priest used the incense ash to disguise himself as the young master!

This world is still under the rule of feudal dynasties, and there are no human rights.

As a mere pageboy, how dare I impersonate the Crown Prince? If the secret is exposed, the Prince will be furious and behead me, or torture me into becoming a human pig... or even be executed by slow slicing, a punishment of being cut into a thousand pieces!

Thinking of this, Lin Mo felt his scalp tingle and his soul almost leap out of his body!

"system?"

After a moment of silence, Lin Mo, standing in front of the bronze mirror, tentatively spoke.

The system ignored him.

"Dad, stop pretending to be aloof and come out quickly." Lin Mo's voice was urgent.

Silence.

There's no system; this time travel happened without a system.

This means he has to face the current predicament of being a substitute for someone else all by himself. If the King of Li finds out about this, will he even be able to see the sun rise tomorrow?

Thinking of the bloody scene of the Prince of Li's rage and the execution of all his guards and servants overnight, Lin Mo paced anxiously back and forth on the floor.

"No, I can't just sit here and wait to die. I have to find a way to save myself, to clarify everything to King Li, and to prove that impersonating him was not my intention..."

Lin Mo's eyes suddenly lit up, and he stopped pacing.

I am also a victim, and as long as everything is clarified, I should be able to get lenient treatment.

But then, the light in his eyes dimmed.

King Li was tyrannical and would never believe his own side of the story.

Better to kill the innocent than to let the guilty go free.

This is typical behavior of those in power.

The life of a mere pageboy is as insignificant as that of an ant.

No solution!

Lin Mo plopped down on the couch, his eyes glazed over.

Heaven granted him the chance to travel through time, starting as a prince, but unfortunately, his identity was fake, and he wasn't given any special advantages. It seemed like they were trying to ruin him.

Although in my past life I was a struggling writer with no house, no car, and no savings, and suffered a lot from the harsh realities of society, my basic human rights were still guaranteed. Now, however, I am living hand to mouth, with my head hanging on my hip, waiting to die.

"Squeak!"

The wooden door made a sickeningly loud sound, and an old man with white hair and no beard, dressed in dark black clothes, walked in.

It was Xu Shu, the steward of the Prince's mansion.

Xu Shu entered and bowed to Lin Mo, saying, "This old servant greets the young master. Your Highness invites you in."

Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat; what was bound to happen had finally arrived.

"Steward Xu, I am not feeling well. I will see Your Highness another day."

Xu Shu gave Lin Mo a deep look, then took out a Confucian book of spiritual teachings from his sleeve and read aloud, "At this moment, this old servant and the young master are in the dungeon of the Prince's mansion."

The Confucian text burst into flames.

Before Lin Mo could even be shocked, the world spun around him, and he was instantly transported to another location.

It's a completely different world now.

The cool Crown Prince's bedroom was transformed in an instant into a damp dungeon filled with the stench of decay, and the wooden floor beneath one's feet was no longer a wooden floor, but a cold bluestone slab.

The first thing you see is a wall made of piled stones, a ventilation window the size of a bowl, and under the window stands a person dressed in brocade. The candlelight illuminates his square face, which exudes an air of authority without anger.

This is King Li of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Li Wang looked gloomy and stared coldly at a tattered straw mat in the corner.

On the straw mat lay a boy wearing an undershirt and whose underwear was stained with blood.

The boy's pale face was exactly the same as Lin Mo's.

This is the real heir!

Lin Mo's heart pounded, but then his body relaxed a little, and the heavy weight in his heart began to settle down.

With both the Crown Prince and the Prince present, it's immediately clear who deliberately arranged for me to be their double.

My life seems to be safe for now.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Lin Mo immediately stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

Prince Li's gaze fell on him, noticing his bare feet. A flash of anger crossed his eyes, and he sternly rebuked Xu Shu: "Xu Shu, how dare you treat the Crown Prince so disrespectfully! You shall be fined half a month's salary."

"This old servant accepts the punishment." Xu Shu bowed and accepted the punishment, then took out the Confucian text and burned it before disappearing into the prison.

In an instant, Xu Shu reappeared, this time with shoes, socks, and clothes in his hands. He knelt down and personally dressed Lin Mo.

Faced with this situation, Lin Mo was filled with doubts.

Why didn't Li Wang expose the fact that he was a fake?

Under Xu Shu's guidance, Lin Mo dressed himself, looking bewildered and confused as he gazed at Prince Li: "Your Highness, I am Lin..."

"My son, there's no need for further words. I can tell who is real and who is fake. You are my own son, and there is no doubt about that."

Lin Mo stared in astonishment at the true prince on the straw mat, his mind a complete blank.

Who am I? And who is that one on the ground?

Lin Mo was dressed neatly, and the Prince personally adjusted his hair ornament, nodding in satisfaction.

"My son, this person dares to impersonate you. What do you think should be done with him?"

Lin Mo was at a loss for words upon hearing this, wondering why the Prince of Li was taking a lie as the truth. What was his intention?

"I have no idea."

A fierce glint flashed in Li Wang's eyes as he gritted his teeth: "How dare you impersonate Li Wang's heir and swindle people outside, ruining my son's reputation! You deserve to die!"

boom!

Li Wang swept out with a palm strike.

The true prince's brains instantly splattered on the straw mat, his facial features sunken, twisted and mixed together, making it impossible to discern his original appearance.

Seeing this, Lin Mo was horrified.

As a lawless laborer, this was the first time he had ever witnessed murder.

A strong sense of discomfort swept through my stomach, like a tsunami.

"vomit--!"

Lin Mo tried to hold it in, but ultimately couldn't, and bent over to retch violently.

"My son, are you alright?"

Li Wang showed concern and gently patted Lin Mo's back.

Lin Mo was so frightened that his hair stood on end, and he felt like his soul had almost flown out of his head. He quickly straightened up and shook his head vigorously, "I'm fine... Ugh!"

"Xu Shu, take my son back to his room to rest, and take good care of him. Do not make any mistakes," the Prince of Li instructed.

Xu Shu accepted the order, took out the Confucian text from his sleeve, and burned it.

In the blink of an eye, the world had changed. Lin Mo slumped back onto the bed, panting heavily, his body covered in cold sweat.

Xu Shu dismissed the maids serving in the room and bowed to Lin Mo, saying, "Young Master, the Prince said that you will act the same way you did before, so there is no need to worry."

Lin Mo raised her head, her face pale, and looked at him with a heart full of doubt.

Is he planning to act recklessly outside and completely replace the crown prince?

"Steward Xu, the Prince knew perfectly well..."

Xu Shu gently placed his index finger to his lips, indicating that it was unspeakable, then slashed his neck with a chop, his eyes filled with a mocking cold glint.

Glug!

Lin Mo swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, this old servant has replaced your guards with a new batch to ensure your safety when you travel in the future. You can enjoy the gardens and frolic among the flowers and willows without worrying about being assassinated again."

Lin Mo hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask why the Prince of Li had substituted one thing for another.

Xu Shu did not give him that chance, and, using the excuse of being busy with household affairs, bowed and took his leave.

"Damn it, you old fool, do you even respect me as your heir?"

Looking at the closed door, Lin Mo gritted his teeth frantically.

Here in the Prince's mansion, I am nothing more than a puppet on strings.

I have no idea what King Li is planning.

The Crown Prince was only severely injured in vital areas, and will be unable to have sexual relations in the future.

He was willing to kill his own son to cover up the truth of the assassination.

Such ruthlessness, like a tiger devouring its own cubs, I wonder what its purpose is.

However, he knew one thing: in historical dramas of power struggles, doubles rarely met a good end.

Once you lose your usefulness, that's when you'll be silenced.

"System! Come out now, or I'm going to die!"

Lin Mo called out anxiously in his heart.

next moment.

With a "poof," a bubble suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of me.

"what?"

Lin Mo's face instantly lit up with joy.

However, he was soon disappointed again.

After the bubbles appeared, they just floated aimlessly in front of him.

There is no personal data panel, nor are there any related task prompts.

Paddling the whole way!

"What the hell is this system?"

Lin Mo grumbled and complained as he reached out to slap the bubbles.

The moment your palm touches the bubble, it disappears into it.

"This..." Lin Mo's heart tightened as he looked at the disappearing hand.

A powerful suction force followed, and before he could react, he was instantly sucked in and disappeared!