A Painful Appeal Before the Emperor (II)
On the bright side, could it be that the emperor is concerned about his own peanut harvest?
But I haven't even taken out the peanuts to show off yet...
In short, Gu Wanning's mind wandered the entire way to the palace.
When she arrived at the Imperial Study and saw her father and Xu Weibei, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that neither of them looked particularly serious.
Fortunately, she was familiar with both of them.
Judging from her expression, she was pretty sure that nothing major would happen today.
She thought, surely it couldn't be that these two got into a fight, and the Emperor wanted her to judge the matter...
Gu Wanning didn't know any of the rules for meeting the emperor, since there was no precedent for a woman from outside the family to meet the emperor.
She obediently knelt down and kowtowed.
I bumped into something and didn't dare to look up.
The emperor remained silent.
Not enough?
Gu Wanning kowtowed again.
There is still no sound.
She kowtowed again.
This time she used a bit more force, making a loud "bang" that gave her a headache.
Then she heard Xu Weibei clear his throat.
Does this mean I don't need to kowtow anymore?
The Emperor laughed heartily and said, "Minister Gu, your daughter is truly amusing, an honest child. Rise."
Gu Wanning stood up and secretly glanced at Xu Weibei.
Xu Weibei's eyes held a smile, conveying a sense of reassurance.
Gu Wanning was now completely relieved.
It's good that you're alright.
Consider this a visit to the Imperial Study.
The imperial study was a little less impressive than she had imagined.
It lacks some of the glitz and glamour, but has gained more solemnity.
The tall crane-shaped incense burners on both sides emitted wisps of white smoke, which was quite interesting, and she couldn't help but take a second look.
The Emperor spoke up, mentioning her marriage to Xu Weibei, and asked her if she agreed.
Gu Wanning naturally said "no".
The Emperor asked her what her concerns were.
Gu Wanning naturally knew she couldn't say it; she didn't want to be bound by those rules.
She miraculously repeated almost the same thing as Xu Weibei.
She portrayed herself as a woman lacking security, fearing that Xu Weibei might change his mind in the future and she wouldn't be able to extricate herself from the relationship.
The Emperor glanced at Xu Weibei.
Unexpectedly, Xu Weibei was not unhappy at all; instead, he was laughing.
The Emperor thought to himself, "This is ridiculous."
He was clearly being told he was unreliable, and he just laughed!
Passion for someone can be inherited.
The Emperor leaned back in his chair, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Gu Wanning: "What if your father wants you to marry the Marquis of Yingchuan?"
Gu Wanning's expression turned cold. "Your Majesty, Chief Grand Secretary Gu has already publicly declared that he has severed ties with me. I dare not presume to associate with him."
The Emperor had already heard about this, but pretended not to know, feigning surprise and asking, "Such a thing is true? Chief Grand Secretary Gu, what's going on?"
Gu Yuanshi said, "This woman is unruly and has repeatedly disobeyed me. Today, in front of His Majesty, I must sever all ties with her. Whatever her fate may be in the future, it will have nothing to do with the Gu family!"
"How did things get so bad? Children are always disobedient; that's why they say children are a burden. Of all my children, which one is easy to deal with?"
Gu Wanning thought to herself, "There really aren't any easy ones."
They beat each other so badly their brains turned into dog brains.
Gu Yuanshi said, "She is stubborn and unyielding, and I do not wish to force her. Just pretend that I never had this daughter."
Gu Wanning replied coolly, "Chief Grand Secretary Gu, stop deceiving yourself!"
"Gu Wanning." Xu Weibei shook his head at her.
No matter how many opinions she had about Gu Yuanshi, she couldn't argue with the Emperor.
Because the emperor was also a father.
Moreover, he favors Gu Yuanshi and would never stand up for Gu Wanning.
Xu Weibei was worried that she would be taken advantage of.
But Gu Wanning wouldn't listen to him.
Chapter 270 A Heartfelt Appeal Before the Emperor (Part Two)
The Emperor frowned because of Gu Wanning's rude remarks.
His frown conveyed a sense of oppressive power, a power emanating from someone accustomed to being in a superior position.
Gu Wanning knew what she was doing. She gave Xu Weibei a look that reassured him while simultaneously preventing him from getting involved, and then calmly continued, "Chief Grand Secretary Gu wants to sever ties with me, which sounds righteous and dignified, but what he really thinks is, 'It's all for my own good.'"
Upon hearing this, the three men in the room were stunned.
None of them expected that Gu Wanning would understand Gu Yuanshi's good intentions and would directly lay out this unspeakable matter.
"But I won't appreciate it. Just like the hurt you caused me before, whether it was unintentional or intentional, I no longer think about it. It's not that I've let go, nor that I've forgiven you, it's just that I've stopped thinking about it."
That past, along with the original body, will be sealed away in the past.
"I am so enraged today that I couldn't help but utter these treasonous words before the Emperor. Whatever the punishment, the Emperor may decide, I will accept without hesitation. But today, I must speak my mind and let the Emperor know how selfish and cold-hearted you, Chief Grand Secretary Gu!"
"Gu Wanning, you must not act rashly before the Emperor." Xu Weibei directly pulled Gu Wanning away this time.
He panicked.
Even someone as proud and unrestrained as him knew when to stop in front of the Emperor.
Gu Wanning is incredibly bold.
"Let me finish, or Chief Grand Secretary Gu will continue to dream his pipe dream." Gu Wanning sneered.
"My Chief Grand Secretary, in your mouth, has become so despicable! As a son, you are not filial and harbor resentment towards your parents; this is utterly rebellious." The Emperor's face turned red with anger.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to speak," Gu Wanning said calmly. "This commoner grew up among the common people and is quite uncouth. I will naturally accept my punishment for offending Your Majesty in the future. But today, I want to show Chief Grand Secretary Gu in front of Your Majesty just how ridiculous his so-called good intentions are."
Gu Yuanshi frowned. "His Majesty intends to reward you today. Don't take this for granted and become arrogant or lose your sense of propriety."