The Challenge of a Farmhouse Son-in-Law
Chapter 913 - 907: Helping Xiao Qinqin Inquire

Chapter 913: Chapter 907: Helping Xiao Qinqin Inquire

"But..." Just as His Majesty was about to order her to be punished with flogging, Gu Youyou suddenly remembered something.

With his hand raised, the Emperor lowered it and asked in a low voice, "But what?"

On the Empress’ end, anxiety turned into astonishment.

Could it be that the girl had really lied to deceive her? Then how did that Jade Pendant end up in her hands?

Gu Youyou thought of the story that Lun Yu had told her, the story’s conclusion—Xiao Qinqin still had questions for Jin Moning.

Gu Youyou lifted her head to look at this elderly man with streaks of grey at his temples and suddenly didn’t know what to say.

She sighed and said, "There is someone who wants to ask His Majesty whether she has always been treated as a pawn in the struggle for power?"

The Emperor visibly started, staggered, and nearly lost his footing.

Seeing the Emperor’s reaction, Gu Youyou suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

Lun Tong hadn’t asked this question for her, but now she had the opportunity to ask it.

Even if she were to be beaten to death by the flogging, she would have done one thing as Zijin’s mother.

The noble consort staggered, her eyes wide with shock.

"Who’s asking?" The Empress’ reaction was even more vehement than the Emperor’s.

She wasn’t foolish—the Jade Pendant of Xiao Qinqin was in Gu Youyou’s hand, and now these words.

Besides Xiao Qinqin, who would ask such a question?

She was no longer the reckless young girl willing to throw caution to the winds for love; she naturally knew why she had received so much of the Emperor’s affection and why she held the honored position of Empress.

It was all because of the power their families wielded behind them.

Thinking of Xiao Qinqin’s tragic and pitiful death, who had even asked such a foolish question at the end, she suddenly felt that she didn’t hate her as much.

In fact, they were all the same, merely pawns in the Emperor’s power struggle.

Back then, when the Xiao Family was prestigious, the Emperor married Xiao Qinqin and doted on her greatly. After the Xiao Family’s downfall, he married her and showered her with the same immense favor.

At that time, they didn’t understand—Xiao Qinqin died too early, she would never understand, but Jin Yushu now understood, yet she had resigned herself to her fate.

Unable to have this man’s love, at least she was the Empress, the most noble woman in the world.

She had to rely on the title of the Empress, and her family, the Ducal Residence, to push her son onto the throne.

For a woman, a life like this was worth it.

The Emperor paused for a long while before gradually closing his eyes.

But when he opened them again, his face was once more filled with a harsh expression.

"Who told you that?"

Who told you that? That was exactly what the Empress wanted to ask as well.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Gu Youyou.

Gu Youyou, adhering to the principle of never betraying her own but rather those outside her circle, promptly sold out Lun Tong without any hesitation.

"The man known in the jianghu as ’Bai Xiaosheng’ has two hobbies. He likes to change his appearance and enjoys collecting various interesting stories, which he writes into booklets for his collection. As it happens, I also share the hobby of writing stories, so I had the fortune of getting to know Lun Tong. At the time, I exchanged a story I wrote with Lun Tong for one of his stories."

Lun Yu had then come to Qi Mountain in the guise of Lun Tong to find her—her statement was faultless.

The Emperor trembled slightly and asked, "Where is the booklet?"

"The booklet has been burned," Gu Youyou said. "Lun Tong mentioned that such stories, if they spread, could bring about fatal danger. So after letting me read it, she suggested that I burn it."

"What story?"

This time, before the Emperor could speak, the already perturbed Empress asked.

Gu Youyou honestly answered, "It’s the story of a woman whose husband betrayed her. She turned from love to hate and regretted it for a lifetime."

The Empress froze, and the Emperor froze as well.