Being deceived was just a common excuse used to get out of trouble. Gu Chengan used it casually without giving it any thought.
He was stunned for a moment when he was asked this question suddenly, and then he reacted. He quickly searched his mind for possible candidates, intending to pull someone out to be a scapegoat.
Before he could think of anything, his collar suddenly tightened and he was dragged forward without any courtesy. Gu Cheng'an, who had to call for a doctor even when kicking a stone while walking, only felt a burning pain in his knees.
Fortunately, he was not delayed for long. Just as he was about to take the opportunity to complain, his hair was pulled back hard, and his scalp suddenly felt numb with pain. Gu Chengan instinctively hugged his head and was about to scream, but when he saw the thing on the window, the content of his scream changed, and his tone changed accordingly, "Chao Li tribe totem!"
Gu Yanxi let go of his hand and retreated behind the emperor.
"How could there be a Chaoli tribe totem in the palace?! This is..." This is Concubine Yi's bedroom! Gu Cheng'an's legs went weak. He knew what crime Tong Yi had committed! But he would rather not know!
The first lesson they had in the study was about the history of the previous dynasty. During that time, their homework was how to piece together objects of various shapes into the Chaoli totem.
The Chaoli people worship the wolf as their patron saint. Traces of totems can be seen everywhere in their lives. When a child is born, he or she must worship the wolf god before his or her eyes open. It is said that every member of their royal family has his or her own companion wolf. They grow up with the wolves, and whoever's wolf becomes the leader is their king.
It was a country where the strong were absolutely respected. Ten soldiers of the Daqing Dynasty might not be able to resist one enemy. But it was probably because they were too strong individually and it was relatively difficult for them to reproduce than the people in the Central Plains. Even after occupying the Central Plains for a hundred years and enjoying all the wealth, the number of the nobles did not increase significantly. Otherwise, they might not have been driven out of the Central Plains back then.
In the handwritten edict left behind, Emperor Taizu put vigilance against the return of the Chaoli clan at the top of his list. Since the Daqing Dynasty was passed down to the present day, even the most stupid, cowardly, and unpresentable princes and princesses must be able to recite these by heart.
Gu Cheng'an was naturally no exception, so he knew better how serious the consequences would be if he was involved in this matter.
Gu Cheng'an crawled and rolled before the emperor, his face full of panic, "Father, I have done many wrong things, but I have never had anything to do with the Chaoli Clan. Please understand."
"Now you admit that you have done many wrong things? When you sent people to kill Hua Yizheng, did you think about the consequences? When you poisoned Wu Yong, did you think about the consequences? When you colluded with the outside world, did you think about whether you would let a wolf into the house?"
The emperor kicked him over and said, "I don't want to start a war. I don't want to have to kill all my sons one by one when the time comes. I pretended not to see such a large amount of evidence. I thought I would just imprison you and release you when you realize your mistake. Haha, but what happened is that you brought a remnant of the Chaoli clan into my house right under my nose, and I even sleep in the same bed with her every day..."
The voice stopped abruptly, and the emperor suddenly covered his throat, raised his head with difficulty and looked at the person he trusted most at this moment, and grabbed his hand, "I feel very uncomfortable, have I been tricked by her?"
"Please come in, Doctor Yu!" Gu Yanxi forcibly removed the emperor's uncle's hand from his throat, and while checking his pulse, he said, "The Chaoli people are not good at these things, don't scare yourself."
“If they are not good at it, can’t they get it from somewhere else?” The emperor’s breathing became heavier and heavier, and he looked like he was about to suffocate.
Gu Yanxi confirmed that there was no sign of poisoning in the pulse, and motioned Lai Fu to come over and pinch the emperor's philtrum. He then took out a pill from his body and put it into the emperor's mouth. Soon, the emperor's breathing visibly stabilized.
Everyone in the room was so frightened that they broke out in cold sweats. Gu Cheng'an knelt on the ground, lowering his eyes, not daring to let anyone see the regret in his heart. If his father died like this...
The emperor still held his nephew's hand tightly and asked in a rough voice, "Have I been poisoned?"
"You're fine."
The emperor naturally didn't believe it, "Then why did I just..."
"I just gave you a blood-replenishing pill."
"..." The emperor stared at him. His tense mood relaxed after this incident, and he could see that Yan Xi was unhappy at the moment.
The emperor understood that this unhappiness probably came from the fact that he had suppressed all the things. He patted his nephew's arm and looked at his second son, whom he had wanted to pick up and put down gently. "Did the Tong family take the initiative to ask for Tong Yi to enter the palace, or did Concubine Hui go back to ask for her?"
Gu Chengan did not dare to be careless. He thought carefully and said, "It was when the old lady came to the palace to visit my mother that she took the initiative to mention it. She said that Tong Yi was carefully trained by them, and that she was also from the Tong family and would definitely help my mother."
"That's all?"
Gu Cheng'an did not dare to hide it and lowered his head even more. "The old lady said that no prince or princess has been born in the harem for several years. If Tong Yi wants to gain a foothold in this palace, she must rely on mother and son. That's why mother... Father, I don't know the situation of the Tong family, but mother has been in the palace for more than 20 years and rarely leaves the palace throughout the year. It is impossible for her to be related to the Chaoli clan. Please understand, father."
The emperor snorted lightly, stood up, walked forward a few steps and looked up at the extremely dazzling window. He had come here quite often recently because he liked Tong Yi. How could he have imagined that the window had such a mystery? The Chaoli clan had actually extended their hands to the palace. Now Tong Yi has been confirmed to be a remnant of the Chaoli clan, but is she the only one in the palace
No, that wouldn't be the case. She must have helpers in the palace. The emperor's eyes were gloomy, and his heart was filled with a brutality that could only be quelled by killing.
Gu Yanxi glanced at Lai Fu, and Lai Fu understood and followed to serve.
Although disappointed, Gu Yanxi still dared not slack off at this moment. Not allowing the Chaoli tribe to make a comeback is a mark engraved in their bones. Among the common people, that dark period has gradually become blurred due to the intervention of the court, but the royal family has several files that remember it clearly.
The Chaoli people are tall and strong, as powerful as an ox. Even after ruling the world for a hundred years, they have not been able to educate their brutality and savagery. It is better to say that they are afraid of the Chaoli people rather than guarding against them. Emperor Taizu was so brave back then, but even with his fighting power, he could only withstand the siege of six or seven people, not to mention others. Ordinary soldiers are no match for them.
None of them dared to think whether they could still drive the Chaoli tribe out if they allowed them to enter the pass again. The world had been peaceful for a long time, the military generals had died out, and the combat effectiveness of the army was no longer the same as before.
Moreover, the Gu family no longer has the god of war Gu Ningpei, and the Hua family no longer has the military strategist Hua Jingyan.