SWDnovel Chapter 5 I Will Bear the Fall of Heaven!
Chapter 5 I Will Bear the Fall of Heaven!
As Gao Cheng watched the two leave, the composure on his face instantly crumbled.
In three days, let alone getting Sima Ziru to Jinyang, the letter probably wouldn't even have reached Yecheng yet. It's like putting him on the hot seat.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and still felt that he needed to discuss this matter with his mother.
So he got up and headed to the main courtyard.
However, as soon as he stepped out of the door, he saw Lou Zhaojun's personal maid rushing over. Upon seeing him, she bowed and said, "Your Highness, the Princess has given an order."
Gao Cheng was taken aback and asked, "What is it, Mother?"
The maid said, "The Queen Consort decrees: The Ba family will handle all matters related to the army's welcome to the Emperor; there is no need for the Prince to worry about it. From this day forward, the Prince is to remain in his courtyard, reflect on his mistakes, and is not allowed to go out or meet with foreign officials. He must wait for the King to return and punish him."
Gao Cheng was taken aback again, but then he realized what was happening.
Lou Zhaojun was setting up a stage for him, wanting him to act out a story of a prodigal son returning home and repenting.
After all, they made a mistake.
Rather than running around and annoying people, it's better to stay quietly in the mansion and adopt an attitude of "I was wrong, I regret it, I am reflecting on my mistakes."
Having made the right gesture, even if Gao Huan was still angry when he returned, he would still have to consider the father-son relationship and maintain some dignity as the heir apparent.
This was perhaps the last layer of protection that his mother, who understood people so well, gave him.
For a moment, Gao Cheng was filled with mixed feelings. He hurriedly bowed towards the main courtyard and said in a deep voice, "Your son will obey Mother's command."
Having said that, he turned to the maid and said, "You tell my mother that I obey her orders and will stay indoors from today onwards, awaiting the king's decision."
The maidservant bowed and said, "Yes!"
Gao Cheng nodded, said no more, dismissed the maid who came to deliver the message, and then ordered Wang Hong, who had returned, to close the courtyard gate.
Then, he issued another order that no one except the maids who delivered water and food to the Crown Prince's residence was allowed to enter. Only then did he return to his desk and stare blankly at the half-written strategy.
Three days later, my ruthless and decisive father will be back.
However, this life-saving proposal has only been written in its initial stages, and Sima Ziru's reply is still a long way off.
He couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh, feeling the impermanence of life.
Most people who transmigrate start with various cheat codes, like having a full granary or divine soldiers descending from the sky. But he's different; he's jumping back and forth between hell and heaven right from the start.
Now he's locked in a cage again, waiting for his father to come back and judge him.
But after the bitter smile, a youthful sharpness ignited in his eyes.
What are you afraid of?
He is Gao Cheng, the man who will one day seize power in Eastern Wei and lay the foundation for Northern Qi.
Historically, Gao Cheng was able to turn the tide of a seemingly hopeless situation with just his words and the help of Sima Ziru.
Could a time traveler with memories of the future do any worse?
Upon realizing this, Gao Cheng felt no more panic and immediately picked up his pen again to continue his unfinished work.
......
However, unexpected changes always come unexpectedly.
The sharp glint in Gao Cheng's eyes had just appeared when the wolf-hair brush in his hand touched the hemp paper, the ink still wet.
Then came a series of light, hurried footsteps outside the courtyard gate, accompanied by the maid's soft protests, as they rushed in.
Gao Cheng frowned. Was this some kind of inconvenience?
But when he looked up and saw who it was, he was taken aback.
The newcomer turned out to be a young girl in her prime, dressed in a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with her hair neatly combed.
Although she was young, her appearance was already beautiful and captivating, and one could already vaguely see the beauty that would one day make a nation fall in love.
She arrived in a hurry, her pretty little face filled with barely suppressed panic.
Upon seeing Gao Cheng, she hurried forward, grabbed his sleeve, and said urgently, "Young Master, what has happened in the manor? Madam Jia (at that time, the mistress of the house was called Madam Jia) sent people to seal the gates. I begged to enter, but was questioned repeatedly. Why is that?"
This was Gao Cheng's first wife, the younger sister of Emperor Wei, Princess Fengyi, Yuan Zhonghua.
Gao Cheng looked down at the little girl in his arms who only reached his chest. Memories of the original owner surged into his mind, and he couldn't help but curse the "national essence" in his heart.
This young girl, married to him for several years, is still so young.
How could the original owner of this body bring himself to do it?
That's absolutely inhuman!
But then he remembered the "beastly dynasty" that later generations had given to the Northern Qi, and the absurdity of his own "small horse pulling a big cart" incident, so he could only swallow back the complaints that were on the tip of his tongue.
After all, he himself has now become a member of this den of beasts, and he is truly speechless.
In the end, he could only sigh inwardly, pat Yuan Zhonghua's hand, and gently comfort her, "Princess, do not be alarmed. This matter is my own request to be confined to my quarters, and it has nothing to do with anyone else."
But it would have been better if he hadn't said anything.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhonghua became even more flustered, tears welling up in his eyes, and his voice became somewhat urgent.
"Why has the young master requested to be confined to his quarters without cause? Could it be that there is unrest in Jinyang, or that something has happened in Yecheng?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng sighed inwardly once more.
However, he could understand why the little girl was so terrified.
Since the Heyin Incident, the Yuan imperial family has been living in constant fear, and even though Yuan Zhonghua was a princess, she could only wander from place to place.
Having witnessed countless bloodshed in the palace and upheavals in the court, she finally gained a moment of peace after marrying into the Gao family, and naturally feared the words "confinement" and "staying at home" the most.
They thought it was another disaster, and that everything would collapse in an instant.
To put it bluntly, she was just a young girl who was terrified by the current situation.
Thinking of this, he patted her hand again and lowered his voice to comfort her, "It's nothing. It was just that I was momentarily confused and made a mistake, violating a family taboo. Therefore, I am staying at home to reflect on my mistakes and will accept my punishment when Your Majesty returns with the army."
"I will bear the consequences of the heavens' collapse; Princess, please stay in the backyard and do not listen to idle gossip."
When Yuan Zhonghua heard that there was no chaos in the court, half of his anxiety subsided, but there was still a worry in his eyes that he couldn't shake off.
Seeing her like this, Gao Cheng didn't want to say anything more about this shameful matter.
After all, it's simply absurd to tell your young wife that you slept with your father's mistress.
He cleared his throat and changed the subject, saying, "If the princess is truly uneasy, she may stay with her mother in the main courtyard for a few days. With her mother there, there will be no danger."
Although Yuan Zhonghua was still worried, he didn't ask any more questions.
After receiving Gao Cheng's approval, she rose, curtsied, and said in a low voice, "I understand. Your Highness should also take care of your health and not worry too much."
Gao Cheng nodded, then reached out and patted her head, giving her a reassuring look.
Yuan Zhonghua's lips moved, but he didn't say anything more. He simply bowed again and then quietly withdrew with his maid.
Gao Cheng watched Yuan Zhonghua walk away, then realized that the sun had already set outside the window, and his stomach was growling with hunger.
Then he realized that he had been up and about since the afternoon and hadn't eaten a single bite of food, so he immediately called out for someone to bring him food.
Before long, the food table was set out, and the aroma of roasted meat filled the air.
But before Gao Cheng could pick up his chopsticks, Wang Hong strode in again, bowing and saying, "Your Highness, Consort Zheng has sent her personal maid outside the courtyard to request an audience, saying that there is an extremely urgent matter that she must report to Your Highness in person."