Chapter 421 The Prince is Doomed to Defeat
Gu Nianting picked out the words carefully, listened to their meaning, and punched hard, shaking the teacup on the table.
"You are admitting that you bullied Xier in the past!"
No matter how much he talked, he still couldn't explain it, and Wu Yan kept complaining.
"Last year, when the prince punished me, I explained it many times. I rejected Princess Yuexi because I doubted her intentions and was afraid that she was an informant sent by the emperor. If she misled the prince and caused the failure of Feng Zhengtai, not only would I and others be in danger, but the prince would also be unable to cope with it."
"I tried several times, even if I failed miserably, I still persevered until I found out that Princess Yuexi was sincere to Your Majesty, and finally I got a respite."
"I am sincere and honest, even if I am a little dull, I am not dishonest. How could Your Majesty misunderstand me to this extent?"
Lin Mu didn't mind the big deal and added fuel to the fire intentionally or unintentionally.
"Young master of aristocratic families, do not act rashly. Your Majesty, please think twice."
Feeling suddenly aggrieved, Gu Nianting angrily smashed a teacup, directly breaking Wu Yan's forehead.
"You rely on your family and mock me as a minister. I can't touch you, right?"
Wu Yan was in great pain. He glared at Lin Mu fiercely. The scene of last year reappeared in his mind. Although Princess Yuexi was gone, she was still there.
"Why do you intend to do this?"
"Lord Lin's words are meant to deliberately anger the prince. His intention to alienate him is so obvious."
He sighed in his heart.
Ugh.
It would be better for the prince to beg the princess to return, at least we have made peace and the princess will not make things difficult for us.
Since I was a child, the elders in my family have always praised me for my intelligence and cleverness. Logically, I am not a stupid person, but given the reality, why can't I beat anyone?
It would be fine if I couldn't win. It was clearly my setup, but I was manipulated by him.
Where is the law of heaven?
Gu Nianting still didn't listen and just kept talking to Lin Mu.
"He put himself in my shoes, considered my situation, lamented my plight, and reminded me of the pros and cons in time. How come you regarded it as alienation?"
"Before you came, he had already said all the good things he could, so I was willing to reluctantly agree to give you one chance, and I ordered him not to make another plea."
"He couldn't bear it, but he had nothing to say, so he said something that sounded like adding fuel to the fire. It's fine if you don't appreciate it, but you're going to bite back. Are you a human being?"
It was as if he had suffered a great trauma and was in deep pain, leaving him with no tears to cry and completely unable to defend himself.
"Subordinate..."
Gu Nianting interrupted him unhappily.
"What do you mean by subordinate? Do you still want to slander Lord Lin's good intentions with foul language?"
Wu Yan looked downcast, knowing that he was no match for his opponent, and quickly admitted defeat.
"I know I was wrong. I beg for forgiveness, Your Majesty. I beg for understanding, Lord Lin."
Lord Lin's coming was obviously ill-intentioned; plus, this person was very charming and 90% similar to Princess Yuexi. The prince, recalling his past regrets, would surely believe it without a doubt.
Alliance Leader Qi has yet to show up, and the only way out is surrender. The prince is doomed to fail, so what's the point of my struggling?
If I fall into the hands of the Emperor or Prince Dijin, even though I am from a noble family, it will be difficult for me to survive, and my entire family will be in danger of being wiped out.
The situation is serious and cannot be taken lightly. I might as well surrender early and maybe I can save my life.
Gu Nianting was unaware of the danger and was immersed in it, unable to extricate himself.
"Just acknowledge your mistake."
"Remember, given your incompetence, even if you surrender, your father and uncle will definitely not accept you."
"To know people and to appoint them to the right positions, one must recruit people based on their abilities. Do you understand this principle?"
Wu Yan acted as if he was well-behaved in front of his elders.
"Thank you for your teachings, Your Majesty. I understand now."
Gu Nianting boasted of his authority and added a warning.
"I advise you not to think about being unfaithful in the future."
Wu Yan responded respectfully.
"Yes, I will definitely examine myself and reflect on my mistakes behind closed doors."
Gu Nianting was so proud of himself that he waved his sleeves condescendingly, his eyes full of arrogance and disdain.
"There is no need to reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors. This king is kind-hearted and will not take it to heart. You can kneel outside the hall and reflect on yourself for four hours."
He was forced to kneel in public for such a long time, but he still said he was kind. Wu Yan felt helpless but did not dare to object.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity."
In this way, Wu Yan knelt until the sunset, supported his painful and numb knees, limped after finishing his work, got on the carriage, and left the Prince Chen's Mansion.
Lin Mu said goodbye to Gu Nianting and came to Liyongju.
The attendants had come ahead with his luggage and had now settled everything, waiting for their master to check in.
The golden plaque was cast and completed, and Liyongju was officially renamed Jianjiaju.
After dinner, Lin Mu walked to the closet, took out a light apricot-colored gown, changed himself, and turned to leave Jianjiaju.
He pretended to take a stroll, admiring the beautiful scenery of the garden, walking leisurely, and deliberately passed by the courtyard where Gu Nianting was.
The bright moonlight beautifully illuminated the quiet and graceful person in the distance. Gu Nianting saw it unintentionally and could no longer look away.
Remember Xier, who liked to walk at night.
She always loved light apricot color. Wearing a dress like this made her look like a fairy from the moon descending to the earth, or like the surface of the water covered with silver gauze. She was so beautiful that the stars in the night sky were all eclipsed by her.
Is she back?
Gu Nianting hurriedly chased after him, only to see Lin Mu walking alone, wearing a light apricot-colored long gown. His back was full of elegance, and from a closer look he looked like an old friend.
The feeling of missing her became stronger and stronger, and Gu Nianting felt regretful. He called out to Lin Mu, as if he was calling out to her who was getting farther and farther away.
"Master Lin, please stay."
Lin Mu looked back, was slightly startled, and hurriedly turned around to salute.
"You are welcome..."
Gu Nianting stopped him immediately.
"I have already said that you can be exempted from the formalities."
"You are a rare talent in this world. I have kept you here so that we can work together to achieve great things. You should not be bound by these insignificant etiquettes."
Lin Mu showed a bright smile, with his back reflected in the moonlight, looking especially flawless.
"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."
Gu Nianting bowed three times and gestured for him to take a walk with him.
Lin Mu understood, lowered his brows, and walked side by side with him into the depths of the garden.
The scenery was pleasant and the pace was leisurely. Gu Nianting smiled slightly and started chatting with him.
"Master Lin, do you also have the habit of walking at night?"
Lin Mu smiled modestly.
"Yes."
"Your Highness asked this question. Are you also used to walking at night?"
Gu Nianting shook his head slightly, turned his head in the direction of Yuexi Mansion, and sighed with a hint of guilt.
"When I say 'sometimes', I am not referring to myself, but to Princess Yuexi."
Lin Mu pretended not to know and showed just the right amount of surprise.
"Really? I am so lucky to have such a coincidence."
Gu Nianting was immersed in the past and had no intention of replying, so he just kept talking to himself.
"She asked if I would go for a walk with her."
Lin Mu followed his words and made random guesses.
"Your Majesty is so respectful and loving to the wise, so he must be even more attentive to the person beside him."
Hearing this, Gu Nianting felt even more ashamed.
"Alas, I sternly refused at that time."
Lin Mu asked in confusion.
"May I ask why?"
Gu Nianting reflected on his mistakes and spoke in a deep voice to express his inner distress.
"I was so annoyed that I misunderstood her as jealous, and never took her for a walk. Now I regret it, but it's too late."
Lin Mu also spoke in a confessional tone, as if he was sharing a heart-to-heart with a close friend.
"I once had such regrets."
A hint of curiosity flashed across Gu Nianting's eyes.
"Oh? Tell me."