Chapter 430: Subjugating Su Ding
Gu Nianting's eyes were as solid as a rock, unshakable.
"It's absolutely true. I beg Aunt He to fulfill my nephew's wish!"
He Shu sighed helplessly and nodded in agreement.
"Ah, okay."
Gu Nianting smiled widely and bowed deeply again.
"Thank you, Aunt He."
After the ceremony, he stood up, walked quickly towards Su Ding, his eyes full of admiration, and helped the role model up with his own hands.
"Master Su, please get up quickly."
Su Ding did not forget to put on a show. He turned his head and glanced at Shen Honglin at the first moment.
Gu Nianting understood and turned to He Shu, asking with his eyes.
He Shu waved her hand, pretending to go along with her nephew's wishes, and forced a smile.
"Sister Wan, please stand up."
The palace maid stepped forward respectfully and helped Shen Honglin up.
Afraid of tiring Ting'er, He Shu added in a deep voice.
"Give me a seat."
Just like that, the four of them sat down according to the rules and dismissed all the palace servants.
With He Shu here, even if Su Ding and Shen Honglin had something to say, they would be too embarrassed to speak out.
Gu Nianting knew their difficulties and took the initiative to talk to them.
"You don't need me to say more. Lord Su will understand. It was I who revealed the secret between you two to Aunt He."
"This action of mine is by no means intended as an excuse, but something has changed and I have no choice but to do it."
Su Ding expressed doubts.
"Something unexpected happened?"
There was a furrow between Gu Nianting's brows, and he looked solemn.
"Ah."
"Because I admire you as my role model, I am concerned about your movements. But please rest assured, I have never inquired about your private matters."
"Early this morning, I received reliable news that my father has ordered that no one from the Su or Song mansions be allowed to enter the palace in the next two days. This matter is very suspicious, so I sent someone to get the news."
"The spy learned that the emperor received an anonymous letter and learned about your affair, so he stopped Madam Song from entering the palace and replaced you. It was by chance that I learned about Lord Su's secret."
"I didn't have time to think too much, and hurried to the palace to ask for an audience with Aunt He. But before I could finish my words, Aunt He misunderstood me and mobilized a large army to capture us. I couldn't stop her."
"Alas, this matter could have been resolved peacefully without frightening you two. It's all my fault. I didn't express myself clearly and my speech was clumsy, which caused Aunt He to misunderstand my intention. I hope Lord Su and Concubine Wan Zhaoyi will forgive me."
Shen Honglin shook her head slightly and smiled gently.
Su Ding's pair of vicissitudes of life eyes are sometimes crystal clear and sometimes relieved.
"So the prince has good intentions here."
"Thanks to your constant concern, I was able to escape the disaster. Your kindness is so great that I have no way to repay you."
After saying this, Su Ding was about to salute.
Gu Nianting immediately reached out to stop him, staring at Su Ding, not sparingly expressing his affection for him, as if he were respecting his own father.
"You are too polite, Lord Su."
"I am honored to protect Lord Su once. Even if it means risking my life, I am willing to do it."
Su Ding's face was solemn, his eyes showed helplessness, and he got back to business.
"The Emperor will be here soon. I wonder if the Prince has any clever plan to rescue me from the palace?"
Gu Nianting had a faint smile on his face, and he was fearless and at ease in the face of danger.
"I sent someone to investigate the method by which the two of you met and I know a thing or two. Before entering the palace, I went to the Song Mansion and asked the eunuch to pretend to be my attendant and bring him into the palace. He is now waiting outside the palace, waiting to exchange clothes with Lord Su."
Su Ding breathed a sigh of relief and responded in a measured manner.
"Your Majesty has thought it through. I am convinced."
As her goal was not achieved, He Shu continued to follow the strategy and tried to win over Su Ding's heart.
"Ting'er, are you using me to protect the model?"
Gu Nianting left his seat and knelt obediently in front of his aunt.
"Please forgive me, Aunt He. I really had no choice."
He Shu spoke in a stern voice, as if she was extremely furious, but in fact she used words skillfully to deliberately exaggerate her nephew's heroic act.
"You helped a man from outside the palace to meet with the imperial concubines, and even dragged me into this. Do you know what crime I will be punished for if it is exposed? You are simply outrageous!"
Gu Nianting lowered his eyes and buried his head, feeling overwhelmed with guilt.
"My nephew knows his mistake."
He Shu pretended to question and punish in a fake manner.
"Can your simple admission of fault keep me safe? After returning home, I will be punished to copy ancient scrolls by lamplight every night until I am sensible and reasonable!"
Gu Nianting responded dejectedly.
"Yes."
Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Su Ding was more and more moved. He almost prostrated himself before Gu Nianting and made a solemn declaration.
"Prince Gaizhi, I am willing to serve you like a dog!"
Gu Nianting began to act solemnly, offering his support with both hands in a gesture of respect, and denied it with an innocent look on his face.
"What do you mean, Lord Su? I have said that I saved you, not for the sake of the court."
Tears flashed in Su Ding's eyes, his face became more amiable, and every word he spoke was sincere.
"I know that Concubine Rong and Concubine Zhong Shuyi are good friends. They grew up together with the prince. The relationship between you two is like that of a real mother and son."
"Now, the prince has sacrificed his own life to protect me, and even put my aunt's safety on the edge of a cliff. It can be imagined that the words of a role model are beyond doubt."
"Your Majesty, you risked your life without expecting anything in return. I will repay your kindness with a generous gesture."
He changed the subject, and suddenly felt a little inferior, his eyes lowered, and he looked lonely.
"What a pity! I am a humble person, and the prince is suspicious and disdainful of me, and is unwilling to accept a fool. In this case, I have no choice but to commit suicide to relieve the prince's emergency and not embarrass Concubine Rong..."
There were no weapons in the bedroom of Wanying Palace. Su Ding smashed a teacup, picked up a piece of ceramic fragment, put it to his neck, and pretended to be determined to die.
He Shu was shocked when she saw this.
I originally thought that the plan was simple and difficult to accomplish, but I didn't expect Lord Su to change sides so quickly.
Is this a false surrender?
Or is it that Alliance Leader Qi’s plan is truly brilliant?
Gu Nianting hurriedly stopped him, snatched the fragments from Su Ding's hand, threw them hard, and then grabbed Su Ding's wrist to prevent him from doing anything stupid again.
"Master Su, please slow down and don't be impulsive!"
Shen Honglin did not dare to disobey the emperor's order. Seeing Su Ding committing suicide, she was immediately worried and quickly left her seat, wanting to save him. But when she saw Gu Nianting had rescued him first, she felt relieved and slowly returned to her seat.
Gu Nianting didn't care about her behavior and was focused on persuading Su Ding.
"I came here to save you. How can I bear to watch you die on the spot?"
Su Ding understood the meaning naturally.
"Your Highness, do you mean to accept a scholar?"
Before Gu Nianting could react, he bowed his head and was overjoyed.
"I deeply thank you, Your Majesty, for not abandoning me!"
This was the original intention. Since he had acquiesced, Gu Nianting naturally stopped refusing and was secretly proud of himself, but he remained respectful on the surface.
"My ability is too stupid to be of much use. Thank you Lord Su for not abandoning me."
Su Ding was helped up again by him and they both returned to their seats.
In order to deepen trust, Su Ding did not neglect any details of the strategy, and continued to express his position solemnly and seriously.
"Your Highness is a man of extraordinary talent, how can he be a fool?"
"However, my willingness to follow you is not just because I admire your talent and wisdom, but also because you are wise and virtuous, and have both talent and virtue."
"On the other hand, the emperor is too harsh towards us old ministers. In fact, I have long wanted to abandon him..."
The timing was just right. The palace maid who was on duty brought news that the emperor and his entourage would soon arrive at Wanying Palace.
Gu Nianting was courteous and humble, and personally helped Su Ding change his clothes, protected him in every way, and helped him escape from trouble.