dognovel Chapter 137 Gu Chenglin's Secret
Chapter 137 Gu Chenglin's Secret
When Dongfang Jin saw his resolute and handsome face, his wheat-colored skin, and the faint scar on his left cheek, which made him look very manly, she couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Cough...cough..."
Good heavens, is she going to choke to death?
What does it mean when you first feel romantic feelings for someone?
Seeing her coughing so badly, her face flushed red, Gu Chenglin assumed she was upset with him and quickly apologized, "Wife, have some water first. I was wrong. I was planning to deal with the Gu family before talking to you..."
Dongfang Jin gestured for him to stop, interrupting him.
What's wrong with this person?
After a while, she was about to spit out the saliva, but Gu Chenglin forced the water down her throat.
This disgusted her. She waved her hand at Gu Chenglin and said, "It doesn't matter anymore. Just be yourself. I know you have your reasons for hiding yourself like this. I don't blame you, really."
Her calm words startled Gu Chenglin. He knelt before her, took her hand, and said cautiously, "Wife, I was wrong. I shouldn't have kept it from you. I should have told you sooner."
Why don't you hit me a couple of times? I didn't mean to hide it from you, really.
Dongfang Jin was taken aback by his kneeling and frowned: "I said I'm not angry, you don't need to apologize."
She wasn't really angry. Isn't it normal for someone to have a few secrets?
“Wife, it was my uncle who made me do this. He said that the enemy who killed Mother is still alive.”
It is the Zheng family, the Duke of Wu. During the reign of the late emperor, the Zheng family was the head of the major dukes.
The old duke's protégés were spread throughout the entire eastern neighboring country.
Although he was the Duke of Wu, he had absolutely nothing to do with martial arts.
My uncle said he was granted the title of Duke because he had written a treatise on military strategy himself…
He presented his military strategy to the Empress Dowager, and any general who learned even a fraction of it was able to win one or two battles...
The late emperor's death and the succession struggle can be said to have been orchestrated by the Duke of Wu. The late emperor owed the Duke of Wu's mansion the most money..."
Hua Yutang: You sold me out so quickly just to please your wife!
"A military treatise? Sun Tzu's Art of War? Or the Thirty-Six Stratagems?"
"It seems to be called Liu Tao."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Jin's anger surged. Even if she was terrible at history, she still knew whose book the Six Secret Teachings was.
That shameless Zheng family...
"Damn, did he write that? Shameless bastard! If you took out Sun Tzu's Art of War, could you also become a duke?"
"If I were to take those military books from You Ran Ju out, I could be granted the title of a king of a different surname."
Dongfang Jin glanced at him and said, "Give me a break."
"So your uncle was afraid you'd be recognized by the Duke of Wu's family, so he sent you home early?"
"That's part of the reason, and that's part of it."
Gu Chenglin pointed to the birthmark on his shoulder: "My uncle said that Abbot Fakong once prophesied to the late emperor that people with this color and pattern on their bodies could change the fate of the Eastern Lin Kingdom."
Because of this statement, the henchmen of the Duke of Wu in the palace heard about it and informed him. After that, he began to take action against the direct descendants of the Hua family.
Because all direct descendants of the Hua family have this birthmark, only the color is different.
The women of the Hua family are dressed in pink, while the men are dressed in red. Moreover, the aunt was chosen as the empress by Abbot Fakong.
The Gu family of Rongguo, the Hua family of Ningguo, and the Jun family of Jinguo have been related by marriage for generations, so how could the Duke of Wuguo let this go?
The births of the children from the Gu, Hua, and Jun families were all fraught with difficulties, but all of them survived unharmed.
My uncle said it's because none of them have birthmarks of that color on their bodies.
Afterwards, my mother came back to worship our ancestors and pray for blessings. She was pregnant again and gave birth outside the home.
The Duke of Wu, believing that the Duke of Rong was hiding something, ambushed and killed him on the road...
My uncle said that none of the people who followed my mother back then survived.
When they found my mother, she was on her last breath, and as she breathed her last, she pointed to the baby who had been hacked to death…
Is there such a saying?
[Ruyi, is there such a thing?]
I don't know, but the color of this birthmark is indeed unusual.
Oh, what do you mean?
Purple and gold are generally considered colors associated with royalty.
So, this prophecy is true?
【pretty close.】
【superstitious】
[Lord, I'm not superstitious, what's wrong with you?]
What does this have to do with me?
Can you explain how you got here?
【cannot. 】
Therefore, the world is full of wonders. The prophecy that he could assist an emperor didn't say he wouldn't rely on you, did it?
【…】
So, you are that variable.
【…】
Otherwise, how did you end up inside his new wife's body?
Dongfang Jin was too lazy to pay attention to it anymore. After hearing Gu Chenglin's words, she rested her chin on her hand and said, "Gu Chenglin, I have a feeling that your mother definitely knows about Granny Gu's child swapping."
Otherwise, how could the people around the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Ningguo and the legitimate wife of the Duke of Rongxiaoguo be so incompetent?
Given the situation at the time, it would have been better to turn the tables on them. Unfortunately, no one was left alive, and Gu Chenglin's whereabouts were not clearly explained, which is why he suffered for so many years.
Alas! It is true that when Heaven entrusts a great task to someone, it first tests their resolve.
This can also be considered a form of protection.
"That's what Grandpa Chu guessed too."
"So, your great-uncle is now in charge of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion?"
"No, he has his own residence. After my grandfather inherited the title of Duke, my great-uncle followed the Duke of Zhenguo to guard the border."
It wasn't until my grandfather passed away and the Duke of Zhenguo returned to the capital to take charge of the overall situation that he followed him back to the capital.
It was because of them that the emperor was able to secure his position.
"So he was also a general?"
"Yes, he was General Weiyuan, a second-rank official. He had three sons. His eldest son was beheaded by the enemy while trying to save his comrade."
The second son stayed in the army, while the youngest son stayed in the capital.
Later, to reassure the emperor, his second son took his two grandsons to the border.
I was referring to my eldest cousin, Gu Yunhe, and his younger brother, Gu Yunxiang, who guarded Feihu Pass in the southwest region of Longhu Pass…
"Gu Chenglin, I didn't realize you were destined to be the male lead."
You said you're in so much danger, for my safety, what do you think about us...?
Gu Chenglin pounced on her, pinning her down, and said through gritted teeth, "Don't even think about it. You're my wife, and you're not going anywhere..."
Dongfang Jin pinched his cheek: "I knew you'd dodge every time I pinched your ears and face. So you were wearing a human skin mask, huh?"
She used to only see it on TV and thought it was cool, but she never imagined that one day she would actually experience it in real life.
"These were all done by my uncle's staff; they only need to be replaced every six months."
"You, the young master of the Duke of Rongguo, don't you plan to go back?"
Gu Chenglin said sullenly, "I'm not going back. It's quiet here. My uncle said the Rongguo Duke's mansion is a mess and not safe."
I'll stay home as late as possible, and besides, I don't want to cause them worry because of me.
My eldest brother has already inherited the title, and my sister is married into Grandpa Chu's brother's family. As for me, I don't want to disrupt that peace.
"Where are the people your uncle gave you? I don't see them."
“I sent them back. My uncle gave me a portion of his business, but I didn’t know how to manage it, so I handed it over to them to manage.”
"It seems your uncle treats you very well," Dongfang Jin thought upon hearing this, feeling that the Duke of Ningguo was not bad.
"Hmm, not bad. Lu Yunqing's maternal grandfather is my maternal grandfather's younger brother."
"I see. Is your grandfather still alive?"
“She’s still alive. After my maternal grandmother passed away, the other maternal grandmother from the Song family also went to die.”
My uncle said he wasn't in good health and was recuperating at his estate in the suburbs of Beijing. He wouldn't return to Beijing unless something major happened.
Even during holidays and festivals, his family would go to the estate to spend time with him.