ã€ŠShe Live Streams Modern Life to Ancient People After Failing to Conquer the Emperorã€‹


 Chapter 1: Guideline failure, New mission live ancient and modern

    <h4>Chapter 1</h4>

    "Pei Changying, if...if I say...that I cannot be the Empress, will I really die?"

    A trembling voice;

    Words on the verge of death;

    Permeated this cold, inner pce.

    The lofty Emperor looked down at her, his eyes filled with scorn: "How could a vile woman with blood-stained hands like you be my Empress? Only Rourou is worthy to be the Mother of All Under Heaven. If you wish to die, then go ahead and die!"

    Ha ha!

    Seven years of heart-pounding anxiety!

    Seven years of painstaking conquest, only to be denied even the promised session at the end?

    "I didn''t deceive you, I will really die..."

    "Pei Changying, I want to go home, I beg you to believe me..."In Gu Sang''s despairing eyes, that towering figure gradually vanished until he was gone.

    He was the Former Emperor''s most unloved son, with no powerful family or ancestry.

    It was her! It was her scheming and plotting that had put him on the throne, it was her who had risked her life twice to save him on the battlefield!

    But in the end, he still sumbed to his infatuation with his legitimate sister!

    She wasn''t heartbroken! Really!

    From beginning to end, Gu Sang had never liked this man! She was well aware that ancient men only loved themselves. She never expected him to love her, only to gain the session.

    But she never imagined...

    That she could never return to the modern era, never see her beloved grandmother who had been waiting for her toe home.

    At that moment!

    An icy electronic voice resounded in her mind: "Host''s conquest of Pei Changying has failed! Conquest mission terminated! System will exterminate the Host''s soul in ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

    "Modern era...Grandma...I''m sorry, I can''t go back..."

    "Grandma, I miss you so much..."

    Gu Sang closed her eyes in anguish as the electronic voice in her mind announced her death sentence.

    "Three!"

    "Two!"

    "One!"

    "Exterminate..."

    A surge of electricity instantly struck Gu Sang, the excruciating pain causing her to lose consciousness.

    The battered woman copsed on the icy floor, her fallen figure casting a deste shadow in the vast pce, with horrified cries echoing in her ears.

    It was all over.

    "Sang Sang..."

    "Come back, Sang Sang..."

    A familiar, warm voice, like a shing sword of sacred light, cleaved through the chaos before her, guiding Gu Sang away from this cold, lonely hell.

    Gu Sang raised her heavy eyelids and finally opened her eyes.

    The spotless white ceiling above her momentarily short-circuited her brain, while the foul smell of sodium hypochlorite filled the air, jolting Gu Sang''s senses.

    A hospital?!

    This, this is...a modern hospital?

    She''s back?!

    "How is that possible?" Gu Sang looked around in disbelief, her eyes filled with growing excitement. Her mission had failed, yet she wasn''t directly exterminated?

    After recovering from the excitement, Gu Sang tore off the breathing tube and ran outside with all her might.

    The first thing she wanted to do after being reborn was to see her grandmother, who had supported her through seven years of torment!

    Grandma, wait for me!

    Having not moved for so long, Gu Sang was unsteady on her feet, but she gritted her teeth and staggered down the hallway. A nurse brushed past her.

    A few secondster;

    The nurse suddenly turned back towards Gu Sang, her face etched with astonishment: "She¡ªshe''s not the patient from Room 402, is she?"

    "I remember 402 is the vegetative patient who''s been in aa for a year!"

    The nurse, as if she had discovered something incredible, took a deep breath and dashed back towards Room 402 to confirm.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang dragged her frail body, stumbling and crashing her way back home.

    This home she had fought with all her might to return to!

    "Grandma!!"

    Gu Sang''s trembling hands quickly unlocked the door using her fingerprint.

    The house was deathly silent, with only Gu Sang''s frantic cries echoing through it as she scanned the surroundings, searching for a figure whose memory was fading.

    But at that moment, Gu Sang''s gaze fell upon the old Nokia phone lying on the bedside table.

    That was an old model from years ago...

    Back in high school, after Gu Sang was taken back by her wealthy biological parents in Jiang City, her grandmother had always kept that phone close, afraid of missing her call...

    With trembling hands, Gu Sang clicked on the voicemail recording on the home screen.

    "Sang Sang, Grandma now knows what happened when you lived with your biological parents, I''m sorry, Grandma should never have sent you back to them..."

    "Grandma never stopped loving you, in my heart, you are my one and only granddaughter."

    "My dear Sang Sang, since I won''t be around to look after you anymore, I''ve written my will. When you return, transfer the ownership of this apartment to your name..."

    A will!

    Those two words were like a thunderbolt on a clear day, leaving Gu Sang''s mindpletely nk.

    She dazedly raised her hand.

    And touched her wet cheeks.

    "Why, what happened?!"

    "Why!!" Gu Sang fell to her knees, a sense of despair enveloping her from all sides.

    Back in high school, afraid she couldn''t provide the best education and life, her grandmother had sent her to live with her wealthy biological parents who had found them.

    But after returning to that home,

    She realized they already had a daughter.

    She was ignored,pared, and walked on eggshells, until the moment she got into university and finally dared to leave that home which wasn''t hers, rushing back to find her grandmother.

    But on the way, she died in an ident and became bound to the Conquest System.

    The System told her that if she sessfully conquered Pei Changying, she could return to the modern era...

    She had returned, but her grandmother was gone!

    "Congrattions Host, due to special circumstances, the System is now changing Host Gu Sang''s mission from conquering Pei Changying to livestreaming modern life to ancient people."

    "Do you ept this mission?"

    The mechanical voice suddenly rang out.

    "Special circumstances..."

    "System, did you cause all of this? Why didn''t I die, I should have died in that pce struggle, exterminated by you!"

    "I''m begging you, give Grandma back to me, let me die, please, don''t torture me like this..."

    Gu Sang wept hysterically, nearly suffocating from her breakdown.

    But the next second.

    The System''s cold, mechanical response left Gu Sang petrified in ce! Her heart skipped a beat!

    It said: "You failed your conquest mission, you were supposed to die by the System''s extermination."

    "It was your Grandmother who found me, willing to exchange her lifetime of good deeds and even her life, so that you could return to the modern era."

    "Host, the reason you didn''t die is because your Grandmother used her virtues earned in this life to substitute your life for hers."

    "As long as the Hostpletes the System''s mission of livestreaming the modern prosperous era to ancient people, changing the miserable fate of ancient women, you will earn virtue and be able to redeem your Grandmother''s life."

 Chapter 2: Let Me Overthrow Your Dynasty.

    <h4>Chapter 2</h4>

    "How do I get it?" Gu Sang, a person who remained calm even amidst the chaos and ughter of war, lost herposure after hearing that her grandmother had a chance ofing back.

    "You have automatically bound a live broadcast task. The system will allow you to gain merit directly."

    As the system finished speaking, the wall in front of Gu Sang turned into a screen-like projection.

    The screen vividly reflected a deep red pce wall.

    It was¡ª

    The Imperial Pce where Pei Changying resided! It was the pce where she had been confined for half a year when the system erased her!

    So the ancient person she was going to broadcast to...

    Was from the era when Pei Changying lived??

    shes of people from her previous life and Pei Changying''s heartlessness suddenly appeared in Gu Sang''s mind. Her feelings of suppressed grief unexpectedly turned into anticipation!

    "You need to broadcast the details of modern life to awaken the ancient woman. This is your task as a broadcaster."

    "As more and more people awaken, the scenes you can broadcast will expand¡ªfrom the pce, to the city walls, and even the entire country will be able to see your broadcast."

    A glimmer of hope arose in Gu Sang''s eyes.

    Her gaze grew increasingly determined: "Is there a time limit?"

    "Five years."

    "Good, I ept the task! Official broadcast begins tomorrow."

    After obtaining Gu Sang''s agreement, the system fell silent.

    In their seven years together, it had already understood what kind of person Gu Sang was.

    Calm, goal-oriented, relentless in pursuing her objectives, and absolutely would not get lost in emotions¡ªa lucid and rational woman who only loved herself!

    In the seven years she spent with Pei Changying, the system almost thought Gu Sang would develop a "lovesick brain" and gradually fall in love with this man.

    But she didn''t!

    Her mind was only focused onpleting the task. She was clear-headed and self-reliant, knowing that powerful men only love themselves.

    Women were merely stepping stones!

    From the very beginning, she never believed Pei Changying''s promise of a lifetime together, just the two of them.

    "Grandma, I will definitely make it happen. Wait for me!"

    Gu Sang gazed into the void and murmured with a calm andposed tone: "Pei Changying, get ready for me to overturn your dynasty!"

    This time, I will definitely, definitely not fail!

    Because this time, my fate is no longer in the hands of a man!

    Men will only make me lose!

    But girls won''t. They are the most adorable and resilient creatures in the world. Give them a glimmer of hope, and they will surge upwards, shining brilliantly!

    Modern girls are like this, and ancient girls will be too!

    ......

    At the same time, in the ancient Imperial Pce.

    "Your Majesty, the Noble Consort... has passed away."

    Pei Changying, who was reviewing memorials, paused his hand.

    A drop of ink "plop" fell onto the memorial, the red ink spreading across the paper like vivid blood.

    Pei Changying quickly regained hisposure, a sh of disgust flickering in his eyes as he coldly snorted: "Go tell her, I''ve seen too many of these ''vying for favor'' tricks in the depths of the pce."

    The pce maid kneeling on the ground trembled, gathering her courage to report again:

    "Your Majesty, the Consort has truly passed away... her body is within the hall..."

    "Get out!" The Son of Heaven could not bear to hear the news of Gu Sang''s death, nor did he believe it.

    That wrathful voice terrified the pce maid, causing her to lose her soul as she scrambled out of the study room.

    "A person as crafty as her, how could she have passed away? This must be an excuse for her to see me."

    "Gu Sang, Gu Sang! Didn''t you previously say that women should also stand tall and upright, and that if given a chance, they would be no less than men?"

    "How is it that now you''re only growing more jealous and insecure?"

    Recalling the arrogant words that woman had once spoken, Pei Changying felt extremely displeased!

    All the women of this era followed the "Three Obediences and Four Virtues" with the husband as the principal guide, yet she alone looked at it with disdain.

    She was proud, vivacious, lucid and opinionated.

    Unlike the stiff and dull pcedies Pei Changying had seen, she would never lose herself for a bit of love and affection. Therefore, he admired her but also wanted to control her.

    But,

    She had never been someone a man could control, even if that man was the Emperor!

    This time,

    Pei Changying was determined to make that woman suffer a loss.

    To let her know that man is a woman''s heaven!

    If she had these terrible thoughts before, that''s one thing, but now that she was his woman, she should take him as her heaven!

    "You said, ''If all the women in this world had your insights,''

    ''Having read tens of thousands of poems and books, traversed miles of mountains and rivers, crossed the four provinces of Jiangnan, seen the boundless desert, appreciated the peach blossoms of a ten-mile gallery, they too would be like you, unwilling to view a man''s favor as everything!''"

    "They too would be like you, unwilling to be confined in this pce that is like a cage, wasting their lives away."

    "But I, will have to see just how long you can persist!"

    "It''s merely that I''m giving you face! After I made your elder sister the Empress, you''re still vying with her and using every trick to seize my favor, aren''t you? Ha!"

    At this moment, Pei Changying felt a mixture of disdain, sarcasm, and smugness.

    His making of Gu Sang''s elder sister the Empress was not out of love at first sight.

    He did it to let Gu Sang know not to delude herself with promises of "a lifetime together, just the two of us."

    He did it to break Gu Sang''s wings.

    To make her fall from the free heights to be the caged golden songbird he kept!

    There were still a few unreviewed memorials on the table, but after the pce maid reported the news of that woman''s death, Pei Changying could no longer concentrate.

    In the end,

    Pei Changying irritably tossed aside the memorials and rose to his feet: "Gu Sang, you''d better be dead! Otherwise, I don''t think you''ll want this position of Noble Consort either!"

    Ultimately, Pei Changying did make his way to Xuyang Pce. He did want to see what other tricks Gu Sang had in mind.

    When Pei Changying entered Xuyang Pce with utter disdain,

    He expected to see the usually arrogant Gu Sang lower herself and beg for his favor and pity.

    But unexpectedly!

    He only heard the sobbing of a few pce maids within the pce, and a cold corpse!!

    "You all¡ª"

    "Your Majesty, blessings upon you... The Noble Consort had already... passed awayst night..."

    Pei Changying''s cold lips were about to open and punish these pce maids when he was shaken by their next sentence, his face turning pale!

    Dead, dead?

    No, it couldn''t be possible!

    He almost trembled as he strode to Gu Sang''s corpse, not daring to look at her already pale face, but instead kicking her with his foot.

    "Gu Sang, what kind of trick are you ying again!"

    "Gu Sang, I''m here now, don''t pretend to be dead in front of me."

    Pei Changying received no response.

    The woman lying before him had a ghastly pale face, no heartbeat, her body as cold as if she had been dead for a day!

    At that moment,

    Pei Changying''s heart clenched, he finally panicked and became afraid, his fingers beginning to tremble as he checked for Gu Sang''s breath.

    Boom¡ª!!

 Chapter 3: Live Modern, Start.

    <h4>Chapter 3</h4>

    Boom¡ª¡ª!!

    No breath left, gone?

    How could she be gone?!

    His Sang was so strong, she had survived and shielded him from death twice before, how could she suddenly die?!

    "Gu Sang!"

    Pei Changying shouted in a grim and anguished voice.

    The look of strategic calction on his face hadpletely vanished, reced by the copse of having lost a gamble!

    It was shock.

    And fear.

    He carefully held Gu Sang''s corpse, trembling in a manner unbefitting of him: "Wake up for your sovereign, Imand you! Wake up!"

    "Don''t die, don''t die Gu Sang, this must be you ying a joke on me, right? You must be putting on an act, you want to get my attention, you want to stop me from making your elder sister the official consort, isn''t that right?"

    "Gu Sang!"

    Inside the pce, only Pei Changying''s helpless and frightened cries remained.

    The Gu Sang who had supported him all the way to the throne, who responded to his every need - that vibrant, dazzling, irresistible Gu Sang, was for the first time ignoring him.

    He had finally, finally lost her.

    ......

    Time passed quickly, and the next day arrived.

    Today was Gu Sang''s first live broadcast.

    This system task provided ample freedom, without overly constraining her time.

    In the initial period, she only needed to broadcast for an hour per day, with the broadcast time determined by herself.

    After preparations wereplete, Gu Sang calmly began: "System, start today''s live broadcast."

    "Live broadcast initiated!"

    Looking at the floating camera in mid-air, Gu Sang reached out to touch it.

    Her fingers passed right through it, as if it didn''t exist, yet she could see it vividly and realistically.

    Gu Sang had no live broadcasting experience, but having been through life and death in ancient times, this task was already a breeze for her.

    "I am Gu Sang, and today is my first live broadcast..."

    In ancient times, at the Xuyang Pce.

    The pce maids keeping vigil were suddenly startled by a voice from inside the hall, scaring the wits out of them.

    "Wh-what was that sound..."

    A few maids huddled together, trembling as they looked towards the coffin in the center.

    Then, one of the maids noticed the projection on the coffin lid.

    "What is that?"

    Hearing the voiceing from the coffin, and it being broad daylight, the maids finally mustered their courage to look at the projection.

    What they saw left them stunned.

    It was thete Consort Gu Sang!

    "That''s Lady Consort!" the maid eximed with eyes wide open.

    "Is this...the Underworld?"

    Seeing the room decor behind Gu Sang, exquisite, strange, and unlike anything they had ever seen!

    The visual shock left the maids gaping, momentarily forgetting their fear.

    "Does the Underworld have sunlight?"

    "Why is there a painting of Lady Consort hanging on the wall? And the painting is even smaller than a book? It looks just like her!"

    "Heavens, this...this looks like a fairy realm, so bright and beautiful! Isn''t the Underworld supposed to be a terrifying ce?"

    The system projection was in extremely high resolution.

    The maids murmured in shock as they peered through the screen, able to see Gu Sang seated at a desk, sunlight streaming through the windows into the bright and simple room decor.

    There were fuzzy toys on the bed;

    Thin books;

    Transparent ss windows;

    Various strange and exotic objects that to the people of ancient times were simply mind-blowing!

    And outside the Xuyang Pce.

    "Your Majesty, you have just ascended the throne as empress, how could youe to such an ill-omened ce? It bodes poorly for you," the head pcedy-in-waiting cautioned solemnly.

    This was where someone had died, inauspicious!

    Gu Qingrou lifted her eyes and said, "She was my younger half-sister after all. No matter how deep our grievances, they are nullified in death. I havee to offer incense for her."

    "Your Majesty is truly kindhearted, a blessing to the world and the pce," the headdy-in-waiting ttered obsequiously.

    Listening to the ttering words, Gu Qingrou felt satisfied and smug inwardly.

    Gu Sang, ah Gu Sang, you could never defeat me in the end!

    Everything you did was merely paving the way for me!

    Dressed in the bright red robes of an empress, Gu Qingrou entered the Xuyang Pce with a radiant expression.

    However, as soon as she stepped into the pce hall, she heard Gu Sang''s voice: "Don''t be afraid, I''m not a ghost, this is where I''m living now..."

    "What you were staring at earlier is a photograph, it can capture someone''s exact likeness in just a second..."

    What nonsense about ghosts and photographs?

    Ridiculous!!

    What was even more shocking to Gu Qingrou was that the voice seemed to being from the coffin.

    After oveing her initial fear, Gu Qingrou boldly stepped forward.

    She sternly rebuked everyone in the Xuyang Pce, asserting her imperial authority as empress: "How dare you practice sorcery in the imperial pce! How many heads do you think can be chopped off for this?"

    Sorcery was forbidden in the pce.

    Anyone found guilty would have their entire n executed.

    Hearing this, all the pce maids and eunuchs in the Xuyang Pce wailed their innocence, dropping to their knees in a frantic mor.

    "Gu Sang, as a consort you should know your ce. Not only are you spreading rumors of your own demise, but you are also resorting to such deceptive tricks. What do you hope to achieve!"

    Gu Qingrou shouted at the coffin lid in berating tones.

    But no matter how she railed, the Gu Sang on the projection screen continued talking obliviously.

    Gu Qingrou red at the woman on the projection screen, her gaze arrogant, as if expressing her victory in bing empress.

    "So you didn''t die after all!"

    "Stop this charade of sorcery,e out now! I am the empress, and even if you cling to life, His Majesty will no longer favor you."

    "Fine, you want to put on this sorcery act? I''ll see just how long you can keep it up."

    But the Gu Sang on the other side simply continued speaking, not giving Gu Qingrou the slightest regard.

    With a nce, Gu Qingrou signaled the head pcedy, who immediately understood and ordered the pce maids to smash the objects in the Xuyang Pce hall and the projection on the coffin lid.

    Yet the projection remained unscathed.

    The environment Gu Sang was in was unlike anything Gu Qingrou had ever witnessed!

    Seeing that she was powerless against the projection screen, Gu Qingrou was utterly perplexed.

    She began to panic, fearing that the sorcery might bring ill fortune upon herself!

    Afraid, and after issuing her stern warning, she turned to leave: "No matter what trickery you''re ying, I won''t fear you. I will definitely root you out."

    "You just wait! If I can''t deal with you myself, I will have masters versed in exorcising sorcerye and deal with you!"

    Gu Qingrou swept her sleeves and stormed off angrily.

    Seeing the devastation left in the hall, the few pce maids keeping vigil hurriedly kowtowed, exining to Gu Sang''s coffin.

    "Lady Consort, please don''t me us servants. It was the Empress who disturbed your eternal rest. All grievances have their source, please don''t hold it against us."

    "Sorcery is forbidden in the pce, Lady Consort. Please leave quickly."

    "Yes, the Empress will certainly not let this go easily. She will definitely find masters to exorcise you!"

    Gu Sang smiled faintly: "Don''t worry, I''m not a ghost."

    "That''s all for today''s broadcast. I know it may be too much for you to process at once, but I will continue broadcasting my current life at this time tomorrow."

 Chapter 4: Pei Changying saw the live broadcast, shocked

    <h4>Chapter 4</h4>

    After the projection uttered these words, the pce maids who were cleaning the pce suddenly widened their eyes.

    Could the Empress really hear their conversations?

    And... the current life?

    Is there life in hell too?

    Aren''t they supposed to directly pass through the mountain of knives and the sea of mes before reincarnating?

    "Bihai, look, there''s no shadow of the Empress on the coffin anymore."

    "Where exactly is the Empress now, and why does that ce look like a paradise, with sunshine and so many strange and beautiful things?"

    "The Empress treated us extremely well when she was alive. Other pce maids were beaten and scolded. Every so often, one or two pce maids would die, but our Empress never treated us like ves."

    "We can''t just sit back and watch the Noble Consort invite the Grand Master. If that happens, the Empress will be torn into pieces!"

    ...

    The next day.

    "Hey, have you heard about the ghost haunting Qiyang Pce?"

    "Who hasn''t heard about it? Even the Empress went there yesterday."

    "I heard the reason why the Noble Consort''s wronged soul hasn''t dissipated is that she was killed by her own sister, so she has be a vengeful ghost seeking retribution."

    Wherever there were pce maids and eunuchs, rumors about the ghost haunting Qiyang Pce were spreading.

    It spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

    Within just a morning, the entire pce knew the rumor that the Noble Consort''s resentful soul had not dissipated, and she would appear in Qiyang Pce every day, seeking justice for her grievances.

    In just a few days, this preposterous incident reached Pei Changying''s ears.

    Pei Changying, who was deeply saddened by Gu Sang''s passing, suddenly raised his head when he heard about this. His eyes were pitch ck, evidently from not having slept for a few days.

    During this time, Pei Changying dared not set foot in her pce.

    He thought he could evade the reality: "You''re saying Gu Sang''s soul has returned, with grievances?!"

    "Set up an altar at Qiyang Pce immediately. I want to see it with my own eyes."

    In an instant, various factions in the pce set up altars at Qiyang Pce, all wanting to witness the "haunting legend" themselves.

    As night fell, pcenterns were lit everywhere, illuminating the pce.

    The live projection still did not appear.

    The consorts who came to watch the spectacle grew increasingly lively in their thoughts.

    At that moment, Consort Zhao stepped forward and approached Pei Changying.

    Under Gu Qingrou''s cold, resentful gaze, she smiled sweetly at the Emperor and said:

    "Your Majesty, this consort has always been on good terms with the Noble Consort. I have some of the Noble Consort''s calligraphy and paintings in my pce. Why don''t youe to my pce tonight and appreciate them with me?"

    "Your Majesty~ The Noble Consort also gave me some gifts. You muste to my pce."

    "Your Majesty, I also have something to show you."

    Hearing Consort Zhao''s bold invitation, the other consorts were not to be outdone.

    They were all shameless women!

    They didn''t seem close to Gu Sang before, but now they were all eagerly waiting here, just to say a few words to the Emperor.

    Having to share her husband with so many women, Gu Qingrou''s heart was shattered.

    She looked at Gu Sang lying in the coffin, then once again brought her up to shield herself: "It hasn''t even been a week since my sister passed away, yet you''re all here vying for affection and love, shamelessly exposing your ugly side in front of the deceased! What decorum is this!"

    Then¡ª

    As the words fell, a voice suddenly rang out!

    "Gu Qingrou, I''m already dead, so stop using me as an excuse!"

    The abrupt voice caused the lively Xuyang Pce to fall into a deafening silence.

    This voice was...

    Instantly, everyone''s hearts skipped a beat, and they all turned their gazes toward the coffin.

    Right before their very eyes!

    As Pei Changying turned his shocked and bewildered gaze toward it, an image suddenly flickered on the coffin!

    It was Gu Sang, dressed in a white bear pajamas, smiling gently at them.

    "Ahh!!! A ghost!"

    At that moment, a pce maid shrieked in terror.

    "Your Majesty~ This consort is scared."

    Consort Li even clung to Pei Changying, crying out in a feeble voice.

    Consort Zhao caught sight of Gu Qingrou''s deathly pale face, and was so frightened that she stumbled back several steps, nearly fainting! But she quickly regained herposure.

    Meanwhile, Gu Qingrou stared at Gu Sang with a pale, resentful expression.

    Seeing the human drama and scheming unfolding in Xuyang Pce, Gu Sang maintained a gentle, serene smile on her lips.

    "Viewer count has reached the minimum standard. Projection transferred from coffin to wall, opening video face-to-face mode."

    Since the number of viewers had reached the requirements for a small streamer room, the live location was transferred.

    To their horror, the screen suddenly moved from the coffin to the wall.

    Everyone was so terrified that their souls nearly scattered. Not a single person dared make a sound.

    Gu Sang''s gaze swept over the crowd.

    Upon seeing Pei Changying, she skimmed over him as if he were a stranger she had no rtion to, lightly ncing at him!

    Pei Changying''s breath also caught in his throat as he stared intently at Gu Sang.

    "Gu Sang! Are you really not dead?"

    "Where are you now? Imand you to immediately return to my side!"

    Pei Changying gazed dazedly at the projection on the wall, his eyes flickering with mixed emotions, unable to discern if it was anger or some other feeling.

    Gu Sang smiled radiantly, her gaze mocking as she stared at Pei Changying: "Return? I''ve finally gotten rid of you! Why would I go back!"

    "Pei Changying."

    "You promised that if I helped you ascend to the throne of Emperor, you would make me the Empress. Howughable that a man could be so fickle and disloyal, casting me aside after using me."

    "Fortunately, I never loved you either. So, I don''t hate you anymore!"

    Pei Changying''s guilt and deep affection for Gu Sang turned to resentful anger at her usations and exposures.

    His face darkened as he coldly said:

    "Gu Sang, do you even know what you''re saying! I am the Son of Heaven. The position of Empress is mine to bestow upon whomever I choose. When did you be so wicked and jealous?"

    "Yes, yes, I''m wicked, heartless, disloyal, cruel, and jealous. So what? You''re just an ungrateful bastard!"

    "I''ve had it with your arrogant face for a long time!" Gu Sang finally vented all her pent-up anger, which she had bottled up for so long:

    "What right do you have to say that to me?"

    "Let me tell you, Pei Changying, ever since I met you seven years ago!"

    "Every single day I spent getting close to you, sharing intimacies and love with you, every interaction with you, I felt so dirty!"

    "I had to bathe three times a day!"

    Ah, it felt so good to finally say it!

    Refreshing!

    Before, she had to shower Pei Changying with affection and pretend to love him deeply to get his help inpleting her mission.

    Now that she had returned, why should she hold back?

    Hearing Gu Sang dare to insult the Emperor, the consorts and concubines were utterly astonished, not daring to even breathe, fearing they might be implicated.

    However, contrary to expectations, Pei Changying remained calm and did not fly into a rage.

    Because¡ª

    Pei Changying still believed that this woman loved him deeply and resented him, so she was using such words to provoke him! She wanted to see his helpless, anguished side that showed he still cared!

 Chapter 5: Shopping in Short skirts in front of the ancients.

    <h4>Chapter 5</h4>

    Everyone grew even more fearful and apprehensive.

    A few secondster.

    Only Pei Changying was heard letting out a coldugh, his deeply passionate and affectionate gaze from before turningpletely!

    It turned into an expression of disgust and certainty: "Gu Sang, your schemes are bing more and more ingenious. Using witchcraft to hide in some strange ce, pretending to be dead, thinking I would regret making you the Empress?"

    "Heh! The pce rumors were also spread by you, weren''t they?"

    "To be the Empress, you truly are unscrupulous."

    "You vile woman really have clever tricks, daring to use death to threaten me, even daring to carry out this witchcraft! What crime shall you be charged with!"

    Gu Qingrou seized the opportunity and immediately knelt before Pei Changying.

    Her eyes glistened with tears not yet shed, giving her a pitiful appearance: "Your Majesty, please judge for your servant. Your servant has absolutely not done anything to wrong my sister."

    Pei Changying extended his hand to help Gu Qingrou up.

    In front of Gu Sang''s face, he gently caressed her cheek: "I believe you, you are the Empress I personally chose."

    "Gu Sang, you have caused the entire pce to be in turmoil. I order you to show yourself and apologize immediately, or else I will revoke your title as Noble Consort."

    Gu Qingrou stood behind Pei Changying, a faint smile crossing her lips as she defiantly looked towards Gu Sang.

    Faced with everyone''s varying thoughts, Gu Sang remained indifferent.

    "You think I still care about the petty title of Consort?"

    Hearing this nonchnt tone, a sudden anger emerged on Pei Changying''s previously cold and stern face.

    This expression only amused Gu Sang further.

    How refreshing!

    In her joyful mood, she proceeded to say words that caused Pei Changying''s pupils to nearly burst: "In fact, I''m not even from your era."

    "Ie from modern civilization two thousand years into the future. If not for wanting to return to the present to see my grandmother, why would a narrow-minded, self-centered man like you be worthy of my affection?"

    "I know you must be thinking something along the lines of feigning nonchnce, or being insincere. You''re too arrogant!"

    "Pei Changying, after seven years, can you still not sense my heart?!"

    Everyone was astonished, their expressions like spectators witnessing something shocking unfold.

    Consort Li was stunned by her earth-shattering words.

    Consort Zhao took note of the words "two thousand years into the future."

    Pei Changying''s body froze for a moment as he stared at Gu Sang, his jet-ck eyes seeming to conceal a volcano.

    In that instant!

    A sense of dread filled his entire being, causing all his confidence, conviction, and self-assuredness to dissipate like smoke!

    Because.......

    He suddenly recalled various details from before.

    No wonder!

    Every time Gu Sang looked at him, it was as if she was gazing past him into the distance. No wonder she would call out wanting to go home and see her grandmother in her dreams.

    But at the time, Pei Changying had not paid it any mind. He thought the "home" Gu Sang spoke of was the ancient Gu family estate, even though he had long sensed that Gu Sang was not entirely obedient towards him.......

    It turned out! It turned out this was all an act!

    "Vile woman, you have finally spoken your true feelings! This is a crime of deceiving the Emperor. Do you believe I will not exterminate your entire n!" Pei Changying''s gaze pierced through the screen like a physical force, filled with killing intent as his eyes locked onto Gu Sang, filled with both rage and helplessness.

    "Ding ling ling......"

    The sound of a phone ringing interrupted Gu Sang and Pei Changying''s gaze at each other through the screen.

    Gu Sang answered the phone. It was herwyer calling.

    It turned out that before Gu Sang had awoken, her grandmother had entrusted thewyer to help transfer the property ownership to her name.

    Today, thewyer called to ask if she had time to handle the property transfer formalities.

    It was only at this point that everyone noticed the interior decor of the room behind Gu Sang.

    As well as the fact that the long, bright object had emitted the voice of another man.

    "How is this Noble Consort talking to that object?"

    "Your servant seems to have heard a man''s voicee from that object. Is it an illusion?"

    "Is she dead or not? Why would she be in such a strange ce? And look, Your Majesty, there''s also a strange cup, how is it made to look so exquisite?"

    "What is that transparent thing on the window? How can it show the outside scenery so clearly?"

    "What is that bright thing? And what is this modern civilization? Your servant has never even heard of it before."

    Having just ended the call, Gu Sang heard the others'' confused inquiries and replied: "This is a phone, capable of contacting others from thousands of miles away."

    Then!

    These words elicited shock and denial from everyone!

    "How could there be such a thing, what nonsense are you spouting?"

    "Gu Sang, what new trick are you trying to pull, daring to speak such a ridiculous lie!"

    "For thest time, I order you to return and beg for forgiveness, or else you will never again receive my favor! Gu Sang, do not push me to dispel your witchcraft!"

    Gu Sang showed no concern as she revealed a smile.

    His favor?

    This evil thing can favor whoever it wants!

    I''m just a heartless, unfeeling woman who has cut off all feelings of love!

    All I want is to topple your dynasty!

    She cast a mocking and disdainful nce at the furious Pei Changying: "You? Don''t have that capability! No one can harm me on thisnd where I stand!"

    "I was just about to go handle the property transfer, so I''ll show you all the outside world."

    "Let you all witness the prosperity of modern times with your own eyes!"

    After the upgrade to a small live streaming room, outdoor live streaming would be enabled.

    Gu Sang wanted to let these ancient people experience modern technology''s advancements!

    To let Pei Changying see what it means for a woman to be capable of self-reliance!

    Gu Sang looked at the weather outside and chose a blue spaghetti strap dress, carrying a blue and white single-shoulder bag, and applying light makeup.

    After opening the door, the camera would automatically begin live streaming.

    When Pei Changying saw Gu Sang wearing a short dress, exposing her long, fair legs.

    As well as her bare arms and fair neck...

    He grew so enraged that his entire body trembled, his eyes brimming with an intense possessiveness.

    His imperial fury was disyed, as hemanded in an unbending tone:

    "Gu Sang, what decorum is there in dressing like that? So debased and wanton! You are exposing more skin than even a prostitute! Just who are you trying to seduce? I order you to change your clothes immediately."

    "Indecent and seductive, a promiscuous woman!"

    Seeing that not only did Gu Sang not listen to him, but she even walked to the door and put on a pair of light-colored high heels that exposed her toes and foot arches.

    Pei Changying''s previously unshakable expression now darkened like approaching storm clouds, as if wishing to grind her into his bones.

    Damn it!

    This vile woman!

    Despite having a husband, she dares dress like this!

    Simply debasing herself, lower than even a courtesan!

    He raged in desperation: "Gu Sang! If you dare go out wearing those shoes, I will have your legs cut off!!"

    "You are my woman, I will not allow you to dress like this, do you hear me! Gu Sang, you are ying with fire!"

    However, Pei Changying''s furious outburst could not change anything.

    Gu Sang paid no heed to this tyrannical Emperor''s anger, her smile self-assured and radiant as she headed towards themunity gates, trailed by the live streaming camera -

 Chapter 6: How Can a Woman Dress like that

    <h4>Chapter 6</h4>

    Beneath the short skirt were slender legs;

    Arge swath of bare back skin;

    Wavy hair cascading over her shoulders...

    As Pei Changying gazed upon her, he felt a surge of restless mes in his chest, his eyes reddening as he stared fixedly at Gu Sang, for the first time experiencing what it meant to feel powerless!

    "Sister, this is simply too shameless!"

    "unting yourself in such revealing attire in broad daylight? You''ve lost all dignity, how will you ever show your face in public again?"

    "Your Majesty, please don''t be angry. Sister Sang is merely venting her ire at you. s, such improper dress is indeed deplorable, deserving of being caged like a sow..."

    It was high noon, with hardly a soul on the streets.

    From the livestream, one could see Gu Sang standing at the entrance of the residentialplex, taking out her phone to call a car.

    The camera followed Gu Sang''s every step.

    At first, no towering buildings could be seen in the distance. Those watching the livestream from Xuyang Pce only saw Gu Sang''s hand tapping on some object.

    Soon after, a white Chevrolet screeched to a halt before Gu Sang.

    In that moment!

    The air grew deathly still!

    Pei Changying and the ancient onlookers had neverid eyes upon such a contraption.

    They gaped in shock at the iron box that had suddenly materialized, eximing:

    "What is that thing, and how does it move?"

    "Your humble servant''s eyes must be ying tricks - one blink and it had already stopped before Sister Sang, its speed far exceeding that of your finest stallions!"

    "Heavens, what strange creature is this?"

    Before the consorts and pce maids could recover from their astonishment, the next sight nearly made their eyes pop out of their sockets!

    What did the onlookers witness?

    They saw Gu Sang saunter up to the iron box.

    She reached out her hand;

    With a click, she opened the iron box, then stepped right inside??

    This unfathomable sight left even the formidable Pei Changying stunned!

    Hundreds of eyes bulged, like naive infants experiencing the world for the first time, following Gu Sang''s receding figure into the vehicle''s interior.

    "Your Majesty, everyone, listen closely!"

    "I hear music, as if someone is ying an instrument! The sound is emanating from this iron box, such beautiful tunes and singing! Heavens, I have never heard such exquisite vocals!"

    "But there is no one singing here, how can there be sound? And look, there is another long, bright object inside! What could that be disying?"

    "Hush...do you all feel it? This iron box is moving! It''s truly moving!"

    "...Gu Sang, what devilry is this? First you feign death, then disappear to some strange ce, and now you produce these bizarre objects - what is the nature of this iron contraption?"

    Gu Sang heard the ancient onlookers'' astounded remarks clearly.

    She first confirmed the phone''sst digits with the driver, enabling system voice muting to prevent outsiders from hearing her self-talk during the livestream.

    Then, slowly running her fingers through her long tresses, she said: "As I mentioned, this is my world, the glorious age of China!"

    "It''s not called an iron box, it''s called a car."

    "It can travel thousands of miles without rest or pause. A true journey of a thousand miles in a single day - just six hours, and you could cover a thousand-mile distance!"

    "In my homnd, many families own such small vehicles."

    Upon those words leaving her lips,

    Everyone fell silent.

    They wanted to refute her, to dere it impossible, a tant deception.

    But they had just witnessed with their own eyes the dizzying blur of scenery whizzing by, at a pace that could indeed cover a thousand miles in a day!

    So just what kind of ce was this realm Gu Sang inhabited?

    Pei Changying suddenly wondered - if he too possessed such a vehicle, could border reports reach the pce within a single day?

    Would that not mean...

    "So many cars, so very many!"

    "Your Majesty, look at that, what are those things? Towering dwellings? No, not quite - why would buildings glow like that? Is this a celestial realm?"

    "Sister Sang, are you living in a ce meant only for immortals? It''s so beautiful, does such a wondrous world truly exist, or is it a mere fantasy?"

    "Heavens! Everyone, look at those women walking about - why are they dressed in such immodest attire? Is there no local official to uphold decency?"

    "......"

    Each person held their breath, momentarily forgetting the reason they hade to the pce.

    They stared unblinkingly at the screen, fearing they might miss any other sights.

    Every fleeting scene in the footage, they watched with rapt attention.

    Soaringmercial towers piercing the clouds!

    Streets teeming with car and pedestrian traffic!

    Dazzling illumination of shopping zas!

    Women strolling along the roads, dressed in the same revealing manner as Gu Sang, baring legs and necklines! Yet they showed no fear whatsoever.

    No fear of male harassment.

    No fear of assault!

    Not even fear of officials arresting and executing them on the spot... They were all smiling, their expressions so natural and carefree as they walked the streets in safety.

    How could such a ce exist in this world?

    Not just the pce maids, even the Empress harboring resentment towards Gu Sang was rendered speechless, her heart pounding as if struck.

    A sense of overwhelming shock took root, uncontainable!

    "Why are they all dressed that way, exposing so much bare skin? Why does no one arrest them...is this allowed?"

    "Is it truly allowed?"

    "Your humble servant even saw women holding hands with men, walking the streets openly. So women are permitted to go out and be seen with their beloved without facing punishment?"

    "......"

    Gu Qingrou felt her heart swell, falling silent.

    All the consorts present stared wide-eyed, their minds reeling in disbelief.

    Only Pei Changying and the eunuchs remained stoic, inwardly cursing Gu Sang and those indecent women as shameless sluts, no better than street entertainers!

    A woman''s ce was confined within the household, unfit to even step outside!

    "Screech¡ª"

    Amidst the stunned expressions, the car arrived at the sales office, and after disembarking, Gu Sang called Lawyer Li.

    Learning that Lawyer Li would be slightly dyed, Gu Sang headed into the sales office first.

    ording to Lawyer Li over the phone, being amercial property, a contract would need to be signed at the sales office before proceeding to the property registration department to change the owner''s name.

    "Wee, are you here to view or purchase a property?"

    As soon as Gu Sang entered, a woman dressed in professional attire greeted her with a warm smile.

    Her demeanor was neither servile nor arrogant, only courteous.

    "I''ll wait for someone first," Gu Sang replied politely.

    "Certainly, let me show you to the waiting area. Just let me know if you need anything."

    The woman''s smile never faltered as she led Gu Sang to the sitting area.

    Wearing a standard business suit with a spaghetti-strap white undershirt, and a form-fitting skirt ending mid-thigh, her figure was undoubtedly entuated with every step.

    This scene;

    Prompted further derogatory remarks from the ancient onlookers: "That woman''s skirt clings so tightly, her gait and the glimpses of her waist are simply unbearable to witness!"

 Chapter 7: Is It the Manâ€™s Fault to be molested

    <h4>Chapter 7</h4>

    "Why is it so bright here? It''s as beautiful as a paradise¡ªthis must be the residence of a wealthy master!"

    "Sister Queen, she must be like the servants who receive guests in the pce, right? Look at her strange smile, how could a master''s servant not know the basic etiquette of smiling without showing teeth?"

    "She doesn''t even have manners? And she''s making eye contact with a noble guest¡ªsuch an ill-disciplined servant!"

    Gu Sang listened to thements in the livestream, feeling only sorrow.

    In their eyes, servants had no human rights, living worse than dogs!

    Women had to strictly follow rules; even the slightest vition could ruin their reputation, or worse, get them beaten to death!

    How tragic!

    At that moment!

    Two men sitting in the lounge area beckoned to the woman: "Beautifuldy, you must have just graduated from university? Come here and introduce us to the most expensive house!"

    The woman smiled sweetly and walked over. As she was about to bend down to hand them the information materials,

    Suddenly!

    One of the men reached out and touched her buttocks.

    "What are you doing!" The woman stood up abruptly, her face turning very unpleasant.

    Seeing the woman''s strong reaction, the other man smiled smugly.

    He reached out to grab her arm and said flirtatiously, "You''re a real estate seller, we know how it works¡ªyou have to use some tactics to boost your sales numbers, right?"

    "Beautifuldy, sit down and give us a good introduction to the houses. If you make me happy, I''ll put down the deposit!"

    The woman was furious inside, but for the sake of her job, she decided to endure this one more time.

    She calmly took a few steps back,

    Creating a safe distance between herself and the two men before speaking: "I hope you two can be respectful. If you truly want to see the houses, I can call a professional colleague for you."

    The man who had reached out earlier brazenly eyed the woman''s body, patting his thigh. "We want you to introduce them. Come, sit here."

    "Or would you prefer to sit on myp?"

    Seeing the woman''s stern expression as she turned and walked away,

    The two men scoffed and curled their lips, acting as if money could buy any woman, even leering at Gu Sang.

    "Littledy, you have a great figure. Let''s get acquainted."

    Gu Sang gave them a cold look, her eyes filled with indifference, causing the two men to avert their gaze.

    This scene gave Pei Changying an opportunity to mock: "Indecent and immoral, attracting flies and bees."

    "It serves you right to be harassed like that. What proper maiden would dress like you? By dressing that way, you''re providing convenience for those men ruled by lust."

    "Gu Sang! You''d better change your clothes immediately, or if you get defiled by those men, it will be your fault for being a seductress! In that case, I will have your head chopped off!"

    Pei Changying, as the emperor and a man, med Gu Sang harshly, each word piercing like a knife.

    Just like some ordinary men, he was arrogant and never found fault in himself.

    Gu Sang didn''t argue with Pei Changying about her attire, as she never argued with idiots.

    Because at this moment;

    The sales Manager came over with a professional smile, and the livestream''s ancient people clearly saw that this person was the master of this ce as all the Salespeople called out "Manager!"

    "Look, the master here has arrived. That woman will definitely be given to those two men as a concubine!"

    "A female servant who catches the eye of noble guests must be sent away as a gift. That woman was foolish to resist despite being noticed¡ªshe''ll have a hard time from now on."

    "Yes, she had no discipline. Dressing provocatively, yet defying noble guests. Now the master here will surely punish her!"

    This was the ancient people''s assumption.

    It was also the assumption of the Pce Maids, who believed that the woman was doomed!

    But the next scene!

    Left the ancient peoplepletely dumbfounded!

    The Manager strode over to the two men and politely said, "Hello, you want to see the houses, right? Come this way, I''ll show you around."

    "Call that woman over, we don''t want a man to introduce them," one man said.

    The Manager smiled as he poured water into the cups in front of them:

    "I''m sorry, she''s gone to attend to other clients."

    "If you truly want to buy a house, we wee you. But if you have impure thoughts and keep harassing our employees, don''t me me for being unweing!"

    Suddenly¡ª

    The man angrily stood up and knocked over the water cup in front of him, arrogantly saying, "You''re in the service industry, the customer is god!"

    "I want a woman to introduce the houses, what''s the problem? Are you going to offend important clients like us just for one employee?"

    The Manager was also done being polite!

    He scoffed coldly.

    Waving over the female Saleswoman from earlier. Before the two men could show their satisfied smiles,

    The Manager took out his phone and pressed the numbers 110, firmly and resolutely saying:

    "Before you demand our respect, you should respect my employees first!"

    "You touched that female employee inappropriately earlier, and it was all caught on surveince! I was going to let it go, but you two have gone too far! So please apologize to this employee."

    "If you don''t apologize, I''ll call the police and report you for sexual harassment!"

    The Manager pulled the female Saleswoman forward, sternly staring at the two men without backing down or giving an inch.

    "It...it was just an idental touch, what''s with calling the police? Are you trying to extort money?" The man who had touched the Saleswoman became flustered and shouted loudly.

    "Don''t give me that, apologize! Show some respect for our female employees!" The Manager''s gaze was resolute.

    The man angrily took out ten red bills from his wallet and gritted his teeth, saying, "Isn''t it all about money? A thousand bucks should be enough, right? I could sleep with a woman for a thousand."

    He then contemptuously threw the money on the floor in front of the Manager, acting condescendingly as if he was superior.

    The livestream''s ancient women held their breath.

    They were puzzled and confused.

    They didn''t understand why the Manager would risk offending important guests to defend the dignity of a mere servant.

    Why?

    Their ancient education taught them differently!

    Servants!

    Women!

    They had no dignity!

    Being groped or harassed was the woman''s fault¡ªthe woman was the seductress, the man had done nothing wrong!

    "I''ll say this onest time, apologize, or I''ll call the police! Three, two, one!" The Manager didn''t even look at the money, his tone firm.

    Seeing the phone already dialed, the two men were scared and immediately caved in, bowing to the woman and apologizing, "We''re sorry, sorry."

    "It was our fault, we shouldn''t have harassed you."

    After hastily saying those words with their heads bowed in shame, the two men quickly ran out of the sales office, not forgetting to pick up the one thousand dors on their way out.

    This scene drew cheers and nods of approval from the on-site house buyers.

    Well done!

    This Manager actually has some backbone, willing to protect his employees.

    The cheers from the modern customers, however, sent shockwaves through the souls of the livestream''s Pce Maids, leaving them in stunned silence!!

 Chapter 8: Itâ€™s a cell phone, Itâ€™s a phone.

    <h4>Chapter 8</h4>

    They were...two distinguished guests.

    For such prestigious men to actually apologize to a servant?

    How, how could this be?

    She and herpanions never even dreamed that a master would ever defend a ve like this.

    In the pce, masters would beat and scold servants at the slightest provocation, and they could even beat a servant to death. All they had to do was inform the Ministry of Household Affairs, and a new servant would be assigned to attend them.

    No one cared about the lives of servants.

    Let alone just for being touched!

    Witnessing this scene, Consort Zhao felt conflicted emotions.

    She nced at Pei Changying for a second, then lowered her eyes and put on a smile to agree: "If this woman dressed properly, she wouldn''t have invited such trouble."

    "In the end, it''s her fault."

    "Servants are not as important as distinguished guests. If they don''t have rules to follow, the ves beneath us would be too arrogant."

    "Sister Sang''s witchcraft is quite powerful. Where in this world could such absurdity be found?"

    Her words deeply resonated with this emperor, Pei Changying.

    However, Gu Qingrou and the other consorts were stunned.

    From a young age, they were taught that there were rules in the household - masters were masters, and ves were ves, and there was noparison between the two.

    But today...their entire worldview had been turned upside down!

    It turned out that a master could actually treat a ve so kindly.

    It turned out that a woman dressing beautifully was not a crime, and being admired by men was not a crime either.

    The ones at fault were the men with impure thoughts!

    They were at fault for being taught from a young age that women who flirted with men deserved to be drowned in a pig cage, and after entering the pce, they understood this even more deeply.

    If they were admired by someone, whether they were willing or not, it was considered an honor!

    But in the ce where the empress resided, it seemed that everyone thought it was natural and praiseworthy for a master to stand up for a ve.

    At this moment.

    The mindset of the pce servants watching the livestream in Xuyang Pce was quietly shifting.

    After thewyer Li signed the contract for the real estate, he handed over all the materials to Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang still needed to go to the property transaction department to change the name on the property deed.

    Seeing that it was almost lunchtime, Gu Sang went out to catch the bus, nning to eat at a nearby mall.

    "This, this...how could her clothes be getting shorter and shorter? How could someone''s pants not even cover their thighs!"

    "This is no different from wearing a crop top! Even her waist and skin are exposed!"

    "Does no one manage such attire? Is this even legal? Why are the other pedestrians behaving as if it''spletely natural?"

    "Those men aren''t even looking at those women and just walk past - why? Do they have no desires? How could they not vite those women?!"

    "A monster! Look, that one has red hair!"

    The woman walking towards them on the street was wearing super short shorts, exposing her white thighs and slender waist, causing the conservative ancients to blush furiously and cover their eyes.

    Their bottom lines were being broken one by one!

    Their worldviews were being shattered time and time again!

    Hearing the ancients'' heartfelt bewilderment, Gu Sang looked over.

    Realizing it was a beautiful woman with dyed red curly hair, she said: "That''s not a monster, she just dyed her hair."

    "Here, if anyone harasses a woman on the street for any reason, they will be arrested by the magistrate and put in jail! Everyone will denounce and condemn them!"

    Is...is that so?

    The magistrate doesn''t me the woman for dressing scantily, but instead punishes the man?

    The ancients couldn''t understand at all!

    They couldn''tprehend why there would be such absurd rules, nor could theyprehend how ck hair could be dyed red?

    They eximed in shock and bewilderment, one time after another.

    It was then that a bus slowly drove over, prompting another round of shocked exmations and questioning from the ancients.

    "Mydy, what is that? How could there be such a huge iron box, and I can even see many people sitting inside it."

    The transparent bus door slowly opened, triggering another wave of astonishment.

    Three buses came one after another, but none of them were headed to Gu Sang''s destination. It wasn''t until the fourth bus arrived that Gu Sang boarded.

    She opened her phone, scanned the transit code against the machine.

    "How did that door open by itself? I didn''t see anyone opening it."

    "Sister Sang, a few iron boxes...no, vehicles, just drove past. Why didn''t you get on?" Consort Zhao couldn''t help voicing her doubts, blushing as she spoke.

    She had expected that Gu Sang would definitely not reply to her.

    After all, their rtionship in the pce had been terrible.

    But unexpectedly, Gu Sang didn''t seem to care about their past conflicts at all. After finding a seat, she calmly replied: "Those were buses. Each bus has a different destination, and the first three weren''t going where I needed to go."

    "But Sister Sang...you didn''t give any money when you got on the bus." Consort Zhao''s sharp eyes noticed someone else boarding and tossing two coins into the bus.

    Yet Gu Sang didn''t toss in any coins at all.

    Gu Sang said indifferently: "I already paid."

    "Sister Sang, we all saw with our own eyes - you can''t lie to us."

    "Yes, Madam, we servants witnessed the people who boarded all tossing in two silver pieces, but you didn''t pay anything."

    Just as everyone assumed Gu Sang would be unable to refute them!

    Unexpectedly¡ª

    Gu Sang simply raised her phone.

    In a casual tone, she uttered words that were shockingly outrageous: "I have a phone. I can make payments through this phone, and the money will go directly into the other party''s pocket."

    The servants: ??

    The consorts: !!

    Pei Changying: ...?!

    This, this is definitely not the mythical world from legends, right?

    "How could money fit into such a small thing?"

    "Your servant is more concerned about how the money ends up in the other party''s pocket. This is unbelievable."

    "Could this be the lost art of teleportation from the martial arts world? Did someone teleport the money over? No, no, it must be the Storage Bag from legends - that thing called a ''phone'' can store money!"

    Everyone began wildly specting about Gu Sang''s phone.

    No wonder they were so fixated on Gu Sang''s phone; in this livestream, her phone appeared very frequently.

    It could call for rides, make payments, and evenmunicate over vast distances!

    Half an hourter.

    The ancients followed Gu Sang''s steps into arge, brilliantly lit mall.

    Before the consorts and servants could even marvel at the wonders of the mall,

    They immediately noticed a couple passionately kissing on a nearby bench...

    And it was the woman who was actively cupping the man''s face to kiss him??

    "Which parents raised such a woman to openly tempt men like this, and even...even! Actively kiss them passionately in public! Her parents should be punished as well."

    "A woman should preserve her purity. To engage in such shameless public disys that corrupt social mores by taking the initiative to be intimate with a man - she should be dragged away for execution."

    "It was fine for her to link arms with her husband, and her immodest dress was tolerable too, but how could she have the audacity to do such a shameless thing! She, she actually took the initiative to kiss the man! Oh heavens!"

    Gu Sang nced at the couple and didn''t show the slightest reaction: "It''s just a kiss, it''s the most normal thing here."

    "So what if the woman took the initiative? So what if the man was passive? How dare you only me the woman for not preserving her wifely virtue, just because she''s a woman, just because you men have two extra pieces of meat down there?"

    "I''m sorry, but here we believe in gender equality - everyone is equal!!!"

 Chapter 9: Here, men and women are equal

    <h4>Chapter 9</h4>

    What a shocking few words these are!

    How invigorating these words are!

    Gender equality!

    Equality for all!

    What kind of realm is it that dares to establish such an outrageous rule of gender equality?

    And what kind of ce is it where women not only dress freely, move freely, but can even walk hand in hand with men on the streets?

    Without fear of any gossip or rumor?!

    The hearts of the ancients beat faster, their blood boiling with emotions surging!

    One of the Pce Maids has already secretly lowered her head, her eyes red as she shed a teardrop...

    "What ce is this that is so vast, rivaling even the Imperial Pce... no, it is far more bright and luxurious than the Imperial Pce, and so colorful!"

    "What are those shining treasures, glittering, oh my! How high up they are, how did those treasures get hung up there?"

    "The things they are holding in their hands look so strange, red and green, and so exquisite. Ah... they are drinking it? And from the expression of that woman, it seems to be very delicious."

    "Whew! So many people! Why are there more women walking around inside than men? Don''t they need to attend to their masters?"

    The crowd kept marveling at everything in the shopping mall.

    Like ignorant children, gazing at a strange world they had never seen before.

    Looking ahead, the shopping mall stretched farther than the eye could see.

    Looking up, the domed ceiling of the mall was round, iid with irregrly shaped crystals that refracted dazzling rays of light from every angle.

    Some ancients were surprised to see stores selling cosmetics.

    Some ancients also noticed the girls passing by holding milk tea.

    It seemed that all the men and women in this shopping mall had a rxed and contented look.

    It was as if in this ce, there was no distinction between master and servant, no need to cower in fear, only life and happiness.

    "Gu? Gu Sang?!" At this moment, two young men about 180 cm tall approached, and one of them, slightly taller, stared at Gu Sang for several nces before eximing in surprise.

    Gu Sang stopped, looking at the young man with some puzzlement.

    He seems a bit familiar...

    Can''t quite remember...

    The young man offered a warm smile and said to Gu Sang, "Gu Sang, thank you for taking the time before to tutor my younger sister. That''s how she managed to get into a good university."

    "Do you remember who I am?"

    "Mu Fei, senior student," Gu Sang replied politely and warmly.

    "It''s been over a year since Ist saw you. What have you been up to this past year that you didn''t even go visit Mu Yun?" Lu Mufei was unaware that she had been lying in the hospital for a year.

    Her grandmother hadn''t told anyone about this, even Gu''s own family was kept in the dark.

    Gu Sang''s real parents also didn''t know she had been in a car ident; they only thought she wasn''t used to the atmosphere at home and was living with her grandmother!

    "I had somethinge up and went away for a while. I only just got back recently. Senior Mu Fei, there''s something I''d like to ask you if I may?"

    Lu Mufei guessed what Gu Sang wanted to ask and smiled warmly, "About university, right? I''ve reserved your admission spot for you, so you can just go and register when the new semester starts."

    Upon hearing this, Gu Sang''s expression visibly brightened with joy. "Thank you, Senior Mu Fei."

    "No need for thanks, we''re not that distant. Actually, we were just about to go eat. If you really want to thank me, why don''t you join us?" There was a hint of a different kind of affection in Lu Mufei''s eyes.

    But¡ª

    Before Gu Sang could respond!

    A stern and imperious voice suddenly rang out from the ancient realm: "Forbidden! I, your Emperor, do not permit you to go!"

    Oh?

    Which mutt is barking over there?

    Gu Sang looked up.

    Ah, it was Pei Changying!

    Even now, he was still using thatmanding tone when speaking to Gu Sang.

    As if Gu Sang wasn''t a person, but a pet who must obey her master''s words at all times!

    Too bad for him, the ancient and modern worlds are entirely different.

    She has always had a rebellious streak, defiantly disobeying Pei Changying''s wishes!

    Gu Sang smiled sweetly, not even thinking twice before agreeing, "Sure, Senior Mu Fei has helped me so much. I''ll treat you to a meal then."

    Seeing Gu Sang actually agree to go eat with Lu Mufei, Pei Changying was enraged!

    A surge of indignant fury welled up inside him!

    His woman!

    His woman, Pei Changying''s woman, dared to go out alone for a meal with two other men?

    This was an outright challenge to Pei Changying''s dignity, a field of lush green grass sprouting atop his head!

    Gritting his teeth, Pei Changying spat out words he thought could threaten Gu Sang, seething with rage: "You slut! Can you not live without a man in your life?"

    "Before, in the pce, you tried every trick to get intimate with me. Now that I''m gone, you can''t wait to go seduce other men! You''re just that shameless and wanton!"

    "Come back! Gu Sang! Get your ass back here right now!"

    "If you dare disobey, I swear I''ll find you and throw you into the military camp as a prostitute!"

    However¡ª

    None of it worked!

    Faced with Pei Changying''s torrent of insults, Gu Sang was utterly unperturbed, not even offering an exnation. She simply walked away smiling and chatting amiably with Senior Mu Fei.

    This left Pei Changying''s rage with nowhere to vent, like a punch thrown into cotton¡ªa frustrating sense of repression welled up inside him.

    To make matters worse, Gu Qingrou couldn''t resist fanning the mes: "Your Majesty, please calm down. My younger sister has always been unrestrained. There were some rumors about her and General Zhou before, but they wereter proven to be only rumors¡ªthe two of them were innocent and did nothing to offend you."

    Zhou Qichen!

    A sh of vicious light flickered in Pei Changying''s eyes.

    He took several deep breaths to quell the murderous rage within.

    For the first time, he lowered his status to speak calmly to Gu Sang:

    "Gu Sang, you''ve caused enough of a scene today. I''ll give you onest chance. Come back to my side immediately, and I''ll overlook this unsavory business of you seducing other men."

    "I''m still keeping the Noble Consort position open for you!"

    Gu Sang was truly speechless.

    Even now, still going on about being a Noble Consort?

    Truly the behavior of a man who ascended the throne¡ªarrogant and self-important.

    A mocking smile curved Gu Sang''s lips as she said dismissively, "Ah yes yes, I''ve caused a scene, I''m seducing others, so please, I beg you, take away my Noble Consort title right away. I truly feel it''s an unlucky burden!"

    "And! I am now an independent individual. Forget about eating with other men, even if I was pursuing love, what could you do about it, you bastard of an Emperor?!"

    Ah!

    That felt great!

    What a satisfying rant!

    Gu Sang''s eyes sparkled with delight, and she chatted even more warmly with her senior student.

    This enraged Pei Changying so much that he furiously kicked the coffin, leaving a huge hole in it, his expression darkly sullen.

    But soon!

    Pei Changying let out a coldugh, his tone dripping with scorn: "Hah, for those words toe from you¡ªGu Sang, the one in this world who values status and position above all else."

    "For the position of Empress, not only did you put your life on the line for me..."

    "Rou was your own older sister, yet you were so vicious as to harm even the child in her womb. And then you put on this whole dramatic act with sorcery. Gu Sang, don''t tell me you don''t care about status!"

    "I see that you care more than anyone! You would go to any lengths for that position!"

 Chapter 10: A Lady I donâ€™t care.

    <h4>Chapter 10</h4>

    Gu Sang raised her eyes, her bare gaze fixed on Gu Qingrou.

    She was helping Pei Changying ascend the throne, so she naturally couldn''t avoid using some treacherous means.

    But those were only used on the battlefield!

    She searched her heart and asked herself, in these past seven years, she had never harmed the old, weak, sick or disabled, let alone an unborn child.

    "Is that so? The child in her womb was killed by me?"

    Gu Qingrou walked behind Pei Changying, cing her hands in his, with a hint of sadness on her face: "Your Majesty, you have alreadypensated this concubine."

    "That was so long ago, this concubine does not wish to bring it up again."

    Pei Changying lovingly embraced Gu Qingrou.

    His gaze was full of hatred as he looked at Gu Sang: "Rou''er, I only believe you, you are the most kind and gentle, nothing like that vicious woman."

    Seeing the two embracing each other, Gu Sang''s heart was as calm as ake, she didn''t care at all who Pei Changying believed or loved, she only cared about herself!

    Such a provocative action couldn''t hurt her in the slightest!

    Having never loved, she didn''t care.

    "Gu Qingrou, I used to wonder why this dog emperor suddenly imprisoned me, turns out it was because you framed me for killing your child, harming your own flesh and blood for the throne, do your dreamse back to haunt you at midnight?"

    "Gu Sang, I won''t believe a single word you say!"

    "I''m not asking you to believe me, believe it or not, I don''t care! But what I didn''t do, I didn''t do, so stop saying such disgusting things."

    "I''m really going to vomit, Pei Changying, listen, sooner orter I''ll make your dynasty change its name!"

    "The livestream ends here, tomorrow again, goodbye." Gu Sang had an indifferent attitude.

    She decisively ended the livestream without giving Pei Changying any chance to stop her.

    She really was disgusted with Pei Changying to the core, the loathing in her eyes was about to overflow.

    "Gu Sang!!!"

    The livestream froze on Gu Sang standing between two senior students!

    Her eyes were bright, looking up at the seniors, her face showing the ease of having regained her freedom, a look that made Pei Changying want to tear everything apart!

    It was only at this moment.

    That Pei Changying realized, in the seven years he was with Gu Sang, she had never shown him a genuine smile.

    Because when she truly smiled, there was a light in her eyes.

    The light called freedom and happiness!

    Looking down from above, Pei Changying clenched his fists tightly, staring fixedly at the dimmed screen, recalling the image of Gu Sang walking with two men, he was so angry he could not remain rational!

    He closed his eyes.

    His words were sinister and cold: "Gu Sang! Even if I have to dig three feet underground, I will find you! You are my woman, even in death you will be mine alone!"

    "I don''t believe that in my realm, no one can break your witchcraft!!"

    ......

    The three arrived at a Chinese restaurant on the fifth floor of the mall.

    It had been seven years since Gu Sangst experienced being treated politely by men.

    Experiencing it again, she felt it was truly wonderful.

    That ghostly ce in ancient times where women couldn''t even sit at the table should be destroyed: "Lu Mufei, what documents do we need to prepare for enrollment?"

    Gu Sang put down the menu elegantly, listening to Lu Mufei''s reply:

    "Just bring your ID card, everything else can be found on theputer."

    "I''m able to retain my academic status, thanks to you seniors."

    "And the tutoring job before... I could only afford to pay back their tuition fees because you helped me find that tutoring job......"

    Gu Sang wanted topletely cut ties with the Gu family.

    So she gritted her teeth and paid back all the money her parents had spent on her, resolutely returning to her grandmother!

    And she demanded that her birth parents not disturb her and her grandmother''s life anymore.

    "Gu Sang, you don''t need to be so polite with me," Lu Mufei looked at the woman sitting across from him with burning eyes.

    A year had passed, and she had be more and more radiant.

    Just sitting there, she had a kind of pleasing beauty!

    He didn''t know what she had experienced that year that changed her so much, nor did he feelfortable asking.

    He had only heard from some students that Gu Sang had fallen out with her family and returned to live with the grandmother who raised her.

    And the friend sitting next to him caught the word "pay back."

    Thinking Gu Sang was short on money, he smiled and suggested: "Bro Lu, the first time I saw your friend, I wanted to say."

    "Your friend has such a great air and demeanor, she really seems like the legitimate daughter of an ancient noble family."

    "There''s still over a month until graduation, why don''t we let her audition for Director Zhang''s short drama?"

    The friend who spoke was studying cinematography, for good form and demeanor are like shining pearls in the night, hard not to notice.

    Thus, from the beginning, he had been studying Gu Sang.

    Not with ill intent, just pure appreciation!

    "Short drama?" Gu Sang asked in confusion, there were no short dramas before her car ident.

    "Yes, the short dramas promoted on the DouYin tform, each episode is two or three minutes long, they''ve be quite popr recently."

    Lu Mufei suggested: "My friend is investing in a short drama, and they''re stillcking an actress for the role of the empress dowager, they haven''t found a suitable actress yet."

    "The empress dowager is the legitimate daughter of nobility, though it''s just a short drama, he has high standards for the actors, both in appearance and demeanor, you can go and take a look if you''re interested."

    Gu Sang pondered.

    There was still some time before school started, and it would be fine to earn some money in the meantime.

    Her grandmother''s savings weren''t much, only that old house was quite valuable.

    Plus she was about to start school, tuition and living expenses weren''t a small amount...

    "Can you make money filming short dramas?"

    Lu Mufei was silent for a few seconds, then exined: "There''s a 15,000 yuan performance fee, about half an hour if there are no re-takes. But if it goes viral online, the lead actress can get a 1% bonus!"

    "Lu Mufei, I''m very interested."

    Upon hearing this, Gu Sang agreed directly, confidence filling her beautiful face.

    She had experienced seven years of life in ancient times, the demeanor of a noble daughter had been ingrained in her, she had some knowledge of the traditional arts like music, chess, calligraphy and painting.

    As for riding and archery, she was even more proficient!

    Even schrs specializing in ancient studies would have to admit inferiority before Gu Sang.

    "Okay, I''ll ask about it for you."

    Lu Mufei took out his phone directly and asked his friend a few questions.

    A few minutester.

    Under Gu Sang''s sincere gaze, he gave an OK gesture: "There''s an audition the day after tomorrow, at the Longfeng Manor, but the actresses need to know how to ride horses, if you don''t know how, I can take you to the stables to practice?"

    "Thank you, senior, but I do know how to ride, no need to practice." Gu Sang expressed her gratitude.

    After this meal, both sides exchanged phone numbers.

    Rejecting the senior''s offer of a ride, Gu Sang took a cab home by herself.

    Gu Sang held the updated property deed, sitting on the sofa and looking at the empty room, letting out a small smile with little curvature.

    She hugged the property deed tightly, like embracing her beloved grandmother.

    Grandmother.

    Wait for me.

    I will seed.

    I will bring you back home.

    Twenty years ago, it was you who found me and raised me.

    But fearing you couldn''t provide me a good life, when my birth parents came looking, you gave me back to them.

    Now, I don''t want my parents anymore, I only want you toe back safely and in peace!

    Just as Gu Sang was curled up on the sofa about to fall asleep.

    Ding!

    The system suddenly sent a message.

    "Livestream room upgraded, enabling connection mode."

    "Do you choose to randomly connect with an ancient person?"

 Chapter 11: This place, called Modern Times, is flourishing.

    <h4>Chapter 11</h4>

    Someone is about to connect so soon?

    "Connect." Gu Sang washed her face and poured herself a ss of water.

    She then gracefully sat on the sofa.

    At this moment, a huge screen descended from the virtual space.

    The randomly initiated connection system, after watching Gu Sang''s live stream, would randomly select someone to connect with and answer questions.

    After selecting the person to connect with, the system would automatically enter that person''s mind to send a notification.

    On the projection screen, a pce maid was seen huddled in a dark corner, gazing excitedly at the small image appearing before her.

    "It''s true, the heavens have answered!"

    "This servant greets you, Your Ladyship." The maid bowed repeatedly in excitement to Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang chuckled and interrupted her, her voice calm as she inquired, "What would you like to ask me?"

    "Your Ladyship, this servant wonders if you''re in the underworld or in heaven?"

    "Does such a ce really exist?"

    The maid stared at Gu Sang, both curious and excited.

    She was seeking an answer.

    A possibility.

    A future.

    Everything that had happened during today''s live stream had left her utterly shaken.

    She was astonished that a woman could live a normal life, walk the streets, wear the clothes she liked, and have dignity!

    She was so envious, so envious...

    "It''s real, but it''s neither the underworld nor heaven, but another world," Gu Sang patiently replied. "It''s the civilization of China two thousand years from now, a prosperous and thriving era."

    Yes!

    A prosperous era!

    An unimaginably prosperous era!

    "Your Ladyship, the world you live in is so blissful. This servant longs to avoid beatings and scoldings, and not have to constantly worry about being executed by the master."

    "What must this servant do to go to your world?" The maid''s eyes shone with hope and fantasy.

    She wished she could go there too.

    Gu Sang looked at the glimmer of light in her vacant eyes.

    Gu Sang felt pity for that gaze, but still shook her head regretfully, "You''re not from this world, you cannote."

    As expected...

    The maid lowered her head in disappointment.

    But soon, she raised her head again, revealing a smile of eptance.

    She knew she had been too fanciful, for how could a wretched person like her be worthy of going to such a wonderful ce?

    She had no right to go there!

    But...

    She really longed for it!

    "Your Ladyship, after seeing your life in the other world, this servant does not know what to do."

    "This servant has only a month left before turning 25, when the master will assign her to be a man''s concubine. But this servant fears childbirth, having witnessed many women die inbor."

    "This life of vying for favor within the mansion is not what this servant desires, but there is no way out."

    "This servant once thought of staying in the pce until old age, but few remain until old age; most anger the master and are executed!"

    "If only it were in Your Ladyship''s world, the master would strive to protect his subordinates."

    Hearing the maid''s words of envy and regret, Gu Sang said, "You still have one chance, to leave the pce."

    The maid knelt down in bewilderment and fear, "But this servant is afraid of not knowing anything! With no family or connections outside, could this servant truly survive?"

    "Moreover... if this servant were to make such a request, would the master think this servant is overstepping?"

    The response to the maid was a statement that could stir one''s blood to boil!

    "How would you know if you don''t even try?"

    "There must be someone who takes the first step!"

    "If you don''t fight for it yourself, if you don''t dare to risk everything for a glimmer of hope, then the only possibilities left for you are childbirth and execution within the pce."

    "If you can sessfully obtain permission to leave the pce, I will introduce you to a craft so that you can live a normal life in the secr world."

    Could she really live a normal life...?

    A craft, but aren''t women not allowed to be seen in public?

    But in Your Ladyship''s world, they can!

    Why should only men be allowed?

    Why only them?

    No!

    She can too!

    Your Ladyship has given her a chance. She doesn''t want to die in childbirth, nor remain in the pce constantly fearing execution. She wants freedom.

    She wants to be like the women in Your Ladyship''s world, able to support herself!

    As she thought about it, a determination to gamble her future suddenly arose.

    The maid''s expression grew more and more resolute, "This servant thanks Your Ladyship for your guidance!"

    "This servant wants to leave the pce! This servant wants to live for herself! No longer confined within the pce walls, which are nothing more than arger cage."

    "Why should women not be able to live by their own crafts? This servant will try, even if it means death! For what difference is there between living such a suffocating existence and being a walking corpse?"

    As she spoke, she kowtowed three resounding times.

    Each kowtow loud and sincere!

    Each kowtow a witness to her breaking free from fate and living for herself!

    "Good luck to you."

    Seeing her resolve, a hint of gratification appeared in Gu Sang''s eyes as she smiled and ended the connection.

    At the same time¡ª

    The system notification sounded: "Merit increased by one!"

    Look, she has changed the fate of an ancient woman!

    Girls are truly adorable.

    Give them a glimmer of hope, and they dare to risk everything to ascend!

    They are willing to gamble their lives to prove to men that they are not incapable of being self-sufficient.

    Rather, it is certain arrogant men in power who have forcibly clipped their wings!

    ...

    The imperial harem was unusually quiet tonight.

    The women who would normally vie for favor in every conceivable way were, unprecedentedly, not fighting for it.

    Some of the closer pcedies gathered to discuss the strange sights witnessed tonight in Qiyang Pce.

    "I think Consort Gu was just putting on an act with that supernatural nonsense, trying to deceive His Majesty," said Consort Zhao, who had called Gu Sang "Sister Sang" during the live stream.

    Now, in private with a few of her close confidantes, she made no effort to hide her jealousy and scorn towards Gu Sang.

    And even more so, her envy.

    "But this servant thinks it seemed real. If it were fake, then Your Ladyship must possess extraordinary powers."

    "Have you been hit in the head? You believe such things?"

    "You believe there is a ce where women can choose freely, walk around with their chests exposed without being scorned?"

    "Bute to think of it, if there truly were such a ce where women didn''t have to live for men..."

    She didn''t need to finish; the pcedies present all understood.

    If only, ah.

    If only there were such a ce.

    Where women didn''t have to live for men, where women could strive like men, walk freely on the streets without issue.

    How wonderful that would be!

    Then they, as women, would no longer have to depend on men for survival...

 Chapter 12: Sister SAN, Is the Modern World Real

    <h4>Chapter 12</h4>

    She no longer had to waste away in this confined corner of the Imperial Pce, waiting for that supreme man to bestow his favor upon her so she could live morefortably.

    "Consort Zhao had heard from her elder brother since childhood..."

    "That the seas beyond are blue, the deserts are endless, and in Suhang, even women can run businesses..."

    "Consort Zhao had also heard from her father that the flying snow in the northern regions is as beautiful as a fairnd, but s, it is not a sight women like us have the chance to witness."

    "Oh, we digress. In this lifetime, we sisters cannot even leave the Imperial Pce, how could we dream of seeing what the sea looks like?"

    "Hahaha, indeed, it must all be made up."

    "Hahaha, yes, all made up..."

    Theyughed, but their hearts rippled with a pebble of unrest. Each lowered their gaze absentmindedly and left the pce.

    The women selected to be consorts in the pce, in what way were they inferior to men?

    Skilled in zithers, chess, calligraphy, and painting,

    Proficient in poetry, songs, and lyrics!

    Even daughters from general families could ride horses, shoot arrows, make fragrances, and embroider in the Suzhou style!

    They were in no waycking!

    It was just that this era had clipped their wings, depriving them of the chance to soar.

    If you looked closely, you could see in their eyes a longing for the modern world, an unwillingness to ept this male-dominant society.

    Consort Zhao sat silently, staring nkly.

    Suddenly, her vision blurred. She touched her face¡ªshe had been crying.

    Perhaps she had thought of modern scenes of men and women embracing and kissing, or of her own fate, or of a feeling buried deep within her heart...

    "Sister Sang, is your world real?"

    "Can women truly pursue their own happiness...wah wah wah..."

    "Gu Sang! How dare you betray me, I shall have you torn limb from limb!" Ever since the livestream ended, Pei Changying had been raging furiously in the pce.

    All the pce servants on duty outside trembled in fear for their heads.

    Gu Qingrou approached with sorrowful eyes: "Allow me to persuade His Majesty."

    Gu Qingrou pushed open the door to the bedchamber, receiving a freshly stewed soup from behind.

    "Your Majesty, you are the ruler of this country. The people need you, please take care of your health."

    Gu Qingrou carefully avoided the tables and chairs strewn about the messy chamber, evidence of Pei Changying''s immense fury.

    Pei Changying nced at Gu Qingrou, his hatred for that woman growing: "If Gu Sang were half as considerate as you, I would not be angry with her."

    Gu Sang was so ungrateful!

    She had never truly relied on him!

    "Your Majesty is my husband and my sovereign. I can only rely on my husband."

    Gu Qingrou changed the subject: "Your Majesty, do not be angry with my sister. She was likely misguided by others to speak disrespectfully to you. In truth, she cares deeply about Your Majesty."

    "I too have never heard of this so-called ''Glorious Era of China.''"

    "And this unthinkable idea of women being equal to men¡ªit only fills me with dread when I hear it."

    "Tonight''s events in Xuyang Pce have likely left the pce in great anxiety. If left unchecked and allowed to spread through rumors, I fear it may cause unrest among themoners outside."

    Pei Changying let out a cold snort, his imperial aura erupting.

    This entire realm belonged to him!

    Who dared to defy him?

    Pei Changying''s masculine vigor red as he dered sternly: "Heretical words cannot harm me. I am the emperor by the Mandate of Heaven¡ªno demon or monster could ever threaten my reign."

    "Your Majesty, you are the Son of Heaven and have nothing to fear. I worry for the ignorant servants."

    Gu Qingrou observed his expression carefully. Seeing Pei Changying ponder, she continued:

    "In my opinion, we should invite a master to conduct a ritual. Then, whether my sister is truly dead or falsely dead, we shall know."

    A ritual...

    Pei Changying hesitated, but remembering the scene of her dining with two men, he hardened his heart and made a ruthless decision!

    Although the bizarre events of Xuyang Pce were stopped by the Emperor,

    rumors still spread outside the pce.

    Even General Zhou Qichen heard talk of women being able to show their faces in public, so after the morning court session, he went to see Pei Changying directly.

    "Your Majesty, this humble subject has heard that you have invited a master to conduct a ritual in the pce?"

    Pei Changying''s gaze flickered with displeasure as he stared at this man who had once vied for Gu Sang''s affections: "This is a private household matter. General Zhou, you overstep!"

    Zhou Qichen frowned and advised: "Your Majesty, you know best how Noble Consort treats you."

    "Even if she used some means to gain your favor, there is no need to be so cruel as to invite a master."

    Seeing Zhou Qichen''s undisguised concern for Gu Sang, Pei Changying''s expression darkened to the densest ink.

    Gu Sang was his woman¡ªothers should not covet her in the slightest.

    Were it not for the Zhou family''s generations of loyal service, Zhou Qichen would not dare show such concern for Pei Changying''s woman before him, or Pei Changying would have him executed outside the Pce gates.

    The Zhou family''s power in court was intricate and far-reaching¡ªa single tug could move the entire body.

    Pei Changying lowered his gaze, hiding the murderous glint in his eyes. His tone was icy:

    "This is Gu Sang forcing my hand. I gave her a chance yesterday! Moreover, this is a private household matter¡ªGeneral Zhou, do not overstep!"

    "Guards, see General Zhou out!"

    "But Your Majesty..."

    "This way, General Zhou."

    Not even half an hour after Zhou Qichen left the pce,

    an eunuch came to report that the master had arrived. Pei Changying immediately went to set up the ritual in Xuyang Pce.

    Xuyang Pce was now covered in talismans above and below, with an incense table set up in the main hall.

    The noble consorts who had heard that a master would break Gu Sang''s spell had long gathered to watch. But this time, their feelings wereplex.

    They seemed to both hope that Gu Sang would be dealt with,

    and yet hope... that the master truly could not ovee Gu Sang...

    When Pei Changying arrived at Xuyang Pce and saw the people kneeling all over the floor, he asked: "Are you the renowned master who was summoned? Can you subdue that wretched woman''s spirit?"

    "Not to scatter it, but to make her return to me!"

    The master circled the coffin, stroked his beard calmly, and smiled: "Rest assured, Your Majesty, this is a simple matter!"

    "I have heard of that spell. I see through it now¡ªthe Noble Consort feigned death, then used an illusion to deceive Your Majesty."

    "Once I break this spell, the Noble Consort''s spirit will return."

    With Pei Changying''s satisfied nod,

    the master immediately took out a Peach Wood Sword, grabbed a handful of glutinous rice from the incense table, and circled Gu Sang''s coffin three times left, three times right.

    Chanting incantations under his breath.

    The onlookers tensed as they watched.

    Seeing the talisman in the master''s hand ignite without wind, a chorus of gasps erupted.

    Among the crowd at the very back stood a little pce maid, hands sped in prayer: "Noble Consort, you must be safe."

    This maid was the one who had livestreamed with Gu Sang yesterday, Gu Sang''s first loyal fan.

    Amidst the curious or fearful expressions,

    she was the sole outlier, the only one praying for Gu Sang''s safe escape from this ordeal.

    "Swish!"

    The master gripped the Peach Wood Sword and plunged it directly into the coffin, then dered confidently: "Your Majesty, the Noble Consort''s resentful spirit has been subdued!"

    "In but a moment, she shall awaken."

    But the instant those words left his lips,

    an anomaly urred¡ª

 Chapter 13: Live broadcast of the concubines

    <h4>Chapter 13</h4>

    As Pei Changying arrogantly curled his lips, he envisioned how he would torment Gu Sangter on!

    Meanwhile, the ancient onlookers were filled with indescribablyplex and regretful emotions¡ª

    Under the watchful eyes of all!

    The live stream footage suddenly reappeared, then projected onto the wall.

    In that moment, the entire pce fell silent, and the master''s face turned paler than a corpse that had been dead for seven days!

    "Your Majesty, look! This thing has appeared again!"

    "Didn''t the master say he had broken the witchcraft? How is Lady Gu still in that strange ce?"

    "Is this the modern prosperous world that the pce has been talking about?"

    "This... this! The concubines have never seen such a scene before. s, the Lady has appeared, truly like the rumors, dressed in such a shameless manner!"

    In the live stream footage, Gu Sang was wearing a floral spaghetti-strap maxi dress.

    The dress reached her calves, revealing her exquisite corbones and ivory-like arms.

    Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail.

    She had an elegant and refined air reminiscent of a schrlydy.

    The Taoist masters in their robes stood out too much, so Gu Sang immediately noticed the master and calmlyughed: "Such a grand asion, are you here to capture me?"

    "Judging by the master''s shocked expression, you must have failed?"

    Suddenly witnessing this scene,

    The master was so frightened that his heart was trembling.

    After regaining hisposure, he sternly rebuked: "Treading on the emperor''s grounds! What kind of brazen ghost are you? Let me subdue you."

    The Taoist swiftly grabbed a handful of glutinous rice.

    He threw it at the projection.

    At the same time, the Taoist''s Peach Wood Sword thrust towards Gu Sang.

    Gu Qingrou tightly clutched her handkerchief, tense yet expectant.

    The pce maids and concubines who had watched the live stream in the past couple of days pursed their lips, thinking: Perhaps this false illusion is about to be shattered...

    Yes.

    Everything was false.

    The Lady would be captured by the master and face the emperor''s wrath...

    But!

    "Whoosh¡ª"

    The Peach Wood Sword unexpectedly pierced through the projection in front of them and lodged into the hard wall, breaking into two pieces!

    Yet the projection that should have disappeared remained ying!

    "How... how is this possible......"

    "What kind of sorcery is this? How can my Peach Wood Sword not break through you! This can''t be real!"

    "......."

    Even more astonished than the master was Gu Qingrou''s utterly disbelieving expression as she stared fixedly at the projection, her mind flickering with a thought she could barely suppress!

    Could it be......

    That what Gu Sang said was true.

    No!

    She didn''t believe it!

    This master must not be powerful enough to see through Gu Sang''s illusion.

    Under Gu Sang''s calm, smiling gaze,

    The master''s expression kept changing. After hesitating for a moment, he took out an ancient talisman from his pocket.

    "Break it!!"

    "Whoosh!"

    All fell silent.

    Pei Changying watched as the talisman was pasted onto the wall, which then copsed, yet the projection screen remained unmoving, standing firmly in its ce!

    Crash¡ª

    The master was so frightened that he fell to the ground, his face ashen with horror.

    Pei Changying''s expression was extremely unpleasant.

    He red menacingly at the helpless master and ordered: "Didn''t you say it would be easy to break her witchcraft?"

    "Didn''t you say you could make this vile woman return to me?"

    "Useless!"

    "Take him away for execution by beating."

    The master cried out in terror: "Your Majesty, spare my life, spare me....... That ancient talisman was a treasure left by my great-grandfather that could break any witchcraft in the world."

    "If it can''t break it, then it''s not!"

    "It''s not that I''m ipetent, it''s that the ce where the Lady is located is not an illusion, Your Majesty......."

    So!

    Is there really a ce in this world where women are allowed to show their faces and walk hand-in-hand with their beloved on the open road?!

    He didn''t believe it!

    He couldn''t believe it!

    Women should be confined to their chambers, embroidering flowers and singing songs, only needing to please their men - that is the proper way!

    "Cover his mouth, lest he spout more nonsense, execute him by beating immediately!" Pei Changying''s expressionless face concealed a raging storm within.

    This thing beyond hisprehension, this thing he could not control, gave him an intense sense of crisis.......

    That Gu Sang on the other side, speaking of gender equality,

    Truly seemed to be drifting away from him.......

    "Pei Changying, you really are cruel and tyrannical."

    "I''ve already told you, there are many things in this world that you cannot control."

    "You think you''re the emperor of this realm, the Son of Heaven, the one in power, deciding who lives and who dies, but now you can''ty a finger on me!"

    "I''ve waited a long time for this day."

    "Seeing you look so distressed is quite satisfying! Because soon, you''ll look even worse."

    Gu Sang, wearing a beautiful dress and high heels, confidently turned in front of the camera in an elegant and cathartic manner.

    Then, she walked away proudly!

    The camera followed Gu Sang as she crossed street after street, stopping at the gates of the Longfeng Manor, where the Short Drama audition was taking ce on the top floor, requiring an elevator ride.

    "Ding."

    The 7th floor button lit up.

    The elevator ascended slowly.

    Those ancient onlookers stared with wide eyes!

    They thought they had already been shocked enough by the previous footage, but that was just the tip of the iceberg!

    If Pei Changying hadn''t maintained a stern expression, looking murderous, they would have almost cried out in surprise!

    "Sister.......Elder Sister Li, look at the scenery outside."

    "It''s transparent, yesterday Sister Gu said it''s called ss, allowing sunlight to pass through and show the outside view, but... but how is that view moving upwards?"

    "Does her world have treasures that can ascend to the sky? So shocking."

    "Shh.......Little Sister, keep your voice down, can''t you see the emperor''s expression? The master said that perhaps what Sister Gu uses is not witchcraft, maybe there really is such a ce?"

    All the ancient onlookers watched Pei Changying''s expression while holding their breath, staring at the elevator in awe.

    They witnessed with their own eyes¡ª

    The elevator rose from the ground, bit by bit, up into the air!

    Then!

    The elevator doors opened, and Gu Sang exited, entering the designated audition venue.

    By this time, several other girls were already seated, waiting for their auditions.

    Among these waiting candidates, Gu Sang noticed a familiar figure, her expression slightly hesitant before sitting down at a distance, pretending not to recognize the person.

    Seeing Gu Sang as anotherpetitor auditioning, the other candidates couldn''t help but look her over.

    One girl who was fixing her makeup didn''t even look at Gu Sang as she said, "Although this director is only making a Short Drama, his standards are very high. If you don''t meet the requirements, you might as well go home now."

    "The female lead in the drama is a legitimate empress, requiring a girl with excellent poise and grace."

    "You......." She looked up and nced at Gu Sang.

    That single nce made her freeze, with a flicker of admiration shing across the eyes of all the auditioning girls.......

 Chapter 14: Itâ€™s not a fairy, itâ€™s a Hanging Wiya.

    <h4>Chapter 14</h4>

    They hurriedly suppressed their indignation and said sarcastically, "Your family background must not be very impressive."

    "A true imperial consort should be yed by a wealthydy. You should just give up."

    The ancients watching the livestream were taken aback.

    Even Consort Zhao, who usually disagreed with Gu Sang, frowned.

    Although Gu Sang was not the legitimate eldest daughter like Gu Qingrou, she was also a nobledy carefully nurtured by an aristocratic family, and her etiquette and upbringing were impable.

    Not to mention that sheter apanied the Emperor through life and death, battling and conquering.

    She exuded not only the elegance of a nobledy but also the indomitable pride of amander leading countless generals!

    Several consorts muttered discontentedly, "Why does Sister Sangck decorum and grace?"

    "Back in the noble circles, she was even more like a truedy than the legitimate daughters."

    "Who are these little wretches insulting! But the item in her hand is truly exquisite, how can it capture her face so vividly, with every strand of her eyebrows clearly visible."

    "The ck stick in her hand is also peculiar. I just saw her lightly dab it on her lips, and they turned rosy and luscious."

    "......"

    Thepetitors'' attacks on Gu Sang were futile.

    They sensed a threat from her, so they wanted to undermine her confidence through disparagement!

    After all, children from poor families tend to be insecure.

    But¡ª

    Gu Sang remainedpletely unperturbed?

    "Be quiet, what''s all the fuss about?" Gu Qing, who was raised with indulgence, interrupted their denigration and scolded, "Who says shecks grace, are you all blind or what!"

    "The director hasn''t even interviewed her, why are you all hissing at her like snakes! So annoying!"

    As she spoke, Gu Qing turned and frowned at Gu Sang, who was looking at her.

    "Long time no see," Gu Sang said rather coldly.

    "Who wants to see you! Just pretend you don''t know me. After all this time, you haven''t even sent me a single message, and you told us not to disturb you."

    Gu Qing rolled her eyes and kicked the chair in front of her, her expression a mix ofplexity and arrogance:

    "You''re still as timid as before, why didn''t you say something back when they said youck grace?"

    "I''m so fed up with you, this eldest sister of mine, who can''t do anything right but stilles to audition for a Short Drama. You just get mocked every day, why don''t you just hide for a bit?"

    "This is an audition for horse-riding scenes, and you couldn''t even get close to a horse back then, what are you doing here!"

    This girl who spoke without any restraint was none other than Gu Sang''s younger sister: Gu Qing.

    A couple of years after Gu Sang went missing, her birth parents had Gu Qing.

    Over the years, Gu Qing had been the Gu family''s cherished pearl, raised as their only daughter, until the Gu family took back the daughter they had abandoned for over a decade.

    So at first, Gu Qing, who had been doted on as the only child, couldn''t ept having an elder sister.

    She would often defy her,pare herself to her, andpete for affection.

    But...

    She would also protect her in front of outsiders.

    It was just that Gu Sang was too insecure and sensitive back then, unable to learn the etiquette and social graces of the upper ss.

    All she knew was to bury herself in books and remain silent and taciturn. She was ignorant of the ways of the nobility, so she would embarrass herself at every gathering, creating a vicious cycle.

    She grew worse and worse, sinking deeper and deeper...

    Gu Sang just wanted to reunite with her grandmother as soon as possible, unable to fit into that family!

    "Gu Qing, your mouth is as venomous as ever. But you were right about one thing - they are either blind or pretending to be blind."

    "However, times have changed."

    "Horseback riding is now a trivial matter for me." Gu Qing had no idea that the woman before her was no longer the timid and silent Gu Sang of the past.

    She was the Gu Sang who had spent seven whole years in ancient times!

    The Gu Sang who emerged from the bloodshed of battlefields!

    The ancients watching the livestream had also grown ustomed to the modern environment.

    They were no longer astonished by the sight of women in short skirts, for that was how modern women dressed!

    Not to mention exposing their necks, some even exposed their chests!

    "Is our Lady going topete with them in horseback riding?"

    "Our Lady has been to the battlefield before, even infiltrating enemy camps. Back then, His Majesty was rescued by our Lady. Horseback riding is a trifle for her!"

    "Oh, what is that?"

    "Why is there such arge screen, disying several women dressed just like us! Heavens, they''re moving!"

    "How can the people in the painting move?"

    "And what is that ck thing, constantly pointing at our Lady?"

    By then, Gu Sang had entered the audition area.

    Hearing the ancients'' sessive exmations of astonishment, she took a minute to respond, "That is a television screen, showing the recent hit Short Drama."

    The ancients eximed, "What is a television drama?"

    Consort Zhao also asked in shock, "What is a television?"

    "Television uses electronic technology to transmit moving images, pictures, and audio for people to watch for entertainment and leisure."

    "A television drama is somewhat like your theatrical performances, except with this device, you can watch any opera or y anytime, anywhere."

    "What you just saw was a costume drama, a story based on ancient times."

    "......"

    Gu Sang''s exnation left Consort Zhao''s mouth agape.

    There was a treasure in this world that could preserve images?

    And preserve pictures and sound for people''s entertainment and leisure?

    If only!

    If she could have a television too, then perhaps staying in the depths of the pce for decades wouldn''t be so boring?

    Perhaps the consorts wouldn''t botherpeting for favor anymore?

    At that moment, everyone''s eyes brimmed with a newfound emotion - a mix of wonder and longing!

    Then, the assistant director of the filmpany came out, looked at the remaining candidates, and his gaze fell on Gu Sang.

    "You alle in and audition together. There''s a scene involving horseback riding and polo. The director wants you to try your riding skills first, and then he''ll choose the one he prefers."

    "The imperial consort was trained from a young age to not only possess the grace of a refineddy but also stand out in a striking way."

    The few candidates followed the assistant director into the indoor riding arena.

    Gu Qing, carrying her designer bag, strode at the front with an arrogant and haughty air, having been spoiled and pampered as the only daughter growing up.

    Meanwhile, the ancients who came in with the livestream gazed at the audition arena in astonishment, their jaws nearly dropping.

    "Hiss! Look, immortals!

    "Who are they, able to fly up in the air like that? Could they be the legendary immortals?"

    Gu Sang nced at the livestream video only she could see.

    The ancients were all wide-eyed in amazement, even theposed Pei Changying wore a look of surprise.

    Gu Sang let out a sigh, "Those are airnes."

    "What are airnes?"

    "Didn''t you say earlier that our Lady doesn''t scold or beat servants?"

    "Look, there are people being beaten over there, and they''re even coughing up blood. How tragic, even after that they''re still not letting the servant go. It looks like they might even kill the servant!"

    Gu Sang nced over, "They''re filming a Short Drama, the blood is fake, they''re acting."

 Chapter 15: Introducing the Ancients to the Hospital.

    <h4>Chapter 15</h4>

    The ancients were shocked and amazed. "Is this acting? That can''t be possible! I saw her blooding from her chest with my own eyes! That knife even stabbed right into her!"

    "Sisters, look, she''s been stabbed again! That''s just... too cruel."

    Although Gu Sang had exined it was fake, just acting.

    But the ancients had never witnessed such a vivid scene of being stabbed and bleeding on stage before.

    It wasn''t until they saw the person who had coughed up blood stand back up, dust herself off without a care in the world, that they were utterly dumbfounded.

    Stabbed by a knife and... and still fine?

    Just what sorcery was this?!

    "The next scene will be your acting test, remember safetyes first, don''t try to be overlypetitive."

    "You all go pick your horses from the stables now and get ready for the test."

    The assistant director led a few people to the horse stables.

    The stables were notrge, with only a dozen or so horses, each kept in their own stall.

    Within minutes, everyone had picked out a horse and led it outside.

    This was a multi-rider horse scene, so to avoid poor performances, the others had all chosen docile, gentle mounts.

    When they saw therge, muscr, vigorous stallion that Gu Sang had picked, head held high with a prideful air of defiance, even the assistant director''s expression changed.

    The girl who had just put down Gu Sang started mocking again: "It''s just an acting test, no need to take it so seriously, right?"

    "That horse clearly hasn''t been properly tamed yet. If you fall offter, a broken leg would be the least of your worries."

    "Didn''t your little sister say you used to be too scared to even approach horses? Now you''ve picked such a fierce one just to prove yourself, even putting your safety at risk?"

    "Tsk tsk, just showing off for attention."

    Gu Sang gave the girl a momentary nce before elegantly retorting, "With such a foul mouth, I suggest you keep it shut."

    "I''m afraid when I p your faceter, the scraps stuck in your teeth mighte flying out in surprise."

    The girl shut her mouth: .......

    It was at this moment that the props and cameras were all set up.

    The assistant director stood in the filming area, and someone not far away held up a pperboard, calling out "Action!"

    The women simultaneously grasped the reins in their left hands, nted their left feet in the stirrups, and with a forceful push, mounted the horses with ease and stability.

    Next!

    They squeezed the horses'' bellies firmly with their legs, and the steeds charged forward at a gallop.

    The horses raced ahead as one, the women riders cutting dashing, heroic figures atop them, like the legendary warrior maidens of the Yang family.

    In that instant!

    Gu Sang''s horse leapt out ahead of the others.

    Wearing a long dress, she sat astride the stallion like a valiant, undefeated warrior woman, radiant and the center of all attention.

    "Your Ladyship is indeed worthy of time spent in the military camps - even the frontier generals would have to admire such horsemanship."

    "It seems... some people from that world really are superior to us in certain ways."

    "Look at them barely staying seated - worse than infantry soldiers."

    Seeing this sight, the ancients beamed with pride.

    Pei Changying watched the breathtakingly graceful Gu Sang, his mind drifting back to the past.

    When he had been in peril, Gu Sang had ridden alone into the enemy camp like this, risking her life to carry his wounded self out to safety.

    Gu Sang had been just as dazzling then, like a celestial maiden descending with the force of raging winds and thunder.

    She did look quite striking on horseback.

    This was something Pei Changying had always agreed with.

    Unlike the pride of the ancients, the other womenpeting against Gu Sang were utterly shocked, none more so than Gu Qing: "But... you said you could never learn to ride before? Our parents hired the best instructors for you and you drove them all away."

    "Back then you wouldn''t even get on a horse!"

    "And now you''re riding like that? Gu Sang, what kind of miracle drug did you take?!"

    She stared at her dust-trailing sister with aplex gaze.

    It had only been a little over a year.

    Where did Gu Sang learn to ride like this?

    Wasn''t her sister from themoner''s district just a slow, self-conscious bookworm who couldn''t learn anything?

    A sense of refusal to be outdone welled up in Gu Qing, and with a hardened heart she yanked forcefully on the reins, irrationally trying to catch up to the sister she had always looked down upon!

    Foolishly...

    With only the drive to win in her eyes, Gu Qing failed to realize her speed had be too fast for her to control.

    Dangerously fast.

    "Quick! Slow down! You''re going too fast!" Seeing something was wrong, the assistant director yelled to cut the scene.

    But then, disaster struck.

    Gu Qing felt the reins slip from her hands and with a lurching motion, lost her bnce and was flung heavily from the horse''s back!

    Gu Qing crashed into the ground with force!

    And the rapidly approaching horse was heading straight for her prone body.

    "Ahhhh!!!"

    Witnessing this, everyone watching was chilled with terror and could only scream in fright.

    She would surely die!

    To be trampled underfoot by that horse was a death sentence!

    But in that moment, a dazzling figure shed across their vision, the woman pressing herself against the horse''s belly and pulling hard on the reins.

    Gu Qing was pulled out from under the horse and up onto another steed''s back.

    The two horses passed each other in a whirlwind, the sheer speed raising a cloud of dust.

    The assistant director let out a huge sigh of relief, shaken to his core: "Scared me half to death! If we had a real casualty over an acting test, this entire production would be scrapped."

    "Horsemanship like that would make her a top cavalry officer on an ancient battlefield!"

    "Originally that battle scene was cut due to concerns over the riding, but with a talent like her we could put it back in! What a find - perfect form and presence too!"

    The ancients cheered: "Our Noble Consort is so formidable, to perform a rescue from horseback at such close range!"

    "In the past, this subject heard tales of how the Noble Consort Gu braved the enemy alone to rescue His Majesty, but did not believe them. Now, this subject is convinced!"

    After riding a distance, Gu Sang finally brought the sweat-drenched Gu Qing down from the horse, relieved to see her unharmed.

    The director, assistant director, and crew, hearts still pounding, rushed over in the aftermath.

    "What was that about? Didn''t I tell you all not to be so recklesslypetitive? There were no safety precautions for that riding scene - did you think it was just ying around?!"

    "Pushing it way too fast when you couldn''t control the speed? Are you trying to get killed?!" The director angrily scolded everyone present.

    Noticing the cold sweat on Gu Qing''s forehead, Gu Sang quickly waved the director over.

    The shooting pain from her left leg caused Gu Qing''s lips to turn white, and she opened her mouth with a trembling voice on the verge of tears: "My leg... it hurts so much."

    "There''s so much blood, the bone must be damaged!"

    "Quick! Get her to a hospital."

    The crew had a basic stretcher, and with Gu Sang and the other women''s help, they managed to get Gu Qing down from the horse.

    The normally arrogant and foul-mouthed Gu Qing now clung to Gu Sang''s hand, crying: "Gu Sang, is my leg going to be amputated?"

    "I can''t feel it anymore, waaaah I can''t move it....."

    Gu Sang: Weren''t you just being so brave a moment ago?

    Now you''re crying and clinging to me?

    Gu Qing had always seemed headstrong and self-assured, but when faced with real danger she just held onto Gu Sang''s hand and kept bawling: "Waaah....."

    "Waaah....."

    "It''s just some blood and numbness, what are you panicking about? You''ll be fine, I''m taking you to the hospital."

    The ancients were puzzled: Hospital?

    What is that ce?

 Chapter 16: Imperial Doctor Witnesses Modern Medicine, Shocked

    <h4>Chapter 16</h4>

    Pei Changying watched as Gu Sang calmly led Gu Qing straight to the hospital.

    The live scenes kept switching, but his gaze remained fixed on Gu Sang''s face.

    Gu Sang was too confident!

    She wasn''t an Imperial Physician herself, how could she be so certain that she could save Gu Qing?

    In ancient times, if a leg was broken, they could only let it be disabled or amputate it, or risk death from infection.

    Did the ce where Gu Sang came from have a way to treat it?

    At this thought, Pei Changying''s breathing suddenly quickened.

    If there really was a way to cure a broken leg, how many casualties would be prevented among the border troops!

    "Your Highness is too calm, that youngdy is probably done for. She has lost so much blood, the best oue would be to save her life."

    "If it''s serious, the wound may not be able to stop the infection, leading to death."

    "To die from acting in a y, how unfortunate!"

    Listening to the ancient people shaking their heads andmenting, Pei Changying narrowed his eyes and immediately ordered, "Quickly bring all the Imperial Physicians to the pce!"

    Why call the Imperial Physicians?

    Could the Emperor intend for them to treat Gu Qing?

    But how could they treat her?

    Either she would lose her leg, or her life, and thetter seemed more likely...

    An hourter.

    At the hospital.

    Gu Sang and the staff pushed the wailing Gu Qing into the examination room, and then sat outside the door with a headache, waiting for the results.

    This scene startled the ancient people: "This is where they treat illnesses!"

    "Howe even their ce for treating illnesses is so big? There are so many people, can anyone go to this ''hospital'' ce?"

    "Tsk! What a miserable cry! What are they doing in there? Why is she crying so miserably?"

    "Aren''t those people outside afraid, still queuing there? Ha, Sister Zhao, look quickly, why are those men all wearing skirts?"

    Bloodcurdling screams came from the Proctology Department nearby.

    Gu Sang looked up at the ancient scene and saw a group of Imperial Physicians hurriedly approaching with bent bodies.

    The Imperial Physicians also showed expressions of doubt.

    Gu Sang took the time to answer their questions: "This is the Proctology Department. The reason these men are wearing skirts is that it will be more convenient after the treatment."

    Imperial Physician: "Please tell us, Your Highness, what exactly does proctology cover?"

    Gu Sang opened her phone, searched for a while, and then exined: "Proctological diseases refer to conditions where the internal organs are ulcerated, inmed, cancerous, and so on. Modern medical records have recorded dozens of such diseases, with hemorrhoids and anal fissures being rtivelymon minor conditions."

    "Your Highness, if the intestines are inside, how do you treat them?"

    "Using tools and instruments, they are inserted through the anus into the rectum."

    The Imperial Physicians looked horrified: ??

    The concubines looked astonished: !!

    Pei Changying: ... This is impossible!

    Inserting things into the intestines, wouldn''t that lead directly to death?

    This is absolutely impossible!

    But seeing each patient walk out holding their buttocks, no matter how unbelieving the ancient people were, they fell silent...

    At this time, after the initial consultation, Gu Qing was also pushed out, and the doctor said she needed to get an X-ray to see if there was any bone discement or fracture.

    The ancient people and Imperial Physicians, who had originally calmed down, apanied Gu Sang into the X-ray room.

    Their serious expressions crumbled once again as they stared nkly: "Your Highness! What is that thing, it moves by itself?"

    "And what is that glowing thing?"

    "Can these strange objects treat illnesses? Can they cure broken bones?"

    The ancient people marveled at the self-moving equipment.

    Gu Sang casually answered, "This is a type of medical imaging scanner, also called an X-ray, which can scan the development of the body''s bones and skeletal structure."

    The Imperial Physicians were stunned: "There really are such miraculous objects in the world?"

    "Your Highness, I don''t know how to make this device, but if we could have one too, that would be wonderful."

    "With your current production levels, you would be unable to manufacture such a precise instrument." Gu Sang told the truth, but it left the ancient people speechless.

    Previously, they had been proud of their country''s strength.

    But now, after seeing a more powerful country, they realized that they were merely frogs in a well.

    They understood that their current production capabilities paled inparison.

    The X-ray results were quickly obtained, and they returned to the surgical examination room.

    After recovering from their initial surprise, the Imperial Physicians'' professional skills began to show.

    An Imperial Physician specializing in bones took one look and immediately saw the problem.

    At the same time, he looked excitedly at Gu Sang: "That... that''s really bones?"

    "So that''s what the human skeletal bones look like!"

    "In my humble opinion, this is a fracture, Your Highness. Can this leg be cured?"

    Gu Sang''s tone was full of confidence as she pondered, "Definitely."

    She didn''t say "should be," but "definitely"!

    She must have great faith in modern medicine to make such a bold im!

    The Imperial Physician''s body trembled slightly, his eyes glistening with tears of excitement.

    For thirty whole years!

    He had been studying how to cure a pair of broken legs.

    Now, someone could really do it? And so easily, too! The ce where Your Highness is from must be a truly wondrous realm!

    After examining the X-ray, the doctor immediately scheduled surgery.

    Gu Sang intended to wait outside the operating room, but couldn''t resist the Imperial Physicians'' requests, as they wanted to learn more about this "hospital" that Gu Sang had mentioned.

    Including the Proctology Department, they were very interested in that as well.

    Gu Sang walked to the entrance of the Proctology Department and happened to see a man leaning against the wall, his expression pained as he slowly walked out.

    "Inside is the examination room. I can''t bring you in to see it, but I can show you around the hospital."

    Gu Sang toured from the first floor to the fifth floor.

    While others were amazed at the sheer size of the hospital, only the Imperial Physicians stared intently at every corner, afraid to miss anything.

    At that moment!

    An adult carrying a child walked past Gu Sang.

    The concubines turned pale with fright and retreated several steps: "Your Majesty, that child is so terrifying, with things all over his body!"

    An Imperial Physician said solemnly, "That''s chickenpox, it''s contagious!"

    Upon hearing it was chickenpox, the ancient people showed fearful expressions.

    Chickenpox was highly contagious.

    There had been cases where someone contracted chickenpox, and eventually, an entire vige became infected, leading to many deaths.

    One of the concubines pursed her lips but finally spoke softly to Gu Sang: "Your Highness, you should hurry back and soak in a herbal bath with motherwort."

    Imperial Physician: "Yes, Your Highness, don''t go near him, you might get infected."

    Imperial Physician: "The hospital shouldn''t have admitted him, the entire hospital might be infected, this is terrible!"

    Pei Changying snorted coldly, grinning arrogantly and smugly: "Don''t teach her anything! I want her to kneel and beg me to save her! Vile woman!"

    Gu Sang thought this man was both oily and despicable.

    Sheughed out loud: "Imperial Physicians, don''t worry. Chickenpox is just a minor and easily treatable illness for us, not only is it not fatal, but it''s also extremely easy to cure!"

 Chapter 17: All our babies can live.

    <h4>Chapter 17</h4>

    One sentence.

    Those ancient people''s hearts stopped with a thud!

    They seemed to have been paralyzed, their mouths wide open, staring nkly at Gu Sang.

    What made them quiver was the smallpox, yet the Lady called it a minor ailment!

    Not fatal?!

    Although smallpox was not as severe as chickenpox, its contagiousness should not be underestimated, right?

    How could it possibly be a very minor and mild illness!

    "In our world, every infant receives preventive vinations after birth, which can prevent various diseases and allow them to grow up strong and healthy."

    "With proper care, almost every infant can survive."

    Gu Sang''s words struck the crowd like a thunderbolt, leaving them dazed and confused.

    The children in her world were so fortunate!

    In their beliefs, it was a great blessing if one out of three infants survived.

    They had never imagined that someone could improve the survival rate of infants.

    An Imperial Physician specializing in smallpox and chickenpox knelt down with a thud: "My Lady, please share the remedy."

    In an instant, other Imperial Physicians also knelt down and kowtowed: "My Lady, please tell us how these vines are made."

    "Please, my Lady, bless the people!"

    "Please, my Lady......"

    The Princess Consort was right; perhaps they could not produce those instruments, but if someone could guide them in medicine, they might be able to create miracles.

    If a broken leg could be healed.

    If newborn infants could be vinated, if there were remedies for chickenpox...

    "I''m not a medical professional, so I don''t understand these things. However, if you want to know, I can ask the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners here."

    "Through their guidance, I believe you will gain some insights."

    "No medical technique appears out of thin air; they are passed down through generations, through countless experiments, before these remedies can be produced."

    "Just like the Divine Farmer tasting a hundred herbs, one must taste them personally topile them into a book."

    Gu Sang''s speech was eye-opening and enlightening, making them understand profoundly.

    The Imperial Physicians kowtowed in a flurry, their eyes filled with admiration.

    Even the concubines bent over, with several bing emotional and their eyes reddening.

    All the ancient people, except for Pei Changying, silently praised: "The Princess Consort has a heart for the living, she will surely be blessed with fortune."

    "Thank you, my Lady, for introducing us to the ancient medical practitioners!"

    Amid the excitement, anticipation, and enthusiasm of the ancient people, the surgery had concluded.

    Gu Qing was wheeled out by a nurse and sent to a regr ward.

    The crew members who came with her called the Director to report the situation, expressed some well-wishes, and then left the hospital.

    Gu Sang looked at her sister, who spoke harshly but was actually timid and cried a lot, and said indifferently: "Gu Qing."

    "I never intended to take anything from you."

    "You don''t need to be so hostile towards me."

    Gu Qing was stunned for a moment, her face pale but she was furious: "I''m hostile towards you?!"

    "Your leg needs about a month of rest and care, why don''t you give them a call to let them know the situation?"

    "I''ll leave first."

    Gu Qing became even angrier: "Hey! You''re just going to leave me like that? You''re just going to abandon me?"

    "Damn it!"

    "Wah wah wah....... I knew you wished I would die on the spot, you clearly disliked me first!"

    "Wah wah wah......"

    Ignoring the cries from inside, Gu Sang walked out of the hospital.

    Her phone''s navigation directed her to a nearby traditional Chinese medicine clinic, which had good online reviews and was said to have an experienced old practitioner.

    The ancient crowd focused intently on Gu Sang as she entered the clinic.

    "My Lady, is this also a ce for medical treatment? I see herbs!"

    "Just now in that hospital, I kept seeing them use strange ck things for treatment, I felt like I didn''t understand medicine anymore. But it turns out your world still has traditional Chinese medicine!"

    "Please, my Lady, take us to meet them!"

    "Please, my Lady, introduce us!"

    The Imperial Physicians shouted excitedly and improperly.

    The ancient people''s words were sincere; they truly hoped that Gu Sang could introduce them to a master who could guide them and let them see the differences between modern and ancient medicine!

    They dared not imagine!

    This world was so powerful and terrifying.

    Powerful enough that they had witnessed various precise instruments, yet they did not recognize a single herb.

    Gu Sang heard the ancient people''s pleas and entered the clinic.

    This pharmacy was not veryrge,bining Western and Chinese medicine.

    The ss cabs disyed various Western medicines, while rows of wooden cabs behind the doctor contained Chinese herbs.

    A doctor in his fifties was organizing the herbs on the shelves.

    Imperial Physician: "What kind of cab is that, so transparent that I can see what''s inside? How bizarre!"

    Concubine: "The Imperial Physician is ignorant about this. We''ve already heard from our Lady that it''s called ss, which can see through everything."

    Imperial Physician, astonished: "ss? See through everything? Goodness!"

    "Then... what are those colorful things, and why are they stored in such strange containers? Are they also herbs?"

    "And why are there portraits hung on the wall? Are they wanted criminals?"

    Gu Sang nced at the counter: "Those are Western medicines, made frombining Chinese herbs with other ingredients into pill form. Their effects are rapid, with a small pill able to alleviate symptoms."

    "They were introduced from overseas many years ago."

    "Those portraits are not of wanted criminals, but of people endorsing these product brands."

    Ancient people: Endorsing?

    What are product brands?

    They didn''t understand!

    But this term "Western medicine" sounded very powerful.

    A small pill could cure diseases?

    "Doctor, may I ask you a few questions?" Gu Sang''s sincere tone made the bespectacled doctor stop what he was doing and nod amiably, despite his puzzled expression.

    "Doctor, if we don''t have Western medicines, what would be the traditional Chinese medicine approach to treating chickenpox and smallpox?"

    Upon hearing Gu Sang''s question, the watching ancient people were taken aback, a surge of warmth rising in their hearts.

    The Princess Consort was truly helping them seek guidance!

    After all!

    In ancient times, medical knowledge and techniques were closely guarded and not easily passed on, only taught to direct disciples!

    Yet the Lady was willing to set aside her dignity and ask these taboo questions for their sake!

    Huh... wait a minute?

    Why did this doctor not only show no displeasure, but even a gratified smile?

    And! And he answered Gu Sang without any reservations: "If there were no Western medicines, chickenpox is actually easy to treat."

    "The characteristic of chickenpox is its high contagiousness, but once someone has had it, they will develop antibodies and not be infected again."

    "In fact, as early as the reign of Emperor Songzhenzong of the Song Dynasty, the smallpox inoction method was invented, but this method was unsafe and could sometimes cause smallpox..."

    "In 1796, the cowpox vination for smallpox was sessfully tested..."

    "The specific method can be done like this... using... but it''s best to experiment first before proceeding."

    "Good child, our traditional Chinese medicine is also very powerful! Even without Western medicine, as long as the traditional practitioners focus their efforts on researching diseases like chickenpox and smallpox, they can be curedpletely."

    These words caused a stir of shock!

    It was as if these words were a Level 12 typhoon, whipping up a thousand waves in the ancient people''s minds.

 Chapter 18: Worthy of the flourishing medical art

    <h4>Chapter 18</h4>

    Their blood pulsed wildly in their temples, their heads felt like they were being crushed, on the verge of exploding, and then growing something new.

    As if all things were being reborn, destroyed and rebuilt.

    Inoction?!

    Who would think of the insane idea of infecting themselves with a disease, such a dangerous act?

    Only a madman could conceive of it!

    Seeing the astonished look on the ancients'' faces, Gu Sang first expressed sincere gratitude to the doctor, and then exined to the ancients:

    "In our world, the vines we get since childhood work like this."

    "Pathogens extracted from cows are weakened to a level that does not threaten humans, then transnted into the human body, and after curing the disease, we develop antibodies."

    "But the doctor says all these methods need to be tested first."

    In a scene where people gaped, stunned for a long time withouting to their senses.

    A concubine suddenly covered her face and broke down in tears: "My poor child! If only you lived in the Princess''s world, you wouldn''t have died."

    "You were not even a year old, you hadn''t even opened your eyes to see this world, and you left me."

    "Wah wah wah...Princess, if only you hade home earlier, if I had known about this method a year ago, my child wouldn''t have died!"

    The concubine knelt on the ground, weeping inconsbly in utter anguish.

    Her newborn child, not even a year old, had inexplicably contracted smallpox and died!

    And she, the mother...

    Could only watch helplessly as her child suffered to death, unable to do anything, unable to help at all...

    "My servant''s brother also died of smallpox..."

    "My lord''s eldest son was killed by chickenpox, but I was powerless back then!"

    "As an Imperial Physician, I could not save the world, nor my own child."

    "Wah wah...Princess, you are truly a celestial being incarnate, caring for the world. If only...if only we had known the treatment method earlier, perhaps not so many would have died."

    More and more pce maids cried softly.

    Their loved ones had perished, to a greater or lesser extent, in the recurring epidemics.

    Some contracted smallpox, some contracted chickenpox...

    s, they only learned of this method today.

    The Imperial Physicians listened with tears streaming down, taking the inoction method and epidemic treatment to heart, as the doctor spoke about istion, making masks, boiling clothes for disinfection, checking river water...

    Most of the ancient epidemics stemmed from water source issues!

    And seeing that Gu Sang was such an eager learner, the doctor from the Chinese Medicine Institute went on to share more precautions, and at the end, he sighed:

    "s, Chinese medicine has fallen into decline these days!"

    "The future inheritance of Chinese medicine rests with you youngsters, you must never let Chinese medicine be a thing of the past!"

    After saying this.

    The doctor looked at Gu Sang, as if seeing a rising pir of the Chinese medicine world.

    Gu Sang did not exin, only nodding gratefully at the doctor: "Thank you, I believe Chinese medicine will never fade into oblivion!"

    The Imperial Physicians watching the livestream had solemn expressions.

    One second they learned the power of the epidemic cure, the next they knew the sorrow of Chinese medicine''s decline.

    "s..." A sigh drifted from the 21st century to ancient times, weighing heavily on every doctor''s heart devoted to medicine.

    "Let''s end today''s livestream here. I''m sure you''re all eager to go test the cure for epidemics."

    "I''ll continue the livestream tomorrow at this time."

    "Thank you for your immense grace, Princess!"

    "Long live the Princess! With such a method, no one in this world will ever die from epidemics again!"

    "What a glorious era this is, how enviable..."

    Under the grateful gazes of the ancients, Gu Sang ended the livestream.

    All the ancients had hopeful smiles on their faces.

    Only Pei Changying¡ª

    Once again, he became profoundly aware that he had underestimated Gu Sang!

    Moreover, he had underestimated Gu Sang''s world!

    This time, the woman who dared not leave despite his insults and curses, perhaps had truly andpletely be out of his reach! No! It cannot be!!

    When Gu Sang returned to the hospital after buying fruits, Gu''s father and Gu''s mother had already rushed there anxiously.

    Gu''s mother looked at her youngest daughter with concern, her eyes reddening: "We''re notcking food at home, why did you have to go act in some short drama?"

    "It''s not that I won''t let you enter the entertainment industry, but that circle is too dark, you''re too naive and unsuited for it."

    "A distinguished daughter of the Gu family, acting in short dramas, what kind of decorum is that?!" Gu''s father spoke sternly, yet with a tinge of concern.

    This family scene of warmth.

    Made Gu Sang''s gaze dim slightly, in the past she might have quietly closed the door and fled this ce.

    But not anymore.

    After going through life and death, even familial love had faded for her.

    Seeing Gu Sang enter, Gu''s mother fell silent with embarrassment on her face, while Gu''s father was the first toe to his senses.

    "Little Sang, Qing said you were the one who sent her to the hospital, thanks to you."

    Gu''s father spoke politely yet distantly, as if to a stranger.

    Gu Qing turned her head arrogantly, ncing sideways at the fruits Gu Sang was holding: "Who needs her help, don''t think I''ll be grateful just because she rescued me."

    "You can''t even afford tuition and have to fight for it yourself, yet you buy red globe grapes, acting like you''re rich!"

    "I won''t eat them, I absolutely won''t eat the fruits you bought, let me tell you Gu Sang, take this fruit bowl back with you! I won''t be grateful to you."

    Damn it, why is this sister of hers still so insufferable?

    Poor yet wanting dignity.

    Can''t she just swallow her pride and be good to herself for once?

    Over two hundred yuan for a bunch of grapes, Gu Sang probably hasn''t even tasted them, yet she bought them for her?

    So annoying!

    "You''re used to the expensive stuff, so naturally I had to buy the premium ones. Since you''re unappreciative, I''ll just take them back."

    "Gu''s father, Gu''s mother, if there''s nothing else, I''ll head back first."

    Gu Qing''s face darkened, trembling as she pointed at Gu Sang: "You! You!"

    "I knew you never liked me!"

    "Wah wah wah Mom, Dad, I don''t like her either anymore, you don''t know how awful she was today, she obviously knows how to ride a horse but pretended not to."

    "And she rode so recklessly, whoosh whoosh whoosh, I almost died at the riding arena."

    Only at this moment!

    Did Gu''s father and Gu''s mother realize that the current Gu Sang waspletely different from the past.

    The former Gu Sang was silent, meek and subservient, appearing to have no will of her own.

    But the current Gu Sang exuded an aura of noble elegance, as if raised as a princess of royalty, her every movement graceful and dignified, brimming with confidence!

 Chapter 19: Peace, Equality, Grandeur

    <h4>Chapter 19</h4>

    Wasn''t it said that Gu Sang''s grandmother was just an ordinary old woman?

    In just one year, could she cultivate someone to be like this?

    "Little Sang, so you know how to ride horses?"

    "I didn''t know before, I just learned it this year," Gu Sang said indifferently, stopping in her tracks.

    "It seems your grandmother has raised you well, then... how was this year for you? Is your grandmother okay?"

    "It was alright."

    "Little Sang, a year ago you said you wanted to go back to your grandmother''s home and for us not to disturb you."

    "We didn''t dare to look for you either, but no matter what, you are still our biological daughter. Gu Qing doesn''t really dislike you, she''s just stubborn but deep down she still hopes you cane home."

    "Your parents didn''t want to be too harsh on you either, but the aristocratic family inevitably has a face to maintain, and you have to learn many etiquettes, upbringings, and arts."

    "Now that you''ve changed a lot, you must have worked hard in secret too. Come home, Little Sang. Don''t worry, we''ll hire the best etiquette teachers to guide you, to let you transform from the roots."

    Gu Qing nced away, avoiding looking at Gu Sang.

    Gu''s mother and Gu''s father waited expectantly for their child''s answer.

    Over these past few years living at the Gu Family, her parents had indeed never mistreated her, nor deprived her of food or necessities.

    But because she was closer to Gu Qing, who excelled in every aspect, her parents inevitably favored Gu Qing over her.

    Gu Sang was very sensitive back then, which made her feel like an excess in this family.

    "No need, I prefer my current life! Let''s just leave it at that, I''ll be going now."

    Gu''s mother watched the girl''s resolute departing figure, opened her mouth as if to say something, but stopped herself.

    This child is just too sensitive and stubborn.

    The Gu Family is after all one of the prestigious families in Jianghai City. As a member of the Gu Family, one''s every move and conduct must have the grace of a great aristocratic family, or else it would be embarrassing.

    Seeing Gu Sang leaving without turning back, Gu''s father said angrily, "Your current life? A life without money or quality, a life where you have to act in short dramas to pay for tuition?"

    "I know you resist learning those things, but they are necessities for a youngdy of an aristocratic family."

    "Since you are of the Gu Family, you must have outstanding talents to present, or else you''ll be the one neglected. I can give you some time to consider."

    However¡ª

    The answer to the three of them was the crisp sound of the door closing.

    Gu Qing lowered her head like a deted ball, feeling vexed and choked up. "I knew it, she doesn''t dislike learning those etiquettes, she just dislikes us."

    "Especially me..."

    "Don''t overthink it, your sister just can''t adapt to the life of aristocracy," came Gu''s father''s helpless rebuke from behind.

    This door separated Gu Sang from them.

    Outside the door was the solitary Gu Sang.

    Inside the door was a family of three filled withughter and joy.

    Gu Sang, who had brought takeout food back home, sat calmly at the dining table eating.

    She suddenly missed her grandmother a bit.

    She missed the food her grandmother made.

    She vaguely remembered her grandmother used to bustle in the kitchen while listening to her stories from school.

    She also remembered that for her and her grandmother, a simple one-dish one-soup meal was enough.

    *Ding!*

    "Would you like to connect with an ancient person immediately?"

    The system popped up timely, interrupting Gu Sang''s reminiscence of the past.

    After Gu Sang cleared the dining table, she sat back on the sofa, ready to connect. "System, connect."

    Just likest time, the system randomly selected someone who had watched her live broadcast.

    Gu Sang saw rows upon rows of medicine cabs reflected on the huge screen in front of her, along with bustling imperial physicians scurrying about.

    Evidently, this connection was with an imperial physician again.

    "Your Highness!"

    After the system connected with the imperial physician, he called out loudly and knelt, kowtowing to the screen.

    The other people at the Imperial Medical Academy were startled by the call of "Your Highness."

    They then turned abruptly¡ª

    Seeing an empty virtual screen.

    Immediately, all the people at the Imperial Medical Academy knelt on the ground, their faces over half a century old flickering with hopeful expressions.

    "Your Highness, we have begun researching the prescriptions for illnesses like the gue and chickenpox that you taught us today, and we believe it won''t be long before we can experiment with cures."

    "We want to see Your Highness because we want to ask about things from your world."

    "We want to know about Western medicine, why that doctor said Chinese medicine has declined? And why is Western medicine so grand?"

    "Also, what ce is your world? Can we go there to study? We are all very eager to."

    Before today!

    They had never imagined that there would be a ce with such powerful medical equipment and precise instruments, capable of resolving even dreadful illnesses like the gue.

    They had never imagined that Chinese medicine would gradually decline.

    That in major hospitals, one could only see rows upon rows of medical equipment assisting doctors, without a single medicinal herb in sight.

    Gu Sang smiled and exined, "The world I''m in is the future world two thousand years after yours, a very good world."

    "There are no emperors who can control the life and death ofmoners, nor rulers who can dominate the world by themselves. It''s a world of peace, equality, and coexistence."

    "People living here don''t need to serve masters, nor worry about being executed at any moment. They have their own jobs and support themselves with their own hands."

    The imperial physicians looked utterly astounded.

    Not having to worry about execution? Supporting themselves?

    No emperor!

    How could that be?

    This made the imperial physicians recall those predecessors executed by angering the emperor... One misstep and their heads would roll...

    "Here, doctors are highly respected."

    "Because Western medicine works faster, most people choose Western medicine, and most of the drugs used are antibiotics..."

    "Chinese medicine focuses more on nourishing, but some illnessese on so rapidly that using Chinese medicine is too slow in taking effect..."

    "This is a fast-paced era, so the slower-acting Chinese medicine has gradually been abandoned by people, but there are still some who persist in upholding this profession."

    Silence.

    Everyone at the Imperial Medical Academy said nothing.

    Is the effect of Western medicine really much faster than Chinese medicine?

    Then, how does one study Western medicine?

    Sensing the wavering hearts of the imperial physicians, Gu Sang spoke, "Although Western medicine works faster, there are still some side effects, and moreover, it was impossible to extract Western drugs in ancient times."

    "So you should cheer up and strive to bring the profession of Chinese medicine to the pinnacle, to save more people!"

    "When the gue broke out, it killed entire cities of people."

    "When smallpox came, it was the mothers who lost their children who suffered."

    "In your era, children were a mother''s only hope, because they had no identity of their own and could only rely on their husbands and children to survive."

    "Back then, you were their hope!"

    The imperial physicians seemed to awaken from a dream, a surge of what felt like hot blood swelling in their chests.

    Converging into those words.

    They were the hope of mothers! The hope against the gue, the hope of all the people!

    At this moment, the imperial physicians suddenly seemed to understand why the rumors said the Consort was different from others - she wasn''t really all that different.

    It was because¡ª

    Her era!

    Was different!

    Her era!

    Was peaceful.

    Equal.

    Grand!

 Chapter 20: The Ancients developed, alarmed

    <h4>Chapter 20</h4>

    The live stream closed, and the system popped up a window: "Congrattions, Virtue +100!"

    Gu Sang had only provided some medical guidance, yet she was able to change the fates of so many unfortunate ancients.

    If the Imperial Physicians truly researched and elucidated the smallpox cure, then wouldn''t this... lead to the salvation of countless citizens, city by city?!

    Gu Sang''s heart grew heavy with the thought.

    She wondered¡ª

    Could this be the true meaning of live streaming the prosperous modern era?

    -

    "Ring ring......"

    The next morning, the phone rang in the quiet room.

    Gu Sang picked up her phone and saw that it disyed Mu Fei''s contact.

    On the other end of the line, Mu Fei spoke with a warm and friendly tone: "Little Sang, I heard from Director Zhang that you did exceptionally well at the audition today, with all eyes on you."

    "Especially when you rescued someone from horseback, you had the aura of an aristocratic general from ancient times."

    "Director Zhang asked me to tell you that you passed the audition. Get ready and we''ll head out to the countryside for filming tomorrow afternoon."

    Gu Sang''s lips curved into a faint smile, unsurprised by this news, as it was only natural.

    The moment the director saw her yesterday, his gaze lingered.

    It seems her appearance and demeanor fit the role of the imperial concubine perfectly! And horseback riding was her forte, making her the most suitable candidate.

    "Alright, did the director mention where we''ll be filming?"

    "The director estimates he''ll go with the crew first. How about I pick you up tomorrow afternoon? But... there''s something I need to ask for your opinion on. The director says there''s a kiss...ing scene."

    Before he could finish, Gu Sangughed and replied: "A kissing scene, right? You don''t need to ask me about that. A girl shouldn''t feel ashamed or restrained because of a kissing scene. Moreover, I''m doing this to earn money, so I can ept any role that doesn''t vite my boundaries or morals."

    "I just want to make money."

    As long as she upholds her principles, why should a girl feel ashamed about a simple kissing scene?

    Why?

    Why should girls have so many restraints and restrictions, when modern workcepetition is already intense enough?

    This is just acting to earn money! What''s wrong with kissing a handsome guy? If someone offered her ten billion, she''d kiss a hundred handsome guys! That would grant her financial freedom instantly!

    "Okay, see you tomorrow."

    ......

    After receiving guidance from modern doctors, the Imperial Physicians at the Imperial Medical Academy studied day and night without rest.

    Finally¡ª

    They reached thest step!

    Although the Consort said that after human intervention, the threat of smallpox had been reduced to the lowest level, and even if it was transnted into humans, it was highly unlikely to pose any danger.

    But this was the dreaded smallpox, something that struck fear into people''s hearts, avoided at all costs. Who would be insane enough to willingly invite smallpox upon themselves?

    "This servant is willing to be inocted!"

    "Smallpox is no big deal, at worst it will lead to death!"

    "When the Empress was still with us, she said one thing: ''If it''s for the lives of themon people, who will go to hell if I don''t?'' Let me do it!"

    "......."

    After a dispute among the Imperial Physicians, they decided to have an Imperial Physician under fifty years old experiment with this antibody transnt.

    The modern doctor said that after the age of fifty, the body''s immune system declines, leading to a significant reduction in antibodies, thus posing an extreme risk for smallpox inoction.

    However, to be an Imperial Physician, one had to have at least thirty years of medical experience.

    At their age, inoction would be too risky!

    A pce maid eavesdropping outside gathered her courage and rushed in: "This servant is willing to be inocted as a trial."

    The pce maid''s expression was mournful, and she too was afraid!

    How could she not be scared?

    It was only that her parents had both died from the epidemic, and if they were still alive, perhaps she wouldn''t have been sold into servitude... She hated the epidemic!

    "If inoction truly seeds, there will be no more vige massacres, no more helpless and homeless people."

    "In the wake of the epidemic, women suffer the most."

    "Medication is prioritized for men, and the remaining food is also taken by men. Even if a woman miraculously survives, without family or connections, she is either sold into servitude or vited."

    "This servant envies the Empress''s world and also wants to change the future a little!"

    And so, inoction was first trialed in ancient times.

    They took scabs from cows infected with smallpox, ground them into powder, mixed them with ice chips, and blew the mixture into the nostrils of those being inocted.

    Two hourster, the pce maid began to develop a low-grade fever.

    The next day, rashes started appearing on her face and body.

    Under the Imperial Physicians'' observation and research, they found that these rashes were not as severe as those of smallpox or the gue.

    Witnessing this, the Imperial Physicians were filled with passion and confidence!

    Perhaps the inoction method could truly work!

    Perhaps this method would soon be implemented nationwide, saving countless families!

    News from the pce spreads rapidly, and by the time the initial sess of inoction became known, the entire Forbidden City was aware of it! Themon people cheered and praised!

    "Thank you, Sister Sang......"

    "A concubine can neverpare to you. You are more righteous than a concubine, no wonder the Emperor can''t forget you."

    A certain consort wept, feeling both sorrow and relief: "My poor child, it''s a pity you were born in the wrong era. If only you had been born two yearster."

    "Two yearster, and you wouldn''t have died from smallpox......"

    An off-duty eunuch, hearing the consort''s cries, couldn''t help but think of those eunuchs who had contracted diseases from serving their masters and were executed...

    But clearly, they had only fallen ill from serving their masters.

    That''s right, servants are regarded as less than dogs.

    One shadowy figure after another came to the Xuyang Pce to burn incense.

    "Your Majesty, this servant is grateful for the epidemic cure you provided and for your teachings, which showed us a world of equality."

    "It made us realize that we too can have dignity."

    "Under imperial rule, we are all mere ants...This servant no longer desires male superiority, but rather prefers equality. How I wish to go to your world......"

    Tonight, thousands looked up at the sky, tears streaming uncontrobly.

    Father, Mother, children.

    Those innocent servants.

    The abandoned citizens of massacred viges.

    Did you see?

    The Imperial Medical Academy has now developed a cure for smallpox and the gue. You can rest in peace!

    From now on, no one will die from smallpox or the gue, and no one will be disced because of the epidemic.

    Because¡ª

    The Empress has returned home, and she will bring a prosperous era to this ce!

    -

    Within the pce, upon hearing that a cure for the epidemic had been developed, Pei Changying sat alone on the dragon throne, looking down with disdain at the kneeling Imperial Physicians.

    A mocking sneer crept across his lips, his eyes revealing a dark and sinister malice.

    Damn you, Gu Sang!

    Who would have thought that this difficult disease could be solved by your world!

    "Hmph! Who knows if the cure that wench spoke of has any side effects! I''ve said it before, we must observe the epidemic cure further, it is not to be disseminated!"

    "But... Your Majesty, this servant has heard that there are signs of the epidemic in a small vige in the south. Please allow this servant to ride there swiftly and save the people!"

    "It will take this servant three to five days at the least, and seven at the most to reach that ce. The epidemic does not wait for anyone!"

    Pei Changying, arrogant and cruel,manded from on high: "I have spoken, you are not permitted to go!"

    "As long as that wench does not return to vent my anger, I will not allow the epidemic cure to be disseminated for even a day! Moreover, it is only the beginning there, we shall wait."

    "If it does break out, I will make a decision then, but it is not toote."

 Chapter 21: The Minister was shocked when he saw the refrigerator.

    <h4>Chapter 21</h4>

    This passage.

    The Imperial Physician looked at Pei Changying''s gloomy expression with a somber gaze, not daring to persuade him further. He silently left the pce.

    An outburst ising...

    How many people will die then!

    If this were in Madam''s world, perhaps the doctors at the hospitals would rush to save people?

    Haha!

    That''s true.

    Under imperial power, whose life is whose?

    Only Pei Changying''s life matters!

    To force Madam to return and admit her mistakes, to let Madam be controlled by the Emperor again, even the lives of themoners are disregarded?

    Pei Changying did not notice the Imperial Physician''s disappointed expression as he departed. He kept recalling the lowly things Gu Sang had done in the modern world, growing angrier with each thought.

    "Gu Sang!"

    "I underestimated you!"

    "So the things you said before were true!"

    "If all women were like you, educated and having ventured out of their homes, they would not fight and be jealous over a man, ready to live or die for him!"

    "In your world, things really are like that... but! I will never allow such a thing to happen! Never!"

    Pei Changying started to panic with fear.

    Fearing that Gu Sang would never return.

    And fearing that the screen broadcasting daily would change the mindsets of these vile ves, causing this nation to slip from his control!

    Moreover, Gu Sang was his woman!

    No matter where she fled, she would always be his woman.

    Pei Changying gritted his teeth! Gu Sang, I don''t believe you can hide from me forever. You truly have no way to return to my side!

    The next day.

    Pei Changying listened with a gloomy and uncertain expression as the officials reported floods in one region, and the need for disaster relief in another.

    Natural and manmade disasters were inevitable each year.

    Every year, grain had to be allocated from the national treasury for disaster relief.

    This was always the greatest headache for every emperor throughout history.

    Just as the ministers were droning on about the disaster situation in the southeast, a sudden change urred.

    A screen appeared out of nowhere, projecting behind the Emperor beneath the grand inscription.

    "What is that, sorcery?!" The ministers were instantly pale with fright, crying out in rm.

    "Your Majesty, be careful, there might be assassins."

    "Guards,e quickly and protect His Majesty!"

    "Such devilry, daring to run amok before the Son of Heaven!"

    The Imperial Guards outside the hall, hearing the panicked cries of the ministers, rushed in like a tidal wave.

    Drawing their swords with a "swish" sound.

    But before they could shout about protecting the Emperor!

    Pei Changying, seated on the dragon throne, had already risen slowly, his expressionplex as he stared at the screen and dered sternly: "Ministers, there is no need for rm. This thing has appeared for several days now. It cannot harm me."

    "Several days? For such a major event, why did Your Majesty not inform us ministers? If any mishap were to ur and harm the Imperial Person, what then?"

    "Is... is that not the Noble Consort? Why is Her Ladyship in such a strange ce?"

    "This humble minister has heard rumors of ghosts haunting the pce, andter of the Noble Consort doing some sort of broadcast that even benefited the Imperial Physician. Could this be what they spoke of?"

    "Tsk! Her Ladyship... she, she dares to dress so scantily and shamelessly!"

    Gu Sang raised an eyebrow, having not heard anyone insult her like that for several days.

    She looked up at the screen and realized it had split into two.

    One showed Xuyang Pce.

    The other showed Pei Changying attending court.

    *Ding!*

    "Congrattions, Host. Your livestream has upgraded, allowing a greater viewership range."

    Gu Sang appeared indifferent and cold.

    She watched as the ministers one by one denounced her shamelessness, iming she was debasing social mores.

    "Not even that dog emperor Pei Changying has spoken up, why are you all getting so worked up?" Gu Sang gave a disdainful snort and smiled.

    Hearing her mention him, the ministers finally reacted.

    The notoriously controlling Pei Changying had remained expressionless from start to finish, showing no surprise at the Noble Consort''s bold attire?

    "Your Majesty, Her Ladyship''s dress is..."

    "Ministers need not be surprised. She is base and lustful by nature. I have advised her to no effect, so let her be."

    Gu Sang ignored Pei Changying''s insults.

    In full view of the ancient ministers, she walked into the kitchen.

    She took two eggs and a tomato from the refrigerator.

    This shocked the ministers who had never seen a livestream: "My eyes aren''t fooling me, are they? How did that ce light up in an instant?"

    "What kind of cab is that? Won''t the things inside spoil?"

    "Her Ladyship''s residence is so strange! What are those red and green things, fruits perhaps? This humble one has never seen such items!"

    Gu Sang tied up her hair with a shark clip at the back of her head.

    Then she took out a cutting board and began slicing the vegetables, calmly replying: "This is a refrigerator."

    "Simr to your ice cers, it stores food."

    "Those are grapes, imported from overseasnds."

    The ministers immediately refuted her: "Impossible! That is clearly just a cab, and ice inside would just melt."

    "The national treasury is depleted because of wastrels like you, it is simply gluttonous extravagance that led to such dire straits!"

    "Overseasnds are separated from our nation by tens of thousands of miles. Ships cannot makendfall there! It is absolutely impossible to transport fruits!"

    Listening to them vehemently denouncing her, each rejecting the possibility...

    Gu Sang pointed at the electrical outlet andughed: "No worries, my refrigerator runs on electricity to generate ice. It will be frosted over in just a few hours."

    "Electricity really does make many things convenient."

    "As for what you said about tens of thousands of miles, I''ll take you to see airnes someday. They can carry people soaring tens of thousands of feet into the sky, reaching those farawaynds in just a day!"

    At her words!

    The entire court was aghast.

    Even Pei Changying, who had listened to the livestream for a few days, was stunned with a furrowed brow.

    Just yesterday he had been confident that those were the only marvels in Gu Sang''s world. He never expected there to be more - airnes? Electricity? Refrigerators?

    The ministers also looked utterly baffled: Electricity?!

    "Utter nonsense! I have never heard of these electricity and airnes."

    But before they could finish speaking.

    Gu Sang had turned on the gas stove.

    With a "hiss" sound, mes emerged.

    The ministers were so startled they stumbled back: "What, what is that? Why is the fire sorge?"

    "This must be witchcraft! Only sorcery could summon blue mes like that."

    "Your Majesty, this is surely devilry. Please dispatch men to capture the witch immediately."

    The gas me was different from a wood fire.

    The gas me had a slight tinge of blue, leading the ancients to be rmed that Gu Sang was using witchcraft.

    Capture the witch?

    The masters who came to capture her a few days ago had already gone to the underworld!

    A sh of annoyance crossed Pei Changying''s face. These stubborn old fools were even more ignorant than the pcedies.

    Such excessive rm over trifles!

    "I am no witch, and this is not the demon realm. This is China, the prosperous age two thousand years into your future. Moreover, the masters who came to capture me a few days ago were killed by your Emperor."

    "Instead of hurling insults, wouldn''t it be better to learn how to replicate these marvels?"

 Chapter 22: Mr. Yuan Came to Earth and left seeds

    <h4>Chapter 22</h4>

    As those words fell, Pei Changying immediately shouted into the pce: "I am the Heaven-ordained sovereign, she cannot harm me! You need not panic, Minister of Works, where are you?"

    "This humble minister is here," the Minister of Works stepped forward in response.

    "Take a careful look, and try to replicate these things as best you can!"

    Gu Sang waved her right hand upwards, and the motion sensor activated the range hood, which started rumbling loudly.

    With Gu Sang''s exnation, and the rumors shared among the officials, they began to understand what livestreaming was and were no longer afraid.

    Especially since Pei Changying seemed so calm and ustomed to it, the rumors must be true.

    It was not sorcery, but¡ª

    A powerful world of the future!

    Watching Gu Sang cook, the officials eximed in astonishment: "With a wave of her hand, she summons clouds and winds!"

    "The smoke just gets sucked away and disappears, how is that possible?"

    "Why doesn''t she need to tend the fire or add fuel when cooking?"

    "This noodle dish can''t possibly be cooked that quickly."

    "Look, how does the watere and go with just a word?"

    The officials could only express their amazement and shock.

    But the Minister of Works was so bewildered that he nearly cried, still unable to make sense of it.

    "My Lady, how is this water able toe and go with just a word? In my hometown we have a well, but it still requires pumping. I don''t see any pipes, so where does this watere from?"

    Gu Sang exined, "This is a faucet, simr to the well you mentioned..."

    The officials listened in a daze, like ignorant children hearing tales of the outside world from adults, filling them with yearning.

    At that moment, they stood motionless like wooden statues, staring nkly in awe and envy.

    Water, electricity, gas - the wonders of the Great Ming!

    The realm Gu Sang dwells in must be a celestial realm, so enviable as to drive one mad.

    As Gu Sang ate her noodles, she fixed the livestream camera on the kitchen, allowing the officials to study the appliances closely.

    An official eximed excitedly, "Your Majesty, if our nation had gas, we would never again freeze to death!"

    "That ''faucet'' seems so convenient! Minister, have you understood anything of its workings?"

    The Minister of Works wanted to cry: This humble minister cannot replicate it!

    Just as Gu Sang finished her noodles, she received a call from her senior Lu Mufei, who had arrived downstairs at her building.

    The camera turned, and the ancients saw Gu Sang dragging a suitcase out of her room and heading downstairs.

    "What is that contraption? It has wheels below, perhaps for carrying things?"

    "There''s a long handle, to pull or carry it - very clever indeed!"

    The Minister of Works''s eyes lit up, finally inspired: "This device would be convenient for traveling far."

    "Your Majesty, this humble minister may be able to attempt crafting such a thing!"

    But it would likely be of little use in ancient times, given the uneven terrain. Carrying it would be easier!

    When Gu Sang reached the ground floor, she immediately saw Lu Mufei standing by a dark vehicle, striding over to greet her.

    Gu Sang said, "Mufei, thank you foring to pick me up."

    "No need to be so formal with me," he replied warmly.

    Seeing the dark car, and Lu Mufei''s obvious affection for Gu Sang, the officials in the hall were shocked into silence, ncing guiltily at Pei Changying.

    It seemed they had stumbled upon a pce scandal!

    The Emperor''s brow was stained a deep green.

    Oh no, would he silence them to keep this secret?

    "That man again!!"

    "Gu Sang, is this your way of retaliating against me, letting me see you have suitors?"

    "So this is the means by which you vie for my favor - you win!"

    Pei Changying''s eyes seemed to spew fire.

    Yet even now, he remained confident.

    With a pearl like him before her, what man could capture Gu Sang''s heart?

    This must be Gu Sang''s ploy to make him jealous!

    Gu Sang: ...

    Pei Changying sneered coldly, his arrogance swelling: "Speechless? It seems I hold an important ce in your heart, for you to go to such lengths to prove it."

    "Pei Changying, you have been Emperor for too long and let it rot your brain! You are more revolting than sewer water! I''ll say it again - I have no interest in you whatsoever!"

    "I don''t believe you!"

    "You idiot, believe it or not, every word to you makes me nauseous!"

    An hourter, the car reached the countryside.

    The towering buildings were gone, reced by endless rolling green waves.

    The officials, who had never witnessed such modern scenes, gaped in awe, eyes wide as they scanned this unfamiliar world.

    When the car arrived at the filming location, Gu Sang was directed by crew to bring her luggage into her room at the vige''s guesthouse.

    Apart from the road in front, the guesthouse was surrounded on three sides by rice paddies.

    Too afraid to speak out against Pei Changying''s foul mood, the officials finally couldn''t contain their shock: "Look at how tall those crops are!"

    "Nearly half a person''s height!"

    "I''ve never seen such robust crops, the stalks bending under their own weight. Those stalks are as tall as sorghum, with grains as big as peanuts!"

    The ancients gazed at the vast stretches of immature green rice paddies, utterly amazed.

    This sight left the officials speechless for a long while, as if their throats had gone dry.

    How could this rice yield so many grains?

    Each stalk must bear enough for several bowls!

    With a whole acre like this, the harvest would be immense!

    If the nation''s crops could grow so lush, the imperial granaries would overflow in just a year!

    No one would be poor enough to sell their children again!

    Seeing these rice paddies, an umon pride and respect shone on Gu Sang''s face as she introduced them to the ancients: "These are our modern hybrid rice strains."

    "The fruit of tireless research led by Mr. Yuan and his team."

    "He once said he had a dream of resting beneath the rice stalks!"

    "He wanted everyone in this world to have enough to eat, to enjoy rice!"

    To rest beneath the rice stalks!!

    The ancients felt their hearts burning as they heaved rapid, excited breaths, staring in stunned reverence at the plump rice and wheat.

    Even the usually aloof Pei Changying tensed like a stone statue, demanding urgently:

    "Where is Mr. Yuan? Introduce him to me at once."

    The officials all looked to Gu Sang with hopeful expectation.

    What a sagely man, of such great wisdom!

    Gu Sang shook her head, gazing up at the blue sky: "Mr. Yuan came to visit the mortal realm, leaving us these seeds. But now he has returned to the celestial realms."

 Chapter 23: Here, everyone can Eat.

    <h4>Chapter 23</h4>

    In an instant, a tremendous sense of regret overwhelmed them like a tidal wave.

    The greatest regret in life was to have no chance of meeting the esteemed Mr. Yuan.

    The dream of Gu Sang... a world where no one goes hungry, which was not only the aspiration of that great man, but the dream of every person in ancient times!

    "Your Highness, are there still people going hungry in your realm?"

    "Do they all have rice to eat?"

    "Have themoners never suffered from famine? Have entire cities of people died due tock of grain?"

    At that moment.

    It seemed as though the entire world fell silent.

    Only Gu Sang''s voice remained in answering:

    A statement.

    That shook one''s heart and stirred the blood: "In our realm, out of every thousand people, nine hundred and ny-nine never go hungry!"

    "Every household has surplus grain, every family has stored provisions."

    "Moreover, in some ces, rice can even be nted three times a year - early rice, mid-season rice, andte rice, allowing for three harvests annually."

    "It was thanks to Mr. Yuan that everyone could afford to eat, everyone could eat their fill!"

    Upon hearing this, the over-fifty-year-old Minister of Revenue broke down in tears.

    Many officials felt a profound regret, as if they were born toote to meet the great man.

    Countless dreams were realized today, yet they felt a mncholic pang at realizing the sage had long passed, robbing them of any chance to seek his guidance or pay their respects.

    All that remained was a lifelong regret.

    "Your Highness, do you know the secret to cultivating this rice? Is there a special method?" an official asked the crucial question.

    Gu Sang fell silent for a few seconds, then shook her head: "I''m sorry, I did not study agricultural knowledge, so I am not clear on this matter."

    "However, I will be starting university next month, and once there, I can consult the professors of agriculture. You can take note, and conduct experiments at that time!"

    The officials'' eyes flickered with initial excitement and enthusiasm, but soon cooled.

    In their hearts, they harbored doubts about Gu Sang''s words.

    Having experienced the officialdom for many years, they understood one thing very clearly - no one offers help for no reason.

    All assistancees with conditions.

    Seeing the scrutinizing gazes of the officials in the hall, Gu Sang understood their suspicion. Turning her gaze to another screen showing the pce maids in Xuyang Pce, their innocent faces shone with joy and excitement.

    They never doubted her motives.

    Gu Sang did not dwell on these thoughts. Whether she had ulterior motives or simply wished to help, time would tell.

    She strolled along the ridges as the sun gradually set.

    Mosquitoes now swarmed in the air.

    The hostel owner was washing potatoes and sweet potatoes in the courtyard. Seeing Gu Sang return, he greeted her warmly.

    The officials widened their eyes in astonishment, staring at the objects in the courtyard and asking in shock: "What are those things the innkeeper is holding? Can they be eaten?"

    "This old man has read the Four Books and Five ssics since the age of three, yet I do not recognize those objects in the courtyard - how strange and bizarre."

    "What are those heaps under the wall? So many of them."

    Gu Sang politely returned the greeting, then walked over to the corner of the courtyard wall, picked up a sweet potato, and exined: "This is a sweet potato, very sweet and delicious."

    "Decades ago, people survived by eating sweet potatoes. This crop has an astounding yield, and can withstand barren soil, drought, waterlogging, salt, and alkali."

    "If properly stored, it won''t spoil for a year. In times of natural disasters, it can save lives."

    The officials gaped in astonishment, as if they had never seen such things before.

    This thing was actually meant to save lives during natural disasters.

    Natural disasters, meaning locust gues, droughts, or floods!

    Once a natural disaster struck, all crops would yield nothing.

    And now, someone was telling them there was something that could save lives during such times.

    "What the innkeeper is holding are potatoes, simr to sweet potatoes, with an equally astounding yield."

    "Potatoes can be cut into shreds or slices and stir-fried with vegetables. Dishes like sour and spicy shredded potatoes, or wolfteeth-shaped baby potatoes are quite delicious."

    The officials seemed to notice a nostalgic expression on Gu Sang''s face.

    From her description, these foods called potatoes and sweet potatoes must be quite delicious.

    The scene shifted again.

    Gu Sang stood by the wall, pointing to the objects in front: "These hung on the wall are chili peppers, and the sweet potato chips drying on the winnowing basket are made from sweet potatoes."

    "Sweet potatoes can not only be eaten as a staple, steamed or roasted, but can also be dried into sweet potato chips. Additionally, many pastries use sweet potatoes as an ingredient."

    Hearing the imperial consort describe all these ways to eat them, the officials suddenly felt hungry themselves.

    To avoid disrespect and incurring the emperor''s wrath during the morning court session, they had alle on an empty stomach.

    They were waiting to break their fast after the session.

    "Your Highness! Where do these sweet potatoes and potatoese from?" an official bellowed, unable to bear the hunger any longer.

    Their eyes were filled with yearning and curiosity.

    Even Pei Changying''s eyes betrayed his desire for possession and resentment!

    This selfish and despicable woman had been by his side for seven whole years! Seven years, and she had never revealed these secrets to him, nor mentioned these foods like sweet potatoes and potatoes!

    At that moment.

    Pei Changying''s heart was filled with even greater loathing for Gu Sang. He wished he could charge into the screen right then, pin her down, and ruthlessly torment and humiliate her!

    To make her understand.

    The consequences of concealing things from him.

    Gu Sang was unaware of Pei Changying''s vile thoughts. She only wanted to bring this dynasty to its peak: "These were brought from overseas, around the Ming Dynasty period..."

    "However, ording to historical records, regions like Lingnan and Fujian may have had these two crops even earlier, but it wasn''t until the Ming Dynasty that people discovered they were edible."

    The ancient people immediately became excited upon hearing this.

    Sweet potatoes may have existed in Lingnan and Fujian regions?

    If these crops were introduced to the capital, and as the imperial consort said, sweet potatoes could withstand drought, waterlogging, salt, and alkali, they would never have to fear natural disasters again!

    Just as the ancient people were rejoicing at the prospect of Lingnan having sweet potatoes and potatoes,

    The hostel owner carried a bucket of sweet potatoes towards the pigsty.

    And then¡ª

    Swoosh!

    He poured them into the pigsty.

    This shocking scenepletely shattered the ancient people''sposure.

    The officials'' eyes bulged, and they pointed at the pigsty in utter dismay: "This... this... this is an utter waste of resources! How could such precious sweet potatoes be fed to pigs?"

    "Such wastefulness, how can this be justified before Mr. Yuan!"

    "Your Highness, how can the pigs in your realm eat better than humans? Is this allowed?!"

    All the officials were in an uproar!

    They red at the few pigs, faces flushed and fuming,menting the waste of grain that deserved corporal punishment.

    And yet¡ª

    Gu Sang merely nced at the pigs'' feed, utterly nonchnt: "In our realm, the yield of sweet potatoes and potatoes is too high for humans to consume entirely."

    "Even rice is left over in such abundance that it can only be used to feed pigs."

    "You need not be so surprised, this is normal practice in my world!"

 Chapter 24: The Pedantic Men

    <h4>Chapter 24</h4>

    These words carried a powerful sense of awe, stirring the hearts of the ancient people who heard them.

    What is a golden age?

    To the ancients, a golden age was simply having enough to eat and wear!

    In their era, themon people lived day to day, constantly tightening their belts, and whenever drought or natural disaster struck, they would starve to death.

    But in the Noble Consort''s time, even the pigs were fed better than themon people!

    "How bountiful must the grain harvest be for the pigs to be fed rice?"

    "Is the world two thousand years in the future truly... truly so good?"

    "Themon people there must be so happy!"

    The ancient people let out a bittersweet smile, gazing through the screen at the piles of food in the pig troughs, their eyes reddening.

    But the ancient people did not know that even the people living in the modern world were not truly happy, burdened by mortgages, car loans, and financial difficulties.

    Children were studying from dawn to dusk, constantly told by their families that the only way to change their fate is to get into a good university and find a good job.

    Adults were working overtime tirelessly, just to be able to afford a house and a car in the city.

    If only the modern people could take a look back at the miserable lives of the ancients.

    Perhaps, perhaps with thatparison, they would slow down, and learn to be content...

    Unnoticed, night had already fallen.

    The voices of the crew members outside reached their ears, and Gu Sang saw that it was about time, so he turned off the live stream.

    After Gu Sang ended the live stream, the officials in the grand hall divided into two factions, arguing fiercely.

    The elders stubbornly refused to abandon the old ways and embrace new innovations.

    "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, these sweet potatoes and potatoes are foreign goods from overseasnds. As the grand empire that we are, why should we use the things of these small foreign countries?"

    "And the Noble Consort''s world is strange and bizarre - not only do the women walk about brazenly without propriety, they even walk arm-in-arm with men!"

    "A ce so shameless, how could we possibly learn from it? Those sweet potatoes and potatoes, I''m sure they are not fit for consumption!"

    "..."

    In an instant, the elder officials and the younger officials were all arguing loudly in the grand hall.

    The young officials from humble backgrounds, who had witnessed the suffering during times of disaster, naturally supported the promotion of sweet potatoes.

    They earnestly pleaded with the Emperor to send people to the southern regions to find sweet potatoes, and if they couldn''t be found there, to bring them back from overseas.

    The young officials knelt on the floor, tears in their eyes as they begged, "How can we not eat them? The Noble Consort herself said that these would be the best food when disaster strikes!"

    "You''ve all seen it, sweet potatoes and such have high yields, enough to feed even the livestock."

    "I don''t care if they''re from overseas or not! I only know that they can keep people from starving, and since food is the foundation of the people''s livelihood, why should we care where ites from?"

    The elder officials shook their heads disapprovingly, stubbornly insisting, "This goes against the teachings of our ancestors."

    The young officials grew so angry their voices trembled, "Ancestors, ancestors! Go look at those suffering, starvingmon people - they''ve lost even their lives, what use are your ancestors'' teachings?!"

    "Sweet potatoes can feed the people, can keep them alive - that is the true teaching of our ancestors!"

    "Emperor Taizong once said, the people are the foundation, if we cannot even solve the problem of their sustenance..."

    The two sides argued relentlessly.

    Pei Changying''s ears were ringing, feeling as if he was in the middle of a chaotic marketce, both sides having their own valid points.

    "Enough, what''s the use of arguing? Dismissed!"

    Pei Changying coldly waved his sleeve and stormed out of the grand hall in a huff.

    The arguing officials: ???

    The Emperor is leaving just like that?

    So what does the Emperor mean?

    Will we go search for sweet potatoes or not? At least give us some direction!

    Only the chief eunuch following Pei Changying knew that the Emperor was just sulking at the Noble Consort.

    Pei Changying could ept the live stream, but to have to acknowledge that the Noble Consort''s world was good and prosperous - his pride would not allow it.

    The Emperor was still naively waiting for the Noble Consort toe back and apologize, to kneel and beg him to allow the search for sweet potatoes.

    But some things, once lost, are lost forever.

    After dinner, Gu Sang sat on the sofa reading the script, but by 10 o''clock at night, no one had applied to connect.

    Gu Sang inquired with the system, puzzled.

    The system responded, "I have not sensed a strong desire to connect."

    "Would the host like to initiate the connection?"

    Gu Sang furrowed his brow, perplexed.

    During the live stream today, the ancient people had seemed so excited about crops like rice and sweet potatoes.

    Logically, there should have been many wanting to inquire about the modern world in the evening.

    "The host''s merit points have exceeded 100, so you may watch the feedback from the live stream for free."

    "Would you like to view it?"

    "View it," Gu Sang replied, curious.

    The screen flickered to life.

    Gu Sang saw the officials who had been present that day, all gathered together, shouting that the Noble Consort surely had ulterior motives, and that sweet potatoes might be poisonous.

    They kept yelling,

    "How can we consume goods from overseas? It goes against the teachings of our ancestors!"

    "Bringing in food from overseas, this is simply uneptable!"

    These officials who daily proimed to put the people first and serve themon folk, were now justughably petty and enraging!

    After watching, Gu Sang sat silently on the sofa, unable to hold back a coldugh.

    "How ironic."

    "I made it so clear, even spoonfed them the food, and yet this group of officials, constantly shouting about serving the people, are still questioning whether this food has any dignity?"

    "Still questioning me, thinking I have ulterior motives?"

    "Don''t they realize that those tiny shreds of dignity mean nothingpared to the lives of countless starving people? Compared to the people dying of famine year after year?"

    "These well-fed officials are so lofty, but what about thosemon folk? Every year during the hottest months, there are inevitably famines!"

    Gu Sang simply wanted to rush back to the ancient era and stab those stubborn, outdated officials.

    When disaster strikes,

    The men have the strength to fight and grab some food, so they have a chance to survive.

    But what about the women?

    Defenseless in times of chaos, they are abused, humiliated, and forcibly sold into brothels! Their plight is even more bitter!

    The system replied coldly, "Host."

    "This is the purpose of the live stream - to gradually introduce new things to the ancient people."

    "Previously, you faced the pitiful people imprisoned in the pce, who could trust and listen to you because they were utterly helpless and desperate to break free of their confinement."

    "Today you faced powerful, prestigious officials, whose minds are outdated and who value status and power above all else. So they are unable to ept some modern things, they will be suspicious, probe, and consider how it benefits them, step by step, in a calcted manner."

    "I understand, the higher one''s position, the less they see the suffering of themon people."

    "And after so long of male superiority, they may have even forgotten that women are human too," Gu Sang leaned back on the sofa, suddenly feeling the urge to change something, anything.

 Chapter 25: They cut off a womanâ€™s wings.

    <h4>Chapter 25</h4>

    Though the husband is strong, he demands that the woman, for the sake of descendants and the family, clip her high-flying wings.

    Yet when he turns around, he still mocks the woman, saying she can only be dependent on men.

    It is these officials who have monopolized all the wealth.

    But they still shout, "So what if sweet potatoes can be eaten? Viting our ancestral teachings, how can dignity be important!"

    The other day in the livestream, she changed the thoughts of the servants and imperial concubines. These people were already unwilling in their hearts, hoping someone would reach out and pull them up.

    So when Gu Sang appeared, she was their sunshine, and they wanted to follow Gu Sang out of the darkness without any hesitation.

    But these self-righteous old officials, their thoughts have long been solidified. They prefer the status quo and are afraid of any new things that would change them.

    "Ding-a-ling-a-ling~"

    The phone rang abruptly in the room, interrupting Gu Sang''s thoughts.

    Gu Sang picked it up, and Gu''s mother''s voice came through.

    "Little Sang, it''s Mom. When do you have time toe home for a meal?"

    "I haven''t had timetely."

    "I heard you took on a short drama. If you want to act, I can introduce you to a mediapany boss. There''s a banquet in a few days, and if you''re willing¡ª"

    Before she could finish, Gu Sang decisively interrupted her, saying, "Thank you, but I don''t want to."

    "Little Sang, you don''t have to be so resistant to your father''s and my help. Your father and I just want the best for you and to arrange everything for you."

    Gu Sang understood in her heart that this was Gu''s father and mother trying topensate for her.

    They felt that she didn''t enjoy a good quality of life as a child, so after bringing her back home, they thought they were doing her good by arranging the best courses for her.

    But Gu Sang didn''t like it.

    She politely declined the call again.

    "Little Sang refused."

    Seeing Gu''s mother''s sighing expression, Gu''s father showed displeasure.

    This child is nothing like him, with such a stubborn temper.

    Gu''s father said, "Let her refuse then."

    "The entertainment circle is a big melting pot. Her personality won''t fit in, and she can''t even learn etiquette. If she goes to that banquet, she''ll be out of ce."

    These words fell on Gu Qing''s ears, stirring up her resentment.

    She said sarcastically, "Dad, you really show favoritism. We''re both your daughters, but when I want to enter the entertainment circle, you stop me at every turn. When Gu Sang wants to enter, you go out of your way to arrange for her an entertainmentpany."

    "Gu Sang doesn''t like us, doesn''t like this family. Why are you so enthusiastic about her?"

    Gu Qing''s tone was quite sharp.

    If it weren''t for her parents forbidding her from entering the entertainment circle, would she have had to act in a short drama and break her leg?

    "Qing Qing, your sister was raised in the countryside since she was little, unlike you. You absolutely can''t enter the entertainment circle."

    Gu Qing''s eyes reddened with anger: "Why? I don''t ept it."

    "With your sister''s abilities and conditions, she probably won''t fit in with the high-ss circle. Her wanting to go to the entertainment circle doesn''t affect the reputation of the Gu family. But you''re different, you''re the heir of the Gu family. How can you go to that dirty and chaotic circle?"

    "......"

    The next morning.

    The sky was just brightening when the crew members got up.

    The makeup artist came to knock on Gu Sang''s door and went in to do her makeup.

    Originally her natural face was already very beautiful, but after the makeup was done, that air of elegance became even more pronounced! The makeup artist couldn''t help but exim a few times in amazement:

    "Your skin base is really good. With this makeup, you truly look like a noble youngdy from the ancient aristocratic family."

    "You studied film and television, right?"

    "This temperament is even better than some popr female stars in the entertainment circle. Elegant and graceful, just like someone who walked out of an ancient noble family!"

    The makeup artist sighed endlessly. This refined and noble air was not at all like something deliberately imitated! It waspletely natural!

    Gu Sang smiled slightly: "Thank you. If acting can make a lot of money, I''m quite interested."

    On the way to the shooting location, Gu Sang had the system start a livestream, and those consecutive-watching officials and maids were already waiting in the pce.

    A few kilometers from the vige, a temporary ancient pce set had been built, where they were going to shoot.

    The first scene was a horse-riding shot.

    "Cut!"

    Action!

    The moment Gu Sang was on the horse,

    the air around her seemed to freeze!

    A majestic and noble, righteously stern aura radiated from Gu Sang!

    She looked at the soldiers following her, her voice not loud but resounding through the heavens and earth: "Look at those behind you, the countlessmon people!"

    "Look into their eyes, we are their hope..."

    At that moment!

    Everyone seemed to be subdued by her aura, carried away by the tragic heroism in her tone, to the ancient battlefield.

    To that era of military preparation.

    Everyone couldn''t help but be on high alert.

    As if they were the soldiers under the queen, about to follow the queen through this killing field!

    In the pce.

    Gasps of astonishment and surprise burst out one after another.

    "The Queen Consort''s... aura is earth-shattering, truly a peerless heroine of the age."

    "Hmph, in my humble opinion, this is an act of usurpation. Gu Consort''s intentions to be the Empress are all too obvious. If everyone imitates Gu Consort, the world will be in chaos."

    "Imperial Censor Zhang, your words are mistaken. The Consort''s bearing is natural, and moreover, the Consort has previously led the Emperor to ughter thousands of barbarians, not anyone can have this kind of aura."

    Unlike the strife and spitting in the pce, General Zhou stood in a quiet corner, his eyes fixated on the woman on the horse, as if through her, he saw the shadow of the past, riding a fresh horse in splendid robes...

    "Cut!"

    "Very good, prepare for the next scene."

    After the director yelled "Cut!", the crew members were amazed and crowded around.

    "Gu Sang, are you from ancient times? This motherly domineering aura, I almost thought I was really seeing an ancient empress."

    "Sister Gu, if you go into acting, you''ll definitely be a movie queen."

    In the face of everyone''s enthusiasm, Gu Sang all responded with a smile.

    Half an hourter.

    They began shooting the second scene of the day.

    Gu Sang appeared on the horse in the frame, riding from a distance, closely followed by a man as white as jade and of imposing bearing.

    The man seemed to have angered Gu Sang, so he was following behind her, trying to exin.

    Suddenly.

    The man''s warhorse neighed and its front legs knelt down.

    In a sh, Gu Sang abruptly turned her horse around, and she and the man fell to the grassy ground together.

    "Ouch... It''s my fault, don''t be angry, okay? If you don''t like her, I''ll order her killedter?"

    "Not angry anymore?"

    "But I seem to have hurt myself... my back, uh, hit a rock, the physician can''t heal it. Maybe you need to blow on it to make it better..."

    The acting man was clearly the ruler of a country, but he didn''t refer to himself as "I".

    Nor did hemand the female lead in a high and mighty manner.

    Instead, he looked up at the woman with a pitiful expression, as if he would die if she didn''t blow on it.

    This scene!

    Itpletely bewildered the ancient people!

    Seeing the two bodies almost ovepping, this despicable woman, Gu Sang, didn''t even push the man away???

 Chapter 26: Wake Up, Purple Star

    <h4>Chapter 26</h4>

    Pei Changying was so furious his lungs were about to burst.

    He red at the two who were embracing, panting heavily: "You wretched woman, Imand you to kill this man immediately! How dare he touch you!"

    "Insolent!"

    "Remove your hands from my imperial concubine''s waist! She belongs to me!"

    "I order you to let go!"

    But¡ª

    Pei Changying''s impotent tirades had no effect whatsoever.

    In the next moment,

    Gu Sang suddenly wrapped her arms around the male actor''s neck and, as per the script''s requirements, actively kissed the seemingly passionate actor before her.

    The world... seemed to fall silent!

    The ministers too, fell silent!

    Pei Changying''s handsome face turned pale due to the spasms of his heart, sinking like it was filled with cold lead.

    An endless chill swept through, causing the temperature in the entire hall to plummet.

    In that instant, the hearts of the ministers and eunuchs froze, as if instantly encased in ice, with icy kes even in their flowing blood.

    "I will kill you all!"

    "Gu Sang! Have you so willingly debased yourself, that you cannot live without a man touching you? Come back to me! If you have the courage,e back!"

    "I shall grant your wish, and make you beg for mercy on your knees every day!"

    "Have you no shame left? You are my woman, Pei Changying''s woman! How dare you, in front of me, frolic with another man? I swear, I will have you torn to pieces!"

    Pei Changying shouted helplessly, raging, thinking this would make Gu Sang panic.

    But it did not.

    Gu Sang even smiled radiantly,pletely unfazed.

    And on the other side, on the Xuyang Pce live broadcast screen,

    Those snacking and chattering imperial concubines had just finished marveling at Gu Sang''s imposing presence, when in the next moment, they saw Gu Sang actually kissing a strange man in full view of everyone?!

    This, this, this!!

    The imperial concubines'' mouths hung open wide,pletely forgetting how to react.

    Their minds were in a daze.

    It seemed their brains had been suddenly emptied, unable to utter a single word for a long while.

    By the time they regained their senses, the filming had already ended.

    The one called the director even came over to praise Gu Sang''s excellent performance.

    Pei Changying''s impotent raging could still be heard, but Gu Sang raised a smile of affirmation from the director, looking at the live broadcast screen without a hint of humiliation.

    She spoke word by word, each syble ringing with power, startling their very souls:

    "Pei Changying, you are only fit to rant helplessly in this hall."

    "Dear ministers, why are you looking at me with such eyes?"

    "Thinking I''ve debased myself? Thinking I should be drowned in a pig''s cage?"

    "And you imperial concubines of Xuyang Pce, do you think the same as these ministers? That a woman touching a man is the utmost disgrace?!"

    "Today, I tell you all, I shall perform as I please!"

    Thump thump!

    The hearts of the imperial concubines and pce maids were struck by something.

    Thunderous.

    Igniting a surge of fiery blood.

    As if something deeply buried in their hearts had awakened, grown, and broken through the soil.

    And standing before the live broadcast screen, Gu Sang continued to speak!

    With each sentence she uttered,

    The hearts of the ancient women grew warmer.

    With every word she spoke,

    The confined thoughts of the ancient women cracked a little further!

    "By what right can men revel in debauchery, while women must uphold the virtues of womanhood?"

    "Since ancient times, why has all education been about teaching girls to respect and love themselves? What is this respect and love? I tell you all!"

    "Respect and love for oneself is honoring one''s inner self, caring for one''s own body, not restraint, not bondage, not coercion."

    "Without harming oneself or others, we women can boldly, freely, and fearlessly pursue anything, try anything."

    "I''ve never asked the director if the male actor is okay with kissing scenes, but I''ll ask the female actor! Why wouldn''t it be okay? This money, I shall earn! Why should I feel guilty?"

    "Why? By what right should I feel guilty?"

    "When men kiss women, do they feel guilty? No, they only feel proud of themselves! I feel the same, I feel proud that I''ve earned this money!"

    "Wake up, my sisters, I am right, we should be free, following our hearts, fearless and righteous! Not bound and constrained!"

    "....."

 Chapter 27: Millions of Women Wake Up

    <h4>Chapter 27</h4>

    "Acts that men would not consider shameful, women should not be ashamed of either. Because these rules were all set by men, for their own benefit."

    "......"

    "And you! Pei Changying! You betrayed me long ago, and I never want to go back to that ce for the rest of my life!"

    Gu Sang''s heart-wrenching words struck everyone present with stunned silence, their minds going nk.

    Even the ministers who had condemned Gu Sang for being shameless were rendered speechless!

    Because.

    To their astonishment, they could not find words to refute her.

    Yes.

    Why was it that?

    Why were acts permissible for men considered sins for women?

    Who made these rules?

    On what grounds were they made?

    The consorts fell silent, their eyes downcast in a daze, ncing at the cold pce and the open sky, their eyes reddening terribly.

    Gu Sang''s words.

    They were like a me, igniting the ancient women''s suppressed resentment and defiance!

    They were also like a ssh of icy water, instantly dousing Pei Changying''s fury.

    And apanying that, a tinge of guilt towards Gu Sang.

    He had once promised to make her the empress, vowing to spend his life with her, only to marry Gu Qingrou in the end.

    He had broken his promise.

    "Gu Sang, I betrayed you only because you forced my hand."

    "You offended me countless times, and if not for the fact that we were once husband and wife, I would have demoted you from a consort long ago, let alone allow you to be an imperial consort!"

    "And those words you just spoke were utter nonsense! Women are meant to be subordinate to men, how dare youpare yourself to us?"

    Pei Changying''s implication was that he did not make Gu Sang the empress because of her own repeated mistakes.

    She should be grateful to have retained her position as an imperial consort.

    And she should not entertain such foolish ideas anymore.

    She should hurry back to his side, for her world views were all wrong - men were the superiors of women.

    Foolish woman.

    Hopeless.

    Gu Sang ignored Pei Changying''s raving and shifted her gaze back to the screen, where she saw Lu Mufei approaching with a bottle of mineral water.

    "Xiao Sang, have you finished filming your scenes?"

    The director came over and responded, "Not yet, there are a few more scenes to go. At Gu Sang''s pace, we should be able to wrap up the filming this afternoon."

    "Haha Mu Fei, I have to thank you this time. If you hadn''t introduced her, I would never have found such a talented actress."

    Lu Mufei looked surprised.

    The director was notorious for his strict standards when it came to the works he filmed. He had only heard of the director making actors cry, never praising a neer.

    And to even call Gu Sang an "actress" - if he didn''t know the director''s character, he would have thought the director was just exaggerating.

    "If there are any future short films, please consider Gu Sang."

    "Haha, you don''t need to say that, I''ll definitely find Gu Sang first. An actress with such exceptional talent is hard toe by - it would be a waste if she didn''t join the entertainment industry."

    Before 11 a.m., Gu Sang had finished filming all her scenes.

    After having lunch with everyone at the inn, Lu Mufei helped her move her luggage to the car.

    After bidding farewell to the crew, Gu Sang sat in Lu Mufei''s car.

    The young man in the driver''s seat smiled with a hint of mischief, "Actress Gu, don''t forget us when you be rich and famous."

    "Alright, I''ll borrow your auspicious words - I won''t forget you when I be rich and famous."

    Gu Sang was in a great mood.

    Before she got in the car, the director had paid her.

    "Great actress, there''s a banqueting up, and the head of a filmpany will be there. Shall I introduce you?"

    "How embarrassing, haha! I''ll have to treat you to a grand meal then?"

    "That''s exactly what I was waiting for you to say! Let''s go! You''re buying the meal!"

    Gu Sang and Lu Mufei joked andughed as they headed towards the city center.

    Her smile was rxed and contented, unrestrained and radiant, like the winter sun.

    Pei Changying recalled that Gu Sang had never smiled like that in front of him.

    This smile, when seen by the emperor, was strangely jarring, stinging his eyes until they became teary, yet he could not look away.

    Pei Changying gritted his teeth, "Gu Sang, I won''t let you stay in that world forever."

    "No matter the cost, I will go to the modern world and bring you back! You belong to me alone!"

    The ministers shook their heads in disdain, "The former consort''s actions were truly a vition of propriety. His Majesty was wise not to make Gu Sang the empress."

    "Indeed, uttering such corrupting words andmitting such shameless deeds, how could she be the mother of a nation?"

    "......."

    As these ministers continued to condemn Gu Sang and defend male supremacy, the modern livestream then showed a scene that astonished all the ancients.

    Gu Sang and Lu Mufei had just entered a mall.

    They were discussing what to eat when suddenly!

    A plump woman bumped into Gu Sang. Lu Mufei quickly steadied Gu Sang.

    Just as Gu Sang regained her footing, she saw the plump woman who had bumped into her walk up to a couple ahead and p the man across the face.

    "Scumbag man and woman, humph!"

    "I work so hard at home taking care of the son and inws, and you''re out here fooling around with some woman."

    The ancients: !!

    Seeing the most revered man being pped, the ministers were enraged, "What an audacious woman, daring to hit her husband! Divorce her!"

    "Preposterous! How could a woman hit her husband? The women of that era are too unrestrained."

    "If a man allows himself to be trampled by a woman, is he even a real man? Hit her back!"

    As the ministers fumed in outrage, the scene they wanted to see unfolded.

    The man at the mall entrance raised his fist and struck the woman in the head with a punch.

    "Good! That''s a true hot-blooded man."

    The ministers cheered and apuded.

    Seeing the woman dazed from the blow, Lu Mufei could not stand by any longer.

    Lu Mufei and Gu Sang rushed forward together, supporting the woman to prevent her from falling.

    Lu Mufei looked coldly at the man who had hit her, "What kind of achievement is it to beat a woman?"

    "I advise you to mind your own business. And you, vicious woman, couldn''t you have discussed this at home? I''m just an ordinary colleague of hers." The man warned the woman threateningly.

    If they weren''t in public, he would have beaten the woman senseless long ago.

    The womanughed through her tears, "Ordinary colleague? If I hadn''t sneaked a look at your chat history, I might have believed your lies. You kept calling her ''darling'' this and ''darling'' that, and now you tell me she''s just an ordinary colleague?"

    "You two were walking hand-in-hand at the mall. Did you think I was blind?!"

    "Scoundrel, I''m going to divorce you. You won''t get a single penny, and you can forget about keeping the child."

    Upon hearing this threat, the man''s face darkened like gathering storm clouds, looking at his wife like an enemy as he said viciously:

    "Divorce? Don''t even think about it. I won''t agree!"

    The consorts watching from Xuyang Pce, though unfamiliar with the concept of divorce, could somewhat guess its meaning from the couple''s conversation - it likely meant having the man write a divorce deed.

    Seeing the man refuse, the consorts'' hearts sank.

    Could it be...

    Even in a world two thousand years into the future, women still could not achieve true freedom?

    Were the earlier disys of freedom in clothing, love, and more, merely illusions?

 Chapter 28: Here we are, Monogamous

    <h4>Chapter 28</h4>

    "It was you who cheated first. I''m being gracious by discussing divorce with you. If you don''t want to be treated with dignity, then don''t me me for being heartless."

    "You¡ª"

    The man raised his hand to strike, but Lu Mufei grabbed his wrist just in time.

    This caused such amotion that a crowd quickly gathered to watch.

    With the inte condemning domestic abusers, no one expected to witness a man hitting his wife on the street. It immediately sparked outrage.

    "Don''t be afraid, Miss! Be brave and get that divorce. You need to get away from this abusive man as soon as possible. You have your whole life ahead of you, no need to waste it on a scumbag," encouraged a young girl.

    "How disgusting. He''s out shopping with his mistress and got caught by his wife, and still resorts to violence. As a fellow man, I''m ashamed."

    "Pfft, a man unfaithful to his wife doesn''t deserve to be kept around. What, you keeping him for the New Year?"

    "Look at that mistress wearing designer brands. She must have spent a fortune of your husband''s money. I advise you to quickly find awyer, freeze your husband''s assets, and get that money back in court."

    Seeing so many people actually take the shrew''s side was utterly unexpected.

    Gu Sang was stunned, her thoughts scrambled by the shocking scene.

    Then!

    The ensuing anger and a man''s sense of pride caused these ancients to be furious.

    If that were their wife publicly assaulting her husband, they would have locked her up and starved her for half a month to teach her a lesson.

    To let her know that men are the head of the household with absolute authority.

    The ministers wished they could enter the screen and p the woman a few times: "An insolent and jealous woman like this needs to be disciplined, or she''ll only be more arrogant."

    "Those people are deluded, listening to a woman''s one-sided story."

    "How dare she threaten to take the children? Outrageous! Besides, what man doesn''t have multiple wives and concubines? To make such a fuss over a mere mistress is simply the ranting of a jealous wife!"

    Some pcedies from another livestream asked: "Sister Sang, why is that woman mistreating her husband and talking about divorce? Does that mean sending a request for separation?"

    "If she gets separated, won''t that be disgraceful? She won''t have a home to return to after."

    "In your world, can a separated woman temporarily stay with her parents?"

    After hearing the ministers'' condemnation, Gu Sang scoffed coldly.

    But when she heard the ancientdies'' cautious questions,her heart softened, and she delivered a thunderbolt of an answer: "Loving parents will let their daughters stay not just temporarily, but for life. Parents are a daughter''s eternal support."

    "Our world practices monogamy with one husband and one wife who are devoted to each other from start to finish."

    "Women can also take up half of societal responsibilities, with the same status as men."

    All thedies of Xuyang Pce gasped in astonishment, their hearts pounding rapidly.

    An unnamed sense of hope swept over them, setting their blood boiling.

    Women could take up half of societal responsibilities!

    And have the same status as men?

    Good heavens, their future world is so amodating to women.

    If only they had been born in that era.

    No wonder the future women are so confident: it''s the assurance given by their time.

    Now, when they looked at the violent shrew, they saw her differently than before. She wasn''t a shrew, but a woman faithful in love who encountered a bad man.

    If men weren''t unfaithful, how could women be shrews and be mocked as mother tigers?

    Don''t emte the shrew, don''t be jealous, only then can you be graced as a good woman.

    This saying had apanied them from birth, bing a curse for generations.

    Didn''t they also wish their husbands belonged only to them?

    But voicing such thoughts would earn them harsh rebukes from parents. Even their own mothers, being women themselves, couldn''t understand. How could they rebel...

    "Divorce means dissolving the marriage. It''s not separation."

    "After divorce, both parties are free to remarry without any ties, and there won''t be malicious gossip or shame."

    "Here, women have great freedom. She can choose to never marry, or find someone she likes to date and marry. Parents have no right to force their children into marriage."

    "Only mistresses, whom we call the third person, are condemned for destroying families. Even their parents can''t hold their heads high."

    Just as Gu Sang finished speaking,

    Before the ancients could react to the shock,

    The man was about to slink away with his mistress when the woman suddenly shouted:

    "And you, you shameless homewrecker! Seducing a married man, I''m telling you to return everything my husband bought for you, or I''ll sue you too."

    Seeing the man and mistress flee with their tails between their legs,

    The mistress dared not utter a single retort from start to end.

    Thedies of Xuyang Pce had teary eyes, feeling both heartbroken and envious.

    In their world, not only were there multiple wives, but also countless maids.

    Every day, besides trying to please their husbands, they had to fend off all sorts of women wing their way up to share the man.

    In truth, they were tired too!

    How nice it would be if there were no other women sharing their husbands!

    Compared to their resigned self-mockery, the ministers'' hall had be a den of raging trolls, firing shots at the screen.

    The Ministers: "sphemous words, how can women have the same status as men?"

    "Divorce? Uneptable!"

    "Women are born to marry, how can they never marry in their lifetime?"

    "Exactly, this so-called prosperous era is nothing but heresy!"

    Upon hearing themotion from Xuyang Pce,

    Gu Qingrou, with her ailing body, quietly stood outside and peeked at the livestream.

    She witnessed with her own eyes a wife beating her husband in public and cursing the mistress.

    What Gu Sang described as the future world, of one lifelong marriage between one man and one woman, seemed outrageous andughable when she had heard it before.

    But now...

    Gu Qingrou admitted, her heart had started to waver...

 Chapter 29: If She had Lived in modern times.......

    <h4>Chapter 29</h4>

    If only! If only she lived in modern times...

    Then wouldn''t she be spared from vying with so many other women for Pei Changying? Wouldn''t she be able to have him all to herself for life...

    In contrast to the envy and admiration of the concubines in the inner pce, on the other side, the officials in the main hall remained solemn and silent.

    Especially the men under Pei Changying''s authority, they felt an unprecedented challenge.

    "Silence!"

    Pei Changying wore an enraged expression: "Gu Sang, stop deceiving with your heretical words!"

    "It is people like you who corrupt women, disregarding all propriety and morals!"

    "What marital freedom? What freedom from parental interference in children''s marriages? Such words are utterly unfilial and treacherous."

    "Your blood flows from your parents, your life was given by your parents. You must repay them with your life."

    Upon hearing this,

    those wavering pce maids revealed a sense of inner struggle in their eyes.

    Parents! Filial piety! The immense burden weighing upon everyone in ancient times!

    Gu Sang heard this and scoffed in response: "Only truth and justice can enlighten people. If my words were not correct, how could they make you reflect and ponder?!"

    "Parents raise me when I''m young, I care for them when they''re old - that is the essence of filial piety."

    "Filial piety, not blind obedience, and certainly not sacrificing one''s happiness and freedom to satisfy one''s parents at one''s own expense!"

    "Besides, the parents here are not like those in your world, who im to love their daughters yet force them to marry the privileged as concubines."

    "True love is to support each other, not to coerce, and certainly not to demand sacrifice! Only the incapable seek to change their fortunes by marrying off their daughters."

    Boom¡ª

    Such earth-shattering words!

    Have they gone mad? Insane? Why would a few sentences shake their beliefs of over a decade?

    It was terrifying that they actually thought Gu Sang was right...

    Love is to support each other.

    Not to force daughters to marry the privileged, and certainly not to force them to marry someone they don''t love!

    For a moment, those officials who married off their daughters to privileged families averted their eyes in shame, choked with indignation, unable to refute her words.

    "Report!!!"

    At that moment!

    An urgent voice came rushing in from outside the pce hall.

    Before the person arrived, the voice rang out: "Your Majesty, urgent news from Baili."

    Everyone was drawn to this voice.

    The lofty Pei Changying received the report and nced at it. Judging from his furious expression, it must have contained displeasing news.

    "The drought has only just passed, and now I''m being told of a gue outbreak. Why weren''t the initial gue victims executed and their bodies cremated immediately?"

    "Instead of reporting it only after the gue has spread!"

    "Ministry of Personnel, immediately issue my decree to imprison all officials who knew but failed to act."

    The Prime Minister reacted and boldly stepped forward to defend the officials: "Your Majesty, please calm your rage. We should prioritize dealing with the gue."

    "After the floods, there are animal carcasses and bodies everywhere, leaving the people unsettled and fearful. This is not something that can be easily suppressed."

    "In my opinion...we might as well let them redeem themselves by gathering physicians from around the realm tobat the gue."

    A gue?!

    This news reached Gu Sang''s ears.

    Although she was no saint, she needed to umte virtues to bring her grandmother back home.

    If she could save entire cities of people, her merits would be boundless!

    Thinking of this, Gu Sang urgently inquired: "What are the symptoms of the afflicted?"

    "How long is the incubation period?"

    "Pei Changying, you can try out the gue treatment method I told you about earlier. If your people can''t figure it out, let me know the symptoms, and I''ll ask the doctors."

    "Also, you must iste the afflicted, and stop using water sources near the gue areas. The water must be boiled before¡ª"

    However!

    Before Gu Sang could finish her advice,

    she was coldly interrupted by Pei Changying: "There''s no need for a seductress like you to concern yourself. I have a city full of schrs and warriors who will find a solution."

    "I will not use your methods!"

    Pei Changying enunciated each word, making it clear he would not use modern treatments.

    And judging from the Empress''s cold expression, those modern treatments must have been remarkably effective...

    In the court, half of the officials were deeply anxious.

    They knelt before Pei Changying, pleading earnestly: "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the people in the Princess Consort''s world look healthy and radiant, surely free from illness."

    "Please put the people first, Your Majesty. If the Princess Consort''s methods are effective, immediately send someone with the cure tobat the gue."

    "Yes, Your Majesty, time is of the essence, hurry..."

    Pei Changying: "Enough!"

    Relying on his authority, this most esteemed ruler rejected them outright, his expression grim and uncertain as he gritted his teeth: "No one is permitted to use Gu Sang''s methods!"

    "I refuse to believe that we must use treatments from her world to control the gue!"

    "Gu Sang, if you truly wish to save those people, you will return and admit your mistakes. Otherwise, the people of this realm shall lose their lives due to your willfulness!"

    As these words fell, the entire world seemed to fall silent...

    The concern and urgency on Gu Sang''s face dissipated.

    She looked at the reflection of that esteemed countenance on the screen with an expression of horror, disbelief, and utter revulsion.

    What was Pei Changying saying?

    Not permitted to use?

    Having a treatment to save the people but refusing to use it, and instead stubbornly demanding that she return and admit her mistakes, only then would he use modern medicine to treat the people?

    And... what was that about ming her willfulness?

    This revolting behavior was asughable as those news reports of certain men abusing children online, then berating the mother for running away.

    Using people''s lives to coerce her into returning and admitting her mistakes?

    "Heh." Gu Sang looked at Pei Changying andughed coldly, shaking her head. "How ridiculous! Truly ridiculous!"

    "Pei Changying, it is only today that I see you for who you truly are. You have repeatedly exceeded my understanding and crossed the line."

    "With your behavior, are you even fit to be the ruler of this nation?"

    "A selfish man like you, do you even deserve to be called an emperor?"

    "I have nothing more to say to you. I find you utterly repulsive! With you in charge, this nation and its people are doomed to ruin!"

    p¡ª

    Gu Sang closed the livestream, her heart as cold as ice.

    Just an hour ago, she thought Pei Changying was merely selfish and arrogant.

    But she never expected that Pei Changying would disregard the lives of his people and use that to threaten her into returning and admitting her mistakes.

    Such a foolish emperor!

    Why keep him around?!

 Chapter 30: Zhao Pinâ€™s Line

    <h4>Chapter 30</h4>

    The screen suddenly disappeared from the faces of the crowd of ancients.

    "Gu..." Pei Changying didn''t even have a chance to open his mouth and make threats.

    He watched helplessly as the livestream was shut down, his rage burning within and causing his whole body to shake.

    Gu Sang dared to say he was unfit to be Emperor!

    Gu Sang dared to say his reign would copse!

    "Gu Sang! How dare you curse me like this! I will kill you!"

    Pei Changying raged and kicked over the table in front of him with his foot.

    As the reigning Son of Heaven, it was the first time he had behaved in such an undignified manner in court.

    Seeing the Emperor''s face twisted in rage, the ministers lowered their eyes and knelt trembling on the ground, awaiting the Emperor''s wrath.

    -

    Shortly after, at the Imperial Medical Academy.

    "It''s fortunate that we asked how to deal with the gue before."

    "Istion and water sources are crucial. Hurry up and prepare these medicinal ingredients. We''ll need to send them to the disaster area soon."

    Upon learning that the gue had broken out in the southeast following the floods, everyone at the Imperial Medical Academy sprang into action, waiting for the pce to dispatch servants to collect the medicinal ingredients to be sent to the southeast.

    With the prescriptions from the future, the Imperial Physicians were full of confidence that they would be able to reduce casualties from this gue.

    Unfortunately...

    They waited and waited, and waited some more.

    But the one who arrived was not the pce messenger eunuch.

    Instead, it was several obstinate but well-intentioned ministers who truly cared for the people, making their way to the Imperial Medical Academy in a group.

    The Imperial Physicians had not yet recovered from their surprise at the ministers'' arrival when the lead minister asked with aplex expression: "We hear you have a prescription to treat the gue? And that this prescription was given by Noble Consort Gu?"

    In fact, they had known when they saw the Imperial Medical Academy bustling with activity upon entering.

    But they still wanted to ask.

    "Yes, Noble Consort is trulypassionate. She gave us several prescriptions that cover isting the gue, treatment methods, and some medicinal recipes."

    "After some research, we are very confident in treating this gue."

    "We have prepared the medicines and supplies. This time, we will certainly be able to save those people!"

    Seeing the Imperial Physicians'' eagerness to depart and hearing that Noble Consort Gu''s prescriptions could indeed treat the gue, the ministers looked deeply at them.

    Recalling the Emperor''s attitude in court, the ministers sighed heavily. They moved their lips but ultimately dared not say anything.

    One by one, they left withplicated feelings and bitter smiles.

    "The ministers have left? Their expressions seemed strange..."

    "The ministers must be concerned for the people and worried! But now that we have Noble Consort''s methods for isting the gue and her medicinal recipes..."

    "Master, we have prepared all the medicinal ingredients. Why has the pce not issued an edict yet?"

    As the ministers exited, they could still faintly hear the hopeful voicesing from within the Imperial Medical Academy.

    Your Majesty...

    To force Noble Consort to admit her mistake, you are neglecting the lives of an entire city''s poption!

    In a moment, these Imperial Physicians will likely learn of the news from the pce. Who knows what their feelings will be when they find out...

    The ministers exchanged nces, each seeing disappointment and helplessness in the other''s eyes.

    Meanwhile, in the pce...

    In the Imperial Concubines'' Quarters.

    "This is this year''s new tribute of Longjing Tea. Empress Sister, please try some," Consort Zhao smiled at Gu Qingrou.

    Why had Gu Qingrou taken the initiative to seek her out?

    The rtionship between the two in the pce was like water and fire.

    Gu Qingrou gave a bitterugh, her expression pale and weak. "Sister, there''s no need to be so guarded against me. In the end, I''m just a pitiful person."

    "In Gu Sang''s era, we were all only despised third parties."

    These words only added to Consort Zhao''s confusion.

    But she still smiled and responded, "Sister, you''re still the Principal Wife. I''m just a concubine."

    "If we were in Sister Gu''s world, I would definitely be mocked to death."

    "Others may envy our luxurious lives in the pce, but what is it to be an Empress or an Imperial Concubine? We still have to rely on men to survive."

    "Freedom of marriage...I never imagined there could be a country where freedom of marriage is realized."

    "A ce where even the nation recognizes monogamous rtionships. There, a woman''s jealousy is justified, free from criticism."

    Gu Qingrou looked meaningfully at Consort Zhao. "If we women could also have freedom of marriage and love, you would have long flown off with your beloved, Sister."

    The smile froze on Consort Zhao''s face.

    A glimmer of forbidden yearning and regret suddenly surfaced in her eyes...

    But in the end, she could only say in a self-mocking tone, "Perhaps Imitted too many sins in my past life, so I cannot have my heart''s desire."

    "You see, Sister Gu did so many good deeds, so she went to that world of freedom for women."

    Upon hearing the words "good deeds," Gu Qingrou''s expression changed slightly.

    She understood that Consort Zhao was mocking her.

    Immediately, Gu Qingrou could no longer sit still. She pursed her lips, found an excuse, and left.

    After Gu Sang''s livestream, the women in the rear pce no longer schemed and fought against each other like before. Instead, there was a sense of shared suffering.

    They were all victims of the patriarchal society. What was the point of fighting?

    "s, the vige struck by the gue is only a dozen or so miles from my home. If the gue continues to spread, then my family..."

    "Didn''t they say before that Noble Consort gave prescriptions for treating the gue? Why haven''t the Imperial Physicians departed yet?"

    "Oh, you don''t know yet. I heard it was the Emperor''s edict..."

    Shortly after the Empress left, Consort Zhao overheard the whispers of some pce maids outside.

    This time, she did not order her personal maid to silence them.

    Let it be in disarray.

    The entire pce was already filled with anxiety.

    Even she had lost all hope in the Emperor and no longer had any desire topete for his favor.

    Consort Zhao closed her eyes andughed bitterly. "Have here back? Hah, it''s so good there, why would she ever return?"

    "It''s just a pity for those people. If Sister Gu were here¡ª"

    Suddenly!

    Consort Zhao seemed to sense something, her pupils shining with delight.

    The next second!

    A projection appeared out of thin air, floating in mid-air.

    Consort Zhao eximed in a hushed voice, "Sister Gu?"

    At this moment, Gu Sang had returned home and was sitting on the couch.

    Seeing that the person connected to her was actually Consort Zhao, Gu Sang was also slightly taken aback.

    "Do you also have questions to ask me?" Gu Sang did not show any displeasure. Her expression was calm, as if she could amodate everything.

    Because;

    In her eyes,

    The women of ancient times were all sacrifices of the era.

    The pursuit of favor was not their fault, but rather the fault of the excessive patriarchy!

    After ordering all the pce maids to leave, Consort Zhao pursed her lips and spoke, "Sister Gu, in the past, I was narrow-minded and held prejudices against you. I only wanted to survive in the depths of the pce."

    "I don''t care," Gu Sang waved her hand. "Just ask whatever you want to ask."

 Chapter 31: Rebel, go get the Princess.

    <h4>Chapter 31</h4>

    Gu Sang truly did not care.

    It was nothing more than a pettypetition for favor, she was not jealous from start to finish, her eyes were only on the task of returning to the modern era.

    Gu Sang could notprehend those women who traveled back in time, how could they be so naive as to stay in the ancient era for a man?

    And how could they believe a man''s temporary promise of a lifetime partnership?

    How could a girl entrust her future to a man''s hands?

    It''s simply insane!

    Consort Zhao asked with hopeful eyes, "Sister Sang, if... I mean, if your parents did not approve of you being with the man you love, and even threatened to kill you over it."

    "Would youpromise?"

    Gu Sang pondered for a while before answering, "In the modern era, the real decision-making power is actually not in my hands, but in the man''s hands."

    Consort Zhao was puzzled, "?"

    "In our era, most parents allow their daughters freedom in romance, if the parents do not approve, it may be because the man is unworthy."

    "I will look at that man''s attitude, if he is worthy, I will go for it without hesitation! So, whether I agree or not, depends on him."

    "But in your ancient era, parents often sacrifice a daughter''s whole life for the family''s stability. No matter how much they try to force me, I will never marry someone I do not like."

    So...

    In Sister Sang''s world,

    the man whom the parents do not approve of is usually unworthy of trust?

    So,

    in matters of marriage, the parents'' primary consideration is the daughter''s happiness, not just interests?

    Consort Zhao''s eyshes fluttered, and she fell silent.

    Seeing this, Gu Sang sighed softly and said, "The reason ancient women had no voice is because you women had to depend on men."

    "But in our world, both men and women can have jobs, and women can also support themselves."

    "If you have enough strength to support yourself, you can be your own master."

    "No matter the time, women can only avoid being bullied if they be self-reliant and strong."

    "Only when you are powerful yourself, will your parents be unable to control your thoughts, unless you are weak and hand over everything to others."

    Consort Zhao''s face was filled with admiration, and a fleeting look of pain shed in her eyes.

    She seemed to understand something.

    It was the fault of the times.

    And also her own fear and powerlessness to resist.

    After all, she was incapable: "Sister Sang, thank you for speaking to me so openly."

    "After seeing your exnation of the prosperous era, many women in the pce have been subtly changed by you, you are really remarkable, and I also want to be like you."

    "Sister Sang, the Emperor has ordered the imperial physicians not to let the medicine forms you gave out spread, now the epidemic outside is severe, do you... have any way to save those innocent civilians?"

    "Or is there anything I can help you with?"

    Seeing that Consort Zhao actually dared to mention the affairs of the court,

    Gu Sang was somewhat surprised: "Are you not afraid that if one day the despicable Emperor finds out you have disobeyed his orders, you will be punished for it?"

    Consort Zhao smiled.

    She had been cowardly for so many years, but now a surge of passion welled up, so she decided to take a gamble!

    Consort Zhao still spoke softly, but her words were firm: "Before I would hesitate, but now I want to follow my own heart!"

    "I''m tired of being a caged songbird all my life, I want to live for myself for once."

    If he were still here, he would also hope that she could save them...

    Thinking of that gentle-eyed young man, a dull ache grew in Consort Zhao''s heart.

    If only she had been more resolute back then, perhaps she and him would have had a chance?

    To be honest,

    Gu Sang now looked at Consort Zhao with newfound respect.

    She never expected the first one to dare to stand up would be Consort Zhao!

    Gu Sang nodded approvingly and immediately said a sentence that made the other stiffen: "Since that''s the case, dare you make a bet with me?!"

    Consort Zhao seemed to have guessed what it was, and her voice was a bit unsteady: "Bet on what..."

    Gu Sang looked up, her eyes bright, filled with coldness towards Pei Changying: "Bet on whether I can overthrow his dynasty! Whether I can, and set you free!"

    "..."

    "Now quickly go find the Elder Princess."

    "Although Pei Changying is selfish and self-serving, he was once the most humble bastard son! The Elder Princess is the legitimate eldest daughter of the previous Emperor, of noble status, and also holds a special title from the previous Emperor!"

    "Only the Elder Princess has the qualification to lead the imperial physicians to save people, with her presence, Pei Changying dares not ignore her!"

    Consort Zhao took a deep breath, as if she had made a firm decision, and nodded decisively.

    The image of the Elder Princess immediately surfaced in her mind!

    Just thinking of her made Consort Zhao shudder a little.

    The Elder Princess is the legitimate eldest daughter of the Great Liang Dynasty.

    She is also a princess respected by all.

    The noble aura thates with standing at the top for so long gives her an imposing presence, that innate royal elegance that inspires awe in those who see her.

    Gu Sang had seen the Elder Princess a few times before, and once dered boldly: ''Pity this era... if she were a man, the imperial throne would not have fallen to Pei Changying!''

    She is a woman worthy of respect!

    Consort Zhao''s eyes were filled with fear and struggle, but thinking of the civilians and the future, she still bit her lip and nodded: "Alright!

    I will bet on this!"

    "I will immediately send someone to find the Elder Princess outside the pce."

    Seeing Consort Zhao''s courage,

    Gu Sang and Consort Zhao discussed further, and Gu Sang had Consort Zhao record the epidemic information she found online to give to the imperial physicians.

    A life-and-death struggle to save the civilians was about to begin...

    Pei Changying.

    Your dynasty.

    It''s time to be overthrown!

    I''ll make you wish you were dead!

    A few dayster, at the high society banquet.

    The moment the live stream opened,

    the ancient viewers saw Gu Sang standing in front of the camera in a vintage moss green dress.

    She had her hair all pinned up, with a few pearls adorning it, her arm linked with Lu Mufei in a white suit as they entered the banquet.

    Seeing this scene!

    Except for Pei Changying, who was still ring at her with a look of disgust, the others all had an awestruck expression.

    Just now when the scene unfolded, they had momentarily thought she was a foreign princess.

    After being so used to the halter dresses and miniskirts of their era, suddenly seeing such a proper and beautiful dress, they couldn''t help but marvel.

    It seems the aesthetics of that era were quite good.

    Look, this dress is quite lovely.

    A female official in the Xuyang Pce who was watching, her eyes shining, quickly praised it.

    "The color actually changes with the light, and it can better showcase the beauty of the female form, blending elegance and nobility."

    "It''s a pity, I don''t know what material this is, how can they produce a color with such vibrant life."

    "With our current dyeing and weaving techniques, I''m afraid we can''t do it yet."

    Gu Sang heard her sigh, and replied, "You justck the technical barriers,ter I''ll show you some videos, I believe with your wisdom, you will soon be able to make such clothes."

    "Ah! The Princess actually replied to me, thank you Princess."

    The pce maid flushed with excitement.

    Hearing that Gu Sang had started the live stream, and it was not to speak to him, Pei Changying''s heart was filled with bitterness.

    He opened his mouth with heavy sarcasm: "You keep scolding me for being selfish and self-serving, but I see you are the most selfish person in this world."

    "If you really cared about the civilians, you woulde back and apologize to me, instead of cavorting with a man in another world."

    "Gu Sang."

    "I''ve given you a chance before, if you don''te back, I absolutely will not let the medicine form spread out of the pce, and then countless civilians will die because of you!"

    Gu Sang sneered contemptuously, her eyes sweeping to another split screen.

    Consort Zhao, who had already handled the matter, was wringing her hands and nodding to her.

    Gu Sang understood, she had contacted the Elder Princess.

 Chapter 32: Helping a New Queen to take the Throne

    <h4>Chapter 32</h4>

    "If that''s the case, then don''t scold him so disrespectfully: ''Dumbass, those are your own subjects, and you''re using them to threaten me?''"

    "You''re the Emperor, and I''m not the Emperor!"

    "This is your responsibility, not mine! Do as you please, just don''t let your stupidity and selfishness get you killed!"

    The court officials remained silent.

    If one listened closely, there were even a few sighs.

    At times, their ruler was indeed quite foolish and selfish.

    But what could they do?

    He was the Emperor, the Son of Heaven...

    Zhou Qichen stood among the crowd, smiling as he watched the scene, silently apuding Gu Sang.

    Yes, Gu Sang, don''t soften your stance!

    The world you''re in now is so much better, don''t evere back!

    He watched as Gu Sang entered the banquet, shining brightly in that modern world.

    At the moment, inside the modern high-society banquet hall, Gu''s father was negotiating a business partnership with several associates, when his gaze suddenly caught a familiar face.

    His eyes lingered, staring in disbelief.

    Was that his unassuming daughter?

    Her movements and bearing exuded an aura of nobility and grace that could not be replicated.

    Like a princess stepped out of an old European painting, naturally elegant and regal.

    She undoubtedly had his genes, and with just a bit of guidance, had achieved such remarkable results.

    Gu''s father broke into a satisfied smile, waiting for Gu Sang toe greet him.

    But Gu Sang had no such intention, and upon entering, she headed straight for the dessert area, nning to have a snack while waiting for the film studio executive to arrive.

    "Senior Lu, you don''t need to keep mepany, go take care of your other matters if you must."

    This kind of banquet was the best ce to exchange resources.

    Lu Mufei nodded, "Okay, call me if you need anything."

    As time passed, the ancient figures also emerged from the gue, and began to pay attention to the live broadcast of the modern banquet:

    "Your Highness, what are they holding in their hands? That cup looks so beautiful, but the liquid inside is red, like blood."

    "What dance are they doing? In this world, can men and women dance together?"

    "Where is the musicing from? I don''t hear anyone singing."

    "What is that hanging from the ceiling, shining so brightly? It seems to be glowing, your world has so many strange treasures!"

    Gu Sang took a sip of red wine and casually replied, "This is indeed a banquet, but there are many different types. This is a high-society banquet, where people dress more formally."

    "For a regr banquet, the attire would be more lively. And then there are small gatherings among friends, where they might sing karaoke and such."

    "This kind of banquet is usually for conversing and exchanging resources and cooperation, so it doesn''tst too long. In the middle, there is a dance floor where men can invite women to dance..."

    Although Gu Sang did not mingle with the crowd, her inherent elegance and grace still caught the attention of many.

    In thedies'' lounge, a group of aristocraticdies were chatting.

    Thedies scrutinized Gu Sang: "Whose daughter is that? I''ve never seen her before, which is strange, as a youngdy with such a distinctive aura, I''m sure I would remember."

    "She must have just returned from abroad, judging by her bearing, she must have been studying in an elite school with princes and princesses for a long time to have cultivated such nobility."

    "I can guarantee that there is no such ''princess'' in our Jianghai City, she must be from the capital."

    As the others spected about Gu Sang''s identity, the smile on Gu''s mother''s face was increasingly hard to conceal.

    She then proudly dered, "That is my daughter - Gu Sang."

    The otherdies were surprised and quickly asked, "But your daughter doesn''t look like that, did she have stic surgery?"

    "She is my long-lost eldest daughter, not Gu Qing."

    "Ah, Mrs. Gu, you are so blessed! We heard your daughter was raised by a poor old man, but she has turned out so noble, you must have spent a lot of money on her education."

    Hearing these praises, Mrs. Gu''s smile was almost ear-to-ear with delight.

    Unexpectedly, Gu Sang today was even more regal than true nobility!

    A year ago, she wasn''t like this at all!

    As the aristocraticdies admired Gu Sang, Lu Mufei approached her, "Xiao Sang, the film studio executive has arrived, let me introduce you."

    Gu Sang followed Lu Mufei to a quieter area of the banquet hall, where a few people were standing and listening to the music.

    "President Tang, hello."

    "Shh, listen to the music."

    Since President Tang requested silence, the two stood quietly and listened to the performance on the small stage.

    After the piece was finished, President Tang turned to them.

    He first looked at Lu Mufei, then his gaze lingered on Gu Sang, a sh of amazement in his eyes.

    President Tang smiled warmly, "Your father isn''t here today?"

    Lu Mufei: "My father is abroad, President Tang, this is my friend, Gu Sang."

    Gu Sang proactively extended her hand, "Hello, President Tang."

    "Hmm, is this how you greet people in your world? Ady should not initiate physical contact with a man, this etiquette is too informal."

    "What kind of ''President'' is this Tang? Does he wield great power?"

    "Gu Sang, instead of courting this man, why don''t you focus on bing the Empress? This man''s status is not as high as mine!"

    Whenever a man appeared around Gu Sang, Pei Changying would sneer and taunt her, which Gu Sang had long grown ustomed to.

    Let him rant all he wants, as besides empty threats, there''s nothing he can actually do.

    It would be interesting to see how arrogant he''d be once he''s dethroned.

    Meanwhile, President Tang briefly held Gu Sang''s hand, then quickly released it.

    "Miss Gu Sang, I noticed you were listening intently just now, do you have some understanding of the guqin?"

    "This instrument has some history, its tone and style reveal it is not a modern one."

    President Tang nodded approvingly, pleased that Gu Sang seemed knowledgeable about the guqin.

    He was about to ask her opinion on the piece, when Gu Sang suddenly spoke up.

    "The instrument is fine, but theposition iscking."

    President Tang''s expression turned slightly mocking, "Oh? In what way is itcking? Please enlighten me."

    After all, Gu Sang hade to get acquainted with the film studio executive.

    She naturally wanted to showcase her value, not just be humble.

    Gu Sang was not one to shy away from asserting herself and securing her own interests.

    So she went on to say something that left the entire crowd stunned:

    "The piece is quite odd, the beginning and end sound like ancient music, but the middle section has a modern feel. You see, there is a distinct difference between ancient and modern music, sobining them creates a very jarring effect, like a foreigner speaking Chinese - it sounds very awkward!"

 Chapter 33: Is this his country daughter

    <h4>Chapter 33</h4>

    This unexpected response caused President Tang''s expression to first freeze, then he burst outughing: "You may not be familiar with this virtuoso performer."

    "He is a renowned master of the ancient guqin in China, who has even been nominated for a Grammy Award."

    The Grammys are the highest de in the world of music.

    Gu Sang''s face remained expressionless as she spoke in a t tone: "I was onlymenting on the piece of music."

    Seeing Gu Sang''s stubborn demeanor, President Tang''s fondness for her began to diminish.

    He had earlier thought that Gu Sang was simply trying to show off, so he had reminded her that this master is considered one of the few renowned grandmasters of ancient musical instruments in the present day.

    However, he did not expect Gu Sang to be so single-mindedly focused on her own performance, which left President Tang feeling disappointed.

    Someone suggested, "Since Miss Gu is so insistent that the master''s performance was not good, then perhaps Miss Gu would like to take the stage and y a piece herself, so that we unsophisticated folk can hear what truly good music sounds like."

    "The ancient times were so long ago, can there really be authentic ancientpositions? You''re nitpicking!"

    "......."

    Gu''s mother had juste over, intending to introduce Gu Sang to the high-societydies, but was suddenly shocked to hear Gu Sang criticizing the guqin performance.

    Seeing the guqin master, Gu''s mother felt a sudden dizziness.

    Of course, Gu Sang should not have been brought to this gathering, as she does not even recognize this master - it is so embarrassing!

    Gu''s mother was about to step forward and pull Gu Sang aside, ready to say a few kind words, but she was startled to see that Gu Sang had actually agreed?

    "Okay."

    Watching Gu Sang approach the central stage, Gu''s mother was stunned.

    What is Gu Sang doing?

    Gu''s mother''s blood pressure spiked, wishing she could just rush over and send Gu Sang back home immediately.

    How dare Gu Sang step onto that stage!

    That small circr tform was reserved for the master''s performance!

    The master, having also heard Gu Sang''s critique of his ying, narrowed his eyes and nced at Gu Sang.

    The master: "Please, teach me."

    The crowd could detect the displeasure in his tone.

    If Gu Sang dared to sit in that position, it would be an outright provocation to the master!

    But if Gu Sang could indeed surpass the master''s skills, that would be unthinkable...

    The people around all had a mocking expression, watching as Gu Sang sat down.

    Gu Sang lowered her head, pondering for a moment - this piece had likely not been fully preserved, and had been reconstructed byter generations in the style of an ancientposition.

    To reconstruct an ancient piece would not be something that could be done in a day or two.

    Therefore, Gu Sang switched to a different ancientposition.

    "It seems you''ve studied for a few years, your fingering technique is quite standard," the mastermented.

    A haunting,menting melody began to flow forth.

    It was like the sigh of a woman - first sweet and melodious, then soaring like an eagle breaking free of its shackles, suddenly shifting to the tides of change and the des of winter...

    The pcedies watching the live broadcast were captivated: "This is the ancient melody of the ''Mang''!"

    "I''ve only heard that Madame Pei is unparalleled in her strategic brilliance, but I didn''t know Madame Pei is also so aplished in the arts."

    "After all, she is the daughter of a prestigious family, how could she not be skilled in the arts? But what material is that instrument made of? It looks so exquisite."

    Pei Changying pressed his thin lips together, conceitedly and arrogantly: "Gu Sang, are you using this piece to remind me that I have wronged you?"

    The people at the banquet were unwittingly drawn towards the stage.

    They watched in awe as the woman on the tform wove a story through the hauntingly beautiful music...

    President Tang had gone from his earlier disdain to stunned silence, then admiration.

    He closed his eyes, letting the melody transport him back to the elegant era of the Wei and Jin dynasties, drinking and enjoying music with his friends by the flowing stream.

    The most astonished of all was the master - while themon folk could only appreciate whether the music sounded good or not, he could truly discern its depth.

    This, this was the authentic ancientposition!

    The versions reconstructed byter generations werepletely different from the true ancient score.

    This girl truly understands ancient music!

    As the piece ended, thunderous apuse erupted.

    The first to recover was the master, who excitedly approached Gu Sang: "Young miss, you actually know the authentic ancient score! You must be from a family of musicians."

    Gu Sang shook her head: "I was just fortunate enough to have heard the authentic score."

    "Oh? Your memory is quite good, to have remembered it after just one listen." The master simply did not believe her, and wanted to continue questioning her.

    President Tang also came over, looking at Gu Sang with admiration: "It seems one shouldn''t judge a book by its cover - today we have truly heard the voice of heaven."

    Pei Changying sneered: "A bunch of uncultured fools, this can barely be considered the voice of heaven. If my Li Jieyu were to y, that would be something."

    Amidst the chorus of praise, there was one discordant voice.

    Gu Sang nced over.

    Ah, it was Pei Changying, never mind then.

    He was too despicable, Gu Sang had no desire to engage with him, only wanting to rebel and trample him underfoot!

    Seeing the master attempt to inquire about the ancient score multiple times, Lu Mufei timely came to Gu Sang''s rescue.

    "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt."

    "The dance is about to start, Miss Gu, may I have the honor of a dance with you?"

    Lu Mufei invited graciously, and Gu Sang smiled, cing her hand in his as they headed towards the dance floor.

    Worried that Gu Sang may not be familiar with upper-ss etiquette, he thoughtfully said, "Xiao Sang, don''t worry, just follow my lead."

    Lu Mufei did not know that Gu Sang had been learning waltzing online these past few days.

    And with her background in ssical dance, she picked it up even faster.

    As they were dancing, suddenly another man cut in swiftly, snatching Gu Sang away from Lu Mufei.

    At the same time, his femalepanion ended up in Lu Mufei''s arms.

    "Hi, let me introduce myself, I''m the eldest son of the Wan Sheng Group..."

    Seeing Gu Sang dancing peacefully with someone, only to have this man abruptly snatch her away, left the ancient onlookers perplexed and angered.

    The officials muttered: "It''s bad enough that they''re all mixing and dancing together, but now they''re snatching partners?"

    "What''s with that man who''s pursuing Madame Pei, how can he stand to watch his woman being taken?"

    "Gu Sang, is this the man you''ve set your sights on? He can''t even protect the woman he likes from being taken!"

    "In yournd, the dancing is more like the savagery of barbarians."

    Gu Sang didn''t even spare a nce at these ancient people.

    Just then, the two groups of dancers switched partners again.

    Gu Sang found herself back with Lu Mufei.

    But the earlier man was still persistent, disregarding his own dance partner and forcefully pulling Gu Sang into his embrace -

    This sudden movement caused Gu Sang to lose her bnce momentarily.

    Gu Sang''s parents were watching from the side, their hearts sinking at the sight.

    Gu''s mother, who had just been delighted by the master''s praise of Gu Sang, now worried again: "I didn''t expect Gu Sang to be so popr, I hope this doesn''t bring too much embarrassment to our family."

    If she were to fall here, it would truly be aughing stock.

    Gu''s father also had a stern expression, tinged with reproach: "I told her not toe, but she still came. We really should get her some etiquette teachers soon, so we don''t have to be anxious about her behavior every day."

    Just then, Gu Sang swiftly pped the man''s hand away, using the graceful force of ancient dance, she supported herself on one hand, twirled in the air, andnded perfectly on the ground.

 Chapter 34: Here we go Princess Wired.

    <h4>Chapter 34</h4>

    Amid the exmations of the ancients and the moderns, this dance performance came to a magnificent close.

    "p! p! p!"

    Thunderous apuse filled the hall, the ovation never-ending.

    "In my opinion, this dance is unbearable to the ear, and it is no better than that of barbarians. How can a man dance with a woman? It is simply undignified!" Pei Changying gritted his teeth as he spoke. He had noticed that there were too many men around Gu Sang.

    He didn''t know whether Gu Sang was too easily captivated, or if she had actively sought their attention.

    Regardless, each time he watched the live stream, his sense of unease increased.

    He could only continually provoke and mock Gu Sang in order to make her remember him.

    Only in this way could he always hold onto Gu Sang!

    Inparison, Gu''s father and mother were extremely excited. They had prepared themselves for Gu Sang to embarrass herself by falling.

    Yet they never imagined that Gu Sang''s performance tonight would be so astounding.

    They had just been about to go over and speak with Gu Sang...

    A figure appeared, moving faster than they did: "You danced wonderfully. I noticed you when you were ying the guqin earlier. May I ask which family''s young miss you are?"

    "This is my son. You two have already danced together, so you can exchange WeChat contacts."

    Gu''s mother''s face bore a strange expression.

    This Lady Li had looked down on her before, as she had married into a wealthy Beijing family and moved to Jianghai City.

    Now, seeing Lady Livishly praising Gu Sang and wanting to introduce her to her son, Gu''s mother felt immensely proud.

    She thought, if Lady Li knew that Gu Sang was her own daughter, the reaction would surely be quiteical.

    Although Gu Sang refused to exchange contact information, Lady Li continued to speak to her warmly, seeming very satisfied with Gu Sang and eager for her son to take Gu Sang as his wife.

    "Lady Li, this is my eldest daughter, Gu Sang. You must have seen her before."

    Gu''s mother deliberately wanted to embarrass Lady Li. After all, when Gu Sang was first brought back home, Lady Li had privately mocked her as being ''country bumpkin'' during the weing banquet.

    Gu''s mother had harbored resentment over this for years.

    And now, the grudge had been settled!

    Haha, how satisfying!

    Seeing Lady Li''s smile instantly freeze, and then her awkward response, "This, this is Gu Sang? She has undergone such a transformation, I truly didn''t recognize her. She has be so refined now."

    "Hmm... it seems Madam Gu has put in a lot of effort these past few years."

    After a brief exchange, Lady Li left with her son.

    Having regained face at Lady Li''s expense, Gu''s mother looked at Gu Sang with increasing satisfaction.

    Her voice even grew softer: "Sang, you performed wonderfully today, bringing great honor to your father and me."

    "How are you feeling about the matter of returning home?"

    "If you truly dislike following those rules, your father and I can discuss allowing you to pursue something you enjoy instead."

    Gu Sang''s response remained cold: "I stand by what I said before. I''m an adult now, and have the right to choose my own path. I appreciate your good intentions, but I don''t need them."

    With that, she left the banquet hall with Lu Mufly.

    Gu''s father watched their retreating figures, feeling quite unsettled.

    He sighed, "Well, let her be. In time, she''ll realize how much a wealthy family can help her in life."

    "When she left home, she had nothing. Her living situation is probably quite tight. You should take the opportunity to give her some money, so she doesn''t have to worry about tuition."

    Gu Sang did not care about her parents'' thoughts and actions.

    Her current goal was simply to get her grandmother back home!

    Everything else was inconsequential.

    -

    After leaving the banquet hall, Gu Sang closed the live stream.

    She had added Tao''s WeChat today, and after politely greeting him, Gu Sangy back on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

    She wondered how the Elder Princess was faring...

    Since she couldn''t travel to the ancient era, she had no way to personally dethrone Pei Changying. She could only try to gradually change the mindsets of the ancients.

    Just then¡ª

    The system made a sound, initiating a video call: "Connection established, shall I proceed?"

    Gu Sang quickly sat up, her heart pounding. She spoke in a solemn tone, "Connect immediately."

    The words fell.

    A projection screen instantly appeared in the room.

    Gu Sang looked at the crimson figure on the other side of the screen, its innate aura and majesty. Just by sitting there, it made one''s heart tremble.

    It was her!

    It was the Elder Princess connecting!

    Gu Sang stared fixedly at the ravishingly beautiful face, and smiled: "Long time no see, Elder Princess."

    The woman on the other side, who appeared to be around twenty years old, had a powerful yet serene gaze.

    She first surveyed Gu Sang''s surroundings, then replied, "Congrattions, it seems you are doing well now."

    "When Consort Zhao first told me, I was skeptical. But it appears her words were true."

    "Gu Sang, are you truly from the prosperous world two thousand years in the future?"

    Gu Sang nodded sincerely, "Yes."

    "There are rumors that you do not love Pei Changying, and that you only used him to return to your own time period?"

    At the mention of that name, a chill entered Gu Sang''s eyes. "I''ve never loved him. Men only ever love themselves."

    "I schemed to win the position of Empress, as that was the task I had set out to aplish. Pei Changying promised me that if I helped him ascend the throne, he would make me his Empress for life. But once his goal was achieved, the first thing he wanted to do was get rid of me!"

    "If not for his betrayal... never mind, it''s already happened. I should have known he was that kind of person."

    Hearing Gu Sang''s deep disappointment and hatred towards Pei Changying, the Elder Princess suddenlyughed out loud.

    "I told you that a love-struck fool would lead to ruin. But you managed to deceive everyone."

    "Gu Sang, you''ve truly fooled them all."

    Before this video call, the Elder Princess had heldplex feelings towards Gu Sang.

    She had long seen through Pei Changying''s selfish and self-serving nature, but he had skillfully deceived even the Emperor and Empress.

    If not for Gu Sang''s strategic nning and step-by-step maneuvering, guiding Pei Changying through the power struggle against the other princes, how could he have secured the throne?

    The Elder Princess had always felt that Gu Sang was intelligent, but unfortunately, she was just another love-struck fool.

    So when she learned of Gu Sang''s demise in the Cold Pce, she felt no pity, only that the foolish woman got what she deserved - betrayed by a man.

    The Elder Princess greatly despised women who sacrificed everything for the sake of a man.

    But now...

    After herughter subsided, the Elder Princess straightened up gracefully and majestically, asking, "Alright, let''s not talk about that useless Pei Changying anymore."

    "The world that could produce a woman like you must be extraordinary. Tell me more about the world two thousand years in the future..."

 Chapter 35: The first female Emperor of our Country, Takezetian

    <h4>Chapter 35</h4>

    Gu Sang knew that the Elder Princess was more concerned about the status and identity of women two thousand yearster.

    So she began to tell stories about some legendary women.

    From women''s struggles to achieve equal footing with men, to going into the battlefield filled with fire and smoke to rescue people, to scaling snowy mountains and traversing grasnds with the army... There were so many women worthy of being celebrated.

    The more the Elder Princess listened, the more solemn her expression became.

    The ambition lurking deep in her eyes also gradually awakened!

    "I understand now, the freedom you women enjoy today is because some people had paved the way for you beforehand."

    "Breaking down feudalism is not something that can be aplished in a day."

    "All of this will eventually be broken down one by one by women, and that person might be someone else, or it might be oneself!"

    "Gu Sang, I now know what I must do."

    She had always been trapped in the identity of being a woman, resentful of why women could not aplish anything and had to rely on a man.

    After hearing Gu Sang''s stories about so many legendary women, she had a sudden moment of enlightenment.

    The reason why women could not stand in front of men was that no woman had ever stepped up before, so whenever a woman showed the slightest sign of breaking free from her cage, she would be ruthlessly pushed down by men!

    Even those women who had been ves for a long time would think that being a ve was a woman''s natural state...

    Why?

    Who set these rules?

    Weren''t they made by people?

    Weren''t they made by men?

    And she, she would be the first to stand in front of men!

    To pave the way for those whoe after!

    The Elder Princess seemed to have a sudden moment of rity today, her aura bing more introspective: "Gu Sang, in your ce, women no longer need to rely on men to live, do you have female officials?"

    Gu Sang smiled and replied, "In every city, there are women serving as officials."

    "Then, are there any women who can be emperors?"

    Gu Sang''s heart raced as she uttered a statement that would shock the world: "Yes! In our great Huaxia, we had the first female emperor, Wu Zetian."

    "Abroad, there was Yekaterina, and in Egypt..."

    "Once, there was an Empress who made a grand deration to all the countries, ''If I live a little longer, the entire Europe will kneel at my feet!''"

    What a passionate statement! It broke through the rules of this world.

    And it also shattered the shackles that had been imprisoned in the depths of the Elder Princess''s heart.

    ''If I live a little longer, the entire Europe will kneel at my feet!'' This sentence made the Elder Princess''s heart race and tremble.

    It''s as if... something was about to burst out! But what?

    It was ambition!

    In terms of political maneuvering and strategies, she was no less capable than any of her father the Emperor''s princes.

    In terms of literary and military prowess, she was equally skilled in everything men could do.

    Since there were so many women who could be Emperors and female officials, why couldn''t she?

    She was no less capable than Pei Changying, so why couldn''t the throne be given to her?

    Just because... Pei Changying had two more "pieces of meat" under him?

    Well, then cut them off!

    Wouldn''t that solve the problem?

    The Elder Princess smiled gently, "After hearing you say all this, I have gained a newfound respect for you! Women should firmly pursue their own goals, without being hindered by any man."

    "In that case!"

    "I shall personally go to the gue-strickennd and save the suffering people."

    "As for that waste who rises to power by trampling on women, how do you think I should deal with him?"

    Gu Sang and the Elder Princess exchanged a nce, seeing the murderous intent in each other''s eyes.

    Then, Gu Sang''s indifferentughter rang out: "The thing he''s most proud of is that he has two more ''pieces of meat'' than us, isn''t it? Let''s just chop them off, and make him wish for death!"

    The Elder Princess was taken aback.

    But then sheughed even more heartily.

    Good!

    This person has truly won her over!

    The Elder Princess nodded in satisfaction, lifting the hem of her precious garment as she stood up: "I have already sent people to deal with the gue, following your suggested method of isting the infected and suspected cases for observation."

    "Tomorrow, I shall go there personally with the imperial physicians!"

    This gue incident would be the best opportunity for her to build her reputation.

    So she must personally oversee it, for only by having the people''s welfare in her heart can she gain their support!

    Pei Changying, you see the people as mere insects, but do you know that one day, the insects will bite back?

    By then, it will be toote.

    Wait and see.

    The man that Gu Sang helps ce on the throne will ultimately be destroyed by Gu Sang''s own hands!

    Haha haha haha¡ª

 Chapter 36: Show the Ancients around School

    <h4>Chapter 36</h4>

    After the connection with the Long Princess ended, the System suddenly let out a prompt sound.

    "Ding!"

    "Merit increased by 500."

    "The live broadcast room has been upgraded, and the off-pce split-screen mode has been activated."

    -

    Guo Momo was a soon-to-be sophomore student.

    With more than a week left before the start of the new semester, the bored Guo Momo had started to get addicted to watching short dramas.

    A new short drama was just released on the Douyin tform, and after watching the first episode, Guo Momo was captivated by the actress ying the Empress, and she started enthusiastically rmending it to her acquaintances.

    ''@Piggy Loves Pearls@ @Draws 365 Men to Keep Me Company, quickly watch this short drama, it''s a work of conscience!''

    ''Wah, he''s too handsome! Sister, you''ve killed me!''

    ''This damned face, how can it be so perfect and hit my aesthetic!''

    One wave of sharing after another, and very soon, more and more people hade across this short drama.

    The influence of online dissemination is immeasurable.

    In just a couple of days, even though the drama had only updated ten episodes, it had already exploded online.

    -"Why does the Empress have so little screen time? I''m not satisfied, I want the Empress to rise to fame! Come on, ride a horse and kill me!"

    -"I came just for the Empress''s resplendent beauty, but they tell me she''s just a supporting role?"

    -"Dear gods, can someone tell me who''s ying the Empress? Do you know her name?"

    -"The female lead''s acting is so awkward, look at how she''s pretending, her square shoulders are even shrugged up to her ears! Nowhere near the naturalness of the Empress, we need more scenes with the Empress."

    -"Hehe, I''ll tell you a piece of news, reliable sources say the Empress is actually a university student!"

    It''s on fire! Completely on fire!

    The Gu Family.

    Gu Qing had already been discharged from the hospital and was just waiting another week to get the cast removed.

    As soon as she opened her phone, she saw that many people had tagged her to watch a short drama.

    Gu Qing furrowed her brow, indifferently opening it.

    However -

    She never could have imagined that the drama she opened was the one Gu Sang had auditioned for!

    "Howe she learned to ride a horse so easily outside when she couldn''t learn at home at all? ying the ''pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger'' trick just to make a big ssh, huh."

    "What''s so good about it? I don''t think it''s impressive at all!"

    "Acting my ass!"

    Gu Qing cursed as she watched the first twenty episodes, then pressed the update button at the end of the episode.

    Consider it a reward for Gu Sang.

    However, she would never admit that she might lose to Gu Sang!

    She just thought Gu Sang was having too hard a time earning tuition, so, well, she was just giving her a little bit of poprity!

    -

    And on the other side, Gu Sang also received the screenshot sent by senior Lu Mufei.

    Knowing that the short drama she had filmed had already exploded.

    Originally, the drama''s explosion had nothing to do with the actors, but because of senior Mufei''s reason, a one percentmission was written into the contract when it was signed.

    Looks like... she''s about toe into some money again?

    Gu Sang expressed that she was in a very good mood and nned to take the senior out for a big meal when she had the chance!

    Time quickly came to the start of the new semester, and Gu Sang took her registration materials and prepared to go to school.

    While waiting for the bus, Gu Sang opened a live broadcast.

    "Wow--"

    "Wow--"

    "Wow--"

    Three screens suddenly appeared in the ancient world!

    The Xuyang Pce and the main hall faced the suddenly appearing live broadcast, already with expressions as usual.

    But outside the pce, at the city gate, a beam of light suddenly shot down from the sky, and the next second, an image appeared on the city wall.

    The city guards, frightened, tightened their brows, swiftly drawing their swords and shing at the wall.

    The sword struck the city wall, making a dull sound, but the image did not disappear.

    "Beep~"

    A sharp, piercing sound suddenly rang out from the image.

    This sudden sound scared the city guards pale-faced.

    "You don''t need to be afraid, this is not witchcraft."

    "I won''t harm you either, just watch and you''ll understand. The sound just now was someone honking a horn."

    Speaking was the young woman reflected in the screen.

    She was dressed in a clean white gown, beautiful and charming, standing in the sunny backdrop of the modern world, a scene like a fairnd that prated deep into the hearts of themon people.

    This, this, this!!

    Themoners crowded around to watch, eximing: "Could this be the immortal rumored to have descended to the mortal realm?"

    "Immortal, please bless us with good weather and a bountiful harvest this year."

    "Immortal sister, my mother is ill, please grant me a chicken that cany eggs."

    "Quickly go report to the Emperor!"

    Seeing this miracle, the passingmoners outside the city wall all dropped to their knees in a rush, and the city guards hurriedly went in to report.

    Gu Sang helplessly facepalmed, without exnation.

    Just at that moment, the bus arrived.

    All themoners and guards stared wide-eyed at the suddenly appearing bus, shocked like idiots: "Ah, what is that thing, how can there be people inside?"

    "Are they all immortals? They don''t seem much different from us mortals."

    "Immortals eat so well, all so white and plump, is it that immortals can eat white steamed buns every meal?"

    "Nonsense, immortals don''t need to eat."

    With the start of the new semester, there were more and more people on the bus.

    Gu Sang came on and there were no more seats, so she found a hanging loop to hold onto.

    Because the start of the semester was approaching, the temperatures had been gradually dropping, and people were wearing more clothes, so themoners'' attention hadn''t yet focused on the clothing.

    Gu Sang answered the simple-mindedmoners, "This is the future world, and I''m not an immortal either, they''re just ordinary people."

    "The future world? Is it a world from a very, very long time in the future? What do you eat, to be so white and plump?"

    The ancients noticed that there were a lot of fat people on the bus.

    Fat people ah!

    This was almost nonexistent in ancient times! It made the ancients enviously unable to take their eyes off.

    Every person on the bus was so stout, they just looked like they had too much oil.

    But themon people of the ancient era were often hungry, sallow and thin, not to mention being able to eat their fill, the number who starved to death each year was uncountable.

    "We also mainly eat rice and wheat flour."

    "Today I will live stream the life of modern people to you..." As Gu Sang was speaking, someone next to her was taking a bite of a steamed bun.

    The bun was full of meat, so much meat!

    This made themoners drool uncontrobly.

    Soon,

    the bus stopped at the intersection in front of the school, and after getting off the bus, Gu Sang walked forward about twenty meters and arrived.

    The environment around the school was lush with green trees, and the flowerbeds and trees in the middle of the road had been trimmed by thendscaping workers into lifelike animal shapes.

    Outside the city wall screen,

    more and moremoners lingered, staring at the modern world in shock and awe: "Howe those trees are so short and so nice-looking, so they can be shaped like that?"

    "Look, the road is so smooth, not a single pebble."

    "Wow! Such a huge pce! So beautiful! So tall, it''s taller than stacking up many, many estates!"

    "There''s a really big box by the side of the road, it would be great if I could take it home."

    "What are those people throwing things into the box?"

 Chapter 37: Should Women go to School

    <h4>Chapter 37</h4>

    Gu Sang turned and looked back, then exined, "These are sanitation workers who are responsible for sweeping the streets every day, and the government provides them with wages."

    "Those trees are also regrly trimmed withrge scissors."

    "As for the box you mentioned, that is a trash can, specifically for disposing of garbage."

    As they were talking, they saw a sanitation worker in an orange uniform pushing a cart from a distance.

    The worker ced the cart on the side of the road and took out a broom to start sweeping.

    Themon people stared at the worker for a while, but soon the live broadcast camera turned towards the school entrance!

    By this time, Gu Sang had already reached the main entrance.

    The parents, students, and new freshmen had almostpletely blocked the entrance.

    Arge bus brought in another fifty or sixty students, who got off the bus.

    Looking around, there were crowded groups of people everywhere.

    The ancient spectators watching the live broadcast all widened their eyes, and even the ministers frowned with confusion as they observed the walking students.

    "Where is this? Howe there are both men and women? And they are all wearing the same clothes?"

    As Gu Sang walked towards the school, she exined to the screen, "Today is the start of the school term, so there are more people. This is the school I attend."

    Ah!

    This statement immediately shocked all the ancient people!

    "Study?! How is that possible? How can women also study? You see those women''s attire is the same as the men''s, surely that must be the clothing only schrs can wear!"

    "Outrageous,pletely unorthodox! How can women be allowed to study?"

    "How can women be on par with men in studying?"

    Whether they weremoners or ministers, they all reacted as if they had heard the biggest joke.

    Sneers and doubts poured out as they vehemently refuted the idea that women could openly pursue education in this world.

    As the camera panned around, the ancient people saw that there were not only female students, but quite a number of them.

    Further away, they could see groups of male and female students gathered on thewn, discussing their studies together.

    Their angry rebukes were immediately choked in their mouths! Especially the ministers, they simply could not believe their eyes, rubbing them hard.

    Looking again, they saw the female students holding books.

    Suddenly, the people felt as if they had been struck by lightning, their mindspletely unable toprehend what they were seeing.

    Women were actually able to study!

    This must be a ce where only immortals reside, right?

    The minister''s voice trembled with anger: "If women study, won''t it throw everything into chaos? Your women there are already like tigresses, and now the magistrate even lets women study. After that, who can still control them?"

    "Studying and achieving merit is the duty of men, you women should only be obedient wives and good mothers at home."

    "If women want to study, they should have a tutor teach them at home, how can they study together with men? It''spletely immoral."

    "Who established this rule? Aren''t they afraid the women will ride on the men''s heads?"

    Even after witnessing the scene of men and women studying together, they still refused to acknowledge the status of women, continuously spewing disparaging remarks to reaffirm the superiority of men. They were the most selfish.

    Afraid that women would surpass men, they clipped the wings of women. Afraid that women would be stronger than men, they indirectly imprisoned women.

    In fact, they were terribly cowardly.

    Because they knew very well that if women were given absolute freedom, they could also use their own abilities to snatch away their rice bowls and power!

    Pei Changying said, "Gu Sang, why did you specifically show me the school? Are you trying to tell me that the women in your ce are very capable, and you want me to acknowledge your status!"

    Amidst the barrage of insults and doubts, Pei Changying''s words always had a unique style, even somewhat disrupting the atmosphere.

    Look.

    As soon as Pei Changying spoke, the ministers in the hall immediately hissed.

    Gu Sang didn''t even want to bother with this parasite emperor.

    He had clearly been stepping on women to climb up, yet he still had to shout about male supremacy.

    "Today is the first day of the school term, as I''ve said, men and women are equal here. Whatever men can do, women can also do."

    "Stop your bickering, just keep watching. If you keep making insulting remarks about women not being worthy of studying, you''ll just look like idiots!"

    Faced with Gu Sang''s merciless insults, the ministers could only try to lower their profiles as much as possible, to avoid being implicated by Pei Changying.

    Gu Sang first went to the registration counter, and the administrative staff looked at her records with furrowed brows.

    Then they sighed and suggested, "You haven''t been to school for a whole year."

    "Although your student status is still maintained, I still want to advise you to consider transferring."

    "I''ve seen your short drama, and it''s very popr online now. Our school also has a film and television major, if you transfer there, the studies will be much easier for you."

    After being admitted to university, Gu Sang had not attended a single day of ss before the car ident happened.

    She didn''t want to be demoted to a freshman.

    The major she had previously chosen was quite specialized, and she was worried that directly entering the second year would be too challenging if she had missed a whole year.

    The administrative staff''s suggestion was undoubtedly the best choice for Gu Sang''s current situation.

    Seeing Gu Sang didn''t speak, the staff added:

    "The film and television major has always been very popr, and it''s quite free. Considering that students often get recruited by directors for acting, the film and television major has more flexibility for taking leaves."

    Hearing this, the film and television major did sound quite nice - flexible schedule and opportunities to earn money!

    After all, who would want to give up money?

    She needed to save a lot of money to take her grandmother on a world tour when she returned!

    "Okay, I''ll choose to transfer."

    Afterpleting the various procedures, the staff gave Gu Sang a student ID card.

    After leaving the registration office, Gu Sang did not leave immediately.

    She remembered the matter of improving rice cultivation, so she casually approached an upper-ss student and asked, "Senior, which way is the Agricultural Science Department?"

    The student she asked was momentarily stunned by Gu Sang''s face. He immediately blushed and gave her the directions.

    As Gu Sang left, the student continued staring at her retreating back, unable to regain hisposure.

    Gu Sang walked and said to the three split screens in the live broadcast, "Last time you wanted to learn about rice cultivation methods, right?"

    "Next, I''ll take you to learn about the problem of increasing food production, soil quality identification, and seed preservation. If you have a notebook, you can write it down."

    As soon as Gu Sang finished speaking, the ancient spectators watching the live broadcast immediately erupted in excitement.

    The ministers widened their eyes and immediately shouted for brushes and ink.

    Themoners looked at each other in amazement, almost kneeling down in excitement.

    Had they heard correctly?

    Increasing food production!!!

    "The immortal has shown great mercy, and is actually going to teach us how to grow crops!"

    "Quick, go call all the aunts and cousins at home."

    "Is this real? Can there really be a way to increase the yield? Doesn''t matter, let''s just keep watching to find out!"

    As themoners excitedly spread the news, Pei Changying waved his hand and immediately had the servants bring enough brushes, ink, and paper for all the ministers.

    The ministers'' trembling hands were filled with excitement, as the Imperial Consort had not deceived them!

    If the food problem could be solved, these millions and millions of people would no longer have to endure hunger and starvation!

 Chapter 38: Asking the Professor about Rice Planting

    <h4>Chapter 38</h4>

    They seemed to see the future of their country, which would be so powerful, with all nationsing to pay tribute, stirring their hearts with excitement.

    Gu Sang walked for about ten minutes on the school campus and finally arrived at the Agriculture Teaching Building.

    At this time, the number of viewers watching the live broadcast had surged to ten thousand.

    A few days earlier, Gu Sang had made an appointment with a professor in the agriculture department. She came to the professor''s office and knocked on the door.

    A clear, melodious feminine voice came from within: "Pleasee in."

    Gu Sang pushed open the door and presented her student ID to the female professor.

    "Professor, hello, I am the student who made an appointment with you online before."

    The professor nced at it. Her expression was usually serious, but her gaze was warm. "Please have a seat. What would you like to ask me, student?"

    The ancient people had been full of expectation and excitement just a moment ago!

    But then they were suddenly struck by a thunderbolt when they saw that the person Gu Sang hade to see was a middle-aged woman?? A woman???

    They were instantly stunned, as if they had been drenched from head to toe with cold water, their entire bodies numb.

    A sense of anger and despair washed over them.

    Compared to the ministers'' bewilderment, the greatest reaction came from themoners oppressed by imperial power: "Why is it a woman? Women should stay at home and raise children, not show their faces in public."

    "I put down my work and rushed over to see this? What a disappointment!"

    "Hmph, this is clearly a trick of the chatans. Everyone should not believe it."

    "What can a woman possibly understand? Do you think it''s fun to deceive us with talk of deities and future worlds? Nonsense! Surely a fraud!"

    Gu Sang paid no heed to the ancient people''s doubts.

    Nor did she mind the res and scowls of the ministers.

    Changing such deep-rooted beliefs of over a thousand years was no easy task.

    Just like in the present day, when a woman achieves something, most men and a few women still think she climbed to her position by using her body.

    Without any evidence, they keep spreading vicious rumors!

    How utterly tragic!

    Gu Sang politely spoke up, "Hello, teacher. I would like to ask how food production can be increased in backward regions without modern technology?"

    The professor looked at Gu Sang with approval. Sitting up straight, she answered sincerely:

    "In backward regions without modern technology, huh?"

    "They can choose to weed out the inferior nts, find strong mutant nt varieties, and then cross-pollinate them..."

    "Secondly, they can makepost. People often like to use human excrement as fertilizer."

    "But there is an even simpler method, which is to make fertilizer from nt stems, weeds, and mud from rivers and ponds... This type of fertilizer is more effective at enriching and improving the soil."

    "For the regr rice grown by themoners, it is actually a self-pollinating crop. To get good yields, they need to graft and hybridize."

    "The method of selecting mutant nt varieties is to observe, pick out the ''king'' nt in the entire rice field, and then..."

    "In addition to grains, they can also grow tea oil nts on barrennd. Tea oil can rece daily oil consumption, and it only upies wastnd. For some poor families, it can be considered an ie."

    "..."

    The professor''s words one by one shattered the ancient people''s beliefs.

    Some who understood agricultural work were stunned, staring with open mouths.

    Thump, thump, thump, thump!!

    Their hearts were pounding furiously.

    For a moment, they forgot that the speaker was the woman they looked down upon, and frantically wrote down everything the professor said.

    The Six Chief Ministers had already seated themselves on the floor, feverishly recording on the low table.

    The other ministers without a table simply squatted on the ground to write.

    This was something that could benefit themon people, and they might even be remembered in history. None of them wanted tog behind.

    "Your Majesty, please speak more slowly."

    "I can''t keep up, you''re talking too fast."

    "Did I misjudge the deity? Can a woman really be a teacher?"

    Themoners gathered outside the walls were still skeptical. How could a woman know so much?

    Themoners went back and forth, undecided, but some decided to give it a try: "It sounds quite reasonable. I''ll go back and try it."

    "This tea oil can be nted without upying farnd, that seems quite feasible."

    "She looks so clean and delicate, surely she''s never been to the fields. Thatpost she mentioned, it just won''t work. Natural manure is the best."

    The professor exined everything earnestly, and even searched online for photos of fertilend to show Gu Sang, teaching her step-by-step.

    Unknowingly, it was already noon.

    Gu Sang stood up gratefully and openly turned off the recording, then bowed slightly to the professor: "Professor, thank you for your generous teaching."

    The female professor smiled brightly: "Your interest in agricultural studies is the best reward for me. So few students can listen as attentively as you."

    What a good student.

    She even recorded the lecture and took notes to studyter.

    After leaving the Agriculture Teaching Building, Gu Sang nced at the time. It was time for lunch.

    She followed the crowd to the cafeteria.

    Scanning the scene, just on the left and right sides of the cafeteria, there were more than fifty service windows, offering everything from noodles, steamed buns, and spicy hot pot to a self-service buffet.

    This... this... so much food?

    Themoners'' eyes gleamed with envy as they stared fixatedly at the food.

    In an instant, their faith wavered: "Is this where you eat? So many people!"

    "Look, their bowls have meat and fish. And they''re using so much oil to fry the fish? We can''t even use oil for our fish back home! The fish will soak up too much oil, what a waste!"

    "You see, they serve themselves the rice. Isn''t that free?"

    "Eating a meal here must be expensive, right? It''s definitely for the wealthy families, the ones who can afford an education..."

    Gu Sang randomly stood in line at one of the service windows, where she could choose from seven or eight different dishes.

    Gu Sang ordered a fish, a fried chicken leg, crispy pork, and stir-fried bitter melon with eggs. She swiped her card and it only cost seven yuan.

    Hearing themonersment that this school was only for the rich, Gu Sang replied, "In our time, anymoner''s child can study here."

    "The meal cost is not high either. This big chicken leg would cost 7 yuan outside, but here with four dishes, it''s only 7 yuan total, and the rice is free."

    "The 7 yuan here is less than your 7 copper coins!"

    As soon as she finished speaking, the ancient people seemed to be struck motionless.

    They stared dumbfoundedly at the rice in Gu Sang''s bowl, not blinking an eye.

    7 copper coins can buy meat?!

    And the rice looks so white, they can even eat it for free! Even if they just ate the rice, it would cost more than 7 copper coins, wouldn''t it?

    They cried inwardly, in their time, they could only dream of eating white rice.

    And the children ofmoners could all go to school and eat meat and good dishes!

    Themoners murmured to themselves, their faces full of envy: "So this is the white rice that the nobility and officials can eat, it''s truly as white as pearls."

 Chapter 39: The Princess Goes to Disaster Relief

    <h4>Chapter 39</h4>

    The Elite: "Actually, we rarely eat white rice either. We mostly eat coarse grains."

    "Who can afford to eat white rice every meal!"

    Before themoners, ministers, and Imperial Concubines could digest these words, Gu Sang''s next few sentences left the ancients breathless once more!

    She said, "In our world, getting an education is not difficult. From the moment every child is born, they receive free vinations from the government, allowing them to grow up healthy and strong."

    "Then there is nine years ofpulsory education. Going to school does not require tuition fees, whether you are rich or poor. As long as you are a Chinese citizen, you can attend public schools."

    "Oh, and there is no discrimination between boys and girls! Girls receive the same treatment!"

    "After the nine years ofpulsory education, if you pass the exam for high school, the government will provide financial aid to those living in poverty. Furthermore, students who perform well can receive schrships to cover their tuition fees, including the government''s Rain and Dew Assistance Program."

    "In short, as long as a child wants to study, there is no need to worry about tuition fees!"

    Boom!

    Gu Sang''s words were like a stone dropped into water, creating waves as tall as a person, with a resounding ssh.

    Themoners were already speechless with envy!

    How could there be such a wonderful country?

    All children, regardless of their birth circumstances, whether poor or wealthy, could receive an education.

    "Oh heavens! How can such a great ce exist in this world?"

    "How can we make our way to your world? My son has always wanted to study. He is very intelligent, and if he could receive an education, he would surely be the Number One sessful candidate."

    "Yes, yes, my son is also very smart, praised for his intelligence by everyone within ten miles. But unfortunately, our family is too poor to afford his education."

    Themoners cried out and shouted, hoping that Gu Sang would reveal the path to her world.

    A ce where they could eat well and receive an education - even if it meant crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, they would embrace the hope and make the journey.

    But¡ª

    Gu Sang slowly shook her head in the face of their envious gazes.

    "We belong to different worlds. You cannote here."

    "But if you can remember everything the teacher just said, it will be enough for you to have ample food and clothing. If the court makes more efforts, in your world too, all children will be able to receive an education!"

    Themoners lowered their heads in disappointment.

    Only after hearing her final words did hope reignite in their hearts.

    That''s right, they could not go to that powerful country, but they could use their own hardworking hands to make this country better.

    Perhaps one day, they too could eat white rice and meat every meal!

    Themoners knelt on the ground, sincerely shouting, "Thank you, immortal, for your guidance. We will not let you down."

    "Yes, we will immediately return and make fertilizer."

    Seeing themoners'' willingness to try new things, Gu Sang smiled with satisfaction, then ended the live broadcast.

    Today''s live broadcast ends here!

    As the screen disappeared, Pei Changying''s eyes were filled with sinister shadows.

    Damn it!

    It seems themoners outside the city also saw Gu Sang''s broadcast. Now that everyone knows the sowing methods, how can he suppress it?

    If he continues to oppose sowing, themoners will surely object!

    Pei Changying asked with a solemn expression, "How is your transcription going? Are those methods truly feasible?"

    After the ministers conferred for a moment, the Minister of Works stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, ording to our discussion, the methods taught by the Noble Consort Gu are highly feasible."

    "Perhaps we could try them on some fertilend, and also experiment with the mentioned tea oil."

    Pei Changying''s face was expressionless, his teeth almost grinding with rage.

    He could only reluctantly say, "Approved."

    The Minister of Works looked pleased and continued, "Your Majesty, should we send people to Fujian and other regions to search for sweet potatoes?"

    The ministers who had previously maintained a skeptical attitude showed a slight change in expression.

    But thinking of the diverse foods and rosy, well-fed faces of the people two thousand yearster, the ministers were moved.

    Perhaps it was time to abandon some conservative mindsets!

    An unusual silence fell upon the court, with no one stepping forward to object.

    A displeased expression shed across Pei Changying''s face. He was already upset at being forced to allow the rice cultivation methods today!

    Now these ministers dared to bring up sweet potatoes?

    Pei Changying immediately let out a cold snort, his words icy and harsh, "You trust Gu Sang so much?"

    "The gue in the southeast has not been resolved, and the national treasury has been depleted for years. You have not even begun to experiment with the crop improvement methods, yet you want to start searching for sweet potatoes!"

    "Do you think the national treasury is so abundant that it can afford such extravagance?"

    "Or are you too hasty and impatient, blindly following the words of a mere woman? What if it fails? Will you take responsibility?"

    The ministers fell silent, not daring to mention anything about sweet potatoes again.

    But Pei Changying would never have imagined!

    It was precisely because of his selfishness and greed;

    It was precisely because he refused to listen to Gu Sang''s methods;

    That he would never have the opportunity to encounter sweet potatoes in his lifetime!

    And it was also because of his arrogance and conceit that the Elder Princess would rise to prominence in the following events!

    A few dayster.

    In the gue-stricken city.

    The Elder Princess, apanied by several Imperial Physicians from the court, traveled a long distance to reach some of the viges most severely affected by the gue.

    After drinking some water at the post station, the Elder Princess did not even rest, immediately leading the Imperial Physicians into the quarantine zone.

    The city gates opened, revealing emaciated vigers sitting in various corners of the city, an air of death and despair emanating from their bodies.

    The entire city was filled with the stench of rotting flesh mixed with a sour, metallic odor.

    Vomit could be seen everywhere on the streets, and motionless corpsesy scattered about.

    Soldiers wearing makeshift cotton masks carried away the unmoving bodies to prevent further spread of the gue.

    As the Elder Princess and her entourage passed by themoners, their eyes, filled with a desperate desire for survival, stared fixedly at the neers, like wolves trapped in a corner, ready to pounce and snatch food.

    Just as themoners were eyeing the Elder Princess and her group with ravenous looks, a loud voice echoed from the end of the street, carrying all the way to the front.

    "Your Highness the Elder Princess, how could you humble yourself toe to this gue zone? It''s too dangerous!"

    Along with the voice, a pair of soldiers came running over.

    Themoners in the quarantine zone were shocked.

    They opened their mouths in a whisper, "The, the Elder Princess... such a revered figure, how could shee to our humble ce?"

    "Has the Emperor sent the Elder Princess to save us?"

    "Are we saved? Woo hoo... Long live the Emperor, the Emperor has not abandoned usmoners!"

    Witnessing the discedmoners in the gue-stricken area, the Elder Princess''s expression grew solemn.

    She was escorted to a rtively clean mansion.

    The Imperial Physicians she brought immediately coordinated with the local physicians, distributing the medicines brought from the pce.

    Just as the Elder Princess finished helping to distribute the medicines, she suddenly heard a sound in her mind.

    "Ding! Please prepare! Connection will open in ten minutes."

 Chapter 40: Gousan, help me, I want the throne

    <h4>Chapter 40</h4>

    The Elder Princess immediately ordered everyone to withdraw.

    Afterwards, she returned to the main hall and sat down, instructing servants to bring paper, brushes, and ink.

    After making all the preparations, the connection was opened.

    Gu Sang''s serene countenance reflected in the Elder Princess''s pupils!

    "How is the situation?"

    Hearing Gu Sang''s inquiry, the Elder Princess''s mind was filled with the desperate gazes of the people: "I have arrived at the gue area. The gue has been temporarily contained, but the condition of the disaster victims is not good."

    "The floodbined with the gue has left corpses scattered everywhere."

    "That useless Pei Changying neither procures food supplies nor controls the disaster situation! When I passed the city gates with the imperial physicians just now, the way those people looked at me..."

    At this point.

    A glimmer of pity shed in the Elder Princess''s eyes as she said in a solemn voice: "Food is scarce, some people might be so desperate as to resort to cannibalism."

    "I have already sent people with my token to nearby towns to gather food supplies. No matter what, ensuring the safety of the people muste first."

    "I only hope we can make it in time. If this drags on further, the people may lose their sanity."

    Gu Sang listened quietly as the Elder Princess outlined her clear and precise ns for the current situation.

    Lacking food? Then procure food!

    Lacking medicinal herbs? Then gather medicinal herbs!

    As long as everyone works together wholeheartedly, they will surely ovee this gue.

    Moreover, with the Elder Princess taking charge here, those officials will also be moremitted and not recklessly massacre the city for their own advancement.

    And the people will temporarily stabilize their emotions!

    "I havee today to deliver food supplies to you."

    "Pei Changying thought he could control me by refusing to order the search for sweet potatoes, but this has only worked in our favor."

    "Elder Princess, after the gue ends, you can dispatch people to Fujian and other regions to find sweet potatoes and other crops...At that time, I will tell you the method to find sweet potatoes."

    When the Elder Princess heard Gu Sang extolling the various advantages of sweet potatoes, her eyes brightened slightly.

    But upon hearing that Pei Changying knew sweet potatoes might exist in Fujian but still did not send anyone to search, instead using it as a threat to force Gu Sang to return and admit her mistakes before allowing the search!

    This part made the Elder Princess sneer repeatedly in disdain.

    She thought he was foolish, but she never expected him to be so absurdly foolish!

    "Indeed."

    The Elder Princess sneered and sighed: "Things not obtained through one''s own efforts are ultimately impossible to hold onto."

    "That useless Pei Changying is not only stupid but also treats life as worthless grass. If I were a man, I would have destroyed his dynasty."

    As these words fell.

    On the other side, Gu Sang raised her eyes.

    She knew that this was the Elder Princess hinting at her!

    So, she might as well add fuel to the fire!

    Gu Sang immediately smiled: "Why must it be a man? In my view, women are no less capable than any man, especially you!"

    The Elder Princess raised her eyebrows slightly: "So you say, you would support me?"

    "I know what you are thinking."

    "You are the Former Emperor''s eldest legitimate daughter. Since childhood, you have been by the Former Emperor''s side. You clearly have ambition and desire, yet because you are a woman, you have never dared to take a step forward!"

    "Do you know why Pei Changying was able to ascend the throne while you could not?"

    Gu Sang surveyed the Elder Princess''s expressionless eyes and continued: "It''s not simply because you are a woman and he is a man!"

    "It''s because he is greedier than you, crueler than you, and more ruthless than you!"

    "If you had greedily sought the throne from the Former Emperor, if the Former Emperor did not give it to you and you could be as ruthless as Pei Changying in killing your father, if you could mercilessly sever all bonds! Then how could the throne not be yours?"

    Upon hearing this.

    The Elder Princess suddenlyughed out loud.

    Her eyes seemed to mist over, as if she finally understood where she had lost!

    That''s right!

    She was not cruel enough!

    Not greedy enough!

    And not ruthless enough!

    Women are inherently kind and virtuous. Even a shred of greed for power would induce a sense of guilt. When faced with familial bonds, they would be soft-hearted and bind themselves.

    "You are right. Before today, I also wanted that position, but I felt a sense of guilt. I bound and med myself, believing that seizing what did not belong to me was a sin."

    "But thinking about it now, not being greedy is the real sin!"

    "Not being cruel is the sin!"

    "Being soft-hearted is the sin!"

    "If women are not cruel, not greedy, not ruthless, in the end, don''t all rights go to men? Because they are crueler, greedier, and more ruthless!"

    "So--"

    "Gu Sang."

    "Help me. I want that position!"

    "Let me overturn this dynasty! I want the Former Emperor to witness it, for everyone to see that I was born noble! The noblest of nobility, the revered one before whom all officials kneel!!"

 Chapter 41: Taking the Ancients to the Army Tour

    <h4>Chapter 41</h4>

    Look.

    This is the person Gu Sang has chosen.

    After the feeling of guilt buried in her heart disappears, she will not feel guilty for wanting power. She will openly and shamelessly disy her ambition before Gu Sang.

    She said.

    Help me!

    I want to overthrow this dynasty.

    Then¡ª

    Let''s overthrow it!

    My future queen!

    After the call ended, Gu Sang sat on the sofa, her heart pounding with excitement.

    Gu Sang could not forget the Elder Princess''s eyes, brimming with ambition.

    She could not forget how the princess stared into her eyes, steadily and calmly, saying word by word, "Help me ascend to the throne!"

    "The most venerable of the revered."

    "The one before whom all officials kneel."

    "Pei Changying, I told you long ago that you are not worthy of the throne. What I gave you before, I will take back the same way!" Gu Sang raised her eyes, gazing out the window into the distance, a faint smile ying on her lips.

    After the livestream.

    The System sent her a notification that her livestream room had upgraded again.

    This time, the upgrade allowed her to choose someone she had previously connected with and reconnect with them.

    "System, I think I heard you say earlier that after the livestream room upgrades, I can choose to close some of the split screens and livestream only a certain region?"

    "Yes, but the viewership for a single region livestream will decrease. Please choose carefully."

    After receiving the System''s response, Gu Sang smiled subtly.

    This came at the perfect time. She was just about to give the Elder Princess a grand gift, and this gift was something Pei Changying, residing in the pce, did not need to know about!

    The next day.

    At 9 a.m., the phone rang.

    Gu Sang picked up and saw it was a call from President Tang, a film and television executive.

    "President Tang, hello."

    President Tang got straight to the point with a smile, "Miss Gu Sang, I''ve invested in a TV drama script, a modern war drama. We''re still missing a female supporting role, and I think this character would suit you very well. Would you like to give it a try?"

    "Sure, how is the pay calcted?" Gu Sang was most concerned about the money, not the role.

    After all, she wasn''t famous.

    The fame she gained from that short drama would fade away like ashes: dazzling but fleeting.

    Seeing how straightforward Gu Sang was, President Tang appreciated her even more.

    People in the entertainment industry would stretch a single sentence into several, but she came right out and talked about money, which showed her honesty. "I have high hopes for you. For unknown new actors, the pay is usually quite low."

    "The standard rate is 50,000 per episode."

    "The female supporting role will appear in around eight or nine episodes."

    "However, the script has high demands on the actors. For instance, on the battlefield, you can''t just wear a short skirt, put on makeup, and head to the battlefield. The filming has to match the battlefield environment, so I don''t know if you can ept that."

    Gu Sang was silent for a few seconds, then asked earnestly, "Is there an opportunity to negotiate a higher rate?"

    "I know 50,000 is already a lot, but if there''s a chance for more profit, I want to fight for it. I can endure the hardships soldiers face. If you''re worried about my abilities, you can have me audition in person."

    Hearing Gu Sang''s confident words.

    President Tang was not offended; instead, he liked her even more.

    He loved people who dared to openly disy their ambition! Profits had to be fought for with one''s own mouth!

    "The price is negotiable."

    "If you can truly perform this supporting role well, I have another leading role in a period drama that you can consider."

    "This war drama hasn''t started filming yet. The actors need to attend military training exercises first. After the training, I''ll discuss the terms with you."

    "The departure date is set for three days from now. Send me your ID numberter, and I''ll have my assistant book your tickets."

    After finishing the call with President Tang.

    Gu Sang opened WeChat, found President Tang''s ount, and sent him her ID number.

    Soon after, she received the itinerary from President Tang.

    Following that, the airline and railwaypanies sent her ticket purchase information and timing.

    The weather, which had been a bit cool yesterday, turned hot again today.

    Gu Sang, dressed in a floral dress and carrying a bag, was about to go to school to request a leave of absence and instruct the System to start the livestream.

    "Hello, one bowl of pork intestine noodle soup, and an extra fried dough stick, please."

    Gu Sang''s clear voice came from the screen.

    The concubines, officials,moners, and soldiers all looked up at the projection when they heard it!

    Recently, there had been rumors of a celestial being appearing on the city walls and teaching themoners farming knowledge.

    The entire capital was aware of this.

    Manymoners would even walk around outside the city walls for no reason, hoping to encounter the celestial being again.

    "Quick,e look! The celestial being has appeared again!"

    Themoners shouted as they ran over.

    In no time, the area outside the city walls was surrounded bymoners, threeyers deep on both sides, with even the city guards unable to get through and forced to maintain security from the outside.

    From the eyes of the ancients, they could see the scene of Gu Sang eating breakfast.

    Upon seeing this, themoners were immediately stirred into a frenzy. "So that''s the celestial being''s food? It looks crystal clear!"

    "Look, the shopkeeper is actually using a huge pot of oil to fry things. What a waste!"

    "A few days ago, when the divine miracle appeared, the rice looked like real pearls, and they even gave it out for free."

    The ancients stared at the noodle soup in awe.

    They were even more stunned by the oil used for frying the dough sticks.

    For ordinarymoners cooking at home, they would only use a bit of oil on the chopsticks, not a whole pot like Gu Sang was using to fry things so extravagantly.

    It wasn''t just themoners at the city gates who were amazed, even the officials attending court in the main hall were in disbelief.

    They didn''t understand! They didn''t understand how Gu Sang''s world could contain such an endless stream of astonishing things.

    Every time the officials thought they had seen it all.

    The next second.

    Something even more shocking would appear!

    "Did you notice that her clothes are so indecent? Her arms and ankles are exposed! And all the people in her world dress like that."

    "Never mind the clothes, did you see that the celestial being didn''t give any money after eating? She just walked away!"

    "Ah, you don''t know this. I''ve been watching for a few days now. The celestial being didn''t pay with money, but with that glowing thing in her hand called a ''mobile phone.''"

    "Whoah?!"

    "There''s money inside that thing? How much can it hold?!"

    "People in the pce say it''s like a magic treasure box used by celestial beings. It has an endless supply of money. With it, you can eat anything without paying!"

    Themoners and soldiers who had watched the livestreams and knew some modern knowledge nodded their heads proudly.

    They used the most exciting words to exin.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang had taken a bus to school.

    As she approached the dean''s office, she heard sobbinging from inside.

    It sounded like a female student crying.

    Seeing Gu Sang enter, the staff member let the crying girl sit on the sofa to calm down. "Your parents should be here soon. Don''t cry anymore."

    "Crying won''t help. Whatever troubles you have, tell your parents."

 Chapter 42: Modern selling daughters for dowry

    <h4>Chapter 42</h4>

    After consoling the Female Student, the Teacher turned to Gu Sang: "Did you need something, Gu?"

    "Teacher, you previously suggested that I change majors and said the film major would be good. Can I take a leave of absence now?"

    "I just received an invitation for a TV drama and need to go for troop training exercises. As for how long the leave will be, it depends on the schedule."

    The faculty member''s eyes shed with surprise.

    Wasn''t it said that it was very difficult tond a TV drama role?

    It had only been a few days, and this student had already been cast in a drama? And it required training exercises, clearly a major investment production!

    "You can, just fill out this leave of absence application."

    Before Gu Sang could start writing, suddenly a inly dressed rural couple rushed in.

    Their rough hands and feet showed they often did farm work.

    The man was probably around fifty, his face betraying the hardships life had dealt him.

    As soon as he entered, he impatiently scolded the Girl who had been crying: "Why are you so slow! It''s been half a day, and you still haven''t finished the withdrawal paperwork."

    "Are you done yet? We''ll miss the train if you''re anyter."

    Those words made Gu Sang put down her pen.

    She frowned, looking towards the rural couple and the Girl.

    The ancients watching the livestream also stopped their musings about the modern world and stared at the screen.

    The Girl sat on the sofa, constantly wringing her school uniform in her hands. Her reddened eyes showed her resistance and struggle against withdrawing.

    "Mom, Dad......" she said timidly, mustering her courage. "I... I want to study. I don''t want to drop out and get married so young."

    "I absolutely won''t marry someone from out of town. I''ll be good, and after I start working and earning money, I''ll help my brothers save up for down payments."

    "Dad, I don''t want to marry that man..."

    However!

    The words the Girl had resolved to say from her heart did not move the Man. Rage spread across his face, and he took a stride towards her, raising his calloused hand to p her!

    p!

    The room fell silent when that pnded.

    The concubines watching the livestream felt their hearts sink as they saw the Girl''s swollen cheek and her dimmed spirit...

    "Worthless thing! What''s with all this studying?" the Rural Man scolded as he dragged the Girl up from the sofa by her wrist. "A woman doesn''t need to study so much. In the end, you''ll just get married anyway and be a bargain for the groom''s family."

    "Don''t think just because you went to some rinky-dink university that you can fly. I''m your dad, and I still have authority over you!"

    "In the countryside, girls your age already have two kids. I''ve already negotiated the bride price, and today you have toe back with me! I don''t want you getting too wild from all this studying and then refusing to marry out of town when the timees."

    "......"

    For many poor rural families, parents are afraid of losing control over their children and marry their daughters off at a young age.

    They believe:

    Girls will end up married anyway, so they should find a good man - that''s the real victory.

    After all, many university graduates only make a few thousand a month, not as good as just marrying a man young, having kids, since the end result is the same!

    While Gu Sang and the Teacher''s expressions changed slightly, themoners and officials watching the livestream agreed wholeheartedly.

    "Finally, a slip-up! The truthes out."

    "Your Majesty, aren''t these the proper rules in their world?"

    "That old farmer''s right. What use is a woman studying so much except going against traditions?"

    "That''s right, women just need to learn womanly virtues at most."

    "Exactly! Don''t all women just end up serving their husbands? They should focus more on the Three Obediences and Four Virtues!"

    "This is the harm of supporting women''s education - look at that girl daring to defy her father! Our nation''s long-standing filial piety is lost!"

    The scene seemed to give the smug officials an opening to criticize.

    They began denouncing the Girl''s disobedience and mocking things like gender equality, saying in the end the rules were the same as ancient times!

    Look!

    This is the real reaction!

    Everything Gu Sang had portrayed before was an illusion!

    Compared to the officials andmoners'' agreement, thedies of Xuyang Pce were dejected and worried, as if the light that had finally shone into their lives was suddenly taken away.

    In that moment, the concubines and pce maids seemed to realize their own fates.

    Could they... never ovee patriarchy?

    "So even two thousand years in the future, educated women will still be discriminated against and oppressed?"

    "Heh, all parents in the world are the same. Even parents two thousand yearster are just as narrow-minded, thinking women are inferior to men."

    "If the goal of studying is still just to serve a husband after marriage, then maybe education... really can''t change anything."

    The concubines bitterly pursed their lips and lowered their eyes.

    Meanwhile, the Girl was dragged out of the office by her father.

    Using all her strength to break free, she looked around frantically, unsure what to do as tears streamed down her face.

    The Teacher had only heard the Girl say she wanted to drop out, and he had patiently advised her not to give up, to talk to her parents about any difficulties. But he never expected...

    The difficulty came from her parents themselves!

    The Teacher immediately blocked the father''s path and said sternly, "Sir, please calm down!"

    "In today''s society, a girl''s ultimate choice is not just to get married. They have countless options, and education will only benefit them."

    "The fact that your daughter was admitted to our school proves she''s an excellent student."

    But the Rural Man wouldn''t listen and shouted, "I''m not hearing any of that nonsense!"

    "Hurry up and withdraw her, or I''ll file aint against you!"

    "All that sweet talk about countless choices! I see you teachers just want to collect more tuition without considering the plight of the poor. We''re poor, we can''t afford education."

    The Teacher took a deep breath, "Actually, the government has many policies to support university students, you could¡ª"

    But before he could finish, the man rudely cut him off with unyielding stubbornness that made Gu Sang want to smack him upside the head: "Support my ass, I''ve already received the bride price, she has to go with me today!"

    "You dare say teachers don''t get married and have kids too?"

    "Instead of spouting all that philosophical crap, show me something real! What use is all that studying? She''d be better off getting married young while she can and demanding a higher bride price."

    The Teacher was speechless in the face of the man''s brashness, his whole body shaking with anger.

    He nced at the Girl.

    Unfortunately, the Girl did nothing but cry and shout about what she should do and not to force her, without any actual effect!

    As a teacher, he couldn''t make any decisions.

    Instead, it was Gu Sang who was fed up listening to the Girl''s useless sobbing, her brow twitching continuously.

    She hadpletely lost her patience.

    Gu Sang''s face hardened as she snapped at the Girl, "Why are you crying? I''ve been listening to you cry for half an hour here!"

    "Is it any use?"

    "Do you think crying and pleading ''don''t force me'' will make your parents go soft on you?"

    "Tears are the most useless thing. You need to be tough to protect yourself!"

    "It''s because of spineless people like you who don''t take real action that you get thrown into the abyss by your own family! If I were you, I''d either call the police or grab a kitchen knife. Anyone tries to force me to drop out, I''d cut them down."

    "Getting married or going to jail, either way it''s ruining my whole life. I might as well take a few down with me!"

 Chapter 43: Can a Woman Dare to Sever the Father-Daughter Relationship

    <h4>Chapter 43</h4>

    "Instead of crying and whining here and just shaking your head asking what to do, you should take a stand and make a decision."

    "Stop fantasizing about having both. If you want family love, you must get married. If you want freedom, you must be cruel. Those who don''t love you will never love you, no matter how much suffering and hardship you endure!"

    "What exactly are you thinking? Do you want to get married for family love, or do you want to study for yourself?"

    After being scolded by Gu Sang, the girl stood there in a daze.

    Her gaze became even more conflicted.

    Her parents had raised her for twenty years, and she could notpletely let go of her family ties. What girlscking love desire most in their hearts is parental love.

    As long as their parents give them even a little bit of affection, just a little, no matter how wrong they know it is, they will go along with it unconditionally!

    They truly cannot do it! They cannot cut ties with their parents!

    Otherwise...

    Where would this ancient China have so many girls being leeched off by their own families?

    Deep down, they know they shouldn''t, but they deceive themselves and dly ept it!

    "You ill-mannered dead wench, what nonsense are you spouting? We are her parents, and we''re doing it for her own good! She dares to try cutting us with a knife?"

    "And call the police? Pfft! As expected, too much studying turns them all into white-eyed wolves!"

    "Why are you still standing there? You worthless money-wasting goods,e here and obediently go home and get married."

    The woman, who had remained silent until now, was enraged.

    She scolded Gu Sang with a torrent of abuse, then rushed over in a few strides, grabbed the girl''s arm, and tried to drag her out.

    The girl''s eyes were filled with fear. She violently pushed the woman''s body away and ran outside in a panic.

    Seeing this, the couple red angrily at Gu Sang.

    Then they hurried after her.

    The woman wailed at the girl''s retreating back, "Oh my! Our daughter has grown up and started hitting her mother!"

    "We toiled to raise you for twenty years! Through all the diapers and feedings, we raised you to this age. When you had a fever as a child, I braved the rain and rode a bicycle ten kilometers to take you for an injection."

    "Damn it! And now you''ve be a white-eyed wolf!"

    "You dead wench! You''re not going toe with us today, are you? You don''t even want your parents anymore, do you?"

    The woman''s wailing voice reached the girl''s ears.

    Screech¡ª

    Her fleeing footsteps abruptly stopped. The girl stood there rigidly, her face filled with despair and anguish.

    Thismotion quickly drew the attention of the other students, who came running over to watch. Seeing so many students gathering, the woman''s cries became even more frantic.

    At first, hearing these cries, it sounded like some terrible disaster had urred.

    But when the students asked what was happening!

    They heard the couple shouting about their unfilial daughter, endlessly repeating that a woman who studies so much is useless and might as well go home and get married early to buy a house for her brother.

    Ah!

    So it was the vulgar practice of trading daughters for dowries.

    In an instant, the well-meaning and innocent students surrounded the couple and angrily scolded them: "Are you even human? Forcing your own daughter to trade for a dowry!"

    "I can''t believe it''s still the 21st century, and there are parents like you. I thought the TV dramas were exaggerating, but now I see they were actually being conservative."

    "Don''t you know that these days, even for going out to work, they look at your education credentials? You''re cutting off your daughter''s future prospects."

    "Pfft, she''s already an old maid at twenty? In big cities, the marriageable age is up to 35 now! Idiots!"

    "Being poor is not a crime, but having parents like you is!"

    "......"

    All sorts of insults spewed from the mouths of the surrounding students.

    These voices all entered the ears of the ancients! Their pupils dted in shock!

    Just a minute ago!

    All! All the ancients were firmly convinced that these onlookers would scold the girl for being unfilial and help the parents make their case.

    After all, it was the gratitude for raising a child, a debt as heavy as a mountain that can never be fully repaid.

    But they never imagined that these students would be so outrageous, not saying a word when they initially didn''t understand the situation.

    Once they understood what was really going on, they directly stood in front of the girl, scolding and berating the couple.

    Themoners gaped in shock, muttering in disbelief: "How... how could so many people take that girl''s side?"

    "These people are asking to be struck by lightning!"

    "Not to mention marrying for a dowry, even selling a daughter into very would be normal!"

    "No matter how many mistakes parents make, as children, we should never me our parents."

    "A woman''s greatest role is to be a wife and mother. In this future era, if women are not women, this country will perish."

    Seeing the situation escting, both the livestream ancients and the surrounding students grew more and more numerous.

    The couple, who had originally intended to take the moral high ground as parents, hadn''t even had a chance to emotionally manipte their daughter with familial obligations before being berated by the students.

    Relying on age and status didn''t work!

    Favoring sons over daughters didn''t work either!

    The couple was so angry they felt like their lungs would burst.

    The two of them simply charged forward to grab the girl, intending to drag her away by force.

    "What are you doing?! Abducting someone?"

    "Let go! At my school, I won''t let you take away my student!"

    The situation escted to the point that the dean and several teachers hurried over.

    Seeing the dean arrive, the couple immediately became meek.

    But thinking of the dowry, the woman still puffed out her chest and shouted defiantly, "Who do you think you are? We''re her parents and have the right to decide everything for her!"

    "She was born from me, so even if I beat her to death, she deserves it."

    The dean strode over, having not heard such a shockingly backward mindset in many years. Hearing it now, his worldview was truly shattered.

    The dean said sternly, "Fine! Then try hitting her once!"

    "There are so many students here as witnesses, and this professor from thew department is also a special assistant to the court. He has recorded everything you''ve said and done."

    "Let''s see if you beat your daughter to death, or if the court sentences you for intentional assault!"

    Thew professor red coldly at the couple.

    From the moment he appeared, he had been recording video. After the dean introduced him, he solemnly said to the girl, "Don''t be afraid."

    "As long as you still want to study, no one can force you."

    "If anyone tries to force you, ourw school will support you and help you file awsuit."

    "It''s this day and age, and there are still such narrow-minded parents. It''s not your fault. You must bravely resist. No one can decide your future."

    The other students were fired up and eagerly echoed in response:

    "That''s right, don''t be afraid of these two leeches disguised as parents!"

    "I''m from the journalism department. I can help you report this incident so everyone knows you have parasitic parents and brother."

    "I''m a ninth-degree ck belt. If anyone tries to force you away with violence, I''ll protect you."

    "I''m on the student council. If you have any difficulties,e to the student council. If you''re short on cash, I can rmend some part-time jobs for you."

    "I, I can also help. My dad has apany, and you can work there during the summer and winter breaks..."

 Chapter 44: In modern times, no one can force a woman to marry

    <h4>Chapter 44</h4>

    Before her, so many students stretched out their hands to help her.

    She thought, she thought...

    These people would mock her for having parents who valued sons over daughters, andugh at her foring from a rural vige, but she never expected that they would all help her instead!

    With so many people standing behind her, if she still retreated, she would truly deserve to be married off!

    The girl''s eyes welled up with tears, a glint of determination shing through them as she abruptly raised her head.

    Choking back her words, she said one syble at a time: "Th-ank, you, all!"

    "Mom and dad, if you force me again, this may be thest time I call you!"

    "I want to study. I firmly believe that after I graduate, I will definitely find a good job. From today onwards, I will not ask for a single cent from home, and I will pay you back all the money you spent on me."

    "I think they are right, it''s not my responsibility to support my brothers. If I help them buy houses and cars, what about me? What about my life?"

    "So, please don''te to school to disturb me anymore!"

    "I have my own life. I am not your essory. I will not be held hostage by family affection and be married off for a dowry. If you force me, I will act as if I don''t have parents like you!"

    The girl''s determined words fell like a meteor from the heavens, thundering upon the heads of the ancients.

    All the ancients stood rooted to the ground, unable to move.

    One by one, their mouths gaped open to the extreme, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

    Oh my, what did they just witness!

    This... this girl actually broke ties with her parents?

    Themoners shook their heads in bewilderment: "How could her words be so sharp, like a knife stabbing into her parents'' hearts, after they raised her for so long."

    "The people from that ce, how can they all support the woman''s words? That world is not normal."

    "How terrifying, this must be the scheming of the Imperial Consort, intending to subvert our thoughts and let women rule over us."

    Hearing these words, Gu Sangughed.

    Who is so clever to have guessed right?

    Yes! She does intend to change this dynasty!

    Not long from now, after witnessing modern gender equality and freedom of love, would the ancient women who were content to depend on men still willingly submit?

    No, they would try to rebel, try to step into the light!

    In the Xuyang Pce.

    Consort Zhao and the others saw this scene and tears silently streamed down their faces: "Wuwuwuwu....."

    "Sister Gu Sang, I saw it, I saw what you spoke of - equality for all, equality between men and women, and women can freely love."

    "Yes, in every ce there are parents who sell their daughters for glory, but the difference is, in your world it is not allowed, while in ours, it is right."

    "I thought these students and teachers would condemn the daughter, I really thought so, but I never expected that they would all....."

    "It turns out that not wanting to marry can be supported, and rejecting a marriage arranged by parents will not be scorned, how wonderful and beautiful a heaven, but s, it has nothing to do with me."

    "Oh God, in my next life let me be reborn there. I don''t want to stay in this deep pce and live for the sake ofpeting for favor. Wuwuwuwu......"

    These consorts, ah.

    They watched with their own eyes as this girl, from her initial weakness and tears, to herter courage in voicing her own thoughts and breaking ties with her parents to pursue education.

    Was this not a reflection of each and every one of them?

    They too had resisted in the past, but always ended in failure.

    Because in the ancient world they resided in, it leaned towards men, and their resistance was not just against the entire patriarchal society, but against the very rules of the world itself.

    The moment they revealed even a sliver of independent thought, they would be torn to shreds by this world, drowned in the spittle of countless people.

    That girl''s earlier life was unfortunate.

    But how much more fortunate was shepared to them, at least having the right to choose to escape the cage confining her.

    As for them, they could only consume their lives day after day in the luxurious golden pce.

    This farcical scene caused all the ancient viewers of the broadcast to begin deep contemtion.

    Some notions had even nted seeds in the hearts of themoner women, awaiting eruption at any moment.

    Pei Changying''s hand was hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly, as if something had slipped from his grasp and no matter how hard he grasped, he could not hold onto it.

    "To glory in being unfilial, how utterly preposterous!"

    "Gu Sang, you im to be so benevolent, sticking your nose into that woman''s business, then why don''t you take care of themoners here."

    "They are still waiting for you toe back and save them. How can you be so heartless as to watch them die."

    "Your Majesty, I promise you, I will not pursue your past crimes anymore. As long as youe back and repent, I will immediately issue an edict to save the disaster victims and find sweet potatoes and potatoes!"

    Hearing these words, Gu Sang frowned with displeasure.

    What kind of nonsense was this?

    Oh, it''s this fool again!

    Even now he dares to threaten her with themoners? What rubbish!

    Gu Sang closed the broadcast with a snap.

    Toozy to even give the scumbag man a reaction.

    Watching the image suddenly disappear, Pei Changying''s expression turned as if he was constipated, his face darkening in an instant as he gnashed his teeth in impotent rage:

    "Gu Sang, you vile woman, I have already given you a chance!"

    "This is yourst chance, if youe begging me to returnter, I will not give you the opportunity!"

    Under the iron grip of the Elder Princess,

    Food was quickly sent to the disaster areas!

    With ample provisions, coupled with the gue remedies brought by the Imperial Physicians, the gue waspletely controlled within half a month.

    During this period, the Elder Princess personally took charge of everything, even cooking porridge and delivering food in front of themoners.

    Whenever themoners saw the Elder Princess arrive, they became extremely excited, their eyes filled with admiration and gratitude.

    *Ding!*

    *Virtue increased by 130,000!*

    *Livestream upgraded, free to choose multiple screen views!*

    *Upgraded to MAX screen size!*

    The next second, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky over the gue area. People hurriedly looked up, could it be raining?

    Immediately after!

    In full view of everyone, a giant screen appeared in mid-air.

    The screen towered several meters above the city walls, projected in mid-air, allowing everyone in the entire town to clearly see the image.

    "The sky has cracked open!!!"

    "It doesn''t seem like the sky cracked open, there are people inside, could it be the immortals from the legends really exist?"

    "Is the sky going to fall? It looks so dark and scary."

    Amidst the fearful murmurs of the crowd, the Elder Princess remained remarkably calm.

    She stood up, her presence warm yet powerful: "Don''t worry, if we could ovee even the gue, then even if the sky falls, I can support it for you all."

    Themoners, seeing the Elder Princess''s proud and independent stance between the heavens and earth, were filled with waves of emotion.

    She was a woman, yet more formidable than any grown man.

    She said, if the sky were to fall, she would hold it up.

    You''re right, if it weren''t for Elder Princess arriving in time, thesemoners would have been massacred!

    At this moment, the screen flickered.

    Gu Sang''s figure immediately reflected on the screen!

    She was wearing a white dress, with crushed diamonds studded at the neckline. Sunlight streamed through the ss window, casting a dazzling radiance.

    Elder Princess looked up at Gu Sang.

    Facing the astonishedmoners, she pointed at Gu Sang, her voice ringing in their ears like the winds of Guxi.

    "Open your eyes wide and look closely, the cure for the gue was given by her. The reason your illnesses recovered so quickly is because of her!"

    "She is also your life-saving benefactor."

    "Remember her name - Gu Sang!"

 Chapter 45: The People of the City Rebelled

    <h4>Chapter 45</h4>

    The citizens who were panicked just a second ago, upon hearing the Elder Princess''s words, mostly knelt excitedly before Gu Sang.

    But some citizens were still puzzled, murmuring that it was supposed to be the Emperor who sent the Elder Princess to save them, wasn''t it?

    Shouldn''t it be the imperial family who rescues them?

    "Elder Princess, how is the situation under control?"

    "Thanks to your cure and istion methods, everything is under control now. The death toll is less than a thousand."

    In the past, when gues broke out, the deaths would be in the tens of thousands!

    Gu Sang and the Elder Princess exchanged a smile, both seeing the zing ambition in each other''s eyes as they looked at the kneeling citizens expressing gratitude.

    From this moment on, the countdown for Pei Changying''s imperial throne had begun!

    Gu Sang asked the people to rise.

    She heard the doubts and confusion from below, so she immediately pointed at the Elder Princess in front of all the citizens.

    With words that were resolute, powerful, and shook their hearts, she said, "I know you are all wondering why it was me who saved you and not the Emperor."

    "Very well, I shall tell you now!"

    "Half a month ago, I learned of the gue that broke out here and passed on the cure and istion methods to the Emperor! But not only did the Emperor not act, he even threatened to force me to be his consort by holding your lives at stake!"

    "Transmitting the cure through illusions was already my limit; I had no way to descend upon this world in person. But the Emperor did not believe me and grew increasingly selfish, disregarding your lives."

    "I did not want to see the citizens be disced refugees, with corpses littering the city. So I sent word to the Elder Princess, asking her to bring the cure for the gue."

    "You must remember, the Elder Princess was your destined savior."

    "And that mighty Emperor, in order to force me to appear as his consort, heartlessly abandoned you! This is no secret; you can ask the imperial physicians if it is true!"

    "It was the Elder Princess who defied the Emperor''s orders and came to save you, risking her own life!"

    "And the Emperor who treats human life as mere grass, had clearly researched the cure long ago but dyed taking action! Would you still support such an Emperor?"

    These few short sentences left all the citizens stunned.

    They immediately turned to look at the imperial physicians.

    The physicians could only bite their lips and lower their heads in disappointment, acknowledging before the citizens that the Emperor indeed knew about the gue and had a cure, but dyed giving the order to save lives.

    So it was true...

    The Divine Lady spoke the truth?

    The Emperor selfishly abandoned an entire city of citizens?

    To force the Divine Lady to appear as his consort, he was willing to discard tens of thousands of lives?

    The people went from shock and disappointment to coldness in their hearts, then to self-mockery.

    They had already survived death; what was there to be heartbroken about? It was nothing new for Emperors to be heartless!

    Soon, the citizens epted this fact and shouted loudly at the Elder Princess:

    "The Emperor abandoned us! He had the cure but didn''t order disaster relief!"

    "It was the Elder Princess who saved our lives."

    "If not for the Elder Princess defying orders anding here, forcibly ordering the nearby granaries to release grain for disaster relief, we would have starved to death long ago! From now on, we support the Elder Princess!"

    "Support the Elder Princess!"

    Voices of anguish and excitement echoed back and forth throughout the city.

    Thunderous sounds came from the distant sky, as if their cries had resounded to the heavens and were answered by the world itself.

    Gu Sang looked at these impassioned citizens.

    She knew.

    This time.

    Pei Changying''s reputation was utterly ruined!

    Time to proceed to the next step!

    Gu Sang nced at the Elder Princess and spoke, "I know you need arge amount of grain after the disaster, so today I shall bring you good news."

    "In Fujian and Lingnan, there is a crop called sweet potatoes..."

    As Gu Sang exined the uses of sweet potatoes, she showed them the tubers and vines.

    To help them recognize this crop when the time came.

    The citizens listened to Gu Sang''s words about sweet potatoes, their eyes shining brightly.

    Sweet potatoes, once nted, would yield so much that even pigs couldn''t finish them??

    There was such a wonderful thing under heaven!!

    The Elder Princess saw that the time was ripe and immediately began recruiting able-bodied men on the spot, "In a few days, I will lead people to the ces the Divine Lady mentioned, Fujian and Lingnan, to find sweet potatoes."

    "Those regions are vast with few people, so I need to recruit a few hundred able-bodied men to join me in the search."

    "The Emperor also knows about sweet potatoes, but he strictly forbids officials from seeking them out because he believes sweet potatoes are a foreign crop, and eating them would be undignified."

    The citizens heard this and thought, "......"

    The soldiers in the city: ???

    Our lives were almost lost, and he talks about dignity?

    The Emperor must have eaten his fill!

    But what about the citizens?

    Tens of thousands froze to death outside the city walls while the pce feasted on meat and wine, didn''t they? Without food, what dignity is there!

    The Elder Princess sessfully fanned the citizens'' anger and discontent, continuing, "Citizens, you will only have a chance to survive if you find the sweet potato vines the Divine Lady spoke of!"

    "Only then will you have a chance to eat your fill every day and never go hungry again!"

    "Floods could not drown you, gue could not defeat you, so what about food? What will you do!"

    The people''s blood boiled as they shouted hoarsely, "Go find the sweet potato vines! Food cannot defeat us!"

    "We want to live!"

    "The Emperor heartlessly disregarded our lives and deaths, but we cannot wait to die. We want to live, we want to eat! We will listen to the Divine Lady and the Elder Princess!"

    The Elder Princess immediately arranged for her attendants to register these people.

    Later, she would personally select a few hundred able-bodied men to go to Lingnan.

    Very good.

    Things were progressing smoothly.

    "Then I wish you sess in advance." Gu Sang smiled and closed the broadcast.

    Ten minutester.

    The Elder Princess received a message from the system.

    Prepare to establish a connection.

    The Elder Princess left the crowd and went to a dpidated, uninhabited house, where arge patch of sunlight shone through the roof, illuminating the empty and deste interior.

    The two women faced each other and smiled.

    Gu Sang looked at the dignified woman standing before her and said, "You are even more outstanding than I imagined."

    "Elder Princess, in a few days I will teach you a militarized management system that you can apply to the soldiers you recruit."

    "This militarized management system will be far superior to the court training I improved before."

    "It includes techniques for field operations, reconnaissance,bat, and more. After training, each soldier''s potential will be a match for a hundred enemies, a level your era cannotpare to."

    Hearing Gu Sang mention the militarized management system.

    The Elder Princess remembered a few years ago when Gu Sang had also reformed the current imperial army. At that time, the Elder Princess had secretly studied management principles.

    Little did she expect that Gu Sang would say that it was still notprehensive enough!

    If her soldiers could defeat a hundred enemies with just one man, then overthrowing Pei Changying''s kingdom would be imminent.

    The Elder Princess had already begun to look forward to it!

    "Gu Sang, I won''t say too many words of thanks."

    "The position that Pei Changying is sitting in, I will take it! I will definitely overthrow this dynasty, and I will lead the women of this era to create an independent and self-reliant world of gender equality!"

    "Also, don''t call me the Elder Princess anymore. My name is: Pei Weiqi!"

    "''Qi'' means boundary, and ''Wei'' means to defend, to safeguard!"

 Chapter 46: Awakening No More Fighting for Favor

    <h4>Chapter 46</h4>

    She was the Former Emperor''s most revered and eldest princess, and this name represented both nobility and her father''s hopes and sighs for her.

    But Father.

    You don''t need to sigh.

    It''s fine for me to be a woman. Thousands upon thousands of years ago, there were no rules stating that women could not be emperors. Rules are made by humans - men are human, and women are human too!

    If that''s the case, why can''t I defend the borders? Why can''t I be an emperor?

    ......

    It didn''t take long for news of the Elder Princess leading imperial physicians to treat diseases in the gue-stricken areas to spread to the Imperial Pce.

    Today.

    Pei Changying finally learned about it.

    When he heard that the Elder Princess had taken the medication prescribed by Gu Sang to treat and help people, he was so enraged that his veins bulged! Wave after wave of fury surged over him!

    How dare Gu Sang do this!

    She clearly lived outside the pce, so how would she know there was an epidemic, and how would she know the Imperial Medical Academy had medication?

    There must be a mole in the pce!

    Pei Changying ordered an investigation, and within half a day, they discovered that Consort Zhao had secretly written to the Elder Princess, which was how the Elder Princess learned about the epidemic.

    "Vile woman! Vile woman!!"

    "That cursed Gu Sang must have brainwashed these consorts!"

    "Go! Seize Consort Zhao immediately!"

    The guards acted swiftly, and within the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Consort Zhao was brought to the main hall.

    The once noble consort was violently thrown to the ground by Pei Changying.

    Her headdress scattered across the floor, and she looked utterly disheveled.

    Pei Changying stared down at Consort Zhao with a cold gaze, as if he wanted to kill her: "Consort Zhao! Tell me, why did you betray me?"

    Consort Zhao knelt miserably on the ground, shaking her head and crying: "I have never betrayed you, my lord. I simply couldn''t bear to see the people suffering."

    "Your Majesty, they are your subjects. How could you be so heartless as to abandon them?"

    Pei Changying''s eyes were filled with icy cruelty.

    He raised his hand and pped Consort Zhao across the face!

    Instantly!

    Consort Zhao was struck down, her face burning and reddening.

    Pei Changying suppressed his urge to stab her to death and said coldly, word by word: "You''re just a consort. Who gave you the audacity to meddle in the affairs of themon people!"

    "Moreover, I was waiting for Gu Sang to admit her mistakes! If I persisted, Gu Sang would surely soften and admit her wrongs."

    "It''s all because of your meddling, vile woman! I really want to cut you down with a sword! If not for the fact that you saved the people''s lives, I would have stripped you of your consort rank right here and thrown you into the Pce of Exile."

    Consort Zhao covered her throbbing, shuddering face and looked down at the smooth marble floor, a hint of sarcasm ying at the corners of her mouth.

    The Pce of Exile?

    Stripped of her consort rank?

    In the past, she may have cared about status and family honor.

    But now, she didn''t care anymore!

    In this pce that was like a cage, living each day in a daze, with eyes open or closed consumed by the struggle for favor, she was truly sick of it!!

    She remembered what Sister Sang had said during the year she was imprisoned in the Pce of Exile: ''If my life is destined to be confined in the depths of the pce, vying for favor, then I am merely a walking corpse, no different from death.''

    ''It would be better to burn out my life, even if brilliantly for just a moment, than to live an unwilling lifetime.''

    Now.

    Consort Zhao had seen the freedom of modern women, and she too felt that being confined in the pce for a lifetime was no match for burning brilliantly for a moment!

    Ultimately, Pei Changying did not punish Consort Zhao further. In front of the officials, he did not dare kill Consort Zhao outright, merely docking her sry for three months as a warning.

    As the Son of Heaven, he could not punish her for saving the people''s lives!

    That would only make the officials and the people resentful and disillusioned!

    In contrast, after returning from the main hall, Consort Zhao sat motionless in a chair for a long time.

    She was clear in her heart that while the Emperor had spared her publicly, he would surely find an excuse to retaliate against her in secret.

    So, after returning to her pce quarters, she summoned all of her maidservants.

    After making arrangements for the maidservants'' future, Consort Zhao suddenly showed a rxed smile. Looking at the kneeling maidservants, she said: "Those who wish to leave the pce, hurry and depart. I have made all the necessary arrangements."

    "If you stay here, you will only be implicated by me."

    "Oh, Your Majesty is truly heartless."

    "Leave now, or you may not be able toter."

    The maidservants wept and knelt, kowtowing: "Thank you, Your Ladyship, for providing us a way out."

    Consort Zhao sat in the courtyard, watching the maidservants take the money and leave.

    Gradually, fewer and fewer remained.

    Suddenly.

    A pce maid crept in, weeping as she knelt before Consort Zhao.

    "This servant thanks Your Ladyship for your kindness in allowing me to leave the pce. I will never forget your great grace and virtue, and shall burn incense and pray for you three times a day at home."

    This pce maid was the one who had first connected with Gu Sang, the confused maid.

    Ever since receiving Gu Sang''s guidance, she had sought every possible way to leave the pce.

    But ording to pce rules, after turning 25 she would still have to wait for an opportunity to leave. If not for Consort Zhao''s kindness, she didn''t know when she would be able to leave.

    Hearing the grateful maid''s words, Consort Zhaoughed derisively: "I am no immortal, there is no need to burn incense for me."

    "If I were truly an immortal, I would go to where Sister Sang is and never return."

    "Go now, or you won''t be able to leave!"

    The pce maid left, turning back repeatedly.

    The entire pce was now deserted, with only Consort Zhao remaining.

    Consort Zhao broke into loudughter as she surveyed the deste pce.

    Consort rank?

    Noble consort rank?

    Imperial consort rank? None of thempared to the freedom of Sister Sang''s world!

    She rose slowly and gazed at the curved crescent moon''s shadow, dancing gracefully.

    At this moment.

    It was as if she had returned to that moonlit night years ago, when she danced in the courtyard to the sound of the flute, while her beloved watched from the side...

    "Consort Zhao, His Majesty has summoned you. Pleasee with me!"

    The eunuch''s piercing voice shattered the sentimental reverie.

    So they''vee?

    Very well.

    She was no longer afraid of anything.

 Chapter 47: Pei Changying loses popular support

    <h4>Chapter 47</h4>

    Three dayster.

    Gu Sang woke up early to pack her things. She changed into a sportswear outfit, which would make it more convenient for her to travel.

    First, she had to take the high-speed train. Before leaving, Gu Sang checked all her documents and credentials.

    With everything ready, Gu Sang started her live stream.

    Unexpectedly!

    As soon as she opened the live stream, she saw several consorts kneeling before her in the camera view of the Xuyang Pce.

    "Sister Sang, please save Consort Zhao. The Emperor is about to beat her to death!"

    "Consort Zhao disobeyed the Emperor''s orders and secretly went to seek help from the Elder Princess to aid the disaster victims. But the news reached the capital, and it seems the Elder Princess rescued an entire city of people. Those people apparently want to follow the Elder Princess now..."

    "When the Emperor learned of this, he didn''t say anything that day, but the next day he found an excuse to nder Consort Zhao as unchaste and sent her to the Pce of Exile. Every night we can hear her screams of agony echoing from the Pce of Exile."

    Gu Sang stood expressionless, her face showing no emotion, but deep down she wished she could stab Pei Changying to death.

    She knew Pei Changying would be furious.

    But at least he should have maintained appearances, right?

    He should have waited a few months before punishing Consort Zhao!

    But she never expected that, for the sake of forcing her to admit her wrongdoings, Pei Changying would throw away all pretense and disregard his reputation! On that very day, he ndered Consort Zhao as unchaste!

    Gu Sang took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in her eyes.

    Sheforted the consorts, "Don''t cry, I won''t let this go. Tell her to stay strong."

    "Tell her to wait for me!"

    "Your Consort Zhao is an extraordinary woman. She saved 130,000 people and rescued an entire city from disaster!"

    "Heaven bears witness. Pei Changying is unworthy of his position, and retribution wille sooner orter!"

    When the live stream appeared, the atmosphere in the grand hall was tense to the extreme.

    Zhao''s Father dared to question Pei Changying in the grand hall, asking why he had to torture his daughter so cruelly. His voice was full of bleeding sorrow, his eyes filled with disappointment.

    Upon hearing Gu Sang''s voice from the live stream, Pei Changying abruptly raised his head.

    His bloodshot eyes red at Gu Sang, as if he wanted to crush her to pieces!

    That damned poisonous woman, ever since she returned to that modern world, she had been deceiving people with her words on the live stream, causing his subjects to lose faith in him!

    She had caused rumors to spread throughout the capital, iming that the Emperor disregarded the lives of an entire city!

    "You still dare toe out and say such things as ''Heaven bears witness'' and ''unworthy of his position''?"

    "I''ll tell you, I am the heaven itself!"

    "No one can defy my orders, let alone Consort Zhao colluding with the Elder Princess. I haven''t even pursued that matter. What I''m pursuing is her unchastity!"

    "She dared to keep another man''s intimate belongings. Her crime of deceiving the Emperor deserves death a thousand times over! I will torture her day and night!"

    "Gu Sang, this time, even if you beg me, it will be useless, unless you appear before me today and admit your wrongdoings!"

    Upon hearing this, Zhao''s Father cried out in anguish, iming his daughter''s innocence.

    Of course it was a false usation!

    What unchastity?

    That was just an excuse fabricated by Pei Changying to torture Consort Zhao!

    Gu Sang was utterly disgusted by this man. She spoke coldly and ruthlessly, "You will probably be disappointed, as you won''t see me begging pitifully, nor will you be able to strike my face. A person like you who breaks his promises doesn''t deserve anyone''s trust!"

    "Pei Changying, will you persist in your delusion?"

    "Consort Zhao saved the lives of an entire city, yet in your eyes, that is called collusion?"

    "Controlling tens of thousands of gue victims is called betrayal?"

    "In your eyes, the only thing that matters is the throne, isn''t it? You don''t even bother pretending anymore, and directly nder Consort Zhao as unchaste!"

    "Can''t you see the looks the officials in this hall are giving you?"

    "Can''t you see the coldness of the people in that city toward you?"

    "They are utterly disappointed in you! Even the most loyal old officials can''t believe that you could be so cruel to your own subjects."

    "Consort Zhao''s heart was for the realm. What crime has shemitted? By ndering and torturing Consort Zhao like this, aren''t you afraid that one day power will turn against you?"

    After she finished speaking.

    "Bang!"

    Pei Changying kicked over the imperial desk with his foot. "Shut up! Gu Sang! Even now, you''re still sowing discord! You want to turn me against the people and officials!"

    His eyes were red as he red at Gu Sang''s face, which seemed to be separated from him by tens of thousands of miles despite being only a few meters away. He was so angry that his scalp was trembling.

    All the civil and military officials knelt on the ground in the grand hall. They slightly raised their heads and saw Pei Changying''s enraged and ashamed expression...

    Was this Emperor still the sovereign they should follow?

    For his own selfish reasons, he didn''t hesitate to nder a loyal person who had saved the people.

    Because he was unwilling to admit it, he forbade the officials from searching for the sweet potatoes and threatened to make Gu Sang return and admit her wrongdoings.

    They opened their mouths, wanting to advise him, but in the end they remained silent and lowered their heads...

    Zhao''s Father was even more enraged, his eyes turning red. There were rumors in the pce that Consort Zhao was being tortured by the Emperor day and night.

    As a father pleading for his daughter, he was publicly humiliated by the Emperor in the court. If it weren''t for the officials speaking up for him, he might have lost his position.

    At this moment, hearing the wordsing out of Pei Changying''s mouth,

    Zhao''s Father was utterly disheartened and deeply disappointed...

    "Sowing discord?"

    "Heh, you can think that way if you want, but people''s hearts are not something you can control!"

    "And I will not be threatened by you!"

    "Forget it, I''m going to take the high-speed train now, and then aer. Heaven is watching, and I''m waiting for you to fall and shatter into pieces." Gu Sang suppressed her anger and withdrew her gaze, silently vowing in her heart, "Don''t be afraid, Consort Zhao. Once I make the arrangements, I will save you..."

    After getting off the high-speed train at the station, she followed the crowd through security.

    Inside, there was an extremelyrge waiting room.

    At a nce, the end of this waiting room was out of sight.

    Gu Sang found a spot to sit down.

    The camera then turned back to the grand hall, where the officials had not yet recovered from the shock. They didn''t even dare to breathe heavily, while only the people outside watching the live stream were engaged in heated discussions.

    The people widened their eyes, gazing at the screens. "What are they waiting for? Why are they all sitting there?"

    "Look, why is everyone holding a box?"

    "This must be for war, right? Otherwise, why would there be so many people?"

    "Hah, you see many weak women there. How could it possibly be for war? If women could go to war, wouldn''t the nation perish!"

    As the ancients debated, the atmosphere in the grand hall also began to shift.

    The officials slowly raised their heads and began to examine the high-speed train room shown in the video.

    At this moment.

    The announcement echoed throughout the waiting room, and immediately many people lined up at the ticket gate.

    Seeing themoners'' wild guesses, Gu Sang spoke up to exin: "Don''t worry, these people aren''t going to war, but rather going on a long journey."

    "A ce that would take you a month to reach, I can get there in half a day."

    "What I''m about to take is a high-speed train, which can travel between 250 to 350 kilometers in half an hour."

    As he was exining, the announcement sounded again.

    Gu Sang carried his luggage and went to queue for the ticket gate.

    The ancient people opened their eyes wide and listened, and when they heard that it could travel 350 kilometers in half an hour, they were dumbfounded!

    350??

    What kind of concept is that!

    Then, then doesn''t that mean in less than two hours, one could travel a thousand miles?!

    "That''s... impossible, even the most precious thousand-mile horse can''t run that fast!"

    "Yeah! A thousand-mile journey in two hours, only immortals can achieve that? Even immortals can''t fly that fast!"

    "What is this high-speed train, to be so terrifying?"

 Chapter 48: Ignited Ancient people are amazed by the high-speed rail

    <h4>Chapter 48</h4>

    As soon as they exited the station, the outside instantly opened up.

    Most high-speed rail stations are chosen in rather remote locations, so most citizens who are ustomed to tall buildings were startled for a few seconds upon seeing the barren mountains.

    Right after that.

    A sense of superiority naturally arose: "Their ce is not that great either, even the roads are so bumpy, bumpier than ours."

    "Yeah, it looks so deste, not every ce is prosperous there."

    "Wait! Look, isn''t that a giant python?"

    Following the exmation of the ancients, what looked like a giant python suddenly arrived in front of the tform in the blink of an eye.

    As the giant python gradually came to a halt.

    The doors opened, and the queuing crowd surged in.

    The ancients were dumbfounded, and the ministers who dared not speak showed a look of realization - so this was the high-speed rail that Noble Consort had spoken of?

    Finding seats;

    Storing luggage.

    Taking their seats, in one smooth motion.

    Gu Sang leaned against the window seat. A few minutester, the high-speed rail began to set off.

    The scenery outside shed by at high speed, and soon they saw green mountains and waters.

    Almost a new scene every two or three seconds.

    What astonished them even more was -

    At such high speeds, they saw people inside the high-speed rail still sleeping, eating as if they felt no shaking at all!

    They stared in disbelief with wide eyes.

    If not for the constantly changing scenery outside the window, they would even doubt if the high-speed rail had moved at all.

    "Oh my! So this is the high-speed rail? Not only is it countless times faster than a horse, but it''s also so stable, even water ced on a table by an immortal wouldn''t ripple!"

    "There are so many tall buildings outside, so tall, at least a few hundred zhang high! How were they built?"

    "Look, more and more people are getting on, can the high-speed rail really amodate so many people?"

    "I finally understand why the high-speed rail runs outside the wilderness, at such high speeds, wouldn''t it crash into houses if it ran in the city?"

    Exmations of astonishment from the ancients rang in their ears.

    Gu Sang nced casually, then closed her eyes to rest.

    She sat in the window seat.

    In the middle seat sat a man with rather lecherous features.

    In the aisle was a young woman wearing a tube dress, sunsses, and big curly hair with a butterfly tattoo on her arm, looking very opinionated and domineering.

    The Man first nced at the woman''s chest on his right, but immediately dismissed the thought after seeing her tattoo.

    Then he looked at Gu Sang again...

    With a gentle and reserved air, she appeared to be an polite college student who hadn''t seen much of the world.

    The Man pretended to doze off and leaned his head toward Gu Sang''s shoulder.

    Gu Sang frowned slightly, opened her eyes, and firmly pushed The Man away.

    Shortly after, The Man did the same trick again, leaning on her shoulder.

    "Excuse me, you''re touching me."

    Gu Sang politely pushed him away again.

    Before long, The Man leaned over even more brazenly, even trying to put his hand on her leg??

    This time, Gu Sang had seen enough!

    "SLAP -!"

    A resounding pnded squarely on The Man''s face.

    The crisp sound of the p echoed throughout the carriage and the ancient screen.

    Gu Sang shoved The Man away with one push, her voice icy cold: "This is the third time! If you''re not awake, go wash your face in the restroom."

    "If you dare pretend to be asleep and lean on me again, don''t me me for being merciless!"

    The Man, having lost his dignity from the p, angrily stood up in a huff.

    Failing to take advantage and instead getting pped hard by Gu Sang, The Man cursed furiously: "What the hell, what''s with the act?"

    "Who leaned on you? Don''t nder me with your violent ways, woman!"

    "And besides, the way you''re dressed is so slutty, what''s wrong with touching you a little? If you don''t want to be touched, dress more properly!"

    Just listen!

    After being exposed, The Man''s first thought was not to reflect but to nder.

    Gu Sang''s dress was as normal as could be!

    A small flower dress that reached her ankles - how was that revealing?

    Before Gu Sang could get mad, Pei Changying and thedies on the high-speed rail who heard themotion spoke up simultaneously.

    Pei Changying sneered through gritted teeth: "I warned you long ago that dressing like a harlot, you would inevitably be eyed by men! Gu Sang, you brought this on yourself!"

    "With such wanton seduction, even if you get raped one day, it would be your own fault for being so vile!"

    However, the modern girls were outraged, pointing at the lecherous man as they cursed: "Hey mister, the Qing Dynasty has ended, but your brain is still wrapped up tight!"

    "This is how we girls normally dress, so following your logic, I should say that since you''re so ugly, why don''t you just go die!"

    "Don''t be afraid, Miss, we''ve called the police for you, the transit officers will be here soon."

    The Man''s face turned beet red as he stubbornly ndered: "Cut the crap! If she didn''t give me a hint, why would I lean on her shoulder?"

    "With so many women here, why would I only touch her and not the others?"

    "It takes two hands to p, she must have looked indecent and improper for me to do that. A slut! You dare hit me, you just wait, if you don''t pay me fifty thousand, I''ll report you to the police!"

    At these words, Gu Sangpletely lost control of her Primordial powers.

    She immediately raised her hand again and pped The Man hard across the face!

    This p!

    Resounded throughout the entirepartment!

    Even the curly-haired beauty sitting in the aisle nced at Gu Sang!

    Before The Man could retaliate, Gu Sang''s next few sentences left himpletely frozen on the spot: "Did one p make enough noise now?"

    "You said why I didn''t touch others, only you, you daren''t say, so let me say it!"

    "What I''m about to say has no intention of offense, but I need to use this as an analogy."

    "The clothes I''m wearing, in modern times, are as normal as can be - a long dress, white sneakers, ponytail. I look like a gentle, reserved girl."

    "Now the gorgeousdy next to you."

    "She''s dressed in a sensual, fashionable way, with big curly hair, a great figure -pared to me, wouldn''t you say she looks more womanly? More fiery hot? Why didn''t you dare touch her?"

    "Because you''re a coward, you''re afraid, your thoughts are lecherous yet you''re too timid to be bold. It has nothing to do with how much or little a woman is dressed!"

    "It''s me - I look like an easy target, a college student who can be bullied! Even if I was touched or groped, I wouldn''t dare make a scene, I could only swallow it silently."

    "But her! One look and she''s clearly a sophisticated, independent, strong woman who has seen the world. Not someone to be trifled with - if you dared to get touchy with her, she would definitely fight back!"

    "You pathetic excuses for upright men, vile worms who fear the light, clearly it is your own dark hearts that are to me, yet you insist on ming women for dressing provocatively and revealing too much skin! When a more voluptuous and fiery beauty stands before you, you worry about retaliation and dare noty a hand on her, instead preying only on meek, well-behaved girls!"

    "And once these well-behaved girls dare to resist, you start ndering them for dressing improperly?!"

    "You truly are disgusting, damn you!"

    Gu Sang grew more and more incensed as he spoke, pping The Man viciously across the face and sending him crashing to the ground.

 Chapter 49: Ignite Ancient people watch the airplane

    <h4>Chapter 49</h4>

    That p used up all of Gu Sang''s strength, directly pping The Man''s face until he saw stars.

    Around them¡ª

    Dead silence!

    Everyone stared at Gu Sang, standing by the window.

    She seemed like a beam of light, a light that could break through The Man''s dark secrets, boldly exposing the squalid true thoughts in the hearts of these worms!

    Yes.

    There were women dressed even more provocatively sitting nearby, so why didn''t he dare touch them?

    Instead, he went to touch the normally dressed Gu Sang?

    Because he didn''t dare!

    He was timid!

    He was a coward who bullied the weak but feared the strong!

    It had nothing to do with how much or how little you wore. It was The Man''s filthy mind, it was them finding excuses for their vile behavior, it was them thinking you looked honest and wouldn''t resist!

    That''s all there was to it!

    "You... you! You wait, vile woman, pah!" The Man covered his face, wanting to strike back, but found that everyone was looking at him like he was trash.

    He swallowed his saliva.

    Gu Sang''s words had stripped away his shiny facade of excuses, exposing his stinking inner heart. He didn''t dare retaliate anymore and scurried out of the train car in a panic.

    "p p p p¡ª"

    "Well said! Well said!"

    "This kind of man simply disgraces us normal men! We actually detest this kind of behavior too, it''s too vile and shameless."

    "Miss, you really hit that creepy man''s sore spot, huh? Kept iming it was because of how she was dressed, tsk tsk, just making excuses, isn''t it?"

    "Exactly! We girls should be free to wear as much or as little as we want. It''s these pieces of trash who have to find excuses for their invasive behavior, only then can they shift the me onto the women!"

    "Get lost, trash man! Pah!"

    "......"

    Apuded loudly by the entire train car, even the gorgeous woman sitting in the aisle gave Gu Sang an approving look and nodded at her politely.

    This scene that urred on the high-speed train once again stunned the ancient people.

    Whethermoners, officials, or Imperial Concubines, they were all dazed on the spot, their minds buzzing from these words!

    So...

    So a woman''s manner of dress should never be an excuse for harassment?

    The shocked ancient people opened their mouths wide in astonishment and muttered, "I saw it very clearly, the woman sitting next to Miss Gu Sang was indeed much more provocatively dressed."

    "That''s right, she''s right, if it was just about dressing revealingly, why didn''t he harass that woman? Wasn''t it because The Man didn''t dare?"

    "So being harassed really isn''t the woman''s fault, it''s just The Man making excuses for his disgusting behavior?"

    "But... but why did Miss Gu Sang dare to resist? Why did all those people dare to speak up and help her? Weren''t they afraid The Man would take revenge afterwards?"

    "What if, what if he resented thedy and did something terrible afterwards?"

    In this ancient ce,

    It wasn''t umon for entire families to be wiped out for meddling in other''s affairs!

    So it was only natural formoners to keep their doors tightly closed. Unless it involved close rtions, they wouldn''t risk their lives by meddling!

    But why did so many people help Gu Sang in the modern world?

    And the ones helping the most were even girls?

    Gu Sang sat back down and calmly exined to the ancient people, "Actually, in the modern era, there are still a few who suffer consequences for helping others."

    "But being harassed by a man is considered an especially vile, unanimously condemned act in our world, so anyone who witnesses it will be furious."

    "Girls in particr would be able to empathize deeply, and even if they didn''t speak up on the spot, they would report it to the police or voice support online afterwards."

    "Moreover, in our world, if a man harasses or assaults a woman, once reported to the police, the serious cases would result in imprisonment. In the country beneath my feet, women''s safety is protected. Whoever dares to harass will face consequences!"

    "Let alone taking revenge afterwards, that would definitelynd him in jail!"

    The ancient people listened to these words as if struck by thunderbolts, and aftering to their senses, they could only feel endless envy and sighs of admiration.

    Safety!

    Because of safety, every face bore a happy smile.

    Because of safety, they dared to stand up against injustice without harming their own interests!

    Women didn''t need to suffer in silence!

    If anyone dared to have ill intentions towards a woman, she could speak out loudly, she could report it to the police, she could condemn it, she could resist!

    Only in backward countries and among stubborn people would all sins be pinned on women.

    If a woman caught a man''s eye and was defiled, was that the woman''s fault?

    Was it because she was beautiful?

    No! Rather, it was because women were the weaker party!

    Among the crowd, some ancient women began to sob softly, "Wuuu......"

    "The immortal is right! We women, what sin have wemitted? Why is it our fault if we catch someone''s eye and are defiled? Why are we the ones locked in pig pens instead?"

    "I understand now, it''s not my fault, it''s the fault of this era."

    "If only my sister had been born in the future, she wouldn''t have been ndered and drowned herself! Wuuu......"

    "My sister clearly didn''t agree to marry that man, but he ndered her, saying they had an affair."

    "My sister didn''t even have a chance to exin herself. Her reputation was ruined, her only choices were to marry him or drown herself. Wuuu......"

    Such incidents were all toomon in ancient times!

    Those ndered women had tried to defend themselves, to struggle, to scream their innocence at the top of their lungs! But no one was willing to listen to their exnations!

    The mothers who gave birth to them scolded them as shameless.

    Their lofty fathers would sneer coldly: If you didn''t deliberately entice him, why would he harass you and not others!

    Did you do something inappropriate to give him the wrong idea!

    An egg without a crack isn''t stung by flies. If you were a chaste woman, why would anyonee for you?

    You''re not that great a catch either.

    These words, every phrase like a knife, slicing back and forth in their hearts.

    When these ancient women saw that there were actually so many people helping the harassed woman, no longer ming the woman, their hearts cried out in excitement!!

    The rise of women!

    Long live women!

    -

    After an hour''s journey, the high-speed train arrived, and next was a transfer to a flight heading to an out-of-province military base.

    Ever since Gu Sang entered the airport, the ancient people''s mouths had been hanging open in astonishment.

    "This, this is the airport the immortal has mentioned many times?!"

    "This airport is way too... too huge!"

    "It''s as vast as the entire city of Beijing! So many people! Bright and dazzling, and so many bright panels, just like this livestream screen."

    The ancient people had already lost count of how many districts Gu Sang had wandered through. They felt dizzy from all the sights and were almost spun around by Gu Sang.

    It wasn''t until twenty minutester that they saw Gu Sang sitting down at a boarding gate.

    The ancient people hurriedly closed their gaping mouths.

    They quickly looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the legendary aircraft and see what it looked like, but there was nothing but people in front of them, and norge object in sight!

    They watched with their own eyes as Gu Sang queued up, then walked down the jetway.

    "So this jetway is the aircraft? It looks so in, not even as big as a high-speed train."

    "Yes, The Man spoke as if this aircraft could travel faster than a high-speed train, covering thousands of miles in the blink of an eye. Surely that''s an exaggeration?"

    "The aircraft can''t be deceiving us¡ª"

    However, before they could finish their sentence, the p of reality struck swiftly!

    As soon as Gu Sang took a seat by the window, they saw one enormous winged behemoth after another parked on the boundless expanse of the za outside.

    Though not as massive as a high-speed train carriage, these things, they¡ªthey had wings!!

 Chapter 50: Flew, really flew up

    <h4>Chapter 50</h4>

    Oh my! This huge object looks like a bird!

    After a moment of shock, Pei Changying moved his lips and sneered coldly: "It doesn''t seem that remarkable, just a bit strange."

    "It''s just an object pieced together in the shape of a bird, a bitrger than ordinary tools, but it can''t move at all!"

    The next instant!

    Pei Changying was pped in the face!

    What did he see?

    What did the ministers see?

    How did all the consorts and tens of thousands ofmoners suddenly be dumbfounded on the spot?!

    They saw! They saw this thing called an "airne" slowly start to move forward, then faster and faster...

    With a whirring sound, it lifted off the ground, higher and higher...

    Wait!

    Higher?

    The ancients held their breath in fright and looked out the window¡ª

    The airne took off vertically, soaring up toward the sky thousands of meters high!

    These people who had never seen flight before were all in an uproar, all shocked, even the usually cold expression of Pei Changying cracked open!

    "It''s flying, it''s really flying?! Miss Gu''s words were true! There really are treasures in this world that can fly thousands of meters up in the sky!"

    "Look down there, that thing like an ant, is that a person?"

    "That huge, huge house... Oh no, Miss Gu said it''s called an ''airport'', but the airport looks only as small as a fingertip now?"

    "Oh heavens, so the clouds are really like this, like fog that can be blown away."

    At this moment, the modern airne once again shattered the ancients'' perceptions.

    The airne rose slowly, the scene below growing smaller and smaller, until they could only see endless mountains and flowing waters, and the sun right before their eyes.

    Thoseyers of clouds like cotton balls excited the ancients, and they shouted excitedly.

    Themoners: "How, how, how is this even possible?"

    "Look at the horizon, the clouds there are crimson red, so this is what it feels like in the heavens, what kind of ce could produce such an astonishing treasure?"

    "I hope the heavens will bless us with favorable winds and rains this year, so our rice can grow plump and bountiful!"

    Gu Sang saw that most of themoners had knelt down, hands sped in prayer, silently praying to the heavens for blessings.

    Some ancients just stared wide-eyed at the scene, not daring to blink, and when they looked back at Gu Sang, their eyes held new reverence.

    Even the usually arrogant Pei Changying had changed expression.

    He stared at Gu Sang with a deep, unfathomable gaze, while the woman calmly smiled out the window at the expanse of clouds, like a celestial realm...

    At this moment.

    A terrifying thought suddenly burst into Pei Changying''s mind!

    If he were Gu Sang.

    Perhaps.

    He might note back either...No! He mustn''t think that!

    After the broadcast ended, the pce at night.

    Whenever Pei Changying thought that Gu Sang might stay in the modern world and never return to his side, he felt unbearably panicked and enraged.

    He could not ept Gu Sang living a new life!

    Could not ept his woman falling into the embrace of another man!

    It was all the fault of that vile Consort Zhao!

    If only the gue could drag on a bit longer, Gu Sang would definitely soften her heart. If not for Consort Zhao taking matters into her own hands, his Gu Sang would have returned and admitted her mistake!

    "Bang¡ª"

    Pei Changying kicked open the door to the Cold Pce.

    "You vile woman, it''s all your fault!"

    "If you hadn''t betrayed me, the gue in the south would have broken out already, and then Gu Sang definitely wouldn''t have been able to bear tens of thousands of deaths, and would have returned."

    "p p¡ª"

    "You ruined my ns, I''ll make sure you can''t live but can''t die either!"

    Pei Changying rushed up to Consort Zhao with a vicious look on his face, whipping her body repeatedly with thesh.

    The wounded and disheveled woman was struck down by theshes.

    She let out pained cries.

    "Your Majesty, I did not betray...you mustn''t continue deluding yourself, Sister Sang will nevere back."

    "Aah!!"

    "Shut your filthy mouth!"

    Pei Changying beat Consort Zhao viciously.

    Whenever he thought of the words of utter disdain Gu Sang had said to him, he felt like strangling Consort Zhao to death.

    Seeing Consort Zhao nearly out of breath from his beatings, Pei Changying''s rage subsided slightly.

    He tossed aside the troublesomesh and slowly crouched before Consort Zhao.

    Pei Changying dragged the helpless, despairing Consort Zhao up from the icy floor, his cold, vicious expression hardening as he reached out and roughly grabbed her chin.

    Consort Zhao was forced to look up, her haggard, pained eyes meeting Pei Changying''s.

    Pei Changying said in a deep, chilling tone: "Zhao Ronghua, I can give you one chance. Just tell me how you and Gu Sangmunicated, so she cane back, and I''ll pardon your crimes and restore your position."

    "You know I''m not really a tyrant, nor do I truly disregard the people."

    "It''s just that Gu Sang is living in the future world, possessing so many wonderful things. I want her toe back and help me create those objects."

    "Will you help me?"

    What a fine excuse!

    What a pathetic emperor!

    Even now, Pei Changying still fails to recognize reality, still deluding himself that he can control Gu Sang?

    He originally climbed to the throne by trampling on Gu Sang, and in the end did not even honor his promise to make her his empress. Now he still fantasizes about using Gu Sang to unite the realm?

    Consort Zhao''s body shook uncontrobly.

    Not out of fear, but pain!

    It hurt so much, and yet she had not a shred of the thought to submit.

    She looked at the man before her with loathing and disappointment, a hint of scorn in her eyes as she said: "Your Majesty, this subject no longer desires any position."

    Pei Changying: "Then what do you want? I''ll give you anything!"

    "Your Majesty cannot give it to me, for I wish to go to Sister Sang''s world. Once there, I no longer wish to return to these foul pce harem struggles for favor."

    "Your Majesty, look."

    "A dull, useless subject like me can only depend on living in your rear pce as a concubine. But after seeing that other life, I too have fantasized about going there."

    "You say that clear-minded, independent Sister Sang, why would she covet the paltry position you offer ande back?"

    "Even if you knew how Imunicated with her, what then?"

    "She, she will note back."

 Chapter 51: Ancient Concubines Awakening, Great Righteousness

    <h4>Chapter 51</h4>

    She, ah, cannot return anymore...

    Cannot return anymore...

    These words were like a spell that ignited Pei Changying''s fury.

    He suddenly changed his expression, pped Consort Zhao to the ground, grabbed her hair, and viciously stomped on her chest with his foot.

    "You vile woman! It seems I have been too lenient with you!"

    "Gu Sang is in my heart, she is just venting her anger at me. I say she wille back, and she will definitelye back."

    "Ah¡ª"

    Immediately after.

    From the depths of the Pce of Exile, Consort Zhao''s incessant, piercing screams echoed.

    Each one was shrill, each one heart-wrenching.

    The consorts residing nearby were terrified, their hearts pounding in fear upon hearing these horrific cries.

    Fortunately, Pei Changying still had a shred of rationality left, knowing that he could not kill Consort Zhao yet! First, because he could not go too far and turn the popce against him, and second, because he wanted to threaten Gu Sang into returning.

    "Summon the imperial physician, treat her well!"

    "I want her to beg for life but be unable to die, and to beg for death but be unable to!"

    Pei Changying coldly red at the wounded Consort Zhao, gave his orders, and left the Pce of Exile without looking back.

    The imperial physician arrived swiftly and departed just as quickly, leaving the Pce of Exile in disarray, with blood stains from Consort Zhao still on the ground.

    The moonlight streamed through the windows, eerily illuminating the cold pce, as if one had stumbled upon a murder scene.

    Gu Sang waited until deep into the night before initiating a connection with Consort Zhao.

    The next second, her worried eyes were met with a horrifying sight!

    The room was unlit, with only the faint moonlight filtering in, revealing Consort Zhao half-lying on the bed, her once radiant and unrestrained face now ravaged beyond recognition.

    Gu Sang''s heart shook violently, and her voice trembled as she said, "Consort Zhao?"

    "Pei Changying is truly a beast!"

    "He has certainly not disappointed me in his cruelty and heartlessness. Don''t be afraid, I will rescue you from here."

    Hearing themotion, Consort Zhao weakly opened her eyes and looked towards the woman reflected on the screen.

    Clean, radiant, free - qualities she envied.

    When Consort Zhao spoke, she coughed up blood, "Sister Sang, you''vee."

    "I''m not afraid, I''m very happy, truly. Don''t look at me with pity, I am actually very great, am I not?"

    The once delicate and fragile Consort Zhao, who had only known to regard men as heaven, had been reduced to this state, yet she did not cry out for Gu Sang to rescue her.

    Instead.

    She felt she was great.

    She no longer needed anyone''s pity.

    The more Gu Sang saw Consort Zhao''s strong and joyful demeanor, the more heartbroken she became. "Good, I won''t look at you that way, for you are the hero who saved the lives of an entire city''s popce."

    "I have already contacted the Elder Princess, she is arranging for you to escape the pce. In a few days, assassins will help you flee from here!"

    "Isn''t freedom what you''ve wanted the most?"

    "Hold on for a few more days, endure this once, and you will never again have to live by the whims of men."

    "Once you leave the imperial pce, the Elder Princess will arrange a new identity for you. Then, you can find the young man you love and live a good life."

    The young man she loves...

    These few words made Consort Zhao''s eyes daze for a few seconds.

    She lowered her eyshes, her body slightly trembling as she let out a softugh, as if tears were escaping from her eyes, but there was no one left to wipe them for her.

    "I can no longer wait for the young man I love."

    "Sister Sang, I can''t wait for him anymore..."

    "My heart aches so much, you tell me, for a cowardly person like me, who did not even dare to defy my father''smand and elope with him from the capital back then."

    "Now, now that I have done such a great deed, he would definitely be proud of me, wouldn''t he?"

    Yes.

    Her beloved, who loved her so much that he was willing to sacrifice his life for her, would naturally feel proud of her.

    Consort Zhao held back her tears and looked up at Gu Sang.

    At this moment!

    Gu Sang saw in her eyes a courage and resilience that few could match.

    She forced a bitter smile, her voice feeble yet brimming with unwavering resolve, "Sister Sang, I don''t want to leave anymore, let it be this way."

    "I have fled so many times, this time, I don''t want to flee anymore."

    "If I leave, the Emperor will only take it out on my nsmen, and vent his rage upon you and the Elder Princess. I don''t want to be a burden."

    Gu Sang quickly shook her head, "No, you are not a burden!"

    "Do you know what fate awaits you if you remain in the imperial pce? Pei Changying will beat you to death! Listen to me, escape! I will protect your family."

    Consort Zhao gazed at the panic and urgency in Gu Sang''s eyes.

    Suddenly, she felt even less inclined to leave.

    Now.

    The people of the imperial city were discussing how Pei Changying had beaten her and exiled her to the Pce of Exile. Some were calling her wronged, some believed she was unchaste, and the vast majority of public opinion had been suppressed, leaving only suspicion.

    If she were to flee at this moment.

    Pei Changying would brand her as unchaste and disgraced, and might even turn his arrows towards the Elder Princess, using this to quell the people''s doubts.

    "Sister Sang, I am prepared."

    "You and the Elder Princess are people who need to aplish great deeds. The Emperor has already lost the hearts of the hundreds of thousands of people in the gue-stricken city. Rumors are spreading outside, and at this critical juncture, whether for my family or for the future, I cannot flee."

    "I must die an unjust death here."

    "The supreme ruler, the Emperor himself, kills the consort who saved an entire city''s popce. This way, it will solidify that he disregards the lives of his people, won''t it?"

    As she spoke, Consort Zhao smiled.

    Gu Sang saw the resolve to face death in her expression, and the great righteousness beneath her smile.

    Consort Zhao utterly hated this era!

    She utterly hated Pei Changying''s cold-blooded cruelty!

    Before Gu Sang could persuade her further, a glimmer of light shone in Consort Zhao''s dark eyes, and she said, "Don''t try to save me, you should be rejoicing for me. I have been a coward my whole life, but finally, I get to do something great."

    "Sister Sang, sacrificing me will further the greater cause. Let me be the final straw that breaks the officials'' faith."

    "Don''t persuade me anymore, okay?"

    "If my beloved knew, he would be proud of me, and you should be too! Respect my choice, I am not afraid at all, I am truly happy, I am really happy."

    Gu Sang stared at the woman before her, her eyes reddening.

    She knew that she could not persuade Consort Zhao anymore.

    The era of gender equality would note overnight, it required one woman after another to make sacrifices, shed blood, and even give their lives.

    Consort Zhao wanted to sacrifice her own life to pin Pei Changying''s shame of disregarding the lives of themon people! To make those ministerspletely lose heart towards Pei Changying!

    Because if she escaped with the rebel soldiers, Pei Changying would have a legitimate excuse to whitewash himself, and he would use this as a pretext to hunt down the Elder Princess.

    "Very well, if this is your decision, I admire you for it. I respect you. But if you wish to leave the pce,e find me anytime." Gu Sang dared not look into Consort Zhao''s eyes again, for he saw the determination to die in them.

    The woman who once racked her brains every day to vie for the Emperor''s favor;

    The woman who would call for the imperial physician at the slightest scratch;

    The woman who meticulously adorned herself solely for the bedchamber:

    Now, she did not even fear death.

    It was not long after Gu Sang closed the direct line with a heavy heart that

    The system''s prompt tone rang out again.

    *Ding!*

    "Please prepare, Host. The connection is restarting!"

    Suddenly,

    A heroic face was reflected in Gu Sang''s eyes.

    The man, d in brocaded robes, seemed to be scrutinizing the screen before him.

    Then, this face gradually retreated, revealing Zhou Qichen with a look of curiosity.

    He gazed at Gu Sang excitedly, his face full of joy and excitement: "Sang Sang... It really is you. Now that I see you are safe and sound, I am at ease."

    Gu Sang restrained his emotions, his voice calm: "Brother Qichen, long time no see."

 Chapter 52: General Zhouâ€™s betrayal, no

    <h4>Chapter 52</h4>

    "Yes, since you entered the pce, we have not seen each other again. Now that I see you are doing so well, I''m relieved," Zhou Qichen said with a gratified smile.

    The person he could never let go of in this life was Gu Sang, who resided in the pce.

    When he learned that Gu Sang had died deep within the pce, he nearly went insane!

    If not for his rationality telling him to stay calm, he truly wished to wield his sword and charge into the pce, demanding of Pei Changying why he had failed to uphold his promise to treat Gu Sang as a treasure!

    Seeming to think of something, Zhou Qichen urgently advised, "Sang Sang, please don''t believe Pei Changying''s words anymore, okay?"

    "Initially, he promised you a lifelongpanionship, but he failed to keep that promise. He also failed to grant you the concubine position he promised. You sacrificed so much for him......"

    "Yet he treated you this way, forgetting grace and being disloyal."

    "He seemed obsessively in love with you and seldom visited other women''s chambers."

    "But that''s not love at all. That''s just being possessive and unwilling to let go."

    "So Sang Sang, you must not return!"

    Gu Sang felt warmth in her heart and smiled naturally, "Do I look like a fool to you? This world is so good to me, why would I go back and suffer?"

    "Besides, who would be foolish enough to give up their freedom for a man?"

    "But you, now that the Zhou Family has lost its military power and you have a good rtionship with me, Pei Changying must be giving you a hard time, right?"

    Upon hearing this, Zhou Qichen shook his head with a bitter smile.

    He told Gu Sang everything Pei Changying had done in secret over the years.

    Sidelining loyal generals.

    Being paranoid and suspicious.

    Increasing taxes.

    Only caring about his own power and not the life or death of themon people.

    Even before Gu Sang entered the pce, he had secretly ordered that all women were forbidden from hiring tutors! They were only allowed to study the Three Obediences and Four Virtues!

    He dered that reading books would make them wild-hearted, like Gu Sang, who did not know her ce!

    The more she heard, the colder Gu Sang''s eyes became.

    From Zhou Qichen''s ount, she could sense his great dissatisfaction with the Emperor.

    After Zhou Qichen finished his usatory words, Gu Sang took a deep breath and stared sternly at him, asking one sentence, "Brother Qichen, are you willing to trust me one more time?"

    "What do you want me to do?" Zhou Qichen felt a thought sh through his mind, his heart racing.

    Three secondster.

    Gu Sang uttered a soul-shaking sentence, "Back then, I had to help Pei Changying ascend the throne in order to return home."

    "The Zhou Family originally did not support any prince."

    "You helped me by standing behind Pei Changying without hesitation."

    "But does he still deserve the throne now?"

    "Qichen, let''s rece him with someone else. I think the Elder Princess is more suitable for this position!"

    The Elder Princess!!!

    Even for the extremely bold Zhou Qichen, upon hearing these shocking words, he could not help but take a step back.

    His family had been ministers for three dynasties, with a history of loyalty and righteousness.

    Back then, they supported Pei Changying''s ascension not only because he could not bear for Gu Sang to lose the bet, but also because Pei Changying was at least a prince!

    But now¡ª

    Gu Sang wanted him to overthrow the Emperor his family had loyally served for generations?!

    No!

    Not only to overthrow the Emperor!

    Gu Sang wanted to overturn the rule of male sovereignty!

    If the Elder Princess ascended the throne, this world would be turned upside down!

    The wind blew through Zhou Qichen''s cor, causing his clothes to billow and his sleeves to flutter loudly, just as his heart was struggling violently between loyalty and conscience.

    Zhou Qichen looked into Gu Sang''s resolute and bright eyes, as radiant as the first time he saw them, making him unable to resist feeling admiration.

    In the end, rationality temporarily prevailed. "I''m sorry, Sang Sang, I can''t do it......"

    "My family has been loyal for generations. I cannot agree to your request."

    "Although this Emperor is ipetent and incapable, he is still legitimate. I know the Elder Princess is more suitable, but, but we Zhou Family cannot cross that line."

    Gu Sang was not disappointed, as she had expected this.

    Although Zhou Qichen often spoke disrespectfully of Pei Changying, if something truly happened, he would definitely be the first to support Pei Changying.

    This was the very purpose of a family that had served as ministers for three dynasties and had a history of loyalty and righteousness!

    Their existence was like a city wall, shielding this dynasty from all storms and des!

    "Don''t make the decision in such a hurry," Gu Sang calmly said. "A family of loyalty and righteousness should not be loyal to a surname, but to the people under Heaven. If one day, Pei Changying uses the Zhou Family of treason and orders your entire n to be executed, will you waver in your decision then?"

    Zhou Qichen struggled, shaking his head, "No, it won''t happen. The Emperor may be selfish, but he won''t be so outrageous."

    "The Emperor can still distinguish......"

    "Can he really distinguish?" Gu Sang interrupted. "Brother Qichen, take a look at the Emperor''s attitude towards the people of the gue-stricken city and the execution of the Zhao Family and others afterward."

    "He has disappointed me countless times, but in terms of being heartless and disloyal, Pei Changying has never disappointed me."

    "I think he won''t disappoint you either. I''ll wait for you to change your mind!"

    Gu Sang said no more and ended the connection.

    But her final few words seemed like a spell, ensnaring Zhou Qichen.

    Zhou Qichen tossed and turned all night, thinking about Gu Sang''s words.

    He didn''t know what was wrong with him, why he doubted the Emperor''s actions, why he felt the Zhou Family could truly be executed.

    Soon, it was the next day.

    Before dawn, Zhou Qichen had arrived at the pce hall in a carriage.

    From afar, he saw the ministers standing in a group with worried expressions. Several elderly officials were sighing to express their disappointment.

    Some younger officials were whispering, "I heardst evening, the Emperor ordered all private pce physicians and their families to be imprisoned."

    "Now the dungeons are filled with cries of injustice."

    "s, those physicians are innocent victims too. The Elder Princess arranged for them to go, so they couldn''t refuse. But going meant offending the Emperor."

    "Not to mention Consort Zhao. Was she truly unchaste or falsely used of being unchaste? If she was sent to the cold pce for saving the entire city, what crime did shemit? What crime!"

    "You want to die? How dare you say such things?"

    The elderly official who shouted this hung his head, a hint of disappointment in the Emperor evident in his eyes.

    They may be stubborn;

    They may be greedy for power;

    They may be selfish, with many ws.

    But...they could still distinguish right from wrong!

    Standing aside, Zhou Qichen listened to these words, his brows twitching, suddenly feeling dizzy and disoriented.

    He did not know how he entered the pce hall, but his head was buzzing.

    He heard the highly esteemed Emperor berating the Zhao Family and the Imperial Physicians for their various crimes.

    The Zhao Family servants bullied men and oppressed women!

    Consort Zhao''s father, Zhao Wenzhong, embezzled five hundred taels of silver, and behaved improperly in front of the pce!

    The Zhao Family...

    The Remonstrant Official listed more than ten charges against them, ranging from major to minor offenses.

    The ministers knelt on the ground, trembling like walking on thin ice, drenched in cold sweat, not daring to utter a word, fearing that this Emperor would take offense and punish them.

    Zhou Qichen''s heart chilled as he listened to the punishment meted out to the Zhao Family, as if all his strength had been drained away.

    On his way home after court, he suddenly recalled the words Gu Sang had spoken to him the previous night. As he pondered them, he suddenly burst into tremblingughter mingled with tears.

    "Ha ha ha... Sang Sang, you were right, I looked up to him too highly."

    "As for him, in this matter, he would never let you down. He saved an entire city, hundreds of thousands of people! How could he be a criminal?"

    "Howmentable! What crime has hemitted?"

    "Is it possible that someday in the future, when my Zhou Family takes the field to y the enemy and pacify the realm, we too will be eternal criminals? Will we end up with our entire n imprisoned?"

 Chapter 53: Ancient People Astonished by Military-Style Training

    <h4>Chapter 53</h4>

    Is this the emperor that the Zhou Family has pledged to support for generations?

    Is this right?

    Do the soldiers ultimately remain loyal to the emperor''s benevolence or to themon people?

    Zhou Qichen did not know, but suddenly he no longer wanted to support that supreme ruler,pared to the Elder Princess who had personally gone to the disaster area and saved hundreds of thousands of people without regard for her own infection!

    Pei Changying is truly ipetent and heartless!

    Pei Changying''s actions today havepletely shattered Zhou Qichen''sst shred of hope.

    He suddenly thought¡ª

    Whatever Sang chooses, he will choose the same!

    "Sang, if you used to want to support him as emperor, I would guard the borders for you."

    "But now, if you really want to choose the Elder Princess, I''ll still listen to you. I once said that I would always stand behind you and protect you, and I''m not like Pei Changying¡ªI keep my word."

    "After I settle my family, I will go to Lingnan to find the Elder Princess!"

    The next day.

    At the training base.

    After verifying her identity through multipleyers, Gu Sang finally arrived at the inner area. As she looked up, she saw rows of soldiers training in the mud.

    She found a shady spot to sit down and opened the live stream.

    Scenes from Xuyang Pce, the grand hall, the capital city, the gue city, and more shed across the live broadcast!

    The ancient people who had already gathered to watch raised their heads out of habit.

    On the screen, they saw mud figures that were indistinguishable, and if not for their moving limbs, they would have been identical to real mud statues.

    At various training grounds around them, people gaped in astonishment.

    Before the officials andmoners could figure out the obvious exnation, they saw the instructor standing high up start spraying the soldiers below with a high-pressure water gun.

    "You have ten minutes to shower. Regroup in ten minutes!" the instructor shouted loudly.

    As soon as the words left his mouth, the soldiers scurried up and dashed to the showers.

    The instructor walked over to Gu Sang, and she immediately stood up.

    "Hello, Instructor. I''m Gu Sang, here for training."

    The instructor nodded with a calm expression: "Not everyone has arrived yet. Training for you all will start tomorrow. You can put your things in the dorm first."

    This was a closed-door training session, so Gu Sang would have to stay at the training base until it ended.

    In the dorm, only two beds had luggage on them, but no one was there.

    After putting down her luggage, Gu Sang went out to watch the soldiers train.

    Outside the live broadcast, the ancient people looked up to see rows of soldiers standing ramrod straight under the sun.

    In that moment, they felt an overwhelming sense of oppression.

    "Are those... soldiers for war?"

    "Why do her soldiers look so powerful? Look at their arms and legs, so taut! And so orderly too. From the front, I can only see the first row, I can''t see anyone behind them."

    "What a strange formation,pletely different from our soldiers."

    "Just what is this ce? A military camp?"

    While themoners and schr-officials were baffled, the emperor Pei Changying sitting on the throne flickered with a glint of realization in his eyes.

    Because!

    He had seen this stance before!

    Gu Sang had once helped him train his soldiers, using this very stance.

    Thinking of this, Pei Changying thought he had caught Gu Sang''s wrongdoing and sneered coldly, "Gu Sang, I knew you still had me in your heart."

    "For me, you even taught these secret training methods to those soldiers."

    "If the rulers over there find out about this, you would be considered a traitor guilty of leaking state secrets¡ªa crime punishable by the extermination of your entire n!"

    This idiot really is a moron.

    Always bbering about exterminating ns and wanting people to die miserably!

    Seeing Pei Changying''s self-assured expression, Gu Sang couldn''t help but sneer: "We don''t have this notion of punishing entire ns here."

    "Moreover, you think this is some kind of state secret?"

    "Pei Changying, I''m not trying to put you down, but the soldiers I trained back then only used modern methods on the surface! You can''t even imagine how powerful the warriors here are!"

    "You could watch this training a hundred times, and you''d never find the essence!"

    Modern soldiers undergo extremely intense and strict training. Pitting them against ordinary people, they could easily take on ten opponents barehanded!

    But Pei Changying didn''t think so and believed Gu Sang was just talking big.

    Talking big?

    The next second!

    The instructor standing on the tower raised the training gun in his hand, and with amand¡ª

    "Combat simtion begins!"

    "Bang!"

    The sudden, deafening st was like the sky itself had been torn apart!

    Not only did themoners jump in fright, but even the officials were so shocked that they retreated three steps, staring at the live broadcast in horror.

    "What was that sound?"

    "So loud! Much louder than a cannon firing. It seems to havee from that ck thing in the instructor''s hand..."

    "What is that? So strange! The sound came from that ck object?"

    Before the ancient people could figure out what was going on, the next scene left them stunned!

    They witnessed with their own eyes¡ªat the moment the gunshot rang out, all the soldiers swiftly split into two rows, dashing towards the obstacles ahead at blinding speeds.

    The ancients first marveled at the soldiers'' speed for a few seconds.

    Then, seeing the soldiers charging at the obstacles, they dismissed it with augh: "Are they stupid?"

    "Wouldn''t it be faster to just run straight ahead? Why are they running towards those obstacles?"

    "Yeah, I think I get it now. This must be a soldiers'' footrace, their speed is really fast, they''re just a bit dumb."

    "Boom¡ª"

    A thunderous explosion drowned out their discussions, and in an instant, the field erupted in mes.

    Half the screen was engulfed in fire and billowing smoke.

    The ancients who had just prided themselves on being clever tumbled to the ground, no longer caring about decorum as they cried out in terror:

    "Look quickly! Look! Is this divine punishment raining down on us?"

    "I just saw something streak down and strike those soldiers dead."

    "This... This is too horrifying. The training involves death?"

    However¡ª

    Just as the ancients thought the soldiers had been struck dead by divine lightning, the next instant, one soldier stood up from the thick smoke.

    Then continued charging forward.

    A second one stood up too!

    A third appeared as well!

    Another thunderous sound, as if the ground itself had been shaken.

    Amid the dense smoke, the silhouettes of people could be seen darting about, with bursts of gunfire unable to impede their advance.

    All the soldiers charged towards the iron mesh, crawling forward.

    Their movements were agile.

    Their gazes were resolute.

    Mud pits, wooden bridges, climbing, leaping - one soldier stood at the foot of the wall, and another used theirrade''s hands as a boost to vault up -

    Gradually, the generals inside the pce grew restless.

    They rushed up to the screen, aghast. "How could it be so fast! How are they so united?"

    "The speed, reflexes, stamina, strength, climbing ability of these soldiers, we cannot match them, your humble officer cannot fathom this......"

 Chapter 54: This is the Modern Warrior

    <h4>Chapter 54</h4>

    "This level of team coordination is simply too terrifying!"

    "I''ve heard before that thedy''s trained troops can take on three times their number. I didn''t believe it at first, thinking a woman couldn''t possibly understand training methods that well; there must have been someone exaggerating on her behalf."

    "But now I see... it''s truly as they say."

    "If my soldiers encountered such heights, their first reaction would be figuring out how to climb up themselves, not immediately cooperating with theirrades."

    The warrior sighed softly, his eyes filled with awe and shock.

    He suddenly began to wonder what kind of world that was.

    No imperial power, everyone equal?

    No execution of nine generations for one offense?

    The people living happily, free to love whoever they wished.

    No wars, yet possessing such a terrifying military?

    The warrior marveled inwardly, the people of the future surpassed them in vision, resources, and military might alike!

    "Bang!"

    "Bang bang!"

    More gunshots rang out in quick session.

    The citizens and officials jumped in their hearts.

    They watched in shock as all the soldiers on screen held some ck tubr device, firing at targets fifty meters away.

    They''d hear a sound, then see something ck whizz past rapidly.

    Yet their myriad eyes, glued to the livestream, could not make out how these devices were fired.

    By the time they saw, there was already a new hole in the target!

    "What was that thing? As loud as thunder, as fast as the wind - how could there be such a swift device?"

    "Did my eyes fail me? I watched intently but couldn''t see how that device was fired, just heard a bang and the fifty meter target was hit!"

    "Heavens! Look quickly!"

    "Each of their targets has eight or nine rings hit - are they all master archers? The future soldiers are too formidable!"

    "Your Majesty, we must ask how to make this thing. It''s far more powerful than arrows!"

    A warrior''s eyes lit up as he stepped forward excitedly, wishing he could leap into the screen to study it.

    With such a treasure, what need was there to fear the barbarians?

    Pei Changying''s heart burned with desire to possess it, but then he resented Gu Sang.

    If the future had such powerful devices, why had Gu Sang never told him?

    If Gu Sang had taught him how to make these weapons...

    He could have trampled the barbarians and struck the Xiongnu long ago!

    The more he thought, the more resentful Pei Changying became: "Gu Sang, I underestimated you. Why didn''t you teach me about these formidable devices?"

    "Outwardly pretending to be kind, iming not to want the people to suffer."

    "In truth, you''re selfish and hypocritical to the extreme. You had such good things but hoarded them, not sharing them. So much for caring about the people - no wonder Consort Zhao believed you."

    Hearing Pei Changying mention Consort Zhao made Gu Sang furious.

    This wretched man!

    Just wait!

    Wait and this throne will change hands before long.

    The Princess was already recruiting warriors, searching Lingnan for sweet potatoes. Once the food issue was solved...

    Along with the modern techniques she provided to win the people''s hearts, victory was assured!

    Gu Sang was in no hurry: "Pei Changying, you have no right to mention Consort Zhao."

    "You truly don''t recognize your own abilities or the gap between ancient and modern technology, do you?"

    "Even if I gave you these things, neither you nor anyone here could replicate them in a hundred years!"

    Gu Sang''s words naturally displeased some officials.

    Though true, the truth is often hardest to hear.

    Some elderly officials frowned, defending their erudition: "Ignorant woman, unaware of her station. No matter how good those devices are, they''ll never be more than underhanded tricks."

    "Think you can rule all under heaven with those? Fool!"

    "If only our army could go there, we''d show you true military might."

    Gu Sang scorned debating them further.

    These officials had only seen guns and marksmanship - not the real heavy artillery toe.

    The main event was alwaysst!

    Once they witnessed it, they''d understand howughably arrogant their words had been.

    The officials thought the future they glimpsed was the whole, when it was merely the tip of the iceberg!

    "Beep beep¡ª"

    A shrill rm rang through the training area.

    Even the ancients knew that urgent sound meant calling soldiers to prepare for attack.

    But hadn''t they said there were no wars?

    Could another country be invading?

    As the ancients wondered, they heard more "click, click" noises.

    Then on the livestream, they saw a door slowly opening behind the soldiers.

    The soldiers swiftly yet orderly ran into the armory.

    At Gu Sang''s urging, the cameras followed inside - terrifying those mocking officials moments before.

    An elderly official gaped: "Wh-What are those things, so huge?"

    A citizen asked, "Why aren''t they charging? Aren''t they retreating by vehicle?"

    A warrior was bewildered: "Where are their armor? Horses? Swords?"

    A consort eximed in shock: "Sister Sang! I saw female soldiers! Heavens, in that camera pan I saw women training, truly no less than the men!"

    Before the ancients could make sense of it, a deafening roar erupted!

    What did they see?

    That massive thing slid forward two steps, then flew straight into the sky?

    This sight made even Pei Changying stand.

    The ancients murmured in a daze: "Ah! Is that also an aircraft? But it looks much smaller than before, andcks wings?"

    "Is it cold there? They''re already wearing such thick clothes, why the additional garments?"

    "Hahaha, look, their faces are painted like ghosts - so funny!"

    "Where are they going? Can that thing be used on battlefields too?"

    They watched the helicopter fly towards a forest, its upants flinging the doors open.

    Then, to the ancients'' baffled eyes...

    Someone actually leapt from that height of several hundred meters!

    At that moment!

    All the ancients'' hearts stopped beating!

    "Ah!!! How did he jump down there!"

    "Another one jumped, no, why are they queuing up to seek death?"

    "Not at all, look at the first one who jumped down, what''s that kite-like thing hanging on him? Oh my god! He stopped, not falling rapidly anymore?"

    "What is this treasure that can make a person descend slowly from hundreds of meters in the air?"

 Chapter 55: Ancient people were dumbfounded when they saw cannons

    <h4>Chapter 55</h4>

    Just as the ancient people thought they could see a gruesome scene of bloody carnage!

    A shocking sight appeared before their eyes.

    They saw two soldiers who, after jumping down, suddenly threw something out from their bodies.

    When the parachutes opened, the soldiers'' descent slowed down.

    The bloody scene the ancients expected did not ur. Instead, they witnessed a ratherical sight, with the soldiers floating in the wind like kites.

    They then slowly descended to the ground.

    Afternding, the soldiers immediately and orderly ran toward the forest to hide.

    They advanced in pairs, one in front and one behind, so they could watch the front and guard against ambushes.

    Once inside the forest, these soldiers seemed to vanish, blending almost perfectly with the trees if not looked at carefully.

    This scene!

    Caused an uproar in the audience ¡ª

    The general was so excited that goosebumps were rising on his skin. He pointed at the screen and shouted at the ministers: "Too terrifying, simply too shocking!"

    "Falling from hundreds of meters high, yetpletely unharmed! If we had those kite-like things, we could certainly catch the enemy off guard!"

    "And the soldiers'' clothing and facial wear provide excellent camouge!"

    "In the jungle, wouldn''t they be practically invisible?"

    The more he spoke, the more excited the general became, looking like he had taken a stimnt.

    He stared intently at the screen, watching the soldiers hidden in the jungle take out a ck tube.

    What were they going to do?

    Fire like an arrow?

    At that distance, how could they hit anything!

    Then, with a "bang!" sound.

    Someone was hit two hundred meters away, with a puff of smokeing from their head.

    One minute ago, the ministers said: "This concealed weapon can only be used for ambushes. In open battle, it would be useless. At such a distance, it''spletely unusable!"

    One minuteter, the ministers eximed: "Hiss! They can even hit someone two hundred meters away? And fire continuously? On the battlefield, wouldn''t this mow down an entire army!"

    Just as the ministers finished their exmation, even more people were hit in the distance.

    The entire hall fell silent.

    The generals looked at each other, seeing shock in each other''s eyes.

    At such a distance, if it were their own soldiers, they would probably be mowed down before even getting close, right?!

    "In my opinion, this concealed weapon is only good for making noise and intimidating people, but it can''t even kill!" Pei Changying once again asserted his presence.

    He saw that those soldiers hit by it only had smokeing from their heads with no other effects, so he immediately mocked and ridiculed it.

    Reminded by Pei Changying, the ministers immediately came to their senses.

    That''s right!

    This concealed weapon can''t kill people!

    It''s actually just a useless weapon.

    These people from the future really like to make a fuss over nothing!

    Gu Sang was resting at the base and did not go to watch the live event, but she had a virtual live stream in front of her, showing the battlefield situation.

    Hearing Pei Changying''s arrogant ridicule, Gu Sang did not mind smashing his face: "This is a training exercise, of course people won''t be actually killed."

    "The guns are loaded with nks, not lethal bullets. When someone has smokeing from their head, it means they''ve been ''killed'' in this exercise and eliminated."

    "But when they encounter real enemies, their guns will be loaded with actual bullets that can kill people."

    "A shot to the head would be instantly fatal!"

    "With the medical skills of your era, even being shot in the shoulder or thigh, unable to remove the bullet, would probably be fatal!"

    Hearing Gu Sang''s words, some of the ancients still had doubts.

    They didn''t understand terms like bullets and nks.

    They only believed what their eyes saw - that this concealed weapon couldn''t kill people, and was purely for intimidation.

    It was at this moment!

    Three armored vehicles drove over in this direction, trees as thick as a person''s waist were snapped like twigs, and boulders were crushed to rubble wherever the vehicles passed!

    The civilians: ??

    The ministers: !!!

    So much for intimidation?

    What were those things, so terrifying?

    "Whirrrrrr¡ª"

    Here theye!

    Several drones whirred over the treetops.

    The low-flying drones revealed the figures of people hiding in the trees due to the powerful gusts of wind.

    Then¡ª

    A few unmanned aerial vehicles pursued at high speed. Though smaller than the drones, they stuck to their targets like leeches, whether they burrowed into the forest or mountain caves.

    What, what were these devilish things!

    Smaller than the helicopters they saw earlier, yet as agile as humans.

    They could turn, flip, and jump in midair.

    Even humans couldn''t be that agile, could they?

    "Bang bang bang bang!!!"

    "They''re attacking! They''re attacking! Many soldiers have been hit!"

    "Could what Her Highness said be true? These are just nks, but in realbat they would use actual iron bullets?"

    "I saw with my own eyes, those small nes suddenly had two ck tubese out from underneath, firing rapidly at the soldiers below. If those were real bullets capable of killing, wouldn''t the entire army be annihted instantly?"

    "Too terrifying!!!"

    All the way until this red vs. blue mock battle ended in a shockingly intense way, the ancients had not recovered their senses.

    One training exercise made them clearly recognize the true meaning of the gap! The true meaning of an era deserving to be called a golden age!

    With just those small nes alone, they could defeat everyone present with absolute dominance?

    Not to mention those armored vehicles that crushed boulders...

    The general stepped forward excitedly, his muscles quivering, stretching out his hand as if he wanted to reach through the screen and grab one of the drones.

    This thing was absolutely a national treasure!

    "Your Highness, why are those small nes more agile than humans? How can a person fit inside something so small?"

    "And they can attack people? Are there weapons mounted on them?"

    Hearing the general''s impassioned questions, Gu Sang calmly smiled: "Those are called unmanned aerial vehicles, meaning aircraft without human pilots."

    What...!

    Unmanned?

    The general''s head buzzed with confusion.

    Gu Sang said again, "It is activated by a program. Once activated, it will actively attack the target and won''t stop until it hits the target. Of course, this is just an exercise, so the settings are not as strict."

    "Both the drones and armored vehicles are equipped with heavy machine guns. A single bullet has enough force to directly shatter an iron shield."

    "In modern warfare, no one fights with swords and staves anymore."

    "Small ones are the guns each soldier carries,rge ones are heavy machine guns, and there are also high-altitude howitzers. A singlerge artillery shell can destroy half of your town!!"

 Chapter 56: Whatâ€™s so surprising about drones

    <h4>Chapter 56</h4>

    Gu Sang''s words hit the ancients like a thunderbolt, causing their blood to freeze and their breath to halt!

    A single cannon could destroy half a city wall - what a frightening concept!

    And these flying vehicles equipped with weapons could be powerful tools on the battlefield?

    And they could move so nimbly without any pilot?

    Gu Sang: "I''ll be training here for a while longer. You''ll probably see some other weapons."

    "Actually, these aren''t even the most powerful. We have aircraft carriers at sea, fighter jets and drones in the air, and missiles onnd - aprehensive defense system acrossnd, sea, and air."

    "But you won''t be seeing the aircraft carriers - they''re patrolling the seas."

    "As for smaller missiles, I heard there''s an experimental test in a few days. You should be able to see those."

    Upon hearing Gu Sang''s reply, the warriors were brimming with eagerness.

    Earlier, when the battlefield was being livestreamed, Gu Sang had a brief chat with the instructor, never expecting to be so fortunate as to catch the small missile detonation test in just a few days.

    While the warriors were exhrated, Pei Changying was fuming!

    He said through gritted teeth: "If you don''t share these weapons with me, is it because you''re afraid that once I have them, the nation under my rule would surpass your future world?"

    "I''ve thought about this a lot recently. If youe back to admit your mistake and teach me these things, the position of empress..."

    No, that wouldn''t work.

    This was absolutely the kind of tyrannical emperor persona found only in novels!

    Gu Sang could barely control hisughter: "Haha, Pei Changying!"

    "Do you know how many bullets these weapons fire per minute?"

    "With your nation''s financial and material resources, even if I gave you an unmanned aerial vehicle and machine gun for free, you wouldn''t be able to produce a single bullet!"

    "Were you about to offer me the position of empress to get me to share the manufacturing methods for these weapons? Delusional! Let''s end the livestream here. I''m not going to waste my breath arguing with a beast like you."

    Gu Sang mercilessly shut off the livestream screen, leaving only the split screen showing the Elder Princess''s side.

    The others, including Pei Changying, didn''t need to see what came next!

    In the Lingnan Region.

    The Elder Princess Pei Weiqi had already brought the sturdy troops she had recruited and positioned them to watch the livestream.

    A few tables were set up nearby, with a group of schrs seated and eagerly awaiting Gu Sang''s next move.

    The camera panned.

    Gu Sang could be seen approaching an instructor he had arranged to meet with, respectfully inquiring: "Instructor."

    "I wanted to ask you a few questions."

    "If I were a highly respected princess in ancient times, and the emperor was depraved and tyrannical, how would I quickly recruit and train new soldiers?"

    The instructor''s serious expression showed a hint of surprise.

    Listening to Gu Sang''s hypothetical scenario, he guessed: "Is this for a TV show you''ll be filming in the future?"

    "This plot is quite interesting - a princess wanting to be empress. The difficulty is no small feat!"

    Seeing the instructor sit down and pat the chair beside him, Gu Sang politely took a seat and continued asking: "If we applied modern thinking to ancient warfare, even without these modern weapons, there would still be a chance of winning, right?"

    The instructor was silent for a few seconds before seriously answering: "Yeah, there would be a chance."

    "There''s a saying, ''He who wins the hearts of the people wins the empire.''"

    "And another saying, ''The people regard food as heaven itself.''"

    "Since the emperor is depraved, there must be many discedmoners. Organizing themoners would be a formidable force. Don''t underestimate the power of the peasants - peasant uprisings have urred since ancient times..."

    "What do themonersck most in ancient times? Food!"

    "They''ll follow whoever can feed them."

    "And..."

    "You''ll also need strict rules and regtions. Without them, these peasants will just be a disorganized rabble. So schrs and high-ranking generals be all the more important."

    How difficult it is for a woman to be emperor!

    But!

    In the face of stubborn ideologies and the struggle for survival against hunger, what outweighs what?

    As long as the people''s food, shelter, and transportation needs are met, a woman will gain the people''s trust!

    The Elder Princess Pei Weiqi, standing beneath the livestream, listened intently.

    The more she heard, the faster her heart raced!

    For a full hour, the instructor spoke about recruitment, training new soldiers, various battle formations and configurations, and the training of high-ranking generals.

    The schrs watching the livestream were all stunned.

    Previously, they had mistakenly thought the people of the future relied solely on weapons after seeing the training livestreams.

    But they never expected that a single instructor would possess so much knowledge. In ancient times, such a person would undoubtedly be a brilliant general or minister!

    Seeing how eager Gu Sang was to learn, the instructor smiled: "There are so few actors as dedicated as you these days."

    "I have a new recruit training manual on myputer, written from my years of experience. If you''re interested, I can send you a copy now."

    Gu Sang''s face lit up with delight as he stood up and bowed: "Really?"

    "I need it very much. Thank you, instructor!"

    After gratefully receiving the file, Gu Sang quickly returned to his dorm room.

    Once he confirmed no one was in the room, Gu Sang closed the door and made some minor modifications to the wording so the ancient people could better understand the modern terminology.

    After the edits, he said: "System, you mentioned before that once I umte 10,000 merit points, I can unlock information transmission. Please help me send this new recruit training manual to Pei Weiqi."

    "Transmitting the file requires deducting 100 merit points. Proceed?"

    A small sacrifice for a greater gain - he would earn it all back eventually.

    Gu Sang reluctantly agreed: "Send it."

    "Merit points deducted. File delivered."

    On the screen, a paper document fluttered down in front of the Elder Princess.

    The Elder Princess reached out and nced at it, her usually calm face flickering with excitement and gratitude: "Gu Sang, is this from you?"

    "Such a special paper, so thin and smooth. The person who can make this is truly remarkable."

    Gu Sang nodded: "I can''t transmit modern weapons or objects to you, but thankfully paper documents can be transmitted."

    "This is enough! With this, we''ll be one step closer to our goal!"

    Seeing the burning ambition in the Elder Princess''s eyes, Gu Sang revealed the same smile.

    He reminded her once more: "Of course! You''ve already reached the Lingnan Region, right?"

    "Search for crops like sweet potatoes and potatoes as soon as possible. I''m worried that Pei Changying maye to his senses one day and send people to look for them. You must monopolize crops like sweet potatoes before he reacts."

    "Also, gather some craftsmen here in the next few days. I will inquire about weapon manufacturing at that time."

    "Although your material conditions cannot produce modern, precise weapons, you should be able to make crude cannons, firearms, and the like......"

 Chapter 57: I Donâ€™t Want to Rely on Men Anymore

    <h4>Chapter 57</h4>

    The reason why Gu Sang was so confident was because historical records mentioned that during the Ming Dynasty, there were weapons like firearms and red-cloth cannonballs.

    Since the Ming Dynasty was capable of producing such things, Gu Sang believed that as long as the methods were exined, even the Elder Princess would be able to create certain weapons and objects.

    After the livestream ended, the Elder Princess immediately sent people to find craftsmen, while she continued venturing into the deep mountains to search for sweet potatoes and other food.

    -

    After settling the Elder Princess'' affairs, Gu Sang couldn''t help but think about Consort Zhao in the deep pce.

    "System, is there really no way to help with Consort Zhao''s situation?"

    "She clearly yearns for freedom so much, and I can''t bear to see her suffer torment and die miserably in the cold pce."

    The System was silent for a few seconds: "Perhaps when the host reaches one million virtues, it may trigger a hidden condition."

    "So... there is still a chance?" Gu Sang took a deep breath, feeling an ever greater urgency to save the ancient women.

    That''s right!

    There was also the little pce maid she first connected with.

    If the maid could develop the products well, perhaps she could be an assistant to the Elder Princess in the future?

    With this thought, Gu Sang immediately started researching online for products that could be made and sold even in ancient times.

    Whenever she found a rtively practical skill, Gu Sang diligently wrote it down.

    Fortunately, with the advanced inte nowadays, there were many ''what if you time-traveled to ancient times'' handicraft business ideas on certain video tforms.

    After aprehensive collection, Gu Sang then had the System actively connect with the pce maid.

    "Does the host wish to initiate a connection?"

    "Open it!"

    "Ding!"

    "Connection opened!"

    Gu Sang had once promised the maid that after she left the pce, she would teach her survival skills!

    Soon, the maid''s excited face appeared on the screen.

    "Your Highness."

    "It really is you! How wonderful, how wonderful!"

    Quickly, the maid realized she was speaking too loudly.

    Afraid of waking the other guests at the inn, she hurriedly covered her mouth, but her bright, expectant eyes gazed at Gu Sang.

    Your Highness really came to find her!

    And even remembered the promise!

    "Yes, I will certainly keep my promise to you."

    "As for surviving after leaving the pce, do you have any thoughts?"

    The maid''s heart pounded as she knelt on the ground, lowering her head to speak: "Your Highness, I... I have no thoughts, nor do I know what to do."

    "During all these years in the pce, the only thing I know is how to serve my masters; I don''t know anything else."

    "And... there are also several others who left the pce with me, and they have nowhere to go, so they''ve been staying with me at this inn."

    "I was wondering, if possible, could they join me as well?"

    The maid''s inquiry was cautious, afraid of offending Gu Sang.

    Those who have been oppressed for a long time even consider speaking up to be a sin.

    Gu Sang sighed: "Of course they can. You don''t need to be so apprehensive. Stand up. This time, I''vee to give you some ways to survive."

    "Since there are a few others around you, I''ll give you a few paths."

    "The first is to make food. I can give you a recipe book."

    "The second is perfume, lipstick..."

    "Third, you can try producing some daily necessities. With the resources avable to you there, you might be able to make some of these..."

    Gu Sang exined in detail to the maid, even ying a few representative videos on her phone.

    The maid was captivated by the videos and listened attentively.

    Her heart burned with passion, and she mustered the courage to look up and ask Gu Sang: "Your Highness, can we make perfume where we are? Can just a drop of perfume really make the body smell fragrant?"

    "Perfume is possible. First, you should understand one thing: the perfume market there will absolutely be a high-end product, so the customers you sell to will be wealthy people!"

    "Furthermore, you can also..."

    With Gu Sang''s manufacturing methods and development directions, the maid felt more and more that it was possible.

    Additionally, after leaving the pce, Consort Zhao had given her arge sum of silver, so she didn''t have to worry about not having money to buy materials!

    She would take the gamble.

    She no longer wanted to rely on men!

    Before they knew it, an hour had passed, and the maid''s gaze grew more and more determined. She stepped back a few paces, then performed the ceremonial three kneelings and nine kowtows before Gu Sang.

    "Thank you, Your Highness, for your generous guidance. I will engrave it in my heart."

    "In the future, if Your Highness but speaks the word, we willy down our lives without hesitation to repay you."

    Gu Sang looked at the maid sincerely and smiled: "I''ll remember those words. There maye a day when I''ll need your help, rest assured."

    "Go on now. The path ahead will have to rely on your own efforts. The beginning is always the hardest."

    "As long as you can endure the rumors and make it through, countless women wille to follow you!"

    "Only when we women truly stand up, and are economically independent from men, will we take the first step towards self-reliance and self-strengthening!"

    The maid''s heart pounded fiercely, as if her blood was boiling and her heart would leap out.

    Countless women following her!

    Self-reliance and self-strengthening starting with her!

    She could do it!

    She definitely could do it, and would not disappoint Your Highness!

    -

    The next day.

    Before the actors who came for training had even woken up, there were loud knocks on the door outside.

    "You have ten minutes to get out here and line up for training!"

    Gu Sang quickly got up, washed, and within ten minutes, she was the first to rush out of the room and gather at the training grounds.

    The drill instructor training them today happened to be the one Gu Sang consulted about intensive military training yesterday. Seeing Gu Sang arrive first, he revealed an approving smile.

    The instructor timed everyone, and after thest person had arrived, he said in a deep voice:

    "Too slow, you''re all too slow!"

    "The soldiers I train take three minutes to be fully prepared and standing at attention. I gave you ten minutes, and not even half of you hade out."

    "All of you, listen up! Turn right!"

    "Run three kilometers for warmup. No food if you don''t finish!"

    When the livestream was opened in ancient times, the instructor''s booming voice pierced through the screen, causing the ancients to cover their ears.

    They watched as more than ten women in uniform began runningps around the mountain.

    In an instant, this prompted ridicule from manymoners: "Hah, women doing military training? Look at their prissy manner - if they went to war, they''d probably be too scared to move."

    "A man should stand tall and protect his family and country. A woman''s ce is at home taking care of her husband and children. What are thesedies doing practicing martial arts?"

    "These frail women can probably barely hold their weapons steady."

    As if to confirm the ancient spection.

    After running just a few hundred meters, one of the women slowed down, panting heavily and intending to sit down for a rest.

    The instructor rode up on a vehicle and yelled loudly at the woman, "Keep running! Anyone who dares stop to rest will have an extra kilometer added to their run!"

    Under the instructor''s stern gaze, the woman gritted her teeth and ran a few more steps.

    But then she began clutching her abdomen, saying "I can''t... my side is cramping up, I can''t run anymore..."

 Chapter 58: I Want to Divorce You

    <h4>Chapter 58</h4>

    Gu Sang pulled the woman''s hand from behind and said, "This is because you haven''t exercised enough. First, adjust your breathing, take steady steps, and run slowly. Don''t give up."

    The woman found that it didn''t hurt as much anymore, and she couldn''t help but look at Gu Sang gratefully.

    One or two kilometers was already the limit for the actress.

    When they wanted to give up, the instructor brought a ferocious dog from somewhere and started chasing everyone.

    At this, everyone panicked and ran desperately.

    "Ah!!! This is a Pitbull! It''s ranked as the most ferocious dog, capable of biting people to death!"

    "Woo woo woo~ If I had known it would be this difficult, I wouldn''t have taken this role."

    "Instructor, this is just the first day, and we''re not real female soldiers. Ah! It''s catching up, run faster!"

    The instructor caught up with them, "Precisely because you''re not real female soldiers, that''s why it''s only three kilometers for the first time. They start with ten kilometers on their first day!"

    "All of you, get running! Either reach the finish line or leave. I don''t train cripples!"

    Seeing these women scared into fleeing, the ancient people felt their hair stand on end.

    That line about ten kilometers being the starting point made even the warriors frown.

    The ancient people debated, "Ten kilometers? That''s impossible. Even for ordinary men, there''s no way they could run that far without stopping to rest."

    "How could the future treat women so harshly? This is practically not treating them as women but as men!"

    "That''s right, soldiering is a man''s job. Why are women interfering with it?"

    Outside the city walls, in front of the livestream.

    A man heard the discussions around him and smugly said to his wife, "See? That''s how cruel that world is!"

    "You keep going on and on about wanting to go to the future. With your body that gets winded after just three steps, even if you went to the future, you wouldn''tst an hour."

    "From now on, stay at home obediently. Stop watching these livestreams!"

    Hearing the man''s belittling words, the woman immediately lowered her head in shame.

    Yes!

    The women of the future were all so capable. Whether in knowledge or physical strength, they could rival men.

    What did she have that couldpare to men?

    This was ultimately not the future, so she shouldn''t have such a frightening thought that women could also be strong...

    "I... I understand..."

    Her meek and cowardly voice prompted the man''s more joyful mockery, "That''s right! Stop going out to watch livestreams and letting your mind run wild!"

    "Look at your figure and face: uglier and more bloated than the mud in the fields."

    "If it weren''t for me providing for you, who would dare take you? And you still dare to talk to me about how men should respect women and dream of going to the future. It''s simplyughable."

    The ancient man mocked his wife shamelessly in front of everyone.

    The woman''s tears of anger swirled in her eyes.

    The mocking gazes of the people around her made the woman even more unable to raise her head. Every word was like an arrow piercing her heart, shattering all her hopes.

    Gu Sang had already overexerted herself physically, intending to have a peaceful livestream, but she heard the man publicly insulting his wife.

    A cold, mocking voice immediately came from inside the screen, "What''s so funny? Only an ipetent man would mock and put down his own wife."

    "Aren''t you just afraid that once she experiences a broader world, she''ll have better choices and won''t look up to a good-for-nothing like you anymore?"

    "Sure enough, whether it''s modern or ancient times, there are scum like you!"

    "Sister, don''t listen to your husband''s words. He''s stopping you from learning, from seeing the outside world, oppressing you, while iming it''s for your own good. That''s absolutely not for your benefit: it''s to control you, bind you to stay by his side forever as a maid and servant!"

    "This isn''t a good marriage. A good marriage should involve working together, me being proud of your excellence, and you taking pride in me."

    Boom¡ª

    In an instant!

    The women watching the livestream, upon hearing Gu Sang''s words, felt their blood ignite.

    Their hearts pounded fiercely, and even their breathing became increasingly rapid.

    "You are all excellent, wonderful. You''re no worse than your husbands. I think you''re the best, so you don''t need to doubt yourselves. Believe in yourselves."

    Crack!

    In an instant, every woman''s mind echoed with the sound of shattering.

    It was the shackles restraining their thoughts, being broken!

    It turned out they weren''t unexcellent: it was the men who denied their excellence.

    Their husbands disdained their figures and looks, but hadn''t they been graceful beauties before marriage?

    Giving birth to their husbands'' children, doingundry and cooking, working in the fields: ancient peasant women had to do it all, yet men never mentioned these contributions.

    They onlyined that their wives were ugly and useless after growing old...

    The woman who had just been mocked by her husband slowly raised her head.

    Her body was still trembling slightly, but she was no longer afraid! For the first time, she mustered the courage to look straight at the mocking gazes around her, then turned to her husband.

    "This figure of mine changed after marrying you."

    "My face became ugly and dark from tending the fire, cooking, and taking care of the household."

    "Before... you said thedies from the Brothel had delicate, soft, and smooth white hands, unlike my rough, calloused ones. I wished mine could be like theirs too, but I have to work the fields from dawn till dusk every day, while they don''t!"

    "For so many years, every penny you earned went to thosedies. When I tried to stop you, you put me down by calling me ugly, saying if I was as beautiful as them, you wouldn''t go to the brothels? In the end, you med me for being ugly and useless, unable to keep you."

    "I''m ugly? Hahaha..."

    At this point, the woman suddenlyughed through her tears.

    She fiercely wiped her tears and said in a tearful voice, "I''m ugly! But in the end, it''s because you''re useless: if you had money to spend on me, how could I have ended up like this?"

    "The Immortal Being was right. A pathetic, raging man like you is someone no one wants, mere trash. You''re clearly afraid that if I improve, I won''t want you anymore, so you keep trampling me down."

    "I''m great, I''m not inferior! For so many years, I''ve never relied on you!"

    "I''ve had enough of you! From today onwards, I''m divorcing you!"

    When an ancient woman uttered the words "divorce" in those days, the onlookers outside the city walls gaped in astonishment.

    It was the first time they had heard of a peaceful separation, and it was through a modern livestream.

    But this was not the future!

    How could a woman utter such words of peaceful divorce? How dare she!

    If divorce was to be spoken of, it should have been the man abandoning the woman. The abandoned woman would then be ridiculed and shamed by countless men, eventually leading her to despair and suicide by drowning...

 Chapter 59: Ancient Men vs Modern Men, One-sided Victory

    <h4>Chapter 59</h4>

    The woman trembled as she spoke, her anxiety-ridden words striking the man''sst nerve.

    The man immediately flew into a rage and cursed, "Absurd!"

    "Dare you mention divorce to me? All these years, I have provided you with food and shelter. If you leave me¡ª"

    The man raised his hand, about to p the woman.

    The woman shoved him away, tears streaming down her face uncontrobly.

    As the tears fell, she said in a quivering voice, "You provided me with food?"

    "How did you provide? With your mouth? I''ve been the one doing all the chores at home and in the fields, all the farm work!"

    "You''ve been idling about all day long, squandering your money at brothels whenever you have some. When you return home, you expect me to wait on you. How dare you say you''ve provided me with food?"

    "Without this burden that you are, the money I earn wouldn''t be snatched away by you to gift to courtesans. I''d have the strength to do needlework and support myself. Without you, I''d live a better life."

    "Let''s divorce! You worthless waste!"

    After uttering those resolute words, the woman turned and went to pack her belongings.

    The man was left standing there, his previously mocking and arrogant expression crumbling, turning into anger, bewilderment, panic...

    And disbelief.

    At the city gates, an eerie silence fell.

    Neither the man nor the woman spoke a word!

    Aftering to their senses, only a few men realized they should treat their wives better.

    Most of the other men hurled insults and curses at the woman, but they failed to notice that at that moment, the women in the distance looked at them no longer with reverence and reliance.

    Gu Sang knew.

    The long-oppressed women were awakening!

    They would eventually break free from their shackles and march towards liberty!

    "Well done, three-kilometer runpleted."

    "Everyone turn around."

    "Get into the mud pit and do one hundred sit-ups. Five minutes, those who finish can rest, those who don''t will do another hundred! I don''t want to see any defiant expressions on your faces. Those who can''t do it can leave now. Anyone want to leave?"

    The actresses who had initially shrunk back were terrified to see a few insects asionally surfacing in the muddy pit, trembling with fear.

    But since they hade this far, there was no backing out now!

    Get in!

    If others could do it, so could they!

    The ancients watched in astonishment as those screaming women, who had expressed fear, ultimately gritted their teeth and stepped into the muddy pit, oveing their fears and striding towards victory.

    The morning training ended.

    When Gu Sang went to take a shower, she ced the camera in the adjacent training barracks.

    It happened to be a mixed training session for the female and male soldiers there, abat and firearmpetition.

    Upon seeing the modern female soldiers fearlessly engaging the male soldiers inbat on the livestream, their eyes brimming with fighting spirit, the ancient warriors were dumbfruck!

    Warrior: "This... this is impossible... What fighting technique is this? A woman''s physical strength is no match for a man''s. How did she take the man down?"

    Stuffy old soldier: "What business do women have being soldiers? Absolutely just ornaments! Beat them, give these women a good beating to teach them a lesson."

    Minister: "Another... another win? What kind of strength does a woman possess? This must be a female demon."

    Concubines: "Sister Sang did not deceive us. There really are female soldiers, and they are no weaker than the men. Even in war, women can hold their own!"

    The citizens watched the intense training session, the fighters throwing punches without restraint.

    They couldn''t even find an excuse to say the male soldiers were going easy on the females.

    Because they clearly saw that every soldier on the screen was giving their all!

    The male soldiers looked at the females with respect, neither condescending nor patronizing. They regarded them as equalrades-in-arms!

    Pei Changying stared at the livestream, his envious eyes reddening.

    To his horror, he realized the fighting techniques employed by the future warriors werepletely different from those used by the ancient soldiers.

    The future techniques were more focused on close-quarterbat, fast, vicious, and precise strikes.

    Meanwhile, his soldiers were still brandishing long swords, thrusting and poking away.

    In a one-on-one duel, his soldiers likely wouldn''t even have time to raise their swords before being swept off their feet by the opponent''s leg sweep!

    Gu Sang hadn''t shared a word about these incredible techniques with him.

    "Gu..." Pei Changying was about to ask Gu Sang for these techniques, but then realized she would never tell him.

    "Zhou Qichen, go and record these techniques. If you can''t, you ask Gu Sang!"

    Yes!

    If Zhou Qichen asked, Gu Sang would surely share.

    Pei Changying thought to himself, but after waiting a while, he didn''t see Zhou Qichen step forward. He scanned the hall but couldn''t find Zhou Qichen''s presence.

    "Your Majesty, General Zhou has been ill and hasn''t attended court for a few days."

    Pei Changying frowned in anger, "Ill? I think he''s feigning illness. Immediately summon Zhou Qichen to see me!"

    "All of you martial arts masters, open your eyes and learn. You must master these techniques."

    Pei Changying called out a few martial arts masters to learn.

    But the masters couldn''t even see clearly how their opponents were throwing punches. By the time they figured it out, the match had already ended.

    Pei Changying looked expectant, "Did you learn?"

    The masters wore pained expressions as they knelt on the hall floor.

    They cried helplessly, "Your Majesty, we couldn''tprehend! These techniques rely on spontaneity, without fixed counters. We are ipetent."

    "Useless, the entire court of civil and martial officials are useless. Not one is willing to share my burden!"

    "Your Majesty, why not have the Noble Consort teach us? The Noble Consort must know."

    Pei Changying suppressed his rage, eyeing Gu Sang''s appearance on the livestream hungrily.

    Before Pei Changying could lower his supreme imperial dignity to inquire, Gu Sang on the other side of the screen curled her lip in a disdainful smile, "Pei Changying is as unteachable as a dog!"

    She daredpare him to a dog?

    Pei Changying was so enraged he felt like his lungs would explode. He itched to grab Gu Sang by the throat and threaten her, but was powerless to do so.

    All he could do was watch helplessly as those terrifyingbat techniques unfolded, envious, yearning, desperately wanting to acquire them, but knowing he never would in his lifetime!

    Soon, it was noon.

    Gu Sang followed the others to the dining hall for a meal.

    Seeing someone sit down nearby, a soldier eating looked up and greeted cheerfully, "You must be an actress here for training?"

    "You folks are in for a rough time. The instructor is the Iron-Faced King Yama, a real hardass who won''t stop torturing until he''s broken you."

    One of the fellow soldiers at the desk said, "You alwayse first in training, did you have some prior experience?"

    "Yes, I had a bit of experience before."

    It''s not that Pei Changying had a bad mind, but he liked to show off his bravery in front of the former Emperor.

    Gu Sang not only had to think ahead, but also lead the troops into battle.

    Several times when Pei Changying was in peril, she risked everything to charge in and rescue him.

    The male soldier next to her nced at Gu Sang, his face full of admiration as he said, "You must be around the same age as my girlfriend. I still have a year left before I''m discharged, and every month I send her my sry to save up. She says by the time I''m discharged, with her ie and my severance pay, we''ll have enough for the down payment on a house in the county seat."

    "She''s waited four years for me, and I swear she''ll be the only one for me in this life, I have to marry her......"

 Chapter 60: This is the responsibility of a man

    <h4>Chapter 60</h4>

    "Four years, huh? You''d better treat your girlfriend well after this. Her youth has been wasted waiting for you. You can''t just take it for granted that she''s the one who agreed to date you and give her nothing in return. When you two get married, don''t let her miss out on anything she deserves."

    "Of course! My girlfriend is a rare gem - you''d have a hard time finding someone as good as her even with antern. Let me show you her photo, isn''t she a beauty?"

    "Ah, I''m getting discharged tomorrow, but unfortunately, I don''t have a girlfriend. Not to mention a girlfriend, I barely get any new dishes - it''s the same old stuff every day. The navy has such good food!"

    "It''s tough to be a navy man, you know. If I had met the standards, I would have wanted to join the navy too."

    The ancient soldiers listened as the modern soldiers talked about their girlfriends with such happiness and indulgence on their faces. They couldn''t understand or fathom why these men cherished and respected their girlfriends so much.

    Then, when the topic shifted to food, the ancient men immediately turned their attention to the matter of eating.

    As they looked, oh heavens!

    The ancient soldiers guarding the city nearly cried in joy.

    This food wasn''t good?!

    Even during the new year celebrations, they couldn''t eat such a sumptuous feast of meat and fish!

    The ancient soldiers from the Lingnan region couldn''t help but salivate as they gazed at the bowl filled with braised pork, mustard greens with pork, chicken wings, and pig trotters.

    "That''s true, it''s just meat, meat, meat every day, no variety. I''m getting bored of it," one of the other soldiers at the next table chimed in, nodding in agreement.

    The ancient men: ??

    Meat, meat, meat wasn''t good enough? They, asmon folk, couldn''t even afford to eat meat once a year!

    So this was how good the treatment for soldiers was in the future?

    "Brothers, I''m getting discharged tomorrow. Let''s keep in touch! After this discharge, I n to use my money to start a business..."

    "I prefer a more stable life. I''ll save up for my future wife..."

    As they watched the enthusiastic faces of these future soldiers talk about their discharge benefits, their eyes shone with light.

    The ancient soldiers who were watching the livestream gaped in astonishment.

    One of them mustered the courage to ask Gu Sang, "Goddess, in your world, does getting discharged mean being relieved from service? But I see that he still looks strong and able-bodied, why would he be discharged early?"

    "Maybe his family is very wealthy and used money to reduce his military service time."

    Gu Sang smiled and replied, "Some of them are conscripts who only have to serve for two years before getting discharged. After being discharged, they even receive a substantial sum of money."

    "Many students who don''t get into universities, their parents will voluntarily send them to be conscripts for two years. This way, it can help reform their bad habits, and they''ll also get startup money for their future."

    Upon hearing this, all the ancient men were in an uproar. "No! Absolutely impossible. Bing a soldier means risking one''s life!"

    "You''re deceiving us. If it wasn''tpulsory for every household to provide one able-bodied man for the army, who would willingly leave their hometown to be a soldier! And to voluntarily send their children to be soldiers, and even get paid for it? Preposterous!"

    Gu Sang''s words were difficult for the ancient men to ept. They instinctively felt that she must be lying to them.

    Everyone knew that being a soldier meant risking death!

    It had always been the imperial court that forced conscription. How could there be people who would voluntarily be soldiers?

    Faced with the doubts from the ancient men, a proud light flickered across Gu Sang''s face.

    She said, "In our world, we never force conscription. In fact, many parents beg their children to join the military."

    "As more and more young people want to enlist, the requirements have be stricter. Men who don''t meet the height standards or have bad behavior are not allowed to be soldiers."

    "Apart from the two-year conscripts, there are also specialized police and military academies to recruit talent. After being discharged from the military, those who don''t want to start a business can even get job cements, and there are various benefits during holidays and festivals."

    "Moreover, during their service, soldiers get leave to visit their families. For the families of these warriors, the state also provides..."

    "..."

    No matter how good the modern world was, there would still be people who were dissatisfied, stillining about its many ws.

    But why not show those ws?

    Because in the eyes of the ancient men, any ws, no matter how minor, would seem like unattainable advantages to them!

    If the ancient civilians were toe to this world, would they be dissatisfied? No, this world would be a heavenly paradise for them.

    In the modern era, ny-nine percent of the civilians had food to eat and could afford meat.

    But in ancient times? They couldn''t even eat the pearl-like premium rice grains.

    During droughts, they still had to pay grain taxes and would be forced to sell their possessions or be beaten as ves.

    Not to mention having the opportunity to attend a school...

    But now!

    Even the prospect of being conscripted, which they had feared like a tiger, had be something that everyone in the prosperous Chinese nation voluntarily did. These young soldiers had no pain or indifference on their faces, only confidence and cheerfulness!

    The Lingnan soldiers, upon hearing every word, felt their eyes redden instantly.

    If soldiers received a substantial sum after being discharged, and if their families werepensated in case they were killed in action, and they were respected and loved by the people, how wonderful that would be.

    They, too, would undoubtedly serve their country without hesitation, wouldn''t they?

    In the main hall, a martial officer murmured softly, "How fortunate they are."

    After hearing these words, he felt a surge of bitterness and envy in his heart.

    So many heroic warriors had died in battle.

    But how many of their families had received any assistance from the local county magistrate?

    None. They had all died, too.

    With the pirs of their households gone, their families lost their breadwinners and starved to death...

    Pei Changying stared intently at Gu Sang. "Stop deceiving us with your nonsense. Do you know how long it takes to train a soldier? This so-called ''conscript'' that you mentioned, getting discharged after just two years - are they fools in your country, or am I the fool for believing what you say?"

    "Two years, hmph, just training them and then letting them go. Is your country stupid, or am I stupid?"

    Gu Sang looked at Pei Changying with a contemptuous gaze, as if he were aplete imbecile.

    "If you don''t have any experience, don''te out and embarrass yourself. Don''t judge this world based on your own limited perspective."

    "I don''t--"

    Before Pei Changying could finish his indignant denial, the image in front of them suddenly closed, and the livestream ended.

    He was furious!

    Absolutely furious!

    They kept broadcasting these scenes of a powerful, free modern world, causing the people to endlessly discuss and debate.

    Nowadays, even the concubines in the pce no longer fought for his favor. Instead, they kept going on and on about how good the one-husband-one-wife system was.

    If this continued, the women''s thoughts would be shallow and corrupted!

    Just as Pei Changying''s face was filled with chilling anger and the atmosphere was tense...

    The eunuch who went to summon Zhou Qichen to the pce hurried into the hall: "Your Majesty, it''s terrible. General Zhou has left the capital and is said to be on his way to Lingnan."

    "This servant heard from the city guards that before leaving, General Zhou took all of his soldiers with him!"

    "I''m afraid...he has gone to join the Crown Princess."

    "What!!!"

    The entire court was shocked.

    Pei Changying stood up abruptly, his face darkly frightening.

    Zhou Qichen!

    Pei Weiqi!

    He knew it, he just knew the Zhou family harbored ill intentions!

    And his legitimate sister, that concubine-born woman, was unwilling to be married off or to wee a husband, using the excuse of guarding theirte father''s spirit tablet to remain unmarried until the age of twenty-two.

    During the time of rescuing the gue-stricken city, Pei Changying had a bad premonition.

    Now it seems that was no rescue effort, it was an attempt to buy the people''s hearts!

    She''s nning a rebellion!

 Chapter 61: Pei Changying Furious, Zhou Qichen Ran Away

    <h4>Chapter 61</h4>

    With his eyes red and teeth clenched, Pei Changying gave orders: "Convey my edict - the Zhou family is attempting rebellion. Immediately arrest all members of the Zhou family, young and old, and seal the city gates. Do not let a single member of the Zhou family escape."

    This...

    The officials looked at each other in bewilderment.

    A schr-official with close ties to the Zhou family mustered his courage and advised: "Your Majesty, please reconsider. The matter has not been fully investigated, you cannot condemn them so hastily."

    "The Zhou family has been loyal and meritorious for generations, and they are the senior statesmen of three reigns. To use them rashly would surely invite disaffection among the people!"

    Pei Changying''s face remained grim: "Zhou Qichen has not attended court for days, and now he has privately traveled to Lingnan. Who would believe he harbors no ill intent? Or do you also wish to rebel like Zhou Qichen!"

    "Your Majesty, your subject''s loyalty to you is as clear as the heavens. I have no intention of rebelling whatsoever."

    "Silence! I see you have wolfish ambitions and malicious intentions. Anyone who dares speak for Zhou Qichen will be imprisoned and executed along with the Zhou family!"

    Pei Changying had been enraged beyond reason by Zhou Qichen''s perceived betrayal.

    He was beginning to feel uneasy now.

    He felt that some things were bing increasingly uncontroble, deviating further and further from his expectations, no longer under his control...

    Half of the court officials showed signs of self-preservation on their faces.

    Although Pei Changying had disappointed and disillusioned them countless times, the mindset ingrained over thousands of years could not be overturned overnight.

    Compared to submitting to a woman fit only to be a wife and mother,

    at this moment, they preferred to support an ipetent ruler.

    The Prime Minister was rmed and stepped forward to advise: "Your Majesty."

    "Regardless of whether the Zhou family has rebelled or not, we cannot act rashly lest rumors arise and destabilize the people."

    "I humbly suggest that we immediately dispatch men to Lingnan to search for sweet potatoes. If the Elder Princess intends to rebel, she will surely need arge supply of provisions."

    "If we find the sweet potatoes before the Elder Princess, her ns wille to naught!"

    "Secondly, we should send out a troop to escort the Elder Princess back to the capital for punishment. Without provisions, she will surely surrender without resistance."

    Pei Changying''s face alternated between pale and flushed, surrounded by a chilling and vicious atmosphere.

    He was the exalted Emperor, the husband and master of countless wives and concubines! How could he employ the knowledge of that Gu Sang woman? Where would his dignity go?

    But if Pei Weiqi truly intended to rebel, she would undoubtedly seek sweet potatoes in Lingnan.

    His eldest sister was ambitious and talented, Father Emperor had said that if she were a man, she would be the most suitable heir to the realm...

    What if... what if...

    After some contemtion, Pei Changying felt extremely humiliated but issued the edict: "Where are the militarymanders? Where is the Ministry of Works!"

    "I order you, divide into two groups."

    "The Ministry of Works shall immediately go to Lingnan and search for sweet potatoes, potatoes, and other provisions!"

    "The militarymanders shall lead a thousand soldiers to Lingnan and apprehend the Elder Princess. If she dares to resist with arms, hmph! Execute her for rebellion, no mercy!"

    -

    In modern times.

    Gu Sang closed the other split screens, leaving only the livestream of the Elder Princess.

    The Elder Princess had already gathered a few craftsmen as per Gu Sang''s instructions, and the group was eagerly watching the livestream, their eyes filled with admiration.

    Beside them stood Zhou Qichen, who had rushed over with great haste.

    Free from the control of the court, Zhou Qichen appeared full of vigor and charisma, his mere presence exuding a confident and lofty air.

    "Sang Sang, I havee to join the Elder Princess."

    "As you said, Pei Changying is ipetent and tyrannical, persecuting loyal subjects for his own desires."

    "If I continue to support such an inept ruler, the fate of the Zhao family and the imperial physicians may well be mine tomorrow."

    "Moreover, the Former Emperor once said that the Elder Princess is intelligent and wise, bearing the air of an Emperor, but s, she is only a woman. After watching the livestreams ofter eras, I think a woman may not be unfit to rule after all."

    "Since you trust her, then I shall trust you."

    Zhou Qichen had considered many things before arriving.

    Now, with the people''s support and the entire gue-stricken city vowing to follow the Elder Princess, and with Gu Sang''s full assistance, there seemed to be a real possibility of her ascending the throne.

    If he could be the first to pledge allegiance to her, he would surely be rewarded in the future.

    Obtaining Zhou Qichen''s promise, a heavy burden lifted from Gu Sang''s heart.

    Her eyes shone with sincere admiration: "Brother Qichen, your choice is wise. This world is ever-changing, and the imperial throne should not be bound by gender, but by ability and virtue!"

    "When the Martial Emperor ascended the throne, she had neither popr support nor a million-strong army, yet she carved out a path of blood."

    "The Elder Princess has you, she has me, she has the people''s support. How could she not seed?"

    Yes, how could she not?

    Thest trace of unease deep in Zhou Qichen''s eyes dissipated, reced by determination.

    The thousands-of-years-old way of thinking was ingrained in his bones.

    Zhou Qichen needed immense courage to discard the notion that only men could rule, to dare to follow a woman.

    He was the first general to pledge allegiance.

    But he would not be thest!

    Gu Sang conversed as she walked with the people from the livestream, soon reaching the indoorbat training area.

    Two instructors were chatting nearby, and Gu Sang approached them to introduce herself.

    Gu Sang: "Greetings, instructors. I am Gu Sang, who made an appointment with you yesterday. Today, I would like to ask about methods of firearm production."

    The instructors'' brows furrowed with solemnity.

    Modern society strictly controls firearm knowledge and would never casually disclose methods of production.

    Even for obsolete methods, disclosure was forbidden.

    Seeing the instructors'' misunderstanding, Gu Sang exined: "I do not seek modern firearm production methods. I have a deep interest in history."

    "Recently, while reading about the red-coated cannons and firearms of the Ming Dynasty, I developed a desire to learn more about them."

    Only after this exnation did the instructors'' expressions soften and a smile appeared.

    They contemted for a few seconds, and one of them said:

    "Theposition of gunpowder can actually be found online - it''s simply one part sulfur, two parts saltpeter, and three parts charcoal. With some trial and error, anyone could produce this ''ck powder''."

    "As for the production of firearms and cannons, it''s not tooplex either. In ancient times, however, such knowledge was considered an arcane and unsavory skill, not favored by the mainstream."

    "Cannons must withstand immense pressure in an instant to avoid bursting. In the Ming Dynasty, they were basically made by..."

    Listening to hispanion''s detailed exnation,

    the other instructor could not resist offering his own insights.

    "Hey, as early as the heyday of Mohism, there was a record of a kind of weapon with a manufacturing principle simr to that of firearms. If we could improve upon it......"

    One of the craftsmen present was startled upon hearing the mention of Mohism.

    The Mohist school had long been forgotten by the world, but he had heard his master mention once that every member of the Mohist n was a master craftsman of the highest caliber.

    Each sword and de was priceless!

    The craftsman''s heart stirred with anticipation, hoping to hear more about the Mohist school from this person ofter times.

    Unfortunately, the Mohist school was only briefly mentioned before the instructor changed the subject.

    Seeing that Gu Sang was listening attentively, the instructor was inspired to spontaneously find paper and pen to draw diagrams for Gu Sang: "Look, this is how historical weapons were made."

    "If you are not studying this field, you may not understand it."

    Gu Sang pointed at the paper and discerned: "I know this one, this is the key to loading, this is......"

 Chapter 62: Letâ€™s Start Making Weapons, Learning Combat

    <h4>Chapter 62</h4>

    The ancients could not understand modern writing, so Gu Sang recited the parts annotated by the instructor.

    She would also exin a sentence or two, what that part was used for.

    "Heavens! I know this material, my cksmith''s shop has it too! I never thought cannons in the future would be made from this stuff?"

    "Didn''t you hear what the instructor said? Although the cannons we make in this era can''t match those of the future, they can still easily kill people!"

    "If used on the battlefield, even iron shields would be blown to pieces by them!"

    "As expected of a prosperous age, such weapons are truly astonishing!"

    The ancient Confucian schrs eximed while writing densely on paper. They knew that if this thing was made, it would absolutely be an earth-shattering deadly weapon!

    As for the craftsmen, they had already begun drawing diagrams on paper.

    At that moment, their blood was hot, active, and pulsing.

    Just thinking about making this thing themselves, they couldn''t help their eyes turning red with excitement, almost drawing the lines crooked.

    Zhou Qichen only nced at the blueprints briefly, but he knew this thing had terrifying killing power. However, he was not a professional craftsman and could not understand the manufacturing process.

    Soon after, Zhou Qichen''s attention was drawn to thebat training in the room.

    In his eyes, these moves were all systematic, with each seemingly free and casual move actually following certain rules.

    Especially the over-the-shoulder throw, which really caught his eye.

    Whew!

    That wrist lock was surprisingly simr to the bone-breaking hand technique, but simpler and more practical.

    After learning about the weapon''s structure from the instructor, Gu Sang intended to leave, but her peripheral vision caught Zhou Qichen staring intently at thebat arena behind her.

    Gu Sang''s eyes lit up, and she politely asked to learn more: "Instructor, I''d also like to understand somebat techniques. Would they be practical in ancient times?"

    The instructor, who had not spoken before, looked at Gu Sang with a proud expression upon hearing this.

    Clearing his throat, he said, "Well, you''ll have to ask me about that."

    "Combat is more suitable for ambushes. Imagine if you could create a special forces unit in ancient times. Before going to war, they could sneak in secretly..."

    This talkative instructor then eagerly chatted with Gu Sang about various cases of special forces ambushing the enemy and winning against greater numbers in ancient times.

    Zhou Qichen listened intently, his eyes shining, not wanting to miss a single word as he carefully memorized everything.

    As for Zhou Qichen and the soldiers behind the Elder Princess, listening to the instructor describe these battles got their blood boiling.

    They couldn''t wait to form a special forces unit right then, ambush the enemy, and make their mark in history with victories against greater numbers.

    "I feel so fired up now, I''ll be the first to sign up if we form a special forces unit!"

    "I''ll sign up too, I want to leave my name in history."

    "Those moves looked casual, but they were so powerful, leaving the enemy no chance to counterattack! I wish I could be that skilled."

    "When the timees, I''ll burn down their food supplies andunch night raids."

    Hearing the soldiers moring with such ideas, Zhou Qichen felt gratified but turned to them sternly: "Special forces are the elite of the elite. First, you need excellent physical conditioning; a few words alone won''t let you defeat greater numbers."

    "We can''t just charge in with hot blood after hearing this. We must take it step-by-step and choose what suits us."

    "Ambushes are extremely dangerous. Have you considered the consequences if you can''t make it out alive?"

    Zhou Qichen''s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over the soldiers'' heads.

    In an instant, they sobered up.

    Ambushes with fewer forces had a high death rate!

    While the modern methods were good, they didn''t apply to every ambush. They had to remain clear-headed, calm, and analyze the situation and n.

    They couldn''t let their heads swell after learning these things, arrogantly thinking they could win any war easily!

    "We''ll listen to General Zhou''s guidance."

    "Yes! Whatever General Zhou tells us to do, we''ll do!"

    "..."

    Not long after the live broadcast ended, the Elder Princess suddenly received a system notification.

    After handing over the scene to Zhou Qichen, the Elder Princess returned to her temporary residence.

    "Connection opened!"

    The visuals showed Gu Sang''s background as a dormitory, with a few female voices asionally discussing scripts audible.

    Gu Sang''s voice came through the screen clearly.

    "Wei Qi, I suddenly closed the broadcast earlier because the instructor told me the manufacturing methods and ratios for some ammunition types. I need to tell you privately."

    "The gunpowder ratio can use... plus these raw materials..."

    "With these added, even if the gunpowder form leaks out, they won''t understand the ratios and will only end up hurting everyone. The key technology will still be in your hands."

    "Additionally, if firearms can''t be made yet, you can make simple hand grenades. Just lengthen the fuse, light it, and throw it within two seconds..."

    The Elder Princess recorded the various gunpowder ratios Gu Sang mentioned, preparing to research them herself overnight.

    Gu Sang was right.

    The gunpowder ratios were the most confidential information.

    This was something she had to research herself, never leaving it to others.

    As for Mohism mentioned in the broadcast, and the "entrepreneurial pcedies" Gu Sang had brought up before, the Elder Princess had already taken them to heart and sent people to handle it.

    After taking care of important matters, the Elder Princess arched her beautiful eyebrows in amusement.

    She half-jokingly said to Gu Sang, "Gu Sang, when I was in the capital, I heard that Zhou Qichen had ardently pursued you for a long time."

    "He even persuaded the Zhou family to support Pei Changying because of you. Now, he''se to help me because of you too."

    "He clearly cares deeply for you. Don''t you have any feelings for him at all?"

    Zhou Qichen was indeed a good man, but Gu Sang''s heart remained unmoved.

    She replied to the Elder Princess calmly, but her words were resolute: "After experiencing this trip to ancient times, I''ve finally understood something."

    The Elder Princess: "What is it?"

    Gu Sang: "I must possess myself first, gain freedom first, and realize my own value first. To me, love is a very, very small matter!"

    "When I was trapped in the cold pce, unable to see the splendor of the world, unable to leave the pce gates, unable to return home, each day vying for favor and a lowly position."

    "I even harbored thoughts of ending my own life. I had seen rivers and mountains stretching for thousands of miles, but the life in the harem, where the end was in sight, made living seem worse than death."

    "Fortunately, I returned home, but now I''m penniless. My first goal is to earn money."

    "Even in our era when we speak of marital freedom, for most without money, marriage means losing oneself for the family. How many true loves are eventually worn down by the grind of making ends meet? I don''t consider myself special. I''m just an ordinary person. Getting rich is out of reach for me, and true love without material support is even rarer than getting rich, let alone happening to me..."

 Chapter 63: Watching Experiment, Launch, Exploded

    <h4>Chapter 63</h4>

    Gu Sang paused for a few seconds.

    He continued in a gentle voice: "Besides, Zhou Qichen was not instigated by me to do those things."

    "Don''t be fooled by his brashness, he is actually quite sensitive and has his own ideas."

    "If it wasn''t for Pei Changying''s actions thatpletely disheartened him, he would not have switched sides just because of a few words from me. In the end, you deserve it."

    The Elder Princess smiled faintly, feeling that Gu Sang was more and more to her taste.

    She agreed with this view.

    Especially in this ancient world, men only viewed women as possessions, and after a long time, even women themselves forgot that they too had dignity.

    In such an environment, if a man did not view you as an equal from the core, how many years could true lovest?

    Perhaps his love for you was genuine at the moment, but it would also be genuine when he became disenchanted and his heart wandered yearster.

    The Elder Princess smiled wistfully: "Yes, everyone has their own choice, but before making that choice, they should find themselves."

    "I''m d I didn''t marry into another kingdom. I have always believed that no one would love me for life, so what''s so good about the throne? Who needs love!"

    "Gu Sang, tell me about university life, I think university life must be very interesting."

    Gu Sang told the Elder Princess about half an hour''s worth of interesting university stories.

    There were ordinary students who worked part-time jobs to pay for tuition;

    There were girls from mountain viges who studied hard under immense family pressure, just to make something of themselves;

    There were also rich second-generation kids who spentvishly to chase after the campus beauties;

    There were those with good conditions and those with poor conditions, but everyone had the right to choose! Everyone had the opportunity to shine and excel in their passion...

    So what if she was a girl from a mountain vige? As long as she was strong, brave, and hardworking, she too had a chance to change her circumstances!

    Through the screen, Gu Sang could clearly see the longing in the Elder Princess''s eyes.

    What a wonderful future world.

    There were endless choices.

    Unlike her.

    If she had not met Gu Sang, no matter how noble and legitimate she was, her ultimate fate would have been to marry into an enemy kingdom, or to pick a husband and let her life drift away.

    "Gu Sang, do you believe that one day, I too will establish the first university!"

    "A university where both men and women can attend, where everyone has the right to choose their future, and can shine and excel in their areas of expertise."

    "I believe it!" The firm and confident words rang out powerfully through the screen.

    They thought that day should not be too far away.

    In the capital city, at Inspector Zhang''s residence.

    Inspector Zhang''s wife pushed open the study door and brazenly shared: "Husband, guess what I heard out there?"

    "There have been rumors circting in the capital recently that the Zhao Family was wronged. Haha, isn''t that funny? If we go by what they''re saying, wouldn''t that mean the Emperor was cuckolding himself?"

    This wife was the eldest daughter of a general''s family before marrying, and had a frank personality.

    Inspector Zhang was refined and schrly, yet he favored her straightforward nature, and their rtionship was excellent.

    In order to marry her, he had dismissed several concubines.

    Upon hearing this, Inspector Zhang''s expression immediately changed. He took a few steps towards his wife and looked outside to ensure no one had overheard before closing the door and whispering to his wife: "Wife, the Emperor''s moods have been erratic these days. You should not speak of such things again, lest we invite trouble."

    However, the Inspector''s wife maintained a righteous and proper demeanor.

    Linking arms with her husband, she firmly said: "Why can''t I say it?"

    "These words have spread all over the city. Thew does not punish the masses. Even if the Emperor finds out, what can he do?"

    "And I don''t think the Emperor would be so foolish. These are just rumors, surely the Emperor won''t seek to punish anyone? Then what crime would we be used of?"

    Inspector Zhang could only smile bitterly at her words.

    Crime? Perhaps a trumped-up charge would count as a crime!

    Under the heavens, there is nond not belonging to the King. If the Emperor wished to use them, who would dare question whether they were wronged or not?

    Just like the Zhao Family, like Consort Zhao, everyone knew the Zhao Family was wronged, knew of Consort Zhao''s righteousness.

    But they dared not speak up for the Zhao Family!

    They, these officials, even refrained from mentioning this matter, afraid of implicating themselves.

    "Wife," Inspector Zhang earnestly implored his wife about the gravity of this matter.

    Only after she promised not to mention it again did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

    At a tavern.

    Two schr-officials sat in a private room. They were from the same hometown and both appointed officials in the imperial court. When they had no other business, they would meet and chat.

    The conversations andughter from a nearby table ofmoners drifted into their room.

    "I reckon the Zhao Family must have offended someone in the court, which is why they were thrown in prison. Otherwise, why would the court''s decree be so vague and not list the specific crimes of the Zhao Family?"

    "Nonsense, I heard it was because Consort Zhao was unchaste, causing the Emperor''s wrath."

    "Do you believe that? If Consort Zhao was truly unchaste, would she still be alive now? I suspect there is an injustice here, but it''s a pity for the Zhao Family that not a single civil or military official has spoken up for them."

    "Those dog officials, always scheming and framing the loyal and upright..."

    Hearing these angry curses, the wine in the two officials'' hands suddenly lost its vor.

    The sips they took were filled with bitter unspoken words.

    Although they were not extraordinarily upright, they understood right from wrong.

    But they were afraid!

    They only had one life, and they were afraid of death!

    "Brother Xu, do you think if we had originally chosen a different Prince..." The official raised his head, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

    If they had supported a different Prince initially, even if that Prince was mediocre, surely he would be better than the current Emperor?

    "Sigh..."

    "Don''t say anymore, there are ears in the walls. Let''s keep some things in our hearts."

    "It''s just that Consort Zhao, she was too... Sigh." The sentence was left unfinished, followed by another helpless sigh.

    Imperial power reigned supreme, what could they do?

    Even if this Emperor''s actions made them disheartened and fearful, they had no choice, for there was no other path left.

    As time passed, the day of the small missile test soon arrived.

    Hearing themotion at the training ground, Gu Sang quickly got out of bed and turned on the live stream before rushing down.

    This earth-shattering scene had to be shown to Pei Changying.

    Indeed.

    When he saw him looking displeased, Gu Sang felt relieved! And it would further deepen the people''s impression of the power of future weapons, making it easier for the Elder Princess to rebelter on.

    "Beep."

    "Livestream activated."

    "Sister Li, you''vee to watch the livestream too? The Emperor recently ordered the Xuyang Pce to be sealed off, fearing that us concubines might reveal our hearts to outsiders and cause chaos in the pce."

    "But aren''t you here too? After experiencing the good life, aren''t you unwilling to be confined to this residence, fighting for favor? If you''re to be punished, so be it, it doesn''t matter anymore."

    "Shh, keep your voice down, everyone in the pce except the Empress hase, no one will report us."

    "What is that?!"

    The pce concubines were whispering among themselves when suddenly they heard a startled cry.

    They looked up at the screen and what they saw were rows of massive objects whizzing by, asrge as the pce courtyard. Their strange arrow-like shapes were plump and bulging.

    In that split second when they saw the small missiles...

    Everyone in the pce, the city, and the gue cities fell silent!

 Chapter 64: A cannon shot that shocked the ancients

    <h4>Chapter 64</h4>

    In an instant, Pei Changying''s heart skipped a beat.

    This thing exerted such an overwhelming oppressive force on him!

    A hint of shock shed across Gu Sang''s eyes as well. This scene was deeply etched into her heart: "The experiment has begun. This is the small missile that I told you about."

    "Just one of these is enough to destroy half of the Forbidden City."

    "Because its power is so immense, this test prototype has certainly had over half of its destructive force removed. Wherever it strikes will be like hell on earth."

    Gu Sang''s awe-filled words reached the ears of the ministers without omission.

    All the ministers furrowed their brows and began discussing.

    Obviously;

    They could not even dare imagine such terrifying power existed, even though they had already witnessed many shocking weapons before. But a single missile that could destroy half a city...

    Pei Changying immediately refuted: "No, that''s absolutely impossible! Gu Sang, you must be deceiving me. There is no such thing in this world."

    "I don''t believe that the future world could have such a terrifying creation!"

    Gu Sang was kept outside the safety zone. She signaled for the camera crew to follow her.

    In the footage, two rows of special troops with solemn expressions could be seen standing beside tworge vehicles. With amand to attention, the vehicles slowly came to a halt.

    Afterwards.

    The object on the vehicles slowly and steadily rose into a vertical position.

    Themoners watched in shock as this weapon taller than a house, gaping their mouths wide open.

    Commoner: "This, this, this is the weapon that the Immortal Being said could destroy half a city? Even if used just to smash things, it could probably kill a whole household!"

    "I still don''t quite believe that this thing can destroy half a city. Other than beingrge, it doesn''t seem that special. At most, it might knock down a few shops."

    "This thing called a missile, how is it used? Is it pushed over by hand? It''s so big and heavy, no one could possibly lift it, right?"

    As the ancients expressed their doubts, the professionals had already set the program.

    Miles away was a vast, endless desert.

    The desert without grass, trees, or people was the perfect ce for an experiment.

    This small-scale experiment was to test the power of this missile.

    After confirming the test site was in a safe state.

    Themander suddenly raised his head with a solemn expression. In front of all the ancient ministers and tens of thousands ofmoners, he immediately issued a series ofmands¡ª

    "Confirm target location is in a safe state for testing."

    "Test personnel check all items."

    "Test missile indicators normal."

    "Positioning urate and normal."

    "Data recording initiated."

    "Experiment begins, fire!!"

    In an instant!

    The only sound in their ears was a deafening boom.

    Arge plume of white smoke erupted from the ground, with dust also spreading.

    Immediately after;

    From the pupils of all the ancients, they saw an object like a shooting star, fired into the sky at a speed barely perceptible to the naked eye.

    Two trails of thick white smoke followed in its wake.

    When it reached halfway into the sky, the ancients watched in horror as the object... it actually turned!

    Pei Changying and all the ministers felt their hearts leap into their throats. They widened their eyes, fixated unblinkingly on that small test missile.

    "Whoosh--"

    "Boom!"

    "Rumble rumble!"

    The missile charged straight towards the uninhabited desert area a hundred kilometers away. The massive explosion caused the area within a ten-mile radius to instantly copse!

    Sand and stones ran rampant, and dense mes annihted everything nearby.

    The sound shook heaven and earth.

    The aftershock caused the ground beneath Gu Sang''s feet to tremble! In that moment, it seemed as if the entire world was quaking!

    Silence!

    A deathly silence fell over the scene.

    Witnessing the terrifying power of the small missile, the ancients fell to the ground in shock, their faces filled with horror and fear.

    They believed it now!

    They finally believed it!

    "I, I finally understand how to use this. Just by shouting, this thing can automatically charge towards the target and destroy it."

    "Too terrifying, too terrifying! How could such a horrific thing exist? Under this small missile, all life would be annihted, with no chance of escape."

    "This is essentially a doomsday weapon. How could mere flesh and blood withstand it!"

    "No wonder there are no wars in the era the Lady is from. How could there be war? With just a few of these missiles, all the people and the entire nation would be destroyed."

    Pei Changying''s face drained of all color.

    He too was drenched in cold sweat. Had he not been sitting on the dragon throne, he might have weakened and fallen to his knees when the missile hit.

    Looking at all the officials and ministers, each and every one of them was struck speechless by the horror.

    What is true power?

    Witnessing an area of several miles leveled by a small test missile¡ªthat is true power!

    If...

    If he could have a few of these, the entire world would kneel at his feet!

    The chill down his spine made Pei Changying feel utterly disgraced, but the experiment''s power also ignited his ambition, heating his body.

    "Gu Sang."

    Pei Changying took a deep breath and looked at Gu Sang with aplex gaze: "Why did your country create weapons capable of destroying humanity? Such weapons defy the heavens and will invite divine punishment."

    Gu Sang mocked: "Unable to create them yourselves, so you use these of defying heaven?"

    "Pei Changying, your talent for usations grows by the day. Now you even need to drag the heavens in to take the me for you."

    "This is only a small missile. Therge ones could not be tested, as such weapons are a necessity for every major power. They may not be used, but they must be possessed."

    Yes.

    He must possess them!

    Pei Changying pursed his lips, his expression changing as a trace of tender affection revealed itself in his eyes. He called out softly: "Sang Sang, are you still angry at me?"

    Gu Sang: ??

    "Are you angry that I did not fulfill my promise to make you the empress?"

    Gu Sang: .......

    "I know I was wrong. So, I will apologize to you. Previously, when I made Qing Rou the empress, it was not because I loved her deeply, but because I wanted to make you jealous."

    "In truth, you have always been in my heart. If you return, I will give you the empress position."

    "And the promise of a lifetime together, just the two of us¡ªI still intend to keep it. From now on, I will never favor another woman. Only you and I will be together, forever."

    "How about it?"

    Pei Changying''s eyes revealed a hint of affection and reluctance, but mostly ambition and desire.

    See how much he loved her? He was even offering her the empress position.

    Had it not been for his desire for the missiles, he would never have made such a promise.

    Because Pei Changying understood profoundly that Gu Sang could not be like the other concubines in the inner pce, with eyes only for her husband andpeting for his favor, forever under his control!

    "What the hell are you thinking, idiot." Gu Sang was originally a woman of great quality.

    But she still couldn''t help but spit at the screen, shutting off the livestream with utter disgust, not wanting to say another word.

    Lunatic!

    Not a single word from an abusive man can be believed.

    When he doesn''t need her, he drags her by the hair and calls her a shameless woman, but when he needs her, he calls her Sang Sang with such affection. Toote!

    Toote!

    This "love", even a dog wouldn''t want!

 Chapter 65: Excited Princess Chang Finds Sweet Potatoes

    <h4>Chapter 65</h4>

    Seeing the live stream disappear, Pei Changying did not miss Gu Sang''s final disdainful, mocking look at him, as if looking at an idiot!

    "Gu Sang, don''t you dare act shamelessly!" Pei Changying clenched his fists tightly.

    He forcibly suppressed the towering rage in his heart.

    He could not fall into this despicable person''s trap.

    This despicable person wanted to enrage him, wanted to p him in the face, wanted to trample his dignity underfoot! He could not get angry over a woman.

    Pei Changying thought resentfully in his heart, but his trembling hands from anger still betrayed his emotions.

    Be enraged.

    In a few days.

    Pei Changying would be even more enraged!

    Because.

    At this time, the Lingnan region finally received great news.

    "Elder Princess! Found it!"

    "The sweet potato vines have been found! Come quickly, take a look and see if these are it."

    Counselor Fang hurriedly rushed over while holding some fresh sweet potato vines, finding the Elder Princess who was supervising the production of weapons to report the situation.

    The fresh sweet potato vines were still covered in dirt.

    The Elder Princess did not mind at all, taking them in her hands with an emotional expression to carefully identify them.

    The more she looked.

    The more they resembled the vines and leaves that Gu Sang had previously shown her.

    "I will go confirm immediately, you stay here and supervise the work." The Elder Princess quickly returned to her room and actively initiated a connection with Gu Sang.

    During those few seconds of waiting.

    The usuallyposed expression of the Elder Princess was about to crack, her excited emotions difficult to calm.

    *Ding!*

    *Received connection from ancient times, ept connection?*

    *ept!*

    Soon.

    Gu Sang''s face was reflected in the Elder Princess''s vision.

    There was no need for them to be polite anymore, and the Elder Princess directly took out the vines and presented them before Gu Sang, asking: "Gu Sang, look and see if these are sweet potato vines?"

    The Elder Princess''s expression was calm, but the impatience in the depths of her eyes revealed that she was not as tranquil as her surface!

    Upon hearing this.

    Gu Sang''s gaze immediately fell upon the vines.

    This second, the surrounding atmosphere became extremely grave!

    It must be!

    It must be!

    The sooner they were found, the closer they were to sess!

    Gu Sang''s pupils shook, and she immediately raised her head and said: "Yes! It is! This is the sweet potato vine, it''s no wonder you''ve been searching day and night in the deep mountains, and you''ve finally found it!"

    "I can see the vines are still fresh, you should have someone dig around in the soilter and see if there are any sweet potatoes."

    "After confirming that there are indeed sweet potatoes in the soil, quickly gather all hands and acquire them at the fastest speed possible, don''t leave a single sweet potato vine for Pei Changying."

    "Got it, I''ll take care of it right away, don''t worry."

    The Elder Princess was in a hurry to confirm this matter, so she ended the conversation in just a few sentences.

    She deeply exhaled in relief.

    She immediately found Counselor Fang and had him take her to the ce where the sweet potato vines were found, ordering people to quickly excavate the surroundingnd.

    In less than ten minutes, Counselor Fang shouted in surprise: "Elder Princess!!"

    "There are some, there really are some,e quickly and see if these are sweet potatoes!"

    The small sweet potatoes before them were only as big as a finger, with a reddish-purple skin, and when split in two, the inside revealed a tender, juicy yellow flesh.

    It is them!

    The Elder Princess felt her breathing quicken.

    She took the sweet potato and examined it over and over, not minding the dirt on the skin, wiping it clean with her hands before taking a bite directly.

    It was the taste that Gu Sang had described!

    Slightly sweet, crisp, able to free the people from hunger!

    "Elder Princess, I''ve heard that this thing has very strong reproductive abilities, growing by the roadsides without anyone tending to it, reproducing on its own."

    "The vigers felt that it was obstructing the roads growing there, so they pulled it all out."

    "Just as youngdy Gu said, there really are sweet potatoes in the Lingnan region, but no one knew they were edible. Now that we have them, our soldiers'' food supply is guaranteed!"

    Counselor Fang said with an excited, flushed face.

    The fact that these sweet potato vines could survive by the roadside without any tending proved that this crop had an extraordinarily high yield and resilience!

    With just a little cultivation, it wouldn''t be long before they could secure the daily needs of the soldiers.

    "Since this vige has sweet potato vines, I believe other ces must have them too."

    "Counselor Fang, immediately issue a message that I want to acquire these vines. For the first three days, ten pounds of vines can be exchanged for one tael of silver."

    "For thest three days, ten pounds of vines can only be exchanged for half a tael of silver!"

    "I want all the people of Lingnan to help clear out all the sweet potato vines within these three days!"

    Counselor Fang looked deeply at the Elder Princess.

    He then immediately had people issue the message throughout the Lingnan region, even having artists draw illustrations of the vines, and sent soldiers to every vige to acquire the sweet potato vines.

    She had to monopolize the sweet potato vines before Pei Changying could react.

    The Elder Princess knew that relying solely on her own soldiers, it would be impossible to reach every corner of Lingnan in a short time.

    But if she offered money to acquire them, the vigers would scour the mountains and fields to find them for her.

    Moreover, the high price for the first three days, with the priceparison, would drive the vigers to exhaust all efforts to find everyst vine within those three days!

    "What? The Elder Princess wants to acquire this stuff? There''s plenty of it behind our vige!"

    "Whew! This vine that''s all over the mountains, ten pounds can be exchanged for a tael of silver? But only for three days, after that it won''t be this price anymore? Oh my goodness!"

    "His mother, his grandmother! Quick,e out, everyone follow me to the mountains behind the vige to find sweet potato vines!"

    "Hurry, hurry, we''re going to get rich! Hahaha! We can earn dozens or even hundreds of taels!"

    The moment the message was issued!

    The entire Lingnan region was in an uproar, with vigers everywhere searching for sweet potato vines.

    Within just a week''s time, all the sweet potato vines in the Lingnan region were monopolized!

    The asional one or two vines that were missed, even if found by Pei Changying and others, would be of no use in such a short time.

    He was finished!

    By the time the Elder Princess had batches of sweet potato vines and arge quantity of small sweet potatoes secretly transported to the gue city for cultivation.

    Zhou Qichen, who was in charge of training the soldiers''bat skills, came quickly to the Elder Princess''s side and said: "Elder Princess, ording to the scouts'' reports, the army sent by the Imperial Court will arrive in Lingnan tomorrow."

    The Elder Princess looked towards the distant horizon, her eyes reflecting the towering sky and the mountains and rivers stretching for miles.

    Her expression was indifferent, her tone calm: "How many people areing?"

    "Estimated over a thousand."

    The Elder Princess gave a disdainfulugh: "Just this many people? Pei Changying really didn''t let me down, hesitating when he should be decisive, decisive when he should hesitate, what a waste!"

    "At this moment, if he dares to order tens of thousands of soldiers to fight us to the bitter end in Lingnan, he may still have a chance to strangle us in the cradle."

    "But after this, he will have no more opportunity!"

    "General Zhou Qichen, go and reserve thergest restaurant in the city. Tomorrow, the Elder Princess will host a banquet to wee the court officials and generals."

    Zhou Qichen pursed his lips with some concern: "Elder..."

    "It is only a thousand soldiers. What do I have to fear? Moreover, the sweet potato vines have not beenpletely relocated. For one, the Elder Princess cannot leave, and secondly, I want to ask these ministers if they dare to surrender to me!"

 Chapter 66: Monopoly on Sweet Potatoes, Officials from the Court

    <h4>Chapter 66</h4>

    The next day.

    The Minister of Works and militarymanders arrived in Lingnan together, a group of people marching towards the city gate in a grand manner.

    Zhou Qichen, who had been waiting on horseback at the gate, saw the arrivals and spoke politely before they could draw their swords: "General Qin, honorable ministers."

    "The Elder Princess has prepared fine food and drinks for you gentlemen at the tavern."

    The militarymander and the Minister of Works exchanged nces, momentarily unsure how to confront the situation.

    What was Zhou Qichen up to?

    Instead of fighting, scolding, or making threats, he directly opened the city gates and invited them to dine. They could hardly respond with harsh words!

    In the end, they decided to try diplomacy before force.

    After all, the rtionship between the Emperor and the Elder Princess had not reached a point of irreconcble conflict, especially since the Elder Princess had saved the citizens of an entire city. They might as well try courtesy first!

    Finally, the militarymander cleared his throat and coldly questioned: "Zhou Qichen, why are youmitting treason? The Zhou family has been loyal to the throne for generations!"

    "By doing this, are you honoring your ancestral integrity and loyalty?"

    This biting and harsh questioning was met, unexpectedly, not with remorse from Zhou Qichen. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and responded with unwavering conviction: "What treason? Is opposing Pei Changying considered treason?"

    "What about when Pei Changying plotted to usurp the throne from the Former Emperor? What was that called?"

    "Or does thisnd, this nation, only bear the name of Pei Changying? The Elder Princess is also a descendant of the Pei family, the Former Emperor''s eldest daughter!"

    Zhou Qichen''s eloquent words struck themanders and ministers speechless.

    They opened their mouths but could not refute his arguments.

    It was the militarymander who finally retorted: "The Elder Princess may be surnamed Pei, but she is a woman! Throughout history, when has a woman ever ruled as an emperor?"

    "Zhou Qichen, have you lost your mind?"

    How infuriating!

    Clearly, Zhou Qichen had been brainwashed by modern ideas.

    It was all Gu Sang''s fault for constantly preaching about equality for all people, men and women alike. Now even the once-loyal Zhou family had turned against tradition!

    Fine, they could rebel, but how dare Zhou Qichen try to ce a woman on the throne?

    Preposterous!

    Zhou Qichen: "Pei Changying disregarded the lives of the people, leaving an entire city gued by disease. It was the Elder Princess who risked her life to seek a cure. Who truly cares for thisnd?"

    "Loyalty does not mean blind devotion to one person, but should be to this entire nation!"

    The ministers: .......

    They were done.

    Inexplicably, they found Zhou Qichen''s words to be reasonable.

    But this went against all propriety!

    In the end, the militarymander could not out-argue Zhou Qichen. He red at Zhou Qichen and angrily led his one thousand soldiers into Lingnan city.

    At the tavern.

    The Elder Princess sat with dignified grace.

    Seeing the militarymander and ministers arrive, she remained calm andposed, elegantly sipping her tea.

    "Elder Princess!"

    The militarymander approached her forcefully, staring her down as he boomed: "The Emperor, in his benevolence, orders you to disarm and return to the capital with us!"

    "If youply, the Emperor will not pursue charges of treason against you. Otherwise, we have the authority to execute you on the spot."

    As he spoke, the militarymander ced his hand on his sword hilt.

    It seemed that if the Elder Princess refused to return to the capital, he would immediately draw his sword against her.

    Beside him, General Zhou stepped forward to stand guard by the Elder Princess''s side!

    The Elder Princess raised her eyes, a faint smile on her lips, and gestured to a seat beside her: "No need to rush, General Qin. You must be weary from your journey. Please, have a seat first."

    The militarymander refused: "I will not sit! The Elder Princess must return to the capital!"

    The Elder Princess sighed: "General Qin, I recall when myte father was still alive, he spoke of your martial prowess and your ambition to serve the greater good."

    "Now that my father is gone, does General Qin''s heart still hold the nation, or only Pei Changying?"

    The militarymander felt conflicted as he stared at the unflinching woman before him.

    Herposed demeanor;

    Her fearless expression!

    And the way she calmly met his gaze, every word spoken with conviction - he could not bring himself to kill her!

    He could not kill her!

    Suddenly, the Elder Princess let out a lightugh and said: "Very well, I know General Qin has the ability to discern right from wrong."

    "Let us do this: we will not discuss this matter further today. In a few days, we shall revisit it."

    "General Qin must have other matters to attend to in Lingnan. After you have handled your affairs,e find me again, and I will give you my answer then."

    The militarymander and ministers looked at the Elder Princess, then at General Zhou.

    Then they noticed the shadows lurking in the darkness, the archers with their bows and arrows trained on them from the ground.

    The ministers'' faces turned ashen.

    General Qin took a deep breath, weighing his options inwardly for a moment, before sheathing his sword: "Very well!"

    "I did indeede to Lingnan with other matters to attend to. Since the Elder Princess wishes to dy this for a few days, then I shall not press the issue out of respect for thete Former Emperor."

    "But I have one word of advice."

    "This is the Emperor giving the Elder Princess a chance. If the Elder Princess does not return to the capital with us..."

    "Then the Emperor will soon announce to the world that the Elder Princess has rebelled, and he will call upon all loyal subjects to suppress this rebellion."

    "No matter how noble the Elder Princess''s status, once branded a rebel, the consequences could be dire!"

    "I have said my piece. Farewell!"

    After delivering those firm words to the Elder Princess, General Qin turned and left the tavern.

    After their departure, the militarymanders and ministers headed straight into the mountains, ordering their soldiers to search Lingnan for sweet potato vines and leaves as quickly as possible.

    But three days passed!

    They not only failed to find any sweet potatoes, but not a single leaf!

    After some investigation, they were horrified to discover...the Elder Princess had monopolized all the sweet potato vines a week ago??

    The militarymander and Minister of Works were furious, left with no choice but to return and confront the Elder Princess again.

    But this time, it was not a cordial meeting at the tavern!

    When General Qin and the others arrived at the city gates, their eyes widened in shock: "You¡ª"

    "You! You dare to recruit troops and purchase arms?? And you! Noble Consort Gu, as the Emperor''s consort, how could youmit such treacherous acts?"

    "Elder Princess, must you persist in this delusion? Do you realize the consequences of rebellion?"

    "If youe to your senses now, hand over the sweet potato vines and other resources, we will pretend to be unaware of your military preparations, and we will not report this to the Emperor!"

    Before them, a massive screen projected live footage onto the city walls.

    Gu Sang sat calmly at her desk, facing the camera and meeting the gaze of the militarymanders and ministers.

    And below the live broadcast screen!

    Thousands of soldiers stood imposingly behind Elder Princess, exuding an aura of formidable might.

    After a period ofbat training, the soldiers had undergone a transformation, their eyes resolute and powerful, their bearing no less intimidating than the imperial troops facing them.

    Thousands of soldiers against a thousand?

    This Elder Princess had clearlye prepared! She was determined not to go back with them!

    Gu Sang smiled faintly. "How have Imitted any wrongdoing? Perhaps you could enlighten me."

    "Moreover, do you truly have the right to make demands of the Elder Princess at this juncture?"

 Chapter 68: She wants to make Pei Changying lose everything

    <h4>Chapter 68</h4>

    "Elder Sister Zhao, it''s better if you can understand the situation," said Consort Li sympathetically as she helped support Consort Zhao, truly relieved.

    Gu Qingrou then nced silently at Consort Li.

    Afterward, she concealed her expression and said with a forced smile, "Well, you should rest well, Consort Li. We should leave now."

    Without waiting for the two behind her to say anything else, Gu Qingrou quickly turned and walked out of the Pce of Exile.

    "Elder Sister Zhao, we''re leaving now. Don''t worry, when the Ministry of Works officials return to the capital, I will definitely pass on a message to the Empress for you. Then you''ll be able to leave," Consort Li hastily instructed Consort Zhao.

    Then, covering the anguish in her eyes, she hurried out of the Pce of Exile.

    The two women, one following the other, left the Pce of Exile.

    Walking ahead, Gu Qingrou''s expression kept changing - at one moment rmed, the next fearful, then frowning, her inner turmoil and struggle immense.

    What the Emperor most desired now was to find Gu Sang.

    If Gu Sang returned to the pce, would there still be a ce for her?

    What if...!

    What if she implicated herself again for framing...

    No! No!

    Gu Qingrou, don''t be soft-hearted!

    Don''t let watching a few modern live streams delude you into dreaming of that unattainable one husband, one wife ideal. You have to live in this world for the rest of your life!

    You finally managed to be Pei Changying''s official wife after so much effort. How could you let Gu Sang return?!

    "Sister Li."

    Suddenly stopping in her tracks, Gu Qingrou, who was walking ahead, turned around and gazed at Consort Li with a profound look.

    Consort Li was startled by this gaze. "Empress?"

    Gu Qingrou suddenly took Consort Li''s hand intimately.

    Speaking in a bewitching tone, she said, "You only managed to be a consort by recing Consort Zhao Ronghua. Just now, seeing you in such splendor while she can only linger in the Pce of Exile, who knows what Consort Zhao must be thinking."

    "I think, with Consort Zhao''s profound nature, she must be resentful, right?"

    "If I were you, I would never give Consort Zhao a chance to rise again. Otherwise, she would definitely be the first to go after you!"

    Was that really the case?

    But Consort Li didn''t want to think that way. After all, Elder Sister Zhao had saved the lives of an entire city''s poption. How could she be so petty?

    Mustering her courage, Consort Li said, "Your Majesty, Elder Sister Zhao... probably wouldn''t do that."

    A person capable of defying the Emperor''s orders to savemoners - would she really resent having her consort position taken?

    Moreover, before leaving, she had promised Elder Sister Zhao that once the generals and officials returned to the capital, she would immediately plead with the Emperor on her behalf.

    Gu Qingrou sighed with feigned sympathy, "Consort Li, you only know her appearance, not her heart."

    "Are you willing to gamble the future of the Li Family on Consort Zhao''s conscience?"

    "Think about it - once Consort Zhao regains favor, not to mention if Gu Sang returns from the modern world topete for the Emperor''s affection, will you even have a ce then?" Gu Qingrou''s words were deafening,pletely shattering Consort Li''s sympathy.

    Yes, Consort Li began to waver!

    Setting aside the question of whether Gu Sang would return or not, what if Consort Zhao angered the Emperor again?

    As the messenger, she would also be implicated!

    Moreover, Consort Zhao had be so wretched in the Pce of Exile. What if, after regaining her position, she med Consort Li for not offering aid when she was suffering?

    She couldn''t gamble away the entire Li Family''s future just because of momentary sympathy!

    But...!

    But...!

    But she truly couldn''t bear to see Elder Sister Zhao, who had saved millions of people, suffer such hardship. Surely she wouldn''t harm Consort Li?

    "Sister, you all watch too many live streams and start deluding yourselves with ideas of gender equality."

    "The Emperor is the sovereign of all under heaven. He has absolute power over our lives. We cannot live in the modern world, so we must face reality."

    "You need to look out for yourself more. Don''t let your soft-heartedness ruin your entire family..."

    As Gu Qingrou left, her words pierced Consort Li''s heart like a sharp de.

    In an instant!

    Reality overshadowed all her hopes and discontentment.

    Consort Li began to struggle;

    Be insecure;

    Fearful;

    Conflicted.

    Gazing at Gu Qingrou''s departing figure with a mocking smile, she repeated in her heart over and over, "But I promised her in the Pce of Exile..."

    "Elder Sister Zhao, even if you regain favor, you won''t take revenge on me, will you?"

    "What should I do..."

    Two dayster.

    All the split-screen live streams were activated.

    Today was the day Gu Sang left the training base.

    President Tang and Lu Mufei had already received the news and were waiting outside the base to pick up the actors.

    Gu Sang immediately spotted Lu Mufei waving at her and smiled, asking, "Senior, why did youe?"

    Lu Mufei replied, "I came with President Tang."

    "I heard you graduated with the best performance, even the instructors praised you endlessly. Of course I had toe and tter the future top actress."

    After President Tang had arranged for the other actors to board the vehicle, he came over to the two of them, his admiring gaze unabashedly falling on Gu Sang.

    Delighted, he said, "Miss Gu, the instructors told me about all of your performances during training. You''re very tenacious and a quick learner, willing to put in twice the effort for your roles."

    "As for the sry issue you mentioned, I agree. We can sign the contract after we return."

    President Tang personally saw the two into the car.

    The live stream cameras panned, and soon the vehicle stopped at the entrance of a luxuriously decorated restaurant.

    To celebrate the sessfulpletion of the training, President Tang generously booked arge private room and ordered ten bottles of expensive fine wine.

    When the red and white wines were served, the ancientmoners watching the live stream were astonished to see several of the female actors pour for themselves, stand up, and toast President Tang before drinking it all down in one gulp!

    The casual way they drank clearly showed it wasn''t their first time!

    The ancientmoners were stunned. "What respectable woman would drink with strange men like this, let alone so many of them together!"

    "I told you these women may look beautiful, but they have no self-respect. Who knows what they might do if they get drunk!"

    "Why can''t they drink! The enlightened one said men and women are equal!"

    "Do you even know what equality means? Whatever men can do, women can do too. If it''s manly for men to drink, how is it improper for women?"

    "You... you''re speaking like a woman!"

    As the live stream went on, more and more ancient women began to change their mindsets.

    They no longer meekly epted insults and ridicule, asionally mustering the courage to retort, leaving the irrational men speechless.

    Soon, the ancient people''s attention shifted from the drinking to the dishes being served!

    Gazing at the porcin-white tes adorned with a variety of deliciously fragrant dishes, not only themoners but even the ministers couldn''t help but swallow their saliva in anticipation.

    With reddened eyes, the minister eximed, "Unbelievable! Simply unbelievable! The table can actually rotate? How convenient, we won''t even need to stand up to serve ourselves!"

    A soldier cried out, "Giant insects! Those must be the giant insects that gued us before! How can we eat those? Wouldn''t that be deadly?"

    Amoner stared wide-eyed, "Is that how meat is served? Such arge b at once, that one piece of meat is more than we would use for an entire stir-fry!"

    "Wait a minute? Is that not beef? How can beef be consumed as food, that would be a great sin! Without cattle, what shall we use for plowing the fields?"

 Chapter 69: Ministry of Works returns to Beijing, beaten half to death

    <h4>Chapter 69</h4>

    "Poison! The drink is poisoned!"

    Someone shouted from within the crowd.

    The ancients were startled and looked towards the far corner where the live stream was taking ce.

    They saw the white liquid bubbling, yet the people from the future seemed to be blind, as none of them noticed it.

    Gu Sang even picked up a cup and was about to drink it.

    "Your Majesty, don''t drink it, it''s poisoned!" a maid from the Xuyang Pce screamed in anguish.

    "Gu Sang! Don''t drink it!" Pei Changying yelled frantically at the screen, his heart gripped by fear.

    After drinking half a cup, not only did Gu Sang not vomit blood and die, but she actually said with a hint of enjoyment, "This is Sprite, a kind of fizzy drink that bubbles. It''s actually not poisonous."

    The ancients: Sprite?

    "Your Majesty, what does this Sprite taste like? Is it good? Will it get you drunk?" a maid bravely asked.

    "It won''t get you drunk. This kind of drink can even be consumed by children. At our banquets, we always serve a few bottles of these beverages. They have a sweet and pleasant taste."

    As Gu Sang exined, more dishes were served on the table.

    Every dish was a feast for the eyes, nose, and mouth. Even more outrageously, there were so many dishes that they could not fit on the table and had to be stacked on top of each other.

    Themoners watched enviously, their mouths watering. "Today, I''ve seen how well the wealthy eat."

    "Look at all these different kinds of meat. Only officials could afford to eat like this."

    The high-ranking officials who were mentioned: ???

    At that moment, they were just as envious as themoners, salivating over thevish spread.

    An official murmured, "I really envy these people from the future. They eat as well as the emperor!"

    Pei Changying, who was unintentionally mentioned: .......

    "Gu Sang, do you know that what you''re eating could feed amon family for an entire year?"

    "Such extravagance, can your conscience bear it?"

    Here goes Pei Changying again, lecturing Gu Sang with his lofty attitude.

    Gu Sang arched her brow andughed, "Are you just jealous and envious?"

    "If you knew that for some wealthy families in our time, the cost of a single meal at a high-end restaurant could feed ten thousand ordinary people, you would cry your eyes out!"

    This statement left the entire court, both civil and military officials, and all themoners, dumbfounded!

    Just the cost of a wealthy family''s meal at a fancy restaurant could feed ten thousand ordinary people?

    What level of extravagance is that!

    Pei Changying took a deep breath and confidently dered, "You don''t need to boast to me. Before long, my people will also have enough to eat and won''t have to go hungry anymore."

    What an expectant and resolute statement!

    But this fool Pei Changying didn''t know that the Elder Princess had already monopolized the sweet potato vines!

    Let''s enjoy the show!

    The officials who went to Lingnan are about to return today! It remains to be seen whether Pei Changying can stillugh after that!

    "Clop, clop, clop..."

    Here theye!

    A carriage rushed into the pce at an extremely fast pace. Themoners watching the live stream outside the city hurriedly made way for the carriage.

    The one rushing back from outside the city was none other than the Minister of Works who had been dispatched to Lingnan to search for sweet potato vines.

    As soon as Pei Changying saw the Minister of Works enter the hall, his heart swelled with joy. He looked at Gu Sang with a smug expression and said, "Gu Sang, my official has returned. As long as I mass-cultivate the sweet potato vines, my people will no longer go hungry."

    "I had previously given you a chance to admit your mistake and return, but that was thest time. From now on, even if you regret it, it will be of no use!"

    "I no longer need you!"

    Listen to his arrogant and resolute words.

    However¡ª

    Just as these boastful words fell from his lips, the panting Minister of Works rushed into the hall and knelt down with a thud.

    In front of the perplexed officials and Pei Changying''s questioning gaze, the Minister of Works said with a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, they''re gone!"

    "Gone!"

    "When I and General Qin arrived in Lingnan, the Elder Princess had already monopolized all the sweet potato vines and didn''t leave us a single one."

    "Moreover, Zhou Qichen has already joined forces with the Elder Princess in Lingnan and is actively recruiting soldiers and training forces!"

    "Your Majesty, the Elder Princess is truly rebelling!"

    Boom!

    The entire court, both civil and military officials, were as thunderstruck as if they had been struck by five thunderbolts, unable to believe it.

    The Elder Princess has actually rebelled!

    How dare the Elder Princess do this!

    They could believe it if a prince or evenmoners rebelled, but a woman rebelling was unprecedented in all of history.

    Suddenly¡ª

    The eyes of the entire court turned towards Gu Sang on the screen.

    Pei Changying slumped back onto the dragon throne, his back breaking out in a cold sweat. An overwhelming sense of unease and dread enveloped him, causing him to fidget restlessly.

    He gripped the dragon throne tightly, fixing a grim stare on the Minister of Works as he questioned, "If Pei Weiqi dares to rebel, why didn''t you capture her? Were the over one thousand soldiers I gave you just there to eat for free?"

    The Minister of Works felt a chill run down his spine, but he still meekly exined, "Your Majesty, you only gave General Qin one thousand soldiers, but the Elder Princess already had thousands of sworn soldiers guarding her."

    "We were no match for them, so we could only return to report first."

    Insolent!

    That bitch Pei Weiqi!

    Pei Changying was so furious that his lips trembled. He grabbed a folding fan from the table and flung it at the Minister of Works'' head.

    Bang¡ª

    The Minister of Works was struck on the forehead, drawing a few drops of blood from the broken skin. He cowered on the ground in terror.

    Pei Changying berated him, "Useless! You can''t even aplish a simple task, losing to a mere woman. You even failed to find the sweet potato vines against a woman."

    "What use are you to me!"

    The officials listened to the emperor''s words, feeling quite displeased.

    Some of them had worked hard through poverty to pass the imperial examinations, while others were carefully cultivated by prominent families. Every day, they worked diligently for the emperor''s benefit.

    Yet in the emperor''s eyes, they were useless?

    They had devoted themselves wholeheartedly for the sake of the country, toiling without recognition or reward, only to be constantly berated by the emperor!

    Themoners didn''t understand them, calling them corrupt officials and ming them for ruining the court.

    Now, even the emperor was calling them useless!

    "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

    "General Zhou and the Elder Princess must have started searching for the sweet potato vines long ago. Moreover, by the time the Minister of Works arrived in Lingnan, it was already toote."

    "The timing was off, so they were a step behind the Elder Princess in finding the sweet potato vines."

    "Your Majesty, please do not punish them."

    Listen to these words.

    Listen carefully.

    Isn''t this just ming the emperor himself?

    Pei Changying sneered repeatedly as he stared at the chief minister who had spoken up: "So, ording to you, if it were not for my personal order forbidding the Ministry of Works from seeking the sweet potato crop in Lingnan, none of the subsequent events would have happened?"

    "Am I the ignorant one, instead of you ipetent wastrels who cannot even match a woman?"

    Upon hearing this, arge group of ministers knelt down with a rustling sound.

    They all cried out that they had no such intention and that it was the ipetence of the ministers.

    But in their hearts, the ministers mocked: If only the Emperor had ordered people to go to Lingnan at that time, how could the Elder Princess have monopolized the sweet potatoes?

    It was clearly all due to the Emperor''s wed decision-making!

    Yet he ced all the me on them, the ministers!

    Pei Changying berated all the civil and military officials, but his anger was still difficult to dissipate.

    Incapable men would never reflect on themselves; they would be enraged and vent the humiliation and fury they received from others onto their own people.

    Pei Changying red coldly at the Ministry of Works, and with a mixture of anger, rage, and frustration, he ordered: "The Ministry of Works has been derelict in its duties. Take them away and give them fifty heavy strokes!"

 Chapter 70: Another Concubine Awakens, Great Righteousness

    <h4>Chapter 70</h4>

    The Ministry of Works suddenly raised his head.

    Emotions surged in his eyes, and suddenly the words Gu Sang had said in Lingnan shed through his mind, her determined and confident demeanor, as if mocking his blind trust in the Emperor.

    The Ministry of Works suddenly felt that his trust was a joke!

    He shook his head in panic: "Your Majesty, the Fifty Great Punishments will take the life of your servant!"

    "It is not that your humble servant is ipetent, but when I arrived in Lingnan, the Elder Princess had already monopolized sweet potatoes seven days before, Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

    "Ah¡ª¡ª!!"

    The guards swiftly dragged the Minister of Works down.

    Within the grand hall, the piercing cries and pleadings of the Ministry of Works lingered in the hearts of all the civil and military officials.

    The entire court felt sympathetic towards the Ministry of Works, but not a single person dared to speak up at this moment, all lowering their heads, unaware of what they were thinking.

    Pei Changying''s gaze was like that of a rabid dog, fiercely staring at Gu Sang, as if wishing to charge into the screen and tear her to shreds.

    Every word that came out of his mouth carried intense malice.

    Pei Changying: "Vicious woman! It was you who yed tricks behind the scenes! It was you who instigated Pei Weiqi to search for sweet potato vines! Have you truly forgotten the past affection between you and I?"

    Gu Sang smiled brilliantly: "Of course I have."

    Pei Changying gripped his fists tightly: "You think you can challenge me with mere sweet potatoes? I have hundreds of thousands of soldiers who can easily wipe out that traitor Pei Weiqi!"

    "I will make you witness with your own eyes how I execute Pei Weiqi!"

    "All those who dare to attempt to overthrow my reign deserve to die a thousand deaths, and you are no exception!"

    Faced with Pei Changying''s hateful gaze, Gu Sang did not show the slightest hint of fear.

    Since Pei Changying wanted to reveal his true colors, there was nothing more to say!

    If the fish dies, the breaks!

    Suddenly!

    Gu Sang turned her gaze towards the third split screen, where tens of thousands ofmoners were gathered outside the pce walls.

    With biting words and heartfelt sentences, she questioned: "What crime has the Elder Princessmitted in saving the city from gue? What crime is there in finding sweet potatoes to alleviate the disaster?"

    "Must you, the lofty ruler, set aside your dignity before deigning to give your subjects a meal?"

    "People, open your eyes and take a good look at your Emperor. He has long known about sweet potatoes and that mass cultivation would feed you."

    "Yet he imed sweet potatoes are a foreign product, eating them would be undignified, and ordered that no one seek them out."

    "What crime has the Elder Princessmitted? She merely cared for the people and ordered someone to find sweet potatoes."

    "And what crime did Consort Zhaomit? She merely informed the Elder Princess of where the gue had urred, allowing the Elder Princess to bring physicians to save lives."

    "Yet you, this lofty Emperor, felt affronted that someone dared to disobey you. You immediately flew into a rage and imprisoned Consort Zhao and the Zhao Family in the dungeons."

    "You envy the country Ie from, where everyone is well-fed and happy. That is because we have true rulers who care for all under Heaven, not selfish and greedy dog Emperors who only care about filling their own bellies and neglect the people!"

    "......."

    Suddenly¡ª

    The entire hall was in an uproar!

    Arge portion of themoners outside the pce walls did not understand these court affairs, and upon hearing Gu Sang''s scolding, they did not know what had happened.

    After inquiring with each other, they finally understood the reasons behind it.

    It turned out...

    In the Immortal''s future world, there was a food called sweet potatoes that was delicious and, more importantly, could prevent hunger!

    But their Emperor did not send anyone to seek out this life-saving food!

    It turned out...

    A gue had urred in a distant ce, but their lofty Emperor ignored the lives of the people and did not allow physicians to go and save them.

    It was the Elder Princess who personally led physicians there and cured the gue.

    When the truth was revealed, themoners did not immediately be enraged, but instead felt a sense of destion, numbness, doubt, and condemnation.

    "Is what the Immortal said true? Did the Emperor really neglect the lives of usmoners? Could it be a lie?"

    "Wasn''t Consort Zhao unchaste? The Emperor wouldn''t nder a consort, would he? What exactly is the situation here? Can someone exin the details?"

    "Heh, if this is true, then the Emperor is a tyrannical ruler!"

    "We can''t even eat our fill, yet he''s doing well, worrying about losing dignity by eating this meal! We have no lives, what dignity is there to speak of?"

    "......."

    "Why didn''t the Elder Princess bring the sweet potatoes back after finding them? These children of the imperial family are all selfish and only care about themselves, never minding whether usmoners live or die."

    "Let the courte out and exin the truth, and everything will be clear!"

    "Yes, let the courte out and exin!"

    A small disturbance erupted among the crowd, but they fell silent as cicadas in winter when hundreds of soldiers drew their swords.

    Gu Sang gazed coldly at this scene. The ancientmoners had already ingrained the imperial power in their very bones.

    Even if they had a momentary impulse, the deep-rooted beliefs made them doubt, fear, disbelieve, and dare not easily oppose the imperial power.

    Gu Sang was not disappointed.

    Her words today were meant to nt a seed in the hearts of themoners, and this seed would eventually sprout: "Pei Changying, whether the truth or not, themoners will find out one day."

    "I only know that Pei Weiqi will die before the truth emerges!"

    "Gu Sang, do not provoke me further. Your troops are nothing in the face of my hundreds of thousands of valiant soldiers!"

    Is that so?

    But next, it was Consort Zhao''s turn to appear.

    By then, Pei Changying would know that even hundreds of thousands of valiant soldiers were nothing before the hearts of the people!

    In the Xuyang Pce.

    Consort Li stood quietly in the corner, watching the livestream. She knew the Ministry of Works had returned from Lingnan...

    She was truly afraid!

    Afraid that after helping Consort Zhao, she would meet the same fate.

    "Elder Sister Zhao, I really don''t know what to do."

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry...."

    "Wuu wuu I''m scared, I don''t know if I should help pass on your message. I promised you, but I''m afraid of implicating myself....."

    It was during Consort Li''s struggle and inner turmoil that a film that would solidify her resolve was about to begin!

    Gu Sang had nned to have the ancients watch a film, and this afternoon happened to have time, so she went to the cinema with Lu Mufei and chose the newly released earthquake rescue film.

    After buying tickets and entering, they came to a MAX giant screen 2D cinema.

    Consort Li wore a pained expression, constantly wringing her handkerchief as she looked towards the livestream of the movie theater.

    Gasps of astonishment arose from the consorts around: "Good heavens! What an enormous screen! Is that thing making sounds a television? How can it be that huge?"

    "Hey, why did it suddenly go dark?"

    Gu Sang and Lu Mufei found a spot to sit, then addressed the live broadcast: "We happen to have some free time today, so let''s watch a movie together. This is a movie theater."

 Chapter 71: Earthquake Rescue, Tears Shed by Ancient People

    <h4>Chapter 71</h4>

    "Movies and television have a simr effect; they are mediums we use in our world for leisure and entertainment," said the narrator.

    Outside the city gate, themoners gradually quieted down.

    Under imperial authority, no one dared to speak much without evidence.

    Even more so, they would not be disheartened with the emperor just because of Gu Sang''s few words - that was unrealistic, because they needed to see it with their own eyes!

    So after the initial uproar, themoners calmly resumed watching the live broadcast.

    "The people ofter generations are so fortunate, not only do they eat well, but they can also enjoy leisure and entertainment. Unlike us, who spend an entire lifetime worrying about merely surviving each day."

    "That''s right, in order to watch the Immortal Being''s live broadcast, Ipleted all my farm chores in advance before daring to take time off."

    "Shh, don''t talk anymore, the picture is starting."

    The movie began with two married families.

    Although the ancients found the plot a bit dull, they enjoyed watching novel things, and each of them discussed it with great relish.

    The scenes gradually transitioned.

    In the middle of the night, when everyone was sound asleep, an earthquake suddenly struck.

    Suddenly!

    Every person in the city received an alert on their phones.

    A phone alert, a city-wide warning: "Beep beep beep!!! Earthquake in one minute."

    "An earthquake is imminent!"

    This was the first time the ancients saw the emotions of panic, fear, and dread on the faces of people from the future world.

    They watched as the people in the movie were jolted awake in the middle of the night.

    Then, disregarding even their money, they held their children tightly and ran downstairs frantically.

    "What is going on? Why are they all running out? Didn''t they say there were no wars in the future world?" one of the ancients asked suspiciously.

    The next second!

    The ancients witnessed the entire building start to shake, and a mother holding her child fell from the upper floors.

    Then more and more people started fleeing in panic and screaming.

    In the movie -

    There was a husband who, just a second ago, was blissfully in love, but the next second abandoned his wife and child to save himself;

    There was also a middle-aged man sitting on the couch, arguing with his wife about getting a divorce, but when he felt the building shake, his first reaction was to rush into the room and shield his wife under him, using his back to brace against the copsing debris!

    At this moment, human nature was disyed in its rawest form!

    "Rumble rumble -"

    The entire building copsed with a thunderous roar.

    The camera panned outward, and as far as the eye could see, all buildings were swaying precariously, with signs and windows falling from above.

    Everywhere there were cries for help, everywhere there were crowded masses of people...

    Before long, many rescuers appeared on the streets, digging through every pile of rubble in search of potential survivors.

    "Daddy! Wah wah wah... Mom, Dad doesn''t want us anymore."

    "Wife, I''m sorry, I''m useless, I couldn''t give you a good life. In the next life... in the next life, don''t look for me, marry a rich man instead... And, I bought myself insurance, I don''t know if it covers earthquakes, but if it does, take the money and live well, get married..."

    "No, no, I won''t get divorced anymore, I don''t want any insurancepensation, I don''t want anything anymore!"

    "Husband!!"

    Heart-wrenching cries and pleas echoed through the entire city.

    The rescue efforts continued for three full days, with more and more peopleing from all over to help.

    Some brought supplies, some helped dig, and doctors in white coats came to provide medical aid.

    The ancients witnessed a female nurse carrying a first aid kit faint on the spot while rescuing a patient.

    She had been working non-stop for over ten hours without rest, as there were too many people in need of rescue, requiring her to work against time.

    As one person after another was brought out from the rubble, the woman who had been protected by her husband''s life could not be found.

    The ancient viewers could see the woman trapped under a horizontal beam, having gone without food for three days, her cries for help now faint and inaudible.

    All the ancients who saw this scene were crying.

    Themoners: "Wah wah wah, so pitiful, if only she had run out earlier, she''s lost so much blood, it must be so painful."

    "Poor woman, she was arguing about divorce earlier, but then her husband protected her with his life at the critical moment. How will she get over this hurdle in the future!"

    "Hey, you''re digging in the wrong ce, dig over here!"

    "Quick, go rescue her, she''s about to die."

    Just as the ancients thought the woman was doomed, suddenly, a rescue dog seemed to have caught a scent.

    It barked frantically and began digging towards the woman''s location.

    The dog''smotion alerted the other rescuers.

    "Quick, there''s still someone here!"

    The other rescuers rushed over and finally cleared away the heavy rubble in front of them.

    What was reflected before them...

    Was half a steel rebar piercing the husband''s back as he used his body to shield his wife below, his knees bent, straining with all his might to prop up the concrete above.

    At the moment the rescue dog appeared before the woman!

    All the ancients cheered loudly, tears flowing uncontrobly once more.

    "She''s saved! She''s saved!"

    "That dog is so amazing, if I were rescued, I would definitely take this dog home and treat it like an ancestor, well-fed and pampered."

    "Are these people heroes? Why are they not afraid of death? They know that ce could copse, yet they still went in fearlessly to rescue people."

    "I saw several male rescuers get buried underneath and crushed to death!"

    The camera panned around again, with volunteers rushing in from all directions.

    Those youthful faces, using their utmost strength to help.

    With the addition of these out-of-town rescuers, the doctors and nurses in white coats could finally take turns resting.

    The ancients saw people bringing prepared meals to the disaster area, and not a single disaster victim tried to snatch or disrupt order - they remained calm and did not cause trouble for the country.

    After their loved ones were rescued, they wept tears of joy, embracing each other...

    The child abandoned by her father was rescued, and she red angrily at her father who had fled alone, crying out "I hate you! My mother was crushed to death trying to save me!"

    After the movie ended.

    All the ancients were sobbing inconsbly, unable to detach from the movie they had just witnessed.

    "I always thought that people in the future would only be strong in military force and have plenty of food, but after watching this movie, I realized that they are actually very united. They won''t try to profit from the chaos of troubled times, but rather support each other when one side is in difficulty."

    "They are all men, but some abandoned their wives and children to flee for their lives."

    "While others used their lives to protect their wives, even though that couple was already in the process of divorcing. Ah, you can''t really tell a person''s true nature until the veryst moment."

    "That dog moved me. That person was trapped under the rubble for three days, thinking they were doomed, but unexpectedly the dog discovered them and saved them. Woo woo woo woo."

    "What touched me the most was that people from all over the country rushed to help. They were all doing their utmost, and even faced death without fear in order to save just one more life!"

 Chapter 72: On the city wall, Zhao Pin cries blood and pleads for justice

    <h4>Chapter 72</h4>

    "The future world is so much better, wah wah wah......"

    "If an earthquake happened here in our time, wemon people would just have to wait for death, who would bother to save us desperately?"

    Hearing these words, the ancients'' already sorrowful feelings became even heavier and more deste.

    How could theypare themselves to the future world?

    In the face of such an event, they could only die in despair.

    Hope for the imperial court to save them? Impossible! The imperial court would only care about the big picture.

    In the Xuyang Pce.

    Consort Li''s heart was deeply shaken by the content of the movie.

    She saw a frail nurse in white faint from exhaustion, a woman travel thousands of miles to the disaster area to help, even if it was just to distribute supplies, she had done her part.

    And there were more.......

    There were couples divorcing, and couples in passionate love, the kind of reversal in the portrayal of human nature that struck Consort Li like thunder.

    Consort Li stood dazed, feeling like something in her mind had cracked open!

    In the face of life and death, everything seemed so insignificant.

    She had admired Consort Zhao''s noble intentions, why had she then been swayed by the Empress''s few words? Human nature, at critical moments, could best distinguish right from wrong!

    No, she could no longer hide it!

    Her conscience would not allow her to ignore Consort Zhao''s instruction for her own benefit!

    With her mind made up, Consort Li tightly clutched the handkerchief in her hand and strode determinedly to see Pei Changying.

    Inside the pce hall.

    An eunuch hurried in: "Your Majesty, Consort Li has this servant convey that Consort Zhao hase to her senses and is willing to expose the Crown Princess in front of the people."

    "She also says she is willing to force Noble Consort Gu to return to the pce."

    Ever since Consort Zhao stubbornly refused to help him, Pei Changying had lost faith in her and could not even be bothered to visit the cold pce.

    Now hearing that Consort Zhao was actually going to help him regain the people''s support?

    To make Noble Consort Gu return to his side?

    Although there was a lingering unease deep down, intense joy overwhelmed Pei Changying''s nerves, making him feel invigorated.

    Pei Changying immediately ordered: "Quick, let Consort Li in."

    "Announce, Consort Li enters the hall."

    As Consort Li entered the hall, all the civil and military officials looked at her in surprise, then at Pei Changying.

    Consort Li appeared calm on the surface, but was actually so nervous that sweat beaded on her forehead. She knelt before the hall and said: "This consort greets Your Majesty."

    "These past two days, this consort went with the Empress to visit Sister Zhao."

    "Sister Zhao said she is willing to admit her guilt in front of the people and persuade Noble Consort Gu to return."

    Pei Changying''s heart bloomed with joy immediately.

    He turned his gaze towards Noble Consort Gu on the broadcast screen.

    Ha! You wench!

    Hearing this, yet not showing the slightest fear, still putting on such a brave front!

    At the thought of Noble Consort Gu returning to ancient times, Pei Changying''s eyes revealed an indescribable delight: "Are these words true? What is her intent?"

    Consort Li: "Sister Zhao prays that Your Majesty will not hold her past mistakes against her."

    "Let her return to the consort position, and treat her family well, and she is willing to make amends for her fault."

    Pride filled Pei Changying''s expression.

    See, no one is not afraid of death!

    He is the emperor who can decide life and death with a word, the lord of this realm! No matter how defiant Consort Zhao was before, now she has toe begging him obediently!

    If Consort Zhao is like this, then Noble Consort Gu should be the same!

    At that time, he will definitely make Noble Consort Gu kneel and beg for mercy, trampling her dignity underfoot, to avenge her promiscuity in the future world.

    Pei Changying''s expression was firm and expectant as he immediately said: "As long as one is willing to work for me, I will certainly be lenient."

    "Go and summon Consort Zhao, have her properly groomed and prepared."

    Consort Li and the head eunuch epted the order and left.

    All the civil and military officials knelt and called out "Your Majesty is wise and brilliant."

    But Pei Changying did not see that Noble Consort Gu, reflected in the broadcast screen, seemed to have guessed something and a hint of sorrow shed in her eyes.

    Consort Zhao had endured torment in the cold pce and never submitted, to step forward at this critical moment, it was probably......

    "System, is there any way to save Consort Zhao?"

    "Life and death are fated! But after umting one million merits, there may be a slight chance of reincarnation."

    When the System said these icy words, Noble Consort Gu''s heart pounded wildly.

    One million merits!

    Until now, all the merits she had umted added up to only twenty or thirty thousand, still far from one million.

    In this life, faced with matters of life and death, how powerless one is.

    Here theye!

    Footsteps sounded from outside the grand hall.

    Consort Zhao was dressed in a magnificent and solemn attire, her pale, bloodless face thickly made up withyers of powder and rouge adding a touch of rosy color.

    Seeing Consort Zhao''s deferential appearance, Pei Changying''s heart was put more at ease. He then led all the officials to the city walls to face the broadcast screen.

    On the walls above was the broadcast screen.

    Outside the city;

    Tens of thousands ofmon people had gathered!

    Half an hour ago, they had heard that the emperor and Consort Zhao would personally appear on the city gates to exin the gue situation and the matter of the sweet potatoes!

    "His Majesty''s carriage arrives."

    "The truth about Consort Zhao''s case has been uncovered."

    "To prevent those with ill intentions from spreading rumors and causing panic among the people, now Consort Zhao apanies His Majesty to give an ount to the people under heaven!"

    As the eunuch''s shrill words fell, the people knelt in a flurry.

    After Pei Changying allowed the people to rise, they dared to sneak a peek at the dragon countenance.

    That tall and handsome figure was indeed the reigning emperor, with a naturally imperious aura.

    The woman standing beside him must be Consort Zhao?

    Who exactly was spreading rumors that Consort Zhao had been sent to the cold pce by the emperor? Consort Zhao looked resplendent and not at all like someone who had been sent to the cold pce.

    "Consort Zhao......" Noble Consort Gu gazed at Consort Zhao standing on the city wall, a mix of emotions in her eyes.

    Consort Zhao raised her head, revealing her carefully made-up face. Her eyes held a determination to die, but also gave Noble Consort Gu a relieved smile: "Sister Sang, I''m sorry, please let me go."

    I''m sorry, she has to go first.

    After all, she could not live and walk towards freedom.

    Don''t grieve for her.

    She is doing something incredibly great, following her heart''s desire.

    Under Pei Changying''s urging gaze, Consort Zhao stepped forward with a resolute expression, allowing the tens of thousands of people below to see her more clearly.

    She took a deep breath and faced the masses, her voice ringing out: "I am Consort Zhao, Zhao Ronghua!"

    "Previously in the capital, there were rumors that because I, Zhao Ronghua, was unchaste, the Zhao family was implicated and imprisoned. This is all baseless gossip! All rumors!"

    "Today, I am here to rify the truth in person!"

    Her words fell.

    All themoners fell silent, staring intently at the woman on the city wall.

    Hearing Consort Zhao admit to the falsehood of the matter before the people, Pei Changying''s originally somewhat uneasy heart finally settled down.

    He had to give it to Consort Zhao for being clever, knowing to preserve the dignity of the imperial family.

    The life and death of the entire Zhao n rested in his hands, so she dared not speak nonsense.

    Had it not been for the people incessantly discussing the Consort Zhao affair, destabilizing the public sentiment, he would never have condescended toe to this tower and exin things to the people.

    "Well done, Rong''er, you truly haven''t disappointed me," Pei Changying said, satisfied, as he walked forward.

    He was about to bring up Pei Weiqi''s treason, then have Consort Zhao identify him, nailing that lowly woman to the rebellion!

    However!

    Before Pei Changying could even open his mouth!

    Consort Zhao suddenly uttered words that shook the heavens and earth, leaving all themoners aghast¡ª

 Chapter 73: Jumping down from the city wall, Zhao Pin

    <h4>Chapter 73</h4>

    Every word uttered from her lips was heartrending and deeply moving!

    Consort Zhao: "Silence, you Pei Changying! I would never let anyone down, let alone the people. For I, Consort Zhao, am innocent!"

    "To save the hundreds of thousands of people in the gue-stricken city, I left the capital at night to beseech the Elder Princess to lead the Imperial Physicians to the stricken city and provide relief!"

    "And this arrogant Emperor?"

    "Upon learning of this, the first thing he did was to imprison me in the Cold Pce, ndering me as unchaste!"

    "And because I refused to admit guilt and ''shook the loyalty of his subjects,'' he vented his rage on the Zhao Family, sentencing the families of the Imperial Physicians who had gone to the gue city to prison!"

    "What you know, what you have heard, is merely a tenth of the whole story. I, Consort Zhao, have never been unchaste!"

    "Though I may not be as resolute and decisive as the Elder Princess, I know the meaning of the word ''shame.'' Pei Changying, you threaten my entire n to make me help whitewash your reputation among the people - dream on! You''re delusional!"

    "You are truly pitiful, framing my entire n to justify imprisoning them, even going so far as to wear the green hat yourself......"

    Madness, utter madness!

    "Consort Zhao!!!"

    Trembling with rage, Pei Changying was momentarily stunned into oblivion by her words, one by one. It took him a long while to recover from the shock!

    A thunderous roar interrupted Consort Zhao''s next words.

    Immediately after, the ministers and the people saw the awe-inspiring Emperor, with a ferocious expression, p Consort Zhao hard across the face.

    Consort Zhao''s face was instantly marked with bloody streaks, and she was struck down to the ground with great force.

    Pei Changying shouted hysterically, "Lies! What she says are all lies! I am the Son of Heaven of this nation, how could I nder such a vile woman! Do you think using such methods will force me to release your nsmen?"

    Below the city wall, there was sudden silence.

    All the people were stunned, standing frozen in their ces.

    All the ministers lowered their heads, looking at Consort Zhao with utmost pity, for they were well aware that she was doomed.......

    The Zhao Family was doomed as well......

    Her pearls and jewelry scattered all over the ground, Consort Zhao slowly rose, leaning against the city wall.

    "Hahahahaha¡ª¡ª" Her body began to tremble more and more violently, and under Pei Changying''s murderous gaze, she suddenly burst into frenziedughter.

    And then!

    Consort Zhao abruptly took off her brocade robe, revealing the dense, swollen whip marks on her arms and thighs.

    One by one, red and inmed, a horrifying sight!

    Upon seeing these wounds, all the people gasped in horror.

    Consort Zhao suddenly stoppedughing, her icy gaze fixed on Pei Changying as she shrieked hysterically, "You say this is false?"

    "My imprisonment in the Cold Pce is false?"

    "Your nder of my unchastity, my daily torment, is false?"

    "Pei Changying, what are you afraid of?"

    "When you ndered me, you felt no guilt."

    "When you imprisoned the families of the Imperial Physicians who saved hundreds of thousands of lives, you felt no guilt."

    "Even when you made me stand here and use the Elder Princess of treason, you felt no guilt."

    "Now that I recount these facts, word for word, you feel guilt? You''re afraid? Hahaha...you''re afraid!"

    At these words.

    Pei Changying had already ordered his soldiers to immediately restrain Consort Zhao and gag her mouth.

    But Consort Zhao did not hesitate to jump onto the city wall!

    From that height of tens of meters.

    She stood radiant, her arms outstretched, facing away from all the people.

    She looked at the soldiers too afraid to approach, looked at the enraged Pei Changying, and shouted loudly, powerfully, her words resonating throughout the capital:

    "I implore the people to open their eyes and look!"

    "The Emperor before you is selfish and willful, arrogantly seated on his lofty throne, viewing all his subjects as mere insects."

    "Now, the Divine Lady has descended, allowing all to choose an enlightened ruler. Only with a wise and benevolent ruler can the people''s lives improve!"

    "Though the Elder Princess is a woman, she has the hearts of all under Heaven!"

    "Not only did she save hundreds of thousands of lives in the gue city, but she also brought the sweet potato to feed the people. How does being a woman make her lesser? Is a male Emperor truly nobler than a woman? If nobility is the measure, where was Pei Changying when the gue ravaged the city? Where was he when the people were starving?"

    "This world does not belong to men alone, nor to Pei Changying alone! It belongs to all living beings, to those who care for the suffering of the people!"

    "I wish for this prosperous age as I desire!"

    "I wish for all to find shelter from the sun and never go hungry again."

    "I wish for equality among all beings, for women to be free!"

    The entire city fell silent!

    The people below the walls were all stunned, rooted to the spot!

    It was as if their thoughts had been snatched away, their minds nk, gaping at the woman on the city wall who seemed crazed, yet whose every word pierced their hearts.

    That radiant woman, ah.

    With arms outstretched and a gentle smile, she gazed at the live screen on the city wall, gazing at Gu Sang, her eyes brimming with the brilliant fire of one facing the apocalypse.

    Then, resolutely, unhesitatingly, fearlessly, she leapt from the towering wall!

    "Whoosh¡ª¡ª"

    Pei Changying reacted in horror, hastily trying to grab Consort Zhao''s arm, but only catching a wisp of her robe as it slipped through his fingers.

    "No!! Come back to me!"

    "I will not allow you to die! Consort Zhao!"

    "I too wish for equality among all beings, for women to be free......" Gu Sang watched the brilliant figure plummet, her eyes reddened with tears.

    The wind whipped Consort Zhao''s robes, creating a swishing sound.

    Consort Zhao seemed to see Pei Changying''s panicked, shaken expression, the ministers'' looks of horror.

    She also saw the awe in Gu Sang''s eyes, the admiration - so much, so much that she had never witnessed in her life, looks that belonged to her!

    After being so timid for so many years, she could be this great.

    Consort Zhao smiled and closed her eyes.

    Let my death be the first step in overthrowing this dynasty!

    My youth, ah, Consort Zhao ising for you......

    A gust of wind mmed down.

    A deafening boom rang in everyone''s ears!

    "Bang!"

    "Ah!!!"

    That crimson figure plummeted from the towering city wall, sttering a pool of blood where shey motionless in the center, a chilling, horrifying sight.

    After an unknown period of time, the terrified citizens finally regained their senses.

    Then came panic, screams, fleeing, horror, and wailing.

    They did not know what emotions to describe their shock, their minds continuously reying the scene of Consort Zhao leaping to her death: "Consort Zhao is dead!"

    "Consort Zhao has jumped from the tower!"

    "Deluded Emperor! You disregarded the lives of all the citizens, disregarded the Elder Princess''s noble quest for the red yam, ndered your own consort''s honor, and even intended to force Consort Zhao to use the Elder Princess of rebellion!"

    "Such an Emperor is no longer worthy of our trust and allegiance! This court has chilled our hearts!"

    "We demand an exnation!"

 Chapter 74: Hearts in Turmoil, Emperor in Fear and Panic

    <h4>Chapter 74</h4>

    Angry cries gradually arose from the crowd, demanding the imperial court provide an exnation.

    Pei Changying stood grimly on the high city wall.

    He watched the increasingly unruly citizens, hearing their ignorant and selfish insults word by word, the veins on the back of his hand protruding as he trembled with rage.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang, who had witnessed Consort Zhao''s leap from the city walls, felt her throat go dry, tears streaming uncontrobly down her face.

    Consort Zhao.

    You seeded.

    We seeded too.

    But why does my chest ache so much?

    "Sang Sang, what happened? Tell me, don''t scare me." Lu Mufei turned to see Gu Sang''s face suddenly streaked with tears.

    He could not hear Gu Sang''s conversation with the ancients, as the system automatically blocked outsiders'' sight and hearing.

    So Lu Mufei had no idea what Gu Sang had experienced.

    He crouched beside her in confusion and rm, gazing at her carefully.

    "I''m fine, I''m just too moved."

    "The butterfly that was once caged for the emperor''s amusement."

    "Has now transformed...burned its life away, dazzling for a moment, filling me with pride." Gu Sang had the system turn off the live broadcast, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and forced a strained smile.

    The people''s hearts were in turmoil.

    The citizens were crying out in grievance.

    For now, Pei Changying would not send troops to attack the Elder Princess again.

    As time passed, the imperial court would wait for the storm to settle, then find a reasonable excuse to pacify the people''s hearts, but the shattered cup could never be made whole again.

    Consort Zhao''s death was like a stone dropped into ake.

    At first, it would cause a hundred-foot ssh, earth-shattering.

    But soon, it would sink to the bottom, unable to even create a ripple.

    Though small, this stone would be an immovable, inextricable foundation, and in the future, countless sacrificial stones would fill the entireke!

    *Ding!*

    "Consort Zhao sacrificed her life righteously, earning 810,000+ merit points, awakening over one million people."

    "Special condition unlocked! ording to the Host''s wish, 100,000 merit points can be deducted to grant Consort Zhao a chance at reincarnation in a future life. Deduct merit points?"

    In other words...

    She could be reborn in the future world she had longed for?

    As soon as Gu Sang spoke, her throat felt parched: "Deduct!"

    The moment those words fell.

    Gu Sang felt something invisible, intangible yet perceptible, disappear from her being.

    Perhaps it was that unseen, untouchable merit.

    "Sister Sang, don''t cry."

    Consort Zhao''s gentle voice suddenly rang out.

    Gu Sang looked up to see a virtual screen reflected before her, the connection line having opened at some point.

    At the city walls.

    Consort Zhao still wore that magnificent outfit, lightly suspended in the air above the ramparts, her slender, semi-transparent figure like a butterfly about to take flight.

    She reached out a hand, wanting to caress Gu Sang''s brow and eyes, to keep her from grieving over her death.

    Her fingers passed through the screen as she smiled and said, "Sister Sang, when you were confined in the inner pce, you once said something that I remembered for a long time."

    "You said that if your life was destined to be confined in the inner pce, vying for a man''s favor, then you would be a mere walking corpse, no different from death. At the time, I didn''t understand why you yearned for freedom so deeply."

    "But now, I understand."

    "I''ve seen freedom, seen the world of equality you spoke of, seen the vast rivers and mountains, the hazy white clouds, the towering skyscrapers. I no longer wish to spend this life fretting over a man."

    "Two thousand yearster, gender equality is no mere empty dream, but surely the result of sacrifices by generations of women."

    "If my death can awaken these people, even if it only nts a single seed, then it is enough! I have no regrets, no fears!"

    Hearing this, Gu Sang''s tears welled up once more, uncontroble.

    Gu Sang forced a smile, gazing up at the sky.

    How many withered bones must line the long river of history to achieve such prosperity?

    In times of war, men charged into battle to protect their homes and nations, while women unhesitatingly sacrificed their lives for peace, to heal the wounded, to rise up and defend their country!

    No one is born great.

    It was they who made this world greater, cutting a bloody path for those who followed.

    "Yes, our prosperity was built upon a foundation of life upon life."

    "Consort Zhao, the you who once only saw the emperor''s favor has changed, changed in a way that makes me proud of you. Your beloved would be proud too."

    "And..."

    Gu Sang gazed at Consort Zhao earnestly. "If you were given a chance to reincarnate in the future world, would you want that?"

    "I would! I would!"

    "Sister Sang, I want to, but can someone like me really go to the future world?"

    Gu Sang gave her an affirmative answer: "Of course."

    "Thank you, Sister Sang, I''m so happy! With gender equality, I''ll never again have to depend on a man''s favor to survive. I can rely on myself!"

    "Can I stay a little longer before I go? I want to see my family onest time before I leave."

    Consort Zhao gazed at Gu Sang eagerly, her eyes filled with hope and light.

    She would finally, finally go to that wonderful world, even if she was born into an ordinary family. She would be content!

    She would rely on her own hands to support herself!

    After receiving the system''s reply, Gu Sang nodded in agreement.

    It wasn''t until the connection closed that Consort Zhao looked down from the city walls at the citizens stirred into unrest by her death.

    And at the emperor, whose face had darkened when the oue slipped from his control.

    "Consort Zhao, you wretched woman!"

    "How dare you defy me again and again, daring to speak such seditious words before the entire city? I shall have you torn apart by five horses!"

    Pei Changying red viciously at the mangled corpse.

    Not a shred of pity filled his heart, only malice.

    He turned and ordered the cowering soldiers, "Take Consort Zhao''s corpse back. I will not let her find peace even in death!"

    "I shall ce her body beneath a Buddha statue every day, never allowing her to be reborn!"

    "And you, you vile woman, if not for your incorrect message that led to Consort Zhao''s... I could kill you now to vent my rage!" *p!*

    The sound of a heavy p rang out.

    Consort Li, struck with all of Pei Changying''s force, fell to the ground, her expression nk as she cradled her reddened, swollen cheek, everything going dark before her eyes.

    Indeed.

    If it weren''t for the wavering of the people''s hearts and themoners'' cries of injustice, perhaps Consort Li would have already been ordered by Pei Changying to be beaten to death?

    A woman who could only rely on her husband, would she ultimately not meet a good end?

    Gu Sang, who had supported him in ascending to the throne, died a tragic death in the deep pce, while Consort Zhao, who obeyed her every word, threw herself down from the city walls!

    Suddenly!

    A thought that she could not suppress shed through Consort Li''s mind, and she suddenly felt unwilling to be confined in the deep pce, wasting her life away...

 Chapter 75: Next Life, Zhao Pin is Born in Modern Times

    <h4>Chapter 75</h4>

    The fleeting thought of Consort Li was awakened by the shouts from beneath the city walls.

    Tens of thousands ofmoners were seen with flushed faces, crying out sorrowfully and angrily at the soldiers: "Do not touch the body of Consort Zhao, we demand an exnation from the court!"

    "If the Imperial Physician saving the city from gue is a crime, then aren''t wemoners all criminals? Release the families of the Imperial Physician! Release the rtives of Consort Zhao!"

    "Your Majesty, can you not see the suffering of the people under Heaven, and only see your own imperial authority?"

    "We do not ask for equality for all as in future ages, we only ask that while you enjoy utmost bliss, could you not look upon the starving masses beneath the imperial city? Could you not treat the loyal and righteous who serve the people and the nation with kindness?"

    The few soldiers ordered to bring back the body of Consort Zhao stood dazed, with innumerablemoners blocking their path, their eyes filled with anger and disappointment.

    Seeing the situation escting further, themoners'' reactions grewrger.

    The soldiers could only retreat back to the pce and report to Pei Changying.

    Pei Changying''s eyes turned icy cold.

    Faced with the Emperor''s actions, even the ministers suddenly realized... some emperors who ascended to the throne by relying on others'' support fell swiftly for this very reason.

    An unvirtuous ruler could not retain the power that was undeserved!

    Yet Pei Changying waspletely unaware of his own mistakes, still arguing self-righteously: "These people are about to rebel, but what have I done wrong!"

    "I attend court before dawn every day, diligently implementing various policies. After all my efforts over so long, are the people really going to deny all my efforts just because of the gue incident?"

    "They are all an ungrateful bunch of white-eyed wolves. Without me, how could there be peace and prosperity in this realm?"

    The surrounding ministers kowtowed on the ground, unable to speak. Dare they tell the Emperor that it was his narrow-mindedness that led to this?

    Was themoners'' current rage truly only because of Consort Zhao''s death?

    They were all well aware that Consort Zhao''s death was merely the trigger!

    Pei Changying ignored the natural disasters and droughts, and only cared about theck of grain and hay in the national treasury, so he continuously increased taxes on the people. Fearing that women would be like what Gu Sang had said: after being educated and seeing the world, they would not be content to depend on men: the first thing he did upon bing Emperor was to shut down girls'' schools and oppress consorts and concubines!

    "Your Majesty speaks correctly. The people have been misled for the moment, unaware of the true situation, which is normal. In time, they will surely understand Your Majesty''s good intentions."

    After the silence, some ministers began to echo these words, though it was unknown whether they spoke sincerely or just to save their own skins.

    The Prime Minister nced at the ministers who were feigningpliance.

    Sighing, he braved Pei Changying''s murderous re and stepped out from the crowd: "Your Majesty, please calm your rage."

    "The most important thing now is to stabilize the people''s hearts. Other matters can be discussedter."

    "Since the people demand the release of the Zhao family and the Imperial Physician''s family, Your Majesty might as well take this opportunity to show goodwill to the people under Heaven. The urgent task is to quell the people''s anger and regain their hearts."

    Pei Changying whipped his head around to re at the Prime Minister.

    His tone was as chilling as a fiend crawling up from Hell, his overpowering aura instantly suffocating the ministers.

    Pei Changying chuckled darkly: "Are you saying I was wrong?"

    The Prime Minister felt a chill to the bone.

    But dare he speak the truth in his heart?

    He dared not. He could only straighten his back and gaze at Pei Changying imploringly: "Your Majesty, does it matter what I, your subject, think is important? What matters is what the people think!"

    "The Elder Princess has already found the sweet potatoes and is amassing troops on arge scale. If we do not pacify the people''s hearts now, she may seize this opportunity to advance."

    "Your Majesty releasing the Zhao family and the Imperial Physician''s family does not mean you are admitting wrongdoing to the people."

    "It is an act of goodwill towards the people under Heaven."

    "To deal with external threats, we must first pacify the internal situation. Only when the people are stable can we fully focus on dealing with the rebel forces!"

    The Prime Minister''s words were well understood by Pei Changying, who was simply unwilling to admit his own ipetence.

    Since it had been brought up, and he had no better solution himself, Pei Changying could only make the decision reluctantly, saying with resentment and unwillingness: "Fine, then I shall release the Zhao family and the Imperial Physician''s family."

    "But I do not wish to hear any more rumors detrimental to me."

    Pei Changying left with a wave of his sleeves, leaving the task of pacifying the people to the other ministers.

    The ministers could only alle out and exin the situation, saying that the Prime Minister had gone to the Imperial prison to release the Zhao family and the Imperial Physician''s family, and that the situation was not as exaggerated as Consort Zhao had imed.

    After much reassurance and heartfelt exnation, they finally managed to quell the anger.

    The observingmoners gradually dispersed, for the Emperor had made concessions, and they too needed to attend to farm work and earn a living: they could not keep shouting at the pce gates about injustice forever.

    Looking at Consort Zhao''s mangled corpse, the ministers did not know how to handle it.

    Should they really hand over Consort Zhao to the Emperor?

    They were well aware of the Emperor''s hatred towards Consort Zhao, and feared that she might be defleshed and cremated.

    As they were at a loss, a fourth-rank minister saw the Prime Minister approaching and hurriedly ran over to report: "Prime Minister, how should we handle Consort Zhao''s body?"

    The Prime Minister stopped abruptly in his tracks.

    He looked up at the receding backs of themoners, then lowered his gaze and pondered: "Let it be handed over to the Zhao family for a proper burial. As for the Emperor, I will speak to him myself."

    "s... Your Majesty has lost the hearts of another city''s people! The matter of the Elder Princess amassing troops also needs time. For now, it is best not to mention it in front of the Emperor."

    "I truly fear he may recklessly dispatch a hundred thousand troops in a grand offensive to trample the gue-stricken city. With the people''s hearts in the capital wavering and the court unstable, the entire popce of the gue-stricken city views the Elder Princess as their savior. We must not rashly take military action! After the storm passes, we can deal with it: no need to rush."

    At the suggestion of the civil officials, the Zhao family could only simply handle Consort Zhao''s funeral arrangements and hastily bury her.

    Upon learning that his daughter had boldly denounced the Emperor on the city walls and then jumped to her death, Zhao''s Father aged ten years overnight.

    A solitary ray of nting sunlight shone destely on Consort Zhao''s grave mound.

    Paper money was scattered all around, but the gravecked a single headstone.

    Although Pei Changying had allowed Consort Zhao to be buried, he had decreed that no headstone could be erected.

    Gazing at the bleak and meager grave mound, Zhao''s Father was filled with even greater grief, weeping bitterly before the grave until his heart was torn asunder: "Rong''er, it was your father who was wrong!"

    "What imperial nobility or kinship! What glory and riches! All is but a passing cloud, one thought reaching Heaven, the next plunging into Hell!"

    "It is your father who wronged you. For the glory of the Zhao family and the stability of our n, I forced the death of the young master whom you adored. I kept saying it was for your own good, but I never imagined it would lead to your tragic demise beneath the city walls!"

    "......."

    Wails of anguish echoed across the deste wilderness.

    Joining the Zhao family members in paying respects were the Imperial Physicians and their families, recently released from the Imperial prison.

    They had learned of Consort Zhao''s story and understood clearly that it was Consort Zhao''s sacrifice of her own life that had moved the hearts of the people, forcing the Emperor to release them.

    Several Imperial Physicians knelt down, their eyes rimmed with tears.

    Their trembling voices spoke: "We are forever grateful for Your Ladyship''s selfless act that saved our lives! Had it not been for your noble sacrifice, our grievances would have never been righted!"

 Chapter 76: With Determination to the Death, She Shakes the Heavens and Earth

    <h4>Chapter 76</h4>

    "Lord Zhao, ept this change with resignation. Your profound grief must sadden Consort Zhao''s spirit in the afterlife."

    "My lord, Consort Zhao saved us all. Her virtuous act must have moved the heavens. Perhaps she has already been reborn into the future life she yearned for."

    "Ah!! Lady Zhao has passed away!"

    Someone cried out in rm.

    Several Imperial Physicians hurried to wipe away their tears and attend to the fallen Lady Zhao.

    Zhao''s Father felt a ckness engulf his vision as he swayed unsteadily, caught by a pair of strong hands. Turning his head, he saw his Eldest Son.

    His son''s face was streaked with tears, a mixture of resignation and worry in his eyes.

    "Father, the Emperor is too cruel!"

    "What shall be of us now?"

    "What can we do? Under this very heaven, none can rival the Emperor''s domain. All thisnd belongs to him, and subjects must die when the sovereign demands it."

    *Ding!*

    *Connection established!*

    As the video call connected, Gu Sang heard Zhao''s Father''s despairing words.

    Likewise, Lord Zhao and the others'' gazes met Gu Sang''s sorrow-filled eyes!

    This...this...the Empress Dowager?

    Confronted by the astonished looks of those present, Gu Sang spoke with a calm, gentle tone: "Lord Zhao, ept this resignation."

    "There is a saying: ''Human determination can prevail over Heaven.'' When pushed to the brink, one can unleash unimaginable abilities. What''s more, you have not yet reached that brink."

    "Pei Changying released you under pressure, but once he recovers, he will seek vengeance."

    "Lord Zhao, Imperial Physicians, if you trust me, then leave the capital for Lingnan or the gue-stricken cities and seek refuge with the Elder Princess as swiftly as you can."

    Her words hung in the air, and all the Imperial Physicians, their families, and Lord Zhao''s household fell silent.

    Was she suggesting they flee?

    No!

    Rebel?

    "The sooner you act, the safer you will be. Pei Changying dare not openly pursue you due to public pressure. Once you reach those ces, you shall be unharmed!"

    "Of course, if you cannot make that choice and do not wish to join the Elder Princess, then you must travel to the border towns near the barbariannds."

    "There, Pei Changying''s reach will be limited, and you can live out your lives in peace."

    After Gu Sang finished speaking, not a soul uttered a word.

    Some still harbored hopes towards the Emperor, believing that since Consort Zhao had perished, he would no longer pursue them.

    So upon hearing Gu Sang''s two suggestions, they instinctively wished to resist.

    Join the Elder Princess? That would be outright rebellion!

    Punishable by the extermination of nine generations!

    And the border towns not only had harsh, uninhabitable climates but were also frequently raided by barbarians.

    "Perhaps it is not so grave? We have been pardoned, and the matter is settled. Surely the Emperor will not pursue us further?"

    An Imperial Physician''s Wife mustered her courage to ask, surreptitiously ncing towards Lord Zhao''s household.

    Moreover, it was Lord Zhao''s family who provoked the Emperor''s wrath.

    The Emperor''s resentment would surely be directed at Lord Zhao''s n.

    Seeing they still clung to hope, Gu Sang shook her head, shattering their illusions: "When has he ever kept his promises?"

    "In the past, I had no choice but to help him ascend the throne. He vowed to be my life partner and grant me the empress position, but what happened? He told me not to cling to vain fantasies, and I died a wretched death in the inner pce."

    "To seize the throne, when the pce coup failed, he ughtered his own father."

    "The Second Prince was once brave and resourceful, yet he suddenly died in terror..."

    Gu Sang merely recounted a few of Pei Changying''s deeds, but the assembled officials and Lord Zhao''s household were drenched in cold sweat.

    These were pce secrets - knowledge of even one could mean execution.

    In that moment, the Imperial Physicians and Lord Zhao''s n realized that thismoner who now upied the throne, having been rained upon, sought to tear away everyone else''s umbre!

    "You still hesitate? So be it. I have said my piece."

    "Only, next time, there may not be another Consort Zhao to sacrifice her life to save you!"

 Chapter 77: The Queenâ€™s Silence, Is It Worth It

    <h4>Chapter 77</h4>

    Boom¡ª

    Gu Sang''s words were like a heavy blow to everyone''s head, immediately snapping them back to reality.

    Did Pei Changying''s current actions and behavior still not make them recognize the harsh truth? Did they need to lose their entire n and be executed before they finally believed?

    No!

    They could no longer trust Pei Changying!

    He did not deserve their trust anymore!

    Zhao''s Father''s lips trembled as he grabbed his eldest son''s hand. His eyes were red as he looked at Gu Sang with a trembling, hopeful inquiry:

    "Then could my daughter... could she be revived?"

    "I know that you, Your Highness, were revived and returned to your modernter life."

    "Could Rong Hua return to be by my side?"

    As the words fell, everyone looked at Gu Sang with shock, anxiety, and hopeful eyes.

    The closely watched Gu Sang, however, looked towards an empty space beside Zhao''s Father.

    Gu Sang said softly: "Uncle, life and death are destined, beyond the power of man to reim, but I can tell you that Rong Hua will reincarnate into theter world. In her next life, she will definitely be very happy!"

    Theter world is good, theter world is good!

    At least there the woman would live more happily and freely!

    Hearing the answer he wanted, determination shed in Zhao''s Father''s eyes as he tearfully bowed deeply to Gu Sang: "That''s good enough then. Thank you, Your Highness the Consort!"

    "From now on, don''t address me as ''Your Highness'' anymore. There will be no more Pei Changying always calling me ''Consort'' and forcing you all to acknowledge that I''m still his consort."

    "Understood! Thank you, Miss Gu!"

    -

    The pce.

    Gu Qingrou listened as the pce maids ryed news of Consort Zhao''s act of throwing herself off the city walls in a tragically heroic manner that sent chills down one''s spine.

    She had never, ever imagined that Consort Zhao would take such a shocking, earth-shattering action!

    In this deep pce, Consort Zhao was known as the one who feared pain the most and craved the Emperor''s favor above all.

    Gu Qingrou did not understand why Consort Zhao would have such firm determination to die.

    Could the words Gu Sang spoke about gender equality really have such great appeal that they made one unafraid even of death?

    "Consort Zhao, you... you''re such a fool!"

    "We were born to enjoy lives better than ordinary people. Naturally, our actions must consider our families."

    "You so brazenly defied the Emperor like this. You died, but did you consider how the Emperor might retaliate against your family?"

    "Was it worth it? Was it worth it......"

    Thinking of Consort Zhao''s act of martyrdom and her heart-wrenching words, Gu Qingrou felt stifled and inexplicably lost.

    Looking at this luxurious pce and the crimson empress regalia she wore - the result of half a lifetime''s struggle.

    She had willingly flown into this gilded cage, bing a caged bird.

    This was her dreame true, something she should be satisfied with.

    And yet....... in this moment, it felt as if invisible ropes were tightening around her, oppressing her until she could barely breathe, making her want to escape.

    When Gu Qingrou came to her senses, she had already left that magnificent pce.

    She had walked to the gates of Xuyang Pce, which she had once most loathed.

    "Consort Zhao, rest in peace. I hope you are reborn well."

    "Consort Zhao, your Zhao n has been released. You can go in peace. Take this money to bribe the underworld clerks. May you be reborn into the modern world."

    "Wah, wah, wah... Consort Li was ced under house arrest. Fortunately the Emperor did not cane her. It must be thanks to Your Highness''s blessings from heaven..."

    These were eunuchs and pce maids on duty at various pces. They took advantage of the night to sneak to Xuyang Pce and pay their respects to Consort Zhao.

    Holding wakes was strictly forbidden in the pce.

    If any of their masters saw this, they would be doomed!

    Yet they still risked punishment toe bid Consort Zhao farewell.

    Perhaps, to some degree, Consort Zhao''s ultimate self-sacrifice had seeded.

    "Your Highness, these servants have brazenly held a forbidden wake in the pce. A grave vition. Should we¡ª"

    Gu Qingrou raised her hand, cutting off the senior pce maid''s words. She lowered her eyelids as various emotions flickered across her heart. Suddenly, she just felt so, so weary.

    She had clearly taken the seat of honor and attained the most esteemed status!

    She had clearly be wife to the man she loved most!

    So why did she feel so oppressed?

    "Let''s go back."

    "I''m tired. Let''s just pretend we didn''t see it."

    Gu Qingrou took a deep look at the pce gates, as if gazing at something distant, very distant - something that seemed within arm''s reach yet also horizon''s away.

    What was it?

    She had been caged in this gilded prison for too long and could no longer recall...

 Chapter 78: Adaptation of Reality, Villains Everywhere

    <h4>Chapter 78</h4>

    With some time left before filming, Gu Sang prepared to return home first.

    Lu Mufei volunteered to drive Gu Sang home. As the appointed time approached, Gu Sang stood beneath the signboard, gazing at the roadside.

    Just as she was about to call Lu Mufei, her phone rang.

    Lu Mufei said with a hint of urgency, "Sang Sang, I''m sorry, I''m stuck in traffic. It''ll probably take another half hour to reach the hotel."

    "It''s alright, no rush, I''ll wait for you."

    Seeing that it would be a while, Gu Sang turned on her live stream as she headed back to the hotel lobby to rest and wait.

    This time her virtue skyrocketed!

    In the ancient world, two more massive split-screen live streams appeared.

    The live stream''s upgrade made the split-screen disys even more dazzling.

    This time, with the emergence of each split-screen, a rainbow appeared in the sky, directly projecting down from the towering heights and fixing itself in several cities.

    "Boom¡ª¡ª"

    "Boom¡ª¡ª"

    The ancient people merely saw a seven-colored stream of light descending from the heavens, after which images appeared above the city walls.

    In the grand hall, Xuyang Pce, the gue City, and outside the pce walls, themoners had grown ustomed to this and had gathered early, eagerly staring at the screens.

    The ancient people in the other two cities, witnessing the sky disying images for the first time, knelt down and eximed it a divine miracle.

    "What are those things? What strange creatures are those, moving so swiftly in every direction, oh heavens!"

    "How high up! What is that, a building?"

    "Have you ever seen a building that glimmers and shines with colorful lights? It must be a celestial mirror. The people on the streets are dressed so strangely!"

    "Haven''t you heard? The regions around the capital and the gue City have had these things for a while. I heard people there call it a ''live stream'' from some ter era''."

    Those ancient people watching the live stream for the first time saw cars speeding along the streets.

    Just as Gu Sang crossed the road and reached an open area, a dark-skinned man suddenly rushed out from the side.

    The man appeared to be in his fifties, likely a farmer with great strength and callused hands. He grabbed Gu Sang''s hand and said, "Miss, could you help me with something?"

    "You see, my wife is in the public restroom up ahead. She''s on her period, and as a man, I can''t go in. Could you please give her this bag?"

    Gu Sang paused.

    She looked down at the ck bag in the man''s hand, which seemed to contain sanitary pads.

    Before Gu Sang could respond, the man kept thrusting the bag towards her.

    "Miss, thank you so much. Let me take you there."

    Seeing the man''s urgency, Gu Sang frowned.

    She hadn''t even agreed, and he was already insisting on taking her to deliver the sanitary pads?

    Moreover, the man looked quite old, dressed simply, not like a wealthy person with extravagant tastes. Couples of that older generation tended to marry around the same age.

    He was already in his fifties, so his wife must be around fifty as well.

    Shouldn''t she have gone through menopause?

    Feeling uncertain about this unusual situation, Gu Sang quickly declined.

    "I''m sorry, I have something urgent to attend to. Please ask someone else for help."

    But at that very moment!

    The man suddenly grabbed Gu Sang''s wrist with great force.

    "Miss, why would a young girl like you want to ruin my sister''s family?"

    Ruin whose family?

    Gu Sang had no idea what this man was bbering about!

    Just then, a rowdy group of men and women rushed out from a hidden spot. The leading woman ran up to Gu Sang, raising her hand to p her.

    Almost instinctively, Gu Sang kicked out, knocking the woman to the ground.

    "Ah¡ª¡ª"

    The woman let out a shriek, quickly scrambling back up. "You wh*re, quick, surround this little mistress, don''t let her escape!"

    "You good-for-nothing, learning the wrong things, seducing a married man¡ªyou uncultured wretch born of a mutt! You stole my husband, I''ll beat you to death!"

    "Everyone, look, look at this mistress who purposely seduced someone else''s husband..."

    The group surrounded Gu Sang.

    The man held onto Gu Sang''s arm tightly. This group seemed prepared, taking out a bottle from their pockets and spraying something at Gu Sang.

    In an instant.

    Her entire body felt powerless.

    It was then that Gu Sang finally recognized the woman''s familiar face...she resembled the mountain woman who tried to sell her daughter for a dowry at the school!

    "It''s you!"

    "Have you all gone mad, doing such things in modern society? Do you really think you can escape thew?" Gu Sang eximed, realizing the connection.

    Unable to sell their daughter for a dowry.

    So they kidnapped another girl instead?!

    How was this any different from the human traffickers using various tactics online?

    Gu Sang immediately remained calm, scanning her surroundings for a chance to escape or call for help. But! When the bad people had truly set their sights on you, all those self-defense methods online became useless!

    These people had incapacitating spray.

    A group of men and women surrounded their target, keeping you far from any passersby.

    The onlookers stood five or six meters away, gawking and pointing fingers, their eyes filled with disdain and curses.

    Grab a phone?

    Smash valuables?

    Cry for help, im drug dealing, im innocence?

    No use! This was reality, far crueler than the inte!

    Oncebeled with that word, you deserved only to be beaten and cursed!

    Onlooker: "A homewrecker, the third party! Pfft! You belong in the gutter, yet you dare walk the streets. Serves you right to be caught by the wife!"

    "This woman''s so good-looking, definitely the type to be a mistress."

    "Everyone,e look at the wh*re who seduced my husband! Have you no shame, couldn''t find a man for yourself so you seduce my husband? Today I''ll teach you a lesson!"

    "Brother, Sister, help me drag this wh*re home. I need to ask my husband what''s so good about this mistresspared to me!"

    The more the woman shouted, the more onlookers kept their distance.

    Encountering such a sensational scene, several people took out their phones to take photos for their social media.

    In one passing couple.

    The girlfriend''s expression changed upon seeing her boyfriend''s rapt gaze.

    She dragged the boy away angrily: "Don''t look anymore, what''s there to see with that homewrecker? Beating up a mistress like that is what she deserves. If you ever have any bad intentions..."

    "No, you''re thinking too much into it. I was just curious to see what was going on."

    The boy exined as he followed the girl away.

    Gu Sang took in all the contemptuous looks, fully aware of how much modern society despises mistresses - they are called traffickers and drug dealers!

    Reality is never as imagined, certainly not like discussing it on paper!

    Any exnation would pale inparison.

    Passersby had already made up their minds, their eyes full of disdain when looking at her.

    Suddenly¡ª

    Gu Sang''s gaze fell on the girl in jeans taking photos in the distance.

    Just as several men and women were forcibly dragging Gu Sang towards the van!

    Gu Sang stared intently at the girl, not detecting any hint of a lie in her eyes. She yelled with all her might: "Sister in the jeans!"

    "Please believe me, I''m not a mistress!"

    "I hate homewreckers just as much! The people have drugged spray in their hands, using the pretense of beating a mistress while actually human traffickers!"

 Chapter 79: Refusing to Let Yellow Rumors Ruin the Girl

    <h4>Chapter 79</h4>

    All the passersby around were watching coldly or with scornful expressions.

    Among all those passing by,

    only this girl had a hint of disapproval in her eyes.

    Because her best girlfriend had been the ''other woman'' before, so when encountering this situation, her first thought was whether Gu Sang was also a victim of the ''other woman''.

    People are more inclined to empathize with the underdog; in the eyes of passersby, the original wife is the underdog.

    But...

    But does beingcking in love, ignorant of the malice of humanity, and being deceived and hurt due to naivety make one deserve it?

    The girl had witnessed with her own eyes the scene of her girlfriend being wronged and betrayed!

    Her first thought was not to cheer for the beating of the other woman, that she deserved to be beaten to death.

    Rather, she would question whether this person knowingly engaged in an affair, or was a victim of the other woman?

    "I know my exnation sounds feeble and unconvincing! This can all be left for the police to determine."

    "I have a friend named Lu Mufei, he will be here to look for me soon. If possible, I ask that you tell him about this incident..."

    "Whether or not you end up helping me call the police, I still thank you..."

    "m¡ª"

    The car door was forcefully shut, drowning out the few sentences Gu Sang mustered all her strength to shout amid the roar of the engine starting.

    "Drive quickly!"

    The woman tightly gripped Gu Sang''s arm, a hint of triumphantughter in her eyes.

    Hmph!

    Call the police?

    How could that be possible!

    They had investigated online how much modern people hate the other woman.

    The previous woman who was abducted cried for passersby to call the police, but in the end? No one believed her, they even shouted that she deserved to be taken away and punished!

    The man standing in the corner saw the van drive away, only then covering the chill and mockery in his eyes.

    He nced at the girl in jeans, and sighed as he advised, "Little sister, you''d better not be fooled. The police officers are so busy nowadays."

    "It''s better for this woman everyone calls the other woman to suffer a little loss. Don''t waste police resources."

    "I once encountered one who cried innocence and wanted to call the police. Guess what happened? She wasn''t ndered at all, she was really the other woman!"

    "Nowadays, how can the other woman im to be wronged? They know clearly in their hearts whether they are the other woman or not. They actively seduce men for money. If she was really afraid, she wouldn''t go destroy other people''s families!"

    Listening to the words around her advising her not to meddle in other people''s affairs,

    the girl in jeans stood dazed on the spot, clenching her phone tightly.

    Those who knowingly engage in affairs are indeed despicable, but isn''t this assumption too one-sided? What if she is also a victim of the other woman like her girlfriend?

    And what if...

    There really are bad people who take advantage of the public''s hatred of the other woman to abduct women?

    The girl lowered her head, unwilling to listen further to the lecturing and insults from passersby. After putting her phone in her pocket, she quickly left the scene.

    The ancient people watching the live broadcast saw the girl leave with her head down, and were so angry they almost jumped up.

    Themoners'' eyes turned red with rage: "How could these people be so cold-hearted? The Lady was clearly wronged! She did not ruin that woman''s family!"

    "Wah... you all saw it, right? Even an immortal can be wrongly used of seducing a man. No one believes her, no one is willing to help, everyone refuses to listen to her exnation, just like how my sister was once ndered as unchaste and jumped into the river. Spreading malicious rumors is murder!"

    "I''m so sorry, wah..."

    "We will never blindly believe rumors again. When a woman is ndered as unchaste or used of seducing someone, the perpetrator only needs to utter a few words to affirm it as fact. But what about the truly innocent victims? She could ruin her entire life because of a few words!"

    "Yes, what if there are victims like the Immortal who were wronged? May the heavens protect them!"

    "Sister Gu Sang, I recognize her! That woman looks just like the couple at school who sold their daughter for a dowry. They must have been targeting you all along!"

    "Sister Gu Sang, please don''t let anything happen to you, wah wah wah I''m so scared..."

    In the ancient pce of the live broadcast,

    countlessmoners began to regret their past behavior of following the crowd.

    The women softly wept, feeling saddened for the girls whose lives were ruined due to nder, and anxious for Gu Sang''s safety.

    Pei Changying saw that although Gu Sang had clearly exined she was wronged, she was still dragged into the van in full view of everyone.

    It seemed that no matter in any era!

    As long as a woman was tainted with rumors of being unchaste, seducing others, or being the other woman!

    Regardless of the truth, most people would directly insult and condemn her, rather than taking the time to understand if she was wronged or not?

    Pei Changying could no longer hold back, angrily rising from the dragon throne.

    "Gu Sang, this is the peaceful, beautiful world you spoke of."

    "Look at the people around, indifferently watching. If this were in My realm, and someone tried to abduct a woman like this, the constables would have arrived long ago."

    "I will give you one final chance. Will you return to¡ª"

    "Shut your mouth." Gu Sang coldly interrupted Pei Changying''s words.

    In the scene,

    the woman saw that Gu Sang no longer had a chance to escape, so she finally let go of Gu Sang''s arm, panting as she rubbed her sore wrist, then spat at Gu Sang.

    "You little brat have some strength. It took several people just to control you!"

    "If I hadn''t been prepared earlier with drugged mist spray, we really wouldn''t have been able to subdue you today!"

    "And you, a big burly man, yet you couldn''t even bring a woman under control. If she had escaped, our days of staking out would have been wasted!"

    The woman pointed at the man''s head, with a hint of disappointment at his inadequacy.

    Evidently,

    the woman was the mastermind behind this plot.

    Seeing Gu Sang''s icy gaze fixed on her, not saying a word, not pleading, not even resisting, the woman was very satisfied, sparing her the need to discipline her.

    Her sallow, waxen face revealed a triumphant expression.

    While eyeing Gu Sang''s figure and looks with approval, she said smugly, "What good is it for a woman to read so many books? You''re just making it easy for us."

    "Weren''t you arrogant before?"

    "Didn''t you shout about a woman''s right to choose, that there''s more than just getting married? Now that you''ve fallen into my hands, hmph! You lured my daughter away, causing my son to not have enough dowry money to marry his girlfriend. So I''ll use you to get a dowry instead!"

    "Girls from the city are just wild. My son''s girlfriend is very clever - she won''te to our home without a dowry, so there''s no chance of us tricking her into marriage, unlike the Er Lin family who just tricked their city girlfriend intoing back with them."

    "Look at her fair and delicate skin, and she''s a college student too. She''s definitely worth more than my daughter, at least thirty thousand!"

    Gu Sang clenched her fists, realizing the drug''s effects were frighteningly strong.

    Cases that used to only appear online were now happening to her!

    She had been in aa for over a year, and after returning to modern times she rarely browsed the inte. In this day and age, do mothers really disregard thew for their sons'' dowries, valuing sons over daughters?!

    Online, there was an uproar over various cases of assaulting mistresses.

    So;

    These evil people were seizing any opportunity to ruin a girl''s life?!

    It was too disgusting!

    Too terrifying!

    Gu Sang adjusted her emotions over and over to calm down: "From what you''re saying, it seems your remote vige hasmitted crimes more than once?"

 Chapter 80: I am the victim, but it is me who is destroyed

    <h4>Chapter 80</h4>

    "Auntie, this is now a society under the rule ofw. There are surveince cameras everywhere on the streets, and the police will arrest anyone they catch."

    "Stop your actions while you still haven''tmitted a grave mistake."

    "You can still turn back now, or else once you get caught, your criminal record will follow you for life, and even your sons, daughters, and future generations will be implicated by you."

    Little did they know!

    Upon hearing Gu Sang''s words, the few people in the car allughed derisively.

    The woman looked at Gu Sang with disdain, then took out a special binding rope she had prepared earlier and tightly bound Gu Sang''s hands and feet.

    The rope was so tight that it dug into her fair skin.

    Afterpleting this, the woman sneered, "What implication? It''s just that they can''t take the civil service exam."

    "My son can''t even get into high school, let alone take the civil service exam! That cheap whore doesn''t matter at all, in the end, they''re all just pleasing men."

    "Besides, human trafficking doesn''t carry the death penalty."

    "At most, I''ll serve a few years in prison and then get out. By then, my son will have married and have grandchildren. My time in prison will just be a vacation."

    "And don''t worry, our ce is so poor that we don''t even have a signal. No one will be able to find you......"

    These arrogant and fearless words weighed heavily on Gu Sang''s heart.

    The woman was not unaware that what she was doing was a crime.

    She knew!

    She had even considered the consequences and was willing to trade her own freedom for a few years for her son''s happiness!

    She was even willing to ruin one girl after another!

    Her daughter had cut off their mother-daughter rtionship, and with the academy protecting her, they couldn''t capture her, so they turned their sights on Gu Sang instead!

    It was too vile!

    Seeing Gu Sang being wrongfully taken away, the ancient people and citizens on the split screens shouted in anger.

    Tens of thousands of citizens cursed those few people while discussing ways to help Gu Sang escape.

    Pei Changying watched the scene, both angry and vexed, staring intently at it.

    Although clearly concerned for Gu Sang, the words that came out of his mouth were mocking and condescending: "Gu Sang, this is the consequence of your meddling!"

    "You changed that woman''s fate, and what was the result? Her fate became yours."

    "Consort Zhao listened to your advice, so she died."

    "You helped that female student, and all you got was a useless gratitude, yet you were targeted by these evil people, and now you''re being retaliated against¡ª"

    Gu Sang: ...Are you f**king insane?

    The person extending aid is not at fault.

    The ones at fault are these evil people with malicious intentions!

    The criminals!

    One cannot me and rebuke the person with noble intentions just because they encountered evil people. The ones who should be condemned and denounced are not these venomous pests who have repeatedly ruined the lives of girls?!

    Gu Sang had only one thought at the moment.

    That these people must pay a bitter price.

    She absolutely believed in the power of modern authorities!

    "These people kidnapped me in broad daylight, right in front of the hotel entrance surrounded by surveince cameras. As long as the police are alerted quickly enough, it''s only a matter of time before they find me."

    "Her fate will absolutely not be my fate. I have never been one to surrender easily! I will always believe that I can ovee any hardship."

    "You ipetent trash, stop your bbering. I could escape from right beside you, and I can escape from here too!"

    Gu Sang interrupted Pei Changying''s words.

    Then she closed her eyes, rather than argue with Pei Changying, it was better to wait for the drug effects to wear off and recover her strength to think about her next move.

    Hopefully, someone had reported to the police in time...the sooner the better.

    -

    The onlookers on the street had dispersed, and the girl in jeans whom Gu Sang had asked for help ran to themercial street.

    Gu Sang''s plea for help kept ringing in the girl''s ears.

    That pleading gaze, out of so many onlookers, she was the only one Gu Sang asked for help.

    She must have seen the girl as her only hope...

    The girl clutched her phone tightly, opened WeChat, and sent the video she had taken of the mistress catching the third party to her close friend: "Lin Lin."

    "I encountered a wife catching a mistress, but she said she''s not the mistress and asked me to call the police for her."

    "She also said those people were premeditated human traffickers. I don''t know what to do now, it''s been five minutes already."

    This Lin Lin was the girl who had been deceived by a scumbag boyfriend.

    She had just graduated and was looking for a job when she met a mature and caring single boss.

    After some interaction,

    Lin Lin believed his lie about being single and epted his courtship, only to find outter that he was already married with a child back in his hometown thousands of miles away!

    She was cursed at, beaten by the wife, and fired from her job.

    No matter how she exined, no one believed her.

    The wife tore off her clothes, posted the video online, and all her rtives and friends pointed fingers at her, while the wife reconciled with her husband as if nothing had happened.

    She was in so much pain!

    So much pain that she became severely depressed and suicidal every night.

    After a few years of adjustment, Lin Lin finally transitioned from severe to mild depression.

    Upon seeing the message pop up on WeChat, Lin Lin immediately opened the image and looked at it again and again, then she was so scared that she immediately called the girl in jeans!

    The girl hesitantly asked, "Lin Lin, did you see the WeChat message?"

    "I saw it! I recognize the girl in the picture, she''s the lead actress from that empress TV series, she wouldn''t be an old man''s mistress."

    "She may have really encountered a scammer!"

    "Ayun, waaahhhh...you hurry and call the police for her. It might be because I''ve experienced this kind of thing before, but I just saw a case online yesterday about a wife pretending to catch a mistress to carry out illegal activities."

    "She must be very scared and helpless right now."

    "Don''t ruin another person after ruining me. Please help her. If someone had helped me back then, I wouldn''t have been so miserable."

    "Waaahhhh......"

    Lin Lin broke down crying as she spoke.

    After getting the response from the girl in jeans, she nodded while crying and urged her on, then hung up the phone.

    The scene of having her clothes torn off and being beaten flooded her mind again!

    Lin Lin crouched on the sofa.

    Hugging herself, her whole body trembled, looking pitiful, desperate, and helpless as her emotions broke down once more:

    "Why?"

    "Why is it that oncebeled with something like this, people can do whatever they want? I was clearly deceived, I''m innocent too!"

    "I also hate girls who know everything about a rtionship, and if I came across one, I would scold and curse her. But in this society, there are many naive girls who are deceived by married men!"

    "Please, ask a few more questions and try to understand the reason behind it, okay?"

    "Not all girls are fully aware of the situation. Some are deceived."

    "Why did the boss who cheated on me get promoted to manager and reconcile with his wife as if nothing happened? He was the root of the problem. He hurt two women at the same time, yet his family life and career both thrived, while I ruined my life."

    "Princess Huanghoudian, you must be saved, okay? Don''t let anyone else be like me. I really, really like your short dramas. You must take care of yourself......"

 Chapter 81: Tens of thousands of people in the plague city, all in

    <h4>Chapter 81</h4>

    Lin Lin''sst heart-wrenching sob echoed in the ears of the girl wearing jeans.

    She felt so pained.

    So regretful!

    She regretted not calling the police immediately back then, but instead hesitating and listening to the passersby''s words of "righteous scolding, don''t meddle in others'' affairs", thinking of consulting her best friend for advice.

    With tear-filled eyes and trembling hands, the girl quickly dialed the phone: "Hello......"

    "Hello, this is 110 Jianghai City police, what''s the matter?"

    The girl took a deep breath and spoke quickly: "I... I want to report a case. Just now at..."

    After the girl finished the call, she remembered Gu Sang''s final instructions to her and immediately ran towards the direction of the hotel.

    -

    "Beep... beep..."

    "Sorry, the number you dialed is switched off..."

    "Sorry, the number you dialed..."

    After Lu Mufei arrived at the agreed meeting ce, he began calling Gu Sang''s phone.

    But strangely! Except for the first call that was directly hung up, the following few calls were met with a message that the phone was switched off.

    Given Gu Sang''s personality, she wouldn''t ignore his calls and be in a bad mood for no reason.

    Lu Mufei''s heartbeat quickened, and a sense of unease surged within him...

    Suddenly!

    A trembling, timid voice sounded from behind.

    "Excuse me, are you looking for someone?"

    Lu Mufei turned around abruptly and saw a girl with an anxious and guilty expression: "Yes, I agreed to meet my friend here, but her phone is now unreachable."

    "Have you seen my friend by any chance?"

    Lu Mufei showed the girl a photo of Gu Sang on his phone.

    The girl heaved a sigh of relief and immediately said, "I saw her about twenty minutes ago. Your friend was dragged into a car and taken away by a few people. When she was being abducted, she shouted that those people were criminals who lured her under the guise of dealing with a mistress."

    "Are you her boyfriend?"

    Suddenly--

    Lu Mufei''s face turned pale, and fear struck his heart like a bullet.

    Mistress...

    The recent inte warnings about scams, could they really happen in real life?

    He couldn''t imagine Gu Sang encountering such an ident and how terrified and panicked she must have been, for an urban legend to actually befall her!

    If it were human traffickers, at least someone dared to help!

    If it were vicious criminals, people would likely stay away, as the fear of retaliation would outweigh any sympathy.

    "Those were scammers! What mistress? My friend would never be a mistress!"

    "Do you know what the people who took her away looked like?"

    "What kind of car was it? How many people were there? Could you pleasee with me to the police station or tell me the details?"

    "Sorry, I might be too anxious. I hope you can help me. I can''t imagine how dangerous her situation is right now..."

    Upon hearing Lu Mufei''s unwavering trust, the girl''s eyes reddened.

    He had no doubts!

    He firmly believed that the woman wasn''t a mistress!

    The girl might have been reminded of her helpless best friend. If only she had stayed by Lin Lin''s side, believed her, and helped her, would the oue have been different?

    Tears streamed down the girl''s face as she nodded, "I saw several people, including a particrly fierce-looking woman, and the car was an old, broken-down van."

    "..."

    "I''ve already called the police. I can wait here for them, and I''ll tell them all the details of what I saw!"

    "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

    Lu Mufei nodded gratefully, then rushed to his car in agitation and dialed the police emergency number.

    The car sped forward in pursuit.

    Inside the car, Lu Mufei''s worried and fearful voice rang out, "The case reported ten minutes ago near the Chufeng Hotel, I have information to provide. The person who was taken away is named Gu Sang, twenty-one years old, at..."

    -

    "We''re almost out of the city. Put the sack over her head. We still have a long way to go."

    As these words fell,

    Gu Sang immediately felt a sealed bag being put over her head.

    Opening her eyes, everything before Gu Sang''s eyes was a hazy white. She knew clearly that this meant they were about to enter the deep mountains.

    Such thorough preparation!

    She was certainly not the only girl abducted and taken to that mountain vige!

    Gu Sang lowered her eyelids and silently recited in her heart.

    Until the veryst moment, no one knows whether the oue will be good or bad.

    She ced thirty percent hope in the authorities and seventy percent in herself. If she could endure ancient battlefields, what was there to fear? At worst, she would go out fighting...

    Damn these scumbags!

    Harming girls, you will be doomed sooner orter!

    "Gu Sang, this is Pei Weiqi. Do you need my help?"

    Pei Weiqi?

    This was Pei Weiqi''s voice from the live stream screen.

    Upon seeing Gu Sang being falsely used and taken into the van, Elder Princess knew that this ident was likely premeditated. She immediately summoned all her strategists.

    Gu Sang promptly responded, "Help me record the direction and distance to the mountains, and also, is everything alright on your end?"

    Pei Weiqi calmly issued orders.

    Then she told Gu Sang, "Don''t worry about the gue City. We''re doing well. Consort Zhao''s death has deterred the people of the capital, and Pei Changying won''t be able to attack us for a while, giving me a much-needed respite."

    "We''re researching cannons and ammunition, and we''ve made some progress. You don''t need to concern yourself with our situation. The most important thing now is you."

    "All the strategists are here, and they will record the direction and route for you."

    "I know you''re very strong and brave, and you''ll be safe, but I still want to tell you that although I can''te to your world to rescue you,"

    "Gu Sang, I and the tens of thousands of people in the gue City are with you! Just let us know if you need anything."

    Upon hearing Elder Princess''s words, a warmth flowed through Gu Sang''s heart.

    Although she couldn''t see the live stream page, she could hear Elder Princessmanding her subordinates in the gue City, sketching the scenes and routes outside the car window.

    Gu Sang also heard all the citizens watching the live stream in the gue City, tearfully saying to her:

    "Immortal, we will always be with you. Don''t be afraid."

    "Elder Princess said that good people will be rewarded. You''ll definitely be fine. If you''re scared, I''ll sing to you, and you won''t be afraid anymore."

    "Dear sister goddess, we all understand how fearful rumors can be. Baselessly ndering a woman''s purity and chastity, using her of seducing others, is tantamount to killing her indirectly, no matter the era. From now on, we will not ruin a woman''s life with baseless rumors."

    "The princess is so kind-hearted, she will surely turn danger into safety."

    "Sister, if you cannot see, we will be your eyes. We will help you look ahead on the path, and you will definitely be able to escape."

    "......"

 Chapter 82: Numb Hollow, One Thought Hell

    <h4>Chapter 82</h4>

    In fact, Gu Sang was not really afraid.

    Because fear and pleading would be useless, she could not be afraid, she could only remain calm, and could only rely on herself to turn the situation around.

    However, upon hearing these words of encouragement and concern, Gu Sang was still moved.

    Even the ministers in the great hall were worried for Gu Sang at that moment, praying for her.

    "Gu Sang, the scene outside has changed, even the buildings of three or four stories can no longer be seen."

    Along with the words of the Elder Princess, Gu Sang clearly felt the carriage start to shake slightly, they must have left the highway and reached some unknown countryside.

    "Gu Sang, it should be around 3 PM where you are."

    "Gu Sang, you are heading up the mountain."

    "There are three forks in the road ahead, they chose the leftmost path......"

    "Divine Lady, don''t be afraid, don''t be afraid, it''s getting dark, the little birds are going home...... Don''t be scared, don''t be scared, the moon is out......"

    The children below the gue Cityforted Gu Sang with their singing.

    How nice.

    In the past, she had always fought alone, escaping from one crisis after another, but now, she had tens of thousands of citizens behind her, apanying her, worried about her.

    Of course she would be safe and sound, she would make these human traffickers pay the price with their blood!

    From morning to dusk, after a long journey of shaking in the carriage, it finally stopped.

    Gu Sang''s vision blurred as the sack on her head was removed.

    What entered her sight was¡ª

    The setting sun in the distance over the undting deep mountains, not far away there was a small river, its water sparkling under the glow of the sunset, flowing clear to the bottom.

    Fifty meters away from her were two households.

    Looking further up, there were several more households scattered about.

    These houses were built winding around the mountain, one to the east and one to the west, the road was still undeveloped and made of yellow dirt, with many stones mixed in.

    "This wretched girl is strong, tie her up tightly, hurry and lock her in the cer, chain her up."

    "Hahaha even if we let her go, she can''t escape this vige, don''t worry, she can''t run away, no city woman who hase here has ever escaped."

    "Hurry up! Now that you''vee here, just obey, don''t even think about running away!"

    Two strong men grabbed Gu Sang''s arms from left and right, heading into the vige.

    It was now dinner time.

    Whether men or women, they all liked to squat by the road with their meal bowls.

    Seeing the woman bring back a strange young girl, the men squatting by the road and eating their meals all stared with their eyes wide open! Each of them with an expression like a wolf!

    Clean and tender skin.

    An exquisite figure.

    So delicate it seemed like pinching her would make watere out!

    A man squatting by the road and eating called out, "Aunt Zhang, where did you kidnap this girl from, she''s as beautiful as a celebrity on TV."

    "She''s a ssmate of my wastrel daughter from the city, with an arrogant attitude."

    "But, since she''se to our ce, no matter how arrogant her attitude, in the end she''ll have to obediently stay."

    "This girl is even a college student? That''s valuable, might as well sell her to my family! My oldest son is already thirty-eight and still unmarried......"

    This familiar and natural conversation was as if discussing the price of an object, rather than a living person!

    Gu Sang could not imagine how painful the lives of the girls who had been tricked and brought to this ce, trapped within theseyers of deep mountains, must have been!

    Calling to the heavens would receive no response, calling to the earth would receive no response.

    No escape.

    No death.

    They had once had parents who doted on them, had wonderful lives, had bright futures.

    But then one day, an unimaginable ident happened that ruined everything!

    Gu Sang looked around at her surroundings, gazing towards two women not far away.

    What kind of eyes did they have?

    Numb?

    Hollow.

    Devoid of any life!

    The way they looked at Gu Sang, it was like looking at a brilliant pearl held up by the stars, about to be thrown into foul mud, calm and ustomed.

    They seemed to be saying, ''Look! Another one tricked in.''

    ''Yeah, another one hase.''

    ''The reason she was captured no longer matters.''

    ''Next, she''ll be just like us, from initially resisting, being beaten, screaming, beaten, begging, escaping, beaten, escaping, beaten, escaping......''

    ''Until finally all hope is ground away, giving birth to a few children,pletely trapped here in a life worse than death.''

    No way out.

    For this lifetime, there''s no way out.

    Never to see parents again, never to see that free world again.

    It was at this moment.

    A woman with messy hair, thin like a bean sprout, came out of the woman''s house while buttoning up her clothes.

    The skinny woman didn''t seem to notice the foreign Gu Sang, not sparing her a nce, only saying dully to the woman, "Aunt Zhang."

    "My husband agreed with your son on eighty yuan per time, let me ask you for it."

    "Eighty? Robbing me! Whatever, I''m in a good mood today, here you go!"

    The woman took out eighty yuan from her pocket and flung it to the skinny woman.

    The skinny woman picked up the money and left with a wooden expression.

    The woman locked Gu Sang in the cer next to the pigsty, chaining her hands and feet, then checked everything over before leaving with relief.

    The cer was damp, cramped and foul-smelling.

    The only light in the cer came from the few rays shining through the doorway.

    Most wooden doors in viges have a five-centimeter gap at the bottom for venttion.

    Gu Sang looked at the iron chains on her hands, as time passed, she could feel her strength gradually returning from the earlier drugging.

    "Three of them."

    "Just the ones I saw, there were already three......"

    Gu Sang did not miss the emotions in the eyes of the two women at the vige entrance, nor the butterfly tattoo on the skinny woman''s right ankle.

    A tattoo like that found in cities!

    How could there be a tattoo parlor in these deep mountains?

    What inhumane humiliation must they have endured to have such dead, numb eyes, to resign themselves to life in these mountains?

    Through the night vision lens of the livestream, the ancients could only see Gu Sang sitting in thought on the ground.

    The citizens had already reddened their eyes, crying out in anguish, "Although continuing the family line is important, they can''t ruin innocent women!"

    "They deserve to be cut into a thousand, ten thousand pieces! From now on if we encounter cases of women being forcibly abducted on the streets, we won''t believe any of their lies again, we''ll take them straight to the county office to verify!"

    "Yes, from now on, if anyone dares to nder a woman without evidence, I''ll be the first not to believe it! Show me the proof, if you can''t, then it''s defamation!"

    When the people witnessed this bloody scene with their own eyes,

    They suddenly realized how wrong it was to insult and curse someone whenever there was a rumor of infidelity or seduction.

    Pei Changying saw this scene, and his expression becameplex.

    He had been yelling every day for Gu Sang to suffer, but now that Gu Sang had been captured in the deep mountains, he felt uneasy and anxious instead.

    Pei Changying pursed his lips.

    Unexpectedly, he encouraged, "Gu Sang, muster the courage you once had to scold me. Hiding in a corner won''t help you at all."

    "Take the chance tonight when no one''s around and break the wooden door to escape."

    Gu Sang: .......

 Chapter 83: Internet sensation, Gu Qing goes crazy

    <h4>Chapter 83</h4>

    Are you fucking blind? Can''t you see the iron chains on my wrists?!

    And you broke through the wooden door?

    Afraid that others wouldn''t hear the sound of smashing the door, huh!

    Although Gu Sang had battlefield experience from ancient times and was strong with basic martial arts skills, she wasn''t stupid. Why would she get herself beaten to death here when she could use her brain to escape!

    Pei Changying was furious with reddened eyes.

    Both worried and angry, he said: "What kind of look is that? Gu Sang, I''m trying to rescue you out of good will! If you don''t try to break the door and escape, do you really want to be sold off?"

    "If you lose your chastity, your body will be defiled, and how can you serve me in the future?!"

    Unable to bear it any longer, Gu Sang angrily cursed: "Can you shut up? Serve you? You''re just pissed that this group of people didn''ty their hands on me today, aren''t you?"

    "Use your brain, dumbass!"

    After cursing and making Pei Changying tremble all over.

    Gu Sang then looked at the civilians and said gently: "Thank you all for worrying about me."

    "In our modern world with surveince everywhere, it''s only a matter of time before the officials find me."

    "Moreover, this group''s goal is to trade me for a ransom, so I''ll be safe for the short term. I will surely be unharmed, and they will pay with their lives for their crimes!"

    After she finished speaking¡ª

    In the Imperial Pce watching this scene, Gu Qingrou stopped wringing her handkerchief, and the heart she had been holding finally rxed after hearing that Gu Sang could escape.

    It''s good that nothing will happen!

    The men in this entire vige look evil and beastly.

    The way they look at Gu Sang is disgusting and naked, like a wolf pack looking at a littlemb, emitting a fiery green light!

    Although Gu Qingrou dislikes Gu Sang, as a woman, she can empathize and doesn''t want Gu Sang to be defiled by this group of men.

    But at the same time!

    She can''t help but think, if Gu Sang really experiences that kind of thing...

    "What if, what if Gu Sang is really defiled?"

    "Then... no matter how much the Emperor loves her, he would surely find Gu Sang''s body defiled, right?"

    "She says she won''t return to the pce, but Consort Zhao said she has a way to force Gu Sang toe back. What if Gu Sang changes her mind one day?"

    "It would be better if she was defiled by the men here... No!"

    Gu Qingrou, stop these horrible thoughts!

    It''s too evil!

    You can''t think like this!

    Gu Sang can die resentfully, or be killed by you!

    But she can''t be defiled by that shadowy group of rat-like people, an experience that would make a person want to die from the pain...

    But!

    But it''s not wrong to be selfish like this, what''s wrong with that? She just loves Pei Changying too much! She just wants to cut off any chance of Gu Sang reconciling with the Emperor!

    Suddenly¡ª

    "The Consort is so strong, remaining calm even in such an ordeal."

    "In the past, the Consort survived bloody battlefields, so this time, she will surely be safe too, right?" The pce maid beside her whispered in admiration.

    Gu Qingrou turned her head sharply, seeing a look of reverence and prayer in the pce maid''s eyes.

    She hated this kind of look!

    As if, although she had won the position of Empress, she would still be trampled underfoot by Gu Sang, and she could never surpass Gu Sang...

    -

    #Shocking! Beautiful young woman brutally beaten, is this a moral downfall or a distortion of human nature?#

    #Caught cheating at a hotel, the original wife angrily beats the mistress.#

    #Why was a young girl beaten in broad daylight? The reason will surprise you!#

    A video released by a passerby instantly set the inte aze.

    The reason it went viral was because Gu Sang looked too beautiful! The original wife, around 50 years old, standing in front of her formed a stark contrast!

    Young;

    Beautiful;

    Wearing a dress worth nearly a thousand yuan.

    If she weren''t a mistress, what young girl could afford clothes costing nearly four digits? She must have sold her body to get them!

    Manyizens who saw the video felt an indescribable itch of hatred!

    As if they shared amon enemy with the original wife!

    Changge said it right: "What''s wrong with those people around? Don''t you have feet? Why didn''t you go kick her a few times."

    Big Bubba: "There are actually people speaking up for the mistress? Heh, anyone who can empathize with that bitch must be a lowly mistress in real life!"

    Wind Language: "Wait, am I seeing things? The woman in the video looks like the Empress from that popr short drama series recently. I must be seeing things, right?"

    Second Lord''s Little Darling Wife: "You''re not seeing things, it really is the Empress from the drama. I never expected her to be a mistress, and I liked her too, gross! Throwing up!"

    Trying for 4th Son: "I always felt her poprity was inexplicable, turns out she slept her way to the top, tsk tsk the original wife was too gentle, she should have stripped her naked and posted it online!"

    Lone Brave One: "The social atmosphere these days really needs to be reformed. I appreciate the wisdom of the ancients - women should read less and have bound feet. Nowadays they''re all greedy for vanity, trying to seduce rich men to escape their lowly status. I suggest the nation restrain women!"

    "Don''t say that, women are people too..."

    At the Gu Family Vi.

    Gu Qing was lying on her bed browsing her phone when she came across the viral video of the original wife beating the mistress that had blown up today.

    In recent years, short videos have be a hot trend, and almost every year there are incidents of original wives catching their mistresses that go viral - as long as the topic is touched, it immediately bes a hot search!

    And in that instant!

    A face so familiar it was unforgettable shed into Gu Qing''s view!

 Chapter 84: Cryingly, Gu Qing went to save her sister

    <h4>Chapter 84</h4>

    The video that Gu Qing had subconsciously scrolled past came back rapidly.

    "I''m not a mistress, please call the police for me......"

    "Pfft! Every mistress ims she''s not one. Do you dare to admit that you''re ruining a family after being exposed? Now you''re lying about being deceived by a mistress to gain sympathy? So shameless!"

    In that second!

    Gu Qing''s mind wentpletely nk!

    Her sister''s face was clearly reflected in the video, her pleading words asking for the police, the usations and curses from the crowd around her.......

    "Bang!"

    Gu Sang had apletely powerless look as a few people half-carried, half-dragged her into a van.

    As the door closed, the bystanders were still filming coldly, mocking her. No one called the police for her, and some even cursed that she deserved it.

    Gu Sang!

    How could this be.......

    Gu Qing''s hands trembled, and fear, worry, and tears suddenly burst forth like a breached flood.

    "Dad! Mom! It''s terrible!"

    "Gu Sang, waaahh......Gu Sang has been taken away, mistaken for a mistress!"

    Gu Qing''s legs shook as she rushed out of the room, banging loudly on her parents'' door with forceful knocks.

    It was as if once the door opened, she could snatch Gu Sang back from the woman''s clutches.

    The door opened, and Gu''s mother stood there in her pajamas.

    "Qing, what''s this about a mistress being taken away?"

    "You just said something happened to your sister? Don''t cry first, tell me slowly." Gu''s mother was sleepy and had not yet realized the severity of the situation.

    Gu Qing quickly opened the video and showed it to her mother: "Mom! Look, she''s been ndered as a mistress and taken away."

    "She said that group came prepared, they''re human traffickers. This, this must just be an excuse for her to ask for help, right?"

    "What should we do?"

    "Waaahh......Wasn''t she still strong when she came to rescue me on horseback? How could she not even break free from these scammers?"

    Gu''s mother''s eyes widened as she watched the entire video, her head buzzing loudly.

    The surrounding bystanders did nothing to help, but they didn''t ask for the reason either. Instead, they scolded and used Gu Sang, shouting for her to be beaten to death.

    Thement pop-ups cursed the mistress to die, one word at a time.

    Each message made Gu''s mother tremble with anger.

    Gu''s mother shook her head trembling: "Although Sang is poor, she has dignity and self-respect. How could she possibly be a mistress for money?"

    "Years ago, to avoid disturbing her and her grandmother''s life, she gritted her teeth and paid back all the tuition fees the Gu family had paid for her. I know her, this is absolutely a mistake!"

    "Qing, don''t cry! I''ll call your father right away."

    Gu Qing angrily stamped her feet while tearfully cursing her mother.

    Seeing her mother hurry back to the room to make a call.

    Gu Qing took out her phone and startedmenting under the video, exining one by one that the woman in the video was being ndered.

    Gu Qing: "You don''t understand anything and just jump on the hate bandwagon! Don''t judge rashly without knowing the full story, she''s not a mistress!"

    "She would never be a mistress for money!"

    Dabao: "Look, here''s a mistress getting defensive. Anyone who can empathize with a mistress is no good either. You must be a mistress too, bitch."

    Lone Warrior: "Aren''t you women the most materialistic and realistic? You even demand a bride price when getting married, selling yourselves. Of course you''d be a mistress for money! What good are you? Slut!"

    Second Lord''s Little Darling Wife: "How much does your sister charge per night? That''s why you''re so eager to defend that shameless mistress!"

    "......"

    Waves of insults poured down on Gu Qing.

    Thosements were like knives coated with poison, each one leaving her for dead.

    The more Gu Qing tried to exin, the more frantic she became. Eventually, no matter how fast she typed, her feeble responses were drowned out by the thousands of people.

    Meanwhile;

    After finishing her call with Gu''s father, Gu''s mother also realized that Gu Sang might have been abducted and deceived.

    She immediately called the police.

    Although Gu''s mother didn''t have deep feelings for Gu Sang, they were still rted by blood, so she was naturally worried: "Hello, I need to report a case. My daughter Gu Sang may have been kidnapped by human traffickers......"

    Human traffickers?!

    Yes, it''s true!

    It wasn''t just an excuse for Gu Sang to ask for help?

    Gu Qing felt her heart stop!

    She had watched a video earlier that day about how deception methods are bing more and more vicious nowadays.

    At the time, she had sneered at such warnings, thinking that with cameras everywhere, who would dare to do such a stupid thing?

    Moreover, if someone was dragged away, they would surely scream and shout for help, and someone woulde to their aid.

    That''s what she had thought!

    That''s really what she had thought!

    But reality was far worse than she had imagined!

    She was just trying to help her sister tell the truth, but so manyizens cursed her along with her sister, calling her and her ancestors shameless bitches for eighteen generations!

    "Qing, where are you going?"

    "It''s sote, can''t this wait until tomorrow?"

    As Gu''s mother was on the phone, she saw Gu Qing hurriedly run back to her room.

    A minuteter.

    Gu Qing changed out of her pajamas, grabbed her phone and bag, and rushed out with an anxious look.

    "Mom! I can''t wait. She''s so timid, she must be terrified in this situation."

    "I''m going to the police station. The police station must have some leads!"

    "Tell dad to pull some strings and find channels. Official investigations take time, and time is exactly what Gu Sang can''t afford in this situation!"

    -

    "Eat up!"

    The woman brought a stainless steel bowl and opened the damp wooden door, cing the food by Gu Sang''s feet.

    To prevent Gu Sang from having the strength to escape, the woman had not given her any food or water all day. This was her first meal.

    The bowl contained only a small amount of pumpkin, along with some greenish-ckish leftovers of vegetables, and half a bowl of soup with rice.

    Not even chopsticks were provided, just two twigs.

    Without any airs, Gu Sang could adapt to any environment. Under the woman''s cold gaze, she picked up the bowl and started eating.

    Seeing Gu Sang''s down-to-earth attitude.

    The woman sneered with her hands on her hips: "I thought you had more backbone. Still being arrogant? You shameless bitch!"

    "So what if you''re a city girl? Here, you''ll have to eat even pig food."

    "Women like you shouldn''t be spoiled. Let you starve for a couple more days, and you''ll be begging to get married early."

    The woman red a warning at Gu Sang.

    She had intended to discipline Gu Sang, beat her up a few times so she would be more obedient. But Gu Sang did not cry or make a fuss like the other abducted city girls.

    It was unclear whether she had truly resigned herself or was still looking for an opportunity to escape.

    After taking only the iron bowl, the woman locked the door again.

    The voices of a man and a woman conversing came from outside the door.

    Woman: "You stay home and keep a close watch on her. Don''t give her any food today. This wretched wench has a lot of strength, so be extra careful."

    "Just give her one meal a day, don''t let her starve to death."

    "I''m going with your brother to Old Wang''s Family. This wench is far prettier than your sister. This time we''ll definitely be able to sell her for a good price. Maybe we''ll even have enough for you to take a wife!"

    Upon hearing these words, the excited younger brother urged repeatedly, "Good, then you two go quickly, Mother. Remember to bargain for a higher price."

 Chapter 85: The Princess Comes with the Craftsman, Breaking the Lock

    <h4>Chapter 85</h4>

    The livestream opened the next day.

    The anxious looks of tens of thousands of citizens instantly filled Gu Sang''s view.

    The Elder Princess had long been waiting at the foot of the city wall: "Gu Sang, they''ve already drawn the map. I''ll describe it to you now."

    The advisors immediately presented a long scroll painting.

    As the map slowly unfurled, it revealed a route map of Gu Sang''s journey since her abduction.

    The lines drawn in cinnabar ink traced her kidnapping route.

    ck ink marked the distribution of forks in the road.

    Looking at the dark circles under the Elder Princess''s eyes and her worried expression, as well as the trust she ced in her, Gu Sang was moved: "Wei Qi, thank you."

    "It''s very detailed."

    The Elder Princess smiled faintly: "No need for formalities between us. You''ve helped me so much before. I only stayed up one night for you, which is far fromparable to all you''ve done for me."

    Pei Changying stared intently at Gu Sang on the livestream screen. He could see her lips moving, seemingly talking to Wei Qi.

    Damn it!

    How could Gu Sang be so gentle with Wei Qi, yet so cold and distant with him!

    Mind you, he''s Gu Sang''s husband, a woman''s support!

    Instead of relying on him to strategize her escape, she turns to Wei Qi. Is it because she''s banking on the public''s unrest, thinking he wouldn''t dare send troops to strangle her?!

    Pei Changying sneered sarcastically: "Gu Sang, even at a time like this, you''re surprisingly calm, even able to smile."

    "Instead of begging me to help you escape, you''re chatting andughing with Wei Qi? Do you know the consequences of losing your chastity?!"

    "You''ll have no face to remain in this world anymore!"

    In such circumstances, Gu Sang originally had no intention of engaging with Pei Changying.

    She was asking the craftsman beside the Elder Princess to examine the iron chain''s structure, hoping to find a way to unlock it¡ªafter all, this was the best escape method!

    Back in ancient times, when rescuing Pei Changying from enemy captivity, she had some knowledge about simple direct locks.

    But Pei Changying was truly despicable!

    Every word was harping on about lost chastity!

    Seeing the craftsman starting to study the chain''s structure, Gu Sang turned her gaze to Pei Changying: "Can you be any less nauseating?"

    "Kept man!"

    "Is chastity all you see? Weren''t you humiliated enough in the past?"

    "Seven years ago, when you were an unfavored illegitimate son, you were tricked by the Third Prince into a pack of wild dogs. I risked being bitten to carry you out!"

    "Three years ago, when you led troops to war, even though the enemy had retreated, I told you to stop while ahead. But you arrogantly pursued them, only to fall into their ambush, lying on the ground wailing with your neck strained! Again, it was I who fought through enemy lines to rescue you..."

    In the great hall.

    The ministers listened to Gu Sang''s shocking words.

    They lowered their heads in astonishment, with those near the doorstep almost wishing to dig a hole and bury themselves.

    Stop talking!

    These are the past humiliations that His Majesty never wants to mention!

    Seeing Pei Changying''s expression of anger, urgency, and humiliation¡ªthat kind of fury of disliking her yet being unable to take her down, powerless and impotent.

    Tch!

    That felt good!

    Indeed, with such a soft, despicable, and useless man, one must confront him head-on.

    "Click, click¡ª"

    The sound of a wooden door unlocking came from outside.

    A young man, not even five and a half feet tall, walked in carrying water.

    He was about neen or twenty, probably the youngest brother in this family.

    The brother intended to deliver the water and leave, but when his gaze met Gu Sang''s, his body felt a jolt of electricity!

    What a beautiful girl!

    She was the most beautiful girl he''d seen in his nearly neen years of life!

    Fair and delicate skin, big eyes, a slender figure, yet just right.

    As if possessed, the brother walked over with the bowl, holding it to Gu Sang''s lips: "Would you like some water? I''m afraid you haven''t had any all night."

    Seeing Gu Sang''s silence, he ced the bowl in front of her.

    He crouched not far from Gu Sang, his movements cautious and timid, his eyes fixated on her in awe and infatuation.

    "Now that you''re here, don''t think about escaping. It''s impossible."

    "The city girls recently trafficked here make a huge fuss when they arrive."

    "Some even threaten us by refusing food and water, but it''s useless."

    "Mountains surround this ce. Even if you know the way in, without a car, relying on walking, it would take days and nights to get out."

    The brother shared so much because he was truly captivated by Gu Sang''s beauty.

    He didn''t want to see her legs crippled after a failed escape attempt.

    But it was just a warning.

    If Gu Sang begged him to let her go, it would be impossible.

    He too was waiting to marry a wife!

    Gu Sang took in the brother''s demeanor. Although she saw amazement, passion, and sympathy in his eyes, that was all!

    Gu Sang, with a resigned and helpless manner, asked: "I know. I won''t run. I knew I couldn''t escape the day I arrived."

    "I just want to live a bit better. I''ll be obedient and not resist."

    "Do you also kidnap and trick girls from outside to marry here? Can you afford tens of thousands?"

    Hearing Gu Sang''s resignation, doubt shed in the brother''s eyes; he didn''t fully believe her.

    He''d seen too many girls who imed to have given up but still wanted to run.

    The brother replied: "If we could marry local girls, we''d prefer that. At least local girls are honest, reassuring, and stable, not thinking of escape."

    "But the local women are all too materialistic, their parents are like bloodsuckers."

    "We thought city girls wouldn''t demand bride prices, having not experienced society''s harsh blows, still naive and easy to trick. But now they''re all cunning! My brother''s girlfriend is from the city. We''ve invited her home several times, but her parents absolutely refuse her marrying far away unless we offer 300,000. They''re holding onto her household registration and ID, not letting here to another province."

    "If that family weren''t so ambitious, not releasing her without a bride price, my brother would have long tricked her back."

    These words, uttered in a calm tone, made Gu Sang''s scalp tingle.

    A girl working encounters a rural man from another province, insists on marrying far away against her parents'' wishes, only to find she can never return once she reaches his hometown...

    In the depths of these mountains, where not even awork signal could reach, there was no escape, no way out. One could cry to the heavens, but they would not answer; plead with the earth, but it would remain silent.

    One misstep, and her life would be ruined forever!

    The thought was truly terrifying!

    "Be obedient. No one can escape from here. ept your fate," her brother said, casting a deep look at Gu Sang before turning to leave.

    But¡ª

    He didn''t see it as he walked away!

    There was a fleeting, strange glint in Gu Sang''s eyes.

    At that moment, over in the Elder Princess''s quarters, the craftsmen had deciphered the lock''s mechanism at top speed. They immediatelyid out the blueprint.

    Gu Sang studied the blueprint for several minutes.

    By her feety two branches¡ªones she had intentionally tossed far away during her meal. Using her fingernails, she shaped them into toothpick-like tools.

    Gu Sang tried once, twice, each attempt ending in failure.

    About two hourster¡ª

    Click!

    The iron lock opened!

    The ancients held their breath, ovee with excitement, hugging their heads and shouting!

 Chapter 86: Counter Kill Revenge, Trample Your Lower Body

    <h4>Chapter 86</h4>

    "Fu Di, let''s go to the library togetherter to study and read. After we finish reading, we can go see the newly released movie, ''The Disappearing Wife''. It''s all the rage online!"

    "Wait for me, I need to wash my hair first."

    Her roommate was a carefree girl.

    Coming from a wealthy family, she was aware that Fu Di had cut ties with her parents to focus on her studies, leading to her living a rather frugal life. So, she would often treat Fu Di to meals and movies.

    While waiting for her roommate, Fu Di sat on the bed, browsing videos on her phone, which she had purchased from her part-time job earnings.

    Upon recognizing the face of the adulteress from one of the videos, Fu Di''s heart pounded.

    Mother!

    Aunt!

    Cousin!

    In an instant, it was as if Fu Di''s blood had frozen!

    It seemed that this student named Gu Sang, who had stood up for herst time, was now being targeted by her own rtives!

    This was criminal!

    Had they all gone mad? Didn''t they know the consequences?

    When she was younger, she was powerless to change the fate of the college students who were deceived and abducted.

    But now she was an adult, she must, absolutely must, stop such behavior! Not to mention, it was this female ssmate who had helped her escape from her miserable family before.

    "Hey, Fu Di, are you watching this video too?"

    "Don''t you think the woman in the video looks familiar? It''s infuriating to watch!"

    Another roommate walked in, hearing the video and guessing it was the trending video about catching the mistress.

    Fearful that her roommate would recognize that the woman was her own mother, Fu Di quickly put her phone away and shook her head.

    The roommate continued, disgruntled, "Thements on this video are so negative."

    "I replied to one of them yesterday, saying that while mistresses are disgraceful, the wife should still remain calm. And why only punish the mistress and not the man? The bias towards men is too serious, fear men, bully women. If someone gets hurt, they will be legally responsible."

    "Do you know whatizens said? They actually said that if the man is hit, the family will be ruined, so they can only kill the mistress."

    "Huh, they are all ignorant of thew. If someone really gets killed, not only will they have to go to jail, but their children will also be implicated..."

    As Fu Di listened to these words, she suddenly felt a chill, quickly realizing the reality of the situation.

    Her heart was filled with both shock and fear.

    The fear was that she had almost called the police to provide clues!

    No matter how despicable those people were, they were still her mother and aunt! She could renounce these familial ties in name, but would thew recognize that?

    No!

    If her parents were to go to jail, her life would be ruined!

    She had worked so hard for her civil service exams, they couldn''t be ruined here, they couldn''t...

    A mix of emotions shed in Fu Di''s eyes - conflict, anger, helplessness, guilt, and finally, all of these turned into bystander syndrome.

    Fu Di bowed her head, struggling internally, and muttered, "I''m sorry, no one has ever been able to save me, only I can save myself. I don''t want to go back to that mountain."

    "You would understand, wouldn''t you, junior sister?"

    "I''m not not helping you, but I really need to pass the civil service exam. You''ve helped me once, think of this as helping me one more time, forgive me...."

    -

    ng, ng.

    That was the sound of chains unlocking from outside.

    Gu Sang quickly put on the handcuffs for show.

    Her younger brother came in with food.

    After several days of interaction, Gu Sang had figured out the situation in the vige.

    A fair number of university students had been deceived intoing to this vige, but they were too impoverished. Apart from a handful who stayed in the vige, most were sold to Old Wang from another vige.

    Old Wang was responsible for checking the goods, assessing their looks, setting a price, and finding a buyer.

    Old Wang hade over two days ago, first examining Gu Sang''s appearance. It seemed that in the end, he hadn''t reached an agreement with the woman over the price.

    Old Wang''s highest offer was only 380,000, but the woman stuck to her price of 500,000!

    Seeing her brother once again trying to brainwash her, Gu Sang asked with aplex expression, "Have you ever resented your sister? She decided to continue her studies and didn''t follow your arrangement."

    In the eyes of her brother, there was a mix ofplexity and envy. "I resented her at first."

    "Anyone born in such a ce would want to escape. Fortunately, she was determined and got into a top university in China. If she was even a bit less capable, she wouldn''t have been able to leave the vige."

    "My mother said that university students are worth more, so she only agreed to let her study for half a year to increase her value..."

    Gu Sang nced at the sky.

    It was dusk.

    No, she had to wait another two hours!

    Night was the best time!

    Thinking this, Gu Sang looked at her brother with a resigned gaze, begging him.

    For a beautiful woman, men are always weak. "Honestly, I like you a lot. Can I marry you?"

    "I guess you''re the only one in this vige who would be kind to me. If you just want to sell me for a good price, I have money."

    "Can I use money to buy a chance to marry you? I''m scared, I''m afraid if I marry someone else, they''ll beat me. If you married me, you definitely wouldn''t hit me, right?"

    "Can you help me talk to your mom and brother? Please?"

    Did you hear that? How desperate she sounded.

    Gu Sang was disgusted with herself.

    Damn it!

    She had to deal with that wretched woman before she could escape!

    Her brother swiftly stood up from his seat, seemingly very happy and excited. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Gu Sang.

    He nodded repeatedly, his desire clouding his judgement. "Okay, I''ll go talk to my mom!"

    "If you cane up with the money my brother wants for a wife, it should be possible. Wait for me, I''ll go find them now."

    Around nine in the evening.

    The sound of chains echoed outside again, as the woman and her older son walked in,ughing and joking.

    As soon as the brother entered, he jumped straight to the topic: "I heard from my brother that you have money in your card. How much do you have?"

    Gu Sang lied convincingly, "My family is quite well-off, probably around 500,000 or so."

    "Auntie, older brother,e over here. I''ll tell you how to do online transfers and the password. I''m too hungry to talk now."

    The brother and the woman, in their excitement, were only thinking about getting rich!

    But the two of them didn''t notice that the handcuffs on Gu Sang''s hands had been opened!

    The woman and the brother, confident and greedy, squatted down next to Gu Sang, "As long as you give us all the money, I can guarantee you¡ª"

    Suddenly!

    Caughtpletely off guard, Gu Sang acted swiftly, putting the chains around the brother and the woman''s necks and using all her strength to strangle them!

    If it weren''t for the fact that killing was against thew, Gu Sang truly wished she could kill them outright!

    "aaa......" The woman and brother''s eyes were rolling uncontrobly, staring at Gu Sang in disbelief and agony.

    Lowering her voice, Gu Sang strangled the two until their tongues stiffened, then she ferociously smashed their heads with a chain: "Die, you tumors!"

    "ng, ng, ng¡ª¡ª"

    "a...... save, save......"

    "Save your mother! Daring to capture me, to spray knockout gas on me, to sell me for money, if I can''t take your lives, then I''ll make sure you''ll have no descendants!"

    "ng, ng, ng¡ª¡ª"

    "Everyone in the vige is no good, all of you can go eat peanuts! You filthy maggots!"

    Blood soaked the woman''s head as her face twisted in pain, her lips turned purple as she passed out.

    The brother''s mouth gaped open in a way that seemed like he was about to suffocate to death.

    Half a minuteter.

    Gu Sang threw the two on the ground, then tightly covered the brother''s mouth, lifted her foot, and with all her might, ruthlessly stomped on his lower body!

    "Crack!"

    It seemed as if something had shattered¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 87: Gu Sang relies only on herself and trusts only herself

    <h4>Chapter 87</h4>

    Brother suddenly woke up from his stupor, his limbs stiffened and spread out, his pupils dted as he red at Gu Sang, then passed out again.

    A pool of blood slowly flowed from his lower body.

    Foreshadowing another addition to the ranks of those cursed with no offspring.

    Gu Sang kicked the woman''s face again, picked up the remaining tree branch and intended to pierce the woman''s eyes, but rationality stopped her action:

    "No, no, that won''t be easy to exin."

    "Here it is."

    "Squelch, squelch¡ª"

    Gu Sang forcefully stabbed the woman''s chest, her skin immediately torn open, flesh and blood a tangled mess.

    After finishing this, Gu Sang took a few seconds to survey the outside environment.

    Confirming no one was around.

    She immediately locked the door and frantically fled up the mountain!

    The ancient people watching the live stream were overjoyed to witness Gu Sang''s sessful escape and leaving the two beaten to a bloody pulp!

    Those empathizing with the innocent girl cheered: "Haha, I knew the Celestial Lady would escape! Good, well done!"

    Those empathizing with the brother expressed: "This, this robbed him of his ability to continue his lineage, isn''t that too cruel? He didn''t do anything to her, is such viciousness really necessary?"

    "Can''t say that, if anything happened, the Celestial would be ruined!"

    "But continuing the lineage is paramount, a woman''s purity is nowhere as important as a man''s descendants! Although this family was in the wrong, she only lost her purity, whereas he lost his very foundation!"

    "........."

    The surrounding ancients debated fiercely, some disagreeing, others agreeing, this scene shaking the fundamental beliefs of ancient women!

    Robbing a man of his foundation is cruel?

    Then a woman being defiled isn''t cruel?!

    What do you mean she only lost her purity!!

    They lowered their heads, a terrible thought suddenly shing through their minds, they wanted to overthrow these terrible male ideologies.

    They wanted to change this era, to achieve equality, to end the tragic fate of women being subordinate to men!

    Pei Changying had not slept yet.

    These past few days he had been staying in Xuyang Pce, seeing Gu Sang sessfully escape, he immediately shouted: "Gu Sang, don''t go into the deep mountains."

    "It''s so dark out, you might easily get lost in the deep mountains and encounter danger."

    "You''d be better off seeking help directly from the vigers, as long as you offer them generous money, they will surely rescue you."

    How can a lofty emperor understand the hardships? He only knows how to wave his hands and bark orders!

    Anyone who heard this suggestion would curse him as an idiot!

    The situation of being captured and brought back, the wolfish gazes of the men in the vige, was still vivid in Gu Sang''s mind.

    Let her go seek help?

    That''s sending her to her death!

    After entering the deep mountains, Gu Sang lost her sense of direction, the tall dense trees blocking out the moonlightpletely, making it so dark that she could barely see her own fingers stretched out, frighteningly pitch ck.

    Gu Sang dared not approach the road, ording to the map, she deliberately avoided the direction they came from.

    Within this week, arge number of vigers would surely surround the approaching vige, and if they discovered even a trace of her, they would make a massive effort to capture her.

    Hiding cautiously, three days went by in a sh.

    During these three days, Gu Sang did not dare run too far in case she encountered an ident due to unfamiliarity with the terrain, nor did she dare approach the main road, preferring to survive for a few days first before assessing her options to escape.

    Around four in the morning, Gu Sang took advantage of the faint light to drink water at the edge of the deep mountains.

    Suddenly!

    She ran straight into the Tattooed Woman heading up the mountain.

    Gu Sang was truly ruthless, she picked up arge rock at her feet and prepared to crack open the woman''s skull, but was stopped by the Tattooed Woman who spoke first:

    "I won''t scream."

    The woman looked at Gu Sang with eyes devoid of any light.

    All that remained was the lifeless husk of someone who had lost all hope.

    She said dully: "You''re smarter than me, you didn''t seek help from others who were abducted like us, nor did you run along the main road, hiding here for three days instead."

    "But it''s useless, just give up."

    "I''ve been here for ten years, ten years. If I hadn''t met him at the factory back then, if I hadn''t stubbornly cut ties with my parents to marry into this rural vige, if I hadn''t insisted on suffering alongside my husband to build our life, I''d probably be very happy now, heh, no more what-ifs."

    "There''s no signal here, it''s hundreds of miles from the nearest town, you can''t walk out in a few days, unless the policee to rescue you, but that''s impossible."

    "Those girls who tried to escape and were caught, their fates were very tragic, you should just ept it and go back."

    Gu Sang never epted her fate.

    Even if she couldn''t rely on officials, she could escape by herself!

    She just couldn''t rush, she had to take it slow and steady!

    She stared coldly at the woman, then picked up a slightly smaller rock, sighed and said: "Sorry, I don''t trust anyone."

    "When I escape, I''ll expose what''s happening here and rescue you all."

    "I learned a bit about pressure points, this will just knock you out, it won''t be too painful, and there are no wild beasts near the mountainside to hurt you, so just bear with it for a bit."

    With that¡ª

    "Thump!"

    Gu Sang urately struck the pressure point at the back of the Tattooed Woman''s neck, only breaking the skin a little, leaving no major injury, and the woman''s eyes closed as she passed out.

    Gu Sang looked deeply at the fallen body, then turned and ran in another direction.

    The ancients who witnessed this were all shocked.

    Even the women expressed disagreement with soft hearts: "Celestial Lady, you, how could you?"

    "She said she wouldn''t scream, why did you still knock her out?"

    The soldiers also frowned: "Right, she was kindly advising you, couldn''t you have brought her along to escape? Why did you have to knock her out?"

    "You''re both suffering the same plight, if you brought her along at least you''d have someone to keep youpany on the journey."

    Gu Sang nced at the ancients on the screen and sneered: "Company? More like a ticking bomb! That''s the kind of thinking that prevented any women from escaping this vige all these years when they tried to run away."

    "Only an idiot would easily trust anyone, I only trust myself!"

    "Especially you women of this era, if you want to change your fate, don''t be soft-hearted, don''t hesitate, struggle with all your might, pinning your hopes on anyone is a dead end. Only by relying on yourself can you be saved!"

    -

    "Mr. Lu, the car had fake tes, so we can''t confirm the owner''s information, and there are over three hundred simr vans just in our city."

    "We''ve reviewed the videos you provided, and the van disappears here at the end......"

    "Give us a bit more time, we''ve started running facial recognitionparisons, we''ll see if the database has any matches, the results will be out soon."

    Five whole days had passed!

    Those human traffickers vanished like they evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace whatsoever.

    The traffic surveince footage showed the vehiclest disappearing near Pei County.

    Pei County was a major transportation hub, and heading north would lead into the undting deep mountains, where finding someone would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

    But Lu Mufei and Gu Qing remained undeterred. Sitting in the car bound for Pei County, they discussed in a tense atmosphere, "I pulled some strings and found a guy called Old Wang."

    "He''s a middleman in a vige in Pei County, specializing in these kinds of jobs."

    "You''ll pretend to be my girlfriend, from a wealthy family, and say you can''t conceive, so you need to find a clean college student as a surrogate."

 Chapter 88: Wipe them all out with one net, all eating peanuts

    <h4>Chapter 88</h4>

    Gu Qing nodded vigorously with reddened eyes.

    She had run into Lu Mufei at the entrance of the police station. For the past few days, they had been worried sick, trying every possible connection and offering rewards through various channels, but to no avail.

    Old Wang was theirst hope!

    That afternoon, Gu Qing and Lu Mufei followed Old Wang into the deep mountains.

    Since they were introduced by a friend and had a guarantor, Old Wang dared not harbor any ill intentions towards these distinguished guests. Instead, he acted quite humbly:

    "Here we are, esteemed guests."

    "A few days ago, they brought in a college student as beautiful as a celebrity. Let me tell you, she would be perfect for surrogacy. The child born would definitely have the genes of a 985 university graduate!"

    "My price of sixty thousand is really not expensive at all."

    Old Wang parked the car by the river and pointed in the general direction as Gu Qing and Lu Mufei got out of the car.

    Gu Qing gripped Lu Mufei''s arm tightly, her heart pounding with anxiety.

    They hade alone to these deep mountains without any signal reception. Although they had Old Wang as their connection, it was still risky.

    Those involved in uwful activities are always extremely cautious. If they were discovered, the vigers would swarm them and trap them here!

    "Auntie Zhang?"

    "Where is she? Why is no one here to wee our guests?" Old Wang shouted loudly as he entered the courtyard.

    After a while, his brother came out of the house, his eyes red with rage and a look of sorrow and anger on his face. He cursed loudly: "Uncle Wang, she''s gone!"

    "That vile woman deceived me. She''s run away! Now the whole vige is searching for her."

    Run away?

    Over the years, there had been many escapees, but this was the first time Old Wang had heard of someone running away after just a few days!

    Old Wang''s expression instantly turned unpleasant.

    He approached his brother and scolded in a low voice: "What''s going on? I''ve brought the Boss here, and you''re telling me the girl has run away."

    "This Boss is very generous with money. He wants to find a 985 university student for surrogacy to have a smart child."

    "You''d better find her quickly!"

    "Otherwise, she won''t be worth that price anymore. No one might even be willing to pay thirty thousand."

    Old Wang''s brother hated Gu Sang to the core!

    This woman appeared charming and obedient, but who would have thought she was so wicked at heart!

    The hatred born of being deceived overshadowed his lust. He gritted his teeth and said: "Then I won''t sell her. I''ll keep her imprisoned here for life!"

    "Marrying her would be letting her off too easy! Two hundred per time, I''ll make her earn back the fifty thousand with her body! Vile woman!"

    If he had once been infatuated and harbored fantasies about Gu Sang, now he only felt a hatred so intense that he wanted to tear her apart with his bare hands.

    That ungrateful woman was nothing but a white-eyed wolf!

    At the moment when she had begged to marry him, he was truly overjoyed from the bottom of his heart!

    He had even vowed secretly that he would dote on her and treat her well.

    But what happened? This vile woman took advantage of his kindness and affection, ruining his elder brother''s manhood and causing his mother''s breast to fester! And then she ran away!

    Seeing his brother''s intense hatred, Old Wang couldn''t help but furrow his brow in surprise: "What happened? It''s just an escape. There''s no need to be so harsh."

    "Hmph! I was too lenient with her! Come in and see for yourself."

    After exchanging a few words with the guests, Old Wang followed his brother into the house.

    When he saw the woman on the bed with an infected, pus-filled chest, and his brother''s genitals rotting and in a pitiful state, barely alive, Old Wang was horrified and his scalp went numb.

    How vicious and cruel!

    This kind of woman is too treacherous!

    What if the guests who bought her were also mutted and lost their manhood? With their wealth and influence, would they let this go?

    Old Wang was about to say a few words of constion to his brother when he noticed that the two guests had also followed them inside. His expression changed instantly, and he smiled at Lu Mufei: "You see, this is quite unfortunate. That 985 university student was smart enough to escape on her own."

    "If you''re not in a hurry, you can wait a few more days."

    "I''ll introduce you to other university students then."

    After seeing the two people lying on the bed, Gu Qing and Lu Mufei were suddenly struck by a strong feeling.

    The person these people had previously abducted must have been Gu Sang!

    Gu Sang was the type to go to such extremes!

    Lu Mufei eximed in surprise: "I''m not in a hurry, but I need to understand what happened here. Otherwise, I won''t feel at ease buying from you."

    It was natural for the guests to be concerned.

    Old Wang had no choice but to exin the situation in detail to the guests. Perhaps fearing that they might leave, he answered Lu Mufei''s questions truthfully, no matter what they were.

    Ordinarily, Old Wang would never reveal information about the abducted women.

    The more they heard, the more convinced Gu Qing and Lu Mufei became.

    The person these people had previously held captive was indeed Gu Sang!

    After Old Wang sent the two back to the county town, they immediately filed a report at the police station, emphasizing that the entire vige was involved! There were multiple victims!

    That same day, the authorities mobilized their forces.

    "The target location is Twisted Mouth Vige, surrounded by deep mountains and old forests. The victim, Gu Sang, has been on the run for five days. Depart immediately!"

    "Dispatch two thermal imaging cameras for the search!"

    "Apply for a drone to assist with the scan. This time, with sufficient evidence, we must take down all the human traffickers in this vige in one fell swoop!"

    How wonderful the sound of those sirens was!

    This must have been the sweetest sound these girls trapped in hell had ever heard in their lifetime.

    For it represented salvation, meaning they could finally go home!

    Meanwhile, in the deep mountains, the vigers, unable to catch up to Gu Sang in the direction she had fled, guessed that she couldn''t have gone far. They immediately borrowed a few hunting dogs from outside and began tracking her scent.

    Gu Sang was hiding at the top of a tree, several meters high.

    She had initially nned to jump from the tree and escape, but with this sweep of the mountain to hunt her down, it would be easy for someone like her, who had escaped from battlefields multiple times, to get away.

    However, she didn''t know if it was her imagination, but she thought she saw the shing lights of police cars in the distance, a few kilometers away!

    There were no sirens, just the shing of blue and red lights!

    Was it an illusion?

    No!

    The police hade to rescue her!

    "Quick, Old Huang stopped here!"

    "That vile woman is somewhere around here. Hurry up and search this area."

    "Woof woof woof¡ª"

    "She''s in the tree, that vile woman is up in the tree!"

    Hundreds of vigers had gathered, with men, women, old and young, all holding tools and looking up at the tree.

    Gu Sang no longer needed to hide.

    She boldly broke into a smile, facing the excited and enraged vigers below.

    On the livestream screen, the ancient people were worried that she had died, and they shouted at Gu Sang: "Sister immortal, run quickly! These bad people areing!"

    "You should have escaped a few minutes ago when there was still time. What are we going to do now? If you''re captured again, it''s all over!"

    "Gu Sang, you must be thinking of another way to strike back, right? If you can''t escape, it will be a loss of face for me!"

    But then, a scene that left the ancient people stunned urred.

    Gu Sang smiled fearlessly. She looked down coldly at the hundreds of eyes below, raised her head to the sky, and shouted loudly: "Help! Help!"

 Chapter 89: Drone is coming, this is the backing

    <h4>Chapter 89</h4>

    This was Gu Sang''s loudest voice.

    Combined with standing on a tree branch several meters high, her voice could carry far.

    Pei Weiqi''s eyelids twitched: "......" It''s over, there''s no salvation.

    Pei Changying''s eyes reddened with anger as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

    The Concubines silently wiped away tears, unable to bear watching.

    But the Vigers roared withughter: "Calling for help? Hahaha! Out here in the deep mountains, crying out won''t make heaven or earth respond. Who cane to your rescue?"

    "We''ll give you ten seconds to jump down obediently!"

    "If you honestlye with us, you''ll suffer less. Otherwise, we''ll break your legs and the entire vige will take turns with you before selling you for money!"

    Several old hunting rifles were raised high, aimed at Gu Sang.

    The state had long since strictly prohibited firearms, but these people dared to privately stockpile guns? This was truly too.......too great!!

    Another few years added to their sentence!

    "Whirring......"

    Yes, this was the moment!

    It came!

    It came, it really came!

    A very faint drone humming sound came from above Gu Sang''s head.

    Gu Sang felt her heart pounding excitedly, she had guessed the officials would bring search tools, but never expected they would deploy a drone.

    This was a major operation!

    Yes!

    Gu Sang, hold on for a few more minutes, don''t let this group of vigers disperse.

    Keep these over one hundred people contained!

    The officials need evidence to make arrests, with all of them surrounding her to capture her, this is the best proof of theirplicity. Not a single one can be allowed to escape!

    "Did you all just hear a whirring sound?"

    "Probably bees? Never mind that now, get this wench down from the tree! Grab knives and chop it down!"

    "Struggling defiantly even at death''s door, won''te down, huh? Then wait to be beaten to death! Pah, shameless wretch!"

    "Crack crack crack¡ª¡ª"

    The vigers below angrily chopped at the tree trunk with reddened eyes.

    Gu Sang pretended to be terrified as she clung to the branch, but inwardly she was grinning and crying out: "Help me! No, don''t let them capture me, don''t kill me!"

    "Help me......."

    Gu Sang yelled at the top of her lungs, drowning out the rustling sounds from a hundred meters away, and the glimpses of fully armed figures in deep green and navy blue.

    Therge tree began to tilt, and the excited vigers almost couldn''t wait to tear Gu Sang to shreds.

    But Gu Sang? She abruptly stopped ''crying'' out.

    At the same time;

    The viewers watching the livestream anxiously fixed their gazes on this scene, the tense atmosphere causing them to unconsciously hold their breaths.

    Ancient Commoners: "The Divine Lady is surrounded, the tree is about to fall, what can we do!"

    "Your Highness, you must survive this."

    "Those damned viins, they''re too cruel, wuwuwu if she''s captured she''ll definitely die a horrible death."

    "What can be done, is there really no way for her to escape? Your Highness survived battles before, how can she die here!"

    Is there truly no way to escape?

    Even Pei Weiqi''s heart began to sink.

    If she couldn''t escape, then Gu Sang would......

    Just then, at the very moment the branch was falling, at that split second before the surging vigers closed in on her.

    "Stop where you are! Get down on the ground with your hands on your heads, nobody move!"

    "We''re thew enforcement squad! You''re under arrest for suspected trafficking of women and children! Drop your weapons! Drop them immediately!"

    "Gu Sang, don''t be afraid!"

    "We''re here to rescue you!"

    Apanying those stern shouts raining down.

    Large numbers of uniformed personnel suddenly emerged from the bushes, fully armed as they charged out¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 90: Caught, the Curse of Gu Shansheng for Not Having a Son

    <h4>Chapter 90</h4>

    The ever-calm and powerful Gu Sang looked on as the official personnel charged forward, her heart filled with profound emotion and relief.

    In contrast to the faint smile on Gu Sang''s face, the vigers opposite were shocked to the point of their heads exploding!

    Everyone''s pupils dted, their faces consumed by fear!

    "The police are here! Run, run!"

    "Damn it, how did they find this ce, how!"

    "This is impossible, how could they find this ce, who leaked the information, ah ah!! Pain pain pain, let me go!"

    All the surrounding vigers fled in terror, crying out for help and iming innocence.

    Those who ran slowly were immediately pinned down by the officers.

    Gu Sang watched as a female officer extended a hand of rescue towards her. She, who never trusted anyone, now looked at her withplete trust: "I knew you would find me."

    "I have always believed you are my support."

    "Thank goodness, I waited for you!"

    A young female officer looked at Gu Sang with a mixture of heartbreak, anger, and relief, using a wet tissue to wipe the dirt off her face.

    Gu Sang did not cry.

    Instead, her eyes reddened: "Thank you for your trust, it''s good that we''re not toote!"

    "Leave it to us now!"

    "No one in this vige will escape, we''ve specially deployed two thermal imaging cameras, we''ll capture them all!"

    Gu Sang was led by the female officer towards the main road down the vige.

    The live stream camera followed alongside the official cleanup operation, leaving no stone unturned!

    The ancient people, witnessing this scene, were simply ovee with emotion and burst into tears. From the brink of despair to hope, the only thing missing was the nation!

    Now they understood why Gu Sang was fearless!

    This was the reason Gu Sang did not flee or hide, but directly stopped to gather the vigers!

    Because she knew the only ones she dared trust had arrived!

    Themoners wept: "Wuu wuu! So these are the constables of the future? When we thought we were doomed, the constables appeared."

    "It must have been that drone that discovered the Immortal Being!"

    "I finally understand why our mistress was so certain the constables would find her when she was captured, it was just a matter of time, because this is the future!"

    "As long as the evil ones leave behind traces or evidence, they cannot escape their grasp!"

    "I knew our mistress had divine foresight! The future is truly wonderful, these constables are so responsible, wuu wuu..."

    In the other two cities where the live stream had just started a few days ago,

    after these days of inquiry and observation, themoners also came to understand some things about the future, and what the future was like.

    For instance, those who had just appeared were called "police officers" in the future.

    The citizens of the new city widened their eyes in astonishment and pointed at the screen: "There are even female constables? Women can be constables too?"

    "Heavens! Women are so formidable too? I saw with my own eyes how she subdued a burly viger with just one kick!"

    "What are those red dots? Why are they getting closer?"

    "What kind of weapon is that, that can win without a fight? Why do they cower before the constables, why don''t they band together and resist, they might be able to escape?"

    It seemed to be verifying what that person had said.

    The next second, the person called ''Old Two'', seizing the moment when the officers were distracted,

    turned and ran towards the main road where Gu Sang was, as the deep mountains were too difficult to run in, and with thermal imaging, there was nowhere to hide!

    In Old Two''s view, the only way to escape was to run this way!

    The female officer didn''t even draw her gun, she simply charged forward and with one kick, knocked Old Two to the ground.

    Immediately after, she took out handcuffs from behind her back and firmly pinned the man down.

    "Excellent!"

    "Excellent!"

    "The Immortal Being was indeed right, women in the future are truly formidable!" The ancient citizens of the old city cheered at the smooth, flowing movements!

    Yet it left the men of the new city who had doubted women''s abilities with expressions of shock, their faces as if they had been pped hard, a mixture of pain and vexation.

    That was a strong man, after all. What kind of strength was required to knock down a burly man with just one kick?

    The future''s female constables were truly this formidable?

    But this was the future!

    The past urrences of killing someone, then fleeing into the deep mountains and forests to live for decades without being found, were long gone with the advancement of technology!

    Gu Sang followed the police down the mountain to the main road.

    Lu Mufei and Gu Qing saw her from afar, and tears immediately sprang forth.

    Lu Mufei''s eyes reddened as he examined Gu Sang from head to toe for any injuries, his heart aching: "Sang Sang, you''ve suffered these past few days."

    "Why are there so many scratches on your body, were you beaten?"

    "Senior, I''m fine, just scratched by branches in the deep mountains, it''ll heal in a couple of days."

    After speaking, Gu Sang''s gaze fell upon Gu Qing, who was standing nearby, tugging at her clothes and hesitating.

    Overwhelmed with emotion, Gu Qing rushed forward, intending to hug Gu Sang and weep.

    But remembering their past rtionship,

    Gu Qing stopped in her tracks, suppressing her sobs, and pouted: "You trouble-prone old six, do you know how worried my parents were!"

    "I must say, you really do have the worst luck, getting mistaken for a mistress and kidnapped while walking on the street. What kind of broken luck is this, abandoned as a child and then kidnapped after growing up."

    "I''m not worried about you, I''m just being righteous!"

    Gu Sang saw through Gu Qing''s facade at a nce. When she had first returned home, Gu Qing was the same, acting venomous despite clearly caring.

    "Thank you." Gu Sang walked over and hugged Gu Qing.

    Gu Qing: "!!"

    Her face immediately flushed red, the poisonous words stuck in her throat as she stood rigidly, her mind a whirl. She she hugged me?

    Oh my god!

    Does this mean she doesn''t actually dislike me that much?

    I''ve moved her?

    This silly sister has finally realized how good I am? Ah ha ha ha!!

    At that moment,

    the officers brought over all the suspected criminals from the vige. At a nce, almost all the men in the vige had been captured.

    A number of women were also arrested.

    Aunt Zhang was among them, and upon seeing Gu Sang''s unharmed figure, she suddenly started struggling like a madwoman, shouting towards Gu Sang with eyes full of resentment and hatred: "You vile woman! I''ll kill you!"

    "It was you who brought the police here!"

    "You scourge, you ill-fated one, I curse you to never bear a son, to be childless, to never marry in this life!"

    "Even in hell, you will be sliced by a thousand des!"

    Gu Sang listened to these curses, her eyes lighting up: "Is that so? Not able to give birth to a son? That''s wonderful! Many thanks for your blessing!"

    Gu Qing rolled her eyes and spat on the woman''s face: "You wretched old hag, blessing who? Curse me again, I don''t want to have a son either."

    "My family''s several billion inheritance will only be passed down to daughters, not sons!"

    The woman trembled with rage all over her body.

    The most venomous curse she took pride in was seen as a blessing, even desired, by others?

 Chapter 91: If I donâ€™t stand up, who will give them justice

    <h4>Chapter 91</h4>

    It''s utterly soul-crushing!

    Her eyes were crimson, her face contorted like a demon from hell, terrifying the ancient people watching the live stream to the point of turning pale.

    It seemed as if, at any moment, the woman could crawl out of the screen and snatch them away too.

    The ancient people shrank their necks, "How frightening! Not being able to bear a son is truly wicked, but can it be true that the future world doesn''t care whether you have sons or daughters? I just can''t believe it!"

    "If family assets are passed only to daughters and not sons, wouldn''t that ruin everything? Isn''t that like toiling your whole life only to hand it over to the man''s entire family? What a preposterous rule!"

    "Are we women destined to be the oppressed party? Even in the future world, do we still face the risk of being trafficked?"

    "I just saw seven or eight girls being rescued, and that''s just in this mountain vige. It''s terrifying!"

    The woman could only re helplessly at Gu Sang as she was pushed into the car.

    Soon, her Elder Brother and Younger Brother were also pushed into the car. As they passed by, their looks at Gu Sang were more hateful than those reserved for their father''s murderer.

    Ah!

    How satisfying!

    This is exactly the kind of look Gu Sang wanted, very satisfying indeed!

    Gu Sang revealed a peaceful smile and guided the ancient people: "Why is passing assets to daughters called giving them to the man''s family? Many wealthy families in our future world with only daughters learn to be clever now to prevent their lineage from ending. They either let the son-inw take the family name or have the descendants follow the female line!"

    "Moreover, girls can ensure a hundred percent gic inheritance. Who made the rule that family assets can only be passed to males? How are women in our future world inferior to men?!"

    Such outrageous words left the old city''smoners dumbstruck.

    They made the new city''smoners shout "treasonous!"

    But where exactly was the treason? They couldn''t utter a single word, only repeatedly shouting that women just can''t handle it!

    Gu Sang continued, "As for the future world not being safe? Actually, wherever there are people, there will be good people, bad people, jealousy, and evil."

    "This has nothing to do with the country or era, only human nature!"

    "But as education bes widespread in our country, the crime rate has already be very low. This trafficking is already a one-in-a-million ident."

    "Although the future world can provide universal education and various welfare assistance to poor families, some people are still not content. They want to be superior to others, so they take the path of breaking thew."

    "We can''t change the nature of evil people, but we can make future generations more educated and civilized, able to distinguish right from wrong and not make mistakes, bing more and more peaceful!"

    "I believe that one day, more and more people will be rescued!"

    "I trust the authorities, I trust technology!"

    "I believe that one day in the future, we will have the confidence to face all evils without fear!"

    The ancient people felt goosebumps just listening to this speech. Their eyes sparkled when they saw Gu Sang talk about trusting the authorities and technology.

    There will be evil and bad people everywhere.

    But education can turn someone wavering on the line between good and evil into a good person, making them hold their bottom line, restrain their desires, and clearly distinguish right from wrong!

    In Gu Sang''s future world, there''s no need for military suppression or harsh punishments.

    The direction of people''s hearts, all submit willingly!

    In an instant, many ancient people looked at those team members on the screen with burning gazes.

    Their gaze was firm, their eyes pure. Just standing there, they were the source of peace of mind.

    Only such authorities would make the Divine Woman believe again and again!

    The Elder Princess, looking at the young and upright faces on the screen, felt a solemn heart.

    This is exactly the kind of country she wants to create.

    She turned to look at themoners around her, who so strongly wished they could be born in the future world: "All themoners throughout the city!"

    "I, Pei Weiqi, promise here that a free and equal country that cares for its people is not only your hope but also my heart''s desire."

    "I will work with Divine Woman Gu Sang and all themoners who trust me to build a prosperous era where everyone is equal, love is free, hunger is no more, and peace prevails!"

    In an instant, the gue city''smoners were in tears, their eyes full of expectation and hope.

    And the newmoners from the other two cities, listening to Gu Sang''s words, felt a surge of shock in their hearts.

    They simply couldn''t imagine how, after experiencing such harrowing hardships, the Divine Woman on the screen could still so firmly trust the country.

    Perhaps it''s because the authorities won''t easily give up on anyone! As long as they have enough time and evidence!

    But what about here?

    The county yamen wouldn''t care at all. Even if they wanted to, without powerful technology support, they couldn''t manage even if they tried!

    They will only be liberated on the day of their death!

    That future world is truly enviable!

    -

    Lu Mufei drove Gu Sang to the local city hospital for recuperation.

    Everyone in the vige was involved in the girl trafficking incident, and as it unraveled, it grewrger. Over these decades, the number of trafficked girls they handled reached a shocking one hundred plus.

    When this statistic came out, it instantly shocked everyone in the police force.

    It''s imaginable that over a hundred families have been destroyed because of these human traffickers.

    Upon learning this number, Gu Sang was so angry she wanted to testify in court right then and there!

    Facing the female team member''s inquiry, Gu Sang''s eyes were unwavering as she said word by word: "I am willing to testify in court! To aggravate their crimes!"

    This answer surprised the female team member for half a second, then she felt admiration and joy at Gu Sang''s willingness to stand out and testify.

    The remaining seven rescued women were all unwilling toe forward...

    Yet Gu Sang agreed without hesitation, regardless of the impact on herself!

    But just then, an urgent refusal came from outside: "No! You can''t do this!"

    Gu''s mother pushed open the hospital room door, hurriedly walked in, and urgently stopped her.

    Gu''s father and Gu Qing followed behind, entering the room.

    Gu''s mother nced at the team member and anxiously advised, "Xiao Sang, you''re still a student. Don''t make such a big scene."

    "Reasonable people know you''re testifying for justice, but they can''t withstand today''s social climate."

    "Such a big event has happened, it will surely be reported by the media. Who knows how it will be twisted by then? How will you live your life in the future?"

    "Others fear having their scars exposed, you can''t actively expose your scars to outsiders!"

    Hearing these words, the two female team members in the hospital room dimmed their eyes.

    Yes.

    This trafficking incident is so huge, the media will soone rushing in.

    No one wants to expose their scars in court, in front of so many media outlets, allowing friends around them to point and whisper¡ªit''s only human nature...

    The female team member opened her mouth but ultimately didn''t say much more. Both were about to give up.

    However, Gu Sang''s next words made them rise in respectful awe.

    Gu Sang: "I''m not seeking the limelight. I''m simply standing firm in my convictions. If everyone prioritizes self-preservation, refusing to identify criminals to avoid media sensationalism, then evildoers will only be more reckless!"

    "That vige has no surveince cameras, no inte, no evidence¡ªonly the wounds suffered by the witnesses and their testimonies!"

 Chapter 92: Ha ha ha, one step wrong, wrong every step

    <h4>Chapter 92</h4>

    "They were once radiant college girls, destined for wonderful lives."

    "But they were trafficked, lured by men into going home with them. Someone needs to expose all of this! Because not every girl is as fortunate as I am to escape those wicked clutches!"

    "Many more are left to suffer in the remote mountains, lives not worth living!"

    "Why should I fear the media? Why should I fear these rumors and nders?"

    "I''m not in the wrong. I''m not afraid. Those online killers who destroy one innocent life after another are the ones in the wrong!"

    "Those viins who hurt me, I will personally see them sent to prison. I will identify them, and let them spend the rest of their lives behind bars!"

    Her words fell silent.

    Everyone remained quiet.

    "Good! Good!"

    "Well said, Gu Sang! Destroy those beasts!" Gu Qing apuded rapidly, then quickly shut her mouth.

    She had always thought her timid, soft-spoken sister was a coward, but after a year apart, Gu Sang had undergone a dramatic transformation!

    This was simply mind-blowing!

    Gu''s father and Gu''s mother were so angered to see Gu Qing supporting Gu Sang that their fingers trembled, unable to speak for a while.

    Finally, it was Gu''s father who sighed and said worriedly, "Well, if you''ve made up your mind to testify in court, we won''t stop you."

    "We just hope you can withstand those rumors and nders."

    Seeing Gu Sang nod again, the two officers'' faces shed with excitement.

    After thanking them, the officers didn''t linger, only asking a few details before leaving the hospital.

    Gu''s mother sat by the bed, concerned about Gu Sang''s health. "You weren''t injured, were you? We were worried you couldn''t handle the rumors, you know how the inte is these days."

    Gu Sang replied coldly, "I know, the doctor said there''s no major issue, just malnourished these past few days."

    This daughter was too cold towards them!

    They had no topics to discuss with Gu Sang.

    There were only brief questions followed by silence.

    Fortunately, this awkwardness didn''tst long, as someone else entered the hospital room.

    The visitor was an elderly man wearing sses. He nced into the room, suddenly froze, and walked towards the bed next to Gu Sang.

    In that bedy the tattooed woman.

    In the few dozen hours since being rescued, the woman''s expression had never changed, her eyes nkly staring at the ceiling like a lifeless doll.

    Until the old man cried out¡ª

    "My daughter!"

    "Fen, Fen!"

    "Ten years! After ten years, your mother and I have finally found you!"

    The old man tightly gripped the tattooed woman''s hand, his fingers trembling with emotion.

    The woman''s dead-like gaze shifted, and upon seeing her father, her whole body shook as tears streamed out. "Dad..."

    "Dad!! Waaah..."

    Father and daughter embraced, weeping heart-wrenchingly.

    This scene made Gu''s mother feel envious.

    Gu''s mother nced at Gu Sang and sighed inwardly.

    It took several minutes for the tattooed woman, Zheng Fen, to calm down. "Dad, I''m so sorry, I was wrong, so terribly wrong!"

    "All that talk about marrying into a happy family, about the modern woman demanding a bride price not being about selling daughters, about enduring hardship with my boyfriend - it was all lies! He deceived me, he deceived me, Dad!"

    "I stole my household registration and ID card, resolutely wanting to marry him, to elope with him to his hometown. But it turned out to be a trap!"

    "I was wrong. I deserved it. I was disobedient and didn''t understand your good intentions! I deserved it, waaah!"

    Zheng Fen raised her hand and pped herself repeatedly.

    She wailed, as if venting the pain, guilt, and self-loathing of the past ten years!

    The old father grabbed his daughter''s hand, tears streaming down as he said, "Don''t say that, it''s all in the past. It''s my fault for only teaching you knowledge but not the evil in people''s hearts."

    "You must have suffered so much these ten years, I hate myself!"

    "If I had locked you up then, hid your ID card better, perhaps... perhaps you wouldn''t have gone to his hometown with him!"

    They wept for another ten minutes before stopping.

    Zheng Fen sobbed, calming herself before looking around in confusion and asking her father, "Dad, where''s Mom? Is she still angry at me for defying her for a man? I was really wrong. Please ask Mom to forgive me."

    People never appreciate what they have until they lose it.

    More tears streamed down the old man''s face as he said hoarsely, "Your mother forgave you a long time ago. She didn''t me you."

    "All these years, she was searching for you."

    "But you vanished without a trace. Two years ago, she passed away from the distress, her biggest regret being you."

    "On her deathbed, she held my hand and made me promise to find you. Thank heavens you''ve returned!"

    Upon learning of her mother''s death, Zheng Fen broke down, crying without a sound.

    She was filled with regret!

    She hated herself for being so lovestruck!

    Why had she believed a man who couldn''t even afford a 30,000 yuan bride price, who urged her to get the marriage certificate first, could give her happiness?!

    She had loving parents, yet chose a scoundrel instead.

    She had even hurt her parents'' feelings and stubbornly cut off family ties. She deserved to die!!

    Gu''s motherforted the two, "Don''t cry anymore, children."

    "The hardships are over now. Just be filial to your father from now on."

    "It''s the plight that all parents share!"

    Thest sentence seemed to strike a chord with Gu Sang, making her understand her parents'' good intentions and not act coldly towards them anymore.

    Gu Sang remained indifferent as she watched Zheng Fen wipe her father''s tears and firmly promise, "Dad, we''ll live well from now on. It''s all over. I still have you."

    "Yes, yes, it''s all over. The future is bright. Let''s forget the past."

    Just as father and daughter were looking forward to a better life, a sudden turn of events urred.

    A doctor entered with a worried expression, holding Zheng Fen''s medical report and saying gravely, "Zheng Fen, there''s an issue with your test results. You havete-stage cervical cancer."

    "You must have had a dull ache in your abdomen a few months ago, with asional traces of blood. If only it had been discovered earlier."

    "s... it''s toote now, there''s no turning back."

    A thunderous crack!

    A bolt of lightning struck the father and daughter on a clear day.

    The father burst into tears and passed out, the doctor hurriedly took him away for emergency treatment.

    The woman felt all her hopes and radiance being devoured by darkness. Her eyes shed with pain and despair, then slowly epted and sank into silence.

    I see now.

    Once someone does something wrong, they stumble from one mistake to another, wanting to turn back, but even Heaven doesn''t give them a chance.

    She was so full of hatred, regret, and suffering!

    But there''s no going back.

    "I thought I saw the light, but it turned out to be the glint of swordsing at me. When I look back, everything has changed."

    "Well, at least I made it out alive, I should be grateful."

    "Miss Gu, let me testify in court too. I''m going to die anyway, might as well make my death worthwhile."

    "I''ll tell my whole story, to warn every girl out there! Haha... life, one wrong step leads to another..."

 Chapter 93: The Princess Establishes Female Guard Team

    <h4>Chapter 93</h4>

    Of the remaining six rescued women, the two who had been abducted for the longest time had developed irreversible illnesses, while the other four suffered from gynecological diseases and minor injuries, but their lives were not at risk.

    The only one who emergedpletely unscathed was Gu Sang, who had been held captive for just a few days.

    After being examined at the hospital and found to be in perfect health, Gu Sang was discharged.

    Lu Mufei, however, stayed with Gu Sang at a hotel in the city, booking two adjacent rooms for them, as he was terrified that something might happen to Gu Sang again.

    "Ding!"

    "Initiate video call?"

    "Connect."

    Gu Sang sat by the window, her mind alternating between the scenes of the deep mountains and the city nightscape, as if she had gained a deeper understanding and her entire mindset had been elevated.

    Women in the modern era could redeem themselves, either through their own efforts or through the redemption of the times, their parents, or their education!

    But what about those ill-fated women in ancient times?

    They had no foresight and no means to struggle against their fate!

    From now on, she and the Elder Princess would be their redemption, establishing schools, breaking the feudal shackles, and taking step by step towards equality and freedom!

    As the video call connected, the face of the Elder Princess appeared on the screen.

    "Gu Sang, congrattions on your safe return."

    "And here''s another good piece of news: the cannon has beenpleted!" The Elder Princess smiled at Gu Sang, then gestured for her subordinates to bring forth the finished cannon.

    Through the video screen, Gu Sang could see a cannon-like object standing before her.

    It waspleted so quickly?!

    Faster than she had imagined.

    The only question was whether its power met the expected standard.

    The Elder Princess seemed to have guessed Gu Sang''s thoughts, and she smiled, saying, "I''m also very curious about the actual effect of this cannon."

    "Gu Sang, let''s witness this moment together today!"

    "Counselor Fang, light the fuse!"

    With those words, a young craftsman quickly stepped forward and lit the fuse.

    The Elder Princess and Gu Sang both stared intently at the experiment, their outward appearance calm as a mountain, but their hearts almost chanting prayers.

    May it seed!

    Fire the first shot to usher in a new era!

    Overthrow this patriarchal society and forge a newnd!

    As the fuse burned rapidly, then¡ª

    "BOOM!"

    A thunderous roar shook the heavens, and the ground a hundred meters away instantly erupted, leaving a crater half a meter deep in its wake as a plume of white smoke dissipated. Everyone held their breath and looked anxiously ahead.

    Within a radius of eight or nine meters, thend had been affected, with shattered rocks flying everywhere. Anyone caught in this range, even if not killed outright, would have been severely injured!

    Such a formidable weapon could not be withstood by mere physical force: it would be a hopeless dream!

    "Gu Sang, do you think it was sessful?"

    "Will this be effective against enemy troops?" The Elder Princess knew that the cannon had far exceeded her expectations, but she remained uncertain, for the gap in technology between eras was too vast.

    All eyes were fixed on Gu Sang, their hearts pounding faster!

    When they saw Gu Sang nod, all the counselors and craftsmen erupted into jubnt cheers.

    Gu Sang was deeply moved, and she praised them, saying, "The effect is very impressive, and it should be enough to deter the imperial troops."

    "From now on, we just need to gradually refine and improve it."

    "This cannon can likely only carry one round of ammunition."

    "I noticed that loading the gunpowder was a bit slow, which could give the enemy an opportunity to rush in and seize it."

    "This is a fatal w, so it must be continuously improved. However, with more cannons, there would be no chance for the enemy to take advantage."

    Gu Sang''s words echoed the Elder Princess''s own thoughts.

    But as much as she thought about it, the reality was that she was still struggling to recruit enough soldiers, with her forces numbering only in the tens of thousands. The first batch of sweet potatoes had yet to mature, leading to economic constraints.

    The cannon was powerful, but it also consumed a lot of resources.

    The Elder Princess fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "For now, we can only make five cannons at most, and we must use the gunpowder sparingly."

    "Enough about the cannon. Let me tell you about the other developments."

    The Elder Princess beckoned the craftsman from earlier to approach and introduced him to Gu Sang, "This is the sole remaining inheritor of Mohism. It was with his involvement that we were able toplete the cannon so quickly."

    "I have established the gue city as my capital and begun recruiting soldiers..."

    "Sweet potatoes have been nted all over the gue city, and I expect the first batch to mature soon..."

    Gu Sang listened intently to these ns.

    Counselor Fang approached from a distance and interrupted the conversation between the Elder Princess and Gu Sang, "Your Highness, the Zhao Family and the imperial physicians have arrived in the city!"

    The Elder Princess immediately stood up. "They''re here? I must greet them personally."

    The video call followed the Elder Princess as she moved, so when she left, the video moved as well.

    The Zhao Family and the imperial physicians had been arranged to stay at an inn in the city.

    "Esteemed guests, I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival!"

    The voice preceded her appearance.

    The members of the Zhao Family and the imperial physicians'' families immediately stood up nervously. Upon seeing the graceful figure of the Elder Princess, they knelt on the ground, their hearts filled with trepidation.

    They did not know whether their choice was right or wrong, nor did they know the Elder Princess''s attitude towards them!

    The Elder Princess personally helped Lord Zhao to his feet, her maic and gentle yet powerful demeanor reassuring them, "Gu Sang has already told me about your arduous journey."

    "You are all people who care about themon folk, a blessing for the people of the world. Pei Changying, in his arrogance and folly, did not appreciate this blessing, which I have been longing for!"

    With these words from the Elder Princess, everyone''s anxious hearts settled, and they could not hold back their tears of gratitude.

    Look!

    That blind dog emperor Pei Changying did not want these loyal officials, but the Elder Princess treated them with such courtesy: that was the difference! They had made the right choice!

    Wiping their reddened eyes, they looked up and were immediately struck by the projection beside the Elder Princess.

    "Miss Gu Sang!" The members of the Zhao Family and the imperial physicians looked at Gu Sang in the image with ardent gratitude.

    Gu Sang nodded slightly with a faint smile, "I''m relieved to see you all arrived safely."

    The Zhao Family members were deeply moved, "We owe our lives to Miss Gu Sang. From now on, if the Elder Princess and Miss Gu Sang have anymands, we will follow them unto death!"

    "We, too!" the imperial physicians chimed in. "With our medical skills, we can treat wounded soldiers on the battlefield. We are at the Elder Princess''s disposal!"

    This was exactly what Gu Sang wanted.

    Even before Consort Zhao jumped to her death, Gu Sang had already been nning for the future. On ancient battlefields, the most pressing need was for physicians and aid workers!

    Wei Qi''s troops could not merely charge into battle without any support or protection!

    Casting eyes over this realm, how many folk doctors could match the medical skills of the imperial physicians attending the emperor?

    Gu Sang stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, expression serene, pupils reflecting the entire city below: "Elder Princess, have you ever witnessed the medical personnel of my future era?"

    The Elder Princess'' eyes gleamed with an unusual light: "What do you mean?"

    Gu Sang: "Once the imperial physicians return to their posts, then we shall form a professional corps of battlefield nurses - a female guard unit!"

    "Women tend to be more meticulous in many matters, especially dressing wounds and changing bandages. These procedures are notplex, unlikepounding medicines and treating illnesses. With some training from the imperial physicians, they could take up these duties immediately."

 Chapter 94: Empress Dowager Appears, Seeking Forgiveness Letter

    <h4>Chapter 94</h4>

    "This is a perfect opportunity to bring women into the fold."

    "We often talk about women''s liberation and gender equality, but we can''t just wait until after the country is established to issue a policy and forcefully demand equality. No one would ept that!"

    "Only by letting women take the first step, by letting everyone witness firsthand the capabilities of women, can we show that they are not just dependent on men. They too are strong and talented, and they can also enter the battlefield to defend their homes and country!"

    "The hardships men can endure, women can endure just as well!"

    "Only then will themon people start to truly ept this from the bottom of their hearts!"

    Gender equality has never been just a slogan!

    It requires thousands upon thousands of women to prove with their abilities, and even with their lives and blood, that they too can hold up half the sky!

    In the face of life and death, they are equally fearless!

    Most women from well-to-do households may not have the physical strength of men, but there are many farmwomen whose strength shouldn''t be underestimated. They can also organize a women''s shock troop!

    Other women from noble households can take charge of the rear lines, traversing through artillery fire and smoke to rescue the wounded from the battlefield.

    Whether they are warriors charging into battle or nurses braving the frontlines to save lives, they are all heroes!

    "You''ve read my mind," said Gu Sang, her words striking a chord with what the Elder Princess had been thinking. A glint of determination and agreement shed in her eyes.

    "I originally had this n too, to issue a notice recruiting a women''s guard unit."

    "But¡ª"

    The Elder Princess''s words came to an abrupt halt, her gaze falling upon several royal physicians.

    Having walked the pce halls for years, the physicians understood the Elder Princess''s look and spoke up respectfully: "Elder Princess, Miss Gu, times are changing. We too should no longer cling to old customs!"

    "We are willing to impart medical skills to women without reservation!"

    "We are willing to impart medical skills to women without reservation!"

    The Elder Princess felt a surge of excitement in her heart: "Excellent! You gentlemen care for themon people and are willing to break societal rules. I am gratified and also admire your stance!"

    "From now on, here, we will no longer allow the suppression of the poor, the oppression of themon people, or the belittlement of women!"

    "We will move step by step towards gender equality!"

    Watching the Elder Princess''s increasingly adept way of handling matters, Gu Sang felt as if she were witnessing the embryonic form ofmunism.

    Gu Sang truly felt she was seeing a new era about to emerge!

    There;

    No one will go hungry!

    Men and women will be equal!

    Love will be free!

    -

    The next day.

    Gu Sang returned to her local school to request leave.

    The academic affairs teacher, looking at this figure that had grown thin in just a few short days, and recalling the videos online, couldn''t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Gu Sang''s ordeal.

    She wanted to offer some words offort but feared bringing up painful memories Gu Sang might not want to revisit. The teacher patted Gu Sang''s shoulder and said, "Take some time to recover at home first."

    "Don''t feel burdened. Your future is bright; the harm done to you will only make you stronger."

    "You can travel with friends to broaden your horizons. Don''t stay at home alone with your thoughts. If things get too tough, you can alwayse talk to me."

    The academic affairs teacher was genuinely concerned!

    She worried that Gu Sang might be trapped in the shadow of her abduction, her personality drastically changing, leading to depression and even death.

    After all;

    There were countless examples in the news of students who, because of trauma, developed psychological scars. Students who should have been shining in society, went from being geniuses to just another face in the crowd.

    But in reality, Gu Sang''s heart remained unperturbed!

    She wouldn''t let herself be consumed by this kind of incident. The one who should be depressed certainly wasn''t her.

    But Gu Sang didn''t exin this. She thanked the teacher sincerely: "Thank you, teacher. I''ll adjust well."

    Leaving the academic affairs office, Gu Sang walked down the tree-lined path.

    A furtive gaze from not far away drifted towards her. Gu Sang didn''t turn to seek out this gaze; if the onlooker wanted to appear, they would.

    Just as Gu Sang was about to exit the school gates!

    The owner of the gaze could no longer hide. Summoning courage, she lowered her head and ran towards Gu Sang: "Junior, wait a moment. I have something to tell you."

    "Can we... can we talk over there?"

    Though Fu Di had buried her head down to her neck.

    Her timid, self-deprecating voice was too recognizable. Gu Sang knew it instantly, her eyes sweeping over the guilty and conscience-stricken Fu Di: "What is it?"

    "Is there something so shameful you have to hide to say it?"

    Fu Di''s fingers clenched tightly.

    It felt like a sharp thorn had pierced her heart.

    Fu Di''s face turned ashen as she bit her lip. She even thought of fleeing in panic, but remembering her parents'' and brother''s pleading faces, she tremblingly took out a letter of understanding from her pocket.

    Extending the letter with both hands towards Gu Sang, she apologized sincerely: "I''m sorry, junior!"

    "I never imagined they would be so heartless as to do such things to you."

    "It''s my cowardice, my timidity. I know you''ll never forgive me, but I still want to apologize to you sincerely. In the future, no matter what you¡ª"

    Before she could finish!

    Gu Sang lowered her eyes and nced at the letter of understanding before her. She almostughed bitterly.

    Unable to listen any longer to Fu Di''s self-righteous words, she immediately interrupted with a coldugh: "Apologize? You think you have the right to stand here and apologize to me!"

    "You talk about being cowardly and timid, but in reality, you''re selfish and self-serving!"

    "How are you any different from your family of traffickers! And this letter of understanding, you want me to forgive the vermin that nearly destroyed me? I can''t believe I even gave you the time of day!"

    "I never used to believe in things like gics, but now I truly feel that the offspring of human traffickers are more likely to be traffickers themselves! No, it''s that your nature is evil! It''s wicked!"

    "Some children, when faced with evil parents, feel ashamed, they desperately try to escape. But you, you''ll aid and abet tyranny for your own benefit!"

    "I don''t ept your apology. If you truly feel you''ve done wrong, then testify in court. Recount the evil deeds your parentsmitted!"

    Every word, every sentence that left Gu Sang''s mouth was like a sharp de, stripping away all of Fu Di''s pretenses.

    Her darkness wasid bare in the light!

    Before she could even react in panic or dodge, she heard Gu Sang actually demand that she testify against her parents in court!

    Fu Di immediately raised her head in panic, blurting out a refusal: "No! That''s impossible. No matter what they''ve done, she''s still my mother. They''re my family. How could I testify against them?"

    "Junior, I beg you."

    "Whether you hit me or curse at me, I only ask that you don''t testify in court, please?"

    "Born into such a family, I hate it too! I can''t change my birth, but I''ve been working hard for a year to pass the civil service exam. I really, truly want to change my fate. I know it''s unfair to you."

    "But, but, but if you use my mother of her crimes, my life will be ruined forever!"

    "Junior, you''re not in any trouble anyway. Please help me one more time, I beg you!"

    Gu Sang had originally thought Fu Di''s unease was because she came to sign a reconciliation agreement, but now it seems there might be more to it!

    It''s possible that when the video was spread online, Fu Di already knew she''d be taken away. However, for some reason, she didn''t tell anyone!

    Gu Sang was absolutely livid!

    What an ungrateful, backstabbing wretch!

 Chapter 95: Gu Sang violently beats Fu Di, roommate breaks off friendship

    <h4>Chapter 95</h4>

    Forget about ingratitude and ungratefulness. After she was rescued, she dared toe and ask her to sign a letter of forgiveness, and even had the nerve to say that nothing happened to her?!

    Gu Sangughed coldly repeatedly: "You white-eyed wolf, you really should have been trapped in the deep mountains, unfit to pollute society!"

    "You grew up living in the deep mountains, you clearly knew that your parents were involved in abducting and trafficking girls!"

    "You clearly saw that I was kidnapped by your parents!"

    "You knew everything, but you stood by and watched coldly and selfishly. Your coldness and selfishness are even more disgusting than your parents! I feel sick just looking at you now!"

    Gu Sang''s voice grew louder as she spoke, and this altercation attracted the attention of many students.

    Several people had already stopped in their tracks, frowning as they looked over.

    "Junior sister, I beg you, please lower your voice, please lower your voice? Let''s go talk somewhere else......" Fu Di suddenly felt a sense of panic and guilt.

    She reached out to grab Gu Sang in fear, anger, and anxiety, afraid that others would hear about her family of human traffickers.

    But unexpectedly¡ª

    Gu Sang directly shook off her hand and pped Fu Di hard across the face:

    "p!"

    Instantly! Fu Di''s right cheek swelled up!

    "p!"

    Gu Sang was not satisfied and pped her hard again.

    "p!"

    Three ps in a row, knocking Fu Di to the ground, her head dazed.

    Gu Sang refused to follow Fu Di''s wishes and instead raised her voice to draw the attention of the surrounding students: "Haha! So you do know how to panic and be afraid! You have a family of human traffickers that cannot see the light of day!"

    "Because I helped you, I was implicated and kidnapped to be trafficked by your whole family, unable to see the light of day!"

    "Over these decades, your family has ruined the lives of more than a hundred girls in the vige, and they cannot see the light of day!"

    "But so you could take the civil service exam, you came to find me to sign a letter of forgiveness so you could see the light of day, right?"

    "You''re just as cold-blooded as your parents deep down! Your future is your future, but I just deserved it?"

    "I deserved to spend my whole life supporting you in taking the civil service exam? Go die!"

    Gu Sang''s enraged yelling of curses drew the attention of all the students.

    It was over!

    Ruined!

    Those piercing, icy words of condemnationpletely shattered Fu Di''s self-respect.

    In an instant, Fu Di felt like she had fallen into a bottomless abyss, a chill rising from the soles of her feet.

    It shouldn''t be like this!

    Why was her junior sister treating her this way!

    She was also a victim from the deep mountains. She just wanted to escape from that ce. She just wanted to take the civil service exam. What did she do wrong!

    Fu Di wanted to cry and exin, but when she looked up, she saw that Gu Sang had already turned and walked away with a look of disgust, and the letter of forgiveness had been torn to pieces!

    What met her eyes were the looks of disgust from the surrounding students, as if they were looking at a cockroach.

    Her two roommates in the dorm were simply incredulous!

    Fu Di had always had a weak demeanor and had long been ying the role of someone from a tragic family background yet striving to move upward. Her roommates truly never expected that this pitiful and self-motivated Fu Di was actually so cold-blooded behind the scenes!

    One roommate, her eyes red, shook her head: "Was everything Gu Sang said just now true?"

    "Fu Di, we''ve always thought you were just poor, but poverty could not suppress your ambition, so we helped you find part-time jobs and even agreed to let you work at my father''spany."

    "Whatever you werecking, we provided for you, never expecting anything in return!"

    "But we really never expected that you would be this kind of person!"

    "You''re too terrifying! I really worry that one day you might sell me and then help count the money."

    The other roommate seemed to recall something and was so angry that her lips were trembling: "No wonder! No wonder you were so flustered when you saw that kidnapping video."

    "It turns out you recognized those human traffickers as your rtives long ago."

    "For so many days! You concealed it so well, acting as if you had nothing to do with it!"

    "If the authorities hadn''t cracked this case, Gu Sang''s life would have been ruined! Yet you actually went to find Gu Sang with a letter of forgiveness, wanting her to forgive your parents! You''re simply disgusting to the point of being revolting!"

    Fu Di covered her swollen face, sitting pitifully and painfully on the ground, shaking her head with tears in her eyes: "No! It''s not like that..."

 Chapter 96: Fu Di was scolded by all students and regretted crying

    <h4>Chapter 96</h4>

    Fu Di tried to exin and defend herself.

    But the gazes of her roommates and fellow students around her were filled with coldness, disgust, mockery, contempt, and revulsion¡ªthese were the looks Fu Di feared the most!

    Everyone.

    Every single mouth.

    It seemed as if they were all cursing her, all trying to destroy her: "Junior sister Gu stood up for her before, and now she''s been targeted by Fu Di''s human-trafficking parents! Who would dare to help her again?"

    "I can''t believe she''s so ungrateful. We shouldn''t have felt sorry for her in the first ce! She deserves to be dragged back to the mountains. I''m so angry!"

    "I''m calling my aunt right now to cancel her part-time job. She doesn''t deserve it!"

    "My dad''spany won''t let her intern there either. It''s not her fault her parents are human traffickers, but it is her fault for letting Junior sister Gu fall into this hellhole just to save herself..."

    Fu Di copsed onto the ground, overwhelmed with despair.

    She stared nkly in the direction Gu Sang had left, not even understanding why, why she had lost everything again.

    She buried her head in her knees, crying her heart out.

    It''s ruined!

    Everything is ruined!

    Friendships, part-time jobs, capabilities, reputation¡ªeverything is gone! She can''t even apply for civil service jobs anymore!

    From now on, no one will ever help her again!

    -

    "Ding!"

    "Iing connection from ancient times. ept the connection?"

    Suddenly hearing the system''s prompt, Gu Sang, who had already returned home from school, was a bit surprised.

    What surprised Gu Sang even more was that the person connecting this time was actually Pei Changying!

    On the screen, Pei Changying wasn''t in his sleeping pce but hade alone to Xuyang Pce.

    He had even worn the purple robe he had on when they first met, his gazeplex and profound as he looked at Gu Sang, as if he had a thousand words to say.

    Gu Sang: "???"

    Since Gu Sang had been rescued, Pei Changying had fallen into an almost possessed silence.

    These past few days, not only had he not watched the livestream, but he had also shut himself in his sleeping pce, not letting anyone near him.

    Now, in front of her.

    Pei Changying opened his mouth, his voice hoarse and deep: "Sangsang, I''m sorry."

    Gu Sang: "???" Are you sick?

    "I thought seeing you in distress would make me feel vengeful, but it didn''t. This experience scared me and made me truly understand my own heart."

    Gu Sang''s face remained cold: "......."

    Pei Changying spoke with a mncholic and self-reproachful tone: "Sangsang, I didn''t understand before. Why wouldn''t you just obey my every whim? Why couldn''t you be like those other women who treat their husbands as their heaven? To prove this, I deliberately neglected you, and even gave the position of second consort I promised you to Gu Qingrou, just to make you submit."

    "But I don''t love her. I was just throwing a tantrum with you."

    "I was waiting for you to admit you were wrong. As long as you apologized, the position would still be yours!"

    "But you''d rather die than apologize to me..."

    "I thought I hated and resented you, but it wasn''t until after this ordeal that I realized, you are you¡ªvibrant and radiant. If you changed to be like the women in the pce, you wouldn''t be you anymore."

    "Sangsang, I was wrong. Come back to my side."

    Faced with Pei Changying''s remorse and heartfelt apology,

    Gu Sang felt utterly unmoved, even a bit nauseous.

    Right in front of Pei Changying, Gu Sang ran to the trash can and retched a few times: "Ugh¡ª"

    "Ugh! Pei Changying, what makes you think that a woman you''ve hurt a thousand times over would forgive you just because of a few words?"

    "After torturing her heart, mind, and life, you suddenlye to your senses, turn back, apologize, and everything''s supposed to be smoothed over, and we live happily ever after?"

    "You''re such a scumbag!"

    "There are so many idioms in modern times, yet I can''t find a single word to describe how despicable you are!!"

    Pei Changying''s deep, tender confession and apology today,

    He thought even the heavens would be moved!

    Why else would the heavens give him a chance tomunicate privately with Gu Sang?

    But Pei Changying hadn''t expected Gu Sang to be so merciless, not only refusing to forgive him or be moved, but also cursing him with disgust, dragging him through the mud!

    Pei Changying clenched his fingers tightly, his heart pierced and bleeding, aching and powerless: "You truly won''t forgive me?"

    "Sangsang."

    "Haven''t you noticed how I''m addressing you today? I, the emperor and ruler of all, personally apologize to you, referring to myself as ''I.'' Which emperor in this world could be as sincere as me?"

    Gu Sang: Oh, yes, yes, what a great honor!

    "Don''t joke around, Sangsang. I truly love you. Without you, what''s the point of conquering the world? You mean more to me than the entire realm!"

    Pei Changying''s gaze carried genuine sincerity and pleading, his posture lowered significantly, his eyes almost melting with deep affection.

    Seven years of mutual support!

    Seven years of feelings!

    He thought that at least Gu Sang had him in her heart, even though she kept saying it was just a task. But Pei Changying believed in his own charm!

    Yet what came next disappointed him again¡ª

    Gu Sang smiled.

    Seeing her smile, Pei Changying smiled too.

    Then Gu Sang said, still smiling: "Really? I truly mean more to you than the entire realm?"

    Pei Changying: "Of course!"

    "Well then!"

    "Sangsang, really? You''re truly willing toe back to my side? I..."

    "Then abdicate the throne to Pei Weiqi. Don''t you love me more? Give up the throne, let Pei Weiqi rule, and I''ll forgive you!"

    Pei Changying''s head buzzed.

    He stared at Gu Sang, realizing she wasn''t joking!

    In an instant.

    Rage and humiliation swept through his entire body. Pei Changying was so angry his blood almost congealed. He had apologized and pleaded for reconciliation with such genuine sincerity.

    Yet Gu Sang¡ª!!

    "You¡ª" Pei Changying trembled with fury, but he quickly took a deep breath, pulling back his rationality.

    His gaze passed through the screen, falling on a photo hanging on the wall.

    It was a high school photo of Gu Sang and her grandmother. In the picture, her grandmother smiled kindly, her eyes full of love for her granddaughter.

    Gu Sang cared about her grandmother more than anyone...

    Pei Changying spoke again, his voice thick with emotion: "Sangsang, if your grandmother were watching from heaven, she wouldn''t want to see you grow old alone. You¡ª"

    "Get out! If you dare mention my grandmother again, I''ll have Weiqi tear your mouth apart!"

    "Pei Changying! Drop that desperate act of yours, pretending you can''t live without me. It won''t sway me! I''m not one for those ''devoted wife'' storylines. What I want is the world!"

    *Ding! Connection ended!*

    Gu Sang endured the nausea and chatted with Pei Changying for five minutes, hoping to extract some information from him. Instead, all she got was an endless stream of "I love you more than the world."

    Pah! Rubbish!

    Who could be foolish enough to believe that a man in ancient times would give up the world for a woman?

    Even romance novels wouldn''t dare to write such a plot. Gu Sang found it both satirical andughable. All this talk of love and affection, of repentance and turning back: none of it matters more than self-interest!

 Chapter 97: Grateful to Everyone Who Helped Her

    <h4>Chapter 97</h4>

    "Ding-dong--"

    The next morning, Lu Mufei sent a text message.

    A few days ago, Gu Sang had asked Lu Mufei for a favor, to contact the girl in jeans who had helped call the police.

    Any help without conditions should not be ignored, and Gu Sang had been thinking about it all along. She had to meet the girl in person and thank her.

    "I don''t know what she likes, so let''s go for something clich¨¦, like a pure gold bracelet. If she doesn''t like it, she can exchange it for something she does like."

    "Yeah, something clich¨¦ is good. Let''s go with this 13-gram one."

    First, Gu Sang went to a gold shop and picked out a reasonably priced bracelet and an exquisite gift box. Then she took a taxi to the coffee shop they had arranged to meet at.

    When she arrived at the coffee shop, the girl in jeans had already been waiting inside.

    Gu Sang walked over in a friendly manner with the gift and sat across from the girl, saying, "Hello, sister. I''m Gu Sang."

    The girl smiled a little awkwardly, "Hello, hello, I''m d to see you safe and sound."

    Gu Sang handed the gift box to the girl gracefully, "Thank you for believing me and calling the police."

    "This gift can''t fully express my gratitude, but I''ve always hoped that good deeds would be rewarded. Consider it a small token of my appreciation."

    When the girl saw that Gu Sang had prepared a gift, she was a little surprised and grateful.

    It''s good that I called the police!

    What a kind and virtuous beauty, so excellent and grateful. But the girl still pushed the gift back and shook her head, "I can''t ept this gift."

    "If you really want to give it, it''s not for me. The person who really helped you was my best friend Lin Lin. She was the one who told me to call the police for you."

    "At that time, I was very conflicted and uncertain."

    "It was Lin Lin who firmly said you weren''t a mistress and pleaded with me to help you!"

    Gu Sang pushed the gift back into the girl''s hands and said earnestly, "There''s no reason to take back a gift that has been given. This is just a token of my appreciation."

    "And about your best friend Lin Lin, I''d like to thank her in person. Can you help me arrange a meeting?"

    After Gu Sang''s sincere words of gratitude, the girl in jeans couldn''t refuse anymore, so she epted the gift.

    The girl lowered her head and sent Lin Lin a WeChat message. Soon, she got a reply: "Lin Lin says it''s okay. Can we meet tomorrow afternoon?"

    After confirming the meeting time.

    Gu Sang and the girl in jeans chatted for a while before leaving.

    -

    Around 6 p.m. that evening.

    An article written by the author ''Inte Justice'' was instantly shared at a rate of thousands of likes per minute, shooting straight to the top of the inte hot searches!

    In just a few short hours!

    It firmly held the top three spots on the hot search list!

    Title: #The viral video of catching a mistress turned out to be a publicity stunt for a new drama? Areizens too gullible these days, or are marketing ounts just heartlessly unscrupulous?#

    Title: #How a short drama''s inte celebrity became the Third Female Lead for a major director''s movie? Was it a physical exchange, or a moral downfall?#

    The author analyzed this incident with an extremely sharp pen.

    The article included images and text, featuring photos of President Tang, Gu Sang, and others.

    Netizens were left dumbfounded.

    Seeking a rich only child: "Did anyone else notice that the woman is just the Third Female Lead in the drama? If it''s a publicity stunt, shouldn''t it be for the Female Lead? For such a big fuss to be made over the Third Female Lead, I don''t believe she doesn''t have some rtionship with the wealthy producer behind the scenes."

    Big Bao Bao: "This Third Female Lead isn''t even that pretty. I''m prettier than her. Is this the standard for the entertainment industry these days?"

    9-to-9 Corporate ve: "Show us a photo then, judging by your username, you must be a real beauty (lewd emoji)"

    Lone Warrior: "Just from her facial features, this woman is a total flirt. She''s clearly a promiscuous slut. Boycott bad dramas, starting with me. Kick this mistress out of the entertainment industry!"

    My Fate is My Own: "The information must be false. I heard this woman was actually trafficked as a mistress and only recently rescued from the mountains where she was defiled. Tsk tsk."

    ".......

    The online violence struck like lightning!

    No one thinks they''re the killer; they all think they''re upholding justice. But what is justice, really?

    nder, rumors, defamation, bandwagoning - even some media outlets were propagating false information, all for traffic and heat!

    When public opinion turns one-sided, how many girls can withstand such horrific rumors?

    At this moment, Gu Sang was still at home cooking.

    President Tang urgently called Gu Sang: "Gu Sang, don''t pay attention to the onlinements."

    "I''ve arranged a press conference for 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. I''ll send someone to pick you up."

    "The truth will clear your name. Don''t be afraid. And don''t look at thosements - the truly sensibleizens rarelyment; they''re just observing."

    Gu Sang blinked her eyes: "...Okay."

    After ending the call with President Tang.

    Lu Mufei and Gu Sang''s family also called tofort her. When they learned that her mood wasn''t affected, they finally breathed a sigh of relief and hung up.

    Gu Sang opened her web browser, and a push notification popped up from the top.

    Gu Sang read through the hot search with an expressionless face.

    Thements below had formed two opposing views. Some believed it was the director creating publicity for her, and that she must have had an inappropriate deal with the famous director.

    Others shouted that the publicity stunt was false, that she had actually been trafficked as a mistress that day, and her body had been subjected to inhumane tortures, defiled, and her future husband would surely look down on her, h h h.

    Gu Sang: "......"

    Gu Sang put down her phone without a word and had a good night''s sleep,pletely unaffected.

    The next day.

    She put on her beautiful clothes and went out. The driver sent by President Tang had been waiting downstairs.

    When she arrived at the press conference venue, Gu Sang started a live broadcast in ancient times.

    Residents from several cities gathered under the screen, looking up to see Gu Sang facing forward, her heart strong and calm as she said, "Today, I''ll show you a war without gunpowder!"

    The ancient people: War?!

    The residents looked at each other in bewilderment and discussed: "War! Does such a powerful nation also have to go to war? Why is the goddess so calm and smiling?"

    "I feel this war is not like other wars."

    "Did anyone else notice the ''without gunpowder'' part? Maybe it''s not the kind of war we''re thinking of."

    On the screen.

    Gu Sang, wearing a ck dress and high heels, calmly walked into the venue.

    In an instant!

    Various shing lights were pointed at Lu Mufei''s face for a barrage of intense photos. Reporters and cameramen wanted to swarm her, all vying for today''s front page photo.

    Fortunately, the bodyguards arranged by President Tang appeared in time and escorted Gu Sang to take a seat in the front.

    President Tang was nowhere to be seen at the moment. Instead, the male and female leads of the drama had arrived.

    "Hello."

    Seeing Gu Sang sitting beside her, the Female Lead greeted Gu Sang with a warm smile.

    The Female Lead had trained with Gu Sang at the training base before and admired Gu Sang''s unwillingness to give up. She also thought Gu Sang disdained conforming to the rules.

    But she didn''t expect this simple greeting to prompt reporters to frantically ask: "Female Lead, by greeting the Third Female Lead in person, have you been warned by your financial backer in private?"

 Chapter 98: Exploded Gu Qing fiercely protects her sister

    <h4>Chapter 98</h4>

    "Gu Sang, for the sake of promoting your new drama, you actually filmed such an attention-seeking video. Don''t your consciences hurt?"

    "I heard you''re still a university student. As a student, you should focus on your studies, not act in dramas. ording to my investigation, your family''s ordinary. Without having an affair with President Tang, how could you possibly star in this drama?"

    Facing the reporters'' vexatious and deliberately sarcastic remarks.

    Gu Sang remained calm andposed, coolly responding: "It''s not umon for people in the entertainment industry to act while still in school, and some have even be award-winning actors and actresses. Does that mean they all relied on connections to get to where they are?"

    "Only those who truly relied on connections to climb their way up would assume the worst of everyone..."

    Gu Sang''s reasoned rebuttal did not deter the reporters.

    They began using Gu Sang of all sorts of fabricated faults, their words like sugar-coated poison, the outward facade seemingly perfect.

    But if one was not careful, they could slip in and seal one''s fate.

    The Concubines of Xuyang Pce were crying in anger: "How infuriating, in such a civilized and friendly country, there are still so many social outcasts. It''s truly enraging."

    "Sang Jie hasn''t done anything wrong, why must she endure such rumors and nder?"

    Themoners of the new city: "Our ancestors were wise, women shouldn''t show themselves in public. If women just stayed at home, none of this would happen."

    "What nonsense! What kind of backward thinking is that? Why me women for not hiding at home? Shouldn''t you me those vile people with vicious tongues instead?"

    "What''s that shining thing? I feel like my eyes are about to go blind."

    "Look, look, I told you she''s a celestial maiden, not like us. Even when she speaks, there''s an echo. How about it, do you hear an echo when you speak?"

    Themoners of ancient times watching the live broadcast.

    Themoners of the new city had only been watching for less than ten days, and most were either curious, indifferent, or criticized that women should stay home and serve their husbands and children obediently.

    But themoners of the gue city and the capital were so angry they cursed and shouted that the celestial maiden was innocent!

    Compared to the outrage of the ancientmoners.

    Not far away;

    An ancient woman with delicate features was tightly clutching her sleeves, her lips trembling as she said: "Must women only be subject to nder and defamation? Is being good-looking a mistake too?"

    "My sister was once ndered, and she had to die to prove her innocence. In the future world, will she also have to die to prove herself to the world?"

    "Sister, your spirit in the heavens, you must bless the celestial maiden, don''t let her suffer the same insults as you, to the point of having to die to..."

    The ancientmoners once again understood what Gu Sang had said before entering.

    A battlefield without gunsmoke!

    What is a battlefield without gunsmoke? This is it!

    Here, sharp, icy words are used like knives, shing at the victims on the battlefield!

    The ancients suddenly thought, if it were them standing in front of the media, if they were women, perhaps they could only die to prove their innocence...

    More and more ancient women wept, crying in pain and helplessness.

    "Gu Sang, your silence means you admit it, you really are President Tang''s mistress, aren''t you?"

    "Gu Sang, how long have you been President Tang''s mistress? Does his wife know?"

    "There are also rumors that you were taken to the mountains and assaulted by many people. Please tell us, is this true or false? How many people have vited you in total? Will your future husband mind?"

    "......"

    Too vicious!

    Those words were simply too vicious!

    Since the press conference was being live-streamed, manyizens flooded into the live broadcast room.

    In an instant, hundreds of rumors were insulting and ndering Gu Sang.

    Comments: "Ten years of hard study unnoticed, one day as a mistress known to all, how ironic."

    "Can someone tell me the name of this drama? When it airs, I definitely won''t watch it."

    "The one above, let''s go report it to the broadcasting authorities together. If this drama gets aired, it''ll be all our faults! Let''s leave the sponsor and the mistress to enjoy it themselves."

    "And about being kidnapped to the mountains, I really hope it''s true. She deserved it, she should be ridden by a thousand men, and getting cervical cancer would be even more perfect!"

    At this moment, at the entrance to the venue.

    Gu Qing and her parents had just arrived, and when they heard the reporters'' malicious words from inside, Gu Qing nearly drew her sword to cut them down!

    Ahhhhh!

    She wanted to stab them to death!

    Gu Qing''s hair was standing on end, and she immediately wanted to rush in and speak up for Gu Sang.

    But Gu''s father quickly grabbed Gu Qing''s arm and said with pursed lips: "Qing Qing, don''t be rash. This is a sensitive situation, we don''t want to make things even bigger."

    "You''re the future heir of the Gu Group, you can''t let those reporters find any dirt on you. Your appearance will only push your sister into an even more precarious position."

    Gu Qing was both anxious and furious, her eyes wide as she looked at her parents: "Mom and Dad! Can you stop thinking about thepany''s interests for once?"

    "This is exactly why I need to go in!"

    "Now I finally understand why Gu Sang doesn''t want toe home. You can support her and help her with small things, but when ites to major issues, the first thing you consider is yourselves!"

    "All these years, you''ve never once stood up for her!"

    Boom!

    A thunderous explosion went off in Gu''s father and mother''s minds, ringing in their heads.

    They instinctively wanted to refute, but to their shock, they realized that every time a major incident urred, Gu Sang was never their first consideration.

    It was always the Gu family''s reputation, the rumors, thepany, Gu Qing, never Gu Sang...

    They had always thought Gu Sang was too sensitive, so she couldn''t get used to this family...

    But when Gu Qing shouted out these words, they seemed to understand...

    Gu Qing red at her parents.

    In a fit of rage, she charged into the venue.

    And at this moment, Gu Sang, feeling the atmosphere had been sufficiently built up, was about to gracefully start ranting. But in that instant, the sound of a door being kicked open resounded through the venue!

    Gu Sang raised her eyes towards the entrance.

    The reporters suddenly stopped their vicious questioning.

    In full view of everyone, the fiery little chili pepper barged into the venue, forcefully pushed aside the reporters in the front, and snatched the microphone from in front of Gu Sang.

    Raising her head!

    Hands on hips!

    Standing arrogantly and defiantly next to Gu Sang, she loudly cursed: "You damn trashy reporter @&£¤£¤#£¤......being a homewrecker, I @#£¤£¤£¤......"

    The ancient women gaped in shock.

    The concubines of Xuyang Pce immediately knelt down, eyes wide with astonishment.

    The ministers openly gaped, drooling!

    Gu Qing grabbed a bottle of mineral water in front of her and flung it at the reporter, cursing frantically as she threw it: "I''ll @#£¤#£¤%......"

    "Your whole family £¤%#@.......you homewrecker!"

    "She wouldn''t deign to sell herself for a measly bit of film pay when the Gu Group is worth tens of billions? Go @#£¤%%......"

 Chapter 99: Exciting Gu Sang has gone crazy, all die for me

    <h4>Chapter 99</h4>

    A torrent of highly offensive curses erupted from Gu Qing''s mouth.

    She relentlessly swore for a solid three or four minutes, getting angrier and angrier, feeling more and more wronged, until she ended up crying from rage.

    She wiped away her tears, then turned and pounded on Gu Sang''s chest with her fists, stomping her feet and cursing furiously: "Why didn''t you just say you were the youngdy of the Gu Family!"

    "If you had said it, the rumors would have been self-debunked! You infuriate me, you idiot! I still had to save you at the critical moment!"

    "Let me tell you bunch of idiot reporters and the dead keyboard warriors cursing at Gu Sang in the live stream chat, my dad will teach you how to be a decent person today! Go #%£¤@E##£¤......"

    Gu Sang stared at Gu Qing in a daze, her mind blown.

    For the first time, the ancient people listening to this barrage of bleeped curses thought, so a woman could be this domineering and cool?!

    They were truly impressed!

    The reporters being pelted with water bottles were covering their heads and crying out about theck of manners.

    Gu Sang grabbed Gu Qing''s wrist, genuinely in awe!

    Feeling her hand being grabbed, Gu Qing turned her reddened eyes towards Gu Sang, who eximed with a bright gaze: "My dear sister''s caring little cotton jacket, from now on you''ll be my precious darling."

    Little cotton jacket?

    Precious darling?

    Me?

    Is she talking about me?

    Gu Qing''s mind was buzzing, her ears turning red, her crying and swearinging to a halt!

    She gazed confusedly at Gu Sang in front of her, who she could see was opening and closing her mouth saying: "Well said, swear some more!"

    "I just didn''t get to swear earlier, you need to build up the atmosphere! Where''s that idiot reporter who questioned me being kidnapped into the mountains? How dare he question me, I''m doing just fine!"

    "Your mouth stinks, did the umbilical cord snap when your mom gave birth to you and she stuffed poop into your mouth or what? Otherwise why does it reek of shit...."

    "Not only was I kidnapped, but I also took down an entire vige, over a hundred people ate only peanuts thanks to me! What a great feat that was for you, you little maggot from the sewer, to only see a bit of my chastity!"

    Gu Sang pointed at the reporters in front of her and started cursing them out.

    This time!

    Everyone was dumbstruck!

    The reporters shuddered, staring at Gu Sang, getting cursed out profanely. Didn''t they say they would smile calmly and remain courteous?

    Didn''t they say they would be polite, gentle, elegant and graceful?

    Gu Qing turned to look at Gu Sang too, stunned into silence.

    Damn!

    Is this really the same Gu Sang who was too timid to talk back a year ago?

    How did she suddenly be such a relentless attacker! She''s got a mouth on her now? Didn''t she just call me her little cotton jacket and precious darling a moment ago?

    Ah!

    This this this this is too too too good hahahahaha!

    There was a half minute of dead silence in the venue.

    Even the cursing voices in the live stream chat froze for a few seconds.

    Soon though.

    A reporter came forward with a solemn face, ring at the two on stage and angrily saying: "And just who are you? If you''re going to whitewash yourselves, at least do it with some brain. The Gu Group, that''s not something you two can aspire to be associated with!"

    "Spewing profanities and insults, is this the refinement of a youngdy from a prestigious family? Utterly senseless!"

    "I''ve never heard of the Gu Family having two youngdies. You must be lying!"

    As the reporters'' voices of doubt rose.

    And the live stream chat once again erupted in curses.

    Gu''s father strode into the venue with an imposing presence, perhaps awakened by Gu Qing''s swearing, or perhaps realizing the situation had reached a point where he had to make an appearance.

    Under the shocked, confused, and doubtful gazes of the reporters, Gu''s father walked directly to Gu Sang''s side, facing everyone and the tens of thousands of online viewers, and said: "Gu Sang is the youngdy of my Gu Group."

    "For all these years, she has never spent a single penny from the Gu Family."

    "She has spirit and pride, even paying her own tuition fees by earning money herself. Someone like her, someone who disdains even a life of luxury, for you all to actually nder her as potentially bing a mistress for money!"

    "The inte is not awless ce. The Gu Family bloodline would never bow and scrape for mere money! Open your eyes, everyone!"

    Gu''s father''s words of affirmation struck the reporters like a thunderp, their minds seeming to short-circuit as they could only gape dumbly at Gu Sang.

    Then they looked between Gu Qing, Gu''s father, and Gu Sang again.

    Gu Sang was actually the youngdy of the Gu Group!!

    Gu Sang, of the Gu Family?!

    That''s right, their surnames were the same, how did they not realize this connection.

    No, the crucial point was that the Gu Family actually had two daughters.

    If Gu Sang really was the youngdy of the Gu Family, then of course she would never be a mistress. She was clearly notcking in money!

    As for whether or not she was really kidnapped into the mountains, did that even matter now? Didn''t they hear Gu Sang say she had cooperated with the police to take down over a hundred criminals in an entire vige?

    It probably wouldn''t be long before this major news broke officially!

    Immediately!

    The media reporters changed their expressions, fawning and agreeing: "Ah, so Ms. Gu Sang is the youngdy of the Gu Family. No wonder Ms. Gu Sang only yed the third female lead in President Tang''s drama, it seems Ms. Gu Sang indeed didn''t use backdoor connections."

    "Mr. Gu didn''t abuse his power to make Ms. Gu Sang the main lead, this kind of behavior is so rare in the entertainment industry nowadays. Mr. Gu is truly a breath of fresh air."

    "For the youngdy Ms. Gu Sang to put herself in danger and dismantle a vige involved in human trafficking is a great service indeed."

    Seeing these media reporters so transparently changing their stance, Gu Qing scoffed contemptuously, mercilessly cursing them as turncoats.

    Gu''s father sighed.

    Now that Gu Sang was being ndered, because of her blood rtion to the Gu Family and her identity as the youngdy of a prestigious family, the rumors could be debunked.

    But what if Gu Sang was just an ordinary person?

    Those ordinary people who were ndered, those ordinary girls unable to prove their innocence, what were they to do? How could they prove they were wronged?

    They would likely never have a chance to clear their names in this lifetime!

    In front of the media crowd, Gu''s father looked at Gu Sang with a sense of remorse: "Sang Sang, I''m sorry we didn''t care about your feelings before. Dad will support you from behind from now on."

    Gu Sang raised her eyes to meet her father''s gaze, his eyes conveying a sense of reassurance, love, and atonement.

    A gaze that was previously only reserved for Gu Qing.

    Gu Sang lowered her eyes slightly and smiled.

    But it was toote, she didn''t care anymore.

    Some things, once missed, are missed forever. Even ifpensated now, it''s no longer the same mindset as before. She can never return to her high school mentality!

    Gu Sang said to Gu''s father, "Thank you, Dad," then turned to the media reporters: "Wait for mywyer''s letter!"

    "Everyone who has spread rumors about me, I won''t let you off lightly!"

    "I really hope that those media outlets who twist facts and truth for hype and topics, those inte bullies who think they''re fair, righteous, and standing on a high ground to judge everything: one day, the defamatoryments you leave will be the knives pointing at you!"

    "At that time, I will definitelyugh from the high ground!"

 Chapter 100: What Flowers Bloom in My Hometown

    <h4>Chapter 100</h4>

    "It''s over!"

    Gu Sang turned and left the press conference venue.

    With that, the press conference came to a satisfactory conclusion, leaving only flustered and bewildered reporters behind.

    And online, fearlessizens reacted: some were too afraid toment further, some deleted their previousments, while others arrogantly insulted Gu''s two daughters for theirck of decorum.

    As for themoners of ancient times who had watched the live broadcast, their eyes were reddened.

    Some things one can only truly understand by seeing with one''s own eyes and experiencing firsthand¡ªwords can be more painful than murder!

    "Wah wah wah, the Immortal has finally exined everything clearly. It''s all over now."

    "So it turns out that for disadvantaged girls who are ndered and defamed, there''s no way to prove their innocence. Even if theyy out the facts, people will only see what they want to see, not the truth!"

    "If the Lady wasn''t from a prestigious family with enough reason to avoid being a mistress, those reporters would surely have spread even worse rumors about her, right?"

    "Heh...how ironic. Without understanding anything, they ruined an innocent woman''s reputation. In this era, how is that different from murder?"

    The ancientdies gazed intently at the live broadcast screen, tears uncontrobly streaming down their faces.

    In their era, s, far too many women died because of malicious rumors.

    Far too many were ndered as being romantically involved with men simply for being looked at by them a few times!

    All the spectators were well aware that the victims could potentially be wronged, but none had ever spoken up for those innocent women. Now, after witnessing Gu Sang being berated and insulted, the ancient people were finally awakened.

    *Ding!*

    *+70,000 Virtue Points*

    Soon, the press conference concluded smoothly.

    Gu Sang left the venue in a pleasant mood.

    Beside her, Little Chili Pepper was blinking her eyes, staring intently at Gu Sang. Noticing her sister''s gaze, she quickly put on a straight face and looked up at the sky.

    Gu''s father and Gu''s mother looked at Gu Sang with utmost shame and said, "Sang Sang, about that...since such a big incident happened, and you don''t seem to have rested properlytely, why don''t youe home with us? Your mom can take care of you at home."

    "And if you really don''t want to learn those aristocratic etiquettes, it''s fine if you can''t master them. We won''t force you anymore. Just do whatever you enjoy, okay?"

    Gu Qing''s ears twitched, and she pretended not to care as she listened intently.

    Would Gu Sang go back?

    Would she? Wouldn''t she? Would she? Wouldn''t she? Would she?

    "Thanks Dad, Mom, but I''m used to living away from home now. I can take care of myself." Gu Sang declined moving back home, but for the first time, she called them Dad and Mom.

    Previously, she had always addressed them as Gu''s father and Gu''s mother.

    Gu''s father and Gu''s mother had reddened eyes, their lips trembling with emotion. They didn''t dare ask for anything more and watched as Gu Sang left in a taxi.

    Meanwhile, Gu Qing, who was standing not far away gazing up at the sky, widened her eyes in disbelief!

    Gu Sang left just like that?

    Oh my god!

    She left without saying a single word to Gu Qing! Did she treat Gu Qing like she was invisible? Gu Qing had just unleashed a lifetime''s worth of curses on her behalf!

    Wah wah wah!

    She would never help Gu Sang again!

    *Whirr*

    The taxi window rolled down, and Gu Sang''s bright eyes and unusually gentle, affectionate tone caught Gu Qing off guard as she said, "Explosive Little Cotton Jacket, your sister is leaving."

    "Ah...ah? Okay! Okay!" Gu Qing, dazed by the smile, waved goodbye instinctively.

    Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump...

    Damn it!

    Why is her heart beating so fast?

    Calm down, Gu Qing, you puppy! How can you be won over by just a few words? You useless thing!

    But...but she called me Little Cotton Jacket.

    In the following few minutes,

    Gu''s father and Gu''s mother watched in bewilderment as Gu Qing asionally giggled to herself, hands in her pockets, sometimes kicking a small stone at her feet, shyly and affectedly muttering to herself: "Little Cotton Jacket?"

    "Hee hee hee..."

    "She finally acknowledged my kindness."

    "She finally appreciates how thoughtful I am."

    "Little Cotton Jacket...but why explosive? Maybe it''s because I seem bold to her, hee hee hee hee..."

    Gu''s father and Gu''s mother exchanged nces, thinking, "Oh no!

    She''s gone abnormal!"

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang called Cowgirl Girl and arranged to meet up with Lin Lin shortly, as they had agreed. Gu Sang had prepared an identical gold ne as a token of her gratitude.

    After getting in touch with Cowgirl Girl, the two of them headed to Lin Lin''s home together.

    Halfway there, the car encountered a traffic jam.

    After honking the horn twice, the driver stuck his head out to look ahead. "Strange, this road never gets jammed like this. Why are there so many people up ahead?"

    *Beep beep beep*

    Suddenly, a fleet of urgent ambnces and fire trucks came rushing from afar.

    "All of you, back up and make way for the emergency vehicles!" The ambnce driver stuck his head out, seeing the road waspletely blocked ahead and unable to pass through, so he shouted anxiously from the vehicle.

    The ancient viewers watching the live broadcast recognized those fire trucks and the orange-red uniforms, immediately recalling the earthquake rescue they had seen, and their hearts skipped a beat!

    The Divine Lady had mentioned during her broadcast that these were called firefighters!

    Heroes who rescued themoners!

    Could it be a major disaster?

    The ancientmoners exchanged nces, the atmosphere immediately bing tense.

    The fire truck driver shouted urgently from his vehicle, "No good, the road ahead is too blocked. If we wait until it''s cleared, it''ll be toote."

    "Captain, let''s grab our gear and run over there. It''s only a few hundred meters away."

    "Alright, grab all your equipment. Leave one person to drive the truck. The rest of you, follow me to rescue the victims!"

    At the captain''smand, the firefighters in orange rescue uniforms swiftly disembarked.

    After grabbing their rescue equipment, they sprinted towards the sidewalk.

    At this sight, the ancient viewers watching the live broadcast witnessed these young men, none older than thirty, fearlessly carrying heavy rescue equipment as they rapidly ran forward.

    They were like a gust of wind, moving so swiftly that one could only see their afterimages.

    Carrying such heavy loads yet able to run that fast? These heroes of the modern era were indeed formidable!

    The concubines uneasily remarked, "This servant recalls seeing those men in orange uniforms in the earthquake movie we watched previously."

    "Is it an earthquake?"

    "It couldn''t be, could it? But they seem so urgent. What happened that required them to run that fast? Do these rescuers appear even without major disasters?"

    Gu Sang frowned slightly, listening to the live streaming crowd from ancient times discussing, while turning his head to look out the window.

    The girl sitting next to Gu Sang suddenly became uneasy!

    Ever since Gu Sang was abducted by human traffickers, Lin Lin''s depression seemed to have worsened, especially in the past few days when she had be particrly quiet and umunicative.

    Also...a few hundred meters ahead, wasn''t that thepany where Lin Lin was stripped naked and beaten by the original wife?

 Chapter 101: I curse you to lose everything

    <h4>Chapter 101</h4>

    She probably... wouldn''t be that coincidental, would she?

    But why did her heart suddenly feel so empty?

    "Gu... Gu Sang, it looks like it''s going to be stuck here for a while. Shall we get out and take a look?" The girl felt suffocated in the car.

    She subconsciously took out her phone and opened WeChat, only to find that the message she sent to Lin Lin an hour ago had not been replied to.

    It shouldn''t be like this.

    Lin Lin always replies instantly!

    Seeing the girl''s restless expression, Gu Sang thought the traffic jam mightst a while, so he nodded: "Okay, let''s get out first."

    After paying the driver, the two quickly walked to the sidewalk.

    In the distance, they saw a crowd gathered around apany building.

    Passersby all around were looking up and taking photos with their phones, pointing at the rooftop, but it was unclear what they were photographing.

    An uneasy feeling welled up in Gu Sang''s heart. Following their gaze upwards, he saw a thin girl standing on the edge of the rooftop, about a dozen stories high.

    "Lin Lin..."

    "It''s Lin Lin!"

    The girl next to him called out in a shocked and terrified voice.

    Lin Lin?

    Gu Sang felt as if his heart had been struck by something.

    He immediately grabbed the girl''s arm and rushed towards thepany building while learning from the girl about Lin Lin''s ordeal and her recent abnormal behavior.

    By the time Gu Sang and the girl ran to the bottom of thepany building,

    Several rescue workers in orange uniforms had already cleared the path, inted the rescue cushion, and two others opened the cordon line.

    "Don''t look anymore, go to work! Disperse! Don''t shout loudly, don''t provoke her!"

    "Step back, stay at a safe distance!"

    "Why are you running in there? Come back!"

    The rescue worker turned and saw Gu Sang and the girl in jeans running towards thepany.

    The girl couldn''t control her tears, her body trembling uncontrobly as she tightly held onto Gu Sang.

    Her legs were even going weak.

    Gu Sang urgently pressed the elevator button and said to the firefighter rushing over, "The person up there is our friend, we''re not here to spectate, don''t worry."

    The elevator doors closed with a ding.

    The girl held Gu Sang''s hand, her lips trembling as she muttered something inaudible. It was evident that Lin Lin meant a lot to her, and she was worried and scared.

    Ding!

    They had arrived!

    Gu Sang and the girl climbed up one more floor of stairs before reaching the rooftop.

    Ten meters away, Lin Lin, dressed in a white dress, with light makeup, and wearing the ne her friend Ayun had given her for her birthday, stood on the rooftop.

    Lin Lin was only in her twenties, but her once lustrous ck hair had suffered such trauma that it had shed severely, and she had tied the thinning strands into a bun.

    "Lin Lin, what are you doing? Don''t scare me like this."

    "Didn''t you really like Empress? I brought her here. Didn''t you two agree to meet for tea today? She''s okay now, and you''ll be okay too."

    "Time can erase everything, right? If something is bothering you, tell me... Lin Lin..."

    The girl in jeans had tears streaming down her face as she shook her head and cried, trying to get closer to Lin Lin.

    Seeing the worried and frightened expression of her best friend,

    A flicker of struggle shed across Lin Lin''s eyes, but it was quickly reced by anguish, as if something had crushed her will to live.

    Leaving her world filled only with torment, pain, nightmares, and depression.

    Suddenly¡ª

    "Can it really erase everything? Really..." Lin Lin, like a bird with broken wings, forced a smile, teetering precariously on the edge.

    She smiled and smiled, then suddenly broke down crying: "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, Ayun, I''m so sorry..."

    Seeing this scene,

    The rescue workers on the rooftop immediately shook their heads at Chen Yun, preventing her from getting closer.

    They then said in a low voice to the two of them: "You''re her friends, right? Don''t provoke her, say something to give her hope in life."

    "Soothe her emotions, and we''ll find an opportunity to rescue her."

    Chen Yun and Gu Sang felt a heaviness in their chests.

    From their pupils, they could see Lin Lin had already stepped one foot over the edge, clutching a small amplifier tightly in her hand.

    She cried out in despair and helplessness, like a falling star.

    The ancient people in the live stream felt their hearts being gripped tightly, and all the citizens held their breath, staring at Lin Lin on the screen.

    Gu Sang took a step forward, his heart aching as heforted her: "Lin Lin, it''s me, Gu Sang. We had arranged to meet at the cafe today."

    "I''ve left that swamp behind."

    "Ayun just told me about your situation. We''ll find evidence together to prove your innocence and make him pay for his actions, okay?"

    "You can trust me, I can help you, just like you''ve helped me before."

    The girl in jeans, Chen Yun, tightly pursed her lips, her eyes red as she nodded vigorously at Lin Lin.

    But she was fine just a few days ago!

    The doctor had said Lin Lin''s depression had improved, shifting from severe to mild, and that as long as she wasn''t provoked again, she wouldn''t have suicidal tendencies.

    But!

    But why had it turned out like this today?

    Lin Lin looked at Gu Sang, who was so close to her, her despairing and lifeless face showing relief, as if she had saved her former self.

    But s.

    No one could save her anymore.

    Lin Lin''s slender figure stood on the rooftop, surrounded by a few tense firefighters who were cautiously approaching her, inching closer step by step.

    She suddenly stopped crying and rolled up her sleeves, revealing her arms covered in scratch marks.

    New ones.

    Old ones.

    Scabbed ones.

    Ones with blood seeping through.

    Each one a result of her uncontroble self-harm during her agonizing nights.

    Lin Lin looked at Gu Sang''s shocked and pained expression and gave a faint smile, thest gentleness she would share with the world: "It''s really good to see you safe and sound. I''m so d."

    "But I''m sorry, I''m in so much pain right now, I can''t go on anymore. I thought I could slowly walk towards the light like you, but maybe I''m just not worthy."

    "A few nights ago, I received... a phone call."

    "When I was with He Linpeng, he treated me decently at first. In less than a year, if you add up everything including bottled water and bus fare, he had spent over a hundred thousand yuan on me. But I reciprocated¡ªI emptied out all my savings to buy him a 100,000 yuan watch as a gift."

    "Then one day, he called me from an unknown number and demanded I pay back all the money he had spent on me, over 200,000 yuan in total."

    "I had no idea it amounted to that much."

    "Maybe he even included hotel costs when I apanied him on business trips, and expenses for taking his friends out to eat. Basically anything spent by the two of us was counted as mine. He had saved all the electronic receipts, and gave me three days to pay him back. I consulted awyer, who said that since He Linpeng had the intention of getting his money back the moment he spent it on me, taking this to court would likely rule in his favor."

 Chapter 102: Three years on, let her go

    <h4>Chapter 102</h4>

    "And the watch I bought for him, he insisted on paying cash at the time. I have no proof, I lost the receipt long ago, and there''s not even a credit card record..."

    As she said this, Gu Sang felt all the blood in her body boiling!

    The ancient people in the livestream room widened their eyes, unable to imagine such disgusting men existing in the future!

    It''s perfectly normal for a couple in love to spend money on each other and give gifts, right?

    But instead!

    After breaking up, he listed out a whole inventory and demanded his ex-girlfriend pay him back? Even counting two-dor mineral water and subway tickets!

    Gu Sang could no longer control the rage within her!

    Lin Lin suddenly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She looked at the approaching firefighter and said, "Big brother, don''t rescue me anymore, I''m really in so much pain."

    "Every time I think I''ve moved on, someonees to remind me that I''ll never get over it!"

    "Over two hundred thousand... how could he be so cruel! It''s been three years! Three years and he still won''t let me go! He remembers every single expense so clearly, whether I paid or not, he counts it as me paying! Last night, his original partner went to my mom''spany again to make a scene, to cry, to ask for money."

    "Why?! Why won''t they just leave me alone!"

    "Why did they have to go to my mom''spany and make a scene, why did they have to ssh paint on my home..."

    "For three years, I''ve moved six times! Now all my neighbors know I was the mistress again, my mom gets mocked at work, I can''t even go back to my hometown, many friends and colleagues still have videos of me being stripped naked and beaten, with my screams in them!"

    "He Linpeng!"

    "I know you''re in this building, you can hear me talking, you sinful man who only cares about lust and doesn''t care about methods, I''m willing to spend the rest of my life cursing you to lose everything!"

    "Until now! I still don''t understand what great sin Imitted to end up in this state! I just encountered you in my most innocent years, deceived by you, toyed with by you. The one who deserves retribution is you! It''s you! He Linpeng, I curse you to have nothing go your way, to never get what you love..."

    The small loudspeaker amplified Lin Lin''s voice several times over, allowing the pedestrians watching below to hear her words clearly.

    Lin Lin''s voice echoed throughout the entire building.

    Everyone watched Lin Lin with trepidation, the girl Chen Yun was already crying inconsbly, clutching Gu Sang''s arm and trembling nonstop.

    The firefighter opened his mouth but didn''t know how to persuade her...

    Just listening to Lin Lin''s descriptions, they all felt that hopeless despair and pain! A bone-chilling feeling.

    "Lin Lin¡ª!"

    "My daughter!"

    Lin Lin''s mother rushed over in panic after hearing the news.

    Seeing her daughter standing at the edge of the rooftop, so thin that it seemed a gust of wind could carry her away.

    Lin Lin''s mother''s legs instantly went soft with fear as she wept and begged, "Lin Lin, don''t do anything stupid, shall we move to another city? Okay?"

    "It''s been three years, the doctor said you''ll recover soon, let''s just ignore them, okay?"

    "I still have a hundred thousand in savings, two hundred thousand is no big deal, I''ll just sell the house if I have to..."

    The ancientmoners who saw this scene all cried.

    The pcedies in Xuyang Pce were even tearing their hair out cursing the men.

    Gu Sang''s mouth opened slightly, she wanted to say something, but when her eyes met Lin Lin''s gaze, a gaze of someone who saw life as worse than death, she couldn''t utter a single word.

    Three years!

    Over a thousand days and nights.

    The images of being stripped naked and beaten, the scenes of colleagues and friends mocking and ridiculing her, the scumbag man relentlessly harassing her, her mother and family being implicated...

    She didn''t do anything wrong, she was just deceived!

    How did she end up in this predicament?!

    Lin Lin covered her face, her pale quivering lips looked towards her mother as she cried, "Mom, I''m sorry, I wanted to live a good life, I really tried, I tried."

    "But I really can''t go on living!"

    "I mustered the courage to find a job, go to gatherings, make new friends, but every time! It wouldn''t be long before they found out about my past, and then they would send me messages in the middle of the night, asking me how much I charge per month, sending me disgusting pictures... They would point fingers at me, stay away from me, look down on me."

    "I''m so scared! I''m really so scared, mom."

    "I can''t go back, every time I close my eyes to sleep I see those images, mom, I''m sorry I''m so sorry, I really want to die!"

    "Mom, look down there, they''re all watching me, I can hear them calling me a fake trying to gain sympathy, that even a mistress has the nerve, He Linpeng and his original partner ruined my whole life, I can''t go out anymore mom..."

    The rescuers'' eyes reddened.

    The young firefighter was shedding tears, as a man, he felt the scumbag Lin Lin described deserved to be hacked to pieces, deserved to be dismembered!

    It''s because of these toxic people that they, as normal men, get tarnished by association!

    The firefighter couldn''t help but curse loudly, "Don''t listen to them, look at me, I believe you, I believe you''re innocent, I know you''re suffering and in so much pain..."

    "But everything will pass, you still have your mom, you still have friends who believe you."

    "The scumbag will get hiseuppance,e on, give me your hand, okay?"

    The citizens of Jingcheng and Wengcheng watching the livestream all cried, feeling heartbroken for Lin Lin.

    The pcedies in Xuyang Pce even turned away, secretly wiping their tears.

    But in the two newly opened ancient screens that just started streaming the future recently, thosemoners who had only been watching the future livestream for a few days had scornful, mocking expressions on their faces.

    As if watching some big joke unfold.

    The new citymoners sneered disdainfully, "I really don''t understand, in the future they eat well, dress well, their country is so powerful, women even have equal status with men, what are they still not satisfied with?"

    "She just got deceived into sleeping with someone, what''s with the hysterics of wanting to die! There''s gender equality now, and she''s making a big fuss over sleeping with someone? It might as well go back to being unequal!"

    "I think women are just trouble, shouldn''t have given them any face, they''ll only take advantage."

    "Ah, better to die sooner thanter. I heard people in the gued City say before that those people wearing orange clothes are protectors of the homnd, why bother rescuing this kind of woman? It''s just a waste of time."

    Gu Sang didn''t initially want to engage with these people from the Ancient City. His virtues had recently increased, and he had just added two new split-screens in the past few days.

    Thesemoners had only watched the livestream for a few days and grasped some superficial information about the future world, but they still hadn''t changed their views on women.

    Listening to these words spewing from their mouths made his heart ache with anger.

    Seeing Lin Lin''s mother pleading with the rescue personnel to persuade Lin Lin, Gu Sang coldly scolded the people on the new split-screen: "Whether dying early orte, why don''t you go die early yourself!"

    "You bunch of maggots, can''t you just observe properly? Why must you always open your filthy mouths? Your mouths must have been soaked in feces, always ready to spew shit wherever you go!"

    "Just because she''s sleeping, you want her to die or live? Why don''t you get castrated then? Equality between men and women, huh? Since she doesn''t have that pair of things, you should get castrated too! That would be more equal!"

 Chapter 103: Mom Respects Your Choice

    <h4>Chapter 103</h4>

    Upon hearing the Goddess''s outburst, all the ancient people of the new city fell silent.

    And some women from ancient times who could empathize, covered their mouths and wept silently.

    They could understand the feelings of the person called Lin Lin.

    Once branded with an impure reputation, the entire vige would whisper behind her back, pointing fingers and hurling insults, even though they were grasping at straws, and it had nothing to do with them.

    Yet it was as if they had desecrated her ancestors'' graves, and they would never rest until they drove her to death.

    Seeing those men who looked down on women cowering with ashen faces after being scolded by the Goddess, unable to speak out.

    The decades of grievances those women had harbored seemed to be suddenly relieved, and they felt thoroughly refreshed, from head to toe.

    Finally, finally someone could voice their innermost thoughts!

    "Lin Lin, you still have me, Gu Sang, and your mother."

    "Can we help you?"

    "Hang in there a little longer, the truth can be brought to light, we can find evidence to prove your innocence, and he will be punished, pleasee down, okay?"

    At that very moment!

    As Lin Lin and Chen Yun were pouring out their sorrows!

    In a corner that no one was paying attention to.

    No, it should be a corner that only the ancient citizens watching the live broadcast could see.

    They saw¡ª

    A young man in his twenties, wearing an orange-yellow uniform, had actually climbed onto the railing with no safety measures at all.

    It was several dozen stories high!

    Whether from the new city or the old city, the ancient people were horrified at the height, some even felt dizzy, and some who were afraid of heights copsed to the ground, their faces drained of color.

    The citizens of the capital eximed in shock: "How dare that young man do such a thing! It''s so high, if he falls, he''ll be smashed to a pulp!"

    "He only has a single rope tied around him, what if the rope isn''t sturdy enough?"

    "This scene reminds me of that movie from before, the one about an earthquake, those firefighters were just like this, fearless of death, willing to sacrifice themselves just to save one more person!"

    "Why are the soldiers of the future so good, not bullying or beating the people, and even willing to make such sacrifices, risking their lives to save a suicidal woman?"

    The ancient citizens were deeply moved.

    At this moment.

    All the ancient people watched the firefighter with bated breath.

    Suddenly.

    Lin Lin closed her eyes, with a pained smile she turned towards her mother, Gu Sang, and the others, saying, "Mom, Gu Sang, Chen Yun, I''m sorry, but at this point, whether I''m innocent or guilty, whether the truthes out or not, it doesn''t matter anymore."

    "I didn''te here to prove anything."

    "Nor did Ie to prove my innocence, to die for a cause."

    "It''s just that I''m tired, I''m so tired."

    "What happened has happened, it''s etched into my bones, and I can''t shake it off. Even if one day, they all know I''m the victim, so what? My pain can''t be reduced by a single bit, my memories won''t disappear, and I don''t have the courage to wait through this process anymore."

    "I''m in too much pain, Mom, death is a release for me, please let me be released."

    "Next life, next life I don''t want love anymore......"

    Bang!

    Lin Lin''s body fell backward, plummeting straight down.

    And it was at this critical juncture.

    The young firefighter sprang into action!

    In full view of everyone, he held onto the railing with one hand, and stretched the other forward, trying to grab Lin Lin.

    But Lin Lin''s eyes were filled with anguish, pleading, helplessness: she shook her head and looked into the rescuer''s eyes, as if begging for release.

    At that moment.

    Gu Sang''s heart was deeply stirred.

    She turned away, her trembling fingers hanging limply.

    That pleading gaze.......like a girl drowned in a dark abyss, tortured until she was a bloody mess, seeking a moment of release.

    For Lin Lin, death was not the end, but liberation.

    Did innocence matter?

    Gu Sang wanted to say it mattered, but then it didn''t matter anymore, because what happened had happened, and the pain had tormented Lin Lin through thousands of nights of self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

    Nothing could be undone.......

    "Gu Sang........" Chen Yun wanted to rush forward, but stopped when she saw Lin Lin''s gaze, helplessly and painfully turning to look at Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang lowered her eyes, saying nothing.

    She wanted to persuade Lin Lin to live, to persevere a little longer, but Gu Sang suddenly realized that perhaps what was death for everyone else, was the longed-for release for Lin Lin.

    Perhaps living was more terrifying, after all......

    She had endured for three years.

    Three years.

    She truly couldn''t bear it any longer, let her go......

    "Don''t give up!" The firefighter held on tightly to Lin Lin: "As long as you''re alive, there''s hope, give me your other hand, I beg you, don''t give up!"

    "Mom."

    "I love you."

    "I''m sorry."

    "I''m so sorry."

    "Big brother, I''m sorry......" Lin Lin''s entire body dangled in mid-air, prying open the firefighter''s fingers one by one, as the surrounding firefighters rushed over.

    They would soon be able to pull her up with great effort.

    But Lin Lin''s mother, who had cried until she was nearly unconscious, suddenly leaned against the wall and slowly stood up.

    She grabbed the hands of two firefighters, her eyes shut tightly, her voice trembling, uttering each word with the greatest pain of her life, mustering all her courage and strength to say the following:

    "My precious child."

    "Mom understands now, I won''t force you anymore."

    "If.......if you truly can''t endure it any longer, if you really can''t go on, then, then, then Mom will respect your choice."

    "Next life, Mom will definitely protect you, Mom will love you forever."

    Mom.......

    I''m sorry.

    Lin Lin revealed a smile that emerged from the darkness, don''t cry for her, she had already found peace, no longer caring about innocence, only that living was too painful and exhausting.

    She couldn''t bear it any longer.

    She didn''t want to face the painful memories, didn''t want to face this world anymore, she wanted release.

    She pried open the firefighter''s fingers.

    Boom¡ª

    Her entire body plummeted like a kite.

    The firefighter clinging to the railing widened his eyes, fingers syed, watching helplessly as Lin Lin faced him, showing the happiest smile she had in three years.

    Crashing to the ground!

    "Bang!!!"

    "Boom!!!"

    Lin Lin''s mother watched in horror as her daughter fell, missing the rescue airbag by two meters and mming onto the first floor, a pool of blood blossoming outward.

    A bottomless sadness and self-me welled up in her mother''s heart, but it came to an abrupt halt when she met Lin Lin''s grateful and relieved smile...

    Three years had passed.

    Her mother had almost forgotten what her daughter''s genuine smile looked like.

    So this is it.

    Her mother remembered.

    Her mother was no longer sad.

    Lin Lin, don''t me yourself, you haven''t wronged your mother. It was I who failed to protect you. I ept your pain, and let you be free and at peace.

    "It''s alright, it''s alright, I''m not sad anymore, mother is not sad." Lin Lin''s mother suppressed her sorrow and wiped away the tears from her face.

 Chapter 104: Ancient Mother Weeps, Awakens

    <h4>Chapter 104</h4>

    Then, recalling her daughter''s smile, she also forced a stiff smile.

    She turned around.

    She bowed deeply to all the rescue workers present: "Thank you foring to rescue my daughter. I''m sorry, I don''t want to see her suffer anymore."

    "Although we couldn''t save her life, we have saved her soul. She''ll be happy..."

    "I understand her. She will thank you all."

    As her words trailed off,

    Linlin''s Mother covered her mouth and suddenly burst into uncontroble sobs.

    Everyone around her had tears in their eyes. They wanted to console Linlin''s Mother and tell her not to grieve, but found that they couldn''t utter a single word.

    At that moment, Gu Sang didn''t know whether to grieve or feel relieved at Linlin''s liberation.

    She reached out and supported the loudly wailing Linlin''s Mother: "Auntie, you are the greatest mother I''ve ever seen. From now on, I will be like a half-daughter to you in ce of Linlin."

    Chen Yun also walked over crying: "And me too, Auntie."

    Linlin''s Mother looked up, hugging Gu Sang and Chen Yun tightly and nodding emotionally: "Okay, okay, I won''t cry anymore. I respect Linlin''s choice, woo woo woo."

    Three firefighters stood aside, lips pursed tightly.

    Their eyes reddened as they lowered their heads.

    Two of them patted the youngest one on the shoulder, as if saying: Don''t me yourself, although you couldn''t save her life, you saved her soul...

    At that very moment, down below thepany building,

    A series of shrill screams rang out.

    "Ahh!!!! Someone''s died!"

    "Linlin, she... she actually jumped off the building! Linlin, it''s not my fault, don''te haunt me tonight."

    "Linlin, I... I only posted your information online, it wasn''t me who made those harassing calls to your home. You''ve got the wrong person, go find the manager, he''s the one who deceived you."

    "How is this possible...? To jump off a building just for this small matter, it''s not like you were the only one cheated on!"

    Chaos reigned down below.

    Linlin''s coworkers at thepany, one by one, copsed limply to the ground, trembling uncontrobly. Some harshly scolded her for jumping over such a trivial matter.

    Others shrieked confessions to Linlin.

    They were truly terrified!

    They never thought Linlin would actuallymit suicide.

    And tomit suicide by jumping off thepany rooftop, who would daree to the office anymore!

    He Linpeng, the manager who deceived Linlin, stood in the corner. Seeing Linlin''s shattered body, her eyes stared nkly in his direction, unblinking even in death.

    He Linpeng felt his stomach churn and began to tremble, leaning against the wall as he started vomiting: "Urgh... urgh!!"

    "It was just over a measly twenty thousand yuan? You''re insane!"

    "The money was spent by you anyway. It''s the modern age, who talks about spending a man''s money when dating? Constantly wanting milk tea, a gold digger, but still pretending to be so pure. What innocent girl would ept gifts worth hundreds from her boyfriend? If you weren''t a gold digger, why would I have dated you?"

    "I only did what every man would do when picking up girls - pretending to be single. It''s your own stupidity that you couldn''t resist. You deserved to be deceived. Your own weakness led to this, me yourself!"

    "It has nothing to do with me!"

    "Yes, nothing to do with me..."

    He Linpeng swallowed hard, his legs wobbling as he fled the scene.

    But the image of Linlin in her final moments was burned into his mind, unable to be erased no matter how hard he tried to shut his eyes - that gruesome, bloodied scene.

    The ancient people watching the livestream fell into an unusual silence.

    Linlin''s death wish, He Linpeng''s shifting of me and excuses, her mother''s heartbroken eptance - all of it rang an rm bell for the ancients.

    In that moment, they understood the destructive power of rumors.

    So that''s how it is.

    What''s done is done.

    The damage is done, so what if her name is cleared someday in the future?

    Would clearing her name undo everything, allow her to live normally again?

    No!

    It wouldn''t!

    They may appear unaffected on the surface, but in the depths of night, they too would recall their past suffering and anguish, burying their heads in sobs.

    An ancient woman wept bitterly: "My sister was also ndered, but for the sake of our family''s reputation, my father had to marry her off to that beast. Yet not even three monthster, my sister died."

    "Woo woo woo..."

    "This is how my sister was driven to death. Sister, I used to me you for being so rash as to seek death, for being ungrateful for our parents'' nurturing, for disgracing our family''s efforts in raising you. I thought you wronged everyone. But I never considered how painful your life must have been."

    "My poor daughter! Mother doesn''t me you anymore. It was my failure to protect you properly. I should have torn out the tongues of those wicked people, instead of scolding you as base and promiscuous, falsely using you of seducing others. Even after your death, I still med you for being unfilial. Mother truly did not know how much you suffered, Mother didn''t know!"

    "It was my mistake, but you can nevere back now."

    "..."

    Gu Sang turned off the distressing livestream, and together with Chen Yun, they sent the wailing, unconscious Linlin''s Mother to the hospital.

    Although the mother respected Linlin''s choice,

    The anguish of losing a daughter could not be erased by any choice: if there was even a sliver of opportunity, the mother would have preferred her daughter to be alive.

    The two girls stood outside the emergency room doors.

    Chen Yun sat on a chair, suddenly resolving with firm determination: "I''ve decided to studyw. I will use thew to punish those hidden venomous scum on the inte."

    "The inte is not awless ce. Hiding behind a keyboard, they think they can spread malicious rumors about victims at will."

    "The scum who deceived Linlin deserves to die! The original wife who dared not confront her own husband but instead went to Linlin''s workce to beat her is equally culpable!"

    "Linlin''s coworkers who leaked her address, phone number, and posted her nude videos online are also murderers!"

    "In this lifetime, I will use thew to make sure they are brought to justice!"

    In this smoke-filled tragedy, no one was truly innocent.

    The original wife was pitiful, but wasn''t the wronged Linlin just as pitiful? Why not investigate properly? Why not confront the scumbag husband instead?

    And why?

    After beating the innocent Linlin, she still reconciled with the scum husband as if nothing had happened.

    Three yearster, she even printed out all the transaction records to force Linlin to repay the money!

    This is simply inhuman!

    The most disgusting thing is that such examples are verymon in real life. Just search online and you can find numerous real cases!

    Gu Sang opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but the voice that came out was hoarse: "If this can be your motivation, I support you!"

    "Those people, they should be punished byw!"

    Although this incident was painful for Chen Yun and Linlin''s Mother, they felt relieved after the pain.

    This was the result that Lin Lin wanted. She really couldn''t hold on anymore.

    Although in theter ages, life and thinking in many aspects wereparable to heavenpared to ancient times.

    There are still many people living in an oppressive and painful way, because the suffering of each era is different. Mental suffering is far more painful than physical suffering!

 Chapter 105: On Fire, Retribution Arrives

    <h4>Chapter 105</h4>

    Linlin''s Mother woke up in tears.

    After waking up, instead of crying, she was unusually calm, telling Gu Sang and Chen Yun not to attend to her.

    After sending Linlin''s Mother back home, she said, "I want to live on. I want to seek justice for Linlin and see those people punished as they deserve."

    "Don''t worry about me, you two. I will live well, including Linlin''s share."

    Gu Sang nodded with mixed feelings and left Linlin''s Mother her phone number.

    They closed the door.

    Gu Sang and Chen Yun looked at the door and hallway, covered in words written in paint. Chen Yun couldn''t hold back her tears again.

    "Vile whore, seducing a married man, an ungrateful child..."

    Gu Sang took a deep breath and closed his eyes, clenching his fists tightly, his nails slightly digging into his skin, the pain in his palms not even one-thousandth of the heartbreak he felt.

    *Ding!*

    *Merit increased by 110,000!*

    After parting ways with Chen Yun, as soon as Gu Sang got in the car, he received a message from the System.

    A merit of 110,000.

    That must mean that at least 110,000 people had changed their minds about Linlin''s case.

    Perhaps.

    In the future, when women in ancient times are hurt by rumors, they might have a chance to escape.

    There is no way topletely avoid rumors.

    But Gu Sang hoped that after Linlin''s case, those bystanders, those who didn''t know the truth, would no longer speak recklessly.

    They only need to stand by and watch, really!

    -

    After Gu Sang''s case concluded,

    the incident of Consort Zhao''s suicide gradually subsided with time. When Pei Changying felt enough time had passed, he immediately ordered arge army to suppress the Elder Princess.

    Ten miles outside the gue City.

    A mighty army of 50,000 soldiers was marching toward the gue City.

    These 50,000 soldiers, elite troops summoned by Pei Changying from the capital, were far superior to the mere 1,000 soldiers General Qin had led.

    This time, Pei Changying was determined to annihte the Elder Princess''s rebel army in the gue City!

    Demoted to Vice General, Qin Vice General was full of self-mockery.

    He had learned that the official from the Ministry of Works who had apanied them to the gue City and returned alone to the capital to report the truth had been caned by the Emperor in court and demoted!

    Qin Vice General''s heart went cold: "Demoted to Vice General... heh, what wrong did Imit?"

    "Noble Consort Gu, you truly won the bet."

    "I was too overconfident, tooughable!"

    The official from the Ministry of Works had endured the Emperor''s wrath, beaten half to death, and nowy bedridden, his lower body likely crippled.

    And him?

    Demoted to Vice General by the Emperor''s order! While his former subordinate, Pang Pei, had been promoted to General!

    Lording over him and giving orders!

    Pang Pei studied the map of the gue City brought by scout cavalry and immediately began issuing orders: "Vice General Qin, you will lead 50,000 soldiers and await my signal from the south. Once I lure them to the north gate, you will immediately attack from the south..."

    "Be sure to act swiftly and decisively, and capture the rebels Pei Weizhe and Zhou Qichen alive!"

    Vice General Qin, mounted on his horse, listened to Pang Pei''s orders with disapproval in his eyes.

    Vice General Qin advised, "General Pang, swords and spears are blind. The city is full of innocent civilians. To rashly charge in and kill would harm the innocent."

    "In my opinion, we should first make a show of force by stationing the 50,000 troops outside the gue City. Knowing she cannot win, the Elder Princess may negotiate with us."

    "Moreover, the people''s hearts have not yet fully settled. We cannot act too hastily in this matter."

    Upon hearing this,

    General Pang turned his head and sneered at Vice General Qin, "Vice General Qin, mind your position!"

    "I am the General now. Pei Weizhe is a rebel, and my attitude towards rebels has always been the same - leave none alive, annihte them directly!"

    "The people of the gue City now adore Pei Weizhe! How are they different from rebels?!"

    Vice General Qin: "......"

    A surge of fire welled up in Vice General Qin''s heart. He took several deep breaths to suppress the frustration.

    Had he truly chosen wrongly?

    Had he truly... chosen the wrong person?

    At this moment,

    Vice General Qin suddenly wanted to ask himself - was his loyalty to Pei Changying, to the Emperor alone, or to the suffering masses of the realm?

    Just as Pei Changying''s army set out for the gue City,

    the Elder Princess and her group were still improving their cannons, following Gu Sang''s advice to construct four more earthen cannons.

    -

    In modern times,

    Gu Sang received a call from Lu Mufei: "Sang, President Tang asked me to let you know that filming starts in seven days."

    "I''ll pick you up for dinner tonight and give you the script."

    "Great, I''ll make the restaurant reservation then. Tonight''s dinner is on Gu Sang!"

    "Haha, sounds good!"

    Gu Sang had just hung up when a hot viral video popped up on his phone - the clip of Lin Lin hysterically berating He Linpeng for jumping off the building.

    Thements section exploded!

    Countlessizens began mming He Linpeng.

    Someizens dug up Linlin''s identity, phone number, and entire history, even revealing details about the scumbag He Linpeng.

    "Damn, what''s there to feel sorry for a mistress? Whether she knew or not, a mistress is a mistress and deserves no pity. Is jumping to your death for this worth it to your parents?"

    "Thementer above must be a scumbag himself. The woman was deceived so tragically, and you have no sympathy."

    "Hahaha, the inte jokes about dumplings for 80 cents and a birthday gift of Lafite actually came true. I can only say these stingy, penny-pinching broke losers are the worst."

    "The deceitful scumbag male, the shrew makes a scene inside but acts oblivious outside. Why not hit the man? The mistress may not have known she was a mistress, but didn''t the scumbag know he had a wife? Disgusting! I''m gonna puke!"

    "Stay single and childless for peace of mind. Stay away from men and cherish your life."

    "That scumbag is named He Linpeng? Damn, that''s my fellow viger''s name too. Should we all cut ties with him, fellowizens?"

    "I can confirm! The girl gifted He Linpeng a watch worth over 100k, and he didn''t even mention it. But he''d demand someone''s life over a 2 yuan bottle of water!"

    "......"

    After reading through thements criticizing He Linpeng, Gu Sang felt relieved, his heart a little more at ease.

    The arrows once aimed at an innocent victim had now be knives stabbing at the perpetrators. It remained to be seen if He Linpeng and his wife could still act so nonchnt!

    Gu Sang was delighted.

    Chen Yun was ted.

    She heard some passersby mocking Linlin after watching the video, so she was enraged and rushed over to exin Linlin''s grievances.

    Then, by ident, she fell from the mall elevator and broke her bones.

    "At the hospital?"

    "Not everyone will take the victim''s side. Many also empathize with the scoundrel and his original partner, so exining serves no purpose."

    "Alright, it''s okay Chen Yun. I''ming over right away."

    Gu Sang was taking the call while hurriedly running towards the bedroom to change clothes and go to the hospital to visit Chen Yun.

 Chapter 106: Could there be a term like "test tube" in the future

    <h4>Chapter 106</h4>

    Gu Sang changed out of her home clothes and didn''t have time to put on makeup. She just put on afortable outfit and hurried downstairs to catch a taxi.

    "System, start live stream."

    *Ding!*

    *Live stream room has been upgraded, you can now open up to eight split screens!*

    Just as she got into the taxi, she heard the system''s dyed notification.

    In an instant, a huge transparent screen appeared before her eyes, evenly divided into eight small screens.

    The tall buildings outside blended surreally with the screens.

    This live stream room upgrade allowed Gu Sang to switch between modern and ancient settings at any time, as well as erge or shrink the screens to give viewers a more immersive experience.

    Gu Sang adjusted the screen size to that of a television, no longer concerned with the live stream.

    This time, two new split screens showed cities.

    The ancient people who had never seen a live stream before were amazed by the sight of cars rushing past outside, letting out gasps of astonishment.

    The towering buildings along the street, the smooth and level roads.

    The things up ahead that turned red, green, and yellow...

    Strangely dressed pedestrians, women strutting boldly down the street! Every scene assaulted the senses and beliefs of the ancients!

    "Heavens! What are those things! Is it a miracle?"

    "Are those where the immortals live? What kind of road is that, so t and smooth, even smoother than the ground in our mansions!"

    "......"

    Each time a new split screen was opened, there were cries of surprise and questioning.

    Gu Sang was used to it by now and no longer exined.

    No matter how many times those ancient city dwellers watched the live stream, they were always in awe of the future''s technology.

    The ancients all goggled with wide eyes as Gu Sang got out of the taxi and headed straight for the hospital.

    Chen Yun sat by the hospital bed, her foot bandaged, her face a little pale as she clutched the sheets apologetically and spoke to Gu Sang, "Gu Sang."

    "I''m sorry, my boyfriend couldn''te with me for the surgery."

    "I didn''t want to bother you, but the doctor said my leg was badly injured and that I needed a minor surgery. Someone had to apany me, so I had to......"

    "We''re friends, there''s no need to be so polite." Gu Sang pulled over a stool and sat down beside Chen Yun.

    Three o''clock in the afternoon.

    Gu Sang apanied Chen Yun for her surgery.

    Not knowing how long Chen Yun''s surgery would take, Gu Sang decided to take a stroll through the outpatient building.

    Seeing Gu Sang at the hospital again, the ancient gue city''s court physicians shed faces eager to learn, staring at Gu Sang with yearning eyes.

    The head physician, blushing, said, "Miss Gu, I have an unreasonable request. Could you take us to see the hospital again?"

    "Sure."

    Gu Sang agreed.

    Last time, she had only shown them this one building. The hospital area was vast, with separate inpatient, emergency, andprehensive buildings, among others.

    Gu Sang took all the ancients to see each building in the hospital.

    However, most of the departments or floors were not open to non-patients.

    Even so, it was enough to make the ancients'' jaws drop in shock.

    The newly opened split screen ancients were baffled: "Why is the ce for treating illnesses in the future so huge? Could there really be that many patients in a day?"

    "Did you notice there were no medicinal ingredients there, only all sorts of glowing objects, and many men and women in white robes?"

    "I saw someone take something there, what kind of divine tool was that, that could automatically dispense things?"

    Gu Sang nced at the eight city split screens.

    The people of the capital, gue city, and a few Lingnan regions were no longer too surprised, as they were the longest-running viewers of the future live stream.

    The four newly opened split screens, however, were goggling with wide eyes, constantly eximing in astonishment.

    Gu Sang exined, "The people you see are doctors and nurses, that''s their work uniform......"

    "That''s a self-service kiosk for picking up test results. After the diagnosis, you can pick up your test results anytime from there......"

    Gu Sang headed toward the elevator, intending to take the ancients to observe the fourth floor.

    Ding¡ª

    The elevator doors opened, and three people were inside.

    A couple in their thirties.

    The woman''s eyes were rimmed with red, clearly having just cried.

    Standing beside the couple was a woman in her fifties or sixties, with a shrewish face, nted triangr eyes, and a pping mouth that wouldn''t stop nattering.

    The woman''s scolding voice was extremely unpleasant for Gu Sang to hear: "I don''t know what sin my sonmitted to spend 188,000 yuan marrying a woman with a problematic womb!"

    "You can''t even have children, do you even count as a woman?"

    "To marry you into the family, for your bride price, I had to drain my entire savings."

    "Do you know how expensive IVF is? The whole process costs at least tens of thousands!"

    "What kind of woman needs IVF to have a child, unless you''ve been promiscuous in the past!"

    Seeing Gu Sang enter, the woman continued berating her daughter-inw without pause.

    Her mouth was full ofints about the bride price and insults.

    Meanwhile, the ancients in the live stream noticed the words "test tube" and were instantly flushed with excitement!

    Test tube?

    So a barren woman could have children by doing a "test tube" procedure?

    Hiss¡ª

    What kind of immortal technique was this?!!

    The wife closed her eyes, took a deep breath to suppress her anger, clearly on the verge of an outburst.

    The husband looked at his mother''s expression, then at his wife, and began appeasing both sides.

    The woman disdainfully curled her lip, "We spent so much on her bride price, it''s only right that I say a few words to her for being unable to have children."

    "Other families'' daughters-inw are diligent and frugal, working while taking care of children and doing chores, look at the daughter-inw you married!"

    "She even wants you to share the housework! And now she wants to spend money on IVF, I''ll be too embarrassed to take the child out once it''s born."

    After the elevator doors opened, Gu Sang hurried out without dy.

    But unexpectedly, the three of them also got off on this floor and walked behind Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang heard the woman''s insults in their entirety. Although she wanted to rebuke her, she didn''t want to meddle in other people''s affairs anymore!

    Let go of the urge to help, respect people''s fates!

    To be insulted like that without fighting back, the wife''s own weakness and ipetence was to me. Anyone who helped her would just end up covered in dirt!

    "What are you looking at? What''s there to look at!"

    "I spent 188,000 yuan on this daughter-inw, and I can''t even say anything about her inability to have children?"

    "What are you sulking about with your head down, what nonsense! Everyone else can have kids, why can''t you? You even have to spend money on IVF, how embarrassing!"

    Gu Sang shook his head and looked deeply at his wife, who was hanging her head.

    He then looked at his husband, who pursed his lips and only dared to advise caution.

    Gu Sang truly looked down on a man like this, who couldn''t even protect his own wife, who couldn''t take responsibility or make decisions, and who tried to please everyone on both sides!

    However¡ª

    In that very instant!

    "Swoosh!!" His wife could no longer hold back.

    She abruptly raised her head and pushed the woman away two or three meters.

    Ignoring her husband''s changing expression, she clenched her fists tightly, her facial muscles trembling with rage, and blurted out a shocking secret!

    With reddened eyes, his wife turned cold and scolded him on the spot: "Enough! I''ve had enough! If you want your son to divorce and remarry, then let him divorce!"

    "All you ever talk about is the bride price, the bride price. Do you want 188,000 yuan from your entire family? What about the 300,000 yuan dowry car I gave you, which you never mention!"

    "Shut up, you old hag! I''ve had enough!"

    "Also, let me tell you! The one who can''t conceive isn''t me, it''s your son!"

 Chapter 107: The Throne in Your Home Has No Successor

    <h4>Chapter 107</h4>

    "Your son has weak sperm syndrome. The chances of him conceiving a child are lower than winning the lottery!"

    "It was your son who begged me not to reveal this. For the sake of his male pride and dignity, I kept it secret and took the me. I never expected you, you old hag, and those rtives to curse me behind my back every day!"

    "And you! You useless coward!"

    "You have no sense of responsibility as a man!"

    "To hell with in vitro fertilization! I''m done with it! Old woman, your family line is going to end! Your throne will have no heir! Let''s get a divorce!"

    The wife''s furious outburst, after reaching her breaking point, made the older woman''s head spin.

    She gaped, unable to utter a word for a long while.

    Her son had weak sperm syndrome?

    It wasn''t her who was ill, but her son?

    How could this be? How could this be?!

    Meanwhile, the ancient people watching the livestream were thunderstruck.

    Then, chaos erupted among them.

    The citizens of the old city wondered to themselves: What does weak sperm syndrome mean? Could there really be men in this world who can''t have children? Isn''t it always the women who are at fault?

    From the wife''s sarcastic andposed face, the old city residents could guess that this inability to conceive, this weak sperm syndrome, should... perhaps... maybe be the man''s problem?

    It wasn''t the wife''s fault after all?

    However, the citizens of the new citypletely ignored the young woman''stter words. In their fixed mindset, only women could be infertile!

    How could there be men who couldn''t father children?

    The new city residents immediately started cursing: "How can this woman be so fierce? She even dares to talk back to her husband. Such a woman should be discarded!"

    "If she can''t bear children, how can she even be considered a woman? She''s just a hen that doesn''ty eggs. The scolding is justified!"

    "The most honorable thing in a woman''s life is to bear children. She''s so unvirtuous. If I couldn''t conceive, I would have already found some fertile concubines for my husband."

    "A woman who can''t bear children might as well be dead. What''s the use of spending so much money on medical treatment?"

    Various insults continuously reached Gu Sang''s ears through the livestream.

    Many, many years ago, the shame of infertility was almost always med on women. How could the noble men of ancient times possibly be ill?

    Impossible!

    Even if it were possible, no man would admit it!

    Gu Sang''s lips twitched, revealing a mocking smile. She was just short of elegantly rolling her eyes: "Weak sperm syndrome affects conception. It''s a problem with the man himself."

    "Nonsense!!" Ancient people immediately retorted.

    "Having children is clearly a woman''s issue. What does it have to do with men?"

    "What''s this weak sperm syndrome? We''ve never heard of it!"

    "That''s right. What kind of ce are you from? It''s bad enough that you dress so strangely, but for women to shamelessly appear in public? It''s outrageous!"

    "..."

    Gu Sang''s face turned cold, utterly speechless.

    It was precisely because of this terrible mindset that if a first wife remained childless for years, everyone would curse her for being unfilial and unable to bear children.

    Yet not once did anyone curse the man for being unable to make his wife conceive!

    Gu Sangughed coldly: "Just because you haven''t heard of it means it doesn''t exist?"

    "You say having children has nothing to do with men? So you can impregnate women just by looking at them? Why insist on raising your own bloodline? Isn''t raising someone else''s child just as good?"

    "Whether the child is biological or not doesn''t matter, since having children has nothing to do with you men!"

    These outrageous words left all the ancient people from the new city dumbfounded: "You! You, you!!"

    "Me, me, me? What about me!"

    "Our future medical science is so advanced that it can help families who struggle to conceive through technology. We can do in vitro fertilization!"

    "Even childbirthplications that would be life-threatening in your time: severe bleeding, twins, triplets: can all be safely managed in our major hospitals!"

    "Backward medical knowledge isn''t scary. What''s truly frightening is stubborn ignorance, refusing to ept new knowledge just to protect male pride!"

    "Women are willing to risk their lives to bear children for you. Not only are you ungrateful, but you''re also picky, oppressive, insulting, disdainful, and suppressive. It''s disgusting!"

    Gu Sang''s tirade left the ancient people from the new city utterly defeated.

    The crowd was furious at Gu Sang''s words.

    They wanted to argue back, but when they looked up, they saw the mother-inw, who had been so arrogant moments ago, suddenly dete after her son admitted it was his own problem.

    Just a second earlier, she had been fiercely demanding her son divorce and remarry.

    The next second, the mother-inw was all smiles, carefully trying to please her daughter-inw, apologizing profusely, humbling herself, and tearfully begging the woman not to divorce her son.

    Witnessing this scene, the ancient people from the new city were leftpletely nk.

    Meanwhile, the old city residents became even more convinced that the inability to have children could very well be the man''s problem, not always the woman''s fault.

    At this moment, among the crowds shown in the eight split screens, dozens of women were secretly wiping away tears.

    Ancient women wept: "So it turns out that infertility isn''t always my fault. It could be that the man can''t father children."

    "Sob... You see? If your mother insults me again, I''ll divorce you and remarry. We''ll see if it''s you who can''t have children or me."

    "No, darling, don''t be rash. I''ll talk to my mother when I get back. I promise she''ll never say anything like that to you again."

    In the hospital corridor, the wife who had been covering for her husband''s infertility was coldly smirking at her fawning mother-inw.

    She then looked at her husband, who was red-faced and gazing at her with a mix of resentment and sadness in his eyes.

    She saw through it all! This kind of man doesn''t deserve a wife!

    Apologize? Toote!

    The divorce was settled. She wasn''t willing to put her body through in vitro fertilization, enduring all that pain and suffering, only to receive a few words of gratitude from her husband in the end!

    The wife spat in disgust, grabbed her bag, and walked away.

    Gu Sang, seeing that it was about time, returned to Chen Yun''s hospital room. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard a young man''s voice from inside.

    The man''s tone carried a hint of impatience: "How can you be so ipetent? You even managed to fall down an esctor while shopping!"

    "I''ve told you before to cut ties with Lin Lin."

    "That kind of rtionship takes two to tango. In less than a year, she''s spent over 200,000 yuan of her boyfriend''s money. Who treats their partner like an ATM when dating? She''s nothing but a gold-digger!"

    "And now you''re losing sleep studyingw because of her issues. You''re not that bright to begin with; it''s a miracle you managed to graduate. What''s gotten into you, suddenly wanting to studyw?"

    Gu Sang heard these words crystal clear: "..."

    Why did those words sound so grating to the ear?

    What did they mean by "ATM"?

    Not only had Lin Lin not spent that much money, but she had also reciprocated with gifts. How could this be called wasteful materialism?

    Soon after.

    Chen Yun''s voice came from inside, though quiet, it was filled with determination: "Enough!"

    "Do you know how disgusting that He Linpeng is? He even keeps the receipt for buying Lin Lin a bottle of mineral water."

 Chapter 108: Miss Gu: Boyfriend Wants to Pursue

    <h4>Chapter 108</h4>

    "In those bills totaling over 200,000, all the expenses for both of them were charged to Lin Lin''s ount. He even included the dumplings he made himself, charging a yuan each!"

    "How is that being materialistic and wasteful? In your eyes, a cup of milk tea, a meal of dumplings, and a bag costing a few hundred yuan are considered materialistic? You think it''s treating men like ATMs, is that it?! Moreover, that scumbag deceived Lin Lin!"

    "When I broke my leg and asked you to apany me for surgery, you made excuses not toe. And when you finally showed up, you tried to persuade me not to studyw or take the graduate entrance exam. What exactly are you trying to say?!"

    Gu Sang didn''t want to interrupt their conversation.

    But she had Chen Yun''s test results in hand, so she knocked on the door and then entered.

    As soon as she walked in,

    She saw Chen Yun''s boyfriend standing by the bed, looking quite displeased.

    Chen Yun''s eyes were red with anger as she red at her boyfriend, biting her lip.

    "Yun, I''ve put your test results and payment receipts on the cab," Gu Sang said, walking past Chen Yun''s boyfriend and cing the documents on the cab.

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend turned his head and saw the elegant Gu Sang.

    They say you can tell if a person has an air of nobility by looking at their skin and hair quality.

    Gu Sang wore a simple white dress, her ck hair exceptionally well-maintained, smooth and shiny. Her skin was fair and wless, clearly without even a trace of sunscreen.

    She had an otherworldly aura, with an indescribable elegance and grace.

    The boyfriend was stunned for a second, dazzled by her beauty.

    He looked Gu Sang up and down, his heart suddenly racing, and asked with a smile, "Yun, is this your friend? Howe I''ve never seen her before?"

    Chen Yun snorted coldly, "She''s a friend of mine and Lin Lin''s."

    "Yun, since your boyfriend is here, I''ll be going now. Call me if you need anything," Gu Sang said without even ncing at the boyfriend, leaving without looking back.

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend''s eyes followed Gu Sang''s retreating figure.

    When he looked back at Chen Yun, his gaze immediately dimmed.

    The boyfriend coughed and pretended to show concern, asking, "I''ve met all your friends before. Is she a new friend? Do you know where she''s from? Is she a student or working? You should check these things when making friends, to avoid being deceived."

    "I noticed her simple attire. How''s her family''s financial situation?"

    Although Chen Yun was unhappy with her boyfriend''s suspicion and probing about Gu Sang, she thought he was just worried about her, so she wasn''t as angry anymore.

    She had nothing to hide.

    Except for Gu Sang''s identity as the heiress of the Gu family, Chen Yun told him everything else.

    Chen Yun defended her friend, saying, "She''s definitely not a fraud. The way we met was quite dramatic. It happened when..."

    The boyfriend silently noted down Gu Sang''s name.

    He stood up and looked out the window, "It''s rush hour now, your friend might have trouble getting a taxi at the hospital entrance. She''s been with you all day, so as a gesture of courtesy, I should go and give her a ride."

    Chen Yun felt something was off but couldn''t quite put her finger on it.

    Before she could speak, her boyfriend had already left the room.

    "Come...e back soon," Chen Yun said dejectedly to the empty doorway, trying to reassure herself.

    Maybe she was being too sensitive?

    Her boyfriend going alone to give her female friend a ride did sound a bit ufortable.

    At the roadside near the hospital,

    Gu Sang''s ride-hailing request wasn''t getting any responses. Just as she was about to cancel the order, a white Chevrolet pulled up in front of her.

    The window rolled down, revealing Chen Yun''s boyfriend.

    He rested one arm on the window, smiling as he said, "Sang, it''s dinner time now, so it''s hard to get a ride. Hop in, I''ll take you home."

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend wore sses and a well-fitted suit, exuding an air of arrogance.

    The most prominent ce in the car disyed a photo of his graduate school graduation.

    There were no stickers about his girlfriend on the passenger side, unlike many lovesick boys who might put a "Reserved for My Sweetheart" sticker there.

    Gu Sang couldn''t quite put her finger on her impression of him, but it wasn''t afortable one.

    "Thank you."

    "But no need, I''ll take the bus home," Gu Sang declined his offer and took a step back, preparing to walk to the bus stop ahead.

    Seeing Gu Sang''s cold and distant attitude, not even cracking a smile,

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend simply parked the car by the roadside, got out, and tried to persuade Gu Sang, "Sang, you''re Yun''s friend, which makes you my friend too. So there''s no need to be so formal with me."

    "Besides, you''ve been at the hospital with Yun all day, you must be tired."

    "Just get in the car, I promise to get you home safely."

    Gu Sang felt increasingly ufortable as she listened.

    A man with a girlfriend should maintain distance from female friends.

    Gu Sang looked at him coldly, "Precisely because you''re Chen Yun''s boyfriend, you should be focusing on her right now, staying by her side and taking care of her at this critical time."

    "Not leaving her to give me a ride."

    "I''m just her friend, not yours."

    These words were quite blunt.

    The boyfriend''s expression soured, clearly feeling that Gu Sang was being ungrateful.

    But just at that moment!

    A multi-million dor sports car suddenly skidded to a stop in front of Gu Sang with a screech.

    Gu Qing, dressed head to toe in designer brands with a Herm¨¨s Birkin bag in the back seat, peered out from behind six-figure sunsses.

    "Ta-da!"

    "Like a p of thunder, the hot pepper makes her grand entrance!"

    "Sang! Mom and Dad want to know, for your birthday the day after tomorrow, do you want to have the party at home or somewhere else? The old folks miss you!"

    "They''re also shamelessly asking if you wantpany shares, jewelry, cash, or a vi in the city center?"

    With these words,

    The entire scene fell silent!

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend felt as if something heavy had struck his head, leaving him nk. He stared intently at the multi-million dor luxury car in front of him!

    A supercar!

    A top-tier supercar!

    With a designer bag worth two million yuan in the back seat!

    And the designer clothes Gu Qing was wearing: he knew that brand! He knew it because his boss''s boss''s boss had once gritted her teeth to buy the cheapest dress from that line for an annualpany party...

    Starting at six figures!

    Company shares, jewelry, cash, a vi in the city center?

    Good heavens!

    How did Chen Yun, that materialistic woman with just a vocational degree, make such a well-connected friend?

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend''s eyes burned, his heart pounding rapidly.

    A terrifying thought suddenly surged up! Ever since he had been admitted to graduate school, he increasingly felt that Chen Yun was no longer good enough for him. However, it wasn''t easy to break up after seven years of being together.

    What if¡ª

    What if!!

    If he could develop a rtionship with Gu Sang, he would have it all¡ªa house, a car, money, and a beautiful woman. He''d be the ultimate winner in life!

    With all that money, why would he need to suffer through a job anymore?

    Thinking of this, Chen Yun''s boyfriend put on what he considered to be his most charming smile and took the initiative to greet Gu Qing: "Hello, I''m a friend of Sang Sang."

 Chapter 109: Pei Chang breathed a sigh of relief and gained confidence

    <h4>Chapter 109</h4>

    Gu Qing hadn''t noticed the man standing beside her the entire time.

    The intensity and calction in this man''s eyes were too obvious!

    Inside Xuyang Pce, Pei Changying clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with possessiveness. As Gu Sang''s husband and her heaven, how could he not see that this boyfriend had ulterior motives towards Gu Sang?!

    Gu Sang!

    You''re not allowed to ride in his car!

    I forbid it!

    You belong to me, I know I was wrong before...

    In the livestream, Gu Qing nced at Chen Yun''s boyfriend with disdain. The fiery girl, spoiled by endless affection, rolled her eyes in disgust. "Well, well, well, Sang-sang, is this your friend?"

    "No," Gu Sang shook her head.

    "Good. I hate men who hang car keys from their belt loops. Is that a... hmm? Well, I don''t recognize that cheap brand."

    "Get in the car!"

    "Why are you just standing there? I... I... I specially... I personally drove by to give you a ride. Hurry up!"

    The car door opened automatically, drawing envious looks from passersby.

    Gu Sang smiled, ruffled Gu Qing''s messy hair, and then unceremoniously got into the car.

    Gu Qing''s ears turned bright red.

    Her mind was screaming, but outwardly she remained as cool as a cucumber. She shifted into the wrong gear, causing the sports car to back up a few meters before she hastily braked, then zoomed forward!

    "Phew..."

    "I knew Sang-sang still cared about me. Otherwise, why would she reject other men''s advances?" Pei Changying breathed a sigh of relief at the scene.

    The corners of his mouth curled into a confident and charming smile.

    Pei Changying knew that Gu Sang understood propriety. Her previous actions were just to make him jealous!

    At crucial moments, Gu Sang would never betray him. As he pondered this, Pei Changying''s mood lightened, his eyes filled with affection.

    This scene was watched clearly by Empress Gu Qingrou from a corner of Xuyang Pce. She closed her eyes in pain and quietly left.

    Meanwhile, in the modern world, Chen Yun''s boyfriend, ignored by both sisters, clenched his fists tightly.

    Seeing Gu Sang leave without even a nce at him, he could barely maintain his smile.

    Only after the supercar hadpletely turned at the traffic light ahead did Chen Yun''s boyfriend''s expression darken. Flushed with anger and humiliation, he cursed, "It''s just good luck in reincarnation. That fortune isn''t even self-made. What''s there to be so arrogant about?"

    "Without good parents, you''d be nothing."

    "I''m a graduate student, and I''ve already passed the written exam for the civil service. In terms of personal merit, I''m no worse than you. What''s there to be proud of?"

    The boyfriend felt his dignity trampled, putting on the air of a principled man who despised materialism and wealth.

    Yet his hands couldn''t help but open a car app to search for the price of the sports car Gu Qing was driving.

    Meanwhile, in the car, Gu Qing was chattering away with a serious expression: "Sang-sang this, Sang-sang that?"

    "Oh, your friend, Sang-sang! How intimate!"

    "He called you so familiarly, anyone would think he was your boyfriend. I''ve seen plenty of these stingy, arrogant types. Your identity is all over the inte now. You''ll meet lots of sleazy men trying to leech off you and marry into money. Don''t let them fool you."

    "Life''s hard enough already. Being with a man who makes you suffer more is just stupid!"

    "Let me tell you, based on my years of inte experience, he definitely wants to hook up with you, then use the Gu family to climb up. Once he''s secure, he''ll get rid of you - affairs, car idents, illegitimate children, crematoriums, he''ll give you the works in no time."

    "Did you see how he looked at you? His eyes were glowing! He looked at my car with more love than he''d look at the God of Wealth!"

    "It makes me so angry!"

    Those bastards!

    They all want to hurt Sang-sang.

    We just rescued her from the mountains, and now another scumbag shows up!

    His eyes were glowing green as he stared at her bag. He might as well have stuck himself to it. You could tell at a nce he was trying to climb the socialdder.

    Greed for wealth knows no gender.

    Women like faithful, passionate, tall, rich, and handsome men. Men are even more fond of beautiful, rich women whoe with dowries! There are plenty of men who ride on their wives'' family wealth, only to turn heartlesster.

    Listening to Gu Qing''s endless chatter, Gu Sang nodded seriously in agreement: "Don''t worry, sis. In this life, I only love wealth and luxury. I don''t seek even a shred of true love."

    "He''s Chen Yun''s boyfriend. He saw I was having trouble getting a taxi and wanted to give me a ride."

    "He probably, possibly, maybe, perhaps meant well. Don''t overthink it."

    "After all, Chen Yun has helped me before. Don''t speak ill of her boyfriend, even though I don''t have a good impression of him either."

    Ever since the press conference, Gu Sang and Gu Qing''s rtionship had grown much closer.

    She knew that Gu Qing was just putting on a tough act but was actually very concerned about her.

    But Chen Yun''s boyfriend...

    He did make people feel a bit ufortable.

    The conversation between the two in the sports car was heard clearly by the ancient people watching the livestream.

    The ancient viewers had been feeling that Gu Sang was too cold and distant.

    Some frowned disapprovingly, while others looked puzzled. They asked, "Goddess, weren''t you a bit too harsh just now?"

    "Yeah, he was kindly offering to take you home. Why were you so cold and distant? You were happy to let that Senior Lu pick you up and drop you off before, even though you were just friends."

    "Your sister is so rude, ndering people behind their backs like that."

    "Isn''t your future world supposed to be very open-minded? Why didn''t you let that man give you a ride? Aren''t men and women equal now? Why are you being so coy all of a sudden?"

    Both the people from the new city and the old city were discussing animatedly.

    They only viewed the future world through the livestream with their eyes, but they hadn''t truly tried to understand it. Being open-minded and not knowing boundaries are two very different concepts!

    Gu Sang exined to the confused ancient people: "Gender equality means respecting each other in behavior and thought."

    "It doesn''t mean having no boundaries in friendships."

    "When ites to a friend''s partner, you must actively maintain distance. Leaving your injured girlfriend alone in the hospital and personally offering to drive her friend home is already crossing a line."

    "Imagine if your husband or wife abandoned you while you were seriously ill to personally drive an opposite-sex friend home. Would you be happy about that?"

    "Humans are very intelligent creatures. They know in their hearts where the boundaries lie. They know that doing such things might make their partner ufortable. They know where the bottom line should be. If they overstep, it''s probably intentional!"

    "Being open-minded doesn''t mean crossing boundaries."

    "It''s best to treat your friend''s partner as a stranger. Unless your friend brings them up, you shouldn''t even keep their phone number, let alone spend time alone with them. When you like someone, you naturally be sensitive and jealous. Her boyfriend belongs to her and has nothing to do with me. That''s where the boundary lies."

    In that moment, it was as if the people of ancient times had suddenly awakened from a dream!

    The goddess said that when you like someone, you be jealous and don''t want to see your partner alone with someone of the opposite sex!

    You must actively maintain distance from a friend''s partner. If you don''t, it''s assumed you''re crossing a line.

    Thinking about it carefully...

    Indeed!

 Chapter 110: Defaulting to Crossing the Line Means Defaulting to Ambiguity

    <h4>Chapter 110</h4>

    Chen Yun was currently bedridden in the hospital, recovering from surgery for a fractured bone.

    Her boyfriend had just arrived at the hospital. Instead of properly taking care of his girlfriend''s injury, he was offering to send someone home? What kind of friend was that?

    Moreover, it wasn''t even Chen Yun who suggested it. Her boyfriend suddenly came up with the idea of sending someone home. Wasn''t this crossing a line? In his heart, was sending Gu Sang home more important than Chen Yun''s injury?

    "The goddess''s words seem to make sense... Not taking care of his own fianc¨¦e who''s injured, but instead sending the goddess home?"

    "If his fianc¨¦e was perfectly fine and the goddess was injured, it might be understandable, but... could it really be as that girl said?"

    "Surely it can''t be that bad..."

    The ancient one''s heart was in turmoil.

    Screech¡ª!

    The sound of brakes filled the air.

    They had arrived at Gu Sang''s home.

    During this journey, Gu Sang had refused her parents'' birthday party invitation and rejected gifts like luxury cars and vis.

    She always felt that she couldn''t go back.

    She just wanted to work hard and earn money, waiting for her grandmother toe home. She no longer yearned for anything else.

    Gu Sang''s refusal was within Gu Qing''s expectations. She nced at her sister, then rather awkwardly pulled out an exquisitely wrapped gift box from her bag.

    "If you won''t go, then don''t. Forget it, I was just asking casually anyway."

    "Here, take this!"

    "Don''t ask, just ept it. Don''t open it until I''m gone!" Gu Qing quickly started the car and sped away.

    Gu Sang instinctively reached out to take the gift box.

    Whoa¡ª

    Gu Sang almost couldn''t hold it.

    Was this box filled with bricks?

    It was so heavy!

    In the short few minutes it took to go upstairs and return home, Gu Sang felt like her hand was about to break off. The box was only about the size of a book, square in shape.

    "She didn''t actually give me a brick, did she?"

    "It doesn''t seem like it, but how can such a small box feel like it weighs fifteen or twenty pounds?"

    Gu Sang curiously opened the gift box and was stunned the next second!

    Because!

    Inside was a transparent ss container holding a gold brick.

    Next to it was a gold certification from a major bank: "China Commercial Bank Gold, 8888 grams"

    "Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands... What''s the current gold price? The buyback price is over 400... I''ve struck it rich." Gu Sang sat on the sofa, tightly hugging the brick, sighing and marveling repeatedly.

    She really didn''t want to ept it.

    But!

    But it was just too, too, too heavy!

    -

    As time quickly approached evening.

    Gu Sang happened to go out for dinner with Lu Mufei, taking the opportunity to discuss matters rted to the film crew.

    Meanwhile, the video of Lin Lin jumping off a building had gone viral online with the passage of time, bing the hottest headline, even catching the attention of many official channels.

    That night.

    The official ount of Jianghai City posted an announcement: "Please remain vignt, and be sure to keep finances clear during romantic rtionships!"

    Although the announcement concealed the names of those involved.

    Netizens still managed to piece together the puzzle and guess who the parties were.

    Subsequently,

    A series of videos "teaching you how to identify cunning men" and "how to spend money normally during a rtionship" went viral on the inte.

    The male protagonist involved, He Linpeng.

    He was just leaving the police station, looking exhausted. It wasn''t until he passed through the gates of the station that his face began to show a hint of smugness.

    He Linpeng sneered, "Pah! Think you''re so great, officials? That spendthrift woman wasn''t killed by my own hands. Summoning me for no reason, really taking a chicken feather for an imperial edict."

    "Don''t think dying solves the problem!"

    "I still have all those bills. The child''s debt, the mother pays. If they don''t pay, I''ll take them to court."

    He Linpeng was supposed to be resting at home today, but the police suddenly showed up, saying Lin Lin''s suicide was rted to him.

    Fortunately, everything he did was within the bounds of thew, and he hadn''t done anything illegal.

    Coming to the police station was just about having some tea and listening to a lecture on moral character.

    He hadn''t broken anyws, so it was just a matter of morals and personal integrity. These people and theizens could only try to restrain him on moral grounds, but he didn''t care!

    He had no morals, so what did it matter!

    "There are plenty of cheating men in the world, but you never see any woman acting as dramatic as her."

    "Really, it''s like a dog catching mice, meddling in affairs that don''t concern them. They''d be better off dealing with those old men and women scamming people on the streets, or those gold diggers."

    "Now that''s what you call profiting without investment."

    "This two hundred thousand plus, it''s all money I spent on Lin Lin. Every penny spent was my hard-earned money, why shouldn''t I get it back?"

    He Linpeng grumbled as he took a taxi home.

    As soon as he arrived at the residentialplex, he noticed that the neighbors and security guards who used to be friendly with him started to avoid him intentionally or unintentionally.

    Old Li, who used to go fishing with him whenever they had time, acted as if he hadn''t seen him today.

    This made He Linpeng quite angry: "Old Li, you''re being unreasonable. That gold digger''s death has nothing to do with me. She chose to jump off the building herself. Don''t listen to those idle gossips."

    "Even the police haven''t convicted me of any crime, which proves I''m not wrong!"

    "What''s wrong with taking back my own money!"

    He Linpeng raised his voice for thetter part of his speech.

    He seemed to be proudly unting his abilities.

    He was over thirty, not only had he found a young mistress, but he was also able to get back the money he had spent on her. Wasn''t that a kind of skill?

    Those who could earn more than him, so what? They still didn''t have the ability to find a mistress!

    Seeing that Old Li was still shrinking back and afraid to respond, He Linpeng couldn''t be bothered to say more. He just sneered and walked towards the stairs.

    The next second!

    He Linpeng''s voice echoed from the stairwell. Everyone could hear his furious roar from afar: "Which damned bastard dared to dump shit at my doorstep!!!"

    "Ugh!"

    "Ugh! Just wait till I catch you, I''ll definitely... Ugh! Ugh!"

    He Linpeng rushed down to the ground floor, retching all the way.

    Everyone covered their noses and stayed far away, seemingly able to smell that faint stenching from He Linpeng''s body.

    Ten minutester, the police arrived after receiving an emergency call.

    Looking at the pile of feces dumped at He Linpeng''s doorstep, the entire stairwell was filled with an unbearable stench of excrement.

    The police were both speechless and helpless.

    This was an old residential building with no surveince cameras upstairs!

    Moreover, the neighbors across from him had already moved out, and only He Linpeng''s family lived up there.

    An officer spoke up: "Mr. He, please calm down. We will investigate this matter."

    He Linpeng was red-faced with anger: "How can I calm down! These people have no manners, this is too much!"

    "You must find the person who''s been spraying feces on my doorstep immediately! It''s disgusting. Such a morally depraved thief should be thrown in jail!"

    The team members: "......."

    Suddenly hearing the word "quality," they felt likeughing.

    No, they were professionals. They couldn''tugh, unless they couldn''t hold it in.

    "We''ll investigate as quickly as possible. However, please clean up the excrement in front of your door today. We don''t want it to affect other residents in themunity."

 Chapter 111: Where Justice Canâ€™t Reach, Thereâ€™s Mom

    <h4>Chapter 111</h4>

    He Linpeng''s veins bulged as he gritted his teeth in anger.

    He wanted to grab the officer''s shoulders and demand answers, but upon seeing the uniform, he barely managed to suppress the urge tosh out.

    "I didn''t do this! Why should I clean it up?"

    "Whoever made the mess should clean it!"

    The officer replied, "Mr. He, this is right outside your door. If you don''t mind the stench, you can just leave it there."

    "If we catch the culprit, we''ll let you know. How you deal with them after that is between you two."

    He watched as the officer finished taking notes and turned to leave.

    Neighbors from the floors above and below gathered on their balconies to watch, their faces bearing indecipherable smirks.

    He Linpeng was so furious he started jumping up and down, shouting at the top of his lungs, "How uncivilized! How immoral! Nine years ofpulsory education, and this is what we get? What kind of person does this?"

    A neighbor from upstairs called out, "Listen, Mr. He, it''s starting to smell up here. You''d better clean it up soon, or it''ll dry and be even harder to remove. You might end up having to scrape it off with your bare hands..."

    The next day.

    A shrill ring woke He Linpeng from his slumber.

    He had spent three hours cleaning up the mess outside his door yesterday!

    For three whole hours, he''d nearly passed out from the stench several times!

    Afterward, he couldn''t even bring himself to eat dinner. He scrubbed himself raw in the shower, but even after he got out, the smell of excrement still clung to him.

    No matter how many times he washed withundry detergent, shower gel, or soap¡ªdozens of times¡ªthe odor wouldn''t go away.

    And now, at this very moment!

    Ring, ring, ring¡ª

    The phone rang. It was his boss.

    "Ugh, boss," He Linpeng answered, still nauseous from yesterday''s ordeal.

    "He Linpeng,e to the office and clear out your things. You''re fired!" His boss''s tone was icy and stern.

    He Linpeng replied calmly, "Boss, if you''re firing me, you''ll have to pay severance. I''ve worked for thepany for so many years, so thepensation¡ª"

    His boss was ready to explode with anger.

    He cut He Linpeng off, "He Linpeng, you have the nerve toe back to work? Lin Lin jumped off a building because of your lies. Don''t you feel any guilt?"

    "Thepany is now affected by your mess. Considering your years of service, I can give you an extra month''s sry, but don''t even think about any otherpensation."

    He Linpeng sneered, his tone threatening, "Boss, that''s not whatborw says. You shouldpensate me based on my years of service."

    "If you insist on this, I''ll have to report you to thebor bureau."

    But his boss remained firm, even daring him to go ahead and file aint.

    He Linpeng''s hands trembled with rage.

    He hung up the phone and began searching his cab for his contract, preparing to gather materials for a trip to thebor bureau.

    As he left the residentialplex.

    He Linpeng, head down, sent a voice message to his wife, not noticing that the green light had turned red.

    "Stay at your mother''s ce with the kid for a few more days. I''lle pick you up once I''ve sorted things out here."

    "Yes, yes, I promise. I won''t go looking for anyone else again. That bitch only went after me because I''m a manager with money. She seduced me into bed."

    "Don''t worry, what can that old hag do to me? She has to cough up the 200,000 yuan! It''s her fault for raising such a materialistic, gold-digging daughter. If she doesn''t pay, I''ll¡ª"

    "Beep..."

    "Screech..."

    A small delivery truck on the pedestrian crossing let out a sharp honk and the sound of screeching brakes.

    Followed by a loud thud!

    Boom¡ª

    He Linpeng was violently thrown into the air!

    The truck''s wheels crushed his legs into a bloody pulp!

    Hey on the ground, covered in blood, passing out from the pain. But before he closed his eyes, he seemed to see... to see a woman sitting in the driver''s seat!

    It was!

    Lin Lin''s mother!

    He Linpeng''s eyes widened, his mouth full of blood, gurgling as it spilled out.

    He stared intently at the woman in the truck, who looked at him with a crazed expression,ughing until tears streamed down her face. "Red light, hahaha..."

    "I want you to lose everything, to suffer and linger, wishing you were dead!"

    "My darling, did you see? Where justice can''t reach, your mother can."

    "Mommy will always love you."

 Chapter 112: Scumbag amputated, a relief for everyone

    <h4>Chapter 112</h4>

    When Gu Sang learned that He Linpeng had lost his legs in a car ident, her mind went nk for a second, and then she involuntarilyughed out loud.

    Ah, no.

    This won''t do!

    She had really learned some bad habits. How could she take pleasure in someone else''s misfortune?

    Upon further learning that the person who had crippled him was Linlin''s Mother, Gu Sang felt an immense heaviness in her heart.

    She immediately found awyer for Linlin''s Mother and inquired about the legal situation. When she learned that running a red light would be considered the main responsibility, she breathed a sigh of relief.

    But the rtionship between Linlin''s Mother and He Linpeng was a bitplicated, and awsuit was definitely going to happen.

    Thewyer said, "If this were a normal traffic ident, your side would only need to bear economicpensation, and most of it would be covered by insurance."

    "But analyzing the public opinion online, given the dispute between the two parties, He Linpeng''s first wife definitely won''t let this go. She will likely press charges for intentional injury."

    "When it goes to court, it will depend on how responsibility is assigned."

    "If it''s judged as a normal traffic ident, there won''t be a problem. Don''t worry, just based on the fact that he ran a red light, the impact on my client will be reduced by half."

    "For the rest, I''ll do my best to argue our case. Any usations without evidence will be invalid!"

    Receiving thewyer''s answer, Gu Sang felt slightly more at ease.

    All she could do was hire a well-knownwyer for Linlin''s Mother. The rest would depend on thewyer gathering evidence.

    With a goodwyer for defense, plus the fact that He Linpeng was crossing the road while looking at his phone and ran a red light, Linlin''s Mother''s side shouldn''t have too big of a problem.

    The big issue was He Linpeng''s amputated legs.

    It was his life worse than death from now on!

    Lin Lin.

    Do you see now?

    The man who ruined your life has now had his life ruined by your mother.

    -

    "ng! ng! ng!!!"

    Meanwhile, in the ancient gue-ridden city.

    Several soldiers sent by the Elder Princess were going through the streets, beating gongs and drums to make an announcement.

    "Recruiting for the women''s guard unit, excellent benefits... Free medical training with the Imperial Physicians... Those interested can sign up at the city gate!"

    "Recruiting for the women''s guard unit..."

    After shouting themselves hoarse making the rounds, only about a dozen women came to the city gate to sign up.

    There were, however, hundreds of onlookers at the city gate, outnumbering those who signed up by dozens of times.

    In the crowd, young unmarried women''s eyes sparkled with interest.

    They heard the soldiers speak of various benefits, such as independent lodging and meals for women, strict control in the military by the Elder Princess to absolutely prevent contact between soldiers and the women, and no need to worry about any rumors spreading.

    What was even more enticing was the free medical training!

    Even ordinary doctors would charge money to take on apprentices.

    But these were Imperial Physicians from the pce!!!

    And they were going to teach for free!

    The soldiers who had been going through the streets also said that after serving in the military for three years, one could leave with a handsome sum of money.

    All of these factors made the unmarried women very interested.

    They couldn''t help but think, if they had a skill, would they no longer need to rely on marrying a man to support themselves?

    They wouldn''t have to be like other sisters, marrying off and dedicating their lives to their husbands and children.

    At that time, they would have another choice...

    "Mother, I want to go¡ª"

    However.

    Before the daughter could finish speaking.

    The woman beside her, as if guessing what she was about to say from her expression, immediately changed her countenance and scolded her, forcefully pulling the young woman in the direction of home.

    The mother said coldly, "No! You can''t go!"

    "The military camp is a ce for men. If you, an unmarried woman, go there, it would be like amb entering a tiger''s den."

    "I know you long for the future, but the future is the future, and this is our time! If you go to such a ce, how will you ever get married?"

    "You''ll be the talk of the whole vige!"

    The unmarried woman pressed her lips tightly together, looking back longingly.

    Until she could no longer see the dozen or so women who had mustered the courage to sign up at the city gate, she decided to make a push for herself and try to persuade her mother.

    The daughter took a deep breath and said, "But the Elder Princess said they would separate the men''s and women''s camps. We women would only need to treat people, and wouldn''t have any contact with those men."

    "And Mother, if Ie back after learning medicine, I can be a female doctor. Then you and Father can have an easier life."

    The mother stubbornly struck her daughter and said sternly, "Three years! Who knows what will happen in three years? That''s a battlefield, anything could happen."

    "There will definitely be physical contact when treating people. If you touch hands or see a man''s body, how will you ever get married? It would be so shameful!"

    "Besides, how old will you be after three years? You''ll be an old maid by then, what family would want you?"

    "But... but the Divine Lady..." the daughter cried out in pain, biting her lip, wanting to say that the Divine Lady and the Elder Princess were such outstanding people and they weren''t married yet!

    Why did women only have one path to choose - marriage?

    The daughter hesitated for a long time, just about to muster the courage to speak these thoughts aloud!

    The mother spoke again, directly shattering all of the young woman''s ideas: "You want topare yourself to the Divine Lady and the Elder Princess? You can''t even recognize a single character, how can youpare?"

    "You don''t have their knowledge, you don''t have their background, you can barely read a few words!"

    "We''re just poor people, don''t even think about it."

    "You''re even afraid to kill a chicken, if you went to the battlefield, wouldn''t you faint at the sight of blood?"

    In the gue-ridden city, such scenes were not umon.

    Many young women, full of passion, wanted to sign up, but were stopped by family members and rtives for various reasons.

    Sometimes, ah.

    Those who stop you from bing stronger and better, who suppress you at every opportunity to rise up, who constantly tell you that you''re not as good as others, are not strangers.

    They are the ones you consider your best friends, parents, and rtives.

    They will tell you:

    Others are others, and you are you. You''re so stupid, so @#£¤%...... How could you possibly seed? Give up already!

    You should just marry someone, get a job, and stop thinking about all these unrealistic things.

    But life is short. Women''s status is already so low, life is already so difficult. Who knows if you can turn things around if you don''t give it a try!

    "What?!"

    "You want to go to the battlefield? What about your children? Do you want to leave your children motherless? How can you be so heartless!"

    "Haha, you want to study medicine? Look at you, you can''t even handle small tasks properly. You studying medicine? Don''t embarrass yourself! If you end up being too stupid and get kicked out, don''t you dare say you''re my wife. I''d be too ashamed."

    "Look at your sister-inw, she''s so pitiful as a widow with children! Your Elder Brother died on the battlefield after being drafted. And now you''re telling me you want to go to the battlefield? Are you trying to be the death of me?"

    This scene was ying out in thousands upon thousands of households across the gue-ridden city.

    Although their reasons for objection varied, they all boiled down to a single cause.

    Their rigid mindsets hadn''t been changed by the Elder Princess''s conditions, nor by Gu Sang''s teachings. It wasn''t something that could be transformed just by watching a few live streams.

    Perhaps some people had already awakened.

    But that glimmer of light...

    Would quickly be suppressed by rtives, friends, and husbands. They would have ten thousand reasons to stop you, never caring about what you truly want.

 Chapter 113: Flood Strikes, Gu Sang Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 113</h4>

    "Beep! Beep! Beep!"

    "Alert! Ancient flood disaster approaching!"

    At 2 AM.

    The system suddenly emitted a sharp rm, startling Gu Sang awake from her deep slumber. She rolled over and then jolted upright, springing out of bed.

    Gu Sang got up and turned on the light, her mind still foggy, but the words already tumbling out of her mouth: "System, what''s happening?"

    "Liujiang City is experiencing a flood!"

    "Do you want to view it?"

    The words "flood disaster" struck again, fully awakening Gu Sang.

    "View it."

    As soon as Gu Sang finished speaking, a massive screen appeared before her eyes.

    Terrifying floodwaters mixed with tree branches and rocks surged from afar. In the blink of an eye, they had already crashed into the city with a thunderous roar.

    The vigers who hadn''t managed to escape from the city yet were calling out to each other in panic, clutching their children and fleeing to higher ground with their belongings.

    But before they could get far, the rolling floodwaters had already scattered them.

    Houses copsed!

    The flood, carrying rocks, washed over the entire city in a bloody torrent!

    The people were like fish on the brink of death, desperately crying out in their final moments. Their struggles and will to survive gripped Gu Sang''s heart tightly, making even breathing difficult.

    "Waa... Father! Father! Ah!"

    "Heavens above, save us, we can''t go on living!"

    "Could the strange omen that suddenly appeared at the city gate a few days ago have been a sign of this natural disaster? Is the Divine Lady punishing us?"

    "Divine Lady, we know we were wrong. We shouldn''t have doubted you then. Please be merciful and forgive us, let the floodwaters recede quickly."

    "My house! My house!!"

    Those who knew they couldn''t escape all crowded onto the city walls.

    They knelt en masse, kowtowing forcefully towards the direction of the live broadcast projection.

    Even when their foreheads bled from the repeated bowing, they didn''t stop.

    As if unaware of the pain, they kept banging their heads against the wall, one after another.

    Suddenly, someone cried out in sheer terror: "What do we do? What do we do? The flood is about to wash over us, and the city walls can''t hold much longer!"

    "Divine Lady, please show yourself and save us!"

    "Our homes are gone, waa..."

    "Beep¡ª"

    The split screen before her eyes went dark, and the viewing ended.

    Gu Sang''s mood was extremely heavy.

    It was currently the rainy season, and this flood hade so quickly and violently that it likely wouldn''t dissipate in a short time!

    Moreover, there were no drainage systems in ancient times, and Liujiang City was situated at the lowest point, where all the water from the surrounding areas would flow.

    Gu Sang asked in a calm voice: "How long will this floodst?"

    "ording to the data, it willst about fifteen days, and on the tenth day, the flood will reach its peak. At that time, the mountain torrents will backflow, and the entire city will be submerged."

    Hearing this, Gu Sang''s heart sankpletely.

    Even in modern times, there had been severalrge-scale sh floods.

    Even with modern technology, it was impossible to avoid the damage caused by floods. Natural disasters were terrifyingly powerful, far beyond what human strength could easily resist!

    But in ancient times, with limitedmunication...

    They couldn''t even call for help.

    By the time the imperial court learned of this incident, ten days to half a month would have passed.

    By then, corpses would be floating on the water''s surface.

    Those who starved to death, drowned, died from disease, or exhaustion: too many to count!

    In the future, there would be various instruments to predict life signs, rescue boats, and all kinds of supplies that could be airdropped, greatly ensuring everyone''s safety and survival.

    Gu Sang had previously seen news of a major flood in a certain area where a man squatted on his house''s wall picking fruit while waiting for national rescue. The wall beneath his feet had long been submerged by floodwaters, but he remained calm, eating fruit.

    That was because he knew the country wouldn''t abandon anyone!

    The country woulde to save him!

    But when faced with such disasters in ancient times, people could only flee to higher ground with their families, enduring day after day of hopeless waiting.

    Until finally, their food ran out, and they had nothing left to eat or drink...

    "System, help me connect with Pei Weiqi."

    "Right away."

    Gu Sang thought to herself, there were still ten days!

    Ten days should be enough!

    As long as Pei Weiqi could relocate everyone within ten days, they could avoid the massive mountain flood that woulde after.

    Now, she just hoped the civilians had brought enough food tost a few more days.

    "Deducting five merit points, do you want to connect?"

    "Yes, quickly deduct them."

    The next second, the Elder Princess''s face appeared on the screen.

    The Elder Princess was sitting behind a desk with official documents in front of her. It seemed she was still dealing with city affairs, her expression revealing exhaustion and weariness.

    The Elder Princess looked up: "What''s so urgent that you need to find me?"

    Gu Sang: "How far is Liujiang City from where you are? Can you reach Liujiang City within seven days?"

    The Elder Princess had originally wanted to discuss the women''s guard unit with Gu Sang and inform her that recruitment wasn''t going well.

    But seeing Gu Sang''s expression, a sense of unease welled up in the Elder Princess''s heart.

    She pondered for a moment, then said: "Traveling light or day and night, I could arrive in five days."

    Gu Sang nodded: "Weiqi, Liujiang City has been hit by a flood. On the tenth day, there will be a particrly severe mountain flood, so you need to relocate the vigers within ten days."

    "Five days for the journey, three days for rescue, and the remaining two days to arrange the relocation."

    "To prevent unforeseen circumstances or emergencies, you must evacuate Liujiang City by the ninth day."

    "Moreover, time is of the essence. The civilians fled in a hurry and probably didn''t bring much food. They can likely only sustain themselves for a few days of rescue time. If it''s toote, they''ll starve to death if they don''t drown."

    The Elder Princess''s expression changed drastically.

    But she still maintained herposure, her mind beginning to analyze rescue methods.

    A minuteter.

    The Elder Princess''s eyes revealed a hint of pain and helplessness as she shook her head at Gu Sang: "Seeing how urgent you are, you must have witnessed the flood in Liujiang City."

    "I have no problem going to rescue people, but with such a massive flood, even if my soldiers could arrive there early, they would already be exhausted."

    "They would need at least a day to recover, leaving only three days at most for the rescue operation."

    "Even if we use boats for the rescue, I can''t find that many small boats in such a short time, and we''d still need to transport them there. There''s not enough time for all of this."

    Rescuing people from water was incredibly difficult!

    And this wasn''t just one or two civilians, but an entire city''s worth of people.

    Even if the soldiers could save people, their bodies couldn''t withstand continuously going back and forth to rescue people. This wasn''t the modern era; this was the ancient world where they could only travel on foot!

    Before the call, Gu Sang had already considered this point.

    She immediately said to the Elder Princess, "I already have a preliminary rescue n. In the future, there''s something called a lifeboat!"

    "Weiqi, first arrange the rescue personnel."

    "By tomorrow, I''ll give you simple instructions on how to make lifeboats. For any special materials that don''t exist in ancient times, I''ll search to see if we can substitute them with other materials."

    "Also, I''ll have a list ready for you by tomorrow with all the supplies, methods, and medicines needed for the rescue operation."

 Chapter 114: Do you think Iâ€™m an ATM

    <h4>Chapter 114</h4>

    Upon hearing this, the Elder Princess immediately nodded.

    She stood up swiftly, saying, "Good, we must act without dy. I''ll lead the soldiers to the rescue right away."

    After ending the call, Gu Sang rushed to herputer desk.

    She turned on theputer and began searching for information on how to make lifeboats, along with other necessary items for rescue operations - ropes, medicines, methods, and so on.

    Gu Sang lost track of how many web pages she had scoured and how many instructional videos she had watched.

    But this information was far from sufficient.

    The most crucial parts and essence were still missing!

    Ancient production techniques were primitive, and how could suitable recement materials be found in such a short time?

    Neither the online resources nor the personal tutorial videos were clear enough. Gu Sang could even tell that they had concealed the most critical aspects of lifeboat construction.

    The sound of sirens outside snapped Gu Sang out of her concentration. She turned her head to nce out the window.

    It was already morning.

    "It seems I''ll have to visit apany that specializes in making lifeboats to inquire," Gu Sang thought as she searched for lifeboatpanies in her city on theputer.

    Just then, Chen Yun called her: "Gu Sang, tomorrow is my birthday. I''d like to invite you."

    Tomorrow?

    Gu Sang looked at the locations of lifeboatpanies disyed on herputer screen. The nearest one was in the neighboring province, and she likely wouldn''t make it back in time for tomorrow.

    "I''m sorry, Ayun, I have something to do tomorrow and won''t be able to attend your birthday party. My apologies."

    Ayun smiled and said, "No worries. I''m being discharged this afternoon, so how about I treat you to a meal today?"

    "I have to leave the province today to take care of something. I''m afraid I won''t make it in time not only for the birthday party but also for the meal."

    Seeing how busy Gu Sang seemed, Ayun couldn''t help but ask, "There aren''t many peopleing to my birthday party, so you don''t need to feel bad. But you seem to be in quite a hurry. Is something wrong?"

    "Tell me about it. Maybe I can help you think of a solution."

    "My boyfriend just got into graduate school. He''s very smart and knows a lot of people. Maybe he could help you."

    Gu Sang initially didn''t hold out much hope for Chen Yun''s offer.

    But then she thought, since it was Chen Yun''s birthday and she was being so kind, there was no harm in exining the situation.

    Gu Sang sighed and said, "My friend lives in a remote mountainous area that frequently experiences floods. I need to know how to make lifeboats immediately, so I''m nning to go to a lifeboatpany to ask."

    As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Yun on the other end of the line seemed a bit confused.

    What did floods have to do with Gu Sang?

    However, Chen Yun knew her boundaries and didn''t ask questions she shouldn''t. She immediately responded, "Oh, is that so? In that case,e find me. I can actually help you with this."

    "I don''t think I''ve told you before, but my brother-inw runs a lifeboat manufacturing factory. It''s not a bigpany, just about a hundred employees. My sister has asked me several times to work there."

    "I''m quite familiar with lifeboats and such. If you want to know anything, I can tell you."

    "Or I can call my sister and have her send you a few lifeboats. They''re in manufacturing, so the raw materials don''t cost much."

    In that instant, Gu Sang felt a sudden rush of joy.

    Her heart raced with excitement, her hands trembling.

    What a fortunate coincidence!

    Gu Sang said gratefully, "Ayun, you''ve really helped me out of a big problem!"

    "Do you have time now? This is quite urgent for me, so I''d like toe and ask you about the manufacturing process right away."

    Chen Yun could hear the urgency in Gu Sang''s voice through the phone.

    She immediately said, "Sure, I''m still at the hospital. Come over now."

    After ending the call with Chen Yun, Gu Sang quickly changed her clothes, freshened up, and took a taxi to the hospital to meet Chen Yun.

    In the taxi, Gu Sang had already listed all the materials and supplies needed for the rescue operation.

    With these things, it would be much easier for the Elder Princess and her team to save people.

    Just as she reached the door of the hospital room, she heard a male voice from inside.

    "Chen Yun, how can you be so materialistic now? When you were with me before, we used to split a single loaf of bread between us."

    "I''ve been working myself to death, doing overtime every day to marry you. I finally managed to get into graduate school and find a good job, and now you''ve changed like this?!"

    "It''s true that badpany corrupts good morals! Now you even dare to buy skincare products worth over a thousand yuan behind my back!"

    "I''ve told you many times that you look beautiful without makeup. Why do you need to use these high-tech products? Do you know that thousand yuan could cover our living expenses for a month?!"

    Gu Sang''s hand, poised to open the door, suddenly froze.

    Her silence was deafening.

    What luck she had!

    Every time she came, she seemed to stumble upon them arguing about money.

    Although Gu Sang was in a hurry to learn about the manufacturing process, she felt it was best not to interrupt a dispute between a couple. She decided to wait a moment before knocking.

    But then she heard Chen Yun inside, crying and saying in a dejected tone, "This is my own money that I earned. Tomorrow is my birthday. How is it materialistic to spend my own money?"

    "And stop insinuating things about Lin Lin every time. She''s my friend, and I won''t let you nder her."

    Her boyfriend immediately let out a coldugh, "Chen Yun, you agreed earlier to save money with me to pay the down payment on a house. I''ve been living frugally, all for the sake of having a home with you."

    "And here you are, not even blinking an eye at spending over a thousand yuan on skincare products."

    "What birthday? Aren''t you just hinting that your birthday ising up, wanting me to reimburse you for these thousand-yuan skincare products? Now that you see I''m a graduate student, you''re treating me like an ATM, aren''t you?"

    "How did you be so materialistic?"

    "Bang!"

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend shook his head in disappointment and then angrily opened the door, ready to storm out.

    He looked up and saw Gu Sang standing at the doorway.

    The anger on his face instantly dissipated.

    His expression changed several times before finally settling on a polite and gentle smile. He greeted Gu Sang with a tone of inexplicable warmth, as if he hadn''t been the one angry just moments ago.

    Her boyfriend smiled and greeted her, "Sang... Gu Sang, are you here to see Ayun too? Go on in, I''m just going out for some fresh air."

    Gu Sang: .......

    Didn''t he used to call her ''Sang Sang'' quite sweetly before?

    Why did he stop?

    Oh!

    His girlfriend was here. How interesting!

    Only after Chen Yun''s boyfriend left did Gu Sang enter the hospital room.

    Seeing Gu Sange in, Chen Yun quickly crumpled the tissue in her palm, not wanting Gu Sang to notice that she had been wiping away tears.

    Seven years!

    She suffered with him for seven years!

    They lived in a basement apartment, ate in steamed buns, and during the toughest times, couldn''t even afford a bowl of noodles.

    Even when he was preparing for his graduate school entrance exams, she felt sorry that he had no job or ie. She was the one paying the rent all by herself!

    And now.

    All she got in return was, "Why have you be so materialistic?"

    "Are you treating me like an ATM?"

    Chen Yun''s heart shattered. Holding back her pain, sheposed herself and forced a smile at Gu Sang. "Sang,e sit down."

 Chapter 115: Scumbag Ruined, Gu Sang Laughs Out Loud

    <h4>Chapter 115</h4>

    Gu Sang pretended not to notice Chen Yun''s subtle movements.

    Not wanting to embarrass Chen Yun, she pulled up a stool next to her and took out a notebook and pen from her bag.

    The teaching methods online were a mix of truth and falsehood, with somepletely fabricated for the sake of attracting views. They sounded impressive but were actually useless.

    Laypeople found it hard to distinguish the truth.

    Moreover,

    The real essence was never widely shared.

    So it was still necessary to consult professionals!

    Gu Sang asked, "Chen Yun, my friend is in a very backward area in the mountains without any modern equipment. Can you think of the simplest, most primitive method to make a life raft?"

    "That ce often experiences floods, and the mountain roads are winding, making it difficult for rescue personnel to reach."

    Chen Yun was stunned at first by Gu Sang''s words, but she quickly understood.

    In such remote areas, even government rescue teams would need time to arrive.

    Relying on oneself was better than depending on anyone else.

    Without overthinking, Chen Yun immediately said, "There is a way, but it would only produce disposable items. They''d work for emergency rescues but couldn''t be distributed widely, otherwise they''d be considered fake, inferior, substandard products."

    Gu Sang replied, "That''s fine, it''s just for saving lives. We won''t need them after that."

    "Oh, I see. Well, you could use... and this could substitute for..."

    Chen Yun spoke until her mouth was dry, and by the end, her forehead was covered in sweat.

    She had thought the mountain vige was just a bit backward, but from Gu Sang''s words and questions, she realized it wasn''t just backward!

    It was like a ce from ancient times that hadn''t been liberated yet!

    She had started confidently telling Gu Sang about a few substitutable materials, but when she learned they didn''t even have fiberss...

    Chen Yun was at a loss.

    She quickly called for help, passing these questions to her brother-inw to solve.

    Fortunately, her brother-inw came through, providing several primitive methods, finally resolving all of Gu Sang''s questions.

    "Chen Yun, I''m really grateful for your help today."

    "You''re truly exceptional, knowing so much," Gu Sang said appreciatively as she put away her notes.

    She hadn''t expected that making a simple life raft would involve such aplex process.

    In fact, for modern times, the process wasn''t thatplicated.

    It was only in terms of ancient conditions that materials like aluminum or fiberss were absolutely impossible to produce.

    Luckily, they had found solutions.

    "Chen Yun, Gu Sang, I bought you some milk tea," Chen Yun''s boyfriend entered, carrying a bag of premium milk tea costing over thirty yuan per cup.

    Chen Yun nced at the brand of milk tea.

    A subtle feeling of strangeness welled up in her heart.

    Usually, when she wanted milk tea, her boyfriend would persuade her to save money, buying her water with lemon for a few yuan, or at most splurging on milk tea that cost a dozen or so yuan per cup.

    But today...

    Over thirty yuan a cup?

    Since when had he be so generous?!

    Gu Sang stood up, merely nodding at Chen Yun''s boyfriend as a greeting, then smiled at Chen Yun and said, "I''ll pass on the milk tea."

    "Chen Yun, I have something to attend to, so I''ll be going now."

    Chen Yun gathered her thoughts, deciding not to dwell on the price of the milk tea.

    Instead, she extended another invitation to Gu Sang: "Alright, you go ahead then."

    "Do you have time tomorrow? There won''t be many people at my birthday celebration, it''s mainly just dinner and some karaoke. Could youe?"

    Gu Sang replied in a gentle voice, "You''ve helped me solve everything, so of course I have time. Actually, tomorrow is my birthday too."

    "Let me book a private room, we can celebrate together."

    Celebrate together?

    What a coincidence!

    Hearing this, Chen Yun''s eyes lit up brightly.

    She nodded at Gu Sang with delight, repeatedly saying "yes."

    Throughout all this, Gu Sang had never acknowledged Chen Yun''s boyfriend, nor did she ept the milk tea that cost over thirty yuan a cup. After saying goodbye to Chen Yun, she left directly.

    The boyfriend furrowed his brow, extremely displeased with Gu Sang''s disregard and coldness. But then he thought of that luxury car worth millions.

    And moreover!

    Even the sunsses Gu Qing wore were studded with diamonds, worth six figures!

    As the pampered youngdy of the Gu family, it was understandable for her to have some arrogance, he rationalized, trying to find excuses for Gu Sang''s coldness.

    "This milk tea that costs over thirty really does taste better, but why did you buy such expensive ones this time? Didn''t you used to say it was a waste of money?" Chen Yun asked.

    "See how good I am to you? These two cups cost seventy yuan. It''s just that you''re getting pickier now. Of course, the expensive ones taste different. Just enjoy it this once, but don''t let it spoil your taste buds."

    "......"

    Perhaps it''s true that those in the midst of a situation can''t see it clearly.

    Sometimes, the sweetness of love can blind one''s eyes.

    Chen Yun held the milk tea and smiled, feeling only a slight difort in her heart, not realizing that this was a form of belittlement.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang had just left the hospital room when she heard loud crying and shouting from a distance.

    When she looked over, she saw that the person who had just woken up after surgery was none other than He Linpeng and his first wife!

    "This is murder! This is homicide! Wuwuwuwu....... Husband, husband, what are we going to do now that your legs have been amputated?"

    "That bitch, she and her mother should go to hell! It''s bad enough they won''t pay back the money, but now she''s deliberately run you over and crippled you! How can there be no evidence to file a case!"

    "Husband, our son and daughter are being isted at school. They got into a fight and hurt someone, and now the parents are causing trouble. We had to pay over a hundred thousand inpensation. Our monthly mortgage and car loan payments add up to eighteen thousand, but we only have a hundred thousand left in savings. What are we going to do in the future?"

    What to do?

    He Linpengy on the hospital bed, the space where his legs should be eerily empty.

    He still wore an oxygen mask, clearly having just regained consciousness andcking the strength to speak. His eyes were wide open.

    He tried to move his fingers to touch his legs.

    But he grasped at nothing but air.

    Gone!

    His legs were gone!

    Both legs were gone!

    "Ah ah ah!!!" He Linpeng tried to cry out with all his might, to voice his agony, but he had no strength. He could only manage a hoarse, weak cry.

    Then,

    He Linpeng''s eyes filled with grief and despair, hatred consuming his gaze, but notably absent was any trace of remorse.

    And his first wife?

    She sat beside him, wailing and cursing: "Wuwuwu....... You''ve lost your job, and now your legs have been amputated. How are we going to live from now on!"

    "Oh my God, this isn''t fair! This isn''t fair!"

    "The mistress deserved to jump off the building. How can she me me and my husband? If she wasn''t so materialistic and money-hungry, my husband wouldn''t have gone looking for her. When ites down to it, she was the one who seduced him. Oh, husband, waaah!!!"

    "......."

    Gu Sang listened to these sobs, standing at the doorway, ncing into the hospital room.

    Hmm.

    Seeing him in such a miserable state.

    Lin Lin must be overjoyed.

    After all, Gu Sang was quite pleased too.

    It''s such a good thing he didn''t seed in dying. How wonderful it would be if he could live on in a fate worse than death. He should spend every day of his future living in agony! Living in despair!

 Chapter 116: Setting Off, Persuading General Qin to Surrender

    <h4>Chapter 116</h4>

    That afternoon.

    Upon returning home, Gu Sang immediately connected with the Elder Princess.

    "Ding!"

    "Connection established!"

    "How is it? Have you found a way to rescue them?" As Gu Sang appeared on the screen, the Elder Princess''s words betrayed a sense of urgency.

    On the other side, Gu Sang was looking down, making modifications.

    Half a minuteter.

    Gu Sang looked up and nodded with relief: "Yes, I''ve found a method. I''ll transmit it to you right away."

    As Gu Sang''s words fell.

    The next second, several A4 papers filled with the manufacturing process appeared out of thin air in the Elder Princess''s hands.

    Due to time constraints, Gu Sang could only try to use ssical Chinese to annotate the text on the paper.

    "Deducted five hundred merit points!"

    "Transmissionplete!"

    After receiving the papers, the Elder Princess quickly scanned them.

    Then.

    Gu Sang also specially found rescue videos online. After watching them, the Elder Princess learned about the use and methods of rescue boats, which made her feel more at ease.

    The Elder Princess felt more confident about the uing rescue: "I didn''t know the future had such lightweight things, even lighter than bamboo rafts."

    "With these manufacturing methods, the people of Liujiang City will surely be safe and sound."

    "And the materials you''ve given, although a bit unconventional, are not rare. As long as we''re willing to spend money, we can collect and produce them in a very short time."

    Gu Sang nodded: "However, these are not durable. They might onlyst for a few uses, at most supporting this rescue operation. Remember to destroy them afterward."

    This flood came suddenly, giving Gu Sang no time to prepare.

    Even the rescue items were hastily searched online. Inte information is never as good as consulting professionals, so it''s certainly not perfect.

    The rescue boats were made rather crudely due to time constraints.

    "Don''t worry about that. I''ll have Zhou Qichen personally oversee it," the Elder Princess immediately took this to heart when she heard Gu Sang mention it so seriously.

    No matter when or where, the lives of soldiers alwayse first.

    Although these things are expensive, they''re not worth more than the lives of soldiers!

    After discussing the rescue issue, the Elder Princess finally had the opportunity to tell Gu Sang about recruiting the female guard squad and the soldiers'' reluctance to depart for Liujiang City.

    The Elder Princess said in a deep voice: "I can understand the soldiers'' mindset to some extent."

    "Natural disasters are not man-made cmities. It''s difficult to save people with just the manpower of this era. Now, asking them to rescue people in flood waters, one small mistake could lead to death by natural disaster."

    "Their unwillingness is natural. The main issue is that Liujiang City is not under my jurisdiction. They''re being asked to risk their lives to save people who might be enemies in the future."

    "Fortunately, General Zhou has suppressed this reluctance, but I suspect they still harbor some resentment in their hearts."

    Gu Sang fell into deep thought. The reason modern soldiers can be united and make every effort to save people is closely rted to national policies.

    Being a soldier is a source of inner pride for them.

    But this honor is external; they also need certain benefits to address their concerns.

    That is ¡ª welfare!

    Military benefits!

    Benefits for the injured and deceased!

    They not only need to be remembered, but they also need benefits for their families provided by the state after their death.

    Only when their parents, wives, and children are well taken care of can they be invincible and have firm beliefs.

    After pondering for a moment, Gu Sang immediately said: "Wei Qi, after returning from this disaster relief, immediately set up injury and deathpensation."

    "If a soldier dies, they will receive a pension sufficient for their family''s expenses for the rest of their lives."

    "Moreover, this money will be managed by the government, giving living expenses to their families every month. This will prevent some people from harboring thoughts of swallowing up a family with no heirs."

    "Secondly, establish schools. Anyone serving in the military will have a quota, allowing their children to attend school for free, with all misceneous fees waived."

    "For those who have made meritorious contributions, all their children can receive free education."

    "For the children and families of injured or deceased soldiers, not only can all their children attend school for free, but they can also live in houses near the school for free."

    Gu Sang incorporated the concept of modern family housing.

    If they built a family dormitory near the school, specifically used to amodate the wives and children of those injured or killed in service.

    This way, their safety would also be ensured.

    Near the school, even if malicious rtives wanted to take advantage of a family without a male heir, they wouldn''t be able to get in.

    If they came to cause trouble, they would likely be thrown out by the Elder Princess''s soldiers.

    The more the Elder Princess listened, the more excited she became, feeling that Gu Sang''s idea was excellent.

    She continued from where Gu Sang left off: "I never thought it could be done like this!"

    "If a soldier who died for the country was unmarried, there could still be a quota, and only this quota for deceased soldiers could be transferred."

    "The condition for transfer would be serving the soldier''s elderly parents to obtain this quota."

    "If someone obtains this quota for free education without following this condition, they would have to pay back all the school fees for these years, and also face severe punishment."

    As the two discussed, they found this method increasingly feasible.

    As for the idea of free education for all children in the country, that would have to wait until she became the empress of this country and the nation had enough money to fully implement it.

    As for those who wanted to exploit loopholes.

    For example, those who pretend to care for soldiers'' parents to get a school quota but stop being filial after getting into school, she would naturally have strictws to deal with them in the future.

    At the very least, they would be thrown into military camps, made to do the hardest and most tiring work, and also face punishment.

    This was all they could do for now.

    Perhaps their filial piety wouldn''t be sincere, just for the sake of a school quota, but it would still ensure that the parents live out their natural lives.

    "Good! I''ll lead the soldiers to the rescue now. When we return to Wen City, we''ll immediately implement this welfare policy."

    "Alright, be careful."

    Gu Sang ended the call with the Elder Princess.

    It had been a month or two since Consort Zhao jumped from the building. Pei Changying was probably impatient by now and might have already sent troops to attack Wen City.

    The sweet potatoes should be ripe by the end of this month. The Elder Princess had recruited many soldiers, but there were few talented individuals in the female guard squad.

    Apart from Counselor Fang, only Zhou Qichen could lead troops among those around the Elder Princess.

    There were many things that required the Elder Princess to handle personally, with everyone waiting for her decisions.

    This wouldn''t do!

    If there were to be an all-out war with the imperial court in the future, this would be a major weakness.

    Gu Sang suddenly thought of General Qin. She had previously heard the Elder Princess mention that General Qin was also a loyal and righteous minister with both courage and wisdom.

    "System, connect me to General Qin."

    [Ding!]

    [Connection established.]

    The moment the connection screen opened, Qin Vice General was staying in his own encampment tent. Seeing Gu Sang suddenly appear, he gave her a look that was a mixture of surprise, resentment, and curiosity.

    General Qin''s tone was not very pleasant: "Consort Gu, why do you wish to meet with me in private?"

 Chapter 117: The Battle Game is about to Begin, Just Wait and See

    <h4>Chapter 117</h4>

    Gu Sang nced around the screen and noticed that Qin Vice General was currently in his own tent, with no one else around.

    Her guess was correct!

    Pei Changying really couldn''t wait any longer!

    With a great enemy at hand, if Gu Sang''s privatemunication with General Qin was discovered, it would be a capital offense. No wonder the general''s tone was unpleasant.

    Gu Sang sighed and advised, "General Qin, I don''t want to contact you at this moment either, but given the circumstances, are you still unwilling to join the Elder Princess?"

    "I assume you''re already aware of what happened in the Ministry of Works."

    "That day at the Lingnan City Gate, when I made a bet with you, all my words have nowe true. Pei Changying never admits his mistakes and only takes out his anger on his own people."

    "The fate of the Minister of Works is right before your eyes. Do you still want to continue blindly serving a foolish emperor?"

    At the mention of the Ministry of Works, Qin Vice General''s eyes dimmed.

    But then a flicker of struggle passed through them, gradually bing resolute.

    Qin Vice General snorted coldly, lowering his voice and speaking with icy intent: "If the Emperor truly bes that foolish one day, I would resign from my position!"

    "But I would never serve a female rebel!"

    Just as expected!

    Although the stubborn and persistent General Qin had his old-fashioned ways, Gu Sang couldn''t help but admire him.

    Because if General Qin were to switch allegiance to the Elder Princess, it would mean that he could truly ept a woman in power, and he would be wholeheartedly devoted and stubbornly persistent in his loyalty.

    If Gu Sang could persuade him with just a few words, she would worry that others might easily sway him as well.

    Gu Sang spoke slowly, and her next words left Qin Vice Generalpletely stunned: "General Qin, that''s harshnguage. What do you mean by ''female rebel''?"

    "What kind of rebel would establishpensation for casualties?"

    "For every soldier''s child, there''s a spot for free education."

    "And what kind of rebel would decree that if a soldier has no children, but a rtive or neighbor is willing to support the soldier''s parents for life, this educational opportunity can be transferred to them?"

    "Not to mention the schools, family housing, and various benefits that ensure soldiers have no worries about their families..."

    As she spoke, the shock on Qin Vice General''s face grew.

    In his entire life, what he cared about most were the brothers under hismand!

    The brothers who had gone through life and death with him!

    Free schools?

    Family housing!

    Parents without worries!

    Weren''t these the kind of benefits only given to casualties in the future? They might even be considered on par or better!

    "No, impossible..."

    "How could a woman be so generous, spending so much money to appease the home front? The Emperor knows about these future benefits too, but even he hasn''t..."

    Gu Sang interrupted Qin Vice General''s astonishment: "No matter how much I say, it''s not as good as seeing it with your own eyes."

    "In a while, news of these casualty benefits will spread in the gue-stricken city. By then, I believe General Qin will make a decision. The idea that women should be confined to the depths of the pce and home should change."

    "If you still can''t change your mind, in two days, I''ll be filming a war scene. I can let you see with your own eyes what it means for a woman to be a hero."

    "In our future, it is one female hero and heroine after another who have brought about change. They used their flesh and blood to forge a new Great Wall! Only by witnessing it firsthand can you and all the ancient people understand why the status of women in our future is equal to that of men!"

    "After this live broadcast, millions upon millions of ancient women will awaken!"

    "General Qin, you too. I''ll be waiting for you toe find me."

    Beep¡ª

    Gu Sang ended the call.

    General Qin stood there, dumbfounded, lost in thought.

    Equality isn''t achieved just by talking about it, but by exchanging lives and blood, by fighting for it, seizing it, and winning opportunities and positions one after another!

    And there were still two days before Gu Sang would go to the set to film.

    This scene of warfare, with corpses strewn everywhere and women charging into battle, was about to shatter the mindset of ancient women, making them follow the Elder Princess into battle without hesitation!

 Chapter 118: Is my Sang Sang really never coming back

    <h4>Chapter 118</h4>

    The next day.

    On the day of the birthday.

    Gu Sang spent another morning meticulously memorizing the script, then arrived early at the reserved private room. After a while, Chen Yun and her boyfriend also came together.

    Several other friends were present, and Gu Sang greeted each of them, then handed the carefully selected gift to Chen Yun: "Yun, happy birthday."

    Chen Yun looked at the beautifully wrapped gift box, momentarily feeling too awkward to ept it.

    She hurriedly said, "Sang Sang, your gift is too expensive."

    This kind of gift box was unique packaging from designer stores, recognizable at a nce.

    And the gift she had prepared.......

    Gu Sang took Chen Yun''s hand, pretending to be serious: "Friends shouldn''t be so formal with each other, especially since what you did for me yesterday can''t even bepared to this gift."

    "You have no idea how much you helped me."

    "Thank you, Sang Sang." Chen Yun smiled shyly, having no choice but to take the gift, feeling increasingly d that she had helped Gu Sang.

    Meanwhile, Chen Yun''s boyfriend, seeing the logo on the box, stared wide-eyed.

    Many inte celebrities wore watches from this brand, with prices starting in the tens of thousands.

    Tsk.

    Indeed, the youngdy from a wealthy family.

    Even a casual birthday gift was exorbitantly priced.

    He thought about how he had gritted his teeth yesterday to buy an LV bag at the boutique, which had cost him a full 60,000 yuan!

    The boyfriend was now very grateful that he had splurged on a designer bag yesterday, and a rtively expensive one at that. Otherwise, an ordinary gift would certainly have been looked down upon by a youngdy from a prestigious family like Gu Sang.

    "Yun, let me hold onto that for you. It''s the thought that counts," Chen Yun''s boyfriend said with a smile as he took the gift from Chen Yun.

    Chen Yun nervously took out her own gift from her bag: "This is your birthday gift. It might seem a bit modestpared to your gift......"

    Gu Sang graciously epted the wrapped box.

    She peeked inside to see a limited edition lipstick.

    Though not expensive, its valuey in the hard-to-get color: "This limited edition color is really difficult to snag. You must have used 500g of hand speed to get it."

    "I really love this shade. Thank you, Yun."

    Seeing that Gu Sang didn''t despise her inexpensive gift, Chen Yun''s anxious heart finally settled, and she chatted easily with Gu Sang.

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend sat nearby with a smile, asionally refilling their tea, ying the role of a good boyfriend.

    After the meal.

    Gu Sang said goodbye to Chen Yun and left first after paying the bill.

    Lu Mufei had called in the morning to invite her to dinner tonight, saying it was to celebrate her birthday.

    Dressed in a light green Chanel-style suit, Gu Sang stood by the roadside, her long ck hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders. With her slender figure, at first nce, she looked like a youngdy carefully cultivated by a wealthy family.

    "Sang Sang......"

    In the livestream room, Pei Changying stared at Gu Sang''s face with deep eyes, his voice tender and yearning, as if calling out to a deeply beloved.

    "Have you really be unable to return to my side?"

    "These past few days, I ordered the great hall to be closed, and no one is allowed to enter Xuyang Pce. Even at the city gates, I''ve had soldiers stand guard, preventing citizens from approaching."

    "I''m so afraid. Afraid that in your life in the future, more and moremon people will see you, that you''ll influence more and more women, that you''ll move further and further away from me."

    "Now it''s better. In the entire capital, only I can see you."

    "You are mine, you can only be mine!"

    "My Sang Sang, I want to hold you so badly. Come back to my side......" Pei Changying stood behind the door, not even daring to stand in front of the screen.

    He gazed at the woman on the screen with tender affection, that beautiful face that once belonged to him.

    How could it be just one position!

    Just one position as an imperial consort that he didn''t give her!

    And she left?!

    She was clearly right before his eyes, yet there was a distance that Pei Changying could never touch or reach until his death. He could only watch helplessly as Gu Sang moved further and further away from him.

    She stood under the streetlight.

    Wearing light makeup.

    Passing cars would suddenly slow down, and asionally drivers would poke their heads out to look at Gu Sang as she passed by, their eyes filled with admiration and amazement.

    At this moment.

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend ran out from the venue, then quickly walked to the trunk of his car, took out the LV bag he had bought yesterday through gritted teeth, and approached her.

    He looked at Gu Sang with deep eyes and said, "Sang Sang, I wasn''t sure what you''d like, but I thought all girls love designer bags, so I bought you an LV bag."

 Chapter 119: Is the wife leaving the child

    <h4>Chapter 119</h4>

    At this point in the conversation,

    Her boyfriend couldn''t help but add, "This bag is a bit expensive, but it''s worth it if you like it."

    Gu Sang paused as she was looking at her phone screen. She raised her head, frowning at the man before her who kept mentioning how "expensive" things were.

    The disgust on her face was evident; she didn''t even try to hide it anymore.

    An LV bag would cost at least ten thousand yuan, if not more.

    Judging by the packaging, this one was likely in the tens of thousands!

    Just yesterday they had argued over skincare products costing over a thousand yuan, and today he''s giving away a bag worth tens of thousands without batting an eye?

    What kind of absurd situation was this?

    He must be out of his mind!

    Gu Sang took a step back. "We''re not close enough to be exchanging gifts, especially not something this valuable. I''m Chen Yun''s friend, nothing more."

    "I hope in the future, you''ll focus this attention on your girlfriend, rather than trying to curry favor with her friends."

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend seemed unable toprehend Gu Sang''s rejection. He looked at her with earnest words, his eyes full of hurt as he said, "Sang Sang, you seem to have a big misunderstanding about me. I don''t have any ulterior motives, I just hope we can be friends."

    "You''re Ah Yun''s friend, we might need to keep in touch often in the future..."

    Screech!

    A silver-gray car came speeding from afar, braking suddenly next to Gu Sang.

    After the car steadied, the tall and handsome Lu Mufei got out.

    Lu Mufei waved to Gu Sang, "Sang Sang,e over here quickly."

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend stared at this suddenly appeared handsome man!

    His clothes??

    The quality looked pretty good, but unfortunately, it was clearly some off-brand, unrecognizablebel!

    Probably just some casual wear costing two or three hundred yuan from Taobao!

    What was infuriating was how intimately this man called out to Gu Sang! This set off rm bells in Chen Yun''s boyfriend''s mind.

    He first looked Lu Mufei up and down. So what if this guy had good looks? He just had the appearance of someone who lived off women!

    Then he nced at the car Lu Mufei was driving.

    A Volkswagen?

    Just a lousy Volkswagen, worth at most two hundred thousand yuan or so.

    Chen Yun''s boyfriend made a mentalparison between Lu Mufei and himself. Although this guy had better looks, how could hepare to himself?

    He was a bonafide master''s degree graduate, streets ahead of this pretty boy who lived off women.

    Moreover!

    He was about tond an iron rice bowl job, the perfect son-inw in the eyes of many mothers-inw.

    When Chen Yun''s boyfriend looked at Lu Mufei again, his eyes were full of arrogance and disdain. With a hint of possessiveness in his voice, he asked Gu Sang, "Sang Sang, is this also your friend?"

    "He looks very young, where does he work?"

    A pretty boy driving a cheap Volkswagen, how could hepare to his own maturity and stability?

    After thisparison, he felt he hadpletely won.

    Lu Mufei was stunned for a moment.

    Work?

    He... didn''t really need to work, did he?

    "Senior, let''s go," Gu Sang said, barely able to suppress her urge to vomit. She didn''t even want to acknowledge him and quickly opened the car door and got in.

    Lu Mufei had originally intended to greet Chen Yun''s boyfriend.

    But this man in a suit''s hostility towards him was too obvious, and Gu Sang seemed to really dislike him?

    Never mind.

    If Sang Sang disliked him, he disliked him too.

    Seeing that Gu Sang directly ignored this man, Lu Mufei immediately understood. He politely nodded at the man with a smile, then returned to the car.

    Seeing Gu Sang repeatedly disrespect him in front of others!

    The smile at the corner of the boyfriend''s mouth froze for a moment.

    But quickly, he thought of the supercar he had seen that day...

    Seeing that the car had already started and was about to drive off, the boyfriend, both heartbroken and frustrated, threw the bag into the car: "Sang Sang, I know you have some issues with me because of Chen Yun, but I really don''t have any other intentions. Since this bag is a gift for you, there''s no reason to take it back."

    "When we have time in the future, I''ll exin the misunderstanding between us."

    "I''m going back to apany Chen Yun now."

    After saying this, the boyfriend quickly returned to the hotel without looking back.

    Gu Sang looked at the bag on herp, then at the man who had already walked far away: "......."

    "Sang Sang, what''s the deal with your friend?" Lu Mufei asked.

    "Ah Yun''s boyfriend."

    Lu Mufei looked surprised: "Her boyfriend is giving you a bag? An LV one at that?"

    "It''s her birthday today, so let''s just let her enjoy it happily. I''ll arrange to meet Ah Yun tomorrow and clear things up. I think her boyfriend is really not right."

    Gu Sang didn''t want to think the worst of people.

    But this??

    This was just too outrageous!

    She couldn''t even find an excuse to prove that Chen Yun''s boyfriend didn''t have those kinds of intentions!

    Inside the live streaming room of the ancient Xuyang Pce.

    Pei Changying saw that Gu Sang had rejected the boyfriend, and felt immensely relieved. Thankfully, Gu Sang was intelligent and saw right through that man''s intentions towards her.

    "Sang Sang."

    "You saw clearly that Chen Yun''s fianc¨¦ had intentions towards you, why can''t you see that the man beside you also has feelings for you!"

    "Lu! Mu! Fei!"

    "Don''t you dare try to steal Our woman from Us. Sang Sang, We will definitely find a way to bring you back!"

    "Definitely!" Pei Changying watched the scene of the two chatting happily in the car, so angry he could grind his teeth to dust. He closed his eyes fiercely.

    There must be a way to bring Gu Sang back to ancient times.

    There must be!

    Meanwhile, at the venue.

    Sitting in the private room, Chen Yun was idly scrolling through her phone while waiting for her boyfriend to return from the bathroom.

    After Gu Sang left, her boyfriend said he was going to the bathroom, but he still hadn''te back.

    Did he eat something bad?

    Chen Yun was just thinking about whether to call her boyfriend when the next moment, he pushed open the door with a gloomy expression.

    "Why do you look so unwell? Is the food at this hotel not clean?" Chen Yun asked with concern.

    That shouldn''t be the case!

    This hotel looked quite expensive, surely they wouldn''t neglect hygiene?

    Besides, she had eaten a bit and felt fine.

    "It''s nothing, just a bit of constipation earlier," the man casually made up an excuse and then urged Chen Yun to leave quickly.

    The two sat in the car.

    After fastening her seatbelt, Chen Yun looked at her boyfriend eagerly yet cautiously.

    Then she tentatively asked, "Honey, it''s my birthday today, did you prepare a gift?"

    Yesterday, her boyfriend had argued with her for spending over a thousand yuan on a set of skincare products, so at this moment, Chen Yun felt a bit nervous and guilty.

    But in her heart, she still hoped her boyfriend would give her a birthday gift.

    She didn''t care about the price of the gift; she just wanted to see her boyfriend''s sincerity.

    Only in this way would she feel that her boyfriend still cared about her.

    "Hmm, I knew you''d ask that. It''s in the trunk," he replied.

    "Then I''ll go check out the gift!!" she eximed.

    Seeing Chen Yun''s visible excitement, her boyfriend couldn''t help but mutter under his breath, "Gold digger!"

    When Chen Yun ran to the trunk and got her hands on the gift, her eyes were gleaming with joy.

    She was even happier than when she had received the expensive watch from Gu Sang.

    Although her boyfriend was usually quite frugal, he was still willing to spend money on her and buy her gifts!

    Chen Yun eagerly unwrapped the gift box, filled with anticipation. But as she revealed the cheap and tacky multicolored eyeshadow palette inside, her lips twitched violently.

    Ah!

    So this was the infamous "marriage-ending box" bought from Pinduoduo?

 Chapter 120: Using gentleness as Gu Sang, the emperor was moved

    <h4>Chapter 120</h4>

    "From your expression, it seems you''re not satisfied? I''m a man, how am I supposed to know what you women like? I noticed you enjoy putting on makeup, so I thought you''d like all these products. You can use them for a long time."

    "Before I bought it, you said it''s the thought that counts. Now that I''ve bought something, you''re still not happy. I really don''t understand why you women are so hard to please."

    Hearing her boyfriend''s exnation, Chen Yun said to herself:

    Don''t get angry, don''t get angry.

    This is just how clueless guys are.

    He doesn''t know much about women''s cosmetics. Even a $10 eyeshadow might seem expensive to him. If he actually knew how to buy gifts that girls like, she''d be worried!

    -

    In ancient times, at Xuyang Pce.

    Emperor Pei Changying spent his nights drinking and sleeping in Xuyang Pce.

    He gazed at the steps Gu Sang had walked on, the chaise she had reclined on, the bed she had slept in...

    Only within Xuyang Pce could he sense the traces Gu Sang had left in this era.

    "Sang Sang, I''ve made a mistake. When will youe back?"

    "Sang Sang,e back and assist me, please? I can''t go on without you!"

    "Sang Sang, I still remember that early winter when I fell ill after falling into the water. You stayed by my side day and night. You said you would never leave me. Why did you break your promise?"

    "Sang Sang..."

    Gu Qingrou entered Xuyang Pce with aplex expression.

    The first thing she saw was the man she had loved for years, looking so heartbroken over another woman.

    The guilt, remorse, mncholy, and deep affection in Pei Changying''s eyes were all for that radiant half-sister who didn''t belong in this era¡ªGu Sang.

    Gu Qingrou walked over and sat down beside Pei Changying, gently holding his hand.

    Her heart ached terribly with each "Sang Sang" he uttered.

    But she still forced a gracious smile and said kindly, "Your Majesty, Sister Sang doesn''t belong in this world. It doesn''t matter that she''s gone. You still have me."

    "I will always be by your side, and I will never leave you."

    Pei Changying hugged Gu Qingrou with emotion, his eyes filled with desire and longing: "If only Sang Sang had said those words to me, I would be overjoyed."

    "But s, s..."

    s, she wasn''t Gu Sang after all?

    Gu Qingrou''s heart felt as if Pei Changying had pierced it with an arrow. Blood gushed out, and her heart ached, but she couldn''t cry out in pain.

    As Pei Changying kissed her passionately, imagining her as Gu Sang, calling out "Sang Sang" and "My Sang Sang," Gu Qingrou felt a moment of resistance.

    But then she closed her eyes in self-mockery.

    So be it.

    Gu Sang would never return.

    If His Majesty could love her as Gu Sang''s substitute for a lifetime, that would be happiness enough...

    That night, they made love until midnight.

    The next day.

    Pei Changying, nursing a hangover, rubbed his temples as he listened to his ministers'' reports, feeling exhausted.

    With a pounding headache and his mind full of intimate scenes with ''Gu Sang,'' he finally caught the word ''flood'' at the end of the report.

    It made Pei Changying''s heart skip a beat.

    Thest flood had already cost him the support of the people in the gue-stricken city.

    It had also made Gu Sangpletely lose faith in him.

    This time, he couldn''t make the same mistake!

    Sang Sang.

    This time, I''ll show you my sincerity and how important you are to me!

    Pei Changying cleared his throat and immediately issued orders: "Send nearby troops to rescue immediately. We must not let that rebel Pei Weiqi take advantage of the situation."

    "As the troops pass through each county, they must make it clear that the imperial court is sending aid..."

    "Dispatch grain from all local granaries to Liujiang City immediately..."

    Although some of Pei Changying''s measures were more for show, the ministers were still pleased to see that he was finally putting the people first instead of arguing with Noble Consort Gu.

    They all knelt down, praising the Emperor''s wisdom.

    As for the fact that making a grand disy in each area might dy the rescue efforts?

    Well, that little bit of time didn''t matter.

    However!

    These ministers didn''t know that a few dayster, there would be an even more violent mountain flood.

    At the imperial court''s pace, they would be far toote.

    They thought the flood had already urred, and that traveling thousands of miles would just be to deliver food and help rebuild homes, while also gaining some goodwill from the people.

    -

    Gu Sang was also unaware of Pei Changying''s grand rescue operation.

    At eleven o''clock at night, she was already in bed. She had to go to the film set to prepare for shooting the next day, so she needed to take good care of her skin for makeup.

    Just as she was dozing off, her phone rang.

    Chen Yun was crying, barely able to catch her breath: "Sang Sang, sob... can youe pick me up? I had a fight with my boyfriend today."

    "After I ran out, I realized I didn''t bring my ID. My boyfriend is afraid I''ll spend money recklessly, so he doesn''t let me keep money in my WeChat wallet, and I didn''t bring my bank card either."

    "I''m still wearing my pajamas, and there''s no one outside. I''m so scared, wah wah wah..."

    A fight?

    Gu Sang quickly sat up in bed and calmlyforted her: "Don''t be afraid. I''ll transfer some money to you right away. Take a taxi to my ce first."

    Gu Sang transferred 200 yuan to Chen Yun and sent her address.

    After learning that Chen Yun had gotten a taxi, she sent Gu Sang the license te and other information. Only then did Gu Sang change her clothes and wait for Chen Yun by the roadside downstairs.

    The dim streetlight cast Gu Sang''s shadow long across the ground.

    This wasn''t amercial area, so by eleven o''clock, everyone had gone home to sleep.

    Although there was no one on the street, streetlights were spaced at regr intervals, illuminating the entire road and dispelling any sense of unease.

    After about twenty minutes, Chen Yun''s taxi arrived in front of Gu Sang.

    "Sang Sang, wah wah wah..."

    As soon as she got out of the car, Chen Yun''s tears started falling.

    She was still wearing her thin summer pajamas. It was already autumn, and the night air was chilly, giving her goosebumps.

    "Let''s go upstairs first and talk."

    Gu Sang brought Chen Yun home and poured her a cup of hot water to warm up.

    After Chen Yun calmed down a bit, her tears started falling again.

    The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt!

    The more she thought about it, the more upset she became!

    Chen Yun choked out: "Sang Sang, thank goodness for you tonight. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have known where to go sote at night."

    "As you know, my boyfriend and I are nning to get married at the end of the year. Since he''s quite frugal and I''m worried I might spend money recklessly, I''ve been giving him all the money I earn to manage."

    "We have a joint bank card that we use to save money for our wedding and to buy a house."

    "I''ve been with him for so long, and I''ve been fine with being thrifty most of the time. But this time, I wanted to treat myself to a nice skincare product for my birthday. When he found out, he kept arguing with me about it."

    "Today, he brought up the skincare product issue again, using me of bing materialistic. Our argument escted from gifts to the house, and then to the wedding bride price. I told him that in my hometown, the bride price isn''t much: just 88,000 yuan as a gesture would be fine. But he said my parents were selling their daughter! Sang Sang, am I really being too materialistic? *sobs*"

 Chapter 121: Break up, return the LV to him

    <h4>Chapter 121</h4>

    Gu Sang sat next to Chen Yun, silently offering her a box of tissues as she listened to her pour her heart out.

    This was Chen Yun''s private matter with her boyfriend, and as an outsider, Gu Sang felt it wasn''t her ce to directly advise them to break up.

    Firstly, she would never entrust her money to a man for safekeeping.

    Secondly!

    It was her own hard-earned money, and they weren''t even married yet! If buying a set of skincare products for a thousand yuan with her own money warranted scolding, what was the point of getting married?

    A skincare set costing over a thousand yuan was considered mid-range. For a working professional, it was affordable if they liked it and budgeted a bit.

    Not to mention, calling the 88,000 yuan bride price "selling a daughter" was way too harsh!

    "Sang, I was originally nning to apologize to him. Maybe I didn''t consider his feelings. I shouldn''t have bought the skincare products without discussing it first, especially when the inte is full of praise for marriages without bride prices," Chen Yun said.

    "I was ready to humble myself, but you know what I found on his phone today?"

    "I discovered he transferred 66,000 yuan yesterday!"

    "When I asked him where the money went, he immediately lost his temper, using me of not trusting him, suspecting him, and checking his phone."

    "I was so upset, I just ran out."

    "Sang, what should I do? I feel like he''s started looking down on my education level since he got into graduate school."

    "He hasn''t said it outright, but I can sense it. It''s a woman''s intuition, Sang. What do you think he bought with that 66,000 yuan? He wouldn''t use our shared savings to buy gifts for another woman, would he?"

    Hearing this, Gu Sang understood the situation clearly.

    Her disgust towards Chen Yun''s boyfriend reached its peak!

    She suddenly stood up and retrieved the LV designer bag from her room.

    Gu Sang exined with a hint of worry, "Yun, this is the birthday gift your boyfriend forcefully left in my car earlier today."

    "I was nning to let you enjoy your birthday today and rify things tomorrow, but since you''re here, I''ll give it back to you now."

    Gu Sang felt a twinge of concern.

    She wasn''t sure how Chen Yun would react upon seeing the bag.

    Would she misunderstand Gu Sang''s intentions?

    Sometimes human nature can be quiteplex, but regardless, Gu Sang truly considered Chen Yun a good friend and didn''t want her to be deceived.

    Gu Sang watched as Chen Yun''s crying subsided.

    After taking the bag from Gu Sang, Chen Yun examined it inside and out, then nced at the 66,000 yuan price tag. Suddenly, she let out a despairingugh.

    Her whole body shook as sheughed, "Haha! LV, it''s LV!"

    "So that''s where the 66,000 yuan went. When I buy skincare products for a thousand yuan, he thinks I''m materialistic and don''t understand his hard work. But he doesn''t bat an eye spending 66,000 yuan on an LV bag."

    "Waaah... What happened to ''asking for a bride price is like selling your daughter''? What happened to being materialistic? Haha, seven years! These seven years have been nothing but a joke!"

    "Sang, it hurts so much! I''m in so much pain!"

    Chen Yun broke down in tears.

    A year ago, she had vaguely sensed her boyfriend growing increasingly impatient with her.

    But she kept deceiving herself, telling herself that he just didn''t understand a woman''s sensitivities, that he was just being straightforward, that it was all for their marriage and future!

    If she hadn''t seen the 66,000 yuan transaction on his phone, Chen Yun would have still thought it was her fault.

    She should have woken up earlier!

    Actually, before her boyfriend''s change of heart, there were signs everywhere, but she had been deaf and blind, deceiving herself!

    "Sang, do you know what he gave me for my birthday?"

    "He gave me a huge box of cheap face masks from Pinduoduo for 69 yuan! But the facial cleanser he uses for himself costs two to three hundred yuan a bottle!"

    "I always thought he just didn''t understand women''s aesthetics, that he was saving money for our wedding and buying a house, that he was just being practical, and the inte was always advocating for refusing bride prices."

    "But it turns out... it turns out he understands everything, he just doesn''t want to put any effort into me..."

    Hearing Chen Yun''s heartbreaking usations, Gu Sang felt a mix of emotions, her chest tight with an indescribable feeling.

    She gently hugged Chen Yun, patting her back to help her calm down.

    Seven years of a rtionship.

    Suddenly shattered.

    The heart-wrenching pain was beyond words.

    Gu Sangforted her sympathetically, "Yun, it''s okay now. Let it all out. Cry out all your pain. It''s not toote; this is heaven''s way of warning you."

    "All that talk about ''asking for a bride price is like selling your daughter'' is just brainwashing pseudo-feminism. They want women to be economically independent, ept split bills, and have marriage without property, while also expecting them to be confined to the role of a virtuous wife. They talk about independence and self-reliance in reality, but when ites to ideology and having children, they revert to patriarchal society. Don''t let him manipte you like this. He''s being utterly ridiculous!"

    "I can see it clearly now. Your boyfriendbels and prices every woman he encounters."

    "Novelty, background, education, abilities, appearance - these are all factored into the price."

    "It''s not that you''re only worth 69 yuan. It''s that your sacrifices, patience, and seven years of love gave him the opportunity to treat you as if you were only worth 69 yuan, so he''s no longer willing to invest in you."

    "It''s also not that I''m worth a 66,000 yuan bag at first sight. It''s because that day at the hospital, my sister came to pick me up in a multi-million yuan luxury car, carrying a Herm¨¨s Birkin bag. He assumed that was my family background, so he fantasized about using this investment to gain entry into a wealthy family."

    "And then what?"

    "As my sister said, then he would pursue me, marry me, cheat on me, abuse me, have illegitimate children, try to steal the family fortune, and maybe even arrange a car ident for me. So it''s not your fault, and it''s not my fault. It''s that he''s not worth it. He''s taken your sacrifices and hardships for granted! He''s selfish and hypocritical, wanting you to have the economic independence of a modern woman while also expecting the submissiveness of a traditional wife! It''s disgusting!"

    Indeed.

    The same man encounters two women he''s attracted to at a gathering.

    One from an ordinary family, the other an only child from a family worth hundreds of millions.

    When ites to pursuing these women, would he treat them the same way?

    Of course not!

    Because at that moment, he''s already determined their value. Clearly, thetter could save him several lifetimes of hard work. As long as there''s even a sliver of a chance, he''d choose thetter.

    Unless, of course, he truly, deeply loves you!

    Chen Yun vigorously wiped her nose with a tissue. She had been crying so heartbrokenly that now she couldn''t stop even if she wanted to. Between sobs, she spoke haltingly:

    "Gu Sang, those divorced sisters on the inte were right. I was foolish, I was naive to think I was an exception, a sess story!"

    "It turns out... I''ve ended up being a cautionary tale! I stood by him through hardships, lived in a basement apartment with him. But as soon as he passed his graduate school entrance exam and started making money, the first thing he did was to put me down, fantasizing about finding someone from a better family!"

    "You''re right, this kind of man doesn''t deserve me anymore."

    "He''s changed now, changed in a way that frightens me. I''m afraid... if this continues, I''ll end up like Lin Lin."

 Chapter 122: Are you holding a script for a light-hearted drama

    <h4>Chapter 122</h4>

    Chen Yun gradually stopped crying with Gu Sang''spany, recalling the various details of their time together, her resolve growing stronger.

    She took out her phone and called the Scumbag Man.

    The moment the call connected, she heard him say "Hello" with a thick nasal tone.

    Chen Yun felt as if she had been pped in the face. It hurt, it hurt so much.

    She had run out in her pajamas, without any money or ID, and yet he was sleeping soundly!

    How could he sleep so peacefully?

    Chen Yun took a deep breath: "Let''s break up. I''ve saved about seventy or eighty thousand with you over the years. When are you going to return my savings to me?"

    Unexpectedly.

    The Scumbag Man''s next words infuriated both people on this side of the phone.

    How could he be so shameless as to say these words?

    "Chen Yun, are you talking nonsense because you haven''t woken up in the middle of the night? I''ve been working hard to save money to marry you, and now you''re telling me you want to break up?"

    "Which of your nerves is misfiring?"

    "Fine, if you want to break up with me, that''s okay, but I don''t have any money. You''re the one who brought up breaking up, and all these years, everything you''ve eaten and drunk was paid for by me. How dare you ask me for money?"

    Chen Yun was trembling with anger, her sadness and grief reced entirely by fury.

    She immediately cursed: "You bastard, that money is what I worked hard to earn. If you embezzle it, I''ll sue you."

    "Sue me, huh? Well, your family asking for such a high bride price is just selling their daughter."

    "You''re a used shoe that''s been slept with for seven years, a second-hand goods. Do you deserve such a high bride price? Eight hundred and eighty thousand for a bride price? I never realized you were so materialistic before!"

    "Your whole body isn''t even worth eighty thousand!"

    "You''ve slept with me for so long, if you leave me, you''ll only be able to marry someone from your vige at a depreciated value."

    "I''m different. I''ve already been admitted to graduate school, my future prospects are limitless."

    Hearing these words from the Scumbag Man, Chen Yun turned pale with anger, wanting to cry but unable to.

    She had been with this man for so many years, only to realize today what a disgusting piece of work he was.

    It was bad enough that he despised her, but worse, he had embezzled her money!

    Gu Sang couldn''t listen anymore. She grabbed Chen Yun''s phone and started cursing.

    Gu Sang directly spewed profanities: "Your mother''s an idiot, and you talk about limitless prospects? Doesn''t your family have a mirror for you to see what a sorry excuse for a human you are? I @#&@&@......."

    "If you don''t return the money, then let''s go to court. I''d like to see if you can keep that job you just got."

    "Idiot,e get your bag tomorrow!"

    Gu Sang didn''t give the Scumbag Man a chance to react. After a barrage of insults, she immediately hung up the phone.

    Afterwards.

    Sheforted Chen Yun while helping her analyze the situation and how to get the money back.

    Chen Yun had transferred money from her own bank ount to the Scumbag Man every month. They just needed to print out the bank statements, which was a bit troublesome but could be used as a record for evidence.

    Even if the Scumbag Man wanted to embezzle this money, they could always buy a loudspeaker and publicize his actions at hispany.

    The Scumbag Man was about to be a civil servant.

    The authorities would surely focus on examining his character.

    The only difficult part was that it wouldn''t be possible to calcte the finances clearly, considering their shared expenses. Chen Yun might only be able to get back half of the money in the end.

    Early the next morning.

    Gu Sang called Lu Mufei.

    The two of them apanied Chen Yun to move all her belongings to Gu Sang''s house. As for that bag, Chen Yun threw it at the Scumbag Man.

    The Scumbag Man tried to cause trouble, but seeing the tall and strong Lu Mufei, he immediately cowered.

    Back at home, Chen Yun said with red-rimmed eyes, "Sang Sang, thank you for taking me in temporarily. Don''t worry, I''ll find a ce to live once I get my paycheck this month."

    Gu Sang replied, "Stay here for now, no need to rush. I''m going out of town for a shoot tomorrow anyway."

    So Chen Yun stayed at Gu Sang''s ce. They cooked and shopped for groceries together, asionally taking walks downstairs.

    In the evening.

    Chen Yun was taking a shower in the bathroom.

    Gu Sang connected with the Elder Princess online.

    The Elder Princess looked tired and weary. Upon seeing Gu Sang, she got straight to the point about the situation in Liujiang City.

    Elder Princess: "Based on the current situation, it''s clear that the manpower I brought is not enough."

    "This flood hase with unusual ferocity, and many citizens have been injured."

    "Moreover, possibly because it''s the first time making lifeboats, and under such time pressure, the condition of the lifeboats isn''t great. Sometimes they leak, and soldiers have to rescue the flood victims one by one to bring them ashore."

    "There''s arge amount of branches, dead chickens, and dead pigs floating in the river. One wrong move could cause injuries......"

    This time, the Elder Princess personally led the team, bringing all the imperial physicians except for one left in the gue city, along with the female guard squad.

    But there were too many injured people, far more than initially anticipated who needed to be rescued.

    It wasn''t just rescue personnel that werecking, but also lifeboats, craftsmen, and medical staff.

    In short, the Elder Princess was in short supply of everything right now.

    "This isn''t a good time, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate," Gu Sangforted her. All she could do was share modern rescue knowledge and lifeboat manufacturing techniques with the Elder Princess.

    She had done her best!

    Now she could only pray that the sh flood would arrive a dayter!

    Just one more day would give them more rescue opportunities.

    The Elder Princess said with a determined look, "Alright, you don''t need to worry. Focus on your filming, and help women wake up earlier through the portrayal of past wars."

    "Leave this to me. As long as there''s a glimmer of hope, I won''t give up on any citizen!"

    -

    The next day.

    Chen Yun saw Gu Sang off at the airport, only reluctantly returning after watching her go through security.

    This time, the ne live stream avoided Liujiang City and started broadcasting to several other new cities, causing ancient people seeing a ne for the first time to shout in amazement.

    The ancient people in the new cities stared in awe and eximed: "It''s true! The news from the capital was actually true! There really are great objects that can fly in the sky in the future!"

    "I''ve seen it! It''s so stunning! Can such wonderful ces really exist in this world?"

    "Immortal! Where are you going? Are you heading to the Celestial Court?"

    "......."

    After a series of excited discussions, the ne arrived at its destination.

    After disembarking.

    The person arranged by President Tang escorted Gu Sang to check in at the local hotel.

    The filming was scheduled for the next morning. While Gu Sang was reviewing the script in her room, her female roommate, who was also an actress, opened the door and entered with her suitcase.

    Seeing that she would be sharing the room with Gu Sang, a sh of excitement passed through the roommate''s eyes.

    She took the initiative to introduce herself: "Gu Sang? Haha, I finally get to meet you today! Hello, hello, my name is Cheng Yuanyuan."

    "Hello," Gu Sang greeted the girl. This girl hadn''t been to the training base for preparation before.

    This was their first time meeting.

    Cheng Yuanyuan stared at Gu Sang with shining eyes and said, "Your previous incident was all over the news. At that time, I was worried that this drama might not be filmed anymore."

    "Fortunately, fortunately, you exined everything in the news."

    "Also, Gu Sang, the way you told off those people was so cool! Haha, seeing those reporters rendered speechless by your words was absolutely amazing. You must have been reading from a script for a feel-good drama!"

 Chapter 123: Start shooting, stunning the ancients

    <h4>Chapter 123</h4>

    The girl was lively and outgoing. Without waiting for Gu Sang to ask, she told her all about the role she was ying.

    Gu Sang and Cheng Yuanyuan rehearsed their scenes together all afternoon, bing much more familiar with each other.

    The next day.

    As soon as Gu Sang arrived at the filming location, she started her livestream.

    She first nced at the leftmost screen of the eight disys, where raging floodwaters still dominated the view.

    Gu Sangposed herself, remembering the Elder Princess''s words about the difficulty of recruiting female soldiers. She hoped that after this livestream, more women would break free from their constraints!

    The ancientmoners asked curiously: "Immortal, what is this ce? Why is it so deste?"

    "Indeed, where are those towering buildings? The vehicles that could travel a thousand miles in a day?"

    "Why have you transformed into such a disheveled appearance? What are you nning to do?"

    Gu Sang''s face was dirty, and she wore a dark green female soldier''s uniform.

    At that moment.

    She stood on the prepared set, listening to the director exin the filming details. Except for the screens showing the capital and the flood-stricken areas, which were devoid of people, all the other screens were crowded with spectators.

    She spoke with a distant and respectful tone: "This is a modern war scene, like what you saw in the movie theater and on televisionst time."

    "Although filming is make-believe, this bloody war actually happened in history. We''re recreating it now to remind future generations who see it to remember history and never forget how precious peace is."

    "In history, there were many heroic women. They may not have left their names behind, but they exchanged their flesh and blood for a peaceful and prosperous world."

    "It''s because of these women''s selfless sacrifices thatter generations of women could enjoy various forms of equality and freedom."

    "They may be nameless, but their contributions are invaluable!"

    Seeing the admiration and respect in Gu Sang''s eyes, all the ancient viewers stopped their discussions and fell into contemtion and anticipation.

    What earth-shattering deeds could that group of nameless women have done?

    To be remembered so deeply by future generations...

    Moreover, could women really achieve great things and establish careers?

    The ancient people expressed their doubts!

    "Everyone to your positions, prepare to start filming!" Just then, the director''s voice came from off-screen.

    All the actors adjusted their facial expressions, ready for action.

    As themand "Action!" was given.

    "Boom!"

    "Boom!"

    The intermittent sounds of artillery fire were deafening, frightening the unpreparedmoners so much that their legs went weak.

    What, what''s happening?

    Why did it suddenly start thundering like this?

    It took several seconds for them to regain their senses and look at the projected screens.

    "What''s going on? Has the heavens be angry and sent down a cmity?" The neers from the new city, who had never seen guns or artillery shells, were terrified and almost fell to their knees.

    The experienced viewers from the old city quickly immersed themselves in the scene.

    Theymented with relish: "Hah, this is the problem with people fromter generations. Every time they fight, it''s all rumbling and booming, scaring people to death."

    "Last time when the immortal was training at the base, it was all bang-bang-bang, but it turned out to be useless, couldn''t even kill a person."

    "Look at them, why are they just rushing into the fire? Just hearing the noise doesn''t seem to have much killing power..."

    "Ah! His... his... his leg is gone!"

    "Oh heavens, someone''s dead! Someone''s been killed! Run quickly! Stop charging forward, run!"

    Most of the ancient viewers still didn''t know what was happening, only seeing so many people being blown up, their flesh and blood scattered, bodies flying.

    They saw soldiers charging forward, and then suddenly, a sh of fire would appear beside them, sting them into the air.

    When those nearby came to their senses, they saw an arm fall to the ground.

    Such bloody, cruel, and realistic scenes made people''s teeth chatter just from a single nce.

    "Don''t go! People will die!"

    "You, young girl, why are you rushing forward? Why aren''t you at home being a good wife and mother instead ofing to a ce like this? How stupid, knowing you''ll die and still charging ahead!"

    The ancient viewers saw another person appear on the battlefield, and judging by the silhouette, it was a woman.

    They immediately shouted advice, frustrated: "At a time like this, what trouble is a womaning to add?"

    "There''s an injured person here,e help!" The woman who appeared in the frame had two small buns tied behind her ears, her hair probably not even reaching her shoulders.

    She called for help behind her while opening the box she carried, taking out items to stop bleeding.

    Her movements were practiced; in no time, she had bandaged the soldier whose leg had been blown off.

    The female nurse, with red-rimmed eyes, said: "Comrade, hold on a little longer. You''ll be fine, yes, believe me, you''ll definitely be able to return to the battlefield, I promise!"

    Only after the nurse promised that the soldier could still serve the people did he smile and close his eyes.

    He wasn''t afraid of being disabled.

    Not afraid.

    He was only afraid he wouldn''t be able to kill enemies anymore!

    Next, the nurse went to treat and bandage nearby wounded soldiers.

    "Quick! Get down!"

    "Boom!"

    Just as the explosion sounded, Gu Sang threw herself at the nurse who was saving lives, knocking her down. The twoy face-down in the sand.

    The st scattered sand and stones all over them, covering their heads and clothes in ayer of gray dust.

    After the explosion, they quickly got up, not even bothering to brush off the sand and dust from their heads, and divided tasks to save people.

    "Quick, help! The wounded has been shot in the back."

    "Gauze to stop the bleeding! Hang in there! Send him to the rear aid station."

    "No, don''t worry about me, this little wound is nothing. I can still kill, my hands can still hold a gun! If I kill one more, I''lle out ahead!"

    After a while, several more nurses rushed out from the smoke and dust. Everyone worked together to forcibly carry the wounded off the battlefield.

    The scene froze on this moment.

    All the ancient people were dead silent.

    "Cut! Very good, got it in one take." The director''s words seemed toe from another world, suddenly awakening the viewers who had been immersed in the scene.

    Some remained lost in thought about the casualties, unable to snap out of it.

    Some stared at the nurses, lost in their own thoughts.

    There were also some foul-mouthed ancient men who sneered: "If it were men, they would have carried the wounded out long ago. Look at how slow these women are at carrying people. On a real battlefield, they''d be dead already."

    "Brother Zhao speaks the truth. Women on the battlefield just cause trouble. They''re not as strong as men, what use are they on the battlefield?"

    "Who says we women can''t do it? While you men charge into battle, we women aren''t afraid to die in rescue operations. Just now, there were female soldiers at the very front, shooting down several enemies with pinpoint uracy! You''ve only got that tiny bit of strength to brag about!"

    "Exactly! It was such a moving scene, but ugh, after what you''ve said, I feel utterly disgusted."

    The man lowered his head, chastised. His eyes betrayed his disagreement, but he dared not argue further.

    Things have changed!

    They''ve truly changed!

    In the past, women of lower status in ancient times wouldn''t have dared to contradict a man like this.

 Chapter 124: But They Are Great

    <h4>Chapter 124</h4>

    Now, after watching several livestreams from the future, they''ve developed their own thoughts?

    For some men, this is not a good thing!

    Meanwhile, in the gue City:

    "Son, look, this is what your mother is doing now. She''s gone to save people. Come, let''s pray together for your mother''s safe return." The father watched the livestream with his son, both closing their eyes and silently praying for their beloved wife and mother to return safely from Liujiang City.

    Standing nearby, a female friend sneered.

    She belittled the Green-robed woman, saying: "Look how dangerous it is. One wrong move and you''re dead. Luckily, I talked you out of signing up back then, or you would have lost your life."

    "Still want to be part of the guard? For us women, the most important thing in life is to find a good husband. What''s the point of putting yourself out there?"

    Two young-looking girls were talking. The Orange-robed woman spoke proudly to the Green-robed woman, repeatedly telling her to remember to repay her life-saving kindness in the future.

    The Green-robed woman pressed her lips tightly together, not making a sound.

    Because in her heart, she thought:

    But the Female Guards and Female Soldiers in there are so great!

    They''re really no worse than the men, aren''t they?

    "Daughter, pleasee back safely. Father is waiting for you at home."

    "My child wants to be a hero, she has ambition. Father is proud of you." A father gazed at the screen, seeming to think of his ill-fated daughter.

    The fortune-teller said she would bring misfortune to her husband and couldn''t be married off, so no man in the vige dared to marry her.

    Last time when the Elder Princess called for Female Guards, his daughter went to sign up.

    As an old father, he could onlye to the city gate every day to wait for news.

    Waiting for the day when his daughter could return safely...

    Inside Liujiang City, which had experienced flooding:

    The citizens stood up with reddened eyes and said to the Elder Princess: "We can help too!"

    "Elder Princess, we''ve already learned basic first aid. This time, let us contribute as well."

    "Yes! My nephew is still trapped in the city. I want to rescue him!"

    The Elder Princess was methodically arranging rescue personnel, food, water, medicine, and various supplies. She had to personally supervise and arrange all of these things.

    After all, she had too few capable people under hermand. Counselor Fang and Zhou Qichen were still in the gue City.

    One moment a soldier came to ask her that they were running out of food.

    The Elder Princess waved her hand, ordering more to be supplied.

    The next moment, another soldier said the rescue boats seemed to be broken.

    The Elder Princess immediately arranged for new ones to be brought in.

    Then, the craftsmen said they had run out of materials to work with, and the Elder Princess...

    Just as the Elder Princess was arranging for one group of people to rest on site and the next group to go out on boats for rescue, several Female Guards burst in from outside.

    The woman leading them wore a in cyan robe without a single pattern, her hair tied back neatly.

    Her eyebrows were strong and her gaze towards the Elder Princess was filled with determination.

    "Elder Princess, let us go too. We''ve been learning from our masters for so long, now is the time for us to show what we can do."

    "We can handle simple injuries."

    "We''ll bring food and medicine. You can ce us on the mountains, and we can search around for any people who might have been left behind..."

    The Elder Princess listened patiently until they finished speaking. Under their anxious gazes, she nodded solemnly.

    Immediately, these women jumped up excitedly, rejoicing with theirpanions.

    The Elder Princess instructed: "You can go, but I have only one requirement for you - that is to be careful!"

    "Also, whether you find people or not, you must gather at yournding point at the specified time."

    Hearing the Elder Princess''s words, everyone nodded seriously.

    The lead woman spoke up: "Elder Princess, please rest assured, we will retreat ording to the rules and absolutely won''t hold anyone back!"

    "Haha, let those men see how brave we women can be."

    After that, these women boarded boats with the soldiers and entered Liujiang City.

    As the boats advanced into Liujiang City, the women and soldiers saw a virtual screen projected in the sky.

    The screen was sorge it almost epassed the entire Liujiang City.

    Seeing the female nurses on screen risking danger to save people, remaining calm andposed even when faced with severed limbs.

    Such shocking images showed that women could also be self-reliant.

    This made the lead woman''s face fill with pride. She pointed at the images in the sky and said: "Look, we women are not afraid of danger, hardship, or death!"

    "Those are the women of the future, just as capable as you men!"

    A moment ago, the soldiers wereughing at them for insisting on showing off, wondering why they couldn''t stay outside and save people like the imperial physicians.

    The next moment, they were left speechless by this woman''s words, only able to nod repeatedly and agree with embarrassed expressions.

    A soldier said solemnly: "We were narrow-minded! Perhaps the Divine Lady is right, we shouldn''t look down on any woman who wants to serve the people."

    "Let''s go save people together!"

    "We must bring out every citizen who is trapped!"

    While Liujiang City continued to rescue its citizens, the film crew and other staff arrived at a nearby small vige to shoot scenes. The images were once again broadcast to the eight city districts.

    After the director called "Action!"

    A peaceful and beautiful vige scene gradually appeared on screen. Women wearing thick floral-patterned cotton jackets sat in the sun sewing shoe soles while chatting.

    Outside the vige, several children were ying.

    Everything looked so peaceful and beautiful.

    "How can you fight well if you don''t eat well? Don''t be polite with me, take this pumpkin and eat it." A woman walked out from a courtyard.

    After the woman came out, a soldier immediately chased after her, hugging the pumpkin.

    The soldier said to the woman with a serious expression: "Old Lady, we can''t take anything from the vigers, not even a needle or thread. We can''t ept this pumpkin."

    "It''s just one pumpkin, and I''m giving it to you. Just tell me who yourmander is, I''ll go talk to him..."

    "We really can''t take it, Old Lady. We can''t ept anything from the vigers!"

    "When I tell you to take it, just take it!"

    "I really can''t ept it."

    The soldier and the woman kept pushing the pumpkin back and forth.

    The ancient citizens were shocked to see this scene. They could hardly imagine that in the future, soldiers not only wouldn''t rob food from the people, but would actively refuse it?

    Are all soldiers in the future like this?

    How could this be!

    When those who ran food stalls faced county officials and soldiersing to eat, they didn''t even dare to charge for the meals!

    The ancientmon people watched helplessly as the soldiers from the future, with looks of resignation on their faces, could only follow behind the woman, forcibly returning the pumpkin to her home.

    After cing the pumpkin in the house, the soldier ran away quickly. The woman wanted to chase after him but couldn''t catch up: "Hey, why are you running? You''ve brought the pumpkin back to me..."

    However.

    This scene did notst long.

    Just outside this peaceful and beautiful vige, a squad of enemy soldiers was swaggering towards the vige.

    Soon, they were spotted by the viger on lookout duty at the vige entrance, who, frightened, quickly ran back to report the news.

    "The enemy ising! Everyone, quickly hide in the cers."

 Chapter 125: Endure a Momentary Myocardial Infarction

    <h4>Chapter 125</h4>

    The dozen or so soldiers hiding in the vige to recover from their injuries quickly hid in the Vige chief''s cer under the cover of the vigers.

    Among the soldiers were both men and women. They had originally nned to meet theirrades at a predetermined location, but they hadn''t expected the city to fall so quickly.

    Forced to leave, they were ambushed during their retreat. Half of their squad suffered casualties, leaving them no choice but to temporarily seek refuge in the vigers'' homes to recover.

    At that moment, outside the vige.

    The enemymander stood at the vige entrance, shouting, "I''ve heard that you''re harboring militia! If youe clean, we''ll spare your lives!"

    "No, we wouldn''t dare. Sir, all our vigers are here..."

    "What a beautiful youngdy... She''s quite a catch. Take her!"

    "Ah! Father! No..."

    "You have an old saying: ''The wise adapt to circumstances.'' Since you won''t hand them over, there''s no use keeping this vige..."

    In the cer.

    More than a dozen people huddled together, not daring to breathe.

    Gu Sang was the least injured among them.

    She held her breath and slowly put her ear to the cer entrance. The muffled conversation between the enemy and the vigers faintly reached the cer.

    Watching this scene, the ancient people viewing the live broadcast unconsciously slowed their breathing, their hearts in their throats for Gu Sang, fearing she might be discovered by themander outside.

    In the great hall.

    Pei Changying gripped the carved decorations on the dragon throne tightly. Although he knew it was just acting, the atmosphere made him feel as if he were really there.

    He murmured in a deep, emotional voice, "Sang Sang, don''t get too close to listen. You''ll be discovered."

    "Sang Sang, how can these people be so crude? Why do they speak so strangely? They don''t sound like they''re from the Central ins."

    "Shut up, be quiet," Gu Sang snapped impatiently.

    Of course, the people from the future couldn''t hear this exchange.

    They only saw Gu Sang''s eyes ze over for a second.

    Then, Gu Sang tiptoed back to herrades.

    With a grave expression, Gu Sang said, "Those enemies are real bastards. I heard them say they''ve captured all the vigers and are preparing to burn down the vige."

    "And... I heard them mention youngdies..."

    She hadn''t heard clearly, but those two words were enough to convey the meaning.

    Those soulless beasts were piging, killing, andmitting all manner of atrocities!

    They didn''t treat people as human beings at all!

    "You stay here. I''ll go out and take the opportunity to shoot them. We can''t let the vigers shield us," Gu Sang said, loading her gun with a look of determination.

    The soldiers and the nurse all wore expressions of grim resolve as they said, "Deputy squad leader, I''m going out too. We might as well fight these beasts to the death."

    "That''s right, our duty is to protect every civilian and fight to thest moment! If these vigers die to save us, we''ll have failed our uniforms and our organization."

    "A real man fears not death. We swear to kill everyst one of these beasts!"

    None of the dozen or so people hesitated. They drew their guns with passionate fervor and, under Gu Sang''smand, opened the cer and split up to take action.

    This scene.

    It made all the ancient people''s hearts race!

    They''ve rushed out!

    It''s over, it''s over!

    Why are they so foolish? Hiding in the vigers'' homes was so safe. With so many enemies, aren''t they just rushing to their deaths?

    "Bang!"

    Gu Sang''s first shot hit the beast who was about to vite a woman.

    Behind her, several more shots rang out, each finding its mark in the enemy.

    The enemies shouted words the onlookers couldn''t understand while spraying machine gun fire.

    "Bang bang bang..."

    On Gu Sang''s side, a man immediately fell, wounded.

    At that moment.

    The ancient people watching the live broadcast witnessed the simple vigers, as if gone mad, shielding Gu Sang and the soldiers.

    The Vige chief urgently called for them to flee: "Quick, run! Don''t worry about us."

    "Fellow vigers, protect these soldiers!"

    But in the next second.

    A bullet rang out with a loud bang, and the Vige chief fell heavily, his eyes wide open.

    Yet the Vige chief still opened his mouth, looking at Gu Sang and shouting, "Run... quick... run..."

    "Vige chief!"

    The soldiers'' eyes instantly reddened, but they didn''t shed tears. They gritted their teeth, wearing expressions of desperate resolve as they battled the enemy.

    "Ah!!! We''ll fight to the death with you!"

    The vigers had no weapons, so they grabbed hoes, stools, carrying poles, winnowing baskets: anything they could use to fight: and threw themselves at the enemy.

    "Hahaha! I''ve killed two of these beasts today. It was worth it!" The man who had beenughing wildly a moment ago was now lying face-up in a pool of blood the next second.

    The skirmish ended quickly; vigers armed with farm tools were no match for the well-equipped enemy.

    This scene, which could only be described as a massacre, deeply shocked the ancient people.

    Those people speaking anguage not from the Central ins were too vicious!

    How could they be so cruel?

    Boom!!

    The ground was littered with corpses, people who died with their eyes open.

    The entire vige was burned to ashes in one fell swoop.

    Gu Sangy among the bodies, her face covered in blood. Her fingers twitched, and blood seeped from her arm.

    However.

    As soon as her fingertips moved, she was discovered.

    "There''s still a youngdy alive! She''s one of the militia! Quick, take her back." The female Deputy squad leader yed by Gu Sang was dragged away by the enemy.

    Behind them, the once peaceful and quiet vige was now engulfed in mes.

    "Cut!"

    "Very good, everyone. Let''s break for lunch. We''ll continue filming this afternoon."

    As this scene came to an end, the actors from the future quickly broke character and quietly lined up to get their boxed lunches.

    Only the ancient people remained lost in the scenes they had just witnessed, unable to snap out of it.

    Some of the ancient people were crying uncontrobly, while others were sobbing silently.

    Seeing the vigers and the Vige chief, who had just been lying in pools of blood with looks of desperate resolve, now happily picking up their boxed lunches and eating, the ancient civilians were overwhelmed with mixed emotions: confusion, anger, and reproach surged forth!

    An ancient person shouted, "Goddess, why are you filming such things? Your future world is so beautiful, why do you need to film such cruel wars?"

    "You future people don''t know how good you have it. By filming such scenes, are you actually nostalgic for these times of suffering?"

    "Such a brutal and bloody scene - if children were to see this, it would surely traumatize them."

    "We''re talking about history here. This must have happened many years ago, right? Can''t people just look to the future? Scenes like this are so ufortable to watch. They disturb the peace!"

    Gu Sang was eating his boxed lunch, overhearing some of the ancients'' disapproving chatter. It was just like those inte keyboard warriors, endlessly criticizing with their incessant bber.

    Gu Sang thought to himself: They''re ignorant. It''s not worth stooping to their level.

    Well, alright then.

    Swallow your anger now, get a heart attackter. Take a step back today, develop breast hypersia tomorrow!

 Chapter 126: Being behind means being beaten

    <h4>Chapter 126</h4>

    Gu Sang threw her finished meal box into the trash can, then turned to look at the ancient people with a serious and stern expression. She spoke resolutely:

    "Human beings should look forward, but we must not forget our roots, our past humiliations. Without the dedication and efforts of our ancestors, where do the peace and prosperity we enjoy todaye from?!"

    "The retelling of these difficult stories by future generations is a constant reminder to the descendants. Remember history, learn from the past.¡±

    "Falling behind means being bullied. Every descendant of China must keep this phrase in their hearts."

    "History is bloody and indignant, but we should not evade these painful experiences. Instead, we should look at them correctly and change to make our country stronger, more prosperous, and enduring."

    "As for the fear that children will be traumatized? You''re overthinking. Children are more resilient than you think. They will remember that the prosperity they enjoy today was won by countless heroic grandfathers and grandmothers, their peace was bought with their bodies, and they will have faith in their hearts ..."

    War films have always remained popr.

    As a child, Gu Sang would often watch them on various TV stations, especially the older generation''s favorite stories.

    Gu Sang''s grandmother also loved to watch them. But as a child, after watching a few episodes, she soon grew tired and didn''t understand how her grandmother never grew tired of it.

    It was not until she grew older and learned about the history that Gu Sang finally understood that it was not the TV they were watching, but the nostalgia, the feelings, the relief, the experience of life''s changes.

    "Many, many years ago, the small foreign countries dared to point at our people and call us the ''Sick Man of the East.''"

    "But now..."

    "We have proved to the world with our strength, what is the great China! "

    Gu Sang''s words reverberated among the ancient people.

    They fell silent.

    Although the ancients had not personally experienced such history, they could feel the misery of past wars and the helplessness of being backward from Gu Sang''s tone.

    But within a few decades...

    They reversed the situation!

    Our ancestors built a powerful China with their blood and sacrifices, with countless lives.

    Pei Changying, with tightened lips, looked at Gu Sang on the screen. His voice hoarse and low, "The weak are prey to the strong? Gu Sang, are you hinting at me?"

    "I already know I was wrong."

    "Can youe back and continue to assist me? "

    "As long as youe back, I am willing to rule the world with you, whether it''s a school you mentioned, gender equality, life-longmitment, I''ll listen to you! This time I will not lose my temper with you again, okay?"

    Upon hearing these sincere words, even if unrequited....

    Gu Sang''s face was as grim as if she had eaten a housefly.

    Rule the world together?

    She felt chills all over and then coldly retorted: "Pei Changying, I think you''re daydreaming in broad daylight and forgot how I died back in ancient times!"

    "Assist you in unifying the world?"

    "Ha, then what?"

    "Turn your face away heartlessly and imprison me?"

    A flicker of hurt crossed Pei Changying''s eyes. He pursed his lips wanting to exin something: "No, Gu Sang, before it was I......"

    "Enough! Your exnations are as hypocritical and cheap as you! But the difference is, before I had no choice but to support you, now, I have a million other paths!"

    "Pei Changying, your bted affection is truly pathetic!"

    Gu Sang''s words were so chilling that they left no room for saving face.

    She really didn''t leave him any dignity at all!

    And, there was absolutely no emotion left in her eyes.

    The passionate look in Pei Changying''s eyes froze, he lowered his head, his fingers tightly digging into his own palm. At this moment, he desired Gu Sang to return to his side more desperately than ever before.

    "Sang Sang, I-"

    However, before he could finish, the screen went ck.

    Gu Sang, she, she turned off all the live-streaming within the imperial pce in the capital!

    Pei Changying ordered soldiers to keep people from watching anyway, so it would be a waste to keep the livestream on, to save them from seeing his hypocritical face.

    Pei Changying stared vacantly into the air, his eyes filled with annoyance and desire.

    Time passed quickly.

    In no time, it was time to shoot thest scene!

    "Gu Sang, I''m here to exin the state you have to yter."

    "I heard that you are a neer, this might be difficult for you, because this is a long shot that is hard to master, you need to..."

    Shooting movies is not like ying scenes, it''s not starting at each level of the story.

    sses arepleted in one scene, and then the location is changed to shoot in different scenes.

    Gu Sang was specifically called over by the director to give pointers because the scene she was supposed to shoot that afternoon happened to be her final scene.

    The director worries that as a neer she might not be able to control her emotions.

    After listening to the director''s exnation thoroughly, Gu Sang had an idea of how she wanted to convey these emotions.

    "Okay, everyone to your ces!"

    "Action!"

    With those words hanging in the air, the ancient people guarding outside the livestream town all looked up nervously, staring intently at the shooting scene on the screen.

    Here ites!

    It''s starting!

    The historic scene of the Goddess'' shooting has arrived!

    From the pupils of the ancient people, one can reflect the gloomy dungeon, where the half-dead Gu Sang is being dragged into a cell by enemies.

    Bang!

    Gu Sang''s body was heavily thrown into the cell.

    The prisoners in the cell quickly approached, turned Gu Sang over, and checked her breathing: "Good, the youngdy is still alive."

    "Come on, everyone help and move her over there."

    A few people together moved Gu Sang to a straw mat by the bed, someone reached out to the outer water bucket and fed Gu Sang with water in hand.

    The prisoners'' hands and feet were all chained, making a sound when they walked.

    Their faces, bodies, and clothes were all marked with whip marks, some people''s facial injuries had scarred over, forming a twisted and extraordinarily ugly centipede shape on the face.

    Gu Sang, now fully immersed in her character, opened her eyes and saw several female prisoners like herself looking at her with concern.

    "Sister Liu, she¡¯s awake."

    Opening her mouth, Gu Sang¡¯s mind is filled with the faces of the vigers who had died for her.

    Herrades, her ssmates, her partners, those sincere loved ones, all were killed by the enemy!

    "Why am I still alive?" Gu Sang, lost in her act, murmured in deep agony, tears flowing into her hair from the corners of her eyes.

    Her heart felt as if it had been hollowed out.

    Suddenly, she found no meaning to live.

    Why wasn''t she the one who died!

    "Miss, don''t give up. You need to stay strong, we must believe in the light."

    "You see, our loved ones around us have also been killed by the enemy. I came for revenge, but I got caught before I could achieve it."

    "Sister Liu suffered even more, her infant son who just learning to walk, such a little baby, was shockingly killed by the enemy."

 Chapter 127: Although we die, our spirit lives on

    <h4>Chapter 127</h4>

    ... stabbed in the throat with a knife, then fell to her death right in front of her mother!

    They couldn''t bring themselves to utter the cruel second half of that sentence.

    Sister Liu looked at the reddened eyes of the group, her scarred face showing determination. Her eyes no longer held weakness, as hatred gave her strength. "Why are you crying?" she asked.

    "As long as we''re alive, there''s still a chance."

    "I''ve heard that resistance has already begun outside. I want to live to see the moment our enemies are defeated with my own eyes!"

    "As long as there''s even one of our countrymen left alive on this soil, it means we haven''t lost. We still have hope!"

    In times of national crisis, whose heart isn''t filled with passion!

    Themon people who had lost everything, who had witnessed their parents, children, rtives, and friends die cruelly before their eyes, wished they could perish together with the enemy!

    The group wiped away their tears and said in unison with unwavering determination: "That''s right, as long as we''re alive, we have hope to see the enemy driven from ournd!"

    Even before they were captured, they had heard that the nation was rising up, with countless forces joining together to resist the enemy!

    Perhaps.

    They might really have a chance to see the day when the enemy is forced to flee in defeat.

    "As long as we''re alive, there''s hope!"

    Gu Sang, immersed in the sadness of the script, muttered softly with her head lowered.

    Just uttering this phrase once filled one with strength.

    "Yes, only by living do we have hope."

    Gu Sang closed her eyes, her facial expressions constantly changing, finally transforming her grief into resilience: "Myrades who protected my fellow vigers are all dead. What use is there in hating myself? I should pick up their swords and continue to fight bravely, toplete the mission they couldn''t finish."

    The others wept with joy: "Good, good girl, well said."

    Sister Liu took the initiative to help Gu Sang up, letting her lean against the wall.

    Seemingly recalling something, she looked at Gu Sang and said in a hoarse voice: "Sister, I know we might not make it out of here alive, but our husbands heard about a militia uprising a month ago and went to enlist."

    "Each of us tore off a piece of cloth from our clothes and stitched them together. We wanted to write a few words on it, thinking that if we could get this piece of fabric out someday and send it to them, it would be something to hold onto."

    "But none of us can read or write. You look educated and quiet, so you must be literate, right? Could you teach us how to write?"

    Hearing this, all the ancient people watching the livestream were stunned.

    Literacy?

    So, even decades or hundreds of years ago in the future, there were still so many women who couldn''t read or write?

    The harsh life depicted in the y formed a stark contrast with the modern world!

    In an instant!

    All the ancient people''s minds buzzed, as if suddenly understanding something...

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang thought for a moment. Writing might not be a good idea, as it could be easily detected and discovered in the prison cell, which could lead to another round of interrogation and beating.

    Thinking this, Gu Sang drew a five-pointed star on the wall.

    "Sister Liu, if you can''t write, let''s not use words. Let''s use this symbol instead. It''s a symbol of hope, representing the light and freedom of the sky!"

    Sister Liu and the others had tears welling up in their eyes.

    Sister Liu nodded repeatedly: "Good, we''ll use this symbol then."

    The others also said tearfully: "Girl, if you can get out, give this piece of cloth to the militia. My husband will recognize the embroidery on it as mine at a nce!"

    "Let it be a memento for him, to remember my death and kill a few more enemies!"

    "And let the militia organization know that they are the people''s hope. Though we may die, our will lives on!"

    Sister Liu took out the stitched piece of cloth andid it on the ground. The cell had nothing, but blood was not in short supply.

    They dipped their fingers in the blood still flowing from their wounds and, with utmost reverence, drew the symbol on the fabric, stroke by stroke.

    "ng."

    The sudden noise startled everyone in the cell.

    Sister Liu hurriedly hid the piece of cloth in her clothes, fearing the enemy would discover and destroy it.

    They all looked towards the door and saw a female nurse in enemy uniform who had killed the guard watching the prison. It was the guard''s fall that had startled them.

    The nurse crouched down and found the keys on the enemy''s body, then hurriedly came over to open the cell door.

    "Comrade, I''m here to rescue you!"

    "Most of the enemy soldiers have been lured away by our people using diversionary tactics."

    "Quick, let''s go!"

    The nurse had been keeping her head down, and it wasn''t until she looked up that Gu Sang recognized her face. It was the nurse she had crossed paths with a few times before.

    After freeing everyone from their chains, the nurse walked in front to keep watch for the group.

    Although Sister Liu and the others were also injured, they could still walk. She and another woman who was less severely injured supported Gu Sang on either side as they walked out.

    Before they could exit the prison, they saw that the outside had suddenly be heavily guarded, as if the enemy had be aware of something.

    Perhaps the nurse''s knocking out an enemy nurse and infiltrating to rescue them had been discovered.

    In such a critical moment, Gu Sang took the initiative to plead: "I can''t even walk properly, I''ll slow you down."

    "Leave me behind and escape quickly."

    The nurse, ears alert to all directions and eyes scanning everywhere, didn''t look back. Though she was carrying Gu Sang on her back, she could hear the firmness and determination in her voice: "I won''t abandon any of our countrymen, any of our soldiers!"

    "I risked my life toe in here today, and I''m going to take you out!"

    "Comrade, you saved me before, I owe you my life. Today, I won''t leave you behind and escape alone no matter what!"

    She was a nurse, and the organization was reluctant to assign her to such a dangerous infiltration mission to rescue people.

    But it was extremely difficult for militia members to infiltrate, while she, with her medical knowledge, could more easily disguise herself as a nurse to get in.

    She had insisted on personally rescuing Gu Sang!

    It was to repay Gu Sang for saving her life on the battlefield.

    "That''s right, we won''t abandon you either. If we''re getting out, we''re all getting out together!"

    "Sister, you have toe with us!"

    The ancient people watching the livestream, hearing that they were willing to take Gu Sang along without a moment''s hesitation despite the life-threatening risk of being slowed down,

    Some of the ancient viewers were already secretly wiping away tears.

    They didn''t know why, but they just felt like crying.

    Even in the face of life and death, to still not abandon one''spanions - such behavior is truly admirable.

    Moreover, just half an hour ago, Sister Liu and the others were mere strangers to Gu Sang!

    They could have easily abandoned Gu Sang and fled for their own lives.

    But they didn''t!

    They knew full well that if they were caught trying to escape prison, it would mean certain death!

    Some clever people from ancient times might scoff with disdain: "How utterly foolish! At a time like this, one should cast aside any burdens and escape first, then seize an opportunity toe back and rescue otherster!"

    Nearby, someone wiped away tears and exined: "What are you all moring about? This is what we call sharing in hardship!"

 Chapter 128: Where there is a spark, there is a fire.

    <h4>Chapter 128</h4>

    Moreover, the Divine Lady had said before filming began that there were many people in history who didn''t even leave their names behind, yet they made invaluable contributions to future generations.

    Perhaps, many, many years ago, there was such a group of fools who died tragically under swords and guns in order to save one morepatriot.

    The ancient people continued to watch the livestream.

    After several cautious and fearful attempts to hide and escape, they were still discovered by the enemy.

    When the enemy''s machine guns were aimed at the fleeing few, Sister Liu stepped forward with her arms spread wide, shielding those behind her from the bullets.

    "Bang!"

    "Bang bang bang!"

    Bullets fell on Sister Liu like raindrops, sttering blood everywhere.

    Seeing this, the other women from Sister Liu''s vige, driven by an unknown courage, fearlessly stood up and spread their arms wide to shield Gu Sang and the nurse from the bullets.

    The nurse supported Gu Sang, both with tears in their eyes.

    In her final moment, Sister Liu pulled out the piece of fabric painted with the blood of several people. She looked at Gu Sang with pride and satisfaction in her eyes, saying, "I knew it, I''ve known all along that you were part of the militia organization. Actually... I recognized your clothes."

    "Comrade."

    "Take this... out... live... and give it... to the organization. Tell my... husband... to kill... more enemy soldiers... for me...!"

    Gu Sang chokingly took the piece of fabric from Sister Liu''s hand.

    She dared not even cry loudly: "Don''t worry, as long as I''m alive, I''ll definitely take it out!"

    Under the protection of the sisters who fought to the death, the two of them reached the corner of the wall.

    Above was the already-cut barbed wire, revealing a hole justrge enough for one person to crawl through.

    The nurse must have cut it open beforeing, to facilitate their escape.

    If they hadn''t been discovered, they could have crawled out one by one.

    But now... there was no time!

    "Bang!"

    The enemy soldiers caught up again, and a bullet hit one of Gu Sang''s legs.

    Gu Sang endured without making a sound, knowing she couldn''t escape this time.

    She handed the fabric she had received from Sister Liu to the nurse: "Take this and deliver it to the organization!"

    "I''ll cover you, escape!"

    Without waiting for the nurse''s consent, Gu Sang used all her remaining strength to hoist the nurse onto the wall.

    Finally!

    Gu Sang took the hand grenade tied to the nurse''s leg.

    She turned back to look at the nurse onest time, that nce filled with too many emotions of the human world. She shouted, "Go quickly, live and bring back their hope!"

    The nurse, with tears streaming down her face, looked at Gu Sang onest time, then at the hand grenade Gu Sang had taken. She suppressed her grief and her lips moved slightly.

    Then, she leapt down.

    Gu Sang saw it. Though she didn''t understand lip-reading, she somehow read a sentence from the nurse''s lips: I''ll see the arrival of a peaceful world for you!

    Good!

    A peaceful world.

    You must see it for me!

    "Rat-tat-tat¡ª" Dozens of enemy soldiers surrounded Gu Sang.

    Gu Sangughed loudly as she pulled the pin on the hand grenade.

    That stitched piece of fabric was the hope entrusted by Sister Liu and the others.

    It bore the pattern of a star, representing a spark of hope.

    The spark had escaped, so hope still lived!

    Victory would surelye!

    "A single spark can start a prairie fire! How can the light of millions ofpatriots not rival the sun and moon! We will surely triumph!"

    "Boom¡ª¡ª!!"

 Chapter 129: Collapse of Thought, Rebuilding, Ignition

    <h4>Chapter 129</h4>

    "BOOM!!!"

    A massive explosion shattered Gu Sang and the surrounding enemy soldiers into pieces!

    This st engulfed less than one percent of the enormous prisonplex.

    Yet the sound carried far. The soldiersing to assist the female nurse suddenly halted, turned in shock towards Gu Sang''s direction, and saluted.

    Moreover!

    Tears welled up in their eyes as each soldier murmured, "Farewell,rade."

    In the distance, the soldiers who were obstructing the enemy''s retreat also heard the detonation. Amidst the thick mes, their resolute faces shed with suppressed emotion and determination.

    Click¡ª

    The scene froze at this moment!

    Witnessing this, the ancient citizens watching the live broadcast all burst into tears. Their emotions flowed like a broken dam, unstoppable.

    One person crouched down, sobbing uncontrobly: "I never knew women could be so resilient. Their unity and willingness to face death is deeply moving."

    "These are true heroines, no less courageous than men¡ªno, even more formidable than ordinary men."

    "They''re truly great! They were willing to use their bodies as shields so theirrades could carry hope to safety, yet they didn''t even leave their names for posterity."

    Hearing the women around them praising their future counterparts, the men, for once, refrained from mockery.

    A schr, listening to the surrounding conversation, suddenly thought of the border issues. With reddened eyes, he said in a trembling voice, "If the men of our dynasty had half the spirit and willpower of these future women, the day we drive out the barbarians would be within reach!"

    In the gue-stricken city.

    Everyone gathered at the city gate to watch the video.

    Perhaps they didn''t fully understand the tragic history that would unfold in the future.

    But these few days of filming had shown them the bloodshed and cruelty of history.

    They also saw the power of hope and faith.

    At this moment, regardless of gender, certain beliefs in their hearts began to waver, copse, and rebuild.

    While the ancient people were lowering their heads to wipe away tears, inwardly regretting, or grieving, suddenly!

    A man shouted loudly, "If even the women of the future are so fearless in the face of death, how can I, as a man, cling to life and fear death!"

    "Fellow vigers, hear me out. When the gue struck our town, it was the Elder Princess who defied convention and personally brought imperial physicians to save us."

    "We said we would repay the Elder Princess, but when she recruited able-bodied men, we hid away, fearing death on the battlefield."

    "We are cowards, not even measuring up to women!"

    "The Divine Lady showed us this scene today to guide us, to show that a person''s life can be as heavy as Mount Tai or as light as a feather. We must live our lives with a clear conscience."

    "The Elder Princess saved me, so my life now belongs to her."

    "Fellow vigers, who wants to enlist with me? Let''s join the Elder Princess in creating a peaceful and prosperous era for our time!"

    The gue city''s residents were inspired by this man''s passionate words.

    Seeing his bold and determined demeanor reminded them of the oath the Elder Princess had made with them after the gue ended.

    Together, to build a strong and beautiful nation!

    A nation increasingly close to that of the future!

    "Good, I want to enlist too!"

    "Count me in. The Elder Princess didn''t just save me, she saved my whole family. From now on, my life belongs to her. I''ll fight wherever she points!"

    "M-me too!"

    "And me! I want to be a female nurse!"

    "..."

 Chapter 130: Mom, I Want to See a Broader World

    <h4>Chapter 130</h4>

    The ancient people, with reddened eyes, rushed towards the recruitment center in a swarm. Looking at this spectacle, one might have mistaken them for seeking vengeance rather than enlistment.

    As thousands of men ran to sign up with grand aspirations, the elderly instinctively wanted to stop them. But this time, no one dared to speak up.

    They were old now, unable to serve. But their sons could aplish what they never could!

    And if not their sons, then surely their grandsons!

    Ever since the Divine Lady''s broadcast reached them, their mindset had gradually changed.

    Amidst their concerns and fears, there was also a glimmer of hope.

    Perhaps the demise of old-fashioned thinking heralded the dawn of a new era!

    "Mother, no matter what you say this time, I''m going."

    "I may not be like the Elder Princess or the Divine Lady, but I have my own ideas. I don''t need topare myself to anyone. In the face of national duty, everyone is equal!"

    "Everyone is great! We women are no less than men. I want to be a nurse!"

    The girl who had been pulled back by her motherst time finally mustered the courage to express her true thoughts to her parents.

    After speaking her mind, she felt a wave of relief wash over her.

    It wasn''t as difficult to speak up as she had imagined.

    She had always been afraid to reveal her true feelings, backing down at the slightest hint of her mother''s disapproval.

    But this time, she wouldn''t let anyone sway her decision.

    Hearing these words, the girl''s mother didn''t immediately object. Instead, she frowned, sighing with endless worry: "Are you truly determined?"

    "It''s not that I forbid you to go, but this path is incredibly difficult."

    "When I was very young, I too wondered why I was born a girl and not a boy. Why could men aspire to greatness while women could only live in the shadow of their husbands? Even the mistresses of noble families needed permission just to leave the house. That''s why... that''s why I chose to marry amon man!"

    "At least I could go out and work in the fields, not spending decades confined to a single courtyard."

    As she spoke, tears welled up in the mother''s eyes, which she quickly wiped away.

    Looking at her daughter again, she suddenly felt a sense of resignation.

    Why should she stop her daughter? Perhaps there was a hint of selfishness in her thinking. She had never had the courage to escape her cage, so surely her daughter couldn''t either.

    She had brainwashed herself over and over again.

    Being a good wife and mother was the most honorable life for a woman.

    Just as her own mother had taught her before marriage, telling her to regard her husband as the center of her world, she was now passing on the same lessons to her daughter.

    Enough.

    Enough!

    What was the point?

    Women had been oppressed for so long that sometimes it was mothers who prevented their daughters from flying towards freedom. It shouldn''t be this way.

    The mother suddenly thought of Lin Lin''s mother, the woman who had sought revenge against a scoundrel alone for her daughter''s sake. That was a truly great mother. She realized her own narrow-mindedness.

    Closing her eyes, the mother sighed and said, "If you want to go, you must ovee your timid and fearful nature. There will be so many injured people on the battlefield, with severed limbs..."

    "Can you handle it? You used to tremble at the sight of blood."

    The girl pressed her lips together and nodded firmly. "I can do it! Mother, I don''t want to spend my life married off to just anyone, being a wife and mother. I don''t want to spend my entire life confined to a courtyard. I want to see the wider world."

    "Even if I die, I''m not afraid. I want to be a hero too!"

    The girl''s mother said nothing more.

    Seeing this, the girl''s eyes lit up. Had her mother agreed?

    She had thought, she had truly believed that her mother would try to persuade her to find a good family to marry into. She had been prepared to fight to the death!

    She never expected this!!

    "Thank you, Mother!!"

    "Mother, you''re so good to me. I won''t let you down." The girl cried as she hugged her mother, showing affection and gratitude so intimately for the first time.

    The mother''s body trembled, then she slowly patted her daughter''s shoulder, a trace of relief and pride shing in her eyes.

    Nearby, a woman in ancient orange attire hurriedly chased after her friend.

    "Hey, hey, where are you going? You''re not nning to sign up for the women''s guard, are you? Listen, the battlefield is no joke¡ªit''s extremely dangerous¡ª"

    "We should focus on finding good families to marry into, finding good husbands. That''s what''s important."

    "If you expose yourself like that, people willugh at you!"

    However, before she could finish speaking, the woman in green clothing ahead suddenly turned around. The woman in orange, caught off guard, crashed right into her.

    The woman in green said, "You don''t need to try to persuade me anymore. There are many things more meaningful than just staying alive. I''ve made up my mind. I''m going to sign up for the women''s guard!"

    "I''m not afraid of beingughed at. What I fear is a life where my entire existence revolves around just my husband and children. If that''s the case, I''d rather die on the battlefield!"

    "Didn''t the Divine Lady say it?"

    "A single spark can start a prairie fire!"

    "If millions of fireflies shine together, how can we not change this era? I insist on being that spark, even if it means death! I''m going! If I can''t go to the future, I''ll make this era slowly be the future!"

    With that, the woman in green turned away abruptly.

    The woman in orange felt her chest tighten, but she still shook her head resolutely and chased after her friend, trying to persuade her: "You''re just one woman, what can you change?"

    "Listen to me, don''t go. It''s really dangerous..."

    "If you die, everything is over. All other women live like this, getting married and having children! Why do you have to be different?"

    The determination of the woman in green in front and the anxious pursuit of the woman in orange behind became a unique scene in the gue-stricken city.

    However, everyone was too busy signing up to appreciate this disy of sisterly affection.

    Was her close friend truly looking out for her best interests with such earnest persuasion?

    She didn''t know.

    Perhaps.

    But it didn''t matter anymore.

    Her future held infinite possibilities. She might die, she might live, she might be maimed, she might fly towards freedom. All were possible, so none of it mattered anymore.

    -

    Gu Sang''s assigned scenes had finished, and she nned to observe the performances of other actors for a few days before returning home.

    Cheng Yuanyuan had night scenes, so Gu Sang was alone in the hotel room.

    After brewing a cup of tea with the hotel-provided leaves, Gu Sang curled up in the single chair by the bed and flipped through a history book.

    "Ding!"

    "Iing connection!"

    Gu Sang put down the book and epted the connection.

    The next second, the screen flickered!

    Pei Changying saw Gu Sang sitting casually in a chair, wearing short-sleeved pajamas with her freshly washed hair falling softly down her back. This sight only intensified his agitation and anger.

    His eyes were deep and passionate, his brows furrowed, his entire being exuding an air of resentment. "Sang!" he eximed. "Why won''t you give me another chance?"

    "Even sages can make mistakes," he continued. "I broke my promise to you only once, and it was just about a concubine! Yet you treat me with such finality."

 Chapter 131: Will Die, Will Live, Will Be Free

    <h4>Chapter 131</h4>

    Gu Sang: Why is it this idiot again??

    "Also, did you already know about the flood in Liujiang City?"

    "You''ve been helping Pei Weiqi all along!"

    Pei Changying was so enraged that his eyes were bloodshot. He stared intently at Gu Sang, as if he would devour her if she dared to deny it.

    The taste of being betrayed again by his beloved nearly drove him to lose his sanity.

    Just moments ago.

    He had received a report from the general he sent to aid Liujiang City.

    That disgraced woman Pei Weiqi had already arrived in Liujiang City ahead of them, and what''s more, she had invented something called a "makeshift lifeboat"!

    These lifeboats were far more portable than bamboo rafts.

    This was clearly not something their country could produce, with extremely unusual materials. It must have been Gu Sang who told Pei Weiqi how to make them.

    Seeing it was Pei Changying, Gu Sang raised her eyebrows and smiled, showing eight teeth: "Yes, yes, I told Weiqi. Are you angry again?"

    "Should I have told you instead of her?"

    "Last time with the gue in the city, you knew before Weiqi, and then what? What did you do! If you had known about this in advance, would you have locked up the imperial physicians and consorts again, preventing them from saving people?"

    "I''m telling you to have some shame, you''ve nearly ruined the royal family''s reputation."

    Pei Changying''s face alternated between green and red. As his expression changed, he suddenly remembered Consort Li, whom he had confined in the pce.

    This wretched woman had conspired with Consort Zhao to deceive and scheme against him, making him lose face in front of the whole world.

    This bitch deserves to die!

    Thinking of this, Pei Changying stared at Gu Sang with meaningful eyes, and as he looked, he suddenly smiled.

    He revealed that confident smile that Gu Sang despised the most.

    Gu Sang: "......"

    Every time this idiot shows that smug, slimy smile, it''s never a good thing!

    Indeed, I should help Weiqi recruit more troops quickly and get rid of him sooner!

    Pei Changying ordered in a deep voice: "Bring Consort Li here."

    Consort Li?

    Seeing Gu Sang frown, Pei Changying curled his thin lips and said, "Sang Sang, don''t you think this bitch deserves to die? She dared to conspire with Consort Zhao to deceive me."

    "Consort Zhao is already dead, I won''t pursue her anymore."

    "But Consort Li, I absolutely won''t let her die so easily."

    The implication of these words to Gu Sang was that he would no longer easily trust anyone''s words, and the incident with Consort Zhao jumping off the building would never happen again.

    Gu Sang had long since experienced Pei Changying''s cruelty and selfishness.

    Although she was worried about Consort Li''s situation in her heart, she had to maintain a calm exterior.

    Under imperial power, what were consorts?

    They were just beings slightly stronger than ants! In this pce, Consort Zhao wouldn''t be the first to die.

    "Your Majesty, Consort Li has arrived."

    The eunuch called from outside the door, then brought Consort Li in.

    Gu Sang immediately looked at Consort Li.

    Her clothes were neat and clean, it seemed she had only been confined in the pce by Pei Changying, but her face looked somewhat haggard, whether from fear or worry was unclear.

    Consort Li''s timid and fearful face immediately began to tremble as she knelt on the ground upon seeing Pei Changying.

    "Your Majesty, I truly didn''t know that Sister Zhao would betray you."

    "I was unaware."

    Pei Changying walked over and kicked Consort Li to the ground.

    In Consort Li''s violently contracting pupils, Pei Changying''s gloomy, demon-like face was reflected. Not satisfied, he pulled out the jade belt from his waist.

    With a "whap," he struck Consort Li.

    "Ah!!!"

    Consort Li curled up on the ground, screaming in agony.

    Pei Changying''s jade belt continued to strike various parts of Consort Li''s body without pause.

    Consort Li begged in pain, her body curled into a ball: "Your Majesty! Ah!! Your Majesty, it hurts so much, I''ll never dare again, please stop beating me......"

    Gu Sang''s heart skipped a beat, a sh of bloody light passed through her eyes before returning to calmness.

    A momentter, Gu Sang sat there with aposed face, seemingly unmoved as she watched Consort Li being brutally beaten by Pei Changying.

    She looked as if she truly didn''t care about Consort Li''s life or death.

    Really?

    No!

    She just didn''t want to excite Pei Changying!

    Pei Changying, oh Pei Changying, you think you can control me like this? You''re too useless!

    Gu Sang suddenly revealed aplex emotion and said, "Pei Changying, are you serious? You want me toe back so badly that you''d use such methods?"

    As she finished speaking.

    Pei Changying carelessly tossed the jade belt on the ground.

    He raised his eyes to look at Gu Sang, revealing a dark possessiveness: "Sang Sang, don''t you understand my feelings yet? I was truly wrong before!"

    "Forget about using these methods, even if I killed her, so what? As long as youe back! I''ll immediately depose Qing Rou and make you the Empress!"

    "Sang Sang, will youe back?"

    Consort Liy on the ground, barely alive. Hearing Gu Sang speak up to save her, she turned her eyeballs and finally caught sight of a corner of the screen in her peripheral vision.

    She opened her mouth towards the direction of the screen.

    In the end.

    She still said nothing.

    She wanted Gu Sang to save her, but if, if Sister Sang had to return to the Emperor''s side to save her, then forget it.

    This pce was not suitable for Sister Sang.

    And the Emperor, exalted as the Son of Heaven, was even less worthy of being a husband!

    Gu Sang looked at Consort Li with concern, her face seeming to sh with struggle and guilt.

    A few seconds passed.

    Under Pei Changying''s unwavering gaze, Gu Sang sighed and said to him, "Pei Changying, it''s not that I don''t want toe back, but that I can''te back now."

    "My mission is to help the chosen one selected by the system to seize the throne."

    "Originally, you were this chosen one, which is why I helped you ascend the throne. As long as you made me the Empress, the mission would be considered sessful, and I could stay in ancient times forever, to be with you for life as a couple."

    Bah!

    Only an idiot would want to stay in ancient times.

    Gu Sang cursed inwardly while maintaining a poker face as she lied: "Unfortunately, you broke your promise, I didn''t be the Empress, so I was forced to return to modern times."

    "And the Elder Princess, like you, is the reincarnation of the Purple Star. One of you two must fall."

    "Because of your broken promise, I changed my mission to assist the Elder Princess in ascending the throne."

    "If you want me to return to the pce, you must face off against the Elder Princess. Either she dies, or you die. The victor must then burn three incense sticks in the Xuyang Pce where I died and proim me as the Empress. Only then can Ie back."

    Gu Sang''s lie could have easily been exposed by Pei Changying if he had carefully reflected on it, as there were many loopholes.

    A hastily concocted lie simply couldn''t hold up under scrutiny.

    After all, before she died, she had cried out that she wanted to go home and see her grandmother, not that she wished to spend eternity with Pei Changying.

    But Pei Changying was too confident in himself.

    He didn''t even consider the Elder Princess as a worthy opponent, and firmly believed that Gu Sang had always loved him¡ªloved him to the point of obsession!

    Upon learning that there was a way for Gu Sang to return to the pce, Pei Changying''s face lit up with joy as he dered, "I knew it! I knew there had to be a way to bring you back!"

 Chapter 132: Without Me, How Can You Keep the Throne

    <h4>Chapter 132</h4>

    "Sang Sang."

    "I will make you understand that I am the true chosen one!"

    "To ascend to the throne, I killed so many of my brothers whopeted for this position. Pei Weiqi? Hah, a mere woman, not worth mentioning!"

    At this moment, Gu Sang could only agree with Pei Changying''s wishes.

    She looked coldly at Consort Li, telling Pei Changying to send her back to recover from her injuries.

    After Consort Li left the hall, Gu Sang, to show her sincerity, offered advice to Pei Changying: "I always thought you only had eyes for your sister. I never imagined you''d be willing to sacrifice so much for me."

    "Pei Changying, if you betray me again, I will truly die."

    At this point, Gu Sang didn''t dare to look into Pei Changying''s eyes, fearing she might vomit.

    Wouldn''t she be struck by lightning for saying such things?

    Suppressing the nausea in her throat, she quickly added, "As far as I know, Pei Weiqi only brought rescue personnel this time. Zhou Qichen and the main army are still in the gue-stricken city."

    "Haven''t your soldiers already reached Liujiang City? As long as you seize the opportunity to create trouble, Pei Weiqi, with no troops behind her, will definitely abandon the disaster victims and flee."

    "Then you''ll be able to win back the hearts of the people!"

    Hearing Gu Sang''s suggestion, Pei Changying''s eyes brimmed with infinite affection.

    He knew it!

    Sang Sang still loved him!

    Just like seven years ago, her eyes were only for him.

    Everything she did was to force him to change his mind!

    Pei Changying spoke in a low, gentle voice: "Sang Sang, your idea is the best. Even if Pei Weiqi wins the people''s hearts before me, I''ll be the one to reap the benefits. This time, she will certainly return empty-handed!"

    "Without that rebel from the Zhou family, Pei Weiqi wouldn''t dare to oppose me!"

    After a pause, Pei Changying promised Gu Sang: "Sang Sang, I swear, when you return, I will cherish and love you properly."

    "Even if you want the moon from the sky, I''ll find a way to pluck it down for you."

    Gu Sang felt goosebumps all over her body. How could there be such a disgusting man who makes empty promises?

    Was he afraid she might ask for his kingdom, so he preemptively offered her the moon?

    This promise was as hollow as a fart.

    Gu Sang quickly brushed off Pei Changying with a few words and ended the connection.

    Based on her understanding of Pei Changying, this foolish emperor would certainly not just create trouble for the princess. He would probably order his subordinates to eliminate her!

    At that time, the disaster area would surely be in turmoil!

    The people saved by the princess would undoubtedly resist the court, causing riots and shaking the people''s faith once again.

    He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. There weren''t many troops that could be mobilized in the nearby disaster areas. How could they possibly seed in killing the princess who had just saved a city full of disaster victims?

    Oh, Pei Changying.

    I secured this throne for you. Without me, what makes you think you can keep it?!

    Sure enough¡ª

    As soon as the connection was closed.

    Pei Changying immediately issued a secret order, a glint of murderous intent shing in his eyes as hemanded: "Send a swift messenger to order the troops in the disaster area to kill the princess at all costs!"

    "Hmph! If we don''t kill her now, when will we?"

    "Sang Sang, don''t me me. I''m doing this all for you to return. I''m doing this for your own good. You''ll understand how much I love you."

    -

    The few counties adjacent to Liujiang City had been particrly lively these past few days.

    The princess''s troops and Pei Changying''s troops arrived one after another, with the vast cavalry making the counties buzz with activity.

    Especially when the imperial troops arrived, they announced their presence with gongs and drums, making sure every citizen knew they were relief workers from the court.

    Indeed.

    On every street and every road, there were imperial soldiers shouting loudly: "The court is distributing relief at the City God Temple. All disaster victims can receive a bowl of white porridge and two white steamed buns..."

    "The Emperor''s grace is vast. His Majesty is deeply concerned about the situation of the disaster victims and has specially ordered grain to be distributed. All disaster victims can receive a bowl of white porridge and two white steamed buns..."

    The princess''s advisors and subordinates stood at the entrance of an alley, watching this scene with darkened faces.

    They were furious!

    A subordinate immediately returned to the rescue area to inform the princess about the court''s relief efforts, waiting to see what measures she would take.

    Unexpectedly, the princess responded lightly.

    "I understand."

    The subordinate was stunned and waited for a while. Seeing that the princess had no reaction to this matter, he couldn''t help but feel indignant on her behalf.

    The subordinate said: "Your Highness, I feel this is unfair to you!"

    "We risked our lives to rescue the disaster victims, but the court easily won them over."

    "The court only provided a little food. If we hadn''t spent all our money on lifeboats to save people, how could the court have the opportunity to distribute relief?"

    "They''re clearly stealing our credit! How can they be so shameless! What''s the point of risking our lives to save people if this is the oue!"

    It took time, effort, and money to rescue people from the flood, and the court was nowhere to be seen during that time.

    But as soon as they brought people to safety, the court came to reap the benefits.

    The mere thought of it was frustrating.

    The princess nced calmly at her subordinate and said in a gentle tone: "Don''t say such things again. I don''t want to hear it a second time."

    "We didn''t save people to make them pledge allegiance to us, nor to establish our greatness."

    "Our sweet potatoes aren''t fully ripe yet, and we''re short on food. Fortunately, with the court''s support this time, the people won''t go hungry."

    "There''s no need to keep the things you''re worried and indignant about in your heart. The people have their own scale of judgment. They know what''s what. We don''t need to resort to any despicable means."

    The subordinate lowered his head: "I have learned my lesson."

    In a nearby county, where the imperial court had settled, a long queue had formed at the entrance of the City God Temple. Dozens of soldiers with long spears stood on guard, watching the disaster victims closely. If any victim dared to step out of line, they would be immediately seized and thrown out.

    With the imperial soldiers'' intimidation, even if the victims were starving, they dared not cut in line or take more than their share.

    At this moment, an elderly couple came supporting each other.

    "Get in line!"

    Seeing that they dared not to queue up, a soldier immediately came over with a long spear, shouting.

    Thud!

    The elderly couple knelt before the official in charge of relief distribution, pleading: "Sir, please go and save our daughter. There are still many people in Liujiang City who haven''t been found."

    "The rescue team sent by the princess is far from enough. The flood is too fierce, and there''s too little food in the mountains."

    "If there''s still no news, my daughter is surely in grave danger, sir..."

    Rescue?

    The disaster relief official sneered upon hearing this.

    In a condescending, lofty tone, he said, "How dare you! The Princess is a traitor!"

    "You insolent peasants, asking a traitor to save you. If it weren''t for the fact that you''re disaster victims, this would make you aplices to treason."

    "I''ll overlook it this time, but leave immediately. Otherwise, don''t me me for ordering your arrest!"

 Chapter 133: The Heartâ€™s Desire

    <h4>Chapter 133</h4>

    "But, Sir¡ª" The woman tried to plead for help once more.

    The man, however, had understood the subtle intention behind the official''s words. He promptly helped the woman to stand.

    The man immediately shook his head and said, "Don''t kneel any longer. They won''te to our rescue. Let''s go, we will save ourselves."

    He dragged the woman away in panic.

    They had heard that this county was providing disaster relief, which caused them to endure hunger ande all the way here. Yet, they never expected that the government would ignore the trapped vigers.

    The callousness of the government brought utter destion to the couple.

    They both wanted to find their daughter, yet they couldn''t cross the torrential floodwater. They could only pin their hopes on the government and the Elder Princess.

    The woman was wailing with heart-wrenching cries, all with deep disappointment in the government in her eyes. She couldn''t help but scold, "Why is the government being so heartless? They sent so many soldiers here, yet not a single one is saving people."

    "Once the people are rescued, then they be the good guys!"

    "They speak of the Emperor''s bountiful grace in distributing food, but it''s just superficial work!"

    "The Elder Princess has given so much for our rescue effort. Those peculiar lightweight boats must be so expensive - you couldn''t buy those even with arge amount of grain! Not to mention, even women joined her."

    "Compared to her, the Elder Princess seems to have a heart of a Bodhisattva. The government is so ipetent and cold-hearted; no wonder the Elder Princess is rebelling. Disgraceful!"

    The woman regretted herck of courage to say these words in front of the officials and had to hide them.

    At this, the man''s face instantly changed.

    He anxiously scanned his surroundings and whispered, "Hush, do you want to lose your life?"

    "No matter what, we shouldn''t speak carelessly about the government and the Elder Princess. Asmoners, we just need to survive."

    "We should not get involved with these political matters."

    The couple was starving, their stomachs sticking to their backs. The Elder Princess did offer aid, but the number of disaster victims was toorge, and the distributed supplies were barely enough to fill their stomachs.

    While it was insufficient, they knew the Elder Princess did her best.

    They initially thought that the government would offer aid in the disaster, but they never imagined that their plea for their daughter''s rescue would enrage the official, causing them to miss out on the disaster-relief food.

    When they returned to the outskirts of Liujiang City, stars were spinning in their eyes. This ce was teeming with disaster victims waiting for their loved ones.

    Everyone was waiting there, hoping to spot their rtives on the lifeboats.

    As soon as the couple reached there, they heard amand from the Elder Princess that immediately eased their heart.

    The Elder Princess said: "The mountain flood wille tomorrow, you need to leave this ce!"

    "I assure you, we will do everything in our power to rescue everyone before the flood arrives."

    "You can wait for news in the nearby county city. The government has sent people for disaster relief; you can also go there¡ª"

    Before she could finish speaking, an angry viger, unaware of the government''s attitude, interrupted her. He yelled defiantly, "I lost my son and daughter-inw. You have to guarantee me that you will find them, and bring me back before you do anything else."

    "It''s been two days already, and you haven''t found them!"

    "Are you nning to give up? Is that why you''re asking us to leave?"

    "Until my son and daughter-inwe back, I''m not going to leave. I''d rather die here."

    The man''s words garnered a lot of support.

    Indeed, human nature is aplex matter. Some people are thankful, while others always demand more.

    Among them, some were shouting loudly: "I am waiting here too for my father to return! Why doesn''t the royal court send troops to save us?"

    "We will not leave! We want to see our rtives return with our own eyes!"

    As they grew increasingly agitated, even showing signs of wanting to sh with the soldiers, Elder Princess was about to speak, but the captain of the female guards intervened before she could.

    The captain addressed the crowd, saying: ¡°Are you all blind? Can''t you see that everyone, including Elder Princess, ispletely worn out?¡±

    "Under the guidance of the Divine Lady, Elder Princess immediately dispatched troops to Liujiang City day and night upon learning of the flooding incident."

    "Do you think the lifeboats appeared out of thin air in just these few days?"

    "No! They were made by craftsmenmissioned by Elder Princess with arge sum of money."

    ¡°Those of you whining here would be better off using your strength to save yourself, or to help save others!¡±

    "In my view, saving dogs would be more fruitful than saving you. At least dogs wag their tails at us. When we save you, all you do is rant and rave."

    ¡°Why don''t you take yourints to the royal court! No, you know full well that the royal court would have you executed, while Elder Princess is merciful and tolerates yourints.¡±

    "You skip towards the court when they distribute relief supplies, yet you choose to turn a blind eye to the soldiers who are here to rescue you."

    "Look at the soldiers around you; look at the wounds on their bodies, the blisters on their hands. It¡¯s all because of saving you."

    ¡°If you really were capable, you would volunteer to help save others!¡±

    "Knowing full well we¡¯re shorthanded and exhausted, all you do isin. Why don¡¯t you do something?¡±

    The words of the captain earned the silent apuse and cheers in the soldiers'' hearts.

    As expected from Sister Ge, who is just good at challenging people!

    Over these days, the soldiers and the female guards have be familiar with each other. They consider the female guards as equals, as one of their own.

    It turns out that women can be as brave as men, like Ge Qing.

    She is brave enough to find Elder Princess in front of everyone, speak for others and take the lead. Even the men, they feel dwarfed by her.

    The couple, who were recently expelled by the royal court, directly started crying once they heard Ge Qing''s words.

    Although the words were harsh,pared to the inaction of the royal court, Elder Princess is far superior.

    So, when people began toin about theck of strict management by Elder Princess and loudly demanded to seek help from the royal court.

    This couple quickly stepped out and said: ¡°Everyone, calm down first, let''s not pray for the royal court to send troops.¡±

    "We just got kicked out by the royal court, they are not willing to send troops to save people.¡±

    What?

    Unwilling?

    How can this be?

    Isn''t the Emperor supposed to be benevolent?

    Someone immediately questioned: "Impossible! The royal court has dispatched so many soldiers for relief, they cannot possibly turn a blind eye to us, you two must be Elder Princess''s propagandists."

    "I can''t believe the court would stand idly by and watch people die. Let''s all go together and ask the court to send troops for rescue."

    As the Elder Princess nned the rescue mission, she heard their intentions to seek aid from the court. A faint smile of indifference graced her lips. Well, let them go.

    Some people, they won''t listen no matter how others try to persuade them.

    They must be humiliated and pped in the face before they awaken.

    But when they do turn back, it''s already toote!

    The Elder Princess is a person of tolerance, but she is not a person of kindness. She can be magnanimous, but she can''t be good. These two words, kindness and goodness, should never appear on those who hold power!

 Chapter 134: Pei Changying really sent troops

    <h4>Chapter 134</h4>

    "What''s your name? I''ve seen you several times, always leading the charge," the Elder Princess asked the woman in in clothes who was the captain of her female guard team.

    Blushing with admiration, the captain of the guard bowed her head, "Elder Princess, my name is Ge Qing."

    The princess nodded, "Good, I will remember."

    Nearby, no matter how much persuasion a couple offered up, they saw little sess. Many didn''t believe them, banding together to seek the aid of the royal court.

    Only a small portion of themon folk stayed behind.

    "Elder Princess, let us help in whatever way we can. We can carry wounded, gather herbs or cook," suggested a few elderly individuals.

    The younger ones volunteered enthusiastically to join the relief team.

    Two hourster, most of those who had gone to request aid from the court returned. A handful with stronger pride did not make it back, likely too embarrassed. They had all faced the Elder Princess and her soldiers.

    Their eyes red, faces flush with shame, the vigers knelt down in a flood of emotional regret. "Elder Princess, let us join the relief too. I want to save my sister."

    "Elder Princess, the royal court... they''re dreadful! Not only did they refuse to send help, they threw us out after giving us a beating."

    "Elder Princess, we were wrong before... We didn''t recognize goodness when we saw it, we didn''t know gratitude..."

    The Elder Princess watched their tearful apologies, all in silence.

    You see, some people still needparisons. Only then do they realize who really cares for them. Otherwise, they take everything for granted.

    She didn''t know how long it was until the vigers were on edge before the princess waved her hand, signaling an end to their weeping apologies.

    In a stern yet calm voice she spoke, "Those who want to rescue their kin, get on to the lifeboats."

    "Even my soldiers are human. They are tired, feel pain, can get injured, and die. Staying awake until now is nothing short of a miracle!"

    "I demand not your gratitude, but empathy for their hardships, understanding their exhaustion! We must retreat before tomorrow, this is ourst day!"

    "Since you are back on your demand, you must followmands, failure to do so will result in punishing and expulsion for any who provoke trouble."

    This time, facing the firmness of the Elder Princess, the people felt no defiance, only gratitude deep within their hearts.

    The Elder Princess had them form lines, two vigers to a lifeboat, along with the soldiers to aid the rescue mission.

    Others waited for the return of the boats to join the next trip.

    The elderly, the sick, and those weak of health were assigned tasks they could handle.

    As dusk approached, even with the aid of the vigers, many were still missing. The pace of the rescue efforts had improved though.

    The vige head counted the numbers and realized there were still some missing, but night was fast approaching.

    The Elder Princess looked at the vigers who had lost their loved ones, their eyes filled with despair and hope, all resting on her. Their lips were dry, their faces sallow from exhaustion, some hadpleted two rescue trips with the soldiers.

    They had saved many, yet among those saved, few found their own family.

    They looked at the Elder Princess in silence, words unspoken, yet their expressions spoke volumes.

    A thick wave of sorrow weaved through the vigers.

    The Elder Princess pressed her lips together, nced at the sky, and remembered the numerous reminders from Gu Sang. She closed her eyes and said, "Let''s go one more time!"

    "Let us carry torches and search! We must not give up on anyone!"

    "Retreat after midnight!"

    Boom! Boom! Boom!! Every person choked back their tears, some even knelt in front of the Elder Princess, kowtowing in despair.

    They knew that the Elder Princess had done her utmost!

    These past few days, she had mobilized countless manpower to search, never stopping for a second.

    If they still couldn''t be found, it was likely the people had met with misfortune.

    Otherwise, there would have been some response by now.

    The Elder Princess gathered the elderly, frail, sick, and disabled together, arranging for their evacuation first.

    This time, everyone obediently followed the Elder Princess''s orders, their eyes filled with gratitude and emotion.

    Hundreds of torches reflected on theke, creating a shimmering effect.

    The voices of thousands converged, shouting towards the distant mountains:

    "We are here to rescue! Is there anyone out there?!"

    As thete night approached, amazingly, they came back with hundreds ofmon folks rescued.

    "Time''s up! Retreat!"

    "My soldiers have done their best." Without any further hesitation, the Elder Princess led everyone to retreat to the outskirts of the nearest county town.

    At this point, dawn was breaking.

    Those who were rescued at thest moment were quickly found by their families.

    "Wife, son, I thought I would never see you again. If I hadn''t decided to look for food alone, we wouldn''t be separated."

    "Daughter! Sob...seeing you''re alive, I can rest in peace."

    "All this happened thanks to the mercy and kindness of the goddess and the Elder Princess!"

    "......"

    Boom!!

    The overwhelming thunderous sound, like a herd of galloping horses, instantly drowned out the cries of the crowd and sank their hearts.

    It''sing!

    The even more fierce sh flood was on its way!

    Everyone lifted their heads towards the direction of Liujiang City, they could not see the flood rushing down the mountains, uprooting millennium-old trees, their hard-earned homes destroyed in an instant.

    They couldn''t see the floodwater, nearly reaching the heavens, but they knew, Liujiang City no longer existed.

    They had lost their homes!

    They were about to be homeless!

    At least, their loved ones, friends were still with them.

    But after today, where would they go to survive?

    The heavy rain soaked everyone, the size of the drops stinging their faces.

    Seeing the Elder Princess getting drenched, a servant hurriedly held an umbre over her.

    The Elder Princess pushed away the overhead umbre and walked up to the vigers, their faces numb with pain.

    She mustered up all her strength and said, "All vigers, gue City is willing to take you in. If you want to go to gue City, follow me!"

    "I will help you rebuild your homes in gue City, where you will never go hungry again."

    As soon as these words fell, everyone lifted their heads, their eyes filled with shock.

    The Elder Princess.....was willing to shelter those who had nowhere else to turn!!

    And just at that moment!

    Suddenly!

    "Clip-clop-clip-clop!"

    The uniform beat of hoofprints stomping on the muddy ground emanated a somber, profound noise.

    In the blink of an eye, thousand of soldiers and horses appeared,ing with a mighty force.

    Were they soldiers from the empire?

    "Bold rebels, these are the subjects of my empire, and you dare ensnare my people into joining you in your rebellion." The leading general charged headlong towards the Elder Princess.

    This time, Zhou Qichen wasn''t by the Elder Princess'' side, it was his best chance to capture her.

    With this in mind, the general''s eyes were filled with murderous intent, as fierce as it could ever be.

    With his spear in hand, heunched a direct attack towards the Elder Princess-----

 Chapter 135: Fleeing in Disarray

    <h4>Chapter 135</h4>

    "Protect the Princess!"

    "To hell with the imperial court! The Princess saved our lives, no one is allowed to harm her!"

    At this critical moment, someone among the disaster victims shouted loudly. Simultaneously, tens of thousands of victims rushed over angrily, surrounding the Princess protectively.

    All the disaster victims in the city red at the imperial court officials with fury.

    This scene left the imperial general wide-eyed in astonishment.

    The imperial soldiers all wore expressions of shock and confusion.

    The general reined in his horse just in time and berated these tens of thousands of "ungrateful wretches": "Do you all intend to oppose the imperial court? Don''t forget, the disaster relief food you''re eating was provided by the court."

    "You praise the court when you''re holding your bowls, but as soon as you put them down, you support the rebels! What kind of bewitching potion has the Princess given you?!"

    Just as these angry words fell¡ª

    *Beep¡ª*

    *Connection established!*

    Gu Sang had just woken up from a nap and happened to have time to initiate a connection with the Princess.

    Unexpectedly, as soon as the connection was made, she witnessed such a sensational scene.

    The rain was falling in a drizzle, with tens of thousands of people facing off against the imperial court.

    Gu Sang''s connection screen was projected in mid-air. Since it wasn''t a live broadcast, the screen was only about the size of a movie screen, allowing for eye contact with the imperialmanders.

    Gu Sang looked around and remarked, "Is this all the people you''ve brought?"

    Themander''s face flushed with anger: "How dare you!!"

    "Imperial Consort Gu, what are you doing here again? Are you trying to incite thesemoners to rebel once more?"

    "And you disaster victims, do you really want to oppose the imperial court for the sake of this rebel? This is a capital offense that will implicate your entire n for nine generations!"

    Under themander''s stern threats¡ª

    Themoners didn''t flinch at all, standing straight to shield the Princess.

    Someone among them mustered the courage to shout: "Stop pretending to care, imperial court! Yesterday when we begged you to send troops to save people, you refused. Now what right do you have to arrest our savior?"

    "That''s right, I haven''t eaten any of your disaster relief food. My family and I owe our lives to the Princess. If you want to kill her, you''ll have to trample over all of us first."

    "Your Excellency, please have mercy, don''t kill the Princess!"

    "Why beg them? Yesterday when we knelt on the ground begging these people to go save our loved ones, did we see them take action? They only injured us instead!"

    "Even if I die, I will protect the Princess!"

    "Protect the Princess!!"

    Themoners red at the troops opposite them with bloodshot eyes full of anger.

    The imperial general''s warhorse neighed, its hooves sshing muddy water onto the faces of the disaster victims standing at the front.

    Seeing the Princess being supported like this by the people infuriated the imperial general. He directly pointed his gun at the disaster victims in front of him: "You think I really won''t dare to kill you!"

    "Those who dare to protect a rebel shall be executed without mercy!" Thest sentence was suddenly directed at the soldiers behind him.

    "Yes, sir!"

    "Execute without mercy!"

    A heavy, murderous intent rang out from the mouths of the imperial soldiers.

    Themoners, enveloped by the soldiers'' oppressive aura, nervously swallowed. Hesitation and fear shed in their eyes, but momentster, they still stood firm in ce without moving.

    They were very afraid of death, but they were also betting that the soldiers wouldn''t actually kill civilians.

    Moreover, these were disaster victims from all over the city!

    "Good! Good! Good! You''ve got guts!" Seeing that no one was backing down, the generalughed in extreme anger, repeating "good" three times.

    Just as he was about to give the order¡ª

    Suddenly¡ª

    Gu Sang''s casual words came through the connection screen: "General, have you thought this through? Are you sure about this?"

    "With this shot, you might kill a few civilians, or if you''re really ruthless, you might kill thousands or tens of thousands. But what you''ll destroy is the hearts of the people in this entire city, perhaps even the whole empire!"

    "I just spoke with Pei Changying a few days ago. I remember he sent you here to win over the people''s hearts, not to ughter innocents indiscriminately."

    "You''ve already failed to win the people''s support, which shows your ipetence. Now you want to callously take lives as well?"

    "I''m starting to suspect that you''re the real traitor within the imperial court. Otherwise, why would you force tens of thousands of civilians into rebellion?"

    The general trembled with rage at Gu Sang''s words that turned the tables on him.

    Faced with this confrontational situation, he truly didn''t know what to do!

    After all, standing before him were not enemies, but civilians¡ªdisaster victims who couldn''t harm a fly. He could kill one, two, or ten, but could he kill ten thousand or a hundred thousand?

    Yet judging by the expressions of these disaster victims, they were clearly prepared to die.

    The general, both angry and furious, coldly shouted at Gu Sang: "Nonsense! How could I possibly kill thousands or tens of thousands of disaster victims? I''m here to kill rebels!"

    "Besides, your words are far too untrustworthy."

    "Everyone in the imperial court knows you''re in league with the Princess!"

    Gu Sang nced coldly at the general, the contempt and disdain in her eyes deeply reflected in the general''s pupils.

    Gu Sang chuckled lightly: "General, at this point, does it really matter whether you believe me or not? You only have two options now. The first is to withdraw your troops and pretend nothing happened."

    "As for the second... well, you''d have to trample over the corpses of these civilians to kill the Princess. Just how many corpses would that be? If it''s just a few, it might still be exinable. But what if it''s thousands? Tens of thousands? All the disaster victims?"

    "General, you really need to think this through. We''re talking about tens of thousands of civilians here. Even if Pei Changying is ipetent, he wouldn''t allow you to casually kill tens of thousands of disaster victims."

    "If news of this spreads, think about how the people of the empire will view the imperial court."

    "Do you want a repeat of the Zhao Ronghua Incident?"

    The general''s pupils constricted violently. He knew about the Zhao Ronghua Incident¡ªall the civilians in the capital had been calling for the Emperor to give an exnation.

    Even the Emperor, under such pressure, had been forced to release the Zhao family and a group of imperial physicians.

    Thinking of this, the general couldn''t help but feel a chill down his spine.

    If he really killed so many civilians, even with justification, the Emperor would likely use him as a scapegoat in the face of public outrage.

    The imperial general couldn''t help but calm down. Looking again at the disaster victims opposite him, he saw that their eyes were full of determination, unyielding and fearless even in the face of death!

    This...

    The imperial general hesitated. He was a general meant to protect the civilians and the empire. Could he really kill civilians?

    Moreover, up until now, the Princess hadn''t reallymitted any major crimes. All she had done was cure the gue and save civilians trapped by the flood!

    She had merely discovered sweet potatoes!

    Enough!

    There weren''t really two options¡ªthere was only one path.

    In the face of tens of thousands of people''s hearts, he was powerless.

    "Very well." The imperial general took a deep breath and looked at Gu Sang, saying, "I can withdraw the troops on this matter, but how can you guarantee that His Majesty won''t me me for failing in my duty?"

    Gu Sang smiled and said, "I will exin the situation on your behalf, General. You have no other option now; withdrawing the troops is your only path. You can only trust me."

    The general took another deep breath. "......"

    "Alright, I''ll trust you this once."

    The general felt uneasy hearing Gu Sang''s words, but he had no other choice.

    Pei Changying had ordered him to kill the Princess at all costs, but he hadn''t said to kill the disaster victims along with her at all costs! This could lead to a major incident!

 Chapter 136: Re-Growth

    <h4>Chapter 136</h4>

    The general, with a sullen face, reluctantly led his troops to retreat.

    Themon people breathed a sigh of relief. Some were so frightened that they only dared to rx at this moment, while others fell to their knees, their legs weak from fear.

    Seeing some people kneel, others followed suit, and soon everyone was on their knees.

    "Thank you, Divine Lady, for saving us once again."

    "Divine Lady, please show us the way."

    "We have lost our homes and have nowhere to go. Please have mercy on us, Divine Lady!"

    Raindrops fell to the ground, forming small puddles.

    Gu Sang looked at the people kneeling on the muddy ground and calmly said, "The ground is wet and muddy. Please stand up, lest you catch a cold and fall ill."

    "Since you trust my words, follow the Elder Princess!"

    "Under the Elder Princess''s management, the gue City has been thriving. I believe it will only get better in the future."

    "Moreover, only in the gue City will you not have to worry about food, clothing, and survival. There, the Elder Princess has brought back sweet potatoes from Lingnan."

    "This food will be enough to keep everyone well-fed!"

    They could have enough to eat?!

    Hearing the Divine Lady''s words, the people immediately decided to follow the Elder Princess to the gue City to rebuild their homes. In their hearts, they regarded the Elder Princess as their savior.

    Seeing that everyone had made their decision, Gu Sang ended the connection, leaving time for the Elder Princess to make arrangements.

    Leading tens of thousands of people on the journey would naturally take a few days longer than the Elder Princess''s light and swift arrival.

    Before they even reached the gue City, news had already spread to the capital, Jiangnan, and other regions.

    The first pce maid who had connected with Gu Sang, following her guidance, had joined several other pce maids who left the pce. In Jiangnan, they had achieved afortable life by selling popr products like color-changing lipsticks and perfumes.

    When they heard the news of the Elder Princess leading tens of thousands of refugees back to the gue City, they excitedly spread the word.

    The group discussed with animated expressions: "Miss Gu''s kindness to us is as heavy as a mountain. I once said that if there ever came a day when Miss Gu needed me, I would certainly repay her."

    "The Elder Princess''s forces are growing stronger, and they must be in great need of money."

    "Now, I want to raise some money to send to the gue City. Would you all be willing to contribute?"

    After months of struggling in Jiangnan, supporting each other, andpeting with other merchants both openly and secretly, they had now be well-known business owners!

    After Xue made her suggestion, the others nodded without hesitation: "Xue, we all agree. We were only able to open this shop because of Miss Gu."

    "We''re already content with being free from worries about food and clothing. Let''s send all the money we''ve earned to the Elder Princess."

    "We don''t need much money for materials. The forms Miss Gu gave us have low costs but high selling prices. Rich people are throwing money at us."

    "Yes, let''s just keep enough money for expenses and send the rest over."

    "Alright! Then it''s settled!"

    The group pooled together 200,000 taels in bank notes, which was all their business savings. They decided that Xue and the second sister would go to the gue City together to personally deliver the bank notes to the Elder Princess.

    Their business was growing bigger and bigger, and would expand even further in the future, reaching across the entire country.

    The day they decided to start their business, they also decided to be the backbone for the Elder Princess and Miss Gu!

    Topletely overturn this dynasty!

    Meanwhile, on the other side.

    When the Elder Princess led the people back to the gue City, the city''s inhabitants lined the streets. As they watched the returning soldiers, the cheers of the people echoed to the skies.

    "Son, look, that''s your mother! Your mother has returned safely!"

    "Daughter! Daughter! Father is proud of you!"

    "My father is a great hero, look, that''s my father."

    "Father, Mother, look quickly, little brother hase back!"

    "Where? Where is your brother?"

    "It''s good that he''s back, oh my, I can finally be at ease!"

    "......"

    Only after feeling the enthusiasm of the gue City''s residents did the refugees'' unease finally subside.

    After arranging temporary housing for the refugees, the Elder Princess returned to her residence, exhausted.

    She had just taken a sip of tea in the living room when Zhou Qichen and Counselor Fang came to report at the same time.

    Moreover, there was another person behind Counselor Fang.

    "Elder Princess, this is Xu Zhi. He joined the army after you left."

    "Xu Zhi is knowledgeable and has excellent insights on town management. Moreover, his writing skills are exceptional......"

    As the Elder Princess looked at Xu Zhi, he respectfully bowed to her.

    The Elder Princess nodded: "Since Counselor Fang rmends you, you will learn from him for now. In the future, I will arrange other duties for you."

    Xu Zhi quickly bowed and expressed his gratitude.

    After that, the Elder Princess looked at Counselor Fang: "It will be hard on you two for the next few days. First, go help arrange the rebuilding of homes for the refugees."

    "The sweet potatoes should be ready for harvest in the next couple of days. Remember to keep a close eye on the timing."

    After the two counselors received their orders and left.

    The Elder Princess rubbed her brow and looked at Zhou Qichen.

    Only then did Zhou Qichen begin to report on the recruitment situation during this period: "Elder Princess, since Miss Gu''sst live broadcast of the y, the number of able-bodied men signing up in the gue City has doubled."

    "Even for the female guard unit, we''ve had over a hundred sign-ups!"

    "During this time, under Xu Zhi''s call, we''ve also added about a hundred more talented individuals."

    "And every day, more people are signing up to join the army. I believe it won''t be long before our forces grow even stronger. It''s just that... supporting so many people....."

    The Elder Princess knew what he was about to say.

    Supporting so many people - the sweet potatoes were about to ripen, so food wouldn''t be a concern for now.

    But, there still wasn''t enough money!

    The Elder Princess pursed her lips, looking at Zhou Qichen with an expression of entrusting him with an important task, and slowly spoke: "General Zhou, I will handle the other matters."

    "It will be hard on you these days!"

    "Although the number of soldiers has greatly increased, you must ensure that they strictly adhere to military discipline. There can be no crossing of boundaries whatsoever."

    "The bad habits of the former imperial army absolutely cannot appear in this gue City. Otherwise, there will be severe punishment!"

    "Regarding this point, I need you to pay extra attention."

    Zhou Qichen respectfully replied: "This is my duty. As long as they enter my military camp, whether they are pampered young masters or arrogant geniuses, they will obediently follow orders under mymand."

    Only after Zhou Qichen left did the Elder Princess exhaustedly lie back in her chair.

    Her gaze pierced through the window, fixating on the direction of the imperial capital.

    No matter how difficult it may be!

    That ce would be hers!

    -

    At this moment.

    The imperial court''s army of tens of thousands, dispatched to attack the gue City, had already approached its borders.

    Qin Vice General looked at Deputy Commander Guan, whom he had once personally promoted, and who had now reced him as General Guan.

    His heart was filled with mixed emotions, and he couldn''t help but recall the words Gu Sang had once spoken to him.

    "The fate of the Minister of Works is right before your eyes. Do you still insist on blindly serving a foolish emperor?"

 Chapter 137: â€œBlast You All, Great Victoryâ€

    <h4>Chapter 137</h4>

    "I believe General Qin will make a decision in his heart. The idea that women should be confined to deep pces and homes needs to change!"

    "The future generations are shaped by one female hero and heroine after another. They have used their flesh and blood to forge a new Great Wall..."

    Gender equality?!

    Miss Gu.

    That war broadcast you mentioned, I watched it, saw it, understood it, was shocked by it, and believed it!

    But.

    How can thoughts deeply ingrained for decades be broken overnight?

    Qin Vice General smiled somewhat sarcastically, perhaps mocking himself,ughing at his own unwavering loyalty that led to such an oue.

    "What are you daydreaming about again?!"

    "General Qin, oh no, Qin Vice General, this is a good opportunity for you to make merit."

    "I''m thinking of your best interests. If you redeem yourself this time, His Majesty might be pleased and reinstate you to your original position!"

    "The process doesn''t matter, what''s important is the result! As long as we can capture the Elder Princess, what does it matter if some civilians die?!" Guan Pei sat high on his horse, looking at his former superior with suspicion and pride.

    Qin Vice General said nothing more, leading fifty thousand soldiers away from the main troops, circling around to approach the south gate of the gue city.

    While the imperial court''s fifty thousand troops were advancing on all fronts.

    Inside the gue city.

    The Elder Princess was on a call with Gu Sang, discussing soldier allowances and new rules.

    Although the Elder Princess wasn''t watching the live broadcast when Lin Lin''s incident happened, hearing about it afterwards still felt like a punch to her heart, painful, throbbing, and numbing.

    The Elder Princess took a deep breath. She didn''t want to see such human tragedies again!

    Such a kind and beautiful girl shouldn''t be troubled by rumors.

    She was powerless in Lin Lin''s case, but in the gue city, in her future kingdom.

    This kind of thing must never happen again!

    With this in mind, the Elder Princess looked at Gu Sang with determination and said, "Sang Sang, I''ve decided to promulgate aw. Anyone who spreads unfounded rumors, once investigated and proven true, and has caused certain harm to the person being rumored about, will have words carved on their face."

    "Those who spread unverified rumors causing harm to the person being rumored about will receive twentyshes and have to parade around the city once, as a warning to others!"

    Gu Sang''s eyes lit up immediately: "Thisw is good. In our world, it''s because spreading rumors has no cost. When a scumbag can''t pursue a girl, he spreads rumors that she''s slept with someone."

    "Seeing a girl wearing clothes worth over a thousand yuan, they''ll immediately spread rumors that she works at a bar in private, is kept by someone, or is involved with her boss."

    "There are too many instances of such rumor-mongering about women."

    "It''s not just girls. Even among work colleagues inpetitive rtionships, they can''tpete fairly and have to resort to spreading rumors and causing trouble."

    "And those who are meek and timid in real life turn into inte trolls online, spewing filth. These people do this because there are no consequences for spreading rumors, so they run wild on the inte."

    "If rumor-mongers had words carved on their faces, words that would apany them for life and could never be washed away, then the number of rumor-mongers would drastically decrease. Moreover, in the future, when they try to spread rumors again, others would see the words on their faces and not believe them."

    Gu Sang thought this idea was brilliant. When dealing with certain people, kindness invites bullying, so thew must be strict.

    Now that the soldier allowances have been finalized, they''re just waiting to be announced.

    And some rules for survival also need to be established.

    With the gue city as the center, serving as the main base, slowly conquering one territory after another!

    "Elder Princess, fifty thousand imperial court soldiers are marching towards us from a few kilometers away."

    The Elder Princess''s call with Gu Sang was taking ce in the living room when Advisor Xu walked in from outside.

    This person was rmended to her by Strategist Fang and was considered quite clever.

    The Elder Princess kept him by her side to handle misceneous matters.

    Hearing the report, the Elder Princess raised her eyebrows, her eyes showing no fear or trepidation, calmly saying: "Fifty thousand soldiers? This ipetent fool wants to annihte me in this gue city."

    "Too bad, it''s toote."

    "Advisor Xu, tell General Zhou to bring out the cannons!"

    "It''s time to teach this useless person a lesson!"

    After Advisor Xu left with his orders, the Elder Princess went to the city wall along with Gu Sang.

    After waiting for a while, they saw dust rolling in the distance, and an endless line of fifty thousand soldiers marching rapidly towards them.

    Zhou Qichen looked ahead and saw that themander was actually Guan Pei, who used to be a vice general, while General Qin was nowhere to be seen.

    Zhou Qichen''s face showed deep thought.

    Then he said to the Elder Princess: "Elder Princess, General Qin is not in the ranks. I fear they''ve divided their forces and will attack from another city gate."

    The Elder Princess stood on the city wall, looking into the distance and nodding: "General Zhou, take the trained special forces and set up an ambush at the back gate!"

    "We are few in number. General Zhou, you don''t need to kill many people, just ambush and raid, try not to let our soldiers suffer casualties."

    Zhou Qichen smiled proudly: "Elder Princess, please rest assured. I can''t guarantee everything about the special forces I''ve trained, but when ites to using terrain for ambushes, they can definitely be said to be worth a hundred regr soldiers each!"

    With that, Zhou Qichen handed over the cannon troops to Advisor Xu.

    He then led the hundred or so special forces he had trained to guard the back gate.

    Guan Pei led the army to stop at a safe distance. At this time, a person walked out from the army to shout at the city wall.

    The imperial court messenger''s voice was loud and full of momentum: "Elder Princess, His Majesty has sent General Guan to lead fifty thousand troops to attack the gue city!"

    "If you know what''s good for you, you''lle out of the city and surrender early!"

    "Otherwise, with the army at your doorstep¡ª"

    Before he could finish speaking.

    Something jaw-dropping happened¡ª

    What did he see?

    What did all the imperial court generals see?

    Only to see!

    The city gate was slowly opening from the inside at this moment.

    This made the shouting person lose confidence.

    No, how could they surrender so quickly?

    Shouldn''t they have persisted, then hesitated a bit?

    The shouting person looked back at Guan Pei. Seeing the city gate open, Guan Peiughed loudly.

    Whileughing, he said mockingly and proudly: "Hahaha!! A bunch of rabble, and they call themselves rebels? They''re scared stiff at the sight of fifty thousand troops!"

    "I''ve always said, what earth-shattering things can a woman who''s only fit to be a wife and mother do?"

    "One look at our army and they''re scared to death!"

    "Let alone that these are elite troops. The Elder Princess, being a weak woman, is afraid¡ª Hey, what''s that??"

    Guan Pei''s words came to an abrupt halt, followed by a startled exmation.

    At the wide-open city gates, several pitch-ck objects were being pushed out from inside. No, these things looked like they were made of iron, and they were muchrger than fire pokers.

    These objects had wheels underneath and were being pushed out by several soldiers.

    Lined up in a row, there were as many as five of these things.

    They gleamed with a mysterious ck luster under the sun.

    Guan Pei stoppedughing and shouted dubiously at the Elder Princess on the city tower, "Elder Princess, what is the meaning of this? If you''ve already surrendered, why haven''t youe down to face your punishment?!"

 Chapter 138: When the cannon is fired, flee for your life

    <h4>Chapter 138</h4>

    Little did they know, upon hearing these words, the Elder Princess scoffed, "Who said I''m surrendering?"

    "Advisor Xu, open their eyes!"

    What kind of eye-opener?

    These words filled the imperialmanders with a sudden sense of unease, feeling that something was about to spiral out of control.

    The next second.

    Advisor Xu smiled, ncing at the imperial troops opposite, before personally lighting the fuse.

    Witnessed by fifty thousand troops.

    "Boom!"

    "Bang!"

    Apanied by an earth-shattering explosion.

    The imperial soldiers were densely packed together, making them an easy target. A cannonball struck precisely in the middle of the army.

    Instantly, four or five soldiers were killed on the spot. Those nearby were also affected by the st to varying degrees, resulting in heavy casualties.

    Heart-wrenching cries echoed at the city gate: "Ah!!! My hand hurts so much!"

    "Ah! What is this thing? How can it be so terrifying?"

    "Help! Help!"

    "My leg, ahhh my leg is gone!!"

    General Guan, seeing the soldiers in disarray and screaming, swiftly drew his sword and shouted, "Anyone who dares to disrupt morale will be beheaded!"

    Seeing the cold glint of the sword in the sunlight, the surrounding soldiers swallowed nervously and immediately stood at attention.

    In the ensuing silence.

    Only the soldiers with st-injured arms and burnsy on the ground, whimpering softly.

    General Guan gazed at the five ck cannons with aplex expression.

    He had heard court officials speak of a kind of miraculous weapon from the future that could destroy half a pce with a single boom.

    Could this be that future weapon?

    Although Guan hadn''t personally seen any live broadcasts or future weaponry, he knew that this thing was far inferior to what the future held.

    At best, it was just a primitive version!

    Guan straightened his back, thinking that with his fifty thousand troops and Qin Vice General ambushing from the side gate, how could he lose? He absolutely couldn''t let this weapon break their morale.

    If fifty thousand troops charged at once, even a godly weapon couldn''t kill them all in one go, right?

    With this in mind, Guan immediately gave orders.

    "Don''t be afraid! Though this weapon is powerful, it can''t fire continuously and is limited in number! Hold your positions! No retreat!"

    "Storm the city! The first to enter will be rewarded..."

    The Elder Princess stood atop the city wall, looking down at the fifty thousand soldiers intoxicated by the promise of rewards.

    She had only allowed Advisor Xu to fire one cannonball earlier, more as a deterrent.

    To make them realize the futility of their attack!

    But seeing that these people, after hearing their general''s rousing speech, still foolishly wanted to attack the city, the Elder Princess signaled to Advisor Xu not to hold back.

    Fire!!

    "Open fire!" Advisor Xumanded, and all five cannons ignited simultaneously.

    "Boom!" The soldiers at the front were blown away.

    "Boom!" The second wave of soldiers was sted.

    "Boom!"

    The continuous explosions startled the warhorses, causing them to stampede backward, trampling many soldiers behind them.

    The bombs kept booming.

    Horses panicked and trampled backward in fear.

    Soldiers turned on each other, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

    Chaos!

    Complete chaos!

    Total chaos!

    "Ah!!! Run for your lives¡ª"

    "My hand! Ah! My hand!"

    "Horse! Horse, don''te here! Ah!! My leg, my leg is crushed! General, General!"

    "Rumble¡ª"

    "Damn beast, stop!"

    In an instant, men and horses fell. Whether killed by the cannons or trampled by panicked horses, the fifty thousand troops, encountering this situation for the first time, immediately lost their helmets and armor.

    The soldiers descended into utter disarray.

    Even a couple of generals were killed in the explosions.

    "Retreat quickly!"

    "Damn it!!" General Guan didn''t even have a chance to utter threats, hurriedly shouting for retreat.

    The soldiers'' fighting spirit waspletely shattered, so what was left to fight for?

    Originally, fifty thousand troops could have easily overwhelmed with sheer numbers, but they were scared off at the first sign of resistance. What was the point in fighting now?

    "Heavens, we''ve won!"

    "Long live the Elder Princess, long live, long live!"

    "Haha, Miss Gu''s cannons are indeed effective! One shot kills a bunch. Good! Good! Kill those imperial dogs!"

    Seeing the fifty thousand troops fleeing, the city''s residents burst into cheers, each wave louder than thest.

    They shouted, excited, hugging those around them and weeping with joy.

    All their worries and anxieties disappeared with this great victory.

    Hearing the cheers from within the city, the Elder Princess''s face showed a hint of caution.

    She looked at the screen connected to Gu Sang and made eye contact: "Today was gue City''s first battle, and the deterrent effect of these cannons was indeed impressive. We won!"

    "The imperial court didn''t expect me to develop something like cannons, which is why we caught them off guard."

    "Next time, it won''t be so easy!"

    Gu Sang nodded: "Let''s take it slow. Today was a good start. In the future, as long as we can keep up with food supplies and technological development, overthrowing Pei Changying will be a piece of cake."

    The Elder Princess sighed: "These cannons are effective, but we use up one cannonball with each shot. They''re so expensive to operate!"

    "If we had an unlimited supply of cannons, I''d dare to attack Pei Changying''s pce directly."

    The Elder Princess imagined how Pei Changying would be terrified if he saw that she had developed these cannons.

    However, unfortunately, they didn''t have enough cannons!

    In the end, it all came down to ack of money.

    Hearing the Elder Princess''sment, the advisors nodded in agreement. Now that they had recruited so many soldiers, food wasn''t a problem, but money was still scarce.

    "I really envy the country you''re from," Zhou Qichen said, dragging in the bound Qin Vice General to the city wall. "How can they afford to use drones and missiles like they''re free?"

    "Elder Princess, this guy was leading fifty thousand soldiers in an ambush at the South Gate. He''s been captured now, awaiting your judgment."

    "Very good, General Zhou. Your special forces performed beyond my expectations," the Elder Princess first praised Zhou Qichen before turning her attention to Qin Vice General.

    Qin Vice General''s face was covered in dirt and dust. He looked at the Elder Princess with aplex expression, then nced at Gu Sang, closing his eyes with a look of resigned determination.

    The Elder Princess chuckled: "General Qin, why weren''t you leading the fifty thousand troops to attack the city this time?"

    Seeing both the Elder Princess and Gu Sang present, Qin Vice General silently lowered his head.

    Of course it wasn''t him!

    His position as Chief General had long been revoked!

    Seeing that Qin Vice General remained silent, Zhou Qichen, who was standing nearby, understood the situation to some extent. He immediately sneered, "Did that ipetent Pei Changying demote you? I suppose this time you''re being sent to redeem yourself through meritorious service?"

    "Oh, Old Qin! I''ve told you before, Pei Changying isn''t worth following."

    "Last time at the city gate, Miss Gu and the Elder Princess tried to persuade you multiple times to... Ah, never mind. It''s not worth mentioning now."

 Chapter 139: She can make cannons, and so can I

    <h4>Chapter 139</h4>

    Gu Sang followed up on Zhou Qichen''s words: "Indeed, General Qin, one should choose a wise ruler and be at peace. Can''t you see the situation clearly yet?"

    "General Qin, why don''t you take another look outside the city and see how your fifty thousand troops are faring?"

    "Yourmander has already abandoned his troops and fled. Do you still want to defend Pei Changying?"

    Gu Sang gestured for the Qin Vice General to look down from the city wall.

    It was only then that the Qin Vice General realized the army should have already begun their assault on the city. He immediately turned his head to look, and his heart sank.

    Below, there had clearly been a battle.

    But why had it ended so quickly?!

    That was supposed to be an army of fifty thousand!

    Moreover, why hadn''t he received any notification when the army retreated?

    The Qin Vice General''s face alternated between pale and flushed, both angry and helpless. In the span of a minute, the expressions on his face were quite a spectacle.

    The Elder Princess stared at the Qin Vice General''s face and smiled.

    Then, with a wave of her hand, she said: "Enough. Loyalty thates from coercion is not true loyalty. Since General Qin is so loyal to his master, I won''t force him."

    "Qichen, let General Qin go!"

    Upon hearing this, the Qin Vice General looked up at the Elder Princess in shock.

    He couldn''t understand why the Elder Princess would let him go again.

    He was an enemy, after all!

    Who would show mercy to an enemy time and time again?

    "I respect the General''s character. This is thest time I will spare you. If you remain obstinate, next time, I will not be so lenient."

    The Qin Vice General looked at the Elder Princess with mixed emotions. Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, a bitter smile appeared on his face.

    The emperor he served was cruel and tyrannical, demoting and punishing at will.

    Yet the Elder Princess, whom he was ordered to attack, was kind-hearted and respectful towards the talented.

    Between these two, it was clear who was more worthy of loyalty.

    What a pity!

    What a pity that the Elder Princess wasn''t a man!

    Even though the Elder Princess had the momentum to conquer the world, she would ultimately not be epted as legitimate by the people or by tradition!

    But, but, but were traditions always right?

    Were they truly unbreakable?

    The Qin Vice General stood at the gate of the gue-ridden city, looking up at the Elder Princess and her entourage who had already left the city walls. The leg he had stretched out to leave the city suddenly retracted.

    He was confused.

    -

    "Urgent dispatch, eight hundred li!"

    "Quick, change horses!"

    A memorial was immediately sent to the capital at the speed of eight hundred li.

    Pei Changying, sitting high on his throne, turned pale with shock and fear upon reading that the Elder Princess had already manufactured cannons.

    How could that earth-shattering thing possibly have been made!

    It must have been given by Gu Sang!

    Damn it!

    When exactly did Gu Sang give it to her? Was it before talking to him? What kind of deal did she strike with Pei Weiqi? How could she give such a powerful weapon to Pei Weiqi?

    The cannons had such a huge impact on Pei Changying that he immediately assumed it must have been Gu Sang who helped, without even thinking about it.

    "What''s wrong with Your Majesty? Why do you look so troubled?" Seeing Pei Changying''s terrified expression, the court officials were curious about what was written in the memorial.

    Before they could ask, Pei Changying threw the memorial down.

    "p!"

    "Ministers, take a look and tell me how to solve this matter!"

    The Prime Minister picked up the memorial, and after reading it, his expression changed several times. Finally, taking a deep breath, he said: "Your Majesty, ording to General Guan''s report in the memorial, the destructive power of these cannons is far less than those ofter generations."

    "If Pei Weiqi can manufacture them, our craftsmen should be able to make them as well."

    "Moreover, even if we can''t make them, we can create armor to defend against them..."

    "Furthermore, I''ve noticed that these cannons fire in concentrated bursts. If we position our soldiers farther apart..."

    The Prime Minister quickly spotted numerous issues with the cannons. After the initial shock, he calmed down and began to analyze the attack range of the cannons step by step in court.

    Pei Changying''s fear gradually turned into confidence.

    Thank goodness!

    Thank goodness they weren''t as terrifying as the cannons ofter generations!

    Sang, I knew you wouldn''t have the heart to do it. Even if you sided with that wretched Pei Weiqi before, you would still hold back for my sake!

    If a woman can make them, I don''t believe my craftsmen can''t!

    Thinking of this, Pei Changying smiled and confidently ordered: "Send out the decree to summon all the craftsmen in the country to the capital to manufacture cannons!"

    "I refuse to believe that with the resources of an entire nation, we can''t make better cannons than that woman Pei Weiqi!"

    "Once we make the cannons, it will be Pei Weiqi''s death day!"

    "I will have that wretched woman dismembered! And bring Sang back to the Imperial Pce!"

    -

    While Pei Changying was confidently gathering people to make cannons, at that moment in the gue-ridden city.

    After confirming the details of injurypensation and schools with Gu Sang,

    The Elder Princess immediately implemented her ns with swift and decisive action.

    "By order of the Elder Princess, each soldier''s family is entitled to one enrollment spot in school... For those without children, as long as they achieve..."

    "By order of the Elder Princess, for any soldier who dies in service of the people, they will be..." There weren''t many literate people in the gue-ridden city, so soldiers had to go around the streets beating drums and gongs to announce the news.

    After hearing about the series of benefits for soldiers from the Elder Princess, the entire gue-ridden city was in an uproar.

    The citizens'' eyes were filled with surprise and amazement.

    They discussed among themselves: "Free education? Compensation for injured and fallen soldiers? How can there be such good things! This can''t be real, can it?"

    "How could it be fake? Didn''t you see the soldiers going door to door to inform everyone? It must be true!"

    "Hahaha, luckily my son was smart and joined the Elder Princess''s army early. Grandson, you can go to school now. Our Old Wang family will finally have an educated person!"

    "Mother, I want to join the army! If I can return safely, I will definitely give you a good life. If I can''t return, at least I won''t have to worry about your future!"

    "Dad, Mom, your daughter wants to join the women''s guard. If I join the guard, my younger brother can go to school. Are you still going to try to stop me?"

    Many young and middle-aged people, even some in their fifties, rushed to the city gate to enlist in the army.

    In the past, being a soldier was a bitter job that could get you killed, so they were naturally reluctant.

    But now, not only did being a soldiere with generous rewards, their children or grandchildren would have the opportunity to receive free education.

    Rather than begging the heavens each year not to bring down disasters and living such a hard life, it would be better to fight for a way out.

    If they won, it would mean achieving sess and returning home in glory.

    If they died, the Elder Princess would take care of their parents, wives, and daughters afterwards, so they would have no worries left behind!

    "Sir, I want to sign up. Look at how strong and robust I am - I can kill a bull with one punch."

    "Psh, I doubt the bull would die from your punch. It''s more likely to die from your boasting. Sir, take a look at me..."

    "Oh, Elder Brother Yu, you''vee to sign up too? Excellent, excellent. We brothers can go together and look out for each other on the battlefield."

    "......"

 Chapter 140: Everything is Too Late

    <h4>Chapter 140</h4>

    In a nearby teahouse, a middle-aged man wearing a straw hat pulled low to conceal his face was quietly observing the recruitment situation at the city gate.

    Schools, positions, care for the elderly...

    These ideas had actually been implemented!

    No wonder themon people were so eager to join the army. Even he, upon hearing about these benefits, couldn''t help but feel intensely moved.

    Having been a military leader for many years, he was well aware of recruitment situations across various regions.

    In other counties, when recruiting soldiers, there would always be family members crying and wailing, even fainting on the spot.

    But here, everyone was rushing to sign up joyfully, without any need for forced conscription.

    Though fear of the impending battlefield could be seen in their eyes, he could also perceive a kind of firm belief in these excited and enthusiastic people.

    It was a belief in fighting and striving for their own families!

    If given time to grow, such soldiers might truly be able to contend with the imperial court.

    The man smiled bitterly and walked towards the city gate with heavy, hesitant steps. "Your Majesty, oh Your Majesty, to think that a noble man like yourself cannot match the magnanimity of a woman."

    "Did I really choose wrong?"

    "Haha..."

    "What are the rules, after all? And who established them? The Elder Princess can be so tolerant as to release enemies, yet the Emperor cannot tolerate a single Concubine Zhao. How trulyughable."

    The man stood at the city gate, his eyes reddening as he nced back, then self-mockingly stepped away from the gue-ridden city, heading towards where the imperial army was stationed.

    But the man didn''t see.

    A hundred meters away, on a pavilion.

    The Elder Princess watched the man''s dejected figure as he left, the corner of her lips curling up slightly, her expression revealing a hint of amusement. "I believe he''s already wavering. Sooner orter, he''lle to join me."

    Gu Sang sighed and said, "He''s just bound by the long-standing notion that women should be confined to their homes. This era tells everyone that whatever women do is wrong, not allowed, doomed to fail. We can only me the times."

    "This man is quite loyal, though. He could be useful."

    "Let''s hope he figures it out soon."

    "By the way, what about those wounded soldiers abandoned by the imperial army on the battlefield yesterday? Were they rescued?"

    The Elder Princess nodded and replied, "Yes, General Zhou led his men outside the city to rescue all those soldiers who were injured in the explosion. They''re recovering now."

    After hearing this, Gu Sang and the Elder Princess exchanged a smile.

    Although the two sides had different positions!

    Themon soldiers were innocent!

    They were merely following the imperial court''s orders, but now, the court had abandoned them on the battlefield and fled, while the Elder Princess had saved their lives without holding grudges!

    How could they not be moved?

    "Elder Princess, your letter."

    A soldier hurriedly ran up to the pavilion, handing the letter to the Elder Princess with both hands.

    The Elder Princess opened the letter and quickly scanned its contents, the smile on her face growing wider.

    She looked up at Gu Sang with a grin, "Sang Sang, the people I sent to Fujian have written back to me, saying they''ve discovered mature potatoes in the border regions of Fujian!"

    Excitement could be heard in Gu Sang''s voice as well, "Congrattions, it seems good things really doe in pairstely."

    "I originally thought potatoes might not exist in this period, I didn''t expect we''d be so lucky."

    "This time, even the heavens are on our side!"

    The Elder Princess stood up in high spirits, "Yes, I''ll lead a team there myself right away. I''ll need you to confirm if they''re really potatoes when the timees!"

    Beep¡ª

    The connection closed.

    The smile on Gu Sang''s face widened. At the rate the Elder Princess''s side was growing, it probably wouldn''t be long before they could stand against the imperial court!

    She couldn''t wait to see Pei Changying dethroned!

    "Ding dong."

    A voice message came through. It was from Chen Yun: "Sang Sang,e to my ce for lunch today. I''ve also invited Mr. Lu, you twoe together, okay?"

    "You''ve been such a great helptely, you can''t refuse me."

    Gu Sang replied with a quick "sure," then got up to get dressed, preparing to go to Chen Yun''s home.

    A few days ago.

    Chen Yun felt too embarrassed to keep living at Gu Sang''s ce, so she asked a real estate agent to find her an apartment close to work and quickly moved in.

    Today being Sunday, Chen Yun went to the market to buy ingredients, nning to cook a meal for Gu Sang and Lu Mufei as a gesture of gratitude.

    Walking up to the sixth floor of the top floor with arms full of groceries, she was thinking about what dishes to make when suddenly Chen Yun smacked her forehead, realizing she hadn''t asked Lu Mufei about his food preferences in advance.

    "It should be fine, right? Mr. Lu seems pretty easy-going, and besides, he''ll probably like whatever Gu Sang likes."

    Chen Yun muttered to herself as she climbed to the sixth floor.

    Apartments near thepany were too expensive, and she wanted good lighting and venttion, so she had to settle for the top floor.

    But when Chen Yun saw the man in a suit standing at her door, her expression immediately turned cold.

    Chen Yun: "What are you doing here again? Are you stalking me?"

    Since breaking up with the scumbag, Chen Yun had reflected on many things.

    In fact, there were signs from the very beginning, but she had viewed everything through rose-colored sses at the time.

    Now that she had suddenly awakened, Chen Yun wanted to p herself twice.

    How could she have been so blinded by love back then?

    The scumbag looked down at Chen Yun, who was about to go upstairs, and spoke shamelessly, "Chen Yun, considering our rtionship of so many years, is it really necessary to be so particr about money?"

    "After seven years together, can you really be so heartless?"

    "You used to say you didn''t care about money. Now you''ve be so materialistic, always talking about money. Were you nning to dump me all along?"

    Chen Yun coldly refused, "I don''t want to argue about this with you. That''s my money, and if you won''t give it back, we''ll settle this in court!"

    Hearing this!

    The scumbag also stopped trying to appeal to her emotions and dropped his act. His expression suddenly turned cold, his gaze fixed on Chen Yun like a venomous snake.

    Chen Yun felt a chill in her heart and had the urge to flee.

    The scumbag let out a coldugh and threatened, "Since you''re so heartless, don''t me me for being cruel. You''ve forced my hand, Chen Yun!"

    "I still have some of your private photos on my phone..."

    "If you insist on me returning the money, I''ll have no choice but to spread your private photos..."

    Chen Yun trembled with anger. "You shameless bastard! I clearly deleted those photos from your phone! You... you took them while I was asleep, didn''t you? How could you be so disgusting!"

    How could there be such a heartless man who would use her intimate photos to ckmail her?

    When their rtionship was good, who would have thought he''d secretly take photos while she slept?

    A year ago, something like this had happened once before. At that time, Chen Yun had thrown a huge fit. After deleting the photos and receiving repeated assurances from the scumbag, she had believed him.

    If only she had known, she should have checked his phone''s photo gallery more often when they were together...

    But now, it was toote for regrets.

 Chapter 141: Encountering a Scumbag, Ruining Half a Life

    <h4>Chapter 141</h4>

    "Heh, you only deleted the copy on your phone, but I still have hundreds of copies on myputer."

    Boom¡ª

    Chen Yun felt as if something had struck her head, all color draining from her face.

    She stared at the man before her, trembling all over. Seven years! After seven years of love, she never imagined that the person who once professed his love for her had now transformed into a monster.

    It turns out that when someone shows their true colors, it can be utterly terrifying!

    "Aren''t you afraid I''ll call the police?!" Chen Yun managed to squeeze out these words through gritted teeth, fighting against her fear and anger.

    Hearing this, the scumbag across from her burst intoughter.

    Shaking his head, he spoke mockingly: "Hahaha, Chen Yun, oh Chen Yun, who the hell do you think you''re threatening? Call the police? Do you dare?!"

    "You women, isn''t this the only thing of value you have? Do you have any evidence? Have I actually distributed anything? Have I broken anyws? No, right?"

    "What can you do by calling the police? At most, they''ll give me a warning and tell us to resolve it ourselves! Before anything actually happens, thew is useless!"

    "You''re such a slut, imagine if I sent these photos to your friends, colleagues, tsk tsk tsk, and then to your rtives, wouldn''t that be interesting?"

    "Chen Yun, me yourself for being so heartless to me. If you keep pushing me, I''ll have no choice but to..."

    The scumbag approached Chen Yun step by step. Chen Yun was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to grab him and end it all right there.

    But she couldn''t!

    She still had her parents, her friends, her future!

    Chen Yun red at the scumbag with bloodshot eyes, her body tense and on guard.

    The scumbag, like a born demon in power, cast a contemptuous and disdainful look at Chen Yun, convinced that women always cower and retreat when faced with such situations!

    This Chen Yun was still as stupid as ever!

    The scumbag''s gaze dropped, noticing the tworge bags of groceries in Chen Yun''s hands: "How long has it been since you left me, and you''ve already found someone new?"

    "You''ve been tired of my poverty for a while, haven''t you? Been fooling around with other men?"

    "Just like your friend Lin Lin, nothing but a gold digger!"

    Chen Yun felt a chill run through her body, experiencing an indescribable sense of despair. She spat back bitterly, "It''s Gu Sang and her friend. If you don''t leave now, when Gu Sang gets here, she won''t let you off easy."

    "We''ll discuss the moneyter. I''m warning you, don''te to my ce again, or I''ll fight you to the bitter end!"

    Chen Yun knew that Gu Sang was loyal and would stand up for her.

    But she absolutely couldn''t let her friend know about this dirty business!

    She didn''t want to appear so wretched and embarrassed in front of her friends.

    She knew that given Gu Sang''s personality, she would immediately take her to report to the police, but what could the police do in this situation?

    The scumbag hadn''t taken any action yet, hadn''t actually broken anyws, so the police couldn''t do anything even if they wanted to.

    Only when real harm was done could he be convicted, but if that harm was done, she... she wouldn''t be able to face anyone. How could she face her rtives, friends, and colleagues... She couldn''t report to the police, and she didn''t dare to.

    Some things, you only truly understand how helpless and painful they are when they happen to you. She couldn''t bring herself to disregard what others would think of her and fight the scumbag to the bitter end!

    "Gu Sang ising?" The scumbag''s face changed instantly upon hearing that Gu Sang was on her way.

    Gu Sang wasn''t as easy to fool as Chen Yun.

    Gu Sang had never liked him, and her family was wealthy and influential. If she saw him here, she definitely wouldn''t let him off easy.

    "Fine! I''ll leave for now. Chen Yun, you''d better think this through carefully, or I''ll make sure your reputation is ruined!" The scumbag warned Chen Yun a few more times before hurriedly leaving.

    Just his luck.

    As he was leaving the building, the scumbag ran into Gu Sang, who was getting out of Lu Mufei''s car.

    Gu Sang immediately frowned in disgust: "What are you doing here?"

    The scumbag quickly made up an excuse: "Nothing, just discussing money matters with Chen Yun."

    He didn''t dare say more, fearing Gu Sang might be suspicious, and quickly left.

    Gu Sang and Lu Mufei arrived at Chen Yun''s rented apartment. The room was simply furnished, showing that Chen Yun was a person of few desires, caring only that the room was clean and tidy, not needing it to be particrly cozy.

    After all, this was just a rental, not her real home.

    Gu Sang went to the kitchen to help prepare vegetables, and casually asked:

    "Why did that scumbage to find you? How did he know where you live?"

    Chen Yun kept her head down as she washed the vegetables, showing no emotion.

    "I never told him. I don''t know how he found out I live here."

    Gu Sang warned, "Maybe one of your friends told him. You need to be careful in the future. Getting entangled with a man like that will ruin your life."

    "Don''t give in either. Giving in will only make him more aggressive."

    Chen Yun kept her head down, responding with a soft murmur.

    A tear fell from Chen Yun''s face into the running water.

    It was toote.

    Everything was toote.

    Life really is a series of mistakes, one leading to another.

    She was just an ordinary person. In a situation like this, what options did she have to save herself other than calling the police...

    -

    Ancient gue-ridden city.

    Now, with the imperial troops terrified by the cannons, they wouldn''t dare to invade again in the short term.

    The Princess appointed Counselor Fang and Schr Xu to manage the gue city, and after Zhou Qichen was stationed to guard it, she took the specially trained soldiers and traveled day and night to reach Fujian.

    Several dayster, they arrived in Fujian.

    A man who looked like a storyteller was already waiting respectfully at the city gate.

    Seeing the Princess enter the city, he stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, this humble servant has already booked an inn. Please rest there for the night."

    The Princess immediately rejected his decision: "It''s still early. Take me to the vige you mentioned in your letter, where the potatoes were discovered."

    The storyteller dared not dy and immediately led everyone to Yang Family Vige.

    Upon entering the vige, the storyteller spoke, "Your Highness, in all of Fujian, only Yang Family Vige grows arge quantity of potatoes. It took this humble servant a long time to find this ce."

    "Once the matter is settled, you will be rewarded."

    "Thank you, Your Highness. It is my honor to serve you."

    After the Princess mentioned the reward, the smile on the storyteller''s face seemed even more genuine.

    An hourter.

    The Princess and her party arrived at the vige chief''s house. The storyteller went ahead to exin the Princess''s intentions to the vige chief.

    "This humble servant pays respects to Your Highness," the vige chief said, bowing deeply.

    The vige chief, frightened, hurriedly weed the Princess into the house. His face was filled with reverence and trepidation, and he spoke with extreme caution: "Princess, so this thing is called a potato!"

    "Your timing is impable, as it''s currently the potato harvesting season."

    "We''ve just cooked some potatoes at home. Let me bring you a few to taste."

    Seeing that the Princess didn''t object, the vige chief immediately asked his wife to bring over a bowl of potatoes. The bowl contained three golden-brown baked potatoes.

    The Princess peeled the skin off a potato and took a small bite.

    It was sweet and soft, and after eating less than half, she already felt satisfied.

    It was indeed far better than drinking porridge.

    Now that the sweet potatoes in the gue-stricken city had entered their mature phase, if potatoes were added to the mix, there would truly be no worries about food for the soldiers and civilians!

 Chapter 142: Finding Potatoes, Growing Strong Again

    <h4>Chapter 142</h4>

    A hint of relief and amusement shed in the Elder Princess''s eyes. Just as she was about to inquire about the potato harvest, suddenly, the sound of children squabbling came from outside.

    "I''m not a bastard! You''re the bastards!"

    "Little bastard, your mother ran away and abandoned you!"

    "Nyah nyah, you''ve always been a motherless bastard!"

    The Storyteller''s face darkened as he walked outside.

    The Vige Chief also prepared to call the children to y elsewhere, not wanting to interfere with the Elder Princess''s important business.

    "Whose ill-mannered children are these?"

    The Elder Princess abruptly stood up. "No need to chase them away. I''ll go take a look myself."

    When the Elder Princess, Vige Chief, and others came outside, they saw five or six children fighting in a tangle.

    Among them, a thin little boy was particrly fierce. Though he appeared scrawnier than the other children, he was the strongest, pinning the others down and beating them.

    "If you dare call me a bastard again, I''ll knock your teeth out!"

    The other children wailed as they were beaten.

    Seeing the Vige Chief emerge, they immediately burst into tears and begged for help: "Waaah, Uncle Vige Chief, Dashu is hitting us again!"

    "Uncle Vige Chief, save us! Dashu has gone crazy!"

    Seeing this, the Vige Chief didn''t even pause to consult the Elder Princess before rushing over to separate the children.

    But as soon as Dashu was pulled away, he charged back in, giving the other children another thrashing before finally stopping, satisfied.

    The children''s cries quickly drew their parents, and the Vige Chief hurriedly told the parents to take their children home.

    Only Dashu remained, standing there with clenched fists, ring angrily at the departing children. No parent came to collect him.

    Seeing the child standing there defiantly, the Elder Princess couldn''t help but take a closer look.

    This child seemed unusually strong?

    The Elder Princess noticed his clothes were far too short, exposing skinny calves, and they weren''t very clean either, as if no one had helped him wash them.

    It was clear this child was not living well.

    "What''s the story with this child?" she asked.

    The Vige Chief exined with pity in his eyes, "This child''s mother ran off with another man from the vige after giving birth to him."

    "My mother didn''t run away! I''m not a bastard!" the boy suddenly raised his head, biting his lip as he forcefully contradicted the Vige Chief.

    The Vige Chief paused, then decided to omit the part about the child''s mother eloping, and continued:

    "This child has been living with his father since he was little, but his father is a rough man. Without a woman in the house, how could he properly care for a child like this?"

    "The child''s father has ame leg and a child to care for, so he can''t easily find work outside the vige. He can only asionally pick up odd jobs within the vige."

    "Sometimes, when vigers see how pitiful the father and son are, they send them some food."

    "Both father and son have had hard lives. The father crippled his leg when he was young, and the son... But both father and son work very hard. This little fellow is probably so strong because he''s been helping with chores since he was small. He even fills their water vat himself."

    "When we go to the mountains to chop firewood, we have to rest halfway through carrying a load, but this little guy carries firewood and walks as if he''s flying..."

    The advisor standing next to the Elder Princess nced at the child and said meaningfully to the Elder Princess, "Your Highness, this child is so strong at such a young age. If properly nurtured, he will surely be a valuable asset in the future."

    The Elder Princess nodded in agreement, also recognizing the child''s potential.

    If she took him under her wing and cultivated him well, he might prove greatly useful in the future.

    With this in mind, she instructed, "Later, go with them to this child''s home and ask if he''s willing to follow me."

    At the Elder Princess''s signal, a guard apanied the Vige Chief to take the child home.

    Meanwhile, the Elder Princess found a secluded spot and began to establish a connection with Gu Sang for confirmation.

    "Ding!"

    "Connection established!"

    As soon as the video connected, the Elder Princess held up the now-cooled potato for Gu Sang to see. "Sang Sang, is this the potato you mentioned?"

    Gu Sang had just returned from Chen Yun''s house.

    Upon hearing about the potato, she immediately peered carefully at the video, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Yes, that''s it. It''s definitely a potato."

    The Elder Princess smiled, feeling more confident.

    She ced the potato on the table and analyzed for Gu Sang, "Beforeing here, I had initially nned to monopolize the potatoes, like we didst time in Lingnan."

    "However, from what I understand, the people in this vige already know that potatoes are a food that can fill their stomachs."

    "They can sell us some seedlings, but it''s impossible topletely monopolize them now!"

    By this time, Gu Sang had settled onto the sofa.

    Hearing the Elder Princess''s words, she propped her chin on her hand and thought for a moment. "As long as Pei Changying doesn''t know there are potato seedlings in Fujian, it should be fine."

    "Besides, after the imperial army''s major defeatst time, he''s probably frantically searching for craftsmen to make cannons."

    "He won''t have time to send people to look for potatoes."

    That made sense.

    What a pity!

    Without Gu Sang''s help, there was no way the ancients could have developed cannons in such a short time!

    Thinking about Pei Changying''s actions, a worried expression shed across the Elder Princess''s face. "Sang Sang, when you spoke up for me in Liujiang Cityst time, did Pei Changying suspect you?"

    "Now with the cannons and potatoes, Pei Changying is naturally suspicious. This time, he might suspect and take his anger out on you."

    "I''m afraid he''ll be enraged and use Consort Li''s life to threaten you."

    "This time, we muste up with a foolproof n to rescue Consort Li."

    Gu Sang nodded solemnly. Just thinking about Consort Li being humiliated made her want to stab Pei Changying to death. "Consort Li is being monitored by Pei Changying, so it''s not easy for me to connect with her privately. But we''ll find a way."

    "I absolutely won''t let what happened to Consort Zhao happen again."

    Last time, the officials in Liujiang City hadn''t told Pei Changying the actual situation.

    As a result, Pei Changying hadn''t suspected her.

    But this time, with the cannons and potatoes, she needed to think of a way to deceive him.

    However, there was no rush. As long as she didn''t initiate contact with Pei Changying, even if he wanted to contact her, he couldn''t do so at any time.

    Gu Sang''s attention returned to the potato on the table. Seeing that they were eating the potato as a staple food, she couldn''t help but suggest to the Elder Princess.

    Gu Sang: "Wei Qi, actually, potatoes can not only be eaten directly but can also be used as a side dish."

    "Let me show you some recipes."

    Gu Sang returned to her room, opened herputer, and searched for several potato recipes to show the Elder Princess.

    The Elder Princess gazed at theputer, feeling a sense of wonder: "Theputers in your future world are truly convenient. If you want to know something, you don''t even need to leave your home. You can simply search for it on theputer."

    "Here in our time, if we need to find any information, we practically have to turn the entire library upside down," she added with a sigh.

    Gu Sang casually remarked, "After your coronation ceremony, you couldmission theption of an encyclopedia that epasses all knowledge in the realm. Then you''d be able to look up and use information whenever you need it."

    The Elder Princess''s eyes lit up. "That''s an excellent idea!"

 Chapter 143: From Palace Maid to Delivering Tens of Thousands of Taels of Silver

    <h4>Chapter 143</h4>

    After all, they were in the vige chief''s house, so the two only chatted briefly before ending the call.

    The Elder Princess went outside and waited for a short while.

    Soon she saw the vige chief and the guard return.

    "Elder Princess, the father and son are willing to follow us to the gue city," the guard reported.

    "Elder Princess, the vigers are willing to sell you the potatoes, and we''ve also collected several hundred catties of vines," the vige chief added.

    Before long, vigers could be seen carrying potatoes to the vige chief''s house one after another.

    The Elder Princess immediately had the guard count them and pay for them.

    After staying at the vige chief''s house for three days, the Elder Princess gave an extra sum of money to the vigers, exining it was hush money to keep the potatoes secret. The vigers excitedly agreed repeatedly.

    After finishing this business, the Elder Princess and her party left with carts full of potatoes, taking Dashu and his father with them.

    A few dayster.

    When the Elder Princess returned to the gue city from Fujian with the potatoes, Counselor Fang told her that two youngdies from Jiangnan had been waiting for her for several days.

    Upon hearing that these two youngdies had received care from Miss Gu Sang, which was why they specially came from Jiangnan to bring some things within their means.

    The Elder Princess, without taking time to rest, went to the inn to meet these two youngdies.

    The two youngdies immediately stood up, looking at the approaching Elder Princess with emotional faces: "Elder Princess, thank you so much for your behind-the-scenes help during this time, which has made our business so sessful."

    "This is the money we earned from selling lipstick and perfume."

    "We know you urgently need money now, so we''ve gathered some to bring to you."

    "Although this small amount of money is a drop in the bucket for the army, rest assured, our shops are growing bigger and bigger. We believe it won''t be long before we can be a strong backing for you and Miss Gu."

    The Elder Princess knew these former pce maids.

    They used to be by Consort Zhao''s side. Before the incident, Consort Zhao had arranged everything to send them out of the pce.

    She hadn''t expected that Gu Sang''s past kindness woulde in so handy now.

    The Elder Princess didn''t stand on ceremony and straightforwardly epted: "I am indeed in great need of money now, and your money hase at just the right time."

    "Both I and Miss Gu will remember this favor!"

    Seeing the Elder Princess ept the money, the two women''s faces showed happy expressions.

    Xue''er excitedly said, "Elder Princess, you don''t need to be polite. If it weren''t for Miss Gu''s guidance back then, we sisters would have had trouble even surviving."

    "Now that we can eat and dress well, we''re very satisfied!"

    "Moreover, I once vowed that if there came a day when I could help Miss Gu, I would spare no effort."

    The other girl said joyfully, "Elder Princess, we all look forward to your sess. Then we women will be able to take you as a role model and aplish great things."

    "We won''t be like now, where when a few women open a shop, they get ostracized and ndered..."

    The girl''s voice became softer and softer under Xue''s warning gaze.

    She looked cautiously at the Elder Princess, worried that the Elder Princess would find her talkative.

    After hearing her words, not only did the Elder Princess not show any impatient expression, but she solemnly promised them:

    "Believe me, I and Miss Gu will definitely let women walk freely outside from now on, without needing to cover their faces. They can do business freely and do anything, just like in future generations."

    "Women can go to school, women can do business, women can enter politics, and women can also choose to never marry."

    "I want women in this world to be able to choose freely!"

    Free choice!

    This is the dream of millions and millions of women!

    No, it''s something they don''t even dare to dream of.

    But the Elder Princess said it would all be realized in the future, even if it takes ten years, twenty years, or thirty years. They are all willing to wait for this day.

    The two youngdies listened with tears welling up in their eyes. As women, they had cried many, many times.

    Only this time, they cried out of excitement, out of joy and anticipation.

    The next day, the two youngdies quietly left the gue city.

    Although the Elder Princess cordially invited them to stay in the gue city for a few more days, the two still thought of their sisters and perfume business in Jiangnan.

    If they didn''t return soon, their sisters in Jiangnan would worry.

    After they left, the busy Elder Princess was discussing the matter of military pay with Counselor Fang and others.

    With the funds sent by Xue''er and herpanion, the school and family housing mentioned by Gu Sang before could now be built.

    Moreover, the sweet potatoes were ripe and could be distributed to the people as food.

    When hearing that the Elder Princess nned to distribute the first batch of food to the people for free, Advisor Xu raised a different opinion.

    "Elder Princess, forgive this humble official for speaking frankly, but this is not appropriate."

    "First, we still have too little money. Although we have enough sweet potatoes and potatoes to distribute to the people, after distribution, the military pay will be a bit tight."

    "After all, with the addition of the disaster victims from Liujiang City, the poption of the gue city has reached several hundred thousand. This is not a small expenditure."

    "Moreover, the houses for those disaster victims have not been fully built yet. I think we should do it this way: we distribute food and let the people help us with the work."

    "The construction of houses for disaster victims, schools, family housing, and so on all need workers."

    "This way, we can also let the people know that all food is not to be enjoyed without effort, but needs to be exchanged forbor."

    "People can receive two portions of food for one person''s work, and we can also save a lot of manpower. It''s a win-win situation."

    The Elder Princess thought Advisor Xu''s suggestion was excellent!

    The wage for one person''s work was ten copper coins, and the Elder Princess not only gave ten copper coins but also gave additional food.

    Although this food was originally intended to be given to the people.

    But after Advisor Xu''s calction, not only could all the people receive food, but she could also save a lot of trouble.

    Although she was generous, she was not a merciful person. Just as Gu Sang said, ''A peck of kindness is repaid with a bushel of resentment.'' People are never satisfied!

    The more benefits they get for free, the more likely they are to breed ungrateful ingrates.

    "Good! Just announce the rules as Mr. Xu has said," the Elder Princess said with appreciation in her eyes, immediately agreeing to Advisor Xu''s approach.

    That day, the Elder Princess issued an announcement.

    And she had soldiers notify every household in the city.

    "As long as you help build schools, family housing, and repair houses, you can not only receive a day''s wages but also two portions of food per person..."

    "Families with a member serving in the military can receive a bag of rice, fifty jin of sweet potatoes, and meat every month......"

    When the soldier came to inform the disaster victims of this, all the disaster victims in Liujiang City were shocked.

    After arriving in the gue-stricken city, the mostmon thing they heard was how kind the Elder Princess was to themon people, and how incredibly tolerant she was towards them.

    But they never imagined that the Elder Princess would be this good to the people!

 Chapter 144: National Ancient People Uprising, Envy of Plague City

    <h4>Chapter 144</h4>

    The refugees looked on with envy in their eyes: "Heavens, are these really the citizens of the gue City? They seem so fortunate, able to receive so many supplies each month."

    "Officer, can we go collect supplies too?"

    "We also want to work in exchange for food..."

    The soldier replied formally: "Any citizen who contributesbor is eligible to receive supplies."

    A woman approached crying, about to kneel down: "Officer, my husband has passed away. I - I can work too. I beg you to consider¡ª"

    Seeing the woman about to kneel, the soldier quickly stepped back and hurriedly said: "Miss, there''s no need to kneel before me! Women can work too, doing things like cooking or whatever tasks they''re capable of."

    "Whether you''re a woman, or unable to do heavybor due to physical reasons, as long as you want to work, we''ll definitely arrange the most suitable tasks for you. So don''t worry about not being able to do the work."

    "Wonderful!!!"

    The crowd of refugees apuded enthusiastically.

    The woman was moved to tears. She had never imagined a ce that would treat women so kindly.

    Women could work for food too, and be respected!

    Immediately, some people inquired about joining the army: "Officer, are the benefits for soldiers really that good?"

    "Officer, can women join the army too? Are there any extra requirements?"

    "Even if a soldier dies on the battlefield, their family will be taken care of? And their children can attend school for free?"

    The soldier answered all the questions from the crowd, which made the people of Liujiang City deeply envious of the citizens of the gue City.

    Heavens!

    The people of the gue City were so fortunate!

    They were d they had chosen to follow the Elder Princess to the gue City, rather than siding with the imperial court.

    If the imperial court were recruiting soldiers, it would mostly be forcedbor, without pay.

    "The Elder Princess was right when she said life in the gue City would be free from worries about food and clothing."

    "When I saw there were female soldiers, I hoped that one day I could be a woman like them. I never imagined being a soldier had such benefits. I want to join the female guard unit too!"

    "As long as I be a soldier, my son can go to school! I''m going to enlist!"

    "The Divine Lady said men and women are equal, so we shouldn''t just think about our sons. Daughters can study too. Whoever studies well should be sent to school!"

    "That''s right, if we want to live as happily as people in the future, we need to think like people of the future! Come on, let''s go sign up!"

    The crowd, moved to tears, rushed off to enlist as soldiers.

    If for nothing else, just for their children to attend school for free was enough to make them fight desperately for a future for their kids.

    While the gue City was bustling with construction of schools and other buildings, news of the various benefits offered in the gue City spread far and wide to other cities.

    Whether imperial officials ormon people and merchants in various cities, when they heard this astonishing news, they were stunned for a long while beforeing to their senses.

    Themon people in other cities said in disbelief: "Heavens, what''s going on in the gue City now? In the past, everyone envied the Jiangnan Water Town and the capital, but now the tables have turned."

    "To think that such a poor and remote ce as the gue City could be the object of envy."

    "Don''t you feel envious and jealous?"

    "It seems the Elder Princess indeed has the intention topete with the imperial court. I have a feeling that the gue City will rival Jiangnan in the future. Hehe, I''m going to open a few inns there first. If the Elder Princess wins, the value of property in the gue City will soar."

    Many people had simr thoughts, and merchants from various parts of Central ins caught wind of the opportunity and rushed to the gue City.

    They all wanted to establish their businesses there before the gue City fully developed.

    For the gue City to develop, it needed not only manpower and agriculture but also economic growth. However, not all merchants could be fully epted.

    The Elder Princess set a time to personally meet these merchants, selecting those with good character to settle in the city, and exining the rules of the gue City to them.

    When news of free education and various benefits for new recruits reached the capital, the people there once again became discontent!

    Yes, they were unhappy!

    Why should a poor, remote ce like the gue City be better than the capital!

    In the past, living in the capital, they had to be cautious around officials and nobles. Although one misstep could lead to beheading, they took pride in the fact that people outside the capital envied them for living there.

    They felt very proud and superior!

    Despite the danger of offending the nobility, just mentioning their identity as capital residents would make people from other ces look at them with admiration.

    But now, they had lost even this sole source of pride.

    They were also restricted by the imperial court, forbidden from approaching within a hundred meters of the pce, or face beheading!

    That was clearly a gift from heaven, a live broadcast bestowed by the Divine Lady. Why should the imperial court control it!

    They wouldn''t ept this!

    The people gathered in groups to shout at the government offices, expressing their dissatisfaction and crying in distress. They beat the drums outside the county office to appeal for justice, hoping the county magistrate would listen to the voice of the people.

    "Your Honor, my husband and son both died on the battlefield. Their deaths were so unjust! They left behind just me, a woman. With no son to care for me in my old age, how am I supposed to live?"

    "Your Honor, my husband died while serving in the army. He died for his country, so why is the imperial court so heartless, not giving anypensation?"

    "In the gue City, soldiers get one spot for free education. Why can''t the imperial court offer free education?"

    "That''s right, we had no harvest again this year! Look at the gue City, not only do they not collect high taxes, but people can also receive so much grain for working. We have nothing!"

    "..."

    Seeing the aggressive crowd, the capital''s county magistrate was too scared to hold court and could only order the county office to be tightly closed.

    As the situation became increasingly serious, with the people growing more and more agitated and dissatisfied, all shouting about how their sons had died unjustly without anypensation.

    They all cried about how good the rules in the gue City were, how women could go out to work and earn money for food with their own hands, while they could only sit and deplete their resources.

    The county magistrate: "....."

    He was at his wits'' end.

    He even thought the gue City sounded good!

    No, no, no, he was an important official of the imperial court!

    The magistrate wiped his face, then tried to sneak out through the back door. Oh no! The back door was also blocked by the people.

    The dignified county magistrate ended up having to climb over the wall, fleeing in a pathetic state to report to the emperor at the pce.

    At that moment.

    In the main hall of the imperial pce.

    When Pei Changying heard about the incident at the county magistrate''s office, his arrogant and overconfident nature prevented him from realizing the gravity of the situation. He certainly didn''t think that his rules needed to change.

    Enraged, he threw the official report to the ground, eximing, "These insolentmoners dare to cause trouble right under my nose!"

    "It must be the Consort Zhao incident that emboldened them. Do they think I am so easily manipted?"

    "Ignore them. If they dare to break down the gates of the county office, then ording to thew, those who storm into the county office shall be charged with treason and immediately put to death!"

 Chapter 145: Back to Battle, Closer to the Throne

    <h4>Chapter 145</h4>

    The high officials lowered their heads, not wanting to draw the Emperor''s attention at this moment.

    They were truly worried.

    The Emperor''s mood had been explosive every day. What if he were to suddenly pass away...

    No, they couldn''t think like that. If something were to happen to the Emperor unexpectedly, the empire would fall into chaos.

    So, once again, they all turned their hopeful and pleading gazes towards the Prime Minister.

    The Prime Minister: "......"

    The Prime Minister, who always ended up being the one to stick his neck out, stood up under the expectant gazes of his colleagues. He first cated the Emperor, and after His Majesty''s rage subsided, he proposed several solutions.

    But! All these proposals were rejected by Pei Changying.

    This time, Pei Changying was absolutely resolute.

    How could the mighty Emperor, the Son of Heaven, yield step by step because of some lowlymoners?

    Pei Changying sneered, "I absolutely cannotpromise this time. These impudentmoners will only be more and more demanding. If Ipromise again, next time they''ll dare to threaten me to grant them all noble titles."

    The Prime Minister was at his wit''s end.

    What could he do if the Emperor wouldn''t listen to his advice? He could only sigh repeatedly and stop trying to persuade him.

    After all, once their Emperor had made up his mind about something, he wouldn''t listen to his ministers'' suggestions.

    Fine then.

    Let fate decide!

    The Prime Minister helplessly gave up.

    Pei Changying, his eyes filled with murderous intent, gritted his teeth and said, "Thete Emperor was too indulgent towards that traitor Pei Weiqi, which made her delusionally think she could seize my throne."

    "Hmph, she even wants to follow the future custom of allowing women to study. Women in business? In government? It''s utterly ridiculous! Women are only fit to be confined in their chambers to serve men!"

    "Such fanciful ideas. I''ll see how long the money left by thete Emperor can support her extravagance."

    "I have the resources of an entire nation to support me. Pei Weiqi, how can you possibly contend with me for this empire!"

    Pei Changying was naturally jealous and resentful of Pei Weiqi''s various policies.

    Moreover, he was well aware that Gu Sang must have been involved in these decisions made by Pei Weiqi, which benefited the people andpensated the fallen soldiers, as well as the cannons.

    Pei Changying felt deeply betrayed by Gu Sang again. He had trusted Gu Sang so much!

    But Gu Sang had helped that vile woman so much behind his back!

    Pei Changying''s heart was bleeding.

    These days, he had been trying to connect with Gu Sang, but for some reason, he could never establish a connection.

    "Sang Sang, I will prove to you that I am the chosen one!"

    "Your choice of Pei Weiqi is a huge mistake!"

    Pei Changying cast a sharp gaze at these ministers who only knew how to lower their heads and couldn''te up with a single idea. Suppressing the anger in his heart, he spoke coldly:

    "Let General Guan lead two hundred thousand troops to the gue City to eliminate the rebels!"

    Upon hearing this, the entire court was shocked.

    The ministers raised their heads in disbelief.

    The Prime Minister felt his head buzzing, almost on the verge of a heart attack.

    "Your Majesty, this absolutely cannot be done! General Guan''s two hundred thousand troops are stationed at the border to prevent the Xiongnu from invading the Central ins."

    "If General Guan''s two hundred thousand troops are reassigned, the Xiongnu will be able to march straight into the Central ins."

    "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

    It was the same old speech again.

    Infuriating!

    These ministers always said this couldn''t be done, that couldn''t be done. They were utterly useless!

    Pei Changying''s icy gaze swept across the faces of his officials, carrying the absolute authority of an emperor: "This can''t be done, that can''t be done. Have any of youe up with a solution?"

    "I have my own considerations. As long as General Guan can achieve a quick victory, he can go back and forth to crush the gue City before the Xiongnu even realize it."

    "I will order the garrison troops from nearby cities to go to the border to keep the Xiongnu in check, creating the illusion that our main force hasn''t moved."

    "As long as there are no traitors in the court, how will the Xiongnu discover my strategy!"

    "My dear ministers, you are all loyal to the country and to me, aren''t you?"

    The ministers wiped their sweat and straightened their backs: "We are absolutely loyal to the country and to Your Majesty!"

    Since the Emperor had already thought everything through, they had no choice but to obey.

    But if General Guan couldn''t achieve a quick victory, and the Xiongnu discovered the truth, the Central ins would be in danger...

    In a valley thirty miles away from the gue City, the imperial troops were stationed.

    After reporting to Pei Changying about the Princess''s creation of cannons, Guan Pei remained motionless in the valley, quietly waiting for orders from the court.

    Upon receiving the court''s instruction to "attack," Guan Pei immediately beat the war drums to assemble his troops and ordered, "Prepare for battle immediately, we shall attack the gue City again!"

    "This time, we must capture the gue City!"

    "Capture Pei Weiqi alive!"

    "And you, Vice General Qin, you were captured by that rebel Zhou Qichenst time and then released. You swore that you didn''t betray the court. Today, I''m giving you a special opportunity to prove your innocence by joining the battle! Kill Zhou Qichen with your own hands, and I will believe you!"

    "Can you do it?!"

    Vice General Qin lowered his head, his eyes filled withplexity as he replied, "I will do my best."

    "Hmph!" Guan Pei sneered, staring deeply at Vice General Qin for a few more moments beforemanding the army to charge towards the gue City.

    This time, Guan Pei had learned his lesson.

    He no longer had the soldiers stand densely packed. Instead, each soldier was spaced one meter apart from those in front, behind, and to the sides.

    Even if the Princess''s cannons were formidable, facing such a formation would greatly reduce their effectiveness.

    If the Princess still used the cannons, she would go bankrupt just from the ammunition costs.

    But if the Princess didn''t use the cannons, how many soldiers did that woman have under hermand anyway? His fifty thousand troops would surely be able to storm the city immediately.

    Guan Pei had been staying in the valley and was unaware that the various benefits the Princess had offered to soldiers had increased her forces to a staggering eighty thousand!

    He was still confident that the Princess only had a handful of troops under hermand.

    Guan Pei arrived at the foot of the gue City''s walls with full confidence. The Princess stood atop the city wall, and upon seeing the loose formation of the imperial troops, she smirked disdainfully.

    They had actuallye up with this idea to counter the cannons.

    However, in today''s battle, she wanted to test the strength of her new troops!

    The Princess looked up and nced at Gu Sang, who was observing the battle from mid-air above the city wall, and said, "He does have some brains after all."

    "Too bad, we''ve changed our tactics this time."

    Gu Sang on the screen looked calm and unafraid, facing the court''s renewed attack without the slightest fear: "It''s just fifty thousand troops from the court. Times have changed."

    "Weiqi, let them see the elites that Zhou Qichen has trained using methods from the future!"

    The Princess nodded andmanded to the rear, "General Zhou, it''s your turn to take the field!"

    Upon hearing these words, Zhou Qichen''s spirits instantly lifted, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation. "I ept themand!" he dered enthusiastically.

    The city gates opened!

    The imperial soldiers, who had been terrified by the cannons during the previous encounter, now stared nervously at whatever was about to emerge. Would it happen again? Were they about to be blown away once more?

    They watched with wide eyes, their gazes fixed intently on the gates. And then they saw Zhou Qichen charging forth on horseback, leading the way. Behind him streamed a vast army of tens of thousands of soldiers, their ranks stretching as far as the eye could see.

 Chapter 146: They Can No Longer Win

    <h4>Chapter 146</h4>

    As far as the eye could see, there were at least tens of thousands!

    How did this wretched gue City suddenly amass such arge army?

    "Everyone, charge with me!"

    "Kill!" Zhou Qichen, not one for idle talk, shouted once before riding straight towards General Guan.

    The soldiers of gue City, trained in modern tactics, also cried out as they charged towards the imperial troops.

    "Kill them all!"

    "ughter more imperial soldiers, I want to achieve great deeds!"

    "To hell with the imperial court! Kill thesepdogs!"

    The trained special forces and elite soldiers mingled among the regr troops, ready to ambush and deliver fatal blows to the imperial officers at any moment.

    Seeing the dense mass of gue City soldiers, General Guan was first stunned for a few seconds, then his face finally changed drastically.

    How could there be so many soldiers?!

    Weren''t they supposed to be just a few thousand ragtag troops?

    Weren''t they supposed to be unable to recruit soldiers?

    Clearly, during theirst confrontation, gue City didn''t have this many troops. What had happened in these few short months?

    He had been deceived!

    "Quick, form ranks! Don''t panic! Don''t be afraid..." General Guan was about to givemands when he saw Zhou Qichen charging towards him with a murderous look.

    General Guan quickly shut his mouth, not daring to be distracted, and focused on engaging Zhou Qichen inbat.

    As the two sides shed, Zhou Qichen proved to be superior. He thrust his long spear directly into General Guan''s shoulder!

    "Squelch¡ª"

    General Guan let out a muffled groan of pain, his eyes quickly scanning the battlefield. His heart sank.

    How could the imperial elite troops be losing to the Elder Princess''s motley crew?

    How was this possible!

    What terrifying training method had Zhou Qichen used? How could it be so formidable!

    This battle couldn''t continue!

    "Retreat! Fall back!"

    "Zhou Qichen, you just wait! Next time, I''ll have your head!" General Guan made a snap decision, turning his horse to flee, not forgetting to hurl threats at Zhou Qichen.

    Seeing their leader fleeing, the imperial troops panicked, abandoning their armor and weapons as they ran for their lives.

    They had arrived with great fanfare, but they left in utter disarray.

    Zhou Qichen watched General Guan''s wounded retreat with cold eyes, raising his hand to stop the soldiers behind him. "Don''t pursue a desperate enemy! Clean up the battlefield!"

    Another great victory!

    After clearing the battlefield, Zhou Qichen immediately returned to the city to report to the Elder Princess.

    The Elder Princess looked at the captured imperial soldiers before her.

    They were covered in gunshot and sword wounds, their bodies drenched in blood, clearly unable to flee with the main force.

    Now, these prisoners abandoned by the imperial court were staring at her with anxious or hostile gazes.

    "Take them away and treat their wounds first!" the Elder Princessmanded with a fleeting nce.

    With a few casual words, she decided the fate of these hundreds of imperial soldiers.

    The imperial soldiers seemed unable to believe their ears. They suddenly raised their heads, looking at the Elder Princess with shocked expressions.

    The Elder Princess wasn''t going to kill them?

    She even wanted to treat their wounds?

    Why?

    Weren''t captured soldiers usually treated brutally? Why was the Elder Princess being so merciful?

    This couldn''t be a dream, could it?

    Meanwhile, on the other side.

    Having fled back in a sorry state, General Guan furiously ordered Qin Vice General to be put under guard. He stormed into the tent and unleashed another round of angry questioning at Qin Vice General!

    "During today''s battle, I was secretly observing you the whole time, and sure enough! You''re definitely suspicious! A vice general of your rank, hiding in the rear without killing a single gue City soldier!"

    "Qin Vice General, you still dare to tell me you haven''t betrayed us!"

    "In my opinion, you must have already submitted to the Elder Princess. Otherwise, why didn''t you kill a single soldier in today''s battle? Otherwise, why did Zhou Qichen not target you first, but came after me instead?"

    No matter how General Guan pressed him, Qin Vice General stubbornly denied any betrayal.

    After another round of sharp questioning.

    Qin Vice General still refused to admit any collusion with the Elder Princess, leaving General Guan with no choice but to kick him in frustration.

    He didn''t dare to actually kill an imperial officer, so he could only issue a cold warning before leaving: "Go exin yourself to the Emperor whether you''ve colluded or not!"

    "You''d better not have, or else I''ll certainly report to the Emperor and have your entire n executed!"

    Not long after General Guan left.

    Gu Sang once again made contact with Qin Vice General.

    "General Qin."

    "So you''ve indeed been ced under guard. I told you this wasn''t necessary, didn''t I?"

    "General Guan is a ruthless and vicious man. He will surely find an opportunity to harm you. Do you think you need me to ask the Elder Princess to rescue you?"

    Gu Sang sat in a brightly lit room by the window, while Qin Vice General was confined in a tent under guard, waiting to be sent back to the capital for questioning.

    Regarding General Qin''s predicament, Gu Sang''s face showed neither mockery nor sympathy, only an expressionless inquiry about whether he needed help.

    Qin Vice General''s face revealed a self-mocking expression.

    He saw through it and said, "Last time when you and the Elder Princess let me return, you already knew this would happen, didn''t you!"

    "Anymander would be suspicious if they saw their subordinate captured by the enemy, only to be released without any conditions. They would definitely think there was a plot."

    "In General Guan''s eyes, from the moment I returned, I had already secretly pledged allegiance to the Elder Princess. I am a traitor to the imperial court."

    Gu Sang shook her head and said with a sigh, "The Elder Princess absolutely doesn''t think that way!"

    "She admires you because when thete Emperor was alive, he once said you were both wise and brave, a good general capable of leading troops into battle."

    "On one hand, the Elder Princess values talent, and on the other hand, although we serve different masters, we are ultimately all children of the Central ins."

    "No matter how the rulers fight among themselves, it has nothing to do with you officers and soldiers. You are innocent!"

    Hearing these words, Qin Vice General was deeply moved, and a glimmer of confusion appeared in his eyes.

    No matter how the rulers fight, the officers and soldiers below are innocent.

    The Elder Princess, a woman, understood this principle.

    But the current Emperor had med this defeat on him.

    He despaired at this injustice, this corruption that permeated everything from top to bottom.

    But he was powerless to change it, and could only despairingly ept the doctrine that if the ruler wants a subject to die, the subject must die.

    "Enough."

    Qin Vice General closed his eyes andughed weakly, "Miss Gu, don''t try to persuade me anymore. Even if I die unjustly, I will never change my allegiance."

    Seeing Qin Vice General treat life and death so lightly.

    Gu Sang hadn''t expected Qin Vice General to possess such loyal integrity, which only strengthened her resolve to convince him.

    She noticed the bitterness and sorrow deep in Qin Vice General''s eyes.

    After a brief moment of contemtion, she spoke slowly and deliberately: "Qin Vice General, I have just one question for you. When you''ve been campaigning east and west, those numerous times you''ve faced death on the battlefield, what was truly in your heart?"

    "Is your real purpose for going to war simply to achieve glory and merit? Or is it out of loyalty to the Pei Family alone?"

    "Search your conscience and tell me, what''s your genuine motivation for preventing the Xiongnu from invading the Central ins?"

 Chapter 147: General Qin Revolted, Sweet Potatoes Are Ripe

    <h4>Chapter 147</h4>

    Qin Vice General''s pupils constricted sharply as a thought raged through his mind like a storm.

    He was fighting to protect his country and its people!

    He was fighting to protect the civilians from being ughtered by the Xiongnu!

    He was fighting to protect his own family!

    Gu Sang''s words reminded Qin Vice General of his first time on the battlefield. Back then, all he thought about was achieving glory quickly so he could return home to his wife.

    But as his military aplishments grew and his rank rose higher and higher, his initial intentions had changed without him realizing it.

    Now, his mind was filled with the notion that he couldn''t betray his country!

    As Zhou Qichen had said, was he now loyal to the country, or just to Pei Changying alone?

    Qin Vice General finally opened his heart to Gu Sang, saying, "Thete emperor showed me great favor. I once swore that whoever thete emperor deemed worthy of the throne would be the one I serve loyally!"

    "I''m not loyal to any specific person, I''m loyal to the emperor entrusted to me by thete emperor!"

    "And he is the one who rightfully sits on that throne!"

    Hearing this, Gu Sang finally understood the crux of the matter.

    She smiled and asked, "What if I told you that Pei Changying ascended to that position through underhanded means, and that he wasn''t actually the one thete emperor''s edict named as sessor?"

    "Would you still defend Pei Changying to the death?"

    "You''re talking nonsense!!!" Qin Vice General shouted in agitation.

    This outburst startled the guards outside, who came rushing in.

    "System, temporarily suspend the connection."

    After the livestream room had been upgraded, it became possible to suspend the connection, though this was the first time Gu Sang had done so.

    When the connection was suspended, the screen became transparent, invisible to anyone else.

    But Gu Sang could still see what was happening on the other side.

    The guards came in, looked around, and finding no one, left.

    Gu Sang waited for five minutes before having the system reconnect.

    The screen slowly materialized from its transparent state.

    Qin Vice General stared at Gu Sang without blinking, clearly still processing the bombshell she had dropped.

    Gu Sang pursed her lips slightly and said sincerely, "Actually, I didn''t want to tell you this because I was involved. When thete emperor fell ill..."

    Gu Sang quite admired thete emperor. He had seen through Pei Changying''s cruel nature and knew he wasn''t fit to rule the empire.

    So no matter how virtuous Pei Changying pretended to be in front of thete emperor,

    Thete emperor refused to name him as his sessor.

    During thete emperor''s final illness, Gu Sang discovered Pei Changying plotting something with his cronies. By the time she realized Pei Changying had secretly altered thete emperor''s edict, the emperor was already at death''s door.

    Pei Changying had knelt before Gu Sang, swearing repeatedly that he would govern the country with all his heart.

    Of course, Gu Sang agreed!

    She had sacrificed so much, endured so much suffering and humiliation, all to return to modern times, to see her grandmother onest time!

    "Before, my mission was to help Pei Changying ascend to the throne. General Qin, I had no choice, that was my task. But it''s different now."

    "Now, I want to make this ancient world better and better. I want the people in your time to have enough food and clothing. I want women to be free from the oppression of the era. I want to create a peaceful and free golden age."

    "So, I implore you once again to lend your support to the Princess!"

    As she finished speaking, Gu Sang gazed at Qin Vice General with sincere eyes.

    Learning the truth, Qin Vice General felt a chill down his spine. He shed two hot tears of anguish, his hands trembling uncontrobly as he fell to his knees.

    This genuflection.

    Whether it was to the empire, to his conscience, or to thete emperor, was unclear.

    "I was wrong... We truly chose wrong!"

    "The Princess is benevolent. Thete emperor once said if she were a man, the empire would surely be at peace. Looking back now, what does it matter if she''s a woman!"

    "What rules! What wise ruler! What makes a wise ruler? If Pei Changying could murder thete emperor for his own power, why can''t a woman ascend to the throne!"

    "Anyone with the people in their heart, regardless of gender, can be an official, can be the emperor!"

    "Miss Gu, I''m willing to help the Princess im the throne. I''m willing to gamble on a better tomorrow for the people of thisnd! I rebel!"

    He rebelled!

    Qin Vice General uttered these words with tears streaming down his face.

    At that moment,

    Gu Sang''s face broke into a genuine smile.

    She knew that from this moment on, Qin Vice General would swear unwavering loyalty to the Princess!

    That night,

    Gu Sang and Qin Vice General devised a n to work from both inside and outside to defeat the imperial troops.

    The next day, as the sky in the distance barely showed the first light of dawn,

    Guan Pei led his army to secretly surround gue City, hoping to catch them off guard.

    But before they could reach the city walls, they were spotted by the city''s defenders.

    Seeing Zhou Qichene out to meet them in battle again, Guan Pei immediately ordered his troops to fall back. After maintaining a safe distance from gue City, they set up camp!

    Zhou Qichen, seeing that Guan Pei neither attacked the city nor prepared to flee, but instead made camp on the spot!

    This sight caused him to furrow his brow slightly.

    A momentter, Zhou Qichen understood Guan Pei''s intentions.

    "Heh, so General Guan intends toy siege?"

    A deputy general beside himughed, "General Zhou, they n to use the imperial army''s provisions to starve our gue City to death!"

    "Clever strategy, haha!"

    "The imperial court is really something. I bet they don''t know our sweet potatoes are already ripe!"

    Zhou Qichen almostughed out loud. Now that the sweet potatoes and potatoes were mature, even without trade with the outside world, gue City had enough food tost for months.

    Guan Pei''s method wasn''t bad; if it were any other city, they''d run out of food in less than a month!

    But gue City was Guan Pei''s nemesis, constantly thwarting his ns.

    Upon learning that Guan Pei had made no move to attack, Zhou Qichen reported this to the Princess.

    When the Princess heard the news, a smile of strategic mastery appeared on her face: "Then let''s see who ousts whom."

    "We''ll see whether they starve first, or if my gue City does."

    At noon,

    Guan Pei ordered his troops to light fires and cook meals, letting the aroma of food waft into gue City.

    During this time, Guan Pei had been studying the situation in gue City. He was convinced that with so many soldiers to feed, the Princess must be at the end of her rope!

    Forget about paying wages, even providing food was a problem!

    "Creak¡ª"

    Suddenly, a small door in the city gate opened.

    After a while, Zhou Qichen led over a thousand soldiers out of the city. They carried pots and brought out more than a dozen freshly hunted wild game carcasses.

    Behind the gue Cityy deep mountains, where the soldiers hunted for wild game.

    The imperial army troops caught sight of the game, their eyes fixed and filled with envy.

    Life on military campaigns was already harsh enough, with hardly any meat to be found. Only asionally, when the craving struck, would they venture into the mountains to hunt for wild game.

    At the foot of the city walls, the soldiers of gue City busily cleaned the wild game, preparing it for roasting. They rubbed it with salt and honey.

    Before long, the sweet aroma of roasting meat wafted from gue City towards the imperial army.

    But that wasn''t all. The imperial troops then witnessed the gue City soldiers carrying sacks of something red, which they unceremoniously dumped onto the ground!

 Chapter 148: Cooking Sweet Potatoes in Front of the Court

    <h4>Chapter 148</h4>

    What is that?!

    The imperial soldiers had never seen sweet potatoes before. Their eyes widened as they stared at the small mountain of sweet potatoes piled up.

    Is that edible?!

    They watched in shock as the gue city soldiers buried these things in the fire pit. After a short while, they dug them out again.

    Once the sweet potatoes had cooled a bit, they peeled off the outer skin and began eating with great relish, taking big bites.

    The imperial soldiers swallowed hard, watching how delicious it looked when the gue city soldiers ate!

    Not only did they have wild game to eat, but they also had this food the imperial soldiers had never seen before. Each of them could eat several, and some with bigger appetites even ate more than ten.

    "What on earth is that? Howe they''re eating it with such gusto?"

    "Can all the soldiers under the Elder Princess eat this much? Eat until they''re full? Can she afford to feed them like this?"

    "Didn''t General Guan say the Elder Princess could only feed her troops once every two days? This doesn''t seem to match his prediction at all."

    "Hiss! They can still eat more?" The imperial soldiers whispered among themselves, their eyes gleaming.

    Heavens!

    Just how much food did the gue city have?

    This pile of food waspletely devoured by just a few thousand soldiers.

    The imperial soldiers looked down at the hard rations and cold porridge in their hands, suddenly finding it difficult to swallow.

    "What''s the matter? Do you want to go eat in the gue city?" Guan Pei scolded harshly.

    The imperial soldiers hurriedly lowered their heads, not daring to steal any more nces at the gue city soldiers eating.

    It seemed to take forever before the gue city soldiers finally finished their meal.

    For the imperial soldiers, this was the longest meal they had ever experienced in their lives!

    Even without looking, just smelling the aroma made every minute feel like a year. They prayed for the gue city soldiers to finish quickly, to stop tempting them.

    They were about to lose their resolve...

    But at this moment, the real test was just beginning.

    The Elder Princess had long been standing on the city wall, observing the expressions of the imperial soldiers. Beside her was Gu Sang in a virtual projection state.

    Seeing the imperial soldiers eyeing their side hungrily, with drool almost dripping from their mouths,

    The Elder Princess sincerely praised Gu Sang: "Sang Sang, this idea of yours is truly brilliant."

    "They wanted to trap our gue city this way, to cut off our food supply."

    "We can turn their strategy against them, shaking their morale without expending a single soldier."

    The Elder Princess had never imagined that warfare could be waged like this. She felt her horizons had truly been broadened today.

    Seeing the unexpectedly good results, a smile spread across Gu Sang''s face.

    Gu Sang: "I got this idea yesterday from reading historical records, inspired by our ancestors. The imperial court only knows we have sweet potatoes, but they don''t understand their exact yield and maturation period."

    "Guan Pei probably thought our gue city couldn''t survive, that you couldn''t afford to feed so many troops, so he wanted to use this method to waste time."

    "Unfortunately, they underestimated the yield of sweet potatoes and potatoes!"

    "Now, we can proceed to the next step."

    "Wei Qi, bring those people out!"

    After receiving the Elder Princess''s order, Counselor Fang immediately led more than a dozen people out of the city gate, standing between the two armies.

    When these people appeared, the imperial army''s side immediately erupted. Some soldiers even recognized them, their eyes widening in shock.

    An imperial soldier pointed and shouted: "Isn''t that Yang? He wasn''t executed?"

    "That''s my fellow viger, he''s actually still alive, thank goodness."

    "Why are they with the rebels? Have they defected?"

    Guan Pei didn''t recognize them originally, but hearing his subordinates'' discussions, he immediately roared: "Traitors! How dare you betray the imperial court!"

    "Do you want to die without a burial ce?"

    The dozen or so captive soldiers retreated a few steps, frightened by Guan Pei''s terrifying authority.

    But thinking of the good treatment in the gue city and the Elder Princess''s magnanimity, the captive soldiers gathered their courage and stepped forward again, facing the imperial crowd.

    At this moment, the Elder Princess''s voice, powerful enough to set hearts at ease, came from the city wall: "They are not traitors, and you imperial people have no right to use them of being traitors!"

    "They are yourrades, who didn''t flee with you after your defeat yesterday."

    "Before you abandoned them, did you ever consider how miserable their fate would be if captured by the enemy?"

    "You once fought side by side. Some of you may know them, some may be their friends or fellow vigers."

    "But when they were wounded, the imperial court abandoned them to die!"

    "What right do you have to use these people you abandoned!"

    The Elder Princess''s words were deafening, making every imperial soldier bow their heads in shame.

    Yes, they were deserters!

    What right did they have to call others traitors?

    The dozen or so soldiers at the bottom of the city wall, hearing the Elder Princess understand and speak up for them, immediately felt their eyes grow hot with emotion.

    The captive soldiers looked at each other, seeing determination and gratitude in each other''s eyes.

    Before the Elder Princess defended them, they had been anxious and guilty when Counselor Fang brought them out to face their formerrades.

    Some even struggled internally, grateful for the Elder Princess''s magnanimity on one hand, but wanting to remain loyal to the imperial court on the other!

    But now, after hearing the Elder Princess''s words, they suddenly understood.

    Why couldn''t they defect?

    After all, the imperial court had already abandoned them, hadn''t they?

    Just based on what the Elder Princess said, they decided to follow her from now on!

    So these dozen or so soldiers immediately spoke, their words resonant and heartfelt: "Listen to our advice, everyone. The Elder Princess is merciful and considerate of her soldiers. Only by following someone like her will our lives improve."

    "Yesterday, after you fled, it was the Elder Princess who saved us."

    "Although we were imperial soldiers, the Elder Princess doesn''t kill indiscriminately. We few were less severely injured, while some of the more seriously wounded are still recuperating in the city..."

    "The benefits of serving under the Elder Princess are excellent. Not only can our children receive free education..."

    "Moreover, life inside the gue-stricken city is wonderful. You can eat your fill at every meal. The roasted sweet potatoes there are especially fragrant, and themon people are all......"

    Under the persuasion of these dozen or so soldiers, the envy in the eyes of half of the imperial troops grew more and more intense.

    Many soldiers began to waver.

    Seeing this, Guan Pei''s lips trembled with anger. He immediately drew his sword and killed two of his own men who were clearly considering defecting, which finally stabilized the morale of the troops.

    Furious and anxious, he ordered, "These are treasonous words!"

    "It''s all fake! It''s all a false image created by the Elder Princess to shake our resolve!"

    "All troops, retreat!"

    How could they continue this battle?

    Before it had even begun, the siege was already over. Guan Pei was seething with rage.

    Watching Guan Pei lead the army away, Gu Sang gazed into the distance beyond the city walls and murmured, "Very good. Now, it''s up to General Qin!"

 Chapter 149: Want to Target Gu Sang and Cling to the Wealthy

    <h4>Chapter 149</h4>

    After ending the call with the Elder Princess, Gu Sang received a WeChat message from Chen Yun: "Sang Sang, are you free tonight? I''d like to invite you out for dinner."

    For some reason, Chen Yun had seemed preupied ever since theirst meal at her ce.

    Gu Sang replied with a slightly worried affirmative.

    When school let out, Gu Sang waited for Chen Yun at the school gates. But after half an hour, there was still no sign of her.

    Concerned that something might have happened, Gu Sang called Chen Yun.

    Just around the corner, about 200 meters from the school, Chen Yun was leaning against a wall, her mind in turmoil. She clutched her phone tightly, unsure how to face Gu Sang.

    In truth, she had arrived half an hour earlier.

    But thinking about what the Scumbag Man had instructed her to do, she felt scared, helpless, and uncertain. She couldn''t bring herself to face Gu Sang.

    "Ring ring ring..."

    Chen Yun hurriedly answered the phone, her voice tinged with guilt as she hid behind the wall: "Sang Sang, I''m so sorry. Just as I was about to leave work, my boss suddenly asked me to stayte."

    "There''s so much to do, Ipletely forgot to call you."

    Far from being angry, Gu Sang was entirely understanding: "It''s no problem at all. We can always reschedule. Your work is more important."

    After a pause, Gu Sang noticed the tension in Chen Yun''s voice and couldn''t help but ask: "Has the Scumbag Man been bothering you recently? If he has, you must tell me."

    "I''ll help you figure something out."

    Chen Yun''s hand trembled as she held the phone. Hearing theseforting words, she was on the verge of tears.

    She felt like such a terrible person!

    She was letting Gu Sang down so badly. Sang Sang had been so good to her, helped her so much, and yet here she was, still conflicted about what to do!

    "He hasn''te to bother me. I have to go now, I''m so busy here!" Chen Yun''s eyes shed with determination as she hung up, fighting back tears.

    Chen Yun hastily wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and peeked out from behind the wall, catching a glimpse of Gu Sang standing at the school gates.

    Even from such a distance, she could see the concern on Gu Sang''s face.

    Of course!

    Gu Sang considered her such a dear friend. How could she even contemte such a terrible idea! It was enough that her own life was ruined; she couldn''t drag anyone else down with her!

    Chen Yun cast a bitter smile at Gu Sang''s back before returning to her rented apartment.

    The Scumbag Man, who had been anxiously waiting in the room, saw Chen Yun return alone. His expression instantly turned vicious: "Why didn''t Gu Sange with you?"

    "Chen Yun, it seems you''re still not taking my words seriously!"

    "Do you want all your colleagues and family to know what a slut you are in bed?"

    "Let me think, how would your parents react if they received those photos of you!"

    The Scumbag Man started scrolling through his phone contacts, as if he were really about to teach Chen Yun a lesson.

    Chen Yun turned pale with fear and instinctively tried to snatch the phone away.

    "p!" The Scumbag Man suddenly raised his hand and struck Chen Yun hard across the face.

    The force of the p left Chen Yun dazed. She stumbled and fell to the ground, her vision blurring.

    All along, the Scumbag Man had maintained a polite and cultured image in public. They had been together for seven years, and in all that time, this was the first time he had ever hit her!

    The realization that the man she had once dreamed of spending her life with could be so terrifying once his mask slipped overwhelmed Chen Yun with a flood of emotions.

    Chen Yun covered her face and burst into tears: "Wuu wuu wuu..."

    The Scumbag Man was quite pleased to see Chen Yun in such a state of pain, conflict, and regret. It gave him a secret thrill, a feeling of utter satisfaction.

    At work, he was a nobody, the lowest of the low, someone everyone felt free to berate.

    Only with Chen Yun did he feel this sense of control over another person''s fate!

    "When we broke up before, weren''t you so high and mighty? Didn''t you threaten to sue me, thinking you had Gu Sang to back you up? You worthless woman!"

    "Alright, stop crying."

    "I''ll give you a few more days. If you still haven''t sorted things out with Gu Sang by then."

    "Not only will your photos be spread all over the inte, but all your coworkers and everyst rtive of yours will see them too!"

    The Scumbag Man reached out and gripped Chen Yun''s chin,manding: "Do you understand?!"

    Chen Yun lowered her head, nodding as her body shook like a leaf.

    Seeing his once proud girlfriend now reduced to such a pitiful state over a few intimate photos, the Scumbag Man felt immensely satisfied!

    If he had known it would be this easy, he would have yed this card much sooner!

    Tch!

    If Chen Yun could be threatened with private photos, surely a youngdy from a prominent family like Gu Sang would be even more concerned about her reputation. If he could just get some dirt on Gu Sang, then...

    A cruel smile spread across the Scumbag Man''s face as he cast a cold nce at Chen Yun before leaving the apartment.

    But no sooner had the Scumbag Man left than Gu Sang arrived, stepping out of her car.

    Ever since that phone call with Chen Yun, Gu Sang had felt uneasy, sensing that Chen Yun was hiding something. She quickly made her way up to the top floor to find Chen Yun.

    Seeing the door ajar and hearing Chen Yun''s despairing sobs from inside, Gu Sang rushed in: "Yun!"

    "I knew you weren''t at work. You''ve been so troubled these past few days."

    "Why are you crying? What happened?"

    Gu Sang crouched down next to Chen Yun, putting them at eye level, and patted her shoulder reassuringly.

    Chen Yun suddenly looked up, her face a mess of tears and snot, and cried out to Gu Sang: "Sang Sang, you need to leave! Go away!"

    "Don''te looking for me, don''te here."

    Gu Sang reached for the tissue box on the table and began wiping the tears from Chen Yun''s face: "Did that bastarde to bully you again? What did he say to you this time?"

    "Come on, I''ll help you set things right."

    "Yun, you can tell me anything. No matter what happens, I''ll help you find a solution."

    "Do you remember Lin Lin? You told me then how much you wanted to save her, but Lin Lin still went off to find her own freedom..."

    "Now you''re keeping everything bottled up inside, and I have no idea what''s going on. Just tell me, I really want to help you. Won''t you give me a chance to pull you up?"

    Chen Yun''s voice faltered, and she burst into loud sobs.

    After crying for several minutes, Chen Yun finally managed topose herself. She pulled out a few tissues and roughly wiped away the tears and mucus from her face.

    With reddened eyes, Chen Yun looked at Gu Sang, seeking an answer: "Sang, why are you going to such lengths to help me?"

    Gu Sang replied without hesitation: "Because we''re friends!"

    Because they were friends!

    And so, when one friend encounters difficulties, the other will spare no effort to help, weathering the storm together.

 Chapter 150: Reveal the Truth, Letâ€™s Treat Him to Peanuts

    <h4>Chapter 150</h4>

    At this moment, Chen Yun''s agonized and conflicted heart suddenly became clear.

    Lin Lin''s face shed through her mind, reminding her of the friendship between them. Lin Lin''s pain had already been inflicted; after taking one wrong step, every step thereafter was a mistake, until she finally ended all the rumors and gossip against her with her life.

    And now, Chen Yun was experiencing the same pain as Lin Lin.

    But Gu Sang was a good friend to both her and Lin Lin!

    She couldn''t push Gu Sang into the fire pit.

    Even if the price for this was¡ªthat she herself would fall into the abyss.

    Determination gradually filled Chen Yun''s eyes. She abruptly stood up, nced outside, and then carefully closed the door, locking it from the inside.

    Chen Yun pulled Gu Sang into the kitchen, only then daring to speak:

    "Sang Sang, didn''t you see him when you came up just now?"

    Gu Sang shook her head: "No, did he threaten you? Last time when I came to your house for dinner, I felt something was off about you, but you didn''t say anything, so I didn''t feelfortable asking."

    Chen Yun took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and bowed her head to apologize to Gu Sang: "Sang Sang."

    "Before I tell you the truth, I need to apologize to you."

    "I''m sorry!"

    Gu Sang frowned without saying a word. Seeing Chen Yun''s solemn and cautious expression, she knew that what Chen Yun was about to say might be quite shocking.

    Meanwhile, the ancient live broadcast automatically started at the same moment Gu Sang entered the door.

    Ten transparent small screens immediately appeared in front of Gu Sang.

    In the next second, the ten small screens merged into one screen.

    This was the benefit of the upgraded live broadcast room.

    Ten-in-one!

    When the ancient people weren''t speaking, their character images were ethereal.

    Only when they spoke did the system automatically make their figures appear.

    At the same time, live video broadcasts appeared in the capital, the gue city, Lingnan, and other ces.

    Liujiang City was canceled by the system due to flooding, and another city was randomly added instead.

    When the ancient people in the two newly added split-screens saw the heavenly miracle projected directly onto the city gate, they began to curiously study this phenomenon.

    "Oh, is this how immortals dress? It''s different from what we wear? Their clothes are so short."

    "No, this isn''t a heavenly miracle. I''ve been to the gue city before, and I heard them say this is something called a ''live broadcast.''"

    "We finally get to see the legendary goddesses and the future world!"

    The ancient people in the new city discussed animatedly. Each time they spoke, their faces would appear, and Gu Sang only needed a nce to see their expressions as they talked.

    On the right side was a ck frame, disying a list simr to a fan ranking.

    At the top of the list was the Elder Princess, who had connected with Gu Sang the most.

    And in second ce was none other than Pei Changying.

    Gu Sang nced at it briefly before turning her attention back.

    She didn''t rush Chen Yun, but instead held her hand tightly, waiting for Chen Yun to build up enough mental preparation before slowly telling Gu Sang the truth.

    Chen Yun choked up as she said: "This all started thest time you came to my house for dinner."

    "That day, after I finished buying groceries and returned home, I encountered that scumbag at my doorstep."

    "On his phone... on his phone, there were private photos he had secretly taken when we were together. I really never thought he would do such a thing. Seven years, and I never saw through him."

    "He''s using this to ckmail me. If I still ask him to repay the money, he''ll post the private photos online."

    "Sang Sang, if my private photos really get posted online, my life will be ruined. How could I face my parents and colleagues!"

    At this moment, Gu Sang''s heart was in turmoil, shocked beyond measure.

    She didn''t immediately ask anything, nor did she show any other expression.

    She just listened calmly as Chen Yun continued: "I know he means what he says, so at the time I thought I''d just let it go, consider it money spent to avoid disaster."

    "But I never imagined he would be so shameless, he''s just an animal!"

    "He saw that I was too scared to speak up, so these past few days he''s been pushing his luck. Not only is he not paying me back, but he''s also taken money from me twice. He took all the sry I earned this month, and he threatened me not to tell you."

    "But yesterday, he made an even more outrageous demand. He told me to invite you out today, and then give you a drink spiked with a drug..."

    At this point, Chen Yun anxiously observed Gu Sang''s expression.

    Seeing that she was listening without any expression of disgust, Chen Yun dared to continue.

    "I''m sorry, Sang Sang. I know I should have gone to the police, but I was scared, I was really scared."

    "We were together for so many years, he knows all my friends, and he has contact information for my rtives and parents too."

    "If I don''t do what he says, he''ll send those photos to my parents. I really don''t want my parents to worry."

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry..." Chen Yun said as she began to cry again, falling to her knees with a thud, crying and begging for Gu Sang''s forgiveness.

    She really hadn''t imagined, hadn''t thought that taking one step back with the scumbag would lead to him pushing her further and further.

    She had already agreed not to ask him for the money back!

    But what happened?

    After he got a taste of sess, he even started demanding her sry, and finally had the audacity to use the same tactics to try and vite Gu Sang, hoping to climb the socialdder bytching onto a wealthy youngdy!

    Gu Sang''s face turned ashen as she helped Chen Yun up. She had guessed that the scumbag wouldn''t give up easily, but she never imagined he would be so despicable!

    He was practically on par with Pei Changying!

    Gu Sang quickly pulled Chen Yun up and said seriously: "I don''t me you. You''re so silly, how could you give in to that scumbag over this!"

    "Besides, you didn''t actually do anything to harm me, did you?"

    "Although you were threatened by him, when it came to the crucial moment, you didn''t show up. This proves that you still consider me your friend, you didn''t hurt me."

    "The one who really deserves to die is that scumbag, not you! You did nothing wrong!"

    The ancient people watching the live broadcast saw how easily Gu Sang forgave Chen Yun, without even uttering a single harsh word.

    Instead, this made the ancient viewers feel very angry, and they felt indignant on Gu Sang''s behalf.

    An ancient person from the new city angrily said: "Goddess, you still consider her your friend? She wanted to harm you! Although she didn''t seed in the end, she had that intention. She doesn''t deserve to be your friend."

    "Bah! If it were me, I''d grab her by the hair and p her face twice. I treated her as a friend, but she wanted to harm me."

    "Ungrateful wretch. Those who deserve pity often have detestable traits. No wonder she was taken advantage of. This woman is no good either."

    "What are these ''private photos''? Are they of intimate clothing?"

    Chen Yun was surprised that Gu Sang didn''t get angry with her, and could even be so understanding.

    Suddenly, a wave of intense regret washed over her.

    How incredibly fortunate she had been in this life to meet a friend as kind and good-hearted as Gu Sang!

    She had almost made a terrible mistake that would have ruined Gu Sang''s life forever. The mere thought of it made Chen Yun tremble with fear.

    Thank goodness!

    Thank goodness she had been strong enough to resist!

 Chapter 151: The Girlâ€™s Bidirectional Redemption

    <h4>Chapter 151</h4>

    Chen Yun gripped Gu Sang''s hand tightly and said with anguish, "Sang, that scumbag has already ruined me. I absolutely can''t let him ruin you too."

    "He''s always been interested in you, or rather, interested in your family background."

    "If he gets his way with you, he''ll use it as an excuse totch onto you. Once a bastard like that gets his ws into you, your life is over!"

    Gu Sang shook her head, a cold glint shing in her eyes. "You''re thinking too simply. This scumbag doesn''t just want to defile me, he also wants to takepromising photos of me."

    "Once he has that kind of leverage over me, he can use it to ckmail me."

    "He''s already gotten a taste with you. Your constant yielding made him think he could control all women''s bottom lines, so now he''s willing to take a risk and gamble."

    As soon as she heard Chen Yun''s story, Gu Sang immediately realized this point.

    At first, she thought the scumbag was just a simple gold digger - a bit stingy, somewhat maniptive, and vain.

    She never imagined that these traits were just minor wspared to his true nature.

    Gu Sang once again deeply realized:

    Human nature can be so treacherous.

    Seven years of love, seven years of living together day and night, and still unable to see the darkness in the heart of the person lying next to you!

    When Chen Yun heard Gu Sang''s words, her face instantly turned as white as paper. "What? He actually wants to take photos of you? How can he be so terrible! Isn''t he afraid... No, of course he''s not afraid."

    "He''s certain that women won''t report this kind of thing to the police, and wouldn''t dare to make it public. Especially a youngdy from a wealthy family who cares more about face and reputation. He''s already gotten away with it with me, so he definitely thinks you''ll be even easier to manipte in this kind of situation!"

    "Sang, thankfully I didn''t listen to him."

    "Oh, Sang, you need to leave quickly. Don''te looking for me anymore."

    "He knows where I live now, he coulde here anytime."

    "If you run into him, you''ll be in trouble."

    Seeing Chen Yun push her away in such a panic,

    Gu Sang grabbed her shoulders with both hands and looked at her steadily, saying, "Yun, don''t panic. We can still figure something out."

    "First of all, him secretly taking intimate photos of you is illegal."

    "It''s just that without evidence and without harming you, the authorities can''t do anything to him. He''s just taking advantage of your fear of exposure, which is why he keeps pushing his luck."

    "You must not back down. Don''t let these photos ruin your entire life, because a scumbag like him will never soften his heart."

    "You can''t keep letting him ckmail you, otherwise I''m really worried that he''ll drag you into an abyss."

    At this point,

    Gu Sang paused for a few seconds, then spoke again seriously: "If you''re afraid that your colleagues and family will look at you differently if they see these photos,"

    "Then you should tell them in advance. Say that scammers have been rampanttely, and you identally downloaded a potentially fraudulent app recently. The police even called you and said a lot of your information was stolen, so your rtives and friends should be careful."

    "Tell them scammers are using AI synthesis software to defraud people they know. Spend the next few days finding videos online to show them. If he really dares to send the photos, you can use this opportunity to deny it and have them report it to the police directly."

    "This way, even if the scumbag posts your photos, you can say it''s AI-synthesized fraud using your face."

    Seeing that Chen Yun was taking in all of her suggestions,

    Although this exnation wasn''t foolproof and there would still be rumors in the end, as long as she firmly denied it, no one would dare say anything to her face.

    Suddenly, Gu Sang thought of something and hurriedly reminded Chen Yun.

    "Yun, how did the scumbag know your new address? You haven''t posted your address on social media, have you?"

    Even if Chen Yun was confused, she wouldn''t possibly have told the scumbag her new address.

    It was very likely that someone had inadvertently revealed Chen Yun''s address.

    Chen Yun shook her head: "No, I haven''t posted anything on social media for a month, and I''ve long since blocked him from seeing my posts."

    If it weren''t for waiting for him to pay her back, Chen Yun would have blocked him on WeChat entirely.

    Hearing this, Gu Sang immediately became alert.

    She cautioned Chen Yun: "Then you need to be careful of the friends around you, or your colleagues. Otherwise, there''s no way he could know where you are."

    Hearing Gu Sang''s warning, Chen Yun thought for a moment before looking up and saying: "You''re my only friend, but there are a few colleagues at mypany who know the scumbag."

    "I brought him to apany gathering before."

    Now it was clear!

    So there were people at thepany who knew him!

    They must have revealed her address to the scumbag.

    "Yun, we can''t just sit here and wait for disaster! If we don''t have evidence of his crimes, then we need to find some. It''s the only way to make him face the consequences."

    "We need to prepare to deal with the scumbag right away. Whatever you do, don''t let your colleagues at thepany know."

    "Just keep pretending to be frightened and scared at work."

    "After a few days, when the scumbag gets impatient, you can pretend to have no choice but to agree to his demands and lure me to a hotel."

    "Then we''ll put on a little show..."

    In the great hall,

    The ministers saw how clever and wise Gu Sang was, able to calmlye up with a n even in this kind of situation. They secretly admired and agreed with her.

    As expected of a nobledy raised in a great family, far superior to the inexperiencedmon people.

    Look at that Chen Yun, encountering this kind of situation and only knowing how to cry. Not only did she fail to judge character, but she was also foolish enough to be threatened, nearly ruining her life.

    If it were them, hmph, they would have destroyed that scumbag long ago!

    Such a scumbag who only knows how to take advantage of women''s reputations is despised by all men.

    Sitting on the dragon throne, Pei Changying coldly stared at Gu Sang.

    He hadn''t spoken all day, waiting for Gu Sang to take the initiative to talk to him and exin the situation in the gue-stricken city.

    But Gu Sang acted as if she hadn''t seen him, not even giving him a nce.

    This made him feel extremely stifled.

    Seeing Gu Sang so enthusiastically wanting to help this foolish woman called Chen Yun, even willing to use her own body as bait, Pei Changying''s controlling nature surfaced once again.

    Pei Changying: "Why are you helping this woman who is as stupid as a pig? When a person is stupid to the extreme, it''s the same as being evil!"

    "Gu Sang, I forbid you from going to that hotel!"

    "I will not allow you to use your body as bait!"

    "What if something happens to you? How could you face me then?!"

    Gu Sang looked up to see Pei Changying''s face on the screen, his expression full of possessiveness. "Pei Changying, can you please be reasonable at a time like this?"

    "If you dare to argue with me again, I''ll shut down the livestream in the capital!"

    "You... you!" Pei Changying had already witnessed how ruthless this woman could be.

    She was true to her word, and Pei Changying genuinely feared that Gu Sang would cut off the video feed. Despite his anger, he could only swallow his pride and shut his mouth.

    Chen Yun listened as Gu Sang analyzed the situation point by point, exining how to deal with the scumbag next.

    This was already the best solution avable!

    Otherwise, that good-for-nothing would never face punishment!

 Chapter 152: Be Brave, Stay Away

    <h4>Chapter 152</h4>

    Chen Yun listened, feeling very uneasy: "Sang Sang, I''m scared. Not for myself, but for you. This is too dangerous."

    "He''s nothing but scum, a beast. We normal people can''t predict what a beast might do."

    "What if at the hotel, he really does that to you, or... or something unexpected happens that we can''t control? I''m afraid I¡ª"

    Gu Sang interrupted Chen Yun.

    Her eyes shed with a convincing confidence and capability: "You have to trust me, trust the authorities! Trust yourself!"

    "As long as we cooperate properly, nothing will go wrong! Besides, I know some martial arts. He might not be able to overpower me."

    "We''ll call the police in advance. We can definitely bring him to justice. Chen Yun, this is our best chance, your only chance to get rid of this scumbag!"

    "If we miss this opportunity, he''ll eventually back you into a corner. I can''t imagine what terrible things someone like him might do in the end."

    "We can''t bet on him having a change of heart. He has no conscience!"

    Chen Yun looked at Gu Sang with trusting eyes.

    Indeed.

    She couldn''t back down now.

    This was the only chance!

    Gu Sang could do it, she could do it, and the authorities could do it too. She couldn''t let this scumbag live freely, and she couldn''t hold Sang Sang back.

    "Alright, Sang Sang. I trust you!"

    Worried that the scumbag mighte looking for her, Chen Yun personally escorted Gu Sang downstairs. Only after seeing her get into a ride-share car and leave did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

    Thank goodness, thank goodness she had strengthened her resolve and hadn''t endangered Sang Sang.

    The livestream was still on.

    Gu Sang only looked up at the livestream after getting in the car.

    Just then, the figure of a sixty-year-old Old Man appeared on the livestream screen.

    His weather-beaten face revealed bitterness, despair, and a sardonic smile.

    He shook his head andughed self-mockingly: "Heh, trust the constables? You''d be better off trusting that the heavens will strike that beast dead with lightning."

    "If the constables really did anything, my son wouldn''t have been wrongfully killed! And I wouldn''t have found myself with nowhere to turn for justice!"

    "All crows are ck. When have constables ever treatedmon folk as human beings? Ridiculous!"

    The old man looked at Gu Sang on the screen with a gaze of disappointment and pity, then hunched over and left.

    A momentter.

    Another figure appeared on the screen.

    It was a girl of only eleven or twelve, withrge tears rolling down her cheeks.

    After watching Chen Yun''s ordeal, she cried and said: "Divine Lady, how lucky your friend is to have a friend like you. I''m so happy for her."

    Gu Sang thought the girl would tell her about her own experiences, but in the blink of an eye, the girl''s figure became hazy.

    This form indicated that the girl had finished speaking.

    With Chen Yun''s situation on her mind, Gu Sang didn''t have much energy to exin to the ancient people in the livestream.

    The ancient people from the old city had watched so many livestreams that they could guess what it meant.

    As for the two newly opened new cities, let them observe and ponder slowly.

    "We''ve arrived!"

    The driver''s words pulled Gu Sang out of her thoughts.

    After getting out of the car, Gu Sang immediately closed the livestream.

    Back home, Gu Sang sat on the couch, thinking about how to make the scumbag pay for his actions.

    ''Ding!''

    ''Connection established!''

    After receiving the system prompt, Gu Sang brushed away her thoughts and entered a focused state.

    The person randomly selected by the system happened to be the eleven or twelve-year-old girl she had seen just before closing the livestream.

    Seeing the girl timidly looking at the virtual screen, and then her timidity fading away to be reced by joy and excitement after hearing the system prompt.

    "So if you''re sincere enough, the Divine Lady really can appear."

    Seeing the girl''s pure and innocent smile, Gu Sang smiled too, while also looking at the girl with some sympathy.

    Seeing her cry so heartbrokenly in the livestream earlier, she must have encountered something.

    "Divine Lady sister, can I tell you anything? I have so much I want to say."

    Gu Sang smiled nonchntly: "It''s alright, go ahead. I''m listening."

    After Gu Sang said this, the girl suddenly fell silent. Her gaze became unfocused as if recalling something, and then she slowly began to speak:

    "Divine Lady sister, when I saw this today, I could really understand your friend."

    "My cousin went through almost the exact same thing. She was especially good to me. Whenever she had something good to eat or y with, she would always bring it back for me. My parents, because I''m a girl, they say I''m a money-losing proposition and always beat and scold me. Only my cousin wouldfort me every time, saying I was a little lucky star, not a money-losing proposition..."

    "My cousin is especially beautiful, and she''s a famous beauty in our town. She''s also very kind..."

    The little girl had a lot to say, most of it without a clear point, but Gu Sang didn''t interrupt her. Instead, she listened quietly.

    Listening to the little girl chat was much more rxing than talking to those cunning people.

    "Later, my cousin secretly got together with a man. My cousin didn''t tell anyone, but she told me in private... That day, I was preparing a gift for my cousin. I still remember her expression. She was very sad, as if all the life had been drained out of her. She instructed me as usual, telling me to take good care of myself in the future, and then my cousin left."

    "A few dayster, the adults found my cousin in the pond... I ran to find that man, only to see him offering sacrifices to my cousin in his house. It turned out that he had taken advantage of my cousin once when he was drunk, and then he kept forcing her to do things she didn''t want to do. My cousin didn''t want to be constantly coerced by him, so she ended her own life."

    "Divine Lady sister, when I saw you helping your friende up with ideas, I thought, if my cousin had a friend like you by her side, she definitely wouldn''t have sought death. My cousin was a person who really cherished life. She often told me that all things have spirits, and we should respect life. If it wasn''t for our vige, where a woman''s chastity is more important than her life, if it wasn''t for that man constantly threatening her, if she had someone like you by her side..."

    By the end, the girl was crying uncontrobly.

    She crouched on the ground, covering her mouth and sobbing, not even daring to cry out loud for fear of being heard by others.

    Cousin swore she would defend her virtue to the death. Even though I knew the truth, I could only painfully keep her secret.

    It was my failure!

    I had no way to seek justice for Cousin. I knew that in this era, in this vige, men were like gods!

    Even if I reported Cousin''s case to the authorities, the officials would surely protect the man who vited her. And now that Cousin was dead, it was even more impossible to clear her name. She could only be wronged by the living.

    That man could easily im Cousin was lustful and seduced him. Such urrences were alreadymonce here.

    After hearing this, Gu Sang felt even more stifled, as if a breath was caught in her chest, neither rising nor falling, causing difort.

    Gu Sang spoke with a hoarse voice: "Your Cousin came to warn you in her final moments. She must have wanted to tell you to leave the vige when you grow up."

 Chapter 153: There is a place called Plague City

    <h4>Chapter 153</h4>

    "Since your vige is so biased against women, you need to make ns for yourself early and do everything you can to break free from this trap."

    "You''re probably only a year or two away from being married off, aren''t you?"

    Gu Sang could only say this much. In remote areas of ancient times, girls as young as 13 or 14 could be married off.

    But to Gu Sang, 13 or 14 was still middle school age!

    Far too young!

    Some cruel realities were difficult for her to express to this girl.

    Fortunately, the girl had already been considering this: "Divine Lady sister, I''ve been prepared for a long time, but I just haven''t had the resolve to act."

    "I''m afraid, I''m scared of getting married. The men in this vige don''t even see women as human beings. They beat their wives when they''re happy, and they beat them when they''re unhappy too."

    "There have already been so many women who''ve drowned themselves in rivers or wells, and so many who''ve died in childbirth."

    "I don''t want to live that kind of life. I don''t even know what the point of living like that would be. But I''m also afraid of the dangers outside the vige."

    "But the greatest danger is death, and staying in the vige means certain death sooner orter. Going outside at least gives me a chance to live! Since you support me, Divine Lady sister, I''ll leave tonight!"

    Gu Sang''s expression was veryplex.

    She suddenly wanted to change something.

    But some things couldn''t be changed immediately by her.

    Medical techniques in ancient times were backward, childbirth was like walking through the valley of death. Even modern medicine couldn''t guarantee 100% safety in childbirth!

    She could hardly imagine how painfully oppressed the women of this vige lived.

    Seeing the determination in the girl''s eyes, Gu Sang''s expression turned to one of gratification. She smiled and said, "Good!"

    "The outside world is indeed dangerous for girls of your era, but it depends on how you choose - whether to risk everything or resign yourself to a meager life trapped in the vige."

    "If you''ve made up your mind, then go to gue City and find the Elder Princess."

    "There, you can make a living with your own hands. No one can force you to marry, and no one can arbitrarily decide your life or death."

    After listening carefully to Gu Sang''s words, a glimmer of hope shone in the girl''s eyes.

    Was there really such a ce?

    Where women weren''t forced to marry!

    Where women could make a living with their own hands, and live!

    She loved the sound of that life!

    She was afraid of the men of this era, afraid of being beaten, afraid of ending up jumping into a well to her death!

    The girl looked at Gu Sang with eyes full of expectation: "Divine Lady sister, I''ll find a way to reach the Elder Princess, no matter how difficult the journey. It''s my only hope!"

    "I also hope you can share this through your livestream to let everyone know!"

    "Don''t easily trust anyone, and don''t back down when threatened. The more you give in, the more people will take advantage. And escape from this abnormally unequal vige."

    "Alright, I will!" Gu Sang nodded.

    Seeing such a clear-minded and brave girl made Gu Sang truly happy for her.

    After ending the call.

    Gu Sang wrote down the girl''s words in her notebook, extracting the important information to exin to the trapped girls of ancient times during her next livestream.

    Even in modern times, there was still bias against women, let alone in ancient times.

    In her conversation with the girl, Gu Sang suddenly understood something.

    Perhaps it wasn''t that ancient women didn''t want to rebel. Maybe they had struggled too, but because everyone around them suppressed their differences, they were forced to go with the flow.

    If only they could know!

    That in other ces, there were also kind and brave girls who wanted to escape.

    That there was a gue City that would ept women. Maybe more girls would awaken and find the courage to escape their terrible original families!

    -

    At night, thirty miles outside gue City.

    Zhou Qichen led his team to hide outside a valley. For a full hour, they concealed themselves in the grass, not moving an inch.

    The soldiers Zhou Qichen brought were all well-trained elites with iron wills.

    The entire force remained motionless, waiting for a signal from inside the valley.

    "Whoosh¡ª!"

    Finally, a signal was sent from the valley.

    Zhou Qichen immediately led his special forces to quietly infiltrate the valley, silently taking out the imperial army sentries.

    Led by an insider, they stealthily approached the mainmander''s camp.

    The outside guards had already been diverted by the insider.

    General Pei was lying in bed asleep when he suddenly noticed shadows flickering outside. He immediately became alert: "Who''s there?!"

    "Who goes there!"

    Before he could get up and draw his sword, Zhou Qichen had already blocked him with his own de.

    At the same time, several special forces soldiers advanced from behind.

    One special forces soldier attacked General Pei with fiercebat punches, while another used judo techniques to strike. The two coordinated perfectly.

    Moreover, this was modern closebat.

    General Pei was quickly overpowered. His jaw took a heavy punch, and he angrily and urgently shouted outside: "Enemy attack!"

    "Where are the men outside? Where is my imperial army?"

    "Someonee quickly!"

    With a rush, the imperial soldiers reacted swiftly, immediately preparing to charge into the mainmander''s tent to rescue their leader.

    The imperial army of nearly fifty thousand surrounded the mainmander''s tent.

    At this critical moment, Qin Vice General was released by the subordinates he had trained for many years.

    "Everyone stop!"

    "Stop! Qin Vice General is here!"

    Zhou Qichen, hearing from inside the main tent that Qin Vice General had been released, immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He waved for his soldiers to bring out General Pei under guard.

    The imperial soldiers looked at theirmander, then at Qin Vice General, with bewildered expressions.

    General Pei''s face was covered in blood. He red at his soldiers, about to give an order: "All of you¡ª"

    But at that moment!

    Suddenly¡ª

    Qin Vice General swiftly drew the sword from a subordinate''s waist. In a sh, he thrust it towards General Pei''s neck: "Squelch!!"

    General Pei''s order was cut short as his throat was pierced.

    "You¡ª!!"

    "So you really were¡ª!!" General Pei only saw a sh of cold steel before his eyes, followed by Qin Vice General''s hateful gaze, and then blood sttered...

    General Pei opened his mouth wide, wanting to curse Qin Vice General, but with his throat slit, he could no longer utter aplete sentence: "You, you..."

    "Thud!"

    General Pei fell into a pool of his own blood, his eyes wide open in death.

    "......"

    "......"

    This sudden turn of events left the entire scene in dead silence.

    All the imperial soldiers were dumbfounded.

    What... what''s going on here?

    The Vice Commander just stabbed the Commander to death?

    What... what are the soldiers supposed to do now?

    For a moment, panic spread through the ranks as they stood frozen in ce, gripping their spears.

    Qin Vice General cast a cold nce at the corpse on the ground. He withdrew his sword and turned to face the nearly 50,000 imperial troops. In a loud voice, he dered:

    "My family has devoted our lives in loyal service to the imperial court. Yet the Emperor doubted me, even stripping me of my military authority."

    "Guan Pei was a man I raised with my own hands, like a father to him. I never imagined a day woulde when he would have me arrested and brutally tortured."

    "Some of you have fought alongside me on the battlefield. You know what kind of man I am!"

 Chapter 154: I have no regrets towards heaven, and no regrets towards the court.

    <h4>Chapter 154</h4>

    "I have no shame before heaven or the imperial court, yet the court cannot tolerate me. This time, upon returning to the capital, I will die unjustly used!"

    "I refuse to ept this! Why must heroes drink bitterly and sing long songs?"

    Under the bewildered gaze of the imperial soldiers, Zhou Qichen stepped forward and patted Qin Vice General''s shoulder, saying empathetically, "Old Qin, I feel the same way you do."

    "After seeing how Pei Changying treated the Zhao family, I suddenly realized he is not an emperor worthy of our loyalty!"

    "My Zhou family has been loyal for generations, loyal to the country, protecting our home and themon people!"

    "Not to that foolish ruler!"

    "A true man born in this world should choose a wise master to serve."

    Qin Vice General, overwhelmed with emotion, patted Zhou Qichen back and said with tears in his eyes, "You''re absolutely right."

    Then, Qin Vice General turned to the bewildered imperial soldiers and spoke, "I won''t force you to join the Elder Princess''s forces with me. Those who wish to stay can join the Elder Princess with me."

    "If you don''t want to stay, you can leave."

    "We won''t coerce you. Make your own choice, to go or to stay!"

    As his words fell, the soldiers looked at each other, unsure of how to choose.

    Perhaps due to the recent rumors about the benefits of joining the gue City''s army, seeing the satisfying sweet potatoes, and witnessing theirrades spared by the Elder Princess, they found themselves somewhat tempted.

    For them, there wasn''t much difference between the imperial court and the Elder Princess!

    Whoever could feed them,

    Clothe them,

    And pay them,

    Would be their master!

    But some people always fail to read the situation. Someone questioned, "Huh, you''re all just a bunch of rebels. What right do you have to preach to us?"

    "When facing rebels, my principle is always to kill!"

    "We have an army of fifty thousand, while you''re just a few hundred. Trying to persuade us to surrender is nothing but a fool''s dream."

    Qin Vice General''s eyes turned cold as des as he looked at the speaker. His usually stern face revealed a cold smile, making people feel even more chilled to the bone.

    Qin Vice General said, "A few hundred? Then tell me, how do you think we dare to charge into a camp of tens of thousands with just a few hundred men? What do you think gives us such confidence?!"

    "I''ve already given you a chance. If you still won''t surrender, are you all prepared toe and die?"

    As these words fell, all the imperial soldiers took a step back, looking around in panic, remembering the terrifying cannons from that day.

    Only the man who had just spoken was caught between advancing and retreating, gritting his teeth and ring angrily at Qin Vice General, looking determined to die loyal to the emperor.

    The man swallowed and said defiantly, "Hah! Who are you trying to scare? It''s not certain who will die yet! Everyone, don''t be afraid!"

    "Today is the day these rebels meet their end!"

    Qin Vice General''s gaze swept over them, seeing some people step out wanting to kill them, but most remained motionless, weighing the pros and cons.

    Qin Vice General and Zhou Qichen exchanged a look.

    Since these thousand men insisted oning to their deaths, they might as well kill them all!

    It would also show them the strength of the special forces.

    "In that case, kill without mercy!" Qin Vice General led his personal guard of about a hundred men in a charge, their des drawing blood with every strike.

    Zhou Qichen led the special forces team. They were closebat fighters, so Zhou Qichen had equipped them with Emei daggers for assassination.

    Any soldier within their attack range was sure to be killed, their throats gushing blood like fountains.

    "Bang!"

    "Bang!"

    "Bang bang!!"

    In just a few minutes, Zhou Qichen''s special forces and Qin Vice General had ughtered all thousand-plus imperial soldiers, leaving corpses strewn everywhere!

    The heavy smell of blood wafted through the valley. In the moonlight, the sight of bodies covering the ground cast another shadow over the hearts of the imperial soldiers.

    Hiss!

    The people from gue City were so formidable!

    A few hundred men could defeat over a thousand in such a short time!

    And those terrifying cannons that scared them witless hadn''t even been used.

    If the cannons were added, their tens of thousands probably wouldn''t be enough to fill the graves.

    Instantly, all the imperial soldiers extinguished any different thoughts in their hearts.

    Qin Vice General''s calm and powerful gaze swept coldly over the soldiers: "What about you? What''s your choice?"

    "I''m willing to follow General Qin and the Elder Princess!"

    "I''m also willing to follow General Qin and..."

    After the first person bravely stepped forward, more and more followed suit.

    The remaining few thousand soldiers hesitated, not stepping forward.

    "I... I don''t want to fight anymore! The battlefield is unpredictable, I just want to go home to my wife and children."

    "Me too, I want to go home."

    "I haven''t been home for years, I don''t know if my parents are still alive..."

    Hearing these homesick words, the soldiers were moved, their eyes growing moist.

    "I said, if you want to leave, you can leave! I won''t force you! This isn''t a test, it''s sincere," Qin Vice General repeated.

    The thousands of soldiers looked at each other.

    One after another, they tentatively put down their weapons and took off their armor. Seeing that Qin Vice General and Zhou Qichen truly didn''t stop them, they bowed in gratitude with red eyes and ran off.

    The remaining soldiers looked conflictedly at their departingrades, their eyes shing with envy and a hint of regret.

    If they had known, they would have mustered the courage to choose to go home too!

    But who dared to step forward now?

    However, these moved imperial soldiers didn''t know that before long, they would be grateful for joining the army in gue City, because the benefits were simply unbelievably good.

    After returning to gue City with the recruited imperial soldiers, Zhou Qichen and Qin Vice General went together to the Elder Princess''s Mansion.

    The Elder Princess immediately appointed Qin Vice General to manage the more than forty thousand surrendered imperial soldiers.

    Hearing this, Qin Vice General''s heart surged with gratitude and shame, and he refused: "This subordinate is deeply honored by the Elder Princess''s trust, but as a surrendered soldier, I''m not qualified to manage these forty thousand troops."

    The Elder Princess''s gaze was calm, firm, and trusting as she said:

    "I trust those I employ, and I believe in General Qin''s abilities!"

    Zhou Qichen also interjected angrily from the side: "Who dares say you''re not qualified? I''ll teach them a lesson! I know better than anyone whether you''re qualified or capable."

    "Old Qin, I believe in you, and the Elder Princess believes in you even more!"

    Seeing the Elder Princess and Zhou Qichen trust him so much, Qin Vice General once again rejoiced that he had chosen the right person to follow!

    The imperial court distrusted him, the civil officials looked down on him as an uneducated brute, and the emperor, fearing the Qin family''s military power, refused to delegate authority to him at every turn.

    Even the deputy general he had personally trained, once in a position of power, tried every means to harm him.

    On the other hand, the Elder Princess was weing to the talented and virtuous. Although a woman, her magnanimity surpassed that of men.

    The Qin Vice General was moved to tears, no longer declining her offer. He knew the Elder Princess was in need of capable people, and he was willing to follow her for life.

    "Elder Princess, thank you for your trust and favor. I humbly ept yourmand!" He spoke these words with solemnity and gravity.

    "Hahaha, Old Qin, from now on we''ll be fighting side by side! Come to my ce tonight, let''s drink and gather together. It''s been a long time since we''ve shared a drink."

 Chapter 155: Did you forget You killed me.

    <h4>Chapter 155</h4>

    Zhou Qichen smiled and patted Qin Vice General''s shoulder, expressing his approval.

    "From today on, you are no longer Qin Vice General. You are General Qin, themander of an army! I will immediately issue an edict to restore your status as a general!"

    "Well then, I won''t keep you from your drinks any longer."

    Seeing that Zhou Qichen was eager to catch up with General Qin, the Elder Princess decided not to say more and let the two men head back.

    Tomorrow morning, her edict would be issued.

    The people of gue City would know that they had gained another General Qin!

    As the two generals walked away, Zhou Qichen''s booming voice could still be heard.

    "Old Qin, I recently took on an apprentice. His strength is incredible, let me tell you, haha..."

    Since gue City had gradually developed its economy, merchants traveling to and from the city had also increased.

    News of the imperial soldiers surrendering to the Elder Princess spread to various cities at lightning speed the next day, causing an uproar among the people!

    Pei Changying was so furious that he didn''t even attend court that day, instead smashing things in Xuyang Pce to vent his anger.

    "Pei Weiqi! I will have you torn to pieces! You dare overturn the rules set by our ancestors? Since ancient times, how could a woman be emperor!"

    "When you die, how will you face the Pei family ancestors!"

    "Fallen woman! I should have killed you back then!"

    "Crash! Bang!"

    "Gu Sang! I have already repented, I''ve already apologized to you, why don''t you believe me? If it weren''t for your help, how would that fallen woman dare to rebel! How would that traitor Qin dare to betray me!"

    "Gu Sang!!! Give me an exnation!"

    "Gu Sang! Exin yourself to me!"

    *Ding!*

    *Connection is being established!*

    Pei Changying''s hand paused mid-smash.

    Here ites!

    Again, that eerily strange sound!

    Every time this sound appeared, Gu Sang would appear on the screen the next second.

    Seeing Gu Sang wearing a spaghetti strap nightgown that exposed her shoulders, Pei Changying''s eyes flickered slightly, a deep possessiveness shing in their depths.

    But he had learned his lesson and didn''t immediately scold Gu Sang for her inappropriate attire.

    After all, in that future world, wearing such clothes was too normal!

    Seeing that Gu Sang didn''t take the initiative to speak to him, Pei Changying began in an angry tone: "Gu Sang! Shouldn''t you exin to me what has happened these past few days?"

    "Why does that fallen woman have things like cannons? Why did the imperial army surrender to her? Why did the troops I sent to Liujiang City to eliminate that fallen woman return empty-handed?"

    "Why did potatoes suddenly appear in gue City? Why?!"

    Pei Changying''s furious eyes reflected Gu Sang''s face, which showed not a hint of guilt. She was so calm, calmly watching him rage impotently.

    Then, Gu Sang said tly: "My task is to help Pei Weiqi. This is all part of the mission requirements."

    In truth, Pei Changying wasn''tpletely ignorant of Gu Sang''s thoughts, he just didn''t want to admit it.

    He wanted to hear Gu Sang make excuses or apologize to him personally, then promise never to help the Elder Princess again.

    But Gu Sang showed no sign of remorse, even adopting an indifferent attitude.

    She didn''t even bother to try and cate him!

    This enraged Pei Changying, who red at Gu Sang andughed coldly: "Gu Sang, do you take me for a fool? It''s because I love you that I''ve given you chance after chance to redeem yourself."

    "If it were anyone else who dared to deceive me like this, I would have already executed their entire n!"

    "You have truly disappointed me to the core. I will never believe another word you say."

    "Unless, unless you help me develop cannons right now, as well as those unmanned aircraft and missiles from your future! Otherwise, I will not forgive you."

    "Pfft¡ª" Gu Sang burst outughing.

    She shouldn''t haveughed in such a serious situation.

    But, but hearing Pei Changying''s fantastical words, Gu Sang couldn''t help it,ughing so hard she doubled over.

    "Hahaha, listen to yourself! Is that even human speech?"

    "Pei Changying, you really have some nerve!"

    "Do you have any sense of your own abilities? Cannons? Missiles? Even if I gave you all the materials, you couldn''t make them! I''m not looking down on you, oh wait, yes I am looking down on you!"

    Pei Changying had never beenughed at like this before. He was the noble ruler of the world, who would dare mock him!

    Seeing Gu Sang''s merciless mockery, every word expressing her disdain for him, Pei Changying''s anger turned toughter, his face dark, the smile not reaching his eyes.

    "Gu Sang, I will make you regret this!"

    "Bring Consort Li here!"

    Seeing Gu Sang''s smile slowly fade, Pei Changying''s face remained ashen.

    He was still furious about Gu Sang''s betrayal, yet the words that came out of his mouth suddenly became deeply affectionate. If one didn''t see his twisted expression, they might think he was confessing to his beloved.

    "Sang Sang, what will it take for you to return to my side?"

    "I don''t believe that everything from before, when we were together, when you helped me so wholeheartedly, was all fake! How could you not have me in your heart!"

    "Sang Sang, as long as youe back, whatever you want, I''ll give it to you!"

    "I will take your hand and share this vast empire with you."

    Gu Sang stared coldly at Pei Changying as he confessed his love, showing no reaction.

    Pei Changying finally snapped!

    After Consort Li was brought in by the eunuchs.

    Pei Changying immediately grabbed Consort Li by the throat.

    Consort Li let out a painful scream, her pupils dting, her struggling hands gradually weakening.

    "Pei Changying! You think this will intimidate me?"

    "You only use women to show off your masculinity. If you have the guts, go after the Elder Princess. What does bullying your women prove?"

    Pei Changyingughed darkly: "Hehe, Gu Sang, are you getting anxious? Are you angry? Do you feel the despair?"

    "If youe back, you can save her from my hands."

    "But you don''t daree back! Hmph, it seems that even the kind and righteous you is nothing more than a selfish person."

    Pei Changying suddenly released Consort Li, ring viciously at the screen.

    He was using his words to provoke Gu Sang, hoping to make her return.

    He had nearly strangled Consort Li to death, but Gu Sang didn''t immediately try to stop him. This made him clearly understand one thing: perhaps Gu Sang really didn''t care about Consort Li''s life?

    No!

    She cares, she''s just pretending!

    Pei Changying cast a disdainful nce at Consort Li, whoy crumpled on the ground, gasping for air.

    During this time, he had assigned countless pce maids to watch over Consort Li, fearing she might be a second Consort Zhao. He was even more afraid that Gu Sang would help Consort Li escape behind his back!

    As long as Consort Li was here, Gu Sang would certainly find a way to return!

    Gu Sang stared at Pei Changying with an expressionless face, her eyes showing no trace of deception: "Whether you believe it or not, I truly cannot return."

    "I don''t belong to your world!"

    "Even if we take a step back and assume I could return, how would I do it? The body of Noble Consort Gu has already died. I am already dead!"

    "Pei Changying, you were the one who killed me, have you forgotten? I can''te back anymore."

 Chapter 156: The Friendship Among Girls is Amazing

    <h4>Chapter 156</h4>

    Pei Changying''s heart suddenly jolted as he recalled the image of Gu Sang desperately begging him back then.

    She had said she would die if she couldn''t be Empress...

    At the time, he thought it was a lie Gu Sang told just to be Empress, but he never imagined that Gu Sang would actually die!

    A sense of guilt welled up in Pei Changying''s heart as he said remorsefully, "Sang Sang, I truly didn''t know you were telling the truth back then."

    "I thought you were just vying for favor, so I..."

    "Although your physical body has died, it''s alright. I will definitely find a way, find a way to bring you back to life in another body."

    Gu Sang: "......."

    What an idiot!

    Who wants to vie for favor?

    Who would willingly be a caged bird for a man''s pleasure?

    Bring me back to life in another body? Are you brain-dead?

    Tsk¡ª

    Gu Sang closed the connection with an exasperated look on her face.

    After seeing that Consort Li was temporarily safe, Gu Sang couldn''t be bothered to listen to Pei Changying''s passionate derations and his attempts to force her to return by any means necessary.

    "Buzz........"

    Her phone suddenly vibrated. Gu Sang took out her phone and saw a message from Chen Yun.

    "Sang Sang, do you have a day off tomorrow? Let''s go out and have some fun."

    Gu Sang smiled and replied with an OK.

    About half an hourter, Chen Yun hurriedly called Gu Sang, saying that she had sent that message earlier because the scumbag was next to her.

    Gu Sang told Chen Yun not to worry, and they proceeded ording to their previously agreed-upon n.

    The next day.

    Before going out, Gu Sang instructed the system to open live broadcasts of all ancient cities.

    Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of thousands of ancient citizens, the Gu Sang in the video took a bus to the mall where she had agreed to meet Chen Yun. The two of them had a cup of bubble tea at a nearby shop.

    Afterwards.

    Chen Yun supported Gu Sang, who suddenly wasn''t feeling well, as they walked towards a hotel and checked into a room.

    Ten minutester.

    Chen Yun stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, making a phone call to the scumbag. She pinched her thigh with one hand to create a state of distress and tears, saying fearfully, "I-I''ve already followed your instructions ande to the hotel."

    "The thing you gave me, it should be fine, right?"

    The scumbag impatiently replied, "Ah Yun, rx, don''t you know me by now? Of course it''s fine, it''s just a sleeping drug. Did you give it to her to drink?"

    "She drank it. I''m just scared, wuwuwu, Sang Sang is my best friend, can''t you let her go?" Chen Yun pleaded through her tears.

    If Chen Yun had simply called him toe up straightaway, he might have be suspicious.

    For the past few days, Chen Yun had been constantly calling the scumbag, making him promise to treat Gu Sang well, and begging him to be merciful and give up on this n.

    The more indecisive Chen Yun appeared, the more he let his guard down.

    "Stop wasting time, tell me the room number. I''ming up to find you."

    "Wuwuwu....."

    "Speak up! Are you mute? All you do is cry."

    Chen Yun spoke in a terrified voice, "C-can you delete my private photos first? I won''t even ask for the money you owe me anymore. I thought you would keep your word, but you''re still threatening me with those photos."

    "You''ve taken all my money bit by bit over the past few days, and now you''re still threatening me, making me lure Sang Sang here for you to sleep with. I really can''t trust you anymore!"

    "You''ve been lying to me all along. If you want to know the room number, fine, but delete my private photos first."

    Chen Yun''s phone was on speaker as she cried painfully and suppressed.

    A few meters away by the bed, Gu Sang, who was supposed to be unconscious, was recording the conversation as evidence for the police.

    On the other end of the phone, the scumbag''s angry and suppressed threats could be heard.

    The scumbag took a deep breath and said soothingly, "Alright, I''ll delete your private photos. Just tell me the room number first, so I can delete them in front of you."

    "Okay, I''ll trust you one more time. I''m in room A308. You cane up now."

 Chapter 157: Law Enforcement, Scum is Finished

    <h4>Chapter 157</h4>

    Chen Yun hung up the phone and immediately dialed the police.

    After learning the exact location, the police quickly reassured Chen Yun not to be afraid, saying they were not far from the hotel and could arrive within fifteen minutes.

    "Knock knock knock¡ª"

    Five minutester, someone knocked on the door. Chen Yun nervously peeked through the peephole.

    The scumbag had arrived!

    Gu Sang immediately pretended to be unconscious andy down on the bed.

    The ancient people watching the livestream were on the edge of their seats.

    This was too dangerous!

    What if the police werete?

    What if that scumbag used force?

    The ancientmoners sped their hands in prayer: "Goddess sister, you must stay safe!"

    "Goddess, you''ll be alright, because good people are rewarded with good fortune."

    "Tsk tsk, daring to use herself as bait. Don''t know if they''re too naive or too stupid. Men''s strength is formidable. Two women daring to scheme against a man, truly overestimating themselves."

    "Still iming they can arrive in the time it takes to burn a stick of incense? What a joke! Can the police really be that fast? Tsk tsk tsk! By the time the police arrive, who knows what state those two will be in!"

    "Oh my, that man hit the jackpot. Two women at once!"

    In the gue City.

    The Elder Princess stared intently at the screen. A trace of worry could be seen on her otherwise calm face, though she didn''t speak.

    She and Gu Sang weren''t in the same time and space. No matter how much she said, she couldn''t help Gu Sang.

    Moreover, what Gu Sang needed now was silence! A quiet environment to calmly deal with the situation ahead.

    The ancient people from other cities worried for Gu Sang, prayed for her, mocked her, and even took pleasure in her misfortune.

    But themon people of gue City were different. They had all received Gu Sang''s kindness, and their current good life was because of her!

    When they saw Gu Sang and her friend setting the trap, they couldn''t help but worry for her.

    The sun beat down on them, making them sweat profusely, but not one person ran to seek shade. They all looked up at the floating screen in the sky, watching the two women.

    Goddess, you must note to harm!

    Bless her.

    You must bless the Goddess to be safe!

    Bless that this evil man be brought to justice!

    In the great hall.

    Pei Changying red at the screen with resentful eyes. Although he had been furious with Gu Sangst night, seeing her in danger, he couldn''t help but me her kindness.

    Pei Changying said with a grim face: "Gu Sang, you always take on other people''s problems as your own."

    "This has nothing to do with you, why do you keep putting yourself in danger?"

    "I''ve warned you before, this method is extremely dangerous. How foolish to put your safety in the hands of the police. What if you really lose your virtue, what then!"

    "Bang bang bang!"

    Seeing that no one was opening the door, the scumbag anxiously pounded on it.

    He frowned and said in a low voice: "Chen Yun, what are you doing in there? Why haven''t you opened the door yet!"

    As soon as he finished speaking.

    Chen Yun opened the door slightly, standing behind it to block the scumbag''s view.

    "First, take out your phone and delete the photos in front of me. Then I''ll let you in."

    The scumbag''s hateful gaze fixed on Chen Yun as he said through gritted teeth: "Well, well, Chen Yun, you''ve gotten smart now, haven''t you! You even dare to threaten me!"

    "Fine! I''ll delete them!"

    Just you wait.

    Bitch.

    I''ll deal with you too in a moment!

    The scumbag deleted the backup in front of Chen Yun, then opened his photo album to show her.

    "It''s all cleared. Can you let me in now?"

    Chen Yun was very nervous inside. Time was too tight; she had to stall the scumbag outside.

    Chen Yun thought quickly: "Didn''t you say you had many backups? You''ve only deleted the ones on your phone, not the photos on yourputer."

    Seeing Chen Yun being so unreasonable, the scumbag pushed the door forcefully a few times.

    The door was pushed open about a hand''s width. His expression dark and suppressed, he said: "Chen Yun, don''t be stubborn. My patience has limits."

    "If you don''t help me deal with Gu Sang now, what if she finds out you drugged her? Do you think Gu Sang won''t call the police to arrest you?"

    "You''re in the same boat as me now. Only by helping me deal with Gu Sang will you avoid trouble."

    "Otherwise, I''ll leave, and you can face Gu Sang''s wrath on your own."

    Chen Yun''s hand, tightly gripping the doorframe, turned white. Her eyes showed a struggle.

    On one hand, she was acting, and on the other, she still wanted to continue stalling the scumbag. But the scumbag was clearly impatient. If he really left, then...

    Taking advantage of Chen Yun''s moment of panic, the scumbag suddenly pushed her hard.

    Bang!

    Chen Yun''s back hit the wall, the pain bringing tears to her eyes.

    The scumbag quickly entered the room and mmed the door shut, locking it.

    "Come here!"

    "Help me take off Gu Sang''s clothes."

    The scumbag urately manipted Chen Yun, knowing that only by making her help himmit the crime would she not betray him out of regret.

    But the friendship between girls, when genuine, can truly ovee all trials!

    Seeing Chen Yun hesitating and reluctant to act, the scumbag angrily pped her. No longer able to contain his desires, he rushed over to forcibly remove Gu Sang''s clothes.

    Witnessing this scene, the ancient people in the livestream collectively gasped.

    The Elder Princess pressed her lips together. Although she could understand Gu Sang''s desire to help her friend, one shouldn''t be so foolish as to truly sacrifice oneself!

    The Elder Princess, who had been silent until now, worriedly spoke up: "Sang Sang, if ites down to thest moment, protecting yourself is most important."

    Pei Changying''s face had been on the screen the whole time. The veins on his face were bulging as he angrily scolded, his voice full of jealousy: "Gu Sang! Have you no sense of shame!"

    "He''s about to take off your clothes!"

    "If you let yourself be defiled in front of me, I will... I will make sure you suffer for the rest of your life!"

    "That friend over there is your friend, but don''t you have friends and family here too?"

    As soon as these words were spoken, the entire court changed color.

    What did His Majesty mean by that?!

    Was His Majesty nning to punish the Gu family?

    Let alone the fact that the Gu family were pirs of the state, Old Master Gu had raised two daughters, one who became an Imperial Consort and the other the Empress.

    With the Empress still alive, how could His Majesty punish the Gu family?

    Pei Changying also realized he had misspoken, so he pressed his lips together and said no more. But his eyes remained fixed on the scumbag.

    As if to say, dare to touch my woman, and I''ll y you alive!

    Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, the scoundrel''s gaze fell upon Gu Sang, whoy unconscious on the bed, and his eyes gleamed with a predatory light.

    In his eyes, he saw not just beauty, but opportunity and money!

    Now he was waiting to seize the fruits of victory that he believed belonged to him.

    Chen Yun''s heart sank suddenly, and she anxiously clenched her fists!

    "Sang Sang!"

    "I beg you, please don''t hurt her, okay? Waa waa waa!" Chen Yun cried out, pretending to be scared, while simultaneously trying to grab hold of the scoundrel to buy some time.

    But she was a step toote.

    The scoundrel had already lunged towards Gu Sang.

    At this critical moment.

    Suddenly¡ª

    Gu Sang''s eyes snapped open.

    At the same time, her right foot shot up, forcefully and viciously kicking upwards!

 Chapter 158: â€œGo Eat Peanutsâ€

    <h4>Chapter 158</h4>

    "Ahh!"

    A sharp scream pierced the air.

    The scumbag suddenly clutched his lower body with both hands, his expression instantly contorting in agony, alternating between the smugness and despair on his face.

    Pain!

    Excruciating, heart-wrenching pain!

    His... his... his...

    Chen Yun quickly lunged forward, shoving the scumbag away.

    He fell back onto the bed, trembling hands covering his lower abdomen. He writhed in pain, groaning and whimpering.

    "Ah! Chen Yun, Gu Sang, you... you set me up!"

    The scumbag hade to his senses, but the searing pain made it difficult for him to even sit up. His eyes burned with hatred. "You dare kick me! I''ll report you to the police!"

    The next second: "Ding dong!"

    Heavy footsteps echoed outside the door.

    "Bang!"

    "Boom!!"

    The hotel room door was forcibly broken open.

    A group of uniformed individuals wielding weapons burst in, surrounding the entire room.

    "Nobody move!"

    Seeing those familiar and reassuring uniforms, Chen Yun felt an indescribable sense of relief wash over her.

    She immediately sank to her knees, covering her face and sobbing uncontrobly. "Waaah! Officers, you''re finally here."

    "He... he tried to assault my friend! I''m so scared, I''m terrified!"

    Chen Yun cried, her voice trembling with fear and choked with sobs.

    Gu Sang channeled her inner actress, lying down on the bed holding her head, crying out about feeling dizzy, seeing spots, and having no strength.

    Upon hearing the word "officers," the scumbag''s face rapidly changed expressions as he quickly thought of a way to absolve himself of guilt.

    His entire face darkened terribly, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he shouted, "They''re faking it! She''s pretending! I want to report them, they conspired to set me up. I can''t have children anymore!"

    "You must arrest these two and execute them!"

    Four police officers entered the room, asking all three to show their IDs. "Was it you who called the police?" one asked, looking at Chen Yun''s ID.

    Chen Yun nodded, deliberately exposing half of her swollen face. "Yes, I called. He threatened me, forcing me to help him assault my friend."

    "Here''s the audio recording and video!"

    "He also drugged my friend with an illegal substance. He ckmailed me with my nude photos. Waaah! I was so scared. I didn''t want to hurt my friend, but I was afraid he''d send the photos to my parents and friends!"

    With both witness testimony and physical evidence present, the scumbag was immediately arrested and charged.

    But he refused to ept it, demanding a trial, constantly deflecting by saying the two women had set him up. He imed he hadn''t broken anyws and hadn''t substantially harmed Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang was still holding her head,ining of dizziness and weakness.

    All three were taken to the station to gather evidence.

    When the scumbag was finally handcuffed, his face turned pale with fear.

    Seeing the officer leave the room with documents to sign, leaving only Gu Sang and Chen Yun behind, the scumbag, locked to an iron chair, gritted his teeth and threatened Chen Yun: "Are you really going to be this ruthless?! You should know, I have countless backups of those photos!"

    Gu Sang also pretended her head wasn''t as dizzy anymore and sat up straight.

    This time, Chen Yun finally found the courage to stand up for herself.

    She no longer hid behind Gu Sang, but resolutely said to the scumbag, "If you want a trial, then let''s have a trial! I believe in justice and have nothing to fear!"

    "You thought you could manipte me because I was afraid of exposure, didn''t you?!"

    "I''ve realized now that rather than being dragged down into the abyss with you, I''d rather face the consequences head-on!"

    "You''ve already ruined my life! But I can''t let you ruin anyone else''s. I will expose all your evil deeds!"

    "Officer, officer!! I demand a drug test for Gu Sang!" Chen Yun shouted, banging on the door.

    The drug the scumbag had given Chen Yun was a potent one that could knock someone out for several hours.

    But Gu Sang had swapped it for a harmless drug that onlysted half an hour, and she had taken it at home in the morning. Its effects had long since worn off.

    However!

    It could still be detected in her blood within 24 hours!

    That was enough!

    This time, with three serious charges, the scumbag would have to pay dearly for his crimes!

    Ten minutester, Gu Sang had her blood drawn for testing and returned to the waiting room.

    Seeing Chen Yun''s determination, the scumbag began to panic.

    His tone softened, almost pleading with a hint of threat: "Chen Yun, blowing this out of proportion won''t do either of us any good!"

    "Gu Sang was perfectly fine just now, she clearly wasn''t drugged. You''re trying to trick me! Right now, I''m only charged with attempted rape. I won''t serve more than a few years, and then I cane out and enjoy life again."

    "But you''ll have to live with a reputation for being promiscuous for the rest of your life. Can you bear the way people will look at you behind your back?"

    "Your good friend Lin Lin, didn''t she jump off a building because people were mocking her in private?"

    Chen Yun angrily retorted, "You have no right to mention Lin Lin."

    At this moment, the police officer returned with the signed documents and records, informing them that the evidence collection wasplete and the two women could leave for now.

    Gu Sang ''weakly'' held Chen Yun''s hand.

    She turned to the scumbag and said, "Whether we''re tricking you or not, you''ll know when the blood test resultse back! You provided the drug to Chen Yun, you forced her to do this, and you secretly took those photos."

    "Did you really think that every girl wouldn''t know how to fight back, that we''d all be powerless against your maniption?!"

    "You actually believed you could use me to climb the socialdder, to control me?"

    "You''re not worthy!"

    "Chen Yun, let''s go. Don''t waste any more words on him. If you show even a hint of hesitation, he''ll seize the opportunity to control you again."

    "Take one step back, and you''ll be retreating for life!"

    "We''ll consult with awyer about this. I''ve already made an appointment with the bestw firm in the city. We must make him pay the most painful price for his actions!"

    Chen Yun took a deep breath, her voice firm: "Sang Sang, thank you! I''ve made up my mind. Even if my reputation is ruined, I must let everyone know the scumbag''s true face!"

    "If I were to be weak now, I wouldn''t deserve to be your friend!"

    The two girls left the station hand in hand.

    The scumbag''s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched them leave, helpless to do anything!

    He looked at the handcuffs on his wrists.

    Then at the dark interrogation rooms outside the door.

    Suddenly, an unknown fear welled up inside him, tears welling in his eyes.

    It''s over!

    It''s really over!

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang and Chen Yun entered aw office building after leaving the police station. With her friend by her side, Chen Yun felt an unwavering determination in her heart.

    After they exined the whole situation to thewyer, he assured them there was no need to worry.

    Given the sensitive nature of the case, they could apply for a closed-door trial.

    As for those intimate photos, thewyer promised that the police would handle them properly. The scumbag would have no choice but to cooperate unless he wanted to spend a few extra years behind bars.

    "Really?!"

    "Will the issue with the photos truly be resolved?"

    "That''s wonderful! Sang Sang, did you hear that? I... I don''t have to be afraid anymore! I won''t be threatened again, oh thank goodness!" She broke down in tears of relief.

 Chapter 159: Refusing Female Competition

    <h4>Chapter 159</h4>

    "Cry all you want today, but after today, no more crying, okay?" Gu Sang said with a smile, patting Chen Yun''s shoulder.

    After reviewing the evidence provided by the two women, thewyer praised them for having very substantial evidence, with multiple chargesbined.

    Then he analyzed for Chen Yun how many years the scumbag would likely be sentenced to.

    The consequences the scumbag would face greatly satisfied Gu Sang!

    After leaving thewyer''s office, Gu Sang worried that the scumbag''s family mighte to harass Chen Yun, so she went home with Chen Yun to pack her belongings and had her temporarily move into her own home.

    At the same time, Chen Yun also submitted her resignation to thepany.

    When the two of them were back in the car,

    Gu Sang finally had time tomunicate with the ancient people.

    She looked up and saw a woman self-righteously lecturing her.

    The ancient woman said with disapproval: "Divine Lady, you are making a huge mistake. When we women encounter such things, we should keep it tightly under wraps. How can you let everyone know about it?"

    "Even if thewyer says it won''t be a public trial, the County Magistrate and Constables will still be present. At that time, people have two mouths, and no matter what you say, you won''t be able to exin it clearly."

    "A girl''s reputation is more important than her life!"

    "Moreover, that scumbag''s parents will definitely spread the news everywhere. s, by then, both of your reputations will be ruined!"

    Then,

    Another person appeared on the screen.

    It was also an elderly woman, with fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, indicating she was no longer young.

    With tears in her eyes, half worried and half concerned, she spoke: "Don''t think you can twist an arm to be stronger than a leg!"

    "Men are born with advantages, and we women are at a disadvantage."

    "Haven''t you thought about it? Since ancient times, why are you the only ones who dare to stand up? Is it really because we women are weak?"

    "No!"

    "Actually, some people have reported to the authorities before, but these people didn''t live to see the next day. Even their parents couldn''t bear it andmitted suicide due to people''s mockery."

    "I admire you, but if you insist on being so stubborn, the final result will definitely be a tragedy that you cannot bear."

    Perhaps seeing Gu Sang staring at the screen,

    The ancient people became more active, jumping out one by one to speak.

    There were also young men and women shouting their support: "Divine Lady, we support you, you must fight against him to the end! Bah, such a man doesn''t deserve to be called a man, he''s a disgrace to us men."

    "I despise this kind of person the most in my life, only bullying women. If my daughter encountered such a thing, I would kill his entire family."

    "Divine Lady, that kick you gave him earlier wasn''t hard enough. You should have kicked him harder before the police arrived, to prevent him from harming other women for the rest of his life."

    Looking at the prizedments, Gu Sang felt very ufortable.

    She thought that in such matters, women should be more empathetic towards each other.

    But what she saw was many older women avoiding and fearing, while some younger girls and most men were angrily cheering.

    At this moment,

    Gu Sang finally understood why the little girl who had connected with herst time had such great determination to leave the vige where she had lived since childhood.

    It turned out she had mustered such great courage!

    Because in that long-oppressed vige, even women couldn''t empathize with women!

    So the girl had to save herself!

    Gu Sang took a deep breath to calm herself down, then spoke coolly: "I''ve always believed that as women, we should be more empathetic towards other women."

    "I''ve heard all your voices, and I''m quite surprised."

    "Most of the older people are advising me to downy this matter, to keep it tightly under wraps, while the younger ones are mostly angry and despise the scumbag''s behavior."

    "I''m wondering, have we been oppressed for so long that we''ve started to put shackles on ourselves?"

    "When such things happen, some people may mock and kick us when we''re down. This is unavoidable, whether in your time or in the future."

    "But if all of us women could empathize with each other, if parents truly loved their daughters, they would only understand and sympathize, apanying those who are suffering through that difficult time."

    "You''ve always thought it was the pointing fingers and gossip of the vigers that drove women to despair and suicide?"

    "It''s not. Often, the most hurtful knifees from family and friends!"

    "It''s the ridicule and cold eyes of those we care about most that be thest straw that breaks them! Not strangers, but family, friends! Parents!"

    As she finished speaking,

    Everyone seemed to have been hit by an iron hammer, their heads buzzing.

    Gu Sang''s words were like a hand from the heavens clearing away the clouds, removing the shadow over everyone''s heads, allowing the ancient women to see clearly the shackles on themselves.

    Yes.

    The Divine Lady seemed to be right.

    When Chen Yun was threatened, what was the first thing she worried about?

    Was it the pointing fingers of strangers?

    No!

    It was her parents!

    Her friends!

    Her rtives!

    Her colleagues!

    Those people she cared about.

    If at that time, Gu Sang hadn''t reached out to help her, if Gu Sang didn''t understand her and instead called her cheap and self-loathing, wouldn''t Chen Yun have been ruined?

    But Gu Sang didn''t. She told Chen Yun,

    "Darling, it''s not your fault. It''s the scumbag''s fault. You''ve done nothing wrong."

    "Don''t be afraid, don''t back down, don''tpromise, don''t give in. Be brave, I can help you!"

    "Give me a chance to help you walk out of this dark path!"

    The ancient women suddenly began to tremble in pain.

    Someone covered her face and cried heartbreakingly: "Haha, so that''s how it is. It turns out that the one who killed my daughter wasn''t anyone else, it was me! It was the ipetence of me, her mother!"

    "You''ve spoken so well,pletely expressing what''s in my heart. Actually, I don''t care what others say about me, but I''m afraid of my parents, my good friends looking at me with strange eyes. That''s what hurts me the most."

    "Wuwuwu, why do I only understand this now? But I''ve already lost my best friend, wuwuwu..."

    "Yes, we should understand the hardships of women better, how can we mock them! It''s not their fault! They''ve already been so brave!"

    "Is reputation really more important than life? Why should we bear the consequences of others'' mistakes?"

    Gu Sang watched as the men fell silent and reflected,

    While the women cried, struggled, and showed expressions of pain.

    Gu Sang understood in her heart.

    This one incident alone was not enough to make ancient womenpletely abandon their shackles.

    After watching this livestream, they might go home and have a good cry, but most women would forget about it the next day. They stillcked the courage to resist the gossip and rumors from the outside world.

    But that was alright. This would be a spark of fire, eventually leaving behind a glimmer of light.

    She would let this spark slowly illuminate the entire ancient world!

    Gu Sang spoke again: "During thest livestream, a brave girl connected with me. She asked me to make sure I told this to all women......"

 Chapter 160: We Help You, Accompany You

    <h4>Chapter 160</h4>

    "She wanted to convey a few words through me. She once had a cousin who was coerced. The cousin tried to resist, but the stubborn mindset and attitude of her family and friends around her made her afraid to take that step, which led her to end her own life at a young age."

    "After that, she realized that for girls of your era, the greatest support can onlye from yourselves, and only yourselves."

    "If you can''t take the first step to break free from your shackles, then the future you see in the livestreams will never be realized."

    "The gender equality and status of women in the future may well have been fought for by those women you mock, belittle, and consider shameless for being in the public eye! They were never disgraceful; they are heroes."

    "You are not alone in this world fighting a lone battle. In other ces, there must also be brave women struggling against the world, and there is always a ce that wees women to join!"

    "Perhaps one person''s struggle is small, but if everyone can change a little, the shackles ced on women will surely be broken!"

    Boom!

    Gu Sang''s words were like a thunderous explosion, reverberating in the hearts of every woman from ancient times, taking root and sprouting in their minds.

    One person''s struggle may be small, but what about thousands and millions of womenbined?

    Those who bravely stand up are worthy of respect!

    Because they are risking everything, staking it all for a chance at justice!

    "Bang!"

    A woman with tears streaming down her face fell to her knees in Gu Sang''s direction.

    "Divine Lady, thank you for setting an example for all of us women, and for awakening us! It turns out these shackles were put on by ourselves."

    "I''ve been harassed by a man from my vige, but I didn''t dare report it to the authorities or speak out. I could only torment myself day and night."

    "Divine Lady, you have guided us. I''ve decided to report it to the authorities!"

    "Before, I was afraid of rumors, but now I know that in other ces, there are women as brave as I am!"

    "Suddenly, I have the courage to face all kinds of usations against me."

    "I didn''t seduce anyone, I didn''t behave improperly, it''s not my fault, I did nothing wrong. Even if I end up battered and bloodied, I will prove myself!"

    Gu Sang''s thoughts stirred, and the System automatically adjusted to the area where this woman was located.

    Many people appeared on the screen before her.

    Gu Sang saw the looks on the faces of the people around the woman - some puzzled, some contemptuous, some sympathetic.

    Although they didn''t verbally attack her, those gazes were like sharp arrows piercing the woman.

    It really hurt the person involved, so much.

    A cold look shed across Gu Sang''s face as she spoke icily, "Don''t mock those braver than you, because the light they fight for with their lives will illuminate you too!"

    "You may not dare, you may not agree, you may be afraid, but please respect them and keep quiet!"

    "I said it before, she is using her future and destiny to do earth-shattering things. Her courage should be our pride, not our shame!"

    Indeed.

    Those hurtful words from earlier had already taken effect.

    Now that it was pointed out so bluntly again, the women from ancient times suddenly felt a sense of shame. They felt their blood pulsing wildly in their temples, as if something was about to burst out of their heads.

    At this moment, they understood!

    They were used to standing by and mocking those who were stubborn, but they had forgotten that those stubborn people were fighting for their interests too!

    It wasn''t just women fighting for their interests, but also the poor who had no ess to justice, those considered lowly and troublesome by the imperial court.

    What right did they have to mock others?

    Were they mocking others for being braver than themselves?

    Or were they mocking themselves for not seeing the situation clearly? If it weren''t for someone standing up to resist, the de of reality would have already cut them all down!

    This world needs some brave and persistent people.

    They had no right to mock anyone who was persistent and stubborn.

    Because they didn''t dare!

    "Bang!"

    "Bang!"

    "......"

    One after another, more and more people fell to their knees before Gu Sang.

    This kneeling wasn''t for the Divine Lady''s status!

    It was a sincere kneeling, as the Divine Lady had taught them some truths through the livestream.

    "Thank you, Divine Lady, for pointing out how terribly wrong I was."

    "Divine Lady, please rest assured, from now on when we encounter such things, we will definitely help. You''re right, these matters are closely rted to us, we shouldn''t mock brave people."

    "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Some people didn''t speak, they just sincerely kowtowed three times to Gu Sang.

    In New City, where the woman was located.

    A woman about the same age as her, with a conflicted expression, finally mustered up the courage. She took a deep breath and stepped forward to say to the woman:

    "Sister, I''ll go with you to report to the authorities. If anyone dares to mock you, I''ll scold them for you."

    "I''ll stay with you. At worst, we''ll bear the rumors together!"

    The women around them all reddened their eyes at this sight.

    Once the first person steps up, the second person bes braver.

    Women volunteered one after another, warmly saying, "I''ll go with you too. There''s strength in numbers."

    "The Divine Lady is right. You''re so brave, we shouldn''t mock you. I''m a real man, and as a man, I respect your courage! Come on, let''s all go together."

    "Good! If anyone dares to mock, I''ll teach them how to be a proper person."

    "Let the one who harassed you pay the price!"

    Seeing the ancient people''s thoughts gradually changing, she had livestreamed so many times and changed so many people. All these changes filled Gu Sang with emotion.

    At first, her mindset was indeed just toplete the task.

    But now, watching the women change step by step, using all their strength to seek redemption, she suddenly felt it had be meaningful.

    Just as she was about to close the video, the girl who had connected with her earlier appeared on the screen.

    The girl smiled at her, "Divine Lady, thank you! If my cousin''s spirit is in heaven, she would be very happy to see so many people changed because of her story."

    Gu Sang saw she was dressed in men''s clothing, carrying a backpack. Gu Sang spoke to wish her well: "Have a safe journey!"

    "Ding!"

    "The livestream room''s merit has reached fifteen million!"

    "Achievement reward unlocked. Please make your selection."

    As soon as Gu Sang ended her livestream, she received a message from the System.

    Initially, she didn''t have much of an emotional reaction to the increase in her merit points.

    That is, until¡ª

    Two options suddenly appeared before her.

    "Option One: Ancient Day Trip. You may bring three modern items back to ancient times. Each day spent there will deduct 100,000 merit points. You will automatically return to the present when time is up."

    Gu Sang''s typically calm andposed heart suddenly began to race wildly!!

 Chapter 161: A Day Trip to Ancient Times

    <h4>Chapter 161</h4>

    One million merit points for one day, now she had fifteen million in her hands.

    "Even if I spend it all, it''s only enough for half a month."

    "There were no cars in ancient times, and it would take several days just to travel to a nearby city. It seems I''ll have to choose the most important time to go, otherwise it would be a waste."

    And!

    She could also bring three modern items!

    If she could bring three modern items to the Princess, whether it was hybrid rice seeds, food, weapons, medical knowledge, or other information, it would surely be groundbreaking for the ancient world!

    It might even elevate the ancient era to a new level.

    She might even cause them to enter the era of firearms earlier because of her.

    Gu Sang suppressed her rapidly beating heart and looked at the second option.

    Boom!

    When she saw the second option, Gu Sang was stunned.

    The surprise came so suddenly that Gu Sang rubbed her eyes and read each word carefully.

    "Option Two: Three million merit points can resurrect Grandma!"

    Grandma!

    Gu Sang''s eyes moistened, and she eagerly called out to the system in her heart.

    "System, is it true? Can three million directly resurrect my grandma?"

    System: "Yes, please continue to work hard, host!"

    At this moment, even the cold, metallic mechanical voice seemed to carry warmth to Gu Sang''s ears.

    She was halfway to her goal of resurrecting her grandma.

    Grandma.

    Wait for me, I will definitely bring you back!

    As for the time to go to ancient times, she would choose the most important and crucial period when she was needed most. She even wanted to personally! Personally overthrow Pei Changying from the throne!

    -

    In the imperial pce, the night was as cool as water.

    Pei Changying looked at Consort Li, who had been brought in by the eunuch. Her eyes, like autumn waters, were now nervously looking at him.

    Just one nce from him made Consort Li tremble in fear.

    Pei Changying beckoned to Consort Li with his finger. She crawled over submissively and obediently. Pei Changying lifted her chin and arrogantlymanded:

    "From today on, you will be my personal pce maid. You must serve me at all times."

    Hearing this, Consort Li trembled even more violently.

    "p!"

    Pei Changying struck Consort Li''s face hard with his hand.

    In an instant, five finger marks appeared on Consort Li''s face.

    "I''m talking to you."

    Consort Li held back her tears and quickly crawled back in front of Pei Changying. "This ve obeys the imperial decree."

    Pei Changying viciously pinched Consort Li''s chin, with such force that it seemed he might crush her jawbone.

    Only when Consort Li cried out in pain did he say enigmatically, "You''re smart enough. It seems keeping you as my personal pce maid is better than killing you."

    "Remember, as long as Gu Sang doesn''t return, you won''t find release."

    "If you want to be free from me, you must pray day and night for Gu Sang''s return!"

    Consort Li, holding back tears, looked at the emperor before her whose face was twisted with cruelty. He was so cold and merciless that even a single nce would freeze her into an ice sculpture.

    A sense of hopeless death seemed to reach out with countless tendrils from the depths of the earth, threatening to drag her into eternal darkness.

    Perhaps she would never escape the emperor''s control in this lifetime.

    She thought despairingly, praying in her heart.

    ''Sister Sang, please don''te back!''

    ''This emperor is not a wise ruler at all!''

    ''He''s selfish and cruel,pletely unfit to be an emperor.''

    ''Sister Sang, Princess, don''t worry about me. If my life can be exchanged for your chance to attack the capital, then my life will have been worthwhile!''

    Consort Li knew that Pei Changying wouldn''t let the incident with Elder Sister Zhao happen again, so he wouldn''t give her any chance to seek death.

    But she had also made up her mind: she couldn''t die!

    She wanted to witness with her own eyes the day when the dog emperor''s empire would be usurped by the Princess!

    One day, she would see the dog emperor suffer just as she was suffering today.

    Each time after being tortured by Pei Changying, what kept Consort Li alive was her hatred for the dog emperor and her anticipation of the Princess''s rebellion.

    While torturing Consort Li, Pei Changying made his way to Xuyang Pce.

    He sat in what used to be Gu Sang''s room, drinking himself into a lovesick stupor.

    "Sang Sang, Sang Sang, when will you return to my side?"

    "You are the only one in my heart."

    "Sang Sang, be good, stop being angry with me."

    "I was too selfish, foolishly trying to make you like those women in the deep pce, wanting you to forever regard me as your sky. I was wrong, Sang Sang..."

    Only when he was in a drunken haze could Pei Changying see Gu Sang.

    The Gu Sang he saw when drunk was so gentle, caring for him, holding him in her arms...

    "Your Majesty, you''re drunk again."

    Has Gu Sange?!

    Pei Changying looked over with full of expectation, hoping to see Sang Sang''s face filled with worry and love? No, no, no, it wasn''t like that, Gu Sang would never look at him with such eyes.

    Gu Sang''s eyes had never held such intense love!

    In her eyes, there was only herself.

    It wasn''t Gu Sang!

    Pei Changying shook his head and looked again, finally seeing clearly that it was Gu Qingrou. For some reason, today Gu Qingrou was wearing clothes simr in color to what Gu Sang used to wear.

    "This ve greets the Empress." Consort Li also humbly shrank into a corner, kowtowing, her voice very small.

    However.

    Consort Li''s gaze at the Empress was extremelyplex.

    Pei Changying also came to his senses, a sh of disappointment crossing his face. "Oh, it''s you."

    "Qingrou,e, drink with me."

    Gu Qingrou walked over and sat down beside Pei Changying, reaching out to take the wine jar. She took a gulp and immediately started coughing and choking.

    Pei Changying seemed to see Gu Sang''s figure through Gu Qingrou.

    Years ago, Sang Sang had also worn clothes of this color, standing in the crowd while he hid in a corner watching her. She was radiant.

    As he gazed, Pei Changying became aroused.

    "Sang Sang, am I drunk?"

    "Why do I see youing back again? Please forgive me, will you? Forgive me, I love you!"

    Pei Changying embraced Gu Qingrou andy down on the bed, eagerly undressing her.

    Gu Qingrou closed her eyes, clearly understanding in her heart.

    The emperor had once again mistaken her for Gu Sang.

    She was a nobledy of the first rank, she was the empress of the country, she should proudly and firmly tell the emperor that he had mistaken her identity.

    But...

    But she still epted all of this humiliation.

    She loved Pei Changying, she couldn''t refuse any kindness from him, even if this kindness was stolen.

    Gu Qingrou held Pei Changying tightly, burying his face in her chest as she said softly through her tears, "Your Majesty, if it pleases you, I can be Gu Sang''s substitute for the rest of my life."

    "My wishes are modest. Just being by your side is enough for me."

    "Stop!"

    Pei Changying abruptly halted his movements. In the pitch-ck room, his eyes gleamed brightly.

    Substitute?

    Substitute!!!

    "Yes, how could I not have thought of using a substitute?"

    "If... if I can find her grandmother for her, she will return to my side."

 Chapter 162: Substitute Awakening of Li Pin

    <h4>Chapter 162</h4>

    Gu Qingrou asked, puzzled, "Isn''t your sister''s grandmother already deceased?"

    Pei Changying''s mind began to race. He shook his head, "No! ording to what I know, the reason Gu Sang is doing this livestream is for her grandmother."

    "Although I don''t know exactly what happened to Gu Sang''s grandmother, I can create a grandmother for Gu Sang!"

    The more Pei Changying thought about it, the more feasible this idea seemed.

    Even if Gu Sang were to find outter that this grandmother was fake, she wouldn''t be able to go back.

    He had seen a photo of Gu Sang with her grandmother during their previous video call.

    Finding someone who resembled Gu Sang''s grandmother wouldn''t be a problem at all.

    Consort Li, who was standing by the bedside attending to Pei Changying, heard every word of his n and her pupils contracted violently.

    How despicable!

    To use such a trick to lure Sister Sang back.

    She was desperate to tell Gu Sang about this.

    But she didn''t know how to contact Gu Sang at the moment, and being under Pei Changying''s constant surveince, she needed to find the right opportunity!

    Consort Li prayed silently in her heart, "Sister Sang, please don''t fall for this trap."

    "I will definitely find a way to help you!"

    "Consort Zhao has gone to seek freedom in the future world, she''s no longer here, but you still have me, I''ll help you!"

    -

    As Gu Sang had expected, the scumbag''s parents came to make trouble at Chen Yun''s rented apartment, but fortunately, Chen Yun had already moved in with Gu Sang.

    However, these parents did do one good thing.

    They went to Chen Yun''spany to cause a scene, and thepany, fearing trouble, expedited Chen Yun''s resignation approval.

    The scumbag''s case wasn''t tried publicly. It was said that when the verdict came down, he cried out in regret, kneeling before the judge in repentance.

    Regret?

    More like regretting not having gone further, allowing Gu Sang to find out!

    Chen Yun felt both sarcastic and relieved as she said, "Sang Sang, I might want to go back to my hometown to develop my career in a while."

    "This city has left me with too many memories I''d rather forget."

    "You must take good care of yourself."

    "Also, with your background being so good, you must keep your eyes wide open when looking for a boyfriend. Don''t let love blind you. Choosing the wrong person can really ruin half of your life."

    "Alright, whatever decision you make, I support you. Just make sure to tell me when you''re leaving." Gu Sang hung up the phone with a sigh.

    Gu Sang felt a bit reluctant inside.

    Although modern technology allowed them to call and video chat, being separated by distance would still make them feel sad and miss each other.

    "Buzz! Buzz!"

    The vibration of the phone pulled Gu Sang back from her feelings of reluctance.

    Gu Sang nced at the phone, it was Gu Qing calling.

    "My little darling, what''s up?"

    The voice on the other end replied shyly, "Are you free tomorrow? I have two tickets to the history museum... Don''t misunderstand, I originally had ns with a friend, but they stood me up. I thought it would be a waste to let the tickets go to waste..."

    "I mean, well, forget it! I..."

    Before Gu Qing could stammer out an excuse, Gu Sang readily agreed.

    "Sure, what time?"

    Gu Qing was three parts stunned, three parts delighted, and four parts proud, "Are you sure you want toe? Then, then how about 9 AM tomorrow, I''lle pick you up."

    "Okay."

    Hearing Gu Sang agree, Gu Qing''s eyes lit up with joy, as if she had won a million-dor lottery.

    No, she was even happier than winning a million dors.

    Gu Sang actually agreed to go to the history museum with her!

    Does this mean they''ll be spending the whole day together tomorrow?

    Gu Qing, who originally had no interest in history, suddenly started looking forward to tomorrow.

    After rejoicing for a while, Gu Qing suddenly realized she needed to quickly review her history, "Gu Sang''s studies have always been... just a tiny bit better than mine."

    "What if she asks me history questions tomorrow?"

    "Will I embarrass myself in front of her?"

    "No? Yes? No? Yes?! No, no, no!"

    Gu Qing rushed back to her room and started frantically studying history.

    Damn it!!

    Why won''t this history stick in my brain?!

    Gu Qing had only looked at one page and felt like she hadn''t learned a thing.

    Her eyes were seeing the words.

    But they, they, they just weren''t entering her head!

    Just as Gu Qing was scratching her head in frustration, Gu''s Mother''s voice rang out from downstairs, "Qing Qing, Young Master Lu is here to see you."

    Gu Qing, as if she had found a lifeline, flung open her door with a bang and shouted from the corridor, "Is it that super smart high achiever from the Lu family?"

 Chapter 163: Exposition of Five Thousand Years of History

    <h4>Chapter 163</h4>

    "Yes, it''s the one from Uncle Lu''s family, and he''s also your sister''s friend."

    "I''m in desperate need of help! Quick! Come up and teach me history."

    After Lu Mufei came up, he was immediately dragged to the room by Gu Qing for tutoring.

    The Lu family and the Gu family had business dealings, so the two families were considered acquainted.

    Especially after the incident of Gu Sang being kidnapped, Gu Qing and Lu Mufei had be much closer, and the two families grew even closer.

    "Aren''t you the one who hates history the most? The sun didn''t rise from the west today, did it?" Lu Mufei jokingly looked out at the sun and teased.

    "Cut the chatter and start teaching me history already."

    Gu Qing''s face was full of impatience.

    No one was going to stop her from spending time with Gu Sang!

    Lu Mufei shook his head with a smile: "History isn''t my strong suit. If you want to learn history, you should go to your sister. She''s the academic genius."

    "Then what are you doing here today? Ever since my sister stopped living at home, you''ve hardly evere over." Gu Qing nced at Lu Mufei.

    Her eyes seemed to say, "I know exactly what you''re thinking."

    Lu Mufei suddenly felt a bit awkward. He took a deep breath, and his expression suddenly became extremely serious, with a hint of nervousness.

    "Qing, I want to ask you for a favor."

    "Could you help me arrange to meet your sister tomorrow?"

    "I... I''ve liked her for a long time. I want to confess my feelings to her."

    After saying this, he looked at Gu Qing anxiously.

    Gu Qing: "!!!"

    Damn!

    That''s a lot of information to process.

    She took a moment to...

    No, wait, hadn''t she already noticed this guy had feelings for Gu Sang? Why was she even surprised?

    Never mind.

    She''d y it cool for now.

    Gu Qing''s face slowly took on a solemn expression as she looked down at him appraisingly: "You? My sister? You like her?"

    The Lu family and the Gu family were of simr social status. If the two were to marry, they wouldn''t suffer, nor would there be any issues of marrying into a single-child household. It could be considered a match of equal standing.

    Moreover, Lu Mufei didn''t have any bad habits, he treated Gu Sang well, and the two of them got along well in conversation.

    Gu Sang probably didn''t dislike Lu Mufei, right?

    After all, she had seen Gu Sang and Lu Mufei having meals together several times.

    Lu Mufei asked hopefully: "Qing, is it okay?"

    "When did you start liking my sister? And what do you like about her?"

    "How many girlfriends have you had before?"

    "Let me tell you, nowadays boys need to keep themselves pure. A man''s best dowry is his chastity. You haven''t had any one-night stands in the past, have you? And things like illegitimate children, those are absolutely uneptable."

    Of course, Gu Qing couldn''t agree immediately. She had to first make sure that Lu Mufei truly liked Gu Sang, and wasn''t just interested in her as a suitable marriage partner.

    Also, he needed to be loyal and devoted!

    Lu Mufei replied with a serious expression: "No, I was busy with my startup throughout college. I did try dating once back in school, but we only held hands before breaking up."

    "The first time I saw your sister, she was quietly reading in the garden. The sunlight fell on her, making her so radiant that I couldn''t take my eyes off her. It was love at first sight."

    "I love Sang''s resilience, her calmness, and her determined spirit..."

    What''s wrong with this guy?

    Why is he getting more and more mushy?

    And also!

    She had just managed to arrange to meet Gu Sang, and now this guyes to steal her time?

    He really has no sense of timing! Well, at least he has good taste.

    "Alright, alright, you talk too much!" As Gu Qing thought about it, her gaze towards Lu Mufei carried a hint of irritation, oh, and a little bit of hostility.

    She thought he wasing to help, but instead he''s here topete for her sister?

    Was it toote to tell him to get lost?

    "So, does that mean you agree?"

    Gu Qing chuckled: "Don''t even..."

    "Actually, I know you''ve never been very close with Sang, and you''re worried about bothering her. You had some conflicts when she was living with the Gu family for so long."

    "But in reality, Sang still likes you very much, and don''t worry, if you help me, I''ll definitely help you too. Sang has told me before that she doesn''t have any resentment or dissatisfaction towards your family. She just wants to live a good life now and also wants to improve her rtionship with you."

    "You were worried before that because she had been away for so long, aftering back to the Gu family, she would hate you for stealing her family affection, hate you for upying your parents'' love for so many years, and would resent you. But that''s not the case at all. She never even took it to heart back then..."

    Gu Qing''s mind was filled with thoughts like, "Actually, Sang still likes you very much."

    "If you help me, I''ll definitely help you too."

    "That''s not the case at all."

    "You can have a better rtionship with her then."

    Gu Qing put on a straight face and raised her hand, grasping Lu Mufei''s hand and shaking it vigorously twice with emotion: "You''re right, brother. From now on, you''re my brother."

    "I''ll make the noble sacrifice and help you arrange the meeting tomorrow."

    Gu Qing decided to put aside her hostility and wee the future friendlily. She told Lu Mufei about her ns to take Gu Sang to the history museum tomorrow.

    They added each other on WeChat so they could keep in touch.

    Gu Sang was unaware of all of this.

    The next day.

    Gu Qing, who usually slept until noon, rushed out of the house. At eight o''clock, she arrived at the foot of Gu Sang''s building. After having breakfast together outside, they headed to the history museum.

    On the way, Gu Sang opened the ancient live broadcast.

    The citizens of the gue-stricken city had been waiting early under the live broadcast screen. Seeing Gu Sang''s rxed face, seemingly in a better mood than usual, they all asked: "Goddess, where are you going?"

    "We heard from the Elder Princess yesterday that you were going to an important ce today, and she told those of us who are free toe and watch."

    "Yes, yes, what important ce?"

    Gu Sang faced the camera.

    Facing the citizens of more than a dozen cities.

    She spoke a sentence filled with natural pride: "A museum about historical figures!"

    "Our China has five thousand years of history. In the wheel of history, we are but a drop in the ocean."

    "But among them are politicians who left their names in the annals of history, poets of dazzling brilliance, generals of unwavering loyalty, empresses who dared to act for the world, and prodigies who amazed an entire era..."

    After Gu Sang announced that today she would be taking everyone to learn about history.

    Whether it was the court officials, the street vendors, or passersby, they all stopped in their tracks and looked up at the screen.

    They were all eager to explore the future.

    What would the future be like?

    A hundred years from now, would this country undergo a dynastic change...

    How did those awe-inspiring technologies and lifestyles of future generationse to be?

    "Stop!"

    The car halted in the parking lot in front of the History Museum.

    After getting out, Gu Sang first aimed the screen at the colossal structure behind her.

    As the camera gradually pulled back and rose, the first thing to catch the ancient people''s eyes was a building that seemed to shimmer with the luster of obsidian¡ªimposing yet refined.

    Upon hearing that it was about history, Pei Changying also allowed the ministers in the great hall to watch the live broadcast together, hoping they might glean some benefits from it.

 Chapter 164: Shocking, This is the History Museum

    <h4>Chapter 164</h4>

    Themon people were indeed a little shocked: "This is the history museum? It looks even better than those skyscrapers."

    "How did the future achieve this? A seemingly dark wood can actually shimmer with light, glistening like a ck gemstone under the sun. Oh my, I don''t know how to describe it, it''s just beautiful, that''s all."

    "Wow! Look, the shape of this history museum is actually like an open book! How did they manage that?"

    "What kind of craftsmen could create such an astonishing marvel for humanity?!"

    Amidst the exmations of the ancient people, Gu Qing took out two tickets for verification, and then the two of them entered the history museum.

    The screen immediately flew in front of Gu Sang, presenting the scene of the history museum to everyone.

    At the entrance, it was written: "The great river flows east, its waves washing away all traces of history''s notable figures."

    This single line of poetry, just by looking at it, stirred one''s heart and soul.

    After the live broadcast room was upgraded, Gu Sang only needed to spend five hundred merit points to exchange for a one-time text trantor.

    Although it was a bit pricey and single-use, its advantage was that whether it was oracle bone script, modern simplified Chinese, or English, it could be reced with text that the ancient people could understand.

    The history museum had five floors in total, and Gu Sang looked up floor by floor.

    "Xia Dynasty, Shang Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty......"

    "Goddess, are these the dynasties before your time?"

    "Why don''t I see our country, could it be......"

    A schr looked at the introduction above, which contained the development history of various countries, but their own dynasty was conspicuously absent.

    Not only did this schr notice this point, but almost all the ancient people watching the live broadcast noticed it too. They were eager to ask Gu Sang.

    "Yes, Goddess, why isn''t our current country here?"

    Faced with the intense gazes of the ancient people, Gu Sang calmly replied: "Because your world is fictional."

    "It doesn''t belong to any period in history."

    "Or you could say, the history of the future world I''m from and your country are two parallel timelines, equivalent to two worlds that can never ovep....."

    After hearing Gu Sang''s exnation, the crowd let out a long sigh of relief.

    Although they didn''t fully understand the Goddess''s words.

    What did she mean by fictional?

    And what was that parallel timeline thing?

    However, this didn''t prevent them from knowing that their country hadn''t been forgotten by history, it just didn''t belong to the history of Gu Sang''s world.

    Perhaps the current dynasty could still continue for hundreds of years, and that was enough!

    As for several hundred yearster, that wasn''t their concern anymore.

    Ever since Gu Sang started the live broadcast saying she would take everyone to visit the history museum, Pei Changying''s mood had been a mix of anticipation, nervousness, and a hint of reluctance.

    He very much wanted to know through Gu Sang what the final oue of his country was, exactly how many years it hadsted.

    But at the same time, he was afraid of hearing the words he least wanted to hear.

    He was afraid, afraid that the country would perish under his rule.

    If that were the case, how could he face the ancestors of the Pei family?

    Pei Changying, with a heart filled with three parts curiosity and seven parts anxiety, looked through the dynasties one by one.

    Just as he was about to stand up and ask Gu Sang why, among so many dynasties, the Pei family''s reign wasn''t written.

    And in the next second, he heard Gu Sang give an exnation.

    Pei Changying''s tight grip on the dragon throne suddenly loosened.

    Fortunately, the empire hadn''t changed hands!

    This, this meant that even Gu Sang didn''t know the course of history.

    Or was it that Gu Sang''s arrival here was to intervene in the course of history?

    Pei Changying fell into deep thought.

    "Wow! This painting is so good, the characters are lifelike, capturing the bustle and prosperity of the capital city."

    "It''s almost as if it''s alive, the people in it seem like they could move."

    "This ''Along the River During the Qingming Festival'' is excellent, excellent. The level of detail is astounding. I want to paint something like this too, to be remembered for ages."

    "The banquet in the painting looks so lively, it must be a banquet that only those official families could have. But why are those women so plump?"

    Under each dynasty, there was a disy screen. When people walked by, they could click y on the screen.

    It would then show the customs and life of that dynasty.

    Gu Sang noticed that the ancient people seemed more interested in the Tang and Song dynasties, so she first walked to the screen of the Song dynasty and clicked y.

    A scroll unfolded before the ancient people, and someone immediately recognized it as the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" that was marked on the wall earlier.

    The figures in the painting seemed toe to life.

    The sounds of hawkers, conversations, flowing water, and various other noises were continuous...

    A few secondster, the sky gradually darkened, but people on the street were stilling and going.

    Several officers came to a wonton shop on the street and ordered a few bowls of wontons.

    In the distance on theke, a light boat came rowing, the sound of oars disturbing a flock of gulls and egrets, which flew towards the moonlit sky.

    A woman held up a wine cup and sang:

    "As my interest wanes, I returnte in my boat, identally entering deep into the lotus flowers. Competing to cross,peting to cross, startling a sandbar full of gulls and egrets."

    Then the scene changed again, this time to a poet looking up at the moon, and he was heard reciting:

    "When will the moon be clear and bright? With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky..."

    "Men have sorrow and joy; they part or meet again; The moon is bright or dim and she may wax or wane. There has been nothing perfect since the olden days."

    "So let us wish that man will live long as he can! Though miles apart, we''ll share the beauty she disys."

    Each scene transitionsted for about ten seconds, leaving a deep impression while not feeling tedious, as if the viewers were transported into the scenes themselves.

    In just ten minutes of video,

    The ancient people saw the Song dynasty''s emphasis on culture over military might, and witnessed the process of the Song dynasty''s journey from prosperity to decline.

    Among them were generals who wanted to save the country from crisis, but were stopped by weak emperors, who even secretly passed information to the enemy, ultimately angering the generals to death.

    There were also generals who were executed on trumped-up charges, their bodies covered in bloody wounds from torture, but they never admitted to colluding with the enemy or betraying the country.

    In the final moment before being beheaded, they could only shout to the heavens: "Heaven sees all!"

    Only heaven knew whether they had truly betrayed their country or not!

    The crowd of ancient people wept uncontrobly, the weight of history pressing on everyone''s heart.

    Although the Song dynasty wasn''t their era, whether they were nobles ormoners, they all felt saddened by this.

    The Elder Princess, rarely showing emotion, shed tears. Her trembling lips revealed a tone of unwavering determination.

    "If they were born in this princess''s era, I would surely protect them!"

    "Those so-called peace negotiations, such humiliating rituals, trading our own people for temporary peace - I absolutely cannot do it!"

    "The current emperor executes loyal generals and virtuous officials, personally reciting self-incriminating edicts to the enemy to beg for peace. How shameful, how disheartening, how painful."

    "I will not let our heroes die in vain, their sacrifices forgotten!"

    Zhou Qichen and General Qin stood behind the Elder Princess. Hearing her impassioned words, they exchanged nces of trust as they gazed at her back.

    They believed that if the Elder Princess were in charge, those loyal ministers and capable generals would surely be protected!

 Chapter 165: Empress of the Tang Dynasty: The First Female Emperor

    <h4>Chapter 165</h4>

    If ites to that, we''ll fight to the death!

    We''ll defend our homnd to thest, never allowing the enemy to invade Central ins even by an inch.

    In the great hall, Pei Changying''s envious gaze pierced through the screen.

    He sneered and said acidly:

    "Tch, how can someone like that be emperor? He''s utterly useless, though he''d certainly win first ce in fleeing - the enemy would run their legs off trying to catch him."

    "It''s astounding that such a coward who fears death still has supporters."

    "To think that I, with my great talent and strategy, don''t have a single capable person under mymand. What a pity!"

    "Those ministers and generals were simply born in the wrong era!"

    The entire court of officials: ......

    Listen to that, does it sound like something a human would say?

    All the court officials asked themselves: if the country were to fall and their homes destroyed, every single one of them would step up to protect the Central ins, willing to die for the sake of the nation.

    Yet in the current emperor''s eyes, were they really just cowards afraid of death?

    Hearing the emperorment that the generals were born in the wrong time, the ministers felt both helpless and furious.

    The generals of the Song Dynasty simply encountered an emperor just like theirs!

    No matter how loyal the subjects are, suspicion is a trait of emperors throughout history.

    These rulers would never believe how loyal their subjects truly were; they onlymented about the loyal ministers and capable generals that other dynasties had...

    The ministers didn''t have the courage to voice these thoughts, but Gu Sang did. She dared to confront Pei Changying to his face.

    "Pei Changying, you''re no better than those Song Dynasty emperors, so you shouldn''t be pointing fingers."

    "When you said those words, did you ever consider how the civil and military officials in the great hall might feel? You''ve criticized them as worthless. Perhaps it''s time to look for problems within yourself."

    "If they''re all ipetent, then it means you, as the emperor, are ipetent. Maybe it''s time for someone else to take the throne."

    Pei Changying abruptly stood up, his eyes zing with anger.

    It was one thing to insult him in private; he loved her and was willing to indulge her.

    But now, in public, and under these circumstances, to openly rebuke her husband and emperor, to make him lose face and sow discord between ruler and subjects!

    Pei Changying''s eyes were bloodshot with rage: "Gu Sang, I''ve been patient with you time and time again. Don''t be so ungrateful."

    "Haven''t I been tolerant enough with you?"

    "I''ve sacrificed so much to bring you back, even going so far as to beg you."

    "If it were anyone else who defied me like this, I would have already executed their entire n."

    Gu Sang cut him off ruthlessly: "Don''t act so loving while being so cruel. Your kindness towards me is deadly; I don''t have the life to spare to endure it."

    Gu Sang walked towards another disy screen.

    From the corner of her eye, she noticed Gu Qing was distracted, seemingly texting someone.

    As Gu Sang approached, Gu Qing was startled and quickly hid her phone behind her back.

    Seeing that Gu Sang was only walking to the Tang Dynasty disy screen, Gu Qing breathed a sigh of relief and secretly took out her phone to continue messaging Lu Mufei.

    Before ying the Tang Dynasty video, Gu Sang gave a brief exnation to the ancient people.

    "The Tang Dynasty is widely recognized as one of the most prosperous eras in Chinese history. It was also a time when poets flourished, and popr works emerged in abundance. Moreover, the Tang Dynasty''s territory was vast..."

    "A line from the poet Wang Wei''s verse gives us a glimpse: ''The pce gates of heaven open wide, and envoys from all nations bow before the emperor''s crown...''"

    Hearing Gu Sang''s mention of the Tang Dynasty and her description of its golden age, the ancient people''s eyes sparkled with longing.

    Just from the description above, themon people felt their blood boiling with excitement.

    "I can''t even imagine how wealthy the Tang Dynasty must have been, how vast its territory was, with all the surrounding countries, big and small, submitting to it. That scene must have been magnificent."

    "How is it possible? The Xiongnu were so formidable; how could there be a country that could subdue them?"

    "I can''t understand. If the Tang Dynasty favored civil officials, how could they defeat the fierce Xiongnu? But if they favored military leaders, the goddess said there were so many poets. I can''t imagine how a country could excel in both civil and military affairs. How did they achieve this?"

    "Haha, I''m even more curious about how such a mighty Tang Dynasty eventually fell."

    The spectators watching the livestream all discussed animatedly.

    Their eyes were filled with curiosity.

    The ministers in the great hall were even more intrigued.

    Gu Sang interrupted everyone''s spections and continued: "The Tang Dynasty had another groundbreaking achievement - China had its first female emperor in history!"

 Chapter 166: Is There Really a Woman Who Became Emperor

    <h4>Chapter 166</h4>

    "In fact, throughout history, there have been many empresses, empress dowagers, and great politicians with first-ss political acumen, but they never truly stepped into the spotlight."

    "Only Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty actually took the step to be a female emperor!"

    Boom!

    Everyone present, including the citizens of the gue-stricken city, stood stock-still as if struck by lightning, their minds going nk.

    What had they just heard?

    A female emperor?!

    The first female emperor in history?

    Some women covered their mouths, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief, whispering, "A female emperor... Can a woman really be an emperor?"

    The men''s emotions cycled through shock, anger, and doubt as they all turned to look at Gu Sang.

    The reaction of the ministers in the great hall was even more extreme. They immediately burst into curses, their eyes full of opposition: "Outrageous! Preposterous! This is utterly absurd!"

    "Since ancient times, when has there ever been such a thing as a female emperor?"

    "Instead of staying at home to support their husbands and raise children, how could women be emperors? No wonder the country would fall! This must be the fault of that female emperor!"

    "Yes, a woman bing emperor would be theughingstock of all people."

    Compared to the ministers'' anger, themon people were skeptical and found it hard to ept.

    They held thousand-year-old traditional beliefs in their hearts. In their minds, women were weak,cked a big-picture perspective, and could never rise above men.

    A female emperor?

    It was unthinkable!

    All the citizens stared wide-eyed at Gu Sang on the screen, wanting to seek confirmation from her, to ask if what she had just said was true.

    Or rather, they wanted to ask how a female emperor could possiblymand respect and obedience!

    But Gu Sang''s next words were like a p in the face to all the ministers and citizens, stinging sharply.

    She said, "Whether man or woman, as long as one has great ambition and cares for the world, how can they not bring blessings to the people? How can the capable not be allowed to take charge?"

    "Must it always be that men work outside and women inside the home?"

    "Some of you have seen life in future times, witnessed the bravery of women, seen how they selflessly devote themselves to the world, and how they fight and sacrifice everything for the peace of future generations. Do you dare say such women are inferior to men? Do you dare say they are only fit to stay at home and bear children?"

    "Think carefully, who defined the idea that women cannot ascend to the throne and should be confined to their homes? On what grounds was it defined? Born as humans, why can men do things that women cannot? Why can you men achieve great things while they can''t even leave the house, and are scolded even for trying to do a little business? Are they truly incapable, or is it simply because they are women, and just because they are women, they deserve to be oppressed?!"

    As her words fell, everyone was stunned.

    They opened their mouths, with countless rebuttals ready¡ªwanting to say that womenck physical strength, that women can''t study, that women are this or that.

    But as the words reached their lips, they all froze.

    Because¡ª

    Women mightck physical strength, but that''s only because they''re confined to their homes and can''t go out.

    But those working in the fields, farming, carrying firewood until they''re exhausted¡ªtheir physical strength isn''t necessarily much worse than men''s!

    Education?

    Is it that they don''t want to study?

    No, they can''t!

    It was decreed that for women,ck of talent is a virtue! And who knows who came up with such a saying!

    In the end, it was the rules that oppressed them, preventing them from ever rising up! But they themselves are capable of bing excellent, they can be very excellent indeed!

    Just like in future times, so many "angels in white" (nurses), so many women dedicating themselves to the people¡ªhow are they inferior in any way!

    Seeing the citizens'' minds racing at that moment, Gu Sang spoke again:

    "So let''se back to this: is a female emperor necessarily ipetent? As long as she has strategy and skill, a broad perspective, cares for the world, and can provide a good life for everyone, with food and clothing assured¡ªisn''t that much better than having an ipetent man as emperor?"

    "What''s the main concern for usmon people?"

    "It''s to live a good life, to have a good standard of living, to have enough to eat, to have peace, to keep getting better and better!"

    "It''s not about the emperor having to be a man, as if you couldn''t survive without a male emperor, as if everything would be ruined and you''d all die if the emperor wasn''t a man. Don''t you agree?"

    As her words fell¡ª

    The entire ce fell silent!

    Everyone was moved!

    Because they realized with shock that this damn divine woman made some sense!

    In the gue-stricken city, all the citizens looked at the Elder Princess with grateful and trusting eyes. She had saved their lives and given them a livelihood. Without her, they would have long been abandoned by the emperor.

    When their very lives were at stake, who cared whether the emperor was male or female?

    In the hearts of the gue city''s citizens, they had already epted the reality of a female emperor.

    Moreover, they believed that if the Elder Princess became emperor, she would certainly be stronger than the current emperor!

    "Thud"

    The first person began to kneel, and the citizens behind them spontaneously knelt as well.

    "Long live the Elder Princess! Long may she reign!"

    "All I know is that the current emperor abandoned our gue-stricken city. The current emperor is unworthy of his position. It was the Elder Princess''s arrival that brought us a good life!"

    "If she wishes to be emperor, then wemon people will honor her as our emperor!"

    "Long live the Elder Princess!"

    Seeing this scene in the gue-stricken city, a smile tugged at Gu Sang''s lips.

    Everything she had done was worth it.

    In fact, themon people are quite simple. When ites to the big picture, they know who to follow to live a good life.

    Does it really matter if it''s a man or a woman? After seeing so many videos from the future, their thoughts had begun to change. Maybe it wasn''t so important after all.

    Seeing that the citizens from other cities remained silent, Gu Sang began to y videos of the Tang Dynasty for the ancient people.

    As they watched, the citizens were stunned.

    They discussed among themselves: "Heavens, so these are Tang Dynasty women. They look so confident."

    "Look, there are women wearing foreign clothes and riding horses for fun. Could Tang Dynasty women really go out? And they could even wear men''s clothing."

    "Wow, this is the Tang Dynasty capital. It''s so prosperous and grand."

    "Look, foreigners are entering the city. They''re going to pay respects to the sovereign."

    "Whoa, this... this is the aura of a female emperor. Such intimidating majesty! Just one look from her makes me feel like I should kneel. Who says women can''t have the same aura as men! This is far more imposing than many high officials!"

    "So there really were precedents of women bing emperors. Viewed this way, the Elder Princess''s desire to... isn''t without reason."

    When ancient women saw the women of the Tang dynasty, they were filled with intense envy. These Tang women exuded confidence from within, radiating it outwardly as they walked down the streets.

    The women of Tang were like magnificent peonies - self-assured and spirited, graceful yet bold. They had none of the coy affectations typical of women. They could drink with men in taverns and join them in horseback riding and hunting.

    Even their revealing attire could not conceal the confidence that emanated from these Tang women, inside and out.

 Chapter 167: The Imperial Courtâ€™s Jade Liquid Wine

    <h4>Chapter 167</h4>

    Just as everyone had not yet awakened from the prosperity and splendor of the Tang Dynasty, they witnessed history suddenly change, and the entire country began to fall into turmoil.

    They had never experienced historical transitions, yet today they witnessed firsthand how two dynasties went from prosperity to decline.

    The weight of history pressed on everyone''s hearts, making them feel heavy.

    Although this was not their own history, they couldn''t help but weep when they saw the fall of a nation. At this moment, sorrow was universal.

    "How could such a powerful and prosperous country also be destroyed? Is there no country that can rule for thousands of years?"

    "If only I could be born in the Tang Dynasty in my next life. Women''s status was so high in the Tang Dynasty, I''m so envious."

    "Pfft, I''d rather be born in the future. Women''s status is even higher in the future, and they can even have freedom in love."

    "So women can really be emperors. It seems that having a woman as emperor isn''t bad at all. At least that Wu Zetian seemed pretty good and even ushered in a golden age."

    "Yeah, the main thing is that when she became emperor, she didn''t oppress men or force them to stay indoors or anything like that. Men were still happy too. It''s a win-win situation!"

    Gu Sang, hearing that people were no longer so opposed to the idea of a female emperor, felt very gratified.

    This trip to the history museum was worth it!

    In fact, many ancient people were resistant to the idea of a woman bing emperor partly because it had never happened in history, and it was seen as going against ancestral teachings.

    Another reason was their longstanding belittlement of women, believing that women would only act on emotions and that the country might end up in anyone''s hands.

    But when they learned that there was actually a female emperor in history, and that she had aplished quite a lot, their stubborn ideas were finally broken.

    They realized that as long as the right person was chosen, it wasn''t impossible for a woman to be emperor.

    At least, it would be much better than those wastrel emperors of the Song Dynasty!

    Those Song Dynasty wastrel emperors were not only useless but also seriously held the country back. If it had been Wu Zetian from the Tang Dynasty instead, the Jingkang Incident probably wouldn''t have happened.

    Seeing all the ancient people deep in thought, Gu Sang spoke again:

    "There have been many excellent women in history. Perhaps you haven''t noticed them, or perhaps they were hidden behind men. They didn''t fight or grab for power, but they made outstanding contributions to the country."

    "Their entire lives are summed up in just a few lines in the history books, but some of their ideas on governing the country are still being used even inter generations..."

    "Of all the countries in history, every single one went from prosperity to destruction. The root cause was always that those in high positions didn''t care about the poormon people. They fought for power and profit, only wanting to keep power firmly in their grasp."

    "To change this, we must start from the fundamentals, from our concepts. The world is constantly progressing, and those outdated, inappropriate concepts should be discarded."

    "In a couple, must the man always be superior? Perhaps if women were given a chance, they could prove through their actions that they have the ability to earn money, no worse than men."

    "Must the position of emperor always be held by a man? I think this idea should also be changed!"

    "The imperial throne should be upied by someone capable who cares for the world! Actually, the Princess is very suitable. She not only discovered sweet potatoes and potatoes but also personally handled epidemics and disasters. You must have all heard about these things. I believe she will lead this country to prosperity!"

    "Crack!"

    In the great hall, Pei Changying gripped too hard, breaking off a corner of the dragon throne.

    He roared in anger, like an abandoned, helpless wild beast cub.

    He was afraid.

    Panicked.

    He began to feel uneasy, even using anger to cover up his fear: "Gu Sang! How dare you bewitch my subjects right in front of me."

    "I''ve already admitted my mistakes. Why are you being so cruel?"

    Oh, oh, oh, wrong, wrong.

    Back then in Xuyang Pce, when he pushed her away and said if she wanted to die, she could go ahead and die, he didn''t seem to show any signs of admitting his mistakes.

    It''s only now that she can threaten him!

    He''s starting to regret it.

    Gu Sang''s face showed disgust: "Just because you admitted your mistakes, do I have to forgive you? If you had kept your promise, my grandmother wouldn''t have disappeared trying to save me."

    "Pei Changying, I''ll tell you one more time!"

    "I will never forgive you. Put away that self-righteous deep affection of yours."

    That day''s thoughts once again surfaced in Pei Changying''s mind.

    Grandmother!

    He knew it, Gu Sang really cared about her grandmother.

    His eyes flickered, and he asked calmly: "If I could help you find your grandmother, would you be able to forgive me?"

    "Heh, believing your words, I''ve been stupid enough to do that once. Oh no, I never really believed you at all. I only had to because the task required it, I had no choice but to believe you."

    "My grandmother''s matter has nothing to do with you! Don''t try any tricks!"

    Gu Sang rejected Pei Changying without even thinking. Before, she had to help Pei Changying because she had no choice.

    Because Pei Changying was the chosen one recognized by the System, designated to ascend the throne, she had to pretend to be Pei Changying''s virtuous helper, assisting him in handling various matters big and small.

    Even though she understood Pei Changying''s character and knew he was most ungrateful, with the System watching, she couldn''t do anything detrimental to him.

    Moreover, she didn''t care about power or status at all. She wanted to go home, she really just wanted to go home!

    Otherwise, when Gu Sang noticed something was wrong, she could have nned her escape while Pei Changying''s foundation was still unstable. She could have taken control of power andpleted the task long ago!

    But a task is a task because it has many restrictions.

    However, it''s better now. The task is simply to livestream to ancient people and earn merit. This task is much broader and allows for free choice in who to help.

    "Gu Sang, regarding your grandmother''s matter, I owe you and her. So this time, whether you believe me or not, I will do my best to help you find your grandmother."

    Pei Changying''s heartfelt confession was met with Gu Sang turning her back on him.

    What nonsense.

    Even a dog wouldn''t listen.

    Still talking about whether to believe or not?

    Only a fool would believe that a man who had betrayed her once would eventually treat her wholeheartedly!

    Suddenly.

    Gu Qing''s voice rang out: "Gu Sang, if you don''t say something soon, I''m going to think you''ve time-traveled. Do you know how long you''ve been staring at this floor? A whole hour."

    "Hey, you haven''t been possessed, have you?"

    Gu Qing walked over and waved her hand in front of Gu Sang''s face.

    Gu Sang calmly brushed aside Gu Qing''s hand. "Let''s go. We''ll take a look upstairs."

    Gu Qing, who enjoyed watching short videos, was reminded of novel plots she had seen. Stories about touching ancient artifacts and time-traveling, or souls transmigrating and possessing bodies. These thoughts made her imagination run wild.

    She fixed Gu Sang with a mock-serious stare and asked, "Study science and math well, whates next?"

    Gu Sang: ???

    Gu Qing''s gaze grew increasingly suspicious. "It''s a code phrase! How can a bookworm like you not know the next line? Okay, then what follows ''Pce Jade Nectar Wine''?"

    Gu Sang: "......"

 Chapter 168: The Senior Confessed to Me

    <h4>Chapter 168</h4>

    Gu Qing: "If you can''t match that, I''ll seriously suspect you''ve been body-snatched."

    Gu Sang: "Master math, physics, and chemistry, and you''ll fear nothing in the world."

    "Imperial jade liquor, one hundred and eighty per ss."

    Gu Qing stared into Gu Sang''s eyes for several seconds before looking away, wearing an expression that suggested she thought herself a little genius. "Correct, you''re still Gu Sang, not body-snatched after all."

    Gu Sang: "......"

    Having finished viewing the Tang Dynasty''s history, Gu Sang and Gu Qing walked up to the topmost floor.

    The ancientmoners and officials all widened their eyes, ready to see the history of the next dynasty. However, they were surprised to find a box tied with a bunch of balloons at the entrance.

    What were these colorful floating things?

    All the ancient people were extremely curious.

    Gu Qing walked over, pretending to look shocked, and then pointed at the box: "Gu Sang,e quick! It has your name on it."

    Gu Sang finally lowered her head to look at the box, only to see three words written on it: "For Gu Sang!"

    Receiving a gift unexpectedly in the history museum? Gu Sang found it strange no matter how she thought about it.

    Seeing Gu Sang frowning in confusion with no intention of opening the gift, Gu Qing grew anxious. Why wasn''t her sister following the script?

    At this crucial moment, it was up to her to take action.

    Gu Qing grabbed the box and held it out to Gu Sang: "Well... I have no idea what''s going on here, I swear this isn''t from me."

    "You, you should open it and take a look."

    Gu Sang looked at the guilty-looking Gu Qing with aplex expression.

    Judging by that look, it was clear that this gift definitely had something to do with Gu Qing, and not just a little.

    To avoid spoiling the mood, Gu Sang very cooperatively opened the box.

    Inside the boxy a pair of crystal shoes.

    The crystal shoes weren''t some cheap online purchase. At a nce, Gu Sang could tell these were custom-made and couldn''t be found anywhere else on the market.

    Such custom-made items, due to their high price, were each a unique creation.

    Gu Sang silently closed the box and carried it a few steps forward.

    Around the corner stood a woman holding a rose.

    As she got closer, she realized it was Chen Yun, who was looking at her with a smile of blessing and congrattions, sincerely saying, "Sang Sang, I wish you happiness."

    Chen Yun smiled as she handed the rose to Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang reached out to take it, feeling confused, surprised, and perplexed all at once. "Yun, didn''t you say you were going back to your hometown? Why are you here?"

    Chen Yun smiled with genuine well-wishes: "Before I leave, I wanted to witness your happiness. Sang Sang, there are more surprises ahead, keep going forward."

    Gu Sang didn''t feel surprised at all, just increasingly bewildered.

    She could only be pulled along by Gu Qing to continue forward. Not far ahead stood another person holding a rose.

    Gu Sang vaguely recognized her as a ssmate from her ss.

    For the next stretch of the path, Gu Sang saw her good friends taking turns to appear, even middle school ssmates hade.

    It was also strange that Gu Sang had rtively few friends, and it took some effort to gather just 11 of them.

    The ancient cameras livestreaming followed Gu Sang''s figure towards the end, where Lu Mufei was seen holding a bouquet of red roses, kneeling on one knee to confess to her.

    "Gu Sang, I like you!"

    "From the moment I first saw you, it was love at first sight. Will you be my girlfriend?"

    Lu Mufei said these words very carefully and nervously, gripping the flowers tightly in his hand, gazing at Gu Sang with an intense look.

    Before Gu Sang could say anything, the surrounding friends and ssmates immediately started to create an atmosphere, pping and shouting:

    "Say yes!"

    "Sang Sang, say yes to him!"

    Chen Yun stood to Gu Sang''s left front, watching Lu Mufei''s carefully prepared confession ceremony for Gu Sang with eyes full of envy.

    For this confession, Lu Mufei had gone to great lengths to find the contact information of their ssmates, inviting them to be witnesses, and even reimbursing all their travel and amodation expenses.

    Chen Yun suddenly remembered that she had no ceremony at all when she agreed to be with that scumbag.

    Comparing the two, it was clear to see the difference between true feelings and false intentions.

    Back then, the scumbag was tutoring her in the ssroom after school. Seeing that they were alone, he had cornered her against the wall and asked if she wanted to be his girlfriend.

    Chen Yun was nervous at the time, but somehowter, rumors spread in the ss that she and the scumbag were a couple, and as the rumors spread, they just ended up together.

    She had never cared about the ceremony of confessing, and even often saw posts online saying that girls who demanded such ceremonies were being pretentious.

    But seeing Lu Mufei confess to Gu Sang, she suddenly understood.

    It turns out that if a man truly loves you, he will confess to you solemnly and sincerely.

    Not with a perfunctory confession.

    A rtionship that begins perfunctorily will only end perfunctorily.

    Chen Yun''s lips curved into a smile, revealing a mix of bitterness and envy.

    The gaze of all the court officials suddenly turned to Pei Changying.

    Such a romantic and thoughtful confession, wouldn''t any woman agree?

    But, but Gu Sang was the Emperor''s woman, she was the Noble Consort! How could she ept someone else''s affection and love in front of the Emperor?

    Sure enough, the next second, Pei Changying suddenly stood up, his whole body filled with a violent and furious aura, shouting at Gu Sang:

    "Gu Sang, you can''t!"

    "We won''t allow it!"

    "You are Our woman, if you dare to ept him, We, We will..."

    "You can only be Ours, you have served Us for seven years! We order you to reject this man immediately, now!"

    Pei Changying wanted to threaten Gu Sang with methods like exterminating nine ns, killing Consort Li, sending troops to raze the gue City, and so on, but in the end, he realized none of these would work.

    The Gu family was different from the Zhao family.

    Without a good reason or excuse, he simply couldn''t exterminate the Gu family''s nine ns, otherwise, the court would surely fall into chaos.

    As for Consort Li, those consorts in the harem were strangers to Gu Sang, so this threat held no weight.

    And as for razing the gue City, he simply couldn''t do it now.

    In the end, Pei Changying could only plead with Gu Sang, hoping she might still have some feelings left for their past rtionship as husband and wife: "Sang Sang, We were wrong, We know We''ve wronged you, please don''t ept him, alright?"

    Zhou Qichen, in the gue City, was feeling very conflicted at this moment.

    He knew that Gu Sang wasn''t from this ce and wouldn''te back here again.

    But he didn''t want to see Gu Sang ept another man. A trace of unwillingness and uneptability in his heart was at work, and he didn''t want to think about what would happen next.

    Zhou Qichen opened his mouth, wanting to speak and persuade Gu Sang to think it over carefully, not to rush into agreeing.

    However, as his lips moved, General Qin beside him seemed to guess his inner thoughts and gave his shoulder a forceful pat.

    The impactden pat instantly brought Zhou Qichen back to his senses.

    "Old Zhou, Miss Gu deserves to be happy! This man seems to be genuinely caring towards her."

    "Besides, women are meant to marry and have children eventually. Miss Gu isn''t getting any younger either - she''s already twenty-one or twenty-two. It''s about time she found someone to spend the rest of her life with."

 Chapter 169: Refusing Confessions, I Prefer Myself More

    <h4>Chapter 169</h4>

    Zhou Qichen lowered his eyes and smiled bitterly, withdrawing his gaze from the live stream. "Yes, she deserves happiness."

    In truth, his feelings for her had been genuine.

    He, too, had fallen in love with Gu Sang at first sight.

    But s, he had lost to Pei Changying back then.

    And now, he had lost to this man called Lu Mufei.

    Each time, he was held back by an invisible barrier.

    Last time, it was authority!

    This time, it was the gulf of distance, the helpless abandonment of different times and spaces!

    Among all the ancient people watching the live stream, except for Pei Changying who didn''t want Gu Sang to ept Lu Mufei, everyone else harbored the hope that Gu Sang could find happiness, silently cheering in their hearts: Divine Lady, say yes to him!

    As for Gu Sang, the focus of attention, she gazed at the enthusiasm in Lu Mufei''s eyes as he expressed his most sincere feelings for her, word by word.

    She had never imagined that Lu Mufei had liked her for so many years.

    But...

    She didn''t want to date, marry, or have children. Or rather, she was still so young that she didn''t want to consider these things at all!

    A thousand words rolled on Gu Sang''s tongue. She took a deep breath and decisively ced the eleven red roses on the gift box, then stepped back.

    "Senior Lu, thank you for your affection, but I''m sorry!"

    As soon as she spoke¡ª

    The entire ce fell into dead silence.

    The cheering of friends and ssmates came to an abrupt halt.

    The smile on Lu Mufei''s face froze, turning into disbelief and fear. Finally, he asked with a trembling voice, "W-why? Sang Sang, am I not good enough?"

    Gu Sang shook her head and said sincerely, "You''re wonderful. As a friend, as a confidant, you''re great. The problem lies with me."

    "I''m not even twenty-two yet. I''m still very young. There are so many things I haven''t tried, experiences I haven''t had. I prefer freedom, and I want to achieve self-realization."

    "I''m afraid of marriage and children, afraid of integrating into another family, afraid of dealing with various interpersonal rtionships, afraid of marital disputes and ipatibility, and most of all, afraid of losing myself."

    "I''m sorry!"

    Gu Sang''s rejection undoubtedly caught everyone off guard.

    Hiding behind the great hall, Gu Qingrou bit her handkerchief, worrying that Gu Sang might still have feelings for the Emperor in her heart, which was why she rejected other men''s advances.

    She recalled hearing storytellers say that some people are destined for a love-hate rtionship. Could it be that the Emperor and Gu Sang were such a pair?

    Zhou Qichen, however, inexplicably felt relieved, while at the same time feeling regretful about Gu Sang''s rejection. The human heart is indeedplex.

    Wanting you to be happy, yet unable to bear seeing you truly happy.

    The Elder Princess recalled her previous discussion with Gu Sang about views on love, and smiled knowingly. "Sang Sang, whatever you choose, I support you. I believe that with your abilities, no matter which direction you choose, you won''t live a poor life."

    With Gu Sang''s capabilities, even if she chose not to date or marry, she would still manage her life well into old age, without ending up miserable.

    "Hahaha! Well rejected!"

    "Sang Sang, you indeed still have Us in your heart."

    "Although you usually don''t show Us a kind face, your heart still leans towards Us." The only excited person present was Pei Changying, whoughed while pping the table.

    Gu Sang couldn''t stand Pei Changying''s smugness, nor his confidence and certainty.

    She directly interrupted his fantasy: "Pei Changying, my rejection of him has nothing to do with you."

    Pei Changying still maintained his ''I''m not listening, not listening, these are all Sang Sang''s excuses, you just can''t forget me, you like me the most''cent attitude.

    Gu Sang couldn''t be bothered to deal with him anymore.

    Lu Mufei was still kneeling on the ground. Seeing Gu Sang turn to leave, he anxiously called out, "Sang Sang, I''m sincere!"

    "Besides, humans are social animals. You can''t live alone for your entire life."

    "You love freedom, and I won''t restrict your freedom. You prefer simple interpersonal rtionships, and I promise my parents won''t bother you. I won''t make you interact with circles you don''t belong to. I can do the things you like with you."

    Gu Sang shook her head, "That''s not fair to you. Dating should be rxed and enjoyable. Your likes shouldn''t just follow mine, and you shouldn''t lose yourself."

    "Moreover, this isn''t the main reason."

    Some ssmates around showed puzzled looks, wanting to step forward and persuade Gu Sang.

    Don''t let such a good man go!

    In this era where only material things seem to matter, finding a man who truly loves you, who is wealthy and good-looking, is such a blessing.

    If it were them, they would surely hold on tight.

    "Gu Sang¡ª"

    "Let''s go. This is between them. Let''s go downstairs and take a look."

    Chen Yun stepped in, interrupting those who wanted to persuade Gu Sang.

    She envied Gu Sang for having Lu Mufei''s sincere love, but she understood better that Gu Sang was strong and brave, with a different outlook on life from hers.

    So although Chen Yun didn''t understand, she respected Gu Sang''s choice.

    Just as Gu Sang trusted her unconditionally.

    After everyone left, the rooftop was left to Gu Sang and Lu Mufei.

    Lu Mufei still looked at Gu Sang with passionate sincerity, trying once more: "Sang Sang, I''m willing, so I won''t feel it''s unfair. Give me a chance to take care of you, or we can give it a try? Maybe you''ll gradually get used to it."

    "You said this isn''t the main reason, so is the main reason that you''re afraid of having children? With today''s medical standards, you don''t need to be afraid. No matter what happens, I''ll be by your side."

    "If it reallyes to it, I can choose not to have children."

    Gu Sang still firmly shook her head.

    It''s impossible to choose not to have children.

    With the Lu family''s billions in assets, his parents wouldn''t agree. Moreover, a person''s preferences are what they are. Even if he makes a choice against his will out of love now, what if he falls out of love in the future?

    When he no longer loves, he will still choose to go in the direction he likes.

    So Gu Sang was very clear about what she wanted.

    She revealed a gentle smile, yet it was so distant that it made people afraid to approach: "I''m sorry, Senior!"

    "I still can''t do it, and many rtionships can''t be changed just because I insist. I see things too clearly."

    "You''re several years older than me. After epting your love, you''ll definitely be pressured to marry. Marriage means having children, after one childes the second, then it''s all about raising kids. I''m still so young, what about my dreams?"

    "Perhaps due to my harrowing experiences over the past few years, I deeply cherish my life and freedom. In our great nation of China, despite our advanced medical techniques and healthcare, nearly 800-1000 women die daily during childbirth. I know this number is small, and it''s unlikely to happen to me personally."

    "However, pregnancy causes irreversible damage to a woman''s body. Mothers undeniably invest more time and effort in childcarepared to fathers, which inevitably impacts their personal lives and careers significantly. This reality cannot be changed."

    "I also fear enduring the hardships of a ten-month pregnancy. I''m scared of getting stretch marks on my belly, of urinary incontinence, of surgical procedures, of hair loss, of depression, of injections. I''m afraid of constantlypromising for the sake of the child, of being awakened by a baby''s cries in the dead of night, of not being understood by others. I fear all the potentialplications, but most of all, I''m terrified of losing myself."

 Chapter 170: You Will Definitely Change When You Get Old

    <h4>Chapter 170</h4>

    "Don''t tell me that every woman needs to go through all this. I don''t believe that. I think there''s nothing in this world that''s absolutely necessary, except for me to live safely and happily. This applies to both men and women."

    "We can all choose not to get married or have children, and always put ourselves first."

    Lu Mufei opened his mouth, wanting to say something but unable to refute.

    Just as Gu Sang said, she saw through everything.

    So clearly that before even taking the first step, she had already thought of all the consequences and unexpected events, already understanding that love cannot stay fresh forever.

    She said she wanted her own self more.

    She was afraid ofpromising herself.

    "But Sang Sang, don''t you think that seeing through everything so clearly makes it hard to find happiness? The more you know, the more afraid you be of seeking true love and marriage."

    "Sometimes it''s better to live life in a bit of a muddle, turning a blind eye to some things. After all, life is only so long."

    "If every woman saw through things like you do, I''m afraid no one would need to get married or have children. And your current thinking, when you get older, it will definitely change." Lu Mufei tried to persuade her onest time.

    But this time.

    Gu Sang''s answer was more decisive.

    To be precise, it was colder and more ruthless: "Senior, you''re wrong."

    "That''s not called living in a muddle, that''s self-deception."

    "What I hope for is that after a girl clearly knows all these consequences she has to face, after knowing all these unexpected events that marriage might bring, she can still meet a man for whom she''s willing to do all this, still have the courage to step into marriage. That kind of happiness is true happiness."

    "One should see through the essence of marriage and be willing, rather thanpromising step by step while being kept in the dark."

    "Moreover, you haven''t experienced what I have. Why are you so one hundred percent sure that I''ll change when I''m old? I will never choose topromise, unless I''m clear that taking that step will make me happier and freer than I am now, and for a lifetime."

    As these words fell.

    The entire ancient world fell silent!

    All the women in the gue city stood stunned!

    All the ancient citizens stared nkly with wide eyes.

    To be willing.

    To know that marriage might be full of trivial annoyances, that having children might cause so much damage to the body, that marriage might not stay fresh for so long, and still meet a very, very good person, and then willingly choose this path.

    Rather than everyone telling you, this is how everyone gets through it.

    You step in stupidly, holding the most beautiful fantasies, holding endless expectations, understanding nothing, preparing for nothing, and then in the days toe, for the sake of children, youpromise step by step, living with less and less sense of self.

    Lu Mufei suddenly understood.

    He looked up at Gu Sang, that brilliant person radiating light.

    He stood up and still gave the flowers to Gu Sang: "I''m sorry, I was abrupt today. You''re right, there''s nothing in life that one must choose, only my happiness and self."

    "If being with me gives you so many worries, then I support your decision."

    "Sang Sang, let''s just be friends from now on, okay?"

    Gu Sang nodded: "Mm."

    Lu Mufei: "Then I wish you to be as brilliant and dazzling as a red rose in the future. These ss slippers are custom-made to your size. Please ept these flowers and ss slippers."

    "ss slippers can be a token of love between Cindere and the prince, or they can be the wind beneath a princess''s feet as she walks freely."

    "Thank you!"

    Gu Sang reached out to take the flowers.

    Lu Mufei pulled Gu Sang into his arms, his hands trembling slightly. He really didn''t want to let go, but after three seconds, he could only release Gu Sang.

    "From now on, we''re just friends!"

    Lu Mufei didn''t leave until he saw Gu Sang nod, her expression unchanged.

    At least they could still be friends...

    At least Sang Sang didn''t have someone she liked in her heart, she was just temporarily resistant to having children and dealing with interpersonal rtionships. But it''s okay, he believed his sincerity could move Sang Sang!

    After all, who can say for sure about the future?

    Perhaps one day, Gu Sang might change her mind.

    How many couples who agreed not to have children end up with the woman being forced to give birth after a few years of marriage due to pressure? He believed Gu Sang was just too young, she would change when she got older.

    And now, he could only retreat to the position of a friend and wait.

    Simrly.

    The citizens of the new city who had just started live streaming not long ago were in an uproar.

    Both men and women hurled abuse at Gu Sang, criticizing her: "What a good man, such a handsome man, if it were me, I''d be so happy I''d faint."

    "Goddess, you''ve missed out on an exceptionally good man. We''ve watched your live stream so many times, his kindness to you, his respect for you, is absolutely rare in this world. You''re just too picky. You haven''t seen how many men beat and kick women. You don''t know how much we envy you."

    "Can a woman really not get married for her whole life? If you get married, you must go through the hardship of childbirth. Everyone goes through this, just endure it and it will be fine. The ten months of pregnancy will pass quickly, and when the child grows up, you''ll have endless blessings."

    "Goddess, as someone who''s been through it, let me tell you, pregnancy and childbirth will definitely be the most pampered time of your life. At that time, you can order your man around as you please, and your mother-inw won''t dare to scold you. You''ll be like an empress dowager at home."

    "Here, we risk our lives to bear children for men, why are you people from the future so selfish, not even willing to have children? And your medical care there is so advanced, giving birth isn''t dangerous at all. If none of you give birth, that''s too selfish!"

    The ancient people in the new city''s live streaming room all couldn''t understand.

    Their tones were envious, admonishing, angry, confused, all kinds of voices intertwined in Gu Sang''s ears.

    They all converged into one sentence, that Gu Sang would regret missing out on this man.

    Only a few ancient people from the Old City stood stunned, their eyes also showing confusion and bewilderment, as well as disapproval and disagreement, but they didn''t hurl abuse.

    Gu Sang''s eyes were clear.

    Word by word, sentence by sentence, she firmly told the ancient people:

    "I said, there''s nothing in this world that''s absolutely necessary, that must be done. Only one''s own happiness and joy."

    "Marriage and childbirth are indeed rules in your ce, but in the future, this is not a path that must be taken."

    "Indeed, medical care inter generations is advanced, and childbirth is unlikely to be dangerous. However, it still causes irreversible damage to a woman''s body."

    "Many women experience uterine prpse due to pregnancy. Whether it''s a natural birth or a cesarean section, women often suffer from urinary incontinence after giving birth. This is something every woman feels ashamed of and finds difficult to talk about. They may even be mocked and despised by men. But have men ever considered that all of this is a result of women''s sacrifice for their families?"

    Every word Gu Sang spoke was clear and distinct.

    But the women from ancient times were bewildered.

    Were there really so many after-effects? Was this just an excuse?

    Why had they never heard anyone mention this before?

    Surely this couldn''t be true?

 Chapter 171: A Bowl of White Porridge Moves Me to Tears

    <h4>Chapter 171</h4>

    While themon people were still skeptical, Gu Sang continued, "These various aftereffects are damages to the body that cannot be reversed, no matter how well you rest during the postpartum period or how well you take care of yourself afterward."

    "The concept of ''postpartum syndrome'' is the biggest scam since ancient times. I often hear people say, ''Your back pain is because you didn''t rest well after childbirth,'' or ''Your headaches must be because you didn''t take proper care during the postpartum period,'' and so on."

    "That''s not the case. Some conditions are simply caused by childbirth itself, and no amount of postpartum care can change that."

    "I once read a news article about a man who apanied his wife during childbirth. After witnessing the bloody and painful process of female childbirth firsthand, he developed a psychological condition. His condition was that he no longer loved his wife. He said that every time he looked at her, he was reminded of the bloody scene from the day of delivery, which terrified him."

    "Women endure the hardships of pregnancy and the excruciating pain of childbirth, not to mention the physical damage to their bodies. Yet, as the man of the house, just seeing the bloody scene of his wife giving birth was enough to make him afraid to face her, even to the point of divorcing her. I want to ask, what did the husband go through? What harm did he suffer? The child is indeed the product of two people, but the damage from pregnancy and childbirth is borne solely by the woman."

    The women watching the livestream fell silent.

    Some women who had not yet experienced childbirth were shocked and frightened after hearing Gu Sang''s words.

    They frantically sought out their mothers.

    Grasping their mothers'' hands, they asked fearfully, "Mom, is what the goddess said true? You never told me that after giving birth, you could have uterine prpse or urinary incontinence."

    "Hah, what a massive deception. If the goddess hadn''t told us, we would never have known how much damage it does to our bodies."

    "I remember now, my neighbor''s sister once said that while using the toilet, a piece of flesh suddenly fell out, and after that she..."

    "Hahaha, no wonder the midwife wouldn''t let my husband in on that day, saying the delivery room was unlucky. Now I understand that these traditions passed down were actually to protect us. It wasn''t about bad luck at all! They were just afraid it would leave a psychological scar!"

    "If men saw the scene of us giving birth, they''d probably avoid us like the gue."

    Many women, both married mothers and unmarried girls, had an epiphany.

    Even those who had gone through pregnancy and childbirth were unclear about the postpartum damages, because for generations they were only told that they must rest well after childbirth, or else they''d suffer lifelong ailments.

    So when they experienced urinary incontinence,

    uterine prpse,

    frequent headaches, hair loss, and other aftereffects, they all thought it was because they didn''t rest properly after childbirth. Their mothers-inw would only scold them, saying it was their fault for not taking proper postpartum care.

    It turns out, the concept of ''postpartum syndrome'' is the biggest scam!

    When all the women learned this truth, their eyes quietly reddened.

    This scam had fooled their ancestors for generations, fooled them for a lifetime.

    All the me was pushed onto women, while men remained uninvolved. The illnesses after childbirth were all med on women for not taking proper postpartum care.

    Gu Sang let out a sigh, causing the pent-up emotions of these ancient women to burst forth instantly, tears streaming down their faces.

    Gu Sang, lost inplex thoughts, walked downstairs. Gu Qing was waiting at the door, looking down at her own toes.

    "Let''s go get some bubble tea."

    Gu Qing looked up and around, noticing that Chen Yun and the others were gone.

    "Did they all leave?"

    "Mm-hmm, let''s go too." Gu Sang nodded and left the history museum with Gu Qing.

    In contrast to Gu Sang''s heavy mood, Gu Qing seemed to be in quite good spirits. Since getting in the car, the corners of her mouth had been turned up in a smile that wouldn''t fade.

    The scene of the confession earlier had made Gu Qing''s blood boil with excitement.

    Hahaha!

    Good!

    Gu Qing looked at her with sparkling eyes: "Gu Sang, what you did today was incredibly badass! Damn, if those quotes were posted online, they''d definitely go viral."

    "Are you still the same bookworm as before?"

    "I''m even starting to doubt if you were just pretending to be well-behaved at home before. Maybe you were actually rebellious inside, with very progressive ideas."

    "Hahaha! From now on, you''re my goddess!"

    Gu Sang propped one hand on the car window frame and sighed, "I just chose not to get married or have children. It''s not rebellion, it''s just a choice."

    Hearing this, Gu Qing almost apuded Gu Sang.

    But she was still driving, so she had to suppress the urge to p for Gu Sang.

    However, she absolutely agreed with Gu Sang in her heart!

    "I don''t care, it''s still awesome!"

    "You don''t know how much I hate hearing those rtives of mine say things like ''If you don''t get married, there won''t be anyone to take care of your corpse when you die.''"

    "It makes me want tough. I mean, once I''m dead, I''m dead. I can lie anywhere, right?"

    "Besides, when I''m dead, they can''t morally ckmail me anymore. Are they saying that having descendants would somehow bring me back to life to find a ce to lie down?"

    "To be honest, I really don''t care what happens to my body after I die. They could turn my ashes into fireworks and let me explode with a bang, for all I care."

    "By that point, I won''t be able to feel pain anyway."

    The ancient people in the livestream collectively drew in a sharp breath.

    How... how unorthodox!

    They wanted to curse out loud, but they found they couldn''t.

    After all, how someone wants to handle their affairs after death is none of their business.

    Suddenly, everyone realized something.

    That is ¡ª as long as you don''t care, what others think is none of their business!

    That''s right!

    They had lived such hard lives, why should they worry about what happens after death?

    It''s better to be like the people of the future, waving their sleeves and not taking a single cloud with them when they leave.

    Seeing that the ancient people didn''t argue back for the first time, Gu Sang''s lips curled into a smile, and she nodded in agreement: "That''s right! As long as you''re not bound by morality yourself, others can''t morally ckmail you."

    "The idea that marriage is only for continuing the family line, or that marriage is only so that someone will worship you after death, these thoughts areughable when you think about it."

    "I have so much of my life ahead of me. Should I trade decades of my life just so someone will worship me after I''m gone?"

    "If I live these decades splendidly, when I''m old and can''t move anymore, I can lie in bed and reminisce about how I didn''t waste my time in this world. It''s better than lying there full of regret, thinking about how things might have been different if I hadn''t gotten married."

    For the first time, the two sisters had such an open and honest conversation about their views on marriage, only to discover they sharedmon thoughts.

    If they didn''t meet someone they wholeheartedly loved, they would absolutely refuse topromise.

    They''d be a bit selfish and live for themselves!

    Because those who are too selfless, too weak, and only know how topromise live too painfully in marriage, only to be exploited.

    Gu Qing grew more animated as she spoke, continuing, "Today''s TV dramas are also stupid, always going on about destroying three realms for love, disregarding everything else for love."

    "A rich, beautiful girl marrying down to a poor, ambitious guy, solely to apany him through hardships."

    "And then with a face full of emotion saying, ''This is the first time I''ve felt the warmth of home.'' For fuck''s sake, getting all teary-eyed over a bowl of in porridge, it makes me want to puke!"

 Chapter 172: Only You Can Save Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 172</h4>

    "The female lead haspletely forgotten everything her parents arranged for her - sending her cars, giving her a house, providing her with a privileged life since childhood. In the end, they raised a daughter obsessed with love, who forgets her parents'' kindness over a bowl of porridge. If I were her mother, I''d strangle such an idiot."

    The livestream chat fell into an unusual silence. The concepts they had encountered todaypletely overturned their pre-existing notions.

    The more they learned about the future, the more astonished they became.

    Some future ideologies seemed to have already silently seeped into their bones and blood.

    Through one livestream after another, these ideas gradually sprouted and grew, waiting for the day they would fully blossom and shatter their long-held beliefs.

    They should have been preventing the spread of such ideas, but their subconscious was telling them that these terrifying concepts were exactly what they needed.

    -

    Meanwhile, in ancient times, at Zhang Manor.

    Miss Zhang returned home in a daze, only to be greeted by her parents'' cold faces and anger.

    Father Zhang''s face was stern and unsmiling, his official''s dignity and authority on full disy.

    He immediatelyunched into a severe interrogation: "Did you go see that penniless schr again?"

    "Since you''re so eager to get married, so impatient, then your father will marry you off early! I''ve already arranged a marriage for you."

    "From today onwards, you''ll stay at home, focus on sewing your wedding clothes, and wait to be married off."

    Miss Zhang, already feeling guilty, hadn''t even found an excuse to exin herself.

    Upon hearing this, she was terrified and protested: "Father, I won''t marry!"

    Father Zhang: "You''ll marry whether you want to or not."

    Father Zhang looked at the maid beside Miss Zhang and roared, "What are you staring at? Take the young miss back to her room. If she dares to step out of her room, you''ll be punished yourself."

    "Father! I won''t marry. In this life, I''ll only marry Young Mr. Li."

    "Is a match between equal families more important than your daughter''s happiness? Do you really have to sacrifice your daughter''s happiness and make her marry a man she doesn''t love?!"

    Miss Zhang firmly dered her romantic ideals.

    She cried, hoping to awaken her parents'' love for her through familial affection.

    When she was little, her parents loved her so much. Whatever she asked for, they would find it for her, no matter what it was.

    But why, when it came to the big issue of marriage, did her parents suddenly show such a mercenary face, eager to marry her off to form an alliance with a noble family?

    "Bang." The door was locked by the servants.

    Her mother''s voice came from outside, the cold and mercenary tone making Miss Zhang feel as if she''d fallen into an icy pit.

    "You might as well give up on this idea. Don''t make your father angry."

    "This is all the fault of that cunning poor schr. If it weren''t for that poor schr taking advantage of your youth and inexperience to seduce you, how could you be so disobedient?"

    No.

    It''s not like that.

    It''s not like that at all!

    Miss Zhang ran to the door and knocked, defending her beloved: "Mother! Young Mr. Li is talented and knowledgeable. He will surely achieve sess in the imperial examinations one day."

    "I won''t let you nder Young Mr. Li. He is an honorable man, not what you think he is."

    "I''m the one who likes him, I took the initiative. He didn''t deceive me."

    Hearing these shameless words, Mother Zhang trembled with anger.

    She had lived for so many years.

    How could she not see what that poor schr''s intentions were?

    How could she not see that it was her own daughter who was foolish, deceived without even knowing it!

    Mother Zhang clutched her chest, heartbroken, and said, "Your father and I are doing this for your own good. We know exactly what kind of person that Young Mr. Li is."

    "Forget it, forget it. You won''t listen no matter what we say. Just stay in your room and wait to get married."

    "Once you''re married, you''ll get over this nonsense."

    The sound of Mother Zhang''s footsteps gradually faded away.

    "Xiaoxi."

    The maid Xiaoxi responded from outside, "Young Miss, what is it?"

    "Xiaoxi, can you help me send a message to Young Mr. Li? Tell him I''ll wait for him!"

    Xiaoxi looked frightened and walked to the door, whispering, "Young Miss, the master just ordered me to watch you at all times."

    "If the master sees me leaving the manor, he''ll break my legs."

    Miss Zhang sat down in her chair, despairing.

    Thinking that she and Young Mr. Li would never be together, that her parents were heartlessly separating them, that her parents no longer loved her, she suddenly burst into tears.

    "Wuu wuu wuu... If only I were a man, then Father wouldn''t send me off for a political marriage."

    "Oh heavens, let me be reborn as a man in my next life. Being a woman is too miserable."

    "Ding!"

    "Connection established!"

    The sudden appearance of the cold voice startled Miss Zhang. Then, when she saw the virtual screen appearing before her, her mouth fell open in surprise.

    This... this is the goddess''s livestream?

    How did the goddess''s livestream appear in her room?

    Gu Sang had already returned home. When she saw that she was connected to a beautiful young woman crying her eyes out, she couldn''t help but feel sympathetic.

    She softened her voice and said:

    "Is there anything I can help you with? Don''t worry, no one else can hear our conversation."

    Judging by the woman''s borate dress, she was clearly from an official''s family.

    Perhaps she had some difficulty she couldn''t speak of, which was why she was crying so bitterly.

    Gu Sang was afraid she might have some reservations, so she exined further.

    However, the young woman''s next words nearly fried Gu Sang''s CPU.

    The young miss said hopefully: "Goddess, I want you to help me elope with my beloved."

    Gu Sang: "?? What, elope?"

    Oh my god!

    That''s going too far??

    Miss Zhang wore a pitiful expression: "Goddess, I envy the freedom of marriage you have where youe from. Parents don''t interfere with who their children love."

    "Here, we follow our parents'' orders and the matchmaker''s words. Daughters are just sacrifices used by fathers to form alliances with noble families."

    Sacrifices?

    Indeed, many families in ancient times were like this, but traditions that hadsted for thousands of years couldn''t be changed. Arranged marriages had be a necessity.

    But eloping? That was even more shocking than seeking a high-status marriage.

    Gu Sang didn''t immediately offer her opinion. Instead, she sat up straight and gently advised the young woman:

    "Don''t be sad for now. I don''t know your situation yet, so I can''t give you blind advice. I need to ask about the specific reasons first."

    "But what I can advise you is this: never elope with a man!"

    "Even if your parents don''t love you, you shouldn''t pin all your hopes on a man."

    "Mountains may fall, people may leave. No one will be anyone''s eternal support."

    "Moreover, a man who truly loves you, cherishes you, and holds you dear to his heart would never utter such absurd words as asking you to elope, let alone agree to it."

    Gu Sang offered her advice with heartfelt concern. For a woman to ce her entire future in the hands of a man she elopes with¡ªwell, it might not spellplete disaster, but ites perilously close.

    A young woman can certainly escape the constraints of her original family, but she should never seek to escape because of a man.

    Nor should she hope that marriage will be her salvation.

    This kind of thinking is wed from the very beginning, because in this world, there is only one person who can unconditionally save you, and that is yourself.

 Chapter 173: An Ancient Love Brain Has Arrived

    <h4>Chapter 173</h4>

    Upon hearing Gu Sang''s words, Miss Zhang''s tears began to flow again.

    While wiping her tears with a handkerchief, sheined softly.

    "Divine Lady, you were born in an enlightened future. Of course, you can be independent of men, and naturally, you wouldn''t understand. In this era where women must obey the three obediences and four virtues, who can women rely on if not men?"

    "Where youe from, women can divorce freely, and even if they go out to earn money, they won''t be pointed at and gossiped about. But here, if a woman does business, she will be bullied..."

    Gu Sang''s expression was not particrly pleasant.

    Why did this conversation sound increasingly off? It seemed like she was encountering all sorts of excuses for a lover, typical of someone blinded by love.

    Therefore, Gu Sang''s words were like a cold, sharp de, piercing straight into the young woman''s heart.

    "Even if you were to live in modern times, you''d still be a target for bullying. From your words, I can guess that your parents have protected you too well, leaving you idle all day, only knowing how toin, without any skills of your own."

    "Without your parents'' protection, whether in the future or in your current era, you would live a very miserable life."

    Miss Zhang''s pupils dted instantly, staring at Gu Sang with surprise and anger.

    Wasn''t the Divine Lady here to solve her problems?

    Why was she treating her like this?

    Gu Sang''s gaze was deep, seeming to see through the young woman''s thoughts in an instant. She said, "If I don''t speak harshly to you, you''ll forever remain a sheltered youngdy who knows nothing of the world''s hardships."

    "Don''t argue. Looking at your fine clothes and delicate, fair skin, I can tell how privileged your life has been."

    "You say you''re a tool for your parents'' matchmaking, but from my perspective, it doesn''t seem so. Judging by your naivety when speaking, you''re simply pampered and spoiled."

    "You say your parents are separating you from your beloved, but tell me, what are your beloved''s circumstances? Can theypare to your family''s?"

    The more Miss Zhang listened, the angrier she became, feeling increasingly that no one could understand her.

    It was bad enough that her parents didn''t understand her pain.

    But even the seemingly kind Divine Lady was so hurtful.

    Miss Zhang immediately retorted, "Though Young Mr. Li is poor, he has great ambition. I believe that one day he will surely achieve fame and sess, and moreover, he treats me very well."

    Gu Sang raised an eyebrow, looking at her as if she were a fool: "So it seems your beloved is a poor schr without any official rank? And poor?"

    "He''s good to you because being nice is the cheapest thing, requiring no cost."

    "Moreover, have you thought about how a schr with no practical skills can support you? Let''s not even consider whether he can pass the imperial examinations in the future."

    "First of all, if you two elope, have you thought about how you''ll live? How will you earn money? You can''t even earn money yourself, yet you dream that a schr can work to support you?"

    "With an extra mouth to feed, expenses increase. Have you two thought about the future at all?"

    Miss Zhang opened her mouth to argue but couldn''t utter a word after thinking for a long time.

    The Divine Lady was right!

    She and Young Mr. Li had never thought about how they would live.

    But, but couldn''t they live without earning money? Why was even the otherworldly Divine Lady crudely talking about money, money, money!

    Miss Zhang felt a rush of panic in her heart. No, she couldn''t let the Divine Lady brainwash her.

    With determination in her eyes, Miss Zhang blurted out, "Love can sustain us even if we only drink water. As long as Young Mr. Li and I are together, even water will taste sweet."

    "Moreover, I don''t need to wear silk clothes; I can wear cotton. I don''t need to eat delicacies; I can eat vegetables and in steamed buns!"

    "As long as I''m with him, a lifetime of hardship will be sweet!"

    I... um...

    Gu Sang understood.

    Oh, no.

    She was exhausted.

    What fervent vows of love!

    Gu Sang was almost moved¡ªmoved for that poor schr, that is. After all, in this world, rich, beautiful fools were bing increasingly rare, and one must seize the opportunity when encountering such a fool.

    Therefore,

    Gu Sangughed, her smile not reaching her eyes: "Haha, alright then, why don''t you try drinking only water without food for three days and see if you can be full?"

    "Cotton clothes and in steamed buns, you really don''t know the hardships of life, do you? Do you think that poor schr can even afford white flour buns? You''re thinking too idealistically!"

    "I see you''re severely blinded by love, even worse than Wang Baochuan in the TV dramas. Wang Baochuan would have to call you ''big sister'' inparison."

    "Wang Baochuan was the daughter of the Chancellor''s Mansion, and she also fell for a poor boy. But at least that poor boy was aplished in both literary and martial arts, and could earn some money. He eventually tamed the red-maned horse..."

    "Eighteen yearster when he returned, the first thing he did wasn''t to reunite with his wife, but to doubt her fidelity and go home to seduce her..."

    Gu Sang felt that this woman was so foolish it made her want to curse out loud.

    Even Wang Baochuan would have to take second ce to her.

    After all, although Xue Pinggui was a bit of a scoundrel, at least he could earn money to support his wife, and he was skilled in both civil and military affairs.

    But Miss Zhang''s beloved didn''t even have the skills to make a living.

    The two of them only thought about eloping, without any ns for the future.

    For such a man, Gu Sang didn''t even need to know more to realize he was unreliable!

    "Divine Lady, we can''t really me Xue Pinggui. If Wang Baochuan''s family hadn''t tried to harm him in the military camp, the two wouldn''t have been separated for eighteen years."

    Listen to that¡ªthis is the talk of someone blinded by love.

    She would find countless reasons and excuses to defend her true love.

    Gu Sang was nearly driven to despair.

    If this were Gu Sang''s own daughter, she would truly want to use the word "hopeless" to describe her.

    But Gu Sang still patiently exined to Miss Zhang:

    "If a man truly likes you, he won''t believe others'' gossip and marry a princess. It''s because he wanted to in the first ce."

    "As the third daughter of the Chancellor''s Mansion, she defied her father for him and ate poor food for eighteen years. Yet he still doubted his wife''s fidelity. If Wang Baochuan truly coveted wealth and status, she wouldn''t have waited for him for eighteen years."

    "I''m telling you this story to warn you: never abandon your family for a man, don''t lose your head and marry beneath you."

    "Compared to the smooth-talking lover who persuades you to elope, your family should be the most reliable and trustworthy people in your life. Your parents don''t want you to suffer, and they''ve probably also seen that this man has no ns for the future, which is why they don''t allow you to be with him."

    Miss Zhang shook her head, tears falling.

    Just the thought of being separated from her lover made her want to die; she couldn''t even eat.

    Moreover, this was just a story from ater era, what did it have to do with her? She must surely be an exception! She believed her lover truly loved her.

    Miss Zhang said tearfully, "Divine Lady, I understand everything you''ve said."

    "But I can''t ept it. I want to take a gamble on love. I really can''t give up how good he is to me."

    "If I just give up like this, I know I''ll regret it."

    Gu Sang held her head in her hands, her whole face scrunched up like a bitter melon.

    It was so hard to reason with someone blinded by love!

    Even more frustrating than listening to Pei Changying''s arrogant and shy speeches.

    If it weren''t for the sake of earning merit, she would have given up on this plot to help others and just respected their fate.

    Oh well.

    Merit, merit, grandmother, grandmother, her dear grandmother!

    Gu Sang took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of anger in her blood, and said, "Alright then, I''ll help you test whether he''s worth relying on or not."

 Chapter 174: Come on, hurry up and eat the wild vegetables

    <h4>Chapter 174</h4>

    After ending her call with Miss Zhang, Gu Sang immediately contacted her parents.

    Under Gu Sang''s persuasion and guidance, Zhang''s parents were left with no other choice but to give their daughter a chance to try things out with this man.

    The next day, Miss Zhang was released by her parents. She wore the poorest coarse linen clothes from home to meet her beloved.

    However, even this poorest fabric was still a material that poor families could only dream of.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang hid behind the screen, following Miss Zhang.

    When Miss Zhang arrived at her beloved''s home, he failed to recognize her in her simple attire and asked, "Who... who are you?"

    "Young Mr. Li," Miss Zhang called out emotionally.

    Only then did Schr Li happily approach her, looking her up and down with surprise and uncertainty.

    "Why are you dressed so inly today? Did your parents forbid you froming out?"

    Miss Zhang didn''t take his inquiry to heart, after all, she had worn maid''s clothes before to meet him in secret.

    Following the script she had agreed upon with Gu Sang, Miss Zhang said, "Young Mr. Li, I''ve broken ties with my parents. They made me change my clothes and wouldn''t let me leave with a single thread from the Zhang family."

    "If I insist on marrying you, then I will no longer be a Zhang daughter."

    "Young Mr. Li, I only have you now. Will you abandon me?"

    Schr Li''s heart leaped with joy, and he quickly ushered Miss Zhang into the house to sit down.

    This was perfect!

    He didn''t believe this talk of breaking ties at all.

    In the end, as long as Miss Zhang cried pitifully, the Zhang family would surely not ignore her.

    Therefore, Schr Li believed that everything was settled. He immediately took her hand and said affectionately, "I swear I will never let you down!"

    "From now on, I''ll plow the fields and you''ll weave cloth, I''ll make the fire and you''ll cook. Together we''ll create a beautiful and cozy home."

    "Even if our home is poor, what more could I ask for with a beautiful wife by my side?"

    Gu Sang watched the two exchange these passionate words with a expressionless face. Her heart remained unmoved, and she even felt likeughing.

    Miss Zhang, of course, was moved to tears.

    At noon, Schr Li prepared a meal for Miss Zhang. A bowl of porridge with barely any rice grains, just white liquid, apanied by a bowl of bitter wild vegetables - this was their lunch.

    Miss Zhang looked at the thatched hut where there was barely any room to step, sat on a rickety stool, and stared at the moldy chopsticks that had turned ck. She endured all the difort and took a bite of the wild vegetables.

    As soon as she put it in her mouth, her brows furrowed tightly, and she almost spat out the vegetables.

    Seeing this, Schr Li hurriedly asked, "My dear, is the food not to your liking?"

    "It''s my fault for being incapable of providing you with delicacies. I''m sorry you have to suffer with me."

    Miss Zhang was so moved that she almost fell off the unstable chair, feeling no desire toin at all. "No, Young Mr. Li, as long as I''m with you, I find everything delicious."

    As if afraid her beloved wouldn''t believe her, Miss Zhang picked up another mouthful of wild vegetables and stuffed it into her mouth.

    Instantly, tears welled up in Miss Zhang''s eyes. It was hard to tell if she was crying from the bitterness of the vegetables or from being moved.

    Today happened to be a day off, so Gu Sang quickly went to a nearby supermarket and bought arge bag of snacks, plus two big bottles of Sprite. She then curled up at home to watch this real-life romance unfold.

    Look at that!

    This was far more authentic than what you''d see in TV dramas.

    After all, in TV dramas, youngdies never frown when eating wild vegetables.

    Miss Zhang''s reaction truly demonstrated this point.

    If it were Gu Sang, who had been pampered since childhood, she admitted she wouldn''t be able to eat it. Those wild vegetables looked bitter at a nce, the porridge had barely any visible rice grains, not to mention the dirty and messy environment.

    This was enough to show how strong Miss Zhang''s desire was to spend her life with her beloved. Strong enough that she was willing to endure any hardship.

    However, by dinner time, when Miss Zhang once again saw the wild vegetables on the table, she finally couldn''t hold back anymore.

    "Young Mr. Li, why is it wild vegetables again tonight? I want to eat something else."

    Schr Li stammered, "The rice jar at home is almost empty, my dear. It''s my fault for being useless, unable to provide you with a good life."

    Miss Zhang''s face contorted as if she were constipated.

    In the past, hearing Schr Li say such things would have moved her.

    Even at noon today, she had still been touched.

    But now, hearing these words, she suddenly felt scared. She suddenly realized that she might have to eat these unptable wild vegetables every day from now on.

    No!

    She couldn''t think like that.

    Love could ovee everything!

    Besides, she had always known that Young Mr. Li was impoverished. What she valued was Young Mr. Li''s talent and his kindness towards her. How could she judge Young Mr. Li by worldly standards?

    "Young Mr. Li, if I wanted to live a good life, I would only need to listen to my father''s words to do so."

    "I''m not the kind of woman who craves vanity. Whatever we eat together, I''m willing to ept."

    Though she said this, Miss Zhang looked at the screen.

    Seeing Gu Sang heartily devouring spareribs and roast chicken, she couldn''t help but swallow hard.

    Miss Zhang only managed a few bites before she couldn''t eat anymore. The vegetables in her throat seemed to have grown ws, gripping tightly, making it impossible for her to swallow no matter how hard she tried.

    Seeing that she wasn''t eating, Schr Li asked perfunctorily and then proceeded to eat the vegetables from her bowl as well.

    Miss Zhang touched her empty, ttened stomach. Staying here for a day meant she barely even needed to use the bathroom; there was simply no nutrition in her body. But thinking of their perfect love and seeing the bright moonlight outside,

    Miss Zhang gazed at Schr Li affectionately, about to invite him outside to discuss poetry and philosophy, and chat about life.

    Unexpectedly, Schr Li directly blew out themp.

    Miss Zhang: ??

    It''s so dark!

    Why did it suddenly go dark?!

    "Lamp oil is expensive, my dear. Let''s rest early."

    Miss Zhang froze like a statue, her mouth gaping wider than a duck egg in the darkness.

    "Pfft."

    Gu Sang couldn''t help butugh out loud.

    The system was only connected to Miss Zhang, so Schr Li didn''t hear Gu Sang''s snicker.

    Miss Zhang was brought back to reality by Gu Sang''s mockery. She reluctantly said to Schr Li, "Young Mr. Li, the moonlight outside is beautiful. Let''s go out and appreciate it."

    "Ah!!!"

    Just as she finished speaking, in the darkness, Miss Zhang suddenly saw a pair of gleaming green eyes - a rat scurrying across the roof.

    She immediately screamed in terror,pletely breaking down.

    She clearly hadn''t yet adjusted to this environment, while Schr Li was already ustomed to it. Hearing Miss Zhang''s startled reactions, he couldn''t help but feel a bit annoyed.

    "It''s just a little mouse, it won''t bite you. It''s gettingte, let''s go to sleep."

    Miss Zhang continued to call out, "Young Mr. Li..."

    Schr Li, suppressing his impatience, gently advised, "Besides, what''s so great about looking at the moon? It''s so dark in the room now, andmp oil is expensive. We don''t have enough money to buymp oil just so you can admire the moon."

    Miss Zhang''s face was a mix of surprise, hurt, shock, and sudden realization.

    No, it wasn''t supposed to be like this.

    This... this kind of living situation, this picture of mustering up the courage to pursue love, how could it be so different from what she had imagined?

    She had fantasized about spending time with Young Mr. Li beneath the flowers in the moonlight, sharing simple meals, drinking wine and singing together, living in loving harmony.

    But!

    Where were the simple meals? All she saw was watery porridge with barely any rice and wild vegetables! Where was the wine and singing when they couldn''t even afford to usemp oil freely?

    This wasn''t how it was supposed to be at all!

 Chapter 175: Is this not suffering anymore

    <h4>Chapter 175</h4>

    Miss Zhang''s passionate hopes and fantasies about love were suddenly shattered by the harsh realities of a poor life and Schr Li''s dull mediocrity.

    Noticing Miss Zhang''s upset mood, he could only force himself tofort her: "My dear, it''s my fault. I don''t even have money to buymp oil."

    "After I pass the imperial exams, I''ll surely light the whole room with candles for you. If you want to admire the moon, you can admire the moon. As long as you''re happy, you can do whatever you want."

    Faced with Schr Li''s sweet talk, Miss Zhang''s mind was filled with thoughts of the wild vegetables they had eaten today. The idea of eating wild vegetables for the rest of her life terrified her into rity.

    She even began to reflect that they could go out to enjoy the moon right now, even if they had to fumble in the dark, she would be willing.

    But her dear Li didn''t make any move to do so.

    He only knew how to talk about the future, the future...

    How long until this future?!

    Seeing that Schr Li had no intention of leaving the bed, and even started to grope her body, Miss Zhang was startled and immediately found an excuse: "Dear Li, I''m afraid you''ll have to sleep outside tonight."

    "I''ve been weak since childhood, always needing medicinal soups."

    "But today, after breaking ties with my parents, cough cough..."

    "I didn''t even take my medicine today, and I''m feeling a bit unwell."

    This was actually a pre-arranged agreement with Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang had convinced her parents to let her experience ten days of living on wild vegetables.

    And she had promised Gu Sang that she would absolutely not engage in rtions with Schr Li.

    Originally, she had only treated it as an agreement, thinking that if Schr Li insisted, she would actually be quite willing...

    But after experiencing a day of this life, Miss Zhang''s words now held some truth. Perhaps she really should reconsider.

    The strange, hard bed, the odd smell in her nostrils, the asional squeaks of rats.

    These things filled Miss Zhang''s mind with countless thoughts, making sleep impossible.

    She had thought that being with the man she loved would be happy, joyful, pleasant, and exciting, but now she felt more confused than happy.

    After hearing Schr Li''s sleeping sounds, Miss Zhang finally spoke in a low voice:

    "Divine Lady, why is it so different from what I imagined?"

    "Moreover, before, everything he said to me seemed so sweet, but now, I actually feel a bit scared. But this isn''t right, I shouldn''t¡ª"

    Gu Sang interrupted her while munching on a fried chicken leg.

    As Miss Zhang swallowed hard at the sight, Gu Sang said with a smile: "That''s because you''re being affected by your emotions. You were focused on the fact that your parents were preventing you from pursuing your own happiness."

    "You thought your parents were just being snobs, preferring wealth. You just wanted to prove to them that your Schr Li is capable, and you wanted to escape your parents'' control."

    "Now that your parents are no longer hindering you, you''re facing the stark reality of the situation."

    "When two people are actually together, the first problem you face is survival."

    "When neither of you has money, all those beautiful and romantic things you imagined won''t exist. You thought it would be simple meals, but in reality, you can''t even afford to eat. You simply can''t imagine how desperate and helpless poor people can be over a single coin. That''s why you''re experiencing this psychological gap."

    "But you''re still persisting now, you don''t want to give up, you still want to prove that your judgment was correct. So watch for a few more days. What you need to observe is how this man treats you when you have no support."

    "Also, pay attention to his ns for your future. These are things you need to see clearly for yourself."

    Miss Zhang nodded seriously, only now understanding the Divine Lady''s good intentions and her parents'' love.

    However, she still had hopes for love.

    As she was lost in thought, her stomach suddenly began to ache violently, probably because the wild vegetables had upset her delicate stomach. She hurriedly shook Schr Li''s arm, wanting to go to thetrine.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang had already ended the livestream.

    Seeing that Miss Zhang was now able to analyze from an outsider''s perspective and knowing she wouldn''t be easily fooled by men again, Gu Sang turned her attention to another matter.

    Although the poption of the gue City had increased considerably, it was still too small for the Elder Princess.

    Moreover, as the gue City was developing, some ideological knowledge needed to keep up.

    Gu Sang made online appointments with several experts in herbal nting and fish farming, intending to invite them to teach the gue City residents some cultivation knowledge.

    The appointments were set for a few dayster, and Gu Sang set an rm to avoid forgetting.

    After taking care of these things, she prepared to continue watching the real-life script of Miss Zhang and Schr Li.

    Suddenly, her phone rang.

    "Sang Sang, it''s Sunday today. Do you have time toe home for dinner?" Her mother''s cautious voice came through the phone.

    Gu Sang opened her mouth to refuse, but feeling her mother''s careful protection and thinking of Gu Qing''s bright eyes, she said, "Okay."

    After experiencing so many events and hardships, Gu Sang hade to understand.

    It was enough that she had her grandmother''s love.

    As for her parents, there was no need to care too much about their differential treatment. They had raised Gu Qing from childhood, so it was natural for them to favor her a bit more.

    It was because she cared that it hurt.

    If she didn''t care, then her parents'' attitude towards her wouldn''t matter.

    Her rtionship with her parents didn''t need to be so cold and distant, like enemies. Maintaining a superficial connection was enough.

    After agreeing on a time with her mother, Gu Sang hung up the phone.

    When Gu Sang reopened the connection with Miss Zhang, she was startled by the woman''s crying.

    "Wuwuwu¡ª"

    ??? What happened?

    What had urred in the time she wasn''t paying attention?

    Feeling the connection, Miss Zhang quickly wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief: "Divine Lady, I''m sorry you had to see this. This is my mother, you''ve met her before."

    The connection screen appeared in front of the two of them.

    Seeing the slowly materializing screen, Mother Zhang gratefully kowtowed three times to Gu Sang.

    "Divine Lady, thank you for helping my daughter wake up in time."

    "Just now, my daughter came back to apologize to us, saying she now understands our good intentions, and that the schr is not a suitable match."

    "This is all thanks to you. If it weren''t for your help, my little girl might have been taken away long ago."

    Gu Sang breathed a sigh of relief. She had initially assured Miss Zhang''s parents that their daughter would return pure and untouched.

    If it weren''t for the trustworthy image she had built through her livestreams, she wouldn''t have been able to convince the parents to allow their daughter to cohabitate with a man.

    Upon seeing the two of them crying earlier, Gu Sang''s heart skipped a beat, thinking Miss Zhang had been mistreated by someone.

    "It''s good that Miss Zhang hase to her senses in time. In the future, when encountering such situations, observe more carefully and don''t let your head get too hot over love."

    Mother Zhang and Miss Zhang expressed their profuse gratitude once again, and then said to Gu Sang:

    "Divine Lady, to show his appreciation for saving our daughter, my husband has already arranged for someone to send fifty thousand taels of silver in bank notes to the Elder Princess in gue City."

    "Please ensure that you and the Elder Princess ept it. Your ability to guide our daughter back from her misguided path is far more valuable than these fifty thousand taels of silver."

 Chapter 176: The Love-Struck Brain Falls into the Spear Room and Awakens

    <h4>Chapter 176</h4>

    Gu Sang eximed in surprise, "Five hundred thousand taels? That''s far too much. A small contribution would suffice; there''s no need to go to such lengths."

    Mother Zhang replied, "Divine Lady, you may not be aware, but my family is in the merchant business. The dowry I brought with me includes several tea houses and silk shops. So for me, five hundred thousand taels is not an exorbitant amount."

    Gu Sang nodded in understanding and turned to Miss Zhang, who was still nursing her emotional wounds, "You see? Your mother is quite the business expert."

    "You once told me that women couldn''t run businesses. Well, today I''m here to prove you wrong."

    "In Jiangnan, there are several women who have built their own fortunes from scratch. Before entering the business world, they were merely pcedies who had been released with nothing to their names."

    "While it''s not easy for women to engage inmerce, if you truly believe that where there''s a will, there''s a way, sess is inevitable!"

    At this moment, Miss Zhang humbly expressed her gratitude to Gu Sang, her previous doubt and naivety nowpletely gone.

    Gu Sang was curious about what had transpired during her absence. How had Miss Zhang suddenlye to her senses?

    It turned out that on the night in question, Miss Zhang had a stomach upset and needed to use the restroom. However, Schr Li, in an attempt to save onmp oil, refused to light amp and apanied her to the foul-smelling outhouse in darkness.

    The result?

    Miss Zhang had never endured such hardship or such a deplorable environment before. Tears streaming down her face, she urgently needed to relieve herself but identally missed her step and fell right into the pit.

    Ah! Ah! Ah!!

    A cry of despair and anguish erupted!

    After great effort, Schr Li finally managed to fish her out, but there was no water in the house?

    Water was precious, and there wasn''t enough for a bath!

    Miss Zhang could only grit her teeth, wipe herself down with a damp cloth, and change her clothes. The stench clinging to her body nearly made her faint.

    But that wasn''t the end of it!

    The next day, Schr Li''s true colors were revealed. He repeatedly hinted that Miss Zhang was too delicate and pampered, taking her to the river for a cold bath and suggesting she should quickly adapt to this kind of lifestyle.

    Finally, he urged her to go home and apologize to her parents, saying that there should be no overnight grudges between father and daughter.

    In the past, Miss Zhang might have been moved, thinking Schr Li had her best interests at heart.

    But when she saw wild vegetables and a bowl of watery porridge with barely any rice grains for the third time, still reeking of excrement, and realized this would be her life from now on, she broke down. She finally believed that Schr Li only wanted to leech off her family''s wealth.

    Miss Zhang cried heartbrokenly, "Divine Lady, you were right. My parents do love me."

    "When they realized I was no longer infatuated with Schr Li, they agreed to let me stay at home for a few more years and cancelled the arranged marriages set up by the matchmaker."

    "I''m so grateful that I met you when I was still blindly in love."

    "At that time, it was as if my brain had been scooped out. I couldn''t see anything clearly and only wanted to elope with my beloved. If you hadn''t let me experience the reality, I''m afraid I would have regretted it endlessly in the future."

    "Just as you mentioned about Wang Baochuan, I would have spent my entire life digging for wild vegetables to eat, unable to even light an oilmp. I can''t bear to imagine using that outhouse again; I would be in utter despair."

    "Divine Lady, we women have seen too few men in our lives and are easily deceived by their sweet words."

    "So, I want to ask for your help in sharing this story as a cautionary tale for all women in the world."

    "Let them know that when even their parents don''t approve of a love match, they should be extremely cautious and observant. As you said, the rtionship with those who truly love you is the most solid foundation."

    Gu Sang raised an eyebrow, looking at Miss Zhang with newfound respect.

    It seemed that yesterday''s tumble into the cesspit had truly knocked some sense into her lovesick brain.

    How could a pampered youngdy from a wealthy family possibly endure such a difficult life? Did she really think that marrying a poor man would only mean a simple lifestyle?

    She was gravely mistaken!

    Someone who once splurged millions on a handbag could never imagine what it''s like to not even afford a meal. The simplicity she envisioned was nowhere to be found in the lives of the truly impoverished.

    Gu Sang nodded in agreement, "Very well. I''ll help you share this story while keeping your identity anonymous. With your example as a reference, hopefully, fewer women will fall victim to blind love in the future."

    Miss Zhang looked at her expectantly and gratefully said, "Thank you."

    After ending the connection with Miss Zhang, Gu Sang was in high spirits.

    Having personally pulled someone back from the brink of love-induced folly gave her a great sense of aplishment.

    After organizing the general plot in her mind, Gu Sang retrieved herputer from her room and began a livestream.

    The most discussed topic among themon peopletely was the Divine Lady''s livestreams. Upon hearing that another stream had begun, people rushed to secure their spots.

    "Hurry! The Divine Lady''s livestream has started!"

    Tea houses and restaurants emptied in an instant as people scrambled to watch the broadcast.

    Gu Sang began, "Dear citizens, today I have a true story submitted by a sister who wishes to share her experience with all the women in the world, hoping that others can learn from it."

    "But before we begin, please watch this video clip, or try to guess what kind of story I''m about to tell."

    With that said, Gu Sang yed aption video from the inte, featuring clips of Wang Baochuan and Chen Shimei''s love story, among other romantic tales, for the ancient audience to watch.

    "How touching! A youngdy from a prestigious family is willing to eat wild vegetables for eighteen years for the sake of love. If it were me, I definitely couldn''t do it."

    "That''s why you''ll never be an empress. If you''re not willing to go through hardships with a man, why should you expect him to marry you after he bes sessful?"

    "My goodness, we''re talking about eighteen years here, not eighteen days or eighteen months! I can''t even imagine how those eighteen years passed. Is this youngdy from the minister''s family stupid? How could she willingly endure such hardship?"

    "You don''t understand. This is what love is all about!"

    Hearing the discussions among the audience, Gu Sang felt somewhat relieved. Thankfully, not all women were blinded by love.

    There were still many clear-headed youngdies.

    They immediately spotted the problems in these stories!

    "Recently, a youngdy from an official''s family, after watching my livestream..."

    Gu Sang referred to Miss Zhang as "a youngdy from an official''s family," ensuring that apart from the person herself and her parents, no one else would know who Gu Sang was talking about.

    This greatly protected Miss Zhang''s privacy.

    Gu Sang didn''t omit any details about Miss Zhang and Schr Li''s brief two-day encounter, rying everything to the audience.

    She had initially thought their love mightst ten days, but never expected that on the second day, Miss Zhang would see through the facade and choose to return home.

    Miss Zhang and Mother Zhang stood among the crowd watching the livestream. Since Gu Sang began recounting this story, the surrounding murmurs and snickers hadn''t ceased.

    "Haha, are all these nobledies really so foolish? To actually believe the lies of men - well, that gives me confidence. With my looks, surely I could seduce a noblewoman or two."

    "Tsk, with your appearance? No chance. The nobledies may not be the sharpest, but they''re not blind. They''re after schrs, not some burly brute like you. No woman would fancy that."

    "This is what happens when youngdies never experience the hardships of life. Their heads are full of nothing but romance and love. The Divine Lady is right to make these sheltered misses get a taste of amoner''s life. Then they''ll understand how tough it is to be poor."

    "They''ve just been unlucky in love, that''s all. There are still plenty of good men in the world..."

 Chapter 177: Comparative Lyrical BGM

    <h4>Chapter 177</h4>

    Mother Zhang looked at her daughter with concern, fearing she might be hurt by the idle gossip, but Miss Zhang, having experienced the disillusionment of love, was clearly not as fragile anymore.

    These people were right.

    She had been foolish, stupid! Blinded by love!

    Everyone thinks they''re the exception, that they''re special, that the person they love deeply is an exception, but in the end, they all be tragic examples!

    Of course, there are very good men in this world.

    Men who are responsible and dependable, who give and understand, who are faithful and consider you in everything they do. Even if their love fades one day, they will still y the role of a good husband out of a sense of duty.

    But such men, once loved, are in it for life, rarely avable in the market, and even less likely to be encountered by her.

    Miss Zhang covered the self-mockery in her eyes and said to her mother with a smile, "Yes."

    "What they say makes sense. This official''s daughter was indeed very confused and easily deceived before. She thought she was an exception, but in the end, she became an example."

    "Still, she''s also very lucky."

    She was very lucky to have met Gu Sang.

    After Gu Sang finished telling the whole story, her expression suddenly turned serious.

    This seriousness made all themon people panic for a second.

    Gu Sang deliberately chose a rather emotional BGM before she began to speak: "This official''s daughter is not afraid of being surrounded by rumors. She selflessly allowed me to tell this story, not for you to mock her."

    "She hopes that girls all over the world will be more cautious when facing love."

    "Don''t blindly believe in love just to defy your parents. Especially those sweet words that cost nothing to say - promises are very cheap things. We shouldn''t look at what he promises, but at what he sacrifices for you when facing adversity!"

    "It''s not to say that all mismatched couples are bad, but the vast majority don''t fare well. When a high-born marries down, their values are different from the start."

    "You might thinkmp oil is ordinary, but in others'' eyes, it''s a preciousmodity. You might think hardship is eating vegetables and steamed buns, but for others, even wild vegetables have to be fought over."

    "You might think a hairpin for ten taels of silver is cheap, but he might see it as his living expenses for a year or several years."

    "In such a sh of values, you will only argue day after day, until love is exhausted in the end."

    Hearing this, all the ancientmoners were stunned.

    Poor families couldn''t believe a hairpin could cost ten taels of silver.

    Rich youngdies and gentlemen couldn''t understand whymp oil was a preciousmodity when their families kept candles lit in the corridors all night long.

    They all whispered, discussing who was right and who was wrong.

    But in the next moment, Gu Sang''s voice rose again. She said, "Actually, neither is wrong. The fault lies only in the difference in family circumstances. These trivial matters will be countless in future life, and will eventually drive people to breakdown."

    "Moreover, in such times, you feel you''ve sacrificed everything for him, even severing family ties, demanding he be unconditionally good to you."

    "Perhaps he will be good to you at first, but over time, he will also get tired of your constant reminders, then arguments will erupt, and in the end, both will regret it."

    "A good rtionship should be based on shared values, detailed ns for the future, and ideally, both parties should be equally matched. It should never be one person abandoning everything for the other, or being subservient, or even losing oneself..."

    No one can endlessly tolerate you.

    Because you can''t endlessly tolerate others either.

    All the ancientmoners present, whether men or women, old or young, were silent.

    This time, the goddess had spoken to them about surreal problems that happened around them, or that happened every day.

    Arguments are an inevitable problem for every couple.

    In the past, they had never taken the time to think about why they argued.

    They seemed to have habitually and rightfully believed that since I abandoned everything for you, since I sacrificed so much for you, you must be unconditionally good to me.

    No one had ever taught them the true essence of love. Suddenly hearing the goddess speak about love, they felt lost and pensive.

    Most of them had arranged marriages, often only seeing each other after the wedding ceremony. How could they have time to understand what kind of person the other was?

    Even if they married the wrong person, that''s how they would spend their lives.

    And now, in the silent gue-stricken city,

    The Elder Princess waited until Gu Sang finished speaking before turning to face the people,ying the foundation for her uing rules: "Did you hear that? This is the tragedy of arranged marriages."

    "Parents disregarding their children''s wishes, arranging marriages at will, which leads to children wanting to rebel and stepping into the abyss."

    "And those girls who are deceived, it''s still because they''ve met few men, and want to escape their parents'' control..."

    "From today on, the gue city will learn from the future and implement a policy where unmarried men and women can meet and make friends! Parents must not object!"

    The gue city''s citizens were all shocked, their jaws dropping as if about to hit the ground.

    Meeting and making friends!!!

    If men and women could meet and make friends, wouldn''t the next step be free love?!

    These four words seemed like a huge tornado, attacking their thoughts.

    Some young men and women, upon hearing the princess''s order, shouted joyfully, "Long live the princess!" While other older parents, hearing the happy voices of the young people, gradually came to their senses.

    They saw the determination in the Elder Princess''s eyes, they saw the joy in Gu Sang''s eyes.

    Both of them had great confidence in this matter and wanted to implement it.

    The Elder Princess and the goddess, what they did was always right.

    Since they both had such thoughts, what disagreement could the gue city''s citizens have: "Yes, the goddess is right. How can people who are to spend a lifetime together decide so hastily without even meeting?"

    "I support men and women being able to meet and make friends!"

    "I agree too. Who knows if we''re marrying a human or a ghost, whether we can live together for a lifetime, and why should women be despised just for talking to men?!"

    "The women of the future are so confident and graceful. I support the Elder Princess''s decision!"

    The citizens of the gue city all shouted their agreement.

    This was the first time the Elder Princess felt truly moved.

    She disliked the idea of forcing people to ept the concept of free love, so she took it step by step, slowly. First, she allowed men and women to socialize without restrictions, and then they could engage in free love!

    She wanted to save this world.

    Because... she too was a victim.

    Even as the noble Elder Princess, she could not escape the fate of an arranged marriage.

 Chapter 178: Let His Son Marry a Perfect Woman

    <h4>Chapter 178</h4>

    On his deathbed, the Emperor wanted to marry her off to the son of a powerful court official. He feared that after his death, the Princess might be forced into a political marriage.

    But the Princess didn''t like the man, no matter how excellent he was!

    Only the wearer knows if the shoe fits.

    Others can only see that the shoe is good and expensive, but they don''t know that it doesn''t fit.

    Gu Sang didn''t immediately announce this matter to the whole world. Free love in the gue City had taken its first step, and there would certainly be some problems that needed to be solved.

    When free love waspletely stable in the gue City, that would be the time to tell all the people in the world.

    Gu Sang closed the live stream and immediately received a system prompt.

    "Ding!"

    "Virtue increased by 50,000!"

    "Virtue increased by 100,000!"

    "Virtue increased by 200,000!"

    Gu Sang had originally intended this story to make women more cautious about love and less prone to being blinded by it.

    Unexpectedly, the Princess''s initiative to promote interaction between men and women also increased virtue!

    This was an unexpected pleasure!

    Gu Sang checked the time, went back to her room to change clothes, and went out.

    Meanwhile, Gu''s mother was also preparing to go out.

    Gu Qing leaned against the doorframe, watching her mother select clothes, and couldn''t help but ask curiously, "Mom, you see Dad every day at home. Do you need to be so excited and careful about going out for a meal?"

    "You look so expectant, it makes me think you''re meeting someone else."

    Gu''s mother didn''t dare let Gu Qing know that they were going to have dinner with Gu Sang.

    They were going to try to persuade her to get married today.

    These kids nowadays don''t want to get married. It was bad enough that Gu Qing kept talking about ''vanished wives,'' ''murder for insurance,'' ''domestic violence to death,'' and other such individual cases.

    Howe even Gu Sang was afraid of marriage now? It was breaking their hearts as parents.

    They had to tackle this one by one!

    Once Gu Sang got married and had children, she would understand the benefits of marriage. Then when Gu Qing came of age, all three of them could persuade her together.

    Gu''s mother pretended to be angry and said, "How can you doubt your mother like that?"

    "Can''t your father and I maintain the freshness in our marriage? When you get married, you''ll understand the sweetness of love."

    Upon hearing the words ''when you get married,'' Gu Qing''s face turned pale with fright.

    She quickly walked away, muttering under her breath, "I''m not listening, I''m not listening, I''m not listening. Amniotic fluid embolism, go away; domestic violence cases not filed, go away; illegitimate children iming inheritance, go away; mistresses transmitting STDs, go away; all of you, get lost!"

    "Phew, Amitabha, staying single and childless keeps me safe."

    Gu Qing sped her hands together, bowed to the heavens, and then, still frightened, went to watch "The Vanished Wife" again.

    At that moment.

    At the Smanka Hotel.

    Two fashionably dressed young women sat in the most conspicuous spot by the entrance, making sure that customers entering could see them right away.

    "Xie Hansi, are you sure this is where Xiaoyu was discovered by the directorst time?" A wavy-haired girl with a pointed face discreetly scanned the hall, trying to spot any bosses or directors dining there.

    Xie Hansi took a photo of the luxurious surroundings with her phone and nodded, "Yes, Xiaoyu said this ce suits the directors'' aesthetic tastes, so they oftene here to eat and discuss business."

    "Take a picture of me, will you? We''re here already, might as well make the most of it. I''ll post it on social media to make everyone jealous."

    The girl took Xie Hansi''s phone: "Move a little to the side, the lighting is a bit dark here."

    As Xie Hansi shifted slightly, the girl suddenly noticed a familiar face. She immediately zoomed in on the figure in the background with her phone.

    Was that Gu Sang?!

    The girl then looked at the person dining with Gu Sang - it was an older man!

    Oh my god!

    What had she discovered?!

    The girl''s gossip instincts red up, and with a mix of excitement at uncovering a secret and a hint of mockery, she handed the phone back to Xie Hansi.

    "Quick, look behind us. That''s Gu Sang from our department. Huh, no wonder she got that TV role. Turns out she''s been cozying up to some big shot!"

    Gu Sang was ying a mobile game out of boredom. She disliked people who weren''t punctual, even if that person was her mother.

    She had said she''d finished her makeup an hour ago and was just getting dressed.

    What kind of outfit takes an hour to put on?!

    Gu''s father noticed the impatience on Gu Sang''s face and awkwardly said, "Sang Sang, why don''t you order first? I guess your mom got held up on the way."

    After saying this, he continued messaging his secretary, arranging various matters for tomorrow.

    Gu Sang''s beautiful face remained expressionless.

    She nced towards the entrance.

    Still no sign of her mother arriving. She put down her phone and said coldly, "If you''re both so busy, there''s no need to specially call me out for dinner."

    "In the future, you two can just meet up by yourselves. I''m fine eating at home."

    Hearing this, Gu''s father immediately put down his phone and called the waiter to order.

    After the waiter left, Gu''s father resumed his serious expression, ready to get to the point. He was afraid Gu Sang might leave if they waited any longer: "Sang Sang."

    "I have something to ask you today."

    "I heard that Lu Mufei from Lu Corporation confessed to you, and you rejected him?"

    Gu Sang didn''t speak, just looked at her father with cold eyes.

    Gu''s father continued, "Is it because you have someone you like that you rejected him?"

    Gu Sang shook her head, her tone growing even colder: "Since you know about this, you must also know my reason for rejecting him."

    Seeing Gu Sang''s firm attitude towards marriage, Gu''s father frowned and tried to persuade her: "Not getting married or having children is definitely not okay. Medical science is so advanced now, unlike when your mother and I were young. When we had you, your mother nearly lost her life. She had a massive hemorrhage during childbirth and almost couldn''t be saved."

    "Even with such dangers, your mother and I wanted to have you. We didn''t have the conditions you have now. If we had, we would have had more children."

    Gu Sang chuckled, "You can still have more now."

    Gu''s father was stunned for a few seconds: "A woman is notplete without children."

    Gu Sang chuckled again: "Yes, I''m iplete. Why don''t you call the head of the Lu family right now and tell his son to marry aplete woman?"

    Gu''s father didn''t react immediately.

    When he finally did, he realized - wasn''t she suggesting that Lu Mufei should raise someone else''s child?!

    After all, he had just said that only women who have children areplete!

    If he dared to make that call to the head of the Lu family, the Lu patriarch would probably curse him to death!

    Gu''s father''s face immediately turned red with anger. He quickly assumed the demeanor of a stern father and lectured again, "Sang, people can''t be so selfish. Continuing the family line is a human instinct. If you don''t get married and have children, if youe into this world without leaving behind a child, then you''vee for nothing."

    Gu Sang: "......"

    She couldn''t take it anymore!

    To hell with selfishness, to hell with instinct, to hell withing for nothing, to hell with perfection.

    Gu Sang had originally approached these matters with an indifferent attitude. She wasn''t actually opposed to the idea, it was just that she hadn''t met someone she was willing tomit to, and she believed that self-fulfillment was more important than love.

    But now, with Gu''s father pressuring her like this...

    A hundred and eighty pounds of rebelliousness sprouted in Gu Sang''s mind!

 Chapter 179: Sleeping in the Same Bed as Gu Sang

    <h4>Chapter 179</h4>

    Gu Sang replied with a detached smile, her wordsced with sarcasm: "My purpose in this world isn''t to endure hardships or bear children. I''m here to find my own happiness and fulfillment."

    "Moreover, consider Mr. Yuan, the father of hybrid rice; Mr. Qian, the pioneer of China''s nuclear and space programs; Hedy Lamarr, the mother of WiFi; and Mr. Tu, China''s first Nobelureate in Physiology or Medicine..."

    "They came into this world to benefit countless people with their innovations. You can''t dismiss everyone''s life as meaningless just because they didn''t procreate."

    Gu''s mother arrived fashionablyte, dressed in haute couture.

    As soon as she entered, she overheard Gu Sang''s perspective-shattering words.

    Gu''s mother immediately countered: "They were extraordinary individuals, Sang-sang. We''re just ordinary people; we can''tpare ourselves to such great figures."

    "Besides, when you''re old and sick decades from now, having no descendants will leave you vulnerable. You''re still young, and I didn''t want to discuss this, but Mu Fei is such an exceptional young man. You''ll regret it if you let him slip away."

    "Listen to your mother, marriage isn''t as daunting as you think. No matter what, your children will always be your own. Without them, who will remember you or tend to your grave after you''re gone?"

    "Moreover, if you don''t have children, and she doesn''t, and nobody does, society will regress."

    Gu Sang abruptly stood up, her voice tinged with mockery: "If you''re so keen on making a contribution, why don''t you take action? Have more children yourselves. After all, the Gu family isn''t short on money."

    "Tell me, do you remember your great-great-grandmother''s name?"

    "Where is your great-grandfather''s grave?"

    "If I be paralyzed, will having a descendant magically make me able-bodied?"

    "Dad, Mom, I don''t owe you anything. I despise this form of emotional ckmail disguised as concern for my well-being. If you truly care about me, you should respect all my choices because this is my life!"

    With that said, Gu Sang stormed out without looking back.

    Gu''s mother, stunned by these words, turned pale and trembled, unable to utter a word.

    Because¡ª

    She really didn''t know her great-great-grandmother''s name!

    Nor did she know where her great-grandfather was buried!

    But, but, but this was tradition! Who doesn''t get married and have children?!

    Gu''s father angrily mmed the table: "Why are they both so rebellious? Without children, who will preserve the Gu family''s assets when we''re old?"

    Gu''s mother took a deep breath to regain herposure.

    She felt a headacheing on and rubbed her temples: "Sang-sang''s temperamentes from you. She''s as stubborn as a mule. We''ll have to persuade her gradually."

    "Qing-qing already doesn''t want to get married. She keeps showing me videos about domestic violence and women unable to divorce."

    "Those are just isted cases. It won''t happen to us."

    "If Sang-sang adopts the same mindset and follows suit, it''ll be even more troublesome."

    Gu''s father sipped his tea, calming his anger, and said: "Old Lu and I are business partners. I know the Lu family''s son well. He''s academically brilliant and doesn''t fool around."

    "I''ve set my sights on this Lu boy. He must be our son-inw."

    "If he weren''t significantly older than Qing-qing, I would have already..."

    Gu Sang stormed out angrily, unaware of her ssmates sitting by the entrance.

    The two lowered their heads, afraid of being spotted by Gu Sang, and only dared to look up after she had walked away.

    Xie Hansi pondered thoughtfully: "There were rumors that Gu Sang''s family was wealthy. I didn''t expect them to be true."

    The other girl spoke with a hint of jealousy: "Who knows? I see Gu Sang taking the bus home every day after school. I''ve never seen her wearing any luxury brands. Thebels she wears aren''t even as good as mine. She''s so pretty; who knows how these rumors started."

    "Come on, don''t be sour. Not every rich person cares about material possessions. Is it so hard to admit someone else''s excellence?"

    "Why can''t you appreciate others instead ofparing yourself? We''re all girls; there''s no need for such passive-aggressivements."

    Meanwhile, the subject of their conversation, Gu Sang, was walking down the street, her face full of exasperation. She wished she had responded differently to her parents earlier, with more impactful words.

    Indeed, after an argument, one always reys it in their mind.

    Wishing they had been more articte the next time.

    Gu Sang sighed and took out her phone to call Gu Qing.

    The call was answered within three seconds.

    "You! You, you, you!!! Why are you calling me?!"

    Hearing Gu Qing''s flustered and incredulous tone, Gu Sang''s frustration dissipated a bit.

    "Come over to my ce. Let''s have a chat about life. Are you in?"

    Gu Qing exploded: "Holy crap!!!"

    "I mean, yes! Yes! Which building, which floor, which apartment, what''s the address? I''ll be right there!"

    Hearing the rapid-fire sounds from the other end, Gu Sang worried she might rush and fall, so she said: "No hurry, take your time. I''ll text you the address."

    "Okay, wait for me!"

    After hanging up, Gu Qing''s heart was brimming with excitement.

    Hearing that Gu Sang had invited her over to chat about life, Gu Qing felt incredibly lucky.

    Gu Sang actually invited her to her home!

    Chatting definitely involves drinking, right? And drinking means you can''t drive, so she''d have to stay the night at Gu Sang''s ce!

    "Hahaha!"

    "Genius! I''m a genius with both beauty and brains!"

    So, rounding up, could she interpret this as: Gu Sang inviting her over to sleep?!

    Wait, did Gu Sang encounter something upsetting and need to talk about life?

    If anyone dared to bully Gu Sang, she''d track them down and give them a piece of her mind. How dare they pick on her sister?

    Gu Sang bought some barbecue skewers and fried chicken from a nearby mall and ordered a few bottles of low-alcohol drinks to be delivered to her doorstep.

    As soon as she reached themunity entrance,

    She ran into Gu Qing, who was just getting out of her car. Gu Qing had a massive canvas bag on her back, a small cake in her right hand, and was dressed casually.

    Gu Sang approached her and, noticing therge canvas bag, raised an eyebrow and asked:

    "Are youing to seek refuge at my ce? Why such a big bag?"

    Gu Qing nced around nervously, saying somewhat guiltily: "It''s not much, just some change of clothes."

    "I drove here. You wouldn''t expect me to drive backte at night, would you? I''vee all this way to keep youpany, chat about life, and have a few drinks. Surely you''ll let me stay the night at your ce."

    Gu Sang nodded: "Alright, if you want to stay, you can. But I don''t have an extra bed, so you''ll probably have to share mine."

    After a pause, Gu Sang added, "Or you can sleep on the couch if you prefer."

    Gu Qing followed Gu Sang upstairs, surprised to hear her suggest sleeping on the couch. She quickly made her stance clear.

    "I''m not sleeping on the couch. I''ve never slept on a couch in my entire life. What if I wake up with a sore back? I want to sleep in a bed. Even sharing with you is better than sleeping on the couch."

    Upon entering Gu Sang''s home, Gu Qing looked around curiously.

    The ce had a cozy atmosphere. No wonder her sister didn''t want to go back home.

    Wait, was that Gu Sang''s grandmother?

    Gu Qing walked over to examine the framed photograph on the shelf.

    So that''s what her sister looked like when she smiled.

    Her sister''s grandmother seemed so kind-hearted.

    "Gu Sang, where''s your grandmother?" Gu Qing asked.

 Chapter 180: I Will Always Support You

    <h4>Chapter 180</h4>

    Gu Qing was unaware that when Gu Sang had returned to visit their grandmother, she had been in a car ident and spent a year in the hospital.

    At that time, their rtionship wasn''t good. Moreover, Gu Qing was incredibly proud and believed that Gu Sang disliked her, so she didn''t dare try to get close to her.

    Naturally, she also didn''t know about their grandmother''s disappearance for Gu Sang''s sake.

    Gu Sang casually handed the grilled skewers to Gu Qing and changed the subject, "Did you know about Mom and Dad inviting me to dinner today?"

    As expected, Gu Qing''s attention was immediately drawn. She eximed in surprise:

    "What?! They had dinner with you without inviting me? That''s too much!"

    "What did they say to you behind my back? No, wait, they''re actually building a rtionship with you behind my back? Has love truly disappeared?"

    Hearing Gu Qing''s flustered words, Gu Sang blinked her eyes affectionately.

    Sheid out all the food on the table, then took a bite of a skewer before continuing, "You can keep that kind of love for yourself."

    "They know about Senior Lu confessing to me. They invited me to dinner to interfere with my decision."

    "They want me not to miss out on such a good man, saying I''ll regret it when I''m older."

    Gu Qing rolled her eyes and said angrily, "They''re always meddling like this. Don''t listen to them; they often say the same things to me."

    "I wasn''t that averse to it at first, but during New Year''s, all those rtives took turns brainwashing me. Even if I wasn''t against it before, I am now."

    "The older generation just thinks that having children is the most important thing in the world."

    "Their own marriages are a mess, with their husbands fooling around outside, but they delude themselves into thinking their husbands are so devoted. Actually, everyone in their circle knows, except for the wives themselves. They still brag about how good their men are to them, showing off their love until it makes me sick."

    "No wonder they kept me away. They''re afraid we''ll unite against them, so they want to deal with us one by one."

    After saying all this, Gu Qing feared Gu Sang might misunderstand, so she quickly exined with a serious face:

    "I promise you, I didn''t tell anyone about you and Senior Lu!"

    "Besides, I don''t really approve of you and Senior Lu. He''s great, but I just feel like he doesn''t fit you."

    She was, after all, a forward-thinking member of the younger generation.

    She believed that there was great love, great men, and great marriages in this world, but she didn''t believe she would encounter them herself.

    To be precise, her family had billions in assets.

    As long as she didn''t mess things up, she could enjoy a lifetime of luxury and wealth, more than she could ever spend.

    But if she ended up with a bad partner, Gu Qing might not only lose her lifelong luxury but could even end up dismembered in a freezer one day.

    She was timid, afraid, and wanted to eliminate all possibilities and idents.

    Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance!

    Gu Qing didn''t want to gamble with her luck, nor did she want to entrust half her life''s happiness to someone else. She just wanted to guard her family''s assets well and spend money freely.

    Gu Sang''s eyes curved in a smile as she said, "I know it wasn''t you."

    Gu Qing blinked at the woman before her, her ears turning red.

    No way, right?

    Did Gu Sang really trust her that much?

    "Besides, I''ll always support every choice you make, as long as you believe it''s what you like, what makes you happy and free, and you''ve thought it through."

    "Sister once had a long dream where she was locked in a cage, with all her future and happiness controlled by a high and mighty husband. If he wanted me to live, I lived; if he wanted me to die, I died. Even in my dreams, I wanted to fly out, even if it meant breaking my head and shedding blood, I had to fly out."

    "My dear, life is short, just a few decades. There''s really nothing that''s absolutely necessary. I''m truly terrified of that suffocating feeling of being constrained. I''ve experienced it personally, felt it deeply, and it made me feel worse than death."

    Gu Qing seemed to understand everything, yet still felt a bit confused: "What do you think is most important in life?"

    "Self."

    "I will always love myself above all else."

    -

    In ancient times, in the imperial pce.

    Pei Changying was reviewing official documents in Xuyang Pce. Today was another day of longing for Sang Sang to return to the pce.

    After finishing all the documents, Pei Changying put down his vermilion brush and walked out to the courtyard. He looked up at the moon, a picture of devoted waiting.

    He murmured in a deep, emotional voice: "Sang Sang, I will definitely find a way to bring you back!"

    "When you return, I''ll make you the Empress and cherish you for a lifetime."

    "As long as you don''t leave me, whatever you want, I''ll give it to you."

    Gu Qingrou, who was about to enter Xuyang Pce, heard Pei Changying''s words. Her heart felt as if it had been violently ripped out, the pain nearly killing her.

    She couldn''t understand. She had already sacrificed her dignity for Pei Changying, even willing to be a substitute.

    Why was Pei Changying still obsessed with Gu Sang?

    Back then, it was Pei Changying who told her that he loved her the most, that he only needed Gu Sang to help him seize the throne.

    After Pei Changying became Emperor, he had used his power to oppose the ministers and make her Empress.

    At that time, Pei Changying still loved her!

    When exactly did Pei Changying''s love shift away?

    Gu Qingrou suddenly realized in despair that it was when Gu Sang died, when she left this world, that Pei Changying suddenly discovered he loved Gu Sang.

    How ironic!

    When Gu Sang was around, Pei Changying said he loved her.

    When Gu Sang died, Pei Changying started to love Gu Sang.

    Gu Qingrou turned away silently, but suddenly had a resentful and terrifying thought: if she were to die suddenly one day, would Pei Changying realize that it was actually her he loved?

    The head eunuch guarding the entrance of Xuyang Pce saw Gu Qingrou''s dejected figure leaving and shook his head with a sigh. He then walked in and reported with his head lowered.

    "Your Majesty, the secret guards have reported."

    "They have found an old woman who closely resembles the portrait and are currently having her specially trained."

    "With some makeup on her face, and the Consort viewing from a distance through that screen, she surely won''t be able to see clearly and won''t notice any ws."

    Pei Changying nodded: "Carry out this matter in secret. Not a word should leak out. I will have use for it when the timees."

    "Yes, Your Majesty," the head eunuch replied, keeping his eyes lowered.

    Pei Changying gazed at the star-filled sky, his mind conjuring the image of Gu Sang''s eyes, brimming withughter.

    Suddenly, his heart filled with warmth, and he grew increasingly impatient.

    Sang Sang.

    Don''t worry, you''ll be back by my side soon.

    Pei Changying curled his lips and suddenly said, "General Guan''s army of 200,000 troops must be nearing gue City by now."

    The chief eunuch replied, "They should arrive in the next few days. General Guan has always been swift in battle, and he''s a seasoned veteran of the battlefield. This time, he''s sure to achieve a great victory."

    Pei Changying smiled confidently, "Naturally! With my border general at the helm, Pei Weiqi is nothing but a traitorous rebel. He foolishly believes that upying gue City allows him to stand against me. Howughable!"

    "Once I''ve ughtered these treasonous rebels, I''ll send a grand gift to the Imperial Consort!"

    "Hahaha! She''ll have to return then, whether she wants to or not!"

 Chapter 181: The Border Patrol Has Arrived

    <h4>Chapter 181</h4>

    Meanwhile, in the modern era.

    Gu Sang inexplicably shivered. She looked up at the sun in the sky.

    The weather hadn''t turned cold, so why did she suddenly feel a chill?

    "Goddess, you should keep warm. Don''t get sick, okay?"

    "Yes, Goddess. I''ve always wanted to say this: you''re dressed too scantily. You''ll catch a cold."

    Since Gu Sang was about to meet a professor she had previously scheduled an appointment with, she had started a livestream after getting off the car.

    However, this livestream wasn''t open to everyone; it was only essible to the gue City.

    This wasn''t the first time Gu Sang had given extra lessons to the gue City. There had been two previous asions when she had specifically visited industry experts to exin the manufacturing of weapons and tools to the gue City residents.

    Although it was already night on the other side, the people of gue City were still standing attentively, watching her livestream.

    "Today, we''re going to visit a doctoral supervisor who is an expert in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery."

    These four fields were closely rted to ancient life, so the ancient viewers watched with extreme attentiveness.

    Gu Sang arrived at the doctoral supervisor''s home in the suburbs, just in time to catch him taking a few students up the mountain to observe the nted trees.

    Seeing this, Gu Sang followed the group up the mountain.

    Along the way, the professor would asionally quiz the students, asking them to identify the nts on the mountain and exin their uses.

    "Come, look at this nt. It''s growing very well. Look at its leaves..."

    The morning sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light on the professor as he exined to the students in a steady, unhurried tone.

    "This teacher is so kind, and he knows so much. He must have many, many students."

    "Wow, so even when people get old, they can still be so elegant and knowledgeable. Much better than those schrs who only spout ssical phrases. At least he recognizes the nts on the mountain."

    "Oh, so this grass can be used as medicine? I often have headaches, and I remember seeing this grass! We have it here too! Next time, I''ll pick some and brew it in water to drink."

    "So when fruit is very sour, it might not just be due tock of sunlight. It could also be a gic issue. Goddess, can you ask him what grafting is all about?"

    The Elder Princess had already arranged for several teachers to sit at the front, taking notes on the knowledge points shared by the professor.

    Some literatemoners had also brought paper and brushes, crouching on the ground to write.

    Whenever the Elder Princess saw this, she would invite them to write at the tables in the front.

    Of course, the Elder Princess didn''t prohibit othermoners from learning this hard knowledge. Anyone who liked watching the livestream coulde and watch, and ask questions freely.

    From these exclusive lessons, the Elder Princess had also identified severalmoners who were particrly knowledgeable about farming and agriculture. While others were still confused, these individuals were already able to extrapte and apply the knowledge.

    Their learning speed even impressed Gu Sang, a modern person. Was this the difference between learning geniuses and poor students?

    Some modern terms didn''t even need Gu Sang''s exnation; these few people could interpret them based on their solid professional understanding.

    When they reached the orchard halfway up the mountain, the professor, being a researcher, had nted various seasonal fruits for spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It was just the season for some fruits to ripen.

    Among the students, a tall young man climbed directly up a tree to pick some fruit for everyone.

    After lunch at the professor''s home, Gu Sang followed him to the fields.

    "Goddess, why are there such tall structures in the fields? And why are they so tightly enclosed?"

    "Goddess, what''s that white stuff? Is it silk? Cloth or something else?"

    Gu Sang nced over and replied, "These are vegetable greenhouses. By growing vegetables inside, you create a greenhouse space that allows people to eat off-season vegetables."

    "The greenhouse roof needs to let sunlight in and be cold-resistant. Generally, they use multipleyers of protective stic film and some light-transmitting materials to build it..."

    Beforeing, Gu Sang had read some materials on the subject.

    So for these simple questions, she could answer herself without needing to ask the professor.

    Just as she finished exining to everyone, Gu Sang followed the group into a greenhouse.

    Inside the greenhouse, there were temperature and humidity gauges, allowing people to observe the internal conditions.

    Many fruits had already formed, with each tree heavilyden. Gu Sang casually picked a fruit, peeled it, and started eating.

    "What''s this oddly shaped thing?"

    "Ah! Why is the juice red?"

    "This looks like it might be very expensive."

    Gu Sang finished the fruit in a few big bites, wiped her mouth and hands with a wet wipe, and then exined to everyone:

    "This is a red dragon fruit. It belongs to the cactus family and is a climbing nt. The fruit is very sweet and delicious. It''s heat-tolerant, heat-loving, and doesn''t do well in low temperatures."

    Hearing Gu Sang''s description, the ancient people felt increasingly envious. How could there be so many delicious things in the future?

    All kinds of nts, fruits, and vegetables they had never seen before.

    Being able to eat fresh vegetables anytime, and even eat summer foods and vegetables in winter: it was truly enviable.

    They watched the other students take out bags to pick fruits, eating as they walked. The ancient viewers were all salivating.

    "They look like they''re enjoying it so much."

    "I''m so envious of the future, being able to eat so many fruits."

    Although the Elder Princess''s expression didn''t change much, her eyes sparkled with a peculiar light.

    Tropical regions, overseas!

    Dragon fruit, corn, sweet potatoes, cotton...

    These things all came from overseas.

    One day, she would definitely send people overseas to bring all these things back!

    At this moment, Zhou Qichen squeezed through the crowd and whispered to the Elder Princess.

    "Elder Princess, imperial troops have been spotted twenty miles outside the city. As far as the eye can see, it''s a sea of soldiers. We can''t tell exactly how many troops the imperial court has sent, but it''s estimated to be no less than 150,000!"

    Pei Changying had been on the throne for less than two years. The court had just stabilized due to Noble Consort Gu''s influence, and there were enemy troops eyeing the borders. The vast majority of the troops were stationed at the borders.

    Where did so many soldierse from to attack the city?

    The Elder Princess pondered this, her expression unchanged as she instructed, "Don''t let the city residents know yet, to avoid causing panic."

    "Go inform General Qin and tell him to be on alert."

    "The imperial soldiers are just following orders. After all, we''re all subjects of the samend. Let''s be courteous first and see what the imperial court has to say. If they insist on fighting, then we''ll fight."

    Zhou Qichen departed to carry out his orders, while Gu Sang witnessed the scene of the Elder Princess whispering with Zhou Qichen. She turned to the Elder Princess with a questioning look in her eyes.

    The Elder Princess immediately understood Gu Sang''s meaning and gave a slight nod.

    "Alright, that''s all for today''s livestream!" Gu Sang announced.

    They had been streaming for several hours, which was more than enough for these people from ancient times to process for a while.

    Moreover, the silhouettes of the imperial army could already be seen camping outside the city. Gu Sang decided to leave the remaining time for the Elder Princess to make arrangements.

 Chapter 182: The Hero Cannot Die from Infighting

    <h4>Chapter 182</h4>

    Themon people were unaware that the imperial army had already arrived. After returning home, they discussed with their neighbors what knowledge they had gained that day.

    Through the live broadcast, they had also seen some simple tools used in the fields that they could try to make themselves.

    "Look, I made this thing based on what I learned from the future. When it''s time to harvest rice in autumn, we can put the rice in here, step on this part, and it will automatically thresh the grains."

    "Not bad, but not as impressive as mine. I made a windmill based on future tools that can be used to winnow grain."

    "Mine is amazing, it even received praise from Master Mo."

    "As if my windmill wasn''t praised as well."

    "Stop arguing, you''re both impressive. One for threshing in the field, and the other for winnowing the threshed grain. You''re both so skilled, whypete?"

    The surrounding vigers burst intoughter upon hearing this, praising the two for their handiwork.

    With these tools, they would be of great use during the autumn harvest.

    Some vigers noticed soldiers passing by on the street and enthusiastically invited them over to take a look.

    Under the Elder Princess''s iron-fisted rule, soldiers were strictly forbidden from bullying civilians and had to adhere to eight principles of conduct.

    As a result, even when civilians saw these soldiers on the streets, they weren''t afraid. Sometimes they would even warmly call them over for a chat.

    "What are you busy with? If you''re not upied,e and see my new invention."

    "Next time, we have business to attend to now," the soldier shook his head and replied, quickly walking towards a house.

    "Sister Ge, there''s an urgent order to cancel your leave and return immediately."

    Hearing this, Ge Qing immediately understood that a new mission was about to begin. She quickly returned to her room, saying hurriedly:

    "Alright, I''ll change my clothes and return right away."

    The soldier didn''t linger, immediately heading to the next location to notify others on leave to return to their posts.

    Meanwhile, the Elder Princess had just returned to her residence.

    Zhou Qichen immediately came to report: "Elder Princess, the imperial army is heading this way. It seems they want to resolve this quickly."

    The Elder Princess frowned slightly, feeling a vague sense of unease.

    Typically, when the imperial army reached the gue City, they would be exhausted. Commanders would choose to set up camp and wait until the next day when the troops were fully rested beforeunching an attack.

    Clearly, the army''smander-in-chief was no fool. They couldn''t be unaware of the consequences of fighting with exhausted troops.

    Anyone capable of being amander-in-chief, unlike that ipetent Pei Changying, would surely understand the consequences!

    For an army to act like this despite knowing the consequences, they must have great confidence in taking the gue City. The Elder Princess, Zhou Qichen, and General Qin all knew that the army sent this time must be an elite force.

    But no matter how hard the three of them racked their brains, they couldn''t figure out when the capital had acquired such an elite force.

    When the Elder Princess climbed the city wall and saw themander leading the army, her mind buzzed with shock.

    Has Pei Changying gone mad?!

    "Elder Princess, this is terrible! The emperor has actually sent the iron-blooded army stationed at the border!"

    "Madness! Madness! Has that imperial dog''s brain been trampled by a pig? These are well-equipped and highly experienced fierce troops!"

    "Forget about that for now, how did these fierce troops even get to the gue City? They''re supposed to be guarding the border, specifically to counter the Xiongnu."

    "With these 200,000 troops leaving the border, who''s left guarding it?"

    "What on earth is the imperial emperor thinking!" Counselor Fang beside them was so angry his lips turned white, inwardly cursing Pei Changying.

    Without these fierce troops, wouldn''t the Xiongnu be able to march straight into the Central ins?

    When Zhou Qichen and General Qin saw General Guan leading the troops, even though they were battle-hardened and widely experienced, their jaws nearly dropped to the ground in shock.

    Even if the current emperor hade in person, they wouldn''t have been this surprised!

    General Guan''s appearance left the three feeling both furious and utterly bewildered.

    The Elder Princess, General Qin, and Zhou Qichen looked at each other, all at a loss for how to fight this battle.

    These were good men who protected their homnd and guarded the borders, far from their families. Facing them, the Elder Princess really didn''t have the heart to use weapons like guns and cannons against them.

    But if they didn''t use such weapons, the gue City''s troops hadn''t trained inbat for long. The newer soldiers who had joined the gue City''s army might not be a match for these battle-hardened fierce troops.

    They immediately summoned Counselor Fang, Advisor Xu, and others to discuss strategies together.

    Before they coulde up with a good n, the fierce troops had already reached the city gates.

    The Elder Princess and Zhou Qichen stood atop the city wall, looking down at General Guan.

    Zhou Qichen shouted to General Guan: "General Guan, you''ve always been stationed at the border. How did youe to be at the gue City?"

    "The Elder Princess doesn''t want to be your enemy, nor the enemy of these border-guarding soldiers."

    "After all, this is just a royal dispute. Why should General Guan get involved in this muddy water?"

    General Guan, already fifty years old, was a famous figure from Zhou Qichen''s father''s generation.

    Zhou Qichen naturally held great respect for him.

    General Guan''s weather-beaten face was taut, his eagle-like eyes, glinting with sharp light, locked onto Zhou Qichen.

    He snorted coldly, his tone full of disgust: "It''s been just a few years, and your Zhou family has be traitors."

    "Considering my old acquaintance with the Zhou family, I''ll give you one chance. Open the city gates immediately, or don''t me me for not recognizing anyone on the battlefield!"

    Zhou Qichen looked back at the Elder Princess, his handsome young face full of helplessness.

    It seemed this battle was unavoidable!

    Seeing Zhou Qichen''sck of response, General Guan didn''t wait any longer and immediately ordered the attack on the city to begin.

    The Elder Princess stepped back a few paces to avoid any sudden arrows from the enemy.

    "So be it. Given the circumstances, we must protect ourselves."

    "Qichen, prepare to throw the grenades."

    Boxes of simple hand grenades had already been brought to the top of the city wall and distributed to the soldiers there.

    At Zhou Qichen''smand, the soldiers lit the fuses. Hundreds of grenades flew towards the enemy like fiery meteors.

    "Wh-what''s that?"

    "General Guan, what''s flying in the sky? It''s trailing sparks!"

    "Scatter! Scatter first!"

    After a brief moment of panic, the army spread out in an orderly manner. When someone was hit by a grenade, another soldier immediately filled the gap in the formation.

    The hand grenades, making their debut on the battlefield, did not inflict significant casualties on the enemy.

    This was not due to the grenades''ck of power, but rather because these battle-hardened troops, as fierce as tigers and wolves, were capable of minimizing the damage from the grenades.

    The Elder Princess raised her hand, ordering a halt to the grenade assault.

    At this moment, General Qin had already opened the city gates and led his soldiers in a charge.

    Watching General Qin lead his troops out to engage in battle, the soldiers behind him formed an unusual formation forbat.

    Observing this unfamiliar formation, General Guan became cautious and refrained from rashly charging in with his troops.

    Shortly after, about a dozen dark, ominous objects were wheeled out from within.

 Chapter 183: Bringing a Female Doctor for a Visit

    <h4>Chapter 183</h4>

    General Guan frowned deeply. He had never seen live broadcasts from the future at the border, but he had heard about them on his way here. It seemed this thing was called a cannon?

    It had once driven away fifty thousand soldiers led by Guan Pei.

    However, it was said that this thing had distance limitations and couldn''t shoot too far.

    But General Guan was thinking of a quick victory, wanting to capture the gue City in one fell swoop, and then rush to the frontier to defend against the Xiongnu without dy, fearing that any dy would lead toplications.

    The deputymander said, "General, I''ve heard of this thing. It''s powerful, but has many limitations. We can overwhelm them with our numbers."

    "With no one guarding the border now, I''m very anxious."

    "Why don''t we end this quickly?"

    General Guan remained silent, and the troops behind him stood as still as statues.

    General Guan looked at the cannon, then in the direction of the city tower. He wondered how many more of those celestial fireballs the Elder Princess had.

    With General Guan''s experienced eye, he could guess that while these things had astonishingbat power, they were expensive to produce. The Elder Princess probably couldn''t use them indefinitely.

    If they could withstand these two waves of attacks, taking the gue City would be much easier.

    However, the soldiers behind him were men who had fought bloody battles alongside him. He couldn''t use these men''s blood and sweat to counter such cold-blooded weapons.

    He couldn''t exchange the lives of tens of thousands for the gue City!

    These men shouldn''t die on their own territory. If they were to die, it should be on the frontier defense line. That would be a worthy death!

    "Today is not a good day for attacking the city. Retreat with all the wounded and fallen soldiers."

    "Hear my order, retreat immediately!"

    "Set up camp ten miles away!"

    At General Guan''smand, the entire army immediately retreated in an orderly manner, taking the wounded with them. They didn''t abandon a singlerade, not even the bodies!

    Seeing the army withdraw, the Elder Princess, Zhou Qichen, and General Qin all breathed sighs of relief.

    General Guan considered all his men to be great heroes protecting their homnd. Even though they were on opposing sides, the Elder Princess didn''t want this fierce army to suffer too many casualties.

    The Elder Princess greatly admired these heroes who had been stationed at the frontier for years.

    Seeing that General Qin had returned to the city, the Elder Princess remained silent for a few seconds before speaking to Zhou Qichen: "The burns caused by the ammunition require special herbs."

    "Qichen, you should personally lead the female medical team to deliver medicine to General Guan''s camp."

    "Given General Guan''s attitude towards his soldiers, he won''t give you trouble."

    Zhou Qichen was stunned for a moment, then looked at the Elder Princess in disbelief. He hesitated, but after a few seconds, he couldn''t suppress his thoughts and asked bluntly:

    "Elder Princess, although we''re on different sides and I''ve thought about saving these soldiers, they are respectable. But if we go to their camp, what if..."

    What if we''re detained?

    Wouldn''t that be counterproductive?

    The Elder Princess gazed into the distance and smiled, "It won''t happen. General Guan isn''t so petty as to detain a group of female medics."

    "I trust his character."

    "Moreover, who knows if we''re enemies or friends until the very end?"

    "Perhaps, I think we could cooperate with General Guan. Bring more medicine for the wounded. We can''t let these heroes die in our internal strife!"

    The Elder Princess could march all the way to the Capital City without burden and face the imperial guards without hesitation.

    But faced with these heroes who had guarded the border for a lifetime, leaving home for decades, she truly couldn''t be cold-blooded and merciless!

    After mentally preparing himself, Zhou Qichen finally led several hundred female guards, feeling uneasy as he approached General Guan''s encampment.

    "Go inform General Guan that I''m here to catch up with him!"

    "These are all female medics, experienced in treating wounds caused by gunpowder."

    The reason Zhou Qichen didn''t mention the Elder Princess''s name was that sending medics to treat wounds in her name could be seen as coborating with the enemy.

    But he believed that General Guan wasn''t the kind of person to be so devious.

    At this moment, General Guan was pacing anxiously for his wounded soldiers. The medics under hismand reported that the gunpowder wounds required special medication to clean, and if not cleaned properly, they would be inmed and infected.

    The medics had no solution.

    It was at this moment that Zhou Qichen arrived.

    When General Guan heard this, his eyes reddened with anger: "What does this Zhou fellow mean? We''re enemies, and he brings a group of so-called female medics to treat what illness? Has he gone mad?"

    "He''s putting me in an impossible situation!"

    The deputymander lowered his voice: "General, we have three hundred severely wounded, and over two thousand affected by the gunpowder. The medics have looked at them and say the gunpowder wounds are prone to infection. One wrong move and they could die from inmmation."

    General Guan: "But this Zhou is on the Elder Princess''s side! He''s putting me on the spot!"

    The deputymander cautiously said: "But our brothers will die if infected. Listen to the screams of agony in the camp. We might lose half of them in seven days."

    General Guan: "......"

    The deputymander: "The main issue is that the gunpowder is special, and our medics really have no solution. We can''t just watch our brothers die from fever, can we?"

    General Guan: "That''s not what I meant."

    "Then what do you mean?"

    "Why didn''t that fool Zhoue secretly? Couldn''t he havee at night? Why be so open about it? It''s like I owe him something. Tell him to get in here and treat them!"

    With General Guan''s order, Zhou Qichen used the pretext of catching up to allow the female medics to treat the soldiers injured by the explosions.

    The people had alreadye in.

    The treatment had begun.

    The me had been taken.

    General Guan was speechless inside.

    He put on a cold face and had dozens of generals apany him outside, drinking, barbecuing, and chatting: If they wanted to be open about it, then let''s be even more open!

    He, Guan, didn''t feel guilty at all.

    Not far from their gathering, a group of female medics walked through the military camp.

    Many soldiers'' eyes were drawn to the female medics.

    They were dressed in simple men''s clothing, each carrying a wooden box. Opening the boxes revealed various medicines and bandages, which they used skillfully to bandage the soldiers'' st wounds.

    Initially, the soldiers were skeptical of the female medics, but upon seeing their proficient bandaging skills, some of their doubts were dispelled.

    However, there were still some who wanted to test the limits of these female medics'' endurance, gathering together with the intention of deliberately teasing them.

    "Old Zhang, let''s make a bet. Guess whether they''ll cry in fear when they see even bloodier dismembered limbs?"

    "That goes without saying. They''ll definitely scream in terror, faint, and run away."

    "I think so too. Hehe, if hundreds of women faint all at once, that''d be quite a spectacle."

    "Then let''s bet on how many they can endure before breaking down."

    A dozen or so soldiersughed with malicious intent.

    They had been through dozens of battles, big and small. Their bodies were covered in grotesque, frightening wounds. Some of their injuries had even be infected, with maggots growing in them in this stuffy, sweltering weather.

 Chapter 184: She said she is just herself

    <h4>Chapter 184</h4>

    They had grown ustomed to all sorts of wounds and no longer reacted to them.

    One couldn''t help but wonder if these female doctors would faint at the sight.

    From the group that had just been huddled together plotting mischief, one man stepped forward with ill intent and asked:

    "Besides treating these gunpowder explosion injuries, do you know any other medical skills? Like sword wounds, for instance?"

    The woman being addressed didn''t even look up.

    While carefully cleaning stone fragments from the bloodied flesh of the injured soldier, she replied calmly, "Yes, I have other medicines here that are quite effective for sword wounds as well."

    After the woman finished treatment, a man with half his face bandaged approached.

    The one who had inquired earlier goaded from behind:

    "Medic, why don''t you take a look and see if you can treat this sword wound?"

    The female doctor, not noticing the mockery in their eyes, had the man lie down and began unwrapping the bandages on his face.

    The moment the bandages came off, a foul stench hit them, followed by the visual shock of bloody, sticky flesh.

    "Eek!"

    Caught off guard, the woman let out a startled cry. The other female doctors all turned to look.

    They saw that half of the man''s face was skinless, revealing only lumps of uneven flesh stuck to his face.

    It looked like meatballs in shape, bumpy and uneven, except these were bloody and reeked of infection.

    Seeing the female doctor scream in fright, the other soldiers burst intoughter.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Ge Qing strode over quickly, nced down, and said to the newly trained medic without changing her expression: "You must remain calm andposed in any situation. You''ll encounter even more brutal battlefields in the future."

    "This soldier''s wound appears to have been infected for some time."

    "It needs to be sutured, otherwise the flesh on his face will never grow new skin."

    "Assist me, and bring out the scalpel!"

    As she spoke, Ge Qing opened the wooden box and took out needle and thread.

    Her actions frightened the soldier lying on the bed, who immediately sat up in panic.

    "Isn''t this a bit... extreme?"

    Ge Qing, however, kept a straight face and said seriously:

    "I''m not joking with you. Your face already has an odor. If we don''t treat it promptly, it could be very dangerous."

    "Don''t worry, we''ve studied medical techniques from the future. The thread we use is catgut, which won''t cause secondary damage to your face."

    When the surrounding soldiers heard that Ge Qing actually intended to suture a human face, they were all too shocked to speak.

    This was a human body, not sewing clothes!

    This kind of suturing technique was unheard of, but if it was said to be a future medical method, it somehow seemed reasonable.

    "Are... are you sure about this?"

    Even for a soldier ustomed to life and death, the shock and fear of hearing about suturing his own face showed on his face. His trembling hands and feet further betrayed his emotions.

    "It''s alright, trust me."

    Before the soldier could refuse, Ge Qing ordered the other female doctors: "Come quickly and hold him down."

    Hearing Ge Qing''s words, several experienced military medics calmly walked forward.

    They took ropes from the wooden box and tightly bound the soldier to the bed.

    "No! No, no! Help me!"

    The soldier cried out to hisrades for help.

    Ge Qing, however, fearlessly told them: "If you don''t want to watch him die, then trust me!"

    "I am absolutely confident I can heal his wound."

    "Besides, with all of you watching, are you afraid I''ll do something harmful?"

    The other soldiers fell silent.

    They looked at the female doctors around Ge Qing, each of them skillful andposed, showing no fear or panic.

    It seemed the medic who had screamed earlier was probably newly trained.

    So...

    Weren''t these gentle, delicate women afraid of blood and gore?

    The border soldiers felt their perceptions being shattered!

    They finally nodded and spoke to Ge Qing with more respect and caution.

    "Then we''ll trouble you, miss!"

    "I''d like to see just how amazing this future medical technique is that themon folk have been raving about."

    "Can women really do this? I want to see too."

    Meanwhile, the female doctor who had been startled earlier had alreadyposed herself. Looking at the soldier''s facial wound again, she showed little fear.

    Earlier, it was just herck of experience that caused her to scream in sudden shock.

    These soldiers who had survived from piles of corpses, upon seeing Ge Qing using a needle to sew on a human face, felt their hearts split open.

    They couldn''t even bear to watch and turned their heads away.

    It was too horrifying!

    Even as bystanders, their hearts trembled. How much more for those actually performing it?

    Where on earth did they find these monster medics?

    Themotion naturally caught the attention of the generals who were drinking and chatting with ulterior motives on the other side.

    Upon hearing that someone was using a suturing method to treat a human face, the generals couldn''t sit still and came over to observe.

    Witnessing the shocking scene firsthand, General Guan''s tense facial muscles twitched slightly.

    Under everyone''s bated breath, time slowly passed, about as long as it takes an incense stick to burn.

    Ge Qing''s suturing also reached its final step. She tied a knot, cut the thread, and it was done.

    Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Ge Qing let out a long breath and shed a brilliant smile at the crowd: "It''s done. The operation was aplete sess!"

    "Heavens, how did it suddenly be less terrifying?"

    "Is this the rumored future medical technique?"

    "I have to say, it looked scary at first, but now it seems like just a small scar is left, and there''s no inmmation."

    "When did women be so capable?"

    A burst of exmations and thunderous discussions erupted around them.

    All the border soldiers looked at the female doctors with astonished gazes.

    This time,

    There was no doubt in their eyes.

    No mockery.

    No teasing.

    They suddenly began to question themselves, wondering if their perceptions all these years had been wrong.

    "I used anesthetic on your face. It will hurt a bit when it wears off, so bear with it tonight. If it bes too painful, you can take some of this medicine."

    Ge Qing took out a few pills from the wooden box. These were modeled after modern painkillers and had some pain-relieving effects.

    Seeing that the wounded soldiers had been bandaged, Zhou Qichen prepared to leave with the female medics.

    There were nearly three thousand injured men.

    Except for a small number with severe injuries, the other soldiers only needed herbal medicine to recover.

    General Guan stared meaningfully at General Zhou, then looked at theposed female medics. He suddenly had something he wanted to ask, but in the end, he held his tongue.

    Just as Zhou Qichen was about to leave,

    General Guan couldn''t help but call out to him: "Zhou Qichen, did all of your battle formations, gunpowder, and these incredible healing techniques todaye from Noble Consort Gu?"

    Zhou Qichen replied: "She is no longer Noble Consort Gu. We all call her the Divine Lady! Or, Miss Gu."

    "She says she is only herself, not anyone''s possession."

 Chapter 185: The Female Doctor

    <h4>Chapter 185</h4>

    General Guan furrowed his brows in silence for a while, finally buckling under the pressure, he allowed Zhou Qichen and others to leave.

    Amongst the group of medic women, everyone was overjoyed with Ge Qing''s medical skills, chattering enthusiastically.

    ¡°Sister Ge, you were simply amazing today! You didn''t see the way they looked at you ¡ª fear mingled with admiration, admiration tinged with awe.¡±

    ¡°Let''s see if they dare to belittle us women again, hm! They even came specifically to scare us.¡±

    ¡°Sister Ge, I''m sorry. I too, have undergone strict training from the Elder Princess, but things were too sudden just now, I was scared.¡±

    Ge Qing chuckled, ¡°It''s okay. They intentionally tried to scare you, and you have no previous experience. It¡¯s only natural for you to be scared when you were unprepared.¡±

    ¡°You all shouldn¡¯t praise me so much, I just happened to be in particrly good form today, as if a goddess was watching over me, which gave me an unusual spirit.¡±

    The group merrily moved away.

    What they didn''t know, was that Gu Sang had been watching them all along.

    Shortly after their arrival at the military camp where the court''s army was stationed, Gu Sang learned about the situation from the Elder Princess, and secretly turned on her connection with Zhou Qichen.

    Every upgrade to the live broadcast room makes the way and functions of broadcasting more diverse and flexible.

    So, within Zhou Qichen''s activity range, Gu Sang watched in full as the soldiers teased the medic women and saw Ge Qing''s medical skills shine bright.

    When she initially trained these medical women with the Elder Princess, in order to build their guts, she had them dissect corpses.

    Moreover, for some exceptionally talented medical women, the Coroner was asked to teach them some knowledge.

    Who would have thought, the trials of the past are showing their value today.

    And Zhou Qichen kept on looking infatuatedly at Gu Sang on the invisible screen.

    The warm lighting softened her, she didn''t seem as cold and distant as she did during the day. Watching her, Zhou Qichen''s lips turned up into a slight smile.

    The deputy general standing beside him looked at Zhou Qichen''s odd expression.

    What was the generalughing at?

    There was nothing in front of him?

    Could it be that the general was thinking about a woman?

    ¡°Qichen, I have a favour to ask of you,¡± Gu Sang withdrew her gaze from the medic women, her clear eyes shifted toward Zhou Qichen.

    ¡°You may speak,¡± Zhou Qichen replied curtly.

    ¡°I would like to ask for your help in selecting from these medical women, those who are not afraid of hardship or exertion, and those whom you believe have the potential to be trained into special forces.¡±

    ¡°Whether it''s internal warfare or the war to defend the border, we need to have women military doctors who can go to the battlefield.¡±

    ¡°Though they''re not required to fight, at the very least, they ought to possess enough physical strength.¡±

    At that time, these medical women will be divided into logistics teams and frontline medical women, and the frontline medical women would be able to carry out some simplebat tasks during emergencies.

    Zhou Qichen nodded without hesitation, "That can be arranged. I will arrange suitable training for them. Perhaps, these women guards might be our trump card."

    Gu Sang smiled and said, "Then I''ll be troubling you."

    Emotions surged in Zhou Qichen¡¯s eyes, radiating a gentle warmth, "Why mention thanks between you and me?¡±

    "Friendship also needs to be maintained, precisely because I consider you a friend, therefore I need to thank you," Gu Sang''s friendly tone was tinged with courtesy.

    Zhou Qichen watched as the screen was closed, Gu Sang''s bright, smiling face disappearing from his sight. The sparkle in his eyes dimmed instantly.

    Just friends...?

    What if he wants to be something more?

    -

    Modern Era.

    Gu Sang, who was attending a ss, received a message from the actress Cheng Yuanyuan. Yuanyuan revealed she hade to Gu Sang''s city for a shoot and asked if she could meet up. They decided to meet at a coffee shop after Gu Sang''s sses ended.

    Cheng Yuanyuan was naturally outgoing. They had shared a hotel room once which revealed her personality and they kept in touch afterward. She sat on a chair beside some green nts, standing up and waving as soon as she saw Gu Sang walk in.

    "Gu Sang, it''s been a while. I didn''t expect you to still be studying?"

    "It''s been a while, how have you been?"

    They exchanged pleasantries, mostly talking about Cheng Yuanyuan''s experiences on set.

    Her appearance was that of a sweet girl-next-door. If this was a few years ago, during the era of idol drama poprity, she would have stood out. But as it was, the entertainment scene currently favored a different kind of beauty, hence Yuanyuan remained a guest actress after all these years.

    This time, as she passed through Jianghai City for a shoot scheduled for just a few days, she considered exploring the city.

    After Gu Sang introduced her to several popr tourist sites in Jianghai city, a thought struck Yuanyuan and she turned to Gu Sang with excitement.

    "Gu Sang, I know another friend in a city nearby Jianghai City. She''s a lifestyle blogger. Would you be interested in seeing a day in the life of a live-streamer?"

    "I remembered her while we were talking. She invited me to stay at her ce before."

    "But I''ve never been to Jianghai City before, so this is a good chance to go see her."

    Feeling a bit awkward, Gu Sang politely declined. "I don''t know your friend. Wouldn''t it be inappropriate?"

    However, Yuanyuan dismissed her concerns with a wave of her hand. "No problem. She''s a nice person, and as a live-streamer, she films different aspects of her life every day. We could even be part of it."

    "Let me show you her videos. They''re quite popr online."

    Yuanyuan found her friend''s videos on her phone and showed them to Gu Sang. Gu Sang took a polite look. And that single nce left her shocked.

    Consort Zhao?!

    No, it wasn''t her.

    This person looked almost identical to Consort Zhao. Their appearance was simr, but their countenance and demeanor werepletely different.

    The video showed her recreating an ancient method of making hemp clothing. She had a gentle voice and smiled warmly throughout the video. It wasforting to watch.

    Gu Sang hid the turmoil in her heart and asked calmly.

    "She''s your friend?"

    "Yes, she''s really kind and very friendly. Those smiles are so affable. And despite being the same age as us, she''s already earning a six-figure ie."

    "She even bought a house in the suburbs, leading a peaceful life away from the world¡¯s troubles and extravagance. Honestly, I''m quite envious."

    "However, I''m aware of my own limitations and there''s noparing with her. Her hands, they''re like the reincarnation of Lu Ban, the culinary deity! Be it replicating delicacies from books or ingeniously transforming certain ingredients, she does it effortlessly..."

    Cheng YuanYuan overly praised her friend and seeing Gu Sang''s curiosity levels peak, she invited Gu Sang to join her in meeting this friend next time.

    Gu Sang did indeed want to meet this woman who looked simr to Consort Zhao.

    Moreover, the idea of her recreating dishes from books intrigued her greatly.

    The two then agreed that when Cheng YuanYuan was free, they would pay a visit to this live streamer together.

 Chapter 186: Like Lady Zhao

    <h4>Chapter 186</h4>

    "Retreat!"

    At General Guan''smand, the soldiers quickly retreated.

    In recent days, General Guan had led his ferocious army- attacking the gue City almost every day.

    Yet, each time they returned empty-handed.

    Weapons like grenades, cannons, and others made it impossible for their troops to step a single foot into the city. Previous strategies to break the city''s defenses becamepletely ineffective.

    After all, the firepower was too powerful!

    This time, General Guash led his soldiers to ambush from behind a mountain, hoping to take advantage of the cover of darkness tounch an attack from another entrance to the gue City.

    This time, their defeat was moreplete than ever before.

    They originally thought that the rugged mountainous terrain and the cover of forest trees would make the Elder Princess¡¯s weapons useless against them.

    However, when the soldiers of gue City entered the forest, they seemed to be masters of the mountains, defeating the imperial soldiers continuously.

    What used to be a wildly brave imperial army on the ins instantly lost their formation andmand when faced with an ambush in the forest.

    After General Guan led his soldiers to retreat, Zhou Qichen did not order his soldiers to chase them down.

    Upon returning to their station, General Guan ordered officers above the rank of Captain to analyze their tactics.

    "General, we truly didn''t see thating. Before this, the soldiers of gue City needed the help of heavy artillery and grenades to hold us back. But today, without even using their firepower, they managed to defeat us. It''s incredible!" said one general.

    "The disguises they painted on their faces made them blend into the forest. We couldn¡¯t tell them apart from the trees."

    "Their clothing was unusual, and those traps were seamlesslyid out. It''s exasperating."

    "We''ve been fighting back and forth these days, giving them the opportunity to use us as training targets. Every time they were about to lose, they hid in gue City. We were wary of their firepower and unable to chase in. This time, we essentially trained them ourselves," another general further vented his frustration.

    "We can''t quite say it like that," another general analyzed, "Our formations were wed on forest terrain. They excel in forestbat. gue City is backed by vast mountains. There''s a chance they were drilling their soldiers in the forest, excelling at using their troops wlessly in this terrain. This time, we ended up pricking our shorings against their strengths."

    His words were met with sighs all around.

    They initially thought dealing with firepower was quite challenging.

    Little did they know what was toe.

    On top of that, Zhou Qichen had previously brought in a batch ofdy physicians to treat the wounded, which had fostered some camaraderie. The thought of ruthlessly ughtering those people was too burdensome to even contemte.

    The deputymander worriedly said to General Guan, "Commander, we initially thought we could reim gue City in just three days, but we didn''t expect the Elder Princess to have developed it so remarkably."

    "We''ve already wasted half a month''s time in gue City. If we do not hurry back to the frontier, the Xiongnu might notice."

    "If the Xiongnu decide to march south, the consequences would be far graver than this gue City. A civil war may cause damage, but it spares themon people. A foreign conflict, on the other hand, could wipe out entire cities."

    "When that timees, my people of the Central ins will be in a dire situation."

    As soon as he finished speaking, another person interjected:

    "But the Emperor did notmand us to return. If we do so, we would be defying his orders."

    "A general in the field may choose not to obey!"

    "But the Emperor is the ruler of all¡­"

    The crowd quickly divided into two vehemently arguing factions. One insisted on returning to defend the border town, while the other insisted on waiting for the Emperor''s decree.

    Atst, General Guan mmed the table and decided ¡ª to divide the army.

    Leaving the border town for so long was uneptable. They had to return with some of the soldiers, creating a false illusion to the Xiongnu that the main force had not yet moved.

    The other half of the soldiers would have to stay on guard here, enduring a war of attrition, awaiting the court to send reinforcements.

    -

    Several dayster, Cheng Yuanyuan called. She had finished her scenes and wanted to know if Gu Sang had some time to visit a Vlogger''s friend''s house.

    On Sunday, Cheng Yuanyuan rented a car to pick up Gu Sang.

    Then she drove to the Vlogger''s friend''s house.

    When they arrived, it was almost noon.

    The friend''s house was a two-story building with a small courtyard surrounded by walls.

    Pink Portca Grandiflora crept out from the inside, blooming beautiful flowers on the wall, filling the air with a faint fragrance.

    They parked their car outside and went to knock. Gu Sang turned on her live stream.

    After waiting for about ten seconds, someone came out.

    The moment this person was caught by the camera, everyone in the capital, Pei Changying, the officials, the Zhao Family, the Elder Princess, and others were all shocked.

    Pei Changying was so startled that he stood up, turning pale.

    Consort Zhao!!!

    "The busy one. You finally found time to see me."

    "Hi, you must be Gu Sang, wee, wee. I''ve watched your short drama as the queen before, and I think your acting is superb. I''ve been wanting to meet you."

    She spoke softly, making people feelforted as if a spring breeze was blowing. After saying a sentence to Cheng Yuanyuan, she immediately turned to chat with Gu Sang.

    The parents of the Zhao Family living in the gue-stricken city immediately recognized that this wasn''t their daughter before she even spoke.

    Their daughter wouldn''t speak so gently, her words flowing softly into the heart, her brows exuding an air of tranquility and confidence.

    "She looks so much like our little girl. Seeing her, I feel like I''m seeing my Consort Zhao again."

    "If Consort Zhao was in the future world, her smile would be just as radiant as hers."

    Upon hearing her husband''s words, Zhao''s motherforted him, "The Divine Girl mentioned that Consort Zhao''s reincarnation lives in the future."

    "My lord, Consort Zhao will be happy in the future. Maybe she¡¯ll be just as gentle as this girl, able to live her own life freely."

    Not just the Zhao Family,

    Even the pce was shaken.

    The maids guarding Xuyang Pce were so frightened that they shouted "Consort Zhao is back!" This rm startled all the queens in the pce.

    Gu Qingrou and the concubines ignored any orders and courageously rushed into Xuyang Pce.

    One after another, they stared at the screen in shock and disbelief.

    Could it be that Consort Zhao really went to the future world?

    It wasn''t until they heard a woman, who bore a striking resemnce to Sister Zhao, speak her name, that they realized they had mistaken her for someone else.

    "In all the world, it seems, someone as simr to Sister Zhao actually exists. I wonder what the Emperor''s reaction will be upon seeing her."

    "She is remarkably alike, the simrities are uncanny, with the exception of her temperament and character."

    "Sob, sob... How envious! Look at the genuine happiness in her eyes, sisters. She is truly living a wonderful life."

    "The Emperor, upon seeing someone so much like Sister Zhao, must feel quite consoled, right?"

 Chapter 187: Salt Production

    <h4>Chapter 187</h4>

    Relief?

    Impossible for Pei Changying to feel relieved.

    Without guessing, Gu Sang could imagine Pei Changying, currently upying the throne in the golden grand hall, would be foaming at the mouth in fury.

    Thest time he caused Consort Zhao to jump off a building was a thorn in Pei Changying''s heart.

    At the moment, he must be furiously swearing, demanding Consort Zhao''s death.

    Consort Li, who''s currently off duty, started shedding uncontroble tears the moment she saw Consort Zhao''s face at the gate of Xuyang Pce.

    "Consort Zhao¡±

    "Is it you? Have you finally escaped from this ruthless imperial city?¡±

    "It''s great."

    Sadly, I will never be able to escape this cage in my lifetime!

    Even death seems a luxury to me.

    The current emperor is bing more and more depraved, torturing her not only physically but mentally every night.

    She was isted, ridiculed by the eunuchs and courtdies, and asionally locked in a deep dungeon, filled with fear, despair, and breakdown.

    Just as she was about to go mad, he would let her out and repeat the torture.

    Consort Li''s greatest wish in life is to personally witness the emperor, the dog, lose his kingdom, to see him die!

    Only then can she be relieved of the torment she''s endured in her lifetime.

    Gu Sang and Cheng Yuanyuan affectionately call this gentle and skillful woman Xiao Jiu.

    Xiao Jiu started early in the morning, hustling with a table full of dishes, waiting for them to arrive.

    Every dish looks like it has been meticulously prepared by a imperial chef - they are masterpieces of artistry.

    Gu Sang gifted Xiao Jiu with a polite gift and shyly said,

    "You made a lot of trouble for you today, many dishes like this must have been hard work.¡±

    ¡°These dishes are so elegant that they could be on television.¡±

    Xiao Jiu graciously epted the gift, neither refusing nor feeling embarrassed.

    She grinned, "You can eat to your heart''s content, no guilt required.¡±

    ¡°I''m a food blogger, studying and cooking food is my hobby, and it''s never a burden. Even if you hadn''te, I would still have made theseplex and expensive dishes.¡±

    "I''m d you coulde. You can help me finish these dishes, or it''d be a waste if I was the only one to eat."

    As Gu Sang sat down, Xiao Jiu politely asked,

    ¡°I want to shoot some videos, do you mind?¡±

    "If you don''t want to appear, I can edit it outter."

    Listening to Xiao Jiu, Gu Sang''s voice softened unconsciously.

    "I don''t mind."

    Xiao Jiu didn''t shoot the whole meal, just close-ups of each dish before they started eating.

    During the meal, Gusan learned that Xiao Jiu nned to shoot videos in the afternoon, makingke salt, well salt, and sea salt, refine them, and then summarize for the viewers which salt tastes better.

    Gu Sang expressed strong interest and wanted to learn.

    Xiao Jiu naturally weed her, and Cheng Yuanyuan was also curious about how salt was made.

    After lunch, the three of them drove to the beach to collect salt. Gu Sang humblely asked about the purpose of each tool in Xiao Jiu''s trunk, and Xiao Jiu carefully exined.

    In the grand hall above, the entire court was at a loss.

    If they remember correctly, Gu Sang''s live broadcast can be viewed by people in more than a dozen cities.

    Making salt privately is a crime punishable by public execution.

    And in theter generations, are themoners allowed to make salt privately?

    Pei Changying''s eyes moved away from Xiao Jiu, his lips trembling with anger, "Gu Sang! What''s your intention today? The harlot, Zhao Ni, has died, so why did you find a woman who looks so much like her for a live broadcast?"

    "The matter has passed, do you still want to stir up a city-wide sensation?"

    "Moreover, you told themon people how to make salt publicly. What is your n?"

    "You''ve been in the pce for so long. You clearly know that making salt privately is illegal."

    "You''re leading the citizens tomit crimes!"

    Gu Sang sneered, "Don''t put everything on me. Themon people are busy with their livelihoods every day, and have no time to collect and make salt."

    "If the official salt provided by the court was cheaper, there wouldn''t be a need for themoners to go to such lengths."

    "Moreover, if the salt production increased, it would benefit the entire country."

    "Pei Changying, is your brain filled with dung? Instead of learning how to make finer, tastier sea salt, you worry about people making salt?"

    While listening to Gu Sang insult their emperor, the citizens shockbined with surprise, with many gritting their teeth and batting their shoulders, trying their best to suppress theirughter.

    They must hold it in, they can''tugh!

    They would never dare to dream about what it feels like to insult a high and mighty emperor.

    Yet, Gu Sang, she arrived with a bang, evenparing the emperor to excrement?

    Wencheng.

    People watched the red figure standing at the forefront, and a wave of gratitude surged in their hearts.

    Princess Chang is truly the best!

    Every time Gu Sang broadcasts live, Princess Chang never forbids them to watch, even this secret of making salt, Princess Chang did not let the soldiers drive them away.

    Upon hearing Gu Sang scold the Emperor, although they did not hear the Emperor speak, they could guess how angry and defiant he was about it.

    Officials always want to control every profitable business tightly, leaving the poor people with no way out.

    But Princess Chang, she''s so generous...

    Gu Sang said, "So this is a salt grain? It''s hard to believe that a cheap andmon bag of salt requires so many steps to produce."

    "You''re truly exceptional."

    Throughout the whole process, Xiao Jiu was busy with the task while Gu Sang helped fetch tools.

    Xiao Jiu, due to the live broadcast, was very detailed in the salt-making process that even ancient people could understand it.

    After watching the sea salt,ke salt, well salt production process, as well as how to further refine coarse salt to better suit the human taste.

    Pei Changying immediately issued a decree allowing those who lived by the sea to collect and make salt for the state to purchase.

    Although Gu Sang broadcasted the salt-making process to the people, Pei Changying quickly issued an order to prevent people from going to the sea to harvest salt.

    As a result of the production of sea andke salt, those living by the seaside gained an additional ie.

    But that is a story for another time.

    In the gue City, the Princess didn''t stop themoners from making well salt privately. However, for safety reasons, she decreed that the salt produced and sold privately by the public had to be inspected by the government before being sold.

    In addition, the government would take ten percent of the earnings from the salt sold by the public.

    Initially, there was indeed quite a stir throughout the gue City about salt harvesting and production, but when they realized that they were working non-stop for a while only to produce enough salt for less than a month, they lost heart and gave up.

 Chapter 188: The Huns Invade

    <h4>Chapter 188</h4>

    Their day''s wages were enough to buy a month''s worth of salt. Why did they need to work so hard?

    In the end, only a few of the joint creators of well salt managed to produce high-quality product, creating the first homemade salt shop in gue City.

    Nevertheless, most of the salt was still bought from the government suppliers.

    That evening,

    Gu Sang and the Elder Princess connected online.

    ¡°Gu Sang, we''ve started producing well salt, and the fine salt is indeed much tastier than the coarse salt," noted the Princess.

    "Although salt is cheap, it''s an essential part of our daily diet."

    "The method you developed for salt manufacturing has solved the long-standing issue of hard-to-get-salt."

    "Pei Changying gave up on gue City long ago. He has severed supply of food essentials like salt. His intention was to starve the citizens."

    "In the past, I used to ask Xiao Xue to help buy some from Jiangnan or pay high prices for merchants to bring it into the city."

    "Fortunately, you publicised your salt-making method, and Pei Changying rxed his control over the salt supply in gue City."

    Gu Sang nodded and asserted, "In history, there have definitely been several salt famines. When people can''t get salt, they be lethargic; they can''t even stand up, let alone go to war."

    "Pei Changying''s tactic of controlling your salt is clever. There are some merchants brave enough to buy salt privately and ship it to you, making a tidy profit."

    "But even though gue City''s salt production is small, we can''t neglect this skill."

    "I''m afraid that if Pei Changying once again strictly controls the sale of salt to the city, we will have well salt to rely on, so the city will not be without salt"

    The Elder Princess conceded, "I have already ordered that. We must produce our own salt and also buy from outside. We need to stock up."

    "Then there''s General Guan''s case of attacking the city, they have spent half a month here, and I''m worried about the border."

    "Pei Changying, that good-for-nothing, is crazy. Just to suppress us, he actually dared to relocate the army guarding the border, it''s simply ridiculous."

    As the Elder Princess and Gu Sang were worrying about the border,

    Thousands of miles away from gue City stood the frontier.

    Somehow, the Xiongnu learned the secret that the border was undefended and called upon tens of thousands of soldiers, storming the border city!

    The cries of ughter woke up the citizens, who, still half-asleep, were caught surprised as the Xiongnu quickly broke through the city gate.

    "Kill!"

    "Rob! All this is ours!"

    "Hahaha.......let us shout our thanks to the Emperor of the Middle Kingdom!"

    The Xiongnu on horseback, wielding crescent-shaped des, cruelly thrust the weapon into a soldier''s body and with a twist,

    Entrails and flesh were thrown about and dropped piteously onto the ground.

    Conducting a brutal rampage throughout the city, anyone they encountered, be it the fleeingmoners or soldiers, were ruthlessly gutted, and the streets ran red with blood.

    The whole border city was crying, calling out, trying to escape; it was like a living hell.

    The people were desperate to escape, but how could they outrun horses? Before they could cover a few steps, their hearts were gripped from behind, the blood sputtering as they fell to the ground.

    Witnessing the streets littered with corpses, a husband protected his wife and child, fleeing back to their house.

    But before they could find a hiding ce, the voices of the Xiongnu resonated outside.

    Soon after, the door was kicked open.

    Holding his wife tightly, the husband, trembling but resolute, said, "My wife, promise me you''ll keep our child alive."

    With unknown courage, the husband dared to step out and confront the Xiongnu.

    The wife hid their child in the stove, her tears unstoppable, whispering in a pleading tone.

    "My child, you must remain silent. No matter what happens outside, you must note out!¡±

    "Never, nevere out."

    After smearing ayer of soot on the child''s face, the wife pushed the child''s head down and ced a pot above.

    Looking around, there was nowhere else to hide.

    Outside the yard, the husband''s death screams could be heard, followed by the mockingughter of the Xiongnu.

    The wife picked up the fire stick from the kitchen, waiting for the moment the door was opened by the Xiongnu to strike them.

    But before the stick could descend, a swift Xiongnu spotted it and sliced her throat, leaving stters of flesh on the wall.

    "Hahaha! Thisnd will soon be ours!"

    "Didn''t expect this woman to be so beautiful, what a pity! You should have waited with your knife, let me have some fun."

    "There''s no scarcity of women in this city for your enjoyment."

    "Let''s go! Kill everyst one, snatch everything, burn it all!¡±

    The Xiongnuughed and scoured the kitchen for all the food they could find.

    After they left, a fire consumed everything.

    In the distance, hundreds of fires lit up around the town, forming a searing dragon, grantly burning everything in sight.

    The whole town''s poption failed to escape alive; those bodies not consumed by the fire were dragged by the Xiongnu to the nearest burning spot, discarded in the mes.

    Old, young, male, female; their bodies became fuel to the fire dragon, emitting cries of despair in the night wind.

    It wasn¡¯t until dawn began to break that the fire gradually ceased.

    Several traders intending to do business at the border town arrived gradually.

    However, before arriving, they witnessed an appalling sight.

    "Those are bodies!!! Look at the multitude of bodies hanging on the walls.¡±

    "Blood, the walls are drenched in red blood!¡±

    A gust of wind caused the bodies on the wall to sway, a strong reeking smell of blood permeating from the town.

    Instantly, all the traders witnessing this site felt a chill running down their spines.

    With pale faces, they scrambled back in the direction they came from, forgetting their goods in their hurry to inform the nearest city officials.

    The Xiongnu have invaded!

    The Xiongnu have annihted an entire city!

    The news travelled at a rapid pace, reaching the capital city in fear and delivered to Pei Changying.

    Pei Changying sat atop the towering perch of the great hall, a nce at the letter in front of him caused his whole body to tremble in fury. He directed a stormy gaze at the surrounding courtiers.

    Under the bewildered and horrified nces of the high officials, Pei Changying gave a cold, cruelugh.

    The cold, bitter edge to hisughter sent shivers down the spines of those present.

    ¡°Heh, here I sit, before all my officials. Yet I cannot discern who among you is loyal and who is a spy!¡±

    ¡°All of you so righteous, devoting yourselves for the state and the people! But, some are not loyal to me, nor are they loyal to the Central ins!"

    "How would the Xiongnu seize such an opportune moment tounch arge-scale offensive against the Central ins if there wasn''t a traitor leaking the timing of my private troop deployment! How would they manage to bulldoze our borders?¡±

    ¡°Who? Who turned traitor and became the dog of the Xiongnu?"

 Chapter 189: To the Border

    <h4>Chapter 189</h4>

    The ministers, civil and military alike, wiped the cold sweat on their foreheads, trembling as they knelt to express their loyalty, "We love our country and our king, and we would never betray His Majesty."

    Observing the ministers kneeling on the ground, Pei Changying no longer trusted them.

    He scrutinized each of them, suspecting every single one to be a spy.

    Suddenly, he was terrified. It seemed like there was no one in this world he could trust.

    Out of the blue, he thought of Gu Sang, who had risked her life to save him twice.

    Only Gu Sang was worth his trust.

    Gu Sang,e help me!

    System!

    Damn this system; I want to contact Gu Sang!

    Connect me to Gu Sang!

    "Ding!"

    "Connection is being established!"

    The familiar cold voice echoed in Pei Changying''s mind, and his eyes immediately lit up.

    Of course, he was the chosen one.

    Even the system chose to help him!

    In the grand hall above, Gu Sang''s face appeared on the screen. Pei Changying was so moved that he almost cried, "I knew it. In times of crisis, you are the one who cares the most about me."

    Gu Sang: "......"

    "Sang, Sang, I need you. Will youe back?"

    Gu Sang was sitting in a brightly lit ssroom, taking notes. Her expression was gentle, but it turned icy when she saw him.

    Upon hearing Pei Changying''s plea, the corner of Gu Sang''s lips twitched.

    In a mocking and sarcastic voice, she spoke, "Pei Changying, I don''t repeat myself. If you keep professing your love for me..."

    "This connection is unnecessary."

    Pei Changying, whose intense emotions had been building up, was cut short by Gu Sang''s indifferent attitude.

    He stared at Gu Sang, his face showing a session of emotions; shyness, anger, pride, yet Gu Sang didn''t even bother to lift her head to look at him.

    A few secondster, fury boiled over.

    Pei Changying shouted at Gu Sang, "Unnecessary? I am your husband. A day of marriage means a lifetime ofmitment. How long are you going to keep being unreasonable?"

    "Gu Sang."

    "Do you know how much carnage you have caused?"

    "Thousands of people on the border died because of you. No one could escape. They were all killed by the Xiongnu. Their corpses are hanging on the city walls."

    "Do you hear their cries? You can still study peacefully? Do you dream of them seeking revenge when you sleep at night?"

    Gu Sang paused her writing, and in surprise and disbelief, she looked up at Pei Changying.

    "What happened at the border? Speak clearly. What do their deaths have to do with me?"

    Pei Changying finally saw other emotions on Gu Sang''s face.

    Heughed coldly and used her, "Were it not for you instigating Pei Weiqi''s rebellion, would I have sent arge army to kill that damned concubine?"

    "If I hadn''t deployed arge army, would the Xiongnu have been able to take advantage of the situation?"

    "You were the cause of this, and the deaths of the people at the border were also because of you."

    "You better return and take care of this mess for me."

    Gu Sang finally understood. She had always maintained contact with the Elder Princess and was aware of General Guan''s reassignment away from the frontier.

    When she connected all these happenings, Gu Sang figured out what was going on.

    The frontier''s defence was left vacated, and the Xiongnu took advantage of this to infiltrate the Central ins.

    The thing Gu Sang worried about most during this period was the frontier defence being breached. She hadn''t expected this day to arrive so soon and was just about to ask about the detailed battle situation.

    But when she saw Pei Changying''s gleaming eyes, she abruptly became silent.

    With a change in her tone, Gu Sang coldly sneered,

    "Howughable, isn''t this your idea?"

    "Unprecedented and unsurpassed, this is your world, not mine! It''s my first time hearing about dispatching generals guarding the frontier to suppress rebels."

    "Had you not moved soldiers from the frontier to the gue city, how could Xiongnu take advantage of the situation?"

    "Are you brainless? Have you never considered the consequences? What''s truly important, your power or the lives of the billions ofmon people?"

    As the emperor standing high above, how could Pei Changying admit to his mistake?

    He hadn''t expected General Guan to be so ipetent.

    It had been half a month, and he still hadn''t captured the Elder Princess.

    Immediately, Pei Changying said coldly, "Hmph, My strategy can''t be wrong. If there weren''t Xiongnu spies within the court, how would the Xiongnu know that the frontier''s defence was void?"

    All ministers being suspected: ......

    They were disheartened, not just for a day or two!

    For Heaven''s sake!

    Although they were a bit corrupt and evil, they could never betray their country!

    "Don''t push every issue onto the ministers, it''s a pity being your minister."

    "Do you think the Xiongnu are as brainless as you? Anybody, barring the blind, would notice a gap in the defence over time."

    "You''re just ming me, ming the Elder Princess, ming all the court officials, but in reality, you''re just incapable."

    "Pei Changying, you''re contacting me and informing me about this, isn''t it to ask the Elder Princess and me to clean up the Xiongnu''s mess! You made a mistake and now millions ofmon people have to pay with their lives, don''t you feel ridiculous sitting on your throne?"

    "What an idiot! Deal with the mess you created yourself!"

    Before Pei Changying could say anything else, Gu Sang ruthlessly ended the call.

    And the ministers kneeling on the ground trembled in their hearts.

    They stealthily raised their heads to look at their gloomy-faced emperor seated high above, and reminded of all recent events, they suddenly sat on the ground in despair, their hearts broken into pieces......

    With his face streaked with tears, the Premier cried out, "It''s over! It''spletely over!"

    "Our Central ins is in danger!"

    "Heavens above!"

    "It''s all over!"

    Yet, after ending the call, Gu Sang didn''t ignore the lives of millions ofmon people, "System, help me contact the Elder Princess."

    ''Ding!''

    ''connection established!''

    The moment Gu Sang saw the Elder Princess appear, she exined everything to her.

    In the grand hall, she ruthlessly mocked Pei Changying. But after ending the call, she still needed to step in and resolve this situation.

    She saw through Pei Changying''s scheme.

    He knew the Elder Princess''s heart was invested in the wellbeing of the kingdom. Upon hearing of the massacre of the people at the frontier, she would surely deploy troops to aid them.

    Awaiting the Elder Princess to dispatch her forces to the frontier, that would be the time for Pei Changying to seize the opportunity and invade the deserted city.

    If the Elder Princess should happen to win, the foundation of her city would have been upied once she returns, leaving her hard-pressed to find another city to settle in on short notice.

    Should the Elder Princess lose, her loss would be no great concern. As rebels, they would be no great loss, and they would also have exhausted the strength of the Xiongnu in the process, resulting in gain for the kingdom.

    The Elder Princess also realized this was a win-win strategy for Pei Changying. Yet the suffering would fall upon themon people when the Xiongnu invaded from the north. It would result in rivers of blood through the Central ins, an unavoidable oue for all.

    Even though they knew they were walking into a trap, the Elder Princess and Gu Sang had no choice but to step in.

    Closing her eyes, the Elder Princess responded quickly without hesitation. ¡°If that beast Pei Changying cannot recognize friend from foe at this point, he might as well be damned to hell right now!¡±

 Chapter 190: Protecting the Central Plains

    <h4>Chapter 190</h4>

    "Go to the border, protect the people!"

    "If Pei Changying wants the gue city, give it to him."

    "The people of the gue city are ultimately his people. As long as the gue city belongs to him, even if he loses his mind and wants to kill the people of the gue city.¡±

    ¡°The literati and warriors in the court would stop him, as long as the gue city and the people are still there, one day, I wille back!¡±

    "But if the Xiongnu step into the central ins, not to mention Pei Changying, even me, even this world, who could live in peace? When a country perishes, every family perishes.¡±

    ¡°I need to guard the country to protect the people of the world.¡±

    Suddenly, Gu Sang remembered that the Elder Princess had told her earlier that the military strength at the border had been reduced by half.

    They guessed at the time that the other half of the army might have gone back to the border ahead of time.

    But Pei Changying, arrogant and haughty, would rather destroy himself than let his enemy benefit. If he hasn''t subdued the gue city, he wouldn''t let his soldiers return.

    So, it is likely that themander knew well the risks of leaving the border, hence decided to divide the troops.

    On one hand, they could rush back in time to prevent the Xiongnu from discovering their n.

    On the other hand, keeping half of the soldiers also absolves him of insubordination.

    "Elder Princess, I think we should talk to theirmander about this."

    "I guess themander doesn''t know about the Xiongnu massacring our people in the central ins."

    "If we could reach a temporary truce, the gue city wouldn''t have to worry about General Guan taking advantage of our weakness. Although I don''t think General Guan is that kind of person."

    Hearing this, the Elder Princess had a sudden realization and nodded:

    "Sang Sang, thank goodness you reminded me, I actually forgot that themander on the other side is General Guan!"

    "I believe in General Guan''s character, he would agree to temporarily make peace with us."

    "But, I need to take care of this myself."

    Hearing that the Elder Princess was going personally, Gu Sang nodded in agreement.

    If she were in her ce, she would also personally go to handle this matter to be reassured, one, to show her sincerity, and second, to convince General Guan about the matter.

    What is internal strife in the face of the national righteousness?

    "Alright, I will go with you, we will n our strategy based on General Guan''s response."

    Regardless of whether General Guan agrees or not, they are all going to protect the country at the border.

    As a ruler, who could stand to watch tens of thousands of people die under the sword, watching their homes being destroyed, killed, robbed, and burned.

    Only a fool like Pei Changying would only focus on the throne!

    The country is about to be broken into.

    Where does the thronee from?

    This time, the Elder Princess let Zhou Qichen and the female guards go to see General Guan, and the Elder Princess put on the uniform of the female guard, mingling among the women.

    When they arrived at the ce where the imperial army was stationed again.

    The soldiers stared dumbfounded at the group, all holding long spears, unsure of what to do.

    What? They''re here again?

    They''re here again?

    They are clearly enemies, but theye and go as they please.

    With the same excuse, under General Guan''s angry cursing and teeth grinding, Zhou Qichen led the group in a swagger into the camp.

    "General Guan, I have something I want to discuss with you privately."

    When the twomanders met, Zhou Qichen stated frankly.

    Just as General Guan felt like berating Zhou Qichen for being lunatic, his gaze fell on a woman standing behind Zhou.

    General immediately recognized who the woman was. After his pupils shed with astonishment, he allowed the couple to enter his tent for a private conversation without showing any emotional change.

    Wait, what?

    Is he really insane?

    Why is she here?

    And so openly?

    What¡¯s going on?

    Should he take them into custody or not?

    While General gulped under hisplex and shocking gaze, the Elder Princess removed her hat, revealing her wise and calm face.

    General Guan took a gulp of cold air and questioned:

    "Princess, why are youing to meet me privately?"

    "You brought so few people, aren''t you afraid that at mymand, your arrest will be imminent?"

    "Just by capturing you both, the gue city will fall on its own!"

    The Elder Princess replied calmly, each word staring at General Guan: "Last night, the Xiongnu ughtered an entire city, and not a single civilian survived."

    "What!!!" cried the General.

    "What did you say?!"

    Fury filled General Guan''s face.

    The rming aura made Zhou Qichen alert, subtly shielding the Elder Princess behind him, prepared to protect her from any sudden outburst by the General.

    The Elder Princess realized that the murderous intent on General Guan''s face was not targeted at her.

    Thus without a hint of panic, she sharply taunted:

    "Didn''t half of your army pre-emptively return to the frontier?"

    "If you don''t believe it, you can wait here for a few days, you may receive a secret report from your subordinates."

    "However, the news from the court ordering you to withdraw your troops back to the frontier may never arrive!"

    "The court has spent a lot of thought in coordinating with Miss Gu, ming us covertly and overtly for causing the chaos."

    "In the aftermath of the event, the first thing Pei Changying did was not to mobilize troops immediately or thwart the Xiongnu by gathering all the troops in the city, but to me me and Miss Gu."

    "General Guan, I expect you to know what Pei Changying means."

    General Guan''s face, illuminated by the flickering candlelight, alternates between fury and destion, a mix of emotions.

    However, before he could say anything, a screen appeared in front of him.

    Seeing the figure appearing on the ghostly screen, General Guan''s emotions were immediately drawn away.

    He had never seen what the people referred to as a live broadcast, but with a figure appearing seemingly out of thin air, he inferred that this was precisely the so-called live broadcast.

    Gu Sang seemed to predict what the General was thinking, said:

    "This is not a live broadcast, this is a private connection, and the content of our conversation is known only to the four of us here."

    After a pause to let the General process the phrase ''private connection'', Gu Sang continued:

    "The Elder Princess and Zhou Qichen hold respect for your character. They are willing to take such considerable risks to meet you privately, even wagering their lives in your hands."

    "They trust you, believe that you can distinguish priorities."

    "The Elder Princess wants to cooperate with you, not to betray the country, but to reach a temporary alliance. I urge you not to reject it hastily."

    "I believe that in the face of an enemy invasion, all internal conflicts can be put on hold to resolve the external issues first."

    "The Xiongnu have been ughtering the people of our central ins, and anybody would be angered by this. I imagine even generals like you would want to go and kill them immediately."

    "The court has been battling with the Xiongnu for hundreds of years, with neither side gaining an advantage: we''ve been at a stalemate."

    "But things are different now. The Elder Princess has cannons and hand grenades. As long as we work together, we will definitely drive the Xiongnu back to where they came from."

    "When that timees, the court and the Elder Princess can break their ties and fight it out to determine the victor, what do you say?"

 Chapter 191: Great Battle

    <h4>Chapter 191</h4>

    Of course, Gu Sang didn''t disclose the whole truth.

    That is, during the internal battles, both sides reserve their strength, as the Elder Princess could not bear to see heroes die in internal strife.

    Simrly,

    General Guan''s soldiers were also reluctant to act ruthlessly against their own people.

    Listening to Gu Sang¡¯s rmendations, General Guan looked at her with uncertainty, then turned his gaze towards the Elder Princess and Zhou Qichen.

    After some hesitation,

    General Guan scoffed, "Do you take me for a fool? What are your real intentions?"

    "This sort of alliance doesn¡¯t benefit you at all. Additionally, you will have to waste your cannons and grenades; why are you willing to do this?"

    Gu Sang¡¯s face was serious andposed.

    Especially when answering this question, her eyes seemed to glitter with determination and brightness.

    She spoke frankly and sincerely, "When the country falls, our homes are lost. No one can escape from warfare."

    "Moreover, we, the Central ins people, can fight inside, can contend for power, but the Xiongnu dare to invade us at this critical moment!"

    "They are now at our borders, killing our people, seizing ournd, and taking our resources."

    "A benevolent ruler cares about the people; their concerns should epass the world, not merely the imperial power!"

    Speaking up to here,

    Gu Sang shot a counter question at General Guan.

    "If there is no nation, will there be any point in internal strife over the throne?"

    "If we lose our home, we¡¯ll be the people with nowhere to turn. All the internal fights will naturally disappear. What I see in front of me will be rivers of blood."

    General Guan seemed to be hit by Gu Sang''s words, his face went bloodless, bing paler than paper.

    A few secondster,

    General Guan bounced back from his shock.

    He took a deep look at Gu Sang, stunned by their devotion to the wellbeing of the country.

    Even though they were rebels, they held the people and the nation''s future in their hearts.

    Facing the invaders, they did not stand by indifferently, but instead thought about uniting with the court to confront the invaders.

    Such broad-mindedness, even the men are shamefaced!

    The respect in General Guan''s eyes grew," I can agree to a temporary alliance, but, your army must be under mymand."

    "If one army has two leaders, it would be no better than a scattered sand."

    "Such an alliance is worse than no alliance at all!"

    The Elder Princess agreed immediately.

    The Gu Sang on screen also smiled and said, "General Guan makes sense, then my gue city soldiers will listen to General Guan''s orders."

    "I believe in General Guan''s character. He will treat everyone equally."

    A hint of resignation shed across General Guan''s face.

    At this moment, he suddenly felt that women are not necessarily narrow-minded.

    Their world is not just about serving their husbands and educating their children.

    Perhaps,

    They too can astonish the world.

    General Guan''s tone softened considerably, "Rest assured, since I promised to ally, I will not scheme anything underhanded."

    "Zhou Qichen, consider yourself the deputymander then."

    After reaching an agreement,

    Elder Princess and Zhou Qichen returned to the gue city to arrange for the expedition members.

    Counselor Fang, Advisor Xu, Elder Princess naturally stayed in the gue city, continuing to develop the economy and agriculture, and also preparing for the sudden attack by the court.

    General Qin and Zhou Qichen led their respective armies,bined with the forces of General Guan, and headed for the border in a grand manner.

    The next day, a city on the border was lost again.

    Everywhere the Xiongnu arrived, they ughtered cities.

    Two cities were lost one after another, and the cruel killings of the Xiongnu had already spread.

    Instantly arousing theints of the people all over the country, many denounced the court for being negligent: ¡°Why would the Xiongnu suddenly break in!"

    "Where have all the generals of the court gone!"

    "Oh heavens, this is going to ruin our central ins."

    "Wuuuu.....Mother, let''s flee, let''s flee quickly."

    "The emperor is ipetent! Why would the border forces retreat, it must be the emperor¡¯s fault, all the corpses of themon people were caused by him!¡±

    "Wuuuu...it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over......"

    Citizens of several cities closest to the border, afterining about the court''s ipetence, were preparing to take their families to escape to the southern region.

    The forces dispatched by General Guan arrived three dayster than expected, arriving at the border just in time to meet the Xiongnu raiding the third city.

    Under the desperate blocking of the court forces, the Xiongnu were forced to retreat unwillingly.

    However, the court forces suddenly lost half of theirbat power, and the Xiongnu army, which had been fighting with them for decades, noticed something wrong the moment they started fighting.

    The Xiongnu leader realized this was a good opportunity.

    So, the normally obedient Xiongnu, who would be frightened at the sign of the court''s troops and would not dare to approach within ten miles of the border, came back stronger than ever, like a tiger showing its fangs.

    Wave after wave, they were determined to invade the central ins.

    The court''s forces, which had already lost half its numbers, no matter how strong they were, couldn''t resist the Xiongnu, who were twice as many in number and endless in waves.

    Over the course of a day, the court''s forces, which had resisted the Xiongnu''s eight sieges, were almost on their knees from exhaustion.

    They were too tired!

    They had been fighting for two straight days and nights!

    The hands that held weapons were trembling, their strength was almost drained.

    And the Xiongnu outside the city seemed inexhaustible.

    Most of the people in the city had been evacuated, leaving only the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled who were unable to move.

    The entire town was enveloped in a gloomy atmosphere of despair and resignation to death.

    The soldiers guarding the city looked at the densely packed heads swaying below, tirelessly attacking the city gate, their faces burning with excitement and desire.

    The soldier said despairingly: "Why are there so many Xiongnu this time?"

    "Are they trying to ruin our central ins? We have Xiongnu outside, and rebels inside."

    Another soldier cursed unwillingly: "If it wasn''t for the court''s goddamn order for us to leave the border, how could we let the Xiongnu take advantage of our absence."

    "Now that they know our forces are halved, they¡¯re attacking the city like dogs catching a scent."

    "Only if General Guan leads the other half of the forces back, we might have a chance to repel them!"

    Hearing these words, the soldier responded in despair,

    "I''m afraid even the return of General Guan would not be able to turn the tide."

    "Our invaders have gone mad with the desire to take over the Central ins. I fear this time the Xiongnu have sent all their troop power. They see this ce as their breakthrough point."

    "Heh, where is the support from our court?"

    Just as these words were being spoken, a Xiongnu finally managed to climb atop the city wall, stepping over the bodies of his own fallenrades.

    Ever since the first Xiongnu managed to get up there, two, three, ten, more and more members of the Xiongnu began to ascend via their scalingdders.

    Apanied by a resounding "boom."

    The city gate had been breached!

 Chapter 192: Womenâ€™s Army

    <h4>Chapter 192</h4>

    "Kill them!"

    "Charge!"

    The Xiongnu, boasting high atop their horses, excitedly brandishing their curved swords, initiated yet another bloody quarrel.

    Witnessing the city gates being breached and the devastated town contained within,

    Themanding general of the court, with desperate resolve in his heart, croaked out loudly to the remaining soldiers, "The civilians behind us haven''t fled the city yet! We can''t retreat!"

    "Defend to the death! Do not back down!"

    The horse voices of the soldiers behind him echoed the rion call across the heavens.

    "We will not back down!"

    "We will not back down!"

    "......"

    The general was the first to charge into the fray, his untamed yell shaking the skies,

    ¡°Soldiers, charge!¡±

    "Even if we die, let''s drag some of these bastard''s sons down with us!"

    All soldiers, without the slightest hesitation, took up their arms and joined the charge.

    Some killed until their eyes turned blood red, they began to count down, one, two.

    With a "thud,"

    A head was lobbed off, flying into the great void above.

    Killing two of the Xiongnu - a two for one deal - it was worth it!

    ¡°Hahaha, I got five, it¡¯s worthy!¡±

    Elsewhere, a soldier wasughing before his death, hisughter filled with relief, filled with a sense of exhration.

    Facing death, the only thought upying their minds and eyes was how many enemies they had taken down.

    After all, anything more than one was a fair trade!

    What was there to fear in death!

    The general, after a tiring bout of killing, was covered in blood, his hand trembling incessantly, drained...

    He knew, he had expended all his strength!

    Without any energy, he was like amb waiting for ughter in front of the enemy.

    The general reluctantly closed his eyes: Wife, I can''t keep my promise, I can''t return home safely!

    Take good care of our child!

    Let him grow up!

    Don''t let him learn martial arts in the future!

    There is never a happy ending for warriors!

    Just when he prepared to embrace death, an unexpected transition happened¡ª

    "Boom!"

    "Boom!"

    "......"

    ¡°Ah!!! What is that?¡±

    Sounds of dozens of thunderous booms went off outside the city.

    The Xiongnu, who had never witnessed firearms, were blown into smithereens within moments, a inexplicable panic erupted among the crowd.

    The once despairing soldiers of the court, after hearing this yet familiar thunderous booms, suddenly found new hope.

    Oh my God!

    This sound was far too familiar to them!

    They had the same shock when they first witnessed these flying fireballs!

    Were the Princess''s reinforcements here?!

    Is it the Princess?

    The soldiers were so moved, they were almost in tears.

    In this moment, they forgot the Princess was a rebel.

    They did not wonder why the Princess would journey far and wide to save them.

    All they knew, theirrades from the central ins were here!

    As long as they had these flying fireballs, they could definitely send the Xiongnu running with their tails between their legs.

    ¡°The reinforcements have arrived! Hold on!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bomb! It¡¯s from the weapon stores!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha the reinforcements have arrived!¡±

    Upon hearing the arrival of reinforcements, energy returned to their drained bodies, one by one, they picked up their weapons and resumed their struggle with the Xiongnu.

    Not long after, they heard the Xiongnu chief shouting in panic to retreat.

    The Xiongnu, who overran the city like locusts, were sted metres away by the explosions and like a startled flock of birds, they instantly abandoned the city gates they fought so hard for and hurriedly fled.

    "Cries of fear and shock ring out, "What is that thing?"

    "It''s blown up!"

    "Help, my legs! My legs!"

    "Fall back, it''s an artifact! Retreat!"

    Led by General Guan, the army storms in, with resounding cheers echoing throughout the city.

    The town is saved!

    Seeing the soldiers from the gue town led by Zhou Qichen and General Qin, the encounter between the generals doesn''t result in any mockery or confrontation. Instead, there''s a certain calm eptance of the alliance.

    At night, the soldiers gather around a bonfire in the wide-open space, engaging in hearty chats.

    Upon hearing the news of border cities being overrun and the bodies of citizens hung from city gates, every iing military officer is filled with fury.

    Rage, humiliation, and hatred surge forth, threatening to consume them.

    "Qichen, it''s time your special forces came into y,¡± one officer demands.

    General Guan decides it''s time to strike while the iron''s hot. If they dare to kill his central in''s people, none of them get to go back.

    However, the Xiongnu are too cunning. They''re not settled as the central in cities are. They scatter when the general tries to hunt them down, almost as if they''re guerri fighters - causing great fury and headache to the general.

    But this time might be different.

    With special forces in the rear ambush, they can surely catch these wicked enemies in a.

    After dinner, the officers enter the camp. General Guan unrolls a map, devising tomorrow''s battles.

    "Zhou Qichen, I know your forces are exceptional, mainly their outfits. You lead your special forces team, hiding in Apingkou mountain range,¡± hemands.

    When they are fleeing, you block them, surely driving them onto another road.

    From tomorrow, you all will set out, mapping out terrains for the ambush.

    After Zhou Qichen nods, General Guan instructs another officer to arrive earlier to set the trap. Once Zhou Qichen drives them onto this road, the Xiongnu should fall into the trap, leading to their total defeat.

    General Qin will apany General Guan tomorrow, setting out with the explosives to wage war against the Xiongnu, determined to recapture the lost cities.

    Despite Princess Chang''s allowance of fetching all the explosives, it is too scarce against the hundreds of thousands of Xiongnu.

    Every bit of explosive has to be used to the maximum, not letting the Xiongnu realise that their numbers are dwindling.

    The next day, therge army sets out in three divisions.

    The main party led by General Guan, which also has the highest number of soldiers, advances into battle with the explosives.

    The Xiongnu, having witnessed the terror of explosives the previous day, hide inside the city, refraining from battle.

    So, it''s the female special forces'' turn to take the stage.

    As per Gu Sang''s request, Zhou Qichen has given these women different stages of training. Not only can they serve as a rescue party, but they can also be deployed as an assault force.

    Led by Ge Qing, a group of women make good use of grappling hooks to secure a hold on the city tower; these agile officers climb up the tower swiftly in just a few moves.

    Below, thousands of bowmen stand ready to shoot.

    Anyone who dares poke their head out to tamper with the rope and hook will be promptly shot down by a fast-acting soldier.

    These women, possessing a physique much lighter and quicker than the men, weren¡¯t burdened by the cumbersome armor, which made their movements fluid and swift.

    In no time, they ascended the tower and, using the modern free-fighting technique for closebat, they overwhelmingly repelled the soldiers.

    Meanwhile,dders for scale were being established in the back.

    Thanks to these female bodyguards'' obstruction, the court soldiers felt an unparalleled ease during their firstdder-scaling siege.

    As the main forces of the Xiongnu began their massive offensive, someone immediately hurled a few hand grenades towards them.

    "Boom!"

    "Roaring Booms!"

 Chapter 193: Great Victory

    <h4>Chapter 193</h4>

    In an instant, hundreds of the densely packed soldiers were hit, causing significant death and injury. No one dared to step forward right away.

    Seeing this, Ge Qing quickly spoke to a few women nearby,

    "You all protect me while we go down, I will open the city gates!"

    The Xiongnu soldiers defending at the base of the city tower saw a few women, without even any armor, daring to execute such a dangerous task of opening the city gates. Contempt was evident on their faces.

    Looking at their slender arms and legs, that were not even as thick as their own, one could notprehend, why were they on the battlefield when they should be well taken care of at home?

    It was not like they looked down upon women; their alliance included many strong women deserving of respect. But those strong women had waistlines as big as their men.

    The Xiongnu, unlike those from the Central ins, revered wild beauty. The stronger the men or women, the greater the respect they earned.

    In contrast, these slender Central ins people, looking as if they''d fall with a gust of wind, were looked down upon from the bottom of their hearts.

    "Ugh, these fragile women dared to step onto the battlefield?"

    "Has the Central ins run out of people?"

    "Look at that small waist, not as thick as my arm, ugh!"

    "Should we report this to the general and ask him to be on guard?"

    "Report? There is nothing to guard against these few little women. They''re just bluffing. I alone could deal with them."

    "Do you think the Central ins has realized they''re useless, so they''ve decided to use the beauty trap? Hahaha!" The Xiongnu soldiers guarding did not take these weak women seriously. They even ridiculed them.

    However¡ª

    Within the next second, they regretted. Regretted so much that they cried out in despair!

    These women, as soon as they came, pulled out daggers and started a closebat warfare with the Xiongnu soldiers, triggering a wave ofughter among them.

    Hey, wrestling is our strength!

    But who would have expected, these Central ins women were slippery like eels, their moves were swift, ruthless, precise, and entirely unconventional.

    Before the soldiers could even exert strength, they saw the women grab, pull, twist, release, and they were on the ground.

    "Pfft¡ª" A noise much like that rang.

    It was over just like that!

    There was even something more horrifying, a slim woman grabbed a man who weighed more than two hundred pounds and threw him over her shoulder.

    At this sight, every Xiongnu''s eyes widened in shock. They already hadrge eyes but at this moment, they looked like giant copper bells, jaws dropping in disbelief.

    That man weighed twice as much as the woman!

    How did she manage to wrestle him to the ground that way?!

    Oh, my god!!!

    Were all these women tremendously strong?

    When did the Central ins start pledging allegiance to force?

    Aren''t the people of Central ins supposed to be weak and literate ???

    Before they could even wrap their heads around it, their throats were shed due to their negligence, and the city gates were opened by the women.

    "Kill!"

    "Retake the city for this general!"

    The imperial forces rushed in immediately after.

    This time, the course of the battle changed.

    The ones running for lives were no longer the weak Central ins people.

    The Xiongnu people, who were executioners until yesterday, at this moment, were transformed into fish on a chopping board being ughtered.

    The Xiongnu stared at the pce soldiers who rushed in suddenly, baffled, "What, what''s happening? Why was there no horn for the iing enemy?"

    "How did these central ins people charge in here?"

    "Where are the soldiers guarding the walls?"

    "Ahah!"

    "Boom, boom, boom-"

    "The enemy is here! Quick! Quick!"

    The city echoed with war cries, asionally interrupted by the booming sts of gunpowder, indiscriminately killing clusters of enemies.

    In less than an hour, the Xiongnu once again abandoned the invaded town and fled to their homnd.

    They gave up on theirst city as well!

    This time, they were terrified!

    The central ins had that-esque booming sound, mighty female warriors who frightened them, so what else are they fighting for?!

    Whose flesh could withstand those gunpowder explosions.

    Not to mention those muscr women, who looked as fragile as sprouts, but when they fought, they were nimble and incredibly strong.

    They were even more formidable than the mightiest soldiers on the grasnds!

    They orderly fled back to the grasnds, as long as they could scatter around, they would disappear from sight of the imperial troops.

    Then they could remain free on the grasnds like before,, ambushing imperial soldiers when they lowered their guard, pose a threat and steal some food from the border towns.

    However, once again, their calctions were off!

    No, more urately, ever since they stepped into the central ins, ughtered civilians, even brutally hung people''s bodies on city gates, they had incited the wrath of the central ins.

    This time, they had to leave their corpses on the central ins, using their blood and regrets at thest moment to atone for those innocently murdered civilians!

    When the Xiongnu rushed to Aopingkou mountain range at night, the special forces who had been ambushing them for a day started pushing down stones when they saw the shadows of the enemy flee towards them.

    "Boom, boom, boom-"

    "We were ambushed!"

    "Damn these central-ins people!"

    "This cannot be! How can there be anyone here, what is that thing they''ve smeared on their faces?! Quick, retreat!"

    "Quickly retreat!"

    Suddenly, the rolling stones came thundering down, killing many of the Xiongnu soldiers.

    Zhou Qichen and the special forces chased them over the hills, pushing them towards another path alreadyid with ambush.

    Just cross this bridge, and ahead was the border between the Central ins and the Grasnds.

    They were safe!

    All Xiongnu soldiers felt a surge of ecstasy, as if they could see the furious, helpless look in the eyes of the central ins soldiers.

    However, the few cries of terror ahead shattered all hopes of the soldiers.

    "Another ambush? ! ! !"

    "Why the hell again?!"

    "What did the Central ins create that¡¯s so terrifying?"

    They''ve gone mad!

    The central ins have gone mad!

    Retreat!

    But when they retreated, they found that the soldiers from behind caught up.

    They were surrounded at this point, and besides the two roads forward and backward, there was no third ce for them to escape.

    There were cliffs on both sides!

    Thest few grenades finally came in handy.

    "Boom, boom, boom!"

    "Ah-"

    "Ah-ah!"

    A dozen hand grenades were mercilessly thrown over, and the remaining Xiongnu soldiers were nearly all killed.

    The remaining few thousand soldiers were exterminated right here by Zhou Qichen, who united with another general.

    Further away, in the town, General Guan had previously split the Xiongnu''s vast army into two. The initial half was ambushed and killed by Zhou Qichen and his allies. Thetter half of the soldiers were retained and offered as bloody sacrifices to the deceased civilians.

    This war resulted in an unprecedented victory.

    The Xiongnu army suffered heavy losses. At the very least, they wouldn''t dare to invade the Central ins for the next couple of years.

 Chapter 194: Female Hero

    <h4>Chapter 194</h4>

    In the evening, a victory banquet was held by the Central ins Army.

    Whether it was soldiers from the gue City or the royal court, after going through life and death cooperation, there were no barriers left in their hearts.

    At this moment, they were people of different standings, yet each held mutual admiration and cherished each other''spany.

    At this moment, they became cordial to an unprecedented degree, referring to each other as brothers.

    ¡°Sister Ge, you all are women of valor. In my life, there are only two people I admire, one is the towering General Guan, and the other is you, Sister Ge. Let me raise a toast to both of you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for our initial encounter as I fooled around, I hadn''t anticipated the depth of your courage. You had the guts to stitch up wounds by hand¡ªI am impressed! Not to mention the crucial role you yed in today''s battle. Had it not been for you and the other female heroes, we would not have won so easily today!"

    ¡°Come, everyone, raise a toast to our women warriors! Sister Ge, teach us the shoulder throw you used. When I saw you throw a man weighing over two hundred jin (roughly 220 pounds) to the ground today, I was astonished beyond words."

    ¡°Strong leaders breed strong followers. The Elder Princess is so formidable, and you are equally so, challenging my understanding of women. I won''t dare underestimate women in the future!¡±

    ¡°Women aren''t restricted to the four walls of the home after all¡ªwe were narrow-minded before.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    Campfires burned brightly everywhere, and joyfulughter filled the air.

    After proving themselves through actions, the women warriors who could fight, heal, sustain logistics, and form surprise attack units were unanimously respected and recognized by the army.

    Even the prestigious and stern General Guan had profound respect for them at the bottom of his heart.

    He even secretly pondered about training female warriors forbat himself.

    ¡°Congrattions, you''ve won a great victory!"

    Gu Sang''s sudden appearance shocked the generals. They instantly became alert.

    What...what was that?

    What was that ghostly voice?

    But when they saw General Guan''s calm expression, the generals rxed from their alert stance and started curiously looking at the floating screen.

    Some even tried to pass their hands through the screen and back.

    Wow!

    The screen isn''t disappearing!

    My hand actually went through it!

    General Guan watched Gu Sang with an inscrutable expression and asked: ¡°Miss Gu, can you find me anywhere and anytime?¡±

    This was the second time General Guan had seen this suddenly appearing screen.

    Thus, he was curious about why Gu Sang could always appear precisely in front of him.

    However, Gu Sang sold out Zhou Qichen with one sentence.

    ¡°No, I contacted Zhou Qichen. It''s his private line.¡±

    General Guanughed sarcastically and nced at Zhou Qichen, who awkwardly grinned back, hoping to smooth over the situation with his cheerful smile.

    Gu Sang asked calmly:

    ¡°General Guan, you haven''t reported to the court yet about your independent venture to the bordend, right?¡±

    ¡°Now that the Xiongnu Army has beenpletely annihted and the city has been recaptured, the Emperor will likely overlook our independent operation given the magnitude of this aplishment.¡±

    "Just one question for General Guan, if Pei Changying orders you to leave the frontier again, will you obey?"

    On hearing this, the faces of the other generals turned serious, their smiles fading as they directed their attention to Gu Sang.

    General Guan''s face was as stern as ever, his hardened visage bearing the marks of long exposure to the harsh frontier weather, seeming even more weary in the flickering light of the bonfire.

    He had grown old, yet he still defended his homnd at this inhospitable border.

    His entire life had been spent on these vast, destends.

    "I understand your concerns. I''ve spent my life here at the border. For you all, summer brings rashes and winter frostbites. There are only two seasons here, extreme cold and heat, alternately. This ce is simply unfit for habitation."

    "Despite the severe weather, I''ve grown ustomed to this vast space, watching the locals struggle to survive in this harsh environment. I am used to watching the eagle circling in the sky to hunt, the sky full of stars, the yellow sand in the wind, the icy and snowy world in which I am the only one walking alone, the ice cliffs a hundred feet high..."

    "Pce intrigues and politics don''t suit me, nor do I wish to leave the border anymore. As for your royal power struggles, I have no interest in them."

    "I just want to spend the rest of my time protecting my homnd. As long as the Guan Family Army exists, the Xiongnu will not step into the Central ins."

    General Guan''s answer was a tacit rejection of Gu Sang''s invitation and also a clear statement.

    He would not join the Elder Princess''s camp.

    In future, he won''t be leading soldiers away from the border.

    General Guan and his Guan Family Army, the first line of defense at the border, will not leave!

    Indirectly, General Guan made it clear that even if the Elder Princess invades the capital, he will turn a deaf ear.

    As for the pce and royal power struggles, let them duke it out.

    Gu Sang could understand General Guan''s dilemma and his determination to guard the frontier year after year.

    No matter the circumstances, Gu Sang admired General Guan''s efforts to protect the homnd.

    She got up, raised her right hand with straight fingers, and gave General Guan a modern salute.

    "This is a salute for soldiers in our future times."

    "General Guan, your thoughts and actions have earned my respect. You deserve a modern military salute!"

    Hearing Gu Sang''s words, General Guan burst into heartyughter, echoing under the night sky.

    The soldiers looked curiously in this direction, wondering what could make General Guanugh so openly.

    "Then I''ll call you Miss Gu, Miss Gu, I''m very curious about your future world."

    "When I have the time, I hope to see what the future world is like. I really want to see what kind of ce can be called prosperous."

    "Do the Xiongnu still exist in the future?"

    "Canmon people have enough to eat in your future times?"

    "In your future times with so many advanced weapons, does everyone only rely on these weapons and forget to exercise and strengthen the body?"

    The others too looked at Gu Sang curiously, as they had all heard more or less about the live broadcast.

    They also knew about the powerful and promising future.

    Unfortunately, they only heard about it, they did not have the chance to witness it themselves.

    Facing the questions from everyone, Gu Sang patiently exined:

    "For the first question, there will be an opportunity, and by then, you will all be able to watch the so-called live broadcast."

    "All of you here will be able to witness the dream of a great nation and a strong military in the future. Perhaps next year, if I''m still broadcasting, you will even get to see the National Day military parade!"

    "The parade ceremony is on a five-year lesser cycle and a ten-year grand cycle. Next year will be a lesser parade, and there will be onlookers even from foreign nations whoe to admire it."

    "By then, you will truly understand just how formidable the might and technology of the future really are."

 Chapter 195: Acceptance of the Empress

    <h4>Chapter 195</h4>

    "Speaking of feeding themon people, there once had been a gentleman who realized the future dream of people basking in the grain fields without the fear of hunger. We never again witnessed famine taking over ournds."

    After Gu Sang answered the first two queries, the room fell silent.

    No more famine!

    In the current era, famine strikes every year, causing countless fatalities!

    A bold general among them asked in confusion:

    "Miss Gu Sang, I genuinely admire your future where peace and prosperity prevail. You even allow people from other nations to observe your military parades? Does everyone make it there?"

    At this moment,

    Confidence and pride radiated from Gu Sang''s face as she said with a smile:

    "Everyone in the world cane and watch, if they wish to be there!¡±

    "The National Day Parade serves not only as an internal drill but also as a tform to showcase the might of China to the world. Internationally, falling behind invites trouble. Hence, our nation needs to continually progress!¡±

    "Manymon people might not make it to the field, but the event would be broadcasted live, enabling everyone to watch online."

    Listening to Gu Sang describing the National Day Parade, all soldiers'' eyes shone with anticipation.

    They wished to witness the grand parade and the future army, how future military parades are conducted, and what the outside world looks like.

    Following that,

    Gu Sang continued with her third point, which caused buzzing in the soldiers'' minds. They felt as if they had been struck by a bolt from the blue.

    Gu Sang exined:

    "The third point to note is that our future nation is made up of 56 ethnic groups, including the future Xiongnu. They are primarily distributed among several ethnicities, like the present Mongolians and Manchus¡­¡±

    ¡°There is no longer a term as ''Xiongnu¡¯ in the future. In our big Chinese family, all ethnicities are brothers and sisters living in harmony.¡±

    "Everyone unites in the face of attacks from overseas enemies, bringing about unity and solidarity."

    Listening to Gu Sang, the soldiers were left agape, their amazement making them simr to duck eggs.

    In all the history and dynasties, no nation had ever seeded in eliminating the Xiongnu.

    And, the war between the Central ins and the Xiongnusted for centuries, filled with victories and losses.

    They understood the future was strong, it even crossed their minds that the future might even wipe out the Xiongnu.

    But they never anticipated the future would be filled with such cultural diversity.

    And more surprisingly, despite all the ethnical differences, everyone was united!

    The rulers of the future must possess impressive capabilities. The effort they put in to unite all these ethnicities must bemendable!

    This is far more challenging than eliminating them!

    This is not like integrating a person or an ethnic group. This is about the fifty-six ethnicities, not fifty-six individuals. How did the thinkers brilliantly unify the fifty-six ethnicities?

    The wailing winds in the wilderness generated ghost-ridden sounds.

    That brought the soldiers back from their profound shock.

    Following that, Gu Sang answered the third question, inducing surprise, excitement, and aspiration among everyone present.

    "Although the technology of the future is powerful, not all soldiers are solely dependent on weapons."

    "Every year, new soldiers are enlisted and trained. The nation also puts great focus on nurturing their physical fitness."

    "In the future, we have three major military branches: naval,nd, and air forces, as well as various crack squads like the Thunder Strike Team, Tiger and Leopard Team, Special Forces, Rocket Army, Strategic Support Forces, Armed Police, and Anti-Terrorism Units..."

    "Guerri warfare, tunnel warfare, information warfare, digital satellite warfare, etc., you name it, thebat drill modules have it all. Furthermore, drills are carried out periodically to keep soldiers in a constant state of battle-readiness."

    "In our country''s ind territories, naval patrols armed with thetest and most advanced weapons operate daily. Also, on ournd boundaries, there are soldiers, just like you, strictly guarding against intruders and preventing smuggling as well as human trafficking."

    "If they want to enter, they must go through the proper channels and get the exit and entry permits..."

    Even though Gu Sang and General Qin were well aware of the many benefits of the future, as they themselves had also enjoyed the soldier benefits in Xiongnu city, this was the first time that they heard Gu Sang detailing it soprehensively.

    So many different types of soldiers exist in the future!

    Each military branch has such well-defined positions!

    Despite being such a strong nation, they still diligently stand on guard to defend their homnd day after day.

    Whether it''s the ideological level, the advancements in technology and policy, or even medicine, they were deeply envious of the future.

    How they wished to one day see the strength of their own nation with their own eyes.

    They wanted to see a united nation, a world without wars, they longed to return home!

    They yearned to be reborn in the future!

    Even General Guan lowered his gaze, murmuring faintly and contemtively: "What kind of ce would the future be, to dare implement equality between men and women, and a peaceful prosperity?"

    "What must it be like to wield such formidable military power."

    "How enviable."

    -

    The next day, Zhou Qichen, General Qin led their soldiers back to Xiongnu city.

    After their departure, General Guan sent a letter of victorious report back to court, recording the events.

    With the victorious report, news about the border recovery and downfall of the Xiongnu had already spread everywhere, from the streets to the alleyways.

    Soon enough, even the Jiangnan region was aware of this matter.

    Even if the court wanted to hush up the fact that the Elder Princess had helped, but the news already sprouted wings of its own and flew into the ears of everyone.

    Upon hearing that the Elder Princess had such divine weapons, the public was stirred!

    "Our saviors were the Elder Princess and Divine Lady, sob sob sob.... The women that we had always belittled, thought only suitable to stay at home."

    "I finally believe it, the first empress of the Tang Dynasty that the Divine Lady spoke of!"

    "I finally understand that women can also be extraordinary!"

    "Did you hear that? The all-women army that fought against the Xiongnu routed thempletely, women too can go to the battlefield, they can also hold their own."

    "Sob sob sob, our homes are saved! Long live the Elder Princess!"

    "....What are you crying for, smile, our Central ins have held their ground!"

    On every street corner, they were shouting and cheering wildly. In that moment, they started to ept the Elder Princess, little by little all over again.

    This eptance transformed into specks of merit, ascending towards the sky.

    The souls of tens of thousands of people from the border areas, after the demise of the Xiongnu, also transformed into merits, flying towards heaven.

    Further afield, people appreciated the Divine Lady''s live broadcast, grateful for the divine weapons that meant they would not be harassed by the Xiongnu in the uing decades...

 Chapter 196: The Resurrection of Grandma

    <h4>Chapter 196</h4>

    Those waiting for their sons, husbands, and families to return home, when they looked up at the sky, emitted faint glimmers of light that were barely visible to the human eye.

    After this coborative effort, the border soldiers'' perspectives changed at that moment, transforming into merits soaring towards the blue sky and white clouds...

    At the imperial court.

    Upon receiving the victorious news from the border, Pei Changyingpletely lost hisposure.

    "Is the Guan Family Army nning a rebellion!!!"

    "I have been lenient with them, not punishing them for their prolonged failure to conquer the gue-ridden city, yet they dared to mobilize troops without my decree!"

    "What chills my heart even more is that they have coborated with the rebels!"

    "Are they nning a rebellion? Hmph, someone go immediately to the Guan family¡ª"

    Before he could finish his sentence about raiding their homes and throwing them into prison, he was stopped by the unanimous persuasion of dozens of ministers.

    The sound of rustling!

    The great hall was filled with kneeling ministers.

    Even the Prime Minister knelt down and shouted, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

    "Your Majesty, General Guan has been loyally guarding the border. If we arrest his family just based on this incident, it might incite public outrage!"

    "Your Majesty, General Guanmands an army of two hundred thousand! If we arrest his family, General Guan might, in a fit of rage, plot a rebellion!"

    "Your Majesty, it must not be done!"

    "Your Majesty..."

    Under the pleading of the entire court, Pei Changying gradually regained his rationality.

    He knew that General Guan,manding arge force and having guarded the harsh border for decades, now was not the best time to punish him.

    Firstly, if this matter were to leak out, the public would be the first to dissent.

    Although Pei Changying was persuaded by the ministers not to target the Guan family, in his heart, he had already nted a seed of deadly intent towards General Guan.

    In the gue city.

    Merchants who traveled to the gue city for business had already informed the citizens about the great victory at the border.

    The Elder Princess''s furrowed brows suddenly rxed.

    Since the merchants were aware of this, it meant that several days had passed.

    Perhaps, Zhou Qichen and another were already on their way back!

    And after the imperial army left, the gue city entered a state of preparation and defense.

    Fortunately, for such a long time, Pei Changying had not reacted, so he did not send arge army to attack the gue city.

    Of course.

    This was also thanks to General Guan, who suppressed all the imperial decrees for mobilization and did not inform Pei Changying of the actual situation.

    Thus, Pei Changying was unaware that the main forces of the gue city had gone to the border, leaving behind only a city with littlebat strength.

    An opportunity missed is an opportunity lost; Pei Changying missed this chance.

    By the time he realized, the main forces of the gue city had also returned, and by then, the gue city need not worry about being wiped out by the imperial court.

    "Beep."

    "Connection established."

    "Looking at your expression, you already know about the great victory at the border!"

    The Elder Princess, hearing Gu Sang''s voice, looked up at the activated screen.

    She saw Gu Sang sitting on a sofa, crunching on a bag of delicious chips.

    The Elder Princess''s gaze inadvertently swept over the brightly packaged chip bag, a sh of envy in her eyes. She had heard from Gu Sang that these chips were snacks made from potatoes.

    Watching Gu Sang eat was truly a delight!

    "Zhou Qichen and his group have already embarked upon their journey. They will probably reach gue City in a few days'' time," said someone.

    "General Guan is a hero to admire. His thoughts are always on a grand scale, without the slightest intention of stopping the soldiers from gue City."

    "By the way, I have a piece of good news for you ¡ª though you might not consider it as such," Gu Sang said, her mouth curving into a slight smile as she chuckled.

    Meeting Elder Princess'' puzzled, anxious gaze, Gu Sang continued, "General Guan has made it clear to me that he will not interfere in any internal conflicts."

    "His responsibility from now on is to guard the border, ensuring that not even a single Xiongnu steps foot within our Central ins."

    Hearing this, Elder Princess could not help but admire General Guan''s thoughts even more. She proudly dered, "Our Central ins have nevercked brave soldiers, or patriotic talents!"

    "The only problem is that the current Emperor is a fool who only cares for his own self-interest. He insists on doing things his way, and even if heaven sent talent his way, he wouldn''t recognize it."

    "Once I ascend the throne, I will make our country even stronger."

    "I will make sure that the Xiongnu tremble at the mere mention of the Central ins'' name. We will no longer be weaklings as we are now!"

    Gu Sang agreed wholeheartedly, pping her hands in approval, "Well said! I truly believe you can do it!"

    "As long as the border''s soldiers do not intervene, there''s not many troops that can be utilized within the Central ins'' boundary. Wei Qi, it''s finally our time to ascend the throne!"

    "I''ve waited for this day, oh how I''ve waited!"

    Shortly after, the two of them began discussing their next steps: how to expand their territory, and how to infiltrate the royal capital.

    Half an hourter, their strategy session was nearlyplete.

    All that remained was to implement the n with a patient, steady step-by-step approach.

    ''Your merit has increased by 500,000!''

    ''Your merit has increased by 1,000,000!''

    ''Your merit has increased by 3,000,000!''

    As Gu Sang connected with Elder Princess, her merit continued to rise rapidly.

    ''Ding!''

    ''Your total merit has reached 30,000,000!''

    Hearing her merit reaching the required amount threw Gu Sang¡¯s heart into a flutter.

    30,000,000!

    This number means her grandmother cane back!

    Her grandmother...

    "Wei Qi, that''s all for today. Goodbye!"

    Hang up.

    Rushing to end the call with the Elder Princess, a streak of excitement shed across Gu Sang''s usually calm andposed face. She was almost trembling with anticipation as she summoned the system.

    "System, I''ve now reached 30,000,000 merits, am I now able to revive my grandmother?"

    Who would have thought, a single second could feel this long.

    The system''s voice rang out after the agonizing wait of a second.

    ''Yes, your merit has reached 30,000,000, and you can now revive your grandmother!''

    ''Congrattions! You''ve aplished your task incredibly quickly!''

    Gu Sang was equally touched, having waited for this moment since her journey across the ages, from the modern world back to ancient times, and back again.

    She said with a voice filled with suppressed excitement and eagerness, "System, I want to revive my grandmother!"

    However, before the system could respond, the mechanized voice of the system rang out once again.

    ''Ding!''

    ''Received connection!''

    ''Automatic activation initiated!''

    Staring at the connection that appeared out of nowhere, it made her pause her conversation with the system.

    Especially since the one on the other end of the line was Pei Changying, who was even more disgusting than the flies in the washroom. Upon seeing his name, Gu Sang paused for a second, then couldn''t help but start cursing.

    "Dammit, you''re such a dung beetle...!"

    This idiot must be out to get her.

    Yes.

    Definitely out to get her.

    It''s always like this!

    Pei Changying, who was taken aback by a series of Gu Sang''s curses, was wide-mouthed and astonished.

 Chapter 197: Here We Go Again

    <h4>Chapter 197</h4>

    When faced with Gu Sang''s elegant outburst, he couldn''t get a word in edgewise.

    He watched in shock, anger, and confusion as Gu Sang berated him for a full ten minutes.

    All sorts of harsh and vulgar insults poured forth.

    Yet somehow, it didn''te across as crude at all, and could even be called an auditory feast.

    Pei Changying''s face looked worse than if he''d been constipated for a month. Several times he tried to open his mouth to stop Gu Sang''s tirade, but couldn''t find an opening to interject.

    It wasn''t until Gu Sang finished venting her anger that Pei Changying secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Gu Sang cautiously, havingpletely forgotten that he hade to confront her.

    "Sang Sang, I''m sorry. I know what happened before hurt you deeply, but it''s all in the past now."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll protect you from now on. Who made you so angry?"

    Originally, Gu Sang''s anger had dissipated.

    But upon hearing Pei Changying''s words, she thought of her grandmother again, and her blood began to boil once more.

    Gu Sang said: "I really get annoyed just looking at your face. It''s just like back then when I despised you but had to force myself to please you..."

    She continued her verbal assault for several more minutes, until Pei Changying almost wanted to flee in disgrace.

    But the video call hadn''t ended, so wherever he went, the screen followed, and her scolding pursued him.

    By the end, Pei Changying had given up struggling andy resignedly on his dragon throne, his fingers clenched tightly.

    He hadpletely forgotten that there was still a pce maid attending him nearby, and he had failed to send her away.

    His furious yet helpless expression was witnessed by Pce Maid Li, who lowered her head to conceal her internalughter.

    Haha, today was so satisfying!

    She had witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime scene. She could die without regrets now.

    All the torment and grievances she had endured turned into overwhelming joy at seeing the dog emperor berated like this.

    Finally.

    Gu Sang sneered: "What do you want from me anyway? Don''t contact me unless it''s important."

    "You''d better have something extremely urgent to discuss."

    Seeing Pei Changying''s nk stare and furious expression, Gu Sang asked coldly, implying that if he said he had nothing important to discuss, she would immediately have the System end the call.

    Pei Changying came to his senses and let out a long sigh.

    Gu Sang''s cold demeanor was far better than her previous stream of profanities.

    Thinking this, Pei Changying suddenly realized how good Gu Sang had been to him before.

    Seeing Gu Sang''s impatient look, Pei Changying hurriedly spoke:

    "Sang Sang, I know your feelings towards me are different from others."

    "The biggest problem between us is that I caused you to lose your grandmother."

    "If I could make it up to you, help you find your grandmother, would you forgive me?"

    Gu Sang''s heart skipped a beat, not quite understanding Pei Changying''s meaning.

    But since it concerned her grandmother, her attitude towards Pei Changying improved slightly.

    "What do you mean by that?"

    Although Gu Sang''s expression remained unchanged, Pei Changying still caught a fleeting glimpse of concern in her eyes.

    Pei Changying rejoiced inwardly, feeling he had firmly grasped Gu Sang''s weak point - her grandmother.

    After all, everything Gu Sang was doing now was to resurrect her grandmother.

    "You came here by ident before, through a twist of fate."

    "So if your grandmother had an ident, wouldn''t she alsoe here?"

    "I''ve already ordered people to search for your grandmother. Perhaps, before long, she''ll be found."

    Pce Maid Li, kneeling behind Pei Changying, desperately tried to signal to Gu Sang with her eyes.

    Sister Gu, look at me!

    Quick, look at me!

    The grandmother the dog emperor found is fake, you mustn''t believe him!

    But at this moment, Gu Sang clearly hadn''t noticed Pce Maid Li''s gestures. At the mention of her grandmother, she couldn''t calm her heart.

    Especially Pei Changying''s hypothesis, which troubled her even more.

    "Is that so? Let me know when you find her," Gu Sang said, a dangerous glint shing in her eyes.

    She hastily ended the call with Pei Changying, wanting to confirm with the System about her grandmother''s resurrection.

    Pei Changying, whose call had been abruptly ended, was in quite a good mood, believing he had Gu Sang under his thumb.

    Guards were posted day and night at the entrance of Xiwu Pce, forbidding anyone from approaching. They had been ordered to inflict severe punishment on anyone who entered without permission.

    Therefore, no one in the pce knew or dared to be curious about why Xiwu Pce was suddenly so heavily guarded, especially since no one seemed to be living there.

    Pei Changying came to Xiwu Pce and saw with his own eyes the person who looked very much like Gu Sang''s grandmother.

    At first nce, she was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

    Especially when this person smiled, she looked kind and gentle, clearly a good-hearted and open-minded olddy.

    Pei Changying watched the olddy''s mannerisms and secretly frowned.

    After all, he had only seen photos of Gu Sang''s grandmother and knew nothing about her behavior or mannerisms.

    But when it came time to deceive Gu Sang, they couldn''t just rely on appearance alone. A simple smile wouldn''t be enough to fool her.

    Such an obvious w would be immediately spotted by Gu Sang if she paid even the slightest attention.

    Seeing Pei Changying frown over this matter, Pce Maid Li, who had been diligently attending to him, came up with an idea. She approached with lowered eyes and said:

    "Your Majesty, the Empress and Noble Consort Gu are sisters. Although she may not have met the Noble Consort''s grandmother, they have been close for many years, so she might know something about her."

    "Rather than having someone unfamiliar teach etiquette, why not ask the Empress?"

    Pei Changying gave Pce Maid Li an inscrutable sidelong nce and asked suspiciously:

    "Why are you being so helpful?"

    However,cking a better option, Pei Changying still had the chief eunuch summon Gu Qingrou.

    Gu Qingrou was one of the few people who knew about Pei Changying''s n. At first, she hadn''t paid much attention, until she saw the fake grandmother in Xiwu Pce.

    After hearing Pei Changying ask her to teach the fake grandmother proper etiquette, Gu Qingrou''s eyes widened in surprise.

    She opened her mouth, about to say that she had never even seen what Gu Sang''s grandmother looked like, so how could she possibly know about modern etiquette.

    But before she could speak, she caught sight of Pce Maid Li trying to signal her, as if she had something to say.

    She was truly afraid.

    Afraid that Gu Sang would return because of her grandmother!

    That she would snatch away the glory and wealth Gu Qingrou had worked so hard to obtain.

    Gu Qingrou''s mind raced, and her words took a different turn in her throat, bing a few soft, weak inquiries.

    "Your Majesty, I have never heard my sister speak of matters from the future."

    "It wasn''t until she started streaming that I learned how much she had kept from me."

    "Let alone Gu Sang''s grandmother, how could I possibly..."

    "Your Majesty, why did you suddenly think of me?"

    Pei Changying nced at Pce Maid Li, and Gu Qingrou understood that it was Pce Maid Li who had rmended her to the emperor.

    However, she had no quarrel with Pce Maid Li, and as the Empress, unless Pce Maid Li had been kicked in the head by a donkey, she wouldn''t harm her like this.

    So there must be a reason...

 Chapter 198: Longing

    <h4>Chapter 198</h4>

    "Emperor, since you''ve met Gu Sang''s grandmother, you must know¡ª"

    Before she could finish, Pei Changying interrupted. "I haven''t met her, I''ve only seen photos."

    "Empress, you''ve lived with Sang Sang longer than I have, you surely understand her better."

    "Think carefully, perhaps Sang Sang mentioned something to you before, but you just don''t remember."

    Gu Qingrou was about to shake her head and say no, but Pei Changying''s slightly suspicious gaze fixed directly on her, apanied by a harsh tone.

    "Could it be that your rtionship with Sang Sang isn''t as good as you im?"

    Gu Qingrou''s heart skipped a beat, instinctively recalling the various incidents that had caused Gu Sang to fall out of favor.

    No.

    The Emperor can''t know.

    In the Emperor''s mind,

    She had always been gentle and magnanimous!

    Gu Qingrou hastily said:

    "I seem to recall my sister mentioning to me that her grandmother was very kind and gentle, a unique grandmother who would support her no matter what she did."

    "As for the rest, Your Majesty, let me think carefully when I return to the pce. It''s been so long, my memory is a bit hazy at the moment."

    After saying this, Gu Qingrou anxiously observed Pei Changying''s expression. Seeing that his eyes no longer held suspicion, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

    Fortunately, she had managed to fool him.

    She didn''t actually know what Gu Sang''s grandmother was like, but praising someone positively had never been wrong since ancient times.

    Especially during livestreams, whenever Gu Sang mentioned her grandmother, the warmth in her eyes made it clear that her grandmother was a wonderful person!

    After Pei Changying left, Gu Qingrou made an excuse to keep Pce Maid Li behind to help.

    "Why did you nder me to the Emperor, saying I know what Gu Sang''s grandmother looks like?" Gu Qingrou red at Pce Maid Li with an unfriendly expression.

    She had almost.

    Almost slipped up.

    Pce Maid Li suddenly knelt down and said:

    "Your Highness, this servant is being monitored and cannot contact the Noble Consort privately."

    "I had no choice but to have the Emperor summon you."

    "This servant knows that if Your Highness were aware of this matter, you would surely find a way to contact the Noble Consort."

    Noble Consort!

    Noble Consort!

    Even now, she still refers to her by that title!

    Must she haunt her so relentlessly, not letting her rest even in death?

    The coldness in Gu Qingrou''s eyes hadn''t dissipated as she spoke icily:

    "Why do you think I would defy the Emperor to help you?"

    "If the Emperor finds out I leaked information, my fate would be the same as yours."

    Pce Maid Li calmly raised her head to look at the Empress, and said word by word:

    "Because, Your Highness is also a woman!"

    "Your Highness also longs for the freedom of love in the future world, otherwise, you wouldn''t often watch livestreams from the future."

    Pce Maid Li was also in the pce, and among this group of women, she understood the struggles of the harem.

    However, she knew more that these women, who used to focus solely on harem struggles for favor and family ambitions, had learned to consider themselves after seeing the freedom of the future world.

    For family, for parents, in the end, it''s better to consider oneself more.

    Their families sacrificed their freedom by sending them into the pce, and what they faced was the precarious and treacherous life within the pce walls.

    If they hadn''t seen the freedom of the future world, hadn''t seen the smiles of the future, perhaps they would have thought this was how life would always be.

    Living in darkness isn''t actually frightening, because they would only think that the world is just this dark.

    But a beam of light from the livestreams shone in, and they realized that the world isn''t entirely dark.

    At least some ces have light.

    After experiencing the light, even if they couldn''t escape the darkness, their hearts already longed for it deeply.

    Pce Maid Li''s words hit Gu Qingrou like a thunderbolt, leaving her mind buzzing.

    She seemed surprised, frightened, and scared all at once.

    Did she... did she really long for the freedom of the future world?

    How could she desire such immoral concepts from the future!

    No, this was worthy of being drowned in a pig cage!

    She didn''t even dare to recall the various shocking concepts from the future livestreams.

    "Your Highness, I know you will make a decision true to your heart."

    "Just as you actually can''t stand sharing your husband with other women."

    Seeing Gu Qingrou still hesitating, Pce Maid Li didn''t try to persuade her further. Instead, she quietly left, leaving the ce to Gu Qingrou to consider slowly.

    Gu Qingrou didn''t know how she made it back to her chambers, only realizing when she had already stepped one foot inside the doorway.

    Gu Qingrou murmured: "Is the future really that good?"

    It was an unintentional question, but her personal pce maid thought she was asking her.

    She answered with lowered eyes:

    "The future is immoral, women don''t even have the most basic virtues of obedience, men and women''s rtionships are chaotic, the men and women of the future should all be drowned in pig cages."

    Although she was looking down while speaking, Gu Qingrou still noticed a hint of longing in her expression, and heard a trace of insincerity in her tone.

    These were words she often said, and the pce maid, fearing her displeasure, didn''t dare speak her true thoughts.

    Yes.

    True thoughts.

    True words.

    So, did she really long for it?

    Gu Qingrou returned to her room and waved for all the pce maids to leave.

    "Gu Sang, I''ll be merciful this time and help you once."

    "But if you can''t hear me speak, don''t me me."

    "Ding!"

    "Connection established!"

    The cold, emotionless mechanical voice frightened Gu Qingrou so much that her heart trembled. Where did this eerie sounde from?

    The next second, she saw a floating virtual screen appear before her eyes, and Gu Sang who was about to go to bed.

    Both were stunned by the sudden connection and the person on the other side.

    Finally, Gu Sang recovered and calmly asked:

    "What do you want?"

    Gu Qingrou stared intently at Gu Sang. This beautiful and cold face had once made her jealous to the point of madness.

    But as if remembering something, Gu Qingrou''s lips curled into an extremely bitter smile: "You''re so lucky, does that system of yours bring you good fortune?"

    "Every time something good happens, it''s always you who encounters it."

    "Even when I attend banquets with you, I end up getting robbed or bumped into, while you''repletely fine."

    "I could have attended with you at that time, but I suddenly had diarrhea, causing me to miss the chance to meet the Emperor."

    "By the time I saw the Emperor again, you two were already discussing marriage."

    Gu Sang looked at Gu Qingrou with an expression that said ''if you''re sick, go get treatment, I''m not a doctor''.

    Gu Sang spoke in a t tone: "In life, there are many things that don''t go as we wish."

    "You can''t think I''m lucky every time something doesn''t go your way. I have plenty of things that don''t go well for me too."

    "Besides, even if you hadn''t had diarrhea then, do you think Pei Changying would have definitely taken a liking to you?"

 Chapter 199: Take Care of Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 199</h4>

    "You were the legitimate daughter of your family. At that time, Pei Changying was still an unfavored prince without prospects. Even if you had taken a liking to Pei Changying, your family would never have agreed to let you marry him."

    "Let''s not talk about these old matters anymore. Why did you call me online?"

    Gu Qingrou was momentarily stunned.

    That''s right.

    So what if the Emperor had taken a liking to her?

    She was the legitimate daughter of the Gu family.

    How could she marry a disowned illegitimate son? Moreover, at that time, she didn''t even approve of his background.

    At this moment, Gu Qingrou suddenly felt as if she had never gained anything, as if she could neverpete with Gu Sang in anything, and even that little fantasy was gone.

    She said with self-mockery and mncholy, "This Empress just wanted to tell you, since you''ve already gone back, don''te back again."

    "Sometimes what you see isn''t necessarily what you think you see."

    "Gu Sang, do you know what your only w is?"

    Seeing Gu Sang frown, Gu Qingrou then said with a lightugh:

    "Even This Empress can see it. Your biggest w is your grandmother, or you could say your grandmother is your weak point."

    "Every time your emotions show, it''s because of your grandmother."

    "Everyone in the pce knows this, because it''s very likely that someone might use this point to trick you intoing back."

    Gu Sang had already guessed that that scumbag must have had a backup n.

    So this was it!

    Gu Sang smiled and narrowed her dark eyes dangerously, "It''s Pei Changying, isn''t it?!"

    "Who it is doesn''t matter anymore, does it? This Empress just wants to tell you that if you encounter such a situation, observe carefully. What''s fake is fake. Pay attention to the details, and you won''t be deceived."

    "As for the rest, This Empress doesn''t want to say much to you."

    "You know, to This Empress, you are nothing but a disaster."

    "If possible, This Empress truly wishes that you had never existed in my world, that you would never appear again!"

    Gu Qingrou''s vague words allowed Gu Sang to guess Pei Changying''s intentions. Combined with her previous conversation with Pei Changying, she immediately understood the whole situation.

    As for thosest words.

    Gu Sang didn''t care at all.

    Who would fight you for Pei Changying?

    He''s all yours!

    You two can be locked together forever!

    So, with a softened look in her eyes towards Gu Qingrou, she said, "Alright, thank you for reminding me. I''ll be locked with Pei Changying for life, haha."

    "Is there anything else you want to say?"

    Gu Qingrou looked at the glowing screen, hearing Gu Sang''s thanks in her ears, a trace of difort shed across her face.

    She had always seen Gu Sang as a romantic rival, and back then, she hated her for being a stepping stone between herself and Pei Changying.

    Even though Gu Sang had known Pei Changying first, wasn''t the one who wasn''t loved the real third wheel?

    But at that time, she didn''t have the courage to say to Gu Sang, "You third wheel, Pei Changying doesn''t love you, you should leave quickly, Pei Changying loves me."

    Deep down, she was probably both envious and jealous of Gu Sang.

    Because even though Gu Sang had never gained Pei Changying''s love, she had the ability to help Pei Changying seize the throne.

    So, she could onlypromise and watch Pei Changying deceive Gu Sang.

    Watching the man she loved most be affectionate with her one moment, and then appear as a couple with Gu Sang the next, receiving everyone''s blessings.

    All along, her feelings towards Gu Sang had beenplex. It wasn''t quite resentment, but dislike and jealousy were real.

    Gu Qingrou turned her head, facing Gu Sang with her profile, hiding her emotions behind the other half of her face.

    "Also, This Empress doesn''t want you toe back! Never!"

    "This Empress is not like you who can choose. In this ce, it''s all about following one''s husband. This Empress''s best oue is to hold tightly onto the Emperor, defending my position as Empress to the death."

    "So, This Empress doesn''t want you toe back. If youe back, given the Emperor''s current infatuation with you, he will surely make you Empress."

    "This Empress has already sacrificed all of her happiness, there''s no turning back now. The position of Empress, This Empress cannot lose it!"

    Seeing the stubborn heart beneath Gu Qingrou''s fragile exterior.

    Every word was about position.

    Her eyes were full of deep emotion.

    Gu Sang found itughable. She sighed and asked, "You''ve given up so much, done so many evil things, even hurt yourself, always diligently guarding your position as Empress."

    "As soon as there''s the slightest disturbance, you''re on high alert, making yourself so miserable."

    "Is this what you want? Is it worth it?"

    Gu Qingrou was slightly stunned, her lips trembled in the candlelight.

    At this moment.

    Countless images shed through her mind.

    There were scenes from the future live broadcast.

    There was Pei Changying''s tenderness towards her.

    And there were her father''s expectations for her.

    A hint of bewilderment shed in her eyes, but finally, she took a deep breath and said firmly:

    "This Empress doesn''t care if it''s worth it or not. This Empress only knows that I like Pei Changying. No matter how ipetent he is in your eyes, in my heart, he is the person I like most. Even if he has ws, This Empress still likes him."

    "This Empress has nothing left to lose, only the Emperor."

    "Gu Sang, This Empress only has him now."

    "Yet you ask This Empress if it''s worth it? Hah, how ironic."

    Without choices, how can one choose?

    It''s just like how the rich can never understand why the poor are so poor, thinking that if the poor were just hardworking, they would surely be rich.

    She and Gu Sang were frompletely different worlds. Gu Sang could freely fall in love, she had received education from the future, she had the courage and the confidence to choose what she wanted.

    But she had been cultivated to be a virtuous wife and good mother from a young age.

    Her destined path was to support her husband and teach her children. She had no choice!

    Gu Sang actually wanted to say a lot, but she swallowed her words as they reached her lips.

    Gu Qingrou had never seen light in her married life, how could she be made to long for light? She didn''t even know what it was!

    Gu Sang was different. She was born in the bright future, with an unyielding spirit, never submitting.

    Gu Sang remained silent for a long time, so long that Gu Qingrou thought Gu Sang had already left, until Gu Sang''s sigh was heard again.

    "Forget it, do as you wish."

    "If there''s a chance in the future, I''ll let you see what married life is like in our future."

    "It seems that since ancient times, parents have required us to learn cooking and housework, just so that when we marry into another family, we can take good care of our husband''s entire family."

    "But this itself is moral kidnapping. Why must it be women who sacrifice? Why must women be capable both in the hall and in the kitchen?"

    "In our future, now many boys also do housework, cook, and doundry. People''s thoughts are gradually changing."

    "From these small changes to changes in thinking, both men and women recognize that married life needs to be managed by both parties, not just one person desperately sacrificing."

    "A emotionally stable partner who can understand and love you is what you deserve to have. As for a partner who doesn''t take you seriously, it''s best to cut your losses early."

    "Take care of yourself, Gu Qingrou."

 Chapter 200: The Library

    <h4>Chapter 200</h4>

    With that, Gu Sang ended the call without giving Gu Qingrou a chance to argue.

    Gu Qingrou gazed wistfully into space, her mind suddenly shing with countless scenes from the future world - women smiling as they strolled arm-in-arm with their boyfriends.

    She murmured to herself, "Is married life in the future really that good? Do men truly respect women?"

    "Understanding their wives, caring for them, respecting them."

    "Is it really so...?"

    Thistest conversation with Gu Sang had left Gu Qingrou''s heart unsettled.

    It seemed as if Gu Sang had somehow brainwashed her. For the first time ever, she began to question her love for Pei Changying.

    It shouldn''t be like this. She should firmly believe in this love that she considered so beautiful.

    After all, Pei Changying had already fulfilled his promise to make her Empress.

    She wanted to tell herself this, but her mind kept frantically reying Gu Sang''s words.

    -

    In the modern era.

    After learning what Pei Changying was up to, Gu Sang''s heart was put at ease.

    "System, let''s do this again. Bring my grandmother back to life immediately."

    Earlier, when Pei Changying had interrupted her conversation with the System, it had disappeared for quite a while.

    Only now did Gu Sang sense the System''s presence again, and she urgently prompted it to revive her grandmother.

    ¡¸Ding!¡¹

    ¡¸Are you willing to deduct 30 million merit points to revive your grandmother?¡¹

    "I am," Gu Sang cried out eagerly.

    ¡¸Ding!¡¹

    ¡¸Deductionplete!¡¹

    ¡¸Congrattions, your grandmother has been revived!¡¹

    Upon hearing the System''s words, Gu Sang rushed to her grandmother''s room to look for her.

    "Grandmother!"

    She wasn''t in her room.

    Kitchen, bathroom, living room, even the doorway - her grandmother was nowhere to be seen.

    She searched for a good while but still couldn''t find any trace of her grandmother.

    Wasn''t she supposed to be revived?

    Gu Sang frowned, her voice trembling with confusion and unease as she asked the System, "System, why hasn''t my grandmothere back?"

    "Don''t tell me something unexpected happened. My heart isn''t very strong."

    ¡¸Beep! Livestream task sessful!¡¹

    ¡¸Please don''t worry, host.¡¹

    ¡¸Revival takes some time.¡¹

    "You should have exined clearly. How many days exactly? Of course I''m anxious! I get worried if I don''t see my grandmother for even one day."

    ¡¸Within a month.¡¹

    ¡¸Your grandmother has been revived. Please make the following choice! Do you wish to continue livestreaming?¡¹

    ¡¸If you choose to continue livestreaming, you''ll be rewarded with the Sky Screen mode, allowing the entire Central ins region to watch the livestream in real-time.¡¹

    ¡¸If you choose to end the livestream, the System will leave immediately, cutting off all connections with the ancient world! Please choose carefully.¡¹

    The task was already sessful?

    Of course.

    Her main goal was to revive her grandmother, but now that her grandmother hadn''t returned yet, Gu Sang''s heart remained uneasy.

    Moreover, she and the Princess were preparing for the next step of the war.

    They needed to continue expanding the army to take the capital directly.

    If she ended the livestream now, she would no longer have contact with the Princess. Let alone whether the Princess would worry due to theck of long-termmunication.

    What about her half-finished actions? What would happen to the Princess''s side?

    This would be a fatal blow to the Princess and all the people she had recruited.

    "System, if I continue livestreaming, are there any additional conditions?"

    "Or do I need to meet any specific requirements?"

    "How long can I livestream?"

    System: ¡¸After activating the Sky Screen, each livestream will consume 100,000 merit points.¡¹

    ¡¸If merit points cannot be deducted, the livestream will fail, automatically canceling livestream privileges until merit points increase again.¡¹

    ¡¸Until the main System determines that the interface world''s merit is perfect, with no further increase in merit, perfectpletion of the livestream mode will be achieved!¡¹

    ¡¸A grand gift package will be rewarded!¡¹

    Gu Sang nodded, finding these conditions eptable.

    She also inquired about the merit conditions achievedst time, which allowed her to choose a one-day trip to the ancient world. After the System replied that it could be activated at any time and she could be transported there, Gu Sang felt reassured.

    The next day.

    Gu Sang prepared to go out to the library.

    During herst chat with the Princess, Gu Sang learned that in their era, they didn''t have books like "The Thirty-Six Stratagems," and their knowledge of some covert and overt battle strategies was limited.

    So Gu Sang thought about finding some books of this kind for the Princess. After all, her grandmother had been saved now.

    As for whether to livestream or not, and who to stream to, that was up to Gu Sang to decide.

    Before leaving, Gu Sang turned on the livestream.

    At the same time, in the ancient Central ins region, a huge sky screen unfolded above.

    When this scene appeared in towns that had never experienced livestreaming before, it immediately caused an uproar among all the ancient people of the Central ins.

    "A miracle!!!"

    "Heavens, what is that thing? Is that a fairnd? I''ve never seen such tall, tall buildings before."

    "One, two, three, four, two, two, three, four, radio calisthenics now begin... Is that the voice of an immortal?"

    "Is that the mount of the immortals? It looks imprable to swords and spears."

    "Hey, this looks a bit like the livestream the gue City mentioned. Is this thing called a car?"

    Even those ancient people from old cities who had experienced livestreaming before were shocked when they saw the endless sky screen broadcast.

    They all widened their eyes in utter astonishment.

    "Which divinedy is livestreaming this time? It''s much grander than the previous divinedy''s livestream!"

    "I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but no matter where I go, the livestream image on the divine miracle follows. As long as I''m in an open space without obstructions and look up, the angle is the same no matter where I stand."

    Gu Sang heard bits and pieces of the discussions. She thought about it briefly and guessed it was probably due to the System.

    It allowed the ancient people to see the image just by looking up, and the view wouldn''t be affected by their position, ensuring everyone could see the full picture.

    Someone spotted Gu Sang.

    The crowd immediately erupted.

    The ancient people from the new city shouted at once: "Divine Lady? Are you the Divine Lady?"

    "Where is that ce of yours? Is it really the future? What kind of world is the future exactly?"

    Countless questions flooded in from the livestream.

    Everyone stared wide-eyed, curiously gazing at Gu Sang.

    They were all waiting for Gu Sang''s response.

    Gu Sang: "What you''re seeing is a livestream. There''s no need to be surprised. Some old ces like the capital and gue City have already experienced livestreams."

    "Now, this livestream can be seen throughout the entire Central ins region."

    "This is indeed the world thousands of years after your ancient times, but it''s not your future. So you can imagine it as another ce if you like."

    "Secondly, the purpose of my livestream is to let everyone see life in the future,pare it with your own lives, and make changes to make yourselves and your country prosperous."

    "If you have doubts about this, you can ask those ancient people who have experienced livestreams before. Also, I won''t exin further about future things like cars and houses."

 Chapter 201: All Central Plains Broadcasting

    <h4>Chapter 201</h4>

    "For those who have watched the livestream before, that concludes my self-introduction."

    "Today, I''ll be livestreaming about the libraries of the future. As the name suggests, libraries are ces to store, shelve, and read books. In the future, besides searching online, people can also go to libraries to look up information they need."

    "Libraries are quiet ces. You''ll also see many students reading silently. In our future, everyone can read books for free."

    As soon as Gu Sang finished speaking, the ancient viewers watching the livestream immediately erupted into a flurry ofments.

    "Impossible! Absolutely impossible. Paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones are so expensive. How could everyone possibly read for free?"

    "That''s right, farm work is so demanding. If all the children go to read books, who will do the work in the fields?"

    "I really want to see the library. Isn''t a library actually just the royal book repository? What status does Miss Gu have that she can even enter the royal book repository?"

    "Hahaha, I can finally watch a livestream too. I''ve long heard that livestreams have appeared in other towns, but I never thought I''d live to see one myself."

    "The clothes of the future are so unrestrained and wild. Why do they look so strange?"

    In the border town.

    In this town that had once been ravaged by the Xiongnu, vigorous development was now underway.

    After the imperial court issued generous conditions such as free settlement in the town, no highmerce fees for merchants, and two years of tax exemption for farmers,rge numbers of civilians and merchants were attracted to settle in the border region.

    Merchants flocked to do business at the border. Once the economy began to circte, the poption naturally increased, and the border town started to bustle with activity once again.

    At this moment, at the border defense post, General Guan Jinjuny on the ground, looking up at the livestream on the sky screen with a de of grass between his teeth.

    "So this is what a livestream is. It''s so shocking!"

    "Are those iron boxes running on the road the means of transportation in the future? They run even faster than horses. If we could make these things here, hehe, iron horses impervious to swords and spears - the Xiongnu would be scared out of their wits if they saw them."

    "Oh, the roads in the future are so smooth..."

    General Guan opened his eyes wide with curiosity, observing the various aspects of the future.

    He watched as Gu Sang crossed the street and then took a bus to the library.

    Regarding the clothing of the pedestrians on the street, General Guan didn''t feel it was particrly indecent; in fact, he thought it looked quite cool andfortable.

    It''s already so hot, yet people have to wearyer uponyer of clothes. Just looking at it makes one feel hot.

    The people of the future really know how to enjoy life!

    There are so many people in the future!

    It''s so crowded!

    General Guan eximed once again.

    The ancient viewers saw Gu Sang get off the bus, then walk down some stairs and turn a few corners.

    She tapped a few times on a machine and took out something green that was slightlyrger than a copper coin.

    They saw Gu Sang wave this thing over an iron frame, and the door in front of her opened.

    "What an amazing device!"

    "Did you see that? Other people also used this thing, waved it on top, and the door opened."

    "What are they doing? Why are there so many people?"

    As they spoke, they saw Gu Sang walk onto some steps.

    But these steps were different from the previous ones. These steps actually moved!

    Steps that move?!!!

    Heavens!

    And they''re going up!

    There are even some going down next to them!

    They saw many people standing still, and the steps carried them down.

    Everyone was so surprised their jaws nearly hit the floor.

    Seeing this situation, Gu Sang exined to everyone.

    "This is the subway, another form of transportation in the future."

    "Just now, I was buying a ticket at the machine. You just select your destination and buy the ticket."

    "After getting this green thing, you swipe it on the machine, and the door opens automatically. When you reach your destination, you put this green thing into the machine again, and it automatically recognizes it."

    The ancient people discussed excitedly: "I want to ask, what if I don''t buy a ticket, or if I only buy a short-distance ticket but want to go far? After all, there''s no one watching there."

    Hearing this, Gu Sang smiled and exined:

    "Your ticket records your journey. You can ride back and forth inside the subway station, but if you want to exit and your exit point isn''t where you bought the ticket for, you won''t be able to leave. You must pay the difference."

    "Although there''s no one guarding nearby, there are cameras everywhere. If you try to evade the fare, it will be recorded. Big data will record your face, and all surveince cameras are connected. Whatever you''ve done wrong can be seen clearly online!"

    "Besides, the subway is a convenient, fast, and very cheap mode of transportation. The ticket costs just a few yuan, equivalent to a few steamed buns in your time. It''s not worth evading the fare."

    Everyone saw Gu Sange down, first looking at the route map on the left to confirm the correct direction, before queuing to wait for the train.

    After a while, the train quickly approached from the distance.

    When the train stopped, all doors opened simultaneously. The people in line waited for those inside to get off before boarding, with no pushing or crowding at all.

    "So this is the subway. It''s so long, like a giant python. One subway train can carry so many people!"

    "Yes! And it''s so cheap too. That''s wonderful."

    "Wow, look, this subway is in mid-air! I can see the houses below. Wow, there''s even ake."

    About twenty minutester, Gu Sang exited the subway station and walked to the library.

    The clean streets made the ancient people envious.

    The green belts on both sides, the smooth road surface, the tall ne trees - all of these amazed the ancient viewers.

    To think that even the roads in the future could be maintained so beautifully, just like the imperial back garden.

    When everyone saw the library, they were shocked once again.

    So many, many books!

    And so many people reading in the rest areas. The sunlight shining through the windows created a scene of peaceful tranquility.

    In front of each bookshelf, there were signs indicating the type of books.

    Gu Sang quickly found the sections for history and strategy books.

    "Heavens, so many books, so many people. If I could live here for a lifetime, I''d be willing."

    "Oh, are those colorful things in the back books too? The little figures on them are drawn so well, with heads full of pearls and jewelry."

    "It seems there are even people sitting on the ground reading books. Wow, the floor is so smooth."

    The officials in the great hall were also amazed.

    This was even bigger than the imperial library.

    Pei Caiying, in his high position, couldn''t sit still. Seeing Gu Sang take out a book on the Thirty-Six Stratagems, he immediately said, "Sang Sang, these books must be state secrets, right? Your country actually allows you to read them?"

    Gu Sang paused in her book-flipping.

    She raised her eyes and nced at the ancient imperial pce hall, saying:

    "These books can be bought and read by anyone in our country. They''re not considered state secrets. After all, anyone who has been to school or has a bit of knowledge about history would know a little about this."

 Chapter 202: Deep Affection

    <h4>Chapter 202</h4>

    "There''s also court politics, economics..."

    The imperial ministers looked at Gu Sang as she took out a book called "The Art of Subterfuge in Official Circles," their eyes instantly lighting up.

    Who could have written such a book on the cunning ways of officialdom?

    Whoever wrote this must be thriving in the world of politics.

    They desperately wanted to study it.

    The ministers blinked their eyes, looking at Gu Sang.

    Pei Changying, seeing the ministers'' expressions, darkened his face and coldly addressed them:

    "My dear ministers, books are written by people. I expect you to be able to write simr books on strategies, economics, and such, like ''The Thirty-Six Stratagems''."

    "You have all emerged from the imperial examinations. Surely writing books shouldn''t be beyond your capabilities."

    The ministers'' eyes widened slightly, feeling speechless.

    The Prime Minister lowered his head, unable to resist rolling his eyes.

    Where was the face-saving?!

    How could the Emperor say such a thing?

    Those who could write such books must be exceptionally talented individuals, or those with vast experience, able to write about such strategies - not mere armchair theorists!

    But hearing the Emperor''s words, it was as if writing such books was as easy as eating and drinking.

    They wanted to blurt out, "If it''s so easy, why don''t you do it yourself!"

    But how could they dare to argue or refute the Son of Heaven?

    They could only swallow their indignation and silently lower their heads.

    Gu Sang carefully selected several books, then went to the front desk to get a library card and borrowed all of them.

    "Please return them on time in one month," the staff member reminded her with a smile.

    After leaving the library, Gu Sang went straight to the nearby subway station to take the metro home.

    She had intended to end the live stream, but seeing the excited and curious faces of themon people watching a live stream for the first time, Gu Sang decided not to turn it off.

    "This subway is so convenient. People in the future are truly blessed."

    "Ah, I''ve watched it twice now, and I finally understand how this subway works."

    The ancient people chattered away, discussing the clothing of nearby young women, middle-aged men carrying briefcases, and being attracted by people in cosy outfits.

    It wasn''t until they boarded the subway that the ancient viewers'' discussions gradually subsided.

    "Oh, aren''t you the girl who sat next to me at the high-speed rail stationst time?"

    Gu Sang, holding onto the subway handrail, suddenly heard a greeting from a beautiful woman sitting opposite her.

    Gu Sang thought for a moment and quickly remembered. This beautiful woman was the one sitting in the aisle at the high-speed rail stationst time, when the sleazy man had tried to take advantage of her, and she had taught him a good lesson.

    "Hello," Gu Sang smiled and greeted her.

    The Beautiful Elder Sister looked at Gu Sang admiringly. "The way you taught that sleazy guy a lessonst time was both cool and fierce. I was quite impressed. A single girl with no friends around, yet you could scold that sleazy guy so sternly."

    "To be honest, you look so gentle and soft, I wouldn''t have thought you''d fight back."

    So what one wears isn''t the reason for being harassed. It''s because some beasts see you as innocent and weak, easy to bully. It''s their own inner wickedness.

    Seeing Gu Sang''s delighted expression, the Beautiful Elder Sister smiled. "Do you have time? Let''s go eat together. I''ve wanted to get to know you for a long time."

    The Beautiful Sister''s Husband looked over from beside her.

    He carefully supported his wife and politely said, "So you''re the brave girl from the high-speed rail station. It''s nice to meet you."

    "My wife has mentioned you several times. She really wanted to meet you."

    "Do you have time for lunch together?"

    Seeing how sincere they both were, Gu Sang couldn''t refuse and agreed to their invitation.

    The three of them got off the subway in the city center and went to a restaurant with a pleasant ambiance for their meal.

    The Beautiful Sister''s Husband spoke very little, just smiling as he listened to Gu Sang and the Beautiful Elder Sister chat, showing no signs of impatience on his face.

    When the food arrived, the Beautiful Sister''s Husband first took out a hair tie he had prepared.

    Then he took out a silk scarf and ced it on her clothes.

    After preparing everything, he carefully peeled shrimp for the Beautiful Elder Sister.

    He provided attentive service to his wife throughout the meal.

    Gu Sang couldn''t help but remark, "Sister, your husband is so thoughtful towards you."

    The Beautiful Sister''s Husband, however, looked at his wife with adoration and worship, saying, "My kindness to her is far less than what she has given up for me."

    "Among her suitors, I was neither outstanding in my conditions nor appearance."

    "But she still chose me. On the day she chose me, I vowed to be good to her for life, to spoil her and love her."

    "She has a high level of education, strong personal work ability, and is even a director of a listedpany. Such an excellent woman chose me, I can''t let her lose out!"

    "I should be grateful that she chose me!"

    Hearing these words, Gu Sang felt touched inside.

    Not to mention those ancient people watching. They saw the man looking at his wife with undisguised love and admiration in his eyes, which didn''t seem fake at all.

    Many loving couples might pretend to be affectionate in front of others, but the eyes cannot lie.

    And this man''s care and admiration for his wife were clearly genuine.

    But the ancient viewers would rather believe the man''s words were false than see true feelings in his eyes. This was hard for the men, who had always felt superior, to ept.

    "Huh, this man is clearly a live-in son-inw. Only such a man would try so hard to please his wife," a man angrily rationalized.

    "They must be newlyweds to be so sweet. As someone with experience, I know better. After a year, even if the wife was lying in bed dying, the husband wouldn''t even turn his head to look. Now he''s peeling shrimp, but in a year he won''t even pour her a ss of water," a woman spat out enviously, her words dripping with venom.

    "It''s just because this woman is good-looking. If she looked like a shrew, let''s see if this man would still love his wife," a man sneered.

    Various doubts, resentments, and jealous words, like poisoned arrows, shot towards the couple through the live stream.

    Gu Sang, hearing these malicious words, trembled and frowned, saying:

    "Are you all blind to other people''s happiness? Just because you''re not happy doesn''t mean others can''t be, doesn''t mean there are no loving couples in this world."

    "If you believe you''re worthy, you''ll meet someone worthy."

    "Before wanting to have a beautiful love, we should adjust our attitudes, have a mindset of ''blessed if I get it, but it''s not the end of the world if I don''t.''"

    "Instead of ndering and envying when you see others doing well."

    Seeing Gu Sang''s cold tone, the ancient viewers immediately shut their mouths, though they still felt unconvinced in their hearts.

    After all, they had never seen a couple that remained loving after more than ten years.

    The seven-year itch seemed almost like a curse!

 Chapter 203: Inclusion

    <h4>Chapter 203</h4>

    Some couples'' affection fades within a year of marriage.

    Given their own unhappy experiences or those of people around them, how can they believe that loving couples exist in this world?

    The Beautiful Elder Sister noticed Gu Sang''s appreciative gaze and smiled.

    She said to her husband, "Oh you, what are you saying? I married you because you''re worth marrying. I value your sense of responsibility, and most importantly, your respect!"

    "Even though we like different things or have different values, you''re able to respect and ept me."

    "I love the sea, you love forests, but you''ve never criticized me. Even though you don''t like the sea, you''ll still apany me there."

    "Sang Sang, nowadays everyone demands matching values, but I think no one willpletely match your values. What we should look for is someone who understands, epts, and respects us."

    "One person likes quiet, the other likes action; one enjoys traveling, the other prefers staying at home - these are differences in values. But as long as he respects your interests, understands your happiness, and is willing to make time to apany you, that''s good enough!"

    The Beautiful Elder Sister''ster words were directed at Gu Sang.

    She shared her years of love experience with Gu Sang, saying that finding a respectful and epting partner is the most important criterion in choosing a man.

    Even if there are some differences in values, as long as he respects you and doesn''t forcibly twist your views, that''s the best.

    As for sweet words, wealthy families, or high status - those are secondary.

    The Beautiful Elder Sister''s words not only made Gu Sang smile, but even the ancient people were carefully pondering her words.

    "Is a respectful and epting partner more important than a matching background?"

    "What if the man is hiding his true nature?"

    "You can''t know a person''s heart just by looking at their face. How can one urately find such a person?"

    In Xuyang Pce, a confused pce maid asked.

    This man''s goodness seemed too good to be true, giving them a sense of unreality.

    Thinking of their own situations, they found it even harder to rte.

    Gu Qingrou stared intently at the man on the screen, and after a while, she sighed.

    A man''s loving gaze cannot deceive.

    This man truly loves his wife very, very much.

    She hadn''t been focusing on how good the man was to his wife, but rather on how he looked at her. Yet it was precisely because she looked so carefully that she discovered a fact - Pei Changying doesn''t love her!

    Pei Changying had never looked at her with such eyes.

    Even when Pei Changying said he loved her and promised her the position of Empress, on the day of Pei Changying''s ascension to the throne and their grand wedding.

    She had never seen such a tender and affectionate look in Pei Changying''s eyes.

    But what''s moreughable is that Pei Changying gets drunk every night for Gu Sang, constantly saying he can''t live without Gu Sang, that without Gu Sang his soul is lost.

    Pei Changying''s heart may deceive people, but his eyes cannot.

    He doesn''t really love Gu Sang either, he''s just unwilling to let go. Even when he looks at Gu Sang, it''s with possessiveness, the look of a predator certain of catching its prey.

    Heh, Pei Changying, he doesn''t love anyone at all.

    He loves himself, loves the throne and the empire.

    As she thought about this, Gu Qingrouughed sarcastically, but as sheughed, tears silently rolled down her cheeks: "Yes, he doesn''t love..."

    On the screen, the three people had finished their meal amid casual conversation and decided to browse the nearby shopping mall.

    Gu Sang carried her own canvas bag with books, while the Beautiful Elder Sister''s handbag was carried by her husband.

    The man carried his wife''s distinctly feminine bag without anyint, following beside his wife with a gentle smile, showing no impatience.

    The man followed the two women into one clothing store after another.

    "This dress is beautiful, it would look great on you, miss," they said as soon as they entered a store, their attention drawn to a red fishtail dress. Gu Sang''s first impression was that this dress would suit the Beautiful Elder Sister perfectly.

    Such an elegant and beautiful dress could only be pulled off by the Beautiful Elder Sister''s tall and curvaceous figure.

    The Beautiful Elder Sister also liked it at first sight and took the dress into the fitting room.

    After a while, the Beautiful Elder Sister came out of the fitting room.

    The smoothly cut dress hugged her tall figure tightly, with the fishtail skirt adding more charm. Red is already a bold color, and under the lights, her fair skin glowed like luminous pearls.

    The V-neckline further entuated her impressive figure.

    "Beautiful, this dress brings out its full value on you," Gu Sang said, unable to take her eyes off her.

    After all, everyone loves to look at beauty.

    The saleswoman''s eyes lit up as well, and she quickly approached to promote the dress.

    "This dress was made for you. Only you can wear it with such effect, we ordinary people couldn''t pull it off."

    "This dress requires height, curves, and fair skin to look good."

    Only the Beautiful Elder Sister, though she liked it very much, showed a worried expression: "This dress is too form-fitting, and I rarely wear V-necks. Will it be..."

    The Beautiful Elder Sister''s husband came over and took a look.

    He immediately gave an affirmative look: "Honey, you look great in this dress. If you like it, let''s buy it."

    "Isn''t there a ss reunioning up soon? This is perfect for that. Don''t worry about the neckline, we can add a pearl ne then, so your neck won''t look too bare."

    Hearing her husband mention the ss reunion, the Beautiful Elder Sister suddenly remembered and her eyes showed a hint of joy.

    She looked in the mirror and smiled gently.

    "Alright then, I''ll buy it!"

    The Beautiful Elder Sister''s husband swiftly swiped his card and naturally helped carry the shopping bag.

    After walking a few steps, they arrived at the entrance of a jewelry store. The Beautiful Elder Sister''s husband encouraged, "Honey, let''s go in and pick out a ne."

    "Having bought a beautiful dress, you need to match it with a nice ne."

    The Beautiful Elder Sister nced at it and said, "No need, we''ve already exceeded our budget for this month. Besides, I already have a lot of jewelry."

    The Beautiful Elder Sister''s husband replied, "Money is meant to be spent on my wife. Life is short, enjoy it while we can. Besides, I''m getting my bonus at the end of this month."

    "And a pearl ne won''t be very expensive, less than a thousand yuan. Go ahead and choose, don''t have any psychological burden."

    Gu Sang looked at the man admiringly. Truly, most husbands have a sense of possessiveness about clothing, but few are this amodating.

    As long as she likes it.

    He''s willing to do anything.

    Marriage doesn''t necessarily require great wealth, but it must ensure basic needs are met.

    Therefore, Gu Sang also said, "Elder Sister, let''s go in and take a look. If you don''t find anything you like, we don''t have to buy."

    "I also think that dress would look great with a pearl ne."

    As Gu Sang entered, the live stream followed.

    The luxurious decor, the golden jewelry disyed in ss cases, finally made the ancient people react to the man''s attitude, and they couldn''t help but exim in surprise.

 Chapter 204: Careful

    <h4>Chapter 204</h4>

    "Wow, I never realized gold jewelry could be so beautiful. It turns out gold isn''t tacky at all."

    "So this is what gold looks like! I''ve finally seen what gold jewelry looks like in my lifetime."

    "The jewelry from the future isn''t as intricate as ours; most of it is minimalist. I really like this design. Divine Lady, could you bring a few pieces back for me? I can pay you for them."

    "What a delicate gold ne! Isn''t gold easily broken when it''s so thin? How can they make gold as fine as a strand of hair in the future?"

    As the ancient people were discussing, they saw the sales assistant bring over several pearl styles, some round and some t-round, for the three to choose from.

    Some nes had a red gemstone set in the middle, while others featured cat''s eye stones...

    The ancient imperial concubines stared at these jewels, their eyes fixed and unable to look away.

    Although they already had many pieces of jewelry.

    But one can never have too much jewelry.

    Moreover, with the enhancement of the lighting, those jewels seemed to be tempting them, urging them to buy, buy, buy!

    "I can''t look anymore. How could there be such a good husband who doesn''t criticize his wife for dressing immodestly, but instead supports her?"

    "The shopping malls of the future are so enviable. If I could spend a day shopping in a future mall, I''d feel my life wasplete."

    "Hehe... Sister, your dream is too conservative. If you go to the future, shouldn''t you experience nes, high-speed trains, and buses? And find a handsome man..."

    "Hehe... I like the food of the future. I just want to eat and eat and eat."

    Seeing the concubinesughing together, Gu Qingrou''s eyes were filled with endless loneliness.

    She gazed deeply at the man on the screen.

    This man was average-looking, the type you''d never pick out of a crowd, but he was truly good to his wife. He could sense his wife''s unspoken worries, apany her shopping, and help her choose clothes.

    In terms of appearance, this man didn''t match his wife.

    But in terms of his demeanor, conversation, manners, and attentiveness, how fortunate this woman was to find such a good man.

    "Miss, your boyfriend is so good to you," the sales assistant said enviously when the Beautiful Elder Sister''s husband took out his phone to pay.

    She had seen many customers and could tell at a nce who was sincere and who was not.

    Even though it had only been about fifteen minutes, the sales assistant could feel the doting nature of the Beautiful Elder Sister''s husband.

    "He''s not my boyfriend. We''ve been married for five years," the Beautiful Elder Sister said with a smile.

    Upon hearing this, the sales assistant was so shocked her eyes nearly popped out. She looked the couple up and down uncertainly and eximed:

    "Five years? My goodness, you don''t look like you''ve been married for five years at all. You look just like a couple in the honeymoon phase."

    It wasn''t just the sales assistant and Gu Sang who were shocked, but also the ancient people watching the livestream.

    For them, in five years, one could have three or four children.

    Some well-off men from ancient times shook their heads and said, "That''s impossible. How can they not be bored after five years? No matter how beautiful a person is, once you have them, you stop treasuring them, right?"

    "Tsk, five years, and this beauty doesn''t look her age at all. People from the future really don''t age, huh?"

    "This guy is quite devoted."

    "Oh my, they''re still so in love after five years. Divine Lady, I want to learn the art of managing a husband. Can this beautiful woman teach me a bit? I don''t expect my husband to be this good to me, I just want him to be a little kinder and more understanding."

    "I also want to know how this beautiful woman trained her husband. Aren''t couples usually like siblings after five years of marriage? How can they still be so loving? It''s so enviable."

    Five years is neither long nor short.

    But it''s enough time for deep affection to turn into indifference.

    Pei Changying stared at Gu Sang with flickering eyes and spoke in a deep, affectionate voice:

    "Sang Sang, if you like jewels, I will buy them all for you."

    "There will definitely be more than in the future''s jewelry stores, and you can choose from jade, agate, gemstones, and gold as you like."

    "I not only want to give you jewels, but I also want to carve a golden statue of you as tall as you are."

    "When we grow old together, it will receive incense offerings from thousands of families."

    Gu Sang''s face turned ufortable: "Stop, stop talking. What you''re saying makes me sick. Pei Changying, is your strategy now to destroy what you can''t have?"

    The disgust in Gu Sang''s eyes was clear for all the people in the world to see, showing how much she despised the person speaking to her.

    "Who is Pei Changying? The Divine Lady seems to despise him so much."

    "Hey, brother, are you asking to be arrested? How dare you call the current emperor by name."

    "No way, it''s the emperor? The Divine Lady is actually scolding..."

    "Why does the emperor always make the Divine Lady angry? It seems like every time the Divine Lady starts a livestream, she ends up scolding the emperor. I''m really curious about how the emperor offended the Divine Lady."

    "Haha, this is hrious. Although we can''t hear what the emperor is saying, I can imagine how irritating his words must be to make the Divine Lady so disgusted."

    After leaving the jewelry store, they visited two more shops. Before Gu Sang could react, the husband had already noticed that the Beautiful Elder Sister was walking a bit awkwardly. He looked down, frowned, and asked while looking at her feet:

    "Honey, are your shoes hurting you?"

    The Beautiful Elder Sister smiled: "Just a little bit. It''s not too noticeable. You''re so attentive, darling. You even noticed this. You''re so good to me."

    Hearing this, her husband immediately crouched down in front of her and said, "Silly girl, get on my back. We''ll go rest over there for a bit."

    "I''ll buy you some band-aidster. Next time your feet are ufortable, tell me earlier."

    "Otherwise, you might really get blisters."

    The Beautiful Elder Sister nodded obediently and let her husband carry her to a bench in the mall''s corridor.

    Her husband crouched down and helped her take off her high heels. Seeing her already reddened heel, he stood up and said with concern:

    "You two wait here. I''ll go buy some band-aids."

    After her husband left, the Beautiful Elder Sister smiled apologetically at Gu Sang:

    "I''m sorry for dying your shopping trip."

    Gu Sang shook her head: "Not at all. I didn''t have any ns today, and I''m very happy that I got to see how you and your husband interact. This is a great example for many young women of what to look for when they start their own families in the future."

    "You''ve shown me the mutual understanding and respect between you as a couple, and you''ve also shown many people how to choose their future partners."

    Hearing Gu Sang''s words, a sweet happiness shed across the Beautiful Elder Sister''s smile.

    She said with a smile: "Yes, when choosing a partner, you must use your heart to feel, not your eyes to see, because eyes can be deceiving!"

    "Moreover, as someone who''s been through it, I want to tell you that love is mutual. No one can be unconditionally good to you."

    "When he''s good to you, you should praise him, and always be grateful. You need to notice his efforts and express it verbally."

    "Actually, men need to be coddled too."

 Chapter 205: Visiting

    <h4>Chapter 205</h4>

    Gu Sang listened attentively, admiring this Elder Sister''s wisdom in marriage.

    As they were talking, the Elder Sister''s husband returned, bringing a pair of slippers for her. He crouched down, gently lifting his wife''s foot with one hand, and ced a band-aid on her heel.

    "Let me know if your foot feels ufortable," he said.

    Seeing his wife nod, he tenderly stroked her hair, his gaze soft and full of concern.

    Then he turned to Gu Sang, saying apologetically, "Don''t be fooled by her strong and intimidating exterior. She actually hates troubling others."

    "She''s full of contrasts like that. That''s why she admired how you boldly confronted that sleazy guyst time."

    "Miss Gu, if you have time, you shoulde chat with her more often."

    "I''m still in school, so my time might be limited, but I''d be happy to meet up when I can," Gu Sang replied, nodding. She had taken a liking to this Elder Sister as well.

    During dinner, they had already exchanged WeChat contacts for futuremunication.

    The Beautiful Elder Sister said, "Are you free tomorrow? If so, why don''t youe over to my ce?"

    "I''ve been learning to cook recently, and I could use someone to taste my creations."

    Seeing Gu Sang''s hesitation, the Beautiful Elder Sister nced at her bag and smiled, "I noticed you have some strategy books in your bag. I''m guessing you''re studying history or literature?"

    "Actually, we have a rare edition of the Thirty-Six Stratagems at home, as well as first editions of the Barefoot Doctor manual and ''Ten Thousand Whys''..."

    "The versions of these books avable in the market now have been revised several times, quite different from the originals..."

    "My husband loves collecting these books. Our collection is even moreprehensive than the library''s. Feel free to take any book you like."

    Hearing about these books, Gu Sang was thrilled internally.

    The original edition of "Ten Thousand Whys" even included high-tech information like how to make firearms and artillery shells, and the Barefoot Doctor manual was from the wartime era...

    With these resources, the Elder Princess would find things much easier!

    "Elder Sister, these books sound too tempting to resist. I don''t think I can say no," Gu Sang said.

    "I''ll borrow them for a month and then return them," she added.

    "It''s fine, I''ve read all those books. If you like them, just keep them," the Elder Sister''s husband said with a polite smile.

    "I just want to study them. I''m not really into collecting books, and it would be a waste for rare editions to stay with me," Gu Sang thought to herself. A month would be enough!

    She could use the system to send the books to the gue-stricken city, giving them a month to copy everything.

    Since she chose to continue streaming, the system had added a new feature allowing her to send books to the past, but only for a month at a time.

    As her merit increased, it might be possible to send seeds, grain, medicine, and medical equipment.

    As for missiles and firearms, Gu Sang, being an ordinary person, couldn''t obtain those. But with these books, they might be able to manufacture them in the Elder Princess''s era.

    After parting ways with the couple, Gu Sang ended her livestream.

    Back home, she asked the system to send the books she borrowed from the library to the Elder Princess.

    "Ding!"

    "You have unimed books!"

    "Do you want to im them?"

    Hearing the system''s sudden voice, the Elder Princess rushed home and waited quietly for a few minutes, expecting the system to deliver the books.

    But after a quarter of an hour, nothing appeared before her.

    Then, the system''s prompt sounded again.

    "Do you want to im them?"

    The Elder Princess tentatively replied, "Yes."

    In the next moment, several books from the future appeared on her desk.

    "Books delivered!"

    -

    In the Empress''s pce.

    Gu Qingrou dismissed all her attendants and sat alone in the opulent pce.

    None of her previous livestreams had left her feeling as despondent as today''s.

    Before, she had always watched the prosperity of the future world as a mere observer. While everyone else envied the freedom of love, marriage, and national prosperity of the future, she understood clearly.

    The reason the future could be so open-minded was because it had gone through a long and painful history before changing.

    So she had always watched the livestreams from her lofty position, her heart asionally rippling with emotion.

    She was already the Empress of a nation.

    What didn''t she have? Why should she envy the future?

    Her only worry had been that the Emperor didn''t love her, a fear that haunted even her dreams.

    But this livestream had torn apart her imagined love story with the Emperor, forcing her to break her illusions and face reality.

    "Gu Sang, your revenge is cruel, just like your style."

    "I schemed against you, taking away the position of Empress that should have been yours, so you retaliate by using the love I care about most to mock me, ridiculing me for deceiving myself."

    "What do you know! What do you understand!"

    "I won, but it''s a miserable victory. I''d rather have lost. Heh heh heh..."

    An endless, cold loneliness howled through the vast pce, a chill unlike any before piercing straight into her heart, making her teeth chatter with cold.

    Gu Qingrou suddenly felt an overwhelming fatigue.

    She was tired...

    She didn''t want to fight anymore...

    -

    In Jiangnan.

    After a day of business, Xue and her sisters were chatting and eating in the courtyard.

    Their lipsticks, face masks, and other women''s products had already made a name for themselves in Jiangnan.

    Even merchants from other provinces had starteding to stock up from them.

    Although they had gained some fame, Xue and her friends were unwilling to separate. So instead of opening branches everywhere, they chose to serve this city properly.

    They had moved from their original small location and bought a quiet but cost-effective plot ofnd, expanding their business once again.

    Their once tiny shop had now tripled in size. The first floor was for selling products, while the second floor provided skincare services fordies.

    They had hired several workers, and with their personal management of ounts and customer service, along with their exclusive secret forms and unique focus on female customers, the shop was bustling with women patrons every day.

    After a busy day, the group was enjoying some wine and pastries, filled with longing for the future world.

    "The men in the future are so wonderful! When will I find a man who''s wholeheartedly good to me, who understands and respects me?" Xue said enviously.

    The othersughed, "Oh, Xue, you''re starting to feel lovesick, aren''t you? Should we get a matchmaker to introduce someone to you?"

    Hearing this, Xue shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no. Right now, I just want to focus on making money. Oh,e on, don''tugh at me. Are you saying you weren''t moved by that man we saw today? I don''t believe you wouldn''t be touched by a man like that."

 Chapter 206: Daughter Is Also Good

    <h4>Chapter 206</h4>

    One of the older girls said, "It''s exciting, but not all men in the future are good. There are good and bad men everywhere. We shouldn''t blindly idolize them based on our preconceptions."

    "Moreover, the most important thing for a woman is to stand on her own two feet."

    "If you can''t support yourself, even if you meet a good man, you won''t have the ability to keep him."

    The others nodded thoughtfully at her words.

    Seeing that the atmosphere had be a bit too serious, the older girl changed the subject: "Let''s talk about something more cheerful. Now that we''re in Jiangnan, we can see the sky screen too."

    "In the future, we won''t have to go to ces with live broadcasts to find out what Miss Gu said. We can see for ourselves what the future looks like."

    As they talked about various aspects of the future, Xue suddenly said excitedly:

    "Oh, by the way, did you notice the skincare stores that appeared when Miss Gu was shopping at the mall today?"

    The others replied:

    "Oh yes, I saw them. They looked really nice. We should pay more attention when we watch the live broadcast next time, to try and learn some tips from the future."

    "Huh? Where? I didn''t see them."

    All the people from the past were looking forward to the next day''s broadcast. The following day, when the sky screen opened up in the sky again, they all hurried out of their houses. Some even brought lounge chairs to lie on the street and watch.

    Some merchants immediately saw a business opportunity and started selling sunflower seeds and tea on the streets.

    In the broadcast, Gu Sang came to a chain fruit store, selected some fruits, and asked the staff to package them in a basket.

    "Hello, that will be 208 yuan in total."

    Gu Sang opened her QR code and scanned it against the scanner in the store, and the payment was made.

    As Gu Sang walked out of the fruit store, the people from the past who were watching for the second time were all curious.

    "Hey, did the divinedy pay?"

    "Is it possible that things are free in the future? Or did I miss it, and the divinedy actually paid?"

    At this moment, a merchant who had already learned about some aspects of future live broadcasts exined to these people:

    "The thing in the divinedy''s hand is called a mobile phone. The money is first stored in a bank, which is like what we call a money house. Then the phone will show how much money you have."

    "When you need to buy something, you just swipe your phone on that thing we saw earlier, and the phone will automatically deduct the money."

    "Then the bank will transfer the money to another person."

    "This is how payment is done in the future. They rarely carry cash now, just using phones to swipe and pay."

    Someone timidly said, "I still don''t understand."

    The merchant replied, "It''s okay if you don''t understand. You''ll get it after watching a few more times. Look, each time the divinedy broadcasts, it takes a long time. If anyone gets thirsty, you can buy some tea to drink slowly... We have tea, sunflower seeds, plums, and more..."

    As the merchant was hawking his wares, they saw Gu Sang go to the neighboring flower shop, order a bouquet of champagne-colored roses, and then take a taxi to visit someone''s home.

    The merchant called out, "What beautiful flowers! Divinedy, why are these flowers this color? Could you tell us the form? I''m willing to pay for it."

    Someone else asked:

    "Divinedy, do you in the future also ce such importance on etiquette? Bringing so many things when visiting someone''s home."

    Gu Sang replied, "This is courtesy, it''s not excessive."

    "Our future is indeed more open-minded. Some ideas that you might find shocking are basically known and epted by everyone here."

    "But each of our changes is an update, meant to make our lives better. It doesn''t mean we''ve abandoned all etiquette and be uncivilized."

    The car sped along the road, showing the people from the past the high-rise buildings, the bustling crowds, the endless stream of traffic. Every frame made the ancient people try to keep their eyes wide open, not daring to blink.

    Everything about the future was amazing, and there were so many women!

    Women could be seen shopping everywhere on the streets.

    Oh, there were even women driving cars, how cool!

    "What, what is that? Is that a live broadcast too? Divinedy, does your world also have husband and wife broadcasts?"

    When the car arrived at a busymercial street, it encountered a red light and joined a long queue of vehicles.

    Someone immediately noticed that there was a huge screen in the square, with a male and female host conducting a live broadcast.

    Gu Sang looked outside and said:

    "No, this is a television outside the shopping mall. The two people are partners, colleagues, not a married couple."

    "They are hosts, interviewing about hot news topics."

    "Female host? Wow, women in your future can do so many things. They can even be on TV like men, and they don''t have to be married to appear on TV together."

    What amazed the people from the past was that they could appear on TV together and seemed to have such a good rtionship.

    In ancient times, this would definitely have been the subject of gossip.

    Whether married or not, apart from being close to one''s own husband, women were expected to avoid other men as much as possible, preferably not even looking at them.

    But in modern times, a man and woman could actually be partners, colleagues.

    They looked so in sync with each other, was this really normal?

    The car stopped at the entrance of a residentialplex. Gu Sang sent a message to Beautiful Elder Sister, and after a while, Beautiful Elder Sister came down personally to meet Gu Sang.

    "Sang Sang, I forgot to ask yesterday if you have any dietary restrictions. Can you eat seafood?"

    The two took the elevator up. Beautiful Elder Sister swiped an elevator card, and only then did the elevator start to ascend.

    "I don''t have any dietary restrictions, I can eat anything."

    Beautiful Elder Sister lived in an apartmentplex where each elevator served only two households, and without an elevator card, strangers couldn''t operate the elevator.

    After arriving at Beautiful Elder Sister''s home, Gu Sang changed into slippers.

    A well-behaved little girl, about four or five years old, came over: "Hello, auntie. Would you like warm water, hot water, or a soft drink?"

    "Warm water is fine, thank you."

    Beautiful Elder Sister smiled and took the flowers: "Thank you, these flowers smell wonderful."

    The Little Girl brought over the warm water and said politely, "Here''s your water, auntie."

    The little girl''s good manners and thoughtfulness melted the hearts of the people from the past.

    Especially since this little girl had a rosyplexion and looked like a little princess, beautiful and well-behaved. This was truly a warm little cotton-padded jacket.

    "Look how polite other people''s children are. You don''t even open your mouth to greet rtives when they visit. How did I end up with such a m for a child?"

    "Watching this makes me want to have a daughter. I already have a son, maybe the next child could be a sweet daughter like this, to make a perfect pair."

    "What are you looking at? What''s so good about daughters? They''ll just end up belonging to someone else''s family. If anyone wants my three daughters, I''ll give them away for free. They''re just money-losers. You should give me a son instead."

    "Hmph, what''s the use of raising them so well? They''ll just run off with someone else in the end. ''A grown daughter can''t be kept at home.'' It''s better to save that money for our old age instead."

 Chapter 207: This is the Future

    <h4>Chapter 207</h4>

    Having heard these words too often, Gu Sang could only respond with silence.

    The preference for sons over daughters has always existed, even in modern times, let alone in the thoughts of the ancients.

    Seeing the Beautiful Elder Sister busy in the kitchen, Gu Sang got up to help.

    Although the Beautiful Elder Sister tried to stop her, Gu Sang still noticed some unwashed vegetables and helped clean them in the sink.

    "Sister, your daughter is so well-behaved. You''re so good at raising a daughter," Gu Sang praised.

    Unlike most parents who only belittle their children or say negative things, the Beautiful Elder Sister didn''t do that.

    She simply nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with proud smiles, and said:

    "She is indeed very obedient and rarely gives me cause for worry."

    "Actually, even though children are young, they know how to think. It''s mainly up to us adults to educate them. For example, when we scold or hit them, we should also tell them what they did wrong."

    "Children have simple thoughts, so we need to tell them where they went wrong so they know how to correct themselves."

    Hearing these words, Gu Sang couldn''t help but smile.

    "Yes, it reminds me of something from my childhood. At that time, I used to steal my grandmother''s medicine because it was sweet and tasted like sugar water when dissolved."

    "I would steal Grandmother''s medicine every day. At first, she didn''t notice and thought she had misremembered."

    "Later, she bought a new batch, which I also stole and finished. Grandmother then suspected me, asked me, and I admitted it. Then she spanked me."

    "But I didn''t know why Grandmother hit me. I thought she was hiding the tasty stuff from me. Later, when I went to a ssmate''s house, I saw they had the same medicine."

    "I even persuaded my ssmate to drink it together with me."

    The Beautiful Elder Sisterughed happily and shook her head, saying: "Haha, how did youter find out that this medicine wasn''t for drinking?"

    "My ssmate was greedier than me. I stole one packet a day, but he got up in the middle of the night to secretly make some. A box of over twenty packets was finished by him in one day. How could that not be discovered? Later, his parents beat him severely and told him it was medicine and shouldn''t be drunk carelessly."

    "We were lucky to be alive then, not having died from it."

    The kitchen once again erupted inughter.

    The husband opened the door and came in, hearing theughter from the kitchen, he asked with a smile:

    "What are you chatting about that''s so amusing?"

    After a while, the husband took off his suit jacket and brought some fruit to wash.

    After washing, the husband shooed Gu Sang and his wife out of the kitchen, put on an apron, handed the fruit tter to his wife, and said:

    "Miss Gu Sang,e and eat some fruit. You''re a guest, how can you be in the kitchen?"

    "Wife, you should go out too. Go chat with our guest."

    "I''m going to showcase my culinary skills. At noon, I''ll let you taste my cooking."

    Gu Sang and the Beautiful Elder Sister went to the living room, sat on the sofa eating fruit and chatting, and the conversation turned to the topic of children''s talent education.

    "Actually, I personally quite like the guzheng and would like my daughter to learn it."

    "But she already has dance and painting sses. If we enroll her in a guzheng ss too, she won''t have any time to y."

    Gu Sang asked: "Have you asked if she likes the guzheng? Actually, children nowadays have such heavy coursework, unlike when we were young and had less homework."

    "If she wants to learn guzheng, you can enroll her when she expresses interest in the future."

    "And to be honest, if you like it, you could learn it yourself. Guzheng isn''t hard to learn, it''s hard to master."

    "But we''re not aiming to participate in professionalpetitions. Learning it casually, being able to read music and y is enough."

    The Beautiful Elder Sister smiled and sighed, saying: "I''m tone-deaf by nature andpletely clueless about music. I''m afraid I''m too stupid to learn."

    "But what you say makes sense. We''ll see about itter."

    "Maybe I''ll get a sudden urge one day."

    "For now, let''s save some money for the child to learn first. After all, these various talent training sses are quite expensive nowadays."

    Gu Sang nodded: "I know that, they are indeed quite expensive..."

    At this point, Gu Sang changed the subject and asked: "Have people said anything about you enrolling your daughter in so many training sses?"

    The Beautiful Elder Sister replied: "Yes, many people think enrolling in so many training sses is useless, but in this society, when everyone is enrolling in training sses, we can''t not enroll, can we?"

    "This isn''t about vanity orparison, it''s forced internalpetition. We can''t let her be out of ce in the future when all her friends are participating in variouspetitions."

    "Since I gave birth to her, I must do my best to give her a good life. I can''t let her feel inferior to others and live in insecurity."

    Gu Sang nodded deeply in agreement. They all had experienced some insecurity to varying degrees in their childhood.

    Some came from parents'' disparagement in front of others, some from friends all learning English while they couldn''t afford to...

    Because Gu Sang asked intentionally, wanting the ancients to know some of the current thoughts on children''s education in the future world, the Beautiful Elder Sister spoke without reservation. As they talked about past education, both their eyes inadvertently revealed some downcast emotions.

    When parents don''t defend their children in front of others during childhood, it can create a sense of inferiority in them, and this sense of inferiority will apany them as they grow up.

    The ancients listening to the two talking all fell into reminiscence.

    Then they sadly discovered that all parents in the world seem to be the same, liking to belittle their children in front of others.

    Because people in the Central ins value humble education.

    There has never been a parent who, when others praise their child, would say, "Yes, my child is great and capable."

    At this moment, they suddenly realized that what they hated in their childhood and vowed that when they had children, they would definitely praise them, but when they actually grew up, got married and had children, they became just like their parents, only saying in front of others, "Oh, my child is thoughtless, how can they be as lively and lovable as your child."

    They were so immersed in this kind of recollection that they temporarily forgot to say how useless it was for girls to learn so much.

    It wasn''t until the hostess''s mother-inw made a video call to her that the ancients'' attention was brought back to the present.

    The livestream didn''t show the mother-inw''s face to the ancients, so they could only guess from her voice that this mother-inw was quite young.

    Mother-inw: "Qian, I''ve sent you some local specialties. They should arrive around tomorrow, so pay attention to the courier''s call tomorrow."

    "Last time you came back home, the vegetables in the field weren''t ripe yet. Now they''re ripe, so I''ve sent them to you. Remember to eat them while they''re fresh."

    The Beautiful Elder Sister smiled and politely thanked her: "Thank you, Mom."

    The child, hearing her grandmother''s voice, ran to her mother''s side and sweetly called into the phone: "Grandmother, next time Ie back, I''ll dance for you. The teacher praised me for having a talent for dance."

    The child''s grandmother''s voice was filled withughter, "Alright, oh my, my good granddaughter is so well-behaved. Granddaughter, what do you want to eat? Grandmother will send you a red envelope..."

 Chapter 208: Moved

    <h4>Chapter 208</h4>

    When the ancient people heard the Grandmother chatting happily with her Granddaughter, they were not cold towards her just because she was a girl.

    Moreover, during yesterday''s livestream, they learned that this couple had been married for many years but had only given birth to one daughter.

    Five years!

    Only one daughter in five years?

    In ancient times, this would be called the end of the family line!

    Yet this Mother-inw never once mentioned that the couple should have more children.

    This caused many women watching the livestream to quietly shed tears.

    "Why are women in the future so fortunate? She gave birth to a daughter, aren''t daughters supposed to be a financial burden? Why does even the Grandmother love her Granddaughter so much?"

    "This woman must have saved many lives in her past life. How else could she encounter such a good husband and Mother-inw?"

    "Hmph, it''s all fake. If the son and daughter-inw weren''t here, she''d probably sell the Granddaughter."

    "Don''t even mention it. My neighbor did exactly that - they had a daughter and immediately drowned her in the outhouse."

    "Isn''t thatmon? Daughters are a financial burden. If you have a son, the daughter bes a ymate. If you can''t have a son, then the daughter is seen as blocking the way for a son, so they often drown the daughters."

    "Wait, I''ve noticed something. It seems the Mother-inw doesn''t live with them?"

    As soon as this was said, all the ancient people widened their eyes in shock.

    Especially the women, who all raised their heads to look at Gu Sang.

    Indeed!

    The Mother-inw doesn''t live with her son?

    Seeing everyone''s confusion, Gu Sang exined:

    "Where wee from, about half of the families live separately from the husband''s parents."

    "After all, two generations often have different views, and living together can easily lead to conflicts. asional visits are more beneficial for maintaining good rtionships."

    Boom!

    The ancient people were stunned as if struck by lightning.

    Every sentence from Gu Sang made their minds reel.

    Each statement seemed unfilial, to the point where they wanted to curse out loud.

    People in the future seemed so heartless.

    The ancient people couldn''t ept this concept at all and immediately cried out: "What? Living separately? Sons are supposed to take care of their aging parents. What if the elderly fall ill at home? If something unfortunate happens, they could die without anyone knowing."

    "Yes, people in your future are so cold-hearted. It''s not easy for parents to raise you, and yet after you grow up and start your own family, you don''t live with your parents. It''s as if raising you was all for nothing."

    "How foolish. It''s good to have the Mother-inw help take care of the children. Taking care of children on your own is more tiring. You future people seem clever, but you''re actually quite stupid."

    Gu Sang replied with a half-mocking smile: "You''re really poking your noses into other people''s business. In the future, everyone epts this way of living."

    "What''s the point of you opposing it here? Besides, technology in the future is very advanced. We can install monitoring systems in the elderly''s homes, buy them watches that monitor their health in real-time. If an elderly person''s health deteriorates, the watch will immediately send an alert to their children''s phones, and even automatically call for an ambnce."

    "Of course, it''s hard for you to imagine these things. You just need to remember one point: this is how life is in the future, and your opposition is futile."

    "Oh, and for those worried about the Mother-inw helping with childcare, there''s no need to worry. If you have money, you can hire a Postpartum Care Worker. After giving birth, new mothers can even sign up for postpartum meal services."

    "Even if you don''t have money, the wife''s own mother cane help take care of the child. In our future, mothers are generally very helpful."

    The word "envious" had been worn out.

    From Gu Sang''s exnation, everyone could imagine how truly good future parents were to their children, how they really considered their children''s needs.

    The Father-inw and Mother-inw were open-minded, not interfering with the children''s education or the young couple''s affairs, and the daughter could even call her own mother to help.

    How much good karma must one umte to live in such a family atmosphere?

    At this moment, whether men or women, they all deeply felt how wonderful the future was.

    Although their own parents were also good, parents often liked to interfere in their children''s affairs, and the mostmon phrase parents used was, "No matter if you''re a hundred years old or how old you are, you''ll always be a child in my eyes."

    This sounded touching at first, but they were already married, yet their parents still treated them like children, wanting to manage everything, leaving them with no privacy at all. This caused them considerable distress.

    But those were their own parents, so they couldn''t say anything and could only keep their frustrations bottled up inside.

    It was only at this moment that they finally understood that their parents were interfering too much in their lives, that this was wrong, and that it was something they could directly bring up.

    In Xuyang Pce.

    The concubines looked at each other, speechless except for bitter smiles.

    "Ah, the future, it''s truly enviable."

    "If one had such open-minded inws, even being amoner would be quite nice."

    "I rather envy the attitude of future parents towards their children. Treating boys and girls equally, how wonderful. And being able to see one''s own birth mother..."

    After ending the video call, the Beautiful Elder Sister saw Gu Sang sitting on the sofa lost in thought, and her face showed an apologetic expression.

    Beautiful Elder Sister: "Gu Sang, I''m sorry, we talked for a bit too long. Come, let''s eat."

    The system blocked all of Gu Sang''s actions and speech, so to others, it appeared as if Gu Sang was just lost in thought.

    Hearing the Beautiful Elder Sister speak, Gu Sang quickly responded, and the system detected Gu Sang speaking to the outside world, so it immediately removed the barrier.

    "Oh, alright."

    After everyone sat at the table, the ancient people saw that even the child was allowed to eat at the table, which again made their eyes widen in surprise.

    Aren''t children not supposed to eat at the table?

    Aren''t women not supposed to eat at the table?

    Then they remembered it was the future.

    Oh, it''s the future, so it''s normal.

    "Dad, Mother, let''s eat. Mother, I''ll give you my favorite chicken wing."

    The little girl first gave her mother a c-vored chicken wing, then gave one to her father.

    "Auntie, do you like chicken wings? I''ll give you one."

    The little girl first asked Gu Sang if she liked them before putting a chicken wing in her bowl.

    "What a good girl." Gu Sang''s heart melted.

    This little girl was so soft, sweet, and well-behaved that she was absolutely adorable.

    After the meal, the little girl voluntarily helped her mother clear the dishes, mumbling: "Mother, you chat with auntie. Dad and I can take care of this."

    "Dad says you work hard at home all day, so you should rest well when you have the chance."

    Even Gu Sang, an outsider, couldn''t help but feel delighted hearing these words.

    "You''re so understanding, knowing that Mother works hard."

    The little girl replied: "Dad says Mother gave up her job for this family, to take care of our home full-time."

    "Mother went through a lot to give birth to me, suffered a lot. Mother worked so hard, when I grow up, I want to repay Mother properly. No, I want to treat Mother well right now."

    "Mother, I love you."

 Chapter 209: Unconventional Means

    <h4>Chapter 209</h4>

    The Little Girl walked up to her mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

    A Woman carrying a basket hade to shop for groceries, but she had been standing there for so long that her legs had gone numb. Yet she still couldn''t bear to leave.

    Seeing the sweet and endearing image of the Little Girl on the screen, she suddenly burst into tears.

    "Waaah... my daughter, Mother is so sorry. I was too weak; I didn''t protect you then."

    "I should have fought them to the death..."

    "I''m sorry, it was Mother''s fault. I shouldn''t have given up on you just because you were a girl. Mother was wrong, so very wrong!"

    Like this Woman, there were tens of thousands of women across the world who felt the same regret and remorse.

    Due to their own weakness, they had been forced to ept their husbands and mothers-inw drowning or giving away the daughters they had painstakingly given birth to.

    After seeing how filial and obedient this girl was, it was as if they had swallowed ten tons of bitter herbs, their regret turning their guts green.

    Among these tens of thousands of remorseful women weremoners and noblewomen alike. Even the Imperial Concubines in the pce who had lost daughters were no exception.

    "Waaah, my daughter, if she hadn''t died from smallpox, she would be this big now."

    "Perhaps she would have been just as sweet and lovable. How am I supposed to go on living within these endless pce walls?"

    Hearing this Imperial Concubine''s cries, the other concubines came to console her softly.

    Only Gu Qingrou turned away expressionlessly.

    When she quickly boarded her phoenix carriage, the tears she had been holding back flowed like a bursting dam.

    Her heart was a tumultuous sea of regret, self-me, and intense self-loathing.

    Why hadn''t she fought harder to keep her daughter back then?

    Had she been possessed by some evil spirit?

    No, deep down she knew the truth.

    She had been singlemindedly focused on bing Empress. If she could give birth to the Emperor''s first son after his ascension to the throne, her position as Empress would be secure!

    But the Imperial Physician had said she was carrying a daughter, and the fetus was weak, unlikely to survive.

    At that time, she had thought, between a daughter and the position of Empress, she had to keep one of them. So she... she had...

    Thinking of the past, Gu Qingrou''s regret surged forth uncontrobly. Her low, choked sobs were heard outside, and her personal Pce Maid asked worriedly:

    "Is mydy feeling unwell? Should we summon the Imperial Physician?"

    After a long while, Gu Qingrou''s hoarse voice came from inside: "No need."

    By the time the phoenix carriage returned to the pce, Gu Qingrou hadposed herself and stepped out looking normal.

    "Leave me. I wish to be alone."

    After dismissing all the pce servants, Gu Qingrou suddenly seemed drained of all strength, copsing onto the cold marble floor.

    She looked around the empty pce.

    Closing her eyes.

    Sheughed, self-mockingly and helplessly: "What have I really gained?"

    "I lost a daughter, and even this position as Empress is unstable."

    "I lost my daughter, yet I can''t even cry openly. My heart aches."

    "If... if it were in the future, I would never give up my daughter."

    "Child, Mother is so sorry,"

    "Mother''s current state is what I deserve, it''s what I owe you..."

    "Ding!"

    "Connection established!"

    Hearing the sudden emotionless, cold, and eerie mechanical voice, Gu Qingrou tried to wipe away her tears, but it was toote.

    Gu Sang''s face appeared in the empty space before her.

    Gu Sang had already returned home and was raising an eyebrow at the current state of Gu Qingrou.

    Her face was covered in tears, looking utterly unattractive. She had even cried out snot bubbles, a far cry from the usual beautifully crying Gu Qingrou.

    Gu Sang didn''t speak, but Gu Qingrou calmly wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief.

    Her eyes were lifeless and empty as she spoke, seemingly asking herself or seeking an answer:

    "Gu Sang."

    "Do all parents in the future love their children this much? Do all men in the future cook?"

    Gu Sang replied: "Nothing is absolute. You''ve watched so many livestreams, you''ve seen that even in the future, there are still some people who favor boys over girls."

    "There are still bad men in the future, scumbags, not-so-good ones. You''ve seen all of this in the livestreams."

    "However, the general trend is that parents in the future have epted modern ideas and are willing to change."

    "Parents change one generation, and then our generation continues to change. Changing mindsets is a gradual process that requires the efforts of several generations."

    "As for men cooking, it''s not absolute either. It''s just that most men of the new generation know how to cook and do housework. How one lives their life is a personal choice and depends on one''s perspective and wisdom in life."

    "The kind of man you meet depends on how much you love yourself and how much you think you''re worth."

    People tend to bully the weak and fear the strong.

    If you have no bottom line,

    The men you meet will also have no bottom line with you.

    Your personality, abilities, and how you handle things will determine the results you get. If you''re decisive and brave, scumbags won''t even have the chance to hurt you.

    If you''re weak and incapable, even marrying into a noble family won''t protect you from being bullied.

    As Gu Qingrou listened, she suddenly smiled bitterly and thought to herself: "Gu Sang, tell me the truth, Pei Changying, he wasn''t really your choice, was he?"

    "Don''t you have any feelings for him at all? Is it all just using him?"

    Gu Qingrou wanted to ask this question so badly. Ever since Gu Sang started livestreaming, she had been wanting to ask.

    When she realized she had spoken her thoughts out loud and Gu Sang had heard them, it was toote to take them back. She could only stare intently at Gu Sang.

    "No, he wasn''t my choice."

    "He was the system''s choice. I never had any feelings for him."

    "Gu Qingrou, in our future, girls can y with boys from a young age. We have male ssmates and even deskmates in elementary and middle school."

    "I''ve met many boys, experienced many things, felt what true eptance and love are. Pei Changying''s hypocritical lies sound ridiculous to me."

    "I didn''t expose him, and even agreed to help him, because in my view, it was just a mutually beneficial cooperation."

    "He uses me to be Emperor, I use him to return to modern times to see my Grandmother."

    "I just didn''t expect Pei Changying to be so useless, needing me to help him aplish everything."

    "Pei Changying, that kind of person is very selfish."

    "Gu Qingrou, to be honest, for someone like you who''s so obsessed with love that you''d do anything, I really don''t even want to say a word."

 Chapter 210: Not Anymore

    <h4>Chapter 210</h4>

    "Your brain seems to have been eaten by zombies, it''s empty."

    "If you could rationally look at Pei Changying''s various actions towards you, you''d know whether he''s worth loving or not."

    "But unfortunately, you''re love-brained."

    Gu Qingrou''s mouth twitched, and for the first time, she didn''t argue with Gu Sang, managing to speak calmly with her.

    In the past, she would have wanted to strangle Gu Sang on sight, but now, how was it that they could sit together and talk?

    And the "love-brained" term Gu Sang used.

    It certainly wasn''t a ttering word.

    But she couldn''t help loving Pei Changying. Her circle was small, her world was small, so small that she had only ever interacted with this one man in her lifetime, letting him upy her entire being.

    Gu Qingrou murmured to herself: "Perhaps you''re right, we women from secluded backgrounds have seen too few men."

    "So we''re easily deceived."

    "But what does it matter..."

    "Yes, what does it matter, I suppose this is fate."

    After a pause, Gu Qingrou''s eyes flickered, her gaze fixed straight on Gu Sang: "Do you know what happened to my child?"

    In Gu Qingrou''s reflected pupils, she saw Gu Sang nod without hesitation.

    Of course, she knew.

    She just didn''t care before.

    Now, she cared even less.

    After all, in Gu Sang''s life, there was never any concept of vying for favor: "I know, modern TV dramas are full of these framing plots to the point of nausea."

    "I guessed this kind of framing plot from the few words when Pei Changying called me a poisonous woman."

    Gu Qingrou took a deep breath and said with a bitter smile: "Then you definitely don''t know that I was actually carrying a daughter, but I switched her for the corpse of a recently deceased baby boy."

    Her daughter had indeed died, but not on that day.

    Half a month earlier, she had miscarried, but she had the imperial physician continue to keep it a secret until she found a recently deceased baby boy from outside, and then orchestrated that framing scene.

    That was Pei Changying''s first prince, and moreover, the first prince after his ascension to the throne.

    Looking at the baby boy in his arms, Pei Changying was ovee with grief and anger, which led to his decision to make her the empress.

    "Gu Sang, am I cruel? Not even caring for my own daughter."

    "Actually, the imperial physician said that if I took good care of myself during pregnancy, the daughter could have been saved."

    "But because she wasn''t a prince, I chose to abandon her. Although I didn''t kill her with my own hands, I didn''t take the medicine, which led to her..."

    Gu Qingrou couldn''t continue speaking, ovee with regret once again, she covered her face and sobbed out loud.

    She didn''t know if she was crying because she had gained everything.

    Or if she was crying because in the end, it felt like she had gained nothing at all.

    Her daughter.

    Such a lovely daughter!

    Dead because of her struggle for favor.

    Was this right?

    Gu Sang looked at the suffering Gu Qingrou, her voice calm and detached, like an outsider: "What''s done is done. Where was this crying when you were desperately wanting the position of empress?"

    "Moreover, in this world where male preference is so severe."

    "Even being a princess isn''t necessarily happy, unable to leave the pce for a lifetime."

    "When they do leave the pce, it''s to be married off."

    "If a princess is favored, she''ll stay in the capital to receive a husband, if not favored, she''ll be sent off in a political marriage."

    "Rather than living in past pain, why not take this opportunity to pray for your daughter''s blessing, do more good deeds."

    "For example, changing the mindset of male preference, so that daughters born in the future won''t be thrown away or killed outright just because they''re girls."

    After all, Gu Qingrou was just a pitiful woman in the deep pce. Gu Sang might have disliked Gu Qingrou before, but she didn''t hate her.

    More than anything, she felt a very nd, stranger-like emotion towards Gu Qingrou.

    *Beep¡ª*

    Gu Sang had nothing more to say to her, so she closed the connection.

    Who knows if Gu Qingrou would take this advice to heart.

    What''s wrong with having a daughter?

    With proper guidance and nurturing from a young age, she wouldn''t be inferior to boys.

    Themoners on the streets of ancient times saw the heartwarming scenes of little girls from the future in the sky screen, causing many women to burst into tears on the spot, crying their hearts out.

    But when these women returned home, they were met with scolding from their inws and cold indifference from their husbands.

    "Oh, you useless woman who can''t bear a son, did you go buy vegetables at the border? If you hadn''te back soon, I was about to report a missing person to the authorities."

    "Instead of wasting time, you''d better think about how to continue my son''s lineage."

    The woman suddenly raised her head to see her father-inw sitting in the main seat, looking leisurely.

    Her mother-inw sat below on the left, looking at her sideways with her mouth slightly askew.

    In the past, the woman would always endure, knowing she had given birth to two girls. For the sake of her children, she endured the mistreatment.

    But today, the woman didn''t want to endure anymore.

    Endure!

    How much longer did she have to endure?

    Her first child was a girl, and while she was still in confinement after childbirth, her mother-inw took the baby girl out for a walk and returned saying the child had been lost.

    At that time, she had wailed and made a fuss, but after all thatmotion, the child still couldn''t be found.

    She could only give up.

    Until she gave birth to her second child, discovering it was also a girl, she barely left her daughter''s side. Even when going to the outhouse, she would carry her daughter in a sling, not giving them any opportunity.

    Originally, the incident of losing her first daughter had been buried deep in her heart.

    But today, seeing that little girl on the screen made her think of her unfortunate first daughter.

    "Mother-inw sure loves to joke, I''m not an infant, how could I go out to buy vegetables and disappear?" The woman took a deep breath before speaking.

    Ignoring her inws'' unsightly expressions, she looked around and called out loudly:

    "Niu Niu, Niu Niu."

    "Where''s Niu Niu?"

    When the mother-inw heard her daughter-inw''s sarcastic tone,

    She trembled with anger and shouted: "What do you mean by that? Oh, you''re still thinking about that incident from years ago?"

    "Oh my, I might as well die! I kindly helped you look after the child, and the child was identally lost. Wasn''t your big fuss back then enough?"

    "It''s been years, and you''re still ming me. I might as well just die and consider it repayment for your daughter''s life."

    Was it really idental?

    Everyone in the family knew the truth!

    It was intentional!

    The husband went over to pull his mother back,forting her to sit down, then turned to his wife and said sternly: "Do you still want to continue this life? Wasn''t that incident from years ago already cleared up?"

    "Mother has already said it wasn''t intentional, what more do you want? If you don''t want to continue this life, just say it early."

    Tears suddenly streamed down the woman''s face.

    She lowered her head to wipe away her tears, watching Niu Niu run over to hug her leg. The woman gently stroked the child''s head, her eyes slowly revealing determination.

    She suddenly remembered the livestream from the future world she had seen these past two days.

    That gentle and doting man.

    That grandmother who knew her boundaries.

    That family she envied.

    The goddess said!

    That was what a true marriage should be like!

    And what about her current situation?

    The woman suddenlyughed bitterly, closing her eyes and said: "Fine, then let''s end it."

 Chapter 211: Leaving

    <h4>Chapter 211</h4>

    "You might as well divorce me now and find someone who can give you a son," the Woman said.

    "You''ve alwaysined that I only gave birth to a girl without a penis, so I''ll take Niu Niu with me and make room for your grandson."

    The Woman picked up Niu Niu and walked towards the bedroom, ready to pack her bags and return to her parents'' home.

    As soon as these words were spoken, the Father-inw, who had been sitting silently in the living room, finally spoke up.

    The Father-inw clearly thought the Woman was being unreasonable and hadn''t realized the consequences. He mmed his hand on the table and shouted angrily, "What kind of nonsense is this? This family is falling apart because of you two!"

    "You, calm down! What are you trying to aplish with all this talk of death and leaving?"

    "And you, have you set your eyes on some other girl and want to divorce your wife? If you divorce her, I''ll beat you to death."

    The Father-inw first berated the mother and son.

    Then he turned to the Woman and began to speak in a gentler tone.

    It was always like this.

    Every time things got heated, they would try to make peace, urging her to be magnanimous.

    This situation repeated day after day, with no end in sight.

    The Father-inw said, "Daughter-inw, married couples fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot. This will blow over. There''s no need to go as far as divorce."

    "You''re both young and hot-blooded, unable to tolerate even the slightest provocation. But who hasn''t gone through this in their youth? Your Mother-inw and I used to have small quarrels every three days and big fights every five days."

    "We still managed to spend a lifetime together despite all the bickering. Besides, where would you go if you left with Niu Niu? If your parents found out you were divorced, would they even let you return home?"

    "We''ve already apologized for what happened in the past. It''s a sore spot for the whole family, and you shouldn''t bring it up again."

    "No matter how wrong she might be, she''s still your Mother-inw. What daughter-inw dares to be fierce towards her Mother-inw? It''s fortunate no outsiders were here today, otherwise, if word got out, it would damage your reputation."

    "I think you should apologize to your Mother-inw today, and never mention this again. Then we can put this matter behind us."

    Seeing that her son and husband were backing her up, the Mother-inw suddenly became emboldened. She sneered, "Oh my, I wouldn''t dare ept her apology!"

    "I''m not worthy of being her Mother-inw, apparently."

    The Woman''s Husband gave her a cold look, devoid of any love, only disdain.

    Perhaps he was disgusted by her changed figure.

    Or maybe he resented her for not bearing a son.

    Not only did he fail to support his wife, but he also sided with his mother, saying coldly, "Hurry up and apologize to your Mother-inw. Pour her some tea. You were indeed out of line today."

    The Woman, whose resolve had been shaken by her Father-inw''s words, saw her Mother-inw''s smug expression, her Husband only supporting his mother, and her Father-inw also implying she was wrong and should apologize...

    In that instant, countless simr scenes shed through the Woman''s mind.

    She had retreated step by step in the past.

    How much humiliation had she endured?

    But at this moment, the Woman''s heart suddenly became incredibly firm.

    Ha! How united these three were against her. They were truly of one mind.

    At this moment, the Woman felt an immense sense of irony and pity for herself.

    In her parents'' home, she was a guest!

    In her Husband''s home, she was an outsider!

    Women never have a ce to truly call their own.

    Women are like dandelions, blown by the wind to distant ces, taking root wherever the wind stops.

    But she had had enough of this life. She wanted change!

    That''s right!

    gue City!!!

    She wanted to go to gue City!

    Usually, women would bow their heads and admit their mistakes under the good cop, bad cop routine of these three, but today, she was as stubborn as a mule, refusing to back down.

    The Woman suddenly raised her head and said with every word dripping with anguish, "You''ve alwaysined that I can''t bear a child with a penis, so why don''t you divorce me today?"

    "I''m taking Niu Niu with me, and no one is allowed to fight me for her, or I''ll fight to the death!"

    "Whoever tries to take Niu Niu from me, I''ll kill them!"

    "I''ve already lost one daughter. If you dare to set your sights on Niu Niu, I might as well poison the well, and we can all die together!"

    The Father-inw tried to persuade her again: "Sigh, what nonsense are you talking about now? A family shouldn''t have so many grudges. As a woman, you should think more about how to take care of your family."

    "Where would you, a woman, go to live with a child¡ª"

    However, before he could finish his conciliatory words, the Woman turned and went back to the room with Niu Niu in her arms, swiftly packing a few changes of clothes.

    She didn''t take anything else.

    Because nothing else belonged to her.

    She had lived in this house for so many years, but when it came time to leave, she realized nothing belonged to her. How ridiculous!

    "Niu Niu, from now on, you''ll have to endure hardships with mommy."

    The Woman crouched down, fighting back tears as she lovingly stroked her child''s head.

    Her parents'' family cared too much about face. If she went back home under normal circumstances, they would still be polite and courteous. But if they knew she had been divorced and driven out, they would likely force her toe back here and apologize immediately.

    She knew she couldn''t go back to her parents'' home, so she could only take her child and find a ce to stay first, then figure out how to make a living.

    "Mommy, I''m not afraid of hardship. I want to stay with you. I''ll help you with work, mommy. Don''t leave me behind."

    The three-year-old child already understood some basic things and was so anxious that tears came to her eyes as she clung tightly to her mother''s sleeve.

    Although she was only three, she already knew who loved her the most in this family.

    She knew who was the most vicious, who often beat and cursed her, wishing she were dead.

    She didn''t want to stay here. Her grandmother would beat her to death.

    "Don''t worry, mommy won''t leave you behind anymore. You''re mommy''s treasure."

    "It''s mommy''s fault for being weak and useless, letting you suffer. It won''t happen again, okay?" The Woman held the child in her arms, every word filled with unwavering determination.

    No matter what difficulties they might face in the future, she would never let her child suffer even the slightest grievance again.

    It was better for the child to endure hardships with her than to be ordered around in this house.

    This was her treasure, not this family''s little ve.

    The touching scene of mother and daughter embracing was interrupted by her Husband, who rushed into the room.

    He entered the room, fuming, and coldly questioned, "Have you found someone else outside? You''ve been gone for so long, have you been meeting some scoundrel?"

    "Otherwise, why would youe home and throw such a fit, daring to talk back to your Mother-inw?"

    "I''m warning you, if you step out of this door today, even if you kneel and beg me in the future, I won''t let you back in."

    "A divorced woman has no face to live in this world!"

    Thest trace of reluctance in the Woman''s heart was instantly washed away by these icy words.

    She looked at her Husband''s face.

    Suddenly, she couldn''t say anything.

    She felt that all her years of dedication had been a joke. Being a good wife and mother, enduring,promising, being generous! It was all a joke!

    Women are the nutrients of marriage, nourishing the man while sacrificing themselves!

    The Woman held back her tears and said with a coldugh, "Don''t worry, I wouldn''t enter your house again even if I were dead!"

 Chapter 212: Itâ€™s a Deal

    <h4>Chapter 212</h4>

    "After you divorce me, I won''t be yours in life, nor will I enter your family tomb in death."

    "Let''s go, Niu Niu!" The woman resolutely left, holding the child''s hand.

    No matter what cruel curses the man hurled behind her, she no longer cared.

    On this day, the sun was warm, the breeze was just right, and it was a cloudless, beautiful day.

    She thought to herself.

    She had finally mustered the courage and was free.

    It didn''t matter what the future held; she could no longer endure those humiliating days of being berated. Having seen happy marriages in the modern world, she could no longer deceive herself.

    -

    At this moment, in the gue City.

    "Ding!"

    "Books from the modern era received!"

    "Do you choose to ept them?"

    After the Elder Princess said "ept," the books once again appeared out of thin air on the desk before her.

    The Elder Princess spent about two hours skimming through them. Her eyes immediately lit up at these books obtained from the Beautiful Elder Sister.

    The Barefoot Doctor''s Manual was incredibly useful; she would give it to the imperial physicians to study.

    As for "One Hundred Thousand Whys," she could have a few copies transcribed first, then let the Mohism followers and the army study and learn from them.

    The Elder Princess immediately had the specialized scribes copy these books.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang was quite busy with her uing exams and didn''t have time to livestream. She could only sadly spend her days studying and doing practice questions.

    Although she was majoring in performing arts, she still needed toplete her basic coursework.

    "Ding!"

    "Books have been returned!"

    The sudden voice of the system startled Gu Sang, who was concentrating on her work.

    On the desk, the books that had been borrowed to the ancient times had returned.

    Gu Sang quickly went out, first returning the books to the Beautiful Elder Sister, then returning the rest to the library.

    Upon returning home, Gu Sang didn''t even have time to make food before connecting with the Elder Princess.

    "Have you finished copying all those books? Time flies; it must have been almost a month for you there."

    "How''s the situation in the gue City now?"

    The Elder Princess looked as if she had encountered something joyous. Her eyebrows were raised, and a smile easily escaped from the corners of her mouth.

    Seeing Gu Sang staring at her, the Elder Princess smiled gently and said:

    "Sang Sang, thank you for sending those books. These days, the imperial physicians have already developed several highly effective hemostatic drugs."

    "The records in the Barefoot Doctor''s Manual you sent were so detailed, even containing long-lost..."

    "And ''One Hundred Thousand Whys'' is simply a masterpiece. It''s actually divided into five volumes: physics, chemistry, astronomy and meteorology, agriculture, and physiology and hygiene... The knowledge inside could keep them researching for a lifetime."

    "Sang Sang, I have more good news for you. The guns from your future have been recreated by the Mohism followers. Although they can''tpare to yours from the future, they''re fast, long-range, and better than arrows."

    "Moreover, after research, gunpowder can now be controlled to burn within a certain time..."

    "Oh, and the modern warfare you showed us is a great example. Winning with fewer troops, guerri warfare, surrounding cities from rural areas, armed seizure of revolution - these are all excellent models."

    Listening to the Elder Princess enthusiastically talking about various modern ideas, Gu Sang sat smiling and listening attentively.

    From the Elder Princess''s tone, she could already hear the eagerness to sound the battle cry.

    That man sitting on the emperor''s throne.

    The man Gu Sang had personally helped ascend to the throne, who ultimately betrayed her trust, was finally about to be dethroned!

    After the Elder Princess finished talking about the progress made during this period, Gu Sang only asked her one question.

    "When do you n to attack the capital?"

    The Elder Princess''s eyes showed determination, and her face revealed her dominance as she said, "I''ve already discussed it with Counselor Fang, Zhou Qichen, and others."

    "Now, the gue City is entirely under my control and has be my rear base."

    "We have ample supplies of sweet potatoes, potatoes, and salt. Our weapons and soldiers are all ready."

    "Now is the perfect time to attack the capital."

    Gu Sang nodded, feeling somewhat excited and anticipatory inside. "Good, I''m looking forward to seeing Pei Changying deposed."

    "Make sure to notify me when you attack the capital."

    "I must personallye to see you drive Pei Changying from the throne and personally send you to ascend it!"

    Yes!

    She had to go in person!

    The person who had sent Pei Changying to the throne years ago.

    In the end, would be the one to drag him down from it!

    The Elder Princess seemed to have guessed something, her eyes suddenly brightening, her calm voice tinged with emotion: "Do you mean it? You cane?"

    Gu Sang smiled mysteriously, having nothing to hide: "Yes, I''vepleted my livestreaming task, and the system has rewarded me with the ability to return to the capital."

    "Moreover, I can bring three things back with me. I''ll think about what items to leave for you that can be most useful."

    "However, I''m just an ordinary citizen, so don''t have too high expectations of me. I can''t bring things like missiles or airnes."

    "At most, I can bring research-rted items that can help you progress."

    The Elder Princess couldn''t control the corners of her mouth from turning upward.

    Seven years ago, she had looked down on Gu Sang, thinking she was just a love-obsessed girl with nothing but romance on her mind.

    Now, the two had be the closest of friends.

    The Elder Princess was extremely excited: "Your personal visit is already the greatest reward for me."

    "As for things from the future, I think the books you''ve sent are already enough."

    "They''re enough to help the country develop and grow stronger in the days toe."

    "Besides, I''m not a waste like Pei Changying. I don''t like the feeling of being lifted to power by others. I prefer to struggle and research on my own."

    "You''ve already given me books, which are the most precious treasures in the world."

    Gu Sang tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Actually, I''ve considered bringing you seeds, because many future seeds would be very difficult for you to research there."

    "Hybrid rice is a great invention. If I could bring some over, I think with your wisdom, you might be able to replicate hybrid rice."

    "And penicillin..."

    "You have medical books now, but you''re stillcking in Western medical drugs..."

    Once again, Gu Sang had stirred the Elder Princess''s inner desires. Although the Elder Princess wanted to be self-reliant, she was also self-aware that even with books, researching these things would be extremely difficult.

    If Gu Sang could bring these things to her, perhaps her skilled craftsmen could research and develop them.

    So, the Elder Princess changed her stance and said: "Sang Sang, I need them, I really need these things now!"

    "I can''t wait to see you."

    Hearing the Elder Princess''s urgent voice, seemingly unable to wait to see her, Gu Sangughed: "Haha, alright, I know you need me badly."

    "When you attack the capital, I''ll personallye to witness this historic moment!"

    "Good, it''s a promise."

 Chapter 213: The Agreement

    <h4>Chapter 213</h4>

    Elder Princess and Gu Sang agreed to meet in ancient times on the day of the city attack.

    With that, their call ended.

    Gu Sang looked outside and saw that night had fallen. She got up to prepare dinner.

    The mission wasplete, and the system had revived her grandmother, saying they could meet soon. But there had been no movement yet, which left Gu Sang feeling concerned.

    As Gu Sang was cooking and lost in thought:

    "Ding!"

    "Connection established!"

    The next second, a virtual screen appeared floating half a meter in front of her.

    Gu Sang looked up. On the screen was a dpidated room, the faint glow casting a greenish light on two faces.

    At first nce, it made Gu Sang''s heart skip a beat.

    Looking closer, she could see that she was connected to a mother and daughter, huddled in the darkness. The only light source was the faint glow from the screen.

    The woman ced her daughter on the ground and knelt down to Gu Sang, her expression urgent and excited.

    "Goddess... no, Miss Gu, you really answered our prayers. I thought my daughter and I would die here."

    "Thank goodness, Miss Gu. Did heaven send you to save my daughter?"

    Since leaving her ex-husband''s home, the woman had learned much about the Divine Lady known as Miss Gu, who was high above and unreachable.

    Using this form of address made her feel closer.

    Seeing the mother and daughter with tears in their eyes, Gu Sang stopped chopping vegetables. She washed her hands and asked, "What happened?"

    The woman choked up as she spoke: "Miss Gu, after watching your livestream, I could no longer tolerate the mockery from my inws."

    "What I can''t forgive is that when I gave birth to my eldest daughter, they took advantage of my postpartum confinement and abandoned her."

    "I usually endured as much as I could, but they often cursed me as a hen that couldn''ty eggs, and they beat and scolded my younger daughter."

    "After seeing the little girls from the future, my heart became resolute. I wanted to take my daughter and leave them."

    "But I think I oversimplified everything. I thought that as long as I had hands and feet to work, we wouldn''t starve. But when potential employers saw I had a daughter, their attitudes changedpletely. They wouldn''t give me any work opportunities."

    "My daughter is still so young, I can''t leave her behind. She''s my life, I must keep her with me at all times. But workces don''t allow children."

    "My daughter and I have barely survived on the kindness of strangers. But heaven is not on our side. My daughter goes hungry and cold every day, and now she''s seriously ill."

    "I don''t have a single coin. I''m afraid... I''m afraid my daughter will leave me..."

    Gu Sang frowned in thought for so long that the woman grew increasingly anxious, almost to the point of a heart attack.

    As hope was fading from her eyes, Gu Sang finally spoke, her voice calm and steady: "For your daughter, how far are you willing to go?"

    The woman was silent for a moment, then replied with unwavering determination: "I''ve already lost one daughter. I know I was wrong before. I''m willing to sacrifice everything."

    To save her daughter, she would give her life.

    As long as her daughter could grow up safely.

    Gu Sang raised an eyebrow and asked calmly: "Are you afraid of losing face?"

    The woman looked at Gu Sang in surprise. This time she didn''t even pause to think before answering: "As long as it''s to save my daughter, even if I have to be a prostitute, I would¡ª"

    Gu Sang quickly interrupted: "That''s not what I meant. I''m asking if you''d be willing to do a public live connection with me."

    A public connection?

    What did that mean?

    The woman''s face showed confusion.

    Gu Sang exined her idea: "I''m far in the future and can''t directly help your current situation or make your life immediately better."

    "If you don''t mind, you could tell your story of these past years to all the people of your time, including why you made your decision."

    "I can see and feel that many women in your time are not in control of their own lives."

    "But theyck the courage to leave everything behind and the determination to stand up together. You, however, have done it!"

    "I believe that if you share your journey, it will inspire reflection in many families. Many women nearby will want to support you."

    "They may not be able to leave everything behind like you did. They may have many reasons they can''t let go. But I believe they will certainly lend you a helping hand."

    Would it really be like that?

    Shouldn''t they despise her instead? Tell her to just die?

    A divorced woman was so shameful!

    But... deep down, another frightening thought emerged.

    What if?

    What if many women also wanted to escape such terrible marriages? What if it was just that no one had ever tried before, so they were unwilling to see others attempt it?

    Having seemingly made a decision, determination shed in the woman''s eyes. She nodded eagerly: "Yes, I''m willing. For my daughter''s future, I''ll do it."

    "Miss Gu, you''re right. Many women don''t dare to take this step, but I have!"

    "I''m willing to be the first to change all of this!"

    "If married women can hear my story and no longer endure in silence as before, I want to tell them that if they''re beaten and cursed at home every day, driven to suicide by jumping in the river, they should have the courage to take this step instead."

    "After seeing life in the future, I suddenly understood. Rather than living in a daze waiting to die, being beaten, cursed, and humiliated, it''s better to take a gamble. Between a lifetime of suffering worse than death and a slim chance of survival, I choose that slim chance!"

    "I also want to tell unmarried women to keep their eyes open before marriage. Don''t let your parents make all the decisions. Sometimes you need to have your own opinions, or else it will be a lifelong tragedy."

    "My ex-husband never gave me happiness. He only brought me suffering!"

    Gu Sang''s face showed a gratified expression, her eyes softening.

    This was wonderful!

    Women were finally rising up!

    They truly were the most lovable people!

    Whether they were young girls or mature women, deep down they were always kind-hearted, struggling upwards, always striving for change.

    Giving their all just to shine!

    Not like that overconfident man of high status, who just sat waiting for Gu Sang toe up with solutions while he hoped to reap the benefits.

    Gu Sang knew it was embarrassing to share one''s shameful past with others, but this woman had agreed. Although it was to save her daughter and ensure their future survival.

    Still, the woman''s actions filled Gu Sang with respect. A woman who could bend and stretch would surely have a better life in the future.

    Gu Sang nodded encouragingly:

    "Then I can help you choose a few towns, or broadcast to all of central China. If you need to continue living in this town, shall I help you choose this town?"

 Chapter 214: Escape

    <h4>Chapter 214</h4>

    The woman remained silent for a few seconds and then shook her head decisively.

    "I want the entire central region to witness this, since I''ve chosen to go live, I won''t worry about how many people see me in my dire state."

    "My parents, my cruel mother-inw, my unreasonable inws, even if they ridicule me, I won''t hear it, I''ll let themugh."

    "All I want is for my daughter to get well, and then we can go live in Wencheng together."

    "I''ll take care of my daughter, watch her grow up into an adult!"

    "I do not intend to stay in this town. My final destination is Wencheng. So, Miss Gu, please help me go live to the entire central region."

    Gu Sang opened her mouth slightly, amazed at the woman''s rity.

    She suddenly felt that her endeavor to go live to the past was entirely worthwhile.

    To be able to change the fate of so many people!

    To have an epting and equal Wencheng.

    It might not be mature yet, but it''s enough, enough for these women who dare not step into the realm of freedom, to take the bravest step!

    "Alright, think carefully about what you want to say tomorrow. It''s gettingte today, make sure to rest well."

    The woman nodded firmly, her gaze fixed on the disappearing screen.

    She once cared so much about her reputation, for the sake of being a ''good wife'', for praises from her husband and mother-inw, she gave up everything.

    Before her marriage, her mother told her that marrying well, having children, keeping her husband happy, were the best ¡ª that all honor rested on her husband''s shoulders.

    But, at the end of it all, she realized that happiness is not something given by a man.

    The woman ced her hand on her daughter Niu Niu''s forehead with anxiety and anticipation, trying to soothe her fever, "Niu Niu, we just need to make it through tonight."

    "I believe in Miss Gu, and I also believe that there are many women like me in the world, with no other choice."

    "I believe that people will empathize!"

    The next day.

    Gu Sang woke up early in the morning. When she started the live broadcast, it was already noon on the other side, when the sun was scorching hot.

    Once the live broadcast began, numerous people spotted the sky and hurriedly left their homes to take a better look.

    Street vendors asionally looked up at the sky, and then back at their goods.

    Farmers working in the fields nced up once, and then returned to their work.

    After all, the voice from the sky was so loud, they could hear it just fine.

    Only the children had the leisure to make noise while looking up at the sky.

    "Today we have a special live broadcast, a broadcast from a woman of your era."

    "Without further ado, I''ll hand the time over to her!"

    As Gu Sang finished speaking, the sky suddenly darkened.

    The next second, the scene in the sky changed.

    The screen clearly showed the woman''s surprised and astonished face to the entire central region.

    Ancient people wouldn''t be able to see Gu Sang, as she had hidden her image and erged the woman''s image on the screen.

    The woman didn''t react until she heard Gu Sang''s voice, reminding her:

    "The live broadcast has begun, you can speak now."

    To prevent any trolls from ridiculing the woman during her speech, or her friends and rtives talking her down, which could destroy her hard-earned courage all over again,

    Gu Sang preemptively blocked thements on her end.

    And so...

    The woman could only hear Gu Sang speaking to her. She couldn''t hear or see anyone else.

    As soon as the woman''s face appeared on the celestial screen, the neighbours rushed to notify her husband''s family.

    "Ah, Gui Lan,e out quickly. Isn''t this your daughter-inw? How did she get up to the celestial screen?"

    In the neighbouring vige, the woman''s parents were working in the fields. Suddenly they heard their daughter''s voice. The mother looked up, shocked to see her daughter on the celestial screen.

    "Old man! It''s - it''s our daughter--"

    Days ago, they had received news that their daughter had been abandoned.

    The mother was so angry she nearly fainted.

    The entire family was disappointed in the woman.

    Simrly, the father nced at the sky, immediately lost his temper and yelled:

    "What''s there to look at? I don''t consider her my daughter anymore. How dare she run away with another man! If she dares toe back, I''ll break her legs.¡±

    Having previously been informed by their daughter''s mother-inw that their daughter had run away with another man, they were shamed.

    The entire vige knew their daughter had run off with a strange man. As the woman of the vige who had been abandoned, she caused the entire family to hang their heads in shame.

    Seeing his own daughter now, the man felt only anger. He even wished he could retrieve his daughter and drown her.

    The mother, seeing her husband''s cold indifference, didn''t dare say any more, only muttered bitterly: "It''s a cmity."

    "Why can¡¯t they just live a simple life? Why the chaos?"

    "This isn''t like modern times. How can a woman who''s been divorced get married again!"

    At the moment when parents were indifferent and even showed disgust to their own daughter...

    The woman began to speak.

    She first spoke about following her parents¡¯ orders to get married, then about the time her eldest daughter was abandoned by her mother-inw.

    Hearing this, the mother-inw immediately yelled from beneath the celestial screen:

    "You shameless fox, keep on talking and I''ll tear your mouth apart."

    "You gave birth to a daughter first, clearly you didn¡¯t want her, asked me to find her a good family, and now you use me?"

    Others in the vige, with neutral faces, advised: "Forget it, calm down, teach her a good lesson when shees back."

    People in the vige have more or less done simr things.

    In these times birth control was unheard of.

    You gave birth and raised them. If they didn''t survive, they died.

    Especially for daughters, too many were given away or drowned at birth.

    Seeing the neighbors on her side, the mother-inw immediately cried:

    "Why did I let a woman like this into my family, and now she''s left with another man."

    Peopleforted her with understanding, but whether there was schadenfreude in thisfort was unknown.

    In any case, the woman couldn¡¯t hear these false usations.

    The woman quickly got to the topic, the day she took her daughter and left.

    Some women, who were originally thinking the same thing, when they heard that the woman dared to take her child and leave alone without her parents'' support...

    Didn''t she fear to meet bad people?

    Didn''t she fear...

    When the women admired and longed for the woman to live better with her children than before, the woman¡¯s topic took a dramatic turn.

    Living on the streets with her child, struggling to keep them both fed.

    No one would hire her because of her child.

    Her child fell ill...

    As the story unfolded, many women silently dabbed at their tears.

    From the woman''s tales, they could foresee the terrible circumstances they would face if they dared to leave their paternal homes.

 Chapter 215: Sad

    <h4>Chapter 215</h4>

    They are pitiful, devoid of parental support and left solely to fend for themselves should they leave their husband''s family.

    Even sustaining their own lives is a difficulty, let alone having to support their children.

    When the crowd heard thedy dere that she would never abandon her daughter, a stir of empathy swept through the ancient women, their eyes misting over with tears.

    "Where are you? If you are around here, I can offer you a temporary refuge at my home," a woman, about the same age as thedy, inquired.

    "This ce looks familiar, let''s go and take a look," a returning remark came from someone who recognized the background, rallying her acquaintances to join her in finding thedy.

    "Come find me if you need money,e to Su Family in the southern Jiangnan, I''ll give you five silver pieces a month. You and your daughter can live and eat with us for free," a richly dressed young miss from a wealthy family dered.

    "You have such a little one, so pitiful. How can I bring you food if you don¡¯t tell me where you are?" An elderly woman nearby sighed.

    Out on the farnd;

    Thedy''s father was fuming in angered disbelief when he heard his daughter pleading for assistance publicly.

    "Haven''t you got any shame? How dare you beg in front of everyone, you have disgraced our entire Yang family¡­!" He cursed furiously.

    Beside him, the mother was caught in mixed emotions upon hearing her own daughter''s predicament.

    More often than not, she was overwhelmed with worry and broke down into tears inpassion and maternal empathy.

    She could never muster the courage her daughter held. All she could do was sob softly, "Please stop yelling, our daughter did not elope with another man, they are spreading baseless rumors."

    "Let''s go and demand an exnation from them, ask why they used our daughter of running off with a man."

    "To see our daughter like this, it truly breaks my heart."

    However, the father showed no signs of sympathy towards the sorrowful plea of his wife.

    To him, his image and reputation far exceeded the worth of a daughter, who had not borne a son to carry on the family name.

    In a fit of rage, he swung around and pped her, "Stop with your incessant crying."

    "From the very day she was married off, she was no longer part of our Yang family."

    "She would rather die out in the open."

    "What a marvellous daughter you''ve raised, has her mind broken? Life is not always smooth sailing, she didn''t bear a son, wishes of her being disced by her inws are too kind for her."

    "She ought to be grateful and recognize the good deeds done for her. Yet, she dares to insult her mother-inw, giving birth to such a disrespectful daughter, what an embarrassment."

    The farmers working in the nearby fields could not help but intervene when they witnessed this haven of turmoil.

    "Old Yang, stop cursing her. She is your daughter after all."

    "Why not take a trip to bring your daughter and granddaughter back?"

    "She''s your daughter, whom you''ve worked hard to raise. Surely, you would not be willing to let her starve to death outside."

    "To starve to death would serve her right. Even after being married, she''s ought to die outside. Wait for me to fetch her, hah, not in your wildest dreams!" The father sneered, shaking his head in stubborn disapproval.

    Faced with her husband''s cold-hearted apathy, the mother opened her mouth to speak, but eventually, she found herself unable to utter a single word.

    She cast her eyes downward, feeling for the first time that her entire life was a tragic one.

    The concept of harmony between husband and wife, it was all about the husband being superior.

    The idea of love for life, it was nothing butpromise and eptance.

    Respect, happiness, it was all a lie!!

    At this moment, the always conservative mother suddenly had a terrible thought, how good it would be if men and women were equal......

    Half an hour after Gu Sang closed the curtain

    Someone nearby found the destitute woman with the child in the dpidated temple.

    The woman, startled to see five or six people rushing in, not knowing if they were good or evil, clutched her child and watched them distrustfully.

    The iing group gently asked, "Are you the girl we saw on the screen? We''re here to help you after learning about your ordeal."

    "We all met on our way here to find you. Please don''t be scared. We''re here out of goodwill."

    A woman, probably in her forties, stepped forward. She looked at the woman and her child withpassion.

    What she said next was so heart-wrenching that one couldn''t help but cry, "Young sister, your child is still sick and needs to see a doctor. Don''t worry about the expenses. Although we are not from wealthy families, we can pool some money together."

    The woman, looking at several kindly smiling faces, felt her eyes reddening.

    For the first time!

    This was her first time feeling that this world could be benevolent!

    Once they entered the city, the streets were bustling. Passersby would stop and stare at the woman in confusion and surprise.

    The attention made the woman a bit ufortable, but she didn''t escape.

    When she decided to ask for help from the world on live-stream, Miss Gu had made the consequences very clear to her.

    It was the other women who paid for sending the child to the doctor, and they also wanted to give her some money for living expenses.

    But the woman firmly refused, telling them, "Thank you for helping pay for my daughter''s medical expenses. I promise to pay you back."

    "And as for the rest, I can''t ept your money anymore. Miss Gu told me that money is for emergencies, not for poverty."

    "I can''t rely on your charity to live. I can earn money myself. I''m capable."

    The woman''s words drew even more admiration from the others.

    Before, they feltpassion seeing how hard it was for a woman with a child. They were driven by a surge of sympathy to give her money.

    But now, upon hearing the woman''s words, they genuinely respected her.

    In this world, it was hard for abandoned women.

    "Sister, you can''t live in that broken temple with a child anymore. It''s not safe, and it gets cold at night. I think you should do this:e live in my house. I have arge room where we keep misceneous items. The room isrge but doesn¡¯t have windows or venttion."

    "As long as I have a ce where I can take shelter from wind and rain, I am content. Thank you."

    The woman, realizing that her daughter''s illness could not be cured in a short time, did not refuse again.

    Being homeless was bearable for her, but for the child, the cold wind at night was too much. It was so cold that it froze the skin.

    The night was too dark. It made people''s hearts panic, feeling as if they had fallen into an abyss.

    With bravery, the woman said, "Before my daughter recovers from her illness, I must stay here for a while. She is frail and it is unwise to travel elsewhere until she has recovered."

    "I am not sure about the taste preference of people here. Would it be eptable if I sold pancakes and porridge on the streets?"

    She sought their opinions, wishing to gauge the thoughts of the masses.

    If she ran her own stall, she could always keep her child near.

    As for losing face?

    She hardly cared about saving face anymore, they were struggling to survive!

 Chapter 216: Siege

    <h4>Chapter 216</h4>

    The group exchanged nces and nodded, "Your idea is not bad, we can give it a try."

    "I also think we can try it. Someone has to take the first step anyway. Sister, did you used to make pancakes at home?"

    The woman shook her head, "I learned the pancake recipe from my grandmother. I thought her pancakes were delicious, and it''s a unique secret recipe. I want to give it a try."

    "If you want to try, then go for it. Setting up a stall doesn''t cost much. Try it for a few days first, and we can discuss further if it doesn''t work out."

    "As for money, don''t worry about it. We can lend you some. Since you were introduced by the Divine Lady, we trust that you definitely won''t run away."

    "Yes, I can lend you money too. You''re absolutely right - teaching a man to fish is better than giving him a fish. We should help you survive, not just provide direct relief."

    "If you have any difficulties in the future,e find me. Although I may not be able to solve your problems, having one more person means one more source offort."

    "The Divine Lady said that women should help each other. gue City can ept all women who gather the courage to seek freedom. One day, I want to go there too!"

    --

    Modern times.

    Gu Sang was in ss when she suddenly heard the System''s notification.

    "Ding!"

    "Grandmother has been resurrected!"

    Gu Sang was so excited she almost stood up. She looked at her phone - only half an hour until school was over!

    Just forty more minutes until she could see her grandmother!

    Gu Sang was so excited that she could no longer hear what the teacher was saying at the podium. She focused intently on her phone, watching each minute and second tick by.

    For the first time, she realized how excruciatingly long a minute could be.

    She wanted to find an excuse to go home right away, but she knew her grandmother would be angry if she skipped ss. So she could only wait anxiously in her heart.

    The moment the teacher announced the end of ss, Gu Sang shoved her books into her desk and ran towards the school gate at lightning speed.

    Gu Sang took a taxi home and pushed open the door, but didn''t see her grandmother anywhere.

    She checked the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom - nothing...

    "System, hasn''t my grandmother already been resurrected? Why can''t I see her?"

    Gu Sang''s heart sank.

    "She has indeed been resurrected!"

    The System''s voice remained calm and emotionless as ever.

    Gu Sang sat on the sofa in confusion, feeling as if countless tentacles of fear were dragging her down to the depths of hell.

    In moments of such fear, Gu Sang''s mind became even clearer.

    She suddenly thought of a possibility - she had been resurrected in modern times, while her grandmother had exchanged merit for her rebirth. Could it be possible that her grandmother had been resurrected in ancient times?

    Realizing this, Gu Sang''s voice trembled as she spoke.

    "System, could my grandmother be in ancient times?"

    "It''s possible!"

    "You died in ancient times, so your grandmother may have been resurrected in ancient times!"

    Hearing this, Gu Sang almost wanted to curse out loud. If the System had a physical form, Gu Sang would have been angry enough to dump a bucket of excrement over it.

    Gu Sang: What do you mean by "it''s possible"? Such a big deal, and you just casually say three words!

    After waiting a while, she didn''t hear a reply from the System.

    Just when Gu Sang thought the System had blocked her, it suddenly appeared again.

    "Sorry, the System indeed failed to inform you in advance!"

    "Topensate for the information gap, the System has gifted you a big package. Please sign for it!"

    Gu Sang angrily: You''re simply @#£¤£¤%##.......

    "Please sign!"

    "Ding!"

    "Signed!"

    Gu Sang: ......

    She had thought she could see her grandmother today, but the result? The result was being told that she might have been resurrected in ancient times?

    What else could Gu Sang say? Her heart was shattered!

    That scumbag Pei Changying had always been hoping for her to return to ancient times. She had to get back to ancient times quickly to find her grandmother!

    She would lose 1 million merit points for each day she spent in ancient times. She didn''t have much merit left now, so she had to act quickly and decisively, timing this moment precisely.

    Gu Sang immediately contacted the Elder Princess, informing her about her grandmother''s resurrection and asking her to secretly send people to search for her grandmother.

    -

    Compared to half a year ago, gue City was now vastly different.

    The poption had boomed to the point where it was almost like a second capital.

    The bumper harvest of crops like sweet potatoes and potatoes meant that everyone in gue City could eat their fill, with no worries about food shortages.

    After adding ten more cannons and over a thousand grenades to gue City''s arsenal, the Elder Princess began to lead her troops into battle.

    Zhou Qichen and General Qin both apanied the Elder Princess, starting their conquest with the nearest cities.

    Since they were all Central ins civilians, the Elder Princess didn''t use cannons to bombard the cities. Instead, she first employed tactical siege warfare.

    Only when faced with particrly troublesome armies would the Elder Princess resort to using gunpowder.

    What? The imperial court is losing cities one after another, suffering defeat all the way?

    What? Half the empire lost in just one short month?

    Are the imperial troops good for nothing?

    The army led by the Elder Princess advanced triumphantly, losing several cities in just one month.

    When this battle report reached the capital, all the civilians were stunned: "The, the Elder Princess has really rebelled? She''s almost attacking the capital?"

    "Then, what about the Divine Lady? Surely the Divine Lady must know about this?"

    At first, all the civilians were a bit panicked.

    But when they heard that after capturing the cities, the Elder Princess hadn''t killed a single civilian and had strictly ordered her soldiers not to disturb the normal lives of the people,

    The civilians'' dissatisfaction and fear of the Elder Princess instantly dissipated.

    It didn''t matter to them who became emperor.

    As long as they could still survive!

    In the main hall of the pce.

    Ever since the Elder Princess began her attack on the cities, Pei Changying''s expression had never been good.

    The officials tread carefully, not daring to speak easily.

    Looking at the memorials submitted today, Pei Changyingughed destely and viciously: "Another city lost. Tell me, are all thosemanders useless? They can''t even stop a woman!"

    "In such a short time, that disgraced woman has taken several cities."

    "ording to military reports, gue City has less than 300,000 soldiers. How are you fighting this war? How did you lose the cities so quickly?"

    "Even if you all went up to die one by one, you could have held out for a few more days!"

    Pei Changying''s eyes were bloodshot. He hadn''t slept well for a long time.

    At this moment, with his bulging veins, he looked like a demon crawling up from the depths of hell.

    The Prime Minister stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The next step should be Pei Weiqi attacking Mountain City. This ce is easy to defend but hard to attack. Even if the rebels have powerful weapons like cannons, it won''t be easy to conquer."

    "As long as we dispatch generals skilled in defense to guard it, I dare guarantee that the rebels absolutely cannot break through!"

    Pei Changying leaned back on his dragon throne, rubbing his eyes ufortably, looking fatigued and anxious.

    "Tell me, which general do you think is suitable to dispatch?"

 Chapter 217: Offense

    <h4>Chapter 217</h4>

    Which general could it possibly be?

    The strongest, Zhou Qichen, had already rebelled! Even the several deputy generals sentst time had turned traitor! The Prime Minister was worried sick, yet he dared not utter a word ofint.

    He was about to open his mouth to make a rmendation.

    But a minister spoke up more quickly: "Your Majesty, I rmend the son of the Vice Minister of War. He is this year''s top martial arts graduate. Defeating the rebel Zhou Qichen would be no challenge for him."

    Seeing someone take the lead, other ministers also hastily rmended people they had long had their eyes on.

    They also wanted to take this opportunity to form factions and alliances.

    The Prime Minister cast a disdainful nce at those ministers who usually pretended to be deaf and mute when nothing was happening, but became extremely enthusiastic about rmending people as soon as there was a position avable in the court.

    That martial arts graduate had strength but no strategy. If he were to be made a general, it would be a disaster.

    The Prime Minister''s dissatisfaction was quite evident on his face!

    The rebels were almost at the capital''s doorstep, yet these ministers were still racking their brains over positions, trying to ce their own people in power.

    The Prime Minister stepped forward, feelingpelled to speak:

    "Your Majesty, I rmend my disciple Tang Liangcai. Though his martial arts skills are not high, he is good at strategy and especially adept at defense¡ª"

    However.

    Before he could finish, another minister interrupted him.

    "Prime Minister, your rmendation seems biased. This is about defending a city, it''s about warfare, not an opportunity for your disciple to gain undeserved merit."

    "Although Tang Liangcai knows some martial arts, it''s all just for show. How can a civil official lead troops and fight battles? It''sughable!"

    Seeing a minister object, other ministers also stood up to voice their disagreements.

    The final decision, however,y in Pei Changying''s hands.

    Pei Changying pondered for a long time. In the past, all these matters were handled by Gu Sang. Now, he didn''t understand the intricacies involved. A good general didn''t necessarily need to be the strongest in martial arts, but must understand strategy and know how to lead troops.

    Thus.

    Pei Changying turned his gaze to the Vice Minister of War.

    "Then let your son take the position ofmander-in-chief. He must keep the rebel army outside the Mountain City at all costs!"

    The Vice Minister of War was overjoyed and hurriedly came forward to kowtow in gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your trust. I hereby swear that my unworthy son will certainly keep the rebel army outside the Mountain City and absolutely not allow the rebels to set foot in the capital!"

    The Prime Minister''s face changed, and he urgently said: "Your Majesty, please reconsider. The son of the Vice Minister of War is not skilled in defensive warfare, and he is too straightforward. He absolutely cannot be allowed to lead troops."

    Was he implying that his son was simple-minded?

    Hearing this, the Vice Minister of War angrily questioned the Prime Minister: "What do you mean by that, Prime Minister? If my son is not suitable, is your disciple more suitable?"

    Another minister chimed in with a sarcastic tone: "Indeed, Prime Minister. If you can make rmendations, why can''t others? Since His Majesty has already made his decision, what more do you have to be dissatisfied about?"

    Hearing these words, Pei Changying turned his gaze to the Prime Minister, his cold eyes revealing the suspicion and anger of an emperor.

    The Prime Minister, being astute and diplomatic, immediately sensed the emperor''s mood. His heart skipped a beat, and he no longer argued with the other ministers, silently retreating.

    How disheartening!

    The Prime Minister felt utterly discouraged.

    Seeing that the Prime Minister had stopped speaking, the anger in the emperor''s eyes dissipated somewhat.

    "If there are no other matters, you may all withdraw."

    Since themander-in-chief had been decided, the ministers had nothing else to report.

    After Pei Changying left, the ministers departed in small groups.

    "Congrattions, Vice Minister. Your son''s future prospects are limitless..."

    Naturally, the Vice Minister of War was surrounded by well-wishers, with congrattions pouring in continuously.

    The Prime Minister left the pce with an expressionless face. He cast a deep look at the pce behind him, and only after entering his carriage did he let out a soft sigh.

    "What doesn''t belong to you, you truly cannot hold onto."

    "Power is like fine sand. The former Miss Gu was the bag, while the current emperor is the funnel. What isn''t yours will eventually slip away."

    "Never mind, never mind. I''m old. Perhaps it''s time to retire and return to my hometown."

    He merely sighed softly, but then thought about how the rebels had not yet been quelled, and the court was in dire need of capable people. If he were to resign at this moment, he would likely be subject to criticism.

    But he had grown weary of the factions and alliances in the official circles.

    Usually, he could remain indifferent and unaffected.

    But now, with rebels about to storm the capital, yet these officials still prioritizing their careers over the country''s safety, today, it had broken through the usuallyposed Prime Minister''s defenses.

    Mountain City.

    The terrain of Mountain City gradually rose in elevation, allowing the soldiers guarding the city to easily observe enemy movements and prepare various traps such as rolling stone formations to greet the enemy before they could climb the mountain.

    The entire terrain was sloped, making it impossible for cannons to be pushed within effective attacking range, and hand grenades couldn''t be thrown that far either.

    The Elder Princess was aware of this, so she didn''t rashly attack the city. Instead, she set up camp nearby to discuss strategies.

    As the Elder Princess''s army had not engaged in battle for ten days, the soldiers in Mountain City had let their guard down.

    Early in the morning, women andmoners from the foot of the mountain loaded chickens, ducks, fish, meat, and fresh vegetables onto carts.

    A few scattered soldiers stood at the city gate, merely ncing at the group of nearly forty-year-old femalemoners before letting them enter.

    "It''s been ten days already. Why haven''t the rebels attacked? Could it be that they''re afraid?" One soldier said while yawning.

    "Of course they are. We''re not far from the capital, and this Mountain City is easy to defend but hard to attack. They must be scared," another soldier said dismissively.

    "I heard there''s some kind of women''s army among the rebel forces. They say these female soldiers are incredibly brave," a third soldier joined the conversation.

    "Hahaha, you really believe women can fight? I think those soldiers in the previous cities were just useless. They couldn''t even beat women, and they were afraid of beingughed at, so they exaggerated about how brave the women''s army was."

    "Except for those things like cannons and hand grenades, which I''m a bit scared of, if it were just the women''s army, I could take on ten women by myself."

    The other soldiers allughed, belittling the women''s army.

    However, they didn''t know that the women''s army they looked down upon had already infiltrated among themoners who had just delivered vegetables.

    "Come on! You lost, drink up!"

    "Drink! Drink!"

    As they delivered the vegetables, all they saw along the way werezy, scattered troops, and even leaders drinking in broad daylight.

    Seeing their rxed state, the few soldiers disguised asmoners felt their tense nerves rx. The original n was to pretend to be vegetable delivery people to sneak into Mountain City and check the guard situation.

    But seeing thex behavior of the soldiers in the city, the group exchanged nces and decided to stay a bit longer to gather more intelligence on the enemy.

    After delivering the vegetables to the kitchen, they split up, agreeing to return to this spot within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Otherwise, staying too long would inevitably attract attention.

    Ge Qing sessfully gathered information and was about to return to the kitchen.

    On the way, however, she was stopped by a military officer.

    "You,e here."

    Ge Qing''s heart skipped a beat.

    Had she been discovered?

    "What are you dawdling for!"

 Chapter 218: The Little Womenâ€™s Army

    <h4>Chapter 218</h4>

    Seeing she hadn''t moved, the officer began to get angry.

    Ge Qing didn''t know if her actions had been discovered, so she could only steel herself and approach.

    "Ugh!"

    As soon as she walked over, the officer suddenly vomited right in front of her.

    It barely missednding on her.

    The overpowering stench of alcohol made Ge Qing''s eyes water, and she turned her head slightly to the side.

    After vomiting, the officer put his hand on Ge Qing''s shoulder.

    "Help this general back."

    So she hadn''t been discovered after all. Ge Qing breathed a sigh of relief internally.

    "General, where are your quarters?"

    Knowing he was drunk at the moment, Ge Qing dared to ask in a lowered voice.

    The officer pointed vaguely in a direction. Seeing that he was too drunk to tell east from west, and worried herpanions would be anxious waiting, Ge Qing helped him to the side.

    "General, we''ve arrived. You can sleep now."

    The officer groggily hugged a pir and fell asleep.

    Only then did Ge Qing hurry back to the kitchen. The others had returned as well. Seeing Ge Qing had made it back safely, they quickly descended the mountain. After changing into civilian clothes in the town below, they finally returned to the Elder Princess''s camp to report the intelligence they had gathered.

    After hearing this information, the Elder Princess asked Gu Sang for his thoughts.

    Gu Sang pondered for a moment,bining this with their recent reconnaissance, then spoke:

    "It''s unlikely to be a trap. First of all, they don''t know we have people mixed in with the vegetable delivery team."

    "Secondly, if it were just a dozen people, they might be able to put on an act. But from what Ge Qing and the others have discovered, the entire Mountain City army is thisx. That seems rather improbable."

    "I''ve actually been thinking, are we being too cautious? Perhaps the imperial court isn''t as vignt as we imagine."

    The Elder Princess furrowed her brow slightly, holding a different view.

    As the leader of an army, she had too many factors to consider, with tens of thousands of troops behind her.

    Immediately, the Elder Princess raised her doubts: "Sang Sang, this is war. Knowing our attack is fierce, how could the Mountain City troops dare to drink in broad daylight and be so undisciplined?"

    "I fear it''s a trap, they want to lure us in!"

    Originally, Gu Sang had some doubts, but hearing the Elder Princess speak so assuredly actually made him more certain of his own thoughts.

    Perhaps the enemy was ying this very psychological game?

    After a few seconds of silence, Gu Sang said: "Wei Qi, you may not have experienced this kind of war situation before, so you imagine people to be so cautious."

    "In our future history, there have been simr incidents where, in a seemingly certain victory, it was precisely the overconfidence andxity that led to total defeat."

    "I understand your thinking. You believe that with war approaching, they would unite to resist. No, before they taste pain, even if they appear united, it''s only superficial. They look down on the weaker side."

    "I''m certain that now, relying on the Mountain City''s terrain, they think we wouldn''t dare to act rashly. They believe they''re bound to win, so they don''t take us seriously at all. They continue to eat and drink as they please."

    "We see them as opponents, but they might just see us as a group of ants."

    Especially with the legendary tales of the women''s army spreading, the imperial court would be even more dismissive.

    Perhaps they weren''t ying mind games, but simply looking down on us?

    Hearing Gu Sang''s words, the Elder Princess''s lips curled into a cold smile, tinged with anger: "Good, they''ve delivered Mountain City right to my doorstep."

    "Originally, I was racking my brains on how to take Mountain City, but I never expected these fools to be sox."

    "Mountain City is such a crucial stronghold, yet they send such ipetents. Now I should thank Pei Changying for handing Mountain City over to me on a silver tter."

    The Elder Princess was smiling, but her smile carried anger.

    She felt indignant on behalf of those soldiers. The imperial court still seemed unaware of the gravity of the situation, not even sending an important general to guard the city.

    This was the lifetime achievement her father had painstakingly built.

    In just a few years, had the imperial court already be so corrupt?

    The Elder Princess issued the attack order at dusk. By this time, only about two hours remained until nightfall, just when everyone was preparing to light fires and cook dinner.

    "Tch, they didn''te again today. What a boring day."

    Seeing it was already evening, the city guards who had been standing all day rxed and sat on the ground, backs against the watchtower wall, eagerly eyeing the cooking area.

    Zhou Qichen''s troops, like heavenly soldiers descending, had already reached the city gate, only to find the watchtower unmanned?

    The one or two soldiers present even had their backs turned to them!

    This made even the usually confident Zhou Qichen unsure. What was going on?

    Could this be some kind of strategy?

    The enemy was at the gates, couldn''t they at least turn around and look?

    Of course, Zhou Qichen wasn''t foolish enough to call out for them to turn around.

    Without making a sound, Zhou Qichen used hand signals to direct a few special forces soldiers to climb up using ropes, then silently deal with the sentries above.

    The whole process was carried out without a sound. Before the Mountain City soldiers realized what was happening, the Elder Princess''s troops had already entered the city in broad daylight!

    It was only at this point that people began to notice them.

    "Ah!!! The rebels have attacked!"

    "Ah! Quick, get up, the rebels are here!"

    Hearing themotion outside, some hurriedly tried to wake their drunkenrades.

    However, before they could fully awaken, they were seized en masse and became prisoners.

    Ge Qing led the women''s guard unit in the middle of the formation. Their primary purpose this time was to treat their own side''s wounded soldiers.

    However, when they saw the situation in Mountain City, it was entirely one-sided ughter and capture.

    They had no use for their skills at all!

    Ge Qing and her team served as the medical unit when soldiers were injured, and could also fight as soldiers themselves when numbers were short: they were lethal weapons.

    Seeing the situation, Ge Qing immediately rallied her sisters.

    "Let''s go! We''ll join the killing too!"

    Then, Ge Qing led her sisters to join the vanguard, engaging in battle with the Mountain City soldiers.

    "Heh, it''s women soldiers!"

    Seeing a female soldier blocking his path, this soldier immediately let out a scornfulugh.

    Without a word, Ge Qing charged at the soldier. Even as the sword pierced his chest, his shocked eyes still held traces of that earlier disdain.

    How could it be... How could she be so strong?

    Ge Qing pulled her sword from his chest, and the soldier fell to the ground in despair.

    "Pathetic. Weren''t you boasting this morning that you could take on ten women single-handedly?"

    "Weaklings just talk big." Ge Qing certainly remembered this man.

    When entering the city gate, she had silently memorized the faces of several gate guards, thinking that given the chance, she would definitely show them the prowess of the women''s army.

 Chapter 219: Grandmaâ€™s Resurrection

    <h4>Chapter 219</h4>

    However, this man was too pathetic, and she killed him instantly.

    Seeing the soldier''s eyes widen in sudden realization, staring intently at Ge Qing, she emotionlessly waved her hand and delivered another sword strike.

    "In your next life, remember not to underestimate women!"

    "Swoosh¡ª"

    Only after confirming the man was truly dead did Ge Qing turn to the next person.

    This battle should havested for quite some time, but unexpectedly, the siege of Mountain City went more smoothly than any previous city conquest.

    It was so smooth that the Elder Princess truly suspected whether Pei Changying had deliberately handed it over to her.

    Of course, even the slightest thought would tell you that was impossible!

    Fewer soldiers were captured in Mountain City, with most being killed.

    Although the Elder Princess valued themon people, most of Mountain City''s soldiers were loosely organized and parasites of the court. Keeping such soldiers would only corrupt and negatively influence other troops.

    Because the Elder Princess had not issued an order to capture as many as possible and kill fewer.

    In contrast, most soldiers from other cities were captured by the Elder Princess and sent to the rear to be re-educated by Strategist Gu.

    As Gu Sang said, they would first provide these men with ideological education, then subject them to assessments before continuing to employ them.

    If some had poor character and couldn''t be reformed, they would be sent back to the conquered cities as forcedborers.

    After taking Mountain City, the Elder Princess immediately sent people down the mountain to inform the town a mile away.

    They had conquered Mountain City but asked the civilians not to panic, assuring them they wouldn''t kill indiscriminately.

    Gu Sang''s timely appearance and speech made the people trust the army even more.

    With Gu Sang''s assurance, the civilians quickly settled down, their fear gradually dissipating. Those who needed to eat went home to eat, those who needed to sleep went to sleep.

    The Elder Princess looked at the map of the capital city, her expression serious.

    "Next, we''ll attack the capital!"

    "The Imperial Guard in the capital are elite soldiers carefully selected by Father Emperor. They have richbat experience and are meticulous, unlike thezy soldiers of Mountain City."

    "Moreover, the Imperial Guard is numerous......"

    Imperial Pce.

    The news of Mountain City''s defeat arrived by urgent dispatch just as Pei Changying was preparing to go to bed.

    When Pei Changying saw the message written on the report: "Mountain City has fallen," these few words made his face turn blue with anger.

    What martial arts champion!

    What guaranteed victory!

    In the end, they couldn''t even defeat a woman!

    Pei Changying, with a gloomy face, ordered darkly: "Tell the Minister of War toe to me immediately!"

    Pei Changying was so angry his lungs were about to explode!

    Didn''t the Minister of War swear to him that as long as his son was there, they absolutely wouldn''t let the rebels set foot in Mountain City?

    Now the rebels had stepped over his son''s corpse and entered Mountain City!

    This morning, didn''t he submit a report saying the rebels were afraid and camped twenty miles away, not daring to advance a step?

    By evening, everything had changed, and Mountain City had be rebel territory?

    Pei Changying had a feeling that the situation was slipping away, and he sat on the bed, panicked and extremely agitated.

    The Minister of War hurried to the Imperial Pce, only to find Pei Changying looking as if he wanted to kill someone.

    The Minister of War was immediately scared to death, kneeling and kowtowing.

    The report had been sent urgently to Pei Changying, so the Minister of War didn''t yet know that his son had already been killed.

    Pei Changying angrily threw the report at the Minister of War''s head, saying furiously:

    "Look at what your good son has done. The battle ended in half an hour. Hah! Even a bunch of pigs could havested an hour against them."

    "Did your son go to kill the enemy or to offer his head?"

    "That bitch Pei Weiqi has Gu Sang behind her, plotting and strategizing. How could they conquer city after city, never losing a battle, if they didn''t have some ability? How dare you underestimate them just because their leader is a woman?"

    The Minister of War trembled as he opened the report. After just one nce, his face turned deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down.

    Dead......

    His son had actually been killed......

    Mountain City was lost......

    He had sworn to the Emperor that Mountain City would never fall.

    But now, not only had Mountain City fallen, but it had been lost so quickly. The Minister of War was so scared he almost couldn''t breathe.

    Seeing the Emperor''s cold expression, the Minister of War had no time to grieve. He quickly made excuses: "Your Majesty, those were weapons from the future! No human force could have stopped them."

    "Although my unworthy son died, he never retreated half a step until hisst breath."

    "He fulfilled what I said before, that the enemy would have to step over his corpse to take Mountain City."

    "Although our imperial soldiers died, their courage in sacrificing themselves for the country is worthy of praise from the people. If everyone had their courage, even the divine weapons from the future couldn''t set foot in the capital!"

    The Minister of War spoke passionately, subtly shifting the topic from the guilt of losing the city to acknowledging the soldiers'' bravery.

    This point alone made it impossible for Pei Changying to condemn the Minister of War.

    After all, it was true that the Minister of War''s son had sacrificed himself for the country, and it was true that all the Mountain City soldiers had died.

    Even if they were useless, they had used their deaths to obstruct the rebels'' attack. In this regard, they were indeed worthy of admiration.

    -

    Xuyang Pce.

    Consort Liy painfully on the bed, her pale face covered in cold sweat.

    Pain.....

    Her abdomen was in such agony that she wanted to faint immediately.

    She had always experienced abdominal pain during her menstrual periods, but now, having been demoted to a pce maid by Pei Changying, she spent every day soaking her hands in cold water, unable to sleep well or eat properly.

    This menstrual period was causing her so much pain she could barely breathe, even breathing could trigger the pain in her abdomen.

    "No, I can''t die! I must live to see that dog emperor lose his most cherished throne!"

    "I must survive!"

    Consort Li kept encouraging herself to be strong.

    She couldn''t die so easily; she hadn''t yet seen the Elder Princess storm into the capital with her own eyes.

    "Huh, @$%#$%?"

    Suddenly¡ª

    Just as Consort Li was about to faint from the pain, there was an unexpected sound from beyond the screen.

    She couldn''t make out who it was or understand what they were saying.

    The resting area was separated from the outside by a screen, allowing Consort Li to only vaguely see that someone was standing outside, but she couldn''t clearly see their face.

    After a while, the person from outside walked in.

    "#%¡­¡­£¤%¡­¡­&."

    The neer appeared to be in their sixties or seventies, with a head full of white hair, wearing reading sses only found in modern times, dressed in a long-sleeved, small floral print outfit. They walked in with a puzzled look.

    Consort Li looked at this kind-faced person and felt her mind go nk.

    Then, she suddenly felt that the person looked somewhat familiar.

    Before she could recall the identity of this person, the elderly individual spoke again, this time in words Consort Li could understand.

    "Are you filming a movie?"

    "How did I end up on a movie set? Which productionpany are you with?"

 Chapter 220: Li Pin is Shocked

    <h4>Chapter 220</h4>

    Consort Li looked at this person, her mind thunderstruck!

    She, she finally remembered, wasn''t this the fake Grandma Gu that the dog emperor had found to impersonate her? How did this impostor suddenly appear in Xuyang Pce?

    No, that''s not right!!!

    This fake grandmother couldn''t possibly move freely within the pce, because this was Pei Changying''s trump card to threaten Gu Sang! She was the key figure to make Gu Sang turn against him in the end!

    With so many eyes in the harem, how could they allow this trump card to be exposed to everyone like this?

    Moreover, this grandmother''s demeanor was vastly different from the fake one, and she didn''t look exactly the same, only about 80-90% simr!

    So who was this person before her eyes?

    "Child, why is your face so pale? You''re trembling?"

    "Are you feeling unwell?" The olddy quickly noticed Consort Li''s shaking body, stepped forward, and ced her warm hand on Consort Li''s forehead.

    "You''re breaking out in a cold sweat. Come, let me take you to the hospital."

    Consort Li suddenly grabbed her hand with lightning speed, her body shaking uncontrobly, this time not from pain, but from excitement!

    She stared intently at the olddy, asking with an uncertain tone: "Are... are you Gu Sang''s grandmother?"

    "You know my little Sang?"

    Consort Li''s pupils contracted nervously, she gazed deeply at the old woman before her with a scrutinizing look.

    The smile was warm and kind, clearly a good-hearted old grandmother at first nce.

    Consort Li believed her a little more. The person before her was somewhat different from the impersonator. The fake one was ultimately false, with a smile that seemed deliberately imitated and thus insincere,cking the authenticity of the olddy before her.

    And then there was that settled aura of kindness, theposure of someone who had weathered the years yet maintained a benevolent heart!

    However, why would Gu Sang''s grandmother be here?

    Before she could ask, the voice of a eunuch came from outside.

    Consort Li nervously grabbed Grandma Gu''s hand and said, "Grandma Gu, please hide inside and don''te out, no matter what happens."

    "Please trust me, I''ll find a way to contact Gu Sang."

    "Now, you absolutely must not make a sound, otherwise, I can''t protect you."

    "Alright."

    Although Grandma Gu didn''t know what was happening, she had a sense of impending crisis and was willing to trust the girl before her.

    She hid in the back as Consort Li instructed. As long as the neer didn''t approach the bed, they wouldn''t notice Grandma Gu hidden behind.

    Consort Li suddenly mustered great strength to get up, intercepting the eunuch before he could enter past the screen.

    "Well, well, need an invitation to eat, do you? You still think you''re the noble Consort Li from before?"

    "You''re now a criminal, the Emperor has punished you to kneel day and night in this Xuyang Pce, begging the Imperial Concubine to return."

    "And here you are, lying down without a care in the world."

    "If it weren''t for the fact that your worthless life is needed... tsk tsk, next time you''re caught cking off, don''t me me for being ruthless and having you beaten..."

    The eunuch berated her for quite a while before leaving. Consort Li listened with a numb expression.

    She hung her head, enduring these insults and mockery.

    After the eunuch left, Consort Li finally heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly brought in the food.

    "Grandma, pleasee and eat."

    Grandma Gu then came out from behind, looking at Consort Li with concern: "What''s really going on? Are you acting or what?"

    This ce looked like an ancient imperial pce.

    And the young woman before her should be a pce maid, right?

    Wasn''t this just filming a drama?

    Why did it feel so real?

    Consort Li asked Grandma Gu to sit on the edge of the bed first, to prevent her from falling in shock when she heard the truth.

    "Go ahead and speak, I''m seated now." Ever since arriving here, Grandma Gu had sensed something was amiss.

    If they were filming, there would be many staff members around.

    But until now, Grandma Gu hadn''t seen any staff.

    Moreover, looking at the pale, bloodless face of the young woman before her, it didn''t look like it was done with makeup at all.

    Seeing her hesitation to speak, Grandma Gu vaguely guessed that what she was about to hear might be quite shocking.

    So Grandma Guposed herself and waited quietly for the young woman to speak.

    "Grandma Gu, what I''m about to tell you isn''t me going crazy, you must believe me..."

    "This is actually ancient times. Your granddaughter Gu Sang was once the Emperor''s consort, an Imperial Concubine, but she has returned to modern times due to a failed mission..."

    Consort Li revealed everything she knew.

    From Gu Sang''s live streaming of the future to the dog emperor finding someone to impersonate her grandmother.

    Grandma Gu''s reaction went from initial shock to sudden realization, and finally, she grasped Consort Li''s hand with sympathy, telling her to lie back down and rest: "I never imagined it was like this, sigh."

    "You''ve suffered so much, youngdy. At such a young age, you''ve already entered the pce as a consort."

    "And to endure such torment."

    "You were having menstrual cramps earlier, right? Here, lie down first. I''ll teach you a trick. When it hurts and you don''t have hot water to ce on your abdomen, just use your hands to generate heat, then ce them on your belly."

    Seeing Grandma Gu rubbing her hands to warm them up and then massaging her stomach, Consort Li was moved to tears.

    It had been so long since she had felt such warmth.

    Gu Sang was so fortunate to have such a kind and caring grandmother...

    Were all rtives in the future world so warm?

    Consort Li truly envied her.

    When the pain had subsided a little, Consort Li got up, urged Grandma Gu to eat, and cautioned her not to let anyone discover her presence here, or else she might be leverage for the dog emperor to threaten Gu Sang.

    Hearing that it could cause trouble for Gu Sang, Grandma Gu immediately nodded solemnly.

    "Don''t worry, youngdy. I absolutely won''t go out."

    Consort Li grasped Grandma Gu''s hands, making a silent vow: "Alright, although I''m not very capable, I will do my utmost to protect you. You are the person Sister Gu cares about most."

    She was determined to find a way to send Grandma Gu out of here.

    Otherwise, staying here long-term was too dangerous.

    Who knew when the dog emperor might go mad ande here? If Pei Changying discovered Grandma Gu''s existence, the consequences would be unimaginable!

    After Mountain City fell, the people lined the streets to wee the victors. Soon after, the Princess Royal''s army arrived at South City.

    Gu Sang was also closely following the battle situation. She had been waiting for this day for a long time.

    Thinking that the dog emperor would soon be deposed, she felt extremely ted!

    However, no one had anticipated that the current Emperor would be standing on the city walls of South City. He had actually led the troops in person.

    Pei Changying, d in golden armor, cast a cold sidelong nce at the Princess Royal, then turned his gaze directly to Gu Sang on the screen beside her.

    Pei Changying was quite handsome, with sword-like eyebrows and star-bright eyes, standing out among the soldiers.

    Especially that golden armor, which glinted so brightly in the sunlight that it was almost blinding.

    "My Imperial Concubine, I never imagined we would meet again under such circumstances." The Emperor stood high on the city wall, speaking with a mocking smile.

 Chapter 221: The Fake Grandma

    <h4>Chapter 221</h4>

    Pei Changying''s gaze, venomous as a snake''s, fixed on Gu Sang, a cold smile ying at the corners of his mouth.

    For some time now, no matter how he tried to contact Gu Sang, it was useless!

    He could only gamble, bet that Gu Sang would surely be keeping an eye on the Elder Princess''s battle situation.

    So he hade to lead the troops in person!

    This grand show must be opened by him personally!

    Gu Sang couldn''t be bothered to speak to Pei Changying, and addressed the Elder Princess directly:

    "Since Pei Changying hase out from the capital, if we have the chance today, let''s leave his life here in South City!"

    If the Emperor were to be publicly shot dead, it would surely throw the army into chaos, the entire court would panic, and their troops could march straight into the capital without any further obstacles.

    They were too far away for Pei Changying to hear what Gu Sang was saying to the Elder Princess, but he could guess their intentions easily enough.

    Pei Changying, with feigned sincerity, called out to Gu Sang in a voice dripping with false emotion:

    "Sang Sang, how cruel you are, to conspire with rebels to kill your own man."

    "Though you are so heartless, I cannot forget our past feelings."

    "I promisedst time to help you find¡ª"

    "Whoosh!"

    A sharp arrow cut through the air, flying straight for Pei Changying''s forehead, interrupting his nauseating speech.

    "Your Majesty, look out!"

    A general stepped forward with his sword, blocking the arrow aimed at Pei Changying.

    Pei Changying''s expression instantly turned cold, the pretense of deep affection dropping from his face.

    He snarled through gritted teeth: "Gu Sang, since you show no mercy, don''t me me for being merciless in return!"

    "Gu Sang, open your eyes wide and look who this is!"

    Pei Changying took a step back, to a distance where the surrounding soldiers could quickly shield him from arrows.

    Two soldiers escorted a kindly-looking old woman to stand on the city wall. A cloth was stuffed in the old woman''s mouth, preventing her from speaking. She could only look down below, shaking her head incessantly.

    She seemed to be gesturing for the people below not to worry about her.

    "Gu Sang, if you have the guts, shoot her dead!" Pei Changying shouted at Gu Sang.

    Upon seeing the person standing on the city wall, both Gu Sang and the Elder Princess were stunned: the former in shock, thetter in rm!

    Was that Grandmother?!

    "Sang Sang, is that your grandmother on the wall?" Even the usually calm andposed Elder Princess couldn''t sit still, and couldn''t help but ask.

    Gu Sang dared not speak, as the distance was too great. From afar, the appearance did look simr.

    But if someone were to find an impersonator, it wasn''t impossible either!

    At such a distance, Gu Sang had no way to determine if this was truly her grandmother. Originally, she hadn''t been worried at all, with Gu Qingrou and Consort Li''s warnings, she had been quite certain Pei Changying would y some tricks!

    But then what happened?

    That damned system actually said her grandmother might have been resurrected in ancient times!

    What if...

    And Pei Changying had gagged her grandmother, making it impossible for Gu Sang to verify.

    "Gu Sang, Pei Weiqi, why aren''t you shooting?!"

    "Continue the attack on the city!"

    "Come on! I''m waiting for you to attack!"

    Seeing that Gu Sang and the Elder Princess had been intimidated by the person he had brought to impersonate, Pei Changying became increasingly arrogant, continuously provoking the two with his words.

    He gazed at Gu Sang with feigned affection and said: "Gu Sang, I''m truly heartbroken. I searched the whole world for your grandmother, yet you conspire with rebels to kill me."

    "Although you are so heartless towards me, I still love you."

    "I will forgive all your misdeeds, as long as you admit your mistakes now and return to my side. I won''t me you."

    "You will still be my Imperial Consort!"

    Gu Sang stared back at Pei Changying expressionlessly, her heart boiling with murderous intent. If she had a gun in her hand, she would truly want to execute this idiot on the spot!

    At this crucial moment, if Gu Sang really rebelled, how would the soldiers behind the Elder Princess react?

    The Elder Princess''s warhorse whinnied beneath her as she red at Pei Changying with murderous intent.

    This disgusting fool, seeing that they dared not act rashly, actually tried to drive a wedge between them and shake the army''s morale.

    The Elder Princess pressed her lips tightly together, and finally raised her hand, about to give the order to retreat.

    Gu Sang spoke up with a cold gaze: "Weiqi, we can''t retreat!"

    At this moment, whichever choice Gu Sang made carried risks. She couldn''t be one hundred percent certain that this old woman wasn''t her grandmother.

    She could only trust her instincts.

    Gamble on her instincts, betting that this grandmother wasn''t her real grandmother!

    Betting that Pei Changying had found an impersonator!

    ording to the system''s hint, her grandmother''s resurrection shouldn''t have happened too long ago, Pei Changying surely couldn''t have found her so quickly... or so she hoped!

    "Weiqi, the army is ready to march. Once we take South City, all of the Central ins will be within our grasp."

    "If we retreat now, the soldiers'' morale will be affected."

    "In war, it''s either don''t fight at all, or push forward with all our might. We can''t stop halfway."

    Gu Sang stood firm, refusing to back down.

    The Elder Princess spoke reluctantly: "Sang Sang, but that''s your grandmother!"

    "It''s alright if we retreat today, we''ll have another chance!"

    "You''ve helped me so much, I can''t disregard your feelings. I may win this battle, but if that''s your grandmother up there, you''ll lose her forever."

    "If I were such a selfish person who only cared about myself, I wouldn''t be fit to be an Empress!"

    "I can be cruel to others, but I can''t be heartless to you! We''ll withdraw this time, and I''ll find a chance to test whether this olddy is real or fake. Don''t worry, thisnd will be ours sooner orter!"

    Gu Sang looked into the Elder Princess''s earnest and unyielding eyes, feeling deeply moved.

    But to retreat just like this, Gu Sang was truly unwilling.

    Before she could say anything to persuade her, the Elder Princess had already turned around and addressed the army with unwavering determination: "All troops, retreat!"

    Retreating would indeed mean losing a hard-won opportunity.

    But if they had listened to Gu Sang and attacked, the Elder Princess would have lost her most precious promise. Everyone in the gue-stricken city knew how much Gu Sang had helped her.

    Whether that grandmother was real or fake, if she put her own interests first at their first meeting, she would be just like Pei Changying in the eyes of the soldiers: a selfish and self-serving person!

    So retreating didn''t mean they had truly lost!

    It meant the Elder Princess had first kept her integrity. After all, some things might be used as a threat once, but could they be used twice?

    Pei Changying, standing on the city wall, saw the army begin to retreat and couldn''t help but smile, speaking with feigned affection: "Sang Sang, I knew you were a person who values feelings and righteousness. I''ll be waiting for your return."

    "The position of my Imperial Consort will always be vacant for you."

    Gu Sang, with a cold expression, directly closed themunication.

    The Elder Princess led the army back tost night''s campsite. Zhou Qichen, General Qin, and others first stabilized the troops, then came to themand tent to discuss strategies with the Elder Princess.

    Zhou Qichen''s face was red with anger: "How can this dog emperor be so shameless? He came to power relying on Sang Sang in the first ce."

    "Now he''s using Gu Sang''s grandmother as a threat. He has truly lost all dignity as a man, and can only hide behind women to disgust people for the rest of his life."

 Chapter 222: Back to Ancient Times

    <h4>Chapter 222</h4>

    "What should we do now? Is that grandmother real? If she is, it might be difficult to attack the city."

    "......."

    Zhou Qichen felt that Gu Sang had been treated very unfairly.

    Back then, Gu Sang had risked her life time and time again to help Pei Changying ascend to the throne as Emperor. Zhou Qichen had witnessed it all.

    Even though Gu Sang''s true intention was to return to the future, she had still risked her life to help Pei Changying. How could he be so heartless as to use Gu Sang''s grandmother as a threat?

    What kind of deep love was this?

    What kind of affection?

    Is this what love is supposed to be?

    General Qin patted Zhou Qichen''s shoulder and sighed:

    "I''m d I switched sides. Otherwise, the dog Emperor''s behavior would have disgusted me to death."

    "When I think back to how I used to devote myself to serving Pei Changying, I feel like pping myself twice."

    The Elder Princess furrowed her brow, her eyes cold and stern: "Pei Changying has already turned Gu''s grandmother into his lifeline. He will surely guard her closely and not allow anyone to approach her."

    "Instead of wasting time being angry here, why don''t you two think about how to rescue Gu''s grandmother?"

    ?Ding!?

    ?Connection established!?

    Gu Sang''s face appeared on the screen before the three of them.

    They could see her sitting at a desk covered with papers, apparently nning something. She looked at the Elder Princess and the other two, and said: "Wei Qi, I can now confirm that my grandmother is indeed in ancient times."

    "But I''m not sure if the one Pei Changying has captured is actually my grandmother."

    "Wei Qi, you don''t need to worry about me. I won''t be connecting with you for a while."

    "You shouldn''t feel burdened when attacking the city."

    "I believe my grandmother won''t be so easily subdued! Pei Changying may be able to use her to threaten me, but as long as you stay resolute, he won''t be able to threaten you."

    The Elder Princess immediately shook her head and said: "Sang Sang, actually, our troops have been marching and fighting all the way here without much rest. They''re quite tired."

    "I think it might be better to take this opportunity to let them rest and recuperate. I''ll send people to investigate. If it turns out to be false, then all is well. If it''s true, I will definitely rescue her."

    "Don''t worry, we''ll surelye up with a solution that satisfies everyone."

    Gu Sang didn''t say anything more, just nodded, "Alright, then I''ll trouble you with this!"

    Bzzt¡ª

    Gu Sang closed the connection.

    From the moment Pei Changying used her grandmother to threaten her, Gu Sang had decided to return to ancient times.

    After negotiating with the System, it decided to grant Gu Sang one month to bring her grandmother back.

    After all, it was the System''s fault that her grandmother had been mistakenly sent to ancient times, so it had to make amends!

    Gu Sang opened thepensation package sent by the System. Inside was a backpack that could hold many things. ording to the System''s exnation, anything ced in this backpack could be taken back to ancient times.

    This meant that instead of the original three items, she could now bring a whole backpack full of things.

    Besides the space-time backpack, the package also included an electromaic pistol, a sr-powered high-power shlight, and an electric baton¡ªa set of three items for self-defense.

    Gu Sang quickly read through the instructions. The self-defense set had an ownership recognition feature, meaning that if Gu Sang identally lost them, no one else could use them except her.

    The only downside was that this package was one-time use only, meaning it would disappear once Gu Sang left.

    Gu Sang first called her advisor to ask for leave, then called a few friends to let them know she would be going abroad for a while, telling them not to worry.

    Finally, Gu Sang called Gu Qing.

    The call was quickly answered, and Gu Qing''s cheerful voice came through the phone.

    Gu Qing was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, scrolling through videos of handsome young men with washboard abs: "Well, well, you bad girl, howe you have time to grace me with your presence?"

    "Make it quick, my abs-unting hottie is about to start his livestream."

    Gu Sang chuckled: "I''ll be going abroad for a while, and my phone might be unreachable. Don''t worry, I''ll contact you when I get back."

    Upon hearing this, Gu Qing sat up straight.

    Gu Qing: "What the hell, Gu Sang, going abroad? Where to? Thand or somewhere up north? You haven''t been scammed, have you? Isn''t there a popr scam going around about ''cute little princesses'' inviting people to some ce or another?"

    "Where exactly are you nning to go? Just thinking about it sounds dangerous. Let me go with you. I can be your bodyguard, your trantor, and your wallet. Taking me along is like having an all-in-one housekeeper."

    "And is there a guy involved? It''s not your boyfriend, is it? You haven''t even been back to the Gu family, and you''re not an only child. My parents aren''t dead yet, and it''s not time for you to inherit anything. Howe someone''s already got their eye on you?"

    "......."

    Gu Sang''s mouth twitched a few times.

    What kind of videos had Gu Qing been watching these days?

    She suddenly understood why Gu Qing was so resistant to marriage.

    After watching all those videos about wife murders and domestic violence cases from recent years, the rich youngdy Gu Qing had immediately be enlightened about the ways of the world, only wanting to hold onto her family fortune and live out her life.

    Gu Sang sighed: "What on earth are you thinking about?"

    "Don''t worry, this is an activity organized by the school. I''ve signed up to participate in a study program. You might not be able to contact me because the signal might not be good."

    "Just keep this to yourself, no need to tell Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu."

    Gu Qing rolled her eyes: "If you want me to keep it a secret, that''s fine, unless you take me with you."

    Gu Sang was firm: "No negotiation. That''s it, I''ll see you when I get back."

    After a moment''s thought, Gu Sang softened her tone and said: "Be good, listen to me. I''m hanging up now!"

    After the call was hung up, Gu Qing felt a surge of happiness.

    Gu Sang actually called her good!

    Gu Sang actually used such a gentle tone to tell her to be good.

    And Gu Sang was going abroad but still thought to call her specifically to let her know. Didn''t this mean that she held some ce in Gu Sang''s heart?

    Otherwise, why would Gu Sang think of her?

    Thinking of this, Gu Qing felt that her mission had arrived. She must help Gu Sang keep this secret from her parents.

    When Gu Sang returns from abroad, she would surely praise her for being clever.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang began preparing the things she needed to take back to ancient times. She bought two lighters, then went to the pharmacy to buy medicines: anti-inmmatory drugs, amoxicillin, erythromycin, penicillin, glucose, cold medicine, cough syrup, thermometers, and so on. She packed some of each to take back.

    Then she went to the market and bought seeds for vegetables, corn, fertilizer, rice, and other crops. Only then did Gu Sang take a taxi home with all her packages.

    Apart from packing a couple of pieces of bread and a bottle of water, everything else in the backpack was for emergencies and to leave for the Elder Princess.

    Gu Sang put on a set of sportswear and shouldered her backpack.

    Finally, she took out her phone and looked at Lu Mufei''s contact page. In the end, she sighed: "Forget it, Gu Qing will let him know."

    "Some things are fine when left unspoken, but once revealed, it''s better not to leave any room for illusions."

    Gu Sang lowered her eyes and put her phone in her bag.

    Then she took a deep breath and said: "System, I''m ready!"

 Chapter 223: True or False

    <h4>Chapter 223</h4>

    "Initiating transfer!"

    "Transfer countdown... ten, nine, eight..."

    As the system''s voice rang out, Gu Sang quickly lost consciousness.

    The Imperial Pce.

    Since Pei Changying had led troops to South City, the Imperial Pce had be much quieter.

    Consort Li also had more opportunities to contact her family.

    Although the Li family didn''t hold any high positions at court, Consort Li''s natal family were imperial merchants and didn''tck for money.

    Taking advantage of the Emperor''s absence from the pce, the Li family bribed a eunuch to establishmunication with Consort Li.

    In her discussions with the Li family, Consort Li revealed ns to send Grandma Gu to the Li family, who would then use their merchant caravan to smuggle Grandma Gu to gue City.

    Once Grandma Gu reached gue City, she would be absolutely safe!

    That night, a few stars surrounded the moon, which shone with a dim,ckluster light.

    Consort Li disguised Grandma Gu''s appearance and instructed her:

    "Grandma Gu, I''ll have someone escort you out of the pce soon, then my family will take you to gue City."

    "The Elder Princess in gue City is good friends with Gu Sang. Once you reach gue City, the Elder Princess will notify Gu Sang, and then you''ll be able to go home."

    "You''ll be safe once you reach gue City!"

    "On the journey, don''t trust anyone!"

    Over the past few days, Grandma Gu had learned much about this dynasty from Consort Li, including that Pei Changying was constantly trying to capture her.

    He wanted to use her to pressure Gu Sang and the Elder Princess into surrendering.

    Her precious granddaughter had be so powerful now.

    As her grandmother, how could she be a burden?

    Grandma Gu clutched Consort Li''s hand, saying worriedly, "What about you if I leave?"

    "Child, can''t youe with me? If you stay in this man-eating pce, you''ll eventually be tortured to death."

    Consort Li shook her head and smiled, a smile both bitter and resigned.

    She looked up, forcing back her tears: "Grandma Gu, I can''t leave. If I escape from the pce, my family will suffer because of me."

    "It''s a crime punishable by the execution of the entire n. I can''t be so selfish."

    "Grandma Gu, don''t worry about me. I won''t let myself be tortured to death so easily. Once you escape, the Elder Princess and Gu Sang will have no more worries. They''ll be able to march straight into the capital, and only then will I truly be free!"

    Grandma Gu tearfully looked at this pale-faced girl with such determined eyes, and embraced Consort Li affectionately.

    "You''ve suffered so much, child."

    Hearing Grandma Gu''s caring and loving words nearly made Consort Li lose control of her tears. She fought back the urge to cry and gently returned Grandma Gu''s embrace.

    Girls living in ancient times rarely felt such a powerful and genuine maternal love. Perhaps it existed, but not often.

    Because above their heads, there was always pressure from society.

    No matter how carefully nurtured a youngdy might be, the ultimate goal was simply to marry her off for the family''s benefit. How much love could there really be in that?

    Tap, tap, tap¡ª

    Footsteps sounded.

    The personing to help had arrived outside. Consort Li carefully sent Grandma Gu out.

    Consort Li instructed, "Make sure to personally escort her to the Li Family''s Private Residence."

    "Yes, mydy. This servant understands."

    Consort Li took off the bracelet from her wrist and gave it to the eunuch.

    Upon receiving the bracelet, the eunuch''s eyes lit up, and he immediately broke into a smile, patting his chest as he assured Consort Li that he would definitely deliver Grandma Gu safely to the Li Family''s Private Residence.

    Consort Li stood in the courtyard, watching as Grandma Gu and the eunuch walked away.

    She silently prayed to the heavens: God, please let Grandma Gu return safely to gue City!

    Meanwhile, after discussing strategies with Zhou Qichen and others, the Elder Princess decided to risk sneaking into South City to test whether Grandma Gu was real or not.

    Upon hearing that the Elder Princess wanted to personally conduct a night raid, General Qin was the first to object.

    "Impossible! Elder Princess, let me handle this task. You absolutely cannot go. They have surely prepared traps there."

    The Elder Princess calmly replied, "Do you know Grandma Gu? Are you familiar with her?"

    General Qin was immediately at a loss for words and shook his head.

    He truly wasn''t familiar with her. Although he had seen her in the future, he didn''t know the details about her.

    He didn''t have the ability to determine whether that olddy was real or fake.

    The Elder Princess said solemnly, "Don''t worry, I also have tasks for you to do. General Qin, you must remain inmand of the army, maintaining the illusion that I''m still in the military camp to prevent anyone from spying on us."

    "Zhou Qichen, prepare a few special forces soldiers to pretend to conduct a night raid for reconnaissance. You don''t need to fight them to the death; as soon as you''re discovered, your men can retreat!"

    "They will never imagine that the real night raider is just me alone."

    Zhou Qichen asked, "If the person inside is really Grandma Gu, how will you get out?"

    "Then we''ll just have to wait until we can rescue Grandma Gu. If it''s fake, that makes things even easier!"

    "In any case, wait for my signal!"

    Regarding the Elder Princess''s arrangements, General Qin wanted to object further, but seeing that Zhou Qichen hadn''t spoken up again, he could only follow orders.

    The Elder Princess changed into night raid attire and applied makeup to her face. If someone didn''t know her, they wouldn''t be able to recognize her as the Elder Princess at all.

    After all preparations wereplete, at the dead of night when the moonlight was dim andckluster, Zhou Qichen led the special forces to quietly infiltrate South City.

    After entering South City with them, the Elder Princess separated to act alone.

    She was by herself, not an obvious target, and tonight''s moonlight was suitable for hiding. She wasn''t in a hurry to find Gu Sang''s Grandma, but first observed theyout of South City and found a courtyard.

    There was no one inside; the inhabitants had probably moved away long ago, and the rooms were covered in cobwebs.

    The Elder Princess waited and waited, finally hearing chaos break out in the city.

    This meant that Zhou Qichen''s special forces team had been discovered.

    The Elder Princess continued to hide in the courtyard, waiting until the city gradually calmed down before she began to move.

    Leaving the courtyard and walking through an alley, she saw night patrol soldiers approaching. The Elder Princess hid herself in a tree, waiting until thest soldier was about to leave before quickly knocking him unconscious. She dragged him into the alley and silently killed him with a dagger, then changed into the soldier''s clothes.

    The Elder Princess went to the northern granary and set it on fire.

    "Fire! Quick, put out the fire!"

    The Elder Princess shouted, attracting people toe and fight the fire.

    She took the opportunity to run to themander''s tent to report.

    "General, there''s a fire at the northern granary. The fire is fierce and strange."

    Themander was about to go look when he suddenly heard the Elder Princess''s lowered voice. He abruptly stopped.

    "Strange? Indeed! The weather isn''t hot, so how could the northern granary suddenly catch fire?"

    "Could there still be rebels hiding here, trying to take advantage of the chaos to rescue someone?"

    The Elder Princess, dressed as a soldier with her head lowered, said in a low voice, "Ah? Has the ce where people are hidden been discovered?"

 Chapter 224: Directly Shoot to Death

    <h4>Chapter 224</h4>

    "I also find it strange, but thinking about it this way makes sense. They split into two teams - one to divert attention, and one to secretly set fires and rescue people."

    "If that''s the case, then they must have already gathered intelligence on the location of the person they want to rescue."

    "Not good! Quickly, go check on the prisoner!"

    The General reacted immediately, leading his men to where Grandma Gu was being held.

    It turned out they hadn''t imprisoned her in the military camp, but secretly kept her in a civilian''s house.

    If the General hadn''t brought her there, she might have searched all night without finding where Grandma Gu was being held.

    When the General arrived, Grandma Gu was lying in bed sleeping. Hearing the loud bang of the door being kicked open, Grandma Gu trembled in fright and quickly climbed out of bed, smiling ingratiatingly at the General:

    "General, what''s happening?"

    The General stared at Grandma Gu for a while, seeing nothing unusual.

    Only then did he speak: "The city is not quiet tonight. Be extra vignt."

    "If you hear any suspicious people outside, shout loudly."

    Grandma Gu nodded vigorously, saying submissively: "Yes, yes, I understand, General. Don''t worry, if anything seems off, I''ll shout loudly."

    When the Elder Princess saw this person up close, she knew immediately that this was not Gu Sang''s grandmother!

    Hearing her fawning tone with the General, her submissive attitude, her fear and reverence for authority - these shouldn''t appear in a modern person!

    The Elder Princess was 100% certain that this person was an impostor!

    Gu Sang had told her that her grandmother had lived through the country''s most difficult times. Though she was old, she had spirit - people from that time all had spirit.

    That kind of spirit doesn''t disappear with age.

    But the person before her had no spirit at all. She was clearly someone who had long been ustomed to fawning and pleasing others. Even the kindness on her face seemed so fake.

    Although the Elder Princess had only heard about Gu Sang''s grandmother from Gu Sang herself, she knew that Gu Sang''s grandmother was clever and wise, strong yet gentle.

    The Elder Princess secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Now that she had confirmed this was a fake, things would be easier to handle.

    The Elder Princess silently followed the General as he left. After passing through a small alley, she slipped away and returned to the previous residence.

    When it was time for the guard shift, the Elder Princess swiftly left the city.

    Zhou Qichen personally received the Elder Princess outside. When they met up, Zhou Qichen''s gaze was full of questions as he looked at the Elder Princess: "Elder Princess, how was the situation?"

    The Elder Princess said:

    "It''s a fake!"

    Zhou Qichen let out a sigh of relief, his eyes full of joy and gratitude: "It''s good that it''s fake. This way Gu Sang won''t be in a difficult position! Otherwise, it would have been really troublesome."

    The Elder Princess walked with determination, no longer hesitating, and ordered: "Attack the city tomorrow!"

    Zhou Qichen immediately perked up: "Good!"

    "Without the threat, it''s time for Pei Changying to step down from that position!"

    The longer that dog emperor stayed on the throne, the more the Elder Princess worried about unforeseenplications.

    After all, although the dog emperor was ipetent, he still had many civil and military officials around him offering advice and strategies.

    Who knew when the dog emperor mighte up with some new bad idea.

    The next day.

    The army marched majestically towards South City.

    Pei Changying hurriedly stood atop the city wall. When he saw the Elder Princess riding at the front of the army, he suddenly had a bad feeling.

    Pei Changying quickly pushed this feeling aside and resorted to his old trick of having someone bring out the fake grandmother.

    Just like yesterday''s scene, the fake grandmother''s mouth was bound, and she could only look pleadingly at the approaching army with muffled cries.

    Pei Changying confidently stared at the Elder Princess and said something to the General behind him. Then, the General shouted in a voice loud enough for soldiers on both sides to hear:

    "Pei Weiqi, Gu Sang helped you stabilize public opinion. It''s because of Gu Sang that you have soldiers in the gue city!"

    "It''s also because of Gu Sang that your gue city doesn''tck food, that you have enough to eat and wear. It''s because of Gu Sang that your gue city can produce miraculous weapons!"

    "To be precise, without Gu Sang, you, Pei Weiqi, would be nothing!"

    "But today, you''ve brought troops to South City without Gu Sang''s knowledge!"

    "Once the battle starts, weapons don''t have eyes. If Gu Sang''s grandmother is hurt even slightly, how will you face Gu Sang''s trust in you!"

    "She helped you wholeheartedly, and this is how you repay her? By hiding things from her and even threatening to kill her beloved grandmother? How can someone so unrighteous and unjust govern the people of the world!"

    As these words were spoken, the soldiers on both sides changed their expressions.

    Especially the soldiers from the gue city and Liujiang City, who had all benefited from Gu Sang''s kindness.

    But now, the person being threatened up there was Gu Sang''s grandmother!

    Could they still fight?

    How could they bring themselves to do it?

    Just as the soldiers were caught in this dilemma, the Elder Princess smoothly took the bow from her side, drew an arrow from her back, and smiled coldly: "Fool!"

    Her mounted archery skills were excellent, even her father the emperor had personally praised her, saying her mounted archery was unparalleled in the world, not inferior even to the generals at the border.

    The Elder Princess''s movements were fluid, without any hesitation.

    Under Pei Changying''s surprised gaze, an arrow flew towards him with the force of wind and thunder.

    Pei Changying''s face immediately changed, but before he could react, the General beside him had already pulled him back.

    However!

    No one had expected that this arrow was not aimed at Pei Changying.

    Under everyone''s watchful eyes, the arrow hit the fake grandmother on the city wall!

    "Thud!"

    The arrow struck right between her eyebrows, blood immediately spraying in all directions, seeming to form a spray of blood under the sun''s illumination.

    By the time the imperial General reacted and rushed to save her, the fake grandmother''s eyes were wide with disbelief, unable to close even in death.

    How... how had she just died?

    Wasn''t she just supposed to y a role?

    The General caught the fake grandmother as she fell backwards, and felt for breath at her nose.

    She waspletely and utterly dead!

    The General''s heart instantly sank, and he looked up at Pei Changying in fear.

    Pei Changying had also lost hisposure. This fake grandmother was his lifeline!

    No longer caring about imperial dignity, he took a few quick steps to the fake grandmother, his face ashen as he asked:

    "How is she?"

    "Your Majesty, she''s dead," the General replied.

    "Pei Weiqi!!!"

    Pei Changying suddenly turned to the Elder Princess below the city wall, shouting in fury, his face ashen.

    But the Elder Princess remained calm and powerful. Her unperturbed voice rang out, carried by the wind to the army behind her, allowing every soldier to hear what she said.

    "After my personal investigation, the person I just shot and killed was a fake grandmother of the Divine Lady, found by Pei Changying!"

    "The real grandmother has already been found by me and safely relocated!"

    "Pei Changying used this to threaten us to retreat, his intentions were vicious, but fortunately, I saw through his scheme!"

 Chapter 225: Delivering the Palace

    <h4>Chapter 225</h4>

    Thest two sentences were deliberately spoken by the Elder Princess to stabilize the morale of the troops.

    Another point was that she intentionally let Pei Changying know that she had found the real grandmother.

    Only if Pei Changying believed this would he stop trying to use this tactic to threaten her.

    Only in this way would the real grandmother be safe!

    Sure enough, after hearing the Elder Princess''s words, the morale of the army behind her greatly improved.

    On the imperial court''s side, they were caught off guard, and inparison, their morale appeared even lower.

    No matter how well Pei Changying tried to hide it, the Elder Princess noticed the sh of shock and panic in his eyes, which meant that Pei Changying didn''t know the real grandmother had alsoe to ancient times.

    Pei Changying knew this wasn''t the time to lose his temper, so he could only insist that this was Gu Sang''s grandmother.

    "Pei Weiqi, stop spreading lies and deceiving people, this is Gu Sang''s real grandmother."

    "Not only did you personally shoot and kill Gu Sang''s grandmother, but now you''re also ndering this one as fake!"

    "If Gu Sang knew about this, she would hate you to death!"

    Hearing these words, the Elder Princessughed scornfully.

    She coldly smiled without fear: "Pei Changying, the friendship between Gu Sang and me is something that a disloyal, selfish person like you could never understand."

    "She trusts me, and she has already entrusted the entire battlefield to me to handle!"

    "She has already taken her grandmother back!"

    "Stop trying to sow discord here!"

    With that, the Elder Princess gave the order to attack the city.

    This time, she had specifically ordered people to bring hand grenades.

    She rarely used gunpowder in battles, as its destructive power was too great, and the imperial soldiers were also Central ins soldiers. She didn''t want to reduce the military strength of the Central ins too severely.

    But yesterday, when she saw that Pei Changying was also in South City, the Elder Princess wanted to blow up this beast on the spot.

    As soon as the Elder Princess finished speaking, hundreds of hand grenades were thrown at the city walls by the throwers.

    "Boom! Boom!"

    "Boom!!"

    "Protect the Emperor!" themander shouted.

    Pei Changying immediately turned pale with fright, and without even time to utter threats, he ran downstairs to hide.

    With the hand grenades paving the way, a breach was quickly sted in the city gate.

    General Qin led the army into the city.

    "Lay down your weapons, those who surrender will not be killed!" General Qin shouted as he charged forward.

    By this time, the civilians in the city had already hidden in their homes, tightly closing their doors and windows!

    After entering the city, the Elder Princess ordered a ban on the use of gunpowder, fearing innocent civilians might be caught in the crossfire.

    Pei Changying was escorted to a carriage by soldiers. As he was about to board, his legs gave way, and he almost couldn''t step up.

    Once he finally got into the carriage, the guard immediately drove off, taking Pei Changying towards the Imperial Pce.

    It wasn''t until he sat in the carriage that Pei Changying realized his legs were still weak and his hands were still shaking.

    Those things were too terrifying!

    Only after personally experiencing the hand grenades did Pei Changying realize just how horrifying they were!

    The thunderous boom almost deafened him.

    With one grenade, several people standing close together were blown away, their bloody appearance still haunting Pei Changying.

    It was too frightening!

    Such things from the future appearing here were like doomsday weapons!

    Thinking about how Gu Sang didn''t tell him how to make these godly weapons, he felt extremely angry, and his resentment towards Gu Sang grew even stronger.

    As Pei Changying was fleeing towards the Imperial Pce...

    -

    In the capital, at the Li Family''s Private Residence.

    After receiving her daughter''s secret letter, Madam Li nned to have the merchant convoy escort Grandma Gu out of the city early in the morning.

    However, unexpectedly, her husband, who usually didn''t care about these trivial matters, extraordinarily asked about who her daughter had brought back from the pce, and even mentioned apanying Madam Li to visit the private residence.

    Madam Li didn''t think much of it, and she was also curious about why her daughter would take such a big risk to bring someone back from the pce.

    What was this person''s rtionship with her daughter?

    Was it worth her daughter taking such a risk to help her escape the pce?

    When the couple arrived at the private residence and saw that the person their daughter had risked her life to secretly bring out of the pce was just an olddy, they were both bewildered.

    Were there such old pce maids in the pce?

    Lord Li stared at the olddy in front of him, suddenly lost in thought.

    "Whom did you serve before?" Lord Li asked casually.

    Consort Li had anticipated that someone might ask questions, so she had already told Grandma Gu how to answer.

    However, she overlooked one detail.

    That is, the concept of hierarchy was ingrained in their bones, with every move representing humility. Grandma Gu,ing from the future, even if she tried to imitate, without living in ancient times for several years or even more than a decade, would seem out of ce in some subtle differences.

    Lord Li noticed these anomalies, and thinking about the connections they had worked so hard to establish, yet their daughter used them to send an olddy out of the city, it was very unusual.

    With just a little thought, Lord Li immediately realized a possibility: the person in front of him was Gu Sang''s grandmother!

    Looking at the unexpected fortune before him, Lord Li''s heart began to race with excitement!

    If he handed over Gu Sang''s grandmother to the Emperor, he would regain the Emperor''s trust, and perhaps the Emperor would be so pleased that he might even restore his daughter''s position as a consort!

    Perhaps it was Lord Li''s intense gaze that made Grandma Gu feel wary.

    She wanted to escape, but there were at least a dozen strong men loading and unloading goods in the private residence. How could she flee?

    Even if she managed to escape at the cost of her life, this was the capital!

    This was the Emperor''s territory; escaping would still mean death.

    Realizing this, Grandma Gu could only resign herself to fate. She could only discreetly take a gamble.

    She was betting that the Li family were kind people!

    However, Grandma Gu bet wrong!

    After guessing her identity, Lord Li immediately had her tied up.

    "You are Gu Sang''s grandmother, aren''t you?"

    Grandma Gu remained silent.

    Lord Li, however,ughed heartily: "Grandma Gu, please don''t me me. It''s just that Imperial Consort Gu has been missing you for a long time. I''m merely sending you to see her."

    Grandma Gu stared at Lord Li with contempt, feeling that Consort Li didn''t deserve such a father who disregarded his daughter''s life.

    If it were her, and she learned that Sang Sang was being tortured to the point of preferring death, she would definitely grab a knife and go fight that person to the death.

    Not turn a blind eye to it, focusing solely on pleasing that person, waiting for him to mercifully release her daughter.

    "Someone like you doesn''t deserve to be a father."

    Hearing these words, Lord Li didn''t get angry. Instead, he said:

    "I''m thinking of my daughter''s best interests. She made a mistake and caused big trouble."

    "Fortunately, the Emperor didn''t consider implicating the family, only lowering her rank."

    "Once I deliver you to the Emperor, he''ll be pleased and will re-appoint her. She''ll once again be a prominent consort in the pce."

    "An outsider like you couldn''t understand my good intentions."

    "Pah!" Grandma Gu spat, the salivanding on the face of Lord Li, who was earnestly making excuses for himself.

 Chapter 226: Traitor

    <h4>Chapter 226</h4>

    Upon seeing the situation, Madam Li hurriedly wiped her husband''s mouth with a handkerchief.

    "My lord, will our daughter be alright?"

    Lord Li reassuringly patted Madam Li.

    "Don''t worry. Finding Noble Consort Gu''s grandmother is a great achievement. The emperor will reward us."

    Madam Li, who had been listening to the conversation, immediately pleaded with Grandma Gu after hearing her husband''s words.

    "Grandma Gu, every time Noble Consort Gu mentioned you during her live broadcasts, she always smiled with loving nostalgia."

    "I believe you truly love Noble Consort Gu from the bottom of your heart."

    "Therefore, I beg you to believe me, too. Help me. I cannot bear to see my daughter - who I carried for ten months - suffer."

    "My daughter risks her life to escort you out. This matter will inevitably be exposed in the future. Once the emperor finds out about it, it will spell death for our Li family and involve nine generations."

    "We cannot change our destiny or live in the future, so we must survive here, under the shadow of the imperial power."

    "Given a choice, I would prefer my daughter to be confined in the pce for her entire life rather than suffer a gruesome death."

    "Grandma Gu, can you understand my feelings?"

    Grandma Gu wanted to refute, but she knew the harsh realities of ancient times.

    She could feel that thisdy truly loved her daughter.

    Her only wish was to protect her daughter!

    She did not wish death upon her daughter, rather, she longed for her to stay alive.

    Life is but a few short decades, it''s better to scrape through than to die. At least, this gives us the parents some hope.

    Seeing that Grandma Gu remained silent, Madam Li pled passionately with reason and emotion.

    "Grandma Gu, given the emperor''s affection for Noble Consort Gu, he will not mistreat you. On the contrary, if he discovers my daughter, he will definitely torture her mercilessly."

    "As long as you are by the emperor''s side, he will find a way to get in touch with Noble Consort Gu, and then you can meet her again!"

    "I beg you, just help me this one time. If you or Noble Consort Gu ever encounter difficulties, I will certainly help you!"

    Considering how Consort Li cared for her wholeheartedly over the past few days, Grandma Gu eventually couldn''t bear to be so unfeeling.

    It wasn''t that she was too maternal, but she had been tied up and she couldn''t escape.

    Since it was destined that she would be presented before Pei Changying, then she might as well help the Li family: to repay Consort Li''s kindness.

    "Alright, I promise you."

    Grandma Gu agreed to keep the secret about Consort Li''s escape from the pce.

    "Thank you! If you or Noble Consort Gu ever need help, I will do everything I can to assist!"

    Madam Li solemnly promised.

    Soon after, Lord Li personally escorted Grandma Gu to meet the Emperor in South City. He brought dozens of servants and surrounded the carriage to prevent any chance of escape.

    They hadn''t been on the road for long when they crossed paths with the pce guards who were rushing back to the pce.

    Seeing this, Lord Li promptly shouted:

    "Emperor, Emperor!"

    "I have brought Noble Consort Gu''s grandmother to you!"

    Whoosh!

    The carriage immediately came to a halt.

    As Emperor Pei Changying''s carriage came to a halt, Lord Li quickly alighted his own and went over.

    When he got within two meters to the carriage, the wary gaze of the royal guards stopped him in his tracks, and he respectfully called out:

    "Your Majesty, after tireless searching and inquiries, I found her atst: Grandma Gu!"

    Pei Changying pulled back the curtain, his face expressionless.

    Clearly.

    Pei Changying wasn¡¯t hopeful: "Bring her here."

    Lord Li quickly signaled his servants to bring Grandma Gu in.

    Upon seeing the woman who bore a resemnce to Grandma Gu, Pei Changying furrowed his brows.

    Before he had a chance to get angry, he heard Lord Li stating:

    "Your Majesty, she''s disguised with makeup. It took a great effort to find her."

    "I stake my life on it. This old woman is indeed Grandma Gu!"

    Having said that, Lord Li instructed his servants to fetch a pot of water, wet a handkerchief and wiped Grandma Gu¡¯s face.

    The makeup on Grandma Gu''s face, applied by Consort Li to help her sneak out of the pce, disguised her a bit. However, upon careful examination, she still resembled the way she looked without makeup on.

    Now, with all the cosmetics wiped clean, Grandma Gu''s original appearance was revealed in full.

    Pei Changying''s eyes narrowed in shock.

    She was identical!

    Her lookalike that he had seen previously required makeup to resemble Grandma Gu by just ny percent. Yet, this one didn¡¯t need any makeup and still looked exactly like her.

    Could it be......Could this be the real one?

    "Are you really Grandma Gu?"

    Pei Changying, unable to believe, fixed his gaze on the old woman, seeking more proof from her face.

    Grandma Gu, in return, stared back at Pei Changeying for a moment before responding defiantly:

    "Isn''t that question obvious? If I deny it, will you let me go?"

    Lord Li drew a sharp breath in surprise as he stared at Grandma Gu.

    She was speaking to the Emperor, who held power over life and death! How dare she speak to him in such a manner?

    However, to his surprise, Pei Changying didn''t get angry but continued in a mild tone:

    "She does capture some aspects of Gu Sang''s character."

    "Where have you been all this while? Gu Sang has been looking for you everywhere."

    Hearing this, Lord Li¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    Praying under his breath, he wished she wouldn¡¯t let slip anything regarding the Li family.

    If Emperor Pei Changying were to find out that Grandma Gu had been kept hidden in the pce by his daughter, it would be regarded as treason.

    Thankfully, Grandma Gu wasn''t one to be baited and ignored Pei Changyingpletely.

    But the more she ignored Pei Changying, the more he was certain that indeed, this was Gu Sang''s grandma!

    It was real, not fake!

    Hahaha!

    So, all those words from Pei Weiqi were untrue.

    As expected, fate was on his side. He did find Grandma Gu!

    "Back to South City!"

    Pei Changying instantly ordered a return to South City.

    South City was going to be saved this time!

    At the moment, at South City,

    Imperial forces were in retreat, with Elder Princess leading the charge, spearheading the invasion into the city.

    Elder Princess, bow and arrow in hand, surveying all directions, killed off anyone who aimed a hidden arrow at her kin.

    "Drop your weapons!"

    "Spare those who surrender!"

    The armies led by Zhou Qichen and General Qin were almost in control of the entire battlefield, and they started to call out to those soldiers who were still resisting.

    Some of the soldiers began to waver.

    They gradually began toy down their weapons.

    However, at that moment, an unexpected incident took ce¡ª

    From the far-off distance, dust clouds were billowing as a horse carriage sped onto the battlefield at an incredible pace.

    Seeing pce guards driving ahead of the carriage, there was no doubt about the identity of the person inside the carriage¡ªPei Changying!

    The Elder Princess had her arrow on the string, just waiting for Pei Changying to reveal himself and then she will shoot and kill him.

    "Rebels! Lay down your weapons and retreat!"

    The guard stopped the carriage about fifty meters away, and yelled towards the ongoing battle.

    After the carriage came to a halt, the person inside didn''te out, but continued to shout through his guards, ¡°Pei Weiqi, Heaven has always been on my side.¡±

 Chapter 227: Is it true

    <h4>Chapter 227</h4>

    After the guard shouted, the curtain of the carriage was opened from inside.

    First, what greeted the eyes was the sinister and triumphant face of Pei Changying, followed by a resilient yet aged face, appearing in the same carriage with Pei Changying.

    Upon seeing Grandma Gu, the hand of the Elder Princess trembled slightly.

    She had an ominous premonition, an indescribable panic. She calmly said to Pei Changying, "Your tricks have been used once, and they won''t work on me this time!"

    Pei Changyingughed heartily.

    This time.

    He was full of confidence, calmly telling Grandma Gu, "Look, the friend your granddaughter trusts is right in front. See, she doesn''t care about your death."

    "Your granddaughter has helped her so much, yet she disregards even your life."

    "Go tell her, you are Grandma Gu."

    Grandma Gu pursed her lips and did not speak.

    During this period, she had heard about ancient events. How many women were saved from dire situations due to live broadcasting! They lived like a person due to the Elder Princess!

    Sess was imminent.

    How could she drag her granddaughter and this war down!

    Seeing that Grandma Gu was unmoved, Pei Changying lost patience. He drew out a dagger he carried with him, and stabbed Grandma Gu''s arm.

    ¡°Ah!!!¡±

    Caught off guard, Grandma Gu cried out in pain.

    But soon, she covered her scream with a hand soaked in blood, staring at Pei Changying with her wrinkled eyes.

    She grimly stated, "When Gu Sang helped you, protected you, and supported you, you discarded her, betrayed her, and toyed with her. You are harsh and indifferent to women. What difference does it make if the world is in your hands or if it is destroyed!"

    "Born as human beings, yet suppressed over and over again by people like you in power, we have be objectified and degraded!"

    "It''s truly sad!"

    "I did not yield when facing the invading demons. Facing you, I fear even less. If you dare, kill me. My granddaughter will avenge me."

    The spirit demonstrated by Grandma Gu made Pei Changying''s chest almost explode.

    Pei Changying red at Grandma Gu fiercely, but in the end, swallowed his anger, not continuing to harm Grandma Gu any further. Instead, he looked towards the distant Elder Princess.

    Through the great distance, the Elder Princess vaguely heard Grandma Gu''s righteous words.

    At this moment, she felt a mixed bag of emotions, after hesitating, she shouted towards the carriage;

    "@#£¤%......"

    This was the dialect from Grandma Gu''s ce.

    It was what Gu Sang specifically taught her beforeing to the ancient times, to converse and connect with Grandma Gu.

    And upon hearing this, Grandma Gu''s eyes clearly lit up as if she understood something. Holding her arm, she rewarded the Elder Princess with a satisfied look: "@#£¤%......"

    At this point, the Elder Princess believed that the woman before her was indeed her grandma.

    Her true grandmother had actually been found by Pei Changying!

    She was always one step toote.

    Could it really be destiny?

    The Elder Princess looked up at the sky, a sense of helplessness welled up in her heart.

    "Hahaha, Pei Weiqi, have you tested if she¡¯s real or fake yet?! I told you long before, women belong solely in the courtyards!"

    ¡°You dare to dream of challenging my position?¡±

    ¡°Leave South City immediately, or else¡ª¡±

    With grandma Gu held firmly in one hand and a dagger pressed against her neck in the other, Pei Changying threatened.

    Any slight movement and the sharp de would slit Grandma Gu''s skin.

    Yet the olddy frowned, gesturing subtly to the Elder Princess, indicating that her own life was of no consequence.

    The entire army fell silent.

    Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, the Elder Princess said, ¡°Pei Changying, I can withdraw from South City, but you must let her go. That¡¯s the deal!¡±

    Sheid down her bow and arrow, ordering her army to cease fighting, offering a deal to Pei Changying.

    Unafraid, Pei Changying put on the squeeze: "Oh, you want to renegotiate? Well then, surrender, return the gued City to me.¡±

    ¡°Return everything to me. The Sweet Potatoes, the Potatoes, and the Cannon.¡±

    ¡°All that Gu Sang had given you, return them to me! Then I¡¯ll consider the exchange!¡±

    "Pei Changying, you are utterly shameless! You bring shame to our ancestors with your reign." Aggravated, Zhou Qichen couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, he rudely cursed Pei Changying.

    General Qin was profoundly shocked as he stared at Pei Changying.

    Who would have ever thought?

    This was the kind of man they had followed!

    Moments ago, he was proiming his deep love for Miss Gu.

    The next moment, he was using Grandma Gu to threaten a cease-fire.

    Pei Changying red at Zhou Qichen resentfully in anger. Just wait, when he was done dealing with that wretched woman Pei Weiqi..

    He would severely punish Zhou Qichen, General Qin and the rest, one by one.

    The Elder Princess coldly responded: ¡°I can retreat first! But let¡¯s be clear, the gued City is what I worked hard to build, I won¡¯t just give it to you.¡±

    ¡°The Sweet Potatoes, the Cannon, they were hard-won by our soldiers who worked day and night to develop them, they have nothing to do with you.¡±

    ¡°Other than that, we can discuss regarding the city.¡±

    ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean you can demand recklessly, I¡¯ll give you five days to think it over.¡±

    ¡°If we can¡¯t reach an agreement after five days, there¡¯s no point in talking any further!¡±

    In the end, the Elder Princess made her decision.,manding her troops to retreat without arguging, giving up South City which they were about to seize.

    She knew.

    Grandma Gu was all the support and hope Gu Sang had!

    She was Gu Sang¡¯s primary duty when fulfilling tasks.

    If she were to die here... The Elder Princess didn¡¯t dare gamble, she didn¡¯t dare gamble on Pei Changying possessing a soft heart!

    Seeing the Elder Princess retreat, Pei Changying immediately ordered his servants to tidy up the mansion and ensure he and Grandma Gu could live there.

    "Grandma Gu, no harm intended, I didn''t really want to stab you."

    "I have already been very careful to avoid the vital parts."

    "You will understand me, won''t you?" Pei Changying kindly exined to Grandma Gu, and immediately let his guards summon the local Physician, to treat Grandma Gu¡¯s injuries.

    After merely an hour of theirpany together, Grandma Gu had seen Pei Changying for who he truly was.

    Selfishly indifferent, always ying the saint.

    She doesn¡¯t hesitate to use any means necessary just to achieve her goals.

    The reason why Pei Changying is so amiable and approachable to her right now is only because she still has value to him - polite words are nothing but a ploy.

    If therees a day where she is no longer of use, she would be discarded like a worn-out shoe.

    Grandma Gu isn¡¯t particrly stubborn. She calmly epts the good graces shown by Pei Changying, allowing the doctor he''s summoned to dress her wound.

    After all, an untreated wound is painful!

    Anger, resentment: these are valid feelings, but at the end of the day, the body is her own, and so is the pain. Others cannot feel it for her.

    The meals sent by Pei Changying are quietly eaten by Grandma Gu, not letting her disgust with this man affect her appetite.

    Starvation only ends up hurting oneself. Why bother?

 Chapter 228: Gu Sang is back

    <h4>Chapter 228</h4>

    Upon hearing the report about Grandma Gu, a shock went through Pei Changying''s heart: "Are modern people...all so mentally strong?"

    "She is not refusing food, silent and calm."

    True enough, like grandmother, like granddaughter, they both remain calm in face of adversity!

    Pei Changying hasn''t forgotten, when Gu Sang was captured and held in a cer, in such a dangerous ce, she could keep herposure, observe her surroundings, and look for opportunities to escape.

    And Gu Sang''s grandmother acted simrly, neither creating a fuss nor rejecting medical treatment.

    This anomaly left Pei Changying restless, hardly eating or sleeping.

    At midnight, Zhou Qichen led a special forces squad to sneak back into South City, with General Qin personally selecting elite soldiers to wait for their signal outside the city.

    Because of her worry, the Elder Princess also joined the special forces squad, sneaking into the city in an attempt to rescue Grandma Gu.

    South City was vast, and everyone had to act separately.

    The Elder Princess took a risk and infiltrated Pei Changying''s mansion with the intention of using the night as her cover.

    Two maids were approaching from the front garden, and the Elder Princess immediately hid in the darkness.

    "That olddy has a pretty good temper. I thought she would give me a hard time when I brought in the meals. I was prepared for a beating."

    "But she didn''t get angry or scold me, nothing was thrown at me, she even ate all the food."

    "Yes, the olddy seems to have a kind heart, she wouldn''t trouble us servants."

    "Sigh... I finally understand, people living in the future are really different, they are so nice." Said the other maid.

    As the maids drifted further away, Elder Princess emerged from the shadows and quickly followed them.

    This mission...

    Elder Princess did note prepared for the worst, but specifically to confront the worst oue.

    The timely arrival of these two people here clearly showed Pei Changying''s premeditation. The Elder Princess immediately followed one of the maids, knocked her unconscious.

    "Where is the olddy brought here today staying? Take me to her!" The Elder Princess pressed a dagger to the maid''s waist, the de gleaming coldly.

    The maid was too scared to scream.

    "I will take you there, please don''t kill me."

    The Elder Princess followed this reluctant guide.

    They had a smooth journey to the room where Grandma Gu was detained. A hint of mockery shed through the Elder Princess''s mind - such an obvious plot was certainly Pei Changying¡¯s doing!

    But what a shame...

    She was there to deliver a head that day.

    There was no more poker to y!

    How could she easily take Grandma Gu away without risking her own life!

    The Elder Princess cleared her mind, knocked the maid out, and slowly entered the room.

    "Grandma Gu."

    There were no lights on in the room, and through the moonlight from outside, you could vaguely see someone sleeping on the bed.

    The Elder Princess walked over quickly, reaching out to touch Grandma Gu.

    Ah!

    The Elder Princess looked surprised!

    Just as she reached out to touch Grandma Gu''s shoulder, she suddenly felt a prick in her hand, and her strength began to drain rapidly.

    Oh no!

    She¡¯d fallen right into the trap!

    The Elder Princess immediately turned to run, but it was already toote!

    "March! March! March!"

    The soldiers surrounded the entire room, leaving no room for escape.

    Guarded by his attendants, Pei Changying stood by the door of the room, mockingly replying to the Elder Princess, "Pei Weiqi! How you truly value loyalty and sentiment!"

    "Desiring to rescue Madame Gu Sang, hmm, you all took advantage of the loopholest night and saw through the decoy."

    "Do you think I will make the same mistake again? Allowing you to rescue her tonight?"

    "It is my ignorance that underestimated you, the continuous victories made me arrogant!"

    The Elder Princess leaned against the carved bed rail, all her strength gone. She could only tightly clutch the railing behind her to prevent her from falling.

    Her eyes were downcast, her thoughts unknown.

    "I''ve always said, I am the true son chosen by Heaven, even Heaven would stand by my side!"

    "Arrest her!" Pei Changying proudly proimed his victory, ordering his soldiers to seize the Elder Princess.

    At the same time, the military ambush within the citymences its operation.

    Upon discovering the ambush, Zhou Qichen and his party swiftly retreated.

    Pei Changying, fearing dys which may lead to problems, realized it was no longer safe for Nuangongzhu and Gu Sang to remain in South City.

    Crazy Zhou Qichen would undoubtedly assault South City like a madman.

    Hence, after capturing the Elder Princess, Pei Changying returned to the pce overnight.

    Upon his return to the pce, Pei Changying''s informant quickly reported Consort Li''s actions.

    Learning that Consort Li had secretly sent out Madame Gu Sang behind his back, Pei Changying let out cold, contemptuousughter. It wasden with irony and disdain.

    Gu Sang, Gu Sang.

    You are truly favored by fortune!

    All these women are helping you?

    Coldly, Pei Changying articted six chilling words.

    "Consort Li,mit suicide!"

    The eunuch brought poisoned wine to Xuyang Pce.

    Imperiously, the eunuch proimed, "Consort Li, His Majesty is kind and orders you to end your life. Please express your gratitude."

    Consort Li had no knowledge of Madame Gu Sang being handed over to the Emperor by her family. She had been constantly locked up in Xuyang Pce and waspletely oblivious to the outside world.

    Wasn¡¯t His Majesty supposed to torture her mother forever?

    Why would he suddenly let her go?

    Could it be....no, it couldn''t be. After all, that was her maternal tribe, her own biological father, how could they harm her this way?

    Under the eunuch¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, Consort Li knew she had no choice.

    She had to kneel in humiliation, expressing gratitude with ten thousand reluctances.

    "This servant...thanks His Majesty for his great mercy. Long live, long live, forever long live His Majesty!"

    She still had parents, she still had her tribe, all she could do was to thank him!

    Thankful that His Majesty had not annihted her entire family!

    While holding the poisoned wine, Consort Li murmured to herself, closing her eyes, "Madame, you must get out, you must find Miss Gu Sang."

    "What a pity, I won''t be able to witness with my own eyes the dethroning of Pei Changying. I hope everything goes well for you."

    "What I would give to be reincarnated in a future life."

    But s.

    One shouldn''t be too greedy.

    Consort Li let out a bitter, deste smile, draining the cup.

    Seeing that Consort Li had finished the poisoned wine, the eunuch left.

    The effects of the poison were exceptionally violent. Consort Li felt as if her organs were being wrenched in pain, as though someone was twisting her guts.

    Then, as if being cut by a knife piece by piece, and then feeling like ants gnawing all over her body.

    Consort Li rolled on the ground in agony, tears mixed with blood streaming down her face.

    "Bang!"

    A sudden noise rang out.

    What sound?

    Looking at the figure suddenly appearing in front of her, Consort Li widened her eyes. She forced them open, thinking she was hallucinating from the pain.

    "Gu Sang?"

    "Hehe.......pfft......thest thing I see before I die is you? Do I long to be like you so much?"

    "I really know how to dream, such a beautiful dream....."

    Only when she was embraced by a warm body, did Consort Li manage to regain some sanity through the pain.

    It''s her!

    It''s Gu Sang!

    Did she reallye back?!

 Chapter 229: Lady Li Died

    <h4>Chapter 229</h4>

    "Consort Li, did you drink poison?"

    Gu Sang immediately ced Consort Li on herp, calmly reaching for her backpack to find an antidote from the supplies she always carried.

    In modern times, she could have rushed her to a hospital for stomach pumping or induced vomiting. But in ancient times, there was no such equipment.

    "Don''t bother searching, don''t save me. If I die, I''ll finally be free."

    "Miss Gu, *cough cough*... your grandmother arrived here recently, appearing in Xuyang Pce. I secretly helped her escape the pce."

    "You can look for her in gue Cityter. It should... should have worked... but I''m not certain. I handed your grandmother over to my nsmen, so I don''t know if they seeded..."

    Gu Sang''s pupils constricted. Her guess had been correct after all.

    Her grandmother really had been sent here by the system!

    Was it because she had failed her mission and died here, so her grandmother''s revival happened here too?

    Gu Sang gazed withplex emotions at the person lying in her arms, blood flowing from seven orifices. Knowing she couldn''t be saved, Gu Sang stopped trying.

    "I''m sorry, this isn''t the future. You''ve been poisoned for too long, I truly have no way to save you."

    "Thank you for helping my grandmother escape!"

    "Why did you help me?"

    Gu Sang''s impression of Consort Li was still stuck on the scenes of Pei Changying tormenting her. She had barely exchanged any words with Consort Li.

    Yet Consort Li had taken such a great risk to help her grandmother escape the pce.

    Consort Li opened her mouth wide, wanting to say so much. She wanted to say it was because Gu Sang had once spoken up to save her when Pei Changying was torturing her.

    She wanted to say it was because she admired Gu Sang so much.

    She wanted to say thank you to Gu Sang for giving ancient women a bit of human dignity, letting them know that women weren''t just objects, but people.

    But as her vision gradually faded to darkness, Consort Li knew she had little time left. She could only use her final moments to speak herst words.

    "Because I hate Pei Changying!"

    "I despise this era where men are superior and women inferior... I''m not worthless, Sister Gu, I''m not. If given a chance to live as a human, I don''t want to be a decorative flower, I want to live with dignity."

    "Even if, even if it means being a very ordinary person..."

    "My mother once told me that a woman''s entire life is meant for serving her husband and raising children. I thought, I thought that was just how women were supposed to be."

    "I didn''t know that in a far, far away ce, there''s a world called modern times, where women can go to school, do business, walk freely on the streets, have physical contact with men. They''re so free and radiant. But once I saw it, I couldn''t resign myself anymore. I can''t bear to be trapped in this harem..."

    "Unfortunately, I won''t live to see the day he loses his position, nor the day of gender equality. Miss Gu, when the Elder Princess ascends to the throne, you... you must tell me."

    Gu Sang gripped Consort Li''s hand tightly, her eyes reddening involuntarily. She nodded, promising firmly, "I will!"

    "Don''t worry, he''ll lose his position soon!"

    "Before he dies, I''ll definitely make him kneel at your grave and apologize!"

    Consort Li''s lips curled into a smile. She wanted to say "good." But therge amount of blood spilling from her mouth prevented her from speaking. With Gu Sang''s promise, Consort Li closed her eyes with a smile.

    She thought.

    Unable to see the day Pei Changying stepped down.

    But she had seen Gu Sang.

    That was good enough.

    That was good enough.

    Gu Sang looked at Consort Li, who had died painfully with blood flowing from seven orifices. She was about to take out a tissue from her bag to wipe the blood from her face.

    At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside.

    Gu Sang ced Consort Li on the ground, grabbed her backpack, and quickly slid under the bed.

    The door to the room opened, and Consort Li''s body was carried out to be dealt with.

    Soon, the room was cleaned up, leaving no trace that someone had just died there moments ago.

    After Xuyang Pce returned to silence, Gu Sang finally spoke to contact the system.

    "System, help me locate my grandmother."

    ?Ding!?

    ?Searching!?

    ?Error disyed!?

    ?This person cannot be found!?

    ?Error! Error!?

    Hearing the system continuously prompt errors, Gu Sang pinched her brow and spoke to stop the system.

    "Alright, no need to search anymore."

    She had already arrived in ancient times, and live streaming-rted matters were temporarily shut down. She couldn''t contact the Elder Princess through a connection.

    But since Consort Li said her grandmother had been sent out of the pce, she could only meet up with the Elder Princess first.

    The imperial pce was heavily guarded. She needed to find a set of clothes and a token to leave the pce.

    The backpack was too conspicuous a target, so she left it under the bed and only took the electric baton for self-defense.

    Xuyang Pce, uninhabited, seemed extremely eerie in the night atmosphere.

    Adding to that the recent death, the room was filled with a mixture of incense and the smell of blood, making one''s back inexplicably cold.

    After leaving Xuyang Pce, Gu Sang hid in the dark shadows, randomly knocking out a passing pce maid, changing into her clothes, and taking her token.

    Then, Gu Sang returned to Xuyang Pce, retrieved her backpack, and walked carefully in the shadows of the pce walls, avoiding crowded ces.

    Even if it meant taking a longer route, Gu Sang absolutely wouldn''t risk going to ces where she might encounter patrolling guards.

    Although the detour took longer, she managed to reach the Cold Pce courtyard without incident.

    Gu Sang knew the imperial pce was surrounded by water on three sides, and outside the Cold Pce was a river formed by several converging streams.

    The river current was swift and the channel wide. Unless one was a professional athlete, it would be impossible to swim to the shore.

    It was very likely one would die from exhaustion in the water.

    So, Gu Sang hadn''t nned on escaping from the Cold Pce.

    However, her backpack was toorge and obvious a target, but the system-provided backpack had one advantage - it was waterproof!

    Upon learning of this feature, Gu Sang immediately thought of using the water current to send the backpack outside.

    When dawn broke, she could then use her current identity to leave.

    Gu Sang only kept the electric baton for self-defense, putting everything else in the backpack. She reached out and threw it forcefully outside.

    A "whoosh" sound cut through the air.

    Immediately after, a man''s voice, suppressed to an extremely low volume, was heard.

    "There''s an ambush!!!"

    Gu Sang was startled. Who could be outside in the dead of night?

    However, before she could react, another whoosh was heard as a figure quickly leaped in from outside.

    Before evennding, while still in mid-air, he had drawn his sword, seemingly intending to kill Gu Sang swiftly.

    Gu Sang''s sensitivity to danger was extremely high. Sensing the killing intent from this person, she immediately dodged to the side, barely avoiding his attack.

    But it wasn''t over. Gu Sang wasn''t one to show mercy either. She quickly stepped forward, swinging the electric baton at the person and pressing the switch.

    "Bzzt bzzt bzzt~"

    The massive electric current instantly left the person dazed and confused.

 Chapter 230: Encounter with Zhou Qichen

    <h4>Chapter 230</h4>

    "Swish, swish, swish!"

    In the blink of an eye, more than ten people leaped in from outside.

    Faced with the sudden appearance of so many people of unknown allegiance, Gu Sang remained calm andposed.

    However, before she could begin to attack, someone unexpectedly spoke up.

    "Miss Gu? Are you Miss Gu?"

    Huh? It was a woman''s voice?

    Gu Sang cautiously looked towards the speaker, only to see her remove the ck veil covering her face.

    "Miss Gu, you might not know me, I''m¡ª"

    "Ge Qing!"

    Gu Sang called out her name urately.

    Ge Qing was the captain of the female guard squad, a brave and outstanding person. Thest time, Gu Sang had hidden behind a screen and followed Zhou Qichen, witnessing Ge Qing calmly stitching up wounds on soldiers'' faces.

    So, although she had never spoken to Ge Qing, she had left a deep impression on Gu Sang.

    Ge Qing''s eyes suddenly lit up when she heard that Gu Sang knew her.

    "Miss Gu, you... you actually know me."

    Seeing that they were the Elder Princess''s people, Gu Sang turned off her electric baton.

    "Yes, you performed very well. I was fortunate enough to witness you saving people. Very impressive."

    After thepliment, Gu Sang changed the subject, asking with confusion, "What are you doing sneaking into the Imperial Pce in the middle of the night?"

    Ge Qing pressed her lips together and said, "Miss Gu, Grandmother Gu has been found by the dog emperor. Just as we were about to sessfully storm the city, he used her to threaten the Elder Princess to withdraw the troops."

    "When the Elder Princess riskeding to rescue her at night, she fell into an ambush. We followed the traces left by the Elder Princess toe here and save them."

    Gu Sang was shocked, but she couldn''t show it on her face.

    Captured by Pei Changying?

    Wasn''t Consort Li supposed to have sent her to Li...

    She understood now.

    They had been betrayed!

    Gu Sang''s brow twitched, unable to imagine how disappointed Consort Li would be if she were still alive and learned of this news. "The Elder Princess has also been brought to the Imperial Pce? So you''re here to rescue them?"

    "Then count me in. With me here, you''ll have a better chance!"

    Everyone around looked at Gu Sang with sparkling, admiring eyes. "Yes! With Miss Gu being so capable, we''ll definitely be able to rescue Grandmother Gu and the Elder Princess."

    Gu Sang turned her head to look outside and asked, "Did youe by lifeboat?"

    Ge Qing nodded, "Miss Gu is so smart. We were at General Zhou''s... Oh, General Zhou..."

    "Swish, swish, swish¡ª"

    All eyes swept to the ground!

    It was only then that everyone remembered Zhou Qichen was still lying on the ground.

    Gu Sang also realized that the person she had stunned earlier was actually Zhou Qichen.

    Fortunately, Zhou Qichen soon regained consciousness, and Gu Sang learned roughly what had happened from Ge Qing''s exnation.

    Immediately, Gu Sang joined them in infiltrating the Imperial Pce.

    After all, Gu Sang had lived in the Imperial Pce for a while and was quite familiar with itsyout.

    Under Gu Sang''s guidance, and with the special marks left by the Elder Princess, the group quickly found the badly injured Elder Princess in the Imperial prison.

    "Sang Sang?" Despite her weak voice, the Elder Princess''s surprise was evident.

    "Don''t worry, I''m here!" Gu Sang reassured her.

    The Elder Princess raised her eyes tiredly, saying apologetically, "I''m sorry, I lost the gamble. Grandmother Gu is real, but Pei Changying didn''t give me a chance to make contact."

    "I thought by risking myself, I could pinpoint Grandmother Gu''s location."

    Gu Sang crouched down, taking out an anti-inmmatory medicine from her pocket and feeding it to the Elder Princess. She sighed, "Why go to such lengths for me? You''re too badly hurt. Rest well, leave the rest to me."

    The special forces Zhou Qichen brought were experts in stealth attacks, so the entire rescue operation was carried out silently, undetected by anyone.

    However, after searching the entire Imperial prison, they couldn''t find any trace of Grandmother Gu.

    How could they search such a vast Imperial Pce?

    Pei Changying was using Grandmother Gu as a protective charm, so he must have hidden her well. Unless they dug three feet into the ground...

    Zhou Qichen asked with a worried expression, "Sang Sang, what should we do now? Should I have a few people escort the Elder Princess out first, while I apany you to continue searching?"

    But Gu Sang calmly analyzed, "No need, let''s leave first!"

    "Soldiers patrol here at regr intervals. If they discover the Elder Princess is missing, we''ll be exposed!"

    "Let''s go, we''re leaving now."

    Zhou Qichen asked reluctantly, "What about Grandmother?"

    Gu Sang''s response was very rational, "Pei Changying is already using my grandmother as a shield. If he has any brains, he won''t easily harm her."

    "And he doesn''t know I''ve alreadye to the ancient times. Let''s go back and make ns."

    Gu Sang''s steps were quick, and as she spoke, she had already walked out of the Imperial prison.

    Seeing the cold and calm demeanor of the woman''s back, Zhou Qichenughed bitterly in his heart, his eyes bing somewhat dazed.

    "Sang Sang, you''re too rational!"

    "So rational that it scares me!"

    "So rational that it makes me want to retreat!"

    At this moment, Zhou Qichen suddenly realized that he and Gu Sang might not be the same type of person. He had always admired Gu Sang''s intelligence and wisdom.

    But at the same time, he found her near-cold detachment terrifying.

    How could someone be so rational, so rational that they didn''t seem like a normal person?

    She never stayed for anyone. In her world, love only upied a tiny, tiny part, and the rest was all about herself.

    Zhou Qichen quickly caught up with Gu Sang''s steps. Under her guidance, they returned to the Pce of Exile even faster than they hade.

    Just as they arrived at the Pce of Exile, they heard shouts from afar.

    The night patrol soldiers had discovered the Elder Princess was missing!

    "Quick, report to the Emperor."

    "The Elder Princess has escaped!"

    "......"

    Outside, there was a lifeboat waiting. The group quickly got the Elder Princess aboard and then rowed towards the distance.

    On the lifeboat, everyone took off their night clothes, revealingmoner''s clothing underneath. Only Gu Sang was still wearing pce maid attire.

    As dawn broke, the group came ashore. Zhou Qichen took the lead in puncturing and destroying the lifeboat on the spot.

    Then, under Zhou Qichen''s guidance, they arrived at a two-courtyard house wheremoners lived.

    "There are clothes inside. Gu Sang, you go in and change first."

    "We''ve already bought this ce, so it won''t be searched for now."

    Gu Sang went into the room to change clothes and came out. The Elder Princess had already been helped to bed by Ge Qing to rest.

    Looking at the various wounds on the Elder Princess''s body, Gu Sang first checked her temperature, then took out Yunnan Baiyao, medical alcohol, and other medicines from her backpack.

    "I have medicines from the future here."

    After teaching Ge Qing how to use these medicines, Gu Sang went out to talk with Zhou Qichen.

    "You must leave here as soon as possible. It''s not safe here, and it will eventually be searched," Gu Sang said.

    Zhou Qichen nodded, "Yes, I''ve already contacted people. We can disguise ourselves as attendants and hide the Elder Princess in a carriage to leave."

    "You take the Elder Princess away first. I still have things to do in the capital," Gu Sang said.

 Chapter 231: Outside the Nation

    <h4>Chapter 231</h4>

    Zhou Qichen asked in surprise, "You''re not nning to go see your parents, are you?"

    The parents Zhou Qichen referred to were naturally Gu Sang''s parents from ancient times.

    Gu Sang shook her head, her eyes filled with indifference and coldness: "No."

    Gu Sang didn''t feel much sense of belonging to her parents from this era, and she dared not gamble on human nature, let alone bet on the affection of ancient parents for their daughters.

    A girl who has experienced true familial love...

    Would never be moved by small favors!

    The meager affection from the ancient Gu family was something she utterly disdained!

    If Gu Sang were to go to the Gu family, Pei Changying would likely receive the news as soon as she stepped foot in the Gu Mansion.

    "Do you need me to leave some helpers behind for you?" Zhou Qichen hesitated.

    "No need. I have weapons from the future. In this capital, if I want to leave, no one can stop me."

    Seeing Gu Sang speak so confidently, Zhou Qichen could only nod.

    Gu Sang went in to inform the Elder Princess, who didn''t ask about Gu Sang''s ns for staying here.

    She looked at Gu Sang with determined eyes and said:

    "If you encounter any danger, I will immediately send troops to rescue you!"

    "Alright," Gu Sang said, her red lips curving into a gentle smile.

    Gu Sang carried an electromaic pistol and an electric baton with her, leaving her backpack with the Elder Princess.

    After personally witnessing the Elder Princess and her people leave the capital, she then turned to attend to her own matters.

    -

    The Prime Minister returned home after court, only daring to sigh when no one was watching.

    It was truly a cmity.

    With the Elder Princess''s army at the city gates, this dynasty was likely doomed!

    "What has happened to make the Prime Minister so dispirited?"

    The sudden voice in the room startled the Prime Minister, but years of psychological training prevented him from crying out.

    When he realized it was Gu Sang sitting in the chair, the Prime Minister''s face showed an expression as if he had seen a ghost.

    "M-M-Miss Gu?!"

    "It''s me, Prime Minister. Long time no see!"

    Gu Sang greeted him with a smile, pouring herself a cup of tea.

    The tea had gone cold, tasting bitter and astringent in her mouth.

    The Prime Minister looked at Gu Sang in astonishment, suddenly asking, "You! How are you in this era? You''ve returned? Did you help the Elder Princess escape?"

    Seeing Gu Sang nod, the Prime Minister asked again, "What brings you here at such great risk?"

    "It''s refreshing to talk to a clever person. I''m sure you''ve already guessed some of it, Prime Minister."

    "I''ve taken such a big risk toe find you, of course it''s to advise you that a wise bird chooses its tree!"

    "Heh." The Prime Minister''sugh was indescribable, neither mocking nor carrying any other emotion, just a low chuckle devoid of feeling.

    "I know that many of Pei Changying''s ideas came from you."

    "Without you, he wouldn''t be able to keep his throne stable."

    But so what?

    Did that mean he should betray the emperor because of it?

    Ridiculous!

    Although the Prime Minister didn''t say thetter part, Gu Sang could see it in his expression. She smiled and said, "Prime Minister, look, it''s been so long, can''t you see that Pei Changying is ipetent and cruel, not a wise ruler?"

    "I know what hurdle you can''t get over, but given the current situation, can''t you face reality?"

    "If he weren''t so ipetent, why would you sigh in disappointment upon returning home?"

    The Prime Minister didn''t rush to refute Gu Sang. He looked at her meaningfully and said:

    "Miss Gu''s eloquence has improved day by day, even more capable of stirring people''s hearts than before."

    "No wonder Zhou Qichen, General Qin, and the others were swayed by you to join the Elder Princess."

    Gu Sang countered, "Isn''t it because Pei Changying is ipetent?"

    The Prime Minister snorted but said nothing.

    As a subject, one could only obey orders.

    Gu Sang took the initiative to invite, "I suggest you find time to visit the gue City and see how the people are living."

    "I believe you are a person with ambition who truly cares for the country. You should know what choice is best for the nation!"

    gue City...

    There was no one in the Central ins who didn''t speak well of that ce.

    But the Prime Minister was still unwilling to admit it in his heart. When he heard the name, his expression changed slightly, and he began to dismiss his visitor.

    "This Prime Minister doesn''t want to hear your sophistry. Miss Gu, please return to wherever you came from."

    Gu Sang remained seated in the chair and suddenly asked, "Let me tell you about the history that happened in our time."

    "While the country was consumed by internal strife and closed off from the outside world, other countries had already undergone earth-shattering changes..."

    Gu Sang''s words were very straightforward, without much emotional embellishment.

    But the Prime Minister still heard in these words the humiliation of facing the Eight-Nation Alliance, the anger and helplessness when confronted with unequal treaties.

    Every word written in history wasposed of blood, tears, anger, and humiliation.

    For the first time, he directly faced the wheel of history rolling towards him, and he was just a speck of dust, only able to watch helplessly and angrily as everything unfolded.

    The history Gu Sang spoke of was from her era, and such humiliating history had not yet urred in the Prime Minister''s time.

    But this blood and tears made the Prime Minister feel a sense of trepidation.

    He knew that overseas, there was Fusang, there was Joseon...

    He had heard of these countries, although they were thousands of miles away. After hearing the history Gu Sang described, the Prime Minister began to worry: if overseas countries were to attack, could they resist?

    Would they repeat the history of another timeline?

    At this moment, the impregnable wall finally developed a tiny crack, which then grewrger andrger until it finally copsed with a thunderous crash.

    "Prime Minister, you only see the Central ins before your eyes, you only see a mere Pei Changying. You think the peace of the Central ins is true peace, you think the Elder Princess is a rebel. You refuse to admit defeat, refuse to help, stubbornly loyal to a fool with prejudice and bias."

    "But you''ve seen it, the Elder Princess has developed gunpowder, developed ammunition!"

    "Do you know if anyone else in the world beyond our borders has developed gunpowder even earlier?"

    "Is your choice really the right one? Do you know what other foreignnds beyond the Central ins are constantly progressing?"

    "To fall behind is to be enved!"

    "If you can''t take this step, your descendants, your subjects, thosemon people who know nothing, will sooner orter bear terrible consequences!"

    "..."

    Gu Sang''s words echoed in the Prime Minister''s ears like a spell.

    The Prime Minister closed his eyes slightly, his tone very light, as if he had used up a lifetime of strength to tell Gu Sang, "Miss Gu, I understand."

    At this moment, what echoed in his mind were the scenes of Gu Sang''s performance.

    That such misery had actually urred in history, how could it not make one feel angry?

    The strength of foreignnds.

    The humiliation of the people.

    Beyond our nation, there are other nations.

    The world is vast beyond measure.

    Tens of thousands of miles away, there might exist terrifying powerful countries. They might not have the ability to cross the ocean now, but one day...

 Chapter 232: Disbanding the Harem

    <h4>Chapter 232</h4>

    "With the Elder Princess here, your history will absolutely not repeat the history of our timeline!"

    "Those who sit on high should not be judged by gender. What does it matter if they''re male or female? Shouldn''t it be based on the ability of the strong?" Gu Sang stared silently at the Prime Minister.

    This gave the Prime Minister''s heart, which was nearly suffocating with sorrow, some room to breathe and feel ashamed.

    Perhaps that''s right.

    These thousands of years of thinking should change.

    How could their erapare to the strength, peace, equality, and coexistence of future generations? Perhaps it really should change...

    A sh of determination suddenly appeared in the Prime Minister''s eyes.

    He looked up, no longer conflicted: "Very well! You''re right, I''ll trust you this time!"

    "Great! I knew you would be fair and just."

    "Prime Minister, I''d like to ask for your help in investigating where my grandmother is being held captive by Pei Changying!"

    "Right now, Pei Changying doesn''t know that I''ve arrived here, so I''d also like to ask you to keep it a secret, and provide me with lodging if possible."

    Hearing Gu Sang''s requests, the Prime Minister nodded. Indecisiveness wasn''t his style.

    Since he had already decided to save the country''s fate and sided with the Elder Princess and Gu Sang, he would naturally provide full assistance.

    "With the Elder Princess''s escape, the city will be under strict surveince recently."

    "I''m afraid you''ll have to stay in my study."

    If at this time, an extra guest appeared in his house, it would arouse suspicion from his rival officials in the court.

    As for Gu Sang''s identity, naturally, it was best if only he knew about it, even keeping it from the servants.

    Faced with this arrangement, Gu Sang had no objections. As long as there was a ce to stay, it was fine.

    "Alright, thank you very much!"

    The Prime Minister waved his hand and sighed, "I just don''t want my country to experience such humiliation. Even though such things might happen after I''m long gone, just thinking about the possibility makes my heart as heavy as a mountain."

    "Moreover, I do indeed envy the strength and way of life of future generations."

    After saying this, the Prime Minister left the study, instructing the servants not to enter, and immediately went to the pce to help gather information about where Gu Sang''s grandmother was being held.

    Meanwhile, in the imperial pce.

    Gu Sang''s grandmother was imprisoned in the pce where Consort Li used to live. After finishing state affairs, Pei Changying would make time to chat with Gu Sang''s grandmother.

    Faced with Pei Changying''s attempts to please her, Gu Sang''s grandmother simply gave him the cold shoulder.

    After court sessions, Pei Changying had eunuchs bring two night pearls to Gu Sang''s grandmother. Even to get closer to her, the high and mighty emperor! Yes, the high and mighty emperor actually didn''t refer to himself as "we."

    This change in address was already what Pei Changying considered his most humble attempt to please her.

    "Grandmother Gu, these night pearls are tributes from this year, of excellent quality."

    "These night pearls arerge and round, and can emit a soft light at night, even brighter than candles."

    Gu Sang''s grandmother looked back for a moment. Indeed, they were veryrge, about the size of a goose egg.

    "Not interested. The electric lights in my home are much brighter than night pearls."

    Pei Changying: "......"

    "Ahem, Grandmother Gu, this can''t bepared to electric lights. It''s said that wearing these long-term has beauty and anti-aging effects."

    "I''ll have someone make these two pearls into¡ª"

    Gu Sang''s grandmother interrupted again: "If you want beauty and anti-aging effects, it''s even simpler. Get a hyaluronic acid injection, do a skin tightening procedure, and the effects will be even better than this."

    Pei Changying''s mouth twitched. Even though he wanted to rebut, he couldn''t find a reason.

    He wanted to say that these were tributes, with less than ten produced a year, and ones this big and round were even rarer.

    But Pei Changying knew that Grandmother Gu would surely say, "Are these as rare as missiles?"

    Fine, fine, fine!

    Any good things he presented, Grandmother Gu looked down upon.

    Pei Changying could only try to appeal to Grandmother Gu''s emotions, starting to talk about his meetings and interactions with Gu Sang.

    Grandmother Gu didn''t interrupt Pei Changying; she wanted to know what Gu Sang had experienced in ancient times.

    A person who had received modern education and valued freedom and equality must have been quite tortured in this ancient era.

    After all, in just these few days, Grandmother Gu had already felt the torture and oppression of this era.

    "Grandmother Gu, sigh, I was just being stubborn with Gu Sang at that time. I just wanted to see her apologize to me."

    "I felt that she was out of ce in this era, her innate pride and rity were truly inappropriate, so I wanted to change her. It wasn''t untilter that I finally understood the reason."

    "It turns out that Gu Sang''s personality was so distinct here because she wasn''t from this world."

    "By the time I knew everything, it was toote. Gu Sang had already gone back."

    "For so long, I''ve been begging her. I hope she can give me a chance to redeem myself."

    "Even sages make mistakes, let alone me. I was just too afraid of losing her, so I wanted to change her."

    Listening to Pei Changying''s self-justification full of loopholes, Grandmother Gu saw through it but didn''t expose him.

    What nonsense?

    Still pretending to be desperately chasing after his wife?

    Bah!

    Grandmother Gu said with a cold smile: "People are just despicable. They always regret what they''ve lost and can''t stop thinking about what they can''t have."

    "Since it has already happened, what use is your deep affection now?"

    Seeing Pei Changying''s pleading gaze, Grandmother Gu''s heart remained unmoved.

    Then, as if remembering something, a hint of darkness shed in her eyes, and she said expressionlessly: "In our future world, men and women are equal, and men can only marry one wife. Did you know that?"

    "In the future, men must respect their wives. The best responsibility towards a wife is loyalty!"

    Pei Changying had already seen so many live broadcasts from the future. After hearing Grandmother Gu''s words, he agreed without any hesitation.

    He promised immediately, his eyes full of deep affection and sincerity: "As long as Gu Sang cane back, I promise her, from now on, one life, one world, one person!"

    "I will also learn from the future, and have only Gu Sang as my wife for this lifetime."

    "I am willing to dismiss all the concubines in the harem for her."

    Grandmother Gu looked at Pei Changying with aplex expression.

    Then, Grandmother Gu''s eyes revealed a joyful look, and she said "Good" three times in session.

    "Good, good, good!"

    Grandmother thought... Consort Li, finally, no one will be trapped in the pce like you were.

    You can finally escape from the pce.

    Grandmother Gu knew that Consort Li had always dreamed of leaving this pce. She wanted freedom, and now with the gue City serving as a shield for women, she would have the opportunity to pursue freedom.

    As long as Consort Li dared to take the first step, dared to go to the gue City, she could live a good life.

    Grandmother Gu was happy in her heart that Consort Li could leave the pce, but she didn''t know that Consort Li had already died from drinking poisoned wine.

    Pei Changying misunderstood Grandmother Gu''s thoughts, thinking that his words had moved her.

    So, Pei Changying immediately issued an imperial edict, announcing that all concubines in the harem would be sent to be nuns.

    Immediately, the entire harem was filled with cries.

    "Your Majesty~ Your Majesty~ This concubine doesn''t want to be a nun."

    "Your Majesty, this concubine wants to continue serving you..."

 Chapter 233: Sobbing

    <h4>Chapter 233</h4>

    "Heavens, how are we supposed to live like this!"

    They had always been ustomed to a life of luxury, with servants attending to their every need. Now they were all being sent to be nuns. From this day forward, they would live with oilmps and Buddha statues, never seeing a drop of oil in their food again. They would even have to do things with their own hands. How could they possibly survive?

    The concubines, in their grief and fear, hadn''t yet realized something else - a ce to call home!

    They possessed knowledge and were aplished in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Their household management skills were exceptional. They should venture out beyond the confines of their residences, but they had never dared to imagine such a thing.

    But that was alright. They would realize it sooner orter.

    "The Imperial Edict has arrived¡ª"

    When the Imperial Edict reached the Empress''s pce, Gu Qingrou was embroidering mandarin ducks. Upon hearing the announcement, she was so shocked that she pricked her finger.

    It hade! It had finallye! Her nightmare had be reality!

    Ever since Gu Sang''s livestream, she had been having the same nightmare - that Gu Sang would return and steal the Emperor from her.

    Now, Gu Sang must have returned.

    Would this position, which she had schemed so hard to obtain, be snatched away by Gu Sang?

    Gu Qingrou hurriedly went to see Pei Changying.

    At that moment, the man she adored was seated high upon the dragon throne. Though they were only a few yards apart, Gu Qingrou felt as if they were separated by the Milky Way.

    The words that came from Pei Changying''s mouth were as cold and biting as December snow, making one shiver.

    She heard Pei Changying say, "I love Gu Sang. I want to spend my entire life with her alone!"

    "In this lifetime, I have wronged you. In the next, I will make it up to you."

    Tears streamed down Gu Qingrou''s face as she looked at the heartless man before her, feeling utterly devastated. "The next life? How can you speak of the next life when this one isn''t even over?"

    "Your Majesty, you once said you loved me."

    "I don''t want your next life. I want this life with you."

    Hearing these words, Pei Changying''s face immediately turned cold, his tone bing impatient.

    Pei Changying shook off Gu Qingrou''s hand and looked down at her from his lofty position. "It is precisely because of our past rtionship that I have been especially lenient with you."

    "Do not mistake this leniency as a license for your willful behavior."

    "Gu Qingrou, did you think I was unaware of how you used your unborn child to frame Gu Sang?"

    "How could such a vicious woman be fit to be the mother of the nation?"

    "I used to think you were a gentle person. How could you be so cruel as to sacrifice your own unborn child to be Empress?"

    Gu Qingrou was instantly panic-stricken. She stared nkly at Pei Changying.

    So! So! So the Emperor had suspected all along?

    She crawled over, trembling, "Your Majesty, it''s not like that. I had early signs of miscarriage¡ª"

    However, no matter how Gu Qingrou tried to exin herself, Pei Changying had already waved his hand dismissively, ordering the eunuchs to drag her out of the hall.

    "Your Majesty, please listen to my exnation. Only I truly love you¡ª"

    Gu Qingrou''s voice grew fainter as she was forcibly dragged away. Before nightfall, the Imperial Guards, without further ado, loaded all the concubines, including Gu Qingrou, onto carriages and sent them to a nunnery in the outskirts of the capital.

    When the Prime Minister informed Gu Sang of this, she was so shocked that she choked.

    "Has Pei Changying gone mad?"

    Logically, this wasn''t something Pei Changying would do.

    Unless he had indeed gone mad.

    Then, Gu Sang thought that perhaps Grandmother had said something to Pei Changying, causing him to act this way.

    This also indirectly indicated that Grandmother must be in the pce, and safe.

    At least for now, Pei Changying was still under Grandmother''s influence.

    "Prime Minister, could you please find out where Pei Changying has been going after court sessions recently?"

    "This behavior isn''t something Pei Changying woulde up with on his own. He must have been frequently talking with my grandmothertely."

    The Prime Minister had clearly thought of this as well. He nodded and said, "We should have results soon. Don''t worry, finding the person won''t be difficult. The challenge lies in devising a thorough n to rescue her."

    "After the Elder Princess''s rescue, the pce''s security has doubled. Even the moat is now patrolled by soldiers."

    Gu Sang pondered. The previous escape route was no longer viable, and now that all the concubines had been sent to the nunnery, entering and exiting the pce had be even more difficult.

    Perhaps they could start with the pce maids who went out to make purchases.

    The Prime Minister had evidently thought along the same lines as Gu Sang. Under his bribery, they quickly bought off a pce maid who went out for purchases.

    A few dayster, the Prime Minister learned of Grandmother''s ce of confinement and the route to reach her, which he marked out for Gu Sang.

    "The only uncertainty is how many guards are inside," the Prime Minister said.

    "I can handle the guards inside," Gu Sang said, secretly touching the electromaic pistol and electric baton hidden in her clothes.

    Gu Sang met with the purchasing maid in secret at the agreed location. Upon seeing Gu Sang, the maid was so excited she danced with joy.

    "Ah! It really is you, Miss Gu. I''m so happy to be able to help you."

    Gu Sang smiled, "Thank you for being willing to take this risk for me. Let''s change clothes first. Here''s some money for you. Take it and go as far away as you can. If you have nowhere to go, you can seek refuge with the Elder Princess in gue City."

    "There, you can live the life you want."

    Gu Sang stuffed a stack of banknotes into the maid''s hand.

    After quickly changing clothes, the maid took the banknotes and immediately left the capital.

    Gu Sang, disguised as the purchasing maid, pushed the cart of already purchased vegetables into the pce.

    After verifying her identity, Gu Sang sessfully entered the pce. After pushing the vegetables to the imperial kitchen, Gu Sang began her mission.

    At this moment, an unexpected turn of events urred¡ª

    The maid who should have disappeared with the banknotes was bumped into by someone before she could leave the city gates.

    The purchasing maid walked a few steps forward before suddenly realizing something was wrong. She felt her sleeve.

    Thatrge stack of banknotes was gone!

    "Stop, thief!"

    The maid shouted as she turned back to look for the thief who had stolen her money.

    That was her entire life''s fortune!

    The money she had risked her life for couldn''t be lost!

    Just as she was panicking, a luxurious carriage stopped in the distance. A servant by the carriage nced into the crowd and immediately went to chase after the thief.

    Soon, the stack of banknotes was retrieved.

    The maid was overjoyed and quickly expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

    However, unexpectedly, the official in the carriage looked at the stack of banknotes and spoke in a suddenly cold tone.

    "How does amoner like you have so many banknotes?"

    "Could it be that you''ve stolen money from your master and are trying to escape?"

    The heavy official pressure made the maid struggle to breathe. Although she lived in the pce, she had never seen any of the masters there.

    Faced with the stern questioning from the person in the carriage, the maid instinctively knelt on the ground.

 Chapter 234: The Palace

    <h4>Chapter 234</h4>

    "Your Excellency, this is a gift from my rtive who has made a small fortune in the capital this year," said the woman.

    The person sitting in the carriage let out a cold snort.

    This lie was too obvious! Moreover, looking at this woman''s practiced etiquette, only the strict rules of the imperial pce could train such a servant.

    "The date for pce maids to leave the pce has passed months ago. Could it be that you''ve escaped from the pce?"

    With a wave of his hand, the person in the carriage ordered his servants to seize the pce maid.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang, disguised as a pce maid, carefully observed the area near the pce. The entrance was heavily guarded, which meant there were surely hidden guards inside as well.

    Trying to sneak in to rescue her grandmother would quickly lead to discovery.

    So, Gu Sang thought of another n. She first returned to the imperial kitchen and revealed her identity to the kitchen matron.

    Yes, she was taking a gamble!

    A gamble on human nature!

    She recalled the words of the purchasing maid, remembered Consort Zhao and Consort Li, how they all wished to live in the future and were willing to change to realize that dream.

    Those millions of merit points were a reflection of the changing mindset of people from ancient times.

    Perhaps it wasn''t enough for the entire ancient world, but if she lost this gamble, the worst she''d face was Pei Changying.

    But what if she won?

    Gu Sang chose to think positively, to believe in the beautiful side of human nature.

    When Gu Sang told the kitchen matron her name, the woman''s jaw dropped in shock, looking as if she wanted to cry out.

    Just as Gu Sang became alert, ready to use her electric baton to stun the woman, the kitchen matron quickly covered her own mouth to prevent herself from shouting in excitement.

    The matron hurriedly looked outside, and seeing no one passing by, she anxiously asked Gu Sang, "Miss Gu, why have youe back? You must leave quickly, the Emperor has set up a trap waiting for you."

    Gu Sang calmly held the kitchen matron''s hand and said, "My grandmother is here. I can''t leave. Only by rescuing her can I be free from her threat."

    Being in the position of a female official, the kitchen matron was clearly shrewd. She immediately guessed that Gu Sang needed her help.

    "Miss Gu, if there''s anything this servant can do to help, please don''t hesitate to ask. Though my position is lowly, I wish to do my part."

    Gu Sang looked at her deeply before speaking:

    "When do you deliver meals? Could you arrange for me to go along?"

    The kitchen matron hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

    "Thank you! You''ve helped me, and I won''t stand by and watch anyone who helps me die in this pce."

    "After I send my grandmother out, I''ll arrange for someone to help you leave the pce."

    The kitchen matron shook her head, "I''m long past the age when I could leave the pce. I haven''t left because I no longer have any family outside."

    "Miss Gu, don''t worry about me. I''ll find a way to clear myself of suspicion."

    "Thank you," Gu Sang said again gratefully.

    Knowing time was short, the kitchen matron gave Gu Sang a few instructions about delivering food, then took her to bring a meal to Grandma Gu.

    After passing through strict checks, they finally entered the room and saw grandmother.

    There were hidden guards in the courtyard outside, but grandmother was alone in the room.

    As soon as Gu Sang saw that familiar figure, her eyes welled up with tears!

    She took a deep breath and carefully walked up to her grandmother, whispering:

    "Grandma, I''ve missed you so much."

    The moment Grandma Gu heard Gu Sang''s voice, her body froze.

    Grandma Gu suddenly raised her head!

    Seeing Gu Sang, whom she had been thinking of day and night, right in front of her, Grandma Gu reached out with trembling hands and tearfully pulled Gu Sang into her embrace.

    "Sang-sang, it''s my Sang-sang!"

    "It''s alright now. Seeing you safe puts my mind at ease."

    Gu Sang hugged her grandmother tightly, reluctantly leaving her embrace.

    "Grandma, let''s talk more after we leave."

    "First, change clothes with her," Gu Sang said as the kitchen matron came over and exchanged clothes with grandmother.

    "Thank you!" Gu Sang said earnestly after the kitchen matron had changed.

    Though the kitchen matron could clear herself of suspicion, she might face punishment by caning.

    Her willingness to help like this filled Gu Sang''s heart with gratitude, but the urgent situation only allowed her to deeply engrave this kindness in her memory for now.

    After grandmother changed clothes, Gu Sang knocked out the kitchen matron.

    Then, she sessfully led her grandmother out of the pce.

    With the kitchen matron''s token, Gu Sang and her grandmother could leave directly through the pce gate.

    As Gu Sang handed the token to the guards at the gate for inspection, something unexpected happened¡ª

    "Thump thump thump!"

    Over a hundred guards surrounded Gu Sang and her grandmother.

    "Consort Gu, where might you be going?" An official walked in calmly, face to face with Gu Sang.

    Upon confirming with his own eyes that the captured person was indeed Gu Sang, joy was evident on his face.

    Gu Sang didn''t recognize this man, but Grandma Gu did.

    This official was Consort Li''s father!

    "Pah! Spineless coward, how could someone as resolute as Consort Li have such a weak-willed father?" Grandma Gu angrily cursed.

    Gu Sang looked around. The front row of guards held swords, while archers in the distance aimed their bows at her and her grandmother.

    Even if Gu Sang had weapons, how could she fend off so many des?

    Moreover, she had her grandmother with her and had to ensure her safety!

    In just a few seconds, Gu Sang had weighed all the pros and cons!

    Never mind, grandmother''s safety was most important.

    Everything else could bepromised!

    As long as the news of her capture spread, besides the Elder Princess and Zhou Qichen, there was another hidden ally ¡ª the Prime Minister! Today would just have to be counted as an unsessful attempt.

    The chances of her and grandmother safely leaving were still quite high.

    So, after Gu Sang gave up resisting and heard her grandmother''s words, she turned her gaze towards Lord Li.

    "So this is the Lord Li who sacrificed his own daughter for promotion and wealth?"

    "Lord Li, I have a question for you. Do you sleep soundly in the official position you exchanged for your daughter''s life?"

    "Do you have nightmares at night, dreaming of your daughtering to find you, blood flowing from seven orifices, her intestines spilling out?"

    As soon as Gu Sang spoke, Lord Li''s face changed dramatically.

    Grandma Gu reacted even more strongly, grabbing Gu Sang''s hand and asking in disbelief, "Consort Li is dead? How did she die?"

    Gu Sang nced at Lord Li, her eyes full of contempt and mockery.

    Gu Sang said, "She had a father who only cared about his own promotion and wealth."

    "Judging by your expression, you don''t seem too shocked. I suppose you''ve already received news of your daughter''s death."

    "I''m quite curious, do you know that your daughter was tortured to death by poison?"

 Chapter 235: Determination

    <h4>Chapter 235</h4>

    Grandma Gu''s eyes turned red with anger upon hearing these words.

    As a modern person, she inherently refused to bow to ancient authority, and being cherished by Pei Changying, she had no need for caution. She took a few quick steps towards Lord Li and pped him hard across the face.

    Grandma Gu choked out, "You! You''re so heartless! Your daughter is dead, yet you''ve been promoted!"

    "Earlier, when your wife knelt on the ground begging me not to speak out and to protect you all, I kept quiet for Consort Li''s sake."

    "Now you''re alive, but Consort Li is dead!"

    "How cruel you are!"

    Lord Li''s face turned pale as he stepped back. His open mouth seemed to want to say something, but he was unable to make a sound.

    Grandma Gu went up and pped Lord Li twice more furiously, feeling indignant on Consort Li''s behalf.

    Lord Li, suppressing his anger, instinctively raised his hand to retaliate.

    Seeing this, Gu Sang quickly stepped forward and delivered a hard p to Lord Li''s face.

    Gu Sang''s p was so forceful that it caused Lord Li''s ears to ring.

    As Gu Sang raised her hand again, intending to give Lord Li''s cheeks symmetrical treatment,

    A voice that made one''s skin crawl came from nearby.

    "Sang Sang, you''ve reallye back!"

    Gu Sang''s body stiffened, and her hair practically stood on end.

    This was undoubtedly the voice she least wanted to hear in this lifetime.

    But what could she do?

    Things weren''t going well, so she''d have toy low and wait for rescue.

    Pei Changying approached with his guards. When he saw Gu Sang standing before him, his eyes lit up brightly, as if beholding the world''s most beautiful treasure.

    "Haha! Good, Lord Li, you''ve done well."

    "You''ve helped me find the Empress."

    "Lord Li, I hereby promote you to Minister of the Privy Council."

    At this moment, Lord Li''s face was swollen on one side and covered in finger marks on the other. Hearing these words, he forgot aboutining and hurriedly knelt to express his gratitude.

    "This subject thanks Your Majesty for the great honor. Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!"

    Pei Changying looked at Gu Sang with devoted eyes, wanting to approach and speak with her, but remembering her personality, he stopped himself.

    "Sang Sang, I''ve had delightful conversations with Grandma these past few days."

    "Grandma even said that in your future world, it''s one life, one love, one partner. So for your sake, I''ve already disbanded the harem."

    "From now on, you''ll be the only woman by my side. This time, I will treat you well, I promise."

    To hell with your "one life, one love, one partner."

    Those who have tasted light and freedom,

    How can they face darkness?

    Gu Sang coldly looked at Pei Changying and put forward her condition: "I don''t need any of this. If you truly want to make amends, let my grandmother leave the pce!"

    "Sang Sang, that''s impossible. Without your grandmother, you''ll certainly find a way to escape from me."

    "I can only use your grandmother to keep you here."

    Pei Changying''s refusal was within Gu Sang''s expectations. She felt no emotional response internally and even wanted to kill him.

    Gu Sang smoothly proposed her next demand: "Fine, you know I''m willing to do anything for my grandmother, no matter how difficult."

    "Anyone who tries to separate me from my grandmother, I''ll fight them to the death."

    "I''ve barely managed to bring my grandmother back to life. If you want to separate us, I''d rather destroy us both."

    Pei Changying, fearing Gu Sang might do something reckless, hurriedly agreed: "Alright, alright, I won''t separate you two."

    "As long as you don''t leave my side, you and your grandmother can live together."

    Having negotiated the terms, Gu Sang grabbed her grandmother''s hand and returned to Xuyang Pce with her.

    -

    Li Mansion.

    The imperial edict of Lord Li''s promotion quickly arrived at the Li Mansion. When Madam Li heard about her husband''s promotion, there wasn''t a trace of happiness on her face.

    After the eunuch who delivered the edict left, Madam Li sat sorrowfully in the living room, waiting for her husband to return home.

    "The Minister of the Privy Council has returned. In just a few days, you''ve been promoted repeatedly. How joyous and congrattory."

    Madam Li said with a cold face, using a sarcastic tone to congratte her husband who had just returned home.

    It wasn''t hard to hear the underlying hatred in her voice.

    Lord Li, already feeling humiliated by Gu Sang''s mockery, now faced the same sarcastic tone from his own wife upon returning home.

    Lord Li''s face instantly darkened.

    "What do you mean by this? Our daughter was killed by her own actions."

    "If she had willingly handed over the Favored Consort''s grandmother to the Emperor, she would have been one of the four consorts by now!"

    "But she was foolish enough to help the Favored Consort. Did you think that just because the Favored Consort is from the future, she could oppose imperial power?"

    "Unless all the soldiers from the future came here and could annihte the entire country, how could the Favored Consort alone overthrow this imperial dynasty with thousands of years of history?"

    Seeing her husband argue so confidently for his reasons, without a trace of guilt for their daughter on his face,

    Madam Li''s heart died.

    She couldn''t help but think, if she had let her family''s merchant caravan take Grandma Gu to the gue-ridden city back then, perhaps the oue would have been very different.

    At that time, the Princess would have had no leverage to threaten her with, and could have led her army directly into the pce.

    Pei Changying would have been deposed, and her daughter could have been sent home to reunite with her.

    Unfortunately, one wrong step led to a series of mistakes.

    Just as she had agreed with her husband''s idea to send Grandma Gu to Pei Changying, naively thinking that even if the Emperor knew the truth, he would spare her daughter for their initiative in bringing the person to him.

    But she never imagined that while the Li family would be promoted, her own daughter would be given a cup of poison.

    Afterwards, people from the pce came to report her daughter''s death...

    And now, another promotion. What unconscionable deed had been done this time?

    "Actually, I don''t care how high of an official you be. What I loved was the ambitious young schr from back then."

    "Not the Lord Li of today who doesn''t even have a conscience!"

    "Even if you hadn''t passed the imperial examination back then, since I had chosen you and married you, I wouldn''t have regretted it. Even if you were just a poor schr, I wouldn''t have looked down on you."

    "I had money and banks, I could have supported you and our children."

    "Before, when your official rank was low, we were very happy."

    "But now as your rank gets higher and higher, I feel you''ve changed. Changed to the point where you can be utterly heartless, where you can sacrifice anyone."

    "This version of you frightens me. Being by your side now makes me feel utterly disgusted!"

    Madam Li suddenly stood up, ignoring her husband''s ugly expression, and ordered her personal maid to quickly pack her belongings. Then, without any lingering attachment, she left the Li Mansion.

    Her daughter was already dead.

    Herst attachment was gone as well...

    Madam Li was originally the daughter of a wealthy merchant, unlike those sheltered youngdies. She had money in her hands, over a dozen properties, merchant caravans...

 Chapter 236: Found

    <h4>Chapter 236</h4>

    The tragic death of her daughter had strengthened Madam Li''s resolve.

    Without hesitation, Madam Li left the capital with all of her dowry.

    Just outside the city, a woman came stumbling towards the capital.

    As she neared the carriage, the woman suddenly fainted.

    "Mydy, there''s a young woman who has copsed by the roadside," Madam Li''s maid reported.

    Madam Li looked and saw that the woman did indeed appear quite young, probably around her daughter''s age.

    This thought inevitably reminded Madam Li of her own daughter''s tragic fate.

    "Go check on her," Madam Li instructed, thinking that if she had paid more attention to her own daughter, perhaps the oue would have been different.

    A sudden feeling ofpassionpelled Madam Li to descend from her carriage.

    She intended to ask the young woman why she was traveling alone and why she had fainted.

    Was she in some kind of trouble?

    As a fellow victim of misfortune, Madam Li feltpelled to offer help to this young woman who was the same age as her daughter.

    However, when Madam Li saw the woman''s face, she was shocked.

    It was the former Empress?

    After being given some water, Gu Qingrou''s eyshes fluttered, and she regained consciousness.

    She stubbornly tried to stand up but became dizzy and nearly fell again. Fortunately, Madam Li quickly reached out to support her.

    "Your Majesty, where are you going?"

    When Gu Qingrou heard the title "Your Majesty" again, her whole body trembled. She grabbed Madam Li as if clutching at a lifeline.

    "You know me? Take me back to the capital!"

    Madam Li looked at the disheveled woman before her, with her messy hair and cracked lips, and sighed inwardly.

    With mixed emotions, Madam Li said, "Your Majesty, weren''t you sent to a temple by the Emperor? Did you walk all the way from there?"

    Seeing her exhausted and thirsty state, Madam Li guessed that she had escaped from the temple on foot, which exined her bedraggled appearance and copse by the roadside.

    But why had the former Empress run away?

    Noticing Madam Li''s questioning gaze, Gu Qingrou pressed her lips together and asked in a dry, slightly trembling voice:

    "Has Gu Sang returned?"

    "Is Gu Sang going to be made Empress?"

    "Is she in the pce? Is she?"

    Seeing the unwillingness in Gu Qingrou''s eyes, Madam Li suddenly understood.

    She nodded and replied, "She has returned. Although the decree hasn''t been issued yet, everyone knows the Emperor will make her Empress."

    As soon as the words were spoken,

    Gu Qingrou froze, thest glimmer of hope in her eyes extinguished.

    "No! I won''t allow it. I must go and stop this!"

    "He promised me, I''m the one who''s supposed to be with him for life. How can he make someone else Empress?"

    "I don''t believe it. I''m the only Empress! He promised me!"

    Gu Qingrou walked forward, crying. She had walked for a day, driven by sheer unwillingness, to reach this point.

    She couldn''t ept it!

    She had to confront the Emperor and get answers.

    The promises they had made were still vivid in her mind. How could the Emperor change his heart so easily?

    Gu Qingrou''s stumbling figure appeared lonely and deste to Madam Li. What everyone else knew as fact, Gu Qingrou refused to believe.

    Perhaps even when faced with reality, she would stubbornly cling to her love, even if that love was illusory...

    Madam Li suddenly made a bold decision. She quickly walked up to Gu Qingrou and gently took hold of her.

    "Your Majesty, I have an idea that might help you."

    -

    In the Imperial Pce.

    Pei Changying couldn''t wait for the next day''s court session. He hastily wrote an imperial decree announcing the Empress''s coronation ceremony in half a month.

    The news caused an uproar among the people.

    The gue-stricken city was in turmoil, with people angrily cursing Pei Changying.

    When the Princess, who wasmanding troops in South City, heard the decree, she was so shocked that she bit through her lip.

    "Pei Changying truly never changes!"

    "I was a step too slow. If I had found your grandmother earlier, you wouldn''t have been threatened like this."

    The Princess''s clenched fists betrayed her anger. She immediately summoned Zhou Qichen, General Qin, and others, deciding to head to the capital at once to rescue Gu Sang and her grandmother.

    In Xuyang Pce.

    Gu Sang and her grandmother were confined within the pce.

    Gu Sang recounted everything that had happened in ancient times, as well as what urred after returning to the modern world when her grandmother wasn''t there.

    Gu Sang knew her grandmother regretted not being by her side during these events, so she described everything in detail to give her grandmother a sense of involvement.

    For the first few days, Pei Changying had patientlye to Xuyang Pce every day, waiting for Gu Sang to see him willingly.

    By the fourth day, Pei Changying realized that Gu Sang might never forgive him in this lifetime. He had no choice but to swallow his pride and enter the pce to face Gu Sang directly.

    Gu Sang couldn''t be bothered to even look at Pei Changying, treating him as if he were invisible. She continued to chat casually with her grandmother, just like their leisurely afternoons in the modern world.

    Every time Pei Changying tried to start a conversation, he was met with Gu Sang''s cold indifference and her grandmother''s contemptuous gaze, making him feel like an unwee intruder.

    "Sang Sang, do you really despise me this much?"

    "You know how I''ve treated you these past days."

    "I, the Emperor of a great nation, have done so much for you. In all of history, which emperor has ever been as devoted as I am?"

    Pei Changying, unable to contain himself any longer, poured out his feelings to Gu Sang.

    He would rather have Gu Sang argue with him or curse at him than not give him even a single nce.

    Gu Sang''s gaze was ice-cold, as if she were looking at something filthy.

    "Sang Sang, it doesn''t matter if you don''t understand my devotion now."

    "Once you be my Empress, I will spend a lifetime proving to you how deep my love is!"

    "You used to dislike sharing a husband with other women. That''s fine, I''ll dissolve the harem. As long as you have a change of heart, I''ll do anything for you. You''ll understand eventually."

    Pei Changying gazed deeply at Gu Sang before turning to leave.

    As he was leaving Xuyang Pce, he encountered the Imperial Kitchen Aunting to deliver meals.

    After being thoroughly checked by the guards, the Imperial Kitchen Aunt was allowed to enter and deliver the food.

    Pei Changying, worried that someone might sneak in to rescue Gu Sang, had ordered strict inspections for anyone entering or leaving Xuyang Pce. Even meal deliveries had to be made by familiar faces from the pce.

    However, what Pei Changying didn''t know was that

    The Imperial Kitchen Aunt had already secretly helped Gu Sang establish contact with the Prime Minister.

    Although Gu Sang appeared to have done nothing during her days in Xuyang Pce, she had already instructed the Prime Minister to secretly find someone who resembled her grandmother.

    Only by sending her grandmother out of the pce first could Gu Sang fight freely within the imperial court.

    After the Imperial Kitchen Aunt delivered the meal, Gu Sang''s grandmother tactfully kept watch at the door.

    Gu Sang and the Imperial Kitchen Aunt went behind a screen to speak quietly: "Miss Gu, we''ve found someone who bears a 50-60% resemnce. Her family has already passed away, and she volunteered to the Prime Minister to enter the pce."

 Chapter 237: Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 237</h4>

    "However, the Prime Minister said there''s an issue that needs your solution."

    "The pce guards are too strict. It''s difficult to smuggle someone in. He wants you toe up with a legitimate way."

    Gu Sang nodded, "Alright, I''ll figure something out."

    With modern makeup techniques, achieving an 80-90% resemnce wasn''t difficult.

    The challenge was how to deceive them.

    If Pei Changying could trick her with a fake grandmother, Gu Sang would counter-attack with her own fake grandmother!

    That evening, Gu Sang discussed this with Grandma Gu, who sighed deeply.

    "Sang Sang, if possible, could you save her? I''ve observed Pei Changying''s charactertely. He likely won''t tolerate outsiders deceiving him."

    "Even if she''s willing, I still feel uneasy about it."

    Gu Sang nodded, saying confidently, "Grandma, don''t worry. I''ll n an escape route."

    "The most important thing now is for you to leave here. Only when you''re safe can I arrange the next steps. I came here to knock Pei Changying off the throne!"

    Grandma Gu sighed, not pressing further.

    It was precisely because Grandma Gu understood that she didn''t want to be a burden.

    Suddenly.

    Grandma Gu seemed to think of something and said, "Sang Sang, have you ever livestreamed our modern wedding ceremony?"

    "No, Grandma. What did you think of?" Gu Sang replied.

    "Then tomorrow when the emperores, tell him that in our modern wedding ceremony, we need to invite fifty happily married elderly couples to give their blessings."

    "It''s a good omen, symbolizing that the newlyweds will grow old together in love, just like these couples."

    Gu Sang, who had been worrying about how to smuggle the olddy in, suddenly lit up upon hearing her grandmother''s idea.

    After pondering for a moment, Gu Sang felt there was a chance: "Alright, that''s a good exnation."

    "But Grandma, you should suggest it. He knows I wouldn''t agree to it."

    Since ancient times, people have valued various symbolic meanings.

    Such as anniversary gifts, matching birth charts for marriage, and so on.

    Suddenly proposing such a requirement wouldn''t seem out of ce for this era.

    The next day.

    When Pei Changying came again, Grandma Gu brought up the future era''s etiquette.

    Pei Changying pondered suspiciously for a while, but upon seeing Gu Sang''s ice-cold expression and Grandma Gu''s helpless look, he nodded in agreement.

    As long as Gu Sang would marry him, he would try his best to fulfill any request she made.

    With careful inspection, there was no way Gu Sang and Grandma Gu could escape the pce.

    During the court session, Pei Changying announced this and ordered his ministers to find fifty loving elderly couples within ten days.

    Pei Changying, being suspicious by nature, naturally wouldn''t entrust the important task of verifying identities to these civil and military officials.

    His gaze swept forward, settling on the Prime Minister.

    Among all the court officials, he could no longer discern who was loyal and who belonged to the Elder Princess''s faction.

    Now he only trusted the Prime Minister, who had always advised him on governing the country and stabilizing the realm.

    Only the Prime Minister remained truly loyal to him.

    "Prime Minister, you must investigate the identities of these fifty loving elderly couples thoroughly!"

    "We absolutely cannot allow any suspicious individuals to enter the pce!"

    "I trust only you!"

    The Prime Minister stepped forward and replied respectfully, "I obey Your Majesty''smand!"

    Time flew by, and ten days passed quickly.

    Led by the Prime Minister, fifty elderly couples found from among themon people entered the pce, then into the room, to offer their wedding blessings to Gu Sang.

    Watching these people freely enter and exit Xuyang Pce, Pei Changying''s brow twitched, as if he had overlooked something.

    His instincts told him that something wasn''t right about this situation.

    However, when he wanted to step in and keep an eye on Gu Sang, the Prime Minister stopped him.

    "Your Majesty, this is a blessing custom that cannot be interrupted."

    "Please return to your chambers. Later, you''ll also receive their blessings as the groom."

    Pei Changying scrutinized the Prime Minister''s expression, then solemnly patted his shoulder, "Prime Minister, you must keep a close watch for me!"

    "Don''t let any ill-intentioned person take advantage of the situation."

    The Prime Minister respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will guard this ce without leaving a single step."

    Hearing the Prime Minister''s promise, Pei Changying left with peace of mind.

    After Gu Sang and Pei Changying separately received blessings from the fifty couples, and after the Prime Minister personally checked everyone''s identity, he led the people out of the pce.

    That thread of unease lingered in Pei Changying''s heart. Being worried, he personally ran to Xuyang Pce to confirm, and only after seeing both Gu Sang and Grandma Gu there did he leave reassured.

    The next day, the imperial kitchen aunt brought Gu Sang a message.

    "Grandma Gu has been sent out of the capital and met the Elder Princess on the way."

    "The Elder Princess has ordered General Zhou to personally escort Grandma to where the army is stationed."

    "The Elder Princess brought death squads, and with the Prime Minister''s help, they''ve already entered the capital, waiting to enter the pce for rescue at any time."

    Hearing that her grandmother had been taken away by Zhou Qichen, Gu Sang finally feltpletely at ease.

    With Grandma gone, she could act freely!

    Gu Sang even considered taking out her weapon and finishing off Pei Changying right away.

    If she killed Pei Changying directly, she would likely be killed by the guards, with no chance to leave the pce and reunite with her grandmother. It wasn''t worth it!

    She wasn''t foolish enough to trade one life for another.

    "Tell them to wait. This time, we must find an opportunity to make sure Pei Changying can never rise again!"

    Gu Sang instructed the imperial kitchen aunt to pass on the message.

    In Gu Sang and the Prime Minister''s n, they had intended to use Pei Changying''s wedding as an opportunity for the Elder Princess to lead troops in a rescue,bined with the Prime Minister''s cooperation from within.

    Gu Sang would then quickly use an electromaic gun to threaten Pei Changying into withdrawing his defenses, allowing the Elder Princess''s army to fully enter the capital and swiftly surround the pce.

    But what Gu Sang didn''t anticipate was that on the eve of the wedding, she would encounter Gu Qingrou.

    Gu Qingrou, disguised as a pce maid, came to deliver the Empress''s wedding dress: "Your Highness, the wedding dress has arrived."

    Gu Sang was sitting at her dressing table, contemting tomorrow''s actions, rehearsing the n several times in her mind to prevent any loopholes.

    Seeing Gu Sang lost in thought, Gu Qingrou tiptoed behind her, a sh of mockery in her eyes as she pulled out a dagger, intending to stab Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang!

    She really came back!

    But she had said she would never return!

    Why does she still have topete with me!

    "Whoosh¡ª"

    In a split second, before Gu Qingrou''s knife could touch Gu Sang''s shoulder.

    Gu Sang quickly snapped back to reality, her right hand grabbing and pulling forward. Gu Qingrou''s body involuntarily crashed into the dressing table, the pain almost bringing tears to her eyes.

    The dagger was disarmed by Gu Sang and pressed against Gu Qingrou''s throat.

    "It''s you?"

    Upon seeing Gu Qingrou''s face, Gu Sang''s eyes showed a hint of surprise, and she immediately kicked her away.

    Gu Qingrou fell sitting on the ground.

    She rubbed her shoulder, seeming to have anticipated this oue, andughed bitterly, "Gu Sang, long time no see."

 Chapter 238: Substitute Marriage

    <h4>Chapter 238</h4>

    "As expected of you. Even though I''m the legitimate daughter, you always manage to outshine me," she said bitterly. "Even when you''re distracted, I can''t get close to you at all."

    "You''re so selfish. No wonder after leaving the Emperor, you could shamelessly be with other men in the future without any guilt."

    Gu Sang looked down at Gu Qingrou with a lofty gaze.

    Indeed.

    She saw no courage for mutual destruction in Gu Qingrou''s eyes. This time, Gu Qingrou had other motives.

    Gu Sang spoke, "Enough with the nonsense. You didn''t risking here just to kill me, did you?"

    Gu Sang believed that while Gu Qingrou might be blinded by love, she wasn''t foolish enough to think she could easily kill Gu Sang.

    Gu Qingrou touched the wedding dress, her face showing a nostalgic expression.

    She had worn this wedding dress too!

    It should have been hers.

    Suddenly, Gu Qingrou let out a bitterugh. She stared into Gu Sang''s eyes and finally revealed her true intention: "Indeed, nothing escapes you. You''re still the same as before."

    "I know I can''t kill you, and I don''t intend to. After all, the living can neverpete with the dead."

    "Gu Sang, I won''t allow Pei Changying to have any wife other than me."

    "He can only be mine."

    "You should leave. I''m here to rece you."

    Gu Sang was utterly stunned.

    Was this... was this a stroke of incredible luck falling from the sky?

    Could such a good thing really happen?

    This was too significant for Gu Sang to easily believe based on Gu Qingrou''s few words.

    Was it really just because of Gu Qingrou''s possessiveness and love-addled brain?

    Gu Sang took a deep breath, trying to calm herself to analyze the situation. She asked rationally, "What''s your reason? Why are you willing to take my ce?"

    A sh of resentment passed through Gu Qingrou''s eyes, as if she was fiercely protecting something that belonged to her: "Because the position of Empress is mine! He promised it to me!"

    "I exchanged it with my daughter''s blood. No one else can take it away."

    At this point, Gu Qingrou gave a self-mocking smile.

    She tilted her head, staring at Gu Sang as she slowly continued:

    "Actually, I don''t want to help you, but only if you flee far away, back to the world you belong to, will the Emperor truly belong to me alone."

    "I know you don''t trust me. I was able toe here with Madam Li''s help."

    "You might not know Madam Li, but you surely know of Consort Li. She''s Consort Li''s mother."

    "Madam Li wants me to tell you that she deeply regrets not helping her daughter send you out of the capital city back then."

    "She thought that by following Lord Li''s instructions and handing you over to the Emperor, she could save her daughter from a sea of suffering."

    "It wasn''t until news of her daughter''s death arrived that she was ovee with regret. So now she wants to make amends."

    "She wants to fulfill what her daughter couldn''t aplish in life."

    Gu Sang''s heart was severely shaken.

    She recalled the scene of Consort Li dying in her arms. This woman had always been quiet and well-behaved in the pce.

    She and Gu Sang weren''t close, barely exchanging a few words.

    Yet she had sacrificed her life to help Gu Sang, and now her mother was trying her best to fulfill her daughter''s unfulfilled wish, indirectly helping Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang felt she owed Consort Li far too much.

    The only thing she could do for Consort Li now was to make Pei Changying kneel and apologize at her grave, hoping it would bring a smile to Consort Li in the afterlife.

    This was the only thing Gu Sang could do for Consort Li.

    "Alright!" she agreed.

    "Gu Qingrou, I must warn you, Pei Changying is cruel and unpredictable. If he finds out you''vee to rece me, you know what the consequences will be."

    Although Gu Sang agreed readily, she couldn''t help but warn Gu Qingrou.

    Gu Qingrou''s expression remained determined, her eyes carrying a tragic smile.

    She tilted her head back, forcing back her tears: "I believe he won''t kill me."

    "I''ve always believed that he still has a ce for me in his heart, that those vows we once made were sincere."

    "Even if he gets angry and kills me, I''ll ept it willingly."

    "I''ve dedicated my life to him. If he no longer loves me, how am I any different from being dead?"

    "I''d rather die by his hand."

    Hearing Gu Qingrou''s words, Gu Sang was at a loss for words.

    It was confirmed: severe love-sickness, beyond cure!

    Since Gu Qingrou had already anticipated the oue, Gu Sang said no more. She looked deeply at Gu Qingrou and said:

    "Very well, I hope things turn out as you wish, and that Pei Changying shows you mercy."

    Time was of the essence. Gu Sang and Gu Qingrou quickly exchanged clothes. After leaving Xuyang Pce, pce servants bribed by Madam Li were waiting to assist them.

    With Madam Li''s financial arrangements and the Prime Minister''s secret protection, Gu Sang finally managed to leave the pce safely.

    A carriage was waiting on a street just one block away from the pce.

    After Gu Sang boarded the carriage, the driver immediately set off towards the city gate.

    Looking at the woman before her, dressed in in clothes, her once plump face now gaunt from the sudden turn of events, Gu Sang felt a pang in her heart.

    Gu Sang opened her mouth, her voice hoarse: "Thank you."

    Madam Li''s dim eyes looked towards Gu Sang, the faintest smile on her lips.

    "No need to thank me. I''m justpleting what my daughter couldn''t finish."

    "I hope this will allow her to rest in peace."

    Gu Sang shook her head: "Madam Li, when I arrived, Consort Li was already deeply poisoned. I couldn''t save her."

    "She told me she hated Pei Changying."

    "She hoped to see Pei Changying lose everything."

    "I think herst wish will be fulfilled tomorrow."

    "Madam Li, could you tell me where Consort Li is buried? I promised her on her deathbed that I would make Pei Changying kneel and apologize at her grave."

    Madam Li''s body trembled, tears falling like broken strings of pearls.

    "She was always so submissive and never fought back since she was little. I had no idea she harbored such hatred for the Emperor."

    "She must have been tormented day and night, countless times wishing for death to escape, to want to see the Emperor fall even in her dying moments."

    "I''m a failure as a mother. I had no idea what kind of life she was living in the pce."

    "Miss Gu, is there anything else I can help with?"

    "As long as it''s my daughter''sst wish, I''ll do everything in my power to fulfill it."

    "It''s the only thing I can do for her now."

    Gu Sang instinctively reached for her pocket to get a tissue, but suddenly remembered she didn''t have any with her.

    She could only offer words offort:

    "Madam Li, now is not the time for tears."

    "I need to hurry to where the army is stationed to arrange everything."

    "Please go to the Prime Minister''s Mansion and request a private audience with him. When you see him, let him know I''m safe."

    Madam Li took out her own handkerchief to wipe her tears. She looked at Gu Sang in surprise.

    Then, she turned her gaze towards the pce: "You even managed to convince the Prime Minister?"

    "Heh... It seems Pei Changying''s fate is truly sealed."

 Chapter 239: You Are Not Gu Sang

    <h4>Chapter 239</h4>

    Upon seeing it was a carriage from the Li Mansion, the soldiers quickly allowed passage.

    After Madam Li escorted Gu Sang outside the city, another carriage was waiting for her.

    Once Gu Sang boarded this carriage, the driver urged the horses onward at full speed towards the camp where the Elder Princess''s army was stationed.

    Meanwhile, Madam Li, following Gu Sang''s instructions, made her way to the Prime Minister''s Mansion.

    Outsiders were unaware that Madam Li had already separated from Minister Li. When Madam Li arrived at the Prime Minister''s Mansion, the servants immediately invited her inside.

    After she informed the Prime Minister that Gu Sang had escaped from the Imperial Pce, Madam Li was shocked to see that the Elder Princess was actually hiding in the Prime Minister''s Mansion!

    Only then did Madam Li understand the additional meaning behind Gu Sang''s request for her to deliver the message.

    Gu Sang wanted to inform both the Prime Minister and the Elder Princess that tomorrow would be the day the army would attack the Imperial Pce.

    She wanted the Prime Minister to keep Pei Changying upied in the pce, preventing him from learning about the uprising in the capital.

    Meanwhile, the Elder Princess would lead her elite troops to open the city gates, allowing the army to enter the capital and then storm the Imperial Pce.

    Good, good, good! This day has finallye!

    My daughter! Tomorrow you will see Pei Changying weeping and begging for forgiveness at your grave!

    The next day.

    It was the day of the Emperor and Empress''s grand wedding, and the Imperial Pce was filled with a festive atmosphere.

    Pei Changying even proimed to the world that his marriage to the divine maiden Gu Sang was a match made in heaven, and he granted a general amnesty to celebrate with the people.

    The court officials watched this Empress''s coronation ceremony, which was far grander than the previous Empress''s coronation.

    Anyone with discerning eyes could see the Emperor''s intentions.

    The Prime Minister stood with the newly promoted Minister Li, watching as the Empress was helped down from her phoenix carriage to join Pei Changying in paying respects to their ancestors.

    The coronation ritual wasplex and tedious,sting over two hours.

    The officials stood respectfully, but some couldn''t help whispering among themselves.

    "This coronation ceremony far exceeds the scale set by our ancestors."

    "Even the previous Empress didn''t have such a grand ceremony."

    "It''s clear that Noble Consort Gu is indeed favored now."

    Another person quietly corrected him: "She''s the Empress now."

    The Prime Minister watched the ceremony with an expressionless face. Although he knew chaos had already erupted outside the Imperial City, his heart remained as steady as an old dog.

    His duty was to keep the Emperor and these officials upied, preventing them from leading the Imperial Guard to stop the Elder Princess.

    Just as the Prime Minister had predicted, while Pei Changying was conducting the ancestral worship ceremony...

    Outside the city.

    The sound of battle suddenly erupted¡ª

    Gu Sang rode at the forefront of the army, leading the troops towards the capital.

    Along the way, she no longer concealed her face, believing it was no longer necessary!

    The Elder Princess and the Prime Minister would not let the news reach the Imperial Pce.

    "Oh no, those are rebels!!! Quick, close the city gates!"

    As the army approached the city gates, the guards finally spotted the troops.

    "Weren''t they still in South City? Howe we didn''t receive any news?"

    "This is bad! South City must have fallen. Quick, report¡ª"

    However, before the guard could finish speaking, the Elder Princess''s elite troops, who had been disguised as civilians waiting for the army to arrive, sprang into action.

    They had been casually walking near the city gates, and upon hearing the guards'' panicked voices, they instantly drew their weapons and swiftly killed all the guards with lightning speed.

    The attack came so suddenly that the guards, who had no idea that infiltrators were already in the capital, were ughtered in the streets without a chance to resist.

    Civilians in the street scattered in fear, but the Elder Princess removed her veil and called out to the crowd:

    "Everyone, please don''t panic."

    "We enter the capital with a vow not to harm a single civilian."

    At this moment, Gu Sang rode into the city on horseback and assured the people: "I am Gu Sang."

    "Please don''t be rmed. We absolutely will not harm any civilians."

    "For today, everyone should stay in their homes and note out. There may be fierce battles in the capital soon, so take shelter immediately to avoid being caught in the crossfire!"

    "I promise you all here and now, this is a matter between us and the court. Whether we win or the court wins, we will not use you as hostages."

    Upon hearing Gu Sang reveal her identity, the people stopped fleeing and looked up at her.

    The civilians'' eyes widened: "Ah, it really is Miss Gu?"

    "It''s the divine maiden, the divine maiden has returned!"

    "Everyone, don''t run! The divine maiden hase back!"

    Feeling the enthusiasm of the crowd, Gu Sang smiled in response and repeated her words.

    With her assurance, the civilians calmly returned to their homes, closing their doors and windows, waiting for the oue of this war.

    The cooperation of the civilians, who didn''t run about in the streets, made it much easier for the Elder Princess and her people to capture the city guards.

    The Elder Princess dispatched a portion of her subordinates to take control of all the city guards in the capital.

    Once everything was in ce, the Elder Princess and Gu Sang led the army towards the Imperial Pce.

    At this time, the Empress''s coronation ceremony in the Imperial Pce had just concluded.

    Gu Qingrou, dressed in borate wedding attire, stood on the high phoenix tform.

    Beside her, Pei Changying happily held Gu Qingrou''s hand, smiling lovingly as he said:

    "Sang Sang, look, I''ve fulfilled my promise to you!"

    "I''ve given you unparalleled favor. I believe this coronation ceremony will be talked about for centuries toe."

    "I will never let you down in the future."

    Through the bridal veil, Pei Changying''s smile couldn''t be seen clearly, but his affectionate and tender voice was like a honey-coated knife, cutting into Gu Qingrou''s heart with each word.

    It made her feel sweetness in her pain, and unbearable pain in her sweetness.

    Such moving words of love, but s, they weren''t meant for her.

    Yet Gu Qingrou kept deceiving herself, believing that the Emperor was speaking to her. It didn''t matter; she would eventually move the Emperor''s heart.

    "Sang Sang, I''ve given you a coronation ceremony far grander than what our ancestors prescribed. I''ve offered you all the treasures in the world that I could find."

    "You should see with your own eyes how much I love you!"

    He had put so much thought into this for Gu Sang, insisting on making this coronation ceremony as grand and luxurious as possible.

    Such magnificence, of course, had to be witnessed by Gu Sang herself, so she would know how much he loved her.

    Pei Changying could no longer contain his excitement.

    He couldn''t help but reach out to lift Gu Qingrou''s bridal veil, wanting to give her a passionate kiss: "Sang Sang, I want to share the empire with you!"

    Unexpectedly, Gu Qingrou''s veil was lifted and tossed aside.

    Gu Qingrou''s tear-stained face suddenly appeared before Pei Changying and all the court officials.

    The officials were shocked: ????

    Pei Changying''s tender, loving expression instantly turned gloomy and cold upon seeing Gu Qingrou, as if struck by lightning.

    "How can it be you?!"

    "Where is Gu Sang? Where have you hidden Gu Sang?"

    Pei Changying gripped Gu Qingrou''s shoulders tightly.

    Gu Qingrou winced in pain and pleaded with Pei Changying: "Your Majesty, you''re hurting your subject."

 Chapter 240: Why You

    <h4>Chapter 240</h4>

    Pei Changying suddenly gripped Gu Qingrou''s chin, viciously tightening his fingers and forcing her to look up at him.

    His hand was gradually increasing in pressure, as if he wanted to crush Gu Qingrou''s jaw.

    Pei Changying furiously scrutinized the woman before him, his eyes devoid of any affection: "Gu Qingrou! Why is it you? Where has Gu Sang gone?"

    "How are you here? Why are you wearing her clothes?"

    "What is going on here?"

    Tears suddenly streamed down Gu Qingrou''s face.

    Seeing her beloved treat her so coldly, all her efforts to escape reality came crashing down. freewebn¦Òvel.c?m

    It turned out that reality was so cold and cruel.

    "Emperor, I switched ces with her. I love you, and I couldn''t bear to watch her take you away from me."

    "She never wanted to be Empress. Only I will always be by your side. At this moment, Gu Sang has probably already fled the Imperial Pce!"

    Having said this, Gu Qingrou closed her eyes.

    She prepared herself for Pei Changying''s impending fury.

    This was fine. Without Pei Changying''s love, she might as well die by his hand.

    At least, being killed by him could be considered a form of happiness.

    The expected suffocation didn''te. Instead, Gu Qingrou''s face was struck hard with a p, and then Pei Changying violently pushed her away, shouting: "Whore!"

    Gu Qingrou, already encumbered by her heavy wedding attire, was sent tumbling down the steps by Pei Changying''s forceful shove.

    In front of all the court officials, she, the dignified Empress, was as wretched as a dog.

    Gu Qingrou was left dizzy from the fall. She struggled to get up.

    Warm blood trickled down from her forehead.

    She heard Pei Changying begin to issue orders.

    "Go and bring Grandma Gu to me!"

    Pei Changying had always been worried that Gu Sang might be ying tricks. Even he knew deep down that Gu Sang wouldn''t simply resign herself to marrying him.

    So even on his wedding day, Pei Changying had ordered his secret guards to watch over Grandma Gu.

    Seeing the situation, the Prime Minister immediately volunteered to lead the guards to capture Grandma Gu.

    The fake grandmother was being held in a nearby pce. The Prime Minister approached with the guards and said: "The Emperormands that I bring this elderlydy forward."

    "You need not guard her anymore. Hand her over to me now."

    When the Prime Minister produced the dragon pendant symbolizing imperial authority, the secret guards carefully examined it before handing the person over to him.

    The Prime Minister took the olddy away from the front court and entrusted her to his own trusted subordinates for protection.

    "Madam, there may be trouble ahead. Please wait here for a moment."

    "These are all my trusted men. After things settle down up front, I''ll send someone to fetch you."

    The olddy impersonating Grandma Gu had never seen such a high-ranking official before.

    Oh, no, she had seen the Emperor.

    Hearing that the Prime Minister was actually concerned for her personal safety and specially assigned people to protect her, the olddy was moved to tears: "My lord, the situation is urgent. There''s no need to assign people to protect me."

    "My life is worthless. Having people like you, my lord, the Elder Princess, and the Divine Lady who care for the world is a blessing for themon people. Being of use is a fortune I couldn''t even pray for."

    The Prime Minister nodded without saying anything more, but he also didn''t call back his trusted men.

    When the Prime Minister returned to the front hall, he was met with the Emperor''s questioning face.

    The Emperor sat high on his throne, his face dark, clearly suppressing the anger and unease in his heart.

    The Prime Minister stepped forward, bowed, and pretended to exin: "Your Majesty, when I went to receive the olddy, I found that there was no one there anymore."

    "I have already sent my subordinates to search throughout the pce."

    Pei Changying was startled and abruptly stood up from his seat: "No one? How can there be no one! Could it be that rebels have infiltrated the pce and taken Grandma Gu away?"

    "Who is it? Who is helping them in secret!"

    Pei Changying mmed the table furiously.

    His face was filled with anger. He suspected everyone, yet hepletely trusted the Prime Minister, not doubting his loyalty in the slightest.

    Upon hearing that Grandma Gu had been taken away, his first reaction was that she must have been rescued by rebels.

    Pei Changying''s expression changed dramatically. He thought to himself that people couldn''t be taken away so easily; they must still be in the pce.

    Pei Changying immediately summoned the Imperial Guards and ordered:

    "Search the entire pce. Even if you have to turn the Imperial Pce upside down, you must find them for me."

    The Imperial Guards began searching every corner of the pce.

    As time passed, the Prime Minister began to feel increasingly anxious. He wondered why Gu Sang and the Elder Princess hadn''t stormed the pce yet.

    Wasn''t today supposed to be the day of action?

    The Imperial Guards had been mobilized. No matter how well he had hidden the olddy, as long as she remained within the Imperial Pce, she would likely be found within the hour.

    The Prime Minister wracked his brains, trying to think of a reason to dy the Imperial Guards'' search.

    Just then, an unexpected event urred.

    "Bang¡ª"

    A deafening sound came from outside. A guard, covered in blood, came running in, shouting as he ran: "It''s terrible, Your Majesty!"

    "Rebels have broken into the Imperial City!"

    "Whoosh!"

    An arrow, swift as lightning, struck the guard right between the eyes.

    Under the gaze of all the court officials, the guard was killed before their very eyes!

    One second, two seconds, three seconds.

    All the officials who had been standing dumbfounded, staring with wide eyes, suddenly came to their senses.

    The rebels hade!

    How dare the Elder Princess and her allies?

    Before they could even cry out in panic to protect the Emperor, before themanders could react, they heard the sound of cold, rhythmic footsteps approaching from afar.

    "Thump, thump, thump¡ª"

    Tens of thousands of feet marched in unison on the floor, creating vibrations that could be felt from far away.

    Looking up into the distance, they could see waves of enemy troops charging into the Imperial Pce. This sight left all the present ministers pale as sheets.

    "It''s the rebels! Protect the Emperor!"

    "Quickly, protect the Emperor!"

    "The Elder Princess has broken in!!"

    The ministers panicked and crowded around Pei Changying. The guards responded immediately, forming a barrier at the front, protecting the civil and military officials and the Emperor behind them.

    They hade.

    Tens of thousands of soldiers stormed the Imperial Pce, leaving bodies strewn across the ground.

    The air was thick with the smell of blood.

    Updat??d fr??m freewebn¦Òvel.c?m.

    Pei Changying, protected by the ministers at the very back, stared wide-eyed at the Elder Princess leading the charge. His face turned extremely ugly.

    His gaze shifted slightly, and he saw Gu Sang walking beside the Elder Princess.

    Gu Sang, who should have been imprisoned in the pce and dependent on him, had somehow inexplicably joined forces with the Elder Princess to storm in. How could this not enrage Pei Changying!

    "Gu Sang!!!"

    Pei Changying, his eyes bloodshot, shouted at the woman opposite him: "How dare you! How can you be so heartless towards me, Gu Sang? What have I ever done wrong to you?!"

    Across from him, Gu Sang raised her sword, pointing it directly at Pei Changying''s forehead.

    This scene.

    It deeply wounded Pei Changying.

    He found it utterly unbelievable!

    The woman he loved deeply, the woman he had cherished in his heart, truly didn''t love him at all, and actually wanted to kill him?

 Chapter 241: Palace Coup

    <h4>Chapter 241</h4>

    "Why knowingly walk the path of death!" The response to Pei Changying was Gu Sang''s warning, filled with a murderous aura, rather than guilt or unease.

    However, the ministers remained motionless.

    "We''ll protect the Emperor with our lives!"

    "Execute the rebels!" Lord Li shouted with righteous indignation.

    Pei Changying looked at Lord Li approvingly, realizing that in this crucial moment, Lord Li was still the most loyal.

    Pei Changying''s gaze, filled with both love and hate, fixed on Gu Sang as he slowly spoke:

    "Gu Sang, why are you doing this to me?"

    "I''ve been so good to you. The past is behind us. I''ve apologized and acknowledged my mistakes. I even offered you the position of Empress and agreed to be faithful to you alone!"

    "But you? You still betray me. You''ve left me utterly heartbroken."

    Gu Sang sneered, "You call imprisoning me being good to me? You call stabbing my grandmother being good to me?"

    "If you think that''s being good to me, thene here and let me stab you a few times."

    Pei Changying''s face turned ashen, looking at the person before him with a wounded expression: "Gu Sang, I was forced to do those things. If you had stayed by my side willingly, how could I have treated you that way?"

    "Do you really think Pei Weiqi and these rebels can overthrow me?"

    "Haha, you''re too naive."

    "Throughout history, how could anyone who ascends the throne not have a few trump cards? I''ll give you onest chance. Come here!"

    Even at this point, Pei Changying remained confident.

    This reaction caused Gu Sang, the Elder Princess, and others to feel a sinking feeling in their hearts, giving rise to an ominous premonition.

    It seemed they had overlooked something.

    Could Pei Changying still turn the tables?

    The Prime Minister stood frozen, staring intently at the Emperor''s face, lost in thought.

    Suddenly, the Prime Minister raised his head and asked tremblingly, "Your Majesty, have you taken control of the Shadow Gate?"

    Shadow Gate???

    When this term left the Prime Minister''s mouth, Gu Sang instinctively looked at the Elder Princess.

    But the Elder Princess shook her head.

    It seemed even the Elder Princess didn''t know about this.

    Seeing this, the Prime Minister stepped back from Pei Changying and began to exin to everyone: "You may all know that His Majesty has Covert Guards, who are already supreme martial artists."

    "But few know that thete Emperor secretly trained the Shadow Gate. The Shadow Gate is even more mysterious and cold-blooded than the Covert Guards."

    "They were personally selected by thete Emperor, orphans raised from childhood. When theye of age, they engage in deadlybat. Only the ultimate victor joins the Shadow Gate; the rest be corpses."

    "The information about the Shadow Gate is so secretive that even I know very little."

    "I thought thete Emperor passed away too quickly to tell His Majesty about the Shadow Gate, but unexpectedly, His Majesty now controls it."

    Originally, thete Emperor hadn''t intended for Pei Changying to seed him, so naturally wouldn''t have told him about the secret only the Emperor should know.

    Thete Emperor''s sudden death led the Prime Minister to believe Pei Changying hadn''t been told about the Shadow Gate.

    But unexpectedly, not only did Pei Changying know, he had taken control of the Shadow Gate.

    This was something even Gu Sang didn''t know.

    No, not just Gu Sang: even the Elder Princess had never heard her father mention it.

    Hearing the Prime Minister inexplicably reveal his trump card with an exnation, Pei Changying narrowed his eyes dangerously.

    He fixed the Prime Minister with a scrutinizing gaze and questioned, "Prime Minister, what do you mean by this?"

    Pei Changying was already suspicious of the Prime Minister!

    At this point, the Prime Minister no longer needed to conceal anything. He had been standing on the outskirts, and now he decisively walked towards the Elder Princess.

    Actions spoke louder than words; the Prime Minister had shown through his behavior that he had been turned!

    The ministers in the hall were dumbfounded at this sight.

    Even Pei Changying was shocked for a moment. With murderous intent in his eyes, he raged, "Good! Good! Good! I never imagined even my most loyal Prime Minister would betray me."

    "No wonder Gu Sang could escape the capital. It turns out my Prime Minister had rebelled!"

    "Hahaha! And I''ve only just realized it."

    Pei Changying coldlyughed as he pulled out something from his hand.

    No one had noticed when Pei Changying''s hand had acquired an object.

    By the time Gu Sang and the others saw it, a burst of fire shot into the sky.

    "Bang!"

    Gu Sang''s pupils constricted violently. A re?

    Seeing the re, the assembled ministers'' faces lit up with joy.

    Judging from the Emperor''s tone, as long as the powerful Shadow Gate arrived, they would be saved!

    "Capture the rebels!"

    "Once the Shadow Gate''s assassins arrive, the Elder Princess is doomed!" Lord Li shouted with particr enthusiasm. Though he didn''t rush forward, his voice rang out like thunder.

    His eyes gleamed with excitement as he thought, haha, the Prime Minister has rebelled!

    If he could protect the Emperor today, he might be the next Prime Minister!

    The Imperial Guards swarmed in, immediately shing with the troops Gu Sang had brought.

    The Prime Minister stood firmly beside Gu Sang and the Elder Princess, his face solemn as he said, "Elder Princess, quickly kill Pei Changying. He must have something on him tomand the Shadow Gate."

    "The Shadow Gate only recognizes the token, not the person!"

    Hearing this, the Elder Princess immediately drew her bow, aiming an arrow at Pei Changying.

    "Whoosh!"

    "Protect the Emperor!" Lord Li''s heart-wrenching cry rang out.

    In that split second, just as the arrow was about to strike Pei Changying, a silver sh darted from afar, reaching the arrow in the blink of an eye.

    "ng!"

    The arrow was deflected and fell to the ground.

    "Swish!"

    "Swish! Swish!"

    In an instant, dozens of figures appeared around Pei Changying: ck-d individuals with only their eyes visible beneath their coverings.

    Their eyes were numb and cold, like living corpses, but the murderous aura they exuded was impossible to ignore.

    These must be the Shadow Gate assassins.

    Although they were few in number, Gu Sang didn''t dare underestimate them. She whispered to the Elder Princess, "Be careful, I sense these people are extremely dangerous!"

    The Elder Princess nodded, but before she could speak, a sudden change urred.

    Pei Changying took out a token and pointed at Gu Sang.

    "Leave her alive. Kill everyone else. Leave no one."

    Immediately, the Shadow Gate assassins sprang into action.

    Gu Sang only felt a blur before her eyes. When she looked again, there were no Shadow Gate members around Pei Changying.

    It was only then that Gu Sang realized the lightness skills described in novels were real. Ancient people could actually cultivate such astonishing abilities!

    "Thud!"

    The Elder Princess beside her couldn''t dodge in time and was stabbed in the arm by a Shadow Gate assassin, immediately coughing up blood.

    "Wei Qi!"

    Gu Sang and the Elder Princess had been standing together, and now Gu Sang quickly supported her.

    Then she swiftly pulled out her electric baton, cranking it to maximum power as the Shadow Gate assassin charged again.

    "Bzzzzt¡ª"

    Everyone only heard a buzzing sound, and then they witnessed the most unbelievable scene.

 Chapter 242: Have You Ever Been in Love

    <h4>Chapter 242</h4>

    Bang!

    The assassin from Shadow Gate fell!

    As he copsed, everyone could still smell a burnt odor.

    At this moment, whether it was Pei Changying, the court officials, the prime minister, Shadow Gate, or the Imperial Guards.

    They all stared at Gu Sang with jaws dropped in shock.

    An official trembled as he stared at the electric baton: "Is this also a weapon from the future? But why have we never seen it in the live broadcasts?"

    "How can this weapon be so strange and unpredictable?"

    The Elder Princess''s body fell towards Gu Sang, who quickly turned off the electricity and reached out to support her.

    "You''ve been poisoned!"

    Seeing the Elder Princess''s pale face, Gu Sang was so angry she almost swore: "Wei Qi."

    "Sit down first, don''t move around carelessly."

    Gu Sang took out various medicines from her pocket, then used alcohol and other materials to disinfect and clean the Elder Princess''s wound.

    Although Shadow Gate only had a few dozen people, they were indeed one-in-a-million experts, trained from childhood to be killing machines, murdering without hesitation.

    Moreover, their swords were coated with poison, making them impossible to guard against.

    In just a short while, hundreds had already died at the hands of Shadow Gate.

    Combined with the siege of the Imperial Guards, their previous advantage hadpletely disappeared.

    Gu Sang suddenly raised her head, looking coldly at the man not far away, that Pei Changying who still pretended to be affectionate and wanted to marry her as his empress.

    To hell with being empress!

    The situation had already be a matter of life and death, and today there was no such word as failure.

    It was either victory or death!

    "Sang Sang, I''ve told you long ago that I am the one destined by heaven."

    "And you are the goddess in the hearts of the people. Only you are worthy to stand by my side!"

    "Come here,e to my side, and be my one and only empress." Pei Changying''s confident and smugughter sounded particrly grating.

    Gu Sang put down the electric baton in her hand, slowly stood up, and took a few steps towards Pei Changying.

    Seeing Gu Sang put down her weapon, Pei Changying looked at her with a predatory gaze, as if looking at prey, waiting for Gu Sang to beg before him, to plead with him.

    "Pei Changying, we indeed underestimated you. We didn''t expect you to have a backup n."

    "You want me to regret, to be a caged flower in the pce, right?"

    "Heh, to hell with your empress position, I only want the world!"

    The distance was enough. Gu Sang suddenly stopped.

    She quickly pulled out an electromaic pistol, aiming it at Pei Changying.

    Expressionless, ruthless, without even blinking: "Bang!"

    Before anyone could react, a fragile figure in red lunged towards Pei Changying the moment Gu Sang drew her gun.

    Gu Qingrou, who had been hiding and watching, used her life to take a bullet for Pei Changying.

    Although the system was unreliable, the weapons it refined certainly had devastating power.

    Gu Qingrou felt her internal organs shatter in an instant. All strength drained from her body, and as she was about to fall, a pair of strong hands caught her waist, and she felt herself fall into a familiar embrace.

    Pei Changying looked at Gu Qingrou with an expression of disbelief.

    His heart suddenly constricted.

    Aplex emotion that was hard to describe surged up, and he held the bleeding Gu Qingrou in his arms, questioning in shock: "Gu Qingrou! Have you gone mad?"

    "Why did you take this bullet for me? I''ve been so cruel to you, why would you shield me?"

    Gu Qingrou looked at Pei Changying with tenderness and love in her expression, struggling to speak.

    Coughing up blood, she said passionately: "Because you are this servant''s husband, you are my sky, you are the only person I''ve ever truly loved in this life!"

    Hearing this, Pei Changying suddenly trembled violently.

    Gu Sang: "......."

    What a melodramatic scene.

    Expressionless, Gu Sang raised her hand and fired at Pei Changying again.

    An assassin immediately rushed forward, pushing Pei Changying away.

    The emperor, who had just escaped death, trembled as he reached out, crawling back to Gu Qingrou''s side, shaking his head: "No, you shouldn''t love me, you should hate me."

    "I stripped you of your empress title....."

    Hearing this, Gu Qingrou smiled weakly, then shook her head, her eyes without a trace of me.

    She was so tired; so this was what it felt like to be on the brink of death.

    But she also felt so happy because she finally saw her own image in Pei Changying''s eyes again.

    She saw Pei Changying trembling as he held her, and she knew that Pei Changying actually loved her.

    It''s just that Pei Changying himself couldn''t see clearly into his own heart.

    In this lifetime, she was content!

    "This servant doesn''t me you. In my heart, everything you do is good and right."

    "To die for you, I have no regrets."

    "Before dying, to see you cry, this servant is truly happy. Changying, in the next life, I still want to continue loving you. Can we be husband and wife, just the two of us?"

    However, Gu Qingrou didn''t have the chance to say: In the next life, please don''t wait until I''m dying to love me...

    Seeing Pei Changying''s tears, she left this world, satisfied.

    "Qingrou, Qingrou......"

    Pei Changying trembled as he held Gu Qingrou in his arms, not caring that the blood from her mouth stained his wedding attire.

    He gently caressed Gu Qingrou''s face over and over, his warm tears falling onto her face.

    At this moment, Pei Changying showed the most tender side of his entire life, but Gu Qingrou could no longer see it.

    While the emperor was expressing his love to his lovesick brain, Gu Sang didn''t just stand by idly.

    She directly dealt with the officials surrounding Pei Changying. When Gu Sang shot and killed the third official, the others realized the situation was hopeless.

    Faced with that ck weapon, the officials were so frightened they surrendered one after another.

    Gu Sang blew on the smoking barrel of her gun.

    She approached Pei Changying, looking down on him, and broke this tender moment with cold, ruthless words.

    "Tsk tsk tsk, such deep affection, I''m almost moved."

    "Pei Changying, hand over Shadow Gate''smand token."

    "At this point, even if you have Shadow Gate''s assassins, it won''t change anything."

    Pei Changying raised his head to look at Gu Sang sorrowfully. The tenderness in his eyes was gone, reced with hatred as he gazed at her.

    "Boom!"

    "Boom!"

    General Qin arrived with hand grenades!

    No matter how formidable Shadow Gate was, they were no match for modern weapons.

    Pei Changying swept his gaze forward, seeing corpses strewn everywhere, both rebels and Imperial Guards.

    His gaze swept back, only to find that the officials who had just been surrounding him, moring to protect him, had long since scattered like birds and beasts.

    The assassins were likewise surrounded by the enemy, unable to reach his side.

    Pei Changyingughed bitterly, taking out the token from his bosom.

    He looked to the sky and cried out: "Time does not wait for me, and the officials have turned their hearts away."

    "Yes, you''re right. Even with Shadow Gate, I can''t reverse the situation."

    "You want the token, fine, but I still want to know one thing. Can you tell me truthfully?"

    "Gu Sang, did you ever truly love me?"

 Chapter 243: Love a Fart

    <h4>Chapter 243</h4>

    At this point, still thinking about love.

    What an idiot.

    Who the hell wants to y this game of chasing after a wife who''s already gone, Gu Sang thought disdainfully as she looked at him, her firm tone revealing her ruthlessness.

    "Never!"

    Pei Changying''s eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked again, not giving up: "Not even for a moment?"

    "Never!"

    Never...

    Everything from before was a lie!

    It was all fake!

    "Fine! Fine! Fine! In the end, I overestimated myself." Pei Changying quickly handed the token to Gu Sang, then held Gu Qingrou,ughing and crying at the same time.

    "Qingrou, only now do I understand that you were the only one who truly loved me."

    "I''ve wronged you in this life, I can only make it up to you in the next."

    "Very well, let''s reincarnate together."

    The tide had turned, and no amount of struggling would help Pei Changying now. He didn''t want to witness Pei Weiqi ascending to the throne, and rather than living on in disgrace, he might as well end it all now.

    Pei Changying picked up a long sword dropped by some fleeing Imperial Guard and held it in his hand, about to take his own life.

    But in that split second, Gu Sang made her move.

    "ng!"

    The sword was shattered by an electromaic st, falling to the ground with a crisp sound.

    Pei Changying looked up at Gu Sang standing before him in confusion, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

    "Sang Sang, you¡ª"

    Before he could finish, Gu Sang cut him off coldly.

    "Before Consort Li died, I promised her I would make you kowtow and apologize at her grave, and then kill you."

    In that instant, the hope in Pei Changying''s eyes was extinguished. He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cer, the bone-chilling cold making him shiver.

    "Gu Sang, you''re so heartless!"

    "You don''tpare to Qingrou in the slightest."

    Gu Sang nced imperceptibly at Gu Qingrou in Pei Changying''s arms and said tly: "What a simr scene. Indeed, what you can''t have always seems the best. You''re truly pathetic."

    "She''s already dead."

    "She died for you, and now your deep feelings are useless. She can''t see them."

    A surge of anger welled up in Pei Changying''s heart. Provoked by Gu Sang, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

    Every word from Gu Sang was like a knife stabbing into his heart, making him wish for death and regret his past actions.

    Although the dozens of pce assassins had been eliminated, the Elder Princess''s side had also suffered heavy losses. Many people had been poisoned and could only sit down where they were.

    General Qin tookmand of the remaining Imperial Guards and approached Gu Sang:

    "Miss Gu, the Elder Princess and others have been poisoned. What should we do?"

    Gu Sang looked at Pei Changying: "Where''s the antidote?"

    Pei Changying''s face twisted into a maniacal grin: "Hahaha, there is no antidote. They can apany me to the afterlife."

    Gu Sang raised her hand and pped him hard across the face.

    Spoiled brat.

    How dare you still act so arrogant now.

    The Prime Minister walked up to Gu Sang and said: "Shadow Gate couldn''t have had only this many people. Miss Gu, if we can find Shadow Gate, we can obtain the antidote."

    "Modern medicine can suppress the poison. The token is in your hands now, and these assassins only recognize the token, not the person. We have enough time."

    Hearing this, the smile on Pei Changying''s face suddenly froze, and he red at the Prime Minister with hatred.

    "I should have killed you long ago."

    Faced with Pei Changying''s venomous gaze, the Prime Minister paid no attention, treating Pei Changying as if he were invisible. He and General Qin began dealing with the aftermath in the imperial city.

    Gu Sang ordered the guards to put Pei Changying in shackles and assigned two guards to watch him, preventing him from taking his own life.

    Gu Sang hung the Shadow Gate token at her waist.

    Soon, Shadow Gate assassins came to see Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang immediately ordered them to produce the antidote. Even though the token''s owner had changed, they didn''t hesitate to bring out the antidote.

    Indeed, they only recognized the token, not the person.

    Gu Sang didn''t immediately give the antidote to the Elder Princess to take. Instead, she first had the imperial physician examine it. Only after it was checked did she allow the Elder Princess, Zhou Qichen, and the others to take the antidote.

    "Why did you arrive sote? How many people are there in Shadow Gate in total?" the Elder Princess asked, walking up to Gu Sang after taking the antidote.

    Gu Sang handed the token to the Elder Princess.

    Seeing that the Elder Princess now held the token, the Shadow Gate members replied:

    "There are one hundred and sixty people. We were ordered to search for the previous dynasty''s treasure."

    Gu Sang and the Elder Princess both turned to look at Pei Changying. No wonder he had been so confident all along, with Shadow Gate protecting him and knowing about the previous dynasty''s treasure.

    If he had found the treasure, it would have been another fierce battle.

    Fortunately, Pei Changying was too arrogant and didn''t know how to keep a low profile.

    Perhaps it was his past experiences of being bullied that caused his personality to change dramatically after bing the ruler. After years of hiding his true nature, when he reached the pinnacle of his life, he began to seek revenge frantically, trying to fill the void in his heart.

    "Contact the others immediately. There''s no need to search for the treasure anymore. Return to the capital!" the Elder Princess ordered.

    She knew there were many things to handle before her coronation.

    She needed powerful protection around her, and Shadow Gate was the best coronation gift Pei Changying could have given her.

    Gu Sang gave the Elder Princess a deep look, the corners of her mouth turning up.

    The Elder Princess''s determination to give up on the previous dynasty''s treasure showed that she was more clear-headed than anyone else.

    This further proved that the Elder Princess was a very intelligent person who knew how to weigh the pros and cons.

    Ensuring her own safety first was the priority. Once the country was stable, there would be time to search for the treasure, and she wouldn''t need to use her trump card to do so.

    Gu Sang nced at Pei Changying and said to the Elder Princess:

    "Elder Princess, I previously promised Consort Li that I would bring Pei Changying to her grave to kowtow and apologize."

    The Elder Princess had everyone else step back a few meters before speaking softly to Gu Sang: "After he apologizes, kill him on the spot."

    "The appearance of Shadow Gate has revealed some ws in our pce arrangements."

    "I just received a report that some officials have escaped."

    "I''m afraid that if we bring Pei Changying back, those officials with treacherous intentions might try to rescue him from the prison cart."

    "Alright," Gu Sang agreed.

    Then, she and the Elder Princess split up. The Elder Princess stayed in the pce to consolidate the remaining forces, turning those who could be turned and eliminating those who needed to be eliminated.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang, after contacting Madam Li, borrowed her carriage and quietly loaded the unconscious Pei Changying, who had been stunned by the electromaic weapon, onto it.

    Half an hourter, the carriage arrived at Consort Li''s grave.

    Gu Sang kicked Pei Changying hard twice to wake him up.

    Looking at the grave before him, a gust of wind blew past, making Pei Changying shiver from the cold.

    He met the watchful gazes of Gu Sang and Madam Li.

    With a rustle, Pei Changying stood up from the ground, looking directly at the two of them, and then at Consort Li''s grave with a mocking gaze: "You''re delusional if you think you can make me apologize!"

    "You can kill me, but don''t expect anything else."

    Gu Sang pulled out her electromaic pistol and fired two shots at Pei Changying''s knees as he was talking.

    "Bang!"

    "Bang!"

    Pei Changying''s legs were ruined, and he fell to his knees with a thud.

    "Ah!!! Gu Sang!" Pei Changying screamed in pain, his eyes bloodshot.

 Chapter 244: The Death of Pei Changying

    <h4>Chapter 244</h4>

    Gu Sang coldly said, "Pei Changying, you think you''re suffering just because your kneecap was broken?"

    "This is nothingpared to how you tortured Consort Zhao and Consort Li."

    "The pain they endured was far worse than what you''re experiencing now."

    "Today you will apologize to Consort Li and Consort Zhao. You have no choice."

    Pei Changying looked into Gu Sang''s eyes and saw no affection, only hatred.

    But upon seeing Gu Sang''s icy gaze and Madam Li''s look of deep-seated hatred, Pei Changying knew he couldn''t escape. His death today was inevitable.

    epting reality, Pei Changying deted and made a request:

    "Gu Sang, I know I must die. I can apologize, but I beg one thing of you. After I''m dead, can you bury my body together with Qingrou?"

    Gu Sang thought of Gu Qingrou''s love-addled brain. If Pei Changying could be buried with her, it''s probably what Gu Qingrou would have wanted.

    Best to lock away that love-addled thinking for good.

    No need to cause more harm to others.

    "Very well," she said.

    At this moment, Pei Changying no longer had his former vigor. In the fading sunlight, he seemed to age decades in an instant, bing a pitiful old man.

    "Consort Li, I was wrong!"

    "Consort Zhao, I was wrong."

    Hearing Pei Changying apologize in person, the poison vial dropped from Madam Li''s hand as tears streamed down her face.

    "My daughter, did you hear that?"

    "He admitted he was wrong!"

    "He kneeled at your grave and apologized!"

    When Gu Sang had sent someone to contact her, she had already been told that Pei Changying could be killed however she wished.

    At the time, Madam Li had wanted Pei Changying to experience the same pain as her daughter - to die with his liver and intestines torn apart and blood flowing from seven orifices.

    But seeing Pei Changying kneeling there and apologizing, Madam Li suddenly felt all her resentment dissolve.

    Her daughter was already dead. What meaning was there in torturing Pei Changying further?

    And to torture him with the same method of death - who did Pei Changying think he was? He didn''t deserve to die the same way as her daughter.

    Madam Li turned her gaze to Gu Sang, wiping away her tears with effort and revealing a satisfied smile.

    "Miss Gu, being able to make that dog emperor kneel at her grave and apologize is enough for me."

    "His life is yours to deal with now."

    Having lost the throne, the woman who loved him most dead, and the woman he desired being utterly heartless - Pei Changying had no hope left for living.

    He closed his eyes in resignation.

    "Bang!"

    As the sun set, a loud gunshot startled birds from a nearby tree. They pped their wings and flew skyward.

    Pei Changying fell into a pool of blood.

    He died by Gu Sang''s hand.

    After his death, Gu Sang ordered the guards to bury Pei Changying in any random ce.

    Gu Qingrou''s identity was inconsequential, and her body was easily transported out by the guards to be buried together with Pei Changying.

    After finishing all this, Gu Sang didn''t return to the imperial pce. Instead, she traveled through the night to South City to find her grandmother.

    When Gu Sang had led her army to the capital, she had already arranged for her grandmother to stay with a farming family.

    The guards at the city gate recognized Gu Sang. Seeing that she wanted to leave the city at night, they let her pass without asking any questions.

    It was already midnight when Gu Sang arrived at the farmhouse. Upon seeing her grandmother, Gu Sang''s heart was finally at ease.

    "Grandmother, we have a few days left. I''ll take you to see the gue City."

    "After a month has passed, we can go home."

    Her grandmother patted Gu Sang''s hand affectionately: "Alright, as long as I''m with you, we can go anywhere."

    "Has the Princess ascended the throne?"

    "Is Pei Changying dead?"

    Hearing her grandmother''s questions, Gu Sang sat down and recounted the events that had transpired after she led the army into the capital.

    Early the next morning, Gu Sang took her grandmother and left the farmhouse, giving the family a sum of silver in gratitude.

    Gu Sang and her grandmother traveled leisurely, sightseeing along the way. During their journey, they overheard travelers discussing Pei Weiqi.

    Pei Weiqi had issued an edict to ascend the throne as Empress, with the ceremony to worship Heaven scheduled for half a monthter.

    After taking power, Pei Weiqi didn''t purge the officials. Instead, she treated them courteously. Aside from some officials who were reported for corruption and executed, the positions of the remaining officials remained unchanged.

    Zhou Qichen, General Qin, Counselor Fang, Advisor Xu, and others who had followed the Princess through battles were naturally rewarded for their merits.

    Zhou Qichen became the youngest general ever to be granted a title of nobility.

    Gu Sang and her grandmother arrived at the gue City. Though they didn''t want to attract attention, Gu Sang''s face was already etched in the hearts of the city''s people.

    As soon as Gu Sang appeared in the gue City, she was immediately recognized by themon folk.

    "Ah! Miss Gu hase to the gue City!"

    "Oh my God! It really is Miss Gu."

    Upon seeing Gu Sang, the soldiers guarding the city excitedly ran into the city, informing the citizens as they went.

    Before long, the city gate was crowded with enthusiastic citizens, packed so tightly that not even water could flow through.

    Gu Sang extended her right hand, waving to everyone in a modern gesture: "Hello, everyone."

    Grandmother Gu also smiled and returned the greetings: "Hello, I''m Gu Sang''s grandmother."

    "Wow, Miss Gu is so down-to-earth."

    "Miss Gu, you look even better than in the livestream."

    "Miss Gu, is this a greeting from your future? It seems casual, but it feels very friendly and can bring people closer together."

    The crowd''s voices mixed together, bing quite jarring, but Gu Sang and her grandmother showed no signs of impatience.

    Some observant individuals in the crowd noticed this, and someone shouted:

    "Everyone, stop talking!"

    "Let''s let Miss Gu and Grandmother Gu enter first."

    "Whoosh!"

    As soon as the words were spoken, the crowd voluntarily parted to make way.

    Gu Sang let go of her grandmother''s hand, stepped forward, and addressed the crowd in a clear voice: "I''m just a person with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth like everyone else. After you''ve seen me, please go about your business."

    "I''m very grateful for your wee, but please don''t put me on a pedestal."

    "My grandmother and I are just ordinary people. We don''t want too much attention."

    The citizens finally understood that their enthusiasm had caused some difort for Gu Sang.

    So, they dispersed and went about their own affairs.

    Gu Sang and her grandmother stayed in the ce where Pei Weiqi had previously lived.

    "Grandmother, you should rest today."

    "Tomorrow we''ll take a look around the gue City and then we can head back."

    Even if one sleeps the whole time, sitting in a carriage for too long leaves a person without energy.

    This was especially true for her elderly grandmother, whose body couldn''t withstand such travel. As soon as they reached the room, shey down on the bed to rest.

    Meanwhile, Gu Sang sought out the highest-rankingmander in the gue City to inquire about the situation after Pei Weiqi''s ascension to the throne.

    "Although the Princess has issued an imperial edict to ascend the throne as Empress, more than half of the court officials are strongly opposed."

    "Moreover, the Pei family has also stepped forward at this time, demanding that the Princess abdicate and allow them to select someone from the Pei family to support as the new emperor."

    "They all say that a woman ascending to the throne goes against the rules."

    This person didn''t know much about the affairs of the court, but from these few sentences, Gu Sang could understand how difficult things were for the Princess now.

    It was a time when everything needed to be rebuilt. The court officials couldn''t all be executed, as it would be impossible to find enough people to rece them all at once.

    And at this moment, for the Pei family to step forward - their malicious intentions were clear.

 Chapter 245: Heartless

    <h4>Chapter 245</h4>

    When Pei Changying and Pei Weiqi were previously engaged in internal strife, the Pei Family did not intervene. However, after Pei Changying''s downfall, they began to emerge, attempting to constrain Pei Weiqi using moral ethics, ancestralws, and other traditional rules.

    Although Pei Weiqi would not be intimidated by their threats, the constant buzzing of these flies in her ear was undoubtedly irritating.

    In modern times, few people identify strongly with their family ns, but in ancient times, n rules were strictly observed. While one might not always heed their parents'' words, when the family patriarch spoke, obedience was mandatory.

    This tradition has existed since ancient times, and even in the modern era, some ces still maintain it. Currently, the most respected elder in the Pei Family was Pei Weiqi''s uncle.

    Behind closed doors, he would pound his fist and exim, "How can a woman ascend to the throne? Preposterous! This is simply outrageous! How can the Pei Family face our ancestors?"

    "How can we allow a woman to make decisions about matters of state? Their minds are filled with trivial household affairs. How can they be qualified to stand above themon people?"

    "Let Pei Weiqi choose an infant from the Pei Family n to be raised as emperor!"

    "Her greatest use would be to marry a foreign prince for the sake of diplomacy. How can we allow a woman to meddle in affairs of state?"

    "I object!"

    Although Pei Weiqi paid no heed to their decisions, the Pei Family persisted, attempting to manipte her through moral coercion.

    Add to this the ministers at court who seemed to thrive on chaos, and even Gu Sang found herself with a splitting headache just thinking about these matters.

    But the one-month deadline was tomorrow, and tomorrow she and her grandmother would have to return home. She could no longer offer any help in facing the difficulties that confronted Pei Weiqi.

    In the Imperial Pce, night had fallen, but the newly crowned Empress Pei Weiqi was still reviewing official documents, far from rest.

    The memorials on her desk were piled as high as a small mountain. This was not due to herziness or negligence, but because the court officials did not respect her authority. They bombarded her with trivial matters, forcing her to make decisions on even the most minor issues.

    These were matters that the officials could easily decide for themselves, but they seemed eager to see the Empress struggle.

    Another mountain of documents on the desk consisted of memorials from ministers and the Pei Family, requesting that the Empress adopt an infant.

    The candlelight on the desk flickered, and the Shadow Gate Leader appeared before Pei Weiqi.

    The Shadow Gate members had all been recalled and secretly arranged by Pei Weiqi in the pce to protect her safety and carry out certain tasks for her.

    Seeing Pei Weiqi look up, the leader ced five ount books on her desk.

    Pei Weiqi picked up the topmost book and opened the first page. Familiar names of ministers and officials greeted her eyes, followed by the amounts of bribes they had received.

    She picked up another book, which contained the personal ounts of the Minister of War, detailing how much military pay he had embezzled.

    Yet another book held the ounts of the Ministry of Works, showing how much had been spent on pce renovations and how much had been pocketed...

    Pei Weiqi''s lips curled into a slight smile. The Shadow Gate was perfect for stealing the hidden ount books of officials.

    It had taken the Shadow Gate several days to search the homes of these officials thoroughly before finding the ount books hidden in secretpartments, kept as a lifeline.

    These books meticulously recorded the bribes received by both high-ranking and low-ranking officials. The web of corruption was vast, stretching from local county magistrates to the highest ministers of the court.

    If she were to uproot them all at once, the entire court would likely copse. Therefore, she could only employ a gradual approach, slowly recing these corrupt elements within the government.

    Among them, the court officials who had epted smaller bribes were also easier to win over. Pei Weiqi ordered the Shadow Gate to summon these individuals privately for an audience with her.

    Seven or eight important court ministers were yanked from their sleep by members of the Shadow Gate.

    rmed, the ministers hurriedly dressed before being unceremoniously thrown into carriages. The horses galloped at a much faster pace than usual, and before long, they arrived at the Imperial Pce.

    Pei Weiqi looked up from the memorials she was reviewing to see seven or eight dazed ministers standing before her, looking confused and apprehensive.

    Upon noticing her gaze, they quickly came to their senses and hastily bowed.

    Pei Weiqi waved her hand dismissively. "No need for formalities. I''ve summoned you here tonight for a little chat."

    The ministers exchanged bewildered nces. What kind of chat could be so urgent in the middle of the night? They would much rather be back in their beds.

    Just then, one of the ministers yawned.

    Pei Weiqi''s cool voice rang out, "Have I disturbed your sleep?"

    She then deliberately nced outside before continuingnguidly, "I hadn''t realized it was sote. I''ve been reviewing memorials and lost track of time."

    "It must have been quite an inconvenience for you all toe here in the dead of night. My apologies for the trouble."

    The ministers snapped to attention, not daring toin about any inconvenience.

    One minister quickly replied, "It''s no trouble at all, Your Majesty."

    "Your Majesty, it is you who must be exhausted. Please take care of your health."

    "Indeed, a woman must not harm her body. How else will you bear children in the future?"

    Pei Weiqi pointed to the mountain of memorials before her and chuckled darkly, "Let''s dispense with the snide remarks, shall we? I, too, would prefer to retire early like you all."

    "But with so many memorials requiring my decision, how can I possibly sleep?"

    "Look at these memorials. They''re all about trivial matters, yet each one requires an imperial decree."

    The ministers lowered their heads, secretly smirking and feeling contemptuous.

    However, Pei Weiqi suddenly changed her tone and said, "But not all of these memorials are filled with such drivel. Some are quite interesting."

    "For instance, this one. Lord Wang, on such and such a date, received fifty thousand taels of silver. Lord Zhang, on..."

    With each name Pei Weiqi uttered, the color drained from the corresponding minister''s face.

    By the time she had leisurely finished reciting the list of bribes for all the ministers present, their backs were drenched in sweat, their clothes clinging ufortably to their skin.

    "Your Majesty, have mercy!"

    Hearing Pei Weiqi recite even the dates and locations, they realized that the matter had been thoroughly investigated and evidence had been gathered.

    Therefore, they wisely refrained from denying the usations and immediately kowtowed, admitting their guilt.

    Pei Weiqi let out a cold snort but said nothing more, nor did she fly into a rage.

    Yet this deathly silence was even more terrifying, leaving them unable to gauge her thoughts or predict whether they would be dragged out for execution in the next moment.

    However, among the ministers were some particrly astute individuals who quickly guessed the Empress''s intentions in summoning them in the middle of the night.

    One such minister immediately began to plead his case while pledging his loyalty.

    "Your Majesty, please understand. It was truly a desperate situation at the time. I had my reasons..."

    "Your Majesty, I now realize my mistake. I beg you to grant me a chance to redeem myself."

    "From now on, I will serve Your Majesty with unwavering loyalty, even unto death."

    Seeing this, the other ministers also caught on and began to dere their allegiance one after another.

    Pei Weiqi''s expression finally softened, and she spoke in a gentler tone:

    "You may rise. I understand that you all had your circumstances."

    "For officials of your rank, the amounts you embezzled are notmensurate with your positions. It seems you are not the worst of the corrupt elements guing our court."

    "While I detest corruption and wish to eradicate it entirely, I am not withoutpassion."

    "As long as you do not repeat your offenses and serve me loyally, I am willing to let this matter rest."

    "However, if you ept bribes again in the future, I will not hesitate to punish you for both past and present crimes! When that timees, do not use me of being merciless."

 Chapter 246: Going Home

    <h4>Chapter 246</h4>

    The ministers hurriedly assured that they would not make such mistakes again.

    Seeing that her intimidation had achieved its purpose, Pei Weiqi naturally wanted to offer them some sweeteners. She promised them promotions and sry increases as long as they did their jobs properly. With thisbination of threats and rewards, the ministers were thoroughly won over to Pei Weiqi''s side.

    At this moment, Pei Weiqi''s gaze flicked to the desk, and immediately a quick-witted minister seized the opportunity to say:

    "Your Majesty, with so many memorials being submitted, what are those lower officials doing?"

    "They can''t even make decisions on trivial matters."

    "This humble servant suggests that we present these matters during the morning court session."

    Pei Weiqi readily agreed, feigning pleasure as she said, "Very well, then I shall observe your performance. Don''t disappoint me."

    Pei Weiqi had her own ns. This would be a perfect opportunity to see which of these newly loyal ministers were truly willing to work for her.

    Not only did she know this, but the ministers also understood that as long as they spoke up for the Empress in court tomorrow, the entire court would know they had pledged allegiance to her.

    At that time, they would undoubtedly be targets, with countless memorials aimed at ndering and discrediting them.

    But they had no choice. If they didn''t side with the Empress today, they wouldn''t even make it out of the pce alive.

    The Empress could use this evidence to execute them directly.

    Since they had already pledged loyalty to the Empress, their only option was to take a gamble.

    They were betting that the Empress would have the resolve to suppress the court and protect them.

    By choosing to side with the Empress, if they managed to stabilize the court, they would be considered meritorious officials. The Empress would surely not mistreat them in the future.

    -

    Wen City.

    The morning sets the tone for the day.

    Mornings in Wen City were lively. Under the Elder Princess''s vigorous economic development, it had be a prosperous area rivaling Jiangnan.

    After having a bowl of in noodles with her grandmother, Gu Sang continued eating her way through the city. Although ancient breakfasts weren''t as varied as modern ones, they made up for it with generous portions and delicious vors.

    The streets and alleys were bustling with activity, vendors calling out everywhere. Grandmother looked at this item and that, but didn''t buy anything.

    She knew that ancient objects couldn''t be taken back to modern times, so she could only look with her eyes, memorizing this moment to savorter.

    "Sang Sang, look at how beautiful this fabric is. In the past, we used to buy fabric to make clothes. I think this fabric would be perfect for a qipao."

    "Sang Sang, look at how exquisite this item is. If it were in modern times, it would be considered intangible cultural heritage."

    "Sang Sang, doesn''t this feel like we''re browsing an antique street?"

    Along the way, Grandmother was very happy, sharing everything interesting she saw with Gu Sang.

    In contrast, Gu Sang seemed somewhat distracted, which Grandmother noticed.

    At noon, the two ate spring rolls at a street stall.

    Grandmother suddenly asked, "We can go back today?"

    Gu Sang nodded, "Yes, we need to return by five o''clock at thetest."

    Grandmother turned to look at the street, the happy smiles of children, the bustling Wen City, and the emerging modern-style taverns.

    Grandmother proudly said:

    "My granddaughter is so capable. Under your and the Elder Princess''s management, Wen City already has traces of modernity."

    "I''ve heard that Wen City now has military recruitment subsidies, family allowances, school subsidies, and concepts of freedom and equality are already being implemented."

    "These changes are all because of you."

    Gu Sang smiled faintly, "It''s the result of many people''s efforts, including Zhou Qichen, Counselor Fang, and others. Everyone is working hard to maintain it, which is why Wen City is what it is today."

    Grandmother seemed to have made up her mind and suddenly said, "So, Sang Sang, you should stay here for now."

    "The Elder Princess needs your help, and so does Wen City."

    "The Elder Princess has just ascended to the throne, and the world is in chaos. She needs people by her side."

    Gu Sang wasn''t surprised by her grandmother''s thoughts. Her grandmother was always considerate of others, open-minded, and reasonable.

    Grandmother must have noticed her hesitation, which is why she took the initiative to let her stay.

    The world was at its most dangerous at this time, and Grandmother had spent the whole night mentally preparing herself to part with Gu Sang again.

    Gu Sang shook her head with a bitter smile and exined, "Grandmother, the system won''t allow it. If we don''t go back this time, we won''t be able to return in the future."

    Grandmother righteously said, "I''ll talk to it. What kind of useless system is this, can''t even help when needed."

    "It''s always hindering us. Where was this system with its restrictions when I was abducted?"

    "Me being sent to ancient times must have been a major error of the system too."

    "I don''t believe it doesn''t have anypensation to offer."

    Gu Sang was about to exin to her grandmother how useless the system was when suddenly, she heard the system talking to her grandmother. Her jaw dropped in shock, nearly dislocating with surprise.

    What did she just hear?!

    Her grandmother could actuallymunicate with the system?

    The people around them seemed unable to hear the system''s voice or her grandmother''s haggling.

    To their eyes, Gu Sang and her grandmother were just lost in thought.

    This state would ur every time she livestreamed. Gu Sang immediately understood, but it was still the first time someone other than herself couldmunicate with the system.

    Gu Sang smiled as she watched her grandmother, her lips twitching slightly.

    Well, arguing probably counted asmunication too.

    Clearly, the system was no match for Grandmother in this verbal battle.

    In the confrontation with Grandmother, the system admitted defeat.

    ¡¸Ding!¡¹

    ¡¸You can stay in ancient times for an additional half month!¡¹

    ¡¸Please note, after one month, thepensation package will expire, and the three self-defense items and backpack will be reimed!¡¹

    ¡¸Continuing to stay in ancient times will be dangerous, please confirm if you choose to stay!¡¹

    ¡¸Please choose carefully!¡¹

    Hearing the system''spromising voice, Gu Sangughed in exasperation.

    So the system could negotiate after all.

    What''s more ridiculous was that it wouldn''t respond to polite requests, but would only yield after being scolded.

    This system was asking for it.

    "Send my grandmother back first, I''ll stay for half a month."

    Gu Sang had to send her grandmother back first.

    Only by returning to modern times would Grandmother be safe.

    "Sang Sang, be careful here."

    "I''ll be waiting for you at home."

    Grandmother had seen enough, eaten enough, and yed enough this morning.

    After giving Gu Sang a word of caution, she prepared to return to modern times.

    However, before leaving, Grandmother managed to fleece the system onest time.

    Faced with such a grandmother, the system felt quite helpless and had to leave Gu Sang with a sr-powered high-intensity shlight.

    Gu Sang hadn''t expected this pleasant surprise. Among the three self-defense items, only this shlight hadn''t found a use yet.

    Now, leaving this shlight was even better for Gu Sang.

    "System, send Grandmother back!"

    ¡¸Ding!¡¹

    ¡¸Sending Grandmother back to modern times!¡¹

    ¡¸Do you want to open the space-time channel?¡¹

    "Confirm opening!"

    After Gu Sang said these words, Grandmother instantly vanished before her eyes.

    Gu Sang then went to the temporary person in charge of Wen City, requesting the fastest horse that could take her to the capital to help the Elder Princess.

    -

    ¡¸Ding!¡¹

    ¡¸Sending Grandmother back to modern times!¡¹

    ¡¸Do you want to open the space-time channel?¡¹

    "Confirm opening!"

    After Gu Sang said these words, Grandmother instantly vanished before her eyes.

 Chapter 247: Setting Out

    <h4>Chapter 247</h4>

    "Your Majesty, the sacrificial ceremony at the Nanjiao Tian Shrine is ready," announced the Grand Chancellor.

    "When shall we departure, Your Majesty?"

    The Grand Chancellor stepped forward to ask.

    The sacrificial ritual was essential before the ascension of a new monarch. Only after seeking divine blessings could one truly be an emperor.

    Two weeks ago, Pei Weiqi had issued a decree to prepare for the ritual at the Nanjiao Tian Shrine. The shrine was not that far from the Imperial City. A day''s journey would suffice.

    However, since the ceremony was typically held in the morning, it was amon practice for the Emperor and ministers to spend a night at the shrine.

    "We leave tomorrow."

    The following day, Pei Weiqi led the officials to the Nanjiao Tian Shrine.

    They reached by the afternoon and the area around the shrine was already encapsted by guards, forbidding public entries.

    The hunting grounds of the royal family were right next to the Nanjiao Tian Shrine. Upon arrival, Zhou Qichen immediately went hunting on horseback with his adopted son, Datree.

    Other officials who were decent archers joined them, trying to outshine each other.

    Harmony among officials was a rare sight, beautifully staged amidst nature.

    As Pei Weiqi gazed upon the scene, a touch of nostalgia shed her gaze.

    Her father had loved to bring her hunting here.

    Her horsemanship and archery had been personally taught by her father within these verynds.

    And now, as she had be an empress, she no longer had the liberty of her choices.

    Looking down, there was a huge stack of petitions waiting for her approval.

    She was just a few petitions down when she heard amotion outside. Immediately, she sent out a pce maid to investigate.

    The pce maid quickly returned.

    "Your Majesty, the hunting officials have returned," she breathlessly reported.

    "They are talking about something strange that happened today."

    "All around the hunting grounds, they found several dead animals."

    Pei Weiqi knitted her brows. The bizarre incident didn¡¯t seem that simple.

    "Dead animals?" she echoed, "Go and find out exactly what happened."

    Usually, when they came to Nanjiao Tian Shrine, everyone enjoyed the fresh game meat.

    However, this afternoon, they found mysteriously dead animals throughout the hunting grounds. Dispirited at such a dampening sight, the officials retreated early without hunting.

    Naturally, there was no game meat for dinner.

    During the evening, low whispers of discussions among the officials circted, specting about the dead animals.

    "Such an incident has never urred. What if it''s a punishment from heaven?" one minister suggested.

    "Right, the sight of those scattered carcasses is quite perturbing. If not a disaster, how else can we justify it?"

    "And the root cause is that the ruler doesn''t have divine approval."

    "What''s even more troubling is the timing. Mass animal deaths urring precisely during the sacrificial ceremony undoubtedly seems like a warning."

    After dinner, rumors of divine warning and a woman not being fit for the throne spread among the officials.

    Of course, these rumors inevitably reached Pei Weiqi''s ears.

    Zhou Qichen clenched his fists, ready to find out who started these rumors.

    But Pei Weiqi stopped him.

    "Stayposed, Qichen."

    "If someone is ying tricks, why not y along and expose the mischief-maker?"

    Seeing the calm expression on Pei Weiqi''s face, Zhou Qichen slowly rxed his fist, asking expectantly:

    "Your Majesty, do you have a n?"

    Pei Weiqi, looking at the direction outside the camp, chuckled.

    ¡°They¡¯ve made such a big show of it, they¡¯re definitely going to act tonight.¡±

    ¡°Later, you lead Ge Qing and the special team to stake out together. Anyone who appears in the woods, grab them immediately.¡±

    Zhou Qichen nodded solemnly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take them to the woods to stake out right away.¡±

    ¡°Ah!!! Look, what is that?¡±

    Suddenly, someone outside shouted.

    Pei Weiqi had finally finished approving all the memorials and stood up, stretchingzily.

    Hearing the noisy sounds outside, he went out to see for himself.

    He saw several clusters of blue mes drifting in the nearby woods, and in a moment, even more blue mes red up.

    ¡°It¡¯s ghost fire.¡±

    ¡°Look, the ghost fires are increasing, it¡¯s densely packed and terrifying.¡±

    ¡°This has never happened before, could it be¡­¡±

    Pei Weiqi sneered, ¡°I think someone is ying tricks.¡±

    Pei Weiqi nced at the Shadow Gate expert who had been following and protecting him closely.

    Unlike Pei Changying, having such a high-level Shadow Gate expert personally protect him was essential, regardless of whether it exposed the Shadow Gate to public view.

    After all, his own life was the most important.

    The Shadow Gate expert understood and leaped into the woods with light-footed agility, returning to Pei Weiqi¡¯s side shortly after.

    ¡°No one.¡±

    The Shadow Gate expert reported.

    Seeing that even the Shadow Gate expert couldn¡¯t find the person secretly causing mischief, the ministers concluded that these must indeed be real ghost fires.

    After all, in the whole world, who could match the light-footed skills of a Shadow Gate expert?

    ¡°Could it really be a disaster sent from heaven, even the spirits disagree with a woman ruling over the realm?¡±

    ¡°Empress, do not defy the heavens, the consequences are not something we mortals can endure. In the end, it will be themon people who suffer.¡±

    ¡°Empress, since even the heavens do not permit it, please consider themon people and choose a new emperor.¡±

    The ministers, who had already been opposed to Pei Weiqi¡¯s ascension, now seemed to have ample reason to force her to abdicate.

    As if her not abdicating would cause themon people to suffer.

    And those ministers who had already been won over by Pei Weiqi, having already offended arge part of the court, had no choice but to cling tightly to Pei Weiqi.

    As the ministers pressured the empress, several stood out.

    ¡°It¡¯s just ghost fire, have none of you ever seen it before? Stop spouting nonsense here about endangering themon people. With your mouths, you¡¯d be better suited as chatans in the streets.¡±

    ¡°The Empress is the chosen one of heaven, with the unanimous support of the masses, even future generations are helping the Empress, this is a good proof.¡±

    ¡°The Empress has the mandate of heaven, the right conditions, and the support of the people, why shouldn¡¯t she be the emperor? I think the real reason you don¡¯t want the Empress to rule is because you¡¯ve been scheming to stop her, huh, I even think, today¡¯s ghost fire was arranged by someone here.¡±

    ¡°What... what did you say¡­¡±

    Just as the two factions were once again arguing heatedly.

    Another disturbance arose in the woods.

    Suddenly, many figures appeared hanging in the air among the dense trees.

    ¡°That, that¡­¡±

    A minister inadvertently noticed this scene, his hand trembling as he pointed at the woods, yet too frightened to utter aplete sentence.

    As everyone looked towards the densely packed figures in the woods, they felt a chill run through them, their hair standing on end.

    Someone thudded to the ground with a loud bang, while others, terrified, turned pale and their legs went weak.

    The scene was eerily bizarre, and a thought arose in everyone''s mind¡ªcould it really be...

    Suddenly, another strange urrence¡ª

    A beam of light shot through, illuminating the entire forest.

    Ah, it turned out to be dawn.

    Everyone felt as though they had escaped from the jaws of death, but then, a momentter, they realized something.

    Wait, wasn''t it the middle of the night?

    How could it suddenly be daylight!!!

    Thinking this, everyone suddenly became even more frightened.

    "So it was just a paper man, quite realistically made."

    "Using tricks to y ghost, not a bad move."

 Chapter 248: Stay

    <h4>Chapter 248</h4>

    Suddenly, a woman''s voice came from the forest.

    "The harbinger of death has arrived!!!"

    Several of the more timid individuals had already fainted from fright.

    Pei Weiqi''s originally pale face immediately lit up when she heard the familiar voice.

    It was Gu Sang!

    That voice was definitely Gu Sang''s.

    Under the gazes of the crowd, some terrified and others desperate, Gu Sang appeared with a powerful shlight.

    To the onlookers, it seemed as if Gu Sang was carrying the sun in her hand.

    Wherever she walked, light followed.

    Upon seeing Gu Sang appear before her, Pei Weiqi strode forward.

    "Sang Sang, why are you here?"

    "Weren''t you only supposed to stay here for a month?" Pei Weiqi''s expression was stern, but she couldn''t hide the joy in the depths of her eyes.

    Gu Sang tilted her head and smiled at Pei Weiqi: "I bargained with the system. They allowed me to stay in the ancient times for an extra half month."

    Gu Sang didn''t say much more, but Pei Weiqi understood that Gu Sang had stayed for her sake.

    Just as Gu Sang said nothing now, Pei Weiqi understood the reason for her staying.

    And Gu Sang equally understood her, knowing that she didn''t want to trouble others, so she bore the pressure from the entire world alone.

    The two of them were quite simr in some aspects, so without many words, they could understand each other''s thoughts.

    "Thank you!"

    "There have been too many court affairstely. Thank you for staying to help me."

    "I really need your assistance right now."

    Pei Weiqi didn''t stand on ceremony with Gu Sang, frankly describing her current predicament.

    The two of them looked towards the paper figures hanging from the trees, which were different from ordinary paper dolls.

    These were very long pieces of paper with outlines, eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth drawn on them.

    With darkness as a cover, they looked real from a distance, and because the paper was so light, they swayed eerily as they hung from the trees.

    "What''s that smell?"

    Gu Sang keenly detected a faint, indescribable odor in the air.

    Pei Weiqi sniffed, then her sharp eyes noticed a fine powder on the paper figures.

    "It must be something on the paper figures, used for spontaneousbustion."

    "Someone already performed a ghost fire appearance in front of me earlier."

    At this point, Pei Weiqi and Gu Sang almost simultaneously eximed: "White phosphorus!"

    They exchanged a nce, clearly having both guessed the same thing.

    "This area should be surrounded by the imperial guard, right?"

    "Arrange some men for me. With these high-powered shlights, they won''t be able to hide."

    Gu Sang immediately volunteered to lead a search party into the mountains.

    Pei Weiqi promptly summoned all the top experts from Shadow Gate and assigned one hundred guards to Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang led the search throughout the mountains.

    Meanwhile, Pei Weiqi personally ordered the outer perimeter guards to triple their defenses.

    Shadow Gate experts protected Gu Sang on both sides, while the powerful shlight in her hand proved to be a nighttime miracle.

    It illuminated everywhere they went, exposing every hidden assassin.

    The expressions of these captured assassins were surprisingly consistent: first ring at Gu Sang with hatred, then resignedly looking at the futuristic weapon.

    The future''s technology was too overpowered!

    They hadn''t been defeated; they had merely lost to weapons from the future.

    Most of them were now captured by the Shadow Gate members led by Gu Sang, with only a few assassins trying to break through the guards and escape.

    But they were all killed one by one by the special forces led by Zhou Qichen.

    It was already midnight when Gu Sang returned to the camp. Seeing Pei Weiqi''s expectant gaze, Gu Sang shook her head disappointedly.

    "I wanted to capture some alive, but they all had poison on them. They''d rather die than be captured."

    Pei Weiqi smiled calmly: "I thought it might be like this. Since I ascended to the position of Empress, this kind of thing has happened more than once."

    "When Pei Changying was still around, we didn''t see them being so loyal."

    "After Pei Changying died, they suddenly became loyal again."

    Gu Sang sneered disdainfully, adding: "What loyalty? It''s clearly just wild ambition."

    "They all want to support a new emperor''s ascension to the throne. At that time, it''s hard to say whose empire it would be. It''s all just to satisfy their own selfish desires."

    The next day.

    The Grand Princess ascended the Altar of Heaven, swearing to the heavens and promising the civil and military officials that she would lead the country further, ensuring that everyone in thend would have enough to eat...

    Below the tform, Gu Sang watched this scene with a smile.

    Looking at the person she had personally helped to the throne, Gu Sang felt a sense of pride.

    She wasn''t wrong in her judgment of people; Pei Weiqi would definitely be a great empress!

    She believed that Pei Weiqi could lead this country further, ensuring that every household would have surplus food.

    After the heaven worship ceremony, Pei Weiqi truly became the Empress of a generation.

    Afterwards, Pei Weiqi publicly announced the change of the era name to "Century One."

    Hearing this, Gu Sang smiled knowingly, understanding Pei Weiqi''s intention in choosing the word "Century."

    She had learned the word "Century" from Gu Sang and chose this name in hopes of entering a new century like in the future.

    "The gue City will henceforth be renamed Star City."

    "Establish imperial examination halls and set up university professorships. Recruit talented students from across the nation. As long as they pass the exams, they can be exempt from tuition and fees..."

    "Set up specialized examination halls for the Six Ministries. Anyone who has made achievements in agriculture, industry, water conservancy, or medicine, regardless of their birth or literary skills, can enter government service as long as they have real proof of their abilities..."

    Pei Weiqi issued a series of imperial edicts, each one shocking the civil and military officials to a great degree.

    For instance, the establishment of universities, although only in the capital for now, once this precedent was set, given the Empress''s current resolve, there would surely be universities in every region in the future.

    Another example was that since ancient times, only schrs could be officials, but now the Empress had decreed that regardless of birth or literary skills, if you were good at farming, you could also be an official.

    Or if you were originally a carpenter with exquisite woodworking skills, and you were confident in your abilities, you could also apply to be an official.

    The ministers all looked at each other, knowing that once these edicts were issued, schrs would no longer hold such high status.

    It would no longer be true that "all trades are low, only studying is high."

    Therefore, ministers quickly stood up to object.

    "Your Majesty, if anyone can be an official, then officials will be asmon as dirt. How will the court provide for all these idle people?"

    "Forgive me, but I cannot agree with Your Majesty''s approach. Oxen plow fields, roosters crow, and cats catch mice: this is the natural order of things."

    "What Your Majesty is proposing now is no different from asking chickens to plow fields, or cats to plow fields. If all domesticated animals were to plow fields,"

    "Then who would crow? If rats overran everything, who would catch them?"

    Dozens of ministers stood up together.

    "I also disagree."

    "Your Majesty, I cannot approve."

    "..."

    Gu Sang stepped forward, slowly walking towards the ministers'' positions. As she walked, she spoke: "There are three hundred and sixty trades, and each trade can produce an expert."

    "This world shouldn''t only value schrs; there should also be talented people in other professions."

    "Only by embracing all possibilities can the country go further."

 Chapter 249: Successful

    <h4>Chapter 249</h4>

    "Oxen can teach others faster and better methods of plowing, chickens can pass on their experiences, and cats can use their years of mouse-catching expertise to show young kittens where mice are likely to appear."

    "Simrly, those who excel in farming have a certain research ability when ites to crops. If we concentrate on nurturing them, they might be the next Mr Yuan."

    "Only when every industry is flourishing and showcasing its talents will the country improve and people''s lives be more colorful and diverse."

    "Studying is not the only way forward, and if we only focus on book learning without exploring other areas, our country will gradually fall behind other nations overseas."

    Gu Sang''s words left all the ancients speechless.

    They recalled with excitement and shock the scene of crops as tall as a person, and the disappointment they felt when they heard Mr Yuan had returned to heaven.

    That sense of loss was still etched in their hearts...

    What could they do? They seemed unable to refuse, and had no reason to refuse anymore.

    It appeared that Gu Sang had convinced them.

    Gu Sang''s next words stunned everyone even further, leaving them dumbfounded and pale-faced.

    "Do you remember the live broadcast from the history museum?"

    "At that time, you envied the Great Song Dynasty, with its national prosperity, peaceful citizens, and vibrant night markets full of mouth-watering delicacies."

    "Does anyone remember the end of the Great Song Dynasty? What was the result of emphasizing culture over military strength?"

    "So, let''s return to the question: Is food important? Are weapons important? Is medical knowledge important?"

    "You admire the future, but you haven''t considered that the food, weapons, and medical techniques of the future didn''t appear out of thin air."

    "They are the result of generations of effort and research, leading to today''s achievements. And the leaders in these fields aren''t satisfied with this; they continue to research."

    "People more excellent than you are still dedicating themselves to research, so do you want to wait for death?"

    The entire audience was silent, shocked by Gu Sang''s words, as if their souls had been struck.

    They realized how hard people in the future worked.

    They understood that the happiness and stability of the future was the result of their ancestors'' efforts, as well as everyone''s own hard work and struggle.

    "p! p! p!"

    In the silence of the Temple of Heaven, Pei Weiqi''s apuse rang out.

    The assembled ministers and officials snapped out of their shock and unconsciously joined in the apuse.

    "Miss Gu, you are truly eloquent. I must admit, you''ve convinced me."

    People began to stand up, agreeing with Gu Sang''s points.

    Gu Sang smiled calmly and said, "You weren''t convinced by me. It''s the stark reality in front of your eyes. With the experiences of those who came before, you''re no longer so terrified of the future, so you can ept it more easily."

    "Miss Gu, you''re right. If we think the future is so good, we should strive to create it, starting with ourselves."

    "Sess doesn''t happen overnight; ites through generations of change."

    "I have no reason to object. Your Majesty, I approve!"

    "Your Majesty, I also approve!"

    Seeing these edicts epted by the ministers, Pei Weiqi''s tense heart rxed slightly, and she gave Gu Sang a grateful smile.

    After the heaven worship ceremony, Pei Weiqi immediately led the ministers back to the capital.

    Upon returning to the capital, Pei Weiqi wanted to let Gu Sang stay in the Imperial Pce, but Gu Sang refused.

    She preferred to stay at an inn rather than in the Imperial Pce that restricted people''s freedom.

    Looking up at the sky from the Imperial Pce, it always seemed gloomy.

    Pei Weiqi, Zhou Qichen, Counselor Fang, and others, after hiding their identities, rented an entire floor of a riverside restaurant in the capital to drink and chat with Gu Sang.

    At the table were familiar faces: Ge Qing, Xue, Madam Li...

    In an era where women were not supposed to dine at the same table as men, today, in this restaurant, everyone gathered without regard for status or social norms, raising their cups and drinking freely.

    This lively and ordinary scene gave Gu Sang a sense of being in modern times.

    It felt just like a casual gathering of friends.

    "Miss Gu, I''d like to toast you. If it weren''t for your guidance, we would never have thought of starting a business."

    "We wouldn''t have imagined that one day we could bring our business to the capital."

    Xue hade to the capital this time to open a branch store.

    Their women''s business had been doing well in the south, and now with Pei Weiqi''s announcement about developing the economy, business was even better.

    Xue and her partners had discussed that it was time to expand their cosmetics business beyond the south and open stores nationwide.

    The capital would be their first branch store, followed by Star City...

    "Miss Gu, Your Majesty, I''d like to toast you both."

    "Since I was young, fortune tellers said I would bring misfortune to my husband, and everyone in the vige said I had the fate of a broom star."

    "It wasn''t until I met you that I realized there could be another path in life."

    "I can choose not to marry and instead dedicate my life to my career."

    As one of the first members of the women''s guard and its captain, Ge Qing naturally received Pei Weiqi''s trust.

    Pei Weiqi established the Women''s University, and Ge Qing became its chancellor.

    The Women''s University was simr to modern universities, offering both skill-based learning and academic studies.

    Establishing the Women''s University gave more girls the opportunity to choose their own paths in life.

    They could choose not to marry, learn skills, earn money, and create their own businesses.

    As long as they wanted to learn, they could live freely and happily without relying on their parents.

    Although Pei Weiqi hadn''t yet decreed open civil service examinations for women, Gu Sang believed that step wasn''t far off.

    As soon as the Women''s University gradually gained eptance, the next step would be to reform the civil service examination system.

    Xue and Madam Li were naturally invited as special lecturers at the Women''s University. Madam Li was not only proficient in the four arts of the Chinese schr (music, chess, calligraphy, and painting), but she also came from a family of imperial merchants. She could teach women both schrly knowledge and business principles.

    Xue and her partners had struggled from the bottom, carving out a path for themselves in the south, which was controlled by powerful families, in an era when women were considered inferior. Without any backing, these few women had fought their way through, and naturally had business wisdom to impart to these women.

    These experiences were enough to give women of this era, who rarely left their homes and knew little of the world, a good understanding of society and human nature.

    "As a woman, the happiest moment is having the right and opportunity to choose."

    "Seeing that you all are making choices from the bottom of your hearts about the path you want to take, I''m happy for you."

    "I sincerely wish that in every important life decision you face in the future, you''ll be able to choose from your heart."

    Gu Sang raised a cup of wine and drank it in one go.

    "I will do my best to change the mindset of all women. I believe that one day I will see true equality between men and women."

    The Elder Princess also raised her wine cup with great enthusiasm and drained it.

    "Great, cheers! Tonight, we drink until we''re drunk."

    Ge Qing suddenly stood up, raised her wine cup, and downed it in one gulp.

    As she was about to drink a second cup, General Qin spoke up.

    "Ge Qing, your injury fromst time hasn''t healed yet. You should drink less."

    Ge Qing waved her hand generously: "Today, we must drink."

 Chapter 250: At the Grand Finale

    <h4>Chapter 250</h4>

    General Qin suddenly reached out and snatched Ge Qing''s wine cup, saying to everyone, "Ge Qing''s wound hasn''t healed yet, so he should drink in moderation today."

    Gu Sang looked meaningfully at Ge Qing, then at General Qin, and smiled, "Yes, moderation is best."

    "I don''t want to wake up with a headache tomorrow morning, and you all have court tomorrow. You can''t show up reeking of alcohol, or you''ll be reported again."

    Gu Sang didn''t break through this thin veneer, and the others tactfully didn''t make a fuss, allowing things to develop naturally.

    Pei Weiqi followed Gu Sang''s lead, rubbing his forehead as if in pain, "At the rate they submit memorials, I''ll change my surname if there are fewer than a hundred."

    Everyone burst intoughter.

    After the meal and drinks, everyone went their separate ways.

    Pei Weiqi took a carriage back to the Imperial Pce, General Qin escorted Ge Qing home, and Gu Sang and Xue rode in Madam Li''s carriage back to the inn.

    After dropping off the two at the inn, Madam Li had her driver take her to the residence she had purchased in the capital.

    Gu Sang and Xue went upstairs and returned to their respective rooms.

    Gu Sang had just taken off her outer clothes and was preparing for bed when she heard a strange noise outside the window.

    It sounded like something had hit the window.

    Gu Sang was on the second floor - what could possibly hit a second-floor window?

    Gu Sang grabbed a shlight in her right hand and carefully opened the window.

    To her shock, she saw a dart pinned to the window frame with a piece of cloth tied to it.

    Gu Sang removed the dart, closed the window, and brought it back into the room to examine.

    The cloth had a message hastily written on it: "If you want to save Madam Li,e quickly to the Li Mansion."

    The Li Mansion had been ordered sealed since Pei Weiqi ascended the throne.

    And the master of the Li Mansion, Consort Li''s father, had gone missing on the day of the attack on the city.

    Now, someone was demanding Gu Sang go to the Li Mansion?

    Gu Sang knew that this person must be an opponent of Pei Weiqi, and their intentions were not good. Going to the Li Mansion would certainly be dangerous.

    But Madam Li had likely been captured by this person.

    Moreover, the note urged Gu Sang to hurry, presumably to prevent her from dying or informing Pei Weiqi, Zhou Qichen, and the others.

    Gu Sang made her decision almost instantly - she had to go to the Li Mansion.

    Otherwise, Madam Li would be in danger.

    Gu Sang left her room and knocked on Xue''s door, showing her the note.

    "Xue, after I leave, wait for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, then go."

    "Then find Ge Qing."

    Fearing there might be spies in the Imperial Pce and around Zhou Qichen, and that Xue, a frail girl, could be in danger, Gu Sang decided it was best to find Ge Qing first. Ge Qing''s household had people who would protect Xue while passing the message to Pei Weiqi.

    "Alright, be careful, and make sure to wait until I bring reinforcements."

    Xue solemnly epted this task.

    Neither of them dared to gamble that the person who had captured Madam Li would patiently wait for them to find Pei Weiqi and surround the Li Mansion with troops.

    So, Gu Sang had to go first to ensure Madam Li''s safety.

    After leaving the inn, Gu Sang didn''t go directly to the Li Mansion but decided to check Madam Li''s residence first to confirm if she had returned.

    However, before she had gone far, she saw a carriage stopped by the roadside.

    Gu Sang''s pupils contracted in shock - it was Madam Li''s carriage!

    She had just ridden in this very carriage earlier.

    Gu Sang hurried to examine the carriage and found the driver had been killed, while Madam Li was nowhere to be seen.

    Witnessing this scene, Gu Sang hesitated no longer and rushed to the Li Mansion.

    The seal on the Li Mansion was still intact, but Gu Sang tore it off and entered through the main gate.

    With no lights lit, she could only rely on the moonlight to discern her path in the courtyard.

    Gu Sang stood in the courtyard for a moment until she saw a lighte on in one of the side rooms.

    She quickly walked over and kicked open the door.

    "I''m here. Where is Madam Li?"

    Gu Sang didn''t enter immediately, fearing traps, so she spoke from the doorway.

    As themplight approached, Gu Sang finally saw the people inside.

    It was the long-missing Lord Li!

    Next to Lord Li stood a middle-aged man who exuded an air of authority. He scrutinized Gu Sang with his wrinkled peach blossom eyes.

    "I want to see Madam Li!" Gu Sang spoke first, determined to confirm Madam Li''s safety.

    Lord Li looked at the middle-aged man, who snorted coldly:

    "The Li Mansion is now full of my people. You can barely protect yourself, yet you''re concerned about others'' safety."

    Gu Sang frowned at the middle-aged man, her face full of mockery:

    "The moment you open your mouth, you remind me of a buzzing fly that I want to swat dead with one p."

    "Let me think, the only person whose words irritate me this much is Pei Changying."

    "Could it be that you''re from the Pei Family?"

    Hearing Gu Sang''s insulting words, the middle-aged man''s face turned red with anger. He shouted:

    "Gu Sang! You belong to the Pei Family in life and in death."

    "ording to our family hierarchy, you should call me Uncle."

    Gu Sang sneered, "Oh, so you''re the current head of the Pei Family."

    "No wonder you''re so detestable. When ites to shamelessness, you''re second to none."

    "Even Pei Changying is no match for you. No wonder you became the head of the Pei Family."

    The middle-aged man was so enraged he wanted to draw his sword and kill Gu Sang, but Lord Li quickly stopped him.

    "Calm down, we still need her."

    "It''s with her help that Pei Weiqi was able to ascend to that position."

    Gu Sang heard Lord Li''s words clearly and immediately understood.

    So the reason Lord Li had been able to disappear despite the Imperial Guard''s search was that he had been hidden by the Pei Family.

    "Miss Gu, we invited you here tonight to discuss something with you."

    "We want you to speak favorably to Pei Weiqi about selecting an infant from the Pei Family as the new emperor."

    Gu Sang remained unmoved, repeating only one sentence.

    She said, "I want to see Madam Li."

    "If you want to negotiate with me, you need to show a willingness to negotiate. Let me see Madam Li, or there''s nothing to discuss."

    "Hmph, if you don''t agree, I''ll make sure you leave here horizontally," the middle-aged man threatened through gritted teeth, his patience exhausted.

    Gu Sang replied indifferently, "Kill me, and you won''t achieve your goal either."

    The middle-aged man immediately deted, as Gu Sang had undoubtedly hit his weak spot.

    His n was nothing more than to have Pei Weiqi choose his young son as emperor, then use the child''s young age as a reason to ascend the throne himself.

    After a dozen or so years when the child grew up, who would remember whose throne it really was?

    Seeing Gu Sang''s unyielding attitude, the middle-aged man had no choice but to have his subordinates bring Madam Li.

    "Release Madam Li, and then I''ll consider negotiating with you."

    Gu Sang put forward another condition.

    This time, however, the middle-aged man shook his head and sneered:

    "If we release her, you could go back on your word at any time."

    "Letting you see her is already the biggest concession I''m willing to make."

    Lord Li chimed in to help, "Miss Gu, in the future, Pei Weiqi will have to marry, and her children won''t be of the Pei Family."

    "In the future, this empire won''t belong to the Pei Family."

    "Shut up! I must have been blind to have ever fallen for you," Madam Li cursed angrily.

 Chapter 251: The Final Conclusion

    <h4>Chapter 251</h4>

    Gu Sang responded coldly, "I''m helping Pei Weiqi solely because of who she is as a person, not because she''s from the Pei Family."

    "Who rules this country doesn''t matter to me, as long as they benefit the people."

    "Besides, even though Pei Weiqi''s child isn''t a Pei descendant, it''s still her child, and that''s enough."

    "As for your Pei Family, you''ve had your time in the spotlight for generations. It''s time for you to exit the stage of history."

    "What makes you think you can reap the benefits without putting in any effort? Is it because you have no shame?"

    Every word Gu Sang uttered made the middle-aged man want to kill her, but he couldn''t. He needed Gu Sang to help persuade Pei Weiqi.

    Only Gu Sang could convince Pei Weiqi.

    "Pei Weiqi is a Pei Family descendant, so she should serve the family," the man argued.

    "All children born into the Pei Family can''t selfishly think only of themselves."

    "A family''s enduring prosperityes from the united efforts of all its members."

    "If everyone acted independently, the Pei Family would have fallen into obscurity like other ns long ago."

    "Without the Pei Family''s support, how could the imperial throne remain stable?"

    "You''re reluctant to help me because I didn''t intervene when Pei Changying and Pei Weiqi were fighting for power."

    "For me, that was an internal Pei Family matter. As the family leader, I couldn''t take sides."

    "Besides, whichever of them became emperor, the country would still belong to the Pei Family."

    "But Pei Weiqi betrayed my trust. She disregarded the family''s honor. She doesn''t even consider that her father''s faction could only im the throne thanks to our indispensable support. Without us, there would be no Pei Weiqi!"

    Gu Sang was both amused and angered by the man''s shamelessness. They had done nothing, yet they believed their kindness was as vast as the sea.

    If Pei Weiqi had died in the pce struggle, they would have said it was her fate. But since she won, they imed it was the family''s achievement.

    A family that stands idly by in times of crisis but demands to share the fruits of victory would be better off cut loose.

    Gu Sang refrained from cursing at the middle-aged man only because Madam Li was in their custody.

    Suppressing her anger, Gu Sang couldn''t help but show contempt on her face.

    "I came here for Madam Li. I refuse to discuss any conditions until you release her."

    "Besides, you have your people everywhere. Do you really think I could escape without Madam Li as leverage?"

    The middle-aged man exchanged a nce with Mr. Li. Seeing Gu Sang''s resolute expression, they had no choice but topromise.

    After being released, Madam Li refused to leave, wanting to wait for Gu Sang.

    Gu Sang calmly smiled at Madam Li and instructed her:

    "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine."

    "Don''t report this to the authorities. Go home and get some sleep. Tomorrow is a new day."

    Gu Sang''s calmposure always gave people a sense of security, making them trust her implicitly.

    Madam Li knew that staying wouldn''t help Gu Sang at all and might even be a burden.

    So, she resolutely left.

    After Madam Li''s departure, the middle-aged man said to Gu Sang:

    "It seems we need to change our location for this discussion."

    Gu Sang remainedposed, "That''s fine by me."

    The middle-aged man grew wary of Gu Sang''s cooperation, but he couldn''t fathom what she might have nned.

    They suspected Gu Sang had already sent a message to Pei Weiqi beforeing, but her willingness to leave with them voluntarily didn''t make sense.

    Looking at the imposing Pei Mansion at the entrance, Gu Sang realized she had entered the tiger''s den. Yet she remained unfazed, leisurely observing her surroundings.

    Standing at the Pei Mansion and looking southeast, one could see the Imperial Pce.

    "So this is the Pei Family''s territory? It''s quite close to the pce."

    "I''m curious, can you tell me why your Pei Family has so many assassins?"

    "Actually, you, as the family leader, have long harbored ambitions for the throne, haven''t you?"

    Seeing Gu Sang on Pei Family grounds, the middle-aged man''s wariness decreased dramatically. Perhaps he thought Gu Sang had no escape and would be forced to join his rebellion.

    So, he answered Gu Sang''s questions readily.

    "Since we''re in this together now, I''ll be honest with you."

    "We''re all Pei Family descendants, so why can''t I be emperor?"

    "Pei Changying is useless. Without your help, how could he have held onto the throne?"

    "And Pei Weiqi, she only became empress with your assistance."

    "So why not me?"

    Gu Sang nodded in understanding, subtly extracting more information through her questions.

    The middle-aged man grew impatient and suspicious:

    "Why are you asking so many questions? Are you nning to inform Pei Weiqi?"

    Gu Sang cheerfully snapped her fingers.

    In a sh, before anyone could react, Gu Sang pulled out a high-powered shlight and pointed it skyward.

    Instantly, the sky lit up for miles around the Pei Mansion.

    This phenomenon naturally caught the attention of Zhou Qichen, who was leading troops in searching Li Mansion.

    "Gu Sang is there!!!"

    Zhou Qichen hurriedly led his troops towards the source of the light.

    "What... what is that thing?!"

    The assassins sent by Mr. Li, who had all perished at the Southern Altar, were unaware that Gu Sang possessed a weapon that could illuminate the night.

    By the time they realized what was happening, it was toote.

    The middle-aged man, enraged, rushed forward to kill Gu Sang. As he approached her, Gu Sang suddenly shone the shlight directly into his eyes.

    "Ahh!!! My eyes!"

    Such a high-powered shlight should never be shone directly into someone''s eyes, as it could cause severe damage.

    But Gu Sang showed no mercy to her enemies.

    "Quick, kill her!"

    The middle-aged man crouched on the ground, clutching his eyes and screaming in agony.

    Gu Sang swept the shlight around, its blinding light preventing the assassins from approaching. No one could withstand such intense light. Even closing or covering their eyes wasn''t enough; they had to turn their backs to the light for any relief.

    Gu Sang quickly stepped in front of the middle-aged man, aiming the shlight at his eyes again.

    "Ahh!!! Kill her, stop her, my eyes!"

    The middle-aged man ordered through gritted teeth. At this moment, he cared nothing for the throne; he just wanted Gu Sang dead.

    Hearing their leader''smand, all the Pei Family assassins converged from all directions. Even with her shlight, Gu Sang could only illuminate one direction at a time.

    In this critical moment, Gu Sang made a move no one expected.

    She pointed the shlight straight up into the sky.

    Yes, instead of aiming at any particr direction, she aimed it skyward.

    The assassins rejoiced inwardly, thinking this was their chance to strike.

    "System, take me back!"

 Chapter 252: The Grand Finale

    <h4>Chapter 252</h4>

    The reason why Gu Sang dared to go to the Li Mansion alone was because she could exploit a bug.

    Tomorrow would be the day the system sent her back.

    And after midnight, it would technically be the next day.

    That''s why she wasn''t in a rush and was even willing to cooperate in leaving the Li Mansion - she was trying to buy time.

    After confirming it was past midnight with the system, Gu Sang no longer hesitated and immediately blinded the middle-aged man''s eyes.

    They thought Gu Sang would be unable to escape, but they overlooked the fact that she wasn''t from this world and could return to her own world.

    The system''s voice rang out at the most critical moment.

    "Ding!"

    "Teleportation activated!"

    Just as Gu Sang was about to be cut into pieces, the system activated, and she vanished before everyone''s eyes.

    The assassins couldn''t stop their momentum in time and ended up stabbing their ownpanions.

    Outside the Pei Mansion, however, Zhou Qichen had already surrounded it.

    He led the Forbidden Army and special forces in, witnessing Gu Sang smiling as she disappeared, seeing the mere ten-meter gap between them felt like worlds apart: "Sang Sang!!!"

    "Miss Gu!"

    Gu Sang''s ethereal figure smiled faintly: "Everyone, I''m going home."

    "May you wee an era of peace, may all beings be equal, may everyone have a chance to step out of their residence and walk towards freedom."

    "General Zhou, farewell."

    Farewell...

    Gu Sang.

    That vibrant, brilliant Gu Sang who could never settle for love.

    She finally went home with her grandmother.

    Zhou Qichen closed his eyes and curved his lips, waving his hand fiercely behind him.

    On that day.

    Lord Li was captured alive, and the ruler of the Pei Family, with irrefutable evidence against him, was stripped of his position as the Pei Family head by Pei Weiqi.

    Although the Pei Family had a new leader, Pei Weiqi restricted the family''s development, reducing them to a second-rate family that was gradually surpassed by others.

    From then on, the Pei Family could no longer threaten the imperial power and had to rely entirely on Pei Weiqi.

    Two yearster.

    Gu Sang used her schrship to take her grandmother and sister on a domestic tour.

    The three wore heavy down jackets when boarding the ne but had to take them off afternding, as the sun was so warm.

    Gu Sang had booked a hotel with a shuttle service, and after checking in, they immediately changed into swimsuits and went to the beach.

    At this point, Gu Sang started a live broadcast.

    Pei Weiqi was discussing water conservancy projects with the ministers when someone reported a live broadcast appearing on the heavenly screen. She immediately gestured for a pause.

    "The live broadcast has started. Everyone, go watch it first."

    "If you have any thoughts afterward, you can share them with me."

    "Many things from the future are worth learning from."

    "But be mindful - kind words lead to kind connections. I don''t want to hear any malicious insults."

    "We obey Your Majesty''smand."

    The ministers had already gotten used to live broadcasts and were no longer as shocked as they were the first time.

    In Gu Sang''s time, it had been two years, but in ancient times, three and a half years had already passed.

    During these three and a half years, through the efforts of Pei Weiqi, the prime minister, Zhou Qichen, Ge Qing, and many others, the number of women attending university had reached over a thousand.

    The Six Ministries had also weed many new faces who were experts in various fields like livelihood, water conservancy, and food production.

    The ministers who had opposed Pei Weiqi initially epted the idea of a female emperor after witnessing the country''s prosperity under her rule.

    The current nation enjoyed economic prosperity and bnced internal and external development, with a trend toward overseas expansion emerging.

    Now, when these ancient people saw Gu Sang and Gu Qing wearing swimsuits, and some even wearing bikinis ying ball on the beach, they no longer considered it promiscuous.

    "What kind of ball is that? Your Majesty, I have an idea - perhaps we could learn from the future and introduce more sports activities."

    "Your Majesty, I agree with this suggestion."

    "Look, someone is actually riding the winds and waves using just a board!"

    "Look up, there are people flying in the sky!"

    "Wow, what are they sitting on in the water? It looks fun."

    In the live broadcast, their grandmother was leisurely lounging on a chair with a parasol, her silver hair blowing in the ocean breeze, a contented smile on her face - a picture of tranquil old age.

    Gu Qing found a beautiful seashell on the beach and ran over to show Gu Sang.

    "Sis, look at this seashell! It has a rainbow of colors in the sunlight."

    "Let me find another one, then we can make matching sister nes."

    Gu Sang pointed to a vendor selling seashell bracelets. "Why don''t we buy some from there instead?"

    Gu Qing pouted and shook her head. "No, the ones I find are more beautiful than bought ones."

    As they were talking, Gu Qing''s phone suddenly chimed with a notification. She nced at it, her expression a mix ofplexity and eptance as she looked at Gu Sang.

    "Lu Mufei is getting engaged."

    "He...sent me an invitation. Will you go?"

    Gu Sang raised her eyes.

    They shone brightly as she patted Gu Qing''s shoulder, her smile radiant: "Of course, congratte him for me."

    "Don''t you feel a tinge of disappointment?"

    "Haha, what are you thinking? This isn''t a novel with a male lead who would die if he couldn''t have you. I realized a long time ago that there''s no such thing as ''you''re the only one for me'' in this world, only equivalence andpatibility. He has his life, and I have mine. Pass on my congrattions and wish him happiness."

    "I will neverpromise for anyone else. I will onlypromise for my own happiness."

    "I see things very clearly. Marriage is good, love is good, and having aplete family is good too. But I feel that to obtain these, I would have to endure a lot of pain and make sacrifices that I''m unwilling to make. Compared to that, I think being free and unrestrained, with no attachments, is better."

    "As for the future, it''s still far away."

    Gu Qing looked at Gu Sang, then gazed into the distant sky.

    The two stood shoulder to shoulder, the sunshine bathing them, with their grandmother lounging in a chair by the sea, sunsses on.

    They looked out at the vast ocean.

    Endless.

    No boundaries in sight.

    Just like how one''s life should have countless possibilities.

    "Love is precious, but life is priceless."

    "For the sake of freedom, both can be forsaken."

    Gu Sang and Gu Qing exchanged nces and burst intoughter.

    Ah, humans.

    Always yearning for what they haven''t obtained and for better things.

    Gu Sang had once been confined to a residence, living in constant fear, surrounded by her ancient parents'' teachings that a husband was everything, with every woman around her dreaming only of marrying a good man.

    She had witnessed with her own eyes a high-borndy who fell into the water and was cruelly rescued by a scoundrel, only to lose her chastity because the benefactor had seen her drenched body and had to marry her.

    She had also heard of cases where a youngdy was identally touched by a servant while dismounting a horse, only for her parents to cut off the servant''s hand to prove their daughter''s purity.

    She had even seen the blood shed during difficult childbirths, where until the very moment of death, the husband would consider it an ill omen and not even step into the birthing chamber.

    At that moment, Gu Sang felt only sorrow and dread.

    She struggled with all her might to break free from that cage. She kept reminding herself not to sumb, terrified of losing herself to that ancient environment.

    What was this "one life, one lifetime, one partner"?

    What was this "love stronger than stone"?

    She didn''t believe it and dared not gamble. She would only ever love herself.

    "She was merely a university student who had time-traveled, how could shepete with the nobledies who had been trained in household and pce intrigues for over a decade?"

    "She didn''t need topete. All those so-called powers, status, family honor that they had been taught for over a decade - none of it mattered to her. She had seen the vast world, experienced unconditional familial love. She only wanted to return home, no matter how many deaths she had to face, she persisted!"

    - The Grand Finale.

 Chapter 253: Extra: The Empress Sequel

    <h4>Chapter 253</h4>

    Time flies, and ten years have passed since the end of the livestream.

    After the system confirmed that the good deeds in ancient times werepleted, Gu Sang held a perfect farewell ceremony with everyone.

    In those thousand-plus days and nights, when the Ancients spoke of that final livestream, their faces were still filled with nostalgia.

    They no longer envied the life ofter generations, because here, many people were also striving to create an equally free and equal life like that of the future.

    Just as the sun was setting,moners who had been busy all day returned home to start cooking.

    A four-year-old little girl ran in from outside and nced at the food on the table: "I don''t want to eat at home. I want to go to the night market when it opens and buy food there."

    The child''s father grabbed the little girl: "You''re being picky now? In the past, you couldn''t even get a full meal when you wanted one."

    "You''re not allowed to go to the night market today. You must eat at home."

    The little girl asked innocently: "Dad, why didn''t you have food to eat before? Would people starve to death during famines? What''s a famine? If there''s no food at home, can''t you just buy some at the night market?"

    The child''s father patiently exined: "Before you were born, there were no night markets, no free schools, and girls couldn''t even go out on the streets like they can now."

    "You must remember, every grain of rice in your bowl is the fruit of hard work."

    "Our happy life today didn''te easily. It''s the prosperous era created by Her Majesty the Empress, Miss Gu, and many others. It was paid for with the blood of Concubine Zhao. It was because many, many women fought and bled on the battlefield that girls can now study..."

    "You are very fortunate, more fortunate than your mother."

    -

    Meanwhile, in the imperial pce.

    Pei Weiqi''s aura had be increasingly gentle and restrained. Sitting on the throne, she exuded the dignity of a ruler to the fullest.

    Looking at the pile of memorials that had once again grown into a small mountain, she rubbed her temples in difort: "Thest time there were this many memorials was when I had just be empress."

    "In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed. Everything has changed in these ten years, except these ministers who still like to submit memorials at the drop of a hat."

    Pei Weiqi called out softly to the Shadow Gate outside, and a Shadow Gate expert immediately appeared before her.

    "Go find out if these ministers have any recent troubles."

    "I don''t believe they''re all so idle every day that they have time to meddle in my private affairs."

    Before midnight, the Shadow Gate expert had already gathered information about the private matters of many ministers.

    So, during the court session the next day.

    When Pei Weiqi once again faced the ministers'' joint request to expand the male harem.

    She sat calmly on the dragon throne, unmoved and even somewhat amused.

    The ministers knelt on the ground, pleading: "Your Majesty, now that the country is prosperous, for the sake of the empire, you must select a consort soon and give birth to a prince."

    "Your Majesty, I have served three emperors, and you are the only one who has shown no intention of having offspring. This is not right. If you do not give birth to a prince or choose an heir, after a hundred years, the empire will fall into chaos!"

    "Your Majesty, if you do not agree to select a consort today, I will kneel here and refuse to rise."

    "Your Majesty..."

    Pei Weiqi calmly raised her hand, stopping the ministers from continuing.

    The empress, high above, showed no change in expression and respondedposedly: "My beloved ministers, your concern for my private affairs makes me both grateful and ashamed."

    "So I must also show concern for you. Minister of Personnel, I hear that your young master seems to be..."

    "Deputy Minister Zhang, I hear you''ve been worried about your daughtertely, they say she..."

    As Pei Weiqi mentioned each name, the corresponding minister''s face changed slightly.

    This... having their private affairs exposed publicly, how was it any different from defecating in public?

    The only difference was that everyone''s privacy was being exposed by the Empress, so was this a collective social death?

    After Pei Weiqi had silenced them using their own tactics, she smiled gently.

    She continued: "Actually, I understand your fear of the country falling into chaos."

    "However, I think we can learn from future generations. It doesn''t have to be my own flesh and blood who inherits the throne."

    "I can select several outstanding heirs from all over China and personally educate them from a young age."

    "When the timees, whoever is more capable of leading this country to prosperity will sit on this throne. How does that sound?"

    "The throne is not a symbol of power, it represents responsibility, the responsibility of a ruler."

    "I would prefer to entrust the empire to someone capable, regardless of gender. Let the strong rule, rather than insisting it must be my direct descendant."

    Boom!

    These words struck the court officials like lightning, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.

    What was their Empress saying?!

    She actually wanted to give up the throne!

    Heavens, this severely contradicted age-old traditions.

    But itpletely aligned with the ideals of future generations.

    "Your Majesty, do you really intend to never marry?"

    "When you see the lights of ten thousand homes and families reunited, don''t you feel lonely in your heart?"

    Lonely?

    In this life, except for the extremely rare few lucky enough to find a soulmate to apany them for life.

    Everyone is lonely.

    Wee alone.

    In the end, we also leave alone.

    Pei Weiqi smiled faintly and looked at the court full of officials, her words resonating powerfully: "I have always known the path I chose, and I have never regretted it."

    "I can swear in front of the entire court that I will never regret it!"

    "I am the Empress of a nation, my heart holds the world, and I bear the weight of all people. In this lifetime, I will never take a husband, nor will I be pregnant or give birth."

    "As a dignified ruler, I absolutely cannot allow myself to fall into a life-threatening crisis. Continuing the bloodline is fine, but it is not my intention."

    "The lights of ten thousand homes are heartwarming, but that is not what I desire."

    In the end, the entire court of officials could not win this debate against Pei Weiqi.

    Even with the introduction of medical techniques from the future.

    Childbirth was still a matter of life and death, unavoidable.

    A dignified empress would not allow herself to fall into such danger, even if the possibility of difficultbor had be very low due to medical advancements, it was unnecessary!

    Her ability, talent, and strength.

    Did not need to be highlighted by giving birth to an heir!

    The following year.

    Pei Weiqi selected a boy and a girl from among themon people and brought them into the pce to personally nurture them.

    Another three years passed.

    Pei Weiqi, as the Empress of a dynasty, ate meals with her adopted son and daughter just like ordinary people.

    In her leisure time, Pei Weiqi would take them horse riding and hunting, or teach them how to treat themon people by example.

    "Your Majesty, Principal Ge praised me today." The little boy raised his head, happily waiting for Pei Weiqi''s praise.

    The little girl rolled her eyes and exposed him: "Your Majesty, Principal Ge asked him to run errands today and said he ran fast."

    "Who knew he''d turn around and tell you that Principal Ge praised him."

    The little boy wasn''t convinced: "That counts as praise. If you''re not convinced, let''spare who gets first ce in the next exam!"

    The little girl smiled confidently: "That goes without saying, I''ll definitely be first."

    The little boy retorted: "Last time I misread one question, that''s why you got first ce. This time, I definitely won''t be careless. This time, first ce is mine for sure."

    "How about this, whoever gets first ce, the loser has to grant one request from the winner."

    "Fine! You''re going to lose for sure. Just wait to see what I''ll ask for." The little girl agreed immediately.

    Pei Weiqi watched them with a smile, and she didn''t interfere with this kind of bet.

    There was still a long road ahead. The real test would begin when they grew up.

    From beginning to end, Pei Weiqi''s goal had always been clear: whoever was stronger, whoever could better develop the country and improve the lives of the people, would be the emperor.

    The other one would enter the imperial court and be the emperor''s most trusted minister.

    Taking a step back, if an emperor couldn''t even handle this level ofpetition, couldn''t make opponents submit, and needed the throne to be handed over safely without any scheming or tactics, then they wouldn''t be able to sit securely on the throne, and the country would eventually perish.

    In the imperial court, there was no distinction between men and women.

    The imperial throne belonged to the capable.

    Gender should not be a limitation, nor should limitations be based on gender.

    This was the prosperous era that Gu Sang spoke of.

    Ten yearster, the Little Girl was crowned as the Crown Princess with outstanding achievements and abilities. She ascended to the throne, establishing equality between men and women for generations toe, fulfilling the saying that if given a chance to rise, women will work harder and cherish it more than anyone else.

    "Father Emperor," she said.

    "Look, Pei Weiqi, though a woman, is no less capable than Pei Changying. I have lived up to the name you gave me."

    "Once, because of my gender, no matter how excellent I was, I could neverpete with the princes. No matter how suitable I was for the throne, you never wavered in your decision not to let me seed. I felt resentful, pained, and powerless. But now, that''s no longer the case. I have be strong enough to give the girls I raised the fairestpetition."

    "Father Emperor, Pei Weiqi is excellent. Even as a woman, she should be your pride."

 Chapter 254: Extra Story: Zhou Qichen

    <h4>Chapter 254</h4>

    Several years after the live stream ended, Zhou Qichen finally sumbed to the relentless pressure from his family. His mother''s incessant crying and threats of suicide,bined with countless pleas from friends, wore him down.

    He abandoned his foolish notionspletely.

    He married a well-matched youngdy from an official family.

    Their life together was uneventful, but Zhou Qichen always felt something was missing.

    Looking at his gentle-eyed wife before him, Zhou Qichen was haunted by a persistent thought: even with a perfect match on paper, his heart remained unsettled.

    "I''m going back to my parents'' home tomorrow," Madam Zhou said as she entered Zhou Qichen''s study.

    "My cousin has reached marriageable age, and father wants me to help vet potential suitors for her."

    Zhou Qichen spent time in his study every day after returning from court, though he didn''t actually do anything there. It seemed to be the only way he could have some personal space.

    Hearing his wife''s words, Zhou Qichen didn''t even lift his eyes, but his tone was gentle, showing her a measure of respect.

    "Very well. I''ll escort you there tomorrow."

    "If you''d like, feel free to stay for a few days."

    Madam Zhou hesitated, wanting to say more, but ultimately just sighed silently and left the study.

    Never mind.

    She had known this before marrying him. She had simply chosen to love someone who didn''t love her back.

    Outside, the maid who hade with Madam Zhou as part of her dowry nced towards the study and said:

    "Miss, will the young master apany you tomorrow?"

    Madam Zhou nodded, concealing the dimness in her eyes.

    The maid didn''t notice her mistress''s dejection and said happily, "That''s wonderful. Tomorrow let the young master see how modern courtships and marriages work."

    "Miss, I''ve heard others say that since the young master is a general, he doesn''t know how to treat women well."

    "He should observe how other men court women and treat them kindly. Surely the young master will be inspired."

    Madam Zhou didn''t respond, because she knew that Zhou Qichen''s problem wasn''t not knowing how to court women.

    It was simply that Zhou Qichen didn''t like her.

    Even though they were married, Zhou Qichen only fulfilled his duties as a husband.

    Although people outside spoke of how devoted and kind Zhou Qichen was to her, she understood very well that Zhou Qichen held no love for her.

    But this was something she had known before marrying Zhou Qichen.

    She knew that Zhou Qichen was in love with Miss Gu.

    At the time, she had wholeheartedly believed that, with time, she could melt Zhou Qichen''s heart.

    But she had overlooked one thing: Zhou Qichen''s heart was as hard as stone, impossible to melt.

    Everyone thinks they''ll be the exception.

    But in the end,

    They all be examples.

    Before marrying him, she thought she would surely be special, but she discovered she had overestimated herself.

    The next day.

    Old Madam Zhou watched her son rush to escort his wife back to her parents'' home right after returning from court, and couldn''t help but feel sorry for him.

    It''s not easy to change the stubborn mindset of the elderly.

    Old Madam Zhou, who had experienced the oppression of women, was just such a person. She firmly believed that her son must continue the family line.

    "Why do you keep going back to your parents'' home every few days?"

    "Your husband is exhausted from attending court daily, yet he still has to apany you home after work."

    "He''s so considerate of you, why can''t you show some consideration for your husband in return?" Old Madam Zhouined with great dissatisfaction.

    Madam Zhou was reserved by nature. Faced with her mother-inw''s unkind words, she didn''t take them to heart. Instead, she agreed with a word or two, just to please the olddy.

    But she didn''t expect that her non-confrontational attitude would only encourage Old Madam Zhou to be more aggressive.

    Old Madam Zhou snorted coldly: "You only pay lip service. If you really cared for him, you should have given him heirs by now."

    "Our Zhou family holds one of the three highest positions in court. If there''s no son to inherit in the future, I won''t be able to face our ancestors even in death."

    "Although the Queen has issued an edict saying that daughters can also inherit titles, women will still eventually marry out."

    "I''m old and have no other wishes. I just want a grandson. If you can''t bear one, then you should voluntarily allow your husband to take a concubine."

    Madam Zhou could tolerate Zhou Qichen not loving her, but she couldn''t ept sharing a husband with someone else.

    Hearing this, Madam Zhou''s expression changed slightly, her fingers clenched tightly.

    She turned her head and said firmly, word by word: "Mother-inw, no matter what you say about me, I cannot agree to such an unreasonable demand."

    "Miss Gu once said something that I find very true and have taken as my motto."

    "A man is like a toothbrush, I will absolutely not share him with anyone else!"

    Upon hearing this, Old Madam Zhou''s face changed dramatically. Using her authority as an elder, she pressured: "This matter doesn''t depend on whether you agree or not! I must have a grandson."

    "Even if the Queen herself were standing before me, I would say the same thing."

    "Is it illegal for me to want to hold my grandson?"

    "Even the Queen doesn''t have the right to say I can''t have a grandson."

    Madam Zhou looked to Zhou Qichen for help, but his expression remained indifferent.

    He didn''t speak up to criticize her, but neither did he stand up to defend her as his wife.

    He only felt that everything before him was irritating.

    Old Madam Zhou grabbed Zhou Qichen''s hand, determined to get an answer from him: "Today, in front of both of us, tell me whether you''ll take a concubine or not."

    "If you won''t continue the Zhou family line, then don''t bother caring about me."

    "I might as well die early, rather than be angered to death by you two."

    Faced with his mother''s relentless pressure, Zhou Qichen felt a headacheing on and wanted to escape.

    But his wife''s burning gaze and his mother''s tight grip on his clothes: both women were forcing him to make a choice.

    Zhou Qichen hesitated for a moment, then began reluctantly: "Why ask me about this? Mother, you decide¡ª"

    However,

    Before he could finish, Madam Zhou suddenly reddened her eyes and interrupted: "Zhou Qichen, if you want to take a concubine, then let''s divorce."

    "Since you don''t like girls, I''ll take our daughter with me."

    "I am perfectly capable of raising my daughter on my own."

    Madam Zhou''s eyes were rimmed with red, but she stubbornly refused to let her tears fall. Every word she spoke to Zhou Qichen was filled with determination.

    Zhou Qichen felt utterly exhausted. At that moment, he just wanted to find a crack in the ground to lie down in, not wanting to deal with all this mess.

    Seeing Zhou Qichen''sck of response, Madam Zhou''s heart died.

    She immediately had her maid pack their belongings and took her daughter back to her parents'' home.

    Nowadays, under the guidance of Miss Gu and the Queen, women who are divorced are no longer scorned by society, and they can return to their maiden homes.

    To be precise, women today have more choices. They are no longer just waiting to be cast aside.

    They can also choose to divorce!

    Dashu, Zhou Qichen''s adopted son, returned from the military camp and heard about what had happened at home.

    He brought two jugs of good wine and found Zhou Qichen staring nkly in his study.

    "Father, why didn''t you speak up for Mother today? Do you really have no feelings for her at all?"

    "What if it had been Miss Gu today? Would you have agreed to take a concubine then?"

    Zhou Qichen took a big swig from the wine jug and gulped it down. He couldn''t exin why, only feeling irritated and confused: "I don''t know! Don''t ask me."

    "I just wanted to bnce the rtionship between the two of them, but they had to force me to make a choice."

    "If it were Gu Sang... heh, but there''s no ''if''."

    Dashu, however, followed his train of thought and said firmly: "If it were Miss Gu, she wouldn''t have stood for it! And you definitely wouldn''t have let her suffer such indignity!"

    "To be honest, in the two years you''ve been married, Mother has endured a lot for your sake, but your actions today truly broke her heart."

    "I know you don''t really want to take a concubine, but you can''t withstand Grandmother''s persistence and end up nodding along. That''s very irresponsible of you."

    "I''ve never seen Mother so angry before. She must be utterly disappointed in you."

    Zhou Qichen looked irritably towards the horizon: "If she wants to leave me, then I can only let her go. Maybe it''s for the best."

    Dashu ced the remaining wine on the table and said, both helplessly and angrily:

    "Father, why can''t you ept reality?"

    "Think it over carefully. Do you truly love Miss Gu, or is it just an obsession born from unrequited love?"

    "I don''t know how much affection you have for your adoptive mother, or if her efforts over the years have ever moved you even slightly. But I want to tell you, some things, once lost, will never return."

    After Dashu left, Zhou Qichen drank alone.

    Drunk, hey on the chair, his mind filled with images of Gu Sang reporting to his wife.

    Finally...

    Gu Sang gazed at him from afar, then decisively floated away, disappearingpletely.

    Meanwhile, his wife''s graceful smile, the emotions in her eyes, and various scenes of her enduring hardships intertwined, ultimately revealing his wife resolutely reaching out her hand to him.

    Zhou Qichen closed his eyes and smiled bitterly.

    Before dawn, when Dashu came to bring his adoptive father a coat, worried he might catch cold,

    He found the study door wide open, and his adoptive father was already gone.

    He probably went to bring his adoptive mother home, Dashu thought.

    Looking at the study doorway, Dashu sighed: "Time truly is a wonderful thing. It can dilute everything, and it can also make people choose oues they wouldn''t have wanted to choose."

    "Perhaps it''s really difficult for anyone to always stick to their original intentions and true feelings, to never follow the crowd, to neverpromise."

    "Adoptive father has finally faced reality."

    "I''m not sure what love is, but I know that once you step into marriage, from that moment on, besides love, there''s also responsibility."

 Chapter 255: Extra: General Qin

    <h4>Chapter 255</h4>

    "Oh my, how envious! Your husband hase to bring you lunch again."

    In the pavilion of the Women''s University, a passing teacher saw General Qin delivering homemade meals to Ge Qing once more, feeling incredibly jealous.

    In the early days of the Women''s University''s establishment, the passionate story of General Qin''s pursuit of Principal Ge was still frequently mentioned.

    Initially, Ge Qing, like Her Majesty the Empress, was determined not to marry. However, General Qin proved to be patient. This straightforward military man''s pursuit of love led to many amusing incidents. Through his unwavering persistence, he finally melted Ge Qing''s stone-cold heart with his affection.

    General Qin had married six months ago. On their wedding day, Zhou Qichen came to offer congrattions with his wife, both of their gazes betraying a hint of envy.

    Compared to mutual respect between spouses,pared to responsibility and monotony, perhaps Zhou Qichen longed for a more passionate romance.

    Perhaps Zhou''s wife, beyond respect, also yearned for intense love.

    Unfortunately, that person who would never return was too dazzling, bing a beacon in Zhou Qichen''s heart that would only extinguish at the moment of death.

    "Principal Ge, didn''t you say you wanted chicken soup?"

    "This is chicken soup personally made by mother. Try it and see how it tastes."

    Ge Qing didn''t like General Qin calling her "darling" in front of others, so he always addressed her as "Principal Ge."

    Although the form of address didn''t sound intimate, they were both informal people who didn''t care about such trivial matters.

    Ge Qing felt both honored and startled: "How could you trouble mother to make it herself? Please don''t bother her in the future."

    General Qin sat down beside Ge Qing: "It''s alright, mother can''t sit still. Besides, she says having such a capable daughter-inw makes her proud when she''s out."

    "You''re now the face of our family, of course we have to take good care of you."

    Ge Qing rolled her eyes at General Qin: "Keep ttering me, and I might float away."

    "By the way, I should let you know, it''s getting close to exam time and quite busy, so I might stay at the school."

    General Qin held Ge Qing''s hand reluctantly: "Principal Ge, pleasee home to sleep. I''lle pick you up in the evening."

    "When I sleep alone at night, the bed is too big, and I can''t sleep well."

    Ge Qing sighed: "You need to remember you''re a general. You''ve seen plenty of death before."

    "And now you''re telling me you can''t sleep well?"

    General Qin chuckled: "Without you by my side, I can''t sleep soundly. I just love holding my wife while I sleep, what''s wrong with that?"

    After General Qin''s persistent coaxing, Ge Qing had no choice but to agree to go home, letting hime to the school to pick her up in the evening.

    By nightfall, Ge Qing had finished her work, but there was still no sign of General Qin.

    She stood waiting at the school gate, not daring to leave first for fear of missing him.

    After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Ge Qing was just thinking that perhaps General Qin had been dyed by some urgent matter, and was considering walking home herself.

    After all, the night markets were open now, and there were many people out at night, making it rtively safe for a woman to walk alone.

    Moreover, she had learned some martial arts from the future, so if any troublemakers dared to approach her, they would be the ones in for a nasty surprise.

    She had barely taken two steps when she heard the clip-clop of an approaching horse-drawn carriage.

    As it drew near, she saw it was driven by a servant from the Qin Family.

    "Madam, General Qin has been ambushed by assassins."

    Ge Qing immediately boarded the carriage in a panic, only then hearing the servant exin that General Qin had encountered assassins on his way to pick her up.

    Ge Qing suddenly remembered what a fortune teller had once told her - that she would bring misfortune to her husband and was destined to grow old alone.

    She returned to the Qin Mansion with trepidation, only to find over a dozen people standing in the room to visit.

    If it were just a minor injury, why would even the Qin family elders be present, along with all the extended rtives?

    Realizing this, Ge Qing''s legs went weak, and she nearly copsed, fear and anxiety simultaneously upying her mind.

    She pushed past all the people blocking her way and ran to General Qin''s bedside.

    The imperial physician was still by the bed examining him. Ge Qing first nced tearfully at General Qin, seeing the horrifying wound oozing ck blood.

    A dangerous glint shed in Ge Qing''s eyes. Who would dare assassinate a general right under the Emperor''s nose, and with a poisoned de no less? They clearly intended to kill.

    "Sigh, General Qin was fortunate to receive treatment in time. He''s barely clung to life."

    "However, he''ll need to rest and recover well for the next half month."

    The imperial physician instructed everyone afterpleting his examination.

    Ge Qing asked the servants to escort the physician out, then sat by the bedside, carefully cleaning General Qin''s wound before bandaging it with clean cloth.

    Rtives immediately crowded around,ining: "I heard he was ambushed on his way to pick you up?"

    "I''m not just saying this, but even if you are the principal of the Women''s University, you''re a married woman now. You should focus on your family."

    "I think you should quit that job of yours. Our Qin Family can certainly afford to support you," General Qin''s aunt continued.

    "Don''t me us elders for saying too much. Look, you studied medicine, and now your husband is lying in bed between life and death."

    "I think you should stop working for now and focus on taking care of your husband at home."

    "Besides, you''ve been married for half a year now. It''s time you got pregnant and had a child."

    "Otherwise, if something unfortunate were to happen¡ª"

    Ge Qing interrupted the third aunt''s words, saying firmly: "It won''t. With me here, nothing will happen to him."

    "I''ll take a half-month leave to look after him. Once he''s better, I''ll return to the school."

    Hearing that Ge Qing still refused to give up her work, the extended family immediately started criticizing her.

    The sister-inw across from her reproached: "Sigh, why are you so stubborn? Is your husband''s life not more important than your job?"

    "Our Qin Family has treated you well. If our Qin Family''s line were to end, then¡ª"

    Old Madam Qin, who had been standing behind Ge Qing all this time, quickly stepped forward and said: "Pah! Don''t speak such unlucky words. Your line may end, but my son''s never will."

    "Alright, it''s gettingte. You should all go home now."

    "Having so many people watching here is useless. Let the young couple make their own decisions."

    After Old Madam Qin had shooed all the rtives out of the room, she returned to check on her son.

    Seeing Ge Qing''s exhausted face, Old Madam Qin said:

    "You look tired too. Go sleep in the next room tonight. I''ll keep watch here."

    Ge Qing looked at Old Madam Qin with guilt. Since marrying into the family, Old Madam Qin had been very kind to her. Having lost her own mother at a young age, Old Madam Qin was like a mother to her.

    But she couldn''t agree to their demands to give up her work for the sake of the family.

    She loved being at the school, loved the feeling of being busy, loved teaching women to be independent and strong. Every time she saw a woman be self-reliant, it made her happy.

    So she didn''t want to give up her career, but bncing career and family was difficult.

    Even if Old Madam Qin didn''t think this way, the other members of the Qin Family had long harbored resentment towards her.

    How could she bnce family and career perfectly? Were women always destined to be the ones who sacrificed?

    "Mother, I''m fine. Let me keep watch. He might develop a low fever or infection tonight. I''ll only be at ease if I''m here myself."

    Ge Qing stood up, intending to escort Old Madam Qin back to her room. But as soon as she stood, the world began to spin. Her vision went ck, and she fainted.

    When Ge Qing slowly regained consciousness, it was already the next morning.

    She found herself lying in bed, with General Qin already awake, sitting by the bedside gazing at her tenderly: "Principal Ge, you''re finally awake."

    "I heard about what happenedst night. Thank you for your hard work."

    "Don''t worry. Before you married me, I promised I would never put you in a difficult position."

    "I''ll handle those matters. Leave it to me!"

    Just then, Old Madam Qin entered the room carrying a freshly stewed soup: "You gave me such a fright when you suddenly fainted yesterday."

    "Thankfully, you''ve both woken up today."

    "You hadn''t eaten dinnerst night, right? Come, drink this bowl of soup first to nourish yourself. Later, tell the kitchen whatever you want to eat."

    "Thank you, Mother."

    Ge Qing was about to drink the soup, but as soon as she smelled it, a wave of nausea surged up her throat.

    "Ugh."

    Ge Qing retched a few times.

    "Mother, I''m sorry. It''s not that your soup tastes bad, I just feel a bit nauseous."

    General Qin smiled and said: "The doctor checked your pulsest night and said you''re already pregnant."

    "What?! Really!" Ge Qing eximed joyfully.

    But then she felt a bit troubled. If she were to be pregnant, would she have to give up her career?

    Seeing the struggle in Ge Qing''s eyes, General Qin said, "I promised you before we got married that you could pursue whatever you liked without worry."

    "I will support you with all my might!"

    "You don''t have to give up one thing for another. You have me and mother at home, so you don''t need to worry."

    "After you give birth, we''ll have a wet nurse to help take care of the child."

    Old Madam Qin also nodded quickly. She was one of the few people who had broken free from oppressive thinking, so she approved of her daughter-inw''s choices.

    Why should she have to sacrifice her career to be a devoted wife and mother?

    Old Madam Qin was determined not to let that happen. She held Ge Qing''s hand firmly and said, "Let others say what they want. Deep down, they''re probably just jealous of your excellence."

    "We''ll just mind our own business and live our own lives."

    "Didn''t Miss Gu say it? Neverpromise for the sake of others'' opinions. Onlypromise for your own desires and preferences. Do whatever you want to do. If marrying into the Qin family would stifle your freedom and abilities, then my son wouldn''t be a good husband, and this wouldn''t be a good family."

    "A man who makes you sacrifice your career for family and children is not worth having."

 Chapter 256: Extra Extra Conclusion

    <h4>Chapter 256</h4>

    Six months ago, Her Majesty the Empress could no longer tolerate the Xiongnu''s constant harassment of the people along the border. After eight years of peace and recovery, the Empress issued an edict to subdue the Xiongnu.

    Just a few days ago, they had heard that today would be the day of the army''s triumphant return.

    The sound of hooves echoed as the messenger rode ahead to return to the capital.

    People had already gathered voluntarily on both sides of the street, clearing the way for the messenger to pass unhindered.

    "The army is just ten miles away!"

    "The Xiongnu have surrendered and will now acknowledge our country as their overlord!"

    The messenger rode on, shouting these words all the way to the imperial pce.

    The citizens who had been waiting for their husbands, sons, and daughters to return erupted in cheers and jubtion upon hearing this news.

    They''re back!

    The ones they had been longing for day and night have returned!

    The Central ins are victorious!

    Never again will the Xiongnu harass the people at the borders!

    "Long live Her Majesty the Empress, may she reign for ten thousand years!"

    "Long live Miss Gu!"

    "The prosperous era we live in now is surely as Miss Gu wished, if only she could have lived to see it."

    The people spontaneously shouted towards the direction of the pce, their wordsing from the bottom of their hearts.

    The wait was undoubtedly excruciating, but knowing it would bring good news, time passed with joyful conversations among the crowd.

    Finally, they heard the rhythmic hoofbeats of the returning army.

    First, one face appeared from the east, then a second, a third...

    "My husband! That''s my husband!"

    "Look, that''s my daughter walking over there."

    "Son..."

    "Father..."

    The Central ins citizens'' faces were full of excitement, their voices filled with genuine emotion as they called out to their loved ones amidst themotion.

    "Oh, careful there."

    A man''s voice rang out as a woman nearly stumbled into someone. The man beside her reached out to steady her.

    Once the woman regained her footing, they both realized that in the urgency of the moment, the man had grasped the woman''s hand.

    Some bystanders witnessed this scene.

    Strangely, no one rebuked them or called for punishment. Instead, they offered words offort: "You must be more careful when walking in the future. It''s fortunate this young master was here."

    "The young master has quick reflexes. Otherwise, this miss would have taken a nasty fall."

    Hearing the citizens'' words, a woman in green clothing suddenly turned around. She looked at the scene with a dazed and stunned expression.

    She nced at the steadied woman''s hand, then at her own severed hand.

    Her memory seemed to transport her back to a day ten years ago.

    A pretty young woman in blue sat in a carriage. As she fell from it, a schr on his way to the capital for the imperial examinations caught her hand.

    From that moment on...

    One was beaten half to death and lost his chance to take the exam.

    The other, for merely having her hand touched by a man, was forced by her family and mother to cut off that hand to prove her purity and chastity.

    This scene was so simr to the one from ten years ago!

    But the abuse hurled by people then would never happen in such a terrible way now.

    She never thought she''d see the day when she could stand openly in the street, watching a man and woman smile, thank each other, and walk away...

    "This afternoon is Teacher Xue''s special ss. Let''s go listen together and learn how to do business."

    "I want to study medicine. My mother died in childbirth, and in the future, I want all the women here to give birth safely. I''m going to be the most skilled female doctor! Xiaoyu, hurry up!"

    Someone called out to the woman, pulling her from her memories of the past.

    The bloody scenes before her eyes gradually transformed into something beautiful and warm.

    Xiaoyu looked down at her severed hand, tears suddenly falling uncontrobly. She quickly wiped them away and smiled faintly. "Coming!"

    She hurried to catch up with herpanions.

    The sunlight was perfect.

    It shone upon her.

    Her right hand had been cut off by a long sword, leaving an empty space. That cut had severed the constraints on women and ended an era.

    ¡ª Miss Gu, can you see? Women have finally risen, and the world has prospered as you wished.

    ¡ª Freedom, long may it live.

    ¡ª Freedom, may it live for ten thousand years.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!