A scumbag husband fakes his death to escape his marriage? I'll burn down his funeral hall and s

Chapter 303 The promise of fireworks may have to be broken.

Quiet residence.

Chu Ruohan frowned slightly after hearing Qin Fang's report.

"The Third Prince is back?" She looked at Doctor Qian beside her.

Doctor Qian put down his medical book and sighed, "This capital city is getting more and more chaotic."

"The Empress has just passed away, the Crown Prince has been deposed, and the Wei family has fallen. It is a time of power vacuum. Why did this Third Prince choose to return at this time? His intentions are worth pondering."

Chu Ruohan tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

Doctor Qian nodded: "Yes, back then, Consort Xian was greatly favored. If she hadn't died young, I'm afraid..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already quite clear.

“Prince Su will certainly not stand idly by,” Chu Ruohan said with certainty. “Next, I’m afraid it will be a power struggle between the two princes.”

Doctor Qian looked at Chu Ruohan with worry in his eyes: "Young Madam, you are currently in poor health. It would be best if you stayed out of these court disputes."

Chu Ruohan gently stroked her lower abdomen, her gaze softening slightly, but quickly regaining its clarity.

"I don't want to get involved, but I'm caught up in it all and have no choice."

She paused, then asked, "Qin Fang, have you found out anything about the deposed crown prince?"

Qin Fang stepped forward and whispered, "Young Madam, the Emperor has decreed that Crown Prince Zhao Yunheng be demoted to a commoner and exiled to Lingnan immediately. He is not to return to the capital without an imperial edict."

Lingnan... that's a wild and desolate place rife with miasma.

Chu Ruohan felt no emotion; Zhao Yunheng's fate was entirely his own fault.

"How are things going with Biyu and her daughter?"

"As you instructed, it has been sent to a manor outside the city and is guarded by reliable people. There will be no leaks," Qin Fang replied.

Chu Ruohan nodded: "Very good, make sure they are safe."

Doctor Qian asked, "Is the young mistress worried that someone might harm them?"

“Although the Wei family has fallen, it’s hard to guarantee that there aren’t any who have escaped.” Chu Ruohan looked out the window. “I promised Biyu that I would protect them.”

"The landscape of the capital is about to change completely."

Chu Ruohan tapped the tabletop lightly with her fingertips, one tap after another, producing a dull sound.

"Still no news from Gu Chengyan?"

Qin Fang shook his head, his expression solemn.

"Young Madam, I have used all available connections and searched the capital city and even several estates outside the city, but I still have no trace of Gu Chengyan."

"It's as if he completely vanished, disappeared without a trace," Qin Fang added.

Chu Ruohan frowned slightly, and her fingertips stopped.

disappear?

Would someone like Gu Chengyan disappear so easily?

Chu Ruohan always felt that things were not that simple.

Gu Chengyan was in the shadows while she was in the light. This feeling made her feel uneasy, as if there were a pair of eyes watching her from the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.

For some reason, she always felt that Gu Chengyan had not left the capital.

Perhaps it's hiding in some unknown corner, or perhaps... it's right beside her, watching her every moment.

This speculation made Chu Ruohan even more uneasy.

"Keep checking."

"Yes, young mistress." Qin Fang accepted the order, bowed, and withdrew.

I wonder how Junze is doing.

The battle in Pingzhou was fierce, and I wondered if he was injured, or if he... missed her.

Outside the Pingzhou camp, the night was as thick as ink, impossible to spread.

Gu Junze stood alone on the hillside, gazing towards the capital.

Han'er's birthday is in a few days.

Counting the days, it’s almost time.

He promised to take her to see the fireworks this year, even though they missed it last year.

But now, it seems the promise of fireworks will have to be broken.

Gu Cheng'an walked up to him without him noticing, holding a water bag in his hand.

Gu Junze frowned, his gaze still fixed on the distance, and said calmly, "Drinking alcohol in the army is a major taboo."

Gu Cheng'an chuckled, opened the stopper, took a big gulp himself, and then handed it to Gu Junze.

"Don't worry, brother, I know what's important. It's just water."

Gu Junze took the water pouch, tilted his head back and drank a few mouthfuls. The cool water slid down his throat, slightly dispelling the irritability in his heart.

He returned the water bag to Gu Cheng'an and his gaze fell on the camp in the distance.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you resting at night?"

Gu Cheng'an sat down beside him, his gaze also fixed on the direction of the capital, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible melancholy.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came out for some fresh air."

He paused for a moment and said softly, "Sister-in-law is a good woman, brother should cherish her."

Gu Junze hummed in agreement, his gaze softening slightly.

He naturally knew how good Han'er was.

It was too late for Gu Cheng'an to regret it...

Gu Junze suddenly spoke up: "After we win the battle and return to the capital, I will report to the Emperor that you have redeemed yourself on the battlefield through meritorious service, and that you will be pardoned for your fugitive crimes, allowing you to start anew..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng'an's body trembled slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

With a faint smile on his face, whether or not he was pardoned was no longer of any concern to him.

"I will follow my elder brother's arrangements." Gu Cheng'an's tone was devoid of any emotion.

Gu Junze looked at him and nodded, "Alright."

The night wind was still biting, blowing the two men's robes and making a rustling sound on the silent hillside.

The two brothers sat side by side, gazing towards the capital, each lost in their own thoughts, remaining silent.

Inside Jing'an Residence, Chu Ruohan stood by the window, gazing at the gray sky in the distance.

She gently stroked her lower abdomen, her fingertips lightly caressing the bulging belly, feeling the faint throbbing of the fetus inside.

This is her weakness, and also her armor.

For the sake of her child, she also needs to protect herself and the people around her.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her unease, turned and walked to the table, picked up a pen, and began to write a letter.

The letter to Junze was to let him know I was safe and sound, and also to express my longing for him.

There are also... some analyses and speculations about the situation in the capital.

She hoped that Junze would return victorious soon and come back to her side...

Chu Ruohan put down her pen and rubbed her slightly sore wrist.

I'll have Qin Fang send it out tomorrow.

Chu Ruohan walked to the bedside, gently lay down, and closed her eyes.

In her half-dreaming state, she seemed to see Gu Chengyan's sinister eyes again, staring intently at her in the darkness, like a shadow, haunting her.

Chu Ruohan suddenly woke up, sat up in bed, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

The room was completely silent, except for the sound of the night wind howling outside the window.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, and raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

It turned out to be just a dream.

But the scene in her dream was so real that it made her heart pound.

Chu Ruohan got up, walked to the window, and opened it.

The night remained thick, and the distant sound of the night watchman's gong drifted in, deep and drawn-out...