Feng Jin wrestled with the thought for a long time, unable to articulate anything conclusive. In the end, she simply closed her mouth and remained silent.
A profound stillness settled over the room. After a pause, Gu Beichen, his lips cracked and dry, managed to utter in a hoarse voice, "Is it true?"
The same question as before. If he didn't uncover the truth of the matter, he would never rest.
Finally, Ling Mohan, unable to bear it any longer, directly revealed the truth to Gu Beichen: "Everything you just heard is true. Murong Jinyun, and all the Western Liang people who have come to Eastern Chu this time, are all spies from Western Liang…"
Fearing Gu Beichen might not be able to take it, Ling Mohan paused mid-sentence. Seeing that Gu Beichen's expression was relatively normal, he continued, "And Murong Jinyun approaching you and marrying you was so she could legitimately remain in Eastern Chu. Only then could they continue their plan…"
It was as if lightning bolts had struck Gu Beichen's head. He stood frozen, stiff, and unresponsive for a long time.
"Actually… I actually feel that Murong Jinyun does have feelings for you. It's not entirely for exploitation. Perhaps she's also bound by circumstances. This matter…"
"Don't try to persuade me! Her approaching me ultimately has a purpose. Everything she does is for her country, for Western Liang!"
Gu Beichen's eyes were filled with intense hatred. His feelings for Murong Jinyun were a perplexing mix, a constant tug-of-war between love and hate, leaving him confused about his own emotions.
"Don't think like that. There are reasons for everything that happens. I think you should have a good talk with Murong Jinyun. Perhaps… perhaps this matter isn't as you imagine it to be."
Feng Jin tried to mediate with kind words, unwilling to see a relationship that had finally formed be broken. No matter the outcome, she felt she had to try and persuade him.
But Gu Beichen seemed resolute, refusing to heed her advice. "You don't need to persuade me anymore. What has happened is my own doing. Perhaps she and I were never meant to be. Forcing ourselves together would only lead to mutual suffering. I have already decided to sever our ties with a sword, and from now on, she and I will have nothing to do with each other."
"I will petition His Majesty to cancel this marriage. That way, the people of Western Liang will have no reason to remain here, and we can use this as a pretext to drive them away."
He thought it through carefully. This was the best course of action. Western Liang wanted to use this as an excuse to stay in Eastern Chu. Once the pretext was gone, they would have no reason to remain.
Ling Mohan was so infuriated with Gu Beichen that he slapped him hard. "You damn fool! Did a donkey kick your brain? I told you to think it through carefully early on, and you were the one who said you would marry no one but the Western Liang princess! You gave them the very rope they needed to stay here!"
"Now that you know the truth, you want to die or live without marrying her, and you even want to use this to drive away the Western Liang people. Do you really think this will stop Western Liang's plot? I'm telling you, it's completely impossible. Even if you don't marry the Western Liang princess, there are plenty of men in this world, and someone else can marry her. Western Liang's plot will proceed just the same!"
"At that time, when the Western Liang army breaks through the city walls, countless people will lose their lives because of you. By then, you will still be a sinner of Eastern Chu, a sinner of the Zhennan Prince's Manor. How will you face the people of the world? How will you face the ancestors of your Gu family!"
Ling Mohan was filled with anger, wishing he could pry open Gu Beichen's head to see if it contained a brain or mush. Only he could so brazenly utter such thoughtless words.
The current situation was already precarious. They had expended so much effort just to barely track Western Liang's movements, and it was almost ruined by Gu Beichen's impulsive decision.
"I… I…" Gu Beichen's face was filled with regret. He punched himself twice in anger. "Then what do you want me to do now? Things have come to this point. You only told me the truth now. What choice do you expect me to make? I'm in a dilemma!"
They were about to get married, and only now did he learn the truth. Why wasn't he told sooner? Why was he only made aware of all this as they were on the verge of marriage? With things having reached this point, how was he supposed to make any decision?
"Alright, both of you, calm down. No matter how upset you are, what's done is done. It's best to calm down and think about how to resolve this."
Feng Jin soothed them both, pressing them into chairs and serving them cups of tea. "Drink some tea to calm your anger. We can talk slowly."
Gu Beichen picked up the teacup and drank it all down. After a moment, he turned his gaze to the silent Ling Mohan. "Tell me, how should this matter be resolved now? What should I do?"
Ling Mohan shot Gu Beichen a look, clearly not wanting to engage with him. Feng Jin stepped in to mediate. "Earlier, we were planning not to tell you the truth and let you continue to play along with Murong Jinyun."
"Judging by your words, you already knew about this?"
Gu Beichen finally began to understand. These people had known for a long time. So, he was the only one kept in the dark. It turned out he was the fool.
"Who's as stupid as you, unable to see the slightest clue!" Ling Mohan said irritably, wishing he could unleash all the curses he had accumulated over the past twenty years.
"You… you… when did you find out?"
Why had he not noticed anything at all? Was it his intelligence that was lacking, or was Murong Jinyun's acting so superb that he couldn't distinguish between truth and falsehood?
Ling Mohan sighed slightly and decided to tell the foolish Gu Beichen the truth. "Western Liang and Eastern Chu have had grievances for a long time, with countless conflicts, big and small, over the years. Moreover, the Emperor of Western Liang is a narrow-minded and malicious person. His主动 offer of marriage to Eastern Chu this time is naturally not that simple, hence the private investigation."
"So that's how it is… I never really doubted anything. Now that I think about it, Murong Jinyun did have many suspicious aspects, but I never dwelled on them. I almost made a grave mistake."