The Guo Family was the royal family of the Zhou Dynasty, and the Fu Family was the imperial family of the Zhou Dynasty. According to seniority, Fu Yaohong was Guo Jing's aunt.
Hearing Guo Jing's voice, Fu Yaohong hesitated. Although Guo Jing's kung fu was good, Song Qingshu's cultivation level was too high. It would be dangerous for them to meet alone.
The sweeping monk said, "Don't worry. With Almsgiver Song's character and his friendship with Jing 'er, he won't do anything bad to him."
Fu Yaohong thought about their relationship with the Mongols and suddenly felt relieved. "I was being too narrow-minded. Prince Song, please!"
Song Qingshu held the yellow-shirted woman's hand. "Come with me."
He wasn't afraid that Tianshan Tonglao and the others would attack her if she stayed here, but he was worried that she would leave. They had worked so hard to get closer, and it would be a pity if they parted so soon.
Feeling the warmth of his hand, the yellow-shirted woman's heart warmed. However, her eyes fell on the Crown Prince's body, and she looked hesitant.
Fu Yaohong said, "Don't worry. The Crown Prince is dead. No matter how big the grudge between us is, we won't destroy his body. I'll send someone to bury him later."
The yellow-shirted woman was relieved. She wanted to express her gratitude, but when she remembered that the Crown Prince was killed by them, she couldn't bring herself to say thank you.
Song Qingshu patted her hand to comfort her, and then led her deeper into the palace. Because of Guo Jing's orders, the journey was smooth.
Outside the imperial study, Song Qingshu said to the yellow-shirted woman, "Wait here for me. I have something to say to Guo Jing." After all, they had a national grudge, and it wouldn't be good if there was a conflict inside.
The yellow-shirted woman nodded, and she was as obedient as a young wife.
Song Qingshu looked at her in surprise. He couldn't help but ask, "You didn't run away, did you?"
The yellow-shirted woman rolled her eyes at him. "Don't worry, I'll wait for you." He couldn't help but think of the scene where he defeated the sweeping monk and the others. He was really handsome.
After receiving confirmation, Song QingShu walked into the imperial study. A burly figure was standing by the window, staring blankly at the moon in the sky. When he heard Song QingShu enter, he turned around and looked at Song QingShu with a complicated expression. "Brother Song, I didn't expect to see you again in such a situation after we parted ways in Mongolia."
Song QingShu looked at Guo Jing, who was dressed in a dragon robe. For a moment, he was not used to this style. He could not help but sigh. "Yes, no matter how wild my imagination was, I never expected you to become the emperor."
Guo Jing smiled bitterly. "I didn't expect it either. After coming back from Mongolia, I learned too many things that I didn't know before. I don't know how to deal with it."
Song Qingshu suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He thought of the rumors about the affair between him and Huang Rong. Obviously, he also knew about it. He wanted to explain, but he didn't know how to start.
"I didn't expect that I was actually a descendant of the Zhou Dynasty's royal family. In the past few decades, countless people from the Guo Clan and the Fu Clan have worked hard to restore the Zhou Dynasty and take revenge on the Zhao Song Dynasty. Countless people have spent their entire lives, some even sacrificing their lives." Guo Jing looked at his hands. "But I've always been protecting this country that my enemy built. Because of this, my mother lost her life."
Song Qingshu said in a low voice, "Brother Guo, everything you did was for the country and the people, not for the Zhao family's imperial court, so you don't have to blame yourself."
"Thank you for enlightening me, Brother Song." Guo Jing forced a smile. "Actually, I told myself the same thing, but I also know that if I had known about my past, I probably wouldn't have made such a choice. Back then, I thought I was from the Song Dynasty. I didn't expect that I was actually from the Zhou Dynasty. "
Song Qingshu was silent. This was the helplessness of fate. Many times, it didn't depend on human strength. He hesitated and asked, "Actually, even if you knew about your past, with your personality, you aren't the type to be greedy for power. Why did you rebel with them and become the Emperor?"
"Rebel? In your eyes, this is rebellion? " Guo Jing laughed self-deprecatingly. "I'm just taking back what the Zhao Family shamelessly took from us."
Song Qingshu couldn't help but say, "It seems that Fu Yaohong and the others have had a great influence on you these days."
Guo Jing shook his head. "They did instill a lot of hatred for the Zhao Song Dynasty in me, but I won't change so easily. After all, I'm no longer that naive and foolish boy from back then."
"Then why?" Song Qingshu was slightly puzzled. From his tone, he didn't detect the hatred for the Zhao Song Dynasty that Fu Yaohong, Fu Minyi and the others had. Why would he join the rebellion?
"As I said earlier, I learned many things in these days." Guo Jing looked deeply at him and continued, "Other than the fact that I am a member of the Zhou Dynasty's royal family, the other thing is that I failed to become the palace marshal."
Song QingShu recalled that when he was in Lin 'an, because of Guo Jing's meritorious service in defending Xiangyang and his high prestige, there was a great clamor for him to be appointed as the Commander of the Front Palace Department, responsible for protecting the Imperial Family and cooperating with Han Xingzhou on the Northern Expedition.
But later, the matter ended without any progress. Everyone was guessing the reason.
"So the Zhao Song Emperor already knew the truth of my past. So how would they dare to give me such an important appointment?" Guo Jing laughed self-deprecatingly. "Back then, Rong 'er disappeared for no reason. It was a trap they set to prevent me from participating in the Front Contest."
Song Qingshu suddenly understood. Back then, he knew that Huang Rong had been captured. At the time, he had been curious about the reason. Now he finally understood everything. "But Brother Guo, you don't look like someone who is greedy for power. You don't have to choose to rebel because of this?"
Guo Jing sighed. "I really don't care for the position of Palace Marshal. But this time, someone showed me many secret documents. Only then did I know that Zhao Gou had secretly planned to get rid of me. Back in the Northern Expedition, I was purposely set up by them to go deep into enemy territory alone. They wanted to use the Jin to kill me. Thanks to your help, I was lucky enough to keep my life. "
Song Qingshu sighed. Back then, Guo Jing had risked his life for the Song Dynasty. During the Northern Expedition, he was "tacitly" abandoned by the other armies. In the end, he was surrounded by the Jin army. He had personally experienced this. How could he not know?
"Other than that, Zhao Gou also designed a few other backup plans. He wanted to get rid of me secretly. He even planned to kill Rong 'er, Fu' er, and the others." Guo Jing smiled sadly. "Back then, the Zhao family took advantage of the Ruiwu Emperor's death to bully the orphans and widows of the Zhou Dynasty. I didn't expect that a hundred years later, they would kill us all. A man is born in this world. If he can't protect his wife and daughter, and can't comfort his ancestors, then what's the point of living?"
Song Qingshu fell silent. The other party was right. In the end, it was the Zhao family who had wronged the Guo family. But between countries, there was no right or wrong.
Of course, he also knew that if he was in Song Qingshu's shoes, he would most likely make the same choice. But Guo Jing was a person of noble character. Even if Zhao Song had wronged him, he would not have such a strong reaction.
Come to think of it, whether it was Fu Yaohong or the Sweeping Monk, they all had a great impact on him. In addition, the various things during the Northern Expedition, and the experience in Mongolia, where he had no choice but to separate from Huazheng, must have affected his worldview to a certain extent.
All these factors together led to the current situation.
Now that they were so close to each other, he could still feel Guo Jing's innocent heart. However, it would be unrealistic to say that Guo Jing had not changed at all. The Guo Jing now was no longer the Hero of Xiangyang that he used to be.
Song Qingshu could not help but ask, "This time, Fu Yaohong and the others helped you. Obviously, they also borrowed the power of the Mongolians. In the future, will you return the favor to the Mongolians?"
Guo Jing shook his head. "Although I no longer consider myself a Song person, I am still a Han. I have seen the Mongolians burn, kill, and loot with my own eyes. How can I betray the interests of my country for my own selfish desires? Back then, Emperor Ruiwu was the pride of his generation. Unfortunately, the heavens did not give him a break. Otherwise, he would have already unified the world. Later, Zhao and Song would not have been weak, and the people of the Central Plains would not have been bullied by the foreign tribes. As a descendant of Emperor Ruiwu, I have the responsibility to carry on his unfinished legacy. "
Hearing this, Song Qingshu was secretly impressed. "Brother Guo, you are so bold!"
Guo Jing sighed. "But now, I may not be able to hold on to the throne, let alone conquer the Central Plains."
Song Qingshu did not say anything against his heart. Indeed, he may not be able to hold on to the throne. Not to mention himself, many other powers may not be able to accept him. It was just that everyone was still watching and had not made a move.
After all, the Zhou Dynasty had been destroyed for more than a hundred years. How could it still rally people?
Guo Jing suddenly changed the topic. "The last time I left Mongolia, I was in a hurry. How is Huazheng?"
Song Qingshu nodded. "Princess Huazheng is fine, but she is under house arrest in the palace. She cannot see you, so she can only wash her face with tears."
Guo Jing's face revealed a pained expression. "I have let her down. I ruined the first half of her life, and I did not expect that I would ruin the second half of her life."
Song Qingshu comforted him. "This is not your fault. When you lost your memory in Mongolia, you may feel sorry for her. But in her eyes, the time she spent with you was probably the happiest time of her life."
Hearing this, Guo Jing could not help but be moved. Obviously, he was reminded of the time when he lost his memory with Huazheng. It was indeed a rare carefree time. It could be said that he had never been so happy.
After a long time, Guo Jing suddenly said, "Brother Song, I would like to ask you for a favor."
"Brother Guo, please say it. As long as it is within my power, I will do it without hesitation!" Song Qingshu said seriously.
Guo Jing looked at him with a complicated expression. After a while, he said, "If anything happens to me, I will trouble you to take care of Rong 'er."
"Ah? This … "Song Qingshu suddenly felt very embarrassed. He had never thought that Guo Jing would say this. He did not know whether Guo Jing was testing him on purpose or was sincere. For a moment, he did not know how to respond.
Guo Jing did not say anything more. Instead, he changed the topic. "Well, I am a little tired. Brother Song, please go back."
Until they came out of the palace, Song Qingshu still did not come back to his senses. He did not know what Guo Jing meant.
"What did you say to Guo Jing?" The yellow-robed woman was a little curious and could not help but ask.
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