Chapter 237: Implication of Nine Generations

Jiu Yu couldn’t remain indifferent. After all, that man was his biological father.

Gu Huaizhi’s arrow seemed to shatter his heart.

Losing his father and mother at a young age, and being separated from his sister. Kinship, to Jiu Yu, was both a luxury and a form of salvation.

His sister had returned to his side, and Jiu Yu was grateful to the heavens for their mercy, for showing him compassion.

When he arrived in Xiliang and encountered the father he had believed long dead, there was no time for joy. His father had repeated the same tragic fate as his mother. The nightmare resurfaced, and the despair of being cornered consumed him.

Not only could he not reunite with his father, but even his sister was at risk of being dragged into the abyss.

Jiu Yu was filled with panic, desperately praying that Qu Yuanxiao would stop, that he would confess and accept his punishment. At least… at least there would still be a glimmer of hope.

Qu Yuanxiao spoke of the victor becoming king and the loser being condemned, firmly believing that he would emerge victorious.

The moment Su Wan survived, Jiu Yu already knew the outcome.

Qu Yuanxiao could not win.

As expected…

Jiu Yu clenched his teeth tightly, the muscles in his cheeks twitching. With a grief-stricken expression, he said, “Do I even have a choice anymore?”

His eyes were bloodshot as he stared directly at Gu Huaizhi. He let out a few low chuckles, which grew louder and louder as he laughed. Tears streamed down his face from the laughter. “This life of mine… ever since my mother failed in her attempt to seize power, it was no longer mine to control. Revenge… hahaha… at the very least, I have to stay alive. This life is still in my own hands.”

This time, returning to Xiliang was to repay Su Wan’s kindness and to atone before their ancestors. He and his sister wanted to find a new way to live, at least to live with dignity and integrity.

Qu Yuanxiao’s appearance at the Imperial Ancestral Hall shattered Jiu Yu’s spirit completely, leaving him in utter despair.

Jiu Yu glanced at his sleeve, still remembering how tightly Jiu Ge had clung to it, unwilling to let go. He had promised her he would return before nightfall.

“Even if I say I won’t seek revenge, no one will believe me. Just by staying alive, I’ll keep many people awake at night.”

Jiu Yu’s lifeless eyes carried the tragic resignation of someone mocked by fate. “Gu Huaizhi, I have only one unfulfilled wish: please save Ge’er. Let her live as an ordinary person and have a good life. In return, I will reveal the whereabouts of my mother’s former subordinates.”

Gu Huaizhi frowned deeply. Jiu Yu showed no desire to survive, only complete submission to the cruelty of fate.

“Can you have Su Wan visit the Siyi Pavilion before nightfall and tell Ge’er I’m sorry?”

The last time he told Jiu Ge to wait, he ended up losing her.

This time, he told Jiu Ge to wait, but in this lifetime, he would never be able to fulfill his promise.

“You go yourself,” Gu Huaizhi replied coldly, leaving those words behind as he returned to the main hall.

Jiu Yu stood frozen in place for a long moment before following Gu Huaizhi into the main hall.

Everyone inside the hall turned to look at him.

Jiu Yu knelt on the ground, his face expressionless, waiting for his sentence.

Gu Huaizhi spoke, “Your Majesty, may I have a word with you?”

Qi Min glanced at Gu Huaizhi before fixing her gaze on Jiu Yu. “Speak.”

Gu Huaizhi said, “Qu Yuanxiao rebelled, but Jiu Yu did not participate and even contributed to saving Your Majesty. His crime does not warrant death. As a member of the imperial bloodline—”

A minister immediately stepped forward, interrupting Gu Huaizhi. “Wei Xinglu conspired with Qu Yuanxiao to usurp the throne. How could Jiu Yu, as their offspring, not be guilty of a capital offense? According to Xiliang law, even if the Son of Heaven commits a crime, he is to be judged equally with the common people!”

Gu Huaizhi replied with a faint smile, “According to your reasoning, this crime warrants the execution of nine generations. Do you intend to pursue every one of them?”

The minister was rendered speechless, his face flushing to the color of pig liver. After all, Wei Xinglu’s nine generations included the royal family itself.

Gu Huaizhi continued smoothly, “Moreover, Jiu Yu has atoned for his crime by rendering meritorious service, exposing the traitors and rebels.”

The minister opened his mouth, trying to say something more.

But Gu Huaizhi didn’t give him the chance. “The death penalty can be waived, but punishment is inevitable. Your Majesty, why not strip him of his noble status, reduce him to a commoner, and exile him to Yu City, forbidding him from entering the capital unless specifically summoned?”