Chapter 354

“Three?”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Tianjing and Qiao Jiaojiao both showed expressions of surprise.

On their way here, the siblings had speculated that the Soul-Binding Gu was a pair of mother and child Gu, but it turned out to be three!

Now that Chu Rou’s defenses had completely collapsed, it was the perfect time to guide her into revealing everything. Thus, Qiao Tianjing did not show any signs of surprise and asked calmly:

“How did Yuliu use the Soul-Binding Gu to lay out her plan?”

Chu Rou slowly lifted her head upon hearing this, her eyes red. Even though her reason was on the verge of collapse, she could still tell that Qiao Tianjing was trying to extract information from her.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

Since the plan had already failed and the prince was dead, there was no point in hiding anything.

Moreover, the world deserved to know the brilliance and greatness of the princess. The princess had sacrificed herself in the hope of achieving victory against the odds!

Thinking of this, Chu Rou leaned back against the wooden couch and spoke in an eerily calm tone:

“It’s fine to tell you. Qiao thief, you should know the kind of intricate mind the princess had!”

“That year, a war broke out between the Northern Kingdom and Yong Dynasty. Our cavalry was valiant, and at first, we were unstoppable, with the situation looking very favorable.”

“But Qiao Zhongguo’s sudden emergence soon changed everything. After taking command of the army, he employed a series of ingenious tactics, forcibly turning the tide of the war.”

“At this point, the princess sensed that things were not going well, but the former king and the current King Jinyu were both arrogant, believing that Yong Dynasty was weak and that one Qiao Zhongguo couldn’t make much difference.”

“The princess requested the former king to seek cooperation with the Nanli Kingdom, proposing a north-south pincer attack to divide Yong Dynasty, which would certainly tempt the Nanli Kingdom!”

“But the former king considered the war situation still favorable and thought that actively seeking cooperation with the Nanli Kingdom would be a sign of weakness. Ultimately, he dismissed the princess, citing that women should not interfere in politics.”

“The princess, seeing that she couldn’t persuade the former king, had to prepare in advance, sending someone to approach Crown Prince Baili Chengye of the Nanli Kingdom. During this process, she inadvertently learned about the existence of the Soul-Binding Gu, a secret treasure of the Nanli Kingdom.”

“By then, the war situation between the Northern Kingdom and Yong Dynasty had completely changed. Qiao Zhongguo led his troops across the Wuding River, bringing the battlefield onto the Northern Kingdom’s territory.”

“The princess, sensing a major crisis, hurriedly instructed the spy to deceive Baili Chengye and steal the Soul-Binding Gu.”

“But at that time, the princess had not yet made up her mind, because the Gu fed on blood and flesh, and once it entered the body, there would be no turning back.”

“It wasn’t until… Qiao Zhongguo led his troops all the way to Lucheng, which used to be the old capital of the Northern Kingdom.”

“At this point, the former king and the civil and military officials began to panic, finally remembering the possibility of seeking cooperation with the Nanli Kingdom, but it was all too late…”

“The princess then suggested immediately presenting a letter of surrender to the Emperor Yong, in exchange for Qiao Zhongguo stopping at Lucheng.”

“At that time, regardless of gold, silver, silk, or annual tributes, we should have offered them all. As long as the nation remained, there would always be a chance for revival.”

“But the king didn’t listen, and the stubborn ministers at the court even scolded the princess for selling out the country, insisting on fighting to the last moment.”

“The princess returned to the palace in despair, muttering, ‘If we keep this up, the Northern Kingdom’s fate will truly be exhausted…'”

“I advised the princess at that time, urging her to leave everything behind and flee with Prince Di to a faraway place.”

“But the princess refused. She couldn’t abandon the land that nurtured her, nor could she bear to forsake the people on this land.”

“So, that night, accompanied by me, she cut open her palm and took in those three poisonous insects into her body.”

“From then on, a scheme destined for death began…”

Chu Rou’s expression was melancholic, her eyes filled with reminiscence, unsure whether she was speaking to Qiao Tianjing or lost in her own memories.

“The Soul-Binding Gu, one mother and two sons, with the mother Gu as the main, and the two son Poisonous insects, one for Soul-Binding and one for Spirit-Tethering, complementing each other.”

“After the poisonous insects entered the princess’s body, they greedily began to consume flesh and blood. The princess was in so much pain that she rolled on the floor of the grand hall, crying out: ‘Aunt Rou, save me, Aunt Rou, save me.'”

At this point, Chu Rou hung her head, tears rolling down one by one.

“The process of nurturing the poisonous insects was long and painful, which meant that the princess would gradually consume her own flesh and life over time.”

“At this time, Qiao Zhongguo continued his siege towards the capital city, and the princess began her plan.”

“First, the princess controlled the mother Gu, forced the Soul-Binding son Gu insect out of her body, crushed it into ink, personally painted a self-portrait, and wrote a sincere surrender letter, which she sealed and immediately sent to the Yong Emperor’s capital.”

“This was the first step, and a crucial one.”

“Because the Soul-Binding Gu was nurtured with the princess’s flesh and blood, it carried her scent. Anyone who came close would uncontrollably feel curiosity and longing for the princess.”

“But would this be enough to shake an emperor? The princess herself wasn’t sure.”

At this point, Chu Rou seemed to recall the fear and tension of those years.

“At that time, the princess was thousands of miles away and had never seen the Yong Emperor. From the beginning, this plan was a high-stakes gamble. The princess spared no effort to increase her leverage.”

“A beautiful portrait, a humiliating treaty, and the carefully worded surrender letter— the princess did everything she could to deepen the Yong Emperor’s curiosity and desire for her, just to give the Northern Kingdom a chance to survive.”

“If she lost… the princess said, there would be no worse outcome than sacrificing herself for the country.”

“Fortunately, heaven favored her. On the sixth day of Qiao Zhongguo’s siege, the Yong Emperor’s decree finally arrived, and the princess persuaded the former king to formally submit the surrender letter.”

“In this way, the Northern Kingdom preserved its final dignity, and the princess set off for Yong Dynasty.”

“On that day, the people lined the road to bid farewell, grateful to the princess for stopping the war between the two countries with her own sacrifice. I will never forget that those who initially accused and insulted the princess for betraying the country ended up kneeling on the ground, looking up at the princess as if she were a deity.”

“And the princess… with even greater plans, left her homeland. With this departure, she was bound to turn the entire Yong Dynasty upside down!”

Despite having taken a large amount of soft tendons powder, Chu Rou was unusually excited at this moment, even her voice became passionate.

Just by looking at Chu Rou’s expression, one could see her admiration and worship for Yuliu had never diminished with the passage of time.

On the contrary, in her mind, Yuliu had been glorified into a true deity.

“When the Yong Emperor saw the princess at that moment, the Soul-Binding Gu buried earlier finally erupted. The son Gu insect connected with the mother Gu insect, and the Yong Emperor had almost no resistance left, completely captivated by the princess.”

“And during their first intimacy, the Spirit-Tethering Gu also entered the Yong Emperor’s body, beginning a decade-long period of infiltration and control.”

“Heh, that dog emperor was infatuated with the princess, disregarding even the fact that she was not a virgin. You really should have seen the way he groveled in front of her!”