After the rebirth, I became the darling of the tyrant

On the evening of the fourth day, the ambushing team finally got the news—they caught a man wearing a long cloak and a hood at the exit of the valley.

Several Longxiang guards escorted him to Gu Chen: "My lord, I've caught someone."

"It's really not what you expected." Jiang Chong smiled at the side, looking at the person in front of him, "Can't help but come out to deliver the letter? And dressed like this... Tsk, lift it up and see who it is?"

Gu Chen also stared at this person, he always felt that this person was inexplicably familiar, and he couldn't help but feel an ominous premonition in his heart.Although he knew that the traitor must be someone he knew, but...

"Let's have a look." Gu Chen finally said, "I also want to know who he is."

Jiang Chong took a step forward to lift his hood, but was stopped by the man raising his hand.The man turned to Gu Chen, and seemed to let out a low sigh.

"I'll do it myself."

He raised his hand and put down the hood, revealing a face that Gu Chen was extremely familiar with.Qi Qian was standing in front of them, smiling slightly at Gu Chen.

"Xiao Chen."

Gu Chen was startled for a moment, and then showed a look of astonishment: "...Mr."

Gu Chen ordered someone to find an empty room nearby, and walked in with Qi Qian.Before entering the house, he ordered people outside, including Jiang Chong, not to come in.

Ignoring the suspicious look in Long Xiangwei's eyes, Gu Chen closed the door and sat down opposite Qi Qian.This is an empty but clean room, and the interior decoration is also very simple, just a table, two chairs, a pot of tea and two teacups.

Gu Chen hesitated for a moment, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup of tea for Qi Qian and himself.Without even the slightest hesitation, Qi Qian picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Good tea." Qi Qian said with a smile, "You still remember that I like to drink Maoshan Yinzhen."

"...Yes, the students always remember."

When I was studying in Hongwen Pavilion, the teacher who taught Gu Chen and Xiao Tingshen was Master Qi Qianqi, Minister of the Household Department, and Prince Shaoshi, a well-known scholar.This gentleman was strict in class, and he didn't pretend to be polite to the princes, but he was very kind after class. He would often hold a pot of Maoshan silver needles and squint his eyes to bask in the sun in the backyard of Hongwen Pavilion.

He was a highly valued courtier of the late emperor, and even in Xiao Tingshen's reign, his glory never faded.Gu Chen has always respected this gentleman, but in his previous life...

In the previous life, Xiao Tingshen also killed Qi Qian during the massacre, and it was precisely because of this incident that Gu Chen was completely stranger to Xiao Tingshen in the previous life.

...But I didn't expect that he was the traitor.

Perhaps it was because Gu Chen stared at him for too long, his expression fluctuated, Qi Qian smiled and said, "You are thinking, why is it me who was caught today?"

Gu Chen nodded involuntarily.

Until the moment when Qi Qian lifted his hood and saw his face, Gu Chen couldn't believe that his teacher would be the one who betrayed the information to the rebel Wang Yongke——how many generals on the front line were fighting to the death? Lost their lives, how many innocent soldiers buried their bones in other lands.Falling under the sword of the enemy is a corpse shrouded in horse leather, a worthy death, but what kind of humiliation and unwillingness should it be to fall under the sword of one's own people! ?

"Why did you do this?" Gu Chen couldn't help but tighten his eyebrows, a deep wrinkle appeared between his beautiful brows, "Could it be that you and the Wang family..."

He stopped.Qi Qian is low-key and peaceful, and he has never heard of any family in the court who is close to him.Even when the Wang family was dominant and the power was overwhelming, Qi Qian never had any close contact with the Wang family.It can be said that because of this, Gu Chen never doubted Qi Qian from the beginning to the end.

It wasn't until then that Gu Chen felt as if a long needle had been pricked in his heart. It was neither light nor heavy, but piercingly painful.

"Wang family?"

With a soft click, Qi Qian put down the teacup in his hand.He stared at Gu Chen, smiled softly, and there was a hint of hatred in his eyes: "Who are the Wang family? The moths of the court, greedy for power, and framed Zhongliang, how can such a courtier get along with him?"

"But you-"

"Xiao Chen." Qi Qian stared at Gu Chen, "What kind of person do you think Your Majesty is?"

Gu Chen was startled, but before he could answer, Qi Qian had already continued on his own: "Your Majesty has already had a reputation for being cruel when he was young. He is cruel and seldom shows mercy. He almost kills people without blinking an eye. He will not hesitate to deal with anyone who is out of his way. With such a character, such a person, maybe it’s okay to be a founding king, but it’s very difficult to become a successful one.”

"Dajing has gone through four dynasties, the first emperor..." Qi Qian shook his head, "The first emperor is absurd. Although he is not tyrannical, he can be indulged in women's sex and indulge in the harem. After the first emperor's dynasty, my Dajing has already declined. Today What Your Majesty should do is to recuperate and understand the sentiments of the people, but with such a violent temperament, how can he recuperate?"

Speaking of this, Qi Qian paused for a moment, smiled slightly, and said in a gentle but persuasive tone: "Wang's family and His Majesty are not desirable, why not let them both lose and choose another Ming Lord to take the throne?"

Gu Chen was stunned, with a shaken look on his face - apart from other factors, he had to admit that Qi Qian's evaluation of Xiao Tingshen and Wang Shi was... very reasonable.

Needless to say, the Wang family is completely worthy of the word sycophant.And although Xiao Tingshen in this life is more humane than Xiao Tingshen in the previous life, the paranoia, slyness, coldness, and cruelty in his bones... are indeed undeniable.He is a tyrannical and short-tempered person. It is indeed difficult for such a character to become a conservative king.

——In history, there are more cases of militarism, disregard of people's power, and wanton conquest and plunder.

Perhaps because he caught the wavering on Gu Chen's face, Qi Qian continued to say without hesitation: "Your Majesty almost killed all his hands and feet when he ascended the throne, but after all, a few people survived. It's just that They were relegated to a remote and desolate place, and they were not allowed to return to Beijing once for several years...Xiao Chen, do you still remember the Fifth Highness?"

Gu Chen nodded.Among the several princes who studied in Hongwenge back then, there was the fifth prince.Unlike Xiao Tingshen, he is a humble and gentle person with a more kind personality. In Gu Chen's impression, he hardly ever gets angry or angry.Moreover, he seemed to be very low-key, and did not get involved too deeply in the subsequent battle for the heir apparent, so he survived and was sealed off by Xiao Tingshen to the remote Ningzhou.

Even though he was sealed off to such a remote place, the Fifth Prince did not complain or dissatisfy when he left.He was happy with the situation, Xiao Tingshen ordered him to go, so he packed up his things and went immediately without saying a word.

"It's a pity that the late emperor didn't appoint His Royal Highness Fifth Prince as the heir apparent." Qi Qian shook his head and sighed, "Otherwise his character would be the most suitable for this seat."

After he finished speaking, he smiled and stared at Gu Chen.Gu Chen seemed to be struggling fiercely in his heart. He put one hand on the table, frowned slightly, and did not speak for a long time.

After a long time, Gu Chen twitched his eyelashes slightly, and said softly, "You're right."

—but he couldn't help him.

Maybe Xiao Tingshen is indeed tyrannical, maybe it is really difficult for him to become a wise king in the future, maybe he will end up resorting to military force and driving Dajing to destruction.

But Gu Chen couldn't abandon him.

Not only for the friendship between the two over the past decades, not only for the warmth Xiao Tingshen showed towards him, but also because of himself...he can't go against his own heart.

If he betrayed Xiao Tingshen and helped Qi Qian send the real news to Wang Yongke, Xiao Tingshen and Wang Yongke would lose both sides, and countless people would die because of it... Perhaps including Xiao Tingshen—the emperor who was kicked out of the throne would have What will happen, the countless blood between the lines in the history books has already illustrated this point.

He didn't want innocent people to die because of him, let alone let Xiao Tingshen die because of him.Even just thinking about it... Xiao Tingshen would die because of him, and he felt a suffocating pain in his chest, as if his heart had been cut open.

So he can't do it.

Although he had made up his mind, Gu Chen agreed with "You are right" and stopped talking.Instead, he showed a contemplative look, and sat down opposite Qi Qian.

"Maybe your idea is right." Gu Chen said, "But I was ordered to arrest people here, so I can't go back empty-handed...Sir, the student has an idea, maybe I want to wrong you."

Qi Qian sized him up for a moment, then finally nodded: "Let's listen."

"The students will take you back to the palace first, to report to His Majesty." Gu Chen said, "At the same time, I can assure you that Your Majesty will not kill you."

Qi Qian nodded.

"As for the information you want to bring out..." Gu Chen said, "I can send it on behalf of you."

Qi Qian didn't agree immediately this time, but a suspicious look flashed in his eyes.After a while, he said slowly: "Do you really want to do this?"

"Seriously." Gu Chen said calmly.

"What if I don't agree?"

"Sir, do you not trust the students?" Gu Chen didn't shy away from it, and said it bluntly.He smiled and looked very sincere, "It's okay if you don't want to give it, but I can't let you go. You also know the temper of His Majesty today..."

He intentionally paused for a moment, showing a troubled look: "If my errand fails, I'm afraid the whole family's life will be lost."

He said that on purpose, and thoughtfully didn't speak again, leaving Qi Qian time to think in silence.He was sure that Qi Qian would definitely give him his contact information with Wang Yongke, because he had no other way to go—once Qi Qian was brought back to Beijing, reinforcements from Xiao Tingshen's side had already been dispatched, and Qi Qian's hands The information on the website is completely useless.

Gu Chen is his only hope.

Sure enough, Qi Qian finally nodded after a long silence: "You are the most well-behaved student I have ever taught, I believe you."

"After arriving in Xiangping, go to Tonglai Inn, find the waiter, and say 'I want to buy sweet-scented osmanthus vinegar'." Qi Qian said, "Someone will come out to see you, if you have any information, just tell him."

"Okay." Gu Chen, who is "good character", stood up and smiled, "I will bring the information."