Gregory Gu Jr. Escapes
Three days later, Prince Alexander Hayes stood in the grand hall and announced the late Emperor Jin Xuan’s edict, executing the rebellious princes and purging the imperial city in blood.
Seven days after, Leonard Li ascended the throne as the new emperor. Known for his enlightened thinking, he ushered in a new chapter for the Jin Dynasty over the decades of his reign, earning the title Emperor Leonard the Enlightened.
Seven days after Emperor Leonard’s enthronement, Bella Su from Prince of Qin’s Manor was welcomed as Empress.
With the new emperor’s ascension, the bloody palace coup from a month ago was never mentioned again, as if it had never happened.
The restless feudal lords were shocked to learn that the new emperor was not Alexander Hayes, but the legitimate heir of the Li clan. Deprived of a pretext to march on the capital, each faction withdrew and quieted down.
Yet, though the feudal lords had withdrawn their troops, they continued to stir in secret.
The official explanation for how Emperor Leonard gained the throne was broadcast by the royal family, but the feudal lords did not believe it.
Many of the feudal lords thought, since everyone bore the Li surname and were all descendants of the Jin Dynasty’s founding emperor, why shouldn’t they sit on the throne just as Leonard Li did!?
But all those restless ambitions were suppressed by the twenty thousand-strong Hayes Regiment, as if by divine force.
With the War God Alexander Hayes present, no one dared to entertain any crooked thoughts about seizing the throne.
In no time, Alexander Hayes was celebrated for his role in supporting the new emperor. With the trust of Emperor Leonard the Enlightened, and the Empress herself—Bella Su, direct disciple of Princess Lily Evans—the Prince of Qin’s estate was unrivaled in prestige.
Meanwhile, Principal Gregory Gu of the Gu Family passed away the day after Emperor Leonard the Enlightened ascended the throne. Because Gregory Gu Jr. was branded a traitor, the entire Gu Family, using the patriarch’s death as an excuse, resigned from office or retired into seclusion, withdrawing from court to avoid disaster.
The once-glorious Gu Family, at the height of its power in the previous dynasty, collapsed overnight with the transition of imperial authority.
“What? Gregory Gu Jr. is missing?” The young emperor stared in disbelief at the eunuch who had come to report.
The eunuch trembled and replied, “Your Majesty, the traitor Gregory Gu Jr. was originally imprisoned in the palace dungeon. But with all the recent chaos in the inner palace, he somehow disappeared...”
Emperor Leonard the Enlightened frowned, guessing that after years of maneuvering in court, Gregory Gu Jr. must have allies hidden in the palace. They must have taken advantage of the chaos during the transition to break him out of prison!
With Gregory Gu Jr. missing, Emperor Leonard was deeply troubled. Just today, Alexander Hayes had asked for the prisoner, wanting to deal with him personally. Now Gregory Gu Jr. was gone—how could he possibly explain this?
Gregory Gu Jr. had always been Alexander Hayes’s top political adversary and had shown open disrespect to Lily Evans. Alexander Hayes would have liked nothing more than to tear him apart!
Now that Gregory Gu Jr. was lost, it was truly a headache!
Just as Emperor Leonard was fretting, a eunuch outside announced, “Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!”
Bella Su was now Empress, having taken her mentor Lily Evans’s surname—her full name: Bella Su.
At this moment, Bella Su entered wearing imperial robes. She looked both beautiful and gentle.
As soon as she walked in, Emperor Leonard hurried over, tugging at her sleeve. “Good Bella Su, help me think of a solution. That villain Gregory Gu Jr. escaped from the prison during the chaos, and today Prince Alexander wants him. How am I supposed to explain this?”
Bella Su smiled, her tone gentle yet teasing: “What’s the rush, Your Majesty? Gregory Gu Jr. is slippery, but with Prince Alexander and Lily Evans around, do you really think he’ll get far?”