Gu Sinian's mouth parted, but no words came out.
Xie Chen was right; if he had gotten his way back then, Gu Sinian wouldn't have been involved at all.
"I hope Lord Xie can get his way this time," Gu Sinian took a deep breath. "Also, with Li An, Lord Xie, be ruthless, don't be soft-hearted."
Xie Chen snapped his fingers with a flourish, "If I don't kill him, I won't be surnamed Xie."
Gu Sinian really wanted to retort, "Who do you think you are!"
He held back, barely refraining from swearing.
Afterward, Gu Sinian picked up Qin Tingxue from Bai Su.
She seemed to be in good spirits, and Bai Su reported no signs of蛊虫 (gǔchóng - a type of worm/curse) or poisoning on her. Only then did Gu Sinian truly relax and take Qin Tingxue back.
When Qi Zhenzhen saw Qin Tingxue, her eyes welled up with tears of excitement.
"I'm fine, you worried too much, Zhenzhen." Qin Tingxue hugged Qi Zhenzhen gently. "I've returned completely unharmed."
"Mother, you should rest first. I'll go inform Grandmother and the others so they don't worry," Gu Sinian said.
"Take me back. I'll visit you again another day. Your grandmother is old, I'll go see her first," Qin Tingxue said.
"Alright, as Mother wishes." Gu Sinian didn't press her.
Upon leaving, Qin Tingxue hesitated, then asked Gu Sinian, "Was your father the mastermind behind this?"
Gu Sinian paused before truthfully replying, "I don't know if he was the mastermind, but Gu Siya is definitely implicated."
In his father's eyes, everything Gu Siya did was right.
Therefore, even if he hadn't participated directly, it was his constant indulgence of Gu Siya that had made her so arrogant.
"What about Xie Chen?" Qin Tingxue's expression was calm; she didn't dwell on whether Gu Changwei was involved.
"If it weren't for him, it wouldn't have been so easy to find where Mother was being held. Right now, he's keeping an eye on Li An!" Gu Sinian said.
Although annoyed, he couldn't deny Xie Chen's contribution in good conscience.
A hint of a smile flickered across Qin Tingxue's lips, "A'nian, I don't want to let Xie Chen down anymore."
Qin Tingxue's attitude had always been ambiguous. While she hadn't explicitly refused, she hadn't given a definitive answer either.
"Mother, whatever you want to do, Zhenzhen and I will support you," Gu Sinian said.
Ever since he could remember, he knew his mother wasn't happy.
Now, he had Zhenzhen by his side, and An'an.
So, from the bottom of his heart, he hoped his mother would also have someone by her side.
Xie Chen beat Li An severely, specifically targeting his face.
When Xie Chen threw Li An before Emperor Chongwen, he was unrecognizable.
"Your Majesty, for these years, I have worked diligently in the Southern Border, not daring to slacken in the slightest, pouring all my efforts into contributing to the court. I am the same age as Your Majesty. Your Majesty now has both sons and daughters, yet I remain alone." Xie Chen had meticulously prepared his emotions, his voice already choked with sobs as he spoke.
Emperor Chongwen had never seen Xie Chen like this before.
In his youth, Xie Chen had been wild, fearless in everything he did. When had he ever appeared so vulnerable?
Yes, vulnerable.
His eyes were red, his voice choked – in Emperor Chongwen's eyes, this was vulnerability.
Emperor Chongwen's gaze was entirely fixed on Xie Chen, so much so that he didn't even notice who had been thrown before him.
Li An was disfigured, and furthermore, Emperor Chongwen hadn't interacted with him much, so it wasn't surprising that he couldn't recognize him.
"Xie Chen, speak properly. If there's anything I can help with, I will absolutely not refuse," Emperor Chongwen comforted him.