I became the God Brother of the Regent King after Transmigration!-Chapter 267 - 193: Two Years?

The era name has changed!

[In the second year of Jiande of Dayan, Prince Rui, Rong Shuo, died in battle at the Southern Border of Yan Country, causing unrest in the military and endangering the state. In a crisis, the Emperor urgently summoned the Dingyuan Marquis to the Southern Border to take charge of the situation—]

This is the initial plot in the original book.

Gu Lan took a deep breath, lifted her head, and stared directly at Rong Jing, who was seated on the throne and loudly announcing the change of the era name.

Due to successive great victories in the Southern and Northern Territories, and the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, Yan Country was undoubtedly the strongest nation at that moment. Therefore, Rong Jing changed the era name and granted a general amnesty throughout the land today.

This meant there was at most two years left until the true plot began.

Civil and military officials all rose to their feet, bowing and shouting long live.

Gu Lan’s emotions, however, were a bit complex.

The plot can change.

In the original book, Rong Baoyi did not join the army before Prince Rui’s death, and Su Zixiao and Rong Heng had not met at this moment;

The Qian Family had not collapsed, hence the Lu Family had not risen to power, and Princess Ning’an would not have nearly been wed and thus embarked on a political path;

Additionally, Duoji had not been conferred as Marquis Zhongcheng, Snowfield was still a mess, and Jiang Qu took advantage to grow strong, later becoming a big problem.

Therefore, two years was not entirely accurate, but indeed the plot had the sign of beginning.

Gu Lan felt an unexpected relief in her heart when she heard Rong Jing announce the change of the era name from Chengping to Jiande.

He changed it early, just to tell her that finally the plot was about to begin.

Dayan Wind and Cloud Record, this time, it was her turn to stir things up.

The celebration lasted several hours, during which toasts were exchanged frequently. The Empress Dowager, supported by the eunuch Little Xu, departed, and after the Emperor announced a few more decrees, he also left.

Gu Lan, watching the Empress Dowager’s figure, couldn’t help but be puzzled, "Why are all successive eunuchs by the Empress Dowager’s side named Little Xu?"

Rong Heng frowned slightly, "They say... the Empress Dowager has a bad memory."

"She’s fifty, not eighty."

With the departure of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, Marquis Gu, who hadn’t returned to the capital for several years, became the main target for toasts from everyone.

In the end, the drunk Young Master Gu supported the drunk Marquis Gu as they headed home together.

The two of them staggered along the way. Rong Heng wanted to help, but Gu Lan shook off his hand and said arrogantly, "I’m not drunk."

Saying this, she dumped Marquis Gu on the ground and walked a very straight line.

Then, she came back, directly carried Marquis Gu onto her shoulder, and laughed with crescent eyes, "See, I’m not drunk, he’s just too heavy, so I walked crookedly!"

Her voice was softer than usual, making Rong Heng’s heart soften as he nodded silently and followed behind her: "Alright then."

In a couple of days, after a brief rest, Marquis Gu was to return to guard the Northern Territory.

Gu Lan felt a bit reluctant in her heart. Looking at the drunken Marquis Gu, she thought he must be reluctant too, which is why he allowed himself to get thoroughly drunk.

However, Gu Lan didn’t know how to express it. She couldn’t exactly comfort him as she did with Rong Heng by giving him candy, so she wandered around with her father on her back a couple of times. Seeing the happy smile on the drunken Marquis Gu’s face, her mood improved a lot.

Finally, Gu Lan carried Marquis Gu back to the Marquis Mansion.

Zipei was shocked to see their young master carrying the Marquis back and hurried forward to help.

But Gu Lan waved her hand, saying she could carry him by herself.

Old Madam Gu watched the silhouette of her son and granddaughter, stopping Zipei, her voice somewhat hoarse and choked, "In a few days, Chengzhao will return to the Northern Territory. Let the father and daughter spend some good time together."

At this moment, the thoroughly drunk Marquis Gu suddenly remembered something and jumped off Gu Lan’s back.

Under Gu Lan’s suspicious gaze, Marquis Gu ran "thumping" to his study, took out the ancestral spear, and solemnly handed it to Gu Lan.

"This Marquis entrusts the Gu Family’s ancestral Tiger Head Golden Spear to you—This spear is as old as the Gu Family’s marquisate, passed down for nearly two hundred years, you must not... hic."

Gu Lan quickly took the spear with both hands, immediately feeling her arms weigh down. The spear was cold and icy to the touch, with the spear tip seemingly exuding a bone-chilling cold, which she rather liked.

The next second, Marquis Gu hiccupped and attempted to fall asleep on the spot.

Fortunately, he did not throw up; otherwise, the slight father-daughter tenderness Gu Lan had just developed would have vanished instantly.

Gu Lan didn’t have time to take a good look at the spear before dragging the half-drunken Marquis Gu and handing him over to Madam Zhou.

Gu Lan sighed in relief, leaned on the long spear, and sat down, whispering, "Mother, he got drunk, and so did I."

She hugged the long spear given to her by Chengzhao, lowering her brows, her long eyelashes casting a shadow on her eyelids. Her cheeks were flushed, and her nose was red, making her look extremely innocent and obedient.

Madam Zhou had never seen such an obedient and gentle Young Master Gu calling her mother, and her heart melted instantly, almost wanting to hug Gu Lan and give her a kiss.

"Mother knows, my dear. Drink the sobering soup, it’s got honey in it."

Hearing that it had honey, Gu Lan took the bowl, drank it in one gulp, and extended her pale palm, "I want more."

On the other side, Marquis Gu also sat up shakily, opening his bleary drunken eyes and pulling at his wife’s arm, "I want to drink too."

Madam Zhou was torn, and just as she was about to abandon her husband to care for her daughter, Rong Heng appeared: "Madam Zhou, just leave Gu Lan to me."

Rong Heng’s sudden appearance was not surprising to Madam Zhou. She merely raised an eyebrow and said:

"You? That won’t do. When Lan is drunk, she likes to sleep hugging Zijin. Your Highness, if you’re free, you might as well help this minister’s wife call Zijin over."

They had just spent New Year’s Eve together yesterday, so it wasn’t surprising to see Rong Heng suddenly appear.

Rong Heng: "..."

He lifted his head and took a deep look at the Young Master Gu sitting in the room, smacking her lips as if reminiscing about the taste of honey water. He let out a cold laugh. Didn’t she just say she wasn’t drunk and could still walk in a straight line?

How could he let Gu Lan fall into the hands of that maid Zijin and let her hold her to sleep? Haha, that’s laughable.

After a while, Zijin was called by Rong Heng and bowed to Madam Zhou: "Madam, just leave the young master to me."

Rong Heng, with a face as black as the bottom of a pot, watched as Zijin helped Gu Lan into the Step Lotus Hall.

He himself, holding Gu Lan’s spear, watched as Zijin supported Gu Lan into the room and closed the door. Furious, he sat in a daze for a while before giving a wooden stake in the courtyard a hard kick.

Had he known, he should have brought a small storybook with him.

Even though he could hardly accept the picture book Yan Qing gave him, he had to bring himself to accept it. He needed to work hard to learn, to strive for his happiness in the second half of his life.

Ha, Gu Lan is bound to have a day when she likes to hold him to sleep when drunk! Let Zijin go to hell.

*

The Imperial Palace, after the celebration, was quiet within Consort Jia’s Yutan Palace.

Consort Jia sat quietly inside, clutching a string of purple sandalwood Buddha beads in her hand.

In the harem, the Empress believed in Buddha for her own peace and fulfillment;

The Empress Dowager believed in Buddha just for show, as she was most mean and ruthless;

Only Consort Jia truly believed, revered, and prayed to Buddha, pleading for Buddha to protect her son, Rong Shuo, who was fighting outside, and to safeguard her daughter-in-law and young prince, County Princess, at home.

Just then, Consort Jia’s personal palace maid hurried in, barely concealing her excitement:

"Madam, just now I heard from the Imperial Kitchen’s Little Luzi that today, during the celebration, General Tang Zhan under the Prince’s command has returned!"

"Little Tang is back?" Consort Jia’s eyes widened with surprise, "But did something happen at the Southern Border?"

Tang Zhan was indeed a descendant of the household servants of Princess Rui, Li Furong. Ever since Rong Shuo married Li Furong, Tang Zhan followed Rong Shuo. He was also someone Consort Jia had watched grow up.

The palace maid replied, "There shouldn’t be anything major. The Prince sent General Tang Zhan to congratulate the Empress Dowager on her birthday. I heard General Tang Zhan was even granted a seat by Your Majesty, but unfortunately, we can’t see him."

The annual celebration and Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet are held together with the officials in the Zhonghe Hall, but in the harem, only the Empress and Empress Dowager could attend, and no other consorts.

"Little Tang has truly achieved success."

Consort Jia lost her usual gentle composure, pacing back and forth in her palace. Finally, she murmured, "I will go and beg the Empress Dowager to let me see Little Tang."

The palace maid quickly stopped her: "Consort, General Tang Zhan is an outsider, it’s improper according to the rules!"

Tears welled up in Consort Jia’s eyes as she sighed, "The last time Shuo’er returned to the capital, I only saw him from a distance at the East Splendor Gate... I haven’t seen my son for three years; am I not even allowed to see Little Tang, a Deputy General?"

"This..." The maid was at a loss for words, a trace of pity crossing her eyes as she looked at the Consort’s graying temples.

"Take out the winter clothes I sewed for the Prince, two sets: one for Little Tang, and the other let him deliver to Shuo’er." Consort Jia instructed.

"I will secretly beg the Empress Dowager, she will surely agree for old times’ sake."