Quick Transmigration: After Fake Death, All the Protagonists I Flirted With Went Crazy

The December winds were exceptionally cold, bringing with them a gust of sand that stung the eyes.

As the year draws to a close, the city is filled with peace and joy, while the military camps on the outskirts are solemn and dignified.

Today, the army will head to the frontier.

Watching the soldiers and generals don their armor and rush to the battlefield in the cold wind and snow to defend their homeland.

A sense of melancholy arose in Gu Yao's heart for no apparent reason.

Yesterday they were probably looking forward to spending a good New Year with their wives and children whom they hadn't seen for a long time, but today they are heading to the frontier.

At the same time, he also knew that this parting with Gu Cheng was forever.

Gu Cheng was giving instructions on military matters to his deputy when he noticed his obedient younger brother's serious expression out of the corner of his eye, so he quickly cut to the chase.

He patted his deputy on the shoulder, telling him to go and make the arrangements, then turned and walked towards Gu Yao.

Gu Yao clenched the box in her hand, took a deep breath, looked up at Gu Cheng, and a reassuring smile appeared on her lips.

I must not distract my elder brother.

Looking at his younger brother, who was thin and half a head shorter than him, Gu Cheng felt a pang of melancholy. He had promised to spend the New Year with him, but he was going to break his promise again.

However, the military situation was urgent, the border was in turmoil, and the people were suffering. He could not stand idly by. He would return to apologize to Le'an after the Xianbei were pacified.

The two brothers stood two steps apart, looking at each other with deep reluctance in their eyes. But they were no longer children and had their own responsibilities.

Gu Yao didn't say much; he knew the army was about to set off.

Stepping forward, Gu Yao placed the brocade box into Gu Cheng's hand and said softly, "Brother, this is a life-saving pill I obtained from Master Jingchen. You must carry it with you at all times. If you suffer a fatal injury, you must take it!"

With a solemn look in Gu Yao's eyes, Gu Cheng clenched the brocade box in his hand and put it into his inner clothing.

"Rest assured, my brother will return safely, and the iron cavalry of Da Xuan will surely crush the Xianbei!"

The young general's face was full of confidence and arrogance, brimming with youthful vigor.

Gu Yao's eyes were filled with starlight, and he nodded emphatically, "I await my brother's triumphant return to the capital."

The main force was already urging them on, so Gu Cheng didn't say anything more. He mounted his tall horse, turned around and smiled brightly at Gu Yao, "Waiting for good news from my brother."

Before Gu Yao could reply, Gu Cheng flicked the reins and galloped to the front of the main force.

The tall figure gradually became a small dot. Gu Yao lowered his eyes, concealing the disappointment in them.

In the end, he was all alone.

Gu Yao waved in the direction the army had left, as if saying goodbye.

The men hidden in the shadows knew that this was a signal from their master to follow.

They left silently; these were a group of elite soldiers trained by Gu Yao, all of whom were sent out today to protect Gu Cheng.

This was originally meant to protect my elder brother, since he was someone who wouldn't live long.

A cold wind blew, and Gu Yao coughed lightly twice, covering his sleeves with red plum blossoms. Without making a sound, he lowered his sleeves and slowly walked towards the carriage.

Perhaps due to prolonged exposure to the cold wind, Gu Yao fell ill, and his illness persisted intermittently for two months.

It only started to get better when spring arrived.

In April, news of victory reached the capital: Gu Cheng led the Black Tiger Army to crush the Xianbei and forced their leader to sign a vassal treaty.

This news caused a stir in the capital and among the people.

Although these tribes were not as vast and resource-rich as the Great Xuan, they were strong in combat. Basically, the entire population was a soldier. They had been fighting the Great Xuan for so many years, and no general had ever been able to truly subdue them.

This subjugation of the Xianbei was truly an unexpected delight.

Hearing his colleagues' congratulations, Gu Yao smiled happily, but the smile wasn't entirely genuine.

He knew exactly what these old scoundrels were like; they were now scrambling to curry favor, but when the Gu family fell from grace, they'd be the first to run away.

Xi Yue looked at his prime minister, who was no longer as gentle as before. Had that "ghost" come out?

Although the rebirth mantra recited during the previous ritual did not elicit any response from Gu Yao, Xi Yue trusted his intuition more; he just felt something was wrong.

His gaze darkened, and Xi Yue softly called out to Gu Yao, "Minister Gu."

Hearing Xi Yue's voice, Gu Yao felt as if a venomous snake had crawled up his neck, making him tremble with cold.

Suppressing his thoughts, Gu Yao calmly asked, "What does Your Majesty wish to do for me?"

"My dear minister, what reward do you think your elder brother should receive at this moment?"

Gu Yao's heart skipped a beat. Was this a test?

"Your Majesty, I believe that there is nothing more to be awarded to you, and I really cannot think of any other reward."

Xi Yue ignored Gu Yao's evasive words and looked down at the officials below the steps, "What do you all think?"

On such sensitive issues, everyone in the court naturally has a silver tongue.

"It is entirely up to Your Majesty to decide."

Hearing this unanimous opinion, Xi Yue lost interest. "Let's wait until Marquis Zhongyi returns to court before discussing it further."

No one expected that this meeting to be held again upon returning to the capital would have no follow-up.

In May, news of the death of the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness reached the capital. He had been killed in a sneak attack by enemy spies and buried under rubble, with no trace of his remains.

This news sparked outrage and caused an uproar in the imperial court.

Upon hearing of his elder brother's death in the imperial court, Prime Minister Gu was overcome with grief and fainted on the spot.

He then claimed illness and stayed at home, not leaving for a month.

At this moment, Gu Yao leaned against the bed, looking at the secret letter in his hand. His elder brother had taken the pill he had given him and survived the chaos. He was dug out of the pile of rocks by the people who had been following him and secretly sent to Jiangnan to reunite with the Gu family elders.

Gu Yao was relieved. As long as Gu Cheng took the Rejuvenation Pill, nothing serious would happen.

The medicines produced by the system are still reliable.

Gu Yao had just fallen ill when he secretly sent his second uncle's family out of the capital, believing that Jing Chen would keep his promise.

Thanks to the combined efforts of Shen Zian, Gu Yao, and Jing Chen, no one discovered this matter.

When he took over the Prime Minister's residence, he dismissed most of the servants and returned their indentures.

After that, they only hired short-term workers, and they went through several batches of them, none of whom were family-oriented.

This time, under the pretext of needing to recuperate, he dismissed the remaining old servants and had Qingzhu give them enough money to ensure that these elderly people, who had devoted most of their lives to taking care of their families, would have a worry-free old age.

Nowadays, the Prime Minister's residence still appears to be bustling with servants, but apart from Qingzhu, no one will be implicated by him.

He wanted Qingzhu to leave as well, but he refused to go no matter what. Gu Yao sighed and had no choice but to let him stay.

Tomorrow is the day the Gu family will be falsely accused.

Gu Yao knew that if he spoke frankly, Qingzhu would rather die than leave.

Therefore, we have no choice but to resort to some extraordinary measures.

At night, Shen Zian sneaked into the Prime Minister's residence and knelt before Gu Yao.

Gu Yao pointed to Qingzhu, who had already been drugged on the bed, and said, "Zi'an, I want you to keep an eye on Qingzhu and take him to Jiangnan to reunite with my parents and brothers. If he causes trouble on the way, you can drug him or knock him unconscious, but you can't let him return to the capital."

Shen Zian knew this day would come when he received the order to secretly conceal the whereabouts of the Gu family elders.

The cunning rabbit dies, the running dog cooks.

When the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden.

That's how those in power have always been.

However, none of the orders concerned Gu Yao himself. When he was summoned to the mansion this time, he thought Gu Yao had come to his senses and was going to leave.

But instead, he was allowed to take his servant with him.

He wanted to ask, "And what about you?"

Are we to stay in this capital and wait to die?

You've prepared a way out for everyone, so why don't you think more about yourself?

Shen Zian looked up at Gu Yao, his eyes filled with sadness and confusion. He even had the urge to knock Gu Yao unconscious and drive him away first and ask for permission later.

Gu Yao seemed to see through his thoughts, sighed, and said in a distant voice, "Zi'an, I won't live much longer. This body is already beyond its limits."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zian's eyes stung with tears. Looking at Gu Yao, who appeared sickly pale even in the dim candlelight, he was speechless.

He knew that Gu Yao's health had always been poor, and he used to hear him cough lightly, but he never expected it to be this serious.

He knew that Gu Yao's identity was sensitive, and if he left, it would greatly increase the difficulty of their escape.

He knew that Gu Yao was nearing the end of his life, and that staying behind to keep the current emperor's attention was the best option.

He knew all of this, and he knew that Gu Yao had made the best choice.

But he was unwilling to accept it!

Why should such a good person suffer like this?

When Gu Yao saved him, he had already sworn to protect this person with his life.

Why, why won't you even give him this chance?

Keep an eye on Qingzhu; that would mean sending him south as well, away from the troubles of the capital, and ensuring his safety.

Then, use the Gu family to bind him. Gu Yao asked him to protect the Gu family members, and he was responsible for managing the business and the secret operations. To protect the Gu family members, he had to keep these things under his control.

It will take at least a few years to entrust this matter to someone.

By then, the capital would have already been calm and peaceful.

Dust to dust, dust to dust.

He felt an indescribable bitterness in his heart, knowing that this farewell would be forever.

In the glaring candlelight, Shen Zian's tears rolled down his face, blurring the image of the person in front of him.