My Omega Rival in Love [Interstellar] - Chapter 37

After Elder He and his associates departed, He Yu turned toward the soldiers stationed at her home. “May I ask what is going on? Even the Royal Family must provide a reason for taking people into custody, surely?”

Despite her question, a sense of dread filled He Yu as she recalled Gu Jin’s earlier warnings.

“Miss He, the notification may not have reached your optical computer yet,” a soldier replied. “This morning, the investigation into the assassination attempt on Young Marshal Gu, led by the second son of the Xiao family, concluded. The evidence suggests that Prime Minister He was involved in the conspiracy. He must be taken in for questioning.”

Since the case was still under investigation and no final verdict had been reached, the soldiers remained professional and answered her truthfully.

The Xiao family is accusing the He family? He Yu was in disbelief. How was it possible? Why would the He family ever plot to assassinate Gu Jin?

“Nonsense! How could my grandfather be involved in such a thing? Who said this?!” He Yi was the first to explode. Caught between his most respected grandfather and his lifelong role model, he could not accept this reality.

“Major General He, this is not our claim. It is an order from His Majesty. The conclusion was reached after days of investigation by the Xiao family’s second son, supported by both witnesses and physical evidence.” The soldier looked at He Yi with a sense of helplessness; they were merely following orders.

He Yu pulled He Yi back before he could argue further. She shook her head. “Why are you making things difficult for them?”

“Sister! Grandfather would never plot against the Young Marshal! I need to find Xiao Er and ask him what right he has to say these things!” He Yi broke free from her grip. Although he was younger than Xiao Yuqi, his combat prowess was higher; combined with the fact that He Yu always outshone Xiao Yuqi, He Yi had referred to him as “Xiao Er” (Xiao the Second) since childhood.

“He Yi!” He Yu’s voice turned cold as she stared at him. “Are you still a child? If you are so capable, go find the person who gave the order—if you can even get a meeting!”

Looking at the soldiers blocking the entrance, He Yi stopped and turned back petulantly. “Sister, what do we do then?”

“We wait.”

He Yu spoke with outward certainty, but she was panicking internally. If Gu Jin’s previous hints were accurate, this was a deliberate move by the Royal Family to uproot the He family. But what exactly had her grandfather done to drive the Emperor to this decision?

As He Yu turned to go back inside, the soldier spoke again. “Miss He, His Majesty stated that if you request an audience, it is permitted.”

“Me?” He Yu looked at him in confusion. The soldier nodded.

He Yi’s eyes lit up. “I knew His Majesty wouldn’t believe Xiao Er’s nonsense! Sister, I will go with you. It must be a misunderstanding!”

“Apologies. His Majesty specified Miss He alone. Major General He is not included.” The soldiers blocked He Yi again. They did not understand the Emperor’s intent, but they were bound to the letter of the command: only Miss He.

Now He Yi sensed something was wrong. He looked at He Yu. “Sister, what is happening?”

“Perhaps His Majesty thinks you are too foolish,” He Yu said, patting her brother’s head. Her calm demeanor eased his mind, though he wondered if even the Emperor considered him dim-witted. “Wait for me here. I will go, and I will tell you everything when I return.”

Two soldiers escorted He Yu to the palace while the rest remained to monitor He Yi at the residence.

At the palace, He Yu passed through several garden arches and stood before the council chamber. Once her arrival was announced, she stepped inside.

She found the Emperor seated on high, with Empress Xiao Ze beside him and Xiao Yuqi standing below. Gu Jin was nowhere to be seen. Upon seeing He Yu, the Empress whispered something to the Emperor, then rose and left without a single glance at Xiao Yuqi.

He Yu took her place beside Xiao Yuqi. After paying her respects, she looked at the Emperor. Gu Ting sat in a relaxed posture, his head resting on his hand. He gestured vaguely between the two of them. “What a coincidence. You are both here just in time.”

He Yu was baffled, but Xiao Yuqi was visibly sweating. “Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?”

“Between the two of you, only one can remain,” Gu Ting said, stifling a yawn. His gaze lingered on He Yu. “Since He Yu arrived late, I shall explain the rules. You will reveal each other’s crimes. Each valid accusation earns a point. False accusations result in a point deduction. The one with the highest score survives.”

“What?” He Yu stared at Gu Ting. Reveal crimes? She had no idea what crimes the Xiao family might have committed.

Xiao Yuqi, however, did not hesitate. He spoke immediately. “Your Majesty, the He family’s crimes are too numerous to record. In the year 9510, Prime Minister He colluded with the Dean of Clinie Academy to alter admission rules. Hundreds of elite students were expelled from the Royal Academy and funneled into the Blue Academy under the Prime Minister’s name. They were made to feel indebted to him. Many of those students are now leaders in their fields who remain loyal only to the Prime Minister, not the Crown. I can provide a list of these rebels.”

He Yu watched Xiao Yuqi in utter shock. She had never heard of such a thing.

“Very well. Every name you provide counts as a point. Go and write,” Gu Ting said with a wave of his hand. A table with paper was brought out for Xiao Yuqi.

Then, Gu Ting turned to the stunned He Yu. “He Yu, what do you have to say?”

He Yu snapped back to reality. “Your Majesty, these are not crimes. My grandfather would never do such things.”

“I will verify the truth. If proven, it constitutes raising private factions, undermining the Royal Family, and tampering with the Royal Academy’s regulations,” Gu Ting said lazily, inspecting his fingernails. “None of those are minor offenses. I wonder what the Prime Minister was planning.”

“Your Majesty, that is not all,” Xiao Yuqi added, writing furiously. “For decades, he has scouted talent from residential planets, forced them to take the He surname, and brought them to the Capital Star as ‘branch family’ members to place them in key administrative positions. His ambition is clear!”

“Write those names down as well,” Gu Ting ordered.

“Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this? If you wish to condemn someone, any pretext will do!” He Yu challenged him, looking at the growing list on Xiao Yuqi’s paper. “How can there be such logic in the world?”

“As I said, I will verify the facts. But right now, He Yu, do you truly have nothing to say? If you do not speak on the Xiao family’s crimes, you will have only yourself to blame.” Gu Ting waited, a table and paper ready for her as well.

“I…” He Yu looked at Xiao Yuqi’s moving pen and then at Gu Ting’s relaxed face. Her expression turned to one of utter despair. “I have nothing to say.”

“Very well. Then sit here and listen to him.” Gu Ting seemed unsurprised. He motioned for her to sit in silence.

For two hours, He Yu sat and listened to Xiao Yuqi list her family’s alleged crimes. Every point he made perfectly targeted the laws of the Weize Empire. Initially, she tried to protest, but as she heard familiar names and events, she lost the ability to argue. She realized that while she had known of these occurrences, she had never viewed them through a legal or political lens.

“Is that all?” Gu Ting looked at the dozens of pages filled with names.

“Yes, that is all I know for now. However, my understanding of the He family is not exhaustive. Your Majesty should investigate further,” Xiao Yuqi said, glancing at He Yu’s blank paper with a look of relief.

He Yu felt the strength drain from her body.

“The records have been verified and are entirely accurate. Xiao Yuqi, you win.” Gu Ting clapped his hands after a quick cross-reference on his screens. “Congratulations, Second Young Master Xiao. You shall live.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Xiao Yuqi bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the ground, sweat dripping onto the floor. He was escorted out, leaving only Gu Ting and He Yu in the room.

“He Yu, what do you have to say now?” Gu Ting sent the pages to her on a floating tray.

“No, how is this possible?” He Yu covered her face, unable to look at the documents. She could not believe these were the deeds of her upright, scholarly grandfather.

“Accept reality. Many things in this world are beyond your imagination,” Gu Ting said, yawning again. “But you must accept them.”

He Yu took several deep breaths, trying to remain calm as she stood up. “What is Your Majesty’s intent?”

“Answer me first, and answer truthfully,” Gu Ting countered. “Gu Jin went to see you yesterday, did she not? What did she tell you?”

He Yu froze, then nodded.

“What did she say?”

“She told the He family to quit while they were ahead…” He Yu did not know why he was asking, but she realized Gu Ting already knew the answers. Like Xiao Yuqi’s information, Gu Ting likely had everything documented. She saw no point in lying.

Gu Ting’s expression darkened. He walked down from the dais and stopped in front of her. “Do you realize the impact your words will have on Gu Jin?”

He Yu looked at him in confusion.

“If I did not trust Gu Jin, those few words would place her in grave danger. On the charge of leaking secrets alone, do you think there would be a rift between us?” Gu Ting intentionally exaggerated the gravity of the situation. He watched as He Yu recoiled in panic.

“Gu Jin keeps you in her thoughts, yet you sell her out the moment you turn around. How fascinating.” Gu Ting clapped slowly. “That fool came back yesterday so happy, telling me you were willing to marry her. She must have been dreaming. Looking at you now, it seems your heart isn’t with her at all. Why would you ever marry her?”

He Yu was spiraling. How could a few words count as leaking secrets? Did Gu Ting not know what Gu Jin had said? Her mind was a mess, and the successive blows had left her without her usual composure.

“Stop thinking about that,” Gu Ting said, crossing his arms. “You lost the competition. Xiao Yuqi is the survivor. You have only two paths left.”

He Yu finally remembered the “game,” though it felt entirely unfair.

“The first path: you die,” Gu Ting said with a malicious smile. He Yu realized that while Gu Ting and Gu Jin shared almost identical faces, their expressions carried vastly different weights. Gu Jin’s look was merely petulant; Gu Ting’s was bone-chilling.

“The second path,” he continued slowly, watching He Yu’s tension rise. “I will issue an Imperial Decree for your marriage. You will marry a man.”

The first face that jumped into He Yu’s mind was Gu Jin’s. For a split second, alongside her annoyance, she felt a strange sense of relief.

But before she could process that reaction, Gu Ting gestured widely. “I know about the chemical agent between you and Gu Jin. Do not worry; the antidote has been developed. It will have no further effect on either of you.”

He produced a vial of blue liquid. “Drink this, and you will have no further connection to Gu Jin. Then I can safely decree your marriage.”

It isn’t Gu Jin? He Yu’s first thought was one of confusion. Not Gu Jin…

“A decree… to whom?” Her hands and feet felt ice-cold. She suddenly realized that, compared to Gu Jin, she could not accept the idea of being with anyone else. Recalling Gu Jin’s embrace, she realized she could not imagine intimacy with another person.

“To the eldest son of the Wen family, Wen Zhixin. I recall you two have a good relationship? It seems like a perfect match.” Gu Ting continued as if oblivious to her expression. “That fool Gu Jin begged me every day to decree a marriage between the two of you, but I saw how reluctant you were. Why force someone? If I forced you to marry her when you are unwilling, it would only lead to chaos, would it not?”

Reluctant? He Yu clenched her hands so tightly her knuckles turned white. She could not find the words to answer him.

Suddenly, a thunderous crash erupted from the side door. Splinters flew as the door was kicked open. Gu Jin, her face as pale as a corpse, walked through the debris. Her steps were unsteady and she swayed slightly, leaving Xiao Ze behind her looking terrified.

She staggered to He Yu and stood tall, her silver-grey eyes locked on her. She spoke one word at a time.

“Who. Are. You. Marrying?”

Looking at Gu Jin, He Yu felt a sudden urge to cry. Too much had happened in one day. Only now, hearing that Gu Jin had begged for this decree, did she realize what she had failed to see before.

In the past, their constant bickering had felt like nothing. Even when forced together and pregnant with Gu Jin’s child, He Yu had felt only disbelief and anger.

But just now, when Gu Ting produced the antidote and said she could sever all ties with Gu Jin, He Yu found that she wasn’t happy. Instead, she felt hollow as if a hole had opened in her heart, letting in a cold wind.

When Gu Ting named Wen Zhixin and said he had refused Gu Jin’s request because of her own reluctance, He Yu felt a profound sense of loss. It was as if something precious had just slipped through her fingers.

Some things are only recognized as essential when they are on the verge of being lost.

Support