Yue Rujing broke out in a cold sweat, "I haven’t even become the State Preceptor yet."
Indeed, he thought his senior brother was particularly masculine at the moment, but this... was showing far too little respect for the Emperor. After all, the man was the Emperor.
And both the Empress Dowager and the Empress were present.
The Emperor’s silence did not mean the Empress would remain silent.
"Stop," the Empress commanded sternly.
Jin Zijin did not heed her and continued walking forward with Gu Youyou.
Gu Youyou tugged at his clothing, saying, "Maybe we shouldn’t leave just yet."
After all, as a senior brother of Tianzong, as long as he did not cross the Emperor’s red line, there would be no problem.
But now he was clearly challenging the bottom line, defying the dignity of the Imperial Family? She feared that if the Emperor, in a fit of anger, ordered them to be killed by a chaotic blade, it would be a great injustice.
Jin Zijin still did not stop, as if no one could prevent him from taking her away.
At this time, the Emperor swiftly came out of Zhaoyang Hall and blocked Jin Zijin’s path.
He raised his hand, released it, and a piece of bluish-green Jade Pendant appeared before Jin Zijin; his pupils suddenly constricted.
He was not clear on the specifics of Gu Youyou’s situation. The messenger had only mentioned that Gu Youyou had a dispute with Jin Fengzhao and was taken to the palace by her.
He knew this woman was capable of abusing private punishment, and killing a commoner was definitely within her means, which was why he had hurried to the Imperial Palace.
As for stirring up the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and even Jin Fengzhao being detained in Zongrenfu, these were all things Yue Rujing had learned from questioning a small eunuch after entering the palace.
But in his heart, no matter what Youyou had done, he had to protect her.
So he didn’t need to ask and directly tried to take her away.
What he had never expected was that the calamity that befell her was because of this Jade Pendant.
He had given this Jade Pendant to the Boater, and Youyou had gotten it back.
He looked down at her, his eyes filled with a sense of helplessness.
Well, perhaps this was destiny.
Unavoidable, inescapable.
"Where did you get this Jade Pendant? Just tell the truth, and I will spare you," the Emperor said.
Gu Youyou thought to herself: The Emperor really is persistent, clinging to this matter of the Jade Pendant.
When Yue Rujing arrived and saw the Jade Pendant, he understood.
However, he did not know the Jade Pendant had reached Gu Youyou’s hands through such bizarre twists and turns; he thought it was given to her by Jin Zijin.
Senior brother, honestly, if you gave it just say so, making him worry for nothing by saying it was lost.
But... wait, there has been a lot going on recently; it is not the best time for a reunion.
"Senior brother!" He set his gaze on Jin Zijin, considering that right now was a good opportunity for a reckoning, straightforward due to the Jade Pendant, but the timing was not good.
In Yue Rujing’s eyes, whether they acknowledged it or not was fine.
Both parties stared at each other for a long while with no one speaking, while the Empress Dowager, who had hurried over, seemed somewhat impatient.
"Doctor Gu, just say whatever you need to say," she truly did not hope for Gu Youyou to be executed by authority.
The Empress’s gaze was complicated; she had previously felt that Jin Zijin bore some resemblance to the Emperor. But considering the other princes of the Imperial Family and their descendants, who also shared some resemblance, especially the eyes of the men from the Jin Imperial Clan, she did not give it much thought.
The Jin family was a great clan, which had once been one big family many years ago, so sharing similar features was natural.
But now, thinking about it, she smelled something different.
With the Qingluan Jade in Gu Youyou’s hands and Jin Zijin being a senior brother of Tianzong, clearly protecting Gu Youyou, such an embrace suggested a not so ordinary relationship. And if he were to also resemble the Emperor...