7 Request for an audience

Gu Ningxi asked politely, "Could you please ask if His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is at home right now?"

Apart from this minor incident, the entire East Palace luncheon was a great success for both the host and the guests.

His Royal Highness Prince Zhao's order was naturally carried out immediately. Not long after the banquet ended, officials from Prince Zhao's mansion came to discuss matters with Gu Ningxi.

The dynasty has a ten-day holiday, and she has duties in both the Ministry of Works and the Eastern Palace. She is usually on duty in the Eastern Palace on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th days of the month, and reports to the Ministry of Works on the remaining days.

The new arrangement was quite simple. Gu Ningxi would just go to Prince Zhao's Mansion every three, six, and nine days from now on, and his job in the Ministry of Works would remain unchanged.

Gu Ningxi asked tentatively, "I wonder if my mission to Prince Zhao's Mansion will last one month or two?"

The official didn't respond, but simply played Tai Chi with a smile: "I don't know what Your Highness means. If Lord Gu has any concerns, he can ask Your Highness in person."

The matter had been explained clearly, so he did not linger any longer and bowed, saying, "I take my leave."

Gu Ningxi returned the greeting and sighed inwardly.

Colleagues in the Eastern Palace returned home one after another. Knowing that Lord Gu would meet with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince soon, no one invited him to leave the Eastern Palace.

Two people wanted to say something but stopped themselves, wondering if Lord Gu was having trouble with anything today. He was just attending the banquet, but ended up getting into such a mess.

But if you think about it calmly, it's not surprising. After all, they all knew more or less about the old grudge between Prince Zhao and Gu Zhongyun. The imperial edict written by Lord Gu himself, banishing Prince Zhao from the capital, was a brilliant piece of writing. It had been fine in the East Palace before, but now that Lord Gu was in Prince Zhao's mansion, the final say on how to deal with him was left to His Highness, Prince Zhao.

Everyone else walked at a leisurely pace. Gu Ningxi sat alone in the corridor, waiting for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to summon him when he had time.

…

Gu Ningxi had already been exhausted from the day, and soon after returning home, he had no desire to touch the scrolls in his study. Around noon, the Marquis of Xuanping sent another message, saying he was to dine at Qinlan Court that evening.

Madam Meng naturally prepared according to the rules and said happily, "It's a good opportunity for you to be at home today. You can have a good chat with your father."

Gu Ningxi forced a smile, knowing exactly what her father was doing.

Mrs. Meng was still thinking about restoring her daughter's identity. Seeing that Xier had passed her 19th birthday, she wondered what the Marquis's Mansion was planning.

"If you get the chance, mention it to your father." The Marquis still loves Xier and can't really ignore his daughter's happiness.

The orchids in the courtyard were half in bloom, looking elegant and graceful. When the Marquis of Xuanping had nothing else to do, he would occasionally come here to admire the flowers.

"Meet the Marquis."

There were not many maids serving in the inner courtyard, and when they saw the marquis, they all stopped what they were doing and bowed.

The Marquis of Xuanping was not in his official uniform, but he looked handsome. Even after he passed the age of forty, he still had an extraordinary bearing.

The meal was prepared in the side room. Madam Meng meticulously instructed that two dishes favored by the Marquis be placed close together. She knew that the Marquis had punished Sanlang by making him kneel in the ancestral hall the day before. He was known for his strict parenting, but he was much gentler with Xi'er. Besides, Xi'er was usually sensible and didn't cause them any worries.

Marquis Xuanping sat in the main seat and took the soup brought by Madam Meng.

He stirred the copper spoon and said slowly, "I heard that at the banquet in the East Palace today, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao transferred you to the palace?"

Mrs. Meng was startled and stopped serving soup to her daughter.

Gu Ningxi said "yes" and recounted the events of the banquet truthfully. How could such news, that the Crown Prince and Prince Zhao were arguing at the banquet in the Eastern Palace, be concealed?

Marquis Xuanping paused for a moment and asked, "What does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince mean?"

After the guests left, Gu Ningxi stayed in the study of the East Palace for two more moments. Fortunately, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was reasonable and knew that this matter had nothing to do with her.

Gu Ningxi said, "His Highness has ordered me to follow the arrangements of Prince Zhao's Mansion. If there are any difficulties, just tell him."

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always been kind to others, and Madam Meng felt a little relieved after hearing this.

Of course, Gu Ningxi did not expect the prince to really make decisions for him, so he just let it go after hearing this.

Marquis Xuanping pondered for a moment and asked, "What are your plans for this matter?"

"King Zhao is powerful, so I can only remain unchanged in the face of ever-changing circumstances."

She waited for her father to explain the family's intentions, but Marquis Xuanping simply said, "That's fine. Your Majesty values the Crown Prince and Prince Zhao, so just do your part."

Since Madam Meng was present, Marquis Xuanping did not talk any more about court affairs.

"I understand."

Gu Ningxi lowered her head to sip her soup. Her father's attitude was slightly calmer than she had expected. She had originally assumed the Gu family had sided with the Eastern Palace, and if she went to Prince Zhao's mansion, there would undoubtedly be a serious discussion. Her father's decision represented her grandfather's wishes. Could it be that... the Gu family had a backup plan?

The meal was spent with everyone's own thoughts. After Marquis Xuanping left, Madam Meng asked worriedly, "Why is he on duty at Prince Zhao's mansion again when he was fine?"

Gu Ningxi naturally prepared a different explanation for his mother: "It's just a routine arrangement. After all, I receive a salary from the court, so I have to obey the arrangements."

There was some truth in what he said, and Mrs. Meng's frown relaxed a little.

Gu Ningxi spoke half-truthfully, "Besides, I've known His Royal Highness Prince Zhao for many years, so we have a certain rapport. Perhaps being on duty at Prince Zhao's mansion would make me feel more comfortable than being in the Eastern Palace."

Madam Meng knew something about the past between her daughter and Prince Zhao. When Empress Yiwen was alive, she liked Xier very much.

After comforting his mother, Gu Ningxi smiled and said, "Mother, I'm tired today, so I'll go back and rest first."

She was indeed tired after attending two social events in one day.

Madam Meng nodded: "Go quickly and go to bed early tonight."

"Yeah, okay."

When she returned to Leyouyuan, the maid was already preparing hot water for her bath.

Gu Ningxi sat in the bedroom for a while before pushing open the door of the bathing room.

The whole day was a mess and she sank herself into the bathtub.

He was originally wavering, but now he has no choice but to go to Prince Zhao's mansion to take a look.

The white mist is thick and the full moon is setting in the west. Tonight's dream is another beautiful one.

The night-shining pearl in the corner of the hall exudes a faint glow.

The palm of the hand is covering..., and the slender jade-like knuckles are moving at will.

Just the right amount of fullness, the touch is extremely soft and luxurious.

The moonlight is dim.

…

Even though Gu Ningxi was unwilling to face Prince Zhao after waking up, her carriage still arrived in front of Prince Zhao's mansion at three quarters past morning.

The Prince Zhao's Mansion is located to the west of the Imperial City. It was the residence personally designated for Prince Zhao Lu Jing by His Majesty when he was fourteen years old and was granted the title of Prince and established his own residence.

The attendant behind Gu Ningxi went to hand over her business card to the gatekeeper of the palace. She waited for a while at the steps, and when she looked up, she could see the gold-plated plaque of the palace written by His Majesty himself.

The sun was rising, its rays filling the ground. An attendant stepped forward and bowed, "Master Gu, please."

Gu Ningxi had been to Prince Zhao's Mansion many times before, but the mansion had been renovated and she was no longer familiar with many of the routes. Fortunately, she had the palace attendants to lead the way.

After passing through several corridors, you will find several rows of duty rooms on the west side of Prince Zhao's Mansion, which are specially designed to accommodate officials on duty.

When Prince Zhao returned from his triumphant victory, His Majesty issued an imperial decree commending him and granting him the right to appoint his own officials and recruit talented individuals. The official quota was only reduced by 20% compared to that of the Eastern Palace, so it was not without reason that Prince Zhao asked for officials to move to his palace.

Gu Ningxi was given a separate duty room, working separately from the other officials in Prince Zhao's palace. This way, everyone felt more at ease and didn't have to worry about each other.

There are two rooms in the house. There is an elm desk with a complete set of pens, ink, paper and inkstone, and there is also a bookshelf for storing books.

The sunlight shines through the window, making the room exceptionally bright.

A maid came and made tea, but apart from that there were no other visitors.

"If Master Gu has any instructions, just call me."

Gu Ningxi nodded politely to her, placed the teacup on his left hand, and unfolded the Ministry of Industry drawings he had brought with him on the desk.

The day before yesterday, she was on duty at the Ministry of Works when the Minister specifically summoned her to discuss a matter. The expansion of Prince Zhao's palace hadn't yet been completed, but both His Majesty and His Highness Prince Zhao seemed dissatisfied with the few areas that had already been completed. His Majesty had summoned the Minister of State for detailed inquiries. Fortunately, according to Prince Zhao's Highness, the already-renovated areas didn't need to be touched, thus saving the treasury. While the palace would receive the necessary subsidies, the Ministry of Works would have to work extremely hard to restructure the remaining areas of the palace.

Gu Ningxi hadn't been involved in the Zhaowang Mansion assignment for the past six months, but the Ministry of Works needed to replace some staff members for this project, and after some discussion, she was chosen. Furthermore, the Minister knew that she had been transferred to the Zhaowang Mansion and said, "Since you are close to the water, you should pay more attention to it."

The original blueprints had been completed and handed to her yesterday, but Gu Ningxi hadn't had time to examine them closely. The drawings depicted a newly expanded section of Prince Zhao's mansion, stretching from the flower garden to the parade grounds, covering a total of eleven acres.

Two other people from the Ministry of Works were involved in this project, with Gu Ningxi drafting the draft. However, given her rank, she wasn't yet qualified to handle it alone. Firstly, the construction of Prince Zhao's Palace was already mostly complete, and secondly, the matter had been dragged on until it had become a hot potato, so it was handed to her under the guise of a "godsend opportunity."

Just treat it as an experience. Gu Ningxi doesn't seek to achieve anything, but just wants to avoid making mistakes.

She first familiarized herself with the blueprint, occasionally carefully circling and drawing on it.

The duty room is quiet and undisturbed, and there are lush trees outside the window. It is a good place to do work.

Lunch was served, three dishes and a soup, mostly to Gu Ningxi's liking. However, she didn't have much of an appetite, so she only drank half a bowl of soup.

During the day, there were no other miscellaneous tasks assigned to her by Prince Zhao's Mansion, so Gu Ningxi could concentrate on the task at hand.

She rubbed her brows. Actually, living in peace like this wasn't bad at all; it was even easier than being in the Eastern Palace or the Ministry of Works. But Prince Zhao's Mansion wasn't a place she could stay for long, and she didn't know when the Crown Prince would summon her back.

After becoming familiar with the blueprints, Gu Ningxi realized that it was inappropriate to discuss the project on paper in the duty room, and she also had no confidence that she could rebuild Prince Zhao's Mansion based on the blueprints alone.

Although the dream she had had yesterday was embarrassing, it wasn't real. As long as she didn't think about it, no one else would know.

Gu Ningxi consoled herself in this way, pondering for a long time before opening the door. Two attendants, both from Prince Zhao's residence, were waiting outside to receive her orders.

Gu Ningxi asked politely, "Could you please ask if His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is at home right now?"

One of them saluted and said, "Yes, Master Gu."

【Author’s words】

Girl: No, what kind of dreams do I have every day?

Xiao Lu: No, why can’t I have this kind of dream?