The army has left the imperial court, and battle reports from the front will not arrive for some time.

It would take at least a month to travel from Kyoto to Chang'an and Qinfeng.

Xie Zhaozhao sat in a carriage in a secluded spot outside the city gate, watching Gu Shaoyu leave, but she remained inside the carriage and did not show her face.

She had a Buddhist shrine set up in the courtyard, where she chanted scriptures and copied sutras every day.

Now that Gu Shaoyu has gone to the front lines, and Wei's spies are everywhere, she can't just go to Huguo Temple to burn incense as she pleases.

If he were captured and taken hostage to threaten Gu Shaoyu, it would be more of a hindrance than a blessing.

While reciting scriptures and copying texts in the palace, one's heart is known to the gods.

She prayed for Gu Shaoyu, for Yin Jin'an and Li Yunmu, and also for her cousin Xie Jue, Gu Chongjin, and others.

In the battle with the Wei family, all her relatives were involved.

Gu Shaoyu was gone for half a month, and she basically spent the rest of her time chanting scriptures.

On June 6th, the Tiankuang Festival, Aunt Cui and Manman kneaded dough early in the morning to make fried sugar cakes.

The sugar cake made from wheat flour, glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cooking oil, and black sesame seeds is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and is both fragrant and sweet.

Xie Zhaozhao ate one, and Aunt Cui told her not to eat any more, saying it was too sweet and would make the fetus too big, making it difficult to give birth.

But she was a little hungry and begged Aunt Cui to give her another one.

Yuanyuan came in and announced, "The Lord has arrived."

Lord, Gu Zheng.

As they were talking, Gu Zheng had already entered the courtyard, where Xie Zhaozhao met him in the reception room.

She handed him a piece of the fried cake she had made: "Gu Zheng, have a taste."

Gu Zheng took one and said while eating, "Third Aunt, Gu Jiaojiao is back."

"who?"

Xie Zhaozhao was stunned for a moment, having not heard this name in a long time. Gu Jiaojiao, wasn't she married off to the Nanzhao Kingdom by Guan Yingying?

"Gu Jiaojiao came with her husband."

Gu Zheng said that the old chieftain of Qinglai Prefecture had died, Jin Shun had inherited the title, and Gu Jiaojiao had become the chieftain's wife.

They came as the Nanzhao Kingdom delegation to present a letter of credence and pay a visit to His Majesty the Emperor of Daqian.

"Have they been to the Earl's residence?"

"They're staying at the post station. This morning they sent someone to the manor to say they'd come to check on us around 1-3 pm," Gu Zheng asked. "Third Aunt, what should I do?"

Xie Zhaozhao said, "Now that you are the Earl, she is just a married daughter. You can treat her like a normal daughter returning home. There is no need for anything too grand."

She instructed Gu Zheng to be careful about the food they brought.

Kim Soon-ko is the owner of the largest hibiscus ointment production plantation.

Gu Zheng didn't stay long before leaving. Before leaving, Xie Zhaozhao told him to take a small basket of fried sugar cakes with him for Aunt Zhao to try.

The next day, someone came from the palace, and Emperor Hui summoned Xie Zhaozhao to the palace to have a dinner banquet with the envoys of the Nanzhao Kingdom.

Gu Zheng arrived at Qingpu Garden and entered the palace with Xie Zhaozhao.

He stopped his carriage at the entrance of Qingpu Garden and brought in the small basket from yesterday.

He said to Xie Zhaozhao, "Third Aunt, the fried cakes you brought me back yesterday, I ate another one when it got dark, and I felt that the taste was not quite right."

Seeing that the fried cakes had been broken apart, and remembering Xie Zhaozhao's repeated reminders to be careful of the food Gu Jiaojiao brought, he immediately wrapped up all the fried cakes, thinking of bringing them to his third aunt today.

Xie Zhaozhao called Lu Feiyan over: "Feiyan, come and take a look at these fried cakes."

Lu Feiyan opened the fried cake through its cracks. The paste-like substance looked like fried caramel and smelled somewhat sweet, but—

"Madam, this is ripe hibiscus ointment."

Lu Feiyan is a master of poisons; she can spot this kind of thing at a glance.

Gu Zheng immediately became nervous upon hearing this: "Third Aunt, it seems my mother ate a few. Is she in danger?"

"Your mother only ate it once. Although the amount was a bit large, she shouldn't get addicted if it's only once. Just don't keep eating it."

"She also brought a lot of honey, but it doesn't look like it's edible."

"Bring them back and have Feiyan check them. If you're still worried, just throw them away."

“Yesterday, Gu Jiaojiao came to the mansion and learned that her father, mother and brother had passed away. She caused a scene in the mansion, and my mother was also beaten.”

Gu Zheng said angrily, "My mother is used to being a concubine. When Gu Jiaojiao hit my mother, she didn't dare to fight back."

“Gu Zheng, you are now the Earl of the Earl’s Mansion. She is just a married daughter. If she dares to hit your mother, then you should kick her out. You are the one who calls the shots in the Earl’s Mansion.”

"She even poisoned my mother, how wicked!" Gu Zheng was furious.

It was malicious; if Gu Zheng hadn't been so attentive, Xie Zhaozhao would have become the scapegoat.

“Gu Jiaojiao is definitely up to no good,” Yuanyuan said. “She specifically asked you to attend the palace banquet. I wonder what her intentions are?”

"Whatever she wants to do, I will only attend the palace banquet in accordance with His Majesty's decree."

At noon, the entire Earl's household entered the palace.

Xie Zhaozhao was with Yuanyuan and Lu Feiyan.

Those who received the envoys included Madam Liu, mother of Liu Yiyi; the Duchess of England; Madam Zhang, mother of Zhang Yanyan; and others.

Since the Empress was no longer present, Consort Xi presided over the reception, and Emperor Hui also came over and sat for a while.

When Zhang Yanyan's mother saw Xie Zhaozhao, she immediately came over and took her hand: "Madam, please be careful."

The Duchess of England also said, "It must be six or seven months along, right?"

"Yes, almost seven months."

In the current extraordinary period of the Great Gansu, the Wei clan has rebelled, and the Western Xia, Uyghurs, and Eastern Liao have invaded. The Great Gansu is indeed a time of great turmoil.

Therefore, Emperor Hui wanted to appease the southern kingdoms to prevent the outbreak of war. He attached great importance to the envoys' visits and asked the officials and their families to accompany them.

The envoys from the Nanzhao Kingdom included the Crown Prince and the Third Princess, as well as Jin Shun, the chieftain of Qinglai Prefecture, and his wife, Gu Jiaojiao.

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