Queen Pei kills three birds with one stone, and Gu and Pei go hand in hand

After a while, Nanny Meng came to reply, holding a lacquer box in her hand. She opened it and saw two rag dolls with needles stuck in them. The empress dowager picked one up and saw the birth dates of herself and the emperor written on the back. She sneered and said, "It seems that Chu Zhaorong really wants to kill the emperor and me day and night." After that, she threw the rag doll at Chu Zhaorong. When she saw what it was, she was completely limp with fear. "Your Highness, I really don't know. I hope the empress dowager will forgive me." Chu Zhaorong said

"If it wasn't you, then who would frame you?" the Queen Mother said.

"Yes... Lady Jiang, is it you who deliberately framed me and put me to death? Well, you bitch, I'll beat you to death." After Chu Zhaorong said that, she pounced towards Lady Jiang. The two of them started to wrestle. Suddenly, Lady Jiang felt a pain in her abdomen, and her lower body was bright red, as gorgeous as the azaleas in the palace.

"Oh no! Lady Jiang might be in premature labor. Hurry and report this to the Emperor. Also, please ask the Imperial Physician to come." Gu Yanzhou said.

The sound of wailing was heard from the palace at all times, as if someone was being torn apart and their flesh and bones were being removed. After a while, the sound gradually subsided, and the imperial physician came out. The midwife said, "Congratulations to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Concubine Jiang has given birth to a little prince."

"Your Highness, my first child is actually a prince. Concubine Jiang has contributed greatly to the birth of the eldest prince. From now on, she will be promoted to Concubine Jieyu and granted the residence in Zhaoyang Palace." The emperor said

Honghua hurried out and cried, "It's bad, your Majesty is in trouble." The imperial physician and midwife entered. The imperial physician took her pulse, and the midwife saw the bedsheets were a sea of ​​red. They looked at each other and shook their heads. The imperial physician said, "Madam Jiang, due to premature birth, her Qi and blood are already insufficient. She exerted all her strength during the birth, and she has lost excessive blood after delivery. I'm afraid... I'm afraid there's no way to save her."

"How could this happen? Sister, hold on, it's okay. The emperor begs you to save her." Jiang Huai said

"Lord Jiang, you should say goodbye to Concubine Jiang as soon as possible while she is still alive." The emperor said

There were only the brother and sister in the room. "Brother, it seems that I can't accompany you. And my newborn child, it's a pity that I didn't see Chu Zhaorong's miserable condition with my own eyes." Jiang Ying said

"Sister, why are you doing this?" Jiang Huai said

"Brother, the former dynasty and the harem are closely connected, and they share weal and woe. You must not be reckless next time. In officialdom, you must be three parts cautious, three parts cunning, three parts self-centered, and one part accommodating. You must not be too upright. Remember, being too upright will easily lead to breaking. I think Gu Yanzhou is a man of determination. You can interact with him more often, but you cannot treat him with 100% sincerity. Be careful in everything, so that you can live a long life." After Jiang Ying finished speaking, she breathed her last.

"Sister, Ying'er." Jiang Huai cried heartbrokenly and fainted.

In Changle Palace, Nanny Meng asked, "Why did the Queen Mother ask me to remind Young Master Jiang to ask Gu Tingyuan to solve this case?"

"I'm naturally curious about who Yan'er holds so dearly in his heart, shielding him from attacks, advancing for him, and even joining the army for him." The Queen Mother said

"If the Queen Mother wants to see him, she can just summon him directly. Why go to so much trouble?" said Nanny Meng.

"Of course I want to see if he is as powerful as they say. He can see the big picture from the details and solve cases like a god. He really has some strength. He identified the rioter in a short time. Not bad." The Queen Mother said

"Did he figure out who created this evil spirit technique?" asked Madam Meng.

"The material used to make the doll is Shu brocade. Besides what I have in my palace, the rest is with Concubine Jiang. Moreover, the stitching of the doll is exactly the same as the sachet that Concubine Jiang gave me before." The Queen Mother said

"Jiang Jieyu is so bold that she dares to do such a thing as killing nine generations of her clan. She is really courting death." Nanny Meng said

"Although this move is risky, the chances of success are extremely high. I think she has run out of tricks and is desperate. It must be that when Chu Zhaorong captured Honghua yesterday, Lu La secretly hid it in Hehuan Palace. Even if Gu Yanzhou is not here today, she will lead to a palace search, and Chu Zhaorong will not be able to escape this disaster. The azalea flowers in the palace can be dealt with." The Queen Mother said

"Of course, don't worry. The Queen Mother's move kills three birds with one stone. First, by getting rid of Concubine Jiang, she will hit the young master Jiang who serves the emperor, and can also control the little prince. Second, by using witchcraft to get rid of Chu Zhaorong, the imperial censor behind her will definitely suffer, and it will also deter the people behind the scenes. Third, she will use this case to test Gu Yanzhou to see if he can take on the responsibility and be used by you." Nanny Meng said

"You shall convey my imperial decree. Fu Guang, who repelled a hundred thousand Xiongnu troops without a single blow, shall be granted the title of Marquis of Zhenbei; Pei Linyan, a young hero who defended his home and country, shall be appointed Weiwei; Gu Yanzhou, who has solved numerous cases and made outstanding contributions, shall be appointed Tingwei; Concubine Jiang, who gave birth to a prince, shall be buried with the ceremony of a lady; Concubine Chu, who practiced the art of warding off evil, shall be banished to the cold palace; the Imperial Censor, who failed to raise his daughter, shall be imprisoned at home; and Junior Householder Jiang, who loyally protected his master, shall be rewarded with a hundred gold coins. The Empress Dowager said,

"Yes, I will obey your order." said Madam Meng.

On the return carriage, Jiang Huai fell into a deep sleep, while Gu Yanzhou's thoughts were still on the case. Concubine Jiang and Concubine Chu fought each other, but who would reap the spoils? Before he could give it much thought, he heard the hurried clatter of horses' hooves. He lifted the curtain and saw Pei Linyan galloping towards him. Their eyes met, a glint of affection swirling in his glance. Gu Yanzhou's restless heart was smoothed into ripples, his dark heart blinded by the light. It turned out that there was someone waiting, right at the edge of the derailment. It was as if the cold of the snowy night of eight years ago was too much to penetrate. The warmth in his arms was different from that of his mother-in-law. He pressed closer, hoping to merge them into one, sinking into the dust and blooming a gorgeous flower. Pei Linyan only felt that this journey was as long as thousands of years, and the memories of his life flashed in his mind like a kaleidoscope. Only a blank space showed a back figure. He reached out to touch it like a flower in the mirror or a moon in the water, but he was thinking in his heart and mind that he needed to mend it and embed it into his incomplete life, like a gorgeous robe.

"Yan'er, will you get hurt if you enter the palace?" Pei Linyan asked

"It's okay. Look, not a single hair has fallen from my body." Gu Yanzhou said

"Thank goodness nothing happened, otherwise I would have gone crazy." Pei Linyan said

"Well, I'm safe, right? It's just that Brother Jiang asked me to help Concubine Jiang clear her name." Gu Yanzhou said

"Jiang Jieyu?" Pei Linyan asked

"It is Lady Jiang. Because of her contribution in giving birth to the emperor's eldest son, she was promoted. I will tell you the reason in detail." Gu Yanzhou said

"So, the mystery is far from simple as it seems on the surface. When it comes to power struggles, even mother and son can become enemies, not to mention the concubines, who represent the family and are mixed with desires. They will not stop until they fight to the death. Fortunately, you are safe and sound." Pei Linyan said

"You have a lot of thoughts today." Gu Yanzhou said

"I don't know why, these things have been commonplace to me since I was a child, but when I think of you being caught up in it, I can't help but feel uneasy. Yan'er, you have to promise me that no matter what happens in the future, you will put your own life first." Pei Linyan said

"Okay, I promise you, I will always put myself first unless I have no other choice. Okay?" Gu Yanzhou said

"No, even if you are at your wit's end and have nowhere else to go, your own life is of paramount importance. You must not give up." Pei Linyan said

"Okay, I can't resist you, so I'll agree to it. But you also have to promise me that nothing is more important than you. Protecting yourself is the most important thing. Don't be impulsive or reckless." Gu Yanzhou said

"Since this is your wish, I will keep it in mind and will not break this oath. Will you please come home with me?" Pei Linyan said.

"Then let's go back to Qingju," said Gu Yanzhou, "Lovesickness has penetrated my bones and my hair has turned white, while the green plum blossoms bloom proudly in the snow and frost. I wish the winter wind would help me stay with you in my arms."

"I am willing to stay with you for the rest of my life, and share life and death with you. I will bring you into the Pei Mansion openly. Are you willing to walk hand in hand with me and spend the rest of my life with me?" Pei Linyan said

"I will go where my heart desires, Lin. No matter how bumpy and thorny the road ahead is, I will face it with you." Gu Yanzhou said