Lotus muttered, "Could it be that the Empress Dowager requested that His Majesty go and comfort Consort Lan?"

"He has to do whatever the Empress Dowager asks. Can he really be that obedient? He can't be a mama's boy, can he?"

Gu Jiangli chuckled at her own guess, recalling some easily overlooked details.

The Empress Dowager had only hinted at it indirectly, but the Emperor listened to her and made Lan Huier a Zhaoyi.

Before he left, the Empress Dowager told him to visit Lan Hui'er more often, and the Emperor did just that.

Lotus looked puzzled. "Your Majesty, what is a 'mama's boy'?"

"Well, she's just my mother's precious darling, she listens to her mother in everything and doesn't have her own ideas..."

As Gu Jiangli explained, she also sensed something was amiss.

The emperor clearly had his own ideas; at least, it wasn't the empress dowager's idea to make her a concubine.

So my guess was actually wrong.

She fell into deep thought when a familiar face walked in from outside.

The newcomer, holding a whisk, stood upright and dressed in a purplish-red eunuch's robe; he was none other than Eunuch Liu, who served the emperor.

"This servant greets Consort Chen."

"Please rise, Eunuch Liu. Is there something important you have come here today?"

Eunuch Liu smiled, his eyes narrowing. "First, I've come to congratulate Your Highness on your promotion, and second, I've come to inform Your Highness that His Majesty has summoned you to Jinghe Palace tonight."

Lotus was overjoyed upon hearing this, and the gloom on her face vanished instantly.

Gu Jiangli thanked Eunuch Liu and personally saw him out.

As she was about to leave, she seemed to remember something and asked, "Eunuch Liu, I haven't served His Majesty in a long time. I would like to ask you if there are any taboos in front of His Majesty? I'm worried that if I don't know, I might do something that would anger His Majesty."

After saying that, he slipped a jade pendant into Eunuch Liu's hand.

Eunuch Liu smiled, accepted the jade pendant, coughed lightly, glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, and then lowered his head and whispered:

"Your Highness, you are too kind. This is not a matter of asking for advice. You don't need to worry too much. Just don't deliberately light lamps in front of His Majesty. Leave the rest to your servants."