Then came weak coughing and wheezing. At this moment, Chu Yuan was unsure which personality Dugu Jue was.

In short, the man stood up, looking disgusted, and said, "Father, I am not feeling well and I am afraid I must take my leave first."

Dugu Ling used the same excuse before, when it was still dark and Dugu Jue was being suppressed and unable to come out.

In fact, over the years, Dugu Ling initially resisted him. In order to prevent him from coming out, she stayed at home at night and kept the Crown Prince's residence brightly lit all night long.

Later, his control over his body gradually improved, and even in brightly lit places, he could replace Dugu Ling in locking up the small dark room at night.

After years of arguing and competing, the two have finally come to terms with each other and have tacitly agreed that Dugu Ling is the one during the day and he is the one at night.

So he didn't touch either of his two concubines. Seeing their terrified and cowering expressions, as if they had seen a ghost, annoyed him!

Not to mention Dugu Ling, when he was a child, he was accidentally shot in the crotch by an arrow. Although it did not injure his vital organs, he has been unable to get an erection ever since. Otherwise, he would not have been so insecure that he would have given birth to him!

Upon hearing this, Gu Dutianxiong sighed almost imperceptibly, "Fine, you've always been frail, so your father won't force you any further."

Then he looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Mother, it seems like it's about time. Why don't we call it a day?"

The birthday banquet started in the afternoon. There was singing, dancing, eating and drinking for more than two hours. First, we watched a play, then we strolled in the garden, and just now there was singing and dancing again. It was really tiring.

Therefore, everyone present felt it was understandable that the Crown Prince could not hold on.

The Empress Dowager covered her mouth and yawned, then stood up with the help of her nanny. "Let's go back. I'm feeling tired. I've received the Emperor's filial piety and everyone's blessings. Let's get together again next time."

"Your Majesty, Pingting will escort you back to the palace before you leave."

At this moment, Dugu Pingting wiped her eyes and very tactfully went to meet her.

She was still upset after being teased by Chu Yuan, but she still didn't forget to serve the Empress Dowager.

As expected of the Empress Dowager's most favored granddaughter, she is even more favored by the Empress Dowager than Dugu Yue.

Yu Qian, who had been furious, had calmed down by now. Seeing this, not only him, but the entire Yu family showed expressions of pride.

It was as if the fact that they were able to find a daughter-in-law as sensible as Dugu Pingting was a blessing that the Yu family had accumulated over eight generations.

The Empress Dowager also stopped in her tracks, glancing at Chu Yuan almost imperceptibly, and said meaningfully, "I understand Pingting's feelings for me. Rest assured, your marriage is settled, and no one can have any designs on it!"

Chu Yuan, "..."

Are you talking about her?

To be honest, she had no interest in the weak scholar at all. Yu Qian was handsome and refined, but he looked frail and thinner than the sickly Dugu Ling, yet he still pretended to be tall and imposing.

This is totally not her style!

I said that just now simply to annoy Princess Xiaoyao.

While Chu Yuan was lost in thought, the Empress Dowager, surrounded by a crowd, took a few steps and suddenly turned around, saying, "Ji Yun, come back to the palace with me."

Chu Yuan: "???"

Go back to what palace? After a few seconds of mental blanking, Chu Yuan finally remembered that she was now a "person in the palace"!

Although I lived outside the palace before, with no one to care for me and a simple life, at least I was free.

Now... even our hard-won freedom has been taken away!

The culprit behind all this was none other than the mean-spirited and jealous Princess Xiaoyao.

Chu Yuan followed reluctantly. When she passed by the Princess Consort of Xiaoyao, she paused imperceptibly. She had already made up her mind that she would definitely carry out the plan of the daughter paying for the mother's debts to the end!

To strike a snake, strike its vital spot; to treat a person, strike their weak point.

Princess Xiaoyao is extremely protective of her children, and her weakness is undoubtedly her two daughters.

But Dugu Shuyun is already married and is no longer in the capital, so... it can only be considered that Dugu Pingting is unlucky!

Back at Shou Kang Palace, the Empress Dowager didn't give Chu Yuan a friendly look, but of course, she didn't make things difficult for her either.

She only asked Granny Ji to clean up the "Biyun Pavilion" next door for her to live in.

Granny Ji, who considered herself to have a good grasp of the Empress Dowager's thoughts, gave Chu Yuan a word of advice before leaving: "Young Master Ji Yun, our Empress Dowager is not one to meddle in other people's business. You've been in the capital for quite some time now, so you know that."

She is not one to make things difficult for younger generations. The reason she invited you to stay at Biyun Pavilion today is partly because she cares about you!

Just wait, your good days are not far off.

As she spoke, the smile on her cheeks was ambiguous and colorful; anyone else would have felt incredibly uneasy.

Chu Yuan gave a forced smile, "What do you mean by that, Granny?"

Her good days consisted of using a mentally ill crown prince as a prostitute to seduce the father and leave the son behind, and then supporting her nephew, whose whereabouts were currently unknown, to restore the country and ascend the throne. As for anything else, it was really not her pursuit.

"Young master, do you know who used to live in Biyun Pavilion?"

Chu Yuan blinked, pretending not to understand, "Who?"

"Master Chen!" Granny Ji was quite excited. "It's because Biyun Pavilion has good feng shui that Master Chen gave birth to the Second Prince and Princess Fushun after living there for a few years. You should think about it carefully. Not everyone can have this kind of blessing."

After listening, Chu Yuan saw Granny Ji off with a blank expression.

Feeling disgusted, having a child with the old emperor? Is that what you call a blessing?

This damn good fortune is for whoever wants it! She definitely doesn't want it!

With young, handsome men to choose from, who would still want an old, stale man...?

Upon returning to the pavilion, Chu Yuan smelled a familiar aroma of bitter tea.

Bitter tea seeds have analgesic and vision-improving effects, but their taste is not strong. Only people who take them for a long time will unknowingly develop this taste.

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