28. Has she grown taller?

No one can get past her daughter!

Has she grown taller?

Li Shi accepted the gift calmly, without showing any surprise or gratitude, nor did he consider raising Qi Gu as a favor.

He smiled slightly and asked, "You are Aunt Qi's aunt. In all these years since she went missing, have her father and mother ever looked for her?"

One sentence made the Marquis of Quzhou blush and then turn pale. To Li Shi, the Marquis of Quzhou's silence was tantamount to an answer.

Qu Zhouhou thought that Qi Gu's adoptive father was somewhat different.

She was a powerful marquis, with the Empress as her backer and real power in her hands. The middle-aged man in front of her was nonchalant and indifferent.

If it were any other people in the capital who wanted to curry favor with the Zhang family, they would have already fawned over them. This person at least has more integrity than many people in the capital.

"Hmph!" His face turned cold. "I know that Aunt Qi's father and mother are now the most powerful people in the world. However, if they are dispensable to Aunt Qi, then I will take her with me and go back to Li Family Village to live our own lives. To me, Aunt Qi is very important."

Although Qi Gu did not tell him about what happened back then, judging from the fact that Qi Gu did not want to return to the palace, he wondered if there were other reasons why Qi Gu and her biological parents were separated back then.

When Li Shi first met Qi Gu, she had been starving for two days and two nights, and was as thin as a kitten, shivering under a tree hole.

When he found her, she was almost starving and looked at him warily with eyes full of unease and fear, as if she was a bad person who would take her away.

If she had met someone else instead of him back then, perhaps Qi Gu might not have survived.

Judging from the reaction just now, this aunt of Qi Gu still cares about Qi Gu to some extent. However, Qi Gu's biological parents are now the masters of this country. How do they treat Qi Gu?

He came to the capital for two reasons: first, to promote the seeds he had cultivated throughout the country and spare more children from the suffering of famine; second, to realize the profound truth of a man who had been influenced by 21st-century socialist values.

Secondly, it was so that Qi Gu could return to her family. Qi Gu's identity meant that she could not continue to stay in Li Family Village. Otherwise, if someone with ulterior motives came looking for her, he was afraid that he would be too weak to protect her.

Qi Gu's attitude was his attitude. If Qi Gu was unhappy, it meant her biological parents weren't treating her well. At worst, he would take Qi Gu back to Li Family Village after he had clearly handed over the matter of promoting millet seeds to Sima Hong.

"Meeting you is Qi Gu's good fortune. I thank you on behalf of my elder sister." Marquis Qu Zhou bowed again.

Li Shi replied without any modesty or humility, "So-so, third in the world."

In Changyang Palace, inside the Empress's bedroom, Zhang Zhiyi came to pay his respects to his elder sister early in the morning. Aunt Lu was helping the Empress put on a phoenix hairpin.

Seeing her younger sister enter, Empress Zhang dismissed the others and turned to ask, "Did he really say that?"

Zhang Zhi helped up his sister's hand, "Yes, our Aunt Qi is a very lucky person. She survived a great disaster back then and met this Mr. Li, who took very good care of her."

Beside her, Lu Ao draped a black and red empress's robe over the empress, giving her an air of majesty. Empress Zhang Ling, the founding empress of the Great Jin Dynasty, spoke in a voice devoid of any extra emotion, "Oh, is that so?"

Recalling the scene of her last farewell to her daughter, although so many years have passed and countless things have happened, whenever she thinks of that last day with her eldest daughter, a trace of heartache can be hidden on her usually stern face.

"How...is she?"

Zhang Zhi was very fond of this niece, and coupled with Aunt Qi's natural intimacy with her, she smiled and said, "Aunt Qi is very nice. She is a member of our Zhang family. She looks a lot like my elder sister when she was young. I recognized her at a glance. You will know when you meet her."

She wasn't saying nice things about Aunt Qi just to comfort her older sister. When she first met Aunt Qi yesterday, she immediately noticed that Aunt Qi's eyes were clear and bright, unlike that fake princess who entered the palace with a mercenary and obsequious attitude. She was overly enthusiastic and always seemed petty.

When I met Aunt Qi this time, I felt that my niece was just like her adoptive father, neither humble nor arrogant. Faced with such overwhelming wealth, she did not have the kind of arrogance that makes one lose their head.

She neither tried to curry favor with her powerful aunt nor maintained a distant or aloof relationship with her.

She recalled the scene of her playing with her on her back in that barren little courtyard when she was a child, which reminded her of the years before her elder sister became empress.

This closeness, the kind that comes between family members, is something she and Li Qiao, that fake princess, never experienced.

Marquis Qu Zhou felt even more pity for his niece, his heart filled with both joy and heartache. He wondered how Li Qiao had managed to sneak into the palace, but he knew that Consort Guo must have been involved.

Hmph, once we've sent the Xiongnu away, we'll deal with Guo Ji slowly!

Knowing that her elder sister wanted to know about Qi Gu, Qu Zhouhou said, "This child is heartbreaking. Although she didn't say anything, how could they possibly have a good life in a place like Lijia Village? These years have been filled with war, bandits, and famine. It's truly a blessing from heaven that the child was able to return unharmed." She clasped her hands together.

Qu Zhouhou, used to being at ease in front of his elder sister, said, "Elder sister, Aunt Qi has really returned. This time we must treat her well."

The Empress's hands clenched slightly. She opened her mouth, wanting to ask too many questions, but finally uttered, "Has she grown taller?"

It's been ten years since I last saw her. I wonder what her daughter, who was barely waist-high back then, looks like now.

When Li Qiao entered the palace with the jade pendant, she recognized her immediately as not being her Qi Gu!

She, as a mother, would not know what her daughter, Qi Gu, looked like. Even if ten, twenty, or thirty years had passed, she would still recognize her daughter!

For a moment, she thought she would never see her Aunt Qi return, that her Aunt Qi had been murdered. But soon, news came from Sima Hong that her Aunt Qi was still alive.

Li Qiao was just someone Guo Ji randomly brought in to fill a quota. That foolish woman Guo Yuan wanted to send her daughter to a political marriage. She underestimated Zhang Ling and overestimated herself.

Looking at her usually meticulous elder sister, Qu Zhouhou noticed a rare tremor in her eyes, knowing that she would only feel more heartbroken than her.

She hasn't mentioned it all these years, but her younger sister knows that the more her older sister keeps quiet, the more pain she suffers.

With red-rimmed eyes, she gestured with her hands, "Qi Gu is now as tall as her elder sister. She looks quite healthy. Her skin isn't very fair, but she inherited that from the Emperor. Her eyes are like her elder sister's; they're very bright, like the eyes of a black cat at night. She looks very spirited." Marquis Qu Zhou praised his niece again.

Knowing that her elder sister must miss her daughter who was separated from her, she suggested, "Why don't we let Qi Gu go to the palace first to see your elder sister?" She didn't want her elder sister to suffer the pain of missing her daughter for the sake of the greater good.

Outsiders only see the elder sister's power and status. They envy her for marrying the emperor, who, after conquering the world, remained true to his original intention and made her empress. How glorious and noble she was!

Little did they know what their elder sister had sacrificed and lost along the way to gain this honor. Some of these things were not gifts, but things they had fought for.

She felt sorry for her sister; she had finally found her biological daughter, and they shouldn't be separated again.

Almost instantly, the Queen was about to accept her sister's suggestion, but only for a moment, and then, reason prevailed over emotion.

"We've come this far, what's a little more time? The marriage alliance isn't settled yet, let's wait until things are settled before discussing it further." Empress Zhang thought, how could her daughter sneak into the palace? When she returns, she must return in grand style.

She was the first child born to the first wife of the founding emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty. Her father overthrew the tyranny of the previous dynasty, defeated the noble descendant of the Prince of Yan, and became the ruler of the world. Her mother was the empress personally appointed by the emperor, who was revered by heaven and earth and was carried in through the main gate of Changyang Palace as the mother of the world.

Their Zhang family produced a general and a marquis; how could her child sneak back to her own home!

She wanted her daughter to return openly and honestly, to tell everyone in Changyang Palace that no one could get past her daughter!

"By the way, you said that Qi Gu is currently living in Sima Hong's villa?" The Empress snapped out of her thoughts and asked again.

“That’s right. I think Sima Langjun is quite considerate to Qi Gu.” Qu Zhouhou had seen a lot of people, and she greatly admired this famous young man from the Sima family. He was also someone whose talent was praised by her elder sister.

She's just too cold-hearted on a daily basis, and we're not on the same wavelength. She loves excitement and enjoys gathering with friends. She's the one in the capital who loves to host banquets the most, but the Sima family has never participated in these banquets.

Her elder sister and brother-in-law didn't restrain her either; who would dare disrespect her? Outside the Sima family, she always considered herself aloof and didn't participate in these banquets that they considered vulgar.

Marquis Qu Zhou also knew that she could not afford to offend the Sima family, so she could only avoid them. Therefore, she usually kept her distance.

Unexpectedly, such a person would actually settle Qi Gu in his villa. Qi Gu is indeed well-liked. Before she has even officially returned, she has already befriended the most prestigious Sima family in the capital.

Qu Zhouhou puffed out his chest, looking smug, as if he thought his own child was perfect in every way.

"Is that so?" Empress Zhang's tone was slightly doubtful. She had indeed asked Sima Xiuyuan to inquire about Qi Gu's whereabouts.

She had known for a long time that Shen Wei was a member of the Guo family. She hadn't expected Shen Wei and his group to go find Qi Gu, so she secretly sent another team to follow them. However, she didn't expect Sima Hong to find Qi Gu first.

She wanted to get closer to Sima Xiuyuan, so she asked her, in the name of a mother, to help her find Qi Gu's whereabouts.

What a coincidence that he actually found it, and the fact that he was willing to go to such lengths was beyond her expectations.

Sima Xiuyuan's talent was unmatched. For the Great Jin Dynasty, which was in dire need of rebuilding, the centuries-old nobles were waiting to see them, commoners with no foundation, make a fool of themselves. They thought that even if they conquered the world, they would not be able to hold onto it. Therefore, she and the emperor went to great lengths to persuade the Sima family to come out of seclusion. The Sima family, which had served many monarchs for generations, was too important.

Such a distinguished aristocratic family was sought after even by the imperial family, and ordinary nobles who did not meet their standards were not worth associating with.

Winning them over to one's own side is not easy, but unexpectedly, Qi Gu has succeeded by accident. This is good, as it is not a bad thing for Qi Gu to befriend the Sima family.

Soon, it was time for the palace servants to come to the Empress's palace to pay their respects. The Empress regained her former appearance, walked with her head held high step by step to the front hall of Changxin Palace, and sat on her rightful Empress's throne.

"The Empress has arrived!" The eunuch's loud, high-pitched voice rang out again.

She sat on the golden phoenix throne at the head of the table, looking down from above at the concubines and princesses who came to pay their respects.

"Long live the Empress! May you enjoy boundless happiness and prosperity!" The women in the room knelt and bowed in respect.

A majestic voice said, "Rise."

The princesses stepped forward to pay their respects. There are now four princesses in the palace: the second princess born to Lady Guo, the ninth princess born to Consort Jiang, and the eleventh princess born to Consort Deng, who has just turned two years old.

There is another one, the "eldest princess" who was just found from the common people - Li Qiao.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy lasting happiness."

The Empress's gaze swept briefly over Li Qiao before she subtly looked away and said, "Rise."

He then instructed everyone: "These days, with the Xiongnu envoys entering the palace, there is a lot of chaos in the palace. You must keep your palace servants in check to prevent any mishaps."

As she said this, she looked at Consort Guo. Consort Guo knew that the Empress was warning her, but she didn't take it to heart. "Your Majesty, the Emperor likes the Three-Flavor Soup that I make. I'm afraid that if I don't send it to him, it will displease him."

Guo Ji was beautiful. Although she was thirty-three years old, her voice was like that of a woman in her twenties, clear and melodious. Her face was like a peach blossom, her eyes were watery, her lips were like ripe cherries, her waist was graceful, and she was skilled at dancing.

She was the most favored woman in the palace for the longest time, and she also had a daughter and a son. In the entire Changyang Palace, apart from the Empress, she had the highest rank.

"Your Majesty, I heard that the Xiongnu have come to ask for the princess's hand in marriage. Actually, wouldn't it be better if the princesses got to know the Xiongnu people better, so that it would be easier for them when they go to the Xiongnu in the future?"

Sometimes the Empress really wanted to crack open Guo Yuan's head to see what was inside, but it was very likely that there was nothing inside!

Her gaze swept across the room, and her authoritative voice rang out in the hall: "Silence! The Xiongnu's visit to the Great Jin is a matter of state, how dare you spout such nonsense!" She slammed her hand on the table, "Hmph! You want the princess to befriend the Xiongnu? How could you even think of that! You're making the Emperor throw the Great Jin's prestige, his own dignity, and the princesses' face to the ground for the Xiongnu to trample on!"

Seeing the Empress's anger, Consort Guo hurriedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness. The beauty trembled slightly, her face flushed, and tears welled in her eyes. "Your Majesty, that's not what I meant."

The Empress scoffed, leaning back in her golden phoenix chair and coldly staring at her. "Fine, I won't blame you, Consort Guo. After all, your Guo family has always acted this way. You've been influenced by this since childhood, learning these unseemly things. It must be a family tradition. But, Consort Guo, the palace is different from your Guo family. Don't use your Guo family's ways to arbitrarily interfere in important matters of the court, or I won't be able to protect you!"

The Empress's eyes held an unquestionable majesty. "Consort Guo, do you understand now?"

Madam Guo bit her lip tightly, her cherry-like mouth turning white from the bite. "Yes, I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty."

She lowered her head, saying she understood, but a hint of malice flashed in her eyes. How dare you embarrass me and belittle my country in public! I will make sure the emperor sends your village girl to the Xiongnu for a marriage alliance, so she can suffer endless torment at the hands of the Xiongnu.

[Author's Note]

I checked for bugs, and then couldn't resist making some minor revisions.