Chapter 596 Luo Yuping Comes to the Door

In addition, Gu Jin's recent softened attitude and his two personal visits to the Duke of Anguo's residence have created a false impression for the family that Gu Jin wants to compromise.

People often fail because they are overconfident, thinking that if they have grasped the other party's strength, they can hold them firmly in their grasp. Little do they know that while they think they have victory in their hands, the other party has already quietly slipped away.

Ten days is neither a long nor a short time.

Just as Gu Shuyan had predicted, the popular openwork embroidery was finally placed on the emperor's desk.

"Your Majesty, I have carefully compared them. The embroidery technique is indeed the carving embroidery of the previous dynasty. However, because the embroiderer was not very skilled, it is not as good as the two embroidered pieces that were left behind."

The empress looked at the emperor, whose expression was unfriendly, and slowly stated the conclusion she had reached.

"Have you investigated why this embroidery, which disappeared a hundred years ago, has suddenly reappeared?"

In the emperor's view, since this thing had been dormant for a century, the surviving members of the Nie family would not have done such a thing if they wanted to live. It was likely that someone had done it deliberately.

Having been married to the emperor for so many years, the empress naturally knew what he was thinking.

"Actually, a rumor circulated at the same time that openwork embroidery became popular."

As the Empress spoke, she cautiously glanced at the Emperor's expression. In truth, whether the embroidery technique was the traditional carved embroidery or the modern openwork embroidery, as long as the Nie family didn't cause trouble, the Emperor didn't need to care about such things.

However, the Empress had no choice but to take the content of these rumors seriously.

"What rumors?" the emperor asked, waving his hand and telling the empress to sit down and speak.

In fact, this rumor was just a story that Gu Shuyan gave to the storyteller, and the part of the story about Consort Nie was completely contrary to history.

In the story, the emperor of the previous dynasty was incompetent, and the entire court was controlled by treacherous officials.

With treacherous officials in power, the country was doomed. Knowing he could not save the country, the emperor secretly entrusted his son, born to him and his concubine, to a trusted confidant of the Nie family.

Just after the young prince was taken away, a change occurred in the court, and the emperor, refusing to submit to the treacherous officials, chose to commit suicide.

Consort Nie watched her husband die before her eyes and was about to follow him in death when the founding emperor took a liking to her beauty.

He rescued Consort Nie and ordered people to watch over her to prevent her from committing suicide. He even sent people to take good care of and comfort Consort Nie.

Gradually, Consort Nie stopped seeking death and her attitude towards the emperor improved. However, just when the founding emperor thought that Consort Nie was gradually accepting him, she actually became involved with his son.

In order to see Consort Nie, the Crown Prince even neglected state affairs and only wanted to fool around in her courtyard.

Ultimately, driven by shame, anger, and jealousy, the emperor stabbed to death the Consort Nie he had been longing for.

Legend has it that Consort Nie died with a smile on her face, because she could finally see the man she loved. Meanwhile, the person who killed them would be estranged from his son because of her.

After Consort Nie died, the Crown Prince took another daughter from the Nie family as a concubine. The Emperor was unwilling to accept this and took action against the Nie family again. However, even though the Nie family was wiped out, their unique skills and wealth were still inherited by the young prince of the previous dynasty.

Of course, Gu Shuyan was always referred to by a pseudonym in the story, but when Diaoxiu appeared, it was inevitable that some people would make connections.

As the Empress slowly narrated, the Emperor's expression was absolutely priceless.

After finally listening to the whole thing, the emperor slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Such baseless accusations and slander against the royal family, I will have the person behind this torn to pieces!"

Regardless of how much truth or falsehood is in this story, its content is of no benefit to the royal family's reputation. The emperor was about to summon the commander of the Imperial Guards when the empress hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I'm afraid it's not appropriate for Your Majesty to concern yourself with this matter."

The Empress's sudden reminder gradually calmed the Emperor down.

The Empress continued, "The other party simultaneously released the embroidery and the story. I suspect their purpose is to encourage Your Majesty to launch a large-scale search for the person, thus confirming the rumors are true."

"So you mean I have to do nothing?" Although the emperor agreed with the empress's analysis, how could he, as the emperor, swallow such a humiliating disgrace?

"No, it's not about doing nothing. We should promote this openwork embroidery technique nationwide and publicly announce a reward for the person who created it. After all, the birth of such an innovative and unique embroidery technique deserves a reward in itself."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression finally softened. The empress was right; it was much more convenient to find someone under the guise of a reward than to make a big show of arresting them.

Moreover, in this way, those rumors that are merely hearsay will gradually be forgotten.

After all, royalty is proud, and if things were truly as the stories describe, the emperor would certainly not allow those storytellers to spread them everywhere. As long as the emperor remains indifferent, those rumors will naturally fall apart on their own.

"I am so grateful for the Empress's reminder; otherwise, I would have been blinded by my own limited perspective."

As the emperor spoke, he gently patted the empress's hand. This wife had managed the harem for him for many years and had given birth to his eldest son, so she had made great contributions.

It's a pity that her son was so disappointing and couldn't hold onto the position of crown prince. But it doesn't matter. No matter who becomes emperor in the future, he will not let any of the concubines surpass her.

Following the Empress's advice, the Emperor quickly conveyed the decree, which was then posted by the government offices to inform the world.

Unfortunately, no matter how the emperor searched, he only received one answer: the person who asked them to do the openwork embroidery was a woman dressed in white and wearing a veil. As for the woman's appearance, no one had ever seen it.

When Luo Yuping learned of this news, it was already the second day after the list was posted.

She stormed into the Yun residence in a rage. Looking at Gu Shuyan, who was smiling gently at her, if she hadn't still had her senses, she probably would have slapped Gu Shuyan across the face.

"Does Madam Yun think she can get away unscathed by simply changing the name of Diaoxiu and teaching it to someone else?"

Luo Yuping looked at Gu Shuyan with an arrogant air and continued to threaten, "If I were to hand that dress to His Majesty and tell him that it was embroidered by Lady Yun herself, I wonder if His Majesty would think that Lady Yun is the woman in white?"

Before coming, Luo Yuping carefully compared the dress that Gu Shuyan embroidered. Both the workmanship and the skill level were much better than those on the market.

However, after hearing her words, Gu Shuyan smiled even more gently.

"If Lady Hou wishes to tell His Majesty, then so be it. But before that, Shuyan has something I must remind you of: when telling His Majesty about the origin of the clothes, please don't forget to mention when you received them."