"If you don't accept it, I will inevitably feel guilty and uneasy, and I'm afraid I won't be able to rest easy today."

Upon hearing this, Gu Jingchun accepted it.

She put the bracelet on her wrist, and the Empress Dowager praised it, saying how beautiful it was. She then held Gu Jingchun's hand and spoke sincerely.

"Since you have business experience, this small banquet must be a simple matter for you. I'll leave this entirely to you."

"If you encounter anything you don't understand, it's not too late to ask me then."

Gu Jingchun nodded, but the Empress Dowager looked at her and sighed softly.

"I have seen everything you and Mu Qian have done together."

"Logically speaking, we should get you and Mu Qian married as soon as possible."

Unfortunately, the Empress…

The Empress Dowager sobbed softly, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. After a pause, she continued:

"Now that the Empress has encountered this incident, and the Crown Prince is in mourning, your wedding will inevitably have to be postponed."

Gu Jingchun didn't care about this.

She comforted the Empress Dowager, saying, "It's alright. I didn't follow His Highness the Crown Prince for the position of Crown Princess."

Whether or not this marriage occurs, it makes no difference to me.

"As for Seele, I think he should be freer now."

The Empress Dowager nodded.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you and your child."

"I am not wronged. I am already very satisfied to be able to stay by the Crown Prince's side."

Besides, without these identity restrictions, it would be more convenient for her to act, which Gu Jingchun was naturally happy to see.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager felt even more that Gu Jingchun was sensible, and gently patted her hand.

"When I first saw you, I felt I liked you, and now I realize I was right."

******

Time flies, and soon it was time for the palace banquet.

Supported by Li Mama, the Empress Dowager watched as everything proceeded smoothly under Gu Jingchun's instructions and nodded in satisfaction.

Granny Li couldn't help but praise her.

"I never expected Miss Gu to be so capable; she has arranged this banquet even better than we have in the past."

Now you can rest assured.

The Empress Dowager nodded slowly.

"Yes, there have been too many things happening in the palace recently. I was worried that Hechuan was too young."

Now it seems that Hechuan and Jingchun are both reliable, so I can really get some rest for a few days.

As she spoke, she instructed, "While everyone else is still here, help me back to rest for a while. I can come out again once all the family members have arrived."

"yes."

Li Mama nodded and immediately helped the Empress Dowager back to Shou'an Palace.

On the way, the Empress Dowager sighed and asked Emperor Rongcheng again.

"Where is His Majesty...?"

Upon hearing this, Granny Li paused for a moment before speaking.

"Your Majesty... is still the same as before, staying in Jingyu Palace, not seeing anyone, and barely eating any food each day."

“Eunuch Dexi tries every day to persuade His Majesty, but His Majesty won’t listen to a word he says. Today, he found an old box somewhere and took it out and burst into laughter in the courtyard.”

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager stopped in her tracks.

"Box?"

"What box?"

"This...this old servant doesn't know either..."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager immediately turned her head.

"Alright, I'd better go see His Majesty first. If he keeps acting like this, how can his body hold up?"

When the Empress Dowager found Emperor Rongcheng, he was lying on the ground in the Imperial Garden, seemingly searching for something.

The Empress Dowager was already exhausted from walking, but seeing Emperor Rongcheng in this state made her head spin and she almost fainted.

Granny Li quickly helped her up.

"Empress Dowager..."

The Empress Dowager waved her hand.

"It's alright, Your Majesty... what's wrong?"

Granny Li couldn't help but look at Emperor Rongcheng.

At this moment, Emperor Rongcheng was only wearing an undergarment, his hair disheveled, lying on the ground, struggling to dig at the dirt.

The Empress Dowager walked over, her face full of exasperation and anger.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?"

"And don't forget, you are the emperor!"

Emperor Rongcheng raised his head, put his finger to his lips, and gently shushed.

"Mother, please keep your voice down."

"I'm catching earthworms. Your loud voice will scare them away."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager felt a headache coming on.

"Earthworms? Why are you catching earthworms out of the blue?"

"Look at yourself now!"

The Empress Dowager's words were full of wisdom, but Emperor Rongcheng seemed not to hear them. He picked up an earthworm from among the flowers and happily placed it in the old box.

By this time, the box already contained many earthworms.

Emperor Rongcheng then began to count all the earthworms one by one.

“One, two… fifty… I already have fifty. Once I find another fifty, and we have a hundred, Ah Hao will definitely forgive me and will truly marry me.”

Seeing Emperor Rongcheng's appearance, the Empress Dowager felt a surge of anger.

"Guards, escort His Majesty back to the Wanhe Palace and have the imperial physician examine him."

"As for all this filth, throw it all away."

Upon hearing this, Dexi immediately breathed a sigh of relief and, along with several eunuchs, went to help Emperor Rongcheng.

Emperor Rongcheng shoved them aside, stood up abruptly, and spoke with a cold, hard expression.

"Let's see who dares!"

As he spoke, he glared angrily at the Empress Dowager.

"Mother, today is the important day of the Dragon Boat Festival family banquet. You should go to the banquet first, so that Hechuan's wife will not be bullied."

As for my side, I know what I'm doing, so you don't need to worry.

With that, he flicked his long sleeves, snorted coldly, and immediately lay back down on the ground to continue searching for earthworms.

The Empress Dowager was so surprised that she took a step back.

Judging from Emperor Rongcheng's condition just now, he didn't seem to be mentally impaired.

Moreover, he just mentioned the banquet and Gu Jingchun, which shows that he is very familiar with things happening in the palace.

The Empress Dowager breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

She looked at Emperor Rongcheng squatting on the ground, which was really beneath the dignity and dignity of an emperor.

He sighed, ordered his men to guard the Imperial Garden, and made sure that none of the ministers' families were allowed to set foot there today, before leaving.

By this time, quite a few people had arrived at the banquet.

Gu Jingchun sat in the inner room, shielded by a gauze curtain, watching the noble ladies enter, dressed in their finest attire.

It was clear that these noble ladies were putting in a lot of effort to get Shen Hechuan to look at them more.

The clothes he wore and the head ornaments he wore were not ordinary items.

Any one of these items could be the livelihood of an ordinary person for a lifetime.

Gu Jingchun sneered as he thought of the people who couldn't afford to eat.

"It seems these officials are fatter than we thought. Today, let's take this opportunity to make them cough up blood."

Lanxin immediately became interested upon hearing this.

"Miss, what do you wish to do?"

Gu Jingchun chuckled and beckoned, and Lan Xin immediately leaned in to listen.

After a moment, Lanxin straightened up, looking somewhat hesitant.