Has Gu Qingfeng lost his mind? Why is he insisting on following me? Didn't he used to love going to Lingxi Palace?

Inside the carriage, Jiang Yu's good mood, which had finally made her return to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, was almost entirely ruined by Gu Qingfeng's pretentious act. She glanced at Gu Qingfeng with considerable resentment, thinking how troublesome he was.

Could it be that Gu Heng and Consort Rong sent Gu Qingfeng to follow and spy on me?

Jiang Yu's inner alarm bells went off instantly, while Gu Qingfeng lowered his head in a somewhat aggrieved manner. He already knew that this woman didn't believe him at all.

Seeing Jiang Yu personally tie a cloak around Gu Qingyan's neck and pull him into the Dingyuan Marquis's residence, Gu Qingfeng, who was left behind, was stunned for a moment before quickly following.

"Your Majesty's courtyard has been tidied up," Jiang He laughed loudly. "Everything is guaranteed to be as good as before."

Jiang Yu took a deep breath; the air in the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence was sweeter than that in the imperial palace.

In the following days, Gu Qingyan and Gu Qingfeng truly experienced the power of the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion. Whenever Jiang He went out, she would bring back bags and packages, all of which were things that Jiang Yu used to love to eat and play with.

Gu Qingfeng became increasingly uneasy as he looked at her. So, before this woman married into the palace, did she live such a pampered and spoiled life?

How ridiculous must the actions of the three siblings have been?

"Uncle, Uncle." Whenever Gu Qingyan saw Jiang He, he would open his arms and rush over like a fledgling. Even Ling Mama found it quite strange, as this Marquis was the only person the Third Prince was willing to be close to besides the Empress.

"Have you mastered the techniques your uncle taught you?" Jiang He habitually picked up Gu Qingyan. "Your body hasn't fully recovered yet, so you can't be impatient for quick results."

[Am I seeing things? I can't help but think that Ayan and my brother look like they were made from the same mold.]

Jiang Yu's heart skipped a beat, and Gu Qingfeng was also stunned at the same time.

“Uncle, I’ve mastered the techniques you gave me before. Can you teach me something new?” Gu Qingfeng suddenly asked, looking up at Jiang He. The treatment Gu Qingyan now received was what he used to enjoy.

"Have all the whip marks from the Second Prince's previous injuries scabbed over in just a few days?" Jiang He suddenly asked, swallowing nervously where no one could see.

"For a full seven days."

Instantly, Jiang He exuded a distinct chill. "The Second Prince is of noble status. I fear that swords and spears may injure him, especially since the whip marks on his body have not fully healed and he should continue to recuperate."

It took seven days for the whip marks on Gu Qingfeng's body to completely scab over.

At this moment, Gu Qingfeng's vision was already somewhat blurred, and he truly felt that he was the outsider.

"knew."

Gu Qingfeng found a stone stool not too far from Jiang Yu and sat down. Now, he felt uneasy whenever he was away from Jiang Yu.

......

"Distribute porridge?" Gu Qingyan tilted his head. "Mother, I am willing to go."

This snow has been falling for too long; if it continues, the people will go hungry.

Jiang Yu affectionately pulled Gu Qingyan into her arms, "Ayan, there's a lot to learn about distributing porridge. People won't come begging for porridge if they're not starving. You need to see if there are more ordinary people or refugees. If there are more refugees, you need to think about where they came from and what turmoil their families have experienced."

Gu Qingyan's eyes shone brightly, "Your son has learned a great deal."

[If a prince remains in his high position for too long, even the most intelligent man will inevitably be blinded by others. Only by stepping out of the palace can he truly understand the needs of the people.]

[Ayan can also use this opportunity to let Daqing truly know that there is a third prince in Zhaoning Palace.]

"Mother, I want to go too."

Upon hearing Gu Qingfeng's words, Jiang Yu quickly rolled her eyes.

"You may go, but you must remember not to act superior and to treat the people as your own family."

[Gu Qingfeng's temperament is such that he might really cause some trouble, and the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion would be implicated. I still need to give him a few more words of advice.]

Gu Qingfeng consciously ignored Jiang Yu's inner complaints, his mind filled with the thought that this woman was finally willing to make plans for him. Gu Qingfeng revealed his white teeth for the first time in a long time, "Don't worry, Mother, I won't mess it up."

Distributing porridge was an extremely novel experience for Gu Qingfeng.

A boiler was set up at the entrance of the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence. Jiang Yu sat in the courtyard next to it, separated by a wall. Gu Qingfeng's chest was bulging. This empress who cared about the people was his mother.

"Slow down, slow down, it will all come."

Gu Qingyan and Gu Qingfeng's arms soon began to ache, but neither of them asked to stop. Seeing a little girl being pushed out, Gu Qingfeng pursed his lips and personally brought her a bowl of rice porridge.

"They say you're a prince, the Empress's child." The little girl's face was dirty, but Gu Qingfeng showed no disgust as usual. Instead, he nodded with great pride. "Yes, drink up."

[Has Gu Qingfeng changed his ways? He's been serving porridge all day long.]

Jiang Yu stared at Gu Qingfeng, who was grinning foolishly with his big teeth showing, as if she had seen a ghost. Gu Qingyan, who was next to her, gently tugged at Jiang Yu's sleeve, "Mother, shall we continue to distribute porridge tomorrow?"

But Jiang Yu smiled and shook her head.

[With the Marquis of Dingyuan's family setting an example by distributing porridge today, half of the officials in the court will likely follow suit tomorrow. As long as the people don't go hungry, the Marquis of Dingyuan's family doesn't need to stand out.]

In this life, she no longer wanted to fight for anything; she only wanted to protect Ayan and the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion.

Time flew by in the blink of an eye, even giving Gu Qingfeng the illusion that all the unpleasantness between him and Jiang Yu had vanished. But when Gu Qingyao brought Rongfei's sister to his door, Gu Qingfeng realized that this beautiful dream was about to shatter.

"Second brother, open the door for us quickly." Gu Qingyao said impatiently from outside the gate, "Aunt is with me too."

Gu Qingfeng remained motionless for a long time, then wiped his face, and the mansion gate was opened a crack.

"Yao'er, come back to the palace with me now."

Gu Qingyao pushed Gu Qingfeng away as if he were a fool. "Second brother, are you running a high fever? I brought my aunt to pay respects to Mother today."

After saying that, Gu Qingyao ignored Gu Qingfeng and walked affectionately into the mansion with Liu Yuelian. "Don't worry, Aunt. Consort Rong has told me that my uncle is indeed handsome and doesn't even have a maidservant by his side. He is a perfect match for you."

Gu Qingfeng stood there blankly until she saw Gu Qingyan in the distance. Only then did she pretend to be calm and make a move. Gu Qingyan walked straight towards Gu Qingfeng and said, "You shouldn't have opened the gate."

"What gives you the right to say that to me? What's wrong with Yao'er coming to see her mother?"

Gu Qingyan nodded expressionlessly upon hearing this, "Second brother is right, as long as you don't regret it."

Gu Qingfeng's armor immediately crumbled, and he was on the verge of collapse. Did he not regret it? He was already regretting it terribly.