98 Back position
◎ "Are you going to remain nameless and without any status like this forever?" (Nine Thousand Nutrient Solution plus more)◎
The imperial physician bowed and left. When Lu Jing walked over the screen, Gu Ningxi on the couch had already woken up.
Her cheeks regained some color, and she leaned back on the soft pillow.
Lu Jing sat down beside the couch. After a moment of silence, Gu Ningxi spoke first, "I am indeed taking contraceptive soup." She met Lu Jing's gaze and said, "I thought Your Majesty knew."
At first, she prepared several prescriptions when she was dispensing medicine. Later, she stockpiled a batch of medicinal materials that could be stored for a long time. Gradually, she only needed to prepare a few new medicines every month.
She had to drink three doses of contraceptive soup a month, and each dose was expensive. She had used money from Prince Zhao's palace, and the medicine was clearly accounted for, so Lu Jing knew it with just a check.
However, since giving the token to Gu Ningxi, Lu Jing never asked where the money was spent, and allowed her to withdraw it at will.
It seemed like a misunderstanding caused by some strange coincidence. Lu Jing asked, "Did you drink this medicine on the days when you return home every month?"
Gu Ningxi did not deny it.
"Where did you get it?"
"I borrowed it from my eldest sister."
"Where is the prescription?"
"At home."
Lu Jing ordered someone to fetch it immediately, and then said, "Go to sleep for a while. You don't need to go to the imperial study later."
He stood up, and after a while, Gu Ningxi heard the sound of the palace door closing.
The hall darkened, and Gu Ningxi unconsciously clutched the brocade quilt between her fingers.
It had been difficult to keep the secret from her for long, but she had been away on patrol for the past six months. She hadn't expected it to be exposed in this situation, which was truly awful.
From the imperial study to the courtyard in Xingningfang, a thin piece of prescription was quickly retrieved.
Imperial Physician Li carefully examined the prescription and found that it was indeed a contraceptive prescription commonly used among the noble families in Kyoto.
"Will it be harmful to your health?" Lu Jing asked first.
Imperial Physician Li bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this prescription is mild and, when combined with good medicine, will not cause any serious harm to the body. Furthermore, Lord Gu has only been using it for a few months and is still young." He didn't say anything definitive, "But after all, medicine is toxic. Drinking it for a long time will inevitably have some effects."
The contraceptive soup is cold, and several of the herbs in it are incompatible with the tonic he prescribed for Lord Gu, so Lord Gu will feel uncomfortable after taking it.
Imperial Physician Li had served in the palace for decades, his medical skills renowned and his understanding of human nature unparalleled. He knew immediately that the contraceptive soup was not His Majesty's intention, and he was truly baffled. With the harem now empty, and His Majesty's fondness for Lady Gu, there was no guarantee that Lady Gu would give birth to a legitimate son, the future emperor. Why did Lady Gu go against His Majesty's wishes?
Doctor Li did not dare to say anything more. After receiving the order to leave, he hurried out of the hall.
The contraceptive prescription on the table was carefully preserved, with beautiful handwriting that was particularly eye-catching.
Lu Jing tapped the corner of the prescription with his fingertips. Hiding it? Of course.
Before prescribing, the imperial physician couldn't have failed to ask Yuan Le about her medication taboos. She kept silent, and the conflicting properties of the two prescriptions were the cause of her current discomfort.
In order to keep the contraceptive soup secret, she even ignored her own health.
Sun Jing carefully offered the teacup and considered his words for a long time.
He said, "Imperial Physician Li said this prescription would be of no harm to Lord Gu, so Your Majesty should not be angry with her. Your Majesty and Lord Gu have not yet reached a clear understanding of the situation, so it is reasonable for Lord Gu to consider this."
Given Sun Jing's status, he didn't dare to advise him too much. Your Majesty has been on the throne for a year, and it's time for him to have a prince to strengthen the foundation of the country.
There must be some explanation between Your Majesty and Lord Gu.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, so everyone settled down in Ruihe Hall early that night.
Gu Ningxi was not feeling well, so Lu Jing naturally wouldn't touch her again tonight.
The two of them slept in the same bed, clearly very close to each other, yet there seemed to be an invisible barrier between them.
The autumn nights are getting a bit chilly, and the day's affairs must be dealt with.
Lu Jing's tone brooked no argument: "Don't use that medicine anymore."
Gu Ningxi looked at the cold moonlight outside the window. She couldn't even control her own body.
"……good."
She didn't ask him what would happen if she got pregnant. Once that came to that, she would definitely be taken into his palace and would have no choice.
She closed her eyes but couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
…
The next day, Gu Ningxi applied for three days of sick leave from the Ministry of Personnel on the grounds of feeling unwell and stayed at home, and did not enter the palace again.
In Qinlan Courtyard, Marquis Xuanping had his lunch here.
He said, "You're fine. What's wrong with you? Have you seen a doctor?"
His tone was full of fatherly concern. Gu Ningxi grasped the silver chopsticks and said, "I was busy inspecting the Hongnong Canal a few days ago. I was just tired."
"It would be better if you could rest for a while." Mrs. Meng saw that her daughter looked strange, so she told the maid to serve her some nourishing soup.
The court affairs were tiring, so of course she felt sorry for her daughter and wished she could have some free time.
Marquis Xuanping pondered, and the whole Jin Dynasty was developing water conservancy projects, and many officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue were given important positions.
His Majesty treated Ning Xi differently, clearly presenting a shortcut for her. She could marry into the palace as the legitimate daughter of a marquisate and become empress, rather than waiting for seniority in the previous dynasty.
Madam Meng told Gu Ningxi to eat more, as a girl would always be at a disadvantage in terms of energy when working with a man.
Gu Ningxi lowered his eyes. The court was in need of talent, and many important positions above the fourth rank were vacant. The emperor promoted people without any restrictions, and many talented people rose to prominence overnight.
If she were a man, she could concentrate on government affairs at this moment, and her family would fully support her.
If she did have a child, even if she could return to the court, it would take at least three to five years. The court was stable, so there was no place for her.
If you take a step back, you have to take every step back.
Gu Ningxi had been at home for the past two days. Marquis Xuanping said, "There's a polo match in Kyoto tomorrow. You might want to go out and relax." Before Gu Ningxi could refuse, he added, "Your eldest sister is going too. You could go with her."
Gu Ningwan is getting married soon, so it would be more convenient if she had someone to accompany her when she goes out for fun.
After a pause of two breaths, Gu Ningxi agreed.
Mrs. Meng thought this arrangement was very good, so she prepared some snacks for them to take with them tomorrow.
The weather had been nice and crisp in the autumn for the past few days. Around 9:00 a.m., the emperor's carriage was waiting outside the residence of Marquis Xuanping.
After the engagement with the Duke of Qi was finalized, Gu Ningwan had much more freedom in the mansion, and her family almost always granted her every request.
Since the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife married into a wealthy family, the Marquis's Mansion would naturally pamper her.
Gu Ningxi rode her Feiyun, and Gu Ningwan in the carriage looked at her expression, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
They were accompanied by many guards, and before they left the house, they caught up with Gu Ningzheng who was studying at a private school.
There was a hint of envy in his eyes as he greeted her perfunctorily.
Gu Ningxi still didn't say a word to him, but she looked at him with a little more favor.
Although he usually likes to compete for favor in front of Mrs. Shen and exclude his elder sister, but at least he acts like a younger brother at critical moments.
After learning about the Ningguo Mansion's plan for his sister, he completely cut ties with Lin Yang and even fought with him.
Birds of a feather flock together, and Gu Ningzheng knows very well that Lin Yang is not even worthy of his sister.
The carriage headed west to Qingyun Horse Farm. The polo matches that had been going on for several days were already boring, but an interesting incident between the two teams today attracted many spectators to come.
On the Ruiyun Terrace, Xie Qian found an opportunity to report to His Majesty the final arrangements for this year's autumn hunt.
After he and Wei Fan jointly completed the important posts of prefecture and county division, he only received this leisurely job in September.
There had not been an autumn hunt for three years, and the generals had been bored in Kyoto for a long time and were eager to try it.
The emperor set out on his journey on the second day of October. There were less than ten days left, and all the prefectures that heard the news had already made preparations according to the rules.
Lu Jing approved it, and Xie Qian prepared for the next polo match with peace of mind.
Qin Yu was the one who spearheaded this matter. Zhen Yuan glanced at the nearly full stands and said with a smile, "Today's event is really lively."
When he came to watch the game the day before, there were not even half of the people sitting there.
Xie Qian laughed: "If I were from another family, I would come too."
As he spoke, he went to see Qin Yu. Yan Ming was busy training cavalry and had no interest in the polo match. As soon as he heard that the prince of the Ningguo Mansion was going to fight, he immediately pulled them over.
What else could Xie Qian and Zhen Yuan say? Of course they accepted their friend's request.
Qin Yanming quickly made an agreement with the team that was supposed to play in the afternoon and added the three of them to face the Ningguo Mansion on the opposite side.
Xie Qian saw that when the blue team they joined agreed, everyone was in high spirits with shining eyes.
Firstly, it was a way to save the Duke of Qi's face, significantly increasing his chances of success without any effort. Secondly…everyone in the capital knew that the Duke of Qi was marrying the former fiancée of the Duke of Ning's son. The good deeds done by the Duke of Ning's mansion needed no further elaboration, and it seemed as if the Duke of Qi was venting his anger on behalf of his new wife.
Polo matches can be played at any time, but such a good show is rare to see.
The three people who withdrew temporarily were willing to compete with each other. Qin Yu had led people to practice several rounds in the past two days.
Even if the Ningguo Mansion had heard the news, what could Lin Qi do? Would he desert the battlefield and become a laughing stock in the capital? He had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to the battle.
Xie Qian almost sympathized with the Duke of Ning's son. Ever since the broken engagement incident, the Duke of Ning's residence had been quiet in the capital. It was a rare opportunity for him to play polo, and Yan Ming, who had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, had found it.
Xie Qian smiled. In that case, the three of them could only go all out to make sure that the Prince of Ningguo would have a worthwhile trip.
The sun was shining brightly. Although there were many people at Qingyun Racecourse, the Xuanping Marquis Mansion had booked a square pavilion in advance for watching the race.
The manager of the horse farm was very happy to give the Marquis's Mansion this honor and personally reserved the Jingming Pavilion with a central view.
Gu Ningxi and her elder sister arrived late, and many pavilions were already filled with people, including many familiar faces.
She climbed the stairs and met the eyes of the people on Ruiyun Terrace.
After a moment, she pretended not to see it and went straight to Jingming Pavilion with her sister.
This pavilion is exclusively for the two of them to watch the game, and no outsiders are allowed.
Exquisite little treats were placed on the stone table, and Gu Ningxi picked out a piece of seasonal osmanthus cake.
Gu Ningwan looked at her: "Did you have a quarrel with His Majesty?"
"No," Gu Ningxi said, not looking away, "How dare I?"
Gu Ningwan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "What happened?"
"It's nothing serious, he just noticed I was drinking the contraceptive soup."
"Then..." Gu Ningwan hesitated, "Is His Majesty angry?"
"I don't know. I didn't hide it from him. It's just that he didn't ask, so I didn't tell him."
It didn't sound too unreasonable, so Gu Ningwan asked, "So what are you going to do in the future?"
More than a year has passed, and it is indeed time for Xier and His Majesty to make things clear. It can't be delayed for too long.
"I still have a few doses of contraceptive soup at home. I want to wait until I'm through this."
"You..." Gu Ningwan lowered her voice, "Aren't you planning to get married yet?"
Gu Ningxi's eyes dimmed: "This matter is not up to me to decide."
The difference between the ruler and his subjects was simply a matter of following his will. When affection was strong, he could concede to small matters, but he could also take it back at any time.
As they were talking, the polo match on the field had officially begun.
The two sides were clearly divided. The red side was led by Lin Qi, the son of Duke Ningguo, while the blue side was led by Qin Yu, the Duke of Qi.
Xie Qian and Zhen Yuan fully cooperated with their friend, and of course they wanted Yan Ming to win happily today.
Less than half an hour into the game, Qin Yu unceremoniously scored the first polo ball, and the outcome of the game was actually decided.
The polo ball just passed the goal, fell to the ground and bounced back, and soon entered the next round of scramble.
Gu Ningxi was watching absentmindedly, her situation was simply unsolvable.
The contraceptive soup is just an introduction. It will happen again sooner or later.
It's not just a theory either. Everything she can get depends on how much he is willing to let go.
Without him, she probably wouldn't have been able to enter the Secretariat and wouldn't have had her current career. But being sent to Jiangnan as planned was also a good idea. She and her cousin could look after each other and avoid being caught in a dilemma.
The second half of her life, which she had planned for many years, was cut short in one day, and she had tried her best to convince herself to accept it.
She knew she was avoiding him and wanted to live day by day, hoping that maybe one day he would let her go.
But there is no way around it, will we end up falling into the same trap as the canary?
On Ruiyun Terrace, Lu Jing had a panoramic view of the entire polo field.
Sun Jing wiped the sweat from his forehead. The tasks on the polo field were more difficult than each other. He didn't even know whether he should send someone to invite Lord Gu.
He looked at the sunny sky, hoping that the competition would end soon so that he could return to the palace.
However, there was someone on the field who was suffering more than General Manager Sun, and that person was undoubtedly the Prince of Ningguo, Lin Qi.
The match was already well over, and the clash between the blue and red teams was overwhelmingly one-sided. Gu Ningxi, observing the eighteen-to-one chip count, suddenly recalled a similar match between Prince Zhao's palace and Prince Huai's palace. Back then, her cousin, still in Kyoto, had recounted to her the scenery of Jiangnan. The beauty of Jiangnan was a place to stay, and her cousin had mentioned in a letter that he would be able to return to Beijing to report on his work around next spring. The expression on Prince Ning's face mirrored that of Prince Huai back then.
Gu Ningxi reached for the cake. Actually, Lin Qi's skills in both civil and military affairs were mediocre. It was just that the Ningguo Mansion had been promoting him year after year, and many of his colleagues were willing to flatter him, so he had lost track of his own strengths and truly considered himself the best among his peers.
"Let's change the dessert." Gu Ningwan said.
Xier ate most of the plate of osmanthus cake. It was obvious that the two snacks next to it were her favorites.
The gong sounded, and the game ended with twenty-four chips against two.
Among those two chips, one was casually put in for them by Marquis Wu'an. The implication of charity was too obvious, which was even more ironic than twenty-four to one.
"Shall we go?" After watching the game, Gu Ningwan wanted to leave with Gu Ningxi first. This would prevent Xi'er from running into His Majesty. She also didn't want to run into familiar faces, chat about the game, and listen to their sincere and hypocritical praise for her good marriage.
In this polo match, the Duke of Qi's Mansion triumphed over the Duke of Ning's Mansion, and Gu Ningwan was naturally delighted. However, when she thought of the dirty tricks the Duke of Ning was going to use against her, she felt disgusted and wished she could retaliate.
But this joy was all due to her husband making the decision for her and slapping the Lin family in the face, and had nothing to do with her.
When others mentioned her, they would always talk about how brave the Duke of Qi was and how good he was at riding and shooting; but when they mentioned her, they would say that she was lucky to have married a good husband.
The polo match was like this, so Gu Ningwan could understand her sister's mood very well.
Xier's current political achievements are earned by herself. Once she gets married, no matter how noble her husband is, all her glory will depend on the emperor.
Gu Ningxi lowered her eyes: "Sister, what do you think I should do?"
She couldn't find a way out. Could she possibly escape?
…
Gu Ningxi slept very uneasily that night.
She woke up just after the 3:00 AM hour and was no longer sleepy.
She simply changed her clothes and got up to prepare for today's court meeting.
The crimson official uniform was neatly ironed, facing the morning light, such bright colors seemed to complement the morning glow.
Lord Gu had risen earlier than usual, surprising Yin Lan as she prepared breakfast. Because Gu Ningxi had recently lost her appetite, they added some pickled vegetables to the table, specially sent by the Marquis's mansion. Gu Ningxi drank half a bowl of porridge, and the gatekeeper harnessed the carriage to escort Lord Gu to the palace.
At the morning court meeting, the Minister of Revenue first reported on the harvests in various provinces this autumn. Although tax revenues from various provinces had not yet been fully calculated, compared to the eleventh and twelfth years of the Wude era, this year's grain harvest had increased by more than 30%.
"This is due to your majesty's benevolent rule and the blessing of heaven. The weather has been good and the harvest has been good for the past year."
Furthermore, under the equal-field system, wasteland in various states was reclaimed. Coupled with improvements in agricultural tools and reduced corvée labor, the people were able to focus on farming.
There was a large area of land but few people. In order to increase the number of households, in addition to the government encouraging civil marriage and widow remarriage, His Majesty also ordered the Ministry of Revenue to allocate silver and send envoys to the Turks, Uighurs and other places to redeem the Han population.
Gu Ningxi held the jade sceptre. Some of these people who were stranded in the outer vassal states fled to the north to save their lives due to the war; more of them were abducted by the Hu people who came south, along with their property, and became slaves.
When she was inspecting water conservancy projects, she saw many families in the countryside who were forced to separate due to war, and many of them were still eagerly waiting for their families to return.
The imperial court had sent envoys to negotiate with the Turks, hoping to redeem 50,000 households. Those who could reveal where their homes were would be allowed to return; those who had lost their homes would be allocated land by the court for them to settle down.
This move was a great one, and it would restore population to the barren land as soon as possible, so the whole court had no objection.
After the court was dismissed, before Gu Ningxi left Hanyuan Hall, she saw Steward Sun waiting for her under the corridor.
She took the jade sceptre and followed Manager Sun to the imperial study.
The court affairs were quiet in the morning. After not seeing each other for four days, the two had already sorted out their thoughts.
Sun Jing made some tea and left, closing the hall door from outside.
Gu Ningxi sat in his usual seat, some distance away from the person behind the imperial desk.
Nowadays, marriage is encouraged throughout the Jin Dynasty, and marriages between noble families are frequent. There is an endless stream of memorials requesting His Majesty to establish a queen and take concubines.
The Ministry of Rites has prepared all the items needed for His Majesty's wedding. Lu Jingwang told Gu Ningxi that Yuan Le had been away from home as he wished for the past six months.
Since they got married at Prince Zhao's Mansion in May last year, the deadline they agreed on has arrived.
The meaning of his words was clear, and Gu Ningxi wanted to try it for herself: "Is it really so bad between me and His Majesty?"
"Are you going to remain nameless and without any status like this?"
Lu Jing was confused at first. He never wanted to let Yuan Le down, so what did she think of the relationship between them?
But recently, after observing the marriage arrangements at the Xuanping Marquisate, he seemed to have a solution. The Ningguo Duke's family was reluctant to fulfill the marriage contract, while Yan Ming was eager to marry the Gu family's daughter the next day.
The difference in feelings between them couldn't be more obvious. So Yuan Le, was she reluctant to marry him for the same reason?
"What is status?"
Whether it's the queen or the imperial concubine, for Gu Ningxi, aren't they both completely subordinate to each other?
She couldn't find a reason why she had to have a legitimate status. If it was because love was the natural outcome, she had never believed in that since she was a child. Her father had sworn to heaven and earth that he would only protect her mother for the rest of his life, so what was the point now?
If he wanted to give her a guarantee, wouldn't it be better if she could stay in the previous dynasty?
"What exactly do you want?" Lu Jing asked himself, having already given in enough to the man before him. "We're going to get married anyway. What do you want that I can't give you? Why are you so stubborn?"
He wanted to share this kingdom with her. He wanted her to stand upright beside him, receiving the congratulations of all the officials and people. In the future, their children would inherit the throne and continue the ancestral temple.
"Then why is Your Majesty still asking me? Your Majesty can just issue an imperial decree as before, and who would dare to disobey?"
What she wanted, even Gu Ningxi herself didn't know the answer.
She looked at the pile of memorials on the imperial desk. The court did not care about the origin of the people they employed. As long as they had real talent and hard work, he would make an exception and promote them, even if they were officials in the Huai Palace.
Gu Ningxi considered herself no less capable than them, but because she was a woman, and because of her added bond with him, it felt as if everything she had now was all thanks to him. In the future, those with ulterior motives would see her as relying on his protection to enter the Secretariat, and that all her political achievements were due to him.
No matter how hard she tried, it seemed like she would be trapped under the emperor's grace for the rest of her life.
Yes, if it weren't for him, she might have been squeezed out of the court in the struggle for the throne.
But she originally wanted to express it outside, because that was something that belonged to her in a clear and innocent way.
Now, thanks to the emperor's grace, she was allowed to stay in the court, and she had to kowtow to the emperor for his great grace. If she resisted, even she would think she was ungrateful.
No one wants to argue, but it's hard to stay calm at this moment.
"The country must have a successor, otherwise the government will be in turmoil and the people will be unstable. Do you know how many memorials I have suppressed in the past six months? Have you ever thought about me?"
One or two years might be fine, but after that, I'm afraid all kinds of rumors will spread like wildfire.
"If we have a child, and you continue to treat him like this, how will you prepare him to cope?"
"Are you going to let me hand over this kingdom to someone else after a hundred years?"
"If Your Majesty wants a prince, why not let someone else give birth?"
"Gu Yuanle!" Lu Jing's voice rose. This sentence really touched his bottom line.
"I only want to have a child with you. Do you understand?"
…
Outside the imperial study, noises could be heard from the inner room. Although they were not clear, it was obvious that they were arguing.
At this time, Sun Jing did not dare to go in to pass on the message, and anyone with a little bit of sense would not want to go in.
Xie Qian and General Manager Sun stood a few steps apart, looking up at the sky and the ground, and occasionally glancing at each other awkwardly.
Judging from the situation, the argument will probably be over for a while.
Xie Qian knew the situation and said, "Grand Steward, please inform His Majesty that I will come back another day."
He was just reporting back on the defense of the autumn hunt, so it wouldn't matter if he was a day late.
Xie Qian was able to leave in a carefree manner, but Sun Jing could only continue to guard alone, watching Wu'an Hou leave with envy.
Xie Qian descended the jade steps. He had no idea what the dispute between His Majesty and Lord Gu was about. As ministers and friends, they should not interfere.
But Xie Qian knew very well that few people could change His Majesty's decisions.
Just like when they besieged Luoyang, King Zhao Jianan of Xia led an army of 100,000, and many generals in the army wanted to retreat to avoid being surrounded by the armies of Zheng and Xia.
Under such circumstances, His Majesty was able to overcome all objections and disregard the generals' unanimous dissuasion, and finally ordered 3,500 black-armored cavalry to rush to Sishui Pass to fight against Zhao Jianan.
Xie Qian and the Xuanjia Army will never forget this battle, it is enough to make them famous in history.
He sighed. Although they were good friends who had been through life and death on the battlefield and had a close personal relationship, the three of them always remembered the duties and boundaries of the monarch and his subjects.
Only Lord Gu dares to challenge His Majesty at this time.
Xie Qian could only comfort himself that quarrels between couples were common and could not be resolved with common sense.
Besides, if they don’t quarrel, they might not look like a couple.
well.
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