Chapter 40 Chapter 40 is the only genuine version...
Gu Zhizhuo went to Fengluan Palace first, and the queen praised her with a smile on her face.
She listened for a long time but couldn't understand the queen's intention of summoning her to the palace.
Soon, the queen sent her away and asked a young palace maid to take her to Chonghua Palace.
Gu Zhizhuo took his leave obediently and walked away briskly.
Chonghua Palace is located to the east of Fengluan Palace. The little palace maid first walked towards the Imperial Garden. After reaching the Imperial Garden, she led her to the path on the left.
The young palace maid took a few steps and found that Gu Zhizhuo had not caught up, so she asked, "Miss Gu, this way..."
"Do you think I don't know where Chonghua Palace is?"
When Gu Zhizhuo was a child, he lived in the palace for several years. Even though his memory was a little vague after a lifetime, he could not have forgotten the location of Chonghua Palace.
The young palace maid was stunned for a moment. She had just entered the palace two years ago and was transferred to Fengluan Palace as a maid this year. She was not familiar with Gu Zhizhuo.
Fearing she had messed up her job, she quickly said, "No, Miss Gu, this servant, this servant...it's the Third Prince who's there and wants to see you. He wants this servant to take you over."
Xie Jing?
"Where is His Royal Highness the Third Prince?"
"It's right up ahead, at the Lan Pavilion."
Gu Zhizhuo smiled slightly and said, "Let's go. Just talk to me nicely."
"yes."
The little palace maid breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Miss Gu had a good temper and said something different from the aunts.
Walking along a waterfront corridor, Gu Zhizhuo immediately saw Xie Jing standing in the middle of the pavilion. He seemed very irritable, pacing back and forth with one arm hanging somewhat unnaturally.
"Your Highness."
Gu Zhizhuo stepped forward and bowed.
Without waiting for him to say no, she stood up on her own, with a beautiful smile under her veil.
Once upon a time, Xie Jing never took her seriously and was extremely disgusted with the marriage contract that tied him to her.
But I also don't know when this disgust turned into uneasiness, as if something bad would happen as soon as I saw her.
Thinking about it this way, Xie Jing realized that he shouldn't have asked Gu Zhizhuo to meet him in the pavilion.
This even more unpleasant memory reappeared.
Xie Jing's handsome face was gloomy. The wound on his forehead was shallow and was covered with thick powder.
"Your Highness," Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile, "I heard you fell off your horse. Are you okay?"
It would have been fine if he hadn't asked. But when he did, Xie Jing gritted his teeth and said, "Are you sorry you didn't die from the fall?"
"yes."
The young maid looked around, feeling a bit uneasy. Xie Jing raised his hand to dismiss her. When only Xiao Yunzi and her two maids were around, he said irritably, "I'm the one who does everything, and you're just going to sit there and watch?"
This place is extremely open, with no rockery or flowers nearby. Anyone who appears within a hundred steps can be seen immediately.
"Those who are capable should do more work." Gu Zhizhuo said without any hesitation.
Xie Jing: “…”
He had the urge to strangle her again, and it was getting stronger.
"Your Highness, you've done very well." To make the horse run obediently, Gu Zhizhuo still remembered to feed it some maltose. "It's only one step away from completing the ninety-nine steps."
Gu Zhizhuo walked slowly to the railing, pulled off a willow branch, turned around and smiled at him: "Your Highness, the emperor's attitude is touching."
Xie Jing was silent for a moment and nodded.
After he fell into the lake, his father's attitude towards him returned to what it was before. He loved him even more than his other brothers.
After the fall from the horse, my father rushed over immediately, unable to conceal the heartache and worry in his eyes. He even met with the Imperial Observatory that day and summoned Master Qingping from the Taiqing Temple to the palace overnight.
However, although he was moved, the emperor still did not give in.
Gu Zhizhuo clapped his hands softly: "Then please keep up the good work, Your Highness."
When she tilted her head, the pearl flowers on her temples swayed gently, as if butterflies were resting in her hair, making her look radiant and charming.
“Gu Zhizhuo!!”
"Here I am."
Gu Zhizhuo looked innocent.
"Your Highness, would you like me to tell your fortune?"
Seeing that he didn't answer, Gu Zhizhuo continued, "I calculated with my fingers, and Your Highness will suffer a bloody disaster today."
Here we go again!
Xie Jing stared at her hands playing with the willow branches.
She wound the twigs around her long fingers in such a careless manner that she did not even pretend.
He sneered, his whole body covered with a cold aura like ice and snow.
Gu Zhizhuo was not afraid at all and said, "Whether it was falling into the water or falling off a horse, the emperor saw you afterwards. You couldn't bear to do it, and the injuries were neither light nor serious. To the emperor, perhaps, they were not a big deal."
She still thought her injuries weren't severe enough! Xie Jing gnashed his teeth in anger.
"You said it yourself, the Emperor has already been moved." She smiled and urged, "Why don't you let him see it with his own eyes? Continuing this engagement will only put you in danger, with unforeseen casualties."
"The Emperor cares about you the most. This self-torture trick will only work if you use it."
"What do you think?"
Xie Jing's eyes were gloomy.
He couldn't help but suspect that the reasons she gave only accounted for 50% of her reasons. At least half of her reasons were simply to see him get into trouble!
Thinking of this, Xie Jing's forehead began to ache again.
Gu Zhizhuo crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on the railing behind him, not hiding the gloating look in his eyes.
Xie Jing glared angrily. After a moment, he said hastily, "Once this matter is settled, we owe each other nothing."
Gu Zhizhuo smiled but said nothing.
"Your Highness, I will take my leave now. Please take your time to consider whether to do this or not."
Gu Zhizhuo bowed and left without any reluctance. Her skirt fluttered, her steps were light, and the butterflies on her head seemed to be dancing.
This time, without any delay and without the need for anyone to lead the way, Gu Zhizhuo went straight to Chonghua Palace.
She was treated no differently than Xie Danling in Chonghua Palace, and there was no need to inform anyone. Immediately, a young palace maid happily welcomed her in.
Xie Danling was waiting bored, but when he saw her, his eyes lit up.
"You're finally here!"
Xie Danling ran towards her, tapped her forehead again and again with her white and tender fingers, and said with a fierce face: "How long has it been since you came to the palace to play with me?"
"You won't come unless the Queen summons you!"
"I've been waiting for you every day, but you've already forgotten me!"
Xie Danling pouted, put one hand on her waist, and her face showed: I am very angry.
Gu Zhizhuo hugged her immediately and said sweetly, "Cousin Danling, I miss you so much, so much!"
What a liar! Xie Danling remained unmoved.
"Really, really. Don't be angry."
Xie Danling turned away and snorted, "I don't believe you. You've been in the palace for almost an hour and you're just now coming to see me!"
Gu Zhizhuo hugged her and acted coquettishly, "I brought you something good."
Xie Danling's humming paused for a moment, and Gu Zhizhuo quickly asked Qiongfang to take it over: "Look!"
Xie Danling took a glance and saw Qiongfang holding a kite in her hand. She and Qingmei slowly unfurled the kite together.
Wow!
Her eyes lit up.
A cat!
There is an incredibly beautiful tabby cat on this kite.
"nice!"
Xie Danling praised it with a smile that was as bright and beautiful as a tongue twister. "This is the first time I've seen a kite made by a raccoon."
"Right, right," Gu Zhizhuo said proudly, "I drew this with my own hands, and I guarantee no one will fly in the sky."
Qingmei nodded silently. Not to mention the Fifth Princess, even the craftsman who made kites was stunned for a long time when he heard about their girl's idea. He repeatedly confirmed whether he really wanted to make a kite out of a raccoon. If the girl had not been dressed in luxurious clothes and paid a silver coin, she would have been almost driven out as a troublemaker.
Xie Danling nodded her head like a chick pecking at rice, and said happily, "The kites in the palace are either phoenixes, hawks, butterflies, dragonflies, or something like that. They're not interesting at all. This one looks nice."
She took the kite and said happily, "Mom, my cousin and I are going to fly a kite."
Gu Zhizhuo only had time to bow to Concubine Shu. He wanted to ask the emperor why he suddenly summoned her into the palace, but he was dragged out before he could ask.
However, my aunt probably doesn't know either, otherwise she would have called them.
Concubine Shu was indeed unaware of the Emperor and Empress' intentions. She watched her cousins running towards the gate of Chonghua Palace and said with a smile, "Look at them! They're almost coming of age, and they're still quarreling all day long. Now they're all alone, and they're about to quarrel."
The complaint, full of smiles, was not convincing at all.
Xie Danling pulled her and ran away in a short while. They did not go to the Imperial Garden because Xie Danling thought there were too many trees and people and she could not find a good place to fly the kite.
"I'll take you to a nice place!"
Xie Danling led her towards the front dynasty as she was familiar with the route. After a few turns and around rockery and several palaces and waterside pavilions, they arrived near a water pavilion. It was very close to the front dynasty, separated only by a small artificial lake.
"Let's play here." Xie Danling took her hand and then complained, "It's all your fault."
"Why?"
"If you hadn't come to play with me today, there wouldn't be so many people here, and we would have more places to play."
Gu Zhizhuo wouldn't let her blame it on him, saying, "You didn't come to play with me either. The garden at the Zhenguo Mansion is huge! And there aren't many trees!"
Hmm, that seems to make some sense. Xie Danling pouted: "Tell me, I'm a princess, why do I have to learn to play the qin? If I don't learn the qin well, you won't let me leave the palace. How can that be justified!"
She muttered complaints, but did not forget to remind Gu Zhizhuo to hold the kite well.
"You let go when I say let go!"
"good!"
Xie Danling picked up the spool and started running. She felt like she had run a long way, but in reality, it was less than twenty steps. She stood there, waving at Gu Zhizhuo, signaling that she could let go.
"Not enough, not enough. I have to run again."
Isn't that enough? Xie Danling estimated the distance and ran forward again.
“It’s not enough!”
Xie Danling continued to run, and suddenly she fell flat on the ground.
Gu Zhizhuo: “…”
Her personal maid stood by and smiled with her hands covering her mouth.
Gu Zhizhuo ran over and offered her his hand. Xie Danling grabbed her hand and climbed up, nonchalantly brushing off the dust on her skirt. The two looked at each other and said in tacit understanding -
Change!
Xie Danling pouted, handed the spool to her, and took the kite obediently.
Gu Zhizhuo ran a long way with the spool in his hand, and shouted at the top of his voice, "Let go!"
Xie Danling let go of her hand instantly, and Gu Zhizhuo continued to run while pulling her. After a while, a huge tabby cat slowly flew up.
Wow!
“It’s flying!”
Xie Danling clapped her hands excitedly, her little face flushed red.
She played with the kite by herself, but it never flew!
Gu Zhizhuo ran around with the spool of thread, then ran back and stuffed the spool into her hand. He pointed at the tabby cat and said, "Raise it higher!"
While spinning the spool, Xie Danling looked up at the kite in the sky and was very fond of it.
As the kite flew higher and higher, she continued to complain to her little cousin, "I don't want to learn the zither. My mother also said that listening to me play gives her a headache. The Empress is insisting that I learn all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. If I fail the examination, she won't let me leave the palace."
Xie Danling is good at chess, calligraphy and painting, especially painting. She has a good sense of color and excellent skills. However, she is only good at playing the piano. Not only does Xie Danling have no musical sense, but her left and right hands are not very coordinated.
Even Gu Zhizhuo knows this.
When they were young, Concubine Shu and their mother had taught them personally, but they were almost led astray by their cousin Danling by accident.
Later, Concubine Shu gave up.
"You said, I'm just a princess, if I don't know how to do it, why do I have to learn it?"
"That's right!" Gu Zhizhuo didn't understand either. She said confidently, "If your husband complains that you can't play the zither in the future, just divorce him. Then you can find someone else who can play it yourself."
Xie Danling nodded vigorously. Her little cousin really loved her.
Especially...
Xie Danling looked around, then leaned closer to her and whispered, "In the past, the Queen never cared about me. I don't know what happened this time."
"When something is out of the ordinary, there must be something wrong." Gu Zhizhuo said.
"That's what I thought too... Yeah!"
As she was speaking, Xie Danling suddenly let out a soft cry and the kite's string broke.
The chubby tabby cat flew with the wind.
"Chase after them."
Gu Zhizhuo threw the spool of thread to Qiongfang, and the two of them chased in the direction the kite flew away.
The wind was strong and favorable today, making it easy to fly a kite high. If the string snapped, it would be blown far away. The two chased it all the way to the lake, where they watched helplessly as the kite flew over the lake and swayed, catching precariously on the eaves of a hexagonal pavilion.
The black tabby cat sways in the sunshine and in the wind.
The two cousins looked at each other.
what to do.
Xie Danling clenched his right fist and struck his left palm vigorously. "Let's go to Xiyunwu to get it."
Gu Zhizhuo's mind moved, he pinched the pill in the secret pocket of his sleeve and said with a smile: "Okay."
The two hit it off immediately and headed towards Xiyunwu.
Xie Yingchen was not the emperor's biological son. In order to avoid suspicion, he lived in Xiyunwu, a "separate house". Xiyunwu was located on the other side of the lake, half of which was on the lake, and could not be passed from the harem.
So they made a big circle and went around from the direction of Shuntian Gate.
There are Jinwu Guards guarding in front of Xiyunwu.
As far as Gu Zhizhuo knew, there were 150 Jinwu Guards on duty in the entire Xiyunwu.
"The gate is here..."
Before Gu Zhizhuo could finish his words, Xie Danling stopped him and said, "We're not going in from here."
Um?
Gu Zhizhuo was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Are we not allowed to go in? Not even with a kite?" She frowned. If that was the case, the young master's situation might be worse than she thought.
Xie Danling said as a matter of course, "No." She changed the subject and asked, "Yaoyao, have you met cousin Chen?"
“I’ve seen it!”
"I haven't seen it."
Xie Danling said disappointedly, "After cousin Chen returned, my father held a welcoming banquet for him. As a result, I stumbled over the piece 'Spring Ballad' and my teacher complained to me. The Empress then punished me by making me practice it a hundred times and forbidding me to leave the house."
"It's disgusting."
"Everyone in the palace has seen it, except me!"
She became angrier and angrier as she spoke, and pouted.
"Even if you don't let me see you, I insist on seeing you."
Xie Danling hooked her finger at Gu Zhizhuo and whispered, "So, let's climb over the wall and go in. If we're discovered, we'll just say we're here to pick up kites. If no one sees us, we'll just look at Cousin Chen and leave."
Hmm.
Gu Zhizhuo met a pair of moist phoenix eyes that were very similar to hers.
She pulled Gu Zhizhuo and shook him coquettishly: "Okay."
The Jinwu Guards looked at each other in bewilderment. They couldn't help but want to go up and remind the Fifth Princess that they were still here, breathing, able to hear and see. Could they please show some respect to her?
It’s not okay to say things like climbing a wall in front of them, right?
"good!"
Gu Zhizhuo agreed readily.
In broad daylight and in front of the Jinwu Guards, they quietly touched the wall of Xiyunwu. It was just like the high walls of every palace, simple and unadorned.
Qingmei looked at the two people with an indescribable expression.
The Fifth Princess dared to say it, and Miss Gu really dared to agree. She said she would climb the wall and she climbed the wall. She didn't know what to say.
She might not know it to the whole world, but at least she knew that the Fifth Princess's physical coordination was extremely poor.
"Keep watch!"
After Xie Danling finished speaking, she was about to climb the wall.
Keeping watch? The Jinwu Guards were standing there, so why would they need to keep watch? Qingmei thought about it, but decided to just "keep watch" honestly. Then she watched as the Fifth Princess laboriously carried a large stone, even with her own hands!
She struggled to hold onto the wall with both hands, stepped on the stones and climbed up, then slid down with a "swoosh".
This, this, this, it's simply too embarrassing to watch! Qingmei couldn't help but turn her head to the side, and when she turned her head, she saw that the Jinwu Guards were all looking at her, laughing secretly.
Xie Danling continued to climb, panting, and in the end only a few nail marks so shallow that they were barely visible were left on the wall.
Gu Zhizhuo: “…”
Reliving her life again, she almost forgot that her little cousin would fall flat on her face while running, could never throw a ball into a pot, and could never kick a second ball with a shuttlecock...
"I'll do it!"
Gu Zhizhuo patted his chest and felt proud and courageous.
Xie Danling wiped the sweat from his forehead, stepped aside, and earnestly warned: "This wall is unusual, very high, it's a good thing you don't step on it..."
Before she could finish her words, she saw her little cousin lift her foot and push against the wall. She didn't know how she did it, but she jumped up very high. Then she climbed the edge of the wall with one hand, exerted force with her arm, and jumped up and sat on the top of the wall.
Gu Zhizhuo looked down at her: "Cousin Danling, what were you saying just now? I didn't hear clearly."
This is not important! Xie Danling waved her hand and asked cheerfully: "Look quickly, have you seen cousin Chen?"
Gu Zhizhuo looked around.
They had been climbing for quite some time, and almost all the Jinwu Guards knew about it, fearing they might accidentally fall and get hurt. Seeing her sitting on the top of the wall, the patrolling Jinwu Guards all had indescribable expressions on their faces.
"I didn't see it." Gu Zhizhuo turned around and said to Xie Danling, "But I saw the kite, right there."
Xie Danling looked disappointed.
Gu Zhizhuo said, "How about I shout?"
"Okay, okay."
Qingmei had a headache.
However, the eldest girl chose the right time.
The eldest girl never treated her as an outsider, and even put the medicine for Gongzi Chen into her secret bag without avoiding her.
Therefore, Qingmei knew that the young lady had come to the palace to find an opportunity to give the medicine to Gongzi Chen. However, as a young lady, it would be inappropriate for her to meet Gongzi Chen alone, no matter where, as it would definitely attract attention, and Gongzi Chen had many spies around him. Now, however, as if it were a child's play, if she could give the medicine without anyone noticing, it would be perfect.
"Thank you, Master!"
Gu Zhizhuo really shouted.
She only called out the first time, there was no need for a second time. She was talking to Xie Danling about the scenery on the wall. When she turned around, she met Xie Yingchen's smiling eyes.
Xie Yingchen stood in the corridor not far away, with his hair tied up with a jade crown, his eyebrows and eyes were gentle, and he looked extremely noble.
His figure was even thinner than the last time I saw him at Taiqing Temple, as if he would fall down with a gust of wind.
Xie Yingchen had noticed the commotion outside long ago, and when a member of the Jinwu Guard came to report that the Fifth Princess and Miss Gu were climbing the wall, he came out. However, Xie Yingchen never imagined that they were actually climbing!
He couldn't help but smile with his hands covering his lips, his eyebrows and eyes clear.
Qin Chen followed Xie Yingchen, completely stunned: "You, you, you..."
Why are you here?!
“Also, also, also…”
Climbing the wall!
Can the girl from the Gu family even climb walls so skillfully?
"Thank you, Master."
Gu Zhizhuo smiled and waved to him, the joy on his face as bright as the morning sun.
Xie Yingchen walked towards her.
Qin Chen opened his lips slightly and was about to say that someone was watching him, but before he could say anything, Huai Jingzhi pulled his sleeve. When he turned around, Huai Jingzhi looked at him as if he were a fool.
The timing of this meeting was perfect. No one would suspect Miss Gu had other motives!
Xie Yingchen walked to the foot of the wall, only about ten steps away from her.
Gu Zhizhuo smiled at him.
"Sir, that...it's just like this and that."
She was sitting on the wall so carefree, with her legs hanging out, her butterfly-embroidered shoes exposed, her hair a little messy, and her dress a little dusty, but her eyes were clear and bright, and she was breathtakingly beautiful in the sunlight.
Every time he saw her, Xie Yingchen's eyes would unconsciously fall on her.
"Did you see that?"
Xie Danling's voice came from the other side of the wall.
Gu Zhizhuo lowered her right hand, and a small pill fell silently into the grass along her fingertips.
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