Gu Qing was silent for a moment. He didn't care what Xin'er did, but he was afraid that someone with ulterior motives would make a fuss about it.
"Then do you know where the princess goes every day?"
This was what Cui Ru was most curious about. She scratched her head and said, "Madam, the princess didn't go anywhere. She just sat in the tea shop and looked at an old house."
"It seems the owner of that old house hasn't been back lately, and the yard is deserted. But I heard there's a smell of burning paper money every night."
"Burning paper money?" Gu Qing frowned slightly, thinking about it, and suddenly remembered something: "Send someone to find out if there was a person named Pei Shaoheng living in that courtyard."
After saying that, Gu Qing's worried expression was shrouded in a meaningful smile.
"Yes, ma'am."
Cuiru moved quickly and went out to inquire about the news. Cuiping helped her prepare the jewelry and hairpins she would need to wear for the palace night banquet in a few days.
Gu Qing usually dresses simply and comfortably, but this occasion is important, so she has to dress more solemnly and noblely.
"Madam, this looks good." Cuiping placed the long red gold pine and crane hairpin in Gu Qing's bun, her eyes full of admiration for Madam's beautiful face.
Gu Qing shook his head: "It's too dazzling and it steals the limelight."
"The Nichang skirt that the owner of the Nichang Pavilion made for me is made of moon-shadow yarn. In the night, the silk threads look like fireflies. It is even better with a jade hairpin than a gold hairpin." Gu Qing looked at the Magnolia Flying Saucer Step-Shape in front of him and said, "This is it."
Cui Ping was puzzled for a moment. "Madam, isn't it too simple to wear only one hairpin? The women at the banquet are competing for beauty. You have such a beautiful face. If you dress up carefully, you will definitely outshine them all."
Gu Qing laughed: "So what if I am better than them? Do I, Madam, still have to choose a son-in-law?"
"That's not necessary." Cuiping couldn't help but smile, and immediately understood what she meant: "Madam, you want to be low-key but not shabby. As long as it is noble and comfortable to look at, that's all."
"Yes." Gu Qing admired her cleverness and quick understanding. "I have two rolls of fine cloth in my closet. Go make a dress for me and come with me to the banquet."
Upon hearing this, Cui Ping immediately knelt before Gu Qing and asked, "Madam...are you taking me with you too?"
"You are smart and clever, and you are the best choice."
Cui Ping's eyes were red, and she lowered her head and said seriously, "Thank you for your appreciation, Madam. I will definitely serve you."
As she spoke, she seemed to recall something: "Madam, Pei'er's health seems to have worsened in the past few days. He always walks unsteadily and often faints in the middle of a walk."
"Last time, she was in a hurry to come and serve Madam. I followed Madam's instructions and asked her to rest for a few more days, but she lost her strength before she even left the house."
Gu Qing pretended to be surprised: "Really?!"
"Yes, do you want to ask a doctor to come and take a look?" Cuiping raised her eyes and glanced at the lady's expression, as if she had guessed something.
Gu Qing didn't intend to hide it from her: "Go and ask Doctor Zhang to come and take a look at Pei'er."
"Remember, it must be Doctor Zhang."
"I understand." Cuiping had already figured out Madam's temperament over the past few days. She thought that she wanted to boil the frog in warm water and get rid of Pei'er step by step.
Otherwise, if she had treated Pei'er so well in the past, why would this happen?
But Pei'er is a traitor, and the lady is willing to give her some face, which is already her blessing. If it were me, I would definitely execute her directly!
If you betray your wife once, you will be useless for the rest of your life.
As the two of them were talking, Liao Feng knocked on the door and came in: "Madam."
"Le Feng? But the young master sent you here?"
Liao Feng nodded: "Yes, this is also what the young master asked his subordinates to give to the lady."
Gu Qing looked at the box in his hand. Cuiping took it, opened it and handed it to Gu Qing. Inside was a crystal clear purple hairpin.
Not to mention the night, even in broad daylight now, there are fireflies like the Milky Way.
Such a beautiful and precious thing is obviously not an ordinary item. Gu Qing has lived for two lifetimes and has never seen jade with such good water color.
It would be a pity to use it to make a lily hairpin.
But the smile on Gu Qing's face was genuine. She raised her eyes and looked at Feng: "Where did this jade hairpin come from?"
"Madam, I don't know where it came from. I only know that for several months, the young master has been searching for jewelry worthy of yours, and only today did he obtain this purple jade firefly hairpin."
Gu Qing felt warm in her heart and smiled, "Thank you for taking the trouble to come all this way. I see you seem to have something else to say?"
Le Feng nodded: "This is an invitation to the palace banquet. The young master is in the military camp now, so I asked my subordinate to bring it back to you first."
"Three days later, at the palace's night banquet, His Majesty will suddenly host a banquet for all the beauties. He will ask the women of each family to prepare their talents for a competition. The winner will receive the phoenix hairpin worn by the empress on her wedding day."
Gu Qing's eyes deepened slightly when he heard this.
There was no banquet for beauties in the previous life, but the emperor suddenly decided to hold one in this life. Why?
Seeing her puzzled expression, Liao Feng explained, "The young master knows that Madam is curious, so he asked me to tell you that an envoy from the Northern Frontier will be attending this evening banquet."
"In the final analysis, Your Majesty did this for Tianxuan's sake."
Gu Qing suddenly understood what was going on, but he became even more lost in thought: "People from the Northern Frontier are here too."
With this said, there was a real turmoil in the capital.
Le Feng didn't say anything more. He bowed slightly and left Chen's house.
That night, when Chen Zhizhou came back, it was already three o'clock in the morning. He waited until the coldness on his body dissipated before he got into bed and held Gu Qing in his arms.
Feeling the familiar embrace, Gu Qing subconsciously rubbed against him, and said softly: "I'm back."
This sound made Chen Zhizhou feel itchy in his heart, and his hands began to wander around her body.
Gu Qing felt a little uncomfortable when he touched her. She opened her eyes slightly and said with some annoyance: "What are you doing?"
Chen Zhizhou gently kissed her snow-white neck, "Madam, you are so alluring. How can I resist you?"
"You have to endure it even if you can't help it." Gu Qing suddenly woke up and held his hand: "I'm on my period, so I can't mess around."
"I know, do you like the purple jade hairpin today?"
Gu Qing smiled coquettishly and lay back in his arms: "Of course I like it. This purple jade is rare. It would be a pity to use it to make a hairpin."
Chen Zhizhou patted her back gently: "As long as it's something for Madam, there's nothing I wouldn't regret."
"But this is not a simple hairpin." Chen Zhizhou sat up: "Would you like to take a look, Madam?"
Gu Qing was no longer sleepy and sat up as well, with a hint of surprise: "Okay."
Inside the house, a faint candlelight illuminated the faces of the two people. Chen Zhizhou picked up the purple jade hairpin. The purple jade shone as brightly as a firefly in the night, so beautiful that people couldn't take their eyes off it.
And the next moment, he suddenly twisted the hairpin, revealing the mystery inside.
There are ten poisonous needles hidden in the hairpin. The poisonous needles can be shot out by just slightly rotating the hairpin, which is most suitable for close combat defense.
Gu Qing suddenly opened his eyes wide: "If it is so useful!"
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