Everyone stayed up until midnight before leaving.
After returning to the room, they slept for less than an hour before getting up in a hurry.
After washing, dressing, and changing clothes, he rushed to the second gate, boarded the carriage, and left the mansion to meet up with the people from the Marquis' Mansion.
Old Madam Wei opened the carriage door, looked towards the people in the Gu Mansion, and asked, "Is everyone here?"
The eldest wife, Zhang, nodded and said, "Reporting to the old lady, everyone is here."
"Have the children learned the rules?"
"Don't worry, old lady. The children have been following the nanny these past few days and have learned the palace rules thoroughly. I guarantee they won't make any mistakes once they enter the palace."
Old Madam Wei nodded and said, "Now that everyone is here, let's set off."
The carriage drove steadily towards the palace gate.
It snowed yesterday and a thin layer of snow accumulated on the ground.
The carriage rolled past, making a creaking sound.
In front of the Jinguang Gate of the Imperial City, the carriages of each family have been lined up in order according to their rank.
Old Madam Wei is a super-rank lady, and she should be ranked at the front with all the people in the Marquis' Mansion.
When the two families separated, Madam Wei instructed Zhang and Xie, "Once you enter the palace, follow the rules and regulations and take good care of the children."
"My niece-in-law listens to the old lady."
Everyone from the Marquis' Mansion went to the front, while the Gu Mansion's carriage stopped at the back.
There isn't much else in the capital, except for a lot of officials and a lot of nobles.
A third-rank imperial edict was not a high enough honor in the capital, so naturally one could only rank at the back.
Xie stretched her neck and looked towards the palace gate.
The eldest wife, Zhang, knocked on the carriage and reminded them, "Don't look anymore, second brother and sister-in-law. The palace gates won't open for another hour. If you feel sleepy, just take a nap in the carriage. Once you get to the palace, you'll be exhausted after a day."
Xie looked at Zhang through the car window and asked quietly, "Since the palace gates won't open until an hour later, why are you all here so early?"
The eldest wife, Zhang, said, "This is the rule. Look, how many carriages are parked at the palace gate? If we don't get here early and line up, it will be chaotic. There are even more people at Mingde Gate. Court officials, relatives of the royal family, are all queuing at Mingde Gate."
The weather was extremely cold and Xie couldn't help but shiver.
Zhang added, "Don't be nervous, sister-in-law. Consorts of our rank usually stand far away and pay their respects to the Empress together with everyone else. Normally, we don't get to show our faces. Even though we'll have fewer opportunities to show our faces, we can still get through the day safely."
Upon hearing this, Xie asked, "Could it be that during the annual celebrations, someone still gets into trouble?"
Zhang nodded, "Of course. So if you follow the rules, nothing will go wrong."
Xie's heart was pounding, and she felt a little uneasy. She looked towards the carriage behind.
Zhang followed Xie's gaze and saw that Xie was looking at the carriage that Gu Yue was riding in.
Yes, among the three legitimate daughters, Gu Yue is the most noisy.
Originally, Xie didn't want to bring Gu Yue into the palace, but she was worried that Gu Yue would cause a big disturbance in the mansion, causing chaos during the New Year.
The first time she entered the palace to pay homage, Xie thought over and over again and decided to bring Gu Yue out to see the world.
In a few months, Gu Yue will marry into the Haixi Marquis's Mansion. If she has never even been to the palace, it would be considered quite unsophisticated.
Gu Yue clutched her handkerchief, feeling both nervous and excited. She had already made up her mind to behave well today, letting everyone know that she was a well-behaved girl.
Gu Jiu was sitting in the carriage, dozing off.
According to palace rules, only one maid can be brought into the palace. Gu Jiu mentioned Qingmei's name.
Qingmei looked outside the carriage and saw that lanterns were hung on each carriage, lined up in rows, looking extremely spectacular.
Outside the lights, it was pitch black, and you couldn't see your hand in front of you.
She muttered, "I wonder when I can enter the palace."
Gu Jiu was sleeping soundly, and the fact that she was about to enter the palace did not affect her at all.
Qingmei smiled secretly, "What a generous girl."
Gu Jiu tilted his head and fell down.
Qingmei quickly supported her, "Girl, if you want to sleep, sleep well. Don't lie down on the floor. Otherwise, your hair will get messy and your clothes will get wrinkled. What will you do?"
Gu Jiu muttered something, smacked his lips, and continued to doze off.
Time always passes slowly while waiting.
It felt like an eternity had passed before the palace gate slowly opened.
Everyone got off the carriage one by one and prepared to line up to enter the imperial city.
Qingmei saw movement in front and quickly woke Gu Jiu up.
"Girl, wake up, we're going in."
Gu Jiu suddenly woke up, blinked his eyes, and asked, "Is the palace gate open?"
Qingmei nodded, took a wet towel to wipe the corners of Gu Jiu's eyes, and tidied up Gu Jiu's clothes and hairdress.
"The girl is so beautiful."
Gu Jiu didn't care at all, "In this occasion, beauty or not is not important at all."
Gu Jiu jumped off the carriage nimbly, scaring Qingmei half to death.
She naggled in Gu Jiu's ear, "Miss, you better be careful. This is at the palace gate, and the ladies of all the families are watching. And what if you sprain your ankle, what will you do?"
Perhaps one of the ladies is Gu Jiu's future mother-in-law. What would happen if the future mother-in-law saw Gu Jiu's unruly side?
"Don't worry, no one will notice me."
The eldest wife, Zhang, called out softly, "Come here, everyone. Follow behind me, don't look around, don't talk nonsense, and keep your heads down. Try to eat and drink as little as possible, and it's best not to eat or drink at all, to avoid the three urgent needs. Do you understand?"
"Understood."
Zhang then asked Xie, "Sister-in-law, how are you? Are you okay?"
Xie was so nervous that her palms were sweating, but she kept trying, "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, sister-in-law."
"I'm glad you're okay."
The team started moving and everyone walked forward in a line.
When they arrived at the palace gate, they handed over their badges. The eunuchs checked the badges and confirmed that the identities and numbers of the people were correct before letting everyone in.
Entering the palace is like entering another world.
No one spoke. Everyone was well-behaved and lined up to follow the eunuchs, passing through one palace gate after another, and finally arrived at the side hall of Weiyang Palace to wait.
In the side halls, all the ladies were ladies of the third and fourth ranks.
The first and second rank ladies were in the adjacent hall.
The ladies of the highest rank and the royal family were waiting in the side hall.
The side hall was full of people. Gu Jiu took a quick look and estimated that there were probably no less than two or three hundred people.
The huge side hall was packed with people, but not a single sound was made.
Not only did no one speak, it seemed as if everyone had stopped breathing.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous in such an occasion.
Fortunately, Gu Jiu is very good at regulating his emotions, so he is quite comfortable.
Gu Yue and Gu Shan were both so nervous that their hands were shaking. They felt like they needed to go to the bathroom, but they couldn't say it out loud.
Seeing how nervous they were, Zhang whispered a reminder, "If you're really nervous, just count in your mind. As you count, you'll feel less nervous."
Gu Shan bit her lip and said, "Niece, I listen to my aunt."
Gu Yue grabbed the armrest of the chair, "Mother, daughter..."
Mrs. Xie looked at Gu Yue with a cold gaze, "Listen to your aunt and don't make a fuss."
At this time, Xie had begun to regret bringing Gu Yue into the palace.
Gu Yue felt very aggrieved. It was like this every time. Before she could finish her words, her mother interrupted her.
Gu Yue was a bit of a hothead, but she also knew that this was the imperial palace, not a place where she could act recklessly. She could only endure it and keep it to herself.
Zhang looked towards Gu Jiu, "Is Xiao Jiu nervous?"
Gu Ji pursed his lips and smiled, "Thank you for your concern, auntie. I'm fine."
Zhang was relieved and said, "Just tell me if you have anything to say."
"Well, I'll listen to my aunt."
Gu Jiu has his own way of entertaining himself.
In order not to attract other people's attention, she observed the person sitting opposite her out of the corner of her eye.
Based on their clothing and appearance, try to describe their personality traits.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s accurate or not. The key is that time flies by in this way.
It felt like I had barely analyzed a few people when I heard some noise outside.
Someone said, "The Queen has risen."
In the side hall, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The Queen Mother has woken up and will probably be able to go to the main hall to pay her respects in about an hour.
I don’t know whose little girl it was, but she suddenly fainted, perhaps because she was too nervous.
Gu Ji subconsciously wanted to walk over, but just as he raised his foot, he came to his senses and realized that this was the imperial palace and he couldn't act recklessly.
The raised foot was then retracted without anyone noticing.
A palace maid came in to check on the situation and saw that the little girl had fainted, so she carried her away.
The girl's mother was furious and annoyed, but she couldn't vent her anger. She could only follow the palace maid out of the side hall.
When Xie saw this scene, her heart beat abnormally fast.
She whispered to Zhang, "Will that lady ever come back?"
Zhang said: "If we can recover before the court ceremony, we can still come back. But it will be hard for the girl. When she gets married in the future, people will inevitably mention this matter. I'm afraid she won't be able to marry into a wealthy family." Most likely, she can only marry a lower-class man.
Zhang didn't say the last sentence out loud. She was afraid of scaring Xie, Gu Shan, and Gu Jiu.
As for the fact that Gu Yue is already engaged, it’s not that important.
Time goes so slowly.
This is what everyone thinks.
But even so, everyone has to endure and hold it in.
The sky gradually brightened, and the first day of the new year began.
The side hall was heated by floor heating, so it was warm and I didn't feel cold.
It was just that time was unbearable, and many people quietly moved their bodies to a more comfortable position.
There was movement outside again.
A eunuch entered the side hall and said, "The Empress has just returned from Taiji Palace, where she received congratulations from all the officials. Ladies, please prepare yourselves and follow me to the main hall to pay my respects to the Empress."
Someone, who obviously knew the eunuch, said, "Thank you, Attendant Wang."
"You're welcome, ma'am."
The eunuch called Wang Changshi came out of the side hall and went about his business.
Zhang reminded everyone, "Cheer up. Once the ceremony in the adjacent hall is over, it will be our turn."
Gu Yue said pitifully, "Aunt, my niece is nervous."
Zhang smiled and said to her, "Don't be afraid. It will be over soon."
Gu Yue nodded, still looking aggrieved.
Seeing this, Xie frowned and whispered, "Who are you showing this to? Are you feeling wronged just because you came to the palace to pay your respects? What will the palace maids think if they see you? What if they think you're disrespectful to the Empress? Have you considered the consequences? You won't stop even in the palace. Are you afraid of implicating the entire Gu family?"
Gu Yue was speechless and opened and closed her mouth, but ultimately remained silent.
Zhang also reminded her, "Hurry up and put away your expression. What did Nanny teach you? You must be respectful! Don't think that it doesn't matter what you do now. There are so many people here. If they see us and the news gets out, you will be in big trouble."
Gu Yue whispered, "I understand."
She didn't dare to feel wronged anymore, nor did she dare to make a pitiful expression. She imitated Gu Shan and tried her best to appear respectful.
Time passed little by little, and finally it was their turn.
Gu Jiu followed Zhang, walked out of the side hall with his head lowered and went to the main hall to pay his respects.
When I came here before, it was pitch black. I couldn't see a thing.
It was now bright outside, and Lu Zhan looked around out of the corner of his eye. The Weiyang Palace was large, but it looked a bit plain and a little desolate.
The snow on the ground had already been cleared away, leaving no trace.
Everyone followed the eunuch's instructions, entered the hall, and stood in order. Then, following the eunuch's instructions, they congratulated the Empress on the New Year.
“Ahem…”
In front of the hall, there were bursts of coughing, so heart-wrenching that it made the lungs ache.
However, no one raised their heads and looked towards the front of the hall.
It’s not that I don’t want to, but I don’t dare and I can’t.
Gu Jiu lowered his head. As expected, the coughing must have come from the Queen.
She heard the coughing and knew that the Queen was not in good health.
I'm afraid the rumors are true; the Empress's time is drawing to a close. She must have given her all to make it to the New Year.
The coughing finally stopped, and a faint rustling sound was heard from above.
After a while, the Queen Mother said, "No need to be polite!"
The words "No need to be polite" sounded weak, but they were full of vigor. She was indeed the Empress who had presided over the harem for decades.
Even when it is at the end of its life, it can still shock people and make all kinds of ambitious people feel fearful and dare not jump out easily.
After the court ceremony, everyone followed the eunuchs to the side hall.
No matter how big the main hall is, the number of people it can accommodate is limited.
The sounds coming from the main hall can also be heard in the side hall.
The Queen was talking and chatting with the royal family members and the ladies of high rank.
Listening to everyone's laughter, the atmosphere seemed very good.
Gu Jiu thought everything was fine, so after the Queen finished speaking, he went straight to the palace banquet.
Unexpectedly, a palace maid hurried to the side hall and asked loudly, "Where is Madam Gu at the residence of the General of the Zhen Army?"
Xie was still in a daze. When the palace maid mentioned the General's Mansion, she really didn't react at that moment.
Zhang was the quickest to react and quickly stood up. "Here."
The maid glanced at the Gu family and said, "The Queen has summoned you. Please follow me."
Zhang pinched Xie and said, "Sister-in-law, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up. Xiaojiu, the three of you sisters should follow behind me and be careful."
Gu Jiu nodded, "Don't worry, aunt."
Xie stood up hurriedly, extremely panicked.
"Sister-in-law, why did the Queen summon us?"
"Maybe it's because of the Marquis' Mansion." Zhang was just making a tentative guess.
Gu Jiu kept an eye on Gu Yue and Gu Shan, and was also afraid that they would be too nervous and make mistakes in front of the Queen.
The five people followed the palace maid and came to the center of the main hall.
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen!"
Everyone bowed respectfully.
Old Madam Wei smiled and said, "Your Majesty, these are my two nephews' wives and three nieces from the next room."
Empress Cui narrowed her eyes and examined them carefully. "These girls are really pretty. Come here and let me take a closer look."
The palace maid asked Gu Jiu and the other two to come forward.
Gu Jiu took the lead, passing Zhang and Xie, and led Gu Yue and Gu Shan to pay their respects.
"Your humble servant pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen. May Her Majesty be blessed with good fortune and happiness."
"Um!"
Queen Cui was in full force, and Gu Yue and Gu Shan's hands, hidden in their sleeves, were shaking.
"Raise your head and let me see."
Gu Jiu slowly raised his head. It was the first time he was so close to Queen Cui, and also the first time he saw Queen Cui from the face.
His complexion was sallow, his hair dry and yellow, his cheeks sunken in the gauntness, and his body frail, his court robes felt hollow on him.
This was Gu Jiu’s first impression of Queen Cui.
But what shocked Gu Ji the most was Queen Cui's eyes. They were shining with light, as if filled with the sun, moon, stars, and the past and present centuries.
What a wise and fierce pair of eyes.
Gu Jiu not only saw Queen Cui's ambition and aspirations, but also saw the cruelty, cunningness and murderousness contained therein.
If Empress Cui held military power, Gu Jiu had no doubt that she would mobilize troops to kill those ambitious people who were trying to overthrow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince before her death.
Maybe she even dares to kill the emperor.
This is not alarmist.
Gu Jiu really saw all this from Queen Cui's eyes.
It seemed as if Gu Jiu had observed Empress Cui for a long time, but in reality, it was only two or three seconds. After just a glance, Gu Jiu quickly closed his eyelids, looking submissive.
Queen Cui nodded. "What's his name? How old is he?"
Gu Jiu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, my name is Jiu, and I am fifteen."
"Have you said you're married?"
"We haven't talked about marriage yet."
Queen Cui laughed and said, "You are quite good. Please leave."
"Yes, sir!"
Gu Jiu bowed and retreated, followed by Gu Yue and Gu Shan.
It seemed that the Queen called the three people to her side just to observe Gu Jiu.
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