night!
Exquisite and luxurious decoration, a large carved bed, and incense burning in the incense burner to enhance the atmosphere.
However, Zhou Jin had no interest at all and simply rolled off the woman and got out of bed.
The stunning woman followed closely behind him, wrapping her body around him.
He had no mercy on her and pushed her away.
The stunningly beautiful woman was originally a top courtesan in a brothel and was very picky about her patrons.
Anyone who is not pleasing to her eye, even if they are royal relatives or wealthy and powerful people, will never be able to enter her boudoir.
But when she saw Zhou Jin for the first time, this man caught her eyes and entered her heart.
However, it was obvious that Zhou Jin didn't care about her at all.
To be precise, Zhou Jin has someone in his heart.
Zhou Jin was extremely irritable.
The courtesan that others coveted could not arouse his interest at all.
All he could think about was Lady Zhao who lived in Prince Ning's mansion.
He had changed three courtesans, each one more beautiful and talented than the other, but none of them could drive out the face in his heart.
Zhou Jin knew that he was in trouble.
This was the first time in his life that he fell in love with a woman, and she happened to be the married wife of the emperor's grandson.
If it were any other woman, the worst that could happen would be that she would be snatched away and run away.
But Madam Zhao...
Zhou Jin directly picked up the wine jug and poured it into his mouth.
The wine choked his throat, making him feel even more uncomfortable.
I only regret that I didn’t come to the capital two years earlier.
At that time, Madam Zhao was still unmarried and was merely betrothed to Prince Zhao.
At worst, I can just kidnap the person and go out to sea. I don’t believe Gongzi Zhao can catch him up to the sea.
Unfortunately, time cannot be reversed.
"Young Master?"
The courtesan is extremely charming and beautiful, and the word "young master" is full of tenderness and sweetness, which makes people feel pity for her.
Zhou Jin put on his robe and said, "I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."
"Sir, don't go!"
The Oiran was anxious, "Is there something wrong with me?"
Zhou Jin turned around and smiled, then put his arm around the courtesan's waist and said, "Next time I come, I will ask you to stay with me for three days and three nights."
"Then, sir, you have to keep your word." The courtesan bit her lip. Although she was unwilling, she had no choice.
Just because she saw the indifference and impatience in Zhou Jin's eyes.
If she didn't know what was good for her, she was sure that the man in front of her would turn against her.
What a cold-blooded Mr. Zhou! He really just pulled up his pants and threw the person aside.
Zhou Jin walked in the night. He stopped and looked towards the imperial city.
Even if you feel unwilling, you can't do anything about it for the time being.
The news that Gongzi Zhao was returning to the capital had already spread throughout the capital, so how could he not know about it?
He guessed that once Master Zhao came back, Madam Zhao would not have the chance to leave the palace for a while.
But he still had another chance to meet Madam Zhao.
Thinking of this, Gongzi Zhao laughed.
…
It was late at night, but the lights were still on in the upper rooms of the east courtyard of the palace.
Gu Jiu tangled her hair with Liu Zhao's and snuggled in his arms.
After a tiring night, I can't sleep now. How strange.
"You almost died out there."
Gu Jiu spoke. A calm statement, yet revealing an uneasy feeling.
Liu Zhao increased the strength in his hands and hugged her tightly, "I'm back safely, aren't I?"
"What would happen if you died out there?"
Gu Jiu raised his eyes and glared at him.
Liu Zhao's grip tightened. "Nothing will happen. I've already said that I will never let you become a widow."
Gu Jiu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "A man's ambition is to go far and wide, and wealth and honor are sought in danger. I understand all these principles. But when I think about the possibility of you dying out there, have you ever thought about what I would do?"
Liu Zhaote said seriously, "I will not give you this opportunity. Just give up the idea of remarrying."
Gu Jiu kicked him and said, "I didn't say I wanted to remarry. Don't slander me."
Liu Zhao gritted his teeth and said, "You said that before."
Gu Jiu responded to him directly with a roll of his eyes.
Liu Zhao snorted, "Don't you admit it?"
She turned over, ignoring the jealous man behind her. What a problem!
Liu Zhao stepped forward and said, "I will never give you the chance to become a widow and remarry, so you'd better give up this idea as soon as possible."
Gu Jiu rolled his eyes again, "You really think too much. This is a different time, don't you understand?"
Liu Zhao was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed, "You mean, even if you become a widow, you won't remarry?"
Gu Jiu laughed out loud, "The future is uncertain. Will you give me the chance to be a widow?"
"You're dreaming!" Liu Zhao gritted his teeth and said viciously.
Gu Jiu pushed him away, "You're pressing on me, it's very heavy, get out of the way."
He quickly moved aside for fear of crushing her.
He asked, "I missed you a lot when I was at Beirong."
It's really rare that he has such a warm side.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I know."
"What about you? Do you miss me?"
Gu Jiu kicked him away and said, "I'm very tired. I'm going to sleep first."
"Answer this young master's question first."
"I am too tired. Let's talk another day."
Liu Zhao didn't get an answer and felt dissatisfied.
Gu Jiu raised his foot and kicked it directly to show his attitude.
Liu Zhao was almost kicked off the bed and his face darkened.
He simply held the woman in his arms. Regardless of whether she wanted to or not, he wouldn't let her escape. In this life, she could only have him.
The candle went out.
The bedroom suddenly went dark.
Gu Jiu opened his eyes.
Do you want to?
Of course I thought so.
Just too embarrassed to speak up.
She is such a contradictory person.
Sometimes he dared to say anything and could talk freely in front of the emperor.
But sometimes, I am not good at speaking.
In my previous life, I didn’t have the chance to experience love, so I don’t have any experience.
In this life, she was betrothed by Liu Zhao early on and had no chance to come into contact with other opposite sexes.
Asking her to say that she misses him would be so embarrassing that she would not say it.
Damn man, he hugged her so tightly that she was almost dying of heat.
The weather was already hot, and there was a human stove lying next to me. It was so sour and painful that it was suffocating.
He fell asleep in the heat, with his brows furrowed as if he had suffered a great injustice.
Liu Zhao opened his eyes and observed Gu Jiu sleeping in the dark.
Seeing that she was frowning slightly, he couldn't help but raise his hand to smooth it out.
He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and then went to sleep peacefully.
It's raining!
Before daybreak, I could hear the sound of raindrops falling on the roof and eaves.
The temperature then turns cooler.
Gu Jiu subconsciously moved closer to the human furnace and slept so comfortably and warmly.
Liu Zhao woke up early. He had an early court session today, but he didn't want to get up. He just wanted to stay in bed with Gu Jiu.
Lin Shuping knocked on the door three times outside, anxious and angry, running around in circles.
He was ready to knock on the door for the fourth time. If the person still didn't get up, he would really rush in and pull him up.
Boom boom boom!
There was a knock on the door.
"Sir, Sir? It's getting late. If you don't get up now, you'll miss the morning court. Sir?"
"Okay, be quiet, or you might disturb the lady."
Liu Zhao was helpless. Prince Ning had already left the palace to attend the morning court, and he finally got up.
This made Lin Shuping very anxious.
"The prince has left the palace and sent someone to say that if you are late for the morning court, you will be whipped."
Liu Zhao had a stern face and looked gloomy.
The emperor is truly inhumane.
He had just returned to the capital and was supposed to be spending time with his wife, but the emperor didn't even give him a day off and forced him to attend the morning court.
He has no work to do now, so what's the point of attending the morning court?
It would be better to give him half a month's leave, let him live as happily as a god, and then it won't be too late to attend the morning court after he gets his assignment.
"The prince said that the imperial censor died yesterday, and he expected that the court today would not be peaceful. He told you to be prepared and be careful not to be used as a target."
Liu Zhao, filled with resentment, asked, "Have you found any clues about the censor who died yesterday?"
"There are no useful clues at the moment."
"Keep checking."
"I obey your command."
Liu Zhao dressed neatly, washed up, and returned to his bedroom.
Gu Jiu was sleeping soundly wrapped in a fur quilt.
Liu Zhao's gloomy face suddenly softened like a spring breeze, and there was a smile in his eyes.
He bent down and kissed her cheek.
He reached out and pinched her cheek.
Gu Jiu frowned in his sleep and unconsciously slapped the smiling face.
Liu Zhao bared his teeth, and Lin Shuping stood at the door, wanting to laugh but not daring to.
Liu Zhao snorted and whispered, "I'll settle the score with you when I get back."
After saying this, he stood up and left, riding directly to the palace to attend the morning court.
…
Gu Jiu didn't get up until dawn.
Looking at the empty bed, her mind felt a little confused.
Is Liu Zhao back?
Could it be that she dreamed that Liu Zhao came back, but everything was fake?
She shook her head, her mind was a mess.
Her slightly tired body reminded her that last night was not a dream, and Liu Zhao really came back.
She slapped her head hard, finally remembering it.
Qingmei came into the room carrying hot water. "Madam is finally up. The princess is considerate of Madam and sent someone over early in the morning to excuse Madam from paying respects."
Gu Jiu hummed and asked, "When did the young master leave?"
"He left home before dawn to attend the morning court. When the master left, he specifically instructed the servants not to wake the lady."
Gu Jiu yawned, "It's quite late."
Qingmei smiled and said, "It's not too late. We can still make it in time for breakfast. If it's any later, we can only have tea and snacks."
With Qingmei's help, Gu Jiu got up, washed, and dressed up.
After eating breakfast alone, I felt a little reluctant to move.
Qingzhu brought a health-preserving soup to nourish the body.
Gu Jiu was stunned for a moment, and said unexpectedly: "No need to drink health soup in the future"
"Madam, do you think the soup is not good? I will make you a new bowl."
Gu Jiu shook her head. She couldn’t explain to Qingzhu.
The health-preserving soup, a prescription she personally prescribed, has a contraceptive effect.
Today, she made a solemn decision to stop using contraception.
She asked someone to bring her writing brush and ink, and quickly wrote down a recipe for medicinal food.
She handed the recipe to Qingzhu and said, "Make the soup according to this medicinal recipe. I will eat this from now on."
Qingzhu took the recipe and asked, "Do you want to eat it every day?"
"Drink one bowl every morning after meals for the first seven days. Drink once every three days thereafter."
"I'll remember that. I'll go make the medicine again."
"Forget it today. I don't want to drink anything. Is there anything going on in the kitchen? If not, I'll just be lazy today and not go to the meeting hall."
Qingmei smiled and said, "Madam, the kitchen is fine today. However, there are some problems with the farm and shop that the princess has entrusted to Madam. I have been ordered to check the accounts, and there are no problems from the accounts. However, the income has been decreasing year by year, without even a basic fluctuation. This in itself is a problem."
Gu Jiu stretched out her hand and Qingmei put the account book in her hand.
She casually flipped through the accounts of the farm and the shop over the years, then smiled.
These village heads and shopkeepers don't even bother to falsify the accounts. Do they really think the masters of the palace are all fools who can't see the problems in their account books?
She asked, "Have the village head and the shopkeeper ever been replaced?"
Qingmei shook her head. "I've inquired, and the village head and the shopkeeper haven't changed for eight years. Furthermore, the village head took in a new concubine this year. He already has three concubines and seven or eight children. This small village head is quite wealthy."
Gu Jiu laughed sarcastically, "A village head, his entire family depends on his income, yet he has to support dozens of people. It seems that half of the profits from the village go into the village head's pocket. What about the owner of the grain and oil shop?"
Qingmei said, "The shopkeeper is a little better, not a big problem. But I've checked out that grain and oil shop, and it's really not good. From the shopkeeper to the clerks, they're all lazy and don't really put their heart into business. They look more like they're just wasting their time."
Gu Jiu laughed, "I guess you're treating the palace like a nursing home!"
She closed the account book and threw it on the desk.
Qingmei asked, "Madam, do you want to take action?"
Gu Jiu yawned, but he was still sleepy.
She said, "Don't worry. It's almost autumn harvest time and time to store the grain. Let's see what the village head does this year. If he's still as corrupt as before, it won't be too late to take action. As for the grain and oil shop, personnel is a big problem, but it's not the key issue. If we want the shop to do well, we have to find another way."
"I will obey Madam."
Gu Jiu felt a little sleepy, probably because he was too tired, so he lay down on the couch and closed his eyes to rest.
The body is resting, but the brain is working very fast.
The Yuhua Lane project is about to be completed. After the money comes in, I will not start any new projects.
She has to devote some energy to paying attention to the situation in the northwest and south of the Yangtze River.
You can also open a few more shops in the capital, secretly buy some land and houses to store them, and collect rent. When the time is right, you can take them out for renovation.
If the capital is not suitable, go outside the capital.
She had been drooling over the route from the city gate to the Wei River for a long time.
As long as she has the chance, she will definitely renovate the entire area from the city gate to the Wei River and renovate the house. It will be another lucrative business.
But the emperor may not give her this opportunity.
She yawned again and turned over to make herself more comfortable.
Never mind, there are only a few months left this year.
Let her spend the last few months lazily.
Anyway, she has made enough money this year to live a carefree life for a while and expand her business.
She will try again next year when she is not so conspicuous.
…
After the morning court session, Liu Zhao did not go anywhere and went straight back to the palace.
Walking into the small study, he saw Gu Jiu lying there sleeping. He walked lightly and quietly came to her side.
Gu Jiu didn't fall asleep, he was always half asleep and half awake.
When she felt a warm breath beside her, she opened her eyes.
She rubbed her brows and said, "I'm back!"
"Yeah, just got back."
Gu Jiu smiled at him and asked, "Why did His Majesty ask you to attend the morning court right after you returned to the capital?"
Liu Zhao held her hand and massaged it gently.
"My grandfather is determined to cultivate me."
Phew!
Gu Jiu didn't give him any face and just laughed out loud.
Liu Zhao frowned slightly.
Gu Jiu waved his hands repeatedly and said, "I'm not laughing at you. I just can't help laughing when I see you lying with your eyes open."
Liu Zhao also laughed. He leaned forward, pretending to be vicious, and asked, "Which eye of yours saw me lying?"
Gu Jiu pointed at his own eyes and said, "I saw you lying with both eyes. After that censor's disturbance yesterday, even if His Majesty originally wanted to cultivate you, he would have changed his mind today. If you were just a minister, you would have a bright future if you achieved extraordinary achievements. But you happen to be the grandson of the emperor, and the crown prince has not yet been appointed. His Majesty will never use you at this time."
"You know the Royal Grandfather quite well."
Gu Jiu shook his head. "I don't understand Your Majesty, I just understand human nature. You might be ignored by Your Majesty, do you resent it?"
Liu Zhao shook his head. "I know the balance of power very well."
Gu Jiu pulled at his collar, "Are you really not resentful? You've made extraordinary achievements, but not only are you not valued, you're also being ignored. Anyone else would be resentful. Those who might be plotting against the palace would want to see you filled with resentment and losing your mind."
"You said that everything was planned by someone. I'm not stupid, so I won't fall into the trap."
"You say that, but you really don't have any thoughts in your heart?" Gu Jiu poked his heart. "People can't control their inner thoughts. Are you sure you don't have any resentment?"
"If your husband becomes resentful, what will you do?"
Gu Jiu smiled softly, "If you feel resentful, it means you are still a normal person with emotions. If you feel no emotion at all, I can't help but wonder if you have been treated inhumanely in Beirong, so that you have blocked all emotions."
"Nonsense again. Are you expecting me to become abnormal so you can do whatever you want?"
Gu Jiu chuckled, "It's obvious that you are doing whatever you want."
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
I'm sorry for being late today.
I will work hard on writing and update twice in a while!
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