Inside the Zhengyang Hall, there are ice basins in every corner, making it very cool.
However, Chang En broke out in a sweat.
Emperor Wende tapped the desk lightly with his fingers, repeatedly, making his heart pound and giving him a sense of foreboding.
"The Marquis of Lu actually wants to marry into the Gu family. He actually likes the Gu family's direct descendants and side branches, haha!"
Emperor Wende let out an ambiguous laugh, which seemed to be sarcastic, mocking, angry, and even murderous.
Chang En became more and more nervous.
Emperor Wende didn't need Chang En's answer and said to himself, "I guess the Marquis of Lu is not interested in Gu Ting, but Gu Jiu behind Gu Ting."
Chang En asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, should we send someone to the northwest to convey the imperial decree and summon Marquis Lu back to the capital?"
Emperor Wende raised his eyebrows and smiled, "I'm not in a hurry, are you in a hurry?"
Chang En shook his head repeatedly. Why was he so anxious? He was just worried about His Majesty.
Emperor Wende said softly, "My brother-in-law is a man of great vision. It is not the right time yet, so I cannot act rashly."
Chang En's heart skipped a beat.
It’s probably not a good idea for the emperor to personally praise his minister for having a broad vision.
What's more, the Duke of Lu has a large army under his command and is stationed at the border. He is in a high position and has great power, so any move he makes can affect the entire body.
Emperor Wende continued, "The Marquis of Lu wishes to marry his daughter. As her uncle, I naturally must show my appreciation. I will proceed to the Weiyang Palace."
"Get ready!"
With a shout, the emperor's ceremonial procession began, escorting Emperor Wende to the Weiyang Palace.
Empress Pei led the entire Weiyang Palace to welcome them at the palace gate.
Today is neither a festival nor the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month, yet Your Majesty has come to the Weiyang Palace.
What is even more surprising is that Emperor Wende usually traveled in a simple carriage in the palace and rarely displayed the imperial guard of honor.
Looking at the complicated procession of the emperor, Empress Pei subconsciously frowned. Today was truly unusual.
"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you!"
"Your Majesty, please excuse me."
Emperor Wende smiled as he personally helped Empress Pei up, held her hand, and walked into the hall.
To others, this scene was the highest honor.
However, Empress Pei was worried.
The two had been married for decades, and Empress Pei knew Emperor Wende's habits and preferences very well.
The more casual Emperor Wende's attitude was, the more he seemed to disrespect others, and the closer he was to them. On the contrary, when he insisted on rules and regulations, things would get complicated.
The emperor and empress sat down in the main seats respectively.
The palace servants stood on both sides, each serving their own masters.
Emperor Wende looked at Empress Pei and asked, "Why is the Empress so pale? Is she sick?"
Empress Pei touched her cheek uncomfortably. "Are you pale? I suffer from summer pain. Life is miserable when summer comes. When the weather cools down, I will recover quickly. Your Majesty, don't worry."
Emperor Wende nodded with a smile, "Since the Queen is suffering from the summer heat, why not go to the temporary palace to escape the heat?"
"Where is His Majesty?" Queen Pei asked cautiously.
Emperor Wende said, "State affairs are very important, so I cannot leave the capital easily."
Empress Pei's heart skipped a beat when she heard this, and she hurriedly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. I don't have to go to the temporary palace to escape the summer heat. It's just as good here, and I can chat and have fun with the other concubines. Besides, being away from the palace is very expensive. Now that the treasury is empty, I should share your Majesty's worries."
Emperor Wende suddenly grasped Empress Pei's hand and gently patted the back of her hand. "As expected of an empress, you are dedicated to sharing my worries. However, no matter how poor the court is, you cannot be deprived of your share of expenses."
Empress Pei slowly shook her head. "Your Majesty's kindness is appreciated. I only wish to stay by your side."
Emperor Wende looked at Empress Pei with a half-smile, "That's fine!"
Empress Pei smiled and lowered her head, feeling more and more nervous.
"Your Majesty, are you here today for something important?"
"The Queen really knows my intentions. The Marquis of Lu wants to marry his daughter off. The Queen must have known about it."
Empress Pei nodded, "I just heard about it too. I was still blaming the eldest brother's wife for not notifying the palace immediately about such a big thing."
"Why blame the eldest daughter-in-law? It's not her who is marrying off the daughter. If you have to blame someone, you should blame the Duke of Lu."
Empress Pei was stunned, her heart pounding. She asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, do you have any objections to this marriage?"
Emperor Wende laughed heartily. "How could I have any objection? I'm so happy. After all, I'm also the uncle of that girl Pei Man. She's getting married soon, and as her aunt and uncle, we should send her a generous gift to congratulate her. The Queen must take this matter to heart. Remember, send a generous gift to the Marquis of Lu's mansion."
Empress Pei's face turned pale, "This, this..."
Emperor Wende asked with a smile, "The Empress is reluctant to give a generous gift? When your niece is getting married, you can't be stingy."
Empress Pei's body softened. "I will obey your majesty. I will send someone to the Marquis of Lu's mansion tomorrow to deliver a valuable gift."
"That's great! The Queen is truly my good wife. I have things to do, so I won't stay for dinner."
After saying this, Emperor Wende stood up and left.
Empress Pei, as if possessed by some mysterious force, reached out and grasped the Emperor's sleeve, "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Lu has not..."
"What does the Queen want to say?" Emperor Wende turned around and looked at Queen Pei calmly.
Empress Pei originally wanted to say that Marquis Lu had no intention of rebelling, but after meeting Emperor Wende's gaze, she could no longer say these words.
She smiled awkwardly and continued, "It's just an ordinary marriage, nothing else is involved."
Emperor Wende raised an eyebrow, "Did the Marquis of Lu tell you?"
Empress Pei shook her head repeatedly. "I have not received any letter from the Marquis of Lu. But I know him and what kind of person he is."
Emperor Wende smiled, his smile tinged with sarcasm. "The Queen is truly confident. You and the Marquis of Lu are nominally brother and sister, but in reality, you have never spent a single day together, so how can you truly understand each other? I understand what the Queen means. You don't need to say more, I know my limits."
Emperor Wende cut Empress Pei short before she could finish her words and left without looking back.
Empress Pei sat down dejectedly, her face pale and cold sweat on her forehead.
"My queen? I hope you're alright!"
Empress Pei raised her head abruptly and said, "Go and invite Madam Lu Hou into the palace."
"I obey your command."
"Wait!" Empress Pei called to Eunuch Wen again, "There's no need to call Madam Lu to the palace. Go and fetch Madam Zhao. I have something to say to her. Tell her to come in immediately without delay."
Eunuch Wen accepted the order and quickly sent someone out of the palace to invite Gu Jiu.
Empress Pei slumped in her chair, her mood fluctuating.
The wife of the Marquis of Lu has no say in this marriage. Asking her to enter the palace is pointless.
As for Gu Jiu, since the Duke of Lu wanted to marry into the family for Gu Jiu, then let Gu Jiu come forward to resolve the matter.
In short, the Lu Hou Mansion must not be implicated, and even less so the Pei family.
Empress Pei clenched her handkerchief tightly, veins bulging.
…
Gu Jiu was not surprised to receive an invitation from the palace.
The only thing that surprised her was that the person who asked her to enter the palace was not Emperor Wende, but Empress Pei.
This is worth pondering.
She was prepared to be questioned and even blackmailed by Emperor Wende.
As a result, Emperor Wende did not take any action as usual, but Empress Pei impatiently called her into the palace.
She gave Xu Yousi a wink.
Xu Yousi understood what he meant and hurriedly asked someone for information.
By the time Gu Jiu got off the carriage and entered the palace, Xu Yousi had already found out what had happened.
"Your Majesty went to the Weiyang Palace, accompanied by the Emperor's guard of honor. It's said that the Empress was so frightened that her face turned pale. As soon as Your Majesty left, the Empress had Madam summoned to the palace."
Gu Jiu understood, "It seems that the Queen was scolded by His Majesty and was in a panic, so she summoned me to the palace."
"Your Majesty, why is the Queen being punished? Since Marquis Lu is married to the Gu family, it stands to reason that the Marquis Lu's wife should also be punished."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "The wife of Marquis Lu is not important enough to be compared with the weight of the Queen. Okay, I have a clear mind on this matter."
After arriving at the Weiyang Palace, he was informed and entered the side hall.
Empress Pei lay sideways on the Luohan couch, her whole body limp, as if she had no strength left.
When he saw Gu Jiu, he greeted him, "You're here, sit down and talk."
"Thank you, mother." Gu Jiu followed suit and sat down in the lower left seat.
Empress Pei had almost calmed down by now.
There's no point in getting anxious about this matter. It's better to have a calm and clear talk with Gu Jiu.
She was the first to speak: "I won't waste my words. His Majesty is very unhappy about the marriage between the Duke of Lu and the Gu family."
Gu Jiu paused before saying, "Thank you, mother, for telling me the truth."
"Is this your attitude? Aren't you anxious? You should know that the reason the Marquis of Lu agreed to marry Pei Man to your brother was all because of you. This marriage was made for you."
Empress Pei was a little exasperated. After yelling, she reminded herself not to rush and take it slow. But how could she not be anxious?
Gu Jiu nodded, "I know everything the Queen Mother said."
"Since you know this, why aren't you anxious?"
"Is it useful to be anxious?" Gu Jiu asked with a smile.
Empress Pei was speechless and took a deep breath. "Your Majesty is angry. Tell me what to do now. According to me, this marriage should be canceled immediately and it should be as if it never happened."
Gu Jiu slowly shook his head, "The Gu family has already proposed marriage to the Marquis of Lu's mansion, and this marriage is inevitable."
Empress Pei glared at her. "Could it be that the Gu family is unwilling to give up the wealth they have obtained? Indeed, so many people have wanted to marry the Marquis of Lu but have been unable to do so, and yet the Gu family has benefited greatly. Naturally, the Gu family is reluctant to give up this good marriage."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "It doesn't matter whether the Gu family is willing or not. What matters is that my brother takes this marriage very seriously."
Queen Pei frowned and waited for Gu Jiu's next words.
Gu Jiu continued, "As for His Majesty's attitude, His Majesty did not explicitly oppose this marriage, did he?"
Empress Pei was furious. "Your Majesty is extremely dissatisfied with this marriage, and you still say you don't object?"
Gu Jiu lowered his head and smiled, "Since His Majesty has not openly objected, then this matter can be discussed. Your Majesty's concern that this matter will implicate the Marquis of Lu is unnecessary."
"What do you mean by that?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
