In the original owner's memory, the Empress Dowager was a graceful, noble, and dignified woman.
When she went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, almost all the other concubines were present. Given her quiet and reserved nature, she rarely spoke to the Empress Dowager, but simply listened quietly.
What impressed me most was that the Empress Dowager placed great importance on the Emperor's offspring.
This matter would be mentioned every time I paid my respects.
Which concubine in the harem wouldn't want to bear a child for the emperor? However, this isn't something that can be achieved simply by trying.
Gu Jiangli secretly wondered about the Empress Dowager's intention in coming to see her in person. In the blink of an eye, the Empress Dowager had arrived at Guangming Palace.
The Empress Dowager wore a purple-red palace dress embroidered with auspicious clouds and peonies, and a gold hairpin on her head, making her look both noble and dignified.
She was nearly fifty years old, and there were some signs of aging on her face, but they weren't very pronounced.
The moment he saw Gu Jiangli, his eyes filled with kindness. Before Gu Jiangli could even bow, he personally helped her up.
"No need for formalities, Consort Gu, please sit down."
The Empress Dowager patted her hand, her enthusiasm as if she were a very close family member.
Seeing how kind she was to him, Gu Jiangli didn't refuse her and said some respectful words.
"If Your Majesty wishes to see me, you could simply give the order and I will come to your palace. There is no need for Your Majesty to come to see me in person."
The Empress Dowager smiled dignifiedly, seemingly unconcerned about these things. "Consort Gu, it was I who wanted to come and see you. Among all the concubines in the palace, I have always thought you were outstanding in appearance and temperament, and I have high hopes for you. However, the Emperor prefers your younger sister, Consort Gu."
"Although I wish to help you, I cannot interfere with the Emperor's preferences. But now things are fine; the Emperor has allowed you to live in the Guangming Palace, which shows that he values you highly."
"After all, no concubines have ever lived in Guangming Palace! Even I rarely come here."
When the Empress Dowager smiled, the fine lines at the ends of her eyebrows deepened, as she continuously expressed her affection for Gu Jiangli through her actions.
Gu Jiangli pursed her lips, smiling without saying a word.
As far as I can remember, the original owner hadn't really spoken to the Empress Dowager except when she paid her respects. This shows that the Empress Dowager's claim that she had always valued him was just empty talk.
She roughly understood.
It seems that the Empress Dowager came here because the commotion caused by her moving into Guangming Palace was so great that she thought she had become the Emperor's favorite.
Unfortunately, she hasn't yet become the emperor's darling.
"Your Majesty, it is my good fortune to be favored by His Majesty. I am only staying in Guangming Palace temporarily, and I will move out soon."
"No rush, no rush. The emperor has you in his heart, so just stay here and serve him well. As the saying goes, being close to the water tower means you will see the emperor every day, and you will have a better chance to bear him a son or daughter and continue the family line. At that time, you will be a great contributor to the entire Great Jiang."
As expected, we've gotten to the point.
The Empress Dowager has always valued the issue of having offspring, and now that there is a woman who is more favored than the previous Consort Gu, she naturally values her even more.
"Your Majesty, it would be my blessing to be able to continue His Majesty's lineage."
Her respectful and polite demeanor pleased the Empress Dowager.
As soon as the Empress Dowager raised her hand, a palace maid walked out from behind her, carrying a plate with a bowl of soup in the center.
"It would be wonderful if Consort Gu had this intention, but getting pregnant is something that can't be accomplished just by having the will."
She took the bowl of soup from the palace maid and presented it to Gu Jiangli. "Here, this is a special soup that I had specially prepared. It can regulate a woman's body and help her conceive. After drinking it, Consort Gu will surely have good news soon."
The Empress Dowager's eyes were full of expectation, and Gu Jiangli hesitated before taking the soup.
The soup is golden yellow, like chrysanthemum tea, very clear, and you can't see any medicinal residue at the bottom.
It goes without saying that the Empress Dowager's claim that this soup can help women get pregnant is definitely false.
If it were truly effective, the vast harem wouldn't be without a single child to this day, yet the Empress Dowager seems to firmly believe it.
She was just about to ask the system if the soup was harmful when the emperor suddenly appeared.
"Mother."
The emperor strode in, and his expression darkened the moment he saw Gu Jiangli and the Empress Dowager.
Finally, his gaze fell on the golden soup in Gu Jiangli's hand, and his displeasure became even more obvious.
Gu Jiangli was a little puzzled; the emperor didn't seem to like this bowl of golden soup at all.
The Empress Dowager rose and said to the Emperor in a somewhat ingratiating manner:
"The Emperor has ended the morning court session so early today. I'm having a heart-to-heart talk with Consort Gu..."
The emperor nodded almost imperceptibly, walked up to Gu Jiangli, and stared at the golden soup in her hand.
"Your Majesty, this is a medicinal soup sent by the Empress Dowager; it's for conditioning the body."
But before she could finish speaking, the emperor took the bowl of golden soup from her.
Gu Jiangli was still wondering when the emperor carried the golden soup toward the potted plant.
The Empress Dowager's expression instantly turned anxious, "Emperor..."
But the emperor pretended not to hear, stood in front of the potted plant, and poured in every last drop of the golden soup.
The golden soup seeped into the soil and vanished completely in the blink of an eye.
The Empress Dowager swayed and could only sit steadily in the chair with the help of the palace maids beside her.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing! The preparation of the Golden Soup is extremely difficult, and it is of great benefit to a woman's health. How could you... how could you pour it into the ground?"
The emperor said coldly:
"Mother, Consort Gu is in good health and does not need these medicines to regulate her body. Also, I know what to do about my offspring, so Mother does not need to interfere in the future."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
