Gu Jiangli felt a lingering fear.
If it weren't for the system secretly helping her, she would probably have already been violated and humiliated by Liu Bufan.
Things will turn out exactly as Consort Shu predicted; the Emperor will witness her and Liu Bufan's illicit affair.
At that time, no matter how beautiful she is, she will probably not escape death.
For a man, especially an emperor, this was an absolutely unforgivable insult.
Thankfully, we have Zai Zai...
Otherwise, her lifespan in this world would have already come to an end.
This also made her realize how sinister and malicious Consort Shu was.
She did indeed want to be empress, and she needed to step on her head to succeed.
But she never considered using any particularly vicious methods to deal with Consort Shu.
After this incident, she no longer thought that way.
Gu Jiangli's smile was sinister, and Consort Shu felt a chill run down her spine.
"What?" Consort Shu's expression was complicated. Looking at Gu Jiangli's unfamiliar expression, she was actually afraid.
The fear slowly crept up her spine from the soles of her feet, and a bead of cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
Gu Jiangli looked at Consort Shu, whose back was already pressed against the wall, and enjoyed the fearful expression on her face.
She withdrew the cold smile from her face and returned to her usual gentle demeanor.
“Consort Shu, you should feel fortunate that, with my help, His Majesty did not interrogate Liu Bufan very thoroughly. Otherwise, if Liu Bufan had revealed some old stories to His Majesty, you probably wouldn’t be standing here unharmed right now.”
Consort Shu almost lost her balance.
"So you really knew! You really did see it back then!" Consort Shu gritted her teeth, her eyes bloodshot.
Gu Jiangli ignored her panic and said directly, "So what if it is? But Your Majesty can rest assured, I didn't say anything about this two years ago, and I won't say anything now either."
"However, you must be careful. His Majesty trusts me, and therefore believes that Liu Bufan has not done anything improper to me, so he has not punished him. He has simply stopped allowing Liu Bufan to enter and leave the palace at will. From now on, he may not enter the palace unless summoned."
Gu Jiangli deliberately emphasized the word "that's all".
Because she could see that Consort Shu's face was deathly pale and looked extremely unpleasant.
"What did you say? His Majesty didn't punish Liu Bufan? He let him go?"
How is this possible?!
Not only was he spared the death penalty, but he wasn't even subjected to any punishment.
how so?
"If you don't believe me, the news will spread throughout the palace by tomorrow. Your Highness, please be patient and wait a little longer."
"Oh right, I almost forgot, Eunuch Wen just said that a man surnamed Shu came to see His Majesty, probably also about Liu Bufan."
"Did Your Highness the Imperial Concubine send this messenger? Is it to have His Majesty execute this wandering Taoist priest, Liu Bufan?"
"Oh, I was just guessing their intentions. Your Majesty, you can rest assured that His Majesty, under my 'bewitching,' is now firmly convinced that Liu Bufan will not die."
"Gu Jiangli! You...!"
Consort Shu gritted her teeth, wishing she could strangle Gu Jiangli immediately.
But this is the Hall of Mental Cultivation, His Majesty's place.
She couldn't, and dared not, do anything to Gu Jiangli.
Gu Jiangli smiled and walked to the bedside to sit down peacefully.
"Your Highness, I know you're anxious, but don't worry. There will be many more things to worry about in the future."
"Gu Jiangli! You're just putting on a weak and pitiful act in front of His Majesty! Do you dare to face His Majesty with your current appearance? You clearly have no real feelings for His Majesty, yet you act as if you can't live without him. It's disgusting!"
Gu Jiangli was unfazed by her madness: "Oh, so what? What's wrong with pretending to be weak? If I can pretend to be weak in front of His Majesty for a lifetime, then I really am weak. If I can act as if I love His Majesty for a lifetime, then I really love His Majesty."
"What's wrong with acting? Life is like a play, can't we act it out?"
"If you can act dignified and elegant in front of His Majesty for the rest of your life, then go ahead and do it. Who's stopping you?"
"Disgusting? After I gained His Majesty's favor, wealth, status, and the respect of outsiders poured into me from all directions like a surging river. Who cares about your disgust?"
Consort Shu was utterly dumbfounded by Gu Jiangli's explanation.
"You're simply...unreasonable!"
Consort Shu was so angry that she was panting heavily. Facing Gu Jiangli, all she wanted to do at that moment was escape.
"Let's see how long you can be so arrogant!"
After uttering those harsh words, she flung her sleeves and walked out of the palace gate.
In Gu Jiangli's view, it was a defeat that led to a humiliating departure.
She smiled and saw the guest off, saying, "Don't worry, they'll get so arrogant they'll eventually climb all over you."
————
The next day, the legend of that night spread throughout the entire palace.
Everyone knows that Liu Bufan appeared alone in Gu Jiangli's room but was injured by Gu Jiangli.
What sounded like a capital offense was spared by the Emperor, all because of Gu Jiangli's few words.
Gu Jiangli enjoyed a few peaceful days.
The life inside her was constantly reminding her that it was time.
During that period, the emperor visited her bedchamber less often, and each time he did come, it was obvious that he was in a bad mood.
For the first few days, Gu Jiangli didn't ask, because the emperor was trying his best to hide it from her.
But one day, the emperor's absent-mindedness became too obvious.
"Your Majesty, have you been too busy with official duties lately? You don't look well, and I'm very worried."
Upon hearing the concern, the emperor immediately relaxed and smiled, "It seems I still cannot hide my thoughts, causing my beloved concubine to worry as well."
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