Gu Jiangli knew, of course, that the emperor was capricious and unpredictable.
But isn't this change too drastic?
Suddenly, out of nowhere, they want to make her a concubine?
"Does His Majesty truly intend to bestow upon me the title of Consort?"
"You don't want to? Your father sent you here hoping you would be a good concubine in my harem."
Gu Jiangli was blocked again.
She found it difficult to refute every word the emperor said.
"Then... thank you, Your Majesty."
Gu Jiangli's gaze shifted, noticing the bloodstains on the emperor's face. Then, turning her head, she saw the several corpses lying on the ground, and her feelings became complicated.
Although she didn't have much contact with these maids, they were still people she saw every day.
The sight of his corpse lying here now is truly disheartening.
The emperor followed her gaze and saw what she was thinking. "The corpses of several maids have made you resent me and even give up your position as a concubine?"
Gu Jiangli blinked, her expression turning strange. "That's not the case."
"Since that's not the case, then stay peacefully in my harem. You must be dutiful and obedient to ensure the safety of Yunjiang for a hundred years."
Gu Jiangli understood the threat in those words.
The emperor was reminding her once again that she was a princess sent for a political marriage, carrying a mission, and that she could not disobey him, otherwise he might very well threaten Yunjiang.
Gu Jiangli sighed inwardly, thinking to himself that the emperor was indeed an unpredictable person.
When he was treating her foot, I thought he seemed like a good person, but now he's making threats, shattering that "good person" image.
One second they want to send her to her death, the next they make her a concubine.
His thoughts were extremely unpredictable; she couldn't understand what he was trying to do at all.
But Gu Jiangli had to admit that there was some truth to what the emperor said.
Now she also has to recognize the situation and do her best, within her power, to protect innocent people from the emperor's wrath.
Anyway, she was just there to be the emperor's concubine and have his children.
She just needs to focus on completing her own tasks.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I... I will certainly serve you well in the future."
"I am pleased that you think this way. A wise person knows when to yield, and I believe the princess will not disappoint me."
Gu Jiangli nodded, and suddenly the door to the main hall was opened a crack.
An old eunuch stood outside the door, bowing, and said, "Your Majesty, Prince An requests an audience."
Upon hearing this, the emperor once again lifted Gu Jiangli from the dragon throne and placed her in the seat of one of the concubines below him, and announced to the public:
"Let him in, and also, send someone to escort the princess back..." He paused, then turned to look at Gu Jiangli, "Where?"
Gu Jiangli said softly, "Ronghui Pavilion."
The emperor nodded and then announced to the outside world, "Send the princess back to Ronghui Pavilion and request a sedan chair."
The eunuch outside the door immediately acknowledged the order: "Yes."
Gu Jiangli was helped into the sedan chair by a palace maid. As she left, she happened to see the so-called "Prince An".
He was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, full of vigor and with bright eyes.
When the boy saw her, he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Supported by two palace maids, Gu Jiangli was unable to bow to him, but she nodded to him.
Then he stepped into the palace and got into the sedan chair.
Inside the sedan chair, Gu Jiangli kept searching her mind for information about this Prince An.
This Prince An seems to be the emperor's son.
But he was not the emperor's biological son; he was the son of the emperor's elder brother.
The emperor's elder brother died young, and before his death, he bequeathed his only infant child to the emperor.
From then on, the child called the emperor "Father Emperor".
Some say that the emperor had no children, but he was not worried at all because Prince An was alive, so there was no worry about no one to inherit the throne.
Thinking of this, Gu Jiangli shook his head. An emperor who doesn't care about having offspring can't do that.
He has to care.
Didn't I come here specifically to solve the problem of having offspring?
Gu Jiangli leaned back in the sedan chair, suddenly feeling a little melancholy.
So many troubles have already occurred since we arrived here; it's clear that the road ahead is long and arduous.
————
Inside the hall.
Prince An glanced at the corpse on the ground, then, with a smile on his face and an indifferent expression, he stepped through the blood and walked further in.
Standing in the center of the hall, he bowed and said, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty. I prepared a gift for your birthday banquet, so I am late. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
The emperor waved his hand, "It's alright, this birthday banquet is rather boring anyway."
Seeing that he didn't blame him, Prince An smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Today is your birthday. Who upset you today and made you so angry?"
He was radiant, full of youthful vigor and energy.
The emperor rested his chin on his hand, flicked his sleeve, and said indifferently, "It's nothing, just punishing a few lowly...spies."
Prince An was taken aback, then turned to examine each of the corpses. "Were they spies from Yunjiang? But didn't Yunjiang specifically send a princess for a marriage alliance? Why would they need to plant spies? Could it be that Yunjiang harbors ill intentions towards Tianyuan?"
The emperor scoffed, "King Yunjiang isn't that bold; someone's just stirring things up behind the scenes."
Prince An looked thoughtful: "Father, should I investigate this?"
The emperor was silent for a moment before saying, "No need, it's nothing."
“Yes.” Prince An was not discouraged by the rejection, but continued with a smile, “Father, the woman who just came out of the palace must be the princess of Yunjiang Kingdom, right? I think she is very beautiful and can be considered a beauty of the nation. What do you think, Father?”
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