Upon hearing the emperor's words, Gu Jiangli immediately stood up from behind the table and bowed to the empress dowager.
I heard that the Empress Dowager has been living a vegetarian diet and chanting Buddhist prayers on the mountain for several years now, and has not come down the mountain.
This sudden return to the palace from the mountain must be for something important.
Now it seems that it was a matter concerning the emperor.
The Empress Dowager nodded to the Emperor, then looked directly at Gu Jiangli: "This must be Princess Gu Jiangli of Yunjiang. She is indeed stunningly beautiful. No wonder Heng'er immediately made her a Yunfei."
The Empress Dowager's words sounded barbed, but her expression was very gentle.
Gu Jiangli remained respectful and replied, "It is because His Majesty is so fond of me and intentionally wants to maintain the relationship between Tianyuan and Yunjiang that he specially granted me the rank of Consort. I am deeply grateful."
The Empress Dowager laughed, "You certainly know how to talk."
With the help of her maid, she sat down in the main seat and then said to Gu Jiangli, "I came down the mountain to return to the palace this time for your sake. I heard that since you entered the palace, Heng'er has never summoned any other concubines. Aren't you afraid of bringing disaster upon yourself by receiving such exclusive favor?"
Gu Jiangli was startled and subconsciously looked at the emperor.
As expected, the Empress Dowager's sudden appearance was not a good thing; it turned out she had come to interrogate them.
It must be that one of the concubines in the harem was afraid to confront her directly, so she secretly passed the news to the Empress Dowager so that she could handle the matter.
To be honest, this method is actually quite good.
The Empress Dowager was the emperor's birth mother and the person he respected most in his life. When she spoke, the emperor had no choice but to obey.
After exchanging a glance with Gu Jiangli, the Emperor seemed to sense her predicament and immediately replied to the Empress Dowager, "Mother, it is my will to favor whomever I wish to summon. What wrong has Consort Yun done? Who would make things difficult for her?"
"Heng'er, I've heard that Consort Yun comes to your Jing'an Palace every day just to pester you and enjoy this exclusive favor."
"No, the news that the Empress Dowager heard on the mountain is wrong. Her coming to Jing'an Palace was at my request."
Gu Jiangli stared at him in surprise, without saying a word.
To be honest, she kept thinking about how to explain her actions to the Empress Dowager, but she never expected that the Emperor would take all the blame.
This is truly surprising.
When did the emperor start protecting her like this?
A brief silence fell over the room.
I wonder if the Empress Dowager will be angry that the Emperor has denied this to her.
Gu Jiangli cautiously raised her eyes to look at the Empress Dowager's expression, only to find that the Empress Dowager's face was very calm, and even the gentleness in the corners of her eyes was greater than before.
The Empress Dowager curled the corners of her lips and asked, "Heng'er, do you know what I do on the mountain?"
"Pray for the heavens, and ask the gods to protect our country and ensure good weather and abundant harvests."
"The favorable weather of Tianyuan is important, but your offspring are also very important, Heng'er. You have been on the throne for so many years without any children. How can the bloodline of the Qi Dynasty be passed on? I pray for you every day, hoping that someone can give birth to an heir for you and continue your bloodline, but for so many years, not a single good news has reached my ears."
The emperor frowned slightly, his expression somewhat displeased. "Empress Dowager, Prince An is also of Qi blood."
“But he is not your child after all.” The Empress Dowager answered him almost immediately, as if she had expected him to say this and had prepared her reply in advance.
"Heng'er, it's not wrong for you to favor one person. When the late emperor was alive, I also received imperial favor alone. Princess Yunjiang is beautiful and intelligent. I don't object to your love for her, but... you have no children now. After I pass away, how will I face your father in the afterlife?"
The emperor seemed to be persuaded; his eyes flickered, and he avoided looking at the empress dowager.
The Empress Dowager rose, walked to Gu Jiangli, and gently took her hand, patting the back of her hand repeatedly. "I can see that Consort Yun is different from other women; she doesn't have as much jealousy as the other concubines in the harem. If Heng'er wants to favor other concubines more for the sake of having offspring, I'm sure Consort Yun won't be secretly angry."
She spoke gently, but in reality, she was trying to persuade Gu Jiangli to be more open-minded and not to pester the emperor, so that he could favor other concubines and give them the opportunity to bear children for him.
Gu Jiangli wasn't stupid.
The Empress Dowager's words were so clear; she couldn't possibly misunderstand.
However, the Empress Dowager clearly overlooked one problem: the Emperor has had no children for so many years. Does that mean that just because Gu Jiangli suddenly lets him go and favor other concubines, the Emperor will have children?
When it comes to offspring, you can't just pray for them; you need to use some external force.
The emperor's face clearly showed his refusal. "Mother, you don't need to worry about the matter of having an heir. I have my own plans."
The Empress Dowager was also a little angry when she heard him say that. "Heng'er, I know you like Consort Yun, but it's not too late to dote on Consort Yun after you have a child."
Gu Jiangli was stunned.
It seems that the emperor's behavior has completely misled the empress dowager.
In the Empress Dowager's view, the Emperor was opposing her because of her.
The Empress Dowager turned her head and looked at Gu Jiangli again, asking in a questioning tone, "Consort Yun, what do you think?"
The words were already on Gu Jiangli's lips, and the Emperor and Empress Dowager's attitudes were quite clear. It would be impolite for her not to express her opinion.
Seeing the emperor's tense and anxious expression, Gu Jiangli made a decision.
She pulled away from the Empress Dowager's hand, took two steps back, and then knelt down respectfully. "Your Majesty, His Majesty's offspring are related to the fate of the nation. If the offspring prosper, the nation will prosper. Therefore, I understand Your Majesty's good intentions."
The emperor's eyes darkened, unable to conceal his disappointment.
But the Empress Dowager's eyes revealed a hint of appreciation, and she said with a smile, "So, you're willing to let Heng'er..."
“But Your Majesty the Empress Dowager,” Gu Jiangli suddenly raised her head to interrupt her, “I am deeply in love with His Majesty and cannot bear to watch him spend the night with other concubines. Therefore, I promise Your Majesty that I will bear children for His Majesty so that His Majesty’s bloodline can be passed on and the Tianyuan Kingdom can prosper forever.”
The emperor froze, his gaze towards Gu Jiangli becoming incredibly complex.
The Empress Dowager's expression changed from admiration to shock. She couldn't help but tremble twice and take two steps back, as if she couldn't believe her ears. Even her voice trembled as she spoke, "You... what a big mouth you have. What guarantee do you have that you can bear children for His Majesty? You've only been in the palace for less than three months."
"I cannot guarantee it, but I hope Your Majesty the Empress Dowager can give me a chance. Within a year, I will definitely let Your Majesty hear good news that you have never heard before."
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