"No need to see me off. When Heng'er comes back, just tell him I'm leaving."
Gu Jiangli bowed slightly behind her, watching her disappear at the end of the palace road.
Her silhouette looked somewhat forlorn.
Gu Jiangli suddenly understood why she dared not bid farewell to the emperor in person.
Perhaps the Empress Dowager felt too guilty towards the Emperor, making it impossible for her to say goodbye to him face to face.
She was afraid the emperor would ask her why, and she was also afraid that she would inadvertently reveal that she was going there to atone for her sins.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager could only bid farewell to this concubine.
The only thing that could haunt the Empress Dowager for so many years was probably the death of Prince Rong and his wife.
One of them suffered a difficult childbirth, and the other committed suicide. How much the Empress Dowager was involved in this remains unknown to her.
But at the very least, their deaths must have been orchestrated by the Empress Dowager.
The Emperor and Prince Rong had a deep and respectful brotherly relationship. If Prince Rong were to learn of the Empress Dowager's actions, he would undoubtedly feel even more pain and despair.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager chose to go to the mountains to live in seclusion, practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist scriptures, both to escape the emperor and to atone for her sins.
A cool breeze blew into the courtyard, and Gu Jiangli shivered, turning to look at his hands and muttering:
"In this palace, how many people can truly keep their hands clean?"
A cloak suddenly weighed down on her shoulders, and when she turned her head, the emperor's hands were on the cloak on her shoulders.
She was taken aback; she had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed when he had arrived.
I don't know if he heard the words I murmured to myself.
The emperor looked at her with deep affection and said, "It's getting windy, let's go back inside."
Gu Jiangli nodded, put her arm around his, and walked into the house.
After entering the room, the emperor said softly, "I will not let your hands get dirty."
Gu Jiangli paused for a moment, then felt as if she were enveloped in a warm current.
She lowered her eyes, smiled faintly, and answered with a soft "Mm".
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
