He actually half-squatted down and reached out to help Gu Jiangli up.
After Gu Jiangli straightened up, he didn't mention anything about Lanfang Palace again, but instead said:
"Stay here until your Changxin Palace is repaired. Lotus will come to take care of you. From now on, she will be your head maid."
The emperor's change of heart was truly sudden; just moments ago he seemed to be planning to punish her, but now it seemed he intended to reward her.
Gu Jiangli had nothing else to say but thank you.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The emperor led her toward the inner palace at the back, and suddenly said, "By the way, that palace maid named Manxiang, she probably spoke up for you because she saw that you were more likely to be favored than Consort Gu, hoping to gain your favor and rise to prominence with you."
"At the same time, she also harbored a kind of expectation that by staying by your side, she might be able to see me often, and with her beauty, she might even gain my favor, thus escaping her status as a slave and becoming a concubine in the harem."
Gu Jiangli blinked. She had guessed it too, but she didn't know why the emperor would suddenly bring it up, so she pretended to be clueless once again.
"Is that so? Is that what Manxiang thinks? I feel that I am only a Jieyu (a concubine rank) myself. I'm afraid I don't have the ability to help her gain His Majesty's favor..."
In today's setting, she didn't even pay much attention to Manxiang's appearance. Thinking back, she did seem quite cute and well-behaved.
His Majesty has noticed her. Could it be that he has feelings for her?
"Does Your Majesty's statement indicate that you have feelings for her?"
The emperor said calmly, "She has already been beaten to death with sticks."
Gu Jiangli's heart skipped a beat: "Huh? Why...why?"
The emperor suddenly stopped in front of him, turned around, and smiled slightly, but the sinister smile did not reach his eyes.
For the first time, Gu Jiangli sensed an unfathomable depth in a mission target.
As soon as the emperor spoke, she felt a chill: "Because she was the only one present who was lying... a servant."
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